Pathway to Japanese Literature

1

On a mid-April afternoon—when the cherry blossoms that had so proudly displayed their full glory were thought to have been completely scattered by the great winds of two or three days prior—I managed to leave work early from the magazine company and was wandering aimlessly through Ginza. Musing, "Should I stop somewhere for coffee? No—it'd be dreary alone. Isn't there anyone to talk to?" as I walked from Owari-cho toward Shinbashi, I suddenly collided with an exceptionally tall, gaunt man at a corner.

“You fool! Watch where you’re going!” I was about to retort when I suddenly looked at the man properly and realized it was my acquaintance Touda Shintarou. “Oh, Touda? What brings you here?” “What do you want to do?” “Oh, it was you? … Do you have some business today?” “Oh, just strolling around Ginza as usual—pointlessly.” “And you—what are you doing around here now? Shouldn’t you be at your office around the back?” “Well, I’ve got some free time now. A client’s coming at three-thirty, but until then I had nothing to do, so I went out for a little walk.” “I usually expect to run into idle fellows like you… Though I must say, I didn’t anticipate colliding quite so literally today.”

“Ahahaha! Is that so? That’s perfect timing. I was just thinking of grabbing someone to have tea with. Well then, shall we go in here?”

I promptly invited him and dashed into the coffee shop nearby. The shop was comfortably empty, so the two of them sat facing each other in a nearby booth and ordered tea and cakes from the waiter.

“Hey Kogawa—I’m sitting here facing you like this. Do you know why?” “Still asking those Touda-style questions, aren’t you?” “Isn’t that for talking?” “In other words, it’s the most natural and convenient position for the two of us to talk.” “That’s right. “By the way, have you noticed this fact?” “The act of assuming such positions in such places is only natural for certain people, you see.” “What do you mean?” “I’m not quite sure I follow.”

While saying this，I added two cubes of sugar myself to the tea the waiter had brought over.

“Take a look over there.” When Touda suddenly pointed to the right, I turned my gaze in that direction and saw two women around twenty years old sitting side by side in a booth across from us, facing away and conversing amiably. “Did you get it? When young women are together, they line up like that. To them, lining up like that seems more convenient.” After saying this, Touda took out a fresh cigarette from his case and lit it.

“But that’s probably a special case. It’s not as if women always sit that way when they’re together.”

“That’s why I asked you clearly from the start.” “Whether you’ve noticed such things.” “According to my observations thus far, pairs of young women invariably sit in that manner.” “If ‘always’ is too strong, then I suppose eight out of ten pairs tend to take that position.” “Hmm, is that so?” “That’s right. “In other words, such facts can be observed.” “Young women together typically sit in the booth in that manner.” “When it’s men together, they face each other like we do.” “And the fact remains that when a man and woman are paired together, they too face each other.”

He said smugly and exhaled a cloud of smoke with a satisfied puff.

2 “Is that so?” “Well then—why do women sit like that when they’re together? I’d like you to explain the reason.” I asked this while expecting Touda to launch into one of his usual explanations.

“Well, I don’t know about that.” “I’ll leave such matters to psychologists or physiologists.” “My line of work doesn’t require delving that deep—I just need to observe facts as they are.” “Observation!” “That’s right—observation! You’ve seen women sitting lined up like that many times yourself, but you haven’t noticed that fact.” “Dr. Doyle goes on about such things to Mr. Sherlock Holmes, but do they actually prove useful in practice?”

“Sometimes they prove useful, sometimes not.” “You could say detective novels have no merit whatsoever—or you could say they’re immensely valuable.” “So those detective novels actually help someone like you in your work?” “The works themselves are fundamentally suspect." “But within those renowned detectives’ occasional phrases...there are truly precious words worth savoring.”

While saying this, he began eagerly stuffing apple pie into his mouth with a 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 copies of those famous detective novels that were recently receiving rave reviews in England and America.

“How about those books I lent you the other day?”

“Ah, those! Right, thanks for lending them the other day.” “I read them all in one go.” “They were all interesting.” “That’s good to hear… But they aren’t useful, are they?”

Touda fell silent for a moment at this, lost in thought. I sensed that he was already recalling some unsatisfactory aspect of those novels, so I quickly jumped in to preempt him. “Not that this is limited to those novels, but what I dislike about detective novels is how the great detectives who appear in them are just too… well, great.” “Of course Sherlock Holmes goes without saying, but whether it’s Poirot, Thorndyke, or Philo Vance—they’re all beyond human.” “In reality, there’s no such thing as such extraordinary human beings.”

“That’s true.”

Touda gave a rather disinterested reply. “This isn’t said to mock you in your presence, nor is it flattery—but someone of your caliber is essentially the real-life great detective.” “Our Detective Touda lacks the deductive prowess of a Sherlock Holmes and is not as erudite as a Philo Vance…” “Hey, hey, cut it out already.”

He blushed slightly in embarrassment and began speaking as if to interrupt me. "You're right—detectives are too exceptional." "But if you ask me—whether it's that recent novel or any other—I think the villains are somewhat too villainous." "Why don't novelists depict real villains?"

“Real villains?”

“That’s right. The villains in detective novels are far too villainous. They’re manufactured, born-and-bred evildoers. For instance, when murdering someone, they devise these grand schemes and coolly carry them out. Then afterward, they calmly tidy up the mess without a care. That’s what I find rather off-putting.” “So what? Are you saying such villains don’t exist? That seems a bit absurd, don’t you think?”

3

“Why?” “You’re the one who should know this better, but doesn’t criminology recognize an innate criminal type?”

“They do exist.” “Such criminals do exist.” “Iago from Othello is a prime example.” “But they don’t come around often.” “I simply can’t believe murderers like those in detective novels actually exist in this world—especially not in reality.” “As I said earlier, they calmly plan everything down to the killing, and even after committing murder, remain completely at ease—as if they’d just finished breakfast—not plagued by the slightest fear or guilt.” “It’s truly astonishing.”

“You can’t say they don’t exist.” “It’s just that you haven’t encountered one yet.”

“At any rate, I’ve yet to meet one even once.” “Whether during my time as a prosecutor or after quitting, I’ve yet to encounter such a terrible one even once.” “When it comes to criminals like fraudsters or embezzlers, there are those who devise wicked schemes to commit their crimes, but murderers tend to lack such cunning.” “The very act of killing someone is fundamentally foolish, you know.” “A clever person wouldn’t do such a thing.”

He finished the black tea and ordered another cup.

“Then, assuming wise people don’t commit murder, what about murderous maniacs?”

“There are plenty of murderous maniacs, but since they aren’t very clever, they get caught immediately without needing a great detective to step in.” “So if an inherently murderous maniac who’s remarkably intelligent were to appear, that’s when a great detective would finally spring into action, I suppose? How about it? Care to have a one-on-one showdown with such a criminal?” “That’s something I’d like myself, but I’m afraid it’ll have to wait for now.”

Touda said this as he tossed his second cigarette into the ashtray. Human beings, no matter how great they are, cannot see even an inch into the future.

Less than two weeks after this conversation, Touda found himself forced into a one-on-one showdown with a great criminal—exactly as he had long desired, or rather, something beyond that. Moreover, no one could have possibly imagined that the prelude to this great tragedy 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—is that still on?”

“There’s still time.” He answered this way, but with a meaningful smile, he looked at me momentarily. “My own wishes may remain unfulfilled for now, but this guest might pique some curiosity in you—a champion of women.” “A woman?” I blurted out. “Yeah, that’s right.” “What sort of lady is she? Young and beautiful?” “Don’t rush me, old friend." “I haven’t met her yet." “Today marks our first meeting.”

“Oh.” “But given your nature, I doubt she’s someone from refined circles…” “Of course.” “She’s a client in a case.” “Unfortunately, there’s no equation to deduce facial features from handwriting—so I can’t judge her looks—but at any rate, it’s certain she’s a young woman.” “Since it’s you, I don’t mind—shall I show you the letter that arrived at my place this morning?” He said this while slowly reaching into his pocket.

4

At this juncture, I felt compelled to provide you, esteemed readers, with a brief introduction to the background of Touda Shintarou and—subsequently—my own, which was hardly worth boasting about. Touda Shintarou had been known until about five years prior as the Demon Prosecutor—a man both feared and hated by the villains of the imperial capital—and stood as the successor to his former self, the prosecutor at the Tokyo District Court.

What had prompted this change remained unclear—but about five years prior, he had suddenly submitted his resignation and retired. Like many judicial officers, people expected him to promptly hang out a lawyer’s shingle—yet in another unexpected turn, defying public anticipation, he never registered as an attorney. After some time passed, he rented a small Western-style room in a Ginza backstreet and began displaying a sign reading: "Private Detective Touda Shintarou." This indeed occurred two years after his resignation as a prosecutor.

From that time onward, he began to wield his fearsome and extraordinary skills. Though his achievements had never been made public due to those involved still being alive, incidents such as the Ushigome Old Woman Murder case, the Strange Affair at Marquis Kiyokawa’s Residence, the Missing Treasure of the Wealthy Yasuda Family, and the Murder at Dr. Minokawa’s Residence were nevertheless known to the public. The Demon Prosecutor remained a demon. Now that he had more freedom than during his time in office, he was all the more feared by villains.

I, Kogawa Masao, had in fact been quite close with him since our high school days, as we were in the same graduating year.

At that time, society was in the burgeoning era of New Romantic literature. Anyone who considered themselves a reader inevitably became, at least temporarily, both a literary youth and philosophical aspirant. Touda and I were no exception—debating Ibsen, analyzing Strindberg, burning midnight oil over Romain Rolland’s novels, even as we pretended to comprehend Bergson and Eucken despite lacking any real understanding of their philosophies. To look back now brings cold sweat—those high school days found our walls perpetually scrawled with Nietzschean aphorisms, one side displaying Beethoven’s austere portrait while the opposite wall bore photographs of Michelangelo’s frescoes.

So both Touda and I fully intended to become either great literary masters or renowned philosophers. Yet this artistic malady gradually waned as we approached university age, and by enrollment time, more students had grounded themselves, shunning the humanities to swell the ranks of those pursuing law. Touda Shintarou epitomized this shift—before long, volumes of legal precedents stood before his complete works of Goethe, Italian dictionaries found themselves relegated to corners, and the Six Codes came to dominate his shelves.

The fool in this tale was none other than myself. My artistic malady showed no signs of abating, and though it was been well that I enrolled in the Philosophy Department intending to study earnestly, my fortunes turned during my second year of university when my father—a trader in Osaka who had amassed modest wealth—passed away. Returning to my hometown to settle his affairs, I found after two or three months that idleness had become more appealing, until I became thoroughly indolent. Still, I managed to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree after all—though some classmates were already making their debuts in literary circles, while those who had pursued law were vigorously taking higher civil service exams and becoming splendid officials, filling me with envy. Even when I resolved that this wouldn't do and strove hard, alas, my indolent nature left me utterly unable to make my mark in the world. Sighing "Ah, well," I once returned home and took over my father's business for the time being. Fortunately, with no financial worries, I moved the entire family to Tokyo, and now find myself grumbling that my current station—working for pocket money at a rather obscure magazine—is oddly carefree, if a consolation prize.

5 The only unforgettable event in my mundane life was losing my wife three years ago; since then, I've remained a single man with no children, living an easygoing life alone with my mother. I wasn't opposed to remarrying—indeed, there were those who tried to arrange matches for me—but like the old saying goes, neither fish nor fowl. And so here I stand, not yet forty and still a bachelor.

Touda Shintarou should be about the same age as me, so he must be thirty-seven or thirty-eight by now, but even at this age, he remains unmarried. His case differs from mine in that he never intended to marry from the start. “I won’t mince words—I’ve never fallen for a woman, nor has one ever fallen for me.”

That was his catchphrase. “I simply can’t bring myself to respect women. And at the same time, I find it impossible to trust them.” He would often say this with complete seriousness. He seemed to fancy himself a Sherlock Holmes, but in truth, this demeanor struck me as rather lonely for him. Like me, his father had already passed away, and he lived with his mother, going to the office nearly every day.

Given his nature, even upon hearing that a female client was coming, there was no reason for me to feel envious. Sure enough, as I had thought, this appeared to be not a romantic liaison but a client with a case. “This is the letter that arrived this morning,” he said. “It had come to the office by express delivery. Though her pen strokes are rather hurried—showing she was in quite a rush—she’s clearly a wealthy, educated woman.” He presented a cream-colored Western envelope before me.

I silently extracted the paper inside; it was cream-colored Western stationery matching the envelope, inscribed in a delicate feminine script as follows. I beg your forgiveness for the impropriety of suddenly sending you this letter. I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting you, but I have long been acquainted with your esteemed name, Professor. Regarding a certain case, a matter has arisen for which I particularly wish to request your assistance, Professor. It does not concern me personally, but rather my family affairs. I will come to your office at 3:30 PM today, so I humbly request that you please meet with me without fail if it suits your convenience. All details can be discussed once we have the pleasure of meeting. Sincerely, Aikawa Hiroko

Aikawa Hiroko

Professor Touda

“Hey, Kogawa, since this woman intends to come meet us and explain the situation anyway, there’s no need for her to conceal any personal circumstances. So we can safely assume she hurriedly used her usual stationery. Look at this stationery—it’s quite luxurious! Unlike the stuff we occasionally buy, this comes properly matched with envelopes and paper, the sort sold by the box. And what’s more, it’s rather expensive! If she’s using something like this regularly, she must be the daughter of a well-to-do family or such. And I rather took to the letter’s wording. It’s concise. Though I must say this letter is unusual for a woman’s composition… Well, it’s about time—shall we make our move?”

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

I also stood up immediately after, but somehow found myself suddenly growing concerned about this client we had yet to meet.

6 “Hey now, for a young woman to clearly write her own name and send such a letter to someone she’s never met like you—there must be quite an urgent incident underway.”

I spoke while walking along the pavement. "Well, from her perspective, it must seem quite an urgent matter." "But since young women tend to panic over trivial matters, I can't join the commotion until I've heard all the details." "Just the other day, a terribly flustered woman came rushing in, claiming her husband had gone missing." "When we looked into it, we found he'd been shacking up with someone at a teahouse." "Ahahaha!"

“However, this letter clearly states her own name.” “Hmm, this is a somewhat interesting point.” “If this is her real name—though I don’t know if you’ve noticed—the surname Aikawa is one that seems plausible but is actually quite rare.” “Speaking of Aikawa, does anyone come to mind?” When told that, I paused to think for myself. When I was working as a trader in Osaka, I had come to know various businessmen, but I now recalled that there was an industrialist in Tokyo with that surname.

"I seem to recall there was someone named Aikawa who was the president of some company..." "That's right, you remember things fairly clearly." Touda gave me a brief, strange look.

“Right after receiving this letter, I looked through Who’s Who directories and business registries.” “There exists an industrialist called Aikawa Shunzo.” “He’s president of Aikawa Paper Company and naturally involved with other enterprises too.” “And it plainly shows he has an eldest daughter listed as Hiroko.”

“Huh? So this Aikawa Hiroko is the daughter of that wealthy person?” “Yes, that’s right. Of course, whether the young lady coming to visit me is the same person remains unclear, but in any case, it’s certain that someone named Aikawa Hiroko undoubtedly exists.” As they were having this conversation, the two of them arrived in front of Touda’s office. “Until our client arrives, how about you look through the business registry and gain some preliminary knowledge?”

Touda entered the room, sat down before the large desk, then slid the hefty book that had been properly placed beside him across to me.

When I looked, it indeed appeared he had investigated considerably beforehand, as the section under the "A" heading lay open. Searching through entries beginning with "Autumn," I found only one instance of the surname Aikawa. Aikawa Shunzo... This must be it. With that thought, I began intently reading the entry. Aikawa Shunzo (45 years old) He, formerly Yamada, had been recognized by the previous family head Nagajirou at age 23 and became the adopted son-in-law of the family daughter Tokuko (current wife), thereby assuming the Aikawa surname. Having devoted himself to paper manufacturing from early on, he had achieved success continuing to the present day, currently serving as president of Aikawa Paper Company and director of various other companies (here various titles are listed but omitted).

Family members: 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 Shuntaro (15 years old) This was the entry on the Aikawa family recorded in the business registry.

7 "I see. Looking at this, she's quite the young lady from an impressive household." "Well, if that genuine young lady comes through for us, you'd be perfectly satisfied—but what concerns me more than any of that is the fundamental nature of this case."

“Still your trademark approach, Touda. Not falling for beauties nor trusting women—is that it? You really are a strangely made sort of person.”

The moment I finished saying this, the bell rang, announcing that a visitor was standing outside the office door. Soon, the door seemed to open, and after about thirty seconds had passed, a steward entered our room holding a single business card.

“Yes, please do show them in.” Touda said this and glanced briefly in my direction. In such situations, it’s customary to show some reserve, so I began to rise from my seat—but he stopped me with a look as he always did. I had just settled back down when the door opened, revealing a young woman standing there. The moment I saw her, I nearly let out a cry.

It wasn’t simply that she was beautiful or noble. Never before had I been so convinced of my own intuition as at this moment. From the moment I first heard a young woman was coming to visit Touda, I’d somehow felt she would be likable—a beautiful woman. Then, after hearing the name Aikawa Hiroko and seeing her handwriting, I’d already conjured an image of a refined beauty in my mind.

A man like Touda, who must determine everything through logic, was saying one couldn't ascertain someone's looks from their handwriting—but I had already conjured in my mind, from this alone, the image of a beautiful woman I might grow fond of.

And what do you know? The young woman now standing at the door—wasn’t she exactly the beauty I had imagined! Names didn’t matter anymore—whether she was an impostor claiming to be Aikawa Hiroko or not, none of that mattered. However, this case must be a significant one! If this turned out to be a case that Touda would coldly reject, that would be a problem! Wait—here I was going on about myself and had forgotten to introduce this woman to the readers.

At that moment, the woman who appeared at the door—if one were to describe her properly—was around twenty years old, dressed with utmost simplicity in matching haori and kimono of unassuming meisen silk, her hair casually tied back without a single ornament. The only thing that stood out conspicuously in this simple attire was a gold ring on the left middle finger, set with a gemstone that was undoubtedly worth over a thousand yen.

Her appearance could be summed up in a single word: beautiful. Yet according to my initial impression, it was by no means a gaudy beauty. If anything, it was a lonely sort of beauty. Her particularly large eyes lent her face striking beauty and nobility, yet at the same time, one might say they possessed a rationality rarely seen 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 for an instant appeared slightly flustered.

“I am Touda.” “Please have a seat here.” “This here is my friend named Kogawa.” Touda called out in a practiced tone.

8 “Thank you very much.” The woman settled into the indicated chair without unnecessary reserve yet never losing her grace, and placing a lovely red and blue handbag on her knees, rested both hands lightly upon it.

But seated facing the two men, she seemed oddly ill at ease. “Ms. Aikawa—you stated your name was Aikawa Hiroko, correct?” “I have indeed received your letter.” “I reviewed it this morning.” “I have been waiting accordingly.” “The person here is called Kogawa Masao—my most intimate friend.”

The woman politely greeted the two of us once more. “Forgive my tardiness in introducing myself. “I am Aikawa Hiroko.” I hurriedly took out a case from my pocket, retrieved the cleanest, least soiled business card from within it, and presented it before Miss Aikawa. “Kogawa here is an extremely close friend who currently works at a certain company, but since it’s more of a hobby business for him, he mainly assists me.” “Therefore, I would ask you to grant him the same trust as you do me.” “Whatever the matter may be, I would like you to discuss it in front of this man.”

To tell the truth, I hadn't actually assisted Touda with his cases all that much up until then. However, I couldn't help but feel deeply grateful for Touda's kindness in clearly establishing my credibility here with those words. Of course, had I excused myself from the room at that moment, I might never have needed to plunge into the vortex of the horrific tragedy that was about to unfold—but by the same token, I might also have never encountered the beautiful members of the Aikawa family again.

“As Mr. Touda just stated, I am someone who assists him.” While acutely aware of my own halting speech, I managed to say just this much before the beautiful Miss Aikawa, yet somehow felt my face growing hot. “However, if this is a particularly confidential matter for Mr. Touda, perhaps I should excuse myself?”

I had actually startled myself by letting such an unnecessary show of reserve slip from my lips. "What's this? You should listen to the story together here as usual....Ms. Aikawa, Kogawa here often makes these pointless reservations—it's quite troublesome." "Especially when someone as young and distinguished as yourself comes to visit—he's bound to get this shy." He said this and glanced in our direction. Touda, who neither loves nor respects women, is nevertheless extremely sociable toward them. He skillfully tried to ease the other party's discomfort.

Miss Aikawa turned slightly red but smiled at Touda as she spoke.

“So, do people like me come to consult you often?” “Yes, they do visit now and then. Young ladies these days are all quite competent and bring rather remarkable cases. Though when young ladies do come to consult me, it’s always under most grave circumstances and typically involves highly confidential matters.” Having said this, he lit a cigarette. The conviction that she wasn’t the first to appear before this detective bearing secret affairs seemed to put Aikawa Hiroko considerably at ease.

"Then, allow me to speak regarding the matter of the letter I sent this morning." Hiroko's Account

1

Miss Aikawa, indeed seeming to have firmly made up her mind once more, began speaking thus. “Please, do not stand on ceremony.” “However, I must state beforehand that since you have come to me, I presume your circumstances are truly grave.” “Therefore, this matter must undoubtedly be a profound secret.” “The mere fact of your presence here already constitutes part of that secrecy.” “But having chosen to place your trust in me, I must implore you to conceal nothing, speak no falsehoods, and state everything with perfect clarity.” “This I earnestly entreat of you in advance.”

“Certainly.”

Miss Aikawa answered clearly.

“Since I have placed my trust in you and come to consult you, I will never conceal anything or tell lies.” “What concerns me is that the matter I came to discuss today seems somewhat too vague.” “Vague?” “Ah, that’s perfectly fine.” “Please do speak freely about anything at all.”

“The truth is, the matter I came to consult you about today does not concern me personally.” “That is precisely as I stated in my letter.” “In truth, there exists a matter regarding my father that causes me grave concern—this being the reason I have come to seek your counsel.”

I felt somewhat taken aback. Until then, the matters young women had brought to Touda mostly concerned delicate affairs of love or missing lovers, so I had been certain Miss Aikawa would begin with such a topic too. Touda, however, showed not the slightest surprise as he kept gazing steadily at Miss Aikawa. "My father—you may perhaps have heard the name—is Aikawa Shunzo, who until recently served as president of a company."

“Until recently? And now—?”

This was Touda asking in a slightly surprised tone. “Until last November, he had served as president of Aikawa Paper Co., Ltd.” “Then at the end of last year, he suddenly resigned from that company and severed all ties with any other companies.” “That is why he is currently unemployed.” “My father has just turned forty-five years old, which is still too early for retirement. However, he recently developed severe neurasthenia, making it impossible for him to maintain his health. As I mentioned earlier, he has become completely unemployed.” “The family consists of my father, my mother Tokuko, myself as the eldest daughter, and two younger sisters.” “The next sister immediately after me is Sadako, who is nineteen this year, followed by Hatsue, who is eighteen.” “Then there is one younger brother, named Shuntaro, who is fifteen this year.”

Miss Aikawa closed her mouth for a moment after chattering all this out in one breath. Touda, with an expressionless face, continued blowing purple smoke into the air. “The reason I came to consult you today concerns Father.” “Father has been terribly afraid of something recently.” “To put it simply, he is being threatened by someone.” “It appears he lives in fear that he might be killed at any moment—even today.” “Yes, it’s true—Father is being targeted for his life. At the very least, it appears he himself feels and fears this to be the case.”

“Danger to his life?” Touda asked. “That is correct.” “Father’s life is indeed being threatened.” “It is not about honor or property.” “Yes, that is indeed certain.” “There are ample reasons to believe so.”

2

Miss Aikawa continued. "To make you understand that clearly, I believe it necessary to explain matters starting from when Father resigned from all his duties last year." "By nature, my father is not a particularly strong-willed person—however, after entering the Aikawa family—I do not know if you are aware, but he is an adopted son—after entering the Aikawa family, he succeeded in all his business endeavors up to today. Therefore, he is not someone of such weak character." "But ever since I was a child, Father has had a very nervous disposition."

“This developed over the past few years—he gradually came to exhibit what appeared to be neurasthenia，reaching the point where he could not sleep at night without taking sleeping pills.” “We had doctors examine him，but there was no particular，clearly identifiable cause.” “They suggested it might be due to his business affairs being too intense，perhaps.” “However，recently that condition has gradually worsened—last summer，for instance，the sleepless nights became truly dreadful.” “At first，I too had thought it was merely an intensification of his usual neurasthenia—but one day，I finally discovered what appeared to be its cause.”

“That was probably around the end of August last year, I believe.” “One evening, I went to Father’s study with a bundle of letters that had come to him.” “Since Father hadn’t returned yet, I was alone absentmindedly arranging the letters when a single blue Western-style envelope fell to the floor.” “I picked it up and, upon glancing at the seal, found a red triangular mark pressed there.” “Though I thought it an unusual seal, I paid no particular mind and simply left it there.” “This had no sender’s name.”

That night, Father seemed to have been awake in his second-floor bedroom for some reason, and the next day Mother told me this with a puzzled expression—apparently he hadn’t lain down at all but kept sighing while pondering something over and over. "Mother said that no matter what she asked, Father would not say a single thing."

Then, about a month later, one night, Father came to our room with a pale face, “Lately, the world has become dangerous, so I’m thinking of hiring more male servants.” “You all must be careful. Before going to bed at night, make sure to check all the locks and properly secure them.” Having stated this, he apparently returned to his own room again, but that night when Mother secretly kept watch, Father seemed to have been pacing around restlessly in his room late at night with a pistol in hand—this is what she reported.

“By the way, Aikawa-san, how many male servants were there in your household at that time?” “There was only one male servant, but we had an elderly steward.” “He remains with us even now.” “Forgive the interruption.” “Please do continue!” “When I heard this, I waited until Father left for work the next day before quietly entering the study.” “I’d felt since that earlier incident there might be some connection between those red-triangled letters and Father’s terror.” “After all, such things appear frequently in Western detective novels!”

“When I entered Father’s room, I first checked the letter holder.” “But there was nothing there.” “I looked in the wastepaper basket too, but it still wasn’t there.” “So after all, my suspicion had been just a detective novel fantasy—that’s what I ended up thinking at the time.”

3

"But this was not merely my imagination after all. At the beginning of October, when I returned from an outing and opened the mailbox at the gate, I found another letter bearing a triangular mark. Resolving to uncover the truth that very day, I left it in Father's study and waited for his return. Unusually, Father came home rather early that evening. While changing his clothes, he announced he would dine at home. As Mother went to the kitchen to instruct the maids about meal preparations, his demeanor suddenly changed. There could be no doubt - he had entered the study and seen that letter. Though Mother had painstakingly prepared dinner, he barely touched his food. Even when seated at the table, he appeared lost in thought."

Father, having left the dining table, appeared increasingly agitated, pacing in and out of his study without settling down. Mother also seemed worried about something, but it remained unclear exactly what troubled her.

Night had fallen, but I found myself utterly unable to sleep. When I quietly rose past midnight and slipped out from my bedroom, I came face to face with someone in the corridor. That someone was Sadako.

“Sada-san, what’s wrong?” “What are you doing up this late?” I asked, but my sister remained silent with a pale face. I steeled myself, “Sada-san, are you worried about something regarding Father?”

I asked. Then the younger sister nodded silently.

“So, you’ve also noticed that letter?” When I asked her point-blank, my younger sister replied in a small voice. “Sister, how do you know about that letter?” “But I’ve been paying attention to the letters coming to Father for a while now, you know.”

“What? Did they come to Father’s place too?” My younger sister was so startled that she inadvertently raised her voice. "It wasn’t only my sister who was startled." "I was also startled." “Sada-san, whose letter are you talking about?” In the dark corridor, I found myself tightly gripping my sister’s hand. “Sister, I received a strange letter earlier. “I don’t know who it came from, but…”

“Then, isn’t there a triangular seal on your envelope’s flap?” I cut her off as I said this. My younger sister replied in a frightened whisper.

“That’s right. I don’t remember exactly now, but it said something along those lines.” “Your father is currently in an extremely dangerous position.” “Your family will also soon suffer a terrible misfortune.” “Quickly show this letter to your father and demand an explanation.” “Sada-san, why do you have that letter?” “I did exactly as the letter said.” “I immediately took it to Father.” “Then Father grabbed it as if snatching it away, read it, and while putting it into his pocket, said, ‘You must never speak of this to anyone.’” “‘There’s absolutely nothing to worry about,’ he said—but made such a frightening face.”

4 Sadako had handed that letter to Father and returned, but being worried about his condition, she explained that she had gotten up just like I did. “That night, however, nothing in particular happened.”

The beautiful client, having spoken this far, paused to catch her breath.

“I understand.” “Let me ask—the letter your sister received was also sent through the mail, I presume?” “She had said so.” “Was the letter your sister received written in pen?” “No, it had been typed on a Japanese-language typewriter. That is indeed the case.” “She has mentioned that the front was entirely typed as well.” “The one that came to Father had also certainly been typed.”

“Understood.” “This clarifies the circumstances surrounding your father’s retirement from the company.” “In other words, your father is being constantly threatened by someone.” “That’s why he was always anxious.” “Moreover, upon learning it had reached even your sister, he grew increasingly distressed.” “As a result, his neurasthenia progressively worsened—that’s how matters stand.” “Now then—did you speak to your mother about the letter that came to your sister?”

“I didn’t say anything about it.” “In that case, how about Sadako-san herself?” At that moment, a strange expression flitted across Miss Hiroko’s face, but it vanished immediately as she clearly stated: “No, I am certain Sadako also kept silent.”

“I see.” “Ah, thank you.” “Then please proceed with your account.”

Touda lit a new cigarette and urged her on. "In other words, it was under these circumstances that Father gradually became an eccentric person." "Around mid-November, yet another suspicious letter arrived." “At that time, I seriously considered opening it myself right then and there, but ultimately could not bring myself to do so and silently left it on Father’s desk. However, two days later, Father severed all ties with his professional duties, citing failing health.” “This was Father’s state through last November.”

“Excuse me, but has your father ever mentioned that matter to the police?” “No, never! I had also been quite concerned about that matter and considered speaking to the police myself. However, since my father himself was keeping it secret like that, I assumed there must be some reason behind it, which is why I have refrained from mentioning anything to anyone until today.” "But…"

Just as Miss Hiroko had reached this point in her account, someone suddenly knocked on the door. In response to Touda’s voice, the steward entered with a letter.

Since I happened to be closest to the entrance at that moment, I reached out to take the letter and looked at its front. Aikawa Hiroko c/o Touda Shintarou’s Office

Ms. Aikawa Hiroko and it was written on a typewriter.

I casually started to hand it to Aikawa Hiroko, but upon flipping it over to look, I involuntarily cried out.

The First Tragedy

1

Behold. There was a clearly stamped red triangular seal right there? The instant I saw it, I couldn't help but briefly consider whether I should immediately hand this over to Miss Hiroko—however, in that very moment, Miss Hiroko seemed to have already noticed the dreadful triangle on the letter.

"Oh! There's something like this here too? Is that addressed to me?" She was indeed a woman after all. Until now she had maintained her composure, but seeing the seal on the letter left her utterly flustered. She barely managed to grip the handbag that had nearly slipped from her lap. But Touda acted most swiftly. He sprang up and threw open the door the moment he saw what I held. The next instant, this conversation reached us from beyond the doorway.

“Hey, Steward! How did that letter arrive here?” “It was brought by a messenger. He seemed to be a messenger boy.”

“Has he already left?”

“As soon as he delivered that letter, he left right away.” “I was about to write a receipt, but he said it wasn’t necessary!” “I see.”

When Touda returned again, I was merely sitting in silence exchanging glances with Miss Hiroko.

“Damn it! They’re messing around!” Touda sat down in his chair while muttering this to himself, then said in a remorseful tone, having blurted out such crude language in front of the young lady. “Ah, that was uncalled for. “It’s someone’s prank. “However, this letter is addressed to you. “Why don’t you take a look at it for now? “And if it’s not inconvenient, may I have a look at it later?”

However, Miss Hiroko’s complexion was completely pale. “Um… I feel so terribly frightened… Would you please open it for me?”

Touda, thus addressed, unhesitatingly took the letter in hand. “Is this the same envelope that has been coming to your home?” He seemed to be forcing himself to appear composed in an effort to calm Miss Hiroko. Taking a paper knife from the desk beside him, he skillfully sliced open the seal in smooth motions while adding. “There’s no need for you to worry. The kind of person who would play such pranks would never actually do anything dangerous, you know.”

Miss Hiroko, however, said nothing more. No—she could not speak. I too was holding my breath, waiting to see what kind of letter would emerge.

From inside the envelope emerged a sheet of cream-colored Western-style paper. After Touda had briefly looked it over and placed it before Miss Hiroko and me, we saw that the entire message had been typed in katakana using a Japanese typewriter, with the following phrases written out. RETURN HOME IMMEDIATELY. FEARFUL EVENTS SHALL BEFALL EVERY HOUSEHOLD. IN SUCH A PLACE YOU SHALL NOT REMAIN FOREVER. “In other words, it’s telling you to return home immediately.”

Touda cheerfully addressed Miss Hiroko.

“Um… There’s no possible way anyone could know that I’ve come here…”

Miss Hiroko turned pale and stood up. “Ms. Aikawa, there’s no need for you to worry so much.” “Since I haven’t yet heard all of your earlier account, would you be so kind as to tell me a little more?” “There’s no need to worry since I’m also here.”

2 Touda seemed profoundly interested in Hiroko Aikawa's account. When her narrative threatened to falter at its most critical juncture, he made persistent efforts to soothe her agitation and coax out the remainder of her story.

However, even his eloquence and efforts could not withstand the impact that the triangular seal—now physically present before them—had on Hiroko.

She was, after all, a woman of fragile constitution. Even though she appeared composed, Aikawa Hiroko was still a woman. At the very moment I felt this, I also perceived with clarity what terror these letters bearing the triangular seal had recently been casting upon the Aikawa father and son.

It seemed likely that the facts Hiroko had been about to relate must be something considerably grave. It was no wonder Touda was so insistent on hearing it.

For about two or three minutes, Touda tried various methods to persuade Hiroko, but she could no longer remain seated, “But I… I’m so terribly frightened…” Having said that, she began to stand up. Perhaps having realized she could no longer be calmed under these circumstances, Touda finally said: “I certainly don’t believe you need to worry so much… but it would be rash for me to make definitive claims before hearing your full account. If you’re this anxious, I think you should return home immediately.” “…Though it’s still daylight, I would feel uneasy about you traveling alone…”

Having said this, he looked toward me. “No, I’ll be perfectly fine on my own.” Though Hiroko had said this, she still seemed too concerned to leave immediately. “Excuse my presumption, but since I have time anyway, shall I escort you home?” I said, remaining noncommittal between the two. “That would be too much trouble.” “No, Mr. Kogawa is free at the moment anyway.” “Moreover, he’s perfectly reliable, so let’s have Mr. Kogawa escort you. Now, Ms. Aikawa—how does that sound?”

“But that’s too… I couldn’t possibly impose, especially since this is my first visit.”

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine.” “Let’s have Mr. Kogawa escort you.” Having said this, he looked at me. “Look here, I’d feel at ease if you went along, but haphazardly flagging down one of those roaming cabs around here could prove rather risky. I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you call for a Hinode Taxi instead?”

“Yeah, okay.”

I immediately went to the telephone and began rotating the number with my finger. I could hear the buzzing tone clearly signaling a connection attempt, but no matter how long I waited, the other party didn’t answer.

Then, somehow the line must have gotten crossed, for a strange voice began persistently breaking through. It was impossible to tell whether it was a man’s voice or a woman’s. “I’m on the line here. This is a nuisance. Please hang up.”

I shouted at the voice in frustration, my tone bordering on a yell. Then, lo and behold—the mysterious voice uttered these words: "Hohohoho, Mr. Touda, you shouldn't meddle in unnecessary matters. Keep your hands off the Aikawa family's affairs!"

3

“What?” I involuntarily raised my voice into the telephone.

“You mustn’t interfere with the Aikawa family’s affairs! Whatever misfortunes may come, they come with their own reasons—so Mr. Touda, if you meddle recklessly, you’ll bring about terrible consequences. Hohohoho.” “What the… Hey! Who the hell are you?” The voice’s gender remained unclear, but its turns of phrase distinctly suggested a woman’s speech. Facing this bizarre voice, I shouted back as though leaping at it.

“Hey you, what’s the matter?” As my left shoulder was lightly grabbed and I turned around, there stood Touda Shintarou—who had apparently already deemed this telephone exchange suspicious—positioned at my side, staring at me with probing eyes. “There’s a strange voice coming through—it’s Aki…” “Shh!” He glared at me with a fierce look and cast a glance toward Hiroko. He must have meant that if he were to say something strange there, it would only cause further worry for this beautiful woman.

Silently, I handed the receiver to Touda and stepped back. Fortunately, Hiroko—who seemed completely absorbed in the matter of the frightening letters—apparently hadn’t noticed my strange behavior.

I, still holding the letter, addressed her as she stood blankly by the chair, “The car will be here any moment now, so please have a seat.” While saying this, I kept my attention constantly fixed on Touda.

However, by the time Touda himself came to the telephone, it seemed that suspicious party had already ended the call, and he did not initiate any peculiar conversation. Before long, he spoke in a composed voice: “Oh, is this Hinode Taxi? This is Touda. Please send a car immediately.”

Having said this, he hung up the telephone.

“It will come immediately. Since it’s around back, it should arrive within two or three minutes. Please wait until then.”

“I’m terribly sorry for all the inconvenience I’ve caused you.” “Not at all… Now then… The car will arrive shortly, but before it comes, I’d like to ask one thing—your father’s condition has progressed beyond what you previously described, has it not? The letters have been arriving more frequently again—is that correct? Given that you initially used rather vague terms, I take it there hasn’t been any particularly significant incident occurring recently—would that be accurate?”

He made an effort to quickly grasp the gist of the matter in that brief moment. “Yes, to put it in a word, I suppose that’s essentially how it is.” “Now, regarding these letters—since they’re addressed to you, you’re of course free to take them home. But if at all possible, might I ask you to leave them in my custody? I believe they could serve as useful reference material.” Hiroko handed the letter that had just arrived to Touda without any hesitation.

Just at that moment,

“The car has arrived.”

Having said this, the steward appeared.

