Chapter 9 Chapter 8 Suspicion

Tajima felt himself faltering, as if he had lost his mental balance.He thought: what happened to me? Tajima walked in the hard and smooth corridor of the Metropolitan Police Department, and seemed to fall several times. Be calm, be calm! Tajima said to himself: "Perhaps it is purely a coincidence. There are many such things in the world!" He repeated it many times as if chanting a mantra, but still could not dispel his doubts and anxiety. Tajima saw it very clearly.On the upper left of Hisamatsumi's savings passbook, the same number as that in Masako's handbook is clearly written:

Masako's handbook does have this number, and nothing else. Tajima clearly remembered the number written in Masako's handbook: This number is exactly the same as that of Hisamatsumi's passbook.Not only the numbers are the same, but the "M" can also be linked with his passbook.If "M" is the prefix of Samsung Bank's pinyin alphabet, then it should mean Yotsuya Branch of Samsung Bank, and "8296" is the passbook number 8296, so it is completely consistent.Could this be a random coincidence? Hopefully it's just a coincidence.The more Tajima tried to deny the doubt in his heart, the doubt became bigger instead.Moreover, this doubt is increasingly becoming a clear fact.

Masako must know Hisamatsumi's savings passbook.Tajima thought. How did Masako know?Is this because she wants to transfer money to Hisamatsu's account? The Nakamura police assistant said that a woman wearing sunglasses had appeared at the Ueno branch of Samsung Bank and transferred 200,000 yuan to the account of Hisamatsumi of the Yotsuya branch.He also said: This woman is neither Yukiko Kataoka nor Bumyo Kinukawa. Is that woman Masako? When this question arose, Tajima felt slightly dizzy. "What's the matter with you?" the editor-in-chief asked Tajima: "You look ugly! Could it be that the section chief didn't agree to our deal?"

"No." Tajima forced a smile and said: "The section chief and the assistant of the police department had a very positive conversation with me. However, it has been agreed that the contents of this conversation cannot be reported." "That's okay too. Because the cards in our hands have increased again, once we find out the criminal, we can throw all the cards out of our hands. At that time, I will ask you to write this report!" "it is good!" "During this conversation, what did you figure out?" "They showed me a negative in an envelope."

Tajima recounted how the police assistant showed him the blue envelope and photo. "Is it a woman in a kimono standing in front of the door?" the editor-in-chief said in a low voice: "The composition of this photo seems to have some meaning!" "The police also seem to believe that Hisamatsu is using this photo for extortion. I want a copy of the printed photo when it comes out." "Who is that woman in the kimono?" "The police are investigating." "Could it be Yukiko Kataoka?" "They said no." "Probably so! If that woman was Yukiko Kataoka, the police might have jumped for joy! If it wasn't for her, then the discovery of this photo would be a trouble for the police."

"Maybe! It doesn't seem to be the female owner of the Angel Bar. The assistant of the police department said that they took a photo of Kinukawa Fumyo, and the comparison proved that it was not her." "In this way, there is another suspect!" "yes." "It's hard to judge based on the back! From the point of view of wearing a kimono, it should be a woman in her thirties, not in her twenties." "Yes!" Tajima said: "I think she is also in her thirties." The woman in the photo was not Masako, that was for sure. "The gate, the woman in her thirties, and three letters, which can be compiled into a three-question joke (Three-question joke: a Japanese stand-up comedy. Comedians let the guests ask three questions at will, based on the three questions on the spot. Make up a crosstalk for the topic)!" The editor-in-chief said with a smile:

"Is there anything else?" "No more." Tajima said: "The only thing the police have now is that photo." Tajima is not good at lying, and he himself knows that his face changes suddenly in the Metropolitan Police Department.But he was unwilling to tell the editor-in-chief about the savings passbook that seemed to be related to Changzi.He didn't want to tell anyone about it until he found out the truth. The editor-in-chief was a little disappointed and didn't say anything more.He just smiled, as if to say, "It's a bit too high for the police!"

