Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Triangle Mountain Tragedy

Monday, November 15, was a rare holiday for Tajima.As a social news column reporter, he is busy covering various emergencies, and his rest days are often squeezed out.Therefore, he proposed to the editor-in-chief in advance that he hoped that the holiday on November 15 would not be squeezed out, because he was going on a date with Masako Yamazaki. Masako is an employee of a trading company in Kyobashi, and she is off every Sunday.But Tajima has no fixed rest day, so it is rare to see each other.Now it is hard to agree to meet on the 15th, and I hope that this day will not be disturbed by anything.

Tajima wants to marry Masako.Although the two have not known each other for a long time, this does not affect the overall situation.She is naturally beautiful, not to mention the two hit it off.Of course she is not a fashion model beauty.When they went swimming together at the beach this summer, she looked exceptionally fit in her bathing suit. Masako is not from Tokyo.She was born in the rural Northeast.It was a very remote tribe.In her words: "In winter, wild beasts such as bears and foxes haunt the house." Four years ago, Masako's sister married the landlord's son, and Masako came to Tokyo.

"My dialect is very heavy, don't you find it annoying?" Changzi asked.Tajima replied: "The dialect is not important." After hearing this, Changzi said happily: "That's thanks to my sister." According to Changzi, her sister had long wanted to correct her dialect.She thinks she has to correct her dialect if she wants to go to Tokyo.Since both parents died and the sisters depended on each other, Masako often mentioned her older sister.Once, Masako even said, "My sister saved my life." Tajima didn't ask carefully.He thought it was nothing more than homage to his sister.

Sometimes Masako said, "I am an old-fashioned woman." This is probably also influenced by her sister.Tajima doesn't dislike old-fashioned women.Although he doesn't know how much older women are stronger than modern women.In fact, Masako is not an old-fashioned woman.She understands the new knowledge of modern science, and she is not indecisive. On the 15th, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and the sky was blue.There was no "sudden" event and no rain, which was very gratifying.At 10 am, Tajima attended the appointment as scheduled.Masako was already waiting at the entrance of the Keio Line at Shinjuku West Exit.

In mid-October, there are many tourists in the suburbs, and Shinjuku Station is very lively.But as soon as November enters, although the temperature does not change much, there are very few tourists.It is the Japanese temperament to follow the steps and do whatever the solar term.In addition, today is not a holiday, but an ordinary day, so the ticket gates and ticket offices are empty. Tajima thought it was wonderful that there were few tourists and the station was quiet.He is tired of being squeezed in crowded train stations every day. "The tickets are ready," Changzi said, and took out two tickets.Tajima is busy with work all day long and has no time for outings.Everything was decided by Changzi, and he only raised one wish: to go to a quieter place.

"Where are you going to take me?" "Sacred Cherry Hill." "I haven't been there. There seems to be a relic of Emperor Meiji there." "Frankly speaking, I don't know either." Changzi shrank his neck and said.Today she is wearing a sweater and overalls.This outfit is more childish than usual. "I thought the name of the station was a bit romantic, so I decided to go there." "Isn't this too irresponsible?" Tajima said with a smile. "Isn't it fun to get off the bus in a strange place? After buying the ticket, I asked the person at the ticket office."

"What did the people at the ticket office say?" "They said that there is a triangular mountain there, about 200 meters high. The mountain is not high, but the scenery is beautiful, and it is very popular with the company staff." "Yeah, for company employees who don't exercise enough, a mountain of about 200 meters may be just right for them." Tajima said with a wry smile.The self-confidence of the student days has disappeared without a trace. I haven't taken the Keio Line for half a year.The former construction site now stands tall with a five-story building.Under the building is the platform of the subway station.The platform was brightly lit.Standing at the subway station, one doesn't feel like being in the suburbs at all.I am afraid that this subway has been changed to an ordinary railway for transporting commuters.

