Disclaimer: I'm not Rumiko Takahashi, but I'm living in the same country as her. The degrees between us are becoming less and less. One day I will overtake her existence entirely… *cough* I mean, I have absolutely no connection to her or any of her works. What's with that funny look?
A/N Hey guys! I'm SO sorry it's been so long since the last update. I actually had NO idea that much time had passed! I just got so wrapped up with living in Japan and stuff - my summer exploded with activity and I didn't have a ton of free time. My fall was pretty busy too, and then I went home for Christmas. I finally got back and decided I really needed to get working on the next chapter. And that's when I realized how effing long it had been since the last one! I'm really really sorry!
Here's the next chapter in this baby of mine. We're starting to narrow in on the ending now...
"So let me get this straight," police captain Aoyama said, staring at two of his detectives from across his desk. His elbows were propped on the desk, his chin resting in his folded hands. "We've got Sesshoumaru Reijiro, CEO of Western Enterprises, arrested and in our custody for the murder of his secretary, Kagura Ishitaru?"
Detectives Barazawa and Takeda shared a look. "That's correct, sir," the former replied.
"Jesus Christ," he said, passing a hand over his face. "What the hell exactly happened?"
"Well, sir, our boys responded to a 911 call from the suspect's brother, stating that the victim was dead in Sesshoumaru's house," Barazawa supplied.
"So the boy was on the scene? He's a witness to the whole affair?"
"Er, no. It seems he arrived after the fact with his girlfriend."
"Apparently they came for a visit and found Sesshoumaru with the body," Takeda added.
"So she was already dead?"
"Seems that way."
"And Sesshoumaru was the only other one there?"
"Yes…"
Aoyama sighed. "What was the situation when you two arrived on the scene?"
"Well, sir, everything was pretty chaotic…"
When Barazawa and Takeda had pulled up in front of the Reijiro household earlier that evening, it was to see two other police cars out front and yellow tape already being put up to block off curious neighbours.
They got out of their car and approached another pair of officers doing the same. "What have we got?" Barazawa asked.
"Sorry, Lieutenant — don't rightly know myself. We just got here. Oshiro was the first on the scene from what I understand, but it's only been twenty minutes since the call came in. They certainly called you in fast."
Barazawa grunted. "Can you blame them? The Reijiro family is extremely high profile and the second violent crime involving them in six years bears some top brass scrutiny."
Barazawa and Takeda left the officers to deal with the growing crowd of onlookers to enter the house.
It wasn't a pleasant sight.
If a tornado had ripped through the room, it could hardly look worse. The entire room was a mess and a forensic nightmare. He wished the unit luck with sorting through the evidence.
By far the worst sight was that of Sesshoumaru Reijiro clutching the body of a once very attractive but now unpleasantly strangled dead woman. She had clearly been beaten badly before her death, but looked to have put up a terrific fight. They'd know more once the coroner arrived, of course.
In the meantime, Barazawa wondered why no one had separated the man from the body. He looked over to Oshiro who seemed to be trying to blend into the corner rather than take charge of the situation. He sighed. Rookies.
He nodded to Takeda, his junior partner, and they set about dividing and conquering. Takeda approached the two teenagers hovering nearby and Barazawa walked towards Sesshoumaru, careful to avoid stepping on any evidence.
"Mr. Reijiro? Mr. Reijiro, I'm Detective Barazawa. Can I ask you to step away from the body, sir?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped up to glare at him. Despite the blankness of his expression, a million indiscernible emotions seemed to be swimming in those golden eyes. One emotion Barazawa could discern was that of anger. Unbridled fury. This is a dangerous man when provoked, he thought in the back of his mind.
Did that anger lead to the tragedy he saw before him?
"Sir, I know this is difficult, but I need to ask you to step away from the woman. And I need you to tell me what happened here."
Sesshoumaru started to speak, but still refused to relinquish his hold. "She...she wanted to speak with me. She just wanted to talk…"
Barazawa frowned, not really sure what to make of this. "Did things get out of hand? Did she tell you something that started an argument?"
Sesshoumaru swallowed hard and clenched his teeth. He was being careful to keep his emotions in check. An odd bit of self control under the circumstances, Barazawa thought.
"I...I never… Before I even...she was already dead," Sesshoumaru trailed off.
Before I even knew what I'd done, she was already dead, Barazawa filled in the blanks to himself.
"She was just… She left from the office just over an hour ago… I was going to meet her here after she… after she…" Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped up to the detective as horror took over his expression. "Rin!"
Barazawa was at a loss. But before he could react, Sesshoumaru had laid the dead woman on the floor and sprung to his feet. Almost frantically, he circled the room, searching. "Rin? Rin!" he called out, checking under the sofa and behind the TV set.
Takeda and the teenagers had stopped talking in the hallway. The girl and boy actually broke away to help search.
"Sesshoumaru — Rin...she can't be here, can she?" the girl asked in horror. The boy seemed equally shocked by the idea.
"Kagura was supposed to pick her up from school and bring her back here with her," Sesshoumaru replied abruptly.
For the moment, all else was forgotten. Everyone in the room continued to search for the missing girl. It came to a head when Sesshoumaru walked opposite the entrance to the living room to a hall closet. He opened it to reveal a brown-haired girl of no more than eight years old.
Barazawa swore under his breath.
The girl looked traumatized. It was written all over her face that she had witnessed everything that had happened in that living room.
"Rin? Rin!" Sesshoumaru said urgently.
