Chapter 3 Chapter two

That afternoon, Segawa received a letter from Tokyo Ohga Yuhei.Segawa had already anticipated the content of the reply letter from the vigorous font and the shriveled envelope on the envelope. Open the envelope and there are three pieces of letter paper inside.The last piece of letter paper only has the name of the sender Oga, the name of the recipient Segawa, and the date. "Dear Reply: I receive your letter. I was shocked to hear that the house in the Shanjiang Branch was burned down. I am astonished. I am sure that you are heartbroken and express your deepest sympathy. As you said, I also worked in the Shanjiang Branch more than ten years ago. I have been working day and night for the public during the years, and the appearance of that building is vivid in my memory. I can't help but feel a lot of emotion after reading your letter.

"It is a pity that I do not remember any of the inquiries in your letter. In particular, the case of non-prosecution that you pointed out from April 1950 to March of the following year can no longer be recalled. It is really embarrassing. Although I remember that the notes on criminal cases were kept for a while, they were destroyed together with other materials when I bid farewell to my long career as a prosecutor. "It's a pity that I can't help you with your efforts!" Segawa's last ray of hope was dashed.However, it should not be considered that the senior prosecutor’s reply was too cold.It was originally a past event more than ten years ago, and there are no notes left, so it is normal to not be able to recall it.Even the current criminal policeman can only answer vaguely.

It might seem odd that the former prosecutor replied that he had no recollection, but he may have been worried that writing about the ambiguous would not help.It must be because I am afraid that my memory will cause mistakes, so I avoid talking about the substantive content.Especially since Segawa clearly specified a specific period, the former prosecutor was more cautious. Segawa put the letter back into the envelope and put it on the table for now.Judging from this letter, if Segawa went to see Dahe directly, he might first say some evasive words such as "maybe it was at that time" or "it's not clear", and then say some vague impressions. thing to come.

Because the current prosecutor is questioning in the form of semi-official documents, the other party is very cautious.Da He knew very well in his heart what kind of responsibility he had to bear for his reply. Segawa never felt so far away from Tokyo.It takes less than an hour by train from Setagaya, where my mother and brother-in-law live, to Sekicho, Nerima.But to go to Oga's house from the western end of Shikoku, there is a long time and space in between.No, it is better to say that his freedom is blocked by the high wall of his current position than that. Segawa was smoking a cigarette in a daze, and the Tamura affairs officer walked in.

"I just went to the family of Hirata-kun's family." Tamura Affairs Officer pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose and said.There was a little sweat on his face. "You've worked hard!" Segawa asked Tamura to move the chair in front of him. "Because it's about money, it's hard for you to open your mouth, right?" "Yes!" Tamura took out a dirty handkerchief and wiped his face. "As you said, it was too much effort to find out the truth. I pretended to be worried about the life after Hirata-kun's death, and asked from various angles. I said, if Hirata-kun has too many debts, it needs to be cleaned up. .If Madam has something to discuss, please say so.”

"very good." "I first mentioned that Hirata-kun often goes to Matsuyama to gamble on bicycle races. He may have a lot of debts and no savings. So Madam said nonchalantly that there is no need to worry now." "Then have you taken into account both death benefits and severance payments?" "I also talked about this. But the other party said that the future living funds and children's education funds should not be changed as much as possible. Madam seems to plan to find a job in the future, so when it comes to the current situation, she said that because Hirata-kun is obsessed with betting on bicycle races So high in debt that I have no collateral. But fortunately, I recently won a bicycle race and filled a considerable shortfall.”

"Can you make that much money betting on bicycle races?" "If you're lucky, you can guess right in a row, and you can make a lot of money!" "That's consistent with the statement about returning the advance wages. But when did she say she started making money?" "It's also the same time as the repayment of previous debts, which started in late February." "Did everything go smoothly after that? Oh, I mean betting on the bicycle race." "It seems to be like this. As long as you are lucky in betting on the game, everything will go smoothly."

"Really?" Segawa raised his hand on his chin and put it on his forehead. "Besides, did you ask if there were any visits from strangers, or letters from strangers?" "She said no." "However, Hirata-kun should have a companion when he goes to bet on the bicycle race, or someone who went to Matsuyama to bet on the bicycle race with him, right?" "Regarding this point, I heard that Hirata-kun realizes his identity and doesn't make friends like this very much." "That is to say, he always goes to bet on bicycle races alone?" "Yes. His wife said with a sigh that winning a bet on a bicycle race before death is probably a bad omen."

Hirata's wife seemed to think that her husband's start to win was a harbinger of death.But is that really the case? Seeing that Segawa was silent, Tamura lowered his eyes and continued talking. "Madam was very sad, and said that a few nights before Hirata-kun was burned to death, he took the whole family to the movies. In the past, when betting wildly on bicycle races, the husband and wife had constant quarrels. This has never happened before." "Watching a movie?" Segawa suddenly raised his head. "You said Hirata-kun took the whole family to the movies before he died?"

"yes." "Which movie theater is it?" "Of course it's a movie theater in the city!" Tamura seemed to be mocking the prosecutor for being confused. "I heard that he didn't pay for the ticket himself, it was a reception ticket given by someone else." "Reception ticket? Which movie theater is it?" "Shanjiang Movie Theater. There are three movie theaters in this city, and it is the biggest one. Women are so happy when they get movie tickets!" "The hospitality tickets they got are only valid for that week?" Why did the prosecutor ask these questions?Tamura's eyes behind the lenses revealed a strange look. "I remembered that Hirata-kun once said that he got the reception ticket, and that he would never go to the movies without the reception ticket. I didn't expect to have the last happiness."

