A/N: Wow. It's been a looooong time since last I had updated, ne? Well, here's the next chappy, and I hope you like it! ^_^;;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goaku: The Five Deadly Sins of Buddhism
By Aiko
Roku- Kohaku and Naraku: No Files Found
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Oh, boxers, I see?"
The young pathologist dressed the deep wound with what meager supplies she had and a hint of red upon her cheeks.
The man lying on the ground winced, but tried to conceal his pain with a characteristic grin. He turned as best he could to face her and replied, "I'm sorry, Sango dear, if my unmentionables are getting you ...ow...hot and bothered."
Sango wiped the gash a tad, saying gently, "Shut up, will you? The ambulance will be here in a couple minutes." She punctuated with a sigh.
The two sat in silence on the sidewalk amongst the shards of broken glass. The only sound that could be heard on the vacant street was Sango inhaling softly and Miroku's haggard breath.
Sango shifted slightly, and now her angelic face eclipsed the high noon sun for Miroku. She finally shattered the silence, her eyes shimmering with a hint of tears. "M-Miroku?" she managed to say.
Miroku looked back at her, clearing his throat and wincing every now and then. "Yeah, S..ango?"
The young profiler looked away, and then looked down at her hands. "Miroku, I...I..."
The temporarily incapacitated detective smiled weakly. "You what?
The girl stood up, as something grew closer. "I think the ambulance is here." Her right hand went to her forehead and provided shade from the sun. The red and white blazoned vehicle slowed to the curb, wailing its ear-piercing war cry.
Miroku heaved a sigh of disappointment, disheartenment evident on his face. "Oh...is that all?" He winced once more. Sango looked puzzled at the man, then looked up at the approaching ambulance drivers.
She jogged up to them. "Oh, thank Kami you're here. I don't know how much longer he could've lasted. I was really worried."
The man she was speaking to patted her shoulder knowingly. "He'll be all right." He turned to his crew. "All right, boys, let's get him out of here."
The men lifted Miroku onto a stretcher and carried him to the truck. Meanwhile, Sango had her right hand clasped tightly in apprehension, her left hand dangling at her side, as she bit her lip. As the people carrying the stretcher passed by Sango, they halted and the lecherous detective grasped her left hand in both of his and said, barely above a whisper, " More than any other girl... having you worried about me makes me the happiest."
Sango blushed and cleared her throat. She nodded and the men carried him away, and their hands remained grasped in one another's until he was pulled too far, and their fingers slipped slowly away, like the sands of time through one's fingers.
[A/N: Yes, that line Miroku said was from Episode 56. So don't sue me, please!]
******************************
Kagome, Shippou, and Inu-Yasha sat in the car as it buzzed and murmured along the bumpy road toward the station. They sat in a thick and unsettling silence for whatever reason. Kagome sat in the passenger seat, Shippou in the back, and Inu-Yasha, of course, was driving.
Inu-Yasha decided enough was enough. He cleared his throat. "Ahem...I suppose Miroku and Sango will be waiting for us at the office." He halfway had to convince himself of this, since he just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Unfortunately, Kagome confronted the fear that was tugging at the back of his unsettled mind. "I...I think that something happened to them, Inu-Yasha."
Inu-Yasha's heart sank a little, and he grew a little annoyed that Kagome would actually say this. "No, don't talk like that, Kagome."
Kagome bit her lip and said, "I'm serious. I have the strangest feeling that something DID happen."
The investigator had finally had it. "Look, Kagome, I'm sure everything's fine. And besides," he said, as the car lurched to a stop in front of their destination, "you can't be right about everything."
The girl turned her head slowly toward Inu-Yasha as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Excuse me?"
Inu-Yasha smirked a little. "Don't worry, Kagome. I didn't mean anything by it." His male pride seemed to be getting the best of him.
Kagome rose from her seat and angrily wrenched the door open. She smoothed her skirt and slammed the door behind her, causing a tremor to travel throughout the car.
Inu-Yasha opened his door and began to get out, protesting, "Kagome! Oh come on! Wait up!"
Kagome, who was already pulling the door to the station open, spun on her heels and glared daggers at the detective. "Arrrrgh! Why you..." She was becoming progressively more frustrated. "Why don't you just...SIT BOY!" And with that, she yanked the door open and stormed in.
Meanwhile, Inu-Yasha found himself magically sitting in his seat, mumbling curses under his breath. "Why that little..."
Suddenly, a small head popped out from the back seat. "Uh uh uh... Tsk tsk. Don't be saying any naughty words!" Shippou grinned widely at his superior, then shrunk down into the seat as a looming figure grew above him.
Inu-Yasha whacked Shippou upside the head several times, pushed his door open, and walked up to the station, dusting his hands off.
Shippou, in the meantime, rubbed his head, lagging behind, grumbling, "Why always me?!"
******************************
Kagome stood against the wall beside the door drumming her fingers against it and still visibly fuming from Inu-Yasha's previous comment. She glanced quickly at the approaching man, then down at her feet.
Inu-Yasha reached the door and leaned against it, propped up by his hands. He looked over to Kagome. "Come on, Kagome. I didn't mean it like that..."
She said nothing in response. Her head still hung, and her view never once left her feet. If you listened closely, you could hear a faint sobbing.
"Huh?" Inu-Yasha was a bit puzzled by this. He tried to get a look at her face, but to no avail. He shifted quite uncomfortably. Thing was, he really didn't like it when girls cried. Especially girls he...
He reached his hand out and placed it under Kagome's chin. Inu-Yasha slowly lifted her face to his eyelevel. An almost-smirk graced his face as he said reassuringly, "Hey, Kagome...Don't cry."
The corners of the girl's lips turned up slightly in a genuine smile, as the last tear slowly rolled down her cheek. Inu-Yasha's thumb gently wiped it away. They stood there, staring at one another for what seemed like forever.
"Yeeeech!" a tiny voice cried out as it neared the two. "What's the matter with you two? Can't you get a room or something?!" Kagome blushed and Inu-Yasha pulled away.
