Chapter 41 - Light and Shadow 20 (114–119: Shiino's True Identity, Search of the Safe Deposit Box, Interrogation of Masamitsu Suggested)
Upon returning to the hotel from the station by taxi, Nishida and Yoshimura immediately heard Kurano's message from Takeshita. They showed particular interest in the matter of the safe deposit box.
"So far, it's just as Takeshita predicted. We'll know the contents tomorrow, huh... There's also the press conference for the case over here, so it seems it'll be busy."
Nishida imagined the busyness of the next day and felt a bit heavy-hearted.
"By the way, why was your mobile phone out of range? Kurano-san said it was around after 5:00 PM."
Takeshita asked the reason why the call from Kurano didn't connect.
"At that time, we were on top of a mountain called Mt. Washuu in Kurashiki, so that's probably why (T/N: Since it was an era when being out of range was quite widespread, this is a guess)."
"I see. It would be tough on top of a mountain."
Takeshita was convinced, but for Nishida, there was a slight sense of awkwardness that his "sightseeing mood" had been exposed. However, Takeshita didn't harbor any feelings beyond the facts.
"Takeshita-san, this is a souvenir from Kurashiki. You've already eaten dinner, right? Then how about this as a substitute for dessert?"
Yoshimura thudded a thin cardboard case containing six white peaches onto the desk.
"Oh, looks delicious. I'll have some later."
Takeshita said that, then asked:
"By the way, how was Yoneda's mother?"
"She hadn't interred the remains yet. Also, I explained that prosecution would be difficult. She didn't say anything particularly resentful, but she must be frustrated deep down... Being welcomed made me feel all the more apologetic."
Nishida bit his lip as he said that. It wasn't just the bereaved family who felt frustrated.
"I see... It's quite tough for us too, isn't it, that kind of thing... It might actually be easier if we were being cursed at."
Takeshita said thoughtfully.
"It's honestly tough to show a 'result' to the Yoneda family. After this, I want to meet the 'expectations' of the Sada family... I have to do something."
That was the best he could do to tell himself.
"By the way, the initial Yoshimi matter, in the end, it's fine to say it was just an accident, right?"
"That's the direction it'll take. He died instantly after falling, and the talk with the Section Chief is settled on the direction that the camera was embezzled as lost property. Though, with Kitagawa's death, we can no longer charge anyone for that either... We might not even do a referral for a crime of that level..."
Nishida answered Yoshimura's question while clicking his tongue as if remembering something.
"Anyway, since time has passed and many important witnesses are dead, it's extremely tough. We have to take the initiative early..."
"Early and cautiously."
Nishida drove the point home in response to Takeshita's statement.
Finally, October 12th arrived, the day of the high-level meeting involving the Ministry of Justice, the Prefectural Police, the Hokkaido Police, and the prosecution. At the same time, for Takeshita, it was the deadline to receive information about Shiino, the Tozai Shinbun reporter, from Igarashi in exchange for telling him the contents of the press conference in advance. He had a feeling that even if that information didn't make it in time, Igarashi would tell him about Shiino later, but he hoped it would make it by around noon if possible.
Meanwhile, Nishida was curious about the matter of Kitagawa's safe deposit box. Normally, Takeshita should have been the one most curious about that, but it couldn't be helped.
Section Chief Tamaru of Investigation Cooperation, who had come to Osaka again, was scheduled to attend the meeting, but he had given instructions for the remaining three from the Engaru Station to wait at the hotel. However, there was a reservation that if there were instructions from Kurano or Sawai, they should prioritize those.
In the midst of all this, as the limit approached at 11:30 AM, there was an incoming call on Takeshita's mobile phone while he was in Nishida's room. Takeshita excused himself to Nishida and returned to his own room.
"Hello, Takeshita? Did I make it in time?"
"Igarashi-san. Yes, an investigation meeting is being held now, and I think the press announcement will be around evening."
"I see. Then this side first."
After saying that, Igarashi began to speak along with the sound of rustling paper.
"Regarding Shiino of the Tozai Shinbun, he's currently in the Social Affairs Department of the Osaka Headquarters, but until July of this year, he was apparently a veteran reporter in the Political Department in Tokyo."
Takeshita momentarily doubted his ears at the unexpected words.
"The timing of the transfer is one thing, but you say he was in the Political Department before that?"
"Yeah, it's a fact. A guy named Machida in our Political Department is a Waseda Political Science and Economics alumnus, and his senior is apparently Shiino. He was apparently a top-class reporter even within the Political Department of the major national newspaper Tozai Shinbun. Moreover, he was apparently the reporter assigned to the first party, the Minyu Party, for a long time. He's also fluent in English, and in his late 30s, he went to the Washington Bureau for about two years in the form of a temporary transfer to the International Department. Even within the Minyu Party, he's had a long period in charge of the Hakozaki Faction, and he apparently has deep trust from the executives. There's a story that he even received the President's Award for some scoops from that side. Because of that, even in the Political Department, there were apparently people who were suspicious of the sudden transfer at first. Thinking that he might have messed up with a politician and received a sanction. Also, the timing is too halfway. It's only natural that such stories would come out."
