Chapter 5 4. The girl running along the wall

"your name." "Masumura Shintaro. Teaching science at this high school. Also serving as an advisor and coach for the girls' table tennis club." "Women's and women's table tennis clubs..." Just four seconds after the start, Hakamada's unfounded self-confidence of "surely no problem" was violently loosened.Sure enough, the incident was related to the women's table tennis club. "Hakamata? What's wrong with you?" "No, nothing. Please continue." "...Then Masumura-san, you were the one who discovered the body of Tomoki Asashima, right?"

"Yes. . . . I was in the building at the time." "How did you find the body? Could you please explain it from when you first came here? Maybe you have explained it to the local police, but please tell me again." "Okay....Let's see, I came to the gymnasium at exactly three o'clock today. It's the same time as school." "At the same time as the end of get out of class. Do you always come at this time?" "No, it's usually later. Today, there is no class in the sixth period, so I came early." Contrary to the piercing gaze, Xiantang behaved very politely, which seemed to make Masukura feel at ease and gradually eased his nervousness.

"It's exactly three o'clock, don't you remember correctly?" "Yeah. I can hear the bell ringing here. I remember that the member named Sagawa who entered the gymnasium together looked at his watch and said, 'It's exactly three o'clock'." "Are you here with the students?" "Well. I met it on the way from the office. I also thought that the movements were really fast after class. It seems that her get out of class ended about ten minutes early." "Yes. I have confirmed in the office that only Class D of the second grade will be dismissed early."

Shirato, who was standing beside him, whispered to Xiantang. "I see. Who was in the gym?" "There's no one in my field of vision. There's no class here for sixth quarter today." "Did you come in by the door that leads into the outer corridor?" Sendo pointed to the door he had come in through, and Masukura replied "Of course". "Because it's raining, Sagawa and I came in through that door together." "Is that so... You said just now that there was no one in the gymnasium, but the door was open?" "The door is open. The door to the outer corridor is generally open during class and club activities. The other doors are closed."

"Well. You said the door was open. What about after entering here at three o'clock?" "Sagawa and I have been doing stretching exercises by the wall. About three minutes later... Asashima walked into the gymnasium through the door in the outer corridor." When Masumura said the name of the deceased, his face twisted slightly. "That's three past three. What's he doing?" "Who knows... He walked past the supplies warehouse along the wall, and immediately got into the door over there. He must have come here for something... I thought he was going to the broadcasting room to do business."

Masumura refers to the door leading to the backstage on the left side of the stage. "Then the stage curtain was lowered. It was the first time I saw Asashima from the Broadcasting Department fiddle with the curtain, and I was a little puzzled." "The curtain is lowered. Was Asashima operating it?" "I haven't personally seen him operate the machine that controls the curtain, so I can't say for sure... Anyway, it happened when he first entered the backstage." "Hmm." Xiantang rested his hand on his chin and began to think.Hakamada desperately took notes.

"...was there anything noteworthy on stage before the curtain was lowered?" "I didn't look carefully, there should be nothing special." "Like, what was the lighting like? The lights on the stage were on when we arrived." "Ah, it wasn't on at first, but it was on when I saw Asashima, and he probably turned it on by himself when he descended backstage. The lighting can be operated by the switch on the left side of the stage." "From this point of view, he really has something to do on the stage." Xiantang asked as if asking and answering, "Is there anything else strange, such as Chaodao's expression or the items he is carrying?"

"Nothing special. He just passed my sight very quickly...I can only confirm that he was empty-handed and didn't take anything." "I see. Then you never saw Asashima again, did you? I mean...before it was found as a body." "Yeah. But I went back to the office at 3:5, probably at 3:10." "You went back to the office? Why?" "I forgot to bring the practice content list of the club. So I went to get it." "I've also confirmed this with the teachers in the office, that's right." Shirato whispered again. "Who else is in the gym during this time?"

