Chapter 67 - Light and Shadow 46 {Combined 50/51} (223-224, 225-227 Takagaki Contact Part 2, The Reason Hamana Was Involved)
"Is that a common occurrence?"
To Takeshita's question, Takagaki replied,
"Well, it's not unheard of to have the content of an article specified in detail, but usually, it's a request from an editor you're somewhat familiar with. So 'that' was also bothering me. But having work itself isn't a bad thing. Especially since the content was something I was interested in, I thought, 'there are various things' about it, but let's accept it."
"So you hadn't worked with Weekly FREE until then?"
"Right, right. Like I said earlier, I even thought it wasn't a very good magazine... Besides, Kochi Publishing, which puts out Weekly FREE, has a relationship with a place called Tozai Shinbun Publishing. Ah, it's no use saying this kind of thing..."
Takagaki probably didn't see the point in explaining the capital relationships of publishing companies to an ordinary person, but for Takeshita, what Takagaki said about that part would be very important information. Naturally, he needed to make sure Takagaki didn't stop talking.
"It's not useless at all. It's interesting to hear how a pro thinks about their work."
"But you know, this gets into personal matters, so I wonder... I don't know if you'll understand even if I explain."
"No, no, I'm already on board, so please don't worry and go ahead."
"Is that so? Well then... I was originally a reporter for the Tozai Shinbun."
"Yes, I know."
"Eh? You even know that? No, no, you've really researched me well. Scary, scary!"
Takagaki said this and exaggeratedly crossed both hands in front of his chest, acting like a shivering maiden. He seemed to be getting a bit drunk.
"Well, you're normally famous."
"Is that so? If that's the case, then fine... And you see, the reason I quit Tozai Shinbun was that I was fed up with the 'government mouthpiece' nature of writing only articles that were cozy with the ruling party, the administration, and the industrial world."
"Do they really write only mouthpiece articles? I think they write quite a few critical things too?"
Takeshita voiced his doubt overtly.
"That's just for show, for show! They don't write the truly dangerous stories... I myself went from the backwaters of Fukushima to a university in Tokyo and became a newspaper reporter, yet I had two or three big scoops crushed by the higher-ups. They'd say, 'Good job, but we can't put this out.' Since they operate like that, every day was a struggle over why I became a bunya—no, a reporter."
Takagaki said this while slowly and lengthily exhaling cigarette smoke.
"I see. So that's why you left the company..."
"Yes. So I left in the summer of 1979. Because of that, I had some feelings about Tozai Shinbun. And I didn't have a good impression of Kochi Publishing either, which is related to Tozai Shinbun's subsidiary, Tozai Shinbun Publishing. However, for the reason I mentioned earlier, I tried accepting it."
"And then?"
"And then, as interviewees, they introduced me to a yakuza from Kitami, Hokkaido, and a person claiming to be an executive of a construction company in Kitami. I interviewed each of them on different days at a small restaurant in Kitami, and I wrote the article by reconciling those with stories from an informant at the Hokkaido Development Agency, who is my own information source."
"Did you arrange that with the editor in advance?"
"Yeah, exactly. They said the Hokkaido Development Agency could be my source, but the others would be prepared by the editor, so please handle it that way. It seems they even knew I had a source at the Development Agency. A young editor came along to Kitami, but well, he just felt like he was doing what he was told from above. It didn't seem like he was the one who made the settings in advance."
"Did the yakuza and the construction company executive properly identify themselves?"
"Yeah, they did."
"Specifically?"
Perhaps because Takeshita was pushing so hard, Takagaki took on a suspicious look.
"I'm sorry for being an amateur sticking my nose in so arrogantly."
Sensing the atmosphere, Takeshita quickly moved to cover it up.
"...Well, I suppose the people who read my books are mostly the inquisitive type... Even so, the way you're biting onto this is unusual, you."
Saying that, Takagaki smiled slightly, perhaps to smooth things over. Then he placed his cigarette in the ashtray and downed his whiskey.
Takeshita was thinking that although Takagaki had written that article, the "direction" of the content had been guided by the editorial side of Weekly FREE. At the very least, they had him get the "prediction that the public works pie will shrink in the future" from Takagaki's reliable source, while forcing him to write the "fiction" that yakuza conflicts were occurring at the same time from the FREE side. He understood it to be that way.
