Chapter 40 - Light and Shadow 19 (109–113: Kurashiki Arc)
Once the "secret meeting" concluded, Hiramatsu returned to the Violent Crimes Unit, Shibata joined them, and Nishida and the others were about to leave the Prefectural Police to return to their hotel. At that moment, Takeshita suddenly spoke to Nishida.
"Team Leader, following up on yesterday's talk... if Isaka Masamitsu had been told the truth by his father, Daikichi, then Oshima's plan to settle everything by pinning it all on Isaka Daikichi would become quite a dangerous story. I've only just realized this..."
As Takeshita said, if both Takeshita's theory that "Oshima is deeply involved in the Sada murder" and Nishida's theory that "Masamitsu knows the circumstances of the case" were correct, it would mean Masamitsu had been told the facts of the Sada murder case by Daikichi and also knew of Oshima's principal involvement in the murder. In that case, it was possible he would feel a sense of repulsion toward Oshima.
"I see, that's how it would be. However, since Masamitsu only heard the story, wouldn't it be possible for Oshima to laugh it off as a fabrication by Daikichi?"
It was a bit of a stretch, but Nishida thought he could somehow explain it with that.
"That's certainly possible. But wouldn't that still be a 'crossing a dangerous bridge' method? He's a politician, so even a rumor hurts. In that case, more specific details might have been hammered out between the two. That is to say, a proper explanation was given to Masamitsu in advance. The ties between politicians and civil engineering are strong, so it's entirely possible they'd value worldly interests over the honor of a dead man. Even if it's the honor of his own father... Well, of course, this is all meaningless if both of our hypotheses aren't correct..."
Takeshita said this with a pensive look. Nishida thought he had a point, but he just glanced at him and stopped expanding the conversation further, simply watching the elevator approach their floor.
Then, as the Hokkaido police party got off the elevator and was about to pass through the first-floor lobby of the Prefectural Police, Takeshita's mobile phone rang. After telling Kurano and the others he would follow later, Takeshita answered the phone. It was from Igarashi.
"I got permission from the Desk. I've also secured a reporter who has connections at the Tozai Shinbun's Osaka Headquarters. Now all we have to do is nail it down by noon the day after tomorrow, right? The Desk gave me a hard time, saying, 'Setting aside the case, are you sure it's okay when we haven't even heard the outline?' I pushed it through by saying 'Trust me' in the end, but it'll be okay, right?"
To Igarashi's complaint-filled confirmation, Takeshita replied with a suggestive tone:
"Leave it to me. I'm counting on you for that part. I think it'll be a very important investigation. Depending on what the Doho finds, I might be able to provide an even bigger scoop later."
"Hey now, I haven't even been clearly told the content of this scoop yet, so I can't trust you at all!"
Igarashi's argument was reasonable. However, once he told him the content this time, he would surely understand the meaning.
"Well, please trust me. I'm not the type to exaggerate."
"I know that all too well. Anyway, I've told you for now!"
Igarashi hung up as soon as he said that. Takeshita thought it was just like the impatient Igarashi, but thinking of the path ahead, he felt a slight shiver—whether from a thrill of anticipation or from fear—and after straightening his tie, he jogged after the Hokkaido police members.
Since Kurano and Shibata were to return to Hokkaido on a night flight, Kurano was in his hotel room giving various instructions to Nishida, Takeshita, and Yoshimura.
"I probably won't be coming back here again, but you guys still have to interrogate Motohashi and confirm things, so I'll have you stay for a while. I've already asked the hotel for a four-night extension. Also, we have to have Motohashi confirm the photos of the Isaka Group's employees at the time, the inns, the coffee shops, and so on that I had the Kitami side obtain. Especially the employee-related ones, I don't know how long it'll take to get them, so depending on the situation, you might need to extend your business trip. Well, I'll ask for an extension as a Hokkaido Police Headquarters matter, but since money is also an issue, the hotel might change, so keep that in mind. Oh right, as I said earlier, Section Chief Tamaru of Investigation Cooperation will also be gone, so if anything happens, ask Section Chief Sugai in Osaka. Though I think Section Chief Tamaru will probably come back here again."