Shippou shook his head in disapproval as he entered the office. The other two followed and took their seats; Inu-Yasha at the desk behind the computer, Kagome in an adjacent chair, and Shippou leaned against the wall in pure juvenile boredom.
Suddenly, something dawned on Inu-Yasha. "Hey...how'd you get in here, kid? I distinctly remember locking that door!"
Shippou grin mischievously as he twirled the key chain on his index finger tauntingly. Inu-Yasha advanced upon the little thief, and the kid, frightened, threw the keys in the air and dove behind Kagome. "Help!"
The detective grabbed his keys and shoved them into his pocket. "Argh...one of these days..." He muttered under his breath as he made his way back to his seat. He sat and stewed in his anger for a while when he realized something.
"Hey, where's Sango and the lecher?" He looked a little worried that, maybe, his joke had turned out to be a prophecy.
This concern had barely begun to sink in when two chattering voices drew ever closer to the room.
"Oh, come on, Sango.... please?"
"Oh my Kami, Miroku! I already told you no!"
"Sango! I may only have a few months to live!"
"Just shut up! Can't you just be normal for one second? Geez...I think I liked you better when you were wounded on the sidewalk!"
The two entered the doorway, Miroku, bandaged all around, leaning on Sango for support. "Of course you liked be better then, Sango dear! I had no pants on!"
The three already sitting in the office stared blankly at the two. Sango growled slightly and Miroku grinned at her. She rolled her eyes and they took one more step in and Miroku "tripped".
"Whoa!" Miroku said forcedly, as he "fell" and grabbed onto the thing closest to him, which just happened to be Sango's...let's just say "chest".
The two now lay grounded, Miroku atop Sango, who blushed furiously as she glanced at their current position, as well as the location of the pervert's hand. Needless to say, she was fuming.
Miroku's beaming face visibly dimmed as he saw the murderous look on Sango's face. A whimper got caught in his throat.
Suddenly, Sango smiled brightly and looked at him, her eyes sparkling lovingly. Or was it sadistically? "Miroku...?" she asked in a sugarcoated voice.
"Eh?" he replied, perking up.
WHAM! Before he knew it, she had walloped him over the head with a lead paperweight. She slipped out from under him and dusted off her skirt and her hands. 'There,' she thought, 'he should be out for a good few minutes.'
She looked up. Kagome looked at her, a little shocked; Shippou tried, unsuccessfully, to contain his laughter; and Inu-Yasha was applauding her with a smirk on his face.
"Well done, well done," he congratulated. "He got what was coming to 'im." He chuckled a little to himself and then cleared his throat, steering back to the subject at hand. "So, did you and 'Mr. Romance' here find out anything about the killer?"
"Killers," Shippou corrected.
Sango nodded fervently. "Uh huh. We actually found out who they were."
Inu-Yasha's eyes widened with surprise. "What?! You what?!"
Sango continued, pacing around the room. "We figured out who the killers are. Well, Miroku mostly." She took her usual position on the chair; her legs were draped over one armrest, her back lay against the other. "I went to Kouga's house," she nodded her 'sorry' to Shippou, who remained unnaturally stoic, "and dropped Miroku off at the dojo. He kind of snuck into my car." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, when I came back, I found him, injured, on the ground. When he came to..." she decided to skip the especially vulnerable moments, "he, um, told me all about Naraku."
Inu-Yasha nodded his acknowledgement, allowing this all to sink in. "Naraku? I'm not sure I'm getting all this."
Miroku grunted as he sat up and rubbed his aching head. "I'll explain." Everyone turned his or her full and undivided attention to Miroku. "Ahem. When the lovely Miss Sango here dropped me off at the dojo," he shot an unbearably charming grin her way, "I went in to investigate. The kid who greeted me acted like a drone. He and the Naraku guy used words like 'Master' and 'disciple'. It creeped me out!" He shivered slightly. "Before I knew it, Naraku had me by the neck and pinned to the wall. He started shouting at the boy to get 'it', whatever 'it' was, and some crap about a time limit. When his grip loosened, I punched him in the stomach and ran to the door. Just before I reached the knob, the 'disciple' threw a chain-sickle and had me by the leg." He pointed to the bandage around his left calf. "He kept repeatedly hitting me with that damned thing," as he said this, he ran his fingers over the bandages on his face and arms, "and finally, I threw myself against the glass of the door and I was free at last. But he followed me. Just as he was about to finish me off, Sango came and saved my life!" He winked and finished with, "I just knew she couldn't live a day without me!"
Sango fiddled with her hair and mumbled under her breath, "I knew I should've hit you harder..."
The other three stood stock still, staring in awe at the lech whose story had far surpassed the accomplishments of any of them.
Kagome nudged Inu-Yasha knowingly. She gave him an "I-told-you-so" look. He just rolled his eyes, but was secretly astonished that Kagome had foreseen this, or at least sensed it.
Suddenly, he snapped out of it. He walked briskly up to his computer and began furiously typing, causing a symphony of "click-clacks" to fill the room. He absently pulled his rolling chair under him with his right foot, his eyes never leaving the screen. He lowered into the seat, and finally stopped his typing as he looked up. "Miroku," he asked, more demanding than interrogative.
Miroku peeked from behind the desk he was leaning back upon. "Yeah?"
"That guy...what was his name?" Urgency and excitement caused his words to tumble rapidly off his tongue.
Miroku rubbed his temples in thought. "Naraku...Naraku...I didn't catch his last name, but--"
Kagome stepped forward. "Onigumo," she said. "Naraku Onigumo."
Inu-Yasha nodded thankfully at Kagome. He then began, once more, busily inputting invaluable information to search the social security records. He pressed the enter button and then stared at the screen in disbelief. He began hastily clicking the button over and over and then shook his head.
He shook his head and pushed his chair back a little in frustration. "Shit. It must've been an alias or something." He leaned forward and supported his head in his hands, his eyes closed. Then, he seemed to recall something.
