Dark Alice in a Dark Wonderland

Taro

Halo Seventeen: Taro:

-Taro-

In five days, somebody is going to die. Okay, there are going to be a couple more people who will also die before then. Somebody will die in five days. But we have to back up before that.

The body found in Ikebukuro West Park has been identified as Fukuzawa Kotoko. Killed for blasphemy in the DK's quest to fulfill her duty. (Yes, it's a she. But I'm not going to tell you how I know. I digress.) Her cult's not going to be happy about that.

Anyway, Detective Nakamura has been hard at work trying to catch her. He's studying Dante's Inferno to get a feel for what her next move is going to be.

Kota looked at all of his notes and pictures on his desk.

Limbo= Awakusu-san's wife (Still in a coma. The doctors can't figure out why she won't wake up. Her body is healthy but she's not waking up.)

Lust= Mirai, sex worker in Kabukicho

Gluttony= Body positive Youtuber

Greed= Nishino-san, CEO of a tech company

Wrath= Old woman identified as Noto Gin

Hersey= Murata Kichizo, former cult leader of Asahara

Violence= Izumii Ran (Against others), Imai Chinatsu (Against self), and Fukuzawa Kotoko (Blasphemy)

Nine victims so far. Who was going to be number ten? Nakamura has a clue.

"What'cha doing now?" a voice asked behind him. The detective looked over his shoulder to Sachiko standing inches away from him.

"Oh, it's you," Kota said. She tried to look over at his computer screen. He turned his head.

"Oh, this?" he asked. "Are there any gay clubs and drag bars in Ikebukuro?" Sachiko tilted her head.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Well, the Dante Killer just finished blasphemy," he said. "The next circle is sodomy. So I figured..."

"You would track the killer around gay clubs and bars?" Sachiko finished.

"Yeah," Kota said.

"You going to scout places or something?" she asked. The other detective shrugged.

"It's a start," he said. He leaned forward in his chair.

"And what about you?" he asked.

"Huh?" Sachiko asked.

"Your case," Kota said. "How is that going?"

"Oh, that. It's coming along nicely," she said. "I think I see a pattern."

"Oh?" he asked.

"The first victim had yen bills stuffed in her mouth and yen coins filled in her body, yes?" Sachiko asked.

"Yes," Nakamura said.

"Next was that hotel couple. Then there were the Asanuma boys," she said. She looked up at him as if to wait for a response. Nakamura shrugged.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked.

"I think they are connected somehow," she said. The detective look around for a moment before she leaned in close.

"My killer might be like yours," she said. Nakamura gave her an odd look.

"Are you saying they are the same guy?" he asked. The other detective shook her head.

"No, nothing like that," she said. "They are similar but not the same. Do you see what I am saying?" He blinked at her for a moment.

"I guess..." he said.