Crying Roses
By: Emmy
Part One
------------------
"Come on, Saitou, just stick around!" A man begged, tugging down the edge of his own jacket as it began to ride up over his chubby hips. The man in question quickly shook his head.
"If the rest of today is going to be nothing more than routine questioning, then please spare me." He muttered though the cigarette poking out of the corner of his mouth. He pulled his uniform jacket on and grabbed his briefcase, ready to head home.
The other man, his underling, raised his voice one more time. "Please, Saitou! Just take these three guys! They're all in the same area, they are neighbors around where the murder took place! Please, please, please take them! Their not on my way home and--"
"They're on mine?" Saitou filled in, tapping the ashes of the nearly-burned-out cigarette on the edge of the tray.
His underling, Miki Fumihara bared his teeth in what looked to be an attempt to smile. Only it looked more like a prelude to a grunt. "Yes! Now please take them! They don't even have to be done tonight! Just think of it as homework!" Miki begged, clasping his hands together in a plea. "Please! I'll be yer best friend."
Saitou glared and snatched the papers away from the desperate man, looking over the names headlining the small forms. He looked down at the cigarette in his gloved hand. Burned to the filter. He crushed it in the ashtray and gathered his belonging, walking out of the office. But before he left, he called back into the room, "And you're not to address me as your best friend, Fumihara."
The door shut and Miki glared, puffing out a sigh. "Heh, yer loss."
---------------------------
Saitou stepped into his car, parked in the police parking lot, and read over the addresses. This wouldn't take that long, but it was still a pain to bother with. He buckled his safety belt and pulled out of the parking lot, holding the papers in the same hand he held the steering wheel with. He glanced over the name and sighed. There were four.
'So that bastard Fumihara had snuck and extra one in, did he? Next time we're on patrol, that little dwarf is going to get it.' Saitou thought to himself, gritting his teeth. That man always rubbed him the wrong way... he wasn't sure if it was that pudgy, unshaven face, or his personality. But there was definitely something that pushed his buttons....
"Akio Okoyama... Takayuki Dezaki... Kazuyoshi Sugino... Sanosuke Sagara..." Saitou randomly said, scanning over the names and the pictures. All Japanese citizens... He groaned and scratched his neck as he pulled into the subdivision of the murder. He parked in the circle drive and eyed the house where the yellow 'CAUTION' tape was circling. He looked at the addresses.
2947 belonged to Okoyama, right next to the scene. He looked back down to the papers again. 2951 (2949 would have been the murder scene) belonged to Dezaki, on the other side of the murder. Saitou fiddled around in his pocket for another cigarette. He pulled out the pack and frowned to find out that he only had one left. He decided that he was going to need it for the ride home. Often times, the neighbors were touchy about foiling the image of their perfect neighborhood with the taint of murder, and didn't want to believe any of it. Others thought that they were being questioned about the murder, and got a little too defensive. Either way, Saitou needed to leave that cigarette for the drive home...
He looked at last two addresses. Both Sugino and Sagara were across the street from the scene. Saitou made up his mind to go in order from there, and see how things progressed.
---------------------------
Yes, indeed. It had been another routine questioning. One in which the headache he got was greater than any other element in the investigation. Okoyama had been too stoned to answer any questions, and, from the looks of it, an avid druggy. Saitou would come back the next day when he had time, and indeed talk to the man pumped on neurotics again, so there was no need to worry about that.
Dezaki was one of those nosey neighborhood women that gave Saitou the, "Well, from what I hear she was sleeping around and he found out about her relationship with the male stripper, and thus, proposed a three-some that ended in death." And when he informed her that it was a young boy no more than seven killed, she muttered to herself, "I can't believe what the world's coming to nowadays! Good day, officer!"
Sugino immediately told him that he was nowhere near the house at the time, he was out of the state visiting his kids and his divorced wife, after promptly muttering 'bitch' under his breath. And now there was only one more house to go. A house where a young man in his early twenties lived, by the name of Sanosuke Sagara.
