Author's Notes: This chapter was revised on January 24, 2006.

--------------------------------------------

-June 6th-

Entry at 12:49PM

I looked at the sight before me. The door itself was shattered into wooden shards, Bankotsu was lying with his back against what remained and Suikotsu was positioned on top of him like a lion with its prey. The knife was beginning to be pressed slowly into skin of Bankotsu's neck, causing a trail of blood to trickle down.

"Stand back Kagome," Inuyasha said pushing me further away.

I just stared in shock- we had to do something. Suikotsu looked mad, and if we didn't act quickly, who knew what he might do to Bankotsu.

"Keh, it looks like I'll have to handle this."

Inuyasha started walking over to the two lying against the fallen door, when Bankotsu's sharp voice yelled out.

"Don't get any closer, I've almost got him!"

"Almost got him? He has a knife at your throat!"

"Inuyasha he's known him longer, just trust him okay?" I tried to reason with him, adding any more tension to this scenario wasn't the best idea.

"Fine, but if he gets killed it's not my fault for not stepping in then," Inuyasha spat as he returned to my side.

Bankotsu continued staring intently at the figure poised above him, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Then, in a movement so quick I couldn't make it out, Bankotsu had wrenched the knife from Suikotsu's hands, pinned him in a headlock and was motioning to Mukotsu to get the sedative.

I breathed a sigh of relief. That was just a little too close, but I guess the leader of the Kotsu gang should be able to handle such a situation. The shorter man made his way quickly over and administered the sedative, causing the once struggling figure to fall limp in Bankotsu's arms.

"Mukotsu, you got anything for when he comes to?" Bankotsu said, starting to drag the body into the room and wiping what little blood remained on his neck away.

He nodded in reply, "I've got one I can mix up fairly fast, I would've had more but whoever trashed my place the night before last took the one elixir I wanted to use."

"Someone trashed your place?"

"Sure did. Took a couple elixirs and left it a wreck."

Obviously thinking the same as I about the coincidence of that happening the same night Jakotsu went missing, Bankotsu paused and replied, "We need to talk about that once we get Suikotsu fixed up, you got that?"

"Okay."

Bankotsu turned in our direction, "Feel free to come on in while we take care of Suikotsu, just be careful where you step, the idiot trashed his place again."

I nodded and followed him into the apartment, pausing upon seeing the damage. The room looked like it had been destroyed by a tornado, a hurricane, or some other major natural disaster. Shelves had been overturned, furniture displaced, and the floor covered by a layer of junk.

"Just push it onto the floor," He muttered to Mukotsu in regards to the debris filled couch. The shorter nodded, and did as told; then Suikotsu was laid upon the disheveled sofa. Mukotsu subsequently made his way into the kitchen to mix up the new medicine. It was then I noticed that Inuyasha was still standing outside the doorway, arms crossed and glaring into the room. I made my way over to him.

"What's your problem?"

"Let's just ask the questions we need to ask and go. I'm sick of wasting time on these people."

"Now Inuyasha, just because you met them last week on different terms doesn't mean that we should give them secondary treatment now that they are in trouble. I mean, what if they were the detectives and we were the gang members- and suddenly, I went missing. Wouldn't you ask them for help?"

"No. I would take care of it myself."

I sighed; this wasn't getting anywhere, "What if you couldn't take care of it yourself?"

"Keh, this is stupid Kagome."

I frowned, and yelled into his face, "Bankotsu's looking for someone he cares deeply about Inuyasha, and if you won't cooperate and help me find Jakotsu- then we will take care of the case without you!"

He blinked a couple of times, and acted like he was just about to fight back when Bankotsu appeared in the doorway.

"Are you giving Kagome a hard time again? She really should get a better partner; apparently you just aren't man enough for her."

Before Bankotsu could finish, Inuyasha had swung a fist at him, but it was easily dodged.

"Oh, did I hit a soft-spot tough boy?"

"Shut up, ya fairy!"

Punches flew, and punches were blocked. I tried to keep my distance for fear they would forget my presence and hit me in the crossfire; meanwhile, I attempted to get them to stop.

