A/N: Yay! I finally got some reviews! I'm so proud of myself. Now I have enough motivation to keep on writin'! Arigato! ^.^ Oh yeah, and a side note, I won't be updating as frequently, since Spring Break is ending today. u.u;;; Poor me.
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Goaku: The Five Deadly Sins of Buddhism
By Aiko
San- Realization and Another Attack
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inu-Yasha pulled into an unoccupied spot conveniently located right in front of the coffee shop. They had all decided that taking one car, namely Inu-Yasha's, to the cafe would be more logical than each one taking their own. Though the most logic solution, it was quite possibly the most painful experience each one, especially Miroku, had to endure.
It all started when they entered the car. Inu-Yasha had placed his papers on the passenger seat for safekeeping, leaving an ecstatic Miroku and a very unhappy Sango to sit in the back.
"Argh! I'd rather just take my own car!" Sango said angrily. Before she knew it, Inu-Yasha had ignored her request and backed out of the parking lot, jerking the car about quite violently.
"Better buckle up," Inu-Yasha instructed, looking back at the woman whose head was smashed into the back of the seat in front of her.
She slowly pulled herself up, until she was sitting up straight, rubbing her head. "Gee," she spat out, "thanks for the tip." She then reached over and heeded his advice.
Miroku shook his head, shaking a finger at the driver, who seemed to be trying his damnedest to contain his laughter. "Tsk tsk...now is that anyway to treat a lady, Mr. Shikon?" he scolded.
Sango seemed surprised and smiled. 'Maybe he wasn't so bad after all,' she mused to herself.
"Now this," Miroku instructed, scooting closer to Sango, "is how you treat a lady." With that closing note, he dipped her, as best he could in the car, as gave her a long, *ahem* long kiss.
The girl's face seemed to glow a brilliant crimson. Her eyes slowly narrowed and she glared at Miroku, who was making eyes at her once more. The car grew deathly silent, and the lecher immediately gulped and shrunk back, regretting his actions.
"YOOOOOOOOU!!!" She screeched at Miroku, throwing him to the other side of the car. She took a deep breath, indicating the start of a tangent. "Why you dirty, disgusting, sorry excuse for a man. No, no. You're not a man; you're a pig. I can't BELIEVE even YOU would stoop that low! What do I look like, a two-bit whore? Oh, I know all about you! You're just a sick, disgusting womanizer. I can't stand..."
And she went on, and the pervert progressively pressed himself lower and lower into his seat. Inu-Yasha looked at the shadow of a man that was left through his rearview mirror. He rolled his eyes, and then averted them back to the road. Salvation! They had finally reached the café, and he drove into a vacant spot, whispering his thanks to the gods as he stepped out of the car.
"All right," he said, pulling Miroku's door open, causing him to tumble out, "we're here, you love-birds, so you can stop the damn catfights." Sango made a face filled to the brim with indignation, and then sighed in defeat. Miroku grinned brightly, his composure obviously regained by the "compliment" he had received. Inu-Yasha smirked as he walked to the door and left the two in his dust, entering the coffee shop with a sigh.
Miroku hopped off of the ground and dusted himself off, offering a hand to Sango, who was still in the car. "Well, shall we?" he inquired.
"So you're saying that maybe this guy has an actual motive?" Inu-Yasha hadn't even touched his coffee.
Sango swirled the little red straw in her cappuccino, watching the foam spin around. She looked up. "Yeah. There are a lot of freaks out there. Way more than you can even imagine." She briefly glanced at Miroku when she said this. He just flashed her a grin.
The longhaired detective nodded, fully engrossed in Sango's opinion of the murder. "Any specific idea on the actual motive?"
Sango shook her head and sighed, sipping her coffee in a delicate manner. She cleared her throat. "No. As I said, I'd need to see another one of his attacks, as sad as it seems."
Miroku massaged his temples. "Maybe he was one of those psycho-Christian anti-abortionists. You know, those people who stand in a picket line in front of offices?" He motioned as if he was holding a sign up, slightly pumping his arm up and down.
