Chapter 215 - Superstition 5 {5 Alone} (8–9 New Year's Greetings)
January 3, 2013, at 9:00 AM. Nishida and Yoshimura were on the platform of the Furusato Ginga Line (the longest third-sector railway in Japan, connecting JR Nemuro Main Line Ikeda Station and Kitami Station, which was abolished in April 2006; during its JR era, it was the old Chiho-Hoku Line) at Kitami Station.
The two each held a furoshiki bundle, which contained a variety of luxurious osechi dishes that seemed ill-suited for the disposable plastic containers one could buy at a 100-yen shop.
On this day, the two intended to first celebrate the New Year by eating the osechi they brought with the elderly Okuda in Kunneppu Town. After that, they planned to transfer between the Furusato Ginga Line and JR again to go to the home of former Section Chief Sawai in Memuro Town for a separate overnight New Year's celebration.
Okuda had been of great help since '95 during the series of criminal investigations, and Nishida had called him in early December, once the paperwork had settled down, to express his desire to thank him. It turned out that Okuda lived alone and his children and grandchildren wouldn't be returning home this year, so they decided to celebrate the New Year together. And as a token of gratitude, Nishida and the others were to arrange and treat him to osechi cuisine.
Incidentally, that osechi cuisine had been prepared by the hand of the Boss, Aida Izumi. In the meantime, after the Boss was arrested, he was indicted immediately after ten days of detention, but he had been released on bail soon after paying the 2 million yen bail collected by his family—his son and daughter—the regulars of Yusen, and the nearby residents.
The reason for his release on bail was, of course, that the Boss had fully confessed and deeply reflected, but it also seemed significant that the victim, Isaka Masamitsu, had submitted a written statement to the prosecution expressing that he had no desire for punishment after receiving the first letter of apology from the Boss. The Boss wrote another letter of apology and gratitude to Isaka. In the first apology letter sent via Nishida, when he offered to repay as much of the extorted money as possible and waive his inheritance of the legacy's gold dust, Masamitsu had not specifically replied to that, so he reiterated that he would repay the money little by little and waive the inheritance.
Taking into account the fact that the Boss had donated nearly half of what he had extorted to charitable organizations, and also reflecting on his own past actions, Masamitsu informed him that he would decline the offer of repayment and consider it settled. Needless to say, the Boss hesitated quite a bit about accepting that kindness, but when Masamitsu told him, "Instead of returning it to me, please put that amount toward donations," he eventually accepted.
On the other hand, regarding the gold dust that had been kept as Mende Shigeyoshi's share—that is, the share the Boss was supposed to inherit—Masamitsu decided to accept the offer to waive the inheritance for the sake of his family. In a sense, it might have had the character of repayment for a portion of the extorted amount. Since the gold market had been sluggish since the 90s, it was only worth about 1,300 yen per gram, but Masamitsu likely thought that by accepting this much, it would be easier for the Boss to simply accept the offer that he didn't need to repay the extorted amount. Of course, that was merely Nishida's speculation.
Furthermore, while it was customary for a family member to serve as a guarantor—in the Boss's case, his son in Asahikawa or his daughter in Takinoue Town—the couple from the neighboring Takahashi family became his guarantors, so he was able to continue living in his own house under almost the same conditions.
Also, when he asked the Boss to make the osechi, the Boss insisted on making it for free as a reward for Nishida having read the true hidden meaning of the shop's name, "Yusen," but Nishida and Yoshimura refused and paid for the ingredients and labor. For authentic osechi, the ingredients alone could be expensive, but since he had also asked him to make some for Takeshita, he intended to have Takeshita treated on another occasion when he could eat it.
In fact, Takeshita, who had returned to Sapporo, and other comrades from the Engaru era who could make it were scheduled to come to Sawai's house, but since they would be treated separately at Sawai's place, he felt hesitant to bring food specially made by the Boss.
As for Takeshita, from mid to late December, he had been writing a featured serial article about Ooshima in the Doho as requested by Nishida. Since the trial had not yet begun and unknown information was being made public for the first time, it was calling forth a considerable response.
After all, the fact that Ooshima Kaiji had lived his life until now by impersonating a cousin who died in a naval mine accident during the war was met with considerable surprise. However, as expected, Takeshita did not treat it as a mere scandal, but finished it as a profound article by intertwining the relationship with Kuwano Kinya since childhood and the nature of the era. The response from his peers was also quite good, and Takeshita himself seemed to be gaining confidence.
Also, although he had told the Boss that Onodera Michitoshi had impersonated Kuwano Kinya and further transformed into Ooshima Kaiji, the Boss lamented after reading Takeshita's article and learning that Ooshima originally had no need to participate in Sada's murder.
