Chapter 6 Red King's Shadow Grass

Toshio Mizuno sat in the spacious office, stretching himself on the swivel chair.It's rare to be so free this afternoon.Yuko Saneda, a typist who also served as secretary, was just as bored as he was, reading the magazine leisurely on her lap.There is a lazy atmosphere in the office. The phone rang.Yuko Saneda jumped up from her chair and reached for the microphone.The telephone was placed on Mizuno's desk, but usually Yuko always answered the phone first.This is because, under certain circumstances, it is necessary to lie that Mizuno has gone out. But this time Mizuno waved his right hand to stop Yuko from taking the microphone.He answered the phone himself.

"I'm Mizuno." When Mizuno called, he always kept his voice down on purpose.This may be a natural function of his desire to hide his age: lowering his voice can make people think that he is more than 33 years old. "Is it the executive director? You want to kill Mrs. Zun, don't you?" The other party's voice was lower than Mizuno's.It was an unfamiliar voice. "Hey, hello, you got the wrong person, right? Here is..." "No, that's right! I'm calling Mr. Mizuno Toshio, the managing director of Mizuno Pharmaceutical Company." "But...hey, who are you? Isn't that impolite? Don't give me your name..."

"It doesn't matter whether you give your name or not. Let's talk about the matter just said. What are you going to do? Am I right?" "Nonsense! I told the chairman..." At this point, Mizuno swallowed his words.On the one hand, this was because Yoko Mieda was watching the phone uneasily; Feel very uncomfortable.He thought: "She is indeed the chairman. But why can't she be called 'wife' or 'wife'?" "Hey, I don't want to hear your excuse!" The other party didn't care about Mizuno's subtle pause, and said to himself, "Anyway, you want to murder your wife. This is a fact, there is no doubt about it. For this matter, I want to How about talking to you? Could you accept a proposal?"

... Mizuno remained silent.He wanted to hang up, but he wanted to hear that suggestion again. "It's very simple, just let me bear the murder. If you want to kill, I'm afraid it's not enough..." "You? For what?" "No reason. For you! You want to do it, but you can't. I'll do it for you. That's what it means. How?" "But who are you?" Mizuno stopped putting on airs.It seems that he has fallen into the trap set by his unidentified opponent and has caught up with him. "Want to know my identity and name? It's against the rules to ask this. Why is it necessary? Be serious. If you accept my self-recommendation. Please put a white flower in the vase on the desk tomorrow morning. Understand? Yes White flowers!"

"Ah, hello...then..." Mizuno wanted to ask, "What about the conditions?" But he stopped talking.He thought, "This is dangerous!" If he offered to negotiate terms, it would be tantamount to admitting that he wanted to kill his wife Kumiko. "What did you say?" the other party asked back.His voice was still low. Mizuno didn't answer, but hung up the phone. "Managing director, what's the matter?" Saneda Yuko stood up, turned her well-proportioned and slender body to Mizuno, and asked softly. "Ok?" "Look at you sweating!" Yuko took out a handkerchief and handed it to Mizuno.

"Really? I'm a little tired." Mizuno took the handkerchief and wiped his forehead with it.A strong smell of perfume stimulated his nasal membranes, and the fragrance undoubtedly came from the handkerchief. "Are you tired? It's better not to be too nervous." Yuko seemed to be talking to herself.Maybe she felt it was wrong to get too deeply involved in Mizuno's life. "Yeah." Mizuno replied casually.However, the few words from that phone call just now kept circling in his mind and became a fixed melody: "Do you understand? White flowers! Do you understand? White flowers!"

Toshio Mizuno is the second husband of Kumiko Mizuno, chairman of Mizuno Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.Six years ago, he had been just a clerk in the secretarial department, but after marrying Kumiko, he changed his wife's surname and became the managing director at the same time.Mizuno Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. became a joint stock company after the war. In fact, it is almost privately owned, so there are things like this. The company was founded by seniors of Kumiko's ex-husband Yoshikichi Mizuno.In Yaoji's generation, it was changed to a joint-stock system, and the shares were distributed to the company's key personnel.However, Yaoji still owns more than half of the shares.

But Yaoji died in a car accident seven years ago.He has no children, and his widow, Kumiko, inherits the entire estate.As a result, Kumiko became the chairman of Mizuno Pharmaceutical Company.She has the skills of a businessman, and she also encountered the golden age of pharmaceutical companies-the so-called new drug boom.Perhaps because of these two conditions, in her generation, the company's operating results suddenly soared.By the time of the first anniversary of her deceased husband's death, her position within the company was already solid. Therefore, she decided to marry Toshio Maekawa, a staff member of the secretarial department, just after the memorial ceremony for the anniversary of her ex-husband's death. It can be said that no one dared to object.

People whispered: "The chairman is also a real person! This is also human nature." "What's more, it's a woman. She is busy up and down in the company, which is hard enough for her. A woman, after all, wants to go home." These words may in a sense reflect the staff's goodwill towards her. Kumiko was 30 years old when she remarried.The new husband, Maekawa, changed his surname to Mizuno at the age of 27. Toshio Mizuno, on the other hand, approached the marriage purely from the perspective of interests.He majored in business administration in college, and he is very confident in the management of modern companies.He has had a dream since he was a student to actually run a company, try out his theories, and make reasonable revisions to them.However, considering the distance between his dream and reality, he was almost disheartened.It will take 20 to 30 years to climb from the position of a practitioner to the throne of an operator if the promotion goes well.If the fortune is not good, the lessons learned from the past are that many people have reached the retirement age and have to leave the enterprise before they become entrepreneurs.Thinking of it this way, he couldn't bear the feeling of loneliness and felt anxious.He thought: "My life will end before I can realize the dream I cherished when I was young. Man, who can bear this kind of grievance?"

