Chapter 9 fourth quarter

In June, the weather suddenly turned hot.It hasn't rained for a long time and the air is very dry. Takehachi Sochii goes out for interviews every day. One day, Takehachi Sokai came back from an interview and passed by Waseda Street.Then a taxi passed him and he happened to glance out the rear window. "Isn't that the editor-in-chief Yamazaki?" Yamazaki was still wearing the jacket covered with straw shavings, and it was definitely him. The taxi headed towards Kagurazaka and turned left.It seems that he was looking for the destination of Okase Masahira when he went to Kagurazaka.

It has been more than a month since Yamazaki went to the racetrack, and he has been tirelessly exploring Okase's behavior during his lifetime. Yamazaki's tenacious and persistent energy disgusted Takeshi Sokui very much.Yamazaki, who usually seems indifferent and refined, is reluctant to part with Okase's stolen money, which is really beyond Satsui's expectations. It is no wonder that the editor-in-chief of a small newspaper has no hope of getting ahead, and the salary is not high. He used to be the head of the social department of a major newspaper, which has become a sad resume for him, and since then he has been in decline, as if he is surrounded by four walls, so it is understandable that he is keen on Okase's money.

But Takehachi Sochii still couldn't forgive Yamazaki's behavior. He was entrusted with following Okase in the name of work. Now it seems that he was fooled, no, he was used by Yamazaki.At the beginning, they discussed with each other, but now he throws others away and does it by himself. If you, Yamazaki, do it, I can do it myself!Takehachi Sokui said in his heart. He returned to the newspaper office and began to write the manuscript to be published. Just after writing more than 2,000 words, Yamazaki walked into the editing room wiping his sweat. Still wearing the jacket, he took it off and hung it on the hanger.

"It's so hot!" he said to himself as he sat down in the swivel chair.His back was towards Takehachi Sukui.The back view was exactly the same as what Takehachi Sokui saw from the rear window of the taxi. Yamazaki folded the newspaper and used it as a fan. Takehachi Sochii calmly stood up and walked to Yamazaki: "Mr. Editor, what do you think of this material?" In fact, it is an insignificant material that can be handled in any way.Yamazaki glanced casually and gave instructions.This is an excuse to talk.Takeuchi Sochii looked at it and asked: "Mr. Editor, did you pass by Kagurazaka in a taxi today?"

"Ah?" Yamazaki seemed taken aback, but immediately calmed down, pretending not to know: "No, I didn't go there, but I was pestered by a customer and kept talking at the tea shop in Hibiya." To hide it, this further shows that Yamazaki wants to conceal his activities; it also means that he has some information that he does not want to tell others. There are restaurants behind Shenyunzaka, maybe it was the place Okase used to spend a lot of time.But Okase's hobbies at that time were nightclubs and bars, and he didn't necessarily go to such low-level places, unless it was a special hobby.Maybe go there and meet him?

Also, why did Yamazaki Jiro go to Sueyoshi at Fuchu Racecourse again?I should check it out too. Takehachi Sokui was not allowed to go out for personal affairs during working hours.At six o'clock in the afternoon, he took the express train of the central line to Nishi Kokubunji, changed trains on the branch line, and got off at Fuchu. Although it was a long day, after an hour on the way, it was dark when we arrived at the racetrack. He had been here more than once before, so even at dusk he had no trouble finding the way to the Westfield Stables. The long stables were dimly lit and silent.Even as a man, it was a little scary to be alone here.

The fifth building from the top is Nishida's stables. The last time I came here, the sun was shining brightly, some people were walking horses, some people were turning over straw, but now there is no one. At either end of the row of houses were the sitting-rooms of the riders and stablemen, and in the middle were the stables.A light shone from the stable.Takehachi looked inside.A man was standing bent over beside the horse, fiddling with the horse's front hooves.He turned around when he heard footsteps behind him. "Good evening?" Takehachi Suzui spoke first. The stable attendant was very young, not yet twenty years old, and very tall.It's not like a regular staff member, but a trainee!

"Are you taking care of the horses? That's great." Takehachi Sukui seemed to be a fan of horse racing. The stable trainee took him for a horse racing fan and didn't ask him anything, just nodded.He was cooling the horse's feet with water from a small pod. "What's the matter!" Suji Takehachi walked into the room, chatted up and stood behind the trainee, looking at the horse together. "The front hoof is a little hot, I'll cool it down." The sound of the horse next to it pounding the floor continued. "It's not easy, it's like taking care of people."

"It's more troublesome than taking care of people." The trainee said. "We store important horses here, and cooling them down is a trivial matter, and we need to take care of them all night when they are sick!" The trainee seemed very proud. "Excuse me, is Mr. Sueyoshi there?" Takehachi Sujii seemed to be looking for Sueyoshi on something. "Mr. Suekichi hasn't seen you for two or three days." "Where did he go?" "I went to Fukushima to deliver the horses. I'm very busy. The horse race will start in another week."

