Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Meet Again

On the second day after the investigation and evidence collection of Seiji Okuhira, Zhu Zi summoned Masao Kitazawa, one of the references, to the prosecutor's office.The application to have Opin placed in juvenile asylum was dealt with yesterday by the Family Court.In this way, his status has indeed become a suspect and he has been restricted in his behavior.After the "identification" is "identified", according to the law, if the suspect is under 20 years old, he must be sent to the "family court" or released home.Zhu Zi did not find any other suspects, and was involved in the murder case, so he had to transfer Auping to the "family court" first.

After Masao Kitazawa received the notice from the Public Prosecutor, he finally arrived at the appointed time—1:00 p.m.Changdai wore a silver necklace on the chest of his plain ivory suit.At the urging of Yazu, the official, she sat down on a chair in front of Akatsuki.Her plump cheeks were a little pale, but her skin was still so pure and fair, and the look in her pale eyes was somewhat cold and desolate.This is the impression of Kitazawa Masao that was deeply imprinted in Zhu Zi's mind. "It's hard work to find you in such a hurry." Zhu Zi said a little apologetically and routinely.Changdai nodded his head lightly as a gesture of salute, then raised his head and looked at Zhuzi.When the eyes of the two met at once, Zhu Zi really hoped that the other party had completely forgotten about him.It has been a month since Shirakawa met today... There was no special look in Changdai's eyes. Although there was a flash of surprise, it might be the expression of waiting for the prosecutor's next sentence—maybe I am too nervous, Zhu Zi said in his heart.

"—The police have questioned you many times, but I still want to ask you about what happened on the evening of June 18. I just hope you can explain it in as much detail as possible?" "Okay..." Changdai seemed to organize her thoughts at the same time when she agreed, she stared at Zhu Zi closely, and said in a calm tone.It is generally consistent with the materials sent by the police. From time to time Zhu Zi jotted down something in her notebook and interrupted her statement to ask questions. "Didn't you fight again after Opin took the scythe from your hand?"

"Aren't you aware of the criminal consequences of this?" "When Nakao rushed over, did Opin look back and confirm that it was Nakao who cut it with the sickle?" Changdai gave a negative answer to these questions after careful consideration one by one. "—Anyway, it was all in a flash, and of course I didn't realize it at all. However, I didn't really notice where the scythe was going. That's all, I think. As a matter of fact, no matter how Mr. Nakao's family thinks about it." In the last sentence, her tone seemed a little flustered. So, does Okping have a caring attitude towards the opposite sex Changdai?Regarding this point, Changdai also denied it in a firm negative tone.

"Then, we have investigated the matter of the victim Hirokichi Nakao. Since March this year, Mr. Nakao has often come to your house to chat after work or on the occasion of work. You told the police that in the past three months I have been there about three times, and each time does not exceed 30 minutes, just chatting or something, is that so?" "Yes..." Changdai nodded slowly, but this time she didn't know whether she was absent-minded or had phlegm stuck in her throat, so she answered a little vaguely. "However, according to the results of our investigation of the neighbors, Mr. Nakao often visits your house at least once every ten days, and most of the time it is in the evening or at night. Do you have such a close relationship with Mr. Nakao? "

Hearing this, Changdai took a deep breath as if he had been hit hard, and was stunned.Her cheeks, too, had suddenly become visibly paler. "Moreover, Mr. Nakao not only talked with you in the living room facing the courtyard, but someone also confirmed that he spent an hour with you on the second floor—Miss Kitazawa. The conclusion is an important judgment, so please give a clear answer? You and Mr. Nakao are not just the ordinary relationship you just said, right?" Chang Dai lowered her head, biting her lower lip tightly in thought Now, how should I answer?With a look of embarrassment on her face, she raised her head and stared at Zhu Zi with an unfathomable gaze: "The unusual relationship you mentioned, do you mean that we are lovers?"

"Of course, if the hypothesis—" "About this matter, I can swear." Changdai shook his head vigorously and said, "It's just...frankly speaking, only twice, there is that meaning, he said that meaning, that is, he wants to be with me..." Changdai Said in a low voice, Nakao had hoped to be his lover, "However, I refused of course, and I also warned him not to take an overly forceful attitude towards me, and this time I also said the same request: if he If you come to my house again, then I will not be polite." At this time, Masato no longer looked at Zhu Zi timidly: "For Mr. Nakao, I have never once treated him with the feeling of 'love'. If this point is excluded, he should be said to be a very good person Talking to. This alone makes him the one who died in my house... I am personally very distressed about this matter. Nevertheless, I do not want to distort the truth of the matter, and Mr. Opin It wasn't intentional." Changdai became more and more excited as he spoke.She put her hands in front of her mouth, as if without this action, her words would not be able to stop the car.

"What time do you usually come home from get off work?" Zhu Zi waited for a while, let Chang Dai be quiet for a while, and then changed the subject. "The office closes at 5 o'clock, and I will pack up...it will be around 6 o'clock when I get home." "By bus?" "yes." "Sometimes people from the company will send you back, right?" Zhu Zi asked. "I'm busy at get off work. When I got off work late, the boss used his own car to drive me back. I am the secretary of the minister of the finished product department. The minister is British. Because I have been in Japan with my family for less than a year, I have a lot of private life. You have to bother me about it.”

"personal life?" "Yes! For example, if the dog is sick, where should I go to see a doctor, and I have disputes with my neighbors because of burning garbage. As a Japanese, I, as a secretary, of course have to help deal with these things. So he feels sorry, and sometimes uses a car. It’s reasonable to give me a break! But I’m only doing some phone calls, or translating some documents and materials in the company, which is not such a decent job as people imagine. Maybe this is in the eyes of the neighbors. It's so conspicuous." On the way, she had a few helpless wry smiles.Maybe she was quite disgusted with the gossiping and suspicion of some housewives in the neighborhood, so she said it to Zhu Zi as if complaining.The one-hour first round of forensics is over.

While flipping through the notebook, Zhu Zi carefully repeated what Changdai had said.After Yazu finished writing, he read it to Changdai again. After Changdai thought he had no objection, he asked her to read it, sign it, and stamp it.After finishing what Yazu asked, Masao let out a deep breath as if he was liberated.She stood up from the chair, stretched her muscles and bones, and smiled, stretching from the corners of her eyes to her cheeks as if they were greatly relaxed: "We have received your great assistance, thank you very much!" Zhu Zi bowed his head to Chang Dai and said, "If I knew that we would meet again, I should bring the sandals you lent me in Baichuan Township!" Facing Zhu Zi who didn't know how to answer, Chang Dai expressed a meaningful expression. looked at her.

