Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The Mystery of Swimming Photos

Saeki walked out of the beauty salon alone.Four criminal police followed him quietly from a distance.Kamei turned up the collar of his raincoat and stuck a fake beard on his chin, making it unrecognizable. Saeki crossed the overpass of the National Railways and walked towards Shinjuku Kabukicho.Then he stopped suddenly.He looked at the watch on his wrist, then turned into the alleyway and pushed open the door of the "Rainbow" bar.Kamei watched Saeki's actions closely.Did he go in there to pass the time?It is now 9:36 and the three incidents all occurred after 10:00 pm.During this period of time, he probably deliberately drank to waste time.In order to investigate what happened, Kamei signaled that the other three criminal policemen were watching outside, and he walked into the bar alone.

Saeki was sitting in the corner of the counter, looking around the shop while drinking whiskey and water.The eyes were full of lust and erratic expression.In the bar, besides some male customers, there were three young female employees sitting side by side drinking.They talked and laughed.Kamei sat across from them, ordered a beer, and then stared at Saeki's behavior. Saeki glanced at the three young girls from time to time.They were modern girls, tall and strong. The proprietress of the bar came out from the back room, saw Zuo Bo at first sight and greeted loudly: "You came."

The proprietress is about 50 years old, short and talkative.After greeting Saeki, she chatted about the beauty salon business. When the three female staff heard that Saeki was a hair stylist, they seemed very interested and immediately struck up a conversation with him.Saeki seemed to be getting what he wanted, so he talked a lot about his life in Paris, his fashion and hairstyle, and so on. Kamei watched the development of the situation calmly, and the time passed by every minute.Perhaps the detectives outside were anxiously waiting, but Kajima walked in.He naturally sat beside Kamei, asked the waiter for whiskey with water, took a sip, and asked Kamei in a low voice:

"What's the situation?" Kamei whispered to Kashima while drinking beer: "I don't know why, I don't know if he is passing the time, or looking for hunting targets?" At this time, the proprietress also joined in, and one man and four women talked more vigorously.Young girls may not be able to resist the temptation of Parisian scenery and fashion; Saeki is naturally a better subject when talking about Paris. After about 30 minutes, I don't know the content of the conversation, but one of the three young girls left the store together with Saeki.Kajima hurriedly followed behind.Kamei stood up slowly after a while and walked outside.

Seeing Kamei coming out, Kajima quickly approached him, pointed to the jewelry store in front of him and said: "Saeki and that woman went into that shop." "What are they going to do?" "Maybe Saeki wants to buy a necklace or something for that girl." "Gifts?" Kamei was puzzled. Five or six minutes later, Saeki and the girl came out arm in arm.I saw the thin bracelet on the girl's wrist sparkling.She was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with an oval face, and was very pretty. "Where does this couple want to go?" Kashima muttered to himself.

"The question is whether Saeki wants her as a fourth victim." Kamei said. "Of course she is the fourth victim. Before this, Saeki has killed three women. Today is Friday again, and he will not seek this woman for other purposes." "But the first three victims were killed on the way home, and the murderer was probably waiting in ambush!" "This time, we may have to send her home and prepare to rape and kill her on the way. This cunning pervert bought her a bracelet to reassure her!" Kashima and Kamei hid in the dark talking softly. Saeki and the girl hugged each other like lovers, and walked towards Seibu Shinjuku Station.There are row upon row of love hotels.Kashima and Kamei didn't dare to neglect, and followed closely.

"Maybe they hang out at the love hotel for a while and then send her home?" Kashima guessed.Kamei remained silent, staring at the two as they walked into the love hotel with the "Osmanthus" signboard, and then let out a sigh of relief. "Brother Kamei, what should we do?" Yasui who just caught up asked with a nervous expression. It was difficult for Kamei to judge Saeki. "None of the past three cases happened in a love hotel." Kamei blurted out such a sentence. "But you should know." Kajima stared at the hotel, "Saeki is a murderous demon!"