"Hey," he said, slowly wheeling back to the computer, "you said there was an accessory to the crime, didn't you?" He pulled up another search. "What was his name?"
Miroku looked at Sango uneasily. He knew that she would probably want to tell them. She nodded her thanks to him and stepped toward the desk, clearing her throat. "Kohaku Yuushin." Her voice didn't waver in the slightest.
Inu-Yasha looked up at her. "What?"
Kagome blinked. 'Yuushin?' she thought, 'But isn't Yuushin Sango's last name? That must mean...'
Sango nodded firmly. "You heard me. Kohaku Yuushin. Y-U-U-S-H-I-N." Miroku smiled at her strength and courage.
Inu-Yasha gulped and nodded, looking back at the monitor as he typed in the name. He blinked a couple times, and slowly turned his head to the profiler. "Uh, Sango?"
Sango looked to him. "What? What is it?"
"No files found," he answered, echoing the results.
Sango shook her head in incredulity. "What?! No. No. There must be some kind of mistake." She strode toward the computer. "I KNOW he exists."
"See for yourself," he said, turning the computer screen toward her.
She leaned forward and muttered the words to herself. "No. Kohaku existed. He...he was my brother. There's something wrong with your program." No. She couldn't believe it. She WOULDN'T believe it. She sunk into a nearby chair, staring at the pocketknife she had pulled out from somewhere. She ran her fingers over the engraved letters.
Miroku pulled himself up off the ground with all the strength he could muster, and limped over to the grieving woman. He rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. He looked to Inu-Yasha. "Hey," he called.
Inu-Yasha glanced to him. "Yeah?"
"Is it possible...I mean, someone could've," he tried to search for the correct words, "you know, hacked into the system and deleted the files or something, right?"
Inu-Yasha nodded, but couldn't help but scoff at Miroku's supposed naïveté. "Psh. Yeah, it could be done. But it's damn near impossible. There are so many encryptions, passwords, and the like that I'd applaud him if he could even crack one of our codes. It's like a spider's web, really."
Kagome smiled. It was the perfect analogy. "Well, then, wouldn't he feel right at home? I mean, his specialty WAS the extermination of spiders." She laughed a little.
Sango looked up, stuffing the pocketknife away. "But seriously, think about it." She got up, pacing around once more in an ardent manner. "He was a shut-in, right Miroku?" The investigator nodded. "All right, then. Studies have shown that many hackers and such are shut-ins. So he could've mastered his skills, perfecting and tinkering away, with all the free time he had. His business wasn't exactly booming, you know."
Inu-Yasha nodded, figuratively following her every step of the way. "So there is hope."
Miroku evidently disagreed, shaking his head. "Not likely. Now how are we supposed to find them? He apparently doesn't exist, so he obviously doesn't have any car registration. We also don't know WHEN he'll strike again. I mean, we can't tell everyone in the whole city, no, the whole WORLD to stop sinning altogether!"
Everyone in the room nodded. They grew quiet. This was a problem that they weren't going to solve easily. Minutes passed, and nobody spoke.
All of a sudden, the fragile glass of silence was shatter to nothing but a memory. Kaede burst into the room, her face drenched in worry.
"Inu-Yasha, Miroku, Sango!" she called out to the ones working on the case.
"What is it, Kaede?" Inu-Yasha asked, though knowing the inevitable answer.
"Another killing has taken place, it has." It all seemed like that incident at the coffee shop.
Inu-Yasha nodded. "Let's go, Kaede. Lead us there."
Kaede shook her head. "You'll need no help of mine. 'Tis but down the block."
The three shuddered slightly. Miroku hobbled forward. "C'mon guys."
Sango stepped ahead of him and pushed him back. "I don't think so. You're staying here with that lame leg of yours." She looked away. "It'll be nice to have you out of my hair."
Miroku smirked. "Uh uh...now, for that remark, I'll HAVE to come along!" He laughed to himself as he headed out the door.
Sango shook her head, laughing as well, as she made her way out. Inu-Yasha, Kagome and Shippou remained in the room. He turned to them.
"You stay here with Shippou, Kagome," he instructed. "The crime scenes get pretty gruesome."
"Hmm," Kagome acknowledged, nodding. And with that, he was gone.
******************************
The trio walked down the street, Sango in the front surprisingly, her heels clicking against the ground in long, soft strides. The men lagged behind a little.
As she neared the end of the street, she stopped abruptly. She spun on her heel and put her hand to her mouth. She shook her head. Even from a distance, Inu-Yasha's remarkable sight caught this, and he jogged up to her, knowing full well what he was about to see.
The bloody display that lay before him was similar to the other to which they had visited. But it was not the same. There was one thing that was different.
This had been done quite sloppily. The body was that of a woman of about nineteen. By her clothes, Inu-Yasha could conclude that she was a "lady of the evening". She was propped up against the wall and facing it, her head slumped and her chin resting against her chest. Inu-Yasha moved a little, so he could see her face. Just as he had anticipated, the skin of her face was gone (yet, this time it was done with less meticulousness), the fresh blood becoming dry from the day's worth of sun. Different ancient writings were messily and hurriedly scrawled upon the building's side. Suddenly, he noticed something strange about this whole scenario, besides the obvious.
There was nothing signature about it, nothing to indicate why she was killed, or for what. Absolutely nothing. Well, nothing in plain view anyhow.
He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. Miroku limped up, and a look of unmistakable horror and recognition settled on his face. He blinked.
"Miroku?" Sango asked.
Miroku shook his head in utter disbelief. "No, no. K-koharu. It can't be."
Sango's eyes widened a little. "Koharu? Who is...was Koharu?"
Shakily, he answered, "She...she was in my youth group. I was her camp leader. I was sixteen, and she was eleven. She had a little crush on me." He smirked sadly as a tear rolled down his cheek in remembrance. He shook his head. "I didn't think she would have turned to this path, but after her parents died...Oh Koharu..." He wiped his tears.