After passing the ticket gate, Tajima reached out to take the bag from Masako.As soon as he opened the cloth bag, he immediately smelled the aroma of bread and seaweed.It turned out that lunch was already ready. There were few passengers in the carriage.At first, I thought it was no different from taking the subway in the urban area, but as soon as I passed Silk Town, I saw miscellaneous forests and farmland, showing the unique scenery of the suburbs. Half an hour later, the train stopped at the Holy Miracle Sakura Hill Station.This is a small station standing alone in the farmland.After getting off the bus, the billboards on the platform were filled with advertisements for the sale of land, which was dizzying.It turns out that there is also a geothermal fever in this area.After exiting the ticket gate, there is a strip-shaped commercial street.In fact, it is not called a "street" at all.There are only four shops in the whole "street": a color photo printing shop, a canteen, a noodle shop, and a land sale negotiation office.

Tajima asked the owner for directions after buying film at a color photo lab.The owner said that after crossing the crossing and going straight ahead is the Tama River. "However, many houses were built here and there along the river, and the scenery has been completely destroyed." There are no residents near the station because the land price is too expensive.Tajima remembers someone saying: When the land price is expensive, the phenomenon of "vacant land" will appear around the station. "Where is Triangle Mountain?" Tajima asked. "In the opposite direction of the Tama River. Go forward about 200 meters and there is a mountain. Please look there. This mountain was originally called Hotan Mountain, but because it looks like a triangle, it is also called Triangle Mountain. The mountain is not high, but you can overlook the surrounding scenery. "

"It's that mountain." Changzi pointed. They walked in the direction the shopkeeper pointed.There is a wide road there.There are bus stop signs on the side of the road, which indicate that there are buses running on the road.But there was never a car.Maybe an hourly coach. After a while, the trees on both sides of the road gradually became dense.There is a police station on the other side of the small bridge—Guanhu Police Station of Nantama Police Station.Judging from the word "Guanhu", this area may have been the customs office of the Hojo clan in the past. A small hill can be seen on the left side of the road, and the road sign says "Entrance of Triangle Mountain".From this, the road diverges into a thin road and extends towards Triangular Mountain.

