Chapter 20 Suspect

——On the afternoon of February 18th, Sachiko Edamura was sitting on a chair behind Yuraku's dim sum, waiting to meet Fukuji Fujiko.The appointed time was up, but Fujiko Fukuchi hadn't come yet, she drank a cup of black tea little by little, and sang it all. The day before yesterday, she wrote a 10-page manuscript and handed it to Fujiko Fukuji, and today she will know whether it can be adopted.Fujiko Fukuchi said that she thinks it is good, but it can only be decided after being reviewed by the editor-in-chief and the director of the editorial department. The appointed time has passed 40 minutes.Fujiko Fukuchi must be very busy, she is an old editor in the editorial department.Sachiko was confident in her manuscript.

The waitress in the store brought a newspaper for Sachiko who was bored.I haven't read today's morning magazine, so Sachiko opened it right away to read it, and still read the social news first. No particular news.While paying attention to the customers coming in from the door, she browsed the title carefully, and saw such a title in the second paragraph on the left; "The Mitake Mountain Forest Manager's Wife Hanged to Death" When the manager of the securities company, Mr. Hatano Goichiro and his wife Masako, came into view, the walking and talking of the people around were silent.

"At around 10 a.m. on February 17, people nearby found a hanged female body in the Ome Mountain Forest on the outskirts of Ome City, Nishitama County, and immediately reported to the police station. The rope on the road rotted and fell on the slope. According to the carry-on belongings, the deceased lived in XX, Yotsuya, Shinjuku District, Tokyo, and was the wife of a securities company manager, Masako (41 years old). Masako ran away from home at 2 o'clock in the afternoon on the 10th. The whereabouts are unknown. It seems that the internal situation of the family is complicated. "According to Wu Yilang, the husband of the deceased, Masako has been mentally disturbed recently."

Sachiko read this short report three or four times, and each time she read it, her heart tightened. Wasn't June 10 the day when Astoria promised to come to the apartment and didn't come?The date is correct. On the 10th, to commemorate my resignation from the magazine, I really wanted to meet Dove. The unattractive Fukuchi Fujiko arrived at the dim sum shop 45 minutes later than the agreed time. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. . . . I had a quarrel with the editorial director." Fukuji Fujiko apologized for being late, but when she saw Sachiko's sad face, she began to chatter flatteringly, either blaming her publishing house, speaking ill of the editor-in-chief and the director of the editorial department, or talking about her work boring.She had heard her say it before, and she didn't find it new. In fact, Fudi's remarks today were just the opening remarks of her manuscript not to be used.

"I had a big fight with the director." Fujiko Fukuchi added emphatically, "The director said he wanted something new. Where can I find something new? The director doesn't know what is new, and he himself often adopts old-fashioned manuscripts. .I contradicted him, so he grabbed me and said, that's why I wanted something new. Isn't this a deliberate hindrance?! I can't get along with the director. In a word, the job is really difficult!" Sachiko listened to Fukuji Fujiko's explanation blankly.Right now, it is not that important that one's own manuscript is not adopted.

—The news of Masako Hatano's suicide still lingers in her head.The newspaper was on the chair next to her at the moment, and she seemed to feel that the fat woman was lying under the newspaper with a rope around her neck. Masako Hatano left on June 10.Dove didn’t come to the appointment that day, and he didn’t come until 11 o’clock in the night on the 11th of the next day. At that time, there were adhesive tapes on the back of his right hand and left wrist. new injury. Masako Hatano left on the same day as Dofu did not come, so what is the connection between Masako's hanging and the scratches on Dofu's hand?

"Because of this, I quarreled with the director. People around me stared at me with frightened eyes, and I quarreled with him aggressively." Fujiko Fukuchi said. Are the scratches on Dolph's hands from the fight with Masako?When I first saw the scars, I thought it was caused by the excessive excitement of embracing the woman, and severely accused Dolph. However, the excitement of women is not necessarily only when they are in heat, and this situation also occurs when they are hugging and fighting. Dofu often emphasizes that he has nothing to do with Masako Hatano, but Sachiko doesn't believe it.Believe in his words and you will be able to stabilize your mood, so I didn't delve into it.However, she felt that the two were related, and she secretly hoped that he could unknowingly break up with Masako.Dolph must also want to do the same, no one will always be infatuated with that big woman who is older than him like a fat pig.

Masako, however, is not.She is a married woman, but she does not want to part ways with her young lover.Dove kept it a secret all along, he must have gotten a lot of money from Masako; otherwise, an employee of a beauty salon wouldn't have so much financial resources to open a shop in Jiyugaoka all at once.Dofu said that he got the funds from the sale of the mountains and forests of his hometown in Miyazaki County, Kyushu. Now it seems that this statement is not credible. If the sale of Miyazaki's mountains and forests is a lie, then he is trying to conceal the fact that Masako provided the funds for the opening of the store.Masako Hatano's husband is the manager of a securities company, and of course his wife is rich.Not only in Freedom Hill, but the funds for opening a store in Qingshan this time may also come from Masako.

In the hotel in Fukuoka, Dofu once thought of a way to raise funds, so Sachiko proposed the idea of ​​"membership system", but it failed.However, today, only two months later, the land for Qingshan Beauty Salon has been bought and the construction work has started.Dofu said that the beauty parlor in Jiyugaoka was unexpectedly sold at a high price. This is hard to believe, and I am afraid that half of it was obtained from Hatano Masako. Because it is the man she loves, Masako will reluctantly contribute.Using those as capital, she became more and more arrogant to Dolph, and Dolph gradually became bored.

