Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Silent Photography Location

From Haruko, Ayuko knew that Hiroshi Okamoto's address was in a residential area in Itabashi District.I heard from Haruko that Okamoto doesn't seem to be married yet.After Okamoto graduated from the Faculty of Law of a private university in Tokyo, he continued to study law while working in a law firm in Tokyo.Currently, as a judicial trainee, he is doing business practice at a law firm in Tokyo. That night, Ayuko chose around 9:00 pm when Okamoto was most likely to be at home, and dialed his residential phone number.She was a little nervous, but the phone rang and someone answered it, and it seemed to be Okamoto himself.

"I'm very sorry to call you suddenly. Do you remember me? I'm Sakura who was taken care of by you in the high school tennis club." Ayuko gave her old surname that she hadn't used for a long time. "Miss Sakura, Miss Sakura Ayuko, isn't it?" Okamoto's voice sounded surprised. "It's Ayuko. Senior, long time no see. Congratulations on passing the bar exam." "Do you know? I'm so happy that you care about me so much." From Okamoto's voice, he felt excited. "I'm very sorry to call you so late. I have something to discuss with you, so I take the liberty to interrupt."

"Talk to me about... what?" "I know you are very busy, can you spare some time for me? I want to tell you after we meet." Ayuko acted a little coquettishly because she was a junior. "It's really Ayuko's style. I seem to be dreaming. I'm a research student now, and I only have time at night. Then let's find a night that is convenient for you to meet." "Is it okay tomorrow night?" "Yes. You specify the time and place." "Please ask the senior." Okamoto agreed to meet at a restaurant in Roppongi. In the evening of the next day, Ayuko went to the appointed restaurant at the appointed time, but Okamoto had already arrived first.This is a small restaurant in a small alley in Roppongi, very quiet.A former high school star athlete now looks a lot like a shrewd lawyer.He has probably kept exercising since high school, so his well-tanned face looks very energetic.

"Ah, I thought I was mistaken. You have become so beautiful, I heard that you are married." Okamoto looked at Ayuko with admiration. "It's the senior who has become amazing." "It's just a judicial trainee, like a chick that hasn't hatched from an egg." Okamoto was a little too modest.Facing the object she had a green feeling in high school, Ayuko almost forgot the purpose of meeting Okamoto this time. "I thought you had forgotten me." "As soon as I heard your voice, I immediately remembered. Because you are our idol." "What idol are you talking about? Senior, you are the star we admire."

"Then let's toast to the meeting between the star and the idol today." When the two who had been separated for a long time exchanged pleasantries, Ayuko seemed to have returned to her high school days.There is a special emotion between friends who have spent their youth together.After graduating and being scattered in all directions of the society, the door of memory was opened through the common key of the alma mater. "What exactly do you want to discuss with me?" Okamoto urged Ayuko in his formerly intimate tone. "I'm really sorry to ask you out because you are so busy. It may be very troublesome to you. I think of the senior because I think the senior can help me consider this matter."

"It makes me feel honored to be able to think of me. As long as it is within my power, I will help you." Ayuko described to Okamoto the sudden disappearance of Kagata, and that she found newspaper clippings and special magazines about the rape and murder of a supermarket female clerk in his belongings. "I heard that you are married, but I don't know about your husband's disappearance. It would be very unusual if you disappeared without notifying you who had just been married for three months or contacting the company." "Is there any connection between my husband and the crime in the newspaper clipping?"

"Your husband has some interest in that matter, that is certain." "Why is my husband interested in that incident? I want to ask the newspaper and the police about the subsequent development of that incident, but it seems that the murderer has not been caught yet." "Could it be that you suspect your husband..." Okamoto seemed to have guessed the meaning of Ayuko's words, and looked surprised. "I don't think it's possible. My husband would never have committed such a horrific crime. I know that better than anyone else. But I feel that there is a wall in my husband's heart that even I will not let me cross. I I feel like that’s what’s hidden in that wall. Although my husband wasn’t the perpetrator of this crime, he has something to do with it. That’s how I feel.”

"Then you think your husband's disappearance has something to do with it?" "That's what I think. I can't find any other reason for my husband's disappearance." "That incident happened three years ago. If it is speculated that your husband's disappearance is related to that incident, why wait three years?" Okamoto seems to be asking himself in the second half of the sentence. "Maybe this is my subjective speculation, maybe my husband knows who the murderer is." "Know the murderer?" Okamoto's face changed slightly.

"My husband knew who the killer was and he kept it a secret." "Why does your husband keep silent when he knows who the murderer is?" "Maybe my husband is trying to cover up the murderer." "Help the murderer?" "Maybe the murderer is someone close to my husband, so my husband can't report him." "Then the question just now, that is, the reason why it took three years to disappear, still cannot be explained by this." "If the murderer didn't know about being recognized by my husband...if three years later, the murderer suddenly knew that my husband knew the facts of his crime..."

