Chapter III: Getting Samples

Mac and Stella were currently waiting in their SUV outside the mansion of one Inuyasha Taisho…which, conveniently, was close to Central Park. Specifically, close to their crime scene. They looked about the outside ironwork and masonry when a voice sounded from the intercom.

"Yes, what do you want?" The voice asked.

Mac and Stella looked at each other before Mac said, "Detectives Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera, NYPD Crime Lab. We're here to talk to a Mister…Inuyasha Taisho."

The intercom was silent before a younger voice simply said, "Come on in."

The iron gate opened up and the all black SUV rolled up to the front of the mansion. A pair of young men met them at the front of the mansion. One had a teenage look to him, with a brown t-shirt, green sweats, and brown sandals to complete the look. The other young man was dressed entirely in red; red sleeveless t-shirt, neon red boxing trunks, red footie socks, and red tennis shoes. The only thing that wasn't red was the man's skin, his amber eyes, and his silver hair.

"Where can we meet Mr. Taisho, mister…?" Stella asked.

The young man in red gave a little smile and said, "Follow me, Detectives."

The young man in red and the detectives walked through the mansion and stopped in front of a pair of small double doors.

The young man turned and said, "Your host is right in this room."

Stella walked in first, while Mac gave his own grin before walking in and settling himself on a stool. Stella looked shocked when she didn't find anyone anywhere in the self-styled 'gymnasium'. Stella even stepped into the boxing ring that dominated the center of the room. Then, the young man pulled out a pair of boxing gloves and walked into the ring himself.

"There's no one here…unless…" Stella thought out loud before her eyes landed on the young man that showed them in earlier.

Mac laughed a little and said, "Stella, it looks like you fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book."

Stella looked at Mac and said, "Don't tell me that you two know each other?"

Both the young man in red and Mac said, "Nope."

"…and you're Inuyasha Taisho, I presume?" Stella said.

"Yep…although I'm impressed that you didn't fall for my little trick, Detective Taylor." Inuyasha said with a playful smirk.

"Yeah, well, knowing rich people like to be a little eccentric when entertaining guests, I kinda figured that you would be the man in red." Mac said.

"Fine…wanna spar, Detective Bonasera?" Inuyasha asked.

Stella glared at Inuyasha and took off the coat she wore to reveal a white t-shirt with a NYPD badge picture on the front and the words '…to protect and serve' on the back. She then took off her high heels and went to the same box that Inuyasha went to for boxing gloves. Mac could tell that Stella was nursing wounded pride, so he decided to wait out who won.

"I'll let you know, Detective Bonasera, I won't hold back." Inuyasha said with a cocky grin.

Stella grinned back and said, "Good, I'm not going to either."

Then, the match began…

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In another part of the mansion, a lonely figure that looked like it hadn't slept for days walked up to the door to his 'temporary' lodgings, in reality his prison, and started hammering on the door and cried out for the only woman that he never confessed his true feelings for.

"KAGOME!"

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"KAGOME!"

Mac, Stella, and Inuyasha noticed this…wounded animal howl and felt the chill that such a howl brought afterward. Both Mac and Stella noted that the howl felt like someone that just went over the edge in mentality. Inuyasha gave a look that he knew that something just went wrong, but it disappeared quickly and went into the center of the ring.

"Mr. Taisho, is there anyone else in the house with you?" Mac asked.

Inuyasha looked at Mac and said, "Yeah, my older half-brother. I brought him back with me from Tokyo. I found him in not to good a state of mind. See, his girl left him to come to the States, but when the jackass finally saw reason and went to get her…well, he was too late. She had already left. After that, he started to eat less and sleep late to the point where he was about as thin as a bean sprout and had bags under his eyes that would rival John Wayne's horse. I practically drugged him and dragged him here to my home here in Central Park."

Mac looked thoughtful and said, "Would you mind if I collect a sample from him…to rule him out as a suspect."

Inuyasha called one of his butlers over and said, "Would you escort Detective Taylor to my brother's room and see if he's able to get a sample from him?"

"Of course, sir," The butler said before taking Mac with him to Sesshomaru's room.

Inuyasha looked at Stella and said, "Now, where were we?"

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Mac and the butler walked back into the main hallway when Mac noticed that the butler had stopped and started to look around.

"What are you looking for?" Mac asked.

After the butler stopped looking, he said, "Well, I didn't want to say this in front of Mr. Taisho, but lately I've noticed that it's not just his older brother that has developed abnormalities."

"What do you mean?" Mac asked.

"Well, lately, Mr. Taisho has been developing habits that are out of his usual manner." The butler said.

"Such as…" Mac urged to continue.

"Well, lately Mr. Taisho has been asking for strange herbs and spices. Normally, the staff would not object to such a request. I mean, he did get jobs for all of us, and he did usually help out in taking care of the manor and such, but now…" The butler said as they walked slowly up the staircase to the second floor.

"'Now'…what?" Mac asked.

"Well, now, it seems that Mr. Taisho's personality has gone from friendliness to the point of pacifism…to anger to the point of murder. But that's not the worst of it, not by a long shot, sir." The butler said.

"And what is, 'the worst of it', if I may ask?" Mac asked.

"Well…

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And that does it for chapter 3. Hope you like it. Everything will be explained in the next chapter. Don't forget, read and review.

Disclaimers

See chapter 1