Chapter 5 find out

1 It was almost eleven o'clock when Minegishi left the bed, but he still felt groggy. It wasn't that he was drowsy, but that he didn't get enough sleep.He hadn't been able to sleep last night, so he had a glass of whiskey towards dawn. He sat cross-legged on the cushion, staring blankly at the sky.In the haze, he vaguely remembered that he had a few dreams.There is no context to follow, and the inexplicable images are pieced together into dreams one by one.There is also a picture of himself jumping and flying, and the discomfort at the moment seems to come from this. Enough is enough - he whispered so.Dreaming of jumping and flying is a very painful thing.

※※※ Minegishi in high school was known as "Otaru Odd Boy".He won the championship every time he played, and has won the championship many times.Facing his opponent who is also a high school student, he is confident that no one can match him.He also said to his friends and competitors that even if he joins the Japanese team now, he will not perform too badly. In the third year of high school, many people began to come to poach roles, all of which were well-known corporate teams.Minegishi hesitated for a long time, and finally decided to join Hara Industry.This is a team that has been in operation for many years and has produced many well-known players in the past.What attracted him the most was that the team was coached by Fujimura.Because he has long heard that Fujimura is the best coach.

After joining the corporate group, the first thing he tasted was the rigor of the Japanese national team.The difference in the amount of practice and the intensity of competition between teenagers and adults cannot be compared at all. The pressure during the game is also much higher, and there are many intrigues. In a certain competition, when Minegishi completed the first jump, he temporarily took the lead for the first time.He was pretty excited about that alone, but as he waited for his second jump, the other senior ski jumpers took turns to chat with him. "Hey, you are too hardworking." Someone said to him with a smile, and someone told him: "I hope you can jump more than 85 meters in the second jump. If you do this, you will definitely win the championship." Let him care especially This specific number.A senior even patted him on the shoulder and said to him clearly: "This is the first time you have won the championship, right?"

Their purpose is to cause him pressure.This is a world that pursues victory and defeat, so it is natural, but Minegishi was not used to this kind of intrigue at the time.What affected him the most was someone talking nonchalantly behind him: "The wind blowing from the right seems to have increased." For Minegishi, who is used to bending to the left, the wind blowing from the right is his cover.As a result, he failed the second jump because he was too concerned about the direction of the wind and tried too hard.In fact, there was no wind at all to the right.Those people talking behind him were just a ploy to make him nervous.

After learning several lessons, Minegishi has been able to win several championships in one season.And when he was twenty-three years old, that is, the fifth year after graduating from high school, he reached the peak.He won the national competition in Japan and also performed well in the World Cup. I want to maintain my strength so that I can participate in the next Olympics──this is Minegishi's only wish. At this moment, his body encountered an unexpected accident. It was a ninety-meter race.Before today's game, he has been in excellent condition.He thought to himself that if this situation can be maintained, it is possible to win today.

Then he made his first jump... When he came down the help slope, everything felt perfect, his posture was more stable than usual, the soles of his feet firmly grasped the snow. He accelerated taxiing and entered the jump runway.Then he jumped hard.The angle and timing should all be perfectly controlled... Why he did that at the time, Minegishi still doesn't understand.But watching the replay of the video tape, that is indeed an indisputable fact. What should have been a perfect jump, but he tucked his feet back after the leap.Obviously, in this way, he will be unable to bear the lift force at all, and finally he will fall to the ground headlong.

He fell.At the same time, I felt a sharp pain in my lower body, and my consciousness faded away.Someone rushed towards him, calling out, "Hey, are you okay?" But it sounded like it was coming from outside the wall. The injury he suffered was a complex fracture of the left knee joint. "You danced so perfectly." Fujimura whispered, gazing at the scenery outside the hospital window.The sound is fairly smooth. "Because the jump is so perfect that there is no wind resistance to the front and rear of the body, it creates an uneasy feeling like being in a vacuum. If a ski jumper can't feel the wind, he will feel fear instead. Knowing that shrinking his feet at this time will cause Counterproductive, but it's an instinct to act like that, right?"

Minegishi sat up on the bed and looked at the white wall in the room.He listened to Fujimura's explanation in a daze, but he had no memory of what he did under what thought.Because the moment he jumped off the platform, his mind went blank. Fujimura turned around and looked into his eyes quietly.Then he said firmly: "You have to overcome that fear. That's how you become invincible." "Can I still fly?" Minegishi asked, pointing to the plaster. "Of course. Even birds can change their feathers." Fujimura replied with certainty. Then, as Fujimura said, a year later, Minegishi stood on the diving platform again.At first he struggled with the fears of this blank period, but he soon passed the period and the old feelings came back.

However, he was never able to recover his previous achievements.The feeling is obviously the same, but the landing point is much shorter than expected. "Your muscle strength and explosive power have been restored." Fujimura said. "In short, your feelings are messed up. The first thing to do is to recognize this." It feels like the property of a ski jumper.Whether you have a good feeling is enough to determine the level of a player's skills. Minegishi practiced silently over and over again.Listen to the advice of well-known players and re-watch videos of your past peaks.He wanted to find out what was wrong with him.

※※※ While he was suffering for this, young players emerged in large numbers.They are like Minegishi in the past, showing a fearless jumping heroic posture.Once upon a time, the order in which Minegishi played in the game was already at the top.This means that his ranking has dropped all the way down. Minegishi was in this state when Akira Yui joined Hara Kogyo after graduating from high school. Minegishi understood Yujing's strength very well, but after practicing with him, he received a new shock. What impressed him the most was when Yujing won the championship for the first time.It was a competition held by the TV station in Okangshan, and it felt that the audience came more than usual.

