Chapter 7 Chapter Six

Perhaps due to psychological effects, the cherry blossom buds seemed to be fuller than yesterday. The earthy smell of the supermarket exudes from the mossy tombstone, blending with the scent of grass and trees that vaguely hints of spring, as if to tell the world that it is now a season of ups and downs. Izuma put his hands together and worshiped in front of the tomb, he had no idea who was buried inside. Imagawa on the side also folded his hands together and worshiped, his posture was still a bit like an animal.Isama seemed to have no faith, and felt like he would perform a Shinto clapping prayer, while Imagawa was not so much worshiping, but more like praying silently, which felt a bit weird.

This is the cemetery of the weavers. The two have stayed at Weaver since the day Shiliang was killed.It's nice to say that you stay, but to put it bluntly, it's just being restricted by the police. Isama and Imagawa were just eyewitnesses, and the Orito writers also confirmed this, so they have absolutely no reason to be suspected.It's just that weaving writers don't seem to be an ordinary family. It has been four days since the murder happened, but the matter has not been made public. Not only have all relevant people been issued a gag order, but they are also forbidden to go out without permission.

Since there is a relationship involved, he can only admit his bad luck and accept his fate early - Imagawa said very optimistically, but he is different from the idle Isama, he has a business to take care of, so he should feel very embarrassed.It's just that Imagawa seems to have encountered the same situation last month, maybe he's used to it. Isama looked around the courtyard. As far as I could see, there were cherry trees. Isama wanted to count how many trees had been planted, but he gave up when he reached the eighty-second. "You two... are you still here?" The voice sounded like a cool breeze.

Akane is behind the tombstone. The expression was soft, but she wasn't smiling. "Uh... oh." It's also not a question that needs to be answered. "I'm really... I'm so sorry that I got my guest into such trouble." I have heard this sentence countless times since yesterday. "It's difficult..." Izuma said, nodding twice. Imagawa said: "Isama, if you omit the word 'tongdang', people will not understand." Although the corner of her mouth was smiling, her eyes were full of sadness. —It's better than crying. Isama thought so.Since meeting, Akane is either crying or apologizing, always being bullied.

Much better now. It should be that the extremely unbearable prodigal husband died, but the young widow still cried for three days and three nights.She was devastated, and she couldn't listen to the strong words of her mother, the words of encouragement from her sister, or the words of comfort from others. Isama was a little surprised, wondering if there is really such a sad thing in this world?He understands the feeling of sadness and sadness, but it is impossible to cry like that in his whole life. I don't know if it was inspired by the words "what to do if the mourner doesn't cheer up", or because he deeply understands that no one will go to the funeral for that wretch except himself, or because he cried all the tears in his life, Qian finally recovered self.In fact, it was only yesterday that she recovered to the state where she could have a normal conversation like this.

"Today...is very warm." Meaningless pleasantries. As an intruder, Isama can't bother to ask people's too personal questions, but he can't just say some comforting things. It seems to reflect the current season, and he can only show an awkward attitude. How long will this embarrassing state last?Isaac had no clue. Of course, once the case is resolved, they should be able to regain their freedom. Even if it is not resolved, the police should release them soon, but Isama has no idea when that will be.The body was sent for autopsy, but has not been sent back, and funerals cannot be held.The police come and ask the same questions every day, the same time and time again.Just like it was yesterday, it should be the same today. Thinking of this, Izuma had an illusion, as if this weird life would continue forever.

Weaver's five women, two servants, and two intruders lived together. — Totally flies. Isama's feeling deepened.When a fly flies over and stops, it should fly away immediately, and there will be no legend of a profound connection, but this fly has been worn out in the painting. Isama remembered Renji's words. If you borrow the words of those bad guys.This house is indeed a mansion of spider webs. —a fly in a spider's web. So is the spider Masako?or…… "The police asked the two of you to go to the lobby..." "again……" "Well, yes," said Sissy, with another faint—really faint—smile.

Yesterday and the day before yesterday, the police interrogation started in the morning, and it was Isama and Imagawa's turn around noon, and then continued until three or four in the afternoon. A Jie specially prepared lunch for them and it was all cold.Isama thought that it would probably be the same today. --that time…… A total of five people—Isama, Imagawa, Akane, Masako, and Kozo—witnessed the pale hand around Isoro's neck.Judging by common sense, these five people are definitely not murderers.On their way to the scene, they meet up with Aoi and Aoki, while Tōsō detours to the garden.After everyone had entered the study, Geng Xiu reappeared.

On this point, the police sternly questioned farming.Why did he go around the courtyard alone?So suspicious, and the fact that it arrived so late was suspicious. Farming confessed because he immediately thought the murderer would escape from the courtyard.In fact, the crime scene was locked from the inside, and the killer escaped through the window just as Tilleng had predicted.Unfortunately, Geng Sho did not see the shadow of the murderer because he arrived too late. The reason it took so long to get there was because the path was so far away. To walk out of the courtyard from the hall and then to the study, it seemed that a long detour had to be made, which was farther than going through the corridors in the mansion.The structure of this house is complicated, so it's no wonder that you can't go directly to the courtyard.After repeated inspections of the farming route, the police came to a conclusion: Although it took a long detour, it was already the shortest route.

In other words, it was a fluke for the murderer that the building's design was so intricate and strange. Someone in the house also had no alibi. It's the maid, Ajie, and Wubaizi Daozi. Ah Jie was acting alone at the time.As for what she was doing, she was actually not doing anything at all. She wanted to take a shortcut and go down another staircase, but she slid down two steps and loaded it heavily on her calf, crying and rolling all over the floor in pain.She said she just wanted to feel the lobby one step ahead of the hosts and guests.Even if Ah Jie lied, Liang's throat was almost twisted by a pair of big hands, and Ah Jie's wrists were very thin, and his palms were small. Even if she was a strange woman, she couldn't be the murderer.

