Chapter 9 Chapter Nine A Slightly Chill Compassion

On December 26, Hidemo Sayama returned home after finishing his survey of the European market.In name, it is to conduct market research, but in fact, it is just using the company's money to have fun in the name of research.The police station, which had been waiting for his return, immediately asked him to meet him.But he always excused that he was too busy to make an appointment to meet.When he finally agreed to meet, it was already December 29, which was near the end of the year, and Sayama also put forward an additional condition that they could only talk for ten minutes. "I don't know what he's busy with. He's been happy in Europe for more than a month before he came back. It's too much to see him for ten minutes without saying anything." The designated meeting place is Sayama Company in Nanqingshan.On the way to Sayama Company, Ushio said with a wry smile in the car.

"I heard that this young man is always full of nonsense and unreasonable. The employees in the company call him a fool." Qingliu said. "Even if he is a fool, with the protection of his parents, he can still sit in a high position with a leisurely salary." Niu Wei also said with a wry smile. While speaking, the car arrived in front of the majestic Sovalé Headquarters Building facing Qingshan Avenue.The surface of this building is all made of black-out glass walls, like a huge glass city.Under the reflection of the setting sun, the building shines like a luminous body.Sayama's company seemed to be still open, but because it was the end of the year, it didn't seem very busy.Although Uxtail and the others arrived at the appointed time, they still waited in the reception room for a while.

Sayama arrived 30 minutes later than the agreed time. "Ah, hello! I'm really busy. I managed to spare some time." Sayama didn't apologize for being late, but just emphasized that he was busy.He is worthy of being a practitioner of the fashion industry, dressed with great taste.Wearing, perhaps, a top-notch designer, almost as good as a male model who has just stepped off the runway of a fashion show.Even Ushio, who is not very sensitive to fashion, can tell that the clothes Sayama is wearing are not ordinary clothes.Sayama is the kind of person who pays great attention to dressing on weekdays.

"I'm so sorry to disturb you when I'm so busy." Oxtail put on a low profile. "What's the matter? I have never had anything to do with the police. I think maybe I can't help you." Sayama took out a cigarette from the inner pocket of his clothes and lit it slowly. The lighter he used seemed to be a famous brand.The smell of cigarettes permeated the reception room. "Did you attend Shigeru Ochiai and Akumi Nakahashi's wedding on October 4th?" Ushio said calmly. "Oh, did I attend that wedding? I have to attend all kinds of drinking parties every day, which confuses me." Sayama smiled arrogantly while swallowing.

"You did attend. We already asked Shigeru Ochiai." "Oh, I remembered. Ochiai Shigeru and I are from the same university, but we haven't had much direct contact. It might as well be that he invited me because of my father's relationship with his father. So what?" "Gu Ze Yi Zhou and Masukawa Yasushi were also invited to the wedding banquet, right?" "I think I saw them at the wedding banquet. We are also from the same university. But our seats are not together, so I didn't speak to them." "I heard that you and Gu Ze are in the same class and have a good relationship."

"I'm in the same class as Furuzawa, so I can't say that we have a good relationship. Because we were in the automobile department together for a while, we talked a few times. But that's all. After graduation, at Ochiai's wedding It was the first time we met. Since we were far away, we just said hello to each other." "Really? I heard that you and Gu Ze have a very good relationship." "Maybe because we are in the same club, others think so. In fact, even if we are in the same club, it doesn't necessarily mean that we have a good relationship."

"Then how is your relationship with Shengchuan?" "Sheng Chuan and I are also in the same club, but he is from the Department of Education, and I am from the Department of Economics. So we passed each other a few times on campus, and we have almost no contact." "Do you know that Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan were killed one after another after their wedding?" "Knowing about it from the newspaper. What a surprise! It's a pity that I didn't say a few words when I met them at Ochiai's wedding." "About the killing of the two of them, do you have any clues to offer?"

"What clues can I provide? I have nothing to do with them." Sayama's face changed slightly. "Because I have to visit people who were related to them during their lifetime, I have caused you trouble, please forgive me!" "I really have nothing to do with them, I just graduated from the same university." "One more thing in common is that you and they were also invited to Ochiai's wedding." "I was invited because of my work relationship, and they were invited because of my relationship with Ochiai Shigeru. We were invited for different reasons." Sayama said angrily, and deliberately looked at his watch.