"Really?" Segawa paid attention to the reception of movie tickets because the movie theater in Yawatahama suddenly flashed in his mind.This is of course pure coincidence.In fact, it was not Hirata who went to Yawatahama Cinema, but Takeuchi Clerk. However, this coincidence led his thinking to the scene of seeing off at Songshan Airport.He didn't know each other at that time, and he saw the owner of Yawatahama Cinema seeing off the three women.The young woman waved her walking stick to say goodbye to the Buddha.Next to the movie theater owner who was seeing him off, a man with cropped hair and a gorgeous kimono was waving.No matter how you look at it, it looks like an idler. "Tamura-kun," Segawa hesitated for a moment, realizing that his eyes had changed suddenly. "How is it? Can you inquire about the management organization of Shanjiang Cinema?" "Okay, you mean gangsters?" Tamura nodded. "By the way, check in detail, which gangster's sphere of influence is the movie theater in Yawatahama?" Prosecutors have no subordinates to dispatch, only prosecutors.Before World War II, prosecutors could directly direct police investigations.Whether it is a murder case or a robbery or theft case, the prosecutor can visit the scene in person, formulate the investigation policy, and direct the director and the investigation director.However, due to the revision of the Criminal Procedure Law after the war, except for special cases such as dereliction of duty and violation of election laws, prosecutors are not allowed to intervene in police investigations and can only listen to reports afterwards.In other words, prosecutors can only sort out the indictment based on the investigation materials sent by the police station, and then participate in the public trial. Therefore, the police has a large number of investigators, but the prosecutor has only a few officers.The same is true for the Tokyo and Osaka District Public Prosecutors’ Special Search Divisions, which investigate malfeasance and election law violations.Prosecutors at the District Prosecutor’s Office are equivalent to the criminal police of the police, but they cannot compare with the police in terms of numbers or organization. Prosecutors often accuse the police of being full of loopholes in their investigations. For cases sent to the prosecutor’s office, they often ask the police to re-investigate or refuse to prosecute on the grounds that the investigation of the case is insufficient and the public trial cannot be maintained. This has caused the prosecutor’s office to distrust the police. The police are also dissatisfied with the prosecutor's office.There is a long history of mistrust between the prosecution and the police. As a result, there has long been a debate within the prosecutorial department that the prosecutor's office should specialize in public trials.One of the reasons is that the prosecutor's office has a small number of staff, and the investigation with the police will only exhaust energy and lead to an accumulation of important prosecution cases. In fact, the work of prosecutors is very heavy, not only to review the investigation records sent by the police and conduct consultations, but also to interrogate suspects and call witnesses.Cases sent to the prosecutor's office continue one after another, like the traffic flow in front of the red light on the streets of Tokyo, which can never be finished. However, the Prosecutor's Office still dreams of returning to its pre-war investigative command.That is to say, as in the past, the prosecutor should personally direct the investigation work of the police station and direct the investigation according to his own policy. The police have somewhat resisted the prosecutor's office's view.Police leadership, like other bureaucrats, never relinquishes authority once it has been granted. As a result, the prosecutor's office accused the police of incomplete investigations.Sometimes he also attacked and said that if the police were given full power, the case that should have been filed would not be filed.The police countered that it was the self-righteousness of the prosecution department.In short, the procuratorial department does not have a dedicated investigation team. Prosecutor Segawa wants to investigate the behind-the-scenes organization of Sugie Movie Theater and Yawatahama Movie Theater. If he entrusts the police, he can find out in a short time.However, he left the matter to Prosecutor Tamura to handle it alone, because even in this small Sugi River, the branch of the District Prosecutor's Office was not in harmony with the local police.Mutual distrust at the center has also permeated the local grassroots. The next morning, Segawa went to Matsuyama again. Chief Prosecutor Amano returned from Tokyo last night as scheduled, and is scheduled to convene all prosecutors from the Matsuyama District Prosecutor's Office today to convey the contents of the national meeting. Segawa has many personal issues.The return of the Chief Prosecutor means Segawa's decision to stay or stay. Segawa got off at Matsuyama Station at 9:30.There is a long queue of buses heading to the high slope where the ancient castle stands.The buildings of the District Prosecutor's Office and the Higher Prosecutor's Office are located at the foot of the old castle. The meeting starts at ten o'clock.Chief Prosecutor Amano stood in the middle and began to