"Please give my regards to that one." That is to say, Changdai recognized the female prosecutor who was facing her when she came in. It was the one among the men and women who met at Yumuyi Lake on a Sunday in May. female.Zhu Zi was completely at a loss when faced with Changdai, who had not been so "presumptuous" until now. That day, Changdai was alone. From any angle, this woman is a woman exuding a strange shadow. What is she trying to do?Why did she go to the rainy mountains alone?Zhu Zi suddenly drew two question marks in his mind. A dead man cannot speak. There are key differences between the complaints and defenses of the parties involved in the incident, Seiji Okira and Masao Kitazawa, and the testimony of the direct witness of the incident, housewife Harue Akashi.If Akashi Harue's testimony is to be believed, then Masato and Nakao's lover relationship is very strong; on the other hand, it also proves that Okuhei also has an unusual concern for Masato.If this is the case, Okuhei is not just Changdai who approached to ask for directions, but also Okhei deliberately killed Nakao who came to stop him from arguing with Changdai.Qingjiang's testimony is that Ohei had a fight with Nakao, and during the fight he killed Nakao's. In this way, it can be explained why Kitazawa Masao tried his best to protect Okping and tried his best to describe this incident as an accidental injury. The purpose was to conceal the implication of a triangle relationship between her and these two people.However, if Qingjiang's testimony is put with a question mark, there will be no evidence of any of the above.Even if it is proved that Nakao's death was entirely due to the scythe blade puncturing the aorta of his thigh and causing excessive blood loss, the above conclusion cannot be drawn. After collecting evidence, Chidori Prosecutor submitted a supplementary search to the Central Police Station, but it ended with no new clues being found around Nakao, Changdai, and Okuhei.At the same time, follow-up investigations on how many days and when Nakao and Changdai visited, and how long they stayed with her, etc., were also fruitless.Since Nakao is the president of the cloth company, he spends a lot of time going out during the day, especially since he owns a medium-sized car, which frequently travels between the Gifu factory and Nagoya. No one knows when he will drive to Masashiro’s house during this period . On the day of the incident, at around 6 p.m., he left the apartment in Fushimi, which is a residence and office, without explaining where he was going.It was later discovered that his car was parked in an open space on the east side of Crane Dance Park.Whether Changdai and Nakao have a lover relationship, although there is no strong denial, but there is no evidence to confirm this doubt. Even Nakao's wife has no idea that her husband is still in contact with a woman named Changdai.Moreover, there was no new evidence about Nakao and Changdai later. This incident proved that in a metropolis, it is quite difficult to inquire into the privacy of everyone or a certain person from the outside.Of course, the police also conducted a detailed investigation on Opin, one of the suspects, but he did not have any "bad" criminal record in his history.After graduating from an ordinary high school in Showa Ward, he worked for a company that operates gasoline filling stations and auto repair shops, and first went to a subsidiary factory in Fujimi Town for implementation.His attendance is good, and he is serious and willing to work.He likes to drive motorcycles, and because of this, he also participated in two rotations of all motorcycle riding students, including himself, in high school because of the ban on "speeding gangs", but he did not participate in these guys. Together, there have been no car accidents or anything like that.His academic performance is average.There was only one point of interest to the investigators: the eldest son of the deceased, Yasunichi Nakao, was in the same grade as Ohei at the same school.Yasudo Nakao went to a private university this spring and lived in a student dormitory in Osaka—however, he did not find anything of value along this line. Kang Dao and Aoping's academic performance are similar, and they are not in the same class.During school, they had no conflicts such as discord, sense of competition, etc.Even when the investigators went to Osaka to ask Kang Dao about Okping, he learned from the police that the "Oping" related to the case was his classmate Okping that year. The same is true for the survey of the workplace in Changdai, and the response is generally good.She was born in Shita County, Shizuoka Prefecture. Her parents used to run a nursery school, but they died of illness several years ago.Because she has no brothers, she is celibate.After graduating from Nagoya University, she worked for a time at a domestic trading company.Three years ago, after being introduced by an employment agency, she