The girl's blank look finally shifted into one of recognition. She looked at the man before her and only a moment passed by before she flung herself into his arms. Tears started to leak out of her eyes, but she buried her face into his shoulder.
"I'm here, Rin, I'm here," Sesshoumaru soothed, hugging her to him.
"Holy hell," Captain Aoyama interrupted Barazawa's story. "You found his adoptive daughter hiding in the closet? She'd seen everything?"
"It appears that way, sir," Takeda said.
Aoyama raised an eyebrow. "'Appears'?"
"She, uh, isn't talking at the moment."
"But she will be soon?"
Takeda coughed and looked to his senior partner.
"It seems she's gone mute, sir," Barazawa supplied.
"I'm sorry, mute?"
"Apparently it's happened before. The girl witnessed her parents' murder too, and stopped talking at the time. Sesshoumaru, who adopted her later, was the one to get her to open up at the time. Now that she's witnessed this new tragedy, she, well...has regressed back into silence. We can't get a word out of her, nor can Sesshoumaru. She's with our psychologist now."
"My god… This kid's been through hell." He sighed and looked down for a moment at his desk, processing all the information. "Okay. What happened next?"
Takeda shrugged. "Not much to tell after that. The coroner arrived. Said she'd died from strangulation in the past hour. We wanted to ask Mr. Reijiro some more questions, but he became extremely uncooperative. We had to cuff him and bring him down to the station."
"As the lead suspect?"
Takeda snorted. "Can there be any question he did it? There wasn't much time for anyone else to do the deed."
"I'm not so sure," Barazawa spoke up.
"You don't think he did it?" Aoyama asked sharply.
"I didn't say that. He certainly is the obvious suspect. But I sure as hell would like to know why."
"He's waiting for you in the interrogation room, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir. His brother, his girlfriend, and the adoptive daughter all came down to the station too. The little girl is with our psychologist and the teens are waiting by our desks," Takeda supplied.
"What did the kids have to say about it all?"
"Not much more than we've already told you. Said they came to visit Sesshoumaru and Rin after their school let out. Came in to see the living room torn up and Sesshoumaru holding the body. They called 911 right after."
Aoyama frowned. "They go to some fancy boarding school, don't they? Odd they'd rush over for a visit on a Monday…"
"And if they did, you would think Sesshoumaru would know they were coming," Barazawa added thoughtfully.
"Not really safe circumstances under which to commit a murder," Takeda concluded.
"We'll look into it, sir," Barazawa assured the police captain.
Aoyama nodded and stood up. "Alright, better get down to business. This could be a long night, boys."
The detectives agreed and proceeded to exit the captain's office.
"How do you want to do this?" Takeda asked his partner.
"Sesshoumaru'll be a hard nut to crack," Barazawa said thoughtfully. "Better if we tackle him together. But let's see if we first can't get some more information out of his brother and his girlfriend."
Takeda nodded in agreement and they made their way over to their desks.
Upon seeing them approach, the boy sprang from his chair. "What's going on? Can we see my brother yet?"
"Why don't we go into that conference room and talk?" Barazawa suggested kindly.
The teens grabbed their coats and followed them promptly.
Once they were all settled, Barazawa folded his hands on the table in front of him. "So tell me what you were doing there tonight."
"But we already—" Inuyasha started, gesturing to Takeda.
"I know, but please. Humour me. I always appreciate first-hand accounts," Barazawa said with a kind smile.
Takeda shook his head inwardly. His partner was a pro. He knew he trusted Takeda's version of events perfectly, but by acting like he trusted no one's account but their own, he garnered their respect and admiration. It made them open up much more easily.
As expected, the teens relaxed. "We were just going over for a visit," Inuyasha said after a beat of hesitation. "He is my brother after all."
Barazawa narrowed his eyes. Did he detect a lie, or were they just nervous? "On a Monday?"
Inuyasha shrugged and his girlfriend took over. "You see, we had just been there on the weekend for a visit and I forgot my toothbrush. We were going back to get it and thought we'd stay for dinner. But...but we didn't imagine that…" her speech stuttered off.
Barazawa tilted his head, assessing them. He couldn't help but feel the girl had a silver tongue. Inuyasha was acting hesitant and defensive, but she was as smooth and casual as could be. Almost against his judgement, he felt himself believing her.
They were the ones who called the police, he reminded himself. But then he caught sight of Inuyasha's expression. It looked torn. Inuyasha looked to his girlfriend and they seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes. It only lasted a moment, but they seemed to have conveyed a great deal. When they looked away from each other, resolution was set in both their faces.
"Actually…" Inuyasha started, then paused, unsure of how to say what he wanted to. "I, well… It wasn't his house we were going to, and my brother wasn't who we wanted to see."
Takeda raised his eyebrows. This was certainly different from what they'd said earlier. He couldn't imagine what they were going to say next.
"You know...about what happened to my parents and I six years ago?" Inuyasha ventured. The two detectives nodded. "And about my amnesia when I woke up last year?" Again they nodded. "Well, I've been trying to remember what I saw that night for the past couple months. Last night, I uh...remembered something big."
Barazawa leaned in, clearly intrigued. "Go on."
"Well...it was Kagura. I remembered seeing her the night my parents were killed," he said it quickly, like ripping off a bandaid.
"Seeing her? As in she was the one who shot you and your parents?" the detective chose his words carefully.
"No...I don't think so. But she was there, at the house. I saw her in a car at the end of the driveway just before I blacked out. She wasn't the one who did it, but she was involved, don't you see? At the very least, she covered it up and lied about being there. At the worst, she was a knowing and willing accomplice. She's the reason my parents' murderer was never caught!" Inuyasha fumed.