In the first jump, Yujing jumped the longest distance and temporarily ranked first.However, due to the good weather conditions today, the runner-up temporarily followed closely behind with only a slight gap.After the first jump, everyone thought that the outcome was uncertain.The players in the leading group will of course put pressure on Yujing at this time.At times like this, however, their plot simply doesn't work. After the first jump, the competitors go into the waxing room to wax the skis for the second jump.Yujing had been yelling happily ever since she entered the waxing room. "I lead, lead yeah. My first win." His voice was harsh.Minegishi reminded him to be quiet, but he still smiled at Mimi. "Brother, are you so happy?" A senior player whispered. "Ski jumping is a two-way showdown. It's unclear what will happen. You might fall, too." Then he turned his head to the contestant beside him and said, "Isn't it?"The contestant also looked at Yujing with a malicious smile. But Yujing noodles do not change color.After listening to the senior player's words, he nodded his head heavily and said with a cheerful smile: "That's right, I don't know what will happen. It is also possible that everyone will fall during the game except me." It was the face of the senior player who changed drastically. ※※※ After standing on the platform, there were many noises coming to Yujing.But he didn't care at all.People wanted him to pay attention to winning and put pressure on him, but from the beginning he was convinced that he would win the championship, so it didn't work at all.As a result, he won a landslide victory.Seeing his attitude, the other defeated players gritted their teeth with hatred, but they still had nothing to do with him. "That guy is more treacherous than expected." The senior player who failed in the second jump whispered in Minegishi's ear. That afternoon, the game was broadcast on TV, so Minegishi watched it with Yui and Fujimura in the room.For the first time, I jumped over Yujing at point K, clapped my hands, and slid down the slope to help.When he stopped at the speed bump, he turned sideways to the screen and made a victory sign with both hands.Who is he comparing to?Just when Minegishi was wondering, Yujing beside him laughed out loud. "Ah, that's bad. Is the TV camera shooting me?" It seemed that he was making a victory gesture to the audience. After dinner that night, Yujing ordered a cake.After placing the fruitcake on the table, he took something out of his pocket and stuck it on top of the cake.It turned out to be a spiral candle.He lit the candle, sang an inexplicable song, blew out the candle, and ate the cake with a happy face. "It's a celebration of winning," he said. Seeing Yujing put the fork into his mouth, Minegishi thought, he is not treacherous, it's just that his nerve structure is different from ordinary people.Minegishi not only noticed his spiritual aspect, but also saw his genius in his jumping technique.Especially the speed at which he made the flying posture, which always surprised him. ※※※ A thought popped into Minegishi's mind. It was the last decision he made during his ski jumping career. ※※※ Suddenly regaining consciousness, Minegishi has arrived at the fitness training hall. This fitness training hall is specially built by the Grand Hotel for the training of various athletes.It's located on the first floor of the annex, right next to the room where Minegishi and the others stayed. Minegishi sat on the weightlifting bench and sighed. ──Why did you think of such a thing? He thought of the determination he had made at that time, and slowly shook his head.In the end, his "idea" at the time was simply a mistake.That's just a phantom. Minegishi put his hand to his forehead, then touched his face, he felt a little headache.It was as if someone was pushing his stomach upwards, and he even felt a little nauseous. His hand touching his face stopped suddenly, and his attention shifted to what he saw between his fingers.It was the window of Minegishi's room.Although the curtains were drawn but not closed tightly, the room could be seen through the gap. Minegishi stood up and walked to the window.In order to prevent theft, there are panes on the windows.He peered into the room through the pane.You can clearly see the kotatsu in the room. ※※※ His first thought was last Thursday night. He locked the door, sat down at the kotatsu, and took out the things he had prepared from his handbag.One was a bottle containing aconitine, and the other was a vitamin capsule stolen from Yujing. The thing to do is simple.Just replace the medicine in the capsule with aconitine.However, it is highly poisonous and should not be handled carelessly.He put on the rubber gloves prepared in advance, put on a mask, and put the poison into the capsule with an ear stick. After making several highly poisonous capsules, he ended the job.Then put the newspapers, rubber gloves, masks, and ear sticks that were spread on the kotatsu into plastic bags and stuff them into the handbag. Then he put a poisonous capsule into a small plastic bag and put it in his pocket.The rest