Chapter 3 bloody crossroads

"Would it be more beneficial for us to fully disclose the case through the media?" Thirty minutes into the third case analysis meeting held by the case headquarters that day, a young policeman put forward his own new opinion. It was nine thirty-thirteen in the evening. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held on time at 8:30, but because the previous press conference took too long, the official start was delayed by a full thirteen minutes.After the case happened, although various media had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the police not to interview and report the case without authorization, since the situation has changed and the kidnappers have acquiesced to the police's intervention, there is no reason for the case to be kept secret.That's why some people put forward the idea of ​​allowing the media to report publicly. Some people even think that it would be more beneficial to the detection of the case to be released by the media.In fact, this kind of opinion was raised at the second case analysis meeting held in the evening.

There are various indications that the kidnappers are even happy with the police's involvement.It seems that this case is different from ordinary kidnapping cases. Rather than extorting money, the kidnappers hope to cause a sensation on TV and newspapers and cause a huge impact... However, it was a young police officer who had just joined the police station for two years who made this claim. The reason why he proposed this idea was because he had a unique set of ideas.After the incident, he and dozens of police officers were responsible for tracking down the white vehicle that showed up in the kindergarten.They have launched a large-scale search within a ten-kilometer radius centered on the kindergarten, and they have also conducted careful visits among the neighbors of the victim, but they have been in vain and failed to find any witnesses.

Usually, when encountering such cases, the police can monitor the mobile phone held by the kidnapper, and locate the radio waves generated when making and receiving calls, so as to obtain information on the location of the kidnapper.However, this trick did not work for the kidnapper.The monitoring results showed that the first time the kidnappers called with their mobile phones was in Yokohama City, but when the family members of the victim called the second time, the place where the kidnappers answered was already near Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture. When contacted for the third time, the location of the kidnapper was changed to Toshima District in Tokyo.

From this point of view, the kidnapper has been driving the child around in a car. I thought the child was leaning on a sofa in the photo sent by the kidnapper in a text message, but now it looks like a car seat. When the kidnapper called for the first time, the kidnapper's footsteps could be faintly heard in the background. The police officer judged from the echo that the kidnapper was probably in the underground parking lot of a certain building when he called. The “sound of bee’s wings” heard by the employees of the printing factory, that is, the sound heard before the end of the first call, is just the sound of other vehicles passing by.And if the kidnapper is always driving the child around in a car, it will be difficult to determine his exact location, but doing so is also easy to attract attention. If the nightly TV news is broadcast, more information provided by witnesses will definitely be obtained.

For these opinions, the Bridge Field Police Department just laughed it off and didn't take it seriously.The police department rushed back from the victim's home before the young officer could speak at the meeting. He immediately pointed out at the meeting: "If too much information is collected, it will easily lead to confusion in the investigation. Too much inaccurate information will become an excellent condition for the kidnappers to hide themselves." Therefore, he believes that the news should be prevented from leaking until the hostage, Mr. Keita Ogawa, is rescued at noon the next day.The opinion of asking the media to temporarily keep it secret has also been agreed by the vast majority of other personnel involved in the investigation.

The kidnapper never used orders or coercion, and he also offered to reduce the ransom amount proposed by the family members of the client. All this shows that this person is different from other kidnappers, and he has shown a certain degree of goodwill.However, judging from his restless state of mind from time to time, it seems that all of this is just an illusion, and what is really hidden behind it is a face that is more cruel than the usual kidnapper... There was a commotion in the media, but it wasn't.As long as this person has conducted a detailed investigation of the victim's family situation in advance, and carefully erased all his footprints every time, the kidnapper must belong to a person who has made a criminal plan and acted extremely cautiously, and is step by step. Calmly carry out his plan.

In another conference room, two press conferences were held at the same time. In addition to introducing the incident, the kidnapper's strange speech and behavior were also disclosed to various reporters.Once the media makes it public, it will definitely become the most eye-catching and interesting content on various TV stations during the period from tonight to tomorrow morning.However, the police are very worried that this will cause unnecessary stimulation to the kidnappers, and may even make the kidnappers change their plans.At the same time, if the news that the ransom was delivered in front of Shibuya Station, the busiest place in Tokyo, was leaked, it would surely attract crowds of idlers and hinder the ransom delivery process.

Judging from the current stage, the most puzzling thing is that both the police and the families of the victims are actually hoping that the kidnappers can successfully obtain the ransom, so as to successfully realize the exchange of ransom and hostages.Until 12:30 noon tomorrow, what the police are most worried about at present is not whether they can successfully arrest the kidnappers, nor how to keep the ransom, but Keita Ogawa's life. If the kidnapper's plan changes, all police deployments will also change accordingly, which will inevitably pose a threat to Keita's life.Therefore, at this time, it is best to keep the media calm and ensure that the kidnapper will act according to his original plan.However, since the police have not yet learned how the kidnapper's plan was implemented, they cannot just wait passively.

In the remaining few hours, all the police can do is to try their best to gradually grasp the true face of the kidnapper, even if they can get close to the kidnapper's location by one meter. "Analyzing from the fact that the kidnapper mentioned that he could hear the four o'clock time chime on the phone, it can also be concluded that the kidnapper is driving around in a car. If you listen to the radio now, you will first think of driving. On the way. By the way, have all the major traffic arteries in the city been checked?" After finishing speaking, the police department inspected the faces of nearly twenty police officers sitting around him again, and asked, "Has the simulated portrait of the kidnapper been completed?"

After one of the police officers handed him the copied portrait, he glanced at it and frowned slightly. "What's the matter, painted like this? It won't help much." Hashiba flicked the portrait of the woman with his finger and said.There is also a portrait of a man.Hashiba sighed softly at the portrait of the man with the sticker and said, "This portrait of the man is not bad...but this portrait of the woman is simply the victim's mother!" This simulated portrait is drawn so finely that it is hard to believe that it is just a sketch, and the person appearing in the painting seems to be Ogawa Kanako.