As for Wubaizi Daozi, she was having lunch in her room at the time.Usually, Akane served her and ate together, but at that time Akane was with Isama and others, so she ate alone without anyone accompanying her.Although Daozi's room cannot pass directly from the hall, it is adjacent to the hall. Isama only caught sight of Wubaiko, a silver-haired old woman over ninety years old. Her feet and waist are weak, and she seems to be sitting still most of the time, so don't even think about it. Then, it is impossible for the nine people in the mansion to commit murder. This situation should naturally be regarded as the hands of outsiders. But...if it's a careful, or daring, ruse, it's a different story.For example, is this a criminal scheme carried out by the whole family?Thinking about it carefully, the one who was killed was the stain of the clan, the shame of the family name—it was Ryo, and this was not impossible. but…… If it is regarded as a manipulation to create an alibi for the family, the prerequisite is that outsiders such as Isama and Imagawa must witness the moment when the murderer commits the crime. But no one should be able to predict the actions of the victim—unless Ryo himself is also an accomplice, but such absurd things are impossible.Regarding this point, although it is possible to lure the victim to the study room, whether Isama will look at the study room is entirely luck.Regardless of whether Isama looked at the study, any member of the family would try to get him to look there, but if the study and the people in the corridor couldn't communicate, it would be difficult to cooperate like that.I have to say the timing was ingenious. And no one would have expected that Isama and Imagawa would visit the weaver at that time.Although they were invited by farming, they did not make an appointment on which day and when to arrive. If this series of events is planned, Renji must be regarded as an accomplice, but even so, it is impossible for Isama to visit here without Imagawa to appraise the antiques.Therefore, the murderer must first expect that Isama will find Imagawa before the plan can be established.Besides, the encounter between Isama and Renji... Isama felt it was ridiculous and stopped thinking about it. All of this is just a random gathering.If this situation is caused by someone's will, then that person must be cleverly weaving the constantly occurring situation, and adapting to the situation, setting up traps at any time.But in this way, sophisticated crimes that require careful preparation in advance cannot be established. That's why the murderer came from the outside and fled to the outside. ——The man in the coir raincoat and the bamboo hat...the woman. Isama can't let go of anything. As soon as he opened the door, he heard someone talking. "...I'll talk." The big criminal policeman said.Rather than being tall, it should be said that it is large in size.The detective's physique was like an ordinary person's proportions enlarged, and he wore glasses with strong prescriptions on his face.Isama remembered that his surname was Isobe. "You, the murderer escaped from the courtyard, but you didn't see it in the courtyard, isn't it too strange?" "I said I didn't see it, but I didn't see it." "real or fake?" Next to Detective Isobe stood a Detective who looked like a stone fish with a displeased expression on his face.Isama remembered his name was Tsuhata. Farming is being questioned by them. "Ye Liang is my son, why should I kill my own son?" "No one said that you killed it. It's just that you didn't see the murderer. It's strange. Because you may help the murderer escape, or turn a blind eye and refuse to report..." "Why would I do that?" "It may be to cover someone. There are many reasons. And you have been humiliated because of your son, haven't you?" "I won't kill my son just because of that!" "No one said you killed it... oh?" Detective Isobe seems to have finally discovered that Isama and Imagawa entered the room. "Hey, come here. Go out and freshman, your side is ready, we will continue later." Geng Geng's huge body stood up slowly. Then his foreigner-like eyes looked at Isama, his expression tangled in sadness. Isama also drooped the corners of his mouth, he could only show this level of expression.Geng Zuo touched his bald head, swallowed the emotion that should have nowhere to go, got up and left the chair. "Come here quickly, hurry up!" After being urged several times, Isama sat down on the chair with Imagawa. As soon as the two sat down, Isobe said "Hello". "We have sent notes to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Kanagawa headquarters. What are you guys doing? Ah?" Isobe continued saying so, and tapped the table with his middle finger. "Are you two roaming around the country, visiting murder cases everywhere? Huh?" "It became like that before I knew it." Imagawa said sincerely. Isobe cursed: "Are you kidding!" Instead, he patted the table with his palm. "Forget it, anyway, the case between Zuko and Hakone cannot be related to this incident, let's ignore that, Yi, Zuo..." "Isama." "Mr. Isama, you said you saw a strange light, is that similar to the light of a flashlight?" "No, it's the flash..." "There are many kinds of flashes." The direct relationship between the pasture and the cherry trees - mino fire. Isama couldn't describe it properly.He said he saw it, but it might just be sunlight reflecting off the grass dew, or it might be shards of glass. The connection between this and the man in coir raincoat and hat seen in the morning is quite weak and groundless.Although Isama temporarily reported the matter to the police, it was not taken seriously at all. "I just don't understand what you mean by the luminous coir raincoat. Is the coir raincoat made of straw? Where does the straw shine? It's just that the scene..." Isobe scrambled to say something, but was stopped by Tsuhata. At this time, two police officers ran in scrambling, almost bumped into the corner of the table, and finally stopped and saluted. "Uh, that, just received a call, no, it's terrible! That, report here!" Tsuhata puffed up his cheeks lazily. "Every side is incredible, okay? What's the matter?" "Kisarazu's strangler has been arrested!" "What? Then... the matter was resolved in one go?" "The Strangler was arrested five days ago. It seems that he was eating and drinking for free in Ibaraki..." Empty joy. Tsuhata closed his eyes that had just opened wide, exhaling while losing his strength. "Five days ago? Ah, sure enough. Eat and drink for nothing?" "Yes, I was notified just now that the murderer has surrendered himself, so he will be handed over to us." "I'll be there right away. Hey, Isobe, I leave this place to you." After finishing speaking, Detective Tsuhata was exhausted, showing his depressed mood with his whole body, and led the police officer out listlessly. Isobe stared blankly at his figure, and said dissatisfied: "I already knew this, so what is there to be disappointed about? And... what do you mean by me? What should I do?" Despite the presence of Isama and Imagawa, Isobe called his colleagues "bastards" and pouted. "Already... know?" "The Strangler is a civil engineer in Kisarazu. He owed a lot of debts, and his daughter was insulted by the debt collection. He killed people in a fit of anger, and then fled, killing even the creditor. That was the only case in that case. I knew it was related to the debtor at the beginning. The Katsuura case has nothing to do with it, really. I already knew about it, so it doesn’t matter.” "That……" "So... it's delaying time, because of Shibata's family." "But maybe there's a slight possibility—we were hoping for that. But now it's clear. Arrests five days ago can't be used as a prevarication, and can't be used to delay time. It's almost gone. It is certain that the murder of Ryo this time and the murder of the teacher last time were committed by the same murderer. This should be a good thing to resent Shibata or Orisaku, or someone from that girls' school, tsk!" Isobe frequently stroked his small glasses with his thick fingers. The hair is frizzy, and it makes people feel irritable. "just now……" Isama was very concerned about what Isobe said just now.Needless to say, Isobe also understood what he meant. "Oh, a few straw clippings were found on the body's clothes. Didn't you mention it? The murderer in the coir raincoat must be the man in the coir raincoat and bamboo hat. There is absolutely no mistake." ——A man...?Or a woman? There was silence. By the fourth day, the questions that should be interrogated have been asked almost.Isobe muttered to himself. He pricked up his ears, as if he was complaining about Tsuhata detective's attitude towards him.Not long after, Isobe murmured inexplicable words again: "...Speaking of which, I am the one with the best shooting skills in Chiba headquarters. No one knows the types of pistols, and from parts to performance better than me. .And I became a policeman by relying on my marksmanship, so I actually underestimated me. It was the same when I was in the army, but I ended up as a machine soldier, and I didn’t even get a shot. It’s really..." Seeing him like this, Imagawa whispered to Isama, "This man is a bit dangerous", but Isobe didn't seem to hear even that.It's not incomprehensible that he seems to have built up a considerable amount of stress. The reason is probably the women weavers. The first is the third daughter - Aoi. The detectives were tortured by this talented woman's tongue for days, and even their self-esteem was shattered to the point of bruises.The police have always been invincible in putting on a high-handed attitude, but this time they tasted incomparable humiliation. It took an hour just to find out where she was at the time of the Cultural Revolution.Sometimes