Inu-Yasha looked to him in sympathy. "I'm sorry, man." Meanwhile, Sango was a little flushed and torn. They stood there quietly, as they often do.
Suddenly, the body fell back of its own accord. Sango gave out an uncharacteristic yelp and Inu-Yasha jumped back. That's when he saw it.
Koharu's low-cut neckline revealed a little bit more than excessive cleavage. What caught the young detective's eye was a glinting red...something. He leaned closer and realized what it was. 'The Goaku,' he thought to himself. 'M for murder, T for theft...' He counted off the sins in his head and an idea dawned on him. "Forgive me for this, Koharu," he said in respect, as he torn her shirt down a little to get a better view of the marking.
Miroku turned to Sango. "Is he allowed to do that?!" he asked incredulously.
As he had suspected, a large calligraphic "A" had been carved into the young woman's chest. He laughed wryly to himself, nodding. "And 'A' for adultery."
Sango stepped up the kneeling detective, her hands on her hips. "Yeah, I got that, but why on her chest?"
Inu-Yasha thought for a moment. "Scarlet letters. They used to hang them on their necks." He mimed putting a necklace on, motioning how it would hang and rest on the chest.
He scoffed, getting up off the ground. "And you were supposed to be the profiler." After he commented, he headed back to the office, leaving Sango and Miroku in his dust.
Miroku looked to Sango. "Well, somebody was in a hurry."
Sango didn't look at him, and replied moodily, "Mm hmm."
Puzzled, the detective looked to her. "Huh? What's wrong?" He scratched his head in sheer confusion.
Sango shook her head, walking away quickly. "It's nothing...nothing at all."
Miroku shrugged, trying to figure out where he had gone wrong.
******************************
Kagome and Shippou sat in the room on edge. They couldn't help but feel a little left out. Kagome bit her lip.
"Do you think they're all right?" she asked the little boy, who looked equally apprehensive.
He simply nodded. Kagome kneaded her hands in her lap. She had not been worrying for ten minutes before Inu-Yasha walked into the room, running his fingers through his hair, sighing.
Soon after came Sango, her arms folded across her chest and her face tinged with anger. She walked farther from the door and stood there, tapping her foot.
Finally, Miroku made his way in. He dragged his leg behind him and propped himself up on the desk. He panted and shot a look to Sango, who immediately glanced away. He looked exasperated, then gave up.
"Ouch...is it getting cold in here?" Inu-Yasha asked, trying to brighten the mood. They all kind of smiled.
"So," Kagome started, "do you know where Naraku is now?" She knew it was a longshot, but it was worth a try.
Inu-Yasha shook his head in dismay. "No, nothing. All we know is that he was in a hurry this time."
Suddenly, Kagome's eyes glazed over a little. She became vacant, and a cold wind seemed to surround her, though they were inside. Her voice was monotone. "Inu-Yasha..."
All others in the room stared at her intensely, a little frightened, a little concerned.
"Yes?" Inu-Yasha said uneasily, a little scared as well.
And then, that feeling, that rush that had swept over Kagome was gone, as if it had melted away. She blinked a couple of times, shaking the feeling. "I...I know where he is," she said awkwardly.
Inu-Yasha's eyes widened. "You WHAT?!" Excitement fluttered in his heart.
Kagome shook her head. "I...don't really know. I can...I guess...sense him somehow."
Inu-Yasha hopped over the desk and grasped Kagome's hands in his. "Lead us to him, Kagome!"
Kagome looked down at her hands and their position and blushed a little. She then looked up and nodded, pushing past him toward the door.
"Kaede," she called, "can you watch after Shippou?"
"Aye!" she called back.
Shippou crossed his arms, looking offended. "Hey! Just 'cause I'm the little kid doesn't mean I gotta miss out on everything!" He had to admit, though, he was happy that Kagome was worried about him.
She smiled her apology to him, and he nodded in understanding. "Let's go!" She urged, as she jogged out of the office.
Inu-Yasha shrugged. "I guess a car is out of the question?" He laughed and followed after her.
"Argh!" Miroku cried. "More walking!" He sighed as he limped his way to the door.
Sango walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Hey."
"Huh?" he asked, turning around.
Without his permission, she began supporting him with her shoulder. She walked on.
He smiled at her. "Thanks."
"Just shut up and walk."
******************************
Kagome ran down the block, her dark, wavy hair whipping in her face. As she reached its end, she came to a halt. She looked around warily.
Inu-Yasha jogged up behind her. He slowed to a stop and pushed his hair from his face. "Kagome? Where is he?"
She shook her head. "I've lost his aura," she explained, "He has probably caught on to me."
The investigator sighed. "So now what?" He looked up at the now darkened sky. 'Wow,' he thought, 'how time flies when you're having "fun"...'
Kagome then slipped into her trance once more and pointed down a dark alley. "There."
Sango and Miroku had just caught up, and the other pair had already started running again. "Damn," she whispered under her breath.
Miroku sighed and leaned against a nearby wall. "You can go on without me. I'll be fine."
"No," Sango said, "You're coming." She grabbed his hand and dragged him along the alleyway.
******************************
Kagome ran and ran until her calves burned for rest. She pushed herself to go farther. She continued her crusade, denying her body of respite. But finally, she did stop. Her face changed from exhaustion to disbelief. She looked to the ground.
Inu-Yasha, who stood beside her, looked with worry at the girl. "Kagome," he inquired, "what's the matter?"
"Look," she instructed, pointing, with a trembling finger, to the thing that caused her condition.
He did so. He followed the path of her finger all the way to the end, and his jaw dropped.
Kagome fought back hot tears of rage and fright. "It...it's my house."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yay! It's finally here! I guess I miscalculated; I'm releasing this a day after my author's note, as opposed to a week! It wasn't a very action-packed chapter, nor was it very good. But it is long...O_o; I really don't see how that compensates, though. Lol. Well, I hope liked it, and I promise not to make you wait this long again! R&R! ^_^;;
Ja!
