Chapter 151 - Name and Reality 74 {102 Solo} (244-245: What was in Hinako's Grave at Rokko Boyo Boen)
They arrived at Rokko Boyo Boen at the foot of Mount Rokko without much time passing. The parking lots seemed to be divided by grave sections, and following Kuroda's instructions, they parked at the spot closest to the section where Hinako's grave was located.
Since it was Sunday afternoon, a few cars could be seen here and there. From the cemetery, the streets of Kobe and the sea were indeed visible, but the view was not as good as expected beforehand. The visible range was limited. That said, Kuroda mentioned that among the cemeteries on Mount Rokko, this was the one where the city of Kobe was most visible. If not limited to Mount Rokko, there were cemeteries with better views, but then it wouldn't be the place where he had seen the night view with Hinako, so he chose this one.
Except for the driver, Shinjo, whom Kuboyama instructed to remain in the car, Takeshita and the others followed Kuroda to the management office, where Kuroda borrowed a hand bucket and a ladle for the grave visit.
Afterward, they walked through the cemetery under Kuroda's guidance, and damaged or chipped headstones caught Takeshita's eye. They must have fallen during the earthquake seven years ago. The scars of the earthquake still remained here.
And finally, when they reached Shibatani Hinako's grave, her name was indeed engraved on a quite grand headstone.
"Did it fall during the earthquake?"
To Takeshita's question, Kuroda answered:
"Kobe was in such a state that I couldn't come right away; it was more than two weeks later. However, while I'm not certain, although the position of the headstone had shifted slightly, there wasn't a single scratch on it, so it must have held out and didn't fall... Even if the caretaker had fixed it, some scars should have remained. ...That said, there were quite a few headstones left fallen, so that probably wasn't the case after all."
Since it was a large headstone, it might have withstood the violent shaking.
"Was the reason Motohashi-san sent Kuboyama-san to your place in Kawachinagano, Kuroda-san—where there seemed to be no damage right after the earthquake—actually to check on this?"
When Takeshita addressed Kuboyama like that, Kuboyama seemed thoroughly convinced.
"I see, it all makes sense now. The one he was worried about wasn't Kuroda-han, but the grave over here in Kobe... If he had said that himself, it would have been obvious to Kuroda-han that I had come at Aniki's behest."
"What's this story about?"
Kuroda asked, so Kuboyama explained the circumstances from the beginning.
"So that was the reason you visited back then..."
Kuroda seemed finally able to appreciate Motohashi's concern at the time, surprised that Motohashi, who had told him "you don't need to come visit me ever again," was still looking out for the grave while trying to keep it from being found out.
Then, while Kuroda polished the headstone, pulled weeds, and offered flowers, Takeshita looked around the headstone so as not to be in the way. Since Motohashi had specified this place, there was almost no doubt that some hint was here. However, nothing clicked for Takeshita, and nothing was engraved. At this point, Takeshita was certain that something was indeed hidden inside the grave.
And finally, Kuroda lit incense and offered a prayer. Kuboyama and Takeshita, though not acquaintances, followed Kuroda's lead and pressed their hands together.
Once the series of rituals was finished, Kuroda, who had been crouching, stood up and offered the takoyaki he had brought as an offering to the two of them. Since leaving it there would only result in it becoming raw garbage, most people nowadays take the offerings home after the grave visit, so it wasn't particularly disrespectful. However, Takeshita felt a bit hesitant. Of course, since it was offered, refusing would ultimately be more disrespectful, so he speared one with the toothpick provided and put it in his mouth.
"Hinako really loved takoyaki... Whenever we went out, she'd eat it whenever she could... Even among Kansai people, I've never met anyone who liked takoyaki that much."
Kuroda said that, then turned back toward the headstone.