Why does this happen? In fact, from Hashiba's point of view, things are actually very simple.Because Mr. Takahashi in the kindergarten did not leave a deep impression on the two kidnappers who cheated the children, especially the women among them. She only remembered that she greeted her after she got off the car. The one that left the deepest memory was The red sweater she was wearing was gone. In addition, I only remembered that she looked very similar to the usual Kyuta's mother... After the real Kyuta's mother arrived, the vague impression in her memory was immediately replaced by the Kyuta's mother who appeared in front of her. Appearance takes over. It must be so. "Has Keita's mother's whereabouts been verified that day?" "Yes." An official of the police station replied, "Five minutes before the kidnapper showed up in the kindergarten, Ogawa Kanako chatted with a neighbor. It took five minutes from her house to drive to the kindergarten. Impossible...These circumstances were reported by the Kenzaki Police Department after additional investigation." Jianzaki is still at the victim's home. Although the kidnapper said that he will not contact him tonight, but considering that the other party may take advantage of the police's negligence to interfere, he still plans to lead three subordinates to stay at the victim's home tonight. As soon as someone mentioned Kenzaki's name, the police department from the Metropolitan Police Department showed a disdainful expression, and retorted with a straight face: "I don't think so? If the kidnappers drive faster, five minutes is enough." Apparently, the Hashiba Police Department was nitpicking about the report to Kenzaki.He went on to say: "Besides, you can't judge just by the color of the sweater on your body. I don't think it will be easy to find where to buy this exact same sweater... In short, the suspicion of this Kanako Ogawa cannot be ruled out. I even suspect Ogawa Kanako collaborated with her lover to do the case, and this lover looks very similar to the man in the portrait." Sure enough, a discerning eye could immediately see that although the facial features were somewhat different, the hairstyle and facial contours were very similar to that of Kawata.However, compared to Kawada, this simulated image is closer to the portrait of "father" painted by Keita. Then, Hashiba gave a brief report on the quarrel between Kanako and her ex-husband, which was inconvenient to report when she was at the victim's home, and said: "However, Keita is unlikely to be the child of Ogawa Kanako and her lover. Judging from the facial features, this child resembles her ex-husband Yamaji Masahiko in many ways. Besides," he added, "I I think there are three other women who are more suspicious than Kanako." At the same time, a police officer who left the victim's house with Hashiba police officer was standing at the door of Yamaji's house in Okuzawa, Setagaya Ward, and rang the doorbell. The policeman's name is Sawano Yasuhisa. Thanks to his stable and generous appearance, Sawano can always handle cases with ease and get more gains than others.Therefore, Hashiba appointed him to be responsible for investigating the three women he suspected. Although it is an investigation, because this kind of suspicion is groundless and there is no decent reason to question people, so we can only use informal visits to find out some useful news.Therefore, Sawano also spent a lot of thought on what excuse to use to get the other party to agree to meet him, especially in this late night time. On the other side of the walkie-talkie is a woman. After hearing the intention, she said happily: "Hey, are you a policeman? Well, I'll open the door for you right away." The other party was not surprised by the sudden visit of the police, and immediately opened the door to welcome Sawano in. Her name is Reiko Yamaji, and she is Keita's grandmother, that is, Ogawa Kanako's mother-in-law before her divorce.According to her, since her son told her about Kyuta being abducted, she has been waiting for the police to visit at any time, and she has been waiting for several hours. Masahiko called at around 6 o'clock in the evening and told her: "The situation is very complicated now, so please don't call me!" Therefore, Reiko Yamaji has been waiting anxiously for what will happen since then. , fidgeting. "Please enter the house quickly." Yamaji Reiko said. But Sawano didn't intend to go in, he just wanted to stand at the door and finish talking.Because he knew that among the three women, the one most suspected by the Bridge Field Police Department was not the mistress of the Shanlu family, but her neighbor. Hashiba wanted to ask Reiko Yamaji two things: one was whether she was involved in the kidnapping case, and the other was what she thought of the case. The first question was immediately answered. As soon as Sawano declined the other party's invitation to enter the house, Yamaji Reiko said: "I think you should check our house carefully. Kanako probably suspects that I missed my grandson too much and made such a bad plan." However, judging