Even Igarashi himself sounded unconvinced. Indeed, if even Takeshita, who worked for the police, felt the movement was unnatural, it would be all the more so for Igarashi, a professional.
However, the most important thing in Igarashi's story was that Shiino was a reporter who was purely political and, moreover, had a very strong pipeline to the Hakozaki Faction. With this, the points of Oshima Kaiji, Motohashi, Shiino, and Lawyer Umeda, who connected Motohashi and Shiino at the detention house, were linked as a line with the keyword "Hakozaki Faction." At this moment, the suspicion crystallized into a conviction within Takeshita.
"I wonder what happened... Was it also his own wish?"
Takeshita pondered on the premise of Shiino's "outward" action of meeting for the purpose of publishing Motohashi's confession book, as if to hide that thought. No, rather, he might have just wanted to not think about the "conviction" "now" in order to cool his excitement.
"It's not something that can be managed just by the person's own wish, is it? It's such a huge organization!"
Igarashi's voice sounded like he was shouting at Takeshita through the phone.
"That's true, but..."
When he said that, Takeshita fell silent. The reason wasn't that he was being shouted at, but that he was trying to organize the story in his head, but Igarashi must have misunderstood, as he said:
"Hey, it's a joke, a joke. Don't worry about it... So, I've already tentatively found out the reason why that Shiino transferred to the Osaka Headquarters. So the reason for the transfer is known."
He said this as if to soothe Takeshita.
"What is the reason?"
Naturally, Takeshita recognized the truth behind Shiino's outward reason for the secondment, which was "for the publication of the confession book," but since there might be other information, he tried to draw it out.
"Well, you know that 'hitman' death row inmate Motohashi, don't you?"
"Eh? Ah... yes."
Since Igarashi mentioned Motohashi's name, he thought it was likely a story he already knew and was honestly disappointed. There was no point in hearing information he already knew.
"It seems that Motohashi's confession book was scheduled to be published next year by Tozai Shinbun Publishing, edited by the Tozai Shinbun's Social Affairs Department. This was a story from before the death penalty was completely finalized. So, Shiino, who had been involved in publishing several memoirs of Minyu Party politicians, was apparently selected by order of the upper management. Regarding that, a guy named Komuro in our Tokyo Headquarters' Social Affairs Department, who is close to the Tozai Shinbun reporters, told me various things. So the reason for the sudden transfer is also known. Well, even so, the timing is a bit strange, and it's still a question of whether there wasn't anyone else suitable..."
Even though he was disappointed, the fact that the background of the confession book story was firmly established was a major point. And more than anything, it was significant that he had obtained the conviction that Shiino was, so to speak, an "agent" sent from the Hakozaki-Oshima side. Regardless of how much the upper management of the Tozai Shinbun knew of the truth, they were likely involved to the extent of dispatching Shiino to Osaka at the request of someone in the Hakozaki Faction, such as Oshima or Umeda. While the probability was low, it was also conceivable that Shiino himself had enough influence within the company to make the upper management decide on the transfer, but in any case, it seemed a fact that political intentions had moved even the personnel of the Tozai Shinbun.
"Hey, Takeshita, are you listening?"
Since Takeshita fell silent again, Igarashi asked for a response.
"Ah, I'm listening. Sorry."
"Is this enough? If it is, hurry up and tell me your scoop or whatever."
Igarashi demanded the "ransom."
"Understood."
After a pause of about ten seconds, Takeshita said quietly:
"The main culprit in the murder of Sada Minoru is Motohashi, who just came up in the conversation."
"Oh? Eh?..."
At Takeshita's words, this time Igarashi was confused and couldn't find words. Takeshita didn't say anything in particular to that and just waited for the other party to say something.
"Hey! Takeshita, what are you saying?"
After about twenty seconds, Igarashi asked back.
"No, just that the executioner of the Sada Minoru murder is Motohashi. He confessed at the detention house a few days ago. I've also come on a business trip to Osaka and confirmed it with the person himself directly."
Hearing that, Igarashi finally seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.
"You, is that for real!? The death penalty has already been finalized for other cases, hasn't it?"
"Yes. So, we'll pull him to Hokkaido, interrogate him, re-indict him, and then a trial. Well, since the death penalty is already finalized, there's no meaning in the sentence for just the Sada murder that hasn't been judged."
"That's a surprise..."
Igarashi said that and took a deep breath, which was conveyed even through the receiver.
