It happened on Tuesday, April 16th. I set off from home at 3:30 that afternoon and headed for Kunihiko Hidaka's residence.Hidaka's house is only one tram stop away from where I live. It takes about 20 minutes to arrive at the station and take a bus, and then walk a short distance. Even if I have nothing to do, I often go to Hidaka's house, but I have something special to do that day.Let's just say, if I miss that day, I'll never see him again. His home is located in a beautiful and well-organized residential area, all of which are high-end residences, among which there are occasional magnificent houses commonly known as mansions.There used to be a miscellaneous forest nearby, and many households still keep the original forest in the courtyard.Beech and gravel trees grow luxuriantly within the walls, and the dense shade covers the entire lane.

Strictly speaking, the roads around here are not that narrow, but they are all planned as one-way streets.Perhaps paying attention to the safety of walking is also a sign of status! A few years ago, when I heard that Hidaka had bought a house in this neighborhood, I thought to myself, as expected.For teenagers who grew up in this area, buying a home here is one of the dreams that must be realized in life. Hidaka's house can't be called a mansion, but it's more than enough for the couple to live in, and it's very spacious.Although the roof form of the main house is purely Japanese, the side windows, the arched entrance, and the flower beds between the windows on the second floor are all Western-style designs.These must be the result of the husband and wife taking half their ideas?No, judging by the brick wall, the wife should have the upper hand.She once revealed that she always wanted to live in a European castle-like home.

Correction, it's not Madam, it should be "Former Madam". Walking along the brick wall, I finally came to the square red brick gate and rang the doorbell. After waiting for a long time, no one came to answer the door. I went to the parking lot and saw that Ridao's SAAB car was not there, maybe he had gone out. How to pass the time now?I suddenly remembered that cherry blossom.In the courtyard of Hidaka’s house, there is a double cherry tree planted. The last time I came here, there were only three branches. It’s been another ten days. I don’t know how it is now? Although it is someone else's home, but because I am a friend of the owner, I don't invite myself in.The path leading to the entrance forks off on the way and extends to the south of the building.I stepped onto the path and walked towards the courtyard.

The cherry blossoms have long been scattered all over the place, and there are still a few petals that are worthy of viewing on the branches.But at the moment I don't want to watch it, because there is a strange woman standing there. The woman was bent over as if looking at something on the ground.She was wearing light jeans and a sweater, and she was holding what looked like a white cloth. "Excuse me," I asked aloud.The woman seemed to be taken aback, turned around abruptly, and straightened her waist quickly. "Ah! I'm sorry." She said, "My things were blown into the yard by the wind, because the family didn't seem to be there, so I came in by myself." She showed me what was in her hand, a white hat hat of.

Her age seemed to be between thirty-five and forty, her eyes, nose, and mouth were small, her face was ordinary, and her complexion was not very good-looking. The wind was so strong just now that it would blow the hat off?I muttered in my heart. "You seem to be looking at the ground very intently." "Oh, since the turf is beautiful, I'm guessing how it's been maintained." "Well, I don't know that. This is my friend's house." She nodded, as if she knew I was not the owner of the house. "Sorry to bother you!" She nodded, brushed past me, and walked to the other side of the door.

About five minutes later, there was the sound of a car engine from the parking lot, as if Hidaka had returned. When I walked back to the entrance, the dark blue car was backing into the parking lot. Hidaka in the driver's seat noticed me coming and gave me a slight nod.Rie next to the driver's seat explained to me while smiling. "I'm sorry, I wanted to go out to buy something, but I got stuck in a big traffic jam. It was really nerve-wracking." After getting out of the car, Rigao immediately raised his hand and made a knife gesture, expressing his apology, "Have you waited for a long time?"

"No, it didn't take long. I ran to the yard to see the cherry blossoms." "Has it started to wither?" "A little bit, but it's a pretty tree." "It's great when it blooms, but then it's troublesome. The window of the studio is relatively close, and the caterpillars have come in from outside." "That's nerve-wracking. You're not going to be working here anyway, are you?" "Well, I'm relieved to think I've escaped from that caterpillar hell. Ah, come in first, we've got some equipment left, and I can buy you a cup of coffee."

Through the arched porch, we entered the house one after another. The room has been tidied up, and the paintings on the walls have been put away. "Have you packed your luggage?" I asked Hidaka. "Except for the studio, everything has been packed, and the rest will be handed over to the moving company." "Where are you going to live tonight?" "The Crown Hotel has already been booked. But I may sleep here." Hidaka and I walked into the studio.It was a Western-style room about ten tatami mats in size. There were only computers, desks, and a small bookshelf left in it. It looked empty, and the rest of the things must have been packed.

"So, you still have a manuscript to hand in tomorrow?" Rigao frowned, and nodded: "There is only one part of the serialization left, and it is scheduled to be sent to the publishing house at midnight tonight, so I haven't dared to cut off the phone call yet." "Is it a manuscript for the monthly magazine of Smart Society?" "yes." "How many pages are left?" "Thirty pages. Oh, there's always a way." There were two chairs in the room, and we sat on either side of a corner of the desk. Soon, Rie came in with coffee. "I don't know how the weather in Vancouver is, it should be colder than here?" I asked the two of them.

"Because the latitude is completely different, it's much colder." "But it's nice to have a cool summer. Staying in the air-conditioned room all the time is not good for your health." "Stay in a cool room and work smoothly... It would be great if it could be like this, but maybe it's impossible?" Hidaka laughed self-deprecatingly. "Mr. Nonoguchi, you must come to play then, I can be your guide." "Thank you, I will definitely go." "Talk slowly." After speaking, Rie left the room. Holding the coffee cup, Hidaka stood up, leaned against the window and looked out at the garden.