"I got annoyed, and confronted the director like a cannonball. I said, well, you don't need the manuscript of such a famous person, maybe someone else will use it, and that's your responsibility. Because of these..." Because of these, Dolph hated Masako.He was only out for money, and he only wanted to open his own shop and expand his business.Masako is kind to him and imposes love on him, but his heart is getting colder and colder.He knew that Masako couldn't come up with more money, so the older woman couldn't bear the cold treatment from the man, and couldn't help but get angry.

"I'm really sorry. Because of this, I have to return the manuscript to you this time. Don't mind. Our director is a fool. Other publications will be very welcome, I can guarantee it." "Okay!" Sachiko absent-mindedly took the manuscript in the envelope, and stood up from her chair abruptly. Fujiko Fukuji looked at Sachiko in surprise. Sachiko walked out of the sweet shop, aimlessly.It's extremely hot today, and I have to wipe off my sweat constantly. In fact, she has a place to go.She had made up her mind to leave the apartment, but had no intention of following through with her original plan.She is interviewing two actors and a magazine.This is one reason why Fukuji Fujiko felt unhappy because of the rejection of the manuscript; but it is not the only reason. If you have not read the report of Hatano Masako's suicide, this may be a bigger blow.Fujiko Fukuchi once won the reserved manuscript in Haikou, but it turned out to be nothing. She felt embarrassed and kept emphasizing that she had quarreled with the director.It seems that Fujiko Fukuchi's strength in the editorial department is not what she said. However, compared with her explanation, Sachiko is more concerned about Hatano Masako's hanging and Doufu's 10-purpose actions, whether Dou was at the scene of Masako's suicide, and the causal relationship between her death and the scratches on Doufu's hands.Sachiko was concentrating on speculating about this relationship. Sachiko walked on the street full of white clothes, and even forgot to choose the shade. —What if Dofu was at the scene where Masako was hanged? At around 4:00 p.m. on the 10th, Dofu had already left the beauty salon in Jiyugaoka, as he had already known from Masaichi Okano, whom he had sent.Masako's body was in the forest of Ontake Mountain in front of Ome. I had never been to that place, and the terrain was not very familiar. Judging from the fact that the body had not been found for a long time, the scene was deep in the forest. Would a single woman go to such a secluded place by herself?Even if she is determined to die, a woman will always be timid; if there is a man by her side, she will not care where she goes. Since she wanted to commit suicide, she would not choose deep mountains and old forests, and could do it in her own home behind closed doors; moreover, Masako Hatano was obese and so heavy, how could she drag her weak legs to climb into the mountains?These situations make people feel unnatural. However, it is another matter if there are men accompanying them.The man held her hand and supported her body, and any steep mountain road could be climbed. Could it be that Dove pretended to fall in love with her, and then ran away after she died? —— According to reports, Masako's husband was mentally prepared for his wife's suicide.This point speaks volumes.The content of the mental preparation has not been disclosed. Maybe the husband found out that his wife was unfaithful, maybe he knew that she had given away the money, or maybe both were discovered. In any case, Masako was reprimanded by her husband and could not defend herself; On the other hand, he felt that Dove was indifferent, so he repaid him with death before the final tragedy. For Dove, that might be an opportunity.There is no benefit in continuing to associate with Masako.When a woman is desperate, she will pester her with broken jars, which is not decent and has a bad reputation.Because money is involved, it is a big trouble for Dove. If he does not get it right, the scandal will be widely known, and his previous efforts will be wasted and his future will be ruined. Dolph, who has managed to gain fame in the beauty industry, lives with hostility and jealousy every day, and this scandal will take his toll.Daofu has managed to get along from being a long-term servant to today, and he cherishes the luck of catching it more than ordinary people.He is full of confidence in the future.The interior decoration of Aoyama Beauty Salon is unique. When Dove introduced the novel design, his tone was full of enthusiasm.He understands the psychology of female customers. ...He did not hesitate to protect his bright future with his life... Sachiko was sweating from walking, and her throat was thirsty.Maybe it was the heat, and she was dizzy and swollen. She wanted to go into an air-conditioned place to calm down, but it was no fun to