Barazawa shared a look with Takeda. "And what were you planning on doing with this new information?"
"Confront her, of course. Demand some answers."
"Don't you think you should've come straight to the police first? You didn't think about things getting ugly?"
Inuyasha started to open his mouth, but was stopped by Kagome's hand on his arm.
Curse that girl, Barazawa thought to himself. She's like a lawyer, stopping her client just before he incriminates himself.
"First we wanted Sesshoumaru's opinion," she answered for him. "That's why we went to his house first. We knew he'd have to bring Rin home after school so we went to talk to him there. After that, we planned on going to Western Enterprises and confronting Kagura herself. She was our main objective that night. But really, we owed it to Sesshoumaru…" she trailed off and promptly shut up.
The corner of Barazawa's lips quirked, too small for anyone to notice. The girl had finally slipped up and given him something to work with. "Owed it to Sesshoumaru? In what way?"
He noticed the way Kagome looked apologetically at her boyfriend. Inuyasha sighed and looked at the detective, as if begging for understanding. "They well… We think, anyway, that they...cared for each other."
"Who? Sesshoumaru and Kagura?"
Reluctantly, the pair nodded.
"So you're telling me that you were going to Sesshoumaru's house to tell him about how the woman he had feelings for had actually been involved in your parents' deaths?"
They didn't respond, but that was answer enough. Looks like Barazawa had found his motive and it was a doozy.
"But we never told him!" Inuyasha protested to the look on the detective's face. "We got there and she was already…"
"I'm not going to lie to you, kid," Barazawa said grimly as he stood up. "It doesn't look good for your brother. Even if you didn't tell him, it doesn't mean he didn't find out some other way. And then take matters into his own hands."
"You don't understand!" Inuyasha refuted, springing to his feet as well. "My brother is not a murderer. He didn't do this!"
"What makes you so certain?" Takeda asked.
Inuyasha glared at him in silence for a few moments before responding. Frowning, he ventured, "He...he doesn't hurt people he cares about. He protects them." He looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth by admitting this.
The detectives told them to sit tight as they headed for the door. Before they exited, Takeda turned back and posed the question, "What if he were protecting you?"
..:V:..
"What if he's right?" Kagome burst out nervously a few minutes after the detectives had left. "What if Sesshoumaru found out somehow about Kagura and lost control and wanted to protect you and avenge your parents' deaths all in one fell swoop?"
"What, and just forget about Rin? Either he picked her up himself or he had Kagura do it, or they did it together. Since he completely forgot about her in the wake of Kagura's death and had no idea where in the house she was, which of those seems most likely?" Inuyasha retorted.
"True, true," Kagome assented, biting a nail. "This is just all so...crazy! And nerve-wracking. And unbelievably terrifying. But you yourself said, Inuyasha, when we walked in the house — 'Sesshoumaru, what have you done?' Did you not believe then that he had done it?"
"Well, who wouldn't under those circumstances!" Inuyasha said. "It could have been some sort of self defence thing, or something else gone terribly wrong. But they're talking cold blooded murder. There's no way Sesshoumaru would do that. Not to Kagura."
"Even though she…?"
"He didn't do it, Kagome."
They lapsed into silence once again.
..:V:..
"Sesshoumaru Reijiro," Takeda said, dropping a file folder on the interrogation table and pulling up a chair.
"Can we get you anything?" Barazawa asked, staying near the door.
"My daughter."
"She's with our psychologist now. She's in good hands. But we need to ask you a few questions before you can see her, Mr. Reijiro. Now, is there anything else I can get you?"
"A coffee. Black," Sesshoumaru replied despondently, looking at neither one of them.
Barazawa ducked out of the room as Takeda started to look through the file.
"You're quite the entrepreneur. At twenty-six, you've really made quite a name for yourself."
"If you're trying to flatter and butter me up, your attempt is noted but ineffective. It was my father's company. I merely filled his shoes after his death. His murder, I should say." His response was flat and automatic. His mind was clearly elsewhere.
"I'd say you did more than fill his shoes. Western Enterprises has expanded greatly in the six years since you took over. Its stocks alone are worth fortunes." Takeda leaned forward, noticeably impressed.
Finally Sesshoumaru's gaze slid to meet his. There was no emotion displayed there, but his voice was frosty. "Exactly what does this have to do with Kagura's death?"
"She was apart of this great company. Presumably she helped in some way to get it this big. How long did she work for you?"
"My father hired her before he was killed. She was still in university at the time."
"That's awfully young for such an important position. Younger than you, even. And no experience. What would make your father hire such a person?"
Sesshoumaru gave a slight shrug. "Presumably he saw something in her. Potential. And she wasn't given the position she has now. She had a lower secretarial job at the time. Assistant to the assistant."
"And when you took over, you promoted her?"
"I didn't work well with my father's assistant. Kagura was efficient, competent and a hard worker. I trusted her to do a good job. So I shifted personnel and arranged to have Kagura be my executive assistant. I've never regretted it." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, trying to discern where these questions were leading.
"So you...trusted her. Was it anything more than that?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes met his sharply. A moment of silence passed before the door opened and Barazawa returned with his coffee. Sesshoumaru took it from him slowly, never looking away from Takeda.
Sesshoumaru took a sip and placed the cup on the table. "I'm assuming what you're clumsily trying to get at with that question is…"
"Did you have a personal relationship with Kagura? One that extended beyond the boardroom?" Takeda spelled it out clearly, checking closely for his reaction.
