Chapter 51 - Light and Shadow 30 (162–166: Information from Kitamura regarding the construction company shooting, Motohashi's transfer to Engaru)
Nishida and Yoshimura were on night duty that evening. Night duty at Engaru Station wasn't particularly busy compared to urban areas, so it was relatively relaxed. They spent the time drinking coffee and talking about everything from trivial matters to the Motohashi case.
Shortly after Nishida woke from his nap and swapped with Yoshimura—specifically around 3:00 AM on the 22nd—an emergency report came in from the Kitami District Headquarters. Several gunshots had been fired into Kutani Construction, a construction company in Memanbetsu (as of 1995; currently Ozora Town). Since it was late Sunday night, no one was in the office, but the glass breaking triggered an automatic alarm to the security company. The responding guard confirmed the situation and dialed 110 to the Bihoro Station, which had jurisdiction.
Upon hearing the initial report of the shooting at the construction company, Nishida recalled the story he'd seen in a weekly magazine by Takagaki Shinichi regarding the struggle over concessions in Eastern Hokkaido. At that time, the police hadn't recognized the level of tension described in the article at all, but he had a bad premonition that it was becoming a reality. For now, it had ended with a mere shooting at a building, so it wasn't a major problem, but...
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On the morning of Sunday, October 22, after the sun had fully risen, Nishida was speaking with the Section Chief for the handover when the shooting incident was briefly mentioned on the morning TV news.
"Is this it? The one you were talking about, Nishida..."
Sawai stared at the television, having already heard the story from Nishida.
"It seems the turf war between construction companies is heating up over the reduction in public works. There are rumors about whether the yakuza are moving or not..."
"Since it's a shooting at a construction company, it's likely yakuza-related... It'll be a pain if this escalates further. The Kitami District was busy until recently, so I'm sure they wanted to take it easy for a while..."
Saying that, he continued the handover with Nishida.
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After Nishida and Yoshimura went home, Takeshita reported the new discovery regarding Shiino's letter addressed to Motohashi to Kurano at the Kitami District Headquarters. He made a final request, asking to be allowed to participate in the interrogation in Sapporo. Kurano praised Takeshita for deciphering the significance of Shiino's letter, but he presented Takeshita with the most difficult challenge.
"While that perfectly explains how Shiino was heavily involved in Motohashi's confession, I don't think Motohashi will admit to it or confess to political involvement. I wonder if 'Headquarters' will allow us to take the time for that in Sapporo. And above all, regarding Oshima's involvement, which you see as the main target—isn't that information still just within the realm of speculation? You can't corner him with that, can you? Even at the Kotoni Detention Center, he's apparently maintaining that same attitude with the HQ detectives..."
"To be frank, that is a weak point..."
Takeshita couldn't definitively say it was a 'discovery' significant enough to draw something out during Motohashi's interrogation.
"Fine. I'll try talking to the Sapporo HQ, but don't get your hopes up. I suspect the best we'll get is being allowed to interrogate him when he's finally brought in for the investigative reenactment."
Kurano spoke dismissively, likely out of consideration so as not to raise false hopes. Takeshita felt that, but he also harbored a sense of regret. The frustration of 'not having enough time' only continued to grow. And as a result, as expected, the Hokkaido Prefectural Police HQ did not grant Engaru Station time for interrogation in Sapporo.
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Although the members of Engaru Station tried to obtain proof of Oshima Kaiji's involvement, they lacked the materials to take concrete action, and October 25th arrived. On that day, the Prefectural Police HQ informed Engaru Station that Motohashi's interrogation was 'basically' proceeding smoothly, and they expected to move to the investigative reenactment in Ikutahara after the extension of his detention. Nishida and the others tried to grasp information or evidence linking Oshima to the case before the detention deadline, but honestly, they couldn't find a 'move' to make.
Even while performing his regular duties, Takeshita seemed to be elsewhere, constantly thinking about the case. Since the letter, which was his ray of hope, had turned out to be a 'swing and a miss' in a sense, he felt a strong sense of being at a dead end.
Nishida thought that their superior, Sawai, while watching his subordinates' struggle, seemed to have 'given up' on the outcome to some extent. Perhaps Sawai even thought it would be ideal if things stayed as they were, as finding something might actually be troublesome for his position. No, Nishida knew he wasn't the kind of sly boss who wouldn't move when he should, but...