This sentence reminded Kamei, who after a little thought immediately ordered: "That's it, Kajima and I sneaked into their next room. The two of you are ambushing and monitoring outside. You should contact the Totsukawa Criminal Police Department at any time." Normally, Kamei seldom used the police ID card, but at this moment he had to use it.He walked into the "Gui" Hotel to explain his intention to the boss, but unexpectedly the boss jumped up: "We didn't bother the police!" The boss in his fifties turned pale with fright. Kamei quickly waved his hand, pointing at the man and woman who came in just now.

"Are they the two people who entered the 'Sakura' room? Are they suspects in what case?" "No, we're just worried, so we want to wait in the next room for a while." "But, we..." "If that person died for love, wouldn't it be more troublesome for you?" "Martyrdom?" "It's possible." "Understood. Then please enter the 'chrysanthemum' room." Kamei and Kajima listened and waited breathlessly in the "Chrysanthemum" room... The equipment of the love hotel is luxurious, not only there are high-grade thick silk quilts, but also large bathrooms.

Kamei went into the bathroom, which was the closest to the next door, and the music and conversations on the TV over there could be heard clearly.Kashima approached Kamei and asked: "Did you hear anything?" "I didn't hear them talking, it seems they are watching TV." Kamei answered Kashima softly. “What an amazing atmosphere, amazing setting!” Kashima muttered. "It really put me in a stuffy gourd. Does Saeki want to make her the fourth victim, or do he want to spend the night with her?" Kamei said. "I think so." Kashima echoed. "That young girl is really worrying to have the audacity to spend the night in a hotel like this with a man she met in a bar."

Kashima said. "Dude, you're still young!" "I'm in my thirties." "I'm over 40 and I've seen it a lot." Kamei smiled contemptuously. At this moment, a loud noise suddenly came from the next door, which was the sound of an object falling down. Kamei and Kashima looked at each other warily.Then, I heard the woman's cry for help.That sound is creepy.When Kamei heard the girl's voice, he stepped out of the "Chrysanthemum" room, knocked on the door of the "Gui" room, and shouted sharply: "Open the door, open the door. I'm the police!" There were only shouts in the room, but there was no intention to open the door.Kamei was in a hurry.Together with Kajima, he knocked the door open. Kajima jumped into the room first with a pistol in hand.This is a Western-style room, and the girl rolled under the double bed, half naked.Saeki disappeared.Kamei picked up the woman who only wore underwear and put her on the bed.Kajima rushed into the bathroom.The bathroom window was wide open, and Saeki escaped from here.Kashima greeted Kamei, and also jumped from the window into the alley. The girl Kamei carried was moaning on the bed.Her neck was swollen and red. "Help……" she called out in a faint voice.Her bra had been undone, revealing her white, full breasts, which were trembling with her shock. Kamei picked up the blanket and covered her body and said softly: "Don't be afraid, it's all right." Yasui and Tajima who were outside the hotel also ran over in a hurry when they heard the commotion inside. "Kajima has been chased out, you guys go to support!" After Kamei ordered, he also walked out of the room, and quickly got in touch with Totsukawa. After Kajima chased him out, he didn't see Saeki.He had no choice but to get in touch with the two policemen who were ambushing the apartment where Zuobo lived.However, Saeki still did not return to the residence until the next morning. The girl who was killed in the love hotel was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The girl's name is Tomoko Yoshikawa, 24 years old.I'm an employee of Shinjuku Department Store.Because the injury was not serious, he was able to get up on the bed, but his voice was still low and hoarse. After reporting the situation to Totsu, Kamei accompanied him to the hospital to visit Tomoko Yoshikawa. "Have you arrested that guy?" Tomoko Yoshikawa asked Totsukawa. "Not yet. But his name, address and work unit have been obtained, and he will be arrested soon." "I've never seen such a wicked man!" "Is this the first time you met him in a bar?" "Well. I often go out to drink with my friends, and I only met him when I was introduced by the