Therefore, although he knew that his colleagues looked at him coldly, he still worked hard and sought appreciation.He desperately wants to realize his dream, racing against time, hoping to become a business owner as soon as possible. The sky has eyes, and he was spotted by the wise eyes of the female chairman.In addition, to some women, he was also considered handsome, and perhaps this paved the way for him as well. When Kumiko proposed marriage to him, he first weighed the pros and cons.Kumiko was over 30 years old, and her appearance was not considered handsome. She was approaching the peak of middle age at that time, brown spots appeared on her skin, and her body curves had disappeared.He also calmly considered the negative side.But in spite of these disadvantages, he agreed to the marriage.Relying on the strength of his marriage, he can leap to the throne of business owner. This charm is enough to make up for the loss, and it is a deal full of dividends.That's what he thinks. "For a man, the most important thing is to succeed in his career. Compared with this goal, the desire to fall in love with a beautiful woman and marry a beautiful woman is insignificant." This is his calculation and a philosophy of life.

However, somewhere in his calculations there was an error. The biggest mistake was that it was unexpected that Kumiko would still refuse to give up the position of chairman after her marriage, and half of the position of "managing director" granted to him was just a name.He once proposed to improve the company's organization reasonably, but Kumiko rejected it in an instant on the grounds of insufficient funds.The company's system is: even important matters must be submitted to the chairman for decision, and nothing can be done without Kumiko's permission. In the second and third years of marriage, he also tried to confront Kumiko's tyranny.Kumiko, however, hardly minded the resistance.But he didn't have the courage to divorce Kumiko and find another job in another company.In the new company, he will have to deal with the accounting books again, copying them by hand, and finally asking his superiors to stamp them.He didn't want to go back to that life.As the years passed, he also gave up.He often laughs at himself: "I'm with Kumiko, it's only necessary for my sex life." However, he gradually got used to a comfortable life, and he is willing to live in this position. Still, he often recalls his student ambitions and thinks to himself, "If only Kumiko died." So saying he wants Kumiko dead does him absolutely no wrong. About that strange phone call, Mizuno told no one.He thought: "Maybe it's deliberately embarrassing me, or it's a prank." But on the other hand, he had to admit that he really had this desire. That night, he deliberately walked into the study with a novel he didn't want to read, and postponed bedtime so that Kumiko could go to bed first.In the details of this private life, Kumiko is beyond her reach.Mizuno pondered the call for about an hour after Kumiko fell asleep. First, he thought the caller knew him.The other party suppressed his voice so low, because he was afraid that Mizuno would recognize his voice.Secondly, the other party can infer that Mizuno wants Kumiko to die, which shows that he is well aware of the company's situation and Mizuno's character.In addition, he asked Mizuno to put white flowers in the vase on the desk tomorrow as a sign of agreement, how could he see this sign?If it is an employee within the company, it can be seen at a glance through the glass door.From this point of view, the other party is an employee of the company. However, what Mizuno is most concerned about is whether to put white flowers in the vase tomorrow. If that call wasn't just a prank or a trick, but a signal from a real "killer", then plugging in white flowers is indeed a feasible way.This is not written in black and white, you don't have to worry about a third party seeing it, and you don't have to be afraid to leave evidence. Except for Mizuno and the killer, only God knows, and from the killer's point of view, he can get Mizuno's answer without revealing it. own true face. "This kind of thing is too fictional, but because of this, it seems real." Mizuno was already dubious about the phone call. However, he was still hesitant about whether to agree to the other party's request.He wasn't indecisive about whether or not to kill Kumiko.At the beginning of their marriage, they just regarded this wife as a "means", but now they already know that this "means" is worthless, and there is no need to hesitate to get rid of her. The question was, if the murder was successful, would the case have no bearing on his safety?He is worried about this.If Kumiko died at the hands of someone, the police would naturally guide the person who would benefit the most from her death.Following this principle, the police will definitely suspect Mizuno.Of course, considering Mizuno's status as the executive director of a pharmaceutical company, the police may not arrest or detain him hastily, but I am afraid that persistent interrogation and stalking will inevitably be unavoidable.He