Chapter 18 Chapter Seventeen Poor Sanae

The cloudy wind lingered on Prison Gate Island, and Kosuke Kindaichi felt a little irritable, and his mind was so chaotic that he almost went crazy. Scenes of shocking horror flashed in his mind, Wantai's last words in that stuffy demobilization cabin kept churning in his heart. "Go to Prison Gate Island...the three younger sisters will be killed...please go instead of me..." He failed to fulfill even one of his best friend's dying requests; he failed to save even one of the three sisters of the ghost family. Kindaichi Kosuke was troubled day and night, and he became more and more depressed.Haggard, looking as if he had aged in his teens or twenties all of a sudden.

"Sao Miao." Kosuke Kindaichi weakly called Sanae. Sanae didn't seem to hear, just kept looking down at her hands. "Sanae!" This time, Kosuke Kindaichi raised his voice a little. Sanae raised her bloodless face, glanced at Kosuke Kindaichi, then lowered her head again, lost in thought. The tragedy that happened on Prison Gate Island for three consecutive nights was indeed unbearable. Police officer Isokawa and the detectives went in and out of the prayer house of Onitou Honya; the high-rise buildings of the Honjia seemed to be overwhelming in this tense atmosphere.

Because he and Sansong seldom go out, on the winding path leading to Qianguang Temple, they were so tired that they passed out in front of the Temple of Earth. Fortunately, they were found by those who searched separately, and they were taken back to the confinement room smoothly. After returning to the confinement room, he was very excited, and the sound of yelling and yelling was transmitted to the prayer center, which made people wonder if there was any serious relationship between their father and daughter. Kosuke Kindaichi had also been to that prayer house before the incident, but before he opened the door to enter, he felt a disgusting smell, which made him stay away.

At this time, Sanae was sitting alone in the room, with a dull expression, and the terrifying scene on Mount Suribachi still seemed to be imprinted in her mind—— The man was about thirty years old, with a beard on his face, his dirty military uniform was covered with sweat and dirt, his military shoes were worn white, and there were bat-like patterns on the soles... Kindaichi Shinsuke stared at her again and asked: "Sanae, you thought that person was Hajime, so you hid him on the island?" Sanae's face showed extreme grievances, and she looked at Kosuke Kindaichi with an expression that wanted to cry but didn't dare to cry.

"The day before yesterday, when everyone was guarding the spirit of Wan Wan, they found that Hanako was missing. You and A Sheng went inside to look for it. We heard your screams in the confinement room, and then we heard the roar of the patient, so everyone You thought the patient was ill again. After a while, you returned to the room and deliberately made us think that the patient was ill again. In fact, you saw a suspicious man wandering around the confinement room, and you screamed loudly, right? That suspicious man is the guy who just died." Kindaichi Kosuke stared at the courtyard indifferently, and said slowly:

"I really don't understand why you didn't make it clear at the time? Why did you use the sickness to cover up the person you thought was Hajime? There is a French proverb that says: 'A cat at night looks gray.' Ever since your brother's colleague brought the news that Ha Yi was going to be demobilized and returned to his hometown, you have regarded all the demobilized soldiers as your brother, right?" Kindaichi Kosuke said this to Sanae's heart.He glanced at Sanae, and continued: "When you saw that man hiding in the dark corridor next to the confinement room, you thought it was Ha Yi who came back. As soon as that man saw you, he ran away in a panic, but you still couldn't figure out why he ran away. ,right?"

Having said this, Kosuke Kindaichi took a sip of tea, glanced at Sanae quietly, and continued: "On that night, Hanako was murdered in Qianguang Temple. Next to Hanako's body, there was the same footprint as that of the confinement room. You were very surprised. You instinctively thought that person was your brother. He came back secretly, just to To kill Hanako and the others." When Sanae heard what Kindaichi Kosuke said, she couldn't help crying loudly, the tears rolling down could not express the grief in her heart. "Mr. Kindaichi, things are not as you said, because when I saw that person, I saw him flashing past. Yes, cats at night look like gray, but when I whispered When I called his brother, he immediately turned his face and ran away. I kept thinking: Is he really my brother, or is he someone who looks like my brother? I have been very distressed by this.”

Sanae said bitterly while wiping away tears. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? If I knew you had such a big trouble, I would definitely find a way to find out. But frankly speaking, I have observed your behavior, and since that time, not only have you stopped listening to demobilization News about the boat schedule, and secretly gave that man food.” Kosuke Kindaichi said unhurriedly. "No, I didn't give it to him directly. I was very conflicted. I was worried that he was not my brother, but also worried that what if he was really my brother? Therefore, I hesitated again and again before wrapping the food and tableware in a large square towel , put it in a conspicuous place in the kitchen. I thought to myself, if he is really my brother, he will definitely come again."

