Chapter 3 The Solution Chapter Osamu Nonoguchi's Notes

The following article was written with the permission of Kaga Detective.Before I left this room, I asked him to let me finish this note no matter what, and he graciously agreed to me.However, he must not be able to understand why I still insist on writing when I have reached such a state.Even if it is a fake note, it is the nature of a writer to want to finish it once it is written, so he should be able to understand it. Personally, though, it was enough to keep a record of this hour of experience.It should be the nature of a writer to want to record an impressive experience, right?Even if it's a self-destructive record.

The Kaga detective finally came today, at ten o'clock in the morning on April 21st.The moment I heard the doorbell ring, I had a premonition, and after confirming that it was him, I believed that premonition was about to come true.However, I still tried my best to hide my excitement and welcomed him into the house. "I'm sorry for the sudden visit. I want to talk to you about something." He said in a calm tone as usual. "What's the matter? Forget it, come in first!" "Well, sorry to bother you." I led him to sit down in front of the sofa, and went to make tea by myself.

"Don't bother," he said. "Is there anything you want to talk to me about?" I handed the teacup in front of him and asked casually.At this time, I noticed that my hands were trembling, and when I looked up, Detective Kaga was also staring at my hands. Instead of reaching for the teacup, he stared at me intently. "To tell you the truth, I'm afraid I'll be sorry for you." "What do you say?" I kept my composure.In fact, at this moment, I suddenly became dizzy, and my heart beat faster and faster. "We are going to search the teacher's house... this room." Kaga detective said with a look of embarrassment.

I made a dumbfounded expression first, then pursed my lips and smiled.Of course, I don't know if this is a good pretend, maybe in the eyes of the Kaga detective, I only see my face crooked. "What do you say? Search my house, and nothing will be found." "It would be nice if that was the case... but I'm afraid I'll find something." "Wait a minute, do you think that...you regard me as a suspect in killing Rigao, and you think you will find any evidence here?" Detective Kaga nodded lightly: "That's right." "This is so surprising." I shook my head, sighed deliberately, and played desperately, "I didn't even think I would hear such a thing, so I don't know how to respond. If you are joking If so, forget it, but you don't look like you're joking."

"Teacher, I'm sorry, I'm serious. I was taken care of by you before, and now I am struggling to say such things to you, but it is our duty as policemen to discover the truth." "Of course I can understand your situation. As long as you feel suspicious, it is your duty to investigate my friends or family members. But to be honest, I am surprised and confused because it happened so suddenly." "I've brought the search ticket." "You mean a search ticket? Of course. But before you take it out, can you tell me why, that is..." "Why doubt you?"

"That's right. Or are you guys used to not saying anything, just rummaging through boxes and cabinets?" "Sometimes it does. But," he lowered his eyes, reached for the tea that was set aside just now, and took a sip.Then, he looked at me, "I want to talk to you first." "I appreciate you doing this. But that doesn't mean I'll be convinced by what you say." Kaga didn't respond, he took out a notepad from his coat pocket. "The most important point," he said, "is the time of Mr. Hidaka's death. Although generally speaking, it was between five o'clock and seven o'clock, the doctor in charge of the autopsy said that the possibility of passing after six o'clock is extremely slim. Inferring the time of death from the digestion status of the food in the stomach is extremely reliable, and in a case like this, there is no need to extend the error to as long as two hours. However, there is someone who testified that Mr. Hidaka was still alive after six o’clock.”

"Are you talking about me? Even if you suspect me, that's all I can say. Perhaps the possibility of this is very low, but after all, it's a physiological reaction, and occasionally there will be a gap of 20 to 30 minutes, right?" "Of course it is possible. But we are concerned about the phone call mentioned in the testimony, because we cannot be sure whether the phone call was actually made by the deceased himself." "That's Hidaka's voice, that's for sure." "But there is no way to prove this point, after all, you were the only one who answered the phone at that time."