It was a detailed talk, typical of Kurano, but a feeling that he didn't need to go that far also began to sprout in the three listeners.
"So, there will probably be a raid on Kitagawa's house tomorrow, but I don't think you'll have any work tomorrow at least. The photos of the inns and coffee shops probably won't arrive tomorrow either (T/N: At this time, there apparently was no system for sharing investigation information other than fingerprints and criminal records online. It seems to have been created around 2004). Anyway, if we're to collect photos of middle-aged men related to the Isaka Group 'quietly,' it'll probably take quite a while. As I said earlier, if things go poorly, you might end up staying in Osaka for a long time."
Hearing those words, Nishida remembered that while he had told his family about the Tokyo trip, he hadn't yet told them he had come here, and thought he should call later. Beside him, he didn't miss the sparkle in Yoshimura's eyes as he said:
"Tomorrow is Health and Sports Day, and what's more, it's almost certain we'll be free, then."
"There's no time for playing around! You're hopeless."
While reprimanding his subordinate, Nishida thought of an important errand to take care of.
"Oh, that's right! Since we've come all the way to Osaka, why don't we go to Kurashiki to give the final explanation of the investigation status to Yoneda's bereaved family..."
Hokkaido and Okayama were too far apart, so there had been no opportunity to directly explain the investigation to the family until now. And the reality was that while Shinoda had effectively murdered the young Yoneda, it was impossible to prosecute him since Shinoda himself was already dead, and they hadn't conveyed that yet. Although the type of murder weapon had been identified, the weapon itself had likely been disposed of, and since it couldn't be clearly proven whether he had gone to the scene on the day Yoneda went missing, there was the reality that even a referral to prosecutors was difficult, let alone whether the case would be accepted by the prosecution as a deceased suspect.
"Ah, that's right... Indeed, it might be a good opportunity. Why don't you get permission from Section Chief Sawai and go?"
Kurano also accepted Nishida's idea.
"Understood. I'll go tomorrow. I'll call Engaru later to confirm the address and phone number of the family home and to get permission."
At Nishida's statement, Yoshimura was grinning.
"Well, I've heard Kurashiki is a nice town, so that's fine too."
"Are you still in a sightseeing mood!"
As his superior, he showed his anger a bit more seriously than before, but in truth, he was also thinking that if they had time left over, they might take a look around Kurashiki City.
"Come to think of it, for the press conference, we'll need to have Motohashi under arrest, but what about the arrest warrant?"
Yoshimura, perhaps to move past the reprimand from Nishida, asked Kurano.
"Normally, the order would be to re-arrest him before the announcement, but since he's already incarcerated in a detention house and is a finalized death row inmate, it seems Director Toyama is envisioning a slightly different development. It's a case where the person voluntarily confessed, and the basic background has been mostly verified. Given the circumstances of his current incarceration, not requesting an arrest warrant until the time of transport is one possible move, though it's irregular."
After saying that, Kurano patted Yoshimura on the shoulder as if he had grasped his true intention, and said with a pleasant smile, though his eyes were stern:
"Do a good job."
In the end, Section Chief Tamaru of Investigation Cooperation also ended up returning on the same flight as Kurano and the others, and after seeing the three off in the lobby, Nishida and the others called Section Chief Sawai in Engaru to report. Even when told that Motohashi's crime had been confirmed, it was within expectations, and his interest seemed to be directed more toward what would happen to Motohashi's treatment after his transfer from the Osaka Detention House to Hokkaido.
Normally, he would be held in a detention cell—often criticized as a substitute prison—at the Engaru Station, which had jurisdiction over the case, for interrogation. However, for a finalized death row inmate who had caused such a public stir, it would be appropriate to put him in a nearby detention house. Yet, even the Section Chief didn't seem to know what would happen in the end.
This was because there were only five detention houses—or rather, detention branches—in Hokkaido, and their locations were Sapporo, Otaru, Muroran, Iwamizawa (actually located in Tsukigata Town), and Nayoro, which Nishida had visited for the matter of Kitagawa's watch theft. Considering the vastness of Hokkaido, this was an unusually lopsided distribution.
