Chapter 38 Section 4

After a while, the owner of the hotel and the patrolmen from the police station came back.The patrolman was a well-looking man in his fifties who was visibly disturbed by the sudden accident.After seeing us, he didn't ask a word, just whispered to the hotel owner. Investigators from Tokyo also arrived not long after their return.What came was a fat man and a skinny monkey, both of whom were criminal police officers.After they asked us about the general situation of what happened in the living room, they called me into the dining room alone. "So," the fat detective scratched his head with a mechanical pencil, "when you guys went to bed, Miss Hagio was fine? At least that's how it seemed to you!"

"yes." Well, the detective showed a pensive expression. "Is this your first time traveling with Ms. Hagio?" "No, we used to travel together two or three times in order to collect materials." "Did something like this ever happen at that time? Was Miss Hagio running outside because she couldn't sleep in the middle of the night?" "It didn't happen when I was with me." "In other words, when Ms. Hagio is with you, is she a person who can sleep well?" "Well, that's about it." "That's it..." The policeman scratched his bearded chin, it seems that he hasn't had time to shave yet! "Did you invite her to this trip as well?"

"yes." "If it's a trip to collect materials, it sounds like it's part of the job! So, Miss Hagio, did you enjoy this trip?" What a wonderful question.I tilted my head and replied: "Because she is a person who is used to running around, so she shouldn't have any special feelings! But I think she should still have fun in her own way." Although this is not a clear answer, but I can't help it. "How is your private friendship with Ms. Hagio? Is the relationship very good?" "Yeah." I nodded clearly, "We are very good friends."

The fat detective circled his mouth as if to say "oh", but he didn't make a sound.Then he glanced at the skinny monkey detective next to him, and then turned his gaze back to my face. "Before this trip, did Ms. Hagio talk to you about anything?" "What are you talking about? What are you talking about?" "No! I mean, did she talk to you about any personal troubles or something like that?" "Ah..." I finally saw the policeman's intentions, "Do you think Dongzi committed suicide?" "No, I'm not sure. Because it's our job to explore all possibilities—so, what? Has she talked to you about anything like that?"

"Not at all, and she doesn't have any worries at all. Her work and private life are very fulfilling." After I finished speaking, the detective scratched his head and twisted his lips into a strange shape.I thought he was smiling wryly, but he tried his best to hold back in front of me. "I see. Finally, I want to confirm with you again. You said that you and Ms. Hagio went to bed around ten o'clock?" "yes." "It was eleven o'clock when you woke up?" "yes." "During this period of time, you were in a deep sleep state, did you not wake up at all?"

"Well... why are you asking these things?" "No. There's no reason, it's just that you were the only one sleeping during that time, so..." "..." I didn't understand the meaning of the policeman's words, so I was speechless for a moment.But it dawned on me right away. "Are you doubting me?" After I finished speaking, the detective waved his hands hastily as if he had been frightened by something. "I'm not doubting you anymore! Or...do you have any reason to be suspicious?" "..." The silence this time is because I don't want to answer at all.I stared at the detective's face and stood up from my chair. "Are you done asking?"

"Ah, I'm done asking. Thank you for your cooperation." I left the detective who hadn't finished speaking, and walked out of the restaurant.Probably because of anger!I don't know where the sadness in my heart has gone. After that, two other different investigators came to our room and said they wanted to confirm Fuyuko's luggage.Although they didn't say a word about their purpose, after observing their appearance, I found that they seemed to be expecting to find the suicide note. Of course, the two didn't find what they were looking for.There was a very obvious look of disappointment on their faces.

Not long after, the fat detective also appeared, this time asking me to help confirm.Needless to say, it is to determine Dongzi's relic. "Can I ask you something I forgot to ask just now?" On the way to the restaurant, I said to the fat detective. "Okay! What do you want to ask?" "The first one is the cause of death." I said, "What is the cause of Dongzi's death?" The criminal policeman thought for a while and replied: "Simply put, it was a violent impact on the whole body. It was a rock wall, right? So there was no buffer at all. But there was a big depression on the back of the deceased's head, and I think that was a fatal injury. Probably died instantly."

"No signs of a fight?" "It's still under investigation, but there should be no obvious signs of fighting. Are there any other questions?" "No, not for now." "Then I will trouble you to assist us." The detective pushed my back, so I entered the restaurant again and saw the skinny monkey detective standing by a table.There were familiar wallets and handkerchiefs on the table. "This should belong to Ms. Hagio, right?" the fat detective asked me. I picked up these things one by one to check, and there was nothing wrong with hers.The smell of her last perfume wafted in the air, almost bringing tears to my eyes.

"Check the contents of the wallet!" The fat detective took out the contents from Dongzi's favorite Celine wallet: ATM card, credit card, and 64,420 yen in cash—I shook my head feebly. "I have no way of judging whether the contents of the wallet are abnormal." "Well, that's it too!" The detective put the card and cash back into his wallet. After walking out of the restaurant, I went to the living room and found President Yamamori and Noriko Murayama sitting on the sofa talking.After seeing me, President Yamamori raised a hand, but Noriko Murayama didn't let me see her reaction.

"It seems that it is impossible to go back to Tokyo today." President Yamamori looked quite tired.In the ashtray in front of him was a mass of cigarette butts, piled up in a Neverland-like shape. "Is that going back tomorrow morning?" I asked. "Well, it might be like that!" After saying this, he put the cigarette in his mouth again. I originally planned to go directly to the second floor, but suddenly remembered something and turned back.The pinball table that made my good friend madly addicted last night was quietly placed in a corner of the living room. On the front panel is an image of a woman in a low-cut dress singing and dancing with a microphone in her hand. Next to the woman is a middle-aged man in polite clothes. The score is displayed on the man's chest.Thirty-seven thousand five hundred and eighty points—this is probably Dongzi's last score, right? At last? Something pounded hard on my chest. ——Have you finished playing marbles? ——Well, I can't help it, I've run out of change. Fuyuko's belongings - ATM card, credit card, 64,420 yen. ... four hundred and twenty yen? Isn't this change?I think.Then why did she say that then?I can't continue playing because I don't have any change... Is there any other reason for Dongzi to stop playing marbles?And that reason can't let me know? ——