Chapter 9 Hokuriku Railway

After the remains of Sotaro Uhara were confirmed by his sister-in-law and Sadako, they were sent to the crematorium on the same day. The briefing heard at the Kanazawa Police Station did not exceed the scope of news reports. Uhara Sotaro Hei left the Kamei Hotel in Kanazawa at 3:30 p.m. on December 20, and appeared at the Runoya Hotel in Tsuurai Town, 11 kilometers away from Kanazawa City, at 6:30 p.m. Crane Town is the Zhongda Station on the tram between Kanazawa and Baishan, about 50 minutes away. In the Cannon House, Uhara Sotaro said he would wait for someone, so he opened a room, and in the six-pin mat room on the second floor, he mixed water with whiskey mixed with potassium cyanide and died.

According to the testimony of the hostess of the hotel, Sotaro Uhara said that the whiskey was given by someone else, so he didn't know that Hanzhong was poisoned. In other words, the person who gave him the whiskey was the criminal who poisoned it. Sotaro said to wait for someone, who is this person?Knowing nothing, after his death, no one came to Kanoya to look for him. It is estimated that this person had already predicted that Sotaro would die.Therefore, the person he is waiting for must be the prisoner, or an accomplice or an insider. The police are particularly concerned about this.

As soon as Sotaro's wife and brother-in-law came to Kanazawa, the police rushed to ask about this. "Does your husband have any acquaintances in Kanazawa?" the investigation director asked. "No, it's his first time in Kanazawa." The sister-in-law replied. "What is he doing here?" "His younger brother Kenichi Uhara was stationed in Kanazawa as the head of the office of Advertising Company A, and his whereabouts suddenly disappeared a few days ago. He was worried and came to have a look." "Oh! When did his younger brother disappear?" the director asked with interest.

"He is my husband, let me explain." Zhenzi told Kenichi's disappearance again. "I have lodged a search request with the police." "Really? Please wait a moment." The director found a piece of paper from the folder. "Found it, who received you?" "A senior superintendent." As soon as Zhenzi said it, the director seemed to know it right away. "Oh, it's him. He's just going out now. I'll ask him later. I'll ask Madam first." Zhenzi had to repeat what happened to Xianyi.The director nodded and said while looking at the records on the search request:

"I have understood the general situation. So, the whereabouts of Mr. Kenichi have not been found yet, have they?" "The company is also worried." The director thought for a while, and speculated: "If Kenichi agreed to meet my brother somewhere, so Sotaro came to Tsurulai from Kanazawa, can you think about it this way?" According to the director's deduction, Soutaro said he would wait for someone. Could this person be Kenichi? Zhenzi couldn't help but startled, it might be possible. The eldest brother has always insisted that Xianyi is still alive, this is not blind confidence, but well-founded.Therefore, it is conceivable that Xianyi is still alive and asks his uncle to meet at Helai's hotel.

But who gave the poisoned whiskey to the uncle?Even if it wasn't Xianyi, then the person he was waiting for should come, but he didn't show up. Could it be that Xianyi already knew that his brother was dead? "No, it has nothing to do with the poisoned bottle of whiskey." The investigation director said, aware of Banzi's thoughts. "There is no way to judge this matter. If Xianyi is still alive, it is not irrelevant." "That's right, it makes sense." The director's long face, his eyes are very soft, and his voice is low. "Just now you said that Soutaro has no acquaintances in Kanazawa, but because of his younger brother Kenichi, do you have no acquaintances in this area?"

"I don't think so." After Zhenzi answered, the director turned to his sister-in-law and asked a few more words. "Ma'am, do you agree?" "Yes." The sister-in-law nodded. "Has Sotaro stayed in this place before? Or has he traveled?" This question asks if he is familiar with this place. "No, when Kenichi was in Kanazawa, he said he would come for a visit, but he had never been here before. This is the first time." "When Sotaro came here, were there any other companions?" "I don't think so, because he told me that if he went to Kyoto alone on a business trip, he might go to Kanazawa on his way home."

