Chapter 156 - Name and Reality 79 {107 Alone} (254–255 Motohashi's Crime Note 5)
"Trrr-trrr-trrr-trrr, click... It's me."
"Oyaji? It's Motohashi."
"Oh, Yukio! You, what the hell have you been doing since then! I called you so many times! Every time it was the answering machine! Good grief, giving me such trouble!"
"No, I'm terribly sorry... On the way back from Kitami, I was going around Sendai, Tokyo, Ise, and a few other places."
"Hah? Not just on the way there, but the way back too!? Going on a leisurely sightseeing trip after something like that, you're a real easygoing guy... Well, fine! Thanks to Yukio, our connection with the Hakozaki crowd has deepened even further, so I'll forgive you this time! Oshima also told me to pass on his thanks again. No matter what anyone says, it's certain you really helped us out!"
"For my part, I'm glad to have been of service to Oyaji."
"Umu. So, I've decided to add another 500 as a bonus from me. It's already prepared, so just like before, buy a hanging scroll at Takei Kotto and sell it at Terasaki-do."
"That will be a huge help."
"You must have various expenses... It's not like you messed up yourself, but rather you were betrayed by your subordinates, so as a result, you ended up taking responsibility by force... In that sense, I want to do something for you too... Well, for a while, I'll be counting on you like this."
"...Understood."
"Right. That's all the business I had. That's it for now. See ya."
"Excuse me."
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The three people who finished listening to the tape regarding the murder of Sada Minoru realized that in addition to the 2 million down payment and the 8 million success reward directly from Oshima, another 5 million had been provided separately by Takigawa. It made them think once again that 1986 was indeed the start of the bubble era, and both politicians and yakuza were flush with cash. However, if one considered it a tainted reward for murder, it might actually be cheap.
However, in the 1995 interrogation in Osaka, Motohashi had not mentioned the 5 million yen temporary bonus. It was unclear whether it was intentional or a lapse in memory, but Takeshita speculated that given Motohashi's memory and intellect, the answer was likely that he chose not to say it. The reason wasn't clear, but rather than wanting to hide it, he might have judged there was no need to mention it since it was "unplanned" income, or because it was a post-facto payment, he might have thought it troublesome if a relationship where they could maintain certain contact even after the fact was inferred. However, the reality was that it was quite difficult to give a precise answer on that point now.
"Listening to these guys talk, they're way too far removed from the sensibilities of a law-abiding citizen..."
To the words Kuroda muttered with a sigh,
"If you're in that world, you naturally become desensitized... It's not just a matter of money, it's a world of narrow values strictly for insiders..."
Kuboyama replied, likely with some self-reflection.
However, internal logic and the logic of the inner circle are not necessarily problems limited to organized crime groups that are blatant criminal organizations. It is a malady that follows, to a greater or lesser extent, every organization—including the media Takeshita was currently involved with, the police as law enforcers he was previously involved with, other administrative agencies, various industry groups, and companies. Even if it occasionally comes to light and becomes a social problem, once things settle down, bad seeds always sprout again. Takeshita felt strongly in his heart that this was not someone else's problem.
The contents of the answering machine while Motohashi was away were not recorded, but since he had gone out of his way to have this conversation recorded on an external device, it was thought that the other messages were on the micro-tape that would have been in the phone unit itself and hadn't been dubbed. That said, they probably weren't important contents anyway.
And just then, with excellent timing, the unagi-juu they had ordered arrived, so the three decided to take a break for the time being. Takeshita in particular had been listening with intense concentration, so he was hit with a wave of exhaustion; it was the best time for a break. While they were at it, he decided to use this time to give a report to Nishida.
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"How is it! Did you find out anything!?"
Since he knew who was calling, Nishida thrust the main topic at him immediately, but Takeshita calmly said, "The telephone conspiracy between Takigawa and Motohashi for the Sada murder was indeed recorded on the tape. It looks like we can go after Takigawa for conspiracy to commit murder or incitement!"
Needless to say,
"Ooooh! Really! Can we prove Takigawa's involvement!! You did a great job!!!"
Nishida was clearly shouting on the other end of the phone. Since Takeshita had predicted to some extent that Nishida would have that kind of feeling and reaction even before telling him, he had already moved the cell phone slightly away from his ear, so there was no damage to his eardrums.
"For the record, the fact that it was a murder request from Oshima was also in the conversation between the two, but since it's strictly hearsay, it's unfortunately impossible to prove Oshima's indirect incitement to murder or conspiracy to commit murder just by using this conversation as evidence. I think Oshima's confession will be necessary."
