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Chapter 26 - Light and Shadow 5 (35–38 Nishida and Yoshimura to Sapporo)

September 6th, after 20:00. The Kitami District Headquarters officially confirmed the identity of the remains as "Sada Minoru." By September 5th, it had already been considered certain based on dental records, treatment marks, and blood type information, and the Engaru Station had been notified to that effect. However, combined with the fact that they were almost certain the moment the body appeared exactly where Nishida had deduced, it could be said the report lacked a certain impact.

Even with the latest forensic science, the cause of death could still not be specified at this point, but given the circumstances, it was a natural conclusion to view it as body abandonment following a homicide. On the other hand, this meant that the investigation headquarters established for the murder of Yoneda had now become a headquarters for a serial murder investigation involving Sada's killing as well, which signified a far greater "weight" than before.

For Sada's bereaved family, it meant that after eight years since his disappearance in the autumn of 1987 (Shouwa 62), his death was finally actually confirmed. They likely had prepared themselves for his death, but the actual discovery of the remains must have been psychologically distinct. This was easy for the investigators to imagine as well. However, at the Kitami District Headquarters' Forensics and the Scientific Investigation Laboratory (SIL), partly because the jaw involved in the dental identification had been crushed, they wanted to perform DNA testing under the pretext of slight uncertainty—or perhaps effectively as "practice"—so it seemed it would still take some time before the family could collect the remains.

Before noon on September 7th, Station Chief Makita and Section Chief Sawai gave an instruction to the detectives following the official announcement.

"Thanks to your efforts, the remains found the other day have been confirmed as those of Mr. Sada Minoru, and an investigation headquarters has been officially established. However, unfortunately, per instructions from the Hokkaido Prefectural Police Headquarters, we have no choice but to continue the investigation with Engaru Station alone."

A stir rose from the group at the Station Chief's words. However, Nishida had prepared himself to some extent, so he showed no particular reaction.

"Excuse me! Surely when it comes to serial murder, having us handle it alone is a bit much, isn't it?"

Komura voiced his doubt and anxiety straight out.

"The Prefectural Police Headquarters and the Kitami District Headquarters cited physical difficulties due to personnel being spread thin across various murder investigations currently being handled as the primary reason for the order for our Engaru Station to investigate alone. Furthermore, the two key persons of interest in this series of murders, Isaka Daikichi and Shinoda Michiyoshi, are deceased, and Kitagawa Tomoyuki is in a state of unconsciousness with no prospect of recovery. Therefore, the difficulty of uncovering the full scope of the case, or the fact that even if uncovered, prosecution would be impossible in reality, was also given as a major reason. This is my own speculation, but I believe the latter is actually the more significant reason."

The detectives were forced to accept the Station Chief's explanation, however reluctantly. It was true that if there was no urgency and the suspects were already dead, the motivation for the police to move on a large scale was too weak.

"Well, even so, it's not certain that they were the only culprits, and if the reality of the case can be uncovered, doing so would be for the sake of the victim's family. Our position of investigating with all our might remains unchanged."

The Section Chief stated clearly.

"Fortunately, the Prefectural Police Headquarters has also allocated a new temporary budget, so in that sense, they have provided a minimum cooperative framework. Also, they have instructed the investigators who handled the Sada case at the time to cooperate with us. Furthermore, it is certain that your evaluation from Headquarters has risen due to the fact that you've re-examined an eight-year-old case. So please, do not feel as though you've been 'abandoned.'"

The Station Chief's remarks likely intended to inspire his subordinates, but Nishida also thought it was a fact that they were being evaluated to some degree.

"Section Chief, I'll ask something a bit difficult, but what does the 'top' think about the pressure from MP Oshima during the previous Sada disappearance investigation? I feel like we've essentially overturned that this time, so I'm worried they might think we've done something 'troublesome.'"

Takeshita's sudden question was something Nishida had also been thinking inwardly, but it was honestly a difficult thing to voice. Poking at it directly was very much like Takeshita.

"I can understand thinking that way, but..."

Sawai hesitated, but Makita spoke up firmly in his stead.

"At least as the Station Chief, I haven't heard anything at all from the Prefectural Police Headquarters or the Kitami District Headquarters suggesting they view this as a problem. It's a fact that I've heard such things happened last time, but I believe our police force is not so corrupt as to try and obstruct an investigation when it's now clear that a murder actually occurred. However, there might be some 'uncooperativeness.' I intend to do my best to see how far we can push back if that happens."

As the chief of a small, weak rural station, he wasn't exactly the dignified type, but his words at this moment made Makita look reliable to all the investigators.

"I see. Understood. Hearing you say that, Station Chief, allows us to push forward with the investigation with peace of mind."

It seemed Takeshita's doubts had also vanished.

"Any other questions?"

Sawai looked around at the investigators, but no one asked to speak. Confirming this, he said,

"Then, regarding the Sada case, we've done this a few times, but let's review it once more for good measure."

He began distributing documents.

"For now, these are the same materials I distributed before, but detailed documents might come later from Kitami and 'Headquarters,' so please bear with these for the time being. This is strictly for confirmation."

Listening to the Section Chief, Nishida looked through the distributed materials. That said, as the Section Chief had mentioned, they were the same materials as those handed out previously, so Nishida limited himself to a quick scan for confirmation.



Noon on September 23, 1987, Autumnal Equinox Day. Sada Minoru, then 65, a resident of Higashi-ku, Sapporo, and owner of a food wholesale company, arrived at Kitami Station on a limited express train that had departed Sapporo early that morning. Even before that, Sada had been in frequent telephone contact with the former president of Isaka Group, Isaka Daikichi, then 67. Regarding the content of those calls, assuming Isaka's own statement during questioning, it was about providing funds for Sada's shop, which was in financial difficulty. Isaka himself described his relationship with Sada as "old acquaintances," but no corroboration of an old association with Isaka could be found from those around Sada. The bereaved family also knew Sada was going to Kitami, but they were unaware that he had been in contact with Isaka prior to that or that he was meeting him.

Among those around Isaka, the only testimony reinforcing Isaka's claim came from Matsushima Koutarou, then 62, a member of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly elected from the Kitami City constituency at the time, who appears later. The details regarding these matters are as follows.

After arriving in Kitami, Sada stayed at the "Kitami Central Hotel" in front of the station. He also maintained frequent contact with Isaka Daikichi from his place of lodging. Then, two days later, on September 25th, Sada had a dinner meeting with Isaka and Matsushima, who acted as a witness, in the "Pine Room" of the Japanese-style restaurant "Furin" inside the "Grand Kitami Hotel" in Kitami City. Afterward, he returned to the Central Hotel.

The following morning, September 26th, it was confirmed that Sada checked out of the Central Hotel. However, it was confirmed via the reserved seat boarding confirmation sheet from the conductor of the relevant train that he did not board the limited express "Ootori" bound for Hakodate from Abashiri, which he had originally planned to take to return to Sapporo, from Kitami.

The missing person's report was filed by Sada's family on October 3rd. The Kitami Station Community Safety Division (the department in charge of missing persons, etc.), which had jurisdiction, first began the investigation. It was confirmed from family testimony that the cash flow of Sada's company was not very good, but at the same time, Sada had called his family around 11:00 PM on the night before his disappearance after the dinner meeting, saying he had "prospects for raising funds," making it unlikely he disappeared for that reason. Furthermore, when he checked out, he left word at the hotel front desk saying, "I'll be back here eventually," suggesting a low probability that he had run away from home of his own accord, and the possibility that he had been involved in some kind of incident was considered. On October 6th, a request for cooperation was made to the Detective Division.

The Detective Division identified Isaka Daikichi through an analysis of the call destinations from the Sada residence and Sada's company. Considering the possibility that he might know something about Sada's disappearance, they requested a voluntary interview, which was initially refused. Since Isaka was an influential figure in the Kitami area, the First Investigation Division of the Kitami District Headquarters' Criminal Investigation Department also began to move.

The Criminal Investigation Director at the time personally requested a witness interview through Isaka's legal counsel. Although a voluntary interview finally became possible, Isaka insisted he knew absolutely nothing about Sada's disappearance. He testified that the discussions during the dinner meeting ended amicably and that the funding arrangement had been settled. Isaka's claim regarding his relationship with Sada was as stated above. Matsushima, who was the witness, was also questioned, but he merely corroborated Isaka's statements.