of the poisonous capsules were mixed with the vitamin capsules and put into the medicine bag after confirming the quantity.It happened that at this time, it seemed that Yujing had just received two weeks' worth of vitamins, which was quite a lot. The medicine bag is also put in the pocket of the clothes. As for the crucial bottle of aconitine... ※※※ Minegishi walked to the exercise bike, loosened the screw that fixed the height of the seat cushion, and pulled it up together with the seat tube.The center of the seat tube is hollow.Now seal with tape. Peel off the tape, and you can see a plastic bag stuffed inside.Minegishi reached in and took it out. It contains extra capsules and a tiny bottle.The white powder in the bottle is aconitine. Minegishi stared at the bottle containing the poison. Although it was only the size of a handful, it was enough to kill a few more people. However, now he only needs to kill one more person.Kill the other party, and then pretend to be suicide.Disguise the other party as the murderer of Yujing and kill him with poison. Until then, he cannot drop the poison. He was about to put the poison back into the tube when he stopped abruptly.Because in order to prevent the opening of the plastic bag from opening, he specially tied it with a rubber band, but he felt that the way of tying it was a bit suspicious. Just to be on the safe side, he undid the rubber band and checked, to his astonishment. There were obvious signs of being touched inside.It felt like someone took the bottle out of the plastic bag and put it back. His fingers trembled. ──Who would check this kind of place? At this moment, a thought flashed in Minegishi's mind, he must have been bumped into while hiding poison, right?You can see the inside of the training hall from the window in the next room.But he should have paid full attention for four weeks when he was hiding the poison. Minegishi stuffed the plastic bag containing the bottle into the seat tube, restoring the saddle to its original shape.Then he stepped on the cushion and stepped on the pedal.At first nothing changed.But after stepping hard a few times, there was a slight rattling sound. He spit secretly, left the cushion, removed the cushion again, and took out the plastic bag. ──It happened like this! I am so ashamed. Maybe someone noticed a strange noise during cycling training and removed the seat cushion.Then found this plastic bag. "It turned out to be like this!" He made a sound this time, muttering to himself repeatedly.If anyone finds this vial of poison... ※※※ When he stood there blankly, he found the counter staff of the hotel coming from outside.The entrance and exit of this training hall is a glass door. "Mr. Minegishi, so you are here." The counter staff looked relieved. "What's the matter?" Minegishi asked.His palms were sweating, and he reached out to wipe the sides of his trousers.Put the plastic bag in your pocket. "The police are here." "Police? Don't the criminal police come every day?" "No, it's like this..." The counter staff didn't seem to understand it, and said with a sideways head: "They said they need to find you, so they must see you." "Hmm..." Minegishi swallowed and made a loud noise, which made him worry whether even the counter staff heard it. "They're waiting for you in the restaurant." But the counter staff showed little interest in the change in his expression. "I'll go right away." After the counter staff left, Minegishi looked around the training hall.His eyes stopped on the weight bench.He lifted the bench and removed the non-slip spacer from one of the feet.This foot is also made of iron pipe.He hid the plastic bag inside. After processing, he walked away.Feel your feet shaking. ──Now is not the time to dwell on memories. He wanted to swallow again, but his mouth was extremely thirsty. 2 "I just want to make a confirmation. There is no special meaning. The search has not progressed, so I want to go back to the original point and confirm some things. I just want to check to see if there is any negligence in the link. After all, the police are considered public agencies. You just Just think about it that way." Su Chuan explained the reason smoothly, and they sat in the "Lilac" restaurant.Sitting opposite Sakuma and Sukawa was Minegishi, the instructor of Hara Kogyo. They asked Minegishi to describe where he was on the day of the incident again, and Minegishi showed a surprised expression. "Is there no progress in the search?" Minegishi asked. "It's not going well." Su Chuan stretched out his palm and patted the back of his head twice with an exaggerated movement. "Because the scope is very small, I thought that if it went smoothly, the case would be almost solved now. I'm really sorry that it didn't meet your expectations." "In order to solve the case as soon as possible, we still need your full assistance." Sakuma added this sentence.Su Chuan nodded.Minegishi frowned slightly and coughed a few times. "I really want to help, but the answer to where I was that morning is the same as I told you before. After I finished my breakfast, I went to the room of Mr. Tabata of Himuro