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.
âStepping into this house will trigger something irreversible.â 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.
âPlease, come in, Officer.â
Hearing the young womanâs distinctive voice once more, Kishida took a deep breath, banished all distracting thoughts, offered his thanks, and stepped into the entryway.
The villaâs 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 couldnât help but wonder if she had maintained this same composure, this same chilling serenity, as she extinguished a life.
âOfficer Kishida?â
At her questioning tone, Kishida quickly apologized, then, under her watchful gaze, slipped off his shoes and entered the living room. âI heard youâd taken sick leave these past few days, Yomikawa-san. I trust youâve recovered?â
âThank you for your concern. It was merely a slight cold. Iâm quite well now.â 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. âPlease, try some. I brewed it myself.â
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.
âHow is it?â
âExcellent.â
âIâm so glad.â
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. âI hadnât heard from you for several days. Iâd begun to think youâd lost interest in the case. It was only after making inquiries that I learned of your illness.â
âIn that case, has the investigation made significant progress?â
Kishida nodded. âOur previous suspect, Hasebe Koichi, has been murdered. I expect youâre aware?â
âOf course. I saw the news on Friday.â
âThe method used in this latest crime is identical to that used in the murder of Ĺshima Masaki. Therefore, weâve concluded that both crimes were committed by the same individual or individuals and have consolidated the cases.â
âAnd then?â
Kishida, noting her continued composure, quickened his pace. âIn short, after extensive analysis and deduction, weâve narrowed our focus to three primary suspects and have reconstructed the events of both incidents.â
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.
âAhâŚâ She fixed him with a steady gaze for a long moment before finally adopting an attitude of attentive listening. âItâs rather unusual for an officer to disclose the names of suspects so readily. Very well, then. Tell me about these three individuals.â
âThe first suspect is Kagehara Tetsuya. A letter he wrote to Hasebe Koichi was discovered in Hasebeâs mailbox. Handwriting analysis has confirmed its authenticity.â
âA letter? What did it say?â Observing the apparent surprise on her face, Kishida was forced to admit that he couldnât definitively determine whether she was being truthful.
After summarizing the contents of the letter, he shifted his focus. âLetâs move on to the third suspect. I imagine youâre also aware of this individual. Hasebe Koichiâs 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.â
âYou say Iâm aware of this. What do you mean by that?â
Kishida was now fully engaged, his thoughts flowing more smoothly. âOn June 12th, after we parted ways at the onsen, you visited Hasebeâs home. You capitalized on Hasebeâs fatherâs concern for his son, gaining his trust and extracting detailed information about Hasebe Koichi. Even based solely on the eleven questions you asked, itâs clear you were far from ignorant of the situation.â
To his slight surprise, she readily admitted it. âItâs more surprising that you were able to deduce that, Officer Kishida.â
Kishida frowned. Her reaction struck him as odd, though he couldnât quite pinpoint why.
âFurthermore, weâve reviewed surveillance footage that indicates you left your home on June 12th and didnât return until the 15th. You must have met with this extorted woman during those days. Youâre likely far more familiar with her circumstances than I am.â
He suddenly looked up at her. âAm I wrong, Yomikawa Tsuko? You are the second suspect.â
The young woman smiled, as if she had anticipated his conclusion.
âI see. Please, continue with your explanation of the case.â
Kishidaâs expression grew increasingly serious. âThe victims, Ĺshima 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.â
âThis 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.â
âWith a partner, the extorted womanâs task of taking revenge would be significantly more difficult. Dividing the âspoilsâ would also greatly enhance their security.â
âAfter an unknown period of observation and selection, Hasebe Koichi finally chose his partner: Ĺshima Masaki. He confided in Ĺshima about the extortion while drinking on the 27th and 28th of May.â
As he spoke, Kishida watched her closely for any reaction. âI suspect Ĺshima Masaki immediately agreed to become a co-conspirator. His unusual behavior when asking Ĺshima Mana for money afterward supports this.â
âThe two conspirators immediately began devising their plan. They werenât in a rush to extort money. Instead, they chose another avenue⌠sexual extortion.â
âSexual extortionâŚâ The young woman repeated the phrase thoughtfully, then asked directly, âHow can you be certain that sexual extortion was involved, in addition to financial extortion?â
Frankly, despite his efforts to remain composed, Kishida felt a degree of discomfort uttering the words âsexual extortionâ 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. âI see. It seems I underestimated you, Officer. Please, continue with your explanation.â
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. âHasebe Koichi decided to have Ĺshima Masaki meet the extorted woman on June 9th. I believe this date wasnât chosen by Hasebe.â
âLetâs refer to this woman as âA.â Upon learning that another person would be joining her extortionist, A must have reached her breaking point. She outwardly agreed to Hasebe Koichiâs demands but had secretly resolved to silence them permanently. She also managed, through some means, to enlist two accomplices: you and Kagehara Tetsuya.â
âĹshima Masakiâs first meeting with A and the Folklore Clubâs trip took place on the same day, at the same location. This was likely a carefully orchestrated coincidence. Iâve spoken with your classmates. It seems you suggested the training camp and had all the members prepare for it at the beginning of June.â
Despite being accused of murder, the young woman remained calm and collected. âYou spoke with Ĺgami-kun, didnât you, Officer?â
âEh?â Kishida was taken aback.
âIf Iâm not mistaken, Ĺgami-kun also participated in the deduction.â This style is remarkably similar to Ĺgami YĹsukeâs thinking. I remember when we were investigating Lord Mask-Taker legend, his reasoning about Hanakoâs seventh wish was similar. And within the entire club, only Ĺgami YĹsuke would tell the police something like this and then not contact me.
However, this time his deduction seems much closer to the truth.
âNo⌠thatâs not the case.â Out of a desire to protect him, Kishida Masayoshi denied Ĺgami YĹsukeâs involvement and immediately changed the subject. âSo, on June 9th, you began carrying out your plan.â
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