The Boss, out of a redundant whim, unintentionally participated in driving the Yoneda youth to his death. Ooshima, too, had ended up killing Sada—who did not recognize the impersonation—after being deceived by Isaka. Both of them had committed unnecessary acts of their own accord, and they likely felt anew the senselessness and gravity of the sin that precious human lives had been lost.
And when Nishida, who contacted Takeshita to provide information for his writing, happened to tell him about Mizukami, who was a police OB, Takeshita accepted it without surprise and began to tell the story of how he and Takagaki had encountered a ghost believed to be a Tako-beya laborer inside the Jomon Tunnel, which greatly surprised Nishida. However, they not only mutually trusted that both experiences were true, but also shared the recognition that the ghosts had not appeared before them out of resentment or bitterness, but because they both had thoughts they strongly wanted to convey. On the other hand, regarding Mizukami, as Yoshimura had said, Takeshita had met him with Kousaka at the memorial seven years ago, so there was surprise in that sense.
Furthermore, there was also movement regarding the return of the portion of gold dust belonging to the Houjou brothers that Isaka Masamitsu had kept in the form of an equivalent amount of Shotoku Taishi 10,000-yen bills, which Ooshima had used up (as Daikichi had speculated at the time, but confirmed by Ooshima's confession). Nishida was asked by Masamitsu to return it to the younger brother, Masaharu, but Masaharu had already moved from that apartment in Itabashi Ward and his whereabouts were unknown. For that reason, Nishida requested an investigation from the Metropolitan Police Department and had somehow managed to grasp information that he was alive and his new address. Then, in late December, Nishida used a holiday to go directly to Tokyo on a one-day forced march to deliver it.
Nishida had looked through that stack of crisp Shotoku Taishi 10,000-yen bills beforehand to see if there were any banknotes that might fetch a premium. As expected of banknotes that began being issued in Showa 33 (1958), there were no AA-ken, but he found several banknotes with "kiri-ban" (T/N: serial numbers ending in zeros or repeating digits) and did not forget to recommend that he go to a coin shop to sell them separately. In a sense, one could say he maximized the knowledge gained from the investigation.
Masaharu was now living with and being cared for by his daughter and her husband, from whom he had been estranged for a time, so he was happy that he could repay his daughter's family with this unexpected gift. Looking at the result, it might be said that he was lucky that it was more profitable to have it in cash than to hold it as gold dust, given the fluctuations in the gold market. Furthermore, upon seeing the apology letter that Nishida had brought from Masamitsu, Masaharu felt that his unfortunate life had finally been rewarded. He expressed his gratitude that the Isaka Daikichi he had hated had advanced the used-up portion in cash, and he entrusted Nishida with a letter to Masamitsu apologizing for his ignorance in harboring resentment toward Isaka Daikichi.
However, Nishida thought it would be difficult to suddenly explain the complex background and circumstances to Masaharu, so he deliberately did not say that the one who had used it up was actually Ooshima. Masaharu likely remained with the perception that it was Isaka Daikichi himself who had used up his brother's share (or so Isaka Daikichi had tried to believe) of the gold dust, but it couldn't be helped.
Also, through connections with police OBs, they investigated where Mizukami's grave was located, and Nishida and Yoshimura had visited the grave at the end of the year. Due to the season, some snow shoveling was necessary, but they thought they should express their gratitude properly once rather than leaving things as they were at that parting. However, absolutely nothing happened, and they didn't know if it was because Mizukami was completely satisfied with this conclusion and had attained buddhahood, or if it was because nothing happens unless it's in the Kanehana district, which is deeply connected to Mizukami and where the memorial is located. Having no choice, for the time being, the two decided it was because he was "satisfied" with the conclusion. However, they also held an inner conviction that if there was still a chance to "meet" Mizukami, it would not be before his grave, but only in that Kanehana district.
Returning to the story, early this morning, Yoshimura had gone by car to Engaru to pick up the Boss's osechi cuisine, and after returning, the two were now on this platform at Kitami Station. The reason they were using the railway instead of a car was that there was no option for either of them not to drink alcohol at Okuda's house.
Boarding the Rapid "Ginga" bound for Obihiro, which departed Kitami Station at 9:20 AM and ran onto the JR lines, they arrived at Kunneppu Station in less than thirty minutes. They met up with Okuda, who had come to the station by car to pick them up, and arrived at Okuda's house about five minutes from there.
In exchange for being treated to osechi, Okuda had prepared the premium sake "Bandai Sakura" from the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture. It seemed he had asked an acquaintance to let him have something that was quite difficult to obtain. From the morning, unlike the simple dishes the Boss usually served at Yusen, they smacked their lips over the osechi he had prepared with all his skill, and the three of them were feeling good from the rare fine sake they could seldom drink. Naturally, Okuda began to speak in appreciation of Nishida and the others' hard work.