Sango put her finger to her chin and pondered the idea for a brief moment, and then shook her head once more. "No. Why would they do it like this? So...vilely, so scrupulously?" Miroku shrugged and nodded in agreement.
Inu-Yasha sighed and leaned back on the vinyl and cushioned bench. "All we can do now is sit and wait for this sick bastard to strike again...if he does." Inu-Yasha's face held a pained expression for a fleeting moment. He then began to stare into the black abyss that his coffee seemed to create.
The three sat there, each one silent as they had ever been, when the door of the shop burst open. They turned their heads in unison.
It was Kaede. A look of urgency played itself upon her face as she headed, panting, to their table.
Inu-Yasha could sense that something had gone wrong. "Kaede, what is it?"
Kaede wiped some sweat from her brow, and pushed loose strands of her wispy gray hair back. "The killer...he's struck again!" Inu-Yasha's eyes went wide.
Miroku's voice became softer, as he said, half-distracted, "Speak of the devil..." He rose from his seat and dusted off his pants. "I think we should go investigate."
Sango put her hands on her hips as she lifted from her spot. "As if there was any doubt?" She pushed past Miroku and waited by the door. "Well, what're you boys waiting for? Come on, Kaede-sama."
Kaede nodded and left with her, while Miroku and Inu-Yasha stood idly for a moment, and then Inu-Yasha grabbed his partner's sleeve and tugged him along.
When they finally reached their destination, guided by Kaede, they were in utter awe at what they saw.
They had reached the literal slums of their city. It was dank, dirty and definitely not the most desirable of places.
Sirens wailed from nowhere in particular, and abandoned buildings dotted the sidewalks. Clotheslines stretched from window to window, and random articles of clothing weighed them down.
Kaede was the first to stir. She stepped warily out of the car and looked back at the distant detectives. "'Tis over yonder. Come, now." She crossed her arms and stood up on the somehow dampened curb, waiting for the trio to snap out of it. When they had all exited the car, she escorted them over to the scene.
They ventured through the darkened alleyways, and jogged through unavoidable murky puddles. "Ugh...are we almost there?" Miroku said with a groan. He lost his footing for a moment, and then groaned once more. "Ew...I think I just stepped in...eww..." He shook his foot and then stopped to wipe his shoe on the pavement.
Sango sighed in exasperation and yanked Miroku's arm. "C'mon, and stop being such a girl!"
Kaede finally stopped before a beaded doorway, swinging somewhat ominously in front of the crooked cement entryway. She pulled back the shimmering curtain. "Aye, 'tis here," she said, barely above a whisper.
They had all come to a halt, and stood there, staring into the dark void that held their futures. After what seemed like an eternity, someone stepped forward.
Inu-Yasha walked warily into the entrance and looked back at the group, beads hanging around him and glinting in his flickering amber eyes. "Well, are you two coming, or are you just gonna stand there gaping like jackasses?" He smirked as he directed this at Sango and Miroku, and then continued into the house.
The baffled duo looked to each other in confusion, blinking a couple of times to clear their heads. They then nodded and followed after the determined detective.
The house was torn apart and everything seemed to be out of place. And yet, being in the location it was, its original state probably wasn't any better. Though the house itself was in a deplorable condition, it was adorned with many a "borrowed" item. Among these were some big-screen TV's, a couple of designer articles of clothing here and there, and other such things scattered upon the floor.
Inu-Yasha began to snap photos, wading through the debris on the floor. He then saw what he had anticipated, shuddering at the eerily familiar display that lay before him.
Again, there was someone sitting in a chair, facing away from Inu-Yasha, only this time, it was a man. His long, greasy black hair was in a high ponytail, and a dirty green bandana held back his long bangs. He was clad in gang-like attire, and his arms hung lazily off the sides of the chair.
Inu-Yasha cautiously drew ever closer to the man, fully aware of what was to come. When he finally reached the man, his uncertainties had been confirmed, as he spun on his heels to face the mutilated victim.
It was the same killer, all right. It was either that, or a suspiciously accurate copycat. As Inu-Yasha had assumed, the skin of the man's face had been painstakingly cut off, and he had a horrified scream forever present on his face. The walls were painted with blood, and it glinted as if fresh. There were some subtle differences in the ghastly sight. On the one relatively clean wall, the ancient writing was unlike that of the other scene. And then there was another thing, but Inu-Yasha couldn't quite put his finger on it....