4 Touda escorted Hiroko and me to the entrance while repeatedly saying encouraging things to her. "But if you're too concerned, wouldn't it be better to inform the police once?" "You should consider that matter thoroughly... Alright then, I'm counting on you." "Once you've escorted her, return immediately." When the engine began to rumble, he said a single word to me.

The feeling of riding in a car with a beautiful twenty-one-year-old young lady, just the two of us, was by no means unpleasant. I had learned from the credit report earlier that Hiroko's house was located in a mansion district atop a hill in Ushigome Ward, so upon entering the car, I immediately stated our destination—but I secretly feared the vehicle might drive too swiftly, shortening this enjoyable drive even slightly. The car passed by the Imperial Hotel, turned at the corner of Hibiya Park toward Sakuradamon Gate, then continued driving 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 Touda Shintarou’s character as much as possible. I took care to avoid touching upon the incident she feared. “I do feel truly reassured having entrusted this to Mr. Touda… But how could anyone have discovered I visited him today? I haven’t told a soul about it, yet…”

“Does no one on your side know about it either?” “Yes.” “You personally wrote and mailed that letter yourself without assistance?” “Of course I did.” “Oh yes—when I addressed its envelope earlier today though my sister Sadako entered my room on an errand—I didn’t even show Sadako its inscription.” “I immediately covered it with blotting paper.” “How peculiar.” “The post office couldn’t have known since your name wasn’t written on its back... But as Touda said—it must be someone’s prank.” “People who do such things rarely follow through.” “After all—they’ve been threatening your father since last autumn.” “If they truly meant harm—wouldn’t they have acted long before now?”

While thinking to myself that this was sound reasoning, I tried to reassure Hiroko with these words. The car had already passed through Fujimicho without our noticing and was crossing the outer moat to enter Ushigome Ward.

Through the town lined with imposing mansions, the car steadily advanced onward.

“That is my residence.” “It would be best to stop around here.” “Rather, our household members will notice.”

“But let’s go up to your residence’s gate.” “If anything were to happen, I’d be scolded by Touda, you see.”

When he said this, Hiroko smiled faintly but offered no objection.

When the car arrived before the imposing stone gate inscribed with "Aikawa Shunzo," I had it stopped. From the gate to the entrance was a good fifty meters or so, but I thought passing through that gate would attract undue notice.

5

I stopped the car before the gate, let Hiroko out there, and kept watching intently until she safely reached the entrance. When nothing amiss occurred—as Hiroko pressed the bell at the entrance while simultaneously turning toward me, smiling faintly and bowing—I first felt relieved, then immediately had the car driven back to Ginza.

When I arrived back at the office, I found Touda sitting motionless in his chair waiting, having filled the room with smoke. “Oh, you were back rather quickly. Good work. Thanks to that, Miss Hiroko must have felt reassured.” “It’s quite an impressive house—no wonder someone owning such a splendid home these days would inevitably become a target for threats.”

I said as I sat down before him. “By the way, what was that phone call you had earlier? Was someone just trying to mess with me?”

“Right.” “I couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman, but on closer listening, it seemed like a woman’s voice.” “They told us not to meddle with the Aikawa family’s business.” “I thought it might be something like that.” “Taking us for fools.” “But this case is shaping up nicely.” “This letter came a bit too early though. I wanted to hear more about recent developments first—had I realized, I would’ve started by asking about those—but this letter thoroughly alarmed Miss Hiroko.”

“Speaking of letters, have you already investigated who brought it?”

“Yeah, I looked into it by phone right after you left.” “The messenger boy came from the Messenger Station under Osaka Building, but when I had him called out and questioned, he said a child who looked like some sort of errand boy had brought the letter there.” “We still haven’t identified that child, but whoever wrote this definitely used two or three middlemen to send it—makes it hard to trace. Eventually, if we question the last messenger, we’d probably hear something like, ‘At the corner of Owari-cho, a man or woman matching such-and-such description paid me to deliver it to someone.’ That’s what I want to know, but since our opponent’s sharp, we likely won’t figure it out easily.”

"But more importantly, how did they discover Miss Hiroko came here? Isn't it strange?" "Did you ask how she came here today?" "No, I forgot to inquire—but given how cautious she is, she wouldn't make a mistake that would let someone follow her." "I can't deny that possibility. The letter sent to my office—she undoubtedly mailed it herself, I presume?" "I confirmed this explicitly. She stated she indeed sent it herself. She claimed to have kept even writing it completely secret. To elaborate—while writing the address, her sister Sadako entered the room, but she intended not to show it even to her and covered it with blotting paper from above."

“Did her sister come?” “Huh? She didn’t even show it to her?” “I see.” “Then how on earth did they find out?”

Having said this, he exhaled smoke and sank deeply into thought.

“Kogawa, do you remember? When I asked earlier whether Sadako hadn’t told her mother either… her expression changed slightly. Anyway, this Aikawa household clearly harbors some strange secret... Well, since there don’t seem to be any more visitors today, let’s call it a day.”

I still had many things 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 found myself utterly unable to calm down.

When I went to bed—though normally I would fall asleep within ten minutes—on this night, I found myself unable to doze off. Naturally, I attributed this restlessness to the lingering impression of Aikawa Hiroko's beauty. In truth, her image refused to leave my mind's eye. Simultaneously, I began imagining various scenarios. What if nothing were to occur from this point onward? That might indeed bring Hiroko happiness. It would certainly be fortunate for the Aikawa household as well. Yet having met her just once, I would never see her again. This prospect filled me with profound loneliness.

For her to meet me again, something needed to happen in the Aikawa household. When I had thought this through—reflecting on my own selfishness—I was truly ashamed of myself.

That’s right—if something were to happen, let it not be a major incident but a minor one. Let something occur that leaves both Hiroko and her father unharmed. That way, it would work out well for both Hiroko and me.

I pondered such worthless thoughts while simultaneously imagining various ways events might unfold. There was no doubt Aikawa Shunzo was being threatened by someone. But who could this adversary be? Why didn't he immediately report this to the police? From last year until now, he had been continuously threatened—what on earth had he been doing all that time?

As far as I knew, Aikawa Shunzo was a man who had amassed a vast fortune in his lifetime. Among people with such backgrounds, there are those who do things that earn considerable resentment from others, so it was not hard to infer that he must have incurred someone’s enmity. Was it a grudge over money, or resentment stemming from a romantic entanglement?—My thoughts wandered through various possibilities. Even so, who on earth had written that triangle-marked letter I had clearly seen with my own eyes earlier? No—more than that, what did the devil’s mocking laughter in that feminine-sounding voice I clearly heard with my own ears signify? The devil was directly challenging Touda Shintarou, wasn’t it? What would he attempt next? Moreover, that expression of Hiroko’s when Touda mentioned Sadako while talking with her—what was that about? How should this be interpreted?

In my head, various formless whirlpools swirled and collided, yet in the end, not a single thing came clearly into focus. Unusually, I heard the clock strike twelve and then one at night, but since I don't recall hearing two chime, it seems I had fallen asleep without realizing it.

I awoke the next morning after nine o'clock. No—to put it correctly, I hadn’t actually woken up. I had been awakened.

“Hey, Kogawa. Aren’t you getting up?” “Hey…” When I hazily opened my eyes and looked, there sat Touda beside my bed, quite unexpectedly. “Awake now?” “An urgent matter came up—I told the maid and barged into your bedroom.” “Oh... What’s happened?” “A major incident’s occurred at the Aikawa household.” I threw off the futon and sat upright on the bed.

“What? What happened?” “Aikawa Hiroko’s mother—Aikawa Tokuko—was poisoned last night.” 7

“Poisoned? That Hiroko’s mother?” “That Hiroko’s mother?”

“Well, they might not be able to definitively state it’s poisoning yet, but in any case, it’s certain that Aikawa Tokuko ingested poison and died this morning as a result.” “However, as there are no grounds to consider it suicide, the authorities are treating it as a murder case.” “And what about the others?” “The master and the rest appear unharmed.” “How did you find this out?” I asked, already sitting up and changing my clothes. “Early this morning, I received a call from Miss Hiroko. Her mother had begun suffering terribly last night—their family doctor stayed by her side throughout—but she ultimately passed away this morning.” “It seems the doctor harbored grave suspicions about the cause of death and immediately notified the police.” “A judicial officer and medical examiner came from the station at once—since they too saw no indication of suicide—they’ve reportedly informed the prosecutor’s office as well.” “Miss Hiroko requested my immediate presence—and since I wanted you along—I hurried here to rouse you.” “We won’t know anything concrete until we see things firsthand.”

I felt temporary relief knowing Hiroko was unharmed, but since there was naturally no reason to decline Touda’s offer, I notified the magazine office about taking two or three days off and promptly began preparing to depart. “No need to panic like that. Let’s grab breakfast before we go—I’ll wait right here.”

“No, I can’t possibly eat breakfast right now. But I’ll drink a glass of milk before going, so please wait a moment.”

As I hurriedly washed my face and changed into Western-style clothes, the maid brought warmed milk.

“They finally did it.” “They had the gall to do this terrible thing even with you here.” “So… do they not know who the culprit is?” “Well, that won’t be clear right away, you know.” “First they sent letters, then reported it over the phone, and then went and committed murder—what a terrible bastard.”

I said while drinking milk.

“Yeah, that’s right.” “Certainly, if it’s indeed the work of whoever wrote those letters.” “Then if that’s true—are there even any other suspicious people?” “Can’t say.” “But if you go deciding things so quickly like that, it’s a problem.” “Of course, it’s also most necessary to verify the sender of those letters and whoever made that call.” “If a crime is committed after a threat has been made, it’s only common sense to initially conclude that the person who made the threat is the perpetrator.” “However, you can’t absolutely say there’s no mistake in that.”

“So what exactly do you mean by that?”

However, Touda did not answer this question and instead began to speak. "I have a strong suspicion that there’s some extremely significant secret hidden within that Aikawa household." "In Miss Hiroko’s account yesterday, the details about the threatening letters were certainly noteworthy, but what really caught my interest was the part where a letter arrived for Sadako." "I was considering why the threatening letters—aside from those to the father—specifically targeted Sadako, the second daughter. Even if they’d randomly chosen a second daughter, there’d still be something odd about it. But deliberately selecting Sadako makes it even stranger… Are you ready yet?" "Alright then—let’s go right away."

8

Before long, the two of us had become passengers in a car, but during its journey from my house toward the Aikawa residence, Touda suddenly fell completely silent—not uttering a single word to me—while puffing away at his cigarettes with relentless frequency. In such situations—which always occurred when he became engrossed in some grave contemplation—I resolved not to disturb his thinking by saying anything, instead taking out my case and lighting a Cherry cigarette.

By the time the car—the same one that had brought that beautiful Hiroko here yesterday—arrived at the Aikawa family’s gate, its interior was filled with cigarette smoke.

“Hey, looks like court personnel have already arrived.” He deliberately had the car stopped outside the gate and alighted, then began addressing me as I stepped down onto the running board.

Indeed, there was a convertible car parked right next to the entrance. “That there—that’s the police car.” “The one over here seems to be the family doctor’s car.”

While walking to the entrance, Touda pointed to the two cars parked on the other side. From the outside, it wasn’t immediately apparent that anything had occurred at the house the previous night, but the fact that three cars were parked there at once would surely be taken as a sign of either good or ill fortune.

When we stood before the imposing entrance, its large door remained tightly shut as if nothing had happened, but upon ringing the bell, it soon opened to reveal a maid emerging from within—her expression clearly betraying signs of agitation. Touda took out a business card from his pocket and addressed the attending maid. “Please inform the eldest young lady of my arrival.”

When he said this, the maid politely— “Ah—as per the young lady’s instructions, we are to show you in immediately upon your arrival, sir. Please come this way.”

With 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 ahead with his hand, but then abruptly turned on his heel and strode briskly over to the court’s car. The driver appeared to be an acquaintance from Touda’s days as a prosecutor, and they exchanged a few words before Touda hurried back. During that time, I couldn’t very well proceed ahead myself. After handing my business card to the maid, I hesitated at her repeated urgings to enter while undoing my shoelaces and waited until Touda returned.

“Ah, sorry to keep you waiting.”

He began removing his shoes as he said this.

“Just now, when I asked, they said Prosecutor Okuyama from the Prosecutor’s Office had come.” “You know him well, right?” “He’s the person I once introduced to you during the Ushigome old woman murder case.” “Just in time.”

Guided upstairs, the two were promptly shown into the parlor on the right. Soon, a soft rustle of silk sounded, and yesterday’s Hiroko appeared at the doorway.

“Mr. Touda… You’ve come… Something terrible has finally happened…”

She said this, but her appearance had completely changed from yesterday’s. Her makeup had not been properly applied, but her beautiful eyes—reddened from crying—now lent her an even more pitiful yet alluring quality.

People Surrounding the Tragedy

1. “What a terrible thing has happened.” “It was truly an outrageous thing.” “However, I don’t believe the cause of Mother’s passing has been clearly determined yet. It’s possible she may have mistakenly ingested something.” “But if, by any chance, Mother was…”

Touda fell silent at this point.

Even he—a self-proclaimed misogynist—appeared unable to voice those next words clearly before this kind woman who had just lost her mother. Indeed, Hiroko’s state at this moment was so heartrendingly pitiable. "In all this overwhelming turmoil,I completely lost my composure and failed to properly express my gratitude yesterday." "And Mr.Kogawa—you went through the trouble of escorting me home again yesterday...Thanks to you,I returned safely,but...Mother...Mother has met with this dreadful misfortune..."

She said this and 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 just this much, but found myself completely at a loss for how to comfort Hiroko. “If this proves to be a crime, I assure you that Touda here will avenge it.” “That’s right.” “Definitely.” When he declared this firmly, Hiroko raised her face and looked up at him with a hopeful expression.

Even Touda—who seemed well-acquainted with such situations—appeared momentarily at a loss for how to comfort Hiroko, and an awkward silence lingered between them.

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

The moment a knock sounded at the door, the judicial officer entered through the entrance. “Oh! Mr. Touda! And Mr. Kogawa is with you too?” “It’s been some time.” “We heard you’d arrived and were waiting here.” “Prosecutor Okuyama is here.” “Since he’s currently at the body’s scene, please come immediately if you would.” “Ah—thank you.” “Inspector Takahashi, we’ll come right away.” In response to Inspector Takahashi’s voice, Touda immediately urged me to stand up.

As the young maid arrived with two cups of tea just then, and while Hiroko was speaking to her, the two men exchanged brief greetings before promptly following Inspector Takahashi into the corridor. When I followed the inspector and Touda out into the corridor, the pair ahead were whispering something I couldn’t clearly discern—though I distinctly caught the word “murder” from the inspector’s lips. The corridor turned right to a staircase. We climbed it and emerged onto the second-floor hallway.

From the entrance up to here, everything was Western-style rooms. It truly lived up to being the home of a great industrialist—a magnificent structure indeed; on the wall along the staircase hung a photograph of a painting titled something like *The Three Women* by Rubens. On the right side of the corridor, there seemed to be about three rooms, but all their doors were closed. After proceeding a short distance along it, Inspector Takahashi stopped and—turning back—lightly knocked on the large door on the right side,

“Here it is. The body is here, and the prosecutor is also present...”

“Here it is,” said Inspector Takahashi to Touda. “The body is here, and the prosecutor is also present...” Touda looked at me with a somewhat tense expression as if to urge me on, but then suddenly pointed to a beautifully colored frame hanging on the wall beside us and whispered to me. “Hey, you—it’s Gogh.” “Did you notice the Rubens’ *Dry Gretchen* earlier?” “That’s some rare taste for rich folks, eh?”

2

The moment the door on the right swung open, Inspector Takahashi entered first, followed briskly by Touda stepping inside. I trailed after them to find this room—contrary to its exterior—was an expansive Japanese-style chamber spanning what must have been twenty tatami mats. From my survey of the space clearly meant for receiving guests, an imposing alcove area at the far end appeared to hold Mrs. Aikawa's remains laid out in state. Around it sat Prosecutor Okuyama—whose face I recognized from past encounters—engaged in hushed conversation with a Western-suited man beside him, likely a court clerk.

Observing proper decorum toward the deceased—particularly toward this neatly arranged corpse—Touda appeared to be greeting Prosecutor Okuyama in hushed tones, so I sat some distance away and offered a slight bow. Then the inspector, prosecutor, and Touda—alongside two men who appeared to be doctors—proceeded to touch the corpse’s hands, examine its face, and perform various tasks. But since I couldn’t make sense of any of it, I began to feel rather out of place. After offering another slight bow, I stepped outside the room. Just as I was taking out a cigarette in the corridor and about to light it, Hiroko suddenly appeared.

“Oh, won’t you come in?” “Well, I don’t quite understand these matters… I simply paid my respects to the departed and came out.” Before I knew it, Hiroko had completely dried her tears and now wore a serene expression.

“Won’t you come this way? Father and sister are here as well. Allow me to make the introductions. As for you and Mr. Touda, with such events occurring, I could no longer keep it hidden, so I spoke to my father this morning. When I did, he was immensely pleased and wishes to meet you both. Father, being Father, in a panic this morning insisted on asking an acquaintance detective to come after all, you know.” With these words, she urged me forward as she advanced.

While opening the door to the room adjacent to the one where the body lay, Hiroko said, “Father, Mr. Kogawa has arrived!”

With that, she turned to me and smiled gently.

The next instant, I stepped over the threshold into an equally large Japanese-style room adjacent to the previous one, but upon seeing the people lined up there, found myself momentarily flustered. I abruptly dropped to my knees, “I am Kogawa Masao.” and bowed politely. Then, the distinguished gentleman sitting properly at the front responded.

"I have heard your name from Hiroko. I understand you've come with Detective Touda. I am Aikawa Shunzo." Looking at him, he was a gentleman who at first glance appeared refined with a splendid mustache beneath his nose, but he was so emaciated that he seemed like a patient. While last night's tragedy was certainly a factor, one could well understand how his long-standing neurasthenia had also taken its toll. Two beautiful daughters sat silently beside Shunzo. These people were likely anxious about how the autopsy being conducted in the adjacent room would turn out; all of them wore tense expressions.

Shunzo introduced them one by one.

“This is my second daughter, Sadako, and next is Hatsue.” “And the one over there is Date Masao, a university student residing in our household.” The daughters each bowed politely, and finally the student in uniform who had been sitting awkwardly performed an exceedingly formal bow while—

“I’m Date,” he said.

He was an impressive man who could pass for a movie actor, likely around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

3 I was astonished by this young man’s impressive demeanor, but at the same time found myself unable to avoid wondering what relationship this Date might have with the Aikawa family. Seeing him seated alongside the Aikawa household members like this, he must at least be receiving guest treatment here. I hadn’t heard anything about a student living with them… Ah! Of course—could he be Hiroko’s fiancé?!

While I was thinking such thoughts and offering my condolences, Inspector Takahashi entered. "The autopsy over there has been completed, so Mr. Aikawa, please come here for a moment. The prosecutor says he wishes to meet you." As anticipated, Aikawa Shunzo stood up.

“Understood. I will come at once.” “I will meet you in my study… Hey, Yasuyasu—show everyone to the study.”

After saying this, he passed by my side and left the room. At exactly that moment, Touda appeared in the corridor, offered a brief greeting to the people in the room, and beckoned me, so I immediately stood up.

“There’s going to be an interrogation of the master of this house.” “Come with me.”

Shunzo’s study was located to the right after exiting and turning back from the room we had been in—that is, diagonally across from the room where his wife’s corpse lay.

Upon entering, inside was a prosecutor who had likely just been led by the maid, talking with a clerk while smoking an Asahi cigarette with evident relish. Inspector Takahashi did not enter the room and hurriedly left as he was. The room was Western-style, with a large desk placed at its center upon which numerous documents were piled. Beside it sat a desk telephone, but what caught the eye was how everything exuded extravagance—exactly what one would expect from a businessman’s study. Peering through the glass doors of the bookshelves lining both walls revealed nothing but biographies of Carnegie or discourses by Okura Dan—otherwise, they were crammed with publications likely sold through subscription at exorbitant prices of twenty or thirty yen each. These too, probably never read, had been neatly arranged with meticulous precision.

None of the artistic taste we had seen earlier in the corridor could be felt here. After the maid brought tea and left, Shunzo entered with a grave expression. “We have now completed questioning the other party.” “Since this incident occurred in your household, we first and foremost intend to hear from you, as the master of the house, about what transpired last night.”

Having said this, the prosecutor looked toward Shunzo. “Ah, it’s naturally my duty to explain—I’ll proceed at once. To put it plainly, I’m at my wits’ end because I truly cannot fathom how things came to such a pass. My wife wasn’t particularly resented by anyone in daily life…” “Now, we can discuss those matters later. What I wish to hear first is an account of how your wife came to pass last night.”

“Indeed, my wife had caught a slight cold two or three days prior, but she didn’t have any particular fever and only mentioned having a mild headache. However, yesterday afternoon, she said her headache was really troubling her, so I ordered cold medicine from the Saigo pharmacy that regularly serves our household.” “So I requested that medicine, and she seems to have taken it around midnight when going to bed.” “I had taken a considerable amount of sleeping pills and gone to bed a little before that.”

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 a 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’m not entirely clear, but—”

“Ah, that’s right—I should have explained the bedroom layout first.” “To tell the truth, I’ve been suffering terribly from insomnia lately—which led me to resign entirely from the company—but regardless, I simply cannot sleep with anyone nearby, not even my wife.” “That’s why I sleep alone in my bedroom.” “That room lies opposite this one—the study—and when you ascend the stairs, immediately to your right is my bedroom, then my wife’s bedroom next to it. She too sleeps alone there.”

“Then, beyond about two Japanese-style rooms like the ones you saw earlier, there are my three daughters’ bedrooms. Hiroko and Sadako each sleep alone in their own rooms, while the next two—Hatsue and Shuntaro—are supposed to share a single room. Since I had taken my medicine in my room before midnight and locked myself in to sleep, I truly don’t know when my wife went to bed. After taking the sleeping pills and beginning to doze off, I soon heard the sound of a door opening in the neighboring room, followed by the door between my room and my wife’s room opening slightly—then I heard her say, ‘Good night.’ So when I think back on it now, I believe that must have been around twelve o’clock.”

“I see. So what did you do after being awakened by your daughter?”

“I immediately jumped up. Because I felt that a burglar had broken in, I took the self-defense pistol and suddenly opened the door from inside, ‘Hey—what’s happened?’” he asked Sadako.

Then Sadako pointed to the adjacent room with her finger and shouted while clinging to me: “Look—there’s such a groan coming from Mother’s room… Wait… Father!” When I finally calmed myself and listened intently at my wife’s door, I could indeed hear an indescribably strange, pained voice. In a panic, I pounded on the door as if to break it down while shouting: “Tokuko! Tokuko! What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”

“Mr. Aikawa, was the door from your room to your wife’s also locked?”

The prosecutor, true to form, asked this delicate question with complete composure. “Well… It might sound rather peculiar, but… You see, my wife was quite high-strung, and being aware of the recent unrest, she always made sure to lock that door as well when retiring for the night.” “So it was her reasoning that a burglar might enter even from your room as her husband’s.” “This seems like a bit too much caution.” The prosecutor smirked and said this while glancing briefly toward the clerk, but at the same time, Touda was gazing at me with a peculiar look.

"In other words, since I take my sleeping pills right away, this door becomes entirely unnecessary…" "No, that’s sufficient. Then what did you do?" "Sadako and I kept knocking on the door, but it simply wouldn’t open. Before long, Hiroko heard the commotion too and came running in her nightclothes. When the three of us pushed against the door together, part of it splintered, so I began forcing all my strength against that spot to break through. Finally reaching inside to remove the lock, I burst into my wife’s room—only to find her rolled off the bed, crawling across the floor while screaming in agonized death throes."

5

“The three of us, startled, rushed inside and immediately lifted Tokuko into the bed, but her eyes were tightly shut, her limbs thrashing as she writhed in agony—she couldn’t utter a single word.” “Could she not utter a single word?” “It seems she could no longer utter a single word.” “Hiroko cried, ‘Mother, what’s happened?’” Hiroko clung to her while sobbing and pressed her ear close, but though she seemed to want to say something, it was inaudible. She pointed nearby with a trembling hand, and when I looked, there was what appeared to be a crumpled medicine wrapper next to the lamp, with a glass placed beside it containing water that had been about half drunk. So, I immediately sensed that this must be a case of her having drunk some kind of poison.

“No—I absolutely cannot believe it was suicide. There was no reason for my wife to die... So as an immediate measure, I had our family physician Dr. Kizawa summoned. I don’t recall the exact time, but it was likely around half past twelve or one o'clock in the morning. Dr. Kizawa arrived shortly thereafter. He administered various treatments and emergency care, but as you can see, she ultimately didn’t survive.”

Shunzo let out a breath after finishing this account. "I've grasped the general picture," said the prosecutor. "Now then—regarding your wife's cold medicine that you mentioned earlier. Does any of it remain?" "No—it appeared to be a single-dose medication packet, but only the pharmacy's wrapper was left behind—the medicine itself had vanished." "What do you mean by 'single-dose medication'? When was this prescribed and by whom?" "Well—I don't know the exact composition—but it was likely antipyrine or something similar," Shunzo replied. "The prescription wasn't specifically for my wife—it was a single-dose medication Dr. Kizawa had prescribed when our second daughter Sadako developed a fever and severe headaches several days prior." He adjusted his collar nervously before adding: "We instructed Saigo Pharmacy to prepare it."

“So that means you gave Miss Sadako’s medicine to your wife?”

“That’s correct. We laypeople often make such mistakes, but...” Shunzo, seeming to expect a reprimand, timidly watched the prosecutor’s expression.

“And who instructed the pharmacy?”

"I think our maid said so over the phone. Of course, she must have been acting on my wife’s instructions." "So the pharmacy prepared it believing it was Miss Sadako’s medicine?" Shunzo seemed not to fully grasp why the prosecutor was pursuing this line of questioning. "Well, I suppose that’s likely," he replied offhandedly. "One more question—was the medicine delivered by them, or did someone from your household..."

“We placed an order over the phone in advance, and our maid Sasada Yasuko went to retrieve it.” “The one who just brought tea here—that’s her.” “Then I must ask you to withdraw for now.” “Now I would like you to call either Hiroko-san or Sadako-san.”

Shunzo bowed politely and left the room.

The prosecutor glanced briefly at the clerk beside him, then took out another Asahi cigarette, lit it, and stared fixedly at the ceiling.

Touda said nothing and continued to puff on his A-ship as usual.

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

6 Sadako, who appeared in the doorway, was no less beautiful than her elder sister. If Hiroko’s features could be termed a rational beauty, then Sadako’s face possessed what might be called an emotional beauty. Rather than being pretty, hers was more of a lovely countenance. When I had seen her earlier—unlike Hiroko and Hatsue who shared a common expression—Sadako somewhat resembled her father in features, yet bore an inexplicable touch of loneliness about her. Was this her usual demeanor, or was it due to the immediate aftermath of the tragedy?

“You are... Miss Sadako... the second daughter, correct?” “I’ve just finished inquiring with your father about various details of last night’s circumstances.” “...Now, please have a seat there.” “...So, from what I have just heard from your father, your mother had caught a cold two or three days prior.” “Yesterday, as her headache was particularly severe, she requested medicine from Saigo Pharmacy by stating so, I understand.” “After it was taken at bedtime and caused great suffering, you then woke your father—is that correct?”

This struck me as an unusual line of questioning for a prosecutor. I had heard that normally, prosecutors first inquire about the events of the previous night with the person in question, verify whether there are any contradictions among the witnesses’ statements, and only then proceed to ask various other questions.

However, Prosecutor Okuyama now suddenly stated Shunzo’s testimony clearly in front of Sadako. This method was likely adopted by the prosecutor partly to save time and partly because—when investigating each member of such a family—if they had intended to collude on their stories, they could have easily done so before his arrival; thus, it was more expedient to relay one person’s testimony as it stood.

“Yes, that’s exactly right.”

Sadako answered clearly.

“What time was dinner last night?”

“Um, I believe it was around six-thirty.” “Were all of you together?” “Yes, our parents, us siblings, and then…”

“And then?” “It was Mr. Date.” “This ‘Date’ you mentioned—who is that? Is he a relative of yours?” “No… um…” Sadako suddenly blushed and hesitated slightly. “He is not a relative but someone staying here… and he is engaged to me.”

She said this and looked down. “Ah, I see. So that means apart 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 a severe headache and hardly partook in any meals.” “It was more as if she came out to the dining room merely for my father and us.”

“At that time, was there anything you ate that might have been spoiled?” "...No one else besides your mother suffered food poisoning, correct?" “Yes, I believe all the dishes were exactly as they always are.” “I helped the maid in the kitchen and prepared mayonnaise sauce myself, but since we have a cook among the staff, perhaps I should call her here for questioning?” “No need for that now.” “Then you too consider that cold medicine to be the direct cause of your mother’s death?”

“Yes, I can’t think of any other possibility.”

"That cold medicine—to be precise, the medicine delivered from the pharmacy at that time was in your own name." "Yes." "Was it your mother’s wish to take your medicine?" "No."

Sadako said this, but the question seemed somewhat unexpected.

7

She seemed to be thinking about something for a while, but eventually spoke clearly.

“Um… It was not that Mother offered to take it.” “I was the one who first suggested it.” “Since her headache was so severe, I proposed she try the painkiller I had taken days before.” “Mother usually only took herbal remedies and disliked Western medicine, but since it worked so well for me, I ended up insisting she take it.” “But of course, I never imagined it would lead to this.” “Now when I think of it, my kindness seems to have killed Mother…”

Having spoken this far, she seemed to be clenching her teeth to hold back the sudden flood of tears—whether mourning her mother’s death or lamenting how her own goodwill had turned into a curse. At this moment, I couldn’t help but feel that the profession of a prosecutor was truly a sinful one.

“But I don’t know anything about it! “I know nothing! “The idea that I would kill my mother—I’ve never even considered such a thing for even a speck of a moment!”

Suddenly, Sadako hysterically cried out to the prosecutor. “That’s only natural.” “There’s absolutely no reason you would do anything to your mother.” “I never asked that with any such suspicion in mind.” “But…” “There’s no ‘but’ about it.” “You don’t need to worry about such things.” “So was it you who called the pharmacy?” “No, I told the maid to make the call.”

Her voice had finally begun to calm down. "I told them to prepare my usual dose of medicine for immediate use." "So the pharmacy naturally assumed you were the one requesting it?" "Well, I suppose so." "I didn't tell them Mother would be taking it." "And I informed them it was my medicine prescribed by Dr. Kizawa." "The messenger?" "Our maid Sada Yasuko went to collect it in the evening and returned shortly before dinner." "It came in the same sealed bag as always." "As I happened to be in the kitchen, Yasuya handed me the bag directly." "So I temporarily tucked it into my obi while helping with dinner preparations."

“Regarding the fact that the medicine was in your name but was actually for your mother to take—did you tell the maid about this?” “No—so the maid might have thought I was going to take it.” “Since Mother and I had our conversation in private, no one should have clearly known about it.” “Since my sister hadn’t returned until yesterday evening, she likely wouldn’t have known about this either, but given that Mother had complained of a headache, she might have thought the medicine that came to me was meant to be taken.” “But I didn’t tell anyone about the medicine.” “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 hers at bedtime as well.” “Mother too—since she hadn’t actively sought it out in the first place—perhaps having forgotten, didn’t press me about it and instead prepared her usual herbal decoction herself.” “So after dinner, I returned to my room and placed the medicine from my obi into my desk drawer.”

“So then, did you remain in your room until bedtime?” 8 An almost imperceptible look of bewilderment surfaced on Sadako’s face. “Well, since we were inside the house, I did step out occasionally—but I mostly stayed in my room.” “In that case,” continued the prosecutor, “if you were generally in your room, that medicine would naturally have remained in your desk drawer throughout, would it not? This is purely speculative on my part—but could there have been someone from outside present in your room? Or perhaps someone entered while you were away? For example... even a maid—”

A clearly puzzled expression surfaced on Sadako’s face this time but vanished in an instant.

“......No......”

She answered in a small voice.

“And then?” “Around eleven at night, I got into bed—but before that, I went to Mother’s room. Since Father was still awake, Mother wasn’t in the bedroom but lying alone in the living room. I handed her the medicine still in its sealed bag and told her to take it when she went to bed, then went to my bedroom first. However, last night I didn’t feel sleepy at all and had intended to stay up longer, but since staying up any later would make Father fuss, I went into my bedroom for the time being.” “But since I wasn’t sleepy, I was reading a Thomas Hardy novel when—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 no idea at all.” I don’t know how much time had passed when I suddenly awoke to find myself lying there with my hand still resting on Hardy’s book. Then I heard an unearthly groaning sound. When I bolted upright, the sound was unmistakably coming from Mother’s bedroom. Startled, I opened my door and rushed to Mother’s bedroom door, crying “Mother! Mother!” but from within came only tortured groans—no sign of the door opening. I beat against it as though to smash it down, but it wouldn’t budge. “So I pounded on Father’s door in the next room until it nearly splintered. He must have thought burglars had broken in—he came rushing out pistol in hand, shouting ‘Who is it? Who’s been attacked?’”

“Wait a moment! Who’s been attacked?” “Yes, Father must have panicked too, of course. ‘Who’s been attacked?’ he said as he came rushing out. So when I pointed to Mother’s room, Father must have heard the groaning too, for he cried out in alarm, ‘What’s wrong? Tokuko!’ But then my sister, who had rushed over still in her nightclothes upon hearing the commotion, joined forces with him to break down the door. When we entered, Mother was writhing in agony on the floor.”

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 pointed in one direction, so when we looked there, the medicine bag from earlier was torn open, and it seemed she had taken the powdered medicine wrapped in paraffin paper inside, with its wrapper discarded there. “We immediately called Dr. Kizawa and had him administer various injections and such, but as you know, it proved futile.”

When she had spoken up to this point, Inspector Takahashi—who until then had been absent—suddenly opened the door and entered the room. When the prosecutor saw this,

“Well then, Sadako-san, we’ll conclude here for today.” “Should we require further clarification, we shall summon you again.”

With that, the prosecutor signaled to Sadako that she could leave now. 9

The moment Sadako disappeared from the study, the prosecutor said to the inspector: “Takahashi, how did it go? Same result as before?”

“Ah, this time the owner had returned, so I conducted a thorough investigation directly with him.” “However, there appears to have been no mistake at Saigo Pharmacy.” “Dr. Nohara from the police and Dr. Kizawa, this household’s attending physician, also accompanied us for specialized inquiries, but it seems no error occurred on their end either.” As I mentioned earlier, upon receiving news of Aikawa Tokuko’s unexpected death from Dr. Kizawa early this morning, I rushed over immediately. After securing the medicine wrappers and other evidentiary items, my foremost action was to proceed directly to Saigo Pharmacy and investigate the establishment.

In any case involving such an unexpected death—whether suicide, accidental death, or homicide—I believed it was imperative first and foremost to ascertain what Tokuko had ingested.

However, when we went to the pharmacy, unfortunately, the owner—a man named Saigo Koukichi—had attended a gathering with colleagues last night and had yet to return. There, we questioned several employees. Their testimonies were quite natural: last evening, a call came from the Aikawa residence requesting that one packet of cold medicine—prescribed days earlier by Dr. Kizawa for the second daughter, Sadako—be prepared as a single-dose medication. Believing it was for Sadako’s consumption, the pharmacy prepared powdered medicine according to Dr. Kizawa’s prescription. An employee answered the call and promptly informed the owner, who then personally dispensed the medication. There are as many as two licensed pharmacists among the employees there, but at that time, it seems the owner personally prepared it himself. The owner is, of course, a pharmacist.

After putting a packet of powdered medicine into a bag labeled "Saigo Pharmacy," sealing it, and leaving it at the shop, before long the Aikawa family’s maid came to retrieve it, so of course they handed it over without any suspicion. As for the crucial powdered medicine, there was absolutely no mistake. He had prepared just 0.4 grams of antipyrine, put it into a packet, wrote "Single dose for Miss Sadako Aikawa, prescribed by Dr. Kizawa" on it, and handed it over. Regarding this point, both pharmacists at the shop had been casually observing him prepare it at the time, and they stated there had been absolutely no error.

“However, when I went to check again now, the owner—having returned home—opened the pharmacy and spoke with great contrition, but his account matched his previous testimony exactly. I took the confiscated medicine bag and showed it to him—it was confirmed as the one he himself had handed over, with the writing undoubtedly being his own. Though the seal had been torn, since the sealing paper remained attached to the bag, it seems unlikely anyone could have substituted the contents after the pharmacy filled it with antipyrine. I instructed Saigo to report to police headquarters later for further questioning. The two accompanying doctors examined the ledgers as well—based on their findings, there was no lie in what they said... As for the wrapping paper found beside Tokuko’s corpse—” “We sent it straight to headquarters for analysis. Results should arrive shortly.”

When Inspector Takahashi had just finished speaking all at once, the door opened and the maid appeared.

“Um, there’s a telephone call—from the Metropolitan Police Headquarters…” Inspector Takahashi hurriedly stood up and left, but after a short while, he returned.

“They’ve apparently examined the wrapping paper now.” “Because there was a small amount of powder attached, they examined it and determined it was mercuric chloride.” “It’s said to be pure mercuric chloride.” “It means there’s nothing mixed in.”

10 “Mercuric chloride? So she took mercuric chloride.” “The powder examined by the Forensics Department has been confirmed as mercuric chloride.” “Given the circumstances, what Tokuko ingested was almost certainly mercuric chloride.” “Dr. Nohara and Dr. Kizawa both agree.” “Dr. Kizawa particularly noted that when he rushed to the scene, Tokuko’s manner of suffering and the way she was vomiting made him suspect mercuric chloride.” “He mentioned that about two months ago at a hospital in Ushigome, when a nurse committed suicide using mercuric chloride, he rushed there and found the nurse’s condition closely resembled this case.”

“Of course an autopsy would make this absolutely clear, but there’s no doubt about the mercuric chloride ingestion.” “This doesn’t appear to be suicide.” “If we treat this as suicide, we must first establish how Tokuko obtained mercuric chloride.” “Furthermore, in that case, either the antipyrine that should have come from Saigo Pharmacy remains somewhere, or even if both substances entered Tokuko’s stomach, the paper wrapping the antipyrine must still exist.” “Based on our current findings, we must conclude Tokuko ingested the medicine from the pharmacy without any knowledge.” “However, given that the pharmacy unquestionably prepared antipyrine which reached this house, it follows that it transformed into mercuric chloride before entering Tokuko’s mouth.”