With those thoughts in mind, Nishida was again discussing the arrangements with Sawai to escort Motohashi from the Sapporo Detention Branch to Engaru. They needed to coordinate with HQ and the Kitami District on whether to use rail transport or bring him directly by car. Basically, a car was better, but since the transport distance was considerable, measures against the media were also an issue. That said, it was common for the police to leak some information to the media; to put it bluntly, the escort by car was a 'match-pump' (T/N: creating a problem to then take credit for solving it) sort of response.
Nishida considered the advantage that they could use the highway as far as Asahikawa by car, and it would eliminate the need to transfer from a train to a car at the station. With Sawai's permission, he submitted a request for Engaru Station to use a car. Ultimately, the Prefectural Police HQ adopted this, and the escort was set for October 30th. It was also reported to Engaru Station that Motohashi's lawyer from the legal office had gone all the way to Sapporo to handle the interviews.
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On the morning of October 28, as soon as Nishida arrived at work, Oba, who was finishing his night shift, spoke to him.
"Team Leader, it seems there was a shooting in Abashiri late last night. Apparently, it was another construction company..."
"Again?"
Nishida quickly took off his coat, thinking that the stories from the weekly magazine were definitely becoming reality. At the time, he had felt they were exaggerated, but whether the reporters had predicted it or it had just happened to turn violent, it was certain that the facts were catching up to the articles.
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The place where bullets were fired in the middle of the night was Murayama-gumi in Abashiri, which was strong in port-related construction and renovation. Rumor had it that it was effectively a front company for the Nissho-kai, a local yakuza group. They were a major supporter of 'Kosaka Kousuke' of the Minyu Party, a Prefectural Assembly member elected from Abashiri who was a veteran among the Minyu Party assemblymen. Needless to say, he was also a supporter of Oshima Kaiji, the regional representative in national politics. It was rumored that their unparalleled strength in port-related public works was due more to those connections than their technical capabilities. However, there was a high possibility that port-related public works would decrease in the future, so Murayama-gumi had apparently been actively entering the general construction public works sector over the past year or two.
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The one who told the members of Engaru Station such detailed information was Kitamura, who had come to Engaru Station for the first time in a while. He had come in the evening to discuss Motohashi's escort.
The escort was to take the form of a joint operation between Engaru Station and the Kitami District Headquarters, and Kitamura had been chosen as a member from Kitami. It seemed Kurano had selected him because he valued the relationship with Engaru Station. Kitamura had a close friend in the Organized Crime Department at the Kitami District Headquarters, so he was well-versed in that kind of information.
"If that's the case, the 4th Division (T/N: Organized Crime Department) in Kitami must be getting busy, right?"
To Sawai's question, Kitamura replied,
"Yes. It's been getting hectic since the first shooting, and it seems the alert level has been raised after today's incident. The 1st Division might have to start cooperating soon too."
"Just when I thought we could finally focus on this after the serial murders ended, it looks like we might not be able to say that."
"Team Leader Nishida, well, that's true, but basically, our place is definitely one of the quieter ones among the general HQ-affiliated organizations, so we can't really complain," Kitamura said self-deprecatingly, but his sense of fulfillment was more noticeable than his fatigue.
"By the way, how is it going with Motohashi?"
Nishida guessed that 'how is it going' carried the meaning of 'from Engaru Station's perspective.' However, regarding 'Oshima,' although it was something his former partner Kitamura himself knew, Nishida thought it would be safer not to speak of it lightly under these circumstances.
"Yeah, well, for now, we're leaving it to 'Headquarters'..." he said, remaining vague.
"No, I get that, but from what I've heard privately from our Section Chief Kurano, you're getting a bit closer?" Kitamura asked in a low voice, still keeping it indirect.
"What, you knew!"
Nishida was taken aback, but from Kitamura's tone, he understood that Kurano hadn't been blabbing about the investigation into Oshima to everyone, so he didn't panic. And above all, he felt that Kurano was, surprisingly, holding out at least a little hope.
"So, how is it?"
Kitamura continued to press, but Takeshita replied dismissively,
"Unfortunately, we still haven't found 'the one' thing..."
"I see... That's a shame." Kitamura's face contorted with genuine regret.
"In any case, without something decisive, it's hard to move openly. Kurano-san told me that too. I plan to try questioning Motohashi when we hold him in Engaru, though," Nishida explained to Kitamura.
"I'll be participating as an investigator from the Kitami District starting from the investigative reenactment, so if there's anything I can do to help get results, I'll do it!"
"That's encouraging."
Nishida welcomed Kitamura's spirit, but he didn't dare tell Kitamura his recognition that they couldn't expect much. However, he thought that if Kitamura had heard from Kurano, he might have had some grasp of the situation deep down.
