Kakera XII: Miracle's Evidence

***)~~~

"Are you sure she wouldn't be in there now?"

"If I wasn't this sure, I wouldn't have left the house. She wanted so badly to have a night shift anyway," The man in glasses stated to his companion Mamoru. Irie had drove them a block away from Miyo Takano's home, hell-bent on discovering 'something' incriminating. Not many people lived this close to the hospital, so the vehicle wouldn't be seen by many.

Kyousuke lead the way to the next street over, and halted his jogging when he approached a small, mauve efficiency. "This is it. Let's head to the back," Irie signaled. The two crept through the wiry fence, and straight to the small space of a backyard. There was a window just about a foot taller than Mamoru's height; fortunately for them, it was slightly ajar.

The two looked around for something to use as leverage to get up there, but it seemed all of their luck had run out. Akasaka hit a fist over his left open palm, as though having an epiphany. He crouched in front of the wall under the window. "Just use me. See if there might be a way for me to get in later once you're inside," knowing there wasn't any time to waste, the doctor steadied himself on the other's back. "Tch… I'm a bit too short," the man grunted as he tried to reach for the window sill. The man underneath hid a quiet chuckle.

/He's laughing?/

"It's not funny!" Kyousuke spat half-serious, only causing the man to snicker louder. He stepped off of the officer's back, but not before he issued a friendly kick to the back of his head. Akasaka got to his feet, apparently unfazed from the acute violence, and leaned against the wall. "I'll lift you up then." He steadied his ground, interlocked both of his hands, and told the other: "Whenever you're ready Kyousuke."

And the doctor was. He fixed a foot in the man's hands and was boosted to the ledge. His jade eyes caught only darkness, and he assumed it might be her bedroom. "Well? What do you see Fun-Sized?" Mamoru asked from below. His question was answered with the window screen being dropped on his head. "Nothing yet; do you mind lifting me a bit higher?" The man above told him as though nothing happened. Irie was pushed through easily because of his slim build…

*clunk!*

He fell ungraciously into what felt like a bathtub. "Whoops," Mamoru said under his breath. "Maybe I pushed a little too hard!"

(***)

/Damn… Should have known it wasn't going to be easy…/ Irie shook off the pain, and felt his way out of the tub. /What the hell was I thinking!/ He didn't want to risk turning on the lights just yet. He pulled on the bottom edge of the door, since he didn't want to be anymore musical than his trip earlier. Upon creaking open the door, a room to his right was alight, and a short hall lead to the front living room. /It just might be my lucky night!/ Surely Miyo would have jumped up and ran at the loud sound he made. The man bounded to his feet and strode to the empty room—

To find someone was there waiting patiently on a messy bed.

It was a black cat. Its amethyst eyes watched Kyousuke, though not in an alarmed manner. It, however, swished a tail that was weighted with a fancy lilac bow as if to ask: "And who are you?" It hopped off of the bed and tottered to the intruder. Assuming it was a female; the doctor scratched her behind the ears and cooed: "Hi Hime-sama… You wouldn't mind if I look around?" 'Princess' purred loudly, and the man took this gesture as a 'no'.

Papers and books were strewn about Takano seemed more desperate for information than even him. "Where to start," he muttered to himself. The feline jumped from his arms, and traveled out of the room. "Hime-sama? Heyy…" The cat's sudden aloofness reminded him about Mamoru. He dashed back to the bathroom window and called for him.

"Hey, Mamoru! Come around to the front," Kyousuke instructed.

)~~~(

/I can't believe I was worried the woman had subdued him!/

"I'll never worry about you again! So what took so long?" Mamoru asked as he slipped inside. The other childishly stuck out his tongue. "I was looking through her stuff of course. It's just so much! And plus she has a cat…" It seemed to bother him. "She hates animals, is what she told me once anyways…" As if in protest, a caterwaul sounded from the kitchen. "Yeah, that's , I'll go see what I can find, maybe that feeling I had earlier will come back," He went off towards the room. Akasaka decided to see about the cat.

Once he flipped the light on in the kitchen, wine-colored eyes met his. "Meow," It complained to him. She nosed a food bowl near him, as if to fill it. /Unfed and unhappy…/ Why would she say she hates animals, when she clearly has a cat? That is, unless she only has this cat for a reason…

In one of counter under the sink, he spotted a bag of… dog food. /She really doesn't like this cat at all…/

"Sorry girl. At least there's milk," he said as he looked in the refrigerator. He poured a generous amount in the bowl, and smiled as she lapped the liquid hungrily. "Hm?" There was some writing etched on the side the bowl.

'Kiseki'—

"Miracle. I guess you being picked by such a hateful master wasn't one, was it?" Mamoru rubbed the cat gently on its back. "A pretty name for something unwanted." The cat finally looked up at him from her meal; she stared at him like a human would, that gaze certainly had meaning.

She turned away, and darted out of the kitchen in a way that made the officer want to follow.

