Chapter 6 II-1

After being awakened by the strong bright light, the hands of the clock circled to eleven o'clock.Waking up with a leaden head in my head, and it was so stuffy that the dormitory was like a steam bath. The light was blindingly bright.After a night, what happened at Kyogokudo last night felt like a dream. When he was about to get up and change clothes, he saw his wife Yukie hard at work making glutinous rice balls.Yukie complained about whether it was because of the unusually hot and humid last night. I felt like I was being suppressed by a nightmare, which made her sleepless almost all night.That being said, she does look haggard.

"How is Miss Chizuru?" My wife asked without looking at me.Chizuruko is the name of Kyogokudo's wife.Maybe the husbands are friends with each other, but the wife and she get along very well.Even if there is no husband, the two are very sincere to come to live.I said his wife was not there, but she said that he might have gone to a festival.I don't understand what she means. After lunch, I went out after the sun weakened a little.It takes 20 minutes to walk to the nearest former Kobu Railway and the current Nakano Station of the National Railway Chuo Main Line. Nakano has recently developed significantly, probably because of its proximity to Shinjuku.Since about last year, various hardware preparations have been carried out rapidly, centering on the station.Before the war, there were many army schools and facilities here, so it was a relatively simple town.However, now that shopping streets are being built one after another, it feels like rebirth rather than revival.

When I arrived at the station, I was drenched in sweat.For me, who is sweating all over, riding a train on a day like this is really hard work. After getting off the bus at Kanda, I went to Shitansha first to visit Kyogokudo's younger sister.This company building, which was converted from a burned-out mixed-use floor, is not beautiful even if it is put politely, but it belongs to the company's building anyway, so it is quite impressive. In the seven years after World War II, the publishing industry also began to rejuvenate.The inspection system and paper distribution system during the U.S. occupation were not favorable times for the industry.As if continuing to react to the environment at the time, sales of books and magazines were unprecedented, with complete works and dictionaries being published one after another, starting with pre-war reprints.Recently, even translated books and works that realistically describe the scars of war are lined up in bookstores, and this situation was unimaginable before the war.

After the war, the common names such as low-level magazines and popular entertainment magazines, etc., which appeared immediately after the war, were repeatedly punished by starting publications, suspending publications, and then suspending publications and resuming publications, but they were renamed and changed forms, and they still exist until now. Rare Tanshe had been publishing magazines since before the war, but it wasn't one of the postwar start-up publishing houses that took the opportunity to follow a sense of liberation.Although it is not a first-class publishing house, it has issued three monthly magazines so far, so it can be regarded as a backbone publishing house.

Jingjitang's younger sister works in the editorial office of "Rare Tan Monthly" on the third floor.The magazine that was founded when Xi Tanshe was founded is now the signature magazine of this publishing house. Although it is only issued in a down-to-earth manner, the number of copies sold is steadily increasing. The main purpose of the "Rare Tan Monthly" magazine is to use rational thinking to unravel the strange events of ancient and modern things.As soon as you hear the name of the magazine, you will have the same impression as a pornographic and weird genre magazine, but the content is very solid, and there are no articles like the so-called low-level magazines.The scope of his expertise is mainly based on hard themes such as history, society, and science.Occasionally, articles about spiritual science and troubles that Kyogokudo hates are published, but even at such times, they are published from a somewhat distant perspective.This cautious attitude is characteristic of this magazine.But even so, it is no different from general mass entertainment.It's just that its orthodox editorial policy is different from emerging magazines, so it has not suffered any criticism so far.

Two years ago, I was introduced to the editorial department of "Modern Literature and Art" on the second floor as a friend of my brother who is an editor, and I have been writing articles since then. However, when I visit Xitanshe, it is not limited to the time when "Modern Literature and Art" is busy. Of course I really want to focus on literature and art, but, limited by real life, there are times when I have to do other things as well.In other words, anonymously writing weird articles in the low-ranking magazines just mentioned.The third-rate custom magazines are springing up anyway, and the source of manuscripts is gradually insufficient. As long as they are not picky, they can have a lot of errands.

But even though I don't pick a job, I still feel troublesome about the popular themes such as "secret affairs" and "sex confessions".Therefore, I mostly write some outdated "weird" and "curious" articles to pass.However, it is distressing that the subject matter in this area has been written exhausted, and there is nothing new.That's why I went around on the third floor to see if I could get a new subject and rewrite it into an article.Because of using this way to spend Xiaoyue, it is helpless to be looked down upon by Kyogokudo. Because of this, although I don't work here, I often report to the editorial department.

In the room, only the chief writer and editor-in-chief, a man named Nakamura, was writing. "Is Chuzenji-kun here?" I asked carelessly even to say hello. Chuzenji is the surname of Kyogokudo's younger sister. Of course, Kyogokudo himself has a very exaggerated real name called Chuzenji Akihiko.He is rarely called by this name now, and almost everyone he knows calls him by the name of the store, Kyogokudo.However, Kyogokudo is the name of his wife's natal confectionery shop in Kyoto, and he picked it up on his own when he opened the old bookstore, so it can be said to be a very casual way of calling it.