from her desperately wanting to find out the progress of the case and her anxious expression for the safety of the child, Sawano didn't feel that she was telling lies. As for the question of "what do you think about this case", the old lady had already answered it before Sawano had time to ask it. Judging from the appearance, Reiko Yamaji is a lady of great dignity and well-bred.Like her son, her skin was thin and white, reminiscent of the white and flawless walls in the hospital, and her manner was elegant and capable, and her temperament was very consistent with the identity of the residents of this high-end residential area.But the words spoken from under her well-shaped thin lips completely subverted her elegant image.Yamaji Reiko scolded angrily: "I think this kidnapping case is a lie fabricated by Kanako out of thin air! That bitch has kidnapped Keita before!" It seems that Reiko Yamaji still has great hatred for her former daughter-in-law, so she did not hesitate to use the word "kidnapping" to slander Kanako.However, her expression was very serious, and she said loudly: "That's a crime! This child should belong to our family, no, she knew it, but she took Keita away without telling us. She ignored the court's ruling and never let us meet with the child. This kind of bad behavior is even more abhorrent than kidnapping!" As she spoke, she seemed to notice that the police officer's face was getting uglier, so she softened her tone and asked: "How is the situation now? Is Keita safe and sound?" Sawano finally listened to her words patiently.It seems that she wants to blame her former daughter-in-law more than her kidnapped grandson.The true nature of this seemingly elegant old lady is also exposed.Therefore, Sawano also put away his gentle smile and showed a contemptuous expression. "Yes...he is safe, the kidnapper is quite humane, he took two photos of Kyu Taijun sleeping and sent them over." "The other party asked for a ransom, right? I'm afraid Kanako and her family won't be able to come up with a huge sum of money to pay...It's really pitiful." The voice of the old woman endured the change of topic and returned to her upper-class appearance. "I think your son must have gone to the bank to raise money... As long as you prepare the money, you can live in peace for the time being. Regarding the situation of raising money, I have asked your son to inform us of the result. You can ask him directly , I think, he knows the progress of the case better than I do." "Okay then. But what was the amount of the ransom that was negotiated later? Do you know?" "It seems to be ten million?" "Ten million? Oh...that's really not much." The woman said with a face full of surprise.Her empty eyes fell on the precious pot of flowers on the shoe cabinet at the door for a long time.Sawano never cared about flowers and plants, but he recognized this potted flower. "This pot of Phalaenopsis is so beautiful!" Sawano praised casually.Immediately, he turned his gaze back to Reiko Yamaji, and asked, "I still have two questions to ask... The first question is that your son got married again later, this daughter-in-law..." Halfway through, Sawano suddenly glanced in Hua's direction.It seemed that what he had accidentally seen a few seconds ago had only come to him in his mind now. "Look, isn't that a bee?" The branches are full of dense pink flowers, and there is indeed a bee lying on one of the flowers... But, in this cold winter season, and it is such a time of night, how can there be bees here?Ze Ye couldn't help but have a little more doubt in his heart.He stared at the flowers for a while and shook his head as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Actually, this is not a real flower, but an artificial flower. Although it looks almost the same as a real flower." After hearing Reiko Yamaji's words, Sawano became more and more inexplicable...the bees actually collect honey on artificial flowers? This pot is like a fake flower piled up with banknotes exuding a gorgeous and luxurious feeling, but upon closer inspection, it seems that the flower does not have the vibrant aura of real flowers, but is artificially rigid and dry.This potted flower is made of countless small fan-shaped petals pasted on the branches. The whole potted flower looks like a complete fan-shaped shape. There is a bee lying on a flower in the middle.However, when Sawano leaned close to it, the bee remained motionless. "Of course this bee is also fake." Reiko Yamaji noticed that Sawano had been staring at the bee, and said to him, "The design is very ingenious, right? Even the bee is made almost like the real one." "Yes. I think this should be a specimen of a bee. No matter how closely you look at it, it seems to be real." "Like the flower, it's made of cloth and paper ... a neighbor of mine just sent it to me. The neighbor's wife is now in an art class learning how to make faux tweed." Sawano was worried about how to transfer the topic to this neighbor, but the old lady took the initiative to tell about the neighbor's wife. "Excuse me, did your neighbor's wife take