Night Stalker
Kaede
Kagome and Takahashi sat upstairs in the dining room. The uniformed policemen had gone.
"Would you like coffee?" she asked. "Instant?"
"Id love some, thanks."
After slipping on sandals to walk on the glasscrusted floor. Kagome turned the burner on under the kettle, swept the glass to one side, then returned to the dining room. She joined Takahashi at the windows.
The sky was brilliant with stars. The moon, glowing a warm orange, was in a three-quarter phase. A light breeze, stirring from the west, the same direction as the broken window, tapped at the heavy paperboard. Wind chimes on the deck tinkled randomly. Shuddering from a sudden chill, Kagome hugged herself.
"Your cold," he said, looking over at her. "Why dont you go down and put on something warmer?"
"Its the combination of a sunburn and overwrought nerves hitting me all at once."He nodded.
"Do you have the serial number of the .22?. A description-any information on it?"
"Yes, downstairs."She went down to the study, she found what she was looking for after sorting through a dozen receipes and warranties for merchandise. She hadnt owned in years. She made a mental note to clean out the files.
On her way back upstairs, kagome stopped at the closet and took out a long navy cardigan sweater and put it on. She pushed the sleeves up to her elbows.
The teakettle was just beginning to whistle when she returned. "Houjo is one of those organized creatures. Its all there." She handed Takahashi the papers and stepped around the breakfast bar to the kitchen. She took down two cups.
"Mind if i take this along with me?" He looked at her. "I'll return it to you."
"Take it," she said, pouring water over the coffee crystals.
He leaned back. "So, as far as you can tell, all thats missing is the guns?"
"As far as i know, yes."
"Your sure the guns were in the house prior to the break-in tonight?"
"Im sure." Just the night before, after the incident with Hiten, kagome had slept with the nightstand drawer open and the .22 within reach.
She carried the cups of coffee into the dining room. CSI had been the last to leave.
"Seems they didnt leave any prints. Their were a lot of smudges, some clear ones of yours. But thats it.""I see. So what happens now?"
"Now i investigate. Ill start with your neighbors. They might have seen someone prowling around."
"That should be easy. I only have two. Both live above me. The monks to the east and Kaede Klump, the wicked witch, to the west."
"Monks,." Takahashi said, writing in his notebook, "and klump was it?"She nodded.
"Dont expect much cooperation from Miss klump. Shes sort of the neighborhood dragon lady."
"Can i make a suggestion?"Kagome nodded.
"Since you live alone, i think it'd be wise to spend the night somewhere else." He gestured toward the kitchen window where the flimsy illustration board covered the opening. "He may come back, and he can punch that out with a pinkie."
"Why would he come back?" She was trying to keep the rising alarm from her voice.
"Ms. higurashi," he began in a patient tone, "Youre missing three guns...and thats all. You might have interupted him-scared him off. A sharp burglar would've had all your valuables in a matter of minutes. Iv been in this business long enouph to know your house is a burglars paradise. Now either he was a gross amateur or he was interupted by you or someone before you."
"What if he just wanted a gun?"
"Thats another possibility. A man on the run, lets say a dangereous fugitive from a prison, would want to be armed. If thats the case , he now is."
"And you think he'd come back?"His answer was a penetrating stare. "You know, your scaring me," she said barely above a whisper.
"If its the only way i can make you understand the seriousness of the situation, well then, get scared."
"I am. But i dont believe hed come back." kagome said it more to convince herself than Takahashi. she waved a hand in the air. "WIth the police and everything...my stuff cant be that appealing to a burglar."
"we havent determined yet if he is a burglar. He left you a calling card on your bedroom mirror."kagome had pushed the written message back into the recesses of her brain. Takahashi had plucked it out. Spread it out before her.
"Do you have somewhere you can go? friends? Relatives?"
"Yes." kagome said absently. "Friends."
"Why dont you give them a call? Then when your ready to leave ill walk out with you."
She went to the phone.
"Mind if i sit down?" he asked.
"Please," she said , glancing down at her bare legs. "I guess im a little under dressed tonight. Afraid i didnt have a chance to change clothes when i got home."
His eyes flickered over her legs .That's when Kagome noticed he was wearing a holstered gun. She also noticed he was just a little taller than her, his body was very muscular-not with the overly bulging overdeveloped muscularity of a body builder, but with enouph sinew to deter the average bully.
She lifted the receiver and checked her watch simultaneously. Ten-Fifteen. She hoped the Monks werent already asleep.
Sango answered the phone on the fifth ring. They spoke for several minutes. kagome hung up, turned to Takahashi. "Its all set. You dont have to wait."
"I dont have to, but i will." He tore a piece of paper from the pad. "I wrote down the names of two security control firms here in town. You might want to look into having an alarm systerm installed. Its pretty isolated up here. A couple of flood lights might help too."
Kagome nodded taking the paper.
"Your homeowners insurance should cover the cost of the window, the vandalism, and the guns. I assume the pistols were insured?"
"Well insured. They're french dueling pistols, yearly nineteenth century. Very valuable. They were given to my great grandfather.""I hope you find them, you know having centimental attatchment and all that."He nodded.
Kagome drew in a deep breath. "Well, ill get my stuff. i wont be long." she hurried downstairs.
She avoided looking at the words on the closet mirror as she took a tote bag and hastily stuffed in a cotton gown, the bra and a pair of panties that had miraculously escaped the spray paint. She moved into the bathroom. What cosmetics had not been smashed or dumped into the toilet and basin, she tossed into the bag. A feeling of reckless desperation was closing over her. This was her home. Despite her ambivalence toward it, she had felt safe here. Oh, God, would she ever feel safe here again?