Editor-in-chief Nakamura raised his face and replied with a smile, what a kind man. "Ah, Sekiguchi-sensei, you came here suddenly, what's the matter? Oh, please come in, it's hot outside, please come inside." Invited by a loud and majestic voice, I sat down in the guest chair.Editor-in-Chief Nakamura rattled a stack of papers, came over and sat across from me, and said: "Aren't you busy? If you disturb me, I'll leave immediately. You're welcome." "No, I'm not busy. I'm planning for next month, but I can't do anything. I just want to walk around the second-hand bookstore street to change my mood."

He seems to be from Kansai, with a slight Kansai accent in his words. "By the way, sir, you have done research on milk fungus. Then, you know the South Xiongnan (Annotation: 1867-1941, folklore, naturalist). To be honest, next year for In conjunction with the 13th anniversary of Mr. Xiong Nan's death, I am planning to compile a special collection of slime molds, can you please write an article to discuss the mysterious life that combines animals and plants, how about it?" "Writing the manuscript is not a problem. However, editor-in-chief, I think he died in the 16th year of the Showa era, probably before the 13th anniversary."

I'm not that fond of slime molds.Because the professor who supervises me wants me to stay in the laboratory, I don't have time, and I don't have the mood to write related manuscripts now.The editor-in-chief whispered, oh, that's the year after tomorrow. "Oh, editor-in-chief, the disappearing man that Chuzenji-kun interviewed, what happened afterwards?" "Oh, is the teacher also interested? Well, I thought there should be progress, but it doesn't seem to be possible." I originally wanted to make an understatement, but the editor-in-chief didn't seem to feel it. He looked very discouraged, but when I asked, he suddenly made an excited voice, and I was a little caught off guard. "No, it means, is it really just a rumor?" "Oh, no. That young doctor really seems to have disappeared from the secret room. I heard Chuzenji-kun say that annoying rumors are flying all over the sky, and our magazine can't handle it. No matter how you write, it will be slanderous. I mean this time thing." "Has Chuzenji-kun stopped the interview?" I was a little surprised. "Yes. The child looks gentle, but he also has stubbornness. The wife who was left behind has been pregnant for a year and a half, and the rumors about that have been spread in secret. Since the interviewee is Husband’s disappearance, it’s inevitable that these rumors will be mentioned, so they will definitely be instigated by suspicious rumors, our magazine is not a low-level magazine, we can’t do such irresponsible reports, oh, that’s what happened.” "Oh, so there is such an episode." I pretended not to know anything.A twenty-year-old girl should have the ability to distinguish, but before I was warned by Kyogokudo, I never thought of such a thing. "Ha, I also thought it was interesting at first, because pregnant women with this symptom have never heard of it. I said that it would be better to publish a scientific report together. It may be that the husband's disappearance was mentally stimulated and affected the production. If you write it like this, it shouldn’t cause any weird rumors, I thought so.” "That makes sense, so what did she say?" "Oh, she said that it is better to think about the newborn child. Since the father is missing, there must be a reason for the disappearance. There must be a reason for the rumors. Whether the topic of the interview is "people disappear from the secret room" or "spiritual impact on the body "Influence", the manuscript cannot be written without touching that reason. However, the child who is about to be born is not guilty. Once written, the manuscript will remain forever. She used this as the reason for refusing to write. Heh, I have been in this business for a long time , maybe thinking has become somewhat commercialized. After all, magazines are not just as long as they can be sold, but they can’t just write about anything because of their attitude. No matter how small the news is, it will have an impact on society and individuals. By her Having said that, I was taken aback, and instead got taught a lesson by this girl, that’s all.” Editor-in-Chief Nakamura may have been eager to tell people about it, but he had never spoken so eloquently.I feel the same way, so I feel a little uncomfortable.In addition, the characters in the whirlpool are known, so I have to thank sister Kyogoku for her decisive decision. "I didn't expect her to speak to the editor-in-chief to such an extent. However, if his brother heard these words, I really don't know what he would say." I really want to ask the truth of the incident. "Oh, let's talk about honesty. It's rare to find such a person nowadays. Compared