"Come on you two, this isn't the time to be fighting like three-year olds!"

"Kagome, I don't care if you like this bastard, but I'm not letting him lay a hand on you!"

"Oh, so now you're getting defensive of her. Just had to threaten your position eh?"

"Shut up!"

Inuyasha's fist collided with Bankotsu's side, and he doubled over.

"Keh, that'll show ya!"

Bankotsu looked up and smirked- planting a punch square into Inuyasha's jaw.

"And that will show you to not let your guard down."

I started to go towards him, but Inuyasha shook his head 'no' and gestured for me to stay back. He then wiped off the trail of blood that ran down his face, and made one last attempt to get in the last hit. But, the punch was stopped- by a now bandaged and calmed Suikotsu.

"Calm down you two, you are in the presence of a lady. You shouldn't be upsetting her," He said, easily holding back Inuyasha's attack.

"Suikotsu, don't interrupt our fight," Bankotsu said, a hand holding his side.

"I'd like to see either of you continue this without bleeding all over the floor. Come on, call it a truce for now."

"Fine…" He replied, angrily glancing away.

Inuyasha glared for a moment, then muttered his reply, "Keh."

Mukotsu crossed his arms upon seeing us enter. "Great, I just get Suikotsu fixed and now you two had to go and bang each other up. I suppose I've got some gauze left…"

As we waded through the sea of odds and ends littering the floor, Inuyasha stepped down on something, causing it to start singing. He paused and lifted the item in question off the floor.

"What the...who in the hell would want a singing banana?"

Bankotsu suspiciously glared at Suikotsu, "Hey, that's Jakotsu's! Why do you have it here?"

"I don't remember ever seeing that until now actually," The brown-haired man said scratching his head.

A quick motion barely registered in my eyes before I realized that Bankotsu had pinned Suikotsu to the wall. "If you've laid one hand on him, I swear I'll rip your heart out right now. I don't want any bullshit; tell me why you have that!"

The room went silent as we waited for the reply.

"Tell me damnit!"

"I told you, I don't know how I got it. I've never seen it 'til now."

"Don't you dare lie to me, Suikotsu."

I looked to the discarded item that had caused the fuss in the first place, noticing that around the banana there was a ribbon tied to something else that was buried on the floor.

"What's this…" I muttered to myself as I dislodged the other object.

"A toy lion?" Inuyasha questioned.

Seemingly forgetting the angry braided-man pinning him against the wall, Suikotsu yelled out, "Hey! Leave Leo alone!"

"Leo?" The room chorused in disbelief.

"It was a gift from my mother when I was little," We continued to look at him with narrowed eyes. "Hey don't look at me like I'm a wimp, I was close to my mother!"

Bankotsu released his grip slightly, and turned to get a better look at the plush feline.

"There's a note," I said upon discovering it, "It reads: Dear Suikotsu, I left the banana Bankotsu got me for Christmas with Leo so he wouldn't be lonely. I hope you get your medicine fixed soon- Jakotsu." As I finished, I heard a sigh from nearby.

"He would do something like that. Always trying to perk everyone else up; that's Jakotsu for you. Sorry about that, Suikotsu…"

I turned to see that Bankotsu had released his intended prey and was dragging a hand down his face.

"Bankotsu, are you going to be…" Suikotsu's concern was cut short as the dark-haired man's fist impacted the wall then dropped loosely to his side.

"Damnit. Where are you, Jakotsu?" He muttered, uncaring of the blood pouring out of the gashes in his knuckles.

Mukotsu flung his hands in the air, "Okay, I'm not the emergency room here people- I only have so much gauze, bandages and medicine for all of you intent on bleeding yourselves to death."

"Sorry Mukotsu, I'm just…"

"I know, you're upset and that's expected, but I doubt Jakotsu wants to come home to find you in a wheelchair from self-inflicted injuries."

He just smiled in reply, and then sighed as he surveyed the room. "Sheesh Suikotsu, you trashed this worse than last time."