For example, it would be abnormal that there are no detention houses in Kushiro or Obihiro. The closest one physically to Engaru is the Nayoro Detention Branch, but even though it's the closest, it takes several hours by car, which would undoubtedly hinder the interrogation. In that case, he would basically be detained within the Engaru Station, but considering the special nature of the suspect being the historical criminal Motohashi and the gravity of the series of cases, there was also the possibility of a special case where the jurisdiction would be broadly interpreted, and the interrogation would take place at the Sapporo Kotoni Detention Center under the direct control of the Hokkaido Police Headquarters.
As a practical matter, detaining Motohashi in the Engaru Station's detention cell seemed to Nishida to be quite problematic. In the case of the Sapporo Kotoni detention, if the detectives from Engaru who were in charge needed to interrogate him, they would likely have to travel to Sapporo, but in any case, when dealing with such a criminal, it was also true that the local station would be entirely in a support role, and the investigation would be led by the Hokkaido Police Kitami Regional Headquarters. However, it was also certain that these matters of treatment were no longer something a person at a local station could do anything about. Nishida told the Section Chief that since it was too late to worry about it and they were like "carp on a cutting board," they should just accept it. The Section Chief agreed with that opinion, so the conversation naturally shifted to the visit to Yoneda's bereaved family.
"It's not that far from Osaka to Kurashiki, so I'd like to stop by, partly to explain the investigation status."
"That's true... I've had several opportunities to report to Yoneda by phone, but it might be better to visit directly, partly to offer incense. They're the family of a murder victim, after all... Yeah, I understand! If you have time between investigations, you should go. I'll give you the phone number and address now. Tomorrow is a holiday, so they should be home, right?"
The Section Chief said this and gave Nishida the information for Yoneda's family home.
"Wait, did the victim Yoneda not have a father?"
Nishida noticed this for the first time from the information he heard from Sawai.
"Apparently. I heard it when the mother came to collect the body—or rather, the remains—and I dealt with her directly; he apparently passed away when the boy was in middle school. It was truly a household of a single mother and her only son. She was quite haggard. Hearing that made me feel all the more sorry for her. Even so, I think that was properly conveyed in the investigation meetings."
"That might be so. I was so preoccupied with the investigation that I don't think the family relationships really registered. Normally I'd have a note of it in my investigation memo, which serves as a diary."
Nishida offered words of reflection in response to Sawai's grumbling.
"Well, it doesn't matter now... You produced results precisely because you were that focused on the investigation... Anyway, Nishida, please convey my regards as well."
"I understand. I'll try to make an appointment now to see if I can meet her tomorrow."
"Understood. Then let me know the result tomorrow."
"Roger."
Once Nishida finished his exchange with the Section Chief, he immediately tried calling Mitsuko, Yoneda's mother. It was around dinner time, but fortunately, he got through. Since she said she had a part-time job even though it was a holiday and wouldn't mind as long as it was after 5:00 PM, Nishida promised to visit around 6:00 PM.
"Good news, we can wander around Kurashiki during the day tomorrow. We're meeting her in the evening because she has work even though it's a public holiday."
After finishing the conversation, he conveyed the "good news" to Yoshimura.
"Oh! Is that so? Working on a public holiday. It's tough, just like us... Then it seems about right if we leave around late morning."
Nishida doubted whether the expression "tough, just like us" applied to them, at least for tomorrow, but he suggested:
"That's right. Let's take it easy after breakfast and plan to have a late lunch over there. However, since it's a holiday and the general public is off, it might be quite crowded."
Somehow, perhaps because the tense interrogation had come to an end for now, Nishida was also in the mood to "loosen up" a bit. Without realizing it, he had smoothly accepted the opinion of the slacker Yoshimura.
"Takeshita, is that okay with you too?"
Nishida asked for Takeshita's opinion, but he declined the invitation.
"I'm sorry. Would it be okay if I stayed here? There are several things I'd like to look into."