with her recently, young guys seem too weak. With her schoolgirl-like face, I wondered if she could do things at first? Now she is mature. It’s surprising that she’s still talented. Please tell her brother.” "You are really flattering, are you keeping all these words from her?" "Of course, I still have to maintain the majesty of being the editor-in-chief!" After finishing speaking, the kind editor-in-chief smiled generously. I judged that it was impossible to get any more information about Kuonji Hospital, so I got up to leave at this moment.But the editor-in-chief suddenly spoke softly. "But, Sekiguchi-sensei." He waved to me and said: "Although the interview was stopped for the reason just mentioned, in fact, I heard weird topics from other channels." He always used this method to leak weird information to me that his magazine could not publish, pretending not to know on the surface, but of course he knew about my part-time job. "In the hospital where the disappearance happened, there were other rumors. Before the disappearance, it seemed that there were frequent incidents of babies missing. Of course, the hospital denied it. They seemed to be inferring stillbirth or miscarriage. , What heard the baby crying, the nurse who knew the secret disappeared, and the bad rumors were endless. Suddenly, it seemed that the police also came forward to investigate. At that time, the young doctor disappeared. In fact, this incident The hospital hasn’t filed a missing person report yet.” After I made a surprised expression, he shrank his neck and defended: "Heh, I did my own research. Don't tell Chuzenji. I thought that hospital was weird, but she gave me a lesson after that. Hey, please don't tell her that." The editor-in-chief scratched his head and said: "Because I also have the dignity of being the editor-in-chief." As I said just now, after finishing speaking, I laughed boldly again. Walking out of the Chitan House, I headed for the detective station in Jimbocho according to the instructions of Kyogokudo yesterday. Detective is not his nickname, he—Enogizu Reijiro, is actually a guy who is a detective by profession.I am ignorant, and I only know him as a live detective. In Jimbocho's second-hand bookstore street, let's take a casual stroll for a while.In the hot summer, the sun is quite venomous, and the rainy season may have stopped yesterday.It's not because I study the relationship between lactobacillus, but compared to the clear and sunny days, I like the moist rainy days.I once received the unappreciative nickname of "Cryptophyte", and I was named after Enokizu. Enokizu is a senior who is a year older than Kyogokudo and me. He is a very different man. At that time, Enokizu reigned over the school like a king.Not to mention learning, martial arts, and art, even fighting and love are beyond ordinary people's excellence. Moreover, with his good family background and good looks, he is the envy of the students and the eager aspiration of the neighboring female students.Even attracted the lecherous stares of older students with homosexual tendencies.Whether it is a literary school or a realist figure, no one can match Enokizu.In other words, he is a man far away from someone like me who has trouble with daily conversation. It was Kyogokudo (it was not called that at the time) that brought him and me together.For some unknown reason, Emperor Enokizu favored Kyogokudo. When Enokizu first met me, his first words were: - You are like a monkey. It's so rude to be so rude, it's too lazy to even get angry.When Jingjitang heard it, he said something inexplicable: ——This man has depression, and if he is bullied, he will develop aphasia.Senior, you are bipolar, so you can learn from him. This reason cannot be explained. In fact, Enokizu did have a tendency towards bipolar disorder.His always bright and happy appearance, is it complete and self-sufficient?Or naive?It is indeed a childish place.For me, that's what makes him so attractive.However, on the other side of him being the goal that everyone yearns for, there is also a lonely side.Somehow, by the time we were aware of it, we were already very close to each other. At that time, the trend of the old high school system was that it was natural for students to appear rough, and weak people were not considered human beings.The relationship between seniors and younger generations is also very strict.However, Enokizu mentioned that he likes to make the new school female students giggle and speak lightly, which is the portrayal of the students back then.And he has a bold personality. When we are with him, we often forget the relationship between senior and junior.No, it should be said that he never thought about the fact that we are juniors. From this point of view, the man named Enokizu, in a sense, can be said to be a character who is not bound