"Why did the murderer know about your husband's discovery three years later?" "I don't know. This is all my speculation. Maybe there is an opportunity for my husband and the murderer to meet again. Then my husband tells the murderer that he knows he is the murderer. Then maybe my husband persuades the murderer to turn himself in. If the murderer If you don’t want to surrender, then my husband will become a threat to him. Therefore, the murderer..." "That is to say, the murderer killed your husband to achieve the purpose of silence." The two looked at each other.

"Although it is a very ominous imagination, I always feel that this is how it happened." "You think too much. Although there are newspaper clippings about that incident in your husband's belongings, it cannot be concluded that your husband is related to that incident. You just said that your husband wanted to Become a lawyer? That's why he's concerned about this incident, which is understandable." "But why is he only interested in this crime? I always feel that he must have something to do with it." "Perhaps, he wanted to include this incident in future novels or documents before collecting relevant reports." "I never heard my husband mention being interested in writing." "There is a sense of guilt in the ambition of literary creation. There are always some people who want to write novels but are unwilling to speak out. I think he must encounter various things when working in a restaurant. Maybe he wants to put himself What has been experienced will be sorted out in the future.” Hearing what Okamoto said, Ayuko felt the same way.There are indeed writers who come from the legal profession.Maybe the dangerous atmosphere that Ayuko and Kagata felt when they met for the first time came from his ambition for novels.And what is closed by the wall in his heart is the world of works before publication. Fiction is a dangerous world.Dangerous novels are powerful both for the author and for the reader.In order to write novels and save some event clippings and special magazines, Okamoto's explanation is still very convincing.Then, if the contents of those cardboard boxes are the material of the novel, then it has nothing to do with the disappearance of Kagata. "You don't have to worry so much. Men, there are always some whereabouts that you can't tell your wife." Okamoto said in a comforting tone. His words contained the same meaning as those of the business planning class. "Okamoto-senpai, do you also think my husband has other women?" Ayuko looked at Okamoto's face and asked tentatively. "It's really hard to speak, but it's also possible. Even though you've only been married for three months, it can't be concluded that your husband has no women outside." "Even if he has a woman outside, he can't even give up his job. My husband is not such an irresponsible person. " "We're not the parties involved, so of course we can't understand his mentality. Ah, by the way, maybe he was put under house arrest by that woman." "That woman put my husband under house arrest?" "That woman wanted to monopolize your married husband, so she put your husband under house arrest...I feel like I'm watching a movie." "You can consider it as a possibility, but I believe that my husband's disappearance is not because of a woman." "Do you have any evidence?" "No." "That's what it's like to be your wife." "No, it's because I trust my husband. Although we have only been married for three months, our family is very honest with me. While being faithful to me and dating other women, I think my husband is not so Superb acting." "I seem to have said something very rude. Anyway, I will try my best to help you. First of all, I want to know everything about your husband's relationship, relatives, friends and work. Can you give me all the information about the husband? I will ask the lawyers and fellows I know to investigate this matter. I also have some policemen I know, so I should be able to ask about the follow-up of the newspaper clipping incident." "Thank you. Being able to get help from seniors has really boosted my confidence." "I'm also very happy to be able to help you." Okamoto's smiling face overlapped with that of ten years ago. After meeting with Okamoto and talking openly and honestly, Ayuko felt a little more relaxed.Of course, Ayuko doesn't think that the problem will be solved just by discussing it with the club seniors who haven't had much contact with her since high school.It's just that Ayuko has to bear the burden of her husband's disappearance after only three months of marriage, which really makes her breathless.This cannot be shared with others, and the idea is struggling without telling others. And that other person is not for everyone.Perhaps