Chapter 8 Chapter Eight Attack and Defense of Okinawa
A man stopped his car near the famous "Shourei Gate".
This area is also the highest point in Naha City. From here, overlooking the city street, you can have a panoramic view of Naha City street view.Looking across, there is the East China Sea shining with blue phosphorescence.
In front of the "Shurei-no-mon" painted vermilion lacquer, tourists are constantly taking pictures.There are also photography booths here to attract tourists.There are also Okinawan beauties in costumes who can take pictures with you as long as you pay.
The man's face was red and black.He crossed his arms.Because he was wearing big sunglasses, he couldn't see his facial expression, only his eyebrows were close together and arched.
The man arrived at Naha Port on the same ferry as Kojima Boatswain.
The goal is completely in his hands.It's not impossible to not kill Kojima on the boat, there is a chance.The reason why the target is let go is because on a sailing ship, there is no room for him to escape after committing a crime, just for this reason.
On the Queen Coral the man was not anxious.He is confident in his abilities.As long as he landed on Okinawa, there would be many opportunities waiting for him.
However, when we arrived at Naha Port, the first unexpected situation appeared.On the pier, Okinawa police are searching.
At first, the man thought that the police were dispatched to arrest him, and he couldn't help but turn pale with fright.But the two policemen didn't even look at him or his car.Although it was within a few minutes, the man broke out in a cold sweat.He felt that he was so confused, those dull policemen must still know nothing about him, and there was no need to panic.
The man drove the car out of the vehicle ferry and stopped about 100 meters away.He was waiting for the boatswain's car to pull out.
However, the Honda Civic in which Boatswain Kojima and his family were traveling was stopped by two police officers and taken to the county police headquarters.
The man wanted to park the car near the county police headquarters and wait for the island bosun's family to come out, but he felt that it would be dangerous, so he didn't do that.But he is sure that the police must not know his name and appearance.If you know it, it will be in the papers.
However, if a vehicle of unknown origin has been parked near the prefectural police station, it will probably arouse suspicion.It would be foolish to be brought in for questioning on suspicion.Also, the man had an M16 rifle in his car, and he didn't want to be questioned for being suspicious.
Therefore, once needed, he can drive the car out from the "Shouli Gate".
The man dropped his arms and lit a cigarette.He is thinking:
"What will the police do with Kojima Bosun and his family?"
Kojima is neither a murderer nor a suspect, and the police certainly will not keep him in custody despite his objections.The man came to the conclusion that the police would eventually release them.
"Before that, they have already greeted the criminal police of the Metropolitan Police Department."
The man was thinking again.
When the detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department arrive, they will question Kojima.As for what to interrogate, the man also knew that it was nothing more than whether he had an estimate of who the criminal was, and then analyzed the motives for the serial killings.
"Of course Kojima won't say anything," the man thought.
Because Kojima knew that if he answered, he himself would be finished.
In the end, Kojima and his family will be released.
The question is, where will they end up in Okinawa after this?Hopefully where they land is easy to shoot.
The man took out the record from his pocket, still holding a cigarette, looking at the words on it.
Kojima Shiro has been to Okinawa before, and he is very confused about this place.The person likes fishing in a small boat. Two years ago, he spent a week with his family at a rental villa on Hachijo Island.
"I haven't inquired about rental villas in Okinawa yet."
The man asked himself the question.
"Nevertheless, I will never live in a hotel for a month."
In this way, we should consider lodging in a farm house, but it is not summer, and there must be no farm house to stay in.He can only rent a spare house somewhere for a month.
As the man thought about it, he unfolded the map of Okinawa that he had bought during the trip on his knees.
There are places in Okinawa where fishing is possible, the scenery is good, and the children are happy, because the coastline of Okinawa is almost surrounded by ring-shaped reefs.The sea in Okinawa is also much calmer than that of the main island.If you travel by boat, you can catch fish everywhere.And in the ring reef, there are corals of various colors, and tropical fish will make children very happy.
"Shiro Kojima knew that he was being hunted down. Soldiers on the battlefield would hide in the nearest bunker when the battle started. Similarly, Kojima would not search for a better coast. Running around in Okinawa. Even if he is a little dissatisfied, he will try to find shelter as soon as possible and hide. This is the psychological state of the pursued. Therefore, he must be not far from Naha City. Rent a house far away."
2:30 p.m.
The Yucheng criminal police walked up the stairs quickly with a bent waist, and entered the room where the boatswain and his family were waiting.
"It was so easy to find a more suitable house."
The Yucheng detective reported to the two detectives Kamei and Imanishi.
"They said they could borrow it for a month."
"Is it an easy place to guard?"
Kamei asked.It was this issue that he was concerned with.
"There is no problem in this regard. I have carefully observed it. It is a small house with 6 and 4.5 tatami rooms. Farmhouses in Okinawa are like this. It is surrounded by a solid stone wall. The house is surrounded by the beach On the beach, there is no place for criminals to hide and ambush. There are several houses, all of which are well-identified residents."
"Where is the location?"
"At Saman."
Yucheng detective opened the map while answering.
Saman is a town about 10 kilometers south of Naha City.Detective Kamei also knew that this was a famous fishing town, and that it was not too far from the prefectural police station, so he was also very satisfied.
However, when he told Kojima Shiroichi about this, he was very disgusted.
"You designate a place for me, I don't want to."
Kojima frowned.
"I think I still have the right to find a place that I am satisfied with and rent a house."
