8th October 2021
A defective light flickered intermittently, casting a blinking yellow tint onto the streets below, while most other street lights functioned undisturbed.
A young brunette man stepped out of the building, his trainers shuffling on the wet tarmac as he turned around and locked the door behind him. It was well after 11pm, and the chemist had been closed since 6, but Hojo Yamamoto was very organized, and he always stayed behind to tidy up the shelves and arrange the medicines. It wasn't necessary, but he enjoyed it, so none of his colleagues argued with him.
Having quenched his hunger for organisation, he could now head home, and look forward to the weekend. His family was visiting him, as per their tradition since he had moved from home.
The young man had just turned a corner, when he stopped in his tracks. A car had, at some point, crashed into a street sigh, the sign bent almost like a pretzel, and the car had a few broken windows. Smoke was escaping the front, the hood popped and mangled into shit, the engine still alive, but one headlight was out, the other obscured by the carnage. The tail lights were working, and there appeared to be fluid leaking from the engine.
Concern overwhelming common sense, Hojo ran up to the car and looked in through the shattered windows. There were three passengers, a man and woman in the front, and a child in the back. They were all unconscious. Hojo reached his arm into his pockets and immediately dialled 1-1-9.
"1-1-9, what is your emergency?"
"There's been a crash! Three people are in the vehicle, they're all unconscious!" Hojo explained.
As calmly as he could, he gave the operator all the answers he could provide, and she declared that the emergency services are on their way.
Hojo pocketed his phone and leaned towards the drivers side window.
"Sir! Sir! Can you hear me? You're gonna be okay! I've called for an ambulance! They are on their way! Don't panic!" Hojo shouted at the unconscious man.
To his relief, the emergency services wasted little time arriving. The ambulances arrived first, closely followed by the fire department. The paramedics rushed to the car, examining the people in the mangled machine. Firemen were on stand by, awaiting for the paramedics to say when they were allowed to cut the front passenger and driver free.
Instead, one of the paramedics pulled the radio on his chest to his lips, and what was ordered made Hojo turn white.
"Dispatch we've arrived at the scene. Send cops, the passengers have all been shot. Two confirmed dead, one critical."
9th October 2021
Black, low-heel pumps echoed steps through the police department corridors, their owner striding to the chiefs office. She wore navy, high-waisted jeans paired with a white roll neck jumper that hugged her frame, and a grey plaid coat. The young woman, Inspector Kagome Higurashi, had chocolate brown eyes, and raven black hair. On her left shoulder, she carried a yellow backpack, which stood out from the rest of her, but no one could sway her from her favourite bag. Even if it was old, worn, and didn't suit her style.
Approaching the room, she gave a knock, then waited until she was invited, before entering.
The chief of the Hakurei Police Department was a old humanoid yokai named Totosai Ando, who was balding, his remaining grey hair tied in a top knot. He also had a fu manchu styled moustache, and a small goatee that has been singed near the end. He looked up from the documents on his desk to the woman entering his office.
"Appreciate you coming in on such short notice, Inspector Higurashi." Totosai said.
Sitting down on the chair in front of his desk, Kagome nodded, dropping her backpack to the floor next to her feet.
Totosai handed her the case file, "What we have so far is in there. Unfortunately the survivor has been put in an induced coma, so interviewing her isn't an option at this time."
Kagome was combing through the notes in the case file, "...Three people shot multiple times... Two deceased... One critical... One witness..." She looked up to Totosai, "Is the car in the garage?"
He nodded, "Forensics is having it combed for evidence as we speak. The scene of the crash has been sealed off, so if you want to poke around it, now is your chance." He pouted, "Are you sure you don't want a partner to-"
"I'll manage just fine." She answered shortly. Packing the case file into her bag, she excused herself and turned to leave. Totosai frowned at her retreating form, then lifted the receiver of a phone on his desk, tapping a single number; a speed dial, and waited.
"Hello, old friend!" He greeted when the call was answered, "Is the whelp available?... Ah yes, I've got a detective on a case that may benefit from the assistance, their partner retired last year, something about becoming a father or whatever... Mmm hmm... Yes, I know about his temper, my detective will be fine, she has quite a temper herself... Excellent, I'll let you know when he arrives. Good luck, old friend!"