Ayuko chose Okamoto to discuss because of her youthful nostalgia for her first love.Cathy subconsciously wants to use her nostalgia for youth to eliminate the blow of her husband's disappearance.And the chosen Okamoto is the best sustenance object.However, Okamoto is very happy that Ayuko asked him to discuss, maybe he is also nostalgic for his youthful years. After meeting with Okamoto, Ayuko felt more and more that the rape and murder of the supermarket female clerk had something to do with Kagata.As Okamoto said, if Igata collected relevant reports and special magazines only to include this incident in novels or documents, what was it that attracted Kagata to this incident?Although it is a relatively rare case of brutal homicide, is there any personal connection between Kagata and this incident other than that?Or is there any connection between the family shape and the victim?If it has nothing to do with the incident itself, is there any connection with the parties involved in the incident? The rape and murder of a female supermarket clerk in Saitama County three years ago has become more and more important to Ayuko.Do you want to go see the scene where it happened?Ayuko suddenly had this idea.Maybe go to the scene and find out things you didn't know.Prior to this, Ayuko had collected as much information as possible about the incident.She also read newspaper clippings collected by her husband.From the news clippings, the outline of the incident that Ayuko grasped is as follows—— Three years ago, at 8:30 a.m. on June 3, Teruko Ishikono, who worked at the "Mainichi" supermarket in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, drove the car she had just bought from Company T, and went to work as usual.When Zhaozi was young, his mother died of illness, and he and his father depended on each other for life.When going out, Teruko told her father to be home around 8:00 pm. However, after 10 o'clock in the evening, Teriko still hadn't come home. His father Keefe felt uneasy, so he called Teruko's place of work and replied that Teruko had left the supermarket around 7:30.It only takes 10 minutes to go from the supermarket to Shiwugongyejia on the outskirts of Kumagai City if the road is unimpeded.Even if there is a traffic jam, it is impossible to spend two and a half hours.The father reassured himself that maybe the young daughter was invited to dinner by a friend, so she waited for another hour, but Teriko still didn't come back.The father couldn't restrain the uneasiness in his heart. He rode a bicycle and followed his daughter's usual route to work to the supermarket to check.But nothing unusual was found on the road. The next morning, Keefe found a large amount of gasoline floating on the surface of a mud pond called Onuma near the house. In addition, there were tire marks from cars rolling down the road on the bank. Only then did he discover Teruko's car sunk in the mud pond.Teruko's body was found in the car, and after an autopsy, it was determined that the cause of death was drowning.There were marks of rape on the victim's body, and finger marks on the neck. According to the police's speculation, the victim struggled to resist while being raped, and was strangled by the murderer, and then the victim lost consciousness and was pushed into the muddy pond together with the car.At this time, the victim was still in a state of suspended animation. After being awakened by the cold water, he swallowed too much water and drowned.That said, the victims were still breathing when they were stuffed into the car and pushed into the water. This is a cruel crime that even the police have rarely seen. It was suspected that the motive of the crime was revenge, but the victim was of good character and had no heterosexual relationship.The police changed from suspecting heterosexual relations at the beginning to suspecting itinerant (passing by by chance) crimes.Between the victim's workplace in Kumagai City and the home of Ishikono, there is a sparsely populated plain about one kilometer apart.In ancient times, robbery incidents often occurred here, so there is another name for robbery plain. The big swamp is located approximately in the center of the plain of robbery.Contrary to its name Onuma, this is just a small mud pond with a radius of 500 meters.Although the area is small, the depth of the water is about nine meters in the middle and three meters at the edge of the mud pond.The road next to the mud pond, which is only wide enough for one car, was the victim's route to work.The police judged that it was on this road that the victim encountered criminals.At around 11:00 p.m., the fifty-year-old Keefe, who was worried about his daughter who had not returned home late at night, found