Chapter 54: Suspicion and Doubt
The existence of a “diary” and a “video” would be a godsend. It was a natural enough thought, yet a sense of unreality clung to Kishida Masayoshi.
Could it really be this simple?
The Makeup Hunter case had plagued the police for a decade. The Tanaka Erika case had robbed him of sleep for a year. Could a single note truly be the key to unlocking two seemingly unrelated mysteries?
“Mr. Hasebe, thank you for your cooperation. We’ll investigate this matter thoroughly and provide you with answers,” Kishida said, his mind awhirl. Having asked all the necessary questions, he signaled to Matsushita Makoto to collect the white box and the note before taking their leave.
Back in the car, Matsushita could barely contain her excitement. “Senpai, what about this note?!”
“We’ll take it back to forensics for handwriting analysis. I suspect it’s Kagehara Tetsuya’s. We’ll also have them check the note and the box for fingerprints,” Kishida replied, his thoughts already racing ahead.
Matsushita nodded, then frowned. “But if Kagehara wrote it, why was it in Hasebe’s mailbox? Do you think the message was meant for Hasebe Koichi?”
“It seems the only explanation. The mention of ĹŚshima Masaki being ‘taken care of’ likely refers to the incident at Room 216,” Kishida said, a nagging unease settling in his gut. He pushed it aside, adding, “I suspect it’s a letter Kagehara sent to Hasebe a few days ago.”
Matsushita considered this. “Based on this note, the sequence of events would be something like this: Hasebe Koichi used a ‘video’ to coerce Kagehara into helping him kill ĹŚshima Masaki. But then he changed his mind, refusing to hand over the ‘video,’ even demanding the ‘diary.’ If that’s the case, the meeting at the Mitsuba Flood Control Warehouse must have failed, leading Kagehara to kill Hasebe Koichi and retrieve the ‘video.’”
Kishida mused, “It’s also possible they did meet at the warehouse, and the exchange took place. But Kagehara might have killed Hasebe anyway, either to silence him or to get his hands on the ‘diary.’”
If this was the truth, then Hasebe Koichi’s secret lover was irrelevant to the case—or perhaps Kishida’s entire line of reasoning was wrong. Perhaps there was no secret lover, and Hasebe’s money came from another source entirely.
Matsushita continued her analysis. “Hasebe sending this note home… he must have intended it as evidence of Kagehara’s crimes. After reading it, it’s understandable he'd think Kagehara acted alone in ĹŚshima’s murder.”
Kishida pursed his lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. It was a plausible interpretation.
“That bastard!” Matsushita exclaimed, her frustration boiling over. “Does he think we’re idiots? If he had incriminating footage of Kagehara, why not just give it to the police?”
“We can’t think like that,” Kishida cautioned. “Hasebe couldn’t have known that ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke provided a partial alibi for Kagehara, placing him at the scene only for the dismemberment, not the actual murder. Besides, do you think the ‘video’ is of Kagehara committing a crime? If so, why wouldn’t he just leave it in the mailbox too?”
“Huh?” Matsushita was taken aback. “So, it’s not footage of Kagehara? Could it really be, as Yomikawa Tsuko suggested, footage of the Makeup Hunter? But…”
She frowned, struggling to comprehend Kagehara’s involvement in a murder related to the Makeup Hunter.
Furthermore, if it wasn’t footage of Kagehara, what did Hasebe want with the “diary”?
“For now, let’s get this to forensics. As for us, should we confront Yomikawa Tsuko directly? She was snooping around the Hasebe residence. Something’s definitely off,” Matsushita suggested, abandoning her fruitless attempts at deduction. “ĹŚgami said she’s been on leave for days. What’s she been up to? Maybe she’s been helping Kagehara.”
“Let’s hold off on confronting her,” Kishida said, frowning as he opened his notebook. He didn’t want to alert her prematurely. Gathering more evidence first would be more effective.
He returned to his usual method: summarizing the questions Yomikawa had asked Hasebe’s father to deduce her motives.
First: When did he last see Hasebe Koichi before June 9th?
Second: Any unusual behavior before June 5th, like talk of striking it rich around May 27th or 28th?
Matsushita interjected, “She asked ĹŚshima Mana similar questions, didn’t she?”
Kishida realized Yomikawa must have gotten the dates of the 27th and 28th from ĹŚshima.
In other words, when asking these questions, Yomikawa was unaware of Hasebe Koichi’s source of income, or that he might have been extorting a woman.
Kishida marked “Unaware X” next to this question and continued his summary.
Third: Anything unusual or memorable during Hasebe Koichi’s first year after prison?
Fourth: When did Hasebe Koichi’s transformation (acquiring wealth) occur?
These two questions likely led Yomikawa to suspect Hasebe’s source of income and the possibility of him extorting someone.
The fifth question confirmed this: Hasebe Koichi’s relationships with women.
Kishida thought Yomikawa’s line of reasoning mirrored his own. But it also proved she, like him, didn’t truly know Hasebe Koichi or ĹŚshima Masaki.
Next: Had Hasebe Koichi been on any matchmaking dates? Why did they fail?
Seventh: Had he ever shown anyone pictures of women?
Eighth: Any changes in Hasebe Koichi after his release from prison? (Potentially important)
Hasebe’s father had said Yomikawa emphasized this question’s importance, urging him to think carefully. But Kishida couldn’t understand its significance. Even if she suspected Hasebe had met his extortion target in prison, the question didn’t seem crucial.
Ninth: Where did Hasebe Koichi travel? She suspected he met Kagehara during a trip.
Matsushita suddenly perked up. “Yomikawa’s lying here! Hasebe traveled four years ago. Kagehara is only fifteen now. They couldn’t have met then.”
Kishida agreed. “She herself mentioned Kagehara started investigating the Makeup Hunter after leaving juvenile detention. She should know they’ve only known each other for, at most, a year.”
What, then, was the purpose of her question? Likely to pinpoint the time and place Hasebe made contact with his extortion victim.
Tenth: Hasebe Koichi’s outside residence.
Matsushita said, “Clearly, Yomikawa wanted to know where Hasebe was hiding. That’s probably why she went to the Hasebe residence, though his father didn’t tell her.”
Kishida opened his mouth, then hesitated, shaking his head.
Finally: Had Hasebe sent any letters home?
Matsushita pointed to the white box. “Is she referring to this?”
Kishida considered. “I suspect she meant the ‘video,’ given how important it seems to Kagehara. Oh, and she also asked for a notebook and a delivery slip. Purpose unknown.”
Matsushita, having reviewed Kishida’s notes, suddenly said, “Could some of these questions be red herrings? She must know we’d talk to Hasebe’s father. Wouldn’t she be worried about arousing suspicion?”
She grew more animated. “What if she knows Hasebe very well but is pretending not to, using Hasebe’s father to relay these questions and mislead our investigation? It’s possible, isn’t it?”
Surprisingly, Kishida didn’t dismiss her theory. He also considered Yomikawa a prime suspect. More importantly, she was intelligent, deceptive, and possessed a strong will.
“In any case, we’ll wait for the forensics report on the note and Hasebe’s autopsy. If Kagehara killed Hasebe, the wounds will tell the story.”
“For us,” Kishida continued, “we’ll start by checking the abandoned Mitsuba Flood Control Warehouse. There might be something there.”
Matsushita started the car. “And after the warehouse?”
“We’ll return to headquarters and review surveillance footage around Yomikawa’s house to see if she’s left in the past three days, and if so, in which direction.”
Comments (1)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.