Ko-ko
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goaku: The Five Deadly Sins of Buddhism
By Aiko
Roku- Kohaku and Naraku: No Files Found
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Oh, boxers, I see?"
The young pathologist dressed the deep wound with what meager supplies she had and a hint of red upon her cheeks.
The man lying on the ground winced, but tried to conceal his pain with a characteristic grin. He turned as best he could to face her and replied, "I'm sorry, Sango dear, if my unmentionables are getting you ...ow...hot and bothered."
Sango wiped the gash a tad, saying gently, "Shut up, will you? The ambulance will be here in a couple minutes." She punctuated with a sigh.
The two sat in silence on the sidewalk amongst the shards of broken glass. The only sound that could be heard on the vacant street was Sango inhaling softly and Miroku's haggard breath.
Sango shifted slightly, and now her angelic face eclipsed the high noon sun for Miroku. She finally shattered the silence, her eyes shimmering with a hint of tears. "M-Miroku?" she managed to say.
Miroku looked back at her, clearing his throat and wincing every now and then. "Yeah, S..ango?"
The young profiler looked away, and then looked down at her hands. "Miroku, I...I..."
The temporarily incapacitated detective smiled weakly. "You what?
The girl stood up, as something grew closer. "I think the ambulance is here." Her right hand went to her forehead and provided shade from the sun. The red and white blazoned vehicle slowed to the curb, wailing its ear-piercing war cry.
Miroku heaved a sigh of disappointment, disheartenment evident on his face. "Oh...is that all?" He winced once more. Sango looked puzzled at the man, then looked up at the approaching ambulance drivers.
She jogged up to them. "Oh, thank Kami you're here. I don't know how much longer he could've lasted. I was really worried."
The man she was speaking to patted her shoulder knowingly. "He'll be all right." He turned to his crew. "All right, boys, let's get him out of here."
The men lifted Miroku onto a stretcher and carried him to the truck. Meanwhile, Sango had her right hand clasped tightly in apprehension, her left hand dangling at her side, as she bit her lip. As the people carrying the stretcher passed by Sango, they halted and the lecherous detective grasped her left hand in both of his and said, barely above a whisper, " More than any other girl... having you worried about me makes me the happiest."
Sango blushed and cleared her throat. She nodded and the men carried him away, and their hands remained grasped in one another's until he was pulled too far, and their fingers slipped slowly away, like the sands of time through one's fingers.
[A/N: Yes, that line Miroku said was from Episode 56. So don't sue me, please!]
******************************
Kagome, Shippou, and Inu-Yasha sat in the car as it buzzed and murmured along the bumpy road toward the station. They sat in a thick and unsettling silence for whatever reason. Kagome sat in the passenger seat, Shippou in the back, and Inu-Yasha, of course, was driving.
Inu-Yasha decided enough was enough. He cleared his throat. "Ahem...I suppose Miroku and Sango will be waiting for us at the office." He halfway had to convince himself of this, since he just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Unfortunately, Kagome confronted the fear that was tugging at the back of his unsettled mind. "I...I think that something happened to them, Inu-Yasha."
Inu-Yasha's heart sank a little, and he grew a little annoyed that Kagome would actually say this. "No, don't talk like that, Kagome."
Kagome bit her lip and said, "I'm serious. I have the strangest feeling that something DID happen."
The investigator had finally had it. "Look, Kagome, I'm sure everything's fine. And besides," he said, as the car lurched to a stop in front of their destination, "you can't be right about everything."
The girl turned her head slowly toward Inu-Yasha as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Excuse me?"
Inu-Yasha smirked a little. "Don't worry, Kagome. I didn't mean anything by it." His male pride seemed to be getting the best of him.
Kagome rose from her seat and angrily wrenched the door open. She smoothed her skirt and slammed the door behind her, causing a tremor to travel throughout the car.
Inu-Yasha opened his door and began to get out, protesting, "Kagome! Oh come on! Wait up!"
Kagome, who was already pulling the door to the station open, spun on her heels and glared daggers at the detective. "Arrrrgh! Why you..." She was becoming progressively more frustrated. "Why don't you just...SIT BOY!" And with that, she yanked the door open and stormed in.
Meanwhile, Inu-Yasha found himself magically sitting in his seat, mumbling curses under his breath. "Why that little..."
Suddenly, a small head popped out from the back seat. "Uh uh uh... Tsk tsk. Don't be saying any naughty words!" Shippou grinned widely at his superior, then shrunk down into the seat as a looming figure grew above him.
Inu-Yasha whacked Shippou upside the head several times, pushed his door open, and walked up to the station, dusting his hands off.
Shippou, in the meantime, rubbed his head, lagging behind, grumbling, "Why always me?!"
******************************
Kagome stood against the wall beside the door drumming her fingers against it and still visibly fuming from Inu-Yasha's previous comment. She glanced quickly at the approaching man, then down at her feet.
Inu-Yasha reached the door and leaned against it, propped up by his hands. He looked over to Kagome. "Come on, Kagome. I didn't mean it like that..."
She said nothing in response. Her head still hung, and her view never once left her feet. If you listened closely, you could hear a faint sobbing.
"Huh?" Inu-Yasha was a bit puzzled by this. He tried to get a look at her face, but to no avail. He shifted quite uncomfortably. Thing was, he really didn't like it when girls cried. Especially girls he...
He reached his hand out and placed it under Kagome's chin. Inu-Yasha slowly lifted her face to his eyelevel. An almost-smirk graced his face as he said reassuringly, "Hey, Kagome...Don't cry."
The corners of the girl's lips turned up slightly in a genuine smile, as the last tear slowly rolled down her cheek. Inu-Yasha's thumb gently wiped it away. They stood there, staring at one another for what seemed like forever.
"Yeeeech!" a tiny voice cried out as it neared the two. "What's the matter with you two? Can't you get a room or something?!" Kagome blushed and Inu-Yasha pulled away.