nothing unusual when he passed by by bicycle. Judging from this fact, the crime was over before then. Ayuko also went to the library closest to her home to check the newspapers and magazines after the incident, but found no report of the arrest of the murderer.The search appears to have reached an impasse. Iakata's hometown is in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, and has nothing to do with Kumagai City in Saitama Prefecture.Ayuko has never heard from Kagata that he has any friends and confidants who live in Kumagai City.However, among Iakata's circle of friends, Ayuko only knows people who attended the wedding, so there may be people she doesn't know who live near Kumagai City.Information on that matter from newspapers and magazines is limited.Ayuko is looking forward to news from Okamoto's police friend. Along with newspaper clippings and magazines, the legal books in the cardboard box are full of sidelines and written notes, which shows the attitude of Jiaxing to study hard back then.At that time, Kagata must have been studying diligently while working in a restaurant while dreaming of becoming a lawyer.The sidelines and annotations in these legal books that have now become Jiaxing's "suicide note" all seem to show Jiaxing's regret.Iakata gave up her dream of becoming a lawyer, devoted herself to working in a restaurant and married Ayuko.However, Kagata disappeared at the gate of the new family that he finally started, leaving behind double regrets. What is the reason for Jiaxing to give up his ambition to be a lawyer? Ayuko now regrets not asking this question.If she knew, that opportunity might be a clue to her husband's whereabouts.Could it be that the opportunity for Iakata to give up his dream is related to the rape and murder of a supermarket female clerk in Kumagaya City?Ayuko stared at her husband's "suicide note", and this idea came to mind again.The twin flames of regret seemed to leap from those pages. Suddenly, something fell lightly from the pages of a law book that Ayuko was flipping casually.Catfish casually picked it up and saw it was a photo.When Ayuko saw the shooting date of this photo, she couldn't help being stunned!Three years ago, June 3rd, wasn't that the day when the female shop assistant in Kumagai City was murdered?What does it mean that both have the same date? If this photo was taken in Kumagai City...then this photo is a circumstantial evidence that the husband and the murder of the female shop assistant are connected.Catfish's mind quickly became active.In the postcard-sized photo paper is a young woman.Twenty-one or twelve years old, with a well-shaped face, watery eyes, and very attractive lips.The photo seems to have been taken on an embankment, with a big river behind her.Mountains can be seen in the distance in the photo.The corner of the photo paper also captures a convex mirror at a bend in the street, in which a car is reflected.Ayuko feels: Iakata took this car with this woman and arrived at the location where the photo was taken.Ayuko had never seen this woman before.This is the first woman with a more specific image to appear beside her husband. Kagata sandwiched this photo between the pages of the legal book, stuffed it into a box without telling his wife, and wrapped it heavily. He probably didn't want Ayuko to see this woman.But maybe he put the photo in the book and forgot about it.Ayuko was sure it wasn't the latter.The photo is already dirty, with rough edges on all four corners.This picture appeared in front of Ayuko's eyes: Igata used this photo as a bookmark, studying law while looking at the photo of the woman; when she was tired from studying, she looked at the photo of the woman.At this time, Ayuko remembered what Okamoto said.He thinks that there is a high possibility that Jiaxing has a woman outside.Ayuko argues that it is impossible for Jiaxing to be with his wife who has been married for three months while dating other women.Maybe this woman is the opportunity for Jiaxing to give up his lawyer? The next day, Ayuko showed the woman's photo to some family friends who had attended their wedding.But they all replied that they had never seen the woman.It seems that Iakata is keeping the existence of this woman a secret.Could it be that when he gave up his dream of being a lawyer three years ago, he cut off all contact with this woman?What can prove this fact is that Jiaxing put her photo in the legal book and tightly wrapped it.However, judging from the fact that Kagata did not throw away the photos and the books he wanted to forget, Kagata still has feelings of nostalgia and regret for that woman. On the third day after discovering the photo of the woman, Ayuko went to Kumagai City. Kumagai City is the central