After Tajima returned to his desk, his mood was still not calm.However, when his emotions stabilized, his doubts and anxiety grew.He even wanted to ask Changzi directly, what do the letters in the manual mean?Do you know Hisamatsumi?However, this cannot be done, because she will deny all of this.In this way, Tajima's doubts will not disappear.If she answered in the affirmative, Tajima's pain would deepen.However, Tajima's doubts and uneasiness will not disappear on their own. How to do it? Tajima stood up from his chair and said to the editor-in-chief: "I'm going out for a while. I want to find the woman in the kimono."

"Any clues?" the editor-in-chief asked. "There are no clues. I want to look for me among the people around Hisamatsumi, and maybe I can find it." "That's right!" The editor-in-chief nodded in agreement: "If you have a clue, call me immediately." "Understood." Tajima said and walked out of the room. As soon as he walked outside, he immediately forgot what he had just said to the editor-in-chief.It may not be appropriate to say that I forgot.What he said to the editor-in-chief was actually an excuse for him to go out. Tajima wanted to verify his doubts.He wanted to know if the two hundred thousand yuan belonged to Changzi?If Masako had been blackmailed by Hisamatsu, what was the relationship between the two of them?If there is a dark secret and Hisamatsu threatens it, what is the secret?

What happens after the truth is found out?Tajima himself didn't know either.Maybe it just adds to the pain.I'm afraid this is the result!If doubts are put away, then it is impossible to continue working.If doubts continue unabated, Masako may be lost spiritually.Love is never cultivated on the basis of doubt.Even the love that the two have cultivated together to this day will be lost due to doubts! However, there is still a need to clarify these issues.This is not to lose Changzi, but to not lose Changzi. Tajima knew that Masako was saving bit by bit from her meager salary.She once showed Tajima her passbook.It is said that when a woman makes a promise with her heart, she is very willing to show the other party photos of her childhood.Masako asked Tajima to look at her savings passbook, probably out of such a mood?