"Thinking back, I just went along with everything the editor said because it was easier in terms of time, but as a journalist of sorts, I must always make the effort to find the sources myself. At the very least, I completely left that part to the other party, and on top of that, the article had no credibility. This is a basic mistake that shouldn't be made. That's why I had them stop the subsequent series. I was told various complaints and even threatened with a lawsuit, but I told them I'd take them on. I couldn't back down either..."
After saying that much, Takagaki fell silent. Takeshita watched him for a while, then said,
"It must have been a job you regret, Takagaki-san, but wasn't it unavoidable? No job is ever perfect."
At that moment, he tried to comfort him, setting aside his work.
"That's not true!"
Takagaki suddenly became agitated, and for a moment, Charmant fell silent. Takeshita and Kurosu also stared at Takagaki in amazement at the unexpected turn of events, remaining motionless. However, the master, reading the air, immediately resumed conversation with a customer who seemed to be a regular, acting as if nothing had happened. Takagaki also looked like he had messed up, but he immediately pretended to be calm and continued his story.
"No matter what the job, as long as you're writing articles that influence society, you can't do it with such a soft attitude! If I do that, the meaning of quitting Tozai Shinbun disappears. It becomes a denial of everything I've done up until now!"
Each word he spoke as if chewing on them resonated in the heart of Takeshita, who had once aspired to be a journalist himself. At this time, Takagaki did not yet know what kind of meaning the article he wrote had, and only grasped the situation as a "hoax article," but his words were as if he had predicted that meaning by chance.
However, through this, Takeshita became further convinced that Takagaki was not on Oshima's side, but was merely "used." Therefore, Takeshita's interest began to shift from hearing more about the article in this place to how to bring Takagaki over to their side and get his cooperation. But for that, it was finally necessary to reveal their identities. Takeshita was beginning to feel quite anxious about what kind of attitude a person of this temperament would show when they found out they had been "deceived." Because he was a person who fought "head-on" as imagined, it had become necessary to consider the side effects as a result.
Takeshita decided to avoid coming clean at Charmant. He chose to wait until Takagaki left the shop while letting the conversation flow appropriately. He didn't have a concrete reason for why that was significant, but his subconscious probably wanted a "cooling-off period" and also feared that Takagaki might get enraged as before, and he didn't want to ruin the shop's atmosphere.
Kurosu also began to glance at his superior frequently, looking worried about how he would settle things. The master surely didn't know the circumstances, but he began to join the conversation between the two. He might have picked up on the somewhat awkward atmosphere.
Perhaps the master's intervention was successful, as Takagaki seemed to be getting into a better mood, and his drinks began to flow again. However, if he got too drunk and became unable to talk, it would all be for naught. It was necessary to have him wrap things up and go home at a certain point. At this stage, it was almost presumptuous to try to control the situation; he was in a state of mind where he left the rest to heaven.
While he was distracted by that and continuing a half-hearted conversation, Takagaki said,
"Well, I'm tired, so I guess I'll head home soon..."
and told the master. It seemed heaven had not abandoned Takeshita. His drunkenness appeared to have stopped at the borderline. After settling the bill while having a few words with the master, Takagaki left the shop. Then Takeshita said to the master,
"This guy has money too, so don't worry,"
and immediately followed after him. Catching up to Takagaki, who was walking slowly toward the exit of Golden Gai, he called out,
"Excuse me."
"What? Did I forget something?"
Checking his hand luggage, it was only natural for him to find it inexplicable since he didn't know why he had been followed.
"Takagaki-san, I'm really sorry. Actually, I am this kind of person."
Takeshita apologetically and slowly presented his police badge.
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
"Hey! Are you a cop? ...Which means, meeting me probably wasn't a coincidence, was it? For what purpose did you approach me!? Is that subordinate of yours from earlier a cop too?"
As expected, Takagaki seemed to sober up and responded with a quite displeased and high-handed attitude, different from before. However, this was within the range of expectations; it wouldn't be strange for any ordinary person to react this way.