"You are right, but don't forget that someone is chasing you."
Detective Kamei patiently persuaded Kojima.
Kojima's daughter looks extremely bored, and his wife, Haruko, seems to be worried and has been thinking.
A call came from Tokyo, and Totsukawa wanted to come here on a JAL plane that arrived at Naha Airport at 5:30 pm.
According to the ideas of the two detectives Kamei and Imamishi, after Totsukawa arrived here, he would transfer Captain Kojima and his family.
However, judging from Kojima's attitude, if he was made to wait for another three hours, it would be hard for him.If the important boatswain of the small island is taken outside, many policemen will be mobilized to guard him and his family, which shows how powerless we are.
"Then, let's go to the sea immediately." Kamei said to Kojima.
"Before I go, I just want you to tell me one thing."
"I don't have any clues about the culprit. I have nothing to do with the killing of first-class crew members Sato and Tsuji."
"It's clear who the culprit is."
Kojima was taken aback by what Detective Kamei said, "Huh?" He looked at Detective Kamei, then at Detective Imanishi.
"How did you figure it out?"
"Just now I got a call from Tokyo, saying that the serial murderer is Junichi Akamatsu. Needless to say, you know Junichi Akamatsu, right?"
"Akamatsu?"
Kojima's blunt face turned pale, and he fell silent for a while.
"Of course you know him." Detective Kamei continued, "Is he also a crew member on the 'Daiichi Japan'? There is nothing wrong with that."
"Ah, I know him." Kojima said with a look of courage, "Of course I remember the young crew member Akamatsu. But why did he chase me down? I don't believe there will be such a thing."
"I think you know why."
"How would I know. Besides, have you seen Akamatsu? Where in Japan?"
"Junichi Akamatsu got off the plane at Haneda Airport on December 15th. He was miraculously rescued and returned to Japan. Since then, he has started killing the 6 remaining survivors one after another. Not threatening you, this time The target is undoubtedly you."
"I can't believe it. Why did Chisong kill me? If Chisong appeared in front of me, I would happily shake his hand."
"What kind of person is Akamatsu Junichi?"
"How should I put it, he is a serious and good young man, not a bad guy."
"Why did he kill me?" Kojima repeated in his mouth.
Detective Kamei really wants to ask, when the "Daiichi Japan" was killed, did the 6 of you leave the rest of the 26 crew members and escape?But he still kept the question in his mind.If that was true, Bosun Kojima would deny it outright.
Detective Tamaki from the Okinawa Prefectural Police Station led the way, and Kamei and Imamishi followed Kojima Boatswain and his family members out of the prefectural police station building together.
The setting sun cast heavy shadows on the buildings of the prefectural police station and county hall.Kamei and Imamishi Interpol learned from Totsukawa that the criminal was also carrying an M16 rifle, so they didn't dare to be negligent and kept looking around.
Boatswain Kojima and his family got into the Honda Civic and started the engine.The police car of the Yucheng criminal police got on the road first.The Honda Civic followed.However, in an instant, Kojima suddenly turned the steering wheel, made a big turn, and galloped northward at high speed.
The two detectives Kamei and Imamishi had just gotten into the car behind, while the detective Yucheng in front was driving the police car without knowing it, and had already driven 20 to 30 meters.
When the Yucheng criminal police finally found out that they turned their car around to give chase, Bosun Kojima's Honda Civic had already boarded National Highway 58, inserted into the ranks of cars heading north, and could no longer see the shadow of the car.
The man who stopped the car 12 or 13 meters away from the county police station, huddled in the driver's seat and looked out, was also caught off guard.
The man speculated that even if Captain Kojima and his family moved their location, they would have to wait until after the sun had set, because mice would always choose dark times to escape.
To be on the safe side, he came here to wait before 3 o'clock.But it was unexpected that Captain Kojima and his family were escorted out of the police station by the criminal police.
The man watched them from within rifle range.Kojima Boatswain was visibly upset.It must be because he was stopped by the police at noon and was tired of being interrogated constantly.The transfer began before dark, and it must have been carried out under the strong request of the boatswain of Kojima.
Despite the surprise, the man wasn't particularly alarmed.First of all, the police car of the Okinawa Prefectural Police Department drove out first.
"Is it going to the South Coast?"
The man muttered, and slowly pulled up the starter lever.If tailing, it is better to be more than 10 meters away.he thought so.When he picked up the cigarette, he saw the Honda Civic suddenly speeding away in the opposite direction.
The man also wanted to catch up, but he finally controlled himself.The police car of the county police department also made a U-turn, and another car chased after it.If he intervened among them, wouldn't he be sent to his door to be arrested?Moreover, the man's car is still a Tokyo license plate number.In the car ferry, although there are cars with license plates from other prefectures, most of them are local cars, that is, cars with Okinawa car numbers.Tokyo's cars are quite eye-catching here.
The man didn't start the car, it just stopped there motionless.
Because he was thinking that if the police car from the county police caught up with the Honda Civic, it would bring it back here.
However, after half an hour, neither the police car nor the Honda Civic came back.On the contrary, two more police cars drove out of the county police station one after another, heading north in a hurry.
"Humph!"
The man snorted in his nasal cavity.
"Is there a new incident in the central or northern part of Okinawa? If not, maybe the boatswain's car was not found and they asked for reinforcements. Which aspect is correct?"
The Honda Civic driven by Boatswain Kojima headed north along National Route 58.