passed the extremely competitive assessment and joined the British company where she is currently working.She is serious and efficient, and has obvious advantages among female staff.She seemed to have a suitor before, but since that young man passed away in a car accident a year ago, no one has been in a relationship with her... As for the witnesses, there is no one else to judge except Harue Akashi——the condition of the case has become a state of standing still. Believe the testimony of Okping and Changdai?Acknowledge Akashi Harue's testimony? Because the police attaches great importance to the latter's testimony, Okping Makoto was sent to the prosecutor's office on suspicion of "injury to death".Generally speaking, homicide cases are more inclined to the police's opinion, so it is natural to have the saying of "black priority". Regarding this point, the prosecutor's office tries to seek a more neutral position, and adopts a fair attitude among the victims, perpetrators and witnesses. It is necessary to maintain the fair image of the procuratorate among the public that "takes social welfare as the criterion", and absolutely does not allow "black priority" to make adjudication. However, in this case where there are principled contradictions between the testimony of the suspect and the witnesses, the prosecution is required to draw only one conclusion. If the testimony of Akashi Harue is adopted, Seiji Okuhira must be convicted of "injury to death"; and if the confessions of Okuhei and Changdai are believed, then Okuhira is within the boundary of "manslaughter".The punishments resulting from these two conclusions are quite different. "Injury to death" should at least be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment, while "manslaughter" can be punished with "a fine of less than 1,000 yuan" in Article 210 of the Criminal Law.Due to changes in the current economic policy, it is stipulated that a fine of 200 times the original criminal law can be imposed, which is only 200,000 yuan.This is still an adult standard.People under the age of 20 are fined less.This is probably because a sentence may affect a teenager's life.Therefore, Zhu Zi believed that it is not easy to draw conclusions when there is only one witness, Akashi Harue. Isn't Qingjiang's testimony somewhat imprecise? This state is generally referred to as "not guilty search" or "not guilty investigation".After the case is sent to the procuratorate, the police in the original jurisdiction will apply for a new investigation, and the criminal police will no longer assist the procuratorate to work hard, so they have to investigate by themselves. Therefore, Zhu Zi asked prosecutor Yazu to investigate Akashi Harue again. Yazu is forty-five or six-year-old this year, and he has already bald. He is a short, slightly fat man.He usually doesn't like to talk, but just keeps doing his work.He was very serious about the paperwork, digging out every word, and he had the temperament of a professional literati.During the three months since Zhu Zi took office, their cooperation gradually became tacit. In the evening three days later, Yazu's internal investigation report on Akashi Harue came out. "Akashi Harue's neighbors don't think very well of her. Because her husband works in a transportation company, he is very busy with work and doesn't care about his family. She seems to have a fire in her heart, and she often spreads rumors among the housewives in the neighbors. Gossiping, telling stories." Yazu said in his characteristic baritone voice while looking at the investigation report he had written. "Has she no children?" "No. She's already 28! Maybe because of this, she enjoys spying on other people's homes." "However, I heard that she does not work in some supermarket?" - this is written in the materials sent by the police. "Oh, that happened half a month ago. In a store on the west side of the park, I worked until 6:30. According to the director of the supermarket, she left the store at around 6:40 on the day of the incident and walked home. .” "Then when she gets home—" "It is said that she usually walks for about 15 minutes..." "Wow at exactly 7 o'clock!" - What happened in Changdai's yard was confirmed to be around 7:15. "But why didn't she go home directly?" Yazu looked up from his notebook. At 5:30 in the afternoon, as soon as he left the prosecutor's office, Zhu Zi took Yazu with him to the scene of the crime - Yamawaki Town, Showa District.Just passed the summer solstice, the season with the longest days of the year.The sun, which occasionally showed its face during the rainy season, still shone so hotly on the earth.They came from the dormitory of the Ministry of Justice, walked along a circle of green roads on the east side of Nagoya Castle, and walked towards the subway station.The famous castle tower in this city radiates dazzling light under the bath of the setting sun. "I heard that even when Akashi Harue was working, she would often grab the