He must have had something he wanted to investigate. However, Nishida understood the meaning of Takeshita's words and actions and trusted him at the same time, so he simply said:
"If there's something you want to do, Takeshita, I'll leave it to you. Also, keep in mind that this isn't our jurisdiction. Well, you already know that, so I probably don't need to say it every time."
"Yes, of course."
Takeshita stated clearly.
Then both Takeshita and Yoshimura returned to their rooms, and Nishida, now alone, finally contacted his family to tell them he was on a business trip to Osaka. His wife, Yuka, was envious, including the visit to Kurashiki, but at the same time, she urged him to send souvenirs to Sapporo, so although he had known it would happen, Nishida regretted contacting her.
The next day, they took the Shinkansen "Kodama" from Shin-Osaka toward Shin-Kurashiki Station. It wasn't that the "Hikari" didn't stop at Shin-Kurashiki, but since there were few of them (as of 1995), they chose the "Kodama." Unfortunately, the sky was cloudy, but Nishida thought it didn't matter as long as it wasn't raining. He had feared significant crowds due to the holiday, but perhaps because it was the "Kodama," it wasn't that crowded. For some reason, Yoshimura had purchased a bento at Shin-Osaka, but he apparently had a "plan" to eat properly even after arriving in Kurashiki. Nishida read a book he had bought in Jinbocho, while Yoshimura devoted himself to buying and eating various things from the onboard sales.
Due to the Great Hanshin Earthquake that occurred in January of that year, bridge piers and the like had been destroyed, and the Sanyo Shinkansen had been out of service from Shin-Osaka to Himeji until early April, but at this time, the ride didn't make one feel that. However, while passing between Shin-Osaka and Shin-Kobe, even from the perspective of Nishida and the others through the train window, they could feel the "unhealed scars" around Kobe, even if only for a moment. And in about an hour and a half, the "Kodama" slid into the platform of Shin-Kurashiki Station.
Kurashiki City was an administrative area created by the merger of the three cities of former Kurashiki, former Tamashima, and former Kojima in 1967, and Shin-Kurashiki Station was located in the former Tamashima City, the current Tamashima District. As expected of the nearest station to a tourist spot, the tourist information center inside the station, which they stopped by for the time being, was crowded. According to the pamphlet they received there, the Tamashima District is also famous as a production area for white peaches.
Also, Nishida learned that this Tamashima District was the only port town in Okayama where the so-called "Kitamaebune," which connected Hokkaido and Kansai through maritime trade, would stop while making a large detour from the Sea of Japan, passing through the Kanmon Straits, and reaching Osaka via the Seto Inland Sea, and as a resident of Hokkaido, he felt a sense of connection.
Yoneda's family home was in the Kojima District of Kurashiki, but since there were no tourist attractions there other than Mt. Washuu and the Great Seto Bridge, they put that off and headed for the Kurashiki District in the center of Kurashiki City. Perhaps because the Kurashiki District was originally a territory called "Tenryo," which was under the direct control of the Edo Shogunate, it was an area where old streetscapes dating back to the Edo period remained, and most of it seemed to be maintained as the "Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter." Indeed, it felt like a streetscape that was not just old, but quite well-cared-for.
While strolling through such a place, he passed the time in a state of mind far removed from the grimness of yesterday's interrogation of a serial killer. However, Nishida felt that if possible, he would have liked to come on a weekday when it was less crowded. To begin with, since he had come as part of a "job" that made his heart heavy, that was a more fundamental issue...
On the other hand, Yoshimura seemed more focused on what to do for lunch, and he was looking around at restaurants more enthusiastically than Nishida, who hadn't eaten anything yet. In the end, they didn't find anything that made them think "you must eat this," and they ended up settling for something called "Kurashiki Udon." Rather, the two were satisfied with the parfaits containing Kurashiki's specialty fruits that they ordered as dessert afterward. After that, they purchased peaches and muscat grapes as souvenirs for their families and the Engaru Station at a souvenir shop and took care of the shipping procedures.