His hand dove into his pocket looking for the box where the single cigarette was, and brought it out. He stuck it between his pressed lips quickly and fumbled with the lighter. He was on his wit's end with morons, and hoped that this wouldn't be another one. Taking a deep draw on the cigarette to calm his nerves, he approached the house. He walked up to the smaller, but well-taken care of house, and gruffly knocked on the door three times. He waited, tapping his foot on the 'Welcome' doormat, that was nicely accented with a splatter of pink paint, and reached up to knock once more.
However, before he could reach the door and knock, the white door opened and he was faced with a handsome, young, shirtless man in the door, peering out with a young girl slung over his shoulder. He blinked as he looked at the officer.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Sagara, I came here to--"
"Shhh!!" He cut Saitou off harshly.
The officer raised an eyebrow.
He quickly added in, "She's sleeping!" In a hushed whisper.
Saitou nodded in acknowledgment. Sanosuke gestured for the man to come in. He glanced at his uniform, gently rocking the girl in a white cotton sun dress and about a dozen pink bows in her hair. Saitou followed the youth into a living room, where toys were cast all over the floor. He looked over to the officer and quickly mouthed, "I'll be right back! Gotta put her to sleep!"
Saitou nodded as the brunette disappeared up the stairs. He looked around the room where he saw a few Barbies, legos, and Barbies in lego towers cast aimlessly around the room. In a matter of moment, the young man wearing only a pair of draw-string pants was back in the room, yawning and looking at Saitou. "What can I do for ya, officer?"
"Well I--"
He was abruptly cut off as Sanosuke snatched the cigarette from the man's lips and crushed it, quickly disposing of it in the trash can. Saitou's words lingered in his mouth as he watched the youth walk back from where he had thrown it away, and smiled.
"Sorry 'bout that. But it's bad for kid's lungs, ya know?" The young man explained, as if he just justified everything.
Saitou gritted his teeth. "I see."
"So what is it?" Sanosuke asked again, throwing a glance down to the floor. "Sorry it's such a mess! I wasn't really expectin' any company today or else I would have asked Aya to clean up her stuff..."
"It's no bother. I came here today to ask about the murder that happened across the street from you." Saitou stated drably, searching vainly in his pocket for something that would keep him occupied.
Sanosuke's face fell for a moment as he asked, "You mean Mamoru? Little kid?"
"Yes, I do. You knew the family?" Saitou asked as his hand found his lighter, which he settled for, squeezing the small cylinder for dear life.
"I did. Aya used to play with him a lot. She had a big crush on him, and I used to take them both to the park once in a while, when I had time." Sanosuke finished, crossing his arms over his chest.
'A nicely toned chest.' Saitou added mentally with a small smirk on his face. But then he quickly dismissed the fact.
"Do you have any idea who would have done it?" Saitou asked.
Sanosuke shrugged. "Usually when people kill kids, it's because they're fucking nuts themselves or they had a bone to pick with the parents, right? You work in homicide, and isn't that what usually happens?"
Saitou nodded, "But those aren't the only reason. Some times the child--"
"I don't think that it had to do with Mamoru at all. He was a sweet kid. But his parents are into politics and all that shit, ya might want to check that out, look for enemies of the family. That's what my first guess would be." Sanosuke stated.
"I didn't ask for your opinion on suspects, I was just going to ask if you saw anything suspicious on that night." Saitou stated quickly, the boy's arrogance grating his nerves.
Sanosuke glared. "No. I was out taking Aya to a movie that night. She was nearly scared to death, coming home to all the sirens and flashing lights."
"You're a very responsible baby-sitter. Who are her parents?" Saitou asked, looking the boy over. It couldn't have been his. According to the profile he was twenty-one, and that girl looked to be about four or five.
Sanosuke glowered at the man. "I adopted her. I am her father."
Saitou raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, it seems like you're doing a fair enough job." And he turned his back to leave.
"I didn't ask you for your opinion on the subject." Sanosuke spat back. He wasn't getting along with this cop. He had offered him his input, and had gotten nothing but smart-assed answers back.
Saitou left quickly, shutting the door behind him.
Sanosuke shook his head, placing his hands on his hips, muttering under his breath, "Yeah, see if I ever give back to my fuckin' country again."