"It's great to see this cherry tree in full bloom," he said. "From next year, I will take pictures of the beautiful blossoms and send them to Canada. By the way, there are also cherry blossoms in Canada, right?" "I don't know. But there doesn't seem to be one near the house I'm about to move into." He sipped his coffee. "Speaking of which, I just met a strange woman in the yard." I was a little hesitant at first, not knowing whether I should say it, but then I decided it would be better to let him know. "Strange woman?" Hidaka raised his eyebrows. I told him what happened just now, but his expression changed from surprise at the beginning to a look of comprehension. "Does the woman you speak of look like a woodcut country doll?" "Ah, that's right. From what you said, it seems to be the case." Hidaka's metaphor was so apt, I laughed. "Her surname seems to be Xinjian, and she lives near here. She looks younger than her actual age, but she should be over forty. She has a son who is in junior high school—a real little bastard. Her husband is rarely at home. , probably working alone in another place, this is Rie's deduction." "You know the details really well, you two have a good relationship?" "With that woman? How is it possible!" He opened the window and pulled up the screen, and the cool breeze blew in slowly, mixed with the smell of leaves. "On the contrary," he continued, "it should be said that she hates us more appropriate." "Hate? She looks normal! What's the reason?" "For the cat." "Cats? What does this have to do with cats?" "Recently, the woman's cat died. I heard that it suddenly fell on the side of the road. I took it to the veterinarian. The veterinarian said that the cat may have been poisoned." "What does this have to do with you?" "She seems to suspect that the cat died after eating the poisonous pill I made." "You? Why does she think so?" "This is this one." Hidaka took out a monthly magazine from the only remaining shelf, opened the pages and put it in front of me, "You read this." It was a short article about half a page in length, titled "The Limits of Endurance", with a photo of Hidaka placed above the article.The content mainly talks about how much trouble cats running around have caused me: in the morning, there will be cat feces in the yard; the car is parked in the parking lot, and the hood is covered with cat footprints; Mess.Although he knew that these crimes were all committed by a white and brown tabby cat, he had no countermeasures.Even if a whole row of Butter bottles were erected to block it, it would have no effect at all.I am challenging the limit of my patience every day... This is the case with the content. "The cat that died was white and brown spotted?" "Well, it seems so." "That's no wonder." I smiled wryly and nodded, "It's not unreasonable for her to suspect you." "Last week, she came here angrily. Although she didn't name me as the poisoner, but that's what she meant. Although Rie said angrily: 'We wouldn't do such a thing! ', and sent her back, but judging from her wandering behavior in the yard, she must still be suspicious of us. Maybe she wants to find traces of poisonous pills?" "It's really persistent!" "That's what that kind of woman is." "Doesn't she know that you are going to move to Canada?" "Rie told her that we are going to live in Vancouver for a while next week, so no matter how much your cat makes trouble, we just have to be patient. From this point of view, Rie is pretty tough Yes." Hidaka seemed to find it quite amusing and smiled. "But what Miss Rie said is very reasonable, there is no reason for you to rush to kill that cat at this time!" For some reason, Hidaka didn't agree with me right away.Still smiling, he looked at the scenery outside the window. After drinking the coffee, he said gloomily, "I did it." "Yeah?" I suddenly didn't understand what he said, so I asked again, "What do you mean?" He put the coffee cup on the table, took out the cigarette and lighter. "I killed it. I put the poisonous pills in the yard, but I didn't expect things to go so smoothly." Hearing those words come out of his mouth, I still thought he was just joking.However, although he maintained his usual smiling face, it didn't look like he was joking. "What are you going to do with that poisonous pill?" "There's no way to do it. Canned cat food mixed with pesticides and put it in the yard will kill it. Uneducated cats seem to eat everything." Hidaka took the cigarette closer, lit the fire, and smoked comfortably.The wind blowing in through the screen window instantly blew away the smoke. "Why would you do something like that?" I asked, feeling uncomfortable. "I told you, this room can't be rented out yet, right?" He said seriously with a straight face. "Hmm." - The Hidaka couple planned to rent this house to someone else during the period when they moved to