Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.
Fallen Among Thieves
Chapter Nine
"I recognize in thieves, traitors and murders, in the ruthless and the cunning, a deep beauty – a sunken beauty." – Jean Genet
"What? You think I'm just going to let it all go?"
"Put down the gun down Muso, don't do this. It doesn't have to end this way."
Eyes, wild and crazy, skittered along the room at the other cops backing her up. He saw that there was no hope. There was absolutely nothing. It was then that she saw it – a glint of something she couldn't understand. Not until later.
Not until much later.
"Back off!" she yelled, but none of the others listened. "I said to fucking back off!"
But it didn't matter. The gun aimed at his head was slowly turning, switching directions, becoming more than just a fear–
"Wonder if it's cold in Hell?"
Kagome gasped, like she was finally breathing. Her body shook; hands unable to push the suffocating cover off of her. The room was pitch black, spinning, bleeding red. Sweat trickled down her face, brushing almost like a caress against her lips.
Another shuddering breath, this one better. Her hands still trembled, still couldn't really do much but she managed to shove at the duvet cover until it released her from its cocoon. The room wasn't spinning any more although the inky blackness was still there, threatening to come crawling closer, bring her back down.
"Wonder if it's cold in Hell?"
Kagome put a hand to her heart, willed it to slow down. She blinked ten times, shrugged her shoulders twice. With quick, burning feet she raced out of bed towards the light switch, uncaring as she turned it on how it burned her eyes. She kept them open, against all urges to protect herself from the light.
Nothing was there. Absolutely nothing.
She bit her lower lip, trembling ever so slightly against the wall before finally giving in and sinking down to the carpeted hotel floor. Why did it happen today? Why right now?
A part of her desperately wanted to get out of the room and go across the hallway to where Miroku was sleeping. He would understand. He would take care of her like he did every other time this happened. The thing was that Kagome was tired of being taken care of. She was tired of the whole bloody nightmare that kept coming to her at random times. It hadn't happened for two weeks, the night before her and Inuyasha went out that first time when the shooting resulted. It had been why, most likely, she reacted so badly when he asked about her career past.
Because what was more horrible than a person who still lived it?
Kagome felt like walking was almost too great a feat, so instead she slowly crawled on her hands and knees back to the bed. She couldn't help but check underneath, seeing nothing but a bit of dust. There was nothing.
Sighing, Kagome crawled back into bed and curled up on her side, staring at the neon lights of the alarm clock. It was four in the morning, just a few minutes past, and for one blinding moment Kagome wished that she was home in her own bed. At least then she could roam around the kitchen and make some coffee. She could find an old worn book and read a tale about undying romance. She could find that old stuffed rabbit toy her mother gave her when she was five and give it a hug.
Little things made her feel better. Being stuck in Rexene – in a hotel with pristine sheets and calculated furniture – was nothing like being at home. All she could do was wait for the sun to come up.
Because Kagome was no fool. She wouldn't be getting any more sleep.
The best thing about Miroku Tsujitani was that he always knew what to do. Kagome loved it about him. He was charming as much as he could be hands-on. He was smart as he was laid back. The police sergeant knew his stuff and Kagome was grateful for his accompaniment on this case. He was valuable. He was the one that helped her to get that partial print. He was the one – that while originally loathing the idea of this lie to Inuyasha – that pushed her to finish it through, capture the bad criminal and dashing con artist.
Kagome knew full well that if he hadn't pushed her, she would've given up. What was transpiring between her and the dark-haired, sexy thief was uncontrollable. Attraction was just there. She could get past it. What she couldn't ignore however was the urge to be with him, to tell him, to push him down and scream 'what the hell are you doing?' Because she wanted to. She wanted Inuyasha to be innocent.
He wasn't.
The problem with Miroku, however, was that he was far too observant for his own good. Kagome still wasn't sure what gave her away, but the soft look he gave her just moments after she came into his room at nine a.m. told her that he knew.
"I'm fine," she said defensively, even though he hadn't said a word. He hadn't needed to. His dark blue eyes said it all.
Miroku ran a hand through his black hair, the ends down loose unlike his normal ponytail. He shook his head at her and showed a soft smile. "Coffee? I managed to get some from that little place around the corner."