Kagome arrived at the scene of the crash. The entire street had been sealed off with police tape, and there were several forensics dotted about collecting what evidence they could find. The car had been removed, though the pretzel street sign was left behind – A twisted memento to what took place.
Ducking under the police line, Kagome approached one of the forensics specialists, a young human woman named Koharu Nakano.
"Inspector, I was told you'd be coming." Koharu smiled. Kagome wasn't totally sure how the girl still found the energy to smile, given the circumstances of the case.
She cut straight to the chase, "What have you got for me?" - She didn't mean to sound as blunt as she did.
Her smile wavered, before it gave way to a more serious, more fitting, sternness, although she was hesitant. "Unfortunately... We haven't really found much here. The coroners haven't reported back in regards to the bodies yet, and the car that was recovered is currently with the boys at the lab."
Kagome frowned, looking towards the large, boarded up building where the car had come to a halt. It was an old apartments building, a sign nailed to the wall with ''SOLD'' in bold font. All the windows appeared to be boarded up. She couldn't rule it out. "What about that place?"
Koharu followed her gaze, "We have Abi trying to get a search warrant for the place. It could take days though."
"And by then whatever is hiding inside, if anything, could be long gone..." Kagome mumbled.
She found herself, once again, wishing that her colleague hadn't retired a few months ago. Kouga Sakata had been her colleague from the day she first joined the Hakurei Police Department. He was a very handsome and charismatic Wolf Demon, fiercely loyal and dependable. Not only was he a great partner, he was also one of her best friends. He married a Wolf Demoness named Ayume, and after learning that they were pregnant, he announced his retirement.
"Inspector..."
It came as a shock to Kagome, as Kouga had never expressed any interest in ever leaving the force. She should have seen it coming though, Kouga valued family above anything else. He had quickly got himself another job as a kick-boxing coach, and after a tearful farewell, he walked out the station doors for the last time. She wished him all the best with his new adventures in parenthood, and while they still chatted from time to time, he had his hands full between his young family, and coaching – Kagome had her hands full taking on cases.
"Kagome?"
She was good at her job, but she wasn't a demon, or had any special abilities that could help. That was one of the benefits to having a demon partner – Their senses could find evidence and criminals in no time. After three failed attempts to pair up with a new demon partner (the first two got themselves fired, and the third quit), Kagome decided she was done. As far as she was concerned, she wasn't gonna be able to get along with anyone other than Kouga. She had been working alone for a few months now, but she didn't want to admit that at times she was struggling.
"Kagome!" Koharu repeated, louder than she had before.
The Inspector gave a start, then looked at her. "What? What's wrong?"
Koharu frowned, "What's wrong with you? You zoned out there..."
Shaking her head, Kagome smiled, "I'm sorry, I guess I got lost in thought."
The young forensics specialist didn't seem to believe her, but she made no comment on it. "Well... I just got a call from the lab – They have recovered several bullets from the car. They're all from three variants."
Kagome frowned. "Did they find anything else?"
"They're still searching." Koharu replied.
The Inspector sighed, "Okay, keep looking around here. Hopefully Abi can get a search warrant for that building soon. I'm gonna go to the coroners office and if I catch Miroku with another adult magazine, I'm gonna smack him with something – Maybe a book or one of those surgery trays..."
"Try not to hit him too hard, we still need his brain." Koharu smiled.
The town of Shikon was a small place, its rough appearance carried a lot of charm. The locals all knew each other, but when it came to crime, they weren't the most cooperative witnesses. Their fears for the consequences over-ruled their sense of justice. So when something happened, the Shikon Police Department turned to their best inspector.
As a chief inspector, Inuyasha Taishos skills and abilities were near legendary within the force. His late father had been the Chief before he passed away. Now, he took orders from the new chief, a flea demon called Myoga Hirobe. (for comedic reasons, he's as small as he was in the main series)
Myoga was pacing back and forth on his desk, his tiny form barely covering any distance, worrying more and more with every second. When Totosai had called, he knew it wasn't to catch up. Totosai was requesting the assistance of his Chief Inspector, and without looking further into the reasons, Myoga was happy to send him over. Of course, when Myoga received a copy of the case file to pass onto his hanyou inspector, once he saw the photo ID of the inspector that the case had been assigned to, Myoga was suddenly regretting his choice.
