Chapter 23 - Light and Shadow 2 (11–20: Discovery of Traces Increases Probability of Sada Minoru's Murder; Interview with Two Priests)
As all the detectives gathered around the tree stump, Matsuzawa pointed to the annual rings with a thin twig he had picked up.
"Look, they're definitely thicker here. The side where Yoneda was buried shows more growth. Just as the southern side of a tree's rings grows thicker in sunny spots, they grow more where nutrients are high."
While listening to Matsuzawa's explanation, his direct subordinate, Miura, was busily snapping photos, perhaps for study materials.
"The rings are certainly quite thick there."
Sawai and the rest of the Violent Crimes Unit, along with Maruyama, peered in intently. Matsuzawa said nothing more after that, crouching at the base of the stump to begin a meticulous check of the rings. It didn't take long for the detectives, who watched him in curious silence, to guess the reason for his actions.
"Wait, Yoneda was buried three years ago in the summer, right?"
Yoshimura was the first to speak up.
"Yeah. That's exactly why it's strange..."
Matsuzawa stood up slowly.
"I just counted, and the rings in this exact same section have been significantly thicker since the growing season from the spring to autumn of seven years ago. I can't say for sure, but it means some kind of 'nutrient' was already present seven years ago in the spring, in the same direction—no, almost the exact same spot—where Yoneda was buried... And from about four years ago to three years ago, the growth weakened once. It's safe to assume there were fewer nutrients than before. After that, growth was stimulated again during the process of Yoneda's body decomposing."
"I thought so. Just looking at it, the rings seemed to get thicker from more than three years ago," Section Chief Sawai agreed.
"Wait a minute! You said the spring of seven years ago, but couldn't that go back to the autumn of eight years ago? Photosynthesis isn't possible in winter, so growth is limited even with nutrients. That's even more likely if you consider it takes some time for a body to decompose and truly begin supplying nutrients to the soil."
Takeshita suddenly spoke in a rapid-fire tone.
"Er... hmm. As you say, that's a distinct possibility... Now that you mention it, the dark parts of the rings from the winter of eight years ago to seven years ago also look slightly thicker than the dark parts before them. One could view it as nutrients starting to increase in the soil even at that point."
Matsuzawa stammered for a moment as if pressured by the momentum, but showed understanding of Takeshita's idea. Meanwhile, Nishida, who had been listening, realized the true intent behind the statement.
"I see! Takeshita, what you're saying is that the nutrient supply prior to Yoneda came from Sada's body? Is that it?"
"Yes, exactly! And if that's the case, it makes the theory I had much more persuasive! The way this tree grew backs it up."
Takeshita seemed quite confident.
"So, objective evidence for Takeshita's reasoning has come to light," Nishida said, a natural smile forming as he looked at Takeshita.
"Team Leader! I believe so. Shinoda likely dug up this spot in August three years ago—the place where he had killed and buried Sada... probably eight years ago. Or perhaps he had just finished digging it up. That's when Yoneda, who had come to take railway photos, happened to stumble upon him. Shinoda, having been seen doing something he couldn't afford to have witnessed, killed Yoneda with a pickaxe. If the flow was that he then buried Yoneda in the same spot, it explains the growth of these rings. The slowing of growth four years ago can be attributed to a decrease in nutrient supply as Sada's body finished decomposing and became mostly skeletal."
It was a logical explanation typical of Takeshita.
"Hold on! Does that mean Sada's body is still buried there? It would have to be deeper than where Yoneda was buried, right? Assuming the location is almost identical?"
Sawai confirmed quickly, staring at the base of the stump.
"Section Chief, I honestly have my doubts about that. When we excavated Yoneda the other day, we did try digging deeper just in case. It was only about 50 centimeters, but the probability is quite low, isn't it? I don't think the position of the roots was much deeper than where Yoneda was buried, either."
Matsuzawa was skeptical of that opinion.
"Hmm. Still, shouldn't we dig deeper one more time to make sure?"
Sawai persisted, but Matsuzawa didn't object further, saying, "Of course, being thorough isn't a bad thing."
"Then let's start digging immediately! Bring the shovels!"
At the command of the somewhat excited Section Chief, Sawada, Oba, Kurosu, and Sergeant Maruyama returned to the cars to get the shovels.
The returning young officers—Komura, Yoshimura, Sawada, Oba, Kurosu, and Maruyama—took shovels in hand and dug once more in the spot where Yoneda had been buried. After passing the depth where the body had been and digging about a meter deeper than last time, Matsuzawa spoke up with some hesitation.
"This is clearly useless now. Section Chief, let's stop."
He then began to explain step-by-step.
"First, if the initial factor for the birch tree's abnormal growth was the disposal of Sada's body... as I said earlier, considering the depth of the roots at the time we excavated Yoneda's body, I don't think the position where Sada was buried was any deeper than that during the time between the murder and when Shinoda came to check, Section Chief Sawai."
"Ah, I see..."
Even Sawai and Nishida had to nod at Matsuzawa's words, but the explanation continued.
"Let's organize the facts. After Shinoda was witnessed by Yoneda with Sada's body, he killed Yoneda to silence him and buried Yoneda's body in the same place he had buried Sada—that has become the leading theory this time, right? However, in that case, there are two 'paths' regarding Sada's body: was it also buried in the same spot—though this theory includes the possibility that Sada's body remained buried there for eight years and was never moved—or was it moved to a completely different location? Furthermore, if it was buried in the same spot, was it above or below Yoneda? Obviously, if it were above, Sada's body would have been found, so it could only be below."
He paused there, looking around to gauge the understanding of the detectives present. Once he confirmed everyone followed, he resumed.
"If it were buried below, there are two more possibilities. Either Sada was buried even deeper than his original position, or Yoneda was buried directly on top of Sada's body without changing the depth of the hole. The latter includes the case where Sada's body was never moved from its original buried state. However, if the depth of the hole wasn't changed, the difference in depth between Sada's body and Yoneda's body would only be about the thickness of a human body. This is because if he had gone to the trouble of covering Sada's body with soil and then burying Yoneda's body on top of that, Yoneda's body would have been much closer to the surface. If it were that close to the surface, burying it directly on top of Sada's body would have a lower chance of discovery. In that case, if the hole depth hadn't changed, Sada's body should have been right under Yoneda's. But we didn't find it. Therefore, we can assume it's impossible that he buried them without changing the depth of the hole."
"Well, logically, that's how it follows," the Section Chief chimed in.
"Which means... if Sada's body is buried in the same spot and hasn't been found yet, the only option is that he dug deeper and reburied Sada, who would have been mostly skeletal, as the Section Chief suggested before we started digging. What we just investigated was exactly the search for that. However, even if that were the case, I honestly don't see what merit there was for Shinoda to dig any deeper. The crime hadn't been discovered at all at the original depth where Sada was buried... To add Yoneda's body, it would have been enough to dig just deep enough to account for the thickness of Sada's body in order to maintain the depth from the surface to Yoneda's body, right? In the first place, the fact that he bothered to throw them in the same hole must mean he didn't want to waste time or effort. If so, it's hard to imagine him digging deeper than necessary. To be honest, I thought so earlier, but seeing that nothing came up after digging another meter, I think the extra 50 centimeters we dug last time was probably enough."
