Chapter 25 - Light and Shadow 4 (31–34: Discovery of the Body; Nishida's Rare Break to Visit Family in Sapporo)
Thursday, August 31st, just after noon. In front of the slightly elevated "Remote Grave Marker," the Violent Crimes Unit was gathered along with the usual suspects: Forensics officers Matsuzawa and Miura, and the "outside" participants—High Priest Okada of Ko-on-ji in Engaru and High Priest Matsuno of Koan-ji in Ikutahara—who had managed to make time on the 31st. First, before removing the urns from the grave, the two priests performed a memorial service with the chanting of sutras. Then, Nishida urged his subordinates to take several precautions.
"We won't know for sure until we open them, but I suspect that after Shinoda brought Sada's skeletal remains here in the jars he purchased from the spot where they were originally buried, he mixed them with the remains already interred here. The remains of the Tako-beya laborers and the three unidentified persons were all cremated before being placed inside. Sada Minoru's, however, are naturally raw bone. At the very least, Shinoda must have known that the remains of the Tako-beya victims had been cremated. Therefore, I don't think he would have kept them completely separate. If by some chance—and I mean only if—someone were to open them, he would want to avoid any risk of an anomaly being detected due to a clear distinction. Consequently, Shinoda would likely think it better to jumble Sada's bones with those of the Tako-beya laborers. The question is whether he mixed them with the three unidentified remains as well, but even if he didn't know those had been cremated, he would have realized it once he opened the urns to check, so he likely would have done the same in the end. Thus, we'll need to carefully separate the properly cremated bones from the ones that aren't. I expect Sada's remains were broken down to some extent with a shovel or pickaxe, so be careful with that. The important parts are the head, especially the jaw. Dental records, in particular, will lead to identification. I hear DNA testing is being used lately, but teeth are still the priority. Also, forensics! Take photos of all the urns and the jars Shinoda likely bought, and collect fingerprints from each. We have Shinoda's prints from before, so we can compare them. Oh, and High Priest Okada! Do you recognize the urns for the unidentified remains from the police?"
After Nishida rattled off his instructions in one breath, he checked with the priest. High Priest Okada looked at the ledger Matsuno had brought from Koan-ji and explained while confirming the contents.
"The ones interred at the time were three urns entrusted by the police, plus nine urns of remains collected by the JNR people, for a total of twelve. The three urns should have posthumous names written on them."
"Understood. Please keep advising us after we take the jars out. Alright, the service is over, so let's start the work!"
At Nishida's signal, the stone lid atop the large sarcophagus was moved by Yoshimura, Sawada, Kurosu, and Oba. They wore white gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and began sequentially removing the urns from the stone coffin.
"There's quite a number of them."
Section Chief Sawai counted them as the work proceeded: one, two... A total of sixteen urns—or rather, some that appeared to be ordinary jars—were placed onto a blue tarp. The count of twelve interred urns from the ledger plus the four jars Shinoda had purchased matched the number of items retrieved. Nishida was able to identify the four jars Shinoda had bought almost immediately. Even if the shapes were similar, they still retained the form of ordinary jars, with more roundness in the 'vertical' shape from the base to the mouth compared to an urn. However, the color was indeed white porcelain, so as a whole, one could just barely call them urns if pressed.
"Matsuzawa! Before taking the bones out, take photos of everything and get the prints."
As per Nishida's repeat request, Matsuzawa and Miura set to work. Watching them, Nishida checked with the priest.
"High Priest Okada! There are three urns with the same shape that are different from the other nine. Are those the ones for the unidentified remains?"
"I can't say with absolute certainty since my memory isn't perfect, but I believe so. As I said earlier, my uncle had written simple posthumous names on each urn, and at the time the police handed them over, they were marked with A, B, and C to distinguish the unidentified remains. High Priest Matsuno is also checking the ledger, so we can compare them."