go into a pastry shop. When she saw a restaurant, she went into the lobby and sat down on the soft leather sofa.As soon as you enter the hall from the hot outside, you feel like a cool breeze is blowing.She sat there for a long time.Her legs were sore and tired, as if she had walked ten kilometers.Cigarettes are delicious. Some irrelevant people were sitting, some were standing, and some were walking.The air here is so nice.She needed to be quiet at this moment, and she hoped that she would be in an unfamiliar environment like the foreigner over there. —How is Dolf's action to this end explained? I left the beauty salon in Jiyugaoka around 4 o'clock, went to talk with the designer in the Aoyama beauty salon, and went to the office after seeing the scene.Discuss with everyone in the office, and then entertain the designer. (...Later, the designer said he wanted to watch a movie, and went to the gate of the cinema with them. I didn’t want to watch it. I was thinking of you, so I broke up with them at the gate of Hibiya Cinema. I planned to come here, but I met you while waiting for a taxi. On the Osaki couple.) Dove's voice echoed in his head, and his expression at that time emerged? Daxia couple? ... (My wife often comes to the store to have her hair done. Her husband is in his 50s. He seems to be a company director. He often drives his wife to the store in his own car. I also know him. He said don’t wait for a taxi, just take my car Well, so I got into his car... After playing mahjong for three hours at Osaki’s house, her husband drove me home again, and it must have been 12 o’clock when I came back.) Sachiko took out a 10-yuan coin from her wallet, stood up from the sofa, and walked to the public telephone at the corner of the hall.Beside the register, an American woman was calling out to the waitress. The voice of a female employee of the beauty salon came on the phone. "Did you see Mr. Osaki's wife?" Sachiko asked deliberately changing her tone. "Mr. Osaki?" Listening to the voice is the girl who is the cashier of the beauty salon.The cashier also acts as a receptionist, and is very familiar with the names and looks of regular customers.She sounded surprised. "I've never seen a customer named Osaki..." "Strange, she clearly told me that she went to your store to get a haircut. She went there an hour ago. You don't know that customer, do you?" "No, the customers who come here are all known to me, and there are no strangers." The girl said angrily as if someone had stabbed her vanity. "Really? Isn't Osaki a regular visitor of yours?" "never seen it." "Osaki, that's Osaki of Okuzawa. Her husband is the director of the company." "We have never had such a customer in our store, maybe we made a mistake." Obviously, Dolph's explanation is a lie, there is no customer named Osaki at all. Thinking about it, eating with designers, going to the entrance of the cinema, etc., these words are all doubtful.Waiting for a taxi in front of the movie theater, the "Osaki couple" drove by and picked him up, which was too coincidental. Dove said he played mahjong for three hours, which is also a common trick to prove his alibi.If it is said that it is in a mahjong parlor or a well-identified friend's house, the proof can be obtained, but if it is in a fictitious person's house, no one knows and can only believe his own defense. The car I took was not a commercial vehicle such as a taxi or a chartered car, but an "Osaki family car." car-- Sachiko wanted to know if Dove went out in a family car on the 10th.He bought a medium-sized car last year, got his driver's license after studying in the coaching institute, and happily drove around in the car. Except for special circumstances, he would drive that car to go out.The body is blue. If two people go to Mitake together, it will be very conspicuous on the train, and it will impress the driver on the taxi.If Dove is planning to pretend to be dead in love and then escape, then no one can see him walking with her.Masako is obese, fat women tend to impress others.It is troublesome to recall that a suicidal woman had been accompanied by a man on the road. If it is your own car, the danger is much smaller.Dolph leaves the grooming room at 4 p.m.It was already dark at the scene far away, right? Did Astor go out in a family car that day?If he drove out by himself, his explanation would be completely unjustifiable, because Dove took the car of "Osaki". How can this be ascertained? Asking someone in the store is a shortcut, but it doesn't make sense.The people in the store are all employees of Astoria. If he made up other reasons to gag their mouths, the truth would still be unknown.The first thing to do is to figure out how to know this fact, otherwise, they will tell Doffer right away.The investigation must be hidden from him. Sachiko gave up the people around Doufu, and came up with a good idea, that is Okano Masaichi sent by Doufu. Okano is honest and honest, maybe