A/N

Ha... I am kicking my butt into gear and have been going to the gym every morning. It is no fun at all... T_T

The really mean thing is... two stores down from my tiny gym is a donut shop. EVERY TIME I walk out, I get the temptation to go and get a gigantic maple bar donut.

ENJOY AND REVIEW!

~Smortz

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I just like to torture her characters a bit... ~_^

Chapter 10

Sesshoumaru growled as he stared at the man in front of him. Naraku had hidden this guy well. He had no identity. He was a ghost. The second the man had been arrested at the breakfast house, the same butler must have cleaned out his apartment. There was nothing there.

The man was giving the Commissioner a smug smile. His arms were nestled on top of his large belly, his fingers entwined with each other as he released a breath. "You're wasting your time," he added, that smug smile spreading into a grin.

Sesshoumaru had to regain some ounce of control. "Am I?" He countered with a smile. "That butler of Naraku's was really angry at you last night," Sesshoumaru added, watching the man's reaction.

"What was the original job...?" Sesshoumaru wondered under his breath, "Was it to kidnap that boy, or was it just to get at the Lady herself?" He mumbled, more to himself than anything.

He heard the man behind him clear his throat and gave a triumphant grin. He began to pace around the table, his arms crossed over his chest, his fingers tapping against his upper arm as he thought. "You're wanted for something, and as long as I know that, you're going to stay in the dungeons below," Sesshoumaru added.

The man gawked at him. He released a moan of displeasure. "You can't do that! You don't know anything!" He shouted in his own defense.

Sesshoumaru only let out a slow, teasing laugh. "But I do," he returned, "I know that you broke into Higurashi's Estate. Whether you got the job done or not is irrelevant, you still messed up. You broke into another person's home."

The man's eyes widened. Sesshoumaru nodded. The man had forgotten about that piece, which means that whatever he did, made breaking into a house look small and forgettable. This could be the man that took Shippo.

Sesshoumaru's determination doubled instantly. He knocked on the door to the room, shouting for an officer. "Escort this man to the first block," he instructed.

The man gave a growl of warning. Sesshoumaru felt a spark of something familiar. No, he knew exactly what that was. He shook his head at the officer, alerting that he wasn't finished just yet.

He had just learned something interesting. This man was a demon. He laughed to himself as the case took a turn for the worse. Kagome was surrounded by too many of them. She was bound to be hurt in this.

His eyes jerked open. Why did he care if she were hurt or not? After all, he had wanted to hurt her himself, hadn't he? He'd wanted to corrupt her, to show her what life outside the sheltered cocoon was filled with.

"What kind?" He asked, his voice stern and giving no space for argument.

The man seemed suddenly alert, just as he was. "Don't know what the hell you're talking about," he answered tightly, his arms going back to his chest.

"What kind?" Sesshoumaru demanded. His eyes ran over his body. He could only find a bracelet. That could be the jewelry that was hiding the aura.

"I don't have to take this shit," the man shouted, shoving the chair out from under him as he stood up. Sesshoumaru got into a fighting position but the door opened behind him. The officer came into the room, obviously hearing the disturbance.

"I'll escort him," Sesshoumaru promised. He grabbed the man roughly by the arm. He pulled him into the hallway and down the stairs.

The jail was anything but inviting. It was grimy and filled with disease and illness. There were dead bodies being carried out every day. The men were unfriendly, each one waiting for fresh meat.

Sesshoumaru shoved the man into the block with five other criminals. "Good luck," he cursed before disappearing back upstairs.

He made it to the top when his officer, Morgan, met him. Sesshoumaru was already dreading the look of remorse on the man's face. "What happened?" Sesshoumaru inquired.

Morgan stepped to the side, and Sesshoumaru looked startled to see Kagome's half-sister, Sango. She stood there with a look of complete confusion. She was playing with her hands in front of her. Her dress had been quickly put on in her haste, he was sure.

"What's happened?" He asked, trying to swallow the overwhelming worry he felt. Had something happened to her? Why hadn't Kagome come herself?

"T-There's been another note," Sango whispered quietly, "Kagome has sent me to-to get you."