make a report.He never speaks loudly, so sometimes he has to put his hand next to his ear, otherwise he can't hear clearly.It may also be because he looked at the material with his head down.He is a serious man. He first conveyed the gist of the prime minister's and justice minister's speeches, and then conveyed the details of the chief prosecutor's speech. Violent gangs are rampant across the country.Due to the multiple blows in the previous period, the superficial momentum has gradually weakened, but most of them pretend to turn, especially to develop their own power in the local area.It is hoped that the District Prosecutor's Office will pay close attention to the movements of the local grassroots violent groups and take a severe crackdown.In addition, the Senate election will be held next year, and there are already rumors that the election campaign has started.Be sure to monitor this closely. Chief Prosecutor Amano spoke according to the script, with a weak voice and no cadence in his tone. When Segawa listened to the report, he moved his body from time to time.The Chief Prosecutor then spoke about the negotiation matters and conveyed the Supreme Prosecutor's Office's response to the opinions of the local prosecutors' offices. For Segawa, this may be the last meeting.So compared to others, he felt particularly strongly about Chief Prosecutor Amano's thin figure and weak voice. The report was followed by questioning by the Prosecutor and reply by the Chief Prosecutor.The tea in front of me was already cold, and a small flying insect like rice bran slowly climbed up the rim of the cup. As soon as the meeting is over, Segawa will be called by the Chief Prosecutor.As the meeting drew to a close, the atmosphere began to relax, but Segawa's heart became more and more tense. "Okay, let's adjourn the meeting!" Deputy Prosecutor Shan Chuan announced the adjournment. The chief prosecutors stood up one after another, and slowly left the conference room to the corridor.The whispers in the venue turned into a din. Segawa was walking out when someone poked him on the shoulder from behind.Looking back, it turned out to be the second prosecutor. He signaled Segawa to stop with his eyes. "Go straight to my office!" he whispered. The other prosecutors looked back at him.They left the crowd and walked towards the door of other rooms. Chief Prosecutor Amano was drinking tea, and when he saw Segawa and Second Prosecutor come in, he put the teacup on the table. "You're back." Segawa greeted at the chief prosecutor's desk. "Sit down!" The chief prosecutor looked tired.Just got back from a business trip?Because you just chaired a meeting?Or are you annoyed by the announcement of the disciplinary decision to Segawa?unknown. "Let me just say it!" The chief prosecutor licked his lips with his tongue.The deputy prosecutor stood by to witness. "About the fire at your place, I'm in Tokyo to consult with various parties..." Segawa nodded silently. "The Deputy Minister of Justice was also worried, and sent someone to check the precedent. I personally advocated letting you stay in the prosecution department, and the Deputy Minister also agreed... Regarding the precedent of the accident, this time the duty officer left without authorization and caused death, which belongs to the It's unprecedented, so it's very difficult. Finally..." The Chief Prosecutor's throat moved and he swallowed. "Decided to dismiss your application for resignation." Segawa took a deep breath.A sense of relief and responsibility filled his chest heavily.As long as he is not dismissed, he is willing to accept any punishment. "However, I still have some regrets. Although your resignation application is not approved, I decided to cut my salary for three months." Segawa nodded again.This is a relatively heavy penalty in the precedent.Although the punishment is heavier, but in the past it was simply a misfire.This AWOL and resulting fatality is certainly unprecedented. "Me too..." The Chief Prosecutor straightened himself up in the chair. "He received a warning and the second prosecutor also took a one-month salary cut." Segawa was speechless, not knowing how to apologize to his superiors.He realized that people can only speak the most ordinary words when they are emotional. "I'm sorry for causing trouble, sir!" Segawa said it again to Deputy Prosecutor Yamakawa next to him. "I am very sorry for causing trouble to the second prosecutor! I am deeply sorry!" Segawa stood up straight. Deputy Prosecutor Yamakawa smiled and nodded lightly, as if representing even the Chief Prosecutor. "The superior treated me leniently, and I have to do my best to recover the loss!" Can you find more words?These are all mandarin and clichés, but when emotionally excited, they can only be used mechanically. "Okay, then I'll leave it to you!" The Chief Prosecutor reached for the teacup, but there was no more tea. "About the burned materials..." Segawa reported to the Chief Prosecutor. "Currently, we are doing our best to recover. However, because some of them have been taking a long time, the responses from various prosecutors' offices and police stations are not ideal. This work will take a long time." "Yes!" The chief prosecutor nodded. "The general situation can be found in the classified catalog of the criminal case book, but the case book between April 1950 and March 1951 cannot be found." "..." "This