Chapter Twenty-Six: The Questioning of Sakamoto Aya:

The house stood massive in the snow. The lights outside alone drew attention to it. Tsuzuki’s jaw dropped.

“Wow!” he said. He knew Sakamoto was rich. But this…

Anna nudged him the side. Tsuzuki looked up.

“Hm? Oh,” he said.

“Please focus,” she said. “We don’t have much time.”

“Right,” he said again. Tsuzuki grabbed her hand.

“Let’s do this,” he said. They walked up to the front door. He rung the doorbell. The couple turned to each other.

“We can do this,” Anna’s gaze said. “It’s for her.” Tsuzuki nodded. They looked up to see the door open. A man in his forties greeted them. His dark hair was slicked back. The wrinkles on his face looked elegant. He wore a black and gold robe. The man narrowed his eyes.

“Tsuzuki-san? Kimoto-san?” he asked. His eyes lit up.

“It’s you! How have you been?” he asked.

“Hi…” Tsuzuki mumbled.

“Uh… Listen, we have to talk,” Anna said.

“Of course!” Sakamoto said. “Come on in!” He pulled them into the big house. The couple didn’t get a chance to speak up.

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The living room felt like a palace. Red and gold everywhere. A large fireplace was already lit up and roaring. Noh masks covered the walls. Same with 18th century paintings. Sakamoto-san held out his arms.

“Sit, sit, sit,” he said. The couple sat down. The red couch felt like a marshmallow. Anna struggled to sit up straight. The other man sat in his armchair.

“So, what brings you by?” he asked. The couple didn’t speak at first.

“How are your children doing?” Tsuzuki asked. Anna turned her head. Their old friend smiled.

“Fine,” he said. “Why do you ask?” Anna sat up.

“Whose home with you now?” she asked. Tsuzuki looked at her. Sakamoto-san took a moment to think.

“I think Aya’s here,” he said. “She’s here on winter break.”

“I see,” Tsuzuki said.

“Is she home now?” Anna asked.

“No,” Sakamoto-san said. “Why do you ask?”

“When will she be back?” Tsuzuki asked. His voice trembled. The other man looked confused.

“What is going on?” he asked. “Why are you asking these questions?” Tsuzuki grabbed Anna by the hand.

“We think she might be trying to kill our daughter,” he admitted. Anna whipped her head around. Sakamoto-san looked confused.

“What are you saying?” he asked. “My darling daughter would never do something like that.” Anna tried to stay calm.

“We traced a curse here,” she said.

“We need to talk to her,” Tsuzuki added. “Please, this is important! A little girl’s life is on the line!” He was about to stand up. Anna had to pull him down. Sakamoto-san frowned.

“Are you calling my daughter a murderer?” he asked.

“No,” Tsuzuki said. “We just want to talk to her. Can we do that?” The air became tense. Both men looked ready to scream. Anna whispered to Airi to stand down.

“Keep calm. Don’t make it worse. Just wait.”

Suddenly, the front door opened.

“I’m home!” a girl’s voice said. The adults looked up. A girl of nineteen-years-old walked into the living room. She paused and looked around.

“Oh… You had guests this evening?” she asked. Airi glared at her through Anna’s eyes.

“It’s her. She’s the one who cast the curse!”