As Tajima walked, he recalled the scene at that time.The bank Masako deposits in is Dongxi Bank in front of the station. Tajima stopped a taxi and told the driver to drive to Seijo Gakuen.Judging from the time, Masako probably hasn't returned to the apartment yet.It was better this way, because Tajima didn't have the courage to ask Masako directly. Tajima got off at the train station.Next to it is the bank.He pushed open the door marked "East-West Bank Chengcheng Branch" and walked in.Probably because the closing time is approaching, the bank is very busy. Tajima walked to the counter of the "Ordinary Deposit Office" and asked the female staff: "A man named Masako Yamazaki made a deposit here, right?" The female clerk at the counter said: "Please wait!" Immediately took out the account book to check and said: "Have!" "I want you to see if it's taken out?" "Is there anything suspicious?" "No!" Tajima said hastily.He blushed.During the interview, no matter what kind of lies he told, he would act as if nothing had happened.But today, his heart beats differently. "She called from where she was traveling and wanted to know how much money was left..." "I think, just look at the passbook." "The passbook, I can't find it all at once." "Really?..." The female staff member asked incredulously. "There are six hundred and twenty yuan left." "Six hundred and twenty yuan? It should be more than this. Has she taken it away recently?" "On October 26, she withdrew 100,000 yuan." "Is it two hundred thousand yuan?" "No, 100,000 yuan. Since the deposit at that time was a little over 100,000 yuan, it was impossible to withdraw 200,000 yuan." The female staff said sarcastically. Tajima thanked him and walked out of the bank. Changzi did put forward a deposit of 100,000 yuan.And it was extracted on October 26.That is, the first four days of October 30. Tajima tried his best to recall Masako's situation a month ago. He didn't remember any big purchases by Changzi, nor did he remember what supplies were added to Changzi's room at the end of October. Changzi was blackmailed by Jiu Song to withdraw the 100,000 yuan, right? However, what Changzi took out was 100,000 yuan.Instead of two hundred thousand yuan. Tajima thought hard, trying to figure out the relationship between the two sums of money.Now that the money doesn't match, it's dangerous to jump to conclusions too soon. "Besides, that suspicious woman in sunglasses transferred 200,000 yuan in cash to Hisamatsu's account from the Ueno branch of Samsung Bank. If that woman was Masako, she didn't have to go to Ueno, she could do it from the Seijo bank. For money transfer, there are many banks in the Kyobashi area where she works." This question added strength to Tajima.If the reason why Masako had to go to Ueno on purpose was not discovered, then she would have nothing to do with the case. However, Tajima's sense of peace of mind did not last long.Because he found that Ueno had a lot to do with Masako. If Changzi was extorted, she would need 200,000 yuan, so she would have to find ways to raise the other 100,000 yuan. Even if she sells some daily necessities, she can hardly make up 100,000 yuan.Even if the monthly salary is borrowed in advance, it is difficult to borrow 100,000 yuan.I'm afraid I borrowed money from someone.She couldn't ask Tajima for help, in fact she didn't ask Tajima.If so, then there was only one place she could turn to for help. This is her hometown, Iwate Prefecture.To be exact, her sister.Her relatives are only an older sister who lives in the Northeast. If Masako really borrowed 100,000 yuan from her sister, then she should have been to Iwate Prefecture, and the gate to Iwate Prefecture is Ueno. If Hisamatsu is extorting within a time limit, (this is very likely.) Then Masako will have to deposit the money in the bank as soon as he arrives in Ueno.Moreover, October 30 was a Saturday, and the bank was only open for half a day.If she arrived in Ueno in the morning, she would run into the Samsung Bank in front of the station, which was most natural. If you want to deposit money like this, it should be the Ueno branch.This thought deepened Tajima's doubts. I'll check to see if Masako has been back to Iwate at the end of October, Tajima thought. He went into the phone booth.It was exactly three o'clock.From the phone booth, Tajima saw that the bank he had just been to was closing. Tajima dialed the number of the trading company where Masako worked.After the call was connected, he said to the operator: Please answer the personnel department.Today was not the first time he called Changzi's work unit.But it was the first time for Shen Du to make a phone call today. A man answered the phone, his tone very cold.No matter which company, people from the personnel department or the accounting department usually answer the phone with a straight face. "Excuse me, is Masako Yamazaki from your company here?" "Masako Yamazaki is in the secretarial department." The man said coldly, "Do you want to transfer the call?" "No need. I just want to ask one thing. Did Ms. Yamazaki ask for leave at the end of October? The situation is like this. At that time, I met a person like Ms. Yamazaki on the train. That's why I want to ask." "Wait a minute, please!" the man said annoyedly: "Masako Yamazaki took a leave of absence on October 29th and 30th to return to her hometown." bingo.Masako returned to Iwate Prefecture at the end of October, but did not tell Tajima about it. Tajima stepped out of the phone booth and stood there for a while.For a moment, his brain froze and he didn't know what to think.It has become an undeniable fact that Changzi gave 200,000 yuan to Jiusong.However, why would a good girl like Changzi associate with a worthless man like Hisamatsu?Does she have some shady secret? Tajima