neighbors who came to buy things and talk non-stop. She likes to gossip, and she especially likes to tell stories about Masao Kitazawa's parents." While walking, Yazu repeated to Zhu Zi reported. "But you didn't ask her directly, did you?" "That's true, because it's not a good thing after all. However, it doesn't matter if foreigners drive her back, or male guests often come, or she has unusual relationships with these people. In short, she observes It's pretty careful." "However, why did she have a hard time with Masao Kitazawa?" "I can't figure out what's the reason for this. Because if she and Masao Kitazawa had a quarrel or had a festival, people nearby will definitely spread it. Maybe she feels that a woman who is about her own age is so comfortable. Hearing this, Zhu Zi couldn’t help but think of the life and work of Masao Kitazawa introduced in the materials he saw in the office just now, and at the same time, his thoughts also emerged. She showed the wry smile she had when she heard these words. "Then, on the evening of the day when the crime happened, is the place where the student-looking man and Masao Kitazawa that Harue Akashi said was also accurate?" After getting on the subway, Zhu Zi talked to Yazu about the topic just now. "In general, I made it clear. Qingjiang walked back home from the supermarket at her workplace along the pool in Crane Dance Park, but according to the housewife who lived in the same apartment with her, she saw her and a man riding a bicycle on the way. A student-looking boy on a bicycle was talking loudly. However, the housewife walked past there without paying attention. She didn't know where the student was, and she didn't know what Qingjiang was talking about. Because at that time All the shops in that area were closed, and there were few pedestrians on the road, so she wanted to go home quickly." After hearing Yazu's introduction, Zhu Zi made up his mind to go to the area of ​​the crime scene to learn more about it alone.After the case was sent to the prosecutor's office, the criminal police who were in charge of the investigation had already visited the courtyard and surroundings of Changdai's house again and learned about it many times, and they could not be allowed to do it again. For case reference persons, in principle, they go to the prosecutor's office for evidence collection and investigation. Compared with criminal police, prosecutors have fewer opportunities to go out.But there are exceptions. For example, if the party involved in the case is a patient, an elderly person, or an immobile person who cannot go out, in order to obtain first-hand information more accurately, the prosecutors often have to be accompanied by an official to collect evidence.Zhu Ziyuan also planned to call Akashi Harue to the prosecutor's office, but she was worried that Yazu was too enthusiastic about this case, and even had preconceived subjective consciousness, which would affect the accuracy of evidence collection, so she decided to go to her house. At Kamimaetsu Station, they got off the subway, took a taxi, and arrived near Crane Dance Park 10 minutes later.This area is a concentrated area of ​​universities and hospitals, so it seems relatively quiet.Its outer extension is the residential street. The park is full of trees and winding paths, but there are few tourists.Among the green trees, there may be oleanders with peach-colored flowers, which stubbornly reveal their fragrance in the scorching heat. The place where Yazu stopped the taxi was by an oval pool on the west side of the park.In the turquoise water of the pool, there are a few lone boats cruising boredly.After crossing the small bridge over the pool, you will arrive at the apartment building.I think it happened in this area at that time. They got off the taxi in front of the small bridge. On that side of the bridge, along the road, are two or three shops, a department store, a beauty salon, and a book-rental shop.No matter which shop looks like it is not too big, and there are not many suites, it seems that there are no people living there.Moreover, when Yazu came here last night, the people in the store had already left work. Zhu Zi intends to try to ask to see if anyone has noticed that on June 18th, from 6:40 to 7:00 in the evening, a housewife and a male student riding a bicycle were arguing about something. She finally knocked on the door of the book rental store.This is a gray-haired, strong-bodied boss. Before Zhu Ziquan finished speaking, he nodded his head hastily, and his eyes were still shining with excitement: "Yes, at that corner, there was quite a row. .I listened to it for a while, but I couldn't hear the ugly Yinmao for a long time, so I went back to the house." "Why are you arguing?" Zhu Zi asked unwillingly. "Well, I didn't go to listen to it, but it seems that after the woman crossed the bridge, she ran into a male student riding a bicycle, and she seemed to be injured. In fact, the handlebar