Chapter 4 Chapter Three: The Trembling of the Mezzo-Soprano

I originally thought that the police department would immediately turn around and continue to question me. Unexpectedly, after he finished questioning Amamiya, he then asked two female members of the choir to question.I didn't understand the purpose of the police department asking them, but after hearing the question-and-answer process between them and the police department, I immediately understood.Here, I also recorded the question and answer between the police department and the two female members. Question: When did the car you two take arrive at the Nakanoshima Public Hall? Answer: Before ten past two.

Question: Did you see any suspicious things that might be related to this murder? A: Yes, there is a strange thing. Q: So, please tell me about the situation. Answer: OK.When we got out of the car, a car passed by the car we had just taken and stopped.We originally thought that the people in the car must be members of the opera troupe, so we stood at the backstage door to watch. Unexpectedly, only the driver and the co-pilot got out of the car.The two men carried the double bass case from the backseat, stood it by the backstage door, and then got into the car and left without looking back.That's all we see.

Q: Was there no one else in the car besides the driver, co-pilot and that piano case? A: Yes, no more.We were watching to see if anyone would get out of the car after they took the double bass out, but it was empty. Question: When the driver and co-pilot took the piano case out of the car, what were their expressions?Is it heavy, or light and easy? A: It feels quite heavy.We all know that the double bass isn't that heavy, so it was weird, but didn't think about it that much....Looking back now, they seem to be panicked, but we didn't think too much about it at the time, and we didn't get suspicious at all.

Question: Is this the piano case that those two people carried down at that time? Answer: It should be.Well, you can't go wrong, that's it.Because when those two people took it out of the car, they almost dropped it on the ground, and the edge of the piano case rubbed against the pedals of the car, and the scratches were indeed there. Q: What car is that? Answer: Ford's RV, but we didn't see the license plate number. Question: If you meet those two drivers and co-pilots next time, will you recognize them? Answer: Not sure. The content of the question and answer between them is roughly as above.

After listening to this question and answer, I realized that the police are really not a fuel-efficient lamp.When we were still performing the "Surprised Contest" and "100 Scared Expressions Show", they had already found so many doubts.It seems that the criminal police don't just sit back and do nothing. But really, I don't have time to admire things like this.The police department had just finished questioning the two female members, and immediately turned around and asked me a lot of questions, which made me look around nervously again. The police department is really hard to beat.He asked me to report the details of my whereabouts from arriving in Osaka on the morning of the 20th until two o'clock in the afternoon.But I am not doing things while looking at my watch, how can I correctly state where I am from what time to what time?During that time, I was like a poor mouse who was exhausted, constantly going back and forth between the three newspaper offices, the three department stores, the radio station and the venue.

After I went back to my memory and explained my whereabouts during that period of time in as much detail as possible, I wondered if the police department was satisfied with my statement, so I just said perfunctorily: "That's fine." That's all for yesterday's part of my investigation. Last night I excitedly started writing this paragraph, and the more I wrote, the better.In addition, I knew very well that the police department was suspicious of me. The combination of excitement and fear made me sleepless all night.I know it will damage my body, but I can't help it with my inherent timid personality.When I woke up in the morning and looked in the mirror, my eye sockets were sunken, and I looked so thin and haggard that even I felt terrible.

Today is the twenty-first day.The thought that today the police department may question me in a more severe way than yesterday made me tremble.Unexpectedly, the wind turned today, and the police department turned their focus to other people.Now I finally breathed a sigh of relief, and I felt much calmer when I wrote my notes at night. However, before mentioning what happened today, I must first talk about the current situation of our theater company.After all, there is a sequence in everything, and how can things be accomplished if you don’t follow the steps. Probably because of our social status, the police did not take strong measures to detain us.In contrast, all of us are not allowed to leave Osaka for the time being.However, rather than saying that we couldn't leave Osaka, it would be more appropriate to say that we were locked up in Hotel N.Mr. Satoshiro Hara, who originally lived in the hotel in Building D, and Chieko Sagara, who planned to go to the relative's house in Tianxia Tea House to disturb her, both of them voluntarily asked the police to change their stay to Hotel N.Shiga Diren, who went to Kobe first, originally planned to meet everyone at the N Hotel when the group arrived in Osaka, so it didn't pose a problem.