couldn't bear it.He will suffer from neurosis, and will inevitably confess voluntarily in the end. In doing so, he was completely destroyed. What's more, the killer may be arrested, and he will undoubtedly confess to Mizuno.In this way, Mizuno will also be arrested, and he will inevitably be detained for a long time.Mizuno thought it impossible for him to deny his connection to the killer while in prolonged detention. "It won't work after all." Mizuno came to a conclusion.He felt that it was a pity to give up this hard-won opportunity, but he didn't have the courage to take the risk.He had nightmares that night, and even dreamed of the police interrogating him during the investigation. "That proposal is unacceptable." He made up his mind, but he was still thinking about it.On the way to work the next day, a car drove past the flower shop, and he felt a little itchy in his heart, and the idea of ​​buying white flowers flashed by. So, when he arrived at the company and walked into the office, he naturally set his sights on the vase on the desk. There is a bouquet of king shadow grass in the vase.The flowers of Junyingcao are naturally white. He froze at the door.Miedaoko asked him good morning, but he didn't respond, just staring at the vase.He couldn't comprehend the scene before him.Who, against his will, planted this bouquet of white flowers?Isn't this a trap? "Managing Director, what's the matter with you? You're turning blue!" Hearing Yuko's words, he recovered from the momentary collapse. "No, it's nothing." He replied with a straight face and a short sentence. "Even if I talk too much, executive director, why don't you go see a doctor?" Yuko continued to speak. Mizuno thought: "It's worthy of the name, Yuko is a good girl. I like her tenderness and consideration. As a woman, Kumiko doesn't have this advantage." "Well, it's no big deal! But you planted Junyingcao, right?" "Yes. A friend in Hokkaido sent it to me. It was sent by airmail! So the fragrance is strong and beautiful!" "Really? You really inserted it? Didn't someone tell you to insert it?" "Of course not. What's the matter? The managing director doesn't like it?" "No, it's not that I don't like it..." But Mizuno didn't know what to do with the bunch of flowers.Tell Yuko to throw it away immediately, it will disappoint Yuko's intention to please him.What's more, the killer may have seen this bunch of white flowers and is taking action.He thought, "Call the police?" But the police wouldn't believe it.Thinking about it again, is this accidental coincidence the revelation of fate? Not knowing the details, Yuko added: "I think the flowers are very cute, and I distributed them to the Minister of General Affairs and all the colleagues in the secretarial department." Mizuno suddenly felt funny.Is this thing worth worrying about?That call was most likely purely a prank.For such a trivial matter, if you make a fuss and report to the police, or ask Yuko to throw away the flowers, you will be laughed at instead. He forced himself to stop thinking about the bouquet.What's more, today is scheduled to go to the factory for inspection. However, while Mizuno was inspecting the factory, he received a report of Kumiko's death on Wednesday.Wednesday is Kumiko's day off, she doesn't work in the company.Kumiko said that it is necessary to rest one day a week for beauty. Kumiko died in the bedroom where the husband and wife lived together.Unexpectedly, her body was naked.When Mizuno drove home from the factory, the prosecutor of the District Prosecutor's Office had completed the autopsy, and the identification department had also completed the on-site identification.The police immediately led him into the bedroom. The moment he entered the room, Mizuno turned his eyes away.This is not the reason for the horrible scene of the murder.In terms of the degree of misery, the scene was far more peaceful than he expected.On the way home by car, Mizuno knew that his wife had been killed, and a terrible scene appeared in his mind: the house was in a mess, Kumiko was unrecognizable, and there were bloodstains around the body... However, the facts are not the same as Imagine something completely different. Without the presence of the stern-looking police detective, the room would have been the same as usual, and it would have been impossible to imagine that this was the scene of a murder. Mizuno looked away out of shame.He married Kumiko, not for love, but on the basis of interest.He didn't love the wife himself, but the moment he saw his wife lying naked on the bed, he was still ashamed of his wife's nakedness being exposed to outsiders. What's more, Kumiko's body did not hide her shame.Her lower half was so slack that it gave the impression that she had exposed it nonchalantly just before her death.This made Mizuno associate with Kumiko's situation at that time. Mizuno was puzzled, "What were you doing when Kumiko was killed?" He asked the young police detective beside him: "Did she die like this?" The young criminal policeman cast a questioning look at the older man standing next to the corpse, as if asking him: "Can you answer