Chapter 57: The First Confrontation (Part 1)
For two days, the sun had remained hidden, casting a pall over the city. Thick, ashen clouds choked the sky, and perhaps influenced by this oppressive weather, the ordinary villa before Kishida Masayoshi took on a sinister, almost spectral air.
“Stepping into this house will trigger something irreversible.” Standing at the gate, Kishida was struck by this unsettling premonition.
Like a protagonist in a fairy tale encountering a forbidding castle in the depths of a forest, he felt that whether he crossed the threshold would irrevocably alter the course of events.
The feeling urged him to stay put, as if a primal instinct had been awakened within him. A part of his consciousness recoiled from the impending, unknown encounter.
This impulse surged with particular force as he pressed the doorbell.
“Please, come in, Officer.”
Hearing the young woman’s distinctive voice once more, Kishida took a deep breath, banished all distracting thoughts, offered his thanks, and stepped into the entryway.
The villa’s interior was much as he remembered from his previous visit. The only discernible difference was the fragrant aroma of tea that permeated the living room.
The young woman stood in the center of the entryway, clad in a dark green dress that flowed to her ankles. Her features were as serenely beautiful as before, a faint smile gracing her lips, her demeanor impeccably polite. Gazing at her fair face, Kishida couldn’t help but wonder if she had maintained this same composure, this same chilling serenity, as she extinguished a life.
“Officer Kishida?”
At her questioning tone, Kishida quickly apologized, then, under her watchful gaze, slipped off his shoes and entered the living room. “I heard you’d taken sick leave these past few days, Yomikawa-san. I trust you’ve recovered?”
“Thank you for your concern. It was merely a slight cold. I’m quite well now.” She gestured for Kishida to take a seat on the sofa, then, seemingly unconcerned about the purpose of his visit, poured him a cup of tea. “Please, try some. I brewed it myself.”
The atmosphere was unsettlingly strange. Kishida struggled to find an opening. Seeing her take a sip from her own cup, he followed suit, then found himself involuntarily wondering if her gesture was meant to assure him the tea was not poisoned.
“How is it?”
“Excellent.”
“I’m so glad.”
Setting down her cup, she offered a small smile, her gaze meeting his with an unsettling calmness.
Her steady scrutiny made him feel inexplicably awkward and self-conscious, causing him to abandon his intention of getting straight to the point. He began with a trivial observation. “I hadn’t heard from you for several days. I’d begun to think you’d lost interest in the case. It was only after making inquiries that I learned of your illness.”
“In that case, has the investigation made significant progress?”
Kishida nodded. “Our previous suspect, Hasebe Koichi, has been murdered. I expect you’re aware?”
“Of course. I saw the news on Friday.”
“The method used in this latest crime is identical to that used in the murder of ĹŚshima Masaki. Therefore, we’ve concluded that both crimes were committed by the same individual or individuals and have consolidated the cases.”
“And then?”
Kishida, noting her continued composure, quickened his pace. “In short, after extensive analysis and deduction, we’ve narrowed our focus to three primary suspects and have reconstructed the events of both incidents.”
He deliberately presented the investigation as nearing its conclusion, hoping to elicit some reaction, some flicker of unease, from the young woman.
However, the anticipated signs of panic never materialized.
“Ah…” She fixed him with a steady gaze for a long moment before finally adopting an attitude of attentive listening. “It’s rather unusual for an officer to disclose the names of suspects so readily. Very well, then. Tell me about these three individuals.”
“The first suspect is Kagehara Tetsuya. A letter he wrote to Hasebe Koichi was discovered in Hasebe’s mailbox. Handwriting analysis has confirmed its authenticity.”
“A letter? What did it say?” Observing the apparent surprise on her face, Kishida was forced to admit that he couldn’t definitively determine whether she was being truthful.
After summarizing the contents of the letter, he shifted his focus. “Let’s move on to the third suspect. I imagine you’re also aware of this individual. Hasebe Koichi’s unusual behavior regarding women and money was hardly a secret. All the evidence points to a woman whom Hasebe had been extorting for an extended period.”
“You say I’m aware of this. What do you mean by that?”