He paused as he heard a faint crying coming from upstairs. He ran up the steps quickly, took a deep breath, and looked into the room where Aya was peering out from under the covers, sea-green eyes filled with tears. She sniffed a few times and spread her arms as Sanosuke came to sit down on the edge of the bed. Sanosuke smiled at her and scooped her into his arms, kissing her on the nose.
"Now what is it, Aya-chan?"
"Aya had a bad dream..." She said, trailing off, gripping Sanosuke's shoulder.
Sanosuke pulled her away and pressed his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "Oh? And what was the dream about?"
"There was a big scary-man chasing Aya! He was trying to eat Aya up!" The girl gushed, tugging on Sanosuke's ears.
Sanosuke grinned. "Well I can beat the shit out of that man, Aya-chan! If he comes after ya again, you know what I'm gonna do?"
"Beat the shit out of him!" Aya chanted with a small giggle.
Sanosuke nodded, smiling and giving her a kiss on the forehead. He scooped up the little girl into his arms. "Here, I'll be here, and when you see that man, point him out so I can beat him up, all right?"
Aya nodded, lulling her head in the crook of Sanosuke's neck. "Yay! Daddy's a super hewo!!" She chanted over and over again.
Sano bounced her down the stairs, heading down to get a bit to eat from himself. "And what super hero am I?" Sanosuke asked, leaning over to peck the small girl on the cheek.
She giggled. "We're a super hewo team!"
"And what team would that be, babe?" Sanosuke asked, opening the refrigerator, and pulling out a carton of milk.
"We're Powerpuff Girls!!" She giggled.
Sano had been drinking out of the carton, and nearly sprayed all the milk he had been drinking back into it. He cocked his head to look at the content girl "We're the Powerpuff Girls?"
She bobbed her head up and down with a grin. "You're Buttercup and I'm Bubbles!"
Sanosuke chuckled. "And who's Blossom?"
Aya had a very quizzical look on her face. "Teddy!" She finally determined, referring to a stuffed bunny.
"Well, there we go. Now is there anything that you want to eat?" Her adopted father asked, giving her an angle to peer into the refrigerator.
She shook her head visciously. "No! I have to save the world 'fore bedtime!"
---------------------------------
End of part one
By: Emmy
Part One
------------------
"Come on, Saitou, just stick around!" A man begged, tugging down the edge of his own jacket as it began to ride up over his chubby hips. The man in question quickly shook his head.
"If the rest of today is going to be nothing more than routine questioning, then please spare me." He muttered though the cigarette poking out of the corner of his mouth. He pulled his uniform jacket on and grabbed his briefcase, ready to head home.
The other man, his underling, raised his voice one more time. "Please, Saitou! Just take these three guys! They're all in the same area, they are neighbors around where the murder took place! Please, please, please take them! Their not on my way home and--"
"They're on mine?" Saitou filled in, tapping the ashes of the nearly-burned-out cigarette on the edge of the tray.
His underling, Miki Fumihara bared his teeth in what looked to be an attempt to smile. Only it looked more like a prelude to a grunt. "Yes! Now please take them! They don't even have to be done tonight! Just think of it as homework!" Miki begged, clasping his hands together in a plea. "Please! I'll be yer best friend."
Saitou glared and snatched the papers away from the desperate man, looking over the names headlining the small forms. He looked down at the cigarette in his gloved hand. Burned to the filter. He crushed it in the ashtray and gathered his belonging, walking out of the office. But before he left, he called back into the room, "And you're not to address me as your best friend, Fumihara."
The door shut and Miki glared, puffing out a sigh. "Heh, yer loss."
---------------------------
Saitou stepped into his car, parked in the police parking lot, and read over the addresses. This wouldn't take that long, but it was still a pain to bother with. He buckled his safety belt and pulled out of the parking lot, holding the papers in the same hand he held the steering wheel with. He glanced over the name and sighed. There were four.
'So that bastard Fumihara had snuck and extra one in, did he? Next time we're on patrol, that little dwarf is going to get it.' Saitou thought to himself, gritting his teeth. That man always rubbed him the wrong way... he wasn't sure if it was that pudgy, unshaven face, or his personality. But there was definitely something that pushed his buttons....