He was disappointed. Sesshoumaru merely took another sip of his coffee. Setting it back down, he replied simply, "No, we did not."
Takeda raised an eyebrow. "But surely—"
"Kagura often did me favours that extended beyond her job specifications," Sesshoumaru clarified. "She sometimes managed matters in my personal life, such as picking my daughter up from school, or dropping off business papers to my house. We also exchanged Christmas gifts. But no, we were never more intimate than that."
Takeda let a moment of silence pass before he asked, "Did you want to be?"
Sesshoumaru stared him down until Takeda involuntarily found himself looking away. He inwardly cursed himself for losing the power struggle.
Sesshoumaru replied anyway, however. "I respected Kagura more than any other woman in the world. But now...I have no way of knowing where our relationship would have led. It's...too late now." The calmness in his voice was belied by the tightness of his jaw. It didn't slip by the detectives unnoticed.
"Let's change the subject for the moment," Barazawa broke in, crossing behind Takeda. "What do you remember about your parents' death?"
"Everything of course. Which is to say nothing. I wasn't there that night and the police weren't able to find who did it. All I have to go on are second-hand reports of ghosts and shadows. The sole survivor of the incident can't even remember anything."
"Your brother," Barazawa supplied.
"That's right. But I don't see what that has to do with what happened to Kagura," Sesshoumaru said acidly.
"I'm surprised to hear you say that. I think it has everything to do with it," Barazawa shot back.
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
Barazawa slammed his hands on the table. "No, it's you who should explain! Explain how you found out about Kagura's involvement in your parents' murder! Explain how you reacted! Explain—"
"Enough," Sesshoumaru seethed, rising to his feet. "Kagura had nothing to do with my parents' death. Do you always drag victims' good names through the mud just to rile a suspect? I applaud you for your excellent detective work then. You're simply full of integrity," he sneered.
Barazawa looked to Takeda. An unspoken message passed between them before they both nodded in agreement. Takeda stood up and they made for the door.
"Hang tight, Mr. Reijiro," Barazawa said before leaving. "We'll be back in a bit. In the meantime, we'll let you see a visitor. Oh, and you were wrong about one thing."
"What's that?" Sesshoumaru asked coldly as he resumed his seat.
"Your brother does remember something about that night."
Sesshoumaru looked sharply towards the door, but the detectives were already gone.
..:V:..
"Has something new happened? When can I see my brother?" Inuyasha asked anxiously when the detectives reentered the interview room he was sharing with Kagome.
"Now, actually. Just you, though," Barazawa added as both teens made to rise.
"Why?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.
"We want you to tell him what you told us. About seeing Kagura the night of your parents' murder. He's acting like she's a saint and shut down as soon as we indicated otherwise. I don't know if it's a bluff or not, but at least he'll have to stop pretending once you tell him straight."
Inuyasha looked uncertain. "Is it...is it necessary to tell him now that she's dead? Can't he just keep thinking…?"
"We need the truth, kid," Barazawa said, shaking his head. "You can help us get there, can't you?"
Kagome laid a hand on Inuyasha's arm. "You know you need to tell him. You'd never be able to keep it from him anyways."
Inuyasha nodded reluctantly. "Okay, I'll do it. Which way?"
"Follow us," Takeda said, leading him out of the room. "And just so you're aware, we'll be watching your entire conversation."
Kagome looked anxiously after them.
..:V:..
Sesshoumaru looked up to see Inuyasha entering the interrogation room.
"Hey, Sesshoumaru," he said as greeting, his eyes only ever meeting his brother's for a second before flitting away again.
"Hello, brother," Sesshoumaru replied, suddenly looking more weary than Inuyasha had ever seen him. It occurred to him that he was relaxing and letting down his guard.
"They're still watching us," Inuyasha felt compelled to warn him.
"And why shouldn't they?" Sesshoumaru answered ironically. "They must be thrilled to pin a murder on the CEO of Western Enterprises."
"I think they're okay," Inuyasha said hesitantly. "They just want to get at the truth."
"The 'truth' of how and why I killed my secretary?"
"I don't think you did it!" Inuyasha interjected. "...I know you didn't do it. No matter what anybody thinks."
Sesshoumaru regarded him thoughtfully for a minute. "Well, I'm glad you think my immorality as a human being stops just short of cold-blooded murder," he responded dryly.
"This isn't a joke," Inuyasha snapped. "And pissing me off isn't going to get you anywhere."
"I'm not laughing," Sesshoumaru responded, deadly serious. "And just why is it that they let you in here, anyway?"
Inuyasha's gaze lost its heat as he looked away. "I have to tell you something." At Sesshoumaru's sceptical look, he added, "They think you'll only believe it if you hear it from me."
Sesshoumaru glanced at the two-way mirror before looking back to his brother. "Well, what is it?"
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, not knowing where to begin. "I… As you know, I've been trying to remember what happened that night. The night our parents were killed and I was put in the coma… I've been trying to surround myself with stuff that I did or had just before it happened. It's been working, sort of. I kept dreaming of that night, and running down the hallway towards the front door. But I could never reach it. And then I did reach it, but I couldn't open it. I always hesitated and woke up first."
Sesshoumaru's attention was clearly captured. He faced his brother fully and didn't utter a word to interrupt. This gave Inuyasha the courage to go on.