by the established frame.In short, he is a weirdo, and if Kyogokudo is the Higashi Yokozuna of weirdos, Enokizu is Nishi Yokozuna.I often say that, but both of them vehemently deny that, according to both of them, I am the real monster. All in all, there are a group of people who have gone off the rails in any era, and we are one of them.Enokizu, Kyogokudo, and I were all non-mainstream figures in the student society at the time. Walking out of the avenue lined with second-hand bookstores, and passing through the messy shopping street inside, I saw a three-story building that looked solid.The surrounding buildings are all bungalows or two-story buildings, so this building stands out.That is the office and residence of Reijiro Enokizu.The first floor is rented to a suit shop, and the basement is a bar.On the second floor are offices for wholesalers of groceries, lawyers, accountants, etc.Then, the third floor is full of his detective agency.I still think that there are still such elegant people in this era.In fact, this building is his building, so it's not just elegant, just collecting the rent from the people downstairs is enough for him to live a leisurely life.Therefore, it is possible to maintain the livelihood of the boring business of detectives. Originally, Enokizu came from a noble family in the past, and part of his innocent personality can be said to be due to his good background.However, his father seems to be weirder than Enokizu, and I think he was also influenced by his father. His father, Viscount Enokizu, was interested in natural history, and lived in Java at the beginning of the Showa era when his interest was at its peak.However, there, the amateur import business took off, and a lot of wealth was accumulated as a result.It turns out that the Viscount himself seems to be just fishing and collecting precious insects. In short, he must have a foresight.Not to mention the declining nobles of the sunset, they have simply become generally recognized chaebols.The nobles, nobles and the like all declined, only the Enokizu family was more and more profitable. However, Enokizu was expected to live freely thanks to his father's financial resources, but this is not the case.After his children grew up, the Viscount stated that he had no obligation to raise them, and he distributed the property before his death.Moreover, the viscount did not let his sons inherit his company. In this country where the hereditary system has penetrated, it can be said to be an unbelievably wise decision.All in all, Enogizu cannot live a stable life with only property. Enokizu has an older brother named Soichiro. The property he acquired was used to run jazz clubs and lodging and rest homes for the US military stationed in the United States. Each business was prosperous, and he inherited his father's business talent. But the younger brother only inherited the strange part of his father, completely ignorant of it.In the army, although capable young generals are gradually becoming prominent, after being demobilized, they can't afford it at all, and the specially obtained academic qualifications and experience are mostly useless, but he himself doesn't seem to care. Enokizu's hands are very dexterous.He draws illustrations for magazines and advertisements, and plays guitar at his brother's jazz club, living a relaxed life.But rumors that he was a post-war apres-guerre and that he was injecting heroin quickly silenced Enoki, who couldn't care less about what other people think.It was about half a year ago that all the acquired property was spent on building the building. Since it had already started business, and it was a detective business, there was no room for others to intervene. Go through the window of the suit shop to the entrance.The Enogizu Building is proudly engraved on the metal name plate.When I entered it, I felt a little chilly.The stone stairs are wide and the handrails are cold, which feels good.When I climbed to the third floor, my mood also cooled down.Since there are only small windows for light in the stairs, the sun might not be able to come in. Metal text on the opaque glass door reads: "Rosaceous Cross Detective Agency" This is Enokizu's office, and the name of the Rose Cross Detective Agency is somewhat teasing.Of course, this has nothing to do with the "Rosicrucian Order" that became famous in Europe in the Middle Ages.When Enokizu decided to become a detective, Kyogokudo, who happened to be present, accidentally read a translation describing European magic, and this name appeared, and it was named for this reason.Enokizu seems to like it very much. As soon as the door was opened, there was a clang, and the bell rang. Yinji sat alone on the chair for hospitality at the entrance, drinking coffee. "Ah, teacher, please come in!" This young man was An He Tokichi, who was