fumbled in his pockets and took out the "Hope Brand" cigarette box, but the box was empty.He crumpled up the cigarette pack and threw it by the side of the road. What to do next?Tajima thought. Maybe go back to the newspaper.The editor-in-chief is still waiting for his report.He knew that there was nothing to do when he returned to the newspaper office. Tajima walked in the opposite direction from the station.He looked at his watch as he walked, it was not yet four o'clock.It would be more than an hour before Masako returned to the apartment.Masako's secrets are tempting him. Tajima walked into Masako's apartment.He thought: I lied to the editor-in-chief, got rid of the burden of being a journalist, and was acting freely as I wanted.However, in the depths of the desire to know Changzi's secret, not only Tajima's personal love for her, but perhaps also the reporter's instinct to find out the truth about everything is at work.It's just that Tajima himself didn't notice it. The key to the door is still in the bottle chest. Tajima used this key to open the door and enter the room. The room was dimly lit because of the curtains.Tajima wanted to open the curtains, but stopped.He turned on the lamp. Blue and white lighting adds to the brightness of the room.Although the light was still weak, Tajima kept blinking.This may be because he is worried about the consequences! Be sure to know her secret! Tajima said to himself, putting his hand on the handle of the drawer.The last time I opened the drawer in the same way, I felt a kind of pleasure, but today it is accompanied by painful conscience condemnation. The brown manual is still in the drawer.Now there is no need to look any further.Tajima looked at the passbook pressed under the handbook.The result was the same as what the Dongxi Bank staff said, and on October 26, 100,000 yuan was raised. Tajima opened another drawer.The first thing that catches your eye is the train timetable.Here is a timetable for October.Tajima thought: As expected! Tajima turned over to the part of the Tohoku Main Line.His premonition was also fulfilled in the train timetable.At 22:18 on the "downbound" of the Tohoku main line, the column of the "Hokusei" train departing from Ueno to Morioka, and the column of the "upbound" express train "Hokuto" are surrounded by red pencils. The express train "Hokuto" arrived in Ueno at 10:04 in the morning.This is an opportune time to visit the Ueno branch of Samsung Bank. Discovering the timetable wasn't such a heavy blow to Tajima.One after another, his imaginations became reality, which was unbearable for him. Tajima wants to know why Masako was blackmailed by Hisamatsu.Does she have a shady past?Even if there is such a past, Tajima has no idea of ​​pursuing and reprimanding.He just wants to know.What he can't stand are the wild thoughts that come from ignorance. Tajima opened the closet and searched, but did not find what he was looking for. Tajima turned off the light, locked the door and walked out of the apartment with mixed feelings of frustration and relief. Tajima felt extremely tired.This is the result of a combination of restlessness, worry, restlessness, doubt, and other psychological factors. When he got to the station, Tajima found Masako among the passengers at the ticket gate. Tajima looked away when he saw Masako.Today, it wasn't because he didn't want to see Masako, but because Tajima would feel pain if they met.In Tajima's heart there was an uneasiness that seemed to be wrong and a worry caused by checking Masako's room like a burglar.The unease and worry made him cringe. However, after Masako recognized Tajima, he ran over. A smile appeared on Changzi's face.Tajima also smiled slightly.But he also knew that his smile was faked. "I came here for an interview," Tajima said.He thought: I told a lie today.He hated doing it himself. "It's great! We can meet here." Changzi said loudly: "Aren't you going to my apartment? There's still time?" "Not going!" Tajima said: "No time. How bad it is!" Changzi's face immediately became gloomy.She said politely: "Well, shall we go to that cafe for a drink? Five or ten minutes, let's sit together for a while!" "It's okay to sit for a while!" Tajima nodded. The two of them went into the café next to the station.There are many students in the store.They talked loudly.It seemed that Tajima and Masako were going to put aside the noise and sit down at the innermost tea table. "Are you still pursuing that incident?" After a moment of silence, Masako asked. "Yes." Tajima nodded. "Has the culprit been identified?" "Not yet. It seems that the police have also hit a wall and cannot proceed. Are you concerned?" "..." A look of panic flashed across Chang Zi's face.Tajima regretted asking a question he shouldn't have asked.Changzi must be afraid of exposing his relationship with Jiu Song and being blackmailed by him during the investigation.Tajima's rhetorical question was too cruel. "I saw a living person die in Sanjiao Mountain, so I cared..." After a while, Masako said in a low voice. If it was yesterday, Tajima would have listened to Masako without any doubt.But today, Tajima couldn't believe it. "Yes, it is." Tajima nodded in understanding, but his face was gloomy. Masako also looked away, looking at the store door. Both were silent.This depressing silence was broken by Changzi's cry of "Ah!" "What happened to you?" Tajima asked in surprise.Masako looked at Tajima with timid eyes and said: "A suspicious person was watching us outside the store." "Suspicious person?" Tajima cast his gaze towards the door.For a moment, he saw a black shadow flickering outside the transparent glass door. Tajima was shocked. That shadow turned out to be Criminal Miyazaki.Got caught by the police.Tajima has never been aware of the police's stalking.