This matter was also investigated at the Kanazawa Kamei Hotel where Sotaro stayed, and Sotaro was indeed staying alone. "Is it possible that Sotaro committed suicide?" asked the director. "That's absolutely impossible. From the reasons, from the behavior, he won't commit suicide." The sister-in-law shook her head and said. "So, will it attract resentment?" "I don't think so. He is cheerful and open-minded. It is impossible for him to have enemies. If there are, he will tell me." The investigation director thanked him, and the questioning ended here, and said that the corpse had been dissected and could be cremated.

"Where's that small bottle of whiskey... Did it leave any fingerprints?" Zhenzi asked. "It's all Sotaro's fingerprints." The director replied.He added that it was a subtle remark. "It would be a great help if there were women's fingerprints on the whiskey bottle." "Fingerprints of a woman?" Sister-in-law and Zhenzi couldn't help staring at the director's face. "It's like this. I wanted to ask you guys, but I kept silent. To tell you the truth, someone witnessed Sotaro going to Tsurumai Town with a woman."

The director's tone was very gentle, and his eyes moved to Sotaro's wife and Sadako.The sister-in-law held her breath. The detective director said: "According to eyewitnesses, he was on a Hokuriku Railway passenger train from Kanazawa to Tsurai. When he got off the train at around 6:00 pm on the 20th, he saw a man who looked like Sotaro and a The young woman got off the same tram and walked in the direction of Cannon House." "Young woman?" Zhenzi asked back. "Yes, at first glance, she is twenty-three or twenty-four years old, wearing a beautiful woman's suit and a scarf on her head. There are detailed records about her clothing here." The director pulled out a pile of documents from the desk. Hold one in hand.

"The scarf is pink, with little flower spots on it. The coat is a slightly darker scarlet. The color is very eye-catching, because the area is full of locals, and a foreigner will attract attention. The woman is very beautiful. Beautiful. There is a green scarf wrapped around the red coat, which is more prominent. According to eyewitnesses, the woman was carrying a suitcase. According to people who saw it in front of the station, Sotaro was still talking to the woman in a low voice, Go to Cannon House Hotel. It was getting dark around six o'clock and it was hard to see because he was walking in the other direction. "The director continued: "About forty minutes later, that is, at 6:40, a passenger saw the woman on the tram bound for Terai." "Terai?" "Maybe you don't know that Terai is located on the Hokuriku Main Line, the fifth station from Kanazawa to the west, and the next stop is Awazu, which has hot springs. Starting from Tsurulai, to the Kanazawa Line, the three stations on the Terai Line just form a triangle .” In order to make Zhenzi understand, the investigative director drew a sketch with a pencil and continued: "It happened like this. The young woman in the red coat took the train from Kanazawa to Tsurai with Sotaro. Sotaro entered the Kanoya Hotel, and the young woman said goodbye to him halfway, and took the train from Tsururai to Terai. According to eyewitnesses, the woman was still wearing a pink scarf, sitting on the seat with her suitcase on her knees, and staring out the window blankly." The director looked at Zhenzi and then at the window. Sotaro's wife. "How is it? Do you have any impression of this young woman?" Both Zhenzi and sister-in-law shook their heads. "Not at all." A woman in her twenties, a young woman in a beautiful suit——Shenko thought to herself as if seeing it in a mist. "Ask again, don't you have any impression of that woman?" the director asked. "No." The sister-in-law replied with a complicated expression. "For example, maybe this question shouldn't be asked." The investigative director seemed to understand his sister-in-law's mood, and said politely: "Is Sotaro dating other women without telling his wife?" The sister-in-law said categorically: "It can't be said that there is no such thing at all. He is the most determined in this regard. There has never been such a thing after marriage." "'Is that so? The director said 'I'm sorry' and went on. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think that young woman has any special relationship with your husband. That woman suddenly appeared in Tsururai. We investigated the situation of Sotaro in Kanazawa, and we hadn't seen that woman at that time. woman. In other words, the young woman just accompanied Sotaro to Tsururai, and then returned to Jibo instead of Kanazawa. Only then did the investigation director take out a cigarette and light it. "That woman has an important relationship with Toshi Sotaro, and at present, we are searching for the whereabouts of the woman in the temple. Whether she changes trains at Terai Station to go to Fukui or Caijin, the clothes she wears always attract attention. "Then, the investigation director turned to Zhenzi and said: "Your husband's disappearance, we plan to investigate further. My brother Sotaro came to Kanazawa to investigate because Kenichi-kun's whereabouts were unknown. As a result, such an incident occurred. We believe that there is an inevitable connection between the two cases. " The search request for Kenichi Uhara has been treated as running away from home so far, but it can no longer be done now.The killing of the elder brother Sotaro must be related to the disappearance of the younger brother. This is not an ordinary runaway from home, but an obvious criminal act. Although the chief investigator didn't say that, judging from the expression on his face, he had great doubts about Xianyi's disappearance. "Sorry to bother you again," the director said to Zhenzi: "Your husband's whereabouts are unknown, please explain in detail, and discuss it later with the superintendent of the General Administration who went to investigate according to the search request." "This search request was proposed by me. At the same time, the people in the company also worried a lot. Would you like to listen to what he said?" "Oh, is there such a person?" "His name is Yoshio Honda, and he is Kenichi's successor." "Well, it's even better to have such a person." "Actually, he also came to the police station." "Where?" "Because we are seeing you, he is waiting in the anteroom." "Okay, let him come in quickly." The investigation director hurriedly ordered his subordinates. the second night.The sister-in-law took the train to Tokyo with her husband's urn in her arms. Zhenzi and Honda saw her off on the platform. Seeing her sister-in-law's face from the car window seemed to be in a daze, pale and expressionless. "As soon as the police work here is over, I'll go back to Tokyo as soon as possible." Zhenzi held her sister-in-law's hand and said.The sister-in-law's hands were cold, and she didn't wipe her hands after wiping her tears.Zhenzi couldn't help but startled. At the other end of the platform, a dozen women in costumes were seeing off a passenger in a sleeper car.From their luxurious attire, it is known that they are housewives of rich families.Before the train started, the old man who was being sent off stood in front of the car door to pay tribute to those who were seeing off.The old man had a red face and a pleasant smile.The women surrounded the elderly in a semicircle, talking and laughing politely.The flashlights of the newspaper reporters kept shining on the old man's face. Attracted by the flashing lights, Honda glanced at the group of women, "Oh!" Shouted in a low voice, Honda Ryoo saw the group of women standing on the platform, and couldn't help shouting "Ouch", which aroused Zhenzi Pay attention and look over there too. The age of this group of women ranges from thirty to forty years old, some wear western eyes, some wear kimono, they have all kinds of colors, and they are all very particular.It's the local high society women who create a luxurious atmosphere here. Honda said softly to Sadako: "Ma'am, Mrs. Murota is among them." Mrs. Murota—ah, the wife of the refractory brick company, Sadako understood right away, she had visited her. Sadako searched with her eyes.Honda said: "Look, right in front of that old man." Only then did I see clearly that the white-haired old man was standing at the door of the car, smiling all over his face.The women formed a semicircle to see the old man off, with the familiar Mrs. Muroda in the center. Tall and slender, with a long face, the side profile with well-shaped features outlines beautiful lines.The smile on the face of the guests is also beautiful. Zhenzi thought to himself, turned around to say hello, and turned his gaze back to his sister-in-law.In the car window, my sister-in-law's eyes were swollen and red, and there was a timid expression on her face. "Sister-in-law, are you okay?" Zhenzi looked at the window and said: "I'll go back in a few days. You're alone, so bear with it." The sister-in-law nodded silently.A boxy urn wrapped in a white cloth rests on his lap.What a happy person, now shrunk so much that he can't speak. The departure bell rang. Zhenzi held her sister-in-law's hand, and lost her husband's resonance, which spread from the palm of her hand to her whole body.The