Kosan and played chess with him. After that, I ate Lunch." "Have you two been together?" Sakuma asked. "Together. We've been playing shogi, and Mr. Tabata loves shogi." "Who wins?" "I lost two games in a row. Because Mr. Tabata was in good condition at the time." Sakuma glanced at Sukawa.His expression didn't change, but he should have discovered something suspicious. Before coming here today, they went to Miyanomori's ski jumping resort and asked Tabata some questions.Ask him nonchalantly if he was with Minegishi that morning.Tabata's answer was very clear, saying that they even went to the toilet together.However, when asked about the outcome of the chess game, Tabata mentioned a slightly concerning thing. "We played two sets at the time, and I won both sets. To be honest, this situation is very rare. Because I usually lose six sets out of ten sets. The reason why I won the second set was that Minegishi was too negligent. I did. I thought I was going to lose, but it seems that he made a mistake." Sakuma regarded this testimony as an important clue.Minegishi had committed a negligence unlike his own, perhaps because of some unfocused reason.And Minegishi did not say that he lost due to negligence, but said that the opponent was in good condition.There may be something strange in this. "I heard that day was a rest day for the training camp. Do you often play chess on the morning of the rest day?" Su Chuan asked. "It's not often, but if I have nothing to do, I will play chess with Mr. Tabata." "So, Mr. Tabata invited you to play chess that day too?" According to Tianbata, the person who took the initiative to invite you to play chess seems to be Minegishi.Sakuma waited for his answer. After thinking for a while, Minegishi replied: "No, I was the one who took the initiative to invite. Because I suddenly wanted to play chess, and Mr. Tabata has never refused other people's invitations." "It does look like this. It should be convenient to have such a person, right?" After Suchuan finished speaking, Minegishi showed a strange expression after a while. "Because I'm a man with no other entertainment," he said. "Really? This job is really hard. I heard that I almost live in a hotel for the whole season." "yes." "Mr. Minegishi, I heard that your hometown is in Otaru. It's not convenient to go home, right?" "Yeah... I haven't been home recently." After speaking, Minegishi cast his eyes diagonally downward.Sakuma noticed that he was flustered at this moment, but it might be because he was thinking too much. Afterwards, Sukawa asked Minegishi again about what happened when Yujing passed out, which was consistent with his previous statement and also with other people's confessions.Su Chuan thanked Minegishi, stood up, and said before leaving: "Ah, that's right. I found the dead body of a wild dog in the parking lot yesterday. I heard that the dog was called Ono, do you know?" "Ono? Oh, by the way, someone seemed to be talking about it last night. What's wrong?" "Nothing, just something suspicious. We did an autopsy." "Oh..." There was no particular change in Minegishi's expression. "As a result, a toxic reaction was detected from its body, which was the same as the poison taken by contestant Yujing." "Huh?" Minegishi opened his eyes wide. "Is this...really?" "It's true. That's why we thought, you might have some clues?" Sukawa said, and Sakuma watched Minegishi's reaction carefully.Minegishi opened his mouth slightly, and his eyes rolled rapidly. "No, I don't have any clue. Why did that dog... Is it really the same poison that Yujing took?" "There will be nothing wrong." Su Chuan asserted. Minegishi shook his head as if wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "What the hell is going on? I really don't know..." "Really? If you think of anything, please contact us again." Sukawa and Sakuma bowed again, bid farewell to Minegishi, and walked out of the hotel. ※※※ "I really don't understand." After getting into the car, Su Chuan whispered. "Did you see his face when he asked about the dog being poisoned? He looked genuinely surprised." "I feel the same way. If he poisoned the dog, he should have looked a little flustered when he heard the dog was dissected. But his expression hardly changed at that time. Or is he a superb actor?" "He doesn't look like a very emotionally suppressed person. Another thing that is really confusing is his actions on the day of the murder." "It's really confusing. Minegishi has a perfect alibi. He shouldn't have time to drop the medicine bag." "Tabata may also be an accomplice, but it seems that this is not possible at present." "However, Minegishi does have a sense of crime. It is a bad day, but he chooses to invite Tabata to play chess on that day. This is really suspicious. Moreover, when he played chess that day, he made a lot of mistakes very rarely. The testimonies are also compelling." "If he is the murderer, the fact that he took the initiative to invite Tian Duan to play chess can be regarded as deliberately creating an alibi at that time. We originally thought that the time when the medicine bag was dropped was from after breakfast