Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter Eleven: September 14th
The dull buzzing of the florescent light overhead was deafening as I stared at the floor hollowly, my eyes not absorbing the dingy linoleum at my feet. I vaguely registered the hushed conversation Kagome-chan was having with her mother on the other side of the police station's waiting room, though I was largely focused on what was happening behind that plexi-glassed divider that further prohibited our view of the main station.
Mizushima had been caught. It still seemed preposterous to me, considering how long she'd been able to freely sneak in and out of that dingy cabin undetected to taunt me for so long. I had no way of knowing what they were doing to her, and I had no idea what would happen to her after tonight, though that didn't stop me from burning with indignant protectiveness. Undoubtedly Sesshomaru-san had locked her some room heavy with surveillance for interrogation and I was dying to know what sort of information they were getting from her. I was almost jealous that the chief of police might come to know Mizushima better than I did.
I brushed my fingers across my lips absentmindedly, frowning slightly as they felt cold to the touch. For some reason, I had hoped that my mouth would still be warm from our kiss earlier, though combined with time passage and the cold rain, the hope proved to be futile.
It seemed almost unbelievable now, that I was finally able to kiss Mizushima. I had come to the conclusion that I had evidently wanted to do so for some time now, though Inuyasha's arrival and her arrest was not where I had wanted our kiss to lead. Actually, I wasn't even completely sure what I wanted to come from it at all; all I knew was that I desperately wanted to do it again. But with her in Sesshomaru-san's hands anything happening between the two of us seemed highly unlikely. Any future I had cooked up for Mizushima and I seemed so perverse and farfetched now it wasn't funny.
I heard my name being said and I jerked to awareness, looking over at Kagome-chan and her mother in confusion. They were staring at me expectantly.
Clearing my throat awkwardly, I hedged, "Sorry, what?"
"Can you see the clock from where you're sitting?" Kagome-chan repeated. "What time is it?"
I strained my eyes to see through the dingy plexi-glass to the main station's wall where the clock hung. Turning back to her I said, "It's a little after three."
Kagome-chan's eyes widened then sagged with fatigue and she slumped forward in her chair, her forehead supported by the edge of her palms. Her mother rubbed her back comfortingly.
"I can't believe it's already tomorrow," she groaned, then she scoffed mirthfully. "I can't believe this is really over."
Her mother brushed some hair over Kagome-chan's ear as she said, "I'm so grateful you're alright, though. Sota and Grandpa have been worried."
Kagome-chan sat up some, a small, sad smile crossing her lips. "I wish it wasn't a school night so they could come too." She cast her own look through the plexi-glass, even though she couldn't see the clock from where she sat. "Speaking of which, Mama, you should really be heading home. You can't leave Grandpa with Sota all night."
Kagome-chan's mother shook her head doubtfully. "What about you? How will you get home?"
Blushing indiscreetly, Kagome-chan said, "Don't worry; Inuyasha can give me a ride home." She shared an impatient look with me. "If they ever let us out of here."
I remained quiet as Kagome-chan and her mother bid goodbye, my eyes reverting back to the floor as they hugged tightly one last time before parting.
"I love you, Kagome," her mother said quietly, "Be careful; take care of yourself."
"I will, Mama," Kagome-chan promised. "Everything's fine now. Thanks for coming so late to see me."
There was a brief moment of silence and I figured that Kagome-chan's mother had nodded in reply as my gaze didn't lift from the floor. Then her voice rose slightly and I realized she was addressing me. I looked up again.
"It was nice to finally meet you, Miroku-sensei," her mother said, bowing her head respectfully.
I nodded, feeling a little awkward at the fact that Kagome-chan's mother insisted on addressing me as such when I was both younger than her and not her boss. "Nice to meet you too, Higurashi-san."
Her mother smiled and bowed again, saying goodbye to Kagome-chan one last time and leaving. Kagome-chan turned to look at me blankly before she slumped back in her chair, sighing heavily.
"What?" I asked, referring to the stare she'd given me.