document was kept by the officer Hirata who was burned to death, and his whereabouts are unknown now." "Oh, really?" The Chief Prosecutor seemed to have heard what the Second Prosecutor had said. "Looking up?" "Yes, we are doing our best. But because the person involved is dead, and others don't know the situation... I think of the prosecutor at the time, Dahe Yongping, who wrote a letter to inquire a few days ago." "Mr. Dahe..." The Chief Prosecutor nodded two or three times as if remembering an old friend. "We worked together in the Tokyo District Prosecutor's Office. Later, he resigned as a prosecutor and should have opened a law firm in Tokyo." "Yes. So I thought that Mr. Dahe might still have the records at that time, so I wrote to inquire. But he couldn't recall anything in his reply." "That's not easy!" The Chief Prosecutor was not particularly interested in this. "If there's no record, there's nothing you can do." Chief Prosecutor Amano didn't care much about the loss of a case book. He seemed to be saying that since the key materials were burned, the catalog was unnecessary.The Chief Prosecutor also believes that there is no hope of recovering the full case material. "There are various types of prosecutors." Dahe was mentioned, and the topic changed elsewhere. "People who write well often take notes carefully. For example, among my seniors, Mr. Miyake Shotaro is such a person. He has become the dean of the Supreme Court. We like to read the articles he wrote since we were young. .Recently, there has been a tendency for prosecutors to write such articles just for fun. The prosecutor is neither a newspaper reporter nor a novelist, so this approach is not serious enough. I still hope to incorporate life philosophy into the article like Mr. Miyake , legal interpretation, and what it’s like to be a prosecutor.” Perhaps because the decision to punish Segawa had already been announced, the Chief Prosecutor was in a good mood, so he brought up such a topic. When Segawa returned to the branch dormitory from Matsuyama, it was already very late.Grandma has already prepared dinner for him, covered with a white cloth.He had already had dinner with the Chief Prosecutor and others, but he was still a little hungry after late at night. The celibate life is easy and comfortable.When changing clothes, he flicked the white cloth, revealing a letter.Judging from the handwriting, it was sent by my mother from Tokyo. "Is everything okay after we met last time? I think you must have a lot of inconvenience living independently. Last time I talked about Mr. Zongfang's proposal of marriage, I think this time is the best. According to Mr. Zongfang, the wedding can be held in Tokyo. Then you just take the bride back to your place. If you are busy with business and have no chance to go to Beijing, you can choose a time to hold it in Tokyo in the future. In short, I don’t agree with you always running around all by yourself. "I heard that there was a fire, and I was very worried. Because your public house was burned down, you must be in a very difficult situation. In fact, this accident happened because you lived alone in the dormitory. If your wife was with you, you would have discovered the fire in advance. So it won't be a big loss. Your brother also has the same opinion, and your sister-in-law also told me that this marriage should be facilitated as soon as possible. "I have also conveyed your thoughts to Mr. Zongfang many times, but as a mother, I always feel that it is a pity to give up this marriage, so I haven't explicitly rejected it. I hope you can reconsider and change your mind by writing this letter, and let me and your brother Don't worry, sister-in-law. Mr. Zongfang said that there is no need to rush to reply here, but you can't ask people to wait endlessly. I hope you can make a proper decision." Segawa finished reading the letter, put it on the tatami, and began to eat the assorted sushi made by grandma.The broth in the lacquered bowl was as cold as tap water, and the fish balls sank pitifully at the bottom of the bowl. The marriage mentioned in the mother's letter began last autumn.That Munekata was Segawa's father's generation, and he was also a lawyer now.Segawa's father has been working as a lawyer, but let his son become a prosecutor.Segawa still can't figure out why his father doesn't let him inherit the lawyer's profession.My brother doesn't like the law, and now works as a section chief in a trading company. Segawa had proposed marriage five or six times before.There are very few marriage proposals in the working place, and almost all the mothers write from Tokyo.Segawa refused every time.But this time, my mother was very enthusiastic about Mr. Zongfang's marriage proposal. One of the reasons was that Segawa was over thirty years old.The other woman is the eldest daughter of the managing director of Kushima Construction Company. The next morning, Segawa wrote a simple reply to his mother. "Mr. Zongfang's proposed marriage, I have no objection here. This is the result of careful consideration. All matters are left to you. Please. "However, I hope that the wedding will be held next spring as much as possible. I can't predict whether I will still be here by then. It is impossible for me to take time off to go back to Tokyo for a blind date." As soon as this reply letter arrives in Tokyo, it will definitely start to