touched the woman. It doesn’t look like there was much injury to her arm, but the shopping bag in that woman’s hand was scattered all over the floor.” Then, the boss walked out of the room, pointed to a road ahead and said to Zhu Zi. It happened to be where the residential street and a narrow downhill run out of the trees converged.So Zhu Zi could imagine that the cyclist will inevitably collide with pedestrians due to his high speed when going downhill. "The child didn't even say a word of apology, and his attitude was quite arrogant, so the woman was also angry. I don't think the lady is a good person, but the students are good enough. Two people, you say it, and I say it He yelled loudly, then suddenly changed his tone, and asked what was going on." "Is it noisy?" "Yeah, that woman said she wanted him to pay for the eggs and tomatoes in the bag, which were all broken, and said that she would call the police. But then the woman calmed down for some reason, shook her hand, and said angrily walked away." "When did she separate from that student?" Zhu Zi asked. "It's getting dark, maybe after 7 o'clock." Zhu Zi turned to Yazu and asked in a low voice, "How long does it take to get to her apartment from here?" "Just 10 minutes!" So, if Qingjiang returns home from here, that is, at 7:10, what will happen to her testimony as a "witness"?Zhu Zi felt a burst of tension in his heart. Zhu Zi then asked the owner of the bookstore roughly where the student was staying.Most of the students here are college students who live in rented private houses in this area, and they often come to him to borrow books.Therefore, the boss actually said the student's name.In this way, it is very simple to find him.He lives with a relative named "Miao Zi".This family is in front of the narrow forest path, surrounded by a bamboo fence, forming a very quiet, middle-class residence.Zhuzi and Yazu met the student in front of the small latticed door of this house. His name is Ishiyama Masao, and he is a second-year student at the Industrial University.He has short hair, a tall figure, and is wearing a sky blue T-shirt and brown jeans.His fair skin and thin appearance were about the same as Seiji Okpin.Zhu Zi suddenly had a thought: Are there too many young people with the "bean sprouts" physique recently? Zhu Zi explained his identity to him, and told him that there was a fatal injury case on June 18, and he needed to be certified in some cases.Hearing this, Shi Shan said very happily: "—I accidentally touched that person when I was going downhill, but she didn't do anything wrong. I've been ringing the car bell for a long time, maybe it's because the trees are too dense , that person walked carelessly while looking at the scene in the pool, so my handlebar hit her arm..." What he said was not much different from what the boss said. "She was persistent and wanted to drag you to the police for comment, but in the end she changed her mind again." "Yeah, at the beginning she wanted me to pay for her eggs and tomatoes, and she was quite angry. However, I made an appointment with my classmates to meet in front of the university library to borrow a notebook. I don't have time to grind with her here. So I'm pretty hot too." "Then she agreed to let you go?" "I don't know why..." As he said that, Shi Shan also showed a smile, "Before I left, I was so angry that I told her, for an ugly woman like you, your husband would never like you, and no one would like you." ! Then she glared at me angrily." Zhu Zi could completely imagine Qing Jiang's expression when he heard this.And that Opin, in terms of body shape and age, was similar to this student: "You said you were going to the library to meet your classmates in a hurry, so when did you break up with this Mrs. Akashi?" Zhu Zi asked. "I think it's 7:5." Shi Shan replied after thinking for a while, "Because I still have a while to go to the library, I'm afraid it will be late, so I checked my watch when I got to the library, yes, it's 7:7 The assigned library, it takes 2 minutes to ride there." After leaving Masao Ishiyama, they returned to the bookstore again.Zhuzi and Yazu tested the actual time from there to Harue's apartment on foot.It took 9 minutes to walk all the way to the door of Qingjiang on the second floor of this wooden apartment building. In this way, Qingjiang could fully see that day, that is, on the evening of June 18, Okhei stabbed Nakao to death at around 7:15. scene.It was just over 7 o'clock at this moment, the sun had already set, and the dim light shrouded the entire residential street.Looking out from the apartment into the courtyard of Changdai's house, her windows were curtained, as if there was no one there.And the lights in Qingjiang's room were on.Yazu went forward and knocked on the door, and a woman inside agreed with an "hey". The door opened and a smaller, slightly fatter woman in a dress came out.She looked at the two uninvited guests outside the door in surprise.After Yazu