this question?" The older man, since Mizuno entered this room, has been watching him with cold eyes.Mizuno felt that he was a well-versed police officer who was born for this job.Mizuno felt the pressure of his gaze. "By the way, that's how she died." The police officer answered clearly.At the same time, he paid attention to Mizuno's reaction. "Ah...but..." "Oh, it's inconvenient to talk here, find another place. Is there a suitable place?" His tone of voice to Mizuno was in the form of asking for advice, but in fact he was giving an order. Mizuno led him into the reception room.The officer produced his business card.He is the investigation director of the S Police Department Yamauchi Police Department. After exchanging pleasantries, they sat down on the sofa.Mizuno apologized: "I was supposed to make tea, but today the maid is on vacation..." "You're welcome. By the way, what happened to the maid's vacation?" "One day a week. On Wednesday, my wife doesn't go to work in the company, and I also give the maid a day off. We are usually not at home, and the main purpose of hiring a maid is to guard the door. My wife wants to be quiet on the rest day, and I don't want anyone Excuse me, so send the maid back." "Oh, so that's the case. However, there may be other reasons for the madam to send the maid back?" The words of the Yamauchi Police Department seem to have overtones. "How do you say that?" Mizuno didn't understand. "Okay, let's start from the beginning." For some reason, the Yamauchi Police Department changed the subject. "Just after 11 o'clock, the S Department received a call reporting that someone had been killed." "Call! Is it a man?" "Hey, listen to me first. The murder scene mentioned in the phone call is the house. When we rushed here to take a look, we saw that the wife was dead, just as she was just now. Ah, yes! Mr. Mizuno, you know Is it Katsuji Watanabe?" "Katsuji Watanabe? Ah, I know him. He's an employee of the company secretarial department... What's the matter with Watanabe?" Katsuji Watanabe is a young employee who joined the company four or five years ago and is not yet married.He is handsome and well-groomed. He is assigned to the secretary department and has won the trust of the chairman, Kumiko. He has been a guest at this home several times. "How is he as a person?" Yamauchi Police Department did not answer Mizuno's question, but asked himself. "Not very clear. I only know that he is a young man who dares to do something and has a decent character." "Oh! This Watanabe, he was in this room when we came here." "Watanabe? What's going on here?" "Well, he was the one who made the call just now. He claimed to have killed someone." "what?" "That is to say, it was this Watanabe who killed Madam. This is not a misunderstanding, he said it himself..." "But, why does Watanabe..." "I heard his statement just now and took it to the police station. According to his self-confession..." At this point, the Yamauchi Police Department took out a pack of "Pastime" brand cigarettes from his pocket, took out one, and lit it. According to the Yamauchi Police Department, Katsuji Watanabe's confession is as follows. Since a few months ago, Watanabe and Kumiko have had weekly trysts and affairs.Among the lovers, Kumiko is the proactive one.However, as far as Watanabe is concerned, it is half for pleasure and half for maintaining the Phnom Penh rice bowl of the "chairman's lover". The two almost always met in Mizunotaku's bedroom on Wednesdays, when Kumiko was on vacation.It was Kumiko's idea, and she was afraid of being seen in other places.As the chairman of the board, Kumiko has urgently needed documents to be reviewed even during her holidays, and Watanabe took on the task of delivering the documents and the chairman's seal. Before Watanabe's visit, Kumiko was ready to wait for her lover.Watanabe arrives at Zhaixie, the bedroom of a person.That's how things work. Kumiko always hugs Watanabe naked, and then makes various requests to Watanabe, some of which even Watanabe dare not obey.However, in order to fully satisfy the middle-aged woman's desires, he had to compromise, and he did so cruelly.One of these demands was to have him strangle Kumiko by the neck. The bodies of the two merged into one, and their desires continued to fill. The moment they climbed to the top, Kumiko's body convulsed, and she yelled: "Choking!" Watanabe moved in response to the sound, surrounded Kumiko's neck with both palms, and pinched vigorously. Kumiko fell into a coma for a while due to the intense pleasure or difficulty in breathing.Watanabe immediately let go of Kumiko and dressed herself.When he was dressed, Kumiko woke up from the coma.There are precedents for this. Things continued in the same way that day, until Kumiko passed out.Because the weather has turned hot, both of them are sweating profusely, which was not the case before. Watanabe wiped off his sweat and put on his clothes, thinking that Kumiko was gradually regaining consciousness, he looked towards the bed. In an instant, Watanabe shuddered all over, as if his body no longer belonged to him.He didn't think Kumiko was dead, but