Chapter Five

Ryuzaki stared hard at the man. His narrowed eyes boring holes into the other man's skull. "I suggest you calm down before this situation escalates further." Ryuzaki growled a warning to the man.

Van couldn't believe it, he stood up for her. In a round-about way. She hadn't seen that coming. Gingerly she stepped into the hallway, several heads turned toward her. She clasped her hands together as she scanned over each face, they stared back at her. What were they thinking? Had they all damned her to a life in prison? Or worse? She dropped her gaze and unhurriedly entered the circle of bodies.

No one spoke. For what seemed like hours the entire room was engulfed in an excruciating silence. After a few minutes she could have sworn she was claustrophobic. Her throat felt tight and she felt as though the walls were collapsing in around her. She couldn't stand it any longer, if she had to she would go insane. She jumped to her feet, fists clenched. "Enough with these games! Someone just speak already!" that was not going to help her case. All eyes were on her, she was suddenly embarrassed. She quickly sunk back down among the rest of the group.

"Well, gentlemen?" Ryuzaki made a gesture with his hands for someone to say something, anything. She looked up at him. It almost sounded as if that had been a test. How long had these men been here?

"Miss would you mind taking a look at some photos?" said the older man. He set a folder on the coffee table. Her stomach jumped into her throat. If she had to see all of the blood, and the man and the knife…she'd lose her mind, not to mention anything that may remain in her stomach. She had to say something to keep them from opening the folder.

" You can't show me anything I haven't already seen." some of the men looked shocked except the elder one. She spoke directly to him. "Tell me, sir, how would you feel if you woke up in a house you'd never seen in your life, with your head feeling like it had been beaten with a bat, and then suddenly you find a man you don't know dead in the other room with a knife shoved through his chest? Not to mention the house was covered in blood. You'd feel like you were in some horror film right?" the man looked away, perhaps the picture she'd painted had been a bit to vivid.

"That doesn't explain why we found your bloody clothes there!" the younger man was now on his feet, one finger pointed in her direction. She smirked at him. He thought he was all that, top cop. She stood to be on his level.

"So you caught me." she pulled her hair away from her head on the right side. A huge gash stretched almost the entire length of her skull. "Perhaps next time instead of guessing you should run a test on that blood, too."

"You left that out earlier." Ryuzaki mumbled beside her.

"I didn't realize until I woke up just now. Oh yeah, you need some new pillows." she added sheepishly. He almost smiled, at least she thought she saw it.

"You got us there." the elder man shot a death glare to the other, who had turned bright red. "That still doesn't tell us why you were in the apartment in the first place or why our comrade is dead."

"I can't tell you why either. I'm sorry. I can't even remember how I got this or the night before, but you have to believe me. I didn't even know your partner. I'd never hurt anybody." But I would put my life on the line to save somebody, especially someone I cared for. She glanced at Ryuzaki, then her hand discreetly slid to the scar on her belly.

"You certainly don't look the type but that doesn't rule you out. Ryuzaki, we'll be in touch." The older man waved a goodbye and with that the cops filed out the door.

"There's no convincing them is there?" She moved to sit on the arm of the sofa.

"Police read people based on what they say or how they act. Judging your performance I'd say they'll consider you innocent. Just give them time to go over everything you told them." Ryuzaki said matter-of-factly.

"It wasn't a performance. I was telling the truth, not trying to win an oscar." she snapped.

"When were you planning on telling me about your injury?" he turned his gaze to meet hers, but she found she couldn't hold it for long.

"I told you I just found it now. It must have tore open while I was sleeping because the pillows are blood soaked. You don't need to get all defensive." she folded her arms and looked away. She heard him sigh and knew he was upset but she couldn't help it. She hadn't even known.

Another silence ensued, but this time it did go on for hours. After a while of sitting in an uncomfortable position, she decided to make something to eat. Raiding the cupboards turned up only brownie, cake, and cupcake mixes. Somehow though a single box of macaroni managed to stay hidden behind them all. The rest of the needed ingredients were present in the fridge, she hoped they would be because making cakes and brownies sometimes called for butter or milk. At least it did when she cooked them. They never tasted right unless she made them with her own recipe. She offered macaroni to Ryuzaki by sticking the burning hot pot in his face. He declined her offer, so she enjoyed the entire box herself.

When she was finished cleaning up, however, she found herself sitting in the same silence as before, looking around the same room, and wishing there was something she could say to spark a conversation. But if she said what was on her mind it could only end in an argument, she knew that. The past was better left buried.

"Van." Ryuzaki looked at her, his eyes were pleading. What was going through his mind? "Can you answer me one question?" She nodded slowly. "Why did it end between us?" Why, was a question he had avoided asking when she told him they could no longer be together. She was shocked that he would ask at all, especially now.

"You've been thinking about this a lot haven't you." he didn't answer so she kept going. She inhaled deeply, what came next was difficult to say and it came with a lot of explaining. "I- I did it... to save your life."