Matsuzawa didn't hide the feeling that he should have stopped them sooner.
"Wait a minute! Isn't it a bit premature to conclude that it hadn't been discovered that Sada's body was there? Based on Takeshita's idea, Shinoda specifically came to check on Sada's body after being contacted by Isaka, right? Thinking about everything so far. He might have come to check because he thought something had been leaked?"
Nishida pointed out the issue. Takeshita, who advocated this idea, responded immediately.
"I won't say that possibility is non-existent, but if that were the case, I find it even harder to believe he would bury Yoneda's body in the same spot. Assuming the premise that Sada's murder was leaked, it depends on whether only the murder was leaked, or if the location of the body was also leaked..."
"I see. In that case, even if it was leaked, we should assume the extent was only the fact of the murder itself."
Nishida had to agree with Takeshita's explanation.
"Well then, for that reason, let's proceed on the premise that at least the location of the body hadn't been leaked."
The Section Chief organized the discussion once more.
"The conclusion is that Sada's body isn't here... is that it?" he summarized.
"Section Chief, I think it's safe to say that."
"Matsuzawa, I thought so... Now then, if that's the case, where did Sada's body go..."
While Sawai was lost in thought again, Yoshimura raised a question.
"Even so, was there really a need to move Sada's body? If he killed Yoneda because he was seen, wouldn't it have been fine to leave it in the same spot? The premise seems to be that the location of the body hadn't been leaked. If the depth was enough for Yoneda, it should have been deep enough for two people. Especially if he wanted to make them disappear from sight quickly. I don't really understand what he was trying to do."
"That's it! That's exactly it!"
Nishida slapped Yoshimura lightly on the back, agreeing strongly for once.
Meanwhile, Takeshita kept his head down and eyes closed in silence, but suddenly looked up and spoke.
"Section Chief Sawai, if you were in Shinoda's position, which body would you be more troubled by if it were found: Sada's or Yoneda's? Of course, it's true that this place isn't easily found, which is why he buried Yoneda's body here."
To the sudden, seemingly unrelated question, the Section Chief first showed clear confusion.
"Huh?"
Takeshita didn't mind.
"In other words, which body is more dangerous for Shinoda if it's discovered?"
The Section Chief seemed to grasp Takeshita's intent with this and changed his tone.
"That would be Sada's, wouldn't it?"
"Right... Even if I were Shinoda, I would probably think so too."
Takeshita nodded with an 'as expected' expression.
"I don't understand the reason for that at all..."
Oba cut in apologetically right after Takeshita agreed with the Section Chief.
"To put it simply... it's about which body is more likely to lead back to a relationship with Shinoda and the others."
Nishida, who understood the meaning of the conversation between the two, gave a hint, but it seemed difficult to grasp.
"I don't think there's a direct relationship between Shinoda and Sada, or between Shinoda and Yoneda..." Oba stammered.
"Ah, maybe I phrased that poorly... Well, if Sada's body is found, how will the police move?"
"...I see! Right! I get it now, sorry!"
Oba seemed to understand immediately with Nishida's second hint, looking rather apologetic for not understanding until then.
If Sada's body were found, the relationship with Isaka Daikichi, whom the police had marked at the time of the disappearance, would naturally become an issue. If Kitagawa or Shinoda had been involved in Sada's disappearance—likely a murder—at Isaka's request, information that Isaka Daikichi was being marked by the police would naturally have reached their ears. In contrast, since neither Shinoda nor anyone in the Isaka Group had any connection to Yoneda, the possibility of the investigation reaching Shinoda and the others even if Yoneda's body were found was extremely low—no, almost zero unless there was some physical evidence. And Kitagawa had feared the possibility that the watch with his name on it, which Shinoda had taken by mistake, had been lost near the scene, which resulted in the ghost scare.
"Because of that, wouldn't it mean Shinoda buried or hid Sada's body in a place far safer than here, or found a way to erase it? Since this place had been completely safe for five years from the time he buried Sada's body until three years ago in the summer, he likely decided that for the sake of hiding Yoneda's body immediately, burying it here would suffice even if he considered moving it later. And for Sada's body, he moved it to a place he felt considerably more confident in, or used a method to conceal it. On that premise, it means Shinoda was in a somewhat delicate psychological state where he felt the location of Sada's body itself hadn't been leaked, yet he also wanted to hide it in an even more secure place..."
Takeshita looked around, trying to gauge Shinoda's inner thoughts at the time.
"Something happened between Isaka and Shinoda that made Isaka frantic enough to need to check Sada's body immediately, yet allowed Shinoda to believe the location of the body itself hadn't been leaked... That's a difficult situation to imagine. At the very least, it's highly likely that when Shinoda, requested by Isaka, dug up Sada's body, he didn't see any traces of it having been dug up by someone else at that time..."
For the sharp Takeshita, it was rare for him to be in a state of tilting his head repeatedly.
"In that case, it's not on the level of the base of other birch trees like we were talking about earlier—the place where Sada's body was moved. If it were something like that, it wouldn't be any different from this."
The Section Chief stated flatly.
"But a hiding place safer than this doesn't come to mind easily... As the Senior Staff mentioned briefly earlier, he might not have moved the hiding place, but erased it. For example, with sulfuric acid."
Kurosu mentioned the erasure theory.
"But sulfuric acid is impossible in this place, right? Ultimately, the body has to be moved somewhere. Sulfuric acid isn't something you can just prepare instantly, either."
Nishida countered from a common-sense perspective.
"But isn't moving the body to hide it somewhere even safer also a risk in a way? After all, you're taking a body that was in the ground and moving it out in the open. Wouldn't it be safer to just leave it here? Even if it was temporary, he felt safe enough to bury Yoneda's body here."
What Oba said was a fundamental question. Neither Nishida nor Kurosu had a clear counter-argument for this.
"There are definitely a lot of difficult points."
Takeshita couldn't hide his lack of confidence on this point either.
"It's quite difficult... It's no use arguing about this and that here. Time is just wasting away. How about this? Let's boldly pull back for today and think of the next method at the station. I don't think a good idea will come to us here."
Sawai's suggestion was reasonable. It was true they couldn't keep High Priest Matsuno, Terakawa, Yokoyama, and Uchida waiting forever, and even if they were to do something now, working blindly would be inefficient.
"Section Chief, shall we do that? I thought we should do various things even if we didn't know anything beforehand, but I never imagined a development where Sada had been buried in the same place as Yoneda. I think I should cool my head and think about various things too. Let's stop here for today."
Nishida agreed with the Section Chief's judgment.
"Since Nishida says so too, let's cut it here for today and return to the station. Have the High Priest, Mr. Terakawa, Mr. Yokoyama, and Mr. Uchida go home too."
As Sawai said that, he seemed a bit relieved that a direction had emerged.
The group returned to the four outsiders, and the Section Chief explained the situation. Naturally, being able to go home early was not a bad thing for them, and they agreed immediately. Then, representing the police, the Section Chief and Nishida expressed their deep gratitude to the four for their cooperation today. Even though it was a case past the statute of limitations, it could only be said that it was thanks to them that part of the mystery of the 1977 incident was solved and there was significant progress in Sada's disappearance. After seeing off the four and Maruyama as they headed back to Ikutahara from the "parking space," the Violent Crimes Unit soon set off on the return journey to Engaru.