"So today, a meeting is being held between the executives of the Hokkaido Police, the Prefectural Police, the prosecution, and the Ministry of Justice. Well, since the conclusion is as good as known, I think they'll have a press conference before evening and announce the facts to the media. The Doho can make it in time for the evening edition with that. I'll fax the outline now, so please use it. The fax number is..."
Just as he was about to say that, Igarashi suddenly spoke.
"When you just mentioned Motohashi, I thought what a coincidence it was, but this probably isn't a coincidence, is it? Was the reason you had me look into Shiino because of the Motohashi matter?"
Since Igarashi had hit the nail on the head, there was no point in Takeshita hiding it now.
"Yes. Your insight is correct. We obtained information that Shiino was in contact with Motohashi at the detention house, and thinking that there might be something behind Shiino, I had you look into it, Igarashi-san."
When he said that:
"Hmm... I see... My head is scrambled and I can't think of anything right now, but it seems there's a huge story behind this. Well, fine, I understand! For now, tell me the fax number and send it immediately! Well, it'll probably be everywhere tomorrow, but indeed, just making it in time for today's evening edition seems like it'll be an article with considerable meaning. Also, regarding this matter, I'm quite interested. If there's anything you want me to look into, I'll cooperate in exchange for you providing it to us."
Igarashi seemed to have become suddenly enthusiastic at Takeshita's shocking confession.
"Well, I don't intend to betray the police, but I might have you cooperate within the permissible range. I'll count on you then."
"Then the fax number is..."
Takeshita listened to it, made a note, and sent the outline he had prepared in advance from the room's fax. And after receiving a reply from Igarashi saying he had indeed received it:
"Just to be sure, please only do it after confirming with the Doho's Osaka reporter that the conference is being held. If they don't announce it today, it'll be too much of a scoop. No matter how you look at it, if it's found out that someone from the Hokkaido police leaked it, it'll cause trouble for various other people around me. I'm only judging it as permissible from the timing of the press announcement, in that we're making an article that shouldn't have made it in time, make it in time..."
He drove the point home.
After finishing the exchange with Igarashi, Takeshita returned to Nishida's room.
"That took a while, didn't it?"
Nishida said as soon as Takeshita entered.
"Yes. I was having an acquaintance look into several things."
From Takeshita's way of speaking, he understood that the acquaintance was likely a Doho reporter.
"Did you find out anything?"
"Yes. Regarding the matter of that Tozai Shinbun reporter."
"Ho."
Nishida's interest was piqued by the unexpected story.
"Regarding the reporter named Shiino, he was originally a reporter on the political beat at the Tokyo Headquarters."
"Political Department!? I'm not familiar with the news business, but is that kind of personnel transfer common?"
"Of course, it's not as if they're fixed in a specialized field, but the reporter named Shiino was an elite reporter on the political beat since he was young. After all, he was the reporter assigned to the Hakozaki Faction, the core group of the ruling Minyu Party, for a national newspaper like the Tozai Shinbun... For a reporter of this level, the normal path is to show off his prowess in the Political Department for his whole life."
"And he's in the Social Affairs Department of the Osaka Headquarters, doing meetings and letters with a death row inmate? I don't quite get it."
Nishida expressed his doubt frankly.
"Moreover, he apparently transferred in August. It's normally unthinkable. And the purpose is to interview for the publication of Motohashi's confession book..."
"A reporter who was originally assigned to the Hakozaki Faction, suddenly interviewing Motohashi... Motohashi was introduced to Shiino by a lawyer who is a relative of a politician from the Oshima faction... I see, it certainly smells."
Nishida narrowed his eyes while making a grimace, seeing the "suspicion" that seemed to be behind this unnatural event.
"The lawyer's office in charge has been involved with Motohashi from the beginning, but among them, Lawyer Umeda, who is not the direct person in charge, and Shiino started moving around August. In Kitami, Kitagawa was caught for another matter at the end of July. In that case, I have a feeling they're moving based on instructions from somewhere along with the progress of our investigation."
Takeshita unconsciously lowered his voice for no reason.
"That's right... All that's left is how to pull the thread leading to the mastermind... Suspicion is just suspicion. I want to get confirmation, but how to do it?"
Nishida involuntarily folded his arms and tried spinning around on the spot, but nothing would come to mind immediately.
"Alright, anyway, I'll report the current matter to Section Chief Sawai, that's okay, right?"
"Yes, go ahead."
Having obtained Takeshita's consent, Nishida called Sawai. Since Sawai had been discussing the Yoneda family and the Kitami Regional Headquarters' raid with Nishida on the phone last night, he was initially a bit annoyed that Nishida was contacting him at this time. However, once he actually heard the contents of Takeshita's investigation, he seemed to recognize that he should naturally receive a detailed report, and he wished to speak directly with Takeshita and received an explanation of the circumstances from the man himself.
"Judging by your story, we might face various difficult situations, but anyway, do it cautiously. Even if the Headquarters Chief has changed, we have to tap the bridge before crossing it."
