Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

Changzi turned back to work in the hot spring. When Changzi opened a hotel, the youth league members who came to see her off put down their luggage and remains and waited in a nearby small restaurant. This Aobaya Hotel is where Horizawa once stayed, not far from the station. In response to Changzi's question, the inspection minister said: No one here has seen Lingzi in his lifetime. No one near the scene had ever seen a living Horizawa, and Horizawa had only left footprints in the Aobaya Hotel. Masako meets the owner of the hot spring hotel. Changzi explained his identity.The boss immediately called the maid who had served Horizawa.

The maid was very young, only twenty-one or twenty years old, with a round face and narrow eyes. The inspection minister said that Horizawa seemed to be waiting for someone, and it was true when he asked the maid. "I asked the guest if he had any companions, and he said he would be here in a while." The maid replied with her eyes narrowed. "Is he waiting for a man or a woman?" "I don't know. I said, she will come in a while, she must be a very beautiful beauty Luo. He replied: Almost, with a smile. I don't know if this is a joke." "How do you know he's waiting for someone?"

"From this room you can see the street. He kept looking out, and then he got on the hotel's wooden steps and walked to the station." "Then he is the one waiting to get off!" "It's not clear either." The maid's answer misses the point.It was certain that Horizawa was waiting for someone on the day of his death. The maid learned that Masako was the wife of a man who died in love, so she spoke more cautiously. Her answer was consistent with that of the inspector.It seems she is not hiding the truth. "Did my husband leave here at eleven o'clock in the morning?"

"yes." "At that time, did he go to take the train?" "That's not clear. I said I'll buy a bus ticket for you, but he said no." "Is the bus departure point in front of the train station?" "Yes. Some go to Sendai, and some go to Yamagata. There is also a bus to Tendo Hot Springs going to Yamagata." In this way, Horizawa might go to take a bus after leaving the hotel.In short, no one knew his whereabouts until his body was found.In addition, no one has seen Lingzi.Considered together, these two facts cannot but be considered marvelous.

"Has anyone called my husband before he left the hotel, or has anyone visited him?" "Yes—" the maid tilted her head and thought for a while. "I don't think so. He went for a walk this morning and left the hotel shortly after his return." "When he came back from his walk, did he say he was going?" "yes." "At that time, it was said that I was going for a walk. Did I meet someone?" When asked here, the maid narrowed her eyes and was unable to answer. Maybe Horizawa decided to leave the hotel because he couldn't wait for people to get anxious?

At this time, the maid suddenly remembered something. "Yes, yes, he called. He called Tokyo the night before he left the hotel." "Tokyo?" "Yes, he called the accountant from his room and asked for a long-distance call to Tokyo. It was around eight o'clock." It was the first time Changzi heard of this situation.Although the Minister of Inspection explained it in detail, it is impossible to understand the situation without coming to this hotel. "Do you know the phone number for Tokyo?" "It may have been written down in the tent."

Masako asked her to check it out.Not long after, the maid came in with a piece of paper. "This is it." Masako had never heard of the phone number written on the slip of paper.Judging from the bureau number K, it may be in the center of Tokyo. Masako wrote down the phone number in his notebook. "I don't know who answered Horizawa's call?" "Mr. Accountant." "Sorry, I have something to ask him, can I introduce you to him?" The maid went downstairs. "Uh--I called him long-distance." "I'm sorry. When the call was answered, did the other party announce their name?"

"No. I called, gave the number, and the person who answered said yes." "Is it a man's voice, or a woman's?" "It seemed to be a young woman's voice. I immediately told the guest that the phone in Tokyo was connected and plugged in the connector. I don't know what's going on in the future." Bureau K, a woman's voice. ——Who is this? Why did Horizawa make this call?Since Horizawa took the initiative to call, it must be an acquaintance Horizawa knew.And who was that woman who answered the phone? After Horizawa called Tokyo, he left the hotel the next day.There was a blank spot until his body was found.Besides, the body was found a month later.During this blank period of time, Lingzi was not seen.