Back at the station, the Section Chief explained the status of the investigation to Station Chief Makita, but as expected, even the Station Chief hadn't anticipated this development and pressed him several times.
"Is that true?"
It seemed Station Chief Makita himself hadn't expected anything to actually be learned from this search. But that was natural, as the detectives conducting the investigation had also been half-doubting.
After the Section Chief returned, an investigative meeting with everyone present was held. Since the investigation had been wrapped up early, they were able to start the meeting before 5:00 PM. Nishida and the others, who had finished showering and changing, were in an unexpectedly relaxed atmosphere despite the new developments, perhaps due to having achieved some results.
"I believe that in today's investigation, the scenario Takeshita was advocating was backed up with a fairly high probability. On August 10th three years ago, Shinoda received a call from Isaka Daikichi and was digging up Sada's body—I'm speculating he was not only involved in the disposal but also the murder—to confirm its existence for some reason. However, he was witnessed by Yoneda in that scene. He likely killed Yoneda on the spot to silence him and buried him in the same place Sada's body had been. We don't know for sure what he eventually did with Sada's body, but there's no doubt he moved it somewhere. I've given a rough overview, so Takeshita, organize the details from the beginning!"
When instructed by the Section Chief, Takeshita said,
"Understood. For now, I'll try to think of a few possibilities regarding 'why Shinoda went to the scene in Ikutahara in the first place.' I'll write down what we already roughly know as a review."
So saying, he stood before the whiteboard and began writing.
1) Specific information that the murder of Sada had been leaked reached Shinoda, who was at the bridge construction site in Yubetsu, via a phone call from Isaka Daikichi on August 10th. In that case, if Sada's body were actually discovered, all would be lost, so it was necessary to move the body somewhere first. Of course, assuming the disposal site itself hadn't been leaked, the option of not moving the body was possible, but in that case, the reason for rushing to the scene is unknown. If the existence of the body itself had already been leaked and that served as the basis for the murder charge, it would be absorbed into 2 and 3, so I'll consider it there.
2) Information that Sada's body had been discovered by someone reached Shinoda from Isaka Daikichi.
3) Information that the location where Sada's body was buried had been leaked to someone reached Shinoda from Isaka Daikichi (though this could coexist with 2).
4) Information that Sada, who was supposed to have been killed, was alive reached Shinoda from Isaka Daikichi.
After finishing writing these four points, he turned back to everyone and began his explanation.
"I thought about various things at the scene earlier, but I want to examine them in more detail. First, regarding 1. If it were simply a matter of whether he killed him or not, they had already bypassed the police investigation eight years ago with help from Oshima and others, so if it were just that, they could ignore it, or at least neither Isaka nor Shinoda would become frantic enough to be flustered in a phone conversation. Therefore, for now, I see it as highly likely that something specific that 'could prove Sada's murder' had occurred."
Up to this point, Takeshita had been speaking relatively cheerfully, but his expression soon tightened.
"However, even so, questions remain. First, in that case, I feel like the wording in the phone conversation between the two would be something like 'I'll move it' rather than 'I'll check it.' Of course, this is on the premise that what he's checking is the body... Also, if such information came out, it would be a pattern where there was infighting among the people involved in the crime, or someone who participated in the murder leaked it to someone, but after that, Shinoda seems to be acting mainly around the watch stolen and lost by Tomioka on August 10th. Normally, he should have been quite preoccupied with dealing with the fact that the murder of Sada Minoru itself was about to be leaked. So I don't feel like I can actively push this... This point also applies to 2 and 3, which are on the premise that it's leaked that Sada was murdered."
"True. It's certainly bad if Kitagawa's watch, which Shinoda lost, was at the scene of Yoneda's murder, but the matter of Sada's murder itself already being leaked by someone should have been a far more pressing problem, if it were the situation in 1... Shinoda is too immersed in searching for the watch, which only goes as far as the stage where he 'might be suspected'..."
Sawai also began to agree, though he had a thoughtful look.
"Even if he had finished re-concealing Sada's body as of August 10th, if information about Sada's murder became public, it wouldn't change the fact that he would be caught up in a fairly dire situation. Hmm."
After Sawai finished speaking, he groaned to himself, seemingly convinced.
"Well then, keeping that in mind, let's look at 2 next. If such information came out five years after the murder, even if it had been dug up, it's only logical to view it as a 'recent' event as of three years ago. Common sense says no one would wait over a year after digging this up to tell Isaka. If so, if there were recent traces of it being dug up, it should be immediately obvious to Shinoda, just as we immediately found the traces of Kitagawa digging. So, if it actually looked like it had been dug up... even if Sada's body were still there or already gone, I don't think he would bury Yoneda's body in such a place, no matter how hard it is to see the connection and how unlikely it is for the crime to be leaked even if the body is found. Re-burying another person's corpse in a place that might have been exposed once is suicidal. In other words, it's very likely there were no traces of it being dug up."
Takeshita tapped the whiteboard two or three times with a marker.
"At the same time, if no traces of digging are found, it's not strange for Shinoda to think that the body hadn't been discovered and that the story he heard from Isaka was a bluff. However, just to be safe, Shinoda also dug it up, confirmed the body was there, and then actually moved the body to ensure further safety... assuming 2 was the fact... Based on the growth of the birch tree, I don't think there's a case where there were no traces and the body was also gone. Since it's proven that nutrients were steadily supplied from eight years ago until about four years ago when decomposition progressed, it's safe to assume the body was buried there until a time not too far from 'three years ago' when Shinoda visited the scene. If the body had been removed, it would have been within a year, and traces of digging would clearly remain due to the elapsed time. For that reason, if Sada's body were gone, it's highly likely that traces of digging would have been visible at the time, and logically speaking, I think we can say this situation didn't happen."
"In other words, Senior Staff, in your mind, if 2 is possible, it's limited to cases where there were no traces of digging at the time and Sada's body was properly present in the place it was buried?"
When Komura asked, Takeshita replied,
"I want to explain after the connection with 3, but if I get ahead of myself, yes."
"Now for 3. This could be a set with the story that 'information that the body was discovered came in,' but whether alone or as a set with 2, if the disposal site had actually been identified, as I said earlier, burying Yoneda's body in the same place should be avoided no matter how you think about it psychologically. Of course, unless Shinoda received 'information that made him think the location of the body had actually been identified' from Isaka, he would have dismissed it as a bluff from the start. So I think we can assume the situation in 3 almost never happened. Well, in the first place, if it had been properly identified, I don't think they would have had such a skeptical phone conversation..."
The investigators all agreed with what was said next.
"Finally, regarding 4..."
After that preamble, Takeshita cleared his throat lightly.
"Honestly, you might think this is a very suspicious theory, but for some reason, this feels the most right to me. Of course, that includes the case where it was a bluff."
Everyone stirred slightly. They hadn't expected that to be a serious suggestion.
"Whoa, wait a minute!"
Nishida immediately raised his hand to stop him.
"The guy you killed was alive—isn't that a story on the level of laughing it off? For Shinoda or Isaka Daikichi. Especially since there's a high possibility Shinoda was the actual perpetrator."