Nishida approached the three jars with the two priests and noticed that they were indeed marked with small characters in what looked like India ink: A, B, and C. However, thinking it would be too pitiful to leave them like that, the then-High Priest of Koan-ji, Okada Soshin, had apparently added the posthumous names in ink as well. A was marked "San-on-kei-hou-shin-shi," B was "San-jou-sei-ken-shin-shi," and C was "San-rai-an-wa-shin-shi." Since they were given to people whose names and origins were unknown, they naturally lacked a temple title (T/N: In-gou), but Okada said they had been chosen with care. The ledger Matsuno had brought from Koan-ji matched the posthumous names on each, so it was finally confirmed that those three urns were indeed the ones for the unidentified remains.
Once the forensics team finished their external investigation of all sixteen items, it was finally time to check the contents. First, the lids of the four fake urns were opened. As per Nishida's reasoning, they were clearly packed with fragments of cremated bone. It seemed they had indeed been mixed with the remains previously interred in the grave marker.
"Just as I thought... We have no choice but to empty everything onto the tarp and search for raw bone."
At Section Chief Sawai's command, the younger officers moved to turn the urns upside down to remove the contents, but High Priest Okada stopped them.
"I'm sorry to trouble you all, but as it would be a slight to the Buddha to simply shake them out, could you please remove them carefully?"
"Do as the High Priest says! Remove them carefully by hand!"
Hearing that, the Section Chief issued new instructions. Since it looked like it would take a long time at this rate, Nishida put on gloves to help.
As they all shared the work, it wasn't long before Miura, who was examining the bones removed onto the tarp, spoke up.
"Ah! Here they are. Several bones that clearly haven't been cremated!"
Everyone peered in to see what looked like parts of a spine.
"He wouldn't have had much time, so I don't think he crushed them that finely. Anyway, I want to find the jaw part quickly."
Nishida said this, and everyone returned to the task.
In the end, while raw remains were found in the four jars, the 'important' parts of the bones—the ones that would point to Sada—were not. It seemed he had mingled them into the 'original' urns that were there from the start. Nishida knew they would eventually have to check everything, but still...
"Then we have no choice but to check the rest."
The Section Chief also joined in, and they began to sort through the remaining twelve urns on the tarp.
"Is this the top of a skull?"
Komura held up a piece of skull and looked at it.
"Doesn't look burned. So it's probably it," Takeshita said, taking it from Oba and examining it closely. Soon after, voices of discovery rose from all sides. Then...
"Ah! Isn't this the lower jaw!?" Sawada stood up.
Nishida rushed over to confirm; it was a part of a lower jaw that had not been cremated. It had clear dental work, which would not only help with identification but also likely prove that the owner of the remains was not someone who had died before the war. In other words, it would prove the remains didn't belong to a Tako-beya laborer, nor to the three unidentified persons found later.
After about two hours of carefully sorting the cremated bone from the 'raw' bone, they were able to reconstruct almost the entire skeleton, albeit in pieces. In the remote mountains, Shinoda had faced an irregular situation—the sudden appearance and murder of the young Yoneda—and was likely panicking. The fact that his 'dismantling' of Sada Minoru's remains was quite crude had, in the end, made the sorting process easier.
"With this, if it's Sada's body, we should be able to prove it without a problem."
Matsuzawa smiled with satisfaction at the nearly complete skeleton reconstructed on the blue tarp.
"You did well this time!"
The Section Chief slapped the shoulder of a relieved Nishida. However, for Nishida, this was a part he had already felt certain about once he got the testimony at the Saejima Antique Shop. The problem lay ahead. Thinking of that, he didn't feel like celebrating much; compared to the feeling the other day when he 'read' Shinoda's actions, it was safe to say he wasn't being carried away.
Meanwhile, ignoring the Section Chief and Nishida, Takeshita spoke to Matsuzawa.
"Can you identify the cause of death?"
"Whoa there, Takeshita! I suspect that'll be impossible. There are marks on the remains, but those are likely from when they were broken to fit into the urns... Based on the overall circumstantial evidence, it'll just take the form of some kind of murderous act having occurred. Provided, of course, that the cause of death was a physical impact that affected the bones."
Matsuzawa immediately offered a negative view.
"Let's take them back and leave it to the Kitami Headquarters forensics! It shouldn't take that long to find out."
The Section Chief spoke as if to comfort a disappointed Takeshita, but Komura cast a shadow of doubt.
"The people over in Kitami still haven't solved the serial murders, so it might take a while."