"You remember that I told you we watched The Mummy while at your house over the weekend. You know, the movie you took me to see the weekend before it happened. All this time that I've been awake, I never remembered that it was you who took me to see it. I thought about that night a lot this weekend. I remembered how you didn't want to take me, but Mom forced you. And like I told you, I remembered how you were talking on the phone to your friend about meeting Kagura at Dad's office."
"Where is this leading?" Sesshoumaru finally cut in.
Inuyasha knew he was taking the roundabout route, but he was really dreading telling Sesshoumaru what he knew he had to. "Well, I think remembering that stuff helped trigger more memories. Or it helped me identify and overcome the fear I felt at opening that door in my dream. Whatever it was, even though I dreaded doing it, I finally went through it."
Sesshoumaru frowned. "The door? And?"
"And well...something I never wanted to see was on the other side," Inuyasha replied evasively. "First, well...I heard Mom get shot. She fell on me, pinning my legs. I looked back to see she...was dead."
Sesshoumaru clenched his hands together. After a marked pause, he asked, "And then?"
"I got free and kept trying to escape. But then...I got a bullet in the back," Inuyasha swallowed thickly as he remembered the pain ripping through him.
"Inuyasha, you don't have to—" Sesshoumaru cut himself off, watching Inuyasha's set expression. "...Is that all you remember?"
Inuyasha's remorseful eyes raised to meet his. "No… I stumbled on the front porch and fell into the garden bushes to the side. As I was...falling unconscious, I noticed a car at the end of the driveway. Someone was inside."
Several things clicked in Sesshoumaru's head and he pushed himself away from the table, standing up. "No. Don't you dare tell me—"
"It was Kagura," Inuyasha said, a tone of finality in his voice.
In a rare display of emotion, Sesshoumaru kicked over his chair. "Impossible!"
Inuyasha watched in silence as his brother furiously paced back and forth. After a moment, he spun around to face him again. "You're sure, brother? Absolutely sure? It was actually your memory and not just a dream?" There was a desperate tone to his voice and his eyes gleamed with such intensity, Inuyasha's words caught in his mouth.
He'd never seen his brother like this. He would rather endure a thousand insults from him than watch as he pleaded for different version of the story. He seemed like he would be willing to believe anything as long as it exonerated Kagura. Finally, Inuyasha managed to whisper, "Do you want me to lie to you?"
Inuyasha saw something in Sesshoumaru's eyes break and suddenly there was no emotion to be read in them at all. They were just glassy and cold. His brother mechanically picked up his chair from the floor and sunk into it. After another minute of silence, he uttered, "She betrayed me… She betrayed us..."
Inuyasha didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure there was anything he could say. He was still feeling the sting of betrayal himself. He didn't know how to make it less intense for Sesshoumaru. They had trusted her. She had become part of their family when they had lost the rest of it. She supported and encouraged them.
Inuyasha felt a surge of rage when he remembered how she'd comforted him and assured him he would remember some day and catch the scum who had done this to him and his parents. Were they really all lies just meant to keep them off her trail? Had she meant none of it? Could a person truly be so cold-hearted, acting concerned to your face and laughing sadistically behind your back?
Inuyasha was sure all these thoughts and more were running through Sesshoumaru's head as they sat across the table from one another. As it was, they had both lapsed into silence and neither were likely to break it for quite some time.
The door to the interrogation room opened quietly and the two detectives entered. Detective Barazawa nodded to Inuyasha and indicated he should follow him. They exited the room as Detective Takeda started to sit down in the vacant seat. Sesshoumaru never even looked up.
"Good job, Inuyasha," Barazawa praised him as they walked down the hall. "I know it was hard news to deliver, but he needed to know."
"Do you really still believe he killed her?" Inuyasha asked defiantly.
Barazawa didn't respond.
"It's totally ludicrous," Inuyasha continued. "He really cared about her, maybe even loved her! He didn't even know that she was apart of my parents' murder. And he would have had to know Rin was in the house, and he would never have killed someone with her there. Not to mention he'd never do something like that, period!"
When Barazawa appeared unmoved, Inuyasha pushed desperately, "Don't you see it's impossible?"
Barazawa sighed and turned to him. "I only see the facts, kid. I admit you raise some strong points, but it's just not enough to exonerate him at this point. We need some more evidence."
"Then stop wasting your time here and go out and find some!" Inuyasha said huffily before stomping back to the conference room where Kagome waited.
Barazawa watched him get back inside before he turned back towards the interrogation room. Instead of entering the room where Sesshoumaru and Takeda were, he went into the adjoining room where he could watch them through the two-way glass. Captain Aoyama was already there. They nodded to each other before turning to watch the interrogation.
Takeda had just dropped a clear evidence bag on the table between them. Inside was a decorative hairpin, slightly stained with the victim's blood.
Slowly Sesshoumaru reached forward to grasp it. He fingered it almost lovingly for a moment before shoving it back towards the detective.
"Do you recognize that hairpin?" Takeda questioned.
Sesshoumaru gave a slight scoff. "Of course. I gave it to her for Christmas."
Takeda nodded thoughtfully. "So your brother told us. It's a very beautiful gift."
He didn't reply.
"It clearly shows your affections for her. You had grown close to her. Let her into your life, gave her responsibilities beyond her job requirements. She meant a lot to you."
Sesshoumaru pursed his lips. "Obviously. But now I learn she was playing me this whole time. It doesn't inspire a lot of affection, detective."
"You must have felt angry."
"I can see why you got the job," he replied snidely.
"Did you want revenge?"