Masako left the Aobaya Hotel. This hot spring street lies quietly under the shade of the mountain.Changzi felt that he still had a chance to come here. Masako returns to Tokyo. Before arriving in Tokyo, she made mental preparations.Because when I arrived in Sendai, I encountered a "surprise attack" by journalists at the station. The photographers surrounded Changzi who was holding the urn.The flash light crackled relentlessly on her body.Changzi's expression was stiff, and his body seemed to freeze. The reporter tangled Changzi and asked her to talk about her feelings. She pushed aside the crowd silently and walked forward.So the flash has been chasing her.She wondered what the journalists would write about.

Sure enough, the newspaper reported that Horizawa and Reiko died in love. The news that the whereabouts of the two of them were reported to be missing has caused a lot of trouble in the city.Now with results?It is even more embellished and exaggerated. A bleak funeral was held. Horizawa's parents, who had rushed back by plane after receiving Masako's telegram, looked very haggard due to the fatigue of the journey and the heavy blow.Few relatives attended the funeral.A few ordinary staff members came to the yamen of Hori Yi, saying that they came to express their condolences on behalf of the head of the section, but they were just trying to stand in the way.Changzi and her natal parents were relieved to see that there were not many people attending the funeral.

"What are you going to do in the future?" Mother asked. "I'm going to spend some time alone in the apartment and think about it." Mother agrees with Masako's arrangement. Masako returned to the apartment.At night, the shadows of the leaves of the nearby weeds lay darkly on her chest. Changzi thought of the raging flames burning in the northeast mountain depression, and seemed to hear Lingzi shouting loudly in the flames: "Wrong! I'm not with my brother-in-law. It's all wrong." Changzi agreed with Lingzi's call. News reports affirmed that the two committed suicide after liquidating their ill-loved relationship.Brother-in-law and sister-in-law's love affair goes unnoticed by his wife - Masako is very angry at these reports. It's not that I didn't notice it, but that there was no such fact at all.Masako has such a strong belief. However, she could not tell the society.In the face of the "facts" of "death in love", no one would believe her words. Masako flipped through the phone numbers in his notes.That was the phone number that Horizawa called someone in Tokyo from Sakunami Onsen Aobaya Hotel. She had meant to make the call as soon as she got back to Tokyo, but couldn't find the time.I didn't think about it until I got back to my apartment after the funeral. She ran to the manager's room to make a phone call.Dial the dial according to the number you wrote down. She wants to call the telephone company. Whose phone is this number?The telephone exchange will not tell the third party about this family without a good reason.She had no choice but to dial directly. "Hi, hello, are you No. 4329, Bureau K?" Chang Zi asked. "Yes." The other party replied, it was a woman's voice. Judging from the voice, it seemed to be a waitress in a hotel.Changzi couldn't ask: "Who are you from?" She waited for the other party to tell her.However, the other party remained silent. "Are you Mr. Ota?" Masako made up a random name. "Wrong." The other party replied indifferently. There is nothing wrong with saying "yes" just now and now saying "wrong!" "Which family are you from?" Masako asked. "Number 4329 is right!" "The number is correct, but it's not the Ota family." The other party hung up the phone, and a "click" sounded in Changzi's ear. Masako hung up the phone helplessly. There's no good reason the telephone exchange wouldn't tell who the number was.Just check the phone book.However, Tokyo's phone book is too large.It is not troublesome to check the number with the name. Conversely, to check the name from the number, you have to check them one by one. Judging from the woman's voice just now, this number 4329 seems to be a restaurant.Changzi borrowed the classified phone book and searched for the number 4329 from the "restaurant" department. This is also laborious but narrows the scope.She first searched for the first 43 digits, and checked each page twice to prevent omissions.This method is very good, and I quickly found out that No. 4329 of Bureau K is the "Takita" restaurant on a busy street in Tokyo. Masako had never heard her husband mention the "Takita" restaurant, and Horizawa only mentioned nightclubs or bars.In short, finding the name of the store from the phone book is a big gain. When I