"There's no use worrying about that now! We've done what we can here, so all that's left is to tidy up properly and head back."
At Nishida's statement, all the detectives present agreed. They returned the remains to the original urns and the new urns the priests had brought for the investigation. Then, they collected the four jars Shinoda had likely bought at the Saejima Antique Shop and the remains believed to be Sada's, and left the scene with the two priests.
After seeing the priests back to their respective temples and returning to the station, the forensics team prioritized matching the fingerprints they had collected from the jars with Shinoda's before investigating the remains. Since the Kitami Headquarters forensics would be doing a proper investigation of the remains anyway, there was no point in being too zealous about it. On the other hand, because it wasn't clear which finger each print from the jars belonged to, the results from the forensics work were expected to take some time. Taking advantage of that interval, Nishida went back alone to the Saejima Antique Shop with one of the jars they had temporarily brought back to the station, in order to confirm if it was indeed one of the jars Shinoda had purchased.
"Owner, thanks for the other day!"
Saejima, who was watching TV at the counter, raised a hand to Nishida as he passed through the shop curtain and opened the door.
"What's your business today?"
"The jar you sold that we talked about the other day—is this it?"
Nishida presented the jar, which he had wiped to some extent after collecting fingerprints, though some dirt was still noticeable. Saejima slid his glasses up onto his forehead and peered at it with narrowed eyes.
After staring for a while, he finally spoke.
"I'm not as certain as I am about the memory of the person who bought it, but I think this is the one I sold. See that bit of painting around the mouth of the jar? I have a memory of that."
Nishida confirmed the painting as well; since it matched the owner's memory, he felt certain there was no mistake.
"Even so, it's quite dirty. What kind of state was this jar kept in? It's involved in a crime, right? Was it thrown away somewhere?"
The owner asked while eyeing Nishida suspiciously. Naturally, Nishida couldn't bring himself to say it had been placed in a grave as an urn, so he was vague.
"Well, it seems it wasn't handled in a very good state..."
Perhaps sensing from Nishida's expression that he shouldn't pry too much, the owner told him,
"Well, if you don't want to say, that's fine, isn't it?"
He then asked,
"What happens to this jar once the police don't need it anymore?"
"Who knows..."
Since the original owner, Shinoda, was already dead, it might technically belong to Shinoda's widow, but having interred it in that remote grave marker was in a sense a renunciation of ownership. Nishida himself had no idea what would happen. Seeing Nishida like that, the owner joked to wrap things up.
"If you don't need it, I'll take it back for 5,000 yen a piece. Not a bad deal, right? I already made a big profit once. No problem on your end either, right?"
Nishida replied with a polite smile, "Well, I'll think about it," then said his goodbyes and hurried back to the station.
About an hour after he returned, the forensics team from the Kitami Headquarters, led by Senior Staff Shibata, arrived to collect the remains. Since they had been contacted by police radio when the raw bone was found, they seemed to have rushed over faster than expected. Senior Staff Shibata, visiting the Detective Division, offered a 'blessing' that could have been taken as a slight.
"Hey! You lot have gone and brought me more extra work again!"
Nishida was used to it and replied with an irreverent joke.
"We heard you were busy, so this is a gift from the Engaru Station. Accept it with grace."
Shibata laughed loudly at that and approached Nishida, poking him with an elbow while offering a quiet compliment.
"Even so, there's a high probability it's Sada's body, right? This isn't a joke, but my headquarters is impressed by the series of investigative capabilities shown by Engaru lately."
Immediately after, Nishida headed to the forensics room with Shibata and the others. Matsuzawa handled the response, saying,
"The fingerprints look like they'll take a bit longer. Mr. Shibata, the remains are over here," as he guided the 'party.' Since he would just be made to participate in writing investigation reports if he went back to the Detective Division anyway, Nishida followed Shibata and the others into the storage room to see the remains. Shibata gave him a hard time.
"You saw them at the scene, didn't you? You're in the way."
Nishida didn't care at all and stayed. Shibata didn't react further and confirmed the remains.
"Oh! That really is a considerable amount of bone. And they aren't as crushed as I imagined from what I heard. If we're reconstructing them, it might take some effort, but if we aren't aiming for perfection, it's not that difficult a task. If this is Sada, we'll definitely know his identity."