"Nothing," Kagome-chan said unconvincingly. "I'm just tired."
"That's not it," I insisted, feeling perturbed and wired myself.
She looked at me strangely, her eyes narrowed before she shook her head firmly. "It's really nothing."
I nodded sardonically, making my disbelief evident. "Oh sure, because people scum others randomly all the time."
Her nose scrunched in offence. "I didn't scum you."
"Kagome-chan, don't play this game with me, I'm not in the mood. Will you just tell me what's wrong?"
She delayed a moment further, her eyes still narrowed with suspicion. "What were you doing, wandering around town like that?" she finally erupted, looking at me accusatorily. "Do you realize how stupid that was? You could've been killed, you know that right?"
I scoffed irritably. "Oh, please. Spare me your concern, will you? You're embarrassing me." My monotonous attempt at sarcasm didn't go over well.
"I'm serious, Miroku-sensei!" Kagome-chan reprimanded, her voice sharp and rising in volume. "I've had enough of your happy-go-lucky, unobservant ignorance. You have no idea the trouble you've caused for Inuyasha and Yamaguchi-san!"
I snapped. "Back off, Kagome-chan! I don't care if we're not at work; I'm still your boss and I deserve more respect!" It was a low blow but at the present moment, I didn't care. I really was sick of Kagome-chan's less-than-appreciative attitude towards me.
She stared at me, stunned at my outburst. Her mouth hung open slightly, though no words came to fill the void.
"Besides," I continued bitterly, "Let's not forget that it was my happy-go-lucky walk through town that led Inuyasha to catch the bad guy!" Again, I felt guilty for resorting to such a dirty copout, using an unwitting Mizushima to my aid.
"Miroku-sensei," Kagome-chan's words finally came back to her, though by then I had already had enough. I shook her off dismissively, slouching back in my chair and closing my eyes to the annoying, buzzing flicker of the florescent light.
"Just … shut up, please," I muttered tiredly. "I already told you I'm not in the mood."
Kagome-chan's mouth instinctively clamped shut, though she didn't appear to be too happy about it. Thankfully, however, the door to the main station opened and interrupted any chance she had to pursue our argument.
Kikyo-san stood in the doorway, her hair falling out of the twist at the base of her skull and her eyes supporting heavy bags. She held a half-drank coffee in her hand and her usual notepad was being balanced on her hip with the other.
"We're ready to take your statements now," she said, puffing a short breath of air passed her lips as an errant lock of hair fluttered down in her face. "Follow me, please."
Kagome-chan and I stood obediently, following Kikyo-san down the familiar hallway down to her office. When we arrived at her door, she reached around us and pushed the door open, standing aside and gesturing for Kagome-chan to enter.
"We'll take yours in here," Kikyo-san explained, showing her to one of the big, cushy chairs facing her desk. "Since you were at the cabin with Shintaro, it shouldn't take so long. You should be out of here within the hour."
Kagome-chan let a small shudder of relief shake through her. "Thank God. I am exhausted." She plopped down in the chair that Kikyo-san had offered to her.
"I'll be just a moment," Kikyo-san went on. "I have to show Miroku-san to Sesshomaru-san's office, and I'll be right back to take your statement."
Kagome-chan nodded her on, tilting her head back as she fully relaxed in her chair. "I'll be here," she informed her needlessly, waving her hand flippantly as her eyes closed.
Kikyo-san shut the door securely and, sparing a brief look up to meet my gaze, gestured for me to follow her, though I had already been to Sesshomaru-san's office once before and could've figured out my way there. She knocked on the door once, waiting until the chief called out short invitation.
Opening the door only wide enough to slip her head through, Kikyo-san leaned forward as she addressed Sesshomaru-san urgently.
"Tsujitani Miroku-san is ready for you," she said, her voice muffled slightly to me as her head was poked into the small opening of the door.
"Alright, I'll be with him shortly." Sesshomaru-san sounded tired, though his exhaustion was tinged with a bit more irritation and ire than everyone else's.
Kikyo-san nodded and pulled back out from the doorway, closing the door and turning back to me.