The tiny Chief was startled from his thoughts when the door of his office swung open, and a man walked in, his green baseball cap lowered just above his brow. Inuyasha was wearing a red trucker jacket with the collar popped up. His t-shirt under the jacket was cream, and he wore black cargo pants, finishing with black hiking boots. His long silver hair was tied up in a single ponytail, with two lengths of it framing his face, and a beaded rosary hung around his neck. He looked nothing like an inspector, and every bit like a hoodlum.
Golden eyes locked onto the flea demon on the desk, slit pupils narrowing.
"Whaddya' want?" His voice was gruff, matching his appearance.
"Ah, Inuyasha!" Myoga smiled, "Thank you for coming in!"
"Who's complainin' now?" Inuyasha sighed. He sounded like he was bored.
"Oh! No one, for once." Myoga said, ignoring the half-demons frown. "No, actually, I got a call this morning from HPD."
"Keh. Old Totosai?"
Myoga nodded, "He has an inspector on a case that requires some assistance."
"Doesn't he have that fuckin' mangy wolf in his station?" Inuyasha frowned.
"Inspector Kouga retired," Myoga explained, "Besides, he has asked for you specifically. The case is here," He slid the file across the table, "It should be easy enough to solve, you're one of my best cops."
Lifting the file, Inuyasha skimmed through it. "Three victims, two fatalities, one critical... Car crash... bullet wounds..." He flicked on through until he froze. Eyes widening at the photo ID of the cop over-seeing the case.
Myoga jumped out of his exoskeleton when Inuyasha promptly closed the file and threw it to the ground.
"No. Fucking. Way." He snarled, glaring at the flea demon.
"Inuyasha, be reasonable-"
"You're asking me to work with-!"
"I'm asking you to work with someone who only bares a resemblance to-!"
"EXACTLY!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'm not going."
"Wh-What?! You have to!" Myoga pleaded. "Totosai is counting on you!"
"Totosai can fucking take a hike!" Inuyasha turned his back on Myoga, "You of all people know what happened. And you have the balls to-" He cut himself off with a growl.
Myoga frowned, "I didn't want to have to do this, but if you don't go... You're fired."
The room immediately filled with ice, and Myoga began to regret his existence altogether. Inuyasha had stiffened, falling silent at the fleas threat.
"Are you trying to black-mail me, Chief?" He spat the last word. He whirled around and drove his fist into the desk, the wood splitting under the force. Golden rage glared down at the flea demon.
The chief swallowed, "I wouldn't ask if I didn't have your best interests at heart!"
"You clearly don't, if you're so eager to send me into another mental break down!"
"That's NOT what I'm doing! I assigned you to the case BEFORE I saw the woman. My intentions were genuine, I assigned you because you are best suited for the job!" Myoga pleaded, "I had no idea what I was signing you up for until I got the documents a few hours ago! I don't want to black-mail you, but you aren't giving me a lot of options..."
Inuyasha held his glare, hoping that it alone would kill the flea.
"Fine." He bit. "You're lucky I promised my father on his death bed that I wouldn't kill you."
"And no one appreciates that more than I." Myoga muttered.
Inuyasha straightened up, jamming his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants. "You're covering whatever therapy bills I end up with after this shit."
"T-That's a little hasty, don't you think?" Myoga frowned.
"Tell someone who cares." He turned and walked to the door, "I'll call when I get to the HPD."
Without another word, the grumpy hanyou left Myogas office. With a weary sigh, Myoga carefully moved away from the fracture in his desk, approaching the telephone. Tipping it off the receiver, he hopped onto the number pad, and pressed one of them, speed-dailing a number. There was two rings, and then an elderly voice answered.
"Totosai, it's Myoga." Myoga spoke, "...Yes, yes. He's on his way now... But erh, You... You may want to give the lady inspector a heads up... He's gonna be in a particularly foul mood... Yes, very well. Take care, and good luck."