Since it was evening, they finally moved to the Kojima District by taxi and climbed Mt. Washuu. Perhaps because the weather had turned sunny, the Great Seto Bridge shining in the twilight after 5:00 PM was quite a spectacular sight. He hadn't expected much, but rather, it seemed this was the peak of the Kurashiki sightseeing.
Afterward, they headed for Yoneda's house in the taxi they had kept waiting. They arrived at around 5:50 PM, but thinking that ten minutes was fine, Nishida didn't hesitate to press the chime of the small one-story house.
Meanwhile, Takeshita, who had remained in Osaka, was rereading the copy of the short letter to Motohashi from Shiino, the Tozai Shinbun reporter, after seeing Nishida and the others off in the hotel lobby. Motohashi's sudden confession regarding the series of cases was all too timely. For Takeshita, who suspected that there had likely been some kind of "signal" from the outside as a trigger, it was natural to think that this letter from Shiino had probably served as that signal. (T/N: Regarding this letter, please note that it will be meaningless to read unless viewed from a computer with a large screen or a large tablet.)
Motohashi-san,
The recent verdict was very disappointing, not only for you but for me as well.
I suppose as time passes, it will be accepted... no, there's no way it can be accepted.
To be honest, I am aghast at the fact that I can no longer meet you.
Even so, without raising the white flag, the means of a special appeal still remains.
However, in the judgment of the lawyers, there is no possibility of it being overturned.
Certainly, if what you did is true, it is unforgivable both legally and socially.
However, during this month I have spent with you, there has been nothing
that has made me feel that you are a heinous criminal. Until now,
at the point someone became a suspect, I felt nothing but hatred, just like everyone else.
But this time alone was different. The frustration of not being able to explain the specific reason for that in words.
And it seems I won't even be able to find out what that is anymore.
It is a pity that our previous meeting became the last time I saw your face, but
that smile at that time alone has become my salvation. Anyway, please make sure
not to become self-destructive until the very end, no matter what. Well, for now
I will stop here, but if there is an opportunity to send a letter, I will write again.
Shiino Satoshi
The wording was simple, and it wasn't as if anything was clearly suspicious, but it was certainly very short for something sent to an interview subject whose death penalty had been finalized. On the other hand, since Motohashi was "publicly" claiming innocence at this point, even if Shiino knew the truth, it was natural that his wording was written on that premise, given that there was censorship. And if one thinks common-sensically, not only Motohashi himself but also Shiino, who wrote the letter, probably knew that it was Motohashi's own crime, and for someone who knew the result to look at it later, it could be said to be the kind of content that makes one want to vomit.
Even so, he thought there must be something hidden in this text, but since it was likely written in something like a code, he couldn't judge it at a glance. Takeshita finished a convenience store bento for lunch in his hotel room and then thought intensely for nearly three hours, but nothing came to mind, and he involuntarily threw himself onto the bed on his back.
"There must be something..."
As he muttered that, perhaps because he had been thinking so intensely, he suddenly became very sleepy, and although he felt bad for his superior and subordinate who were working, he fell asleep just like that.
After 5:00 PM, Takeshita woke up to the ringing of his mobile phone.
"Oh, I ended up sleeping for two hours..."
As he said that and answered the phone, it was from Section Chief Kurano of the Kitami Regional Headquarters.
"Is that Takeshita? I've been calling Nishida's mobile for a while now, but it won't connect at all. It seems he's out of range. I believe you went to Kurashiki together, right? Why does yours connect?"
He said, sounding puzzled.
"Is that so... I didn't go with them and stayed in Osaka. So I don't know the detailed situation regarding the Team Leader, but it's natural that it connects here."
"I see, then that's fine... Then I can't help it, so I'll contact Takeshita for now. Today, as planned, the Kitami side (Headquarters) conducted a full-scale raid on Kitagawa's house. I'm still in Sapporo, so I didn't see the situation with my own eyes, though... So, a key to a safe deposit box at the Kitami Aino-uchi branch of the Hokumo Bank was found, and when we immediately checked with the bank, the name was definitely Kitagawa's, so we asked them to let us check the contents. But the Hokumo Bank was stubborn and insisted that a warrant was necessary... A warrant won't be issued today, so they said tomorrow. Either way, the bank is closed today, so they might have had various troubles on their end too."
