Chapter 32 Section VI

A week has passed since Abe's death.The material department has also resumed its normal work rhythm. When the employees began to no longer feel unfamiliar with the empty section chief's seat, another accident happened. The phone on Sano's desk rang, but Sano was not there. He went to inspect the supplier's factory today. "Hello, this is the material department." A staff member who happened to pass by picked up the phone receiver. "Yes, Sano is an employee of ours... Eh? How? Really?...Yes...Yes." Hearing his words, led by Morita, all staff members raised their heads and looked at him.The muscles on his face began to twitch, he kept taking notes with a pen, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.After that, he put the receiver back on the phone heavily, and whispered to everyone present.

"It's not good, Team Leader Sano...he's dead." At first glance, it appears to be a simple traffic accident.At the corner of the car-only road, he rushed to the isolation belt because he failed to turn the angle enough in time.Although no other vehicles were damaged, Sano himself died at the scene.Before the accident, the driver behind Sano's car testified that he had seen Sano's car swaying and felt a little dangerous.Then he added that so he pulled some distance and he survived. Judging from the forensic results at the scene, the cause of the accident seems to be fatigue driving.

However, the First Investigation Section of the prefectural police, which has been investigating the cause of Anbe's death, has doubts about the accident and commissions others to send the body for autopsy.Leaving aside cases of criminal suspicion such as hit-and-run, autopsy is generally not required for the corpses of self-injured accidents of this type. The autopsy results came out, and the police found sleeping pills from Sano's body. Tamiya and Nishioka came to the headquarters of A Food Co., Ltd. again, and asked several employees of the material department to ask questions.As far as was found, only the staff knew about Sano's business trip that day, and that he drank tea before departure.The tea was brewed by Yukiko Nakamachi at ten o'clock every morning and distributed to everyone.

The two called Yukiko Nakamachi for questioning.Just like last time, Yukiko walked over with her head down, and sat stiffly on the chair. Tamiya confirmed the tea to her nonchalantly.Yukiko replied that she did make tea for everyone that morning. "Where did you make your tea?" "In the pantry in the corridor." "Did you go alone?" "yes." "When you made tea that day, did anyone else come into the tea room?" Yukiko tilted her head and thought for a while, then replied. "I can't remember. People come and go in and out of the tea room from time to time, what happened that day... I really can't remember."

"So, did you ever leave the pantry while you were making your tea?" After a brief pause, Yukiko Nakamachi replied decisively. "should not." Tamiya stared at Yukiko.Sometimes her palms rub against each other, and sometimes her fists are clenched.Although her palms are not big, they are as white and translucent as porcelain. "Excuse me, could you please take us to the tea room?" Tamiya said thoughtfully.Yukiko didn't show too much surprise, and after saying "OK", she stood up. The space in the pantry is narrow, with a sink and a large water dispenser.Yukiko skillfully washed the teapot and changed the tea leaves, took out two teacups from the cupboard, and made a cup of tea for Tamiya and the others.The criminal policeman took it respectfully and thanked him repeatedly.

"This tea tastes pretty good. By the way, don't everyone use their own teacups?" Tamiya glanced into the cupboard and asked. "No." Yukiko replied, "There are a total of forty-six of these teacups in the cupboard in the hands of the two criminal policemen, and they are for people to use at will." "I see." In this way, if you just put sleeping pills into the cups, it is impossible to know which cup will be allocated to Sano. "How do you divide the tea when you distribute it? Do you put a cup on each table?" "yes." "Oh, that's been a lot of work—we've had enough, thanks."

Seeing Yukiko pouring hot water into the teapot again, Tamiya hastily declined.Yukiko spoke in a tone without the slightest cadence. "No, I'll make another glass for Corey's by the way." As she spoke, she began to place teacups of the same shape on the tea tray. "It's really confusing." On the way out of the company and towards the station, Tamiya said in a low voice. "From the point of view of the situation, Nakamachi Yukiko is the most suspicious. She was the last person who was with Abe when he fell from the building, and in this case, she also has the possibility of murder."

"That's true, but it's all just a situation. And the sleeping pills don't have to be in the tea." "makes sense." "All in all, first conduct a thorough investigation on the surroundings of Abe and Sano, and we will definitely find something in common."