The road is completely asphalt, the road is wide, and there are almost no signal lights.His wife, Haruko, was pale and kept looking behind her.
"Can you do this?"
she asked worriedly.Yuka, who is only 7 years old, is very happy to see the street scene in Okinawa.
"It doesn't matter."
There was anger in Kojima's tone.He glanced in the car's rearview mirror from time to time, and the police car was out of sight.Kojima finally breathed a sigh of relief, slowed down the car, and wiped the sweat from his palms with each hand.
"We are here for vacation and enjoyment, but if we are guarded by those policemen, how can we have fun?"
"But……"
"Don't say it. I'm not a criminal. We were on the car ferry when Chief Sato and Tsuji were killed. You know that best."
"yes."
"Then you don't have to worry about anything. If you're still uneasy, you can apologize to the police after we've had this month's vacation. That's all right."
"Well. That's it."
Haruko finally nodded and said nothing more.For one thing, she knew her husband was hot-tempered, and besides, she didn't like being pestered by the police.
"I want to see tropical fish sooner!"
Yuka said innocently.
"Wow. See you soon."
Kojima looked at Yuka in the rearview mirror of the car and said with a smile.
As soon as I got out of Naha City, the greenery in front of me suddenly increased.
US military bases can be seen on both sides of the road.Inside the heavily guarded barbed wire fence, there are beautiful lawns and white high-end houses lined up.Those buildings meander continuously for 500 meters and 1000 meters.You can also see swimming pools, golf courses and other facilities.Five or six American officers with pipes in their mouths were taking a leisurely walk.
Okinawa is indeed a base island.
"Don't you want to live there?"
Suddenly, Kojima asked.
"You mean over there?"
Haruko stared blankly at her husband.
"It's inside the barbed wire fence. There are wide lawns, chic houses, and swimming pools. I don't want to. Do you want to live in such a place? Tell me."
"I like it, but, in the barbed wire..."
"Living there, if someone comes in, they can see it."
"But I don't speak English, and I feel suffocated when I'm with foreigners."
Haruko smiled.
"That's true." Kojima said with a little regret, and never continued this topic.
The more you go north from Naha, the more you retain the old style of Okinawa.In other words, it is a place that has not yet been developed.You can still see houses with red tile roofs there, and the seaside is also beautiful.
Fishing villages with ancient features are scattered on the island.
When entering Onna village in the central region of the island, Kojima turned the car onto a side road.
Along the coastline in this area, beautiful atolled reefs continue.
Kojima asked his wife to wait in the car and walked into the village by himself.He wants to inquire and try to borrow an empty house to live in for about a month. "Hey, auntie." Kojima's straightforward way of speaking won him favor.And Okinawa, like some remote areas in Japan, is overpopulated.So he successfully borrowed a house very close to the sea.
Kojima likes the houses with red tile roofs in the old style very much.The house is surrounded by high stone walls and has a spacious courtyard.His wife, Haruko, seemed to like the bright red hibiscus blooming in the yard, so she broke a flower and stuck it on Yuka's head.
"I always thought that hibiscus only bloomed in summer, but it turns out that it also blooms in winter."
"Here, flowers bloom all year round."
Kojima replied with a smile.
Because it is very close to the sea, the hermit crab actually entered the yard and crawled slowly on the sandy ground.Yuka happily chased around.
The Kojima family came to the beach.
The sea with colorful coral reefs spreads out in front of my eyes.Small boats called "Sabbani" line the waterfront.
"Is the Persian Gulf as beautiful as here?"
Haruko asked.Because the oil tanker her husband sailed on was always going back and forth between the Persian Gulf, so she asked inadvertently.
"Ah, the beautiful blue sea."
Kojima nodded, but frowned suddenly.
However, before Haruko noticed this, Kojima had already hugged Yuka.
"If the weather is fine tomorrow, how about we borrow a 'Sabani' and go for a walk in the sea. In the reef, there are no waves, and you can see beautiful tropical fish!"
Back in the rented house, Haruko had just cleaned the room when the villagers gathered with presents. It seems that Okinawans are very hospitable.Some housewives brought Okinawa-style dishes made with pork, and some elderly people brought Okinawa specialty shochu.Haruko was overjoyed by these things.
When Totsukawa arrived at the Okinawa Prefectural Police Station, he guessed the change in the situation as soon as he saw the dejected looks of Kamei and Imamishi who came forward.
"Has Shiro Kojima escaped?"
Kamei shrank her neck like a tortoise, and Imanishi's tall body also shrunk a bit.
"You knew already?"
"You look like you've been beaten by frost, even a child can understand."
Totsukawa said with a wry smile.
"I am solely responsible for the island bosun's escape."
The Yucheng detective stood aside with a sullen face, admitting his mistake to Totsukawa.
"Hey, don't talk about the past." Totsukawa said.
"Can you estimate where the island has gone?"
"He said he would borrow a house by the sea and play there for about a month. We will search one by one by the sea, and we will definitely find it."
"If the criminal also loses the target of the island, it will be easier to handle."
"Well, I think it's probably okay. Because we didn't find any suspicious cars when we were chasing Kojima's Honda Civic."
"The culprit is Junichi Akamatsu, can't it be wrong?"
Imamishi detective asked.
"It's not wrong. Detective Ogawa stayed in Tokyo to continue his verification work. It must be him."
After Totsukawa finished speaking, he took out the printed photo of Junichi Akamatsu from the backpack he brought, handed it to the three of them, and put the rest on the table.
"I'll go distribute it right away."