Ah! That was it! This man had his fingers! Not only that, he had both of his hands. He began snapping pictures immediately. He knelt by the man, and got a closer view of his digits. Something was different about them. Gingerly, Inu-Yasha turned the man's right hand over. On each finger was a different, bloody letter. On his pinky was a "T"; an "H" marked his ring finger, an "E" on his middle finger, an "F" on his index, and another "T" on his thumbs.
Inu-Yasha furiously clicked the camera's button and made sure to get every aspect of the crime scene. He then paused for a moment, and in that half-second, he heard a mild whimper. He turned around, and saw the cabinet from which it came. Slowly, and with every ounce of courage he had, pulled it open.
Inside was a small boy, about the age of eight. His fiery ginger hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, and his bangs hung in his eyes. He sniffled, wiping his eyes with his sleeves. He whimpered once more and looked up to Inu-Yasha. "H-huh...?"
Inu-Yasha let out his long-held breath. Sango and Miroku ran up to him. "What happened?!" Sango said, panting. She looked at the little boy. "Who's that?"
Inu-Yasha made a face. "I have no idea...Who are you, kid?" he questioned.
The boy growled. "I am NOT a kid," he shouted angrily, violently away wiping tears that had welled up in his eyes, "The name's Shippou. You gonna help me find Kouga's killer or what?" Shippou was a walking attitude, and he acted as if he could own everybody in the room. He sported the same outfit as Kouga, signifying that they had been a part of the same gang. He had unusually sharp teeth, and his ears came to an odd point, like an elf's.
Miroku poked the juvenile delinquent. He then pointed to the limp body sitting ever still in the chair. "I'm assuming that's Kouga?"
Sango shoved Miroku out of the way and stood before the defiant child. "Were you hiding in that closet during the whole murder?" Her eyes were wide with curiosity, and she seemed deeply immersed in the details of the case.
Shippou looked away, trying to conceal the tears that wouldn't stop. "Hmph," he snorted, "What's it to ya? It's not like anybody cares 'bout me...My big brother was the only one who did..." He trailed off and his eyes got a distant look to them.
Inu-Yasha then struggled to the front, an urgent look to his eyes. "Look, I do care. I care more than you can even imagine. Now, brat, tell me what you know!" He shoved a finger in the boy's face.
Shippou's piercing green eyes watered and grew wide. "I..I...Nobody but Kouga ever talked to me like that." A slight smile snuck onto his face as he did something completely unexpected.
He stepped up to Inu-Yasha and hugged him.
"Huh?" The detective looked thoroughly confused as his expression softened. Shippou released him, and wiped away a tear, looking up at Inu-Yasha with hopeful eyes.
Inu-Yasha headed toward the exit, and stood there, his arms crossed, facing out into the alleyway. "You comin', kid?" he said, with feigned detachment.
Shippou's eyes lightened as he trotted over to the detective, who was heading off to the car, his hands in his pockets.
Miroku rested his elbow on Sango's shoulder, and sighed a wistful sigh. "Aww...A Kodak moment."
Sango smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Then the two stood there for a brief moment, pondering the meaning of life.
Suddenly, Sango perked up. "Wait a minute...wasn't that our ride?!"
Miroku looked mildly dazed. "Yeah..." He then realized the severity of the situation. "Yeah!"
Sango began to run, leaving Miroku in her dust. "See ya, sucker!" She called back behind her.
Miroku looked indignant. "Hey!" He began to whine as he tried to catch up. "I'll be damned if I'm stuck in this hell hole!"
It was nearly 12:30 a.m., almost 7 hours since they first reached the crime scene, and yet the three were no closer to figure out the case than they had been when they started. Sango had flopped into a chair; her legs were draped over one of the chair's arms, and her back resting against the other. Her legs were crossed, for fear of any perverted acts attempted by the lecher that was leaning against the wall. Shippou was curled up in a ball on he floor, sleeping soundly.