"Allow me to ask two more questions. Did you know Mrs. Ochiai before she got married?" "I don't know. I saw her for the first time at their wedding. She is so beautiful! I really envy Ochiai." "Do you know Igata Keisuke and Ayuko?" "IEKATAKEISUKE, AYUKO..." "That's how their names are written." Uxo wrote down the names of the two people in the notebook, and showed it to Sayama. "I don't know. Who are these two people?" Sayama asked back, no trace of camouflage could be seen from his face. "Let me ask you one last question. Three years ago in Kumagai City, Saitama Prefecture, a female supermarket clerk named Teruko Ishikono was killed and sank into a mud pond with the car on her way home. This incident do you know?"

"I don't know. I have no interest in homicide." "Have you ever been to Kumagaya City?" "Kumagaya City? I've never been to a place like that. I have nothing to do with that place." Sayama looked at his watch again, "Sorry, I have something else to do, let's make an appointment later." He looked sitting and lying down Uneasy. "It's really rude to disturb you when you're so busy today." Oxtail stood up while apologizing. "What an annoying guy!" On the way back, Qingliu said very unhappy. "It can't be helped. We are not the guests he invited."

"However, that guy is too cold and ruthless. Even if they had no relationship, the two people who were killed were all his classmates, and one of them was also his classmate. He didn't even frown. What a cold-blooded guy!" "These are just what Ochiai said. Since Masukawa said that Sayama and Guzawa have always had a good relationship after graduation, why did Sayama deny it? Is it Ochiai who lied, or Mahokawa?" "There seems to be no need for Ochiai or Masukawa to lie." "If it wasn't Ochiai or Masukawa who was lying, then Sayama was lying. In this case, Sayama just doesn't want others to know about his relationship with Guzawa..." "Does Sayama feel ashamed of Gu Ze being killed?" "Although we should not have the idea that our predecessors are the first, but from this point of view, Sayama is trying to deny his relationship with Gu Ze." "He categorically denied his relationship with Shengchuan. Maybe he set up a defense line like this to avoid being summoned because of his close relationship with the murder victim?" "It's a defensive line. I don't think there's any need for a defensive line if he has a clear conscience." "Someone probably hates being associated with something like this?" "According to the dead Masukawa, Sayama and Guzawa have a good relationship. But these words are just what Ochiai said. If Sayama says that they have a bad relationship, there is nothing we can do." Jiaxing Ayuko is very interested in Shigeru Ochiai.He and himself got married almost at the same time, and his lover disappeared, and the lovers of each other had some kind of relationship in the past.Also, Ayuko heard that Ochiai's wife secretly collected newspaper clippings on the murder of a supermarket saleswoman in Kumagai City.The two of them have the same interest in the murder of the supermarket female clerk, and both have collected photos taken at the same location in Kumagai City for the same opportunity.Those photos must have been taken by them for each other.Jiaxing and Zhu Shi betrayed their lovers, not out of their own will.They were pulled by the chains of the past, and they left each other's lover.It can be said that both Ayuko and Ochiai are victims of the past, and they have both become victims of their lover's past. Catfish did not expect that, after only six months of marriage, she would be reduced to the miserable situation of having to watch the "Red and White Song Concert" at home alone.Catfish can't stand "one person's red and white song party", so she spends the end of the year and the beginning of the year at her mother's house.The lonely first month is fleeting, and there are many young people wearing beautiful dresses who have returned from coming-of-age ceremonies in the streets.While chewing on her loneliness, Cathy also felt that her married life was too short.Now, Yunzi only feels that the family shape is like a gust of autumn wind blowing across her heart.After Jiaxing left, she was left alone to experience the bone-chilling cold. Ayuko sympathized with Ochiai, because he should be feeling the cold just like her.Suddenly, Ayuko wanted to meet Ochiai. If you meet and chat with Ochiai, you may discover things that you haven't seen before.Ayuko decided to contact Ochiai. Ayuko wanted to ask Okamoto's opinion before going, but she still didn't go.Because she felt that Okamoto would definitely stop her from doing so if she knew about it.Okamoto also didn't want Ayuko to do anything to report to the police.Okamoto said that Ayuko was not without suspicion regarding the disappearance of Iakata and Ochiai's wife.The same is true for Ochiai. Perhaps, Ochiai is the kind of person who blamed his wife's past and killed his wife and that man (Iakata).In that case, Ochiai would be a dangerous man to Ayuko.Maybe Okamoto didn't want Ayuko to