Partners In Crime
By CheeKy
Disclaimer: The following Slam Dunk characters belong to Takehiko Inoue. Any unfamiliar names, places or otherwise will naturally be my properties.
Notes: Thanks to all who reviewed and very sorry for the late update, hehehe. unfortunately had exams to deal with. Anyway, finally got around to writing and be warned that this chapter has Rukawa talking non-stop. *grin* So he's OOC, but hey, he is the driving force behind the story, you know. ^_~
Onward and please read and review!
* * *
Chapter Three ~ Murder
It was slightly after seven in the morning when Akira Sendoh was rudely awoken by the incessant ringing of his phone. Reaching over from under the warm blankets, he groggily muttered a 'hello' into the mouthpiece.
"Hey Sendoh, sorry for waking you up so early," came the soft apology over the line.
Recognising the voice, Sendoh immediately sat up whist rubbing the sleep out from his eyes, "No, don't worry about it, I was about to get up anyway. So, what can I do for you Rukawa?"
A harsh laugh followed the question, "For a start, think you could get your ass over to the police station pronto?"
"W-hat? The police station?" repeated Sendoh dumbly.
Rukawa grimly explained, "Yes, I'm being held by your two good buddies as the number one suspect."
"Suspect? What suspect?" interrupted Sendoh.
The voice softened as Rukawa continued rather wistfully, "Tamotsu Nagashima was murdered last night, shot once in the forehead."
"What? How? Oh, ever mind, I'll be there in half-an-hour. You wait for me at the station, okay?"
A snort, "Sure, no problem, it's not like I have anywhere else to go."
Upon hearing the click on the other side of the line, Sendoh thoughtfully replaced the handle. He wondered, he wondered very much.
~ * ~
Upon his arrival at the Tokyo headquarters, the police clerk shyly pointed him in the direction of the large conference room as she explained, "They're waiting for you in there."
Nodding his thanks, Sendoh reached the designated area in four long strides. He rapped the door loudly and entered. What met his eyes stopped him in his tracks. Rukawa was still dressed in yesterday's shirt and slacks, the chilly look on his face revealing nothing. Opposite him sat Joseph and Chris, the latter with a rather large bruise on his cheek. Sendoh had a feeling he knew the cause of that injury but the smile faded from his lips upon realising a fourth presence in the room.
"Good morning, Sendoh. Glad you could join us on such short notice."
Sendoh turned to his right as he sheepishly returned the greeting, "Morning Chief. Sorry about the delay."
Taking a seat at the head of the table, Chief Inspector Michihiro Sugimoto acknowledged the greeting and waved for Sendoh to take a seat. Looking curiously at the staring match between a glaring Rukawa and an angry Chris, Sendoh slowly sat down next to his friend. He then turned his attention to the Chief who was tapping the table with a ballpoint.
Satisfied that he had everyone's attention, the Chief cleared his throat before explaining, "For the benefit of Sendoh who had just arrived, I'm just going to briefly run over the recent events once again."
Glancing at the notes before him, the Chief began, "Last night at approximately one am and three am, Tomotsu Nagashima was shot once in the forehead at close-range, and died instantly. No weapon of any kind was found at the scene of the crime, and as far as our early investigation can tell, nothing of value seems to be missing. Hence, at this stage we can safely assume that this was not a murder-cum-robbery. Nagashima was discovered after a tip-off to the police hotline at approximately six in the morning. There were no signs of a struggle, but then again, that tells us nothing. He may or mayn't have known his killer, but he was certainly awake when he was shot."
Shifting his attention towards the surly young man next to him, the Chief continued, "After discovery the body, the police searched the hotel for any suspicious or possible suspects. Your friend here," nodded the Chief in Sendoh's direction, "Was found dozing in one of the chairs at the Hilton coffee house. Chris was responsible for waking him."
At this point the Chief couldn't help but grinned rather humourously, much to the displeasure of a black-faced Chris, "Upon being shaken awake, Kaede Rukawa was read his rights and a body search was made. Nothing relevant to the case was discovered. At his request, we have agreed to wait for your arrival before hearing his story."
Sendoh nodded his understanding. Turning to face his friend, he asked gently, "I'm here now, so do you want to begin?"