be sorted out there immediately.The mother and brother-in-law told Mr. Zongfang, and then discussed with the woman, the two families will start dating.They want to put aside themselves who are staying in the remote countryside of Shikoku, and arrange a distorted life for themselves step by step from the standpoint of a third party. Segawa thought, people may make a painful decision when they run into a wall and retreat.Had it not been for the fire, the marriage could have been postponed further.If being aggressive but being hit in the head is an opportunity to retreat, then this kind of mood is also a kind of balance.In other words, it is precisely because of his frustration in his official career that he deliberately considers personal issues. This is also because his mother and brother-in-law urged him tirelessly, which made him feel unbearable.However, this situation has been going on for a long time, so the change in mood is due to the punishment this time. In the past, the letter from the family had introduced the situation of the woman in detail, and also sent photos, but it was impossible to really understand the other party based on these alone.But the people around are working enthusiastically, and this kind of operation makes the combination of the two parties inevitable.Isn't that how marriages are introduced? The two parties form an impression of each other through other people's descriptions, and then marry each other based on this imagination.Other people's observations may not always be objective, but compared with the subjectivity of the parties involved, other people's subjectivity will not have much risk. However, there is no love relationship here.Introduction Marriage Theorists advocate getting married first and then falling in love.Segawa cannot guarantee that he will have love for the woman who will become his wife, but he cannot deny this possibility, rather he has a vague affirmation. Segawa had never been in a relationship before.This is not to say that he has never had a similar state of mind, but because it has not developed into a romantic relationship.So he is not bored or intimidated by the introduction of marriage.It can be said that he suddenly made up his mind about the marriage he had hesitated before, and it was also because he had just tasted the loneliness. Segawa put the letter into the red mailbox next to the District Prosecutor's Office.Hearing the faint sound of the envelope falling to the bottom, seemed to hear the roar of a turning point in life. As soon as Segawa went to work, the Tamura affairs officer came to see him immediately.He raised his heels and looked in through the glass window in the corridor, and after confirming that Segawa was inside, he pushed open the door. "Good morning!" "Good morning!" It seems that Tamura has already investigated the gang organization behind the movie theater. "You're talking about a movie theater in Hachimanhama called the Shoei Theater, right?" "yes." "The owner of the Songei Theater is Minokichi Ogata... write it here." Tamura handed over a piece of letter paper. Minokichi Ogata was born in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture.Ten years ago, he moved to Yawatahama, started his business by running a pachinko hall, and now runs this movie theater.He also has two pinball halls in the city, and has a wife and two sons at home.This person was born in 1923 and is now forty-two years old. "So that's the case! He runs a pinball hall and operates a movie theater. He also joined the gang, right?" Segawa asked. "On the surface, he doesn't appear to be a member of the gang, but he has actually been deeply involved. He belongs to the Masuda gang in Kansai." The headquarters of the Masuda Gang is in Osaka, and it is the number one violent group in Kansai. "It really is!" Segawa thought of the strong man who saw the three girls off at the airport.He was wearing a gray sweatshirt and tan pants.Standing next to him was a short, fat man in a gorgeous kimono, with a batik sash tied low around his waist, as if he was showing off his status. "He still runs a pinball hall?" Segawa muttered.Because he suddenly wondered if the three women Ogata saw off could be his clerks, maybe he was arranging a comfort trip for the long-serving and good-behaved clerks. The three women were holding walking sticks used for mountain pilgrimage, so they thought they were from other places.But maybe they were getting out of here, carrying sticks just for fun. "In addition, the Sugjiang Cinema in Sugjiang City is also owned by the Masuda Gang." Tamura took out his notes and wrote the resume of the cinema owner.The boss is called Hamada Osamu, sixty years old, born in the local area, and started to get involved in the film exhibition industry before the war.Unlike Tail, he doesn't have other shops. "The Masuda gang has quite a lot of power here!" Segawa said, because five or six years ago, there was a battle between the Masuda gang and the local gang in Dogo Onsen near Matsuyama. "Yes, the local area is now completely controlled by the Masuda Gang." It has not yet been ascertained that there is any connection between the movie theater with the background of the Masuda gang and the death of the Hirata officer.Just knowing that two movie theaters were affected by gangs cannot explain the fire at the District Prosecutor's Office and the death of Hirata Affairs