It's a dry, dusty mountain road.On both sides of the road are lush miscellaneous forests and terraced fields.There is no one on the terraced fields after harvest, only scarecrows dotted around.Masako hugged Tajima tightly, and the two walked forward arm in arm. "How can I go like this!" Tajima laughed.After he said that, he hugged Changzi's slender waist even tighter. The autumn sun shines on the quiet mountain road, very warm.The gentle breeze is intoxicating. Masako rested her head on Tajima's shoulder.The warmth of the sun and the oily fragrance of Masako's hair rushed into Tajima's nostrils.The realization that there were only the two of them left in the world made Changzi bold.The two walked in silence for about ten minutes, before they reached the intersection.There are no terraced fields here, only a forest of red leaves and miscellaneous trees. The road sign states that the right side leads to the summit.The two followed the signposts and headed for the mountain road on the right.The higher you go, the narrower the road becomes.Like tunneling through a dense grove.Take a step, and there is a sound of dead leaves under your feet.The branches stretch out irregularly, and if you don't pay attention, you will be entangled by side slanting branches.Here it is impossible to walk arm in arm, and there is not even a path for two to walk. "I'll go first." Tajima picked up a branch and brushed off the branches hanging in front of his eyes and walked forward.Maybe the signpost is wrong, otherwise how could it be so difficult to walk?However, from the winding mountain road, it seems that you can reach the top of the mountain.Perhaps strayed into the path of the past. "Is it like this in your hometown?" Tajima asked Masako who was following him while walking.But there was no answer.Tajima stood still and looked back, only to see Changzi squatting on the ground five meters away. "What's the matter?" When Changzi heard the question, he held up a shoe for him to see. "There was a pebble in the shoe and it has been taken out." The red leaves reflected on Masako's white sweater, the colors were so vivid that the shoulders of the sweater were almost stained red.Tajima immediately took out the camera and secretly took a photo for her. As long as the photography skills are good, this red and white color will definitely be captured in the lens. Masako put on his shoes, hurried to catch up with Tajima, pouted and said angrily, "What a nuisance! Why did you take a picture without shoes on?" "Interesting demeanor, beautiful colors. If I don't take pictures, I will regret it forever." After Tajima explained carefully, Masako finally understood. The bush tunnel continued upwards, but the narrow path suddenly became wider and brighter.The branches and leaves covering the head are sparse, and the sun shines directly.Through the bushes, you can see the gentle hillside on the left, and the silver Keio Line rails lie across the hillside.On the opposite side of the hillside is the winding and rippling Tama River. "Let's take a rest here." Tajima said to Masako.At this time, a man's scream came from the direction the two had just walked by. Tajima looked in that direction in surprise.But the mountain road was winding, and the branches and leaves covered the sky and the sun, so I couldn't see anything. Changzi's face was pale. Just as Tian Dao wanted to follow the sound, he suddenly heard the sound of tree branches being shaken, and the sound was getting closer. "I'm afraid." Masako whispered, clutching Tajima's wrist tightly. Suddenly, a middle-aged man appeared in front of the two of them. The man was in extreme pain, and stretched out his hands as if begging for help.Tajima saw a dagger stabbed in his chest, and dark red blood oozed from his gray suit. Masako cried out in fright, and buried her face in Tajima's arms.Tajima was at a loss, and while protecting Masako who was trembling, he stared at the man.The man opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't make a sound.He staggered towards Tajima, only five or six meters away, when he suddenly fell and rolled down the hillside.There was only a mournful sound from the leaves, but it was quiet again soon. The moment that person disappeared from sight, Tajima's reporter woke up.He let go of Masako's hand and looked down the hillside.The trees on the hillside blocked the man's body, looking down from the front, it was not known whether he was dead or alive. Tajima glanced at Masako, her eyes were dull and her face was pale. "Calm down." Tajima said, shaking her shoulders. "Oh." Masako replied with a moan. "I'll go down and have a look." Tajima still put his hand on Masako's shoulder. "You stand here and don't go. If anything happens, call me immediately." "OK." "Don't be afraid." Tajima smiled at her, then walked down the bushy hill with the camera behind her back. Blood marks remain on the withered yellow leaves like red threads.As soon as Tajima approached the man, a bloody smell pierced his nostrils.Tajima helped him up and shouted a few times.He opened his eyes slightly and moved his mouth. Tajima immediately put his ear close to his mouth, only to hear the voice of "Heaven...". "God? What's the matter with God?" Tajima asked loudly close to his ear, but there was no answer. It turned out that he had died. Tajima grabbed the branch and stood up, looking at the dead man silently.A dagger was piercing his heart.It differs from a normal dagger in that it has a round handle.And also equipped with dagger-like gauntlets.The gauntlet seems to have been put on by itself.The dagger pierced deeply, all the way to the gauntlet. Tajima took the