"Only Sagawa. Ah, no, Asashima is backstage too." ——In other words, during this period of time, there was only the student named Sagawa and the victim. This is a major discovery.Hakamada wrote it down in his notebook, and then drew many circles to mark the key points. "What was it like in the gym when you got back?" "Nothing changed. Sagawa was still doing stretching. I came over to her and started warming up again, and then two more members of the table tennis club arrived." Masamura told the following plot plainly. Members began to prepare equipment as usual.On the way, students from the badminton club also came in and began to prepare equipment.At about 3:15, there was a sound similar to a taiko drum.

"Does it sound like a taiko drum?" "Hmm... I'm not sure, it was the sound of thud, thud. Then the door that Chaojima passed by opened, and a student named Kajihara from the Drama Department peeped out and asked who pulled down the stage curtain." "Um, wait a minute. Where did that student enter the gymnasium?" "Ah, the members of the drama department come in through the backstage door on the left side of the stage every time." "The left side, that is, the side with the toilet?" "Yes. If you come in from that side, it will be more convenient to carry the props used in the drama.... Then Sagawa replied that it was Asashima, and Kajiwara said, 'Forget it, pull up the curtain', and the other members pulled up the curtain..."

"So Asashima died on the stage." Masamura lowered his head and nodded silently. "What did you do when you found the body?" "I approached the stage...to confirm that he was completely dead, and then asked the boys from the badminton department to report to the office, and asked other students to gather with me and not move around. Two students heard the screams and came to the gymnasium to inquire about the situation. I thought it would be bad if they made a big fuss, so I called them in. The police officers from the Hodogaya Police Station also reminded me, so no one directly touched the corpse, including me." "Smart judgment." "No, to be honest, I was just afraid of touching the dead body... Anyway, the police came in five minutes. Then the gym was blocked, and it has been until now." Masumura finished speaking. Xiantang was silent for a moment, and said the last question. "While you were in the gym, did anyone come out backstage? Except the drama students." Masumura frowned, as if searching his own memory, and shook his head. "No, no one." "I see. Thank you for your cooperation." "That is to say, Tomoki Asashima was killed by someone between 3:30 and 3:15." After Masura returned to the waiting classroom, Hakamada reread his notes and summarized his statement. "Yes. But I'm concerned about the fact that the curtain was lowered as soon as Asashima entered the backstage. And the sound of the taiko drums." "...Aside from the sound of the taiko drum, what is Asashima planning to do backstage? Why did the director of the broadcasting department lower the curtain?" "I don't know yet. . . . not yet." Because he generally grasped the course of the incident, Xiantang's eyes brightened a little.He looked back at Shirato standing behind him, "Next is the student named Sagawa who came to the gymnasium with Masumura. Call her over." Bai Hu thoughtfully sent someone to call in advance, and the girl had already entered the gymnasium. The girl looked very responsible in her blue table tennis practice uniform.Tall, with short hair, he gives a lively impression.But the expression on his face was a bit gloomy, as expected he had been impacted by the incident.Until she sat down on the chair, her gaze kept sneaking glances to the stage where the corpse was just now. "Hello." Sendo started with a more gentle demeanor than when facing Masura. "I am the prefectural policeman of Kanagawa, called Sendo. This is my subordinate Hakamada." "Oh, ha, it's... you, hello." I don't know whether it's fear or nervousness, maybe both, which makes her answer stuttering. "Report your name and grade first." "Well, my name is Nao Sagawa. I'm in the D group of the second year, student number 18. I'm the head of the women's table tennis club." "I became a minister in the second grade, which is amazing." "Ah, no, because the third grade retired a month ago, so..." "I see. Even so, it's a great job to be a minister." "……thanks." During the conversation just now, Sagawa Nao did not look at Sendo, but kept watching Hakamada.Why is that?Is there something dirty on my face? "You came with Masumura-sensei, right?" After the questioning got to the point, Nao finally moved his gaze away from Hakamada. "Yes. I