Canada. "There are intermediaries who keep coming to inquire, but they tell me that there is a shortcoming here." "What is it?" "They said there was a row of cat bottles in front of the house, and they seemed to be plagued by cats. This situation does affect the willingness to rent a house." "Then why don't you just remove the cat-blocking bottle?" "This is not a fundamental solution. What if someone who wants to rent comes to see the house and sees cat feces all over the yard? If we are still here, we can clean it every day, but tomorrow there will be no one living here , it will definitely stink to death." "So you killed it?" "It should be the owner's responsibility, but the lady you just saw doesn't seem to understand this." Rigao put out the cigarette in the ashtray. "Does Rie know about this?" Hearing my question, Higao raised half of his face, smiled and shook his head: "How can I let her know! Women, eighty percent of them like cats. If I told her the truth, she would definitely say that I am a cat. Devil's." I didn't know what to do next, so I just kept silent.Just then the phone rang, and Hidaka picked up the receiver. "Hello? Ah, hello, I was thinking you should call too... Well, according to the plan... Ha, you figured it out? I'm just starting to write...Yeah, I think tonight I'll get it done... OK, I'll post it right away... No, this phone will only work until noon tomorrow, so I'll call... Well, I'll call from the hotel. OK, then That's it for now." Hanging up the phone, he sighed softly. "Is it an editor?" I asked. "Mr. Yamabe from Smart Society. Although I'm used to procrastinating, but this time he is really worried. Because he is afraid that I will run away and I will not be in Japan the day after tomorrow." "Then I won't bother you any more, and I'm leaving." I stood up from my chair. At this moment, the voice of the intercom in the house was heard.I thought it was a salesman or something, but that doesn't seem to be the case. There was the sound of Rie's approaching footsteps in the corridor, followed by a knock on the door. "What's the matter?" Higashi asked. The door opened, and Rie poked her head out with a gloomy expression. "Miss Fujio is here." The voice was muffled. Hidaka's face was like the sky before the storm, full of haze: "Fujio... Fujio Miyako?" "Well, she said she would talk to you today anyway." "It's too bad." Hidaka bit his lower lip, "I probably heard the rumor that we're going to Canada." "Shall I tell her you're busy and ask her to go back?" "Well," he thought for a while, "No, I'll see her." Hidaka said, "I also think it would be easier to settle the matter here, so you can bring her here." "Okay, okay..." Rie looked at me worriedly. "Ah, I was about to leave," I said. "I'm sorry." Rie disappeared through the door after finishing speaking. "It's really nerve-wracking." Hidaka said with a sigh. "Miss Fujio you mentioned just now belongs to Masaya Fujio...?" "Sister." He scratched his slightly long hair, "It's okay if they want money, but if I have to take back or rewrite all the books, I will be in trouble." Hearing footsteps slowly approaching, Hidaka quickly shut his mouth.Rie's apologetic voice of "The corridor is dark, I'm sorry" was faintly heard outside the door, and then someone knocked on the door, and Hidaka answered "Yes". "Miss Fujio is here." Rie opened the door and said. Standing behind her was a long-haired woman who appeared to be twenty-six or seven years old. She was wearing the kind of suit that female college students would wear when visiting companies. courtesy. "Then I'll go first." I said to Hidaka.I originally wanted to tell him that if I could, I would see him off the day after tomorrow, but I still didn't say it.I thought to myself, it would be bad if I stimulated Miyako Fujio at this time. Hidaka nodded silently. Accompanied by Rie, I walked out of Hidaka's house. "I'm really sorry for the poor hospitality." Rie folded her palms and said apologetically, blinking her eyes.Due to her petite and slender figure, such movements made her exude a girlish atmosphere, and she did not feel that she was over thirty. "I'll see you off the day after tomorrow." "Aren't you busy?" "It's okay, bye." "Goodbye," she said, watching me as I turned the next corner. I went back to my room and had just finished doing something when the doorbell rang.My residence is far from Hidaka’s house, it’s just a small unit in a five-story building, the studio and dormitory occupy about three pings, and the remaining eight pings are the living room, dining room, and kitchen. I also don't have a beautiful family like Rie, so once the doorbell rings, I have to answer the door myself. After confirming the visitor through the door, I turned the lock on the door and opened the door. It was Oshima from the boy club. "You're still the same, very punctual," I said. "This is my only