Chapter 122 - Name and Reality 45 {73 Solo} (166–167 An Unexpected Turn of Events)
August 16th. Finally, Sakamoto also completely broke, and it became a situation where three out of the four people involved in the main line of the Kitami Kyoritsu Hospital shooting incident had completely broken. Finally, the only one left among those directly involved is the stronghold, Secretary Nakagawa. The investigation headquarters also began to concentrate on the interrogation of Nakagawa.
However, on the following day, the 17th, unexpected information reached Nishida and the others. It was that Oshima Kaiji had been hospitalized in an emergency at the Keiyo University Hospital (commonly known as Keiyo Hospital) in Tokyo. However, calling it an "unexpected turn of events" in the true sense was slightly inaccurate; since it was a common pattern in past incidents and scandals involving politicians, the investigation team hadn't completely failed to consider it.
Originally, Keiyo Hospital was a purveyor hospital where politicians and business people were hospitalized, but it was a hospital with an aspect of being a "refuge" where several politicians who had been suspected of bribery or had scandals exposed had been hospitalized before.
Clearly, Oshima must have "fled" there, but in the hospital's explanation, he had signs of a cerebral infarction from about a year ago, and he was hospitalized in an emergency because the symptoms worsened. With the usual "no visitors allowed" attached, it was a state where it was no mistake to see that he had decided to hole up from anyone's eyes. However, it's also a fact that the police side can't be that reckless when a "medical certificate" has been issued, as expected.
"They beat us to the punch..."
In the investigation meeting held in a hurry, Section Chief Mitani, the case officer of the investigation headquarters, clearly showed his frustration. Setting aside the Sada Minoru incident, regarding the hospital shooting incident, Isaka's testimony had also come out, and although they weren't at the point of an immediate arrest, they were filling in the outer moat. Therefore, although they had assumed it, the feeling of being beaten to the punch was strong and couldn't be denied. He must have received various situation reports from Lawyer Matsuda in Kitami, who is taking charge of the defense of Nakagawa and the others.
However, Lawyer Matsuda had already stepped down from Nakagawa's defense due to the issue of conflict of interest with Secretary Nakagawa, as Itagaki and then Isaka had completely broken. A lawyer from Tokyo was already supposed to take charge of Nakagawa's defense. Just like in Motohashi's case, it was thought that the Midosuji Legal Office, which has deep ties with the Umeda Faction to which Oshima belongs, might come forward, but that didn't happen.
"Setting aside the Kyoritsu Hospital shooting incident, is this holing up aiming for the statute of limitations for the Sada murder case?"
Kusaka threw the question to the leadership.
"At this point, if there's a relationship where Oshima requested Motohashi to commit the murder, it's no mistake that the period from Motohashi's indictment to the finalization of the judgment will be added to the normal statute of limitations for Oshima, the accomplice, as a period of suspension of the statute of limitations. If so, it should be fine without worrying about the statute of limitations until the end of December. There's also confirmation from the prosecutor."
Nishida tried to explain it in an easy-to-understand way.
"Well, that's probably so, but I'd hate it if it's turned into a war of attrition."
"I can't not understand Kusaka's anxiety either. Since we also have to rely on Nakagawa's testimony as the only means to surely corner Oshima at present, if you think about it that way, although it seems like there's still time, I don't think there's that much leeway either."
Koyabu showed partial understanding of Kusaka's statement. On the other hand,
"Since the statute of limitations will be added to Oshima just like Motohashi's portion if the complicity in the Sada murder can be proven for Nakagawa's portion as well, I'm not as worried as Kusaka,"
Nishida dared to cut in. Of course, even for Nishida, it didn't mean he had leeway by any means.
"However, since nothing more has been proven than the fact that Nakagawa and Motohashi met at Kitami Station on the afternoon of the day of Sada's murder... For the extension of the statute of limitations, it's not easy since it's necessary to first build a case against Nakagawa as an accomplice in the form of aiding and abetting Motohashi's murder, and then further prove it including the master-servant relationship between Oshima and Nakagawa, right?"
"Headquarters Chief Koyabu! If it comes to it, even if you have to force the prosecutor to indict Nakagawa for involvement in the Sada murder..."
