Chapter 10 Chapter 10: The Hidden Origin of the Land

The search headquarters of the Shinjuku Bureau officially decided to make Sayama Hidemo a suspect.After Ushio and Aoyagi saw Sayama, they immediately got the impression that he was related to the murder cases of Guzawa and Shengchuan.The more Sayama denies his relationship with the two seriously, the more the detectives feel that the opposite is true. "When Ochiai Zhushi saw Guzawa and Shengchuan at the wedding banquet, she showed a very scared look. Did she have the same reaction to Sayama at that time?" A voice rang out from the search meeting. "Sayama, Gu Ze, and Shengchuan didn't sit together. If they sat together, Zhu Shi might have the same reaction to him." Ushio said.

"You mean Zhu Shi didn't notice Sayama?" "He was sitting at the other table. We can speculate that Zhu Shi didn't notice him at the time. From Zhu Shi's great concern about the killing incident in Kumagai City, it can be speculated that she came here precisely because Gu Ze and Shengchuan were related to that incident. Will be afraid of those two people." "This speculation is a bit too simple. There are many reasons for women to be afraid. For example, they may also be afraid if they meet a former lover or an extramarital affair at a wedding." "In that case, Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan will also react to Zhu Shi. Indeed, there are many reasons why women are afraid, but last time we met Sayama, I think he has something to do with Gu Ze and Sheng Chuan, And he is very familiar with Kumagaya City."

"Sayama is familiar with Kumagai City?" All the people present were taken aback. "I asked Sayama if he had been to Kumagai City, but he categorically rejected it. He probably didn't want people to know that he had been to Kumagai City because of something that happened. With the murder case and the hiding of the photos taken by Keisuke Iagata in the local area, it can be inferred that her fear of Furusawa and Masukawa is related to the murder of the female shop assistant, and this inference is not necessarily simple." "Then now we need to find evidence that Sayama is connected with Kumagai City." The participants in the meeting tended to agree with Ushio.

"But Sayama went to Europe when Guzawa and Shengchuan were killed, so there is an alibi." To travel overseas, you must have a passport. Because there are records of entry and exit at the immigration management office, Sayama's alibi is very convincing.Although it is also possible that he used a forged passport, if the purpose was to obtain an alibi, it would be meaningless if he did not use a passport in Sayama's name. "If Akimi Ochiai and Keisuke Iagata did not elope, it can be speculated that they disappeared for other reasons. The two have in common that they are very concerned about the murder of a female shop assistant in Kumagai City, but why are they so concerned about this incident? Why are you so concerned? We should think about it.” Nasu, who was in charge of the search department’s on-site command of the search headquarters, spoke.

"Can we speculate that Zhu Shi and Jiaxing happened to pass by the crime scene when the incident happened and witnessed the crime process." Qingliu said. His reasoning coincides with that of Igata Ayuko.The bold idea attracted the attention of all present. "Zhu Shi and Jiaxing witnessed the crime process and saw the faces of the criminal gang clearly. Then we assume that Gu Ze and Shengchuan are the two murderers in the criminal gang. She saw the two criminal gang members again at the wedding. Personal, that's why I'm afraid." "That means Zhu Shi and Jiaxing were murdered and silenced by the mastermind of the murder." Nasu asked as a representative.

"Yes. This speculation does not yet explain the disappearance of Kagata. Kagata disappeared nine days before Ochiai and Zhu Shi's wedding. However, if we assume that the murderer's accomplice and Zhu Shi met again at the wedding, they followed each other after the wedding. The killing must have something to do with Zhu Shi." "You mean that the mastermind was also invited to the wedding?" "That's right. Next, assuming that the murderer is Sayama, then the previously fragmented clues can be linked together." "Wait a minute. Sayama has a clear alibi. Even if we assume that the murderer wanted to kill Zhu Shi, Gu Ze and Shengchuan, why would Sayama know that Zhu Shi also knew his crime? And he wanted to kill people to silence him If so, why did it take three years to implement it?” Nasu asked.This was also something discussed between Ayuko and Ochiai.Although Qingliu himself doesn't know, Qingliu's current hypothesis is exactly what they guessed.Ayuko and Ochiai only pointed the target at Sayama through reasoning, but Aoyagi deduced that he was related to this matter after seeing Sayama.The search headquarters decided to investigate Hidemo Sayama.