"But the store was out of Sunkist, Bankotsu. They're never out!"

"Then drink orange juice instead of losing your temper and causing hundreds worth of damage to your apartment"

"Orange juice doesn't have that same artificial, plastic-y, taste that I like."

"You are one strange guy."

"Yes, we are...I mean, I am."

Bankotsu shook his head and sat down on the sofa, Mukotsu followed, "I can fix that hand up some while I tell you about what some punks did to my place."

"That's right, what happened? You said they took some elixirs."

"Well, as I said, it was the night before last, so that makes it…hmmm, the earlier hours of the fifth."

I listened intently, and sat down on the other sofa next to Inuyasha; that was the night Jakotsu disappeared and maybe there was a connection.

"So, what happened?"

"Jakotsu had dropped by for a little while around midnight, just to talk. Then Suikotsu came by with some medicine issues, so I told him I'd mix up something for him that night. I was just started in on it when Renkotsu dropped by. He was just waiting there 'til he was supposed to meet with Jakotsu. At least that what's he told me; seemed strange that he was meeting with Jakotsu all of a sudden like that though. Anyway, I told him that I needed to run to the local 24-hour drugstore to get something for Suikotsu's medicine, and he said he needed to be leaving himself anyway. So he left, and I left. And when I came back- my place was wrecked. Lots of things broken and well…um…" He paused and looked hesitantly over at Inuyasha and I.

Bankotsu nodded, "It's okay, they won't throw their clients in jail…at least I would hope not," He glared a bit to assure his point.

I laughed nervously, "It would depend on what you are confessing to whether we can ignore it or not."

"Go on, Mukotsu."

"If you say so Bankotsu. So whoever it was took only the deadliest ones I had and what I was mixing for Suikotsu."

"The deadly ones? All of them?"

"Yea, all of them."

"Shit…" Bankotsu said running a hand through his bangs, "I just hope whoever stole those isn't involved with Jakotsu. Those don't have any antidotes, do they?"

"If it's the elixirs I was able to determine were missing…no, there isn't one."

"Damnit…"

Mukotsu turned to us, "So pretty lady, you think there's a connection?"

I blinked, pretty lady? "Err…it could be possible. About what time was that?"

"About two in the morning, I believe."

"Hmm…and Jakotsu went missing about three. It is a possibility, but it's not definite yet."

"And if it's not definite, you shouldn't worry about it, Bankotsu," Suikotsu said sitting beside him.

"Until I know Jakotsu is alive and safe, I can't help but worry.

I was about to say something as well, when I noticed Mukotsu sideling up next to me.

"I'm sure this lovely lady will not let you down Bankotsu, I bet she can find him for you, He turned towards me, "And don't you worry, unlike Bankotsu, I'm not taken…yet."

"Eheh…" I quickly scooted away from him, and ended up falling into Inuyasha's lap.

He glared at the short man, "Hey, leave Kagome alone!"

Mukotsu sighed, "Oh, I should have known that she was taken. You're such a lucky man to have such a beautiful girl at your side.

Inuyasha twitched, and turned away. I could've sworn he was blushing…and I know I was.

Luckily, Mukotsu has turned his attention back to Bankotsu, and was now sitting in front of him on what appeared to be an upturned trashcan.

"So why exactly did Jakotsu leave the other night from your place?

"He said he was meeting with Renkotsu for some reason."

"So Renkotsu wasn't lying to me about that. You know, I still find that strange. Jakotsu's never gotten along that well with him. Are you sure that you didn't you do something to upset him, or get a little rough with him?"

"Mukotsu, I would never do that!"

"Yeah, Bankotsu is not the type to bitch-slap people."

At that Bankotsu, just frowned at Suikotsu "You two aren't helping any. Suikotsu, why don't you start cleaning up."

"And you aren't helping?"

"I'm going to be the one paying for your door."

"Oh right…" He said as he started picking up things and trying to tilt shelves back upright. Meanwhile, Mukotsu had turned back in my direction.

"So what clues have you found so far?"

"Just a shred of white cloth and a gold ring."

