Chapter 31 chapter 2

On both sides of a one-way narrow path, there are two rows of old wooden buildings, each of which exudes a feeling of the Showa era. Among these families, there is a conspicuous mansion.The entrance looks very grand, and there are flowers and trees planted inside the wall. The staff of the forensic department were rushing in and out at the door, Kaoru stood where they would not interfere with their work, and opened the manual, while Kusanagi was smoking beside him with a portable ashtray. "The victim is Ms. Noheira Kaseko, who lives in this house. She is seventy-five years old. It was her son who found her collapsed in the Japanese-style room on the first floor. There is a mark on the neck of the deceased who seems to have been strangled with a rope from behind. At present The murder weapon has not been found yet. Her son, daughter-in-law and grandson are said to have set off for a trip to Hawaii a week ago, and they just returned this evening.” Kaoru looked at the records and said, “The last time her son spoke to the victim was three mornings ago Around ten o'clock—this is Japan time. Then he called her again before leaving Honolulu, and he started to worry when he didn't get through. Although the details are not yet known, but from the body Judging from the situation, it is estimated that he has been dead for more than two days. According to the family members, only the Japanese-style room where the victim fell to the ground was turned over, and there was no trace of the murderer entering the other rooms. I searched the closet and the Buddhist altar."

"The murderer probably knew in advance that her son's family was planning to travel to Hawaii, and took advantage of the opportunity to steal?" Kishitani said to Kusanagi. "This possibility is very high. But if it is a professional thief, it is estimated that with just a glance from the outside, you can see that all the family members have gone out, leaving only an old woman to look after the house." Kaoru looked back at her senior and said, "Assuming it was a case of fleeing and committing crimes, I think there are several doubts in it." "What doubt?"

"It is said that when her son's family came back, the gate of the entrance was locked. Because the windows and glass doors were all locked from the inside at that time, the only exit was the entrance. In other words, the gate of the entrance should have been locked by the murderer Yes. In fact, the house keys are also missing. If the crime was committed on the run, wouldn’t the murderer’s first consideration be to escape as soon as possible?” "If it is an ordinary criminal... But this time may be an exception. After all, he killed someone, so it is always reasonable to want to delay the time of being discovered as much as possible."

"It is indeed possible, but there are other doubts." "Is there? Then tell me quickly." "As I said, the murderer had searched the wardrobe and altar, and what was stolen from the wardrobe were the victim's passbook, gems and precious metals. However, because the seal of the passbook was kept in another place, there was no It was stolen. The important thing is still behind: the ten kilograms of gold bars in the Buddhist altar were also stolen." "What did you say?" Kusanagi's eyes widened, "Why is there such a thing in the Buddhist altar?"

"According to her son, it was left by the victim's husband. She said she was afraid of being completely dependent on the bank and would be in trouble if something happened, so she exchanged part of the property for gold." "How much is ten kilograms of gold worth?" Kusanagi asked Kishitani. "I don't know." Kishitani said, tilting his head. "I checked just now. The market value of one gram of gold is more than 3,000 yen. Ten kilograms should be worth more than 30 million yen." After hearing Kaoru's answer, Kusanagi whistled. "According to her son, there are ten one-kilogram gold bars stored in the Buddhist altar, and all of them are placed in a dark compartment that cannot be seen at a glance."

"Dark space?" "It's in the drawer of the Buddhist altar. After pulling out the drawer, you can see it by pushing the partition behind it horizontally. There are a total of four such drawers on the Buddhist altar, and the gold bars are stored separately, but they were all stolen in the end. .The dark partition is very exquisitely made, and if it is not for those who know it, it is estimated that it will not be able to see it." Listening to Kaoru's narration, Kusanagi's expression gradually changed.There was a smile on the corner of his mouth, but his eyes became sharp instead.

"I see. The murderer not only knew the victim, but also knew her property management situation. This is so interesting." He scratched his nose while speaking. "There is another doubt." Hearing Kaoru's words, Kusanagi pouted and said, "Why are there more?" "It's unclear if that's relevant to this case - her dog is missing." "dog?" "It is said that there is a dog outside the entrance of this house. It is a black dog crossed with a Kai dog. It barks fiercely when strangers pass by the gate, but the dog is gone now. .”

Kaoru took a peek at the entrance from the door.I saw a puppy house outside the door, with a blue roof, and "Little Black House" written in a marker on the hole. "It is said that the dog is usually tied up in that hut."