"I'm sorry for hiding my identity. It's true that I was indeed probing you. Actually, regarding the story from earlier, the Weekly FREE article, I want you to cooperate with the investigation, Takagaki-san. Until just now, I didn't know with what intent you wrote the article, so I'm sorry for doing something like testing you. However, I've realized without a doubt that you were merely used, and I definitely want you to cooperate!"
Takeshita intended to speak with passion, but as expected, it was impossible to fully explain the situation to the other person with just this. However, the anger Takagaki had felt until a moment ago seemed to have already subsided. At the same time, he wore an expression as if he had been bewitched by a fox. Seeing this, Takeshita said,
"That's right... I'm sorry to take more of your time, but please let me explain the circumstances in detail at that coffee shop. Please!"
He pleaded desperately. When he did, the other's attitude softened rapidly.
"To be honest, it's true that I'm filled with quite unpleasant feelings. But when you do this kind of work, you know, you sometimes get into a state of mind where you dare to plunge into something creepy to find out its true identity. Well, that's the nature of people involved in reporting. And right now, I've just reached that state of mind. Fine! I'll at least listen to what you have to say!"
"I am very grateful for that!"
Saying so, Takeshita led Takagaki into a coffee shop he spotted.
※※※※※※※
In the coffee shop they entered, Takeshita briefly told Takagaki the background so far, within the range he was allowed to share. Takagaki already knew about the discovery of Motohashi's murder of Sada Minoru and the story of the three people being shot dead in the hospital, as they had been reported extensively nationwide. Takeshita avoided talking about things that hadn't been reported as much as possible.
"To be honest, I think different people have different ideas about how much influence a single weekly magazine article can have. However, it is true that after the article came out, yakuza conflicts occurred as if following the content of the article that should have been a hoax, and then, as a result of that apparent flow, the triple shooting occurred. It seems the investigation headquarters initially considered the possibility that they were caught up in the conflict. This has effectively become the first scenario of the investigation. The other is, as I also briefly mentioned earlier, the fact that one of the three victims of the shooting was involved in the case of the man murdered by Motohashi. That person was scheduled to give new testimony regarding Motohashi's case on the very day they were killed. So, we are also investigating the possibility that the incident occurred to prevent this. Therefore, we are currently investigating with these two as the main axes."
Takeshita said this, quenched his dry throat with tea, and began to speak again.
"I am currently an outsider, so to speak, whose home station has not officially joined the investigation headquarters. Because I was in charge at the station for Motohashi's case, I am acting on what is, in a sense, a 'private commission' from a senior detective who is participating in the investigation headquarters as support. That's why there are some fine points I haven't fully grasped. Therefore, please let me speak on that premise."
Takeshita continued while confirming that Takagaki, who was listening, had been drawn into the story from the beginning.
"In this investigation policy, the article you wrote, Takagaki-san, might have had some influence on being impressed as the corroboration for the motives of the series of shooting incidents that actually occurred before the triple shooting. At the very least, didn't it have some meaning as a 'guidance' for the scenario?"
However, when Takagaki heard that the article he was "made to write" might be related to the case, he said,
"Isn't that just you guys overthinking it, no matter how you look at it?"
He seemed unable to believe it, as if laughing it off.
"If you say we're overthinking it, I can't clearly deny that. However, don't you think the timing is clearly strange? Something that should have been false information is becoming reality. This cannot be explained."
In response, Takagaki raised further doubts.
"Even if that's the case. Isn't the investigation headquarters also hearing information from the Hokkaido Police's Organized Crime Department? If so, wouldn't the credibility of the weekly magazine article be denied from there?"
"Normally, that's how it should be. But unfortunately, there's a tendency, centered around the Investigation Division 1 types, to look down on the Organized Crime Department. This isn't a good thing, but..."
"In other words, is it okay to think that the credibility of Division 4's information is considered not that high? Certainly, it's said that the higher-ups, even more than the Division 1 type investigators, have that tendency... Though this is only within the scope of my own reporting..."
Takagaki became cautious in his wording after hearing that.
"Yes. Since conflict incidents actually occurred after that, they might have decided that they had overlooked some small 'skirmishes' that were happening."
"Certainly, from my reporting, I know well that within the police there are things like factional struggles between divisions, but for it to overtly affect even the handling of information like this... Hmph."
Takagaki was laughing through his nose, looking amazed—no, clearly appalled.