Throwing Sendoh a grateful look, Rukawa nodded before sinking down in his seat. He gave a loud sigh and stared at his hands as he started to speak, "As Sendoh already knows, I had been living in the United States for the past five years. While studying at the University of California, I became acquitted with a man named Mick Okita and his girlfriend Mia Penre. Micky's half-Japanese and half-American, while Mia is half-French and half- American. After graduating from university, Micky agreed to watch over his uncle's shipping business as the man wanted to go on a religious pilgrimage."
Here Rukawa paused as his face clouded with worry, "Less than two weeks ago, Micky received a call from his Japanese colleague that a man named Tomotsu Nagashima had approached their Tokyo branch and expressed an interest in hiring his company to deliver several large shipments. Micky made contact with Nagashima and agreed to fly to Tokyo to discuss further arrangements. Five days ago, that is, on the eight of October, Micky phoned Mia to announce that he had arrived safely in Tokyo, and during the call, he mentioned that he would be meeting Nagashima later that evening. However, he failed to call the next day, or the following day."
Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Rukawa continued, "Stricken with worry, Mia tried in vain to reach his apartment but no one answered the phone. When Mia confessed her fears to me, I agreed to fly over to Tokyo to find him. I was given the spare key to Micky's apartment but upon arrival on the eleventh, I found nothing that could help me locate my friend. The place was neat and tidy, and the bed had clearly not been slept in. However, all his papers were missing. I then went straight to confront Nagashima."
At this point Rukawa looked coolly in the direction of the two men sitting opposite, "Unfortunately, I wasn't given a chance to find out much as the police were called in to 'remove' me from the premises. Nevertheless, I wasn't about to give up so easily. While I was waiting to meet Nagashima, I overheard some of his men discussing about a deal involving an American and that the proposal was to be held at midnight in the Hilton coffee house. So I went, arrived about ten minutes to twelve and waited in the corner for anything suspicious to happen. Nothing interesting occurred. I don't know how long I sat there, but I must have dozed off. And as you already know, at about six-thirty I was shaken awake rather rudely and taken into custody."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier? We might have been able to help you in your search."
"Sendoh, I." Rukawa hesitated before continuing, "I guess I was in a panic and didn't know who to trust."
There was no mistaking the hurt in Sendoh's voice as he pointed out, "But we've been friends for a number of years now, surely you know fully well that I would never think twice about lending a hand."
When Rukawa made no reply, it was Joseph who broke the silence. And much to everyone's surprise, there was no malice in his voice as he commented, "Sendoh, I think what Rukawa is trying to say is that he was afraid to discover that Okita might have been heavily involved with Nagashima's illegal dealings. Isn't that right?"
Catching the fleeting look of surprise in Rukawa's eyes, Joseph knew he had guessed correctly. Realising that there was now little use in hiding his fears, Rukawa nodded ever so slowly, "I think, or maybe I believe. Oh, damn, I don't know. But at the back of my mind I was always afraid of what I might find out. Mia was putting so much faith on me and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her."
"You love her, don't you?" muttered Sendoh softly.
However, it was more of a statement than a question. And just like before, Rukawa didn't bothered answering. Instead he turned to the Chief and plead earnestly, "Listen, I know you have every right to be suspicious, but you have to believe everything that I've just told you. Micky's missing and I have no idea as to his whereabouts. Maybe he is involved, or maybe he isn't. But whatever the truth may be, the bottom line is I'm worried about his safety. So, if it's not too late, I would appreciate your help in finding him."
The Chief stroke his chin thoughtfully as his eyes wandered over to the three detectives. Catching his eye, both Joseph and Chris nodded their agreement. Sendoh however, was staring rather blankly ahead.
"Sendoh, what do you think?" questioned the Chief.
When Sendoh gave no response, Chris kicked him under the table. Startled, Sendoh turned back to his Chief who repeated the question. Smiling a little too forcefully, Sendoh too nodded his agreement.
"Great! So are there any suggestions as to our next mode of action?"
Chris gave a rather lopsided grin, "How about breakfast? I'm sure none of us had anything to eat yet. Besides, I've no doubt that Rukawa would like nothing more than to freshen up in the bathroom. We can always meet back here in an hour or so."