to before lunch. It seems that the inference was wrong. However, Yujing handed over the medicine package to the waitress during breakfast. And he died after taking the medicine after lunch..." Su Chuan sat in the front seat, groaning in a low voice. "The medicine was poisonous from the very beginning, so it should be impossible." The investigators have gone to Shitian Hospital, where Yujing received the medicine, to investigate.According to the results of the investigation, it was impossible for other third parties to have the opportunity to touch the medicine package before handing it over to Yujing, and it was impossible for the hospital to join forces to poison Yujing. "Is the content of that letter true?" Su Chuan said, and Sakuma happened to be thinking about that letter. The person who killed Yu Jingming was Minegishi, the instructor of the former industrial ski team. Who the hell sent that letter? There is no way of knowing this matter, and they decided to investigate Mine Kishi first.I confirmed Minegishi's alibi again, but because of Minegishi's gray and misty feeling, people are more concerned about the identity of the sender. "Why use the method of informant?" Sakuma asked the question in his heart. "Probably because I am afraid that my name will be exposed. No matter what form I use, if I betray my companions to the police, I will always feel embarrassed in the future." It is currently speculated that the sender should be related to ski jumping.The other searchers should have been quietly investigating, to see if anyone had written a letter recently, or who had been near the mailbox yesterday.As for the stationery and envelopes used in the whistleblowing letter, I also asked each stationery store one by one. "If this is the case, wouldn't it be good to just persuade Minegishi to surrender? For Minegishi, this is also better." "Maybe the friendship is not that good, or he may be a very indifferent person." "There is another doubtful point. Why didn't the letter clearly state the murderer's method of poisoning? If he did, it should be easier to solve the case." "About this, I'm also very dissatisfied." Su Chuan patted his knee. "There are two possibilities for this. One, the person who wrote the letter is talking nonsense. He has no basis, he just suspects Minegishi. Or he wants to frame Minegishi." "It's possible." Su Chuan nodded.Some people who searched the headquarters also raised opinions, thinking that this may be a prank done by people who hate Minegishi, or that the informer is the real murderer. "Another possibility is that the writer of the letter did know that the murderer was Minegishi. But he didn't know how Minegishi dropped the medicine bag, so he wrote such a letter." "Why does he know that Minegishi is the murderer?" "Perhaps by chance, I learned of Minegishi's killing intent. For example, I witnessed the process of him possessing poison." "Sightings? If so, no reason is needed." ※※※ After returning to the search headquarters, the two reported to the Kono Police Department.Kono looked sullen. "There is no motive, and there is an alibi, why does a person like this call him a murderer?" He couldn't hide his anxiety. "Can't find his motive for killing?" Su Chuan asked. "I can't find it. From the time he knew that Yujing was killed, he started a detailed investigation of Minegishi. He should have no reason to kill Yujing. Rather, the person who suffers the most from Yujing's death is Mine shore." "Have you found anything about the sender?" Sakuma asked, and Kono was obviously displeased. "There are no fingerprints left on it. Although the manufacturer of the envelope and letter paper has been found out, it is of no use at all. I really hope that person will not be so indolent, just come here and say no to us." Nai, it seems that it is also aimed at the sender. "Assume that Minegishi is the murderer," Sukawa said, tapping his temple with the middle finger of his right hand. "How did he get the poison? It ain't everywhere." "Regarding this, I have sent someone to investigate. If there are people around Minegishi who are related to the poison, things will be easy." "How's the result?" Facing Sukawa's question, Kono pouted his lower lip and shook his head. "Aconitine is a poison extracted from aconitum, which is used by the Ainu people for hunting. We have conducted investigations from people who study this field, and so far we have not found a connection with people related to ski jumping." Kono Handing out a booklet that was placed next to him, Saku indirectly opened it and read it, it was full of people's names. "This is borrowed from a research group formed by nearby Ainu researchers, and it is a list of their members." Almost all the names on the list have been ticked off with a signature pen.It should have been called to confirm whether there is any contact with the person related to the ski jump.At the end of the list, the names of two withdrawn members are written.They are Naoji Tachibana and Goro Yamamoto, both of whom have withdrawn from the membership due to their deaths, and there may be a majority of elderly people in the membership. "Is