Ayuko told Okamoto about meeting Ochiai. "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" Sure enough, as Ayuko expected, Okamoto said with some reproach. "I'm sorry. I feel that if I tell the seniors in advance, the seniors will definitely stop me." "Why should I stop you?" "I think senpai might say that it would be dangerous to meet Ochiai." "You don't know. At least we can now conclude that Ochiai is hostile to your husband. Meeting such a person alone is of course dangerous." "That's right. That's why I went without telling my seniors first."

"You also met him, and it's useless for me to say anything. Did you gain anything from meeting him?" "Mr. Ochiai, he was very friendly. He said that we both were the same victims." "Victim? What victim?" "Victims of their lover's past." "The victim of the past, that's really good." Okamoto said with deep feeling, "What new situation do you know?" "We have a clue to the murderer in our discussion." "Clues to the murderer? Who is the murderer?" "We speculate that the murderer may be a guest who attended the Ochiai couple's wedding." Ayuko told Okamoto the conclusion she had discussed with Ochiai that day.

"I think this is a bit absurd, it's an interesting guess." Okamoto thought about Ayuko's words. "From Mr. Ochiai's tone, he seems to have a clue, and it's related to the guests present." "That is to say, we only need to check those who are related to Guzawa and Masukawa among the guests present." "Then the number of visits can be determined based on the participating guests." "Have you informed the police of the outcome of your discussions?" "This is just our conjecture, so Ochiai said that we should reconsider carefully."

"You should also be cautious. If you act rashly, you may let the murderer who killed five people go." "It is not yet certain that my husband has been killed." "Sorry, we can't completely give up hope just yet." "Ochiai Zhushi is not necessarily killed." "Ochiai must also think that she is still alive, right? But if they are still alive, there is a great possibility that they are not alone, but together." Okamoto said the above words with difficulty.If two people who had a relationship before marriage left their lovers and eloped, it must have been discussed in advance, which was also the inference of the police at the time.Whether they live or die, they are irretrievable to the other partner who was abandoned.