he might have had a hunch.His hands, which were fastening the leash, stopped moving.He hesitated for a moment before approaching Kumiko. He stretched out his hand and shook Kumiko's body. Although the warmth was still there, it was as heavy as a dead object. He was so embarrassed that he tried to feel his pulse, but he couldn't feel it.As a result, he was in a mess.He put his ear to the underside of the breast he had just caressed, but he didn't hear a sound.He put his palm close to his mouth and nose again, but he didn't feel a trace of breath. "She's dead." Watanabe thought.He immediately thought of fleeing the scene.But after thinking about it, the police used modern investigative techniques to find out his crime in a short time.In addition to his fingerprints, there are many traces of him in this room.It is simply impossible to destroy them all. Helpless, he called the police station and confessed everything... After hearing the above situation confessed by Watanabe, Mizuno's thoughts were so chaotic that even he couldn't clean it up.He had to think of two things at the same time. Kumiko finds a lover without telling Mizuno.The lover is either someone else or an employee of the company.After all, this incident was a blow to him.He knew he didn't love Kumiko, but his reaction to Kumiko's stealing a man to raise her was bordering on anger. "Wednesday is off, so it's for this kind of business?" The attitude of Kumiko he saw in the bedroom just now came to his mind.On that fat, white body, Watanabe... she brazenly crossed her legs, supporting him, her two thick arms with the scars of the vaccination tightly wrapping around Watanabe's back. "Kumiko is not a woman after all, but a bitch!" However, while Mizuno was half angry and half self-deprecating thinking about Kumiko and Watanabe's relationship, there was another thing on his mind. This is the call from the day before and the white flowers of Junyingcao. "Isn't this related to Kumiko's death after all? Could it be that Kumiko died by accident?" "I'm sorry, but at this moment of grief when I learned of the unfortunate death of my wife, I would like to ask a few more questions." Yamauchi Police Department said, taking out a black leather notepad. "Ah, tell me." "That's good. Mr. Mizuno, do you know nothing about the relationship between your wife and Watanabe?" "Of course!" Mizuno's tone was very sharp, "Where have you seen a husband who acquiesced to his wife stealing a husband?" "That's true. However, the relationship between men and women can be judged by common sense. A case I handled in the past was like this. The husband indulged too much when he was young and couldn't raise children. There was no artificial insemination method at that time. In order to let the wife give birth A child, the husband allowed her to have sex with other men. Unexpectedly, the wife fell in love with the young agent... As a result, the husband killed his wife." "What does that mean? You mean I'm sterile?" "Oh, that's not what it means. Just an example." "Even if it's an example, it's too rude, right? You even hinted that I killed my wife..." "Oh?" The Yamauchi Police Department showed a shocked expression, as if they didn't understand what Mizuno was talking about.However, his eyes were piercing.Mizuno was flustered: "No! I can't lose my word!" "I didn't say that Mr. Mizuno killed someone. I don't know why you misunderstood my question..." The Yamauchi Police Department pretended to be stupid.Mizuno thought: "Have I been fooled?" He decided not to mention the matter of Junyingcao no matter what. "Okay, I'll continue to ask questions." The Yamauchi Police Department easily changed the subject in less than 10 seconds. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid this is asking the bottom of my private life. Did Madam ask you to point to her neck when she was with you?" Mizuno remained silent.He didn't know how to answer it well.According to Watanabe's self-confession, which was relayed by the Yamauchi Police Department, Kumiko made various demands on Watanabe in bed.But Mizuno had no idea that Kumiko had such a side.In terms of her age, Kumiko is indeed among the group of middle-aged women, but as far as Mizuno knows, she is far from the middle-aged women in terms of her words in love, strength of desire, and skills in bed.The husband and wife seldom have intercourse, but her attitude always complied with Mizuno's request helplessly.Perhaps it is because of the masculinization of the physiological function due to the concentration on the career.Thinking of this, Mizuno gave up hope.Because of this, Mizuno was very dissatisfied with the "example" given by the police department just now. "How to answer?" Mizuno was at a loss.Answering the truth would be tantamount to admitting that he could not satisfy Kumiko, and it would hurt his self-esteem as a man.He was in a mess. However, the Yamauchi Police Department did not seem to notice Mizuno's psychological contradictions.He made an expression of not being able to wait, and urged Mizuno to answer. In order to delay time, Mizuno asked back: "Do I have to tell you this kind of