"Akio Okoyama... Takayuki Dezaki... Kazuyoshi Sugino... Sanosuke Sagara..." Saitou randomly said, scanning over the names and the pictures. All Japanese citizens... He groaned and scratched his neck as he pulled into the subdivision of the murder. He parked in the circle drive and eyed the house where the yellow 'CAUTION' tape was circling. He looked at the addresses.
2947 belonged to Okoyama, right next to the scene. He looked back down to the papers again. 2951 (2949 would have been the murder scene) belonged to Dezaki, on the other side of the murder. Saitou fiddled around in his pocket for another cigarette. He pulled out the pack and frowned to find out that he only had one left. He decided that he was going to need it for the ride home. Often times, the neighbors were touchy about foiling the image of their perfect neighborhood with the taint of murder, and didn't want to believe any of it. Others thought that they were being questioned about the murder, and got a little too defensive. Either way, Saitou needed to leave that cigarette for the drive home...
He looked at last two addresses. Both Sugino and Sagara were across the street from the scene. Saitou made up his mind to go in order from there, and see how things progressed.
---------------------------
Yes, indeed. It had been another routine questioning. One in which the headache he got was greater than any other element in the investigation. Okoyama had been too stoned to answer any questions, and, from the looks of it, an avid druggy. Saitou would come back the next day when he had time, and indeed talk to the man pumped on neurotics again, so there was no need to worry about that.
Dezaki was one of those nosey neighborhood women that gave Saitou the, "Well, from what I hear she was sleeping around and he found out about her relationship with the male stripper, and thus, proposed a three-some that ended in death." And when he informed her that it was a young boy no more than seven killed, she muttered to herself, "I can't believe what the world's coming to nowadays! Good day, officer!"
Sugino immediately told him that he was nowhere near the house at the time, he was out of the state visiting his kids and his divorced wife, after promptly muttering 'bitch' under his breath. And now there was only one more house to go. A house where a young man in his early twenties lived, by the name of Sanosuke Sagara.
His hand dove into his pocket looking for the box where the single cigarette was, and brought it out. He stuck it between his pressed lips quickly and fumbled with the lighter. He was on his wit's end with morons, and hoped that this wouldn't be another one. Taking a deep draw on the cigarette to calm his nerves, he approached the house. He walked up to the smaller, but well-taken care of house, and gruffly knocked on the door three times. He waited, tapping his foot on the 'Welcome' doormat, that was nicely accented with a splatter of pink paint, and reached up to knock once more.
However, before he could reach the door and knock, the white door opened and he was faced with a handsome, young, shirtless man in the door, peering out with a young girl slung over his shoulder. He blinked as he looked at the officer.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Sagara, I came here to--"
"Shhh!!" He cut Saitou off harshly.
The officer raised an eyebrow.
He quickly added in, "She's sleeping!" In a hushed whisper.
Saitou nodded in acknowledgment. Sanosuke gestured for the man to come in. He glanced at his uniform, gently rocking the girl in a white cotton sun dress and about a dozen pink bows in her hair. Saitou followed the youth into a living room, where toys were cast all over the floor. He looked over to the officer and quickly mouthed, "I'll be right back! Gotta put her to sleep!"
Saitou nodded as the brunette disappeared up the stairs. He looked around the room where he saw a few Barbies, legos, and Barbies in lego towers cast aimlessly around the room. In a matter of moment, the young man wearing only a pair of draw-string pants was back in the room, yawning and looking at Saitou. "What can I do for ya, officer?"
"Well I--"
He was abruptly cut off as Sanosuke snatched the cigarette from the man's lips and crushed it, quickly disposing of it in the trash can. Saitou's words lingered in his mouth as he watched the youth walk back from where he had thrown it away, and smiled.
"Sorry 'bout that. But it's bad for kid's lungs, ya know?" The young man explained, as if he just justified everything.
Saitou gritted his teeth. "I see."
"So what is it?" Sanosuke asked again, throwing a glance down to the floor. "Sorry it's such a mess! I wasn't really expectin' any company today or else I would have asked Aya to clean up her stuff..."
"It's no bother. I came here today to ask about the murder that happened across the street from you." Saitou stated drably, searching vainly in his pocket for something that would keep him occupied.