At the words 'gold ring' Suikotsu froze, and ran over, and dragged me into the kitchen with him.

"Suikotsu, what in the…"

"The ring, do you have it with you?"

"Um…no. Why? Do you know what it is?"

"I need you to give that ring to me."

"Excuse me?"

"I need that ring before Bankotsu knows more about it."

I narrowed my eyes, he was clearly hiding something, "And what is it that he shouldn't know about it?"

"I can't tell you, just let me have it."

"It's a piece of evidence; I have to keep it until this case is closed."

"Okay, fine…just don't let Bankotsu get a good look at it or anything. It'll upset him."

"Upset him? Why?"

"I can't say why either, but it has to do with Jakotsu, so it'll upset him."

It has to do with Jakotsu, but Bankotsu said he didn't wear a ring. What is Suikotsu hiding from me? I thought to myself, until a voice in the doorway snapped me out of my concentration.

"Kagome, what's this about?" Inuyasha said, glaring at Suikotsu.

"He thinks something about that ring might upset Bankotsu."

"Why?"

"Something to do with Jakotsu."

"And he's not talking, then I'll make him talk," Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and approached the brown-haired man.

"I'm sorry, but I swore to Jakotsu I wouldn't tell Bankotsu about it."

A punch stopped mid-air right before impacting on Suikotsu. "You promised Jakotsu something?"

"Inuyasha let him talk."

"I can't say much, I wouldn't want to break that promise to Jakotsu. You understand right?"

I nodded, "All right, we'll try to not bring it up around Bankotsu, but if we find out it's connected to another clue, we might have to make you tell us more about it."

"I understand, sorry about this," He said bowing slightly and retreating into the other room.

"He's hiding something, Kagome," Inuyasha muttered as he left.

"I know, but what?"

"I'm not sure. And since he does have that other personality, it's possible even he doesn't know."

"Watch where you're swinging that shelf you idiot!" Bankotsu's voice echoed from the other room.

"We should go back in before they get the wrong idea."

"Keh," He muttered and followed me back into the living room.

Suikotsu had returned to trying to fix the apartment up and currently was picking up odds and ends off the floor.

"Well, unless you can think of anything else, Mukotsu, we need to be getting back to the office to go over some more evidence," I said headed for the door.

"Nothing else that comes to mind at the moment, Missy."

Bankotsu stood to come with us, when Suikotsu stopped him, "Wait, just a second. Let me find those things you let me borrow before you go."

"Suikotsu, with your apartment looking like this- that could take years."

"But I think there was something Jakotsu left for you in that CD case; you might want that."

Bankotsu paused, and then joined Suikotsu in his search through the junk.

"What did he leave in there?"

"I'm not sure, but when he was over here that afternoon, I saw him stick something in the case once I told him it was your CD. He said it was important and that I should return the CD to you the next time I saw you."

"I see."

The two continued rummaging through the mass of things blanketing the floor, while Inuyasha stood in the doorway, sulking. I mouthed to him, "Just be patient, we're leaving soon."

About then, Suikotsu held up a small black clip, "Oh, here's your porn clip back."

Inuyasha blinked, then turned slightly green muttering, "I don't want to know about him and his porn clip..."

Bankotsu, on the other hand, sighed and pried it from his hands, "I've told you a thousand times, it's a parn clip. P-A-R-N. Not porn!"

Mukotsu just laughed, "A clip eh? Is that some sex toy or..."

Bankotsu ran a hand down his face, "It's for my gun!"

I turned at the sound of coughing next to me to see that Inuyasha looked like he was about to throw-up.

"Your gun? Is that what you guys call it these days?"

"Mukotsu…." He warned, "I am not in the mood for this."

"Here it is!" Suikotsu said holding up a CD case triumphantly.

Inuyasha glanced at it, and hmmphed, "What kind of stupid band name is NG-Sandrock?"

The owner of it glared in return, "Hey, it's mine and Jakotsu's favorite band. Back off."

He quickly opened the case, and pulled out a piece of paper tucked inside. Slowly, he began to read it aloud.

