Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. In fact, I don't own anything. So no one can sue me. Mwaha.
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What the hell is that?
He knew what this was. He was sure he did. Somewhere, in the depths of his mind, it was registering as something important….
"Who let the dogs out? Woof, woof, woof, woof! Who let the dogs out?"
"Ah, shit!" Inuyasha said, throwing the covers away from him and reaching over to his cell phone. He felt his hand grasping it in the dark and immediately flipped it open, shoving it next to his ear. "What?"
"Wakie, wakie!"
Inuyasha was silent. "Hell no."
"I know what you're thinking, but don't hang up," Miroku said. "We have a special job to do today."
"Yeah, the one we do every day," Inuyasha said. "Why the hell are you calling me at—" It occurred to Inuyasha that he didn't know what time it was, "—whatever time it is?"
"It's ten o'clock," Miroku said. "And time for you to be getting up."
"Ten? Is that even on a clock?"
"At least you're awake enough to be joking around. C'mon! Time to go to school!"
"I already did that," Inuyasha said, yawning. He sat up in his bed and wiped his eyes, well aware that Miroku would pester him until he got up if he didn't do so himself.
"If you're a good boy, I'll even let you punch someone."
Inuyasha was further intrigued by this statement, though the words that slipped from his lips sounded oddly like, "Go to hell."
"Now that I know you're awake, the next step is actually to get out of the bed."
Inuyasha looked around for cameras. He was sure Miroku had installed him, the way he just knew what Inuyasha was doing at all times, but he had yet to be successful in locating them.
"Hurry up, Inuyasha, we don't have all day. In fact, you only have half an hour."
"Then I'm going back to bed for twenty-nine more minutes."
"Ha, but you can't go back to bed now. We both know that. So get up and start getting dressed while I tell you about your day."
"Since when did you become my superior?" Inuyasha said, placing his cell phone on speaker.
"Just listen. I've arranged with the nice student administrator—see how kindness pays off?—for you to pretend to be Kagome for today."
Inuyasha stopped midway to his closet. "I am not cross-dressing."
Miroku laughed. "However entertaining that would be to see, you misunderstand me. Your job is to go around and participate in all her classes, ask questions, interview people, the works. I promised her you wouldn't cause any trouble, though."
"I take no responsibility for your promises," Inuyasha said, now peering into his closet. He was sure there was something clean in here somewhere….
"You also don't do what I say, but look? You're already out of bed."
Once more Inuyasha peered about for the cameras. "I'm just going to do my job."
"Yes, and part of your job is to 'keep the peace' or something like that."
"I've always disagreed with the rules of my job."
"I've always disagreed with the qualifications to get your job."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means that Kikyo probably did laundry for you again, so check the dryer."
Maybe he had somehow programmed Inuyasha's cell phone to be a camera. He grabbed his phone and took it with him to the garage, listening to Miroku's pointless babble as he tried to avoid Inuyasha's question. He opened the dryer door and, as Miroku said, found dry clothes inside. A note on top of the dryer read: It's a good thing I love you so much.
Inuyasha smirked. What would he do without this woman? She was so devoted to him and they hardly saw each other. She was just what he needed.
"I was right."
They were in his garage too. Or maybe it really was the cell phone…
"Have you been listening to me at all?"
"Why the hell would I do that?"
Miroku gave a lamented sigh. "Try and pay attention, Inuyasha. You can't stir up trouble today, and take adequate notes during your interviews."
Yeah, right. Inuyasha turned and went back inside the house.
"Don't bother the teachers especially because they can kick you out of the classroom and you might miss something important. Most of Kagome's classes today are the same as they were the day she was shot. Be watching everyone—students, teachers, skippers—"
"Skippers?" Inuyasha said.
"The kids who skip class. If Kagome were to go to the bathroom, she could meet one of them."
"Miroku, what college student doesn't skip class?"
"Kagome. She's never missed any of her classes."
"Until now."
"Thank you for that cheerful reminder."