proprietress. He is a hair stylist and has studied in Paris, so I trust him. Unexpectedly, as soon as he went to bed, he suddenly strangled my neck..." "What did you talk about before you got to the hotel?" "I didn't talk about anything. I heard him talk about Paris, or I introduced the situation of working in a department store." "When he strangled you, did it occur to you that you might be killed?" "Oh, of course. That guy's face suddenly changed, and his person seemed to change too, like a... devil." The moment Yoshikawa thought of being strangled, his voice trembled even more. "Did he strangle you suddenly?" "yes." "What did he say at the time? Did he say he wanted to kill you or kill you?" "He seemed to yell something, but I can't remember it anymore, because it was too scary." Zhizi's voice was unclear, and her whole body was trembling, "Is he Friday's murderer?" Totsukawa did not answer her question, but simply comforted her and went to the search headquarters with Kamei. Saeki hadn't been seen in Tokyo all Saturday morning. The whole city has issued an urgent arrest warrant, and all the police have mastered the situation and photos of Saeki. Skynet was restored, but Totsukawa couldn't calm down. There were two things lingering in his mind: one was worrying that Saeki would commit another crime while fleeing; the other was whether Saeki was really the Friday Killer? In Totsukawa's view, the first three rape and murder cases all happened near the victim's house, but Saeki committed the crime in a hotel last night. This completely different approach is worth noting.That's why he considered whether Saeki was the real murderer.If Saeki is not the real culprit, then the real Friday killer is still out of the French Open, and the problem is even more serious.In order to prove his own idea, Totsukawa found all the cases that happened in Tokyo last night to check. After investigation, from last night to this morning, there were only 26 cases in Tokyo: two homicides, 16 robbery injuries, one arson, one rape, and six thefts.But among these cases, there was not a single case of rape and homicide by a man with type B blood. After reviewing these cases, Totsukawa seemed to feel a little more relaxed.Because he can be sure that Saeki may really be the killer of that Friday! Shiraishi and Aoki asked the administrator to open the room where Saeki lived and searched in his room.This is a room with two rooms and two halls.The room is quite messy.Old newspapers were piled in the corners of the room, the TV was filthy, and the cooker in the kitchen was greasy. The two criminal police hope to find materials related to him and the three girls here. Only in this way can the mystery of Zuobo's killing of the three girls be solved. Shiraishi checked Saiki's drawer, he suddenly picked up a photo and handed it to Aoki: "Hey, look at this!" Aoki moved his head closer, and saw a girl in a bikini on the photo, with a swimming pool somewhere in the background. "Kimihara Kuniko!" Aoki cried out in surprise. A total of seven photos of Kimihara Kyuhito were found.Each is in a bikini and it looks like she's wearing a yellow bikini to match her tanned skin.Unfortunately, no material was found for the other two.But for the police, just a photo of Kunihara Kuniko is a considerable gain. It was Kuniko Kimihara's swimsuit that caught Totsukawa's attention.Totsukawa considered that the murderer only killed young girls with tanned skin, and the marks of the bikinis of the three victims were also clearly left on the tanned skin.If this is the murderer's habit, where does he find such a girl?This is the crux of the case.If the photo of Kunihara Kuniko was taken in the swimming pool, it means that this is how the murderer found his target.Even if the swimsuit photos of Yumiko Hashida, the first victim, and Kiyomi Tanimoto, the second victim, were not found, the murderer may have seen their swimsuits in other swimming pools. "When you two met this victim, how was she?" Totsukawa asked Kamei. "She was still alive when I saw it, so I went after Saeki without paying attention to her." Kashima replied. Kamei scratched his head and said: "I saw her half naked lying on the bed, she was still alive, so I rushed her to the hospital for emergency treatment." "Forget it. Didn't I go to the hospital with you? I asked you if you forgot to ask how the victim got tanned and swimsuit. You have to ask again." Totsukawa said. On