it possible to have a botanical garden?" Sakuma said. "In the botanical garden affiliated to the Agricultural College of Peking University, all kinds of aconites are planted. They may also make poisons." "When I learned that Yujing was taking aconitine, I went to the Agricultural College of Peking University to investigate. So far, there is no connection." "Can't he remove the poisonous part from the aconitum by himself?" Suchuan said. "It's very simple to take out the poisonous part, just cut off the root. But to separate aconitine, it's not something a layman can do." Kono directly refuted it. "I heard that aconitum is also used in traditional Chinese medicine." Sakuma said. "That's right." Kono opened his notepad. "It seems that traditional Chinese medicines such as Bawei Dihuang Wan and Zhenwu Decoction will be used to relieve pain and strengthen the heart. However, in this case, the isolated aconitine will not be used, so this possibility is very slim. Rather, people with a background in pharmacy are more likely to have this possibility. I heard that in pharmacological experiments, aconitine is used to cause arrhythmia.” "You have studied it thoroughly." Su Chuan teased. "It's because there is no progress at all." Kono's indifferent expression seemed to say—this is not funny at all. The investigators who inquired around Minegishi's apartment had returned.However, what the result is, can be seen from his expression. "The man who lives next door to Minegishi also works in Hara Industry. I heard that he is close to Minegishi, so I made a special trip to their company. But I couldn't find any useful information." The five-pointed criminal policeman said with regret. "People say that Minegishi is a strict and responsible person. No matter what he does, he will never be lazy and will take care of others. The man even gave me advice, saying that if I doubt What he said is simply finding the wrong partner, enough is enough." "What's the clue about the woman?" Kono asked. "Can't find anything. Minegishi doesn't seem to have any women around him, and he seems to be completely absorbed in his work on ski jumping." "Is that so..." Faced with this disappointing result, Kono scratched his cheek boredly. Some people suggested that there might have been a dispute between Minegishi and Yujing over Yuko Sugie, but after hearing the results of the investigation, Sakuma thought that it was as expected. "Although he is fully committed to ski jumping, he is no longer a competitor, so there will still be one or two love stories?" Su Chuan teased while sitting on the table, cutting his nails. "Let's not talk about the training period. If it's not during the training period, what is he doing? There is no training during the Chinese New Year, right? A man in his thirties stays in the apartment. Could it be that he is playing video games?" "I don't know if he usually plays video games, but I heard that he is not in the apartment during the Chinese New Year." "Then where will he go?" "Go back to his hometown. His hometown is in Otaru. I heard that he will go home for the New Year." "Well, I know his hometown is Otaru..." Su Chuan turned his head to look at Sakuma, and Sakuma also turned his head slightly in response, the two seemed to be thinking about the same thing. ※※※ When I talked with Minegishi just now, I mentioned something about his hometown.At that time, he said, "I haven't been home recently."If you go home during the Chinese New Year, you probably wouldn't say that.Or did he accidentally forget it? ──If he lied, why did he lie?Even if he goes back to his hometown during Chinese New Year, no one will think it strange. Is it really just forgotten? No, Sakuma thought to himself, he remembered Minegishi's expression when he said "I haven't been home recently".The moment he spoke, panic appeared on his face, what was he panicking about? ──Could it be... In Minegishi's consciousness, he tried his best not to let people know that he had returned to his hometown in Otaru?Was it this thought that made him lie involuntarily? ──If this is the case, this is why he concealed that he had ever returned to his hometown in Otaru. 3 In the afternoon, Minegishi went to the single dormitory in Yujing.Tomorrow, the funeral will be held at the assembly hall here, and he is here today to discuss funeral arrangements.When I came to the dormitory management room, I saw that Yujing's uncle had already arrived from Asahikawa.I've spoken to him on the phone before, but this is the first time we've met.The business card handed out by the other party had the words "Fumio Kusano" printed on it, as if he was running an electrical appliance store.He was short and thin, with a bad complexion.Appears to be about fifty-five years old, but may actually be younger. According to Kusano, he came to the dormitory last night and had a rough talk with the dormitory manager Shiraki. ※※※ "I wanted to go to greet everyone in the training camp, but I didn't have enough time, so..." Kusano said, slurring the end of the sentence.It should be his true words that he doesn't want to get into this trouble, Minegishi