Inuyasha began getting dressed. "Look, Miroku, I've interviewed people a million times—"
"And how many times have you gone without punching the suspect in question?"
Inuyasha could count them on one hand. "Just don't be breathing down my neck today. While I interrogate people, you just 'keep the peace'. Isn't that the term you used?"
"As much as you know I would love to clean up your messes, you have to be a good boy today because I won't be there."
Inuyasha stopped with one leg in his jeans. "What?"
"You heard me. Finish getting dressed."
Damn those cameras! "What do you mean you won't be there? You're leaving me to deal with those stupid college kids alone?"
"Don't complain. I'm pretending to be Arisa today. You know you would much rather do the college than sit in a business office."
But Inuyasha would never admit it. "Great. So instead of breathing down my neck all day, you'll be texting me all day."
"Something like that. Hurry up now, you've got twenty minutes to be at the college."
"I thought I didn't have to leave until ten thirty."
"And doing math this early too? My, my, you're in a good mood."
"It's a damn good thing Starbucks is next to the college."
"What would you do without your caffeine?"
"Get a headache," Inuyasha said. The addiction was annoying when he was too late to run by a coffee shop, and he never had the time to deal with headaches and quit. Who would want to anyway? It was soda, coffee, caffeine! Why else would God have made it if not to give him back his snappy tongue in the mornings? "I thought you said I could punch someone today."
"If you're good."
"How you going to make that one work out for me?"
"If you do your interviews right, I'm sure one of her classmates of suspicious character will go to a bar tonight."
"You manipulative bastard."
"I wish I had a sibling that was as easy to provoke as you."
Inuyasha took a moment to seethe and then reflected Miroku's words. "Any word on the kid's broadcast? The little brother?"
"Nothing yet. Hachi will call me as soon as anything's found out. Listen, I have to go. I was using Arisa's break to get you up. I'll meet up with you at Kagome's house since both of them end up there at some point during the day."
"Whatever," Inuyasha said before hanging up the phone.
Inuyasha, who had finished getting dressed during the phone call, stumbled around until he found his kitchen, rummaging about for something edible. Finding nothing appealing, he decided to grab a snack while getting his coffee. This day was not off to a good start, and he had the most ominous feeling it wouldn't end well either.
Inuyasha returned to his room and stared at the bed longingly for a moment, then transferred his attention to the radio. He turned the volume to full blast and continued his morning routine, which consisted of wandering around his house until he saw something he needed to do.
It looked like Kikyo had cleaned his house a bit too. God, he loved that woman. She was all right with his consuming job and didn't mind taking care of the things he didn't have time for—namely, the house. They fit so well together. Both of them were loners by nature, so they didn't mind being apart so often. It just made the time they did share more special.
Inuyasha was just grabbing his keys when the radio DJ announced it was ten twenty-one. Inuyasha groaned as he turned the station off, praying he would avoid the cops. As if Starbucks needed any more publicity.
---
Miroku smiled politely, nodded where appropriate. Damn, this whole "kindness" thing had better pay off. Miss Momiji Itsuki, Arisa Higurashi's business partner, had been talking incessantly for the last ten minutes. After two Miroku had learned he detested the woman. Quite simply, she was annoying.
But this was also the reason Miroku had a minor in theater. In just these kinds of situations, Miroku could play himself off as though he cared for nothing more than the next words out of the woman's lips. Truly, the world was based on lies.
He had gleaned very little so far in his day. Miroku had arrived at Kyogoku Incorporated at seven o'clock and been immediately greeted by the pretty receptionist. Feeling it vital to interview her since Arisa saw her every day, Miroku failed to reach Arisa's desk until a half hour after she usually did. Perhaps he would leave that out of the report. He learned very little from the receptionist, whose name he had written down as Eshi Mizuki. He had no recollection of her actually saying her name. She told him that on the day in question Arisa had arrived and left in the cheery mood she was always in, and Eshi had noticed no strange behavior any time previous. Miroku insisted he might need to question her again, so her phone number made the conversation worth his time.