The prosecutor blew Asahi cigarette smoke and grinned at Touda. “Or to state it more precisely—if Saigo unquestionably prepared antipyretic medicine, then it must have transformed into mercuric chloride after being sealed in the bag but before entering Tokuko’s stomach.” Touda addressed the prosecutor for the first time. “Exactly. Whether the substitution occurred between the pharmacy and this house, or after arriving here—that’s the crucial issue.”

The prosecutor said cheerfully to Touda. “Let’s have the eldest daughter come in.” Just as the prosecutor—suddenly changing tack—was about to say this to the inspector, or perhaps before he could utter it, a knock sounded at the door. In response to the prosecutor’s voice, the opened door revealed Hiroko’s beautiful face. “Um, I thought you would summon me... May I come in?” Hiroko had expected to be called after Sadako’s interrogation concluded, but due to the unexpectedly prolonged process, she appeared to have grown impatient and entered on her own initiative.

“Ah, you are Miss Hiroko, aren’t you?” “I was just about to ask you to come in.” “Please take this seat.” The prosecutor said this and tossed the Asahi cigarette butt into the ashtray on the desk with a thud. The prosecutor’s interrogation of Hiroko also initially followed Shunzo’s testimony in the same manner as with Sadako, where he briefly recounted his account to her, but Hiroko’s answers were largely the same as his.

“Now, please start by telling us about how you were awakened by the commotion last night.” “I believe I went to bed around ten o’clock last night. I always fall asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow, and last night was no different. But I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. Looking back now, I must have been roused by Father and my sister knocking on Mother’s bedroom door.” “At that moment, did you immediately recognize it was your father’s voice?”

“Yes.” “Then, do you remember what your father was shouting?” "No, since the rooms were some distance apart, I couldn’t quite make out what he was shouting."

11

“Very well. Then?” “I sensed that something grave had occurred, so in my panic, I rushed to the door, unlocked it, and dashed out into the hallway.”

At this moment, Touda, having obtained the prosecutor’s permission, slightly interjected. “Hiroko-san, how did you feel when you heard the commotion?” “…” “In other words, when you say ‘something amiss,’ what sort of thing do you mean exactly?” “I don’t remember clearly, but I thought something might have happened to Mother.” “Did you know your mother had requested cold medicine yesterday?” “No, I learned that from my sister after Mother passed away.”

“No, thank you.” “My apologies.”

This time, the prosecutor continued. “Now, proceed with what happened next.” “So I stepped out into the hallway still in my nightclothes and immediately rushed to where Father was.” “In the hallway, Father and my sister were frantically knocking on Mother’s bedroom door—Father in his nightclothes and my sister properly dressed in a kimono.” “I didn’t understand what was happening, but I thought something had occurred to Mother, so I joined in trying to break down the door—Father finally managed to break through one side—and when we hurried into the bedroom, Mother was lying collapsed on the floor.” “Father hurriedly picked her up, but Mother couldn’t speak clearly.”

“Wait a moment, please. Was there a light on in Mother’s room?” Prosecutor Okuyama inquired. Tōda pressed once more.

“Yes.” “The light was on.”

“Does Mother usually rest with the light on?” “No, she sleeps in complete darkness.” Then the prosecutor took over,

"In that room, there should be one ceiling light and a desk lamp placed on the table beside the bed." "Which light are you referring to now?" Hiroko was silent for a moment, "I believe the ceiling light was certainly on, but I don’t clearly remember whether the desk lamp was on or not." "And one more thing." "The switch for the ceiling light was certainly on the wall immediately to the left when you opened the door, wasn’t it?"

“Yes.” “In other words, this would mean Mother couldn’t have reached it from her bed.” “If we assume Mother turned on the light—as we naturally should—then last night she must have collapsed without turning it off, or before she could do so.” Hiroko didn’t seem to fully grasp the implication but managed a faint smile and nodded. “Then…?” “Father lifted Mother up and laid her in bed, but she thrashed violently and wouldn’t settle.” “Yet when we rushed in, she seemed aware enough—when we all called to her, her trembling hand gestured toward the lamp.” Determined to understand better, I pressed my ear close to hers while—

“Mother, what happened?” I called out, and Mother’s eyes opened wide, her mouth moving as though she wanted to say something. When I pressed my ear close to Mother’s side like that, she finally managed to speak. “Just a single word!” The prosecutor, Touda, and the inspector all suddenly tensed up and stared intently at Hiroko’s face. What could Aikawa Tokuko have said in her final moment—just a single word?

12

“Just a single word!”

Having come this far, Hiroko suddenly stopped speaking and looked between the prosecutor and Touda. She seemed to be considering whether she should say it. However, since both the prosecutor and Touda remained extremely tense and silent, she continued. “At that moment, Mother said just a single word: ‘Sadako…’” After saying this, her expression finally relaxed as though a weight had been lifted from her heart. “What?! Sadako...? Hiroko-san, is that certain?”

The prosecutor hurriedly blurted out. “This is a crucial point.” “Are you absolutely certain she said ‘to Sadako...’?” “I would not lie to you.”

Hiroko answered firmly. “No, what I mean is whether you might have misheard.” “To be thorough, please try to recall once more with full attention.” “Mother… Sadako!” “Didn’t she say ‘Sadako!’?” “No, she did not say ‘Sadako’.” “Indeed, she said ‘to Sadako…’” Her answer was more resolute than ever.

“I see.” “So how did you interpret your mother’s words—the ones that said ‘to Sadako…’?” “To Sadako… What do you think she was going to say next?”

A look of bewilderment appeared on Hiroko's face.

After a brief pause, she said. "Given the commotion at the time, I simply had no opportunity to think it through properly." "We all immediately focused on summoning Dr. Kizawa and such matters." "I see." "That's understandable." "Then let me ask again—how would you interpret those words after careful consideration now?"

She again showed a look of bewilderment.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure, but considering it now, could it be that she drank the medicine because Sadako urged her to, or perhaps that Sadako made her drink it?” “Made her drink it?”

The prosecutor stared fixedly at Hiroko's face. Next, he undoubtedly would have said the following. "Then, was there a situation between Sadako and your mother where your mother would have said she was made to drink it? A situation where she was made to drink poison?" However, unexpectedly, the prosecutor withheld this crucial question. This was something Touda later told me: Prosecutor Okuyama, as a seasoned investigator, evidently understood full well that when dealing with a young woman who was already tense and guarded against his questioning, carelessly posing such a critical query at this climactic moment would often lead the subject to lie and potentially derail the investigation's direction.

The prosecutor’s question veered in an unexpected direction. “Were you at home all day yesterday?” “No, I went out in the afternoon for an errand.”

Having said this, she glanced toward Touda. “Then about what time did you return home?” “Yes.” “Probably a little past four o’clock.” “And from then until dinner—” “I was playing the piano in the lower hall the entire time until dinner.” “What was your mother’s condition like when you returned home?”

“Mother was lying in the sitting room without laying out bedding.” “Then you had no knowledge whatsoever about someone being sent to fetch cold medicine from the pharmacy?” “No, I didn’t know until Mother passed away.” 13 “I’ve just asked your sister—she said the entire family was together at dinner.” “Yes, Mr. Date Masao was also present.” “Is Mr. Date your sister’s fiancé?”

“Yes, that is correct.” “Do you always have meals together?” “Yes. Whenever he comes, we always have meals together.”

“So he does not reside in this mansion, then?” “Until recently, he had been staying at the mansion, but for about two months now, he has rented a small house nearby.” The prosecutor was thinking about something for a moment, but then suddenly asked nonchalantly.

“Has your sister’s engagement been established for a considerable time?”

“No, it’s only been about two months.” “So Mr. Date moved out around the same time as the engagement.” “Yes—in other words, when my sister marries, wouldn’t Mr. Date move into the house where he currently resides?” “But I don’t know the details well.” “Let me ask one more thing—your parents naturally approved of the engagement, I presume?” “Yes, Father was very pleased.” “In fact, Father was the one who proposed it.”

“And your mother?”

I did not overlook Hiroko’s complex expression at this moment.

"Mother... Mother did not particularly voice opposition to the engagement itself." "However, regarding those terms, it seems she and Father had rather differing opinions..." "What do you mean by 'conditions'?" "It concerns property matters." "It appears Father intended to give Sadako a considerable amount of property upon her marriage, but Mother opposed this." "But I don't understand such matters well, so if you would please ask Father instead."

“Of course, I will ask your father.” “…Then after dinner—you?” “I went to my room and read a novel.” “What kind of novel?” Touda posed an odd question. Hiroko looked at Touda with a cordial expression and answered lightly, “It’s called *The Greene Murder Case* by Van Dine.” “Ah! *Greene Murder Case*!” “I see.” Touda said this and blew out a smoke ring.

“Were you in your room the entire time?” the prosecutor asked. “No—then around eight o’clock, I went to visit my mother briefly in the drawing room.” “Then—”

“And then?” “Since Mr. Date was talking with Mother about something there, 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 appeared Sadako had gone to Mother’s room.” “Oh? How did you know that?” “When I went to the washroom, I passed in front of Sadako’s room.” “At that moment, I suddenly remembered I had something to discuss with my sister. As I knocked and opened the door, I found Mr. Date sitting alone in the chair inside—my sister wasn’t there.” “So I asked, ‘Isn’t Sadako here?’” “When I asked, Mr. Date replied that she had gone to Mother’s room.”

“At that time, did you notice anything unusual about Mr. Date’s behavior?” “For instance, any signs of panic…” Hiroko answered with a bright laugh. “Mr. Date is my sister’s formally approved fiancé. Even if someone saw him in her room, he wouldn’t have panicked.” 14 “Very well—since we’ve now heard subsequent events, let us conclude here for today.” Hiroko gave a brief bow to the prosecutor before turning to offer polite nods to Touda and myself as she withdrew.

“You there – what exactly was that novel you heard about?” Prosecutor Okuyama drew a breath as if pausing, then lit a fresh Asahi cigarette.

“Ah, that? It’s a famous detective novel.” “A truly chilling tale where the Greene family members are systematically killed off one by one.”

“Does such a lovely young lady really read that?” “Well, there’s nothing strange about that at all. These days, young ladies’ hobbies rank first as sports, second as detective novels—or perhaps not exactly, maybe third or fourth. But regardless, they do read them often... Though *The Greene Murder Case* of all things—” At this point, Touda fell into an odd contemplative silence. “Ah, these so-called ‘ero’ and ‘gro’ trends—utterly bizarre things have become popular nowadays. But from our standpoint, the detective novel craze is truly lamentable. Particularly since writers depict overly ingenious crimes—it’s troublesome how it keeps us swamped.”

It was Inspector Takahashi who interjected this.

The group had momentarily forgotten they were conducting an investigation in a house with a corpse and was enveloped in a calm, relaxed mood.

However, at that moment, the door was hurriedly opened, and a white-haired elderly figure entered, bowing deeply and repeatedly.

“Ah, everyone, I truly appreciate your efforts during this unforeseen ordeal. My name is Sasada Jinzo, and I have long served as the steward of this household. I truly have no words to express my regret over this unforeseen incident. The master is deeply distressed and insists the culprit must be apprehended at all costs—not that your efforts alone are insufficient in any way, but to ensure every possible measure is taken, he has requested the services of that renowned detective Mr. Hayashida Eizo starting this morning. I have just now returned from escorting Mr. Hayashida here and was absent from my duties—a grave discourtesy on my part.”

I involuntarily exchanged glances with Touda. So then—when Hiroko had said earlier that "Father also enlisted a detective acquaintance," did she mean Hayashida Eizo?

For Touda and for the prosecutor alike, Hayashida was truly a formidable opponent.

Speaking of Detective Hayashida, he was a private detective of equal renown to Touda—no, perhaps even surpassing Touda in fame. The reader may perhaps know that Mr. Hayashida’s investigative methods were uniquely his own, entirely distinct from Touda’s, permitting no imitation from others. During that strange incident at the Kiyokawa Residence, he demonstrated astonishing prowess, completely outstripping the competing authorities and nearly outmaneuvering his formidable rival Touda Shintarou at the last moment. In that case, though Touda ultimately claimed final victory, Hayashida Eizo had identified the culprit through an entirely different avenue than Touda’s approach. Had Touda’s watch not coincidentally been seven minutes fast at the time—an unexpected lapse for him, of course—I believe we would still be uncertain whether it would have been Touda or Hayashida who first laid hands on the culprit.

In that incident, as I just mentioned, Touda succeeded precisely because of his oversight, but the public surely remembers the tragic end of that Hamamatsu murderer once called the Demon King. Officially, it was concluded that the criminal, finding no escape due to the police’s rigorous investigation, had thrown himself into the Ōkawa River and committed suicide. In truth, however, not only had the authorities fully closed in—both Touda and Hayashida extended their grasp toward the criminal’s throat from opposite sides.

The criminal, cornered between falling into Touda’s hands or being apprehended by Hayashida’s, ultimately committed suicide. 15

I did not know the details of Hayashida Eizo’s background. However, unlike Touda, he apparently had no bureaucratic past whatsoever; it was said that after graduating from a certain private university, he developed a strong interest in criminology, and had he continued down the academic path, he might not have found it difficult to obtain a degree. However, 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 abilities were, as mentioned earlier, far from ordinary, and his name quickly became renowned among both the police and criminals.

I had not yet met him even once. At last, through this case, I would finally meet him. Now, the murderer had to contend not only with Touda and the police authorities but also with another formidable adversary—Hayashida. Was it not truly a spectacle to behold? How would the three-way deadlock depicted by the authorities, Touda, and Hayashida surrounding the murderer develop? Those with curiosity—surely I was not the only one. “Hayashida Eizo?” “Then kindly inform Hayashida that he may come here.”

The prosecutor said to Steward Sasada with a tense expression. "Yes, I did indeed make that suggestion beforehand and proposed that Mr. Hayashida be brought here immediately. However, he stated that it would be improper to intrude upon your investigation and that he also wished to inquire about certain matters with the master. Therefore, he has chosen to refrain from joining us and is currently conversing with the master in the drawing room." Detective Hayashida, who had arrived somewhat belatedly following this incident, appeared to have already begun interrogating Aikawa Shunzo in an effort to overcome that handicap as quickly as possible. Truly, his skill surpassed even what we had heard.

“I see.”

“Now, there are also Hatsue and Shuntaro, but since these individuals appear to know nothing... then kindly summon Date Masao.”

Steward Sasada bowed deferentially and left the room.

Before long, the same impressive young man from earlier appeared at the entrance.

“I am Date Masao.” Having said this in an extremely clear tone, he sat down on 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 on, I was left utterly alone. Under the care of Uncle here—he refers to Aikawa Shunzo as ‘uncle,’ though it’s more an honorary title than a close blood relation—I graduated middle school and am currently in the economics department of a certain private university. I just graduated this March, but as I’ve yet to find employment, I’ve maintained enrollment in graduate school. During my studies, I played rugby.”

Having said that, he rubbed his muscular arm slightly to demonstrate.

“What time did you come here yesterday?”

“It was evening. Lately I’ve been renting a house nearby, so I came here a little after five to have dinner with everyone.” “From what I’ve just heard, you’re engaged to Sadako, correct?” “Yes.” “Then after dinner—were you having a conversation at Sadako’s room?” “Ah—yes.”

“All the way until night?” “No—actually, I was summoned by my aunt and was speaking with her.”

A slightly uneasy expression surfaced on the young man’s face. The prosecutor did not seem to overlook this. “Weren’t you arguing with your aunt about something at that time?”

16

“An argument? It wasn’t anything you’d call a real argument…”

That Tokuko and Date had argued was news to me. I wondered if the prosecutor was inferring something from the surrounding circumstances and setting a trap. If this was a trap, it had succeeded. Date Masao was clearly flustered.

“However, when I ask others now, it seems there was some sort of argument.”

“An argument? It wasn’t anything serious.” “It’s just that my aunt kept pressing me insistently.”

“About what?” “It’s about my marriage to Miss Sadako. I only learned of it after Aunt told me, but apparently Uncle has decided that if Miss Sadako and I marry, he’ll give roughly one-third of the family property to us. From Aunt’s perspective, that was utterly outrageous.” “What was?” “The amount—even with so many children, giving one-third to Sadako alone—she argued it was unreasonably excessive.”

“And how did you respond?” “Of course, property isn’t my purpose at all. My only goal is to marry Miss Sadako, so I said I don’t need a single penny of property. In fact, that’s truly how I feel. Yet Auntie seems completely unable to comprehend that reasoning. There appears to be an inseparable connection between my marriage and one-third of the property. That is to say, if I marry Miss Sadako, one-third of the estate inevitably comes with it. This isn’t so much Aunt’s misunderstanding as Uncle stubbornly insisting on it. That’s why I’ve repeatedly said I don’t want a single penny—it’s just too unpleasant.”

“Then what did Aunt say?” “In the end, Aunt said: ‘Please cancel this engagement for now.’” “So you naturally opposed it?” “Of course I did. I said it was unthinkable—since Miss Sadako and I had made a firm promise between ourselves, canceling it now was absolutely impossible.” “What exactly did you say when you left the room that time?”

“I said that no matter what happens, I will get married.” “Aunt insists that no matter what happens, she will absolutely not allow the marriage.” “In the end, we both held our ground and parted ways.” “And then I returned to Miss Sadako’s room and told her about what had just happened.”

He said this and stared intently at the prosecutor’s face, but when he entered into discussion about Tokuko, an utterly agitated expression manifested itself.

“In other words, your aunt insisted on interfering with your marriage, is that right?” “Well, yes...” “No—well, not exactly.” “That’s exactly it.” “Right, I see. “So now that obstacle has been removed, I suppose.”

The prosecutor glared at Date’s face, though his intent in saying this remained unclear. Yet Date’s complexion showed not the slightest agitation from these words. “Then did you exchange places with Miss Sadako?” “When I told Miss Sadako about that matter, she became alarmed and went to my aunt’s room.” “So you were left alone in Miss Sadako’s room, I suppose.” “Yes.” “Where exactly were you positioned?” This question appeared to momentarily baffle Date as to its purpose.

“I was sitting at Miss Sadako’s desk.”

“So you could have opened Sadako’s desk drawer, I suppose.” 17

At this moment, the color drained from Date’s face. “Wh-what did you just say? “Open the desk drawer?” “I do consider myself a gentleman, you know.” “I have never attempted to uncover her secrets when a woman—especially a fiancée—is absent.” “Miss Sadako herself believes I wouldn’t do such a thing—that’s why she left me alone in the room, isn’t that right?” Even a prosecutor wasn’t spared his defiance—Date’s demeanor suggested he’d argue them into submission depending on how they pressed him.

“Now, now—getting worked up won’t help. I wasn’t asking whether *you* opened the drawer. I merely meant you were in a position where you *could* have opened it if you wished.” “I never once thought about opening…” “Then that’s perfectly fine.” “By the way, did you know your aunt had ordered cold medicine from Saigo Pharmacy?” “I don’t know anything about that.” Date said bluntly. After some back-and-forth on two or three additional points, the prosecutor finally permitted Date to take his leave.

The next one called was a maid of the Aikawa household named Sada Yasuko, around twenty years old. She couldn’t be called a beauty, but her features were average-looking. However, the calamitous events since the previous night had completely overturned her mental state, and being brought before stern officials like the prosecutor and inspector left her pale-faced and trembling nervously.

The prosecutor’s questioning of her was relatively straightforward. The questioning had remained limited to the story of being sent to retrieve medicine the previous day. "I have only been at the Aikawa household for exactly ten days." "Yesterday afternoon—though I don’t recall the exact time—Miss Sadako, the second daughter, gave me Saigo Pharmacy’s number and instructed me to call them to prepare the young mistress’s cold medicine immediately. So I did as instructed." "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 way at the residence before setting out." "When I arrived there, it was already ready, so I immediately received the medicine and returned with it in hand." "Just then, Miss Sadako was in the kitchen, so I promptly handed it over."

“Did you return straight from the pharmacy without stopping anywhere?” “Yes, I didn’t stop anywhere.” “Did you meet anyone?”

Yasuko seemed to hesitate for a moment. That also appeared as if she was considering the meaning of the question. “No, I didn’t meet anyone.” “You did bring the medicine with you, didn’t you?” “Yes, I had it with me.”

The questioning of Sada Yasuko was concluded. Next, Steward Sasada was summoned and questioned extensively, but the old man appeared to know nothing regarding the medicine, yielding little of use, and this interrogation too concluded shortly. “Well then, shall we call it a day for today?” The prosecutor did not lay a finger on any of the drinks or sweets that the Aikawa family had painstakingly prepared, merely drinking a single cup of tea before urging the inspector to depart. “We will eventually need to obtain the autopsy results as well, but in any case, today we’ll conclude here…”

The prosecutor’s party exited to the entrance, escorted by Aikawa Shunzo. Touda 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.

The Aikawa Family and the Tragedy

1

When Touda and I, guided by the master, entered the parlor, Touda suddenly addressed the composedly seated gentleman of forty-two or three years old,

“Well, well—long time no see.” Touda greeted him.

Then that gentleman also stood up and responded. "Well, well—it's been a while. We meet again." "Oh my, you two are already acquainted? I was just about to make the introductions!"

The master said. Then the gentleman interjected. "Well, I've been beaten by Mr. Touda here many times before, so I know him quite well." "Not at all. It's always me who gets outmaneuvered by Mr. Hayashida here."

Although both men were exchanging social pleasantries, in their hearts they must have been thinking, "Damn you," toward each other.

However, unlike others, I myself had never actually met this renowned Detective Hayashida.

He appeared to be an impressive gentleman. But apart from his Kaiser-style mustache and aquiline nose, there was nothing particularly distinctive about him.

I was promptly introduced by Touda to Hayashida and took a seat there. Shunzo soon left the room. Afterward, only we three remained. "This morning I was urgently summoned by the master here and barely managed to arrive moments ago," he said, "but upon coming, I hear you gentlemen were already present." "It's a pity I was rather late to the game—but having met with both the master and young lady already, I've largely recovered lost ground." "No—it's I who've committed grave missteps here," countered Touda. "My client isn't the master but rather the young lady—though truthfully I was only engaged yesterday." "And now today we find ourselves embroiled in this turmoil." "That proved rather clumsy of me." "But you—being commissioned by the master himself—naturally hold considerable advantage."

“Why?”

“Even if you ask why, wouldn’t you immediately grasp the strange dynamics in this household by hearing it from the master himself?” “Ah, so you’ve already noticed? To be frank, though the master hasn’t stated it outright, there’s an air of impending tragedy—or something akin to it—pervading this house. Listening now, I’ve come to sense it.”

At that moment, the door opened, and Steward Sasada entered respectfully, carrying a tray. “A letter has just been placed in the mailbox, so…” Since I was nearby, I noticed two envelopes lying on the tray. One was addressed to “Mr. Hayashida Eizo,” the other to “Mr. Touda Shintarou.” Touda and Hayashida each took their envelopes. When they turned them over, the two exchanged a startled glance.

Undoubtedly, there was a red triangular mark affixed to the seal. The characters were, as before, in Japanese typewriter script, and in the letter opened by Touda's hand, the following was written: THE FIRST TRAGEDY HAS ALREADY BEEN CARRIED OUT. PREPARE FOR THE SECOND TRAGEDY. When Touda read his aloud, Hayashida read his as well, but the texts of both letters were completely identical.

“Hmph—this wasn’t mailed.”

“Yeah—no addresses, no stamps.” “Looks like they just tossed it straight into the mailbox.” The fearsome murderer was once again challenging these two titans. “If you’re going to kill someone, you should just do it quietly. There’s no need for such publicity. What a damn foolish stunt.”

Touda said this, looked at me with a smirk, and put the sealed letter into his pocket.

2

Touda and Hayashida faced each other and began talking eagerly, but almost none of it concerned substantial matters. I had always found it strange how police stations across jurisdictions would let crucial criminals slip away in their rivalrous pursuit of glory. People often said they would have surely apprehended culprits had they only cooperated. By that same logic, one might think these two detectives could certainly catch this criminal too if they consulted and assisted each other—yet regrettably, neither Touda nor Hayashida appeared inclined toward such collaboration.

Both men appeared calm on the surface, but in their hearts, they must have been locked in fierce contention. The two were cautiously sounding each other out; moreover, knowing full well that even if they tried laying traps, their opponent wasn't the type to carelessly divulge his thoughts, they would never attempt such maneuvers. They merely exchanged pleasantries, but from my vantage point observing them, there lingered an oppressive air that made it impossible to call this encounter agreeable in the slightest.

However, this atmosphere was instantly shattered by the master of the house. With a pallid face and eyes stretched wide as if pulled upward, Shunzo burst into the room in agitation. "Mr. Hayashida! Mr. Touda! This letter has just come from the mailbox!" Clutched in his flustered hand was an envelope identical to those that had just arrived for the two men.

"THE FIRST TRAGEDY HAS ALREADY BEEN CARRIED OUT. “‘PREPARE THOU FOR THE SECOND TRAGEDY,’ is it?”

Touda asked calmly.

“Huh? Sirs! But how did you—” “Oh, one just came to my place as well.” “It was delivered without a stamp then?” This time Hayashida inquired with utmost calmness. “Y-yes. Yes. It came mixed in with the other mail.” Shunzo said as he handed the letter to Hayashida. “What do you think? If we could have you check the fingerprints…” He pleaded with the two men. “Well, do you really think someone who does this would be careless enough to leave fingerprints? If we check, it’ll probably just turn out to be your fingerprints or Mr. Sasada’s.”

Touda stood up abruptly while urging me along with his words. "Since Mr. Aikawa and Hayashida must have matters to discuss, and I too have work awaiting me at home, we'll take our leave now." After bidding farewell to the master and Hayashida—who seemed to acquiesce with an unspoken "Very well"—Touda and I proceeded to the entrance.

Hayashida remained in the reception room, and Shunzo came out alone to see them off. While putting on his shoes, he suddenly spoke to Shunzo as if remembering something. “Mr. Aikawa, what exactly have you done with all the similar envelopes that have come to your place until now?”

At this sudden question, Shunzo opened his mouth in shock and for a moment seemed unable to say anything.

“Mr. Aikawa, if you’ve kept any of them, carefully compare them with today’s.” “Check whether the paper quality differs.” “Additionally—just as with handwriting—typewriters inevitably develop individual quirks depending on the machine. Please compare those as well.”

In front of the astonished master, he gave a light bow. "And one more thing." "Up until now, they've always been sent through the mail, correct?" "This is the first time one has arrived without a stamp attached, correct?" To this question, Shunzo instinctively nodded vertically.

3

When they stepped outside the gate, Touda turned back for a while and gazed at the Aikawa residence, but eventually began to amble away. Then, taking out an A-Ship from his case and lighting it with his lighter, he took a savoring puff. “Well? Don’t you think it’s absurd?” “If someone wants to kill people, they might as well do it quietly.” “If they intend to torment someone, sending threatening letters makes sense—but dispatching these to me and Hayashida seems a bit unhinged, don’t you think?”

He said this while tapping the outside of the pocket containing the envelope.

“It’s just like a detective novel, isn’t it? However, if we assume the culprit is doing this, then this crime undoubtedly has one distinctive feature in that regard. Make sure you remember this properly.” Just then, a taxi displaying a ‘For Hire’ sign happened to pass by. Touda quickly stopped it, and the two of us got into the vehicle. I too planned to accompany him to his office from there. Until the car reached the outer-moat area between the elevated districts of Ushigome and Kōjimachi, he remained silent, smoking continuously, but then abruptly spoke.

“You heard what Hiroko said earlier about reading Van Dine’s novel, didn’t you? What do you think about that?” “Well, what do you mean? Just as you told the prosecutor back then. I don’t find it strange in the least that the young lady was reading detective novels lately.”

“Yeah, that’s right. But… Didn’t the very title of *The Greene Murder Case* suggest something to you? At least as far as we know, she feared that some danger might befall the Aikawa family—especially her father. And as a result of that desperation, she was driven to come to my place yesterday. Moreover, she’s the one who received a strange letter at my office, turned pale, and left. What do you make of the fact that she was reading such a book last night? What on earth do you think?”

“Hmm… When you put it that way, it does sound odd.” “She wouldn’t have the leisure to be reading such a novel.” “But I don’t want to think she was speaking irresponsibly.”

I had unknowingly come to believe in the beautiful Hiroko.

“No, that’s not what I meant.” “I’m not saying it’s nonsense.” “Suppose it’s true.” “Then what would that mean?” “The fact that the young lady from that house we visited today had been reading *The Greene Murder Case* immediately before the tragedy… isn’t that interesting?” It was at this moment that I first connected the contents of *The Greene Murder Case* with our current situation, and I involuntarily shuddered in the car.

“Kogawa, if my memory serves me correctly, that novel was about a family named Greene being killed one by one through mysterious methods.” “A detective named Philo Vance takes action but cannot prevent the tragedy.” “The master of the Greene family dies, leaving behind a widow.” “She was a sickly old woman.” “The Greenes had three daughters and two sons.” “All were over twenty years old.” “First the eldest daughter Julia was killed, then the youngest daughter Ada narrowly escaped death.” “About four days later, the eldest son Chester was murdered by someone.” “Twenty days after that, the second son Rex met his end too.” “Finally, the mother and youngest daughter were poisoned—though the daughter survived once more.” “That’s how the story went.” “And in that tale, the culprit ultimately…”

He said this and stared intently at me. “The culprit is…”

I unconsciously continued. "The culprit was supposed to be that youngest daughter, wasn't it?"

4

“So you’re saying such a scandal will indeed occur in the Aikawa family?” “Exactly like the Greene family in the novel.” I asked heatedly. “Hmm, I can’t say it’s impossible.” “One cannot definitively assert that reality imitating fiction is absolutely impossible.”

Touda was puffing on a cigarette with an odd calmness.

“So, in the end, you’re saying the culprit is the seemingly innocent daughter within the household?” “Kogawa, I don’t necessarily believe facts would imitate fiction to that extent.” “If we were to treat this case as a detective novel—if the true culprit were indeed one of those daughters—then we’d have to conclude the author was rather incompetent.” “After all, this follows Van Dine’s novel beat for beat… Though perhaps the writer intentionally subverts expectations by placing the culprit there… Regardless, we aren’t characters in some story.” “But I’ll ask again—doesn’t Hiroko reading that Van Dine novel last night strike you as profoundly significant for this case?”

“What exactly do you mean by that?” But Touda did not answer this question and simply fell silent. The car had passed through Kōjimachi Ward before we knew it and was now traveling near the bustling streets of Ginza.

I turned Touda's words over in my mind from every angle. Indeed—as Touda had pointed out—the fact that Hiroko, pale-faced from being threatened, had been reading that dreadful detective novel last night would be extraordinarily strange if true. No, it must be true—why would that beautiful Hiroko lie?—making it an exceedingly peculiar circumstance. Had she been calmly absorbed in reading that novel? Or had there been some other purpose behind her reading it?

However, I couldn't discern that purpose at all. While I was occupied with these thoughts, the car had already come to a stop in front of Touda's office.

Upon entering the office, he first looked through the letters piled on the desk, then soon took out one of them. “Hey, you. Another strange letter has arrived.” “It’s the triangular seal.” “This is getting a bit too persistent, don’t you think?”

He said this and showed me its contents.

The message was, as always, in Japanese typewriter, and this letter had been properly stamped and mailed. The postmark was Kōjimachi Ward. The contents were:

“Beware of May 1st.”

consisted of those nine characters.

I secretly found myself impressed by Touda's completely unflustered attitude. It wasn't just Touda—when Detective Hayashida had received this kind of letter earlier at the Aikawa residence, he too hadn't changed his expression in the slightest.

Indeed, I thought, both of them truly lived up to being called great detectives. Touda slowly took out from his pocket the letter he had received earlier. Then, he also took out the letter addressed to Hiroko that had arrived the day before. He arranged these three on the desk and scrutinized them closely; then, taking out a magnifying glass, he examined them through the lens for some time. For about ten minutes, he examined them in silence; then, without uttering a word, placed them into the box containing important documents beside him.

“Well, May 1st is a good choice—it’s May Day. What a foolish thing to do. Criminals do things like this from time to time. I do hope this doesn’t prove to be an oversight on his or her part… Ha ha ha ha!” Having said this, he suddenly turned to his desk, placed a sheet of paper down, and began writing something intently for some time.

5

I was truly beside myself with worry. The police had no doubt already begun their investigation. Detective Hayashida was likely still at the Aikawa residence, exercising his god-like sharp intellect. And yet here was Touda Shintarou in this office, showing not a hint of panic as he sat leisurely writing something at his desk—wasn't he just?

“Hey, you’re being awfully calm, aren’t you? Is it really okay for you to be doing that? Even if you don’t take action—”

Unable to contain myself any longer, I finally spoke up. "Activity? What are you basing your actions on?" "We know about a certain strange fact." "But we don't possess a single concrete fact." "How could you possibly act without knowing that?" "First, let's thoroughly put our minds to work here."

He said this and pointed at his own forehead with his finger. “Well, just to be thorough, I’ve noted down all the facts up to now in a notebook. Why don’t the two of us work through these facts together from here on out?” After slowly taking several sheets of paper from the desk, he took out one from among them, sat down in front of 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 Aikawa family members. First, let’s extract the facts from the section leading up to the tragedy.”

Having said this, he picked up a prized Three Castles cigarette that had been set aside and skillfully lit it with his Dunhill lighter. “We know of the existence of a man named Aikawa Shunzo.” “This man’s current status is as stated in the credit report.” “He has three daughters and one son, and maintains a grand residence in Yamate.” “According to credit reports and other sources, his assets are said to be approximately ¥800,000—and since these reportedly consist mostly of cash and securities rather than real estate, it’s no small sum.” “However, the crucial point is that while we know he amassed that fortune within a single generation, we currently remain entirely ignorant of how he built such vast wealth.” “We must first and foremost keep this point in mind.” “Now, he had been involved with numerous companies until now, but around November of last year, he suddenly severed all social connections entirely.” “As Hiroko said—he’s forty-five and in the prime of manhood. We must conclude this is far from an ordinary occurrence.”

"The official reason for his retirement was severe neurasthenia, though no one could ascertain its true cause." "This marks another critical point." "According to Hiroko's testimony—she being the eldest daughter—he appears to fear some mortal danger." "To rephrase, he at minimum believes there exists—or may exist—someone in this world who poses a threat to his life." "The tangible manifestation of this belief lies in those red triangular envelopes we'd seen earlier." "It was confirmed that threatening letters arrived at his residence once in August and again in October." "However, we must consider there may have been others beyond these."

"Here’s another crucial point—Shunzo never showed those letters to anyone. Not to the police, and naturally not even to his family members." "While keeping them from his family might align with common sense, what possible reason could exist for withholding them entirely from the authorities?" "And there’s more." "We have absolutely no means of tracing how or where he disposed of those letters." "Tell me, Touda—do you suppose Mr. Aikawa never spoke of this matter to anyone at all?"

“That does appear likely.” “Though there’s one exception—he may have confided in Hayashida-kun at some point.” “The man’s cultivated considerable credibility, after all.” “But even if he did disclose it to him, I’d wager it was fairly recent.” “Now mark this next critical fact: since October last year, peculiar letters began reaching Sadako, the second daughter.”

6 “You heard from Hiroko about how her father panicked when Sadako brought those red-triangle letters to him.” “At this point yet another matter we must consider had arisen.” “In other words—while we unfortunately cannot know the contents of the threatening letters that came to her father—the question arises: do those letters threaten Shunzo’s life alone, or do they also state that harm will come to his family?” “Judging by Shunzo’s panicked reaction, we must indeed conclude it to be the latter.” “Furthermore—and here I wish to draw your attention to one more detail—all these letters arrived through postal delivery.”

“Next, another strange thing has occurred—it is the fact that Sadako herself, who first received those ominous letters, told her sister about them but kept them from her mother. You remember how Hiroko stated with absolute certainty that Sadako hadn’t informed their mother? While we could simply accept that she remained silent because Father ordered everyone to keep quiet... doesn’t that strike you as rather peculiar?”

"However, it seems she clearly told her sister Hiroko about it." "In that situation, circumstances compelled her to speak." "Moreover, there may have been a reason she told her sister but kept it from her mother." "This has become rather clear to me now." "Is that so?"

“In other words, within the Aikawa family from last summer through year-end, the master was being continuously threatened—with only Hiroko aware of it—and this situation had carried over into this year. Now regarding developments from last year’s end until yesterday—unfortunately, as you know—we couldn’t obtain any information from Hiroko, but one may reasonably infer that the severity of those threats had been gradually intensifying.”

"In other words, we can view it as Hiroko, unable to endure any longer, rushing to seek my help." "So that’s the state of the Aikawa family leading up to the tragedy. What do you make of this?" "That’s right." "Using common sense, there’s no conclusion but to think the master harbors some dreadful secret in his past."

“That’s right.” “It might not just be a secret—it could be a crime.” He said while letting the smoke from his Three Castles cigarette waft up. “Well then, we must now 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 criminal threats.”

“Tokuko complained of a headache. Sadako proposed administering her own medicine. Therefore she told Sada Yasuko to have the pharmacy prepare the medicine. Next Yasuko went to retrieve it immediately received it and returned home without encountering anyone Upon investigating the pharmacy they indeed found no discrepancies since Inspector Takahashi had checked it twice and a doctor was present it should be reliable So Sadako kept it while still sealed and had her mother take it that night And yet somehow that turned into poison and led to her mother dying on the spot—how exactly do you account for this?”

“Why? What do you mean?” “By 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. Thus we must conclude someone swapped the contents while keeping the pharmacy’s seal intact.” “That would make the trickster the primary culprit, wouldn’t it?” “Of course, we must await tomorrow’s autopsy results for certainty, but it appears indisputable that Tokuko died from mercuric chloride.”

At this moment, I suddenly had a question arise in my mind.

7

“So then, who exactly did the culprit intend to kill?”

I inadvertently asked this. “Well, that’s precisely the point.” “We must indeed consider whether the culprit truly intended to kill Tokuko or if they meant to target someone else.” “As you also heard, the prosecutor was investigating that aspect.” At Saigo Pharmacy, they had believed that Sadako would be the one taking that medicine. “This is a perfectly natural assumption.” “Therefore, the problem comes down to this.” “The question is whether the cold medicine was replaced with mercuric chloride between Saigo Pharmacy and its arrival at the Aikawa residence, or whether it was substituted after reaching there.” “If the substitution occurred before reaching the Aikawa residence, then we must conclude that the culprit initially intended to target Sadako’s life.” “Even if it was replaced after arriving at the Aikawa residence, that possibility cannot be dismissed.”