Nishida demanded a strong decision from the leadership. In response to that,
"Nishida! Do you think the prosecutor will see that they can maintain the public trial? Setting aside the shooting incident, isn't the Sada Minoru case difficult? Although we've come to understand quite a bit more than at one time, as I just said, at this point, the only thing that seems provable about Nakagawa regarding the Sada murder is just that 'he met Motohashi on the day of the crime,' right?"
He argued back. The reason Koyabu said this is probably because Nakagawa is Oshima's loyal servant, and testimony disadvantageous to Oshima cannot be expected to come from Nakagawa. On the other hand, if the opponent is an ordinary citizen, there are plenty of judges who would accept the involvement in the crime as per the claims of the prosecution and police even at this level of proof. And the police also often "indulge" in that.
However, if you stick to the rule of "in dubio pro reo" (when in doubt, for the accused), which can be called the principle of criminal trials, it's a typical case with a high possibility of resulting in the outcome Koyabu fears. If a "legally decent judgment" comes out as a result of pandering to those in power, it's an effect that can't be described. Nishida also didn't have words to clearly argue back to Koyabu.
"For the time being, regarding the Sada murder case, let's put it on hold for now. By the way, in the hospital shooting incident, it's thought that there's no problem with Nakagawa's indictment, but what about the problematic Oshima?"
Kusaka, who was watching the situation, presented the agenda again.
"That's also better than the Sada case, but since Oshima's direct involvement is a story based on the premise of the relationship between Nakagawa and Oshima, and since the opponent is who he is... Normally I think we could go, but..."
Section Chief Mitani showed implicitly that the outlook wasn't perfect while opening and closing his mouth.
"However, as expected, it won't look right unless we indict him for this case."
Koyabu glared at Mitani for a moment and then spoke decisively with a strong tone.
"Yeah. As expected, we have to bring this to an indictment even if we have to force it."
Nishida also showed complete agreement while being relieved by Koyabu's series of actions this time.
"The problem is the National Police Agency and the Main Office, but I think they can't oppose it overtly, and I won't let them."
At Koyabu's series of unusually reliable statements, Mitani made a playful expression so as not to be seen by Koyabu.
"Well, either way, the opponent is hiding... If a medical certificate is issued by the hospital, we can't touch him, unfortunately..."
"I wonder how long he intends to decide to hole up. It might be exactly as Kusaka says, that he intends to stick it out until the end of the year..."
After Koyabu spoke the reality, he made a weak statement close to a retraction again, and then Mitani added a negative statement.
"We have to make sure he doesn't do as he pleases!"
Partly because Koyabu toned down, Nishida strongly appealed to the two superiors here to show a strong determination.
*
August 18th. This day was a Sunday, but naturally, there is no holiday for the investigation headquarters. Interrogations for indictment and re-arrest were progressing steadily. From the National Police Agency, information seemed to be coming in that several people who appeared to be media personnel from TV stations and such had entered a surveillance system in front of Keiyo Hospital.
As expected, if a secretary is arrested on suspicion of murder and the person himself suddenly enters the hospital, it's natural for some among the media to start moving. However, from the perspective of the investigation team in Kitami, it was a stage where they wanted to say, "It's still too early!" and considering the possibility of it ending in a swing and a miss for a while, only the words "how pitiful" came out. If a medical certificate has been issued for a big-shot politician, even if the possibility of proof has increased, it probably won't be easy to arrest him. From here on, it's inevitable that they will be probing each other's intentions.
*
Before dawn on August 19th. Nishida, who was sleeping in the official residence of his home, jumped up at a sudden phone call. Thinking that a call coming at this time of day isn't very good news, Nishida took his cell phone.
"Hello! It's the Assistant Section Chief, right?"
The voice was Sanada. He should be in charge of the night shift today.
"Did something happen!"
Since he woke up instantly, his tone was firm.
"Nakagawa attempted suicide!"
"!?"