When Miroku had finally reached Arisa's desk, he found himself bored for quite some time. In the morning, Arisa seemed to find some quiet time to work as the company's most skilled paralegal. Another reason Miroku allowed Inuyasha to go to the college was because he would have no clue what a secretary was, much less a paralegal. He would stand around and look stupid while someone tried to have a political conversation with him. Did Inuyasha even know who was running in the elections? Did Inuyasha even vote? Miroku suspected his superior did nothing more than enjoy complaining about whoever majority chose.
Thinking about his superior reminded Miroku that Inuyasha did indeed need to wake up to go to the college. Since Miroku had kindly refrained from telling Inuyasha what he would be doing for the day, the subordinate would have to be a sufficient alarm clock. Miroku left Arisa's office and took her break time to make the call. If Inuyasha's cell phone didn't wake him up, they were in trouble. They had been out late the previous night, futilely searching for the gun that wasn't there. Whoever had killed Arisa still held the weapon in their possession.
Once Inuyasha had been thoroughly pestered and Arisa's break time used up, Miroku found himself forced back into that silent office. He considered blaring the radio, but decided that was too out of the ordinary for the systematic businessmen who resided in the building. Miroku was forced to content himself with waiting for something—anything.
About an hour after sitting around and aptly watching for any signs of human life, Satan pounced upon him using the alias of Momiji Itsuki. Momiji claimed to have had a business meeting set with Arisa this morning and was "deeply grieved" to hear about the death of her partner. In Miroku's experience, most people who were close to the victim tended to withdraw to themselves and be left alone for quite some time. In Momiji's case, however, the exact opposite seemed to be taking effect. Either she really didn't care that Arisa had died or she felt the need for a connection with someone and forgot how to shut her mouth. It was at this time that Miroku found himself using those amazing theater skills he had accumulated in college. Momiji seemed quite content to carry on a one-sided conversation with only a few nods on Miroku's part. Miroku would've been satisfied to throw her out the window, but he figured that wouldn't go over well with Sesshomaru when he put it in his report.
After half an hour of Momiji's incessant chatter, Miroku noticed her breathe, and so he took the opportunity to at least get something useful from what he would hardly call a conversation.
"Excuse me, but did you ever notice Arisa acting strange in the time preceding her death? Anything out of the ordinary would be very helpful to our—"
"Oh, but of course!" She had to talk so much she even interrupted him. "Well, as it were, we were having a business meeting, oh, I don't know, a week ago or so? Yes, well, we were sitting there talking about the Akatsuki case—oh, that's a horrible case where we represent the eldest son of the famous actor Akatsuki that passed away recently. There's been some misunderstanding in his will and we have to ensure our client gets what is rightly his, don't we? Oh, but yes, we were sitting in our little meeting like we always did and Arisa said the most odd thing, she said, 'Do you think we sometimes represent the wrong people? I mean, shouldn't we be able to say, "You're wrong and you don't deserve what you're trying to get. We won't represent you." I hate having to represent all of these people who are just trying to rip off other innocent little citizens of our country.' And of course I told her, I said, 'But if people don't represent them, they won't get their fair say.' And she, believe it or not, she said, 'But sometimes you just know they're lying to get something they don't deserve.' And I assured her that we all need to be represented, and she said something now that I can't remember, but that was very strange, very odd indeed! I'd never ever heard her saying she wanted to deny someone representation. She was always about 'people's rights' and how people should be treated fairly. It was the most peculiar thing, really. Then this strange man came in, odd fellow he was, just barged inside the office and started shouting complete nonsense. Total babble, if you understand. He said, now listen here, he said Arisa had murdered his daughter! Most absurd thing, especially if you've ever known Arisa! Woman wouldn't have harmed a fly, just that one silly comment about representation, but usually she's quite the charming lady! So Arisa stands up and asks him to leave, of course, because we were trying to get things accomplished, and the man says, he says, 'You murdered my little girl! I'm gonna kill ya!' We had to call security and everything! My, it was quite exciting, but very unusual, you see. Not too many people get into this office at all because it's such a high class company, but for one to get in with the intent to kill! Oh, my, my heart was racing so fast it could've beaten a cheetah in the fifty meter dash! He didn't hurt anyone, of course; Arisa got to that phone before the man could even try to do anything, but boy was he mad! Screaming all this nonsense about Arisa committing murder and him murdering her—really a very nasty business, you know. We get insanity cases all the time here, it's quite sad to think about it. Makes you wonder how the world is still as peaceful as it today. So many psychos talking about murder and all this nonsense. Complete nonsense, you know. No one ever goes through with it, really, but they're putting the ideas in so many young folk's heads… the poor, poor little children! They won't know any better and what will happen if we're not careful? We'll corrupt them! Absolutely corrupt them! And when they've been corrupted, their poor little children will grow up the same way, and when will the world changers come? At the apocalypse, of course! But by then the world be on the brink of destruction, so it'll be too late! I mean, the world is such a clean, wonderful little place now, but if people like that man just waltz into respectable business offices like this one, well, it could be the end of mankind as we know it!"
