Chapter 4 Chapter IV Certified Check

It was 1:12 p.m. when Kanazawa Station called the Metropolitan Police Department's Search Section 1. The call came from an assistant named Arai, "The Totsugawa Police Department who took the 'White Goose' special express entrusted me to tell you. If you are ready, I will tell you." Chief of Section 1 Honda took the ballpoint pen in his hand and said: "Please speak." "Before arriving at Kanazawa Station, the Totsugawa Police Department arrested Goto, who attacked Kamei Detective, and they brought the murderer to Kanazawa. Mr. Kamei was safe and sound. In addition, Hara Katsuichi did not show up in the car. After being arrested Fuji holds a certified check of 1 million yen from Bank K, which may have been handed over to Goto by the bounty offerer as a deposit for the 10 million yen reward. The back of the check reads: Ido Hiroshi of Okubo, Shinjuku Ward. Hope this person is investigated as soon as possible. That's all."

"thank you very much." After hanging up the phone, Honda called the two detectives Tanaka and Kobayashi through the walkie-talkie, and handed them the phone records. "The situation of this person should be thoroughly investigated. This person seems to be the organizer of the reward, or has a relationship with the organizer. He is the person behind the 1 million yen certified check, and it is a check from Bank K." "Understood." Two criminal policemen rushed out of the police station quickly.Banks are closed today Saturday.The two drove towards Okubo in Shinjuku District in a police car.

The car stopped at a beautiful white mansion.The name plate of "Ihukou" is hung on the doorpost of the gate. Tanaka stepped forward and rang the bell. "Which one?" The voice of a young woman came from the intercom for questioning. "We are from the Metropolitan Police Department. We have urgent matters and would like to see Mr. Fairy Idoguchi." "Sir has fallen asleep." "Then please ask him to get up." "But……" "This is something related to the homicide case, so it cannot be delayed." Kobayashi interrupted loudly from the side.

Probably because of this sentence, the door opened, and at the same time, the voice of "please come in" came from the intercom. The woman invited the two criminal police officers to the spacious reception room.After serving the tea, the servant went out.After about two or three minutes, a man in a kimono walked in. "I'm Idoguchi. I fell asleep because of a cold. I'm sorry." The visitor said kindly. Kusaka (it should be Tanaka) took out his police ID and handed it to Idoguchi. "There is a Kamei detective in the First Investigation Division of the National Police Agency. Recently, someone attempted to snipe him, and someone offered a reward of 10 million yen for this."

"I seem to have read about it in the newspaper." "We are investigating who was behind this conspiracy." "It needs to be investigated." Idoguchi echoed. "Is that you?" Kobayashi blurted out. Idoguchi showed a puzzled look: "What did you say?" "Today Detective Kamei was almost killed by a man named Goto." "That...that..." "That person is carrying a certified check of 1 million yen signed by you. It's a check from Bank K." "I signed it?" "Yes, you also sent a letter to Goto. The letter said that if you can kill Kamei detective, you will give 10 million yen and send a check as a deposit. You signed the check on your back, and it pretends to be In that letter."

"That's too badass." "Do you have an account at Bank K?" "Yes. It's the bank where I withdraw my deposit." "Have you ever written a check for 1 million yen?" "If you say that, there is. Because checks are used for transactions, whether it is 1 million yen or 5 million yen." "Have you ever opened one worth 10 million yen?" "That's only been done when there's a huge amount of money being traded." "Excuse me, what is your business?" "I run a jewelry store called 'Idoguchi Gem'. The stores are in Shinjuku and Ginza."

"Is the business doing well?" "Thanks to your care, it has always been profitable. I want to open another one in Shibuya in the future." "Do you know Detective Kamei from the First Investigation Division?" "No, not at all. I'm fifty years old, and I've never been in trouble for the police. Of course, maybe that's nothing to boast about." "Do you know Masaya Goto?" "Can't remember the name. Who is he?" "The man who opened a 'Saint' club in Shinjuku 3-chome was serving time in prison until a month ago for hurting the hostess of the store."

"I don't know this person." "There is an S group in Shinjuku. Its advisor is Koda Keigo. Do you know the name?" "I don't know either." Idoguchi replied in a very cold tone. "Is your family at home?" Xiao Lin asked. "Yes. I have a wife and children. My daughter has married and moved to the United States. My son has not yet married. Now I am in charge of the Shinjuku store." "Please tell us your son's name." "His name is Idoguchi Kazuya. Did he do something?" "How old is he?" "About... 26 years old."

"Has your son ever written a check?" "No, he hasn't been asked to do anything in this area yet. I'm the one who issues the checks." "Where is the store in Shinjuku?" "It's near Shinjuku East Exit and the station. It's on the third floor of a seven-story building. You'll know it at a glance." Two detectives came to the Shinjuku store of "Idoguchi Jewelry".Getting there by car is only a few minutes away. There is a seven-story complex opposite the Shinjuku Station building, and the third floor is the "Idoguchi Jewelry Store" Shinjuku branch.