the same day, Totsukawa and Kamei went to the hospital to visit Tomoko Yoshikawa again.When they rushed to the hospital, they happened to meet Zhizi's parents there. Zhizi's mother was sitting by the bed, stroking her daughter's hair, with a gratified smile on her face, obviously happy for her daughter's rescue. Tomoko's father stared at Totsukawa and asked: "The murderer hasn't been caught yet? Wasn't my daughter insulted by the Friday killer? What are you policemen doing?!" Tomoko's father is about 50 years old and looks like an ordinary employee.But today he confronted the police and questioned him loudly. Totsukawa is really suffering.Citizens can blame him, because the case is indeed unsolved; but he can't blame Tomoko's father: Who let your daughter go with a strange man casually, and live with him in a love hotel.In this case, any defense is useless. "I think the murderer will be caught soon," Totsukawa said, pleading with Tomoko's parents, "I'm sorry, but can I be alone with your daughter for a while?" But Zhizi's parents were not reasonable at all, and they rejected Totsukawa's plea. Kamei had no choice but to show his police ID and took them outside the door. "Where did you go swimming this summer?" Totsukawa asked Tomoko directly. "I can not swim." Tomoko showed a surprised expression, as if swimming had something to do with her victimization. "You can't swim, so you have a swimsuit, right?" "Yes. I bought it last year. I want to learn to swim." "Is it a bikini?" "Yes. I started practicing in the coach's room in July this year, and I have only been to the pool five times. I think I just need to go a few more times and maybe I will learn." "Where did you go to the swimming pool?" “Indoor pool in Shinagawa.” "Did Saeki, who insulted you, go to the pool with you? Did you talk to him at the pool?" "No. I didn't go to the pool with him or talk to him in the pool. We met for the first time at the bar." "Have you ever been to Sanlin Beauty Salon before you met Saeki at the bar?" "Haven `t been there." "real?" Totsukawa was disappointed by Tomoko's answer.He could only nod to her and leave with a smile. Saeki has yet to be captured, and the case confuses the search of the headquarters.The reason is that the fourth case is different from the first three.The first three were killed, but the fourth survived; the first three were all tanned, but the fourth was not.If killing the first three was due to the murderer's penchant for tanned, bikini-clad women, there is no explanation for the fourth. "Did the murderer's habit change? Or was the murderer who killed the first three people not Saeki?" Totsukawa asked Kamei. "Well..." Kamei pondered and said, "I have two opinions. First, the skin of the first three is very tanned, with obvious bikini marks, which is just a pure accident. If this is the case, then the fourth Even if the first victim, Tomoko Yoshikawa, didn't get tanned, it must be the reason." "What about the second opinion?" Totsukawa asked a question. "If the murderer's hobby is tanned skin, then before the third person, he happened to meet a victim who fit his 'taste'. But this year is cold summer, except for those who go abroad, there is not much chance to get close to the water. And it’s said that most young girls don’t want to be tanned. In this way, it might not be so easy for him to find a fourth tanned girl, and it’s Friday, so he has to choose Tomoko Yoshikawa as the fourth prey?” "From your point of view, you still believe that Yuichiro Saeki is the murderer." "There's really no better opinion." Kamei said with certainty. As Kamei said, at least the search of the headquarters did not find other suspects so far.And two days later, on Sunday the 28th, Saeki was still nowhere to be seen.The harsh reality put a lot of pressure on the search headquarters, and the restless atmosphere in the search headquarters became more and more serious. After the incident, Totsukawa always believed that it was only a matter of time before Saeki was captured.Because according to the police, Yuichiro Saeki is withdrawn and has few relatives and friends.As long as he doesn't have enough cash on him to escape very far, it is not difficult to find him.What's more, the search headquarters not only published Saeki's name in the newspaper, but also opened a trap, and sent criminal police to monitor Sanlin Beauty Salon, his residence, his hometown and friends' homes. Are you afraid