Sawai, like Kurano and Nishida, asked Takeshita for caution. However:
"When it's time to move, we have no choice but to move. It's a murder investigation, after all. I certainly understand that too."
He also said this clearly to Takeshita.
"If we knew the reason why Oshima had murderous intent toward Sada Minoru, we'd also know the reason why the political side has intervened this far, but currently we don't know that at all, so that's the first wall... But if it's not like that, I don't know the reason for going this far."
Takeshita also presented his theory to the Section Chief. In response, Sawai said:
"If the opponent is as you say, I think they'll slip up somewhere. There will definitely be a few chances. Wait for that. That's all I can say."
He gave that advice. Takeshita accepted it gratefully, then handed the phone back to Nishida.
"Well, if there's any movement over here, I'll contact you sequentially."
"I'm counting on you. There will be a press conference, but at that time, it'll probably be at the level of being broadcast live on NHK or something. You don't need to report on that."
With that, the conversation between Nishida and the Section Chief ended abruptly.
Afterward, Nishida was eagerly awaiting the results of the search of the safe deposit box at the Kitami Aino-uchi branch of the Hokumo Bank by the Kitami Regional Headquarters. Just as he was beginning to think it would be better to have lunch first, Nishida's mobile phone suddenly rang. Yoshimura involuntarily said:
"Uwa, of all times, at this timing!"
But he didn't pay any attention to his subordinate's grumbling and answered. As expected, it was from Kurano. He had likely left Sapporo on the overnight Okhotsk last night and had been participating in the search since morning.
"Nishida! It came out! From the safe deposit box!"
Kurano's voice was unusually bouncy from the start.
"What came out?"
"A bag! No, a bag or rather a... well, it's the same thing! It doesn't matter! It's probably Sada's. There's stuff inside too! That letter was also in there! I thought a safe deposit box would be a thin thing like a drawer, but it was a big one like a coin locker! Well, if you're going to put a whole bag in it, it has to be a certain size, after all."
Perhaps because he was excited, for someone who usually spoke quite rationally, the connection of his story wasn't quite smooth.
"The letter came out too! As expected, the guess was right! So, what specifically is the 'stuff' inside?"
Nishida ended up having to ask back while expressing joy at the result, given Kurano's uncharacteristic lack of composure.
"A copy of the letter from Sada Minoru's brother, Toru? Or whoever it was. Also, that bond and clothes—with bloodstains, no less! Also, almost everything that Sada likely brought to Kitami was packed in there as is. Kitagawa and Shinoda might have used all of that as material to manipulate Isaka to their convenience! According to Komura, the bond is almost the same as the one you have now, and he says it's probably the real thing? He said he wanted to compare and verify, but didn't you take it with you when you went to Tokyo?"
Come to think of it, he had taken the bond with him for confirmation when he went to see Hojo Masato. However, Nishida immediately realized that something he hadn't anticipated was happening.
"Wait a moment. Komura should be there, right? I'm sorry, but could you put him on the phone?"
"Hmm? Ah, he's here. Wait a moment."
Kurano called Komura.
"Yes, Komura here?"
"Ah, Komura, sorry. About the bond? Is the bond found over there not a copy?"
"I don't know, but at a glance it seems quite old, and it looks like the one the Team Leader had... At least I don't think it's a color copy, from the look of it... I think this is the genuine bond for Hojo Masaharu and Masato."
"No, if that's the case, the story we envisioned will go wrong!"
Nishida expressed his dissatisfaction openly.
"I know what the Team Leader wants to say, even over here! You mean the plot that Hojo's portion of the bond was handed over to Isaka in exchange for a promise of funding will collapse, right?"
Komura's tone also became unusually rough, as if to say he knew that much. It might have been because he was excited after finding various things in the raid, or because it was noisy around him, so his voice naturally became louder.
"If you know, then that's fine, but even so, does it smell like the real thing?"
"I'm thinking of checking if the fingerprints match the color copy of the bond in Engaru after this. Also, I'll check if the blood seal is real with a luminol reaction. Since the forensics team hasn't come yet, I think we'll do the bloodstains on the shirt and jacket that Sada was likely wearing when he was shot later. There's also the possibility that a trace amount of the bullet's jacket components is attached to the fibers of the bullet hole, and if that matches in addition to the blood type check, it'll be further corroborating evidence of the murder by Motohashi."
Normally, as Takeshita and Nishida had reasoned, there should have been a copy of the letter written by Sada Toru, and he should have been more concerned about the existence of Sada's clothes, which was unexpected, but Nishida was more concerned about the fact that a bond that "shouldn't be there" existed.
"By the way, it's definitely a copy of the letter, right?"
