Chapter 24 second quarter

Two hours after answering the phone call, Atsuko boarded Shinkansen No. 2.Every time she takes the Shinkansen, she chooses a non-smoking seat.Not only because of the smoke from other people, but also the smell of smoke on her body made her feel unbearable. She remembered that she forgot to wear perfume when she went out, so she quickly took it out of her bag and sprayed some on her neck.It was a French perfume that Yang liked all his life. By the way, she took out the makeup mirror and checked her makeup. The detectives were waiting at Shin-Osaka Station, and Atsuko didn't want them to see the tears on her face.

--husband…… Through the scenery flowing through the car window, Atsuko called Yoichi in her heart.On the background of the light green pastoral scenery, Yoichi's chiseled face emerged. Atsuko and Yoichi were married four years ago in the fall of love.Yoichi was working in a certain fashion building in Shibuya at the time.The operator is his elder brother Kazuhiko, who himself became a minister in his early twenties. Not long after their marriage, the two bought a three-bedroom apartment in Tokyo.After seeing Yoichi off every day, Atsuko would go to the Western-style tailoring school where she had been working since before marriage, and she was a lecturer there.When she is not at work, she will go out with her friends, do aerobics, go to the cultural center, or go shopping.Those friends are either classmates in college or colleagues in the workplace.Most of them live far from the city center.All the companions envied Atsuko.

Just a year ago, things began to change.Yoichi, who usually seldom drinks, suddenly came home drunk one day.When asked why he drank so much, he simply replied that it was to celebrate. "celebrate?" "Yeah. I discussed it with my brother today, and he entrusted me with full authority over the store in Osaka." The store in Osaka is a newly established branch and is going to open in half a year.He seemed to be entrusted with running the business over there. "Hey? But isn't that shop run by Brother Hongming..." Hongming is Yoichi's second brother. "He gave it to me, saying that he let me give it a try. He also said that Osaka pays more attention to business, so I guess I can learn something there."

Yoichi's voice was full of excitement.He had been helping his brother before, and now he had the opportunity to have a small test to see his ability to do business, which of course would make him very happy. However, Houzi strongly opposed it. After finally finding a place to live, where can I find a more suitable place to live than here?It doesn't matter about other places, as long as you know the situation in Tokyo.By now, she no longer wanted to leave here. — Not to mention Osaka. She didn't have the slightest impression of the place.Penny-pinching, world-savvy, and tasteless—that was all the impression the place had left on her, and the Kansai accent was also annoying to her.If I moved to Osaka, I would probably have to deal with people who say that every day.In Osaka, of course, it is impossible to have Shinjuku, Ginza, and Roppongi.

"Go and push it away." Atsuko pleaded with her husband, "Why do you have to be a business operator? It's pretty good now, so you might as well reject it. I don't want to go to Osaka." Yang Yi looked impatient. "Nonsense. I've been working hard for this day. It's okay, and you'll get used to it soon. If you can get some results there, then you can pass things on to someone else , came back to Tokyo again." But Houzi refused to agree, saying that if Yoichi wanted to go, he could go alone.Yang Yi was naturally furious when he heard this. "Then I'll go alone."

Leaving this sentence behind, Yoichi really started to prepare for living alone in Osaka. All of Houzi's female friends expressed sympathy for her. "Well, Osaka? That's really a bit embarrassing." Machiko, a friend from women’s university, said, “It’s not easy to buy an apartment, so why can’t Yoichi hold back a little bit? Let’s put it aside for now, maybe we will open a new branch in Tokyo sometime.” However, there are also voices criticizing Atsuko. My colleague Miyuki in the workplace said that no matter what, separation is not a good thing. "Your behavior is simply allowing him to engage in extramarital affairs. All in all, you just follow the past first, and then say that you want to go back to Tokyo. It won't take much time."

Atsuko also felt that Miyuki's words made sense.From a certain point of view, maybe I am quite self-willed.Perhaps that is the case. – but I just don’t like Osaka… Houzi leaned his face to the glass window and murmured. When I came to Shin-Osaka Station and stood at the exit, I saw a man in a light gray suit walking towards me.The man's complexion is dark, and he seems to have some background, about thirty-five or sixteen. The man claimed to be a detective from the Osaka Prefectural Police, named Banba. "We have the car ready." Saying that, Banba stretched out his right hand, which seemed to mean to help Atsuko drag the suitcase.Houzi shook his head lightly, rejecting the other party, and the criminal policeman didn't insist any more.

The ready car is a white crown.Houzi thought it would be a police car, but when she saw this car, she was slightly relieved. "We'll go to the hospital next, please confirm." After the car started, the policeman said. "confirm?" After asking, Houzi realized that he wanted to claim the corpse. "You and your husband," The criminal policeman hesitated and said, "Are you separated?" "Yes... because of work..." Houzi replied with her head down. "Really?" The detective nodded. Looking out of the car window, I saw the cars that crowded the road and were speeding.I heard that although there are not many passenger cars in Osaka, there are many commercial vehicles such as light trucks and bread, and in fact it seems to be true.And this kind of car will always squeeze forward, even if there is only a slight gap, it must be inserted first.

"It's very fragrant." The detective said suddenly. "Ah?" Houzi asked. "I said perfume." The other party continued. "Oh……" Houzi turned his eyes to his shoulders, thinking that maybe he wiped it too much. Arriving at the hospital, Atsuko confirmed that the body was that of Yoichi.No, she wasn't staring closely either.With just one look, she turned her head away.Even so, what remains behind her eyelids is still her husband's face. After resting in the hospital for a while, Atsuko volunteered to go to the scene of the murder, which was in Yoichi's shop along Shinsaibashi.The first floor sells bags and jewelry, the second floor is shoes, and the basement is a boutique.