"The so-called 'telephone' is what it is? If you don't believe it, I can't help it." "I really want to believe it, but it's not that easy to be persuaded by the prosecutor, right?" "It's true that I was the only one answering the phone, but you all forgot that there was another person next to you, so it gave me a headache. Didn't you get confirmation from Oshima from the boy's club?" "I did. Mr. Oshima also said that a phone call did come in during the conversation with you." "Didn't he hear our conversation on the phone?"

"No, he heard it. He said that Mr. Noguchi seemed to have an appointment to meet with someone later on the phone. However, he didn't know until later that it was Mr. Hidaka." "I understand. There is no way to prove anything just like this. It may also be a call from someone who has nothing to do with it, but I deliberately misled him that it was from Hidaka. Is this what you want to say?" Hearing what I said, Kaga frowned and bit his lower lip. "I have no reason to rule that out." "Please rule out this possibility... I don't seem to be able to ask you like this." I said playfully, "However, I still don't understand. The death time estimated from the autopsy results is more or less wrong, but It’s not completely inaccurate, is it? Even so, I can hear that you think I’m lying from the beginning, is there any other reason?”

Kaga looked into my eyes steadily and said, "Yes, yes." "Appreciate further details." "Cigarettes," he said. "cigarette?" "Teacher, you have also said that Hidaka is an old smoker. When he is working, the room is filled with smoke, as if he is chasing insects." "Well, I did say... so what?" While speaking, the ominous premonition spread like a puff of black smoke in my chest. "There was only one cigarette butt in the ashtray," Kaga said. "what?" "There is only one. There is only one extinguished cigarette butt in the ashtray in Hidaka's studio. Miyako Fujio left at five o'clock. If he continues to work after that, there must be more cigarette butts. Besides, the only cigarette butt I didn’t smoke it at work, but I left it when I was chatting with you, Nonoguchi-sensei. I only found out about this after reading the teacher’s notes.”

