HI! I am here with a new short story that has been on my mind for weeks. This story is actually based on an episode of Law&Order: SVU. I am a nerd for these kind of series, so pardon me.. anyways, continuing on, I hope you'll enjoy this story~

Italic- thoughts

Bold- loud sounds/voice

Can't Stand it!

"What did the man you saw was like?" A woman with short brown hair asked an elderly.

"He was white, tall and a marine," the elderly replied.

"How do you know he was a marine?"

"His haircut and the way he talked gave it away."

Suddenly, a phone began to rang.

"Taniyama?" the voice through the phone called.

"What is it, Yassu?"

"It seems that they have found the missing woman's car. Since you are much closer to the scene, Boss wants you to go there first to check it out."

"Sure, I'll be there ASAP and report back," Mai replied before hanging up. She thanked the elderly before rushing to her car.

Mai arrived at a secluded carpark. She showed her police badge and was shown to the told car.

"Please step back a little," Mai motioned to the lady who showed her the car. Mai slowly opened the trunk of the car and a filthy stench was released. There was a dead body with a white sheet, soaked in blood, covering the body from the stomach onwards. The lady behind Mai threw up while Mai pulled the blood stained sheet from the body and saw that the stomach was cut open.

That sick bastard cut out the unborn baby!

"This is Taniyama, the missing woman is found… dead," Mai said through the phone to her partner.

The forensics arrived fifteen minutes later. Mai kept pacing back and forth, waiting for the results.

"Mai, stop doing that," a petit woman with short silky black hair said to the impatient Mai.

"So, what's the result?"

"She was stabbed from the back from a certain knife and the unborn infant was cut out moments after," Masako told Mai with a sympathy expression.

I'll kill whoever the bastard that did this!

Mai was back at headquarters and she kept re-reading the case file.

The victim was a woman in her twenties called Michi. She was raped when she was in the Marines. She filed a case against them however, it was called off. Michi took it upon herself to raise the child on her own. She was due in two weeks yet, today, she was reported missing by one of her close friends.

Curses! Where is that infant… how can that bastard be so cruel! Not satisfied with raping her but also killing both her and taking the child away?

"Taniyama. Masako's looking for you," Yasuhara, Mai's partner called out to her.

"Oh, okay. Inform me immediately if there are any clues."

Mai went to the autopsy room and was greeted with the smell of freshly cleaned dead body (the irony?).

Mai walked over to Masako and was given a file on her findings.

"It seems that the 'bastard' left behind a crucial clue. An umbilical cord," Masako started.

"Then, you can find who the father is?" Mai asked eagerly.

"No. however, if you can get some samples, I can compare them for you," Mai gave a small pout when she heard that.

"Also, this stab wound was very interesting," Masako said with a slight glint of excitement in her eyes.

"In what way?"

"This stab wound was made from the culprit thrusting it in from the lover back then upwards, which stabbed the lungs in an instant."

isn't that a certain move—

"It's a combat move which is learnt by mostly the marines," Yasuhara suddenly appeared.

"That's right. Doesn't that narrow down the searching scope?" Masako says with a small smile on her face.

"Thanks, Masako. I'll try to treat you to dinner next time," Mai says before leaving the autopsy room.

"Mai.. she's been different since that day."

"I guess it'll be a long time before she confines in us," Yasuhara sighs sadly.

Mai was back in her office, racking her brains for answers. As she kept flipping the case file, a knock came on her door.

"Taniyama? I think I have a clue on the culprit," Soushi, a subordinate of Mai, meekly said.

"Really?! Then say it!"

"Um.. well, the victim was caught on the security tape outside of a shopping mall, half an hour before her body was found," Soushi said while not looking at Mai at all.

Mai told Soushi to continue. "Also, it seems that there was a man she frequently met. She told her friends that she knew him from her previous job which was in the Marine."

Mai made the connections. The victim, Michi, was raped by one of her Marine buddies and she was told to abort the baby but she refused and the culprit must have wanted to kill her.