In late February, Ushio and Aoyagi went to the Kumagai Department.They are going to investigate the search data of the case of the murder of a supermarket female clerk. Because the investigation of the case of the murder of the female shop assistant has no clue, the search headquarters had to be disbanded.Subsequent searches were transferred to the Jurisdiction.Although it is still called "search", this case has already come to an end.Fukuyama, an elderly detective from the local bureau in charge of the search, received the two. "That case has always been a guilt in our hearts. Because this case is a rare and brutal crime, at that time, we were all ambitious to catch the murderer and bring him to justice. But we have not found anything As for the clues, the search headquarters had to be disbanded, and the case was transferred to the second phase of the search. When I think of the regrets of the deceased and her family, I am still very angry." Fukuyama said regretfully. Generally speaking, if personnel from other police stations come to investigate an unsolved case, those who were in charge at that time would not welcome it too much, but Fukuyama still has great enthusiasm for this unsolved case and is very helpful. Hearing that the murder of a female supermarket clerk four years ago was related to two homicides and two disappearances in Tokyo, Fukuyama's spirit was immediately lifted. "If that's the case, I will spare no effort to assist you. If I retire if I can't catch the murderer, I won't be willing to die." Fukuyama's determination can be seen from the resolute look on his eyebrows. "Judging from the circumstances of the case, there should be multiple murderers. We tested the semen of several people from the victim. The semen could not be separated into a single individual, and it was mixed with the victim's body fluids. In addition, the corpse was soaked in I was in the water for several hours, so it was impossible to obtain the murderer’s body fluids and test his blood type. But we can at least infer that there were more than two murderers who raped the deceased.” Fukuyama’s words contained strong anger. "Have you found any clues left by the murderer?" "It seems that the murderer had a car himself, and they were waiting for the victim on the way home. No footprints were found after the crime. Only a piece of fingernail was found in the car, not the victim's." "nail?" "It seems that the murderer's nails were peeled off because of the victim's desperate resistance. Maybe it was because of this that angered the murderer that the murderer did such a brutal thing." This is very useful information.As long as the suspect's nails are compared with the nails found, if they match, the evidence is conclusive and the murderer can't justify. Thanks to Fukuyama's assistance, Ushio and the others saw all relevant information.After reading the materials, Ushio proposes to visit the crime scene. "I'll show you the way." The sky was cloudless, and the famous dry wind in the North Kanto was howling.The temperature is very low, and the breath of spring cannot be felt yet. "I heard that there is an embankment built along the Arakawa River, isn't that true?" Ushio asked Fukuyama as the car scrambled through the heavy traffic in the same traffic jam as in the city center. "Yes. When spring comes, the cherry blossoms are beautiful there. We will pass by." "Actually, I wanted to see where this photo was taken. I heard it was taken somewhere on the Arakawa embankment." Ushio showed Fukuyama the two photos brought by Ochiai and Ayuko Iakata.Fukuyama looked at the photo and said, "This should have been taken on the Arakawa embankment. Judging from the mountains and river embankment in the background, it may have been taken near the bridge. We will just pass there." The jeep soon passed through the busy streets and approached the bridge over Arakawa.The car did not get on the bridge and turned left before the bridge. "The photo only shows part of the girder. Is it over there?" The car stopped at the location indicated by Fukuyama.They got out of the car, and the cold wind was raging outside the car. They took out the photos and compared the actual scenery. "Ah, it seems to be here! Here you can see the convex mirror at the corner of the street in the photo." Oxtail said. At the junction of the road going up from under the embankment and the parallel road along the embankment, a convex mirror is erected, and this convex mirror was just captured in the photo.On the distant mountain opposite the embankment, you can see the shimmering light of the white snow.After standing outside for a while, they felt a biting chill.The group hurried back to the car. After crossing the bridge, there were suddenly fewer vehicles.Soon, the car entered a gentle hilly area, through the pine forest, you can see a small mud pond.The water in the mud pond was black and black like waste oil, and it was sticky and silted up. "This is the big swamp. This mud pond is far away from people's homes, and few people pass by during the day, so if you are attacked here at night, it is really helpless." "If it is assumed that the murderer is waiting here, the murderer should have known in advance that the victim would pass by here and go home." "We thought about that too and did a thorough search of the area, but we found no one behaving unusually. And we also checked violent gangs, seasonal laborers and construction workers coming in and out of the area, as well as restaurants, hotels, transportation All relevant personnel in the industry have conducted investigations, but in the end no clues