I didn't know what to say, so I just kept silent.I remembered that the Kaga detective had asked me about how many cigarettes Hidaka had smoked before.So he's been suspicious of me since then? "In other words," he continued, "hidaka didn't even smoke a cigarette during the time when he was alone until he was killed. I asked Mrs. Rie about this, and she told me that even if she only worked For half an hour, Hidaka smokes at least two or three cigarettes. Moreover, the more he puts himself into work, the more he smokes. But in fact, he hasn't smoked a single cigarette. How can this be explained? Woolen cloth?" I started cursing myself inwardly.Even if I don't smoke myself, I didn't think so thoroughly, and I shouldn't miss this point. "Maybe it's because you've run out of cigarettes?" In short, I tried to find a way to prevaricate, "Or I found out that there is no stock, so I saved some cigarettes?" However, it is impossible for Kaga detective to miss such details. "When I went out during the day, Hidaka bought four more packs of cigarettes. One pack on the desk has been opened, and there are still fourteen packs left in it, and there are three brand new packs in the drawer." His tone was very calm, but every word he said was full of aggressiveness.I suddenly remembered that he used to be a master of swordsmanship, and in an instant, a chill ran down my spine. "Oh, is that so? In this way, it is really strange that there is only one cigarette butt. The reason for this can only be known by asking Hidaka himself. Maybe he happened to have a sore throat." I tried to confuse it. "If that's the case, then he wouldn't smoke in front of the teacher, right? From our standpoint, we must make the most reasonable inferences." "All in all, you're trying to say he should have been killed earlier, right?" "It should be very early, probably after Mrs. Lihui left the house, right?" "You seem pretty sure." "Let's go back to the issue of cigarettes. When Hidaka and Fujio Miyako were together, they didn't smoke a single cigarette. We already know the reason for this. According to Mrs. Rie, Fujio Miyako saw the cigarette before. When smoking, he once showed displeasure, so in order for the negotiations to proceed smoothly, Hidaka himself once said that it is best not to smoke in front of this woman in the future." "Oh..." The scheming Hidaka would indeed think so. "The negotiation with Fujio Miyako must have brought him a lot of pressure. Therefore, if I were Hidaka herself, as soon as she left, she would immediately reach for a cigarette as if she had been hungry and thirsty for a long time and was suddenly liberated. However, there was no Does he not want to smoke the cigarette butt left behind? Or can’t smoke? I personally think it’s the latter.” "You mean because he's been killed?" "That's right." He nodded. "But I left Hidaka's house before that." "Well, I know, you walked out of the gate. But it's also possible that you walked back from the courtyard after that and headed for Hidaka's studio." "It's as if you saw it with your own eyes." "Sensei, you have made the same reasoning yourself. At that time, we assumed that Miyako Fujio was the prisoner. You said that she might pretend to come out of Hidaka's house first, and then go back to the studio. Could that be describing What about your own actions?" I shook my head slowly: "I lost to you. I never dreamed that you would interpret what I said in this way. I want to help you wholeheartedly." Hearing what I said, Detective Kaga shifted his gaze to the notepad, and then said: "Sensei, in your notes, you once described the part where you left Hidaka's house, and it said 'she said goodbye, Keep watching me turn into the next street corner. 'This 'she' refers to Mrs. Rie." "What's wrong with this?" "Looking at the literal meaning, you mean Mrs. Rie stood outside the door and watched you leave. We have already checked with Mrs. about this, and her answer was to just send you to the entrance. Why did this happen? What about the contradictions?" "You said that the contradiction is too much to make a big deal out of a molehill, right? This must be a mistake made by one party." "Is that so? But I don't think so. I think you deliberately wrote it to the contrary. In other words, you wrote it in order to conceal the fact that you didn't go out of the gate and turned back into the courtyard." I laughed on purpose: "It's so funny! This is simply pretentious. You have already identified me as a murderer in your heart, so you interpret everything like this." "Personally," he said, "I try to be objective." I was momentarily stunned by his gaze, and suddenly it occurred to me that this man would use the term "myself" whenever he mentioned himself in ordinary conversation-and such irrelevant questions. "I understand! It doesn't matter, you are free to reason. When it comes to reasoning, I hope you can explain the following plot clearly. What did I do after hiding under the window? Knocked out?" "Is that so?" Detective Kaga observed my expression. "Don't forget, I'm the one who asked!" He sighed and shook his head lightly: "The details about the murder are best told by myself." "Then you want me to confess? If I were a prisoner, I will tell you right away, but unfortunately I am not, maybe you will feel very sorry. Let's turn the topic back to the phone, I received The call was really from Rigao. If it wasn’t from Rigao, then who would have called me? My testimony has been widely reported by the media. If someone else called me that day This person, then this person should have contacted the police by now." Then I pretended