Inu-Yasha stood up. "ARGH! Who are you?!" He screamed at the pictures, and then remembered the sleeping child.
Sango bit her lip, deep in thought. She then hopped out of the chair, paced, and began chanting, "Theft...Theft...Theft..."
Miroku raised an eyebrow, worriedly. "What're you doing, Sango dearest?"
The woman looked annoyed. "Don't call me that. And I'm just trying to remember something I learned in my childhood about "Theft"..."
Miroku's face turned to that of his smart-ass self. "You mean, like, 'Don't do it'?" He chuckled.
Sango's hands took refuge on her hips. "Ha ha ha... very funny. I mean I was taught something about it by my father when I was very young. I just can't think of what it was..."
Inu-Yasha tried to jog her memory. "Maybe it had something to do with his job? Or something he had an interest in?"
The woman stood still and silent for a moment, thinking as hard as she could, trying to muster any bit of a recollection. Miroku stepped up to her to wake her up from her "slumber". Unfortunately for him, as soon as he had, she flung her arms up, whacking him in the face. "I've got it!!!"
Miroku looked up from his new residence on the floor, rubbing the side of his head. "Got what?"
"Goaku! The Goaku!" She said in such excitement, you'd have thought she'd won the lottery. She was jumping up and down, pumping her arms up and own in success.
"Go..aku?" Inu-Yasha asked, confused. "You mean the five deadly sins of Buddhism?" He scratched his head in utter puzzlement.
She nodded furiously. "Yes! The killer is basing his killings around the five deadly sins." She then shifted her weight onto one hip and started counting off on her fingers, "Murder, theft, adultery, drink, and falsehood."
"I think I can guess who's next." Inu-Yasha laughed to himself and he jerked his head in the direction of Miroku, who was still sitting on the floor, staring up Sango's skirt with sparkly eyes.
A vein throbbed in Sango's forehead. "No...I don't think so Inu-Yasha..." she said slowly, "BECAUSE I'LL HAVE ALREADY KILLED HIM MYSELF!!!" She then proceeded to bash the lecher over the head with a paperweight.
A/N: All right! There's chappy numbah three! I hope you liked it! I promise that chapter four will be coming soon! ^_^ R&R, and arigato for reading!
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Goaku: The Five Deadly Sins of Buddhism
By Aiko
San- Realization and Another Attack
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inu-Yasha pulled into an unoccupied spot conveniently located right in front of the coffee shop. They had all decided that taking one car, namely Inu-Yasha's, to the cafe would be more logical than each one taking their own. Though the most logic solution, it was quite possibly the most painful experience each one, especially Miroku, had to endure.
It all started when they entered the car. Inu-Yasha had placed his papers on the passenger seat for safekeeping, leaving an ecstatic Miroku and a very unhappy Sango to sit in the back.
"Argh! I'd rather just take my own car!" Sango said angrily. Before she knew it, Inu-Yasha had ignored her request and backed out of the parking lot, jerking the car about quite violently.
"Better buckle up," Inu-Yasha instructed, looking back at the woman whose head was smashed into the back of the seat in front of her.
She slowly pulled herself up, until she was sitting up straight, rubbing her head. "Gee," she spat out, "thanks for the tip." She then reached over and heeded his advice.
Miroku shook his head, shaking a finger at the driver, who seemed to be trying his damnedest to contain his laughter. "Tsk tsk...now is that anyway to treat a lady, Mr. Shikon?" he scolded.
Sango seemed surprised and smiled. 'Maybe he wasn't so bad after all,' she mused to herself.
"Now this," Miroku instructed, scooting closer to Sango, "is how you treat a lady." With that closing note, he dipped her, as best he could in the car, as gave her a long, *ahem* long kiss.
The girl's face seemed to glow a brilliant crimson. Her eyes slowly narrowed and she glared at Miroku, who was making eyes at her once more. The car grew deathly silent, and the lecher immediately gulped and shrunk back, regretting his actions.
"YOOOOOOOOU!!!" She screeched at Miroku, throwing him to the other side of the car. She took a deep breath, indicating the start of a tangent. "Why you dirty, disgusting, sorry excuse for a man. No, no. You're not a man; you're a pig. I can't BELIEVE even YOU would stoop that low! What do I look like, a two-bit whore? Oh, I know all about you! You're just a sick, disgusting womanizer. I can't stand..."