he will tell the truth, maybe it will make him tell the truth.No, even if he was on guard, it was possible to get him hooked if he said it tactfully. The last time Okano came to the apartment for Doofu, Sachiko once said: "Hey, Okano, would you like to come to me?" Okano's embarrassing and confused expression at that time came back to her mind.He must be hooked. In order to get in touch with Okano, Sachiko wants to inquire about his whereabouts from the village lazy beauty salon.The notebook has the phone number of Murura's beauty salon.Recently, I have been in contact with the village lazy. "I want to ask the name of the apartment where Sayama lived when he worked in your store," Sachiko said on the phone.Of course she didn't give her name.Cunnen's employee said to wait a minute, and went to ask the boss.So I only listened to the proprietress saying that there is no need to tell this; but the boss said, what does it matter if I tell?All this petty dispute went into the microphone.The couple still had an aversion to Doffer, but the boss was more tolerant.Finally the employee replied that it was "Fujikazai". Open the phone book, "Fujikasou Apartment" is located at XX Fandi at the left gate of Yotsuya.Yes, at that time my apartment was in a back alley in Yotsuya, and Dove once said it was very untidy. I dialed the phone, and the person who answered the phone seemed to be the manager of the apartment. After waiting for a while, he came back and told me that Okano and his wife were not there, and that Okano might be back in an hour. Sachiko planned to arrive within an hour, so she hurried out of the apartment.It rained last night and stopped early this morning.After the shower, the sun was particularly strong. She called a taxi and told the driver to go to Yotsuya Ding xx Fandi.The driver kept asking, should we turn south in front of Yotsuya 3-chome, or go a little further?He showed dissatisfaction with passengers who were unfamiliar with the road. Last night, Sachiko listened to the sound of the rain, thinking about it, and almost stayed up all night.The fact that Fukuji Fujiko rejected the manuscript annoyed her afterward.Fujiko Fukuchi, who boasted to Haikou earlier, was really annoying. She boasted that she was strong in the editorial department, but she was not.Sachiko regretted visiting a woman like Fukuji Fujiko for dinner, and flattered her, as if she felt that she was cheated. It seemed that Fukuji Fujiko played tricks on her with bad intentions. On the other hand, this incident cast a shadow over my new path.Although she was deceived by Fukuji Fujiko, it is a fact that the manuscript was not accepted. This incident greatly shook Sachiko's self-confidence and brought a sense of uneasiness to her life. What she thought was not only these, but also her doubts about Dolph.When he thought of Dove's suspicion, his worries about future work disappeared.She thinks Dofu is related to Hatano Masako's hanging death, but she can't tell whether he pretended to die in love and escaped after death, or whether he put her to death.If it's the former, it's helping her commit suicide; if it's the latter, it's homicide. Sachiko believes that whether Dofu helps Masako commit suicide or kills her with his own hands, the reasons and motives are the same.In short, the existence of Masako has become his burden and his obstacle. If Doufu's motives were because of Sachiko, she would be gloating.However, Dofu didn't get rid of Masako because he loved Sachiko, it was entirely for his own benefit. Sachiko who loved Dofu knew that he didn't have deep affection for him.She gradually understood his selfishness. The driver said that the road inside was too narrow for cars to go in, so Sachiko got off at the corner of the street turning south.There are too many pedestrians, the streets are narrow, and drivers are reluctant to drive forward. Sachiko had no choice but to walk on foot.The street ran forward in a gentle slope, with small shops on both sides, and here and there some large families surrounded by stone walls.Sachiko walked forward according to Okano's address.That place turned out to be at the end of the slope, like a neighborhood at the bottom of a valley. There are row upon row of apartments here, and there are some old and rough buildings in front and back. Clothes are hung outside the windows. It is not as civilized as high-end apartments, and even women's underwear and other clothes are hung outside. "Wine Flowers" is here. Dolph lived here.She seems to have come to visit the former residence of a celebrity.If Dolph had been better known and richer, this shabby apartment photo would have been at the front of a biography.Friends from those days still live here. Sachiko made her way back along the narrow street.There are many women who shop in fish shops and vegetable shops, and there are many children. Came to a wide street crowded with cars, walked into a dim sum shop, ordered a cup of Louzi