"He'll be a moment," she explained unnecessarily. "I've got to get back to Kagome-san; will you be alright to just wait here for Sesshomaru-san?"
I nodded, digging my hands into my jacket pocket, briefly wondering what had become of the pink post-it from Mizushima before I figured I must've dropped it carelessly as I went in to kiss her.
"Thanks," I called after Kikyo-san as she walked back down the hallway. She turned back to me, startled, though she gave me a small after a pause.
"Anytime, Miroku-san." She disappeared down the corridor.
I leaned back against Sesshomaru-san's door, sighing as my testimony was further delayed by the chief. There were muffled voices seeping passed the closed door, and although I couldn't quite make out what they were saying, I heard enough to realize that Inuyasha was in his older brother's office with him. It sounded as if they were in the midst of a heated fight.
My curiosity piqued, I turned and pressed my ear to the door earnestly, holding my breath as their words became clearer, and I caught the last bit of Sesshomaru-san's demanding inquiry.
"… Have any idea the additional mess you've caused me? Or as usual, can I assume that you don't care?"
"Lay off, Sesshomaru. I already told you that I didn't intend for it to happen!"
I was a little shocked. An additional mess that Inuyasha had caused? I pressed my ear harder to the lacquered wood, straining to figure out what mess Sesshomaru-san was referring to.
"And you're preventative attempts are astounding, I assure you." I raised an impressed eyebrow. Sesshomaru-san's sarcasm was seething and biting, something to demand respect.
Inuyasha scoffed gruffly in response, and even through the door I could feel the disregard he held for the chief of police and his brother. I had a sneaking suspicion what they were talking about. Sesshomaru-san continued, and my suspicion was verified as he spoke.
"You do realize that we don't even have paperwork for this, don't you? That means your fraternization is unprecedented, and highly unethical. I could have your badge for copulating with a victim."
"Shit, Sesshomaru, don't sugarcoat it or anything." Inuyasha's acerbity rivaled his brother's. Still, by the tone of his voice, he didn't seem too concerned that Sesshomaru-san would go through with his threat.
Inuyasha continued, "Listen, Sesshomaru, I know that I fucked up, okay? You don't need to rub it in my face. But it still doesn't change anything. I'm not breaking it off with Kagome."
Again, I was impressed. Inuyasha may not have looked like the romantic type, but he apparently was very devoted to Kagome-chan. I sincerely hoped she was aware of this.
There was a stagnant, lengthy pause as I listened for Sesshomaru-san's response. I could imagine him sitting at his desk, his thumbs digging into the inside corners of his eyes in annoyance.
Finally, he spoke. "I don't want to hear another word about this, alright? The moment you step out of this office you keep it to yourselves, do you understand that?"
Inuyasha didn't seem affected by the unspoken menace soaking Sesshomaru-san's words. "Whatever," he rebuffed.
"I'm serious, Inuyasha. You keep your professional and private lives separate, or so help me—"
"I got it," Inuyasha interrupted bitingly. There was a shifting rustling noise, and I propelled myself away from the door, trying to look innocent and disinterested as I waited for them to come out of the office.
It hadn't occurred to me the ethical and professional rules that Inuyasha had blatantly broken by getting involved with Kagome-chan. Everything seemed to be working out so well for them; it seemed odd that they would have any hindrances. Such rules certainly did not exist in my company, or if they did, I simply chose to disregard them as Inuyasha had. All of a sudden, a lot of refusals from many ladies around the office made a ton more sense. Huh.
The door to Sesshomaru-san's office opened and Inuyasha trudged out, looking tired like everyone else and vaguely pissed.
"All yours," he said, waving his hand dismissively towards the office. He quickly made his way down the hall, evidently going to find some place to relax while he waited for Kagome-chan to be done with her testimony.
"Tsujitani?" Sesshomaru-san called me into his office impatiently, not standing up from his desk.