And she went on, and the pervert progressively pressed himself lower and lower into his seat. Inu-Yasha looked at the shadow of a man that was left through his rearview mirror. He rolled his eyes, and then averted them back to the road. Salvation! They had finally reached the café, and he drove into a vacant spot, whispering his thanks to the gods as he stepped out of the car.
"All right," he said, pulling Miroku's door open, causing him to tumble out, "we're here, you love-birds, so you can stop the damn catfights." Sango made a face filled to the brim with indignation, and then sighed in defeat. Miroku grinned brightly, his composure obviously regained by the "compliment" he had received. Inu-Yasha smirked as he walked to the door and left the two in his dust, entering the coffee shop with a sigh.
Miroku hopped off of the ground and dusted himself off, offering a hand to Sango, who was still in the car. "Well, shall we?" he inquired.
"So you're saying that maybe this guy has an actual motive?" Inu-Yasha hadn't even touched his coffee.
Sango swirled the little red straw in her cappuccino, watching the foam spin around. She looked up. "Yeah. There are a lot of freaks out there. Way more than you can even imagine." She briefly glanced at Miroku when she said this. He just flashed her a grin.
The longhaired detective nodded, fully engrossed in Sango's opinion of the murder. "Any specific idea on the actual motive?"
Sango shook her head and sighed, sipping her coffee in a delicate manner. She cleared her throat. "No. As I said, I'd need to see another one of his attacks, as sad as it seems."
Miroku massaged his temples. "Maybe he was one of those psycho-Christian anti-abortionists. You know, those people who stand in a picket line in front of offices?" He motioned as if he was holding a sign up, slightly pumping his arm up and down.
Sango put her finger to her chin and pondered the idea for a brief moment, and then shook her head once more. "No. Why would they do it like this? So...vilely, so scrupulously?" Miroku shrugged and nodded in agreement.
Inu-Yasha sighed and leaned back on the vinyl and cushioned bench. "All we can do now is sit and wait for this sick bastard to strike again...if he does." Inu-Yasha's face held a pained expression for a fleeting moment. He then began to stare into the black abyss that his coffee seemed to create.
The three sat there, each one silent as they had ever been, when the door of the shop burst open. They turned their heads in unison.
It was Kaede. A look of urgency played itself upon her face as she headed, panting, to their table.
Inu-Yasha could sense that something had gone wrong. "Kaede, what is it?"
Kaede wiped some sweat from her brow, and pushed loose strands of her wispy gray hair back. "The killer...he's struck again!" Inu-Yasha's eyes went wide.
Miroku's voice became softer, as he said, half-distracted, "Speak of the devil..." He rose from his seat and dusted off his pants. "I think we should go investigate."
Sango put her hands on her hips as she lifted from her spot. "As if there was any doubt?" She pushed past Miroku and waited by the door. "Well, what're you boys waiting for? Come on, Kaede-sama."
Kaede nodded and left with her, while Miroku and Inu-Yasha stood idly for a moment, and then Inu-Yasha grabbed his partner's sleeve and tugged him along.
When they finally reached their destination, guided by Kaede, they were in utter awe at what they saw.
They had reached the literal slums of their city. It was dank, dirty and definitely not the most desirable of places.
Sirens wailed from nowhere in particular, and abandoned buildings dotted the sidewalks. Clotheslines stretched from window to window, and random articles of clothing weighed them down.
Kaede was the first to stir. She stepped warily out of the car and looked back at the distant detectives. "'Tis over yonder. Come, now." She crossed her arms and stood up on the somehow dampened curb, waiting for the trio to snap out of it. When they had all exited the car, she escorted them over to the scene.
They ventured through the darkened alleyways, and jogged through unavoidable murky puddles. "Ugh...are we almost there?" Miroku said with a groan. He lost his footing for a moment, and then groaned once more. "Ew...I think I just stepped in...eww..." He shook his foot and then stopped to wipe his shoe on the pavement.