Yucheng criminal police said, picked up the stack of photos and ran out of the room.
Kamei and Imamishi looked at the photo of Junichi Akamatsu.
"Is this the serial murderer?"
Detective Kamei let out a sigh of relief.
"It's infuriating to think we're being dragged around by such a young guy."
"Despite being young, a dangerous guy is always dangerous."
Totsukawa said as if cutting off his words.
Totsukawa stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark night of Naha City.The lights in the urban area are beautiful, and looking far away, the dark and infinitely extending is the sea.
Kojima Bosun's family has settled somewhere in Okinawa.
Is the criminal Akamatsu Junichi still driving on the national highway looking for Bosun Kojima?
The criminal also had an M16 rifle in his possession.
If the criminals find Kojima before we do, Kojima and his family will surely fall victim to M16.
Although the criminal is young, it must not be underestimated.He prepared two M16 rifles in advance, and in an emergency, he deliberately dropped one for the police to find.What a crafty guy.
In the middle of the night, the Kojima family was still not found.
Fortunately, no news of the murder was received, which somewhat comforted the extremely anxious Totsukawa.I hope the criminal didn't find Kojima either, Totsukawa prayed in his heart.
It was dawn, the morning of December 28.
The county police station prepared breakfast, but neither Totsukawa nor the two subordinates had any appetite.
Just after 9 o'clock in the morning, the Yucheng criminal policeman ran in with his face flushed.
"Found it!"
Yucheng criminal police shouted.
"Find the island boatswain."
"In here?"
Totsukawa and the others couldn't help standing up from their chairs.
"I'll lead the way, let's go right away."
Yucheng criminal police urged.
Totsukawa and the others boarded a police car driven by Tamaki Criminal Police and headed north.
"Looks like we're lucky."
While driving, Yucheng detective told about the discovery of the boatswain's family in Kojima.
"This morning, Kojima's daughter had a stomachache, so he went to the doctor in that Honda Civic, and we found him on the national highway. If the child didn't have a stomachache, I don't think we would have found him, because he was hiding in the In a small fishing village."
"So, what about the island?"
"In the rented house. Two officers from the county police station are watching, no problem. Never let him get away again."
"Where is the location?"
"The village head of Onna Village."
Totsukawa opened the map.Onna Village is about 40 kilometers away from Naha City, in front of the famous U.S. Army Kadena Base.
An hour later, we arrived at Onna Village.
Turning left from National Highway No. 58, the asphalt road disappears and is replaced by a dusty, narrow dirt road.On both sides of the road are sugar cane fields taller than people.Maybe it's the harvest season now, and you can see the figures of people working in the fields.The road was rough and the car was bumping constantly.After enduring a period of such ups and downs, the sugarcane fields ended and entered the fishing village.Each house is surrounded by thick stone walls, and red hibiscus flowers bloom in the stone walls.
The car stopped in front of a house.
In front, parked the red Honda Civic.
Seeing the car, Totsukawa felt relieved.Now he can be in the same position as the criminal again.
Totsukawa and the others got out of the car and entered the house.The boatswain Kojima sat in the gallery, answering questions from the prefectural police detective with a sullen face.His wife Haruko watched worriedly.The child's stomach pain was gone, and he was poking hermit crabs in the yard, playing happily.
"Bosun Kojima said he would never leave here."
The detective came over and reported to Totsukawa and the others.
"However, nothing has been said about the circumstances of the incident."
"Okay, that's it."
Totsukawa said bluntly.
"Let's take a look at the surrounding terrain."
He greeted Detective Kamei and the others.
Walking through the road between the stone walls, we came to the seaside.The strong sunlight shone on the sea, dazzling its brilliance.
Looking to the left, across the narrow river, there is a large protruding headland.This is a headland with cliffs fifteen or sixteen meters high.From here you can see the small bird's nest on the headland, and the headland just overlooks the seashore here.
"There?"
Totsukawa asked, pointing to the cape.Yucheng criminal police replied:
"This is a famous place called Manzamo. On that cliff, there is a Koryo lawn. 250 years ago, a King Shang Jing passed by here and was amazed by the beauty here. It is said that he once said that he could sit here There were 10,000 people under it, so it was named Manzamo. Now, due to the trampling of tourists, the proud Koryo lawn no longer exists.”
"Looking this way from that headland, is it completely visible from here?"
"Yes. The straight-line distance is only two or three hundred meters."
"Easy to get into rifle range distance."
"I'll call the police up immediately."
Yucheng Criminal Police went there in a police car.
On the right is the constant stretch of sand, where target shooting is much less dangerous.
"Has the criminal found the island bosun?"
Detective Kamei asked.
"I don't know yet, but it's better to think about it according to the discovery. It seems that we are going to fight a protracted war."
Totsukawa seemed to be talking to himself.The wind from the sea wiped away the ashes from the cigarette, and the fire was kindled again.
"The opponent is a calm and patient man. As long as we are here, he will not come close."
"I really want to catch this criminal earlier."
Detective Imanishi said anxiously.
"Me too." Totsukawa continued, "So, I suddenly thought of an idea, let's set up a small trap. Maybe the criminals will be caught, and even if we can't, there is no loss."
"What trap?"
"We borrowed Kojima's Honda Civic, and one of you drove it for a while on National Highway 58. That is to use it as bait. If it is done well, we may catch fish. Let Yucheng Criminal Police follow A little farther back. If there's a car chasing Kojima's car, it's the criminal's car."
