Chapter 20 Chapter Two

The double murder at the Cabaret was in late March.At that time, every night, there was a strange person setting up a stall next to the main entrance of the tavern. No, they didn't set up their own stalls in the first place, and that person didn't just set up a stall here.He's been here a month since the tavern opened, which means he's been here since December last year. But it was a big mistake for him to choose this place.People coming and going didn't even look at him.He is a fortune teller. There is a fortune-telling parlor next to the gate of a luxurious cabaret, with soot-blackened lanterns, a strange contrast.This can be seen as the epitome of chaotic modern Japan.On the black lantern is a fortune-telling stick, which is placed next to it; under the fortune-telling stick are written the words "Tianyuntang".

There is a square lamp with a paper cover on the reading shelf. The light is dim, and the age of this Tianyuntang cannot be seen clearly.Maybe older, maybe not that old.His cheeks are buried in his mustache, and he wears high-prescription glasses.The frame appears to be silver.He wears a dark black hat on his head, and wears a somewhat faded navy blue ten-virtuous monk robe, under which is a crumpled hakama.On the feet are white socks and magnolia wood-toothed clogs.When there were no guests, he would smoke tobacco idly in the shadow of the lamp.Since December last year, every night, you can see the booth of Tianyuntang next to the Cabaret.

At first glance, Tianyuntang chose to operate next to the Cabaret, which seemed to be a mistake at first glance, but in fact it was very successful. Most of the people who go in and out of the tavern are people from the black market, and there are not a few people who are superstitious.When I go home drunk, I often stop in front of the reading shelf to divination about tomorrow's fortune.Tianyuntang unceremoniously cheated them of high divination fees, so his arms were always quite warm. But at that moment that night, there was no one in front of the Tianyuntang stall.Tianyuntang filled the dirty cigarette pot with shredded tobacco boredly.

There was loud jazz in the tavern. There is another person... Needless to say, it is a plainclothes policeman in charge of surveillance. Detective Arai leaned against the outer wall of the tavern, seemingly bored, and kept smoking.He and Tianyuntang seem to be familiar with each other, and they joke with each other from time to time.But once someone enters or leaves the tavern, Detective Arai's eyes light up, and he observes the other party as if nothing had happened. Suddenly, the criminal policeman seemed to be startled, opened his eyes wide, lowered the brim of his hat in a panic, and pretended to light a cigarette.Tianyuntang also reloaded the tobacco while watching the criminal police as if nothing had happened.

The visitor stopped in front of the main entrance of the Cabaret.He looked around, hesitated for a while, and entered the door.He was about 50 years old, thin build, wearing a suit.His loyal face changed, and he became the type of customer in this kind of tavern. Detective Arai was so surprised when he saw this man because he knew him.This person was the branch manager of the bank that was robbed—the one who wrote down the serial number of the banknote.His name is Hiji Shigesuke. Detective Arai's heart skipped a beat. Why did the branch manager come to such a strange place as a cabaret?This is not the place for prudent and honest bankers and the like.What's more, everyone knows that Hioki Shigesuke is a serious and honest person, and he will never step into the black market base of Cabaret Tavern.

Detective Arai was smoking a cigarette, thinking quickly.Afterwards, he put down the cigarette he had just lit and walked into the tavern calmly.The cigarette butts thrown on the ground still smoked slightly. Tianyuntang stood up from behind the reading shelf, and carefully stamped out the cigarette butt. He looked into the tavern through the glass door, and suddenly felt someone, and turned his head back.There is a man standing in front of the reading shelf.Tianyuntang hastily returned to his seat. "Palm reading? Face reading?" Tianyuntang straightened the magic sign solemnly and looked up at the other party.

The man didn't answer, his eyes were empty, he looked at the ruins, then at the bright entrance of the tavern.There was a strange emptiness in the eyes. Tianyuntang put down the magic sign and looked at the man intently.He was about twenty-seven or eight years old, and his appearance was not vicious. He had a scruffy beard and looked suspicious.No hat, hair unkempt.Not wearing a suit, I always feel that there is something unusual. Tianyuntang suddenly gasped.Nostrils fluttered, deep behind glasses, eyes blinked violently. Tianyuntang stood up, walked around to the reading shelf, and patted the man on the shoulder.

"Hey, brother, what's the matter? You look frightened." The man turned his head and looked at Tianyuntang with a blank expression on his face.Tianyuntang patted him on the shoulder again. "Brother, cheer up. You are young, what's the matter..." At this time, Tianyuntang found two men standing in the darkness five or six rooms away.He hastily removed his hand from the man's back.The man in the darkness waved his hands, as if casually sending out some signal. Tianyuntang hurried back to his seat and refilled the tobacco with trembling fingers.The strange man staggered away from the Hall of Fortune, looked at the bright entrance of the Cabaret for a while, and finally walked in in a daze.

The two people standing in the dark immediately came to the side of Tianyun Hall without any politeness. "What did that person say just now?" Hearing this tone, Tianyuntang immediately understood that it was the police.Both were plainclothes.He silently shook his head. The two plain clothes looked at each other, talked in a low voice, and entered the tavern. Tianyuntang was smoking a cigarette, thinking about something...