When he heard these words, it didn't click immediately, but 10 seconds later, the matter of Hamana, who was the Union Leader of Kitami Kyoritsu Hospital, crossed his mind. The death of Hamana, who had become an important witness, was certainly a considerable loss in the investigation in '95. If Nakagawa, who is directly and currently the only one linked to Oshima, were to die here, it would be a considerable blunder. In fact, even in the investigation headquarters, they had just strictly warned the detention officers of the Kitami Station not to invite situations such as suicide for Nakagawa and Isaka in particular.
"What are you doing!!"
He yelled despite it being late at night, but the management of the detention cell where Nakagawa is is not the Kitami Regional HQ in the first place, but the local Kitami Station, and the person in charge is not the Criminal Investigation Division but the detention officer of the General Affairs Department. Therefore, Nishida also knew well in his heart that it was meaningless to vent his anger on Sanada, who belongs to the Kitami Regional HQ Criminal Investigation Division.
"So how is it! What's Nakagawa's situation!?"
He suppressed his anger for the time being and strove to grasp the current situation to start over.
"He barely escaped death, and his consciousness has returned clearly."
Nishida was relieved at those words, but immediately,
"Anyway, I'm going there now!"
He conveyed that, changed quickly from his pajamas, and ran out of the room.
*
He got off the taxi and ran into the Kitami Station building, and when he stopped by the General Affairs Section once, he was told by the staff on night duty that the people involved had already gathered toward the detention cell, and Nishida ran desperately toward the detention cell.
"What's going on!"
Since the familiar faces of the responsible persons of the Kitami Station and the Regional HQ had gathered, when Nishida called out while also greeting,
"We sent him to the hospital just in case, but he's conscious and there's no problem. You don't have to worry,"
Section Chief Mitani, who turned around, said.
"Haaah."
Since Nishida was out of breath from running after getting off the taxi, he took a deep breath once. And then,
"Even so, didn't I tell you to keep a firm eye on him!"
He was about to snap weakly at Tsuyama, who is the General Manager of General Affairs of the Kitami Station.
"No, I'm terribly sorry..."
Tsuyama and the Station Chief of the Kitami Station, Takeda, bowed their heads along with the two staff members who appeared to have been on duty, but while watching that, Mitani,
"Nishida! Your words are going too far! It's precisely because these people were keeping a firm watch that the suicide was prevented as an attempt!"
He scolded him.
Certainly, suicides in detention cells, detention centers, and prisons are things that occur nationwide several times a year even if they are monitored to some extent. If it was prevented at a level where there's no problem with consciousness, he probably shouldn't have yelled. Nishida reflected a little and,
"That's certainly... I'm sorry for getting worked up."
He apologized. And then,
"Even so, how did he do it despite being monitored firmly?"
When he confirmed the suicide method,
"It seems he made his underwear shirt into a string, tied it around his own neck, and tightened the knot strongly. Since it was done inside the futon, that process of movement wasn't understood at all. Since he was covering himself with the futon strangely deeply, I noticed that this guy was strange, and even when I called out, there was no reaction, so when I went inside, it was that state..."
The veteran guard in charge among the two explained while pointing to the young man next to him.
It was something Nishida had also known from before, but in detention cells and prisons, means to prevent suicide are considerably constructed, and things like hanging oneself are originally at a level that can't be done. Nevertheless, many suicide victims use considerably "impossible" means to hang themselves or commit suicide. Furthermore, this method was a considerable feat of strangling his own neck by himself, but it appeared that by making a knot, there was a possibility that he fainted when he strangled his neck at once, and his neck remained strangled as it was (Author's Note: In reality, there are "acrobatic suicides" of detainees and inmates several times a year, and in a famous case, a woman who is said to be the mastermind of the Amagasaki confinement murders committed suicide with exactly this method. Well, to be honest, the possibility that "something happened" cannot be excluded...).
"In that sense, it's precisely because they noticed immediately that it ended at this level. Rather, it's a dimension where we should be grateful that they noticed."
Mitani defended the Kitami Station again, but Nishida understood that there was Mitani's consideration that it's better not to be in conflict with the local station too much, and he backed down without complaining further.
"By the way, you say Nakagawa's consciousness is also clear, but is the condition no problem at all?"
When Nishida confirmed again,
"Yes, since he can speak normally, it should be fine,"
Tsuyama answered.