interpreted it in his heart. After the discussion, Shiraki served out instant coffee.Shiraki seems to be a kind person, and he almost takes care of some troublesome tasks with one hand.It is Bai Mu who proposes to gather the residents in the dormitory, and the person who will watch the spirit together tonight. "Yujing is a very interesting young man. Mimi always has a smile on his face at any time, and I have never seen him put on a straight face." Bai Mu squinted his eyes and said, but his face darkened immediately. "Who is a young man like him who is so cruel and commits such a murderous hand. There must be some reason for it." Regarding this, Kusano remained silent. After taking a sip of coffee, he said in a slightly heavy tone: "An optimistic and cheerful person may not necessarily attract people's resentment." "What do you mean...?" Bai Mu asked.Kusano stared into the distance. "That's what I heard from his mother," he began. "It should have happened when he was in the sixth grade. There was a classmate in his class who had to transfer schools, and he was going to emigrate abroad. On the day of saying goodbye to everyone, the whole class discussed how to bid farewell to the boy. They asked The boy had a wish, and he said he wanted to hold a sumo tournament. So the tournament was held in an elimination system. The teacher in the class whispered in advance what to do in order for the boy who was about to transfer to win the championship. .To put it simply, they asked them to release water. And let the boy win the first round without a fight. This sumo wrestling began..." Having said that, Kusano reached out to pick up the coffee cup again. "After a few rounds, the atmosphere became lively. Akira was also involved in a sumo wrestling. This kid has had extraordinary motor skills since then, and sumo wrestling is also quite good. As a result, he made it to the second round. , to the boy who is about to transfer." Listening to his description, Minegishi already understood the outcome of the story in his heart. "First, it's because the atmosphere at the scene was too lively. Second, it wouldn't be good if the boy won without a fight, right? In short, when Ming and the boy confronted each other, they completely forgot the teacher's orders. He tried his best Go all out and throw that boy out of the field. The real surprise is not the boy who got thrown, but the teacher and the other kids. Only Ming is happy that he won." "It's like something he would do." Bai Mu said with a soft expression. "Afterwards, the other kids said to Ming, you have to pretend you lost to him. Then Ming realized he screwed up, and he said 'ah, yeah' and scratched his head and smirked. He didn't talk about it. Take it to heart, I still won all the way afterwards. The protagonist lost in two or three strokes. Everyone didn't understand why this sumo tournament was held, but Ming was the only one who competed very vigorously. He didn't realize that everyone was interested in the competition. Already lost interest, happy because he won. Ming’s mother, my sister, was always telling me that the other parents in the class were always making fun of him.” "Yujing does have such a side." Minegishi said calmly. "That's right. Although I don't know what the mood of the boy who transferred from another school was, but in the end Ming became the protagonist of the sumo tournament." Minegishi thought, Yujing does have such a cruel side.He himself was completely innocent.一开始可能也想让这位即将离开的朋友高兴一下，但随着相扑比赛愈打愈热，他也只能全力以赴了。可能在他站上土俵时，完全没发现对方就是那名主角。他只是面对眼前的对手，全力比赛罢了。 峰岸想到，最近也发生过一件类似的事。 是两个月前，峰岸引退时的事。当时他曾透露，想再赢得一次优胜，结果榆井听了说：“你一定可以的。最近不是有几次跳出二、三名的成绩吗？” “那是很久以前的事了。最近我常连前十名都挤不进去。跳出第三名的成绩，也只有一次而已。况且，有你在根本就不可能赢得优胜。你的状况我最了解了。” 这时，榆井思索片刻后说道：“那就这么办吧。要是你第二次跳跃结束时，取得首位的成绩，而且除了我之外，没人赢得过你，那我就故意放水。这么一来，你就能赢得优胜了。” 峰岸苦笑着摇头。“不用了，你大可不必这么做。我可没那么想赢得优胜。况且，我也没办法取得第二名的成绩。” “没关系的。就这么说定了。”说完后，榆井立起小指要打勾勾。 之后经历了几场比赛，但峰岸果然状况不佳。不，说状况不佳并不正确。是已经达到极限，他自己心知肚明。 然而，就在那个赛季的最后一场比赛── 那是在长野县野泽温泉举办的比赛。峰岸满脑子只想着不要留下遗憾，全力以赴，结果表现出奇地好。第一跳和第二跳，他巧妙掌握风的流向，拉长了距离。滑雪跳跃比赛，是由裁判依据选手空中姿势加以评分的姿势分，再加上距离分，以此决定名次。关于姿势分，峰岸深具信心。 结束两次跳跃后，峰岸暂居领先。他后面还有十名选手要进行跳跃，最后一人是榆井。年轻的选手依序起跳，峰岸感受到前所未有的紧张，紧盯着他们飞行的样子。他们跳出逼近的距离，显示出逼近的得分。但待九人跳完后，他仍是居于领先地位。 榆井承诺的情况已经出现。 峰岸在底下看他跳跃，榆井应该也知道目前峰岸领先的事。 也许这次真的有机会，峰岸心想。 榆井滑下助滑坡，进入飞跃跑道，接着猛力一跃，身体在空中划出一道圆弧。 他划出的曲线又大又美，远胜之前任何一位选手。 榆井的第二跳，跳出最长距离。远远胜过峰岸，赢得优胜。榆井获胜时，双手高举过顶，不断拍手，一如平时。喜不自胜。 站上颁奖台时，峰岸对榆井说：“我好久没得亚军了。” 他心里想着，也许榆井会想起之前的承诺也说不定。但是榆井却面不改色地说：“所以我就说吧，你行的。” 峰岸微微一笑，向榆井伸手，榆井用力地回握。 峰岸感受着他的握力，心想“这样也好”。故意放水的承诺，是榆井自己单方面说的，所以这称不上甚么违背诺言。比赛就必须公正，这是最重要的原则。 不过，峰岸还是记得榆井曾经亲口说过的承诺。坦白说，正因为还记得，所以他一直很期待榆井会履行。 他心里觉得难堪。 相反的，榆井已压根儿忘了自己说过的话。当然了，他并非恶意。一站上跳台，他便全神贯注，脑中只想着如何飞得远。 峰岸心想，就得是像榆井这样的人，往后才有进步的空间。一位即将引退的选手，不管甚么小型的比赛都好，满心只想留下美好的回忆，如此感伤的想法，榆井完全没放在心上。 他早已抛诸脑后。 当天晚上，峰岸宣布引退。 ※※※ 步出宿舍后，峰岸拦了一辆计程车。坐进车内时，右眼余光看见某个东西一闪而过。他装作没发现，坐进车内，吩咐司机开往圆山饭店。他佯装调整姿势，转头望向身后，发现有辆白色轿车绕过转角，驶向马路。 果然在跟踪我。 这是为甚么呢──峰岸暗忖。 今天早上也有两名刑警来调查我的不在场证明。虽然他们说只是作个确认，但事实恐怕不是如此。难道他们已握有甚么线索，怀疑我是凶手？ 不，不可能，峰岸马上改变念头。警方应该拿不出任何证据才对。他们应该还没发现我杀害榆井的动机。 probably is…… 峰岸想到那封信，叫他去自首的那封信。写信的人终于向警方告密了是吗？ 但那个人是在星期二那天写信要他自首，今天也才星期四。未免也太猴急了吧。 算了，不管它──峰岸心想。警方还没掌握任何证据，他们还专程来问我当天的不在场证明，这表示我还不必担心。 总之，我得赶快找出写那封神秘信函的人。视情况需要，可能得…… 倘若光靠推理就能看出凶手，到底会是甚么样的一种推理呢？