In a three-story restaurant along National Highway 58, a man is eating breakfast.This is near the Kadena base.
Occasionally, a large U.S. military jet transport plane flew overhead with a rumbling sound.
After finishing the curry rice, the man still sat at the table without moving.He lit a cigarette and looked down at Route 58 through the window.
Last night, Bosun's car was never found.At this moment, the eyes behind the sunglasses looked eerie.
In order not to feel sleepy, he ordered a cup of coffee.This is a cup of instant coffee, which only has a bitter taste, but does not have the mouth-watering fragrance.He drank it reluctantly.At this moment, the man's expression suddenly became tense.
On the national highway in sight, the Honda Civic he was looking for was slowly passing by.The license plate on the metal plate is also Yokohama.The man put down his coffee, stood up hastily, and was about to go downstairs to the car parked below him, when he murmured "Oh" to himself.
The man sat down again.
The car heading towards Naha City was right, it must be Shiro Kojima's car.It seemed that there was only one person in the car, and the face was not seen clearly.
However, the police cars that happened to cross each other completely ignored Kojima's Honda Civic, which caught the man's attention.
Yesterday, Kojima fled by car, and the police will definitely do their best to find him.Because he is the target of serial murderers, all police cars in Okinawa will definitely be ordered to find the car and impound it immediately.However, the police car coming from the opposite side was indifferent to Kojima's slow-moving car, which was unnatural.How can Okinawa not act so slowly.
In an instant, a sneer appeared on the corner of the man's mouth.
"A trap?"
He grunted.
If it is a trap, there must be at least one police car behind that car.Of course, not a police car.
The man took out a notepad and wrote down the license plate numbers of the cars that passed behind Kojima's Honda Civic.
After about 30 minutes, Kojima's car drove over from the opposite lane.Came back again.
"As expected."
The man smiled.He looked at the license plate number of the car behind the Honda Civic.
"Yes!"
It is the same as the license plate number recorded in the notepad just now.It's a white Nissan Bluebird.The man circled the car number with a ballpoint pen and looked at his watch again.
11:43 a.m.
The policeman driving Kojima's car might come back again if he wanted to set a trap.
At 12:18, Kojima's car came again.
The man smiled and recorded this time in the record book.From this, he calculated that he could return in 35 minutes.Although I don't know where he turned back from, but according to common sense, he must have returned to the boatswain's residence on the island and turned back again.The speed of the car is about 40 kilometers per hour, so that the location of the island can be roughly estimated.
The man paid the fee and walked out of the hotel, but he didn't return to the car immediately, but went into a pinball room next to him, and calmly played with pinball.
After playing for nearly two hours, I spent 500 yen to buy steel balls, and I won a box full of them without knowing it.The man exchanged these for cigarettes before returning to his car.
It was time for the cops to abandon their ill-conceived trap. The man opened a pack of Kent cigarettes he had won playing pinball, pulled out one, lit it, put it in his mouth, and drove north at 40 kilometers an hour. , driving slowly.
After driving for 17 or 18 minutes, he looked out the window, and on the left, the road sign of "Onna Village" came into view.
"is it here?"
As he thought, he was about to slam on the brakes.Suddenly, he hastily raised the foot he was about to step on.In the opposite lane, the white Nissan Bluebird he had seen was parked there.
The man increased his speed and passed this place, his armpits were already dripping with sweat.
After about another 1 kilometer, the man parked the car on the side of the road and opened the map.
It seems that the boatswain and his family must be in the Onna village area.However, if you look there, you will be arrested immediately for acting suspiciously.Because the police are on alert now, if there is any doubt, they will be questioned unceremoniously.
On the map, the man found the protruding headland of Manzamo.Judging from the colorful sightseeing postcards, the top of Manzamo is a high cliff.If you stand in Langli, you can see the surrounding seaside and villages.
The man turned the car around and drove towards Manzamo.However, when he came near Wanzamo, he couldn't help but click his tongue.At the entrance to Manzamo, the police car of the prefectural police station was parked, and the policemen in police uniforms stood there nervously.
However, the man did not do the stupid thing of returning in a hurry. Instead, he parked the car a little further away and got out of the car with a camera on his shoulders as if nothing had happened.
The policeman looked at this side vigilantly, but the man ignored his gaze and walked towards the row of souvenir shops at the entrance of Manzamo.
There are a total of fifteen or six shops with small stalls, selling shell crafts ranging from 200 to 300 yen to coral crafts of 5000 to 6000 yen, as well as bobo wine and Okinawa dolls.There are also bamboo hats made from the leaves of the betel nut tree. The shape is the same as that commonly used in Southeast Asia, and the top of the head is pointed.
Young tourists try to wear bamboo hats, and choose shell necklaces around their necks.The man also walked into the crowd, bought a bamboo hat and put it on his head, and then bought a glass of Coca-Cola, drinking it while walking towards Manzamo.
On the edge of the cliff, stands a lonely one.There are neither enshrined utensils nor shrine offices.The torii gate faces the sea.People on Okinawa Island believe that there is a paradise for gods on the other side of the sea.This torii may be a symbol of this belief.Usually, there are many tourists taking pictures with the torii as the background, but today they couldn't get close because there were two policemen in police uniforms standing there heavily guarded.
A wry smile crossed the corner of the man's mouth.