"But here’s the thing. If someone within the Aikawa residence knew Tokuko would drink it, we’d have to consider an entirely different approach." "But there might be a culprit who doesn’t care which of them dies." "Oh, Kogawa, you do make rather astute observations." "I’ve held that same theory myself." "If someone there wished to torment Aikawa Shunzo, killing either his wife or daughter would achieve that." "So ultimately, we arrive at three possibilities." "The culprit either intended to kill any member of the Aikawa family, specifically targeted the wife, or singled out a daughter."

Touda was staring fixedly at the smoke rising from his cigarette, then suddenly resumed with a serious expression. "There is one crucial point about this current case that stands out." "That is, this murder appears at first glance to have seized upon a purely coincidental opportunity." "Now listen—Tokuko complaining of a headache wasn’t something predetermined beforehand." "Not to mention, Sadako suggesting her own medicine was by no means an inevitable result." "It was a complete spur-of-the-moment idea." "If that’s the case, then the culprit must have effectively utilized this extremely brief incident and window of time."

“And on the other hand, consider those threatening letters since August,” Touda continued, his cigarette smoke curling like spectral fingers between them. “Whoever orchestrated that campaign must have planned with glacial precision.” He leaned forward, the leather chair creaking beneath him. “You need to hold both these facts in your mind—the meticulous groundwork and this opportunistic strike.” Kogawa adjusted his glasses, their lenses catching the dim lamplight. “But wouldn’t such a calculating criminal maintain constant surveillance?” His pen hovered over his notebook, leaving ink blots like tiny accusations. “He’d be poised to exploit any opening, however fleeting.”

“Hm, that’s certainly one valid perspective.”

Touda said this, but then continued further.

"What I particularly want to draw your attention to here is that this coincidental opportunity was inherently domestic to the household." This stands in complete contrast to external scenarios—such as Sadako meeting with a car accident during a drive, or Tokuko being ambushed while returning from theater-going—instead involving a mother telling her daughter about a headache within their home, followed by that daughter suggesting she take medicine. "The one capable of exploiting this opportunity would be…"

When he had spoken this far, he suddenly fell silent and looked at me.

An indescribable shudder ran through my entire body. “Now listen—what kind of people do you think could exploit this?” “Yeah.” I couldn’t help but let out an involuntary groan. “So does that mean the culprit is someone within the household—a family member or servant?” “If that’s the case, then it would indeed become just like *The Greene Murder Case*, wouldn’t it?”

Having said this, he stood up, placed a hand on my shoulder, and whispered. "But listen, Kogawa." “But to make that conclusion, we mustn’t forget we’ve premised it on one arbitrary assumption.”

8

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

“Now then, regarding last night’s incident—there are several peculiar aspects to it as well.” “As for the Aikawas’ behavior—you must have noticed—I simply can’t bring myself to like that household.” “Returning to *The Greene Murder Case*—in that novel, it’s established that the detective immediately sensed an icy atmosphere upon entering the Greene residence.” “Our Aikawa family certainly isn’t like that.” “This illustrates the difference between fiction and reality, though I’ll admit the Aikawa household still gives off an air of impending trouble.”

“The fact that the second daughter Sadako has a fiancé while the eldest Hiroko does not is not necessarily unusual in itself—but as for this man Date who is Sadako’s fiancé,” “What do you make of his relationship with the Aikawa family?” “Next comes the most critical point: upon marriage, one-third of the Aikawa family’s property will pass to Sadako. Though nominally hers, common sense dictates it would ultimately go to the Date household.” “To my knowledge, Aikawa Shunzo has four children.” “Yet one-third of the entire estate goes to that second daughter.” “This was Master Shunzo’s decision—but Madam Tokuko fiercely opposed it.” “In the end, she went so far as to summon Date and attempt to annul the engagement.” “This detail holds immense significance.” “From this we can infer that regarding Sadako’s marriage, husband and wife maintained diametrically opposed positions within the household up to now.” “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.”

I had some inkling of this when Touda told me so.

“Hey, you—this is a bit off-topic, but have you noticed anything about Sadako’s face?” “Or about Hiroko and Hatsue’s faces?” “Well…” I could say nothing beyond this single remark. As I had briefly noted earlier, when I first saw her, I immediately noticed that Hiroko and Hatsue looked very much alike. However, I simply felt that Sadako resembled her father in countenance and did not think any further about it.

“Now then, regarding their testimonies. “It remains unclear how much truth lies in what those people say, but let’s review each point systematically. “There’s nothing inherently strange about the couple sleeping in separate rooms. “The critical issue lies in the door between their bedrooms being locked from the wife’s side. “This would be considered highly irregular by Japanese standards. “Shunzo’s response to the prosecutor’s comment fails to adequately explain this anomaly. “Why Tokuko Aikawa locked every door from within remains an indispensable question. “Next, another crucial point demands consideration.”

“In an ordinary household like ours, if a commotion breaks out late at night, one would first think either a burglar has entered, there’s a fire, or someone’s fallen critically ill.” “Yet none of the people there today seemed to consider possibilities like fire or burglary.” Shunzo suddenly came running out, shouting, “Who is it? Who’s been attacked?” This was according to Sadako. Then Hiroko herself immediately sensed, “Something’s wrong with Mother.” When you combine these facts with Sadako’s hysterical demeanor during that interrogation— She abruptly cried out, “I would never even consider killing Mother—not a shred of such a thought!”

“Finally—let’s consider this most crucial point.” “Namely, the final words Tokuko spoke to Sadako with her dying breath.” “And then there’s Hiroko’s manner of resolving this matter.” “However—regarding this point—one might conclude Hiroko fabricated everything outright.”

9

“No way!” I ended up blurting this out without thinking. That gentle Hiroko would tell such a lie—I couldn’t believe it.

“Kogawa, you still trust any beautiful woman at first sight, don’t you? You’re hopeless. It’s your right to admire beauties, but believing everything they say is intolerable. Beautiful women often lie. No—to be clearer, the more beautiful the woman, the more calmly she’ll spout nonsense.”

“But...” “But there’s no ‘but’ about it. There are plenty of examples in the world where beautiful women tell terrible lies. There are plenty in criminal cases as well, you know. Do you know the true story of that famous female murderer Constance Kent? Furthermore, take Madeleine Smith—a beautiful woman who poisoned her husband yet maintained an angelic expression throughout her trial. As a result, didn’t the jury get completely fooled and render a not guilty verdict? When I was a prosecutor, there was a case where an eighteen-year-old beauty—the type who wouldn’t hurt a fly—was caught by her family bringing her lover into the house. She turned around and accused the lover of being a burglar.”

“However, I’m not asserting that Hiroko lied.” “Rest assured on that point.” “But you were suggesting she could have fabricated her mother’s last words in countless ways.” “Consider this.” “Last night, only Shunzo, Hiroko, and Sadako rushed into Tokuko’s room.” “And Hiroko alone leaned close to hear Tokuko’s words.” “The other two remained completely unaware of what Tokuko said.” Meanwhile, Tokuko died instantly. That would make Hiroko the sole person alive who could relay her mother’s final utterance. Who could possibly verify whether she truly said it to Sadako? “Even if we grant that Tokuko did speak to Sadako, how does that single phrase justify interpreting it as her being forcibly poisoned?”

“Then, isn’t Hiroko suspecting Sadako?” “Exactly.” “That is certainly one perspective.” “But if that’s the case, why would Hiroko harbor suspicions about Sadako?” “To suspect someone requires substantial grounds.” “There’s a proverb that when a crime occurs, you first suspect those who benefit from it.” “Oh, you certainly know some pertinent things.” Touda deliberately affected an impressed tone as he said this, flicking cigarette ash into the tray with a tap before launching into another sardonic observation.

“But here’s the thing—we must also consider that those who suspect beneficiaries tend to spin unnecessary lies.” “Hiroko suspects Sadako.” “She likely thought Sadako did something to Mother.” “So she might’ve fabricated testimony to pin suspicion on Sadako at once.” I couldn’t help resenting how Touda dismissed someone as gentle as Hiroko so callously, but I knew he’d never abandon a theory once voiced. This time, I kept silent.

“There are at least two people who benefit from Mother’s death.” “Namely, Sadako and Date.” “With the opposing party gone, they’ll now receive one-third of the property.” “Therefore, I consider Sadako the culprit.” “I perfectly understand why you’re defending Hiroko—but it seems Sadako doesn’t meet your approval, does she?” “To my eyes, Sadako appears quite beautiful nonetheless.” “Does that one strike you as someone who’d murder her own parent?”

This time, he was the one launching the attack. Indeed, it was also rather unthinkable that Sadako would commit such a dreadful crime.

Who to suspect?

1

Touda curled a strange smile on his lips and stared intently at me. A certain thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

Then, is Touda suspecting that man Date Masao? He gazed at me in silence, then began to speak while exhaling smoke.

“By the way, why didn’t Shunzo report this to the police when he was being threatened so severely?” “As I mentioned earlier, this constitutes an exceptionally grave matter—yet why would he still conceal it even now?” “To put it plainly, a murder had already occurred within his own household.” “Despite this, he continues withholding clear statements.”

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

“Regarding this fact, since Date himself states he was in Sadako’s room at that time, we have to conclude Sadako’s testimony is a lie.” “Then there’s another point we must clarify here. Hiroko and Sadako are sisters, and Date might as well be considered part of that household.” “Had they been questioned individually right after the incident, that’d be different—but interrogating them one by one hours after Tokuko’s death gave them plenty of time to get their stories straight.” “I believe Prosecutor Okuyama foresaw this too, which explains why he used that interrogation method.” “Yet look how it turned out.” “How should we make sense of this?”

“Hmm, it seems Hiroko and Sadako aren’t on good terms.” “At least Hiroko and Date must not have reached a compromise.”

“That’s right.” “But you see—” “Since Sadako and Date are engaged, they could say anything they wanted, couldn’t they?” “Yet Sadako claims no one was in the room—meaning Date wasn’t there—but Date discusses it without batting an eye.”

“I see.” I ended up saying this without being able to come up with a decent explanation.

“Oh, really now? Don’t you think Sadako tried to cover for Date? Kogawa, what’s your take?”

“But if that’s the case, isn’t it strange that the crucial person himself is calmly talking about it?”

“That’s it. Sadako must have felt compelled to cover for him somehow. That’s precisely why she told such an outright lie.” “Then what about Date?” “As for Date… Either he genuinely never imagined suspicion would fall on him, or he calculated that acting candidly in that moment would serve him better… Now, regarding the testimony of Sada Yasuko—it’s remarkably concise yet substantive. If we accept her account as incontrovertible truth, the perpetrator must inevitably be one—or several—members of the Aikawa household. Therefore, we must thoroughly re-examine that woman’s statements.”

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

“There’s only one certain thing—those threatening letters we’ve been discussing. The culprit used two typewriters for them. What’s strange is that the mailed ones and hand-delivered ones clearly came from different machines. If we label the mailed batch as Type A, then every directly delivered letter was typed on what we’ll call Type B.”

2

Having said this, Touda swung around and stood up, walked over to the desk, then—appearing to have become lost in thought—kept his back turned to me without uttering a word and began puffing intently on his cigarette once more.

At times like this, I thought it best not to disturb his concentration. Quietly leaving his office, I stepped out onto Ginza Street and stopped by the shop where we’d had tea together the day before. Sipping black tea, I turned over various aspects of the case in my mind.

I should state clearly here that this occurred on April 18th. Therefore, the Aikawa family's tragedy must have taken place in the dead of night on April 17th.

After leaving the café, I spent about thirty minutes peering into shop windows of Western goods stores before returning to the office. When I did, I found that Aikawa Hiroko had arrived at some point—once again dressed inconspicuously—and was in the middle of a conversation with Touda. When I finished my greeting, Touda spoke to me.

“The young lady has just arrived.” “She came to my office with the police’s consent.” “I too had points I couldn’t ask about yesterday that I wanted to clarify—this timing works perfectly.”

“Well then, Miss Hiroko, please continue your story.” “Truly, I scarcely know where to begin... My thoughts remain utterly disordered after last night’s events.” “Yet I had privately harbored fears that such a calamity might occur.” “As I related yesterday, after Father withdrew from all his corporate affairs due to the threatening letters, his neurasthenia has only worsened.” “Since the new year began, those missives have arrived with increasing frequency.” “Consequently, Father’s demeanor grew ever more peculiar.” “However, this time... strange phenomena began manifesting within our household.”

“Hmm.”

Touda suddenly leaned forward. "I cannot say exactly when it began, but since this year, Father and Mother's relationship had grown terribly strained." "Mother, who usually didn't cry much, had recently become prone to hysterics, and these episodes had been growing increasingly severe." "At first, I couldn't understand why Father and Mother had come to argue so bitterly. But when I quietly overheard one of their disputes, it became clear that Sadako and Mr. Date's marriage issue lay at the heart of it."

"In other words, it's a matter of inheritance, just as the prosecutor told you earlier." "Yes, from what I've been hearing, that does seem to be the case." "Whether it's one-third or one-fourth, I don't know exactly, but Mother appears absolutely opposed to giving away such an amount." "Father, for his part, somehow refuses to yield even an inch on his position." "This really is a strange story." "You see, as I mentioned before, Father has become fearful of everything due to the threatening letters and lacks the energy for such obstinacy—yet when it comes to this matter, he becomes terribly combative." "Mother was naturally a gentle woman who never used to quarrel with Father, but whenever this issue comes up, she becomes terribly confrontational and flies into hysterics."

“For example, what sort of manner do you mean?” “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 that was referring to Date, I suppose.” “But Detective, immediately after that, the words ‘And we don’t even know where that man comes from’ slipped from Mother’s lips.”

3 Touda began rubbing the backs of his hands alternately. This was a habit he invariably displayed when observing something with great interest or listening intently. "Hmm, that is rather peculiar." "Well... but as I've thought about it more since then, I've come to feel this strange notion—that Sadako might actually be a complete stranger, not my real sister at all..." "However, Miss Sadako certainly appears to be your father's child."

Touda declared these words with full conviction.

“Father’s child? Are you saying she isn’t Mother’s child?”

“That’s precisely the point. From what you’ve told me so far, if we’re to cast doubt on Miss Sadako’s parentage, that’s exactly where the doubt should fall.”

“That is exactly so.” “I too have come to believe that Sadako is not my sister—that she is not Mother’s child at all.” “That is why I think Mother opposed Father so vehemently.” “The reason I never once considered such a thing until now is that Mother was never cold toward Sadako.” “Until this year when the marriage issue and accompanying inheritance dispute arose, she had never once shown any signs of that.” “Sadako too, of course, seems to believe she is entirely the real child.” “That is why recently, Mother and Sadako’s relationship has completely deteriorated. When Mother becomes hysterical, she even speaks ill of Sadako in front of me.” “Sadako never openly spoke ill of Mother, but who knows what she truly thought in her heart… Just the other day, after Mother had a fierce argument with Father, she came to my room and—”

“If things continue like this, I will surely be killed.” “By Father, Sadako, or Date!”

...and with that, she began to weep uncontrollably. "I was startled and asked her why, but she absolutely refused to say. Even when questioned about various matters, Father did not utter a single word." "I have a question—even recently, Father had been exhibiting those fearful states quite frequently, hadn't he?" "Yes."

“Then, regarding Mother—while her talk of possibly being killed was no doubt a momentary outburst, did she still harbor some underlying fear?” “She was not particularly fearful under ordinary circumstances.” “But at night, she seemed to become extremely nervous.” “It may sound strange, 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. Father had to break through the outer door to enter. Considering this, I can’t help but think Mother must have harbored both fear and hatred toward Father.”

“Let me ask one more thing. Did your father’s fear seem focused solely on his own life? Or did he repeatedly warn all of you to stay vigilant?” “That has been said more and more frequently lately, just as I mentioned before. He had been urging both us children and Mother to remain constantly cautious.” “I see… So according to what’s been established, your mother came to resent your father. Then you began questioning Miss Sadako’s parentage. Though regarding Miss Sadako’s circumstances—that remains merely your suspicion…”

“No, it is not merely my suspicion.” “Finally, Mother spoke to me about it.”

4

“Mother did?” “Yes, and what’s more, it was last night. I saw Mother and Mr. Date speaking with strained expressions, and I knew Sadako had also been talking with Mother for quite some time. So I waited until Sadako had returned to her room, then quietly went to see Mother.”

“Ah, so that differs somewhat from what you told the prosecutor earlier.” “Earlier, you stated that you had been in your room the entire time, but…” “That is correct.” “But if I had told the truth at that time, I felt it would be too cruel, as suspicion would immediately fall on my sister and Mr. Date.”

“And what did your mother say?” He was still rubbing his hands when he took a cigarette and placed it between his lips. “Mother was terribly agitated and said many things, but ultimately—that Father is excessively concerned about Sadako and Date’s marriage for their sake.” “I am not opposed to the marriage itself, but I absolutely oppose the conditions.” “‘You must oppose Father with all your strength,’ she told me.” “So I thought this was the moment to resolve my doubts, and asked: ‘If Father is so overly concerned about those two’s welfare—then isn’t Sadako, though she’s my sister, not your child?’”

“Yeah, and then?” “When I did that, Mother suddenly fell silent for a while, but then abruptly turned to me with a pale face and asked, ‘Do you truly believe that girl is my child?’” “Then isn’t that the case?” I pressed again. Mother remained silent for a time, but soon, with a pained grimace, said, “I’ll explain all that to you properly tomorrow.” “There’s a profound reason behind this.” “My head is splitting with pain, so let’s stop this talk for today,” she said. “So I too could not press her any further.” “When I was about to return to my room, I said, ‘Mother, if you have a headache, why not take your medicine?’ She responded, ‘Ah, I have the medicine—but do you know what Sadako took the other day?’ When I said, ‘It was antipyrine, wasn’t it?’ she replied, ‘Then it should be safe to take.” “After all, it was something Sadako recommended.” “I was worried that...” she said. “With that, I returned to my room, but when I went to Mother’s room to say goodnight before bed, she was still awake.” “I think it was because Father was still awake.”

“By the way, given that Mother passed away last night, that secret ultimately died with her unknown to you.” “Yes.” “So your current conclusion in brief would be that either Sadako or Date—or both—are suspects regarding Mother’s death?” “It’s dreadful to voice such thoughts, but I can see no other possibility... Though this remains strictly between us.”

“You’re absolutely right.” “That’s why you didn’t tell the prosecutor, I suppose.” “Understood.” “By the way, you seem to enjoy detective novels.” It seemed the incident from last night’s Van Dine novel was still clinging to his mind, for he began asking such questions once again. “Yes, I do like them. I don’t find American ones very interesting, but I think Van Dine and such are quite good.” “How was *The Greene Murder Case*?”

“I consider it quite good.” “However, since I had figured out the culprit partway through.”

“Well, aren’t you impressive? That one’s quite difficult to figure out.” “But that culprit isn’t actually a blood relative of the family, is he? After all, there’s always one outsider hidden within a household.”

The Second Tragedy

1

Touda and Hiroko were still discussing detective novels at length, but I couldn't understand at all why Touda had chosen such a conversation, particularly under these circumstances. After some time, when Hiroko tried to announce her departure and leave, Touda—

“From now on, I will be visiting your home frequently, so I think it would be best if you yourself do not come here too often.” “Because people will talk.” “Ideally, it would be best if this incident doesn’t appear in the newspapers or such.”

he had been gently advising her, but then looked my way and said, "I know it's a bother, but could you see her off?" So just like yesterday, I hailed a taxi and escorted Hiroko to her family's gate. Though she insisted I come in for tea today, I declined and hurried back to Touda's office. "Hey." "Now it's truly becoming *The Greene Murder Case*, isn't it?"

I tried saying this abruptly upon returning to reignite his interest. "Yeah, there are similarities, and there are also significant differences."

Unexpectedly, he seemed to have lost all interest in this topic and only uttered this listlessly.

As mentioned earlier, this was the event of April 18th, and there was nothing more worth recording about this day.

Early on the 19th, an autopsy was conducted at the university which determined the cause of death to be mercuric chloride poisoning. I heard both Touda and Hayashida had gone to the university, but I didn't attend; after briefly stopping by my office, I accompanied Touda to visit the Aikawa residence. Both Inspector Takahashi and Hayashida were present, but their interrogations hadn't progressed much. The police evidently lacked conclusive evidence - no arrests were made, and superficially, the 19th passed uneventfully. With numerous relatives having gathered that day upon hearing of Tokuko's death, even Touda and Hayashida apparently found it difficult to conduct thorough interrogations.

On the afternoon of the following twentieth, a modest funeral was held.

The press proved characteristically swift—evening editions on the 18th had already run headlines like "Mysterious Incident at the Aikawa Residence" and "Bizarre Death of Mrs. Aikawa"—yet all newspapers strangely united the following day, their evening editions on the 19th proclaiming "Tokuko Aikawa's Death an Accident." Whether the Aikawa family head had pulled every string with the newspapers, whether the police had deliberately orchestrated such reports for their investigation, or whether the Aikawas and authorities had skillfully convinced press personnel of this narrative—I couldn’t say for certain—but regardless, it was widely reported that on the night of the seventeenth, Mrs. Aikawa had mistakenly taken a large dose of Shunzo’s sleeping pills while intending to consume headache medicine, thereby meeting with an accidental death.

So the public, though Detectives Touda and Hayashida had made their grand entrance, seemed to feel somewhat let down upon realizing it was actually an accidental death case.

Had nothing further occurred at the Aikawa household, the public might well have forgotten about Mrs. Aikawa’s mysterious incident then and there. Had that subsequent tragedy not occurred, the Aikawa household certainly would not have remained in people’s memory alongside the name ‘murderer.’

Yet, the second tragedy occurred unexpectedly within the same household. This fact—that prior notice had been given to Touda and Hayashida—was already known to you, the reader. However, the public naturally knew nothing of such matters. No, even I hadn’t truly believed in such a warning. However, the tragedy occurred far sooner than foretold. Without waiting for May 1st. On April 20th—the night of Mrs. Aikawa’s funeral—at an unexpected hour, an unforeseen person became the victim.

Who was killed?

Reader, I bid you imagine.

2 That said, it wasn’t as though the police had been idle until April 20th, nor had Detectives Touda and Hayashida simply stood by with folded hands in idleness. While detective novels often depict every remotely suspicious individual being rounded up one after another when murder occurs, in any law-governed nation, you naturally can’t just recklessly drag people in or lock them up based on mere suspicions like “That guy looks shady.”

Now, had they been dealing with vagrants without fixed addresses or individuals using aliases without steady occupations, the police might have immediately made arrests. However, those who had come under suspicion thus far were gentlemen with imposing residences in the business world and their families, along with servants, as well as a properly licensed pharmacist and his employees—all of whom caused the police to refrain from taking such a hardline approach.

As for Touda and Hayashida, all the more so—though they had been visiting the Aikawa residence frequently, their investigations seemed to make little progress due to being preoccupied.

I couldn’t even fathom whom Touda suspected. Knowing it was futile, on the night of the 19th, when I asked Touda about the prospects, he answered with evident bitterness. “I’ve no idea. “No leads at all. “It’s a shame I don’t have authority like the police. “We need to press that guy harder; otherwise, we can’t establish our primary strategy. “But wait one more day. “By tomorrow night—yes, once night falls—things should become somewhat clearer.”

Who was "that guy"? This was something I learned later: after conducting initial interrogations on the eighteenth, the prosecutor had apparently focused particularly on three individuals—Date Masao, Sadako, and Sada Yasuko—and under his instructions, Inspector Takahashi had summoned them to the police station through voluntary appearance procedures for intensive questioning. However, they obtained no concrete evidence. Though they pressed Yasuko quite harshly, nothing definitive emerged, and as previously mentioned, the twentieth arrived without a single suspect being detained.

However, at this time, because the newspapers had reported the so-called accidental death case, the public did not suspect anything, and not a shred of criticism arose against the police or detectives. As previously mentioned, on the afternoon of April 20th, a modest funeral was held. Indeed, owing to the master’s long-standing influence in the business world, a great many faces were in attendance. Touda and I both attended the ceremony, but once it concluded, since family members and a few relatives were to accompany the coffin for burial, we decided to return home for the time being.

Hayashida also seemed to have returned.

I returned home, changed out of my cumbersome frock coat into a lightweight suit, and immediately headed to Touda’s office—it was just past four in the evening. “Let’s go back there now—we’ve finally reached the crucial point,” he said. “But since the family might not have returned yet, let’s wait until dark to go check. You must have noticed—though the relatives came out of obligation, they all seemed vaguely suspicious about Mrs. Aikawa’s death this time and found it eerie. Come nightfall, they’ll all head home anyway. Why don’t we have a leisurely meal in Ginza first and head over at just the right time?”

The two then killed some time in Ginza, caught a round taxi, and headed toward the Aikawa residence—but by then, Ginza Street was already ablaze with red and blue lights, neon signs glaring playfully at the eyes, and night had completely fallen. At the Aikawa residence, the entire family had already returned home. Upon inquiring with the attendant, it turned out exactly as Touda had anticipated—all relatives had departed without exception, leaving only Hayashida, who had in fact arrived just a step ahead of us.

“Looks like we’re the ones running late today.” “Can’t let Hayashida-kun get ahead of us.” “We’ll start the investigation immediately.”

3 Touda and I were shown to the usual parlor immediately up the stairs to the right, but Touda seemed somehow restless.

One step behind us, the inspector arrived again and entered the parlor. Touda informed the maid who had brought tea of his desire to meet with the master as soon as possible, and before long, Shunzo appeared.

As soon as the initial greetings concluded, Touda inquired. "Mr. Aikawa, I understand Hayashida-kun has already arrived?"

“Ah, yes. It seems he arrived just now, and I spoke with him briefly.” “And now?” “He’s currently questioning that maid.” For some reason, Touda suddenly stood up and asked while placing his hand on the doorknob. “The maid—you mean Sada Yasuko?” “Yes.” “I see. Then I’ll go take a look too.” Having said that, he beckoned me and tried to leave the room in an unmistakably hurried manner.

“No, Mr. Touda, pressing her further won’t make a difference.” “I questioned her yesterday and today—her statement remains unchanged.” “There appears to be no falsehood in what she’s saying.” “Even Mr. Hayashida likely won’t progress beyond this point.” It was Inspector Takahashi who had spoken these words. “If you continue straight ahead here, he’s in the room to the right.” “Shall I guide you?”

Shunzo, startled by Touda’s demeanor, half-rose from his seat.

"No, that’s unnecessary."

When I followed him out into the corridor, Touda said in a low voice, “Hmm, Hayashida is indeed living up to his reputation." “He’s trying to break her down—to make her confess—just like I am.” “We can’t let him get ahead." “Never mind—let me investigate her too.”

Touda whispered. When we followed the master’s instructions, there was a large door on the right side of the stairs. Touda knocked while—

“Mr. Hayashida, it’s Touda. “Is it all right if I come in?”

At that moment, Hayashida’s voice came from within—

“Yeah, sure.” “Come on in.” A voice answered.

In response, Touda and I entered the room. What immediately caught my eye was Yasuko Sada’s face as she sat facing us. She appeared thoroughly interrogated by Hayashida—her complexion deathly pale, tear tracks stark around her eyes. The handkerchief clutched in her hand trembled pitifully. “Stubborn as a mule,” Hayashida declared. “Never dealt with a woman like this, Touda-kun. By all means—put that famous acumen of yours to work on her.” He leaned back, mustache twitching. “Or shall I make myself scarce?”

“No, no—I’ll try questioning her right here in front of you.”

With this, Touda began questioning Sada Yasuko rather calmly. “I can’t quite grasp what you’re saying. As I’ve asked repeatedly—on that day, did you go straight to Saigo and come straight back?” “Yes… It is exactly as I have just now told Mr. Hayashida.”

“When you say it’s exactly as you told Mr. Hayashida, does that mean there’s not the slightest discrepancy from what you said before?” “Yes…” Her answers remained consistent throughout. With Hayashida and me observing, Touda persistently interrogated Yasuko from every angle, but true to Inspector Takahashi’s words, even Touda couldn’t advance a single step beyond where matters had stood during the prosecutor’s questioning two days prior. Hayashida too—just as the inspector had noted—appeared unsuccessful, glaring bitterly at the woman. To him, Sada Yasuko’s demeanor seemed profoundly irritating.

4

While Touda continued questioning Yasuko in his usual calm tone, I took my first proper look around the room. This room was not a living room but rather what one might call a parlor—a space seemingly meant for receiving the young ladies’ close friends. Upon entering through the door we had come in, there was a fairly large piano placed along the left-hand wall, while the right-hand wall bore a splendid Western-style painting. Near the wall adjacent to the door, what appeared to be a stove kept there throughout winter was visible; the area had been hollowed out but was now concealed by a Western-style screen. Immediately above it, a mirror measuring approximately four feet by three feet was set into the wall.

The other furnishings in the room were all splendid, and together with the decorations of the other rooms, they fully conveyed the extent of the family’s wealth.

On the side opposite the door we had entered through, there were three large windows, and beyond them appeared to be a spacious garden, but as it was already dark, I couldn’t make out the details clearly.

In the corner where the garden-facing window and the wall with the Western-style painting met at a right angle sat a splendid Victrola (phonograph). Why, in the midst of pressing matters, have I gone to the trouble of describing such tedious details? Readers, I ask that you commit the state of this piano room firmly to memory. Because it will prove crucial in unraveling the tragedy that occurs later. Now, if Yasuko had been lying up to this point, then Touda’s questioning of her had, to put it simply, been entirely unsuccessful.

He still could not surpass Inspector Takahashi and Hayashida Eizo by even a single step. Had Touda finally given up? He turned to Hayashida. "I think this is enough for me, but are you done?" he said. "No—I'm finished as well," came the reply. "I've tried everything I could, but I still can't figure it out." "Well then, thanks for your trouble. You may return to your room now."

Told this by Touda, Yasuko finally seemed to relax as she rose from her chair and began moving toward the entrance door. Perhaps intending to console each other over their failure, Touda and Hayashida exchanged wry smiles. Touda then took out a cigarette case with his left hand, offered one to Hayashida, took one himself, snapped open a lighter with his right hand, and moved to light the cigarette Hayashida had placed between his lips. Just at that moment, a sound like a grass whistle drifted from the garden. Since the window stood open, I could hear it distinctly, though it carried no particular suspicion. I had assumed it was merely some neighborhood student or boy amusing himself by blowing on a leaf pressed to his mouth, but what struck me as strange was Yasuko's expression in that instant.

Touda and Hayashida were in the very act of lighting their cigarettes—each lighting the other's—so they might not have heard the grass whistle, but Yasuko hadn't noticed them either. At that moment, Yasuko was bowing lightly at the entrance and about to leave the room (whether coincidental or not, I couldn't discern at the time) when, no sooner had the sound of a grass whistle drifted through the window from afar than her face stiffened with alarm. To put it plainly, it was a look of shock and dread.

In an instant, she darted out through the door. At that moment, I was the only person who could connect Yasuko’s expression with the sound of that grass whistle. If I had immediately informed Touda and Hayashida about this matter right then and there, I might have been able to prevent the tragedy that occurred immediately afterward. But when events are fated to occur, there’s nothing to be done. How many times was I scolded by Touda and Hayashida merely because I hadn’t immediately told them about Yasuko’s expression at that moment?

5

After Yasuko left the room, Touda and Hayashida sat facing each other smoking cigarettes but said nothing for some time. It was Hayashida who suddenly broke the silence. “By the way, I’d like to meet with the young lady here again… What will you do?” “Yeah, I’ll go see the master.”

“Where’s the master now?”

“He’s talking with Inspector Takahashi in the reception room.” “Then you go meet the young lady.” “Because there’s something I must ask the master.” The two men stood up and attempted to leave the room. When they opened the door, Hiroko and Shuntaro were standing right outside. As I have not yet had the opportunity to introduce Shuntaro in detail to the readers, I should clearly record his description here. (When I came to this house on the 18th, the boy had not been home. Later, I learned that the master, not wanting to let news of his wife’s unusual death spread outside and insisting that missing school was unacceptable, had sent Shuntaro to school that day after all.)

He was fifteen years old and a second-year middle school student—a refined, handsome boy with plump white cheeks faintly flushed red. At that moment, he wore a splashed-pattern kimono with a heko obi, cutting a lively figure. "Oh, were you gentlemen here?"

“Hiroko-san, and you?” “I... I’m heading to Father’s room. There’s some business I need to attend to.” “Is that so? Well, this works perfectly—I was just going to see your father myself. In fact, there’s something I’d like to ask him with you present—would that be agreeable?” It was Touda who posed this. “Yes, that would be most suitable. I had hoped you might suggest exactly that.” Touda started moving toward the reception room with Hiroko.

Then Hayashida asked Hiroko, “Where is Sadako-san?”

“Well, I’m not certain, but she’s probably in her own room on the second floor, wouldn’t she be?” “Then I’ll go meet Miss Sadako… Shuntaro-kun, will you come along?”

“I don’t want to.” “I’m gonna listen to the phonograph here.” “This is truly troubling, I must say.” “He insists on playing the phonograph at a time like this.” “This person loves listening to records every single day, so he insists on doing it today as well.”

"But Sis," protested Shuntaro, his plump cheeks flushing with adolescent frustration. "Every day's been nothing but awful stuff lately—I can't take it anymore! The Funeral March should be fine though." He gestured defiantly at the phonograph. "I'm playing it now!" Hiroko sighed, the gold ring on her finger catching the light as she adjusted her kimono sleeves. "You're truly impossible. At least use the bamboo needle quietly," she chided, though her voice softened at the edges. "Father will scold you if he hears." With a final resigned glance at her brother, Hiroko turned toward the reception room where Touda waited, his angular frame silhouetted against the paper door. Hayashida's footsteps echoed up the western staircase as Shuntaro slipped into the piano room, his child-sized sash fluttering behind him. The reception room's atmosphere tightened like a coiled spring when we entered—Shunzo's teacup froze midway to his lips while Inspector Takahashi's pen hovered above his notebook. Their interrupted conversation hung heavy between us, thicker than the incense smoke curling from the family altar.

“Are you in the middle of a discussion?”

Touda said. “No—we’ve already finished,” said the Inspector. “Then I’d like to have a word with the master.” “Today, I’d like Miss Hiroko to remain present as we hear your account.” There was something solemn in Touda’s voice. Shunzo clearly seemed surprised but was trying to conceal his expression. Once everyone had taken their seats, Touda began speaking.

“Mr. Aikawa. Why have you been concealing important matters from us?”

6 "You are concealing a matter of grave importance from me." "I have heard the full details from Hiroko-san."

Touda said this and stared intently at Aikawa Shunzo’s face. Just at that moment, I heard a record from the piano room sending out a beautiful melody. It was an extremely faint piano sound, but unmistakably, that was the opening section of Chopin’s Funeral March. “First and foremost, I want to clearly understand why you have received threatening letters and are hiding them.” “Secondly, the individual named Date Masao…”

"He is not a suspicious person in the slightest!" "That may be so... but I wish to hear about the relationship between that young man and yourself." Aikawa Shunzo seemed stunned upon hearing these words, but he offered no reply and silently stared back at Touda. Touda also said nothing. At that moment, a brief silence enveloped this room. The sound of the record came through even more clearly. "Hey, Hiroko! Who's doing that? Making that noise at a time like this—"

Suddenly, Shunzo asked Hiroko. "But Shun-chan insists on doing it no matter what I say, I tell you."

“It’s no good.” “Go make him stop right away.” “And bring Shuntaro here.” “That boy is utterly hopeless!” Whether he was truly angry or merely feigning rage to evade Touda’s interrogation, he spoke harshly to Hiroko regardless. Having reached a critical juncture in the questioning, Hiroko seemed reluctant to leave and cast a pleading glance toward Touda. Assessing the situation, I stood up and abruptly dashed toward the door,

“I’ll go. I’ll go and stop him.” “Ah, Kogawa. You go and tell Shuntaro that.” When Touda said this to me, I rushed out of the room alone, paying no heed to Shunzo’s persistent attempts to say something, and hurried back to the piano room. As I knocked, I opened the door—but to my surprise, no one was in the room, and wasn’t it just the Victrola alone still making its pleasant sound?

I immediately ran over to the Victrola and hurriedly opened its lid. Just as the record was beginning to play that exquisitely graceful trio section unique to Chopin, I hurriedly raised the tonearm, stopped the rotation, and immediately returned to the parlor.

(As was later determined through detailed investigation, the record Shuntaro had left playing at that time was the Victor version of Chopin’s Op.35 *Funeral March* performed by Ignace Jan Paderewski. The point where I stopped it was precisely at the beginning of the trio section. Through Touda’s later hands-on experiments, it was found that reaching this point from the start required approximately one minute and twenty seconds of playback at standard rotation speed.) “I’m truly obliged.” Shunzo said to me in a genuinely apologetic manner.

“No… But Shuntaro-kun wasn’t in that room.”

“What? Shuntaro-kun isn’t here? Did he leave the record playing?” It was Touda who exclaimed in surprise. “He must have gone to the bathroom or something.” Hiroko said this as if it were nothing.

“That’s odd. Something’s wrong. Please go check on Shuntaro-kun. Kogawa, you come along too.” Touda, visibly agitated, urged Hiroko and me.

7 Hiroko and I hurried out into the hallway. To be thorough, we checked the piano room again, but Shuntaro remained nowhere in sight. We called out from outside the bathroom door but received no reply. Climbing halfway up the stairs together, we shouted Shuntaro's name to no avail. He didn't appear to be on the second floor either. Hiroko took the lead down the staircase and turned left immediately. Following behind her, I saw a corridor jutting out beside the piano room—specifically behind the wall where the piano stood—with a glass door that provided access to the garden.

“Oh, the door’s open. And there are slippers here.”

Hiroko pointed to the slippers discarded under the half-opened door. "Oh, the garden clogs are missing! He must have gone out into the garden perhaps," she said quickly. "Anyway, let's tell Touda."

As no great insight came to me in this situation, I hurried back to the parlor with Hiroko. Touda immediately stood up when we returned, looking deeply troubled about something. "Hey, didn't you find him?" "Yeah, he doesn't seem to be in the bathroom or upstairs." When I said this, Hiroko stepped forward from beside me and continued. "It appears he may have gone out to the garden." "There are slippers left in the hallway and the garden clogs are missing..."

Touda said nothing and suddenly grabbed Inspector Takahashi’s shoulder. “Inspector Takahashi—this might turn into something terrible!” “To the garden—immediately!” “Not a moment to lose!”