Both the Kitami Station Detective Division and the District Headquarters' First Investigation Division reached the conclusion that the investigation into Isaka should continue. However, at this point, Oshima Kaiji, a powerful Diet member of the ruling Minyu Party elected from the local area, for whom the Isaka Group was a major supporter, intervened from Tokyo.

Matsushima was a Prefectural Assembly member who was essentially a subordinate of Oshima and had deep ties with him. Oshima claimed, "Since Matsushima, a member of the Prefectural Assembly, has testified that there is no problem with President Isaka, there is no greater evidentiary value than that." He also pressured the Prefectural Police Headquarters, causing them to issue an order directly stating, "If concrete evidence does not emerge by October 20th, drop the investigation into Isaka."

Ultimately, because no concrete evidence of Isaka's involvement in Sada's disappearance had emerged by then, the investigation stalled, and it was forcibly concluded that there was a possibility Isaka had disappeared voluntarily. In other words, both the Kitami Station and the Kitami District Headquarters ceased treating it as a criminal case. Thereafter, it was handled purely as a voluntary disappearance case by the Community Safety Division. His whereabouts remained unknown after that.



"Isn't this the same as what we saw before? Though, I lost that copy somewhere, so this actually helps."

Yoshimura, beside him, made his usual remark unbecoming of a detective, but Nishida didn't bother to scold him and simply folded the document and put it in his file.

Seeing that everyone had finished reading, the Section Chief resumed speaking.

"I can move on to the next part, right? Now, about the investigation going forward. For a while, only the Violent Crimes Unit will investigate, but depending on the situation, we might set up a cooperation system with the entire Detective Division or even the entire Engaru Station. However, we first need to interview Sada's bereaved family. At the same time, since there is a high probability at this point that Shinoda and Kitagawa were involved in some way in Sada's murder, we need to investigate that as well. Regarding the interview with the family, I've decided for now to have Nishida and Yoshimura go to Sapporo and ask them various things. Is that alright?"

"Of course, I have no objection, but are you sure about us?"

Nishida asked Sawai for confirmation just in case. Yoshimura had a look in his eyes that seemed to say, "Don't say unnecessary things," but he didn't dare voice it. Since Yoshimura had looked envious when Nishida took a sudden leave to return to Sapporo recently, Nishida thought the trip to Sapporo was likely a godsend for Yoshimura as well, which made him think so even more.

"First of all, Nishida played a major role in the discovery of Sada's remains this time, and looking at the flow from the beginning with Yoshimi's accidental death, Yoshimura's series of contributions is also significant. Plus, you're also living away from your family in Sapporo, so I believe it's best for you two to go on an expedition to Sapporo, whichever way you look at it."

"I appreciate that, but I just returned to Sapporo the other day, so I feel a bit bad."

Nishida showed a token amount of hesitation, but Sawai gave him a push.

"No, no, that leave was just you taking time you were owed and pushing it back. Go without hesitation. Even the Station Chief approved of it, including the purpose of a little family time."

"Understood. Then without reservation, we'll go investigate in Sapporo!"

"I'll do my best too!"

Following Nishida, Yoshimura also made a loud "vow."

"As a guideline, you should be able to return in about three days to a maximum of a week. For Nishida, it might be better if you could stay longer... Anyway, the Criminal Investigation Director from the Prefectural Police Headquarters—the 'Main Office'—has contacted us saying there are people involved in the investigation at the time in Sapporo, so please check with them as well. Contact with Sada's family will also be made through them. However, the problem is what comes after that. It's not something that will happen immediately, but depending on the situation, we might have to interview the 'Honorable Members' (T/N: refers to politicians) ourselves, and if that happens, the police upper management will naturally get involved, so I doubt we'll be able to do as we please..."

Compared to the Station Chief's earlier remarks, the Section Chief seemed to have a bit of a timid streak emerging, but Nishida thought it was likely the timidity of a man who didn't want to make grand, empty promises.

And on the afternoon of this day, the news regarding the murder of Sada Minoru was broadcast on television as a mere formality. It was a level of reporting that could be described as "just mentioning it." Needless to say, this was per instructions from the police to the media outlets not to make a big deal of it. It was a decision by the Prefectural Police upper management, considering the pressure that had come from Oshima at the time of the disappearance. Of course, the intentions of the Engaru Station were likely reflected to some extent as well.



On September 8th, Nishida and Yoshimura left Engaru early in the morning on the Limited Express Okhotsk No. 2. On the left side in the direction of travel, the peaks of the Higashi-Daisetsu mountain range seemed to be starting to change color slightly. Glancing at Yoshimura, who was reading a magazine while listening to music through earphones in the seat next to him, Nishida reflected on the investigation so far.

The journey from the discovery of Yoshimi's body near the Jomon Tunnel in June to this point had been a series of unimaginable developments. The ghost scare and the fact that it was Kitagawa looking for his watch (which he thought Shinoda had lost) and Yoneda's body. And the fact that Yoshimi likely mistook that for a ghost, panicked, fell, and died. The fact that Shinoda and Kitagawa were involved in some way in the murder of the missing Sada, and then by an unlucky coincidence, had likely killed the unrelated Yoneda. Even thinking back, it was strange how it all tied together.

And in the course of the investigation, he had met, listened to, and been helped by not only the members of the investigation headquarters outside of Engaru Station but also various people involved in the case. Starting with the elderly Okuda, who was completely unrelated to the case, he had received many hints for solving the case from "Izumi," the boss of "Yusen." Even Yoshimura, who was half-baked as a detective, had contributed to the progress of the investigation by hearing information from the Boss at the core of the case. It was self-evident that reaching this point would have been impossible without them. Thinking about it that way, he honestly felt a sense of gratitude toward Yoshimura, who looked like he wasn't thinking about anything next to him, even if he couldn't put it into words.

While thinking about such things, time ticked away. They emerged from the mountains into Asahikawa, passed through the Sorachi Plain, and entered the Ishikari Plain. Before noon, they stepped onto the platform of the elevated Sapporo Station. For Yoshimura, Sapporo was his hometown, but he apparently hadn't returned since Obon last year, so it seemed to be his first time back in quite a while.

"I was starving for this city air!"

While sending a half-cold gaze toward the strangely high-spirited Yoshimura, they passed through the ticket gate together and came out the South Exit. Before them lay Ekimae-dori, the main street crossing Odori, the main vertical street. If they went straight, they would pass through Odori Park and reach "Susukino," the northern entertainment district, but naturally, he wouldn't let such wicked thoughts wander during the day. They headed toward the Prefectural Police Headquarters, keeping the Hokkaido University Botanical Garden in view from the direction of the Prefectural Government Office. The distance was less than a kilometer, so they arrived in just over ten minutes.

When he told the reception on the first floor that they had come to see Criminal Investigation Director Toyama, they were immediately shown to the Criminal Investigation Department's reception room, as they had made an appointment in advance. Since Nishida had met Toyama when he came to Kitami to investigate when Kitagawa collapsed during interrogation, the conversation began in a somewhat frank manner.

"Hello, I'm sorry to bother you when you're busy. I've heard the Criminal Investigation Department itself is going through a tough time, so thank you for taking the time."

At Nishida's words of concern, Toyama replied,

"I'm the one who should be sorry. Even though it's a matter where we really should be dispatching investigators from Kitami and our office. Well, to be honest, there are cases where it's questionable whether we can catch the culprit, and I want to help you, but those above the Criminal Investigation Department... You probably understand, but regarding the victim, it seems there were various things at the time he went missing, so that might be part of it..."

He began to speak of delicate matters. Unlike Station Chief Makita, did the Director, who was directly close to the Headquarters' upper management, feel a different atmosphere? Of course, the Director himself was part of the upper management... Nishida was honestly bewildered by this.

"So, I think you know why I asked you to come here, but I wanted to introduce some investigation collaborators in Sapporo. One is Kutsukake, who was a Senior Staff in the First Investigation Division of the Kitami District Headquarters at the time. He's now the Section Chief of the Detective Division at Sapporo Nishi Station. If you want to hear about the investigation situation back then in detail, ask him. He said anytime today or tomorrow is OK. I think you'll hear things different from the documents."