asked her name, he explained her identity and purpose of coming to her, and told her to inquire about the situation of Seiji Opeira.Hearing this, Qingjiang's expression gradually became stiff: "Then please come in." Saying this, she let the two of them into the kitchen and dining room.The window above the sink in this room just faced the yard of Changdai’s house, which is also written in the materials sent by the police. She directly witnessed the scene of the incident through this window.Now, the frosted glass on the window is closed. "I'm very sorry to bother you so late." After Zhuzi and Yazu sat down, they apologized to Qingjiang, "Didn't you go to work today?" "Just came back. Isn't this changing clothes?" It seemed that the windows in the inner room were opened, and a cool breeze blew in.Qingjiang straightened her clothes again and fastened the buttons of her dress. "The supermarket closes at 6:30. If you go straight home, it will be at this hour." Zhu Zi's watch is exactly 7:04. "um, yes." "On the evening of June 18, when did you arrive home?" Zhu Zi began to ask. "It seems to be about the same as today." "However, I heard that you collided with a student named Masao Ishiyama by the pool in the park, didn't you waste time?" "Ah...that's what happened." Qingjiang was a little surprised, her eyes widened involuntarily, "I almost forgot..." "Have you stood there arguing with Mr. Shi Shan for a while?" Zhu Zi asked again. "Well, it's only about ten minutes. I haven't seen that child before, and his attitude is quite bad, so..." Qingjiang meant that she "educated" the child who was not polite, but she It didn't say that the student should pay for her eggs and tomatoes. "So it should have been 7:14-5 when you came home that day?" "I didn't look at my watch, so..." Qingjiang's tone became more guarded. "Can you tell me in order what you did when you got home?" Zhu Zi also noticed it, so she tried to keep a gentle tone and said to Qingjiang. "Anyway... I changed my clothes immediately after entering the house. Because I am a person who sweats a lot, the house was closed for a whole day, and it was extremely hot, so I opened the windows again to ventilate..." "Which window is it open?" "The inner room, and this one." Qingjiang said, pointing to the window above the sink. "Did you see the incident when you opened the window?" "Yes. I can see Ms. Kitazawa's yard from here. I accidentally glanced down that day. I saw that man and woman flirting a little strangely. At first I thought it was Huu We are together, but if you look closely, Miss Kitazawa is holding something like a shining knife in her hand. Just as I was startled, another man passed by..." The police materials read: Opin Turning around, he was pulled together with Nakao again, and Nakao immediately fell to the ground.It seemed that she was quite lively talking to the criminal police who came to collect evidence and investigate, but today Zhu Zi always felt that there was a certain uneasiness in her eyes, and her words were as brief as possible, as if she wanted to spy on something. "Is that the room where you usually change your clothes?" Zhu Zi pointed to the Japanese-style room inside as he said. "Yes, there is a wardrobe there, and you change clothes here, and the people in the passage below can see it." "So, the first thing you opened was the room in the back room?" "Well... But, I also opened this one, and I haven't taken care of it today." "Then it's inconvenient for people to see you changing your clothes from below?" "That's why I only opened the window after I changed my clothes. It has been closed for a whole day during the day, and the room is very stuffy." "Did you open the window after changing clothes that day?" Zhu Zi meant to judge when Qingjiang saw Changdai's house. "No, I remember opening this window a little earlier than now." Qingjiang seemed to have read Zhu Zi's mind, she replied calmly. "Then why is it earlier than usual?" "This...maybe I have a premonition." "But it's more than 30 meters from your place to Changdai's house! It's a bit strange to think something will happen before opening the window." Qingjiang's face turned red all of a sudden, she bit her lips tightly, stared at the ceiling, rolled her eyes and said, "I seem to hear a woman's cry." "Is it Miss Kitazawa's voice?" "Of course, who else would it be?" This time Zhu Zi held his breath and stared at Qing Jiang.In this case, there was only one cry that Changdai mentioned, and it was said that she saw Ohei grab the sickle and stab Nakao in the thigh, and then she uttered the scream after Nakao fell down.And Qingjiang said that she opened the window to see what happened after hearing the shouting.That being said, there was no way she would have seen Okahin and Nakao scuffle together! !Were there no witnesses to this case?For some reason, Zhu Zi suddenly recalled the figure of Changdai standing in front of himself and Gohara with his back to Yumuyi Lake.That might