Chapter 53: Kishida’s Heart Quickened
Though Kishida Masayoshi presented it as police suspicion, it was, as of yet, solely his own deduction, unknown even to Matsushita Makoto.
Whether this lead connected to the Makeup Hunter case remained uncertain. However, the possibility that the woman extorted by Hasebe Koichi was the source of his information regarding the serial killer couldn’t be dismissed.
“You’re saying Koichi had a secret lover?!” Mr. Hasebe was startled by Kishida’s conjecture. He pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “I wouldn’t know. Koichi never discussed such matters with me. His friends probably knew more than I did.”
Kishida flipped through his notebook, reading aloud, “It’s true that Koichi secluded himself at home for nearly a year after his release, isn’t it?”
Four years of financial and sexual extortion suggested the victim was both financially comfortable and physically attractive. Narrowing the search based on these criteria seemed feasible.
“Yes, he barely left his room for a whole year. After so long in prison, many of his former acquaintances had moved away, married, or started families. Even those who remained kept their distance.” Hasebe Koichi’s criminal record was widely known among his former circle.
Kishida nodded. He envisioned Hasebe’s life in three distinct phases.
The first, from birth to incarceration.
The second, his twelve years in prison.
The third, the five years between his release and his death.
Based on Mr. Hasebe’s testimony, it seemed impossible for Hasebe to have met someone fitting the extortion profile in the real world during his third phase.
Kishida considered the possibility of online contact, but found it unlikely. Most people wouldn’t divulge such significant secrets online. Even the most skilled hacker would struggle to gather enough information solely through digital means to sustain a four-year extortion scheme.
In other words, Hasebe must have known his victim either before his imprisonment or during it—during his first or second phase.
If it was the second phase, considering the segregation of prisons by gender, Hasebe’s only contacts would have been male guards or male inmates. The target, then, would have to be a family member of one of these men. Perhaps Hasebe had learned a secret within the prison and used it to extort a relative upon his release.
Hasebe’s prison contacts likely weren’t numerous, making this line of inquiry relatively straightforward. Furthermore, accessing information on convicted criminals would be easy.
If the victim was known before his incarceration, the investigation became more complicated. However, it wasn’t without recourse. Hasebe was young then, and his primary contacts would have been schoolmates. The focus should be on this group.
The logic was simple: the victim, besides being wealthy, would also likely be attractive. And physical attractiveness is largely age-dependent. Even if the victim was older than Hasebe, the age difference wouldn’t be substantial.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Kishida asked, “Did Hasebe have any enemies?”
“Enemies? Koichi’s crowd… he probably had disagreements, even fights, with many people. But someone who’d want him dead… I think it would only be someone connected to that girl.” Mr. Hasebe’s gaze shifted, clearly reluctant to utter the name.
Kishida knew he meant Onizuka Sayaka.
However, it seemed improbable that Sayaka’s family or friends would seek revenge after so many years. Hasebe had been living freely for five years after his release. If they were driven by a desire for retribution, they would have acted much sooner.
“Senpai, I’ve found something!” Matsushita suddenly burst back into the room, a look of excitement on her face. She held up a white box. “I just found this in the mailbox. It must have been put there last night!”
Mr. Hasebe shot to his feet. “R-Really? Is it a letter from Koichi?”
“Possibly. Let’s open it together.” Matsushita, like a child unearthing treasure, opened the box before Kishida could respond.
Thump.
A folded rectangular piece of paper fell onto the coffee table. Matsushita unfolded and smoothed it out.
Three heads huddled together.
On the paper, written in neat, elegant handwriting, were the following words:
If you want my diary, exchange it for the video. I’m warning you, don’t try any more tricks. I’ve taken care of Ōshima Masaki. Two days from now, I’ll be waiting at the abandoned Mitsuba flood control warehouse.
If you don’t come in two days, or if the video is faulty, you and your family will become the next Ōshima Masaki. I guarantee it.
“This…” Though unsigned, Mr. Hasebe scanned the note and murmured, “Though I don’t know who wrote this, it definitely wasn’t Koichi. Koichi’s handwriting wasn’t nearly this neat.”
“Not Hasebe-san’s handwriting?” Matsushita was taken aback. She had assumed it was a message from Hasebe before his death. “Are you sure? It’s not his?”
Mr. Hasebe nodded and went upstairs, returning with a notebook. “This is Koichi’s handwriting. Quite a mess, isn’t it?”
Even without expertise in handwriting analysis, Matsushita and Kishida could see the difference. The writing on the note was clearly not Hasebe’s.
“Then who wrote it? And who put it in the mailbox?” Matsushita was perplexed.
Kishida reread the brief message.
When he saw “Mitsuba flood control warehouse,” his heart skipped a beat.
The abandoned Mitsuba flood control warehouse was where Tanaka Erika’s body had been discovered a year prior.
In that warehouse, Erika had been found kneeling, hands clasped in prayer, her face, from which the skin had been entirely peeled, covered in heavy makeup. Blood trickled like tears through the gaps between the skin and the makeup.
The location triggered a sudden, inexplicable premonition in Kishida. This note… could it have been written by Kagehara Tetsuya?
Why else choose this specific meeting place?
It held a particular significance for him.
More importantly, Kishida’s gaze lingered on the words “diary” and “video.” His heart quickened.
If Kagehara had written the note, the diary was undoubtedly his own, possibly containing a record of everything that happened on the day of Tanaka Erika’s death.
As for the video… could it be connected to the Makeup Hunter case?
Assuming Yomikawa Tsuko’s earlier statement was correct—that Hasebe possessed a lead on the Makeup Hunter case, perhaps a recording of the crime or the body disposal—then obtaining the video would mean solving the case.
Comments (1)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.