I end up not being able to ask anything. This is, of course, a matter of course. Even if she stood aside and listened, everything Aoi said was right. The criminal police are always convinced of their position, so their attitude is very tough.But from Aoi's point of view, she is a family member of the victim, and she has no reason to humble herself to the police.Kui first lectured the police endlessly, saying that their tone of "hey, call me quickly" was completely inexplicable.Her rapping made the criminal police rush to disgust.They put on an attitude that women should not talk too much, and continued to challenge again unreasonably.But this approach is wrong.Speaking of it, most of the criminal police are not expressive, not only that, most of their poor vocabulary is discriminating against women and the weak.Even if the speaker didn't mean it that way, the listener would definitely be furious.The police were further criticized for this, and they couldn't even say a word. Aoi's tenaciousness made people overwhelmed. Speaking of tenacity, Masako is also quite tenacious. Masako didn't defend her methodically like Aoi, she just acted very strong.This trick seems surprisingly effective on the police.If the cops start yelling and randomly apologizing for no reason, then you lose.But if you yell at the police and resolutely reply: "What to do?" The criminal police will also be frustrated.Weak and decisive retorted, "I don't know anything", "I don't know anything at all", and the criminal police had nothing to say except "That's it". There is absolutely no guilt or uneasiness in this noble man, and he is as solid as gold.There was no hesitation in Masako's words, and the majesty exuded to the point of perfection.Isama felt that even if Masako was hiding something, as long as she showed an upright attitude like this, she would never be exposed. On the other hand, the second daughter—Akane is the complete opposite. Qian was already crying out of shape, but after the confusion subsided, she also lacked confidence. The police forcefully interrogated her, but her opinion wavered, and she withdrew her foreword after further intimidation. In the end, she cried and apologized.No one thought she was at fault, and there was no need to apologize to the police, but Akane kept apologizing anyway. Anyway, my husband must have caused trouble to the world, I'm sorry, I deserve death-she apologized like this. In this way, the police are helpless. West's attitude was more base than sympathetic; more ugly than gritty; more impatient than pitiful--and perhaps it was.It's just that Isama understands why Akane shows such an attitude and mood.It is impossible for people to remember everything clearly, and it is not possible to think and act according to reason.Many things are often confused about left and right, and there are many times when you don't know whether you are happy or sad.As long as it is strongly questioned by powerful and reasonable people, it will be shaken and turned. So Izuma sympathized with Akane and felt that it was too cruel to blame her.Perhaps it was also because after talking with Akane, Izuma found that she was a smart and quite independent person, so he thought so more. There are four girls - Bi. It is said that Bea was also an eyewitness to the strangling of a teacher that happened earlier. When this clever girl was interrogated, for a middle school student, she responded far more normally than her sister and mother. But from the point of view of confusing the police, there is no difference. She appears to be testifying based on faith. Not "is so", but "should be so". The same question seems to have arisen in previous incidents: did the witnesses see a suspicious figure who was the suspected murderer - what appeared to be a monster...?I heard that Bi's answer was: "That kind of thing can't exist, so it's impossible to see it." It's not "I didn't see it", but "I shouldn't see it". In this situation, should we believe her words completely?It must be quite difficult to judge.In the previous case, it may be that the common sense judgment that monsters do not exist in the first place prevailed, so Bi's testimony was accepted logically, but this time the situation made people feel uneasy. For the question "Is there anyone who can prove that you are not there?" If the answer you get is "God is always watching me", no criminal policeman will readily accept it. But Bi is too young to yell at her: "Are you kidding me!" And her attitude is sincere, and her appearance is delicate and cute. The most important thing is that when it comes to belief issues, no policeman can deal with them normally. Isama felt that this problem must be a headache for the police.Isama is not attached to religion, so he doesn't know how to deal with a girl like Aoi.Among the women weaving writers, Bi is also the one who feels the most distant.I had no idea what