Kyousuke was deep into a search, which didn't produce as much as he had hoped. Kiseki leapt onto the bed as if to show him something. "What's wrong Hime-sama?" When Mamoru entered his frown turned into a smirk. "I understand perfectly now," but then he sighed at his inside joke. "We might have to get going soon; only God knows when she might return—"

"Wait. Kiseki-chan's showing me something." Mamoru told him urgently. "No, I named her Hime-sama! And we don't have time for this! What do you think—""It's not about what I think! Kiseki-chan's special! I just know it!"

As the two continued arguing, Kiseki jumped to the other side of the bed, landed to the floor, and began tugging at the hair of a doll with her teeth.

"Well, I—Hey look; she found something," Kyousuke pointed to the cat, as she was pulling at something that was in the doll's hair. Aww, that's so cute~!" the doctor smiled.

..

Wavy, blonde curls. Rouge lips, and the same color of blush on her cheeks. She had a porcelain face with a smile that would make her the favorite toy of any young girl.

Kiseki retrieved a small golden key from the bouncy hair.

"Where might that key fit into?" Akasaka voiced both of their thoughts, and in response, the lithe feline rounded the bed to the side they were on, and glided underneath the covers. A few seconds later she nudged what might have been a large music box. More importantly, front and center on the box, there was a key-hole lined in gold that fit the description.

And at that point in time, the Mamoru heard the unmistakable sound of car wheels on gravel.

Miyo was home.

"Shit! Mamoru, we gotta get outta here now!" Kyousuke said frantically as he snatched the treasure from the floor. /I can't leave her here./ Mamoru made the decision to take the cat with him; she reminded him too much of the human girl he was trying to protect.

"Kiseki!" Mamoru opened his arms, and she jumped into them willingly.

The three of them practically flew through the bathroom door. "Hold her," Akasaka gave Kyousuke handed over their assistant to him. He barraged through the window, and catching on quickly, the doctor dropped the cat first. Akasaka set her to the side, and Kyousuke came down with their prized box.

Carefully, Mamoru peaked around the corner of the house… Miyo was probably unlocking her door. "Hey~! You can put me down now!" Kyousuke commanded the man. "Shh!" Akasaka admonished him quietly; he was timing the exact moment when they should break off running.

Now would be the time the demon enters the door. Now is the time to run!

"Hey Ma-""Just shut up and hold on," The officer ordered. Kiseki jumped onto her savior, and then onto Irie's head nimbly. And the man took off sprinting.

Takano was too far into her home, and too occupied to hear the lithe footsteps of an escapee in her front yard. She just knew something was very wrong in her home!

"Who-Who would do thiiiisss!" She nearly screeched.

She always kept her room spotless! Papers were strewn this was and that way! And she would never leave any lights on in her home while she is away!

***)~~~

The window that was already half-opened, the light on in the bedroom, and the mess Miyo was left with, and the two humans escaped; unaware of such hints. Only Kiseki knew of this unknown party; The person found nothing, because the cat had willed this so.

But someone did, because of pure kindness. Mamoru passed her test of love.

And because he passed the test of love; she allowed him to see the truth.

Akasaka did not falter even once on his trot, and they reached the vehicle on the other street in record time. "Thank you, but it would have been a whole lot easier if," Kyousuke didn't continue his unheard argument, for the other man just gave him a look. "Well, fine. So it was a lot easier with you running… but still." the doctor pouted. He positioned himself in the driver's seat the moment he was lowered to the ground, and cranked the car. Kiseki, who was in the officer's hands now, just meowed in a foreign language.

Mamoru his seat as well, and the car rolled down the street as though nothing strange occurred that night.

For the second tome that night, he hid a chuckle. It was an act that hadn't occurred in a very long while. Kyousuke kept his eyes on the road, obviously annoyed. The cop once again, couldn't keep in his laughter. "What's so funny Akasaka-san?" The doctor questioned coolly. "Please forgive me Irie-sensei. I haven't laughed this much in one night in years…" the other replied once he had recollected himself.

"That's a bit scary. I must be a pretty funny guy then, seeing that you only laughed at me," Kyousuke shrugged.

"Let's just call it a modern miracle. Right Kiseki-chan?" Mamoru petted the cat affectionately.

She mewed tenderly in response.

***)~~~

In a hotel room… A phone rings

"Hello? Hello? Jiro, if you're there; please answer me!" The man on the receiving end silently listened.

"S-Someone broke in to my home! It was horrible… I can't call the police—not with that detective still around… I really don't want to be alone…"the woman's voice entreat would have brought anyone to tears—

"But not me." Jiro Tomitake said to himself moodily. "I can't be around you, until I know for sure… Miyoko…" He whispered is once lover's full name; she had admitted that she was the first one to tell. She always seemed to have split personalities; be he was even willing to look past that… he truly loved her that much.

But he found something that night: a suspicious vial that was in her home.

So he didn't want to see her, hear, or even think about her, until he knew that his suspicions were just that: suspicions.

And he prayed to both demons and angels that his was wrong.

The only one he trusted was for Kyousuke to test this substance labeled: H173. What did this mean? Jiro stared at the phone; tempted to call her… rush to her… and hold her. To tell her everything would be okay, Superman is here.

But not until her knew the truth…