Chapter 18 second quarter
There was a sound of footsteps of trade union members leaving in the wood-paneled office, and the office quickly fell silent.Four men sat facing each other around a rectangular table. Narumi put the scattered teacups aside and wiped up the spilled tea with a handkerchief.
"You know that Nishi no Hata has passed away, right?" Sudou asked.The chairman and vice chairman nodded silently.
"Where were you two at the time?"
"When do you say 'then'?"
"That's when the president was killed." The chief criminal policeman repeated it unhurriedly, flapping the fan in his hands, his tone as leisurely as if he was chatting.
"Are you kidding, how do we know when the president was killed?" Narumi's tone was very aggressive, full of questioning.
Lianzhiwa's round face showed a silent sneer as if he looked down on the despicable tricks.
"You don't have to be so fierce, our police will sometimes be negligent." The minister's attitude did not change, and he said with a smile.
"The time of the president's death was 11:40 last night."
"You guys are really clear." Lian Zhiwa said teasingly.
"If you don't like to be too clear, you can use around eleven forty."
"Eleven forty...that's twenty-three forty."
Narumi said to Koinokubo, then he got up, brought over the small suitcase in the corner of the room, opened the change of underwear and the bag of toilet utensils stuffed in the suitcase, and took out a book of time surface.
"Let me tell." Lian Zhiwa said, turning his eyes to the two detectives.His optimistic round face looks full of confidence in the eyes of the criminal police.Guan thought he was a really annoying man.
"During the group consultation a few days ago, we received an ultimatum from the president."
They had already heard about this matter from Haibara, but Sudou pretended to hear it for the first time, because he planned to see where and what lies they were going to lie.
"It's a big blow to the union because we haven't been paid for two months, especially as we are hired workers who are underpaid and don't have much savings. The wives of the workers who run the household are already complaining, so of course, More and more members of the trade union listen to their wives and ask the union to stop here, and ask us to surrender to the president first, and wait until the next opportunity to continue. In short, we—what I call 'we' It means that Narumi and I—need to listen to the opinions of the Nagaoka factory and the Osaka factory to decide the future policy. So on the morning of the 31st, we first took the Cross Line from Ueno Station to Nagaoka, and that night we met with Discussions took place throughout the morning on the 1st of the next day. I don’t think the conclusion needs to be stated here. It should be said that this is a secret of the union, so I can’t tell you. Then we left Nagaoka on the train that afternoon and headed for Osaka .” (See Attachment 2)
The Minister Detective nodded expressionlessly, and Guan Detective waited for the other party to continue talking with alert eyes.
"If you take the Hokuriku Main Line, the only express train to Osaka is the 'Nippon Sea'. After asking the union to help us buy a ticket, we took that train. The departure time from Nagaoka is..."
"Sixteen forty-eight. Here."
Koinokubo pointed with the tip of a pencil to the column that said "Sea of Japan" on Narumi's opened page. (Please refer to the train timetable ⑵)
"The time when the president was killed was at 11:40 p.m. when the 'Sea of Japan' was berthing in Jinjin."
Narumi Hidesaku turned another page of Hokuriku Main Line to the criminal police.The criminal policeman took the book and scanned the numbers.It turned out that the "Sea of Japan" did leave Jinjin Station at 23:41.If they really took the train as they claimed, they should have been in Fukui Prefecture, thousands of miles away from Tokyo, when this case happened.Although Sudou was unwilling, he still had to interrogate them according to the procedure.
"Can anyone prove that you were on that train at the time of the incident?"
"Yes, the captain can prove it for us." The chairman replied immediately, as if he had been preparing for a long time.
"The two of us can only take the third-class car when we go out, but the people at the Nagaoka factory understand our hard work on the night train, so they donate us the fare so that we can take the third-class sleeper car to Osaka. But, of course, the station The tickets for the sleeper car at the ticket gate have been sold out. After boarding the train, we asked the conductor for help. We had already given up 99% of the time, but then the conductor came to inform us that there were three passengers who were scheduled to take the train from Toyama. Didn't get on the train, there were three vacancies, and we moved onto the sleeper train, which happened ten minutes after leaving Toyama Station, so it must have been around blackjack."
The detectives looked at the timetable.Indeed, the time when "Sea of Japan" left Toyama Station was 20:58, so the time when the captain came to take them to the sleeping berths should be around 21:00.Needless to say, it is impossible for a person who is still at Toyama Station at blackjack to show up in Tokyo to kill after only two hours and forty minutes.
"If you need our alibi, please go and confirm with the captain. If it takes too long and his memory fades, we will be very troubled."
"You are not the only ones who will be troubled, we are too." The minister and the criminal police replied sarcastically.
"Do you remember the driver's name?"
"I never even dreamed that such a thing would happen, so I didn't remember his name. Narumi, do you remember?"
"I do not remember."
"It's okay if you don't remember, but do you remember the number of the berth?"