she was thinking, what she was expecting. In this way, the police are overwhelmed with problems that they usually don't need to worry about. After complaining for a while, Isobe suddenly remembered and said, "...Ah, really, hey, by the way, go to that old lady. Hey, over there, is that old lady having trouble with her feet? Do you have to go to her room? That’s it, I see. Well, it’s none of your business. That old woman is the only witness. Okay, let’s go.” Isobe shook his huge body and stood up. "Sightings?" Isama asked tentatively.Of course he knew that he might not get an answer, but maybe Isobe would loosen his mouth after complaining and leak a little information. As expected, Isobe talked eloquently: "The old woman's room can see the courtyard, and she saw...a woman escaped." "woman?" "I don't know. That's what the old woman said, but I think she's that old..." --woman. Isama felt a chill, I don't know how many times this is the first time. Isobe muttered endlessly, opened the black door and walked out, Isama looked at his huge back, gradually shrouded by an indescribable lethargy.This is a difficult task for the owner of the fishing pond who is always at ease. As soon as the police left, Imagawa stood up and said, "Ah, the shoulders are stiff", turned his head wildly, then put his nose close to the chair as if smelling it, and said in a strange tone: "Ah, what a great chair .” At this time, Ah Jie came in with loud footsteps. "Oh, I hate it to death, that detective is really disgusting. Oh, guest, are you hungry? You can't eat chairs!" "I won't eat it." "Whatever. May I sit here?" "Uh, this is not my home." "Should it be possible?" Izuma said, and Ah Jie said, "I can't usually sit on this chair." She smiled happily and sat on it happily. The girl is cheerful and lively, quite pleasant, but not nervous at all.Izuma said to her: "Xiao Jie is so cheerful." A Jie said with a serious face: "I'm sorry, but I'm not sad at all." Then she said hastily: "I'm really not sad at all. .Obviously the person who died was a familiar person. But it’s different from the old man. Although I feel sorry for the young lady, I’m really not sad.” Hearing this, Jin Chuan returned to his seat again, and asked with a big tongue: "Ah Jie, since when did you start working here?" A Jie still hurriedly replied: "The year before last, to replace the former sister Mu Zi." "Miss Muzi?" "You don't know him? They're also housekeepers." "Not at all." It is impossible for Isama to know each other. "Ms. Mu Zi was taken in by the deceased young master and felt scared, so she resigned. I heard that the young master has been courting her." "Is the young master referring to Mr. Liang?" "Yeah, is there anyone else?" "But you said the year before last, isn't it a matter of Mr. Liang's marriage the year before last? Just getting married and being fickle?" "Just getting married, you're bothered. It seems——ah, this word can't be spread——Jie and the young master, it seems that things about the bed are not going well. This can only be said here." "Bed..." "It's about the bed, it seems to be rejected all the time." For some reason, Ah Jie frowned and shook his hands frequently. "Refused? Who refused what?" Isama asked. A Jie showed a more terrifying expression. "Will a man who falls in love with someone and finally gets married reject the woman? The one who rejects is Xiao Jie. She rejects her husband, so the young master is bothered. He is just newly married, and it is really miserable for young master Liang." "It's Miss Qian who is miserable, right?" "That's true, but how should I put it..." There was something in Ah Jie's words, "...Although the young master is very bad, I think it was Miss Qian's fault to some extent..." A Jie changed her crossed legs, and obviously no one asked, but she spoke in a tone like a life counseling program on the radio. These words seemed to have been accumulated in her heart for a long time. "...How should I put it...Although I don't hate Miss Qian, I can't like her either. Although I feel sorry, I really feel sorry." This maid has so many opinions. "Isn't that called disgust?" "No. Miss Qian is a very nice person, isn't she? Because she's a nice person, no matter how you say it, it's hard to speak ill of her!" "But she's always apologizing to other people." "So, if she apologized and said it was all her fault, what about the person who was apologized? Most people are worse than her, so wouldn't it become so bad that it can't be worse? Being so humble, that restrained The capable wife kept apologizing in a low voice, but what should the incompetent person do? Die? Especially that Young Master Liang is so poor, there is no way to save him. " "You are picking bones in the egg." "It's nitpicking. But even if there is no malice, sometimes modesty can hurt people. That kind of groveling will hurt other people's self-esteem. And Miss Qian doesn't resist