Chapter Fourteen: Panic Search:
-Chijou, noon-
Tsuzuki paced
around the room. He stared at his phone.
“Tsuzuki!”
Hisoka said. The older shinigami looked up.
“I’m sorry,” he
said. Tsuzuki trembled as he spoke.
“Look,” his
partner said. “I know you’re upset. All of your pacing around won’t help. We
will find her.” Tsuzuki forced himself to smile.
“Right. You’re
right,” he said. “We will find her.” Watari worked on his computer.
“Anything yet?”
Tsuzuki asked.
“No,” the blonde
scientist said. “I’m still looking.” The older shinigami bit on his thumb.
Hisoka put his hand on his shoulder. Tsuzuki took a breath.
“Thanks,
Hisoka,” he said. “I think… I think I need a moment.”
“Take it,”
Tatsumi said.
“Thank you,”
Tsuzuki said. He walked out of the room. Hisoka watched the door close.
“Aren’t you
going after him?” Tatsumi asked.
“Nah, I’ll give
him a couple of minutes,” Hisoka said.
“You sure?”
Watari asked. Hisoka nodded. The blonde scientist shrugged.
“Okay,” he said.
He started typing again.
“Oh,” Watari
said. The other shinigami looked.
“Got a hit?”
Tatsumi asked. Watari grinned. He clicked on the flashing blue dot. A picture of
a park appeared on the screen.
“Yoyogi Park?”
Tatsumi asked.
“Yes,” Watari
said. “She’s heading north from Shibuya to Kabukicho.”
“Huh?” the other
shinigami asked.
“Why there?”
Tatsumi asked. Hisoka walked out of the room. He found Tsuzuki standing in the
hall, staring at his phone.
“Tsuzuki,” the
younger shinigami said.
“It’s Anna,” his
partner said. “She sent another text.” Hisoka walked over to him.
“What does it
say?” he asked.
“Heading to
Kabukicho,” Tsuzuki said. “Please don’t follow. Too dangerous.” He scrolled down
the message. A confused look came over his face.
“Ha Chi To San
Ni?” he asked. “879327?” The shinigami looked at each other.
“What does that
mean?” Tsuzuki asked. Hisoka shrugged and shook his head. That did little to
ease the unfolding mystery.
--------
-Kabukicho-
Anna turned off
the screen of her phone and shoved it into her pocket. She rolled her shoulders
and took a breath. The woman walked out of the restaurant bathroom. Jotaro sat
at a table near the emergency exit. He looked up when she came back.
“How is your
daughter?” the boy asked.
“Good,” she
lied. “She’s doing good.” The woman took her seat next to him. A waitress
approached their table.
“Are you ready
to order?” she asked.
“Yes,” Anna said. She smiled as she picked up her menu. Jotaro picked up his own and started to smile.