"By the way, Kitamura, you drew out the testimony from Matsushima Kotaro about the contract exchanged between Sada Minoru and Isaka Daikichi, didn't you?"
"Huh? Oh, about Matsushima's testimony... Yes, that's right."
Since he was suddenly questioned by Nishida, he didn't seem to know what it was about for a moment, but he hurriedly affirmed it.
"You did well to get that out."
When Sawai praised him, Kitamura showed humility.
"No, it's thanks to my girlfriend, in a sense."
"Now that you mention it, Section Chief Kurano said something about that. Was your girlfriend's relative Matsushima's attending nurse?"
"Team Leader Nishida, even though I said relative, she's my girlfriend's sister-in-law."
"Sister-in-law... so she's the wife of her older brother?"
"That's the one. She's the same age as me. She was in charge of Matsushima and they became close, so I made full use of that connection," he explained to Nishida with a somewhat proud look for some reason.
"What kind of person is Matsushima?" Takeshita asked.
"To be honest, since he's in a state where he's near death, I don't know how he was when he was healthy, but he was quite emaciated. However, his consciousness was clear."
"Was it lung cancer?"
"Section Chief Sawai, yes. It seems quite painful... He seemed to have a lot of trouble even speaking."
Kitamura's smile clouded over at this moment. Even if he wasn't an acquaintance, having spoken to him directly, he must have felt the severity of the illness.
"I see... He doesn't have much longer, after all. It would have been good if we could have obtained other testimony."
Nishida spoke with deep emotion, but Kitamura apologized.
"Unfortunately, that much was impossible. He said 'I don't know the details' in a suggestive way, but I couldn't get any further testimony. I'm sorry my efforts weren't enough."
"No, it's not something you should apologize for, obviously," Nishida said, patting Kitamura on the shoulder.
"The sister-in-law—the nurse whose surname is Momose—said he was an unpleasant guy when he first was admitted. But as the disease progressed and he grew weaker, he finally seemed to realize the value of the nurses and opened up. That's what led to that testimony."
"If that's the case, I wish he'd just spill everything he knows at the end..."
Komura chimed in from the side, and it went without saying that everyone present felt the same way.
Kitamura returned to Kitami as soon as the meeting was over. Afterward, they all discussed which detectives from Engaru Station would join the escort. Nishida intended to leave it to subordinates other than Takeshita and Yoshimura this time, but Sawai ordered Nishida to go. It was likely in consideration of the coordination with the escort from Osaka, and also the fact that he had been partners with Kitamura.
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October 30th, 7:00 AM. Nishida and Kitamura were riding together in a van speeding along the Do-O Expressway toward Asahikawa. To be precise, that Motohashi was also inside. In addition, Senior Staff Ochiai and Detective Uno from the Prefectural Police HQ's 1st Division were also on board. They were in the middle of escorting him from the Sapporo Detention Branch to Engaru Station for the investigative reenactment at the murder scene in Ikutahara.
The plan was for the other investigators from the Prefectural Police HQ to go to Engaru by rail, while the investigators from the Kitami District would come to Engaru Station by car, and then they would all head to Ikutahara together.
They had prepared for some media pursuit, but other than one helicopter that seemed to be filming from the air, there was only about one car that looked like it might be media. They likely intended to focus on filming the reenactment at the site.
Since the schedule for the investigative reenactment had been finalized suddenly, Nishida and Kitamura had entered Sapporo by train the previous night and were returning to Engaru in the escort vehicle with very little sleep. Because of that, although it was inappropriate while on duty, they were feeling quite drowsy. Whether the two from 'Headquarters,' Ochiai and Uno, knew the situation or not, they also remained silent without conversation, so the inside of the car was quiet except for the sound of the wind as the car traveled at high speed.
Motohashi also remained silent, but perhaps he was bothered by the other detectives' silence.
"Hey, you guys are awfully quiet. Say something!" he suddenly began to complain.
"You don't take questions, right? At times like this," Nishida said calmly, using the same words Motohashi had used during the escort from Osaka to be ironic.
"That's true, but we can at least have some small talk, can't we?" he replied.
"Small talk, huh... Rather than that, I'd like you to reflect on what you've done..."
Ochiai made a sarcastic remark, but then he spoke coldly to Motohashi.
"However, it's going to take quite a while from here... If you have something you want to say, just go ahead."
"That's very kind of you."