personal privacy?" "No, no, of course you don't have to. I don't want to delve into your private life. However, if you are willing to speak out, I am very grateful. Mr. Mizuno, maybe the prosecutor will ask you to testify in court, and then there is no way to refuse... ..." "Really? Now that I've come to this point, I'll tell you. It's my wife's strange disease." Mizuno said while thinking: "After all, he told a lie." It was a man's vanity that drove him to tell a lie. "Oh, yes! Has it been like this since marriage?" "No, her ex-husband is very weak... I'm really embarrassed to say that she seems to have developed this eccentricity for her..." Mizuno said, scratching his scalp, thinking that the performance was very wonderful. "Really? It was originally a habit formed by Mr. Mizuno, but once a woman has a habit, it seems that she can't get rid of it... Also, she usually sleeps naked?" "Ah, yes!" This is also a lie.When Kumiko was in the same room with Mizuno, she never took off her clothes. "Really? I basically understand." The Yamauchi Police Department said, closing the notepad.But he remembered another thing: "Ah, that's right! Madame's heart is bad, isn't she?" "Yes, she is fat, and her heart is naturally bad. What's the matter?" "Ah, I should have told you earlier. The cause of Madam's death, pathologically speaking, was heart paralysis." "Oh? Didn't it suffocate to death?" "It hasn't been dissected yet, so I can't be sure. Cardiac paralysis can also occur when the neck is strangled and breathing is difficult. That's what the forensic doctor said." "So, Watanabe didn't kill him?" "No, if the neck is not strangled, there will be no heart paralysis, so... this is not a problem..." For some reason, the Yamauchi Police Department was vague and ended the questioning. The next day, the police sent Katsuji Watanabe to the prosecutor's office in the name of a "murder suspect".However, the person in charge of this procedure, the Yamauchi Police Department, is not sure whether his behavior constituted a "homicide". Homicide is constituted where the killing of another person is committed with the intent to kill.Murder of others is naturally a crime of homicide. Even in the case of killing others on a temporary basis, the law also believes that the murderer has the intention to kill in an instant, and most cases are classified as homicide.However, in the case of Watanabe, it cannot be determined that he has murderous intentions towards Kumiko.This is still an open question. Sure enough, on the third day, Prosecutor Maejima from the District Prosecutor's Office summoned the Yamauchi Police Department.He wanted to know something before interrogating Watanabe. Prosecutor Maejima seems to be about 10 years younger than the Yamauchi Police Department.Perhaps it was for this reason that he was soft-spoken to the Yamauchi Police Department.This is not like a prosecutor talking to a police officer, but rather like a younger generation discussing issues with an older generation among fellow police officers. Prosecutor Maeshima asked questions about the confession record. "Is there enough evidence for Watanabe's confession?" "As far as the subordinate's investigation and the client's confession are concerned, no loopholes have been found. Therefore, I think it is unreasonable to send him for trial as a murder suspect..." Yamauchi Police Department frankly admitted that he had no confidence. "It seems so. According to this situation, it can only be defined as negligent death. In this case, the maximum penalty is a fine of 50,000 yuan." "Fifty thousand yuan?" In the case of homicide, the death penalty or life imprisonment shall be imposed, and at least three years or more fixed-term imprisonment shall be imposed.This is a world of difference from a fine of less than 50,000 yuan. "Well, if the case were really premature death, there would be no need to force a manslaughter charge. Our intention is not to punish the defendant severely, but to impose the appropriate sentence on the offender. . . , and pretending to be negligent death, the problem is serious!" "Oh? Please tell me." "It seems to me that various scenarios can be conceived. First, assuming that Watanabe himself had some motive for killing Kumiko Mizuno..." "Ah, I've thought about this too. But after checking it straight, Watanabe really has no motive!" "Could it be that Watanabe was tired of the victim and wanted to end their relationship, but couldn't get rid of it, so he became murderous?" "I thought of this first, but I couldn't find any evidence. We also searched Watanabe's house and checked his social relations, but we didn't find any clues. In addition, I also suspected that Watanabe made some kind of request. When the victim refused, he started to kill. But this is also not beyond the scope of imagination." "I understand. Another point, Watanabe said that the victim had a strange disease and asked the other party to strangle her neck during sex. What do you think of this?" "The victim's husband also confirmed this. He also confirmed that the victim usually sleeps naked on the bed. I don't think there is a problem." "Is