Atsuko had only been here once before, and because it was a holiday, it was impossible to accurately calculate the number of visitors. Behind the bag store on the first floor is the office, where Yoichi was murdered. "it's here." Banba pointed to the white line marks on the ground, "Your husband fell here. Face up, with a fruit knife stuck in his chest. As you can see, he was lying flat on the ground." Just as the criminal police said, the white lines on the ground indicated that the corpse was lying on the ground in an upright posture.Although Atsuko had never seen this kind of scene before, she could feel that the scene seemed a little unnatural.Of course, if the criminal police didn't say it, maybe she wouldn't notice it either.

"Have you found anything from the condition of him lying flat on the ground?" Hearing Atsuko's question, the detective shook his head. "I didn't find anything, it just felt a little strange." Atsuko nodded vaguely, and looked at the white stroked line again. "The shop was closed yesterday, so the last time the shop assistants saw your husband was the night before yesterday." Banba looked at the manual and said, "The one who found the body was a female shop assistant named Morioka. It is said that she found it at work at 8 o'clock this morning." "Then, have you found out when he was killed?" "It has been found out, but it is not very accurate." Banba replied, "From the estimated time of death, he should have been killed between seven o'clock and nine o'clock last night." Houzi admired him quite a lot, feeling that the other party had checked in great detail. "I know it in detail." "Medical science is very advanced today." Banba smiled slightly, as if Atsuko was complimenting him, but then he immediately asked with a straight face. "By the way, Mrs. Tamura, when was the last time you talked with your husband?" Houzi thought for a while and replied. "I remember it was the night before yesterday. My husband called at that time. Is there any problem?" "What did the two of you talk about at that time? If it is convenient, I hope you can tell me." "I didn't talk about anything... At that time, he said that the store would be closed the next day, and asked me if I could come here." Houzi still remembers his voice at that time, the tone was a bit nihilistic, but at the same time there was a trace of fatigue. —Will you come to my place tomorrow?Rest in the store, I will show you around Osaka. —Okay, go to Osaka to open your eyes. —Don't say such things.I have a rare day off here. ——Then why don’t you just come back? "Then how did you answer, Mrs. Tamura?" Banba asked again. "Ah, this... At that time, I replied that I would not go." "Oh?" The detective looked surprised, "Why?" "This..." Atsuko kept her mouth shut and turned her gaze to the ground, she knew that Banba was staring at the corner of her mouth. After a while, she raised her head as if making up her mind. "I don't like Osaka." For a moment, Fanchang seemed to be stunned, expressionless, and then slowly turned into a smiling expression. "That's why." Banba said, "This answer is quite convincing." "I am sorry." Houzi lowered his head slightly. "You don't need to apologize. I also have things I don't like, such as places with cold weather." Banba seems to want to ease the atmosphere a little. Afterwards, Banba told Atsuko something about the situation at the scene.The knife originally belonged to this office, and the fingerprints on it had been wiped clean, and there was no trace of a fight at the scene.When talking about these situations, Banba's tone was as solemn as that of an elementary school teacher. "Nothing was stolen. Because the store was closed yesterday, there is no such thing as business money." Finally, he asked Atsuko if he had any guesses about Yoichi's murder.Atsuko replied no.How could Houzi have any guesses? "yes?" However, Fanba did not show much disappointment. Walking out of the store, the next question is what to do today. "All in all, I'll just stay here tonight, think about it for a while." Atsuko said. "So you're going to spend the night at your husband's apartment? Let us drive you there." Yoichi rented a studio apartment near Tanimachi, and there was a small park visible from the window. "No," Houzi shook his head, "I won't go today. After I calm down a bit, I'll go and pack my things." "Oh……" The detective seemed to have something to say, but in the end he just nodded and said "Really". "So are you going to stay in a hotel tonight?" "Yes, but I haven't booked a room yet... If possible, I hope to find a place where I can see the street view of Osaka." "In that case, I know I'm in a good place." After finishing speaking, he stepped forward, followed by Atsuko. Banba took Atsuko to a tall white building about five minutes away from Yoichi's shop.This is a hotel in cooperation with the airline, and Atsuko recalled that there seems to be one in Ginza. The criminal police booked a room for Houzi at the front desk on the second floor. It was a single room on the 25th floor. "Maybe we will come tomorrow to ask you to help with the investigation." When parting, Banba bowed his head and said.Atsuko responded slightly. At night, Atsuko leaned against the window on the twenty-fifth floor, looking down at the cityscape of Osaka.Right in front of me was the Mido road, vehicles the size of a matchbox crowded the driveway and drove by one file at a time. Yoichi is gone. This incident gave him a feeling of a subtle gap with reality.In my heart, I always lack a sense of reality for it. Yoichi was killed—Atsuko kept repeating this sentence in his heart.In this way, the feeling in my heart is like pressing a painful tooth, and I will feel a little more comfortable. ——Osaka is a pretty good place. Yoichi's voice suddenly sounded in Atsuko's ear.This is what he said a month after the Osaka branch opened. "What's so good here?" Looking at the night view of Shinsaibashi, Atsuko said aloud.What is it about this city that fascinates Yoichi so much?If you let yourself live here, it feels like spending a long night where the sun will never rise. "It was the city that killed him." No matter who directly attacked, Houzi felt that this was an undeniable fact.