After saying this, he left behind the astonished Inspector Takahashi, Shunzo, and me and dashed out to the entrance. Because his panic was extraordinary, both Inspector Takahashi and Shunzo seemed quite startled. Particularly Inspector Takahashi—true to his role—appeared to instantly grasp Touda’s intent and immediately scrambled into his shoes at the entrance. Not wanting to fall behind them, I too rushed to the entrance and followed Touda and Inspector Takahashi while scrambling into my shoes.

Exiting the entrance and immediately turning left, passing beneath the parlor window where we had just been, there was a gate. Opening this led to the garden. Touda, the inspector, and I couldn’t help but be abruptly perplexed the moment we opened the gate. This was because from here, the interior of the piano room we had just been in was immediately visible to our left, but on the opposite side—that is, toward the garden—it was literally pitch black, making it utterly impossible to discern where one might go or how to proceed. (Despite being so cautious, why on earth did Shunzo not install a single electric light in such a vast garden—a garden that backed onto a dense forest at that? Later, upon hearing about it, it seems Shunzo had of course noticed this as well. There were various theories—some argued that darkness was safer, others that light was safer—and in the end, he apparently decided to keep it dark. Did he intend to blend into the darkness and take refuge when the time came? In any case, considering the outcome of this incident, I believe that having lights lit around the house would undoubtedly pose less danger.)

“This is bad. I didn’t know it would be this dark. Someone get a flashlight—” When Touda said this, Shunzo came chasing after him immediately from behind.

“Flashlight?” “It’s in my room.” “Ms. Aikawa, right away—go get it right away!” While saying this, Touda glared ahead intently and advanced two or three steps into the darkness without hesitation.

At that moment, Hiroko's figure appeared at the glass door descending to the piano room from earlier.

“Hiroko! Hurry! Bring the flashlight from my room!” Shunzo shouted. Hiroko vanished from sight at once.

Gruesome Corpse

1

From when Hiroko disappeared until she reappeared—though it was truly less than two minutes—Touda wore an expression as if he had been waiting a year or ten. His gaze, abnormally tense and unlike his usual self, showed unmistakable unease. The inspector too, appearing 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.

“Come on, anywhere’s fine—we’re going south, deeper into the back. Let’s check that area.” “That place that looks like a forest—over there...” Touda started walking ahead with single-minded focus.

Therefore, I felt it necessary to clearly document the layout of the house and garden at this point; otherwise, what I was about to describe might not be clear to the reader.

What I depicted here was something I had merely jotted down in my notebook as a reminder; it was by no means an accurate diagram. To clarify, while the ratio between the land area and building space was rather roughly approximated here, please understand that this was generally how the house was situated on such a property. Though I later learned the land exceeded 2,000 tsubo—meaning it should have appeared vastly larger than the house in an accurate diagram—I drew it as shown above for visual clarity.

In other words, we exited the entrance, proceeded in the direction indicated by the dotted line, opened the gate, and leaped into the garden. When Touda said "the back," he was referring to the southern direction, where trees grew thick as a forest in the area labeled AB. (What AB represents will become clear shortly.) With my poor sense of distance, I cannot clearly record how far we advanced southward from the gate, but within what constituted the garden of the present-day house, I had the distinct feeling that we had progressed quite significantly.

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 insensitive as I was couldn’t help but startle. “Hey, there it is.” “There it is.” “We’ll make it in time.” Having said this, Touda darted toward the white object. The inspector ran after him, not wanting to fall behind. Shunzo and I arrived slightly late, but when I approached the white object for the first time, I involuntarily— “This is ghastly!”

I exclaimed.

Wasn’t this Shuntaro—who had been so full of life until just moments ago—now lying here as a ghastly corpse? And what’s more, this was no ordinary death. The body was completely naked.

The body lay on its back with legs spread wide toward us, a kimono crumpled beneath them. Both arms were twisted behind the back and likely bound at the wrists with the sash he had been wearing; the ends were tightly knotted around the groin area, wrapped twice around. The upper half of his beautiful face was covered in blood—could it be from a wound? What was even more bizarre was that the loincloth had been torn off and discarded, and the thin knit undershirt had been ripped to shreds, leaving the body completely exposed as described earlier.

The moment I screamed right after, an eerie groaning sound reached us. When I turned around, Shunzo was staggering unsteadily and beginning to collapse. "This won't do. We can't let him see his child in this state. It's cerebral anemia. You—quickly carry him away and look after him. Then contact the police immediately..." "I'll handle the police. Mr. Kogawa, take Mr. Aikawa away at once, then please call Hayashida." Having said this, Inspector Takahashi dashed toward the gate.

While tending to Shunzo, I headed toward the glass door entrance.

2

As I was heading toward the glass door entrance, Hiroko was about to come this way wearing geta.

“Hiroko-san, your father has had a slight case of brain anemia.”

“Oh!”

She rushed over as she said this, but since Shunzo had nearly recovered and seemed able to walk somewhat, I entrusted him to Hiroko. Hiroko looked at me with an anxious gaze. “Um… Did something happen? Is my brother…?” Even though she would find out soon enough anyway, I thought there was no way to tell her the truth now, so I didn’t answer that. “Where is Hayashida-kun?” I had just asked this when, at that very moment, Hayashida—who was in Sadako’s room on the second floor—apparently startled by the commotion, stuck his head out the window,

“Hey, Hayashida-kun! Get down here right now!” “What?” “Alright, I’m coming right now.” Hearing this exchange—Touda from the garden and Hayashida from the second floor—I felt reassured, “Hiroko-san, let’s take your father with us for now.”

While saying this, I went up into the house with Hiroko and took Shunzo down to the Japanese-style room.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from the second floor heading toward the glass door entrance—it was Detective Hayashida. I told Hiroko to summon Dr. Kisawa for Shunzo’s sake for now and returned to where Shuntaro’s corpse lay (namely, Point A).

Touda and Hayashida were standing nearby. "What a monster," Touda said, "to do this to such a lovely boy. Struck here with a stone or something. No use. He's completely gone." He pointed at the boy's crown as he spoke. Hayashida responded in his characteristically grave tone, "But why strip him entirely naked?... Even removing his loincloth..."

Hayashida said in a grave tone. “Well, since we can’t touch anything until the police arrive, might as well search for the murder weapon or something.” While saying this, Touda began walking through the thick trees, shining his flashlight downward as he went. This was half out of gentlemanly courtesy toward his rival Hayashida Eizo, but also because he himself had surely been able to observe the corpse thoroughly at least until I returned to the scene—undoubtedly, his intention was to let the late-arriving Hayashida examine the body by himself.

Still, while thinking how ironic it was for Touda to take the crucial flashlight and leave Hayashida alone in the darkness, I immediately followed after him. But Hayashida, being no ordinary man, properly took out a small flashlight from his pocket and began closely examining Shuntaro’s pale corpse. (In this regard, one could indeed say Touda had lost to Hayashida.) At that moment, Touda deeply regretted not having prepared a flashlight himself. Therefore, from that time onward, he always kept a penlight 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 triumphant, could not continue his investigation for long.

When I had followed Touda about twenty ken eastward, I noticed something suspicious again in the distance.

“Hey, there’s something over there!”

I grabbed Touda's arm.

He illuminated the area with his light for a while, then said, “It might just be as I thought.”

While saying this, he hurriedly approached the spot. "Yeah, just as I thought." "What?" "Sada Yasuko's been killed."

3 When I approached in surprise and looked, exactly as he had said, Sada Yasuko lay there on her back. Touda was placing his hand on the corpse,

“It’s no good—this one’s beyond saving too.” “She’s completely dead.” He glanced back at me.

Sada Yasuko’s corpse appeared considerably disheveled at first glance. Signs that she had resisted were also visible.

The kimono was exactly as we had seen earlier, but the collar had come undone, exposing her up to her breasts and spread open to near both shoulders. Her right hand was stretched out on the ground while her left hand rested on her chest, both tightly clenched into fists as though she had tried to seize something in her death throes. Her hair was quite disheveled, though it did not appear as though she had been dragged about. "This one was strangled at the throat, you see. Look here. See how the color has changed?"

Touda, who was closely examining the corpse under the flashlight, said this to me. Indeed, the area around the throat was severely discolored. It must have been tightly constricted by something.

At that moment,

“Hey, did something happen?”

Hayashida’s grave voice rang out. When I looked, Hayashida was approaching from the other side, shining his flashlight. “It’s the maid—the one from earlier was killed!”

Touda answered with slight excitement.

“Sada Yasuko?” “Damn it! This is catastrophic!” As Hayashida’s agitated voice drew closer, he rushed to the corpse and pressed his hands against it exactly as Touda had done. “Damn it all! They’ve eliminated our crucial witness!” “Exactly. Exactly. This means we’ve hit another major obstacle.” Touda bit his lip in clear frustration. “I’d feared something like this might occur… but never imagined it would happen so swiftly.”

Touda muttered this as if speaking to himself and took out his cigarette case for the first time; pulling out a cigarette, putting it in his mouth, and immediately lighting it.

“Inspector Takahashi, there’s another body here.” “Here it is.” “This way! This way!” Suddenly, Hayashida looked toward the gate and began frantically waving his flashlight to signal. When I turned around, Inspector Takahashi appeared to have finished his phone call; carrying a flashlight in hand, he was walking from the gate toward Shuntaro’s corpse.

I cannot detail here all the autopsies, searches, interrogations, and other procedures that took place at the Aikawa residence over the next hour. Because I believe that would only pointlessly trouble the reader. Therefore, I will narrate the progression of events very simply.

It was precisely around 8:50 PM on April 20th that we discovered the two corpses. While standing beside Sada Yasuko’s corpse with Touda and Hayashida, I tried to light a cigarette with my lighter and looked at the wristwatch on my left hand at that moment—it showed exactly 8:52 PM. Then after about seven minutes had passed, several detectives from the police and Dr. Nohara arrived. Meanwhile, it appeared the incident had been reported to the Metropolitan Police Department, and after about twenty minutes had passed, Chief Inspector Sawazaki, Technician Tanaka, and detectives arrived at the scene.

On this moonless night, the sight of uniformed police officers—holding electric lights and paper lanterns—moving left and right around two corpses in the pitch-dark grove gave people an indescribably bizarre terror.

As the reader knows, Shuntaro and Yasuko had in fact been speaking with us just seven or eight minutes prior. The murderer had finally begun to reveal their true nature. Two lives snatched away in but a fleeting moment! And with such savagery! It was no dream. It was cold reality.

4 Now that the authorities had arrived on the scene and begun their work—whether because Touda thought it better to show some discretion or because he had some other concern in mind—he suddenly urged me onward. “Why don’t we check the back entrance?” With that, we stepped out from the shade of the trees and began walking. “Right, I should go comfort the master too.” As if declaring, “I’m not going to stick around picking up your scraps,” Hayashida also emerged unsteadily from the grove and headed toward the main house, passing by the pond on his way to the familiar glass-paned entrance.

“Hey, Kogawa, I still haven’t fully studied the layout of this house. Why don’t we go around to the back entrance?” When Touda suddenly spoke, I signaled my agreement with a nod. He did not head toward the pond but instead began walking eastward—farther east than Point B, where Yasuko’s corpse had been found. It was as if Hayashida and Touda were squabbling like children. It was as if Touda were declaring to Hayashida, “If you’re going straight ahead, then I’ll take the detour.”

Hayashida, as if declaring "Be my guest," comported himself with an air of nonchalance and entered the house through the glass-paned entrance. When I looked at the main house from the thicket where the body had lain, I could see a truly splendid Western-style mansion lying east to west. To the left was the entrance, and at the far right were the maids' quarters. Between the main house and where the maids stayed was a small corridor, and at the point where this covered walkway (depicted as narrow in the diagram) connected to the main house, there was one exit leading to the garden.

Keeping that on our left and walking along the eastern wall, we came to an impressive back gate.

Suddenly, someone emerged from the darkness and shone a light on us, but immediately a familiar voice was heard.

“Oh, Mr. Touda?” That was a uniformed police officer. “After the murder occurred, I went out to inspect the residence.” “Are you standing guard here?” “Ah yes. We’ve temporarily blocked all movement in and out.” “A police cordon has been set up throughout Ushigome Ward, so they’ll likely be caught by tonight.”

After that, the two of them conversed for a while using what seemed to me like some sort of code or jargon. (This, Touda later explained to me, was terminology used between police officers and criminals.) “Well, thank you for your hard work.” Presently, Touda parted from the police officer after saying this and, keeping the back gate to his right as he surveyed the area, proceeded to walk along the northern wall. After watching the interior from outside for a while but finding nothing particularly amiss, we retraced our steps with the back gate now to our left and attempted to enter the main house through the familiar covered walkway entrance.

Touda was taking off his shoes while turning toward me, "You know, it seems the kitchen and maids’ rooms lie to your right from here." "There doesn’t appear to be anything unusual on this side." "Well then, shall we go pay our respects to the master?" he said, but I had already dashed up to the main house’s corridor ahead of him. There, slippers lay scattered haphazardly in great numbers. "My goodness, did the daytime guests leave their shoes strewn about like this?" "They must have provided these slippers in this house for those who avoided using the main entrance." "I think I’ll borrow a pair."

Touda came up from behind while saying this. At that moment, by sheer chance, as he failed to slip his right foot into the slipper and staggered, he simultaneously sent the slipper flying sideways. He put on another pair of slippers but, upon seeing the one he had kicked off, muttered to himself. "Hmm, this is strange."

5

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, it’s nothing—but have a look at these slippers. The soles are caked with dirt, aren’t they?” Having said this, he became engrossed in inspecting the fifteen or sixteen slippers laid out, examining them one after another, until finally turning to me and speaking in a commanding tone. “Hey, you—take off those slippers and show them to me.” As I removed both slippers as instructed, he began inspecting the one I had been wearing on my left foot.

“Look here. The sole of this one’s also covered in dirt, I tell you.” He looked at my face but— “Well, never mind. It’s not related to you. But I need you to set this one apart from the others. Otherwise there’ll be trouble...”

He said this while taking the single slipper in hand and started walking, but suddenly stopped.

“Hey you, taking even a single slipper would make you a thief.” “Then wouldn’t it be fine if we just take it quietly without saying anything? If we properly told the master…” “No, let’s leave it be.” “It’s not that important.” “But you mustn’t breathe a word to anyone about me noticing this now, I tell you.”

He said this and promptly discarded the pair of slippers he had just located with a thud, slipped on another pair, and briskly began walking down the corridor.

This slipper episode may seem utterly trivial, but as numerous points will later fall into place, I would ask readers to commit it well to memory.

When they entered the sitting room, inside were gathered all the members of the Aikawa family—utterly worn down by successive misfortunes—their faces ashen. Among those outside the family, there were only Date and Hayashida. The master had already regained his courage but seemed disinclined to speak. Hiroko, Sadako, and even the third sister Hatsue were doing nothing but fidgeting nervously. “Mr. Date, did you just arrive now?” said Touda. “Yes, I rushed here in a hurry and have only just arrived.”

“Mr. Date left here when we arrived—first returning home to change from a kimono into his uniform—and has now come back.”

Hayashida explained from nearby. “Miss Sadako was indeed in the upstairs room throughout this disturbance, correct?” Touda posed this rather blunt question—though not directly—to Hayashida. At that moment, as Sadako flushed crimson and looked downward, I felt a pang of sympathy. “Ah, Miss Sadako had been conversing with me.” “I was conducting various inquiries in Miss Sadako’s room.” “Precisely—when you leaned out the window earlier, Miss Sadako subsequently appeared at hers as well, yes?” “And what of Miss Hatsue?”

“That Hatsue was apparently talking in the maid’s room.” “Since she had been entirely unrelated to the investigation until today, I deliberately told her to go over there.” Taking Hatsue’s place, Hiroko said with a smile, and furthermore,

“At that time in the maid’s room, Shima, Hisa, and Kiyo were present. Since everyone there says so, it must be certain.”

she added. “Actually, I just called each of those three individually and inquired about the maids’ movements. It appeared certain that since we arrived, the three maids and Miss Hatsue had been over there the entire time.” “However, regarding Yasuko—after we questioned her, she never once showed her face in the maids’ room.” “So everyone still thought we were investigating Yasuko.” “If you’d like, shall I call everyone again and ask them?”

Hayashida said this to Touda.

6

“No—if you’ve already heard it here now, that’s fine. …In truth, it was an appalling affair.” Touda finally said this to the master, but Shunzo merely nodded without uttering a word. Or rather, he was likely unable to speak. “Given that the culprit dared commit such an atrocity right before Inspector Takahashi, Mr. Hayashida, and myself, they must be an exceptionally formidable individual." “But please rest assured.” “When the police, Mr. Hayashida, and I unite our efforts, we will most certainly apprehend the culprit.”

"That's right. Mr. Aikawa, you must stay strong. Either I, Touda-kun, or the police will surely apprehend the culprit!" Even after hearing this from the two renowned detectives, the master showed scarcely any sign of reassurance. Little wonder—as Touda himself had stated—this atrocity had been perpetrated in mockery of those three formidable authorities. The celebrated detectives themselves could take no pride in the situation. With palpable discomfort, they both stood up.

“To you both, I must ask that you tell the police not to interrogate us parent and child too harshly.” “After being questioned so thoroughly only to meet with such tragic results...” The master, who had remained silent until now, suddenly began saying these things. Touda and Hayashida appeared to have no response—they left the room with bitter smiles. Then we were once again led to the parlor near the entrance hall. “Touda-kun, you used the word ‘alliance’ earlier—but this time, I believe we’re past competition. We must cooperate to face the culprit.”

“Of course.” “I’ve been thinking exactly the same thing.”

“So as a token of our alliance, I’ll tell you one thing about today that you don’t know.” “Earlier, after I questioned Sada Yasuko and went up to the second floor, Date—who should have already left—was standing in front of Sadako’s room having a conversation with her.” “When I asked what he was doing there, he said he’d left the house but remembered something he needed to do, so he came in through the back entrance—likely meaning the corridor entrance.” “You probably know this already, but there are stairs from the back entrance too.”

“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 earlier commotion when the maid went to check Date’s house, she found him completely alone—the hired help happened to be out at the time.” “I see. So in fact, after parting with you, it remains unclear whether Date went straight home and has been there ever since.”

“That’s right. However, since only about ten or fifteen minutes had passed from when I parted with Date until the incident occurred and then the maid went to fetch him, it’s no wonder that when the maid arrived, he was just putting on his jacket.” “However, in any case, Date’s alibi is by no means perfect. Now, as for the members of this household—the master was in this room with me at the time of the incident, and Hiroko was also here. Sadako was being questioned by you on the second floor, so that’s confirmed, and Hatsue was apparently in the maid’s room the whole time, right?”

“That’s right. Therefore, within the family, every last one of them has a perfect alibi. At the very least, we have to say there’s no one directly involved in the crime.”

“To be strictly precise, aside from Date, the one who cannot establish an alibi would be Steward Sasada over there—” (here Touda pointed toward the parlor door) “—but we did see him come out of his room when we rushed to the entrance.”

Steward Sasada’s room was located on the left side after entering through the entrance hall—that is, on the opposite side of the corridor from the parlor. “In the end, I have no choice but to conclude that the culprit must be an outsider.” Hayashida said as he lit a cigarette.

7

Just at that moment, a clamor of voices arose outside the window as the Metropolitan Police detectives and local police officers returned, having completed their initial on-site investigation and search. As Touda, Hayashida, and I waited in the parlor, six or seven people—led by the Investigation Division Chief of the main headquarters and members of the criminal investigation division—entered. Touda and Hayashida appeared to be acquainted with these individuals and were exchanging warm greetings.

The parlor instantly transformed into an emergency conference room regarding the current incident. It was there that Touda and Hayashida were first able to hear the authorities' findings from their on-site investigation. According to these results, the police personnel had been quite active at the scene.

The main points of what I heard at that time are recorded as follows.

(1) Shuntaro's corpse lay faceup beside the maple tree, its head oriented southwest with legs spread wide in the shape of the character 'dai'. It had been confirmed as homicide. The body was completely nude except for remnants of a torn shirt clinging near the shoulders. The clothing lay beneath the corpse; the shirt appeared ripped away and the fundoshi forcibly removed. His hands were bound behind his back with a heko-obi sash, whose end had been wound around his throat three and a half times and tightly secured, completely arresting respiration.

There was a single blunt force laceration slightly closer to the forehead than the crown, which was bleeding profusely. At first glance this appeared to be the fatal wound, its depth sufficiently reaching the periosteum and damaging the bone. However, since strangulation via the sash wound around the throat remained a possibility, whether bludgeoning or strangulation directly caused death could not be determined without an autopsy. Whichever occurred first, temporally they could only have been separated by twenty to thirty seconds at most.

Additionally, abrasions were present on the skin of the bound wrists. There were no signs of sexual assault. (This final line, though it may seem superfluous, appears to have been included by the officials as they verified the removal of the fundoshi.) The corpse still retained warmth, suggesting the crime had been committed twenty to thirty minutes before the autopsy. (The reader is already well aware of this point.) Moreover, next to the corpse, a pair of what appeared to be garden geta lay scattered.

(2) The area around Shuntaro's corpse lay beneath thick trees where the soil retained some moisture. Distinct footprints proved difficult to identify, though faint shoe prints facing eastward were eventually discernible. The undisturbed grass thickets showed no signs of struggle or violent confrontation. (These so-called shoe prints were later determined to have belonged to Touda, Hayashida, and myself.) (3) Approximately eighteen meters southeast of Shuntaro's body, investigators discovered a fist-sized stone coated in blood within the grass. Given its correlation with the head wound, this stone was deemed the probable murder weapon.

(4) Sada Yasuko’s corpse was determined to be a homicide. Manual strangulation; she appeared to have been killed with both hands. There were signs of resistance. There were no indications of sexual assault. The body lay with its head facing east. A large bruise likely sustained immediately before death was found on the right upper arm. This was presumed to have been caused by grasping with a human hand. The time of death nearly coincided with Shuntaro’s. However, it remained unclear which victim had been killed first.

(5) At the southeastern corner of the mansion stood a large cherry tree that extended out to the perimeter wall. The culprit likely climbed over the outer wall to descend into the garden, committed the crime, then exited through the original path—soil seemingly adhering to bare toes was found on the outer side of the wall. Furthermore, soil from bare toes had been left on the cherry tree trunk as well.

(6) Furthermore, Yasuko had collapsed while still wearing her geta.

(It was later discovered that these geta were her own.)

Touda's Observations

1.

Excluding minor details, the major points that had been determined were as described above.

Since there was evidence that someone had climbed over the stone wall on the south side of the Aikawa residence and escaped through the same route, a squad of police officers immediately began searching that area after completing their on-site investigation. The alert police authorities, upon hearing of the murder, had immediately established a police cordon—as could already be inferred from the earlier constable’s statement—but now that traces of an intruder had been found, the investigation likely began proceeding with even greater thoroughness and agility. Furthermore, police teams were dispatched in all directions to investigate the background and past associations of the victim, Sada Yasuko. As the reader already knows, Yasuko had only been at the Aikawa household for ten days, and as she had been placed there through Keian’s agency, her prior whereabouts and activities remained entirely unknown.

This seemed somewhat unusual as a hiring practice for someone as cautious as Aikawa Shunzo, but given that Shunzo had entrusted all domestic staffing matters to his wife Tokuko and relied on her judgment, it appeared Yasuko had been employed through Tokuko’s personal approval. Meanwhile, police investigators thoroughly examined the Aikawa family members’ movements during the crime period. Regarding this matter, Touda, Hayashida, and I—serving as official witnesses—methodically verified every verifiable detail. The findings aligned with what had been indicated in Touda and Hayashida’s earlier discussion: no family member appeared to have ventured outdoors.

As for the servants, the three maids had remained in their maids' quarters throughout, and Steward Sasada had briefly appeared in the reception room to answer a few questions from Inspector Takahashi while we were in the piano room. Furthermore, when we rushed out, Inspector Takahashi and Touda witnessed him emerging from that very room, making it unlikely that this elderly man had gone outside either.

Among those closely connected to the Aikawa household, Date Masao faced the greatest difficulty in substantiating his whereabouts during that period.

He had left through the back entrance just before we arrived at the Aikawa residence. However, after some time had passed, he appeared in front of Sadako’s second-floor room. It seems Date himself acknowledged this, and both Hayashida and Sadako stated the same. However, his subsequent actions were unclear to anyone. According to his own account, after being told by Hayashida to return home immediately, he obediently complied and, strolling out through the back entrance once more, made his way back to his house.

It was at this moment, as he was removing his crested formal kimono and changing into his uniform at his house, that the maid came to report the incident. (According to later investigations by the authorities, traveling from the Aikawa residence’s back gate to Date’s house at his stated strolling pace took approximately ten minutes.) Therefore, it could not be said that his testimony was false. However, this conclusion was only valid under the hypothesis that Date had been moving at a strolling pace. If this young man—particularly given that he was a rugby player—had sprinted like a gust of wind, he could have covered this short distance in three minutes. (Therefore, it remained unknown what he had done during the remaining five or six minutes.)

What particularly disadvantaged Date was that the old woman he customarily employed happened to be absent from his house at that time, leaving no one who could verify his claim of having returned home directly without any deviation from his usual routine. The inspector’s interrogation of Date proved exceptionally harsh. The pitiable Sadako—who until now had silently clenched her teeth through every sorrow and anguish—finally reached her limit, “Is everyone… suspecting Mr. Date…?”

she had merely asked Hayashida in a pleading tone.

2. At that very moment, Touda stood right beside Sadako, with me next in line, so she could have addressed either Touda or me—yet it appeared Sadako placed greater trust in Hayashida than in us. Of course, considering Touda and I had come here at Hiroko's request—she who from the outset seemed to harbor no goodwill toward Sadako—this was hardly surprising. Hayashida, for his part, proved unable to offer any definitive statements and instead kept murmuring vague assurances while attempting to soothe Sadako.

The investigation by the police and headquarters personnel, having lasted over two hours, was finally decided to be temporarily suspended. All that remained was to wait for the preliminary judge and prosecutor from the court to arrive at the scene. “Given that no one coming today would likely uncover anything further, shall we take our leave?” Touda urged me while glancing at his wristwatch. I immediately agreed to this, bid farewell to everyone, and headed to the entrance. Hiroko came to see us off.

“Oh right—we came in through the back. The shoes are over there.” As Touda turned around sharply, I too recalled “Ah, right” and followed after him. “Oh, the footwear is over there. Please wait here—I’ll go fetch them right away.”

Despite our attempts to stop her, Hiroko hurried down the corridor. Touda walked to the front of the piano room from earlier. "Hey, I want to ask you something—when you came here earlier looking for Shuntaro, was the door properly closed?"

“Hmm, well, I think I opened it right when I knocked, so yeah, it was definitely closed.” “Well then, let’s take a look inside for a moment.” He entered the room ahead of me.

“By the way, Kogawa. “I think I’ll try to recall the days when we were young music enthusiasts back then.”

Abruptly, Touda came out with this strange remark. “When I was in the reception room and the Victrola started playing, I immediately thought, ‘This must be Chopin.’” “And if my memory serves me correctly, by the time you rushed here, this record of Mr. Paderewski’s had already progressed quite far into that trio section, I believe.” I was impressed by the sharpness of Touda’s observation in that split second.

“Yeah, I remembered. When I lifted the gooseneck, it was definitely playing that part. See, there was that time when we listened to this record somewhere, and you said Pachmann’s was better than Paderewski’s—that trio section, right?” “However, we must now thank Paderewski. Had this record been Pachmann’s, even if Shuntaro-kun used the gold needle against his elder sister’s orders like this, it wouldn’t have been heard so clearly.”

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

“This is strange.” “Look here—this record has accumulated considerable dust.” “But where the needle passed, you can clearly see the dust has been swept away.” “Yet this cleaned portion only spans three or four minutes.” Having said this, he took the bamboo needle beside him, started playing the record from the beginning, and stared wide-eyed into the Victrola. The Funeral March began playing anew. But before reaching that beautiful section—midway through the A part of the ABA form—Touda suddenly halted the rotation.

3. “Hmm, it ends right here.” “What do you mean?”

“The clean part—it’s not about the music.” “It’s about the record’s surface.” “In other words, the needle had only advanced up to there recently.” “But I’m certain the needle had moved much further ahead earlier.”

“Exactly. Let us give thanks to my musical tastes—I believe I heard this section here earlier.”

He said this while whistling the trio section of Chopin’s Funeral March, then suddenly turned to look at the window. “The blinds are down. When we examined 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?—Particularly this one by the Victrola...” “Well, I’m not certain, but I think the bottom was open about two feet.” “Oh right—speaking of windows, there was that thing earlier.”

I recalled the grass whistle incident and Yasuko's peculiar expression, so I gave Touda a brief account. This revelation threw him into a state of intense agitation. "You idiot!" "What an utter fool!" "Why didn't you mention this sooner?" "If you'd told me immediately, we might have prevented this catastrophe!"

Apparently finding it extremely regrettable, he lashed out at me in a loud voice.

At that moment, the door opened and Hayashida entered.

“What’s wrong? What are you angry about?”

Touda, still not calmed down, ended up telling Hayashida about the grass whistle incident.

Hayashida also seemed stunned upon hearing this; though he didn’t lash out at me, he did direct mild criticism my way. “So such a thing had happened?” “Well, I have to side with Touda here.” “If you had told us immediately at that time, Mr. Kogawa, we might have been able to prevent it.” “But you aren’t a detective… And what’s done is done.”

In any case, after saying this, he kept earnestly trying to calm Touda down. “What’s done can’t be helped… I suppose. That’s right,” Touda said with a resigned tone, though still visibly displeased.

Touda said in a resigned tone, though he remained visibly displeased.

Due to Hiroko’s arrangement, the shoes had been moved to the main entrance, so we headed toward the entrance. Hayashida, apparently also intending to leave, followed along. Hiroko came to see us off, but both Hayashida and Touda declined her offer to call a car. As he was putting on his shoes, Touda called out to Hiroko as if suddenly remembering something. “About that piano room... “I’d like you to inquire when and by whom those blinds were closed…”

“Those blinds? Was that not acceptable? I closed them earlier myself. While everyone was outside conducting the investigation…” “Ah, I see. No—I’m not suggesting it was improper. Did you touch the Victrola at that time?”

“No, I only closed the blinds and went right outside. Is there something wrong?” “No, that’s not it. In other words, Shuntaro-san left the record playing, I take it?” Hayashida finished putting on his shoes and briskly went on ahead.

“Yes, I think so.” “There are numerous slippers at the back entrance. Among them lies a single pair with soil clinging to the soles—please set these aside discreetly without informing anyone.”

4 “Yes, since Mr. Hayashida also instructed me to do so earlier, I have already set them aside properly.” “Oh?” This seemed to surprise even Touda. Hayashida, his rival, already knew about the discovery that Touda had been privately proud of; moreover, he had given Hiroko a warning one step ahead of Touda.

Touda left the Aikawa residence without saying another word. "I’m surprised. That Hayashida truly lives up to his reputation as a detective." However, Touda still seemed displeased with me over the earlier grass whistle incident and said nothing. "But Mr. Hayashida’s Kaiser mustache looks a bit strange. Doesn’t that man ever use disguises or something…"

“Hey, what are you talking about? Can’t you tell that’s a fake mustache? The police all know about it. He probably sees it as a way to fool his enemies. He always makes his grand appearances at crime scenes sporting that Kaiser mustache of his. So you and the rest of the Aikawa household think it’s real, eh? Of course, without it they say Mr. Hayashida’s upper lip looks absurdly long—that’s why he’s taken to wearing the thing even in daily life lately. Hahahaha!”

At any rate, it was a relief that Touda’s foul mood had finally begun to lift. It seemed Hayashida’s Kaiser mustache had served its purpose by coming loose at just the right moment. When Touda exited through the Aikawa residence gate, he turned right and started walking. On our first visit to this house, we’d caught an en-taku for our return trip, but from the second day onward we made arrangements to use cars from Izumi Taxi Garage—the service regularly employed by the Aikawa household. In front of Izumi Taxi Garage, Touda conversed with its proprietor for some time until one of the drivers emerged and greeted him.

“Ah, it’s you. Then proceed just as you did that day.” Having said this, he opened the door of the sleek Hudson sedan waiting nearby for passengers. I climbed in after him. As I wondered where the car might be headed, it circled from Ushigome’s heights to the outer moat, passed through Yotsuya Mitsuke, then raced downhill toward Akasaka. From Akasaka Mitsuke, it drove further toward Tameike before coming to an abrupt halt between two tram stations.

“Well, thank you for your trouble.” The two got out. After returning the car, Touda walked a little further and entered Shikishima Garage on the left, where he had been conversing with someone; when he beckoned me over and I approached, he was already sitting in the seat of a Chrysler. In my surprise, I hurriedly climbed in after him. The car went from Tameike to Toranomon, then turned right and cut straight through Minami-Sakuma-cho’s streets; before we knew it, we had emerged into Ginza’s back alleys.

When they arrived in front of the office, he had the car stopped and got out. He paid the driver, took out a master key to unlock the door, twisted the switch, and after pausing to catch his breath, sat down at the desk and began smoking Three Castles. “What on earth is all this about?” “It’s about tracing how my beautiful client Miss Aikawa Hiroko—the one you so admire—came to visit me on the 17th.” “Huh. So she switched cars midway then.” “The vehicle change alone was brilliantly executed. Exactly what you’d expect from a devoted detective novel reader.” “Though it’s rather charming how she thinks this makes her untraceable.” “What absolute nonsense—riding here in her own family’s car.” “And then changing to a garage vehicle again in such an obvious spot.” “Truly befitting a young lady of distinguished lineage.”

“How did you figure that out?”

5 “That’s no trouble at all. “It really should’ve been obvious much sooner. “I’d been making inquiries at that garage since two days ago, but couldn’t get anywhere with the regular driver always being out. “On the afternoon of the 17th, Hiroko apparently took one of their cars to Tameike. “When I checked at Tameike just now, they said a young lady matching her description had ridden in one—though whether it was the 17th or 18th they couldn’t recall. “Seems she didn’t come all the way here though—had them drop her off at the far corner instead.”

“Even so, when the car stopped at Tameike, there was a garage right there, wasn’t there? How did you know it was Shikishima Garage right away?” “Well, that’s how it works. When a woman of that caliber uses tricks to shake off pursuers and takes a car to avoid being followed, she never overshoots her destination—they tend to stop a bit short of it, you see. Look here—even when coming to my place, she deliberately got off a bit short rather than going past. But investigating this wasn’t my main purpose. Earlier at Izumi Garage, I learned that on that day—the moment the driver returned after dropping Hiroko off—the Aikawa family called asking where exactly he had taken her. He answered truthfully without thinking. Then after some time, someone called the current Shikishima Garage in Akasaka without identifying themselves—first giving a description resembling Hiroko before inquiring about her destination. Although the current driver didn’t know the name of Shikishima Garage, he apparently said they had stopped around there. Now, they say that when the first call to Izumi Garage was made, it was a man’s voice, but the one to Shikishima Garage was a woman’s voice, you see. The culprit studied Hiroko’s movements like this, immediately typed out threats on a typewriter, and then followed up with that suspicious phone call we’ve been dealing with. There’s nothing mysterious about it at all.”

“Oh, so that’s how it was.” "But Hayashida, that bastard, keeps circling one step ahead of me every single time." "Just moments ago, a man with a Kaiser mustache came to Izumi Garage and apparently inquired about Hiroko's movements on the 17th too." "He’s got astonishing technique." "The fact that Hiroko came would’ve been uncovered immediately." "Though we’re even—we discovered Aikawa Shunzo had visited Hayashida’s house for about twenty minutes that afternoon." "Since Shunzo didn’t use tricks like Hiroko did, we caught on right away."

Having said this, he looked at his wristwatch. “Oh, it’s already half past eleven, isn’t it?” “There’s no place around here to get a cold drink anymore, is there?” “How about you? You’ve been around this area quite a bit lately, haven’t you?” “Take me to some big bar.”

For Touda to say "Take me to a bar" was an exceedingly strange thing. He, who could not drink a drop of alcohol, had never gone to bars in his daily life unless he was dragged there by someone who drank.

However, being someone who could drink some alcohol, I didn’t feel inclined to refuse this. As soon as we entered the salon called Energie right next door, I was already surrounded by hostesses I knew. When I looked over at Touda, he had ordered a glass of orangeade or something of the sort and, showing no reaction whatsoever to the bar’s atmosphere of jazz and clamor, was leaning sleepily against a nearby cushion without uttering a word, half-opening his eyes now and then to glance up at the ceiling.

“My, what a strange one this is.” “Getting tipsy on orangeade, is he?”

Even when teased by the hostesses like that, he showed no sign of caring at all. As for me, paying no mind to Touda whatsoever, I found myself at the mercy of these exploitative-minded hostesses—drinking cocktails myself, getting them to drink, treating them to fruit—until I’d grown pleasantly tipsy. “Wein, weib und Gesang (Wine, women, and song), eh?”

No sooner had he said this than he stood up, “Hey, I’m heading back first.” “Come to the office tomorrow morning.” “Goodbye.” Leaving me and the women dumbfounded in his wake.

Leaving behind me and the women, who were left dumbfounded, he vanished.

Murder Symphony

1

A little past eight in the morning on April 21st, I woke up.

The previous night, having gone to a bar for the first time in ages and become pleasantly tipsy despite my age of discretion, then been abandoned by Touda, I had stayed until quite late and returned home rather drunk; but thanks to the alcohol, once I got into bed just as I was, I apparently forgot all about the terrible murder case and fell fast asleep in an instant.

When I woke up, I immediately began worrying about last night’s incident, so still lying in bed, I spread out the newspapers within reach and looked through them—there they were, splashed across the pages with headlines like "The Aikawa Family Murders," "The Aikawa Family Tragedy," and "The Murderer Emerges," all extensively covering last night’s events. Regarding the Madam’s death that I had described in the section titled "The First Tragedy," as previously stated, it had been ruled an accidental death, so our presence at the scene last night was being reported as having coincidentally remained after her funeral.

Yet whether our presence there had been coincidental or not, the fact that two people had been brutally murdered before three men—Inspector Takahashi, reputed to be skilled; Touda, called a demon; and Hayashida, likened to a dragon—was indeed sufficient to send shivers through the citizens of the capital. Therefore, it came as no surprise that several newspapers had crafted headlines like "Murderer Emerges." What amused me was one particular paper carrying an article of this sort.