it……" Prosecutor Maejima was lost in thought.He took out a cigarette and kept tapping on the table.Then he said softly: "It seems that Watanabe himself has no motive for killing..." "Yes, as long as the victim's death does him no good, the motive is difficult to establish." "But someone will benefit, right?" "Yes. First of all, the husband Mizuno Toshio. Because the Mizuno family has no other relatives. The real estate, shares, etc. under the wife's name are all owned by him. The company he runs is not small! And no one gets in the way, he can be free dispose of this property." "Indeed, is there any article in it? Has this clue been checked?" Prosecutor Maejima's eyes lit up immediately.The so-called "articles" in the judicial circle means "the smell of crime".Obviously, he wondered if Toshio Mizuno commissioned Watanabe to kill Kumiko. "Not established." The Yamauchi Police Department first stated the conclusion, "There is no evidence, and Watanabe firmly denied it. To be honest, I once said to him at the risk of trying to induce a confession: 'If you tell the truth, you will be lessened. ’ But he laughed and didn’t bother to argue with me.” "Well, it still doesn't work..." "Moreover, Watanabe's friends in the company and his colleagues in the secretarial department all said that he is relying on the chairman, and he and the managing director are not close to each other." "Okay. From this point of view, the result is still negligent death. Besides, Mr. Yamauchi, Watanabe reported the case to the police before the case was discovered. This is voluntary surrender, and the fine should be light. Don't you think this matter is too serious?" Is it a coincidence?" "Yes, I feel the same way. Maybe it's true, though. We're paranoid..." "Yes. Well, here we go..." Prosecutor Maejima questioned Watanabe thoroughly.He made full use of the 20-day detention period allowed by law and launched a fierce interrogation offensive.During the period, he also asked Toshio Mizuno several times to be present as a reference person and asked him about the situation.In the end, however, he did not overturn the police statement. despite this.He is still worried about treating this case as "negligent death".This is the professional sensitivity of prosecutors.He thought: "It doesn't matter, let's prosecute him for homicide?" But he didn't have the confidence to prove the motive of the murder. Then, he considered prosecuting for "atrocity causing death".However, that act was consensual, and the forensic medical examination report confirmed that there was no trauma other than the choked finger marks on the neck, so it was unreasonable. As a result, the Prosecutor's Office charged Watanabe Katsuji only with "negligent death".And on the day of the prosecution.Watanabe was released on bail. Two years have passed. Naturally, Toshio Mizuno became the chairman of Mizuno Pharmaceutical Company and has already married a new wife.Kumiko couldn't wait to get married just after the anniversary of Kumiko's death.The bride is Yuko Saneda who has been serving as his secretary.She resigned immediately after the marriage. Peace and tranquility for the new family.Yuko is still the same as when she was a secretary, caring for him and sharing his worries.This is the way of a wife that the late Kumiko did not have, and it won Mizuno's favor.Mizuno is content with this marriage. On the other hand, when he took office as chairman, he began to implement modern management methods.这种改革也伴随着人事调动，虽然遭到工会反对，但还是执行下去了。现代化的成果渐渐出现，他这董事长的宝座，如今已经坐稳了。 他周围的一切无不是顺利地运转。久美子之死带来的烦恼，已经被他赶到了记忆库中一个小小的角落里。有时候自然难免触动往事的记忆，但每逢其时，水野便让另一股意识的洪流将它冲走。他心里认定：“想也是白搭。” 可是某个星期天，他家里来了一个电话，迫使他不得不思考两年前那桩不堪回首的往事。 电话是优子去接的。听了对方的话，她皱了皱眉头，召唤水野。她用右手捂住话筒口，叫了一声“你来”，然后压低声音说道： “说是渡边。你接吗？” “渡边？”水野一时想不起这个人来。 “哎呀，就是那一次……” “啊，是他？他现在找我干什么呢？” “就是呀！我问他有什么事，他说要直接和你谈。” 水野犹豫了一瞬，接着拿定了主意。 “好，我跟他说。”他接过了话筒。 “喂，我是水野……” “啊，是你吗？久疏问候呀！” “唉，别客气嘛……找我什么事？” “说来话长呀。本来嘛，审判结束以后，我就该登门道谢的……” 水野的心底有个黑洞扩展开来。“这人说话转弯抹角，到底有什么打算？”不过，他竭力故作镇定。优子在一旁担心地察颜观色。 “啊，你说那件事呀？都过去两年啦！这么久了，你还记着呀？” “是呀。因为我中途患了病……” “患病？什么病呢？” “不知道。总觉得浑身无力，说不定是拘留生活的疲劳所致，三个月里除了起卧什么也不能干。” “这可是受罪了！喂，怎么样？是个什么结果？” “啊？哦，是说判决吗？罚款三万元。” “是吗？三万元？已经交了吧？”话刚出口，他便想：这种多余的话还是不说为好。 “没交啊。我正是想跟你商谈这件事……” “这件事？是指什么？” “这个——也包括我今后的生计等等，还想请你费心关照……” “你今后的生计？哎呀，这不是牛头不对马嘴吗？” "Really?" “那当然！你想想吧，哪儿有这样的好人，会去照顾一个和他老婆通奸又把他老婆杀死的汉子！”水野语气强硬，一半是为了说给身边的优子听听。 “别硬充好汉啦！请回忆一下吧。你还记得那君影草的暗号吗？” ... 水野知道自己的脸色已变。他一时说不出话来。 “啊，喂喂！”渡边在电话另一头喊叫，“无论如何，今晚8点上N河堤来吧，那一带耳目不多，商谈一下总可以吧。8点钟呀！如果你不来，明天我就登门拜访，向尊夫人……”渡边的口气咄咄逼人。水野连忙答道： “好，我去！我去！” The phone is disconnected. “你怎么啦？汗都出来了！”优子说着，用手绢替水野揩拭额上的汗水。“啊？”水野觉得不可思议，“曾几何时好像有过同样的事情……”可是水野记不清是在什么时候了。 “嗯，没什么大不了的。渡边想在今晚见我。” “哎呀，那个人，他要到家里来？可怕呀！我不答应！” “嗯，这我想到了，所以约好在外面会见。” “会出事吗？” “哪儿话……别担心！他不能把我怎么样……” “那就好。可我……”优子仍然表示放心不下。 水野接着走进了书房。他担心优子跟着进来，好在她似乎还有家务没有做完，继续干她的活儿去了。 水野在用于读书的帆布睡椅上坐下，点燃一支香烟。他想清理思路。可想而知，如果不明白渡边的想法和他的欲求，与他会面是很危险的。 首先他要把两年前的情况回忆一遍。 那个奇怪的电话，便是一切的开端。在那个电话里，他流露了希望久美子死亡的心愿。在某种意义上，这是事实。这里就有个问题，打那个电话的人恐怕就是渡边，但他是怎么知道水野这个秘密愿望的呢？ 那个电话的第二天，久美子便死于非命。当时水野不曾把那个电话与久美子之死紧密联系起来加以思考，但如今看来，两者之间毕竟是有关系的。根据渡边今天在电话里透露的口风，大约渡边在那一天把优子为水野插上的君影草误认为委托杀人的暗号了，于是他便着手进行谋杀。然而渡边为什么要杀久美子呢？还有，久美子和渡边的关系是不是单纯的两性结合？这里有没有某种秘密的背景呢？ 这些姑且不论，因久美子之死获利最大的是水野本人。他就任了董事长，继承了财产，还娶了个年轻的后妻。