Officer.When Segawa saw the chief prosecutor off at the airport, he happened to see the owner of Yawatahama Cinema.This is purely accidental, just a scenery that has nothing to do with the case. The Masuda gang has already reached out to movie theaters, which doesn't explain anything, as this phenomenon is everywhere.Finding out about these situations may help other jobs in the future, but it will not work now. Tamura seemed restless. "Mr. Prosecutor," he said. "One more thing, I found someone who saw Hirata-kun walking out of the Treasure House Tavern." Tamura's voice was very flat, but Segawa came alive. According to the proprietress of the "Treasure House" tavern, after Clerk Takeuchi ran out drunk, Hirata stayed for a while before leaving.If Hirata and Takeuchi switch roles, then Hirata's actions between leaving the tavern and returning to the District Prosecutor's Office are an important issue.Did Hirata come back to work alone?Or had someone approached him halfway? Segawa had already sent someone to investigate Hirata's actions after leaving the tavern, but there was no result.It was also impossible to ascertain whether he was acting alone or with others.But now, Tamura said weakly that there are witnesses with drooping eyes! "Is what you said true?" Segawa stared at Tamura's sweaty face. "Yes. To be honest, my neighbor sells boats, and the proprietress told my wife. My wife is also true. She would have told me earlier, but she just said it last night. However, she only heard about the boats the day before yesterday. The shopkeeper's wife said." "She didn't say what Hirata-kun was like at that time?" "The proprietress of the boat shop was in a hurry to deliver goods to the fishing boat, and saw Mr. Hirata standing in the dark of the pier talking to a woman. The proprietress knew Mr. Hirata very well, so she thought, why did Mr. Hirata come to such a place? In order not to attract the other party's attention, she hid behind the truck to observe. The proprietress didn't know that Hirata-kun was on duty that night, and thought that Hirata had a girl he liked coming here for a tryst." "Have you seen the woman's face?" "The proprietress said that it was too dark to see the woman's face clearly. However, the two people seemed to sense someone, and the woman urged Hirata to turn into the alley two houses away." "Wait!" Segawa took out the map of Sugie City from the drawer. As soon as Segawa unfolded the map, Tamura also leaned over from his chair to look at it. "Mr. Prosecutor, it's here. It's roughly this area." After all, Tamura is a local, so he quickly found it and pointed it out. On the west side of the urban area is a bay, which is also a fishing boat wharf and a ferry wharf.The harbor is always full of countless fishing boats with masts everywhere. Tamura was referring to the corner of the narrow alley that separated from Dock Street.Through the narrow alley, you come to a slightly wider north-south street.Walk another 500 meters to the south, and you will find the branch of the District Prosecutor's Office.In addition, there is a parallel bustling street on the east side of that street, and the back street on the east side is the street where the tavern is located. If Hirata left the Treasure House Tavern and came to the location mentioned by the proprietress of the boat, then he crossed three parallel streets and came to the pier.It should take less than ten minutes to walk, the street is very narrow. "Do you know what time it was?" "It is said to be around ten twenty." The time when Takeuchi ran out from the Treasure House Tavern is presumed to be after ten o'clock, so it can be concluded that Hirata came here as soon as Takeuchi ran out.Just as Segawa speculated, Hirata did not return directly to the duty room from the tavern.He made a detour to the pier to meet the woman.But, did that woman come here with Hirata from somewhere?Or is there waiting for Hirata?Its history is unknown. This is a local city, so after nine o'clock in the evening, most people close their doors, the streets are also dark, and there are no pedestrians on the road.It is difficult to trace Hirata's whereabouts, and it is also for this reason that there are no witnesses. However, now Tamura relayed to him the testimony of eyewitnesses.If the investigation had been done by the police instead of the prosecutors, the witnesses would have been found long ago.Maybe the detectives can find Hirata's whereabouts elsewhere.No matter in terms of numbers or technology, once an investigation is carried out, the prosecution department cannot compare with the police at all. However, the case must be kept completely secret from the police.Because Hirata's actions implied the shame of the prosecution department. "What kind of clothes is that woman wearing?" Segawa asked, putting his arm on the map. "It is said that he is wearing a foreign dress, which seems to be red." "Do you see what color it is?" "Didn't see it. The woman is said to be standing in the shadows under the eaves." "If it's a red dress, it should be a young woman." While listening to Tamura's story, Segawa thought of the four women who brought Takeuchi into Xiaozhou Hotel.I heard that they were all dressed as barmaids. Could it be that one of them met Hirata? Before taking the bus to Xiaozhou, Takeuchi drank in the bar.Assuming that there is a woman here who met Hirata, there is no contradiction