city in the northern part of Saitama Prefecture. In the Edo period, it was a village with post stations on the Nakasendo Road, so it prospered. The terminal of Arakawa (the name of the river) ship transportation is in the urban area.Kumagai City is a traffic hub connecting the Takasaki Line, the Chichibu Railway Chichibu Line, the Dohanyu Line, the Joetsu Shinkansen, and National Routes 17, 125, 140, 407, and 405.Kumagai City is located in the northeast of the Kanto Plain, and the color of the local city is relatively strong. It takes about 30 minutes to get here from Tokyo by Shinkansen, and it is in the commuting circle of Tokyo.Although the streets in the city center are in a modern style, the natural scenery of Musashino is still preserved on the outskirts of the city. Ayuko got off the Shinkansen at Kumagaya Station and hailed a taxi in front of the station.The stations in Japan are all the same, with no special features, but the sky here is thicker than the autumn colors in Tokyo.After Ayuko told the driver where he was going, the driver drove away as if he knew the place very well.After a while, the taxi left the bustling street and crossed a big river. Ayuko looked at the map, and the river seemed to be Arakawa.Here, there are many golf courses and sports parks built on the open land of the river bank. The sky was cloudless and clear, and from the upper reaches of the river to the south where the taxi was headed, you could see the hazy blue mountains.After crossing the bridge, there are some scattered houses, and the face of Musashino appears in front of you.The flat terrain is slightly undulating, and the road extends into the sparse forest. "Three years ago in Onuma, there was a crime in which a woman was killed and sank into the mud with the car, did you know?" Ayuko looked at the driver's back and asked. "Oh, there was that incident. It caused quite a stir at the time." The driver replied, glancing at Ayuko from the rearview mirror. "Did you catch the murderer later?" "That, I didn't hear that it was caught. The local residents all speculated whether it was the bosozoku from Tokyo who did it." "Bosozoku?" "Because bosozoku from Tokyo often come here on weekend nights." "I want to see where the woman was sunk." "Is the guest from the police?" The driver's attitude seemed to become a little more serious. "No, just interested." "Then you are from the magazine." Ayuko did not deny the driver's wrong judgment. "I don't know the exact location, it's just a small mud pond. I know it when I think about it." The taxi turned into the side road after a while.The road suddenly narrowed.Pine forests continue along the road.There is no one else. The road was a little bumpy, and Ayuko could see the surface of a puddle of waste oil flowing to the left. "This is Onuma," said the driver. Although the name is Onuma, it is just a small mud pond with a radius of 500 meters.The water seemed to be very deep, and the surface of the bog took on an eerie air as though Christ had inhabited it.There are mainly pine trees around the mud pond, and there are also some wild cherry trees and oak trees.There was no one around.It is very quiet even during the day, and if you are attacked by gangsters at night, it is really a disaster! "Excuse me, can you wait for me here?" Lucy wanted the car to go back, but after thinking about it, there was nothing she could do if she fell into the water here, so she decided to let the driver wait for her. "Of course." The friendly-looking driver took out a cigarette from his pocket.The road extending along the bank of the mud pond is probably a rural road, and there is a height difference of about five or six meters from the road with the width of a carriageway that can only accommodate one car to the water surface of the mud pond.If the murderer enclosed the victim in the car and then pushed the rear of the car hard, this height difference was exactly the slope that would allow the car to roll into the mud.There are bare river cliffs in the middle, and there are no trees that can stop the car from rolling down.After the driver turned off the car's engine, the surroundings became silent.The calls of wild birds were also interrupted.The surface of the mud pool was illuminated by the autumn sun, giving off a dull metallic gleam. It looks peaceful at first glance, but three years ago, near this mud pond, a frightening tragedy happened.The gangsters attacked and raped the female supermarket clerk, and when she was still alive, they locked her in the car and sank into the mud. This kind of behavior is not something ordinary people can do.The bog and surrounding woods were all witnesses to what happened that night.The victim must have cried out for help, but the mud did