juice, then went to make a phone call.Okano Masaichi returned to the apartment. "I want to say a few words to you, are you free now?" Sachiko said with her own eyes. "Oh, it's nothing..." Okano seemed flustered, probably surprised to receive this call. "I'm at a pastry shop nearby." "She told him the name of the store written on the door. Lan Yingying's door glass reflected the bus on the street. "Ah, got it, I'll go right away." Okano stammered in reply. In less than 10 minutes, Okano walked in in a hurry, his face was sweating profusely with his deep myopia glasses.He appeared to have changed clothes when he came, and was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. "I'm sorry for visiting late at night last time." Okano said respectfully.The air-conditioning is turned on in the store, and the lenses are foggy.He was so polite because she had a special relationship with the Dolphin. "Really not busy?" "Not busy, I just came back from outside." "I brought you here, and I caused you trouble. What do you want?" "Oh, and some orange juice, too." "Hey, it's past 12 o'clock, let's have some food somewhere." Sachiko tried to look affectionate and said.There is a bit of obsequiousness in the intimacy. "No, not yet." "Then have some toast here." “Toast is ok.” Sachiko wanted Okano to stay here for a while, but of course she didn't want to ask him to do something. "Last time you came to my house unexpectedly and failed to entertain you. Next time you make an appointment to come to my house. You must come then." "Ah, thank you... It's really rude to bother you so late last time." Okano seemed to recall the last time he was in a single woman's house late at night, his cheeks flushed slightly. "That's because Michio Sayama asked you to bring a message, and I can't blame you." "No, Sayama told me earlier, but I was too late because of my work." Okano said as if defending Sayama. "When did he tell you?" "Well, it's past 3 o'clock, around 3:10." Okano tried his best to tell the exact time as if emphasizing his fault. "Sayama was going out at that time?" "Yes, he said he had something to go out and asked me to send a message to Ms. Sachiko Techimura." It was the first time Okano said something about Ms. Jimura, and it seemed difficult to catch it. "Did he say where he was going?" "They said they were going to Ginza to discuss the interior design of Aoyama Beauty Salon, but I didn't ask about the location." "Go out by car?" "I don't know if it was by car. I didn't see it when Sayama went out, so I don't know." "However, Sayama often drives out in his own car, right?" "He often takes a car, but it's not necessarily his own car, there are also people who come to pick him up." "Is it using your own car to negotiate with the designer?" "Well, I think it might be, I don't see it." The so-called going to Ginza to discuss with the designer does not contradict what Sayama said, but it may have been pre-made by him. "I heard about Sayama's clothes at that time last time, and I want to ask you again." "Oh... not a suit. I'm wearing a thin gray sweater on the upper body and navy blue gabardine trousers on the lower body. Inside the sweater is a sweatshirt with blue stripes." Sachiko imagined the costume.Dressed like that, mountain climbing is the most suitable.It can be said that the attire is for going out to commit crimes.Gebaldin's trousers are strong and will not be torn or hung easily.Everything is planned. Sachiko thought, not pretending to be dead in love.Would he wear a dress like that to die in love?If it is love death, it will wear neat clothes.The death of love is a solemn and romantic funeral, and women will require tidy clothes.When he goes to death in a mountain-climbing attire, women will doubt whether he is sincere. So what about Masako?Did she run away from home in a "love death" costume?Sachiko thinks this is crucial.If Masako was dressed in a tryst with her husband when she left, it means that she has no desire to die in love.Without this desire, it cannot be inferred that after her love died, he ran away alone.In other words, it was homicide. Facing Okano, Sachiko thought to herself that she needs to investigate Masako's situation again. Okano seemed to be wondering why she was still asking about these things, but it didn't seem so inconceivable.Okano has his own speculation.He thought it was a dispute between Dofu and Sachiko.Sachiko investigates Doufu's whereabouts that day out of jealousy.Sachiko could see his thoughts from Okano's expression. Sachiko thought, it's good for him to think that way, and he would simply make a mistake and take advantage of Okano's misunderstanding. "Hey, Okano," she said thoughtfully, "...can you help me find out if Sayama drove his own car that day, okay?" She had a serious expression on her face, but her eyes were flirting with Okano. "This" Okano blinked his eyes. "Hey, help me, only you can help me with such a thing." "Perhaps you already know that