Chapter 9 Section IX

"However, Mr. Totsukawa," Secretary Kitano continued, "as I said just now, there is no plan for the government and foreign dignitaries to ride on tomorrow's Tohoku Shinkansen train. One thing, just vague clues, it is difficult to formulate corresponding countermeasures." "Yes, we are also very embarrassed about this point. The clue we have so far is only the luxury car ticket to Sendai on the Tohoku Shinkansen on August 8." Totsukawa Police Department shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly, "Ah, that's right , is the ticket near the window, and we, the police, don’t know exactly when the train departs from Omiya.”

"Tomorrow, there are twelve trains bound for Sendai. It is impossible for us to investigate every passenger in a luxury car." Secretary Kitano shook her head and clapped her hands helplessly. Said, "If this is done, the train will delay the departure time, and it will definitely lead to fierce criticism from the public against the Tohoku Shinkansen of the National Railways." "How about the ticket sales tomorrow?" Totsukawa Police Department asked excitedly, "We just inquired at Tokyo Station, and the sales rate is 100%." "It's really hard work. I know this. All the registered tickets for tomorrow's trip, including the deluxe carriages, have been sold out. I think that including standing tickets, the occupancy rate of the 'Yamabiko' going down tomorrow will be One hundred and twenty percent or two hundred?"

"How many people are there in the luxury car?" "Fifty-two." "In other words, there are a total of six hundred and twenty-four people on the twelve trains going down. It can also be said that the murderer who killed Oya Yunko was among the six hundred and twenty-four people." "However, how do you conclude that the murderer is a single person? Can one person do it?" When Secretary Kitano asked, Totsukawa Police Department shook his head vigorously and said, "If it's not limited to one person, then I will be even more nervous." "But, Mr. Totsukawa, is the ticket stolen by the murderer really just a luxury car ticket?" Secretary Kitano asked, "If it is, then it can be considered a murderer."

"It is indeed so." The Totsukawa Police Department nodded, "But this is also our inference. We do not deny that it may be a few people or a gang. They will take a certain train on the Tohoku Shinkansen tomorrow. , what to do." The police department analyzed seriously, "For this reason, they went to buy a ticket, and maybe only one person failed to buy it. However, without one person, the plan would be difficult to realize, so they did not hesitate to take the risk of killing someone, but also to get it to this ticket." "You can think so..." Secretary Kitano's face turned pale when he heard this.Because at this moment, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind:

Will the killer hijack the train?Aircraft hijacking incidents often occur, but fortunately, no hijacking incidents have occurred on Shinkansen trains.But if a carjacking does happen, it's no small matter.Thinking of this, Kitano felt a chill down his back. The number of passengers in a large passenger plane is only about 550, but the number of passengers on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen train composed of 16 carriages is mostly more than 1,300; Although it is composed of twelve carriages, there are more than 880 passengers on that train! "Jite Shinkansen?" Kitano asked palely.

The Totsukawa police department said as if to comfort him: "I don't think so yet." "Why? Mr. Totsukawa, it's not that you don't deny that the murderer might be a gang?" "Yes, but if it is to rob the special Shinkansen train, there is no need. You must grab a ticket for a luxury car, because you can control the car near the front of the car." "I don't understand that." "Can I have a look at the floor plan of the luxury car?" Totsukawa Police Department asked. When the Totsukawa Police Department saw the floor plan of the luxurious carriages of the Shinkansen train provided by Secretary Kitano, it was confirmed that 1A and 1D were both in the corners of the carriages.

"Why did the murderer choose the corner?" Detective Kamei clasped his wrists and fell into deep thought.Secretary Kitano also looked bewildered. After thinking for a while, the Totsugawa Police Department said, "Isn't there an emergency exit knob and exit next to 1A or 1D? The murderer used these devices to force the Shinkansen train to stop and escape through the emergency exit." ?" "It's impossible." Secretary Kitano smiled. "Why? Didn't the newspapers two or three days ago report that a passenger accidentally manipulated the emergency exit mechanism, causing the train to stop in an emergency? It also said that he jumped off the train from the emergency exit after stopping. "

"It was on the Shinkansen train in Tokaido, and I also heard about it." "Won't the same thing happen with the Tohoku Shinkansen?" "Absolutely not. If you have ever taken a Tohoku Shinkansen train, you will know that there are no emergency exits or knobs in the passenger cars of the new cars." "Really?..." Totsugawa police department and Kamei detective asked in surprise. "Yes. Since the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen, there has never been an accident in which passengers have to use the emergency exit. Therefore, such devices will no longer be installed in future carriages. Tokaido-Sanyo Main Line New This is the same design in the new carriages on the main line. Both the deluxe carriages and ordinary carriages are like this."

"In this way, we don't know why the murderer chose to sit in seats 1A and 1D." Detective Kamei said with a sigh. "Have you ever sent a letter of threat to the Tohoku Shinkansen?" When the Totsukawa Police Department asked this question, Secretary Kitano immediately smiled and replied: "There have been several letters!...Since the opening of a new Shinkansen, some people will benefit from it, and others will suffer from it. There are noise problems, and the dissatisfaction caused by the inconvenience of living due to the need to relocate. Even if there are no above-mentioned problems, there are direct losses, and there are still many people in villages and towns who are dissatisfied because there are no parking stations!  …”

"Among these letters, is there any clue as to August 8th, the specific date?" "As far as I know, there is no specific complaint. If there is a specific complaint, there will definitely be someone in the state-owned railway company to solve it." Secretary Kitano replied. In the end, Totsugawa Shozo Sanwa Kamei Detective made an appointment with Secretary Kitano, and if there was any news, he would contact him immediately and left the Japan National Railway Corporation.