good thing, I brought this." He took out a square package with the name of a well-known Japanese bakery on it, and he knew I had a sweet tooth. "I'm sorry to ask you to make a special trip." "Where, anyway, I'm on my way home." I invited Oshima into the narrow living room, made tea, then walked back to the studio, and brought over the manuscript on the desk: "Oh, this, I don't know if it's well written or not." "I'll come and read it." He put down the teacup, reached for the manuscript, and started to read it, while I opened the newspaper.As always, having someone read my work in person makes me uncomfortable. About halfway through Oshima's reading, the wireless phone on the dining table suddenly rang.I said "excuse me" and left my seat. "Hi, I'm Nonoguchi." "Hi, it's me." It was Hidaka's voice, which sounded a bit heavy. "Ah, what happened?" I was still thinking about Miyako Fujio, but Hidaka didn't answer directly. He paused and asked, "Are you busy now?" "It's not busy, but there are guests here." "Well, when will it end?" I looked at the clock on the wall, it was just after six o'clock. "It will take a while, what's going on?" "Well, I can't make it clear on the phone. I want to discuss something with you. Can you come to my place?" "It's fine." I almost forgot that Oshima was on the side, and I almost blurted out to ask him if it was about Miyako Fujio. "How about eight o'clock?" he said. "it is good." "Then I'll wait for you." After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone. As soon as I put the receiver down, Oshima hurriedly stood up from the sofa and said, "If you still have something to do, then I will..." "No, it's okay, it's okay." I gestured for him to sit back, "I have an appointment with someone at eight o'clock, and there is still time, so you can read slowly." "That's it, then I won't be polite." He picked up the manuscript and continued to read. I also spread out the newspaper again and stared at the words on it, but I kept thinking about what Hidaka was going to say in my mind. I guess it's probably related to Fujio Miyako, other than that, I really can't think of anything else. Hidaka wrote a novel called "The Hunting Ground", which describes the life of a certain printmaker.Although it is called a novel on the surface, in fact the protagonist in the work is a real person, a man named Fujio Masaya. Masaya Fujio went to the same junior high school as me and Hidaka.Perhaps it was because of this connection that Ryo Higashi had the idea of ​​writing Fujio's story into a novel.It’s just that there are a few points in this novel that need to be discussed urgently. To put it bluntly, this work even describes some not-so-glamorous things that Fujio Masaya did before.Especially the various strange behaviors of his student days, Hidaka is almost a reproduction of the original version.In my opinion, except for the different names of the characters in the book, the content in the book is not like a fictional novel at all, and even the protagonist who was stabbed to death by a prostitute is completely consistent with the real event. This book topped the bestseller list. For those who know Fujio Masaya, it is too easy to guess who the protagonist of the novel is. Finally, Fujio's family also saw this book. Fujio's father had passed away long ago, and it was his mother and sister who came out to protest.They said: Obviously, the protagonist of the novel is based on Masaya Fujio, but they don't remember who ever allowed such a novel to be written.Secondly, because this book exposed Fujio Masaya's privacy and caused his reputation to be unduly damaged, they demanded that all works be recalled and completely rewritten... Hidaka also said that the other party did not ask for actual compensation such as compensation.I don't know if they really just want to rewrite the work, or if they have other deeper intentions, it is still unclear. Judging from his voice on the phone just now, I'm afraid the negotiations with Fujio Miyako are not going well, right?But what about calling me over?If they do break down, how can I help? Just as I was thinking about it, Oshima seemed to have finished reading the manuscript, and I turned my eyes away from the newspaper. "It's well written," said Oshima. "It's quite warm and has a nostalgic atmosphere. I think it's good." "Really? Hearing you say that makes me feel more at ease." I was really relieved and took a sip of tea quickly.Although Oshima was a kind young man, he would not casually say flattering words. If it is normal, we will discuss future plans next, but we will have an appointment with Hidaka later... I looked at the clock and it was already half past six. "Can you make it in time?" Oshima asked cleverly. "Well, there's still time. How? There's a restaurant nearby. Let's eat there and discuss it. It's a big favor for me." "Okay, I'm going to