Zuoshan and I are not ordinary friends. I don't tell outsiders about this. They don't know about it. We have known each other for more than three years." Okano drooped his head, looking embarrassed, his deep glasses slipped on the bridge of his nose. "However, we haven't been on good terms recently. Sayama seems to have a new love. You are an old friend of Sayama, have you heard?" "No, I don't know anything." Okano shook his head with a blushing face, "I haven't heard of it before, but only recently because of work matters." Okano defended both for Sayama and himself. "Really? Then, agree to my request just now?" "...Well, this thing alone is okay." Okano said like squeezing toothpaste. "That's great. In fact, when you came to my room last time, I wanted to talk to you about Sayama. At that time, I told you, would you like to come to me?" Okano nodded in confusion. "The words were said unintentionally. I was depressed by myself, and no one discussed it. I couldn't make up my mind. When I saw you, I thought you were good, and I wanted to discuss everything with you. Trouble." "...where." Okano whispered.Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.Neither of them ate the toast that came. "Ah, I'm so happy." Sachiko was grateful for Okano's answer. "Then, I'll leave it to you to investigate the matter of the car... not only the car, but also many other things that I need your help and discuss with you in the future. But don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble because of Sayama's matter, absolutely Don't let him know." Okano nodded slightly, but said nothing. This is a secret agreement between the two. ——To establish this secret relationship, I am afraid that the honest Okano would have been terrified in his heart. "That day was June 10th, right?" Sachiko said. "Yeah." Okano tilted his head, as if he didn't even remember the date. "Number 10, yes, I remember it very clearly." Sachiko smiled, and that persistent look really looked like a woman who was madly jealous. "Around 4 pm on the 10th, did Sayama go out in his own car? You might find out if you ask someone." "How about manager Hasegawa or Yanagida?" "Yes, Yanagida is fine. He seems to be Sayama's entourage. But when you ask, you should pretend that nothing is wrong, so as not to arouse suspicion." "yes" "Also, did Sayama really have dinner with the designer and went to Ginza? Ask the designer about that too. Do you know the designer?" "Well, I'm in charge of the interior design of Aoyama Beauty Room, and we've discussed it several times." Okano seems to be getting brighter gradually. "Oh, ask smartly, don't make him suspicious. ...Hey, let's investigate the refueling of Sayama's car on the 11th." If Sayama goes back and forth to Mitake in 10 days, it will consume a lot of gasoline. Yamane Design Office is on the second floor of the Shimbashi Building.The firm leased three rooms, one for office and office; one for director Yamane's design room; the other for designers. "Is the director there?" Okano asked a female clerk while taking off his glasses and wiping them. "I went out just now." The short, plump-chested female clerk raised her face and replied.She felt very funny about Okano, who had recently started working in the firm. "Ah, is it? When will you be back?" "He said he would go out for an hour, probably soon." "Did you go to the Hill of Freedom?" Dofu entrusts Yamane with the design of Aoyama Beauty Room. "No, somewhere else." He put on his glasses and wiped the sweat from his neck. "What...?" asked the clerk.The air conditioner in the room worked well. "Oh, I want to discuss design matters with him." "Is it urgent?" "Not in a hurry." "Can others do it? Kudo is here." "Kudou? Oh, that's the design director? Well, Kudo can do it too." "I'll call him... look at you sweating so much." "I love to sweat." "Go over there and cool off." She pointed to the reception room next to her and walked inside. Just sitting on the chair, the tall, fair-skinned Kudo walked in quickly wearing a short-sleeved shirt. "What's the matter?" Kudo asked as soon as he entered the room.He just sees Okano, who does part of the interior decoration business, as a painter. "I heard that Mr. Yamane is not here." Okano didn't mind. "out." "Did Yamane-san tell you about the decoration of the display window in the Aoyama beauty salon?" "The decoration of the display window? I've never heard of it." Kudo said as if it had nothing to do with the design. "Really? Oh, it's not easy to handle. On the evening of the 10th, Sayama and Yamane-san and I have made an agreement, but because there are still some problems in the details, I want to discuss it with Yamane-san. It seems that part of the design of the appearance will be changed. .” "Changing part of the design of the appearance?" Kudo stared at Okano, "I didn't hear the director say that." "It doesn't have to be changed, but it's possible. Please ask the director to think about it." "When