"Find out who were in the same Marine squat as the victim and their current whereabouts. Hurry!" Mai shouted to her subordinates.

"There were four others in the same squat as the victim, five plus the leader. Three of them are currently still in the Marines while the leader is having a short family holiday and the other one is staying at a hotel," Yasuhara stated his findings.

It's obvious who the culprit is!

"Let's get going, Yassu."

Mai and Yasuhara arrives at the hotel and just as they approached the room, they heard a loud argument. They rushed to the room and swipe the card. Once the door was opened, there was a man holding a knife against another man, who was trying to defend himself. Mai showed her badge, saying that she's from the police and wants them to break it up immediately. However, both men were too busy with the struggle. Yasuhara was trying to break them up as well but it was not working out well. As the two men struggled even more, Mai was suddenly pushed away with a strong force which made her hit the wall. She began seeing red. Her breathing got much faster and her pulse quickened. Before she knew what was happening, she had her gun withdrawn and against the head of one of the men.

"Move and I'll shoot," Mai said with a threatening voice.

"Yassu, it's already time for interrogation. Stop blocking my path," Mai glared at Yasuhara.

"No can do. You are not going in there," Yasuhara glared back.

"Why not? If it is about just now, it was a mistake."

"It was not. Unless if you can keep that temper of yours cool, you are not stepping into the interrogation room."

"… fine. I won't do something so stupid again," Mai answered before pushing her way through.

Mai entered the interrogation room holding the attacker called Shibuya Kazuya while Yasuhara went to the one holding the attacked, Takigawa Hoshou.

"I won't be filing any charges against him so why aren't you letting me go?" The man called Takigawa said.

"You were attacked. Even if you don't wish to file charges, we still need a report on what happened," Yasuhara said calmly.

Meanwhile…

"Where is the infant?" Mai's voice was penetrating.

Shibuya Kazuya sat there without budging. He kept his mouth shut even when Mai screamed out in frustration.

"So, raping her wasn't enough? You had to kill her so that no one would find out?!"

That made the dark hair man glare at Mai.

"Oh. So now, you're reacting. Why? Because you're guilty of it?!"

"I did not rape Kirihara. I did not even have sex with her," Shibuya said with a matter-of-fact tone.

Mai was starting to see red again. She slammed her hand on the table.

"Don't lie you bastard. You raped her in the Marines and when she said she wanted to tell someone about it, you had to kill her and the baby first!"

"That was not what happen."

"Well, there are witness saying that they saw you entering her apartment, the day before she was murdered."

"I was only there to help her out."

"You mean getting rid of the baby. You bastard rapist. I will find the evidence," Mai said before walking towards the door.

"I did not have sex with Kirihara." That was the last thing Mai heard before she slammed the door close.

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! LET ME SEE MY HUSBAND!

It seems that Takigawa's wife had arrived and was making a ruckus in the headquarters. The chief had to calm her down before letting her see her husband through the one way window. Mai walked towards the wife, Ayako.

"Takigawa Ayako, I presume?"

"Yes. Why am I not allowed to see my husband?" The woman said with her head held high.

She's a proud woman, I see.

"We need his statements on what happened."

"Hurry and let my husband out or else, I'll sue you," the woman tried to threaten Mai which obviously did not work.

When the husband was finally let go, the wife glared at Mai. Mai simply smiled sarcastically.

"What was up with that woman?" Mai asked out loud.

"She seems to be over reacting to this event."

Maybe..

"So, how was the interrogation with Shibuya Kazuya?"

"I am sure he's the rapist, that bastard!"

"How about going to Masako's to get some evidence?"

"I sure will!" Mai ran off without a second to waste.

After talking to Masako, Mai entered the interrogation room once again.

"What else do you wish to accuse me of now?"

Mai ignored the sarcastic remark and said "Open your mouth."

Shibuya kept his mouth shut and stared at Mai.

"I said open up. Unless you'd rather have your blood drawn out."