"Yes. That's definitely a copy. The paper is modern. I heard from Section Chief Sawai that in the interrogation of Motohashi in Osaka, the story came out that Kitagawa and Shinoda might have seen that letter at the scene in Ikutahara after Sada was killed, and this was probably it, wasn't it? Well, it would be strange if it weren't a copy, since the real one is with Sada's family and is over here now."
Komura said in a now-calm voice.
"Then there's no problem..."
Nishida answered in a low voice, like a groan.
"Aside from that, Team Leader. Other interesting things are coming out of the bag. It's a contract stating that since Isaka Daikichi was transferred 'Senzaki Daishiro's Will' from Sada on September 25th, the day before the crime, Isaka would pay Sada 20 million yen as consideration, and furthermore, Sada would borrow 200 million yen from Isaka for 10 years at an annual interest rate of 0.1%. In short, it seems to be a contract document stating that he received some kind of 'will' and paid money in exchange, and furthermore lent money. Is it the signatures and official seals of Isaka Daikichi and Sada Minoru? Those are there, and furthermore, it seems that the Prefectural Assembly Member, Matsushima Kotaro, who was said to have been present at the dinner at the time, also signed and sealed it as a witness. Furthermore, it seems this contract was given to each of the three people who attended."
It was supplementary information from Komura that he hadn't expected. Nishida, who was listening, involuntarily confirmed with a volume that echoed in the room:
"Is that 'Senzaki's will' that was transferred not exactly the bond?"
"As the Team Leader says, judging by the text, isn't the possibility naturally high?"
Komura gave a formal reply, perhaps overwhelmed by Nishida's loud voice.
"No, no, Komura, get it together! You have to tell me such an important story when we were talking about the bond! More importantly, you have to realize that a quite troublesome situation has arisen! As a practical matter, the genuine bond for Hojo was likely not in Isaka's hands, but among Sada's belongings. In that case, that 'will' that Isaka received from Sada mentioned in that document wouldn't be the bond? Or had he not received it? What's going on!?"
Nishida reprimanded his subordinate for not reporting the contradiction properly.
"Now that you mention it... I just happened to overlook it. It would indeed be strange if the 'Senzaki Daishiro's Will'—in other words, likely the bond—that Isaka himself should have received was among Sada's belongings..."
Komura also didn't seem to have a clue.
"Did Isaka Daikichi later give the bond he had in his hands to the two of them because he was threatened by Kitagawa and Shinoda?"
"I wonder about that... If the theory that you and the Senior Staff realized in the interrogation of Motohashi—that they knew about the three unidentified bodies—is correct, and they used that to negotiate new terms with Isaka Daikichi, then the bond would have no meaning for the two of them, even in terms of content... They knew that the police were investigating back in 1977, regarding the three bodies, including the one Isaka killed... I don't think there's any point in specifically demanding the bond be handed over later."
As Komura said, for Kitagawa and Shinoda, who knew that the two unidentified bodies had been found and reported, and that a third body had also been found and a police investigation had been conducted, that bond wouldn't have served as evidence to guarantee the credibility of the story. For Sada Minoru, who knew nothing, the blood-sealed bond was necessary to guarantee that the content of Sada Toru's letter was true in order to threaten Isaka... If that was the case, what was the will that Isaka received from Sada? Nishida became even more unable to understand. Or had it actually not passed into Isaka's hands...
"Well, I won't know the details if I stay here, so fax that to me. Anyway, it's not something that can be solved by thinking about it here now."
He instructed Komura, as if telling himself.
"Understood. I'll send it later. Since it's after I've sent it to forensics, it might be the day after tomorrow at the latest, but should I send it to the Prefectural Police?"
"No, send it to the hotel. The hotel's fax number is XXX..."
"Understood. Then I'll send it later. Well then, to Section Chief Kurano..."
Komura judged that his business was done and tried to hand over the phone.
"There's nothing else noteworthy, is there?"
Nishida confirmed further.
"Eh? Ah, yes. Um, other than that... That's right! Some tickets came out. A limited express reserved seat ticket for the 'Ootori' between Kitami and Engaru dated September 26th, 1987, the day he went missing, and a limited express reserved seat ticket for the Okhotsk No. 4 between Engaru and Sapporo on the same day. The passenger ticket itself was a single one for the whole trip between Kitami and Sapporo. Did he suddenly have business in Engaru and intend to get off halfway? Originally, the plan the family had initially heard was that he would leave Kitami on the 'Ootori' after 10:30 AM and return to Sapporo, but it seems he changed it to the portion up to Engaru on that day, as a change stamp dated September 26th was pressed. So he must have changed it early in the morning before he went missing. On top of that, it seems he had a new reserved seat ticket for the 'Okhotsk No. 4' from Engaru to Sapporo issued at Kitami Station, judging by the face of the ticket."