"That's true, but considering the flustered state of the two on the phone, I think it actually makes sense to think that such an 'impossible' thing happened, conversely... So, since he should clearly be dead, he went to check the body. If there was something that made him think he might be alive, it's possible he couldn't help but check, even while thinking it was impossible."
Takeshita, who responded, had a completely serious face.
"...I wonder. While it's possible as one hypothesis, isn't the probability weak compared to the case in 2 where 'there were no traces of digging'?"
The Section Chief's opinion also sounded quite skeptical. The other investigators still exuded an atmosphere of not being able to readily agree.
"Well, knowing everyone's opinion, let me explain."
Takeshita, sensing the situation strongly, continued his explanation with a wry smile.
"First, if a person who was supposed to have been killed and buried came crawling out alive, it would be a situation similar to being dug up in a sense, but no matter how you think about it, it's more likely he would come back to life and come out right after being buried than five years later. If that happened, it wouldn't be strange if those traces were already gone. So, if such a thing happened, regardless of whether there were traces or not... rather, logically, it's more common-sense for there to be no traces, and since he went to check, Shinoda would have dug it up regardless of the situation."
Takeshita paused there to check if the investigators understood, then continued.
"So, let's say there were traces and the body was gone. This would mean Sada crawled out himself, or... well, since he's actually dead and has become nutrients, that's impossible... Or if someone else dug up the body, this would actually become the case in 2, and since it's safe to assume that place is definitely known to someone, he wouldn't bury Yoneda's body there. On the other hand, even if there were traces and the body was still there, this should also be seen as evidence that someone probably checked, and in the end, he wouldn't dispose of Yoneda's body there. Next, if there were no traces and the body was also gone, it means someone did something with the body long before 'three years ago.' Regarding this, as I mentioned earlier, in the latter case, I don't understand the reason for telling Isaka and the others again after so much time has passed, so it would seem to go in the direction of Sada coming back to life and crawling out, but well, as I've said many times regarding the point about him becoming nutrients, this is 100% impossible in reality. Well, even if we consider it, the place would have been leaked to whoever dug it out long ago, so he wouldn't bury Yoneda there."
Takeshita stated firmly.
"Now, finally, if there were no traces and the body was there, wouldn't that be the first time Shinoda could feel considerably relieved? Because the probability that the information that Sada was alive was just a random bluff would have increased. And I think it's possible he would then bury Yoneda's body there. Anyway, regardless of how it was when he tried to bury him, since he ended up disposing of Yoneda's body in the same place, it's certain he had almost no fear that that place was known to others. At the same time, 4 should be the one where he feels the disposal site is least known among these four. After all, the fact that Sada is alive shouldn't be directly linked to the fact that his murder and disposal were known. Of course, even if they aren't completely unconnected."
After finishing his commentary, Takeshita quietly placed the marker in the powder tray of the whiteboard (Author's note: the edge where chalk and erasers are placed on a blackboard), but because it was so quiet, the sound echoed loudly.
Among everyone who had been listening up to this point, Yoshimura, as if he had been waiting, shouted,
"Uaa, there's so much I don't want to think about it!"
Everyone burst out laughing at that, but since they actually felt an unbearable tediousness in the classification of cases, Nishida felt that a feeling of agreement came out first from the other detectives rather than making fun of him, and Nishida himself felt the same way.
"I'm the one saying it and I'm quite confused too! Honestly, it wouldn't be strange if I missed something."
Takeshita also gave a wry smile and made a light jab at Yoshimura, but added,
"Thinking about it this way, as a possibility, 4 is actually the highest, followed by the case in 2 where 'there were no traces of digging and the body was present,' and then 1... However, 1 and 2 feel inconsistent when looking at Shinoda's subsequent actions."
He stated what seemed to be the conclusion he had reached again.
"Assuming the priority of Takeshita's theory is correct, what on earth is the story that would make Isaka or Shinoda... especially Isaka, it seems... feel that Sada is alive? Since Shinoda, who was likely directly involved in the murder, went to check while complaining to Isaka, it shouldn't be a completely absurd and nonsensical story."
Nishida tilted his head as he spoke.
"For now, the possibility of the flow from Shinoda going to the scene and digging up the body to killing and burying Yoneda is that such things are possible... The next problem is when and where he hid Sada's body, or how he processed it. Was it that day, or a later date?"
Perhaps because Takeshita himself didn't have a clear answer, he changed the subject without touching on Nishida's question. In response, Kurosu asked for permission to speak.
"If he moved the body that day, he went out at noon and came back in the evening, right? Assuming the work of digging up and re-burying—leaving aside the possibility that someone else was there—was done by Shinoda alone for now, I guess it would take about two hours... If we need to see at least two and a half hours for the round trip from the construction site in Yubetsu to the scene in Ikutahara, the extra time he could take would be at most about an hour and a half... even with completely efficient movement. In that case, it's almost impossible that he hid it by going far off the route from Yubetsu to Ikutahara. On the other hand, keeping it in the car is absolutely impossible since he was borrowing the Jeep from someone else at least on that day. At the same time, leaving it outside is also unthinkable, even in that place in the mountains."
"Right. If it's that day, it's quite busy. So, since he seems to have been going somewhere else while coming to the site in Yubetsu until August 12th, for now, it's quite possible he buried Sada's body along with Yoneda on the day of August 10th and moved or processed it much later, or he might have worked over several days."
Takeshita said that, but Yoshimura countered here.
"I think it's a bit hard to imagine dividing it over several days? Because he specifically moved it from a place he could feel safe in to a place where it wouldn't be found or processed it, right? If he was digging and burying the place where he buried them little by little, wouldn't that just increase the risk of being found, no matter how hard it is for people to come to the scene... No matter what anyone says, the surrounding area is a mecca for railway photography. If Yoneda actually wandered in there for some reason and was killed, I think Shinoda would think about that too."
"Hmm, Yoshimura's thinking is certainly logical..."
Takeshita also unknowingly made a grimace at the sound counter-argument.
"Then, let's assume he didn't spend multiple days on the movement or processing, and did something all at once on the day of August 10th or after. However, stochastically, the day of August 10th itself is tough."
The Section Chief summarized for now, and everyone nodded as if they had no choice.
"No, wait a minute! If it's just about coming up with a methodology, I think the day of August 10th itself is more than enough of a possibility, so let's distinguish that."
Takeshita countered and proposed separating the conditions. Then he added,
"Especially in a case like 1, he's heading to the scene on the premise of moving the body at the very least, and as I said earlier, even in other cases, since it's thought that an impossible situation occurred, he might have been heading to the scene in a somewhat suspicious psychological state even while thinking the body is definitely there. Furthermore, after confirming it, it wouldn't be strange for a psychological state to arise where he wants to hide it in an even safer place immediately. Of course, it's also possible he thought of it after killing Yoneda."
He gave various reasons for that.
"But, I also forgot to say earlier, in the case of 4, as Takeshita said at the beginning, it's hard to link it with the fact that the location of the body is leaked, so what about that? Wouldn't it have been fine to just leave Sada's body buried?"
As for Nishida, he wasn't yet convinced by Takeshita's opinion this time.
"As the Team Leader says, in 4, which I'm pushing, it's true that it's a bit weak from the perspective of consistency, unfortunately. However, from human psychology, if information comes in that a man you're supposed to have killed is alive, that's creepy in its own way. If there's a place where it will absolutely not be found, or a processing method, I don't think it's that strange for the psychology of wanting to do that to work..."