sister-in-law burst into tears. People sitting around cast curious glances. A burst of applause came from the front of the sleeper car.The train starts. "Zhenzi, come back as soon as possible." The sister-in-law said one last word.The train went away with her crying face.Suddenly the smiling face of the old man appeared in the window. The old man greeted everyone with a smile, as if he was also greeting Zhenzi; the old man gradually went away.The sister-in-law disappeared without a trace.When Zhenzi turned around, the women were still waving their hands, all with cheerful expressions.The half circle has begun to unravel. Honda walked over there, Mrs. Murota stopped, accepting Honda's greetings.She was wearing a well-fitting black kimono. Honda didn't know what to say, Mrs. Murota turned her face and saw Zhenzi standing there. "good evening!" The lady greets the quilt.The light on the platform shone on Katsu's face, casting a shadow on her smiling face.Thank you for hospitality on that day. " Zhenzi respectfully greeted his wife. "No, no, many failures." Madam smiled and said: "Which one are you here to see off? She doesn't seem to know anything. "Yes... I'm coming..." Madam felt that the dry language was a bit strange, so she took it happily and said: "I'm here with everyone to see off Mr. Mita, Mr. Mita, do you know that he is a master of tanka." Zhenzi thinks of the white-haired old man waving in the car window. His photos are often seen in newspapers and magazines. He is a master of the "Yew School". "Mr. is coming to Kyoto this time, and we specially invited him to Kanazawa. We went to Noto together yesterday, and we held a song meeting before dinner today." Madam said eloquently. Behind Mrs. Murota were two or three middle-aged women standing there, waiting for them to finish speaking.Zhenzi quickly avoided. "Many faux pas, I just..." Zhenzi bowed. Mrs. Murota frowned. "Well, it's a pity, there's still a lot to say." Madame realized that someone was waiting for her.Zhenzi realized that there were still many things to say, which must be about Xianyi.It seems that Madam is still thinking about this matter. "My husband is also worried. Is there any news yet?" Madam asked in a low voice. "Not yet, the police are investigating." The Murotas probably don't know about the incident of their eldest brother. They may have read the news in the newspaper, but they didn't notice that it was related to the disappearance of Kenichi Uhara.However, it is not convenient to say these words on this platform, and there is no time. "It's really embarrassing, don't worry about it." A shadow passed over the lady's face. At this time, Honda talked with several women behind Mrs. Murota, and returned to Sadako. "Mr. Honda, I will go to my husband's company tomorrow at two o'clock in the afternoon. If it is convenient, you and your wife can come together." "Yes, this is..." Honda bowed slightly. "Murota is worried. This just happens to be an opportunity to talk about the situation since then, how about?" "Thank you." Honda glanced at Sadako, asking for her opinion. She was very happy with the Murata couple's kindness: "If it doesn't bother... I'd be happy to go." Mrs. Murota smiled slightly and said: "That's great. Please come, Mr. Honda, where do we meet?" "Then let's stay at the company!" "Companies are also fine. But I still want to go shopping, which takes a lot of time." Madam thought for a while and said: "Excuse me, let's meet in the coffee room of XX Department Store, at two o'clock sharp." "Yes, I understand, that's it." Zhenzi replied. Madame bid them farewell tenderly: "Excuse me, I'll wait for you there. Goodbye." "We bid farewell." Sadako and Honda bowed to her together. Mrs. Murota said to the waiting women: "I kept you waiting for a long time." She walked out of the platform side by side with them. Honda said to Sadako: "Those women are all wives of celebrities in Jinze. One is the wife of the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one is the wife of the deputy mayor, and the other is the wife of the hospital president." The four ladies walked down the stairs of the platform, and it was Mrs. Murota's chic figure that caught the eye. "Mrs. Murota is considered to be second to none among these celebrity wives, and it was Madam who initiated the invitation to Mr. Mita to hold a song party." Honda said as he walked. For Sadako, these women are another kind of figure far removed from her own world. After two o'clock, Zhenzi went to the coffee room of the xx department store.Honda had arrived, got up from his chair and said: "Sorry last night." "No, no, I'm asking you to excuse me, thank