This was also an unexpected story for Nishida. He knew that Sada Minoru didn't take the "Ootori" he was originally supposed to take on September 26th, the day he went missing, and he knew from Motohashi's testimony that he had headed to the scene in Ikutahara by car with Motohashi and the others that day. However, it seemed that even before that change of plans, there had been a change of plans to stop by Engaru once. He didn't know if that was a major new fact for the Sada murder, but it was certainly a fact that made the connection of the story until Sada was murdered become blurred.
"Originally, on that day, Sada Minoru had various things to do related to fundraising and was supposed to return to Sapporo immediately, but we're seeing it as he suddenly went to the scene in Ikutahara and was killed, likely due to Isaka's ploy. However, the reality is that even before that, he had already changed his way of returning to Sapporo... What's the reason? If the reason for that change was to go and look for the gold dust that he still mistakenly believed—no, was deceived into believing—was hidden, then with the time of the 'Ootori,' it would be too early to return to Kitami Station anyway, so it would be completely impossible. If it's that much, it's closer to go from the scene to Ikutahara Station or Engaru Station. In other words, there should be no need to take the Ootori from Kitami in the first place... So, likely, after he changed the Ootori ticket, the talk of taking the gold at the scene came from Isaka, but I have no idea why he changed the ticket before that."
Nishida also fell into thought.
"I've also contacted the bereaved family to have them come in the near future and confirm the bag and its contents, so I think we'll be able to hear various things over here..."
Since Nishida had fallen silent, Komura made a suggestion to him as if testing the waters.
"Well, I'll leave that to you. It's no use saying this and that over here about this either... Yeah, for now, put Kurano-san on."
Without being convinced, Nishida weakly requested Komura to switch.
The switched Kurano sounded a bit more composed than before, and he announced an even more unexpected voluntary interrogation of Isaka Masamitsu. It seemed he had been confused earlier with so many things he wanted to convey.
"Wait? Are you finally going to do it with Isaka Masamitsu!?"
To the surprised Nishida, Kurano said matter-of-factly:
"We're doing it! I want to check the flow of money between the Isaka relations and Motohashi once more. I've already requested a warrant for the bank to grasp the flow of funds from the Isaka family and the Isaka Group. Since I honestly don't know how seriously the investigation eight years ago was conducted, in a sense, it's a do-over. Also, that man who introduced Motohashi to Isaka at the coffee shop might be an associate of the Isaka Group, so I decided to hit them head-on, partly because of that. For now, I'll focus on the sketch Motohashi drew, but it's also dangerous to narrow it down too much with just that. I'm thinking of narrowing it down roughly to people who were 30 or older at the time. Anyway, it's a pain to do things sneakily behind the scenes, and since there's a police press conference this afternoon, there's a possibility it'll become public and be covered up, so I suddenly shifted the policy. The die is cast."
He said it. Certainly, a cautious investigation is necessary, but once things have come this far, it might be better to go boldly. Nishida also agreed with Kurano's shift in policy.
Thinking that the other party was also in the middle of a search and had various things to do, Nishida ended the conversation with Kurano by bringing it up himself. As soon as he hung up, he said to Takeshita:
"Hey! As expected, something like a copy of the letter was found among Sada's luggage that Kitagawa was keeping!"
He first announced the discovery as expected.
"Is that so! We did it. It seems the flow of Kitagawa and the others putting some kind of pressure on Isaka after seeing that is being smoothly revealed, which is great."
Takeshita was honestly happy that his reasoning had hit the mark.
"But, there was a problem. First, it seems Hojo's portion of the bond was in Kitagawa's hands. It apparently came out of Sada's luggage too! According to our reading, it should have been in Isaka's possession..."
"Eh? Was that what you were arguing with Komura about on the phone just now? Wait a moment... That's the real thing, isn't it? I also agreed with the theory that Hojo's portion of the bond was handed over to Isaka in exchange for funding, so this is a problem..."
He leaked the same impression as Nishida, and his expression involuntarily twisted.
"I can't conclude yet, but the possibility still seems high! Since Komura, who's gone to 'help,' is saying so. At the same time, something like a contract that was likely concluded between Isaka and Sada on the day of the dinner came out together, and in it, it was apparently written that Isaka would receive Senzaki's 'will' from Sada on that day, and 20 million would be paid as consideration for it. I can't think of any 'will' that would have such an amount paid for it other than that bond..."
When told that by Nishida, Takeshita fell even further into thought. Since the bond, which should not have existed anywhere but the Isaka house if it had actually been transferred to Isaka Daikichi, existed in reality among Sada's luggage kept by Kitagawa. However, that contradicted the wording of the so-called contract between Isaka and Sada.
"It's strange... As long as we're on the premise of the testimony of the eldest brother, Sada Yuzuru, there are at most only two real bonds in Sada Minoru's hands. Even before Yuzuru's testimony, the ones who originally had the bonds were Isaka Tasuke—that is, Daikichi—and Kuwano Kinya, Hojo Masato, and Sada Toru. Among them, the ones who likely took all of Senzaki's hidden gold for themselves were Isaka and Kuwano. I don't know if those two kept the bonds or disposed of them, but logically speaking, Sada Minoru could only have two at most."