be the case, and Opin was indeed manslaughter. Then, a feeling arose in her heart to settle this meaningless case as soon as possible. On the last weekend of August, Akiko Chidori spent Saturday night and Sunday at her brother's house in Matsubara, Setagaya District, Tokyo.The local procuratorate has a lot of things to do, and many cases require a certain time limit, so she often has to work until the afternoon when she gets off work, even on Saturdays.Although she sometimes goes back to Tokyo to visit her daughter, she hardly ever has two days of complete rest! Zhu Zi's elder brother is Ryuichiro Sekiya, who is 6 years older than Zhu Zi. He is 39 this year and is the head of the development department of a large company.Not long after he worked in the unit, he gave birth to a son with his wife Sachiko who works in the company, and his son is now in college.Zhu Zi's parents are still in their hometown. They live in a small two-story residential building of about 150 square meters that they bought 20 years ago. Since this spring, Zhu Zi has placed his third-grade daughter, Lizi, at his elder brother's house.When she was resting on Sunday, she took Ayuko to visit the two elderly people at her deceased husband's house in Funabashi.In the two years before March this year, when Zhu Zi was working in the Chiba District Prosecutor's Office, in order to entrust her former mother-in-law to take care of her daughter, she rented an apartment near the parents' home of her deceased husband, so that she could spend the summer vacation with her child I often go back there to meet my children.But after my daughter arrived in Tokyo, opportunities like today are quite rare. However, the plan to go to Funabashi today was simply denied because of Ayuko's "reservation". “——但是，明天可是游泳日啊，我可不想休息，这可是暑假最后一次游泳了。”晚饭后，当朱子把自己的打算对鲇子说了以后，她可为难了，像大人一样歪着头听完，不高兴地撇了撇嘴。 “暑假里有老师专门指导游泳哪，这个星期天阿子他们班有游泳课。”佐知子从旁边插了一句话进来。 “阿子都会自由泳了，好像可以游上10来米呢！只是换气还不太好。” 鲇子把晒得黝黑的两条小胳膊放到桌子上，比划着游泳的样子让妈妈看。朱子看到这个样子，不禁叹了一口气。过去有5个月的时间鲇子都是一到休息日就住到爷爷奶奶家，可自从鲇子学习游泳之后，她的兴趣大增，有了自己的主观意识，不像小学一年级时，一听说妈妈带她上街就感到一种无比的高兴。 自从分开过后，朱子几乎一个月才能抽空来一次。鲇子一见到母亲就连忙拉着她的手，让妈妈看自己的书桌，去看自己在小院子里种下的植物，并介绍一天一天有什么样的变化。缠上她一个小时后，鲇子就又会想出去找同学们玩，双方就又回到了冷淡之中。看着自己的女儿，朱子突然感到了一种陌生感。她多么希望有一天、哪怕是半天，女儿会粘在自己的身上，尽情地享受天伦之乐呀！第二天星期日，是8月份里少有的朗天薄日的凉爽天气。然而，鲇子在9点半被找她来的同学们拉着去游泳了。 “越来越不听话了，真不好办呀！” 朱子看着自己的女儿兴高彩烈地和同学们消失在远处的树荫凉处之后，把头转向了嫂子。今天早上，她和嫂子、女儿那么轻松地吃过了早饭，这已是好久没有的事了。昨天晚上出去玩了一宿麻将的隆一郎，回来后一直睡着不起，儿子伸之二楼的房间里也一直静悄悄的。 “嗯，太棒了，在学校里老师说什么都听。” 佐知子是个性格豪爽、个头比一般的日本女性高一些的人，她一边沏着茶一边笑着对朱子说道，“听说现在的小学生相当老成呢！也说是早熟。有的竟然和班里的某个男生好起来。阿子那个班，在选班长时，她的人缘在男生中比女生还好，这是怎么回事儿呀！” “啊……不过，她要是在您家过分任性的话……” 每个孩子都有自己的秘密，尤其是在“性”的方面，有了不愿让家长知道的事情。这种萌芽已经“扩展”到三年级的学生中了。朱子在名古屋的地方检察厅少年组工作以来，看到了许多关于青少年不良行为以及触犯刑律的材料。这些少年的年龄结构，有的已经包括三年级的学生了。特别是近年来，儿童性早熟的问题日益明显突出，社会的有关方面也意识到了这个问题。关于这一点，在少年犯罪率中的男女比例中，少女的不良行为或犯罪率比男性增多的更加明显。因此不少人士认为，这与社会传媒在“性”的问题上过于开放有关。 是不是自己的女儿也早早地进入了这个行列中来了呢？朱子的心里蒙上了一层阴影。不过，鲇子虽然身材发育在标准之上，而她在性格上却是大大咧咧的，加上在以前看到的材料中说从小学三年级开始有手淫的少女只是从统计学中得出的，在实际中并非常见，朱子才多少有点儿放心，而且从外表看，自己的女儿如是那样的人的话，她也早就会有所觉察了。 “伸之什么时候起床？”朱子一边喝着茶一边朝走廊那头儿的楼梯口张望着。 “星期日一般都要睡到中午的。昨天晚上看书一直看到凌晨4点呢！夜里熬夜，白天不起，这算什么事儿呀！”佐知子叹了一口气苦笑道。 “好歹也真了不起呀！都是高校三年级的学生了……” “他那个学校是个重点，上学期间不知要考多少次呢！不过，只要他能跟得上就行呀！就怕他跟不上。和伸之一块儿上学的一个同学，就因为跟不上趟儿，自暴自弃，一天到晚喝了酒就去开摩托车，结果开车撞了人，自己成了重伤……在他的同学中胃溃疡的孩子也有哪！” “是的，报上也总这么说，在中学或高校中男孩子得胃溃疡的特别多，都和压力太大有关系……”但是，由于入学率激增，而且几乎所有的考生都瞄准了一流学校使劲儿，都挤在一条窄窄的独木桥上，怎么会不产生落伍者呢！这个危机也渐渐地闯入到女学生中间来。将来女孩子也要接受这种严酷的竞争考验。听到这些话，朱子突然想起了那个奥平诚次来。他不是因为考试不及格，加上家庭内的不和睦，才死了这条心，找了一个工作吗？原来自己还没有把这事儿当成什么，可今天一听嫂子这样讲，方才意识到这不是说着玩儿的。而且特别是朱子一下子又想起了前几天从家庭法院里送来的关于奥平诚次的处理结果的材料。 月末，朱子是以“过失杀人”罪将奥平移交到家庭法院的。 当初他是以“伤害致死”罪由警方送到检察机关的，而检察机关根据对案件的调查，以“过失杀人”进行了判决。其根据只有一条，即揭穿了唯一的“目击者”赤司晴江的伪证——她根本不是本案的目击者。 由于朱子和矢津对晴江的证词进行了再次询问，发现了破绽，于是晴江便从警方那里撤回了自己的证词，坦白了自己是在听到了北泽昌代的喊叫声后才打开了窗户看到了当时的情景，而那时中尾已经倒在草坪上了，奥平正在不知所措地看着中尾。后来，昌代动作僵硬地蹲到了中尾身旁……她承认了当初所说的奥平先回过头，认清了来人是中尾后，才与中尾扭打在一起，并砍死了中尾的说法均系谎言。那么，为什么晴江会做出这样的证词呢？大概是她对昌代优裕、自在的生活抱有一种搀杂了嫉妒、羡慕的复杂情绪，以及在案发当天，她在回家的路上被一个和奥平年龄相仿的学生无故撞了以后，受到了不公平的辱骂而正在气头上之故才作了伪证吧。那么，主要的因素是她痛恨奥平，还是胡乱猜疑昌代的人际关系造成的呢？还是在刑警的调查中，不适当地采取了“诱供”的方法造成的呢？这种情景在过去的例子中也是有过的。 但无论如何，随着晴江的伪证被揭穿，奥平也就按“过失杀人”罪处理了。但朱子仍然不能完全承认这个判决是公正的。因为这个事件连一个目击者都没有，而没有一个做为公证的第三者出现，这不能说不是一件遗憾的事情。即使根据对中尾伤口的鉴别，也无法做出“绝对”的结论来。这一点，在朱子的心中多少还存有一些疑惑。而且，昌代那么起劲儿地为奥平解脱，也是朱子所不能理解的。然而，俩人的说法合乎情理，没有矛盾，只能相信他们的证词了。 家庭法院对因“过失伤人致死”被送来的奥平，经过了一个半月的调查和审判之后，决定不对其做任何处罚。这个结果多多少少也在朱子的预料之中。 对于成年人来说，“过失伤人致死”的处罚也很轻微，刑法上明确规定了处以“千元以下的罚金”；现行法律补充规定应为“千元”的200倍，但也仅仅是20万日元。也就是说，一旦认定不是“故意伤害”，罚金在20万日元也就算是最高的了。从这一结论上看，朱子不禁又回忆起自己的老师、检察机关的一些前辈们所说的“日本的刑法对人类的生命看得太轻了”这句评价来。而且如果遇上不足20岁的“未成年人”，不给予任何处罚也就不足为奇了。当朱子看这份从家庭法院送来的材料时，她在心里也承认，“只能这样了”，而且不必担心这个事件会对一个18岁的青年的一生造成什么样的恶劣影响了。但是——每当朱子想起这个案子时，都有一种说不出的别扭，这是为什么呢？ ... “今天还去船桥吗？”佐知子收拾着餐桌问道。 “等一个小时左右，鲇子回来后带上她一块儿去，如果不回来，我再一个人去。” “一个小时肯定回不来的。她还带了面包、香肠呢！” “这……可我6点左右还要坐新干线回去呢！到船桥往返就得2个半小时呢！” “我看你也就别等鲇子了，自己去吧——她可喜欢游泳呢！”佐知子在一旁劝道。 "That……" “我给你准备点儿礼物。”说着，佐知子便去给朱子装东西。 “哎呀，好啦，我在路上再买吧！” “不用了，上了年纪的人挺计较带什么东西呢，我都准备好了。”说着，佐知子又问起朱子公婆的年龄来。 “是77岁和66岁。” “老两口够寂寞的吧！”佐知子盯着庭院里低垂着头的向日葵，自言自语地说道，“阿崇也是够可怜的，刚刚开始新生活就……” 朱子的丈夫千鸟崇患急性肝坏死，已经去世快9年了，那时鲇子刚刚1岁。阿崇当时30岁，是东京地方检察官。也就是在阿崇去世的3年前，朱子在国立大学法学系学习时两个人认识的。