was it agreed upon?" "As I said just now, it was here at 5 o'clock in the afternoon on the 10th." "Number 10?" At this moment, the waitress brought herbal tea. "Hey, was the director here on the 10th?" Kudo looked at the female clerk. "On the 10th..." The female clerk raised her face, as if recalling, "On the 10th, the director went to Yokohama in the morning." "Ah, that's right, I went to Morita's house in Yokohama to discuss the design of the new house, and I just came back at night." "Yeah, I remember that the director didn't come back. I got off work a little earlier than usual, at 5:30, because my sister came to my house from Chiba at that time." "Is the 10th correct? Will it be the 9th or the 11th? Of course, it doesn't matter which day it is." Kudo said. "It's the 10th, that's the day." Okano emphasized that it was number 10, and both Kudo and the female clerk were puzzled. "We negotiated on the 10th, because I agreed to see Mr. Yamane after the 10th, so I came today." Okano explained that he came by appointment.Both knew he was an honest man. "Strange, the director went to Yokohama on the 10th." The female clerk said again.Okano listened attentively. However, Kudo said impatiently: "Anyway, I haven't heard from the director. I don't know about it. Please tell the director directly." After speaking, he took a sip of black tea and turned away. "Mr. Kudo seems to be very busy." Okano raised his teacup. "He's impatient." The petite female clerk laughed as if smoothing things over, "The director will be back soon, can you wait a bit?" "Okay, I just happen to have nothing else to do right now..." He glanced at his watch, "Is that right, isn't it the 10th?" He doubted his memory. "It's not the 10th. I remember that the director was in Yokohama in the morning on the 10th and came back at night." "Oh, that may be my memory. . . . Oh, maybe I confused the date with another designer, not Mr. Yamane." "Look at you, Okano!" Seeing his silly appearance, the female clerk couldn't help laughing. "Oh, yes, it must be, I remember wrongly, it was a date with someone else." Okano replied affirmatively. "Okano, clear your head, maybe you are fainted from the heat." "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I'm so embarrassed. Don't tell Mr. Yamane about this. Thank you." Okano bowed his head. In the evening, Okano squeezed onto the sweaty train to Jiyugaoka.Dolph is not in the shop. "What's the matter, Okano?" The elegant Yanagida came out to receive him.The boss, Dolph, was not there, but the store was still full of customers, and there was still a row of customers waiting beside him. "I'm here to discuss something with Mr. Shan." "The teacher is not here, I went to Ginza, if I have something to tell, okay?" Yanagida replied. "Then no need, it's nothing serious, come back next time. Did Mr. Xiangshan go out in his own car?" "The car's in the garage. Why ask about the car?" "That's what happened. I want to buy a car, a half-used car." "Can you drive?" "Buy it and learn it again. It's inconvenient not to have a car. But it costs a lot of money to buy gasoline, right?" "Gas costs not much." "Is Mr. Xiangshan a lump sum monthly payment for oil?" "Yeah, he never pays cash once and for all." "He drives a lot, and it costs a lot of money, probably a lot of Okano's black faces smiling. "How much? Just look at the payment invoice." Liu Tian seemed impatient. "The gas station he often goes to is near the station in front of him. Just ask there." "Near the station? Well, thank you! It's better to stay at a gas station for refueling, isn't it?" "Yeah, because as soon as the person at the gas station gets to know him well, he will wash your car for you and provide you with various services.... How much do you want to buy?" "Buy one that costs about 3 million yen first." He's going to buy a cheap old car like that, no wonder he's worried about gas bills now.Yanagida smiled contemptuously and watched Okano's back. There was a girl of eighteen or nineteen at the gas station, and two employees were busy filling up customers' cars.The air smelled of gasoline. "Mr. Sayama's gas expenses are about 10,000 yuan a month." The female employee said standing in front of the shed where the wax pots were placed. "Oh, quite a few." "It's cheaper than taking a taxi, though." "That's true. If you drive all day, do you have to come here to fill up every day?" "No, Mr. Sayama doesn't seem to drive very often." "When was the last time you came to refuel?" "Recently? The most recent time was a week ago. I took a look at the invoice." She looked through the invoice and found one. "Yes, it's the return number." "Number 11?" Okano leaned forward, "How much did you add?" "32 liters. 40 liters is full, and there are 8 liters in it." "How many kilometers can I drive with 32 liters?" "Well, it's about 300 kilometers, but it's for 10 days. Oh, no, I came to refuel four days before that day. It seems that I have traveled a long way." The female employee said. At this moment, the employee who finished filling up came in. “是啊，他好像比平时用得多，而且那天车身脏得很，大概跑乡下了，我给他洗了车，轮胎上沾着红土和杂草。”