"It was in the autumn about six months before Yukio was caught for murder, I think, after he was expelled from the Aoi... When the two of us visited the grave and offered takoyaki, that guy muttered, 'I'm already someone whose ties have been cut by family and relatives... Thinking about it, I'm in the same situation as Hinako, so if I die, I'm thinking of entering this grave with Hinako, would that be okay? It's a bit much to say, but I'm the one who bought it, in a way.' He checked with me. At the time, I said, 'You've quit the yakuza, and though I don't know exactly what you're doing now, at least you're not a yakuza anymore, and the grave is in your name... Wouldn't you normally be qualified to enter? I don't mind.' When I said that, he just muttered 'Qualified to enter, huh...' and fell silent. At that time, Yukio, who must have already killed people, might have had some thoughts... And it was only then that I realized Yukio might have been genuinely in love with Hinako. No, since Yukio never showed that kind of thing on the surface, I still don't know for sure if that's right... Or maybe it was a sense of being 'comrades' who spent the same kind of unfortunate childhood together, but the truth will never be told now... But I think he was probably in love with her."
After speaking, Kuroda turned back to Takeshita and the others and looked down slightly.
Hearing that, Kuboyama said:
"Aniki, despite looking like that, was quite popular but ended up single. It might have been because he was a yakuza, but maybe he was staying faithful to this Hinako-san. Well, needless to say, I don't know for sure either."
Immediately after, small raindrops began to fall from the sky (Author's Note: I have confirmed on the Meteorological Agency website that the Kansai region on this day was sunny with occasional rain until evening, and heavy rain after evening). Takeshita and Kuboyama turned their faces to the sky and held up their hands, but Kuroda just raised his face and stared at the thickening clouds.
Takeshita was hesitating on how to bring up the search of the grave in the somber atmosphere, but...
"By the way, you came here thinking there was an important meaning for Yukio to tell you something, right? Did you find it? If not, there's nothing for it but to check the ossuary like you said earlier, right?"
Kuroda, who had been looking at the sky until a moment ago, brought up the difficult subject first.
"Unfortunately, I thought there might be something engraved around the grave or something like that... Is it really okay?"
When he got that far and hesitated...
"I said 'yes' when I heard you in the car, didn't I?"
He pushed Takeshita's back.
"Then, I'll take the plunge and do so!"
Takeshita prayed once more, then took out the cotton work gloves he had bought when he entered the convenience store with Kuroda and quietly moved the haiseki aside.
He was reminded of the investigation at that Remote Grave Marker during his time at the Engaru Station, but back then, a monk had chanted sutras, so he could concentrate on the investigation without reservation. This time, however, it was just a grave visit by ordinary people, so he felt a bit of guilt during the work. Kuroda and Kuboyama watched the scene. And when he peered into the ossuary space, he immediately spotted multiple urns.
"Huh? Hinako-san's urn should naturally be just one, right?"
"Of course. Even so, one of them is quite small. Hinako's should be about as big as that larger one. It was over 30 years ago, but if my memory is correct."
Receiving Kuroda's comment after he peered into the space when asked by Takeshita, Takeshita took out the smaller urn. Although he was certain that no remains were inside, he still felt a bit of tension when he tried to open the lid.
And as he slowly removed the lid, he saw a transparent plastic bag inside, and a letter in a separate, smaller transparent plastic bag on the outside. And there, the words "To Kuboyama" were written.
"This is Yukio's handwriting..."
At Kuroda's words as he peered in from the side, Kuboyama nodded in agreement.
Takeshita first took out the plastic bag containing the letter and handed it to the addressee, Kuboyama. Next, he checked the contents of the plastic bag underneath from the outside. He saw multiple cassette tapes and a smallish university notebook. Furthermore, he saw several small bags of silica gel, like the desiccant found in snacks.
Takeshita, seeing that Motohashi had deliberately kept the letter separate and placed it prominently on top of the plastic bag containing the tapes, felt that he was being asked to read that first and asked Kuboyama to open the seal. Kuboyama also opened it with a solemn expression and took out the stationery from inside.
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Dear Kuboyama,
If you are reading this, it means that the one-in-a-million chance I was prepared for has actually happened. Originally, I had no intention of bringing this fact to light, but I had no choice but to do so. However, as for the specific reason why, I have no idea at this stage of writing this letter. But at this moment, it's certain that I believed such a thing wouldn't happen. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say I didn't want it to happen.