called from the Aobaya inn in Sakunami Onsen, it was a maid who answered the phone. However, Masako couldn't figure out why Horizawa wanted to call Takita Restaurant. Changzi couldn't understand it. Masako decided to go to Takita Restaurant to have a look. Restaurants usually open in the evening.At this time there was a lot of voices, Changzi felt a little embarrassed, so he decided to go during the day. Masako climbed up the ramp.This street is almost full of restaurants.Every house is closed.Under the hot sun, this wooden house feels extraordinarily deserted.The other road is a shop, where pedestrians are bustling, but there are few pedestrians here.Signboards written in bold Chinese characters are hung in front of each restaurant. Masako found the "Takita" restaurant without much trouble. There is a giant stone lantern at the gate of Takita Restaurant, and flowers are blooming on the flower bed.A gravel road leads directly to the gatehouse.A wooden sign hung on the board wall: "We are looking for maids". Horizawa stayed in Sakunami Hot Spring for two nights, and the call from the hotel was to this Takita restaurant. Why did my husband call here from the hot springs in the northeast?Is it because the person he was waiting for didn't come, so he called to urge him?So it can be surmised that the person he was waiting for was in Tokyo.Is this person an acquaintance of Takita, or a guest at Takita?The time of the phone call was at eight o'clock in the evening, which was the busy time of Laiguan's business. The husband left the hotel at 11 o'clock the next morning. Was it because he made up his mind to leave when he learned that the person he was waiting for would not come, or did he leave after learning about the other person's situation through the phone? All in all, the person Horizawa is waiting for is by no means a pre-arranged meeting with Horizawa at Sakunami Onsen. Or the two of them originally agreed to meet at Tsukuna Onsen, but something happened halfway, Horizawa was in a hurry and called him, so he changed the meeting place. Perhaps this person set off from Tokyo that night and arrived in Sendai early the next morning, and Horizawa left Sakuna Onsen at 11 am to meet him in Sendai. There are doubts here too.If Horizawa goes to Sendai, why not entrust the hotel to buy the ticket for him?The hotel also has no evidence of catching Horisawa going to take the train. Changzi was tired from walking for a long time, but he still had a lot of energy because of his high spirits. The guest who came to "Takita" for dinner could be someone related to her husband, but it's impossible to find it! In addition, the cause of death of my younger sister Lingzi must be clarified. Where does this begin?I just can't figure it out. Back at the apartment, the manager greeted Chang Yu when he saw her. "A guest is looking for you!" "Really? I'm sorry." The manager handed the business card left by the guest to Changzi, and Changzi took it over and saw that it was her husband's boss, the assistant to the field chief. "I told him that you were not at home. He said he would come to you after taking a walk outside for ten minutes." "How many minutes has he been gone?" "About thirty minutes." Masako went back to her room. She wondered, now that things are going on, what is the assistant of the field section chief looking for her?Looks like there will be no joy. Masako recalled that when she visited the economic department, the assistant to the section chief left a deep impression on her. This person is in his forties, tall and thin.The head of the class opened his mouth, and he hurried to help. It seemed that he was very good at currying favor with his superiors. When her husband's funeral was held, he was not there, only a representative of the head of the department came.What was he doing in this apartment right now?When he went to the Economic Office last time, he asked Changzi whether the new address after moving was for today's visit?I heard that she was not at home, so I didn't go back immediately, I had to wait for her to come back.It seems that the purpose of his visit is not trivial. Five minutes later, there was a gentle knock on the door. Changzi opened the door, and the assistant to the Field Section Chief stood in the corridor. "Ma'am!" the assistant field chief called out cordially. "excuse me," "Please come in! I was not at home just now, sorry." "No, no. You're welcome. It's very rude to come here unexpectedly." Masako let him in, half-opening the door.The purpose is to let a little wind into the room, and also to guard against single male guests. The assistant head of the Field Section sat down on the sofa by the window, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his