The drive to the office was uneventful, even if bright sunlight streamed through the car windows causing a dull throb in his head. The air was thick and humid and his shirt stuck to his back with sweat over the course of the short drive to the office. Shikamaru was flooded with relief when a cloud floated over the sun, slightly dimming the small alley parking lot located behind the building, right in time for his walk from the lot to the building entrance.
The office was located on the second floor, above a dry cleaner and small grocery, which were sandwiched below with their cheery storefronts facing the front. About a block down the street there was a small diner. Shikamaru always appreciated how close everything he needed was. The office was down a small hallway filled primarily with apartments. At one point he wanted to rent one and live there, but Asuma had insisted he put a little bit of space between his work and personal life. Shikamaru also had a suspicion that Asuma wanted to prevent him from returning to his apartment to take naps in the middle of the day. He now found it ironic that now that he could nap whenever he wanted, in the office or elsewhere, but instead he was plagued with nightmares that ruined the desire.
Shikamaru eyes traced the lettering on the door before he unlocked and walked into the office. Only the sight of his desk with a couple chairs greeted him in the dark room. Automatically, his eyes moved to the left, where Asuma's larger office door stood. A door that was shut now, unlike when Ausuma would have it open, only shutting when clients required privacy. It's only real job now was to hold memories hostage behind it's frosted glass. The inside of his office, behind the door was still practically untouched. Asuma had been surprisingly organized, and his desk was still clear, except for a picture of Kurenai smiling on top. There were a couple filing cabinets filled with old cases against the wall, with a couple chairs placed directly in front of the desk. Shikamaru hadn't really been able to get himself to enter or even think of changing it, and today certainly wasn't about to be that day.
Looking down, Shikamaru picked up an envelope that had been stuffed under his door. In a clean neat handwriting "Detective Nara" graced the front. He tore it open to see that Sakura had already gathered the list of files and cases Sasuke had been accessing that were unusual. She had even made notes on several of them. She was driven and efficient. He folded the note and stuck it in his pants pocket, for a more thorough examination later, but right now he needed to write a couple of checks.
Grabbing the check register from his desk drawer, he made the first one out to building's landlord. Rent was due.
He lit a cigarette and took a long, slow drag. The next check was to Kurenai. The first month Shikamaru had done this, she had called and tried to tell him she wouldn't accept it. He had refused and said it was the only helping toward paying Asuma back. He had only finally convinced her to take the money after he mentioned that she could use the money for Mirai. After that, he continued sending them every month. Occasionally, she would call to let him know he could stop, but he always refused. It felt like it was the very least he could do.
But between rent for the office, the checks to Kurenai, his apartment, costs for living, and not having taken any paying cases for the past 8 plus months, it would only be four months before what had been his substantial savings would be drained. Before that would happen, he knew he would give up the office, his apartment, his car, and even his cigarettes before he would stop writing her checks.
Shikamaru headed back out the door, locking it behind him. A trail of smoke from his cigarette would be the only lingering indication that he had been in today. He would slide the rent under the landlord's door, making sure to avoid any conversation, slip the check for Kurenai into the outgoing mail, and continue onward to the library.
High arching shelves of books lined the walls, with shelves of aging volumes creating aisles. The air quiet, thick, still, and smelling of paper and ink. Maybe it was the quiet or the smells, but it felt like a place separate from the rest of the world.
Going back into the Suna archives, everything he found confirmed the story Ino had told of Rasa meeting a bloody death, his killer never found or brought to justice. Rasa's youngest child, Gaara, championing the people but making powerful enemies on his way. He was expected to be the next Mayor. There wasn't much in the old papers about Kankuro and Temari. Initially, following Gaara's reappearance, they appeared flanking him. But, they were here in Konoha now, which gave credence to Ino's intelligence about a falling out between the siblings that drove the two here. Shikamaru's gut told him there was more to it, but there wasn't anything to back that up, yet.
Next, he unfolded the note from Sakura. The majority of the files were cases that were dropped and never made it to court, with Saura's notes citing that Orochimaru, the District Attorney, personally handled all the cases. In many he had decided there wasn't enough evidence to pursue charges, though others had notes of missing evidence and even missing witnesses. Shikamaru decided to start pulling microfilm on the crimes and court cases and making notes. This was going to take awhile.
Surprising even himself, Shikamaru dug through the old paper headlines until he lost all track of time. He had only made it halfway through Sakura's list before the librarian found him to let him know the library was closing for the night. He hadn't realized it had gotten so late, and decided to skip the club tonight. He was still trying to piece together how Kankuro and Temari fit with these puzzle pieces, the old Konoha case files that Sasuke was pulling. What were the three of them looking for? If they were involved in any of the crimes, evidence, or witness tampering in the cases, they wouldn't be looking up these files. Were Kankuro and Temari holding something over Sasuke, and blackmailing him into getting information, but why would they care about any of this? None of it made any sense, or not yet at least.
Shikamaru headed through the darkened parking lot to his car, and decided to head straight home. He'd find something to eat before heading to bed. Afterall, He needed to get a good night's sleep, since he wanted to get back to the library early tomorrow. He felt like he finally on the trail and maybe with a little more work he'd break this case wide open.
Author's Note:
This chapter was a hard one, for some unknown reason - so, sorry it's late. Things are about to get good though, so hopefully the next few chapters will come easier.