the initiative to mention to you the kidnapping of Mr. Kyuta?" "I mentioned it, she happened to meet Keita in a supermarket in Koganei last month, and she came to my house to mention it. She also told me that the child looks exactly like Masahiko... After that Every time she sees me, she always talks about Keita. What, is there something wrong?" "No, nothing..." Then, Sawano briefly described the process of the attempted kidnapping case that happened a month ago, and told Reiko Yamaji that one of the purposes of his coming here was to meet the "Mrs. ". "Oh? So that's the case? But the neighbor's wife never told me about the attempted kidnapping that happened that day... Besides, since Kanako has encountered an attempted kidnapping, why doesn't she want to tell the police?" The former mother-in-law of Kanako had a meaningful smile on her lips, and then said: "Mr. Police Officer, from this point of view, isn't this kidnapping case planned by Kanako alone? Back then Keita was raised by her alone. Forget it, but now that she sees that the child looks too much like Masahiko, she begins to feel that it is a trouble, so she came up with this farce of kidnapping and got rid of the child. I think it must be like this! This way can get rid of her own burden , and can get a large amount of ransom, isn’t it killing two birds with one stone... No, even if she didn’t plan it alone, it was an idea with the kidnapper who failed the kidnapping last time. She must have come forward to persuade the kidnapper. The next meeting will provide a better opportunity, and it will definitely make it a success. The two teamed up to carry out this kidnapping case. This bitch can do such a thing." It seems that she has started to speak ill of her former daughter-in-law again. "I'm really sorry. We will definitely investigate Kanako vigorously. Today I just want to know about your later daughter-in-law. We only know that your son got married again later, but we haven't learned the specifics yet." "You want to ask about the situation of Shuihui?" "Well, yes..." Sawano nodded vaguely and said, "Is she at home now?" Saying that, Sawano poked his probe in the direction of the room.Although there is no sign of people inside at all, but even if there are three or two people in such a large mansion, it is difficult to hear any movement. "She's not here, she's gone to America." Reiko Yamaji replied with a straight face. Sawanohara thought she would be suspicious, and asked him why he asked about the situation of the later daughter-in-law, and he was ready to wait, but he didn't expect that she didn't ask at all.Then, without waiting for Zeye to ask again, she gave a clear introduction to the daughter-in-law's situation. It turned out that this daughter-in-law named Shuihui was a colleague of Masahiko, and the two had known each other since they were studying in medical university.After marrying into Shanlu's family, she was only a full-time housewife for a while, and did not participate in hospital diagnosis and treatment.But Masahiko plans to double the size of the current clinic starting next year, so two doctors will be needed to handle it.Therefore, in order for Shuihui to master the latest dental technology, she was sent to a hospital in Los Angeles to study for a year... Although this is what he said, Sawano intuitively judged that what Reiko Yamaji said was true It's impossible to believe her 100% if it's a lie. "So, Mrs. Mizue doesn't know anything about this case that happened in Japan?" "Yes, Masahiko specifically told me, well, don't tell her about it yet." Reiko's words became hesitant.Sawano immediately realized why the other party was vague.At this moment, the phone in the house rang. "It must have been Masahiko calling." Reiko hurriedly left a word, and ran quickly into the house, the figure in a short-sleeved shirt as thin as a summer dress quickly disappeared through the door.Soon, a voice came from the room: "Then what to do? The police are at home now." Two or three minutes later, the phone was hung up, and Reiko Yamaji walked briskly through the spotlessly clean corridor and returned to the door.Said Zeno: "Masahiko said that he finally managed to raise 10 million yuan, and now he has returned to their house, and plans to live in the office of the printing factory tonight. There was no need to live there at all, I think he might want to find out about Kanako. The situation? Because Masahiko didn’t believe it when he heard that the child was kidnapped, and always suspected that Kanako was talking nonsense.” After leaving Shanji's house, Sawano let out a long sigh.He couldn't take a break, so he immediately went to visit the neighbor's Otsuka's house. Although the Otsuka family lived next to the Yamaji family, the buildings of the two families formed a sharp contrast.The bungalows of the Shanlu family are in a grand European style, luxurious and refined inside and out.On the contrary, the most striking thing about the Otsuka house is the dilapidated Japanese-style building, the black wall outside the door, and the orange roof that is still conspicuous