Another note? Sesshoumaru couldn't help the shocked glance that he passed over his shoulder. The man was sitting in a jail cell, how could Kagome possibly get another note?

He snarled, and gave a nod, pushing passed Sango to the street. He impatiently forced himself to wait as she loaded into her own carriage. The Higurashi emblem on the side. "Higurashi estate," he instructed to his driver. The man only gave a quick nod before the automobile jolted forward.

It didn't take long for the carriage to fall so far behind that Sesshoumaru could no longer see it. Unfortunately, it caught back up when his car reached the estate's dirt road. The automobile had yet to reach the range of dirt roads.

Sesshoumaru instantly smelled the fruit orchards that lined the entranceway, but there was another scent that disturbed him greatly.

The smell of salt, and the sounds of cries had his heart caving in. Naraku had done something. Today had been the first publication of the missing boy, and the crisis the Higurashi estate was going through. Naraku had not been named but he'd been hinted at. Sesshoumaru would kill the man where he stood if something had happened.

I thought you didn't care for her, that she was just a little addition to your collection, his inner voice teased.

He tried to ignore it. There was no way he would give in. He didn't care for Kagome, he just knew that she didn't deserve to die under the current circumstances.

In what circumstances would it be okay for her to die? His beast challenged smugly. Sesshoumaru tried to ignore that one too.

He pounded on the front door, waiting impatiently. A small stable boy opened the door, which told Sesshoumaru that something drastic must have happened if stable boys were now opening the front door to guests.

He jogged up the stairs, conquering them two at a time. He noticed instantly that there were no servants around. Hardly anyone lined the halls and rooms. Usually there were multiple running around doing chores but there were none today.

Sesshoumaru opened the door he found the crying in. Kagome and Akane were leaning against each other. Shiyo was standing in front of a long mirror. The first thought that entered his mind was the fact that this was Lady Kagome Higurashi's personal bedchamber.

He could tell by the art and decoration. It wasn't welcoming to guests, it was more private. Yet it was too rich to be a servants. The final conclusion was the fact that the art was so pure, so innocent. It could only belong to this naïve little girl.

"What happened?" He asked.

Kagome finally turned to look up at him. She cried harder when she saw him. "I-It's terrible," she got out. Sesshoumaru moved to kneel in front of her, gripping her arms and forcing her to stare at him. Thankfully, she continued to sob her story out. "Akane found-found this," Kagome cried out, pointing at the coffee table in front of them.

"We were in the kitchen when it came. It was sent by mail!" She hollered hysterically. "Who sends that by mail!" She exclaimed.

Sesshoumaru looked to Shiyo. He didn't look as flustered as the women were. Instead, the man looked composed and deep in thought. Shiyo met his stare. He gave a shake of his head, a warning.

Sesshoumaru reached for the note. The envelope was larger than the one they'd been given last time. He took it in his hands and peered into it. Even the Commissioner Sesshoumaru couldn't hold back the freezing of his body.

The teeth were lying at the bottom of the envelope. They were completely dried, some chipped, but they were definitely a child's. Sesshoumaru shook his head, they didn't belong to a demon, therefore they couldn't be Shippo's. However, they belonged to some boy and that boy was with Shippo, acting as Shippo's body parts.

He felt a new wave of anger come over him at the information. "Where are all the servants?" He demanded, "Who delivered this?"

Kagome sniffled, "I dismissed them all. They wanted to leave after you posted that nice little article about how I could barely afford to pay all of them. The stable boy is the one who got the message, you're better off to ask him."

Sesshoumaru nodded as he stood up and made his way out of the room. His feet pounded against the stairs. He heard the distant sound of Kagome following him.

"What are you doing? How could you act so calm!" Kagome shouted after him. She was stunned at his composure.

Sesshoumaru couldn't help but want to relieve her. "They're not Shippo's," Sesshoumaru admitted.

He ignored the confused look on Kagome's face. "How would you know?" She asked suspiciously.

"They may be a boy's, but they're too rotten to be a boy you cared for," Sesshoumaru lied. He couldn't tell this human that the teeth he was looking for were a demon's. Kagome would never believe him.