Sesshoumaru's expression slipped into one of impatience at having to deal with someone of inferior intelligence. "Unfortunately, she was already dead when I learned the news in this very room from my brother. A little too late for me to fly into a homicidal rage and kill my secretary in my own living room."
"So you're saying you really had had no idea of Kagura's involvement in your parents' murder?" Takeda pressed.
"None," Sesshoumaru answered, sitting back in his chair.
Takeda measured him up and decided to take another tactic. "Your brother was hospitalized for five years, isn't that correct?"
This succeeded in making Sesshoumaru meet his eyes. "That's correct. He was in a coma."
"From a bullet wound he sustained the night your parents were killed."
"Yes."
"You watched out for him during that time, and took him home with you when he finally regained consciousness?"
"I did."
"You helped him recover after he woke up. Helped him regain his faculties, his memory, who he was, even. You must care about him quite a bit."
Sesshoumaru passed a hand over his face. "Where is this leading, detective?"
"If you learned the identity of the one who'd killed your parents and hurt your brother, just what would you do?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Kagura didn't kill my parents or put my brother in his coma."
"But she was there that night. You do take your brother's word on that fact, don't you?" Takeda pressed.
"I suppose. But he also said she didn't pull the trigger."
"That doesn't make her innocent. For all we know, she was a willing accomplice or even the mastermind herself. And yet you defend her still. Why?"
"I'm not—" Sesshoumaru started heatedly, then bit his tongue. Reigning himself back, he stated more calmly, "I'm not defending her. And I never even suspected she was involved until my brother told me so just a few minutes ago. Therefore, I had no reason to kill Kagura. How many times must we go over this same point? This is completely ridiculous."
He sank back in his chair and let his eyes wander from the detective. He'd clearly dismissed his presence entirely and was now lost in his own thoughts.
Captain Aoyama frowned behind the glass. "Where's the man's lawyer?"
Barazawa responded, "He waived his right to one. Said he didn't need one."
"Damned foolish thing to do for someone of his intelligence and status."
"Or he truly believes he's innocent and we don't have enough evidence to hold him," Barazawa proposed.
Aoyama grunted. "The hell we don't. No matter. Without a lawyer in the way, it's only a matter of time before Takeda breaks him."
Barazawa stared through the glass at the face of their prime suspect. It was a cold, emotionless mask. "You can't break what's already broken, Captain," he said gently.
"Excuse me?"
"It's just a feeling I have. When I look at and talk to this guy, all I sense is unbearable loss and grief. And this iron will that keeps him in control of himself. Keeps him functioning. When I first saw him with the body, I could tell he was unbelievably angry. I thought at the time, the murder could have stemmed from this rage. But in interrogating him further, I've come to realize it was the kind of anger that comes from confusion, from not understanding why this has happened, and wanting answers. Maybe also from wanting revenge."
"That revenge he wanted was against her," Aoyama broke in. "She betrayed him, he found out and killed her for what he'd done to his family and for deceiving him."
"As you've said yourself, this is a very smart man. He pulled himself out of tragedy and took over a multi-million dollar company at age twenty-one. One that has flourished since he's done so. A man of his intelligence and shrewdness would only feel anger towards one person when learning someone important betrayed him — himself, for not realizing it sooner. For letting her in and letting her take advantage of him. The anger he would feel towards Kagura herself would be secondary," Barazawa reasoned.
"As much as I value your insight, Barazawa, it's not exactly enough to clear him," Aoyama pointed out.
"Fine, look at the facts instead. There are too many inconsistencies. The man doesn't have a scratch on him, but that living room was trashed. It looked like a pretty terrific struggle. Not to mention, there was no blood splatter on his clothes, only staining from where he hugged her body. The front door was forced yet it's Sesshoumaru's own home. He should be able to enter without breaking in. As his brother pointed out, his daughter was hidden away inside the house yet he should've known she was there, either because he brought her himself or because he asked Kagura to. Either scenario doesn't explain why she was hidden and he didn't know about it. Finally...you should have seen when he found her, Captain. This girl must have witnessed the entire thing. But there was no ounce of hesitation before she threw herself into his arms. She felt safe with him. That's not a typical reaction for a young girl if she's just witnessed that man angrily beat and strangle a woman to death."
Captain Aoyama looked much less certain than before. "I see your point, detective. That certainly is a lot to account for…"
"Sir!" A junior officer came running up holding a file folder. "I just got ahold of the surveillance footage you asked for. Here are some still frames from it."
"Thanks," Barazawa said, taking the file and opening it. After a moment he passed it to the captain. "Try explaining that away too. Surveillance footage from Western Enterprises. Sesshoumaru left the building at 4:06pm."
"So?"
"Let me walk you through the timeline. The coroner examined the body on the scene around 5:00. She said the victim had been killed in the past hour. We got the call about the murder at 4:28. That means thirty minutes of that hour were already accounted for. Sesshoumaru didn't leave his work until 4:06 and it takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to drive from his company to his house, presuming he can avoid rush hour. This puts him at home around 4:20 to 4:25. The kids claim they arrived at the house at 4:25."
"The kids must've gotten there just after him," the captain said.
"Yes, sir. And call me crazy, but I don't think that's enough time to commit a crime of this magnitude."
Captain Aoyama blew out a long breath. "And we haven't made any leeway with the little girl, either. The psychologist says she's too traumatized. Clamming up is her defence mechanism or some such psychobabble. She thinks that if the girl returns to an environment where she feels safe, she might start to open up and come out of her silence."