were found.” "I think the murderer should be very familiar with the place, that's why he came here." "By the way, I remembered a very strange thing." Ushio and Aoyagi immediately shifted their eyes to Fukuyama, and Fukuyama continued: "It was the victim's car that was sunk in the mud with the fuel tank almost completely empty." "Out of gas?" "It's almost bottomed out. Generally speaking, girls rarely refuel when the gasoline is running out." "Is the fuel gauge malfunctioning?" "The fuel gauge is normal." "In that case..." The three looked at each other. "In that case, one possibility is that the victim didn't notice the fuel gauge, and the other possibility is that someone took the gas away." Ushio said. "We also thought about this. Why the murderer broke into this place, we don't know yet. But suppose the murderer's car was parked here because it ran out of gas. When we were in a dilemma, the victim's car came. The murderer stopped Get out of the victim's car and ask the victim to give some gasoline. I think the victim should agree. But the murderer not only took all the gasoline, but also played a trick on the victim. There is no house nearby. For the murderer, This is the perfect place for a crime. The murderer's nails were ripped off because of the victim's desperate resistance. The murderer flew into a rage and just after raping the victim, he stuffed it into the car and pushed it into the mud." "This speculation is very possible. Then the next morning, the victim's father found the car sunk in the mud pond because of the oil floating on it. Wasn't the floating oil gasoline at that time?" "The fuel tank isn't broken, and the cap is screwed on properly. It must have been leaking engine oil or something." "Is the victim's home near here?" "Just a little in front of this mud pond. Two or three minutes' drive. Let's go and have a look." A group of people stopped the car near the mud pond, looked at the mud pond for a while, and then drove the car again. Soon, the car arrived in front of a small but neat two-story building in the corner of a small village.This small building has a courtyard surrounded by fence walls. The courtyard is full of weeds and the eaves are sloping. It looks like a deserted house that no one lives in.The name plate of Fifty Kungye hanging on the gatepost has been mottled and mottled under the erosion of rainwater, and the words "Fifty Kungye" can barely be recognized.They stepped forward and rang the doorbell under the name plate, but they always felt that no one lived in the house. "It seems that no one lives there." Fukuyama felt very strange. "Ask the neighbor." They went to the neighbor's house again. "Oh, Fifty Gongye, he was hospitalized because of poor health." "Hospitalized? Which hospital do you live in?" "Then I don't know. I didn't see him much at the end of last year, and then I heard that he was hospitalized." "Do you know what disease you were hospitalized for?" "Then I don't know. Because of the tragic death of his daughter, Fifty Gongye no longer associates with his neighbors. It can be said that he is half dead." The neighbor said very sadly, but he did not know the current whereabouts of Fifty Gongye. While the house that was close to a dilapidated house gradually lost its function as a home, it also seemed to show the grief and despair of the owner after the tragic death of his daughter. "The murderer not only killed the victim, but also destroyed the victim's family and family." Niuwei sighed. A group of people set foot on the way home.The way back is different from the way we came back.A temple can be seen across the pine forest, and many people come to worship.There were many vehicles parked in the parking lot in front of the mountain gate.Many young faces can be seen among the people who visit the shrine. "This temple is a famous temple of the Caodong sect. Every year when the exam season comes, many young people come here to pray for the exam." Fukuyama explained. "Would this help with the test?" "The main Buddha enshrined here is Manjushri Bodhisattva who holds wisdom. The so-called wisdom is to understand the worldly affairs, and wisdom is to understand the teachings of the Buddha. The fusion of wisdom and wisdom can understand the true meaning of life and choose the path that life should take. The more intense the exam battle, Manjusri Bodhisattva is more popular. For students who take the exam, wisdom is to choose the correct answer. Let's go and pay our respects." Fukuyama invited Ushio who showed interest. After parking the car in the parking lot, a group of people entered the courtyard of the temple.There are a large number of dedicated plaques in the courtyard.The contents on the plaque are all things related to the test. "Must be admitted to XX University" "Must win XX University" "Both ability and political integrity" "The third righteous death also has to pass the exam" The plaques are all written with words like this.Among them, there are also greedy boards with the names of several universities written in succession, and group boards with the entire class. "Young people are having a hard time right now!" Now is the era when 100 million people are entering higher education, and the exam-taking wars that have started since kindergarten have made people have to rely on making wishes to God to achieve their dreams. This fact is also very thought-provoking.In the center of the courtyard is the main hall, and on the right may be the temple kitchen.Standing in front of the donation box, facing the main hall, you can see the dim main hall from the hall.The Buddhist altar enshrining