"It's only natural for you to think so. I believe the Organized Crime Department's information was probably correct. Both what you had, Takagaki-san, and what we had obtained led to the same conclusion."
Takeshita voiced his own guess that Takagaki had obtained information from the Hokkaido Police's Organized Crime Department, and then fell silent. For a while, only the background music of the shop played, but then...
"By the way, you said earlier that the related parties you met each introduced themselves, right?"
Takeshita brought this up, and Takagaki replied,
"Yeah. However, the reporting was on the premise that they would never reveal their real names. To be honest, even at the time of the reporting, I thought the credibility of their 'affiliations' at least was low. But the problem was whether they were actually the parties involved, and I glossed over it with the thought that the truth of their affiliations wasn't that important. This is also the source of a big mistake..."
Takagaki seemed to regret it from the bottom of his heart.
"What were the specific names of their affiliations?"
"The yakuza claimed to belong to the Nissho-kai, and the construction guy to the Murayama-gumi."
It was a combination of a construction company and the yakuza who backed them, with both being related to each other. They had put out names that were consistent in that regard.
"That aside, I understand the background since you put out the article, but Takeshita-san! What specifically do you want to ask me, or specifically, what do you want me to do? You didn't come all the way from Hokkaido just to tell me that story, did you?"
He urged Takeshita to get to the main point.
"To be honest, until I actually met you today, I didn't know with what intent you wrote that article, so confirming that was the top priority..."
"I see... Now that you mention it, that's true. But now that you know that, there's something, right?"
"It helps that you say that. Then..."
Takeshita moved the teacup in front of him to the edge of the table and began to speak.
"I heard that you met and interviewed the subjects prepared by the editorial side in Kitami. If we consider that the article was intentionally guided, isn't it logical to see the people you met as also being related to the group behind the shooting incident?"
"...I suppose so, or rather, if your reasoning is correct, then that's right..."
Takagaki nodded after thinking for a bit, perhaps due to the alcohol.
"You said you met them after they were introduced as yakuza and construction-related people, but from your perspective, Takagaki-san, how were they? Did they really look like that?"
"Regarding the construction-related one, well, there are all kinds of types, so it's hard to be certain. However, as for the self-proclaimed yakuza, as far as my eyes could see, I thought there was no mistake that he was a professional yakuza. And the construction guy didn't look like a mere civilian either. He smelled like a 'colleague.' Well, considering the involvement of construction and yakuza in general, it wouldn't be strange at all even if they weren't misrepresenting themselves... That's why, although it might be impossible to be certain about the construction guy, I thought the possibility was sufficient. That's why I wrote the article."
"That's true. If there was no reality there, you might not have written the article at that point, Takagaki-san."
"Not 'might not,' I wouldn't! My reporting was certainly soft, but if the interview subject themselves had no reality, I wouldn't write an article, no matter what!"
It wasn't an outburst like before, but perhaps because his pride had been stung, there was quite a bit of force in his words of denial.
"My apologies. ...In that case, we can at least assume the yakuza was the real deal. If so, we have information on organized crime members in Hokkaido... no, probably around the Kitami area, specifically names, ages, addresses, workplaces, and photos of the individuals, and the person you met might be among them. If we can identify them, it could be a breakthrough."
"Haha, a lineup, is it? You want me to do that?"
Having understood, Takagaki's cheeks relaxed slightly.
"Yes. And I would like you to accompany us to Kitami."
"Accompany!? By accompany, do you mean go together? Not checking with photos or something in Tokyo?"
"Yes."
Takeshita was surprised at his own words, which he had spoken on impulse. However, while it seemed like a statement made without any thought, it was actually a conclusion that had instantly emerged in his brain. As a matter of fact, it is quite troublesome to take materials out of a police facility. If he were to do a lineup in Tokyo, it would probably have to be at some facility of the National Police Agency (known as "Satchou") or the Metropolitan Police Department (known as "Honchou"), as he shouldn't be able to let an outsider view them elsewhere.
Even if they were to take such measures, if they were to have Takagaki, who also writes books critical of the police, enter a facility of the NPA or MPD that they would be borrowing, it was certain that those sides would not look kindly upon it.