originally the son of a servant in the Enokizu family. He was taken care of by the Viscount and helped him enter middle school.Currently, he is staying at the detective agency and taking care of Enokizu's life.He has a gentle personality, but can be somewhat troubled by his booing. "How is Mr. Detective?" "Mister is still in the dormitory. Heh, Mr. Kiba Ou-san came yesterday and drank until dawn." Yinji's right hand made a gesture of drinking. There was a reception here yesterday. "Master Kiba is here, ah, that's terrible." Kiba Osamu is Enokizu's childhood companion, the man named Kiba Shutaro.Kiba is a criminal police officer of the police station, and to me, he is also a comrade-in-arms in the same unit.He likes to drink booze, and Enokizu is also a person who drinks heavily. Once the two of them have a drinking party, they never know it's over.I have always been a person who can only taste and stop, and of course I have never been with me until the end.It is difficult to imagine the intense occasion of two people drinking.I sat next to Yinji and wiped the sweat from my forehead with a handkerchief. "Also, teacher, last night was so lively. My husband was so excited that he inserted his foot into the electric fan. You saw it like that." In the corner of the room, there were scattered remains of electric fans. "It's so hot, it's really nerve-wracking." "What, having an electric fan is a luxury. I lost two kilograms just by shutting myself up in my own home. Is he already up?" "The rustling sound, wake up. If you don't come out yet, the guests will come soon. It's troublesome. I will call him, but he will be angry again. It's just in time, teacher, please call him .” Enokizu's sleep habits are really bad.However, it is rare for the office to have guests visiting. It has been half a year since it opened, at least this is the first time I have heard of guests visiting. "The so-called guests, are they customers? Or are the workers repairing electric fans coming?" "The electric fan is disabled, of course it's a customer! And it's a lady, she called just now, and she will be here in an hour. Hey, speaking of customers, this is finally the fourth one, so there must be no mistakes. But our husband doesn't keep time." Yin Ji's tone was like that of a guardian.But what surprised me even more was that this random detective agency had three clients in the past.This is really unheard of.I am very interested in what cases you have taken.But first, let's wake up the detective. There is a large table next to the parlor table and chairs for the reception.There is a triangular cone with the word "Detective" written on it on the table. Although it is not a joke, but it is placed in Enokizu's place, and I can't help but laugh every time I look at it. After lightly knocking on the bedroom door, I walked into the room without thinking because I couldn't tell whether it was a baby or a beast responding from inside.Enokizu sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at the mountain of clothes in front of him. "Is Enki-san awake?" "Woke up." Enokizu said without taking his eyes off the pile of clothes.Taking a closer look, he was wearing only a pair of underwear, except for the crimson undershirt worn by women on his shoulders. His demeanor was just like the second young master ranger who went to a brothel to play. "I got up, but what are you doing with that attire? The guests are coming soon, and He Yin is alone in embarrassment. Did you drink too much last night? You are not a young master who is obsessed with prostitutes, restrain yourself , really useless." "It's really impolite of you to barge in so suddenly, Guan Jun." Enokizu called me "Seki", omitting the mouth of Sekiguchi.This is a commemoration of what was popular in Enokizu's era.I remember Fujino Makiro as "Fuji Mu", of course this is the reason.I was also called "Seki TATUS". I complained that it sounded like a firefighter in the Edo period, and said that I hated this title, so he simply omitted Tatsumi's TATUS, leaving only "Kuan".From then until now, Enokizu has been calling me off.Because he even called Anhe Tokichi and Kiba Shutaro, who were not classmates, elliptically called "He Yin" and "Kiba Shutaro", which shows how much he likes this ellipsis.As for Kiba, calling him Kiba Osamu is actually longer than just calling him Kiba, so it is not omitted. "Anyway, Mr. Enoki, I also have something to tell you, can you replace this Oishi Neizosuke who looks like a brothel? , to avenge and kill the enemy for the master, the heroic sacrifice, the famous leader of the Japanese Ako Forty-seven Samurai) dress?" I immediately called him Mr. Enoki, so I really can't say anything about it. "Guan Jun, you don't understand anything. If it was so easy to decide which day and what clothes to wear, I wouldn't quit my job!" "So, Enoki-san, are