Although Sanae felt sad and wronged in her heart, she still defended clearly. "He did come again, didn't you see his face then?" Kindaichi Kosuke asked with concern. "I was scared, so I only saw his back." Sanae looked at Kosuke Kindaichi resentfully and said. "However, tonight's Souyama made you worry, so you opened the confinement room and let the patient out!" When Sanae heard this, she couldn't help but gape in fright, and stared blankly at Kosuke Kindaichi. "The reason why you let the lunatic out is to divert everyone's target. Alas! If you could have known earlier that he is not your brother..."

Kindaichi Kosuke continued slightly sadly: "Maybe Tsukiyo won't be killed tonight, because of your actions, I always thought that person was Hajime; at the same time, I also believed that the monk, doctor, and village chief knew about it, so I protected him together. of." "Mr. Kindaichi!" Sanae asked tearfully: "Who is that person?" "The police officer said just now that the man was a pirate. He was hunted down by an anti-smuggling boat and had nowhere to escape, so he sneaked to this island. He was so hungry that he came here to look for food. Later, you found out and misunderstood him. Thought he was Hajime. In fact, you have shielded a man who has nothing to do with this case; and I have been pursuing a clue that has nothing to do with this case."

Kindaichi Kosuke sighed helplessly, and said with a wry smile. "Then who killed Hanako and Xuezhi?" "Of course not that pirate. Pirates do kill people casually, but there is no need for him to hang the corpse on the ancient plum tree, let alone put the corpse under the bell! Besides, when Tsukiyo was killed, he still Fleeing desperately in the pirate's stronghold!" "Then who is the murderer?" Sanae asked with a look of horror. "I have to explore again. Now I just know that since this man is not Hajime, the deaths of the three Hanako sisters have nothing to do with him. It seems that the murderer must be someone else. But, having said that, maybe that man has seen The murderer knows who the murderer is, so he will be killed by the murderer." Kindaichi Kosuke deduced. Sanae showed a terrified expression. "Didn't the police officer say that when the pirate's body was found, he said that the person was not hit by a bullet, because the back of the corpse's head was severely cracked, the skull was broken, and..." Kosuke Kindaichi shook his head lightly, sighed and continued: "The scar looks very similar to Hanako's scar, which basically proves that the murder weapon used to kill the pirate and Hanako is the same." "It's so scary!" Sanae got goosebumps all over her body. "It's really scary! One night, three nights in a row... The murderer is indeed cruelly executing the killing plan..." Kosuke Kindaichi looked at Sanae in great confusion. "The thinking of the people on the island is really strange. Why do the three girls have to be killed if Hajime is to inherit the ghost family? You also have this kind of thinking more or less, right? Mistaking an irrelevant person for your brother? I thought that the three Hanako sisters were killed by that person. Sanae, is there any basis for your idea? Or has something similar happened before?" Sanae stared deeply at Kosuke Kindaichi, trying to figure out what he was going to say. "Sanae, in fact, even Wantai has this idea, and I came here for this matter." "what!" Sanae exclaimed in surprise: "Has my elder brother ever said such a thing? Elder brother..." "Yes, I was entrusted by Wantai to stop this. Wantai said to me on his deathbed: 'If I die, my three younger sisters will be killed...Go to Prison Gate Island and save my three sisters. A younger sister...' This is the problem, how does Wantai know that as long as he dies, the three younger sisters will be killed?" The mother who was listening on the side was already pale with fright, and even her lips turned purple. "Sanae, do you know why this is?" Kosuke Kindaichi looked at Sanae expectantly. Sanae's trembling voice was full of panic. "Sanae, is this something from your house?" Officer Isokawa took out a Japanese hand towel with the character "本" printed on the face of the ghost and handed it to Sanae. "yes." Sanae looked at the hand towel and waited suspiciously for Officer Isokawa to continue explaining or ask questions. "When Yuedai was praying, she was strangled to death with this handkerchief from behind. Before she died, she held the corner of the handkerchief tightly with her right hand. Although the handkerchief was dirty, it was not old. You see, the incision on this side It's still new! Come to think of it, has anyone held a hand towel like this recently?" Officer Isokawa pointed to the incision and said to Sanae. "I have no idea." Sanae thought for a moment, then continued: "I haven't cut new hand towels recently, and I haven't given them to anyone. However, everyone on the island should have this kind of hand towels, because we used to give out such hand towels at the end of the year and when we celebrate condolences." "Do you still have this hand towel at home?" Officer Isokawa asked, frowning. "There are probably two or three volumes left! Since kapok was controlled, my grandfather asked us to dye more and store it. Later, due to insufficient supply, the distribution was suspended. Our family is very frugal, and we try not to cut new ones for use." Sanae explained in detail how the towels are stored at home. "Is this towel dyed whole?" Kindaichi Kosuke asked eagerly as if he wanted to confirm something. "Yes. Japanese hand towels are used to distribute to others. When you need to use it, you can cut a piece and use it." "That's right, the new incision..." Kosuke Kindaichi took the towel from Officer Isokawa, checked it repeatedly, and then fell into deep thought. Sanae also became dazed.