Sanosuke's face fell for a moment as he asked, "You mean Mamoru? Little kid?"
"Yes, I do. You knew the family?" Saitou asked as his hand found his lighter, which he settled for, squeezing the small cylinder for dear life.
"I did. Aya used to play with him a lot. She had a big crush on him, and I used to take them both to the park once in a while, when I had time." Sanosuke finished, crossing his arms over his chest.
'A nicely toned chest.' Saitou added mentally with a small smirk on his face. But then he quickly dismissed the fact.
"Do you have any idea who would have done it?" Saitou asked.
Sanosuke shrugged. "Usually when people kill kids, it's because they're fucking nuts themselves or they had a bone to pick with the parents, right? You work in homicide, and isn't that what usually happens?"
Saitou nodded, "But those aren't the only reason. Some times the child--"
"I don't think that it had to do with Mamoru at all. He was a sweet kid. But his parents are into politics and all that shit, ya might want to check that out, look for enemies of the family. That's what my first guess would be." Sanosuke stated.
"I didn't ask for your opinion on suspects, I was just going to ask if you saw anything suspicious on that night." Saitou stated quickly, the boy's arrogance grating his nerves.
Sanosuke glared. "No. I was out taking Aya to a movie that night. She was nearly scared to death, coming home to all the sirens and flashing lights."
"You're a very responsible baby-sitter. Who are her parents?" Saitou asked, looking the boy over. It couldn't have been his. According to the profile he was twenty-one, and that girl looked to be about four or five.
Sanosuke glowered at the man. "I adopted her. I am her father."
Saitou raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, it seems like you're doing a fair enough job." And he turned his back to leave.
"I didn't ask you for your opinion on the subject." Sanosuke spat back. He wasn't getting along with this cop. He had offered him his input, and had gotten nothing but smart-assed answers back.
Saitou left quickly, shutting the door behind him.
Sanosuke shook his head, placing his hands on his hips, muttering under his breath, "Yeah, see if I ever give back to my fuckin' country again."
He paused as he heard a faint crying coming from upstairs. He ran up the steps quickly, took a deep breath, and looked into the room where Aya was peering out from under the covers, sea-green eyes filled with tears. She sniffed a few times and spread her arms as Sanosuke came to sit down on the edge of the bed. Sanosuke smiled at her and scooped her into his arms, kissing her on the nose.
"Now what is it, Aya-chan?"
"Aya had a bad dream..." She said, trailing off, gripping Sanosuke's shoulder.
Sanosuke pulled her away and pressed his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "Oh? And what was the dream about?"
"There was a big scary-man chasing Aya! He was trying to eat Aya up!" The girl gushed, tugging on Sanosuke's ears.
Sanosuke grinned. "Well I can beat the shit out of that man, Aya-chan! If he comes after ya again, you know what I'm gonna do?"
"Beat the shit out of him!" Aya chanted with a small giggle.
Sanosuke nodded, smiling and giving her a kiss on the forehead. He scooped up the little girl into his arms. "Here, I'll be here, and when you see that man, point him out so I can beat him up, all right?"
Aya nodded, lulling her head in the crook of Sanosuke's neck. "Yay! Daddy's a super hewo!!" She chanted over and over again.
Sano bounced her down the stairs, heading down to get a bit to eat from himself. "And what super hero am I?" Sanosuke asked, leaning over to peck the small girl on the cheek.
She giggled. "We're a super hewo team!"
"And what team would that be, babe?" Sanosuke asked, opening the refrigerator, and pulling out a carton of milk.
"We're Powerpuff Girls!!" She giggled.
Sano had been drinking out of the carton, and nearly sprayed all the milk he had been drinking back into it. He cocked his head to look at the content girl "We're the Powerpuff Girls?"
She bobbed her head up and down with a grin. "You're Buttercup and I'm Bubbles!"
Sanosuke chuckled. "And who's Blossom?"
Aya had a very quizzical look on her face. "Teddy!" She finally determined, referring to a stuffed bunny.
"Well, there we go. Now is there anything that you want to eat?" Her adopted father asked, giving her an angle to peer into the refrigerator.
She shook her head visciously. "No! I have to save the world 'fore bedtime!"
---------------------------------
End of part one