"Perfect," Kagome replied. If it had been her third cup so far that day, well, there were some things her best friend didn't need to know. "So did you talk to the lieutenant?"
Miroku snorted slightly, picking up a still-hot cup of coffee from a cardboard holder and handing it to her. "Of course I did. I'll let you know I got my ass handed to me."
Wincing, she let the sympathy show. Even if she wasn't entirely feeling it, Kagome knew what her friend needed. If it had been any other day with a morning that hadn't started like it had, she would've been able to show the emotion without thinking about it first. It would just be one of those days. "And…?"
"I managed to get an additional week, on top of the three days I have left, and then that's it," Miroku explained, leaning his hip on the small desk provided by the hotel. "I've already taken two weeks off work. I've saved a lot of vacation time and worked a lot of overtime hours that no one expected me to do. If it hadn't been for that and my shining reputation, I'd be cleaning the gum up from under his shoe."
Kagome nodded, thinking about it. Ten more days was all she had until Miroku could only partially focus on working this with her. He'd go straight into his biweekly rotation, which meant that the chances of him even being able to function were slim. She sighed. "You should come be a private investigator with me. You'd get to pick your own hours."
Laughing, Miroku rolled his eyes and took a small sip from his coffee cup. "Kagome, I may not agree with everything that goes on in our department but I'm a cop. My dad was a cop. My grandfather was a cop. I have to be a cop."
"You are a cop," Kagome pointed out, smiling a bit. "And when you quit, you haven't broken the chain of police work. You're just…straying a little."
"That's a way of putting it." Miroku put down the coffee, probably because it was empty and sauntered over to his bed. "So it's your big date with our boy tonight, right? Has he called yet?"
Kagome couldn't help the roll of her eyes as she set her own cup of coffee down. "No he hasn't. Don't worry Miroku, I know how to handle it."
"You're pretending to date a con artist," Miroku said sternly. "And there's a large chance that he knows it's a ruse. You're getting information on him, which is great, but you still have to be careful."
The response was just about out of her mouth when her cell phone rang. "Higurashi," she answered, looking at Miroku with a frown.
"Kagome Higurashi?" a male voice from the other end asked, sounding rough. "This is Captain Kouga Matsuno, from RLPD. We spoke a few days ago."
"I remember," Kagome replied. The moment she found out that Inuyasha stayed in a hotel in Rexene, she had made it her first priority to speak with the captain of the Rexene-Lander Police Department. His name was Kouga, and he'd been tall and well-built, with brown hair and crystal blue eyes that almost put Miroku to shame. "What can I do for you Captain?"
"Last night we received a call from the Wind Museum. An artifact was stolen, with absolutely no trace for how or when it was taken. I thought back to our conversation, and figured that if anyone pulled it off, it was probably Takahashi." Kouga sounded tired, like he'd been up all night taking stories and running scenarios. From the impression she got of him when they first met, she bet that was exactly what he had been doing.
"Where is this museum?" Kagome asked, gesturing towards Miroku for a pad and pen. When the police sergeant just barely managed to scramble for it himself, she relayed the information to him. "Wait," she said, pausing Kouga's directions as she looked down at Miroku's scribble. "This isn't a part of Rexene, is it?"
"No, it's Lander," Kouga explained. "We get jurisdiction of that area, since it's a relatively small town that feeds into Rexene. Will I see you there?"
"As soon as I can get there," Kagome replied. "Thank you very much Captain." With the phone call ended, she sat down on the bed beside Miroku, looking at the pad of paper. "Lander… That's a different pattern."
"It's a small town, isn't it?" Miroku asked. Kagome nodded, remembering what Kouga just told her. "He could be getting cockier," he tried to reason.
Kagome shook her head, tapping her fingers against her jean-clad knee. No, Inuyasha wasn't getting cockier. While he was smug in general, all of his previous steals – that she had been able to follow – were perfect. There was never any evidence of his entry or exit. Little things that were barely perceivable were the tiniest gaps he used to steal. Kagome remembered a case on the other side of the country that she was – to this very day – positive he was involved in. There was no proof and everyone at the high-tech company was baffled as to how he managed to get it.
It hadn't been until she talked to one of the programmers – the woman that normally closed up – that she figured out Inuyasha's time of entry. The woman had received a text message from an ex-boyfriend. She had been fussing over it apparently, calling her friends and then attempting to call him – only to get a disconnected number message.