you." This is to express gratitude to Honda for coming to see his sister-in-law off, and for putting aside his busy work.Although it is the task of the company to suffer for the sake of colleagues, it is impossible to take such meticulous care. "I kept you waiting for a long time." "No, I just came." However, there was only one third of Honda's coffee cup left, and a cigarette in the ashtray had turned to ashes. The waiter came over to ask what he wanted, and when Zhenzi wanted a cup of coffee, behind the waiter, Mrs. Murota came to this side. Both Sadako and Honda stood up. "Hello." The lady changed into a kimono today, which is a darker "salt ocean" silk.Last night it was a luxurious evening dress, today it is a plain casual dress, but they all fit perfectly. "I kept you waiting for a long time." Madam looked at her small watch. "No, I just came too." Zhenzi asked his wife to sit down after saluting. Madam said hastily: "Excuse me for being rude, let's go now! If you want to drink tea, go over there and drink slowly. My husband and I want to talk to you." "Really? That's good." Honda grabbed the bill on the table. After leaving the department store, Madam stopped and said to the two: "I came with a car." At this time, a foreigner was wandering around the door. Seeing Honda, he approached him and said something, like English, but he spoke too quickly. Honda shook his head in embarrassment, expressing that he did not understand. Zhenzi understood and interjected.The foreigner's blue eyes wandered around her, and he talked quickly. After Zhenzi answered, the foreigner nodded more than once, thanked her, and walked in the opposite direction.While they were talking, Honda stood aside, smiling at Sadako and the foreigner, and then at Mrs. Murota. "Your English is awesome, I don't understand it at all." Mrs. Murota praised. "No, I can't. When I was a student, I learned a little out of love." Zhenzi blushed. "What did he ask?" Honda asked shyly. "He asked if there was a plane from Kanazawa to Tokyo. I didn't know for sure, so I asked him to ask at the transportation commune." "I see. I don't understand at all. When I was a student, I always failed in listening." Honda smiled wryly, and when he saw Mrs. Murota, he returned to his original expression. "The car is here, please." Madam waved. A foreign car with its tail raised came up.The driver got out of the car and opened the door respectfully. "Please," said Madame.Zhenzi got into the car first, and Honda was caught in the middle.The car is roomy without feeling cramped at all. The car drove along the tramway, went up a gentle slope and down again, and stopped in front of a white three-story building in less than ten minutes.This is the head office of Murata Refractory Bricks. The appearance of the head office is very beautiful, there are still trees planted around it, and the building is still very new, with a modern design.Although it was the second time I came here, I still couldn't help saying to my wife, "It's so beautiful!" "No, it's too small." The lady replied, and said to the driver: "I'll see you off later, so just wait here." After entering the gate, the reception room is on the right.From the window, a woman is sitting.When she saw Mrs. Murota walking in front, she immediately stood up and bowed; this was a salute to the manager's wife. Madam nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something, and walked towards the window of the reception room. "Are you okay?" the manager's wife said with a smile. "Fortunately, thanks to you." The female messenger smiled and replied respectfully. "Okay, have you gotten used to it at work?" "Yes, everyone is very kind to me." The female messenger said to his wife, and also saluted the two guests behind her, especially paying attention to Zhenzi. This woman is in her thirties, thin, with big eyes, very cute. However, why the female messenger stared at Zhenzi's face, Zhenzi couldn't figure it out.Probably because he became interested in Madam's guests. "That's great. Do it!" "Yes, thank you." The woman saluted the lady from the porter's window and bowed to the guests.At this moment, she glanced at Zhenzi again. From the conversation just now, it seems that this woman has only recently come to this company for employment.The manager's room is on the second floor, and when going up the stairs, Madam said: "The man just now, her husband was working in our factory. He died a few days ago. It's very pitiful, so we hired his wife. ——That's what my husband said." Honda said with admiration: "Oh, is it? That's a good thing to do." ——Shenko realized the hardships of being a widow realistically, and