"Mr. Touda and Mr. Hayashida, with expressions of grief and indignation, took turns declaring, 'No—it's utterly shameful that such a thing could have happened right where we were present.' 'However, since we have already identified a suspect, they will be apprehended shortly,' and so forth." Of course, since there was no chance these two could have met with reporters in time for the morning edition last night, this was undoubtedly fabricated. Yet I too felt this captured precisely what the gentlemen would have wanted to convey, so it couldn't be dismissed as mere nonsense. However, as I read on thinking that talk of identifying a suspect might be somewhat premature, surprisingly, every newspaper states that since a suspect has been identified, they will likely be apprehended within today or tomorrow. This is also recorded as coming from the authorities.

So had the court officials found substantial leads after all that? Surely the Metropolitan Police must have confirmed the presence of a suspicious man who had scaled the fence. Had they uncovered Sada Yasuko’s background too... After all the terror that mysterious figure had inflicted on the Aikawa family, could they really be captured so easily...? Turning these thoughts over in my mind, I called Touda’s office. I had recalled last night’s promise too, but given that he was fundamentally a heavy sleeper, I thought he might not have left for the office yet.

“Sorry about last night—it’s Kogawa.” “Ah, you. Come right away. Aren’t you slow?” “I thought you might still be sleeping...” “Not at all. I’ve become quite the early riser lately.” “Have you seen the paper? ‘Mr. Touda says it’s utterly shameful,’ apparently.” “Hey, quit spouting nonsense and get over here already!” After this exchange over the telephone, I immediately rushed to his office.

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

“Thank you for last night, I must say.” “Still holding court in those places, I see.” “Can’t help but envy you.” “Well, that’s precisely where, as Mr. Kogawa would put it, I’ve got no way to save face.”

“I’ve been thinking about the case almost without sleep since last night.” “I spent the whole night noting down only the crucial points in my notebook—but listen, you—I must now retract those words I once said.”

“What is it?” “It means a once-in-a-generation criminal like those from detective novels truly exists in this world, you know.”

2 “A once-in-a-generation criminal?” “Exactly.” “A once-in-an-era master criminal, a murderous fiend unparalleled in history, a villain without equal—no, the undisputed king of the underworld.” “The Kaiser of crime’s domain, peerless champion of villainy, Napoleon of sin’s empire, Beethoven of criminal artistry—we might as well shower him with tributes like ‘prodigious genius,’ ‘brilliant virtuoso.’” “At last, such a figure has emerged as my worthy adversary.” “That is, if my current deductions prove correct.”

I was left somewhat dumbfounded. “Ah yes—and one more thing. I must retract my rash statement from last night dismissing the actions of that car belonging to the Princess Juliet you so admire as nonsense.” “What? You mean Miss Hiroko?” When Touda was pondering something of great importance, it was his habit to deliberately conceal his true feelings and instead speak with exaggeratedly lively cheerfulness. From the tone of his words since I had entered this room, I felt he had encountered a rather difficult problem.

“Hey, you—it seems the authorities are saying they’ve identified a suspect.” “The crime emperor you admire—a combination of Napoleon, Kaiser, and Beethoven—seems to have unexpectedly shown his tail early after all.”

I too, not to be outdone, played along with his tempo.

“To be more precise, the authorities’ statement means that the suspicious man who scaled the high fence on the south side of the Aikawa residence last night is likely to be apprehended. 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, Mr. Hayashida just called earlier. He asked if I’d heard the Chopin record last night and, if so, how much of it I’d managed to catch. It’s just like him to have noticed that record. Unfortunately, at that very moment, he was on the second floor and didn’t get to hear that music himself. That’s why he swallowed his pride and asked me, I suppose. I told him I’d heard it but couldn’t quite remember how far it had gotten. Even if we were to form an alliance, some secrets are a bit too delicate to divulge. Besides, it seems Mr. Hayashida himself has been hiding quite a bit from me too, you know.”

“Oh, noticing that—it really is just like Mr. Hayashida.” “No—there’s something swifter.” “Last night, he came accusing me of tampering with that record.” “When I asked how he knew, it seems he’d also noticed that record—apparently he had someone from the Aikawa family inform the authorities to have it examined.” “Now, regarding the record—instead of the criminal’s fingerprints, they obtained Shuntaro’s prints along with two others.” “Upon closer inspection, it appears those belong to Hayashida and yours truly here.” “What a farce.” “There’s no way a criminal who employs such tricks would be courteous enough to leave fingerprints behind, would they?” “Ahahaha!”

As I was laughing along, the waiter—apparently having been ordered earlier—brought black tea and toast for two. “I’ve already eaten.” “Is that so? Well then, I’ll just have the toast myself.” Touda took a piece of toast in one hand, poured an excessive amount of milk into the black tea, and then began devouring his breakfast without reservation.

“I just don’t have any appetite when I wake up early in the morning.”

He spoke of such matters yet carefully avoided addressing the crucial issue. Only after finally finishing his breakfast and wiping his mouth did he begin to speak. "Well then, shall we finally tackle this difficult problem?"

3

“On April 17th at midnight, Tokuko Aikawa was poisoned to death. On April 20th around 8:40 PM, the family’s son—their only male child, Shuntaro—and their employee Sada Yasuko were brutally murdered in the garden. So were these three people all killed by the same perpetrator in the end, or not?”

“I can’t tell.” “You don’t know? Well, even I can’t state anything definitive.” “However, let’s try adding these facts here.” “Since last summer, an unknown individual has been sending threatening letters to the head of the Aikawa family.” “Because of this, the head developed neurasthenia and withdrew from all public duties.” “Recently, it has grown increasingly severe, forcing not only himself but his family members to remain on guard.” “First.” “However, this Aikawa family isn’t an ordinary household.” “It’s an exceedingly complicated household by some measure.” “To begin with, while the eldest daughter appears to be their real child, there’s something questionable about the second daughter.” “The second daughter seems to be the father’s offspring but has a different mother.” “In other words, it appears the Aikawa patriarch fathered a daughter with another woman, then took her in and is raising her as his lawful wife’s child.” “Undoubtedly, that’s how it’s recorded in the family register as well.” “This second daughter doesn’t get along with the eldest daughter.” “Second.” “Furthermore, we have this enigmatic presence of Date Masao.” “Since his background is currently under covert investigation—whose son he truly is should become clear soon—this man has become engaged to the second daughter.” “The conditions the father has set for this engagement are far from ordinary.” “Third.”

“Because of this, a dispute arose between husband and wife, and whether genuine or not, he feared his wife might be killed by someone.” “She ended up even distrusting her own husband, locking her bedroom door toward his side from the inside while sleeping, while he remained concerned for her safety and kept urging vigilance.” “Fourth.” “After the first incident occurred, the eldest daughter Hiroko actively began suspecting Sadako.” “Naturally, Sadako’s fiancé Date was also believed to be an accomplice.” “Here I should note that Hiroko is exceptionally knowledgeable about detective novels.” “She’s the type of woman who had been reading Van Dine right up until the incident on that very night she came to consult me in desperation.” “She’s an extremely rational woman.” “Fifth.”

“Next, Sadako herself received a threatening letter.” “However, immediately after the incident, when she appeared before the prosecutor, she became hysterical at the thought of being suspected as the murderer.” “At the same time, she lied about Date Masao’s actions.” “Sixth.” “After the incident, it remains entirely unclear whom Aikawa Shunzo himself suspects.” “When exactly he hired Detective Hayashida remains unclear—this is the seventh fact requiring attention.” “Of course, there are still many minor details worth noting, but since I’ve already mentioned these to you before, I’ll omit them here.”

“Now, carefully consider these seven facts I’ve presented.” “The first fact implies or explicitly states that the perpetrator is outside the household—but don’t facts two through seven conversely indicate there’s someone suspicious within?” “No—rather, it’s more accurate to believe the perpetrator resides inside.”

“Now then—let’s finally examine yesterday’s incident… this second event.” “Was the perpetrator’s true target Shuntaro? Or were they aiming for Sada Yasuko all along?” “I can’t say for certain,” I replied. “But judging from that grass whistle business… wouldn’t they have lured out Sada Yasuko first? Then—assuming a single culprit—moved on to attack Shuntaro?” “Why target Sada?” “How should I know?” “But these matters of passion… jealousy… you understand.”

“Then why eliminate Shuntaro?” “Well... It could be reasoned like this.” “They were caught in the act of killing Yasuko Sada, so resolved to dispose of him too in one stroke.” “Then where was Shuntaro during this?”

Touda looked at me with a sarcastic gaze.

4 “Even if you press me like that, I’m not the killer—how should I know such details?” “My apologies, my apologies.” “I merely wished to hear your hypothesis.” “Very well.” “The theory you’re groping toward would run thus: Sada Yasuko emerges into the garden at some prearranged signal—likely that accursed grass whistle.” “The signaler scales the fence, confronts her beneath the southeastern copse, and when negotiations collapse butchers Yasuko.” “Then Shuntaro—happening upon this scene through ill chance—must be silenced too. ‘This ends now,’ thinks our killer, dispatching the boy before fleeing whence they came. That’s your reasoning distilled, yes?”

“Well, that’s about right. Moreover, given that there were actual footprints on that fence.” “That’s another possible perspective. If this is correct, then the perpetrator of this incident would be someone bearing a grudge against Sada Yasuko, completely unrelated to the culprit from the first case. However, for this to hold true, we would at least need to assume that Shuntaro was mute.”

“Mute?”

“That’s right. After all, he’s a fifteen-year-old boy—even if he’s young, he’s still a male adolescent. If he’d seen Sada Yasuko being murdered, he should’ve at least screamed ‘Aah!’ or ‘Help!’, yet nobody heard the boy cry out at that time.” “I see. So my theory’s completely invalid then?” “No—I wouldn’t say that. At least we can confirm someone came over that fence. Even I don’t believe those footprints were some trick deliberately left by the culprit.”

“Yeah, I get it.” “So Touda-kun, this is how you’re thinking about it?” “You’re saying the culprit who killed Yasuko and the one who killed Shuntaro are completely separate individuals?”

“That’s one possible interpretation.” “In other words: Yasuko’s killer entered exactly as you described earlier and murdered her.” “Meanwhile—at precisely the same time—Shuntaro was being killed by someone else in another corner of the garden. That’s the theory.” “An exceedingly rare scenario—but not impossible.” “As Sherlock Holmes said: ‘When you have eliminated all which is entirely unlikely but not impossible, whatever remains—however improbable—must be considered truth.’”

“So you’re adopting the two-perpetrator theory?” “But it’s not that simple. Listen—given what I just explained, how can we possibly consider that either Shuntaro or Yasuko was present at the scene of the other’s murder? And as for who Shuntaro is—he is the Aikawa family’s most precious son. He is the legal heir. To kill this individual must be said to be the most desirable outcome for someone bearing a grudge against the Aikawa family. Therefore, wouldn’t it be correct to think that the person who killed Shuntaro is the same individual who killed Tokuko? Furthermore, if we take into account the seven points I outlined earlier—the circumstances and facts from one to seven—I believe it’s reasonable to conclude that the culprit who killed Tokuko Aikawa is indeed the same individual who killed Shuntaro Aikawa.”

He said this and gulped down his black tea. “And as for Yasuko… the grass whistle…”

“Hmm, you keep bringing up this ‘Mr. Grass Whistle,’ and of course he must be a significant individual.” “However, you’re considering Sada Yasuko too independently.” “Well, a woman like her would naturally have both a lover and a paramour.” “But you—I want you to fully reconsider Yasuko’s position within the Aikawa household.” “Position?” “In other words, what role she played in relation to the first murder case—Aikawa Tokuko’s murder case.” “For now, set aside Yasuko’s romantic entanglements and grudges when conducting your analysis.” “She holds critical significance regarding the grudge-driven incident targeting the Aikawa family.”

I was told this and for the first time recalled Hayashida’s words when I had seen Sada Yasuko’s corpse. “Have you forgotten Hayashida’s words?” “What did he say when he saw her corpse?” “Didn’t he say we’d lost an important witness?” “That’s exactly right.” “We’ve lost a crucial witness because Yasuko died.”

5

“As you know, Sada Yasuko was the woman who went to Saigo Pharmacy on the afternoon of the 17th.” Since no one had imagined such a thing would happen, they had not paid attention to what time she had left the Aikawa residence, what time she had returned, what time she had arrived at Saigo Pharmacy, or what time she had left there—none of them remembered any of that. “The problem lies there.” “And what’s more, it is an exceedingly difficult point indeed.” “If we had known this precisely, we could have pressed her more severely, but no one had kept precise track of the time.” “We all—myself, Hayashida, and likely the police—interrogated her based on everyone’s remarks that she seemed to take a bit too long, but since we lacked sufficient temporal evidence on our side, we ultimately failed to extract a single new fact.” “Of course, each interrogation had gone better than the last, so if we had questioned her once more after that last night, we might have been able to get her to confess the truth.” “If she had told the truth, it would have at least clarified whether that mercuric chloride had been substituted before arriving at the Aikawa residence or after it had arrived.” “See? You understand now, don’t you—how crucial a role she held in Tokuko Aikawa’s case?”

"Yeah, I see." "The fact that Yasuko was killed—doesn't that represent an immense advantage for Tokuko's killer? If Mr. Grass Whistle had killed Yasuko out of passion or some such motive, he would have unwittingly shielded Tokuko's murderer through his actions. Could this truly be mere coincidence?" "But if Tokuko's killer murdered Shuntaro last night, by what means did they eliminate Yasuko?" "Well, let's save those details for later consideration. According to my reasoning, if Mr. Grass Whistle was Yasuko's murderer, then it logically follows that he must also be Tokuko's killer. As you're aware, there exists a principle that one should first suspect those who stand to profit from a crime."

“So in the end, are you saying Tokuko’s killer, Yasuko’s killer, and Shuntaro’s as well—they’re all the same person?” “I won’t make definitive assertions. “However, I believe we should tentatively proceed under that assumption. “Though as I mentioned earlier, there’s also the possibility that Mr. Grass Whistle—completely unaware—coincidentally eliminated a witness for Tokuko’s case. “At minimum, Tokuko and Shuntaro were killed by the same hand.”

He said this and suddenly stood up to look out the window, then took out a nearby cigar case and offered me one before pulling out a cigar himself and lighting it. In the haze of the airship’s smoke, the fragrant purple vapor of the cigar began to rise. “By the way, changing the subject—are you aware that a person’s individuality also manifests in their crimes? In other words, if Perpetrator B were to commit a crime originally committed by Person A, it would never result in an identical crime to what Person A committed. To rephrase—it means psychologically examining the distinctive methods of crimes.”

“Mr. Philo Vance also said something like that.”

“While I question viewing everything through psychological lenses to the degree Detective Philo Vance describes, I do believe it’s essential to examine these two cases from that perspective at minimum.”

He placed one hand behind his back and, with the other hand, occasionally brought the cigar to his mouth as he paced around the room and began to speak. "I believe all these crimes were committed by the same person." "That’s precisely why I regard this criminal as a Napoleon or a genius." "First, recall that eerie threatening letter." "Isn’t this a grandiose introduction?" "And then that tragedy enacted on the seventeenth." "How perfectly executed, how coldly calculated, how unnervingly carried out it was." "And thus concluded the first movement of *Murder Symphony* (殺人交響楽)."

“What? *Murder Symphony*?”

6 “Exactly. In my analysis, this criminal intends to systematically dispose of the Aikawa family members one by one. This would make Tokuko the first victim in this sequence.”

“Are you calling that the first movement of the *Murder Symphony*?” “Hmph, if one could say so.” “Murder isn’t music.” “No genius could execute multiple killings in sonata form.” “They’d likely have to compose and perform through to the final movement identically to the first.” “That’s precisely where a criminal’s individuality manifests in their crimes, as I said earlier.” “Therefore, the second crime must share identical hallmarks with the first.” “Meaning they should be executed with that same flawless audacity.”

He puffed out cigar smoke.

“I repeat. That grand overture crept up on the Aikawa family with extreme quietness, lapping like waves. Once that concluded came the tragedy on the seventeenth. It was executed with perfection yet in an extremely gloomy manner, and moreover, at a slow tempo… I’m not talking about how Tokuko died. It’s the nature of the crime. It was thoroughly planned, executed with composure, and carried out coolly. In musical terms, this first movement would be andante or adagio.”

Moreover, how calmly they seized that opportunity when Tokuko developed a headache and Yasuko went to fetch medicine! I had consequently assumed this culprit would likely perform the second movement on May 1st as forewarned, following the same composition structure. Yet when it suddenly occurred last night, I found myself rather startled. “Why would the culprit break their May 1st pledge and choose April 20th instead?” “Do you expect a murderer to keep a gentleman’s promise?”

“Not necessarily, but a culprit like this would absolutely keep their promises. Just look at their methods up until now.” “Hmm.” “This is precisely where subtle psychological analysis becomes necessary. The culprit, you see—why did they suddenly perform that second movement on the twentieth after declaring May 1st? And to execute it at such a breakneck tempo right before our eyes in a mere three or four minutes?”

I couldn’t quite grasp what he was saying. “The magnificence of last night’s tragedy—that lightning-like speed.” “Truly, this is *Presto agitato*.” “Why did the culprit who composed the first movement in that solemn adagio suddenly write the second movement in presto last night?” “Do you understand this?” “Isn’t this truly an unexpected turn of events?” He had intended to carry out the second murder on May 1st following April 17th’s pattern. “Last night caught us completely off guard.” “But why would this happen?”

There was one crucial point we must not forget: while the second murder—that is, last night’s incident—may have been executed with astonishing swiftness and brilliance, leaving the audience in awe, its methodology was remarkably clumsy compared to the first murder. The author—that is, the criminal—had taken an extraordinary risk and narrowly escaped with their life. Given how they had exposed themselves to danger, 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 would immediately draw in readers. The first incident was understated and restrained. The second one is flashier, you see.

“However, for the author of my Murder Symphony, the first movement should be more suited to their nature.” “He should have persisted in *andante* until the end.” “He was never suited for composing a *presto* like last night’s in the first place.”

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

7

“To tell the truth, I was quite startled last night. When the second movement concluded, I began to suspect—given how starkly it differed from the first movement—that perhaps the author, that is, the culprit, was a different person. However, upon thoroughly considering last night’s events, it still seems impossible to view it as anything but the work of the same person. As long as the *Leitmotiv* of this ‘curse’ upon the Aikawa family continues to play, I can only conclude it must be the work of the same person. So then—why did the culprit, who is the author, not wait until May 1st and abruptly commit murder last night? There can be only one answer to this. In other words, circumstances arose that made waiting until May 1st impossible. Last night, something occurred that the culprit hadn’t accounted for in their plans—an urgent, unforeseen matter…”

“What could that be?”

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

“…………” “Don’t you get it? It’s about Yasuko’s situation—that fierce interrogation by me and Hayashida. As a result, that woman might have ended up confessing something. If that were to come out, it would spell disaster—so don’t you think it’s logical that the culprit, alarmed, killed her?” “However, the culprit should have fully anticipated that you, Hayashida, and the police would interrogate Yasuko quite harshly. Especially if the culprit is a great genius as you say, such a thing absolutely must have been factored into their plans.”

“Impressive.” “I should expect nothing less from you.” “That’s right.” “Of course.” “The culprit must have believed Yasuko could remain alive safely at least until May 1st.” “They’d been confident she wouldn’t talk for some time.” “That’s why they panicked and acted hastily last night.” “There’s no other explanation—their confidence in her had wavered.” “Which means the nature of coming crimes will grow dire.” “Presto.” “It’s *presto agitato*.” “And though the finishing touch succeeded beyond expectation, it was a perilously close-run thing.”

To an amateur’s eye, it may appear flashy and splendid. However, for the author who composed that magnificent overture and first movement, a second movement utterly unworthy of pride had now been completed. A lengthy introduction with a slow tempo, followed by a calm first movement like the surface of a lake—*andante*—and 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 carried out surprisingly early and conducted in *presto*. Thus, this *Murder Symphony*—constructed upon the theme of the Aikawa family—saw its first and second movements composed in *andante* and *presto*, and by chance had begun to be performed in symphonic form. Would the third movement indeed be performed next? ……That’s right. Perhaps the third movement might arrive surprisingly soon as well. “No time to dawdle.”

Having said this, he glanced at his wristwatch.

“There’s no need to rush so frantically.” “But I feel restless.”

“Is it really that urgent?”

“Yeah, this murder artist recklessly launched the second movement of the symphony.” “However genius he may be, he must have left some oversight.” “That’s exactly why.” “If the third movement were to be performed abruptly… but there’s still time.” “Let’s examine last night’s incident through our usual approach.”

He exhaled cigar smoke increasingly thickly. "Her face changed color at Mr. Grass Whistle's signal." "It must have been around that time." "The culprit had lost confidence in Yasuko's state." "But at that moment, there were only three people present: you, me, and Hayashida." "I'm not referring to the exact instant her complexion shifted." "What was her condition after she left the room?" "That's something we couldn't possibly know." 8

“At that moment, our genius criminal must have resolved that Yasuko absolutely had to be killed without a moment’s delay.”

“So, was the culprit inside the house at that time?” “Given they knew about her demeanor or state, they must have at least been within the gates of the Aikawa residence. The critical question is who Yasuko encountered after leaving the piano room pale-faced. The culprit likely either accompanied her to the garden or followed her. In any case, during last night’s commotion, there was one person who ventured into the garden wearing slippers.”

At this moment, I paused to think for a while. Touda, I, and the Inspector had all left through the main entrance wearing shoes, while Hiroko had exited in geta. However, Hayashida alone had hurried down from the second floor and, without even taking the time to put on shoes, rushed out through that glass-paned door in slippers.

“Yeah, Hayashida was wearing slippers.” “No—there’s actually one more person besides him.” “It’s confirmed that Hayashida went out wearing slippers.” “But he must have returned through the glass-paneled entrance afterward.” “But listen—last night when I went up through the back entrance, I found a pair of dirt-covered slippers.” “And purely by chance!”

I recalled that moment from last night. “We need to consider both who wore these slippers and why their owner went outside.” “Huh… And what about Shuntaro?”

“Now, about that…” “You can understand that Shuntaro dashing out of the room wasn’t due to any violence being used against him, right?” “At the very least, he left the room of his own volition.” “And in quite a hurry too.” “Did he see something?” “If he did see something, it certainly wasn’t anything frightening.” “If it had been, he would’ve screamed ‘Kyaa!’ or ‘Waaah!’ don’t you think?” “In any case, since he left the record playing while rushing out, it appears he was in an extreme hurry.”

“However, despite being in such a hurry, why did Shuntaro shut the door properly when he left?” “You did say that door closed with a click, but…” “That’s right.” “Certainly…” “Can’t we consider it this way? “Shuntaro deliberately left the record playing and shut the door as he left?”

“You mean…” I didn’t quite understand, so I asked this.

“In other words, couldn’t it be that he made it appear from outside as though he was properly inside the room when in fact he wasn’t?”

“I see.” “Next, let us briefly consider the culprit’s activities.” “Given the circumstances I mentioned earlier, Shuntaro’s culprit—or rather, Yasuko’s culprit—must have struck them both down like lightning amidst those trees in the garden.” “Listen.” “This wasn’t done in some isolated house in the wilderness.” “Inside were many people including ourselves—a situation where anyone might have stepped into the garden at any moment by chance.” “In that case, the culprit would have placed themselves in extreme peril for a mere instant.” “This must indeed be called a desperate, frenzied attack on his part.”

“In reality, if they’d been spotted, it would’ve been game over.” “However, even if the composer of such a grand Murder Symphony had become desperate, would they really have calmly taken such an enormous risk?”

9 “Suppose the culprit was seen near Yasuko and Shuntaro before their deaths—would that truly mean game over?” “If so, we must conclude the culprit exposed themselves to extreme danger for a considerable time—though merely one or two minutes.” “Would my revered Crime King Napoleon commit such a blunder, however desperate he became?” “I don’t believe so.”

“You mean…?”

“In other words, the culprit’s risk lasted only an instant.” “It must have been less than a second.” “If someone were seen splitting Shuntaro’s head or strangling Yasuko’s neck, it would spell certain doom for anyone.” “However, this duration was extremely short.” “According to the culprit’s calculations, the probability of this being discovered was vanishingly small.” “So does that mean being seen right after the murder wouldn’t matter?”

“That’s right. “I think we should consider it that way.” “I’m not quite sure.”

“Don’t you understand? Then let me explain with an example. Suppose I were to discover the father of the Aikawa family standing by Shuntaro’s corpse by chance.” At that moment, he cried, “Mr. Touda, something terrible has happened! I heard a strange noise and came to check—only to find this horrible scene!” clinging to me. Would I be able to immediately suspect him? Would it mean game over for him? That probably wouldn’t happen. After all, we couldn’t suspect the father of that household for simply walking in his own garden. Therefore, if Shunzo were to kill Shuntaro, the danger would be minimal. For the same reason, suppose Hiroko or Sadako were discovered by a maid—say, that woman Kiyo—standing beside Yasuko’s corpse. “Oh, Kiyo! It’s terrible— “It’s terrible, Kiyo! Yasuko has…”—if they reeled back with a groan and rolled their eyes like that, who would suspect Hiroko or Sadako?”

“I see. So you’re saying you believe this time’s murderer is definitely someone inside the household?”

“It’s finally *The Greene Murder Case*. The culprit in the garden at that time must reasonably be considered either a household member—that is, one of the family—or someone exceptionally close to Yasuko or Shuntaro. In short, we have no choice but to view them as someone who wouldn’t be suspected even if discovered immediately after committing the murders.” “But at that time, Shunzo, Hiroko, Sadako, and Hatsue all had alibis!” “However, there exists such a thing as an accomplice.”

At this moment, I recalled Date Masao and felt a shudder run through my body. “At least the one who directly committed the act was not a family member.” “...In that case, first would be Date.” “That’s right. If it’s Date, he does satisfy the conditions I just mentioned.”

“Then that accomplice would be Sadako, naturally.”

“Kogawa-kun, you’re only looking at the surface of things—that won’t do. Indeed, if we assume Date to be the culprit, Sadako would naturally become his accomplice. But that’s just the superficial story. Date and Sadako are engaged. But have you ever seen those two lovers intimately embracing each other? Well, they’re engaged—no doubt about that. But no one’s actually witnessed any affection between them. No—even if there were some degree of affection between them, if Date were the culprit, such a man should be capable of compromising with anyone. Especially if they’re members of a strange household like the Aikawas. He might have secretly compromised with Hiroko. There’s no guarantee he isn’t colluding with Hatsue. No, there’s no telling what kind of compromise he has made with that old man. Among these possibilities, that he is colluding with Hiroko or Sadako is what we should consider most plausible.”

10 “Hey, you.” “Who benefits most from this crime?” “At first glance, those appearing to gain from the seventeenth’s murder would be Sadako and Date.” “Now then—who profited from last night’s killings?” “As previously stated, Sada Yasuko’s death benefits Culprit X.” “But Shuntaro’s demise—who gains there?” “Consider this.” “Shuntaro was the Aikawa family’s legal heir.” “With him removed, only three sisters remain.” “Wouldn’t the eldest daughter naturally benefit foremost?”

“So you’re saying Hiroko is suspicious?” “Yeah—if we’re talking suspicion, everyone’s suspicious. Exactly—I’d say we should suspect every last member of the Aikawa family.”

“If the culprit lies entirely outside the Aikawa family, that would naturally change matters.” “After the incident on the 17th, I told you here that this case surely couldn’t mirror the Greene family’s tragedy.” “But I may need to retract those words.”

“Now first regarding the initial incident—the April 17th case.” “The first who can be entirely cleared of suspicion is Shuntaro.” “Next comes Hatsue.” “These two appear to have known nothing about the medicine or related matters.” “Therefore when pursuing suspicion, all other family members become viable suspects.” “The primary suspect would be Shunzo.” “Why would he kill his wife?”

“Such motives aren’t something you can figure out right away. Especially in a household with so many secrets, you know. Making Shunzo the culprit is the most convenient and easily explained theory. Since he’s her husband, it would be perfectly natural for him to enter his wife’s room when she’s going to sleep.” “But the door was locked from the inside.” “Did you see Tokuko lock it from the inside? It’s just that Shunzo himself claims he locked it, isn’t it? Hiroko merely heard that story from her father. Shunzo enters his wife’s room and switches the medicine while talking about something. Then he has his wife drink the mercuric chloride and swiftly retreats to his own room. This theory is extremely convenient in explaining that the ceiling light in Tokuko’s bedroom was on. Generally, people who take medicine before bed usually turn on a lamp and switch off the ceiling light first. If we consider this, it’s no mystery that the antipyrine wasn’t found. In other words, we can assume that Shunzo hid it somewhere. We can assume someone locked it after the commotion began. The same theory holds true even if Hiroko is the culprit—it’s simply a matter of replacing the husband with the daughter. It’s not at all strange for Hiroko to enter her mother’s bedroom. If Hiroko had some reason to kill her mother, she had indeed seized a perfect opportunity—she committed murder to escape suspicion herself while directing it toward Sadako.”

“But you—what about Tokuko’s final words? With that, you can’t possibly cast suspicion on her husband or Hiroko.” “You remain an enigma, don’t you? As I told you before, that entire episode might well be Hiroko’s fabrication. Moreover, even if true, Tokuko never realized her medicine had been switched—hence her naming Sadako, who proposed the treatment, holds no mystery. Now to Sadako herself—she too merits full suspicion. The reasons mirror previous cases, compounded by her strained relationship with her mother. Thus we may deem every family member suspect.” “Beyond the family, Date naturally comes first—the same logic as suspecting Sadako applies. Yet he wouldn’t enter Tokuko’s bedroom merely to switch medicine; Sadako’s own room would be the primary site. As for Sada Yasuko—I don’t believe her guilty. This isn’t solely due to her subsequent murder—the sheer audacity of a grudge-bearing outsider brazenly becoming their maid defies reason.” “In every scenario, the critical enigma remains—how did the culprit procure the mercuric chloride?”

11 “In the first crime, as I just stated, we can consider Shunzo, Hiroko, Sadako, and Date as suspects.” “Now, regarding the second crime—that is, last night’s incident—what do we have?” “Among these three—Shunzo, Hiroko, and Sadako—we must conclude that none are direct perpetrators.” “Each one possesses an impeccable alibi, as previously established.” “But here lies the complication—as mentioned earlier, Date Masao, who appears most suspicious and could indeed be deemed the direct culprit, retains covert communication channels with any of these three.” “Does this then render all three equally suspect? That would be an erroneous assumption.”

“I have no experience being a father, but I believe a father killing his child would be far more difficult than a sister killing her brother.” “Therefore, in this case, Hiroko and Sadako should be considered more strongly than Shunzo if we’re to suspect anyone.” “Now, I want to particularly point out the most delicate aspect of last night’s incident.” “That record trick.” “Why the culprit set up that strange mechanism with the record—I’d single out that trick as one of the defining features of last night’s crime.” “As I showed you yesterday evening, to an uninformed observer, it would appear you lifted the needle just before reaching the trio section.” “That’s the nature of the trick.” “Fortunately, I own the same record—when I played it late last night at standard speed, it took exactly twenty-four seconds to reach that point.” “Playing it all the way to where you lifted the needle takes precisely one minute and twenty seconds.” “Why employ such a trick?” “Would an ordinary criminal even conceive of such a device?” “This is precisely the crux.” “While that was the cleverest part of the culprit’s work this time, it also proved a fatal oversight.” “Because we can now eliminate suspects lacking intellectual capacity. If someone within the Aikawa household could devise such cleverness—who might that be?” (The standard Victrola record speed is seventy-eight rotations per minute.)

Author’s Note)

Touda fell silent for a moment after having reached this point, but then abruptly spoke again. “In this crime, the first point we should note is likely this one.”

At that moment, I remembered something and inquired.

“Shuntaro—to strip that boy naked, bind his hands behind his back, and torture him to death... isn’t that an incredibly cruel method?” “If the culprit’s objective was simply to kill him…”

“Who knows? But if there’s someone who harbors a profound grudge against Shunzo and wants to torment him as much as possible, they’d kill his child in the cruelest way imaginable.” “That objective has been thoroughly achieved.” “Shunzo appears relatively composed, but I suspect he’s suffering immensely internally.” “But Shuntaro was just a boy.” “I can’t imagine he had enemies who’d hate him so deeply.” “Then it must be the parents’ sins revisited upon the child.” “So this wasn’t merely a murder motivated by inheritance disputes.”

“You do come up with some clever remarks.” “You’ve noticed a crucial point.” “That’s exactly right.” “There are two problems.” “The first is why Shuntaro was killed.” “The second is why he was killed in such a manner—why he was murdered in such a cruel way.” “The method by which that boy was killed is indeed one of the distinctive features that should be considered in this case.” “The answer that satisfies both these problems simultaneously can only be one.” “In other words, the answer is that this is a crime committed by someone who harbors a profound grudge against Shunzo.”

After saying this, he stared at me for a while, then tossed his cigar—burned down about a third—into the ashtray with a plonk.

“But there’s another odd point—haven’t you noticed?”

12 “Who knows?” “Stripping that rosy-cheeked pretty boy naked, binding his hands behind his back to strangle him, splitting his skull open, tearing open Yasuko’s kimono to expose her chest before killing her—doesn’t this crime reek of some twisted erotic obsession?” “Now that you mention it...” “Even if we assume Yasuko’s disheveled state resulted from struggling against her attacker, stripping Shuntaro’s clothes was unquestionably the killer’s deliberate act.” “Though they might have undressed him post-mortem...”

“But looking at how badly abraded his wrists were from being bound behind his back, doesn’t it seem like Shuntaro struggled quite a bit after they tied him up?”

“Impressive. You’ve remembered that quite well. So 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 to knock him out, took advantage of that moment to strip him naked, then tied him up and strangled him when Shuntaro started coming to—isn’t that right?”

“Exactly. The autopsy will confirm it, but I agree.” “Still, if this is the work of someone bearing a deep grudge against Shunzo, it seems odd that Hiroko, Sadako, or Date would be involved.” “You must understand—truth has layers beneath layers.” “When I was a prosecutor, I handled a case that initially appeared to be a property murder but turned out to stem from romantic obsession.” “There are inverse cases too.” “That’s why carelessly following surface appearances leads one into labyrinths.” “I consider Shuntaro’s manner of death a distinctive feature here—but you mustn’t be misled by it.” “It might well be the killer’s devious trick.”

Having said this, Touda took out another A-ship from his cigarette case.

At that moment, the telephone trilled, so he hurriedly stood up and went over, spoke for a while, and soon after it ended, sat back down in his original chair with a smile.

“It’s from Mr. Okuyama. As I’d requested, he observed the autopsy of both bodies this morning and reported the findings.” “The direct cause of Shuntaro’s death was ligature strangulation.” “Meaning he was struck first—a heavy blow—then strangled afterward. This matches exactly what you suggested.” “As for Yasuko, they confirmed she was manually throttled.”

Then again, the telephone bell began to ring shrilly. "Hmm, could it be Prosecutor Okuyama again?"

Touda hurriedly stood up and took hold of the receiver,

“Oh, is this Mr. Takahashi?” “What? You caught them this morning?” “Where?” “At Shinjuku Station?” “I see.” “May I come over?” “Well then, I’ll be on my way.” With that, he hung up the phone and immediately came to me.

“What’s this? Did they catch the culprit?” “Yes—early this morning, detectives from Ushigome Station staking out various stations reportedly discovered a suspiciously fidgety man at Shinjuku Station. When they questioned him suspiciously and his answers didn’t add up, they brought him to the station as a precaution. Finally, he confessed to having broken into the Aikawa residence last night—a bit earlier than we’d thought—or so they say.”

“Including murder?” “It seems it hasn’t gone that far yet. Since the judicial officer has kindly given permission for us to come, why don’t we go and take a look?”

It was certainly no time for hesitation.

Touda and I immediately boarded a car.

Suspect 1 When we boarded the car, he continued filling the vehicle's interior with tobacco smoke as usual, but then—as if struck by a thought—suddenly brought up this matter.

“That Date Masao... the young man, you know.” “He has a rather likable face, doesn’t he?” “He’s a good young man.” “I do hope he has no connection whatsoever to this criminal case.” “Come to think of it, that man certainly resembles someone I’ve seen before.” “I just can’t recall...”

However, I understood exactly what he meant. Date’s features closely resembled the impression one gets when facing the star wrestler Tenryu head-on. He was a handsome man bearing a striking likeness to that dignified yet peculiar countenance—a face one might describe as both stately and idiosyncratic.

In January of that year, I had invited Touda to a sumo tournament. Having seen wrestlers Umegatani and Hitachiyama only once in his youth and having practically no exposure to sumo since then, he watched the ring with apparent boredom—yet during the makuuchi wrestlers' ceremonial entrance, he immediately noticed Tenryu. “Now that’s proper sumo,” he said. “What’s his name?” He asked me for an explanation. Later, when Tenryu stepped onto the dohyō to face Noshirogata and finished him with a sukui-nage throw, Touda spontaneously clapped in delight. However, the day’s main attraction became the bout between Musashiyama and Asashio. From the initial charge until they locked into a left-handed grip, Asashio dominated completely, driving Musashiyama perilously close to the eastern edge. But at the last moment, Musashiyama seized an opening in Asashio’s signature aggressive kote-gaeshi arm throw, countered with his own scoop throw, and secured a splendid victory.

In Touda’s mind, Tenryu’s face was faintly taking shape and linking to Date. I deliberately said nothing and continued smoking my cigarette.

When the car arrived in front of the police station, Touda and I were immediately shown to Judicial Officer Takahashi’s room.

“Thank you for earlier. I’ve brought Mr. Kogawa and come straightaway.” “Well, he was a tough nut—even our detectives were stumped—but since he finally started talking moments ago, we thought to notify you immediately.” “Thank you. And does his testimony hold up?” “He denies the murder charge outright, but fully admits to trespassing into the mansion. There’s no doubt on that count.”

“Hmm, so the motive is theft?”

“Well,” “The suspect is Sada Yasuko’s paramour.” “I looked into her too—that Sada Yasuko woman had been drifting between various bars and cafés until now.”

At that moment, a waiter brought tea for us, and I managed to catch a glimpse of the interrogation report placed before Inspector Takahashi. The first line contained some difficult legal terminology, but in the next section,

No fixed address　　 Unemployed Okamoto Ichiro (real name: Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi) (Current 23rd Year) was recorded. Touda too appeared to acknowledge this as he moistened his lips with tea,

“So this Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi is today’s suspect, I take it?”

“That’s correct. We’ve had him rest since earlier and were just about to take his statement again here.” With 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, and the officer promptly left.