Sango sighed in exasperation and yanked Miroku's arm. "C'mon, and stop being such a girl!"
Kaede finally stopped before a beaded doorway, swinging somewhat ominously in front of the crooked cement entryway. She pulled back the shimmering curtain. "Aye, 'tis here," she said, barely above a whisper.
They had all come to a halt, and stood there, staring into the dark void that held their futures. After what seemed like an eternity, someone stepped forward.
Inu-Yasha walked warily into the entrance and looked back at the group, beads hanging around him and glinting in his flickering amber eyes. "Well, are you two coming, or are you just gonna stand there gaping like jackasses?" He smirked as he directed this at Sango and Miroku, and then continued into the house.
The baffled duo looked to each other in confusion, blinking a couple of times to clear their heads. They then nodded and followed after the determined detective.
The house was torn apart and everything seemed to be out of place. And yet, being in the location it was, its original state probably wasn't any better. Though the house itself was in a deplorable condition, it was adorned with many a "borrowed" item. Among these were some big-screen TV's, a couple of designer articles of clothing here and there, and other such things scattered upon the floor.
Inu-Yasha began to snap photos, wading through the debris on the floor. He then saw what he had anticipated, shuddering at the eerily familiar display that lay before him.
Again, there was someone sitting in a chair, facing away from Inu-Yasha, only this time, it was a man. His long, greasy black hair was in a high ponytail, and a dirty green bandana held back his long bangs. He was clad in gang-like attire, and his arms hung lazily off the sides of the chair.
Inu-Yasha cautiously drew ever closer to the man, fully aware of what was to come. When he finally reached the man, his uncertainties had been confirmed, as he spun on his heels to face the mutilated victim.
It was the same killer, all right. It was either that, or a suspiciously accurate copycat. As Inu-Yasha had assumed, the skin of the man's face had been painstakingly cut off, and he had a horrified scream forever present on his face. The walls were painted with blood, and it glinted as if fresh. There were some subtle differences in the ghastly sight. On the one relatively clean wall, the ancient writing was unlike that of the other scene. And then there was another thing, but Inu-Yasha couldn't quite put his finger on it....
Ah! That was it! This man had his fingers! Not only that, he had both of his hands. He began snapping pictures immediately. He knelt by the man, and got a closer view of his digits. Something was different about them. Gingerly, Inu-Yasha turned the man's right hand over. On each finger was a different, bloody letter. On his pinky was a "T"; an "H" marked his ring finger, an "E" on his middle finger, an "F" on his index, and another "T" on his thumbs.
Inu-Yasha furiously clicked the camera's button and made sure to get every aspect of the crime scene. He then paused for a moment, and in that half-second, he heard a mild whimper. He turned around, and saw the cabinet from which it came. Slowly, and with every ounce of courage he had, pulled it open.
Inside was a small boy, about the age of eight. His fiery ginger hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, and his bangs hung in his eyes. He sniffled, wiping his eyes with his sleeves. He whimpered once more and looked up to Inu-Yasha. "H-huh...?"
Inu-Yasha let out his long-held breath. Sango and Miroku ran up to him. "What happened?!" Sango said, panting. She looked at the little boy. "Who's that?"
Inu-Yasha made a face. "I have no idea...Who are you, kid?" he questioned.
The boy growled. "I am NOT a kid," he shouted angrily, violently away wiping tears that had welled up in his eyes, "The name's Shippou. You gonna help me find Kouga's killer or what?" Shippou was a walking attitude, and he acted as if he could own everybody in the room. He sported the same outfit as Kouga, signifying that they had been a part of the same gang. He had unusually sharp teeth, and his ears came to an odd point, like an elf's.
Miroku poked the juvenile delinquent. He then pointed to the limp body sitting ever still in the chair. "I'm assuming that's Kouga?"
Sango shoved Miroku out of the way and stood before the defiant child. "Were you hiding in that closet during the whole murder?" Her eyes were wide with curiosity, and she seemed deeply immersed in the details of the case.
Shippou looked away, trying to conceal the tears that wouldn't stop. "Hmph," he snorted, "What's it to ya? It's not like anybody cares 'bout me...My big brother was the only one who did..." He trailed off and his eyes got a distant look to them.