at all. If she can assert herself and resist Or swearing, the man will know how to deal with it." "This..." Isama didn't think about it, but maybe he also had this view. Akane's overly modest attitude is not only her own position, but may even destroy the other party's position. Imagawa said, "Absolute obedience is a problem. Because the party who obeys puts all the responsibility on the other party, even if it fails, it will not be blamed. For the party who ordered the obedience, it is very troublesome." This truth sounds half-understood, but Ah Jie seems to understand. The little girl nodded vigorously and said, "That's right! By the way, could it be intentional? Although this is a bit too much thinking." "on purpose?" "Yes, in order to make my husband a useless person..." "Why did you make your husband a useless person?" "How do I know this? But the young master has been getting worse every day since he entered the family, and when he couldn't get worse, he was killed. At first he seemed to be a good person." "But Miss Qian is highly praised, and everyone says she is a virgin?" So what Renji said - the evaluation of the world. "It's, very, difficult, let's talk..." A Jie said in a strange tone, hugging his head. This is not a question for the maid to ponder over. "...Virgin refers to men, right? That's not right at all? Because my husband is going from bad to worse. Or is it supposed to be like this—is it meant to be a model? What is it based on? No Right? Oh, it's so difficult!" "Do you need to be so troubled?" "Of course, the so-called virgin is..." "The so-called virgin refers to a woman who sticks to her chastity, nothing else. So there is no distinction between good and bad, that's all." Imakawa explained lightly. A Jie made a rash conclusion: "Chastity, oh, Miss is indeed a stickler for her chastity. Even with her husband, well, she won't let others touch her." "It doesn't mean that." "what does that mean?" "The so-called chastity refers to being consistent. The original meaning refers to something that transcends time and is eternally beautiful." "I don't understand. Do you mean stubborn?" "In other words, it is an impossible thing, a fantasy. A so-called virgin is someone who sticks to this impossible thing." "Oh? That's right, Miss Qian is a virgin." A Jie said casually. Imagawa may know some strange knowledge because he was born in a famous family. "Speaking of which, Miss, you are really observant." Isama was interested in how this young maid felt about women who were weavers.This girl, Ajie, has been observing Zhisao's family for two years.Although it is unavoidable to feel a little gossip, she must see it from a different angle than Isama and others. A Jie said: "Does this need to be said? The housekeeper's job has been in charge of housework since ancient times. It is a job that goes deep into the family. Of course, I will see and hear a lot of things and know some secrets. I My eyes are always watching, but the rule in this industry is that you can’t talk about housework.” "Aren't you talking?" The gossip maid said solemnly, "Well, what am I really talking about, it's so nerve-wracking." "Well, Xiaojie, what do you think, Miss Aoi?" "What do you think? What do you think? Oh...Miss Aoi, I don't like it, but I have no reason to hate it." "Isn't this just disgusting..." "It's different. Ms. Kui has a very good mind, and she always speaks clearly and reasonably. But, ordinary people can't live their lives thinking about such noble things all day long, right?" "noble?" "Yeah, sweet potato skin is hard to peel, nose itches, the weather is bad, mood is bad, and I want to get rich—it's what most people think about, it must be." Unruly maid vigorously advocates. "When peeling sweet potatoes, I think about—how do I put it—that this is the underground labor force that supports the economy and society from the outside. What is the contradiction between this kind of unpaid labor and capital... Ah, it's so annoying! Is it possible? Will you think about such things? But Ms. Aoi will. Every day, every moment." So that's the case, it should be. Aoi must be like her appearance like a delicate dummy. Akane doesn't hate it, but she can't like it; Aoi doesn't like it, but there's no reason to hate it.Although there are some subtle differences, it is not incomprehensible.However, perhaps due to the difference in age and gender, there is a certain gap between Ah Jie's views and Izuo's feelings towards them. "Where's Miss Bea?" "child." easy to understand. "Ms. Bi is only thirteen years old. The child was born when my wife was thirty-four years old. She is nine years younger than Ms. Kui. But... despite this, she doesn't seem to be loved very much. The usual kind of old Isn't the child you gave birth to particularly favored? Why is that..." A Jie dragged out the end of the sentence with special meaning, and just when he was about to lose his