Chapter 21.

I dressed myself and hailed a cab in record time, reaching June's apartment shortly after our phone conversation. Camera crews and crowds of curious people surrounded the exterior of the building, which was completely closed off, preventing anyone from entering or exiting the place. I struggled my way through the bustle of people in an attempt to get to the front door of the apartment but a large police officer stopped me in my tracks once I came closer.

"I'm sorry miss but no entering the apartment building unless you are a resident."

"I need to go in there, though."

"And I need to do my job."

The corners of his mouth turned down at me and he eased me farther away from the door.

"So if you don't mind, miss, I would appreciate it if you would stay back."

"Kagome!"

The sound of my name came from the entrance of the building and the officer and I both turned to see who was calling out to me.

"Kagome, there you are!"

June pushed her way through the walls of police officers until she reached me.

"Dammit child, what did I tell you? Once you get to the building, check in under my name."

She turned to the officer and rolled her eyes.

"These damn teenagers, I swear. Can't listen to any directions they're given."

"Do you know this young lady, ma'am?"

"Well of course, she's my granddaughter. Here all the way from Okinawa. She's staying with me all weekend. We're going to make some jam together."

June laughed too loudly and lightly smacked the officer's stomach.

"Hey, might as well put the girl to use right? I'm going to have me a whole lot of jam by the time she leaves. Going to sell it all at the next bake sell. I'm hoping to buy me one of those blender thingies you always see advertised on TV. They can blend anything, I swear, and Lord knows how I love to blend."

She laughed again and the officer rolled his heavy eyes.

"Alright ladies, just go on in."

"What, don't you need us to sign in or whatever? For security measures?"

The officer's voice was tight as he stiffly shook his head.

"No, it's fine. Please just go in, I'm sure you need a start on your jam making."

June thanked the man and grabbed my wrist, pulling me to the front door.

"Your granddaughter?"

June continued to drag me behind her but quietly hissed back at me.

"Shut your mouth until we're inside."

We climbed up the apartments set of stairs until we reached the sixth floor, June's floor. She kept her lips tightly pressed together and her pace quick until we reached her door. I couldn't help but look towards Aden's door as we passed and a sharp gasp escaped from me once I saw it.

The door was wide open with officers coming in and out. From where I was, I could see that the room was a mess, as if it had been trashed and rifled through. And then there was the door. There was a hole where the handle should have been, scratches ripped through the wood, and blood splattered across its white paint.

"Get in here before you're noticed!"

June yanked me inside of her room and swiftly shut the door as soon as I was in, locking it right after.

"What happened to his door?"

I cried and June urgently waved her hands at me.

"Keep it down, child! Goddammit, do you want the whole building to hear you?"

I took a deep breath and repeated my question.

"June, what happened to his door?"

She shook her head at me and instantly looked older than she was.

"They don't think it was an animal attack anymore, Kagome."

"Why not?"

She signalled for me to sit down on a red antique couch that was positioned beside me. I perched myself on the arm rest and waited for her to continue.

"They thought it was an animal when they found his body due to his injuries, but an animal wouldn't have been able to get into the building and then gotten up to the sixth floor."

"What about the stairwell?"

"It's locked every night at eleven thirty. The only other way is the elevator, but an animal couldn't possibly understand how to use it. And even if it could, the elevator hasn't been working right for the past week. It would also have to break into Aden's room and then bring him all the way down the stairs in order to dump his body in the bushes. It just doesn't add up."

"So what does this mean?"

She sighed heavily and stared blankly at a distant spot on the wall.

"It means that someone murdered him."

She then met my eye.

"And I'm guessing that whoever killed him was also involved in handing you over to me."

Inuyasha. Inuyasha. Inuyasha.

"Kagome…"

June leaned forward in the chair she was seated in and rested her elbows on her knees, her hands folded restlessly together.

"What happened between you and Aden that night?"

I traced my mind back to the other night, when I awoke in Aden's room.

"I got…sick a few nights ago –"

"So you were drunk."

My face reddened slightly and I felt ashamed for June knowing this, but I nodded anyway.

"Yes, and Aden took me to his place and let me spend the night because my roommate and I had a falling out. I slept for a long time…but when I woke up, it was late at night. Or early in the morning, I guess. Aden was just coming in and…and he was really drunk. He could hardly even stand."

June kept quiet and didn't take her intense gaze off of me once.

"I went into the washroom to…freshen up, I guess. And then he just…appeared. He was so drunk and so close to me…"

My voice slipped away into a croak as my eyes began to fill. I could remember every moment of it. The stench of alcohol that leaked from his breath. The rapid thudding of my heart against my rib cage. The small area of the room and the close proximity of his body to mine. I felt the fear I had felt all over again as I tried to hold back the sob that was desperately trying to be released from me and June's face softened.

"What did he do, hon?"

"Nothing. He didn't do…that. But it was close. It was so close. I've never been so…"

I couldn't even finish. My body heaved in sobs and the apartment room became a blur of colours because of the tears that were pulsing out of my now swollen lids.

Scared. I have never been so scared in my life. Not even when Inuyasha was alive and we fought Naraku together. Not even when I spent nights fearing the lonely future I had ahead of me after Inuyasha died. I was terrified that Aden was going to take me when I was the most vulnerable, weak, and alone I had ever been.

June appeared at my side and rested her warm hand on my shaking shoulder.

"Hush, child. It's over now."

I nodded my head and accepted the handkerchief that June handed to me.

"I know. It's over and he's gone."

The crying had calmed down and I took a few shaky breaths.

"I'm glad he's dead."

I'm ecstatic that he is gone, forever. That monster didn't deserve to live anymore.

"I'm glad too."

June whispered. We sat quietly for a few moments until June suddenly stood from the couch.

"God, I shouldn't have had you come over. At the time I didn't realize that it was a murder case"

She turned to me.

"They're going to think you had something to do with his death. They'll assume you had an angry friend come over and avenge you."

"What am I going to do? I swear I had nothing to do with him being killed! No one but you knows what even happened between Aden and I!"

June nodded her head repeatedly as she paced back and forth.

"June…what am I going to do?"

"We'll just have to lie."

"Lie?"

"Yes. We can just tell them you were at home. Your family will be more than willing to cover for you. Does anybody know you were with Aden the other night?"

"Um…"
Did anyone see us together at the bar? Did I recognize any faces?

"No. No one saw us together."

June nodded her head sharply.

"Then they'll never find out."

My body slightly relaxed.

"And I suggest we don't say anything about your little prince charming. I'm positive that whoever he is, he was the one that took care of Aden. And somebody who is out to protect you deserves to be protected from the police. We can give him that much."

I nodded in agreement but almost felt like smiling. The only thing Inuyasha needed protection from was me and my sit commands. The image of his body jumping in front of me in order to save me from Naraku suddenly flashed in my mind, wiping the almost-smile right off of my face. My eyes welled up all over again my heavy head dropped as the tears silently slid down my face.

How could you save me again when the last time it killed you, Inuyasha?