"Bankotsu- I got a surprise for you. The band's having a concert in three weeks here in town, and I was able to steal some front row tickets for us. I know you've wanted to see them perform live, so I made sure to get front row. I hope you like it. Love- Jakotsu"

By the time he finished it, I could tell he was taking all his inner strength to keep himself from crying in front of everyone. I was just about to go over to comfort him, when I saw that Suikotsu and Mukotsu had beaten me to it.

"I'm sorry Bankotsu, if I'd known that it…"

"Don't blame yourself. You didn't know."

Suikotsu knelt down beside him, and swung an arm around his shoulders. "Come on now, we'll find him. I'm sure we can find him."

"Everything will be fine, we'll find Jakotsu for ya and things will go back to the way it always was. You just have to stay strong 'til then," Mukotsu added

He forced a weak smile in return, "Thanks guys, I'll try."

"Now as much as I'd like to have you stay around here and help me pick up things, it seems like your two detectives need to be going," Suikotsu said, noting us waiting by the doorframe.

"I guess I'd best go then," He stood and walked over to us, then paused, "I'll send the money for the door soon, don't get out of control anymore if you can help it; okay Suikotsu?"

"I'll try to keep him in check."

"Good."

That said we headed out the doorway and down to the car.

It was a quiet drive back to the office, but I could see that Bankotsu was re-reading the note over and over out of the corner of my eye. I was about to comment, when Inuyasha spoke up.

"Hey Bankotsu, you think Suikotsu might have done something to Jakotsu when he wasn't himself?"

"Inuyasha…" I said threateningly.

"What? Okay, so I'm not trying to accuse him; I'm just saying it's a possibility."

"He never has done anything before, but…" Bankotsu paused, "You saw how he got with me today- with the knife and all. He's not been himself lately with all these medication problems. Even his other self hasn't been typical."

"So you're saying that…"

"Kagome, it is a possibility; but deep down, Suikotsu wouldn't do something like that, so I honestly don't think it was him," Bankotsu stated.

I nodded, I knew that I still had to keep it in mind as a lead though; especially with the way he acted about that gold ring.

We arrived at the office, and had all intentions of returning to the tapes, but Miroku and Sango had returned.

"Kagome, you'll never believe it!" Sango said tugging at my sleeve.

"What? Did you find something?"

"We both saw someone coming out of a warehouse with a small dagger."

"A dagger? What did they look like?"

While our conversation progressed, I saw that Inuyasha had made his way to my desk chair and that Bankotsu was looking out the window.

"Well," Miroku started, "She was fairly tall, gorgeous figure. Her hips and her chest were absolutely divine. I think she's about a C-cup and in that red oriental dress, with that slit up the leg, I could…"

He halted when Sango's hand impacted with the back of his head, "She wants a description not a playboy model's measurements."

"Eheh…" I laughed nervously. If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that you didn't come between those two when Sango was annoyed with him.

"Okay Kagome, here's the proper description: she was perhaps about my height, dark black hair pulled up with what appeared to be a small hair ornament of sorts, her eyes appeared to be a deep red and…"

"Did she look like that?" Bankotsu said pointing out the window.

In a rush, the four of us detectives had made our way over.

"That's her all right," Miroku confirmed.

The female in question was getting out of a black car parked down on the street, but the car had two other passengers. "Wait a minute. Inuyasha, isn't that…"

"Great- my brother's new girlfriend is working for a psychopath. Just what my family life needed," He sighed realizing whom the tall-white-haired figure I pointed to was.

"That's your brother?" Bankotsu questioned.

"That's my half-brother, the kid he adopted and our current suspect," He replied, pointing to the three people.

"Do you think that Sesshoumaru really is working against us?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like they are coming up here to talk to us, so I guess we'll know soon enough."

-------------------------------------------

Preview for Chapter 5: It seems Miroku and Sango have finally gotten a lead on the Naraku case, but the person they suspect seems to be connected with Sesshoumaru already. Will Sesshoumaru be willing to help them out, or has he switched sides?