take such a risk.Although Ayuko thought so, she decided to contact Ochiai. After Ayuko found out the phone number of Ochiai's residence, she dialed that number, but no one answered the first time she called.The second time, Ayuko called a little later, probably the maid answered the phone at first, and then Ayuko heard Ochiai's own voice.It sounded like Ochiai was surprised by Ayuko's call. "Mrs. Kagata? Are you the wife of the man in the photo of my wife?" Ochiai asked as if confirming. "Yes, my husband has a picture of your wife too." "Can this be called a romance? Both of us have encountered an inexplicable disaster." It seemed that Ochiai smiled wryly on the other end of the phone. "Actually, I want to meet Mr. Ochiai to talk about something. Let's talk, maybe we can find some clues about the whereabouts of my husband and your wife." "If that's the case, I want to meet you too. I have time on weekday evenings and weekends." Ochiai seemed to be interested. "I always have time. You decide when and where." "Is that okay? Maybe, as the same victims, we should have a better chat. Could you please come to my house?" "Can I visit the house?" "Come here, please. I think being in my house will allow us to talk without the eyes of others." Hearing what Ochiai said, Ayuko realized that the scene where a husband and wife who were abandoned by their respective lovers meet in secret might arouse the criticism of those who care about it.Ekiko decided to visit Ochiai's home in Seijo at 2 pm on the second weekend. Ochiai's house is located in a quiet corner of Seijo Academy.Not long after walking along the road covered with fallen leaves of French sycamores, Ayuko arrived at Ochiai's house. The building looked like it had been built recently. It was a very comfortable, elegant and clean two-story building, and it was quite Fan Xinjia's fun.In this place where many majestic mansions are gathered, although it cannot be called a mansion, this small and elegant building makes people feel that living in it must be very comfortable.After ringing the doorbell on the doorpost, what seemed to be Ochiai's voice answered from the intercom. "Is that Mrs. Kagata? Please come in." After Ayuko answered the intercom, she heard the sound of the door lock opening, and at the same time the door opened automatically.She walked through the vestibule to the door of the back room, when the door opened from the inside, and a tall man who appeared to be about 30 years old stood there. "You are Mrs. Kagata's wife, right? First time meeting! I'm Ochiai." The other party reported his name.When he smiles, he can see neat and white teeth, which gives Ayuko a very pure feeling. Ayuko, who was in a tense state, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ochiai's elegant demeanor.She was ushered into a bright living room facing the courtyard.Facing the courtyard is a large window paneled with glass, so that the natural scenery can be seen very clearly.There was an old maid who brought fragrant coffee. "Please don't be polite." "When my wife was still there, a young girl came here to help. Now that my wife is gone, I feel that it is inconvenient to be with that girl, so I asked her grandma to help. Today, because of you, it is finally here It's the same number as when my wife was there." Ochiai's tone seemed to explain something clearly. That old maid was the grandmother of the girl who answered the phone when Ayuko first called Ochiai.Although Ochiai is still very energetic from the outside, but in the new house built for the newlyweds, there is no figure of his wife. It is like a dark wind blowing into his heart. Even in the house, he can feel the cold wind brought by him. chill.That's not something the maid of the housemaid or her grandma can fill. The living room is sunny, and the two of them sit facing each other with a cup of coffee between them.At the beginning, the two said some polite words when they met for the first time.But after finishing the polite words, neither of them knew what to say next.In silence, he could only pick up his coffee to cover up his embarrassment.After drinking the warm coffee, Ayuko felt that the cells in her body had just been warmed up by the cold January wind.She sighed, but met Ochiai's eyes.Both of them immediately realized that the relationship between each other was actually very delicate. "I'm really sorry this time, please come here." Ochiai spoke first. "Don't you know your wife's whereabouts yet?" Ayuko asked.If she knew, she would have no excuse to visit the Ochiai family. "I don't know. Where's your husband?" Ochiai asked Ayuko with the same question. "Still no news. I've almost given up." "Our fate is really strange." The lovers who seemed to be related to each other before marriage disappeared one after another after marriage, and the abandoned husband and wife are now sitting face to face. What should this wonderful composition be called?There is no reason to apologize to each other, and it would look so ridiculous to comfort each other.Although Ayuko wanted to discuss