My stomach was churning nervously as I apprehensively lowered myself to sit in one of the straight-backed, thinly-cushioned chairs facing Sesshomaru-san. It was one thing to keep avoiding the complete truth when it came to Inuyasha and Kagome-chan; they were helpfully distracted with each other. I highly doubted my ability to convincingly lie to the chief of police.
Well, at least it wasn't really lying, I assured myself weakly, it was just leaving out specific details from the truth. I felt the vague desire to vomit.
Sesshomaru-san was looking at me expectantly, though I still stalled for a moment longer. I just wasn't sure how to begin. Finally, I cleared my throat.
"I was tired of being cooped up, that's why I ran into town." He raised his eyebrows minutely, apparently a little surprised at my option to just jump right into the thick of it.
"You couldn't tell Inuyasha or Officer Shintaro where you were going?" Sesshomaru-san's attempt at dry humor was almost bone-chilling. "Surely you must realize you worried them."
I floundered for a second, trying to come up with the best excuse for my actions earlier tonight. "Well," I hedged, "It was kind of on the spur of the moment, you know?"
He started at me blankly, unflinching and daunting, and waited for me to continue.
I cleared my throat again, hoping he didn't notice the nervous beads of sweat popping up around my forehead. This was it; the beginnings of my almost-lie, my half-truth. I prayed he would buy it.
"I-I was just wandering through town. Trying to stay out of the rain, I went for cover in a high school gym equipment shed, and that's when I ran into her. I didn't know who she was, because like I said, she wasn't the same person who attacked me that night—" my first all-out lie "—then she pulled her gun on me.
"I … panicked," I explained, silently cursing my slight hesitation as I continued with my not-so-honest confession. "But I realized that Inuyasha must've known that I was gone by then, and I just hoped he would get there in time."
"Which he did," Sesshomaru-san cut in flatly, though I didn't miss his suspicion. "And just in the nick of time, too. How convenient."
"Well yeah," I finished defensively. That part was entirely true. Inuyasha's appearance had been convenient, though at the time, I hardly thought so. Hell, I was still a little pissed at my moment with Mizushima being cut off by shaggy-haired bastard.
Sesshomaru-san leaned back in his chair, pushing his fingertips together thoughtfully as he scrutinized me. "That's all?" he verified.
I nodded, shrugging helplessly for effect. "Sorry. I wish it was more eventful, but now that everything's calmed down, I think everybody's making a bigger deal of this than it is."
The chief of police nodded, though his thoughtful demeanor had given way completely to scrutiny. I squirmed a bit under his unblinking glare, trying to assure myself that anyone would fidget when faced with that flat yet somehow demonic gleam in his eye. I had to keep telling myself my statement would hold.
"Fine," Sesshomaru-san finally, almost begrudgingly agreed, opening a drawer of his desk and producing a file folder with a single sheet of paper. He slid it over to me.
"This is a standard waiver, referring to your compliance and willingness to give a statement. It also holds an agreement to testify in a court of law should the occasion call for it." He pushed a pen towards me as well. "If you'll sign by the X."
I wanted to think about it for a moment, read the waiver for myself before I signed, though I was worried that any further hesitation on my part would blow my cover completely. Taking the pen, I scribbled my name on the given line, hurriedly passing both paper and pen back to Sesshomaru-san.
"Is that all?" I asked quickly. "Can I go home now?"
Nodding again, Sesshomaru-san stood from his desk. He led me to his office door, turning back to me as we both stepped into the hall.
"Thank you for your cooperation tonight, Tsujitani," he said, his tone far too even to sound even remotely thankful. "I am sorry to keep you so late." He offered me his hand.
"No problem," I muttered, shaking his hand once. I borrowed a line from Kagome-chan as I said, "I'm just glad this is over."
There was another nearly unbearable pause as I waited for Sesshomaru-san to relinquish my hand, once again feeling like an ant under a magnifying glass as his calculating eyes studied me once more.
Finally, he nodded again and dropped my hand. "There is one more thing," he explained levelly, "A check-out. It's a customary and simple procedure, just returning any personal items of yours that we've booked for investigative and protective purposes, things like cellular phones, personal computers and the like. It'll only take a moment longer."
