Page 44 of Mercy Written in Blood

Minamoto held out his hand.

"Show me."

She turned the journal slightly. Haruki could not read the original script, but one name had been marked more heavily than the others.

"Takahara," Minamoto said.

The name seemed to affect all three historians. Haruki noticed at once.

"Who is that?"

"The clan name," Takeda said.

"Of the White Lotus?"

"Yes."

"And the person mentioned?"

She read the line.

"Renji."

Something moved behind Minamoto's eyes. Recognition. Fear. Then it was gone.

"Common name?" Haruki asked.

"No," Minamoto said.

Takeda looked at him sharply. He said nothing more. Haruki stored the reaction away.

They had been underground almost three hours. The air had grown stale despite the reduced ventilation, the work lightscasting hard shadows across the mural. Everyone spoke more quietly now, exhaustion and concentration stripping away unnecessary words.

A service radio crackled at Haruki's belt. He lifted it.

"Ken?"

Static. Then Ken's voice.

"Boss, you receiving?"

"Yes."

"Everything secure down there?"

"For now."

"Warehouse team says one of the exterior cameras dropped out."

Haruki straightened.

"How long?"

"About forty seconds."

"Which camera?"

"South entrance."