many things with Ochiai before meeting him, she found it difficult to speak up when they actually met. "Your house is very nice." Ayuko said something unrelated to the topic. "My wife is gone, I just think the house is too big. A 2DK (one bedroom, one living room with kitchen and bathroom) apartment is enough for a man." Ochiai's words were filled with the pain of losing his wife.Although he still looked very energetic on the surface, his words clearly contained the heavy blow he had received. "Our home is a 3DK (two-bedroom, one-living room with kitchen and bathroom) apartment. It may be too small, so there are my husband's relics everywhere. I want to forget him, but those relics can't make me forget him .” Ayuko thought, the room in Ochiai's house that had been closed all the time must belong to Zhu Shi. "If the room is too big, the emptiness will spread. If the room is too small, it will be filled with memories that cannot be forgotten. It will be a disaster for both of us. At the end of the day, we are both victims of our lover's past." ’” They all felt the emotion of sympathy. "Do you have any clues about your wife's whereabouts?" Ayuko finally found the topic. "No particular clues, do you have any clues about your husband?" Ochiai asked rhetorically. "I just want to discuss this matter with you. If your wife and my husband are both interested in the killing of the female shop assistant in Kumagai City, I think they may have disappeared for this reason. Is it your wife and my husband? Know the murderer who killed the saleswoman?" "I also considered that possibility. However, I don't understand why they disappeared three years after that incident." "Is it because the murderer doesn't know the addresses of your wife and my husband?" "Don't know the address?" Ochiai's expression seemed to reveal a new perspective. "Or it can be assumed that although your wife and my husband know the murderer, they don't know the murderer's address. Then, if they meet again three years later..." "You mean that the murderer met your husband and my wife again three years later." "I think it's a possibility." "Meeting and recognizing each other again, that is to say, your husband and my wife recognized the murderer, and the murderer also realized that his crime was known by the two of them." "And suppose your wife and my husband meet the murderer again, and the two of them persuade the murderer to surrender, what will happen? If the murderer doesn't want to surrender at all, he will want to put them both to death to silence him, right?" "Then how did your husband and my wife know about the murderer?" "Maybe it was a witness." "Sightings?" "The two people may have seen the crime. I suddenly remembered something now." "What do you remember?" "My husband used to study law and prepare for the judicial examination while working in a restaurant. However, he said that because of a certain opportunity, he gave up his ambition to be a lawyer. He didn't tell me the opportunity. Could it be that the reason why my husband gave up his ambition was that Did he witness others being killed in front of his eyes, but didn't help? Maybe it was because he witnessed the brutal murder but didn't step forward to stop him. He was ashamed of himself, so he gave up being a lawyer ambition." "Is there such a thing? Was my wife with your husband then?" "I think it's very likely. The photos they took at the same location in Kumagaya City explain this possibility." "If three years later my wife and your husband met the murderer again, where did they meet?" "Perhaps at a wedding." "wedding?" "Mr. Ochiai's wedding. Shortly after the wedding, Furusawa Monday and Masukawa Yasushi, who attended the wedding, were killed one after another. Soon after, your wife also disappeared." "Even if my wife and the murderer meet again at the wedding, what does this have to do with Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan?" "Are Guzawa and Shengchuan also related to Kumagai's murder?" "Related, what kind of relationship do you mean?" "The murderer who killed the female supermarket clerk can never be a single person. Judging from the method of raping the woman and sinking the car into the mud, it can be speculated that multiple people committed the crime. Could it be that Guzawa and Masukawa are the murderer's accomplices?" Hearing Ayuko's deduction, Ochiai looked stunned. "If the murderer saw the murderer's accomplices Gu Ze, Sheng Chuan and your wife again at the wedding, the murderer would probably kill the three of them one by one." "But if this is the case, what happened to your husband? Your husband disappeared before our wedding. If my wife and the murderer's accomplice met again at the wedding, then your husband has already been arrested by them Did you find it?" "I don't understand this matter either. These are just things that came to my mind when I was talking with Ochiai-san today. However, I think my husband's re-meeting with the murderer and your wife's re-meeting with the murderer should be at different times. " "Different