Motohashi made a spiteful remark, but then he asked Nishida,
"By the way, those two subordinates of yours who interrogated me in Osaka and escorted me here aren't coming today?"
"They're both staying behind in Engaru today," Nishida replied with his eyes closed.
"Is that so. Especially the one who was doing the main interrogation—Takeshita, was it? He's young, but he seemed like a detective with some promise. It's a shame I can't see him today."
"If it's Takeshita, he's scheduled to interrogate you again in Engaru. He should be waiting with his sleeves rolled up."
Nishida used a threatening phrasing, but Motohashi gave a typical response.
"Hmm, that's something to look forward to. Not to brag, but for a guy who was luckily a yakuza, I haven't been in the care of the police much. But even from my perspective, I think he's a detective with backbone and brains. Well, he did have the image of being a bit inflexible. In the police, someone like that probably won't get promoted as much as their ability warrants."
"Maybe so..."
Being told that by Motohashi, Nishida's response was instinctively vague. It wasn't so much that he didn't have an answer, but rather that he was surprised by how accurate Motohashi's assessment of Takeshita was.
In reality, when he interrogated him in Osaka, Takeshita hadn't particularly displayed his sharpness in front of Motohashi himself. At the same time, while he showed his inflexibility in front of the detectives, he hadn't shown it in front of Motohashi either. Despite that, the analysis was remarkably spot on.
"It's a good thing to have such excellent subordinates. I think I have a decent eye for people, but I was betrayed by my own direct underlings, and now look at me... People say the boss is important, but once you're on top, the subordinates' abilities are even more important, aren't they?"
To Motohashi, who was confirming again, Nishida answered with conviction.
"Yes, that's exactly right."
"Even so, this conversation isn't going anywhere... Then how about this? Why on earth are you guys doing such a boring job as being a detective? Is it out of hypocrisy? Or is it for the sake of a government paycheck? Each of you, answer!"
He suddenly changed the subject abruptly.
"It grates on me to be called a hypocrite by you," Nishida said, but then he answered honestly.
"To be honest, I won't deny that the appeal of being a civil servant was greater than a sense of justice."
"Civil servants are blessed in many ways, after all. But thanks to that, Japan is in this state!"
Motohashi continued to spout plausible words on a 'look who's talking' level, but the other detectives, while giving frank answers like Nishida's, didn't engage with Motohashi's words and just smirked, letting the strange 'sound arguments' of the notorious criminal slide.
And finally, when he turned to Kitamura, Kitamura scratched his head sheepishly.
"Embarrassingly enough..." he prefaced.
"I've liked things like mystery novels since I was a kid, and partly because of that influence, it was my dream to become a detective."
"Well now, here comes a guy with a reason that's like a flower garden in contrast."
Motohashi spoke in a mocking tone, but on the other hand, he pressed with great interest.
"Tell me a bit more!"
"The first thing that got me interested was Sherlock Holmes. From there, I fell deeper and deeper into Edogawa Ranpo and Yokomizo Seishi."
"I see, the royal road of mystery novels... I'm not particularly fond of mysteries, but I remember borrowing and reading Sherlock Holmes from the school library when I was a kid. And now I'm a murderer and you're a detective. Things don't work out well in this world, do they?"
Saying that, Motohashi laughed heartily.
"By the way, speaking of Sherlock Holmes, what kind of stories do you like? There were all sorts, long ones and short ones."
To Motohashi's further question, Kitamura was perplexed but thought hard.
"Well... you've asked a difficult one." And finally, he answered.
"'The Red-Headed League' left an impression on me because of the unexpectedness of the story."
"The Red-Headed League... If I recall, was that the story about digging a tunnel under the shop of a red-headed owner to steal money from a bank vault?"
"Oh, yeah, that's it! You remember it well, even though you don't like them that much!"
Kitamura was a little happy at Motohashi's unexpected knowledge, but perhaps realizing the situation he was in, he immediately stopped being cheerful.
"That was a pretty good story too. Conan Doyle certainly has many masterpieces, but the one that left an impression on me was 'The Blue Carbuncle' (T/N: in recent years, many translations use 'Sapphire' instead of 'Carbuncle')."
"Ah, that one's good too."
Kitamura instinctively agreed, but immediately after, he looked awkward again for having found common ground with a death row inmate. And seeing the detective who said he liked the Sherlock Holmes series and the death row inmate hitting it off over Holmes, Nishida was inwardly stifling a laugh. Through these exchanges, a strange liveliness had emerged in the car that had been filled with drowsiness.