not answer, the trees were indifferent, and no one heard her cry for help and rushed over. Driven by unease, the victim's father passed by after the crime, but it was over. What does the family shape have to do with this incident or the victim or the land?Catfish squatted on the bank of the mud pond and stared at the water surface with faint light.She seemed to see a breath full of victim's resentment dissolve into the water of the mud pond. Originally, Ayuko planned to go back after seeing the scene.There are no plans to come here to meet the victim's father.She also didn't know if the victim's father was home or living where the incident happened.But the residence at that time was indeed very close to here.Ayuko had written down the address of the victim's residence. "Mr. Driver, there is a man called Shigongye Keifo living nearby, can you take me to his place?" Ayuko returned to the car and said while showing the driver the address of Shigongye's residence.The driver who was smoking outside the car threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. "It seems to be around here." He said while reading the notes that Ayuko handed over. Fifty Gongye's home is in a small village about 500 meters away from the mud pond.The driver asked about grocery stores on the road, and soon found Wu Gongye's home, which was a small but neat two-story building surrounded by oak trees.An old sedan was parked in the courtyard garage.Was this the same car that was pushed into the mud with the victim and pulled back?There is also a bicycle leaning against the car. Is this the bicycle that the father who was worried about returning late to his daughter was riding? Arriving at Shifu Gongye's home, Ayuko hesitated.Ayuko suspects that her husband's concern about this matter is that he cares about who the murderer is from the same standpoint as that of the Fifty Kono family.But now Ayuko also has some doubts about whether her husband is the murderer.In any case, her husband didn't look like a vicious murderer, so Ayuko dispelled the doubts in her heart at that time.But the possibility that this matter does have some personal connection with the family shape cannot be denied. "What are you going to do?" the driver asked Ayuko as if he wanted to urge Ayuko to make up his mind. "If that person is willing to see me, you can go back." Ayuko thought that she should be able to call a taxi from here, so she said this to the driver. Ayuko got off the taxi and stood in front of the small door.The perimeter of the home is surrounded by a fenced wall.Ayuko took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell on the doorpost.If no one is at home, Ayuko plans to just go back and forget it.At this moment, a man on the intercom answered. "My name is Iakata. Because there is something related to your daughter's misfortune, I want to investigate. I'm sorry for the sudden visit. Can you spare a moment to talk?" Ayuko asked anxiously. "Is it related to Teruko's matter? Are you from the media?" The other party's tone seemed to be a little wary of Ayuko. "No, I just want to investigate some personal matters." "Please come in, the door is unlocked." After a pause of about a beat, the other party replied. Ayuko let out a long breath first, settled the taxi fare, and sent the taxi away.After entering the door, Ayuko was standing in front of the main door with the glass door inlaid, when the door opened from the inside.At the door of the main entrance stood an old man with white hair and a thin figure who looked about 70 years old.The old man had sunken eyes, his forehead had deep wrinkles that seemed to have been carved by a chisel, and he was tall.Under the sunken eye sockets, a pair of sharp eyes are examining Ayuko.Is this the father of Teruko Fifty Kono who was murdered?Teruko was only 21 years old when she was killed, so her father could not have been 70 years old.Perhaps his daughter's tragic death has accelerated his aging process. "My name is Iakata Ayuko. I am very sorry to disturb you suddenly." Ayuko said sincerely. "I'm the only one living here, the place is dirty and messy, please come in." Fifty Gongye said. He let Ayuko into the living room facing the courtyard.Although he just said that the place was dirty and messy, the house was cleaned up very cleanly.I don't know where the smell of incense sticks came from.Perhaps after the death of the daughter, the father's incense for his daughter's soul has not been broken.The daughter was suddenly taken by cruel gangsters, and the father and daughter were left alone in their dependent lives. The whole family was filled with the father's sadness.However, Ayuko didn't see anything like her daughter's relics in the house.It may be that the sad father put it away