He was a man who was logical and always had confidence in his own ideas, but he didn't seem to have that much conviction there. However, Nishida, listening to Takeshita's explanation, somehow reconsidered that as long as he was human, it couldn't be said that such a psychological state was strange.
"Which means, regarding the movement or processing of Sada Minoru's body, it wouldn't be strange whenever he thought of it after August 10th, and it wouldn't be strange whenever he executed it. However, on the day of August 10th itself, both in terms of time and preparation, the execution itself is quite tough? Is that about right?"
For some reason, Yoshimura was summarizing on his own, and the Section Chief, whose job had been taken, also seemed satisfied for now, saying,
"Hmm, I guess that's how it is."
But suddenly, he barked out a question.
"No, no, you're forgetting something important! What was the cause of Isaka calling in the first place, and whose doing was it?"
"I have no idea about that matter at least. After hearing the report from Team Leader Nishida that 'Shinoda went somewhere after having an argument on the phone with Isaka,' I've been thinking about various possibilities. Furthermore, based on the results of today's search, I've tried to reason to some extent... On top of that, from whom did Isaka and Shinoda get the information that surprised them and forced them to check the body? And what was the purpose of providing that information? My honest feeling is that I haven't the slightest clue."
Takeshita honestly confessed that he was at a loss regarding these points at the moment. Furthermore, he added,
"Betrayal by other accomplices is also possible, but after all, we can't find any accomplices other than Kitagawa. Besides, if this were a time not far from the incident, I could understand reasons like blackmail, but it's five years after Sada's disappearance... Even for a thrill-seeker, it would need to be someone who knows that Sada's disappearance and Isaka Daikichi had a close relationship. Well, this is the same in that the five-year blank can't be fully explained..."
By the time he said that, he was at a loss for words at the end.
"Even Takeshita doesn't really know... However, the people who know about the relationship between the disappearance case and Isaka seem quite limited."
Nishida groaned while folding his arms.
"The police, Isaka's circle, or if the investigation information was revealed, the bereaved family..."
Kurosu muttered, but Sawai bit his lip and didn't hide his disgusted look, saying,
"I won't say any of them are impossible, but they lack a deciding factor, and the problem of the five-year time lag can't be fully explained to my satisfaction. The more I think about various things, the more items I have to consider..."
"By the way, about the drugs earlier, it's true there are problems to clear, but the merit of being able to completely erase the body is actually large, and it can't be denied. In a sense, it would be more worth doing than re-burying."
To change the atmosphere, Nishida dared to pick up the drug processing theory again, which he had once denied himself at the scene.
"Drugs, huh. Even if the body is mostly skeletal due to decomposition, to completely dissolve it would require a considerable amount of powerful designated drugs and a fair amount of time. Sulfuric acid or potassium hydroxide... Since powerful drugs require various things at the time of purchase, there's a possibility of being traced if you try to buy them head-on."
"It's as Komura says. Of course, I can't say such things don't happen, so we need to investigate, but we also have to consider that he might have obtained them through an underground route."
"Section Chief, there's that, but a pool for that, or rather, a large vat to fill with drugs for the body would also be necessary. In that case, preparation of equipment, or rather, tools, would also be necessary. As the Team Leader said, we might also need to consider the existence of a collaborator."
Takeshita mentioned this while writing on the board again.
"The hurdles are quite high to completely erase it... We should investigate just in case, but even if there were days to prepare, it's not easy. There's something that doesn't quite sit right. Even so, I think there might be something else, but I don't know what it is... Even if he buried it in another place, is there a place worth re-burying even if he takes the risk of moving it? Even if there were, I have no idea where it is."
Nishida showed his frustration at the current situation, which was becoming a circular argument.
"One trouble after another. The case is progressing, but this time it's calling for new mysteries. On top of that, if it doesn't lead to an arrest due to the death of the suspect even if it's solved, it's just an ordeal."
The Section Chief looked up at the sky and made a desperate remark. Cold laughter leaked from the others who saw that.
"By the way, is it okay if we don't search the scene in Ikutahara anymore?"
Oba suddenly changed the subject, perhaps trying to change the bad atmosphere that was repeating itself, or perhaps because he couldn't read the room.
"Now that it's been revealed that Sada's body was likely buried in the same place as Yoneda, and furthermore that it was moved somewhere, I think there's even less need to do that than before the search when we didn't know where it was. There's no point in re-burying Sada's body nearby, right? At least for now, I think it's fine to leave it. If we were to do it, it would inevitably have to be a thorough roller operation, and at this point, we'd need a clear reason conversely."
The Section Chief answered.
"The fact that we don't know where Sada's body is now is the same situation as before the search, but the fact that we probably found out where it was in the past makes the response quite different—that's an interesting part of this time."
Nishida, receiving the Section Chief's statement, spoke softly in a low voice to Yoshimura next to him.
"Y-Yes. I think so too."
Yoshimura was caught off guard and made a commonplace reply.
"Do you really understand?"
When Nishida poked his side with his elbow while grinning at Yoshimura's attitude, he strengthened his tone, saying,
"Of course!"
"Hey, what's wrong, Yoshimura? Do you have something to say?"
Sawai, who likely grasped the interaction between the two, threw the conversation to him instead of cautioning him.
"Section Chief, no, it's nothing. Sorry..."
Yoshimura apologized looking awkward, but perhaps noticing that Nishida next to him was holding back laughter while looking down and pretending not to know, he pushed back with his elbow.
"Hey, Nishida, do you have anything?"
The Section Chief turned the spearhead toward Nishida this time and asked for an opinion in a low voice. He was momentarily flustered as he didn't expect it to come to him, but he answered as a desperate measure.
"Well... I think we can say we got quite a bit of confirmation from today's search that the place where Sada's body was buried was likely that scene, but the question of where on earth he was killed remains."
"Of course that's true, but..."
The Section Chief seemed to Nishida to have glossed it over as if he were a bit flustered by Nishida's unexpectedly reasonable reply. And after closing his eyes for about five seconds, he continued.
"Since Sada has been missing since just before he was supposed to return to Sapporo from Kitami Station on the limited express 'Ohtori' after checking out of the Central Hotel in Kitami on September 26th eight years ago, a scenario can be considered where he was likely abducted between the hotel and the station, or tricked into being taken away and killed. After that, when deciding on a place to bury him, the scene in Ikutahara, where they had local knowledge from their days working in the JNR maintenance section, was likely considered the 'optimal' place from the perspective of the perpetrators—at least Shinoda and Kitagawa, who were likely involved in the body disposal. And the place of murder and the place of disposal don't need to be the same. Of course, it wouldn't be strange if they were the same. In the first place, isn't that not the issue at this point? That kind of talk can wait until actual physical evidence that Sada was murdered comes out. From circumstantial evidence, we are convinced that Sada was buried there, but it's only a guess from the situation. Our task before us is to find Sada's corpse, or if by any chance it's already gone, to give up and bring up evidence of the murder."
He eventually ended up denying Nishida's statement in a way. Of course, there was a high possibility that this was also a stopgap glossing over, but the logic generally held up.
"That's true too. I'm satisfied with the fact that that can be put off for later."