Even so, no one knows how long the investigation will last.For the Hara Sakura Opera Troupe, it is really a big burden for these dozen or so actors to idle around in the N Hotel all day long.What's more, Hara Sakura, the core of the opera troupe, is dead, and the opera troupe should be disbanded, but Mr. Hara Satoshiro has taken on this unbearable burden.As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Hara Satoshiro is a son of a famous family of important people in the financial and economic circles, and it may be a good thing for him to take over. I got up this morning and read the newspapers. Following yesterday's evening papers, today's major newspapers are still full of relevant reports about this incident.Cheap adjectives such as "Queen of Opera", "World-renowned Madame Butterfly", "National Treasure of Japan" came out one after another, and some newspapers even published the major events in Ms. Hara Sakura's life that I mentioned verbatim.

That kind of stuff doesn't interest me at all, except for the car that transports the double bass case to the Nakanoshima Public Hall.I think anyone would think that the driver and co-pilot in that car were not suspects, they must have been entrusted by the suspects to transport the piano case there.So as long as you find that car, you should be able to know about the suspect.I quickly browsed the newspapers, but even though some newspapers published about the car, there was still no news that the driver and co-pilot had been found. I think it might be because the police hadn't found them before the deadline for the morning papers.

Hara Sakura left the hotel around 8:30 the night before, went to meet the murderer somewhere, and was killed between 9:00 and 11:00.I don't know how the murderer hid the corpse, but he did take out the luggage ticket from Amemiya's pocket this morning, took Kawada's double bass case, and then transferred the corpse and the double bass in the case to the Nakanoshima Public Hall.The murderer should have taken many risks when doing this. What made him take the risk and do such a thing? After all, it would be much safer to hide the body directly than to expose Hara Sakura's body.In this way, just saying "Ms. Hara Sakura is mysteriously missing" should be able to hide it from the world for a while.

