Chapter 10: The Overlooked Detail
Yomikawa must have been in a hurry.
That was Kagehara Tetsuya’s judgment. The student ID, keys, and other items on the table were clearly left there specifically for him. If that wasn’t enough evidence—he picked up Yomikawa’s phone and swiped up on the screen. Sure enough, even the lock screen password had been removed.
The phone had apps like LINE and Twitter installed. When he opened them, Yomikawa’s accounts were still logged in, and even the LINE chat history was preserved.
The contacts list also included numbers of people close to Yomikawa—her parents, friends, and classmates.
Of course, there were also traces of information being cleared. The memo app was empty, the search history wiped clean, and the call log erased. There were definitely things she didn’t want Kagehara Tetsuya to know.
With access to Yomikawa’s social media accounts, living as her from now on would be much easier.
In addition, the items left behind gave Kagehara Tetsuya an important clue.
Yomikawa wanted him to take over her identity and live as her, but she hadn’t been willing to talk to him.
This could only mean she was in a hurry—so much so that she didn’t have time for a conversation and could only leave these things behind before disappearing from the inn as "Kagehara Tetsuya."
Realizing this, everything from last night began to connect in Kagehara Tetsuya’s mind.
The incident in room 216 was clearly a premeditated and planned act. The stun gun marks were proof of that. In such cases, the perpetrator would have likely studied some anti-surveillance techniques during the planning stage, especially since the perpetrator had cut off the victim’s head. If they went to such lengths, they must have intended to take the head with them.
So, at the very least, they would have considered:
The location of the crime.
How to enter and exit the location.
Whether the entry and exit routes had surveillance cameras or fixed personnel on watch.
If they had considered these factors, the perpetrator would have known that carrying a bag containing a human head and leaving the inn openly might be caught on the front desk’s camera.
If the perpetrator knew that the camera didn’t capture the exit route, they would also be concerned about the clerk stationed there.
If the clerk saw them leaving, the police would undoubtedly use the clerk as a breakthrough point in the case.
Using the time of death as a reference, anyone who left the inn afterward carrying a bag large enough to hold the murder weapon and the human head would become the prime suspect.
The inn didn’t have many guests, so the clerk would have little difficulty recalling details. The perpetrator’s height, gender, and build would be exposed almost instantly.
At the same time, the police would pay special attention to the perpetrator’s clothing and the type of bag they carried. Even if the clerk’s memory was vague, the detectives would use the information provided to conduct a thorough search, gathering samples of similar clothing and bags for the clerk to identify.
They might even have police officers of similar build wear the samples and walk past the clerk.
As long as they could confirm one item—whether it was the clothes, pants, or bag—they could trace it back to the manufacturer and then to the sales outlets. With a bit of luck, the detectives might even obtain sales records from the local and neighboring cities.
In short, once the investigation reached this stage, solving the case would be within reach.
Now, back to the perpetrator. If they didn’t want to be caught quickly, the best time to leave with the head would be when the front desk clerk wasn’t present.
At this moment, Kagehara Tetsuya finally remembered what he had overlooked.
He had overlooked the fact that, aside from Yomikawa, there was another person who would be very concerned about the front desk camera and the specific times when the clerk would leave the counter.
Perhaps Yomikawa and this person were one and the same.
The ghost story gathering had ended at 9:30 PM, and Yomikawa had rejected his request to talk.
That was because she was in a hurry.
She needed to leave the inn during the clerk’s 15-minute meal break.
That is, between 9:50 PM and 10:05 PM.
She had about half an hour to work with.
Based on the time Kagehara Tetsuya had left the bathroom, Yomikawa’s window of action was likely only about 25 minutes.
In those 25 minutes, she had first returned to her room to change clothes, then entered room 216, stunned the victim from behind with a stun gun, killed the target in a quick and lethal manner, and finally decapitated him.
"Maybe she had just reached the first floor when I came out of the bathroom."
"No wonder she said earlier that we might be the same kind of person. What an annoyingly arrogant woman."
"Just as annoying as Tanaka Erika."
Kagehara Tetsuya muttered to himself as he picked up the student ID from the suitcase. As he lowered his head to examine it, his black hair fell to either side of his face, and Yomikawa Tsuko’s elegant features took on an indescribably cold and sinister aura.
.…..
At 2:10 AM, the police arrived at the inn.
Once safety was assured, the atmosphere in the inn immediately relaxed. ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke, bold and curious, came out into the hallway and stopped in front of room 216. A police line had been set up at the door, but that didn’t stop him from observing from the side.
Inside room 216, two people were examining the scene. A forensic examiner in a white coat was conducting a preliminary examination of the body by the bed, occasionally using gloved hands to directly touch the wounds on the corpse. It was unclear if they had discovered anything yet.
ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke had come to satisfy his curiosity. He had thought he would be more interested in the forensic examiner, but perhaps the unique aura of the detective in the room was so striking that it made him forget his original purpose.
Even though it was their first meeting, he could sense a contradictory atmosphere emanating from the man. Unlike the stereotypical "yakuza-like detective" who might speak with a rough tone, this man was young and reserved. But his reserve didn’t feel natural—it was more like he was being compressed by the air around him.
Logically, air couldn’t compress a person’s inner self unless they willingly allowed it.
Perhaps noticing ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke’s gaze, the detective turned his head and opened his mouth. ĹŚgami guessed he was about to tell him to leave, but for some reason, the detective didn’t say anything and instead returned to focusing on his work.
However, that brief turn allowed ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke to see the detective’s face clearly. His features were well-proportioned, but his nasolabial folds were deep. His hair, though short, was heavily streaked with gray, giving him an air of premature aging.
"Kishida, come take a look."
Hearing the name "Kishida," ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke suddenly realized who this detective was.
He had heard from Takada ShĹŤji that a year ago, a journalist had obtained details about the investigation into Tanaka Erika’s case from a young detective. The journalist had even managed to get the detective to say something like, "If Kagehara Tetsuya was the killer, then everything would make perfect sense." After this was published in the newspaper, Kagehara Tetsuya’s father had jumped to his death.
That detective’s name was Kishida Masayoshi.
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