看起来，一切都在为他而运转。当时警方似乎也曾疑及水野，几次对他提出老一套的问题。可是，他自然不曾说出那君影草的事情。那白花并不是他插上去的，而且很难想象渡边与君影草有什么关系。更何况他不想多此一举，自找麻烦。 上面这些情况，水野一边吸烟一边想着，总是不得要领。他无法构成特别明确的推理。 “现在是了结的时候了。”他失去了指望，便下了这个结论。 “渡边是想要一笔钱吗？好吧，不妨给他十万二十万。” 渡边杀害久美子，究竟是如法庭判决所说，确系过失，还是出于某种动机蓄意谋害，至今还不清楚。不过水野因久美子之死而得到了恩惠却是事实。既然如此，是不妨给他一点“小费”的。这就是水野的想法。 这时响起了敲门声，优子送来了红茶。她见水野呆呆地望着天花板出神，便嗔怪地说： “哎呀，原来你闲着呀？” “嗯，我在想个问题。” “什么？是渡边先生的事情吧？” 在这些地方，优子总是敏感过人。这是她从秘书时代就有的。她经常把水野的一举一动看在眼里，连水野的心理活动也能察知。 在久美子生前，优子还是秘书的时候，水野见优子对他如此体贴，便误解为这是她对自己的爱情表示。 基于这种误解，有一次水野在赴宴归来的途中，便向优子调情，结果遭到拒绝。 “怎么样？你喜欢我吧？” 优子听了这话，冷冷答道： “嗯，我尊敬你。可这和喜欢不同。” "But……" “何况，就算我喜欢常务董事，还有夫人在吧？我可不想自找苦头！”优子一边说，一边斜眼打量水野的表情。 “是吗？那我跟妻子离婚怎么样？”也许是酒精在起作用，水野纠缠不休。 “哼哼，无理取闹！”优子笑了，风情毕露。对这个可爱的优子，水野怀有恋慕之情。然而他没有勇气进一步追求。他毕竟害怕久美子。 “不，我才不想渡边的事情……我想好了，给他一笔钱算了！暂且给我准备十万元吧。” “啊？给钱？为什么？” “没有特别的理由，只是我觉得他挺困难。” “可你这么做，反而会坏事的。” “坏事？” “对呀！这一来，就好像是你委托他杀人了，不是吗？” 水野不由得紧盯着优子的面孔。 “什么？你有这种想法？这可不是好玩的！我……” “哎呀！生气了？我赔罪嘛。就当我没说，只是设想嘛。” “设想也好，玩笑也好，都过分了！” 水野说着，把茶杯举到嘴边。可是，连他自己也难相信，他的心动摇了。他想：“我究竟为什么觉得心中有愧呢？”好像久美子真是由他托人杀害的，而他像被人击中了痛处，竟然狼狈不堪。这究竟是什么缘故呢？ “可我担心嘛！渡边先生会不会动武？” “他敢！他凭什么动武？” “那我就放心了。啊，没准还是给钱的好。舍不得几个钱，到头来惹祸上身，得不偿失呢！我这就去准备。” 优子突然改变了主张，说罢便离开了书房。 当天傍晚，水野在7点半钟出了家门。步行只用了20分钟，便来到了N河堤。他登上堤面，环顾四周，寻找渡边。没想到，就在他的身后，有个人说话了： “喂，我在这儿！刚才我一直跟着常务董事——不，跟着董事长走来的。” “那你干吗跟踪？” “跟踪？别说得这么难听。我只是担心你不来……” 渡边穿着工作服之类的衣裤。他在公司里服务时，职员当中就数他最爱修饰，可如今这身打扮却大不相同了。水野把眼前的这个男人上上下下打量一番。 “哎呀，你是看不惯我这身服装？没有职业，每天打短工，所以……” “是吗？受罪啦！” “不，这没什么！何况这种生活即将结束……” “呵！说说看，找到了什么好差事？” 水野这么一问，渡边撇了撇嘴唇，表情未免古怪。水野以为他是故意装模作样。 “你说什么？”渡边提高了嗓音，“董事长先生，别装蒜好不好？我这一生，不是得由董事长关照吗？” “你尽说怪话，叫人莫名其妙！我不记得许过这种诺言。” “且不说诺言吧，只要有过类似的事情，也就够了。” 水野懂得这话的含义。正因如此，他才带来了一定数目的钱钞。不过，终生关照又另当别论。 “别瞎扯啦！你这是白日做梦，不过也许是有什么误会吧？还有，久美子在世时，你和她干下了好事。现在你倒有脸来见我，好像满不在乎！” “你说那件事？怪哉！我的话你真的相信了？” "Huh? What do you mean?" “哎呀，就是我跟前任董事长相好的事嘛！那都是胡编的。” 渡边的话犹如晴天霹雳。 “胡编的？” “对，你想想吧，你自己也并不爱那位夫人吧？她根本没有女人的魅力嘛。” “可你那一天跟她睡觉总是事实吧？尸体检验的结果，验出了你的精液。” “这倒没错。可那种场合只好这么做了。你还不明白吗？” “啊！我真像掉进了迷魂阵！” “是吗？要不要我说明当时的情况？” 渡边接着说出了下面这番话： “你还记得吧？当时在秘书科，我是前任董事长的随员。由于职务关系，我几次到过府上，那时候我就想好了一些计划。我发现，董事长的休息日里府上没有女佣，而宅邸是那么宽敞，就是在屋里叫喊几声，外边也听不到声音。于是，那一天我刚到府上，立刻把董事长抱在怀里。董事长大吃一惊。这也难怪，平时我总像绵羊一般柔顺，是个唯唯诺诺的小职员，万没料到会有这般无礼的举动……” 当时，久美子给了渡边两记耳光，一边说：“干什么？你疯了？”可是渡边毫不怯阵。他早已料到多少会有抵抗。他从身后抱住肥胖的久美子，用右臂扼住她的脖子。不一会儿，久美子的身体瘫软了。这是一时昏厥，并没有死亡。 渡边把手脚无力的久美子搬进卧室，接着给她脱光衣服。他必须做得不露痕迹，使别人看了以为是久美子自愿脱衣的，便小心翼翼地避免弄破衣服，又把脱下的服装仔细地折叠起来。 一切准备停当，渡边正在脱自己的衣服，久美子恢复意识了。她惊叫一声，做出一种姿势，想掩藏自己一丝不挂的躯体。这引起了渡边的兴奋…… 渡边对水野说：“说实话，我最担心的事情，就是和那位夫人同床时能不能发生性行为。我的计划是伪装成性行为过先致死的假象，所以尸体上非留下交媾的痕迹不可。可是在水野夫人跟前，我对这方面信心不足。平时就没把她当做女人，只是尊奉为董事长。偏巧董事长叫了一声，又企图掩藏裸体，虽然我以前不曾在她身上感到女性魅力，可那个动作毕竟是带女性气的。这一来，我最担心的事情，居然进行得十分顺手。” 渡边就是这样强奸了久美子。在行为过程中，他用右手扼住久美子的脖颈，使劲掐了下去。久美子无辜死亡。 “此后的事情，你想必也很清楚了。警方的调查，也不出我的预料。虽然判决拖延了一些时间，但好歹以罚款三万元了结了。” N河堤是东京著名的男女幽会场所之一，但水野和渡边所在的这一带位于N河堤北端的僻静处，交通不便，所以几乎不见人影。 他们两人缓步行进，一边交谈。 “原来如此……”听完渡边的说明，水野轻轻叹息一声，“听了刚才的解释，才明白了你是怎样杀死久美子的。可你究竟是为了什么目的才做这种事呢？为了这个，警方追究你的罪责，法院又罚款三万元，这划得来吗？” “你说什么？”渡边突然提高了声调，“不是你托我干的吗？” “你在做梦吧？你别无理纠缠好不好？我怎么会委托你干这种事呢？”水野知道，最终免不了出几个钱打发渡边，但他想尽可能地杀价。而且，如果一开始就百依百顺，往后说不定还得一次又一次让步。 “不见得吧？哼，你想想那束君影草的事情吧！” “这件事首先是个误会。我根本不知道你在说些什么！” “别开玩笑！两年前我给你打过电话。我说，如果你想要我杀死夫人，就插上一束白花。第二天，你果然插上了君影草！” “怎么回事呀？我毫无印象……” “哈哈，水野先生，你这人好厉害！你叫部下去杀人，自己坐享其成，却把那部下扔掉不管！” 水野在交谈时，心中暗想：“还得抵挡一阵！”打过电话是事实，君影草出现在办公桌上也不假。那虽不是水野下令，但渡边把它误认为杀人指令，恐怕也是实情。然而了解内情的，惟有他和渡边而已。此事没有任何证据。如果抵赖到底，渡边也无可奈何。 “渡边君，你还要血口喷人，我可要生气了！我根本没想杀害久美子。” “是么？可你至少巴不得她快点儿死吧？” “开玩笑要有分寸，得分清什么能说和什么不能说！你说这些话，有什么证据？” “那件事发生以前不久，有过一个宴会，是为了庆贺与美国H公司缔结特约关系。赴宴返回时，常务董事——不，现在的董事长水野先生在汽车里曾挑逗秘书三枝小姐，也就是现在的董事长夫人。司机把当时的情况都告诉我了！三枝小姐说：'有夫人在，我可不干！'是吗？可是水野先生听了这句话默然不语。当时你一定在想：'啊，要是久美子死了多好！'须知三枝小姐的魅力是能叫人失魂落魄的。啊，失礼了！是呀是呀，如今万事大吉，二位结成了夫妻。怎么样？你和心爱的女人同享幸福，没想到应该感谢我吗？” ... 水野认为做交易的转机到了。应该适当地施以怀柔之策。也许渡边制订的计划是缜密周全的。他从司机口中得知水野迷恋优子，而优子表示除非久美子死去便不能接受水野的求爱，便对此加以利用。渡边杀死久美子，并无动机可寻，警方不会判定为预谋犯罪。而另一方面，他又打了那个电话给水野以暗示，造成奉水野之命杀人的印象。判决确定以后，便向水野索钱。渡边所受的制裁几乎等于零，所以若能每月得到水野支付的大笔款子，这杀人犯罪也就十分合算了。 想到这里，水野从衣袋里摸出香烟，点火吸了一口，慢慢说道： “我呀，当时就起了疑心，不相信久美子是过失致死。不过，若说是预谋杀人，又不知动机何在。可听你这么一说，终究是明白了。这样看来，处境不妙的究竟是你还是我呢？我明天就上检察厅去，把今天听你说的话复述一遍，你看怎么样？” “这没用。我的刑罚已经确定了。根据一事不二理的原则，刑罚已定的案子，除对被告有利的情况以外，不会重新审理的。你还不知道吗？” 水野听了这话，心里一阵急躁。就演技而言，对手确实比他高明。他好像完全听任渡边摆布了。水野想到：“且作最后的挣扎吧。” “可是，对我这方面来说也是一样吧？你上警察署去，谎称那件事是受我之托干的，也没用了。案子已经了结，按照你的过失致死罪作了处理，又能把我怎么样呢？也许你是想敲诈我，可我并没有给你落下把柄。” “是吗？你的卑劣无耻，现在暴露无遗了！可我还有一个办法。如果我使出这一招，你怎么也逃不出我的手心！”渡边说罢，转身欲去。 水野心想：这也许是渡边假戏真做。但他感到心虚，连忙喊道： “喂，渡边君！话还没讲完呢！你说说，什么办法？” “哼，这是我被警察拘留期间想出来的。我要用某种手段杀死水野先生的新妻。这一次，可不是那种拙劣的干法，不会得出过失致死的结论。我要做得堂堂正正，而又绝对不会蒙受嫌疑。很遗憾，此时此地还不能奉告！否则你会采取预防措施，那我就无路可走了。反正尊夫人会死在我手中。这样一来，警方自然会怀疑水野先生喽。同一个人的两位夫人都是死于不测，这还不可疑吗？” 水野想到：“我不相信有这么便利的杀人方法。”不过，既然上次杀害久美子时干得那么漂亮，看来渡边也未必是光说大话而已。 渡边叼起一支香烟，划燃火柴举到下巴附近。他脸上浮出嘲弄的微笑，眼珠上翻，观察水野的反应。火柴的火光照亮了他的面孔。他那副表情，完全是蔑视水野，他好像在随意摆布水野，而现在要把手中的玩偶置于绝境。那得意的表情，布满了整个面庞。 水野心里一阵冲动，他怎么也克制不住自己。 水野冷不防提起右脚，照准渡边下腹部踢去。渡边大叫一声，闪身避开了。接着，两个人扭作一团。 不久，两人之一倒在河堤上了。另一个身影把倒下的人往堤下的河水里掀去。 这天深夜，行人发现了浮在N河上的尸体。据警方调查身份的结果，死者是水野制药公司董事长水野敏雄。警方当即与他家里取得联系，夫人优子出面确认了死者的身份。 优子一眼就认出了丈夫的尸体，但同时就失去了知觉。所以，警方的讯问推延到翌日进行。 第二天，优子对负责此案的警官回答如下： 一、她认为没有人仇恨丈夫。 二、发案之日，有人打来电话，丈夫便外出了。打电话的人姓甚名谁，她当时也曾听说，后来仿佛记得，但看见丈夫的尸体时，惊吓之下忘记了。不过，以后或许还能记起。 这一案件，被害者系著名公司的董事长，尸体衣袋内又留有10万元钞票未被劫走，而死者夫人曾听说嫌疑犯的姓名，却又已经忘却，所以新闻界十分重视，大肆宣传。 然而凶手经数月仍未缉拿归案，警察署所设的侦查本部已被解散。 优子记忆的恢复，乃是破案的关键。于是各家报社和周刊杂志社纷纷派记者对其采访。 某周刊杂志以一问一答的形式将采访的情况登载如下： 问：那个姓名无论如何想不起来吗？ 答：是啊。有时候觉得是个很常见的姓名，可有时候恰恰相反，又觉得是个很少见的姓名。 问：关于那人和您丈夫的关系，您有什么记忆吗？ 答：有过的，可我忘掉的不光是这件事。还有很多事情……不过，有时候也会忽然记起一两件，所以过不久一定会想起来的。 问：还有一个问题。您今后打算怎么办？水野制药公司也曾有过女入任