in the dark.The two houses next to each other are extremely incongruous, and the contrast is huge.The light from the room of Otsuka's house shone on the windowpanes, and the plaid cloth on the curtains looked very charming.It's just a pity that the color of the curtains is either pink or deep purple. It always makes people feel that this family has a strange taste in color... After carefully identifying the word "Xiaozuka" on the wall at the door, Sawano rang the doorbell under the door plate. Immediately there was a woman's answer from the house. "I'm really sorry to disturb you with a late-night visit. I'm a policeman, and I want to ask you about your neighbor's house..." As soon as Sawano finished speaking, the iron gate of the door opened only ten seconds later. It seems that the hostess of this house welcomes the late-night visit of the police very much, and has been waiting for a long time. Twenty minutes later, the hostess with a smile on her face sent the visitor out of the house.At this moment, Sawano took out his mobile phone and called Hashiba in the headquarters.After he first reported his visit to Shanlu's house, he said to the police department: "I also just stood at the door and talked to Kotsuka Junjiang for a while." Then, he reported in detail the news he had inquired at Otsuka's house within the past 20 minutes. "In short, this hostess is very curious. She always carefully observes every move of the neighbor's house every day, so she knows a lot of interesting things about their house. Let's talk about the attempted kidnapping a month ago. Jun Jiang I only remember that Kyuta-kun suddenly disappeared, which caused the riot, but she said she had no knowledge of the attempted kidnapping that happened before. According to her, it was entirely by chance that she met Kanako and her son in the supermarket that day. At that time, she was going to visit a friend's house in Koganei, Musashi. The reason why she wanted to go to that friend's house that day was also because a friend called her to invite her to "need to discuss something". It was a coincidence. She also said that if you don’t believe it, you can check with this friend, and she also told me the phone number of this friend. In short, I think this matter is still credible... The problem is Masahiko Yamaji His second wife, there is a big problem with her. Her name is Shui Hui—Shui of Shanshui, Hui of painting. This Shanlu Shuihui disappeared as early as the end of last year. At that time, neighbors often heard rumors from Shanlu’s family in the middle of the night There were fierce quarrels, and sometimes things like cups could be heard falling on the ground. The sound was very scary. So I guessed whether this Mizue had already run away from home. But I also asked Yamaji Reiko earlier The whereabouts of this daughter-in-law, she always evasively refused to say, and even made up some random words to prevaricate me, so I didn't ask for a result... The strange thing is that at the end of last month, Yamaji Reiko also lied to me just now. I told Jun Jiang the exact same lie, saying that my daughter-in-law went to the United States to study the latest dental technology... But Jun Jiang's words are very suspicious at all." Sawano parked the car in the parking lot of a convenience store two kilometers away from Shanlu's home, and reported the situation in one breath.At this time, I just felt the cold air in the middle of the night pressing on me, and the feeling of warmth during the day had disappeared without a trace, as if I had fallen back into the cold winter in Tokyo. "According to your judgment, is there anything suspicious about Shanlu Shuihui's study in the United States?" the police department asked. "According to Kozuka Junjiang, after she heard the news that Shuihui had gone to the United States, she ran into Shuihui just two days later. Although she just passed by, she recognized him as Shuihui at a glance. , absolutely unmistakable. At that time, Shuihui seemed to be shopping as usual. From the outside, it didn't look like she had just returned from the United States or was about to go abroad. Guess where they met? In Shibuya. It is said that it is right in the middle of the intersection in front of Shibuya Station where pedestrians can pass freely. Yes, it is the place designated by the kidnappers to deliver the ransom. You say, is this just a coincidence?... In short, even if It was a coincidence, but there was an even more strange coincidence. There were pots of the same artificial Phalaenopsis flowers in the entrances of Shanlu’s house and Xiaozuka’s house. It is said that Junjiang Kotsuka made two pots by himself, and put the A pot was given to the neighbor’s Shan Lu’s family... Not to mention, there is an artificial fake bee lying in the center of the flowers of the two pots of flowers, which are exactly the same. Police department, what do you think of this?... Don’t you think the kidnappers always Is it ingeniously related to bees?" The police department asked again: "Let's put this matter aside for later. What about the family members of