Inu-Yasha then struggled to the front, an urgent look to his eyes. "Look, I do care. I care more than you can even imagine. Now, brat, tell me what you know!" He shoved a finger in the boy's face.
Shippou's piercing green eyes watered and grew wide. "I..I...Nobody but Kouga ever talked to me like that." A slight smile snuck onto his face as he did something completely unexpected.
He stepped up to Inu-Yasha and hugged him.
"Huh?" The detective looked thoroughly confused as his expression softened. Shippou released him, and wiped away a tear, looking up at Inu-Yasha with hopeful eyes.
Inu-Yasha headed toward the exit, and stood there, his arms crossed, facing out into the alleyway. "You comin', kid?" he said, with feigned detachment.
Shippou's eyes lightened as he trotted over to the detective, who was heading off to the car, his hands in his pockets.
Miroku rested his elbow on Sango's shoulder, and sighed a wistful sigh. "Aww...A Kodak moment."
Sango smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Then the two stood there for a brief moment, pondering the meaning of life.
Suddenly, Sango perked up. "Wait a minute...wasn't that our ride?!"
Miroku looked mildly dazed. "Yeah..." He then realized the severity of the situation. "Yeah!"
Sango began to run, leaving Miroku in her dust. "See ya, sucker!" She called back behind her.
Miroku looked indignant. "Hey!" He began to whine as he tried to catch up. "I'll be damned if I'm stuck in this hell hole!"
It was nearly 12:30 a.m., almost 7 hours since they first reached the crime scene, and yet the three were no closer to figure out the case than they had been when they started. Sango had flopped into a chair; her legs were draped over one of the chair's arms, and her back resting against the other. Her legs were crossed, for fear of any perverted acts attempted by the lecher that was leaning against the wall. Shippou was curled up in a ball on he floor, sleeping soundly.
Inu-Yasha stood up. "ARGH! Who are you?!" He screamed at the pictures, and then remembered the sleeping child.
Sango bit her lip, deep in thought. She then hopped out of the chair, paced, and began chanting, "Theft...Theft...Theft..."
Miroku raised an eyebrow, worriedly. "What're you doing, Sango dearest?"
The woman looked annoyed. "Don't call me that. And I'm just trying to remember something I learned in my childhood about "Theft"..."
Miroku's face turned to that of his smart-ass self. "You mean, like, 'Don't do it'?" He chuckled.
Sango's hands took refuge on her hips. "Ha ha ha... very funny. I mean I was taught something about it by my father when I was very young. I just can't think of what it was..."
Inu-Yasha tried to jog her memory. "Maybe it had something to do with his job? Or something he had an interest in?"
The woman stood still and silent for a moment, thinking as hard as she could, trying to muster any bit of a recollection. Miroku stepped up to her to wake her up from her "slumber". Unfortunately for him, as soon as he had, she flung her arms up, whacking him in the face. "I've got it!!!"
Miroku looked up from his new residence on the floor, rubbing the side of his head. "Got what?"
"Goaku! The Goaku!" She said in such excitement, you'd have thought she'd won the lottery. She was jumping up and down, pumping her arms up and own in success.
"Go..aku?" Inu-Yasha asked, confused. "You mean the five deadly sins of Buddhism?" He scratched his head in utter puzzlement.
She nodded furiously. "Yes! The killer is basing his killings around the five deadly sins." She then shifted her weight onto one hip and started counting off on her fingers, "Murder, theft, adultery, drink, and falsehood."
"I think I can guess who's next." Inu-Yasha laughed to himself and he jerked his head in the direction of Miroku, who was still sitting on the floor, staring up Sango's skirt with sparkly eyes.
A vein throbbed in Sango's forehead. "No...I don't think so Inu-Yasha..." she said slowly, "BECAUSE I'LL HAVE ALREADY KILLED HIM MYSELF!!!" She then proceeded to bash the lecher over the head with a paperweight.
A/N: All right! There's chappy numbah three! I hope you liked it! I promise that chapter four will be coming soon! ^_^ R&R, and arigato for reading!