After two or three minutes had passed, the aforementioned officer entered the room, leading a young man ahead of him.

This must be the man named Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi.

2

I was somewhat surprised when I saw the young man. Given that this was a man under the terrifying suspicion of having broken into the Aikawa residence last night and likely 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, the Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi who now stood before us looked nothing like such a mastermind criminal, no matter how one viewed him. Even if he were to commit a crime, one could only imagine it being something like targeting a burglary at most.

Having been held in custody for some time, his sleep-deprived complexion was utterly haggard, but at first glance, he was a gentle-looking handsome man with an air of refinement. If one were to describe Date—who had come up in conversation in the car earlier—using the term "stately," then this Hayakawa was by no means stately but rather a gentle man. If Date somehow evoked Tenryu, Hayakawa had the air of an actor. (I wish to present the face of Fukusuke of Tokyo to help readers clearly visualize Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi’s features, but that example is far too handsome. I want you to take that sort of face and imagine it much dirtier. In addition to that, if you mix in Tokizo’s melancholic air when imagining him, I believe you’ll come to somewhat grasp this man’s appearance.)

He wore a soiled kasuri kimono tied with a soft sash and straw sandals on his feet. With the air of someone who had completely resigned himself, he began answering the inspector’s questions. (As evident from his testimony, Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi was raised in the Kansai region, so his entire account was originally delivered in the Kansai dialect. However, for the reader’s convenience, we present it here in standard Japanese.) “I am Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi and am twenty-three years old this year. “I recently moved into a boarding house called Yaezakukan in ○-chome, ○-town, Ushigome Ward, but I have no particular occupation. “My parents were well-to-do merchants who ran a pawnshop. “During my childhood, my parents were alive and well in Osaka, where I attended elementary school. “I lost my father around the time I graduated from elementary school. “However, as there were considerable assets remaining, I faced no particular hardship and subsequently entered a local middle school. “When I was in my third year of middle school, I lost my mother too, and was taken in by my uncle who lived on the outskirts of Osaka at the time, attending school from there.”

“After that, I continued commuting to school from my uncle’s place, but around the time I graduated from middle school, I realized for the first time that my uncle had embezzled all of my father’s estate. Of course I fought bitterly with my uncle and aunt over it all, but in the end they completely deceived me. My uncle exploited his position as my legal guardian to commit truly heinous acts. Yes—if my uncle hadn’t been such a man, I would never have fallen into such a wretched state as this.”

He said this, tears welling up in his eyes as if overwhelmed by regret. "Not a single relative would stand against that wicked uncle of mine, leaving me completely alone." "But after graduating middle school, I wanted to advance to high school—I took the entrance exam once, but didn’t pass." "This was exactly when I was nineteen years old." "My uncle handed me a small portion of assets to lead me astray." "Looking back now, it’s deeply regrettable—at the time, torn between self-destruction and having money to spend freely as a young man, I ended up drowning myself in drink and women night and day." "I’d truly been ensnared by my uncle’s clever scheme." "While giving me free rein with money to indulge in debauchery, he went around telling all our relatives what a fool I was—an irredeemable libertine beyond anyone’s control."

3 "Until then, there had been a few people among my relatives and friends who, while not openly opposing my uncle, had secretly sympathized with me in private. But seeing my increasingly dissolute state 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 began frequenting bars, and that autumn learned the taste of teahouse sake." “I was truly lonely." “If only my parents had been alive... I cannot tell you how many times I cried out like this in my heart." “Betrayed by those I’d considered my closest relatives, I wandered through pleasure quarters, always craving kindness—especially genuine warmth from women."

"My complete descent into drink and women—finally becoming involved with a courtesan from the pleasure quarters—played right into my uncle's hands. Without my knowledge, he held a family council where he made all our relatives acknowledge me as utterly unfit to inherit my father's business, then openly seized control of my household. 'I beg your pardon speaking so before your honors, but I find it truly perverse that such a man can swagger about shamelessly—the world's a strange place indeed.'"

Tatsuyoshi looked toward us as he said this with genuine bitterness. The inspector listened to his account with a stony expression. Touda, however, gazed at Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi with a look of complete sympathy. "The uncle who took over my house openly expelled me." "No—it was I who rushed out." "And then I came to live with a geisha named Kinsan, who worked in Minami, in the Osaka suburbs for about half a year."

“Her full name?” the Inspector interjected.

“Her name was Okada Katsuko.” “At that time, I still had some money left, so we lived comfortably together for about half a year before circumstances led us to part ways.” “This was when I was twenty-one years old.” “After that, I became involved with Sada Yasuko—the woman connected to this case—who worked as a waitress at a bar called Schwarze Katze in Dotonbori.” “Around January last year, I started visiting there and grew close to her.” “At the time, Yasuko went by the name Harumi.” “By then we’d nearly run out of money, and being seen together openly had become too risky. I’ll never forget it—on January 28th last year, we fled Osaka and settled in Nagoya.” “Since Yasuko had lived in Nagoya before, I thought it would work out.”

“Until July of last year, we managed to live together without incident, but as our circumstances grew increasingly dire, by August I’d been forced to send Yasuko back to work at a bar in Nagoya. Though we’d never held a formal ceremony, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy about sending the woman who was my wife in all but name to work at a bar. But as I said before, our funds had dried up completely—there was truly no other choice.”

"I began to notice Yasuko acting suspiciously around mid-September, but I told myself it was just my imagination and tried to ignore it. Around that same time, I realized I needed steady work myself, so I finally landed a job at a small printing shop where I went every day. This way at least September passed without any major problems. Then came October fifth. After working all day, I came home around six in the evening—though 'home' was just a rented room—only to find Yasuko missing. When I looked more carefully, all her belongings were gone too. 'Damn it!' I thought. 'She's found herself a lover and run off!'"

4 “After that—I’m ashamed to admit—I became completely obsessed with searching for Yasuko.” “I wandered all over Nagoya every day like a starving demon, searching frantically.” “Of course I went to every last bar and café where Yasuko had worked, but I couldn’t find any trace of her whereabouts.” “I searched until mid-November, but I couldn’t find any trace of where she had gone.” “So when November came, I returned to Osaka once again.” “If only I’d had a lead on the man she ran off with—of course I could’ve managed something—but I didn’t even know who that man was.”

“After returning to Osaka and swallowing my pride, I briefly visited my uncle, but he refused to acknowledge me at all. So while working odd jobs and doing various things, I searched all over Osaka.” “I stayed in Osaka through last year, but after hearing from other waitresses at my former workplace Schwarze Katze that she’d gone to Tokyo, I scraped together travel funds and immediately left for the capital.” “That was in January of this year.”

“Tokyo is vast, and moreover, since it was my first time there, I had no idea where or how to begin searching. Though I wanted to visit every bar in Ginza one by one, without money I couldn’t enter through the front door. In the meantime, I endured indescribable hardships selling newspapers and doing whatever I could—foolish as it may sound for the sake of a single woman, but I was completely obsessed.” “But obsession is a terrifying thing—at the beginning of last month, in Shibuya, I caught sight of what appeared to be her figure inside a bus. I was on foot, so I couldn’t very well chase after her, but from then on, I moved to the Shibuya area and kept watch there day and night.”

By chance, I heard at a small bar in Shibuya that a woman resembling her was at a nearby bar and immediately went to investigate, only to find that she had just taken leave two or three days prior. That was at the beginning of this month. However, once I had figured things out up to this point, searching afterward became much easier. By posing as her brother, I made various inquiries at that bar and managed to uncover quite a bit. Then, when I investigated Katsuragi, where Yasuko had apparently gone to seek help, I discovered that on the 8th of this very month, she had entered service at a household called Aikawa in Ushigome. “Somehow she managed to deceive them into having someone posing as her sister act as guarantor—apparently an older woman who had been with her at a bar in Shibuya and now runs a legitimate shop with a man.”

“From that day onward, I entered the boarding house where I currently reside under the alias Okamoto Ichirō and observed the Aikawa household’s situation daily. Of course, my initial plan had been to visit her directly at the Aikawa residence, but when I actually went and stood before the gate, its imposing grandeur frightened me so much that I changed my mind, thinking it better to wait until she came out someday. I thought calling would only make her wary and be pointless, so I waited for an opportunity. Then finally that opportunity arrived.”

“Wait.”

Touda suddenly interjected but briefly assumed an expression that seemed to seek permission from Inspector Takahashi.

Since Inspector Takahashi did not seem to object, he turned back toward Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi. “So that would be the afternoon of the 17th of this month, I suppose. When Sada Yasuko left the Aikawa residence to go to the pharmacy, you met her, correct?”

This question came as a complete surprise to me.

However, Hayakawa answered without showing any particular surprise.

“Ah, did she herself say that?” “Exactly as you said, sir. That afternoon, I finally managed to catch Yasuko.”

5

“Proceed—recount in detail what occurred during your meeting.” This time the Inspector addressed Hayakawa. “Yes. That day, as usual while loitering around the Aikawa residence—around evening time, though I can’t recall exactly when—a woman resembling her emerged from the back gate. Though I meant to rush over and confront her immediately, she appeared terribly hurried, so I altered my approach and began tailing her discreetly. After trailing her five or six blocks, she entered an establishment called Saigo Pharmacy. I endured an agonizing wait where each minute stretched like an hour until she finally reappeared—only to collide with her abruptly at the street corner.”

“Yasuko’s shock at that moment needless to say,” “Everything I’d been holding back suddenly welled up inside me—I truly couldn’t make sense of where to begin.” “But since we were in the middle of a busy street, after circling two or three blocks, we entered a small park, sat on a bench, and talked for six or seven minutes.” “Of course she kept trying to flee, but I threatened her into coming with me.”

“However, Yasuko took out a medicine package from her obi and said that since there was an emergency patient requiring this, she couldn’t talk at length now—then tried to flee.” “Wait.” “Wasn’t Yasuko holding that medicine package in her hand?”

Touda interjected. “No, she took it out from the obi and showed me.” “I couldn’t very well have a lengthy conversation there either.” “So I suggested, ‘Let’s part ways for now, but why don’t we meet tonight if you’re free?’” “Up until then, she had absolutely not run away because of some lover.” “She kept insisting there was a profound reason behind it.” “This time I told her, ‘When I blow a grass whistle outside the estate wall, take that as your signal to come out without fail. If you don’t come out, you’ll regret what happens,’ and with that I reluctantly parted from her on the afternoon of the 17th.” “That night I repeatedly signaled outside the wall, but Yasuko never appeared.” “Frustrated, I tried calling, but when an unfamiliar woman’s voice answered, I hung up without a word.”

The next day, as I was keeping watch from morning, it seemed something had happened, for police officers were frequently coming and going from the Aikawa residence since morning. Wondering what on earth was going on, I checked the evening paper that day and found out what had happened. Given this, I concluded that Yasuko wouldn’t come out today after all and, resigning myself throughout the 18th, returned home. Early in the morning on the 19th, when I called, by sheer coincidence, Yasuko happened to answer. “I said, ‘If we don’t meet tonight, I’ll kill you,’ though of course this was just a threat, but she replied that she couldn’t come out tonight because of tomorrow’s funeral.” “So tomorrow night—that is, last night—.” “I told her that if I gave the signal on the night of the twentieth she must come out without fail—so I hung up.”

“So I’d been keeping watch to make sure Yasuko wouldn’t run away, but on the nineteenth there was nothing I could do. Last night—though I don’t remember clearly—I went outside the wall a little past eight and gave the signal, but there was no response at all. After some time had passed—probably just before nine—I blew the grass whistle signal 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 to the streetlight to open it—inside was a message scrawled in pencil: ‘I’m coming right away, so wait by the post over there.’ I couldn’t wait a moment longer. I climbed over the wall from which the stone had come flying and suddenly jumped inside.” 6

“I placed my hands on the wall and nimbly climbed onto it—probably using a cherry tree—gripping the large trunk to descend immediately into the grounds.” “At that moment, I was so desperate to meet Yasuko that I naturally hadn’t studied the interior from outside beforehand, but from beyond the wall, I had assumed I’d emerge into a dark garden with thickly wooded trees.” The moment I suddenly jumped down into the garden and was plunged into pitch darkness all at once, I couldn’t see my surroundings clearly. However, I quickly located Yasuko. It was because she—

“Oh, you came?” She had come to my side while whispering this in a low voice. “No, she didn’t try to flee the moment she saw me.” “She was the one who approached me.” Of course, she may have already resigned herself to having no escape. “I suddenly grabbed her arm and began pouring out everything on my mind.” Then Yasuko swiftly cut me off, explaining that she had absolutely not betrayed me by taking up with some lover—

“The truth is, on the night of the 17th, the medicine I went to retrieve had been replaced with a powerful poison that caused Madam’s death. That’s why I couldn’t mention having met you along the way—if I had, suspicion would have fallen on you. Even though prosecutors and detectives and investigators have grilled me relentlessly until now, I never once spoke of meeting you.” “So I think they might suspect me after all.” “But there’s only one very kind person who’s been protecting me, so I’ve stayed safe until now, but…” “Given how things stand, it’s too dangerous for us to stay here any longer.” “Wait outside for me like I just said.” “I will come.”

“That’s what she said.” Her demeanor at the time didn’t seem entirely deceitful, but I was already consumed by agitation. “Trying to run away with excuses won’t work.” “I won’t let you escape this time!” As I spoke these words, I seized her right arm firmly with both hands.

Yasuko, insisting that being seen talking there would be disastrous, tried desperately to escape, so in my fury, I grabbed her arm and dragged her two or three feet toward me. “Are you really going to resort to such violence?” “Then I’ll raise my voice and call for someone!” she said, but despite this, she did not raise her voice and instead suddenly looked toward the house, “Oh! Someone’s coming over here!”

“Oh! Someone’s coming over here!” she shouted. Without thinking, I looked toward the splendid main house and saw someone approaching from beside the lit room. Startled, I released her arm and whispered, “I’ll be waiting for you later—got it?” “No sooner had I said this than I climbed back over using the same tree and fled outside.” “Hmm, so you had that exact exchange with Yasuko there. And you were gripping her arm forcefully enough to leave bruises,” said the inspector.

“Yes.” “According to your own account so far, we have to assume Yasuko ran away because she despised you—whether she was with a lover or not. No matter how much you flatter yourself, you must acknowledge this fact. When you suddenly jumped into the garden, it’s quite a strange story that the woman came over to you herself. And her staying silent while being manhandled like that is a bit hard to swallow.”

7 "But what I just told you is the truth." "If you hurt her arm like that and dragged her around, she would've had to scream." "...Didn't you strangle her right then?" "No, I would never..." "But by your own account, you were in a frenzy then." "In that frenzy, couldn't you have done it without realizing?"

“No, I never had any intention of killing her from the start.”

“That’s not it.” “I’m not saying you tried to kill Yasuko.” “But as I just said, weren’t you frantically trying to stop her scream?” “That’s how it was, wasn’t it?” “Think carefully.”

“…………” Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi remained silent for a while, looking down, but then raised his eyebrows and—

“No, no matter how I consider it, I have no recollection of having done 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.” “What? What did you say? Yasuko... was killed...” The young man inadvertently uttered this, but suddenly his previously tense expression relaxed, his eyes grew vacant, and his lips went slack. Observing his demeanor, one could only conclude he had been completely unaware of Yasuko’s death until now; however, given that criminals skillfully perform such convincing acts precisely in these situations, one might conversely interpret this as an exceptionally well-executed performance.

The inspector silently observed the young man’s demeanor for a while but soon posed a question.

“Then you’re telling me you had absolutely no idea Yasuko was killed until now?” “Ah… I… I didn’t…” Hayakawa answered as if genuinely unaware. “Then listen carefully.”

The inspector’s tone suddenly turned severe. “Why were you loitering around Shinjuku Station late last night—or rather, early this morning? If everything was exactly as you claimed earlier, you should’ve simply gone back to your boarding house, shouldn’t you? Isn’t the very fact that you were trying to flee somewhere proof that you knew Yasuko had been killed? In other words, it’s because you killed her at that time. You might not have intended to kill her. However, in your frenzy of strangling her—when the woman collapsed—you panicked and fled, then returned once to your boarding house before fleeing again. You were trying to escape because you’d committed the grave crime of murder.”

“No, that is absolutely not the case.” “Th-that’s… There’s no way I could do something so heinous…” Hayakawa cried out in a tearful voice, clearly sensing the unexpected suspicion now directed at himself. In fact, he told his story with tears streaming down his face.

“That’s absurd! That’s not true! As soon as I jumped over the fence, I immediately went to wait at that post. Even after waiting and waiting, Yasuko didn’t come out, so after a while I went back near the fence and was thinking about blowing the grass whistle when—I don’t know what happened—two or three police officers were walking around the Aikawa residence. Thinking this might arouse suspicion, I temporarily returned to my boarding house. But after that, I thoroughly considered what had just happened—how I’d climbed over someone’s fence today, and what Yasuko had said at that time.”

8 “Whether it’s a lie or truth I can’t say, but if the medicine Yasuko carried had been switched to poison without her knowledge, then it’s no wonder suspicion falls on me for secretly meeting her that day.” “Given how the Aikawa household was around the 18th and what I saw in that evening paper, Yasuko’s story couldn’t be dismissed as entirely false.” As I turned this over in my mind, genuine unease began stirring within me. Moreover, as you yourself noted earlier, Inspector—no matter how conceited I might be—I can’t imagine Yasuko being in love with me now. If she were to clearly tell the police or detectives about me, my position would become truly precarious. After all, having no steady job and lodging under a pseudonym makes it inevitable that I’d be viewed with suspicion.

“When I think this, not a moment longer can I afford to hesitate.” “Moreover, according to Yasuko’s story, there was only one person who was kind to me and protected her, but that person apparently suspects me.” “If that’s true, then Yasuko must have at least told that person about me.” “Realizing I couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer, I rushed out of my boarding house without any particular destination in mind.” “After that, I don’t remember where or how I wandered about, but I ended up at Ueno Station for the first time.” “But for some reason, I got the feeling detectives were staking out that area and couldn’t stay calm, so I finally ended up coming to Shinjuku Station. By then, it was already late at night with no trains running, and when I wandered around there exhausted, the officers grew suspicious and brought me here.” “Given these circumstances, while it is true that I trespassed into someone’s garden by climbing over the Aikawa family’s fence last night—for which I deeply apologize—I know absolutely nothing about Yasuko’s death.”

Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi, having said this, anxiously surveyed those present. However, his demeanor showed no signs of composure. “Then you’re saying you fled your boarding house in such a panic not because you were afraid of having killed Yasuko, but because you feared being perceived as Mrs. Aikawa’s murderer?” “Y-yes. That’s correct.” “There is no mistake about that.”

“Then are you involved in Mrs. Aikawa’s death?” “Huh? What did you say? ……No, I absolutely didn’t.” “Then you shouldn’t have had any reason to panic and flee like that, should you? In other words, it’s only natural that people would think you were so terrified because you’re involved in that incident.” “But the reason I panicked and fled is exactly as I’ve just explained—there’s no other reason.”

“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

Touda interjected. “Earlier, when you were questioning Yasuko, she cried out, ‘Oh, someone’s coming this way!’ so when you looked toward the main house, you said someone came out—correct?” “Uh-huh.”

“Was the person who came out then a man or a woman?” “Do you recall whether they were an adult or a child?”

Hayakawa thought for a while but finally opened his mouth.

“To be honest, whenever I saw what looked like someone approaching from afar, I immediately thought ‘This is bad!’ and fled without looking back, so I don’t remember clearly.” Hayakawa answered.

“But this is a crucial point. Try to recall it carefully.”

But Hayakawa gave no answer.

It was the inspector who interjected at that moment. "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 looked surprised as he questioned back. “That’s right. “He was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy.” “In other words, he’s the Aikawa family’s son.” “So you, having gotten completely carried away with killing Yasuko, became frenzied and ended up killing that child too in the darkness.” “That’s how it was, wasn’t it?” “That... the child was... also killed?!” Hayakawa’s expression at that moment was truly a strange sight. Not only was this his first time hearing about Shuntaro being similarly murdered, but he appeared utterly flustered, completely failing to grasp the meaning behind the judicial officer’s question.

If this was an act, one had to acknowledge it as a truly masterful performance.

The inspector, however, pressed on without paying any heed to the other party’s state.

“Let me make this clear to you! You’re being investigated on suspicion that last night—April twentieth at nine PM—you climbed over Aikawa Shunzo’s fence into their garden and brutally murdered both their maid Sada Yasuko and only son Aikawa Shuntaro!” Hayakawa stared blankly at the inspector for several seconds as though stunned—then suddenly seemed to grasp his perilous position. Tears began streaming down his face as he covered it with both hands.

“I don’t know anything. “I don’t know anything. “Killing two people… “I have no recollection of killing even one person!” As he shouted this, he collapsed weeping. Touda had been silently observing Hayakawa’s demeanor since earlier, but now picked up the crumpled paper fragment left on the table and methodically unfolded it. This was likely the paper pellet from Sada Yasuko mentioned during Hayakawa’s testimony. Scrawled in clumsy pencil were the words: “Coming right away. Wait by the post across.”

Around the time Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi’s choked sobs had finally begun to subside, Touda quietly began speaking to him.

“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask you for reference.” “In your earlier account, there was mention that Sada Yasuko had only one very kind person who sympathized with her and protected her—correct?” “Uh-huh.” “Did you not hear the name of that kind person from Yasuko?”

Hayakawa stared fixedly at Touda. He kept watching him with guarded eyes for some time before finally, "No, I didn't hear it," he answered clearly.

From his perspective, Touda too appeared to be one of those trying to send him to the gallows. "Then, from Yasuko's manner when she spoke to you, couldn't you tell whether that kind person was a man or a woman?"

Hayakawa stared fixedly at Touda for some time, then cried out in an anguished voice. "Ah, you people—must you persist in questioning me about matters you don't understand and tormenting me like this...?"

Having said this, he looked down and began to sob again. Neither the inspector nor Touda showed any change in expression as they silently watched him, 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..."

“Yeah, I see.” “Please have Mr. Hayashida shown in.”

Before the Storm

1

Soon, Hayashida appeared in the doorway. “Ah, Inspector Takahashi—thank you for taking the trouble to call earlier. I was going to come right away, but I just visited Aikawa Shunzo... Touda, I tell you, Aikawa Shunzo has weakened pitifully. He hasn’t left his bed since last night. Dr. Kizawa has been here since this morning, but he’s refusing all visitors.” “Is he in such critical condition?” “Well, it’s not that serious physically, but he’s adamant about refusing to see anyone at all. Given the commotion happened right under our watch, it seems we’ve completely lost their trust—and that includes you too, Inspector Takahashi.”

“Oh, is that how things are?” “According to Dr. Kizawa, last night’s shock seems to have worsened his preexisting neurasthenia even further.” “After that incident last night, he became so agitated he couldn’t sleep at all—and with his condition turning strange, they called Dr. Kizawa late in the evening. But even the doctor couldn’t handle him properly and ended up administering chloral hydrate or something to finally make him sleep.” “When I went there earlier, they said he was asleep.” “He claims he can’t trust the police or detectives at all anymore—says he won’t meet anyone from now on.” “Reportedly he’s insisting he won’t even see police personnel unless they bring a preliminary judge’s warrant.”

“Well now—if even you, who should’ve been their most trusted confidant, can’t get an audience, then I certainly stand no chance.” Touda scratched his head with a wry smile. Hayashida settled into a nearby chair. While shooting a sharp glance at Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi—who had been listening to their exchange with evident bewilderment—he murmured to Inspector Takahashi: “This would be the individual from earlier.”

“That’s right.”

Inspector Takahashi answered in an equally low voice, but this time turned to address both Touda and Hayashida.

“Regarding Date... Since I also want to investigate that man, I had a detective accompany him here earlier. He’s currently waiting in the detectives’ room, but I plan to question him later.” Inspector Takahashi said.

Touda glanced at his wristwatch but then—remembering something—abruptly stood up.

“Well, I’ll go ahead and visit the Aikawa residence once. The master of the house might drive me away, but I should be able to meet someone… Hayashida-kun, kindly listen carefully to what this Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi has to say.”

“Mr. Touda, shall we proceed with Date’s interrogation?” “I would indeed like to hear it, but there’s a matter requiring my immediate attention...”

He said this with a bow and urged me on, so I also bid farewell to Inspector Takahashi and Hayashida as I left the room. "It doesn’t seem too far from here—let’s try strolling over." Exiting the oppressive police building and stepping out under April’s blue sky, I felt a sense of liberation and well-being. "Hey—that man Hayakawa… Do you think he’s the culprit?"

“Well…” “But the trespass seems clear enough.” “The police will likely detain him on trespassing charges for now.” “Then gradually shift focus to the murder.” “Shouldn’t we attend Date’s interrogation?” “I’d want to hear it, but there’s little to gain.” “Of course it’d be different if Date confessed… But his mere inability to prove an alibi means nothing.” “Unless the police can prove he committed murder, there’s nothing to be done.”

2

When we arrived at the entrance of the Aikawa residence and rang the bell, it was Steward Sasada who came out. "Is this Mr. Touda?" "Mr. Hayashida came by a short while ago and has already left."

“I hear the master is unwell.” “You must be rather busy yourself.”

While taking off his shoes, Touda made this remark.

“I’ve been quite at my wit’s end today. Since morning, people from the newspaper have been coming by, saying they want to see the master, or if he’s ill, then they’d like to meet the young lady—and they wouldn’t leave easily, so I’ve had to attend to each one personally, you see.”

“Ah, I see. Then today’s evening paper will carry an article saying, ‘Steward Sasada Jinzo of the Aikawa family gloomily stated…’ Well, you’re going to become quite famous yourself.” “Not at all! I would never wish to become famous for something like this.”

While saying such things, Steward Sasada ushered us into the parlor. "Of course, since I likely cannot meet with the master, I would like to meet with the young lady." "Oh dear, this means I'm no different from the newspaper reporters." "Though it would be problematic if you drove me away." "You must be joking..." With polite courtesy, Steward Sasada left us behind. After a short while, Hiroko entered the room.

“Mr. Touda, I heard that the culprit was caught last night.”

“Yes—how did you come to know that?” “When Mr. Hayashida came earlier, I heard about that.” “Mr. Hayashida said he was going to the police.” “I met the man arrested last night at Ushigome Police Station.” “Oh my! “And has he confessed?” Hiroko’s beautiful eyes widened brightly. “He admitted jumping into your family’s garden from outside.” “He claimed to be Yasuko’s lover who came to meet her.” “But he insists he didn’t kill Shuntaro—and says he has no memory of strangling Yasuko either.”

“And what is your opinion, Mr. Touda?” Hiroko stared probingly at Touda. “My thoughts? “About that man, Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi?”

“Yes.” “Well, as for that man—he may be the murderer, or he may not. At present, there’s nothing more we can say than that.” “But even if Yasuko’s lover held some grudge against her, why would he subject my brother to such an ordeal?” “That’s precisely the issue.” “To me, the reason why someone who holds a grudge against Yasuko would have to kill my brother is something I just can’t comprehend. Unless my brother interfered with the crime or was actually present to witness it… but even so, a child like Shuntaro couldn’t possibly have obstructed anything. And unless someone were mute, it’s absurd to think they’d stay silent while watching such a thing. Mr. Touda, don’t you think so?”

“That’s correct. I do think that such a way of thinking is indeed correct.” “Moreover, there’s no way Shuntaro could have known some man acquainted with Yasuko, is there? I am certain Shuntaro was lured out of that piano room by someone he knew well.” Having made this clear statement, she looked at Touda’s face again. At that moment, the door opened and Steward Sasada entered, respectfully carrying a tray bearing three cups of tea.

3 Touda, who had been somewhat flustered by Hiroko's intensely logical questioning, abruptly redirected the conversation toward Steward Sasada when he saw him enter.

"Oh, so you're acting as maid now? What has become of the maids?" "Yes, since they hardly slept at all during last night's commotion, I have given them leave to rest today."

Steward Sasada finished clumsily arranging the teacups on the table with his awkward hands, then left the room without saying much more.

“As Sasada just mentioned, all the maids have been given leave to rest.” “But they’re all so terribly frightened that they won’t come out of their rooms.” “When I see the three of them whispering together like that, I can’t help but think they might be asking to quit.” “Though one can hardly blame them.” “In such a creepy house!” “If I were a maid, I couldn’t endure even a single day here.” “Hohoho.”

Hiroko laughed as she said this, but it could never be called a cheerful laugh.

“Hiroko-san. “Today there is one important matter I wish to request of you. “As you know, before last night’s incident occurred, I had been posing crucial questions to your father. “Specifically, why he had concealed the matter of the threatening letters, and regarding the relationship between Date Masao and your esteemed household.”

“I am aware.” “However, due to that sudden commotion, I lost the opportunity to receive your father’s clear answer.” “I had thought to ask him today, but he is said to be ill.” “Even were he not ill, as I am not a law enforcement official, I cannot insist on meeting him if your father refuses.” “Therefore, I must conclude that I cannot expect an answer from your father.” “Even Hayashida might not succeed in asking.” “Ultimately, there is no path but for you children to ask him directly.” “Of course, I myself am investigating Date’s background as well...”

For some reason, Touda uttered his final words with great force and gazed fixedly at Hiroko’s face for a while. “I would like to ask either you, Ms. Sadako, or Ms. Hatsue about this matter, but I don’t know how much Ms. Sadako and Ms. Hatsue trust me. Since I believe you would trust me…” “Of course.” “Therefore, you must get your father to clarify that point clearly. Of course, you must seize the opportunity. Don’t recklessly blame your father.”

Hiroko smiled warmly.

“I understand.” “I will do as you say.” She took a sip of her tea with an air of having fully accepted the task, then suddenly looked at Touda and— “So you too, Mr. Touda…!” “That Mr. Date…” she began. “Huh? What do you mean?” “In other words,” he said, “you don’t believe Hayakawa is the culprit either, do you?”

“Why do you say that?” “But if Hayakawa were the culprit, wouldn’t there be no need to investigate Mr. Date? So after all, you believe there’s a culprit other than this Hayakawa person, don’t you?” She smiled slightly.

“Hiroko-san, do not misunderstand.” “The matter of Hayakawa and the matter of Mr. Date are entirely separate.” “In any case, please ask clearly about Mr. Date.” He had just briskly finished speaking when the door opened and Sadako entered the room wearing a troubled expression.

4

In our country, there has long been an expression: "a flowering crabapple tormented by the rain." Never before had I seen anyone embody this description as perfectly as Sadako did at that moment. Of course, among the Aikawa family members after the tragedy, not a single one appeared cheerful. This went without saying—even Hiroko, who remained relatively composed, possessed that lonely beauty I had described to you all at this story's beginning. She too had grown noticeably haggard since the tragedy. Though her manner until now had maintained composure, not a trace of cheerfulness could be detected.

However, the Sadako who had just entered now bore the very image of a flowering crabapple battered not by mere rain… no, by a tempest. What a transformation from when I first met her right after the initial tragedy. She now appeared as nothing but a beautiful woman whose spirit and soul had been utterly shattered. Perhaps she already knew that Date Masao, the young man she so deeply loved, had been taken to the police station under horrifying suspicion.

Sadako entered the room, bowed to Touda and me, then immediately looked toward Hiroko. “Um… Sister, could I have a moment?”

she called out in a manner that suggested she had business. “What is it? Sadako，it’s fine．Go ahead and say it．” “Right now，someone called Uncle Kiyoya has come…”

“Ah, right. He’s asking for time off, isn’t he?” “Yes, that’s right.”

“Since Father is ill now, why don’t you tell him we can’t give an answer today?” “Yes, I did tell him that.” “But he simply won’t listen.” “With me being like this, I can’t manage it at all.” “Sister, won’t you meet him instead?”

“It can’t be helped, then. “Well then, shall I meet him?” “Detective, as you’ve heard, I must excuse myself for a moment.” Having lost her mother and now naturally thrust into the position of housewife, Hiroko stood up as she said this.

After Hiroko left the room, Sadako, drawing near to Touda,

“Detective, is it true that Mr. Date was taken by the police?” she asked pleadingly.

“Oh, Sadako-san, how did you come to know this?” “Just now, the maid from Mr. Date’s household came and informed me that a short while ago, the police came to our house and took him away, so…” “I see.”

I held my breath, wondering what Touda would say to Sadako. "The truth is, I've just come from the police station. A man suspected of last night's incident has been caught... Didn't Mr. Hayashida mention this to you?" "No, I did meet Mr. Hayashida earlier, but he didn't speak of that matter—" "I see. The man in question is one Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi. Since his arrest, I went to inspect the situation at the station myself. It appears Mr. Date also arrived there while I was present."

“Detective, did you meet Mr. Date?”

“No, I didn’t meet him.” “So what is Mr. Date’s situation? Is he going to be arrested? Last night, since the police questioned him so thoroughly, I thought the matter was already settled...” “Well, but since the police seem to be focusing on Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi, Mr. Date should be safe. First of all, if someone is innocent, there’s absolutely no need to worry.”

5 “But if that Hayakawa person is confirmed as suspicious, there should be no reason for Mr. Date to be arrested, I think…” A question similar to Hiroko’s emerged from her lips once again here. However, while Hiroko’s had been entirely logical, Sadako’s questioning carried a desperate fervor.

“Well, I can’t state anything definitive about the police’s policy, but when an incident like last night’s occurred, they would need to question everyone as standard procedure.” “It’s not necessarily the case that Mr. Date is under suspicion.” “There’s no need for you to worry so much.” “Is that really the case?” “So here’s how it must be.” “Last night after Mr. Date had temporarily taken his leave from your residence, he was speaking with you on the second floor.” “Then when Mr. Hayashida arrived, you took him to your own room. After that, you yourself cannot provide evidence that Mr. Date truly returned straight home, correct?”

“Yes.” “Other than that, there’s nothing else worrying you yourself, is there? For example—there isn’t something like Mr. Date being found wandering around the mansion grounds by someone, is there?” “Th-that is of course not the case!” Sadako declared these words with great force, but her voice was clearly tinged with an uncanny tremor. She appeared to have uttered these words with desperation.

Whether Touda had noticed this state or not, he suddenly began speaking in a comforting tone. “Look here. “No active suspicion is being placed on Mr. Date. “You can rest assured. “Now—I must apologize for prying into matters concerning your fiancé—but what exactly was this significant matter that Mr. Date came back a second time to discuss with you? “If you’re willing to share it, I would very much like to hear about it.”

“Ah, so that’s what this concerns?” “I haven’t kept anything hidden about this matter.” “I’ve already explained everything to both Mr. Hayashida and the police.” “It’s regarding Mr. Date’s determination about the engagement cancellation that Mother insisted upon.” “I feel terrible for doubting my sister like this, but since Mother’s passing, Hiroko seems to share her views.” “When Mr. Date returned after briefly leaving that night, he told me: ‘We must refuse any cancellation. Since we’re not after the inheritance at all, please make sure to tell your sister yourself if she asks.’” “Naturally, I feel exactly the same way.” “I’m not relying on any inheritance.” “If only I could be with him…”

“Ah, I understand now.” “Then there’s nothing strange about Mr. Date having returned to confirm matters.”

He said this and took out his cigarette case, but unfortunately there wasn’t a single cigarette inside. I hurriedly took out my own case, but when luck is against you, there’s nothing to be done—there wasn’t a single A-ship in my case either. Touda, having no other choice, glanced at the table. Since there were gold-tipped Egyptian cigarettes meant for guests placed there, he casually grabbed one of them, took out a lighter, and immediately lit it.

I must say my luck was bad. For had there been five or six A-ship or Virginia cigarettes in his case or mine at that time, this story might have taken a different course.

6 However, just because I said that doesn’t mean it’s like those detective novels where poison has been planted in the cigarettes, causing Detective Touda to suddenly collapse right there. He normally detested Egyptian cigarettes and never smoked them, but perhaps thinking “better than nothing” at this moment, he began vigorously puffing on the M.C.C., sending purple plumes into the air.

He seemed to want to ask Sadako something further, but at that moment, the door opened and Hiroko returned again. “It’s really such a bother.” “Finally, Kiyoya’s uncle came and took him away.”

“Oh!”

Surprised, Sadako interjected.

“Sadako, I was angry too, so I told him to go home promptly.” “Because the uncle said, ‘If we leave Kiyoya in a house like this haunted mansion, he might get killed tonight!’ That’s why.” “I got angry, so I sent him home.” “Now we’re down to two maids, aren’t we?” “But if Kiyoya leaves, Hisaya and Shimaya might say they’re going to leave too, you know.”

“So you’re saying it was wrong for me to send Kiyoya home? Sadako, then shouldn’t you have negotiated to stop him yourself?” “Sister, that wasn’t what I meant to suggest…” “Oh, isn’t it fine to drop this now?”

Touda interjected between the sisters—the two who were clearly at odds with each other in their hearts.

“No matter how much you try to stop a maid who says she wants to leave, it’s no use.” “Miss Hiroko sending her home is by no means something to be blamed.” “However, Miss Sadako was by no means criticizing you… More importantly, how is Father doing? Is he still asleep?” “Is he still asleep?”

"Oh yes, Dr. Kizawa has come now. If you would care to, won't you come to my room to talk?" "He is currently on the second floor."

Women's quarrels are tenacious.

Hiroko appeared to have been quite bothered by Sadako’s words and seemed intent on inviting Touda and me to her room to exclude Sadako.

Whether Touda had noticed this or not was unclear, but he readily agreed. “Well then, let us go to your room. By the way, I must apologize for the rudeness, but since there are likely no cigarettes in your room, I’ll take about ten of these M.C.C. ones with me.” “If Miss Blanche would suffice, I have some in my room as well. But I will bring this.”

Having said this, she took the M.C.C. can and, briskly opening the parlor door as she did so, urged Touda and me onward. Touda headed toward the door without hesitation, but he did not neglect to offer appropriate words to Sadako.

“Well then, I’ll go meet Dr. Kizawa.” “Miss Sadako, there’s no need for you to worry.” “It’s all right. Please rest assured and wait calmly.” “Mr. Date will surely be brought back.” Exiting the parlor and ascending the familiar staircase to reach the corridor, they found the master’s study on the left where the prosecutor had questioned the family on the 18th. Keeping it to their 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, the two of us were shown into the beautiful young lady's room.

“Well now, this is a splendidly wonderful room.” It was such a beautiful room—one truly befitting a beauty—that even Touda had uttered those words without artifice.