Maybe the criminal wanted to use these tricks to make people think that the murder took place in Tokyo, in order to mislead the police into thinking that the murderer killed Hara Sakura in Tokyo and stuffed the body into a double bass box and sent it to Osaka..., so So cloth maze.However, as long as you ask the consignors in Tokyo and Osaka about this kind of thing, you can immediately know what tricks the prisoner is playing.Luggage like a double bass is too big, but it is impossible for the stations in Tokyo and Osaka to treat it as general luggage, and the people who handle it will definitely have an impression of it.Anyway, the weight of the double bass and the dead body is very different. As long as the person who handles it has an impression of it, he can definitely think of its weight. What's more, the time when the murder happened, that is, between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on the 19th, is something that Hara Yingren was in Osaka.She is not only accompanied by Sagara, but the head waiter of the restaurant in Building D can also prove that she entered the restaurant, so even if the prisoner plays with these small tricks, it doesn't make any sense.I really don't understand why the prisoner would do this.But the more you don't understand, the more you care.What the hell is the prisoner up to? When I was thinking hard in the corner of the hotel lobby, Mr. Soichiro happened to come downstairs and walk towards me. "Hi." "Good morning." "Can't you sleep? You look haggard." "Because I'm worried..." "Worry?" "Yes. Teacher, she left us and left. I really don't know what to do next. I know it's selfish to think about such things at this time, but..." "That's not the case. It's the same for everyone. People are not for themselves, and heaven and earth will destroy. I think this matter will pass." "Please take more care of me in the future." "Well. By the way, I happen to have something to trouble you. Could you type this telegram for me?" "Okay, I know." "Then, please. Ah, I'm so sleepy, I'm so sleepy. I didn't sleep well yesterday. I'm going to go back to sleep. Call me again if you need anything." When Mr. Satoshi went up to the second floor, I took a look at the paper he entrusted, and it read: The recipient is Yuri Rintaro who lives in Sanbancho, Kokucho-ku, Tokyo. Eh, Yuri Rintaro...?I seem to have heard this name somewhere, but I can't remember what kind of person it is.But it doesn't matter if you can't remember it. When I finished typing the telegram and returned to the lobby of Hotel N, the opera troupe got up one after another.Everyone looked like they hadn't slept all night, with pale faces and sunken eye sockets, especially Sagara and Ono's expressions were simply horrible.Sagara is a woman, so it's natural to be afraid, but even a big man like Ono looks undecided. Ono's love for Hara Sakura has long been known in the music industry, but since yesterday, his attitude has been a bit abnormal.He showed more fear than sadness. I feel like he has something on his mind. This guy must know something about this incident. Just as a group of people didn't know what to eat and were eating their breakfast in silence, yesterday's police department came in with two or three criminal policemen.Afterwards, I found out that the name of the police department was Asahara, and he seemed to be the director of the murder case. The police department looked at us and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt your meal. I have a few things I want to ask you, can I trouble you to gather here?" After speaking, he took us to the manager's room of N Hotel.Although this is a restaurant, it seems to be used as a temporary investigation headquarters. The Asahara Police Department stood at the other end of the big desk and asked us to stand in a row in front of the desk.He bent forward, looked like an examiner, and scanned our faces left and right.Then he looked at me and asked: "Mr. Tsuchiya, please confirm that everyone is here?" I nodded, but Mr. Satoshiro was nowhere to be seen.After I informed the police department, the detective came in with the sleepy Mr. Soichiro not long after.Now everyone is finally here. "I'm sorry to wake you up while you were sleeping. Now that everyone is here, I'm going to start asking. Actually, it's about this piece of paper. Has anyone read it? Ms. Sagara, Please take a look..." What the police department took out from the folding briefcase was a bare, brand new white paper.Sagara took it from the police department and frowned. "Hmm..., I haven't seen this piece of paper, is there anyone...?" Just when I was about to reach out, the police department suddenly crossed the table and snatched the paper away. Then, while shaking the paper in front of everyone, he said: "Has anyone seen this piece of paper? This piece of paper is of great importance. If anyone knows, please tell it and don't hide it. It's troublesome. It seems that no one has read it, but thank you everyone... In other words No one here has read this piece of paper, hey, Kimura, it seems that no one knows, go and tell the director for me." Hearing this, the criminal police hurried out of the room with the paper in hand.At this time, Satoshiro-san next to me nudged me with his elbow.I turned my head subconsciously, and Mr. Satoshiro snickered and said, "Fingerprints. But... why do the police need Sagara's fingerprints?" Hearing Mr. Satoshiro say this, I suddenly realized.Oh shit!In this way, what the police department did just now was just a trap set up to collect Sagara's fingerprints.But why do you need Sagara's fingerprints?I was just as confused as