the Otsuka family?" "Oh, that's right. Their family has a son who is studying at a university in Shizuoka... Except for the son coming home occasionally, there are only the Otsuka and his wife living in the family. Although her husband's parents are still alive, they are not with the little one. The couple live together. Her father-in-law suffers from amnesia and is currently nursing in a nursing home. Her mother-in-law goes to the nursing home to take care of her husband every day, and is basically not at home. Junjiang Otsuka’s husband resigned from a trading company the year before last. She said she resigned from her job, but in fact she was dismissed because the company was facing bankruptcy. Now she can only rely on the property left by her parents to live a leisurely and comfortable life. Her husband is slightly older than Jun Jiang, and this year he will be Forty-five or sixteen years old. No, although he still looks very young, he is already out of shape. But he looks very shrewd." "How does his voice sound? Doesn't it sound like a kidnapper's voice?" "Not at all. He said he had a cold and sounded very hoarse." The police department asked again: "Any other news?" "Oh... I heard that Ogawa Kanako had a miscarriage shortly after her marriage. She fell on the escalator when she went to the mall to buy things during the confinement period. Probably this incident will always leave a painful memory for her, It is precisely because of this that I regard the child who was born safely after the second pregnancy as a treasure and love it... The reason why I can get so much news is all thanks to Kozuka Junjiang's special understanding of every detail of the neighbor's affairs It is said that she and Kanako Ogawa are not close, and she only inquired about so many things out of curiosity about the neighbor's house." "I can ask about Kanako Ogawa directly. You come back right away. I'm going to Ogawa's house right now." After the Hashiba police department finished speaking, they hung up the phone, and Sawano immediately drove to Ogawa's house to meet him. Under the reflection of the red taillights of the front car, the front windshield was covered with fog. Sawan could not help wiping the water vapor on the glass with his fingers, and the traces left looked like flowers, which reminded Sawano again The pot of Phalaenopsis I saw at the door of Otsuka's house. Thinking about it carefully, the color of the potted flowers of Otsuka’s house always makes people feel that the potted flowers of Shanlu’s house are more intensely red than that of Shanlu’s house, and the flowers are also blooming extraordinarily unrestrainedly. The little bee on it seems to be engulfed by red flames same. At that time, Sawano praised Jun Jiang half seriously and half politely: "Although it is an artificial flower, it is very similar to a real flower! I thought it would be impossible for a real bee to lie on an artificial flower, so I went to the next door neighbor's house for the first time. When I first saw the bees, I was really taken aback." At this time, a middle-aged man just came out of the room. His hoarse voice made it difficult for people to hear what he was saying, but Sawano heard him clearly: "Haven't you seen it? Artificial flowers can also attract real bees!" Jun Jiang introduced in a joking tone: "This old gentleman is the husband of the wrong person." I saw this man with extraordinary bearing, wearing a soft gray-brown double-breasted cashmere sweater made of cashmere on his upper body, with regular facial features, straight nose, tall, straight body, always making people feel like a robot made of alloy.Moreover, it is a robot with extremely high precision and excellent performance... At first glance, it gives people a very keen impression, not at all like the half-aged Jun Jiang next to him.It always makes people feel that this couple is too unsuitable, and even standing together makes people feel awkward, and it is impossible to associate their husband and wife relationship together. Are these two really a couple?Sawano couldn't help but have this strange question mark flashing through his mind. "Oh! Really? How do you attract bees to artificial flowers?" Sawano pretended to be interested and asked politely. "You don't think about it for yourself? Aren't you a policeman?" There was sarcasm in this man's words.Although his voice was hoarse, the glance he cast from the shadow behind his wife's shoulder was so sharp that it made one's heart tremble.Sawano could even feel the cold gaze, and it took a lot of determination to raise his head and look at each other. As he drove on the cold road in the dark night, he couldn't stop thinking about it.What left the deepest impression on him tonight was not the hostesses of the two houses, but the sharp sword-like light in the eyes of the so-called "old man" from the Otsuka family, and also, that he was What was said. "Well, I'll tell you. It's actually very simple...just put nectar on the artificial flowers." On the surface, he is telling Sawano, but it always makes people feel that he is talking to