Saying so, he handed a memo pad to Nishida.

"Come to think of it, was there someone involved from that time in your investigation headquarters too?"

He brought up what was likely about Kosaka.

"Yes. A man named Kosaka, who was also in the First Investigation Division of the Kitami District Headquarters, is now a Team Leader in the Detective Division at Kitami Station and was participating specially. He's currently back in his original unit investigating that serial murder of women."

"I see. So you've heard some things from him... Well, Kutsukake was one of the investigation leaders, so I think you can hear more in-depth stories from him than from that detective named Kosaka. And the other one is Nagumo, who's currently a Senior Staff in our Investigation Division 2. Back when he was in the First Investigation Division at Headquarters, he acted as a liaison or a bridge between the victim's family in Sapporo and the investigation team in Kitami. He knows the family personally. You'll probably have to talk to the family—no, the bereaved family... so in that sense, please make good use of him. I contacted him earlier, so I think he'll be here in a bit."

Saying so, Toyama glanced at his wristwatch. Then,

"Oh right, I forgot something important. You're free to use one of our cars. Renting one is a hassle. Here's the key. Just return it before you go back to Engaru. Kudo from General Affairs will be here later; have him guide you to the car in the parking lot."

He handed the car key to Nishida.

"Thank you for making all these arrangements."

Nishida and Yoshimura bowed their heads to Toyama.

"No, going back to what I said at first, it's our responsibility for not being able to set up a cooperation system... This is just a small way to make amends, that's all."

He laughed weakly.

After waiting a few minutes while chatting, Nagumo, who looked to be in his early forties and slightly plump, appeared. After exchanging formal greetings with Toyama present, the topic immediately turned to the investigation.

"We'd like to conduct a witness interview with the bereaved family as soon as possible. How does that look?"

"Today would be impossible. Uh, today is Friday, so tomorrow and the day after are the weekend. The wife aside, the son and daughter are company employees, so the timing is best, but I'll check for now. Of course, at the time of identification and when it was confirmed, the First Investigation Division and I personally contacted them several times, and I mentioned the possibility of an interview then. So they know there will be an interview, and I don't think there's any need to worry."

Nagumo replied smoothly to Nishida's inquiry.

"Have you stayed in touch with them all this time after leaving the First Division?"

"Yes. Since the investigation ended in that way, we felt a sense of guilt... I've had a relationship of listening to various things personally for many years."

Nagumo answered with downcast eyes to Nishida's follow-up question.

"Of course, we weren't in contact that frequently after the incident. Most recently, it was about four years ago, I think. They contacted me then, and we were in close contact for the first time in a while."

"Did something happen?"

Yoshimura asked.

"They called saying a strange letter had been found. They thought it might be related to the case, but we didn't really understand it, so we passed it off to Kitami District, and they didn't really understand it either, so it just fizzled out. Well, I don't think it's related."

Nagumo answered with a wry smile, but then his gaze became serious.

"Even so, you really did find the body. Honestly, I'm impressed. You produced results despite the lack of personnel and everything else, so even if it doesn't lead to an arrest, it's nothing short of amazing. For the family, at least the body has been found, so I think they're satisfied. Though they haven't said it to me directly."

He continued. Toyama, beside him, nodded deeply. It seemed the awareness and evaluation of the Headquarters matched what Station Chief Makita had said.

"Well, excuse me, I'll make a quick call."

Nagumo took out his mobile phone and contacted Sada's family.

"Yes, the detective in charge is here now, so I'll hand you over."

After talking for a while, Nagumo urged Nishida to take the phone. He whispered in a low voice,

"The wife, the wife."

It must be Sada's widow.

"Hello, I'm taking over. I'm Nishida from Engaru Station, and I'll be conducting the interview."

When he said that, the other party suddenly said,

"Oh, is it you? The one who found my husband's remains... I've heard the story. Thank you so much!"

She expressed her gratitude so much that it almost sounded exaggerated. Since she was the wife of Sada, who would have been over 70 if alive, Nishida felt from her voice alone that she was certainly over 60, likely in her late 60s. Given her generation, he imagined her bowing even on the other end of the phone as she offered her polite thanks. She must have heard from Nagumo that Nishida had put a lot of effort into finding Sada's remains. Conversely, it meant that Section Chief Sawai hadn't taken the credit for himself but had reported his subordinate's achievements as they were.

"No, no. It's my job, so it's only natural. It was also due to advice from my subordinate and various strokes of luck overlapping."

The reason these words came out, whether intended or not, might have been because Yoshimura, who had kept giving him various hints, was right beside him. No, not only that, but what Section Chief Sawai likely did also certainly had an influence.

"So, I would like to hear your story, so if possible, I was wondering if you could give us some time on either Saturday or Sunday."

"I am free anytime, but if such a thing is to happen, my children said Sunday would be better, so if you could come to my house on Sunday afternoon..."

"I see. Then Sunday afternoon it is. Should I ask Nagumo for the address?"

"Yes. Please ask Mr. Nagumo for the phone number as well."

Finally, after the necessary conversation including setting the specific time for the interview was over, he returned the mobile phone to Nagumo. Then,

"You heard that, right? Sunday afternoon..."

He told Yoshimura in a low voice so as not to disturb Nagumo, who was still talking to the widow.

"The day after tomorrow? In that case, shall we talk to Mr. Kutsukake today? Or tomorrow?"

"Maybe it's better to finish it today and leave tomorrow completely free. You want to relax at home, don't you? I'll use it for family time too. I'll get the Section Chief's permission."

"Oh right, the Section Chief mentioned something like that. Then let's do that without hesitation."

Yoshimura became cheerful. He probably intended to go out and play anyway. Normally, this would be unthinkable during a murder investigation, but it was a special case.

Light and Shadow 6 (39–40 Interviewing Kutsukake)

At 3:00 PM that same day, Nishida and Yoshimura were at the Detective Division of Sapporo Nishi Station. After the meeting at Headquarters was over, they had called Kutsukake, who said they should talk at his workplace. This was after they had finished a late lunch, having taken a slight detour to a diner inside the off-site market of the Sapporo Wholesale Market. However, since the seafood they ate in Engaru was fresh-caught from the Okhotsk, both thought there had been no need to go out of their way. And Kutsukake, who appeared before them, was likely older than Nagumo, but he looked youthful.

"To dig up that case and find the body, you've really done it. As you probably know, it was effectively a cold case eight years ago."

"I've heard the general story, but it's only natural that things are tough when restrictions are placed on an investigation..."

Nishida wasn't sure if Kutsukake's praise was a social nicety or sincere, but he steered the conversation toward the "circumstances" of the time, partly out of modesty.

"Well... Of course, if there had been decisive evidence, we could have overturned it, but we just couldn't catch them. When Sada went missing, Isaka's movements were quite clear, so he had something close to an alibi. Naturally, we speculated he had someone else do it, but we couldn't grasp that either. Well, one way or another, I think our investigation was naive... Partly because the Isaka Group held power in Kitami, information just didn't come out from the surroundings. I can't deny our lack of ability in not being able to draw it out."

He clearly seemed to still regret it.

"Even so, I think it's amazing you found it. I haven't heard the details, so I'd actually like to hear all about that from you."

He asked with a smile, as if pulling himself together.

"The body of another murder victim was found nearby. From there, my colleague deduced that it might be related to Sada's disappearance. The suspect in that murder case was an employee of the Isaka Group who had been promoted after Sada's disappearance, and in the process of investigating that other murder case in detail, Sada's remains indeed turned up. Since I had heard directly from an investigator at the time that the matter of Sada's disappearance was intertwined with the Isaka Group, it was the result of a deduction based on that premise. It's so complicated that if I explained it in detail, there'd be no end to it, so I'm sorry I can't explain it well."

Nishida himself felt a sense of inadequacy in his explanation, doubting if it had gotten through to the other party.

"Oh, so it was tied to the Isaka Group. And who was that investigator?"

Even so, whether Kutsukake understood or was just trying to move the conversation along without fully understanding was unclear, but he urged him to continue.

"It's a detective named Kosaka. Do you know him?"