sweat. Changzi brought tea, and Yedi stood up again to salute and thank him.Unlike the last time he was in the Economic Office, it seems that he is very good at socializing. "What happened to your husband is really regrettable. It happened to be busy with work, so I couldn't attend his funeral. I'm really sorry." He finished the polite speech very fluently.Changzi was anxious to know why he came here. Ye Di glanced around the room, said that the room is very comfortable, the surrounding environment is good, etc., but he couldn't turn to the main topic for a while. Seeing Chao Changzi look up and down with his bony eyes, Yedi restrained Changzi. "Madam, to tell you the truth—" Ye Di then turned to the topic. "Today, when I visit you, I have something to trouble my wife..." "..." "This is not the opinion of the Economic Office, but my personal thoughts. Please forgive me. There are various opinions in the society, and some of them are random speculations. You don't have to mind." What exactly did he want to say, Monk Changzi Zhang Er couldn't figure it out.She waited for him to finish speaking. "Your husband died unfortunately. I really don't want to tell you these words. However, these words must be said. This is for your own good and to maintain the reputation of the Economic Department." "What's the matter? Please tell me!" Masako expressed boredom with his lengthy preface. "To be frank, there is something wrong with your husband's duties, which is incomprehensible..." Changzi's lips turned white, "What happened to him?" "To be honest, these matters involve the secrets of the Economic Agency. I can't go into details. Of course, you will not be satisfied with my statement. But from the standpoint of the Economic Agency, I can only say so much ..." "..." "The issue of responsibility may be difficult for you to understand. To put it plainly, Horizawa-kun's behavior is in violation of the Civil Service Act..." "Violation of Civil Service Law?..." Masako stared at Ye Di's face. "To put it simply, that's it. Of course, there are many complicated situations here. I don't want to say more. I just tell the nature of the matter. It's easy for you to understand." "What happened to him?" "That's the problem. As I said just now, to be clear, it involves the secrets of the Economic Department. This is a very troublesome matter." "I can't believe it when you say that." "Yes. But say it..." "Just tell me, I won't tell others. I'm Horizawa's wife, Horizawa's indiscretion, it doesn't matter if you tell me, let alone he is dead. I have the obligation to ask clearly." "this……" The assistant to the Field Section Chief seemed to feel pressured by Masako's words. "This is different from ordinary companies because we are a government agency. The relationship is very delicate. Anyway, I can only talk so far. The section chief thinks the same as me. Even if you meet the section chief, he can't explain it clearly." "..." "Madam, what I want to trouble you with is that maybe someone asks about your husband's situation, and you just don't know anything." "Understood. But I should know the whole story myself." "I'm sorry. How many times have I said this? My words can only end here." Wild shrugged. "To tell you the truth, we noticed something before your husband died. To be prudent, we conducted a secret investigation. Unexpectedly, our actions were discovered by him. So there was such an unfortunate result for him and Lingmei. The impact of this problem is too great..." "I don't know anything." "That's not your fault, because I'm speaking too abstractly. Please excuse my situation." "..." "Ma'am, do you understand? No matter who asks, just say you don't know... Please." "..." "This is not only for the face of your dead husband, but also for the reputation of the Economic Department. If your husband's work unit and his superiors make trouble, you are not willing. Please understand our feelings. Please." .” "I understand." Masako knew it was useless to say anything.Ye Di may have come to deliver a message under the instruction of his superiors. "Go back and tell the class principal, I understand." "Then you promised, didn't you?" Ye Di was worried, and warned again. "I see. If you don't tell me to tell me, I won't tell you. That's all right!" Masako's last words were tinged with irony.Ye Di didn't seem to hear it. Ye Di seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and kept nodding his head. "Thank you. After hearing your answer, I'm relieved. Horizawa has passed away unfortunately, so it's inconvenient to leak out his indiscretions during his lifetime. Isn't it?" Noji's words seemed to be for the sake of Horizawa's reputation.