Takehachi Sukui remembered the horse racing advertisement he saw at Fukushima Station. "A considerable part of the horses here are going to be sent to Fukushima?" "Send four horses." The trainee continued to work and said, "Are you a friend of Mr. Sueyoshi?" "Yes. I thought he was here, to see him tonight." "He won't come back until the Fukushima race is over." "Which horses did Sue Ji send?" "It's Harman. It's not a good race in Tokyo this time, but there may be hope in Fukushima." "Ah! Harman, it's not bad." Takehachi Sukui said as if he was an expert, "It performed well in the last scene."

"What? It was Mindnisi who performed well in the last game!" "Ah! Yes, it's Mindenisi." Takehachi Sujii hastily changed his words. "The foster horses here are all fine horses!" said the young trainee as he washed the horse's hooves, as if he didn't care about Takehachi Sotsui's "negligence". "Yes. But the main thing is to be good. Nishida is an excellent teacher. I have asked him to train a lot of horses!" "That's right. That's why the horses that are fostered here are all top-notch." "How many horses are there now?" "Eight horses." "Eight? Would you please tell me the name of the horse and the owner?" "Yes, you can." Because his teacher was praised, the young trainee readily agreed. Takehachi Suzui took out a notepad to record.He asked about his occupation and address, but none of the horse owners lived in Kagurazaka. "Why is there no horse owner living in Kagurazaka?" "You seem to know the horse owner very well." "Yes. I was entrusted by Nishida-san to build a bridge between them." "So that's how it is." Takehachi Sokui changed the subject: "Do you know Okase Masahei?" "Mr. Okase?" The trainee did not mention Masayoshi Okase among the horse owners. "I don't know." He shook his head. "Okase Masahira was the one who was arrested by the authorities seven or eight years ago and devoured public funds in a sensational moment." The trainee still doesn't know.No wonder, he was only twelve or thirteen seven or eight years ago. "Okase often comes to Sueyoshi-san's place!" "Really? That was before I came here." It seems that the trainees really don't know. "Then, did someone named Yamazaki come to see Sueyoshi-san?" "Who is it?" "It's a man who works in a newspaper office, wearing glasses, a tall, slightly fat man." Takehachi Sukui mentioned the characteristics of Yamazaki Jiro.The trainee was still shaking his head. "I don't know this person. Besides, I haven't been with Mr. Suekichi all the time." "Is your teacher Nishida-san here now?" "No. He went out drinking with someone." "Are you also someone related to the racetrack?" "yes." "Is your teacher going to the horse race in Fukushima this time?" "Yes. Might go, always. Stay there two horses, and he'll come back." "Thank you." Sojii Takehachi thanked the trainee and walked out of the stable. When Suijing Wuba came back from the mansion, he looked at the list of horse owners.There is not even a place name similar to Kagurazaka.But Yamazaki Jiro seems to have discovered some connection between Fuchu Racecourse and Kagurazaka. Yamazaki has been in a particularly good mood lately.He has always been dissatisfied with his situation and not working hard at work, it seems that some happy event has happened to him. What has he mastered? Takehachi was very annoyed at Yamazaki, who had been racking his brains to use him, but now ignored him. Takehachi Sochii went to work at the newspaper the next day.Because it is an evening newspaper, it is required to work in the morning, and everyone will arrive at about nine o'clock.But at ten o'clock, Yamazaki Jiro still didn't come to work.It was eleven o'clock and still hadn't come. Although the newspaper is small, it is still a newspaper. Without an editor-in-chief, the editors seem to have lost their backbone. After eleven o'clock, an editor called Yamazaki home. "He's gone." It seemed to be his wife who spoke. "When did you leave? What? Just after nine o'clock? It should have arrived long ago. Strange!" The editor holding the receiver shook his head: "Didn't he say that he went elsewhere? No?" Takehachi Sukui listened attentively to the conversation between the editor and the other party. "You can go to the newspaper office in less than an hour from the house!...No, he didn't contact the newspaper office...Okay, goodbye." The editor hung up the phone and smoked in boredom.He seemed to have something to ask the editor-in-chief. Usually, the editor-in-chief Yamazaki always arrives at the newspaper office on time at ten o'clock, and even if there is something to do, he will say hello before leaving. His behavior today aroused Sujii Takehachi's doubts.What did he do?Until four o'clock in the afternoon, there was still no sign of Yamazaki. The editor called his home again, and the answer was the same as in the morning. Although Yamazaki is somewhat casual, he usually has a strong sense of responsibility, and this is the first time that such a situation has occurred today.

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