have dinner anyway." He put the manuscript in his leather bag.If I remember correctly, he should be almost thirty, but he is still single. There is a restaurant about two or three minutes away from my home. We discussed business while eating barbecue dishes.Although we are talking about business matters, we are actually talking about chores.In the midst of this, I accidentally revealed that the next person I would meet with was the writer Kunihiko Hidaka, and Oshima was a little surprised when he heard that. "You know that gentleman?" "Well, our junior high school and elementary school all go to the same school, and we live very close together. It's just a short walk from here. It's just that our old home has been demolished, and we are currently building an apartment." "It's the so-called childhood acquaintance, right?" "Probably, we still have contacts now." "Ah," Oshima's eyes showed envy and longing, "I didn't know." "I will help your company write a manuscript, and I will introduce it through him." "Huh? Is that so?" "In the beginning, the editor-in-chief of your company invited Rigao to write articles, but he refused because he didn't write children's literature. Instead, he introduced me to you. Said as the fork sent BBQ macaroni into his mouth. "Well, there is such a thing. Hidaka Kunihiko's children's literature, such a title is really attractive." Then Oshima asked me, "Mr. Nonoguchi, don't you want to write a novel that appeals to adult readers? ?” "I really want to write, if there is a chance."——This is my sincere words. At half past seven, we left the restaurant and headed for the station.I stood on the platform and watched Oshima board the tram in the opposite direction, and soon my tram came too. It was exactly eight o'clock when I arrived at Hidaka's house.I stood in front of the door, feeling a little strange, the room was pitch black, and the lights outside the door were not turned on. However, I still pressed the button on the walkie-talkie, but unexpectedly, no one answered as I expected. I thought to myself, maybe I made a mistake.The eight o'clock that Rigao said on the phone might not mean arriving at "his house" at eight o'clock. On the way back when I came back, there was a small park at one o'clock. I took out my change and walked into the telephone booth next to the park. From the phone book, I found the number of the Crown Hotel and dialed the number.When the hotel staff heard that I was looking for a customer named Rigao, they immediately transferred me there. "Hi, I'm Hidaka."——It was Rie's voice. "I'm Nonoguchi," I said. "Is Kunihiko Hidaka there?" "No, he didn't come here. Should he still be at home? Because there is still work to catch up." "No, he doesn't seem to be here..." I told her that all the lights in Hidaka's house were dimmed, and there seemed to be no one inside. "That's weird." She on the other end of the phone seemed quite confused, "It was probably midnight when he told me this." "Then he probably just went out for a while?" "Probably not." Rie was silent for a moment as if thinking about it, "That's all right, I'll go there now." She said, "I'll be there in about forty minutes. Ah, Mr. Nonoguchi, are you here now?" Where is the person?" I explained my location, told her that I would first go to a nearby coffee shop to pass the time, and hung up the phone. Walking out of the phone booth, I made another detour to Hidaka's house to have a look before going to the coffee shop.Still the same, all the lights were dimmed, and Ridaka’s SAAB was parked there in the parking lot, and it always felt weird. That coffee shop is a coffee shop that Hidaka often goes to to adjust his mood on weekdays. I have been there several times. The owner of the shop recognized me and asked why I didn’t come with Mr. Hidaka today?I said that he made an appointment with me, but there was no one at home. Just chatting about professional baseball with the boss, talking about it, thirty minutes passed.I paid the bill, left the store, and walked quickly to Hidaka's house. When he got to the door, he saw Rie getting off the taxi.When I called out, she smiled back at me.However, when she looked towards the room, her face suddenly sank, appearing very disturbed. "It's really dark," she said. "It seems that he hasn't come back yet." "But it's impossible for him to go out." She took out the key from her purse and walked to the entrance, I followed behind. The gate was locked, and Rie opened it to enter the house, and then turned on the lights everywhere.The air in the room was icy cold, and no one seemed to be there. Rie walked through the hallway, intending to turn the handle of Hidaka's studio door, and the door was locked. "Does he lock it when he goes out?" I asked. As she took out the key, she turned her head sideways and thought: "He doesn't lock the door very much recently." As soon as