in terms of time. Who is that woman standing and talking to Officer Hirata?After letting Tamura leave, Segawa kept thinking about this issue.Is this related to the fire?Or just an unrelated encounter?Is that woman close to Hirata?Or is it a normal relationship? Witnesses said the woman was wearing a red dress.People in this small town are used to going to bed early, if they are still wandering around the pier so late, it must be a barmaid rather than a good girl. Hirata is very close to the woman, assuming that the woman dragged Takeuchi to the hotel in Ozu after discussing with Hirata, and Hirata went back to the duty room alone... No, even if it were concluded that Hirata targeted Takeuchi in the first place, it would not explain why he himself was burned to death.Of course it never occurred to him that he would be burned to death. Assuming that the two switch roles, Takeuchi is burned to death and Hirata escapes, then the role switch in the middle must be carried out without the person knowing.Was it the woman talking to Hirata that caused the role switch?Specifically, the woman called Hirata who had left the tavern to the pier, and then used some method to make Hirata return to the duty room of the District Prosecutor's Office and make him lie on his back on the tatami mat. That woman is of course just a tool.Was she ordered by others?So who is it that drives her?Don't worry!Must think carefully.If Hirata was the "escape" character, he should have left the tavern before Takeuchi.Since Hirata is supposed to be Takeuchi's character, Takeuchi should be sent back to the duty room after he wanders into the street.But the fact is that Takeuchi left before Hirata.What's going on here? According to Takeuchi, Hirata did not stop the quarrel in the tavern.He was so drunk that he didn't know if Hirata would stay there after he left. However, the proprietress of Takaraya Tavern said that Hirata left after that.And no matter what Takeuchi said, the proprietress insisted that no one quarreled in her tavern. Segawa used to think that the proprietress of Treasure House Tavern spoke something wrong, and now she also feels strange.Segawa speculated that Hirata and Takeuchi left Takaraya Tavern almost at the same time.In other words, Hirata didn't expect Takeuchi to run out drunk, and was very surprised, because it was inconsistent with their original plan. Then, Hirata immediately went out to chase Takeuchi.But it was the woman who was waiting for him.It is unknown what the woman said to him, but Hirata was called to the pier anyway. On the other hand, Takeuchi ran into a strange bar as he said, and was drunk by the waitress there.At this time, there were four women.If one of them had met Hirata, there must have been three of them when Takeuchi entered.The girl who separated from Hirata joined in, making four people.One woman and three women. From the number of three people, Segawa thought of something else, which was the group of women he saw at Songshan Airport.The owner of the theater in Hachimanhama saw them off, and there were three of them at that time.What a strange coincidence, why are there three people? This is all Segawa's imagination.Surrounding Takeuchi were four women, minus the woman talking to Hirata.This addition and subtraction is baseless, but nonetheless reassuring. Segawa called Tamura. "Can you go to Hachimanhama on business?" "Okay." Tamura still drooped the eyelids behind the lenses. "It's about the owner of Song Rong Theater that you investigated." "Is it Ogata Minokichi?" "Yes. You said Minokichi Ogata runs two pachinko parlors?" "yes." "I would like you to check the female clerks in the pinball hall, whether there have been any sudden resignations or long vacations recently." "Don't know the name?" "I don't know. Just find out." "As ordered." "In addition, check to see if any of the female employees of Songrong Theater have resigned or taken vacations." "Since when?" "After May 16th. Oh, maybe there are some earlier." May 16th was the day when a fire broke out in the branch of the District Prosecutor's Office.Tamura Chaos eyes flashed brightly. "Is that all?" "Let's check these now! Go to Yawatahama now, and you should be able to come back in the evening. I'm in the dormitory, please find me when you come back." "Understood." After Tamura went out, Segawa called Officer Yoshino. "I want you to check something." Unlike Tamura, Yoshino is fat and has a red face. "You have a lot of alcohol, right?" Segawa gestured to hold the wine glass. "No, I haven't drunk much recently." "Are there many acquaintances in the tavern?" "Not a lot!" Yoshino scratched his head. “有件事请你办一下。有关你熟悉的宝屋酒馆，查查有没有被黑帮控制。做这种生意往往都有一定的牵连。” 他想这样就可以证明宝屋酒馆老板娘的话是否属实。 下午，松山地检厅的山川次席检察官寄来了快件。这是一个大信封，里面装着一张折叠起来的图纸。 “考虑到各种情况，首席检察官希望按照这个设计图改建烧毁的部分。你组织认真讨论，有什么意见请告诉我们。另外，如果协商决定了，就从七月份开始动工。也许你们不太满意，但因为资金有限，不能再增加投入，请予理解。” 所谓支部修缮费，全由松山地检厅上报法务省进行预算，山川负责改建工程也是这个原因。 从图纸上看，也没有可以提出异议的地方。濑川本人觉得，如果采用木结构修建新仓库，而其他房间都保持原样，难免有些不协调。倒不如利用这次机会，把主体建筑修葺一新。可这不是由濑川说了算的，他既没有预算权限也没有审批权限，所以写了回信照此办理。 五点钟过后，濑川没有回到机关宿舍，而是走出大门朝竹内事务员家走去。竹内家位于离海较远的山脚下，在火柴盒般的市营住宅小区中间。 每家都有个小院，有的围着树篱，有的连着街道，有的开出了旱田，有的整齐地栽了院树。竹内家的院子里什么都没有，长着野草的红土干巴巴的。一个八岁左右的女孩在院子里玩土。 身材矮小、脸形小巧的竹内夫人看到濑川十分惊讶，跪坐在门厅台沿行礼。 "How is your husband?" 濑川与竹内的妻子见过两次面。一次是在竹内休假后他来看望的时候，另一次是在她来领取工资的时候。 “是啊，实在是……”竹内妻子后半句话含混不清。“您请进屋吧！” “是不是好多了？”濑川一边脱鞋一边询问。 “是啊，实在是……” “神志还是不清醒吗？”隔着一扇拉门，竹内好像就在里面。濑川压低了嗓音。 “怎么说呢？他还总是发呆。” 打那以后，竹内的神经衰弱日趋严重，医生诊断后嘱咐静养一个月左右。