"Yeah! But hearsay is unavoidable for a phone conversation."
Having finally calmed down, Nishida's response to Takeshita's follow-up was quiet at the end. On the other hand,
"However, regarding the matter of that Nakagawa and Motohashi meeting in Kitami. In the conversation, it seems it was pre-arranged that after murdering Sada, he would report the success to Oshima's proxy and receive the success reward from Nakagawa. Since clear aiding and abetting of murder can be applied to Nakagawa in the Sada murder, if we consider the relationship between Oshima and Nakagawa, there's a high possibility that at least incitement to aiding and abetting murder or conspiracy to commit murder by Oshima is established, don't you think?"
When told this, he was greatly pleased again.
"Besides, regarding the matter of Motohashi and Secretary Nakagawa meeting on the platform of Kitami Station, if we have the testimony and evidence from the journalist Naruo, not only the fact of the hand-off but the credibility of the entire conversation should become quite high. We have Motohashi's crime note in addition to the recording. If Oshima's name comes up there as the original client for the murder, and furthermore his loyal servant Nakagawa is cooperating in the incident, even if Oshima denies the contents of the conversation, there's a possibility it will be recognized as circumstantial evidence of involvement in murder as a whole in court, isn't there?"
"Yeah, yeah. We can't be optimistic, but thanks to Motohashi's legacy, things have become quite clear!"
Nishida seemed very satisfied with Takeshita's further thoughts.
"Also, I haven't finished listening to everything yet, but the first murder Motohashi messed up was also clearly left in audio and the note as being a request from Takigawa, so the Prefectural Police will be happy about this. I'm going to listen to the rest now, but at this rate, it seems like conversations for all the cases Motohashi committed are left. There are five tapes in total including the Sada case, so it matches the four cases for which the death penalty was issued."
Yoshimura continued speaking like that.
"Ho, those too! Well, Section 1 and the Organized Crime Department of the Osaka Prefectural Police will be delighted. If it means taking down that Takigawa for murder, it's the fulfillment of a long-held ambition."
Nishida became even more cheerful.
"Well, I don't know if it's a long-held ambition for everyone..."
Takeshita muttered, considering the point that Motohashi was worried about there being collaborators with the Aoi-ikka within the Prefectural Police. However, Nishida didn't even care about that,
"Still, that Motohashi guy, even after dying he keeps us on pins and needles! Is it 'The dead Motohashi runs the living us ragged'?"
Being in a good mood, he blurted out a joke using a Chinese historical anecdote involving Zhuge Liang Kongming and Sima Yi Zhongda.
"A twist on 'The dead Kongming puts the living Zhongda to flight'... That's not bad."
There was a bit of flattery involved, but Takeshita also thought it was actually a decent effort.
"What's the score?"
Nishida got carried away and asked for a grade, so,
"90 points."
When he said that,
"Yeah, yeah, that's a pretty good score!"
At this stage, he was becoming quite boastful.
"But I wonder. From my perspective, the phrase 'Remote Grave Marker,' which could be called a collaboration between you and Sawai-san, might actually have been more of a masterpiece?"
"Wait a minute!? If my memory of seven years ago is correct, you guys' reputation for it was poor, saying 'Calling this level of mountainside a remote region is an exaggeration to a Hokkaido resident,' right? Takeshita, you were one of 'that gang' too, weren't you?"
At Takeshita's unexpected words, Nishida relied on his memory and countered suspiciously.
"Certainly at that time, I thought so too... But since a few years ago, I've reconsidered that it was actually quite a best-fit phrasing."
The words that came back sounded strangely meaningful to Nishida.
"The reason you changed your mind?"
Needless to say, Nishida asked for the root of that change of heart.
"Explaining it here would just be a hassle. I'll tell you when I have some free time."
It was a manner of speaking as if he were dodging the question.
"Hmm. So, what's the score for that one?"
When he asked again dissatisfactorily,
"Let's see, maybe 60 points... I'd say it's just a passing grade."
He started saying. As expected, Nishida couldn't understand the meaning at all,
"The quality of that one is better, right!? Why is the score lower instead! And barely a passing grade at that!"
He ended up raising his voice childishly.
"To put it clearly, it's because I'm evaluating it with a different meaning than the 'remote' that you meant, Nishida-san."
"?? I have no idea what's what?"