the key was turned, the door swung open.The studio also did not turn on the lights, but it was not completely dark.The computer was still plugged in, and the screen was brightly lit. Rie groped for the wall and pressed the button of the fluorescent light. In the middle of the room, Hidaka turned his feet towards us and fell to the ground. There was a blank pause for a few seconds, and Rie walked forward silently.Halfway through, she suddenly stopped halfway, covering her mouth with both hands, her whole body froze instantly, without saying a word. I also moved forward tremblingly, Ridao's whole body was lying on his stomach, his head turned to one side, exposing the left half of his face. His eyes were slightly open, and his gaze was distracted. "He's dead," I said. Rie's whole body slowly went limp, and at the same time her knees hit the floor, she let out a scream that seemed to come from deep within her body. When the evidence collection team sent by the police station was investigating the scene, Rie and I were waiting in the living room.Although it is a living room, there are not even a table and chairs.I let Rie sit on the cardboard box full of magazines, and I walked back and forth like a bear, poking my head out of the corridor from time to time to peek at the scene of the evidence search.Rie was crying all the time, I looked at my watch, it was already half past ten in the evening. There was a knock on the door, and the door opened, and the police department of Shitian walked in.He is about fifty years old, and his manner is calm and generous.He was also the one who told us to wait in this room at the beginning, and it seems that he should be the general commander of this search. "I have something to talk to you about, is that okay?" The police department glanced at Rie, then turned to me and said. "I don't care..." "I can do it too." Rie said while holding the handkerchief to the corner of her eyes.Her voice was still a little choked, but her tone was firm.I suddenly remembered that Rigao once said during the day that her personality is actually quite strong. "Okay, then I will trouble you." So the Kota Police Department just stood there and began to question us about the whole process before we found the body.While talking, I had to talk about Miyako Fujio. "What time did you receive the call from Hidaka?" "I think it must be after six o'clock." "Did Mr. Hidaka mention anything about Ms. Fujio at that time?" "No, he just said he had something to discuss with me." "So it could be something else, too?" "maybe." "Have you thought of anything about this?" "No." The police department nodded, and then he turned his face to Rie: "What time did Miss Fujio's people go back?" "About five o'clock." "Did you talk to your husband after that?" "We had a chat." "How does your husband look?" "He seemed troubled because he couldn't get along with Ms. Fujio. But he told me not to worry." "After that you left the house and went to the restaurant, right?" "yes." "Let me see, you plan to stay at the Crown Hotel today and tomorrow, and leave for Canada the day after tomorrow. However, since your husband still has work to do, you will stay at home alone..." The police department watched His own cheat sheet, while talking, then he raised his head, "How many people know about this?" "Me, and..." Rie looked towards me. "Of course I also know. In addition, there are people from the Smart Society?"——I explained to the police that Rigao plans to catch up on the manuscript of the Smart Society tonight—"However, this is the only way to lock the prisoner Inevitably..." "Well, I know, this is just for reference." The muscles on the face of Police Department Koda relaxed a little. Afterwards, he asked Rie if he had seen any suspicious people near his home recently, and Rie replied "I have no impression".I thought of the lady I saw in the yard during the day, and hesitated whether to speak, but finally remained silent. ——It’s outrageous to think about killing people just because the cat was killed. After the interrogation ended, the police department told me that he would ask his subordinates to take me back.I originally wanted to stay with Rie to accompany her, but the police department said that he had contacted Rie's natal family and they would come to pick her up soon. As the shock of discovering Hidaka's body wears off, fatigue creeps in.To be honest, I was a little discouraged at the thought of having to take the train back by myself later, so I accepted the police department's arrangement unceremoniously. When I walked out of the room, I found that there were still many police officers left, walking up and down the corridor.The door of the studio is open, but you can't see what's inside. The corpse should have been transported out, right? A young policeman in uniform greeted me and led me to a police car parked at the