timing?" "It's possible that my husband met the murderer again before your wife, and was killed and silenced. Then your wife met the murderer again." "Indeed, this is also possible. However, if your husband and my wife still have any contact after marriage, it would be meaningless if your husband and my wife were silenced at the same time or not long after. I heard that your husband My wife has been missing for three months. There is no guarantee that my wife will not report to the police during the disappearance of my family. I think if my wife knows that your husband’s disappearance was caused by the murderer, then she is likely to report directly. murderer." "So, is it okay to speculate like this? Even if your wife has been in contact with my husband after marriage, she will hide her relationship with my husband. I think your wife may be afraid of letting Mr. Ochiai know about her relationship with my husband. If so If so, even if she knew that my husband's disappearance was caused by the murderer, she might not report it to the police." "Indeed. You're right. My wife hides your husband's picture in the back of the chest of drawers. She didn't want me to find out about her relationship with your husband." During the discussion with Ochiai, Ayuko was surprised to find that her thoughts had unfolded.She wanted to meet with Ochiai to get some information, so that she might find clues about Iakata's whereabouts.After meeting with Ochiai, Ayuko suddenly thought that Iageta and Zhu Shi might have been silenced one after another after meeting the murderer again.So, extending from this inference, she speculated that Gu Ze, Sheng Chuan and the murderer were accomplices, and Kagata and Zhu Shi were killed one after another because they knew the true face of the murderer. "For the time being, let's not discuss when and where your husband met the murderer again. If my wife, Gu Ze, Shengchuan and the murderer met again at the wedding, then the murderer was among the people present at the wedding .” Ochiai seemed to see the hope of finding the murderer in front of his eyes. "I think the biggest suspect is the person who attended the wedding. In addition, it may also be the waiter of the hotel." "I think the waiters are all wearing uniforms, and it's hard to tell at a glance. If your inference can be established, not only the murderer knows that this is a reunion, but my wife, Gu Ze, and Sheng Chuan must also be aware of this fact. And, if Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan were with the murderer. Why did your husband and my wife disappear after three years? This makes people feel incredible. I think if Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan are the murderer’s accomplices, then the murderer is at odds They should know their identities when they meet again." "Maybe they met by chance during the trip, neither of them knew each other's background, and then they committed the crime together. Or they knew each other at first, but separated after committing the crime, and never contacted again." "That's true. But if you speculate like this, it's understandable for the murderer to be afraid of my wife's denunciation, but they are of the same breed, and there is no need to kill them immediately after meeting again." "I don't know what kind of people Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan are, but we can assume that after committing the crime, the circumstances of the three people have changed a lot. The murderer later became famous, but Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan were poor. If Gu Ze If Ze and Shengchuan go to intimidate the murderer who has already achieved fame, then the accomplice will become a threat to the murderer." "Things have changed for the accomplices. The murder of the supermarket girl happened four years ago, so it's a long time before that could have happened." "If your wife and my husband witnessed the crime four years ago, they must have been to Kumagai City at that time. Does your wife have anything to do with Kumagai City?" "It doesn't seem to be related. Before she disappeared, she didn't mention a single word related to Kumagai City. The photo of your husband found in her personal belongings is the only connection she has with Kumagai City." "My husband never mentioned Kumagai City to me either." "Maybe they witnessed the incident on their way through Kumagaya City." "They drove through Kumagai City and happened to witness the crime at the scene of the accident. At that time, my husband and your wife saw the face of the murderer..." "When my wife saw Guzawa and Shengchuan at the wedding venue, she seemed very scared. However, Guzawa and Shengchuan didn't seem to react when they saw my wife." "Maybe it's just your wife who remembers their looks and they don't remember your wife." "If Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan are the accomplices of the murderer, then only the other murderer remembered my wife's appearance. However, if the murderer knew that my wife and your husband had witnessed