I nodded, a little confused as to when they'd confiscated my cell phone and laptop. Remembering my call to Hachi's wife the day I left for protective custody made me worry slightly. Was I going to be in trouble for that too?
My attention was briefly diverted as a door on the outer edge of a juxtaposing hallway opened and Aoi Koga, Ayame-san's husband walked out. Sesshomaru-san had to turn to greet him, and I took advantage of his momentary distraction by peering into the room Koga had just left. The purposefully lowered voices of the two officers fell on deaf ears as I realized that Koga had neglected to shut the door all the way behind him, and leaning just a little provided me a more or less fair view of the room beyond it.
It was small; the opposite wall looked to be only five feet away from the entrance, and it was darkened considerably. The only light seemed to be from a few television screens built into the attached desk on the far wall, and my gaze was further drawn towards the window taking up a considerable portion of the wall above the desk, showing a view of a bigger room beyond the small vestibule. Though it wasn't the additional room that my breathing to hitch involuntarily.
I caught the glimpse of a person sitting in that room beyond the window. A small person, just the top of her head was visible from where I stood. But she had long dark brown hair pulled into a bun on the back of her head…
Sesshomaru-san turned back to me then, and I quickly straightened my posture as he addressed me.
"If you'll excuse me for just a moment Tsujitani, there's something I must attend to. I trust you can find your way back to the lobby?" He gestured down the hallway pointedly.
I nodded again, giving a brief but polite dismissal, fighting to keep my eyes focused on the chief rather than the carelessly unguarded interrogation room just over his shoulder.
"Give me ten minutes," Sesshomaru-san promised, excusing himself as both he and Koga turned down the juxtaposed hallway.
I started forward as well, making it look like I was on my way to the lobby, though I paused as I came to stand in the opening of that same corridor. Koga finally noticed that he'd left the door open and he tossed a hand out as he passed to push it the rest of the way closed. I had to act fast.
Barely catching the surprisingly heavy door with the tip of my shoe, I watched the backs of the retreating officers apprehensively, fearing they'd cast one last look over their shoulders to verify that I was doing what I was told. They didn't, and I felt myself slowly release a sigh of relief. I carefully kicked the door open and slipped into the small adjoining room with the screens, bracing the door as it finally clicked shut silently, and I listened as the automatic lock slid into place.
Plastering my back against the door, I surveyed the small room thoroughly, trying to detect any additional signs of surveillance beyond the television screens before me, which I was sure depicted a clearer view of the interrogation room on the other side of the window. I didn't see any, and I ventured further into the room, my heart speeding up considerably as the woman beyond the thickly-paned glass came into full view.
My suspicions were right, it was Mizushima. She was sitting in a metal-framed plastic chair, her arms locked behind her securely. I was reminded of that night a little over a week ago when she had me tied up in a very similar position. Her head was bowed, though her slouching posture was made all the more uncomfortable by the fact that her arms were restricted of movement up to her elbows. I felt horrible; it was because of me that she was in this place.
I wondered if she'd been able to hear me enter the room, though she didn't react at all if she had. A quick glance down at the only recording device on the desk in front of me confirmed a blaring, fully-operational green light. The other end of the recorder I could make out sitting on the table in front of Mizushima, though if I was going to speak with her, I didn't want it to be through some recorder. I glanced at the door to the side of the window, wondering if it too held an automatic lock.
I pushed the handle down slowly, and again my heart began beating irregularly fast as the handle gave way completely, the telltale signs of an unlocked door. Then I paused. What was I going to say to her? What could I say to make things better? She may have been stalling before but after tonight I was sure that she would have no qualms about killing me now. I suddenly felt very grateful she was restrained.
Remembering that Sesshomaru-san expected to see me in the lobby in ten minutes I only took a brief moment longer to take in some self-assuring breaths before I entered the interrogation room. Mizushima didn't raise her head at the sound of the door closing behind me, so I cleared my throat once, alerting her to my presence.