The Chief nodded his approval and chairs were heard scraping the floor as they were pushed backwards.
t.b.c. ^_~
By CheeKy
Disclaimer: The following Slam Dunk characters belong to Takehiko Inoue. Any unfamiliar names, places or otherwise will naturally be my properties.
Notes: Thanks to all who reviewed and very sorry for the late update, hehehe. unfortunately had exams to deal with. Anyway, finally got around to writing and be warned that this chapter has Rukawa talking non-stop. *grin* So he's OOC, but hey, he is the driving force behind the story, you know. ^_~
Onward and please read and review!
* * *
Chapter Three ~ Murder
It was slightly after seven in the morning when Akira Sendoh was rudely awoken by the incessant ringing of his phone. Reaching over from under the warm blankets, he groggily muttered a 'hello' into the mouthpiece.
"Hey Sendoh, sorry for waking you up so early," came the soft apology over the line.
Recognising the voice, Sendoh immediately sat up whist rubbing the sleep out from his eyes, "No, don't worry about it, I was about to get up anyway. So, what can I do for you Rukawa?"
A harsh laugh followed the question, "For a start, think you could get your ass over to the police station pronto?"
"W-hat? The police station?" repeated Sendoh dumbly.
Rukawa grimly explained, "Yes, I'm being held by your two good buddies as the number one suspect."
"Suspect? What suspect?" interrupted Sendoh.
The voice softened as Rukawa continued rather wistfully, "Tamotsu Nagashima was murdered last night, shot once in the forehead."
"What? How? Oh, ever mind, I'll be there in half-an-hour. You wait for me at the station, okay?"
A snort, "Sure, no problem, it's not like I have anywhere else to go."
Upon hearing the click on the other side of the line, Sendoh thoughtfully replaced the handle. He wondered, he wondered very much.
~ * ~
Upon his arrival at the Tokyo headquarters, the police clerk shyly pointed him in the direction of the large conference room as she explained, "They're waiting for you in there."
Nodding his thanks, Sendoh reached the designated area in four long strides. He rapped the door loudly and entered. What met his eyes stopped him in his tracks. Rukawa was still dressed in yesterday's shirt and slacks, the chilly look on his face revealing nothing. Opposite him sat Joseph and Chris, the latter with a rather large bruise on his cheek. Sendoh had a feeling he knew the cause of that injury but the smile faded from his lips upon realising a fourth presence in the room.
"Good morning, Sendoh. Glad you could join us on such short notice."
Sendoh turned to his right as he sheepishly returned the greeting, "Morning Chief. Sorry about the delay."
Taking a seat at the head of the table, Chief Inspector Michihiro Sugimoto acknowledged the greeting and waved for Sendoh to take a seat. Looking curiously at the staring match between a glaring Rukawa and an angry Chris, Sendoh slowly sat down next to his friend. He then turned his attention to the Chief who was tapping the table with a ballpoint.
Satisfied that he had everyone's attention, the Chief cleared his throat before explaining, "For the benefit of Sendoh who had just arrived, I'm just going to briefly run over the recent events once again."
Glancing at the notes before him, the Chief began, "Last night at approximately one am and three am, Tomotsu Nagashima was shot once in the forehead at close-range, and died instantly. No weapon of any kind was found at the scene of the crime, and as far as our early investigation can tell, nothing of value seems to be missing. Hence, at this stage we can safely assume that this was not a murder-cum-robbery. Nagashima was discovered after a tip-off to the police hotline at approximately six in the morning. There were no signs of a struggle, but then again, that tells us nothing. He may or mayn't have known his killer, but he was certainly awake when he was shot."
Shifting his attention towards the surly young man next to him, the Chief continued, "After discovery the body, the police searched the hotel for any suspicious or possible suspects. Your friend here," nodded the Chief in Sendoh's direction, "Was found dozing in one of the chairs at the Hilton coffee house. Chris was responsible for waking him."
At this point the Chief couldn't help but grinned rather humourously, much to the displeasure of a black-faced Chris, "Upon being shaken awake, Kaede Rukawa was read his rights and a body search was made. Nothing relevant to the case was discovered. At his request, we have agreed to wait for your arrival before hearing his story."
Sendoh nodded his understanding. Turning to face his friend, he asked gently, "I'm here now, so do you want to begin?"