以前就曾听他妻子说过，受到火灾打击之后，他说话也有点不正常了。不管怎样，先进客厅。 濑川刚在庭院边的六铺席客厅里坐下，天花板垂下的灯泡突然亮了。拉门打开，竹内走了进来。他妻子紧跟着，一只手扶在他的腰带上。 竹内脸上表情呆滞，看到濑川也没有郑重行礼，在妻子的搀扶下缓缓地坐在濑川面前。和服像是匆忙换上的，胸前衣襟也没有整理好。 “你好啊！”濑川看着竹内说道。“后来怎么样了？精神好点儿了吧？” 竹内眨了两三下眼睛。“是的。”他点点头，又不像是行礼。 他脸色比先前白了些，可能是因为一直呆在屋子里。嘴唇上没有血色，眼神恍惚，不知道在看何处。 “哎，检察官先生担心你，看望你来了！”脸形小巧的妻子从旁边对他说道。 “啊啊……”竹内听了妻子的话点点头。“谢谢你！”竹内道了谢，声音也软弱无力。 竹内绝对算不上是个精明强干的事务员。他性格古板，话语不多。当然他生性如此，但也不至于这样连话也说不全呀！ “晚上能睡着觉吗？”濑川喝了一口茶水，尽量说些轻松的话题。 “啊，实在是……”他不说能睡着，也不说睡不着。 “还是睡不踏实。”他妻子又做了说明。 “哦？从那以后一直这样吗？”濑川也转向了竹内的妻子。 “那段时间一直睡眠不足，后来就成了毛病。现在常常整晚都睁着眼睛，可白天老是打盹儿。” "..." “他夜里两次把我摇醒，说有怪人在房子周围游荡。还很认真地问我，听到脚步声了吧？可是我根本就没有听到脚步声。”他妻子担心地说道。 濑川仔细观察着竹内的表现。竹内在和服袖兜里不停地摸索，像是要掏出香烟。其实什么都没有，他却还是不停地摸索。 竹内也受到了擅离职守的责任处分。 濑川曾经找天野首席检察官商量过。“免职处分还是暂缓为好！”首席检察官似乎也认为处罚不宜过分张扬。竹内不是事务官而是事务员。处分事务官一般要向最高检察长呈报，但事务员可以由首席检察官斟酌决定。 “事务员的处分交给你来办吧！”天野首席检察官说道。 濑川考虑给他减薪三个月的处分。今天来此也是想观察一下竹内的病情，如果他能上班，最近就向他宣布处分。然而，竹内看样子还远远达不到可以上班的状态。看来竹内受到的打击非常严重，这样下去恐怕要变成废人了。 “哎，竹内君，”濑川用明快的语调问道。“那天晚上，你在宝屋酒馆喝酒的时候，跟船员模样的男自吵了架，对吧？后来就跑出门外了吧？” “是啊！”竹内呆呆地说道。 “当时，平田君是不是在你之前出了酒馆？”濑川用聊天的口气问道。 “啊……记不清了。” “记不清了？奇怪啊！你以前说过平田君留在后面了……” “……”竹内歪着脑袋。但是，表情并不像是在努力回忆。 “哎，检察官问你呢！好好想想呀！”妻子在旁边插嘴。 “是啊……”竹内不情愿地嘟囔着。“这么说，平田君也许就是在我之前出了酒馆啊！” “是他先出去的吗？”濑川不慌不忙地问道。 “是啊。我也有这种感觉。我跟船员模样的家伙吵架的时候平田也不劝阻，我就生气了。仔细想想，他当时也许已经不在那里了。”竹内呆呆地说道。 Yeah?Is that really the case?宝屋酒馆老板娘对这一点也说了假话。 “你说你后来逃离酒馆，又跑进了酒吧，对吧？那是不是门口有人叫你进去的？” “哎，你好好想想嘛！”妻子抓住了竹内的手臂。 “是啊……”竹内隔着袖子嗤嗤地挠着胳膊。“这么说来，感觉好像就是这样的。” “竹内，你好好想想！”濑川希望竹内准确地回忆当时的情况。“实际上你并不是闯进了那家酒吧，而是被女子拉进去的，对吧？” “反正我醉了，实在想不起来。你这样一说，我也觉得自己不可能突然闯进陌生酒吧，那就是被人拉进去的。” “这事儿你记不清了吗？是不是那个女子来到你身边，叫你进了那家酒吧？” “是啊……”竹内耷拉着脑袋，像是在回忆。“逃出酒馆后又坐在酒吧里，这中间发生了什么，我没有印象了。但是，这样说来，好像就是有个女子站在那里向我说了些什么。” “有个女子站在街上，是吗？” "I think so." “大概是在什么位置？” “没有走多远，好像离杂烩餐馆很近。位置记不清了。” “可是市区也不太大，所以方向总该知道吧？是杂烩餐馆向北呢？还是半路拐弯了？哎，你记不记得了？” “这实在是……”竹内放弃了努力。 “是吗？”濑川沉默了。 “对不起，检察官先生，他糊涂了，实在抱歉。”竹内的妻子低头行礼。 “是啊是啊，喝醉之后的事情谁都记不清。特别是因为那件事受到了打击，也会丧失记忆的。” 濑川转到了别的话题。“你说你看到的那四个女子，已经不记得长相了，对吗？” "yes!" “不过，其中是不是有一个二十四五岁的长脸……对了，下巴有点儿翘的女子？” “是啊……”竹内不安地扭动身体，对新的难题流露出困惑神情。 “该怎么描述呢？哦，就像'花王'香皂标签上的模特。” 听濑川说那个女子长脸，与花王香皂的月牙形标签相似，竹内又挠挠胳膊歪着脑袋思索。他使劲地回忆濑川描述的那个女子。 “是啊……”竹内抬起了表情呆滞的脸。“我觉得好像有过这样的女子。” “哎，你要挺住啊！这事儿非同小可。真的有个长脸的女子吗？” “当时的情况我都忘记了，不过听检察官先生一说，我也觉得确实见过。” “那是在酒吧里吗？还是在去小洲旅馆的时候？” “更早的时候。” “更早的时候？” “是的。我看到时，是只有她一个人的时候。” “那么，你第一次看到她不是在四个人当中，而是在她独自一人的时候？你不是自己突然闯进那家酒吧，而是被站在外面的她拉进去的，对吗？” “是啊……”竹内左右地歪了两三下脑袋。“是啊，我觉得好像是这样。” “哎，再加把劲儿！既然你有这样的模糊印象，可能还记得在什么地方见过她。再加把劲儿！” “哎，你想不起来了吗？”妻子捅捅竹内的肩膀。 “好了，夫人，您最好不要插话。”濑川阻止竹内的妻子并取出了香烟。 无论怎么开导，竹内仍然处于丧失记忆状态。看来要想了解他这段时间的全部行动已经不可能了。不过，濑川很想确认，平田在码头上遇到的女子是否也曾在竹内面前出现过。他耐心地把香烟抽完了一半。 “检察官先生。”竹内抬起眼睛。 “哦，想起来了吗？” “我觉得渐渐明白过来了。我见到那个长下巴的女子不是在店里，好像是在外面。” “是吧？你说的'外面'是在哪一片？” “在那家酒吧门口。那个女子站在门口，把正在路过的我拉住，并带进酒吧里。” “那个女子跟你说了什么？” “嗯……请您进酒吧里坐坐吧什么的，我想也就是这类话。因为我害怕跟我吵架的那个家伙追来，就慌不择路地进了那家酒吧。” “确实是那个长下巴女子一个人站在外面等着你过来的，对吗？”濑川的推测得到了证实。 在宝屋酒馆，平田稍早一些离开，竹内随后出去。竹内在店里跟船员模样的男人吵了架有些害怕，但他并非是在半路上闯进了陌生的酒吧，而是被长下巴女人招呼进去的。竹内的话经过整理就是这样。 接下来就是酒吧的所在地。关于这一点，竹内抱着脑袋说怎么都想不起来了。 要不是竹内病重，濑川就想带他再次去夜晚的酒吧“实地验证”。但是在这种情况下，很难当着他妻子的面说出来。而且他觉得那样做也不会有什么效果，所以就放弃了。以后还有机会。 另一点是确认挑衅竹内的“船员模样的男人”，那可能是竹内的错觉，不会出现这种人。濑川还有其他的线索。 “谢谢你！”濑川站起身来。“请多保重！” 竹内缓缓地低头行礼。 “检察官先生，能让我丈夫多休息几天吗？”妻子在旁边担心地问道。 “啊，当然可以。好好养着吧！”濑川很难向竹内夫妇宣布减薪三个月的决定。 经过四铺半席的房间走到门厅，旁边就是卫生间，散发出臭气来。濑川穿鞋的时候，竹内的妻子和女儿跪坐在狭窄的木地板门厅里，后面站着孤立无援的竹内。 “那好，你多多保重！” 濑川逃跑似地离开竹内家，外面已经黑下来了。走过样式雷同的小院门口，都能听到电视机的音响。 回到机关宿舍，坐在阿婆做好的饭菜前面，濑川感到饿极了。正要吃饭，只听有人打招呼说在家吗，门厅被人打开。 濑川知道是今天派去八幡滨的田村事务官，就去了门厅。“你辛苦了！来吧，进屋。” 田村事务官道一声打扰，就脱了鞋向客厅走去。濑川跟着忙不迭地一个接一个地开灯。 “检察官先生一个人过也很不容易啊！”田村并拢双膝望着手忙脚乱的濑川。 “不，习惯了也挺轻松的，还行……”答复东京那边的亲事掠过脑海。“免去客套，快说说情况吧！” “好的。”田村从衣袋里掏出笔记本。“我调查了八幡滨电影院老板尾形巳之吉的弹子游戏厅。两家铺面一家在站前大街，一家在隔了五六条街的巷子里。站前的那家约有三十个店员。其中包括女服务员、维修员……”田村事务官继续报告。“站前的那家店有男女店员约三十人，但人员流动很大，男的女的都很难固定下来。” "Ok." “长期的坚持两年，一般的五六个月后就不干了。我记下了去年辞职的名单，有些连名字都不知道。” 田村打开笔记本中夹着的一页信纸。仔细看看，上面写着十四五个男女的名字。“你是从哪儿调查到的？” “开始是一个一个地问店员，根本问不清楚。后来我就找经理打听了。” “你说你是地检厅的人了？” “我没说是地检厅的，借警察的名义说问问情况当作参考。” 濑川觉得这种做法太笨了，应该尽量避免这样询问。但是人员流动太大了，无法完成详细调查。这里也体现出为数众多的刑警与孤身一人的检察事务官相比大有不同。 “再说另一家铺面的情况。这边人少，相当于那边的一半，十五六个。人员流动也跟那边一样频繁。我找到一位老店员，记下了过去一年中辞职的人。当然，也把两家的在职人员记下了。不在职的人名上面打了叉。” 濑川顿时泄了气。这不是彻底暴露了自己的意图吗？但尽管如此，责任却在自己身上。这种应该从长计议，仔细调查。 “你有没有注意到那两家店中有个长下巴的……对了，有点像花王香皂标签那样的女孩？” “这……”田村在思索。“店里当班的女孩中没有。不过，那种店里有的人躲在机子后面，常常遭到客人喝斥才从上面探出头来，所以看不太清楚。” “你见到的领班是个什么样的男人？” “他是个寸头，稍胖、矮个子。” “哎，他是不是有二十四五岁？”濑川兴奋起来。 "yes." “和服……”濑川没往下说。他觉得在店里不可能穿那么华丽的和服，系着蜡染的腰带。“不，他穿什么样的衣服？” “毛衣和长裤。那也是个做黑帮生意的，说起话来跟黑帮一模一样。” 上午九点钟，濑川来到检察厅，吉野事务官立刻走了过来。 “检察官先生，昨天我去宝屋酒馆调查那事。回来一看，检察官先生出去了，所以今早来报告。”吉野精神焕发地说道。 “啊，我去探望竹内君了。” “竹内君怎么样了？病情？”吉野目光炯炯。 “嗯。”濑川喝了一口女事务员端来的茶水，轻言轻语。“稍微有点儿神经衰弱。还需要休息几天。” “是吗？火灾对他打击很大啊！”他很稀奇地发出了感慨。吉野也了解竹内古板的性格。 向竹内宣布减薪处分决定，是濑川心头的沉重负担。“怎么样？宝屋那边？” “对对，是这样……”吉野露出白牙。“那边好像没有黑帮的背景。” “啊？真的吗？”濑川看看吉野的红脸膛。 “是的。老板娘叫山川妙子。我先从外围调查，发现不光是宝屋酒馆，那一带的酒馆都没有那种背景。我最后找到老板娘，她彻底否认说没有那种事。” “她跟增田帮没有联系吗？” “没有联系。恐怕他们找那种不赚钱的小酒馆也没什么意思。” 濑川感到非常意外。因为他认定宝屋酒馆老板娘在撒谎，必定是受了增田帮的胁迫。他不死心，甚至怀疑吉野调查得不够彻底。 如果没有外部压力，那个叫山川妙子的宝屋酒馆老板娘为什么要撒谎呢？ “哎，那个老板娘什么性格？” “哦，她是个寡妇，三年前丈夫死了。有一个上高中二年级的男孩。据说除了那家酒馆，还租了一座小房子。平田君生前经常跟这里的事务员们去喝几杯。这个女人像男人一样爽快。那样的性格，肯定会拒绝黑帮介入。”吉野对自己的报告很有信心。 这算怎么回事呢？如果宝屋酒馆老板娘说的是真话，那么竹内说受到船员模样的人威胁就是假话了。这些话是竹内的胡言乱语吗？ 吉野事务官离开后，濑川独自思考片刻。这简直是莫名其妙！ 本以为把喝醉酒的竹内带到小洲的四个女子实际上不是酒吧女招待，而是尾形巳之吉经营的电影院或弹子游戏厅的女店员。但是根据田村去八幡滨的调查，并没有抓到证据。推断宝屋酒馆老板娘隐瞒实情是黑帮施压所致，然而吉野事务官报告中却毫无此种迹象。濑川感到自己的推测一步一步越走越远。 但是，如果那三个女子与带竹内去小洲旅馆的女子无关的话，那么追究尾形这条线索就徒劳无益。因为这样的材料不成其为材料。也许把松山机场那三个女子硬跟这四个女子联系本身就是个错误。 这一天，濑川必须讯问警方带来的两名嫌疑人，又要审阅另外五宗案件的记录，还要整理另外两宗案件的起诉书。 检察官公务繁忙，稍微有所疏忽，就会陷入被动境地。而且他还跑了两趟松山。即便如此，每晚还得把案情材料带回宿舍审阅。就连生病都无法做到。 濑川展开警署搜查员记录的审讯报告，眼睛扫描文字，嘴里吃着猪排盖饭。这时阿婆送来两封信，虽然写着宿舍的地址，却是阿婆从里面送过来的。 一封是母亲从东京寄来的，另一封的背面是娟秀的字迹——东京都练马区关町一丁目××番地大贺冴子。 大贺冴子——可能是大贺律师的家属。不知是他妻子还是他女儿。大贺本人没有来信，却是家属来信，濑川心中产生了某种预感，扔下筷子先剪开