himself... These voices overlap with the colors of gorgeous and charming flowers, and they are firmly imprinted on the surface like a bright red bloodstain. In Sawano's mind. However, what is puzzling is why the Bridge Field Police Department is indifferent to the fake bee that I just reported? The kidnapping case began with a scam involving bees, so bees played a vital role in the crime.And now traces of bees were found in the home of the suspect who was deeply interested in the police department, and they appeared in the homes of two suspects at the same time. Usually, the police department often warns its subordinates that "unbelievable accidents happen from time to time, and they must not be swayed by these accidents and lose the direction of detection."Perhaps he just regarded the appearance of these bees as accidental and ignored them. However, it is very rare for the kidnappers to use "bees" as a means of seducing and being deceived in the cold winter season.It is also rare to stick bees on artificial flowers as decoration.It is no coincidence that two phenomena that are usually difficult to see appear at the same time. How can we ignore it and let it go lightly... Sawano couldn't help thinking a lot, but finally shook his head and denied it. It is precisely this kind of thinking that the police department warns everyone to guard against. Perhaps it is precisely because I am used to seeing white Phalaenopsis orchids, and I was deeply stimulated when I happened to see colorful artificial flowers today.Did he overly sensitively find out the so-called criminal clues from these meaningless accidents? After rethinking, Sawano changed his mind, and decided not to report what Otsuka Kimie's husband said to the police on his own initiative. It was almost eleven o'clock in the evening when Sawano came to Ogawa's house.He parked the car behind the factory building and walked in along the old mottled wall.When he came here, he suddenly realized again that this case must have been committed by someone who was very familiar with the victim and had a detailed grasp of the inside story of the family.Cracks had appeared on several walls, trembling in the cold wind, and the appearance of the factory inside was completely exposed to the eyes of passers-by.The company is facing bankruptcy, and even the buildings are crumbling...Looking alone late at night can make these old wounds more clearly visible.How difficult the current operating situation of this factory is, it is clear at a glance. 不会有谁认为能从这家工厂诈取到大笔钱财的吧？因此绑匪只能出自知道这个家与山路将彦之间关系的少数人中，而且还深知将彦会为了儿子付出大笔赎金。泽野更加坚信，必须彻底对被绑架孩子的亲属和身边的人进行一次调查，遗憾的是，对山路家和小冢家的调查却草草结束。 泽野一边后悔地想着这些事情，一边走进了大门。晚上九点离开这里时工厂还在开工，但此刻所有的机器已经关闭，灯光也熄灭了，整个工厂融入了周围的黑暗中，显得如此寂静。 只有办公室的窗户上还透着灯光。也许是因为窗玻璃上蒙上了一层水雾的缘故，屋里湿漉漉的灯光就像闪烁在小雨之中，显得朦朦胧胧…… 他朝屋里一看，几名警官正围坐在四周，最中间的沙发上坐着山路将彦。不，警官们团团保护的并不是将彦，而是他膝盖上放着的一个红皮的提包。这个提包泽野十分眼熟，正是妻子十分喜爱，但又舍不得买的那款带着金色袋扣的名牌女用提包。 泽野推开门走进办公室里时，将彦恰好打开那只提包，正要把里头的钞票换到一只红色的塑料手提袋里。只见将彦掏出一捆捆包扎得整整齐齐的钞票递到一位警官手里，警官接到后再把它摆放在塑料袋里…… 坐在将彦身边的桥场警部用目光向泽野示意“你辛苦了”，又扭头向几位警官说道： “我看还是用这只塑料袋装钱更合适。” 泽野一看，那只塑料袋大约有七八十厘米高。 桥场说道：“把钱放进这种大小的袋子里，从外面看感觉不出里头装着什么，要把它放在十字路口中间也不会引起别人注意。但如果用名牌手提包装钱的话，马上就会被路人捡走。” “是的，有道理。”其中一位警官答应了一声，说，“我看绑匪想拿到钱也不大容易。这个手提袋颜色鲜红，体积又大，放在十字路口十分显眼，总会有人好奇想看看里头是什么东西……万一绑匪还未靠近，手提袋便被人捡了去，岂不竹篮打水一场空？” “我看也许正相反，绑匪当着我们的面捡走了塑料袋的话，警方也无法确定其身份，以为就是个爱管闲事的路人也说不定。就算我们当场把他按住了，对方要是主张自己只是恰巧路过，想顺手牵羊把别人掉落的袋子捡走，我们也奈何不得。”另一位警官随即反驳。 “即使奈何他不得，可是这样一来，钱还不又得交到警察手里？反正绑匪也拿不走。依我看，这种赎金交付方式怎么说都不自然。而且偏偏指定这么个怪地方……绑匪的意图我们还是无法确定。另外，他为何要指定钱必须放进红色的提袋里，理由又是什么？真叫人头痛不己。” 桥场十分冷静地说道： “大概是因为红色看着显眼，辨认得比较清楚吧？” “可是你别忘了，那可是全东京人口密度最大的十字路口啊！挎着红色提袋的女人数量肯定也相当多。” “不，红色的提袋并不常见。而且红色从远处看更好识别。” “红色提袋怎么不常见？从他们家里就找出来两个。” “我看这也是巧合吧，红色的提袋总归比较少见。这种颜色和服装很难搭配。” “既然这种提袋十分罕见，那么，绑匪特地指定这种颜色到底出于何种动机就更难搞清了。万一从他们家找不到，我们短时间内也难搞到红色提袋吧……总之，也算是运气好，刚好这里就有。” “我看红色提袋并不难找吧？绑匪不是说，纸袋也行吗？车站前的商店就应该有卖的。”一位中年警官说。 桥场对这种说法不以为然。只是在嘴里自言自语地连声嘟囔着：“果真算是'运气好'吗……” 声音虽然不大，但他脸上的表情显得十分严肃。 “警部，你又想到什么了？”有人问道。 “不，没什么。” 桥场一边回答，一边双眼紧盯着山路将彦郑重其事地抱在怀里的塑料提袋。将彦从袋子里掏出一捆一百万日元的钞票细细端详着，嘴里还依依不舍地念叨着：“这次可得和你告别了。”说完，又把钞票放回了提袋。警部并不关心将彦的一举一动，只是目不转睛地注视着他手里那只红得耀眼的手提袋。 “这么大的袋子，足足装得下一亿日元钞票吧？” 他嘴里小声嘟囔着，又对其他警官说道：“我有些事想问问两位女士。” 说完，他就向香奈子和汀子所在的厨房走去。关于手提袋的话题也就议论到这儿便结束了。 一个小时之后，警部在搭乘泽野开的车返回警署途中，说道： “刚才我注意了一下手提袋的大小，突然心里产生了一个念头……我担心到了明天早晨，绑匪会提出提高赎金的数额。” 据桥场警官自己说，其后他专门就这两个红色提袋的来历盘问过香奈子。那个名牌提包是订婚时父母亲送给她的嫁妆，应该问题不大，但那只塑料手提袋显得疑点重重。 “她的回答实在让我感觉意外。那个红色塑料手提袋居然是有人放在门口的玄关外头，被她给捡回来的。今年正月的一天，她开门一看，门外放着一个红色塑料袋，里面还装着一只枕头和一张车站前商店街一家床上用品商店开业的贺卡。可是站前商店街并没有这家床上用品商店，因此她感觉十分奇怪。但是贺卡上说这只枕头正是时下最流行的低反弹新式枕头，有利于脊柱健康，因此就留下来用了。另外见这只手提袋也很时髦，于是就舍不得扔，一直保存了下来。” 听到这里，泽野已经明白警部想说的是什么了。 “这么说，这个塑料手提袋是绑匪故意放在小川家门口的……所以他早就知道小川家有这种手提袋，对吧？” “也许正是这样。这个绑匪想的还真是十分周到啊，连装赎金用的袋子都早就替她准备好了……看来问题还是在于这个塑料袋的大小上。” “也就是说，其实绑匪的目标远不止这一千万，早已计划勒索更高的赎金，对吧？” 这时，正好前方路口的红灯亮了，泽野慢慢停住车，从后视镜里看了看坐在后排的桥场警部。 只见警部点着头回答道：“是的。看来对方的胃口相当大，赎金的金额远不止这些。” “难道是要一亿……” “从那个手提袋的大小来看，最终的金额应该差不多是这个数。” 这时，绿灯亮了。过了路口，前方不远处就是警署大楼的正门了。虽然从窗口里透出比平时更多的灯光，但警署大门紧闭，玄关周围亦是一片黑暗。泽野把车开到楼后的门口停下，那里有个小门可以直通停车场。 “依我看，绑匪的策略是先提出一个千万的金额，是想让警方稍微放松警惕，其目的是尽量打乱警方的部署和准备，是吧？”泽野把车停好后，又提出了一个最后的问题。 “想必是吧。”警部边推开车门边简单地回答了一句，下车后又探身到车里，嘴里冒着白气说道，“我看你别是感冒了吧？返回小川家后就早点儿休息吧。我想今晚可以放心。绑匪即使再打电话来，也得是明天上午了。估计他九点该来电话，时间更早的话银行还没开门，如果再晚，则可能准备钱的时间又不够。” 警部的猜测很快便在次日早晨应验了。