Inuyasha Takahashi wasn't just a thief, he was a bloody genius. Kagome was positive that there were probably tons more stolen artifacts or paintings, but she didn't know of them. Mostly likely because the people he'd stolen from didn't know either. This didn't make him cocky though. Cocky sons of bitches made mistakes. They forgot how they got so good, started making their tracks more noticeable.
No, Inuyasha wasn't getting cockier. This hit was still clean and precise. He'd been active for a long time now, if he was going to be cocky, he'd already be at that point. There was something about this steal that was important – important enough that he'd move away from city jobs to small town jobs. Everything had a reason. Kagome just had to find it.
"I'll drive," Kagome said, leaving the hotel room to go into her own and grab her trench coat. When she was in the hallway, Miroku tossed her the keys and grinned.
"Let's go partner."
The Wind Museum was a tall building, built with large stone bricks and tiny steps that led all the way from the roundabout road to the main entrance. Police cruisers lined the drive, cops coming in and out of the building and holding off people standing by the yellow tapes.
Kagome waited by the side as a cop went to find the captain, needing him to prove her identity before letting her in. When the tall, brown-haired captain sauntered out of the building and nodded at her, she was brought underneath and allowed inside, Miroku in tow.
"Ms. Higurashi," Kouga said, holding out his hand and smiling with big white teeth. "It's nice to see you again."
"Captain Matsuno, call me Kagome," she replied, shaking his hand and gesturing towards Miroku. "This is Sergeant Miroku Tsujitani from the TCPD. He's been helping me to catch this bastard." This bastard you're dating… Pretending to date.
"It's nice to meet you." Kouga extended his hand to Miroku, gesturing with the museum with his other. "If you want I'll show you inside and explain what we've got so far."
"That sounds good," Miroku said, following the captain inside. "So you think it was Takahashi that did this?"
"It's a good guess, but that's all I can say for sure. There's absolutely no sign of how he got it. I've checked every room myself. There's nothing out of place, nothing moved. Every nook and cranny is sealed, so if he got in some way, he covered it up pretty well."
"What is it, exactly?" Kagome asked, looking around as she stepped into the main lobby of the museum. The room was large and spacious, with high ceilings and golden furniture lining the walls. There was a long desk on the side and openings for different exhibits everywhere else.
"It's the Ohgami Feather," Kouga explained. "Last night they were celebrating the opening of the new Ohgami Wing in the south exit. It was a gala, hosted by Kagura Ohgami herself. It was a private guest list, handed out months ago."
"I'll need to see that list." Kagome watched the buzz of people around her, the cops and museum employees. "It would also be beneficial to see who was working that night. He may have snuck in as an employee."
Kouga stopped and turned, grinning down at her with kind blue eyes. "I'm way ahead of you. The museum curator is fetching both as we speak. I'll make sure an additional copy is given to you. Now, I've talked to Ms. Ohgami and she's very…upset about this ordeal. She wants answers."
"I won't step on your toes. You have a robbery to handle, I understand," Kagome said. "If you have the ability to let me look over some lists, and the time to tell me anything you might have, then I would appreciate it. I was a cop once; I know that what's got to be done is a priority."
"You were?" Kouga asked, his grin still flashing. It seemed that the upset Ms. Ohgami and the fact that a priceless artifact was stolen didn't put a damper on it. "When?"
"Years ago," Kagome answered, wanting to move on. "So where is the room the artifact was stolen from?"
Kouga waved at them to follow and he brought them into a small adjoining room where statues and other paintings decorated the walls. "This is where it was taken from. Now, the only entrances are where we came from and the room across the hall. Both were open for free range at the time, so all of the guests could see the new wing ahead of its formal opening."
Circling around, Kagome frowned slightly. "Was it open the entire night?"
Kouga nodded. "There was, however, only one time when no one was in here. At five o'clock all the guests were escorted into another hall for dinner. Security was handling the transfer."
"And no one was in this room, not even the guards," Miroku finished, watching as Kagome looked around carefully, her even steps and calculating brown eyes. "That's still a tiny window of opportunity, only a few minutes tops."
"Security wasn't more than five minutes," Kouga added.
