((Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha! sob
Hi, this is my first attempt on a Whodunit story, so R&R! ))
Lord, he was tired and all this construction work wasn't helping his headache a bit. He ran a hand over his face wearily, silently wishing the day would be over soon. 10:27 a.m. No such luck then. Police detective Sesshomaru Tashio stood in the kitchen of one newly deceased Kagome Higurashi. All the signs pointed to a suicide; something didn't feel quite right, however. The detective pushed the pestering unease away and shouted to his assistant to bring the people in for the questioning.
Sesshomaru looked at the report the sheriff had given him while waiting. It seemed Kagome had been left without any relatives or means to support herself at the age of 15 when her family died in a fire. She'd spent the next three years in a foster home, and then bounded off to college where she excelled in Business. After securing a job with an accounting firm, Miss Higurashi began renting a house with her best friend, Sango Niwa. Finally yesterday around 3 pm, she'd killed herself by means of a knife to the midsection. Consequently, an autopsy revealed she had bled to death instead of quick demise because the knife had missed any major organs. She left behind a note with four names, apologizing to each in turn. Inuyasha Takeshi, Sango Niwa, Kikyou Yamamoto, and Kouga Sagami.
He had a copy of it lying on the counter. Sesshomaru walked over and surveyed it again.
"This is it," the note read, "Life is becoMe unbearable. I am unhappy, depressed more like, so I am ending my Useless life tonight. To Inuyasha Takeshima, words cannot describe the Regret I feel for leaving you, but I must. Sango Niwa, my friend, I love you anD I'm sorry it has to be this way. Sister Kikyou Yamamoto, we may not havE been related by any blood, but you have always been like a beloved sisteR to me, to all of us. To Kouga Sagami, my only sorrow is we'll never get married, I'm sorry. Goodbye Kagome Higurashi."
Scribbled down in the corner was "A scream, a whisper. Hang on you, Twisted TranSISTOR."
It had been found on the bathroom sink, just feet away from where Kagome was laid in the tub, bleeding. Something felt odd about the whole thing; there was something right in front of him that he was missing, or so it felt to Sesshomaru.
Shippou Kyokutou, his assistant, coughed explosively to get his superior's attention. With the construction next door, low conversation was impossible and so was a simple "ahem". The detective jumped a bit, jerking out of his speculations to look at the four figures behind Shippou.
The report had come complete with photos of Kagome's friends. Sesshomaru recognized them, starting with an openly weeping Kikyou being supported by Sango, who looked unwell to the golden eyed Inuyasha and pony-tailed Kouga, Both of them appeared as if they'd been doing some crying themselves, but were dry-eyed for the moment.
"Alright," the detective began loudly, "let's get going, shall we? Miss Niwa, if you please." He gestured to the chair placed at the counter. Sango nodded shakily and shrugged the other girl off, walking to it and taking a seat. "Where were you yesterday afternoon when Miss Higurashi died?" Sesshomaru asked, raising his voice to be heard above the pounding hammers. "At my boyfriend's house, sir." "And your boyfriend is who exactly…?" She replied, "Miroku Hitomi, sir." "Uh-huh…if I checked, you'd stick to that story?" "Of course, because it is the truth! Are you implying you think I'm lying, sir?" Sango seemed genuinely confused and offended. He hastened to reassure her, "No. Just asking, Miss Niwa. It's my job to check anyway. Neh, go. You're done for now."
Next he beckoned to Inuyasha, waited till the man was seated, and then repeated the questions. Inuyasha had been at the movies with a friend, Myouga Harada, and was on his way home when Kikyou called, sounding hysterical. She'd said Kagome phoned and scared her with talk of suicide. Kikyou wanted him to check on her, so he had driven over to find Kagome already dead. Here Inuyasha blanched and muttered something along the lines of "so much blood..." The detective quickly moved aside as the man bolted out of his chair to the bathroom with his hand covering his mouth.
"Miss Yamamoto, please sit down." Sesshomaru said, again motioning to the seat. Her tears had tapered off, but she still looked utterly forlorn as she complied. "Could you explain to me why you hadn't gone to Miss Higurashi yourself when she called?" Kikyou nodded. "You probably already know, detective, but Inuyasha and I live together. There's only one car between the two of us and he had had it yesterday, so I was stuck at home." "Mmhmm...Do you think you can recall exactly what she had been saying?" Another nod. "She sounded like she was crying, whispering that she couldn't take it anymore, she loved us, but life was too much for her. When I tried to console her and begging her to wait for Inuyasha, she started to scream she couldn't, it was much too late. Kagome hung up right after that." Tears ran down her cheeks and she covered her face with her hands in grief. "I feel like it's entirely my fault. Maybe if I'd been a better friend, none of this would've happened!" she sobbed. Sesshomaru patted her back awkwardly, looking around for some help; he didn't like to see women break down. It must have shown on his face because Sango took over, embracing the distraught girl, mumbling soothing nothings that couldn't be heard over the construction anyway.
Detective Tashio cleared his throat uneasily and made his way over to the forgotten Kouga. "You were the deceased's fiancé?" he asked. "I was..." came the answer. "I'm sorry...at least you still have your friends." "You know, we're more like a family, in our own twisted way...Inuyasha as my brother, Sango and Kikyou my sisters…Then Kagome as my beautiful wife." Kouga swallowed painfully and forced a smile, "But you're right, at least I still have them."
He blinked as he saw Sesshomaru was no longer listening. "Detective?" he asked loudly. "Eh? Oh...excuse me. Mr. Sagami, could you go get Mr. Takeshima? I have an announcement I'd like to make." he replied. "...'Kay." Kouga left to follow his orders while Sesshomaru called for his assistant. 'Shippou, I need you to have a pair of handcuffs at the ready. I believe there's a killer amongst us.' Sesshomaru wrote on the clipboard Shippou carried.
((So? Think you know who it is? Guess you'll find out in the next chapter! dramatic music))