At the bedroom door she paused, her eyes drawn irresistibly to the message, Monsters . Waiting. The walls began to close in. The house itself folded in on here, black, oppressive, suffocating. It was his house. He could make it do anything he wanted. If he wanted it to hurt, there was nothing she could do to stop it. She squeezed her eyes shut and hurried through the doorway. At the end of the long hallway she stopped and leaned against the wall until the panic left her and she felt in control again. She had wanted to run.
WIthin moments, she and the detective were ousdide. He was writing something as she climbed into her car. He handed her a business card.
"If you find anything else missing, or if something comes up pertaining to the csae, no matter how trivial it might seem to you, call me right away at one of these numbers. The top number is headquarters' just ask for the detective division."As she drove away she wondered if Buyo would be all right" She had no thoughts of Winnie. Winnie was not a part of the nightmare.
...
The following morning, expecting to be received coolly , if not disdanfully, by Kaede Klump, Takahashi was momentarily taken aback when the large woman wearing a canry yellow jumpsuit and matching shoes, greeted him with a warm smile and a steady stream of chit-chat. She ceremoniously place him in the fat leather recliner-obviously the seat of honor in the garish, ornate living room-and hurried off to make herbal tea. The "dragon lady" appeared pleasent and cooperative.
Several minutes later she returned, a brilliant spot of rouge now on each cheek, effortlessly carrying a tray bearing a silver tea service, cups, and sweets. She sat across from the detective.
"A brownie, Detective Takahashi?" Klump held out a plate of cholcolate-frosted brownies. "They're home made. I dont use that package stuff.""No, Thank you.""Mine are moist. The secrest in adding a bit of oil to the batter.""Im sure there great, but i have to watch my blood sugar.""Pity." She poured the tea, handed him a cup.
"Miss. Klump, the-""Oh, call me Kaede. Im not into the Miss. Busines.""The home of your neighbor, Miss. Higurashi, was broken into last night and i wondered-"
"You dont say. How dreadful. Is she all right?""Shes fine. Miss. Higurashi was'nt at home when the intruder entered. Now, did you-"
"We're so isolated up here. Im not complaining mind you; Im a country girl, born and raised. But sometimes...""Who lives in the house east of you and Miss. Higurashi?"
"That'd be the monks but theirs no point in going there". she said "They go away for the holidays.""Did you notice anything out of the ordinary yesterday? Someone in the area that didnt belong? A Car cruising back and forth?"
"Nooo." She toyed with a silvery curl on her forehead. Inuyasha noticed dingy gray strands at the nape of her neck, sticking out from under the wig. "And you could bet i would notice. I live alone and i keep my gaurd up. A woman living alone must always keep her guard up. With the monks gone , theres only Miss. higurashi and myself for a good quarter-mile. Im forgetting her son. Nice young boy."
"Do you know miss. Higurashi socially?"
"No, no i dont." she sipped her tea. Looked rueful. "But its not for lack of trying, mind you. The few times that iv'e tried to be neigborly, miss. Higurashi has ...well, shunted me. And none to gently."
"Does she appear to be a loner?"
"Hel-Heavens, no!" she said with force. "That one dotes on attention. Quite popular with the gentlmen, y'know. Now mind you, im no snoop, but i do take pleasure in fiddling in the yard and i cant help but notice, living above her as i do, the cars coming up the driveway and ...and going down the followng day."
"More than on car at a time?"
"No, Different cars. Different times."
"were you in the yard yesterday afternoon?"
"I was."
"Yet you saw no one at her house?"
"No one except her. She sunbathes on her deck nearly every morning- in the altogether. If you ask me Id say thats perverted behavior. Would'nt you, Sargeant." Inuyasha made no comment. "I was planting ground cover all afternoon at the edge of the bluff. If someone had been down there prowling around, its not likely i would've missed them. Of course, i did come inside to take my meals, and...well, who knows...?"
"Did you see Miss. Higurashi come home?"
"She left the house at eleven and returned at dusk."
"Your very observant."
"Were two woman alone. Neghborhood watch applies to even remote areas like ours. Im sure miss. Higurashi would report a prowler up my way."
"Aside from the men coming and going, would you say things are generally quiet down there?"
Klump cleared her thoat. "NO, i would not."
"Why is that?"
"You have only to check within your own police department to get that answer."
"I'll do that, but perhaps you'd care to enlighten me while im here."
"Two nights ago she was having one of her rowdy parties. At midnight the police arrived."
"You called them?"
"Not me, Im not that sort of neighbor. Granted, im no saint, sergeant, but im tolerant. And ive seen plenty." Takahashi waited. Klump picked up the cue. "More than once, coming home from an evening out, she's had trouble maneuvering her car around the rocks lining the driveway. People like her have no business being on the road."
After quickly drinking his tea Takahashi left.
He headed for his car, then circled back and walked to the edge of the bluff. As he stood under a peach tree, looking down at the Higurashi house. He mentally sorted and filed klumps account. She could be an excellent witness he thought.. Intelligent, cooperative? Perhaps she tended to embellish certain points, understate others? According to her statement, she'd witnessed nothing that pertains to the crime. And his main objective was to obtain factual and useful information necessary to advance the investigation. Miss. Higurashis personal actvities were none of his business. She was a victim, not a suspect.
He watched as two cars drove up the long driveway and pulled to the a stop at the front entrance. He recognized one as Kagome Higurashi. A Woman with long brown her exited from the tan vehicle. She and Kagome Higurashi disaappeared into the house.
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