that he will not be caught?Regrettably, however, several days passed and the search of the headquarters turned up nothing, which could not but make them anxious. "I'm most worried that this desperado, Saeki, will continue to commit crimes." The Chief of Search One Kobundo said worriedly. "I don't think it matters for now." Totsukawa replied. "Not necessarily. The attempted murder on the 26th failed, and the murderer's desire was not satisfied. In this case, he may hunt another woman before next Friday." Honda said. "I can't say there's no such possibility. But what was disclosed in the newspaper is that we are hunting him down as the suspect who raped Tomoko Yoshikawa. Saeki may think that even if he is arrested, the crime is very light. Then he may not do it again." "may be?" "The problem is we can't find Saeki's whereabouts." "Where can he hide?" "Maybe we chased him so hard that he committed suicide; maybe someone protected him." "Who can protect him?" "I can't tell at the moment..." Totsukawa frowned, showing a tired look. At this time, the young detective Aoki ran in with piercing eyes and reported: "Police, Saeki has surrendered himself!" Totsukawa couldn't help being startled: "Did he come by himself?" Aoki replied: "No, lawyer Dongtian came with him." After hearing Aoki's report, Chief Honda suddenly jumped up: "Lawyer Dongtian?" Obviously Honda was very surprised! Both Totsukawa and Honda knew very well that Attorney Higashida, who was a prosecutor, was a difficult person to deal with.There have been cases where Totsukawa was confident in arresting and prosecuting suspects, but as long as Higashida lawyer intervened, the defendant would be acquitted. What does it mean for Higashida to accompany Saeki to surrender this time? Suspicious, Totsukawa goes to see Higashida. Higashida is 68 years old. Although he weighs 80 kilograms, he still walks like a 50-year-old.He held Zuobo's hand tightly, as if he was afraid that others would snatch him away. "Ah, Mr. Totsukawa." Higashida greeted Totsukawa pretending to be intimate. Kamei held handcuffs and wanted to handcuff Saeki Yuichiro. Dongtian waved his hand: "No, he won't escape. Go to that room for interrogation." Totsukawa said, "If he escapes, Mr. Higashida will be responsible." "Ah, yes, haha!" Dong Tian laughed loudly. Kamei led Saeki to another room.Totsukawa said to Higashida: "Mr. Higashida, I really want to hear how you brought Saeki to surrender, please talk about it?" "First of all, let me remind you that Saeki was persuaded by me. He was not arrested, but surrendered himself." Toda said bluntly. "I'll think about it. Is Higashida-san planning to be Saeki's lawyer?" "I was entrusted by someone, and I decided to be his defense lawyer, please take care of me." "Excuse me, who are you talking about?" "Sorry, I can't say it yet." "But if he hid Saeki, he violated the criminal law." "I'm afraid you're exaggerating. I think Saeki Yuichiro is innocent, so those who protect him will not break the law." "Saeki lured a girl he met at a bar to a love hotel and tried to strangle her. The murder was prevented by the police who arrived just in time after hearing her screams. Is Saeki innocent?" Totsukawa looked straight at Higashida.Higashida smiled contentedly.Then he said: "I know that. Saeki also told me about the woman. But Mr. Totsukawa, Saeki took the girl to the lover's hotel, not because they hated each other, but because they had a good conversation while drinking! According to Saeki, going to the lover's hotel is the woman's initiative. And Saeki really wanted to have a serious relationship with her. However, when the other party came in and suddenly asked him for 20,000 yen, the man was naturally angry. When the two sides had a quarrel and were furious, Saeki couldn't help strangling the other party the neck, but did not really strangle her. The woman yelled loudly, and Saeki ran away in panic. This is the truth of the matter. This is what modern people call "love between clouds and water"! I think this is a purely accidental quarrel , does not constitute a criminal case." "But Mr. Dongtian, the victim testified that she was almost killed. Until now, her neck is still red and swollen. It will take three days for the doctor to recover." "I know a couple whose wife was seriously injured in a fight and spent a month in the hospital, but they are still husband and wife." Higashida refuted Totsukawa calmly and