at the same time thought of her sister-in-law who went back to Tokyo alone last night. Murata Yisaku, manager of Murata Refractory Brick Company, received Sadako and Honda in the manager's office. "welcome." Takada Gisaku was as kind and cordial as last time.He was tall, with gray hair at the temples, a little sagging under the eyelids, but a good complexion; he was modest and impressive. "Yesterday my wife said that you are coming, and I am waiting for you!" Murota cast a friendly glance at his wife who came in last. "I dragged them here by force,'" the lady said to her husband, walking towards the sofa. "Please!" Madam pointed to the sofa under the oil painting frame and smiled at Zhenzi. Sadako saluted Murota respectfully and sat down on the chair, with Honda sitting next to her.Murata Daisaku sat down facing Sadako.Madam stood behind Baotian with a smile, her figure was slender and unrestrained. Murota squinted at his wife, "Sit down too. "yes" Madam only responded and walked out.After a while the waitress came in with coffee and fruit.This shows that the wife expressed kindness to Zhenzi. "There is nothing to entertain you." The lady smiled, took the coffee from the waitress herself, and brought it to the guests.From Zhenzi's point of view, the lady's bowed curves and profile are very beautiful. Fruit is also divided among each person's small plates.Murota said to his wife: "Hurry up, you can't talk until you sit down." From Murota Gisaku's eyes and words, it can be seen that he loves his wife very much. "Yes, yes." The lady smiled and sat down on the chair next to her husband.Murota was very satisfied, and the lady sitting next to him also showed a happy expression.Zhenzi was very envious.The image of my sister-in-law first appeared in my mind. The couple would have been happy too.From the moment the husband dies, the wife is robbed like a pebble into the valley of unhappiness. "Is there no news from Uhara-kun yet?" Murota said while looking at Zhenzi.Maybe he heard Mrs. last night.Madam suddenly lost her smile and glanced at Zhenzi. "Yes, there is no definite news yet." Zhen Zilue said slightly. "It's not short." Murota lowered his eyelids and took a sip of coffee: "Are the police seriously investigating?" After finishing speaking, he glanced at Zhenzi.Zhenyu lowered his head. "Manager." Honda interjected from the side. "What?" Murota turned his gaze to Honda. "To tell you the truth, another great event has happened." "The great Mrs. Madam and her husband asked back together, staring at Honda. "Unfortunately, Uhara's brother died." "Ah?" Madam couldn't help shouting, "So, it was published in the newspaper a few days ago...?" Madam opened her eyes wide, looking at Honda and Zhenzi alternately. "Have you read that message?" Honda asked. "Well, I've read it." The lady hurriedly turned her face to her husband: "Honey, that's right..." Murota was taken aback.Madam Jing sighed softly. "After reading the news, my husband and I talked quietly, and we were worried for a while, because the victim's surname is Uhara, which is rare." The lady said excitedly to Honda and Zhenzi: "I wanted to call Mr. Honda to inquire, but I was interrupted by other matters. Besides, it is inconvenient to ask such matters. Although I was worried, I finally did not call." "I have suffered misfortunes one after another, I really don't know what to say..." Murota got up from his chair and said solemnly to Zhenzi. "It's so pitiful. I don't know what to say, but I would like to express my sincere condolences." Mrs. Murota frowned and expressed her condolences. "Thank you; I would like to thank you on behalf of my sister-in-law." Zhenzi stood up and bowed. Murota waved his hand. "Please sit down. I have read the general situation in the newspaper. Have you found any clues to the prisoner?" Afraid that Banzhen would be sad, Murota asked Honda. "The police don't seem to have any clues," Honda replied. "It seems that Helai died. What should he do there?" Madam asked. "If you don't talk about it, you won't understand." Zhenzi raised his face and said: "Brother is here to investigate Xianyi's whereabouts." "The whereabouts of Uhara-kun?" Murota raised his eyebrows, then nodded. "I see, they are brothers, have you found any clues in Helai?" "Not sure, but I seem to have found some clues in Kanazawa City." Zhenzi told about his uncle's visit to a laundry shop in Kanazawa City.The Murotas looked at each other with surprised expressions. "That is to say, Sotaro went to Tsururai after finding clues in Kanazawa?" Manager Murota asked. "Probably, I didn't hear what my brother said, so I don't understand." Zhenzi replied.Madame