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Chapitre 20

Regardless of whether the police are present, the compartmentalization of this box completely defies common sense. For example, the intersection of the central corridor and this corridor generally does not require a door.

Kiba initially found it strange, but he's gotten used to it now.

The two rooms on the right are for the living quarters of the two staff members living here. Of course, Kiba has never been inside. The first room is the room of a short man named Suzaki. This man is always seen wearing white, so he must be a doctor or a researcher. The room inside, which is near the toilet, is the home of a middle-aged man named Koda, who always wears work clothes. Kiba guesses that he is probably the technician who operates the machines in the power room on the first floor. This guess is not just based on his clothes; his movements and expressions give him this impression, although this may just be Kiba's prejudice.

Besides the director, there are only these two staff members in this research institute.

The director's room was located on the other side of their room, that is, on the side facing the front of the building.

Opening the door on the left side of the corridor, it appears to be a small reception room. I say "appears" because the room gives no sense of welcome whatsoever. It is about ten square meters in size, with monotonous patterned tiles on the floor, a simple table and about ten chairs casually placed, and a bookshelf piled high with stacks of paper rolls.

In the corner of the room was a washbasin, almost the same size as the one in the bathroom, but with a mirror on the wall, it was clear that it was for washing one's face, not a washbasin. In the opposite corner was a writing desk, piled high with documents. This was the most unsightly room imaginable.

Upon opening the door, I immediately saw Yoko standing in front of the table.

"Mr. Kiba."

The scene was exactly the same as it had been a week ago.

Kiba had a strong sense of déjà vu, though he knew it was just an illusion, and that it was simply because he had experienced similar situations before.

Yoko was greatly surprised to see Kiba open the door that day, and at the same time, Kanako's kidnapping notice slipped from her hand.

"What can I do for you? I remember this gentleman is—"

"I am Fukumoto from the Musashi-Koganei Station Police Station."

Fukumoto answered with his head held high and chest out, but it was obvious that the person in Yoko's field of vision was not Fukumoto, but Raiko.

"I remember this person is—Kanako's friend—"

"I am Kusumoto."

Lai Zi gave a brief reply.

"You've come here today for—Mr. Kiba, may I ask what this is—?"

"Kanako was supposedly pushed off the cliff. Right, Fukumoto?"

"Yes, this young woman testified that this was not an accident, nor a suicide, but a very well-executed attempted murder."

"You bastard, there's no such thing as beautiful or ugly when it comes to murder. Just tell me the details now."

Only then did Kiba finally notice that Suzaki was in the room. Suzaki leaned against the wall next to the bookshelf, looking at Kiba and the others. His short figure was completely hidden by the bookshelf, so he didn't notice him at all.

Suzaki Yu peeked out from beside the bookshelf, his slightly swollen face followed by a snort of displeasure. He had a large head and short limbs, but his eyes were twice as fierce as those of an average person.

"Excuse me, could you please leave your seat for a moment?"

Kiba, finding it a bit troublesome, got straight to the point. He instinctively disliked the man, for no reason.

Suzaki probably had the same thought. He glanced at Kiba, then left the room without a word. But before closing the door, Suzaki turned back, saw Yoko, and smiled at her.

Kiba adjusted the table so that Raiko and Fukumoto sat opposite him, and invited Yoko to sit next to him. Yoko didn't move, looking at Raiko with a suspicious expression.

"Miss Yangzi, you should listen carefully too."

Hearing Kiba's words, Yoko gave a soft "hmm" and sat down. But she still seemed a little confused about the situation.

"Alright, little sister. Now please tell us what you refused to answer that day. Why did you only suddenly decide to tell us today?"

"I—I finally remembered. It was terrifying, so—"

"It's been half a month since then, why did you only suddenly remember it now?"

"I think perhaps the shock at the time was too intense, which is why he can't remember? For example—"

"Nobody is asking for your opinion."

Kiba didn't think Fukumoto was a bad guy, but his frequent thoughtless remarks still annoyed him.

"I'm not asking why I can't remember, but why I suddenly remembered."

"I felt really lonely—so I went to the coffee shop—the one I often went to with Kanako. Then I looked at the magazine Kanako always read, and suddenly—"

"You remembered? And then?"

"Jia Cai Zi was pushed down, someone pushed her down forcefully from behind."

"By whom?"

"A man dressed in black."

"Is it someone you don't know?"

"I don't know him! I've never seen him before. He suddenly ran out from behind and shoved her from behind with a thud."

Really? Kiba couldn't believe it at all.

