Chapter 4 - Prologue 4
After that, he explained the contents of the interview in Kitami to the Division Chief, and when he argued for the necessity of another field investigation as a result, the Division Chief readily agreed. The criminality of the ghost's actions themselves, which were not directly related to Yoshimi's death, was undoubtedly lacking in certainty. However, since the Criminal Investigation Division itself wasn't that busy, Sawai likely judged that any points of concern should be checked.
Of course, depending on the situation, they might find new discoveries related to Yoshimi's death. Since many days had passed since the suspicious death and the "disappearance" of the fireballs, an investigation at the earliest possible time was necessary. He also reported to the Station Chief and obtained permission. Also, as the weather forecast was clear, they decided to conduct a field investigation starting the next morning, obtaining support from some other units in the Criminal Investigation Division, as well as the Security and Life Safety Divisions, and Forensics.
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Early the next morning, eighteen "humans" were quietly moving around the vicinity of the scene, a number that would normally be unthinkable in the middle of the uninhabited mountains. To be safe, several people had brought bear bells, but given that there were this many people, if a brown bear wasn't startled by that, it seemed the effect was almost non-existent. Furthermore, several members of the Criminal Investigation Division were authorized to carry handguns, but they likely had half-doubts about how effective a handgun would be against a bear. No, unfortunately, they must have known all too well that it would be almost ineffective unless it was a rifle. In other words, it was only a "peace of mind" measure.
Although nearly a week had passed since the incident, Nishida felt that the state of the scene hadn't changed much since the occurrence, as it was a place where people rarely entered. The cordoned-off area was almost unnecessary due to the location, so he had Sergeant Maruyama of the residential police box collect it about two days after the body was discovered. Also, the footprints (gesokon) of the ghost—no, the "person" who was thought to be the source of the "fireball"—still retained their original shape quite well, as it had only rained once in the meantime.
Whether the maintenance workers were being considerate or simply avoiding the place where someone had died was unknown, but they apparently hadn't approached the scene much, as no new boot-like traces were found since the last time. However, there were new footprints from someone else, likely someone who had come to take railway photos. Fortunately, it seemed "he" had left the scene without disturbing it too much. Since it couldn't be definitively concluded that it was unrelated to the case, they had forensics take a mold just in case.
The policy and goals for this field investigation could be broadly divided into three points. First, the discovery of abandoned items related to Yoshimi's death in areas not investigated last time. Second, securing abandoned items belonging to the "person who possessed the luminous object mistaken for a fireball." Or, the discovery of evidence that could identify or allow them to infer exactly what the "source of the fireball" was doing here.
For that reason, they finished the areas they had seen last time relatively quickly and began a visual search in a gradually expanding concentric circle. However, the three members of the Violent Crimes Unit—Nishida, Ooba, and Komura—did not move in a concentric circle but focused on tracking the "ghost's" footprints, which they couldn't do last time. Yoshimura, Kurosu, and Sawada, along with other support groups, were searching the concentric circles thoroughly, while Division Chief Sawai and Shunin Takeshita were directing each of them.
The dirt areas where footprints were easily left soon became grassy and difficult to discern as they moved away from the body discovery site, so they investigated very carefully. Then, they discovered traces again in a dirt area about 30 meters away from the scene toward Engaru. Advancing their tracking further, they discovered traces of what looked like a bonfire near the point where the "luminous object" the drivers had testified about would appear.
"Kakarichou, is this it? The true identity of the fireball?" Ooba shouted lightly.
"No, isn't it a bit different? This is a slight depression, and the trees are growing densely toward the tracks, so it probably wouldn't be visible from over there even at night, right?"
Nishida also almost showed joy as if he had discovered the true identity of the fireball for a moment, but he changed his mind at Komura's sudden, calm remark. In the first place, if it were the way a bonfire burned, it wouldn't be mistaken for a fireball.
"I see, what Komura says makes sense. However, there's a good chance the person behind the fireball and ghost commotion started this bonfire. We need to call forensics and have them check for abandoned items."
Nishida said this while lightly touching the remaining ash with his fingertip.
"Indeed, now that you mention it, what Komura-san says seems correct. On the other hand, looking at the footprints around the bonfire, as the Kakarichou said, there's a high possibility it was 'him' who made the bonfire."
Ooba also nodded while squatting and staring at the burnt remains next to Nishida.
Nishida looked around further. It seemed the footprints continued in multiple directions further ahead.
"They still go further that way... Ooba, go call forensics. I'll investigate further ahead with Komura."
"Understood. I'll head over there once I've called forensics."
Saying this, Ooba dashed back the way he came.
"Now then... Komura, you follow the footprints in that direction! I'll go this way. We can investigate the other footprints thoroughly after calling for backup once the Division Chief and the others are done with their work over there."
After giving those instructions, the two scattered in their respective directions.