the main Buddha and the Buddhist utensils displayed in front of the altar are shining with golden light, permeating a solemn atmosphere.On the way back to the parking lot from the front of the main hall, you can see stone lanterns engraved with the names of the donors lined up on both sides of the path of worship.Niuwei also glanced at these stone lanterns with the corner of his eyes before entering the mountain gate, and he admired these stone lanterns again while going down the mountain on the way home. "There are many powerful Uekoshi in this kind of monastery," Fukuyama said. Oxtail has indeed seen the names of many celebrities. "February 20th is the day of the temple fair every year, and it happens to be during the exam season, so it is very lively." "Everyone wants to be touched by the light of the wisdom of Manjushri Bodhisattva." "Those so rational young people have to rely on Bodhisattva later on." Fukuyama smiled wryly. Suddenly, Oxtail stopped in front of a certain stone lantern.His gaze was fixed on the name engraved on the stone lantern. "What's wrong?" Fukuyama asked. "This stone lantern is engraved with Kazunari Sayama's name." "Oh, the president of the Sovale company. Kazunari Sayama's father was born near here." "What did you say?" Oxtail and Qingliu's expressions changed drastically. "What's the matter Sayama?" "The object of our suspicion now is the son of Kazunari Sayama." This time it was Fukuyama's turn to be surprised.Although Ushio and the others told him Sayama Hidemo's name, they didn't mention that he was the son of the president of Sovalai Company. "That bastard has indeed been here." Qingliu snorted. The last time Ushio and Aoyagi met Sayama, Sayama said that he was not familiar with Kumagai City at all. "Can we meet the abbot here?" Oxtail said. "I'll ask." The three returned to the kitchen on the right side of the main hall.Standing at the door to say hello, a middle-aged woman who looked like a family member of a monk in the temple came out.They notified their identities and asked to see the abbot.It happened that the abbot was there.They were let into a room that may have been the Danyet lounge.After a while, the abbot in cassock came out.The abbot is very surprising, he is very young. "This is the abbot. I am sorry to come to visit you suddenly." "Oh, Mr. Interpol, it's rare." The abbot greeted him heartily.It seemed that he knew Fukuyama very well.Fukuyama introduced the abbot to Ushio and Aoyagi.Ushio handed over the business card and asked slowly: "I saw the name of Kazunari Sayama engraved on the stone lanterns on both sides of the path of worship. Do you often see him here?" "I haven't seen Mr. Kazunari Sayama here recently, but he often donates when the temple is rebuilt or built. Because the grave of President Sayama's father is in this temple." "We've already heard this from Fukuyama-san. Has President Sayama's son Hidema Sayama been here recently?" "I haven't seen his son recently." "What about June 3 four years ago?" "You said that, I remembered. Four years ago, when the Buddhist ceremony for President Sayama's father's seventh anniversary was held in this temple in May, he attended with the president and his wife." "Attended the seventh anniversary Buddhist event?" The faces of the three changed suddenly. "When was that Buddhist event held in May four years ago?" "May 2nd." That was about a month before Teruko Isukone was killed. After seeing the abbot, the detectives can confirm that the grave of Sayama Hidemo's grandfather is in this temple.This time I came to Kumagai City to gain a lot.Sayama Hidema is indeed very familiar with Kumagai City.But he categorically denied this fact.Moreover, if it can be determined that the nails found in the victim's car and Hidemo Sayama's nails belong to the same person, the overwhelming evidence will make him unable to quibble. The news brought back by Niuwei and Qingliu made the search department overjoyed.The discovery that Sayama has a relationship with Kumagaya City strongly supports Ushio's speculation.The search headquarters discussed whether to summon Sayama for interrogation. The opposite opinion is that, "Although the grave of Sayama Hidemo's grandfather is in Kumagai City, we cannot conclude that Hidemo himself is very familiar with Kumagai City. It is still in the stage of random investigation, and it is not yet possible to compare Sayama's nails with the victim's car." It is too early to summon Hidemo Sayama for interrogation." But what Ushio and Aoyagi said prevailed, "Grandfather Sayama's hometown is in Kumagai City, and he also said that he has nothing to do with Kumagai City. The reason why he said this is obvious, because he wanted to hide something from us, so He doesn’t want us to know about his origins with Kumagai City. Can’t we ask him what he wants to hide from us?!” After careful discussion, the following results were obtained. 1. Furusawa Monday, Masukawa Yasushi and Ochiai Shigeru are classmates. 2. Both of them were invited to the wedding of Shigeru Ochiai and Atsushi Nakahashi. 