But telling this lie now will do the girl no good at all.

So—was the purpose a joke? Or was it to mock the adults?

But her eyes were so sincere.

"Is...is that true?"

Yangzi asked aloud.

"—You really saw it?"

Lai Zi suddenly panicked, a wavering look appearing in his sincere eyes. He quickly lowered his head as if to hide his gaze, appearing uneasy.

"Yes, it's true—no, I'm not lying."

His voice trembled at the end, and his eyes were brimming with tears. Soaked in tears, Lai Zi's true meaning was distorted and deformed, making it impossible for even the sharp eyes of a detective to discern its authenticity.

Kiba really didn't understand this girl's true nature. Perhaps she wasn't lying, but there was no authenticity in her words; they always felt like fabrications.

Kiba knew he couldn't take this girl's words at face value. To Kiba, Raiko's words, yes, felt as superficial as listening to lines from a movie. The content was meticulously crafted, and the words were full of emotion, but in essence, it was just reciting lines from a script. No matter how hard an actor tries to make the performance more realistic, the character they portray is still fictional, and what they express is never the actor's own personality; it cannot be compared to the authenticity encountered in real life. If that were the case, Raiko would probably be a more outstanding actress than Yoko.

However, the interior of this building is not the external real world, so Kusumoto Yoriko's words became real after entering the box, which also disrupted Kiba's judgment.

"Could you please elaborate a bit more? For example, right, the standing position. Let's think of this as the platform, and the railway tracks are over here. This chair is like a telephone pole. Kanako was probably standing here back then."

Kiba sets up a hypothetical situation, positioning himself as Kanako. If Raiko is lying, further questioning should expose her.

"I am standing in this area."

Lai Zi suddenly got up and moved to the right rear of the lumberyard, about three to four feet (one to one and a half meters) away.

"I left my bag here, and Jia Caizi is in this area."

The action was swift and decisive.

"But isn't that strange? Aren't you two going to some lake together? You're waiting for the bus here because you're going there, right? Usually, when friends go out, they stand side by side and chat and laugh, don't they?"

Perhaps this is just a stereotype about men like Kiba who are over thirty, and maybe young girls don't have this habit—Kiba vaguely thought so in the corner of his mind, but immediately dismissed the idea.

Under normal circumstances, they should still wait side by side.

"Because Kanako—she cried. It was the first time I'd ever seen Kanako cry, so..."

A shadow fell over Yoko's expression.

"You cried? Kusumoto-kun, do you think Kanako cried that day?"

"Yes. That's why I think it's better not to look at her face."

That's probably why I stood three feet (one meter) behind her.

"And then? And that man?"

"I kept looking ahead, not knowing where he came from—probably in that direction."

Lai Zi pointed to his left rear.

"Fukumoto."

Kiba instructed Fukumoto, and the dull-witted young police officer was surprisingly quick-witted this time.

Is that so?

Fukumoto came around from the left rear and pushed Kiba's back.

"No, you have to push harder, and then push me down with a thud. I was so scared that I fell to the ground. No, that's not right. The man used the force of pushing Kanako down to push me down from behind as well."

"So, that's it?"

Fukumoto shoved Kiba with both hands on the ground, then turned around and shoved Raiko.

"No—I think they probably bumped into me while they were running away."

"Ah, I see."

Fukumoto turned around and deliberately bumped into him with his body.

"And that's how I am."

Lai Zi spun half a circle before collapsing to the ground. Indeed, I remember Lai Zi slumped to the ground at that moment.

"I understand. Did you see his face?"

"It's a terrifying face."

"To be more specific. To be honest, my face is scary too."

Kiba might have said that as a joke, but it seems no one thought so.

“His eyes were very sharp—but I only saw his face for a moment, so I didn’t see it clearly. I only remember that he was dressed entirely in black and wearing gloves.”

The description was very detailed. Kiba glanced at Yoko.

"What do you think of this girl's words? Is it true? If so—this is indeed a crime. By the way, Ms. Yoko, is Kanako able to speak now? I haven't had a chance to ask you about this until now. If she can speak, you should have heard her say something, right?"

"Unfortunately, Kanako is still unable to speak. Her consciousness sometimes returns, but it is still very hazy. So I have never heard her talk about the accident—the situation when the incident occurred."

"Detective, are you suspecting me?"

Lai Zi once again gave Muba that look of helplessness.

"I...I wasn't lying—"

"Stop crying!"

Kiba shouted loudly.

I can't take it anymore. I can't keep letting a little girl's tears lead me by the nose.