as if I just thought of it now and pointed out my index finger, "So you think I have an accomplice, right? Did the accomplice call me?" However, he just looked around the room without saying a word, and then he saw the wireless phone on the dining table, picked it up and sat down again. "There's no need for an accomplice, just making the phone ring." "Having said that, how could it ring when no one called?" After I finished speaking, I flicked my fingers, "I see, I know. You would say that I had a cell phone hidden on me at the time, and when Oshima wasn't paying attention, , call home by yourself, right?" "This method can also make the phone ring," he said. "However, this is impossible. I don't have a mobile phone, and I can't find anyone to borrow it. So... By the way, if I use this technique, it won't be easy to find out? There should be a record at the telecommunications bureau, right? .” "It's hard to find out where the call is coming from." "Ah, is that so? Because of anti-detection?" "However," he said, "it's easy to find out where the call is going. For example, this time, we just need to check where Mr. Rigao called that day." "Then, have you checked?" "Yes, I checked." Detective Kaga nodded. "Oh, what happened?" "The contact records show that there was indeed a call to your house at 6:13." "Well...it should be like this, because there is indeed a call coming in." I still promised, but I became more and more frightened.Kaga Detective has already read the communication records, but he still hasn't ruled out the possibility of me being involved in the case. It can be seen that he must have found out that I set the trap. Detective Kaga stood up and put the wireless phone back in place, but this time he didn't sit back on the sofa. "Mr. Hidaka will send out the manuscript as soon as he finishes it that day. But there is no fax machine in his studio. Why? Teacher, you should be very clear about this." I don't know, I wanted to say that, but I remained silent. Detective Kaga said: "Because it can be transmitted directly by computer, you know it." "I've heard of it." I replied briefly. "It's really convenient. You don't need to leave any papers at hand. Originally, Hidaka planned to start using e-mail after arriving in Canada, so he made preparations in advance-he told the editor. In this way, it seems that even Save on phone bills." "I don't understand things that are too complicated. I'm not familiar with computers. You can send them directly without printing. I just heard Hidaka say it." "The computer is not difficult at all, anyone can use it, and it has many convenient functions. You can send messages to many people at the same time, and you can also register the addresses of the recipients, and..." He paused, Looking down at me, he continued, "As long as it is set in advance, it will deliver the letter at the appointed time." "Are you trying to say that I used this function?" He didn't answer my question, probably because he didn't think it was necessary to answer. "We attach great importance to the matter of lighting." He said, "Sir, when you said that when you arrived at Hidaka's house, the house was completely dark. As I mentioned before, I can't understand that since the suspect wants to create the illusion that no one is at home , and why you only let the computer be turned on. Later, I finally understood that because the computer is an important prop for the success of the plan, it must be turned on. After you killed Hidaka, sir, you were immediately busy making an alibi. That’s right Specifically, you start the computer, call up the appropriate document, and then schedule the document to be faxed to the house at 6:13. Then you turn off all the lights in the house, which is Necessary measures for subsequent actions. Because you have to make people think that after you came to Hidaka's house again at 8 o'clock in the evening and found that the lights were all dark, you thought the other party was not at home, so you called the person who lives in the hotel Mrs. Rie. If the lights in the room were on at that time, it is reasonable to say that before calling to the hotel, most people would go to the window to check. In order to avoid suspicion, you arranged as much as possible to discover the body with Mrs. Rie. " After finishing speaking in one breath, Detective Kaga paused. He probably thought I would refute or explain, but I didn't say anything. "Teacher, have you even considered the computer's screen protection screen?" He continued to explain, "As I said before, the light from the computer screen is actually quite bright. But, you have to leave the computer's host computer on. Even so, turning off the screen is not enough, but doing so is even more dangerous. When the body is found, Mrs. Rie will be by the side. If she notices that the main unit is on but the screen is dark, I am afraid it will be a disaster. It became the fuse for the police to see through the entire layout." I tried to swallow my saliva, but my throat was so dry that I couldn't do it.I was deeply terrified by Kaga Detective's foresight. He divinely guessed what I was thinking at the time, which was perfect. Detective Kaga stopped calling me "teacher" and called me "you" at some point.But it's nothing to worry about, it's more suitable for this kind of scene. "I think your layout is perfect, it doesn't seem like you came up with it in a short time. However, there is a little flaw." flaw?what is it then?I wonder. He said: "Hidaka's phone. If Hidaka really called, just press the replay button and the call will connect again." what!I cried in my