breath, he ended with the sentence "There must be something". "What do you mean?" A Jie slapped his eyes and said, "What is it?" Isama stopped questioning and stopped thinking.Because of Ajie's tone and attitude, it implies that Abi is not Masako's biological daughter or that she is the daughter of a concubine, a conclusion that Isama doesn't really want to know. "Then what about Miss Zi who passed away?" "I died not long after I came here, about half a year or so." "It's the same... er... is it beautiful?" Isama thought of many ways to describe it, but couldn't find any other way to ask. A Jie said: "I'm not as beautiful as I am. Miss Zi looks a lot like the old man, so she should be very favored, right? When Miss Zi passed away, the old man was heartbroken." "What's the cause of death?" "Poison killing." "what?" A Jie turned his index finger and said, "...I think it was a sudden death from poisoning." "Then it was not a natural death?" "The statement said that he died of illness. The police did not come, and the death certificate was written casually. The Shibata Zaibatsu has a lot of royal doctors. But the day before, everyone was still alive and kicking." "It's suspicious." "It's very suspicious, and so is the old man. Although the old man was weak and sick later, no one thought that he would leave as soon as he said it. The day before he passed away, he was yelling and mad." "Go crazy?" "I was so scared that I fell down the stairs." Isama felt that it should not be frightened by the roar. "...Why is the old man angry?" "The old man was dissatisfied with Miss Kui's book club, so he yelled at her. What to say: 'Women are not allowed to say such nonsense, you weaver are shameful!'" "dubious?" "Miss Kui seems to be writing an article in a magazine about sexual matters. The old man is fighting for women's rights—to obtain human rights? I don't quite understand. The old man tolerates these things, he is considered a reasonable person, but when he mentions sexual liberation Topics like this are just... swearing indiscriminately. Just mentioning it will make the old man fly into a rage..." Aoi seems to be quite interested in women's sports. A Jie said: "Master, there are other reasons for publishing it, that is, the young master. The young master, he seems to have spent a lot of money from the school - St. Bernard's Women's College. As a result, it was exposed, that intrusion, intrusion..." "Misappropriation of public funds." "Yes, but it's not a big sum of money. It's just that the two guests also know about the appearance of the Strangler, right? The one who killed the teacher. The scandal was leaked to some people, and the matter became serious. The young master is the director Commander, I mishandled the instructions, and I was scolded miserably because of that incident. As a result, the young master of the Shibata family went out in person, causing a commotion in the city..." A Jie spread his hands. "...At this juncture, the young master's misappropriation of public funds was exposed. The old man ran the novel: 'You bastard, are you trying to bring down the sacred school founded by my father? Damn it!' As a result, the young master replied defiantly. He scolded and said: 'If you want to kill me, kill me!' Then he jumped over the wall like a dog, and said some ugly words." "What words?" "He said: 'Where is the school that sells sex sacred'?" "Prostitution? Is that a girls' school?" “是女校啊。少爷豁出去地说：'我已经掌握到事实了，干脆公之于世怎么样？'对少爷来说，可能已经没什么可以失去了吧。而大老爷有太多东西不能失去了。” “卖春啊……” 那所学校，就是碧就读的学校。 记得仁吉说他的孙女也是那里的学生。伊佐间很难从碧那天真无邪的形象中导出卖春这两个字，只是…… ——那个女孩…… 碧在父亲葬礼的时候笑了。 或许只有自己多心。但在伊佐间看来，她的确是在笑。 伊佐间回想起碧的笑容——想起送葬队伍中织作家的女儿们。 现在想想，虔诚的基督徒在佛教的葬礼中捧丧膳，是有些奇怪。对碧来说，信仰宗教不同。她之所以看起来心不在焉，或许就是这个缘故。 “……所以啊，大老爷遭到意外的反击，突然变得一脸苍白，沉默了，把少爷拖进房间里，两个人谈了好一阵子。后来碧小姐也被叫去了，好像吵得很厉害。因为这样，葵小姐的事就不了了之了。” 绞杀魔出现后，就回到家里了。警察也来了，而且还有面子问题。不管怎么说，老爷前天还骂得那么凶、吵得那么厉害，隔天早上竟然一命呜呼。This is so weird. “太太醒来的时候，大吃一惊吗？” “发现的是茜小姐，太太在寝室的别处。” “分床睡？” “分床睡。” “他们吵架了吗？” “怎么可能吵架？大老爷是入赘女婿。夫妇分床睡，好像是以前就有的惯例。感觉他们的感情也不是特别坏，只是我到这里工作以后，连一次都没有看到大老爷和太太说过话。” “你是女管家，却没有看过？” “没看过。可是太太那副模样，或许这很平常的吧？” “这样平常吗？连话都不讲，晚上也分开睡？” “很平常啊。在这个织作家，男人本来就只是道具罢了。大老爷相当于是他的生意头脑被相中，被雇来这里而已。” “……没有爱？” 伊佐间一问，阿节就说：“什么叫爱？”然后说，“可是一家人就是一家人啊。” 这也不是不懂。虽然不是不懂，但是这一家人——就阿节的话听来，感觉冰冷到了极点。她说得实在太生动了。 从耕作和仁吉的话来看，也可轻易想象出织作一族有着不少争执和纠纷，但伊佐间完全没有想到竟是如此血淋淋。从织作家富裕而且来历正派的优雅资本家外貌，很难看出内部竟是这种家庭关系。anyway…… ——情况真是棘手。 伊佐间这么想。葵好像坚持不结婚，只要茜不再婚，织作家就要断绝了。伊佐间这么说，阿节便低声道：“织作家的血脉早断了。” “这话又怎么说？” “这话可不能说出去哟。上一代的太太——也就是真佐子太太的母亲，五百子老太太的女儿——贞子大太太这个人，听说是上上一代喜右卫门老爷和一个女工生下来的孩子。五百子老太太真正的孩子好像已经过世了。所以现在的织作家的人，全部是女婿和女工的子孙哟。然后啊……” 阿节的话突然中断了。她露出一副咬到涩柿子的表情，偷偷摸摸的放下交叠的双腿，轻轻地在地上摆正，静静地站起来。She froze. 伊佐间望向她僵硬的视线前方。 黑色的门扉前，站着一个天使。 几近黑色的灰色制服，白色的大蝴蝶结。 硕大的眼睛，水灵灵的瞳孔，仿佛仔细地涂上白色颜料般的细致肌肤。 未发达的声带振动了：“阿节……” 是织作碧。 阿节用高八度的声音尖叫了一声“是”，询问：“小姐什么时候来的？” “我才刚来而已……”碧天真烂漫地笑着，“……但是神总在你身边哟。阿节说了什么不好的话吗？” “没、没那回事！对，我、我只是一直想坐这张漂亮的椅子，对、对不对，客人？” 今川闻言，没用地说了句：“这把椅子很棒。” 一点解围的功用都没有。 “你想要的话，我可以去帮你跟母亲说说。阿节，门口有客人，可以请你去看一下吗？” “我去我去，我立刻去！”