The cassette tapes in the plastic bag are recordings of my telephone conversations with 'Yasu-no-oyaji'. Since the tiny tapes that come with the phone itself might be difficult to listen to, I bought a separate recording machine and recorded them onto normal tapes, so I think it'll be easy to listen. Especially for the first request, it's the whole thing; after that, there are some where the beginning of the conversation isn't included, but that can't be helped since I had to record them in a hurry. Detailed stories are written in various small ways in the notebook included, so please supplement with that.
By the way, the 'requests' all refer to cases where I was asked by Oyaji to be involved in 'taking someone out' (killing). The 'conversations' are about those cases.
I don't know what will happen after this, but I think it contains a parade of contents that I haven't mentioned at all to the police.
I entrusted these to you so that you could make them public. At the point you are seeing this, I can't even guess what's happening other than that I've been pinched. I might be in the pigpen—no, probably on death row, so the detention center... or I might already be dead from execution.
I can't read the detailed situation, but anyway, I wanted you to make it public, so I made it so you'd find out this place from him, and I think you should be reading this now.
For my part, I originally didn't want to get pinched, but if I didn't do this, I was likely to end up continuing to kill others forever, so I decided to get pinched on purpose. Regarding the cases, although I have no intention of confessing everything, I intend to successfully hand over enough circumstantial evidence to the other side to ensure a conviction, so there's no chance I'll be getting out... I intend to claim innocence just for form's sake, though...
I considered turning myself in, but in a position where the group is looking after my subordinates, even if I don't mention Oyaji's involvement, it would be treated as if I refused Oyaji's request on my own, and there's a risk of making their position worse, right? Not only that, my own reputation would drop, so it was a pattern I definitely wanted to avoid.
In that case, unfortunately, I had to conclude that I had to make it look like I messed up on my own and got pinched. Well, this choice is also a disgrace in its own way.
And as for where to hide these pieces of evidence, the safest place seemed to be Hinako's grave, so I'm sorry to Hinako, but I let them rest here before I was pinched. As long as you don't hear it from him, there's almost no worry of it being found out. In the first place, I think it's almost impossible that you are even seeing this letter...
However, even if I have you make it public, I fear that the role itself will be quite dangerous. There are tons of guys among the poly (police) and deka (detectives) in Osaka and Hyogo who are connected with the Aoi. It's not out of the question that the accusation will be suppressed and you'll be harmed. That's why I want you to follow my instructions faithfully.
First, make copies of all the tapes. And when copying, you must never touch the original tapes or the copied tapes with your bare hands. Of course, the same goes for when taking them out of the plastic. If your fingerprints, which have been taken before, match when they are put out, it'll be found out that the source is you, so you must never forget that.
Furthermore, make copies of the entire university notebook. Of course, when touching the originals or the copies, just like the tapes, no bare hands at all!
Now, as for where to provide them. Leak them to weekly magazines before the major mass media. However, you don't need to send anything to the Tozai Shinbun-affiliated media. They are close with the people of the Hakozaki Faction of the Minyu Party, who are on good terms with us, so the possibility of it being covered up becomes much higher. It's useless, and there's even a possibility they'll interfere in cooperation with the police.
Therefore, it's vital to send the copies to other newspapers, TV stations, and weekly magazines in rapid succession. Of course, at that time, you must not touch the envelopes with your bare hands. I'll say it as many times as it takes.
You don't have to give your name at all. My goal is to make public the fact that Oyaji was involved in the cases. Of course, as for why it turned out that way, I can't even imagine at the moment...
And there's one more important thing, or rather, a promise I want you to keep. No matter what happens, you must not give his name! It may seem irresponsible, but I want you to keep this promise even at the cost of your life. I know I'm in no position to say such a thing, and even if I can't show myself to you, I'm definitely prostrating myself in my heart. I just don't want to get him involved in trouble. I'll give you all the three million I left with you, so just keep this promise to the end. I'm asking this because I expect you to keep it no matter what, so please.
I'm truly sorry for having ended up involving you in such a thing, and I've ended up owing you a huge debt, but I intend to repay this debt in hell. So, please bear with it somehow. Well then, I'm really counting on you.
And I want you to understand that I was praying from the bottom of my heart that you wouldn't have to read this.
April 21, 1991
Motohashi Yukio
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