Chapter 35

"Moko-san... Are you sure this is something that you want? I don't have a problem helping you after what you've done for me and Kuon, but something like this will make you sleep for two months." Kyoko reminded her with distress, for the umpteenth time since she had been asked to help.

Kanae took in a deep breath and nodded. "I'm sure. I've cleared my schedule for the next three months and I have all of the ingredients for the spell. I only need the Breath of a Dragon to complete it successfully. Kazushi-Sensei promise that he would care for us while I recovered from the spell." Kanae finished with conviction.

Kyoko gave a defeated sigh. "No Necromancy? No Demonology? Just a simple spell?"

Kanae nodded happily, knowing that Kyoko was considering helping out. "He promised to be there every step of the way and Takarada-san promised to help out afterwards." She reassured her.

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "When do you need me and Kuon at the rite?"

Kanae smiled. "After Valentine's Day. The sixteenth should be good, it starts a weekend." She paused. "It's my gift." She said nervously.

Kyoko laughed. "Wow and what a gift it is! I'm sure it will be very appreciated."

Kanae shook her head. "I don't care if it is or not. That's not why I'm doing it." She explained.

Kyoko smiled softly. "I know Moko-san. Trust me, I understand." Kyoko hugged her. "Kuon and I would be more than happy to help out with this."

Oh he had her or so he thought. Had she mentioned Saena-san's name without him even mentioning it? He thought back on the conversation and couldn't remember. He was sure his uncle would help him finding out more information, once he discovered the truth, after all Saena was a partner in his law firm. What he didn't expect was Ken'Ichi Katagiri to turn him down flat and Saena Mogami to completely deny all claim to Kyoko. According to her, Kyoko died and it was documented by the Kyoto police department.

Sho begged his uncle to look into it and try and get a DNA test to prove Kyoko was alive. Ken just sighed and shook his head. "Shotaro, just exactly what will you compare it with? Mogami-san cannot be forced to take a test like that unless there has been a crime committed and she's the suspect. You're mother threw away everything that Kyoko-chan owned, so there is nothing with her DNA on it. How will you explain that? Why won't you let this rest? Why won't you leave Genso-san alone? Is it your petty jealousies against Tsuruga-san again?"

Sho's brow furrowed. "It's not like that! I don't give a damn about Tsuruga! He's a two-bit hack actor, with no talent! Ryoko Genso mentioned Saena-san's name without me telling her what it was. I know she's Kyoko-chan!"

Ken threw his hands up. "I really don't know what to tell you. If Saena chooses not to pursue it, you're out of luck and I'm not going to force something that painful on her, when there was evidence that she died! Maybe you mentioned Saena's name without realizing it. You did tell me that the young woman has brothers and I can safely say that Kyoko-chan had no other family, as far as I know. Please stop this nonsense or I will retract your permissions and send you back to Kyoto until you are mature enough to stop stalking people."

Sho stood up angrily and stomped out of his uncle's office, slamming the door behind him. He was not going to let this rest. He would go to the police if he had to. He grinned ominously. That's exactly what he would do.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened to your wrist?" Kanae glanced at her from the script she had been reading, as the pair sat on Kyoko's sofa in her living room.

Kyoko sighed internally. How many times were people going to keep asking this question? Didn't she already tell them that she tripped? Not that it was a complete lie, just a deviation from the truth. "I told you Moko-san, I just tripped."

Kanae narrowed her eyes at her. Rick had already told her what had happened and she didn't like being lied to. "I wasn't aware that someone pushing my best friend down a flight of stairs was an accident. Accidentally on purpose, maybe?" Kanae groused quietly and Kyoko froze at her words.

Kyoko sighed. "Moko-san... It's already been taken care of. It was a misunderstanding between the two of us. It's okay." Kyoko assured her.

Kanae raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure. And what Erika Koenji tried to do to me was just a misunderstanding too. People like that need to be taught a lesson."

"Moko-san! NO! I promise Chiori didn't mean for it to happen that way." She then whispered the last part. "She's been through a lot."

Kanae frowned. "Just because life doesn't give you what you want, doesn't mean you can take it out on innocent people!"

Kyoko looked at her sadly. "What about when it takes from you Moko-san. What then?"