一般来说，若是光靠推理，有不在场证明的峰岸应该会被排除在嫌疑人之外才对。 只有两个可能性。一是他们知道研究不在场证明，没有任何意义，二是他们已握有某个有力证据。若是前者，那表示写那封信的人已清楚掌握他的作案手法。如果是这样，他是如何看出玄机的呢？ 峰岸相信自己的行动应该没有任何疏失才对。 照目前的情况来看，峰岸认为后者的可能性比较高。写那封信的人或许握有甚么证据。藏在训练馆健身车内的毒药，一直令峰岸挂怀。某人已发现那包毒药，这是可以确定的事。那么，这个“某人”连藏这包毒药的人是峰岸也知道吗？ 如果知道这件事，对方理应马上便会明白杀害榆井的人是峰岸。这么一来，此人很可能就是写那封信的人。 另一方面，如果有人偶然发现那包毒药，但不知道藏匿它的人是峰岸，便不会发现他就是凶手。但若是这种情况，为甚么对方至今仍未将发现毒药的事通报警方，令峰岸百思不解。 不管怎样，找出发现那包毒药的人，是当务之急。峰岸已有线索，那就是星期六晚上待在训练馆的人。 那个人碰巧发现了毒药，并测试它的药效。 用在那只野狗身上…… 4 北东大学的有吉前来的时候，泽村还在餐厅吃晚餐。有吉举起手，向他打招呼，就此与他迎面而坐。 “翔的情况怎样？”有吉劈头便问道。 “还是老样子。这样下去，下次比赛我肯定赢不了他。”泽村以叉子卷起义大利面，以不太高兴的口吻说道。 “看你好像很自暴自弃呢。” “也不是啦，我只是觉得，用正规的方法，根本赢不了他。” "How do you say that?" “我也不知道怎么说才好。总之，他一定做了些甚么。这是我得到的结论。可是我却甚么也没做。” “嗯。”有吉拍打着自己的后颈。“你的直觉可能是没有错的哦。等你吃完饭之后，有没有时间呢？” “有啊。不过指导员和教练好像都聚在三好先生的房间里。” “你一个人来就行了，我们在房间里谈吧。”有吉说完后，重新交叉双腿，环视店内。他的视线来到贴在柜台旁的一张纸上，就此停住。 “那是甚么？” 纸上以魔术笔写着：“上个星期六晚上，在训练馆里掉钱的人，请至柜台登记。” “好像有人掉钱。不过没写金额，令人觉得有点奇怪。” “如果是知道自己掉钱的人，应该可以准确地说出金额吧。要不然就是没多少钱。” “在比赛前，没人会去训练馆。”泽村喝了口水，咽下口中的义大利面。 池浦和日野在房里躺在棉被上，看着电视演的时代剧。有吉走进来之后，他们急忙起身关掉电视。 “你们这些家伙可真悠哉。那起命案不是还没破案吗？”有吉盘腿坐在泽村给他的坐垫上，如此说道。 “和我们又没有关系。”池浦应道。“虽然周遭引发不少骚动，但我认为我们当中没人是凶手。一定是有哪里弄错了。” “选择相信伙伴是吗？很好、很好。” “哪是甚么相信，我只是觉得我们里头没人有这么大的胆子。虽然有很多人都巴不得榆井不在了最好。” “你这番话要是被媒体听到，可是会引发轩然大波呢。” “会吗？这种事，在其他领域也一样吧。听说职棒的候补球员，都祈祷正式球员受伤呢。” “可是，总不会希望对方死吧。先不谈这个，今天我带来珍贵的资料，替你们打气。”有吉一面说，一面从手提包里取出资料，摆在他们三个人的面前。“我今天带来的资料，简单来说，就是清楚呈现出你们日本顶尖选手与芬兰鸟人马蒂？尼凯宁之间技能的差异。怎么样，大吃一惊了吧？” 泽村一听到尼凯宁，立即趋身向前。池浦和日野也重新坐正。尼凯宁是众人追求的目标，在滑雪跳跃界拥有崇高的地位。 “这次我录下他们各自的跳跃动作，然后求出选手蹬地的施力方向和力道大小。这些是谁的照片，看得出来吧？” 泽村从他给的照片中找到了自己。蹬地的瞬间化为多张分解照片，排成一列。好像是由左到右排列，呈现出时间的进行。照片旁的注解写着：“此照片以附有数位快门的摄影机拍摄（每秒为六十张）”。 “我试着以这些照片进行影像解析，以此求出与身体重心有关的加速度要素，其随着时间所产生的变化。像这张图，便是将尼凯宁跳跃的瞬间画成线条画，呈现出他对哪个方向施展哪一种加速度。”有吉出示一张以简单线条，呈现刚才那些分解照片的图画，从上头画的小人腰部各自延伸出一条箭头。 “箭头的方向，表示那一瞬间的加速度方向，箭头的长度表示加速度的大小。在甚么时机下，发挥多大的加速度，是不是一目了然呢？以亮太的情况来说，是这个，给你参考。”有吉取出另一张类似的图。同样是线条画，上面也画有箭头。 “感觉差很多呢。”泽村拿自己的图和尼凯宁的图比对后，说出心中的感想。 “你说的加速度，是蹬地的力道与重力所产生的吗？”日野以认真的口吻询问。 “此外也有空气阻力的影响。”有吉答道。“我试着将加速度的大小分割成垂直要素与水平要素，来加以研究。所谓的垂直要素，是往上跃的力量大小，而水平要素则是往前飞的力量大小。先来看垂直要素。它大小的时间变化就像这样。为了方便你们各自比较，我将冲出跳台的瞬间设为零，时间从那里开始，以负秒显示。” 有吉拿出一张以时间为横轴，以加速度为纵轴，以此表示垂直要素大小的图表。蓦地，池浦流露出兴趣缺缺的表情。 “你就算让我看这个，我也看不懂啊。” “你有图表抗拒症是吧？可是，你无法理解这张图，就无法理解尼凯宁哦。” “从这上面来看，尼凯宁并不是特别突出呢。”日野说。有吉重重点头。 “说到重点了。从上面应该看得出来，这当中使出最大加速度的人是亮太。一般认为，在最逼近跳跃的时候才发挥最大力量，是正确的做法，从力量达到巅峰的瞬间到跃出的这段时间，就属亮太最短。关于这点，尼凯宁也比不上池浦。” “真强呢，原来我也赢过尼凯宁啊。”池浦得意地撑大鼻孔。 “但事实上，尼凯宁却跳得比你们都远。也就是说，从这张图中，可以明白尼凯宁之所以这么厉害的秘密。” “水平要素又是怎样？”泽村问。 “问题就是在这里。”有吉取出第四张资料。呈现方式和刚才的图表一模一样。看到这张图表的瞬间，泽村和日野同时发出一声惊呼。隔了一会儿，池浦也颔首说：“原来如此，连我也看得懂。” “一目了然对吧。”有吉对他们三人的反应深感满意，微微挺起胸膛。“一看就很清楚，加速度的水平要素大小，也就是往前飞的加速度，尼凯宁远远胜过你们。他的加速度从颠峰到飞出这段时间，比你们都来得短。而且……”有吉伸指顺着尼凯宁在图表上的曲线移动。“加速度的水平要素，要像这样形成漂亮的山形很不容易。只要看你们三人的曲线便能明白，连哪里是颠峰都看不太出来，这是一般的情况。换句话说，能以迅速的动作让身体往前方移动，而且能在最接近跳台时发挥最大力量──这两点就是鸟人尼凯宁的跳跃之所以深具威胁性的秘密。” “原来是这样……”泽村感觉到自己的心跳加速。汗水从腋下一路滑落。全身发热。 他从以前就觉得尼凯宁很厉害。高高在上，伸手构不到边。但这是主观想法造成的结果。可说是一种定性。如今他第一次得以用具体的形体与数字来了解尼凯宁和他的差异。其他两人可能也是同样的心思，不发一语，静静注视着那张图，看它清楚道出自己与芬兰鸟人之间的差异。 半晌过后，有吉突然冒出一句“不过话说回来”。三人纷纷抬头。 “虽然已明白尼凯宁与其他选手有哪里不同，但为何这样能拉长他的飞行距离，这方面的结构至今仍旧无法解开。目前的阶段，就只是尼凯宁告诉我们，这是一种正确的跳跃方式。简单来说，科学还跟不上他。不过，以后的事不必你们来伤脑筋。你们只要照着他这种以数据资料证明过的跳跃方式来练习就行了。” “话虽如此，但就是因为办不到，才伤脑筋啊。”池浦噘起嘴，夸张地皱着脸。 “除了尼凯宁外，有其他选手也采用这种跳跃方式吗？”日野问。 “若没收集数据资料，便无从得知。不过，我猜那些厉害的选手应该和他的情况很类似。对了，有一份资料，我很感兴趣。”语毕，有吉瞄了泽村一眼，接着手伸进手提包里。泽村有一种很不好的预感。 “这是对翔的跳跃动作进行分析的结果。”有吉取出一张文件说道。“亮太叫我分析他的跳跃动作，所以我就顺便做了。结果相当耐人寻味，你们看一下。” 他把资料搁在榻榻米上，三人不约而同地冲向前。那是以刚才讨论过的加速度水平要素所画成的图表。 “这是……”日野望向有吉。“这是翔的跳跃资料吗？” “正是。”有吉答。“你有甚么看法？” “有甚么看法……”泽村如此低语着，语带颤抖，显得很不中用。“这不就跟刚才老师你说的一样吗？形成漂亮的山形曲线，从颠峰到跃出跳台的时间很短。虽然他不像尼凯宁那么厉害，可是……” “就是这样。简言之，他的跳跃方式比你们好。”有吉以平淡的口吻说道，三人尽皆无言。有吉见状，接着又说道“还有像这样的数据资料”，取出一张资料，上面画有同样的图表。 “我突然想到，去年我开始研究时，曾用录影机录下日本代表队的每位选手。我取出那卷老旧的录影带，分析翔以前跳跃的动作。虚线是去年的跳跃，实线是这一次。另外，为了供作参考，尼凯宁的部份，我用链线来表示。” 最近泽村直觉有异，一直惦记在心的那件事，都清楚地呈现在图表之中，并附上数字。翔去年的跳跃并没有这么漂亮的山形曲线。巅峰并不明显，离跃出的时间也很长。但今年却大幅提升。 “这样明白了吧。”有吉望着这三名目瞪口呆的选手。“因为原本有榆井这个怪物在，翔今年的表现还不算突出。他优异的跳跃方式，还没直接展现在成绩上。不过，他的技能确实提升了。如果将尼凯宁的跳跃视为完美状态，那么，翔的表现可说是不断朝那种完美的状态接近中。如果他现在的技能可以持续进步下去，不久的将来，你们就赢不过他了，直到他引退为止。”泽村聆听有吉说的话，一再伸舌舔舐干渴的双唇。他最近一直有这种感觉。翔的跳跃和他们就是不一样…… “要达到这种跳跃方式……”日野话说一半，突然轻咳几声。他似乎也因为紧张而喉咙干渴。“要怎么做，才能学会这种跳跃技能呢？听亮太说，翔有可能使用禁药呢。” “禁药？”有吉以惊讶的表情面向泽村。 “我觉得翔的肌肉长得不太一样。特别是这个部位……”泽村指着自己大腿内侧。 有吉思忖片刻后应道：“的确，要达到这样的跳跃水准，需要锻链股二头肌的力量。可是，如果光靠单纯的重量训练，或是像亮太所说，使用禁药来锻链肌肉，是不可能学会这种技能的。这种跳跃方式，简单来说，不是往上跳，而是往前跳。他应该是平时便反覆进行这样的练习。这需要学会如何运用双腿的肌肉。” “就算一再反覆练习，但等到实际跳跃的时候，不见得就能随心所欲吧。”池浦流露悲观的神色。 “我的意思并不是突然在实际的滑雪跳跃中练习。就算这么做，也不知道自己做出何种动作，而且也无法确认自己使用肌肉的方式是否正确。首先，得用最基本的动作来学会这种跳跃方式，这才是最重要的做法。” “最基本的动作？”泽村问。 “例如，立定跳远。”有吉说。“习惯往上跳的选手，一定会比较擅长垂直跳，而不擅长立定跳远。去年岁末的体力测验结果，日本代表队的选手几乎都是二米八左右的成绩。但是尼凯宁据说可以跳出将近三米二的成绩。当时日本代表队的选手当中，能跳出三米以上成绩的人，只有榆井一人。” 榆井── ※※※ 他也有这样的技能是吗？泽村感到有点失望。难道厉害的选手都有这样的共同点？ “亮太有不错的跳跃力。”有吉望着泽村道。“在体力测验中，你的垂直跳跃有顶极水准。但你使力的方式却不太好。刚才我让你们看的是加速度的垂直要素做成的图表，应该看得很清楚才对，亮太的跳跃不是往前，而是往上。” “这样不行是吗？” “至少尼凯宁不是采这种跳跃方式。” “如果继续维持这种方式，就不能变得和尼凯宁一样对吧。看来，从明天起，得赶紧苦练立定跳远了。”虽然以开玩笑的口吻如此回应，但内心却是大受震憾。 “除了立定跳远外，还有何种练习方法？”日野问。 “这个嘛，有鱼跃前滚翻。就是垫上运动所做的动作。” “如果是那个的话，我很拿手。”池浦说。 “还有……前空翻吧。” “前空翻？” 泽村大声问道：“这有帮助吗？” “应该有。怎么了吗？” “嗯……”泽村想起之前榆井对他说的话。他对泽村说了一句“我知道你的缺点”，然后使出一个前空翻。当时泽村完全不懂他的意思。 “榆井说过这样的话是吗？”听完泽村的说明后，有吉露出不解之色。“我不认为他是无意义地说了那句话。因为在滑雪跳跃方面，他是天才，所以他或许是看出亮太的缺点，以这种方式来表达。” “真教人难以相信。”池浦以不悦的口吻低语道。“我承认榆井是个厉害的家伙，我们也确实是某个环节有错误。不过……” 说到这里，先前说的话他又重复了一次。道出榆井明给每个人的印象。 “真教人难以相信，榆井竟然会思考这么艰难的问题。” 5 在单身宿舍集会所替榆井明举办的丧礼，除了宿舍的住户外，滑雪跳跃相关人员和公司同事也都前来参加，排场大致完备。之所以说大致完备，是因为榆井的亲戚几乎