suddenly remembered something and said: "I remembered. The newspaper said that he died after drinking poisonous whiskey in the hotel. Someone gave him the whiskey. Sotaro seems to be waiting for someone in the hotel." Honda went on to say: "Is such that." "The police are looking for his companions. According to eyewitness testimony, a woman wearing a pink turban and a red coat traveled from Kanazawa to Tsururai with Sotaro Uhara on the Hokuriku Railway." "Peach scarf, red coat...that's very modern attire." Madam said as if seeing this attire. "Yes, there was a time when it was common to see women's clothing in Tokyo dealing with the U.S. military." Honda said nonchalantly.Zhenzi couldn't help but startled.For a moment, Tachikawa Tate appeared in front of her eyes. "Who is that?" "I don't know. I don't know if it has something to do with Sotaro and Kenichi. It is not sure whether the poisoned bottle of whiskey was given to Sotaro by that woman." "So, who is Sotaro waiting for at Tsururai's hotel?" "Whether to wait for that woman, or for Kenichi whose whereabouts are unknown, I don't know yet. Anyway, someone saw that woman get on the tram from Tsururai to Terai later." "In this way, that woman traveled from Kanazawa to Tsururai with Sotaro, and then got on the tram bound for Terai..." the lady speculated, her eyes turned to the ceiling. "I don't know if I'm with Sotaro or not. It's a tricky matter." Honda replied. "It's incredible," said the lady with a sigh.Manager Muroda said: "That is to say, when Soutaro was looking for Mr. Kenichi, he encountered a strange disaster... Is this incident related to Mr. Kenichi's disappearance?" "The police judged it this way. But until now, Xianyi's residence has not been found. This matter is very awkward." Zhenzi lowered her eyelids and said. Manager Muroda said: "That can't be done. It is a mistake in the police's judgment to suspect that Mr. Xianyi and Brother Ling were killed out of thin air." "Why do the police suspect anyone?" said the madam indignantly. "The police are like this." Murota picked up the cigarette tax on the table: "And Sotaro visited the dye shop in Kanazawa, so why?" Murota showed a surprised look. "Yeah, why is that?" The lady glanced at her husband's face and tilted her head. "I should have contacted my brother earlier and asked about the situation. It's my fault." But the actual situation is that the uncle acted alone without telling Zhenzi.Its secret lies in this.But this can't be said to the strangers, Mr. and Mrs. Murorita. "No, no, it often happens when you are unlucky." Murota narrowed his eyes and comforted him.The sunlight coming in from the window fell on his shoulders. The phone rang.The lady got up and went to the table and picked up the receiver. "Ah, yes," replied, taking the receiver in her hand, and saying to her husband: "Mr. Wilson is in the porter's room." Manager Murota threw away the cigarette in his mouth, his face was ugly, and he muttered: "Here we go again!" He patted his head and neck with his palm. "What's the matter?" Madam said, covering the receiver. "He asked me to get some ancient Kutani pottery. There are very few good ancient Kutani pottery nowadays. I declined, but he kept coming to me." Clearly an unwanted guest. "Is that a refusal?" Madam asked. "No, let's meet. There is no other way. Let him wait in the reception room." "Yes." Madam picked up the receiver again. "Let Mr. Wilson wait there a moment." Sadako and Honda felt it was time to say goodbye. "I'm sorry to bother you during your busy schedule. Thank you for your kind attention." Zhenzi stood up and saluted Manager Murota and his wife. "You're welcome, just talking about something won't help you." Manager Murota slowly pushed away the chair and stood up. "Where is it?" Zhenzi said. "Don't be discouraged." Madam said softly to Zhenzi from the side: "It'll come out in a little while anyway. Pull yourself together." "thanks." "Cough," Murota called Honda, and said something in a low voice. It seems to be a matter of business.Honda bowed his head and wrote it down in his notebook. "I'll take my leave now." Murota walked to the door of the manager's room and bowed. "I'll see you to the gate," said the lady. "That's it," said the manager to his wife. "Oh, no need, just send it here." Zhenzi declined. "No, no, just downstairs." The lady smiled and followed them. Downstairs, a tall foreigner bowed his waist and spoke to the small window of the reception room. The other party was the thin widowed female receptionist.She didn't seem to notice that the three people came down from upstairs and were still talking to foreigners. This short conversation