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Chapter Twenty-Three: Shichiro II:

Anna made it back to the house. The boys had been waiting for her. She looked around at all of them huddled around Watari’s laptop.

“Did I miss anything?” she asked.

“No,” Tsuzuki said. “In fact, we found out more about your family’s kitsune.” Anna raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh?” she asked.

“Yes,” Watari said. He turned the laptop to her. He pointed to a chart of a kitsune on the left. A trim and glossy looking creature sat in the picture.

“A copy of a kitsune needs souls to maintain its life force,” he began. “The one on the left is what the copy is supposed to look like.” Anna nodded as she looked on. Watari moved his finger to the picture on the right.

“This is Shichiro’s kitsune,” he said. Anna squinted for a better look.

“It looks puffier and duller than the other one,” she said.

“Exactly,” the scientist Shinigami replied.

“Why is that?”

“Ah. You see, some of the kitsune in your family have a higher metabolism than most copies. They burn though souls almost too quickly.”

“How quickly are we talking?”

“Weeks or days usually,” Hisoka answered. “In your uncle’s case, five days.”

“It’s a rare condition, really,” Watari added on. Anna blinked for a moment.

“But shouldn’t he be killing more because of it?” she asked.

“Correct,” the blonde scientist replied.

“Then…” she began to ask. Watari held up his hand and smiled.

“Ah, two things,” he said. Then, the man turned to his laptop and changed slides.

“The handlers take pills to sustain the kitsune and keep them stable between hunts,” he explained. “They trick the kitsune into thinking they have already eaten a soul. Probably why Daisuke never killed anybody.” Anna gave him a funny look.

“He must have been taking them when I wasn’t looking, because I never saw him take any pills of any sort,” she said. That statement faded into the room. She kept finding out new disturbing things about Daisuke. First their family and now drugs. Best keep her mouth shut about papa until she solved the whole puzzle.

“Anyway,” Watari went on. He pulled up Shichiro’s medical records. Anna looked on startled.

“He’s going through pills like candy!” she gasped. The woman looked up at Watari. “How did you access all of this?” Anna asked.

“I hacked into the KU Infirmary records,” Watari replied. “Never mind that now. Look at the latest test result taken three days ago.” Anna leaned in for a better look. She raised an eyebrow at the screen.

“What’s this spike in the blood work?” she asked.

“There is the problem at hand,” the scientist answered. “Shichiro’s body has started to reject the pills.” Anna looked up at him.

“He’ll die unless…” she said. “But, how is he going to…” Watari grinned at her.

“Ah!” he said. “Here’s the other thing.” The Shinigami drew out a picture from his pocket.

“Meet his accomplice,” he said. “Kimoto Amaya, his wife and your aunt. She helps with the kills.” Anna was beyond shocked.

“What sane human being would want to marry any of them?!?” she almost shouted. No answer there. (And wisely so.) Anna breathed out roughly.

“Either way,” Tsuzuki said. “You have any more information on Yamashita and Miyuzaki?” The woman quickly recovered.

“Oh yeah,” she said. “Turns out, Miyuzaki was having an affair with Rieko. Yamashita found out and tried to scare Miyuzaki into breaking up with her. When that didn’t work, Yamashita terminated her therapy.” Anna waited for a response. There was none to be had.

“I see…” Tsuzuki spoke up at last. “It all makes sense.” He looked at Anna.

“Did he know the baby was Masayuki’s?” the Shinigami asked.

Anna shook her head. “Yamashita didn’t tell him.”

“I knew it,” he mumbled.

“So, Miyuzaki panics when he finds out that Rieko is pregnant and has her killed,” Hisoka summed up. Anna nodded.

“Exactly,” she said. “So how do we catch him?”

“We’ll have to trap him somehow,” Tsuzuki answered. “But first, we need some bait.” Anna gave the boys a devilish grin.

“I know just where to get it…” she said.

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