Mr. Satoichiro. When the criminal policeman walked out of the room, the police department opened the folding briefcase again. "Actually, the reason why I invite everyone to gather is because I want to invite you to see one thing... and that is this." What the police department took out was Hara Sakura's handbag. "I wanted to ask everyone to confirm yesterday, but I waited until today because everyone was very emotional. As you can see, this is Ms. Hara Sakura's handbag. I think there may be something missing in it. ....Miss Sagara, you were the last person who had contact with Ms. Hara Sakura before her death. I don’t know if you have any impression, among Ms. Hara Sakura’s possessions, is there anything that is not in this handbag now... ..." While speaking, the police department took out a bunch of items from the handbag with magician-like movements, and arranged them on the table.Women's purses, powder compacts, small mirrors, handkerchiefs, travel pouches, nail clippers, lozenges, sheet music. Sagara watched the police department's actions intently, took a deep breath suddenly, and ran to the desk. "Excuse me..., is that all there is? Is that all there is in the handbag?" "Yes. That's all. Was there anything else?" "Ah, that..., teacher's necklace..." Hearing this, Mr. Soichiro craned his neck suddenly to investigate. "Oh, that's it. The necklace seems to be really missing." "Is the necklace you speak of originally contained in this handbag?" "Well, I did see it, before Shinagawa..., no, when the teacher opened the handbag in the Shinagawa area, I did see a green velvet jewelry box in it. It was a necklace box, the teacher said She has a welcome party here, she must wear it to attend..." "What's the price of that necklace?" "Let me answer this question. The necklace was bought by my wife in Naples, Italy when I was traveling abroad a few years ago. It is a string of top-quality pearl necklaces. I think the current price should be worth 50,000 yuan." Hearing that the current price was 50,000 yuan, the room suddenly became silent.Even the police department, who was sitting on the swivel chair, became a little agitated and moved his body stiffly. "So, are you sure that your wife is wearing that necklace for a ride that day?" "No, I didn't see my wife go out with it. But as Sagara said just now, the supporters here in Osaka are going to hold a welcome party for my wife. I think she will definitely bring the string for the welcome party." The pearl necklace is coming to Osaka." "So, that means the necklace was stolen by the prisoner?" "Probably. If it's not in that piano case..." At this time, the criminal policeman Kimura who had just walked out walked in quickly, and whispered something in the police department's ear.After hearing this, the police department smiled happily and said: "Oh, that's it. Then after we reach a consensus, you can bring the one I told you to come here." After Detective Kimura left, the police department looked at us again. "I'm very interested in the necklace, maybe I can find some clues from it. By the way, Miss Sagara, I have something to ask you..." "yes." "On the night of the 19th, did you take the train that arrived at Osaka Station at 8 o'clock with Ms. Hara Sakura? Then..., Then you said what happened? Could you please say it again?" "Well, that..." Sagara's face suddenly turned ashen, and I was worried that she would suddenly collapse.It was a while before she mustered up her courage, and whispered intermittently: "Hmm..., as I said yesterday, after my teacher and I parted ways in front of Osaka Station, we took the train to a relative's house at Tenka Tea House, where we spent the night..." "Ah, wait a minute. Didn't you follow Ms. Hara Sakura to the hotel in Building D and then entered the room with her..." "No, no. Absolutely nothing of the sort..." "Really? But it's strange for you to say that, because Ms. Hara Sakura's room doorknob only has your fingerprints on it." Only now did I understand why the police had to collect Sagara's fingerprints just now.I quietly turned my head to look in Mr. Satoshiro's direction, he just looked at Sagara and the police department in disbelief.Sagara didn't speak, but bit the corner of his lips, but his face was a little more bloody than before. "Miss Sagara, can you please explain what's going on?" Seeing that Sagara couldn't answer, the police department patted the table as a hint.Detective Kimura immediately brought a man in.As soon as I saw that man, I couldn't help but think, I seem to have seen this face before... "Miss Sagara, I heard that when Ms. Hara Sakura appeared in the hotel last night, her face was covered with a thick veil, and the people in the hotel could not see her face at all. And you have a dress that is exactly the same as Ms. Hara Sakura Fur coat, is it? Excuse me, could you please put on that coat and wrap your face with a veil for this gentleman to see? He is the counter foreman of the restaurant in the D building, and was in charge of Ms. Hara Sakura last night... " "It's not that troublesome." Sagara stood up suddenly, I thought she would go forward to confront the police excitedly, but unexpectedly she stood where she was, and said forcefully: "I was the one who went to the restaurant in Building D under the teacher's name the night before yesterday. However, I never did anything I shouldn't do. The teacher asked me to do it. Teacher..., Hara Sakura-sensei, she It seems that there is something that must be done, and after getting off the train in Shinagawa, I turned back to Tokyo." The clean and hearty voice of the mezzo-soprano resounded throughout the room.