He immediately became cheerful.
"By the way, do you think the cause of death will remain unknown?"
Even though Takeshita had been told as much by Matsuzawa beforehand, Nishida asked Shibata just in case.
"I heard before I came that they were broken to fit into the jars, but it's hard to clearly distinguish between wounds from that time and wounds from the murder... Provided, of course, that the cause of death was a physical impact that reached the bone. But you've got body disposal, so you'll set up an investigation headquarters for murder, right?"
Shibata said the same thing as Matsuzawa. Well, both were professionals in forensics, even if their posts were different, so it was only natural for their conclusions to be the same.
"An investigation headquarters, huh... It's natural to set one up, but there's no point if it's just the Engaru Station alone."
At Nishida's somewhat resigned tone, Shibata asked,
"Now that you mention it, since the Kitami Headquarters was removed from the serial murders by the Prefectural Police Headquarters, is it impossible after all, even though it's become a murder case?"
"No, Mr. Shibata... There's that, but I think the Prefectural Headquarters will find it difficult to build a case since Kitagawa is unconscious and Shinoda and Isaka are dead. With that being the case, and with other investigations being short-handed..."
Shibata showed a certain understanding of Nishida's anxiety. Then he said,
"But you've done it yourselves this far, so even if reinforcements don't come, won't you manage somehow? Rather, I feel like things will go better if the Engaru Station does it alone. Even the current woman-killing case isn't going well even with 'us' involved."
He encouraged him while mixing in some self-deprecation.
"But the people from the Kitami Headquarters this time, like Mr. Kurano and Mr. Ohtomo, they listen to our opinions, and if we can get support, it's still better than not having it."
Nishida was humble, but Shibata offered advice that was hard to distinguish from a pep talk.
"I suppose. Those guys are unusually flexible and decent for superiors, that's for sure. But don't be so reserved forever—solve this case yourselves! Even if it doesn't lead to a prosecution, if you can track down the whereabouts of Sada, whom all of Kitami couldn't find eight years ago, that'll be enough for the headquarters in Sapporo to evaluate you!"
Shibata went through a whole range of talk, then immediately began examining the remains with gloves on, as if Nishida no longer existed. Nishida watched him with a sense of security, knowing that despite his foul mouth, Shibata's skills as a specialist were certain.
"Normally it would take two days to reach a conclusion on identity, but with how busy we are now, it might take nearly a week. Forgive us for that since there's no urgency... Oops, I was so caught up in talking I forgot the most important thing."
Shibata seemed to suddenly realize and pressed his hands together in prayer toward the remains.
After that, Shibata and his team took the remains back to the Kitami Headquarters, and it was after 8:00 PM by the time Nishida and the others finished their paperwork. Shinoda's fingerprints were confirmed on each of the four jars. This proved without a doubt that Shinoda had plotted to conceal Sada's remains by mixing them with the remains of the Tako-beya labor victims in the grave marker. Shinoda would have had no opportunity to touch the urns during the memorial service.
Satisfied with the day's 'results' and completely released from the tension, the group felt hungry and headed to "Yusen" for a sort of 'victory celebration,' with the Section Chief joining in. Normally this would be an unthinkable flow, but because the investigation was being handled entirely by the Engaru Station, there was a sense of—to put it nicely—leeway, or—to put it poorly—slackness.
"This is the Section Chief's first time at our place, right?"
When the Boss spoke, Sawai replied,
"I'd heard these guys talking about it, so I'd been wanting to come eventually."
"This place is great. It's delicious and cheap," Yoshimura vouched, and it was certainly no lie.
"It's a bit of a different direction from the entertainment district, so even people living in Engaru might not know it if they don't know," the Boss said as he popped the cap off a beer and poured it into the Section Chief's glass.
"Well then, Section Chief, it looks like preparations are ready, so please give the toast!"
Prompted by Nishida, Sawai said,
"Well then, good work today! Nishida and everyone else did a great job. I don't know what will happen from here, but once the identity is confirmed, we'll be busy again. For now, this is a special moment of respite. I want you to do your best when things get busy too! Cheers!"
With that relatively brief comment, he raised his glass into the air. The sound of glasses clinking echoed many times, with the Boss joining in.