Shibuya's eyes stayed on Mai for a while before her opened his mouth for Mai to collect his saliva sample.

"With this, you're going to jail," Mai spat the words out.

"I wonder when you will realize the truth."

Urgh. That guy pisses me off!

While waiting for the DNA test result from the lab, Mai was sitting in her office feeling restless.

I am sure that that Shibuya guy is the one but.. what is this weird feeling? There is something missing in this case… maybe I should check through, just to be thorough.

Mai kept checking through all the evidence and it shows 90% that Shibuya was the culprit. Just when she was about to conclude this case, Yasuhara barges into her office.

"Yassu, knock the door at least once!"

Yasuhara ignored her furry and said, "There's a video call from a female ex-marine."

So? What has that got to do with me?

"She was also raped by one her squat Marine."

That caught Mai's attention. Swiftly, she exited the office.

"My name.. is Amiya Saku. I heard about the case and I hope that what I am about to tell you will be helpful in this case."

Mai nod and listened attentively to every word said. By the end of the video call, Mai was as confused as hell.

What? Then it is someone else? Someone who was not even in our radar? What the hell is going on?!

"Mai, I've got the result of the DNA test," Masako's voice snapped Mai out of her thoughts.

"Oh, so is it a match?"

Masako slowly shook her head, "No. Shibuya Kazuya is not the father of the child the victim was carrying."

Mai was beyond shocked. She couldn't belief her ears.

Then.. it was all in vain?! My work was all for nothing?!

"Don't start thinking that it was in vain, Taniyama."

"Yassu?"

"I have a new lead." Yasuhara gave Mai an assuring smile and she returned it.

"We looked in the squat members at the time when Amiya Saku was still in the Marine and cross-referred it to the victims. There was a single match."

"who is it?"

"It is…"

"Why am I brought in again?" Ayako started talking rudely.

"It seems that you knew the victim, Ayako-san," Mai began.

"Who are you talking about?" Ayako avoided eye contact.

"Ms Kirihara Michi. The woman that your husband impregnated."

Ayako had a shocked look on her face. It was obvious that she knew about it all along.

"Let me tell you what I think happened. Your husband must have told you about it and wanted your help. You helped him because you are a proud woman, you would not tolerate your husband's reputation being ruined. Therefore, after he killed the victim, you helped him create a so-called alibi." Mai said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Ayako began shaking. Suddenly, she laughed.

Is she crazy?

"I met up with that woman before she died. I told her who I was and guess what she said to me? She pitied me! How dare that woman!"

I guess she IS crazy.

Takigawa was arrested for killing Kirihara Michi. His wife was also arrested for assisting a murder. The location of the missing infant was also found. The infant was thrown into a river right after it had stopped breathing. Meanwhile, Shibuya Kazuya was let off free.

.. I guess I should apologize.

Just before Shibuya entered the lift, Mai dragged him away.

"I.. don't know what to say to you. I know that 'sorry' is not enough for what I did. I jus—"

"Why are you apologizing? You were doing your job, Mdm." Shibuya said with a small smile.

"Mai. Don't call me Mdm. Also, how could you be so confident while in custody?"

"I told you, I was innocent because I never had sex with Kirihara. She was my friend."

Why is it that with this man.. I feel like I can say it?

"Regarding my attitude in this case.. My sister was raped a month ago and she committed suicide last week." Mai struggled with her words but she was able to let it out.

"It's alright," Shibuya took a step towards Mai, "You weren't at fault. I am sure your sister is watching over you now."

They both smiled at each other. Their eyes unable to move away.

Ting!

"Looks like I got to go," Shibuya said while stepping into the elevator.

"Thank you, Shibuya-san."

"Kazuya. You can just call me that."

"May be see again then, Kazuya."

#End#

I hope that you have liked this story. Please review it and also, read my other story : Uwagusuri! Sorry for making Hoshou and Ayako the bad people but well.. I was too lazy to think of a new name. please look forward to the second season of this one-shot which will be published on 31 November~