"I don't remember that either. I've never paid attention to this kind of thing. Everyone is the same, aren't they? Few people will take notes of the car numbers of every train they have taken."
"I know that." Narumi interjected from the side.
This man, who can be said to be Lianzhiwa's best partner, gave Lianzhiwa the right to speak completely, and did not express any opinions from the beginning to the end, but just observed the two criminal policemen.
"What's the number?"
"You are 107, I am 207."
"It seems to be the upper and middle berths, right?"
"That's right. I also feel very uncomfortable being looked at with suspicious eyes. Just like the chairman said, I hope you can check it out as soon as possible."
"I know that."
The chief detective said resolutely as if he wanted to interrupt the other party.It is not a pleasant thing for outsiders to make irresponsible remarks about the direction of the search.
"It should have been this morning that you took the 'Sea of Japan' to arrive in Osaka. But you moved so fast, you came back to Tokyo so early."
"We went to the dormitory in Osaka to finish breakfast, and when we were about to start the meeting, we heard the news that the president had passed away and was killed. Not only us, but even the people in Osaka were shocked. The president After death the situation changed completely and there was no point in meeting now, so we came back."
"What do you think of the dead president?"
Sudou quickly changed the question.The ingenious way of switching and the questions that sounded like traps and were aimless and unable to grasp the key points made the Chairman, who had answered fluently before, show hesitation for the first time.
"If we say that he is a respectable person, you wouldn't believe it, would you?" Narumi replied with a smile on behalf of the chairman.
"Even when we're lying, you see right away, and in the end we have to tell the truth. He's a sneer. It's not just me, it's everyone else."
"why?"
"He is a cunning egoist who has no moral sense at all, likes to play with women, and is twice as suspicious as others. What is respectable about this kind of person?"
"If he didn't do that, he wouldn't be a capitalist."
Sudou smiled nonchalantly.
"What kind of cunning is he?"
"To put it simply, you only need to look at the issue of shamanism. The president wants all of us workers to join shamanism on the grounds of giving us spiritual food, but in fact this is not the case."
Perhaps it was because the topic turned to attacking the president, his tone was full of gunpowder, and his eyes sparkled.
"What is the so-called truth?"
"The president actually has other selfish intentions. He wants to be nominated by the Conservative Party as a candidate in the next general election of members of the House of Representatives, but even that narcissist knows that he will never be elected on his own, because his There is already a big person in the constituency, and the defeat of the president is already obvious. So, what should he do? The good way that the president came up with is to let the employees of all factories join the shamanism Be a believer. Because of the large number of people, the shamanism will of course be happy. But relatively, when the election comes, the shamanism will help him absorb all the votes of the believers in the constituency, so that he can be elected smoothly. This is his strategy. For shamanism, this is also a good deal. So the president and the patriarch quickly reached an agreement."
However, President Nishi-no-hata agreed to the project of freedom of belief during this strike, and allowed a large number of employees to quit shamanism.Why did his attitude suddenly change?The criminal police really couldn't understand this matter.
"Actually, it's because the situation in the constituency has changed. During this year, two big figures passed away, leaving only a bunch of small players. Not only that, but he also officially received the support of the party in place of the dead MPs, so that he has He is fearless. Now that he is sure that he will be elected, he no longer needs the support of the shamanism. The president should feel very unhappy to bow his head to an unknown deceitful religious patriarch, and he is also reluctant to part with those who pay every year Huge donation for shamanism."
"To you, shamanism is so annoying?"
"That teaching is a big trouble for us. First of all, we are forced to pray in the morning and evening. The so-called worship is not just bowing. On days when the weather is good, we will be driven to the square and spend a lot of money. For a long time, we chanted a bunch of scriptures with unknown meanings. After the scriptures were finished, we still had to beat broken drums, form a circle, and dance out of season like Bon dance. It takes 30 minutes to dance, and not only in the morning, but also in the evening when you are exhausted after get off work, you are forced to dance, it feels like being locked up in a forced asylum in a totalitarian country."
Narumi's statement and Secretary Haibara's statement can be said to be very different. Whether it is the minister of criminal police or Seki, they don't know who to believe.
"You said the president is an egoist, could you please be more specific?"
"He only considers the interests of the management. Our union demands a wage increase, which is completely different from other big unions who treat strikes as regular festivals. If we don't do this, we simply cannot survive. There is no redundancy Our salary can be saved, and when we reach the retirement age and are forced to resign, we will have no food and clothing for tomorrow. Our humble wish is to at least be free from anxiety and live a life like a human being. This is by no means wrong or unreasonable Request. The company has a mountain of money, and the company can afford the salary we demand, but the president can’t understand our aspirations. Since he also experienced hardship when he was a child, I hope he will listen to us a little bit Reason, it shouldn't be too much."
"What's the matter with lust?"