tactfully. "Mr. Dongtian, let's be honest." Totsukawa said. "I hope so too, and I am most opposed to rambling." Dongtian replied. Totsukawa smiled bitterly and said: "We are in charge of investigating the recent rape and homicide that happened every Friday, and Yuichiro Saeki is our main suspect." "You're not mocking me, are you?" Higashida lost the smile on his face, and he stared at Totsukawa solemnly. "I don't mean that at all." "Then why do you suspect that Saeki is Friday's rapist? If you can, please give a good reason." "I want to sue Zuobo as a serial murder suspect, and you will naturally know when the time comes." "You mean you can't say it now?" "It's just a suspicion right now." Totsukawa didn't answer directly. Toda snorted dissatisfied. "I don't think Saeki is Friday's killer." Dongtian was a little annoyed. "Do you know him?" Totsukawa asked. "As I said earlier, I was commissioned by someone to be Saeki's defense attorney. I talked to him for hours. I worked as a prosecutor and then as a lawyer. That is to say, I specialized in both prosecution and defense. Therefore, the eyesight of people is naturally better than that of ordinary people. After the conversation, I thought I knew Saeki. I admit, he has a rough side. He is a hair stylist, which is fashionable, but he is not good at it Words. I affirm that he is not a murderer." "But Mr. Dongtian, you also know that people are not born to kill. Due to various complicated life backgrounds and interpersonal relationships, good people may also become murderers. I remember Mr. Dongtian once said that "everyone can become a murderer." Murderer's academic report, isn't it?" Totsukawa said sarcastically. "Did I say that?" Higashida smiled nonchalantly, "But Saeki is innocent. I don't know what evidence you have, but if you sue, you will carry your bags. I admit that Saeki was in the love hotel and The girl I met in the bar quarreled and admitted that I persuaded him to surrender under the police investigation. But can this alone constitute a criminal offense? I think these can only be the conditions for mediation at best.” After hearing Higashida's words, Totsukawa was very angry, and an unknown fire ignited from his heart.He said angrily: "Whether it constitutes a crime or not is up to us to decide!" After speaking, he left angrily. The interrogation in the next room is ongoing.Perhaps because Higashida's lawyer had confessed, Saeki was very tough at the beginning of the interrogation, and pushed all the faults to Tomoko Yoshikawa. "I stayed in a love hotel with her. She also admitted that we hit it off. But who would want to ask me for 20,000 yen as soon as we checked into the hotel!" Saiki said angrily to Kamei, who was in charge of the interrogation. "You strangled her neck, didn't you?" Kamei asked. "No. We quarreled first about money, and then fought. Maybe my hand touched her neck during the fight. It was her talking nonsense that I strangled her neck and was going to strangle her. !" "Chizi said she didn't ask you for money!" Kamei retorted. Saeki shrugged: "Nonsense. She is a prostitute, of course she won't admit it. Although I'm a bit rough, it's not right for her to frame me!" "Then why did you run away in such a hurry?" "She yelled desperately, no one has to run! Besides, I heard the footsteps of men. I am also an artist, and I am afraid that my reputation will be damaged." "artist?" "Yes, hairstyling is a great art!" "Is this your thing?" Kamei put on the table the swimsuit photo of Kuniko Kimihara that he searched from Saeki's room. "Stolen from my room?" Saeki asked dissatisfied. "It's not stolen, it's kept as physical evidence." "What physical evidence? It's not this girl who went to the love hotel with me." "How do you have pictures of her in a swimsuit?" "It was taken at the Prince Hotel at the end of August. I was too busy with work and had no time to go to the beach, so I went to the hotel's swimming pool on Sundays to have fun. She and I have known each other for a long time, and she often goes to our shop. We met at the swimming pool I took a picture of her." "Do you like her very much?" "Why are you asking this?" "You took her swimsuit pictures and kept them solemnly. Doesn't that mean you like tanned bikini pictures?" "I don't know what you mean by that." Kamei said with a smile: "I was asking about your preferences. You probably prefer healthy tanned girls to fair-skinned girls?" "To be