his crime, he would definitely kill the two of them on the spot. Killed." "Maybe your wife unilaterally remembered the murderer's appearance, and then she persuaded the murderer to surrender." "She was so afraid of Gu Ze and Shengchuan, how could she persuade the murderer to surrender? If she would persuade the murderer to surrender, she should have reported the crime when she witnessed the crime. She did not report to the police at that time because she was afraid implicated. It may be because of my wife that your husband gave up his ambition to be a lawyer." "For your wife's sake?" "Your husband was driven by a sense of justice and wanted to save the victim. But my wife may have stopped him. The other party may be very cruel and there are many people. If your husband went to save people at that time, it would be like flying moths to the flame. When my wife stopped him, he was also worried about hurting my wife, so even though he saw the female shop assistant being killed, he could only turn a blind eye. Then they didn't report the case to the police. Therefore, this matter became your husband's heart debt, and he also You gave up your chance to become a lawyer because of this.” "My family has a more sense of justice than ordinary people. If he saw someone being killed but stood by, I think it would probably become a burden in his heart." "After listening to Madam's words, I feel that I have seen new hope. Then I will check on the guests one by one. Maybe the murderer is inside." "If your wife didn't persuade the murderer to turn himself in, how did the murderer know that she had seen his crime?" Ayuko asked a new question. If Zhu Shi only knew the murderer unilaterally, when the murderer and Zhu Shi met again, they should not have noticed the existence of Zhu Shi as a witness.Moreover, Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan didn't react when they saw Zhu Shi.It is also impossible for the murderer to know the appearance of the witness who is hiding in the dark and trembling.When they met again, Zhu Shi recognized the murderer, but the murderer did not know Zhu Shi.In this case, the murderer would have no motive to attack Zhu Shi.Maybe the murderer somehow figured out that Zhu Shi was a witness. "Even if my wife didn't persuade the murderer to surrender, your husband may have met the murderer before our wedding, and your husband persuaded him to surrender. Or when your husband and the murderer met again, my wife happened to be there." "Your wife happened to be there?" "I don't want to imagine it that way either. That is to say, if your husband still secretly met with my wife after getting married, they met the murderer again on a certain occasion when the two of them were together. Even if the murderer didn't know that I The identity of his wife, but he knew it when they met for the third time at the wedding." "Still secretly meeting after getting married..." "Although I don't want to imagine it like this, it might be possible." If Jiaxing didn't have a nostalgia for Zhu Shi, he wouldn't secretly keep her photos. "Anyway, we can't ignore all the guests attending the wedding. We have to discuss it carefully. I will let you know if there is any new situation." Ochiai said. The visit of Ayuko Iegata gave Ochiai a lot of encouragement.Her reasoning contained important discoveries.Perhaps the murderer who killed the supermarket saleswoman in Kumagai City was hiding among the attendees of the Ochiai wedding banquet.Although there are still some unexplained problems in Ayuko's speculation, it is very possible. There were nearly 500 people in attendance at the two.From Ochiai's point of view, there is only one person more like a murderer, and that is Hidemo Sayama.Ochiai had gone to Sheng Chuan and asked him if he knew his wife before.At that time, Masukawa said that Sayama and Furusawa were very close.Although it is impossible to go directly to Sayama to confirm, but they are in the same class, and there is definitely a possibility that the two have something to do with each other.Although there were other alumni from the same university among the invited guests, Ochiai first thought of Sayama as the most suspicious person.But this is more than simple suspicion.This means that the murder of the female shop assistant in Kumagai City four years ago, the murders of Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan, and even the disappearance of Kagata and Zhu Shi may be related to him.However, there is no evidence at present, and it is impossible to report the inferences Ayuko and herself discussed to the police.Moreover, Ochiai had already told the police that he had heard from Shengchuan that Sayama and Guzawa had a good relationship.The police seemed to have begun to suspect that Sayama was the suspect in the murders of Guzawa and Shengchuan, so they summoned him.But the police probably haven't considered linking these two cases with the killing of the female shop assistant in Kumagai City.Ochiai reminded himself that he couldn't say something without being fully sure.