Kagome hummed a little. "Inuyasha Takahashi only needs five minutes. You said everyone was having dinner, right? When did they notice the Ohgami Feather was missing?"
"Not until close." Kouga made his way towards the empty glass case where the artifact was supposed to be. Its engraved name and history was on the golden plate right in front of it. "After dinner, most stayed for dessert and then left. The gala had been going on since three that afternoon. Anyone who would've seen the artifact had already done so. There wasn't a need to do it again. They called us an hour after they found out, about one in the morning."
"A full hour afterwards?" Miroku asked. "Isn't that a long time?"
"They were apparently tracking down the museum curator, wondering if he had brought it to the back for any reason. When they realized it was actually gone we were called. So far we've managed to go through all of the employees that night and a few of the guests. Everyone is accounted for, with alibis. I'm just waiting on the official lists to start going name by name." Kouga rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "It's going to be a shitload of paperwork."
"The perks of the job," Miroku murmured. He turned his dark blue eyes to the raven-haired investigator, who was eyeing an air duct with a level of intensity he couldn't fathom. He often wondered what was going on inside her head. Every part of her was eerily still, and it took him a moment to realize that something was actually wrong. "Kagome, what is it?"
The private investigator was quiet for a second longer, her face unreadable. Finally she spoke, almost too quiet for the room. "What time were people ushered for dinner again?"
"Uh," Kouga mumbled, obviously confused at the change in attitude, "at five o'clock." He glanced between Miroku and Kagome, unable to make out what was going on. "Why?"
Kagome just shrugged, turning around sharply. When she felt her phone vibrate in her jean pocket, she pulled it out. Every part of her wanted to cringe as Inuyasha's name popped up on the caller ID. How terrible was it that this was happening? Kouga couldn't possibly know of her plans and Miroku… Miroku didn't know that she called Inuyasha last night, and continued to talk to him until right around five. It couldn't be possible. There was no way that he was actually in the process of stealing an artifact–
"Are you going to get that?" Miroku asked, his soft voice intruding on her thoughts.
Kagome nodded and flipped it open, walking out of the room and hoping that to the other men it didn't look like the sprint she wanted it to be. "Hello?"
"Hey Kagome, how are you?" Inuyasha asked, sounding far too desolate considering he probably just stole something worth a ton of money.
Why are you calling me right now? When I'm right in the middle of this fucked up triangle? "I'm not bad, just out checking on things for work. What are you up to?" It wasn't noon yet, and she was supposed to be meeting him then. She still had an hour and a bit before she had to make her way over.
"I'm at the airport," he replied, voice dropping like it was a secret. "I'm going to have to cancel our date today. I need to fly out. One of my associates had to back out last minute and I have to take his place at some conference down in Hone."
Kagome processed the information, ignoring the horrible twist in her stomach. It just didn't make sense. If Inuyasha Takahashi was a thief – and a damn good one – why would he offer up such information? He hadn't yet been bothered by the fact that she followed him around everywhere. He probably knew that she was checking up on him, never mind the story she tried to sell him about following his footsteps to find the people who were shooting at him.
So far, that part of the investigation was at a cold, dead stance. She hadn't found a thing.
Maybe Miroku was right. Maybe he was getting cocky.
"For how long?" she asked, getting a hold on her thoughts.
"Just three days, I should be back by the twentieth," he explained. There was a loud hum behind him, the sound of a high-pitched automated voice. Kagome could only assume it was the speaker announcements. "I'm really sorry," he added, and dammit, he actually sounded sincere.
Kagome refused to let herself get caught up on that. He's going to Hone to steal something else. He's going there, leaving you behind, to get something and then come back and try and sell a stupid, work-related story. Don't be a fool. Only, she desperately wanted to be.
"It's okay," she finally answered, making herself sound light, even teasing. "I get it if you want to ditch me for work. It's okay, really. I bet I can find someone else to have fun with tonight." That's right, she told herself. Keep up the banter from before. Keep up the pretence you held before.
Before she had actually liked the bastard.
Kagome couldn't be sure, but she swore she heard a growl from the other end.
"It's three days," he muttered, almost under his breath. "You can't actually wait that long? Are you that desperate?" It was a jab meant to disarm her.
She just grinned. "Nah, not desperate. It's more like wanting what I want, when I want it. Unfortunately, you're missing the train."