Kanae knew that Kyoko wasn't giving her the whole story on this girl. "Why don't you help me understand then?"

Kyoko looked at her sadly. "You can't tell anyone and you can't let her know that you know, okay?"

"Mo! Have a little faith in me. I'm not your best friend for nothing." Kanae groused.

"Okay, you remember the child actress from Scarlet Dice?" Kyoko asked expectantly.

Kanae nodded and then her eyes went wide, remembering the rumors. It had been one of the saddest things she had ever heard of. A child actress injured on the set and then later treated as a pariah because she couldn't recover from the trauma it caused. "Wow... Okay, but that doesn't make what she did to you okay." Kanae finally scolded.

Kyoko sighed. "I know Moko-san and she knows that too. At least now she does."

Kanae nodded. "Alright, I'll let it slide for now, but the moment she does anything to put you in danger again, she will have to face me and I will definitely let Kuon-san know. Am I clear on this?" Kanae reprimanded.

Kyoko smiled and hugged her best friend. "Thank you! I'm so glad you understand."

Kanae frowned. "I didn't say I understand or forgive her for something like that. I'm just saying that she's on my short-list and she better watch herself from now on." She warned and Kyoko nodded.

The police detective looked at the young man a little stunned and very irritated. Something about his story didn't sound right. "So, you're telling me that you know for certain that your deceased childhood friend, Kyoko Mogami, couldn't possibly be dead. And you know this how? Was there something you know that you didn't tell the Kyoto police when they investigated her disappearance and death? Tell me Fuwa-san... Is there a special reason why your mother threw away all of her belongings before contacting the police? Something we should know about you and your family?"

Sho flustered at the accusation. "How dare you! She was my friend! How could you think something like that?! It's just things that I heard that make me think that she's still alive!" He protested trying to justify his presence before this man.

Detective Tanaka raised an eyebrow. There was definitely something that this boy was hiding. "Just exactly what makes you think that the findings were incorrect in Kyoto? What are you not telling me?"

He was definitely in a bind now. How on Earth did this happen? "I-I... She was only hit with a rock! They said they only meant to scare her! My parents and I had nothing to do with it! It's not my fault my mother didn't care enough to look for her when she didn't come home! I thought she was just being the stupid nuisance that she always was! I didn't know what they did to her!" He cracked like a soft little robin's egg.

Detective Tanaka sat in shock. He had never seen anyone crack under so little pressure. He pulled out his recorder, sat it on the desk and turned it on. He patted Sho on the shoulder. "It's okay Fuwa-san. Why don't you tell me everything that happened. It'll make you feel better. I'll just record it for you, in case there are any questions that I need answered again. Is that okay with you?" He smiled softly and made Sho feel so comfortable with it.

"Of course." Sho agreed and then spilled the beans. He told the police detective everything. Everything from the moment she was first left at the ryokan until the moment she was no longer in his life. Every little detail he had heard from his mother's conversations about how much of a burden taking care of her was. How Kyoko had to work everyday after school until late at night, then finally spend several hours on homework, only sleeping a few hours in between to get up and start the grueling routine over again the next day.

He told how Manami-chan and her friends tormented Kyoko, her entire school life for living with him and what the girl had later bragged about. He gave names, addresses and dates. He even told him about the weird things that happened after Kyoko-chan's death. How her voice could be heard in whispers around the property of the ryokan the week afterwards and how a strange fire demon haunted the forest where she had been murdered.

Detective Tanaka sat stunned for a moment. He finally let the boy know that he was not to leave the country until he confirmed the information. He told him in a comforting tone that he would look into the case and finally he and Sho exchanged information. If even half of what the boy had said was true, at least six people would go to jail for murder and his own parents would be charged with neglect and in a way, child abuse. He wasn't sure what to do with the boy. Could he be held accountable for an accessory after the fact, for not telling them what he knew? He really didn't think so. The boy really didn't know anything until long after it had all happened and he was coming to him now. The boy was obviously suffering from a guilty conscience and trying to replace his childhood friend with Genso-san. He would need to talk to his manager to get the boy some counseling for his mental anguish and contact Genso-san's agency to let them know of the boy's obsession.