Shippou shook his head in disapproval as he entered the office. The other two followed and took their seats; Inu-Yasha at the desk behind the computer, Kagome in an adjacent chair, and Shippou leaned against the wall in pure juvenile boredom.
Suddenly, something dawned on Inu-Yasha. "Hey...how'd you get in here, kid? I distinctly remember locking that door!"
Shippou grin mischievously as he twirled the key chain on his index finger tauntingly. Inu-Yasha advanced upon the little thief, and the kid, frightened, threw the keys in the air and dove behind Kagome. "Help!"
The detective grabbed his keys and shoved them into his pocket. "Argh...one of these days..." He muttered under his breath as he made his way back to his seat. He sat and stewed in his anger for a while when he realized something.
"Hey, where's Sango and the lecher?" He looked a little worried that, maybe, his joke had turned out to be a prophecy.
This concern had barely begun to sink in when two chattering voices drew ever closer to the room.
"Oh, come on, Sango.... please?"
"Oh my Kami, Miroku! I already told you no!"
"Sango! I may only have a few months to live!"
"Just shut up! Can't you just be normal for one second? Geez...I think I liked you better when you were wounded on the sidewalk!"
The two entered the doorway, Miroku, bandaged all around, leaning on Sango for support. "Of course you liked be better then, Sango dear! I had no pants on!"
The three already sitting in the office stared blankly at the two. Sango growled slightly and Miroku grinned at her. She rolled her eyes and they took one more step in and Miroku "tripped".
"Whoa!" Miroku said forcedly, as he "fell" and grabbed onto the thing closest to him, which just happened to be Sango's...let's just say "chest".
The two now lay grounded, Miroku atop Sango, who blushed furiously as she glanced at their current position, as well as the location of the pervert's hand. Needless to say, she was fuming.
Miroku's beaming face visibly dimmed as he saw the murderous look on Sango's face. A whimper got caught in his throat.
Suddenly, Sango smiled brightly and looked at him, her eyes sparkling lovingly. Or was it sadistically? "Miroku...?" she asked in a sugarcoated voice.
"Eh?" he replied, perking up.
WHAM! Before he knew it, she had walloped him over the head with a lead paperweight. She slipped out from under him and dusted off her skirt and her hands. 'There,' she thought, 'he should be out for a good few minutes.'
She looked up. Kagome looked at her, a little shocked; Shippou tried, unsuccessfully, to contain his laughter; and Inu-Yasha was applauding her with a smirk on his face.
"Well done, well done," he congratulated. "He got what was coming to 'im." He chuckled a little to himself and then cleared his throat, steering back to the subject at hand. "So, did you and 'Mr. Romance' here find out anything about the killer?"
"Killers," Shippou corrected.
Sango nodded fervently. "Uh huh. We actually found out who they were."
Inu-Yasha's eyes widened with surprise. "What?! You what?!"
Sango continued, pacing around the room. "We figured out who the killers are. Well, Miroku mostly." She took her usual position on the chair; her legs were draped over one armrest, her back lay against the other. "I went to Kouga's house," she nodded her 'sorry' to Shippou, who remained unnaturally stoic, "and dropped Miroku off at the dojo. He kind of snuck into my car." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, when I came back, I found him, injured, on the ground. When he came to..." she decided to skip the especially vulnerable moments, "he, um, told me all about Naraku."
Inu-Yasha nodded his acknowledgement, allowing this all to sink in. "Naraku? I'm not sure I'm getting all this."
Miroku grunted as he sat up and rubbed his aching head. "I'll explain." Everyone turned his or her full and undivided attention to Miroku. "Ahem. When the lovely Miss Sango here dropped me off at the dojo," he shot an unbearably charming grin her way, "I went in to investigate. The kid who greeted me acted like a drone. He and the Naraku guy used words like 'Master' and 'disciple'. It creeped me out!" He shivered slightly. "Before I knew it, Naraku had me by the neck and pinned to the wall. He started shouting at the boy to get 'it', whatever 'it' was, and some crap about a time limit. When his grip loosened, I punched him in the stomach and ran to the door. Just before I reached the knob, the 'disciple' threw a chain-sickle and had me by the leg." He pointed to the bandage around his left calf. "He kept repeatedly hitting me with that damned thing," as he said this, he ran his fingers over the bandages on his face and arms, "and finally, I threw myself against the glass of the door and I was free at last. But he followed me. Just as he was about to finish me off, Sango came and saved my life!" He winked and finished with, "I just knew she couldn't live a day without me!"
Sango fiddled with her hair and mumbled under her breath, "I knew I should've hit you harder..."
The other three stood stock still, staring in awe at the lech whose story had far surpassed the accomplishments of any of them.
Kagome nudged Inu-Yasha knowingly. She gave him an "I-told-you-so" look. He just rolled his eyes, but was secretly astonished that Kagome had foreseen this, or at least sensed it.
Suddenly, he snapped out of it. He walked briskly up to his computer and began furiously typing, causing a symphony of "click-clacks" to fill the room. He absently pulled his rolling chair under him with his right foot, his eyes never leaving the screen. He lowered into the seat, and finally stopped his typing as he looked up. "Miroku," he asked, more demanding than interrogative.
Miroku peeked from behind the desk he was leaning back upon. "Yeah?"
"That guy...what was his name?" Urgency and excitement caused his words to tumble rapidly off his tongue.
Miroku rubbed his temples in thought. "Naraku...Naraku...I didn't catch his last name, but--"
Kagome stepped forward. "Onigumo," she said. "Naraku Onigumo."
Inu-Yasha nodded thankfully at Kagome. He then began, once more, busily inputting invaluable information to search the social security records. He pressed the enter button and then stared at the screen in disbelief. He began hastily clicking the button over and over and then shook his head.
He shook his head and pushed his chair back a little in frustration. "Shit. It must've been an alias or something." He leaned forward and supported his head in his hands, his eyes closed. Then, he seemed to recall something.