Then, without a moment's delay,

"Kosaka-san! How nostalgic. I was higher in rank, but he had more experience as a detective. He taught me a lot. I see, he's the one who told you... He certainly was quite frustrated back then. Far more than I was. I see..."

Speaking in a slightly higher tone, Kutsukake took out a cigarette and lit it.

"This is sudden, but I heard pressure came from Diet Member Oshima Kaiji?"

Yoshimura timed it to get to the main point.

"Yeah, that's right... Of course, I didn't receive the pressure directly, but various things happened through the Prefectural Police Headquarters... Formally, it was an order from Headquarters, but it was clearly strange. We knew the Isaka Group was a powerful supporter of Oshima, so when it came to that, I thought it had finally come to this."

"Didn't you investigate the Isaka Group at the time?"

"Since it's a construction company, naturally they had some ties with 'yakuza.' The Isaka Group itself isn't a front company for yakuza or anything, but through subcontractors and such, they inevitably end up with those kinds of associations. We were mainly focusing on that side. Looking back now, was it an initial mistake? But I never would have thought at the time that an employee of Isaka's own place was involved... Knowing it now is just a case of 'too little, too late.'"

Nishida thought Kutsukake, who answered the questions sincerely, was a rare type of elite detective who would quite frankly admit to mistakes.

"Conversely, it might mean they used their own people rather than the typical yakuza."

"If we'd had time, our eyes might have turned that way, but it's honestly difficult. So, I heard a rumor very recently that the culprit who killed Sada is dead. Is that true?"

He shifted the conversation in a different direction, as if brushing off Nishida's remark.

"Regarding whether that employee killed Sada, there are parts we can't say for certain yet, but he probably did. However, it wasn't a lone act; there are at least two people, so the other one is still alive."

"Oh. Is that so? Then is there still a possibility of prosecution?"

"Well, about that..."

Nishida hesitated.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"The person believed to be the other accomplice is an executive of the Isaka Group named Kitagawa, who is also thought to be indirectly involved in the other murder case that triggered this discovery. But that guy became unconscious during interrogation, and at this point, there's no prospect of recovery."

Taking over for Nishida, Yoshimura's remark prompted Kutsukake to say,

"Oh, are you talking about that explanatory press conference last month?"

He suddenly pulled the cigarette away from his mouth and placed it on the edge of the ashtray, as if deciding to focus on the conversation.

"That's the one. So, unless there are more accomplices, prosecution might be difficult. Currently, we're aiming for the truth rather than prosecution. Because of that, despite it being a kind of serial murder, the 'Chouba' (T/N: investigation headquarters) is currently just the Engaru Station alone."

"I see... Isaka is dead too, right? The eight-year wall of time is harsh... If we'd been more solid, we wouldn't have had to trouble you guys. Sorry about that."

Kutsukake bowed his head lightly, though Nishida didn't know his true feelings.

"No, no, it's awkward for me if you apologize that much, Mr. Kutsukake."

Nishida was unintentionally flustered.

"I see. Come to think of it, the person I should apologize to is Sada's family."

Kutsukake said with a sigh, then pressed the cigarette he had set down firmly into the ashtray to extinguish it. Whether he was thinking of the next topic on the spot or reflecting on the past investigation, silence dominated the room for about ten seconds.

"You came to Sapporo mainly to meet the bereaved family and hear their story, right?"

He suddenly resumed talking, catching Nishida off guard.

"Yes. That's the main purpose. After that, listening to people involved in the investigation at the time, like yourself, is an accompanying purpose..."

He replied.

"Have you already made an appointment to meet them?"

"Yes, earlier at the Prefectural Police Headquarters."

He had been staring at the cigarette in the ashtray, but he looked at Nishida once before saying quietly,

"Then, I'm sorry, but could you tell them that one of the investigators from that time said he was 'sorry'?"

"Yes. I'll tell them that during the interview... Well, you seem busy, Mr. Kutsukake, and it would be a shame to take up any more of your time, so we'll take our leave here."

Nishida thought that since Kutsukake's topic had shifted to a request for a message to the family, no more important information would come from him.

"Oh, really? I'm sorry I couldn't provide much hospitality or any helpful stories."

When Nishida and Yoshimura stood up, Kutsukake also stood and followed them to the door of the room to see them off.

"Well then, thank you for today."

When the two bowed together,

"Oh right! I just remembered from that yakuza talk earlier... The Isaka Group had several subcontractors with ties to a Kitami-area yakuza group called the Souryuu-kai. And back in '87, when we were following a yakuza-related lead, a guy from the Organized Crime Department at the Kitami District Headquarters who helped us... I don't know when it was, but I thought it was more recent than five years ago... I heard from him that a rumor was spreading within the Souryuu-kai that Isaka was 'apparently troubled, maybe someone's threatening him.' When I heard that, I thought that if such a rumor was coming from the yakuza, and if that talk of being threatened was due to the Sada disappearance, then maybe the yakuza themselves weren't involved in the Sada matter. Though, I'd be hard-pressed if you asked me what that means now."

He told them while scratching his head.

"Is the idea that Isaka being threatened might be tied to the Sada case your own thought, Mr. Kutsukake?"

"Yes. It's just that I thought it might be so. It's just a feeling, so there's no basis. It's just idle talk on the level of 'there was a story like that, wasn't there?'"

Nishida had a thought of wishing he hadn't said something so trivial, but at the same time, he felt it was good that he had let them know even a small detail.

After thanking him again, the two left the Detective Division and exited the Nishi Station building.

"Now, what shall we do? We're free until Sunday."

Yoshimura asked Nishida as he drove out of Nishi Station, entered the old Route 5, and proceeded along the road.

"Come to think of it, your parents' house was in Nishi-ku, wasn't it?"

"Yes. It's in Hachiken. Your house was in Chuo-ku, wasn't it, Team Leader?"

"Yeah. Fushimi in Chuo-ku."

"Fushimi? That's a nice place at the foot of Mount Moiwa! I'm jealous."

He sounded jealous, perhaps a bit exaggeratedly, as a social nicety.

"Even if you're jealous, it's just an apartment. Your place is a detached house, right?"

"Well, even with that difference, between Hachiken and Fushimi... Ours is thirty years old. You bought yours recently, didn't you, Team Leader? That's why you said you ended up living away from your family. I'm definitely jealous."

Yoshimura sounded even more envious, so he might have been serious.

"Is that so? It's not that big a deal once you live there."

Even so, inwardly, it was self-evident that he had searched for and chosen a place in a school district rich in nature, so he had purchased it with exactly what Yoshimura was saying in mind.

"Are your parents at home now? If they are, shall I go say hello?"

"No, no, Team Leader, please stop! Don't do something like a home visit!"

Yoshimura spoke in a quite panicked way. Well, it certainly wouldn't be a good feeling to have your boss come to meet your parents at home. Nishida hadn't said it seriously, but Yoshimura's fluster was amusing.

"Alright, I'm not so eccentric as to go out of my way to meet a subordinate's parents. It's a hassle, so just drop me off at my place. You'll have to come pick me up at my house when we go to meet Sada's family on Sunday, so this will be a rehearsal, right?"

"That's true. I'd also like to meet your wife and kids while I'm at it."

"Hey, is this payback for earlier! Just go home once we get to the front of the apartment."

This time it was Nishida's turn to be a little panicked, as a reverse home visit was being proposed without his consent.

"Yes, yes, I understand."

Yoshimura had a look of triumph on his face.

Entering Kanjo-dori from the old Route 5, they headed south and stopped at a red light before the intersection of Minami 9-jo-dori. "Do we turn toward Asahiyama Park? Or go straight?"

When Yoshimura asked, Nishida replied,

"Even though I said Fushimi, it's not along the Moiwa Sanroku-dori, but further down. It's near a bus terminal called Keimei Terminal."

"Keimei Terminal?"

"Yeah, turn right at the Minami 11-jo intersection."

Nishida found it troublesome to explain, so he gave directions in a direct way. Turning right at the Minami 11-jo intersection, they wove through the residential area per Nishida's instructions and stopped in front of an apartment building near the Chinese Consulate.

"Is it here? Wow, what a great location. It really feels like a quiet residential area, I'm jealous..."