"He's a lousy old man with all kinds of wine, sex and money. We have a secret agency that collects company information, so we know all about it. In the typist's office, almost all women who are a little bit prettier will be favored by the president. Yes. I think you should have met Secretary Haibara, right? Don’t you think it’s strange that the sexually attractive president would choose a man to be the secretary?”
"Not at all, it's the first time I've heard that the president is lecherous."
"That's a way to make my wife feel at ease. Finding a male secretary is equivalent to a wordless declaration to my wife: 'Other presidents are looking for young and beautiful women as their secretaries, but I am the only male secretary. Look at how firm my heart of cultivation is! 'correct……"
Narumi showed an expression as if he remembered something.
"Do you know that the president is afraid that we will assassinate him at night, so he finds different hotels to stay in every day? We are not Aho rogues, how could we do such stupid things as night raids. I think the president himself should be very clear about it." Yes, why does he still pretend to be Kira Uenosuke and hide around? Because then he can meet prostitutes at Daigachaya under the pretext of avoiding attacks from union militants. And in this way, Even his hysterical wife can't interfere with his actions. This is the wishful thinking of the president so that he can have fun with the geisha with peace of mind."
"If that's the case, he's pretty old and cunning."
"No matter what the president does, he has such virtues, so we think he is a cunning and despicable man."
"I understand." The police officer looked a little at Guan who was taking notes, and then continued, "Then, what do you think about that secretary named Hui Yuan?"
"Our union has a very bad opinion of him, just like the company hates me, so he and I are on the same level."
This time, Lianzhiwa took over the answer, and he opened his mouth wide and said with a smile.The two of them are like doubles players in tennis. According to the area they are responsible for, they decide which one to counter the opponent's ball.
"Everyone says that Huiyuan is a very calculating and indifferent man. The proof is that he has no friends. Even if he makes friends with others, when the other party is not worth using, he will immediately kick him away. He His personality is ruthless and cold. He is the president's follower and his loyal spokesperson. How can we appreciate him?"
He opened his mouth wide and laughed again.Perhaps because he has absolute confidence in his alibi, his smile is very cheerful.
"By the way, is it true that private letter review is true? If it is true, what is the use of them reading other people's letters?"
"This is to suppress voices complaining that the salary is too low." Narumi replied again this time.
"Many female employees were born in rural areas in other counties and cities, and now live in factory dormitories. If they reveal their dissatisfaction with low wages to their parents, or if their parents send letters recommending them to work in other companies with better pay, the company will regard them as Female slaves in the feudal era would run away. The company is most afraid of this kind of thing, so they open the private messages of employees to check the content, so as to prevent the outside world from knowing the grievances and dissatisfaction of employees, and prevent employees from fleeing.”
"Before, you often uttered wild words, saying that you were going to give the president a funeral. There are also such slogans posted here..."
"This is a misunderstanding." The vice chairman didn't look flustered at all.
"We didn't intend to kill him, but we wanted to drive him down from the position of president. We hope that he will resign from the position of president and become president or something, so that someone who understands the trade union movement and has more business skills can take over the company. For example, we actually hope that the vice president who is currently abroad can be promoted to the position of president."
His appearance is slender, but he seems to be a very good theorist and orator.But if it weren't for this, he wouldn't have been elected as a representative of the union.
After the question, Guan's hand holding the pencil was drenched with sweat.
The period of three weeks before the summer solstice was the longest day, but when the two of them left the gate of the factory, the disordered and chaotic streets unique to Adachi Ward were gradually shrouded in darkness.
"Did they really take the train on the Hokuriku Main Line?"
"I don't know, but the two of them seem very confident."
"It's really unusual for the chairman and vice chairman to travel together. I always feel that there must be some tricks in it."
"But on such an important occasion, it should be natural for the chairman and deputy chairman to attend together. If the strike action is successful, the chairman will naturally go out alone with his head held high, but this time they both have to apologize for their incompetence .”
"Exactly."
Having said that, Seki still couldn't easily accept the simple idea of the minister of criminal police. Koinokubo and Narumi were on a business trip together, and the president was killed when the two of them were not in Tokyo. He always felt that two things should be seen together. It seems a bit deliberate by coincidence.
"Maybe I have to ask you to actually confirm it." After walking for a while, Sudou suddenly uttered this sentence.
"You mean to meet the commander of the 'Sea of Japan'?"
"That's right, this matter needs to be investigated."
"yes."
"But in this case, their photos are needed. If they have clear photos, they will borrow them, and if they don't, they will be photographed."
If you go with a photo that doesn't look like you, it will cause disputes.Guan had a painful experience when he was young, and was scolded by the director afterwards.
The two walked in silence for a while, thinking carefully about the content of the conversation just now.The smell of soup came from the noodle shop facing the road, and when they smelled it, they suddenly felt hungry, and they looked at each other.
"Let's fill our stomachs first. Wait, it's better to call the shaman before this."
As if trying to see through the evening streets, Sudou looked for the phone booth with wide eyes.
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