Page 119 of Mercy Written in Blood

"I would've done it chronologically."

"Reina disagreed."

Takeda smiled.

"She was right."

Reina looked absurdly pleased with herself. Haruki ignored both of them.

"The lotus."

Takeda's expression changed. She reached for the nearest photograph.

"I've been thinking about this."

"So have we."

"It isn't decorative."

"We reached the same conclusion."

She nodded.

"The repetition's too deliberate."

Haruki waited. Takeda looked between the photographs.

"In medieval Japan, symbols repeated across official documents generally identified institutions."

"Families?"

"Sometimes."

"Religious orders?"

"Yes."

"Military?"

"Yes."

"So it could be anything."

Takeda smiled apologetically.

"History is rarely considerate."

Haruki sighed.

"You're enjoying this."

"No."

"A little."

"A mystery this significant?" she admitted. "Perhaps a little."

She lifted another photograph.