When Kagome pulled up in her burgundy Audi outside the coroners office, she immediately noticed Mirokus blue Sedan was parked near by – So he definitely wasn't late, or off sick. She hoped he was doing his job.
As she walked through the building, a simple flash of her badge was all it took for security to step aside without question, and it was only moments before she found the room she was looking for. Pushing open the double-doors, Kagome stopped and took in the surroundings.
The room was clean, tidy, and typical of a hospital setting. There were two stretchers lined against the wall, but the bodies that once occupied them were long moved, likely into the freezers. There was no sign of the man she sought, and at first glance, it seemed that nothing had happened at all.
She went to check his office, and was relieved to find him there. Her relief was short lived, replaced by concern when she registered the haunted look on his face.
Miroku Enami was the HPDs chief coroner. He had short, dark brown hair which was tied back in a tiny ponytail. His eyes were ocean blue and both his ears had piercings. The right ear had a single ring, and the left ear had two rings. Miroku was an attractive young man, with a warm and helpful personality. He was very meticulous with his work, and he always prayed for the dead that came into his office.
Seeing the man sitting at his desk, fingers laced together and propped up in a sort of pyramid in front of his lips was a startling contrast to the usual relaxed and determined expression he normally wore.
She stepped quietly into his field of vision, her frown increasing when he didn't acknowledge her.
"Are... you okay?" Kagome asked.
Miroku blinked, as though her voice snapped him back into reality. He glanced at her, gave the smallest smile, then massaged his brow, "Forgive me, Inspector, I uh... I have the results." He lifted two files and handed them to her.
"Miroku," Kagome said, "Are you okay?"
He gave a sad smile, "Not really, no, but it can't be helped. I have a job to do, regardless of who lies on the surgical table."
Kagomes heart skipped a beat at his words. She seemed to flounder over her words for a moment, unsure of how to seek confirmation of her suspicions.
He seemed to understand what she wanted to ask. "I know the victims... Or, well, knew them."
The Inspector swallowed the lump in her throat, "...Were... Were they family?..."
"They were going to be..." He sighed. "It's bitter-sweet knowing that my fiancée is alive, but in a coma in the hospital. I don't know if she's aware... I don't know how to tell her..." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, "I... don't know if she'll survive."
Kagome felt her own heart breaking for the man. He had to perform autopsies on his future father and brother in-laws. She swallowed the bile that replaced the lump in her throat. "Miroku, I want you to take some time off work, please."
He frowned at her, "I appreciate the gesture, but-"
She shook her head, firm. "I need you to be at your best, and to be at your best, you need to look after your mental health. Please, take some time off to mourn your loss, and to be by your Fiancée's side. Come back only when you're ready."
Miroku gave a small nod, then stood up and circled around the desk, approaching her. He pulled her into a hug, which she returned. "Thank you." He mumbled.
"I'll catch the bastards that did this." Kagome responded, determined.
11th October 2021
It was pouring with rain in Hakurei, water from the skies over-flowing in the gutters, flooding out onto the streets. The drains on the sides of the paths were swallowing as much as they could, but if the weather didn't let up, there was a chance of the streets becoming too flooded to pass through. The torrential downpour had been predicted two days ago, so no one was really surprised when it hit.
Parking her car in its slot, Kagome had to make a mad dash for the station, using a flimsy umbrella to try and shield herself, and her coffee in her travel mug, from getting drenched before she got into the building. Of course, when she reached the steps, a sudden gust of wind completely inverted her umbrella, breaking the arms that held the water proof fabric.
She nearly knocked over a janitor who was mopping up the countless footsteps that had trekked mud and water into the building. The lynx demon frowned, more annoyed at her freshly made footsteps than the fact he'd nearly been run over by the inspector.
"Sorry!" Kagome pleaded, "I didn't mean-"
He simply shooed her away so that he could mop up the new puddles. Casting him another remorseful look, she tried to close her umbrella, giving up when it wouldn't fold. She thrust the cursed thing into a bin, before making her way to the chiefs office.
Knocking, she waited until she was invited.