However, this lie was believable. The teeth in the envelope had been decaying for some time now. Although a servant's wages weren't good, he knew that Kagome had seen to Shippo's personal care as if he was her own child.

"I-I suppose," Kagome whispered quietly. "I should go tell Akane," she started. Sesshoumaru instantly grabbed her wrist. He pulled her towards him. He didn't want her to tell Akane what he said. The woman had been crying because she knew the same thing he did. There was a boy taking Shippo's punishment somewhere in this godforsaken state.

Sesshoumaru dragged her into the stables, even as she protested. The stable boy came out to greet them, giving them a confused look when he spotted their connected hands.

"You answered the door to retrieve the mail, correct?" Sesshoumaru asked, demanded to know. He no longer had the patience to deal with Naraku. He wanted this insect to be squashed along with the rest of them.

"Yes, sir, but I didn't get his name," the boy added with an apologetic glance. "I didn't even open it. I do recognize him though. He always delivers the mail here, Sir," the boy added.

He looked to Sesshoumaru with admiration in his eyes. "You're going to find Shippo right? We always played together when I wasn't working," he informed the commissioner. He looked to the ground shyly, kicking the gravel mindlessly.

Sesshoumaru felt Kagome try to pull away, to comfort the boy. Jealousy surged through him.

Reflexively, he pulled her against him. She grunted as she hit his chest. His arm wrapped around her and he shot the stable boy a glance of some sort.

He didn't quite know what he did. Maybe Sesshoumaru had given him a glance that said she was his, because the smirk the young boy gave him stunned him. "A ride, Sir?" He suggested.

Sesshoumaru was shocked to hear the innuendo on the small boy's tongue. He smirked, unable to resist the game. "Indeed, a good ride," he added. The boy let out an equally deviant smirk, before leaving the stable's completely, walking back towards the house.

"Where is he going?" Kagome wondered absently as Sesshoumaru led her into the stables. Sesshoumaru turned her around, facing her.

His arms planted themselves on her hips as he pressed her against the wall of the stable. The polished and sanded wood was smooth as his hand pressed against it, blocking her from any escape.

"Goodness, do you ever stop?" Kagome asked an irritation, even though Sesshoumaru saw the flush that broke across her skin. He recognized the increase in her heartbeat, and heard the sudden intake of breath when he dragged a finger along her neck.

"I don't think you want me to." Sesshoumaru added, his voice thick with seduction.

Kagome let out this smirk that his father would be proud of. It was filled with devious intent as she folded her arms over her chest. "If you continue this, I won't tell you what I found out this morning," she muttered.

Sesshoumaru couldn't resist the business aspect of listening to her. He pushed himself away and blinked. "What?"

Kagome smirked. "That man you arrested," Kagome added, knowing about the criminal that was currently staying overnight in the prisons. "He wasn't alone, and while you were arresting him, I was around the corner watching," Kagome added. When she saw the angered look in his eyes she quickly continued, "and I saw a man running away from the street as if you were after him."

"What was his name?" Sesshoumaru asked curiously. He would have to lecture her later about following him, but he couldn't resist the surge of pleasure knowing that she was on his side.

Most women would fawn over him. They would beg for his attention and try to gain his affection. This one was resistant. It was too much fun to toy with her. She flushed at his touch, denied her own feelings over it. She was educated and interested in his work. She really was a special breed. Sesshoumaru realized too late that he had missed her answer to his question.

"What was his name?" He repeated.

Kagome released a sheepish smile. "I-I didn't catch it," she muttered. She then did something Sesshoumaru wouldn't have expected. "I sketched him though," she added.

She reached into her bosom and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to him, and Sesshoumaru took it with shaky hands. It smelled just like her. The fruits that her family grew, added with the natural smell of peach and honey. He shivered.

His eyes were still focused on the breasts the piece of paper had been produced from. Sesshoumaru had always felt as if he were the best. There was no competition when it came to him. However, this paper had beaten him.

He was completely jealous of the piece of parchment now folded in his hand.