Avis de décès 2 Destinée

Chapitre 22

"In the end, what should we do..." Even if Anton is the murderer, without concrete evidence, the police won't accept the case even if we report it. We need to obtain solid evidence.

Tamami calculated that although she had time, searching slowly like this wouldn't work. She even suspected that the person Anton was dating was Ayako. However, she didn't know where they planned to meet, so even if she wanted to look, she wouldn't know where to start. Besides, even if it was a date, they might just meet at a coffee shop somewhere; there wasn't anything particularly dangerous. And it was certain that Anton hadn't returned, so she might as well make the most of this opportunity. Of course, if she found something, everything would be over.

So, this isn't the terrifying burglary place Tamami described. I haven't quite figured out where to search.

First, let's look at the wardrobe. Zhu Mei opened the most ordinary section.

"Oh, it's you," Uematsu said, his voice tinged with a hint of embarrassment.

What are you doing in a place like this?

"You'll see when you see it."

“But… what about the company?” Yuriko asked.

"Don't you know? I've been fired."

"Expulsion?"

“Absolutely right, she was kicked out of her section chief’s seat and her husband’s seat.”

"So, have you and your wife separated?"

"Yeah. That kind of woman, I don't want her anymore!" At this moment, Uematsu had a very rebellious attitude towards the objective world. "Hmph, that guy actually said he would help me get a job! What is he thinking? It's just to be a building manager in that building. To be watched and laughed at by the employees of my former company every day, sitting in the receptionist's seat! -- Seriously, are they treating people like fools!"

Yuriko thought, "I see. What a remarkable lady." "So, you're here?"

“Hmm. I drank too much last night and fell asleep here. When I woke up, I was covered with a blanket. This is this person’s.” He said, pointing to the “King”. “So, I decided to join them. Only the people here are truly human!” After saying this with such force, Uematsu joined the banquet.

Just as Yuriko was looking at Uematsu and his group with mixed feelings, the "King" walked over and said, "No problem."

"Why?"

"That person still has desires and attachments in reality. He'll stay here for a while and then go back."

How do you know what I'm thinking—?

The "King" smiled slightly, "That's because our hearts are empty, so we can understand the hearts of others." Yuriko nodded as if she understood.

“King!” A vagrant came running over from the other side.

"What happened?"

"We've found those three people."

"Three people? — The three people who injured the doctor?"

"yes."

"Where?"

"They were completely drunk in the garbage dump up there."

The "King" looked at Yuriko, "Want to come along?"

“Yes, we must go!” Yuriko and “the King” walked through the underground district together and came up to the surface through an exit.

"Behind that building." Led by the homeless man, they emerged from a narrow alleyway piled high with garbage and filled with a stench. Yuriko involuntarily covered her mouth and nose.

2005-3-14 16:07:00

“Wait a moment,” said the “King.” “Now, bring them here.”

Yuriko stepped back slightly. She realized she still couldn't join this group of "companions".

"stop!"

"Spare us!" Hearing the cries of pain, the three men who had attacked Yuriko were dragged over by a group of nearly ten vagrants.

"Is it them?" the "King" asked.

Yes, that's right.

After collapsing to the ground, the three of them no longer had the courage to stand up. They just looked up and exclaimed, "Oh no, it's that girl!" They tried to get up and run away, but were immediately pulled back.

"I have questions for you," said the "King." "Why did you attack this young lady?"

"For...money," someone whispered.

"Speak the truth!" The "King's" words were as authoritative as those of a real king.

"Go ahead and say it," one of them said, defiantly. "There's no particular reason to hide it anyway."

"What are you hiding?"

“We were instructed by someone. She gave us money to rob this lady’s bag.”

"They even said that if we raped her next, we'd each get another 10,000 yen. We thought it was a good thing to be able to make money happily..."

"Who ordered you to do this?" Yuriko stepped forward and asked.

“We couldn’t possibly know his name,” the other person replied awkwardly.

"What kind of man is he?" Yuriko asked, and the three men looked at her with suspicion.

"It's not a man, it's a woman, right?"

Although it was a burglary, Tamami had made a mistake in calculating the window proportions, so getting inside was quite a hassle. Tamami wiped the sweat from her brow. In short, this was a novice's burglary. She didn't even know what she was looking for, obviously because she'd never stolen anything before. However, searching drawers and closets shouldn't be too tiring. While there wasn't anything particularly surprising, it was still quite entertaining to peep. To ensure the burglar didn't notice, she had to put everything back in its place beforehand—a huge undertaking she hadn't anticipated. But then she thought, it wouldn't matter if the house was a mess after being ransacked, and she cheered up again.

"How wonderful, an empty house." Zhu Mei, with a perverted envy, crawled into the closet and started rummaging around...

"What's this?" She suddenly stopped. —It was a handbag. Not some oddly shaped bag. But its unusual placement had caught Tamami's attention. And it was covered with a cloth, as if it were being hidden. Taking it out, Tamami stared at it for a long time, muttering to herself, "This handbag...it looks so similar." Throughout the incident, Tamami had heard many descriptions of handbags. This was very similar to the handbag Katase Noriko had. "It's empty inside, isn't it?" She opened the bag and was surprised. It was filled with all sorts of things: handkerchiefs, cosmetics, even towels. Seeing a notebook, Tamami opened it and saw entries in the schedule. —Strange, why would a handbag containing such a notebook be thrown away at the back of the closet? Tamami was stunned when she saw the last page of the notebook. It had fields for name, address, and phone number. The name field clearly read "Katase Noriko." This was the handbag that Katase Noriko, who had been murdered, had lost! In other words, it was... who killed her.

The sliding door was pulled open with a whoosh, and Zhu Mei almost jumped to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Antokiko stood in the doorway. Then, upon noticing the bag in Tamami's hand, she stared intently at Tamami with a terrifying gaze.

This was an unexpected event that even Tamami hadn't anticipated. She couldn't very well say "Excuse me" now, could she? But she couldn't think of anything suitable to say in this situation. Anyway, there was no one else here, so she decided to run! Tamami threw her handbag at Kiko and should have run for her life towards the door. However, she hadn't considered that her legs, which were numb from kneeling and rummaging through the closet, were already stiff for a modern child unaccustomed to kneeling. She only managed two or three steps before tripping and falling to the ground. Kiko immediately rolled over and sat on top of her.

"You saw it! Why—why—" Antokiko cried, tears streaming down her face. She gripped Tamami's neck tightly with both hands, bending downwards to immobilize her. Her fingers dug into Tamami's neck, preventing her from screaming. Her fingers sank deeper…

It's almost 2 o'clock.

Ayako was on the verge of tears. Of course, she had left early to arrive an hour early. No, if we're talking about leaving the house, she had left in the morning. Just after noon, she called Anton, who gave her the detailed address of the coffee shop where they were to meet. The place was only a fifteen-minute walk from where she had called, so Ayako felt reassured. Then, considering what might happen if things went wrong even so, she hurried in that direction.

In the end… Ayako still couldn't figure out which way to go. She stopped, now in a dilemma. The further she went, the further she got from her destination, but if she went back, she would never be able to get back to where she started.

"Forget it... let's stop here." She really felt like crying. Asking for directions... but who should she ask? The best option would be to ask a patrol officer on duty, but she didn't know where that officer was. Asking passersby for directions—she didn't have the courage. Besides, she didn't know any patrol officers. Did she know them? —In that case, there was Officer Guoyou.

Can a patrol officer and a criminal investigator be lumped together? Ayako hadn't completely ignored this, but she didn't know anyone else besides him. She'd asked Yuriko for Kuniyoshi's phone number and written it down in her phone book, just in case. But if she called Kuniyoshi, wouldn't Yuriko find out about her date with Ando? Yuriko was still considering the absurd possibility that Ando was the murderer. "But—is it alright?" She didn't need to ask for the hotel address. She only needed to ask for the address of the coffee shop where they were meeting. Kuniyoshi couldn't possibly know who she was meeting there, could he?

They arrived at a place where a red telephone was clearly visible. Ayako had found it without hesitation, after much searching. She made up her mind and picked up the phone.

"—I am Guoyou."

"Ah, this is Ayako. Sasamoto Ayako."

2005-3-14 16:08:00

"Oh, hello. How can I help you?"

"Um, I have something I'd like to ask..."

"What is it? Please tell me, if I know."

"Um... I have no sense of direction, so I'm lost now."

"Oh dear, oh dear," Guoyou asked with a smile, "Where are you going?"

Ayako recited the names of the coffee shops she had written down in her phone book.

"Ah, that place, I know it. Isn't it at the underground exit of the N Building?"

"Yes! Yes!" Ayako exclaimed happily.

"So, where are you now?"

Ayako immediately became dejected again. "Well, I don't know either..."

"Yes, that's what happens when you're lost. Are there any residential signs nearby? Tell me things like the street name and house number."

Ayako looked around in surprise and uncertainty. "Ah, I've got it. It says 3-5 XX Street."

"OK. Just a moment."

After a while, Ayako checked her watch; it was already 2:10. Anton was probably waiting anxiously.

"—Sorry to keep you waiting. You know you're standing on the bus lane, right?"

"Yes, it's a very wide road."

“Okay. There’s a short slope on this road, right? Go downhill. Then you’ll meet…” After Kuniyoshi’s repeated explanations, Ayako finally gained confidence after putting away her phone book.

"Thank you so much."

"No, it's nothing. I have a terrible sense of direction too. Are you going to work?"

"Yes, yes, that's right."

"Then let's hurry up and go."

"Thank you." Ayako hung up the phone, feeling really good about making the call! Ayako skipped up the slope with light, bouncy steps.

"I am Guoyou."

"I am Yuriko!"

"Ah, it's you."

"The group of homeless people has been found."

"What did you say?"

"They're in the guard's office in that underground block right now. Can you come?"

"I understand. Did they say anything?"

"They said it was at the behest of a woman."

"You mean a woman?"

"Okay. Anyway, I'll wait for you."

"I'm coming right away." Guoyou hung up the phone and hurriedly ran out of the police station. The roads here weren't complicated, and he arrived at the underground shopping area in less than twenty minutes.

Inside the guard's office, three homeless men sat listlessly. Perhaps it had become a habit, but instead of sitting on chairs, they chose to sit on the floor.

"Mr. Kunitomo."