wanted to go directly to the gymnasium because the get out of class ended early—I always put my practice clothes on under my school uniform, so I didn't have to change clothes—I met Mr. Masumura on the way and entered the gymnasium together. The timing was just right It's three o'clock." "It's really enthusiastic to wear the practice clothes under the school uniform." "No...you're being serious." "It's three o'clock, right? And then?" "I was doing stretching exercises with my teacher." She pointed to a corner by the wall.Looking from the door of the outer corridor, it happens to be in the front.Sagawa continued to talk. "Then Asashima came, and he walked directly into the backstage on the left side of the stage. I thought he had something to do in the broadcasting room, so I didn't pay much attention. But the stage curtain came down immediately..." "It's Asashima who came in, isn't there a mistake?" "Well. I know Chaojima very well, so I won't admit my mistake." "What did he look like? Was he wearing anything?" "Let's see...I'm a little far away from him so I can't see him well. Oh, he came straight in with his house shoes on. But he doesn't exercise, so I don't think it matters." As expected of the head of the table tennis department who regards the gymnasium as his base.Even the details are clearly seen. Hakamata flipped forward the manual and nodded slightly.So far, it is completely consistent with Masukura's confession, and the problem lies in the later part. "Then Masukura-sensei went back to the office, right?" "yes." "During this period, you are the only one here? From 3:50 to 3:10." - Yes, I continued to stretch alone. I expected to get an answer like, "No, it's not." The result was exactly the opposite. Nao Sagawa raised her head which had been lowered all the time, and spoke her testimony clearly. "Another girl came in from the outer corridor. She was wearing a school uniform and went directly to the backstage on the left side of the stage with her hands empty." "What did you say?" Xiantang also seemed to be greatly surprised, the eyes that had been watching the girl keenly before were wide open. Oh, oh, oh, Shirato shrugged with a smile.Speaking of which, he said this before. ——It seems that someone provided an eyewitness testimony and saw a female student walk into the backstage. Yes.When Bai Hu said this sentence, he used the rhetoric of "as if". Hakamada generally understands the character of this laughing detective.When it comes to troublesome topics, he always pretends not to speak clearly, and takes it for fun.Even the cases he was in charge of himself. It seems that this testimony should also be classified as "troublesome". "Who is it? Do you know him?" Xiantang stood up in surprise and asked her.Nao thought for a moment. "I don't really know each other. I seem to have seen it somewhere, but the face is blocked by the hair, and it is trotting along the wall, so it is difficult to see who it is... I just remember that it is relatively short." "Hmm. You mean that girl entered the backstage as if chasing Asashima." "Yes. The time is about eight past three." "..." The two sheriffs looked at each other. If this statement is true, besides the victim, there is another person in the background, but it is said to be a super important testimony... "Don't you believe it?" Seeing their expressions, Nao hit the bull's-eye with one sentence. "When I told the detective standing behind you, he didn't believe it either." "Oh, no, it's not that I don't believe it." Shirato made an excuse with embarrassment. "No one else saw that student..." "So didn't I say that the needle palace in our class is always in front of the women's restroom!" Nao raised the volume as if accusing. "Ask Needle Palace, she should remember that person passed." "No, she said she didn't know." "STOP, I see." If it goes on like this, it will be endless.Xiantang interrupted the argument between the two. "Sagawa, let's trust your testimony for now." "Really!" "Well, just for now. So please go on." "……it is good." It seems that this ambiguous statement made Nao a little sad, but the topic of the lost girl stopped here, and she continued to talk about what happened in the old gymnasium afterwards. Her subsequent statement was completely consistent with Masura's testimony.At 3:10 the teacher came back, and then came two more members, and then came the members of the badminton club.Regarding the sound of the taiko drum at 3:15, she couldn't hear her answer clearly either.Members of the Drama Club show up, and the body is discovered— "It really scared me to death, and I'm still in shock. Chaojima is a very