As for Nishida, he had no choice but to say so at this point.
"Alright! If Nishida has no objections, then there's nothing left but action! As an immediate task, let's try to crush the possibility of disposal by drugs. It's no use saying this and that. We have enough time to do it thoroughly. For now, let's start from there!"
The Section Chief decided on a new policy, speaking slowly as if to convince himself, though he was powerful on the surface. Nishida and the others—no, probably even the Section Chief—felt that there might be something else, but they weren't in a position to specifically propose anything more than that.
From the next day, August 15th, the Violent Crimes Unit began investigating whether there was anyone who had obtained a large amount of powerful drugs such as sulfuric acid or potassium hydroxide between August 10th three years ago and the end of September. They contacted not only chemical wholesalers within the prefecture and on the main island, but also the laundry industry and companies that handle pipe blockages. But even after investigating for about a week, they found no trace of Shinoda himself obtaining them directly, nor any corresponding person among people who could be linked to Shinoda.
During this time, on August 18th, there was a phone call from Shibata, the Forensics Lead of the Kitami Headquarters, saying that the pickaxe and the wound on Yoneda's skull perfectly matched, and a written report was sent later. It took some time, but it seemed the influence of the difficult progress of the serial female murders was showing. Shibata confessed that he felt the atmosphere of the investigation headquarters, which was under considerable stress as there was still no information leading to the culprit. Nishida could guess that if even the forensics, who weren't stuck at the investigation headquarters, had such a perception, the mental state of the detectives on the scene must be terrible beyond words. It wouldn't be permitted to let it go unsolved like this, but at the same time, he didn't think this kind of sex crime would just fade away as it was, and it was easy to imagine that if a new victim appeared, it would become an even more bloodthirsty state.
However, looking only from the perspective of the Engaru Station, it could be said that for now, Shinoda's murder of Yoneda was almost confirmed by circumstantial evidence, so the investigation had reached a milestone. On the other hand, the matter of Sada remained as if in a thick fog.
"Hmm... This line seems thin..."
Komura, who had gone to the trouble of calling a chemical manufacturer in Fukuoka for inquiries, groaned as he put down the receiver. Seeing that, Nishida asked,
"No good?"
Komura nodded slightly. The daily calendar in the room showed August 23rd. It was undeniable that since there had been no response at all up to this point, the theory of complete erasure by powerful drugs was in a very difficult situation.
However, the problem was not only that; in the process of the investigation, when they tried to further investigate Shinoda's social circle, considering the proxy acquisition of powerful drugs, there were times when the attitudes of Shinoda's wife and the people related to the Isaka Group felt considerably more 'formal' than before. Their cooperation with the police was starting to become questionable. Conversely, this could be said to be evidence that people who disliked the police investigation reaching Shinoda had appeared.
The Section Chief had a view that Isaka Masamitsu, the son of Isaka Daikichi and the second-generation president of the Isaka Group, might be involved in that. In other words, it was a reasoning that Masamitsu knew something about his father's crimes and was requesting those involved not to cooperate with the police so that it wouldn't be leaked. Both Nishida and Takeshita thought that this idea was quite correct at this point. However, it was frustrating that it remained a matter of reasoning in their heads and they hadn't obtained specific evidence.
Nishida went down to the vending machine on the first floor to buy a juice to take a break. Normally he would make do with the instant coffee in the Detective Division, but perhaps due to stress, he felt like having something sweet. As he was bending over to take the juice can that had fallen with a clatter from the outlet, he saw a group of just under ten people passing behind him. Nishida recognized two people in monk's robes among them. One was definitely High Priest Matsuno of Koan-ji, but the other looked like High Priest Okada of Ko-on-ji. Since he had thought about wanting to hear from Okada when he heard from Matsuno, he took out the juice as if it were a chance and called out.
"Ah, thank you for your help the other day. Is it a meeting of the council today?"
"If it isn't Mr. Nishida. Thank you for your help the other day as well. Yes, that's why I came. I'm just about to head home now that it's over."
High Priest Matsuno bowed quietly.
"Well then, we'll be going first. See you next month."
Leaving the two in monk's robes, the other group of portly elderly men and women from the council headed toward the entrance.
"Is that High Priest Okada of Ko-on-ji?"
Nishida naturally knew who the other person was at the point they faced each other properly, but he dared to ask in that way.
"Did you two know each other?"
Matsuno ended up asking the two of them respectively, but since he was a member of the Police Council, even if the other person didn't recognize Nishida, Nishida naturally knew him.
"No, this is the first time I've met him," Okada answered with a curious face.
"It's only natural that High Priest Okada doesn't know me, but since the High Priest is a member of the council, I know you for professional reasons. Forgive me for the late introduction, I am Nishida from the Detective Division."
To Nishida, who said that with a smile, Okada gave a polite smile, saying,
"I see. Is that so?"
"I had High Priest Matsuno accompany me the other day for the investigation of an incident that occurred near the Jomon Tunnel in Ikutahara."
"Ah, at that time."
Okada spoke as if he had already heard the general circumstances from Matsuno.
"Um, I'm sorry to ask, but do you two have some time now?"
They showed a bit of bewilderment at the sudden request from the detective, but Matsuno asked Okada for confirmation.
"Yes, I don't particularly have anything, but what about you, Mr. Okada?"
"Yes, Obon has passed, and to be honest, I'm free now."
Okada also accepted Nishida's request.
"Is that so? That's helpful. Actually, as I asked High Priest Matsuno when I was with him, I'd like to hear in detail about the memorial service for the Tako-beya laborers held by the former JNR on September 25, 1977. That said, I think it will be over in about 20 minutes."
Nishida was asking quite politely without realizing it.
"Yes, I think such a thing did indeed happen. Fortunately, I have a strong impression of that time, so I think I can answer reasonably well. I've already heard from High Priest Matsuno about when the detectives were with him during the investigation the other day, and I thought you would come to ask eventually, so the timing is just right."
It was helpful that Okada even said it was convenient.
"Well then, since this isn't the place, let's go to the reception room of the Detective Division upstairs. Come, this way."
Nishida led the way slowly, matching the pace of the two.
After having Oba serve tea, Nishida placed the investigation materials from his desk onto the table of the reception set. It included materials for the case where the three bodies were found.
"Let's get right to it. I'll ask some questions."
"Go ahead."
High Priest Okada, who had hardly touched his teacup, faced Nishida directly while keeping his back straight even on the sofa.
"First, the reason we police are interested in this memorial service is that several people who are thought to be important witnesses in a certain case seem to have participated in it. Well, even if I say a certain case, the High Priest probably knows, so there's no use hiding it. It's the murder case of the young man who went missing three years ago, which was discovered in Engaru in June. And the place where that body was discovered—well, we think he was killed in the same place—is almost the same as the location of the memorial service, which is also something we're concerned about. I can't say for sure, but I wonder if there was something that could be a key at the ceremony? It's just a detective's hunch..."
Nishida spoke while choosing his words. However, as for the matter of Sada, he didn't bring it up as it wasn't clear yet.
"Hmm, even if you ask if there was something... It's an old story, but I don't have any memory of there being any particular problem."
Okada could be seen trying hard to remember while pinching the top edge of his surplice with his fingers.