正如这位严格遵守时间的警部一样，绑匪几乎一秒不差地在九点整打来了电话。只不过当时警部下了车急急忙忙往小金井警署的楼里赶时，从疲备不堪的大脑里突然冒出的这个猜想，连他自己也没料到竟然说得分毫不差。 汀子把枕头放在香奈子枕边，挨着她的身边睡下时，时间已经过了凌晨一点钟了。可是，两人躺进被窝里后仍然睡不着。 香奈子毫无睡意，脑子里一幕幕地回忆起至今发生过的许多往事，圭太哭泣的样子、笑容满面的样子，都活生生地浮现在眼前，不禁使她思绪万千，久久无法入眠……此刻她心里真有说不尽的言语想对嫂嫂汀子诉说，可是刚刚张口说了几句话就泪流满面，哽咽着再也无法说下去。汀子满脸同情地细声安慰她，说道： “香奈子，我这么说也许你会生气的……不，把气生出来也许心里就舒服多了。既然这样，我就直说了吧。看得出你对孩子爱得那么深，那就说明你在心底对将彦还保留着一丝与爱情类似的感情吧？我已经好久没见到将彦了，这回一看，圭太君和他爸爸长得实在太像了，几乎就是将彦的缩小版。” 说话到这里，汀子小心地看了看香奈子的反应。也许香奈子连生气的力气也没有了，只是淡淡地回应了一句：“哪有的事……” 汀子又接着说道：“要是我说的话能猜中几分，你就听着，你考虑过和将彦破镜重圆的可能性吗？反正当年离婚的原因又不在将彦身上，是那位讨厌的老太婆和你合不来吧？刚才我站在办公室门口偷听了一会儿警部和将彦的谈话，这才知道，他后来又娶的那个女孩之所以离家出走，最主要的原因也是由于忍受不了老太婆的气……他以后要是再结婚，就绝对和自己的母亲分开过，将彦还说……” 刚才，汀子为了替留宿办公室的将彦准备被褥，特地从家里搬去一床厚厚的毯子，只见将彦正和从警署返回这里的桥场警部有一搭无一搭地聊着天。她不敢贸然推门进去，于是无意之间便站在窗户下，偷听起里头的说话来。 她这才知道，其实将彦早已和那位续娶的妻子私下里离了婚，他对外谎称自己的妻子到洛杉矶进修去是为了避免引起母亲多余的担心。离婚的实质性原因其实都在自己母亲身上。他还告诉警部，这位后娶的妻子也和当年的香奈子一样，根本无法和这位厉害婆婆好好相处，结果她与结婚前的一位恋人旧情重燃，这才和自己离了婚。 半夜三更到处静悄悄的，黑暗中完全看不清香奈子听到这番话后有何表情。只听汀子又问：“听说那个女人叫做水绘，香奈子和她见过面吗？” 香奈子的回答像是融化在黑暗中似的特别小声：“有过两三次吧……” “你不想提起她的事吧？” “嗯。替她想想的话，其实她也够可怜……” “是啊！”汀子叹了口气说道，“她也有医师资格，本来也该有个前途光明的人生，是吧？” 此话不假，据说这位水绘读医科大学时就和将彦关系亲密，正是因为爱上了这位无情的男子，才放弃了自己的事业。原以为将彦会娶自己，不料他却和香奈子结了婚，于是她只好将就着找了个男人，想把将彦从自己脑子里彻底忘掉。但她始终难忘旧情，偷偷和将彦走到了一起。然而最后还是纸包不住火，香奈子得知这个消息后愤然离开了山路家。这位水绘也就接替了女主人的宝座和将彦结了婚，岂料最后还是主动放弃这个位置离开了将彦，重新投入了以前被自己抛弃的那个男子的怀抱…… 也就是说，她先是抛弃了自己的男人，与将彦旧情复燃，然后又抛弃了后来的将彦，去与自己抛弃过的男子梅开二度。当然，这其中并不完全是她的责任，可是她这种朝三暮四、总在不停地摇摆的人生，比香奈子所承受过的不幸有过之而无不及。 “可是，为什么提起……嫂嫂到底听到了些什么？为什么警部先生对那个女人的事情如此感兴趣呢？” 香奈子与其说是向嫂嫂发问，不如说是自言自语似的在问自己。 “我总觉得将彦似乎在瞒着什么事情，至少我感觉是这样。” “要是这样——”香奈子的尖声惊叫，轻轻地划破了暗夜的寂静。“要是这样，那一定是警部先生看穿了我隐瞒着的什么事。” “到底怎么回事，香奈子，你果真还有什么隐瞒着的事没有说出来？难道是有关圭太的父亲？” 黑暗中一直保持着沉默。不过，从香奈子开始急促的喘息里可以得知，她的内心正在动摇。 “这样问可能会让你生气，不过我还是要问你。香奈子，圭太君真是将彦的孩子吗？” 黑暗中依然寂静无声。不过，香奈子停止了喘息，满满的黑夜像是在一瞬间牢牢地凝固住了。 “不是他的。”好几秒钟过后才听到了一声回答，话音虽短，可是其中的意味极为深刻。 听了这句话，轮到汀子沉不住气了。 “可是，那为什么圭太君长得那么像将彦呢？将彦又为什么明知圭太君不是自己的亲骨肉，还肯为他付那么大的一笔赎金呢？” 汀子一边问一边飞快地转动着脑子。不等对方回答，汀子已经得出了自己的答案。她又这样问道： “香奈子，你和他结婚的时候，我记得……你公公……也就是将彦的父亲身体还很棒吧？” 话刚出口，汀子的心脏仿佛瞬间缩成了一团。“对不起……”她后悔不迭地轻轻说了一句。 “真对不起，我真不该这么问……” 尽管汀子慌忙地连连赔罪，但从黑暗中传来的回答是：“我哪儿知道？” 香奈子又重复回答了一句：“嫂嫂，这种事情我哪儿知道呢？” “连你也不知道……这么说，圭太君的亲生父亲是谁你都不知道？” “不是的，起码圭太的亲生父亲是谁，我还是知道的……我只是说，我真不知道怎么办才好。我刚才，刚刚意识到，除了将彦还有一个人，还有个人能让圭太叫他'爸爸'……还有一个……” “到底是怎么回事？那个人到底是谁啊？” 可是，从香奈子口中得到的回答却是“不知道、不知道”。 正在这时，一连串尖厉的惊叫声突然传来，霎时间打破了黑夜中的宁静。汀子猛地受了惊吓，一下子坐了起来，急忙冲到了走廊上。汀子和香奈子今晚睡的是二楼靠近楼梯口的房间，旁边的屋子里只睡着笃志一个人。起初汀子想到的是，该不是儿子做了什么噩梦吓醒了吧。可是仔细一听，才发现那断断续续的喊叫声是从楼下传来的。她走到楼梯口往楼下看了一眼，楼下客厅里的灯已经亮了，几位还穿着警服，轮流休息的警官正从门外伸进脑袋不住地张望。 喊声是从汀子的丈夫陪着生病的老母亲一起住着的那间房里传出来的。 “妈……妈……”只听丈夫史郎失声喊道。 不久，他走到走廊里，对警官们说道：“刚才我母亲做了个奇怪的梦受了惊吓……放心吧！没事。”这时，老母亲的叫喊声也停住了。 整个家又恢复了平常的安静，重新躺回被子里的汀子耳边似乎还萦绕着刚才的呼喊…… 婆婆久乃久病在床，才六十五六岁便从去年年底开始患上了老年痴呆症，经常不明不白地念叨着什么，也许是受了外孙被绑架的刺激，病情显得更加厉害了…… 刚才突如其来的喊声，加之香奈子所说的一番话让汀子浮想联翩，思绪纷杂，久久不能入睡。待到她心思稍微安定了下来，朦朦胧胧地进入梦乡时，天马上就要亮了。 早上六点钟。 香奈子和嫂嫂两人已经在厨房里开始忙碌了。比平常足足早了三十分钟。 天还没亮，厨房里仍然漆黑一片。两人打开灯后就开始动手准备早饭。水龙头打开了，一股清澈的水喷流出来，仿佛冲走了小川家这个漫长的黑夜。 同时，流水的声响也预示着漫长的新的一天的开始。 说是起来帮忙，但香奈子什么也不想干，只是漫无目的地在厨房里心不在焉地徘徊，一双干涩的眼睛里充满了血丝。 汀子总想找机会再问清圭太的亲生父亲到底是谁，但还未来得及开口，便听到厨房门口传来了脚步声。她抬头一看，公公和丈夫已经站在了自己面前。 看来，他们两个昨晚一点儿也没睡，满脸都是一副愁苦不堪的模样。黑眼圈已经包围了他们红肿着的眼睛。父亲正和儿子商量：“要不今天工厂就歇一天吧？” 香奈子急忙接口说道：“我看还是照常上班吧。只要大家还和平常一样忙起来，就顾不上发愁孩子的事情了，我也感觉和孩子在时没什么两样。” Father nodded.八点不到，两名员工已经来上班了，家里的两位男子也一起到工厂去了。 几位警官虽然熬了一夜，只轮流睡了一小会儿，但丝毫不显疲惫，充满了临战之前的紧张感。几个人早已分工忙开了三件事。其一是反复收听绑匪电话的录音，其二是仔细了解这里到涉谷的道路交通状况，其余的人各就各位随时准备接听绑匪的电话，以及案件指挥部的联络，等候桥场警部到来。 警部到达这里时，工厂的员工已经全部到齐了，机器也已全部开动，小川家和周围的一切声响全被印刷机的轰鸣声盖住了。 八点半整，桥场警部从小川家的后门走了进来，之前，他已经提前到达这里，下了警车后点上一支烟，吸了几口后把烟扔在地上，又用鞋跟狠狠踩上几脚后才往小川家走来。 这时，汀子正好从后门出来倒垃圾。警部把烟头扔在地上后用脚踩踏的一幕正好被汀子看到，她完全想不到警部竟能做出这种举动，不禁微微皱起了眉头。 天气预报里说，从今天中午起东京都范围内将普遍有降雪，但碧空万里的晴朗天气里让人丝毫感觉不到这种迹象，一缕阳光就像瞄准了警部似的偶然照射在他所站过的位置。清晨洁净的阳光中，那只被踩得粉碎的烟蒂就像呼出最后的一口气，散发着一缕青烟…… 警官站在门外的动作虽然显得粗暴而鲁莽，但一踏进被害人家中，他又恢复了往日的冷静。桥场警部马上就进入了临战状态，有条不紊地安排起筹措赎金的事情来。为了防止出现自己所担心的，绑匪临时提出增加赎金金额的突然情况，他让人把将彦叫到客厅里来，问道：“万一出现绑匪提出增加赎金的情况，你告诉我一个数额，今天之内最多能筹措到多少？” “要是现金的话，最多只能拿出五千万，否则……” “这些完全足够了。香奈子小姐，一会儿绑匪要是来电话，向你要求更大数额的赎金的话……对了，你就告诉他，无论如何最多只能再增加四千万，总额五千万不能再多了。如果还嫌少的话，就得再等一天……另外，对方很可能在电话中提出临时变更赎金交付地点的要求，你就痛痛快快答应下来就是了。我们已经在涉谷那个路口预先布置了大批便衣警察，无论他提出把交易地点改换到那里，我们都能采取对应的行动。” 香奈子故意选择了离前夫稍远些的位置坐了下来，回答道：“我看他不会再提改换地点的要求吧？” 接着，她又转脸看着将彦问道：“你觉得我说得对吗？” 将彦摇了摇头，不知他是不赞同香奈子的意见，还是表示自己不知道。 然而，在这短短两三秒钟的沉默中，却让人感觉到这对昔日的夫妻之间，肯定进行了某种只有他们两人知道的交流。 “你们认为绑匪选择涉谷的这个路口有什么特别之处吗？”警部问道。 两人不约而同地摇头回答：“没什么特别的。” 警部心头虽有所警觉，但并没有接着这个话题再问下去，打了个圆场说道：“不，我也认为对方不太可能会提出变换地点，只是预防万一而已。” 然而，十分钟以后他的这个担心便马上应验了。 客厅里的电视虽然开着，但已经被调到了静音上，当屏幕的上角打出的时间正好到了九点整的那一瞬间，电话响了。 “是绑匪打来的。” 负责电话的警官脸上顿时紧张起来，小声地说道。警部也不由得一愣，虽然只是短短的一瞬间，但他还是对自己的预感果真得到了证实感到惊诧。他往泽野脸上瞥了一眼，只有泽野一个人明白，警部的目光里那自鸣得意的笑容，仿佛在表示“你看，还是我说对了吧”。 这段时间，不过短短的两秒。 桥场警部示意香奈子拿起电话。 "Hey……" “是我！”沉默了一秒钟后，听筒的深处传来了那个熟悉的声音，“昨天打电话时我以为事情都已经商定了。可是经过一个晚上的考虑，我又改变了主意，事情稍微复杂了点儿，你们要是认为这么做就是绑架的话，那也无妨。” “哦，是吗……” 香奈子说不出什么，只能不时含糊地回应一声，好好听着，早就知道自己说什么也没用。她把听筒紧紧地贴在耳边，焦急地等着对方回应，生怕错过了绑匪的一呼一吸。 “虽说你们主动提出要给我钱，总不免让人感觉是拿钱来换孩子的一条命似的，既然拿钱换命，我看一千万这个数就不大合适了吧？生命不会这么便宜吧？只要这孩子好好活着，一辈子的人生还有好几十年呢。对了，人这辈子总值上亿的钱吧？最低也值一亿。要是不肯答应那圭太就太可悲了，他会觉得自己的人生只值一千万，情何以堪？” "..." “直说吧，一亿，拿得出来吗？” 对方用轻松的口吻问道，仿佛在嘲弄香奈子的紧张。香奈子不由回头向围靠在自己身边的警察们扫视了一眼，目光最终落在了前夫的脸上，将彦已经听得脸色苍白，不停地干眨着眼，比香奈子更加方寸大乱。 “怎么样？一亿元拿得出来吧？”绑匪再一次问道。 “行，拿得出。” 香奈子清楚地回答道。桥场警部条件反射似的伸出手去想夺下电话，阻止她再继续说下去，但香奈子根本不予理睬，只是直瞪瞪地望着将彦。 将彦低下了头，马上又抬起来斜视了前妻一眼，镜片后一双紧闭的眼睛，就像是一只小动物的眼睛…… 其实，宁愿拿出全部财产搭救儿子的话也只是嘴上说说，他心里根本就没这个打算。 香奈子微微翘起嘴唇，鄙夷不屑地对将彦投去一笑。当她正想开口再说些什