阿节慌乱得近乎滑稽，差点跌倒，她重新站定，向碧行礼之后离开了。碧朝着她的背影说：“……阿节，饶舌是一种罪过哟。” 没有多久，就传来一道巨响。 阿节摔倒了吧。 碧似乎完全不放在心上，宛如漫步在云端，轻飘飘地走到伊佐间身旁。 接着她看也不看伊佐间，而是望着楼梯的方向说：“叔叔们最好不要对我们家太感兴趣哟，因为这个家……并不受到祝福。大家似乎都在传说，如果随便和织作家牵扯上关系，会发生不幸呢。” 她的声音稚气未脱，是少女的声音。 在伊佐间看来，她似乎在笑。 今川瞪圆了一双大眼，问道：“你刚才的话，指的是府上受到诅咒或遭到作祟吗？” 伊佐间想起了故事。“难道……是天女的诅咒？” “天女？天女的什么呢？” “诅咒。织作家的传闻……或者说，故事。” 伊佐间说道，碧露出高兴的表情、愉快地说：“诅咒……哎呀，诅咒啊，我从未听说过什么天女的诅咒呢。有这种传闻吗？可是这也难免吧。这个家是冒渎的家呀，报应不爽嘛。” 碧用玩笑般的口吻说道，轻轻地笑了。伊佐间穷于回答。 总觉得碧的内在和外部——说的话与嘴巴完全不相称。 听说这个女孩说妖怪是不应该存在的事物，所以不存在。尽管如此，她的口吻却像在肯定诅咒这回事。那么她的意思是，诅咒是应该存在的吗？ 伊佐间的脑海里浮现出仁吉老人的话。 ——诅咒的是织作家的女人。 ——换言之，下诅咒的就是这个女孩。 不被祝福的家，一旦牵扯上，就会发生不幸。 冒渎的家，这是什么意思？ 天女的后裔——织作家的四女双手合拢，双眼闪耀，一副就要进行什么好玩的恶作剧似的接着说道：……叔叔们知道这里有那种传闻，竟然还敢来。叔叔们天不怕地不怕吗？ ——小孩子。 就像阿节说的，这个女孩还只是个孩子。不管她信仰再怎么虔诚，要求她的言行一致的道理或哲理，是太过分了些。 即使年幼，她也努力忠实于教义，所以她的行动应该是出于信仰，但是再怎么说，她也只是根据她小孩子稚拙的道理来发言，行动罢了。 伊佐间这么认为。 但是……要光靠这样来分辨人表里，是很困难的。 今川听到了碧的话，指着伊佐间说：“这个人不怕幽灵也不怕妖怪，也完全感觉不到不好的预感或不详的气息。” 这是事实，不管妖怪、幽灵还是灵异、异常的现象，伊佐间从来不曾感到害怕过。不过如果碰到危险，他会畏惧，受到惊吓，也会吃惊，而且伊佐间讨厌暴力，当然也遇到过一些讨厌的事，却从来没有碰上让他吓得毛骨悚然的遭遇。只是这几天伊佐间不断地感到恶寒。那不是预感也不是气息，完全就是寒意，和感冒时感觉到的寒意没有什么两样。Even so... ——那究竟是什么呢？ 伊佐间也不太了解恶寒的真面目。 今川接着说“而我比他更迟钝”，这也是事实吧。今川的容貌比一般的妖怪还要吓人。碧听到他的话，说道“哎呀，真靠得住”，被逗笑了。 “现今的社会迷信横行，教人忧心。如果注视着正确的道路，世上就没有任何可怕的事物了。叔叔们的态度非常正确，我……放心了。” 伊佐间和今川——似乎被试探了。 ——她有多认真？ 把她当成孩子是不对的吗？少女的表情笑容不绝、惹人怜爱，但那或许只是个面具罢了。伊佐间感到困惑。 “那么，叔叔们是站在我这边的呢。那样的话，灾祸就不会降临在叔叔们身上了。叔叔们可以放心。” 碧说道，就像电影中登场的外国女孩，偏着头轻弯膝盖，行礼之后，又轻飘飘地移动，走上螺旋楼梯，穿过楼上的回廊，消失在尽头的走廊。是没有体重，还是重力影响不到她？ 这个女孩令人无法捉摸。 “啊，有别的刑警来了。”今川说。 的确，能够满不在乎地在居丧的屋子里粗鲁地踩着脚步移动的人种，大概也只有刑警了。他们身上似乎背负了多余的重力。 一阵喧嚷声之后，黑色的门打开了。 首先——有着一张松弛马脸的男子走了进来。 稍长的头发平贴在头上。 接着一脸严厉的男子不悦地走进房间。 这名男子远远地就看得出他长相凶悍、体格强健，看他那副凶相，仿佛随时都会抬脚到处乱踹似的。男子用小而锐利的眼睛打量建筑物的每一处，视线紧咬住墙壁和柱子。那凶暴的视线不久后扫向呆站在中央的伊佐间，男子看到伊佐间，用高亢得异样的声音怒骂：“喂！这不是钓鱼的吗？你在这种地方搞什么鬼？” 下巴开阔的国字脸，感觉很熟悉…… 伊佐间熟识的一张脸。 “木场修……”伊佐间扬声叫道。 来人是隶属于东京警视厅搜查一课的刑警——木场修太郎巡查部长。 今川露出诧异的表情。 “是你认识的吗？” “嗯，是榎兄的……”伊佐间的说明只到这里，今川也不再继续追问。 榎兄指的是榎木津礼二郎。 榎木津是伊佐间与今川军旅时代的长官，他是一个难以用言语形容的荒唐男子。 而木场刑警与榎木津是竹马之友。 换句话说，木场是伊佐间通过榎木津认识的朋友，而这个事实意味着那并不是什么好关系。对伊佐间来说，木场与其说是刑警，不如说是一名令人头疼的朋友。 今川也认识榎木津，所以只要说出榎木津的名字，他应该就了然于心了。 伊佐间有点担心起来。既然木场闯入辖区外的千叶县，就必须觉悟到即将有一场风波来袭。行事莽撞的朋友去年也闯进辖区外的神奈川找碴，引发了一场大混乱。 “我问你在这里干什么！没听见吗？喂，钓鱼的，你脸上两边贴的那两片东西不是耳朵，是饺子还是什么吗？” 怒气冲天。 搞不好相反，是兴头十足。 “哦，池鱼之殃。”除此之外，没别的说明了。 “池鱼之殃？呿，你这个王八蛋，显现没事该有个限度。混帐东西，去做点对社会有贡献的事吧。喂，你旁边那头怪脸兽是什么？这家人养的畜生吗？” “这个？待古庵，古董商。” 木场扬起眉毛，露出厉鬼般的表情说：“待古庵？哦，你就是那个在箱根被卷进命案的旧货商啊。我听说过你。” 就算被人当面说成畜生，今川也面不改色，他恭敬有礼地招呼道：“是的，敝姓今川，请多指教。”木场说：“我是警视厅的刑警，我姓木场，多指教啊。” “倒是……” 伊佐间省略了“你大老远跑到辖区外的千叶县来做什么”。木场搞错意思，介绍说：“这是四谷署的加门刑警。” "I'm not asking that." “嗯？工作啦。把这家的人叫来。” “叫来？可是现在千叶的警方正……” “哦，我听说了。是别的案子啦。叫家里的人来。” “别的案子？哦，别的案子。” 既然是和辖区的刑警两个人搭档一起来的，应该是正式的公务吧。伊佐间稍稍放下心来。 这个放荡不羁的刑警总是因为横冲直撞、鲁莽行事、单独行动而受罚。 可能是阿节去通报了。不一会儿，矶部刑警摇晃着庞大的身躯回来了。他汗流浃背。 “干吗？我们正在忙，没空理你们。” “我知道你们忙，但这里也很急。” “你是东京的？……在搜查什么案子？” “溃眼魔，帮你们收拾烂摊子。” “溃眼魔？那跟织作家有什么关系？出现在这里的是绞杀魔，不一样。” “这我已经在千叶本部听说了……”木场大声威吓说，“总之我们查到了重要的新事证，所以才大老远出差到安房这儿来。事情两三下就可以办好，你们站一边去吧。” 木场个子比矶部矮，肩膀也比他小，密度却大许多，所以虚张声势吓唬人时，整个人看起来大了两三倍。 矶部则是肚子里塞满了压力，像纸老虎般空空如也，承受不住威吓。 “等一下，什么新事证？我们没接到通知啊。” “罗唆。说什么共同搜查，结果你们还不是早早就投奔绞杀魔的案子去了？用不着你们担心，本部长那边已经谈好了。退一边去吧。” 矶部喃喃嘀咕了一阵他擅长的独白，慵懒地摇晃着庞然巨躯，说道：“那你们是要找谁？”木场说：“次女还是三女都可以。” ——茜或葵。 他们之中的哪一个与溃眼魔的事件有关吗？这突如其来的发展让伊佐间有些慌乱。不过一如往常，他的表情看起来只是一副茫茫然。他望向今川，古董商睁圆了眼睛，嘴巴半开。不过这也是老样子，完全看不出他心里在想什么。矶部眨着圆滚滚的脸中央的小眼睛说：“哦，那是很棘手哟，不关我的事。” “喂，什么东西棘手？” “等一下你就知道了，我去帮你叫三女。”矶部坏心眼地说道，踩出脚步声消失在门外。 他打算让葵和木场杠上，伊佐间就这样坐在椅子上，静观其变。 今川小声地对伊佐间说：“这下子又不用吃饭了。” 被介绍姓加门的刑警疲惫地摇晃着身子，在伊佐间身旁坐下，木场则在伊佐间对面安顿下来。 木场一坐好，加门便用一种抑扬顿挫、高低起伏的口吻说：“木场兄，我还是不懂，川岛喜市为什么会赎出多田麻纪拿去当铺典当的和服呢？而且还老老实实地写了下地址。赎出东西就已经令人不解了，还写下自己的地址，简直是疯了。川岛新造的住址会曝光，是因为贞辅抄写下来，这是不可抗力，但喜市却主动写下自己的住址，这太奇怪了。” “是很奇怪。” “木场兄不是一向很介意这类小矛盾吗？” “就是因为介意，才过来调查不是吗？事实就是事实啊。” 加门刑警撩起紧贴在头皮上的头发。“也是。如果高桥志摩子的证词是真的，那么诱出前岛八千代的也不是川岛新造，而是川岛喜市了吧。可是木场兄，亏你能从那么泼辣女口中文出证词呢，七条对你佩服不已哟。你年轻的部下说，你对于获得欢场女子的信赖很有一手，这是真的吗？” “才没那种事。我认真问话，她自己就开口了。”木场冷冷的说。 伊佐间认为是这个豪杰害臊了，木场不擅长应付女性，虽然不擅长应付，但木场出于职业关系，经常必须与娼妇、酒家女等打交道，而他个性认真，总是诚恳对待那些女子。正因为木场不擅长应付，所以那些女人误以为他这个坦率诚实，结果木场反而大受欢迎。 话说回来——伊佐间完全听不懂他们在谈论写什么。 加门一面苦笑，一面说：“我很不会讯问女人哪，这里就交给木场兄吧。”木场没有回答，瞪住伊佐间，小声地问：“喂，这边的女人……是怎样？很难搞吗？” "Ok……" 伊佐间没有亲身体验，但是从矶部等人的样子来看，说难搞应该是难搞吧。他就像平常一样暧昧地回话，木场闭口不语，盘起胳膊。 伊佐间忽然抬起视线。 午后的阳光从四面八方的采光小窗照射进来，在围绕着楼梯井的回廊黑与白的部分或反射或吸收，交织出微妙的色泽。 仿佛在看一幅油画。 就在这幅幽景之中，螺旋阶梯的顶端，一个犹如陶制赝品的——完美无趣的人体，沐浴在天窗落下的格外闪耀的一道光芒中，静静地、优雅地伫立着。 太过完美的演出。 “有事找我的……”清凉的金属质嗓音，织作葵。 陶瓷人偶仿佛主张着正确的人体运动就该如此，以无懈可击的动作环绕着螺旋阶梯，来到下界。 和妹妹截然不同，她的脚踩在地面。 木场默默无语地表达意志。 “……有何贵干？” "You are……" “我是织作葵。” “我说啊……哎，算了。” “多么蛮横的口气啊。” “不好意思，出身下流就是这样。要是让你觉得不舒服，我道歉。” “这倒不必，我已经习惯他人高压的态度了。如你所见，家里现在不方便，有事请长话短说。” 葵散发出一种伴随着紧张感的冷冽气息，以一定的速度走向中央，在可以扫视全员的位置坐了下来。 就算近看，印象也完全不变。 即使近看，葵的肌肤依然细致无比，充满紧密粒子构成的无机质感。左右对称的脸就像精确设计出来的一般，瞳孔就像两颗水晶球…… 葵的瞳孔颜色很独特。 具有透明感的灰色——不，那只是反射出这个房间的黑与白罢了。因为伊佐间在了望樱树的窗边看到她时，她的眼睛染成了樱色…… 好像连木场都有点为她的美貌吃惊。 “我……我想问的只有一件事，关于川岛喜市这个人，请你告诉我你所知道的一切。” “川岛喜市？” “喜悦的喜，市场的市。” “他怎么了吗？” “你是老几？” “我是三女。” 木场深深地叹了一口气。 回廊角落，可以看到身躯庞大的矶部刑警正躲在那里。他是打算坐山观虎斗，观赏强壮的本厅刑警被搞得窘态毕露的模样吧。 但是木场并没有矶部所想的那么简单。 伊佐间知道木场拥有锲而不舍的精神，以及强得不可意思的反抗力。木场很快就重整旗鼓。 “那，可以把你姐姐也叫来吗？” “叫家姐吗？要找家姐是无妨，但是她甫遭丧夫之痛，正处于极端混乱的状态，我不能保证她能够冷静应对。更重要的是，请你先告诉我你们的身份，来访的意图……已经这是什么搜查，为何来找我们。如果理由能够让人信服，我会尽我身为国民的义务，倾力协助调查。” 木场重新振作后，对这番话既不感到吃惊，也没有退缩，他报上姓名及身份后，向她介绍加门。 “……还有到这里的理由是吗？这件事有点复