She looked up, startled, though her face quickly dissolved into a scowl as she recognized me. It was then that I finally noticed that her belt, gun, knife and gray leather jacket had been removed, leaving her in her black leather pants and pink tube top. Seeing her without her usual full regalia made me feel vaguely like I had just walked in on her nude, and as such I tried my hardest to not let my eyes linger on the amount of pale, soft-looking skin that was now visible.
I sat in the chair across the table from her, noting the exhausted, purple bags weighing down her eyes and the several locks of wild hair that had come untwisted from her usually flawless bun.
"Hey," I greeted softly, unable to stop the sheepishness in my voice. My guilt at realizing that it was my fault she was here in the first place returned with a vengeance. Not to mention the fact that her arrest happened a mere moment after I told her I was attracted to her, albeit in a slightly less romantic and more perverted way. With my luck, she probably didn't belief me now. I resolved to rectify that in the short ten minutes I'd been unwittingly granted.
She didn't answer me, instead simply casting a quick glance at the recorder sitting in the middle of the table, its green light still making it clear that it was on and catching every word we said. Carefully, taking a painful caution not to alert her further, I stretched my hand out, very aware of her eyes following my every move. If she was worried that I was reaching for her, she didn't show it, though her eyes did narrow suspiciously when my hand stopped at the recorder and slid the power switch to 'off'. Her eyebrow rose slightly, but she still took no initiative to speak.
Moving my hand back slowly attracted my eye to a previously unseen file folder sitting in front of me, looking innocent, provocative, and damning all at once in its simplistic nature. I slid it over to me and opened it.
My brow instantly creased in disappointment. If I had been hoping to solve any unanswered questions about Mizushima with this tempting folder, such hopes had been immediately trampled. The file was empty, save for one sheet of paper documenting her mug shot and fingerprints taken when she'd first been booked earlier tonight. Just to be sure I scanned the paper thoroughly and repeatedly, finding only two more clues to the elusive assassin sitting bound before me.
Birthdate: 1993
There wasn't a month or a day, though the year by itself was enough to make me choke a little.
She was only twenty years old.
I raised my eyes to look at her again, her own golden brown pools staring at me hard, feeding me a daring look, as if she was challenging me to dispute her prowess. I didn't, still sitting in a stunned silence as I looked at her incredulously. There was no way she was eleven years younger than me; she certainly didn't look it. I had originally put her at Kagome-chan's age, if anything a little older, but certainly not twenty.
Remembering her claim of being in her line of business for nine years made me choke again.
The math was simple. It would've put her being eleven years old when she started. I was certain now that Ueno Naraku must've conned her into working for him, for whatever sick and twisted reasons a man like him would need a kid doing his unsavory deeds. Two emotions bombarded me now: an overwhelming feeling of protective sorrow at the kind of life Mizushima had led since she was a kid, and a burning, all-encompassing hatred of Naraku. He should be locked in here now, not her.
The second clue came on the tab of the file folder, which I'd initially neglected when I'd opened it. I noticed scribbled kanji in the small jutted space, and I couldn't help a shadow of a grin from tugging at the corners of my mouth. I looked up at her again.
"Your name is Sango," I revealed, feeling uncharacteristically jubilant under her hardened stare. I'd wished for a first name ever since she'd told me her last, and I was feeling quite victorious upon finally learning it. Her name shared the kanji for coral, and even though her makeup was long ago washed away in the rain, I remembered the bright pink shades swept across her eyelids and I suddenly decided her name was very fitting.
Sango, however, had yet to say a single word to me. I decided to urge her a little further, aware that my time was quickly running out. I already down by four minutes.
"The recorder is off," I informed her reassuringly. "And no one is on the other side of that window," I nodded to the large reflective pane that I'd first seen her through, though on this side the glass was mirrored stealthily, "So you can say whatever you like."
She paused a moment longer, her head tilted thoughtfully as she mulled this over. Finally she spoke, her words carefully chosen and blunt. "… You're a piece of shit."