Ah! She breathed! "Ms. Itsuki, could you describe this man for me and give me the names of the security officers that escorted him—?"
"Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. Tall, dark man he was. Deep brown eyes, rather frightening looking, he was. Rather gaunt fellow, wouldn't you say? Oh, but of course you weren't there, you wouldn't know. Looked rather pale for a few moments, but then his face burned up when he started screaming! But yes, very dark man, with his eyes and hair, very tan, a little scruffy if I do say so myself. A real mess, with his clothes and his hygiene, so he can't have been allowed in. We have a dress code, you know! What would people think if they came in for business meetings and we were wearing jeans and a T-shirt! I mean, honestly, we have a reputation to uphold! We can't dress like slobs! It's a matter of propriety—"
Here, Miroku cut her off, and took a hell of a lot of pleasure in doing so. "And the names of the officers?"
"Yes, I'm getting there, Mr. Watase! Let's see, let's see. I believe the Koishikawas were the ones on the scene, yes, yes, I remember now! Hiten and Manten Koishikawa. I remember them quite well, now, yes. They took him down in just a few moments, such good security guards they are. Do their rounds and everything. That's how security is supposed to be. Never leaving an area unprotected, always ready for action, even at the most unlikely times in the most unusual places. That's how things are supposed to be done! Why, back when I was still in school—"
Miroku had been ever so carefully maneuvering his hand into his pocket and taking out his cell phone, going to his settings and finding his ring tones. He picked the first one—any one would do—and hit play. Momiji started as "Ridin'" suddenly began playing, and Miroku took the opportunity to excuse himself, claiming he had to take this call. The FBI agent was out of the room faster than his feet could catch up, and it caused him some trouble when he entered the hallway. Despite this, he failed to care about anything besides putting distance between himself and Momiji Itsuki.
After a few minutes, Miroku found solitude in a bathroom stall, pathetic as it was. It was the only place he knew—or dearly hoped—she would not look for him. He perused through his notepad, searching for the important information amidst the doodles he'd done under the desk. He'd scribbled something about Arisa's "strange remark," but his attention was drawn to the scenario after her comment. A man who had threatened murder… the difficulty of this case had just dropped significantly. The lead, however difficult to get, was a promising one. He could only hope that Inuyasha was as lucky as himself.
"Mr. Watase? Are you in here? I thought we had more to discuss! It's not polite to leave a lady waiting, or don't you know? The young people nowadays! What was I just saying about people corrupting the young children—?"
Or not.
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Meh, sorry for all the delays, guys. I've been writing this chapter over a period of… well, forever. But now it's finally done, so I hope you found it enjoyable.
For those of you wondering where the fluff is, no worries. It's coming… coming… sometime…. ; )
Next chapter will end up being Inuyasha at Shikon University. Past that, my fingers will tell me.
Thankx for reading, but since you've bothered to read it, take a moment (or several, since long reviews rock) to review it and tell me your opinions. Thankx again!
Riles