"Morning, Kagome!" Totosai called when she entered the room, "Fantastic weather, no?" He joked, watching as she took a seat.
"Oh, it's totally beach day weather, I should have packed my swimsuit." Kagome rolled her eyes, "So... What's wrong? Have you found out anything about the case?"
"Nope." Totosai said.
Squinting an eye, Kagome frowned, "Then...?"
The old demon laced his fingers together, "I've requested back up from Shikon. For you."
"...Backup?... Wait, you're pairing me with someone from Shikon?" She frowned, "I told you, I didn't want anymore partner candidates!"
"It's a temporary partnership, Kagome." Totosai explained, "The cop on his way is the best that Shikon has to offer."
"Which is saying a lot since Shikon is a run-down town with a poker-face, emotionally void Dog Demon for a Mayor." Kagome huffed.
"Rude." Totosai frowned, "You have nothing to worry about. He'll help you out with your investigation until the case is solved, then he'll be out of your sight and you'll be back to solo'ing your way to the top!"
"I quite like where I am in the ranks, thank you." Kagome pouted. She sighed, "Fine, when is he coming?"
"He should actually be here any minute now." Totosai smiled. His smile quickly dropped, "Oh! There's another thing that I've been asked to brace you for."
"Brace me?" Kagome frowned, "Brace me for what?"
The door of the office suddenly slammed open, jolting Kagome and Totosai. The two looked towards the door, as a man with silver hair stalked into the room. He was dripping wet from the weather outside. Silently, he gave Kagome and Totosai a blank look, then he bent down, placing his hands on the floor, and shook.
The entire room was sprayed with droplets of water, silver hair flying wildly about as the man shook himself dry. Kagome attempted to shield herself and her coffee, but still ended up wet. Totosai had not bothered to try and protect himself, but he wore an aggravated frown, waiting for the unsolicited shower to end.
Having dispelled most of the water from himself, Inuyasha stood up and began popping various joints in his fists and rolling his shoulders. He ignored the heated glares he was getting.
"You could have done that in the lobby!" Totosai huffed.
"Keh. The guy out there is cleaning the floor, why would I wanna add to his workload?" Inuyasha smirked.
Totosai spluttered, "So you came into my office and drenched everything?!"
"Your office is warm. It'll dry out."
Kagome stared at the guy, currently at a loss for words. Clearly he wasn't human, with his silver hair, obvious fangs and claws, and his intense golden eyes. He wasn't like any demon she had ever encountered either, though.
Inuyasha caught her staring, "What?! Ain't seen a dog demon before?!" He growled at her.
Kagome bristled, feeling her own anger flare.
"Half dog-demon,"The old chief sighed, ignoring his pointed glare, "Kagome, this is Chief Inspector, Inuyasha Taisho. He'll be joining your case."
Kagome blanched, turning to Totosai. "What?" She looked at Inuyasha, "You're-?!"
The half-demon cocked an eyebrow, staring at her with obvious disdain.
"Are you kidding me?" Kagome asked, turning to the chief. "You expect me to work with this... hoodlum?!" She gave a mocking laugh, "Funny, sir. Real funny."
When she was met with silence, Kagome stood up from her seat. "Absolutely not." She said, turning to the door. She shoved past Inuyasha and walked out of the office.
"Well that was quick. Later Totosai!" Inuyasha waved, but before he could turn around to leave, the old demon shot an arm out and grabbed him, holding him in place.
"Not a chance, Inuyasha!" Totosai frowned, "You're here to work on a case with Investigator Higurashi!"
Inuyasha bared his fangs, "Yeah, she looked real excited about it! I share her sentiments, so do us both a favour and find someone else!"
"You came in here, soaked her, and then snapped at her!" Totosai argued. "I know what you're trying to do, pup! Myoga warned me already!"
Inuyasha narrowed his glare.
Frowning, the old chief spoke. "Now, you're going to look for Inspector Higurashi, apologise to her, and help her with the case! You can go home when it's solved, but until then, you're under my rules!"
"And I'll be the first to go on record and say, your rules are shit." Inuyasha sneered.
Totosai released his hold on the hanyou. "Go and apologise, you ruffian!"