gate.It occurred to me that I hadn't been in a police car for a long time since my last arrest for speeding... something irrelevant. Standing next to the police car was a tall man, whose facial features could not be seen clearly due to insufficient light.The man said, "Nonoguchi-sensei, long time no see." "Huh?" I stopped, wanting to confirm the other person's appearance. The man steps forward, revealing his face from the shadows.The distance between eyebrows and eyes is very short, and the contour of the face is very three-dimensional. I had seen this face before, and then my memory came back. "Ah, it's you!" "Do you remember?" "I remember, you are..." I checked again in my head, "Kaga... right?" "Yes, I'm Kaga." He bowed to me solemnly and said, "I was taken care of by you before." "Where, I am." After bending down to answer, I looked at him again.It's been ten years, no, it should be longer, his capable look seems to have been sharpened, "I heard that you changed your career and became a police officer. I didn't expect to meet you here." "I was also surprised. At first I thought it was the wrong person, but I didn't know until I saw the name." "Because my surname is very special. But," I shook my head, "it's really a coincidence." "Let's talk in the car. I'll give you a ride... Although there is no atmosphere in the police car." After finishing speaking, he helped me open the rear door, and at the same time, the uniformed policeman also sat in the driver's seat. Kaga-sensei used to be a social studies teacher at the middle school where I taught.Like many teachers who have just graduated and joined the teaching profession, he is also full of drive and enthusiasm.In addition, he is an expert in kendo, and the heroic demeanor he showed when leading the kendo club made people even more impressed by his enthusiasm. There are many reasons for such a person to give up his teaching position after only two years of teaching.But as far as I am a bystander, he himself has no responsibility at all.But can it really be said that?Everyone has their ups and downs.Whether the job of a teacher is suitable for Kaga is really open to debate.Of course, this result is also closely related to the trend at that time. "Ms. Nonoguchi, which school are you teaching at?" Mr. Kaga asked me about my recent situation not long after the car drove away.No, it would be too strange to call him Kaga-sensei again, so let's just call him Kaga Detective. I shook my head: "The last place I taught was in the local third country, but I left in March this year." Detective Kaga seemed quite surprised: "Is that so? Then what are you doing now?" "Well, it's a bit embarrassing to say, I'm writing a novel for children now." "Ah, no wonder." He nodded, "That's why you know Mr. Kunihiko Hidaka, right?" "No, it's a little different." I explained to him that Hidaka and I have been friends since we were young, and it was because of his relationship that I found my current job.Detective Kaga seemed to understand, and nodded while listening to me.I didn't expect that the Kota police department didn't tell him anything, which made me a little surprised. I just told the police department what I said. "So, you used to be a teacher and write novels at the same time?" “也可以这么说啦，不过我那时一年才写两篇三十页左右的短篇而已。我一直在想，有朝一日要成为真正的作家，于是心一横就把学校的工作辞了。” “这样啊？那真的需要很大的勇气呢。”加贺刑警很钦佩地说道。或许是想起自己之前的事吧？当然，二十几岁转行和面临四十岁才换工作的景况相比，可谓天差地别，这点他应该也能体会。 “日高邦彦写的是什么样的小说啊？” 我看着他的脸问道：“加贺，你不知道日高邦彦吗？” “对不起，名字是听过啦，可是书就没读过了，尤其最近我几乎很少看书。” “大概是太忙了。” “不，是我自己太懒，我也在想一个月应该读两、三本书的。”他搔搔头。一个月至少要读两、三本书——这是我当国文老师时，经常挂在嘴边的口头禅。我不确定加贺是否因为记得这个，所以才特意讲出来。 于是我大略地介绍日高这个人，说他大概是十年前出道的，在这中间还得过某某文学奖，是现今少数几位畅销作家之一。他的作品十分多样化，从纯文学到仅供娱乐的小品都有。 “有没有我可以读的东西？”加贺刑警问，“譬如推理小说之类的？” “这类作品是比较少，不过还是有的。”我答道。 “你可不可以告诉我书名以做参考？” "That's it." 于是我告诉他一本叫的书，是我很久以前读的，内容不太记得了，不过里面有关于谋杀的描写，肯定错不了。 “日高先生为什么会想搬到加拿大去住呢？” “好像有很多原因，不过他大概是觉得有点累了。好几年前他就曾经讲过要到国外修养一番，而温哥华似乎是理惠相中的地方。” “你刚刚说的理惠是他的太太吧？看起来好年轻呢。” “上个月他们才刚登记结婚而已，这是他的第二次婚姻。” “是这样啊？他和前任老婆离婚了？” “不，第一任老婆因为车祸去世，已经五年了。” 一边聊着的同时，思及话题的主角日高邦彦已经不在人世，我的心情又沉重了起来。 他到底要跟我谈些什么？要是我早早结束那无关紧要的会谈，早点去见他的话，或许他就不会死了。我心里也知道这么想于事无补，却忍不住不去懊悔。 “我听说因为亲人被影射为小说的主角，有一位藤尾小姐跑来抗议……”加贺说，“除此之外，日高先生有没有卷入其他风波？不管是和小说或是他私生活有关的都可以。” “嗯，我一时也想不出来。”这么回答的同时，我发现了一件事——我正在接受侦讯。惊觉于此，连在前方握着方向盘，始终不发一语的警察都让人觉得很不舒服。 “对了，”加贺刑警打开了记事本，“你知道西崎菜美子这个名字吗？” "what?" “还有小左野哲司、相中根肇？” “啊，”我领悟地点了点头，“那是《冰之扉》中的出场人物，目前月刊正连载的日高小说。”我一边说一边想，不知那篇连载接下来要怎么办。 “一直到死之前，日高先生好像还在赶那篇小说的样子。” “听你这么一说，我想起电脑的电源一直是开着的。” “画面上出现的就是那篇小说的内容。” “果然如此。”我突然想起什么，于是向加贺刑警问道，“他的小说写了多少？” “写了多少的意思是？” “写了几页的意思。” 我跟加贺说，日高曾提过今晚必须赶出三十页的事。 “电脑的排字方式和稿纸不一样，所以总共写了多少，我不是很确定，不过至少不是一、两页就是了。” “从他写的页数就可以推断出他是几点被杀害的，不是吗？我从日高家出来的时候，他还没着手工作呢。” “这点我们也有想到，只是写稿这种事的速度也不是固定的吧。” “话是没错啦，不过就算是以最快速度写也是有极限的。” “那日高先生的极限大概在哪里？” “这个嘛，记得他之前曾经讲过，一个小时大概是四页吧。” “这样的话，就算赶工也只能一小时写六页啰？” "Probably." 听完我说的话，加贺刑警沉默了一会儿，脑袋里好像正计算着什么。 “发现哪里矛盾吗？”我问。 “嗯，我还不知道。”加贺摇了摇头，“我也还无法确定，电脑上残留的画面是否就是这次要连载的部分。” “也对喔，说不定他只是把之前曾经刊载过的部分叫出来而已。” “关于这点，我们打算明天找出版社谈谈。” 