Throwing Sendoh a grateful look, Rukawa nodded before sinking down in his seat. He gave a loud sigh and stared at his hands as he started to speak, "As Sendoh already knows, I had been living in the United States for the past five years. While studying at the University of California, I became acquitted with a man named Mick Okita and his girlfriend Mia Penre. Micky's half-Japanese and half-American, while Mia is half-French and half- American. After graduating from university, Micky agreed to watch over his uncle's shipping business as the man wanted to go on a religious pilgrimage."
Here Rukawa paused as his face clouded with worry, "Less than two weeks ago, Micky received a call from his Japanese colleague that a man named Tomotsu Nagashima had approached their Tokyo branch and expressed an interest in hiring his company to deliver several large shipments. Micky made contact with Nagashima and agreed to fly to Tokyo to discuss further arrangements. Five days ago, that is, on the eight of October, Micky phoned Mia to announce that he had arrived safely in Tokyo, and during the call, he mentioned that he would be meeting Nagashima later that evening. However, he failed to call the next day, or the following day."
Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Rukawa continued, "Stricken with worry, Mia tried in vain to reach his apartment but no one answered the phone. When Mia confessed her fears to me, I agreed to fly over to Tokyo to find him. I was given the spare key to Micky's apartment but upon arrival on the eleventh, I found nothing that could help me locate my friend. The place was neat and tidy, and the bed had clearly not been slept in. However, all his papers were missing. I then went straight to confront Nagashima."
At this point Rukawa looked coolly in the direction of the two men sitting opposite, "Unfortunately, I wasn't given a chance to find out much as the police were called in to 'remove' me from the premises. Nevertheless, I wasn't about to give up so easily. While I was waiting to meet Nagashima, I overheard some of his men discussing about a deal involving an American and that the proposal was to be held at midnight in the Hilton coffee house. So I went, arrived about ten minutes to twelve and waited in the corner for anything suspicious to happen. Nothing interesting occurred. I don't know how long I sat there, but I must have dozed off. And as you already know, at about six-thirty I was shaken awake rather rudely and taken into custody."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier? We might have been able to help you in your search."
"Sendoh, I." Rukawa hesitated before continuing, "I guess I was in a panic and didn't know who to trust."
There was no mistaking the hurt in Sendoh's voice as he pointed out, "But we've been friends for a number of years now, surely you know fully well that I would never think twice about lending a hand."
When Rukawa made no reply, it was Joseph who broke the silence. And much to everyone's surprise, there was no malice in his voice as he commented, "Sendoh, I think what Rukawa is trying to say is that he was afraid to discover that Okita might have been heavily involved with Nagashima's illegal dealings. Isn't that right?"
Catching the fleeting look of surprise in Rukawa's eyes, Joseph knew he had guessed correctly. Realising that there was now little use in hiding his fears, Rukawa nodded ever so slowly, "I think, or maybe I believe. Oh, damn, I don't know. But at the back of my mind I was always afraid of what I might find out. Mia was putting so much faith on me and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her."
"You love her, don't you?" muttered Sendoh softly.
However, it was more of a statement than a question. And just like before, Rukawa didn't bothered answering. Instead he turned to the Chief and plead earnestly, "Listen, I know you have every right to be suspicious, but you have to believe everything that I've just told you. Micky's missing and I have no idea as to his whereabouts. Maybe he is involved, or maybe he isn't. But whatever the truth may be, the bottom line is I'm worried about his safety. So, if it's not too late, I would appreciate your help in finding him."
The Chief stroke his chin thoughtfully as his eyes wandered over to the three detectives. Catching his eye, both Joseph and Chris nodded their agreement. Sendoh however, was staring rather blankly ahead.
"Sendoh, what do you think?" questioned the Chief.
When Sendoh gave no response, Chris kicked him under the table. Startled, Sendoh turned back to his Chief who repeated the question. Smiling a little too forcefully, Sendoh too nodded his agreement.
"Great! So are there any suggestions as to our next mode of action?"
Chris gave a rather lopsided grin, "How about breakfast? I'm sure none of us had anything to eat yet. Besides, I've no doubt that Rukawa would like nothing more than to freshen up in the bathroom. We can always meet back here in an hour or so."
The Chief nodded his approval and chairs were heard scraping the floor as they were pushed backwards.
t.b.c. ^_~