"Is that so? That's a bit too abstract a way of asking. Then, I'm sorry, but could you explain roughly how the ceremony began and ended, the whole sequence of events? As for the program, it's listed in this booklet, so I think it will be helpful for your story."
Nishida said that and turned the booklet around and placed it in front of Okada.
Okada looked at it in his hand for a while, then placed it quietly on the desk.
"To be honest, it's exactly as written here. First, it began with a greeting from Mr. Dooka, the mayor of Ikutahara at the time, who was also the former stationmaster of Ikutahara. Then a greeting from the director of the Asahikawa Railway Bureau of the JNR. And then, several urns containing the cremated remains that had been collected up to then were lined up... The mayor and others placed them in the stone coffin, and we chanted sutras. Then the attendees, mainly JNR employees, offered incense. Finally, Mr. Miyoshi of the Ikutahara Town Council at the time closed with a greeting. I remember it took about two hours."
He told Nishida.
"Was there anything particularly memorable during that time?"
"No. I'm sorry, but nothing special comes to mind."
"I see... Since I can't ask specific things, I guess it can't be helped..."
Nishida showed his regret. Whether the connection between the three attendees—Isaka, Kitagawa, and Shinoda—and the cases of Sada and Yoneda, and the place where the memorial ceremony was held was a mere coincidence, or if there was a relationship that hadn't surfaced yet as Nishida was imagining... Since it was a task of pulling at an invisible thread, it couldn't be helped that it was a difficult path, but it was still a pity that he couldn't grasp anything.
"Well then, while I'm at it, there's one more thing I'd like to ask about a certain case. This is a story that can't be investigated anymore, so please listen casually."
Nishida changed the subject.
"Is it the matter of the unidentified remains from the same year?"
"Ah, how did you?"
"I've heard that story from High Priest Matsuno as well."
"I see. Then that makes things easier."
Nishida moistened his dry mouth with his tea.
"After the police and Ikutahara Town requested a memorial service as unidentified remains, what happened to those remains? High Priest Matsuno said the other day that he didn't know."
"Yes."
Saying that, Okada put the teacup to his mouth, took a breath, and then opened his mouth.
"Those were indeed placed in the coffin together at the memorial service."
"Eh?"
Nishida didn't hide his surprise. No, he couldn't hide it.
"Wait a minute. The memorial service was strictly a memorial service for the victims of Tako-beya labor, right?"
"Yes. Of course I am aware of that."
"Was it okay to inter—or rather, place them in the coffin together?"
"It was the judgment of my uncle, Soshin. As for the reason, first of all, the police didn't have absolute certainty that they weren't victims of Tako-beya labor. And next, it seems he thought it would be better to have them memorialized by everyone else at the memorial service rather than keeping them in the temple as unidentified remains."
"Well, I can certainly understand that, but..."
Nishida said that, but he wasn't completely convinced.
"In my memory, I think my uncle properly inquired with the Engaru Police Station and Ikutahara Town about that beforehand. I don't think he would have decided and executed it on his own in the end."
"Was that so? The investigation materials at the time only said they were entrusted to Koan-ji."
If he heard that it had gone through such a process, Nishida had no reason to complain.
"By the way, did you put the remains of the three people together with the remains of the Tako-beya labor people?"
Nishida spoke of a question not directly related to the investigation.
"No, we didn't do that. Even if their names are unknown, I think it would be against the Buddhist way to mix remains that are clearly separated individually, and I think my uncle thought so too. Perhaps there was advice from the police as well, but they are separated from those of the Tako-beya labor people. We placed them in the coffin in the urns we received from the police. I believe in my memory, it was possible to distinguish which of those three belonged to which body."
"Is that so? Then there's no problem at all. No, even if there were a problem, it's not a case that can be dealt with now, so it's pointless to say so... So, you said it was possible to distinguish them, but specifically how?"
"In the ledger at Koan-ji, in addition to the marks of A, B, and C that the police had written on each urn, my uncle should have recorded that he gave them simple posthumous names and marked them similarly. Such a ledger was properly managed, and since High Priest Matsuno is a meticulous person, it should still be there."
Okada turned toward Matsuno, and Matsuno also said,
"I can't say anything until I check after I get back, but since there are some quite old ones, it should probably be fine."
"In High Priest Matsuno's story, it seems that during the search... the other day, one of them was identified, so if by any chance a bereaved family is found in the future... though he wasn't married, so it would be a distant relative, we can hand them over. Well, I don't think that will happen..."
Okada said regretfully. He's probably assuming Senzaki Daishiro.
"Mr. Terakawa's testimony was the deciding factor."
Matsuno added that it was thanks to the landowner Terakawa that they found out the remains marked 'A' were Senzaki's.
"But the people attending at the time probably didn't think that people who were highly likely to be unrelated were being placed in the coffin."
"No, we certainly had no intention of deceiving anyone, of course."
Nishida didn't mean to be sarcastic, but High Priest Okada might have been indignant, though his tone was calm.
"Ah, I didn't mean anything strange by it. My apologies."
When he apologized profusely, Okada said,
"No, no. I don't mind at all."
He gave a smile and added,
"However, among the attendees, there was someone who found out later that the three people were placed in the coffin together with the victims of Tako-beya labor."
"What does that mean?"
Nishida couldn't help but ask.
"I've forgotten the name, but a JNR employee who said he found those unidentified remains came to visit Koan-ji specifically a little while after the memorial service... The memorial service was at the end of September, so I think it was around October, saying 'I heard from the police.' And when I told him the 'truth,' he seemed quite surprised as he hadn't thought he had already been praying for the remains he found at the time of the memorial service."
Senzaki was reminiscing as if savoring it. Nishida, in contrast, showed a large reaction.
"The JNR employee who found the unidentified remains!? In that case, there should have been three of them! Wait a minute. Ah, h-here, here! Is there a person among these three who matches that person's memory?"
It wasn't that something would be directly understood by that, but he hurriedly flipped through the relevant part of the investigation materials and presented it. Nishida was inwardly hoping that if it were Kitagawa or Shinoda, he might be able to grasp something with this as a starting point.
"If you ask if they match just by looking now... I remember the face, but just by the name..."
Nishida, told this by Okada, called out to Komura, who was nearby.
"Komura! We had photos from the materials we collected for the investigation of Kitagawa and Shinoda, right? Bring them for a moment!"
And when he received the photos from Komura, he presented them to Okada, saying,
"They're not young photos from 1977, so I don't know if you can tell."
The High Priest looked at the photos for a while, but hesitated.
"No, it's true they've aged since then, so I can't say for sure, but that person was quite handsome—it's rude to say more than these two, but he was quite a good-looking man, so I don't think he would have a face like this even now."
"Is that so... Then is it the remaining one, a person named Tanemura? Wait a minute. There's someone I want to confirm now, so I'll call."
Nishida said that and made a call from a nearby desk. The recipient was Okuda. He wasn't absolutely certain he was at home, but the wife who answered the phone called Okuda out.
"Thank you for the other day. I'm calling because it's related to that matter."
Nishida started.
"Oh. Didn't I tell you before? Feel free to ask anything."
"Then I won't hesitate. In the story I heard the other day about finding three bodies during the remains collection, besides the discoverers Kitagawa and Shinoda, there was a person named 'Tanemura Masatoshi.' Was that person quite handsome when he was young?"