He took a few photos of the top of the cliff, but because he couldn't get close to the edge of the cliff, he had no choice but to walk towards his car in dismay.It seems that this is a dangerous area.When he came to the parking place, the man's face suddenly changed.The police are looking at his car.The young policeman looked at the driver's seat, then at the back seat, then walked to the front and wrote down the license plate number.The man pretended to be visiting a souvenir shop, and watched the police officer's actions sideways.The officer walked in front of the other cars, peered inside, and jotted down the license plate numbers in his notebook.It seems that the cars coming here have to be checked.Seeing this scene, the man was somewhat relieved, and returned to his car.
The man took Route 58 again and headed north.He was thinking while driving.
Just from the fact that the police stood guard, it could be concluded that the boatswain of Kojima must be in Onna Village, and that he could snipe from Cape Manza Mao.But there were already two policemen on guard at Manza Mosan, and shooting from the rifle seemed impossible from there.
The man stopped the car and unfolded the map again.If things go on like this, even though they know where Xiao Dao's family lives, they can't get close, let alone sniping.
Only wait for Kojima to go to other places to look for opportunities.However, if the police restrict his movements, should I just wait like this?The man didn't know what to do for a while.
"The opponent set a trap for me, why don't I set a trap for them like them."
The man couldn't help but pursed his lips and smiled.It's better to upset the other side than to sit back and wait for an opportunity.
With a cigarette in his mouth, he looked at the map again.
The elongated main island of Okinawa lies on the sea from north to south.The two main traffic roads on the island also extend from north to south.Route 58 runs along the coastline on the west side, and Route 329 runs along the coastline on the east side.In order to connect these two main lines, there are crossing roads in many places.
Since there is a Kojima boatswain in Onna Village, National Route 58 must be strictly guarded.The man decided to turn to National Highway No. 329 to have a look.
Looking at the map, he drove north to Nato City in the sea park, turned to the east coast from there, and then drove south into Ishikawa City.This is a base market, near Jinwu Bay, is a large naval station.
The man stopped his car in front of a restaurant, and entered the shop as if he had completely forgotten about the boatswain on Kojima.
It seems that inflation has also spread to Okinawa. Chinese noodle soup costs more than 200 yen, and it is the cheapest.The man asked for a bowl of noodle soup, then looked around the store.
It seems that this is a restaurant designed to attract tourists. There are very few locals in the store. Most of them are young people with backpacks and couples with cameras. A student visiting Okinawa.Generally, what tourists like this want is not the famous Okinawa food, but soup noodles.
The man observed these tourists carefully, but unfortunately, he did not find a satisfactory target.As a last resort, he ordered another bowl of noodle soup and waited patiently.To catch a satisfactory prey, the most important thing is stamina.
Another new visitor came in.While eating noodle soup, the man looked at a tourist with a backpack on his shoulders.This is a young man between 1.75 and 1.76 meters tall and in his twenties and fourteens.
"this is not bad."
Men thought it was a superior prey.
The other party sat down with a tired look on his face, looked at the menu, and then ordered a bowl of noodle soup as well.在等待汤面送来之前，那游客在饭桌上打开冲绳地图瞧着，又掏出了香烟盒，才发现烟盒中一支烟也没有了。他咂了一下嘴。看起来这人钱不多，时间倒很充裕。
“是学生吧。”
男子一边想一边现察那位年轻游客。待那游客吃完汤面，站起身来时，男子也随后走出了饭馆儿。
年轻游客几次向上拉了拉那大大的背包，径直走到50米开外的公共汽车站。他看了看站牌上的汽车到站时刻表，又看了看自己的手表，叹了口气。大概下一班车到来要等很长时间吧。
男子回到自己的汽车里，向公共汽车站上的年轻游客开过去。
"Hey!"
男子很随便地向对方打招呼。
“你也是从本土来的吗？”
"what."
年轻游客回答。男子笑了。
“我也是从东京乘轮渡来的，可不太了解这里的道路。怎么样，上来吗？坐在旁边给我做个参谋可以吗？”
“可是，我现在要去本部半岛。”
男子稍微考虑了一下年轻游客的话。本部半岛在西海岸。沿着国道58号路走，在恩纳村以北。正合心愿！
于是，男子立刻微笑地说：“那太巧了。我也正想去本部半岛看看。”
男子打开助手席的门说道：“上来吧。”
对方像捡了便宜似的，高兴地上了车，坐在副驾驶的座位上。
“先自我介绍一下吧。我叫望月，是个没地位的小职员。”
男子说。
“我叫若松和之，明年3月大学毕业，利用这最后一个寒假到冲绳来玩玩。”
对方也自我介绍道。
男子拿出一包打弹子球换来的香烟，给了若松和之。
"I'm sorry."
若松急忙点头致谢，点燃了一支肯特香烟。
男子开动了汽车。
“怎么没想租一辆车？”
"Well……"
“没有驾驶证吗？”
"Yes, I have."