"Hey," he said, slowly wheeling back to the computer, "you said there was an accessory to the crime, didn't you?" He pulled up another search. "What was his name?"
Miroku looked at Sango uneasily. He knew that she would probably want to tell them. She nodded her thanks to him and stepped toward the desk, clearing her throat. "Kohaku Yuushin." Her voice didn't waver in the slightest.
Inu-Yasha looked up at her. "What?"
Kagome blinked. 'Yuushin?' she thought, 'But isn't Yuushin Sango's last name? That must mean...'
Sango nodded firmly. "You heard me. Kohaku Yuushin. Y-U-U-S-H-I-N." Miroku smiled at her strength and courage.
Inu-Yasha gulped and nodded, looking back at the monitor as he typed in the name. He blinked a couple times, and slowly turned his head to the profiler. "Uh, Sango?"
Sango looked to him. "What? What is it?"
"No files found," he answered, echoing the results.
Sango shook her head in incredulity. "What?! No. No. There must be some kind of mistake." She strode toward the computer. "I KNOW he exists."
"See for yourself," he said, turning the computer screen toward her.
She leaned forward and muttered the words to herself. "No. Kohaku existed. He...he was my brother. There's something wrong with your program." No. She couldn't believe it. She WOULDN'T believe it. She sunk into a nearby chair, staring at the pocketknife she had pulled out from somewhere. She ran her fingers over the engraved letters.
Miroku pulled himself up off the ground with all the strength he could muster, and limped over to the grieving woman. He rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. He looked to Inu-Yasha. "Hey," he called.
Inu-Yasha glanced to him. "Yeah?"
"Is it possible...I mean, someone could've," he tried to search for the correct words, "you know, hacked into the system and deleted the files or something, right?"
Inu-Yasha nodded, but couldn't help but scoff at Miroku's supposed naïveté. "Psh. Yeah, it could be done. But it's damn near impossible. There are so many encryptions, passwords, and the like that I'd applaud him if he could even crack one of our codes. It's like a spider's web, really."
Kagome smiled. It was the perfect analogy. "Well, then, wouldn't he feel right at home? I mean, his specialty WAS the extermination of spiders." She laughed a little.
Sango looked up, stuffing the pocketknife away. "But seriously, think about it." She got up, pacing around once more in an ardent manner. "He was a shut-in, right Miroku?" The investigator nodded. "All right, then. Studies have shown that many hackers and such are shut-ins. So he could've mastered his skills, perfecting and tinkering away, with all the free time he had. His business wasn't exactly booming, you know."
Inu-Yasha nodded, figuratively following her every step of the way. "So there is hope."
Miroku evidently disagreed, shaking his head. "Not likely. Now how are we supposed to find them? He apparently doesn't exist, so he obviously doesn't have any car registration. We also don't know WHEN he'll strike again. I mean, we can't tell everyone in the whole city, no, the whole WORLD to stop sinning altogether!"
Everyone in the room nodded. They grew quiet. This was a problem that they weren't going to solve easily. Minutes passed, and nobody spoke.
All of a sudden, the fragile glass of silence was shatter to nothing but a memory. Kaede burst into the room, her face drenched in worry.
"Inu-Yasha, Miroku, Sango!" she called out to the ones working on the case.
"What is it, Kaede?" Inu-Yasha asked, though knowing the inevitable answer.
"Another killing has taken place, it has." It all seemed like that incident at the coffee shop.
Inu-Yasha nodded. "Let's go, Kaede. Lead us there."
Kaede shook her head. "You'll need no help of mine. 'Tis but down the block."
The three shuddered slightly. Miroku hobbled forward. "C'mon guys."
Sango stepped ahead of him and pushed him back. "I don't think so. You're staying here with that lame leg of yours." She looked away. "It'll be nice to have you out of my hair."
Miroku smirked. "Uh uh...now, for that remark, I'll HAVE to come along!" He laughed to himself as he headed out the door.
Sango shook her head, laughing as well, as she made her way out. Inu-Yasha, Kagome and Shippou remained in the room. He turned to them.
"You stay here with Shippou, Kagome," he instructed. "The crime scenes get pretty gruesome."
"Hmm," Kagome acknowledged, nodding. And with that, he was gone.
******************************
The trio walked down the street, Sango in the front surprisingly, her heels clicking against the ground in long, soft strides. The men lagged behind a little.
As she neared the end of the street, she stopped abruptly. She spun on her heel and put her hand to her mouth. She shook her head. Even from a distance, Inu-Yasha's remarkable sight caught this, and he jogged up to her, knowing full well what he was about to see.
The bloody display that lay before him was similar to the other to which they had visited. But it was not the same. There was one thing that was different.
This had been done quite sloppily. The body was that of a woman of about nineteen. By her clothes, Inu-Yasha could conclude that she was a "lady of the evening". She was propped up against the wall and facing it, her head slumped and her chin resting against her chest. Inu-Yasha moved a little, so he could see her face. Just as he had anticipated, the skin of her face was gone (yet, this time it was done with less meticulousness), the fresh blood becoming dry from the day's worth of sun. Different ancient writings were messily and hurriedly scrawled upon the building's side. Suddenly, he noticed something strange about this whole scenario, besides the obvious.
There was nothing signature about it, nothing to indicate why she was killed, or for what. Absolutely nothing. Well, nothing in plain view anyhow.
He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. Miroku limped up, and a look of unmistakable horror and recognition settled on his face. He blinked.
"Miroku?" Sango asked.
Miroku shook his head in utter disbelief. "No, no. K-koharu. It can't be."
Sango's eyes widened a little. "Koharu? Who is...was Koharu?"
Shakily, he answered, "She...she was in my youth group. I was her camp leader. I was sixteen, and she was eleven. She had a little crush on me." He smirked sadly as a tear rolled down his cheek in remembrance. He shook his head. "I didn't think she would have turned to this path, but after her parents died...Oh Koharu..." He wiped his tears.