At this point, Nishida began to seriously agonize over the irrational answer, but whether he sensed that or not,
"No, no! Well, such trivial things really don't matter! More importantly, since we can take down Takigawa with at least the first case alone, please contact the Osaka Prefectural Police immediately. To secure Takigawa, we'll definitely need the Prefectural Police's cooperation no matter how you look at it. Besides, we'll need them to do things like voiceprint analysis and digitizing the conversation contents right away, won't we? In order for us to take down Oshima too."
Takeshita strongly requested of Nishida.
"That's true too! We have to do something about that first! Alright, I'll ask the Investigation Cooperation Division right away... though at this hour, it might end up being tomorrow after all..."
Like a dragon's head and a snake's tail, the end of his sentence became weak, but,
"For the time being, as for the problem of time on my end, I've reached this point in just two days, so there's still plenty,"
Takeshita said as if to encourage Nishida.
"That part helps... But, after you got there, reaching the core was faster than I thought, and it's a strange thing to say, but I'm a bit underwhelmed."
When he leaked his impressions to Takeshita again,
"To be honest, I have those feelings too. But it certainly had the destructive power expected of something Motohashi sent right at the very end. We might have just been run ragged, but the benefits were actually great."
He answered, quoting Nishida's earlier statement.
"Much obliged to Motohashi-sama, eh... We've been tossed around just like seven years ago..."
Immediately after Nishida said that, the memories of that time were revived vividly and simultaneously in both their minds. However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that those few seconds of flashback were rather burdened with the weight of the seven years that had passed.
"...Anyway, please contact the Prefectural Police. And please give me clear instructions on what I should do after this once things are settled."
As if suddenly snapping out of it, Takeshita conveyed his business, to which Nishida replied,
"Yeah. Make sure you listen to the rest of the tapes properly. You don't have to contact me immediately about those."
And the two ended their conversation.
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"Takeshita-han, it's delicious! Eat it quickly before it gets cold!"
Kuboyama, who had been watching the whole conversation, recommended the unagi-juu, so,
"Then, I won't hold back," Takeshita said and immediately put some in his mouth. Indeed, the well-fattened, plump eel bounced in his mouth and then melted.
"By the way, you were blabbing for quite a while. The person was that detective named Nishida, right?"
While Kuboyama was watching Takeshita like that and spoke to him, Takeshita suddenly remembered that he had been calling Motohashi without an honorific on the phone, but it was pointless to try to fix it now. He didn't worry, thinking that even as a junior who had been taken care of, Kuboyama would understand,
"Yes. Nishida was also very happy that the investigation seems likely to progress thanks to Motohashi-san and everyone. He told me to pass on his words of gratitude in his stead."
Takeshita went out of his way to add that, considering Nishida, who was so overjoyed that such things would have completely slipped his mind.
"Your former boss said earlier that 'He's an ordinary detective, but a trustworthy boss,' didn't he?"
Kuboyama seemed to remember the conversation in the car on the way to Kobe.
"Yes. Ordinary... of course, he's a detective of the excellent variety, but in addition, he was also a trustworthy boss... However, even if he's an ordinary excellent detective, his obsession with the cases involving Motohashi-san that we're chasing this time is no ordinary thing. He even sent me, who isn't even a detective, over here just because I'm familiar with the past investigation, so you can tell just from that, right?"
"Certainly, that kind of thing would make him a paragon of detectives..."
Having already finished the unagi-juu and starting on the kimosui (T/N: clear soup with eel liver), Kuboyama spoke those words, then,
"Even so, to be honest, I felt a bit pathetic, as if I wasn't trusted by Aniki, wondering why he asked you guys—who apparently didn't even talk for that long during the interrogation—to handle such a major matter. On top of that, there was even a hint that he wanted to have Kuroda-han, whom he went to the trouble of giving the pseudonym Tadano in code even to me, meet you directly... But after being with Takeshita-han for more than half a day today, I feel like I understand the reason a little."
He started saying further.
Indeed, in the car heading to Kawachinagano, an atmosphere of Kuboyama being somewhat displeased, presumably for that reason, had been clearly felt by Takeshita next to him. And after Kuboyama took a break,
"I think the reason Aniki trusted you wasn't the length of the acquaintance or the relationship, but because he strongly felt the strength of your commitment to the investigation right there, even if it was for a short time... Since even I could feel it somehow in about half a day... I also now feel from the bottom of my heart that Aniki was right to leave it to you guys."
He said, looking straight at Takeshita.
"Obsession with the investigation, huh... Yukio wrote about his distrust of the police here in the letter to Kuboyama that was in Hinako's grave, but he could feel something different from you guys from Hokkaido. That means Yukio bet on that..."
Kuroda also seemed convinced by Kuboyama's analysis.