I grimaced, rubbing the bridge of my nose in minute frustration before I looked at her again. "Listen, I know you're mad, but you have to know… I meant what I said earlier."
Sango rolled her eyes, unconvinced, and this time her words were not marred by any hesitation. "You're a lying piece of shit."
My patience all but left me then. "Dammit, Sango, what I can I do to get you to believe me? Do you think I want you to be here anymore than you do?"
"Oh come on!" she retorted, aggressively leaning as far forward as she could with her arms locked behind her chair. "You use some perverted lines on me, you kiss me, and then all the sudden that cop is right there! Seems a bit too opportune to be coincidence, don't you think?"
I let out a dubious scoff. "You really do think I set you up, don't you?"
"What else am I supposed to believe? Go on, Tsujitani, tell me. I'd really like to know!"
My eyes pinched shut in irritation. I had had enough of sarcasm tonight. Maybe if I tried a different approach…
Summoning all of my willpower to keep my voice level, I opened my eyes, fixing her with as intense as a gaze as I could muster as I said, "I didn't plan that, no matter how opportune it seemed. I meant what I said, and when I kissed you…" I trailed off, having trouble finding the right words to describe exactly what I felt when we'd kissed. It was kind of hard to explain when I still didn't understand fully myself.
I tried again. "When we kissed, I felt… It felt—awesome…" The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it and I silently cursed as Sango shook her head, unimpressed.
"You know," she began, her voice low and bitter, "I've been through too much to put up with shit from guys like you. I work for Kumo; do you think I give a fuck about anyone else? I'm only looking out for me and my brother, and I—" she suddenly stopped herself, looking pissed to have revealed too much, though I was still scrambling to figure out what it was.
Latching onto the last thing she said, I hedged, "You have a brother?"
Sango was immediately on the defensive. "What's it to you? It doesn't matter anymore. I can't do anything for him locked up in here." She lowered her head, apparently signaling the end of the conversation.
"Sango," I pressed, desperate to learn anything that would help me get her out of here.
"Just go," she said, keeping her head down. "You shouldn't even be in here in the first place."
"I want to help you," I insisted vehemently.
She laughed bitterly. "Please don't. I've had enough help from you."
I sighed, feeling dejected, curious and irritated all at once. Glancing at the clock, I realized that I only had a minute and a half left before Sesshomaru-san would come to meet me in the lobby. I stood, casting Sango one last look before I obeyed her command, slipping silently from the interrogation room and into the hallway once more.
I ran to the lobby, worried that somebody might recognize me and stop me in my escape from Sango's temporary holding cell. Slamming the door that separated the main station from the lobby, I elicited a strange, startled look from Kagome-chan, who was already waiting for Sesshomaru-san's arrival. I ignored her and plopped back down in the chair that they'd kept me waiting in for three hours before they called me back to give my statement.
Sesshomaru-san walked in about thirty seconds after I sat down, nodding at both Kagome-chan and I briefly before he walked over to the clerk. After signing another standard waiver, our cell phones, my laptop, and Kagome-chan's tablet were returned to us, all recent history completely erased from their memory cards and hard drives.
Kagome-chan wasted no time in unlocking her phone and tapping away at the screen, presumably texting or emailing several family members and friends to let them know of her return, even though it was half-passed four in the morning. My own phone was stored in my pocket without a second glance, and I dangled my laptop at my side limply.
Just as I was trying to think of a way to stall my departure, Sesshomaru-san spoke.
"Once again, we appreciate your cooperation this past month. Further support from the both of you would be extremely helpful and important, though we will do our best to keep this out of your hair." He waved his hand, almost seeming bored. "This all becomes quite civil from here on out, if only slightly inconvenient."
Kagome-chan started to nod, but was cut off as the door to the lobby swung open and crashed into the adjoining wall deafeningly. It was Koga again, his eyes wide and alert, and every inch of his body tense with apprehension and adrenaline.
"Chief!" he said urgently, bracing himself in the door frame from his undoubted sprint to find Sesshomaru-san. "It's that girl from Kumo—Mizushima. She's gone!"