heart. "However, the rebroadcast call did not come from here, but from Vancouver, Canada. According to Mrs. Rie's testimony, at 6:00 a.m. on the day of the incident, Hidaka himself called, and the number connected to the rebroadcast should be the same Stayed. Of course, it may be the opposite. Hidaka called here first, and then wanted to call Canada, so he dialed the number, but hung up before getting through. But considering the time difference, Those who wake up early in the morning to make a phone call should not forget that it was late at night in Canada? This is our opinion." Then Detective Kaga concluded with the sentence "I'm done." There was a brief silence after that, Detective Kaga was waiting for my reaction, right?However, my head was spinning idly, and I couldn't squeeze out half a word. "Aren't you going to make an excuse?" he asked rather surprised. At this time, I slowly raised my head and met the eyes of Detective Kaga.Although his eyes are sharp, they are not sinister. They are not the eyes of a policeman facing a suspect. I feel a little relieved. "Then what do you say about the original manuscript? The "Fate of Ice" on Hidaka's computer is serialized. If your reasoning just now is correct, when did he write the manuscript?" After listening to me, Detective Kaga pursed his lips and looked towards the ceiling.It wasn't that he had nothing to answer, but he was thinking of a better way to answer. Finally, he opened his mouth: "I have two opinions. One, in fact those manuscripts were written before Higao, and you know this, use it as a tool to create an alibi." "What about the second one?" "Second," his gaze shifted back to my face, "you wrote those manuscripts. You carried the disk with the original manuscripts on you that day. In order to make an alibi, you temporarily stored it in Ridaka's in the computer." "What a bold assumption." I tried to smile, but my cheeks were stiff and I couldn't move. "I asked Mr. Yamabe from Smart Society to read that manuscript. Mr. Yamabe thought it was obviously written by someone else. The style of writing is slightly different, and the way of wrapping lines is also different. There are many differences in terms of form alone." "You mean..." My voice was already hoarse, and I tried to cough a few times, "I planned to kill him from the beginning, so I prepared the manuscript first?" "No, I don't think that's the case. If there was a plan in advance, the style or form should be imitated more similarly. It would not be difficult. Besides, since the murder weapon was a paperweight, Mr. Oshima was temporarily called over to act as the imposter. According to witnesses present, all this should have been improvised." "Then, how can I explain it after I wrote the manuscript in advance?" "That's the problem. Why do you have the original manuscript of "The Ice Gate"? No, it should be said why you have been writing that manuscript since before? Personally, I am very interested in this point, and I think there is Hiding your motive for killing Hidaka Kunihiko." I close my eyes to keep myself from getting emotional. "What you said is all imagination, right? You have no evidence at all." "That's right, that's why I wanted to search this room. That's the end of the story, you should know what we want to find, right?" Seeing that I didn't say a word, he said, "The magnetic disk, the memory card There's a floppy disk of the original. Maybe that original is still on the hard drive of your word processor. No, it's probably still there. If it was prepared for a premeditated crime, it should be disposed of immediately, but, I don't think so. You must still have the manuscript." I raised my head, and Kaga Kiyosumi's eyes were looking at me.For some reason, I was able to calmly accept his scrutiny.I meditate for a while to calm down. "If I find what I'm looking for, will you arrest me?" "It should be, I'm sorry." "Before that," I asked, "can I turn myself in?" Detective Kaga's eyes widened, and then he shook his head: "Unfortunately, it is no longer considered a surrender at this point. However, if you still want to resist tenaciously, I don't think it is the best policy." "Really?" My shoulders went limp.While feeling hopeless, I also felt a sense of relief because I no longer had to act, "Since when did you start doubting me?" I asked Kaga. "From the night of the incident," he replied. "The night of the incident? Did I make another mistake?" "Well," he nodded, "you asked me about the estimated time of death." "What's wrong with this?" "It's really wrong. Teacher, you talked with Rigao on the phone at six o'clock, and the murder happened before eight o'clock. You already knew this, so the time of death can only fall within this range at most, but you deliberately Ask the police." "what……" "And you asked the same question the next day, that is, when we were dining in that restaurant. At that time, I had a clue in my mind. Teacher, you don't want to know the time of the murder, but the time of death determined by the police. When is it?" "Is that so...?" He was right.I was so worried that I didn't know if my plan was successful or not. "Amazing," I said, turning to Detective Kaga, "I think you're an amazing cop." "Thank you." He bowed and continued, "So, are we ready to go out? But, I'm sorry, I have to watch you here. If you don't pay attention, you will leave the suspect alone and irreparable regrets will happen , such examples are not uncommon.” I understand what he means. "I won't kill myself." I said with a smile.Incredibly, it was a very natural smile. "Well, please." Kaga also returned a natural smile to me.