The subordinate marveled, leaning his head close to the windshield from the driver's seat as if peering outside exaggeratedly.

"Apparently, there used to be a bank's company housing here before the apartment was built. They probably had to cut back on employee benefits after the bubble burst. What they call 'restructuring.' Even now, I hear rumors here and there about tearing down company housing in this area to build apartments."

"The aftershocks of the bubble burst are still continuing..."

"Whatever. Yoshimura, park the car in the visitor parking over there. I'll treat you to some tea."

Since it seemed like the conversation was going to get gloomy, Nishida tried to change the subject. He had changed his mind and was in the mood to treat his subordinate. And at Nishida's unexpected words,

"Eh? Is it okay?"

Yoshimura seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. I told my wife before I left Engaru that I might bring a subordinate along, so she's probably prepared some tea and sweets."

Despite saying this and that, he had actually had a premonition that this would happen even before leaving Engaru.

"That's great. I've wanted to see what kind of person your wife is, since you said you were classmates. I won't hesitate."

Nishida watched with a smile, not as a boss but as a comrade, as Yoshimura rejoiced like a child.

Light and Shadow 7 (41–44 Visiting Sada Minoru's Bereaved Family)

Both Nishida and Yoshimura spent their free Saturday meaningfully. Nishida devoted his entirely to family time. On the other hand, from what he heard later, Yoshimura had been meeting friends from high school. It didn't seem like they were in the middle of a murder investigation, but since the special circumstances and conditions had allowed it, it couldn't be helped.

Before noon on Sunday, September 10th, Yoshimura came to the apartment to pick up Nishida in the car they had borrowed from the Prefectural Police Headquarters. When Nishida stepped out of the entrance, he saw mackerel clouds faintly scattered in the sky. The temperature was still high, but Nishida reaffirmed that the season had certainly entered autumn.

"The appointment was for 1:00 PM, right? We'll make it in plenty of time."

As soon as he got into the passenger seat, Nishida checked his wristwatch.

"It's in Fushiko (a place name in Sapporo), right off the Sapporo Shindo, so there's no problem. We'll take the route that joins the Shindo from Ishikari Kaido."

Putting it into gear, the car carrying the two of them headed out to Minami 9-jo-dori, passed by "Nakajima Park," a place of relaxation in central Sapporo comparable to Odori Park, and turned left to enter Ishikari Kaido. From there, they reached the intersection with Sapporo Shindo in no time, hardly stopping for any lights, and turned right to arrive at the Sada residence in the Fushiko district in about 35 minutes.

After killing some time in the car to adjust for the appointment, they pressed the intercom at exactly 1:00 PM and were shown inside. Seated across the table from the living room sofa where Nishida and Yoshimura sat were Sada's widow, Akiko, Sada's son, Kakeru, and his daughter, Miyu.

"Thank you for finding my husband this time."

Hearing the same polite thanks as when he first spoke with Akiko on the phone, Nishida felt an indescribable emotion. To be honest, meeting her directly this time, he had been prepared to be told at least some sarcastic remarks. Even if there were reasons, the investigation at the time could not be called "all-out," even to an amateur's eye.

"No, the pleasure is ours. It took us eight years to find your husband. I've brought word from the person in charge at the time, who asked me to give you his regards. We truly caused you a lot of trouble. We haven't been able to return the remains yet, as I think it will take a little longer to investigate the details, so please bear with us a little longer."

Nishida offered a frank apology. Of course, it wasn't a social nicety but came from the heart.

"I had prepared myself by the time six months had passed, but now that he's actually been found, I have this indescribable feeling that he really is dead..."

The son, Kakeru, spoke dispassionately, but the weight of his words was fully conveyed to both Nishida and Yoshimura.

"But why is it that something that wasn't understood eight years ago has come to light this year..."

"The discovery of a certain murder case and the accompanying investigation triggered it, like pulling on a string."

Yoshimura answered Miyu's doubt.

"Does that mean that case and my father's case were related?"

"To put it simply, you may think of it that way."

"Then, does that mean there's a possibility the culprit who killed my father will be caught?"

"Regarding that..."

At the string of questions from Miyu, Nishida was momentarily at a loss for an answer and cut the conversation short, but he decided to take the plunge and tell some of the truth.

"I'll tell you as it is. The persons believed to be directly involved in the case are already either deceased or in a situation where they cannot be prosecuted, so it might be quite difficult."

He dared not mention the names of Isaka or Shinoda, who were already dead, nor did he mention Kitagawa's current state. He hesitated about Isaka, whom the family likely suspected to some extent, but since prosecution was impossible due to his death, he stopped just short of saying it. That said, they likely sensed it without him saying so, so whether he mentioned it or not probably wouldn't have changed the situation much. The three of them all looked disappointed, but it would only be cruel to give them false hope now.

"However, even so, as a family, you probably want to know what happened and why Mr. Minoru met such a fate, so our intention to do our best to uncover the truth remains unchanged."

Yoshimura also nodded at Nishida's words.

"I see... We have no choice but to leave it to you. Please, we're counting on you."

Kakeru tried to remain calm. Nishida sipped the coffee that had been served, but he wasn't in the mood to savor it leisurely.

"Team Leader, perhaps you should start asking them about the case..."

Seeing Nishida like that, Yoshimura spoke up himself.

"Right. Then let's get started. I might ask some things that could be considered rude, but please cooperate for the sake of the investigation."

"Yes, we understand."

Akiko nodded.

"First, regarding the time before Mr. Minoru went to see Isaka Daikichi in Kitami, it seems the performance of the food wholesale business he was running was not very good."

"Yes... To be precise, the performance of the main business itself wasn't bad, but to my shame, the cash flow became tight... Since it was the beginning of the bubble at the time, he was greatly deceived by an investment story... So things became difficult, and finally, my father was running around trying to raise funds from the early summer of 1987. At that time, he suddenly said, 'I might be able to get funding from an acquaintance.'"

"About that, it seems the family also said they didn't think there had been a relationship between the Isaka Group and Mr. Minoru before that?"

When Yoshimura followed up with a question to Kakeru,

"Exactly as you say. That's what I told the police back then. He never clearly stated who he was getting the funding from, but looking back now, I should have asked properly."

He answered regretfully.

"The late Isaka Daikichi, the president of the Isaka Group at the time, testified that 'he had an association with Mr. Minoru from before,' but is it correct that the family didn't know about it?"

Nishida confirmed again while reading the documents, but the answer was naturally the same.

"So, from Mr. Minoru, who went out to Kitami to meet President Isaka, there was apparently a contact on the night before he went missing saying he could get funding. Can you tell, even though it was over the phone, what Mr. Minoru's state was like then?"

"Mr. Nishida, that's right. He was very happy. I took that at face value too..."

Akiko had a painful expression, but he couldn't hesitate to interview her because of that.

"So at that time, Mr. Minoru himself didn't recognize that there was any problem. By the way, since Mr. Minoru was the manager of a reasonably sized company, I imagine he had associations with influential people. Did he have any associations with politicians or anything in that direction?"

"What do you mean by that?"

From Kakeru's attitude toward Nishida's question, he was certain that the police, when explaining the investigation situation to the family, had not made any "hints" that a Diet member or a Prefectural Assembly member had been involved in the termination of the investigation. This was because if they had explained it in detail, the bereaved family would have insisted that such a story existed on the suspect's side, not on Minoru's side. He was glad he had thrown a "jab" from the opposite direction of the victim's perspective just in case. It was a question that was not at all necessary for the current investigation, but it was a question by Nishida just to know how the investigation had been conducted at the time. Based on this result, Nishida thought it would be better not to mention Oshima's intervention to the family for the time being.

"No, I'd heard that if you have connections in that direction, banks and such might move for you."

Nishida glossed it over for now.

"If we had such connections, we wouldn't have gone bankrupt. Our company was one my father started in a single generation, and while my uncle was reasonably wealthy, I don't think he was someone with many connections."

Kakeru was clearly offended; although he was holding it back considerably, it was plain to see he was inwardly indignant.

"My apologies for that."

"Ah, no... I'm being immature. Well, fortunately, we were able to let go of the company building, warehouse, and land to finish the bank repayments, so the house remained, and we were able to give the employees some kind of retirement pay, and a little was left for us too. Although the company is gone... The silver lining was that because it was right in the middle of the bubble, the real estate value had risen. It would have been definitely harsh now."