我在脑海里快速转了一圈，根据理惠的说法，藤尾美弥子是在五点左右离开的，而我接到日高打来的电话是在六点过后。这中间如果他有写稿的话，应该可以写出五、六页吧。问题是，其他还有几页呢？ “啊，或许这是办案时应该紧守的秘密。”我试着向加贺问道，“不过，你们应该有推测死亡时间吧？警方认为是什么时候呢？” “这确实足应该保密的事，”加贺刑警苦笑着说，“不过……详细的情形要等到解剖报告出来，但根据我们的推断，大概是在五点到七点之间，结果应该不会相差太多。” “我是在六点过后接到电话的……” “嗯，也就是说是在六点到七点之间了。” ——应该是这样吧。也就是说，日高在和我通完电话后就马上被杀了？ “日高是怎么被杀的呢？” 听到我的喃喃自语，加贺刑警露出十分讶异的表情，他大概觉得这种话出自尸体发现者的口中，未免太奇怪了吧。可是，我对日高是怎么个死法真的没有印象，坦白说，当时我怕死了，根本不敢正视他。 我把这点说明后，加贺好像也能理解。 “这也要等到解剖报告出来。不过简单地说，他是被勒死的。” “你说的勒死是指勒住脖子吗？……用绳子还是？” “他脖子上缠着电话线。” "how come……" “不过还有一处外伤，他好像被人重击了后脑，现场找到作为凶器的黄铜纸镇。” “也就是说有人从背后打昏他，再把他勒死啰？” “目前看来是这样。”加贺刑警如此说完后，突然压低了声量，“刚刚讲的，我想日后会对外公布，在此之前，请你不要跟任何人提起。” “啊，那是当然。” 终于，警车抵达了我的公寓。 “谢谢你送我回来，帮了我一个大忙。”我向他道谢。 “我才是，得到了很多有用的资料。” “那，再见了。” 我走下了车子，可是才走到一半，“啊，等一下！”身后传来加贺刑警的叫唤，“你可不可以告诉我连载小说的是哪本杂志？” 于是我告诉他是聪明社月刊，然而他摇了摇头说：“我要的是刊登野野口先生小说的杂志。” 为了掩饰尴尬，我故意皱起眉头，略带生硬地说出杂志的名字，加贺拿出笔把它记了下来。 回到屋里，我在沙发上呆坐良久。回想起今天一天发生的事，我觉得好像在作梦一样。这一生当中，我从来没有经历过像这么悲惨的日子。思及至此，我却舍不得去睡。不，就算我想睡，今晚恐怕也睡不着了。 我突然兴起一个想法，想把这番体验记录下来，就用我的手把朋友遇害的悲剧写下吧。 这本手记产生的经过就是如此。我在想，直到真相曝光之前，我都会一直写下去。 日高的死很快登上了早报，虽然昨晚我没看新闻，不过看样子各家电视台正大肆炒作。最近连十一点过后都有新闻节目。 报纸的某个版面打出大大的标题，以社会新闻的角度，详细报导整起事件。报上大幅登着日高家的照片，旁边配着日高本人的大头照，这原本应是交给杂志社使用的。 报导的内容大部分与事实相符。只不过关于尸体发现的部分，上面只写着：“接到友人通知家里灯光全暗的消息，妻子理惠回到住处，竟然发现日高先生倒卧在一楼的工作室中。”我的名字从头到尾都没出现过，或许读者会因而误解发现者只有理惠一人。 根据报导所示，警方现在正朝临时起意或蓄意谋杀的方向进行调查。由于大门深锁，他们推断犯人应该是从工作室的窗口进出。 阖上报纸，我正打算站起身张罗今天的早餐，门铃却响了。看了一下时钟，才八点多，这么早应该不会有人来拜访，我拿起平常不太使用的对讲机。 "Hey?" “啊，请问是野野口老师吗？”——女性的声音，呼吸显得很急促。 "I'm." “一大早来打扰真对不住，我是XX电视台的，关于昨晚发生的事件，可不可以和您谈一谈？” 我大吃一惊！报纸上明明没有我的名字，可是电视台的人却已经风闻我是发现者之一了。 “这个……”我思索着应对之策，这可不能随便乱讲，“你想谈什么事？” “关于昨晚日高先生在自宅被杀害一事。我听说和夫人理惠小姐一起发现尸体的就是野野口老师您，这是真的吗？”大概是谈话性节目派来的女记者吧，竟然大刺剌地就直呼我老师，神经粗得教人有些不快。不过，不管怎样，也不能因此就乱讲一通。 “嗯，是真的。”我答道。 身为媒体人的兴奋透过门传了进来：“老师您为什么去日高家呢？” “对不起，该讲的我都对警方讲了。” “听说您是因为发觉屋子怪怪的，所以才通知了理惠小姐，可否请您具体说明是哪里怪怪的呢？” “请你们去问警方。”我挂上了对讲机。 之前就听闻记者的犀利，没想到电视记者的采访当真是无礼至极。难道他们就无法体会这一、两天我还没办法跟人讨论这件事吗？我当下决定，今天就不出门了。虽然我很关心日高家的事，可是要到现场去探看恐怕是不可能了。 然而，没想到我正用微波炉热牛奶时，门铃又响了。 “我是电视台的人，可否打扰一下，相您谈谈？”——这次是个男的——“全国民众都很想知道进一步的真相。” 如果日高不死就好了，我的心里不禁出现这种悲痛万分的台词。 “我也只是发现而已。” “不过您一直和日高先生很亲密吧？” “就算是这样，关于事件，我也没什么好说的。” “可是还是想打扰您一下。”——这男的死不罢休。 我叹了口气，让他一直在门口哀求也不是办法，会打扰到邻居。对这些后生晚辈，我就是没辄。 将对讲机的话筒摆好，我走出玄关。门一打开，麦克风全都凑了上来。 结果，在访问的夹击下，我的一整个早晨就泡汤了，连要好好吃顿早餐都没有办法。 中午过后，我一边收看电视的访谈节目，一边吃着鸟笼泡面，突然萤幕上大大映出我的脸孔，害我不小心就噎住了。那是今天早上才拍的，没想到这么快就播出来了。 “听说您小学就认识日高先生了。就野野口先生的角度来看，他是个怎样的人呢？”女记者以尖锐的声音问道。 面对这样的问题，镜头前的我想了很久。当时我自己没有发现，不过这段沉默竟意外地长，影像就这么定住了，电视台大概是来不及剪接吧？可以想见当时在场的记者先生们肯定很不耐烦，这样看着画面，我才彻底领悟到。 “我想他是个个性很强的人，”镜头前的我终于开口了，“有时你会觉得他为人很好，不过他也有冷酷到令人惊讶的一面，其实大部分的人都是这样吧？” “您说的冷酷，可否举例加以说明？” “譬如说……”我一边说一边沉吟了一下，“不，我一时也想不出来，何况这种事我也不想在这里讲。” 其实，当时我脑海里浮现的是日高杀猫的那件事，不过，它并不适合在传媒前公开。 “对于杀死日高先生的犯人，你有话想对他说吗？”问了几个流俗的问题后，女记者不忘补上这句陈腔滥调。 “没有。”这是我的回答，一旁的记者显得颇为失望。 之后，棚内的主持人开始介绍日高生前的写作活动。就擅长描写人间百态的背景来看，作家本身的人际关系肯定也很复杂，这次的事件恐怕也是受此牵连的吧？——主持人的话里隐约透着这层意思。 接着他又提到，最近日高因为《禁猎地》这部作品而卷入风波，已故版画家被影射为小说的男主角，他的家人还因此提出抗议。不过，媒体似乎还没查到，昨天画家家属之一的藤尾美弥子曾造访日高。 不只是主持人，连偶尔以来宾身分参加这类节目的艺人都大放厥词，各自发表他们对日高之死的看法。不知为何，我忽然感到一阵厌恶，关掉了电视机。想要知道重要事件的相关消息，NHK当然是最好的选择，但日高的死还不到公共频道为他制播特别节目的程度。 这时电话响了，我已数不清这是今天的第几通电话了。我总是想，万一这和工作有关就糟糕了，所以都会拿起话筒，可是至今为止，千篇一律都是媒体打来的。 “喂，我是野野口。”我的口气已经有点不悦了。 “你好，我是日高。”咬字清晰的声音，肯定是理惠没错。 “啊，你好。”这时候该讲些什么，我一时想不出来，只能勉强凑出一句奇怪的话，“后来怎么样了？” “我昨天住在娘家。虽然心里知道必须和很多地方联络，可是一点力气都没有。” “是啊，你现在人在哪里？” “我在家里。今天早上警方的人跟我连络，说希望我到案发现场再次接受讯问。” “讯问已经结束了吗？” “已经结束了，不过警方的人还在就是了。” “媒体很讨厌吧？” “嗯，不过出版社的人，还有之前我丈夫认识的电视台的人也来了，所以全交给他们去应付，我轻松了不少。” “这样啊。”我本来想说这真是太好了，不过反过头一想，这句话对昨天才痛失丈夫的遗孀而言好像不太恰当，所以又吞了回去。 “倒是野野口先生被电视台的人追着跑，肯定十分困扰吧。我自己是没看电视啦，不过出版社的人告诉我情形，我感到很抱歉，所以才打电话过来关心一下。” “是这样啊？哪里，你不用担心我，采访的攻势已经告一段落了。” “真的很对不起。” 那是打从心里感到愧欠的语气。明明当下她才是这世上最悲惨的人，却还有心思替别人着想，这点让我深感佩服，我再度感受到她的坚强。 “如果有什么需要我帮忙的，请不要客气尽管跟我说。” “谢谢，夫家的人还有我娘家的妈妈都来了，所以没有关系。” “这样啊。”——我想起日高有个大他两岁的哥哥，年迈的母亲和兄嫂一起同住——“不过，真的有我可以做的，请务必告诉我。” “谢谢您，那我就先挂电话了。” “谢谢你特地打电话过来。” 挂断电话后，我脑海里一直想着理惠的事。她打算要怎么生活下去？她还年轻，听说娘家是开货运行的，经济条件不错，生活应该不成问题。可是，要从打击中站起来恐怕需要不少时间吧。毕竟他们才刚结婚一个月。 曾经，理惠只不过是日高的小说迷之一。有一次，因为工作的关系，认识了日高，因而开始交往。这意味着，昨夜她同时失去了两件宝贵的东西：一个是丈夫，另一个则是作家日高邦彦的新作。 正这么想的时候，电话又响了。对方请我去上谈话性节目，我当场就拒绝了。 加贺刑警来的时候，已经是傍晚六点以后的事了。听到对讲机的铃声，我厌烦地以为又是哪家媒体的记者，没想到探头一看，竟然是他。不过，这次他不是一个人来，他身边跟着一个看来比他年轻，叫做牧村的刑警。 “对不起，我还有两、三个问题想要请教你。” “我早料到了，你们上来吧。” 然而，加贺刑警并未做出脱鞋的动作，他问：“你正在吃饭吗？” “不，我还没吃，才正在想要吃什么才好。” “那我们到外面去吃好了？老实说，一整天忙着侦讯，我们连午饭都没吃呢，是吧？” 牧村刑警附和地冲着我苦笑。 “好啊，那要去哪里？我知道有家店的猪排饭很好吃，可以吗？” “哪儿都行，”这么说的同时，加贺刑警好像想到了什么，他用大拇指朝后头比了比，“再过去有一家餐馆，老师昨晚去的就是那间店吗？” “是啊，你想去那里吗？” “就那里好了，那家店近，咖啡又可以免费续杯。” “太好了。”牧村刑警帮腔似的说道。 “我是无所谓啦，那我去换一下衣服。” 趁着他们等我换衣服的空档，我想了一下加贺刑警找我去那家餐馆的理由，是不是有什么特别的用意？还是，真如他所说，只是因为近、有咖啡可喝？ 终究我还是想不通，只好走出了房间。 来到餐馆，我点了烧烤虾饭，加贺刑警和牧村刑警各点了烤羊排和汉堡肉套餐。 “之前讲的那本小说，”等女侍离开后，加贺刑警马上开口说道，“啊，就是日高先生留在电脑萤幕上的那本，叫做《冰之扉》的。” “唔，我知道。昨天你还说要去查清楚，看那是昨天才刚写的，还是只是把之前已经发表的部分叫到萤幕上而已，已经有答案了吗？” “已经有答案了，应该是昨天写的。我问了聪明社的负责人，他说跟之前连载的部分接得刚刚好。” “这么说来，在被杀害之前，他一直很努力地工作啰。” 去加拿大的日子迫在眉睫，就连日高也得拚命赶工吧？虽说他之前总是找各种搪塞的藉口，毫不在意地让编辑焦急等待。 “只是有一个地方很奇怪。”加贺刑警将身体微微前倾，右手肘撑在桌子上。 "What's so strange?" “原稿的张数。如果一张算四百字好了，他总共写了二十七张之多。就算他在藤尾小姐走后的五点就开始写好了，这也未免太多了。昨晚我才听野野口老师说了，您说日高先生的写作速度一小时顶多四到六张。” “二十七张吗？这样确实很多。” 我到日高家的时间是八点，假设在这之前日高都还活着的话，那他一小时不就要写九张了。 “所以，”我说，“他有可能是在说谎。” "lie?" “很可能他昨天白天就已经写