3. Sayama denied that he had a close relationship with Guze. 4. There is a connection between Sayama and Kumagai City. Judging from the results, Sayama Hidema fits the profile of a murderer. Just after 9:00 a.m. on February 18, as soon as Sayama appeared in the Sovalai company building in Nanqingshan, the investigators who had been waiting there asked Sayama to summon him, and he was shocked. "Why did you summon me to the police station? I didn't commit a crime." Sayama quickly recovered from the shock and put on airs. "I want to ask you something, I hope you can cooperate." Hearing Ushio's polite but non-negotiable tone, Sayama reluctantly stood up.It seems that he also knows that if he refuses the summons, his situation will be even worse.At the moment, Sayama was taken to the search headquarters of the Shinjuku Bureau. Ushio and Aoyagi are in charge of Sayama's interrogation.Ishii from the Kasue Branch Office also rushed over to participate. "Today has made you tired." Oxtail put on a low profile first. "It's not like I can come here if I want." Sayama bluffed, as if trying to dispel his inner anxiety. "I wasted your time. We also want to ask you for some opinions, as a reference for the search." "I have nothing to do with Sheng Chuan being killed." Sayama knew that he was summoned this time by the investigation headquarters investigating Sheng Chuan's killing. "We're not asking about Shengchuan." "It's not Shengchuan, why did you ask me to do it?" The uneasiness on Sayama's face became more and more obvious. "Four years ago, a female supermarket clerk in Kumagai City was killed on her way home from work." "What does that have to do with me?" Sayama's voice seemed flustered. "When we asked last time, you said you had nothing to do with Kumagai City, right?" Sayama was tongue-tied before Uxtail's barrage of interrogation. "Right? That's what you said last time, right?" "That's what I said, so what's the matter?" Sayama said helplessly. "Why do you lie like that?" "I did not lie." "Your grandfather's hometown is in Kumagai City, a temple in Kumagai City, and your grandfather's grave." Sayama's face turned pale in an instant. "How about it, you can't even know where your grandfather's hometown is." "I know my grandfather's hometown is in Kumagai City, but I haven't been there." "That's really weird. The abbot of that monastery said that when your grandfather's seventh anniversary Buddhist ceremony was held in their monastery, you attended it." "Oh, I forgot. Because there are always many places to attend in a human relationship, I can't remember everything so clearly." "Really, is attending your grandfather's Buddhist ceremony also because of favor?" Oxtail said sarcastically. "Isn't it a favor for me? What does my grandfather's Buddhist affairs have to do with me?" "About a month after the seventh anniversary of the Buddhist event, a woman and her car were sunk into a mud pond near the monastery." "Do you suspect I did it? I had nothing to do with it." "Then why did you say that you have nothing to do with Kumagai City after you've been to it? Since it has nothing to do with it, why is your grandfather's hometown there, and where is your ancestor's grave?" "It has nothing to do with me." Sayama argued reluctantly. "On the night of June 3 four years ago, where were you and what were you doing?" "I can't remember what happened so long ago. I don't have to answer you either." For the murders of Guzawa and Masukawa, Sayama did have conclusive alibi.The undeniable fact that Sayama was in Europe when the two were killed can be confirmed by the immigration management office and the staff of the Sovalle company accompanying him. "Don't go too far. I've been interrogating you about alibi and other things. Do you think I'm the murderer? I won't say anything more. If you have any questions, please ask through a lawyer." Sayama became stubborn.He may have seen through the current lack of evidence for the search team. "Since you want to find a lawyer, we will help you find it. But we haven't reached that stage yet. Now we are just using you as a reference to consult some things. If you have a clear conscience, can you assist the police as a kind citizen? What about solving the case?" "So I'm here to help. No matter how much you ask, I can't answer if you can't remember." "Why did you lie and say that you have no connection with Kumagai City?" "I wasn't going to lie either. I just don't remember." "Did you hurt your finger four years ago?" "finger?" Hearing this, Sayama turned his gaze to his fingers.The interrogator's gaze also focused on his hand.However, no signs of injury were found on the fingers of both hands.If the nails had peeled off four years ago, the scars would definitely be gone now.However, Sayama didn't mean to hide it, but let the interrogator look at his fingers openly. "I don't remember any injuries to my fingers. Not even a single thorn, whether it was four years ago or recently." Sayama seemed to have regained his composure, and he took out a cigar from his pocket smartly.This is a pair of hands that have not worked since birth, and the fingers are so slender that they can't even play the piano. "If you can help us as a kind citizen, can you provide some more of your nails?" Uxtail said. "nail?" "Just as a reference for the search." "It's strange what you want. If this is the kind of assistance that a good citizen must provide, I can provide my nails, as much as you want." Surprisingly, Sayama agreed very readily.The police used the prepared nail clippers to cut off Sayama's nails.It was done with his own permission from start to finish. The police temporarily let Sayama go back.Because it's just a summons, not a detention.Although Sayama was not caught on the spot, there were thunderous cheers in the search headquarters.Finally got Sayama's nails.In this case, as long as the nails of Sayama and the nails found in Teruko Ishoko's car are checked against each other, if the two nails belong to the same person, a warrant for Sayama's arrest can be issued.Sayama went back as if he had won, he didn't seem to know that he had left an important clue to the search headquarters.