若松回答着，并拍了拍茄克衫的上衣兜让男子看。
“关键是没有钱啊。租车也很贵的呀。”
“汽车又返回了58号路上，向北，一直开向插入东支那海的本部半岛。”
大学生若松不断地用激昂的语调批评本岛资本对冲绳岛的扩张，既破坏了自然，又给冲绳人的生活带来压力。男子只是偶尔点点头，这些对他来说根本引不起兴趣。
男子现在只考虑如何实行自己的计划。
出了名户市，男子说：
“去一下海岸边看看吧。”
说着，便将汽车开到了一个没有人的海边。
这是一个小小的、干净的海滨，上面长满了野生的芦荟。
男子下了车，长长地伸了个懒腰。
若松也从副驾驶座位上下来，举着照相机咔嚓、咔嚓地拍着海岸边的景色。
这时，男子打开汽车的发动机罩，向里边看着。
“帮我看一下好吗？”
男子大声地招呼那学生。若松手里拎着照相机，慢腾腾地走过来。
“我对汽车构造不太明白啊。”
男子说道。
“我也不行啊。”
若松一边说，一边伸着脖子去看那发动机。
手里早已握好了螺丝钳的男子，突然扬起手，对准若松和之的颈后部砸下去。
只听到一声哼叫，照相机也从若松的手里掉了下去。
男子向周围环视了一下，再一次确认周围没有一个人之后，便开始了他的行动。他先确认对方是否死了，然后把尸体放在沙滩上，把衣兜内的物品掏了出来：驾驶证、钱包和记事本。他把驾驶钲和钱包又放回衣兜里，而取出记事本，却把写着小岛水手长情况的纸条放在死者衣兜里，然后又把大背包埋在了沙滩上。
然后，他拖着沉重的尸体，把他放在了副驾驶座位上，便开车上路了。上了国道58号路之后，男子一边开着车，一边寻找有悬崖的地方。
向南开了十五六分钟的光景，男子发现了一个没有人的小岬角。下了国道，顺着小路汽车咯噔咯噔地向前开。路一下子没有了。男子强行让车向前开去，小石子和杂草在车身下发出了难听的碾压声音。
来到悬崖下边，男子停下车。走下汽车，登上悬崖，他向下面望去。大概距海面有7米左右吧。崖下，是长着珊瑚礁石的明亮的大海。
男子满意地回到汽车里，把大学生的尸体移到驾驶座位上，并把没有知觉的两只手放在了方向盘上，又把M16步枪和子弹装进高尔夫球袋内，扔出了车外。
大学生的照相机也扔出了车外，男子把自己的照相机则放在尸体旁边。
做过这些之后，男子停下来，叼着香烟休息了一会儿。用手指弹出烟蒂之后，男子开始做最后的准备。
打开车门，探进身子，让发动机高速运转，又把死者的脚放在加速器上。汽车咯噔咯噔开出去了，男子关上车门，闪在一边。
汽车向断崖上慢慢地开去，然后大头朝下，向着约7米的海面栽了下去。
这里到处是珊瑚礁石，海水不深。伴随着剧烈的碰撞声音，溅起了浪花，看得见撞碎的珊瑚四面飞散。汽车如同撞到了混凝土的地面上，前面的部分已撞毁，车顶部位也已沉在了海水里。
男子望了一会儿那大部分都沉进海里，只露出一点车尾的黑色半新花冠车，然后又回到刚才的地方。他背上装着步枪和子弹的高尔夫球袋，拿上照相机，向国道58号路走去。在来这里之前，他已经看到了卖二手车的广告。
尽管知道了罪犯不来食诱饵，但十津川并没有泄气。敌手是个冷静、忍耐力极强的家伙，也许这是必然的。
下午3点钟刚过，来了电话，报告在前边不远的海岸边，发现了一辆本岛车号的汽车和一具年轻男子的尸体。
“汽车为半新花冠牌，车体黑色。”听了这一报告，在场的刑警们都活跃起来。十津川带着龟井刑警急忙赶到现场。
这是距思纳村5公里左右的一个小岬角。
汽车被拖曳到旁边的沙滩上，车前部已撞毁，玻璃已粉碎。
在驾驶席上的那个年青男子的尸体，被仰面放在汽车旁边。大概是坠落时撞在珊湖礁上的缘故吧，浑身上下到处是伤。
十津川拿出赤松淳一的照片对照，又像又不像。严重的撞伤已使他分辨不清了。
“这是衣袋里的物品。”
县警署的警察把包在手帕里的东西给十津川看。
驾驶执照、钱包，还有被海水浸湿了的一张字条。
十津川小心地把字条轻轻打开。虽然已被海水浸透，但用钢笔书写的字迹还可以看得出来。
十津川一边读一边考虑。眼前这一青年男子的尸体好像是罪犯赤松淳一。可是，那样，一个沉着冷静、十分谨慎的敌手，怎么会连车一起坠下悬崖摔死呢？
驾驶证的名字是“若松和之”。这又让十津川困惑了。如果没有这个驾驶执照，十津川也许会认为这一事故有作伪的可能。可正因为有了这样一个完全与之无关系的驾驶证，却让十津川认为他有可能是罪犯赤松淳一，因为如果是罪犯，这个驾驶证一定是偷窃来的。如果是罪犯的圈套，为什么偏偏要留下这干扰他计策的线索呢？或者这家伙在将计就计？
“在车上，。有一点有意思的情况。”
县警署的警察把十津川和龟井带到汽车前。
“在车体的下面，安有钩形的东西。我想大概是把步枪藏在这里。”
“那么，枪呢？”
“这铁钩由于汽车坠落时的撞击，已经非常扭曲了，是不是枪支已沉入海里。马上请求这里的渔民到海底搜寻一下。”
“这样，我们就清楚了为什么罪犯在野泽温泉的盘查下能够溜之大吉的原由了。”龟井刑警咂着舌说，“这是因为，那时盘查的警察没有检查车体下面。”