It might have been a kind of bravado, but it was a fact that the disposal price was higher than it would have been before the bubble burst.

"After he went missing, were there any suspicious phone calls or anything like that? It wasn't in the investigation materials."

Yoshimura asked, perhaps trying to change the atmosphere.

"No, there were no ransom demands, silent calls, or anything like that. We were asked that by the police back then too. So, at least we didn't think it was a kidnapping or anything like that."

Miyu said clearly.

"The police cut off the search—or rather, the investigation—relatively early. Did the family make any kind of protest at the time?"

"No. It's true there was a call saying he had prospects for raising funds, but we don't know if that was actually the case, and it was a situation where it wouldn't have been strange if he had disappeared... We couldn't accept it, but we didn't have enough certainty to ask the police to continue any further."

When Nishida asked, Akiko spoke weakly, but as someone who knew the truth behind the termination of the investigation, it was heartbreaking to listen to.

"However, a few years later, something a bit concerning came out, and I asked the police to 'look into it' once."

With Kakeru's supplement, Nishida had an intuition that it was the story from four years ago he had heard from Nagumo at the Prefectural Police Headquarters. He had almost forgotten to ask.

"Is that the story you told Mr. Nagumo?"

"Mr. Nishida, that's right. Did you hear it from Mr. Nagumo? Since it was a story where a person with the same surname, Isaka, who we'd been told about by the police, appeared, and since it had been only a few months from when my father first saw the letter until he went missing, well, I thought there might be some connection... The police said they didn't really understand it either..."

"Was it a letter?"

Yoshimura asked.

"Yes. A letter and another separate contract document? Something like that came out... It's quite old, and considering the historical background and the content of the letter, it's definitely from before the war. It's something left behind by my father's second older brother—my second uncle—named 'Toru.' That person died young in the war, so naturally, I've never met him... Well, even if I say this, you probably won't understand, so it might be better to show you the actual thing... Mother, where was that?"

When Kakeru asked Akiko, she stood up and went to some room to retrieve them.

"Even so, it came out quite a long time after the disappearance?"

Yoshimura continued the conversation to fill the gap.

"That's right. After my father went missing, we were looking for anything that might be a hint for the search, but this item originally came out of a safe used at the company. After the bankruptcy, we had stored the safe in the house's storage shed, so we didn't notice it for a while. Regarding this, my paternal grandmother—my father's mother—passed away around May 1987, the year my father went missing, and in the distribution of mementos at that time, my father's eldest brother, 'Yuzuru,' who is my uncle, apparently showed it to my father, and my father kept it after that. I heard about that from my uncle Yuzuru himself after the letter came out. You'll understand if you read the contents of the letter, but it seems Toru wrote it to my grandparents just before he was called up as a soldier and sent to the front."

As Kakeru finished speaking, Akiko returned to the room with an envelope in her hand. Akiko handed the envelope to Nishida as it was. Nishida took it and removed the contents; several sheets of letter paper were folded, and separately, a single sheet of what appeared to be Japanese paper was folded and included.

"Please, read it. As I said before, the name 'Isaka' is written in both, and I thought this might be related to the president of the Isaka Group, Isaka Daikichi, so I consulted the police..."

As encouraged by Kakeru, Nishida first took the single sheet of Japanese paper and opened it.



It was written in ink. In vertical writing. From the right, there was the date July 5, Shouwa 16, and the names "Isaka Tasuke," "Hojo Masato," "Kuwano Kinya," and "Mende Shigeyoshi, name unknown/biological child" were written in large characters in order. Also, below each was written "Allotment of 100 Monme of Gold Dust." Furthermore, at a position slightly separated to the right of that was the witness "Sada Toru." This must be Kakeru's deceased uncle.

Furthermore, at the very bottom of each, except for the Mende column, there was a thumbprint that appeared to be a seal. However, it was not the color of vermilion ink but a reddish-brown color. Nishida instantly judged it to be oxidized blood. He recognized it as a so-called "blood seal." Yoshimura, who was peering in, asked in a low voice,

"These thumbprints are pressed in blood, aren't they? Also, aside from the 'Mende' part where it's not pressed, the thumbprints other than Kuwano's are pressed with the thumb, aren't they?"

In response, Nishida explained,

"This feeling, there's no mistake it's a blood seal. And you're probably mistaken because when we have people sign a deposition, we have them press the entire pad of their left index finger as a seal, but the 'Bo' character in 'Boin' (T/N: thumbprint) originally means the thumb, you know? So generally, a thumbprint is pressed with the thumb, so the other thumbprints are likely just using the thumb as is. It's not strange that Mende hasn't pressed it, since from the text, it seems the one being given a share is the orphaned child of Mende whose name is unknown. Even so, Mende is a rare surname. I've never heard it before."

Nishida explained, even mentioning unnecessary things. Then Kakeru, who had been listening to the conversation in silence, added a bit of trivia.

"I was a bit curious and looked it up; apparently, the surname Mende is common in Hiroshima Prefecture. Even though I say common, it seems to be at the level of a few hundred people."

It was true that the thumbprint the police had suspects press on depositions was usually the left index finger, so it was no wonder Yoshimura thought it was strange. However, the reason the police effectively designated the index finger for the thumbprint (in this case, it might be more appropriate to call it a finger-print) was simply because that was the way the police intended, meaning "the fingerprint is easy to identify." The police take the fingerprint by rolling the entire pad of the finger so it's easy to distinguish. The general way of stamping, which is "pressing down," causes blurring during fingerprint comparison, making identification difficult, and they aim to avoid that.

And the finger most suited to that way of taking fingerprints is the index finger. Note that generally, many prefectural police forces designate the left index finger in their internal regulations, but some prefectural police forces designate the right index finger (Author's Note: Since I do not know what the Hokkaido Prefectural Police regulations are, this novel is written assuming the general left index finger).

"Ah, is that so... I never knew the 'Bo' in 'Boin' meant the thumb."

Normally, he would have made another retort here, but naturally, he couldn't fool around in front of the bereaved family. Nishida restrained himself.

"Ah, one more thing, I can't read this character..."

"Yoshimura, that's read as 'Monme.'"

"Ah, I've heard of that. Is it an old unit?"

"Yes. It's a unit of weight."

"Then how much is it in current units?"

Nishida thought he'd been had. He had been mocking Yoshimura's ignorance, but he himself had absolutely no knowledge of how much weight a Monme represented. Thinking this would affect his dignity as a boss, he was about to break into a cold sweat in silence when Kakeru, who was watching their conversation, came to the rescue.

"I was curious when I first saw this too and looked it up; apparently, 1 Monme is about 3.75g. And the price of gold at the time was roughly 4 yen per gram, and it seems they say 1 yen back then is about 2,500 yen today (Author's Note: This is a quite high conversion; it might be more reasonable to see it as roughly 1,000 yen). Since discrepancies arise when comparing various prices, it's just an approximation."

He was quite relieved inwardly, but Nishida feigned indifference.

"So, when it comes to 100 Monme of gold, it's almost 375g, and if you calculate the amount if sold back then in today's value, you multiply 4 yen by 375g by 2,500 yen..."

He recited. But from the side, as he tried to concentrate on mental arithmetic,

"No, it's easier to multiply 4 by 2,500 first and then multiply by 375. That's 3.75 million. So for four people back then, it's 15 million in today's value. That's quite a value..."

Yoshimura answered easily. In the end, his pride as a boss was shredded by Yoshimura.

"I suppose it would be..."

Nishida desperately corroborated Yoshimura's answer.

"Well, I think it would be roughly that. The value of gold is much lower now than it was then."

Nishida felt that Kakeru, too, was smiling inwardly at that moment, having heard their conversation. No, it might have been just "persecutory delusion."

"Even so, what does this mean? It looks like a contract recording the shares of gold?"

Nishida tried to change the subject, partly to hide his embarrassment.

"I think it's better if you look at the contents of that letter. Somehow, you should be able to understand the meaning from that."

Kakeru told Nishida with a serious face. Following the advice, Nishida opened the letter paper and began to read it so that Yoshimura could see it too. The letter paper was somewhat oxidized and yellowed, but not to the point of being tattered, and the characters were written in blue ink, apparently with a pen.



This letter records the circumstances and explanation of the accompanying deed, which records the distribution of the legacy of hidden gold dust that a person named Senzaki Daishiro continued to save during his lifetime. I have been called up to the battlefield and do not know if I will be able to return alive. In the event that something happens, there will be no one left who can prove the circumstances of the deed as a third party, so I have decided to leave it here in writing. To my father and mother, I leave word that you should read this in the event that something happens to me, but I do not want you to be surprised by the contents. Naturally, I pray for my own sake that the opportunity for the two of you to read this never comes, but as I said, just in case, I record the following.



I, Sada Toru, based on the wishes of the late Mr. Senzaki Daishiro (hereinafter "Senzaki") during his lifetime, shall bear the obligation to divide Senzaki's legacy of gold dust equally among the four persons in the deed and shall establish their rights in the deed.

My relationship with Senzaki dates back to the time of the Takinoue Gold Mine where I worked from Shouwa 12. Senzaki, who had entered the river in Takinoue Village (Author's Note: Currently Takinoue Town, Okhotsk General Subprefectural Bureau, Hokkaido, located northwest of Engaru) as a gold panner, and I, who often went deep into mountain streams for fishing, happened to become close. Senzaki left Takinoue earlier than I did, but when I later began working at the Kitano-o Mine, I accidentally reunited with Mr. Senzaki, who was panning for gold in Ikutahara Village. I frequently visited Senzaki's small hut in the mountains where he lived temporarily, and we deepened our interaction and trust, leading to my bearing such a responsibility.

Senzaki had no relatives to leave a legacy to, and he always told me that in the event something happened, I should divide the 400 Monme of hidden gold dust he personally owned among his employees in his gold panning business. Therefore, I decided to divide it among the three employees listed in the deed and the orphaned child of the deceased Mende (because the three testified that Mende always said he had a child he had never met directly). Note that at the time I accepted this request, I had already received 50 Monme of gold from Mr. Senzaki as a fee.

Senzaki subsequently died of illness, believed to be between the middle of the night and early morning of June 18, Shouwa 16. Having received word of something unusual early that morning, I was contacted by Kuwano Kinya, who had come down from the mountain to the Kitano-o Mine office, and I rushed to Senzaki's mountain hut, but as Kuwano said, he was already dead. Since he had previously said, "If anything happens to me, divide it equally among the employees," I thought it was necessary to distribute the gold (at this point, I had not revealed this to the employees). Since I am not a doctor, I cannot say for certain, but I found no suspicious points on the body, and from the explanation and expression of Kuwano, whom Senzaki trusted greatly, I reached the conviction that it was death from illness. Seeing as he had suddenly been snoring loudly in the middle of the night just before he died, I thought at the time that something related to the brain was the cause of death. Ultimately, I thought a doctor's judgment was necessary, but because some among the employees did not look kindly on making it public, saying "there is a possibility we will be suspected," he was buried as he was. There were those among them who were like drifters, and I could understand having such feelings.

Note that at the time Senzaki died, there were five employees. I intended to explain the will after work on the same day, as I had to return to work once. However, after noon on the 18th, one of them, Mende Shigeyoshi, was murdered by Takamura Tetsuo, who was also employed there. It appeared he was murdered while the remaining three, who were ultimately to receive the legacy, went to the center of Ikutahara to buy supplies after Senzaki's burial, leaving the aforementioned two behind to watch the place. From the situation, it appears Takamura tried to steal the money and valuables of Senzaki and the employees that were in the hut (the legacy itself was safe as Senzaki had originally hidden it) and escape, and when Mende tried to stop him, he was killed. I heard this from Kuwano, and from Kuwano's story, it is highly likely to be the truth. Naturally, Takamura was included among those who "did not look kindly" on the matter earlier.

Takamura, who was discovered by the pursuit of the three who returned later, was beaten and killed by two of them, excluding Kuwano, who were enraged (this is according to hearsay from the three, but even from my perspective, let alone by the standards of an ordinary person, Kuwano is an educated and honest man whose words should be trusted, and I believe there is no lie in them. The other two also testified that Kuwano did not participate. Also, the act of killing was primarily Isaka beating him with a wooden sword in a fit of rage, and Hojo followed suit. All three testified consistently that Kuwano tried to stop them later but was too late). Because of this, it was decided that the share would also be distributed to Mende's orphaned child (according to the man himself as heard by Kuwano and the others, he had not married and it was in the form of an illegitimate child, and since Mende had not told the details, the name is also unknown), and there would be no distribution at all to anyone related to Takamura, who killed Mende. Mende was buried next to Senzaki. Initially, there was a proposal to leave Takamura and let the bears eat him, but due to the opposition of myself and Kuwano, not to mention the ethical side, because of the high possibility the incident would be discovered, he was buried in a place slightly away from the two.

Since Senzaki likely died of illness, there is no moral necessity to report to the police, and while the matter of Mende and Takamura is clearly murder, since it was Takamura who killed Mende, and Takamura also bears a responsibility deserving of being killed, I consequently condoned this matter and avoided it becoming a police matter. I would be grateful if you could understand that there were reasons similar to why I did not report to a doctor upon Senzaki's death.

Finally, after explaining Senzaki's wishes during his lifetime to the remaining three, I established the distribution of the gold dust and created and gave the same deed to each. However, I only heard from Senzaki the location where the gold dust was buried, and it would take time to establish the location and dig it up. At the same time, with the occurrence of the incident, there was a need for the three to leave their place of residence quickly. Due to these three points, including the fact that the name and location of Mende's orphaned child, who should be an illegitimate child, were not known, the distribution itself was not made at that time.

Even as of February 20, Shouwa 19, when I am recording this, naturally the distribution has not yet been made. I told the three to contact me once they had settled down. I also told them that the distribution would be made sequentially at an appropriate time when it could be reliably distributed to the three and Mende's orphaned child. However, it was decided that the appropriate time should be judged by me, but the three never appeared before me in Ikutahara after that, and because the Kitano-o Mine was suspended, I moved to Sapporo. Finally, upon being called up, I am thinking that I have no choice but to allow the remaining three to distribute it after leaving Mende's orphaned child's portion, depending on the situation. The buried location explained below is currently known only to me.

The location where Senzaki told me he buried his money during his lifetime is said to be under a giant rock located about 30-plus meters (about 10 feet) up the slope due east from Mr. Senzaki's hut, which can be seen on the right toward Ikutahara from a point about 350 meters (100 feet) toward Ikutahara from the Ikutahara exit of the JNR Sekihoku Main Line Jomon Tunnel (Author's Note: Tunnel = Suidou). It is said to be 3 meters (about 1 foot) directly under the rock. However, I have not yet confirmed its existence myself. However, considering Senzaki's personality, I am convinced it actually exists.



The above is the full account of how this deed came to be. Due to the Gold Mine Abolition Order of Shouwa 18 (Author's Note: Corrected to the Gold Mine Consolidation Order), the Kitano-o Mine was also closed, and as I have already written, as you, Father and Mother, know, I ended up working in Sapporo. And the three remain unaware of that fact.

Just in case, I told them the address of the family home in Otaru before the three left Ikutahara, and I think that if they remain unable to contact me, the three will likely eventually visit the house in Otaru. If something should happen to me, if any among the rights-holders visit with a deed in the same format as the enclosed one, I wish for you, Father and Mother, even before Mende's orphaned child is identified, to allow the excavation by the three after leaving Mende's orphaned child's portion of the rights and to permit joint management, and to convey the location where it is said to be buried. Note that regarding Isaka, since he was primarily involved in the killing of Takamura and is short-tempered and passionate, and from my perspective, there are aspects of him that are somewhat untrustworthy as a person, I wish that the location of the gold dust not be conveyed to Isaka if he visits alone.

I will record the appearances of the three just in case. Isaka Tasuke has a round face, large eyes, and a large mole near his left elbow. Hojo Masato has an oval face, narrow eyes, and two front teeth were missing (more might have fallen out after that). Kuwano Kinya had a face with no particular features, but he was raised in a wealthy home and apparently attended an old-system middle school in Iwate, and as a person engaged in the laborer trade where there are many boors, I think he has some education. I think he was surprisingly tall. I think he was nearly six feet (Author's Note: Roughly 180-plus cm). A characteristic is also his strong Tohoku/Iwate accent when he speaks. Naturally, the most important thing is that they bring the deed, so please strictly observe that point. If possible, I would be grateful if you could also compare the thumbprint on the deed, but you do not have to do that. Since everyone except Kuwano pressed with their right thumb, and Kuwano with his right index finger, I believe a more accurate judgment of the owner can be made if you have them press it in front of you and compare.

February 20, Shouwa 19 Toru



From the beginning, the two of them looked at each other in surprise at the appearance of the name Senzaki, who had been identified as likely the unidentified remains "A" in Professor Terakawa's testimony. But as they read further, they were simply stunned by the list of facts that emerged. Regarding the "giant rock" written as the marker for the hidden gold dust, both were certain it was "that thing" they had seen several times during the investigation around the Ikutahara site.

If the contents of this letter were true, then "B," who was carefully buried and had marks of being beaten, would be Mende, and "C," who was buried as if thrown away after being beaten, would be Takamura. No, considering how perfectly it matched the situation of the recovery of the three unidentified remains in Shouwa 52, they couldn't possibly think this was a made-up story. Looking at the timeline, it was impossible to create a story to match afterward. Conversely, if they hadn't known about that incident, they might have thought it was just a fabrication. It was also understandable why the person in charge at the Kitami District Headquarters four years ago, who had received the inquiry from Nagumo, hadn't taken the letter or the deed seriously.

"This content serves as an explanation of the circumstances for that cold case of the discovery of the three bodies, right?"

Yoshimura couldn't suppress his excitement even in front of the bereaved family, but it was the same for Nishida.

"What else can you call it? The only problem is what specific relationship Isaka Tasuke had with the former President Isaka. If a 'connection' actually exists there, it becomes a sufficient basis for Isaka's involvement in Mr. Sada's murder. Since the surname is the same, there's a high possibility they're relatives, but..."

"But Team Leader, there's one problem. We can harbor the suspicion that there was a relationship between Isaka Tasuke and Isaka Daikichi because Mr. Sada Minoru was meeting with Isaka, but I don't think the Mr. Sada of that time would immediately suspect a relationship with 'Isaka Daikichi' just by seeing the name 'Isaka Tasuke.'"

Yoshimura's point was exactly right. Whether it was Sada's family or himself and Yoshimura, they could suspect the relationship between Isaka Tasuke and Daikichi because they knew there was a high possibility that Isaka Daikichi was involved in Sada's disappearance. However, it was doubtful whether Sada could link the relationship between Tasuke and Daikichi with just the keyword "Isaka" at the stage when he first read this letter. The surname Isaka itself wasn't that common, but it was hard to believe Sada Minoru would suddenly have such an idea when he first read the letter.

"What Yoshimura says is true. However, considering the content of the call from Isaka that triggered Shinoda going to the site in Ikutahara and killing Yoneda, and this, if we get too hung up on trying to grasp everything accurately, we'll actually stop moving forward, so we'll just have to investigate while glossing over that part, right?"

Nishida limited himself to that answer.

"Understood. We'll leave that as pending. So, continuing the story, if the hidden gold dust remained, it would be some help for raising funds."

At Yoshimura's remark, Nishida thought he had to ask something important.

"Excuse me, I'm going to ask something very rude, but do you know roughly how much funding was needed, or how much debt there was, at the time Mr. Minoru disappeared?"

He didn't hesitate to ask a direct, difficult question. He thought it was important to investigate this properly. Even so, although they felt that the deed they had handed over might be related to their father's case, the three family members naturally couldn't follow the conversation between the two detectives before them. But in response to Nishida's question, Sada's wife, Akiko, said softly,

"At the time, the amount needed for repayment at the end of the year was about 200 million..."

"200 million... Understood."

Nishida said, and then,

"I think Mr. Sada's aim wasn't the gold of Senzaki that was left behind, but Isaka..."

He hesitated to say that much to Yoshimura, but then expressed it somewhat vaguely.

"I think it was to get the funds directly from Isaka."

Yoshimura also seemed to sense Nishida's intention.

"I see. Even if it's past the statute of limitations, it's certainly something they wouldn't want known if it happened before the war."

He nodded.

Nishida thought that he might have tried to extort money by threatening Isaka, using the fact that Isaka Tasuke—a person with the same surname as Isaka Daikichi, and likely a relative or associate—was involved in the killing of Takamura, even if there had been a somewhat justifiable reason. In fact, even if he had obtained all the remaining gold dust, selling it now—1,500g, which is four shares of 375g, multiplied by the gold unit price of 2,000 yen in 1987 (Author's Note: The unit price is about 4,500 yen as of 2016)—it would only be about 3 million yen, which was nowhere near enough. It wasn't certain if he was looking for the gold, but the fact that he actually went to see Isaka also supported that.

On the other hand, for Isaka, he would have to avoid a situation where he had to keep accepting Sada's "demands" indefinitely. If that were the case, then "eliminating" Sada would be one of the options. If so, then if the relationship between Isaka Tasuke and Isaka Daikichi can be proven, the investigation will move forward considerably.

Another problem was whether the "curtness" of the police—specifically the Kitami District Headquarters—who had received this letter from Nagumo was an intentional cover-up, but Nishida didn't think so. The discovery of the three bodies in Shouwa 52 had been investigated by Engaru Station alone, and as a result, the case could not be prosecuted. It was quite doubtful whether the Kitami District Headquarters had been aware of that. Whether they knew it or not would have influenced the credibility of this letter.

Also, regarding the existence of Senzaki, even the Engaru investigators who had worked on the case in Shouwa 52 hadn't grasped it, so it was no wonder that reading this letter from Sada Toru, it was impossible to believe the contents. Both the letter and the deed would have been treated like a fictional treasure island map and its explanation, something that appears in children's games. However, for the detectives of Engaru Station, including Nishida and Yoshimura, who knew the whole background, this letter not only helped to clarify the full picture of the background of the three unidentified souls but also had the potential to become a signpost leading to the resolution of Sada's murder case.

"Excuse me. I'm going to make a quick call."

Nishida took out his mobile and contacted Engaru Station. He asked Oba, who answered, to put the Section Chief on, and after giving a rough explanation, Section Chief Sawai instructed him to fax the documents quickly.

"Do you have a fax?"

Obtaining permission to use the fax from Kakeru with an immediate answer, he sent everything to Engaru Station. Then he handed a 500-yen coin to Kakeru. To Kakeru, who politely declined, Nishida said,

"Since I used a private citizen's fax, it would be a violation of regulations if you didn't take it, and it would be troublesome for me."

He half-forced him to take it. And then,

"I'm sorry to keep asking, but could we borrow this letter and deed for a while—and by a while, I mean it might be for a long period? I can't make a promise, but the investigation might move forward."

He made the request.

"Is that true? If it's useful, of course you're free to use it as you like. But even though the police didn't take it seriously four years ago, will it be useful?"

In front of Akiko, who was wondering, Yoshimura said in Nishida's stead,

"It means the situation this letter is placed in is completely different from four years ago."

"Is that so? Four years ago, although we found this letter, the police didn't take it seriously, so thinking that my husband might have gone to Ikutahara, which appears in this letter, we clung to any hope and had flyers and posters with my husband's photo placed at the nearby Engaru and Ikutahara Stations to see if anyone recognized him. As a result, we found out that he had stayed for two nights at an inn in Engaru about a month before he went missing. Indeed, about a month before he went missing, my husband had been away from home for about three days on what he called a business trip. It matched in that respect, but that was all that came out. Since these are the words of the detective who found my husband's remains this time, it's very encouraging. Please, we're counting on you!"

Akiko grasped the hands of Nishida and Yoshimura with both of hers. Both Nishida and Yoshimura grasped the lady's hand back with their free hands, and Nishida said,

"Whatever the result, we will do our best."

He spoke powerfully. And he continued,

"Normally, I should ask you a bit more in detail about this letter, but since there's something I want to look into urgently now, I might come to see you again. Please cooperate then as well."

He told them. The three family members naturally promised their full cooperation.