"Perhaps he telephoned us about our coming here." Kobayashi said to Tanaka while climbing the stairs. The Shinjuku store has arrived."Idoguchi Jewelry Store" is written in gold paint on the glass door of the main entrance. This is a big store.There are glass cabinets displaying all kinds of precious stones in the store, and the female shop assistant with the elegant demeanor of a model is smiling affectionately. Tanaka showed the police ID to one of the clerks and told her that he wanted to meet Mr. Kazuya Idoguchi, the person in charge of the store. The saleswoman stopped smiling.She led the two of them to the inner office.

Idoguchi is also a tall, stylish young man.Although he is a very handsome and handsome man, if you take a few glances at him, you will feel that he is an unreliable person.Was that why his father wouldn't let him write the check? In the beginning, it was a posture of preparing to fight.Apparently the phone has come first. "I don't think I have anything to talk about with the police," Kazuya said defiantly. "Do you know Mr. Koda from Group S?" Tanaka asked. "What are you talking about, I have nothing to do with the gang!" The denial was so strong that it felt as if it had gone too far. "No mistake?" "of course." "Sorry, I want to make it easier for the toilet." Kobayashi walked out of the office and said to a female shop assistant, "I heard from Mr. Koda that the price of the products here will be reduced by 20 to 30 percent, right?" Kobayashi greeted the female shop assistant. "You mean Koda-san? Who is it?" "It's Mr. Koda Keigo. He said he comes here often." When Kobayashi said this, the saleswoman replied with a smile, "That's Mr. Koda." "Yes. Isn't he very generous in his purchases?" "It's not like that. He sold it at a reduced price because he was friends with the manager. What do you want?" "I want to buy a pair of cheap earrings. Has Mr. Koda been here recently?" "Yes. Came here two or three days ago. Which style do you want?" "How about the regular ones? What kind of friends are the person in charge of your shop and Mr. Koda?" "I don't know much about it. How about these? They cost around ten thousand or twenty thousand." The saleswoman put the earrings in the jewelry box in front of Kobayashi. "I'm dazzled, I'll buy it next time." Saying that, Kobayashi returned to the office.After sitting down on the sofa, he said: "I'll ask you again, do you really not know Koda Keigo?" "It's so wordy! If I say I don't know it, I don't know it!" "It's not okay if you keep prevaricating." Kobayashi stared at Kazuya with wide eyes, and Kazuya timidly moved his eyes to the side. Xiao Lin said as if he was going to impose charges on him: "This matter may be related to the murder case. If you don't answer honestly, we will definitely pursue it." "Are you threatening me?" "I just ask you to answer the question honestly. The clerk said, Koda Keigo often comes here and is your friend." "..." "This is related to a person's life!" Suddenly, Kobayashi roared angrily.Kazuya's face suddenly turned pale. "If you are not honest again, we will close this shop." Xiao Lin shouted loudly again. When Xiao Lin yelled like this, Yi from the eldest master's background couldn't help shivering. "How is it?" Tanaka asked gently. "I'm sorry, I know Mr. Koda Keigo. It's just that if my father knows that I'm close to such a person, he will reprimand me." Kazuya said palely. "What's your relationship with Koda Keigo?" "He's a consultant for Group S in Shinjuku. I'm doing business in Shinjuku, so you have to meet him whether you like it or not." "Is it just such a relationship?" "Yes. He lured me to gamble, and I started to gamble, and I lost all of them." "So you gave him the check?" "Yes. I handed over my father's check to Koda because I couldn't write a check." "Isn't it a check for 1 million yen?" "yes." "Besides, was there another check given to him?" "Just that one." "Don't lie now. This is a very important matter. If it is two, it is two. Please tell the truth." "I'm telling the truth, I just lied to my father and forwarded the check to Koda. I lied to my father that there was a transaction of 1 million yen. I won't lie again, just that one .” "So, what was handed over to Koda was just a check for 1 million yen?" Tanaka asked. "Yes, just one. I'm not a fool, and I stopped playing immediately after that. Koda said he was going to cash that check." "Did you only lose 1 million yen on a bet?" "It's all 5 million yen." "Then how do you plan to repay the remaining 4 million yen? That group of people is very strict in collecting gambling debts." "Let's return it bit by bit from my monthly salary. Because I can get 600,000 yen from my father every month. Secondly, as compensation, I also sold the goods in the store to him at a low price. He said , the 1 million yen must be handed over to him by check anyway. So I gave him my father's check." "Did Koda say that he would hand over the 1 million yen in cash immediately?" "No, he said he'd hand over his certified check. I'm laughing at his habit of cashing it right away." "It's not a lie, is it?" "These things are embarrassing to me. How can I lie. My gambling debts haven't been paid off yet." "Is it true that Koda wants to cash the check immediately?" "He said that himself. And