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Chapter Fifteen: Shichiro’s Darlings:

Back at the house, Watari pulled up the profile he had been working on.

"This is everyone missing from Kyoto since the 80's," he addressed. "Most of the victims were young women and girls." Tsuzuki, Hisoka, and Anna looked at the screen.

"There are so many of them!" Tsuzuki exclaimed.

"Yes," Watari said in serious tone. Hisoka went through the names one by one. One of them caught his eye.

"Is that Ami Wong?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Yes," Watari answered. Anna made a face.

"Hong Kong?" she questioned the location.

"Yes," the scientist said again. "Ami was from Hong Kong." Anna drew her mouth closed stunned. Not just Japanese and Americans, but other foreigners too?

"What is the status on the case in Hong Kong?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Cold to the human police, but still active in their Meifu," Watari said.

"I see," the older shinigami replied. Tsuzuki turned to Anna.

"Anna-chan, could you step out for a moment?" he asked. She gave him an odd look.

"Why?" she asked. Her boyfriend looked to his co-workers for help, but they said nothing. Tsuzuki turned back to Anna.

"Because…" he began. Anna waited as the shinigami breathed out.

"Anna-chan," Tsuzuki began again.

"Save it," she said. "I deserve to know everything!"

"I understand, but…" he cut in.

"No!" she insisted. "What is the problem with the girl from Hong Kong?" The boys all went silent. Tsuzuki bit his lip, but Hisoka stepped forward.

"We're not sure if the Hong Kong shinigami want to judge Shichiro themselves," he said without missing a beat. Anna looked confused.

"What?" she asked.

"Ami might not be the only Hong Kong victim of your family," Tsuzuki explained. "There could be others, you know?"

"Well… why not ask?" his girlfriend offered. Hisoka shook his head.

"It's not that easy,” he told her. The paperwork can take months for some cases." Anna's eyes dimmed.

"Oh," the woman murmured as she sat back on the futon, disappointed.

"Sorry," the look in Tsuzuki's eyes told her. His girlfriend came to her senses and looked at the list of names on the screen. All of these people, dead; it just made her sick. Anna couldn't hold back any longer.

"How many names are on that list?" she asked. Watari looked up at her.

"Close to three hundred, why?" he replied. Anna squinted at him.

"Three hundred… what?" she asked.

"Yes," blonde scientist said. "I can't believe it myself." Anna still looked lost.

"But…how? And why so many?" she asked.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," he replied. Anna flopped back onto the futon.

"This is all we have?" she complained.

"Afraid so," Hisoka replied. The woman sighed and stared at the ceiling. Tsuzuki and the others understood her frustration, but what could they do? Anna wanted to learn the truth before she died again. Yet, finding the pieces came slowly—almost too slowly. Something had to give.