At Nishida's abrupt question, Okuda asked back,
"Eh? What did you just say?"
He might have heard it, but perhaps it didn't make sense. When he repeated the same thing again, he answered.
"I don't really understand what you want to say, but I think Tanemura was quite popular when he was young. But since he's damn serious, he didn't do things like playing with women. The young guys among his colleagues were always saying 'you're strange.'"
At this point, Nishida thought that Tanemura had almost certainly come to Koan-ji.
"Is that so? Then do you know Tanemura's current address or workplace? I'd like you to tell me in a hurry."
He continued.
"His workplace should be the head of the JR Wakkanai Maintenance Section now that he's been promoted. If you ask the Telephone Public Corporation... ah, it's NTT now, and get the phone number and call the maintenance section, I think you'll get through in one shot."
"Is that so? I understand. I'm in a hurry now, so I'll hang up here. Sorry."
Nishida thought it would be long if he talked with Okuda any more, so he hung up unilaterally, called NTT's directory assistance, looked up the phone number for the Wakkanai Maintenance Section, and called immediately. As Okuda said, when he said "Please put me through to Mr. Tanemura, the section head," he was connected immediately.
"Hello? I've taken the call. I am Tanemura."
The voice was lower than Nishida had imagined, but Nishida spoke regardless.
"This is Nishida from the Engaru Police Station. I'm sorry for the sudden call, but there's something I'd like to confirm. Um, Mr. Tanemura, you found unidentified remains in 1977, right?"
"Eh...? Ah, that matter... Come to think of it, the jurisdiction was the Engaru Station. I see, is it about that...? So has something been found out after all this time?"
Tanemura was undoubtedly confused, but the story seemed to be getting through.
"No, it's not like that, but did Mr. Tanemura visit the temple where those remains were said to be placed afterward?"
He understood that he was rushing the story quite a bit himself, but his eager feelings didn't allow him to explain slowly.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, I feel like I did visit. However, when I asked then, they said they were placed in a different location, not the temple. I can't fully explain the details..."
It's true that if he tried to explain this flow from the beginning, it would be quite difficult, but fortunately Nishida grasped it completely, so there was no problem.
"Is that so? Then one more thing. Did you later tell Mr. Kitagawa and Mr. Shinoda, who found them together, the story you heard at the temple that 'the remains you found were already placed in the coffin together at the memorial service for the Jomon Tunnel'? I think that would be the normal flow?"
"Did you already know about such things...? Then that makes things easier. Yes. I think I did."
Tanemura spoke strongly, partly because he realized again that Nishida had already grasped the outline. Whether this would lead to the case or not, gathering all the information he should know about Shinoda and Kitagawa is what Nishida can do now. In that sense, Nishida was satisfied.
"And, while I'm bothering you, I have one request..."
Nishida added apologetically.
"Since it's a request from the police, I'll cooperate as much as I can."
As expected of someone who was said to be serious, his tone toward the sudden request was also polite.
"Thank you for that. I'd like you to send a photo of Mr. Tanemura when he was young, especially around 1977 when he was involved in that case, to the Engaru Station. The monk who was at Koan-ji at the time said he only remembers the face, so I want to make a final confirmation of whether Mr. Tanemura actually went there."
"Are? Does that mean I'm being suspected of something?"
At this point, Tanemura voiced his distrust for the first time.
"No, that is definitely not the case. The case itself is clearly past the statute of limitations, and even if it were a crime, no one can be arrested. Ah, of course I'm not suspecting Mr. Tanemura of anything either."
He explained in detail so as not to be misunderstood.
"Is that so? Then that's a relief."
After hearing a voice that sounded like he was laughing a bit in relief, Tanemura continued.
"I don't know the address of the Engaru Station, so could you tell me?"
Nishida immediately told him the address and said,
"I don't know when it will be, but I will definitely return it. I think it's better to return it to Mr. Tanemura's home address, so please tell me that too."
And he also got the return address from Tanemura, said his thanks, and hung up.
Nishida sat on the sofa again.
"Thank you very much for waiting. He said he would send a photo from when he was young, so after it arrives, I'll go to High Priest Okada's Ko-on-ji in Engaru with the photo to confirm it."
He said while scratching his head.
"It seems that matter has become a big deal in Mr. Nishida's mind."
Matsuno joined the conversation.
"Hmm, to be honest, it's quite delicate. However, gathering as much information as possible is important in a difficult investigation. I can't help but feel that the memorial service is involved in this case. And with today's story, I've become slightly concerned about the unidentified remains. Of course the probability isn't high, but checking all the information that should be confirmed is what I can do now."
Nishida persistently told the two about the importance of the information. Then, Okada, who was drinking tea, placed the teacup slowly on the table and opened his mouth.
"Ho. It's like ascetic training. The police investigation too..."
He spoke as if impressed. It didn't seem to Nishida to be a mere social pleasantry.
"No, no. Naturally it doesn't go like the training of a monk. We're investigating cases where human desires are swirling, so detectives are also unknowingly caught up in such things. I think that's how it is."
"It's enough just to be able to recognize that. It's a difficult job."
Okada, who was listening to Matsuno's answer, also agreed briefly, saying,
"That's true."
Since he had finished asking what was necessary for now, Nishida decided to have the two High Priests go home. Since he had forced them to stay before they went home, he felt bad about having them stay for a long time.
In front of Nishida, who saw them off at the entrance, the two left the parking floor in Matsuno's light car, which was not at all suitable for the High Priest of a large temple to ride in, and he felt refreshed for some reason. It wasn't just from having grasped a new fact.
And after that, he reported the rough information he had obtained to the Section Chief. The Section Chief also seemed to have something bothering him, but Nishida felt that he still had a skeptical view of whether this new information would affect the investigation or not. Even if Nishida himself admitted that he didn't have enough evidence to clearly counter that...
On Friday morning, August 25th, Section Chief Sawai finally decided to stop the investigation into the complete erasure of Sada's body by drugs for the time being. He probably judged that it was a waste of time to continue any further. Both Nishida and Takeshita thought this was a wise move. Unfortunately, the first arrow was completely broken.
Now it was a matter of how to release the next arrow, but since no good ideas had come up even at the meeting when the investigation policy was set, the investigation meeting proceeded in a low-key atmosphere. After all, if he were to hide it in a place far harder to find than that scene, even at the risk of moving the body, a good idea wouldn't come easily.
In the case where the body wasn't moved on the day of August 10th, when Shinoda is thought to have killed Yoneda, the time constraint would be looser, but if that were the case, the range of action would expand all at once. Since the sea, rivers, and lakes are also scattered relatively nearby, it could be said that such places are worth considering not only on the day of the murder, but whether that can be called 'safer' than the scene was still a big question mark. It was conceivable that Yoneda saw Shinoda when he was digging it up, but in a sufficiently buried state, it had remained undiscovered at the scene near the Jomon Tunnel for a long time, so discarding that 'track record' would be a decision that couldn't be made easily for just a little bit of merit.
The conclusion of the meeting was a somewhat inconclusive one, where it would be better for the investigation if Shinoda had moved Sada's body on the day of August 10th, considering the expansion of the range of action. The smoke from the cigarettes the detectives were smoking while irritated began to fill the Detective Division.