It was exactly as Takeshita said, and there should be no lie in Yuzuru's testimony.
"If neither of the bonds Sada had passed into Isaka's hands, then was the bond not that 'will' that Isaka received... Was there something else corresponding to a will? If so, we're at a loss with the information we currently have. However, there's no other will that Isaka would want enough to pay 20 million for other than that one..."
After saying that, he folded his arms and thought for a while.
After about a minute, he finally spoke.
"Isaka probably didn't know that Sada had even Hojo's portion of the bond, so taking the bond back from the opponent must have been a very important point. Conversely, for Sada, who could leave one more trump card, it should have been advantageous for catching the opponent off guard, and it would have been a good choice to hand it over to reassure the opponent... Thinking normally, since there's a document saying he received the bond, the one Kitagawa was keeping must be a fake, right? I feel bad for Komura, though."
He continued to mutter in a low voice as if he had entered his own world.
"Takeshita, you know well that there's no way Komura would miss something like that... Besides, if there's such a sophisticated fake, then conversely, it would mean that a fake might have been handed to Isaka."
Nishida said it a bit sharply, but he also understood Takeshita's feelings.
"Anyway, they're going to properly check the blood seal on the bond remaining over there, so we'll know soon. Oh right... Also, it probably isn't very important, but it seems the reserved seat for the Ootori that Sada was supposed to take back to Sapporo was changed to a reserved seat up to Engaru. And from Engaru, he apparently intended to return to Sapporo on the Okhotsk No. 4. That reserved seat ticket also came out."
"Ah, was that the story about the 'Ootori' this and that? Even more inexplicable. What on earth is going on!"
Even for the intellectually brilliant Takeshita, it seemed quite tough to understand everything that had happened in the last few days in a logical way. Perhaps because the reading of the letter was at a standstill, he had never seen Takeshita this irritated.
"I also talked with Komura, but if he had gone to the scene in Ikutahara, it would be extremely tough to return to Kitami by the departure time of the Ootori. So, he must have changed the ticket before it was decided to go to Ikutahara, but even so, I wonder what business he had in Engaru."
Nishida continued the story while being careful not to provoke Takeshita. Yoshimura reacted to that.
"What about the Maeda couple that Sada was indebted to in Ikutahara in August of that year? Did he go to see them?"
Indeed, it was true that Sada had told the Maeda couple in Ikutahara, who had taken care of him in August, that he would come to see them again, but had been out of contact since then.
"No, wait a moment, the limited express also stops at Ikutahara Station, doesn't it? The nearest station is Ankoku Station, but no matter how you look at it, a taxi from Ikutahara Station would be cheaper than from Engaru."
Nishida immediately raised a doubt.
However, hearing that, Yoshimura immediately took a pocket timetable out of his bag and flipped through it for a while, then showed the relevant page to Nishida with a grin.
"The current Okhotsk No. 4 passes through Ikutahara Station. Since this is likely the successor to the 'Ootori' at the time (T/N: The limited express 'Ootori' that ran between Hakodate and Abashiri in 1987 was abolished with the opening of the Seikan Tunnel in March 1988. In particular, the up 'Ootori' from Abashiri to Hakodate was reborn as the Okhotsk No. 4, a limited express from Abashiri to Sapporo. In other words, the Okhotsk No. 4 in 1987 when Sada Minoru was murdered was the Okhotsk No. 6 in 1995, and the Okhotsk No. 6 in 1987 was the Okhotsk No. 8 in 1995), the 'Ootori' at the time probably passed through it too, didn't it? On the other hand, if you want to get off at Ikutahara Station and then take the Okhotsk to return to Sapporo, you'd have to go on the Okhotsk No. 2 early in the morning and then take the Okhotsk No. 4 at the time... which I think corresponds to the Okhotsk No. 6 now. If you go to Ikutahara on the Okhotsk No. 4 at the time and return to Sapporo on the Okhotsk No. 6, it'll be quite late. Since the original plan was to return on the Ootori, that would be too much later than the planned time. In that case, getting off at Engaru and taking a taxi to Ikutahara would cost more money but would save time. Of course, it's necessary that the 'Ootori' eight years ago passed through Ikutahara Station just like now. Why don't we stop by a used bookstore later and look up the timetable from that time?"
Regardless of whether Yoshimura's theory was correct, it had a certain persuasiveness. This meant he had to consider Yoshimura's idea as one possibility, but:
"I might have been outmaneuvered by this guy. It's worth looking into when we have time. However, since it's certain that he suddenly decided to stop by, I can't think of a reason to go to see the Maeda couple that far. Usually, you'd at least make a phone call in advance, wouldn't you?"