Straightening his jacket, Inuyasha turned and walked out of the office.
As he stood in the corridor, he inhaled a deep breath slowly. Filtering through all the scents in the air. It would be easy to find her, because thanks to him, she now smelled like a wet dog. It took him seconds to lock onto the scent, and he followed it, ignoring the curious glances he was receiving from other officers in the building.
Kagome was in her office, having taken her coat off and placed it over the radiator. She had nicked a bunch of paper towels from the station kitchen, which she was now using to try and dry her hair as she sat behind her desk.
"Tch." She huffed, throwing the damp towels into the trash can beneath her desk. "That was Shikons best inspector? CHIEF inspector? Are they all high?!"
Rising from her seat, she stomped off into the small bathroom connected to her office, using her fingers to try and comb her hair as she glared at the reflection in the mirror. Who would have thought that it might be a worth while investment to have a hair dryer installed in your office.
Honestly, she would go home and change if she wasn't already busy with a case, but a girl could dream. Fixing her hair to the best of her abilities, she decided it was decent enough and came out of the bathroom, freezing when she saw who was sitting on her desk.
"What the hell are you doing in here? This is my office!" Kagome snapped, circling the table to glare at the half-demon, who had helped himself to the full case file and the evidence she had gathered.
"Shaddup, I'm read-"
She yanked the file from his hands. "Leave!"
Inuyasha glared at her, "I was sent here to work with you on this case, now gimme the file."
"I'm sure I'll manage on my own, because I refuse to work with the same jerk who shook water all over me!"
"You act like you ain't never been in the rain before." He said.
"You're getting 1 minute to leave, or I'm calling security." Kagome threatened.
The hanyou smirked, his fangs poking out over his lower lip "Call'em now. Go on."
Lifting the phone, Kagome pressed a button. "Security, come to my office immediately."
Within moments, two wolf demons came into the office. One had a white Mohawk, and the other had short grey hair, with a blue/grey patch just above his forehead. They were clearly new recruits, which made the whole situation even funnier to Inuyasha.
"Officers Ginta and Hakkaku reporting, Ma'am!" Ginta said.
"Kindly escort this man out of the building." Kagome ordered, gesturing to Inuyasha.
The two demons frowned, looking at him. They were hesitant.
Gulping, Hakkaku spoke, "Um... Are you asking us to remove Chief Inspector Taisho?"
"She is." Inuyasha answered.
Ginta scratched the back of his head, "Ma'am... We'd love to follow your orders... but we can't remove him..."
Kagome gaped, "Why not? He's been told to leave and he won't!"
Inuyasha didn't give the two wolf demons a chance to answer. "Aw'right! You pair can fuck off." He ordered.
They bolted from the room without questioning him. Kagome was staring at the door, dumbfounded, when the file was suddenly plucked from her hand again.
"I'll take that." The half-demon said, opening the file again and flicking to the page he had been reading.
Glaring daggers at the back of his head, Kagome wanted to throw something hard at him. Maybe the sellotape dispenser. She was eyeing it when common sense finally got through to her.
She had a job to do, and in order to solve the case, she needed to be the bigger person. Even if he had just arrived and was already walking all over her, she could be the mature adult in the situation. The sooner the case was done and justice served, the sooner she'd be rid of him.
Taking a moment to breathe, she nodded to herself.
"Alright, since it's clear you aren't going away, lets visit the scene of the crime." Kagome said.
Dropping the file onto the desk, Inuyasha stood up, "I can take it from here." He approached the office door.
"Hey! HEY!" Kagome ran to block his exit, "You are NOT taking this case! You were sent here to work with me on it!"
"You wanted me to leave, and now you're blocking my exit?" Inuyasha frowned.
"Don't change the subject! We are going to the scene together." Kagome said.
"You're only gonna slow me down, wench."
Kagome huffed, "Listen. I didn't ask for this, and you didn't ask for this. Whether we like it or not, our bosses have decided that I needed your help with this case. Not me. Them. So, can we drop the child play and get working on the case? The sooner it's solved, the sooner we can both go back to being happier alone."
"Fine." Inuyasha replied, "Lets go."