because he was afraid of seeing things hurt. "You said just now that you came to investigate my daughter?" Sitting face to face in the living room, Fifty Kono cast his eyes on Ayuko's face and asked.It can be seen that although the father wanted to forget the tragic memory, he still cared about his daughter. "In fact, my husband suddenly disappeared, and it has been a month since today." Does this have anything to do with my daughter?Fifty Kungye's eyes revealed a question. "I really can't find any reason for my husband's disappearance. I checked the items around my husband and found newspaper clippings and magazines reporting your daughter's murder." Ayuko briefly introduced the things before this visit go through. "So you think your husband has something to do with my daughter." Fifty Kono's eyes were judging the content of Ayuko's words. "Even if it is related, my husband is kind-hearted and would not even trample a bug to death. I don't think he will be the murderer." Facing the suspicion of the victim's family, Ayuko opened up his line of defense. "I don't suspect that your husband is the murderer. Don't you come to me because you have some doubts about your husband, madam?" Fifty Gongye smiled slightly. "I'm sorry. I just wondered if my husband's disappearance might have anything to do with your daughter's business." "For example, what kind of relationship?" Fifty Gongye's eyes lit up. "Maybe my husband has clues to the murderer." "There are clues?" Fifty Gongye looked a little surprised, "Since there are clues about the murderer, why didn't he tell the police?" He asked. Judging from his expression, the murderer should not have been caught so far. "I thought maybe the murderer was someone my husband knew very well and my husband wanted to cover him up." "Concealment... So, this matter is related to your husband's disappearance?" Wu Shigongye became interested in Ayuko's speculation. "Maybe my husband knows the murderer. In this case, my husband is a great threat to the murderer. So he may kill my husband to silence him." "Even so, why didn't you kill your husband immediately after the incident?" "Perhaps when the incident happened, my husband didn't know who the murderer was. Afterwards, my husband conducted his own investigation, and after guessing the true identity of the murderer, he persuaded the murderer to surrender himself." "Perhaps, as you speculated, madam, your husband may have threatened the murderer." Ayuko was taken aback when Isuo Kono said that.She hadn't thought of going up this level.Because she didn't expect her husband to do such a law-breaking thing as intimidation. "My husband doesn't intimidate people." "Maybe your husband didn't intend to intimidate the murderer, but the murderer will think that your husband is threatening him." "Is the murderer himself suspicious?" "Your husband told the murderer that I know the facts of your crime, or that I saw what you did. As long as he said that, the murderer might think that your husband was threatening him. Even if he explained it that way, he still couldn't figure it out." Fifty Gongye was thinking about something. "What can't you figure out?" Ayuko asked. "Your husband disappeared three years after that incident. Even if it is explained by covering up the murderer or persuading the murderer to turn himself in, why your husband disappeared after three years is still impossible to explain." "Maybe my husband found out who the murderer was after three years of investigation?" Ayuko repeated the speculation just now. "Your husband seems to have collected relevant information shortly after the incident. Judging from this, he was only interested in this incident at the time. Even if we speculate that your husband knew who the murderer was after investigation, it cannot be used Come and explain why your husband is interested in this matter." After Ishikono pointed out this point, Ayuko also felt that there was something difficult to base her inference on.Even if it is speculated that Iageta is investigating who the murderer is as an amateur detective, that does not explain why Iageta is interested in this matter. "The murderer may have said something to my husband after committing the crime. My husband persuaded the murderer to turn himself in, but the murderer did not accept my husband's proposal." Although Ayuko explained this way, Ayuko herself knew that this inference was far-fetched.Even if Kagata had discussed with the murderer, the murderer would never turn himself in, and three years had passed since the murderer was persuaded to surrender. This assumption was very untenable. "Does your husband have anything to do with this place? Has he lived here before? Or some of his relatives and friends live here?" What