"You're cold hearted," Inuyasha mumbled. There was a short, comfortable pause where neither one of them spoke. Finally, his rough voice filled the line. "You can, uh, call me if you want. It would be good to hear from you."
Not knowing what to do with that, she stopped herself when she realized she was nodding. "Of course I'll call you. I mean, if you want."
Another pause and then Inuyasha's chuckle came through. "Yeah Kagome, I want."
And dammit, the shiver she felt from those low and rough words should've brought red flags and shrieking bells of mayday. Instead her head was quiet, her heart almost yearning. "Then I guess I will. Have fun on your trip, okay?"
Inuyasha snorted. "Going to a conference about business ethics is never fun. You'll find out when I happen to whisk you away upon return and tell you all about it."
The smile on her face, Kagome wanted to believe, was fake. But it wasn't at all. "I can't wait." And she didn't mean those words, not even a little bit.
Only she kind of did.
She was so screwed.
"Bye," she murmured, listening to his echoed response before ending the call and sliding the phone in her pocket. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had gotten way too close and she was still hanging on to that precarious edge. Pretty soon she was going to tumble over completely.
"Hey, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
Kagome turned around and saw the captain looking at her, almost sheepishly. She smiled and shook her head. "No, I just hung up. What's up?"
"Boyfriend?"
Noticing that he didn't answer her question, Kagome let it slide. "No, just a friend," she replied.
The small, lop-sided grin on Kouga's face made her stomach turn, if only because he looked adorable. He was her type too – dark hair, nice eyes, strong. It made her feel sick that she wasn't remotely interested, even though he seemed like a really nice guy. An honest guy.
Unlike your thief.
"Good," he said, clearing his throat. He then reached out and handed her a booklet of papers. "These were just given to me. They're lists of the guests and the employee sign-in and out forms. Now all of the employees have checked out so far, so I'm thinking he got in as a guest."
Kagome nodded, flipping through casually but not actually reading the words. She'd look into it later, now that she didn't have a date and all. She didn't tell him that he was most likely wrong either, because if Kagome knew something it was Inuyasha and the way his methods worked. She'd bet money that he was in the museum before the gala even started. "Thank you very much Captain Matsuno, I appreciate it. Where's Miroku?"
"The washroom I think, and please just call me Kouga. You don't work for me so there's no need to be professional." Kouga smiled at her, eyes crinkling in the corners.
"Then thank you Kouga," Kagome managed, trying to smile just as real as he did. It didn't look so hard to do but it felt wrong on her face. She gave up and walked out of the room, knowing Kouga was right behind her.
She had been at the very least right from the beginning: today was going to be one of those days.
Retracing her steps, Kagome made her way back into the Ohgami Wing where the artifact was stolen. She stopped in the entranceway, abruptly focusing her eyes on a woman with long, straight black hair and perfectly done manicured nails. The polish was red.
"Excuse me, miss, you can't be here," Kouga said loudly, stepping forward with an air of authority.
Kagome watched as the woman didn't even hesitate to turn the other way, not even flashing her face in surprise. She started to run and Kagome broke out into a sprint following her and the police captain. Kouga was shouting, whipping around an open doorway. Right on his heels, she followed the two, slowing down only when she reached the outdoors. Kouga was still running but Kagome knew that the woman that had been in the museum was already hidden. The streets looked empty, save for the few that lined the tape and were trying to catch a look at whatever was happening.
"Fuck!" she heard Kouga yell.
Sighing, Kagome almost jumped when a warm hand landed on her shoulder. She saw Miroku, blue eyes wide as he looked at an angry Kouga talking to a few cops monitoring the outside.
"What the hell just happened?" he asked.
"There was a woman casing the inside," Kagome replied, remembering the way the woman had been circling, feet careful on the floor. The clothes she had been wearing were casual, but Kagome could tell quality when she saw it. This woman was high-end. "I didn't see her face and I don't think Kouga did either."
Miroku smirked a little at that, raising a brow. "First name basis, huh?"
"Shut up," she retorted, without heat. Let him think whatever he wanted. As long as her best friend didn't see the truth, everything would be fine.
Because Miroku would kill her with his bare hands if he knew the thoughts that were swirling inside of her right now.
Kagome sighed again and turned to head back in. "Come on, we've got people to talk to."
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