雇员望着冈野说。 “红土和杂草？”冈野双目圆瞪，“他是11号几点钟到这儿来的？” “上午，9点半左右吧。” “当时佐山有没有说去哪儿了？” “嗯，车那么脏，我当时间他到哪儿去了，往山先生说，昨天到多摩川岸边玩去了。” “到多摩川岸边玩，要用那么多汽油吗？” “噢，那要看怎么玩儿了。” 冈野往车站走去。 —10日下午3时左右，往山道夫说要同山根设计师去青山美容室，托自己带话给核材幸子。可是，山根事务所却说，那天山根到横滨去了，两边的话不相符；另一方面，据加油站的人所说，道夫到有红土和杂草的地方玩过。汽油比平亲用得多，是因为10号那天出去玩了。在多摩川岸边兜风要用那么多吗？ 道夫那天好像跑远路了。如果是同设计师山根一起去的，那么同对自己说的话也有矛盾。How is this going? 他还不十分明白，但总觉得枝村幸子的怀疑有来由。 冈野同情被道夫抛弃的女人，如果他的“调查”对她有些价值，那就能讨得她的欢心。 技村幸子在点心店前同冈野正一分手后，乘出租汽车到日本桥方向去了。这个主意不是心血来潮突然萌发的，但决意采取行动，是在同冈野交谈之后。可以说，同冈野的谈话给了她力量。 波多野证券股份公司在颁壳吁的大楼里。幸子将名片交给收发员，要求会见经理先生。名片上有用的还是《女性回廊》编辑的头衔。独立以后印制了“采访记者”的名片，不过还是以前的身份有权威。来接见的人不是看人名，而是注重有名望的单位，尤其是第一篇稿被福地藤子退回以后，她更没勇气拿出自己的名片。 30分钟之后，她被带进豪华的接待室。名画家的大作、金灿灿的摆设、令人不敢入座的高级椅垫——接待室里的装饰表现出一个暴发户的爱好。然而，这一切却能收到一种奇效，那就是给那些为金钱欲而东奔西跑的人以幻想，使人相信证券公司的稳定。 经理波多野伍一郎的胖脸和身体显得精力充沛，和蔼可亲的微笑中夹杂着经理的威严。其实他此刻的微笑似乎是为杂志社的女记者前来采访感到得意。 实业家喜欢在报刊上抛头露面。 漂亮的女秘书送上凉点心和雪糕。好像是特殊待遇。 “找我有什么事？”伍一郎把名片递给幸子后，悠然自得地问道。他双目鼓起，鼻子扁平，嘴唇肥厚，下跨发达，在一般人眼里，是一福财气亨通的模样。他就是雅子的丈夫？真是天生的一对。 “是这样，想请您就新近丧偶的名人的悲伤这个问题作点儿介绍。”幸子从容地说。“名人”是句甜言蜜语，半途而废的“名人”一听到这话就会上钩。 “谈谈丧妻的感受？这太残忍了吧？内人尸骨未寒。” 伍一郎故作悲痛状，但感情并不真切，厚厚的嘴唇上反倒挂着一丝微笑。那不是出于日本人的那种不能在他人面前表现出悲痛的修养，分明是快慰的微笑。 “我很理解您的心情，向您提出这种问题委实过意不去，可是世上还有很多人都有同样的痛苦，为了安慰他们，特来请您谈谈。”幸子满怀同情地说，接着掏出了笔记本。 “真叫我为难啊，内人情况与人不同。”伍一郎一面说，一面戒备地望着幸子拿笔的手。 “啊，是吗？我在报纸上看到过，太太是……” “是啊，是自杀？”伍一郎接过幸子的话，爽快地应道。 “真不知该怎么说是好。” “她是个混蛋，一点儿都不顾我的影响，假如我是个心胸狭窄的人就无地自容了，好在我肚量大……”伍一郎笑了。 “对太太的不幸，您有思想准备吗？” 这儿说的“不幸”，当然是指“自杀”，含意对方明白。伍一郎刚才还说：“是自杀，她一点儿也不考虑我的影响。” 可是，虽然他这样说，作为第三者却不该露骨地提这样的问题。但“杂志记者”有特权，她有“读者的代表”这一冠冕堂皇的身份。 “思想准备？” 伍一郎手支在肥胖的胯下默然良久，眼睛瞅着地板。 “……嗯，说起来也有一点儿。”说完，嘴边又浮现出一丝微笑。 “是吗？如果可以的话，想请您…” “嗯，她已过不惑之年，我们夫妻也共同生活了20个春秋，许多事情值得回味，就是说，内人自杀的原因很多。”伍一郎抽象而又意味深长地答道。 “那，没有遗书吗？” “有遗书，我对警察署也说有遗书，所以警察署就放心地断定是自杀。” 放心地断定是自杀，这句话听起来有些玄妙。伍一郎好像也意识到这一点，连忙补充道： “是这样，警察署只要掌握决定性的东西，就会对自己的判断心安理得，内人是上吊死的，但是发现得迟，尸体已经腐烂，使用的工具绳索也已朽断，身子落在地上，因而，并没有她本人上吊的确凿证据，从情况来看是自杀。但这只是推断，于是我一说妻子有遗书，警察署就放心了。” “遗书上写着自杀的原因了吗？” “女人哪，”伍一郎苦笑着说，“到死也不会说出真心话。她呀，什么具体的事都没写，谢谢关照啦，如此莽撞对不起啦，等等，都是一些辞别人世时的道歉话。” “警察看了遗书就理解了？” “不，我没给警察看，因为我把它烧掉了。就为这一点，警察把我好盘问了一番。” “现在我很后悔，坦率地说，看到那份遗书的时候我非常生气，忍不住把它撕了。” 此刻他显得有些不好意思，把一支烟叼在嘴上，打着了打火机。 “直到最后她还那样任性。”他喷出一口烟雾。 “怎么呢？” “她已经充分地享乐过了，所以，我对她自绝于世丝毫不感到悲伤。” “我不是不服气或强词夺理，实际上我认为内人一直比别的太太过得快活，所以并不觉得奇怪．我说的是实话。” “刚才您说对太太要走上绝路有思想准备，知道许多线索，是同太太生活上的享乐有关吗？” “不完全是，这也是一方面吧。……哦，对不起，请问您是太太，还是小姐？” “还没结婚。” “噢，结了婚你就明白了。夫妇间、家庭中有许多微妙的缝隙，若—一列举，又没什么大不了的，但日积月累．就会形成难以言喻的困境，就像一所变了形的房子，那样的房子，门窗都不能自如开关，可是从外表看，门窗都是关着的，并不知道房子已变形，而在屋里却深知内情。” 幸子手握铅笔，眼睛盯着笔记本。再问什么呢？ “太太常去美容院吗？” 提出这个难以开口的问题时，她的眼睛故意盯在笔记本上。 侃侃而谈的伍一郎这下半天没搭腔。 “好像去吧，女人嘛。” “听说她经常留着漂亮的发型，有这样的传说。” “哦，是吗？做丈夫的对妻子留什么样的发型很少注意。” “据说太太的发型颇有个性，富有扭力，准是在她中意的美容院做的，是吧？” “哈，哈哈哈。” 伍一郎突然大笑起来，这一阵大笑把肯定、否定以及他的情感都掩盖起来了。 出了证券公司，幸子想，波多野伍一郎对妻子的品行了如指掌，他那开心、爽朗的笑声就暗示着这一点。笑是商人藏奸的技巧。 伍一郎说他对妻子的自杀知道许多线索，其中最重要的一个就是同美容师佐山道夫的关系。可是，幸子想，可能他并没有直接为这件事指责妻子。他把自己的家庭比喻成一所变形的房子，门窗都关着开不动。伍一郎也有女人—— 夕阳的余辉映照在街对面的屋脊上。幸子站在人行道上，茫然不知往何处去好。她扬手招呼一辆出租汽车。 乘车回公寓的途中，幸子又陷入了沉思。 —伍一郎自己也有的情妇，因此没有直接斥责妻子。可是知道雅子把钱给了情夫时，一定严厉地追究她了。道夫在自由之丘开店的资金、在青山开店的资金，大都出自雅子之手，这是毫无疑问的，不可能是他人所给。这么大一笔钱，不是股票商的妻子也筹集不到。 发现这一漏洞时，伍一郎抓到了斥责妻子的机会。他追究妻子的责任时，态度是严厉的。商人对金钱是执着的，失去了金钱的痛苦激起了他的愤怒。 她想起伍一郎那句不可思议的话。妻子有遗书，警察署听说有遗书就放心了。可是，那份遗书警察署并没看到，只是听他说，而且已被他烧了。警方认为没有疑义，便不再深入了解夫妻间的私生活。 对妻子“决意自杀”感到放心的不是警察，正是他自己。 除去一切与妻子自杀有关的疑点，伍一郎所得到的就是社会对“被遗弃的丈夫”的同情。对他续娶新人，虽然新娘是以前的情妇，社会也不多加指责，相反倒会加以认可。伍一郎可能一开始就是这样盘算的。 伍一郎的笑声依然回响在幸子的耳边。 回到公寓，在下面的餐馆吃完晚饭，回到房间洗了个澡。其间，波多野伍一郎的笑声一直在头脑中回响。 —那么，道夫帮助雅子自杀，假装情死而逃走的痕迹呢？幸子认为，在这一点上伍一郎与道夫的利益是一致的。如果伍一郎不宽大为怀，怀疑妻子的自杀，要求追查自杀原因，那么道夫的逃脱也就不安全了。伍一郎知道妻子的情夫是道夫。 由于尸体腐烂，雅子的自杀未得到决定性的证据，只是根据情况推断的。因此，听说有遗书，警方便“放心”了。如果伍一郎不说有遗书，反而要求警方查明真相，并说出妻子生前的品行，事态就会完全不同。 伍一郎不多久便与情妇完婚。如果他是为了这一点利益隐瞒了迫使妻子不得不自杀的原因，也隐瞒了自杀的怀疑，那么就在客观上帮助了道夫的逃脱。 想到这里，只能说是理出了一点儿头绪，只能说是推测伍一郎的心理，猜度道夫的行为，得出了初步结论。她的推理到这里就受阻了，一时不能向深处发展。 不知不觉中过了三四个小时。窗外，街上的霓虹灯烟馆闪烁。 电话铃响了，她蓦然醒来。 “我是冈野。”听筒里传来他的气喘声。“喂，关于佐山的事，他10号那天的行动…” “哦，查清楚了？” “嗯，大致清楚了。” “那你来说说。” 这是不能让别人听到的报告。她禁不住脱口说道，“别在电话里说，到我家里来。” “我现在去，没关系吗？”冈野拘谨地说，那声音是希望现在就来。 “没关系，来吧。” 不到30分钟，冈野敲门了。他想来见幸子，好像是在附近打的电话。冈野脸上汗津津的。 幸子兴冲冲地迎上前来。 “热了吧？快，快坐下！” 关上门，她直用眼神慰劳着冈野。 "Ok!" 冈野从裤兜野掏出手帕，摘下眼镜，擦去脸上的汗水。手帕都擦湿了。 “我给你拿擦脸毛巾来。” “哎，不用了。” 冈野摘下眼镜的眼睛眯成了一条缝。 幸子从冰箱里拿出擦脸毛巾递给冈野。碰到她的手指，他顿时茫然不知所措。 他连忙用毛巾擦脸。意识到幸子就站在面前等待，他不禁慌了神。 “怎么样？舒服些了吧？” “啊，谢谢！” 将擦过的毛巾递给幸子时，冈野生怕再碰到幸子的手。 坐在沙发上平静下来之时，冈野的视线一直瞅着旁边，不敢正视幸子，以使自己镇定。 “冈野，怎么样？查清楚了？” 幸子大胆地望着他。 “嗯，大体上清楚了…” 10号那天，山根设计师上午就到横滨去了，不在事务所，晚上很晚才回来。冈野把听来的情况叙述一遍。 “这么说，佐山说到设计师那儿去是撒谎？” 果然没出所料，她并不感到意外，却故意作出吃惊的样子。 “是的，不过，也许是佐山以为设计师在才去的，因为他叫我转告你说，他今天晚上没空。”冈野解释说。 “既然他去了，他就该在山根事务所露过面，事务所的人怎么说？” “哦，这个没听他们避。” “他没去，要是去了他们会提到的。你好像在为佐山打掩护，可是我已掌握了证据。” “说是同山根一起去比谷看电影，他没进电影院，到奥泽一位顾主的家里去玩麻将了，其实根本没有这样一个人，全是撒谎。” 不知不觉中，幸子的愤怒之情溢于言表。 “哦，对啦，那天他是开自己的车出去的还是坐别人的车？” 冈野越来越难堪。他结结巴巴地说，道夫是开自己的车出去的。 “果然是这样，他骗了我！哎，那天他用了多少汽油？” “听说用了不少。第二天去了加油站，比平素加油的日子提前了，而且车身污脏，加油站为他洗了车。” “你听谁说的？是柳田君？” “没问柳田君，是到佐山常去的加油站打听到的。” “好啊，你真行…一天中用了那么多油，到哪儿去了？” “佐山在加油站说，他到多摩川岸边游玩去了。车轮胎上沾有红土和杂草。” “红土和杂草？” “是啊，多摩川岸边红土多。” 虽说是多摩川，却不是下游，而是在上游游玩。御岳位于多摩川上游。——幸子觉得抓住了证据，激动得脸都扭歪了。 冈野目不转睛地盯着幸子扭歪的脸孔。他可能是觉得被男人欺骗的女人是可悲的，脸上浮现出同情之色。 幸子流泪了。她觉得这下彻底把道夫抓住了。偏执的女人往往稍动感情就会流泪。……冈野错误地领会了这一点。