Kurano seemed to have read between the lines, but as a bank, as long as they are operating under a contract, they shouldn't be able to give a free pass even if the other party is the police. Takeshita thought the bank's response was appropriate and proceeded with the conversation.
"A safe deposit box, huh... Did the family know about it?"
"No, they apparently didn't know of its existence. It seems they were drained after the funeral and weren't in a state to handle the personal effects."
"I see. It might sound bad to put it this way, but it might have been good that you raided it not long after the funeral. If something like that were found during the processing of personal effects, they'd wonder what it was and go to the bank immediately, wouldn't they?"
"I suppose. I don't know what's inside, but it's good that we were able to secure it first. Just in case, I asked your Komura for help, since he's been involved much longer and would be more familiar with the case than our people. I decided to have Kitamura and Mitsushima, who were sent to Engaru to help, return here once, and Section Chief Sawai accepted that. After all, we need someone who is familiar with the history of the case so far..."
Kurano agreed and announced a slight change in the investigation policy.
"Also, regarding the inn, there are three that can be said to be in front of the station. The feeling of 'in front of the station' is a personal matter, but there shouldn't be much of a margin of error, right? So, we tried to confirm Motohashi's stay there, but the reaction was apparently along the lines of 'now that you mention it.' Well, since it was eight years ago, that's unavoidable to some extent. The guest registers are meaningless because they're under false names, but anyway, they've apparently already been disposed of (T/N: There seems to be no specific retention period for guest registers specified in the Hotel Business Act. It seems most places keep them for about five years, but some places keep them for several decades for customer management purposes. Nowadays, they are mostly saved immediately as digital data on PCs)."
He sounded disappointed, but since he must have anticipated that, he should have accepted it.
"What about the man who introduced him to Isaka?"
Takeshita changed the subject. In a sense, this was the more important matter.
"We're doing it so that the Isaka Group doesn't find out as much as possible, so we're pulling various things from former employees and such. There was a wife of a police officer working at a police box within the Kitami Station there, but with the raid and all, she was told various things from above later and ended up quitting at the end of August because it became uncomfortable to stay. They're quite thorough over there too. However, I wonder. If it comes to that, we might soon have no choice but to do it head-on. We're also reaching our limit..."
Takeshita recalled that the wife quitting was probably the story of the person who had provided information regarding Yoshimi's lost camera previously.
"Because of that, it might take longer than expected over there. Well, that's the current situation. So, I'm sorry, but I'm going out with the 'higher-ups' from Headquarters after this, so could you convey what I just said to Nishida, Takeshita?"
Kurano said to Takeshita apologetically. He thought they were probably going for drinks, but it was a request that showed Kurano's good nature, so he accepted immediately. However, at the end:
"By the way, it seems Takeshita didn't accompany Nishida and the others... Well, I'm not Hiramatsu-san, but be cautious in your actions."
He suddenly drove the point home. Perhaps he was worried about Takeshita's "running wild," taking his personality into account. He felt like he wanted to be trusted a bit more, but in response to that as well:
"Of course. I've been in the hotel all day today, turning things over in my mind."
He tried to reassure him for the time being.
"I see. Well, it seems Nishida also has expectations for your brain, so I'm counting on you. Well then, I'm hanging up. I'll leave the rest to you."
Kurano was about to hang up as he said that.
"Wait, wait a moment. What happened to the meeting between the executives?"
Takeshita hurriedly asked Kurano.
"The Motohashi matter? If it's that, it's from tomorrow morning as expected. I think the Headquarters Chief and the Criminal Investigation Director are already on their way to Osaka or have already arrived. If you want to know in detail, ask Section Chief Tamaru, who's returning there tomorrow. Well then, I'm in a hurry, so I'm hanging up!"
Kurano again cut him off unilaterally, and the conversation ended.