you troubled by not knowing what to wear?" "I've been thinking about it for two hours, but it still doesn't work. A novelist like you, no matter if you're wearing an open-necked shirt or a simple kimono, you can tell you look like a novelist just by looking at it. But I'm a detective. To be spotted at a glance, you have to do a lot of hard work that no one knows about!" What an amazing man.But he probably meant it.For some reason, I felt the tension eased, and I felt a light-hearted mood. "If a detective is recognized as a detective at a glance, then there is no way to investigate, isn't it? If you really want to dress up as a detective, you can imitate Sherlock Holmes, wear a bowler hat and smoke a pipe." "Ah, how dare you!" Enokizu seemed to be serious, and began to look for a flat hat among the piles of clothes. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find that custom-made hat." Enokizu didn't even turn his face to this side, and said directly. "Enoki-san, if you don't listen carefully, then I'll say it myself here." I had no choice but to stand up and tell the whole story.In Enokizu's room, I don't know what kind of things are scattered around. If I sit down without paying attention, I don't know what I will encounter. While I was talking, Enokizu was rummaging through the pile of clothes, falling into a state of exhaustion and dazed.Only when Fujimaki's name was mentioned did he glance in my direction.Other than that, they didn't chime in, and in the end it turned out that I was completely ignored. "Enoki-san, isn't it good to listen carefully? Even I am a little angry." "I'm listening." Enokizu finally turned to me. On the straight face is a pair of amazingly big eyes with dark brown pupils, and the skin color is so white that it doesn't look like an Oriental.Through the sun, even the color of the hair is darker than chestnut, it is coffee color. A very pale man. Ah, I think he really looks like a Western porcelain doll. "Why are you so surprised? Guan Jun. You are the one who is worthless. If you were a girl I felt pity for, and felt that surprised, I would comfort you, but there is someone with a long hair The monkey-faced man with the thick beard stood in a daze in the room, I really wanted to punch him!" Enokizu's fist swung in front of my eyes, and I came back to my senses.Although we are old friends, this seemingly created face actually fascinates me. "No, Mr. Enoki, you didn't pay attention to what I said at all." "I just want to ask why you look dumb?" "Oh, I was startled because you suddenly turned around, but I'm not in a daze." I don't understand why I have to justify?Whenever this happens, I have to do my best to hide it.Probably encountered Enokizu, no, the same is true of Kyogokudo, they don’t know if they have something like magic or poison gas, I think I really bear the brunt of it.However, the person who cast the gas was completely unaware, which made me look even more of a fool.In fact, I am not a fool, but a very ordinary person in society, if I go out of the reach of the poison gas and go outside.However, once I entered the range of the poisonous gas they cast, my abilities would obviously decline, so I would make excuses that I didn't want to say. "In short, your words are contradictory in fact, and your point of view is blurred, so you can't grasp the point at all. It would take time to ask questions one by one, so why don't you just listen to them all, and then speak after I sort them out. Didn't watch You, it’s not that I’m not listening to you, anyway, the ears can’t be closed, you can’t stop talking over there, and you can’t listen if you don’t want to.” Enokizu said, stretching out the sleeves of the shirt he had chosen with great difficulty. "Because it's very complicated, I don't know where to start? A good listener is one who responds." "What's complicated? Fujimaki disappeared from the secret room at the place where he was recruited. His wife was three months pregnant at the time, and he had been missing for a year and a half, but the child hadn't been born yet. There were strange rumors about this incident. Atsuko conducted an interview and asked you for your opinion, but if you couldn’t answer, you went to Kyogokudo to discuss it, and then you were persuaded to come to me, so just say no. It doesn’t even take thirty seconds.” "Until that conclusion, it's still very complicated." "It's okay to talk about the intricate details after I understand them. If I have any questions, I will naturally ask them if necessary." When I was told that, I was completely discouraged. Enokizu put on his tie, looked at me with narrowed eyes, and continued: "What's the name of that hospital? Ijuin or Kumamoto?" Enokizu was a man who couldn't remember his name, and was completely mistaken. "Kuonji, you're not listening at all." As soon as I said