"And the only place she feels comfortable and safe…"
"...is with him," Aoyama finished the sentence with a nod towards Sesshoumaru. "With this new evidence, we don't have enough to hold him anymore. It might even clear him completely, though I'm not willing to go that far. But if it does, it means we're back to square one in looking for Kagura Ishitaru's killer. And that little girl is now our best bet in identifying the perp. I think we'll have to cut this one loose and see if he can't get her talking again."
"I agree, sir. I'll go release him now."
Aoyama nodded and Barazawa left the room. After he'd gone, Aoyama punched the wall angrily. "Dammit!" he cursed.
There was still a killer on the loose.
..:V:..
Inuyasha tossed and turned in his bed. They'd finally gotten out of the police station at two in the morning. As Sesshoumaru's house was still a crime scene, they decided to travel to their old parents' house to stay the night instead.
The drive back was completely silent. Sesshoumaru drove, a pensive expression fixed on his face. Rin sat rigidly, eyes downcast and hands clenched in her lap. Kagome and Inuyasha sat on either side of her, not knowing what to say to either of them.
They had made a solemn procession into the dark house and with hardly a word to each other, found empty rooms in which to sleep.
But Inuyasha couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts whirled in his head. There were too many things he couldn't connect. Too many things his mind couldn't reconcile or make sense of. He was so angry with Kagura…but then seeing her there, dead on the living room floor… The anger faded and all he felt was sickness. He had thought the nightmare was ending, that they'd finally get some answers, but it was only the beginning of a new horrifying chapter.
He kicked off his sheets violently. He wasn't going to get any sleep, especially here in his old room. He got out of bed and made his way downstairs to get a glass of water.
It felt like walking through a time capsule, old memories rising to meet him at every turn. He wouldn't have come back here again so soon, but the thought of staying at Sesshoumaru's house now repelled him even more.
As he padded softly into the kitchen, he heard a familiar sound — fire crackling. He frowned, pouring himself some water before venturing out to the old family room. The fire in the fireplace was indeed lit and he saw the silhouette of his brother in a high backed chair facing it. Sesshoumaru acknowledged his presence with a glance and indicated to the chair beside him.
"Have a seat, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha made for the offered chair and sank into it as Sesshoumaru's gaze returned to the flames.
"Can't sleep?" Inuyasha ventured quietly.
"I should think that fact rather obvious," Sesshoumaru replied, though without his customary rancor.
"How's Rin?"
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Much the same. More than wanting answers for Kagura's death, I wish this had never happened to her. To have witnessed a scene like that... She was already so fragile from her parents' death. She was just beginning to shine again, but this… This has reverted her back to how she was when I first met her. She won't say a word, not even to me. I'm not sure she can even completely focus on what's around her right now. I can't even imagine what she saw…"
"What can we do for her?" Inuyasha asked, knowing she had already recovered from her previous spell before he had woken up from his coma. He had never seen her like this before.
"Give her time," Sesshoumaru said, watching the fire dance. "She is strong and will come through like she did before. But she needs to feel safe and loved in order to do so."
They lapsed into silence before Inuyasha had the courage to ask the next question. "And...how are you doing?"
Sesshoumaru met his eyes for a moment before looking away again. "I don't really have an answer to that, brother. You've told me the woman I most respected in the world betrayed and lied to me. Not only that, she was involved in our parents' murder. I feel like I've been played in the worst way. I'm furious with myself for letting it happen. I'm furious for not seeing through the lies and trickery. But no matter how hard I try, I can't be furious at her."
Inuyasha swallowed thickly, knowing his brother was being more honest with him now than he had ever been before in his life. "Why?"
"I don't know. Instead of being put on by her...I feel as though I failed her. I'm sure there was something I could have done, something I've missed. If only I could have seen through the deceit to the truth, I could have… I could have…"
"Saved her?" Inuyasha guessed the end of his thought.
Sesshoumaru let out a breath. "Maybe it's a ridiculous thought. I should feel cold, unfeeling towards the woman who betrayed me. But I can't help but feel it wasn't all an act, that there was some truth to the compassion she showed towards us. Or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself I'm not the gullible fool I am."
"If you are a gullible fool, you're not the only one," Inuyasha replied grimly.
Sesshoumaru turned to him with a piercing gaze. "The fact of the matter is, she's dead, Inuyasha. Someone killed her. Since we're the only ones who know I didn't do it, that leaves us with the question who did? And why?"
Inuyasha opened his mouth to answer only to find he couldn't. He had been so fixed on proving his brother wasn't the murderer, it never occurred to him who it would actually be.
"She wanted to tell me something, you know," Sesshoumaru confided in him softly. "She wanted to come to my house and tell me something important. She seemed anxious and sad. I couldn't understand what she wanted to say and why she couldn't tell me right then. I'm still wondering now."
"Maybe she was going to tell you the truth?"
"Or was it still part of her act?" Sesshoumaru rebutted.
"But either way, she still ended up dead."
"And someone out there is responsible."
They were both silent for a moment before Inuyasha ventured, "Knowing what we know now about her… That she was there the night our parents were killed… And that she must have known who did it…"
"Maybe that person has now killed her too?" Sesshoumaru finished his thought. "Of course that thought crossed my mind. We'll see how long it takes for the police to reason it out for themselves. But we could just as easily be wrong. It could be someone completely unrelated."
"But if we aren't… That means somewhere in my head, I know the identity of the killer. So then Rin wouldn't be the only witness. If I could just remember, I could step forward. And we'd finally have the bastard. Shove him in jail and throw away the key," Inuyasha said with grim determination.