Inu-Yasha looked to him in sympathy. "I'm sorry, man." Meanwhile, Sango was a little flushed and torn. They stood there quietly, as they often do.
Suddenly, the body fell back of its own accord. Sango gave out an uncharacteristic yelp and Inu-Yasha jumped back. That's when he saw it.
Koharu's low-cut neckline revealed a little bit more than excessive cleavage. What caught the young detective's eye was a glinting red...something. He leaned closer and realized what it was. 'The Goaku,' he thought to himself. 'M for murder, T for theft...' He counted off the sins in his head and an idea dawned on him. "Forgive me for this, Koharu," he said in respect, as he torn her shirt down a little to get a better view of the marking.
Miroku turned to Sango. "Is he allowed to do that?!" he asked incredulously.
As he had suspected, a large calligraphic "A" had been carved into the young woman's chest. He laughed wryly to himself, nodding. "And 'A' for adultery."
Sango stepped up the kneeling detective, her hands on her hips. "Yeah, I got that, but why on her chest?"
Inu-Yasha thought for a moment. "Scarlet letters. They used to hang them on their necks." He mimed putting a necklace on, motioning how it would hang and rest on the chest.
He scoffed, getting up off the ground. "And you were supposed to be the profiler." After he commented, he headed back to the office, leaving Sango and Miroku in his dust.
Miroku looked to Sango. "Well, somebody was in a hurry."
Sango didn't look at him, and replied moodily, "Mm hmm."
Puzzled, the detective looked to her. "Huh? What's wrong?" He scratched his head in sheer confusion.
Sango shook her head, walking away quickly. "It's nothing...nothing at all."
Miroku shrugged, trying to figure out where he had gone wrong.
******************************
Kagome and Shippou sat in the room on edge. They couldn't help but feel a little left out. Kagome bit her lip.
"Do you think they're all right?" she asked the little boy, who looked equally apprehensive.
He simply nodded. Kagome kneaded her hands in her lap. She had not been worrying for ten minutes before Inu-Yasha walked into the room, running his fingers through his hair, sighing.
Soon after came Sango, her arms folded across her chest and her face tinged with anger. She walked farther from the door and stood there, tapping her foot.
Finally, Miroku made his way in. He dragged his leg behind him and propped himself up on the desk. He panted and shot a look to Sango, who immediately glanced away. He looked exasperated, then gave up.
"Ouch...is it getting cold in here?" Inu-Yasha asked, trying to brighten the mood. They all kind of smiled.
"So," Kagome started, "do you know where Naraku is now?" She knew it was a longshot, but it was worth a try.
Inu-Yasha shook his head in dismay. "No, nothing. All we know is that he was in a hurry this time."
Suddenly, Kagome's eyes glazed over a little. She became vacant, and a cold wind seemed to surround her, though they were inside. Her voice was monotone. "Inu-Yasha..."
All others in the room stared at her intensely, a little frightened, a little concerned.
"Yes?" Inu-Yasha said uneasily, a little scared as well.
And then, that feeling, that rush that had swept over Kagome was gone, as if it had melted away. She blinked a couple of times, shaking the feeling. "I...I know where he is," she said awkwardly.
Inu-Yasha's eyes widened. "You WHAT?!" Excitement fluttered in his heart.
Kagome shook her head. "I...don't really know. I can...I guess...sense him somehow."
Inu-Yasha hopped over the desk and grasped Kagome's hands in his. "Lead us to him, Kagome!"
Kagome looked down at her hands and their position and blushed a little. She then looked up and nodded, pushing past him toward the door.
"Kaede," she called, "can you watch after Shippou?"
"Aye!" she called back.
Shippou crossed his arms, looking offended. "Hey! Just 'cause I'm the little kid doesn't mean I gotta miss out on everything!" He had to admit, though, he was happy that Kagome was worried about him.
She smiled her apology to him, and he nodded in understanding. "Let's go!" She urged, as she jogged out of the office.
Inu-Yasha shrugged. "I guess a car is out of the question?" He laughed and followed after her.
"Argh!" Miroku cried. "More walking!" He sighed as he limped his way to the door.
Sango walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Hey."
"Huh?" he asked, turning around.
Without his permission, she began supporting him with her shoulder. She walked on.
He smiled at her. "Thanks."
"Just shut up and walk."
******************************
Kagome ran down the block, her dark, wavy hair whipping in her face. As she reached its end, she came to a halt. She looked around warily.
Inu-Yasha jogged up behind her. He slowed to a stop and pushed his hair from his face. "Kagome? Where is he?"
She shook her head. "I've lost his aura," she explained, "He has probably caught on to me."
The investigator sighed. "So now what?" He looked up at the now darkened sky. 'Wow,' he thought, 'how time flies when you're having "fun"...'
Kagome then slipped into her trance once more and pointed down a dark alley. "There."
Sango and Miroku had just caught up, and the other pair had already started running again. "Damn," she whispered under her breath.
Miroku sighed and leaned against a nearby wall. "You can go on without me. I'll be fine."
"No," Sango said, "You're coming." She grabbed his hand and dragged him along the alleyway.
******************************
Kagome ran and ran until her calves burned for rest. She pushed herself to go farther. She continued her crusade, denying her body of respite. But finally, she did stop. Her face changed from exhaustion to disbelief. She looked to the ground.
Inu-Yasha, who stood beside her, looked with worry at the girl. "Kagome," he inquired, "what's the matter?"
"Look," she instructed, pointing, with a trembling finger, to the thing that caused her condition.
He did so. He followed the path of her finger all the way to the end, and his jaw dropped.
Kagome fought back hot tears of rage and fright. "It...it's my house."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yay! It's finally here! I guess I miscalculated; I'm releasing this a day after my author's note, as opposed to a week! It wasn't a very action-packed chapter, nor was it very good. But it is long...O_o; I really don't see how that compensates, though. Lol. Well, I hope liked it, and I promise not to make you wait this long again! R&R! ^_^;;
Ja!
Ko-ko