good person, I didn't expect this kind of thing to happen..." "I can understand your feelings. We will definitely catch the prisoner." As usual, Xiantang encouraged her who bowed her head a few words. "I have one more question, and this question is very important...did anyone come out of the backstage besides the drama department while you were in the gymnasium?" "...No, no one came out." "are you sure?" "I'm sure. Because there's almost no one else in the gym. Whoever makes a move, I can tell right away." This is what the owner of the gymnasium said, so you should be able to believe it. "I see. Thank you for your cooperation." After Xiantang thanked him, Nao replied bluntly and stood up from the chair. The moment she turned to the corridor, she glanced at Hakamada's face again. Eyes on each other. "……What's wrong?" "No, nothing." She turned her head away shyly and left the gym.Hakamada still couldn't feel relieved. "...Xiantang, did I do something to that child?" "Ghost knows. Probably because of you." After the police department made a joke, "But, is there another person backstage... Shirato, you said that no one else has seen that mysterious girl, is it true?" "Hmm. As Sagawa Nao said, the girl named Needle Palace has been waiting for her friend in front of the women's restroom, and she proved that there is no such person." "Ok……" Xiantang folded his arms, and Hakamada next to him also began to think. —It’s almost time to use your brain. If Sagawa Nao's testimony is true, then the girl who entered the backstage was the murderer of Asashima.This scenario is very likely.After all, the girl only entered but never exited, so she probably escaped through a door in the backstage to avoid other people's sight. This reasoning is more reasonable. But what if Nao Sagawa's testimony is a lie? If there were no other witnesses, it would not be surprising to conclude that Sagawa was lying.Nao herself is the criminal, and in order to cover herself, she blamed the fictional girl for the crime...? "Call the student named Needle Palace." Hakamada was still confronting the manual, and Sendo next to him took out a list of names of relevant personnel from his chest.Unfolded the paper folded four times and read it again, "However, it's better to ask questions in the order of entering the gymnasium first. Then the table tennis club will be next... huh?" He seemed to notice something, and the tip of his nose moved closer to the paper. "Hey, Hakamata, come and see this." "What's wrong?" As he said, Hakamada looked at the list of names that he hadn't seen just now— Then I shuddered all over. "Ah, such a rare situation will really happen. The minister just now has been watching you, that must be the reason." "..." Can't answer. "Shirato, next is the duo from the table tennis club." Xiantang didn't seem to pay attention to Hakamada's expression and gave instructions. Investigators walked to the empty classroom and brought two teenage girls a short time later. Hakamada has been in a daze during this period, and has no leisure to reason.When girls in practice clothes appeared at the entrance of the gymnasium, he almost collapsed in despair. "Come in, please. Sit here. . . . Ah, there aren't enough chairs. Here, make your chair out." The boss, who knew nothing, gave the order, and Hakamada stood up unsteadily. "Ah, by the way, I'm Sendo, the prefectural police officer, and this is my subordinate Hakamada." "Hakamada...?" One of the two, a vivacious girl with tawny hair tied in a ponytail, reacted to the name. "Oh, what a coincidence. This child's surname is also Hakamata...Huh?" The ponytail girl looked at her companion sitting next to her, and then showed a slightly timid look. The other girl's expression was obviously unusual, she opened her mouth wide, her eyes widened, and she froze there motionless. Her gaze was fixed on Hakamata who had the same stupid expression. "Hey, hey, what's the matter with you? Are you okay...?" "Ah, don't worry. The body has been taken away..." "...No, Xiantang, no." Hakamada finally squeezed out a word. "Not for this reason." "Yeah, speaking of you... huh? You also look a little weird, are you okay?" Hakamada did not respond to Sendo's worry, but took a step towards the girl. Half-length black hair, big eyes, fair skin, and slender arms exposed from the practice clothes. No matter how you look at it, she looks like a literary girl, but she is indeed an athlete who concentrates on table tennis. "What are you...what are you doing here?" He said to the culprit who made him feel melancholy in reality, and then, "Brother is... what are you doing?" Hakamata Yuno replied to him.