He was shocked when Sesshoumaru merely sighed in response.
"What?"
"Do you think that would really matter?" he asked, suddenly sounded incredibly tired.
"What?" Inuyasha repeated.
"Remembering that night. Don't you realize that in the grand scheme of things, it won't help at all?"
Inuyasha knit his brows. "What do you mean? I would know who killed our parents!"
"Yes, but… That doesn't mean we'll be able to get him incarcerated."
"Why not?"
"Think about it. You're the sole witness to an event that occurred six years ago. You were in a coma for five years. When you came out of it, you had trouble remembering your own name, much less what took place that night. There are holes in your memory and anything you do remember, comes to you in dreams. Who's to say whatever you end up remembering aren't just nightmares and complete fabrications?"
Inuyasha grit his teeth. "They're not fabrications! They're memories. You believe they are too or you wouldn't have accepted what I told you about Kagura. The police believed me too!"
"Of course I believe you," Sesshoumaru replied. "And the police will go along with it too because it gives them a solid lead. But once it comes down to a courtroom, any good defence attorney is going to tear you and your testimony apart. After all the trauma you've been through physically and mentally, your memories just aren't worth that much as solid evidence. If you are the only thing that backs the prosecution's case, the man who killed our parents, and possibly Kagura, is going to walk away a free man."
Inuyasha felt a hot flush run through his body. "I—I don't understand! I've been trying so hard to remember. I've come so far! You can't tell me it's all for nothing! You wanted it too. Why have you been hounding me to remember all this time if you knew it'd be worthless?"
Sesshoumaru looked at him sadly. "When have I ever asked you to remember that night?"
"You said I could solve the mystery of our parents' murder if I did!" Inuyasha protested. "You said it was the only reason you kept me around!"
"I was angry when I said those things. Had I ever said anything like them before?"
Inuyasha looked at him, spluttering for a moment. "Well…"
"Did I insist you remember that night the instant you woke up?"
"You…" Inuyasha paused, trying to think back. "Well, all those detectives asked me questions…"
"Those were detectives. Did I ever press you to remember? Think about that, Inuyasha," he said, standing up from his chair.
He walked to the doorway before turning back. "Kagura...was a cruel woman. She used and betrayed us horribly. But I can't stop…" He cleared his throat. "I can't help but feel I want to honour her memory, even if the woman I knew was a fabrication."
"What are you going to do about it?" Inuyasha asked, turning to survey him.
"Since she was murdered, they won't release her body until after the autopsy and such. But I'd like to hold a memorial for her anyway. We'll do it this weekend at Western Enterprises. So she'll be surrounded by family."
"What about her actual family?" Inuyasha asked.
"She didn't have one. Her father was an abusive alcoholic. Her mother ran off when she was young and her father died of alcohol poisoning when she was in her teens. She rose above a lot of hardship to get where she did. I thought she was extremely admirable for it. Now it seems she didn't rise above it as much as I thought."
Inuyasha sat in pensive silence for a moment. "So you want us to keep the truth to ourselves, and hold a memorial service for her, pretending all the while she was a perfect angel that meant so much to us?"
"She wasn't an angel, Inuyasha… But she did mean something to us. To me, at least. This will at least give me the chance to say good-bye to the woman I thought I knew, if not the woman she truly was."
Inuyasha turned back to glare into the fire. He didn't want to admit it, but Sesshoumaru's words struck a chord within him. He too was reluctant to let go of the caring, nurturing Kagura he'd known. It was hard to paint her in this new light as cold-blooded traitor without first mourning the woman who had stood by their side for so long, always encouraging and supporting them. With reluctance, he acquiesced to his brother's wishes, "Fine."
He continued to gaze into the flames, letting the minutes slip by. He had assumed his brother had left when his voice spoke up one more time.
"I feel like I failed Kagura, but in reality, I have failed you, brother. She knew all along you might remember that night at any moment. She might have been waiting, looking for a chance to silence you. I let someone so dangerous enter our lives so completely. I will be more diligent from now on. I will not fail you again."
At these words, Inuyasha turned to face his brother, but he was no longer there.
Inuyasha stayed in the family room, thinking for a long time. So much had happened. He could feel that so much more was about to happen. But it all felt wildly out of his control. His own death was supposedly looming over the next month. Kagome had vowed to protect him from it. Kagura, complicit in his parents' murders, had just been killed herself. Now Sesshoumaru was vowing not to fail him again. Rin was traumatized, witness to a gruesome murder that rendered her mute and petrified.
And over all this, Sesshoumaru's previous words rang in his ears. Inuyasha had always believed if he could just remember what happened on that night six years ago, just recall who was responsible...the nightmare would be over. But now Sesshoumaru was declaring it wouldn't even matter. His lost memory, the one weapon, the one tool he had to fight back...was useless.
Inuyasha sat up straight. No. That's not what he'd said.
A new idea formed in his head, slowly. It took shape, growing larger as he thought of the possibilities. He also thought grimly of the potential consequences, which could be a necessary risk.
He was tired of everyone else making sacrifices to try to keep him safe. Everyone was trying to protect and shield him, but it just left him feeling more helpless and scared. It felt as if his life were in everyone else's hands and he could only wait to see what happened. But if there were really a chance to take control of his life back, that power lay with him alone. He held the answers within him and he alone could make them count.
And when he finally got a hold of those answers, make them count he would.
A/N Hope you enjoyed! See ya next chapter!