Eventually, Miura from forensics returned with Ooba, and about fifteen minutes after Miura began investigating various things, Komura, who was searching about 30 meters away, suddenly raised his voice.
"Kakarichou! There are traces of something having been dug here!"
When Nishida and Ooba, who had been searching elsewhere, rushed to Komura's side, there were indeed traces of the ground having been clearly disturbed recently.
"There are quite a few footprints left around here too... Did he bury something?"
It was work done by the "source of the fireball" while trying to remain as undetected as possible. Depending on the situation, it was possible he had buried something outrageous.
"What do you think? Conversely, he might have dug something up. For now, should we bring a shovel and dig it up?" Komura confirmed. However,
"Hmm... No, let's look around a bit more first. There might be something else. It would be better to do it after we've investigated everything properly," Nishida replied, and the three returned to their areas and began searching thoroughly again. They also had Miura, who had finished his routine forensic work, help with the search.
Then, within five minutes, multiple spots where the ground had been "disturbed" were found in Nishida's area as well. Including the ones discovered by Ooba and Miura, there were six in total. After that, they searched every place where footprints could be tracked, but no further discoveries were made. Nishida judged that there was nothing more for now and decided to return to the original spot to consult with the Division Chief first.
The Division Chief, after hearing the story from Nishida, said,
"What? Is that true!?"
He was more surprised than expected and urged Nishida to take him there.
"Where is it? Show me quickly!"
When he immediately returned to the three with the Division Chief, they were not near the disturbed spots but were gathered together looking at something on a slightly elevated area on the mountain side, a bit further away.
"Hey, what are you doing there? The Division Chief is here!"
Nishida cupped his hands like a megaphone and shouted.
Ooba, noticing the voice, shouted back,
"Kachou, Kakarichou! There's something interesting here."
When they went over reluctantly as Ooba said, there was something like a simple stone monument and what looked like a gravestone, and furthermore, a quite decayed sotoba (T/N: wooden grave tablet). It was something completely unrelated to the word "interesting." He likely didn't mean it in a literally funny sense, but...
"What on earth is this?"
Nishida was a bit taken aback and blurted this out. The Division Chief, who arrived slightly later, also seemed a bit bewildered by the story, which was completely unrelated to what he had just heard.
"Looking at the monument, it's likely a memorial and gravestone for the victims of tako-beya labor at the Jomon Tunnel."
On the monument Komura pointed to, although slightly weathered, the words "Memorial for the Martyrs of Jomon Tunnel Construction" could indeed be read.
"Since there's a gravestone and a sotoba, does that mean the remains of the victims found here are buried...?"
Recalling the anecdotes of the Jomon Tunnel, Nishida instinctively folded his hands in prayer, and the Division Chief and the other three followed suit after seeing Nishida. After each of them offered a moment of silent prayer, they opened their eyes and looked back to find that Takeshita had also come to see what was happening and was praying, having grasped the situation. Looking closely at the monument again, it was just as Nishida had thought before the prayer; it seemed the remains found as a result of the surrounding search were interred there. It appeared to have been built in the autumn of Showa 52.
"Being buried in the middle of the mountains like this, the victims of the tako-beya don't get any closure even in death... No one would normally come to pay their respects in such a frontier..." Nishida said quietly.
"Isn't calling this a frontier a bit of an overstatement, even if there are no houses at all? The railway runs nearby too," Ooba remarked with a wry smile after hearing Nishida's comment.
"No, it's definitely a frontier, isn't it? It's in the middle of the mountains with not a single soul for several kilometers!" Nishida retorted somewhat childishly. As if to back him up, the Division Chief also nodded with a solemn expression and said quietly,
"A frontier, huh... In that case, this truly is a frontier grave... Yes, the choice of the word 'frontier' to express this sense of loneliness (sekiryou) isn't bad."
"Is that how it is...?" Ooba muttered, somewhat dissatisfied with the Division Chief's reaction, but Takeshita also said,
"Well, for us Hokkaido residents, it's one thing, but for people from the mainland (naichi), wouldn't it be considered quite a frontier?" He used a subtle expression, showing consideration for Nishida and the Division Chief while suggesting he didn't entirely agree.
However, immediately after that,
"In this situation, if we dig and, for example, bones come out, there's a possibility they're bones from 'this side' too, right?"
When Miura from forensics abruptly mentioned the possibility of "body abandonment," which the four from the Criminal Investigation Division had dared not say until now, the detectives were a bit surprised and exchanged looks. But in reality, considering the mysterious and large-scale actions of the "source of the fireball," the detectives were beginning to think, even if only slightly, that the possibility of a body being buried could not be entirely ruled out.
And after leaving the gravestone and showing the six traces to the Division Chief,
"There's definitely something here..." he groaned. However, he didn't immediately instruct them to investigate, but told Nishida and the others,
"For now, 'an empty stomach is the enemy of war.' Let's eat lunch and then do it all at once!"