got into Zhenzi's ears. It turned out to be in English, and Zhenzi couldn't help being startled when he heard it. Only then did the female messenger discover the three of them and hurriedly saluted.The foreigner looked back, with a smile on his mouth, indicating that he had spoken to the female messenger. Zhenzi glanced at the woman.She was about thirty and had a pleasant face.And she didn't go to see his wife, but stared at Zhenzi.Sadako felt her gaze on her face. Please get on the handlebars! "The lady pointed to the car parked there and said with a slight smile. Zhenzi asked the car to stop in front of the coffee shop. On the counter of the coffee shop, there are local famous products - Kugusai's large pots and Tang lions, which are vermilion and blue, very beautiful. "Do you have anything to say?" Honda looked nervously at Zhenzi across the table, feeling that she had something important to say to him. "Last time I went back to Tokyo..." Sadako said. "yes." "I went to Lichuan." "To Tachikawa?" Honda asked Zhenzi with his eyes. "I haven't told you about this. I learned it from Xianyi's resume before he went to Company A." "Huh?—" Honda's eyes widened. "I don't know about this, what's going on?" Ben Duo realized that this was a serious matter, his eyes sparkled. "Xianyi used to be a patrolman of the Metropolitan Police Department." "Oh? I don't know at all." Honda was really surprised. "What time is this?" "1950." "Mule, that's the occupation era, isn't it y' "Yes, Kenichi is in Tachikawa! The police station is working in civil discipline." "Disciplinary stock?" Honda said, staring at Zhenzi; "It's about banning jeep girls, isn't it?" "Yes. I met Tachikawa and Kenichi's colleagues at the time to implement it." Honda was silent for a while, then asked calmly: "So, is this related to this incident?" Zhenzi thought for a while, then said: "This happened in the 1950s. I don't know if it's directly related. But I vaguely have a hunch that there seems to be a thread connecting..." Honda nodded slightly. "Maybe it's because I went to Shangchuan, and the impression was stronger. Once I set foot on that land, the impression I got was different from other places. Maybe that strong impression affected my thoughts." "That's understandable." Honda replied. "Mr. Honda, have you seen the woman in the reception room of Muroda Company?" "Yes. Mrs. Murota said the woman was a worker's widow.'" What's the matter?Honda stared at the board in surprise. "Yes, seems to be in her thirties. Didn't you hear her talking to the Americans?" "Yes, you speak English very well. By the way, madam, your English is also very good." Honda recalled that Zhenzi was giving directions to foreigners on the road just now, and said. "I learned it in school, so I'm not sure. And the woman spoke perfect English, although I only heard a brief conversation." "You mean, the woman stayed in America?" "No, that's not right. It's English that comes naturally from dealing with American soldiers." It's an informal, childish-sophisticated mix of English that doesn't care about speaking dirty words. "I see." Honda widened his eyes. "That's the English of the nightlife women, in other words, the English of the jeep girls." "I think so." Zhenzi blushed and said: "I always find it a bit strange that there are plenty of these ancient girls in Tachikawa during the Occupation era. Therefore, I am always worried about what happened when Wanyi was in Tachikawa, which accidentally had a psychological impact." "Hmm," Honda crossed his arms. "That's interesting." "Of course, it is not known whether this incident has anything to do with Kenichi's time in Tachikawa. The messenger may have been born as a jeep girl. If so, it may be in Tachikawa or somewhere else, because the jeep girl There are all over Japan." "That's true," Honda said, leaning forward. "I'll figure it out once I investigate it. If not, let's stop here. Ma'am, let me investigate the female porter, okay?" Honda's eyes lit up. "By the way, the woman walking with Sotaro on the North Railway train has a pink turban on her head and a red coat, which happens to be the costume of a jeep girl. It's not like you said it was accidental. " That night, just as Zhenzi got into bed, Honda called. What time is it?Looking at the watch, it was almost twelve o'clock. Honda's voice on the phone seemed excited: "It's too late to-night for me to go to your place. I've heard something interesting about the porter." "Really?" Zhenzi wanted to ask him what the matter was. "We'll talk about the details when we meet tomorrow night. Some things won't be clear until tomorrow." Honda hung up the phone at this point.