Chapter 41 Section five

Checkpoints are set up on all national highways from Wakkanai to Nayoro. There is no way to escape the peninsula without using the national highway. Four police cars rushed to the highway No. 909, and then searched around the Sarobez virgin forest, but did not find the Mercedes-Benz 300SL that Asano and his group were riding in. The news was immediately passed on to Miura and Totsukawa, who had returned to the Wakkanai Police Station. Spread out on the table is a map from Nayoto to Wakkanai. The national roads are indicated by red lines, and the national highways are indicated by green lines.

"Where will the car run from the place where it disappeared? It can cross the Sarobez virgin forest along the national highway No. 444, jump onto the national highway No. 40, and immediately turn into the fork to Fengfeng Hot Spring ; and can further use another road to cross the peninsula to the side of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk." Miura said while looking at the map. On that side, there is also the virgin forest of Okhotsk. "Is the road in this area easy to travel?" asked the Totsukawa Police Department. "It's a two-lane road, but the road conditions are excellent. Especially the road No. 724 from Fufu Hot Spring to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is very comfortable. I drove on that road once."

"If I were a criminal, if I were found on the Sea of ​​Japan side, I would definitely flee to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk side in the opposite direction." This is based on the psychology of criminals, who always hope to run as far as possible.For Asano and his team, the current mood must be to escape Hokkaido. "However, they may have understood that the national highway is completely under the control of the police. In this way, they can only flee to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk on the opposite side." The Totsugawa Police Department speculated. "Will Asano and his gang abandon the Mercedes-Benz, change to a train or a long-distance bus, or even hitchhike and escape from Hokkaido?" Miura Police Department asked worriedly.

"Well, if you are chased urgently, you might do that." "Then we have to take preventive measures immediately." Miura said. Miura immediately ordered police officers with photos of Asano and Ihara Sayoko to be stationed at each train station on the Soya Main Line and Tenhoku Line to closely monitor passengers getting on and off the train. check. "Do you think they'll leave the Mercedes?" Kamei asked Totsukawa. "Probably not. Sitting in the car, in case of emergency, you can escape at high speed, and there are 500 million yen bills in the car. Could it be that Asano is willing to abandon the money and run away?"

The Totsukawa Police Department continued: "What I am most worried about now is whether this guy Asano will kill Sayoko Ihara? If he thinks that keeping the woman's mouth shut will help cover up his crimes, he will kill him without hesitation." "Yes, as long as that woman is killed, all the responsibility can be shifted to her." "Perhaps, Asano will only admit that he was involved in the robbery of money, and all the murders were done by women." Totsukawa Police Department added. However, the whereabouts of Asano and his group are still unknown. Although the search range is only between Wakkanai and Nayose, the area is still quite vast.Despite the mobilization of police officers and police vehicles, the area could not be fully covered.

At 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m., time passed quickly, but there was still no report of the discovery of Asano and others. Helicopters were also unable to lift off until dawn. When Dongfang showed the first trace of fish belly, the Daoist Police Headquarters added another helicopter to participate in the search.Divide the search area into two parts, and the two helicopters will move separately. The helicopter carried by the Totsukawa Police Department and others was responsible for the search work on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk side. The temperature dropped suddenly.At ten o'clock in the morning, light snow began to fall.

This is the first snow after winter, and the vision has become extremely bad.Until noon, nothing was found on either side. In the afternoon, the snow stopped and the sun cleared.Two helicopters were dispatched again. The helicopter taken by the Totsukawa Police Department and others first flew along the coastline of Okhotsk, and then went deep into the land. Although there are no towering mountains in this area, there are scattered peaks with an elevation of 500 to 600 meters, dotted among virgin forests, lakes and swamps. Facing such beautiful scenery, Totsukawa is not interested in admiring it at the moment.His eyes were bloodshot and his face was pale. The anxiety of wanting to find Asano's group as soon as possible was intertwined with the worry that they had gone far away.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the sun will soon be setting again.Under the shadow of uneasiness, the helicopter continued to circle the valley at low altitude. They flew obliquely along the road connecting the Sea of ​​Okhotsk side and the Sea of ​​Japan side. "Ah! What's that?" Miura Police Department suddenly pointed diagonally forward and shouted. At the foot of the cliff on the two-lane highway, something seemed to be burning. The helicopter slowly lowered its altitude.The Totsugawa Police Department made a careful observation with binoculars.Finally, I saw clearly that it was a car that fell from the road and caught fire after falling off the cliff.

However, the fire has stopped and is now in a state of smoke. Miura hurriedly contacted the police car on the ground. The Totsugawa Police Department continued to observe with binoculars.The body has been burned, isn't that wing-like thing the door of a 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL? "Ah! Mercedes!" Totsukawa Police Department couldn't help cheering. Because of the snow in the morning, the vision was poor, and no cars driving on the road were found. I am afraid that there is not a single witness who saw this traffic accident. During the hovering of the helicopter, police cars from the Dao Police Department rushed to the scene.

The two police officers got out of the car and looked down the cliff. "Is there anyone in the car?" Miura asked on the wireless phone. One of the police officers returned to the police car, looked at the helicopter, and replied: "There seems to be a person in the car. It is not clear whether it is a man or a woman. The car is still burning." "Quickly ask for reinforcements! Determine the number of the car and the life and death of the occupants as soon as possible! Remember to call an ambulance!" Miura called out loudly. Because the fuel was about to run out, the helicopter flew back to Wakkanai Airport.After getting off the plane, Totsukawa and others immediately jumped into the police car and rushed to the scene.