In the end, if taking the information materials out was a big deal, then having the person be Takagaki after taking them out would also be a big deal, obviously. In that case, it would be better to avoid double the trouble by doing the lineup with the materials within the Kitami region or the Kitami Station. Even so, the recognition that letting a man like Takagaki access the police's confidential information would be close to a taboo in the Hokkaido Police, just as in the MPD, was something even Takeshita had, and that point was a headache regardless.
Since Kosaka and Nishida had already informed superiors like Kurano about the possibility of Oshima's involvement, Takeshita and the others' time constraints had disappeared, but in order to ask Nishida what he thought about bringing Takagaki to Kitami, he picked up his cell phone after getting Takagaki's permission.
"Hello, Team Leader. It's Takeshita."
"Oh, what is it?"
"I'm currently in the middle of meeting with Takagaki-san."
"Oh!? You made contact this quickly! So, what was the result?"
"To put it simply, I think we can say he's almost unrelated."
Because he was being considerate of Takagaki in front of him, his expression was ambiguous, so he was asked back,
"Unrelated?"
There, he made up his mind and said firmly,
"He's clean."
"Regarding that article, it seems it was the result of interviewing subjects set up by the weekly magazine side."
"Instructions from the weekly magazine side?"
"Rather than instructions, I think it's more appropriate to say he was skillfully guided to write that kind of article."
While listening to Takeshita's statement, Takagaki was giving a wry smile, perhaps ashamed of his own failure.
"Guided, huh... Well, fine. Which means Takagaki is not a problem. Is it okay to assume the weekly magazine itself had a purpose and made him write that kind of article?"
"I can't say for certain at this stage, but the possibility has emerged. So... would it be okay if I went ahead and brought Takagaki-san to Kitami?"
"Eh? What was that? Bringing him to Kitami? Takagaki?"
Nishida asked back with a tone that clearly contained dissatisfaction.
"What on earth does that mean?"
"Takagaki-san apparently interviewed people in Kitami who were set up by the weekly magazine side, specifically people who claimed to be yakuza from the Kitami region and general contractor-related people, but Takagaki-san was saying that those people might have been real yakuza."
"And?"
"So, I was thinking of having him check the materials we have on organized crime members..."
To Takeshita's reply, Nishida started to say,
"You mean it's a hassle to bring them to Tokyo?"
but then he realized Takeshita's concern.
"No, no, before that, considering who we're asking, it would be tough if the place for questioning was a police-related location..."
"Exactly. If it's in Tokyo, it'll be a struggle just to get permission from the NPA or MPD."
Takeshita's thoughts seemed to have reached Nishida, and he felt relieved, his speech becoming a bit faster.
"Yeah, that's fine, but... the situation won't change here either, you know."
In contrast, Nishida became hesitant.
"I know that too. That's why I'm saying I'm consulting with you, Team Leader."
Even though Takeshita said that, Nishida remained silent. He must be thinking deeply. After a while, he said,
"It's no use me worrying about it here. I guess I just have to go for it and see what happens."
He made a statement as if he had made up his mind, and then told him,
"Since Division 4 (Organized Crime) will also be involved, I'll have to involve not just Section Chief Kurano, but even Criminal Investigation Director Otomo (Kitami Regional HQ). I can't get in touch now, so I'll consult with them first thing tomorrow morning. At any rate, a conclusion won't come until tomorrow."
"Understood. So an immediate decision is impossible for now... Then I'll tell him that."
When he hung up the phone, Takeshita explained the situation to Takagaki. Takagaki also laughed boisterously and said,
"It's only natural that the police wouldn't want to involve someone like me unless I was specifically involved in the case."
But he also said,
"Well, even so, if I was deceived into writing an article and that became the 'introduction' to the case, it wouldn't sit well with me. That's something I should settle myself. I don't want to cooperate with the police, but for the sake of investigating the truth, I suppose I can't help but bend on that."
"It helps that you say that."
"I don't intend to help you specifically. It's a matter of responsibility for the article I wrote. And the reason those guys went out of their way to use me was probably because they wanted to get back at me for turning my back on Tozai Shinbun by making me write a hoax article. It's a quite nasty way of doing things, typical of the Tozai-affiliated media... I also have a desire to somehow get back at them too. By the way, you were awfully familiar with the contents of my books, weren't you? Did you read them?"
Takagaki probed Takeshita.