"Still, it's been seven years since I met Nishida-san, but you really persevered and led it to a resolution. To avenge Kitamura-san and even catch that Ooshima... I'm a lucky man to have become acquaintances with such excellent detectives."
Whether they were excellent or not, there should be almost no merit in becoming an acquaintance of a detective, but Okuda likely spoke out of consideration in his own way.
"To be honest, I had given up once, but thanks to the efforts of many people, including you, Okuda-san, and being blessed with good fortune, I was somehow able to nab the mastermind, Ooshima. Truly, I don't even know how to thank you, Okuda-san."
As Nishida said this, he lowered himself from the low table, placed his hands on the floor, and bowed his head. This was not an exaggerated action born of being drunk, but a behavior from Nishida's true heart.
"No, no, no, don't do that, Nishida-san! It's not like the information I gave was directly useful for the arrest, right? It only makes me feel bad to have you go that far."
Okuda's words as he gave a wry smile were true in a sense, but even if it wasn't information directly linked to the crime, it was doubtful whether the investigation would have proceeded to the point of solving the case without Okuda's information when exploring the background of the incident.
"It might be true that the stories I heard from you, Okuda-san, didn't directly lead to the resolution of the case just like that. However, if I hadn't known your stories, I wouldn't have understood the background of how the incident developed, and the investigation would have been even more difficult. That's why I'm truly grateful."
While listening to Nishida's words as he looked up and spoke frankly, Yoshimura, who was stuffing his cheeks with datemaki (T/N: sweet rolled omelet), which he said was his favorite, looked on from the side with an apologetic air for letting only his superior do such a thing.
"Well, even if that's the case. I was treated to such delicious osechi today, so that's enough for me."
Saying this, Okuda offered the two more sake.
"By the way, how is Tanaka-san doing?"
Once they had taken a breather, Nishida asked about Tanaka, Okuda's former colleague from the JNR era and a friend whom Okuda had introduced, and whom Nishida had initially suspected of being involved in the case. When he spoke with Matsushige, he had been preoccupied with the story of Mizukami, the true identity of the ghost, and had forgotten to ask about the current status of Tanaka, who was a member of the Jomon Tunnel Research Group like Mizukami. In the first place, when he visited Okuda last June, he had forgotten to ask about Tanaka despite the perfect opportunity. It is true that Tanaka himself was not involved in the case, but not only had he suspected him once and caused trouble, but there was also the matter of Kitagawa, Tanaka's son-in-law, so he was concerned in his own way.
"Ah, Kiyoshi? He's managing to stay healthy. It seems he had a lot of mental strain for about a year after that thing with Kitagawa, partly because of his daughter's family... Fortunately, because Kitagawa died... I heard a bit from Kiyoshi, but that guy was involved in a murder in the past, right?"
Since Okuda confirmed this with Nishida during the conversation, Nishida nodded lightly.
"So, I shouldn't say it's thanks to him dying, but because of it, no harm came to the daughter's family, so the grandchild was able to get married normally, and he seems relieved as a grandfather. Kiyoshi's wife and the daughter's family are also healthy. I heard a great-grandchild was born last year too."
Okuda's report on Tanaka's recent status was something that made Nishida feel relieved. It was bad that he had suspected Tanaka, but no matter how much Kitagawa had assisted in the murder, the family bore absolutely no guilt. In that respect, although it might not be good to call it a kind of luck, the fact that Kitagawa was not reported by his real name because he died of illness, and the surviving family members did not suffer the impact of the incident such as a media offensive, could be said to have avoided adding unnecessary misfortune to society.
"That's good to hear. I caused trouble for Tanaka-san... Since Kitagawa's death from illness occurred during the interrogation, I can't exactly play innocent and say it was completely unrelated."
To Nishida's words, Okuda made a philosophical statement as if to comfort him:
"Well, it's the job of you police to be suspicious, and if Kitagawa actually had a hand in it, then it can't be helped, right? In this matter, no one is to blame except Kitagawa."
Since it wasn't a bad story, the three of them resumed eating and drinking as if nothing had happened.
"Come to think of it, I saw it in the Doho or somewhere recently, but I was surprised that Ooshima escaped conscription by switching places with a cousin who died in that Yubetsu (naval mine) explosion accident during the war, and that Isaka served in Okinawa just like me. Also, I was just as surprised that Isaka was blackmailing Ooshima."
When the feast was in full swing, Okuda began to talk about Ooshima and Isaka, likely having seen it in the article Takeshita wrote for the Doho. However, regarding Isaka, the article did not use his real name but described him as "the founder of a prominent construction company in the Kitami region who has already passed away," so it likely meant that Okuda had inferred it. Of course, it was a story that even an ordinary person could sufficiently identify.
"That's right. Actually, Yoshimura and I were the ones who conducted the interrogation when Ooshima confessed to various life stories, including that one."