Kishida was now fully engaged, his thoughts flowing more smoothly. “On June 12th, after we parted ways at the onsen, you visited Hasebe’s home. You capitalized on Hasebe’s father’s concern for his son, gaining his trust and extracting detailed information about Hasebe Koichi. Even based solely on the eleven questions you asked, it’s clear you were far from ignorant of the situation.”
To his slight surprise, she readily admitted it. “It’s more surprising that you were able to deduce that, Officer Kishida.”
Kishida frowned. Her reaction struck him as odd, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
“Furthermore, we’ve reviewed surveillance footage that indicates you left your home on June 12th and didn’t return until the 15th. You must have met with this extorted woman during those days. You’re likely far more familiar with her circumstances than I am.”
He suddenly looked up at her. “Am I wrong, Yomikawa Tsuko? You are the second suspect.”
The young woman smiled, as if she had anticipated his conclusion.
“I see. Please, continue with your explanation of the case.”
Kishida’s expression grew increasingly serious. “The victims, ĹŚshima Masaki and Hasebe Koichi, showed no signs of conflict before June 9th. Several members of the biker gang witnessed them together, their demeanor not only devoid of animosity but even more amicable than usual.”
“This is because they had reached an agreement regarding the extorted woman. Hasebe Koichi had been extorting her for four years. I imagine he felt conflicted, unwilling to relinquish this source of income yet also fearing retaliation, even assassination. Thus, he devised a solution: finding an accomplice.”
“With a partner, the extorted woman’s task of taking revenge would be significantly more difficult. Dividing the ‘spoils’ would also greatly enhance their security.”
“After an unknown period of observation and selection, Hasebe Koichi finally chose his partner: ĹŚshima Masaki. He confided in ĹŚshima about the extortion while drinking on the 27th and 28th of May.”
As he spoke, Kishida watched her closely for any reaction. “I suspect ĹŚshima Masaki immediately agreed to become a co-conspirator. His unusual behavior when asking ĹŚshima Mana for money afterward supports this.”
“The two conspirators immediately began devising their plan. They weren’t in a rush to extort money. Instead, they chose another avenue… sexual extortion.”
“Sexual extortion…” The young woman repeated the phrase thoughtfully, then asked directly, “How can you be certain that sexual extortion was involved, in addition to financial extortion?”
Frankly, despite his efforts to remain composed, Kishida felt a degree of discomfort uttering the words “sexual extortion” in her presence.
She seemed either genuinely unaware of its existence or was feigning ignorance. Nevertheless, Kishida relayed the information he had gathered from the biker gang.
After pouring herself another cup of tea, she nodded as she drank. “I see. It seems I underestimated you, Officer. Please, continue with your explanation.”
Kishida stared at her, the unsettling feeling intensifying.
Why was she reacting this way?
How could she remain so calm while being accused of murder?
He had no time to dwell on these questions. He could only press on. “Hasebe Koichi decided to have ĹŚshima Masaki meet the extorted woman on June 9th. I believe this date wasn’t chosen by Hasebe.”
“Let’s refer to this woman as ‘A.’ Upon learning that another person would be joining her extortionist, A must have reached her breaking point. She outwardly agreed to Hasebe Koichi’s demands but had secretly resolved to silence them permanently. She also managed, through some means, to enlist two accomplices: you and Kagehara Tetsuya.”
“ĹŚshima Masaki’s first meeting with A and the Folklore Club’s trip took place on the same day, at the same location. This was likely a carefully orchestrated coincidence. I’ve spoken with your classmates. It seems you suggested the training camp and had all the members prepare for it at the beginning of June.”
Despite being accused of murder, the young woman remained calm and collected. “You spoke with ĹŚgami-kun, didn’t you, Officer?”
“Eh?” Kishida was taken aback.
“If I’m not mistaken, ĹŚgami-kun also participated in the deduction.” This style is remarkably similar to ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke’s thinking. I remember when we were investigating Lord Mask-Taker legend, his reasoning about Hanako’s seventh wish was similar. And within the entire club, only ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke would tell the police something like this and then not contact me.
However, this time his deduction seems much closer to the truth.
“No… that’s not the case.” Out of a desire to protect him, Kishida Masayoshi denied ĹŚgami YĹŤsuke’s involvement and immediately changed the subject. “So, on June 9th, you began carrying out your plan.”
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