honest, I like both kinds of girls." "Do you like both?" After Kamei finished speaking, he immediately became serious: "You can't be satisfied with ordinary sexual relations, right? Strangling their necks, you will be excited when you see them in pain, right?" When Saeki heard this, he became furious and roared like a wild beast: "What are you talking about? I am a normal person, not a pervert!" "But, when you were eighteen or nineteen, you strangled a woman's neck and were arrested for rape!" "That's because the girl didn't accept it. I strangled her when I got angry, but I haven't done it again since then." "Will you strangle a woman's neck when you get angry? You also strangled her neck when you got angry this time, right?" "No, my hand touched her neck during the fight." "Did the lawyer tell you to say that?" "What I'm talking about is the truth, and you will understand it after careful investigation." "Of course we're going to investigate." Thus ended the interrogation. When Kamei came out of the interrogation room, he happened to meet Totsukawa. "How is Saeki doing?" Totsukawa asked. Kamei shrugged and replied: "He said that the other party asked for money suddenly, and he did it in a fit of anger. He insisted that they were fighting." "It was instructed by Dong Tian's lawyer." "I think so too. But it's hard to prove he was Friday's killer. There's hardly any conclusive evidence." "Yes." Totsukawa nodded, "but there are no suspects other than him. Besides, on the 26th, no young girl was raped or killed in Tokyo except Tomoko Yoshikawa. The person who wrote the anonymous letter to us did not report on Friday. Will not do it, so Saeki cannot be cleared of suspicion, but as you said, there is no conclusive evidence yet." "It seems that the attempted rape case is the only way to break through the serial homicide case." "It can be like this. But it is difficult to delay the detention time with lawyer Dong Tian as the opponent. The maximum detention time is 48 hours. We must prove that he is the murderer within this time." "If it doesn't work, just sue this rape case. If he is Friday's killer, at least the next case can be prevented." "Regarding this point, what Attorney Dongtian said is indeed worrying." "What did Toda say?" "He said that suing Saeki would only burden us." "That's because he was playing tricks." Kamei said dismissively. "In court, if the prosecutor is very young, the usual method used by lawyers is to play tricks and then threaten them." "I know Higashida is an old fox. But he is indeed full of confidence in Saeki's case. In addition, why Higashida is willing to defend Saeki is also worthy of our attention." "Wouldn't it be Saeki himself who commissioned it?" Kamei asked. Totsukawa shook his head and replied: "A big man like Higashida will not act lightly unless it is beneficial to him. Moreover, Higashida himself is also a person with a strong sense of honor. I am afraid that he will not agree to Saeki's request." "So, it must be someone else who asked Dongtian to defend?" "Exactly. And the client either has a considerable status or is very rich. Otherwise, Dongtian won't be able to be hired." "What kind of person will it be?" "When I was talking to him, I was thinking that if someone from the Saeki family, Higashida would not refuse to speak out. Because it is natural for the family to hire a lawyer. Saeki has very few friends, and it is impossible for them to be friends or acquaintances. In this way, probably The person who hired a lawyer for Saeki may have something to do with his profession." "Based on what you're saying, it might be the noble lady who often goes to Sanlin Beauty Salon." "That's right. Saeki is a threat to young girls, and maybe he'll be cute to middle-aged ladies." "Was it directly entrusted by a certain wife, or was she entrusted by someone else?" "It's hard to say. No matter who entrusts him, it mainly depends on how Higashida acts. If Saeki can confess the crime of serial rape and murder as soon as possible, the problem can be solved as soon as possible." Totsukawa said finally. The next day, another incident left Totsukawa dumbfounded. The father of the victim Yoshikawa Tomoko came to the search headquarters and demanded that the charges against Saeki Yuichiro be withdrawn. "Why exactly?" Totsukawa asked Tomoko's father. Tajima and several other young criminal policemen also looked very ugly, and they looked at Tomoko's father with