that, Enokizu burst out laughing.Then, I called Yin Ji loudly in a happy voice, and just as I was flustered, Yin Ji opened the door in a panic and asked: "What is it, sir." "Oh, what's the name of the guest who will come later? Hey, Jiu Neng or Yakushiji?" Tookichi frowned his bushy eyebrows, asked me for help with rather confused eyes, and said to Enokizu: "It's called Kuonji, sir. Please don't make a mistake in front of guests." I froze again. "That's what happened, Guan Jun. You came just in time. What kind of topic will that doctor with a strange name bring? I'm confused. Although it's a disappearance, I'm not very interested in finding someone. But , now the mystery is solved. The lady who will come later came here to ask me to search for the whereabouts of Fujimaki-kun." Enokizu said to me in an excited tone while readjusting the tie that was not tied just now: "Speaking of which, Guan Jun, you know this incident better than me. How about it, do you want to be a detective too?" "What nonsense, I am a literati, you are the detective!" "It doesn't matter at all, Guan Jun. When a person with basic knowledge listens to the other party, the other party will also speak happily." "Facing someone who comes to discuss with serious problems, the topic should not be cheerful. So, if you really listen to me..." "I'm running out of time, Mr. Guan, the lady will be here soon. But I haven't put on trousers yet. You, although you don't look like a detective, it's not shameful to stand out in this way, even though your face looks a bit like Monkey. But that doesn't matter. Besides, you know a lot about the incidents that the client might bring up. In this situation, it's up to you to deal with the best situation. Even a dog would think so." As Enokizu said, he took off his tie again.He is full of unreasonable theories.But it is also true that I began to feel a certain temptation when I thought of this rare opportunity to meet directly with the person involved in the incident. "But, I don't know how to investigate. I don't even know the word search." "Searching is the job of the police, at least I don't do it!" It is true that Enokizu did not search.The real reason why he chose the detective line was simply a strong instinct. Last year, when he was playing guitar at the club run by his brother, Enokizu was often asked to find lost property and missing persons.As long as you sit in silence, you can't help but have a situation, and his accuracy has reached a level that only a fortune-teller or a spiritualist can do.Inspired by this experience, he decided to be a detective. That's why he said that even if he is a detective, it has nothing to do with searching or reasoning. "Anyway, after your conversation gets better, I'll go on stage to resolve the incident with vigor. Before that, just listen carefully to what the client has to say, and that's fine. Don't worry. By the way, you can pretend to be a capable detective assistant Mr. Guan is all right. He Yin, when Ms. arrives, you can introduce me like this.” After Enokizu chatted briskly, he untied his tie again.It doesn't look good no matter what.Inji and I were speechless for a while, but were quickly chased out of the room.The reason we were kicked out was that it would be better to die if two men saw the scene of changing clothes. Because of this, I fell into the trap of playing the role of a detective's assistant, without really knowing why.I made up my mind to sit down in the reception room and wait for the guests. "My husband loves listening to guests' long conversations." Yinji said in the tone of a guardian again, and poured me a cup of black tea. "How do you do business when you say that. Can you conduct an investigation without listening to customers?" "It's okay. When the first guest came, he didn't say anything, and the teacher gave the answer. Hey, it happened to be right, so it's okay. However, the guest's mood was not good, and he wondered whether to do it beforehand. What investigation?" "of course!" "For the second case, sir, I thought, at least listen to it, but I became anxious again halfway through." "Did you say it?" "You said it again! One of the cases was a muddled answer, and I managed to cover it up, but the other one was very accurate." "Isn't that great? You can investigate while sitting still." "It's not good! Although the incident has been resolved, but people criticized it, no one should know about it, how did they know? Could it be related to the incident? Even the police have come." Yinji sighed when he said this: "If Mr. Kiba didn't come forward to save the siege, I really don't know what it would have turned into! You also know that police officers have such virtues, and they would usually quarrel. However, my husband knows everything, doesn't it? Are you proficient in mind arts or something?" On this point, I often feel incredible.