"Well, if I didn't read them, it would be exposed immediately if I approached you saying I was a fan."
To the detective who laughed like a child, Takagaki joked,
"You're quite excellent. I'm not being sarcastic. However, if you're going to do it, I'd appreciate it if you'd take this opportunity to become a reader."
"Even so, you don't feel like a cop or a detective, strangely... You have a strong push, but it's not that of a police official... If anything, you have the smell of someone from this side."
At Takagaki's point, Takeshita felt a momentary jolt, but he stopped at being noncommittal.
"Is that so..."
This was because even if he tried saying he had originally aimed for the mass media, it would have no meaning for the investigation in front of him.
After that, Takeshita exchanged contact information with Takagaki, said he would contact him when he needed his cooperation, and they parted ways on the spot that night. As soon as he rushed back to Charmant, Kurosu asked how it went. Since he couldn't talk specifically inside the shop, he said,
"It was okay... Details at the hotel,"
and then suddenly asked,
"Master, can you make a Klondike?"
Perhaps due to the tension, his throat was very dry, and he wanted to quench it immediately. However, he didn't quite know himself why he had suddenly wanted to drink a Klondike. He had picked up the story at a shot bar in Susukino he used to frequent as a student that it was a cocktail born in Canada during the Gold Rush era, and there was a time he drank it often, but it might have been because the investigation he was currently facing overlapped with a gold prospector who continued to search for a vein of gold as a gamble. It was merely a forced justification to give some kind of logic to why he wanted to drink it...
"A Klondike Highball?"
"Is that the formal name... Anyway, that, please."
"Almost no one orders that, but you know it well, don't you?"
The master poured both dry and sweet vermouth into a shaker while glancing sideways at Takeshita.
"I just felt like drinking it, somehow. There was a time more than ten years ago when I drank it often."
Saying so, he restlessly lit a cigarette. And when the master placed the finished cocktail in front of Takeshita, he asked,
"You went after Takagaki-san, did something happen?"
"It's no big deal. I just had something I wanted to ask about the content of his works."
After glossing it over like that, he crushed his cigarette into the ashtray and first took a sip to quench his dry mouth and throat.
The master watched this with his arms crossed and said,
"A Klondike Highball, huh... It was a cocktail born in Canada during the Gold Rush... Yes, speaking of the Gold Rush, it reminds me of my days in Konomai. You both know about Konomai, which was bustling with gold mines, right?"
The master threw the conversation to them.
"Of course."
Since the two had obtained information about the master from Nishida, they knew that point as well, but they listened in silence to the master's reminiscences as the night wore on.
※※※※※※※
The next day, November 19th, Sunday, 8:00 AM. After first telling Kosaka the content of his conversation with Takeshita from the day before, Nishida was finally consulting Otomo and Kurano about yesterday's matter. Naturally, requesting investigation cooperation from an anti-establishment freelance journalist required a significant involvement in the case or possession of information, but since the story was based on Nishida's reasoning which was close to a "delusion," Otomo did not nod his head easily.
However, when cross-referenced with Takagaki's story, he did acknowledge parts where some kind of intent seemed to be hidden, and he announced that he would keep the matter "under consideration" for a while. Nishida immediately contacted Takeshita and the others about this. Perhaps because of the leftover alcohol from last night, Takeshita's tone was a bit dazed for him, but there was no time to worry about such things. The internal investigation into Hamana was progressing. And before noon, a major piece of information jumped into Kurano's hands from a former subordinate of his in the Investigation Division 2 of the Hokkaido Police Headquarters.
It turned out that between 1993 and 1994, at Kitami Kyoritsu Hospital, insurance points for nurses' night care additions had been fraudulently over-claimed, and the hospital had come to the brink of having its certification as an insurance medical institution revoked by the Hokkaido Bureau of Health and Welfare.
Just as Investigation Division 2 was about to launch an investigation on suspicion of fraud, Hamana had pleaded with a big-shot Minyu Party politician, and both in terms of the criminal case and the administrative judgment of the Bureau of Health and Welfare, the matter was settled as an "unintentional error." Although he couldn't say for certain, word was also going around that the big-shot politician was probably "Oshima Kaiji." If Hamana was involved in the case, it was an incident that clearly could have influenced that.