camera off his shoulder.Although newspapers never published photos of dead bodies, he couldn't help fiddling with his camera looking at the dead body in front of him.After taking three photos from different angles, he approached the corpse again and took a closer look.The face of the deceased was changed due to pain, but he was still a handsome man.The age is about thirty-five or six years old.A few jacket buttons fell off as he rolled down the hill, so he could glimpse the word "Jiu Song" embroidered on his underwear pocket.It's probably his name.Tian Dao suddenly thought of Chang Zi, if the murderer hadn't escaped, Chang Zi's life would be in danger. "Changzi..." Tajima shouted loudly, but there was no answer.Tajima was extremely anxious and hurried up the slope. Changzi was still squatting in the same place, covering his face with his hands.Tajima approached and helped her up. "It's okay, right?" "Yes." Changzi nodded, and looked up at Tajima, his face was still very pale. "Is that man dead?" "died." "How to do it?" "Call the police." Tajima said, "There is a police station by the bridge, let's go back." "I'm still afraid..." "Don't be afraid, the criminal has escaped. Did you hear any noise just now?" "It seems to be the sound of human footsteps, but it may be a psychological effect." "That may be the footsteps of criminals escaping." Tajima said.But he wasn't confident.The criminal might have fled immediately after the assassination. The two walked back along the same road.Tajima was carrying the camera, Masako was carrying the food bag, and the cheerful mood of the holiday disappeared without a trace. A young policeman is idly reading a newspaper in a police station.He looked at the two visitors with surprise eyes. Tajima reported the incident to him, and the police were very surprised.How could a murder happen in broad daylight?After repeated explanations by Tajima, he had mixed doubts and beliefs. "I'll take you to the scene." Tajima said. "Changzi, take a good rest here." Changzi nodded silently. Tajima led the police to the forested hillside. When the police saw the corpse, their expressions changed drastically. "We must contact the police station." The young patrolman said to himself, and then walked back.When you get back to the office, call the police immediately. Tajima went to the color photo printing shop in front of the station and called the editor-in-chief to report the incident. "You're lucky!" the editor-in-chief said jokingly. "Do you need help?" "No. I have my camera and my notebook." "It's so unlucky to encounter such a thing on a rare holiday..." "Don't be kind to the devil." Tajima said with a wry smile. "As a witness, you may be interrogated. However, you can also interview some materials. I will report to you if there is any situation." After finishing speaking, Tajima hung up the phone and returned to the police station.The young policeman said to Tajima: "Send someone from the police station immediately. Please testify." Tajima nodded, glanced at Masako and asked, "Can she go back first?" "No." said the patrolman stiffly. "If there are not enough witnesses, the department will hold them accountable." The young patrolman refused to accommodate him at all. Masako smiled at Tajima and said, "It doesn't matter." Indeed, her voice stopped shaking, but her face remained pale. Five minutes later, a police car from the Nantama Police Station arrived at the police station with its siren blaring.Serious-looking criminal police stepped out of the car, and the police station suddenly became noisy. The police station patrol introduced the body finders Tajima and Masako to the fat police officer.When Tajima handed over his business card, the police officer gave a meaningful "oh" and didn't know what the "oh" meant. Could it be that the newspaper reporter was causing headaches? Then the autopsy van arrived.A large group of people embraced Tajima and Masako and walked towards the scene.On the way, the police officer asked the two about the incident, and the police officer nodded while listening, thinking that it was generally credible. When walking to the bush road, the police officer pushed away the messy branches, frowned and asked: "Why did you choose this road? This is an old road. Although it also leads to the top of the South Mountain, almost no one has walked it in recent years." "We followed the signposts," Tajima said.The police station patrol affirmed. "Someone did a prank and turned the sign in the wrong direction. Tourists these days lack public morals." "Put up the road signs later." The police officer said coldly. Dark clouds blocked the sun, and there was a shadow around the body.The post-mortem police took several pictures with a flash.One of the men produced a driver's license from the body pocket.Tajima read clearly on the driver's license from behind the detective: Judging from the photos, the driver's license undoubtedly belonged to the deceased.Tajima immediately wrote down the name and address of the deceased in a notebook.He looked at his watch, the hands were pointing to 12 o'clock.There is still an hour until the evening paper deadline.Tajima decided to call the editor-in-chief and ask him to send someone to investigate Hisamatsumi's situation and publish a newsletter in tonight's newspaper.So he ran up the hillside and whispered to Changzi: "I'm going to make a phone call. Don't tell the police. These people are very stubborn. They won't agree to be published. I'll be back after the call. You put them off." "OK." "Please. This looks like a journalist's fiancée." Tajima blushed, because the two hadn't talked about getting married yet.