Chapter 124 - Name and Reality 47 {75 Solo} (170-171 Yasumura's Rampage and Intentions at the Press Conference)
The press conference from the evening was held with Yasumura himself attending, accompanied by Takeda, the Kitami Station Chief, as the person responsible for the detention center; Tsuyama, the General Manager of General Affairs at the Kitami Station; and Koyabu, the Investigation Headquarters Chief (not as the Criminal Investigation Director, but as a role within the investigation headquarters), as the person responsible for the investigation side.
The fact that it was timed exactly for the local news slots of NHK and commercial broadcasters, which attract a lot of attention, was because Yasumura's opinion passed... No, before that, should it be said that Yasumura creating such a situation was, in a sense, actually expected by the "higher-ups"? Nishida and the others were also watching the scene on television at the investigation headquarters.
"Today, I will provide an explanation regarding the situation and response concerning the fact that Nakagawa Hiroki, a suspect in the triple shooting incident at Kitami Kyoritsu Hospital that occurred on November 11, 1995, attempted suicide at the Kitami Station detention center around 1:00 AM today."
It was Yasumura himself who started off like that. Normally, it was thought that the Station Chief, the highest person responsible for the station in charge, should handle it rather than the District Headquarters Chief. But since Takeda was not keen on the press conference to begin with, and because Yasumura had actively insisted on it, it seemed Yasumura ended up mainly taking charge of the conference. That said, it was an undeniable fact in terms of fact-checking that Tsuyama, the direct person in charge, had to centrally respond to the questions no matter what. Thinking about it that way, the true victim was Tsuyama.
The questions, naturally, first asked how the interrogations of Nakagawa had been conducted since his arrest.
"Weren't the interrogations so severe that he attempted suicide?"
It was extremely cliché, but the usual phrases from the media side naturally popped out. However, partly because Yasumura himself had proactively made them stop excessively long interrogations, both Yasumura and Koyabu confidently denied this type of question. Indeed, Nishida also thought there was no fault at all in this regard.
Next, the surveillance situation of the guards when he attempted suicide, and the explanation and responsibility for the subsequent response were questioned. However, the reality was that because they responded almost appropriately, Nakagawa was conscious and is currently alive. So on this point, the media didn't say much that sounded like criticism, and the questions had a strong tone of situational confirmation. Perhaps because of the rustic personality of Tsuyama, who was explaining, the exchange ended quite calmly at that moment.
However, after this was over, before receiving the final questions from the media, Yasumura opened his mouth again. And it was content that was considerably more far-reaching than Nishida had imagined.
"I believe many of the reporters here may have already noticed, but in this investigation headquarters, regarding the Kitami Kyoritsu Hospital shooting incident, we have identified both Higashidate and the already deceased Kagami as the perpetrators, and we indicted Higashidate the other day. Regarding Nakagawa, who attempted suicide this time, and Sakamoto and Itagaki, who were arrested on the same day, we were in the midst of a vigorous investigation and interrogation toward indictment as those who were involved in or cooperated with the execution of the murders."
After saying that much, he looked around the entire press conference room as if licking it, and then added his words again.
"Furthermore, since it is believed that there are undoubtedly others who were involved in the crime, we are pushing forward toward their arrest and indictment. Unfortunately, however, in the current situation, there are difficult aspects and parts, and to be honest, we are facing difficulties."
Hearing these words, a low stir, though not very loud, echoed through the investigation headquarters, with people going "Whoa, whoa." It was a statement clearly conscious of Oshima Kaiji. Was it really necessary to reveal that much in this place? Such an atmosphere was palpably dominant.
Of course, Koyabu, next to Yasumura, also looked clearly shaken through the screen. That said, he couldn't very well hurriedly restrain his superior's statement, and the best he could do was to restlessly glance sideways at his younger superior. Even for Nishida, there were many parts where he had to tilt his head at the method of suddenly and directly launching into a press conference what is usually a secret provision of leaked information. Yoshimura, who was watching with him, also ended up checking with Nishida.
"Is this... really going to be okay?"
In response, Nishida could only say something to dodge the question, keeping in mind his earlier conversation with Yasumura.
"He's a smart person, so I don't think he's saying this without any thought, but..."
"Does this mean that this story is related to suspect Nakagawa's 'work'?"
A reporter named Miki from Hokkaido Kyodo TV suddenly asked a question that touched the core before the formal question time. The gazes of the surrounding investigators all at once focused on the television to see how Yasumura would answer this.