"Did you find another body or something?"
The Boss, who had been listening to the detectives' talk, asked Nishida in a low voice as he was on the aisle side.
"Well, I can't say in detail, but there's been progress in a murder investigation," Nishida whispered into his ear so he could hear over the noise in the shop.
"I see... You've been at it for over two months now. It must be tough?"
"Well, this is the job. It can't be helped..."
"It can't be helped, huh. Yeah, maybe it really can't be helped. You probably can't do it unless you have that kind of mindset. Anyway, feel free to order more and more to relieve your stress. Since that's the case, I'll provide a bit of service as a celebration."
"That's appreciated. Though I say that, the Section Chief is treating us today, so it doesn't matter to me! But really, thanks as always. You don't make much profit at these prices, do you?"
Nishida said that with a laugh, but turned a bit serious thinking about the burden on the shop.
"Don't worry about it at all. We can't survive unless customers come, so it's only natural to provide service! I'm doing this because I'm happy to see the customers enjoying themselves!"
The Boss said that with a smile and went back inside the counter.
"Boss, what's today's recommendation?"
Watching that, Takeshita, who seemed to be in a better mood than usual, asked.
"This! My cousin who's a fisherman in Saroma sent me some live scallops! They're fresh! How about sashimi and butter-grilled!" he said, lifting a Styrofoam box printed with "Saroma Fishery Cooperative."
"That sounds great! I'll take some right away!" the other members shouted.
"And I'll give you one glass of this each as a service!"
The Boss said that and placed a large 1.8-liter bottle with "Kinkouwan" printed on the label onto the counter.
"Oh! Today it's the legendary Satsuma shochu!" Komura's excitement went up. The Section Chief was also the type to have strong opinions on shochu, so he was clapping in joy.
"Then, that's it! Let me drink it from a Rosanjin cup like last time!"
When Yoshimura chimed in, the Boss said,
"In that case, I have a new one I've collected, so I'll let you drink from that!" as he took a small wooden box from the shelf. He then came over to the customers' table, placed it down, and took out a sake cup.
"This is it. How about it? It's good, isn't it!"
The Boss placed it on the table so everyone could see, looking enchanted himself.
The Section Chief, who was here for the first time, also seemed to have his interest piqued and was peering in closely.
"Is the Section Chief interested in Rosanjin or pottery?"
When the Boss asked about the Section Chief's attitude, he replied,
"I'm not detailed on Rosanjin himself, but I've often thought I'd like to collect cups like this."
"In that case, I have several others, so take a look."
The Boss said that and led the Section Chief to the shelf packed with his collection, taking out several boxes to show him.
"Boss! I don't care about that, just let me drink quickly!"
A drunk Yoshimura was saying whatever he wanted, but the Boss said,
"I'm showing them to the Section Chief now..." as if soothing a 'tiger.' Nishida also followed up with a light reprimand.
"The Boss and our Boss (meaning Sawai) are still looking, so be patient for a bit!"
Nishida spoke while pouring beer into Yoshimura's empty glass to bridge the gap. After that, they enjoyed the Boss's cooking and fine sake as usual, and the night of the banquet deepened.
September 3rd. Nishida was in the children's clothing department of the "Marudai Department Store" in the Odori district in the center of Sapporo with his wife, Yuka, and daughter, Mika. Since it was Sunday afternoon, it was quite crowded, and even though he was providing family service for the first time in a while, as a man who had one foot in impatient middle age, he was starting to reach the limit of his patience.
After collecting the remains on August 31st, because the story was that it would take nearly a week at worst for the appraisal results to come out, Nishida was suddenly given compensatory leave through the Section Chief's arrangement. Normally it would be identified much faster, but as Shibata had said, it was because both the Kitami Headquarters and the Prefectural Headquarters had become unable to keep up due to other murder investigations.
Naturally, the norm is to start an investigation once it's determined to be a murder, even if the identity isn't known. However, this time, because it was predicted that identifying the cause of death would be difficult, it was also thanks to the unusual situation where they decided to wait and see until it was known that the remains were Sada's. In any case, there was no doubt that it was normally impossible to be given a break immediately after a murder case was discovered.