Shikono asked now was exactly the question Ayuko had considered. "I don't think so. I've never heard from my husband, and none of my friends or relatives live here." "yes?" Both fell silent.At this time, the crowing of crows was heard in the distance. "Do you know the person in this photo?" Ayuko took out the photo in her husband's legal book.Fifty Gongye took the photo and looked at it intently.There was no particularly big reaction on his face. "This photo is among the pages of my husband's book, did you find it? It was taken on the same date as the incident." "It seems so." Fifty Kono nodded and continued to stare at the photo.At this time, Ayuko noticed a strange look flickering in his pupils. "Any clues?" Ayuko immediately asked Fifty Kono. "No, there are no clues." Fifty Kono replied.Maybe the momentary look that Ayuko noticed just now was just Ayuko's illusion.There doesn't seem to be any connection between Fifty Kono and Family Shape.That catfish has no reason to stay here. "I'm really sorry for disturbing you today." Ayuko bowed deeply. "Where it is, it doesn't matter. If I know anything, I will contact you immediately." Fifty Kono said. It seems that he has a lot of sympathy for Ayuko whose husband suddenly disappeared.也许突然失去了爱着的人的共同感受，让他们有了同病相怜的感情。 “你要回东京吗？”五十公野问道。 “是的。不好意思，能从这儿叫一下出租车吗？”鲇子有些担心地问道。 “要是去车站，我可以送你。”五十公野说。 “那实在是太不好意思了。我有我来时乘坐的出租车司机的名片，所以只要借用一下您家的电话就可以叫他过来” “你不用客气。反正我也是闲着没事。”五十公野劝说着鲇子。鲇子觉得再拒绝就是辜负了对方的好意，所以还是决定听从老人的建议。 五十公野发动了原本停在停车库里的一辆旧轿车。他没有走鲇子来时的泥塘边的路线。车子好像在绕过泥塘行驶。 “发生那件事后我很难过，从此再也不走泥塘边的那条道路了。”五十公野好像在向鲇子解释原因。 “让您想起了非常悲惨的事，实在是不好意思。”鲇子抱歉似的说道。 “没有的事。就算我想忘记也是不能忘记的。也许我是不让自己忘记这件事。”他这么说着话的一瞬间，鲇子看到五十公野沉稳的侧脸上仿佛燃烧着熊熊火焰。妻子先离他而去，惟一的女儿又被残忍的凶手夺走，只能一个人煎熬着度过风烛残年的五十公野，在那一瞬间仿佛有了激情。虽然表面看上去已经行将就木，可是他被夺走所爱的亲人而变得空洞的心中，也许正燃烧着熊熊火焰般的愤怒和怨恨。 车子不久经过了荒川。这是鲇子来时通过的桥。 “今天可以很清楚地看到山。”五十公野一边打着方向盘一边说道。短暂的秋日已经近黄昏了。 “山后面连绵起伏的山是秩父。”五十公野说明着。山脉一直从车窗左手延伸到后方。地平线上的山脉蜿蜒青翠。 “看到那边像航空母舰的山了吗？那是两神山。”五十公野又给鲇子介绍了赤城、榛名等山的名称。鲇子的目光游移在五十公野介绍的那些远处的山上，突然想起了什么。她好像见过这些山，而且就是在最近见过的。但自己又确实是第一次来熊谷市。在来时的路上鲇子并没有注意到。鲇子拼命地回想着，这时车子已经快要穿过桥了。 “市区很拥挤，我们从堤岸走吧。”五十公野过了桥后就把车子往右拐。这是一座沿着荒川建起的堤岸，堤岸上就成为过往的道路。这回山脉从车窗的右面向后方延展。堤岸的两边排列着樱花树。如果是开花季节，这时穿越的就会是一条漂亮的樱花通道。 鲇子想起来了。那个女子照片的背景现在正现实地呈现在车窗外。鲇子从手提包中取出那张照片，她把照片背景和远处重山一一对照，确实是这儿！河流的样子也是相同的。correct!这张照片就是在这个堤岸的某处拍摄的。而这张在熊谷市荒川的堤岸上拍摄的女子照片，就夹在了家形的“遗书”中。照片中的那个女子一定是和熊谷市有什么关联的！鲇子小心地不让五十公野察觉，重新又把照片和车窗外的实际景色对照了一下。 鲇子没有问五十公野，因为她总觉得五十公野是知道照片拍摄地点的，却什么也没告诉她。一直住在此地的他不可能不知道拍摄的地点。就在刚才，他把一座山一座山指给鲇子看，还告诉她山的名称。但是关于照片的拍摄地点他一句也没说。五十公野一定对照片的主人有所顾虑。刚才鲇子感受到的五十公野瞳孔中的犹疑神色并不是她的错觉。五十公野也许知道照片里的女子。那他沉默的理由是什么呢？ 在鲇子反复思考时，不知不觉车子已经驶进了车站前的广场。 从熊谷市回来后，实在等不下去的冈本来了电话。 “啊，我一直和你联系不上。”冈本说。 “抱歉。我刚从熊谷市回来。” “从熊谷市？”冈本的声音听上去有些惊讶。 “我实在是很想看看事件发生的现场，所以就去了熊谷市。” “你先跟我说一下比较好。我想和你一起去。”冈本有点遗憾似的说道。 “你太忙了，挺不好意思的。我想乘新干线只要30分钟，就不用麻烦学长了。” “我也想看一下事件的现场。真是挺遗憾的。” “对不起。我想还会有机会去的。” “要是再去一定要跟我说一声。你这次去那儿有什么发现吗？” “我见到了受害者的父亲。” “见到了受害者的父亲？” 冈本非常意外地叫起来。他没想到鲇子竟然会去见受害者的父亲。 “没有凶手的线索，搜查还是没有结果。” “我也和我认识的警察方面的人打听过了，他们回答案件还没有破。” “学长您跟我联络是因为这件事吗？” “这也是一点原因。”冈本含糊其辞。 “那还有什么事吗？” “你突然行踪不明，我很担心。” “讨厌。我又不会失踪。”鲇子对冈本担心自己的安危感到莫名的高兴。 “虽然我也是这么想的。可是你丈夫突然失踪，我担心你会不会因为太寂寞就做出傻事。” “可是学长您又没有每天都和我联络，我只不过就是今天出了一天门，您就那么担心，也真是的。” “如果可能的话，我想我们每天都保持联络。因为你现在正处于危险状态。” “我现在心情很平静。” “那只不过是你自己那么认为，新婚丈夫突然失踪了，我想你心灵上的创伤是很深的。你的伤口平复之前，我是不能安心的。” “学长您这么关心我，我很高兴。可是我真的没事了。我想给学长您看一件东西。” “给我看什么东西？” “那么我们就在上次见面的六本木餐馆见面怎么样？今天就让我请客吧。” 两人通话时正好是晚饭前的时间。和冈本约好时间后，鲇子就马上出发去六本木餐馆。到达餐馆时是7点，5分钟后冈本也到了。 “要给我看什么东西？”冈本一就坐就急忙问道。 “啊，真是急性子。”鲇子苦笑着拿出那张照片。 “我丈夫的书本里掉出了这张照片。” “女人的照片？” “拍摄日期和熊谷市的超市女店员被杀是同一天。” “真的啊？”冈本好像要探究鲇子话中的意味似的，他目不转睛地凝视着照片中的人。 “那么，你从这个女人身上发现什么线索了吗？”他问道。 “我不认识这个女人。这张照片夹在家形的书里，严严实实地包裹在纸箱里。” “也就是说你丈夫不想让你看到这张照片。” “也许是不想让我看，也许是夹在书页中忘记了。我也不清楚，我想我丈夫和这个女人可能有某种私人关系。” “你有什么理由？” “我丈夫把这张照片当做书签。” “当做书签吗？那可真是不一般的关系。”冈本无意中说出这句话就赶紧闭了嘴。他好像想到了鲇子的心情。 “可是，我觉得家形在和我结婚前已经和那个女人断绝往来了。” "What evidence do you have?" “家形也曾经梦想成为律师，努力学习过法律，而在法律教材书页间夹着这张照片。家形曾经说过，自己在三年前因为某个契机放弃了成为律师的梦想，那个契机就是在拍摄这张照片那天发生的吗？在同一天也发生了超市女店员被杀事件。也许那个契机就是超市女店员被杀事件，因此他把这张照片夹在不再学习的法律书籍中，这是不是就意味着他在放弃律师志向的同时，也和那个女人断绝了往来呢？” “说得不错。可是他为什么没把这张照片扔掉呢？” “可能是因为留恋，就像他没有扔掉法律书一样，也许他对那个女人还恋恋不舍。” “有你这么好的夫人，怎么还可以对从前的女朋友恋恋不舍。” “家形和我结婚时已经33岁了，不可能没有自己的过去。”鲇子苦笑了一下。想到自己现在正告诉当年的初恋对象冈本自己丈夫失踪的事，鲇子突然觉得很可笑。 “就算你丈夫在和你结婚前和别的女人有某种关系，那又跟你丈夫的失踪有什么关系呢？” “我觉得这个女人和我丈夫的失踪有关。” “你是说你丈夫去了那个女人的住所吗？” “我想没有去。只是我总感觉那个女人和我丈夫的失踪有什么关系。也许她知道我丈夫的下落。” “你有关于那个女人住所地址和身份的资料吗？” “我什么也不知道。我已经查找了我丈夫的所有遗物，没有发现能成为线索的东西。只是……” "Just what?" “今天去熊谷市才知道，这张照片是在熊谷市拍摄的。” “在熊谷市拍的？” “我到了现场才知道的。因为正好车子经过了拍摄地的。” “那么说这个女人和熊谷市有关联了。和超市女店员被杀事件发生的同一天拍摄的，难道说和被害者有什么关系吗？” “我给被害者的父亲看了这张照片，她父亲说不认识照片中的人。可是我总觉得她父亲好像知道什么。” “知道什么……？” “也许只是我的感觉，但我似乎觉得她父亲在看到照片时有一些反应。” “如果她父亲知道这个女人，那又为什么对你隐瞒？” “我不知道她父亲到底明白多少，但我觉得她父亲从这个女人身上发现了什么东西。可能他不能完全信任我，所以才没对我说吧。” “他父亲骗你说他不认识那个女人，是怕告诉你那个女人的身份对他不利吧？” “我只是想知道我丈夫的下落。告诉我可能和我丈夫下落相关的女人的身份，对她父亲有什么不利？” “我也不知道。不管怎么说，这个女人都是重要的线索。应该把照片加印几张，我也要一张。” “没有底片，拿到复制品后就给你。”这一晚，鲇子都在向冈本报告本次熊谷市之行的情况。因为沉浸在那种对青春的留恋中，鲇子感觉一天的疲惫都已经消除了。