Takeshita put away his mobile phone and lay on his back on the bed again, but he was curious whether something related to Sada's letter would come out of Kitagawa's safe deposit box, as he had thought. He decided it would be better to contact Nishida directly after he returned to the hotel, so he put off conveying the message. Either way, since he had said the mobile phone wouldn't connect until just now, he didn't know if it would connect even if he called now.
At that time, at the Yoneda residence in Kojima, "Yoneda Mitsuko," the mother of the victim, came out and met the two for the first time. She looked younger than expected, probably in her early 40s. To put it quite strongly, she was the type of beauty that one could say resembled Kaku Chikako for a commoner. Considering Yoneda's age at the time of the murder, she should be at least in her late 40s, but... As they were shown into the house, there was a large tub of chirashizushi on the dining table in the kitchen. Nishida thought it must be the Okayama specialty called "Matsuri-zushi" mentioned in the tourist information center pamphlet. He was truly glad he had only had udon for lunch.
"You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you? For someone from Hokkaido who eats fresh seafood, I'm sure this won't be enough to satisfy you..."
Mitsuko looked at them with an apologetic face.
"No, no, that's not the case at all. Thank you for your consideration."
As Nishida said that, he suddenly recalled being served sushi at Okuda Mitsuru's house in Kunneppu, which he had visited several times with Kitamura.
"Um, first, to your son's spirit..."
When Nishida broached the subject, Mitsuko guided them to the Buddhist altar. Since the 49th day had passed but the urn was still there, she probably hadn't interred the remains yet. There were two mortuary tablets, and Nishida thought the other one was likely for her deceased husband. Yoshimura handed over an incense offering with "Gobutsuzen" written on it. Mitsuko bowed deeply and accepted it.
"I just haven't felt like interring the remains yet..."
Mitsuko explained, but even without her explaining every single thing, the two understood that feeling all too well. They knew that the etiquette differed depending on the sect, but since they couldn't confirm it in advance, they looked at the altar. Since it was a Pure Land-related sect and Amida Nyorai was the main image, they confirmed it with Mitsuko just in case, and she told them that they didn't need to worry about etiquette and that offering incense would be enough, so they offered incense as is commonly done.
Then, at the dining table, Nishida explained the progress of the investigation so far to Mitsuko. He told her that the murder was likely accidental. He informed her that since Shinoda, who was believed to have committed the murder, was dead, it would ultimately be impossible to prosecute him. On top of that, he revealed frankly and in detail that although the type of murder weapon had been identified, the weapon itself was believed to have already been disposed of. And that while it could be proven that he went to the scene, the murder itself could not be fully proven. Considering both of those, he revealed that even a non-prosecution by the prosecutor's side after the police had taken the form of a referral would be impossible. Mitsuko did not seem as disappointed as Nishida had imagined. She must have felt regret, but she seemed to still find salvation in the fact that he was no longer missing.
Afterward, while eating sushi among the three of them, Nishida and the others silently accompanied Mitsuko as she spoke haltingly about her deceased husband and memories of her son. Even for a detective, unfortunately, that was about all they could do for a person left alone in the current situation.
Also, Mitsuko apparently works at a local jeans sewing factory, as expected of the Kojima District, which is famous for jeans. It was a factory of a manufacturer that the two knew well. She said that when she was working, she could forget that she had been preceded in death by the two of them, and it was also helping her mentally. At that, even the cheerful Yoshimura seemed to have lost the words to say anything.
In the end, they stayed at the Yoneda residence until 8:00 PM, so the souvenir shops were all closed by the time they reached Shin-Kurashiki Station, and the choice to purchase them in advance had been correct. Perhaps because the next day was a weekday, at this time of night, there were almost no people who looked like tourists, and the "Kodama" was quite empty.
However, when he thought of Mitsuko's future and the pain of losing family at a young age, Nishida and Yoshimura didn't quite feel heavy-hearted, but they had indeed become listless. The conversation on the way back didn't pick up, and as they gazed through the train window at the lights of the Hanshin Industrial Zone and the city lights of Kobe, which were likely slightly dimmer than before the earthquake, they noticed that the "Kodama" had slid into Shin-Osaka Station.