To Nishida's confession, which must have been surprising to Okuda, he replied:
"No way, really!? Then you two were really on the front lines of catching Ooshima... I had a feeling you were in a position of some responsibility from what you said when you called to say you wanted to thank me."
He did not hide his appearance of recognizing anew that the two in front of him had accomplished a great job, though it might be an exaggeration to call it a look of respect.
"And as I listened to Ooshima's story, even though he was the mastermind of serial murders, I somehow felt sorry for him, or rather, his story of a life full of ups and downs really hit home... And Isaka, the one who blackmailed Ooshima, had gone through terrible things during the war and took out that resentment on Ooshima, who hadn't been conscripted—it was a truly hopeless story."
Nishida let out a sigh at that point.
"I heard most of the story about Isaka from the son we arrested... And Ooshima, who didn't go to the battlefield, apparently went through a terrible time with Tako-beya labor within the prefecture during the war."
To Nishida's impression, Okuda spoke as if squeezing the words out, and the cheerful atmosphere from before had vanished.
"As I kept reading that (serial) article, I realized that those who lived through that era just like me were all toyed with by the times to a greater or lesser extent, and it really struck a chord."
To Okuda, who had seen a literal living hell while serving in the Battle of Okinawa—the only ground battle in domestic history—there must have been strong thoughts on the matter.
However, sensing that the atmosphere had turned sour, Okuda gave the two a awkward smile.
"No, no, the delicious food and sake have turned bitter... Sorry, sorry. Forget about it."
However, Nishida deliberately checked Okuda's consideration.
"There's no need to forget. ...Rather, I think it's something that must not be forgotten."
"Yoshimura and I have no intention of forgiving Ooshima or Isaka Daikichi in the slightest. Many people were inconvenienced by their foolish actions, lives that didn't need to be lost were lost, and Kitamura was one of them. And trust in politics has also collapsed, and the police also showed their disgrace by allowing the intervention of political power..."
Nishida instinctively bit his lip.
"...However, even so, it's also a fact that the truly irrational historical events they experienced in the past considerably influenced their subsequent behavior. And because you, Okuda-san, have actually seen the flow of Japan's history with your own eyes and experienced it—from pre-war Japan, the defeat, the reconstruction, the high economic growth, through the bubble, to the present—there's one thing I want to ask you."
At Nishida's sudden formal request, both Nishida and Yoshimura could tell that Okuda had braced himself slightly.
"What is it, this thing you want to ask? Please spare me the difficult talk."
Okuda asked back, a frown appearing between his slightly flushed eyebrows.
"When I was interrogating Ooshima, as you probably saw in the Doho article, he told us about his own sense of crisis regarding the current political situation. I think that was also a warning in a historical sense, derived from what Ooshima himself had seen until now. At that time, Yoshimura here brought up the maxim, 'Fools learn from experience, wise men learn from history.' In other words, what Ooshima was saying also meant 'experience' for Ooshima, but for us of a different generation, it's a kind of story that should be grasped purely as 'history,' so I think he said it in the sense that 'it is necessary to learn from history.' I also had that feeling at the time."
Yoshimura nodded at Nishida's story. That said, at the very moment Yoshimura had made that statement, he must have been somewhat skeptical about whether that maxim applied directly to Ooshima's story at the time.
"However, at that time, Ooshima let it slide, but at the end of the conversation, he said, 'That maxim is half right, but half wrong. From its origin, and from my own thinking. In fact, if you're not careful, the original words themselves might even be wrong.' At the time, I didn't understand the meaning, and since we have a police bureaucrat who graduated from the University of Tokyo as our superior, I asked him lightly later. He said the origin of that maxim was a statement made by a famous German politician, something like, 'Fools learn from their own experience, but wise men learn from the experience of others.'"
When Nishida said this much, Okuda did not hide his troubled expression and asked:
"Is 'gusha' a foolish person and 'kenja' a clever person? I feel like I've heard that kind of story somewhere before."
"That's right. The first maxim is a saying that belittles experience and values history. However, the original words likely belittle one's own experience and value the experience of others. But I just can't be satisfied with either saying. Ooshima seemed to have that kind of impression as well, and I wonder if they're actually correct? Even for me, having lived for 46 years and having been involved in this case as a detective, it just doesn't sit right. You, Okuda-san, have walked a far longer life than Yoshimura or I, and I think you've realized many more things than we have. What do you think? From your perspective, Okuda-san, don't you think something is different?"
Nishida asked while looking the old man directly in the eye. At this point, Nishida was aware that his drunkenness had considerably faded.
Author's Note: Follow-up
Literal translation of Bismarck's exact statement:
"Only a fool believes he can learn from his own experience. I think it is better to learn from the experience of others in order to avoid mistakes from the beginning."