contempt. Zhizi's father blinked and said: "It was my daughter who insisted on withdrawing the lawsuit. I am also willing to make the big and small things smaller. Because this matter is always not honorable for my daughter." "But Mr. Yoshikawa, you asked us to arrest the murderer as soon as possible in the hospital!" Totsukawa said. "At that time, I lost my mind and said that because my daughter was injured. Fortunately, my daughter's injury was not serious, and she was also at fault for being kidnapped..." At this moment, Yoshikawa spoke less forcefully. "Have you met Lawyer Dongtian?" Totsukawa looked at the other person's expression and asked seriously. "I don't know lawyer Dongtian." Yoshikawa's expression was a little embarrassed. "Were you threatened, or did you accept a bribe?" Totsukawa asked provocatively. "What are you talking about! I won't trade money with my beloved daughter!" "That's a threat! Some people will say that once it goes to court, it will hurt your face if your daughter's scandal is made public, right?" "I don't want my daughter to be hurt more. If the murderer talks nonsense in court, how will my daughter behave in the future? The consequences will be even more unimaginable?" "This is very similar to what Lawyer Dong Tian said!" "Police, I just want to protect my daughter's honor as a father, that's why I'm withdrawing the case." "You mean to make the love hotel thing go away?" "yes." "But, Mr. Yoshikawa, there is something I want you to think about." "What's up?" "Friday's killer has already killed three girls, and we believe that the killer may be Yuichiro Saeki. Perhaps Miss Tomoko will be killed on Friday the 26th, the fourth victim." "In this case, you should arrest him, because he has already killed three girls. Why do you have to use my daughter's minor injuries as the basis for the murderer?" "Unfortunately, because the evidence to prove that Saeki was the murderer of the first three girls is still not conclusive." Totsukawa said honestly. "Then go find evidence, this is the job of your police!" Tomoko's father growled almost angrily. "Of course, we are trying our best to collect evidence. But at least there is no conclusive evidence yet. But it will be another four days until Friday. In order to avoid new victims, we want to detain Saeki Yuichiro first. So we need Yoshikawa very much Tomoko's help." "In any case, my daughter has nothing to do with Friday's killer, and I firmly demand that the charges be dropped!" "By doing this, you are helping that gangster!" "Perhaps you will say that I am selfish, only thinking about Zhizi's future and not caring about the lives of other young girls." Tomoko's father didn't intend to let go. Totsukawa is not ignorant of Mr. Yoshikawa's mood at this time.In his opinion, Yoshikawa's daughter is in the age of cardamom, and as a father, he is most afraid of her daughter being hurt.Lawyer Dongtian most likely took advantage of this. Seeing that Totsukawa was silent, Yoshikawa continued: "The reason for withdrawing the lawsuit is of course my daughter's wish, and my wife and I also agree. Zhizi is only 24 years old, and someone has proposed several marriages. If people talk nonsense, her future future will be over. If the other party is a serial murderer, reporters from TV and newspapers will flock to him, how can my daughter cope with it?" "I understand how you feel." "Whether you understand it or not, even if she is put on trial, my daughter says she will never go to court; if she is taken away by force, she will never testify. We have already decided on this." "Mr. Yoshikawa, please don't talk nonsense!" Tajima couldn't hold back any longer and yelled loudly. 吉川吓了一跳，不满地瞥了田岛一眼，耸了耸肩膀。 “我们是为你的女儿拘捕了凶手，到现在你竟然说要化作无事，这是什么意思？你也太轻视警察的使命了！” 田岛又吼了一句。 十津川一面用手示意田岛安静，一面对吉川说道： “吉川先生，你的心情我很了解，也请能体谅我们的难处。” “这个我懂，但我实在无能为力。我不想让女儿作为强奸犯的受害者而抛头露面。” 吉川顽固地说道。 “不能再商量商量吗？” 十津川缓和着气氛说道。 "What are you discussing?" “作为警察我们不能漠视受害人的意志，也不能强迫你女儿控诉。但是我们因有连续杀人的大案，不能立即释放佐伯，可否将撤销控诉保留到拘留期限为止？” “拘留期限多长？” “逮捕拘留后48小时。从现在算还有32小时。我们要在这期间找出佐伯是连续强奸杀人犯的证据。如能成功，不须你们的帮助我们也可以给佐伯定罪。” “假如找不到证据又怎么办？” “那就只好释放。” "But……" 吉川又现出困惑的神色。 十津川立即微笑道： “请你对东田律师说，我们已经谈妥了。这样，东田先生会来见我们。” “这我就放心了。我也希望能尽快捕获强奸杀人的凶手。祝你们成功！” 说完吉川先生如释重负地告辞了。 “也够难为他的了。” 十津川望着吉川离去的背影无不感慨地对田岛说道。说完他又将专案的几名刑警召集到办公室，对继续探索三起杀人案件和佐伯的关系做了部署。 龟井听了十津川的安排，叹了口气说道： “只有32个小时佐伯就到了拘留的期限，时间太紧了。” “所以要尽全力。佐伯持有君原久仁子的比基尼照片，所以希望先重点调查一下她与佐伯的关系。只要有一件证据我们就好办了。借此还可和第一、二两个案件联系起来，以便彻底查清佐伯。” 十津川将工作安排妥后，离佐伯开释时间整整还有32个小时。