The murder case of Yoneda also remained unsolved, but the decision to suspend that investigation was also possible because it was practically impossible to build a case due to the death of the suspect, Shinoda. As a result of these factors, on the night of the working day of September 1st, he boarded the night express Okhotsk No. 10 from Engaru Station, and was able to spend from Saturday the 2nd to the 5th with his family in Sapporo.
"Hey, Mika! Is it going to take much longer?"
"Dear... We're still choosing... Don't be so bossy just because you're back once in a while and providing family service!"
Seeing his wife, who didn't hide her dissatisfaction with Nishida's irritated attitude, he thought, "This won't do," and reconsidered.
"I get it... Well then, I'll go kill some time, so call my cell when you're finished."
After saying that, Nishida headed for the elevator.
When he entered the department store, he had seen a sign at the entrance saying "Kitaoji Rosanjin Exhibition: The Man Who Pursued the Aesthetics of Harmony and Food, 9F Event Hall," and because of the incident with the Boss, his interest had been quite piqued. Since he was going to be irritated anyway, it was clear that killing time by seeing that would be better for the mental health of himself, his wife, and his daughter.
Getting off the elevator on the 9th floor and paying 1,000 yen at the entrance, Nishida looked around at various things. He slowly enjoyed not only the pottery Rosanjin made, but also calligraphy, seal engraving, lacquerware, and even paintings.
He wasn't a person with particular interest or knowledge in art or culture, but the recent experience of enjoying sake in pottery made by Rosanjin at "Yusen" made him feel the autumn of the arts along with a strange sense of intoxication—or perhaps he was just deluded.
"Kitaoji Rosanjin is such a grand name, I thought it was a pen name anyway, but the family name 'Kitaoji' is actually his real name... The Kitaoji surname of Kitaoji Kinya actually exists."
Nishida thought while looking closely at the chronological table of Rosanjin's life.
Kitaoji Rosanjin was born in 1883 (Meiji 16) in Kyoto as "Kitaoji Fusajiro." However, he was born as a result of his mother's infidelity, and his father committed suicide out of pessimism over it—he carried a tragic and quite complex family situation from birth. After that, due to poverty, he spent a childhood where he was sent out for adoption immediately after birth and was not blessed with a family.
After growing up and working as an apprentice, he aspired to be a calligrapher and went to Tokyo. He became a disciple of a calligrapher and began to show talent in calligraphy and seal engraving. After a while, he traveled to China and the Korean Peninsula for study, and after returning, he began days of immersing himself in art while staying at the "Kawaji family," who became his patrons.
On the other hand, during this period, he produced various works under the pseudonym (T/N: Gou) of "Fukuda Taikan." Note that the surname Fukuda is the surname of the family he was adopted into at age six after being passed around for adoption immediately after birth. Later, after Rosanjin passed the headship of the family to his eldest son, he would return his surname to the original "Kitaoji."
From then on, while supported by many patrons, Rosanjin expanded his reach from art to food, and the vessels used for it.
However, he was never blessed with a family to the end, and the trauma of the family environment he suffered in childhood apparently could not be overcome, as seen in his repeated marriages and divorces. Furthermore, a somewhat broken side was seen in his personality, and while there were aspects for which he was loved because of that, it is said that many people also left him.
After the war, he even declined the designation of Living National Treasure; he could be said to have been a truly solitary man of culture.
Nishida gained various knowledge about Rosanjin, and as he left the venue feeling satisfied, his cell phone rang at the perfect timing. It was, of course, from his wife.
"Dear, it's finished now. So where are you?"
"Finally finished, huh... I'm on the 9th floor. Wait there, I'll come to you. Ah, by the way, Yuka, don't you want some clothes or something?"
"Eh, of course I do, but..."
"It's fine, just buy them! You have the rest of the bonus, don't you?"
"If you say it's okay, there's some autumn wear I've been curious about."
"Then buy it. And how about having Japanese food for dinner for once?"
"Eh? Mika is looking forward to a normal restaurant, though."
"It's fine, we're Japanese! Let's eat high-end Japanese food once in a while."
Perhaps influenced by Rosanjin, Nishida didn't think it particularly embarrassing that he was in the mood of a gourmet.