said his mistress was going to buy a ring with the money." "Did you come here to buy that ring?" "Yes, I was forced to sell a ring worth nearly 2 million yen at a reduced price." "Do you know the name of Koda's mistress?" "I know. Because I've seen her several times. Her name is Sanada Kyoko, and she's a very beautiful woman in her mid-twenties. Koda often goes to her place too." "Her address?" "I live in a high-end apartment on Yotsuya No. 3 Street." Kazuya wrote the name of the apartment and the map of the vicinity on a piece of paper and handed it to Kobayashi. "Mr. Interpol!" "What's up?" "I'm afraid of Koda. If he knows that I told you the above situation, I don't know how he will deal with me." "The situation you said, we will act as if we don't know about it, don't worry." Tanaka said so. The apartment where Sanada Kyoko lives is about seven or eight minutes' walk from Yotsuya No. 3 Street Subway Station. It was indeed, as Kazuya said, a high-end apartment building, with a spacious underground parking lot, an empty inner courtyard, and a first-floor lounge like a grand hotel. There are also famous actors among the residents. Sanada Kyoko lived on the fifth floor. They took the elevator up, went to the door and rang the bell.A young woman's voice came from inside the door: "Who is it?" "It's the police, open the door." Kobayashi spoke in a depressing tone on purpose. The door opened a narrow crack, and the woman reluctantly let them in after looking at police ID. This is a living room the size of twenty straw mats.Everything from the curtain sofa to the carpet is beige. Kyoko Sanada was wearing a plain white suit.She is indeed a very beautiful beauty, but she is more like a woman who spends a lot of money on her beauty. "Drinking?" Kyoko asked while standing still. "No." Tanaka's attitude was a bit harsh. Both Tanaka and Kobayashi thought it was difficult to deal with such a high-end apartment and a woman like Kyoko.But no matter what, we have to open up and investigate. "Then I drink." Kyoko said, pouring brandy into the glass.Holding a glass of wine, she sat down on the sofa lightly. "What's matter?" She looked at Kobayashi with eyes fully aware of her beauty, and then at Tanaka. "I want you to answer honestly. Have you asked Keigo Koda to buy a ring recently? It was at the Idoguchi jewelry store in Shinjuku." "Are you from the tax office?" "how?" "A small ring is less than the threshold amount." Kyoko replied solemnly.There is a certainty in the words. Kobayashi asked with a wry smile: "That's not the case. We heard that Koda changed the check into cash and bought you a ring. Is there such a thing?" "Yes, that's right." "Where did you change it into cash? We don't think it was changed at the bank. If you want to change it into cash at the bank, the check will not be in the hands of others. Who gave the check to?" "I have no idea." "Weren't you by Koda's side when it was exchanged for cash?" "Yes. But I don't know the name of the other party." "So you have seen the other party, what kind of person is that? Let's talk about it." "Has he broken the law?" "No, it's not against the law to cash a check." After Tanaka said this, Kyoko showed a relieved face, and she said calmly: "It was carried out in the lobby of the T Hotel. After I went with Koda, a woman was waiting..." "woman?" "Yes, a woman of about 40 years old. She waited there, she was the first to speak. They were talking not far from me, and I couldn't hear the conversation. At that time, the The woman took out the envelope and exchanged the check. After that, Koda said to buy a ring for me, and took me to Shinjuku." "That day was Sunday." "No, it's Tuesday." "No mistake?" "It can't be wrong. Because it's my birthday, I remember it clearly." "Are there any characteristics of that woman of about forty?" "She's a beauty, and she wears a kimono very well. From the looks of it, she works as a waitress in a restaurant." "Isn't the proprietress of Shinjuku's Snow White Club a waitress?" "If it's the 'Bai Xue' club, I know it. That one is not, I thought she was the club owner's wife in Ginza." "why?" "T Hotel is very close to Ginza. If you are meeting the proprietress of 'Bai Xue', will you be in the lobby of the hotel in Shinjuku?" "That makes sense. Doesn't she have any features? The ones that can be seen at a glance?" "If you want to talk about the characteristics..." Kyoko stood up from the sofa with the glass in hand, walked slowly and pretendingly, stopped by the window, and turned around and said: "She wears a very nice watch." "So you noticed?" "It's not just a watch! Just a moment, please." Kyoko left the two of them in the room and went to the back.Soon, she came back with a catalog.She turned the catalog to the page of women's watches, pointed to it and said, "This is the watch." It is an oval watch with large diamonds set around the perimeter of the text dial.The catalog indicates: the gold content is 181 diamonds weighing 3 carats. Its price is expressed in Arabic numerals.Kobayashi counted the digits and said, "It's worth 14 million yen!" "I'd love to have a watch like that. I've looked through the catalogue. I was shocked to see that woman wearing one. It's the watch." If I could find the woman with the watch, I might learn something.