"You are perfectly free to think so."
Hearing that answer, a reporter named Sano from Doho immediately followed up.
"In other words, may we consider that suspicion is being cast on an influential person?"
Needless to say, it was clear that the influential person referred to Oshima Kaiji.
"I will neither deny nor affirm that."
At this answer, which was almost a "tacit recognition," the press conference room stirred this time. At the investigation headquarters, rather than a stir, it was in a state as if they had lost their words and fell silent for a moment. But after a while, an ominous atmosphere began to fill the room, represented by someone's line: "Isn't this really bad?"
As expected, since Oshima had already taken steps ahead of them, such as being admitted to the hospital, there were many investigators who held the view that they should absolutely refrain from words and actions that further exposed their hand.
"If the Headquarters Chief is going to spill this much, what is his aim? I think just hinting would be enough..."
Nishida also repeated that in his head while just watching Yasumura's rampage. However, if he thought about it carefully, since the Prefectural Police Headquarters was trying to use Yasumura, hadn't they anticipated this unconventional behavior to some extent? He was starting to think that way.
The fact that Yasumura was prepared to do quite reckless things in this investigation must have been reported to the Prefectural Police Headquarters in Sapporo through Koyabu and others when they clashed within the Kitami leadership over the search of Oshima Kaiji's office.
At the point when that Prefectural Police Headquarters respected Yasumura's opinion and permitted the holding of the press conference, and there was no dispatch of any officers from the Prefectural Police Headquarters as overseers at the press conference, this might have been calculated to some extent. And Yasumura, knowing that, might have played out the "promise" just like a book in professional wrestling (a term in pro-wrestling meaning the "script" during a match). Whether the glimpse of distress he showed in front of Nishida earlier was a kind of acting or his true feelings was not certain now, but there was a high possibility of that.
On the side of Prime Minister Takamatsu, the head of the administration, he wanted to cut off Oshima Kaiji, who was already an influential person in the party but also a kind of anti-establishment figure. Yasumura had explained that situation to Nishida earlier. It should be perfectly possible to see that there is an intention to put pressure on Oshima, who should be called an anti-establishment figure, little by little, after having the police's solid movement directly expressed to the public through Yasumura's press conference.
Furthermore, there is a high possibility of succeeding in skillfully hiding the internal conflict of the Minyu Party from the public by using the pressure of external public opinion that would be aroused by the press conference, and making the internal members of the Minyu Party well aware of the current Takamatsu Cabinet's position, which is supported by public opinion. At the same time, it is also possible to succeed in skillfully separating the criticism of the entire Minyu Party from the criticism of the Hakozaki Faction... no, the mainstream faction in the party led by the old-style political Umeda Faction, making them separate things.
The common method of covering up a politician's scandal by blaming it on a secretary is obviously an object of anger for the media and the public, as seen from past scandals. Moreover, if it is reported that the secretary attempted suicide in the middle of interrogation, it's not hard to imagine the boiling over of public opinion.
Especially if the "boss" of Nakagawa is hiding in Keiyo Hospital, it should be even more so. Takamatsu himself can stand on the side of that public opinion, creating an image of being with the masses, and while making the dynamics within the Minyu Party favorable to himself, he can also perform impression management to the public that the Minyu Party is being transformed by Takamatsu. It would be a triple win rather than a double win. It becomes possible to turn a pinch into a great opportunity. And the National Police Agency and the Prefectural Police Headquarters might also be moving according to that script.
However, even if that were the case, it was also certain that a person like Yasumura would not be the type to lightly accept that "hidden" aim of the power side. That might be where Yasumura's hesitation from earlier lay. If that were the case, in terms of whether it was true feelings or acting, it would mean it was considerably closer to the former.
Then the problem is that despite being close to Yasumura's own intentions, his words and actions this time have ended up being almost exactly as the "higher-ups" intended. As thought before, it's possible to say he just rode the written book, but considering Yasumura's personality, there were parts that just didn't sit right no matter what.
If Yasumura didn't simply ride the book, he might be thinking that in this rampage that seems like a farce at first glance, there is something useful for the investigation itself, beyond giving pressure to the Oshima side at the press conference for the suspect's suicide attempt. If so, while Yasumura and the higher-ups were each plotting to use the other, a pre-established harmony as a result of their completely different underlying intentions is now unfolding before his eyes. Needless to say, it couldn't be said to be a lie that Nishida had a desire for it to be so for Yasumura, a superior he could respect despite being younger.