朱子是阿崇毕业了的研究班的高材生，也就是说他们两个人是后辈和前辈的关系。两个人关系密切的原因，是那个教授在自己家里过年请客时他俩正好坐在一起的缘故。于是，朱子在毕业的同时结了婚，第二年就生下了鲇子。 但是，这个新婚的家庭不过持续了两年，就如同一场梦一般很快结束了。阿崇由于过于劳累而得了肝炎病倒了，仅仅一个月后就与世长辞。当时，检察机关的事情十分繁忙，大多是忙于杀人案件，最忙时一名检察官要负责30多件案子。朱子从丈夫口中得知，每个检察官分管的案子在黑板上都写不完，连吃饭都是急匆匆的，同一办公室的人十几天见不着面是常有的事。 在这样的紧张状态下工作时，检察官不仅工作到下班的5点钟，而且还要在下班后往返于警察署的监狱、拘留所，对在押的当事人进行调查取证。朱子不仅白天没有和丈夫见面的机会，而且常常是夜里10点以后他才回家。即使是回到了家，桌上还要堆满文件和材料。 “我要边吃边看卷宗。只是当事人累了我才算告一段落，然后回到家整理材料。真正受罪的不是罪犯，而是检察官呀！在监狱或拘留所里起码三餐饭还有保证，而做一名检察官，能睡上一个完整的觉就谢天谢地了。”这话并不是开玩笑，每当呆在家里，满脸学究气的丈夫看到朱子不高兴时，就会对她说上一通这样的话，然后苦笑一下，又继续埋头工作。 丈夫的身影，至今朱子还记忆犹新，仿佛是刚刚看到的一样。因此，朱子认为，丈夫完全是被工作累倒的。也正是因为那个年代检察官的数量不足，才导致如此繁重的工作压力。 每年毕业于两年制的司法研究生人员全国才500人，其中大部分人成了律师，当了检察官的不足百人。他们不仅要超负荷地工作，而且还要对所承办的事情负责。可以说一当上检察官，一天24小时都要搭进工作中去，而且为了保持廉政，一般说来每两三年就要变换一下工作岗位或工作地点，这也许就是更多的人喜欢当律师的原因吧。 因此，人员愈少，工作压力愈大，人们对这一职业望而生畏，从而导致了一种恶性循环。朱子之所以也干上了检察官这一行，完全是出于对丈夫的同情，她要延长丈夫在事业中的“寿命”，尽管她一个人势单力薄，但也希望多少能为他人分担一些，让九泉之下的丈夫瞑目。 于是，朱子从24岁便成了寡妇，她也毫不犹豫地在律师和检察官这两个职业中选择了后者。当她在法学系毕业时，已经积累了相当丰富的经验了。阿崇的双亲也十分理解朱子的心情，而且阿崇的父亲本人也是国立大学法学系教授。朱子请婆婆照料着刚刚不到2岁的鲇子，自己一头钻进书堆里，猛攻两年。当她通过司法考试时，年已26岁了。 两年的研究期满后，她走马上任，当上了一名检察官。 在第一年的“新任”期间，她在东京地方检察厅；第二年“新任后”便到千叶地方检察厅公审部干了三年。今年春天，她又被调到名古屋地方检察厅，在刑事部少年组任职。而这一年，她已经33岁了。 这时，她已锻炼成为检察行业中的一名中坚骨干了。 幸运的是，从阿崇去世后的第二年开始，案件的数量便有所下降，做为检察官的繁忙时代慢慢地过去了。虽然志愿干这一行业的人暂时还没有大大地增加，但由于1976年轰动日本的政界丑闻——“洛克希德飞机公司贿赂案”使检察官的名声大振，以至有往年2倍之多的人从当律师转行投身到了检察官这一职业中来。 2点多钟，朱子离开了哥哥家。 她原打算1点钟出门，但正好哥哥和侄子起了床，她就坐在他们旁边，一边看着他们吃饭，一边和他们聊天，所以耽误了一会儿，同时她也想等一会儿，万一女儿鲇子从学校学游泳回来了呢？ 1点半时，鲇子从外边打回了一个电话：“我们刚刚吃完午饭，同学们还想再游一会儿……但如果妈妈一定要我一起去船桥的话，那我就只好一个人先回家了……”从鲇子的口气中可以听出，比起去船桥来，还是和同学们一块儿游泳更有意思。朱子当然不能强迫她回来一块儿去爷爷、奶奶家，但她的心里多少有点儿酸楚。 “那……呆会儿我收拾一下，大约在2点半左右就走了，我自己去吧。” “这样……对不起了，妈妈。” “好吧，你游泳可要当心呀！” “嗯，人很多，不要紧的。”鲇子的声音突然一下子抬高了问道，“妈妈，下次你什么时候再来？” “噢，我想尽可能早点来，不过，两三个星期……” “那您给我写信来啊！” 听到这儿，朱子想起每次女儿来信时都要在信纸的空白处画上一些小猫小狗或木偶人什么的。朱子放下了电话。女儿还知道她有个母亲，特意从外面打回电话来。从电话的声音里，朱子没有感到她与女儿之间有了隔阂或距离什么的，因此心里十分高兴。 当她回到餐厅里时，电话铃又响了。这次是佐知子接的，她说了两三句，便表情惊讶地挂上了电话。 她返回来对朱子说，对方是个男的，问了一句“您这儿是名古屋地方检察厅千鸟检察官的家吗？”可当佐知子说“在”，并问对方是否要去叫她时，对方说了一句“不用了”就挂上了电话。 是从名古屋打来的吗？可为什么不说出自己的姓名，只问千鸟在不在就挂上了电话，这可太奇怪了。朱子不知所措，心绪有点儿慌乱。她连忙收拾好东西便出门了。 早上的天空还是乌云一片，而下午天一下子放晴了，太阳照得让人热得受不了。在世田谷区的这条住宅街上，因烈日当头，路上几乎没有一个人影，周围除了树上的蝉鸣外，出奇地安静。坦率地说，朱子也不愿意顶着烈日去船桥。她想去去就返回。从东京到名古屋的“光”号列车，要走2个小时，她想早点儿回去，明天还有许多案子要处理。急急忙忙的来，急急忙忙的走，这几乎成了她的生活节奏。因为事先没有和公婆联系一下，去不去呢？ 嗨，去吧！朱子稍稍犹豫了一下便下定了决心，同时也加快了脚步。如果不去船桥，时间就更充裕了，但朱子怕就怕在这个时候动摇决心。 刚才打来电话的人会不会是乡原呢？ 朱子临出门时才注意到这一点。她心里涌出一股不安和期待的复杂感情。她打算出了门打个电话问问，但又拿不定主意向哪儿打。和乡原武彦在5月的一个休息日到白川乡同居一夜以后，还没有再见过面。是自己下决心再不和他见面的，可那毕竟不是他们的第一次。第二天的下午，乡原根本不听朱子的约定，平静和粗暴相间，用自己的车把朱子送到了她在名古屋的集体宿舍。 “我绝不和你分手，你必须再重新考虑一下你说过的话！”乡原最后那凶恶般的眼神深深地印入了朱子的心里。 从那以后，乡原便每个星期给她打一次电话。 每次打电话都是朱子一个人在的晚上，而且就是问她还见不见面，并希望她再到东京时去找他，但每次朱子都坚决拒绝了。那么是不是自己从心底彻底讨厌了乡原呢？朱子自己也不明白。她对乡原那种贪婪而粗暴的举动十分害怕，甚至怀疑到乡原的人品到底是怎样的。然而，那天在御母衣湖的吊桥上，乡原冒着危险搭救了瑟瑟发抖的少女和北泽昌代的情景，又在她心头久久不能抹去。 还是和他分手吧！朱子在心里这样想着。 至少他还有一个在医院中的妻子，虽然她是在那么一种状况下受的伤，叫“罪有应得”，但是她还活着。想到这里，朱子又想起了自己的职业。今天按计划要去船桥，还是在私铁的车站给公婆打个电话吧。 想着想着，她从住宅区中走了出来，来到一条有树荫的宽一些的马路上。正在这时，突然一辆汽车横着冲了出来，她用手搭了个凉棚看了看，脚步也停了下来。当她定神一看从司机席伸出手的那个人时，不禁吃了一惊。 “乡原先生……” 乡原武彦把他那条晒成紫铜色的胳膊搭在打开了的车窗框上，粗重的眉毛皱在一起，像是怕晃眼一样把眼睛眯成了一条缝儿，默默地看着朱子。他那粗悍的肌肤、瘦削的脸庞经过一个夏天的日晒更加豪放了。 “果然是你呀，刚才给我哥哥家打了电话……”朱子故意用不高兴的语气说道，但话音刚落，她就感到不妥，也许这样一下子说穿了会伤了他的自尊心。朱子极力掩饰自己内心见到乡原后的惊喜。 “我昨天往名古屋打，没人接，所以我想这个星期你是不是来这儿看鲇子了。”乡原紧紧地盯着朱子说道，“小鲇子还好吧？” “嗯，还不错。……” “上车吧！”乡原用下巴向助手席点了点。 "where to?" “上车再说吧！” “不，我还有事儿。” "Are you in a hurry?" “嗯，这个……”稍一犹豫，朱子又后悔了，“挺急的。”她连忙又补充了一句。 “那我送你吧。你办事儿，我在外边等着，反正我刚才都等了一个小时了。” “不，别了。还是我一个人去吧。”朱子拒绝后快步离开。于是，乡原从车上下来，追上朱子，从背后抓住了朱子的两只手。朱子疼得直咧嘴。 “请上车，我有话要说！” “我都说过不再见面了……” “我还没同意呢！” “快放开我，有人来了！” “是吗！怕人看见就快上车里去！” 正好有一个主妇此时带着孩子来到这条马路的拐弯儿处，她奇怪地盯着他们。还有不知从什么时候出现的行人，也停下脚步看着。但乡原的手就是不松开。过了一会儿，乡原的脸上露出了开玩笑的样子看着朱子。朱子也气愤地回过头来看着乡原，这时，她觉得乡原松开了她的双手。朱子抽回手，一边揉着一边说：“好，送我去车站。” 于是，乡原连推带拉地把朱子按在了助手席上。如果直行，这儿到车站还不到500米，但这条道儿是一条单行线。朱子看完这块交通标志牌，什么也没有说。 在这个住宅区有好几处限制左、右拐弯的标志，于是他们的车便左绕右绕，终于上了7号环线。今天是休息日，7号环线上车很少，使人感到道路宽了许多。车子朝碑文谷方向驶去。那个方向离朱子要去的车站是相反的。 “有什么急事儿？”乡原像要堵住朱子的嘴似地说了一句。这时他的口气还是那么生硬。朱子心里想，应当生气的是我——但是，朱子又一想，自己已经上了他的车，反抗也没有用处了。 “当然急了，今晚我必须赶回名古屋！” “那好，但我们先去小吃店平静一下——上上个星期，我不是还给你往名古屋打了电话吗？正好我要在名古屋和岐阜的纺织公司办点事儿。”乡原说的就是那家大型的综合衣料制品公司。他在那家公司里的自动售货机销售部工作，这一点朱子十分清楚。一年里他有半年时间在出差，负责联系公司的销售和用户的关系。一般的外国公司里，到国外出差的机会都挺多的呢。 “那么，星期五的电话是你在市内打的？” “当然了。是在荣町地下街的公用电话亭里打的。我本来想去找你的，但听你的声音好像很累了，所以只好一个人喝点儿闷酒……”那天，朱子为了打开一个死不合作的嫌疑犯的口，下班后去拘留所跑了好几趟，最后拖着疲惫的身子回到了住所，刚进屋就听到了电话铃响，她拿起听筒，是乡原。 朱子清楚地记得，自己当时没好气地回了一句，其态度连自己也感到吃惊。乡原被自己拒绝后，一个人又没有地方去，肯定是毫无目的地乱走，胡乱喝酒浇愁去了。朱子在心里想象着乡原当时的狼狈相，仿佛这会儿身边坐的是别人一样。 汽车穿过了驹泽大道，在下一个交叉路口向右拐，驶入了柿木坂的住宅小区。虽然都是住宅区，但这里与朱子哥哥的住宅小区可不同。这儿的马路宽阔，每幢住宅的建筑面积都很大，有浓密的灌木丛和砖墙围绕着。在每幢小院中，还有白色、绿色的蛋糕样的小楼从绿草和砖墙里露出来，煞是好看。乡原把汽车停在了一幢四层的浅米黄色房瓦建筑的门前。 “这个二楼，公寓。” "what……" 去白川乡时，乡原就对朱子透露说，他已经从住了好几年的大森的家搬到了公寓里住了。妻子一时半会儿出不了医院，他们又没有孩子，仅仅一个大男子过日子，占着那么一套院子怎么也不合适。 “上上个星期三刚搬过来的。还没有收拾，先看一看吧。”乡原用一副完全无所谓的口吻说着，关上了发动机，然后从车上下来。 这时，一个管理员模样的小个子男人正在给大门口的草坪浇水，看到乡原，便走过来和他打着招呼，一边说着，一边还向朱子这边看着。朱子因为天热，这会儿还呆在开着空调的车里没下来。乡原向她摆了摆手，意思是让她快点过来。朱子无可奈何地叹了一口气，打开了车门。 她走过像个过堂的通风良好的门洞，向二楼走去。 整个楼内好像安装了中央空调，一股凉爽的冷气不知从什么地方吹过来。来到二楼后，乡原大步来到没有一个人影的走廊尽头，打开了一间屋子的门。 “是这儿，请吧。”他回过头来，向站在那儿的朱子做了一个“请”的手势。 这间公寓虽然不是那么新，但很整洁。 进了门的这一间是一间宽大的西式房间，正面全都是大玻璃，因此房间里十分明亮。在这间铺了灰色地毯的室内，有接待用的沙发、茶几、橱柜。乡原喜欢书，有许多书和杂志放在书架上，有些还堆在了墙边。 玻璃窗的外景使人情不自禁地要去张望。和这幢公寓相邻的是一处纯日本风格的建筑和院子