“没办法呀。”
Totsukawa said.他想起了在饭山市检查所见到的情景。
“一般情况下，为慎重起见，当然要检查车身下面。可那时已发现了M16步枪，盘查工作不管怎么说也是有些松弛。而且，道路上积雪溶化，泥泞不堪，天气又冷，谁也不想到车下面去检查。看来罪犯的用心高出我们一筹啊。”
警官送上检车证。这上面车主的名字是东京都调布市深大寺的望月英夫。十有八九，这汽车是盗来的。
“马上与东京的小川刑警联系，调查一下，这车是什么时间、怎么被盗走的。”
龟井按照十津川的指示，先回警署去了。
然后，十津川让县警署的警察带路，到岬角的上面，也就是坠落现场去看一看。
“汽车从这里坠落，沉入海里，只露出车尾部分。”
年轻警察指着下面的海面说。
“不自然的一点是，难道没有发现这是断崖吗？”
“像现在这样当然不会不发现。可从汽车行驶的状态来看，也不能排除他稍不留神，开过了头从崖上坠落下去的可能。通过尸体解剖，也许会发现其他的什么。”
“把指纹送往东京。在那里对照核实一下，就会知道尸体的真正身份了。”
在东京，接受了冲绳来的指示的小川刑警，出发去了调布市的深大寺。他去见黑色半新花冠车的车主。
地点就在深大寺的附近。
十五六年前，这里还残留着武藏野的昔日风貌，而现在，由于住宅用地风潮的冲击，杂木林已看不见了，代之以火柴盒似的住宅密密匝匝地挤在一起。
望月英夫的家也是这些住宅房中的一所。
有一间车库，小川刑警向里看了看，只见一个身穿红色毛衣的年轻男子，正把滑雪板往一辆崭新的汽车里放。
小川刑警扶了扶眼镜。
“是望月英夫君吗？”
年轻人“咦？”地应了一声，狐疑地看着小川刑警。因为天气寒冷，一张嘴说话就吐出一缕白色的哈气。
“有什么事找我哥哥吗？”
"You are?"
“我是弟弟俊夫。”
小川刑警让他看了警察证件。年轻人觉得有些奇怪。
“我哥哥现在在美国啊。”
“美国？那么，那黑色的半新花冠车呢？”
“那车怎么了？哥哥去美国之后，我用着。”
望月俊夫那戴着手套的两只手相互拍打着。
“卖给谁了吗？”
“怎么说呢，其实是被盗了。”
"when?"
“大概是本月的16日。因为17号一大早就不见了。”
“是不是钥匙就插在车锁上？”
“是的、因为是旧车。附近很多人都有新车。我想，如果有人偷车，也会偷那些新车吧，所以就大意了。”
“然后，报案了吗？”
“这个……”望月俊夫挠着头。
“没有报案。反正我也不想找了，因为我正打算要换辆新车呢。”
“你好像隐瞒了什么。”
小川刑警目光锐利地看着年青人。对方的脸一下子红了。
"What's the matter?"
“是这样的。不管怎么旧的车，如果被偷也让人生气，而你却笑着说，而且，如果按常规来说，警察为了你被盗的汽车来找你，你自然要寻问是不是找到了。可你却不是这样。”
“很不好说。”
望月俊夫又挠了挠头。
“老实说吧。开始，发现汽车被盗，我很生气，也想到马上要去报案。随后发现放工具的架子上放着个信封。我想，这是什么？便打开来看，发现里面有1万日元1张的钞票共20张，也就是20万日元装在里面。这是偷车人放在这里的货款吧。真是个奇怪的小偷。因为我那旧车就是卖掉最多也就值10万日元。我认为我赚了，所以就没有去报案。”
“于是，就买了这辆新车？”
“是。是用那20万日元买的。”
望月俊夫抚摸着新车，独自笑了。
“那个信封里，没有信吗？”
"Nothing."
“那信封呢？”
“烧掉了。”
“烧啦！”
小川刑警咋了咋舌。望月俊夫害怕地看着小川刑警：
"is it not OK?"
“咳，算了。那个信封有什么特征吗？”
“要说这个，我还清楚地记得。那不是街上卖的那种信封。信封上还有标记，是PAA。”
“PAA，这不是泛美航空公司的标志吗？”
“对，是的。是在机场大厅这样的地方，为方便乘客放置的。”
有趣啊，小川刑警想。赤松淳一乘泛美航空公司的飞机回国，在羽田机场顺手拿了这种信封，与分析正好相吻合。
“那么，你哥哥英夫君，是什么时候去美国的呢？”
“一年前。在此之前他曾长期呆在美国。一年前才回国的。在国内闲呆了3个月左右，说日本寂寞无聊，就又去了美国。”
“你的职业？”
“我是学生。”
望月俊夫从裤子的后兜里拿出学生证，让小川刑警看了。
小川刑警刚回到警视厅，搜查一科科长就递过来一份材料。
“外务省的答复来了。”
十津川警部补在飞抵冲绳之前，曾命令小川刑警调查有关赤松淳一的情况。这是受委托的外务省的回复。
因为是英文，所以外务省作了翻译附在后面，一共是两封报告书，其中一封是查戈斯群岛中萨罗门岛上的英国管理官员来的信。
第二封信是印度外务省的回复件。
在这两封信后，外务省驸言：
通过外务省的这一核实，证实了赤松淳一奇迹般得到救助，是漂流到“第一日本号”沉没地点附近的小岛上了。
这样，可以说连续杀人的罪犯毫无疑问是赤松淳一了，小川刑警这样想。
Notes:
Notes: