Pathway to Japanese Literature

The Fair Client

1

On a mid-April afternoon when one might imagine that even the cherry blossoms which had so proudly bloomed everywhere had been pitifully scattered by the great wind of two or three days prior, I skillfully left my workplace at the magazine company early and was strolling about Ginza. As I walked from Owarichō toward Shimbashi, thinking things like "Should I stop somewhere for a cup of coffee? No, it’d be dull alone—is there anyone to talk to?", I suddenly collided with an extremely tall, gaunt man at a corner.

“Idiot! Watch where you’re going!”

I was about to retort when I suddenly got a good look at the man—it was my acquaintance Fujieda Shintarō.

"Oh, Fujieda." "What brings you here?" "Oh, it's you... Got some business today?" "Well now, still doing your aimless Ginza strolls I see." "What about you? Shouldn't you be holed up in that back-alley office of yours?"

"I'm free at the moment. A client's coming at three-thirty, but until then I've got nothing to do, so I came out for a stroll. "I usually expect to bump into idle men like you... Though I must say, I didn't anticipate literally colliding with one today." “Ha ha ha! “Is that so? Perfect timing then.” “I was just thinking of finding someone to have tea with.” “Shall we go in here?”

I promptly invited him and dashed into a nearby coffee shop.

The shop was comfortably empty, so the two sat facing each other in a nearby booth and ordered black tea and cakes from the waiter.

“Hey Ogawa, do you know why I’m sitting here facing you like this?” “Still with your Fujieda-style questions.” “Isn’t it to talk?” “Meaning we’ve taken the most natural and convenient position for two people to converse.”

“Exactly. By the way, have you noticed this particular fact? That taking this position in this place feels natural only to certain people.” “What do you mean? I don’t quite follow.” As I said this, I added two cubes of sugar to the black tea the waiter had brought.

“Take a look over there.”

When Fujieda suddenly pointed to the right, I looked in that direction and saw two women of about twenty sitting side by side in a booth across from us, turned away as they chatted amiably. “Did you get it? When young women are together, they line up like that. It seems more convenient for them to sit that way.” After saying this, Fujieda took out a fresh cigarette from his case and lit it. “But that’s just a special case, right? It’s not always true that women sit like that when together.”

“That’s precisely why I asked you clearly from the start, didn’t I? Whether you’d noticed such patterns. From my observations to date, pairs of young women always sit like that. If ‘always’ sounds too absolute, let’s say eight out of ten groups position themselves that way.” “Is that so?”

“Exactly.” “In other words, these facts can be confirmed.” “Young women sitting together will first take positions like that in a booth.” “If it’s men together, they face each other like we do.” “And then there’s the fact that when it’s a man and woman together, they also face each other.” Having said this, he blew out a smug cloud of smoke with a languid puff.

2 “Is that so? Well then, you there—when women are together, why do they sit like that? I’d like you to explain the reason.”

I asked this while expecting Fujieda to launch into his usual pontifications as he always did.

“No, I don’t know that. I leave such matters to psychologists or physiologists. My work doesn’t require going that far – I just need to observe facts as they are. Observation! That’s right – observation! You’ve seen women lined up like that countless times yourself, yet you’ve never noticed the pattern.”

“Mr. Doyle keeps having Sherlock Holmes go on about such things, but does any of it actually help in real cases?” “Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. You could say detective novels have no practical value—or you could say they’re tremendously useful.”

“Well then, detective novels such as those actually prove useful to a detective like you, do they?”

“The overall merit of the works themselves is fundamentally questionable. However, within these famous detectives’ fragmented utterances, there are remarkably valuable words worth savoring.”

As he said this, he began eagerly devouring the apple pie with his fork. I recalled that about two weeks prior, when our high school class reunion had been held at a certain restaurant in Akasaka, I had lent him two or three detective novels that were recently receiving great acclaim in Britain and America.

“How about those books I lent you the other day?” “Ah, those! Right, thank you for the other day. I read them all in one sitting. They were all interesting.”

“That’s good to hear… but were they of any use?”

At this moment, Fujieda fell silent and became lost in thought. I, already sensing that he was recalling some unsatisfactory aspect of those novels, quickly decided to take the initiative and broached the subject. “It’s not just limited to those novels, but what I dislike about detective stories is how the famous detectives who appear in them are made out to be too brilliant.” “Whether it’s Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Thorndyke, or Philo Vance—they’re all more than human, aren’t they?” “In reality, such great people don’t really exist, you see.”

“Well, that’s true.” Fujieda gave a rather half-hearted reply.

“I’m not saying this to mock you now that you’re here before me, nor is it empty flattery—but someone of your caliber truly qualifies as a real-world great detective.” “Our Detective Fujieda may not possess Sherlock Holmes’ deductive genius nor Philo Vance’s scholarly breadth…”

“Hey, hey, enough already.”

He began to speak, cutting me off, his face flushing slightly with embarrassment. "As you say, detectives are portrayed as too brilliant." "But if I may say so, whether it's that recent novel or any other, I think the villains lean toward being overly villainous." "Why don’t novelists depict genuine villains?"

“Real villains?”

“Exactly. “The villains that appear in detective novels are simply too villainous. “They’re contrived—natural-born villains. “For instance, when killing someone, they devise an elaborate plan and execute it coldly. “And even afterward, they calmly dispose of everything. “That’s what I find a bit off-putting.” “So what are you saying? “You’re claiming such villains don’t exist? “Well, isn’t that a bit odd?”

3

“Why?” “You should know more about this than I do, but doesn’t criminology recognize an inherent criminal type?”

“Oh, they exist alright.” “Such criminals do exist, in a sense.” “Take Iago from Othello—he’s a prime example of that.” “However, they don’t exactly grow on trees, I tell you.” “Especially when it comes to murderers like those that appear in detective novels—I simply can’t believe such people exist in this world, you see.” “As I was just saying, they meticulously plan the murder down to the last detail with cold precision, and even after committing the act, they remain as composed as if they’d just finished breakfast—utterly untroubled by fear or pangs of conscience.” “They’re truly astonishing, I tell you.”

“You can’t say they don’t exist.” “Isn’t it just that you haven’t encountered them yet?” “In any case, I’ve never met one myself.” “Not once during my time as a prosecutor, nor since I quit—never come across such a monster.” “With fraudsters and embezzlers, you’ll find plenty scheming with devilish cleverness, but murderers? Not so much.” “Fundamentally, killing someone’s a fool’s errand.” “Any man with half a brain wouldn’t do it.”

He drained his tea and ordered another cup. “Assuming intelligent people don’t commit murder, what about maniacal killers?” “There are plenty of maniacal killers.” “But since they’re not too bright, they get caught right away without needing some great detective to intervene.” “So when a natural-born maniac with brilliant intellect appears—that’s when your great detective finally mobilizes, eh?” “How about it? Care for a one-on-one showdown with such a criminal?”

“That’s something I’d welcome too, but I’m afraid it won’t be happening anytime soon.” As he said this, Fujieda flicked his second cigarette into the ashtray.

No matter how great they may be, humans cannot see even an inch ahead of themselves. Less than half a month after this conversation, Fujieda found himself forced into a one-on-one showdown with a great criminal—exactly as he had long desired, no, perhaps even more so.

Moreover, none could have imagined that the prelude to this great catastrophe would begin less than an hour after this conversation.

I glanced at the clock; it was already about two minutes to three. “You said earlier a guest would come around three-thirty—isn’t that cutting it close?”

“It’s still fine.” He answered this way, but with a meaningful smile, he briefly looked at me. "My wish won’t be granted anytime soon, but this esteemed guest might pique the curiosity of an admirer of women like you."

“Is it a woman?”

I blurted out without thinking.

“Yeah, that’s right.” “What kind of lady is she? Young and beautiful?” “Don’t get ahead of yourself. I haven’t met her yet. Today’s our first meeting.” “Oh. But given it’s you, I doubt it’s some romantic intrigue…” “Of course. She’s the case client. Unfortunately, since there’s no formula to deduce facial features from handwriting, I can’t determine her beauty—but she’s unquestionably a young woman. Since it’s you, I don’t mind showing the letter that arrived this morning.”

He slowly put his hand into his pocket while saying this.

4

At this juncture, I feel compelled to provide readers with a brief introduction to Fujieda Shintarō’s background and, subsequently, my own—which is not much to boast about.

Fujieda Shintarō was—until about five years prior—the successor to his former self as the Tokyo District Court prosecutor known as the Demon Prosecutor, who had been both feared and loathed by the villains of the imperial capital.

What prompted this change, one might wonder—about five years prior, he had suddenly submitted his resignation and retired. Contrary to what one might have expected—that he would follow the path of many judicial officers and soon hang out a lawyer’s shingle—in a rare turn of events defying public anticipation, he never registered as an attorney at all. After some time passed, he rented a small Western-style room in a Ginza backstreet and began putting up a sign that read: “Private Detective Fujieda Shintarō.” Indeed, it was two years after he resigned as a prosecutor.

From then until today, he began wielding his fearsome uncanny abilities. Though his achievements remained unpublished due to the involved parties still being alive, incidents like the Ushigome Old Woman Murder Case, the Mysterious Affair at the Kiyokawa Marquis Residence, the Yasuda Family Treasure Disappearance Case, and the Murder at Dr. Minokawa’s Residence had nevertheless become widely known among the public. The Demon Prosecutor remained a demon. Now endowed with greater freedom than during his official tenure, he was all the more feared by villains.

I, Ogawa Masao, had in fact been in the same year as him in high school and had been quite close with him since those days.

At that time, society was in the era of the New Romantic school’s literary rise. Every reader of that time, without exception, became both a literary youth and a philosophy enthusiast at some point. Fujieda and I were no exception—discussing Ibsen, expounding on Strindberg, reading Romain Rolland’s novels through the night while pretending to understand Bergson and Eucken. Looking back now, it’s enough to make one break into a cold sweat—our high school rooms invariably featured Nietzschean aphorisms scrawled on the walls, with Beethoven’s stern portrait hanging on one side and photographs of Michelangelo’s frescoes tacked up haphazardly on the other.

Thus both Fujieda and I had fully intended to become either great literary giants or philosophical titans in our future.

However, as we approached university age, this artistic malady gradually faded, and by the time we entered university, far more of us had become grounded, abandoning the humanities for the law. Fujieda Shintarō was precisely one of those types—before he knew it, volumes of legal precedents had lined up before his complete works of Goethe, his Italian dictionary and such relegated to some corner as the Six Codes came to reign supreme.

The fool here was none other than myself; my artistic affliction showed no signs of abating. Though I had done well to enroll in the philosophy department with grand academic ambitions, fate turned against me during my second year when my father—a moderately successful Osaka trade merchant—passed away. Returning to my hometown to settle his affairs, I found myself over two or three months increasingly seduced by leisurely pursuits until I had become an utter idler. Still, I managed to graduate with the nominal title of Bachelor of Arts, but while some classmates were already making literary debuts and those who had studied law were vigorously taking higher civil service exams to become distinguished officials—this enviable contrast spurred me to self-improvement. Yet mired in an idler's inertia, I remained incapable of establishing myself in society. With a resigned "Well then," I temporarily returned home to take over my father's business. Fortunately unburdened by financial cares, I later relocated the entire household to Tokyo, where I now find my present station—toiling for meager wages at an obscure magazine firm—perversely comfortable, though not without habitual grumbling.

5

The only unforgettable event in my otherwise mundane life was losing my wife three years ago; since then, I had lived a carefree existence as a single man with no children—just my mother and me. I wasn’t opposed to remarrying, and there were indeed people who tried to arrange matches for me, but like the old saying goes—neither fish nor fowl—here I was, not yet forty, still a bachelor. Fujieda Shintarō should be about the same age as me—he must have been thirty-seven or thirty-eight by then—but even at that age, he too remained unmarried. Moreover, his situation differed from mine in that he had never intended to marry from the start.

"I don't mean to cut a tirade, but I've never fallen for a woman - nor been fallen for by one, I tell you." That had been his stock phrase. "I simply can't bring myself to respect women. And at the same time, I can't trust them either."

He often said this quite seriously. He might have appeared to be putting on airs as Sherlock Holmes himself, but in truth, this seemed to leave him rather lonely.

Like myself, my father had already passed away, and I lived with my mother in our house, going to the office nearly every day. Given his nature, there was no reason for me to feel envious upon being told a female client was coming. Sure enough, as I had thought, this was no romantic liaison but appeared to be a client with a case. “This is the letter that arrived this morning. “It came to the office by express mail. “Since she seems to be in quite a hurry, the pen strokes are disordered—but she’s a well-educated woman from considerable wealth.”

He said this and handed me a cream-colored Western envelope. I silently pulled out the paper inside, and it was cream-colored Western stationery matching the envelope, inscribed in delicate feminine handwriting as follows. Please kindly forgive my rudeness in suddenly sending you this letter. Though I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting you, I have long been aware of your esteemed name, Mr. Fujieda. Regarding a certain incident, a matter has arisen for which I particularly wish to place my trust in you and humbly request your assistance. It does not concern me personally, but rather my household. I will call at your office today at three-thirty, so if it is convenient for you, I humbly beg that you will grant me an audience. All matters will be discussed once I have the pleasure of meeting you in person. In haste.

Akikawa Hiroko Mr. Fujieda “Hey Ogawa, since this woman plans to come meet us and explain the situation anyway, there’s no need for her to hide anything about herself.” “So we can safely assume she used her everyday stationery in her rush.” “Look here—this stationery’s quite luxurious.” “Different from the letter paper we occasionally buy, with matching envelopes and sheets sold as boxed sets.” “And what’s more, it’s rather pricey stuff.” “If she regularly uses this sort of thing, she must be the daughter of a fairly wealthy family.” “Then there’s the letter’s phrasing—it caught my interest.” “Concise and efficient.” “Though I must say this wording seems unusual for a woman’s composition... Well then, time’s about up—shall we make our exit?”

Having said this, he grabbed the invoice that lay on the desk and began to rise.

I too stood up following him, but I suddenly found myself growing concerned about this client we had yet to meet.

6 “Hey you—when a young woman clearly writes her own name and sends such a letter to someone she’s never met like you, it must mean an extremely pressing incident has occurred.” I said as we walked along the pavement. “Well, from her perspective it must seem quite urgent. However, young women tend to panic over trivial matters—we can’t join the commotion until we’ve heard the full details. Just the other day, some woman came rushing in here all flustered, claiming her husband had gone missing. When we looked into it, turns out this so-called husband had been holed up at a certain meeting house.” “Ha ha ha!”

“However, this letter clearly states her own name.” “Hmm, this is an interesting point. If this is her real name—and I don’t know if you’ve noticed—but Akikawa is a surname that seems plausible yet is practically nonexistent. When you hear 'Akikawa,' does anyone come to mind?” When told this, I paused to consider it myself for a moment.

When I had been working as a trader in Osaka, I had come to know various businesspeople, but now I recalled that there was an industrialist in Tokyo with that surname.

“I believe there was someone named Akikawa who was president of some company...”

"That’s right—you remember things with unexpected clarity."

Fujieda gave me a peculiar look for a moment.

“Immediately after this letter arrived, I opened directories like Who’s Who and credit reports.” “There exists a businessman named Akikawa Shunzō.” “He’s president of Akikawa Paper Company—naturally involved with other companies too.” “And it clearly lists that his eldest daughter is a person named Hiroko.”

“Huh?” “So this Akikawa Hiroko is the daughter of that wealthy person?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Of course, whether the young lady coming to visit me now is the same person remains unclear, but in any case, it’s certain that a woman named Akikawa Hiroko does indeed exist.”

While having this conversation, the two arrived in front of Fujieda’s office.

“Until our client arrives—how about you look through business directories to get some preliminary knowledge?” Fujieda entered the room, sat down before the large desk, and pushed toward me the hefty volume that had been neatly placed at his side.

When I looked, it indeed appeared he had already done considerable research, as the section for 'A' was open. I looked up entries under the initial 'A,' and found that the surname Akikawa appeared only once.

Akikawa Shunzō. So this was the one. With that thought, I began intently reading the entry.

Akikawa Shunzō (45 years old) You, formerly Yamada, at age twenty-three were recognized by the previous head of the household, Mr. Chōjirō, and became the adopted son-in-law of the family’s daughter Tokuko (current wife), assuming the Akikawa surname; having early on devoted yourself to paper manufacturing, you achieved success leading to the present day—currently president of Akikawa Paper Company and director of various other companies, etc. (Here, various titles are listed but omitted here.)

Family: Wife Tokuko (45 years old), eldest daughter Hiroko (21 years old), second daughter Sadako (19 years old), third daughter Hatsue (18 years old), eldest son Shuntarō (15 years old). This was the Akikawa family’s entry as recorded in the business directory.

7 “Indeed, looking at this, she appears to be a splendid young lady from an eminent household.”

“Well, if this genuine young lady shows up, you’ll likely be satisfied, but I’m more concerned about the nature of the case itself than such matters.” “You’re still sticking to your Fujieda-style methods, I see.” “Not falling for beauties, not trusting women—is that it?” “You really are a peculiarly constructed sort of person.”

The moment I finished saying this, the bell rang to announce that a visitor was standing outside the office door. Soon, the door seemed to open, and after about thirty seconds had passed, an office boy entered our room holding a single name card. “Yes, please show her in.”

Fujieda said this and glanced briefly in my direction. In such situations, it was customary to politely excuse oneself, so when I began to rise from my seat, he stopped me with a look as he always did. I lowered myself back down, and at that moment, the door to the room opened to reveal a young woman standing there. The moment I saw her, I nearly cried out. It wasn’t merely about beauty or nobility. Never before had I felt so certain of my own intuition as in that instant.

From the moment I first heard a young woman would be visiting Fujieda, I had somehow felt she would be someone I could feel goodwill toward—a beautiful woman. Then, upon hearing the name Akikawa Hiroko and seeing her handwriting, I had already conjured up an image of an elegant beauty in my mind. A man like Fujieda—who must rationalize everything—insists that one cannot determine a person’s appearance from their handwriting, but I had already conjured in my mind a beautiful woman I could grow fond of, based solely on this.

But what do you know—the young woman now standing at the door was precisely the beauty I had envisioned! Whether she proved an impostor posing as Akikawa Hiroko mattered not at all; her very existence rendered such concerns trivial.

However, this case must be a substantial one! If this turned out to be the sort of case Fujieda would coldly reject, we would be in trouble... No—here I was talking about myself and forgetting to introduce this woman to the readers.

At this moment, the woman who appeared at the door was—if one were to describe her properly—around twenty years old, dressed in utmost simplicity. Her haori jacket and kimono formed an unremarkable matching set of meisen silk, while her hair hung casually tied back without any adornments. The sole element that stood out conspicuously against this modest attire was the gold ring on her left middle finger, where a gemstone certainly worth over a thousand yen was set.

Her beauty could be captured in a single word: beautiful. However, based on first impressions, hers was by no means an ostentatious beauty. If anything, it was a beauty tinged with melancholy. Her particularly large eyes made her face appear both beautiful and noble, yet at the same time possessed what could be called a rationality rare in women. As the door opened, I involuntarily stood up. The woman, upon seeing the two of us inside, opened her beautiful eyes wide and showed a momentary look of fluster.

“I am Fujieda.” “Please come this way.” “This here is my friend, a man named Ogawa.” Fujieda called out in a matter-of-fact tone.

8

“Thank you very much.” The woman sat down directly on the indicated chair without unnecessary reserve yet never losing her grace, placed a beautiful red and blue handbag on her knees, and lightly rested both hands upon it.

But seated across from two men, she appeared strangely ill at ease. “Ms. Akikawa—you stated your name as Akikawa Hiroko-san. I indeed received your letter this morning and had been awaiting your visit.” Fujieda gestured toward his companion with practiced ease. “This gentleman here is Ogawa Masao—my closest associate.” The woman bowed again with formal precision. “My apologies for delaying proper introductions,” she said softly yet distinctly. “I am Akikawa Hiroko.”

I hurriedly took out a card case from my pocket, retrieved the cleanest, least soiled business card from within, and presented it before Miss Akikawa.

“Ogawa here is my closest friend. He’s currently employed at a certain company, but since this detective work is more of a sideline for him, he mainly assists me.” “Therefore, I would like you to bestow the same trust upon him as you do upon me.” “Whatever your business may be, I would like you to state it in front of this man.”

To tell the truth, I hadn't actually assisted Fujieda with his cases all that much up to that point. However, I couldn't help but feel deeply grateful for Fujieda's goodwill in so clearly affirming my credibility through these words. Of course, had I excused myself from the room at that moment, I might never have needed to plunge into the maelstrom of tragedy about to unfold. Yet by the same token, I might also have been forever denied the chance to meet the Akikawa family's beautiful members.

“As Mr. Fujieda just stated, I am assisting him.”

Acutely aware of my own awkward speech, I managed to say just this much before the beautiful Miss Akikawa, yet somehow I felt my face growing hot.

“However, if this is a particularly confidential matter for Mr. Fujieda, perhaps I should excuse myself?”

I had actually felt a chill after letting such trivial hesitation slip out of my mouth.

“What’s this? You should stay and listen to the discussion as usual... Ms. Akikawa, Ogawa here sometimes makes these trivial displays of modesty—it’s quite troublesome. Especially when someone as young and distinguished as yourself comes to visit—that’s precisely when he gets all bashful like this.” He said this and glanced briefly in our direction. Fujieda Shintarō—who claimed neither to love women nor to respect them—was nevertheless exceedingly sociable in their presence. He skillfully attempted to ease her discomfort.

Miss Akikawa flushed slightly but smiled at Fujieda and said.

“Do people like me often come to consult you?” “Yes, we do see them from time to time. These days, young ladies all come quite prepared and bring rather splendid cases with them.” “Though when young ladies do come to consult us—which only happens under extraordinary circumstances—their matters tend to involve the utmost secrecy.”

Having said this, he lit a cigarette. The conviction that she was not the first to appear before this detective bearing secret matters seemed to put Akikawa Hiroko very much at ease. “Now, regarding the letter I sent you this morning, allow me to explain.”

Hiroko's Account

1

Miss Akikawa, true to form, seemed to firmly resolve herself once more and began to speak thus. “Please, don’t hold back. “However, I must state beforehand that since you have come to my office, I presume you must have grave circumstances indeed. “Therefore, it must undoubtedly be a matter of grave secrecy. “Even the fact that you have come here must already be part of the secret. “However, once you have chosen to trust me, I must ask that you conceal nothing, tell no lies, and speak with complete clarity. “I earnestly request this in advance.”

“Of course.”

Miss Akikawa answered clearly. "Once I have bestowed my trust upon you and come to visit, Mr. Fujieda, I shall never conceal anything or tell lies." "Yet what worries me is that the matter I've come to consult you about today strikes me as somewhat too vague in nature."

“Vague?” “Ah, that’s no matter.” “Please speak freely.” “The truth is, this consultation today does not concern my personal affairs.” “That is precisely as I stated in my letter.” “I have come because there are troubling matters regarding my father.”

I felt somewhat surprised. Up until now, the issues brought by young women visiting Fujieda had mostly concerned delicate matters of love or the whereabouts of lovers, so I had naturally assumed Miss Akikawa would begin with such a topic as well. Fujieda, however, showed not the slightest look of surprise and continued staring intently at Miss Akikawa. "My father—though you may perhaps have heard his name—is called Akikawa Shunzō and until recently served as president of a company."

“Until recently?” “And now?”

This was asked by Fujieda in a slightly surprised tone. "Until November of last year, he served as president of Akikawa Paper Co., Ltd." "Then at the end of last year, he suddenly resigned from that company and severed all ties with any other corporations." "Which is why he is currently unemployed." "Father has only just turned forty-five, so it would still be too early for him to retire, but recently he suffered such a severe nervous breakdown that his health could no longer sustain it—which is why, as I mentioned earlier, he has become entirely unemployed." "Our family consists of Father, Mother Tokuko, myself as the eldest daughter, and two younger sisters." "The next sister is Sadako, who is nineteen this year, followed by Hatsue, who is eighteen." "Then there is one younger brother, named Shuntarō, who is fifteen this year."

Miss Akikawa chattered this far in one breath and closed her mouth slightly. Fujieda maintained an expressionless face as he continued exhaling purple smoke into the air. “The reason I have come to consult you today is regarding my father.” “My father has recently become terribly afraid of something.” “To put it simply, he is being terribly threatened by someone.” “It seems he fears he might be killed even today.” “Yes, it’s true—Father is being targeted for his life. At the very least, he himself seems to feel and fear this.”

“A threat to his life?”

Fujieda asked. "That is correct." "My father's life is indeed being threatened." "It is not about honor or property." "Yes, that is indeed certain." "There is ample reason to believe so."

2

Miss Akikawa continued. "In order for you to clearly understand that, I believe it necessary to recount events from when my father resigned from all his duties last year." "By nature, my father is not what one would call a strong-willed man—though I do not know if you are aware, he was adopted into the Akikawa family—but having entered the Akikawa household and achieved success in all his business ventures up to the present day, he is not of such spineless character." "However, ever since I was a child, my father has been extremely high-strung."

"Over these past few years, this gradually developed into what seemed to be neurasthenia, and he reached a state where he must take sleeping pills every night to sleep. We had doctors examine him as well, but there was no clear cause to speak of. They suggested it might be due to his work being too strenuous." "However, recently it has grown increasingly severe—last summer especially, there were nights when he couldn't sleep at all and appeared absolutely terrified. At first, I too thought it was merely his usual neurasthenia worsening, but one day I finally discovered what appeared to be its cause."

“I believe it was probably around the end of August last year. One evening, I went to Father’s study carrying a bundle of letters that had come for him. Since Father hadn’t returned yet, I was casually sorting through the letters alone when a blue Western envelope fell onto the floor. When I picked it up and glanced at the seal, I found a red triangular mark stamped there. Though I thought it an unusual mark, I paid it no particular mind and simply left it where it was. There was no sender’s name on this.”

That night, Father had apparently been awake in his second-floor bedroom for some reason, and the next day Mother told me with a puzzled expression that he had not gone to bed at all but kept thinking and sighing repeatedly. No matter what Mother asked, Father apparently refused to say a single word.

Then, about a month later, one night, Father came to our room with a pale face, “Lately, the world has become so dangerous that I’ve been thinking of hiring more manservants.” “You must also be careful—when going to bed at night, check all the doors and windows first, then lock them properly.” Having said this, he apparently returned to his own room again, but that night, when Mother secretly kept watch, it seems Father had wandered about his room holding a pistol until midnight—or so she reported.

“Just a moment, Ms. Akikawa—how many manservants were employed at your residence during that period?” “There was only one manservant, but we had an elderly butler.” “He remains with us even now.”

“Excuse me.” “Please do continue your story, Ms. Akikawa!” “When I heard that, the next day after Father left for work, I quietly went into the study to investigate.” “At that time, I somehow felt those red triangular letters were connected to Father’s terror.” “And besides—it’s exactly the sort of thing one always sees in Western detective novels!”

When I entered Father’s room and looked around, the first thing I checked was the letter rack. But I couldn’t find anything. I checked the wastepaper basket as well, but there was still nothing there. So after all, was my idea just a novel’s fantasy? I thought at that moment.

3

But this was indeed no fantasy of mine.

In early October, when I returned home from an outing and opened the gate’s mailbox, there was another letter bearing the triangular mark. Today, without fail, I resolved that I must ascertain clearly—leaving it there in Father’s study just as it was—and waited for his return. Unusually, Father returned home rather early that evening. As he changed his clothes while announcing that he would have dinner at home, Mother went to the kitchen to instruct the maids about various matters concerning the meal; during this time Father’s demeanor suddenly changed. Without a doubt, he had entered the study and seen that letter—there could be no mistake. Despite Mother having painstakingly prepared dinner, he hardly touched it, and even when seated at the dining table, he seemed lost in thought.

Father, having left the dining table, appeared to grow increasingly agitated, entering and exiting his study yet unable to settle. Mother too seemed anxious about something, but what exactly was troubling him remained unclear.

Night had fallen, but I simply could not sleep. When I quietly got up past midnight and left my bedroom, I unexpectedly ran into someone in the hallway. That was Sadako.

“Sadako, what’s wrong?” “At this hour?”

I asked, but my sister remained silent with a pale face. Resolutely, “Sadako, aren’t you worried about something regarding Father?” I asked.

Then my sister silently nodded. “So you’ve noticed that letter too?” When I asked her directly, my sister answered in a small voice.

“Sister, how do you know about that letter?” “Because I’ve been keeping track of the letters coming to Father for some time now.” “What? Did they come to Father too?”

My sister was startled and involuntarily let out a loud voice. It was not only my sister who was startled. I too was startled. “Sadako, you’re talking about the letter that came to whom?”

Before I knew it, I was tightly gripping my sister's hand in the dark hallway. "Sister, I received a strange letter earlier," she said. "I don't know who sent it, but..." "Isn't there a triangular mark stamped on the seal?"

I cut in abruptly like that. My sister said in a frightened whisper: "Yes, I don't remember exactly now, but something with this meaning was written." "Your father is currently in an extremely dangerous position." "Your entire family will also meet with terrible misfortune sooner or later." "Show this letter to your father quickly and demand an explanation." "Sadako, why did you do that with the letter?"

“I did exactly as the letter instructed.” “I took it straight to Father.” “Then Father snatched it up, read it through, tucked it into his pocket, and said, ‘You must never speak of this to anyone.’” “‘There’s nothing to worry about,’ he insisted—but he wore such a terrifying expression.” 4 Sadako had gone to deliver that letter to Father and returned, but growing concerned about his strange behavior, she had risen from bed just as I had—this was her account. “Yet nothing unusual occurred that night.”

The beautiful client had spoken up to this point and paused to catch her breath.

“I understand clearly. Let me ask you something—the letter that came to your sister was also sent by mail, correct?” “She said so.” “Was the letter that came to your sister written in pen?” “No, it was typed on a Japanese-language typewriter, that is correct. The envelope was also entirely typewritten, she said. The one that came to Father’s place was also definitely typed on a typewriter.”

“Understood. This clarifies Father’s condition before retiring from the company. In short—Father was being constantly threatened by someone. That’s why he remained perpetually anxious. When he learned these threats had reached even your sister, his distress intensified further. Consequently, his neurasthenia grew increasingly severe—that’s how matters stood. Now then—regarding the letter your sister received—did you inform your mother about it?”

“I said nothing.” “Then, how about Ms. Sadako herself?”

At this moment, a strange expression briefly flashed across Miss Hiroko’s face, but it vanished immediately, and she clearly stated as follows.

“No, I believe Sadako also certainly kept silent.”

“I see.” “Ah, thank you very much.” “Then please continue your story.”

Fujieda lit a new cigarette and prompted her.

“In other words, under these circumstances, Father was gradually becoming a peculiar person,” she said formally. “Around mid-November, yet another suspicious letter arrived. At that time, I did seriously consider opening it myself to look inside—I had even resolved to do so—but ultimately couldn’t bring myself to break the seal and silently placed it on Father’s desk instead. Then two days later, Father severed all connections with his professional duties, claiming his health wouldn’t hold out.” Her voice tightened slightly. “This was Father’s condition until November of last year.”

“Just a moment—has Father never spoken to the police about that matter?” “No, absolutely not! I too found that rather concerning—I even considered speaking to the police myself—but since Father himself had been keeping it secret like that, I thought there must be some reason behind it, which is why I have kept silent about everything to everyone until today. But…”

Just as Miss Hiroko had finished speaking up to this point, someone suddenly knocked on the door, and in response to Fujieda’s voice, an attendant entered holding a letter.

Since I happened to be closest to the entrance, I reached out to take the letter and glanced at its front while accepting it,

c/o Fujieda Shintarō's Office

Ms. Akikawa Hiroko was typed on a typewriter. I was about to casually hand it to Akikawa Hiroko when I flipped it over and glanced at the back—involuntarily, I nearly cried out.

The First Tragedy

1

Look. There, clearly stamped, was a red triangular mark—was there not? The instant I saw it, I couldn't help but briefly consider whether I should hand this over to Miss Hiroko; however, in that very moment, she seemed to have already noticed the dreadful triangle on the letter. "Oh! There's one here too?" "Is that... for me?" She was indeed a woman after all. Until now she had been composed, but upon seeing this letter's seal, she seemed completely flustered. She finally managed to grip the handbag that had nearly slipped from her lap.

However, the one who acted most promptly was Fujieda. He promptly stood up and opened the door upon seeing what was in my hand.

The next instant, the following conversation reached their ears from outside the door.

“Hey, attendant! How did that letter get here?” “The messenger brought it.” “He looked like a messenger boy.” “Has he left already?” “He left immediately after dropping off that letter.” “I was about to write a receipt, but he said he didn’t need it!”

“I see.”

When Fujieda returned again, I was just silently exchanging looks with Miss Hiroko.

“Damn it! Playing such foolish tricks—” Fujieda grumbled this to himself as he sank into the chair, then continued in a tone tinged with regret for his crude outburst before the young lady. “My apologies for that. “It’s merely someone’s prank. “Nevertheless, this letter bears your name. “Might I suggest you examine it first? “Then, if you find it agreeable, perhaps allow me to review it afterward?”

However, Miss Hiroko’s complexion had turned completely pale.

“Um... I’m just so frightened... Would you mind opening it for me?” When addressed this way, Fujieda unceremoniously took hold of the letter. “Is this identical to the envelopes that have been coming to your house?”

He seemed to be forcing himself to feign composure in an attempt to calm Miss Hiroko. Taking a paper knife from the desk beside him, he skillfully sliced open the seal in smooth strokes while adding, “You needn’t worry. People who pull such pranks never actually do anything truly frightening, you see.”

Miss Hiroko, however, said nothing more. No—she couldn’t speak. I too was waiting with bated breath to see what kind of letter would emerge.

From inside the envelope emerged cream-colored Western paper. After Fujieda had glanced through it and placed it before Miss Hiroko and me, I saw that it bore the following message—entirely in katakana characters typed with a Japanese-style typewriter: IMMEDIATELY RETURN HOME. IN YOUR HOUSE, SOMETHING DREADFUL WILL OCCUR. IN THIS PLACE, YOU MUST NOT STAY A MOMENT LONGER.

“So, it’s telling you to return home immediately.”

Fujieda addressed Miss Hiroko with a cheerful smile.

“Um... There’s no way anyone could know I’ve come here, but...” The young lady turned pale and stood up. “Ms. Akikawa, there’s no need for you to worry so much. “We haven’t yet fully heard everything you were telling us earlier, so could you please continue a little longer? “I’m here with you too, so everything will be fine.”

2

Fujieda seemed quite interested in Akikawa Hiroko's story. When her account began faltering at the crucial point, he repeatedly tried to calm Hiroko so she would continue and he could hear the rest. Yet even his eloquence and efforts could not match how the triangular mark now before her eyes affected Hiroko.

After all, she was a weak woman. Even though she appeared composed, Akikawa Hiroko was still just a woman. At the same moment I felt this, I also clearly perceived what terrible fear these letters bearing the triangular mark had recently been inflicting upon the Akikawa father and son. Probably, the fact Hiroko had been about to relate must have been something gravely serious.

It was no wonder Fujieda had been so insistent on hearing more. For two or three minutes, Fujieda attempted various methods to persuade Hiroko, but she could no longer keep her seat,

“But I… I’m just so terrified…”

...she said, starting to rise.

Having perhaps realized that under these circumstances it was utterly impossible to keep her settled there now, Fujieda finally said: “I don’t believe you need to worry so much... but since I haven’t yet heard the full account, it would be rash to state that definitively. If you’re truly this anxious, I think you should return home immediately.” “However... it’s still light out, but having you return alone does worry me somewhat...”

He said this and looked toward me. “No, I’ll be perfectly fine by myself.”

Hiroko had said this, but she still seemed concerned, appearing hesitant to leave immediately.

“Excuse me for being forward, but since I’m free regardless, shall I escort you home?”

I said, caught between the two of them without taking sides. "That would be too much trouble." "No need—Ogawa-kun happens to be free right now. Moreover, since he's a reliable person, let's have him escort you home. Ms. Akikawa—how does that sound?"

“But this is too... Since this is my first visit, it would be presumptuous of me.”

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine. Let’s have Ogawa-kun handle it.”

He said this and looked at me. “Hey, you—I’d feel better if you went with her, but flagging down some random cab around here would be downright reckless. Listen—could you call Hinode Taxi and have them send a car over?” “Yeah, okay.”

I immediately went to the telephone and began dialing the number with my finger. A steady buzzing tone clearly indicated the line was ringing, but no matter how long I waited, the other party didn’t pick up. Then—whether due to a crossed line—a strange voice began incessantly breaking through midway. It was unclear whether it was a man’s voice or a woman’s. “I’m on the line here! This is unacceptable! Please hang up.”

I impatiently shouted at the voice as if yelling. Then, what do you know, that mysterious voice said the following: "Hohohoho, Mr. Fujieda, you shouldn't meddle in unnecessary matters. Keep your hands off the Akikawa family affairs!"

“Hohohoho! Mr. Fujieda! You shouldn’t meddle in unnecessary matters. “Don’t meddle inthe Akikawafamily’s affairs!”

3

“What?” I involuntarily raised my voice at the phone. “They’re saying you shouldn’t meddle in the Akikawa family’s affairs.” “No matter what misfortune comes, it comes for its own reasons—so Mr. Fujieda, if you meddle carelessly, something terrible will happen.” “Hahaha!” “What the… Hey! Who do you think you are?”

The voice didn’t clearly indicate gender, but the way the words were phrased certainly seemed feminine. In response to this mysterious voice, I lunged forward and yelled back. “Hey—what’s going on?” When my left shoulder was lightly grabbed and I turned around, Fujieda Shintarō—having apparently already deemed this phone exchange suspicious—was standing right beside me, staring at me with a probing gaze. “A strange voice is coming through—it’s talking about Aki…”

“Shh!”

He glared at me with fierce eyes while darting a glance toward Hiroko. If I were to blurt out something strange here—thereby avoiding causing further worry to this beautiful woman—that must have been his meaning.

I silently handed the receiver to Fujieda and stepped back. Fortunately, Hiroko—who seemed wholly absorbed in the matter of the terrifying letters—apparently hadn’t noticed my strange behavior. I, still holding the letters, addressed the dazed woman standing by the chairs, “The car will be here shortly, so please have a seat.” While saying this, I kept my attention fixed on Fujieda. However, by the time Fujieda himself came to the phone, it seemed that suspicious party had already hung up, and he didn’t engage in any peculiar conversation. Before long, he said in a composed voice,

“Hinode Taxi?” “This is Fujieda.” “Send one immediately.”

With that, he hung up the phone.

“It’ll be here right away. Since they’re just around the corner, it should arrive in two or three minutes. Please wait until then.” “I’m truly sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”

“Not at all… Now then… The car will arrive shortly, but before it does, I’d like to ask one thing. Regarding your father’s recent condition—you mentioned earlier that his state has gradually worsened, I believe? So this would mean the letters have been arriving more frequently again, I suppose? Judging from how you initially used vague terms, there hasn’t been any particular incident worth mentioning occurring recently either, I take it?”

He made an effort to quickly grasp the main points in that brief interval. "Yes, to put it concisely, that would indeed be the case." “Now regarding these letters—since they’re addressed to you, you’re naturally entitled to keep them—but if I may ask, would you consider leaving them in my care instead? They might serve as valuable references.” Hiroko handed the newly arrived letter to Fujieda without the slightest hesitation.

Just at that moment,

“The car has arrived.”

With that, the attendant appeared.

Four Fujieda had escorted Hiroko and me to the entrance while persistently offering words of encouragement to her. “However, if you’re overly concerned, wouldn’t it be better to at least inform the police? Please give that matter thorough consideration... Well then, I’ll leave the rest to you. Once you’ve seen her off, return immediately.” When the engine began rumbling, he said one last thing to me.

Riding in a car alone with a beautiful twenty-one-year-old young lady was by no means an unpleasant sensation for me.

I had learned from the registry earlier that Hiroko’s house was located in a mansion district atop a hill in Ushigome Ward, so I gave the destination immediately upon entering the car. But I secretly feared that the vehicle moving so quickly might shorten this pleasant drive even slightly.

The car passed by the Imperial Hotel, turned the corner at Hibiya Park to reach Sakuradamon, then continued at about twenty-five miles per hour with the Imperial Palace moat in view to the right. I sat beside Hiroko and resolved to discuss Fujieda Shintarō’s character as much as possible. As for the incident she feared, I made every effort to avoid broaching the subject. “While I do feel reassured having entrusted this matter to Mr. Fujieda… But how could anyone have discovered my visit to him today? I haven’t told a soul about it…” “I haven’t told a soul about it…”

“Does no one in your household or elsewhere know about this?” “Yes.” “The letters—I take it your father both wrote and mailed them himself?”

“Of course not.” "...Right—when I was writing the address on that envelope, my sister Sadako came into my room on some errand, but I didn’t even show her what was written on it. That’s how careful I was." “I immediately covered it with blotting paper.” “That is strange." “The post office wouldn’t know since your name isn’t on the back… But as Fujieda said, it must be someone’s prank.” “The sort who do such things are precisely those who won’t act on them.” “For one thing, they’ve been threatening your father since last autumn and it’s still continuing today.” “If they truly meant harm, wouldn’t there have been countless chances before now?”

While privately impressed by what I considered sound reasoning on my part, I tried to reassure Hiroko with these words.

The car had already passed through Fujimichō and crossed the outer moat, entering Ushigome Ward before we knew it.

Through the town lined with grand mansions, the car continued onward.

“That is my house.” “This spot will suffice.” “Going further would draw my family’s notice.” “But allow me to take you to your gate.” “Should anything occur, Fujieda would hold me accountable.” At these words, Hiroko smiled faintly but offered no resistance. When the car reached the stately stone gate inscribed with Akikawa Shunzō’s name, I instructed the driver to halt. Though barely half a block lay between gate and entrance, I judged passing through that imposing portal would risk unwanted scrutiny.

5 I stopped the car before the gate, let Hiroko out there, and watched fixedly until she safely reached the entrance. As nothing unusual occurred—when Hiroko pressed the bell at the entrance, she turned toward me and bowed with a soft smile—I first felt reassured and immediately had the car driven back to Ginza. When I arrived at the office and looked, Fujieda had filled the room with smoke and was sitting motionless in his chair waiting.

“Oh, that was quicker than expected,” Fujieda remarked. “Good work. Miss Hiroko must feel reassured thanks to you.” “It’s a remarkably grand house,” I said, settling into the chair across from him. “When you consider they still maintain such a splendid residence these days, no wonder they’re being threatened.” “Be that as it may,” he continued, “what in blazes was that call you received earlier? Was someone trying to make a fool of me?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s hard to tell if it’s a man or a woman, but when you listen closely, it does sound like a woman’s voice. They said, ‘Don’t meddle in matters like the Akikawa family’s affairs.’” “I thought as much. They’re mocking us. But the case has gotten interesting now. This letter arrived a bit too early—I wanted to hear more recent developments first, you see. Had I known, I would’ve started by asking about current matters. But this letter completely frightened Miss Hiroko.”

“Speaking of letters—you’ve already looked into who delivered it, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, I looked into it by phone right after you left.” “The messenger boy came from the messenger station under the Osaka Building, but when we summoned and questioned him, he stated that a child who looked like some sort of errand runner had brought this letter there.” “We haven’t identified that child yet, but whoever wrote this definitely put two or three go-betweens in the chain, making it near impossible to trace. Eventually, if we question the last messenger, it’ll turn out something like—they got paid by some man or woman at a corner in Owari-chō and delivered it to someone—but since our opponent’s no fool, we probably won’t crack this anytime soon.”

“More importantly, how did they discover Miss Hiroko came here? Isn’t it perplexing?” “Did you ask her about her means of arrival today?” “No, I neglected to inquire—but considering her prudent nature, she wouldn’t commit an error permitting surveillance.”

“Well, I can’t say that’s impossible. The letter sent to my office was undoubtedly mailed by herself, right?” “I did ask her clearly about that. ‘Of course I sent it myself,’ she said. She claimed to have kept even writing it completely secret. Apparently while writing the address, her sister Sadako came in—she says she intended not to show even that much, covering it with blotting paper from above.”

“Did her sister come?” “Oh, she didn’t even show it to her?” “I see.” “Then how did they find out?”

He said this and, exhaling smoke, sank deeply into thought. “Ogawa, do you remember? When I asked earlier whether Sadako hadn’t told her mother either, her expression changed slightly. In any case, there’s some strange secret in this Akikawa household... Well, since it seems there’ll be no more visitors today, why don’t we call it a day?” I still had many questions I wanted to ask him, but since he said that, I reluctantly stood up.

At a certain corner in Ginza, I parted ways with him.

6

That night, I simply couldn't settle down.

When I went to bed, even I—who usually fell asleep within ten minutes—could not sleep at all that night.

I naturally attributed the cause to the impression left by Akikawa Hiroko, a beautiful woman. In truth, her figure simply would not leave my sight. At the same time, I tried imagining all sorts of things. What if nothing were to happen from here on out? That might be a blessing for Hiroko. For the Akikawa family as well, it would of course be a blessing. But I had met her only once, and now we would never meet again. That, for me, is truly lonesome.

For her to meet me again, something had to occur within the Akikawa household.

When I had thought this through, reflecting on my own selfishness, I was in fact ashamed of myself. Yes, something would happen—something minor rather than a major incident—and something would occur that left both Hiroko and her father unharmed. That way, it would be convenient both for Hiroko and for me. I pondered such trivial matters and simultaneously imagined various developments of the situation.

There was no doubt that Akikawa Shunzō was being threatened by someone. But what kind of person was that opponent? Why didn’t he immediately go to the police? Having been threatened continuously from last year until then, what on earth had he been doing? From what I had known up until then, Akikawa Shunzō was a man who had built a vast fortune in his lifetime. Among people with such backgrounds, there were those who did things that earned them considerable resentment from others, so it wasn’t hard to surmise that he must have been harboring resentment from someone.

So was it resentment over money or a grudge stemming from romantic entanglements?—My thoughts darted in various directions. Even so—who had written that letter bearing the triangular mark I'd clearly seen with my own eyes? No, more urgently—what did that devil's mockery in that feminine voice I'd distinctly heard signify? Wasn't this demon precisely challenging Fujieda Shintarō himself? What would he attempt next? And Hiroko's expression when Fujieda mentioned Sadako during their conversation—how should I interpret that?

In my head, a chaotic tangle of aimless vortices swirled and collided, but ultimately not a single thing came into clear focus.

Unusually, I heard the clock strike twelve and then one at night, but since I didn't remember hearing two strike, I must have fallen asleep sometime after that.

I woke up the next morning after nine o'clock. Or to be precise, it wasn't that I woke up. I was awakened.

“Hey, Ogawa, aren’t you going to wake up?” “Hey…”

When I hazily opened my eyes and looked, there, unexpectedly, was Fujieda sitting by my bedside. “So you’re awake?” “A somewhat urgent matter came up, so I told the maid and barged into your bedroom.”

“Ah, it’s you… What’s happened?”

“Hey—the Akikawa household’s finally had a major incident.”

I suddenly threw off the bedclothes and sat up on the bedding.

“What?” “What happened?” “Akikawa Hiroko’s mother—Akikawa Tokuko—was poisoned last night.”

7

“Poisoned?” “That Hiroko’s mother?” “Well, they might not be able to definitively call it murder yet, but it’s certain that Akikawa Tokuko ingested poison and died this morning as a result. However, since there are no grounds to consider it suicide, the authorities are treating it as a murder case.”

“What about the others?” “Her husband and the others are apparently unharmed.” “How did you find that out?”

I asked, already sitting up and changing into my clothes. “Early this morning, I received a call from Miss Hiroko. Her mother had begun suffering terribly since last night—the family doctor stayed by her side providing care all through it—but she ultimately passed away this morning.” “The doctor apparently reported it to the police immediately due to strong suspicions about the cause of death.” “They say a judicial officer and another doctor were dispatched straight from the police station. Since their findings showed absolutely no signs of suicide either, they’ve reportedly notified the prosecutor’s office too.” “Miss Hiroko wants me there at once—I’m heading over now—but I thought I’d ask you to come along as well. Hence barging in on you mid-sleep.” “Either way, we won’t know squat until we see it ourselves.”

Though I felt some relief knowing Hiroko was unharmed, since there was of course no reason to refuse Fujieda’s kind offer, I informed the magazine office I’d be taking two or three days off and started getting ready immediately. “Oh, there’s no need to rush like that. Let’s have breakfast before heading out—I’ll wait.” “No, I can’t sit around eating.” “But I’ll have a glass of milk before we go, so please wait a moment.”

As I hurriedly washed my face and was changing into Western clothes, the maid brought in some heated milk.

“They’ve finally done it.” “To pull this off even with you on the case—how vicious.” “So… no leads on who did it?” “Can’t expect answers this soon.” “First sending warnings by letter and phone, then following through with murder—what a monster.” I remarked between sips of milk. “Agreed.” “If this was indeed done by whoever wrote those letters.” “Then—is there anyone else it could be?”

“Not sure. But deciding things hastily like you do causes problems. Of course, verifying both the sender of those letters and whoever made the call remains essential. If a crime occurs following a threat, tentatively concluding the threatener is the perpetrator would be the natural assumption. But we can’t claim that’s absolutely error-free.” “What exactly do you mean by that?”

However, Fujieda did not answer this question and instead began to speak. “I suspect there’s some extremely significant secret within that Akikawa household.” “In yesterday’s account from Hiroko, the part about the threatening letters was quite intriguing, but what really caught my interest was the letter that came to Sadako.” “I was thinking about why—when threatening letters came to people other than her father—they specifically targeted Sadako, the second daughter. Even if they chose the second daughter randomly without any reason, that would still be somewhat strange. But if they deliberately chose Sadako, it becomes even more bizarre… Are you ready yet?” “Alright—let’s go right away.”

8

Before long, the two of us had become passengers in the car. As it drove from my house toward the Akikawa residence, Fujieda suddenly fell silent, not uttering a single word to me, and instead puffed away incessantly at his cigarettes. In such cases, it always meant he was absorbed in some weighty contemplation, so I resolved not to disturb his train of thought and instead took out my case from my pocket to light a Cherry.

By the time the car arrived at the gate of the Akikawa residence—the same gate where that beautiful Hiroko had been dropped off yesterday—the vehicle was filled with cigarette smoke. “Hey, you—looks like the court people have already arrived.”

He deliberately had the car stopped outside the gate and alighted, then began to say to me—who had subsequently stepped down from the running board—

Indeed, right next to the entrance was a single covered automobile. "That there—you see—is the police car." "The one over here appears to be the family doctor’s vehicle." While walking toward the entrance, Fujieda indicated the two automobiles parked on the opposite side. From outside, nothing about the house suggested anything had transpired there overnight. Yet three automobiles gathered at once would inevitably be interpreted as bearing either auspicious or ominous significance.

Standing before the imposing entrance, the large door remained tightly shut as if nothing had occurred, but upon ringing the bell, it soon opened to reveal a maid emerging from within, her expression clearly betraying signs of agitation. Fujieda took out a business card from his breast pocket and addressed the maid who had answered. "Please inform the eldest daughter that I have arrived." When he said this, the maid replied courteously: "Um, per Miss’s instructions, we are to show you in immediately when you arrive, Mr. Fujieda, so please come this way."

Having said that, she placed two pairs of slippers there.

“I see. …Well then, please wait a moment.”

Having said this, he gestured for me to go in first with his hand, but suddenly turned on his heel and strode briskly toward the court automobile. The driver appeared to be an acquaintance from Fujieda’s days as a prosecutor, and they exchanged a few words before Fujieda soon hurried back. During that time, since I couldn’t very well go in ahead of him, I handed my business card to the maid. Though she kept urging me to enter, I politely declined and waited while untying my shoelaces until Fujieda returned.

“Ah, sorry to keep you waiting.” As he said this, he began removing his shoes. “When I asked just now, I hear that Prosecutor Okuyama has come from the Prosecutor’s Office. “You know him well, don’t you?” "He’s the person I introduced you to during the Ushigome old woman murder case some time ago." “Perfect timing.” Guided upstairs, the two men were promptly shown into the parlor on their right. Before long came a soft rustle of silk—and there at the entrance appeared Hiroko from yesterday.

“Mr. Fujieda… You came… Something terrible has finally happened…” She said this, but her appearance had completely changed from yesterday’s. Her face lacked proper makeup, yet her beautiful eyes—swollen from crying—granted her an even more pitiful and haunting allure.

The People Entangled in Tragedy

1

“It was a terrible incident.” “It was truly an unthinkable incident.” “However, I don’t believe the cause of Mother’s passing has been clearly determined yet, but perhaps she might have accidentally taken something.” “But if... if Mother was... by someone...”

Fujieda fell silent at this point. In the presence of this gentle woman who had just lost her mother, even he—a self-professed misogynist—appeared unable to voice his next words clearly. No—Hiroko’s condition at that moment was truly pitiable to behold. "In all this chaos, I’ve been so beside myself that I failed to properly express my gratitude yesterday." "And Mr. Ogawa, you went out of your way to see me home again yesterday—thanks to you, I returned safely, but… Mother… Mother ended up in this terrible situation…"

Having said this, she once again pressed the handkerchief to her eyes.

“This is no time for thanks.” “……I… offer my condolences once again.” I had managed to say this much, but remained utterly at a loss for how to comfort Hiroko. “If this proves to be a crime, I, Fujieda, will surely avenge it.” “That’s right.” “That’s definite.” When he declared this with conviction, Hiroko looked up at him with desperate hope. Even Fujieda—who likely faced such situations often—seemed momentarily confounded by how to console her, leaving an awkward silence hanging heavily between them.

However, this silence was fortuitously broken in the very next moment.

At the very moment the sound of a knock at the door was heard, the judicial officer entered through the entrance.

“Ah, Mr. Fujieda—and Mr. Ogawa is with you too? It’s been some time. I heard you were here and have been waiting. Prosecutor Okuyama has arrived. He has gone to examine the body now—if you please, come along immediately.”

“No, thank you. Mr. Takahashi, we’ll come right away.”

In response to Inspector Takahashi’s voice, Fujieda promptly urged me to stand up. Just as a young maid arrived carrying two cups of tea, Hiroko was saying something to her. With a brief greeting, the two of us promptly followed Inspector Takahashi out into the hallway. When I trailed the inspector and Fujieda into the hallway, the pair ahead were whispering something I couldn’t quite catch—but I couldn’t miss hearing the word “homicide” slip from the inspector’s lips.

Turning right down the hallway brought us to the staircase. We ascended it and emerged into the second-floor hallway.

From the entrance up to here, it was entirely Western-style rooms.

Truly befitting the home of a great industrialist, it was magnificent—on the wall by the staircase hung a photograph of a Rubens painting titled something like Three Women Standing.

On the right side of the hallway, there seemed to be about three rooms, but all their doors were closed. After proceeding a short distance down that way, Inspector Takahashi stopped and turned back, lightly knocking on the large door to the right,

“Here it is,” said Inspector Takahashi to Fujieda. “The body has been laid out here… and since the Prosecutor is also present…” Fujieda looked at me with a somewhat tense expression, as if urging me forward, but then suddenly pointed to a beautifully colored framed picture on the wall beside us and whispered: “Hey, Ogawa—it’s a Van Gogh! Did you notice the Rubens ‘Dry Grachten’ earlier? Unusual taste for someone wealthy.”

2

The moment the door on the right opened, Inspector Takahashi entered first, followed immediately by Fujieda briskly stepping inside. I followed after them, but contrary to its exterior appearance, this room was a spacious Japanese-style chamber. The room must have been about twenty tatami mats in size. Surveying the space, it appeared to be a guest reception area. At the head of the room stood an impressive alcove where Mrs. Akikawa’s corpse seemed to have been laid out. Around it sat Prosecutor Okuyama—whose face I recognized—whispering with a man in Western clothes beside him, likely a court clerk.

Out of respect for the deceased—particularly for a corpse so neatly arranged—Fujieda seemed to be greeting Prosecutor Okuyama in a hushed voice, so I sat some distance away and offered a slight bow. Then Inspector Takahashi, Prosecutor Okuyama, and Fujieda—alongside two men who appeared to be doctors—began touching the corpse’s hands, examining its face, and conducting various procedures. Since I couldn’t make sense of any of it, I grew increasingly uneasy about remaining there. After offering another slight bow, I stepped outside the room and was about to light a cigarette in the hallway when Hiroko suddenly appeared.

“Oh, won’t you come in?” “No, I… don’t really understand such matters… I merely bowed to the deceased and stepped out.”

Before I knew it, Hiroko had completely wiped away her tears and now wore a bright, clear expression.

“Won’t you come this way?” “Father and my younger sister are here as well.” “Allow me to introduce you.” “Since this incident has occurred, I could no longer keep your and Mr. Fujieda’s involvement hidden from Father—I told him everything this morning, and now he’s terribly eager to meet you.” “Father himself panicked this morning and insisted we must ask a detective acquaintance to come after all.” She moved forward while urging me onward like this.

Hiroko opened the door to the room next to the parlor where the corpse was laid out while— “Father, Mr. Ogawa has arrived.” Having said that, she looked at me and smiled softly. The next moment, I stepped over the threshold into a large Japanese-style room no smaller than the adjacent one, but upon seeing the array of people lined up there, found myself momentarily taken aback. I suddenly knelt down,

“I am Ogawa Masao.”

and bowed politely. Then the distinguished gentleman sitting properly at the front responded. "I have been informed of your name by Hiroko." "I understand you have accompanied Mr. Fujieda. I am Akikawa Shunzō." At a glance, he was a gentleman of apparent refinement sporting an impressive mustache beneath his nose, but appeared alarmingly gaunt—resembling nothing so much as a sickly patient. While last night’s tragedy was significant in itself, it also made perfect sense that he had long been suffering from neurasthenia.

Beside Shunzō sat two beautiful daughters in silence. These people were likely anxious about the outcome of the autopsy being conducted in the adjacent room, for they all wore tense expressions.

Shunzō introduced each person one by one. “This is my second daughter, Sadako, and next is Hatsue. “And over there is Date Masao, the university student residing in our household.” The daughters each bowed politely in turn, but finally, the student in uniform who had been sitting looking uncomfortable made an exceedingly courteous bow while—

“I am Date,” he said.

He was a splendid-looking man who could have been a movie actor, his age likely around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

3 I was surprised by this young man's impressive bearing, but at the same time, I found myself unable to avoid wondering what relationship this Date could possibly have with the Akikawa family.

Seeing Date gathered together with the Akikawa family in one room like this, he must at least be someone treated as a guest in this household. I hadn’t heard about such a student living here… Aha! Got it—could he be Hiroko’s fiancé or something?! While I was occupied with these thoughts and offering my perfunctory condolences, Inspector Takahashi entered. “The inquest over there has been completed, so Mr. Akikawa, please come here for a moment.” “The prosecutor has expressed that he would like to meet with you.”

As expected, Akikawa Shunzō stood up. “Ah, then I shall come at once. I will meet them in my study... Hey, Yasuya, show everyone into the study.” Having said this, he passed by my side and exited the parlor. Just as we passed each other, Fujieda appeared in the corridor, gave a brief greeting to the people in the room, and then motioned for me to follow—so I immediately stood up. “There’s an interrogation of the master of this house. Come with me.”

Shunzō’s study was located diagonally across from the room containing his wife’s corpse, having exited the room we had been in and turned right after backtracking.

Upon entering, inside was a prosecutor who had apparently just been led by the maid, talking with a clerk while savoring an Asahi cigarette. Inspector Takahashi did not enter the room and hurried out without pause.

The room was Western-style, with a large desk placed in the center and numerous documents piled atop it. Beside it sat a desk telephone, but what immediately caught the eye was how everything reeked of expense—it was precisely the sort of study one would expect from an industrialist. Peering through the glass doors of the bookshelves lining both sides revealed nothing but biographies of Carnegie and discourses by Okura Dan—or else publications bearing absurdly inflated prices of twenty or thirty yen, likely sold through subscription. These too were neatly arranged, though one suspected they had probably never been read.

None of the artistic sensibility I had seen earlier in the corridor could be felt here. Before long, after the maid brought tea and left, Shunzō entered with a grave expression. "We have now completed questioning those individuals. Since this incident occurred in your household, we first wish to hear from you, as the master of the house, about last night’s events."

Having said this, the prosecutor looked at Shunzō. “Well, naturally it falls to me to explain... To put it simply”—he clasped his hands tightly—“I’m utterly baffled as to how matters reached this point. My wife... There was nothing in her daily conduct that would invite resentment...” “We’ll return to that later,” the prosecutor interrupted. “First I require your account of last night’s events leading to your wife’s death.”

“Yes, my wife had caught a slight cold two or three days prior, but she didn’t have a fever and only complained of a mild headache. However, yesterday afternoon, when she said her headache had worsened and was causing her distress, I ordered cold medicine from the Saigō pharmacy that regularly delivers to our house.” “So I requested that as-needed medication, and it seems she took it around midnight when going to bed.” “I took a considerable amount of sleeping pills a little before that and went to bed.”

4 "After that, I fell into a deep sleep immediately, so I don’t know how much time had passed, but when I awoke to a noise, there was frantic knocking on my bedroom door and Sadako was shouting, ‘Father! Something terrible has happened! Please wake up! Please wake up!’" “Please wait a moment.” “I don’t quite understand.” “Ah, right—I should have first explained the bedroom arrangements. The truth is, I’ve been suffering terribly from insomnia lately—so much so that I ended up resigning from the company entirely. But regardless, I simply cannot sleep with anyone nearby, not even my wife. That’s why I sleep alone in my bedroom. That room is on the opposite side of this one—the study. Up the stairs, immediately to the right is my bedroom, and next to it is my wife’s bedroom—she also sleeps alone.”

“Then, beyond about two Japanese-style rooms like the ones you saw earlier, there are the three daughters’ bedrooms. Hiroko and Sadako each sleep alone, but the next ones—Hatsue and Shuntarō—are supposed to share a single room. So, since I took my medicine in my room before midnight, locked the door, and went to sleep, I truly do not know when my wife retired for the night. I took sleeping pills and had just begun dozing off when I heard the door of the adjacent room open, followed by the door between my room and my wife’s room sliding slightly ajar as she said, ‘Good night.’ So, upon later reflection, I believe that was around midnight.”

“I see. So after your daughter woke you up, what did you do?”

"I immediately jumped up. "I thought 'This must be a burglar breaking in,' so I grabbed my self-defense pistol and suddenly flung the door open from inside— “Hey! What’s wrong?”

"I asked Sadako."

Then Sadako, pointing at the adjacent room with her finger, “Look! There was such a groaning sound in Mother’s room… Oh… Father!” she screamed and clung to me. When I finally calmed myself and listened intently at my wife’s bedroom door, I indeed heard an indescribably strange and agonized voice. In a panic, I began pounding on the door as if to break it down,

“Tokuko! Tokuko! What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” I shouted.” “Mr. Akikawa, was the door from your room to your wife’s also locked?” True to form, the prosecutor asked this delicate question with complete composure.

“Well… It may sound rather odd… but my wife was indeed extremely neurotic, and being aware of how perilous things have become lately, she always locked that door too when going to bed.” “So her logic was that even you, as her husband, might admit an intruder through your room? This seems rather excessively cautious.” The prosecutor remarked with a smirk, flicking a glance toward the clerk while simultaneously meeting Fujieda’s peculiar stare fixed upon me.

“So, since I take sleeping pills right away, this door becomes entirely unnecessary…” “No, that’s enough. Then what did you do?” “Sadako and I kept knocking on the door, but it simply wouldn’t open. Before long, Hiroko also heard the commotion and rushed over still in her nightclothes. When the three of us pushed on the door together, part of it split, so I began exerting my strength to break through. When I finally managed to reach inside, unlock it, and rush into my wife’s room, she had rolled off the bed and was crawling across the floor, letting out agonized death throes.”

5 "The three of us rushed inside in shock and immediately lifted Tokuko onto the bed, but her eyes were tightly shut—her limbs thrashing as she writhed in agony—without uttering a single word." “Couldn’t she say even one word?”

“It seems she could no longer utter a single word.” Hiroko cried out, “Mother! What’s wrong?” As she clung to her while sobbing and pressed her mouth to her ear, her mother seemed to want to say something, but nothing could be made out. Her trembling hand pointed to the side, and when I looked, there was what appeared to be a crumpled medicine packet by the lamp, with a cup placed right beside it containing water that had been half-drunk. “So I immediately suspected she might have ingested poison.”

“No, I absolutely do not believe it was suicide.” “There was no reason for my wife to die… So as a first step, I had our family doctor, Dr.Kizawa come immediately.” “I don’t recall the exact time, but I think it must have been around half past twelve or one o’clock.” “Dr.Kizawa arrived shortly after.” “He did everything he could to care for her and provide emergency treatment—but as you can see—she ultimately didn’t make it.”

Shunzō finished saying this and took a breath.

“I have a general grasp of the situation,” said the prosecutor. “Now, I’d like to ask about the cold medicine for your wife that you mentioned earlier. Is there any of it left?” “No,” replied Shunzō. “It appeared to be a single-dose as-needed medication. All that remained was the pharmacy’s packaging paper—there was no medicine left.” “What do you mean by ‘as-needed medication’? When was the prescription issued, and by whom?” “Well,” said Shunzō hesitantly, “I don’t know exactly what the medicine was, but it was probably antipyrine or something like that. The prescription wasn’t specifically for my wife, but rather an as-needed medication that Dr. Kizawa had prescribed for our second daughter Sadako when she developed a fever and severe headache several days prior. We had instructed Saigō Pharmacy to prepare that.”

“So you’re saying you gave Ms. Sadako’s medicine to your wife?”

“That’s correct. We amateurs often do such things, but…”

Shunzō, seemingly anticipating a reprimand, timidly watched the prosecutor’s expression.

“So, who instructed the pharmacy?” “I believe our maid relayed that over the phone. Of course, she must have been following my wife’s orders.” “Then the pharmacy prepared it assuming it was for Ms. Sadako’s medication, correct?”

To Shunzō, it seemed unclear for a moment why the prosecutor was pressing on this point, “Well, I suppose that’s probably the case,” he replied lightly. “I have another question—was the medicine delivered by someone from there, or did someone from your household…” “We placed an order over the phone in advance, and our maid Yasuko Sada went to retrieve it.” “The one who just brought tea here—that’s her.” “Then I would ask you to withdraw for now. “Then I would like Ms. Hiroko or Ms. Sadako summoned.”

Shunzō bowed politely and left the room. The prosecutor glanced briefly at the clerk beside him, then took out another Asahi cigarette, lit it, and fixed his gaze on the ceiling. Fujieda said nothing and continued smoking his Asahi cigarette as usual.

A knock was heard, and soon after, the second daughter Sadako appeared there with an uneasy expression.

6

The Sadako who appeared in the doorway was no less beautiful than her sister. If Hiroko’s features could be called intellectual beauty, then Sadako’s face might be said to possess an emotional loveliness. Her face was more endearing than beautiful, and whereas Hiroko and Hatsue had shared a common expression when observed earlier, Sadako somewhat resembled her father in features, yet carried an indefinable tinge of loneliness somewhere in her countenance. Was this how she always looked in ordinary times, or was it because this was so soon after the tragedy?

“You are… Ms. Sadako… the second daughter, correct? I’ve just finished inquiring with your father about last night’s events. …Now then, please take a seat there. …According to what I’ve learned from your father, your mother had caught a cold two or three days prior. Yesterday, when her headache grew particularly severe, she requested medicine from Saigō Pharmacy by describing her symptoms—is that correct? After taking it at bedtime, she suffered terribly, and you went to rouse your father—is that right?”

This struck me as an unusual line of questioning for a prosecutor. I knew that prosecutors ordinarily first asked about last night’s events directly from those involved, confirmed whether there were contradictions among witnesses’ testimonies, and only afterward delved into detailed inquiries. Yet Prosecutor Okuyama now abruptly laid out Shunzō’s testimony plainly before Sadako. He had likely adopted this method both to save time and because—when investigating each family member individually—if they intended to collude in their statements, they could easily have done so before his arrival; thus conveying one person’s testimony verbatim proved more expedient.

“Yes, that is correct.”

Sadako answered clearly.

“What time was dinner last night?” “Um, I believe it was around six-thirty.” “Was everyone present together?”

“Yes, there were my parents, us siblings, and...” “And then...?” “There was Mr. Date.” “Who is this Date? Is he a relative of yours?” “No... Um...” Sadako suddenly blushed and hesitated for a moment. “He is not a relative but someone staying with us... and we are engaged, you see.” Having said this, she averted her gaze. “Ah, I see. So in other words, aside from your family members, there was one person named Date who joined you for dinner. How was it—did your mother have a sufficient appetite?”

"No, both my father and mother mentioned having slight headaches... especially my mother, who had quite a severe headache and hardly ate anything." "But she only came out to the dining room for my father and us, as it were." "At that time, do you recall anything harmful among the food consumed?" "...So aside from your mother, there was no one else who suffered ill effects from the food?"

“Yes, I believe all the dishes were exactly as they always are. I helped the maid in the kitchen and made mayonnaise sauce myself, but since there’s a maid who prepares the meals, perhaps you should call her and ask if you wish.” “No, we’ll look into that matter later. So then—do you also consider that cold medicine to be the direct cause of your mother’s death?” “Yes, I cannot conceive of any possibility other than that.”

"That cold medicine—to be precise, the medicine delivered from the pharmacy at that time was in your own name, I take it." "Yes." "Was it your mother’s wish to take your medicine?"

“No.”

Sadako had said this, but the question seemed to have taken her somewhat by surprise.

7

She seemed to be considering something for a while, but eventually spoke clearly. “Well... Mother didn’t propose taking it herself.” “I was the one who first suggested it.” “Since she was suffering from such a severe headache, I told her she should try taking the as-needed medication I’d taken a few days prior.” “Mother usually only took herbal medicines and disliked Western ones, but since it had worked so well for me, I ended up strongly recommending it.” “But of course, I never imagined it would come to this.” “When I think about it now, my kindness seems to have killed Mother...”

Having spoken this far—whether lamenting her mother’s death or regretting that her own kindness had turned to harm—she seemed to be biting down hard to hold back the sudden flood of tears.

At this moment, I could not help but feel that being a prosecutor was truly a sinful profession. "But I don't know anything!" "I don't know anything!" "The idea of me killing my mother—I've never even considered it for an instant!" Suddenly, Sadako cried out hysterically to the prosecutor. "Of course not. "There's no possible reason you would harm your mother. "I never intended to suggest such suspicion through my questions."

“But…” “There’s no ‘but’ about it. You needn’t worry yourself over such matters. Now—did you place the call to the pharmacy yourself?” “No, I instructed the maid to make the call.” Her voice had finally steadied. “I had her tell them to prepare my usual as-needed medication since I would require it shortly, you see.” “Then the pharmacy would naturally have assumed the request came from you, correct?”

“Well, I suppose that would be the case,” “Because I did not tell her it was for Mother to take.” “And I had her convey that it was my medicine prescribed by Dr. Kizawa.” “Who collected it?” “Yasuko Sada—our maid—went to retrieve it in the evening and returned shortly before dinner.” “It was in the usual bag and properly sealed.” “As I happened to be in the kitchen, Yasuko handed me the bag directly.” “So I temporarily tucked it into my obi while helping with kitchen tasks.”

“That medicine was under your name but was actually intended for your mother—did you tell the maid about that?”

“No—so the maid might have thought I was going to take it. Since Mother and I had our conversation in private, no one else could have known about it for certain. My sister only returned home yesterday evening, so she likely wouldn’t know about this either—but since Mother had mentioned having a headache, she may have thought the medicine that came to me was meant to be taken. However, I did not discuss the matter of the medicine with anyone. Then it came time for dinner, but since I always found it best to take it right before bed to induce sweating, I had intended to have Mother take it at bedtime as well. Since Mother had not proactively sought it herself to begin with, she may have forgotten—she didn’t press me about it and instead prepared her usual herbal decoction on her own. After dinner, I returned to my room and put the medicine from my obi into my desk drawer.”

“After that, were you in your room until bedtime?”

8

It was very slight, but a look of confusion flitted across Sadako’s face. "Well, since it was within the house, I did leave my room occasionally, but I was mostly in my room."

“If you were in your room continuously, then the medicine would have had to remain in the desk drawer, wouldn’t it? This is merely my conjecture, but was there someone from outside present in your room? Or perhaps while you were out, might someone have been in your room? For instance, like a maid…” A distinctly puzzled expression rose to Sadako’s face this time but disappeared instantly.

“...No...”

She answered in a small voice.

“And then?” “Around eleven o’clock at night, I got into bed—but before that, I went to Mother’s room. Since Father was still awake, she wasn’t in her bedroom but lying alone in the living room. I handed her the medicine still sealed in its bag and told her to take it when she went to bed, then entered my own bedroom first. Though I wasn’t sleepy at all last night and meant to stay up longer, I went to my bedroom for the time being since staying up later would have irritated Father.” “But since I wasn’t sleepy, I was reading a Thomas Hardy novel. Before I knew it, I must have dozed off and ended up falling asleep right there on the bed.”

“So you didn’t know when your mother entered her bedroom?”

“Yes, I had absolutely no idea.” “I’m not sure how much time had passed, but when I suddenly awoke, I found myself lying there with my hand still on the Hardy book when I heard an indescribable moaning sound.” Startled, I sat up and realized the sound was unmistakably coming from Mother’s bedroom. In a panic, I opened the door and rushed to Mother’s bedroom, calling “Mother! Mother!”—but from inside came only agonized moans, with no sign of the door opening. I pounded on it as if to break it down, but to no avail. “So I knocked on Father’s door in the next room as if to break it down, and he—perhaps thinking a burglar had broken in—came rushing out with a pistol in hand, shouting, ‘Who is it? Who’s been attacked?’”

“Wait a minute! Who’s been attacked?” “Yes, Father must have panicked too. ‘Who was attacked?’ ‘Who was attacked?’ he shouted as he came bursting out. When I pointed toward Mother’s room—Father must have heard those moans too—he cried out, ‘What’s wrong?...’ He kept shouting ‘Tokuko!’ Then my sister—who’d rushed over in her nightclothes upon hearing the commotion—joined him to break down the door. When they forced their way in, Mother was writhing on the floor in agony.”

Father hurriedly picked her up and tended to her, but her lips had already changed color, and she seemed unable to speak. In her frenzy, she kept pointing in one direction. When we looked that way, we saw the earlier medicine bag torn open, with the wrapper discarded—it appeared she had taken the powdered medication inside that had been wrapped in paraffin paper. “We immediately called Dr. Kizawa to come and had him administer various injections and such, but as you are aware, it proved futile.”

When she had spoken up to this point，Inspector Takahashi—who until then had been somewhere else—suddenly opened the door and entered the room． When he saw this，the prosecutor， “Well then，Ms．Sadako，we’ll stop here for today．” “If there are any further points I wish to inquire about，I’ll call you again later．”

With that, he signaled to Sadako that she could leave now.

9

The moment Sadako vanished from the study, the prosecutor addressed the inspector.

“Takahashi, how did it go? The same result, I take it?” “Well, since the proprietor had returned this time, I was able to conduct a thorough investigation directly with him. However, it appears there was no mistake on Saigō Pharmacy’s end. Dr. Nohara from the police and Dr. Kizawa, the family’s regular physician, also accompanied us to conduct specialized examinations, but it still appears that no error occurred on their end.” “As I stated earlier, I rushed over immediately this morning upon hearing from Dr. Kizawa about Tokuko Akikawa’s unnatural death. After seizing the medicine packaging and other evidence, I prioritized conducting an investigation at Saigō Pharmacy first and foremost.”

In cases where such an unnatural death occurs—be it suicide, accidental death, or homicide—I believed it imperative to first ascertain what Tokuko had ingested.

However, when I went to investigate the pharmacy, it turned out that the proprietor—a man named Saigō Kōkichi—had attended a gathering with colleagues the previous evening and still had not returned home. So I questioned several employees. Their testimonies were entirely natural: last evening, a call came from the Akikawa family requesting that one packet of as-needed cold medicine prescribed several days earlier by Dr. Kizawa for their second daughter Sadako be prepared. Accordingly, the pharmacy—believing it was for Sadako’s consumption—compounded the powdered medication per Dr. Kizawa’s prescription. An employee initially received the call but promptly reported it to the proprietor, who then personally compounded the medicine himself. There are two employees there who hold pharmacist licenses, but at that time, the proprietor personally compounded it himself. The proprietor was, of course, a licensed pharmacist.

They then placed a packet of powdered medicine into a bag labeled "Saigō Pharmacy," sealed it, and left it at the shop. Before long, the Akikawa family’s maid came to retrieve it, and they handed it over without any suspicion. As for the crucial powdered medicine itself, there was absolutely no mistake in its preparation. He had reportedly compounded just 0.4 grams of antipyrine, placed it into a packet labeled 'As-needed single dose for Akikawa Sadako - Prescribed by Dr. Kizawa,' and handed it over. Regarding this point, both pharmacists at the shop had casually observed the proprietor preparing it at the time, and they attested that there had been absolutely no error.

Now, when I went again to investigate, the proprietor—having just returned home—opened his establishment and spoke with great deference, but according to his account, it was entirely consistent with his previous testimony. I took the medicine bag I had seized and showed it to him, but he confirmed that it was indeed the one he had handed over himself, stating that the writing on it must have been his own. However, while the seal had been torn, since the sealing paper remained attached to the bag, it seemed inconceivable that someone could have substituted the antipyrine the pharmacy had prepared with something else en route. I instructed Saigō to report to the police later, and the two physicians who accompanied me examined the ledgers and such, but according to their findings, there appeared to be no falsehood in what he had stated...And regarding the wrapper found beside Tokuko’s corpse— “We’ve already sent it to headquarters for analysis, so we should have the results soon.”

When Inspector Takahashi finished speaking in one breath, the door opened and a maid appeared.

“Excuse me—there’s a telephone call from the Metropolitan Police Department...”

Inspector Takahashi hurriedly stood up and left, but after a short while, he returned.

“They’ve finished examining the wrapper,” “A small amount of powder residue was found on it, and analysis determined it to be mercuric chloride.” “It was confirmed as pure mercuric chloride.” “The substance contained absolutely no adulterants.”

10 “Mercuric chloride? She drank mercuric chloride?” “The powder examined by forensics was confirmed to be mercuric chloride.” “Considering the circumstances, what Tokuko ingested appears to have been mercuric chloride.” “Dr. Nohara and Dr. Kizawa both agree.” “Dr. Kizawa reportedly suspected mercuric chloride when he arrived, based on Tokuko’s agonized state and vomiting patterns.” “He mentioned that a nurse who committed suicide using mercuric chloride at a hospital in Ushigome two months ago showed nearly identical symptoms.”

“Of course, an autopsy will confirm it definitively, but there’s no doubt she ingested mercuric chloride.” “This doesn’t appear to be suicide.” “If we posit suicide, we must first establish how Tokuko obtained mercuric chloride.” “Furthermore, in that case, either the antipyrine supposedly delivered from Saigō Pharmacy should still be somewhere in this house, or even if both substances were ingested by Tokuko, the paper that originally contained the antipyrine must remain.” “Based on our current findings, we must conclude Tokuko ingested the pharmacy’s medicine without any knowledge of its contents.” “However, if Saigō Pharmacy unquestionably prepared antipyretic medication that reached this household intact, then between its arrival here and entering Tokuko’s mouth, it had somehow been replaced with mercuric chloride.”

Prosecutor Okuyama said this, exhaled a puff of Asahi smoke, and smirked as he looked toward Fujieda. "No—to put it more precisely," "If Saigō indeed prepared the antipyretic without error, then it follows that between being placed into the bag and entering Tokuko's stomach, it transformed into mercuric chloride."

Fujieda said this to the prosecutor for the first time. “Yeah, that’s right. Whether it was altered between leaving the pharmacy and arriving at this house, or after reaching here—that’s the critical issue here.”

The prosecutor again said cheerfully to Fujieda.

“Well then, shall we have the eldest daughter come in?”

Just as the prosecutor changed tack and was about to speak to the inspector—before uttering a word—a knock resounded at the door. At the prosecutor’s summons, the opened door revealed Hiroko’s beautiful face framed in its threshold.

“Excuse me—I thought I might be summoned, so I’ve come... May I enter?”

Hiroko had expected to be summoned after Sadako’s interrogation concluded, but due to the unexpectedly prolonged delay, she seemed unable to wait any longer and had entered of her own accord. “Ah—you must be Miss Hiroko.” “I was just about to have you come in now.” “Please have a seat here.”

Having said this, Prosecutor Okuyama flicked the Asahi cigarette butt into the ashtray on the desk with a dismissive toss. The prosecutor’s interrogation of Hiroko initially mirrored his approach with Sadako—both grounded in Shunzō’s prior testimony. After briskly outlining these statements to her, he found Hiroko’s responses largely corroborating them. “Now,” he began, “start from when last night’s disturbance roused you.” “I believe I retired to bed around ten o’clock,” Hiroko replied. “As always, sleep claimed me the moment my head touched the pillow. Yet I awoke abruptly in the dead of night.” Her voice tightened fractionally. “In hindsight, I realize it must have been Father and Sadako knocking on Mother’s bedroom door that stirred me.”

“At that moment, did you immediately realize it was your Father’s voice?”

“Yes.” “Do you remember what Father was shouting?” “No, since our rooms are quite far apart, I couldn’t make out what he was saying clearly.”

11 “Very well, what happened next?” “I sensed that something terrible had occurred, so I frantically rushed to the door, unlocked it, and dashed out into the hallway.”

At this moment, Fujieda interjected briefly after obtaining the prosecutor’s permission. “Ms. Hiroko, how did you feel when you heard the commotion?” “...”

“In other words—when you say ‘something serious,’ what exactly do you mean? For example...”

“I don’t remember clearly, but I thought something might have happened to Mother.” “Did you know Mother had requested cold medicine yesterday?” “No, I only heard about that from my sister after Mother had passed away.” “No, thank you. Pardon the interruption.” “Excuse me.”

This time, the prosecutor continued. “Now, continue from there.” “So there I was in my nightclothes—when I stepped out into the hallway, I immediately rushed to my father’s side.” “In the hallway, Father and my younger sister were frantically knocking on Mother’s bedroom door—Father in his nightclothes and my sister properly dressed in a kimono.” “I couldn’t understand what was happening, but believing something had befallen Mother, I joined in trying to break down the door. When Father finally managed to smash through one side, we hurried into the bedroom—only to find Mother collapsed on the floor.” “Father hurriedly picked her up, but Mother couldn’t speak clearly.”

“Wait a moment,” Fujieda asked again. “Was there a light on in Mother’s room?” “Yes,” Hiroko replied. “The light was on.” “Does your mother usually rest with the light on?” Prosecutor Okuyama inquired. “No,” she answered. “She sleeps in complete darkness.” The prosecutor took over the questioning: “In that room, there should be one electric light on the ceiling and a desk lamp placed on the table beside the bed. Which light are you referring to now?”

Hiroko paused to consider for a moment,

“I’m certain the ceiling light was on, but I can’t clearly remember about the desk lamp.”

“And one more thing. The ceiling light switch was indeed located on the left-hand wall right after opening the door—correct?” “Yes.” “In other words, this means it was out of reach from your mother’s bed. If we presume your mother turned on the light—as we naturally must—then last night she either left it burning or collapsed before she could switch it off.” Hiroko seemed not to fully grasp his meaning, but she forced a faint smile and gave a slight nod.

“And then…?” “Father picked Mother up and placed her in bed, but she kept thrashing her entire body and wouldn’t calm down.” “However, when we rushed in, she seemed to understand—and when all of us called out, her trembling hand reached toward the lamp.” Wanting to understand the situation more clearly, I pressed my mouth to her ear and— “Mother, what’s wrong?” I called out, and Mother’s eyes flew open wide as she moved her lips as though trying to say something.

When I pressed my ear close to Mother, she finally managed to utter something. “Just one word!” The prosecutor, Fujieda, and the inspector all suddenly tensed up and stared at Hiroko. What did Akikawa Tokuko say with her final breath? 12

“Just one word!” Having reached this point, Hiroko abruptly closed her mouth and looked between the prosecutor and Fujieda. She appeared to be deliberating whether to speak. Yet with both the prosecutor and Fujieda remaining tensely silent, she continued. “At that moment, Mother uttered just one phrase: ‘To Sadako…’”

Having said this, she finally adopted an expression as though a weight had been lifted from her heart.

“What? “To Sadako...?” “Ms. Hiroko, are you certain of that?” The prosecutor hurriedly blurted out.

“This is a crucial point.” “Are you absolutely certain she said ‘to Sadako...’?” “I would never lie about this.” Hiroko answered resolutely. “No—what I mean is whether you might have misheard.” “To be thorough, please take your time and recall it once more.” “Your mother said ‘Sadako!’” “Didn’t she call out ‘Sadako!’?”

“No, she did not call out ‘Sadako.’ “She definitely said ‘To Sadako…’” Her answer grew even more resolute. “I see. Then—how did you interpret your mother’s words when she said ‘To Sadako…’? What do you believe she meant to say after that?”

A look of confusion appeared on Hiroko’s face.

After a brief pause, she said.

“Given the commotion at the time, I simply had no time to think things through properly, you see. We all immediately called Dr. Kizawa and took care of what needed to be done.”

“I see. That’s understandable. Now, let me ask you again—taking your time to think about it properly—what do you believe those words meant?” She again showed a look of confusion. “Well, I can’t say for certain,” she said, “but in hindsight, perhaps she meant that she took the medicine because Sadako suggested it... or that Sadako made her take it.” “Made her take it?”

The prosecutor stared intently at Hiroko’s face. Next, he must have said the following: “So, was there a situation between Sadako and your mother where she might have claimed she was made to drink something? “A situation where she was forced to take poison?” Yet unexpectedly, the prosecutor withheld this crucial question. These were words Fujieda later told me: Prosecutor Okuyama, being thoroughly seasoned, clearly understood that when interrogating a young woman already tense and guarded against his questions, carelessly posing such a critical inquiry at this climactic moment would often make the subject lie—potentially derailing investigative strategies.

The prosecutor’s question took an unexpected turn.

“Were you at home all day yesterday?”

“No, I went out around noon for an errand.”

After saying this, she briefly glanced toward Fujieda. “And around what time did you return home?” “Yes. Probably a little after four o’clock.” “And from then until dinner—”

“I was playing the piano in the downstairs hall the entire time until dinner.” “What was your mother’s condition when you returned home?”

“Mother was lying in the sitting room without laying out a futon.” “Then, did you have no knowledge at all that someone had been sent to fetch cold medicine from the pharmacy?” “Yes, I had no knowledge until my mother passed away.”

13

“I just asked your sister earlier, and she said all family members were present at dinner.”

“Yes, and Mr. Date Masao was also present.” “Is Mr. Date your sister’s fiancé?” “Yes, that is correct.” “Does he always eat meals with you?” “Yes. When he comes, we always eat together.” “So he doesn’t live in this mansion, then?” “Until recently, he stayed at the mansion, but for about the past two months, he has been renting a small house nearby.” The prosecutor had been pondering something for a moment when he suddenly posed a casual question.

“Has your sister’s engagement been in place for quite some time?” “No, it’s only been about two months.” “So Mr. Date moved out around the same time as the engagement, I take it?” “Yes—that is to say, when my sister marries, Mr. Date would then enter our household.” “But I’m afraid I don’t know the details well.”

“One more question—your parents certainly approved of the engagement, right?”

“Yes, Father was very pleased. In fact, it was Father who proposed the arrangement.”

“And your mother?” I did not overlook Hiroko’s complex expression at this moment. “Mother... Mother didn’t exactly voice opposition to the engagement itself.” “However... she and Father had rather differing opinions regarding those conditions...” “What do you mean by ‘conditions’?” “It concerns property matters.” “Father intended to provide Sadako with a considerable dowry upon her marriage.” “But Mother seemed opposed to this arrangement.” “I’m not well-versed in such affairs—you should inquire directly with Father.”

“Of course I will ask your father. “……Then after dinner, you…?”

"I went into my own room and was reading a novel." "What kind of book was this novel?"

Fujieda posed an odd question. Hiroko looked toward Fujieda with a friendly demeanor, “It’s a book called *The Greene Murder Case* by Van Dine,” she answered lightly. “Ah, *The Greene Murder Case*! I see.” Fujieda said this and puffed out a smoke ring.

“Were you in your room the entire time?” asked the prosecutor.

“No—then around eight o’clock, I went to visit Mother briefly in the sitting room. Then—” “Then?”

“So, since Mr. Date was talking with Mother about something, I immediately returned to my room.” “Was Mr. Date with your mother the entire time?” “It seemed he soon went to Sadako’s room.” “This time, it seemed Sadako had gone to Mother’s room.” “Ah, I see. How did you know that?” “When I went to the washroom, I passed by Sadako’s room.” “At that moment, I suddenly remembered I had something to discuss with my sister—so I knocked and opened the door. Inside, my sister wasn’t there; instead, Mr. Date sat alone in a chair.” “So I asked, ‘Isn’t Sadako here?’” “When I asked, Mr. Date replied, ‘She’s gone to Mother’s room now.’”

“At that time, did you notice anything strange about Date’s demeanor?” “For example, acting strangely flustered, or…”

Hiroko answered cheerfully with a laugh.

“Mr. Date is my sister’s approved fiancé, so even if someone saw him in her room, he wouldn’t have acted flustered.” 14 “Since we’ve heard about subsequent matters, we’ll conclude here for today.” Hiroko gave a brief bow to the prosecutor, then turned toward Fujieda and me with a polite nod before departing.

“You—what exactly is that novel you heard about?”

The prosecutor, as if pausing to catch his breath, lit a fresh Asahi cigarette. “Ah, that? You see, it’s a famous detective novel. It’s a truly chilling tale where the Greene family members are killed off one by one.”

“And that’s what such a beautiful young lady reads?” “Hmm, there’s nothing strange about that at all. These days, a young lady’s hobbies rank first as sports, second as detective novels—or perhaps not, maybe third or fourth? But regardless, they do read them often... though *The Greene Murder Case*—” Fujieda sank peculiarly into thought and fell silent. “No, what’s truly popular these days are things like ‘ero’ and ‘gro’—downright bizarre stuff,” interjected Inspector Takahashi. “But from our standpoint, the detective novel craze is deplorable. Especially since writers devise overly elaborate crimes—it leaves us too swamped to function properly.”

It was Inspector Takahashi who interjected.

The group momentarily forgot they were conducting an investigation in a house with a corpse, and a calm, relaxed mood began to envelop them. But at that moment, the door was flung open, and a white-haired elderly figure entered, bowing repeatedly with a deep bend at the waist. “Ah, ladies and gentlemen, I must apologize for all this trouble.” “I am Sasada Jinzō, who has long served as the butler of this esteemed household.” “I truly have no words to express my regret over this dreadful affair.” “The Master is deeply distraught and insisted that we must apprehend the culprit by any means necessary—not that your efforts alone are insufficient in any way, but rather to make every possible preparation. Thus, since this morning, we have engaged the services of that renowned Mr. Hayashida Eizō. I have just returned from escorting him here and was absent from my post, for which I most humbly apologize.”

I involuntarily exchanged glances with Fujieda. So, when Hiroko had said earlier that her father had also enlisted a detective acquaintance, was she referring to Hayashida Eizō?

For Fujieda and for the prosecutor alike, Hayashida was truly a formidable opponent. When it came to Detective Hayashida, he was a private detective as renowned as Fujieda—no, perhaps even more so. The reader may perhaps be aware that Mr. Hayashida’s investigative methods were uniquely his own, entirely distinct from Fujieda’s, permitting no one to follow in his footsteps. During that strange incident at Marquis Kiyokawa’s residence, he displayed astonishing prowess, completely outmaneuvering the authorities who were his competitors, and nearly succeeded in outwitting even his formidable rival Fujieda Shintarō. In that case, though Fujieda ultimately seized final victory, Hayashida Eizō had identified the culprit through an entirely different approach; and had Fujieda’s watch not—by sheer chance—been seven minutes fast at the time (an uncharacteristic oversight for him, to be sure), I believe it remains doubtful whether it would have been Fujieda or Hayashida who apprehended the culprit first.

In that case, as I just mentioned, Fujieda ironically succeeded due to his oversight, but the public would surely remember the tragic end of that Hamamatsu Murder Demon once called the Phantom King. While officially, the criminal—with no means of escape under the police’s rigorous investigation—was deemed to have thrown himself into the Ōkawa River in suicide, in truth, beyond the authorities’ full reach, Fujieda and Hayashida had both reached for the criminal’s throat from opposing sides.

The criminal, cornered between falling into Fujieda’s hands or being captured by Hayashida, had committed suicide. 15

I did not know Hayashida Eizō's background in detail. However, unlike Fujieda, he apparently had no bureaucratic career whatsoever; after graduating from a certain private university, he had developed an intense interest in criminology, and it was said that had he continued down the academic path, obtaining a degree would not have been difficult. Yet his active disposition would not permit him to remain confined to his study all day, ultimately leading him to become involved in actual criminal cases. As a private detective, his skills were far from ordinary, as previously noted, and his name swiftly became renowned among police circles and criminals alike.

I had never once met him. At last, through this case, I would finally get to meet him. Now the murderer had no choice but to face not only Fujieda and the police authorities but also a formidable enemy in Hayashida. Shouldn't this indeed be called a grand spectacle?

How would the three-way struggle between the authorities, Fujieda, and Hayashida—all circling the murderer—develop? Those with curiosity—surely I wasn’t the only one.

“Hayashida Eizō? Then please inform him that he may come here without issue.”

The prosecutor said to Butler Sasada with a tense expression.

“Yes, well, I had already suggested precisely that—to show him here immediately—but Mr. Hayashida stated it would be improper to intrude upon your investigation, and furthermore, he wished to inquire about certain matters with the Master. Thus, he has chosen to refrain and is presently conversing with the Master in the reception room.” Detective Hayashida, who had arrived slightly late in the immediate aftermath of the incident, appeared to have already begun interrogating Akikawa Shunzō in an effort to make up for his handicap as swiftly as possible. Truly, his competence surpassed even what one had heard.

“I see. Well then—since Hatsue and Shuntarō don’t seem to know anything either... Please summon Date Masao.” Butler Sasada respectfully withdrew from the room. Before long, the same distinguished young man appeared at the entrance.

“I am Date Masao.”

In an extremely clear tone, he said this and sat down in the chair indicated by the prosecutor. Then, in response to the prosecutor’s questions, he began to speak as follows. “I was raised in this household from a young age.” “I am a distant relative of this household. Having lost both my father and mother early, I was left entirely alone. Under the care of the uncle here”—he referred to Akikawa Shunzō as ‘uncle,’ though this denoted respect rather than close kinship—“I graduated from middle school and am currently enrolled in the economics department of a certain private university. I graduated this past March but have yet to secure employment, so I remain registered in graduate school. During my studies, I played rugby.”

With that, he gave his sturdy arm a slight rub. “Around what time did you come here yesterday?” “In the evening. I’ve rented a house nearby lately, but I came a little after five to have dinner with everyone.” “Now that I hear of it, you’re engaged to Sadako, I take it?” “That’s correct.” “So after dinner, were you having a talk with Sadako in her room?” “Y-yes, that’s right.”

“All the way until night?” “Well... actually, my aunt summoned me. I was speaking with her.” A faint look of unease surfaced on the young man’s face. The prosecutor seemed not to have missed this. “Were you not quarreling with your aunt about something at that time?” 16 “An argument? It... wasn’t quite what you’d call an argument...” This was my first time hearing that Tokuko and Date had argued. Was the prosecutor setting some kind of trap based on his deductions about the circumstances? If it was a trap, it had worked.

Date Masao clearly panicked. “However, when we asked others, it seems there was some sort of argument.” “An argument? Well, it wasn’t anything major. It’s just that my aunt kept pressing me about it.”

“About what?” “It’s about my marriage to Ms. Sadako. It was only when my aunt told me that I learned of this—apparently, Uncle has decided that if I were to marry Ms. Sadako, he would give approximately one-third of the family’s assets to her and me. From my aunt’s perspective, this was utterly outrageous.” “About what?”

“In other words, that amount—she argued that giving one-third solely to Sadako when there are still so many other children is unreasonably excessive.” “So what did you say in response?” “Of course, assets or anything like that aren’t my objective. I said that since my only goal is to marry Ms. Sadako, I don’t need a single penny of the assets. And I truly do believe that. But my aunt apparently couldn’t grasp that reasoning no matter what. It seems my marriage and one-third of the assets have an inseparable relationship. In other words, it seems that if I were to marry Ms. Sadako, one-third of the assets would inevitably come along. This isn’t so much that Aunt couldn’t understand, but rather that Uncle is stubbornly insisting on it. Therefore, because it was so unpleasant, I have often said that I don’t need a single penny.”

“So what did Aunt say then?” “In the end, Aunt demanded that I cancel this engagement outright.” “So, naturally you opposed her?” “Of course." “That’s unthinkable! Ms. Sadako and I have made a firm promise between the two of us—something like canceling it now is absolutely impossible,” I said.

“So what exactly did you say when you left the room that time?” “I said that no matter what happens, I will marry her.” “Aunt insists that no matter what happens, she will absolutely not allow the marriage.” “In the end, both sides held their ground and parted ways.” “So then I returned to Ms. Sadako’s room and told her about what had just happened.”

He said this and stared intently at the prosecutor’s face, but as soon as he began discussing Tokuko, clear signs of agitation appeared on him. “So your aunt declared she would stand in the way of your marriage, then?” “Well... yes. “No, well... that’s not quite it.” “Exactly so.” “Hmm. I see. “So now that obstacle has been removed, I suppose.” Having said this—though his intent was unclear—the prosecutor shot a piercing glare at Date’s face.

However, not a trace of agitation from these words could be seen in Date's expression. "Then did you switch places with Sadako?"

“When I told Sadako about that, she was so startled she went to my aunt’s room.” “So that means you were left alone in Sadako’s room?”

“Yes.”

“Where were you?”

This question seemed to leave Date momentarily perplexed about what it referred to.

“I was sitting at Ms. Sadako’s desk.” “So that means you could open Sadako’s desk drawer.”

17

At this moment, a flush spread across Date’s face.

“Wh-what are you saying? You think I opened the desk drawer? I’ll have you know I consider myself a gentleman. I’ve never tried to uncover a woman’s secrets—especially when my fiancée isn’t present—in her absence. Even Ms. Sadako must have left me alone in the room because she trusted I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

Even a prosecutor would show no mercy—depending on how one responded, he seemed ready to argue them into submission. “Now, don’t get so worked up. I wasn’t asking whether you actually opened the drawer—I was merely pointing out that you were in a position where you *could* have opened it if you’d wanted to.” “I never once thought of opening it...” “Then that’s fine. By the way, did you know that your aunt had ordered cold medicine from Saigo Pharmacy?”

“I didn’t know anything about it.” Date said bluntly. After some back-and-forth on a few more points, the prosecutor finally permitted Date to withdraw.

Next to be called was Yasuko Sada, a maid of about twenty years old in the household. She couldn’t be called a beauty but had average looks; however, the shocking events since last night had completely upended her composure, and now, faced with stern officials like the prosecutor and inspector, she had turned deathly pale and was fidgeting nervously. The prosecutor’s questioning of her was relatively simple. It remained focused on her account of having been sent to retrieve the medicine the previous day. “It has only been exactly ten days since I came to serve at the esteemed household.” “Yesterday afternoon—though I don’t remember the exact time—Ms. Sadako, the second daughter, instructed me to call Saigo Pharmacy using the number she provided and request they prepare her cold medicine immediately. So I did as I was told.” “After about fifteen minutes had passed, I went to Saigo Pharmacy.” “Since it was my first time going there, I made sure to inquire about the directions at the mansion beforehand.” “When I arrived there, the medicine was already prepared, so I immediately received it and returned holding it in my hand.” “Just then, Ms. Sadako was present in the kitchen, so I immediately handed it over.”

“Did you return straight from the pharmacy without stopping anywhere?” “Yes, I did not stop anywhere.” “Did you meet anyone?” Yasuko seemed to hesitate momentarily. It also looked as though she was pondering the meaning of the question.

“No, I didn’t meet anyone.” “You did bring the medicine with you in hand, correct?” “Yes, I was holding it.”

The questioning of Yasuko Sada came to an end here. Next, Butler Sasada was summoned and questioned thoroughly, but the elderly man appeared to know nothing about the medicine matter, yielding little of use, and this interrogation too soon concluded. “Well, let’s call it a day for now.” The prosecutor did not touch a single one of the drinks or sweets that the Akikawa household had painstakingly prepared, merely drinking a single cup of tea before urging the inspector to depart.

“We will have to hear the autopsy results eventually, but for today, this will suffice…”

The prosecutor’s party, escorted by Akikawa Shunzō, made their way to the entrance.

Fujieda and I also saw them off to the entrance, but once the court car had driven out through the gate, we two were guided by the master and shown into the adjacent parlor.

**Akikawa Family and Tragedy**

1

When Fujieda and I, guided by the master, entered the parlor, Fujieda abruptly addressed the composed gentleman in his early forties sitting there: “Well.” Fujieda greeted him. Then the gentleman also stood up and replied: “My, it’s been an age. We meet again.” “Goodness—you two are already acquainted? And here I was about to make introductions,” said the master.

Then the gentleman interjected.

“No need—I know Mr. Fujieda quite well, as he’s bested me numerous times.” “Nonsense. It’s me who’s always being outmaneuvered by Mr. Hayashida, you know.” Both men were exchanging social niceties, but in their hearts they were undoubtedly thinking, “Damn you,” toward each other.

However, I had been mistaken—I still hadn’t met this famous Detective Hayashida even once. He looked every bit the distinguished gentleman. Save for his Kaiser-style mustache and aquiline nose, however, he had no particularly striking features. I was promptly introduced to Hayashida by Fujieda and took my seat. Shunzō soon excused himself from the room. Only we three remained. “The master here summoned me urgently this morning—I only just arrived moments ago,” he said. “To my chagrin, you’d already beaten me here.” “But after conferring with both the master and young lady,” he continued with a self-satisfied tilt of his head, “I’d say I’ve made up considerable ground.”

“No, I’ve made quite a mess of things myself,” Fujieda said. “My client isn’t the master but the young lady—though truth be told, she only engaged me yesterday.” He grimaced, ash from his cigarette scattering across his lapel. “And now today brings this chaos. A proper screw-up on my part.” His eyes narrowed behind wire-rimmed glasses as he leaned forward. “But you—commissioned directly by the household head—must’ve gotten straight to the heart of their twisted relations.” “How so?” Hayashida adjusted his Kaiser mustache, the silver strands catching afternoon light filtering through damask curtains. “Come now! A single conversation with Shunzō would lay bare this family’s rot.” Fujieda’s pen tapped an impatient staccato against his notebook. “Ah, you’ve already sniffed it out then?” Hayashida’s chuckle held no mirth. “The master dances around specifics, but this house...” His gaze drifted to the cracked plaster molding above their heads. “It reeks of impending tragedy. Five minutes listening to their strained pleasantries told me that much.”

At that moment, the door opened, and Butler Sasada entered respectfully, carrying a tray with something on it. “I have just found this letter in the mailbox…” Since I was closest at hand, I immediately noticed the two envelopes lying on the tray.

One was addressed to "Mr. Hayashida Eizō," while the other bore "Mr. Fujieda Shintarō." Fujieda and Hayashida each took their envelopes. When they turned them over, the two men exchanged startled glances.

Undeniably stamped on the seal was a red triangular mark. The characters remained in Japanese typewriter script as always, and within the envelope opened by Fujieda's hand lay these words: "The first tragedy has already been carried out. Prepare yourself for whatever form the second tragedy may take." When Fujieda read his aloud, Hayashida followed suit—both letters proved completely identical. "Hmm," Fujieda remarked, examining the envelope's backside. "This wasn't mailed through post."

“Yeah, no address, no stamp.” “It appears they were simply dropped into the mailbox.”

The terrifying murderer was once again challenging these two giants. “If you’re going to kill someone, just do it quietly. There’s no need for such advertisements. What a foolish game you’re playing.” Having said this, Fujieda glanced at me with a smirk and slipped the letter into his pocket.

2 Fujieda and Hayashida sat facing each other and began conversing eagerly, but hardly any of it concerned crucial matters. I have always found it puzzling how police stations, in their rivalry for glory, often let the most crucial criminals slip through their grasp. I often hear people say that if only they had cooperated, they would have surely caught the criminal.

In the same vein, one might think that if these two detectives were to consult and assist each other, they would surely apprehend this criminal—but unfortunately, neither Fujieda nor Hayashida appeared to harbor such sentiments.

Although they appeared calm on the surface, they were surely locked in a fierce battle of wits beneath. The two were sounding each other out; moreover, knowing full well that their opponent wasn’t the type to carelessly divulge their thoughts even if baited, they would never attempt such a ploy. Though they were merely engaging in polite small talk, from the sidelines, one couldn’t help but feel an oppressive weight—it was by no means a pleasant encounter.

However, this atmosphere was abruptly shattered by the master of the house.

With a pale face and eyes bulging as if pulled taut, Shunzō burst into the room in a state of agitation.

“Mr. Hayashida, Mr. Fujieda—this letter has just come from the mailbox!” In his panicked hand, he clutched an envelope identical to those that had just arrived for the two men. “The first tragedy has already been carried out.” “‘Thou shalt prepare for the second tragedy,’ is it?” Fujieda inquired calmly.

“What?” “Mr. Fujieda!” “How did you know that—” “Oh, one has come to me as well.”

“It arrived without a stamp, didn’t it?”

This time, Hayashida also inquired with utmost composure.

“Y-yes.” “Yes.” “It came mixed in with the other mail.”

Shunzō said as he handed the letter to Hayashida.

“How about... If you could check for fingerprints...”

He implored the two men. “Well, do you really think someone who does this sort of thing would be careless enough to leave fingerprints? If we develop them, they’ll probably just turn out to be yours or Sasada-kun’s.”

As he said this, Fujieda suddenly urged me to stand up. "You and Mr. Hayashida must have matters to discuss, and I too have work awaiting me at home, so we'll take our leave now." After Fujieda bid farewell to the master of the house and Hayashida with a dismissive "Well, that's quite enough," he and I made our way to the entrance.

Hayashida remained in the parlor, and the master came out alone to see them off.

While putting on his shoes, he suddenly seemed to remember something and said to Shunzō. “Mr. Akikawa, what have you done with all the similar envelopes that have come to you up until now?” At this ambush of a question, Shunzō was left dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open, and for a moment seemed unable to say anything. “Mr. Akikawa—if you’ve kept them—please compare them carefully with today’s: check whether the paper quality differs.” He paused briefly before adding: “Also—just like handwriting—each typewriter has its own mechanical quirks; please compare those as well.”

In front of the astonished master, he gave a light greeting. “And one more thing—they’ve always been delivered by post until now, haven’t they? Today is the first time one has arrived without a stamp, isn’t it?”

At this question, Shunzō involuntarily nodded his head vertically.

3 When they stepped outside the gate, Fujieda turned back for a moment and gazed at the Akikawa residence before eventually ambling off. Then, taking an A. Ship from his case, he lit it with his lighter and inhaled deeply with evident relish. “Well? Don’t you think this is absurd? “If you’re going to kill someone, why not just do it quietly? “Sending threats makes sense if you want to torment your target, but isn’t it downright insane to send these letters to me and Hayashida?”

As he said this, he tapped the outside of his pocket containing the envelope in question. "It’s just like a detective novel, isn’t it? However, if we assume the criminal is doing this, then I can say this crime certainly has one distinctive characteristic in that regard. Do keep this firmly in mind." At that exact moment, a taxi bearing a "Vacant" sign happened to pass by. Fujieda swiftly hailed it, and the two of them became passengers. I too intended to accompany him to his office now.

Until the car reached the outer moat between Ushigome and Kōjimachi's two hilltops, he remained silent, continuously exhaling smoke, then abruptly spoke. "You heard Hiroko mention she was reading a Van Dine novel earlier?" "What do you make of that?" "Well, what do you mean by 'what do I think'?" "Just as you told that prosecutor before." "I don't find it strange at all that a young lady would read detective novels these days."

“Yeah, well, that’s true. But... Didn’t that distinctive title *The Greene Murder Case* suggest anything to you? At least from what we know, that person had been fearing some danger might befall the Akikawa family—particularly her father—you know. And driven to desperation by that outcome, she came to my place yesterday—you know. What’s more, she’s the one who received a strange letter at my office, turned pale, and left—you know. What do you make of her reading such a book last night? What on earth do you think?”

“Hmm, now that you put it that way, it does sound strange.” “She hardly seems like she’d have the composure to be reading such a novel.” “But I don’t want to believe she was speaking idly.”

I had unknowingly come to trust the beautiful Hiroko.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Fujieda countered. “I’m not calling it nonsense. Let’s assume it’s true. If we take it as truth, what does that imply? The fact that the young lady from that house we visited today was reading *The Greene Murder Case* right before the tragedy... Fascinating, isn’t it?” It was then I first connected the novel’s plot to our current predicament, an involuntary shudder running through me in the taxi’s backseat.

“Ogawa, if my memory serves correctly, that novel was about a family called Greene being killed one by one in succession by mysterious means. “Philo Vance, the detective, takes action but is unable to prevent the tragedy. “The master of the Greene family dies, leaving behind his widow. “This one is a sickly old woman. “There are three daughters and two sons. “They’re all over twenty years old. “First, the eldest daughter Julia is killed, then the youngest daughter Ada is nearly murdered but survives. “About four days later, the eldest son Chester is killed by someone. “Twenty days later, the second son Rex ends up being killed again. “Then finally, the mother and youngest daughter are poisoned, but the daughter survives once more. “So that’s how the story went, you see?” “And in that story, the culprit ultimately…”

He said this and stared intently at me. “The culprit is—” I continued without thinking. “The culprit was supposed to be that youngest daughter, wasn’t it?”

4 “So you’re saying that a similar tragedy will still befall the Akikawa family after all? Exactly like the Greene family in the novel.”

I asked earnestly. “Yeah, I can’t say it’s out of the question. I can’t definitively assert that reality imitating novels is absolutely impossible.”

Fujieda was oddly calm, smoking a cigarette. "So then, does this mean the culprit is an innocent-seeming daughter within the household?" “Ogawa, I don’t necessarily believe facts would imitate novels to that extent.” “If we were to treat these events as a detective novel and posit that the true culprit is one of those daughters from that house, we’d have to conclude the author was rather incompetent.” “Then it would exactly mirror Van Dine’s novel... Though naturally, the author might deliberately subvert readers’ expectations by placing the culprit there... Regardless, we aren’t characters in a novel.” “But I’ll repeat—don’t you think Hiroko reading that Van Dine novel last night holds profoundly significant implications for this case?”

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

But Fujieda did not answer this question and simply fell silent. The car had passed through Kōjimachi Ward before they knew it and was now moving along the bustling streets near Ginza.

I considered Fujieda’s words from various angles. Indeed, as Fujieda had just said, the fact that Hiroko—who had turned pale from being threatened—had been reading that dreadful detective novel last night would be an exceedingly strange reality if true—no, it must be true; why would that beautiful Hiroko lie?—it was an exceedingly strange fact. Was she calmly absorbed in reading that novel? Or was there some other purpose for which she had been reading it?

But I could not discern her purpose at all. While I was pondering these thoughts, the car came to a stop in front of Fujieda’s office. Upon entering the office, he first glanced over the letters piled on the desk and then took out one from among them.

“Hey, you. Another strange letter’s come in.” “It’s a triangular mark.” “They’re being a bit too persistent, don’t you think?”

He said this and showed me its contents.

The message was typed as usual on a Japanese typewriter, and this letter had been properly stamped and mailed. The postmark showed Kōjimachi Ward. Its contents read: “Beware May 1st” and consisted of exactly nine characters.

In truth, I found myself secretly impressed by Fujieda’s utterly unflustered attitude. It wasn’t just Fujieda—even Detective Hayashida, who had received this type of letter earlier at the Akikawa residence, hadn’t shown the slightest change in expression. Truly, I thought, both of them lived up to their reputations as great detectives.

Fujieda slowly took out the letter he had received earlier from his pocket. Then he also took out that letter addressed to Hiroko which had arrived here yesterday. He carefully compared these three items laid out on his desk, then took out a magnifying glass and spent some time examining them through its lens. For about ten minutes he looked at them without saying a word, then silently put them away into the box containing important documents beside him. “Hey, picking May 1st was clever, wasn’t it? It’s May Day. What a foolish thing to do. Criminals sometimes pull stunts like this. I can only hope this doesn’t prove to be his—or her—oversight… Ahahaha.”

Having said this, he suddenly turned to his desk, laid out some paper, and began writing intently for a while.

5

In truth, I was beside myself with anxiety. The police would no doubt have already begun their investigation. Detective Hayashida must also have remained at that Akikawa residence, putting his divinely sharp mind to work.

Yet here was my Fujieda Shintarō in this office, showing not the slightest panic as he sat writing something with perfect composure—wasn’t he?

“Hey, you. You’re being oddly calm, aren’t you? Should you really be doing that? Aren’t you going to do anything?”

Unable to bear it any longer, I finally spoke out. “Action? What exactly are you planning to do?” “We’re aware of a certain strange fact.” “But we don’t know any concrete facts at all.” “Without knowing that, how can you possibly act?” “First, let’s thoroughly put our minds to work here.”

He said this and pointed at his own forehead with his finger.

“Hey, I’ve taken the precaution of jotting down all the facts up to now in my notebook. Why don’t we go over these facts together now?”

Slowly picking up several sheets of paper from the desk, he extracted a single sheet from among them, took a seat before me, and calmly began to speak.

“I’ve divided the case up to this point into two parts.” “In other words, the general facts and the testimonies of the Akikawa family members.” “First, let’s extract and examine the facts from the section leading up to the tragedy.”

Having said this, he picked up a Three Castles cigarette that had been set aside and skillfully lit it with his Dunhill lighter. “We are aware of the existence of a man named Akikawa Shunzō. "This man’s current status is as recorded in the credit report. "He has three daughters and one son, and possesses a grand mansion in Yamanote. “According to credit reports and other sources, his assets are said to be approximately eight hundred thousand yen—and since these reportedly consist mostly of cash and securities rather than real estate, it’s quite something. "The crucial point is that while we know he amassed this fortune within his own lifetime, we remain entirely ignorant as to how he accumulated such vast wealth. "We must first and foremost keep this point in mind. “Now, he had been involved with numerous companies until around last November when he suddenly severed all ties with society. “As Hiroko said—he’s forty-five years old, in the prime of manhood—and this can by no means be considered normal.”

"The official reason for his retirement was extreme neurasthenia, though no one could ascertain its true cause." "This marks another critical point." "According to Hiroko's theory as the eldest daughter, he appears to fear some mortal danger." "To rephrase—he at least believes there exists, or may exist, someone in this world threatening his life." "The concrete manifestation lies in those red triangular envelopes." "We've confirmed threatening letters arrived at his residence once in August and again in October." "However, we must consider the possibility of additional correspondence."

"Here again we must note that Shunzō showed these letters to absolutely no one—not to the police, nor even to his family." "It’s somewhat understandable he wouldn’t show them to his family by common sense, but why he didn’t disclose them to authorities at all—what could be the reason for that?" "Moreover—" "We have absolutely no way of knowing where or how he disposed of those letters." "Hey, Fujieda—do you think Mr.Akikawa didn’t tell anyone about this?"

“That seems likely.” “Though there’s one person he might’ve confided in—Hayashida Eizō.” “The man’s rather well-trusted.” “But even if he did speak with him, I’d wager it was fairly recent.” “Now, here’s another crucial point—from October last year onward, peculiar letters started arriving for the second daughter too—Sadako.”

6.

“You heard from Hiroko about how flustered her father became when Sadako took that red triangle letter to him, right? Then another issue arose that we must consider. That is to say—though we unfortunately cannot know the contents of the threatening letters sent to her father—the critical question remains: Are these letters threatening Shunzō’s life alone, or do they also state an intent to harm his family? Judging from Shunzō’s panicked reaction, we must indeed conclude it to be the latter. Furthermore, there’s one more point I must draw your attention to here: all these letters arrived through the mail.”

Next came another strange occurrence. The fact was that Sadako—the very one who had received the first creepy letter—had told her sister Hiroko about it, but had not told her mother. "You likely recall that Hiroko stated with conviction regarding this point—that Sadako had not told her mother." "If we say she didn't tell because her father told her not to tell anyone, that would explain it—but isn't it rather strange?"

"But it seems she clearly told her sister Hiroko." "In that situation, circumstances absolutely compelled her to speak up. Moreover, there may have been a reason she told her sister but didn't tell her mother. But I've come to understand this matter rather well now."

“Is that so?”

“In short, within the Akikawa household from last summer through year’s end, **the master** had been under continuous threat—with **only Hiroko** aware of it—and thus **the situation** carried over into this year.” “Now, regarding developments from year’s end until yesterday—unfortunately, as you know—we couldn’t hear details from Hiroko, but one must surmise the threats’ severity had gradually intensified.” “In other words, we can conclude Hiroko reached her breaking point and came rushing to me.”

“This summarizes the Akikawa family’s circumstances leading up to the tragedy—what do you make of it all?” “I suppose so. By common sense alone, we can only conclude there must be some dreadful secret in the master’s past.” “Precisely. Or rather than a secret—it might be a crime.” He spoke while swirling smoke from his Three Castles cigarette.

“Now, I finally move on to yesterday’s incident.” “It appears certain that the criminal—or at least the sender of those strange letters—was aware that Hiroko had come here.” “He is at least issuing a criminal threat.”

Tokuko began complaining of a headache. Sadako proposed giving her own medicine. She told Sasada Yasuko to have the pharmacy prepare it. Yasuko then went to retrieve it, promptly received the package, and returned home without encountering anyone. "When we inspected the pharmacy, everything was in order—Inspector Takahashi checked it twice with a doctor present, so it should be trustworthy." "So Sadako kept it sealed and made her mother drink it that night." "And yet it somehow transformed into poison right then—what do you make of that?"

“Why? What do you mean?” “In our common sense, we can’t conceive of antipyrine suddenly transforming into mercuric chloride—if it were calomel or something similar, there might be another way to consider it. Therefore, we must conclude that someone substituted the contents while leaving the pharmacy’s seal intact. Then the one who performed that trick would be the culprit. Of course, we must wait for tomorrow’s autopsy results to be certain, but it seems indisputable that Tokuko died from mercuric chloride.”

At this moment, a certain doubt suddenly arose in my mind.

7. “Then, who on earth was the culprit trying to kill?” I blurted out without thinking. “Well, there it is. We must indeed consider whether the culprit intended to kill Tokuko or had designs on someone else. As you also heard, the prosecutor was investigating that aspect. At Saigō Pharmacy, they believed Sadako would be taking that medicine. That’s perfectly natural. Thus, the problem is as follows: whether the cold medicine was replaced with mercuric chloride between Saigō Pharmacy and the Akikawa residence, or after arriving there. If substituted before reaching the residence, we must conclude the culprit initially targeted Sadako’s life. Even if replaced after arrival, that possibility cannot be dismissed.”

"But here's the thing," Fujieda continued. "If someone inside the Akikawa residence knew Tokuko would drink it, we'd have to rethink our approach entirely." "Unless," Ogawa interjected, "the killer didn't care which of them died." "Well now, Ogawa! You've grasped it precisely." Fujieda's cigarette glowed as he leaned forward. "I'd considered that angle myself. If someone wanted to psychologically destroy Shunzō Akikawa, eliminating either his wife or daughter would serve equally well." He tapped ash into the tray with surgical precision. "This narrows our possibilities to three: either the killer sought to murder any family member indiscriminately, specifically targeted the wife, or singled out the daughter."

Fujieda was staring fixedly at the smoke rising from his cigarette when he suddenly resumed with a solemn expression. "There's one crucial point about this incident." "That murder appears at first glance to have exploited a completely chance opportunity." "Listen Ogawa - Tokuko developing a headache wasn't something predetermined from the start." "Much less was Sadako offering her medicine any inevitable outcome." "It was entirely a spur-of-the-moment decision." "In which case, it means the criminal effectively exploited this extremely narrow window of opportunity."

“Now then—consider those threatening letters dating back to August.” Fujieda’s cigarette glowed as he leaned forward. “Whoever orchestrated those must’ve planned with ice-cold precision. These two facts demand your full scrutiny.” Ogawa’s pen hovered over his notebook. “But wouldn’t a mastermind behind such an elaborate scheme maintain constant surveillance on the Akikawa family? That fleeting opportunity—he’d pounce without hesitation.”

“Hmm, that’s certainly one way to look at it.”

Fujieda said this, but then continued further. "What I particularly want to draw your attention to here is that this chance opportunity was inherently domestic in nature." "In contrast to scenarios where Sadako might have gone driving and met with an accident, or Tokuko could have been ambushed while returning from the theater, here we have a mother complaining of a headache to her daughter within their own home, and the daughter advising her to take medicine." "The one who could exploit this opportunity would be—"

He suddenly fell silent and looked at me after speaking this far.

An indescribable shudder seized my entire body. “Now then—what kind of people could exploit this?” “Yeah.” I couldn’t help but let out a groan. “So, after all, does that mean the culprit is someone within the household—either a family member or an employee?” “Then we’d have a perfect replica of *The Greene Murder Case* on our hands, wouldn’t we?”

He stood up after saying this and whispered while placing his hand on my shoulder. "But Ogawa, we mustn't forget that to make that judgment, we've based it on one arbitrary assumption we're taking for granted."

8

Having said that, he stood up and went to the desk again, took another piece of paper, and sat down in front of me.

“Now, regarding last night’s incident—there are several peculiar aspects to it.” “Regarding the state of the Akikawa family—you must have noticed—somehow I can’t say I like that household.” “Returning again to *The Greene Murder Case*—in that novel, it’s established that the detective felt an inexplicable chill upon entering the Greene household.” “The Akikawa family is certainly not like that.” “This is simply the difference between fiction and reality, but even so, the Akikawa household gives off a sense that something might happen.”

"The fact that the second daughter Sadako has a fiancé while the eldest daughter Hiroko does not isn't necessarily unusual—but regarding this man Date who's Sadako's fiancé... What do you make of his relationship with the Akikawa family? Next comes the most critical point: upon marriage, one-third of the Akikawa family's assets will pass to Sadako—or rather, while nominally hers, conventional wisdom says this wealth will flow to the Date household. To my knowledge, Akikawa Shunzō has four children. That second daughter stands to inherit a full third of the entire fortune." This was Master Shunzō's opinion, and Madam Tokuko vehemently opposed it. In the end, she summoned Date and tried to have the engagement itself revoked. This point proves extremely crucial. From this we can infer that regarding Sadako's marriage issue within the Akikawa family, the master and his wife had maintained completely opposing positions up to the present day. "And as for the eldest daughter Hiroko—"

“What had Hiroko been thinking?” “From her earlier testimony, you must have realized which of her parents’ opinions she agreed with.”

When Fujieda said this to me, I found myself recalling certain things. "Now then—this may be a slight detour—but didn't you notice anything about Sadako's face?" "Or about Hiroko and Hatsue's faces?" "Well…"

I could say nothing more than this one word. As I had noted earlier, when I first saw her, I immediately noticed that Hiroko and Hatsue looked very much alike. However, I only felt that Sadako somewhat resembled her father in her features and didn’t give it any further thought.

“Now then—their testimonies.” “It remains unclear how much truth lies in those people’s accounts—let us methodically review each point.” “The couple sleeping separately poses no inherent peculiarity.” “The critical anomaly lies in this: all doors between their bedrooms were locked from Madam Tokuko’s side.” “By our nation’s customs alone—this demands recognition as extraordinary.” “Shunzō’s reply to the prosecutor failed to provide rational justification for such irregularity.” “We must never overlook why Tokuko Akikawa secured every entrance from within.” “Another vital consideration now presents itself.”

“In an ordinary household—if a sudden commotion breaks out at midnight—one would first think a burglar had broken in, there was a fire… or someone had fallen gravely ill.” “Yet none of today’s people seemed to have considered a fire or a burglary.” Shunzō suddenly came rushing out, shouting, “Who is it? Who was killed?” This is what Sadako said. Then Hiroko herself immediately sensed, “Mother’s had some sort of accident!” “And now take into account Sadako’s hysterical state during the interrogation on top of these facts.” “She suddenly shouted, ‘That I would kill my mother—I haven’t even considered such a thing for a single moment!’”

“Finally—let us consider the most crucial point.” “Namely, Tokuko’s dying words addressed to Sadako.” “And then there’s how Hiroko chose to explain this.” “However, regarding this point, one could think that Hiroko told a complete lie.”

9

“No way!” I inadvertently blurted out. That gentle Hiroko couldn’t possibly tell such a lie. "Ogawa, you still trust any beautiful woman at first sight, don’t you?" "You’re hopeless." "It’s your prerogative to admire beauties, but believing everything they say is intolerable." "Beautiful women often lie." "No—to be blunt, the more beautiful the woman, the more calmly she spouts irresponsible nonsense."

“But...”

“But there’s no ‘but’ about it. There are countless examples in this world of beautiful women telling horrible lies. There are plenty in criminal cases too. You know the true story of that famous murderess Constance Kent, don’t you? Then take Madeleine Smith—a beauty who poisoned her husband yet maintained an angelic face throughout her trial. Thanks to that act, the jury was completely fooled into delivering a not guilty verdict—wasn’t it? When I was a prosecutor, there was a case where a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl—who looked like she wouldn’t hurt a fly—was caught by her family bringing her lover into the house, only for her to turn around and accuse him of being a burglar.”

“However, I’m not asserting that Hiroko lied.” “Rest assured on that point.” “But she could have easily fabricated her mother’s final words—that’s my argument.” “Consider this.” “Last night, only Shunzō, Hiroko, and Sadako rushed into Tokuko’s room.” “And Hiroko alone pressed her ear to Tokuko’s mouth.” “The other two remained completely unaware of what Tokuko said.” “Meanwhile, Tokuko died instantly.” “That makes Hiroko the sole person in this world who could relay her mother’s words.” “Who could verify whether she actually said it to Sadako?” “And even if Tokuko had spoken to Sadako—how could that single phrase be interpreted as proof of poisoning?”

“So isn’t Hiroko suspecting Sadako?” “Exactly.” “That’s certainly one perspective.” “But if so—why would Hiroko harbor suspicions about Sadako?” “Substantial grounds would be required for such suspicion.” “There’s a proverb—when crimes occur, first suspect those who benefit.” “Well now—you’ve learned something useful after all.” Fujieda delivered this with feigned admiration, cigarette ash *tink*ing into the tray as he immediately resumed his sarcastic tone.

“However—those who suspect beneficiaries must also consider how their suspicions make it easier to tell unnecessary lies. Hiroko suspects Sadako. She likely thought Sadako had done something to her mother. Therefore, she might have fabricated her testimony to cast suspicion on Sadako immediately.” I couldn’t help feeling resentment at how Fujieda dismissed someone as gentle as Hiroko so casually—yet I knew he was the sort of man who would never retract a theory once proposed. This time, I said nothing.

“There are at least two people who benefit from their mother’s death.” “Namely, Sadako and Date.” “Now that the opposition’s gone, they’ll receive one-third of the assets.” “So we view Sadako as the culprit.” “I fully grasp why you’re championing Hiroko—which makes your disapproval of Sadako rather telling.” “To my eyes, Sadako’s undeniably beautiful.” “Does that face look capable of patricide to you?”

This time, he turned the tables and pressed his attack. Indeed, I found it rather difficult to imagine Sadako committing such a horrifying crime.

Whom to suspect

1

Fujieda formed an odd smile on his lips and stared intently at me. A sudden idea flashed through my mind. Could it be that Fujieda suspects that man Date Masao?

He gazed at my silent form, exhaled smoke, and began to speak. "But why didn't Shunzō—who'd been threatened so severely—inform the police?" "As I said earlier, this is gravely significant. Yet why would he still conceal it entirely even today?" "To put it plainly—a murder had already taken place in his own home." "And despite that, he still hasn't provided a clear account."

“Next, keep clearly in mind the contradictions between Sadako and Hiroko’s testimonies.” “Sadako has clearly stated she remained in her room all night and that no one else entered.” “Yet according to Hiroko’s account, Date was unquestionably in Sadako’s room.” “This means Date had at least possessed the opportunity to retrieve medicine from Sadako’s drawer.” “However, whether someone could have discreetly broken the seal and substituted its contents remains an open question we must examine.”

"Regarding this fact, since Date himself states he was in Sadako’s room at that time, we must consider Sadako’s testimony to be a lie." "In that case, there’s another point we must clarify here. The fact is, Hiroko and Sadako are sisters, and Date can effectively be considered a member of that family." "Unless each person had been interrogated immediately after the incident occurred, once several hours had passed since Tokuko’s death, even if they were questioned individually, that group could have coordinated their stories by that point." “I think Prosecutor Okuyama must have anticipated that and therefore adopted such an interrogation method.” “Yet that’s how things turned out.” “How should we interpret this?”

“Hmm, it seems Hiroko and Sadako don’t get along well.” “At least Hiroko and Date didn’t reach a compromise, I suppose.”

"That's right."

"But here's the thing." "Since Sadako and Date are engaged, they can say anything they want, can't they?" "Yet Sadako claims no one was in the room—meaning Date wasn't there—but Date himself is calmly talking about it as if it's nothing." "I see."

I ended up saying this without being able to come up with a proper explanation.

“Well now, you see—” “Don’t you think Sadako was trying to cover for Date, Ogawa?” “But if that’s the case, isn’t it strange that the very person in question is talking about it so nonchalantly?” “That’s it. Sadako must have felt some need to cover for him like that.” “That’s why she told such a blatant lie.” “Then what about Date?” “Now, Date... “He either never imagined he’d come under suspicion himself, or else he calculated that being deliberately honest in that situation would be more advantageous… Now, regarding the testimony of that woman Sada Yasuko—hers is entirely straightforward and to the point.” “If we take that as an indisputable fact, then the culprit must inevitably be one of the Akikawa family members, or possibly several of them.” “Therefore, we need to verify clearly once more what that woman has said.”

He flicked his cigarette butt into the ashtray with a toss, then crossed his arms and said:

“There’s just one thing we can be certain of.” “Those threatening letters.” “The sender has been using two typewriters.” “And curiously enough, the mailed ones and hand-delivered ones clearly use different machines.” “If we assume the mailed ones were typed on what we’ll call Type A, then all hand-delivered ones have been struck on a device we’ll designate Type B.”

2 Having said this, Fujieda abruptly stood up and went to the desk, then—appearing to have become lost in thought—kept his back turned to me without uttering a word and began chain-smoking with intense focus.

At times like these, I thought I must not disturb his concentration, so I quietly left his office, went out to Ginza Street, stopped by the shop where we had tea together yesterday, and sipped black tea while turning over various aspects of the case in my mind.

Let me state this clearly here: this occurred on April 18th. Therefore, the Akikawa family tragedy had occurred in the dead of night on April 17th. Having left the coffee shop and spent about thirty minutes peering into boutique windows before returning to the office, I found Akikawa Hiroko had arrived unnoticed—today as well in her inconspicuous attire—and was in the midst of conversing face-to-face with Fujieda. When I had finished exchanging greetings, Fujieda addressed me.

“The young lady has just arrived.” “She’s come with police consent.” “I also had unresolved questions from yesterday—this timing suits perfectly.” “Now then—Miss Hiroko—please continue.”

“I truly don’t know where to begin—my mind remains in complete disarray after last night’s events, you see.” “Yet I had secretly been dreading matters might come to such a pass.” “As I mentioned yesterday, once those threatening letters began arriving and Father withdrew from all his business ventures, his neurasthenia has only worsened by the day.” “Since the start of this year, those very letters have been arriving with increasing frequency, you see.” “Consequently, Father’s condition became stranger and stranger by degrees.” “However, this time... peculiar occurrences began manifesting within the house itself.”

“Hmm.”

Fujieda suddenly leaned forward. “While I cannot say for certain when exactly it began, since the start of this year, Father and Mother’s relationship has grown terribly strained, you see.” “Mother, who has never been one to cry much, has recently become prone to hysterics, and the severity has grown increasingly intense, you see.” “At first, I couldn’t understand why Father and Mother had begun to quarrel, but one time when I quietly listened to their argument, it was indeed centered around Sadako and Mr. Date’s marriage issue, you see.”

“In other words, as you were told earlier by the prosecutor, it’s a matter of inheritance, I see.”

“Yes, as I gradually listened to their arguments, it became clear that was indeed the case.” “Whether it’s a third or a quarter—I don’t know the exact figure—but Mother seems adamant there’s no need to give that much; she’s absolutely opposed to it.” “Father, for his part—for some reason—refuses to yield even an inch regarding his position.” “This is truly a peculiar situation.” “Because—as I mentioned earlier—Father has grown fearful of everything since the threatening letters began arriving. He lacks the energy for such stubbornness normally, yet becomes terribly confrontational about this matter.” “Mother has always been a gentle woman who never quarreled with Father before, but whenever this issue arises, she becomes vehement to the point of hysterics.”

“For example, what sort of tone did they take?” “There was an instance where Mother said something like, ‘To give so much to some nobody from who-knows-where…’”

“Some nobody from who-knows-where? So you mean she was referring to Date?” “But Mr. Fujieda, immediately after that, the words ‘The man in question is also someone whose background we don’t know’ slipped out of Mother’s mouth, you see.”

3

Fujieda began rubbing the backs of his hands alternately. This was a habit he invariably displayed when observing something with great interest or listening intently to some matter. "Hmm, that's rather peculiar, isn't it?" "Well... but after thinking it over, it somehow occurred to me that... perhaps Sadako is actually a complete stranger—that she might not be my real sister at all..." "However, Ms. Sadako certainly seems to be your father's child, you know."

Fujieda uttered these words with complete conviction. “Father’s child? Are you saying she isn’t Mother’s child?” “That’s precisely the point. From what you’ve told me—if we’re to doubt Sadako’s parentage—that’s exactly where suspicion would fall.” “That’s precisely it. I too have come to believe lately that Sadako isn’t my sister—that she isn’t Mother’s child at least. That must be why Mother opposes Father so vehemently. The reason I never considered this before was precisely because Mother had never shown any coldness toward Sadako. Until this year’s marriage talks and the inheritance dispute arose, there hadn’t been a single instance of such behavior. Even Sadako herself seemed convinced she was their true child. But recently Mother and Sadako became completely estranged—whenever Mother grew hysterical, she’d speak terribly of Sadako right before me. Sadako never openly criticized Mother, but who knows what she truly thought... Just the other day, after Mother had some fierce argument with Father, she came to my room—”

“If things continue like this, I will surely be killed.” “By Father, Sadako, or Date!” she said, and began crying incessantly. I was startled and asked her why, but she absolutely refused to say. “Even when I inquired of Father about various matters, he does not say a single word about it.” “I have a small question—even recently, your father was still frequently exhibiting those fearful mannerisms, wasn’t he?”

“Yes.” “In that case, what about your mother? While her talk of possibly being killed was undoubtedly a momentary outburst, did she still harbor some measure of fear?” “Under normal circumstances, it was not particularly severe. But at night, she seemed to become extremely nervous. This may sound odd, but during last night’s commotion, I noticed that the door connecting Mother’s room to Father’s bedroom had been locked from the inside. So Father had to break down the outer door to force his way in. Considering this, I believe Mother must have harbored both fear and resentment toward Father.”

“Let me ask you one more thing.” “Did your father’s well-known fear seem solely about his own life?” “Or were you all frequently urged to exercise caution?”

"That is just as I mentioned before—he has been saying it more frequently of late." "To us children as well as to Mother, he had been constantly urging caution." "I see... So according to what we've established, Mother came to resent Father." "Then you began questioning Ms. Sadako's parentage, which would imply—" "Though of course regarding Ms. Sadako's circumstances—that remains merely your suspicion..."

“No, it isn’t merely my suspicion. Finally, Mother told me about it.”

4 “Your mother?” “Yes—and it happened last night. Having noticed Mother and Mr. Date speaking with strained expressions, and knowing Sadako had also been conversing with Mother at length, I waited until Sadako returned to her room before quietly going to see Mother.” “Ah! Then this slightly contradicts what you told the prosecutor earlier. You distinctly claimed to have remained in your room the entire time—”

“That is correct, you see. But if I had told the truth at that time, it would have been too cruel, as suspicion would have immediately fallen on my sister and Mr. Date.” “So what did your mother say?” He was still rubbing his hands when he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

“Mother was extremely agitated and said many things, but ultimately—Father cares too much about Sadako and Date’s marriage for their sake.” “I am not at all opposed to the marriage itself, but I absolutely oppose the conditions attached to it.” “She told me, ‘You must also oppose Father as much as possible.’” “So I thought this was the time to clear my long-held doubts, and said, ‘Father—you care too much about those two—is Sadako not your child and my sister?’ I tried asking.”

“Yeah, and then?” “When I did that, Mother suddenly fell silent for a moment, but then turned to me with a pale face and asked, ‘Do you truly believe that child is mine?’” “‘Isn’t that so?’ I pressed again. Mother remained silent for a while before grimacing painfully and saying, ‘I’ll explain everything properly tomorrow.’” “‘There’s a profound reason behind this,’ she added.” “‘My head feels like it’s splitting—let’s end this talk for today,’ she finally said.” “And so I couldn’t press her further.” “When I moved to leave, I suggested, ‘Mother, if your head hurts, shouldn’t you take medicine?’ She replied, ‘I have it here—do you know what Sadako took last time?’” “‘Antipyrine?’ I answered.” “‘Then it should be safe... After all,’ she murmured weakly.” “‘I was worried...’” “I returned to my room then visited Mother again before bed—she was still awake.” “I suppose Father hadn’t retired yet either.”

“Now then, given that Mother passed away last night, that secret ultimately died with her without ever reaching you, I suppose.” “Yes.” “So to put your current thoughts concisely regarding Mother’s death—it would mean suspecting either Sadako or Date, or perhaps both?” “Well, it’s dreadful to voice such thoughts, but I can’t conceive of any alternative explanation... Though this remains purely speculative on my part...”

“Quite right. So you didn’t tell the prosecutor, I suppose. Understood. By the way, you seem to enjoy detective novels, don’t you?”

It seemed the incident from last night’s Van Dine novel still clung to his mind, for he began posing such questions yet again. “Yes, I do like them.” “I don’t find American ones very interesting, but I think Van Dine’s works are quite good.” “How was The Greene Murder Case?”

“I consider it quite good. However, I had deduced the culprit partway through.” “Impressive. That’s rather difficult to figure out.” “But that criminal must not be a blood relation. Every family contains one outsider, you see.”

The Second Tragedy

1

Fujieda and Hiroko were still talking about detective novels, but I couldn't understand at all why Fujieda had chosen to have such a conversation, especially under these particular circumstances. After some time, when Hiroko began making moves to take her leave and depart, Fujieda,

“From now on, I will be visiting your home frequently, so I think it would be best if you yourself refrain from coming here too often. People will talk, you see. If possible, it would be best if this case doesn’t appear in the newspapers or such either.”

After gently instructing her, he looked at me and said.

“I’m sorry to trouble you again, but could you see her off?”

So, just like yesterday, I called a taxi and took Hiroko to the gate of her house, but today, when she urged me to come in for tea, I declined and hurried back to Fujieda’s office. “Hey. It’s finally turning into the Greene Murder Case, huh?”

When I returned, I suddenly said this in an attempt to rekindle his interest.

“Yeah, there are similarities, but also some major differences.”

Surprisingly, he seemed to have lost all interest in this topic and merely said this listlessly.

As previously mentioned, these were the events of April 18th, and there was nothing more worth recording about this day.

Early on the following day, the 19th, an autopsy was conducted at the university, and the cause of death was determined to be ingestion of mercuric chloride. I heard that both Fujieda and Hayashida had gone to the university, but I did not go; after briefly stopping by the office, I visited the Akikawa house together with Fujieda. Both Inspector Takahashi and Hayashida were present, but the interrogations didn’t seem to have made much progress. The police apparently had no solid evidence, and with no one taken into custody, the 19th passed without any visible incident. That day, as many relatives had gathered upon hearing of Tokuko’s death, even Fujieda and Hayashida apparently found it difficult to conduct thorough interrogations.

On the afternoon of the 20th, a simple funeral was held. The press lived up to their reputation for swiftness, having already run headlines like "The Akikawa Family Mystery" and "The Bizarre Death of Mrs. Akikawa" in the evening editions of the 18th. Yet all newspapers curiously united in proclaiming "Tokuko Akikawa's Death Ruled Accidental" in their evening editions the following day, the 19th. Whether the Akikawa family head had pulled every string to influence the newspapers, whether the police had intentionally made them report it that way for investigative purposes, or whether the Akikawa family and authorities had skillfully convinced press personnel of this narrative—I couldn't say for certain. In any case, it was widely reported that on the night of the 17th, Mrs. Akikawa had meant to take headache medicine but mistakenly ingested a large quantity of Shunzō's sedative instead, resulting in accidental death.

Thus, despite detectives Fujieda and Hayashida's earnest involvement, the public seemed somewhat deflated upon realizing it might have merely been an accidental death case. If nothing further had occurred in the Akikawa household, people might well have forgotten all about the bizarre incident surrounding Mrs. Akikawa. Had that subsequent tragedy not occurred, the Akikawa household would surely not have remained in people's memory under the label of murderers.

Yet, the second tragedy occurred unexpectedly within the same household. As the reader already knows, Fujieda and Hayashida had been forewarned of this. However, the public naturally knew nothing of this. No—even I hadn't truly believed in such a warning. Yet the tragedy struck far sooner than foretold. Without awaiting May 1st. On April twentieth—the very night of Mrs. Akikawa's funeral—an unforeseen individual became the victim at a most unexpected hour.

Who was killed?

Reader, try to imagine.

2 That being said, it did not mean the police had been negligent until April 20th, nor of course did it mean Detectives Fujieda and Hayashida had been idly twiddling their thumbs. In detective novels, it’s often written that when a murder occurs, every remotely suspicious person gets arrested one after another. But in reality—in any law-governed country—when an actual incident happens, you obviously can’t just indiscriminately drag people away and throw them into jail based on nothing more than “That guy seems suspicious.”

If they had been dealing with vagrants without fixed addresses or individuals using aliases without steady occupations, the police might have immediately taken them into custody. However, the individuals who had come under suspicion thus far were gentlemen who maintained stately residences as respected businessmen along with their families and servants, as well as a reputable pharmacist operating his establishment and his employees—so the police seemed hesitant to adopt such a high-handed approach. As for Fujieda and Hayashida, they had been frequently visiting the Akikawa household, but even with their involvement, the interrogations did not seem to be making much progress.

I had no way of knowing just who Fujieda was suspecting.

Knowing it was futile, on the night of the 19th, when I asked Fujieda about the prospects, he answered bitterly.

“I’ve got nothing. “No leads whatsoever. “Damn shame I don’t have proper police authority. “We’ll never form a coherent strategy unless we grill that one harder. “But give it another day. “Tomorrow—no, wait—by nightfall, things should start coming into focus.”

Who could that one be? This was something I later learned: After conducting initial interrogations on the 18th, the prosecutor had apparently singled out three individuals—Date Masao, Sadako, and Sada Yasuko—for particular scrutiny. Acting on these instructions, Inspector Takahashi requested their voluntary appearance at the police station and subjected them to repeated questioning. Yet he failed to obtain any concrete evidence. Though he pressed Yasuko especially harshly, he still could not determine anything conclusive. As mentioned earlier, April 20th came without a single suspect being arrested.

At this time, since the newspapers had reported it as an accidental death incident, the public harbored no suspicions, and not a shred of criticism arose against either the police or the detectives. Now, as mentioned before, on the afternoon of April 20th, a simple funeral was conducted. Indeed, thanks to the master’s long-standing activity in the business world, a considerable number of faces became visible. Fujieda and I attended the ceremony together, but when it concluded—as two or three family members and relatives were to accompany the coffin for burial—we decided to return temporarily.

Hayashida also seemed to have returned. I returned home, changed out of my cumbersome frock coat into a lighter suit, and immediately headed to Fujieda’s office—it was just past four in the evening. “Let’s go back now—we’re finally getting to the crucial part, I tell you.” “But since the family might not have returned yet, let’s wait until it gets dark before heading out.” “You must have noticed—while the relatives came out of obligation, they all seemed vaguely suspicious and uneasy about Mrs. Akikawa’s death this time—so they’ll all go home by night.” “Why don’t we have a leisurely meal in Ginza and head over at just the right time?”

The two then passed time in Ginza for a while, hailed a taxi, and headed toward the Akikawa residence—but by then, Ginza Street was already filled with red and blue lights, neon signs glaring playfully yet harshly into their eyes as night had fully fallen.

At the Akikawa residence, all family members had already returned home. When we inquired at the reception desk—just as Fujieda had anticipated—all relatives had departed without exception; only Hayashida remained, having arrived just a step ahead of us. "Looks like we're the ones who were late today. "We can't afford to fall behind Hayashida-kun. "We're starting the investigation immediately."

3

Fujieda and I were immediately shown to the usual reception room on the right after ascending, but Fujieda seemed somehow unsettled.

The inspector arrived one step behind us and entered the reception room. Fujieda informed the maid who had brought tea of his desire to meet the master as soon as possible, and before long, Shunzō appeared. Once the customary greetings had concluded, Fujieda immediately asked. “Mr. Akikawa, I hear Hayashida-kun has already arrived.”

“Ah, he appeared to have just arrived, so I spoke with him briefly.” “And where is he now?” “He’s currently questioning that maid.”

For some reason, Fujieda suddenly stood up and, while placing his hand on the door handle, asked. "You mean the maid—that Sada Yasuko?" “Yes.”

"I see. In that case, I'll go take a look as well."

Having said that, he beckoned me and tried to leave the room, but his demeanor was decidedly flustered.

“No, Mr. Fujieda—no matter how hard you interrogate her, it will be the same.” “I questioned her both yesterday and today, but her statement remains unchanged.” “Her account shows no signs of falsehood.” “Even Mr. Hayashida likely wouldn’t get any further than that.” The one who had said this was the inspector.

“He’s in the room on the right straight down this hallway. Shall I show you the way?” Shunzō, startled by Fujieda’s abruptness, half-rose from his seat.

"No, that's alright." When I followed him out into the hallway, Fujieda said in a low voice, "Hmm, Hayashida's certainly living up to his reputation. He's trying to get that woman to confess—just like I am. I can't let him outpace me. Never mind that—let me question her too." he whispered.

Following the master’s directions, there was a large door on the right side of the staircase. Fujieda knocked on the door while,

“Hayashida-kun—it’s Fujieda. “Is it alright if I come in?”

As soon as he said this, Hayashida’s voice came from within—

“Yeah, sure. Please come in.” His voice responded.

In response, Fujieda and I entered the room. The first thing that caught my eye was Sada Yasuko’s face as she sat facing us. She appeared to have endured intense questioning from Hayashida—her complexion deathly pale, with tear stains clearly visible around her eyes. The handkerchief clutched in her hands trembled pitifully. “Stubborn to the core,” said Hayashida. “I’ve never encountered a woman like this, Fujieda. By all means, demonstrate your skills in interrogating her thoroughly. If you wish, I’ll withdraw.”

“No, no—I’ll question her right here in front of you.” With this, Fujieda began questioning Sada Yasuko in a relatively calm manner. "I must say, I can’t quite grasp what you’re telling me. As you've said repeatedly, did you go straight to Saigō that day and return straight back?" “Yes… It’s exactly as I’ve already told Mr. Hayashida.” “When you say it’s exactly as you told Mr. Hayashida, does that mean there are absolutely no discrepancies from what you stated previously?”

“Yes…” Her answers remained consistent throughout.

With Hayashida and me at his side, Fujieda persistently interrogated Yasuko from every possible angle, but just as Inspector Takahashi had said, even Fujieda could not advance a single step beyond where the prosecutor’s questioning had left off two days prior. Hayashida, just as the inspector had said, appeared to have been unsuccessful as well, and was staring bitterly at the woman. To him, Sada Yasuko’s demeanor must have been extremely irritating.

4

While Fujieda continued posing questions to Yasuko in his characteristically calm manner, I took my first careful survey of the room.

This room was not a living room but rather what might be called a parlor—evidently a space where the young ladies received their close friends. Upon entering through the door we had used, a rather large piano stood against the left-hand wall, while an imposing Western painting hung on the right-hand wall. Along the wall adjoining the door, a stove appeared to have been stationed there throughout winter months; though the area had been hollowed out to accommodate it, the space was now concealed by a Western screen. Immediately above this arrangement, a mirror measuring roughly four feet by three feet was embedded in the wall.

The other furnishings in the room were all splendid, and together with the decorations in the other rooms, they fully displayed the extent of their affluence. On the side opposite the door we had entered through were three large windows, beyond which appeared to be a spacious garden, but as it was already dark, I couldn't discern any details clearly. In the corner where the garden-facing window and the wall hung with a Western painting met at a right angle stood an imposing Victrola phonograph. Why did I trouble myself with such meticulous description amid pressing investigations? I must ask readers to commit every detail of this piano room's arrangement to memory. For it would prove absolutely vital when unraveling the tragedy yet to come.

Now, if Yasuko had been lying up to this point, then Fujieda’s questioning of her had, to put it simply, been a complete failure. True to form, he couldn’t surpass Inspector Takahashi and Hayashida Eizō by even a step.

Had Fujieda finally given up? He turned to Hayashida and said, "I think I’ve done enough here, but are you finished as well?"

“No, I’m done too,” said Hayashida. “I’ve tried everything I could, but I still can’t make sense of it.” “Well, you’ve worked hard,” Fujieda told Yasuko. “You may return to your room now.” When Fujieda said this, Yasuko finally seemed to relax. She rose from her chair and began moving toward the entrance door. Fujieda and Hayashida exchanged wry smiles—perhaps meant to console each other over their failure—when Fujieda took out a cigarette case with his left hand and offered it to Hayashida. Taking one himself, he snapped open a lighter with his right hand and moved to light the cigarette Hayashida had brought to his lips.

Just then, a sound like a grass whistle came from the direction of the garden. Because the window was open, I could hear it clearly, but it wasn’t a suspicious sound. I had thought it was nothing more than a student or a boy from the neighborhood playfully blowing on a leaf pressed to his lips, but what struck me as peculiar was Yasuko’s expression at that moment. Fujieda and Hayashida were in the precise moment of lighting cigarettes—Fujieda was lighting Hayashida’s, and Hayashida was having his lit—so they might have heard the grass whistle, but Yasuko did not notice them.

Yasuko was at the entrance giving a slight bow as she prepared to exit the room (whether this was coincidental, I couldn't quite discern at the time), but no sooner had the sound of a grass whistle reached her through the window from afar than her expression turned startled. To put it plainly, it was an expression of surprise and terror. In an instant, she exited through the door. At that moment, I alone could have connected Yasuko's expression with that grass whistle's sound.

If I had immediately informed Fujieda and Hayashida about this at that moment, I might have been able to prevent the tragedy that occurred right afterward. But when events are fated to occur, there’s no stopping them. How many times had Fujieda and Hayashida berated me for not immediately telling them about Yasuko’s expression at that moment? 5 After Yasuko left the room, Fujieda and Hayashida sat facing each other, smoking cigarettes, but remained silent for some time.

It was Hayashida who suddenly broke the silence. “By the way, I’d like to meet this young lady again… What will you do?” “Right, I’ll go check on the master.” “Where’s the master now?” “He’s in the reception room talking with Inspector Takahashi.” “Then you go meet the young lady.” “I have something I must ask the master.” The two men rose and attempted to leave the room.

When they opened the door, Hiroko and Shuntarō were standing right outside. I have not yet had the opportunity to introduce Shuntarō to the readers in detail, so I shall take a moment to clearly record this here. (When I came to this house on the 18th, this boy was not at home. Later, I learned that the master, not wanting to inform outsiders of his wife’s unnatural death and deeming it impermissible for him to miss school, had sent Shuntarō to attend classes that day as usual.)

He was fifteen years old, a second-year middle school student - a refined, handsome youth with plump pale cheeks faintly tinged with pink. At that moment, he cut a lively figure in his kasuri-patterned kimono and heko obi sash.

“Oh, are you gentlemen here?” “Ms. Hiroko, and you?” “Um... I’m going to Father’s room.” “I have some business to attend to.” “I see. “That’s perfect timing—I was just on my way to see Father as well.” “Moreover, there’s something I’d like to ask him with you present—would that be all right?” It was Fujieda who had said this. “Yes, that would be perfectly acceptable. “I was also hoping you would do so.”

Fujieda began to head toward the reception room together with Hiroko.

Then Hayashida, “Where might Ms. Sadako be?” Hayashida asked Hiroko. “Well, I’m not certain, but she’s probably in her room on the second floor?” “Then I’ll go meet Ms. Sadako… Shuntarō, will you come along?”

“I don’t want to. “I’m staying here to listen to the Victrola.” "It’s truly troubling." "You insist on playing the Victrola at a time like this." "This person loves playing records every single day—he simply insists on doing it today as well." “But Sis…” “Lately every day’s nothing but awful stuff—I just can’t take it anymore.” “It should be okay if it’s *Funeral March*.” “Even if I do it now—”

“There’s really no managing you. Then you’ll have to use a bamboo needle and keep it quiet. Because Father will scold you.” Hiroko left toward the reception room with Fujieda, wearing an expression that said there was no helping it; Hayashida went up the stairs; and young Shuntarō entered the piano room.

When Hiroko, Fujieda, and I entered the reception room, the master and the inspector—who had been discussing something until then—suddenly fell silent and looked our way. “Are you in the middle of a discussion?” Fujieda said. “No, we’ve already finished,” said the inspector. “Then I’d like to have a brief word with you, sir. Today, I would like to have Ms. Hiroko present so that I may hear your account under those circumstances.” There was a certain sternness in Fujieda’s tone. Shunzō clearly seemed surprised but was making an effort to conceal his expression.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Fujieda began.

“Mr.Akikawa.” “Why are you concealing crucial matters from us?”

6 “You are concealing a matter of grave importance from me. “I have learned every detail from Ms. Hiroko.” When Fujieda said this, he stared unwaveringly at Akikawa Shunzō’s face. At that precise moment, I heard a record playing a beautiful melody from the piano room. Though faint, it was unmistakably the opening measures of Chopin’s Funeral March. “First—I demand a clear explanation for why you received threatening letters yet hid them. “Second—this individual named Date Masao...”

“That person is absolutely not suspicious!”

"That may be so... but I wish to hear about the relationship between that young man and yourself." At this moment, Akikawa Shunzō seemed stunned upon hearing these words, but he offered no reply and silently stared back at Fujieda. Fujieda said nothing either. A brief silence enveloped the room. The sound of the record came through even more distinctly. “Hey, Hiroko! “Who is it? “Who’s letting that noise play at a time like this?” Suddenly, Shunzō asked Hiroko.

“Father, it’s Shuntarō. He absolutely insists on doing it and won’t listen to reason.” "But he absolutely insists on doing it and won’t listen to reason, you see." “Stop that! “Go make him stop it right now!” “And call Shuntarō here.” “That boy is utterly impossible!” Whether he was truly angry or merely feigning anger to momentarily evade Fujieda’s interrogation, in any case, he had spoken harshly to Hiroko. Since they had reached a crucial point in the questioning, Hiroko also seemed reluctant to leave the room and cast a pleading gaze toward Fujieda. Having assessed the situation, I stood up and abruptly dashed toward the door,

“I’ll handle it. I’ll go stop it.” “Ogawa—go tell Shuntarō that.” When Fujieda said this to me, I rushed out of the room without heeding Shunzō’s attempts to speak and hurried back to the piano room. As I knocked and opened the door, I found nobody inside—only the Victrola still playing its pleasant melody.

For the time being, I ran up to the Victrola and hurriedly opened its lid. Just at that moment, the record began playing that exquisitely graceful trio section unique to Chopin, but I hurriedly lifted the arm, stopped the rotation, and then immediately returned to the parlor. (It was later determined through detailed investigation that the record Shuntarō had left playing at this time was the Victor version of Chopin’s *Funeral March* (Op.35) performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski. The point where I stopped it was precisely at the beginning of the trio section. Through experiments Fujieda later conducted personally, it was established that reaching this point from the start required approximately one minute and twenty seconds at standard rotation.)

"I’m deeply obliged."

Shunzō said to me in a genuinely apologetic manner. "Well... but Shuntarō wasn't there in that room." "What? Shuntarō isn't here? "Did he leave the record playing?" The one who spoke in surprise was Fujieda. "He probably went to the toilet or something."

Hiroko said this as if it were nothing.

“This is strange. This is suspicious. Please go check on Shuntarō. Ogawa, you come along too.”

Fujieda urged Hiroko and me onward with frantic haste.

7

Hiroko and I hurried out into the hallway. Just to be thorough, we checked the piano room once more, but Shuntarō was still nowhere to be seen. We called out from outside the toilet, but there was no response. We climbed halfway up the stairs and called out Shuntarō’s name together, but this too proved futile. He didn’t seem to be on the second floor either. Hiroko went down the stairs ahead of me and immediately turned left. When I followed after her and went to look, there was a corridor jutting out immediately next to the piano room—that is, behind the wall on the side where the piano stood—and there was a glass door there leading out to the garden.

“Oh, the door’s open—and there are slippers here!”

Hiroko pointed to the slippers that had been kicked off under the half-opened door. "Oh, the garden clogs are missing! He must have gone out into the garden." she said quickly. "Anyway, let's tell Fujieda." Since no great ideas came to me in this situation, I hurried back to the parlor with Hiroko. Fujieda, looking extremely worried about something, stood up immediately when we returned. "Hey, didn't you see him?"

“Yeah, he doesn’t seem to be in the toilet or on the second floor.” When I said this, Hiroko interjected from beside me. “I think he might have gone out to the garden. There are slippers left in the hallway, and the garden clogs are missing…” Without warning, Fujieda seized Inspector Takahashi’s shoulder. “Inspector—this may become catastrophic. To the garden at once! Every second counts!”

After saying this, he left the astonished inspector, Shunzō, and me behind and dashed out to the entranceway. His panicked state was so extraordinary that both Inspector Takahashi and Shunzō seemed greatly startled; particularly the inspector, as might be expected, appeared to have instantly grasped Fujieda’s intent and immediately rushed to the entranceway to hurriedly put on his shoes. I too, not wanting to fall behind the two men, went out to the entranceway and hurriedly put on my shoes before following Fujieda and Inspector Takahashi. Exiting the entranceway and immediately turning left, passing beneath the windows of the parlor we had just been in, there was a garden gate. Opening it led into the garden.

Fujieda, the inspector, and I couldn’t help but stop in our tracks in bewilderment the moment we opened the garden gate. For from here, while the interior of the piano room we had just left was immediately visible to our left, the opposite side—that is, the garden to our right—was literally pitch-dark, making it utterly impossible to discern which paths led where or how to navigate through it. Why on earth would Shunzō—who had been so vigilant—not install a single electric light in such a vast garden, one that backed onto a dense forest no less? Later inquiries revealed Shunzō had indeed considered this issue—there were conflicting theories about whether darkness or light improved security—but ultimately he chose to keep it unlit. Had he planned to vanish into the shadows during emergencies? Considering how events unfolded, I remain convinced that illuminated grounds would have been far safer.

“Damn it all,” Fujieda swore through gritted teeth. “I hadn’t realized it would be this dark. Someone fetch a flashlight—” Shunzō came panting up behind him before he’d finished speaking. “Flashlight? There’s one in my study.” “Mr. Akikawa—go get it this instant!” Even as he barked the order, Fujieda took two deliberate strides forward, his eyes piercing the blackness like daggers as he advanced into the void.

At that moment, Hiroko’s figure appeared at the glass door descending to the piano room we had just left. “Hiroko! Hurry! Bring the flashlight from my room!”

Shunzō shouted. Hiroko vanished at once.

The Gruesome Corpse

1 From the moment Hiroko vanished until her return—a span of less than two minutes—Fujieda wore an expression as though he’d been made to wait a year or even a decade. His gaze, abnormally tense and unlike his usual self, showed extraordinary unease.

The inspector, apparently unable to wait any longer, ran like a swift bird and reached the entrance where Hiroko had just appeared. Before long, when Hiroko came down, the inspector snatched the flashlight and returned.

“Alright, never mind that. Let’s head south—into the depths of the garden.” “To that forest-like area over there…” Fujieda began walking ahead frantically.

At this point, I felt it necessary to clearly document the layout of the house and garden; otherwise, what I was about to describe might not be clear to the reader. What I had depicted here was merely a rough sketch I had jotted down in my notebook for my own reference—by no means an accurate diagram. To clarify, the ratio between the land area and the building's footprint in this diagram was rather approximate, but one should imagine a property of this general layout with a house constructed in such manner. The actual land measured over 2000 tsubo, so in a strictly scaled drawing, the grounds would have appeared vastly larger relative to the house; however, I had simplified the proportions here for visual clarity.

In other words, we exited the front entrance, proceeded in the direction indicated by the dotted line, opened the garden gate, and dashed into the garden.

When Fujieda referred to "the back," he meant the southern area where trees grew as thickly as a forest in the direction labeled AB. (What AB represents will become clear shortly after.) As someone with a poor sense of distance, I cannot precisely state how far we advanced southward from the garden gate, but I can confirm that it felt like we had progressed quite significantly for a garden in a modern home.

When the light from Inspector Takahashi’s flashlight suddenly illuminated something white at the edge of the thicket that resembled a forest, even someone as unobservant as me couldn’t help but startle. “There! There! We might still make it!” Having said this, Fujieda dashed toward the white object. Following this, Inspector Takahashi ran, determined not to be left behind. Shunzō and I arrived slightly behind them, but as I approached the white object for the first time, I involuntarily— “Good God!”

I shouted.

Wasn’t this Shuntarō—who had been so lively until just moments ago—now lying here as a gruesome corpse? And this was no ordinary death. The body was completely naked.

He lay on his back with his legs spread open toward us, a kimono crumpled and spread out beneath them. His arms were twisted behind his back and bound with what was likely his own sash, the ends tightly wound around his groin twice over. The upper half of his handsome face was smeared with blood—had he suffered some wound? Even more grotesque was how his loincloth had been torn away and discarded, his thin knit shirt ripped to shreds, leaving his body fully exposed as previously described.

At the same moment I shouted, a strange guttural sound came from behind. When I looked back, Shunzō was staggering and about to collapse.

“No good! Showing a parent their child in this state is no good. “He’s fainted. “You, quickly carry him away and take care of him. “Then immediately contact the police...” “The police are my responsibility. “Mr. Ogawa, take Mr. Akikawa away immediately, then summon Mr. Hayashida.” Inspector Takahashi dashed off toward the garden gate after saying this.

While assisting Shunzō, I headed toward the glass door entrance.

2

As I approached the glass door entrance, Hiroko stood poised to come my way wearing wooden clogs. “Miss Hiroko, your father has had a slight fainting spell.” “Oh!” She exclaimed and rushed forward, but since Shunzō had already begun to recover and appeared somewhat capable of walking, I entrusted him to Hiroko. Hiroko looked at me with anxious eyes. “Um... Has something happened? Is my brother...?”

After all, she would find out soon enough, but since I thought there was no means to tell her the truth now, I didn't answer that,

“Where is Mr. Hayashida?”

When I asked this, at that very moment, Hayashida—who had been in Sadako’s room on the second floor—apparently startled by the commotion, stuck his head out of the window. “Hey, Mr. Hayashida! Get down here right now!” “What?” “Alright, I’m coming now!” Hearing this exchange—Fujieda from the garden and Hayashida from the second floor—I felt reassured, “Ms. Hiroko, let’s take your father inside together for now.” While saying this, I entered the house with Hiroko and took Shunzō to the lower Japanese-style room.

At that moment, I heard footsteps coming from the second floor heading toward the glass door entrance—it was Detective Hayashida. For Shunzō’s sake, I told Hiroko to call Dr. Kizawa for the time being and returned to where Shuntarō’s corpse lay (namely, Point A). Fujieda and Hayashida stood by. “What a monster, to do this to such a lovely boy.” “They struck this spot with a stone or something.” “He’s gone.” “He’s dead.”

Fujieda pointed to the boy's head as he said this. “Still, why on earth would they strip him completely naked? …Even taking his loincloth…”

Hayashida uttered gravely. “Well, since we can’t do anything until the police arrive, I suppose I’ll search for the murder weapon.”

Fujieda started walking through the thick trees while shining his flashlight and looking down as he said this. This was half an act of gentlemanly courtesy toward his rival Hayashida Eizō, and half because he himself had surely been able to thoroughly observe the corpse at least until I returned to the scene—thus his undisputed intention was to let the belated Hayashida examine the body alone as he pleased. Still, I thought it was an ironic trick of Fujieda’s to take away the crucial flashlight and leave Hayashida alone in the darkness. Following right behind Fujieda, I saw that Hayashida—being no fool—had properly taken out a small light from his pocket and was meticulously examining Shuntarō’s pale corpse. (In this regard, one could indeed say Fujieda had lost to Hayashida. At this moment, Fujieda deeply regretted not having prepared a flashlight. Therefore, from that time onward, he always carried a fountain pen-shaped flashlight in his pocket. And whenever he took it out, he would laugh in a self-mocking tone, saying, "There are forests in Tokyo too.")

However, even Hayashida, who had been feeling triumphant, could not continue his investigation for long. When I had followed Fujieda about twenty ken eastward, I noticed something suspicious again in the distance. “Hey, there's something over there!”

I grabbed Fujieda's arm. He had been shining his light around the area for a while when he said, “It might be just as I thought.”

While saying this, he hurriedly approached that direction. “Yeah, just as I thought.” “Huh?” “Sada Yasuko’s been killed.”

3

When I approached in surprise and looked, just as he had said, Sada Yasuko lay there on her back. Fujieda was pressing his hand against the corpse. “Damn it—this one’s gone too. “She’s completely dead.”

he glanced back at me.

At first glance, Sada Yasuko’s corpse was in a considerably disheveled state. There also appeared to be signs of resistance.

Her kimono was the same one we had just seen, but the collar had come undone, exposing her breasts, and was spread open nearly to both shoulders. Her right hand was stretched out on the ground, her left hand placed on her chest—both fists tightly clenched as if she had tried to grasp something in her death throes. Her hair was quite disheveled, but it didn’t look as though she’d been dragged around. “This one was strangled at the throat. Look here.” Fujieda shone his flashlight on the discolored skin. “See how it’s changed color?”

Fujieda, who had been examining the corpse in detail by his flashlight's beam, said this to me. Indeed, the area around her throat showed severe discoloration. Something must have tightened around it with great force.

At that moment, "Hey, did something happen?" Hayashida’s grave voice was heard. When I looked, Hayashida was approaching from the other side while shining his flashlight. “It’s the maid! The maid from earlier was killed!”

Fujieda answered somewhat excitedly. “Sada Yasuko? Damn it! This is an absolute disaster!” As Hayashida’s suddenly agitated voice drew near, he abruptly approached the corpse and placed his hand on it just as Fujieda had done. “Damn it! We’ve lost an important witness!” “Exactly. Exactly. With this, we’ve encountered another great difficulty.” Fujieda bit his lip, looking truly regretful.

“I was worried something like this might happen… but I never imagined it would come so soon.” Fujieda muttered this as if to himself, then took out his cigarette case for the first time, pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and promptly lit it. “Inspector Takahashi! There’s another body here. “Right here. “This way! This way!”

Suddenly, Hayashida looked toward the garden gate and began waving his flashlight frantically as a signal. When I turned around, Inspector Takahashi seemed to have finished his phone call and was walking from the gate toward Shuntarō’s corpse, carrying a flashlight. I cannot provide a detailed account here of all the inquests, searches, interrogations, and other procedures that took place at the Akikawa residence over the next hour or so. This is because I believe it would only needlessly trouble the reader. Therefore, I will proceed to narrate the unfolding of events in simple terms.

It was precisely around 8:50 PM on April 20th that we discovered the two corpses. As I stood beside Sada Yasuko’s corpse with Fujieda and Hayashida, I lit my lighter to ignite a cigarette and happened to glance at the wristwatch on my left hand—it showed exactly 8:52. After about seven minutes had passed, several detectives from the police and Dr. Nohara arrived. Meanwhile, the incident had apparently been reported to the Metropolitan Police Department, and about twenty minutes later, Chief Inspector Sawazaki, Technician Tanaka, and detectives arrived at the scene.

On this moonless night, the sight of uniformed police officers carrying electric lamps and paper lanterns moving left and right around the two corpses through the pitch-black grove presented a scene of uncanny terror that defied description. As the reader knows, Shuntarō and Yasuko had actually been speaking with us just seven or eight minutes prior. The murderer had finally begun to reveal their true nature. Two lives taken in a mere instant! And so brutally! It was no dream. It is a fact.

4 Now that the authorities had arrived on the scene and begun their work—whether because Fujieda thought it best to show some restraint or perhaps he had some other consideration in mind—he suddenly urged me onward.

"You, why don't we go up to the house and wait for the results?"

And he exited the shade of the trees and started walking.

“Right, I should go and console the master as well.” As if declaring “I’m not going to stick around picking up scraps after you,” Hayashida too wandered out from between the trees and headed toward the main house, passing by the pond as he made his way to the familiar glass door entrance. “Hey, Ogawa, I haven’t fully studied the layout of this house yet. Why don’t we check the back entrance?” When Fujieda suddenly said this, I signaled my agreement with a look, whereupon he began walking not toward the pond but far to the east—the area even further east than point B where Yasuko’s corpse had been found.

It was as if Hayashida and Fujieda were engaged in a childish quarrel. It was as if Fujieda were telling Hayashida, "If you’re going straight ahead, then I’ll go around." Hayashida, with an air of "Be my guest," composedly stepped inside the house through the glass door entrance. From the thicket where the corpse had lain, one could see a truly magnificent Western-style building stretching east to west. To the left was the entrance, and at the far right was the maids’ quarters. Between the main house and where the maids were stationed was a small corridor, and where this covered walkway (appearing narrow in the diagram) connected to the main house, there was an exit leading to the garden.

Keeping it on their left as they walked along the eastern wall, they came to an imposing rear gate.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness and shone a flashlight on us, but immediately afterward, a familiar voice rang out. "Oh, Mr. Fujieda?"

It was a police officer clad in uniform. "I went out to inspect the mansion after the murder occurred. Are you stationed here on guard duty?" "Yes, we’ve currently blocked all movement between inside and outside. Emergency cordons have been set up throughout Ushigome Ward, so they’ll likely be apprehended by tonight." Then the two of them spoke for a while using what seemed to be some sort of code or jargon that was completely incomprehensible to me. (This was criminal argot used between police officers and perpetrators, as Fujieda later explained to me.)

“Well, good work.” Fujieda soon bid farewell to the police officer while saying this, then walked along the north side of the wall with the rear gate to his right. After observing the interior from outside for a while but finding nothing amiss, he returned with the rear gate now to his left and attempted to enter the main house through the entrance of that covered walkway.

Fujieda, removing his shoes, turned toward me, “From here, you’ll find the kitchen and maids’ quarters to your right. Nothing seems amiss on this side. Shall we go console our protagonist?” Though he spoke these words, I had already rushed up to the main house’s corridor ahead of him. There lay slippers scattered haphazardly in great numbers. “Well now—did our daytime guests leave their shoes strewn about like this? The house must’ve laid these out for those too polite to use the front entrance. I’ll borrow a pair.”

Fujieda came up behind me, saying such things. At that moment, by sheer chance, he failed to slip his right foot into a slipper and staggered—simultaneously sending it flying sideways. He then put on another slipper, but upon suddenly seeing the one he had kicked off, he muttered to himself. “Hmm, this is strange.”

5 “What’s wrong?” “No, it’s nothing. But take a look at this slipper—the sole’s covered in mud, isn’t it?” After saying this, he became engrossed in examining the fifteen or sixteen slippers laid out one after another. Before long, he spoke to me in a commanding tone: “Hey you, take off those slippers and show me.” When I obediently removed both slippers as instructed, he was examining the one I had been wearing on my left foot.

“Take a look at this—the sole here’s also caked with mud.” He stared at my face, but

“Well, never mind. It’s not like this concerns you. But I need you to set this one aside from the others...” He said this and picked up the slipper to start walking, but suddenly stopped. “Hey, you know taking even one slipper makes you a thief, right?” “Then just take them quietly without saying anything. If you properly inform the master...”

“No, let’s just leave it at that. It’s not that important anyway. But you must absolutely never tell anyone I noticed this.” Having said this, he threw aside the slipper he’d gone to such trouble to find with a dull thud, slipped on another pair, and strode briskly down the corridor.

This slipper incident may seem utterly trivial, but I ask readers to commit it firmly to memory, as numerous connections will later come to light.

When they entered the parlor, inside were gathered all the members of the Akikawa family—their faces pale—utterly tormented by the continuing misfortunes. Aside from family members, only Date and Hayashida were present. The master had regained his courage, but he still did not seem inclined to speak. Hiroko, Sadako, and the third daughter Hatsue were all just fidgeting nervously. “Mr. Date, did you just arrive now?”

Fujieda said. "I came immediately after receiving word of the emergency." "To clarify," Hayashida interjected, "Mr.Date left when we first arrived, returned home to change from Japanese clothes into his uniform, and has now come back—that’s the sequence."

Hayashida explained from beside them. "Ms. Sadako was indeed in the upper room the entire time during the commotion, correct?" Fujieda posed a rather blunt question—though not directly to her but through Hayashida. At that moment, as Sadako blushed and looked down, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. "Ah, Ms. Sadako was talking with me. "I was conducting various inquiries in Ms. Sadako’s room." “Ah yes—when you leaned out of the window, Ms. Sadako immediately followed suit, didn’t she?” “And what about Ms. Hatsue?”

“It seems Hatsue was talking in the maids’ room.” “Since she hadn’t been involved in the investigation until today, I deliberately instructed her to go over there.”

Speaking for Hatsue, Hiroko said with a smile— “At that time, Shimaya, Hisaya, and Kiyoya were in the maids’ room, so it must be true as they all say so.” she added. “Actually, I summoned each of those three individually just now and checked the maids’ movements. It seems certain that since our arrival, the three maids and Ms. Hatsue have remained there continuously.” “As for Yasuko—she apparently never reappeared in the maids’ room after we questioned her.” “Therefore, everyone still believed we were investigating Yasuko.” “If you wish, shall I call them all again for questioning?”

Hayashida said thus to Fujieda.

6 “No, if you’ve already heard it here now, then it’s fine… Truly an outrageous affair.” Fujieda concluded this to the master, but Shunzō merely nodded without uttering a word. No—he likely couldn’t speak. “Given that the culprit dared commit such an atrocity in the presence of Inspector Takahashi, Mr. Hayashida, and myself, they must be exceptionally brazen. However, rest assured. When the police, Mr. Hayashida, and I form a three-way alliance, we will absolutely catch the culprit for you.”

“That’s right. “Mr. Akikawa, please stay strong.” “I, Fujieda, or the police will definitely catch the culprit.” Even after being told this by the two renowned detectives, the master showed little sign of relief. No wonder—just as Fujieda himself had said—this heinous crime had been carried out in mockery of those three formidable forces. The two renowned detectives also couldn’t feel entirely triumphant. Somehow awkwardly, the two stood up.

“Honorable gentlemen, I must ask that you tell the police not to investigate us parent and children so roughly.” “After all their relentless interrogations have led to this tragic outcome.” The master, who had remained silent until now, suddenly began voicing these complaints. Fujieda and Hayashida appeared to have no response—they merely offered strained smiles and withdrew from the room.

Then we were led back once more to the reception room near the entrance we had been in earlier. "Mr. Fujieda, I was indeed the one who proposed an 'alliance' earlier, but this time—this time in particular—I believe we're past competing. We must join forces and confront the culprit together."

“Absolutely.” “I’m thinking exactly the same thing myself.”

“Therefore, as a token of our alliance, let me tell you one thing about today’s events that you don’t know.” “Earlier, after I interrogated Yasuko Sada and went up to the second floor, there was Date—who should have already left—standing in front of Sadako’s room, talking with her.” “So when I asked what he was doing there, he said he had left the house but remembered something he needed to do, so he came through the back entrance—likely referring to the covered corridor’s entryway.” “You probably know this, but there’s also a staircase from the back entrance.”

“So what did you do?” “So I told Date to leave immediately, saying I had business with Sadako, and entered the room with her. By the way, during this commotion earlier, when the maid went to check Date’s house, she found him completely alone—the hired caretaker happened to be out at the time.” “I see. So we can’t actually verify whether Date went straight home after parting with you and remained there until now.”

"That’s right. Though considering only ten or fifteen minutes passed between when I parted with Date and when the incident occurred—and then until the maid went to fetch him—there’s nothing strange about him putting on his jacket when she arrived." “However you look at it, Date’s alibi isn’t at all perfect. Now, regarding those in this house—the master was with me in this room during the incident, and Hiroko was also here. Since Sadako was being questioned by you on the second floor, that’s confirmed too, and Hatsue supposedly remained in the maids’ room the entire time.”

“That’s right. Therefore, within the family, each and every one of them has a perfect alibi. At the very least, we must conclude that none of them are directly involved in the crime.” “Strictly speaking, aside from Date, the only one who cannot establish an alibi is Butler Sasada over there”—here Fujieda pointed to the reception room door—“but when we rushed to the entrance, we saw him come out of his room.”

Butler Sasada’s room was located on the left-hand side after passing through the entrance—that is, on the opposite side of the corridor from the reception room.

"Ultimately, we must conclude that the culprit is someone from outside."

Hayashida said this while lighting a cigarette.

7

Just then, a clamor of voices arose outside the window as the people from the Metropolitan Police and local police returned, having completed their initial on-site investigation and search.

As Fujieda, Hayashida, and I waited in the reception room, six or seven people—led by the head of the Investigation Division from the Metropolitan Police along with members of the Criminal Affairs Department—entered. Fujieda and Hayashida both appeared to be on familiar terms with these individuals, exchanging cordial greetings.

The reception room was instantly transformed into an emergency meeting room concerning the current incident. It was here that both Fujieda and Hayashida were able to hear the authorities' on-site investigation results for the first time. According to these results, the police conducted significant activity at the scene.

The general outline of what I heard at that time is as follows.

(1) Shuntarō’s corpse lay face-up beside the maple tree, its head oriented southwest with legs splayed wide in a spread-eagle position. It was conclusively determined to be murder. The corpse was completely naked except for a portion of a torn shirt remaining around the shoulders. The clothing lay beneath the corpse; the shirt appeared to have been torn off and the loincloth ripped away. His hands were tightly bound behind his back with a heko obi sash, the end of which had been wound around his throat approximately three and a half times and secured tightly, completely stopping his breathing.

Near the crown of the head, slightly closer to the forehead region, there was a single laceration caused by a blunt instrument, with severe bleeding. At first glance, this appeared to be the fatal wound—its depth was sufficient to reach and damage the periosteum—however, since strangulation via the sash wrapped around the throat remained a viable possibility, whether bludgeoning or strangulation directly caused death could not be determined without an autopsy. Regardless of which occurred first, the temporal interval between them should have lasted no longer than twenty to thirty seconds.

Additionally, abrasions had appeared on the skin of the bound wrists. There were no signs of sexual assault. (This final line might seem superfluous, but it appears the officials had verified this point given that the loincloth had been removed.)

The corpse still retained warmth, suggesting the crime had been committed twenty to thirty minutes prior to the examination. (Readers are already fully aware of this point.)

Furthermore, next to the corpse lay scattered what appeared to be a pair of garden clogs.

(2) The area around Shuntarō's corpse lay beneath thick foliage, leaving the soil insufficiently dry for clear footprint preservation. Moreover, discernible tracks proved difficult to detect, though faint shoe prints heading eastward were identified. The undisturbed grass clusters showed no evidence of physical struggle. (These shoe prints were later determined to belong to Fujieda, Hayashida, and myself.) (3) Approximately ten ken (18 meters) southeast of Shuntarō's body, investigators discovered a bloodstained fist-sized stone within the undergrowth. The stone's dimensions matched the cranial trauma observed on Shuntarō's remains, leading authorities to conclude it served as the murder weapon.

(4) Sada Yasuko’s corpse has been determined to be a homicide. Strangulation; it appears she was likely manually strangled using both hands. There were slight signs suggesting she had put up some resistance. There were no signs of sexual assault. The corpse was lying with its head oriented eastward. A large bruise apparently sustained shortly before death was discovered on the right upper arm. It was presumably caused by being gripped by a human hand. The time of death was nearly the same as Shuntarō’s. However, which of them was killed first remains unclear.

(5) In the southeastern corner of the estate stood a large cherry tree that extended to the perimeter wall. The perpetrator apparently scaled the wall from outside into the garden, committed the violent act, then exited again via the same route; soil that appeared to have adhered to bare toes was found on the outer side of the wall. Additionally, soil from toes had been left on the cherry tree trunk. (6) Additionally, Yasuko had collapsed while still wearing her geta. (It was later determined that these geta were her own property.)

Fujieda's Observations

1

Excluding minor details, the major points that became clear were as described above.

Since there was evidence that someone had scaled the stone wall on the southern side of the Akikawa residence to intrude and subsequently escaped from there, a team of officers immediately commenced a search in that direction after completing their on-site investigation. The swift police authorities, upon hearing of the murder, had immediately established a cordon—as could already be understood from the earlier constable’s words—but upon finally discovering traces of an intruder, the investigation likely began to be conducted with even greater rigor and agility. Furthermore, police teams were dispatched in all directions to investigate the background and past acquaintances of the victim, Sada Yasuko. As the reader already knows, Yasuko had only been with the Akikawa family for ten days; her whereabouts prior to this remained entirely unknown despite having come through the offices of Keian.

This seemed somewhat peculiar as a hiring practice for Akikawa Shunzō, who normally exercised such caution in all matters. However, regarding servant employment, it was said Shunzō had entrusted everything to his wife Tokuko and maintained absolute faith in her discretion. Thus Yasuko too appeared to have entered service through having gained Tokuko’s favor.

Meanwhile, the police conducted a preliminary investigation into the Akikawa family members' activities at the time of the crimes. Regarding this point, Fujieda, Hayashida, and I—acting as reference persons—provided explanations for each relevant matter. The result, as previously indicated in Fujieda and Hayashida’s conversation, established that none of the family members appeared to have gone outdoors. As for the servants, the three maids had remained continuously in their quarters, and Butler Sasada had briefly appeared in the parlor to answer several questions from Inspector Takahashi while we were in the piano room. Furthermore, when we rushed out, both Inspector Takahashi and Fujieda observed him emerging from that room; thus it followed that this elderly man could not have gone outside either.

Among those closely connected to the Akikawa family, the one who faced the greatest difficulty in substantiating his own actions at that time was Date Masao.

He had left through the back entrance just a short while before we arrived at the Akikawa residence. However, some time later, his figure appeared before Sadako’s second-floor room. This seemed to be acknowledged by the man himself, and both Hayashida and Sadako had stated as much. However, his subsequent actions were unknown to anyone. According to his own account, after being instructed by Hayashida to return home immediately, he obediently complied and left through the back entrance once more, making his way back home while strolling leisurely.

He was in the process of removing his formal kimono and changing into his uniform at his own home when the maid came to report the incident. (According to later investigations by the authorities, walking from the Akikawa residence’s back gate to Date’s house at the leisurely pace he described would take approximately ten minutes. Therefore, it could not be concluded that his testimony was false. However, this conclusion was only valid under the hypothesis that Date had maintained a leisurely pace. If the young man—particularly given his status as a rugby player—had sprinted like a gust of wind across this short distance, he could have covered it in three minutes. Therefore, it becomes unclear what he did during the remaining five or six minutes.)

What proved particularly disadvantageous for Date was that the elderly maid they usually employed happened to be absent at that time, leaving no one to substantiate the fact that he had returned home directly and without any deviation from his usual routine. The inspector’s interrogation of Date was quite harsh. The lovely Sadako, who until now had seemingly endured all sorrows and hardships in silent resignation, finally reached her limit— “Could it be that all of you suspect Mr. Date...?”

she imploringly asked Hayashida.

2 At that very moment, Fujieda was right beside Sadako, and I was next to him, so logically she could have directed this question to either Fujieda or me. However, it appeared Sadako placed greater trust in Hayashida than in us. Admittedly, Fujieda and I had been summoned here by Hiroko—who seemed to have harbored no goodwill toward Sadako from the start—so that too was hardly surprising. Even Hayashida seemed unable to state anything definitive; muttering something under his breath all the while, he comforted Sadako.

The investigations by the police and headquarters personnel, spanning approximately two hours and some minutes, were finally suspended for the time being. All that remained was to wait for the preliminary judge and prosecutor from the court to arrive at the scene.

“Since it’s unlikely anyone arriving today will uncover anything further, perhaps we should take our leave now.” Fujieda urged me, glancing at his wristwatch. Thereupon, I immediately agreed to this, took my leave from everyone, and went to the entrance. Hiroko came to see us off. “Ah yes—we entered from the back earlier. The shoes are over there.” Fujieda spun around abruptly, so I too—recalling his earlier remark—followed after him.

“Oh, your footwear is over there. Please wait here—I’ll go fetch it right away.” Without heeding our attempts to stop her, Hiroko hurried down the hallway. Fujieda walked to the front of the piano room from earlier. “Hey—I want to ask you something. When you came here earlier looking for Shuntarō, was the door properly closed?” “Yeah—since I opened it the moment I knocked... Right, it was definitely closed.”

“Then let’s have a quick look inside.”

He entered the room ahead of me. "By the way, Ogawa. I think I'll try recalling here the days when we were music-obsessed youths." Suddenly Fujieda made this peculiar remark. "When I was in the parlor and the Victrola started playing, I immediately sensed it was Chopin. And if my memory serves correctly, by the time you rushed here, Mr. Paderewski on this record had already progressed well into that Trio section."

I was impressed by the sharpness of Fujieda’s observation in that instant.

“Yeah, I remember now. When I lifted the gooseneck, it was definitely playing that part. Remember when we listened to this record somewhere before? You said you preferred Pachmann’s version over Paderewski’s—that was during the trio section.” “However, we must now thank Paderewski. Had this been Pachmann’s recording, even if Shuntarō had used the golden needle against his sister’s orders like he did, it wouldn’t have been heard so clearly.”

As he said this, he took the record in his hands and gazed at it for a while,

“This is strange. “Look here—this record has accumulated considerable dust. “But when you look at where the needle passed, the dust has clearly been swept away here. “However, this swept-clean portion only spans three or four minutes.” Having said this, he picked up the bamboo needle beside him, started playing the record from the beginning, and stared into the Victrola with eyes like saucers.

The Funeral March began to play once more. However, before reaching that beautiful section—specifically midway through the A section of the ABA form—Fujieda abruptly halted the rotation.

3 "Hmm...it ends precisely here." "What about it?" "The clean part—I'm not talking about the music. "I'm referring to the record's surface. "This means the needle had only advanced up to this point recently." "But I'm certain it went much further earlier." "Exactly. Let's be grateful for my musical tastes—I believe I heard this section earlier." Having said this, he whistled the trio section of Chopin's Funeral March before suddenly turning to look at the window.

“The blinds are down now. When we were questioning Yasuko earlier, I believe all three windows here were open.” “Yeah.” “Do you clearly remember whether these windows were open at the top or the bottom? —Especially this one by the Victrola…” “Well, I’m not entirely sure, but I think the lower part was open by about two feet.” “Oh right—speaking of windows, earlier…” Recalling the incident involving the grass whistle and Yasuko’s expression, I gave Fujieda a brief account of it.

However, this fact had thrown him into a state of remarkable agitation. "You idiot! "What an idiot! "Why didn't you tell me sooner? "If you'd told me right then, we might have prevented this tragedy!"

He must have been deeply frustrated, for he lashed out at me in a loud voice.

At that moment, the door opened and Hayashida entered.

“What’s going on? What are you getting angry about?” Fujieda, still not calmed down, ended up telling Hayashida about the grass whistle incident.

Hayashida heard this and seemed equally stunned but refrained from lashing out at me—though he did level a mild criticism. “There was such a thing? Well, I agree with Fujieda too. If Mr. Ogawa had told us immediately at that time, things might have turned out differently—but you aren’t a detective... What’s done is done.” In any case, saying this, he persistently tried to calm Fujieda down.

“What’s done is done… I suppose.” “That’s right.”

Fujieda also spoke in a resigned tone but was quite displeased.

Due to Hiroko's arrangements, our shoes had been moved to the main entrance, so we headed to the front door.

Hayashida, apparently also intending to leave, followed along. While Hiroko was seeing them off, both Hayashida and Fujieda declined her offer to call a car. As Fujieda was putting on his shoes, he called out to Hiroko as if he had just remembered something.

“About that piano room... I’d like you to find out when someone closed those blinds and who did it...” “The blinds? Was that improper? I closed them myself earlier. While everyone was outside conducting the investigation...” “Ah, I see. No, I’m not criticizing it. Did you touch the Victrola when you did that?” “No, I only closed the window and went straight outside. Is something amiss?”

“No, that’s not it. So Mr. Shuntarō left the record playing, then?”

Hayashida finished putting on his shoes and briskly went on ahead.

“Yes, I believe so.” “There are numerous slippers at the service entrance.” “Among them is a single pair with soiled soles. Please set these aside discreetly without informing anyone.”

4 “Yes, since Mr. Hayashida also instructed me to do so earlier, I’ve already set them aside properly.” “Heh?”

At this, even Fujieda seemed surprised. Hayashida, his rival, was already fully aware of the discovery that Fujieda had been inwardly proud of; moreover, he had given Hiroko instructions one step ahead of Fujieda. Fujieda left the Akikawa residence without saying another word.

“I’m surprised. That Hayashida fellow truly lives up to his reputation as a detective.” However, Fujieda still seemed upset with me over the earlier grass whistle incident and said nothing. “But Mr. Fujieda, your Kaiser mustache looks a bit odd, don’t you think? I wonder if that man doesn’t use any disguises…” “Hey, what the hell are you talkin’ about? Can’t you tell that’s a fake mustache? The police all know about it, you know. He probably considers it a means to deceive the enemy. He always graces crime scenes with that Kaiser mustache of his. So you and the rest of the Akikawa family probably think it’s real too, you know. Though to be fair, without it Mr. Hayashida’s philtrum looks downright ridiculous—they say he’s taken to wearing that thing even in everyday life lately. Hahahaha.”

In any case, it was a relief that Fujieda’s foul mood had finally begun to lift. Hayashida’s Kaiser mustache coming loose had ended up serving its purpose, so to speak.

When they exited the gate of the Akikawa residence, Fujieda turned right and began walking. When they had first visited this house on their return trip they had hailed a one-yen taxi to ride back in; but starting from their second visit onward they had made it their practice to use cars from Izumi Taxi—the garage that regularly served the Akikawa household. In front of Izumi Taxi Fujieda spent some time talking with its proprietor; before long one of their drivers came out and greeted him. “Ah—it’s you,” he said. “Proceed as we did that day if you please.”

Having said this, he opened the door of the smartly styled Hudson sedan waiting nearby for passengers. I also got in after him. As I wondered where the car might be headed, the automobile circled from Ushigome Heights to the outer moat, passed through Yotsuya Mitsuke, then raced downhill in one continuous dash toward Akasaka.

The car continued from Akasaka Mitsuke toward Tameike, but came to an abrupt stop between two train stations.

“Ah, thank you for your trouble.”

The two men got out. After returning the car, Fujieda walked a little further and entered a place called Shikishima Garage on the left, where he was saying something; then when he beckoned me over and I went, he was already seated on a Chrysler cushion. I hurriedly followed after him in surprise and climbed in. The car went from Tameike to Toranomon, then turned right onto Minami-Sakumachō Street and continued straight until before we knew it, we had emerged onto the backstreets of Ginza.

When they arrived in front of the office, he had the car stopped and got out. He paid the fare, took out a spare key, opened the door, turned on the switch, and then—first taking a breather—sat down at the desk and started smoking a Three Castles. “What the hell is all this about?” “The steps my beautiful client Miss Akikawa Hiroko took when she visited me on the 17th.” “Oh? So she changed vehicles midway, huh?” “The vehicle change was a masterstroke. It’s no less than one would expect from an avid reader of detective novels. Yet with that, she thinks she can’t be traced by anyone—that’s what makes her rather endearing, isn’t it? What nonsense it is for her to come all the way here in a car that regularly serves her own household. And to think she changed into a garage car there of all places! Truly befitting the daughter of a prominent family.”

“How did you find that out?”

5 “That’s simple enough. “It should’ve been obvious much sooner. “I’d been checking that garage since yesterday morning, but couldn’t get answers with the regular driver always out. “On the 17th afternoon, Hiroko rode that car to Tameike. “When we checked at Tameike just now, they couldn’t recall if it was the 17th or 18th—but confirmed a young lady matching her description had taken the car. “Though apparently she didn’t come all the way here—they say she ditched it at the far corner.”

“Even so, when the car stopped at Tameike, there was a garage right there in front of you, wasn’t there? Why did you immediately know it was Shikishima Garage?” “Well, it’s like this. When a woman of that caliber uses tricks to shake someone off and takes a car to avoid being followed, she never overshoots her destination and tends to stop a bit short, you know. Look here—even when coming to my place, she deliberately didn’t go past and got off short.” “However,” he continued, “investigating such things wasn’t our main purpose. When we inquired earlier at Izumi Garage, it turned out that on that day—the very moment the driver returned after dropping Hiroko off—a call came in purportedly from the Akikawa household asking how far he had taken her. So he casually gave the truthful answer.” “Then, some time later, a call was made to Shikishima Garage in Akasaka—this time without identifying the caller—where they first gave a description resembling Hiroko’s and inquired about her destination. Though it seems the driver there didn’t know this place’s name, he did report stopping somewhere in this vicinity.” “Here’s the kicker—when someone first called Izumi Garage, it was a man’s voice, but the call to Shikishima Garage used a woman’s voice. The culprit studied Hiroko’s movements like this, immediately typed out a threat on a typewriter, then followed up with that usual suspicious phone call.” He exhaled smoke. “There’s nothing mysterious about it.”

“Oh, so that’s how it was.”

“But I tell you, that Hayashida keeps getting one step ahead of me every single time. Just a little while ago, a man with a Kaiser mustache came to Izumi Garage and apparently asked about Hiroko’s movements on the 17th as well. That’s some astonishing skill. The fact that Hiroko came would have been discovered quickly as well. Of course, it’s mutual—we found out that on that day, in the afternoon, Akikawa Shunzō had gone to Hayashida’s house for about twenty minutes. Because Shunzō didn’t use tricks like Hiroko did, it was immediately found out.”

Having said this, he looked at his wristwatch.

“Oh, it’s already eleven-thirty.” “Places to get something cold to drink aren’t around here anymore.” “What do you think? This area’s developed quite a bit lately, hasn’t it?” “Take me to some big bar.”

The fact that Fujieda was asking to be taken to a bar was quite strange. He, who couldn't drink a drop of alcohol, ordinarily never went to bars unless someone who did drink dragged him there.

However, as someone who could drink a fair amount of alcohol, I didn't particularly feel inclined to refuse this.

As soon as I entered the nearby salon called Enerchiya, I was promptly surrounded by familiar waitresses. When I looked over at Fujieda, he had ordered a glass of orangeade and, showing not the slightest reaction to the bar’s atmosphere of jazz and commotion, was leaning sleepily against a nearby cushion without uttering a word, occasionally half-opening his eyes to gaze at the ceiling. "My, what a strange gentleman we have here," said one waitress. “He’s getting drunk on orangeade!”

Even when teased by the waitresses like that, he showed not the slightest sign of caring.

As for me, paying no attention to Fujieda, I indulged the exploitative waitresses’ every whim—drinking cocktails, having them drink, treating them to fruit—until I had worked myself into a thoroughly pleasant state.

“Wein, weib und Gesang, eh?”

He had barely uttered these words when he stood up, “Hey, I’m heading back first. Then come to the office tomorrow morning. Goodbye then.”

He vanished, leaving me and the women dumbfounded.

Murder Symphony

1

On the morning of April 21st, a little past eight o'clock, I awoke. The previous night, after entering a bar for the first time in ages and—despite being at an age where discretion should prevail—foolishly indulging in merriment only to be abandoned by Fujieda, I had lingered until late, become thoroughly drunk, and returned home; but once alcohol drove me to bed, I apparently forgot all about the horrifying murder case and everything else, plunging into deep sleep in one breath.

Upon waking, I immediately grew concerned about last night’s incident. Still in bed, I haphazardly spread out newspapers and looked through them—there they were, one after another: headlines blaring "The Akikawa Family Murder," "The Akikawa Tragedy," and "Murder Demon Emerges," all fervently reporting the previous evening’s events. Regarding the death of the late Mrs. Akikawa, which I had documented under the section titled *The First Tragedy*, it had been ruled an accidental death as previously stated. Thus, the reporting framed our presence at the scene last night as a mere coincidence—that we had remained there after her funeral service.

However, whether our presence had been coincidental or not, the fact that two people had been brutally murdered before the very eyes of these three—the skilled Inspector Takahashi; Fujieda, called a demon; and Hayashida, likened to a dragon—was indeed sufficient to send the city’s residents into a shudder. Therefore, it was not at all strange that two or three newspapers had created headlines such as "Murder Demon Emerges." What’s interesting is one particular paper carrying such an article.

"Mr. Fujieda and Mr. Hayashida, their faces burning with indignation, alternated speaking: 'We are thoroughly ashamed that such an act could transpire where we stood present. But rest assured—we've identified promising leads and expect an imminent arrest,' they declared."

Of course, since there was no chance those two had met with reporters in time for the morning edition last night, this was entirely fabricated—but as I also believed this was precisely what those two would want to say, it couldn’t be dismissed as mere nonsense. However, as I read on, thinking that all this talk about having a lead on the culprit might be a bit premature, I found that—quite unexpectedly—every newspaper stated that they indeed had a lead and that the arrest would likely occur within a day or two. This was also recorded as the authorities’ statements.

So then, had the court people uncovered a substantial lead after all that? And surely the Metropolitan Police must have confirmed there was a suspicious man who scaled the wall. I wondered if they'd figured out Sada Yasuko's background too...

Could that mysterious figure who had so terrified the Akikawa family be caught with such unexpected ease...? Turning this thought over in my mind, I called Fujieda’s office.

Though I had recalled last night's arrangement, given that he was by nature a late riser, I thought he might not yet have left for the office. "Apologies about last night—it's Ogawa."

“Ah, you. Get over here now. You’re late.” “I thought you might still be asleep.” “Not at all. I’ve become quite the early bird lately.” “Did you see the paper? ‘According to Mr. Fujieda, “I’m utterly ashamed,”’ apparently.”

“Hey, stop spouting nonsense and hurry up and get over here!” After this conversation took place over the phone, I immediately rushed to his office.

As usual, he had filled the room with smoke and was sitting at the large desk within it.

“Thanks for last night’s treat.” “Still quite the ladies’ man at those places, I see.” “I’m positively green with envy.” “No, really—that’s exactly where Mr. Ogawa would say, ‘I’m utterly mortified,’ you know.”

“I hardly slept last night after that—I kept thinking about the case all night. I spent hours jotting down only the crucial points in my notebook... Listen here, I must formally retract what I once told you.” “What?” “It appears a criminal mastermind straight out of detective novels truly does exist in this world.”

2 “A criminal of unparalleled caliber?”

“That’s right. An unprecedented master criminal—a once-in-a-century murder fiend, a peerless archvillain—no, the kingpin of the underworld. We might even bestow such accolades as the Kaiser of the criminal world, the peerless hero, Napoleon of the realm of sin, Beethoven of criminal artistry—a grand genius, a brilliant scholar. At last, such a figure has emerged as my adversary—if, and I do mean if, my current line of thinking proves correct.”

I was somewhat taken aback. “Ah, right—and one more thing. I must retract my careless remark from last night where I dismissed your beloved Princess Juliet’s car movements as nonsense.” “What? About Miss Hiroko?” It was Fujieda’s habit, when pondering something crucial, to deliberately mask his true feelings by speaking with an unnaturally lively cheerfulness. From his tone since I’d entered the room, I sensed he was wrestling with an exceptionally thorny problem.

“Hey you, it seems the authorities have gotten a lead on the culprit.” “The crime king you extol—a combination of Napoleon, Kaiser, and Beethoven—seems to have unexpectedly shown his tail early after all.”

I too played along with his banter without backing down.

“To be more precise, the authorities’ statement means that the suspicious man who scaled the high wall on the south side of the Akikawa residence last night is likely to be caught.” “I’d like you to state things as accurately as possible.” “Then who is the true culprit?” “So he’s Napoleon, Caesar, Michelangelo, Beethoven, Chopin... Chopin—ah, right! Speaking of which, Hayashida just called me earlier. He asked if I’d heard the Chopin record last night and, if so, up to which part I’d managed to listen.” “It’s truly impressive that he noticed that record.” “Unfortunately, he happened to be upstairs at that very moment and didn’t hear the music himself.” “So, swallowing his pride, he must have asked me.” “I told him that while I had heard it, I didn’t clearly remember up to which part.” “Even if we form an alliance, some top secrets are a bit hard to share, you know.” “Besides, Mr. Fujieda, you seem to be hiding quite a lot from me yourself.”

“Well, only Mr. Hayashida would notice that.” “No, there’s something swifter. Last night they accused me of tampering with that record. When I asked how they knew, it appears he’d also noticed the record and told the Akikawa family to have the authorities examine it. Now regarding the record—instead of the culprit’s fingerprints, they found Shuntarō’s prints along with two others. Upon detailed inquiry, those turned out to be Hayashida’s and, well, yours truly’s. What a farce! A culprit who’d employ such tricks wouldn’t courteously leave fingerprints behind! Ahahaha!”

As I joined in laughing, the waiter—apparently responding to an earlier order—brought tea and toast for two. “I’ve already eaten.” “Oh, I see. Then I’ll just have the toast myself.” Fujieda took a piece of toast in one hand, poured an excessive amount of milk into his tea, and began devouring his breakfast unceremoniously. “You see, when I wake up early in the morning, I just don’t have an appetite right away.”

While saying such things, he still hadn't touched upon the crucial matter.

Finally, when breakfast was over, he wiped his mouth and began to speak.

“Well then, I suppose it’s time to tackle this difficult problem.”

3

“On April 17th at midnight, Akikawa Tokuko was poisoned to death. Around 8:40 p.m. on April 20th, the family’s son—their only male child, Shuntarō—and their maid Sada Yasuko were brutally murdered in the garden. So, were these three people killed by the same culprit or not?” “I don’t know.” “You don’t understand? Well, even I can’t state anything definitive. However, why don’t we add these facts here and see? To the head of the Akikawa household—since around last summer, an unknown individual has been sending threatening letters. Because of this, the head of the household developed neurasthenia and withdrew from all public duties. Recently, it has grown increasingly intense, causing not only himself but also the family members to remain on guard. First.” “However, this Akikawa family is no ordinary household. Though one can’t quite put a finger on why, it’s an exceedingly complicated household. First, the eldest daughter appears to be their real child, but the second daughter is questionable. The second daughter appears to be the father’s child, but the mother is different. In other words, it appears the master of Akikawa took in a daughter he fathered with another woman and is raising her as his legitimate wife’s child. It must certainly be written that way in the family register as well. This second daughter is not on good terms with the eldest daughter. Second.” “Furthermore, we have the enigmatic presence of Date Masao here.”

“I’m secretly investigating his lineage now, so we’ll soon discover whose son he is—but this man is engaged to the second daughter.” “The terms set by the father for this engagement are far from ordinary.” “Third point.” “This caused such marital strife that she began fearing someone might kill her over whether these conditions were genuine.” “She grew so distrustful she locked her bedroom door facing her husband’s room from within, while he kept urging vigilance out of concern for her safety.” “Fourth point.” “Since the first incident, eldest daughter Hiroko had actively suspected Sadako.” “Naturally, her fiancé Date was also considered complicit.” “For context—Hiroko possesses deep knowledge of detective fiction.” “The night she desperately came to me, she’d been immersed in S.S. Van Dine until moments before the incident.” “She’s an exceptionally rational woman.” “These constitute the fifth point requiring attention.”

“Next, a threatening letter had once come to Sadako herself.” “However, immediately after the incident—the moment she appeared before the prosecutor—she became hysterical at the thought of being suspected as the murderer,” “while simultaneously lying about Date Masao’s actions.” “Sixth.” “After these events, it remains entirely unclear whom Akikawa Shunzō himself suspects.” “The exact timing of when they commissioned Detective Hayashida remains indeterminate—this constitutes the seventh notable fact.” “Of course there remain numerous minor points requiring attention, but since I’ve already mentioned these to you previously, I’ll omit them here.”

“Now then, carefully consider these seven facts. While the first fact suggests—or even explicitly states—that the culprit exists outside the family, don’t facts two through seven conversely indicate there’s a suspicious presence within the household? No—in truth, it would be more accurate to believe the criminal resides inside the family.”

“Now then, regarding yesterday’s incident—the second one—let’s consider that. Was the culprit’s true target Shuntarō, or did they intend to kill Sada Yasuko?” “I’m not entirely sure myself, but given that incident with the grass whistle, I’d say they first lured Sada Yasuko out and killed her, then—assuming there’s only one culprit—went after Shuntarō.” “Why target Sada?” “Well, I don’t know. But there’s such a thing as jealousy or whatnot, you know.”

“Then why would they have killed Shuntarō?”

“Well… It’s possible to consider it this way, don’t you think? Since they were caught in the act of killing Sada Yasuko, they decided to finish this one off as well in one go—don’t you think?”

“Then where was Shuntarō at that time?”

Fujieda looked at me with a sarcastic gaze.

4 “Even if someone like you says that, I’m not the criminal—I wouldn’t know such details.” “Ah, my apologies. I just wanted to hear your thoughts for a moment. Understood. The theory you’re suggesting must be this: Using that grass whistle or some signal, Sada Yasuko comes out to the garden. The one who signaled climbs over the wall, enters, talks with her under the southeastern grove—but when negotiations break down, he kills Yasuko. Then Shuntarō happens to wander into the garden and spots them—thinking it’s all over now—they finish off Shuntarō too and escape back the way they came. That’s how it goes, right?”

“Well, that’s about right. Moreover, given that there were actual footprints on that wall.” “That’s another possible interpretation. If this is correct, then the culprit of this latest incident would be someone completely unrelated to the first culprit—someone who held a grudge against Sada Yasuko. However, for this to hold true, we’d at least need to assume that Shuntarō was mute.”

“Mute?” “That’s right. But he’s a fifteen-year-old boy, you know. If he saw Yasuko being killed, he should’ve at least screamed or shouted—yet nobody heard any cries from him then.” “Ah, I see. So my theory is completely off track.” “No, I wouldn’t go that far. At least we know for certain someone climbed over that wall.” “I don’t think those footprints are a trick left deliberately by the culprit either.”

“Hmm, I see. Fujieda—so this is how you’re thinking about it? Are you saying the culprit who killed Yasuko and the one who killed Shuntarō are completely separate individuals?” “That’s one possible interpretation. Specifically, Yasuko’s killer entered as you described and murdered her. Meanwhile—at precisely the same time—Shuntarō was being attacked by someone else in another part of the garden. While highly improbable, this theory can’t be dismissed as impossible. As Sherlock Holmes once said: ‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’”

“So are you adopting the two-culprit theory?” “However, it’s not that simple. Listen carefully—given what I just explained, how could we possibly conceive of a situation where either Shuntarō or Yasuko was present at the scene of the other’s murder? To state it plainly, Shuntarō is none other than the Akikawa family’s most crucial son. He is the legal heir. Eliminating him must be considered the ultimate objective for anyone bearing a grudge against the Akikawas. Therefore, wouldn’t it be accurate to conclude that whoever killed Shuntarō is identical to Tokuko’s murderer? Moreover, when we incorporate the seven circumstances and facts I previously outlined, it becomes entirely reasonable to regard Tokuko Akikawa’s killer and Shuntarō Akikawa’s killer as one and the same.”

He said this and gulped down his black tea. "And regarding Yasuko...the grass whistle..."

“Yeah, you keep harping on about this ‘Mr. Grass Whistle’—no doubt he’s a key player.” “But you’re isolating Sada Yasuko too much from the bigger picture.” “A woman like her would naturally have lovers—maybe even a kept man.” “What I need you to do is thoroughly re-examine Yasuko’s connections within the Akikawa household.”

“Relation?” “In other words, it concerns her position relative to the first murder case—Tokuko Akikawa’s killing.” “For now, set aside Yasuko’s romantic entanglements and grudges to examine her role.” “She holds significant connection to the grudge incident targeting the Akikawa family.” It was only after hearing this that I recalled Hayashida’s words when he saw Sada Yasuko’s corpse. “Have you forgotten Hayashida’s remark?” “What did he say upon seeing her body?” “Didn’t he declare we’d lost a vital witness?” “That’s precisely it.” “We’ve lost a critical witness through Yasuko’s death.”

5

“As you know, Sada Yasuko was the woman sent to Saigō Pharmacy on the afternoon of the 17th.” Since no one had imagined such a thing would happen, none remembered what time she left the Akikawa residence or returned, nor when she arrived at or departed from Saigō Pharmacy. “That’s where the problem lies.” “Moreover, it’s an extremely difficult point.” “Had we known this precisely, we could have pressed her more severely—but no one kept exact track of the times.” “Relying on everyone saying she seemed to take too long, Hayashida and I—and likely the police too—interrogated her. But lacking sufficient temporal evidence on our side, we ultimately failed to uncover any new facts.” “Though each session went smoother than the last—had we questioned her again last night after that—we might have forced a confession.” “If she’d told the truth, we’d have clearly determined whether the mercuric chloride was substituted before reaching the Akikawa residence or after.” “You see now, don’t you? How crucial a position she held in Tokuko Akikawa’s case?”

“Yeah, I see what you mean.”

“Yasuko was killed—doesn’t that mean an enormous advantage for Tokuko’s killer? If Mr. Grass Whistle had killed Yasuko out of passion or something similar, he would’ve unwittingly shielded Tokuko’s murderer. Can this truly be mere coincidence?” “But if Tokuko’s killer murdered Shuntarō last night, how did they kill Yasuko?” “Let’s save that detail for later. My view is this—if Mr. Grass Whistle was Yasuko’s killer, then we may consider him Tokuko’s murderer as well. As you know, there’s a principle: first suspect those who profit from the crime.”

“So in the end, are you saying Tokuko’s killer, Yasuko’s killer, and Shuntarō’s killer are all the same?” “I won’t state it outright. However, I think we should tentatively consider it as such. Though as I just mentioned, there’s also the possibility that Mr. Grass Whistle—who knew nothing—accidentally led to losing a witness in Tokuko’s case. At the very least, Tokuko and Shuntarō were done by the same hand.”

After saying this, he abruptly stood up and gazed out the window. Taking a cigar case from nearby, he offered me one, extracted a cigar for himself, and lit it. Within the airship's lingering smoke, the fragrant purple haze from his cigar began curling upward.

“By the way, changing the subject—did you know that a person’s individuality manifests even in their crimes? In other words, if Criminal B were to commit a crime originally perpetrated by Criminal A, they could never perfectly replicate it—that’s what this means. To put it another way, it means psychologically analyzing the distinctive methods behind criminal acts.” “Mr. Philo Vance makes similar observations, doesn’t he?”

“I don’t know about viewing everything through a psychological lens to the extent Detective Philo Vance does, but I do think it’s necessary to examine these two recent cases from that perspective.”

He put one hand behind his back and, with the other hand occasionally bringing the cigar to his mouth, began pacing around the room as he started talking.

“I believe these crimes were committed by the same person. That’s precisely why I hold this criminal in such esteem—as a Napoleon or genius of sorts. First, recall that unnerving threatening letter. Isn’t that nothing less than a grand introduction? Then came that tragedy enacted on the seventeenth. How flawlessly executed! How chillingly calm! And thus concluded the first movement of this Murder Symphony.”

“What? The Murder Symphony?”

6 “Exactly. Based on my analysis, I believe this criminal intends to eliminate each member of the Akikawa family one by one. In other words, the first victim was none other than Tokuko.” “Are you calling that the first movement of your Murder Symphony?”

“Hmph, if I may phrase it thus.” “Murder is not music.” “No genius could execute multiple murders in sonata form.” “The composer would need to maintain identical structure from first movement through finale.” “This exemplifies what I meant about crimes revealing a perpetrator’s individuality.” “Hence, the second crime must mirror the first’s distinctive palette.” “It must be executed with equal perfection and audacity.”

He puffed out cigar smoke. “I repeat. That grand overture. This approached the Akikawa family with utmost quietness, like waves lapping steadily. That ended, and then came that tragedy on the 17th. This was executed perfectly yet with an extremely gloomy atmosphere, and moreover at a slow tempo... I’m not talking about how Tokuko died. It’s the nature of the crime. It was thoroughly considered; meticulously planned and calmly executed. To put it in musical terms, this first movement is andante or adagio.”

Moreover, the way the culprit calmly seized the opportunity presented by Tokuko’s headache and Yasuko’s errand to fetch medicine was truly methodical. So I had believed this criminal would likely perform the second movement on May 1st following the same structure as announced. “But then last night’s sudden occurrence took me somewhat by surprise.” “Why did the culprit break their May 1st announcement and choose April 20th instead?”

“Do you expect a murderer to keep a gentleman’s promise?” “Not necessarily so, but a guy like this culprit is certainly one to keep his promises. Just consider the methods used so far.” “Yeah.”

“This demands delicate psychological analysis,” “The criminal, you see—” “The crux lies in why they abruptly performed that second movement on the twentieth despite having declared May first beforehand.” “And to execute it at such a breakneck tempo—right before our very eyes, in a mere three or four minutes at that.”

I couldn’t quite grasp what he was saying.

“The splendor of last night’s tragedy—that lightning-like rapidity. "This is Presto agitato in its purest form. "Why would the criminal who composed the first movement in that stately Adagio suddenly write the second movement in Presto last night? "Do you grasp the significance? "Isn’t this truly an occurrence defying all anticipation?" He had meant to execute the second murder on May 1st following April 17th’s cadence. Last night found us utterly ambushed. Yet why would this be?

What we must not forget here is that while the second murder—last night’s incident—was executed swiftly and brilliantly enough to stun onlookers, its methodology proved markedly clumsier compared to the first murder. The author—that is, the criminal—took an extraordinary risk and narrowly escaped with their life. Given the danger they had exposed themselves to, the result was unexpectedly splendid. Therefore, it might be well-received by the general public. “If this were a detective novel, I’d start by writing about the second incident first.” “Because I think that approach would immediately draw in readers.” “The first incident was subdued and somber.” “The second one is flashier, you see.”

“However, for our murder symphony’s composer, the first movement should be more suited to their nature.” “He should have persisted with andante until the end.” “He’s fundamentally unsuited to composing in presto like last night.”

He drank his tea while standing but soon sat down in front of me.

7

“Last night, I was actually quite startled myself. When the second movement concluded, I began to suspect that perhaps the composer—that is, the culprit—was a different person, given how starkly it differed from the first movement. However, when I thoroughly consider last night’s events, no matter how I look at it, it still seems to be the work of the same person. As long as this ‘curse’ *Leitmotiv* against the Akikawa family keeps playing out, I can’t help but conclude it must be the work of one and the same person. Then it follows that—why did such a criminal author not wait until May 1st but abruptly commit murder last night? There can only be one answer to this. In other words, circumstances arose that made waiting until May 1st impossible. Last night, something the criminal hadn’t accounted for occurred. An urgent, unexpected something…”

“What could that be?”

“Well, what could it be? Last night, something unexpected and unforeseen occurred. Danger closed in on the criminal. And as a result, Yasuko was killed.”

“...” “Can’t you see? It’s about Sada Yasuko—the intense interrogation by Hayashida and me. That led to the possibility she might confess something. If she were to talk, it’d spell disaster—so isn’t it logical to think the criminal panicked and killed her?” “However, the criminal should have been fully aware in advance that you, Hayashida, and the police would interrogate Yasuko quite harshly. If the criminal is truly a great genius as you say, they absolutely must have factored such things into their plans from the start.”

“Impressive.” “As expected of you.” “That’s right.” “Of course.” “The criminal must have thought it would be safe for Yasuko to remain alive at least until May 1st.” “They had believed Yasuko wouldn’t talk for the time being.” “They suddenly panicked last night.” “There’s no other conclusion but that their confidence in her had faltered.” “That’s why the nature of the crimes to come is going to be dire.” “Presto.” “Agitato, you know.” “And while the finishing touches went surprisingly well, it was an extremely risky job, you know.”

To an amateur’s eye, it might have appeared flashy and splendid. However, for the composer who had created that magnificent overture and first movement, a second movement that should by no means have been a source of pride was now completed.

A lengthy introduction with a slow tempo, followed by a calm first movement—*andante*—like the surface of a lake; the composer had intended to insert a rest of at least twelve days between this movement and the second. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the second movement was performed unexpectedly early and in *presto*. Thus this murder symphony—constructed on the theme of the Akikawa family—had its first and second movements composed in *andante* and *presto*, beginning by chance to be performed in symphonic form. Would the third movement indeed be performed next? ……That’s right. Perhaps the third movement might arrive surprisingly early as well. “We can’t afford to dawdle.”

Having said this, he glanced briefly at his wristwatch. "There’s no need to be in such a hurry." "But I can’t help feeling restless."

“Is it really that urgent?”

“Yes, this murder artist carelessly commenced the symphony’s second movement.” “However much of a genius he may be, he must have left some oversight.” “It’s precisely because of this oversight.” “If the third movement were to be performed suddenly… But there’s still time.” “Let’s follow our usual method and examine last night’s incident first.”

He exhaled increasingly thick clouds of cigar smoke. “She turned pale at Mr. Grass Whistle’s usual signal.” “It must have been around that time.” “The criminal had lost confidence in Yasuko’s—” “But back then, there were only you, me, and Hayashida present.” “I’m not talking about the exact moment her face changed.” “What matters is her condition after she left the room.” “That’s beyond our knowledge.”

8

“At that time, this genius criminal must have determined that Yasuko needed to be eliminated immediately at all costs.” “So was the perpetrator actually inside the house then?” “Given their awareness of her demeanor and behavior, we must assume they were at least within the Akikawa estate’s grounds.” "The crucial question is who Yasuko met after leaving the piano room with that pallid expression." “We must conclude the criminal either accompanied Yasuko into the garden or trailed behind her.” “Regardless, during last night’s turmoil, there existed one individual who ventured into the garden wearing only slippers.”

At this moment, I paused to consider for a while. Fujieda, I, and the Inspector had all exited through the main entrance wearing shoes, while Hiroko had gone out wearing geta. Only Hayashida alone had hurried down from the second floor and, without even putting on shoes, rushed out through that glass door entrance in slippers.

“Yeah, Hayashida was wearing slippers.” “No, there’s one more person besides that, I tell you.” “It’s well established that Hayashida went out wearing slippers.” “But he must have gone back up through the glass door entrance afterward.” “But last night when I went up through the back entrance, I discovered a pair of soiled slippers.” “And by pure chance!”

I remembered that moment from last night. “We must determine two things: who wore these slippers, and why their owner went outside.” “Huh… And what about Shuntarō?” “Well, that’s just it. You can understand that Shuntarō’s rushing out of the room was by no means due to being subjected to violence, right? At the very least, he rushed out of the room of his own volition. And in a great hurry at that, you know.”

“Do you think he saw something?” “If he had seen something, it couldn’t have been a horrifying scene. Had that been the case, he would’ve screamed or cried out.” “Regardless, leaving the record player running like that when he rushed out shows he must have been in an extraordinary hurry.”

"But why would Shuntarō, who was in such a hurry, have properly closed the door on his way out? You did say that door had clicked shut, though…"

“That’s right.” “Indeed…” “Can’t we consider it this way? Shuntarō deliberately left the record playing and closed the door behind him as he left.” “You mean…” Because I didn’t quite understand, I tried asking like this.

"In other words, he made it so that even though he wasn't actually in that room, it would properly appear from the outside that he was inside—don't you think?" "I see."

“Next, let us tentatively consider the criminal’s activities.” “Given the circumstances I mentioned earlier, Shuntarō’s killer—who was likely also Yasuko’s killer—struck down both of them like lightning amidst the grove of trees in that garden.” “You see.” “This wasn’t done in some remote house far from people.” “Inside the house were we and many others—a situation where at any moment, someone might chance to go out into the garden.” “If that were the case, it would mean the criminal had indeed placed themselves in an extremely perilous situation for a very brief period.” “This must indeed be called a madly desperate, reckless assault on his part.”

“In reality, if they were seen, it would spell disaster.” “However, would the composer of such a grand symphony so casually risk such enormous danger, no matter how desperate they became?”

9 “Suppose the criminal were seen by someone while still at Yasuko and Shuntarō’s side before their deaths—would that truly spell disaster?” “If so, we’d have to conclude they exposed themselves to grave danger for a relatively long period—even if just a minute or two.” “Would Napoleon—my revered master of crime—commit such a blunder, no matter how desperate he became?” “I don’t believe he would.”

“You mean…?”

“In other words, the criminal’s danger lasted only an instant.” “It must have been less than a second.” “If someone had witnessed Shuntarō’s head being split or Yasuko’s neck being strangled, it would have meant disaster for anyone.” “But this duration was exceedingly brief.” “According to the criminal’s calculations, the probability of this being discovered was vanishingly small.” “So isn’t it okay if they’re seen immediately after the murder?”

“That’s right. I believe that’s how we should consider it.” “I don’t quite get it.” “Don’t you get it? Then let me explain with an example. Now, suppose I were to discover the old man of the Akikawa family standing beside Shuntarō’s corpse by chance. At that moment, he would say, ‘Mr. Fujieda, something terrible has happened! I heard a strange noise and came to check, only to find this horrible scene!’ and cling to me—just imagine that. Would I be able to suspect him immediately? Would that spell disaster for him? That wouldn’t be the case. After all, you can’t suspect the old man of that house for walking around his own garden. Therefore, if Shunzō were to kill Shuntarō, the risk would be considerably minimal.” “For the same reason, suppose Hiroko or Sadako were discovered by a maid—say, that woman Kiyo—standing beside Yasuko’s corpse. ‘It’s terrible, Kiyo! It’s terrible, Yasuko…!’ If she groans, reels backward, and feigns shock—just imagine—who would ever suspect Hiroko or Sadako?”

“I see. So you believe the murderer this time is definitely someone inside the house.” “It’s finally become like *The Greene Murder Case*. At that time, the culprit in the garden must have been either one of the family members inside the house or someone very close to Yasuko and Shuntarō—in other words, we can only conclude they were someone who wouldn’t arouse suspicion even if discovered immediately after committing the murder, just as I explained earlier.”

“But back then, Shunzō, Hiroko, Sadako, and Hatsue all had alibis!” “But there is such a thing as accomplices.”

At that moment, I remembered Date Masao and felt a shudder run through my body. “At least the one who directly committed the deed isn’t a family member… Then our first suspect would be Date.” “That’s right. Date does meet the conditions I just mentioned.” “Then that accomplice would naturally be Sadako, of course.” “Ogawa, this won’t do—you’re only looking at surface appearances. True, if we posit Date as the culprit, Sadako would logically be his accomplice. But that’s merely the superficial narrative. Date and Sadako are engaged. But have you ever witnessed these so-called lovers embracing affectionately? Make no mistake—they’re formally betrothed. Yet no one’s observed genuine affection between them. No—even if some fondness exists, a man capable of such crimes could compromise with anyone. Particularly among the Akikawas’ peculiar household. He might be secretly colluding with Hiroko. It’s not impossible he’s conspiring with Hatsue. For that matter, there’s no telling what arrangement he’s struck with that old man. Among these possibilities, collusion with Hiroko or Sadako remains the most plausible.”

10

“Now listen. “Who do you think stands to gain most from these crimes? “On the surface, Sadako and Date appear to have benefited from the April 17th murder. “But then who profited from last night’s killings? “As I said before, Criminal X gains from Yasuko’s death. “But Shuntarō’s demise – who benefits there? “Consider this. “Shuntarō was the Akikawa family’s legal heir. “With him gone, only three sisters remain. “Wouldn’t that make the eldest daughter the primary beneficiary?”

“So you’re saying Hiroko is the suspect?” “Well, if we’re calling people suspicious, then everyone’s suspicious.” “Exactly—I’d say every single member of the Akikawa family should be suspected.”

“If the culprit lies entirely outside the Akikawa family, then of course it’s a different matter. After the 17th incident, I told you here that surely this case wouldn’t turn out like the Greene family’s. However, I may have to retract these words.”

“Now first—the initial incident, that is, the April 17th case.” “The first who can be entirely cleared of suspicion is Shuntarō.” “Next comes Hatsue.” “These two seemingly knew nothing about the medicine or related matters.” “Therefore, once suspicion falls here, every other family member becomes suspectable.” “The primary suspect among them would be Shunzō.”

“Why would he kill his own wife?” “Do you think motives like that are so obvious? Especially in a house bursting with secrets. Framing Shunzō makes for the most convenient theory—one that’s easily explained. A husband entering his wife’s bedroom at bedtime? Perfectly natural.”

"But the door was locked from the inside." "Did you witness Tokuko locking it herself? It's merely Shunzō's own claim, isn't it? Hiroko simply heard that account from her father. Shunzō enters his wife's room, switches the medicine while conversing with her, then makes her drink mercuric chloride before swiftly returning to his own quarters. This theory conveniently explains why the ceiling light in Tokuko's bedroom remained on. Normally, someone taking nighttime medicine would turn on a lamp and switch off the main light first. Viewed this way, the missing antipyrine becomes understandable - we can presume Shunzō hid it somewhere. The locking could have occurred after the commotion began." "The same logic applies if we substitute Hiroko as the culprit - simply replace husband with daughter. There's nothing unusual about Hiroko entering her mother's bedroom. Had she motive to kill her mother, she seized an ideal opportunity - committing murder to deflect suspicion onto Sadako while clearing herself."

“But Fujieda, what about Tokuko’s last words? Given those final words, you can’t plausibly suspect her husband or Hiroko.” “You really don’t grasp it, do you? As I told you before, that whole story could easily be Hiroko’s invention. Moreover, even if it were true—since Tokuko didn’t realize her medicine had been switched—there’s nothing strange about her mentioning Sadako, who’d suggested the treatment in the first place. Now, next is Sadako.” “She’s equally suspectable.” “For the same reasons as before.” “Add to that the critical point of her strained relationship with her mother.” “Therefore, we might say every family member remains under suspicion.” “Outside the family, Date naturally comes first.” “The rationale matches Sadako’s case.” “Though he likely couldn’t enter Tokuko’s bedroom to switch the medicine.” “The logical starting point would be Sadako’s room.” “I don’t believe Sada Yasuko is guilty.” “Not merely because she was later murdered—it’s simply too brazen for someone bearing a grudge against the Akikawas to audaciously take employment as their maid.” “However, across all these scenarios, the most vexing question remains: how did the culprit obtain the mercuric chloride?”

11

“In the first crime—as I just mentioned—we can suspect four individuals: Shunzō, Hiroko, Sadako, and Date.” “Now, what about the second incident—that is, last night’s crime?” “Among these, we must conclude that none of the three—Shunzō, Hiroko, or Sadako—are the direct culprits.” “As I have already stated, all of them have perfect alibis.”

“The troublesome thing is—as I mentioned earlier—Date Masao, who appears most suspicious and could indeed be considered the direct culprit, can secretly communicate with any of these three.” “However, that doesn’t mean all three are equally suspicious.”

“Though I’ve never fathered children myself, I consider patricide far more improbable than sororicide.” “Therefore, in this case, our suspicion should weigh heavier upon Hiroko and Sadako than Shunzō.” “Now, I wish to particularly emphasize the most delicate point in last night’s incident.” “That record trick.” “Why would the culprit devise such a mechanism? I’d cite that trick as one of the crime’s most distinctive features.” “As I showed you yesterday evening, to any uninformed observer, it would appear you lifted the needle before reaching the trio section.” “That’s the nature of the deception.” “Fortunately owning an identical record, I tested it at standard speed late last night—it took precisely twenty-four seconds to reach that mark.” “Playing through to where you actually lifted the needle requires exactly one minute and twenty seconds.” “Why employ such a trick?” “Would your average criminal even conceive such a scheme?” “Precisely this point.” “While representing the killer’s cleverest maneuver, it simultaneously constitutes a grave oversight.” “Because this allows us to eliminate dull-witted suspects from consideration. If someone within the Akikawa household possesses such cunning—who could it possibly be?” (The standard speed for Victor Records is seventy-eight revolutions per minute.

Author’s Note)

Fujieda fell silent for a moment when he reached this point, but then suddenly spoke again.

“The primary aspect we should consider about this crime lies here.” At that moment, something came back to me and I posed a question.

“Shuntarō… To strip that boy naked, bind his hands behind his back, and torture him to death—isn’t that an excessively cruel method?” “If the killer’s goal was simply to murder him…” “Well, if there’s someone here harboring a profound grudge against Shunzō and wants to torment him as much as possible, then killing his child in the cruelest way possible would achieve that.” “Indeed, that objective has been thoroughly achieved.” “Shunzō seems relatively composed, but he must be suffering terribly inside, you know.”

“After all, Shuntarō is just a boy.” “I don’t think he was particularly hated by anyone.” “So it seems the parents’ karma has been visited upon the child.” “Then it doesn’t necessarily mean the boy was killed purely over financial matters.” “You do make astute observations.” “You’ve grasped something crucial.” “Precisely.” “There are two issues.” “First: why was Shuntarō killed?” “Second: why was he killed in that manner—why such a brutal method?” “The way that boy was murdered is indeed one of this case’s defining characteristics.” “Only one conclusion satisfies both questions simultaneously.” “Namely: this is a crime committed by someone who harbors profound hatred toward Shunzō.”

After saying this, he stared at me for a while, then tossed the cigar—now burned down to about a third of its length—into the ashtray with a sharp flick.

"But there's another oddity you haven't noticed yet, have you?" 12

“Hard to say.” “Don’t you think this crime carries a distinctly perverse erotic quality—stripping that rosy-cheeked beautiful boy naked, binding his hands behind his back to strangle him, splitting his skull open, tearing apart Yasuko’s chest to kill her?” “Now that you mention it, I suppose it does.”

“Even if we accept Yasuko ended up in that state from resisting, stripping Shuntarō’s clothes must have been the culprit’s doing.” “They might have stripped him after he died, though…”

"But looking at how badly abraded Shuntarō’s wrists were from being bound behind his back, doesn’t it seem like he struggled quite a bit after being tied up?" "Impressive." "You’ve remembered quite well." "Well then, how do you explain that he didn’t let out a single scream while struggling?" "That’s right." "First, they struck his head with a heavy blow, and while he was unconscious, stripped off his clothes, then bound him, and when Shuntarō came to, strangled him to death—isn’t that what happened?"

“Exactly,” Fujieda said. “Though the autopsy will confirm it, I agree.” “Still,” Ogawa countered, “if this were truly the work of someone bearing such hatred for Shunzō, then Hiroko’s, Sadako’s, and Date’s behavior seems inconsistent.” Fujieda leaned forward. “You must understand—truth often lies beneath layers of deception. When I served as prosecutor, I handled a case that initially appeared to be an inheritance murder... only to discover it stemmed from romantic obsession.” He paused meaningfully. “Conversely, I’ve seen crimes disguised as crimes of passion that were coldly financial.” His cigarette glowed as he continued: “Appearances mislead. Begin your reasoning there, and you’ll wander lost through labyrinths of falsehood.” Ash fell like punctuation. “Shuntarō’s death method marks one distinctive feature of this case—but never let that feature blind you.” A wry smile twisted his lips. “It might well be the killer’s most cunning trick.”

Having said this, Fujieda took out another A-ship from his cigarette case.

At that moment, the telephone emitted a shrill ring, prompting him to hurry over and answer it. After conversing briefly, he soon concluded the call and returned to his chair wearing a faint smile. “That was Mr. Okuyama. As requested, he observed this morning’s autopsies of both bodies and shared his findings.” “Shuntarō’s immediate cause of death was ligature strangulation.” “To clarify—he sustained a blunt force trauma first, followed by strangulation. This aligns precisely with your earlier hypothesis.” “Additionally, Yasuko’s death has been confirmed as manual strangulation.”

Then, once again, the telephone bell began ringing shrilly. “Oh—could that be Mr. Okuyama again?”

Fujieda hurriedly stood up and took the receiver, but—

“Ah, Inspector Takahashi?” “What? Caught this morning?” “Where?” “At Shinjuku Station?” “I see.” “May I come over?” “Then I’ll come over now.”

After saying this, he hung up the phone and came right over to me.

“What is it? Did they catch the culprit?” “Yeah, apparently early this morning, detectives from Ushigome Station who were staking out various stations spotted a man acting suspiciously fidgety at Shinjuku Station. When they questioned him and his answers didn’t add up, they brought him to the station. Then he finally confessed to having broken into the Akikawa residence last night—just a bit earlier than we thought.” “And murder?” “It seems it hasn’t gone that far yet. Since the Judicial Officer’s kindly allowing us to come, why don’t we go take a look?”

This was no time for hesitation.

Fujieda and I immediately boarded the car.

Suspect 1

1 When we got into the car, he continued filling the vehicle with cigarette smoke as usual, but then—prompted by some thought—suddenly brought up this topic. “That young man Date Masao... He has a rather likable face, wouldn’t you say? A fine young man. I do hope he’s entirely unconnected to this criminal affair... Though now that I mention it, he does resemble someone I’ve seen before. I just can’t seem to recall...”

However, I understood perfectly well what he was talking about. Date’s countenance closely resembled the impression one gets upon seeing the star wrestler Tenryū directly. He was a handsome man whose face bore a striking resemblance to that dignified yet subtly peculiar visage—one might even call it bewitching.

In January of this year, I had invited Fujieda to a sumo tournament. In his boyhood, he had only seen matches featuring Umegatani and Hitachiyama, and having seen no sumo since then, he was watching the ring with apparent boredom—but during the makuuchi dohyō-iri ceremony, he immediately noticed Tenryū and,

“Now that’s fine sumo. What’s his name?” He turned to me for an explanation. Next, Tenryū mounted the ring to fight Noshigata. When he finished him off with a sukuinage throw, Fujieda involuntarily clapped in delight. The day’s most anticipated match pitted Musashiyama against Asashio. From the initial charge until they locked into left-handed grips, Asashio dominated overwhelmingly, driving Musashiyama perilously close to the eastern edge. But at the brink of defeat, Musashiyama extended his left arm, leveraged Asashio’s signature underarm throw against him, and countered with a flawless sukuinage reversal to claim victory.

In Fujieda’s mind, the face of Tenryū must have been faintly lingering and connecting itself to Date. I deliberately said nothing and continued smoking my cigarette. When the car arrived in front of the police station, Fujieda and I were immediately shown to Judicial Officer Takahashi’s room. “Thank you for earlier,” he said. “I promptly brought Ogawa with me to see you.” “Well, he was quite a tough nut—even the detectives seemed stumped—but since he finally started talking a little while ago, we thought we should inform you right away.”

“Thank you. Does his testimony hold up?” “He denies the murder charges but fully admits to trespassing on the estate. There’s no doubt about that.” “Hmm. So theft was the motive?” “No. The suspect is Sada Yasuko’s paramour. My own investigation revealed she’d been drifting between bars and cafés until now.”

At this moment, the waiter brought tea for us, but I was able to catch a glimpse of the top page of the interrogation document placed before Inspector Takahashi. In the first line was written some complex legal terminology, but in the next part, No fixed address　　 Unemployed Okamoto Ichirō alias Hayakawa Tatsukichi (Current 23rd Year)

was written.

Fujieda also appeared to acknowledge it while moistening his mouth with tea,

“So that Hayakawa Tatsukichi is today’s suspect, then.”

“Yes. We’ve let him rest for a while now, and were just about to take his formal testimony here once more.”

Having said that, Inspector Takahashi pressed the call bell on the desk. Before long, the door opened and a uniformed officer entered. The Inspector whispered something to him in a low voice, but the officer soon left.

After two or three minutes had passed, the same officer entered the room, leading a young man before him. This must have been the man called Hayakawa Tatsukichi.

2

I was somewhat surprised when I saw that young man. Given that this was a man under the terrifying suspicion of having broken into the Akikawa residence last night and possibly murdered two people—and moreover, one who had reportedly given the detectives considerable trouble—I had imagined a far more ferocious-looking youth would appear. However, Hayakawa Tatsukichi, who had now appeared before us, looked nothing like such a master criminal, no matter how one viewed him. Even if he were to commit crimes, one could only imagine them being petty burglaries at best.

Having been held in custody for some time, his sleep-deprived complexion was utterly haggard, but at first glance he was a handsome man with an air of refinement about him. If one were to describe Date—who had come up in conversation during the car ride—with the word "dignified," then this Hayakawa was by no means dignified, but rather a refined man. If Date somehow evoked Tenryū, then Hayakawa had the air of an actor. (I want readers to clearly grasp Hayakawa Tatsukichi’s face, so I’d like to invoke Tokyo’s Fukusuke doll as a reference—but that would make him far too handsome.) I would like you to imagine that sort of face made much dirtier. (I believe that if you would also mix in Tokizō’s melancholy when imagining this, you might somewhat grasp this man’s appearance.)

He wore a soiled kasuri-pattern kimono fastened with a heko obi, zōri sandals on his feet. With the air of complete resignation, he began responding to the Inspector's questions. (Hayakawa Tatsukichi had been raised in the Kansai region, as evidenced by his testimony. While his entire account was originally delivered in Kansai dialect, we present it here translated into standard Japanese for clarity.) "My name is Hayakawa Tatsukichi. I am twenty-three years old this year." "I recently took up residence at a boarding house called Yaezakukan in Ushigome Ward, ○-chō, ○-chōme, though I currently have no formal occupation." "My parents were established merchants who operated a pawnshop." "During my childhood, both parents were alive and well in Osaka, where I attended elementary school." "I lost my father around the time I graduated elementary school." "However, given our substantial family assets, I experienced no particular hardships and subsequently enrolled at a local middle school." "When I lost my mother during my third year of middle school, I was placed in the care of my uncle then residing on Osaka's outskirts, continuing my education from his home."

“After that, I continued commuting to school from my uncle’s place, but around the time I graduated middle school, I realized for the first time that all of my father’s assets had been embezzled by my uncle. Of course I fought fiercely with my uncle and aunt, but in the end, I was completely swindled by them. My uncle exploited his position as my legal guardian to commit truly heinous acts. Yes, if my uncle hadn’t been such a scoundrel, I wouldn’t have ended up in such a wretched state now.”

He said this, but it appeared he was extremely regretful, as tears welled up in his eyes.

“Not a single relative would stand up against that wicked uncle of mine, so I ended up completely alone.” "But after graduating middle school, I wanted to go on to high school, so I took the entrance exam once, but it did not go well." "This was exactly when I was nineteen years old." “My uncle handed me a paltry sum of assets and steered me toward ruin.” "Looking back now, it's truly regrettable, but at the time—on one hand I had become self-destructive, and on the other hand, being young yet suddenly having a bit of money to spend freely—I ended up indulging in drinking and women day and night." “I had completely fallen into my uncle’s clever scheme.” “On one hand, my uncle entrusted me with money to use freely and allowed me to indulge in drinking and women, while on the other hand, he went around telling our many relatives what a fool I was and how I was an incorrigible libertine.”

3 “Until then, there had been two or three people among my relatives and friends who, while not openly opposing my uncle, had secretly sympathized with me in private. But as they saw my growing dissoluteness day by day, and due to my uncle’s exaggerated propaganda about it, they all grew disgusted with me and gradually distanced themselves.” “In the spring of my twentieth year, I discovered bars, and by autumn I had learned the pleasures of teahouse drinking.” “I was truly lonely.” “If only my parents had been alive… I can’t tell you how many times I cried out like this in my heart.” “Betrayed by the relative I had trusted most, I wandered the pleasure quarters, always seeking kindness—especially from women—and sincerity in others.”

“The fact that I became completely immersed in debauchery and ultimately grew intimate with a woman from the pleasure quarters truly played right into my uncle’s hands.” “He, without my knowledge, convened a family meeting where he made all the relatives acknowledge that I was utterly incapable of inheriting my father’s business, and then openly took over my home.” “I must apologize for saying this in your honorable presence, but I truly find it strange that such people can strut about so brazenly in this world.”

Tatsukichi said this with genuine resentment and looked in our direction. The Inspector listened to his words in silence, his face as expressionless as stone. Fujieda, however, gazed at Hayakawa Tatsukichi with an expression that seemed to fully sympathize. “The uncle who took over my house openly expelled me.” “No, it was I who rushed out.” “And then I came to live for about half a year with a geisha named Kinsan—who had been working in Minami—on the outskirts of Osaka.”

“And her full name?” Inspector Takahashi interjected briefly.

“Her name was Okada Katsuko.” “At the time, we still had some money left, so the two of us lived carefree lives together. However, after about half a year together, circumstances arose that led us to part ways.” “This was when I was twenty-one years old.” “After that, the woman I became close with was Sada Yasuko—the one now involved in this incident. She worked as a waitress at a bar called Schwarze Katze in Dōtonbori.”

"Around January of last year, I went there and became close with her. At that time, Yasuko was going by the name Harumi. By that time, we no longer had much money left, and being openly together had become troublesome, so—I will never forget—on January 28th of last year, the two of us fled Osaka and settled in Nagoya. In Nagoya, since Yasuko had also lived there before, I thought it would be convenient." "Until July of last year, we managed to live together without incident, but as our life grew increasingly difficult, from August onward I had to put Yasuko back to work at a bar in Nagoya."

“I did feel some unease about sending Yasuko—my wife in practice though we never held a ceremony—back to work at a bar. But as I said earlier, with our money gone, there was no other choice.” “Around mid-September I started noticing something odd about Yasuko’s behavior, but I told myself it was just my imagination and tried to bear it.” “Right around then I needed work myself, so I finally found a job at a small printing shop and started going there every day.”

In this way, we managed to get through September without incident. It was the fifth day of October. I worked all day and finally returned home—though of course it was just a rented room—around six in the evening, only to find Yasuko gone. When I looked around, I realized that none of Yasuko’s belongings remained. “Damn it!” “She took a lover and finally ran off, damn her!” I thought. 4 “After that—and this is embarrassing to admit—I became utterly obsessed with searching for Yasuko. I became like a starving demon and wandered all over Nagoya every day, searching everywhere. Of course I went to every bar and café where Yasuko had worked, searching them all exhaustively, but I couldn’t find any trace of her whereabouts.”

“I searched until around mid-November, but I had absolutely no idea where she had gone.” “So when November came, I returned to Osaka once again.” “If only I had even a lead on the man she ran off with—of course I could manage something—but I couldn’t find any trace of him at all.”

“After returning to Osaka, I swallowed my pride and went to see my uncle, but he refused to acknowledge me. So I worked odd jobs and did various things while searching all over Osaka.” “I’d been in Osaka through last year when I caught wind from other waitresses at my old workplace Schwarze Katze that she might’ve gone to Tokyo. After scraping together travel funds, I immediately headed for the capital.” “That was in January of this year.”

“Tokyo is vast, and on top of that, since it was my first time there, I had no idea where or how to begin searching. I thought about visiting every bar in Ginza one by one, but without money, I couldn’t even enter through the front entrances. During that time, I endured hardships beyond words—selling newspapers and doing whatever I could. It’s foolish to say this was all for one woman, but I was completely consumed.”

"But single-mindedness can be terrifying—at the beginning of last month, in Shibuya, I caught sight of what seemed to be her figure inside a bus. I was walking, so I couldn’t immediately give chase, but from then on, I moved my residence to the Shibuya area and kept watch there day and night." "Through a chance opportunity at a small bar in Shibuya, I heard that someone resembling her was at a bar nearby, so I went immediately to check, only to find she had taken leave just two or three days before. That was at the beginning of this month."

“However, once things had become clear up to this point, searching afterward became much easier. Posing as her brother, I made various inquiries at that establishment and managed to dig up quite a bit of information. Then when I searched for Keian—where Yasuko had apparently gone to seek help—I discovered she’d entered into service at a house called Akikawa in Ushigome precisely on the 8th of this month. Somehow she’d worked some trick to get someone properly posing as her older sister to serve as guarantor—apparently an older woman who’d been with her at a bar in Shibuya and was now running a proper shop with some man.”

“From that day onward under the pseudonym Okamoto Ichirō, I moved into my current boarding house and began observing the Akikawa residence daily.” “Of course my initial plan had been to visit her directly at the Akikawa residence, but when I actually went to the gate and saw its grandeur, I suddenly grew frightened and reconsidered—thinking it better to wait until she might come out someday.” “I reasoned that phoning would only put her on guard, so I resolved to wait for an opportunity.” “Then at last that opportunity arrived.”

“Wait.”

Fujieda suddenly interjected, but he glanced at the inspector with a look that seemed to ask for permission.

Since the inspector didn’t seem to object, he turned back toward Hayakawa Tatsukichi. “That would be the afternoon of the 17th of this month, I take it. When Sada Yasuko left the Akikawa residence to go to the pharmacy, you met her, right?”

This question came as a complete surprise to me.

However, Hayakawa answered without showing any particular surprise.

“Ah, did she say that herself? As you’ve stated, that afternoon I finally succeeded in apprehending Yasuko.”

5 “Give me a detailed account of your encounter.” This time, the inspector addressed Hayakawa. “Yes.

“That day, as I was loitering around the Akikawa residence as usual—sometime in the evening—a woman who looked like her emerged from the back gate.” “I immediately planned to rush over and confront her, but since she appeared to be in a dreadful hurry, I changed tactics and began tailing her discreetly.” “After walking five or six blocks, she went into a shop called Saigō Pharmacy.” “With each minute feeling like an hour, I waited until she finally emerged—only to come face-to-face with her abruptly at the street corner.”

Needless to say, Yasuko was shocked at that moment. “All the things I’d been thinking until then suddenly surged up in my chest—I truly didn’t know where to begin. But since we were in the middle of a public street, I went around a couple blocks to a small park, sat down on a bench, and we talked for six or seven minutes. Of course, she kept trying to run away, but I intimidated her and dragged her along.”

“However, Yasuko took out a medicine package from her obi and explained she’d gone to retrieve this for an emergency patient, so she couldn’t talk long now—and tried to escape.”

“Wait—you.” “Wasn’t Yasuko holding that medicine bag in her hand?”

Fujieda interjected. "No, she took it out from her obi and showed it to me." "I couldn’t have a long talk there at any rate." "So I proposed we part ways for now but meet tonight if she was free." "She insisted she’d never run off with any lover until then." "She kept protesting there was some profound reason behind this." “Next time I blow a grass whistle outside the mansion’s wall,” I warned sharply, “use that as your signal to come out without fail. If you don’t show up… well, you’ll regret it.” With that ultimatum, I reluctantly parted from her that afternoon on the 17th. "That night, I kept signaling from outside the wall, but Yasuko never came out." "Frustrated, I tried calling—but when some woman’s voice suddenly answered, I hung up without a word."

The following day, as I kept watch from morning, it seemed something had occurred—police officers were frequently coming and going to the Akikawa residence since dawn. Hmm, what’s going on here? I wondered in confusion, but when I looked at that evening’s paper, there it was—the whole situation laid out. Realizing Yasuko likely wouldn’t emerge today, I gave up on the 18th and went home.

On the morning of the 19th, when I called, Yasuko happened to answer by coincidence. “Of course I was just trying to scare her by saying ‘I’ll kill you if we don’t meet tonight,’ but she insisted she couldn’t come out because of tomorrow’s funeral.” “So tomorrow night—meaning last night.” “Since she said she’d come out without fail if I gave the signal on the night of the 20th, I hung up.” So I kept watch to make sure Yasuko wouldn’t run away, but on the 19th there was nothing I could do. “Last night—though my memory’s hazy—I went outside the wall a little past eight to signal her, but got no response.” “After a while—must’ve been before nine—I blew the grass whistle again from outside the wall.”

"Then, after some time had passed, a stone came flying from the direction of the garden." When I looked, there was paper wrapped around it. With my heart racing, I unfolded it and went over to the streetlight to take a look. Scrawled in pencil were the words: "Come immediately and wait by the post over there." "I couldn’t wait a moment longer." "I climbed over the wall from where the stone had come flying and suddenly jumped inside."

6 “Placing my hands on the wall and nimbly climbing atop it—probably a cherry tree—I used the large trunk to descend into the grounds and touched down on the ground.” “At that moment, I was so desperate to meet Yasuko that I hadn’t scouted the interior beforehand, but from beyond the wall, I’d assumed it would open into a thickly wooded, dark garden.”

The moment I jumped down into the garden, I found myself plunged into utter darkness where I couldn't properly see my surroundings. Yet I immediately knew where Yasuko was—because she had whispered "Oh, you came?" while drawing near to me. No, she didn't attempt to flee when she saw me. She approached me herself. Of course, she might have already resigned herself to being trapped.

“I suddenly grabbed her arm and began to say what was on my mind.” Then Yasuko promptly cut me off and began explaining that she had never taken up with a lover or betrayed me in any way—and furthermore, “The truth is, the medicine I retrieved on the night of the seventeenth had been altered into a potent poison that caused Madam’s death. That’s why I never mentioned meeting you along the way—I didn’t want suspicion falling on you. Though prosecutors, detectives, and investigators have grilled me relentlessly until now, I haven’t breathed a word about our encounter.” “So I can’t help but think they suspect me now.” “But there’s one kind soul who’s been shielding me—that’s why I’ve stayed safe this long…” “Given how things stand, we can’t linger here any longer—it’s too dangerous.” “Wait outside exactly as I told you.” “I’ll come without fail.”

she said these words.

Her demeanor at that moment didn't seem entirely false, but I was already in such a frenzied state that— "Saying such things won't help you escape." "I won't let you slip away this time!"

“While saying this, I firmly grasped her right arm with both hands. Yasuko, insisting that it would be disastrous if someone saw us talking here now, was trying to escape by any means necessary, so in my rage, I seized her arm and dragged her two or three feet closer to me.”

“Are you really going to be so rough?” “Then I’ll raise my voice and call for help!” She said this, but true to form, she didn’t raise her voice; instead, she suddenly looked toward the house, “Oh, someone’s coming this way!”

“she cried out.” Without thinking, I looked toward the splendid main house and saw someone coming from beside the lit room. “I released her in surprise and whispered, ‘Then I’ll be waiting for you to come later,’” “No sooner had I said this than I climbed back up the same tree and escaped outside.”

“Hmm, so you had that exact exchange with Yasuko there, didn’t you? And you were gripping Yasuko’s arm with enough force to leave bruises,” the inspector said. “Yes.”

“According to your account so far, whether Yasuko had a lover or not, we must conclude she ran away because she despised you.” “No matter how self-important you act, you must acknowledge this truth.” “It’s already strange enough that the woman approached you when you suddenly jumped into the garden, but her staying silent while being manhandled like that is rather hard to swallow.”

7

“But what I’ve just told you is the truth.” “If her arm was injured like that and she was being dragged around, she would’ve had to cry out.” “……Didn’t you strangle her right then?” “No, I would never…” “But at that moment, as you yourself admitted, you must have been in a frenzy.” “In that frenzy, couldn’t you have done it?” “No, I never once intended to kill her from the beginning.”

“No. “I’m not claiming you tried to kill Yasuko.” “But as I just said, weren’t you acting frantically with your hands to stop her scream?” “Isn’t that so?” “Think carefully.” “…………”

Hayakawa Tatsukichi remained silent for a time, looking down, but eventually raised his eyebrows and,

“No, no matter how I think about it, I have no recollection of doing such a thing,” he declared flatly. “I’ll tell you this—the Sada Yasuko you claimed to have spoken with last night was found dead shortly after that, strangled to death.” “What? What did you say? Yasuko... was killed...” The young man involuntarily said this, but suddenly his previously tense expression relaxed, his eyes became vacant, and his lips slackly drooped.

Judging by his demeanor, there was no other conclusion than that he had been entirely unaware of Yasuko’s death until now; however, since skilled criminals expertly execute such cunning performances at critical moments, one might conversely interpret this as an exceptionally well-staged act.

The inspector silently watched the young man’s demeanor for a while but eventually posed a question.

“So you’re saying you had absolutely no idea until now that Yasuko was killed?” “Huh… Not at all…”

Hayakawa answered as though he truly had no knowledge of it.

“Then I’ll ask.” The inspector’s tone suddenly turned stern. “Why were you loitering around Shinjuku Station late last night—or rather, early this morning? If it was just as you said earlier, then wouldn’t it have been better to return to your lodgings? Your attempt to flee somewhere—isn’t this precisely because you knew Yasuko had been killed? In other words, it’s because you killed her at that time. You may not have intended to kill her. But while you were frantically strangling her, the woman collapsed, so you panicked and fled, then returned to your lodgings before fleeing again. You committed the grave crime of murder, so you were trying to flee, weren’t you?”

"No, that's absolutely not the case." "That's... There's no way I... could do something so heinous..." Hayakawa exclaimed in a tearful voice, clearly sensing the unexpected suspicion now directed at himself. In fact, he spoke while tears streamed down his face.

“That’s absurd. Nothing like that. As soon as I jumped over the fence, I went straight to that postbox and waited. I waited and waited, but Yasuko didn’t come out, so after a while I went back near the fence and was thinking about blowing the grass whistle again when—I don’t know what happened—two or three constables started patrolling around the Akikawa residence. Since this might look suspicious, I temporarily returned to my lodgings. But afterward, I thoroughly considered everything that had happened today—having crossed into someone’s property over the fence, and what Yasuko said at that time—I thought through all these things carefully.”

8 “I can’t say whether it’s true or not, but if Yasuko’s medicine had somehow been replaced with poison, then it’s no wonder suspicion would fall on me for having secretly met and spoken with her that day.” “Considering the state of the Akikawa household around the 18th and even looking at that evening paper, Yasuko’s story can’t be dismissed as entirely false.” “As I came to think this way, I truly began to feel anxious.” “Moreover, as you yourself pointed out earlier, Inspector, no matter how much I might flatter myself, I can’t believe Yasuko is in love with me now. So if she were to clearly tell the police or detectives about me, my position would become truly precarious.” “After all, since I currently have no stable job and am staying at lodgings under a pseudonym, there’s no helping it if I’m viewed suspiciously.”

“Thinking this, I couldn’t afford to dawdle even a moment longer. Moreover, according to Yasuko, there’s one person who’s kind enough to cover for me—but apparently that very person suspects me. If that’s true, then Yasuko must have at least told that person about me. Realizing I couldn’t afford to dawdle any longer, I rushed out of my lodgings without any particular plan. After that, I don’t remember where or how I wandered, but I ended up at Ueno Station for the first time. But for some reason, I got the feeling detectives were staking out the place there, so I couldn’t settle down and ended up heading to Shinjuku Station in the end. By then, it was already late at night with no trains running, so I was wandering around there exhausted when the detectives found me suspicious and brought me here. Given these circumstances, while I deeply apologize for having indeed trespassed into someone’s garden by climbing over the Akikawa residence’s wall last night, I had absolutely no knowledge of Yasuko’s death.”

Hayakawa Tatsukichi looked around uneasily at the group as he finished speaking. His demeanor showed no trace of composure. "So you panicked and fled your lodgings not because you feared killing Yasuko," pressed Inspector Takahashi, "but from dread of being perceived as Mrs. Akikawa's murderer?" "Y-yes," Hayakawa stammered. "That's exactly right." "Then were you involved in Mrs. Akikawa's death?" "What? What are you—" His voice cracked. "No! Absolutely not!"

“Then you shouldn’t have needed to panic and flee like that. In other words, people can’t be blamed for thinking you were so terrified precisely because you’re involved in that incident.” “But I panicked and fled exactly as I just explained—there’s no other reason.”

“I have a quick question for you.”

Fujieda interjected. "Earlier, when you were talking with Yasuko and she cried out 'Oh, someone's coming this way,' you looked toward the main house and said someone came out—is that right?" "Uh,"

“Was the person who came out at that time a man or a woman? Do you remember whether it was an adult or a child?”

Hayakawa thought for a while but finally opened his mouth.

“You see, whenever I spotted someone coming from a distance, I’d immediately think ‘This is trouble!’ and bolt without so much as glancing back—so I can’t recall clearly.” He answered.

"But this is a crucial point—try hard to remember." But Hayakawa gave no answer.

At that moment, the inspector interjected. "If you can't say it, I'll tell you—the one who came out then must have been a boy of fourteen or fifteen."

9 “A fourteen or fifteen-year-old child?...” Hayakawa retorted with a look of surprise. “That’s right. A fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy. In other words, he’s the Akikawa family’s son. So you—completely absorbed in killing Yasuko—got carried away and murdered that child too in the darkness. Isn’t that right?” “That… child was… killed too!”

Hayakawa’s expression at this moment was truly something bizarre to behold. The fact that Shuntarō had also been killed was something he was hearing for the first time; not only that, but he had completely failed to grasp the judicial officer’s line of questioning and was utterly flustered. If this was an act, it must be called an exceedingly skillful one. However, Inspector Takahashi pressed on without paying any attention to the other’s demeanor. “I’ll make this clear to you. You are currently being interrogated under suspicion of having climbed over the wall of Akikawa Shunzō’s house last night—that is, April 20th at 9 p.m.—intruded into the garden, and brutally murdered the maid Sada Yasuko and the family’s only son, Akikawa Shuntarō.”

Upon hearing this, Hayakawa stared vacantly at the inspector for a moment as if dumbfounded. Then, perhaps suddenly realizing the perilous position he was in, tears began streaming down his face as he covered it with both hands. “I don’t know anything. "I don’t know anything. “I’d never… kill two people…” “I haven’t killed even a single person.”

he cried out and prostrated himself there in tears. Fujieda had been silently observing Hayakawa’s demeanor since earlier, but at this moment, he picked up the crumpled piece of paper that had been lying on the table and slowly unfolded it.

That must have been the crumpled note from Sada Yasuko mentioned during Hayakawa’s testimony earlier. In clumsy pencil scribbles, it was written: "Come right away. Wait by the post across."

Around the time Hayakawa Tatsukichi’s choked sobs had finally begun to subside, Fujieda quietly began speaking to him. “There’s one more thing I’d like to ask you for reference. Earlier in your account, there was a statement that Sada Yasuko said there was one very kind person who sympathized with you and has been protecting you.” “Uh,”

“Didn’t you hear the name of that kind person from Yasuko?” Hayakawa stared fixedly at Fujieda.

He stared at Fujieda with guarded eyes for some time, but soon, “No, I didn’t hear it.” he answered clearly. From his perspective, it seemed that Fujieda too was one of those trying to send him to the scaffold. “Then, from Yasuko’s manner of speaking when she told you, couldn’t you tell whether this kind person was a man or a woman?” Hayakawa stared at Fujieda for a while longer, then cried out in an anguished tone.

“Ah, you all just keep asking about things you know nothing about and tormenting me…”

Having said this, he looked down and began sobbing again.

Neither the inspector nor Fujieda showed any change in expression as they silently observed his demeanor, but just then, there was a knock at the door and a policeman appeared.

“Date Masao has been waiting in the detectives’ room since earlier.” “And Mr. Hayashida has just arrived as well…” “Yeah, got it.” “Please send in Mr. Hayashida.”

The Calm Before the Storm

1

Before long, Hayashida appeared in the doorway. "Ah, Mr. Takahashi, thank you for calling earlier," he said. "I meant to come straight here, but I just visited Akikawa Shunzō... Fujieda, he's in a pitiful state." "He's been bedridden since last night." "Dr. Kizawa has been attending him since morning, but he's refusing all visitors." "Is he that critically ill?" "Not exactly, but he's digging in his heels about not seeing anyone." "Given we were at the scene during that commotion, we've apparently lost their trust completely. You're no exception either, Mr. Takahashi."

“Hmm, so that’s how things stand?” “According to Dr. Kizawa, last night’s shock appears to have aggravated his existing neurasthenia.” “After that incident yesterday evening, he grew so agitated he couldn’t sleep at all. When his condition turned peculiar late last night, they summoned Dr. Kizawa—but even he couldn’t handle him properly and had to administer chloral hydrate or something similar to finally make him sleep.” “When I visited earlier, they said he was asleep.” “He claims he can no longer trust either police or detectives at all—refuses to meet anyone hereafter.” “Apparently he’s resolved not to see even police officials unless they bring a warrant from an examining magistrate.”

“Well, well—if even you, the one who should’ve held his utmost trust, can’t meet him, then I’m utterly out of luck.”

Fujieda scratched his head and gave a wry smile.

Hayashida sat in a nearby chair but, while glancing at Hayakawa Tatsukichi—who had been listening to his and Fujieda’s conversation with a puzzled look—spoke to Inspector Takahashi in a low voice: “This must be the guy from earlier.” “Indeed,” Inspector Takahashi answered equally quietly, then turned to address both Fujieda and Hayashida. “Regarding Date… Since we want to investigate him too, I had a detective bring him here earlier. He’s waiting in the detectives’ room now—we’ll question him later.”

he said.

Fujieda glanced at his wristwatch but, as if remembering something, suddenly stood up. “Well, I’ll go ahead and visit the Akikawa residence once. I might be repelled by the protagonist, but I should be able to meet someone... Hayashida, you make sure to listen carefully to what this Hayakawa Tatsukichi has to say.”

“Mr. Fujieda, are you done interrogating Date?”

“Well, I’d like to hear it, but there’s something urgent I need to attend to…” As he said this with a bow and urged me on, I too greeted Inspector Takahashi and Hayashida before leaving the room.

“It doesn’t seem too far from here, so let’s take a stroll and go see.”

Stepping out of the oppressive police building and emerging under April’s blue sky, I felt a sense of liberation and well-being.

“Hey, about that man Hayakawa... Do you think he’s the culprit?” “Hard to say. But the trespassing into the mansion seems clear enough. The police will likely detain him on those charges for now. Then they’ll gradually move on to the murder investigation itself.” “Can we skip Date’s interrogation?”

"I’d like to hear it, but we probably won’t get much out of it." "Of course, if Date were to confess to murder, that would be another matter… but his inability to establish an alibi alone doesn’t prove anything." "Unless the police can prove he committed the murder, there’s nothing we can do."

2

When they arrived at the Akikawa residence's entrance and rang the bell, it was butler Sasada who appeared. "Is this Mr. Fujieda?" "Mr. Hayashida came by earlier but has already left." "I hear the master is unwell. You must be rather busy these days."

While removing his shoes, Fujieda made this remark.

“I’ve been quite overwhelmed today. Since morning, reporters from the newspapers have been coming, insisting they want to meet the master—or if he’s ill, then the young lady—and they simply wouldn’t leave, so I ended up having to deal with each one personally.” “Ah, well, today’s evening edition will carry an article like ‘Mr. Sasada Jinzō, butler of the Akikawa family, gloomily stated…’. You’re about to become quite famous.” “Not at all! I would never become famous over something like this!”

While saying such things, Sasada the butler ushered the two of us into the parlor. "Of course, since I likely won't be able to meet with the master, I would like to see the young lady." "Oh, this makes me no different from those newspaper reporters." "But I'd be in trouble if you turned me away." "You must be joking..."

Amiably leaving us behind after showing us into the parlor，Sasada withdrew，and shortly thereafter，Hiroko entered the room． “Mr．Fujieda，I understand they apprehended the criminal last night．” “Indeed—how did you learn of this?” “When Mr．Hayashida called earlier，he mentioned it．” “He said you would be going to see Inspector Takahashi．”

“I have just met with the man who was arrested last night at Ushigome Police Station.”

“My goodness! And has the culprit confessed?” Hiroko’s beautiful eyes sparkled brightly. “He does admit to having jumped into the Akikawa residence’s garden from outside. Since he was Yasuko’s paramour, he claims to have come to see her. However, he insists he certainly did not kill Shuntarō-kun, nor does he recall killing Yasuko.”

“And what is your opinion, Mr. Fujieda?” Hiroko stared at Fujieda probingly. “My opinion? Are you asking about that man, Hayakawa Tatsukichi?” “Yes.” “Well, at this point, all we can say is that he might be the murderer, or he might not be.” “But even if Yasuko’s paramour had a grudge against her, why would he make my brother suffer such a fate?”

“Well, that’s precisely the issue.” “I cannot fathom why someone bearing a grudge against Yasuko would need to kill my brother. Unless he interfered with the crime or was actually present witnessing it... But even then, a child like Shuntarō couldn’t possibly have obstructed anything. And unless he were mute, it would be absurd to think he’d stay silent while watching.” “Don’t you agree, Mr. Fujieda?”

“That’s right. I do believe that line of thinking is correct.” “Moreover, there’s simply no way Shuntarō could have known a man connected to Yasuko, don’t you agree? I’m absolutely certain he was lured out of the piano room by someone he was intimately familiar with.”

Having declared this clearly, she looked at Fujieda’s face once more.

At that moment, the door opened, and Sasada the butler entered, reverently carrying a tray with three cups of tea. 3

Fujieda, who had been somewhat flustered by Hiroko’s intensely logical questioning, abruptly turned his attention toward him upon seeing Sasada the butler enter. “Oh, so you’re acting as the maid now? What has become of the maids?” “Yes, due to last night’s commotion, everyone hardly slept, so today I have given them the day off.”

Sasada the butler, with clumsy hands, finished safely arranging the teacups on the table and left the room without saying much.

“As Sasada just mentioned, all the maids have been given the day off.” “However, they seem utterly terrified and haven’t left their rooms.” “When I see the three of them whispering together, I can’t help thinking they might be planning to quit.” “But I can’t blame them.” “In such a creepy house!” “If I were a maid, I couldn’t endure staying even a single day, you know.” “Hohoho.”

Hiroko laughed as she said this, but it was by no means a cheerful laugh. “Ms. Hiroko. Today there is one important matter I wish to ask of you. As you know, before last night’s incident occurred, I had posed crucial questions to your father regarding why he had concealed the threatening letters and concerning the relationship between a man named Date Masao and your household.” “I am aware of that.”

“However, due to that sudden disturbance, I had lost the opportunity to hear a clear answer from your father.” “I had thought to inquire today, but it seems your father has taken ill.” “Even if your father were not ill, as I am not a public official, I cannot insist on an audience should he refuse to meet me.” “In that case, I must first assume that I cannot receive an answer from your father.” “Even Hayashida-kun might not be able to inquire about that.” “Ultimately, there’s no other path than your siblings inquiring directly themselves.” “Of course, I myself am also investigating the background of the man named Date, but…”

For some reason, Fujieda uttered his final words with great force and stared intently at Hiroko’s face for a while. “I would need to ask either you, Ms. Sadako, or Ms. Hatsue about this matter, but I don’t know how much trust Ms. Sadako and Ms. Hatsue place in me.” “I believe you would trust me…” “Of course I do.” “Therefore, I want you to have your father clarify that point unequivocally.” “Of course, you must seize the right moment.” “But you mustn’t thoughtlessly accuse your father, understand?”

Hiroko smiled cheerfully.

“I understand. I will try to do as you say.” She took a sip of her tea in a manner that suggested full acceptance, but suddenly looked at Fujieda— “So you too, Mr. Fujieda—! That Mr. Date—” she began to say— “Huh! What is it?” “In other words, you don’t believe that man Hayakawa is the culprit, do you?” “Why do you say that?” “But if Hayakawa were the culprit, there’d be no need to investigate Mr. Date, would there? So ultimately, you believe there’s a culprit other than Hayakawa, don’t you?”

She showed a slight smile.

“Ms. Hiroko,” he said firmly, “you mustn’t misunderstand me. Hayakawa’s case and Mr. Date’s situation are entirely separate matters. In any event, I need you to obtain a definitive answer regarding Mr. Date.” As these urgent words left his lips, the door swung open to reveal Sadako entering the room with an expression clouded by distress.

4

In our country, there has long been an expression: "a crabapple tree tormented by rain." Never before had I seen a sight that fit this phrase so perfectly as the impression Sadako gave me at that moment. Of course, not a single member of the Akikawa family had looked cheerful after the tragedies. That goes without saying; even Hiroko, who was relatively composed, possessed a somewhat lonely beauty—as I had introduced to you all at the beginning of this story. She too had become quite haggard after the tragedies. Even though her demeanor had been quite composed up until now, not a single cheerful aspect could be seen.

However, Sadako’s demeanor as she entered now was the very image of a crabapple tree tormented not by rain… no, by a storm. What a transformation from when I first met her immediately after the first tragedy. She now appeared as nothing but a beautiful woman whose spirit and soul had been utterly shattered. Perhaps she already knew that the young man she loved so dearly, Date Masao, had been taken to the police station under grave suspicion.

Sadako entered the room, bowed politely to Fujieda and me, then immediately turned to look at Hiroko. “Um… Sister, could I have a moment?” she called out to her sister with an air of purpose. “What is it? Sadako, I don’t mind. Go ahead and say it.” “Just now, Kiyoya’s uncle came…” “Oh, that. He’s asking for time off, isn’t he?” “Yes, that’s right.” “Since Father is ill now, how about telling him we can’t give an answer today?” “Yes, I did tell him that. But he just won’t listen. Well, I just can’t handle it. Sister, won’t you meet him?”

“I suppose there’s no help for it.” “Well then, shall I meet him?” “Mr. Fujieda, as you’ve heard, I must excuse myself for a moment.” Having lost her mother that day, Hiroko—now naturally elevated to the role of housewife—stood up after saying this.

When Hiroko left the room, Sadako moved closer to Fujieda and pleaded, “Mr. Fujieda… is it true that Mr. Date was taken by the police?” “Oh, Sadako-san,” he replied, “how did you come to know this?” “The old woman working at Mr. Date’s residence came just now and informed me that the police had arrived earlier and taken him away…”

“I see.” I held my breath, wondering what Fujieda would say to Sadako.

“The truth is, I visited the police station just now. A man suspected of last night’s incident was caught, I hear… Didn’t you hear about it from Mr. Hayashida?”

“No, I did meet Mr. Hayashida a little earlier, but regarding that matter…”

“I see.” “That man is a young man named Hayakawa Tatsukichi.” “Since he was caught, I went to the police station as well.” “While I was there, it appears Mr. Date also arrived.”

“Mr. Fujieda, did you meet Mr. Date?”

“No, I didn’t meet him.”

“So, what is the situation? Mr.Date won’t be arrested, will he? Because I was questioned extensively by the police last night, I thought it was already over, but…” “Well, however, since the police seem to be focusing on that Hayakawa Tatsukichi, Mr.Date should be fine. First of all, if one is innocent, there’s absolutely no need to worry.”

5 "But if that Hayakawa person is found to be suspicious, there’s no reason Mr. Date should be arrested, I think…"

The same sort of question Hiroko had asked now emerged from her lips once more. Yet where Hiroko's inquiry had been thoroughly logical, Sadako's questioning now carried what felt like desperate fervor.

“Well, I cannot state anything definitive about the police’s policy, but when an incident like last night’s occurs, they need to question everyone as a formality. It doesn’t necessarily mean that Mr. Date is under suspicion. There’s no need for you to worry about such things.” “Is that really the case?” “In other words, it’s like this. Last night, after Mr. Date temporarily left your residence, he was speaking with you on the second floor. Then Mr. Hayashida arrived, so you took him to your room, and after that, you couldn’t provide evidence yourself as to whether Mr. Date indeed went straight home, right?”

“Yes.” “Other than that, there’s nothing else you yourself are worried about, is there? For example, there isn’t something like someone having noticed Mr. Date wandering around the mansion grounds, is there?” “Th-that is… of course not.” Sadako declared these words with great force, but her voice was clearly tinged with an abnormal quiver. She appeared to have uttered these words desperately. Whether Fujieda noticed this or not, he suddenly began speaking in a comforting tone.

“There, you see. No active suspicion has been placed on Mr. Date. You can rest assured.” “Now, I must apologize for prying into your fiancé’s affairs, but what exactly was the significant matter Mr. Date returned a second time to discuss with you? If you’re willing to share it, I’d like to hear.” “Ah, that matter? I’ve concealed nothing about it. I’ve already informed both Mr. Hayashida and the police.” “It concerns Mr. Date’s resolve regarding canceling the engagement—the one my mother proposed.” “I feel dreadful for suspecting my sister like this, but since Mother’s passing, it does seem my sister shares her views.” “We were discussing this very issue when Mr. Date left once but returned later, declaring: ‘I absolutely refuse to consent to cancellation. We aren’t after any inheritance whatsoever, so if questioned, please make certain to tell your sister as well.’” “Of course, I feel precisely the same.” “I’m not counting on money or anything of the sort.” “If only I could be with him…”

“Ah, I understand completely.” “Then there’s nothing suspicious at all about Mr. Date having returned to confirm matters.”

He said this and took out his cigarette case, but as luck would have it, there was not a single cigarette inside.

I hurriedly took out my own case, but as luck would have it, there wasn’t a single M.C.C. cigarette in my case either.

Fujieda reluctantly glanced at the table, but since there were gold-tipped Egyptian cigarettes meant for guests placed there, he casually grabbed one of the cigarettes, took out his lighter, and immediately lit it. I dare say my luck was bad. For had there been five or six M.C.C. or Virginia leaf cigarettes in his case or mine at that moment, this story might have proceeded in a different direction.

6 Just because I said that doesn’t mean it was like those detective novels where poison gets hidden in cigarettes and our detective Fujieda suddenly collapses on the spot. He normally detested Egyptian cigarettes and never smoked them, but perhaps thinking something was better than nothing, he began vigorously puffing away at M.C.C.'s purplish smoke. He seemed about to ask Sadako something more when the door opened and Hiroko returned again.

“This is truly vexing. Kiyo’s uncle finally came and ended up taking her away after all.”

“Oh!”

Surprised, Sadako interjected.

“Sadako, I got angry too, so I told her to go home right away.” “Because her uncle said something like, ‘If we leave Kiyo in this creepy mansion, she might get killed tonight!’ you know.” “I got angry, so I sent her home.” “This leaves us with only two maids now, huh?”

“But if Kiyo leaves, Hisaya and Shimaya might say they’re going to leave too, you know.”

“So you’re saying it was wrong of me to send Kiyo home? Sadako, if that’s how you feel, why didn’t you negotiate to keep her yourself?” “Sister, I didn’t mean it that way when I—” “Oh, it’s fine.”

Fujieda interjected between the sisters—the two who were clearly at odds in their hearts.

"There’s no use trying to stop a maid who says she wants to leave." "Ms. Hiroko sending her home isn’t something to be criticized at all." "But Ms. Sadako wasn’t criticizing you either, Ms. Hiroko... More importantly—how is your father doing now?" "Is he still asleep?" "Ah yes—Dr. Kizawa is here now. If you’d like, why not come to my room to talk?" "He’s upstairs at this moment."

Women’s disputes are relentless things. Hiroko seemed thoroughly irritated by Sadako’s remarks, inviting Fujieda and me to her room with what appeared to be an intention to exclude Sadako. Whether Fujieda had noticed this remained unclear, but he promptly acquiesced. “Well then, let us proceed to your room. By the way—though this is terribly rude—since there likely aren’t cigarettes in your room, I’ll take about ten of these M.C.C.s with me.”

“If you’re referring to that *Miss Blanche*, I also have some in my room.” “But I will bring this along.”

After saying this, she took the M.C.C. can, briskly opened the parlor door, and urged Fujieda and me onward.

Fujieda unhesitatingly headed toward the door, but he did not forget to offer appropriate words to Sadako. “Well then, I’ll go meet Dr. Kizawa. Sadako, there’s no need to worry. It’s alright. Please wait calmly and rest assured. Mr. Date will definitely be allowed to return.” Upon exiting the parlor and climbing the familiar stairs to reach the corridor, on the left was the master’s study where the prosecutor had questioned the family members on the 18th; keeping it to the left and proceeding straight ahead, there was once again a grand door on the left side. This appeared to be Hiroko’s room.

Under Hiroko’s guidance, we two were shown into the beautiful young lady’s room.

“No, what a splendid room this is!”

It was a beautiful room so befitting a beauty that Fujieda had blurted out those words without a trace of flattery.

7 “Then would you kindly wait here for a moment…”

After saying this, Hiroko left the room—she must have gone to call Dr. Kizawa. Fujieda and I remained standing beside the chairs and looked around the room. Two framed photographs of Western masterpieces hung on the wall, and on a table pushed to one side of the room, beautiful carnations filled the air with a fragrance befitting their appearance. Against another wall stood a large bookshelf. "There are Mademoiselle's favorite books here, you know!"

As Fujieda pointed, peering through the glass at the bookshelf, the first thing that caught my eye on the top shelf was Richard Muther’s *History of Painting*, alongside L. Nohl and then Paul Bekker’s famous biography of Beethoven. "Spricht sie Deutsch? (Oh, does she speak German?)" Fujieda muttered to himself with a slightly surprised look but immediately cast his eyes to the shelf below. There, books published in Japan on literature, music, and fine arts were neatly arranged, testifying to the intellectual refinement of the room’s owner.

“Where are my Mr. Van Dine and Mr. Doyle?”

Fujieda stared at the bookshelf for a while, then pointed to the left while looking at me. There were nearly all of Van Dine’s five published novels and Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, followed by novels by Wallace Runkcl, Rosenhayn, Hans Hyan (the latter three in German), and next to them, true crime stories such as those by Kingston Pearce arranged in order. (I had actually been desperately searching for Hans Gross’s book.) (If I had this [book], it would truly resemble *The Greene Murder Case*, but as expected, I couldn’t find a single one of those legal texts.)

While we stood before the bookshelf, smoking M.C.C. cigarettes, Hiroko returned. “Please have a seat. Dr. Kizawa is here now, so...”

After a while, Dr. Kizawa entered with a cheerful expression. Fujieda had met Dr. Kizawa on the 18th and was already acquainted with him, but since I hadn’t been formally introduced yet, Hiroko briefly made the introductions. He appeared to be thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old and looked like an extremely gentle doctor. “You’ve had quite a time with all your efforts. Has your father settled down somewhat?” “Yes, he’s been sleeping soundly due to the sedative now. It’s nothing serious, but he’s still in shock from the successive misfortunes, so…”

“From your professional standpoint as a doctor—would you say he absolutely shouldn’t be allowed to see anyone?” “No, that’s not the case, but...”

Dr.Kizawa fell silent for a moment but soon opened his mouth as though reluctant to speak. “However，I believe it would be futile to meet him now.” “To put it simply，the master here insists on seeing no one but me—not even other doctors.” “Of course，the young ladies are an exception，but though it’s nothing serious，I did suggest calling a nurse，which also seems unwelcome.” “He’s in an extremely severe state of neurasthenia.” “He shows no Fieber，but his Appetit has vanished entirely.”

“Is there no need to be vigilant about himself?” Fujieda asked. “I cannot say ‘ganz nicht’—not at all. “This falls under our domain as well as yours—*Selbst*…” Dr. Kizawa had started to say this much but, true to his profession as a doctor, he stopped short. Upon noticing German books in one of the bookshelves, he refrained from uttering his next words in front of Hiroko.

8 I couldn't tell whether Dr. Kizawa had interjected German phrases into his conversation due to a physician's habit or had intentionally done so to avoid plain speech in Hiroko's presence—but Hiroko, who seemed to understand German, appeared to have fully comprehended it. When Fujieda inquired whether there was any danger of Shunzō committing suicide, Dr. Kizawa must have meant to reply that he couldn't declare there was absolutely no risk.

Whether she had quickly noticed this or had deliberately acted considerate, Hiroko,

“While Dr. Kizawa is here, I will go to my father’s room.” With that, she gave a light bow to everyone and exited into the hallway. “In any case, as I just mentioned, Mr. Akikawa’s condition itself isn’t particularly dangerous, but given his agitation, we can’t entirely rule out the possibility of suicide.” “I was called late last night and prepared chloral hydrate since he couldn’t sleep much.” “Generally speaking, this chloral hydrate isn’t an ideal sleep medication. However, considering he’s been continuously taking Veronal, Numal and other common drugs until now, other medications aren’t quite effective.”

Dr. Kizawa spoke defensively. “I see, so that’s the state of Mr. Akikawa’s condition.”

Fujieda vigorously smoked his M.C.C. cigarette while lost in thought for a while, then suddenly opened his mouth again. "This may perhaps fall within your specialty—I believe you are primarily in internal medicine—but it might extend beyond that as well. Doctor, don’t you think the Akikawa family’s condition is somewhat abnormal?" “In what way?” “To put it plainly… It’s about the psychological dimension.” “Indeed, as you say—though I’m not well-versed in psychiatry—one might consider this household to be in a mildly abnormal state. However...”

“However, if such tragedies continue to occur, it would be unreasonable to expect that family to remain in a normal state.” “Even so, the young ladies’ conditions seem to form a striking contrast…” “Yes.” “Given that the young ladies have suffered such shocks, they do show some signs of hysteria.” “Ms. Hiroko is relatively composed, but she still seems quite agitated.” “Ms. Sadako, on the other hand, has become very gloomy, though it still seems she is quite troubled mentally.” “Among the young ladies, Ms. Hatsue currently appears to be the healthiest.” “I have been examining the members of this household for quite some time, but Ms. Hatsue was originally the most robust and healthy in physique.” “But as you said, Detective, with such incidents occurring, no one in any household could remain in a normal state.” “Whether it’s Ms. Hiroko or Ms. Sadako, they are rather composed individuals, I would say.” “By the way, what are your thoughts on the culprit, Mr. Fujieda?”

“Well, I’m afraid at this point I have no choice but to say we’re completely in the dark. Though we did ascertain that a suspicious man was apprehended last night.” “Setting aside last night’s incident, I remain concerned about the events of the 17th—I was somewhat involved, after all. You see, the medicine I prescribed had been replaced with mercuric chloride.”

After this, Dr. Kizawa and Fujieda remained in Hiroko's room discussing various matters for about twenty minutes, but there was nothing in their conversation particularly worth recording here.

9

After a while, Dr.Kizawa stood up. "Well, I should go over there now—we mustn't risk having the master wake up again. I'll take over from Ms.Hiroko."

Dr. Kizawa left, and shortly after, Hiroko returned. "How was he? Father?" "He regained consciousness a short while ago and has calmed down considerably, but..." With that, he smiled slightly, "He was grumbling that the police and detectives are unreliable."

“No, I’m terribly sorry,” Fujieda said with a deep bow. “I have no excuses left. I’ve completely lost his trust.” “But you’re still in better standing than others,” Dr. Kizawa countered gently. “Father keeps muttering about Mr. Hayashida—how he’d personally requested his help and felt reassured, only for things to end up like this.” “Well,” Fujieda straightened his coat sleeves, “we should take our leave now.” “Oh, must you go so soon?” The doctor’s protest held professional concern. Fujieda stubbed his seventh M.C.C. cigarette into the ashtray and rose.

“I see, you seem to have an interest in crime novels in addition to literature and art.”

While saying this, he went over to the bookshelf. “Here is Jess Tennison’s *Murder and Its Motive*. Have you read it?” he asked, turning slightly toward Hiroko. “Ah.” “It’s about a terrifying murderer, isn’t it? I believe it did mention Constance Kent…” “Ah, you mean that girl murderer?” “Yes. Yes, there are some quite terrifying women out there. They put on such innocent faces that wouldn’t hurt a fly, though. That said, Ogawa here has a tendency to respect any beautiful woman he lays eyes on.”

He said this while pointing at me with his chin in a teasing manner. I couldn’t help but turn red—still, just why had Fujieda brought up such an odd thing in front of the beautiful Hiroko? “That’s certainly true.” “As they say—‘Outside like a bodhisattva, inside like a yaksha.’” “The more beautiful and gentle-looking a woman appears, the more terrifying she is.” “Ohoho.” Hiroko laughed, her beautiful eyes widening.

Hiroko laughed, her beautiful eyes widening.

“Well then, I shall come by again tomorrow.” “Though if your father says I mustn’t visit, there will be no helping it—”

“Oh, that’s not the case at all. Father merely says that the police and detectives are unreliable—he has absolutely no intention of refusing you gentlemen.” “Well then, I’ll come again tomorrow. I’ll let you know as soon as I learn more about the police’s findings.”

When we left Hiroko’s room, Sadako came out from the adjacent room to see us off. Seeing this, Hiroko took the lead and began walking ahead of us. Sadako said quietly to Fujieda, “Mr. Fujieda, please take care of Mr. Date.” she implored.

“It’s all right. I’ll inform you as soon as we ascertain the police’s position.”

Descending the stairs as they were, proceeding to the entrance, and putting on his shoes, Fujieda bowed to the two young ladies and exited through the gate. No sooner had he exited than he ducked into a tobacco shop, promptly purchased two A-ship cigarettes, and began puffing away with evident relish. However, he somehow looked listless. “Well then, I’ll take my leave of you here today.” “If anything comes up, I’ll let you know by phone.” “Somehow, I’ve gotten a bit worn out.” We parted ways there.

With this, April 21st came to a close.

The Third Tragedy

1

The next day was April 22nd.

Since the incident on the night of the 17th—the First Tragedy—Fujieda had been rising relatively early, summoning me by phone or answering immediately whenever I called, clearly already awake. Thinking it must be about time for him to call this morning as well, I finished my breakfast early. Especially since yesterday, when leaving the Akikawa residence, he had stated that he would come again unless refused by the master—considering this, I was certain he would invite me without fail, so I had prepared myself to be ready to go out at any time.

However, even by around ten o'clock, the phone had not rung. Well, even he—faced with this major case that had been troubling his mind—had finally reverted to his old habit of sleeping in, and as I anxiously waited, wondering if he would rise today with the noon siren, the telephone began to ring as eleven o'clock approached.

“There it is!” I hurriedly grabbed the receiver, only to unexpectedly hear a woman’s voice.

“Is this Mr. Ogawa? This is Fujieda’s mother…” The fact that Fujieda lived alone with his mother was something you readers already knew. The call was coming from Fujieda’s house, but the person speaking was his mother. I couldn’t help but startle. But what his mother told me wasn’t particularly shocking. Since this morning, Fujieda had been running a fever and couldn’t get up. However, he urgently wanted to tell me something important. Therefore—though she apologized profusely for the imposition—she asked if I could come to their home to meet him.

Naturally, I immediately rushed to his house. "I heard about it on the phone—what's wrong?"

I was shown to his room and immediately called out to Fujieda, who lay on the bed with a listless expression. “Yeah, it’s nothing serious—just got me here.” As he said this, he pointed to his throat, and indeed, his voice was terribly hoarse. “I ended up in this mess because of my pointless reserve. “It’s those M.C.C.s. “As you know, I don’t smoke Egyptian cigarettes. “I always smoke nothing but A-ship or Virginia Leaf cigarettes, so whenever I suddenly switch to a different brand, I inevitably end up with a sore throat. “I’ve had this happen once before, you know.”

“Then you should’ve had one of the maids buy A-ship at the Akikawa residence yesterday.” “Right. I knew that, but I thought it wouldn’t do to trouble the Akikawa family by giving extra errands to the maids who were already talking about taking time off or not. So I ended up smoking ten of those Egyptian cigarettes in a row.” “In short, since this happened due to my own stinginess, I can’t complain to anyone, but thanks to that, my throat’s completely swollen and I’ve had a fever since this morning.” “It’s not serious—about eight degrees.” “So I can’t go out today.”

“That’s terrible luck. And this business you mentioned—” “That’s precisely it. In my place—until I can get up—I need you to keep watch over the Akikawa household without fail. Whether you call it protection or surveillance, stay vigilant.”

“Hmm. So you’re saying you still believe something might happen at that house going forward?” “I can’t say for certain. But I think it might.” “But they say the master refuses to meet us.” “There’s no need to meet the master. What I want is for you to keep as close a watch as possible on Hiroko and Sadako’s actions.”

2 “So you’re saying we should protect those two, then?”

“Yeah. Protection or surveillance.” “Which one?” “Can’t say.” “So you mean the culprit’s among them? Or they might become culprits…” “Can’t say for sure. Whether Hiroko or Sadako turn out to be culprits or victims—either way, something major might happen. Stay vigilant.” “But even if you tell me to be careful, I…” “So just go there daily and keep the young ladies company. Quite a plum assignment, isn’t it?”

“If that’s all there is to it, well, even I might be able to manage.” “It’s not a ‘might’.” “Isn’t this an ideal role you couldn’t wish for?” “And if you notice even the slightest change, I want you to inform me immediately.” “I’ve already arranged things with the police about you, so they’ll likely accommodate you.” “I’d also like you to check periodically on Hayakawa Tatsukichi.” “Very well.” “I’ll take it on.” “It’s regrettable to leave Hayashida out of this, but now isn’t the time for such talk—I’ve already briefed Hayashida by phone about the young ladies.” “He came to check on me earlier and seems to share my views, so he should be thoroughly monitoring both of them.”

He said this with considerable pain, but after a while, he continued.

“The most crucial matter is that the situation seems to be growing urgent.” “If Hayakawa were indeed the culprit, my anxieties would amount to baseless fears—I’d consider myself fortunate if that proved true.” “Regardless, should anything occur, they absolutely won’t wait until May 1st.” “I implore you to remain thoroughly vigilant on this point.”

Since I remained anxious even during this brief exchange, I hurried to the Akikawa residence immediately after leaving Fujieda’s place.

When I looked at my watch, it was a little past eleven. If I were to leisurely carry out this so-called protection or surveillance, it would naturally go past noon. Fujieda had not ordered me to eat lunch at the Akikawa residence. Visiting at this hour was rather inconsiderate, but since I had to go and check regardless, I came straight to the entrance of the Akikawa residence. Under Butler Sasada’s guidance, I was promptly shown to the parlor. Right there, Hayashida was talking with Sadako about something, but Sadako’s face looked even more pitiful than it had the day before.

“Ah, Mr. Ogawa—I just stopped by Mr. Fujieda’s place,” said Hayashida Eizō. “He seems to be ill—I’m sorry to hear that.” “No,” I replied, “with him having been overcome like this, it’s become a situation where my responsibility weighs heavily—I’m quite troubled by it.” When I entered the room, Sadako soon left through the door; she had likely gone to call Hiroko. “This aligns with Fujieda’s and my own thinking,” continued Hayashida. “Since there’s no such thing as being too cautious, I intend to come by this house daily for the time being.” He paused meaningfully. “You plan to do the same, I take it?”

“Yes, Fujieda just gave me instructions.” “He says I simply need to keep the young ladies company.” “It’s not an unpleasant duty, but I somehow feel burdened with grave responsibility.”

"The master is still bedridden, and Dr. Kizawa has come again today, but he should recover before long, so once that happens, we can meet him properly."

While such talk was going on, Hiroko entered with Sadako.

“Mr. Ogawa, I heard Mr. Fujieda has fallen ill.”

3 "Yeah, he's caught a cold and is in quite a state." I couldn't very well say his throat troubles stemmed from your household's cigarettes. "But I'm truly relieved you've come. And Mr. Hayashida mentioned he'll be staying with us for some time..." "Well, someone like me isn't much use, but Fujieda insisted I keep you company since you'd likely feel lonely for a while." Neither could I admit I'd actually come to conduct surveillance.

“Father is actually very pleased too.” “Oh, has he recovered his spirits?” It was Hayashida who said this. “Yes, there was a time when he was so disheartened that he declared he would no longer meet anyone, but upon hearing how you came to assist us yesterday, today he is utterly grateful.”

Sadako said. “However, as Dr. Kizawa advises it would be best for him to rest quietly without meeting anyone today, we must excuse ourselves for now. We were just instructed to convey our deepest gratitude to you on his behalf.” Hiroko took over and continued speaking, but in any case, it was a great relief that the master of the house had regained his composure.

“Um, Mr. Hayashida, I just heard from my younger sister that Mr. Date hasn’t returned from the police…” “Yes, it appears the police have temporarily detained Mr. Date as well.” “There is your request, Sadako-san, and I intend to go and check again later.” “However, this matter is being treated with utmost secrecy, so please bear that in mind…”

In this way, the four of them continued talking in the parlor for some time. Why hadn't Date returned? This was the first she had heard that he had been detained.

It was no wonder Sadako looked troubled. Thanks to Hiroko and the others’ kindness, lunch was arranged at the Akikawa residence. In the Japanese-style room downstairs, Hiroko, Sadako, Hatsue, Hayashida, and I gathered around the table. Since the master was still unable to leave his bed, it seemed the maid Hisaya had taken his meal upstairs. During the meal, Hatsue served in place of the maid, but upon closer inspection, one could see that indeed—just as Dr. Kizawa had remarked yesterday—this young lady possessed the most robust and healthiest-looking physique.

We stayed until evening, but as there was nothing particularly noteworthy, Hayashida and I left the Akikawa residence around six o'clock and went to the police. That evening, Date was permitted to return home, though he would be summoned again tomorrow. As for Hayakawa Tatsukichi, just as Fujieda had stated, he was detained on trespassing charges and vigorously interrogated about the murders—yet he still hadn’t confessed. “We’ve managed to get him to admit he might’ve strangled Yasuko in a frenzy… But he absolutely denies any knowledge of Shuntarō’s case,” Inspector Takahashi explained. “Furthermore, I dispatched a detective to Osaka last night to investigate his background. We’ll soon uncover his true identity. They’re also looking into his relationship with a woman named Okada Katsu—his former mistress.”

Inspector Takahashi explained this to us. That night, I visited Fujieda again. It seemed his fever still hadn’t subsided.

Beside the bed were piled this morning’s newspapers and this evening’s evening editions. All of them featured bold headlines such as "The Akikawa Family’s Mysterious Incident" and "Suspect (?) Apprehended," along with photographs of the entire family and Hayakawa.

4

However, the fact that Date had been detained by the police was indeed being kept highly secretive, as it did not appear anywhere in reports. Even when Fujieda spoke with the police over the phone that morning, they seemingly did not mention it. Undoubtedly, had Fujieda himself answered the call, they would have informed him—but since his mother had taken it instead, they apparently withheld the information. I could only imagine how meticulously cautious the police were being. Thus, Date’s detainment and Shunzō’s regained composure became the news I relayed to Fujieda that day.

April 22nd thus dawned and thus passed.

On the morning of the 23rd, relatively early, I was summoned by Fujieda via telephone and hurried over.

When I arrived at Fujieda’s place, his regular physician was there repeatedly applying some medication to his throat. “I was just scolded by the doctor for talking and smoking,” he said. “There’s something I have to tell you no matter what—that’s why I called you here.”

When I had finished greeting the doctor, Fujieda said half-apologetically. "But you—what's the matter? How are you feeling? Are you somewhat better than yesterday?" I turned toward the doctor.

“There hasn’t been much change. He still has a fever and will need about four or five days of rest.”

The physician, who of course knew Fujieda’s profession, seemed to infer that there was some confidential matter between us. After briefly explaining the treatment regimen, he promptly departed. “The thing is,”

Having said this, he continued painfully between two or three hacking coughs.

“Last night, I couldn’t sleep well because of the fever, so I turned the case over in my mind from every angle.” “Uh-huh.” “The mystery remains unsolved. There are multiple possibilities to consider. The police investigation appears stalled as well. That’s why I’ve developed a new line of reasoning. As a result, I’ve arrived at three crucial conclusions. Listen carefully—this modifies what I asked you to do yesterday. Now, should any incident requiring vigilance occur hereafter: First, the Akikawa residence itself poses the greatest danger. Therefore, protecting the family necessitates devising ways to remove them from the house. Second, while I previously asked you to focus on Hiroko and Sadako, I now revise those orders. Henceforth, you must observe the actions of everyone in that household—family members, staff, visitors—without exception. This applies equally to police officers and physicians. Naturally, you can’t monitor them all single-handedly, nor when you’re absent from the premises—but keep this principle foremost in your mind. Third, no further incidents will likely occur while Date Masao remains in police custody. However, hearing he was released last night—you must exercise utmost caution—”

“So you still suspect Date Masao…?” “No, don’t ask anything now. Just focus thoroughly on those three points I mentioned.” I stared at his face in mild bewilderment. “Now for the first practical application of those critical points—when you go to the Akikawa residence today, take whoever you can from that household out somewhere. The theater, cinema, anywhere. Keep them outside as long as possible.”

“But I alone can’t protect more than one person. If something happens outside…”

“There’s absolutely no danger of that.” “Unless this were some preposterous detective story, they’d never get abducted by car or anything of the sort.” “Especially when a criminal mastermind of this caliber would never resort to such crude methods—would they?”

5

“But... will I be okay on my own?” “You’ll manage. As long as they’re outside the Akikawa residence, they should be safe even without you there.” “Alright, I’ll follow your instructions… but then I’ll be away from the Akikawa residence all day, so I won’t know anything about what happens there.”

“Of course, that can’t be helped.” “Well, I’ll take my leave.”

Though I didn't fully understand, I followed Fujieda's instructions and hurried to the residence to take the Akikawa family's young ladies out.

When I arrived at the house, neither Hayashida nor Dr. Kizawa had come yet. Given our acquaintance, it seemed natural to visit Hiroko, so when I asked Butler Sasada to convey that request, Hiroko came out immediately. Since she had requested me to come to her room, I seriously considered complying, but while this might be acceptable if I were Fujieda or Hayashida, I—though acting as Fujieda’s proxy—utterly lacked any observational skills regarding the case and was essentially just keeping Hiroko and the others company. Thus, being alone with Hiroko in her room struck me as somewhat discourteous.

So I decided to talk in the parlor. "How is Mr. Fujieda doing?" "He remains unchanged, I'm afraid." "He still has a fever and is confined to bed." "Oh dear, how unfortunate." "What dreadful timing." Hiroko wore a troubled expression. "How is Father faring?"

“Thank you very much.” “He’s improved considerably.” “He has been up since this morning.” “In the afternoon, it has been decided that he may leave his room and take a walk in the garden, at the very least.” “He also says he wishes to meet the doctors to express his gratitude.” “So he’s been in good spirits all this time, then?” “Yes, of course…” “Hey, Ms. Hiroko, this is sudden, but how about we go out somewhere today?” Even Hiroko seemed slightly surprised.

“This is what Fujieda says.” “He insisted I must tell you all.” “After such unpleasant events, you shouldn’t keep shutting yourselves indoors like this.” “He says going out cheerfully would lift your spirits better than growing gloomier.” “Of course not just you alone—if possible, Ms. Sadako and Ms. Hatsue should join us too.”

“That is because Mr. Fujieda advised us so.” “Yes, so why don’t we go out? Admittedly, though it may not be proper to go out so soon after your mother’s passing and your brother’s death... but Fujieda insists that for what’s to come, it’s better to stay as cheerful as possible.” I tried my hardest, repeating Fujieda’s name like a mantra as I set about persuading the young lady.

Indeed, the name Fujieda had a tremendous effect. Hiroko also seemed considerably swayed. Staying in such a gloomy place all day must have been quite tough for them as well.

“How about it? We could go for a drive or see a play—why don’t we go out? How about inviting your sisters along?” “Well then, I shall go discuss it with them, so please wait a moment.”

Hiroko left the parlor.

6

Before long, she entered the room together with Hatsue. "When I told my younger sister about your proposal, she was overjoyed." "She says she would very much like to accompany us somewhere." "I also told Sadako, but she says she cannot go out today as Mr. Date will be arriving a little later." "There’s nothing to be done about those who cannot come, I suppose." "Oh, right—I heard Mr. Date has been summoned by the police again today."

"Yes. I hear he is supposed to come a little before that time." "Therefore, Hatsue and I will accompany you." "Additionally, I would like to bring along one of the maids. Would that be acceptable?" "That’s perfectly fine." "I’m sure she’ll be pleased." "By all means, take her along." Hiroko and Hatsue were whispering about something, and it seemed they had reached a conclusion, "Then I’ll take Hisaya along."

said Hiroko.

“You did inform Father, of course? If his permission hasn’t been granted, it won’t do.” “Yes, I have already properly informed him. Father had initially said going out so soon after the misfortune might not be appropriate, but upon hearing Mr. Fujieda specifically advised it, he now states we should gratefully accept your kindness and have you take us along. Father also says he wishes to meet you to express his gratitude.”

After that, the two of them left the room again, likely to prepare for their outing. Just then, Shunzō appeared with a haggard face. "This must all be terribly exhausting for you." "How are you feeling?" "Oh, I’m completely worn out. The other day, I wasn’t thinking straight, so I ended up saying something extremely rude to Mr. Fujieda. Please convey my regards to him from your esteemed self… I fear he may be displeased with me."

“No, it’s nothing at all. It would have been good if he could come today too, but unfortunately he’s fallen ill,” said Shunzō. “Though I’m hardly useful, he ordered me to keep the young ladies company.” “Ah—I’ve just received word that you’ll allow me to take your daughters somewhere,” Ogawa replied. “Given all that’s happened, it truly pains me for them. Might I take them somewhere uplifting?”

Since the master's mood had completely aligned with ours, I secretly rejoiced.

Before long, the two young ladies, having apparently finished preparing to go out, reappeared in the parlor. Indeed, their attire was costly, but given the circumstances, it did not stand out too much. To be honest, I was quite worried about taking Hiroko, Hatsue, and Hisaya out by myself. However, the three of them showed no signs of such anxiety at all. After a long time, they were thoroughly delighted at the prospect of being exposed to the cheerful open air.

After some discussion about where to go, it was ultimately decided that they would first go to a hotel to have a meal, then see a movie or play.

“We’ll be going now.” The young ladies gently bid farewell to their father. In the entranceway, a Hudson sedan limousine dispatched from Izumi Taxi lay in its sleek form.

I also greeted the master while placing my hand on the door.

Under the cheerfully clear spring sky, the car, carrying its beautiful passengers, set off with a light swiftness.

7 Since it was their first outing in a long time, both Hiroko and Hatsue appeared truly delighted. The maid Hisaya was not overly excited, but there was no doubt she too was genuinely pleased to accompany the young ladies.

Since there was still time before lunch, the young ladies suggested driving to Yokohama's New Grand.

Fujieda had asserted they would be absolutely safe during their outing, but I couldn't feel entirely at ease and kept nervously observing the driver's demeanor. However, finding no trace of any villain in disguise, I ultimately agreed to the plan. Yet until we reached Kawasaki, I remained strangely unable to settle myself. With nothing suspicious occurring, by the time the car energetically sped into Yokohama, I had completely relaxed and was chatting about various matters with the two young ladies.

Even after arriving at New Grand, I did not notice any suspicious individuals. In the dining room, as I picked at the delicious cold lobster for the first time in ages, I felt completely at ease and couldn’t help but admire Fujieda’s foresight.

The meal finished a little after noon. So, since we decided to go see a show at Hogakuza now, we turned the car back toward Tokyo. When we took our seats on the second floor of Hogakuza, it was just as the Paramount Newsreel began screening, which worked out perfectly. During the intermission between screenings, we didn’t encounter anyone we knew, and we were able to enjoy the film to our hearts’ content. However, when the featured film began to play, I felt that this had turned into a terrible situation.

The film was an adaptation of a famous detective novel, depicting a murder at an American film studio, and it was horrifying from the very opening scene. Just when they had finally gone out and lifted their spirits, subjecting the young ladies to such a gruesome murder film must have been intolerable. I began secretly regretting having rushed in without checking the program beforehand, when sure enough, Hatsue spoke up midway through the picture: "I feel rather unsettled. Couldn't we leave now?"

she spoke up.

However, Hiroko showed no signs of fear whatsoever. On the contrary, she was engrossed in watching the film. When I glanced at Hisaya's demeanor, it seemed she couldn't quite grasp the plot of the Western film; she didn't appear particularly scared, nor did she seem particularly entertained by it. Since I thought we shouldn't linger there any longer, I turned to Hiroko and said,

“Somehow, I don’t feel good about watching such a film at a time like this. Why don’t we go see a play instead?”

I suggested. Hiroko seemed to have wanted to keep watching, but since Hatsue persistently wanted to leave, she resignedly took out her compact and began adjusting her makeup. "Let's go to the Tōkyoku Theater instead," she finally agreed.

Once again, before she could change her mind, I promptly urged the three of them out into the corridor. Upon calling to inquire about tickets for the Tōkyoku Theater, I was fortunately able to obtain four in a row without waiting, so we hurried from Hōgakuza to Tōkyoku. The moment I stepped into the splendid theater, I realized an unexpected danger was approaching. This was something even Fujieda hadn’t considered. However, looking back, it should have naturally been anticipated. The fact that we hadn’t thought of this was truly a lapse unworthy of even Fujieda.

8

Both Fujieda and I had until now considered only the dangers to life and limb, completely forgetting about the peril to our reputation. After entering the theater and taking our seats, while I was strolling in the corridor until the curtain rose, I noticed that several men and women were already looking at us all at once and whispering among themselves. At first, I thought people were gazing in awe because Hiroko and Hatsue were so beautiful, but something seemed off. However, until the curtain rose, I had foolishly not fully understood its meaning.

When the first curtain opened and Umejaku appeared before a golden folding screen in that classically elegant figure, what caught my ear was—

“Otowaya!” Immediately after the audience’s shout of “Otowaya!”, there came voices of two brash men talking in the seats directly behind.

“Hey, isn’t that Akikawa Shunzō’s young lady?” “Uh-huh, right! There was a photo in the newspaper—that’s exactly her!” “I’m shocked they can come to the theater so calmly!”

I began to feel an even greater sense of discomfort than I had at Hogakuza. This was bad. This had turned into a disaster! Thinking this, I glanced furtively at the two young ladies. Fortunately, both seemed engrossed in the stage performance and unaware of the conversation behind them. However, I was in no state to watch the play anymore. I was beside myself with anxiety. During the five-minute intermission, since neither Hiroko nor Hatsue left their seats, they managed to get through safely, but during the next fifteen-minute break, both of them were completely surrounded by people in the corridor.

Both of them seemed to have already realized the implication and appeared to be deeply regretting it in their hearts, but Hiroko—upon sensing this—seemed to resolve herself with an inward "damn it all," holding her head high as she calmly exposed her beautiful face to the crowd. In contrast, Hatsue looked utterly dejected and hurried back to her seat with Hisaya, but Hiroko did not return to her seat for quite some time and kept making comments to me about the play. However, when it came time for the next meal, the attitudes of those around us grew increasingly blatant.

In the dining room, I had, of course, considerately reserved seats under my name, but the gazes of the surrounding people were uniformly fixed upon us.

Hatsue was already completely worn out and didn’t utter a word. “Ugh, honestly! This is so ridiculous!”

Hiroko, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up and said to Hatsue:

Because I felt pressured from all sides, I wanted to flee this place as soon as possible. But Hiroko, since she had gone to the trouble of staying this long, insisted on going to see the next performance of Umejaku and Uzaemon’s *Kasané*. It was clearly a stubborn refusal to concede. She knew that fleeing now would mean her defeat. She seemed determined to hang in a little longer. But deep down, she must have been suffering even more than I was.

But when all was said and done, she was still a woman. At the terrifying Kinoshigawa Embankment scene, when Yoemon raised his sickle to kill Kasané, Hiroko too seemed unable to endure it any longer. Fortunately, the stage lighting had grown so dim that standing now would draw little notice. After Kasané's lament of "Oh cruel mercy, how you torment me..." faded away, I hurried the three of them out of the theater as if fleeing. Thus ended the April 23rd outing in utter disaster.

The young ladies did not speak a word during the car ride home. I was utterly overwhelmed with shame and remained completely silent. Never for a moment did it occur to me that one of these two beautiful young ladies would become a gruesome corpse in just a few days; I simply chewed over my own failure in my mind, bitter as gnawing on a leek.

9

On the morning of April 24th, I visited Fujieda, who was still bedridden, and gave him a detailed account of yesterday’s failure. “That was a blunder. Indeed, my failure to notice that was a grave mistake. Alright—here’s what you should do. Since the young ladies have surely had enough of going to such places, have them take a drive in the suburbs. In any case, advise them to go out. And today, you don’t necessarily need to accompany them—though you can if you wish…”

“No matter what, I’ll be in trouble if you don’t recover soon.”

After having this conversation, I visited the Akikawa residence again. True enough, both Hiroko and Hatsue had been thoroughly chastened by yesterday’s events and now declared they would not take a single step outside again. I earnestly pleaded that until Fujieda recovered—which would take about two more days—they should follow my instructions. Since Hayashida happened to be there as well, when I conveyed the matter to Hayashida as well (though I did not mention Fujieda’s true intentions, (I had explained that Fujieda had said it would be good for them to go out to refresh their spirits.) Since he agreed, on the 24th, I remained at the Akikawa residence while Hiroko, Sadako, Hatsue—along with Hayashida and Date—went out to the suburbs.

Since the young ladies had gone out, I was thinking what to do when suddenly Dr. Kizawa, who had been present, came to the parlor where I was.

“I must apologize for the other day.” “Your master has significantly improved.” “He can now rise from bed.” “He says he has something to tell you now that he’s here, so he asks that you wait a moment.” “I’ll take my leave today.”

As Dr. Kizawa was leaving, Shunzō appeared.

“I must apologize for troubling you yesterday.” “Not at all.” “It was entirely my blunder.”

“However, thanks to your thoughtful suggestion for them to go out to the suburbs today, I believe everyone must be quite pleased.” “And how is Mr. Fujieda?” “He’s already much better.” “He’ll likely be up and about tomorrow or the day after.”

“Now, there is something I would like to bring up.” “In fact, I had been meaning to speak with you about this for some time now…”

“I see.” “Regarding Date Masao—Mr. Fujieda appears deeply concerned about him and has repeatedly cautioned Hiroko—but he is not at all suspicious. "He has absolutely no familial relation to me." "But he is my benefactor’s child." "When I was young, someone greatly aided me, but unfortunately both husband and wife died soon after, leaving that boy pitifully orphaned." "So as my minimal repayment to that benefactor, I raised him to become an honorable man." "You may have already heard of this—I intend to grant him a substantial portion of my estate should he marry Sadako." "However, my wife opposed it." "Yet this too constitutes my repayment to that benefactor." “Since I had not clarified this until now, you likely held strange suspicions—but such is the truth. I earnestly request you convey this fully to Mr. Fujieda.”

“Ah, so that’s how it was.” “So I take it Mr. Date fully understands the reason behind that?”

For some reason, a faint dark shadow crossed Shunzō’s face at that moment.

“Well, he may know. However, to say I raised him out of gratitude would make it seem like I’m imposing an obligation on my part, so I’ve never once mentioned it myself.”

10

Shunzō and I continued talking for a while longer, but there was nothing particularly noteworthy to mention. In the afternoon, I left the Akikawa residence and visited Fujieda again. And then I told Fujieda about Date’s background as Shunzō had requested. “Hmm, so he finally confessed to you, did he? That’s true. Date Masao’s father was named Date Shohei, and he died in Yamaguchi Prefecture exactly twenty years ago. Since Masao was five years old at the time, he’s twenty-five now. His sturdy build makes him look older than he is, though.”

“Oh, how do you know all that in such detail?” “As I mentioned earlier, I had the police over there investigate his background, and recently the police here looked into it too. I just got the full details over the phone.” “I hear Date’s father was Akikawa Shunzō’s benefactor.” “Well, whether he was a benefactor or not, they were certainly close. Shohei died at thirty-five—back then Shunzō would’ve been twenty-five, making Shohei his senior by a decade. But Shunzō had entered the Akikawa family from the Yamada family and married Tokuko two years prior to that—meaning both he and Tokuko were twenty-three at the time. While the main Akikawa household was likely in Okayama then, it seems Shunzō and his young wife were running some business with Date Shohei in Yamaguchi Prefecture. They were very close indeed. The year after their marriage came Hiroko’s birth, and the following year Date Shohei and his wife died—so Shunzō took Masao in.”

“I see. So what Shunzō said isn’t a lie, then?”

“That’s right.” “By the way, are you satisfied with that?”

"I suppose so. I think I've come to understand things reasonably well now." "Is that so? Do you fully grasp it now? Don't you notice anything odd about it?" Fujieda made a faintly mocking expression.

“Hey, Ogawa. “I see. Shunzō’s explanation makes sense.” “But if that’s true—” “Why hasn’t he told us about this clearly until now?” “The fact that I’d been suspicious of Date Masao’s background should’ve been obvious even before I explicitly mentioned it on the night of the twentieth.” “Moreover, after that incident on the twentieth, it should’ve become even clearer, shouldn’t it?” “Not only to me—Shunzō hasn’t made Date’s background clear to Hiroko and the others either.”

“According to his excuse, if he were repaying a debt of gratitude, it would mean imposing an obligation from his side…” “Do you actually believe that excuse?” “Don’t be ridiculous.” “Shunzō had been trying to conceal Date’s background as much as possible.”

“Why?”

"That's precisely it. Why would he hide it? There's nothing wrong with it—no, why would he try to conceal such an admirable act until now when he's finally talking about it? That's the enigma here."

“Hmm.”

I found myself deeply impressed and lost in thought once again.

“Hmm, speaking of backgrounds, Hayakawa Tatsukichi’s nature has become quite clear.” “This is what the police informed me about earlier over the phone—a detective from Ushigome Station went to Osaka on the night of the twenty-first and tracked down Katsuko Okada, Tatsukichi’s former mistress.” “As a result, something strange came to light.” “Apparently, Katsuko Okada didn’t leave Tatsukichi because she disliked him.” “She just couldn’t endure living together anymore.” “In short, Hayakawa Tatsukichi is a sexual deviant—he takes perverse delight in physically tormenting the women he fancies.” “Unfortunately, since Katsu wasn’t a masochist, they ended up breaking up.” “And it seems Sada Yasuko’s case was the same as well.” “In other words, Yasuko did have feelings for Tatsukichi, but she must have reached a point where she couldn’t bear to stay with him any longer.”

11

“So, what does that mean?” “The fact that Hayakawa has a sadistic nature has been revealed, which is certainly not to his benefit. In fact, regarding this point, the police are increasingly suspecting Hayakawa in connection with that murder case on the night of the twentieth. Recall the way Shuntarō died.”

Fujieda was silent for a while, lost in thought, but then continued. “However, the fact that he’s a sexual deviant holds great interest for me in another respect.” “In other words, if Sada Yasuko neither ran off with a lover nor fled out of hatred for Tatsukichi, that becomes extremely intriguing.”

“Why?”

Fujieda, however, did not answer this and seemed greatly amused by himself.

After that, even though I tried various ways to broach topics, he showed no inclination to engage, so thinking it might be improper to linger too long, I simply returned home.

Thus, after the incident on the twentieth, the twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third, and twenty-fourth—four days—passed without incident. To briefly summarize the events and people's actions during these four days: on the twenty-first, Shuntarō and Yasuko were secretly buried. Since the morning of the twenty-first, Hayakawa Tatsukichi was detained by the police on charges of trespassing into the residence. Date Masao had been held overnight and released, but since then appeared to be summoned daily for questioning. As previously mentioned, Shunzō had finally recovered from the shock and left his bed, but Fujieda still remained bedridden due to a slight fever.

And thus, at last, the dreaded April 25th arrived.

As was my custom, I visited Fujieda early in the morning on April 25th. Though he had improved considerably, since the doctor had still prohibited him from going out for another two days, I visited the Akikawa residence alone once again. When I arrived at the house, I was immediately informed by Dr.Kizawa—who had coincidentally arrived—that the master’s physical condition had worsened again. “It seems his nerves remain quite agitated, though there’s no other specific area of concern.” “Last night he claimed he couldn’t sleep a wink and was in a terrible mood.” “I’ve prescribed as mild a sedative as possible for now.” “I’ll return in the afternoon to check on him, but if his condition remains unchanged by then, it will pose some difficulties—though I intend to devise a solution when the time comes.”

While I was talking with Dr. Kizawa in the parlor, Hayashida also arrived. Naturally, Dr. Kizawa also informed Hayashida of the master’s condition. “That’s quite a predicament, isn’t it, Mr. Ogawa? The young ladies seem to be looking forward to the drive a great deal, but with the master being ill, it would be rather inappropriate for him to go out.”

“No, there’s no need for such concern. As I just mentioned, it’s merely that his nerves are slightly agitated—it might actually be better if you were to take the young ladies out somewhere. That way, the house could become quieter.” While the three of us were talking, Hiroko, Sadako, and Hatsue appeared.

Dr. Kizawa said to Hatsue. "You mentioned your stomach has been troubling you with no appetite since yesterday." "That's precisely opportune." "I believe going for a drive today might actually improve your condition." "I'll return home now and bring a digestive tonic this afternoon, so until then, do try to get some movement." Since Dr. Kizawa had made this recommendation, it was naturally decided they would undertake another drive that day. However, Sadako chose to remain at home to keep watch over her father's condition. Dr. Kizawa took his leave of the Akikawa residence first.

When the preparations were ready and Hayashida, Hiroko, Hatsue, and I got into the car, Hiroko whispered to me. "Sadako, you see, “Mr. Date has been called in by the police again since early this morning, so she’s too worried to come out.”

12

We had no particular destination in mind. I was simply supposed to follow Fujieda's orders and take the young ladies out, so I hadn't made any concrete plans for the drive. It was unclear what Hayashida was thinking, but since there didn't seem to be any clear destination either, it was ultimately decided, at the driver's suggestion, to casually drive along the Tōkaidō for a while. Just like the day before yesterday, they sped along the Keihin Highway and entered Yokohama. Although it was still a bit early for lunch, they decided to have a meal here and entered the New Grand Hotel again. However, Hatsue alone had no appetite whatsoever and had only taken a little soup and bread.

“What’s wrong? Your stomach seems to be troubling you quite severely…” I grew somewhat concerned and inquired.

“No, it’s nothing serious… I truly don’t wish to eat anything at all.”

But during the meal, she too joined in Hiroko and Hayashida’s conversation and chatted cheerfully. After the meal, they turned the car further west, passed through Hodogaya and Totsuka, went through Fujisawa’s avenue of pine trees, and arrived at Hiratsuka.

By the time they came this far, everyone had indeed left behind the city’s dust and felt refreshed, but Hatsue’s condition gradually began to take a strange turn. She had not said a word for some time and was pressing her hand to her chest. “Hatsue, what’s wrong with you?” “Isn’t your stomach hurting?”

“Oh, it’s nothing serious.” “Just a little…” “How bad? Does it hurt?”

“A little. I feel like my stomach hurts.” As soon as she said this—as if some fluid had surged up from her stomach—Hatsue grimaced. “Hey, stop! Stop!” Hayashida called out to the driver. When the car stopped in response to his voice, Hatsue spat out the saliva she’d been holding in her mouth onto the sand beside them and seemed relieved, though she still looked down in distress. “Let’s go back. It won’t do if her condition worsens any further. Well, Ogawa?”

“Yes, I also think it would be better to return.” Hatsue seemed terribly apologetic that the carefully planned drive was being cut short because of her, yet she too appeared to want to return home immediately. Hiroko naturally had no grounds to object either, so they swung the car around once more toward Tokyo. Though I couldn’t fully grasp Hatsue’s condition, recalling how Fujieda Shintarō constantly suffered from hyperacidity due to excessive smoking and thinking Hatsue’s symptoms resembled his, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to administer some antacid at this point, and quietly shared my idea with Hayashida.

He also agreed that it wasn't a bad idea, so they stopped the car briefly in Hodogaya Town, obtained some baking soda from a pharmacy, and had Hatsue drink it with cold water, though she seemed somewhat calmer. After that, with nothing particularly worth noting, the car arrived straight at the Akikawa residence in Ushigome in the afternoon.

It was just past 4:30 PM.

Sadako suddenly appeared at the entrance. Sasada, who had left that morning, was nowhere to be seen. “We’ve just returned. Has Mr. Sasada gone out somewhere?” Hayashida asked. “Yes, he said something about trouble arising at his son’s house and asked to be excused from this afternoon through tonight.” “I see. And your father?”

“He is still in bed.” “Dr. Kizawa is here again right now, but…”

“That’s just perfect. Since Miss Hatsue is feeling a bit unwell, let’s get the medicine right away.”

The Bathhouse Bride

1 When the group were shown into the parlor, Dr.Kizawa soon arrived and promptly heard about Hatsue's condition directly from her,

"I see," said Dr. Kizawa. "So there hadn't been much improvement after all?" As he spoke, he took a medicine packet from his pocket. "I have three doses of powdered medication here... Are you experiencing any discomfort now?" "Ah, I see," he continued. "Then please take one dose thirty minutes before dinner today." "Is dinner at six o'clock?" "Well then, take it around five-thirty." He then turned to Hiroko and added, "I've already informed Miss Sadako as well, but your father appears significantly improved and is dozing off, so it would be best to let him rest undisturbed." "Now then—"

Dr. Kizawa took out a gold-cased pocket watch and, "I believe your father and Miss Hatsue are not in serious condition, so I will take my leave." “Oh, is that so? I also have some business to attend to." “Well, I’ll be back right away.”

With these words, Hayashida left through the entrance with Dr. Kizawa.

Hatsue seemed to have completely recovered and showed no sign of retreating to her room to rest. Hiroko left the parlor to check on her father. In the room, Sadako, Hatsue, and I were left. “Has Mr. Date still not come today?” “Yes, apparently he has been summoned by the police again since this morning.” "He has not yet been released." "I'm truly worried..." “I can imagine.”

Having said that, I found myself somewhat perplexed as to what I should say next to comfort her. Hatsue seemed to share the same thought and did not speak much. Fortunately, Hiroko returned at that moment. “Sada, Mr.Date has arrived. You should go quickly.” “Oh, really? Thank you.” Sadako calmly stood up from her chair, but even so, she could not conceal her look of joy.

When Hiroko entered the room, Sadako left in exchange, likely intending to speak with Date in her own room. About twenty minutes after I had been engaged in idle conversation with Hiroko and Hatsue, Hayashida hurriedly returned.

“My apologies for my absence. I just had some business to attend to.”

With one more person added, the conversation grew lively in all sorts of ways, and we began feeling considerably more cheerful.

When I suddenly glanced at my wristwatch, it was already past 5:20. I was wondering whether I should leave when suddenly the maid Hisaya appeared in the doorway.

“Miss Hatsue, there is a telephone call for you.” “A phone call? From where?” “I’m not entirely sure, but it was a woman’s voice.” Hatsue made a slightly hesitant expression but immediately followed the maid and left. About five minutes had passed when she reappeared in the room, but she seemed somewhat flustered. “What kind of call was it?” Hayashida stood up and went over to Hatsue. Hatsue, looking at us, seemed to be on the verge of saying something.

Hayashida approached Hatsue and whispered something in a low voice; Hatsue, perhaps thinking that if it were him, seemed to be whispering about the recent phone call. I sincerely regretted not being a detective. If Fujieda had been here, Hatsue would surely have told him about that phone call's secret too.

2

When I thought this, I couldn’t help but feel a certain resentment toward Hayashida, who alone held influence here.

Hiroko too seemed in poor spirits, and with an air of saying "Who'd care to hear your chatter?" she pointedly began talking to me instead. Hatsue and Hayashida, who had been conversing at the doorway, soon appeared to conclude their business and reentered the room to sit down, yet an awkward tension began permeating the air. This discomfort, however, was swiftly dispelled by what ensued.

The maid Shima-ya came to the doorway and, turning toward Hiroko, “The bath is ready.”

“The bath is ready,” she said. Hiroko glanced briefly in my direction and replied, “Oh, right. Thank you.” Having said that, she looked back at Shima-ya, who withdrew as instructed. “Sister, why don’t you take your bath?” Hatsue suggested. “Yes, thank you,” Hiroko answered. “But I’m talking with Mr. Ogawa right now.” “It’s all right, please go ahead. I’ll excuse myself as well.”

I said this and started to rise slightly from my seat, but Hiroko immediately stopped me.

“Oh, there’s no need to leave yet. Please stay for dinner.” “Hatsue, since you don’t mind, please go ahead and take your bath first.” “Sadako is with Mr. Date now, so please excuse yourself to Mr. Hayashida and go take your bath.” “That’s right.” “Since Sister says that, please don’t mind me and go ahead.”

Hatsue, having quickly discerned her sister’s displeasure, seemed to resolve that it would be best to naturally withdraw from the situation here. “Well then, Sister, I’ll beg your pardon and go first.” Having said that, she stood up. “Please go ahead.” Hiroko said clearly, but her face remained turned toward me. Hatsue stood up and seemed to want to say something to Hayashida. Hayashida was still standing by the doorway saying something. “There goes Hatsue and her secretiveness again.”

Hiroko made an unpleasant face yet smiled as she began speaking to me. "She must be worried about some strange phone call." "If that were true, she ought to have mentioned it before us. Hatsue might suspect us." "No need for that," she said. I voiced this response but secretly felt pleased when Hiroko used "we" to mean herself and me. "I'll go ahead then."

With those words, Hatsue vanished. Hayashida stood by the window with a cigarette still in his mouth, looking outside while thinking about something.

“It seems something significant has occurred, Mr. Hayashida.”

“Right now, we can’t make heads or tails of that phone call that came in for the young lady.” “First of all, we don’t even know who called.”

“It might be a woman…”

“Yes, it’s certainly been reported to be a woman, though...” At this moment, I couldn’t help but shudder as I recalled that eerie woman’s voice I had heard over the phone in Fujieda’s office on the afternoon of the seventeenth.

3

“What on earth was that about?” Of course, I had wanted to ask this. However, since Hayashida was unlikely to divulge the details even if I pressed him now, I refrained from asking this question. Hiroko and I both fell silent. Hayashida stood by the window, seemingly absorbed in thought as he gazed fixedly at the garden.

It was a strangely quiet twelve or thirteen minutes. During that time, I had been repeating Fujieda's warning in my mind. He had said: "Pay attention to everyone in the Akikawa residence and all who enter." But when it came to applying this instruction to reality, didn't it amount to sheer impossibility?

The only ones I could keep an eye on were Hayashida and Hiroko. Sadako and Date were engaged lovers now sequestered in her second-floor room. Eavesdropping at their doorway on whispered intimacies lay beyond consideration. The master dozed sedative-dulled in his own second-floor chamber - to approach that solitary figure would require first consulting the physician.

Hatsue should have been alone, but Hatsue was now in the bathroom. Approaching the nude form of a young lady was something I could never have conceived of. Having reasoned this far, I had no choice but to conclude Fujieda's demands were utterly unreasonable. As I turned these thoughts over in my mind and finally settled on criticizing Fujieda's instructions, Date and Sadako entered. When I looked up, Date appeared considerably haggard from his daily interrogations, yet maintained a surprisingly vigorous demeanor.

“Have you finished your talk? How did it go with the police?” “Yes, thank you for all your concern. They’ve finally allowed me to come back now, but it’s troubling that the police still seem to suspect me.” “Mr. Hayashida, it seems Mr. Date has just come here directly from the police. Since he had some business and needed to return home once but said he’d come back again, I came to pay my respects briefly.”

Sadako gave this explanation.

“Oh, are you leaving already? I’ll hear more of your account later and escort you out.” “No, please don’t trouble yourself.” “Very well then.” Hayashida—apparently discomfited by our collective silence—escorted Date out together with Sadako. True to his usual pattern, Date must have come through the back entrance; we heard footsteps retreating toward that rear exit rather than advancing to the front door.

“Mr. Ogawa, don’t you think the people of this house are divided into two factions?” “How so?” “Sadako and Mr. Date completely trust Mr. Hayashida but don’t trust me at all.” “And I trust Mr. Fujieda but don’t trust Sadako and Mr. Date at all.” “What about Miss Hatsue?” “Well, she probably doesn’t lean either way… but if Mr. Fujieda were here today, I think he would have mentioned that earlier phone call.”

I was in complete agreement.

Sadako and Hayashida, who had sent Date out, returned to the parlor once more. “Did you ask Mr. Date in detail about the police’s situation?” said Hayashida. “Well...” Sadako, while answering, glanced our way and seemed hesitant to speak. Sadako’s demeanor had completely infuriated Hiroko. “Ms. Sadako. “Aren’t you going to speak privately with Mr. Hayashida in your room?” “Since I’ll be talking with Mr. Ogawa here.” 4

Hiroko bluntly said this and turned away coldly, but Sadako showed not the slightest surprise at this moment. “Then, Mr. Hayashida, won’t you come to my room? There are various things I wish to discuss.” The mutual hatred between Hiroko and Sadako had been laid completely bare before Hayashida and me.

“I see. Well then, let’s do that. Ms. Hiroko must also have matters to discuss with Mr. Ogawa, I suppose.” True to form, Hayashida rose with a tone that deftly balanced both parties. “Please take your time.” Hiroko said coldly to Hayashida as well, shooting a glance in my direction.

Sadako left through the door with Hayashida, displaying an uncharacteristically aloof demeanor, and soon the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs could be heard. She must have been intending to keep Hayashida in her room and fully recount the details of her lover's interrogation. For the first time, I found myself sitting face to face with Hiroko in the parlor, just the two of us, and finally felt relieved. On the afternoon of the 17th, I had met this young lady for the first time, and today we could at last speak privately at length. I could not conceal the joy in my heart.

The more Sadako trusted Hayashida, the more Hiroko believed in Fujieda. I was the one who had come in Fujieda’s stead. That Hiroko had begun speaking so openly might have stemmed from her regard for Fujieda, but to me, it was by no means unwelcome. Having entirely set aside the grim affair, we began discussing paintings, literature, and music. Fujieda had muttered to himself on the night of the twentieth while looking at his records—"How grateful I am for my musical tastes!"—and now I found myself compelled to repeat those same words silently. It was this shared artistic inclination that allowed me to spend nearly twenty minutes conversing with Hiroko, just the two of us.

“Oh, Mr. Ogawa, wouldn’t you like to come out to the garden? You still haven’t properly seen my flowerbed, you see.” “That sounds lovely. I’d very much like to see it indeed.” Since Hiroko had offered to guide me, I descended into the garden following behind her. Hiroko tried to kindly bring my shoes from the entrance all the way to the glass door next to the piano room, so I hurriedly carried them myself out of deference. Hiroko slipped into her garden clogs at the entrance and stepped out into the garden.

Indeed, the flowerbed was beautifully suited to the young lady who tended it. “Mr. Ogawa, isn’t it beautiful? But you know, they say the roots of this flower are poisonous. See, Mr. Fujieda mentioned that once before, didn’t he? There are terrifying criminals among beautiful women—it’s exactly the same as that, isn’t it?” She laughed airily. What on earth was she thinking, and what had she come up with?

Then she began talking incessantly about crimes. Hiroko—who resembled a flower herself—telling a crime story before a beautiful flowerbed in the twilight of a garden at spring’s zenith felt utterly incongruous with that moment’s atmosphere. All the more could I not fathom her state of mind; all the more did that tale strike me as horrifying. Had she instead begun recounting a love story there, I might have stood rooted in that garden until time itself lost meaning. Though I had adequately sustained our earlier conversation about music, I now found myself unequal to maintaining this role when confronted with criminal narratives.

I, trying somehow to change the subject, looked up at Sadako’s room window from below (Sadako’s living room was on the opposite side from Hiroko’s—that is, facing south toward the garden) and caught sight of her profile, but then immediately noticed Date Masao’s head beside her.

5 "Ms. Hiroko, Mr. Date has come back again." "Oh, that's true, isn't it?"

When I alerted her, Hiroko looked up at the second-floor window and said this, but then suddenly glanced at her wristwatch. "It's already 6:40, isn't it? It's time for dinner preparations to be ready—what could have happened?"

"No, I must take my leave." "Oh, please don't say such things. Dinner should have been prepared by now... And I believe Hatsue has already come out of the bath. I'll just go check." She nodded politely to me and entered through the glass door. "Mr. Hayashida, wouldn't you like to see the garden? It's quite lovely."

When I found myself alone, being the practical sort I was, I promptly called out toward the second-floor window. Though Hayashida's figure wasn't visible, I had assumed he was upstairs of course.

Sure enough, in response to my call, Hayashida appeared at the window. And then he stuck his face out of the window and looked around. “Indeed, this is a splendid view.”

he said, as if he had just thought of it,

“Where is Ms. Hiroko?” “She has gone inside on some business.” When I answered, Hayashida appeared at the window together with Sadako and Date. “Mr. Ogawa, are you looking at my sister Ms. Hiroko’s flowers? The one next to it is my flowerbed.” “I see. This is also beautiful.” “Perhaps I’ll take a look myself.”

Hayashida said.

“Please do come down. It’s really a beautiful view.” Hayashida seemed to consider for a moment, but after saying something to Sadako, “Well then, I’ll come down too,” he called out to me.

“Oh, come down right away. I’ll be waiting.” In response to my words, the three faces vanished from the window. It was precisely that instant.

Suddenly, from inside the house came a woman’s scream like tearing silk.

I shall likely never forget the terror of that moment until I lie in my grave. Indeed, "a scream like tearing silk" must refer to what I heard then - in that instant, I felt my entire body freeze solid. "Someone, come here! Someone! Mr. Fujieda! Mr. Ogawa!" "Someone!" "Mr. Fujieda!" "Mr. Ogawa!"

Undoubtedly, that was Hiroko’s scream. In that instant, I—who had turned to stone—upon clearly hearing those words, shot forward like a bullet—no, perhaps even faster—leaped over the flowerbed in a single bound, and plunged inside through the glass door entrance. In my frenzy, I rushed in still wearing my shoes and charged straight ahead, nearly colliding with Hiroko as she stood deathly pale and on the verge of collapse.

“Ms. Hiroko! What’s wrong? What happened?” As if to steady her, I placed my hand on her shoulder and shouted. “Hatsue! Hatsue!” Even the resolute Hiroko must have seen something truly horrifying, for she was unable to speak further and could only extend her right hand to point toward the bathroom. Just then, Hayashida, Sadako, and Date rushed over in surprise.

“What’s wrong? Ms. Hiroko?” “Hatsue… over there…” Hiroko collapsed limply against me. In their panic, Sadako and Date caught her, but I did not miss the words Hiroko muttered at that moment. “The Bathroom Bride!” “Horrible!” “The Bathroom Bride!”

6

Here, before unfolding the terrible bathroom tragedy, I wish to clearly convey to readers the bathroom's exact location. As previously mentioned, upon entering the entrance hall, to the left lies Sasada the butler’s room, and opposite to the right stands the parlor. Beyond the parlor extends the piano room, and beyond that lies the glass door entrance. From the entrance hall ran a straight corridor that curved slightly rightward, ending at a staircase leading to the second floor. Along its left side—adjacent to Sasada the butler’s room—stood one chamber, followed by a small storage closet (containing brooms for corridor maintenance), then a toilet, beyond which lay a dressing room adjoining the bathroom.

To reach the bathroom, one must open the door to the dressing room, enter the dressing chamber, and then proceed further into the bathroom. As I have often mentioned, I am not skilled at drawing diagrams, but if I were to sketch a rough and somewhat inaccurate floor plan, it would look exactly like this. The spot where I collided with Hiroko as she was collapsing—marked with a black dot (●)—was at the base of the stairs, in front of the toilet. When I heard Hiroko’s words—so sudden—I couldn’t quite grasp what terrifying meaning "The Bathroom Bride" was meant to convey.

Hayashida seemed to have already grasped its meaning and suddenly leaped into the dressing room through the door. This door was half-opened. I too entrusted Hiroko to Sadako and Date, then immediately leaped in after Hayashida.

As soon as we entered the dressing room, what immediately caught our eye was a magnificent life-sized mirror embedded in the far wall. There were also various cosmetics placed there, but I have no intention of describing such things now. The only thing worth noting was Hatsue's kimono hanging on the wall where she had been wearing it until just moments ago; its owner must surely be in the bathroom at this very moment.

Hayashida too must have immediately noticed the kimono; after a brief hesitation, he looked back at me. Whatever state Hatsue might be in within the bathroom, she was undoubtedly naked—under no circumstances could it be proper for men to barge into a place where a young lady lay completely unclothed. Yet Hiroko's scream permitted us not even an instant's pause. Hayashida appeared to share my resolve and, standing outside the glass door to the right,

“Ms. Hatsue. “Ms. Hatsue!”

called out two or three times and knocked on the glass door, but upon confirming there was no response from within,

“Hey, let’s open it.”

he said to me, but his voice was tinged with an unusual tension.

Of course I agreed. The moment we pulled open the door and peered inside, Hayashida and I exchanged glances and involuntarily let out a cry. The interior was a beautiful, spacious bathroom tiled throughout. At the far end sat an impressive Western-style bathtub. Where was Hatsue? She was indeed inside that bathtub! Her head submerged in water filled eight-tenths to the brim, her legs stretched upward! She lay on her back, submerged.

At that moment, I heard Hayashida mutter under his breath,

“Joseph Smith! The Bathroom Bride!” I heard him say. At the instant I saw this horrifying sight, I too clearly recalled those words for the first time.

The two immediately rushed into the bathroom. As previously mentioned, the water in the bathtub was filled to about eight-tenths. With her head toward the wider end of the bathtub, Hatsue lay on her back, completely naked. Her body lay almost entirely submerged in the water; her head, eyes, nose, ears—in short, her entire face—rested about two or three sun beneath the surface, fully immersed. Her hands were stretched out—one on her chest and the other to the side—and both legs were rigidly protruding from the edge of the narrow bathtub.

7 I decided to once again attempt to clarify Hatsue's terrifying yet uncanny posture through a diagram, crude as my drawing might be. By doing so, I believed this bizarre incident would become clearer to readers. To supplement with findings later confirmed through investigation: The bathtub's length AB measured exactly 5 shaku 5 sun internally (approximately 166 cm at its widest upper edge), while the bottom section CD measured 3 shaku 8 sun (115 cm). The width EF (at the broadest point) was 2 shaku (60 cm), base GH measured 1 shaku 6 sun (48 cm), the upper portion IJ at the foot end measured 1 shaku 7 sun (51 cm), and base KL was 1 shaku 1 sun 5 bu (35 cm).

The heights were MN at 1 shaku 4 sun (approximately 42.4 cm) and OP at 1 shaku 4 sun 2 bu (approximately 42.7 cm). It was thus clearly ascertained that Hatsue’s height measured five shaku one sun (approximately 155 cm). A beautiful young lady lay submerged in this posture within the bathtub, her surroundings utterly silent save for the occasional plopping sound of water dripping from the drain. This strange, eerie silence was unbearable. Unable to bear looking directly, I hurriedly tried to lift Hatsue’s body, but before I could, Hayashida—who had been calmly observing her face submerged in the water—quickly interjected.

"Her revival is likely hopeless now, but whatever the law might say, we can't leave this corpse abandoned here. Call Dr. Kizawa immediately and have him administer treatment as quickly as possible. But you must commit this exact state to memory." Having been told this, I thoroughly fixed the scene's details in my mind once more—but before I realized it, Hayashida seemed to have left the bathroom for the telephone, his flustered voice carrying through the walls. Soon he returned again.

“I’ve just called Dr. Kizawa and the police.” “Can’t you hurry and call Fujieda?” “If it’s just a minor illness, he’ll come rushing over.” I was told this and, exchanging places with Hayashida, rushed out into the hallway to hurriedly summon Fujieda. He should still be bedridden, but now was not the time to be saying such things. I insisted on getting him to answer the phone. And then I briefly recounted what I had just seen. Over the phone, Fujieda’s flustered voice could be heard.

“What?! “Joseph Smith! Alright, I’ll come right away. But until then, make sure to inspect the bathroom thoroughly at least once. And if there’s even the slightest thing that seems odd, commit it properly to memory.”

Fujieda was finally coming. With this, I too felt relieved and returned to the bathroom once again. At this point, responding to the urgency, both Date and Sadako came inside. Hiroko seemed to have recovered by now; still pale-faced, she too entered inside, and it was decided to temporarily move Hatsue’s corpse to the Japanese-style room. Until Dr. Kizawa arrived, Hayashida seemed to be performing artificial respiration and trying to expel water from her lungs repeatedly, but Hatsue’s condition appeared utterly hopeless even to an amateur like me.

Though I didn't clearly remember the exact time, the discovery of Hatsue's corpse occurred shortly after Hiroko had—

“It’s already 6:40, isn’t it?” Since this occurred three or four minutes after she left the garden saying that, I think it was probably between 6:40 and 6:50.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Dr. Kizawa hurriedly appeared and seemed to devote all his efforts to emergency treatment, but his efforts proved entirely in vain. "Drowning, I see. She was drowned in the bathtub. It's a strange phenomenon. This is my first time encountering such a case." Dr. Kizawa appeared unaware of the Joseph Smith case and wore a puzzled expression. "If someone were to have an epileptic seizure in the bathroom, this kind of state might occur. However, I've been treating this young lady for quite some time now, but she's never had any episodes of seizures before."

8

Already on multiple occasions, and involving more than one individual, "Joseph Smith. The Bathroom Bride" Given that I have used the phrase "Joseph Smith: The Bathroom Bride," readers with an interest in detective novels and true crime stories would likely have recalled that famous case, thinking, "Ah, that one!" However, for those readers who knew nothing of the Joseph Smith case, I shall now briefly outline this incident. Joseph Smith was a notorious British murderer of recent notoriety. In a short span of time, he married three women in succession, took out life insurance policies on them, compelled them to write their wills, and then mercilessly drowned all three in bathtubs.

On May 23, 1915, Smith stood trial as a murder defendant. The charge alleged he had drowned his first wife, Elizabeth Annie Constance Mundy, in a bathtub. Prosecuting for the Crown was Mr. Bodkin; conducting Smith's defense was the renowned Sir Edward Marshall Hall (then Mr.); presiding over proceedings was Mr. Scrutton.

The defendant steadfastly denied committing murder throughout. However, in the end, the jury delivered a guilty verdict, the death penalty was immediately handed down to the defendant, and he vanished like dew on the execution grounds on August 13 of the same year. This incident was sensationalized at the time as the "Bathroom Bride Incident," creating an extraordinary sensation in Europe amidst the Great War and even being reported two or three times in Japanese newspapers of the era. By what method did he kill his wife?

As the defendant persisted in denial until ascending the gallows, the precise details remain unclear; however, by introducing here an excerpt from the opening speech of the Crown Counsel (equivalent to our prosecutors), one can generally ascertain the gist of the matter.

"On the 13th of the same month, French (the defendant's family doctor) received a note from the defendant." "'Please come quickly. My wife has died,' it said." French, who had rushed to his residence, found Mandy already dead in the bathtub. She lay on her back with nearly her entire body submerged. Both her mouth and face were underwater; her buttocks protruded sharply from her raised shins, only the tips of her feet visible at the tub's edge. (Omission) The victim stood five feet eight inches tall—a woman of sturdy build. Yet this robust woman lay fully submerged with legs outstretched. Herein lay an appallingly simple method of murder. Through this technique, one could effortlessly drown someone in a bathtub. When filled with water, a bath naturally deepens upon entry. Imagine then—with the victim fully immersed—suddenly lifting both legs. Consciousness would vanish instantly; death would follow with equal swiftness. 'And it was confirmed,' concluded the report, 'that Mrs. Mundy's legs had indeed been found propped against one side of the tub.'" (The following is omitted)

And indeed, Akikawa Hatsue's both legs were also found propped up on one side of the bathtub. The first discoverer was Hiroko.

"The Bathroom Bride" The reason why Hiroko screamed and momentarily lost consciousness, and why Hayashida—the second discoverer—had shouted “Joseph Smith! The Bathroom Bride!” was the same as why Fujieda exclaimed over the phone upon hearing my description, “What? That’s Joseph Smith!” All this occurred because Hatsue’s state bore such an uncanny resemblance to The Bathroom Bride Incident that it seemed almost a perfect replica of that case.

9 Approximately ten minutes after Dr. Kizawa's arrival, Inspector Takahashi appeared with detectives and police physician Dr. Nohara in tow, his expression tightly strained with tension. Upon hearing my explanation, the inspector immediately inspected the bathroom. Since Fujieda had already warned me about that place over the phone earlier, I myself had examined it thoroughly, but nothing particularly unusual had caught my eye. The inspector looked somewhat displeased that Hatsue's body was no longer there.

"We thought there might still be hope, so we took her out from the bathroom ourselves," I explained. "Had we known it was hopeless, we would naturally have left everything untouched..." "Exactly," Hayashida interjected. "It happened just as Mr. Ogawa says. I helped carry her to the other room and immediately attempted artificial respiration myself, but it was no use." Hayashida's thorough explanation of our position kept the inspector from voicing further complaints. In truth, I'd moved her from the bathroom with Hayashida and the others clinging to that slim chance of revival, though in hindsight disturbing what was clearly a suspicious death must have disconcerted the investigators somewhat.

At this moment, supported by Hiroko, Shunzō came down from the second floor in surprise. He must have been in bed at the time of the incident. Already worn down by the relentless string of misfortunes, he now received this horrific news—literally like water poured into sleeping ears. He could no longer even muster a sob.

Shunzō, Hiroko, Sadako, Date and the others all gathered in the lower Japanese-style sitting room.

After briefly inspecting the bathroom, Inspector Takahashi wasted not a single minute before beginning to closely examine Hatsue’s corpse—now relocated to the Japanese-style sitting room—while appearing to urgently press Dr. Kizawa and Dr. Nohara with crucial questions. This incident was not necessarily a homicide; as Dr. Kizawa had indeed stated earlier, it was possible that during Hatsue’s bath, an epileptic seizure or some similar attack had occurred, causing her to lose consciousness and drown on the spot. Thus, the doctors’ testimonies and observations now carried immense significance. Inspector Takahashi continued speaking in hushed tones with the two doctors.

Just then, the maid Hisaya informed me that Fujieda—long-awaited—had arrived, so I hurried to the entrance to greet him.

“Good heavens! I heard a brief account over the phone, but I want to hear the details again...”

In the deserted reception room, I sat facing Fujieda and recounted the course of events up to that point in outline. Fujieda was listening silently without missing a word, but when I described the state of the bathroom, he displayed an utterly astonished expression; however, he said nothing.

Then Hayashida entered.

“Fujieda, something terrible has happened while you were ill.” “You still don’t look too well, but are you really alright?” “Yeah, thanks… But it’s not just an illness anymore—it’s turned into something worse.” “Right now, the Inspector is over there questioning Ms. Hiroko, but…” “I see. Then I’ll have you let me hear it too.”

We entered the Japanese-style sitting room.

Hiroko was describing to Inspector Takahashi how she had discovered the corpse. "I had been talking with Mr. Ogawa for some time, but when it reached around 6:40 PM with no word about dinner, I grew concerned. I went inside and proceeded to the kitchen to ask the two maids, who informed me it was already prepared." "Worried about Hatsue's whereabouts, I called out to her from outside the bathroom on my way back from the kitchen, but there was no answer." "When she failed to respond after an extended period, I opened the door to look inside. My sister lay with her legs protruding above the water, her entire body submerged... her head completely underwater when I found her deceased."

10 Then she described how she had screamed and called out to us, but there was nothing particularly noteworthy about it. The inspector further inquired about the circumstances under which Hiroko had discovered Hatsue's corpse, but Hiroko's testimony completely matched what I myself had witnessed. Both Hayashida and I repeatedly stated the same thing to the inspector. Regarding the fact that Hatsue's corpse had not been left as found at the scene—while it has already been noted that Inspector Takahashi seemed quite dismayed about this—on this point, Fujieda too appeared profoundly regretful.

In response to Inspector Takahashi’s question about whether they had found anything unusual in the bathroom, Hayashida spoke up. “While I didn’t discover anything particularly unusual, I did notice evidence that Hatsue had taken some powdered medicine she apparently received from Dr. Kizawa earlier while bathing.” “Namely, on the outside of the bathtub, next to the washing area, a wet piece of paraffin paper had been discarded.” “Earlier, I handed it over to Dr. Kizawa and had him examine the paper, which indeed appeared to be one of the packets of stomach medicine he had provided.” “Furthermore, since the remaining powdered medicine was found in her clothing, we had all of it—two packets—submitted from Dr. Kizawa to Dr. Nohara.”

Such was Hayashida's testimony. As for this matter regarding the medicine, it was something I had not clearly known until now. The inspector then attempted to interrogate Shunzō, Hiroko, Sadako, and Date without reserve. He investigated their actions at the time of the incident.

Hiroko’s actions were already familiar to the readers. Sadako stated she had been recounting police affairs to Hayashida upstairs the entire time. Shunzō stated he had been feeling unwell that day and, under the effect of a sedative prescribed by Dr. Kizawa in the afternoon, remained confined to bed until Hiroko called to wake him. Date stated he had first returned home to attend to some business—explaining this meant writing two or three letters—then around 6:30 PM entered through the back door, immediately went upstairs, and stayed in Sadako’s room with both Hayashida and Sadako.

The two maids Shimaya and Hisaya consistently answered that they had been in the kitchen at the time. In such situations, Fujieda would invariably interject with questions, but today—whether due to illness—he had completely lost his vitality and sat utterly silent. Since Hayashida too was being questioned alongside me today as a reference witness by the inspector, he likewise could not interrogate others extensively. Finally, Inspector Takahashi appeared to be conferring again in hushed tones with the two doctors, but judging from how tensely the detective went to make a phone call, the case had apparently finally been reported to the prosecutor's office. After hearing the doctors' theory in detail, Inspector Takahashi had likely concluded that this strongly pointed to homicide.

The fact that the corpse had not been left undisturbed at the scene appeared to have put Inspector Takahashi in a thoroughly foul mood, and he spoke little with either Fujieda or Hayashida. Neither Fujieda nor Hayashida spoke much that day.

Past eight o'clock, Fujieda beckoned me to his side and signaled his intention to leave. I immediately followed him.

As I was leaving the entrance, I caught a snatch of Fujieda and Inspector Takahashi's conversation. The two displeased men were exchanging these words. “Inspector Takahashi, do you still suspect Hayakawa Tatsukichi?” “Of course.” “Until such time as his innocence is proven.” “Do you think Hatsue’s death was accidental?”

“Mr. Fujieda, that’s not necessarily the case. However, I am of the opinion that there is no necessity to consider the second incident and this latest one as having necessarily been committed by the same person.”

Hiroko's Deduction

1

After leaving the Akikawa residence, Fujieda did not utter a single word from when he got into the car until arriving home. I, worried that his physical condition—which had finally begun to improve—might have deteriorated again due to his sudden resumption of activity, accompanied him all the way to Fujieda’s house.

"I've been lying down for a while, so this strange fatigue is troubling me." "Yeah, if you make your condition worse, it'll be a real problem." "Just get into bed already." "I'll take my leave and lie down then." He climbed into bed without ceremony yet began speaking to me sitting beside him.

“Today’s incident was entirely unexpected.” “That the tragedy would manifest in such a form—I hadn’t anticipated that at all.” “As I’ve told you repeatedly, I had considered the possibility that a third tragedy might occur in the Akikawa household.” “But for the victim to be Hatsue, and the murder method to be of that nature—!” “It was utterly unforeseen.” “This may compel me to fundamentally reconsider my previous assumptions.”

He involuntarily reached for the cigarette case beside him but, noticing, withdrew his hand.

“You mean fundamentally revising your approach?” “Hey Ogawa, haven’t you noticed what makes this latest incident peculiar? Just like how that second tragedy—the April 20th case—had its own striking characteristics, right?”

“Hmm, I’m not quite sure.” “If we suppose Shuntarō and Yasuko were killed by the same person—and I believe this assumption correct—then setting aside accomplices, we must reasonably conclude at least the direct perpetrator was male. You’d agree, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” “But what about today’s incident? Doesn’t it produce precisely the opposite conclusion?... You still don’t seem convinced—aren’t you remembering the Joseph Smith case?” “Yeah.”

“Who exactly is Joseph Smith?” “Consider his relationship to the victim.” “He was the victim’s husband.” “You see.” “Think carefully about this point.” “In other words—because Joseph Smith was the victim’s husband... he could execute that crime. No one but a husband could’ve pulled off such an act.” “Hmm, I see.” “Now let’s examine Hatsue’s case.” “She obviously had no husband.” “Not even a fiancé.” “Moreover, she was an eighteen-year-old young lady from a respectable family.” “Who could possibly march straight into the bathroom where this girl was bathing completely naked and commit such an act?” “The perpetrator first opened the dressing room door, then the glass bath door, passed through the washing area, and approached the tub where Hatsue was soaking.” “Yet despite resorting to such brutal violence—throughout it all, Hatsue didn’t utter a single cry of surprise or scream.” “No—even without screaming, this crime fundamentally couldn’t have succeeded if Hatsue had shown even minimal vigilance while in that tub.” “You realize—until the killer reached that tub, Hatsue remained completely unsuspecting.” “Which means—” “Who could the perpetrator possibly be?”

“Well, someone Hatsue knew well—probably a family member or employee of the Akikawa household.”

“That’s right. Exactly as you say—and there is one more condition beyond that. In other words, the culprit is a woman.”

“I see.” “For example, if it were Date, Hatsue would inevitably have been on guard.”

“Of course. Even if Sadako had been bathing, don’t you think it’s unthinkable that her fiancé Date could have marched straight to that bathtub without a care?”

2

At that moment, I began to grasp why Fujieda had appeared so thoroughly flustered today. Had he not concluded the perpetrator was male in the second incident? Had he not constructed various deductions upon that foundation? Now this latest case unexpectedly suggested a female culprit - even he must have found himself utterly confounded.

“So it comes down to this then.” “At minimum, a woman directly committed this latest crime.” “Moreover, this woman was intimately familiar with Hatsue.” “That makes the culprit a woman within the Akikawa household.” “Don’t you find this odd, Fujieda?” “It hardly suits the mastermind you so admired.” “Even I’m beginning to see the shape of this investigation.” “Exactly.” “The criminal I envisioned couldn’t possibly be this inept.” “I’ve hit an impasse.” “I’m thoroughly spent here.”

With a truly exhausted expression，Fujieda took a sip of the black tea that had been placed beside him. “However，Ogawa，there’s just one way of thinking where the culprit isn’t a woman.” “Though according to this line of thinking，it still doesn’t quite align neatly with the second incident...”

“Huh? Then who’s the culprit?” “That old man.” “Akikawa Shunzō.” “Assuming he’s the culprit, today’s incident can be tentatively explained.” “But you—the old man should’ve been in bed the entire time!”

“Can you yourself prove that?” Fujieda solemnly said to me. "I see." "You were merely told he was resting in his bedroom." "Who can prove he didn’t quietly rise and slip into the bathroom unnoticed?" "When a daughter bathes, her father enters." "In our country’s customs, there’s nothing strange about that." "And so the matter was settled in an instant." “Then you believe he’s the culprit?”

“No, this is merely one hypothesis.” “It’s just a tentative explanation for this latest incident.” “However, the theory that the old man is the culprit runs into a rather difficult psychological problem first and foremost in this case.”

He apparently could no longer endure it and put an Airship cigarette in his mouth.

“Then who exactly should we suspect?” “Let us examine that point.” “Your earlier account demonstrates how precisely you’ve retained the details of the incident—for that I’m profoundly grateful.” “We shall follow that thread to pursue the matter.” “This morning you visited the Akikawa residence.” “At that time, those present in the house were: the master, Hiroko, Sadako, Hatsue, Butler Sasada, and two maids.” “Additionally, Dr. Kizawa was in attendance.” “What Dr. Kizawa told you—that the master had relapsed into illness and Hatsue was suffering gastric distress—these two points are of considerable significance; commit them firmly to memory.” “Having conveyed this information, Dr. Kizawa then departed.” “You, Hayashida, Hiroko and Hatsue went out, returning around half past four in the afternoon.” At this juncture, Butler Sasada had left to attend to an errand. “You, Hayashida, Hiroko, Sadako and Hatsue were conversing in the parlor when Dr. Kizawa—who had been attending the master until then—appeared and presumably administered the powdered medicine to Hatsue.” “He instructed her to take it around five-thirty before leaving.” This fact required particular attention. “When Dr. Kizawa departed, Hayashida also took his leave.” “Thus those remaining in the parlor were you, Hiroko, Sadako and Hatsue—until Sadako excused herself upon hearing of Date’s arrival.” “Therefore the final occupants became you, Hiroko and Hatsue.” “This brings us to approximately twenty minutes past five.”

3

“In other words, while you were all in the parlor, Shunzō was in his second-floor bedroom, and Date and Sadako were in Sadako’s second-floor room. Since Hayashida had returned there, four people were now in the parlor. Then a mysterious phone call came through. It was a woman’s voice, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, no one besides Hayashida knows what was said. Though he may have already told the inspector about this today, in any case we don’t know. Around five thirty, when you four were gathered in one room, the maid came to inform you about the bath. Hiroko first told Hatsue to take a bath, correct? There, Hatsue exchanged some words with Hayashida and left the room. From precisely this time—around five thirty onward—Hatsue was not seen alive by anyone. Moreover, five thirty coincidentally matches the time when Dr. Kizawa had instructed her to take the medicine. You must not forget this. Then you were in a room with Hiroko and Hayashida. Therefore, if Hatsue was killed immediately after leaving, the culprit absolutely cannot be among these three people.”

“Hey you, does this trio even include me among the suspects?”

“That’s right. In such a bizarre case, I tentatively suspect everyone. I have to suspect.” Around six o'clock that evening, Date and Sadako arrived. At that time, it was unclear whether Hatsue was still alive. After seeing Date off, Hayashida and Sadako went outside. “Since they returned shortly afterward, the four of you were back in the parlor again.” How Date had left remained unclear. Next, Hayashida and Sadako went up to the second floor. “According to your account, it seems Hiroko was actually the one who sent those two away.” “After they’d left, you and Hiroko discussed music.” “Since this took about twenty minutes, we can determine your pleasant time with Miss Hiroko ended around 6:20.” “Then you went out to the garden with Hiroko.” “You two began a peculiar conversation and ended up staying there until 6:40.” Then, unnoticed by anyone, Date appeared on the second floor. About two or three minutes after Hiroko left your side, the three people upstairs tried to come down. “It was at that exact moment—wasn’t it?—when you heard Hiroko’s scream?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly right.” “So then, Hatsue was killed by someone between just after 5:30 and around 6:40—exactly within this one-hour window—right?” “Of course, it was murder.” “Which means we must ask—who in the house could have had the chance to kill her?” “First would be the master, as you said.” “That’s right.” “The first is the master.” “And then?” I thought it over but couldn’t pin it down. “What about Sadako? “Ogawa—what do you think?”

“Yeah, Sadako should’ve been in the second-floor room the whole time. At first she was with Date, and later with Hayashida—both times just the two of them.” “The crucial point lies here. Whether Hatsue was killed while she was alone with Date, or whether she was killed while she was alone with Hayashida. This single point is truly the very heart of this case, you know. Now, she states that she was in the room the entire time in either case, and both Date and Hayashida acknowledge this. However, Date’s testimony can never be trusted. Because he’s the one in the best position to compromise with Sadako, you know. Hayashida himself states that he was listening to Sadako talk about the police the entire time, and since he’s not the type of man to easily compromise with Sadako, it might be safe to trust him.”

He said this, but at that moment, he suddenly tensed up.

“But Ogawa, don’t you recall something odd about Hayashida investigating Sadako?”

“Something odd?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

4 I couldn't grasp the meaning of what Fujieda was saying.

He silently watched my perplexed face for a while, then continued again. "It seems nothing comes to mind for you." "No, if you don't understand, then that's fine." "So assuming Shunzō's, Sadako's, and Date's actions remained unclear—what about Hiroko?"

“Hiroko was with me the whole time.” “It seems she was talking with you continuously after Hatsue left. Therefore, just as I can’t suspect you, I can’t suspect her either—except regarding that final critical moment.” “What do you mean?” “When she told you ‘I’ll go attend to dinner preparations’ and left the garden, there must have been at least two or three minutes—from what I’ve heard—before you heard her scream. She claims she went to the kitchen. That part’s likely true. Then she went to the bathroom. But no one can verify how long she actually stayed in the kitchen. Either way, once she showed up in the kitchen, went straight to the bathroom, and casually approached her sister lying relaxed in the bath—she’d certainly have had the perfect opportunity to replicate Joseph Smith’s method. What do you think?”

If you put it that way, Fujieda's reasoning wasn't unreasonable. "I repeat—the fact that Dr.Kizawa instructed her to take the medicine around five-thirty and that Hatsue went to the bath at exactly five-thirty are points worthy of attention, don’t you think?"

He spoke up to this point and fell silent.

As it was already quite late, and he, still recovering from his illness, seemed even more exhausted than usual, I refrained from pressing him any further and returned home that night as things were.

This was what transpired on April 25th.

On the morning of April 26th，I received a call from Fujieda. “How’s your health?” “You seemed to overdo it quite a bit yesterday though.”

“Yeah, thanks. “I’m already feeling much better.” “By the way, Hiroko just got a call and says she suddenly has something she wants to talk to me about. “So I told her to come to the office regardless, but could you head over there right away?”

Of course, I gladly decided to go out.

When I looked at the newspaper, the Akikawa mansion tragedy had indeed become a major headline in the society section. The public criticism against the authorities, beginning with the Metropolitan Police Department, had reached an extraordinarily severe level. From some quarters came fervent proposals that seemed both reasonable and unreasonable in equal measure: "Round up every last suspicious individual indiscriminately—anyone will do—for wouldn't that still be preferable to inviting further tragedies hereafter?" However, the ones who became the primary targets of criticism were Fujieda and Hayashida; the more illustrious their past achievements, the more conspicuous their current failure appeared.

When I arrived at the office, Fujieda had already arrived.

He was much more energetic than the previous day, though still not back to his usual self. As they were discussing various matters, Hiroko appeared. After exchanging initial greetings, she promptly began stating her business. "Mr. Fujieda, today I have come after consulting briefly on legal matters..."

“Well, if there’s anything I can ascertain…” “First, I wish to inquire—is it indeed true that even when a criminal has committed grave crimes and will undoubtedly commit even greater ones in the future, the law remains powerless to act without direct and conclusive evidence?”

Hiroko’s words carried an unassailable tone of interrogation.

Fujieda indeed showed a slightly surprised expression.

5 As Fujieda—perhaps finding it difficult to gauge Hiroko’s feelings—remained silent, she pressed further and fired off another question. “Regarding the matter of false accusation I wish to inquire about… There is someone here whom I firmly believe to be the murderer.” “So if I were to accuse that person, and it later becomes clear they are not the killer, would I be held responsible for false accusation?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” “If you didn’t intentionally frame that person.” “And if you have thoroughly sufficient grounds to believe they must be the culprit, then it wouldn’t constitute false accusation.” “Even should that person later be found innocent.”

Hiroko remained silent for some time. During this silence, she seemed to have made some considerable resolve.

“Mr. Fujieda, I hereby formally accuse my sister Akikawa Sadako and her fiancé Date Masao as the culprits responsible for the series of murders that have occurred in our household.”

“Ms. Sadako and Date?” Fujieda uttered in astonishment. “Yes, and I assert that not only have they been involved in past incidents, but these two are also capable of committing murder in the future. Mr. Fujieda, my life is also being threatened.”

For the first time, true terror flashed across Hiroko’s face—until this moment, she had maintained her composure. “Ms. Sadako and Date?” Fujieda stared at Hiroko with an intensely tense expression. I wondered what he would say next and, holding my breath, watched his face closely.

“Is that so? I do not necessarily intend to dismiss your accusation. However, since you assert this with such conviction, I presume you must have sufficient reasons to conclude that those two are murderers. Could you at least let me hear that?”

"I already believe I have thoroughly sufficient grounds. Mr. Fujieda, I have reached the point where I would rather hear your reasons for why those two are not the culprits." Fujieda put an A-ship cigarette between his lips and briskly lit it.

“Until the incident on the seventeenth occurred, threatening letters had been coming to my father’s residence. “And my younger sister has mentioned that one of them reached Sadako as well. “Mr. Fujieda, does this not strike you as peculiar? “On the afternoon of the seventeenth, it was indeed Sadako who suggested the medicine to Mother. “And that very night, Sadako and Mr.Date engaged in vehement arguments with Mother. “Consequently, Mother began suffering acute distress late that night. “At that critical moment, Sadako came rushing while still wearing her kimono. “This I recall with perfect clarity. “Why would my sister have remained dressed in formal attire so late at night? “When Mother lay dying, she spoke one final phrase to Sadako. “As I previously stated, Mother only recognized her assailant when all hope was lost. “That day Yasuyo had gone to Saigō to obtain the medicine, but after her return Sadako took custody of it—remaining in her room with the medicine until nightfall. “And as I have already reported to you previously, both Sadako and Mr.Date were present together in her chamber throughout this period.”

Hiroko finished speaking up to this point and appeared to be observing for a while what effect her words had produced on the listener.

“Next is the incident on the night of the 20th. Mr. Fujieda, I do not know what you may think, but I cannot conceive that the perpetrator of the 17th incident and that of the 20th are entirely separate individuals. I resolutely maintain that they are one and the same person.”

6 "Oh ho, and what is the reason for that?"

Fujieda asked in a tone that showed great interest. “Because Yasuyo was killed.” “If Hayakawa Tatsukichi killed Yasuyo, it would be far too coincidental.” “Wouldn’t killing Yasuyo have been of great benefit to the culprit of the 17th?” “Because Yasuyo was the woman who went to retrieve the medicine.” “The culprit either used some scheme to bribe Yasuyo, or Yasuyo knew the culprit but remained silent for some reason.” “However, when Yasuyo faced your and Mr. Hayashida’s intense interrogation, she nearly broke her silence.” “There is no doubt that the culprit noticed this situation.” “Those who could have noticed this situation must necessarily have been someone inside my house at that time.”

“That’s correct.” “Exactly as you say.”

Fujieda muttered in an impressed tone. "In the incident on the 20th, by any account, I must conclude that the direct perpetrator was a man." "Such a violent act could never possibly be committed by a woman." "Mr. Date first killed Yasuko in the garden." "I can only conclude that this is the case."

“Then what about Shuntarō?”

"It was indeed Mr. Date who invited him," she continued. "By killing Yasuyo to prevent the exposure of the crime committed on the 17th, my sister and Mr. Date simultaneously advanced closer to their own objective." "Their own objective?" "That is correct. I believe those two harbor a grave objective. I would prefer to elaborate on that matter later."

“Now regarding yesterday’s incident—this stands in curious opposition to the twentieth’s case—the perpetrator must undeniably be considered female.” “Joseph Smith had a husband.” “But Hatsue had none…” “Absolutely.” “I share your view entirely.”

Fujieda let out a voice tinged with genuine admiration. He flicked the half-ashed cigarette into the ashtray and promptly lit another one. He appeared to have grown intensely interested in Hiroko’s story, his hands rubbing together incessantly.

“The reason I concluded Sadako and Mr. Date must be the culprits was precisely because yesterday’s incident occurred.” “In the first incident, whether the perpetrator was male or female remains unclear, but in the second incident, a man was clearly active.” “However, in the third incident—as I’ve just explained—a woman was indeed at work.” “Assuming all three incidents were committed by the same perpetrator, we’d have a man active in one case and a woman in another.” “When I follow this reasoning through, there’s no alternative but to suspect Sadako and Mr. Date—wouldn’t you agree?”

"Ms. Hiroko, but Sadako was supposed to have remained on the second floor all day yesterday." "Yes—first with Mr. Date, then later with Mr. Hayashida." "So you consider her supposed conversation with Mr. Date suspicious?" "Naturally. But tell me, Mr. Fujieda—haven't you noticed something peculiar about Mr. Hayashida conversing with my sister?"

I was stunned. Hadn't Fujieda said something similar to me yesterday? I waited with bated breath to hear what he would think. "Something strange? Well…"

“This is how it is. When the second incident occurred—on that night of the 20th—my sister was once again on the second floor alone with Mr. Hayashida. Then yesterday too, once again, the two of them were on the second floor together. To put it another way—whenever those two are in Sadako’s room, a terrible incident occurs—isn’t that the case?”

7

“That’s correct. “That’s correct.” “Exactly as you say.”

Fujieda suddenly said in a loud voice. “Well, Mr.Fujieda, how am I supposed to make sense of this?” “Ms.Hiroko, what do you think?”

Fujieda was asking with intense urgency.

“To put it simply, might Mr. Hayashida be protecting Sadako for some reason? I believe he could be providing her with an alibi under some pretext.” “Is Hayashida shielding Ms. Sadako?” “Impossible.” “Absolutely not!” “No, of course Mr. Hayashida remains unaware of Sadako and their crimes. Though I don’t mean to suggest he’s intentionally covering up their misdeeds…”

Hiroko said in a somewhat apologetic tone. “Now Ms. Hiroko, you’ve noticed an important point… But tell me, why on earth would Ms. Sadako and Mr. Date have begun such dreadful acts?”

“That is precisely the case. Of course, motives for murder aren’t something one can casually comprehend. But I’ve come to feel this way—the enduring force driving those two is resentment toward the Akikawa family. As for the immediate motive, I believe it’s unquestionably a matter of financial interest.”

“Resentment? I understand the latter motive clearly, but what do you mean by resentment?” “Mr. Fujieda, don’t you see this? What exactly is Mr. Date to us? Is he truly a stranger to our family? For Father to give one-third of our family’s wealth to that man would be unthinkable unless he had lost his mind. If you were to ask Father, he would no doubt claim that Mr. Date’s father was from the same hometown or that he owed him some debt—but then why does he not state it clearly? He is an enemy. He is surely an enemy. Mr. Date’s father was undoubtedly my father’s sworn enemy.”

Hiroko declared this statement with absolute clarity, but when Fujieda heard these words, I did not miss seeing the A-ship cigarette drop from his right hand onto the floor with a soft thud. He hurriedly picked up the cigarette—I had never seen him so shocked before. Just how deeply Hiroko’s words had shaken Fujieda. Why would he be this astonished? “He is indeed our sworn enemy.” “There can be no doubt that man’s father died resenting my father.” “If that weren’t the case, why would Father have lived in such constant terror?” “Mr.Date must have uncovered Father’s past secret and been sending him threatening letters.” “Father carries a lifelong enemy within his heart.”

“Then, is he raising the child of that lifelong sworn enemy?”

Fujieda’s voice trembled faintly. He seemed to be suppressing some intense agitation. “It is Father’s atonement for his sins.” “I do not know Father’s past or Mr. Date’s past.” “It is simply as a woman’s intuition that I believe this.” “Father has been atoning for some sin he committed against the Date family in the past.” “I believe in my own instincts, and at the same time, I believe this fact logically explains the current situation quite well.” “If that were not the case, as I have repeated many times, why would Father have proposed such an absurd condition for the engagement?”

Just as Fujieda, wearing a thoroughly agitated expression, was about to say something, the cigarette clenched in his mouth fell to the floor—but this time, he remained so engrossed in Hiroko's story that he failed to notice it at all.

8

It was unclear whether Hiroko had noticed Fujieda’s state, but she continued her account. “Now Mr. Fujieda, isn’t Sadako the one conspiring with Mr. Date? Sadako is indeed not Mother’s real child—just as Mother said the day before she died—oh! Now that I mention it, you did state once that she was unquestionably Father’s child, didn’t you?”

"That's correct. I still believe that. Ms. Hiroko, take a good look at that person's profile. It's beyond dispute. Doesn't she look exactly like your father? No matter how much one tries to hide it, a true blood relative will always be discernible when viewed in profile." "If that is so... then I must suspect those two all the more." "And why would that be?"

Hiroko paused briefly as if considering something, but soon continued.

“As a child, this amounts to criticizing my father, so it is extremely difficult for me to say… However, given that matters have reached such a critical point, considering that Father absolutely refuses to speak plainly, not to mention that I have already clearly named those I believe to be the culprits—I cannot keep this concealed any longer and must speak of it: if Sadako is not Mother’s child yet is Father’s, then who could Sadako’s mother be?” “Of course, I cannot say for certain.” “However, as I have never heard any talk of Father remarrying, there is no other way to think but that Sadako’s mother must have been someone other than my own mother—how shall I put it—a hidden woman.” “Based on the tone Mother used when she briefly spoke before her death, I believe that considering it in this way brings us closest to the truth.” “Since it concerns Mother, even if she had learned of Sadako’s birth mother, there can be no doubt that she did not argue fiercely with Father.” “In her heart, she must have been tormented, though.” “…In other words, on one hand Father raised Sadako—a child he had with someone other than his wife—and on the other hand raised Mr. Date as atonement for his sins.” “And through making these two marry, Father undoubtedly sought to atone for his past.”

“I see…” “However, this was Father’s one-man ideal." "It was an arbitrary plan he hatched alone." "In reality, matters did not proceed so neatly." "Father’s past could not be liquidated through such willful methods.”

I felt somewhat surprised that Hiroko had uttered the word "settlement," which didn't suit her demeanor.

"I see... Then why couldn't that method fully settle matters?" "Because Mr. Date learned of his own past." "He must have discovered the secret through some means or opportunity." "Ms. Hiroko."

Fujieda paused briefly before speaking. "You don't think Mr. Date heard that through someone, do you?" "Well—"

Hiroko looked troubled. "I can't think of anyone in particular."

Both of them fell silent for some time.

Fujieda blew violet smoke from his fresh cigarette toward the ceiling while intently pondering something.

After a while, he spoke while gazing intently at Hiroko’s face. “Very well. Go ahead and make your accusation. I won’t stop you—though whether I completely agree with your Theorie or not remains to be seen...”

A resolute expression surfaced on Hiroko's face. She seemed somewhat dissatisfied that Fujieda had not presented any assertive theories, but soon left the office.

The Inspector’s Logic

1 “Splendid! Magnificent! Truly a fearsome intellect!”

When Hiroko’s figure disappeared from the office, Fujieda suddenly muttered in a loud voice. “Ogawa, what deductive prowess! It’s beyond what ordinary people could achieve. Moreover, she’s a mere twenty-one-year-old young lady and yet the possessor of such a mind! Of course, I’d sensed from the very beginning that young lady’s mind was far from ordinary. But to think she possesses a theory so clear and so systematic! I’m astonished. I’m utterly astonished.”

He spoke to me, his eyes wide with genuine astonishment.

“I was right there beside her and was utterly impressed by the solidity of her logic.” “Hey, Fujieda—but you didn’t express your own opinion at all.”

When I said this, he looked as if waking from a dream. “Yeah, exactly. Hey—that magnificent logic just now—were you awed by it?”

“Through and through!”

“Ogawa, I both praise and respect Hiroko’s exceptional deductive ability. Furthermore, I am more than willing to pay infinite respect to that woman’s intuitive power. However, when it comes to whether I agree with her *Theorie* through and through, there’s some room for consideration.”

“Well, well.” “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Hiroko’s theory—namely, the complicity of Date Masao and Akikawa Sadako—contains two flaws that are difficult to overlook. “The first concerns the April 17th crime. “It was determined that Tokuko had ingested mercuric chloride and died. “Therefore, the problem lies in how they obtained this mercuric chloride. “As you know, obtaining poisons and powerful drugs in our country is particularly difficult. “In cases where a poisoning incident occurs, therefore, investigators first mark individuals who can relatively easily obtain such drugs. “For example—doctors, pharmacists, chemists, and others among us in crime-related professions. “If either Date or Sadako had obtained the mercuric chloride, the police should have discovered it through their investigation. “How does Hiroko explain this? “Of course, just because this point cannot be explained doesn’t mean I deny the value of her entire Theorie. “Secondly—regarding why Sada Yasuko was killed—I completely agree with Hiroko’s theory. “I can only admire it. “However—the method by which the criminals—namely Date or Sadako—had kept Yasuko silent until then remains unclear.”

“They must’ve bought her off.”

“Impossible. You clearly don’t understand the psychology of a young woman like that. Hiroko seems to share this misconception too, but I suspect even the criminal miscalculated Yasuko’s mental state. At any rate, it wasn’t bribery. This method belongs less to the realm of the unexplained than to pure impossibility.”

“Then perhaps Date threatened her into silence?”

“Threat? “Hmm, your idea has some merit.” “But tell me, do you really believe Date has the power to threaten Sada Yasuko?”

Fujieda filled the room with A-ship cigarette smoke. Come to think of it, he was quite the schemer.

After making me talk so much, he didn’t say a word about his own Theory.

At this moment, something suddenly occurred to me, so I spoke up.

“Yesterday, didn’t you mention something strange?” “The same thing—Hiroko also said it earlier.” “What does that mean exactly?”

He slammed the desk sharply.

“Yeah, that young lady is impressive. "During both the second and third incidents, Sadako was investigated by Hayashida." “Don’t you find it strange,” she posed?’

2 “Exactly. “In other words, supposing Sadako might have gone somewhere during that time, Hiroko’s deduction is that Hayashida could be covering for her for some reason.” “Yeah. “The observation point is truly excellent.” “However, I find it hard to agree with that deduction.” “Why? “Though you were the one who said at that time that it was absolutely impossible for Hayashida to protect Sadako, weren’t you?” “There’s a reason I think that. “You see, Hayashida never had any goodwill toward Sadako from the start, I tell you.”

“But Sadako trusts Hayashida far more than you.” “That’s precisely where our skill as detectives lies.” “The truth is, Hayashida isn’t Sadako’s ally at all—no, he might even be among those suspecting her—yet despite this, as you say, his having gained her absolute trust proves he fully possesses a detective’s qualifications.” “But how did you know Hayashida bears no goodwill toward Sadako?” “Did Hayashida tell you something himself?”

“Why would he leak such a thing to me, a competitor? I’d do no different.” “Hiroko completely trusts me, and Hayashida seems to think the same way—though how much I truly... Well, never mind me. This is about Hayashida.” “Shall I present one piece of evidence that he isn’t particularly kind to Sadako?” Fujieda fell silent for a moment here and looked at me. “Recall the morning of April twenty-first—the day after that second tragedy—when we visited the Akikawa residence.” “We met Hiroko right after seeing Butler Sasada, didn’t we?” “She suddenly asked then, ‘I hear they caught the criminal last night.’” “When I countered by asking how she knew that, she answered, ‘Mr. Hayashida mentioned it when he visited earlier.’ You remember this fact.” “Then immediately afterward, we met Sadako.” “Assuming Hayashida had naturally told her about Hayakawa, I said, ‘Actually, I’ve just come from the police station.’” “‘They’ve arrested a man who seems to be last night’s culprit... Didn’t you ask Mr. Hayashida about it?’” “But surprisingly, Sadako replied, ‘No—though I did meet with Mr. Hayashida earlier—about that matter...’” “Listen—Sadako must have been terribly worried when she heard Date had been taken by the police.” “If Hayashida bore her any goodwill, wouldn’t he have comforted her by saying, ‘They’ve caught someone who may be the culprit—you can rest easy’?” “Hayashida told Hiroko.” “Yet he never informed Sadako herself—whether intentionally or not.” “How should we interpret this?”

“I see… So Hayashida suspects Sadako after all…”

“Even if he suspects her, he could’ve at least mentioned that much.” “In any case, I don’t think Hayashida was covering for Sadako.” “…Ah right—speaking of which, when I asked Sadako while she was anxious, ‘For example, hasn’t anyone noticed Mr. Date wandering around the mansion since then?’, she answered, ‘N-no, certainly not.’ But didn’t you notice Sadako’s strange expression then?” “This point—this is what’s crucial.”

He fell silent after saying this.

From then on, he did nothing but puff out cigarette smoke, not uttering a single word.

Thinking I shouldn't interrupt his meditation again, I wandered out to Ginza, stopped by the company office to handle the tasks that had piled up, and when I returned to the office around 3:30 p.m., Fujieda greeted me with a strangely beaming smile.

3 “During your absence，I’ve been quite active.” “First，there’s this piece of news.” “The autopsy of Akikawa Hatsue’s corpse revealed that a large quantity of the sleeping drug Veronal was discovered in her stomach.” “It was also found in her intestines.” “The cause of death was asphyxiation—in other words，drowning.” “What do you think?” “That’s an extraordinary fact，isn’t it?” “With this，I’ve also felt somewhat relieved.”

Since I didn’t quite understand what significant meaning the Veronal in her stomach held, I remained silent, dumbfounded. “What’s this? Doesn’t it stir anything in you?” “Hasn’t the mystery I’d agonized over been clearly resolved thanks to Veronal?” “You’re such a difficult person, aren’t you?” “It seems you haven’t quite grasped it well.” “The second piece of news.” “This goes without saying, but Hayashida apparently told the prosecutor and inspector about that suspicious phone call last night after the fact.” “By all accounts, Hatsue was summoned by a woman’s voice over the phone, but it seems that call was a kind of warning.” “‘You must not take Dr. Kizawa’s medicine.’” “‘Because it’s dangerous.’” “‘You absolutely must not take it’—it was something along those lines.” Hatsue, feeling uneasy, secretly informed Hayashida of this. “Hayashida replied, ‘There’s no need to fear such things.’” “‘However, if it feels creepy, perhaps it would be better to stop,’ he reportedly answered.” “This is a perfectly commonsensical answer. If someone were to ask me the same thing, I’d have no choice but to respond in much the same way.” “Before entering the bath, Hatsue—apparently still concerned—asked Hayashida the same question again, so Hayashida gave the same response as before, it seems.”

“Ah, right. So immediately after the incident, Hayashida—being concerned—first looked for the paraffin paper.” “As a result, it was discovered that Hatsue took one packet of Dr. Kizawa’s medicine despite that ominous warning.” “That’s right.” “Moreover, examination results confirmed there was absolutely no mistake in Dr. Kizawa’s medicine.” “The remaining two packets were proven to contain harmless stomach medicine.” “Hmm… So who could have substituted it with Veronal?”

"There it is. And who hid one packet of Dr. Kizawa's stomach medicine? The culprit made it appear as though Hatsue had taken one of Dr. Kizawa's packets. Then..." "I wonder who the caller was. They say it was a woman, but..." "More importantly, there's something far more crucial. How did that caller know Hatsue had Dr. Kizawa prepare her medicine?"

A silence persisted for some time when I abruptly recalled my earlier conversation with Hiroko. "Hey, you don't think Hiroko has gone to file a complaint with the police..."

“She’s probably gone. And with that ‘brilliant’ theory of hers, she’s likely smoke-screening Inspector Takahashi right now. What counterarguments the Inspector will muster against Hiroko’s hypothesis—that’s the real spectacle, wouldn’t you say?”

In the midst of such a conversation, the telephone bell rang urgently. When I hurried to answer it, a man’s gruff voice came through. “Hello, is this Mr. Fujieda Shintarō’s office?” “Is Mr. Fujieda available?” “This is Ushigome Police Station.” Startled, I beckoned Fujieda over. “Ah, Fujieda speaking… Inspector Takahashi? What? She finally filed it?... Yes… It doesn’t add up?” “I see… Hmm… Well, that’s something… Me? I’ll head over immediately—right away.”

He clacked the receiver down and turned back toward me.

“Hey, apparently Miss Hiroko has finally filed a complaint.” “It happened this morning, I’m told.” “Which means Inspector Takahashi wants me to come in.” “I’ll head over now.” “…Oh, and you’re to stay home tonight.” “Something interesting should develop before long.”

4

In accordance with Fujieda's orders, I returned home immediately that evening and waited for his call. Just past seven o'clock, his call finally came. He sounded terribly apologetic but told me to come at once. When I rushed to his residence without even gathering my things, I found him—to my surprise—apparently preparing for a trip, busily organizing something by his suitcase. "Oh, my apologies for summoning you so abruptly. This may seem as sudden as birds scattering from beneath one's feet, but I'll be making a two- or three-day trip to Kansai starting now. I depart tonight."

“But first, let me recount my meeting with Inspector Takahashi.” “Truth is, the Inspector called earlier—said Hiroko’s statements weren’t adding up and he needed me there immediately.” “So I went over, figuring he’d be flustered with Hiroko pressing him relentlessly using her usual logic.” “But here’s the kicker—instead of struggling, he showed his true mettle.” “He’d actually gleaned a conviction from Hiroko’s own theory.” “According to him, the culprit isn’t Sadako and Date—it’s Hiroko herself.”

“What? Hiroko is the culprit?”

I was so shocked I nearly leapt out of my skin.

“That’s right.” “According to the Inspector’s logic, there’s no escaping that Hiroko must be this murder case’s perpetrator.” “Apparently Inspector Takahashi had his eye on Hiroko from early on.” “So when he heard her theory today, he says it finally solidified his conviction.” “He called me over and laid out his argument.” “He spoke with absolute confidence—here’s how his theory goes.” “The Inspector’s theory claims Hiroko’s primary motive for matricide stemmed from that dispute between Sadako, Date, and her mother.” “If anything, her mother should’ve been Hiroko’s ally rather than enemy.” “It’s their father who sides with Sadako and Date.” “So under normal circumstances, Hiroko killing her own mother would seem unthinkable.” “But this applies to ordinary criminals—not someone with Hiroko’s brilliant mind.” “Her ultimate goals were securing the entire inheritance for herself and unleashing her bitter jealousy toward Sadako—her half-sister.” “She first recognized that Shuntarō’s death would make her an heir.” “By eliminating Sadako and Date, she could both protect her assets and vent her pent-up resentments.” “So she bided her time for the right opportunity.” “She sent forged threatening letters to her father—even arranged for some woman to call my office.” “Then her chance finally arrived.” “That fierce argument about inheritance between her mother, Sadako, and Date.” “Hiroko didn’t let this opening slip away.” “She calculated that killing her mother would cast suspicion squarely on Sadako and Date.”

“As you can see, this resulted in her mother dying in agony on the night of the seventeenth.” “She fabricated lies about her mother supposedly telling Sadako such things during final questioning.” “As I’ve repeatedly stated, no one except Hiroko ever heard this.” “The Inspector’s initial motive for suspecting Hiroko stemmed from her giving an inconceivably strange testimony—that she’d been reading a detective novel on that night when she came to my place, got startled, and went home (though I’d informed the Inspector back then about her visiting me that day)—or so he asserts.”

Being told this by Fujieda, I once again recalled that accursed Green Murder Case. "But even so, in the incident on the night of the 20th, Hiroko is definitely innocent." "However, according to the Inspector’s theory, the culprit of the 20th incident is none other than Hayakawa Tatsukichi, and that incident has absolutely no connection to those of the 17th and 25th—or so the reasoning goes."

5 "Therefore, even if it were proven that Hiroko had no connection to the incident on the 20th, it would serve no purpose whatsoever—or so their reasoning went."

“So, just as she intended, her mother died. Next, by sheer coincidence, Shuntarō was killed by Hayakawa. The people entitled to divide the Akikawa family’s assets would be Hiroko, Sadako, and Hatsue—the three of them. Therefore, Hiroko finally resolved to kill Hatsue. In other words, yesterday, she very skillfully seized her opportunity. Around 6:40 PM, Father was lying down on the second floor. Sadako, Hayashida, and Date were in Sadako’s room on the second floor. In fact, she was watching this from the garden. Then you were standing in the garden. Butler Sasada was away. Inside the house, there were only Hatsue in the bath and two maids in the kitchen. And you must not forget that Hatsue had entered the bath earlier after being urged by Hiroko. She first went to confirm whether the two maids were indeed there. And then she stealthily crept up to the bathroom.”

“If Hatsue had already gotten out, what would she have planned to do?” “If she’d gotten out, there’d naturally have been no way to act,” Fujieda replied. “She would’ve simply waited for another chance. But as it happened, she came upon Hatsue still in the bath.” He exhaled smoke toward the ceiling. “All she needed was to casually approach, watch for an opening, and replicate Joseph Smith’s method.” “Then her fatal mistake—” Ogawa began. “—was letting slip ‘Bathroom Bride,’ according to the Inspector’s theory.” Fujieda’s lips twisted wryly. “Having imitated Smith’s crime too faithfully, the phrase escaped her unconsciously. Not the sort of thing your typical young lady would conceive of, you understand.”

“Yet unexpectedly, Hayakawa Tatsukichi’s crime was inserted between the first and third offenses.” “Because threatening letters had been sent out beforehand, the authorities believe it’s the work of the same culprit.” “In that case, since Hiroko herself had a perfect alibi for the second incident, matters proceeded more safely than she could have ever anticipated.” “However, on the other hand, she grew restless.” “That is, Sadako and Date have not been placed under clear suspicion.” “Even if half the objective is achieved, it amounts to nothing unless these detestable two are caught.” “So she finally could no longer endure it and first came to my place today to accuse those two, then afterward went to the police herself to accuse Sadako and Date—that’s the reasoning here.” The Inspector finally states the following. “There has never once been a case involving a girl as cunningly intelligent as Hiroko.” “Truly a terrifying genius, wouldn’t you say?”

Fujieda, having finished speaking, showed not the slightest hint of emotion and calmly puffed out a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling.

“Hmm.” For a moment, I had been genuinely impressed by how sharp the Inspector’s mind was—but how could I possibly believe Hiroko was the culprit? “What do you think, Ogawa? The Inspector’s logic is quite clever too—no less than Hiroko’s theory, wouldn’t you agree?”

"Hmm, but there's something that doesn't sit right." "You think so? Then out with it."

“First off, isn’t the motive for killing her mother too weak? “Indeed, suspecting those two makes sense.” “But to kill her own mother—someone she bore no grudge against...” “Well, regarding that point, I did ask the Inspector myself to be thorough.” “And what did he say?” “There’s no concrete proof, but he suggested her mother might have seen through Hiroko’s true nature or purpose.” “Meaning that for Hiroko, her mother was actually the most obstructive nuisance in achieving her goals.” “So killing her would’ve been two birds with one stone.”

“I see—explanations can be twisted any which way, can’t they? …But about that second typewritten threat letter—doesn’t it seem odd to assume Hiroko fabricated it on her own? Moreover, the father is so terrified of something, you know. If we consider this, the person who sent the threatening letters to Shunzō must indeed have known his secret—and we must conclude that Shunzō himself had a substantial secret of his own.”

6

I desperately began defending Hiroko. “According to the Inspector’s logic, what Hiroko earlier called intuition was actually her father’s secret that she herself had uncovered.” “I don’t know how she managed it, but Hiroko somehow discovered her father’s secret.” “So she sent those threatening letters herself beforehand—that’s their claim.”

“So what’s your point? Did Hiroko want to lead people to believe the culprit was from outside?” “Well, I suppose that’s what the Inspector thinks.”

“That’s a contradiction, isn’t it? According to the Inspector’s logic, Hiroko’s trying to make everyone suspect Sadako and Date—isn’t that right? Yet you claim she resorted to a trick framing an outside culprit!”

I clung to this brilliant logic—though I say so myself—as if I’d caught the devil by the horns.

Fujieda smirked, though what he was thinking—

“According to the Inspector’s theory…” “Hey! Are you following the Inspector’s theory again? What do you actually think yourself?” “Now, now—no need to get so worked up.”

“No, I can’t help getting worked up! Suspecting Hiroko with such sham logic…!”

“Ahahaha,” Fujieda smirked. “That bogus logic does have its merits though. Following the Inspector’s theory, this would precisely demonstrate Hiroko’s cunning.” “How so?” “The strategy would be to initially frame an external culprit, then gradually shift suspicion toward Sadako and Date through the investigation.” “But that’s preposterous!” “By my reasoning, I actually concur with your logic here. Even assuming Hiroko were guilty, we must acknowledge the threatening letters originated from another party. Let me remind you—on the eighteenth of this month, I clearly explained this pattern: threatening letters precede murders.” He drew deeply on his cigarette before continuing. “While common sense dictates treating the letter-writer as our killer, this isn’t absolute truth. Under such circumstances, our Miss Hiroko would’ve cleverly exploited threats from some unknown third party—seizing a golden opportunity.” “Now Ogawa,” Fujieda’s tone turned pedagogical, “your passionate defense proves Hiroko didn’t send those letters at best—absolving her of intimidation charges but leaving murder wholly unresolved. No need for such histrionics... Moreover, yesterday’s mysterious call confirms an external threat exists.” “At that critical moment yesterday, Hiroko couldn’t possibly have contacted outside collaborators. Therefore...” He leaned forward emphatically, “she couldn’t have orchestrated that phone call through intermediaries either.” “I remain convinced this external element is female—the voice reported during both my office call on the seventeenth and the Shikishima Garage contact that afternoon was distinctly feminine. We must accept this prima facie evidence.”

“By the way, do you have no other objections to the Inspector’s logic?”

“If it’s dissatisfaction you mean—I’m dissatisfied with all of it!” I said irritably. “Now listen—just as there were glaring flaws in Hiroko’s logic, can’t you see the Inspector’s theory has a fatal defect too?”

“What?”

I looked at Fujieda as though I’d been saved.

“I admit the Inspector isn’t ordinary.” “Casting suspicion on Hiroko was shrewd of him.” “But I’ve got major doubts about these four points.”

7

Fujieda lit a new cigarette and slowly began to speak. "The first flaw—and simultaneously, according to my reasoning, the fundamental flaw in the Inspector's theory—is that he views the first and third crimes as completely separate from the second one." "That one could consider the crimes of the 17th and 20th as entirely unrelated coincidences—I can assert with full confidence this would be profoundly unnatural under these circumstances." "The methods of the first and second crimes differ strikingly." "This is something I clearly explained to you before." "In other words, the personal characteristics manifested in the crimes are markedly different." "It could be said that noticing this point shows Inspector Takahashi's discernment, but while his observation is astute, his deductive method is flawed." "Because the crime methods differed too greatly, he concluded the perpetrator—that is, the criminal—was a different individual." "But as I stated then, this isn't so." "The perpetrator remains unchanged." "The perpetrator remains unchanged; it merely indicates their psychological state had altered significantly during the crimes' commission." "As I've repeatedly stated, we have Sada Yasuko as the crucial link between the first and second crimes." "Given this connection, who could possibly claim the two crimes are wholly unrelated?" "In the first crime, Yasuko—a central figure—has by coincidence become the victim in the second incident." "In terms of probability calculations, isn't this an exceedingly improbable coincidence?"

“However, the Inspector would argue: ‘It’s not probable.’ But it’s possible, right?”

While inwardly pleased with Fujieda’s theory, I nevertheless ventured a slight protest. “Of course that’s the case. This coincidence is by no means an unlikely or commonplace event. However, while possible, it cannot be said to be impossible. But Ogawa”—here Fujieda leaned forward—“even if this rare coincidence did occur, what absolutely defies explanation is Shuntarō’s death. Let us assume Hayakawa Tatsukichi coincidentally killed Sada Yasuko. But how then did he murder Shuntarō? As Hiroko astutely asserted—Shuntarō wasn’t mute. There’s no conceivable way he’d be lured out silently and slaughtered. He must have been enticed by someone intimately familiar to him.” Fujieda tapped his cigarette ash with surgical precision. “This constitutes Inspector Takahashi’s first fundamental error. Moreover, Hiroko possesses an impeccable alibi for this second crime. Should one insist on suspecting her, we’d need to postulate an accomplice—but all possibility of such collaboration has now evaporated. I once told you Date might compromise with Hiroko, but repeated observation has conclusively proven this impossible.”

On the morning of the 21st, after going to the police station, we visited the Akikawa residence. At that time—you remember—I had asked Hiroko to thoroughly inquire with her father about Date. Truth be told, I still harbored doubts then. While maintaining an appearance of complete trust in Hiroko, I casually remarked, "Of course I'm investigating Date's background myself," all while sharply observing her expression. Had she been colluding with Date even slightly, she would have betrayed some change in countenance or revealed her hand during such a critical moment—yet there was no trace of it. Therefore, the assumption of her having a male accomplice misses the mark. "And regarding this theory framing Hiroko as the culprit—built on treating the second incident as wholly separate from the first—I cannot endorse it on this point."

"Yeah, yeah... and next?" "The second point—this mirrors what I said earlier regarding Hiroko's theory about Sadako and Date being accomplices—is the question of how Hiroko obtained the mercuric chloride she gave Tokuko." "It's true Hiroko isn't your average young lady." "She's leagues ahead of Sadako and the others in intellect." "She's both an artist and a criminology enthusiast." "You're aware her study contained numerous art books alongside her crime literature."

8 I recalled Muther’s art history, Becker’s biography of Beethoven, and other such works. “I think this point warrants some attention. “She is a criminologist on one hand, but at the same time an artist. “Now, we can consider the concept of an artist who is also a major criminal. “However, there is another fact here—that she is a twenty-one-year-old woman. “To sum her up in a word, she possesses an unusually rational and fine mind, but her criminology ultimately amounts to nothing more than armchair theorizing. “She’s merely indulging in the romantic fantasies young women are prone to. “The theory she painstakingly devised is none other than that Date Sadako accomplice theory from earlier.”

“This is getting a bit complicated…” “Don’t you see? In other words, Inspector Takahashi is more of a romantic than you’d expect. The inspector’s overestimating her—a meticulously planned crime like his theory would be psychologically beyond Hiroko’s capabilities. She’s an idealist, not a pragmatist. Her knowledge of criminology—no offense—doesn’t extend beyond the ‘Green Murder Case.’ I doubt Hiroko could pull off something as practical as obtaining mercury chloride without anyone noticing. Third, the same applies to yesterday’s Veronal incident. How did she get Hatsue to ingest it? Veronal might’ve been easier for her to acquire than mercury chloride, but we still don’t know how she administered it. And finally—that mysterious call Hatsue received. It clearly originated externally. If Hiroko were in league with the caller, when could she have signaled her to make the call at just the right moment? Until this point is clarified, I can’t endorse the inspector’s theory.”

Flicking away the half-ashed cigarette, Fujieda picked up the travel guide that had been placed beside him. “By the way, as I just said, I must go on a trip immediately. “As usual, I can’t disclose the purpose yet. “However, I will definitely return by the end of this month, so I’m counting on you.”

“I thought you'd finally recovered and now you're off on another trip already?” “Well, there’s no helping it.” “At any rate, I'll see you off to Tokyo Station.”

When I looked at my watch and saw there were only thirty minutes until the departure of his Shimonoseki-bound train, I immediately got into a car and rushed to the station with him. “Hey, I’m worried about what might happen while you’re away. You don’t think something else will occur, do you?” “Hmm, hard to say,” he replied, his expression darkening as we passed through the ticket gate. “I’m acutely feeling the impotence of us legal professionals. We know full well something dangerous could erupt here at any moment. Yet without conclusive evidence against the perpetrator... In such cases, we’re condemned to keep our hands tied—that’s the only ‘proper path’ afforded to our kind.”

As he passed through the ticket gate while saying this, his expression darkened. When he settled into the second-class car, I became concerned about matters during his absence, so “By the way, will I have to look after the young lady again?” “Yeah, go ahead and handle it. Though mind you, you might not get to meet Hiroko.” “What? Why?”

“The inspector suspects her, as I just said. They may not go so far as to detain her, but she’ll likely be summoned every day for the time being.”

"What on earth are you saying?! So you had such a strong opposing theory yet didn't tell the inspector about it?"

“Of course. On the contrary, I went so far as to praise the Inspector’s theory and egged him on.”

9

Anyone who has ever been in love with a beautiful woman—no, even mere goodwill would suffice—if you readers have had such an experience, you must surely imagine how infuriated I felt upon hearing Fujieda's words at that moment. The great detectives that appear in mystery novels—whether Sherlock Holmes, Philo Vance, Thorndyke, or Poirot—typically do nothing but occasionally drop suggestive remarks, never revealing their own theories until the final chapter. Yet this is merely one device to keep readers engaged until the very end.

In Fujieda’s case now, that was not so. With just a word from him—O readers, forgive my unintended frankness in confessing my feelings—might my beloved Hiroko have been freed from that terrible murder suspicion. Fujieda had been predicting that the lovely Hiroko would be hauled into the police station tomorrow or the day after to undergo cruel interrogation—or rather, might she not even be detained outright?

To think he clearly knew the police were harboring misguided suspicions, yet never pointed it out and instead actively encouraged them!

Indeed, Fujieda was not a lawyer. However, he had once served as a prosecutor. Moreover, he was someone who normally went on and on about justice to the point of being insufferable. While he certainly believed that Hiroko was not the culprit (at least, that's how he had put it to me), what a disgrace it was that he hadn't offered a single word in her defense. He had gone on and on in front of me—no, let me rephrase—he had pompously expounded grand theories at great length, but in the end, had the police taken up even a single word of it?

I was so furious that I couldn’t speak for a moment and, without thinking, reached into the car from outside and grabbed his arm. “Hey, Fujieda? “What do you think you’re doing egging them on?!” “You! Why aren’t you defending her?!”

Unfortunately, just then, the departure bell rang, and I was forced by a station employee to regretfully move away from the car.

“Ahahaha.” “Now now—don’t get so angry.” “Here—think it through carefully.” “Thoroughly!” “Well then—safe travels.”

After a moment, the train departed leisurely, leaving me fuming. As I walked along the platform, I resolved to rush straight to the police station, demand a direct meeting with the Inspector, overwhelm him using the same logic Fujieda had spun out, and defend Hiroko at all costs—charged forward from the station stairs the moment my foot touched the ground, when suddenly I recalled those very words Fujieda had just spoken. “Now, think carefully. Thoroughly!”

Hmm, what could that mean? In hindsight—no, even without hindsight—wise readers would surely have deduced from the facts I had laid out thus far why Fujieda didn't defend Hiroko. Yet foolish as I was at the time, I couldn't grasp its meaning at all.

However, I endured with tremendous self-restraint from rushing to the police. Until now, there had always been some reason behind Fujieda's actions. I dare to call it self-restraint. For indeed, just as Fujieda had predicted, while Hiroko was not detained, on that day she was held until late, and from the following day—that is, April 27th—she was subjected to four consecutive days of rigorous interrogation.

In this lengthy tale of mine, I ask to be permitted just once here—at this very point—to touch upon my own sentimentality.

O readers, what could I possibly liken this feeling of mine to—this feeling of silently watching the beautiful woman I love suffer under an innocent charge?

The Fourth Tragedy

1

Looking back, those four days were probably a time of unbearable anguish for Hiroko, and for me, of course.

However, in retrospect, these four days of anguish were nothing but a prelude to the terrifying tragedy that was to come.

As per that ominous warning, on the evening of May 1st, the Fourth Tragedy was finally carried out at the Akikawa residence.

Now, in proper sequence, I shall outline the events following Fujieda’s departure. However, since I believe that recording events in diary-like detail—while accurate—would prove tedious for readers, I shall outline the general course of events in broad strokes. As Fujieda had predicted, Hiroko had apparently already been held until quite late on the 26th, and from then on, she was now being interrogated daily from early morning for extended periods.

Of course, Akikawa Shunzō did his utmost to protect his child's honor, but there was no way the repeated police summons of this prominent family's daughter could remain unknown to newspaper reporters, and various newspapers sensationalized Hiroko's case with photographs.

I could not bear to look at the newspaper every morning. Hayakawa Tatsukichi was still with the police. Akikawa Shunzō had already been in poor health at the time of the tragedy on the 25th, but with that incident occurring on top of it, his physical condition worsened even further, and he remained bedridden.

The new incident to mention was Date Masao’s illness. He had been relentlessly summoned and interrogated by the police until the 26th. However, once Inspector Takahashi abruptly shifted focus to Hiroko, he was no longer called in for the time being. Whether from relief loosening his defenses or not, he developed cold symptoms and took to bed starting the 27th. I learned of his illness on the 27th. That day, when I visited the desolate Akikawa residence alone—Hiroko being absent—I met Dr. Kizawa. It was from Dr. Kizawa that I heard about Date's condition.

When Sadako heard Date Masao was ill, she grew so concerned that she asked Dr. Kizawa to examine him. Though it wasn't serious, he had a fever. While Hiroko was being summoned by the police, I wanted to see what state Sadako was in and considered meeting her. But having learned through daily newspapers and surrounding gossip that the Akikawa family had become society's focal point, she was thoroughly disheartened and even avoided visiting Date Masao. Out of consideration for her feelings, I refrained from meeting her and instead went directly to visit Date Masao.

Date was more energetic than I had expected and recounted various things, but to look at him, he appeared terribly haggard. I had not yet had a proper conversation with him since he was summoned by the police, but now, seeing him, he had suddenly become haggard and aged. Though it was called an illness, that once-dashing visage had completely faded, leaving him utterly wasted. Being made to witness firsthand the immense psychological torment that being summoned by the police daily inflicts upon a person—regardless of guilt or innocence—I could not help but feel a profound sorrow for Hiroko’s plight.

However, my meeting with Date was by no means pleasant. While it was only natural for him personally, he seemed quite pleased—apparently having learned from someone that suspicion had shifted to Hiroko. Whether it was simple relief at having his own suspicions cleared or malicious delight at seeing suspicion shift to Hiroko—I couldn't quite tell—but in any case, it was anything but pleasant for me. And so I soon took my leave from his residence.

2 The newspapers had sensationalized matters as if Hiroko were the true culprit ever since she began being interrogated by the police. This was apparently inferred from the judicial director’s attitude and demeanor—though I refuse to believe Inspector Takahashi, holding such a responsible position, would recklessly divulge detailed theories to reporters—yet an elaborate narrative had been constructed. The newspapers of both the 27th and 28th particularly fiercely sensationalized the speculations of prominent figures.

When cases become unsolved mysteries, criminal investigators, high-ranking judicial officials, forensic experts, and even mystery novelists find their deductions, fantasies, and speculations frequently published in newspapers—yet I know of no case that has stirred as great a public sensation as the Akikawa family's strange and mysterious incident. At the same time, I had never encountered a sensation quite as unpleasant as this. This was because so many theories were pointing suspicion at Hiroko.

I have committed to memory every single commentary that showed even the slightest support for her. When the theories of a certain forensic pathologist, a certain mystery novelist, and Hayashida Eizō appeared in the newspapers, I cannot tell how much I thanked these three in my heart. Hayashida was a man who, alongside Fujieda, found himself in a position of considerable criticism; however, his theory appeared in the evening edition on the 28th, and according to it, suspecting Hiroko was not necessarily correct.

The other two were, of course, not acquaintances of mine, and judging by their photographs, both had rather stern expressions that made them difficult to approach casually. Therefore, I promptly went to Hayashida’s place that night.

“Mr. Ogawa, I’ve just returned from the Akikawa residence. Today was Hatsue-san’s burial, you see.”

“I see. I should have gone as well.”

“It seems Fujieda isn’t here—where has he gone?” “You know about Fujieda’s trip?”

“Yesterday, I had some business and called him, but they said he was out.” “As for where he went, he just strolled out in his usual manner, you see.”

Though Fujieda hadn’t specifically told me to keep his movements secret, I saw no need to elaborate further and thus answered this way. “You know, Mr. Hayashida, I actually came today to thank you.” “What do you mean by that?” “That article in the evening edition.” “You should have made it clear that declaring Hiroko the culprit is premature.” “Certainly...”

“Ah, that one?”

Hayashida stared at me for a while, then,

“Well, you see, those reporters were hounding me so relentlessly that I had no choice but to let something slip.” “I should have fled somewhere like Fujieda did.” “Fujieda must have gone on his trip intending to shake off the reporters as well.” “He left without even telling me where he was going… Oh, Mr. Hayashida, you’re trying to speak up in defense of Hiroko—that’s what makes me happy.” “So what is it?” “Mr. Ogawa, you’re fond of Ms. Hiroko, aren’t you?”

In my excessive joy, I had expressed my gratitude too clearly and blushed despite my age. "Putting aside whether I like her or not, I cannot believe she’s the culprit. However, it seems Fujieda’s recent thinking hasn’t been leaning that way." “Mr. Fujieda?… So his theory suggests Hiroko is suspicious…?”

For some reason, Hayashida looked extremely surprised, but suddenly burst out laughing, "You mustn't tell lies, Mr. Ogawa."

3 “A lie? No, absolutely not... Fujieda said it in earnest.” “Then Mr. Ogawa, you’re the one being deceived by Fujieda-kun.” See? Even Hayashida didn’t believe Fujieda was genuinely suspecting Hiroko. In reality, Fujieda’s recent words and actions were nonsense.

“He keeps telling me Inspector Takahashi’s theory has flaws, you know. Yet when it actually matters, he doesn’t refute him—no, ends up agreeing instead!”

I then began tediously criticizing Fujieda’s attitude. Hayashida was listening with a furrowed brow and a stern expression but, after some time had passed,

"That is strange. But this is Fujieda we're talking about. As usual, he must have some deeper scheme... Still, I'm glad I spoke up for Ms. Hiroko. Otherwise you'd have hated me something fierce." He laughed brightly.

When I left Hayashida's place and returned home, a telegram from Fujieda had arrived. It wasn’t clear exactly where it had been sent from. HIROKO MATTER MUST LEAVE ALONE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION DATE'S CONDITION Leave Hiroko alone! Hmm—did he think Hiroko had been detained or something? The instruction said to monitor Date’s condition, but even the great detective seemed unaware he was groaning on his sickbed. The 29th passed without incident. Having no desire to visit the Akikawa residence without Hiroko, I went to my office to handle work matters. Following Fujieda’s telegram, I phoned Dr. Kizawa about Date’s condition, but he reportedly remained bedridden.

April 30th—this day too ended as uneventfully as the previous one. Hiroko was summoned by the police again that day, but Inspector Takahashi had apparently not made an ounce of progress since the first day.

Various newspapers were eagerly reporting about her，but none of them mentioned that she had confessed. And thus，the fateful day of May 1st finally arrived. When I woke up and thought that today was May 1st—though in truth，I had completely forgotten about that strange warning.

Just when would Fujieda return? Since that too remained completely uncertain, I decided to go to the magazine office as I had done the previous day. Of course, I had not forgotten about Fujieda's telegram, so around noon I called Dr.Kizawa to inquire about Date's condition, only to learn he was still unwell.

Because it was May Day, all sorts of parades were marching everywhere. Within the company as well, it seemed that a considerable number of people had gone out to see them.

Around 3:30 PM, a call came from Hayashida. “Mr. Ogawa, since you seemed terribly worried, I thought I should inform you—Ms. Hiroko’s interrogation seems to have ended today.”

“What? Today? And the result?” “Of course, it seems she was permitted to return home. I also went to the police earlier. In any case, I thought to inform you.” “Thank you very much.” I hung up the phone and rushed out of the office immediately. I should go offer my congratulations right away. But I need to return home first and change clothes, I thought, hailing a taxi and heading back at once. Just as I was about to step into the entranceway, the telephone rang. When I hurried to answer it, Fujieda’s clear voice came through.

“Ogawa?” “I’ve just returned.” “Come to the office at once.” 4 Though I wanted to see Hiroko’s face, I couldn’t coldly refuse his demand—he who had just arrived from a long journey (Fujieda hadn’t disclosed his destination to me, though I assumed it was somewhere far-flung)—to come immediately. I promptly rushed to the office.

“Ah! Thank you for coming so promptly—I’ve only just arrived myself.”

Indeed, he must have just arrived—the suitcase in the room and his light travel clothes matching those from his departure made that clear—though it seemed he hadn’t shaved for two or three days, leaving a considerable stubble. “Where in blazes have you been?” “You could’ve at least sent word—I was completely in the dark.” “Yeah, sorry about that. So... anything happen while you were gone?” “Ah, well...” “Nothing major.” “I left Hiroko alone per your telegram, but you’ve seen the papers—they hauled her in daily. Pitiful business.”

"I see. Don't speak so resentfully. So Date's suspicions have been cleared then?" "Well, yes. By the way, he's lying sick in bed."

“Huh? Who?” “Date.” “Since when?” “It started the day after you left.” “In other words, since the 27th.” “Hmm... So he’s been bedridden ever since then?”

“Yeah, I hear he’s still bedridden today.” “This is truly unexpected. “But most other developments have unfolded exactly as I anticipated.” “Then how long do you think they’ll keep suspecting Hiroko? They’ve just cleared her name—she returned home moments ago.”

When I said this, Fujieda's face tensed up for some reason.

“How do you know that? Did you go to the Akikawa residence?” “No, that’s not it. Hayashida informed me a bit earlier. Hayashida apparently heard it from the police.” “What’s this? You went and blabbed your emotions to that man?”

After saying this, Fujieda grinned mockingly and looked at me. I too found it somewhat amusing that he had used the peculiar term "sentiment" in place of words like "love" or "romance" at that moment, and gave him a wry grin.

“It’s already past four o’clock. Alright, I’m heading to the Akikawa residence right now. I must give my report on the trip.” “Well then, shouldn’t we call for a car?”

After about ten minutes had passed, the two of us were in the car.

A light rain had been falling since morning, making it an extremely gloomy, dark day. The rain—not heavy enough to disrupt the May Day parades—continued all day, and by around four-thirty, the surroundings had already grown quite dark.

The weather on this day was deeply connected to the tragedy that had occurred on this day, so I must ask readers to keep this clearly in mind.

We arrived at the Akikawa residence a little past four-thirty. Butler Sasada received us, and we were shown to the parlor. Since Dr. Kizawa happened to be present, Fujieda first requested a meeting with him. “Mr. Fujieda, I heard from Mr. Ogawa that you were away on a trip.” “Oh, I had urgent business to attend to. So I’ve just returned, but it’s an extremely pressing matter—I must meet with the master here at once. What would you advise?” “Well, the master has been ill for quite some time.”

5

"I've heard that from Ogawa. But it's not exactly a grave illness, is it?" "It's the same nervous agitation as before." "Is there any possibility? Could I meet him?" "That depends on what you intend to discuss. To be absolutely clear as his physician, I must insist you avoid any conversation that might overstimulate his nerves at this critical juncture." His words carried the unassailable tone of one who placed absolute faith in scientific authority.

On the other hand, Fujieda’s demeanor was extremely tense. “Dr. Kizawa, I fully understand. But I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say. I’ve come from an extremely busy trip due to a pressing case. And I feel obligated to report those findings to the master here as soon as possible—yes, as soon as possible. This is what my professional conscience demands—exactly as you’ve stated from your position as a physician.” “Dr. Kizawa, you’re aware of the mysterious incidents in this household? Because of an unidentified perpetrator, this family is being killed off one by one. We must do everything in our power to protect the three lives that remain—this is my duty.” “Unfortunately, our efforts have been in vain. And thus the danger draws nearer with each passing moment—I can feel it in this room’s very air! I believe meeting this house’s master could remove this danger even moments sooner.” “In other words—if I leave now without seeing him—someone else might be killed today itself! Dr. Kizawa—I understand your position perfectly—but this imminent danger is undeniable! Human life is absolute! If this isn’t a terminal illness—can’t you insist on letting me meet him?”

A look of bewilderment appeared on Dr. Kizawa’s face. “Listen, Dr. Kizawa, your argument is quite reasonable. In this situation, if I were in your position, I would no doubt take the same precautions as you. That’s only natural as a doctor. But let me repeat—you are not someone who has come here for the first time today. Indeed, in relation to this household, you are the attending physician. But you are well acquainted with that murder case to such an extent that you can fully believe what I am saying is by no means nonsense. As a human being, even you cannot help but acknowledge the urgent necessity of protecting the three remaining lives.”

Dr. Kizawa was clearly caught in a dilemma. As a physician, he did not want Shunzō to meet anyone now—especially since the topics Fujieda would likely raise were certain to agitate Shunzō. But even now, he knew all too well—just as Fujieda had said—about those horrific tragedies that had occurred one after another. And thus, as far as such murder cases were concerned, there was not a single reason for Dr. Kizawa to disbelieve Fujieda’s words.

Yet even in this situation, his position as a physician was not easily swayed. “Mr. Fujieda, I want to confirm this clearly—is your demand to meet the master at this very moment absolutely non-negotiable?” “Yes, it’s absolute.” “Is there truly no possibility of even a moment’s delay?”

“Not a moment can be spared.” “I see.”

Dr. Kizawa looked increasingly troubled. “Let me explain why this requires such urgency. I intend to tell the master today about the facts I have investigated, inform him that keeping secrets any longer is foolish, and make him divulge those secrets. It is precisely this secret that I believe to be the cause of the current tragedy.”

6 “The cause of the tragedy?” “That’s correct. It may not necessarily be possible to state it as the sole cause. However, it is at least one crucial factor. You must know about this household’s master and his bizarre silence. Therein lies precisely what we must unravel—that very mystery. I stand on the brink of solving it. Yet only our master holds that final key. With that key alone can I resolve this case.”

Fujieda declared resolutely.

As the discussion had grown more concrete, Dr. Kizawa could no longer remain unmoved by Fujieda’s words. “It absolutely must be now, then?” “That’s correct. The sooner it is, the better. There’s no telling what might happen if we’re even a moment late.”

Dr. Kizawa seemed deeply lost in thought for a while but soon appeared to have reached a resolution,

“Well then, I will go check on the master’s condition once more. If he shows any willingness to meet, he might be able to have a brief conversation. This is an unreasonable request, but I would ask you to try not to excite him as much as possible.” “I will exercise full caution.”

Dr. Kizawa left the reception room, but after a while, he returned.

“He has agreed.” “This may sound presumptuous coming from me… but he requests your presence in his room.” “If this arrangement suits you,” Fujieda replied evenly,“I shall attend at once.”

Dr. Kizawa led the way, and we went up the stairs. The right side of the landing was the master’s bedroom. Dr. Kizawa knocked while,

"Mr. Fujieda has arrived." After Dr. Kizawa made this announcement in a light tone, a voice came from within:

“Please come in.”

the master's voice was heard saying.

The next instant, the door opened, and Fujieda and I were led by Dr. Kizawa into Akikawa Shunzō’s bedroom. “Please—stay as you are! Please don’t rise!” Seeing Shunzō attempting to get up, Fujieda hastily reached out to restrain him, but Shunzō had already properly seated himself on the bed. “I must apologize for receiving you in such an improper location, but Dr. Kizawa insists I shouldn’t move about.” “Not at all,” Fujieda replied. “I’m the one who should apologize for making this imposition. By the way—how is your condition?”

“Because so many things keep happening one after another, I cannot remain calm. They say this is precisely what I must avoid, but...”

"I can imagine," Fujieda responded. "Let's come straight to the point—I understand you have urgent business," Shunzō pressed. "Yes, precisely regarding that matter." Fujieda's tone suggested he was about to reveal something critical, his gaze locking intensely with Shunzō's.

"I recently took a trip alone. And I've only just returned now. The place I went was the town of Imaizumi in Yamaguchi Prefecture. That is, where you lived approximately twenty years ago." "The town of Imaizumi in Yamaguchi Prefecture?"

Shunzō appeared aghast. Because his shock was quite severe, Dr. Kizawa half-rose from his seat in concern. “That’s correct. That is the place where you lived twenty years ago, and at the same time, where Date Masao’s parents, Shohei and his wife, lived. Mr. Akikawa, I spent several days there investigating various matters. I researched in detail the matters between the Date and Akikawa families. As a result, I discovered that the Akikawa and Date families were in a fated relationship.”

Seven

As Fujieda reached this point in his account, Akikawa Shunzō—seated on the bed—desperately waved his hand as though he could endure no more, attempting to silence him. To any observer, it was a pitiful spectacle of panic. Dr. Kizawa, finding the proceedings increasingly disagreeable, was on the verge of cautioning Fujieda himself. Quickly perceiving this shift, Fujieda pressed on with measured restraint.

“Mr. Akikawa, please rest assured. I will say nothing more beyond this. Despite such tragedy and all those sacrifices, I would never be so reckless as to speak of the secret you still strive to protect. There is just one thing I must state: that this Fujieda Shintarō alone has almost certainly come to fully comprehend this secret. And if my findings hold true, you should know by whom those threatening letters were sent and for what reason. That is precisely the matter I have come to inquire about. Now, Mr. Akikawa—do you truly have no notion who sent you those threatening letters?”

Shunzō did not utter a single word. Before the confident Fujieda, he appeared lost about how to respond. The situation now differed greatly from when Fujieda had pressed him on the night of the twentieth. Fujieda had now uncovered the Akikawa family's secret. Or at least claimed to have done so. "Mr. Akikawa, please carefully consider your circumstances." "The police seem to suspect Ms. Hiroko." "If you absolutely refuse to speak while thinking of your daughters, this will become quite problematic."

“I understand.”

For the first time, Shunzō said feebly.

"However, even I truly don't know who sent them." "Then how about this? Let me propose this line of thought. Inferring from the secret known only to you and me, the person likely to send you those threatening letters would be either a brother of Date Shohei—that is, Masao’s father—or else a sibling of his wife Kayo." “…………”

Shunzō remained silent but nodded firmly as if conceding there was no alternative. “However, as you know, Shohei had virtually no relatives to speak of.” “Considering this, we must conclude it relates to the wife’s side of the family. Now, regarding Date Kayo’s relatives—according to my investigation, there exists a sister whose current whereabouts remain unknown.” “Given that phone call incident and various other factors, it appears a woman lies at the heart of this case. If the sister of Date Shohei’s wife Kayo possesses knowledge of her sibling’s secret, then this woman would naturally become the prime suspect.”

"That's correct." "I cannot say it hasn't occurred to me either." Seeing that Fujieda seemed to have completely uncovered his secret—perhaps thinking it futile to conceal things any longer—Shunzō now spoke clearly. "You don't know where that woman is, do you?"

However, Shunzō did not attempt to answer this and suddenly sat up straight. “Mr. Fujieda, I am in awe. Since you already know everything, I see no point in hiding it any longer. I will now recount all my past secrets here. Regarding that matter, there is something I must show you—I will go and fetch it. There are important documents involved.” “There’s no need for you to trouble yourself to go; I can do it.” Dr. Kizawa interjected worriedly.

8 "No, I have placed them somewhere only I would know." “Mr. Akikawa, did you store those important documents inside this house?”

Fujieda inquired with a surprised expression. Shunzō put his legs out from the bed and slipped his feet into slippers while saying, "I did think it would be safer to keep them in a bank’s safety deposit box or such." "No—more than safety or danger, I’m astonished you’ve preserved those documents about past secrets until now." Shunzō, staggering, left the astonished Dr. Kizawa and others behind as he moved toward the door.

"Why I kept them until now—you'll understand once I present these documents." "Ah, Dr. Kizawa, I appreciate your concern, but these papers are hidden in an extremely confidential location. With all due respect, I must retrieve them alone." "Please—everyone remain here and wait without leaving." Having said this, Shunzō shut the door with a heavy thud and departed. Though not critically ill, Shunzō's sudden rise from prolonged bedrest clearly startled Dr.Kizawa. Yet the solemn authority in his words forbade any pursuit, leaving us three to wait silently in the darkened room.

It was just before five in the afternoon, and as mentioned earlier, it had been an exceedingly gloomy and dark day, so the interior had already grown dark enough that we could no longer clearly see each other's faces.

"Surprisingly, we managed to achieve our objective." "No, it seems we were about to achieve more than our objective." Fujieda said to me as he twisted the switch on the nearby desk lamp and turned on the light. "If matters can be settled at that level, I suppose I can feel somewhat relieved." Dr. Kizawa also said to Fujieda with relief. "But to keep documents related to past secrets he'd been trying so hard to forget... That's a bit odd." "If we look at those, I suppose everything will be resolved... But there's one more thing I want to ask—whether anyone besides him and me knows this secret." "Of course, that would be someone other than the sender of the threatening letters."

Fujieda said this, but suddenly looked at the two of us with unease. Dr. Kizawa also appeared somehow uneasy. To tell the truth, I had thought that when Shunzō left this room, he had likely gone to the study across the hall (the room where the prosecutor had questioned the family immediately after the first tragedy). He had left as quietly as possible, with stealthy footsteps, so it was unclear exactly where he had gone.

"You, it's been about five minutes since the master left here—where on earth has he gone?" Fujieda said to me while checking his wristwatch. "Hmm, it does feel rather long." "Shall I go check? Though it would be odd to follow after him now—the master did seem opposed to that." Dr. Kizawa looked at us both with unease. "Let's wait three more minutes. After all, the master has confined us here."

Fujieda had said this to the two of them, but then, as if recalling something, he lowered his voice and addressed Dr. Kizawa: "Mr. Date is still ill, isn't he?"

When asked this, Dr. Kizawa seemed startled by the sudden question but answered immediately. "Yes, he is in bed."

“Are there any guests here today besides us?” “No, there are none. Mr. Hayashida left just as I arrived. The only people remaining in this house are family members.”

9 "Date is ill; Hayashida has left." "That leaves only Ms. Hiroko and Ms. Sadako." "Hmm..." Fujieda kept alternating between deep contemplation and checking his watch. Finally, I could no longer contain myself and spoke up.

“It’s already been about seven minutes since he left.” “Isn’t this strange?” “Yeah… Something’s definitely wrong.” “Dr.Kizawa—let’s go.”

Fujieda opened the door first. The three all stepped out into the hallway at once. The moment they emerged, Fujieda knocked on the study door across the hall but received no response. Without hesitation, he grabbed the handle and shoved it open forcefully, only to immediately close it again when he saw nobody inside. "Not here." Fujieda briefly appeared at a loss.

At this moment, Dr. Kizawa walked down the hallway and knocked on the door to Hiroko's room on the left side.

“Ms. Hiroko, pardon the intrusion. Would you happen to know your father’s current whereabouts?”

From within, Hiroko appeared in her beautiful form, but when I saw how pitifully haggard she looked, I involuntarily rushed toward her. "There are various things I need to discuss with you. However, what I wish to inquire about now is whether you might have encountered your father in this hallway." Hiroko, unable to grasp what this was about, appeared utterly shocked, but— "No, I've been in this room the entire time until Dr.Kizawa came just now..."

At that very moment, the door to Sadako’s room opened, and Sadako peered out. She must have been startled by the noise from outside. The two young ladies and we three talked briefly in the hallway, but none of us knew of Shunzō’s whereabouts.

Fujieda ran down the stairs, “Mr. Akikawa! Mr. Akikawa!” he was shouting.

When we followed him down afterward, Butler Sasada rushed out of his room in surprise.

“You—hasn’t the master come down?”

Fujieda pressed urgently. "No, I came out just now because Dr. Kizawa was summoning the master." An indescribably strange expression surfaced on Fujieda's face at that moment, but—

“Come on, everyone—hurry and search. I’ll check this reception room.” Fujieda and I hurriedly opened the door but found no one inside. When we closed it and stepped back out, we saw Sadako opening the piano room door—but in the next instant, “Wh-what?!” A scream rang out as she collapsed in the doorway.

Dr. Kizawa, who was nearby, rushed over and picked her up. No sooner had he seen this than Fujieda, like a fleeing hare, shoved Hiroko and me aside and leapt into the piano room. Immediately after, I too sprang into the piano room like a swift bird, but never before had I encountered a sight as ghastly as what confronted me there. The moment I opened the door, what pierced my vision was Shunzō's body lying supine on the floor. His legs were splayed in a大字 shape toward the folding screen beneath the mirrored wall by the doorway. Wondering if his eyes had rolled back, I drew near, but involuntarily turned my face away.

A terrifying face. A gruesome face. Could there ever exist another face in this world as monstrous as Shunzō's was at that moment?

10 Both eyes remained open; the eyeballs seemed to bulge out. The area around the eyebrows and eyes was grotesquely distorted and twisted. If this could be called a face, it was not a human face. A demon’s face. A fiend's face.

The moment I saw him, I felt Shunzō was already dead.

That I was rendered speechless for a time by terror and astonishment at this moment was due in part to Fujieda’s excessively panicked demeanor. Even in the subsequent bizarre incidents at the Akikawa residence, I had never seen him display such a flustered state as he did then. No—throughout all the various cases we had been involved in until that point, I had never seen him in such a state of panic. He no sooner burst into the room with me than— “Ah, this is bad...”

He let out a shocked cry and rushed toward Shunzō's corpse. He stared fixedly at that horrifying face, but—

“Dr. Kizawa! It’s terrible! It’s terrible!”

He shouted and called repeatedly for Dr.Kizawa.

Dr. Kizawa, who had apparently been attending to Sadako, immediately came in, but even Dr. Kizawa stood frozen in place for a moment. Given that Dr. Kizawa—who had encountered all manner of patients—was this shocked, one could imagine how horrifying Shunzō’s corpse must have looked. True to his training, Dr. Kizawa quickly regained his composure and, unbuttoning Shunzō’s shirt at the chest, pressed his ear against it—but—

“There's no hope. The heart has stopped.”

After saying this, he looked up at Fujieda’s face. Fujieda turned his slightly pale face toward me and—

“Ogawa, notify Hayashida immediately. Inform Hayashida and have him come here immediately.” He shouted. That Fujieda would seek help from his rival Hayashida in such a case showed how far he had declined—though that would be said later. At the time, I was too mentally overwhelmed to consider such things; I hurriedly rushed out of the room and nearly collided with Hiroko—pale and trembling—and Butler Sasada as I hastened toward the telephone room.

As soon as I called Hayashida’s place, he picked up the phone. “Is this Mr. Ogawa?” “Mr. Hayashida, it’s terrible! Akikawa Shunzō has been killed!”

“What?! “Akikawa Shunzō…?” “Is that true?” "Wh-where was he killed?" “By whom?!”

For some reason, even this renowned detective was panicking terribly—and only in this case. His panicked state came through the phone so clearly that even I could tell.

“Mr. Ogawa, speak louder!” “Shunzō was killed?” “Who did it?” “Where?”

Both Fujieda and Hayashida—they're panicking far too much today, don't you think?

Fujieda had abruptly demanded Hayashida's presence, while Hayashida—contrary to my expectations of his usual composure—was asking nonsensical questions like "Who killed him?" Who killed him? If we'd known that much, we should have already identified all the previous culprits by now. Wasn't Hiroko being persecuted precisely because we couldn't figure this out? But this too was something I only recalled later. “At the Akikawa residence. Both Fujieda and I are here now.”