Nishida also pointed out the problems.
"Well, I can't deny that, honestly."
Yoshimura was nonchalant, not taking responsibility for his own statement.
However, Takeshita presented another point of doubt.
"The Okhotsk No. 4 from 1987 that he intended to take from Engaru likely stopped at Ikutahara, right?"
"Well, probably..."
"Then, shouldn't he have just taken it from Ikutahara instead of Engaru to return to Sapporo?"
Certainly, if he could board from Ikutahara, he should have.
"That's true, but if, as I speculated, the Ootori didn't stop at Ikutahara, then Ikutahara and Engaru would be a double boarding, so either way, he'd need a separate regular passenger ticket from Ikutahara to Engaru, wouldn't he?"
"Even so, if he paid the separate fare for the Engaru-Ikutahara section to the conductor on the train, it would be cheaper than a taxi and wouldn't take as much time, would it?"
"Umm..."
Yoshimura had no room for rebuttal to this. However, Takeshita also said:
"Well, humans don't always act rationally, so I can't say anything for sure with just that."
He didn't go as far as cornering Yoshimura logically.
After 2:00 PM, as planned until yesterday, the press conference for the media by the Prefectural Police began, and the three at the hotel received a call from Section Chief Tamaru. And at 3:00, NHK and the commercial wide shows in the same time slot began live broadcasts. Nishida and the others were naturally glued to them. Finally, Motohashi's new atrocity would become known to the general public nationwide.
Meanwhile, even during that broadcast, an emergency call came to Nishida from Komura, who had returned to the Kitami Regional Headquarters for the appraisal. He said that the luminol reaction confirmed it was definitely real blood, and the human blood determination was also finished. No, more than anything, the blood type, which had a record at the hospital Isaka Daikichi frequented, and the fingerprints, which were recorded by the police, matched the blood seal of Isaka Daikichi.
With this, the remaining bond was almost certainly the genuine one belonging to Hojo Masato. After that, if they could check whether the fingerprints of Masato, who should have been the original owner and whose blood seal it was, remained on other parts of the bond, it would be definitely confirmed. Since it was old, there was a possibility they wouldn't be able to detect them, but Nishida saw that with current technology, they could manage somehow. But even if they couldn't be detected, this much material would be enough. Also, regarding the official seals on the receipt contract, when they checked with the Kitami City Hall where Matsushima Kotaro's was registered, it matched. Handwriting analysis couldn't be done immediately, but the possibility that this was also the real thing seemed to have increased. Furthermore, the bloodstains on the clothes also matched Isaka's blood type. After that, if they could analyze the handgun components attached to the clothes, this would also be perfect.
Once things had come this far, the murder case itself was clearly heading toward a resolution in its broad outlines, but at the same time, small discrepancies were also beginning to appear, at least for the investigators of the Engaru Station who were looking at the case in detail. They knew they should look at the big picture, but Nishida, Takeshita, and Yoshimura were all beginning to feel something that didn't sit right. Komura, who had been dispatched directly to Kitami, must have felt it too.
And since the Engaru Station itself had left the raid to the Kitami Regional Headquarters, but Komura alone was no longer able to input information as a person directly involved in the investigation, they had ended up dispatching Kurosu to Kitami after the bank raid. Even though Mitsushima and Kitamura of the Kitami Regional Headquarters group were more familiar with the circumstances than other investigators from the Kitami Regional Headquarters since they had been out of the investigation at a crucial time, they were still not as well-versed as the Engaru group.
Also, since calls for confirmation from Kurano and others were coming into the station at any time, and the Violent Crimes Unit only had Kurosu and Oba, everyone including Sawai was quite busy. However, even in the midst of that, they kept the news on at all times and kept an eye on the information from the press conference. Naturally, information from Komura was coming into the Engaru Station at any time, so they barely had time to think deeply.
Around after 4:00 PM, when they received word that the warrant for the investigation of bank accounts around Isaka had been issued to the Kitami Regional Headquarters, a female clerk came to the Violent Crimes Unit with the evening edition of the Hokkaido Shinpo. Sawai accepted it, and since he had no extra time, he quickly opened the paper. The words "Serial Killer Motohashi Confesses to Murder in Ikutahara" were dancing on the front page, and they immediately caught Sawai's eye. Oba, who happened to be looking from the side, said:
"Wait? It made it into the evening edition after that press conference? It's after 3:00, right? It's unbelievably fast!"
His eyes were wide. Sawai didn't say a word in response to that, but only thought in his heart:
"That Takeshita, he did it well... He traded the information from the reporter earlier for this..."
He quietly saw through Takeshita's involvement in the article.
And it was after 5:00 PM when the Kitami Regional Headquarters requested account information from several banks. There were no obvious major discoveries that could be known on the spot, but they seized what was necessary and immediately began analysis.