京极堂之流的好像知道是什么理论，但京极堂总是那德性，虽然曾要求他说明但我还是无法理解。不过，当榎木津说出要开始经营侦探社时，周围都异口同声表示不如做占卜师来得好，但只有京极堂店主力排众议： －－榎木津不会占卜，而且直觉也常出错。 于是，建议他做侦探。结果榎木津接受了这个意见。他知道的好像是过去的事，而且只限于事实关系，完全不懂人的心理和未来的事等等。 过了十五分钟。 我微妙地感到紧张，以至于那短暂的时间也觉得很长。 我内心想早一些见到来自久远寺医院的妇人的好奇心，和希望榎木津从房间出来的愿望，很不一致的不安感，两种都一样地在扩大并相互拉扯着。 来访者或榎木津无论哪一个出现的话，就能打开这种让人觉得不好受的局面。可是，榎木津的房间只传来哇喀这种很古怪的声音，而声音的主人一点儿也没有走出来的迹象。 喀啷，钟响了。 我吓了一跳，从椅子跳起约三寸。在抬高的视线中，看到了女人白皙的脸。 是个很苗条的美丽女子。穿着容易被误认是丧服的黑紫小花纹和服。手拿着白色的阳伞。像是印在相纸上白净净的女人。 眼看着就要折断的纤细颈子，京都娃娃似的脸，细眉。没有擦口红的关系吧，或是在黑色衣服的映照下，她看起来简直就不像活人。对了，那种有如死尸的苍白的脸。 瞬间，女人眉头皱起，做出痛苦的表情。然后还没稳定视线就礼貌地把头低了下去。抬起头的时候，上挽的头发飘落了一根头发。动作非常缓慢。 「这里是榎木津先生的事务所吗？」 我和寅吉确实都在短时间内开不了口说话，女人可能以为自己走错地方、误闯了进来，很困惑似地偏着头，又问了一次： 「我想拜访榎木津先生的侦探事务所，这里是……」 「是的，是这里啊。是久远寺女士吗？请到这里来。」 寅吉用类似机器木偶的动作，从椅子上站起来，很慌张地把客人引进去。至于我呢，因为还无法适应事态，除了散漫地持续着沉默以外，啥事都没做。 女人依随寅吉的带领，在我对面坐了下来。这时候，又行了一次礼。我只一迳地凝望着女人的脸周围，一时之间无法理解那是冲着我的行礼。why?因为我非常恐惧看到女人的脸以下，正确地说应该是胸部下面。换句话说，我缺少确认她下腹部异常膨胀的勇气。 我战战兢兢地将目光转到下面，转向不能看的、可憎的谣言的目标。 然而，我的期待很明显地落空了。眼前这个女人的身材很清楚地丝毫没有那种畸形的部分。不，不应该有的。稍微想一下就知道了，即使真的有怀孕了二十个月的孕妇，也不可能一个人特地走到这种地方来。不，不应该走得动。 「侦探因为接到紧急的工作，现在正忙着处理。这位是侦探的得力助手关老师，总之，先由他跟你谈，那个，请先跟关老师谈。」 寅吉飞快地说完，请客人喝茶后，坐到我旁边来。很忠诚地依照榎木津所言，被寅吉客气地介绍为「关」的我，很无奈地只好接受了。 「我是关。」 女人微微一笑，轻轻地行了第三次礼。 「我叫久远寺凉子。非常感谢爽快地接受这个麻烦的案子，我想将会很费事，请多多指教。」 然后，又一次深深地低头行礼。 我被如此地行礼后，终于头也低了下去。我因为发愣，可能会被误认是态度不逊吧。这么一想，有点儿畏缩了。 靠近以后，觉得久远寺凉子更楚楚可人。她那细嫩的皮肤、稍微困惑的表情，都无时不在衬托她那蕴藏着危险的紧张感的美。如果她毫无顾虑地笑了，她的美仍不会改变。不过，那种危险的美丽，会失去平衡、消失无踪吧。 「谈谈事情的原委吧。」 再度被她的脸吸引住的我，经寅吉轻撞了一下腹侧后，慌张地开口问道。 「可能您也听说了，我家在丰岛的杂司谷田町做开业医生。」 「并不是直接知道，那个，传言吧，我听说了。」 我终究不擅长与人说话，而且压力很大的关系，变得胡说八道。与其从嘴里说出不甚高明的话，那还不如沉默的好，可是，必须做得像侦探的那种奇妙义务感从中协助，我终于开口了。 「啊，那是……那个，不好的传言吗？」 久远寺凉子以完全失去依靠的目光凝视着我。寅吉用到底你在干嘛的眼神看着我，悄悄地避开她又戳了一下我的腹侧。 「哇，是恶劣的谣言！不过，夫人，我现在确信那些风闻是胡说八道。关于你丈夫失踪的事件，目前还不是可以说什么的状况，至少见了夫人之后，我认为风闻的，不，说中伤也行，总之，我根本看不出能为谣传作证的证据。简直是恶劣的谣传！」 我尽了最大的努力。在这个初次见面、且仿佛有什么缘由的女士面前，居然说了这些话，连自己都觉得不可思议。 瞬间沉默下来。久远寺凉子垂下眼睛一会儿，现出忍耐着疼痛的表情，很快地缓慢开口了： 「谣言传播得这么广吗？听你现在的话，就知道关先生对我们的事大概也了解了的样子……」 「可是，我并不相信，和夫人见面后，现在再相信那种中伤，就太没道理了。」 「关先生好像误会了。世间怎么谣传我并不清楚，不过，大概八九不离十吧。」 "what?" 这位女士在说什么呀？连被写成新闻都觉得反感，难道她在说那则谣传是真的吗？ 「我妹妹久远寺梗子现在的确怀孕已快二十个月，到现在仍没有生产的迹象。刚才关先生就欲言又止，大概因为这件事吧。而且，梗子的丈夫牧朗也如传言所说失踪了。」 我感到耳朵一带火烧般的发热。我的脸现在八成像喝了酒，一定很红吧。罹患恐惧面对人症、赤脸症、失语症，我本来就是这种男人。 客户当然不一定是事件的当事人。不，不如说并非当事人、而是家族才是客户来得自然吧。我没有比现在更期盼榎木津潇洒地上场，以心灵术似的魔法，一口气把事件给解决了。 然而，完全看不出来他有出场的迹象。穿裤子所需的时间早就过去了。 「久远寺家是母系家族，我祖父、父亲都是养子。而我父亲也没有男孩，就只生下我和妹妹两个孩子。」 像在遥远地方听到的久远寺凉子的声音，逐渐清晰起来。凝视着桌面的我，战战兢兢地抬起视线。 「很惭愧，我从幼年开始就经常生病……而且……」 她说到这里，停住了。模样非常地痛苦，像是立刻会倒下去似的。 「事实上，我不能生育，于是为了获得后嗣，我妹妹招了入赘夫婿。」 「那么，我是否说了非常失礼的话，那个……」 「请别放在心上。我已经二十八岁了，不会有人想到这个岁数了还没结婚吧。」 我真是个差劲的男人。即使直觉错了，也真太过份了。对女性而言，无法生育是极难启齿的事，而且，还让未婚的女性吐露了年龄。 「啊，如果是我自己的事，是无所谓的。尽说这些无趣的话，很抱歉。」 久远寺凉子紧握放在膝盖上的双手。手指头细得像小树枝。不过，像她瘦成这个样子，一般面颊都很削瘦、眼睛深陷。但是一直皱着眉头的她的脸，却找不到这些特点。反而像是中途停止生长的少女似的，甚至让人产生天真烂漫的感觉。看不出来已二十八岁。前面的刘海放下来的话，说不定像十七、八岁呢。 「不，我太早下结论了。很抱歉，不过，根本看不出来你的年纪，说是十多岁都相信。」 我直截了当说出心里想的话。然后，说出口后，立刻陷入非常羞愧和后悔的境地。久远寺凉子头低低的，寅吉则对着这么久还不进入正题的我，投来近似轻蔑的目光。 我很想抛掉一切，溜之大吉。 可是，很意外地，久远寺凉子竟脸朝下笑了。抬起头的她，竟格外的眼神明朗。 「对不起，我笑了。在这种状况下，是很不谨慎的。不过，老师真是不可思议的人。我正伤神该用什么态度谈家里的丑事，可是不知不觉地，紧张的感觉消失了。」 说完，她虽仍有些伤感，但是嘴角再度现出欣喜模样。即使这个时候，在短时间里，我一面感到轻微的耳鸣，仍必须等那烦人的羞耻心消失才行。 她所说的概要正如我所知道的。但是，重新得悉了藤牧夫妇当时的关系并不好，以及失踪当晚曾发生相当激烈的争吵。 我因为对藤牧氏有不像是会夫妻吵架的印象，所以有些意外。不过，我随即又想，我和他交情并不深，而且第三者并不了解夫妻的生活，没有必要抱着这种怀疑态度。 首先，我没想她告知我与她失踪的妹婿是旧识。由于一开始就面临这种再如何地偶然，但即使被怀疑也是没办法的局面，而且一直找不到说明的机会。 「有让夫妻感情不好的原因吗？」 「那是……传言，是牧朗先生胡乱猜疑？」 「猜疑？」 「我妹妹梗子和别的男性……」 「外遇吗？」 一直到现在都没说话的寅吉，做出一副正如我料的表情，从旁插嘴。 「这是事实吗？」 我制止似地问道。为了避免话题落入俗套，而且我担心好不容易开始多话起来的她，那颗心可能又会关闭起来的危机感。 「没有……至少我妹妹说没那回事。」 口齿不清晰的回答方式。 「那么，是牧朗氏毫无根据地怀疑令妹吗？」 「提到根据嘛，倒是有类似的事实关系。」 久远寺凉子的目光在空中稍微飘移了之后，不知如何是好似地继续说道： 「在我家吃住有个名叫内藤的见习医生，是一个在年轻时就受我家照顾的人。大部分的人都以为这个内藤会做女婿、继承久远寺的家业……」 「哈哈，后来牧朗先生出现，内藤先生遭到意外损失，这下子吃醋了。」 我踩了寅吉一脚，阻止他多嘴。 「养子女婿牧朗氏怀疑那个内藤医生和令妹的关系？」 「是的。事实上，内藤也稍微地透露了不痛快的情绪，尽管如此，但是与其考虑和妹妹私通的自己的立场，不如说应该担心万一被发现了就无法待在这个家吧，所以……」 「根本没那回事！」 「我这么认为。」 「也只有头脑好、认真的人才会嫉妒得很深呢。对被怀疑的令妹来说也真是灾难。」 寅吉又说出搅和的话，我用斜眼瞪他想加以牵制。 「接下来，牧朗氏失踪当天是什么情况，请说得详细点好吗？」 「我那一天不在家，并不是直接地了解，听说好像半夜发生了激烈的争吵，然后快天亮的时候，牧朗先生好像就关在房里上了锁。」 「每个房间都有锁吗？」 寅吉逐渐不客气地问道。久远寺凉子没有回答那个问题。 「后来，天亮了也不出来。妹妹也开始担心，好像去跟父亲商量了，父亲还说很快会出来的，不管他。可是中午过了、下午过了，妹妹渐渐地不安，似乎曾很费劲地敲门喊他……」 「没有窗户吗？可以从外面观望的……」 「没有。那个房间原本是治疗室，也就是作为医院设施用的房间。因为遭到空袭，房子烧掉一大半，战后就用来替代书房使用。有两个进出口，每一个都是从里面上锁。」 「后来令妹怎么了？」 「在里面……说不定在里面上吊了……好像有人这么说。我妹妹再也受不了，要佣人和内藤两人把门上的合叶弄坏，才终于打开了门。」 「人不在了吗？」 「不在。」 「不能潜逃吗？那个，当你们家人在睡觉的时候……」 「弄坏的那扇门可以通我妹妹的寝室。妹妹因为太激动了，好像一夜都没睡，所以无法从那里出去。另一扇门在别的房间－－这是一个非常狭窄、连窗户都没有像暗室的房间－－只能通过这里了。但是，第一点，钥匙从里面上锁。如果想逃出来的话，是如何上锁的？不，即使办得到，但为什么要这么做呢？」 久远寺凉子皱起眉头，很痛苦似地望着我。老实说，我除了说不知原委以外，啥都不知道，实在穷于回答。 「总而言之，妹婿牧朗从那以后就毫无消息。妹妹因丈夫失踪的冲击病倒以后，就如你所知，经过一年半至今仍然无法离开床，就那样躺着。恶劣的谣言一天天地散布开来，别说患者了，连护士都有很多人辞职了。」 「真悲惨。」 非常愚蠢的应对。 「不过，总有办法挽回。我来向你们求助的真正理由是，我预感到久远寺家，不，我的家庭会毁掉。」 她表现出依赖的表情，可是，她并没有哭。我感到她一迳地忍着痛苦。 「谣传只是一阵风。我认为不管世间人怎么说，只要家人彼此间的信任够坚实，一定能够克服困难。不过，如果家人之间，互相不信任的话，那就完了。」 「怎么说？」 「我父亲怀疑妹妹和内藤。怀疑他们共谋犯下罪行，也就是说谋杀了牧朗先生。母亲认为牧朗先生活着，不知在哪里正诅咒着妹妹呢。妹妹面对这样的父母，很激烈地反抗，也不肯好好地接受治疗，所以愈来愈衰弱……」 「啊，明白了。再问更多，对你来说，太残忍了。以后再请教你的家人吧。」 我真的很不忍心看她那痛苦的表情。榎木津还没有现身的迹象，再这样继续下去会陷入我像在拷问她的错觉。总之，姑且在此打住，然后，再和榎木津商讨对策，才是开拓解说这个怪诞艰难事件的真相之道。 「明天，我陪同侦探去打搅府上，好吗？」