7 “Then please wait here for a moment…” With that, Hiroko left the room—likely going to summon Dr. Kizawa. Touda and I remained standing beside the chairs and surveyed the room. On the walls hung two photographs of Western masterpieces. A table pushed against one side of the room held beautiful carnations whose fragrance filled the air with a sweetness matching their appearance. Against another wall stood a large bookshelf.

“There are Mademoiselle (young lady)’s favorite books here, huh?” Since Touda pointed, peering through the glass at the bookshelf revealed that the first things to catch one’s eye on the topmost row were Richard Muther’s *History of Painting*, L. Nohl’s work beside it, and then Paul Bekker’s famous biography of Beethoven. *Spricht sie Deutsch?* (Oh, does she speak German?)

Touda muttered to himself in mild surprise but immediately cast his eyes to the shelf below.

There, books published in our country concerning literature, music, and art were beautifully arranged, speaking volumes about the educational level of this room’s owner. “Where have my dear Mr. Van Dine and Mr. Doyle gone?”

Touda stared at the bookshelf for a while, then pointed to the left while looking at me. There were Van Dine's five published novels and nearly all of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes works, followed by novels by Wallace Runkcl, Rosenhayn, Hans Hyan (the latter three in German), and beside them, true crime stories by Kingston Pearce and others arranged on the shelf. (I actually tried hard to look for Hans Gross's book. If we'd found it, things would have resembled *The Greene Murder Case* even more closely, but as expected, not a single one of those legal texts could be found.)

While we were standing in front of the bookshelf puffing on M.C.C. cigarettes, Hiroko returned.

“Please have a seat. Dr. Kizawa will be here shortly…” After a while, Dr. Kizawa entered with a cheerful face. Touda had already met Dr. Kizawa on the 18th and was acquainted with him, but since I had not yet been formally introduced, Hiroko facilitated an introduction for me. He appeared to be about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old and looked like an extremely calm doctor. “You must be exhausted from all your efforts. Has your father calmed down a bit?”

“Yes, he’s been asleep due to the sleeping pills.” “It’s nothing serious, but given the continued misfortunes, he’s still in shock…” “From your professional standpoint as a doctor, do you find him completely unfit to receive visitors?” “Well, that’s not exactly the case, but…” Dr. Kizawa fell silent for a moment but then reluctantly began to speak. “However, I believe it would be futile for anyone to meet with him now.” “To put it simply, the master here—a doctor—has stated that he absolutely refuses to meet anyone besides myself.” “Of course, the young ladies are an exception, and while there’s nothing seriously wrong, I did suggest calling a nurse, but that doesn’t seem to be favored either.” “It’s an extremely severe case of neurasthenia.” “There appears to be no Fieber, but he has absolutely no Appetit.”

“Don’t we need to take precautions regarding his own safety?” Touda asked. “I can’t say it’s *ganz nichts*.” “This falls within both our domain and yours, but *Selbst*…” He had started to say this much, but Dr. Kizawa was, after all, a doctor. Noticing German books in one of the bookshelves, he refrained from uttering his next words in Hiroko’s presence.

8 I couldn’t tell whether Dr. Kizawa had interlaced his conversation with German due to a physician’s habit or had deliberately done so to avoid being understood by Hiroko, but it seemed Hiroko—who appeared capable of comprehending German—had fully grasped his meaning. When Touda asked whether there was any risk of Shunzo committing suicide, Dr. Kizawa must have intended to respond that he couldn’t declare there was absolutely no danger. Whether she had swiftly discerned this or tactfully pretended to, Hiroko—

“While Dr. Kizawa is here, I shall attend to Father’s room.”

With that, she bowed lightly to everyone and headed out into the hallway. "In any case, as I just mentioned, Mr. Aikawa's condition itself isn't particularly dangerous; however, we can't say there's absolutely no risk of suicide resulting from agitation." "I was called late last night and prepared chloral hydrate because he couldn't sleep well." "Generally speaking, this chloral hydrate isn't a particularly commendable sleeping medication, but given that he's been continuously taking Veronal, Nemural and other such drugs until now, it's quite difficult for anything else to take effect."

Dr. Kizawa spoke defensively. “I see. So Mr. Aikawa’s condition is like that?”

Touda, vigorously sending up smoke from his M.C.C., was lost in thought for a while but suddenly opened his mouth again. “This may fall within your specialty—I believe you’re likely an internist—or perhaps extend beyond it, but don’t you think there’s something slightly unusual about the state of the Aikawa family?” “In what way?” “What I mean is,” “in psychological terms.” “Indeed, as you say, I’m not well-versed in psychiatry, but one might consider this family to be in a somewhat abnormal state.” “But…”

“However, if such tragedies keep occurring one after another, it would be unreasonable for anyone to expect that family to remain in a normal state. Even so, the young ladies’ conditions seem to form a striking contrast…”

“That’s correct.” “Given how the young ladies have suffered such shocks, there are some signs of hysterical tendencies.” “Hiroko-san remains relatively composed, though she still appears quite agitated.” “Sadako-san has grown deeply despondent and seems considerably troubled by her nerves.” “Among the young ladies, Hatsue-san currently seems the healthiest.” “I’ve been monitoring their physical conditions for some time now, but Hatsue-san has always appeared the sturdiest and most robust.” “Still, as you noted, no one in any household could maintain normalcy through such events.” “Whether Hiroko-san or Sadako-san, they’re both managing with remarkable composure, I should say.” “Now then—Detective Touda—what are your current thoughts regarding the culprit?”

“Well, at present, I can only state that I have absolutely no idea,” Touda replied, sending up a plume of M.C.C. smoke. “Though we have confirmed that a suspicious man was apprehended last night.” Dr. Kizawa adjusted his glasses, the clinical tone tightening. “While last night’s incident may be set aside, the matter of the 17th concerns me personally. You must understand—the medicine I prescribed had been substituted with mercuric chloride.”

After this, Dr. Kizawa and Touda talked about various things in Hiroko’s room for about twenty minutes, but there was nothing that needed to be recorded here.

9

After some time, Dr. Kizawa stood up. “Well, if Mr. Aikawa were to wake up again that would be problematic—I shall go there and relieve Hiroko-san.” Dr. Kizawa left, and shortly after Hiroko returned.

“How was it? And Father?” “Ah—he regained consciousness a short while earlier and has settled considerably. However,” he said with a slight smile, “he was grumbling that the police and detectives are unreliable.” “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I have nothing to say. I’ve completely lost his trust.” “But you’re still all right, sir. As for Detective Hayashida, Father had requested him himself and was feeling reassured, but he’s been muttering that things have turned out like this.”

"Well, I suppose it's about time we took our leave." "Oh, you don’t have to leave yet."

However, Touda discarded his seventh M.C.C. into the ashtray and stood up. "I see, you seem to have an interest in crime novels beyond literature and art."

As he said this, he went to the bookshelf, “Here is a book titled *Murder and Its Motive* by Jess Tennyson—have you read it?” he asked, turning slightly toward Hiroko. “Ah.”

“It’s about a terrifying murderer, I believe.” “I think it included something about Constance Kent...” “Ah, you mean that girl who became a murderess?” “Exactly.” “Yes, there are remarkably dangerous women.” “They maintain faces that wouldn’t harm a fly on the surface.” “Though I must say, Kogawa-kun here tends to revere any woman he considers beautiful.”

As he said this, he mockingly jerked his chin in my direction. I couldn’t help but blush—but really, why on earth had Touda brought up such an odd thing in front of the beautiful Hiroko? “That’s true.” “As they say—outwardly a saint, inwardly a demon.” “The more beautiful and gentle-looking a woman appears, the more terrifying she is.” “Ohohoho.”

Hiroko opened her beautiful eyes wide and laughed. “Then I shall come again tomorrow. If Father says we must not come, then there’s nothing to be done about 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, we’ll come again tomorrow. I will inform you about the police’s findings as soon as they become clear.” When we left Hiroko’s room, Sadako also came out from the adjacent room to see us off.

When Hiroko saw that, she stepped ahead of us and began walking. Sadako whispered to Touda, “Detective, please do take care of Mr. Date,” she implored.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you know about the police’s progress as soon as I find out.” After descending the stairs to the entrance and putting on his shoes, Touda bowed to the two young ladies and exited through the gate.

As soon as he exited, he entered a tobacco shop, requested two A-ships, and immediately began smoking them with relish. However, he somehow seemed listless.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave here today. If anything comes up, I’ll call you. I’ve gotten a bit worn out.”

We parted ways there.

With this, April 21st came to an end.

The Third Tragedy

1

The next day was April 22nd. Since the incident on the night of the 17th—that is, the first tragedy—Touda had been rising relatively early, summoning me by phone or answering promptly whenever I called, appearing already awake. Thinking he would likely call again this morning too, I finished my breakfast early. Particularly since yesterday, when we took our leave of the Aikawa household, he had stated he would return unless refused by the master—considering this, I felt certain he would invite me again, so I had prepared myself to go out at any time.

However, even when it reached around ten o'clock, the phone had not rung. Perhaps even he, having been troubled by this major case, had finally reverted to his old habit of sleeping in and would rise today with the noon siren—or so I anxiously wondered as I waited. Then, nearly eleven o’clock arrived, and the telephone began to ring.

“There it is!”

Thinking just that, I hurriedly grabbed the receiver, only to unexpectedly hear a woman’s voice.

“Is this Mr. Kogawa?” “I am Touda’s mother…” That Touda lived with his mother was already known to you. The call came from Touda’s house, but it was his mother speaking. I instinctively stiffened. Yet her message contained nothing particularly alarming. Since that morning, Touda had developed a fever and become bedridden. However, he urgently wished to discuss some grave matter with me. With profuse apologies, she requested that I come to their home at once.

Naturally, I rushed straight to his house. "I heard over the phone, but what's wrong?" When I was shown to his room, I immediately called out to Touda, who lay on the bed wearing a bored expression. "Yeah, it's nothing serious, but I got hit here." As he said this, he pointed to his throat; indeed, his voice was terribly hoarse.

"I ended up in this state because of my pointless hesitation. It's those M.C.C.s. As you know, I don't smoke Egyptian cigarettes. I always stick to A-ship or Virginia Leaf—whenever I switch brands suddenly, it wrecks my throat. This happened once before too." "Then you should've had the maid at the Aikawa residence buy A-ship cigarettes yesterday."

“That’s right. I knew that, but I thought it’d be inconsiderate to burden the Aikawa family by giving extra errands to the maids who were already discussing taking time off or not, so I ended up smoking ten of those Egyptian cigarettes in a row.” “In other words, it’s all because of my own stinginess that caused this, so I can’t complain to anyone—but thanks to that, I’ve had a swollen throat and a fever since this morning.” “It’s nothing serious—about thirty-eight degrees.” “So I can’t go out today.”

“That’s terrible.” “And this urgent matter you mentioned…” “That’s precisely it. In my stead—until I can get up—I want you to keep a close watch over the Aikawa household members. Call it protection or surveillance, but stay vigilant either way.” “Hmm.” “So you still believe something else might occur at that house?” “That remains unclear.” “But it might.” “However, I heard the master refuses to meet you.”

“There’s no need to meet the master. But I want you to keep as close an eye as possible on Hiroko and Sadako’s movements.”

2 "So you're saying we should protect those two?" "Yeah." "Protection or surveillance." "Which one?" "Can't tell." "So you mean the culprit's among them?" "Or they might become targets themselves..."

“I can’t state that definitively either. Whether Hiroko or Sadako becomes the perpetrator or victim—in any case, something critical might occur, so I need you to remain vigilant.” “But even if you tell me to keep watch, I…” “Therefore, you simply need to visit that house daily and attend to the two young ladies.” “Rather fine duty, wouldn’t you say?”

“If that’s all, well, even I might be able to manage it.” “It’s not a ‘might’.” “Isn’t this an ideal role you couldn’t have wished for?” “And if you notice even the slightest change, I want you to inform me immediately.” “I’ve also made arrangements with the police about you, so they’ll likely accommodate you.” “I also want you to inquire about Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi periodically.”

“Very well. I’ll take it on.” “It’s regrettable to fall behind Hayashida here, but since this isn’t the time for such talk, I’ve already phoned Hayashida and mentioned the young ladies’ situation. He came by earlier to check on me and seems to share my opinion—he should be keeping close watch over both of them.”

He said this with considerable difficulty, but after a while he continued. "The most crucial point is that the situation appears to be growing urgent." "If Hayakawa were the culprit, my worries would prove groundless—and that would be fortunate." "In any case, should something occur, it certainly won't wait until May 1st." "Be thoroughly vigilant here."

Since he seemed anxious even during this exchange, I hurried to the Aikawa residence immediately after leaving Touda's place.

When I looked at the clock, it was a little past eleven. If I were to take my time with whether it was protection or surveillance, noon would naturally pass. Touda had not ordered me to eat lunch at the Aikawa residence as well. Visiting at this hour wasn’t exactly considerate, but since I had to go and check regardless, I came straight to the entrance of the Aikawa residence.

Under Steward Sasada’s guidance, I was promptly shown into the reception room. Just then, Hayashida and Sadako were talking about something there, but Sadako’s face looked more pitiful than it had the day before. “Ah, Mr. Kogawa, I’ve just stopped by Touda-kun’s place.” “It seems he’s taken ill. That’s unfortunate.”

"No—with him being laid up, I'm shouldering an immense responsibility here." When I entered the room, Sadako soon slipped out through the door—likely going to summon Hiroko.

“This is an idea Touda-kun and I share—since one can never be too cautious, I intend to visit this house daily for the time being.” “You must be planning to do likewise, I presume?” “Yes, Touda just instructed me.” “Apparently I simply need to keep the young ladies company.” “Not an unpleasant duty, but I somehow feel saddled with grave responsibility.” “Mr. Aikawa remains bedridden—Dr. Kizawa has come again today—but he should improve soon enough, at which point we’ll arrange a proper meeting.”

While such talk was going on, Hiroko entered with Sadako. “Mr. Kogawa, I hear Mr. Touda has fallen ill.”

3 “Yes, he’s caught a cold and it’s been troubling him.” “Though I can’t exactly claim his throat issues stem from your household’s cigarettes.”

“But I’m truly relieved you’ve come,” she said. “And since Mr. Touda mentioned Detective Hayashida would be staying here continuously…” “Well, I may not be much help,” I replied, “but Touda said I should keep you company since you’d likely feel lonely for a while.” Even this justification felt inadequate—I couldn’t bring myself to admit I’d come for surveillance. “Father has actually been quite pleased,” Hiroko added. “Oh? Has his mood improved?” It was Hayashida who posed the question.

“Yes, for a time he had lost heart so completely that he said he wouldn’t meet anyone at all, but upon hearing how you had gone to such trouble to visit yesterday, today he is entirely grateful.”

Sadako said. "However, Dr. Kizawa has advised it would be best for him not to meet anyone and remain quiet throughout today, so we must excuse ourselves now. We were just instructed to convey our deepest gratitude to you." Hiroko took over the explanation, but in any case, it was most welcome that the master of the house's mood had improved. "Um, Detective Hayashida, I've just heard from my sister that Mr. Date hasn't returned from the police..."

“Yes, it appears the police have temporarily detained Mr. Date as well.” “Given Miss Sadako’s request, I intend to investigate the matter further later.” “However, please understand this information is being treated with utmost confidentiality...”

In this way, the four of them continued conversing in the reception room for a while. Why hadn’t Date returned? That he had been detained was news to me.

It was no wonder Sadako looked troubled. Thanks to Hiroko and the others’ kindness, lunch was arranged to be had at the Aikawa residence. In the lower Japanese-style room, Hiroko, Sadako, Hatsue, Hayashida, and I gathered around the table. Since the master was still unable to leave his bed, the maid named Hisaya apparently carried the meal upstairs.

During the meal, Hatsue served in place of the maid, but upon closer inspection, just as Dr. Kizawa had said yesterday, this young lady indeed possessed the most developed, healthy-looking physique. We stayed until evening, but since nothing particularly unusual occurred, Hayashida and I left the Aikawa residence around six o'clock and went to the police. This evening, Date was permitted to return home, but it was said that he would be summoned again tomorrow. As Touda had stated, Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi had been detained on charges of trespassing and was apparently vigorously interrogated about the murders, but he had yet to confess.

“We’ve gotten him to admit he might’ve strangled Yasuko in a fit of madness… But about Shuntaro, he flatly claims to know nothing.” “On my end, since an investigator went to Osaka last night to check his entire history, we’ll soon know his true background.” “We’re also meant to look into his ties with a former mistress called Okada Katsu.”

Inspector Takahashi explained this to us.

That night, I visited Touda again. His fever still hadn't subsided, it seemed. Beside the bed lay a large number of this morning's newspapers and this evening's editions. All carried bold headlines like "The Aikawa Family's Bizarre Incident" and "Criminal(?) Apprehended," featuring photographs of the entire family and Hayakawa. 4 Yet nowhere did reports mention Date's police detention - a fact evidently kept under strict secrecy. Even when Touda had spoken with the police by telephone that morning, they apparently hadn't disclosed it. Had Touda himself answered, they likely would have mentioned the matter, but since his mother had handled the call instead, they'd remained silent. One could only marvel at how thoroughly the police were maintaining confidentiality.

So, Date’s detention and Shunzo’s improved mood were the news I could convey to Touda that day. April 22nd thus dawned and thus closed.

On the morning of the 23rd, relatively early, I was called by Touda over the phone and hurriedly went to him.

When I arrived at Touda’s place, his regular physician was there, busily applying some medication to his throat. “The doctor just scolded me—said I shouldn’t talk or smoke, you see. There’s something I absolutely must tell you, which is why I called you here.”

After I had finished greeting the physician, Touda said in a half-explanatory tone. "But you—what’s going on?" "Your body… How is it?" "Are you feeling somewhat better than yesterday?" I turned toward the doctor.

“It hasn’t changed much. “The fever hasn’t subsided yet, and he’ll need to rest quietly for four or five days.” The doctor, being of course aware of Touda’s profession, seemed to infer there was some secret discussion between us; after briefly explaining the treatment, he departed immediately.

“The thing is,” he said with a pained expression, coughing several times with a rasping hack. “Last night I couldn’t sleep well from the fever, so I turned over various aspects of the case in my mind.” “Uh-huh.” “The case remains an enigma.” “There are multiple possibilities.” “The police don’t appear to be making much headway either.” “So I pursued a particular line of reasoning.” “As a result, I’ve arrived at three crucial conclusions.” “This differs somewhat from what I asked of you yesterday, so listen carefully.” “If there were to be an incident requiring vigilance in the future—” “First: The most dangerous location is within the Aikawa residence.” “Therefore, to protect the family, we must devise a way to get them out of the house.” “Second: While I previously asked you to watch Hiroko and Sadako, I’m now revising those instructions.” “Henceforth, I want you to observe the actions of everyone in that household—family members, residents, and visitors alike.” “This applies equally to police officers and doctors.” “Naturally it’s impossible for you alone to monitor them all simultaneously, and there’s nothing to be done when you’re absent from the house. But keep these points firmly in mind regardless.” “Third: So long as Date Masao remains in police custody, further incidents will likely not occur.” “But hearing last night that he’s already been released, you must exercise extreme caution...”

“So you still suspect Date Masao…?”

“No—please don’t ask me anything right now. Could you just make sure to pay full attention to the three things I’ve mentioned?” I stared at his face with some dismay. “Now, regarding the first practical application of those crucial points—today, when you go to the Aikawa residence, take as many people from that house as possible, whoever they are, and go out to the theater or movies. Stay out as long as possible.” “But I can’t protect more than one person by myself. In case something happens outside…”

“That danger absolutely does not exist.” “Unless we’re dealing with some preposterous detective novel, there’s absolutely no chance of anyone being snatched away by car or anything like that.” “Especially—would a mastermind of this caliber ever resort to such methods?”

5 “But... will I be okay on my own?”

“You’ll be fine. As long as they’re outside the Aikawa residence, they should be safe even without you accompanying them.” “Well, I’ll follow your instructions… but if I’m away from the Aikawa residence all day, I won’t know anything about what happens there.”

“Of course, that can’t be helped.” “Then I’ll take my leave.”

Although I didn't fully understand, I obeyed Touda's orders and hurried to the mansion to take out the young lady of the Aikawa family.

When I arrived at the residence, neither Hayashida nor Dr. Kizawa had yet come. Given our established acquaintance, it seemed natural to request Hiroko's presence, so when I asked Steward Sasada to relay this message, Hiroko came out immediately. Though she had invited me to her room and I seriously considered accepting, I ultimately hesitated—while this might have been permissible for Touda or Hayashida, I was merely acting as Touda's proxy with none of their investigative acumen, essentially serving as a companion to Hiroko and the others. Being alone with her in her private quarters struck me as mildly improper.

So I decided to talk in the reception room. “Um, how is Mr. Touda?” “He’s still the same as ever.” “He still has a fever and is confined to bed.” “Oh, that won’t do at all.” “At such an inopportune time.”

Hiroko made a troubled expression. "How is your father doing?"

“Thank you very much.” “He’s much better now.” “He has been up since this morning.” “It has been decided that in the afternoon, he may leave his room and walk around the garden.” “He also says he wishes to meet with the doctors and gentlemen to express his gratitude.” “Then his spirits have been consistently good?” “Yes, absolutely…” “Hey, Hiroko-san, this is sudden, but would you like to go out somewhere today?” Even Hiroko seemed slightly taken aback.

“This is what Touda says.” “He insisted I must tell all of you.” “After those awful incidents, you shouldn’t keep cooping yourselves up at home like this.” “He says staying shut in will only make you more depressed—it’d be better to go out and cheer yourselves up.” “Of course not just you alone—if possible, have Sadako and Hatsue join us too.”

“It’s because Mr. Touda was kind enough to say so.”

“Yes, so why don’t we go out? Granted, it might not be appropriate to go out recklessly so soon after your mother passed away and your brother was killed... but you see, Touda insists that for what’s to come, it’s better to stay as cheerful as possible.” I put all my effort into it, uttering Touda’s name like a spell as I set about persuading the young lady. Indeed, the name Touda had a remarkably great effect. Hiroko also seemed quite swayed. It must be quite hard for them to stay in such a gloomy place all day.

“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?”

“Then I will go and consult them, so please kindly wait a moment.”

Hiroko left the reception room.

6

Before long, she entered the room with Hatsue. “When I told my sisters about your proposal, they were very pleased.” “They have expressed that they would very much like to accompany you somewhere.” “I also spoke to Sadako, but she says she cannot go out today as Mr. Date will be arriving shortly.” “There’s nothing to be done about those who cannot come, I’m afraid.”

“Ah, right—I hear Mr. Date has been summoned by the police again today.” “Yes. I hear he’s coming a little before that.” “So Hatsue and I will accompany you.” “And I would like to bring one maid along—would that be acceptable?”

“That’s perfectly fine.” “She’ll be delighted.” “Please do take her along.”

Hiroko and Hatsue were whispering about something, and it appeared their discussion had reached a conclusion, “Then I will take Hisaya along,” Hiroko said. “You did tell Father, of course.” “You can’t go without permission.”

“Yes, I did inform him properly.” “Father had initially said that going out so soon after our misfortune might not be advisable, but upon hearing that Mr. Touda had specifically recommended it, he stated we ought to accept your kind offer and have you escort us.” “He also says he wishes to meet you personally to express his gratitude.”

Then the two left the room again; they were likely making preparations to go out.

Just then, Shunzo appeared with a haggard face. “You must be utterly exhausted from all this trouble. How are you feeling?” “Well, I’m utterly worn out. The other day, I wasn’t in my right mind, so I ended up saying something terribly rude to Mr. Touda. Please kindly convey my apologies to him… I’m afraid I must have caused offense.” “No, it’s nothing at all. I do wish he could come today as well, but unfortunately he has taken ill. So though it’s not much help, he ordered me to keep my daughters company.”

“Ah, I’ve just been informed that you will kindly take my daughters somewhere. I’m very pleased.” “In truth, with these dreadful events occurring, I feel deeply sorry for my daughters. Might I ask you to take them somewhere they might find respite?”

Since Mr. Aikawa’s mood had completely aligned with ours, I secretly rejoiced. Before long, the two young ladies, evidently having finished preparing to go out, reappeared in the reception room. Indeed, their outfits were expensive, but given the circumstances, they did not stand out too much.

In truth, I was actually quite worried about taking Hiroko, Hatsue, and Hisaya out all by myself. Yet they themselves showed not the slightest sign of such anxiety. Delighted at finally being able to enjoy fresh air after so long, they were thoroughly looking forward to it. We discussed where to go for some time before deciding to first have a meal at a hotel and then see either a movie or play. "We'll be going now."

The young ladies gently greeted their father.

In the entranceway lay a Hudson sedan limousine dispatched from Izumi Taxi, its sleek form parked elegantly. I too greeted the master while resting my hand on the door.

Under a brightly clear spring sky, the car bearing beautiful people started off briskly.

7 As it was their first outing in quite some time, both Hiroko and Hatsue appeared genuinely delighted. Though not boisterous, there was no doubt that Hisaya the maid was also sincerely pleased to accompany the young ladies. With time still remaining before lunch, the young ladies proposed, "Why don't we drive out to Yokohama's New Grand?" Though Touda had firmly declared we'd be completely safe during our excursion, I still couldn't feel entirely at ease. I anxiously scrutinized the driver's behavior, but finding no indication of any disguised villain, I ultimately had to concede.

However, until we passed Kawasaki, I remained oddly unsettled; but with nothing suspicious occurring, by the time the car sped into Yokohama, I had relaxed completely and found myself chatting about various matters with the two young ladies. Even after arriving at the New Grand, no suspicious individuals could be spotted. In the dining room, savoring a fine cold lobster for the first time in ages while feeling entirely at ease, I couldn't help but marvel at Touda's prescience.

The meal ended a little past noon. Since we decided to go see a show at Hougakuza next, we turned the car back toward Tokyo. When we took our seats on the second floor of Hougakuza, it was just as Paramount News began screening—the timing couldn't have been better. During the intermission between screenings, we didn't encounter anyone we knew, and we were able to enjoy the film to our heart's content. However, when the main feature began playing, I felt this had turned into a terrible situation.

The film was an adaptation of a famous detective novel, with a plot involving a murder at an American film studio—from the very first scene, it was utterly horrifying. Just when they had finally gone out and lifted their spirits, being shown such a murder film would be unbearable for the young ladies. I began to secretly regret having rushed in without checking the program beforehand, and sure enough, Hatsue interrupted the film halfway through,

“I feel rather unsettled. May we leave now?” Hatsue spoke up. Yet Hiroko showed no trace of fear whatsoever. Rather, she was intently absorbed in watching the film. A glance at Hisaya revealed she seemed unable to follow the Western film’s plot—neither frightened nor particularly engaged.

Thinking we shouldn't stay here long, I said to Hiroko, "For some reason, I don't feel good about watching this kind of film at a time like this, so why don't we go see a play instead?" I suggested. Hiroko seemed to have wanted to watch longer, but since Hatsue kept insisting on leaving, she resignedly took out her compact and began adjusting her makeup,

“Well then, let’s go to Tōgeki instead.” She finally agreed. With her assent coming as swiftly as ever, I promptly urged the three of them into the hallway. After phoning Tōgeki to inquire about tickets, I was fortunate enough to secure four in a row, so we hurried from Hougakuza to Tōgeki. The moment I stepped into the splendid theater, I realized that an unforeseen danger—one I had not anticipated until now—was closing in. This was something even Touda hadn’t considered.

However, in hindsight, it was something we should have naturally considered. The fact that this hadn't occurred to us was truly an oversight unbefitting even Touda.

8 Both Touda and I had until now only considered the dangers to life and limb, completely forgetting about the dangers concerning reputation. After entering the theater and securing our seats, while I was strolling the corridors until the curtain rose, I noticed several men and women looking at us all at once and whispering among themselves. At first, I had thought people were staring in awe because Hiroko and Hatsue were so beautiful, but I began to sense that something was slightly off. However, until the curtain opened, I foolishly had not fully grasped its meaning.

When the first curtain opened, and Baikou revealed that classically elegant figure against a golden folding screen, what struck my ears was—

“Otowaya!”

Immediately after the audience's shout came voices from two impudent men talking in seats right behind us. "Hey, aren't those Aikawa Shunzo's daughters?" "Yeah, exactly! Their photo was in the paper—that's definitely them!" "Unbelievable they'd come watch a play like nothing happened!" An unpleasantness greater than what I'd felt at Hougakuza began creeping over me—this wasn't good. This had turned disastrous. Thinking this, I stole a glance at the two young ladies and saw that fortunately, both seemed too absorbed in the stage to notice the talk behind them.

But I was no longer in any state to watch the play. I was restless with anxiety. During the five-minute intermission, since neither Hiroko nor Hatsue left their seats, this period passed without incident, but during the next fifteen-minute break, both of them were completely surrounded by people in the hallway. Both of them seemed to have realized what this meant and appeared to deeply regret it, but when Hiroko sensed this, she seemed to resolve inwardly with a *Damn it all*, and held her head high, calmly displaying her beautiful face to the crowd. In contrast, Hatsue was utterly dejected and hurried back to her seat with Hisaya, but Hiroko showed no sign of returning and instead kept critiquing the play to me.

However, when it came to the next mealtime, the attitudes of the surrounding people became increasingly blatant.

In the dining hall, I had of course thoughtfully reserved seats under my name, but the gazes of those around us were uniformly fixed upon our group. Hatsue had become so thoroughly exhausted that she didn’t utter a single word. “Honestly, this is...” “Absolutely ridiculous!” Hiroko, unable to endure any longer, burst out with these words to Hatsue. Feeling almost crushed by the surrounding pressure, I desperately wanted to flee the place immediately. Yet Hiroko, having persisted this far, stubbornly insisted we stay for Baikou and Uzaemon’s performance of *Kasané*. This was clearly a refusal to admit defeat. For her to retreat now would mean personal failure. She seemed determined to endure a little longer. But in her heart, she must have been suffering more acutely than I.

However, no matter what one might say, she was ultimately a woman. At the terrifying Kinoshigawa Embankment scene, when Yoemon raised his sickle to kill Kasané, even Hiroko seemed unable to endure it any longer. Fortunately, with the stage lighting being extremely dim, this moment allowed standing up without drawing much attention.

Leaving Kasané behind as she lamented, “Oh, cruel fate…,” I urged the three of them to flee and exited the theater. Thus, the outing on the 23rd ended in utter failure.

The young ladies did not utter a single word in the car on the way back. I was utterly overwhelmed with mortification and remained completely silent. I was chewing over my own failure with bitter resentment in my heart, without giving the slightest thought that one of these two beautiful young ladies would become a gruesome corpse in just a few days.

9

On the morning of April 24th, I visited Touda, 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. “Then do this. “Since the young ladies must be thoroughly sick of going to such places by now, have them take a drive in the suburbs. “In any case, advise them to go out. “Then today you don’t necessarily have to accompany them. “Of course, it’s fine if you do accompany them, but…”

“In any case, I’ll be in trouble unless you recover soon.”

After such a conversation, I visited the Aikawa residence once again. Sure enough, both Hiroko and Hatsue had been thoroughly deterred by yesterday’s events and now refused to go out even a single step. I earnestly entreated them to comply with my instructions until Touda recovered—which would be in about two days. Since Hayashida happened to be there as well, when I informed Hayashida about that (though I did not convey Touda’s true intentions—I had presented it as Touda saying it would be good for them to go out to lift their spirits), he also agreed, so on the 24th, I remained at the Aikawa residence while Hiroko, Sadako, Hatsue—joined by Hayashida and Date—went out to the suburbs.

Since the young ladies had gone out, as I was thinking what to do, suddenly Dr. Kizawa, who had been present, came to the parlor where I was.

“Ah, I must apologize for my earlier conduct.” “Mr. Aikawa’s condition has significantly improved.” “He’s now able to remain upright.” “He has come here wishing to speak with you about something, so he requests that you wait briefly.” “I shall take my leave now.” As Dr. Kizawa departed, Shunzo entered. “I must apologize for inconveniencing you yesterday.”

“Not at all. I made a dreadful blunder, you know.”

“However, today thanks to your guidance in having them go out to the suburbs, I trust everyone is pleased. How is Mr. Touda faring?” “He’s doing much better now. He should be up and about tomorrow or the day after.” “Now, there’s something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you. In truth, I’ve wanted to speak of this since some days ago…” “Ah.” “Regarding Date Masao—it appears Mr. Touda harbors considerable suspicions about that man and has repeatedly cautioned Hiroko as well—but I assure you, there’s absolutely nothing suspicious about him. He shares no blood relation with me whatsoever. The truth is, he’s the child of my benefactor. When I was young, there was someone who showed me extraordinary kindness. Tragically, both husband and wife passed away within a short span, leaving the boy pitifully orphaned. As partial repayment for my debt to this benefactor, I took it upon myself to raise him into a respectable man. You may have heard rumors already—I intend to bestow upon him a substantial portion of our family assets should he marry Sadako. My wife alone opposed this arrangement. Yet this too constitutes my act of gratitude toward my benefactor. Since I’ve never clarified this matter until now, you might have formed strange conjectures—but such being the truth of it, I earnestly request you convey this fully to Mr. Touda.”

“Ah, so that was the reason.” “So, does Mr. Date fully know the reason for that, I wonder?”

For some reason, at this moment, a slight dark shadow crossed Shunzo’s face. “Well, he might know. However, saying that I raised him as repayment would be like imposing a debt from my side, so I myself have never mentioned it.”

10 Shunzo and I continued talking about various things for a while longer, but there was nothing particularly worth mentioning, so in the afternoon I left the Aikawa residence and visited Touda again. And so I related to Touda the background of Date that Shunzo had asked me to convey. "Hmm, so he finally confessed to you?" "Well, 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 even older."

“Oh, how do you know so much in detail?” “As I mentioned the other day, I’d had the police over there look into his background, but our local police had also investigated him recently. I just got the full details over the phone a bit ago.” “So Date’s father was Aikawa Shunzo’s benefactor, I hear.”

“Well, whether he was a benefactor or not, they seem to have been very close.” “Shohei died at thirty-five—at that time Shunzo would’ve been twenty-five, making him much younger—but Shunzo had entered the Aikawa family from the Yamadas and married Tokuko two years prior to that incident, meaning both he and Tokuko were twenty-three then.” “The main Aikawa household was supposedly in Okayama at that time, but Shunzo’s newlywed couple apparently ran a business with Date Shohei in Yamaguchi Prefecture.” “They became quite intimate.” “Hiroko was born the year after their marriage, then the following year Date Shohei and his wife died—that’s when Shunzo took Masao in.”

“I see.” “So what Shunzo said isn’t a lie after all?” “That’s right. But tell me—are you satisfied with that?”

“I suppose so. Well, I think I get the gist of it now.”

“Is that so? Do you really understand? Don’t you notice anything strange?” Touda made a slightly teasing expression.

“Hey, Kogawa. “Indeed, I fully understand what Shunzo is saying.” “However, if that’s the case—” “Then why hasn’t he told us clearly about that until now?” “I had been suspicious of Date Masao’s background, and he should have known that even before I clearly brought it up on the night of the twentieth.” “All the more, shouldn’t it be even clearer to him after that time on the twentieth?” “Not only that, but Shunzo hasn’t been clear not just to me—he hasn’t properly explained Date’s background to Hiroko and the others either, you know.”

“According to his explanation, if we’re repaying a favor, that would mean imposing an obligation from our side…” “Do you believe such justifications?” “Don’t be absurd.” “Shunzo had wanted to conceal Date’s origins as much as possible.”

“Why?” “That’s precisely it. Why would he conceal it? Though there’s nothing inherently wrong about it—no, why would he try to hide such an admirable deed? That’s the enigma here.” “Hmm.”

I found myself belatedly impressed and lost in thought.

“Hmm, speaking of backgrounds, we’ve gained clarity about Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi’s nature.” “The police informed me earlier via phone—a detective from Ushigome Station went to Osaka on the night of the 21st to meet Tatsuyoshi’s former mistress, Okada Katsu.” “This revealed something peculiar.” “It appears Okada Katsu didn’t leave Tatsuyoshi out of dislike.” “She simply reached her limit for cohabitation.” “To put it plainly, Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi is a sexual deviant—he derives twisted pleasure from physically tormenting women he fancies.” “Unfortunately, since Katsu lacked masochistic tendencies, their relationship dissolved.” “And Sada Yasuko’s situation seems identical.” “Meaning Yasuko likely harbored feelings for Tatsuyoshi but ultimately found coexistence unbearable.”

11 “So what does that mean?” “The fact that his sadistic tendencies have come to light does him no favors whatsoever.” “In fact, the police are growing increasingly suspicious of Hayakawa regarding that murder case on the night of the twentieth because of this.” “Recall how Shuntaro died.”

Touda fell silent for a while, lost in thought, but soon resumed. “However, the fact that he is a sexual deviant holds considerable interest for me in other respects.” “In other words, if Sada Yasuko neither ran off with a lover nor fled because she disliked Tatsuyoshi, that would be extremely interesting.”

“Why?” Touda, however, did not answer this and instead seemed thoroughly amused by himself.

After that, though I tried in various ways to broach the subject, he showed no inclination to respond, so thinking it unwise to linger too long, I simply returned home.

Thus after the incident on the 20th, the four days of the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th had passed without incident. To briefly summarize events and people's movements during these four days: On the 21st, Shuntaro and Yasuko's burials were conducted in strict secrecy. From the morning of the 21st onward, Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi had been detained by police on charges of trespassing. Date had been held overnight before being released home, but since then appeared to be summoned daily for questioning. As previously noted, Shunzo had finally recovered from shock and left his sickbed, while Touda still remained bedridden with a lingering fever.

And thus, the dreaded April 25th finally arrived.

As usual, I visited Touda early in the morning of April 25th. He had improved considerably by now, but since the doctor had still prohibited him from going out for another two days or so, I visited the Aikawa residence alone once again. The moment I arrived at the house, I was informed by Dr. Kizawa—who had coincidentally arrived at the same time—that the master was feeling unwell again. "It seems his nerves remain quite agitated, though there's no other specific problem elsewhere." "He complained he couldn't sleep a wink last night and was in a terrible mood." "I thought it best to prescribe a mild sedative, which I've just done now." "I'll return this afternoon to check, but if he remains in this state by then, it will pose some difficulties—though I intend to handle that when the time comes."

While I was talking with Dr. Kizawa in the parlor, Hayashida also arrived. Of course, Dr. Kizawa had explained the master’s condition to Hayashida as well. “This is quite a predicament, Mr. Kogawa. The young ladies seem very much looking forward to the drive, but with the master being ill, it would be awkward for him to go out now, don’t you think?” “Oh, there’s no need for such concern.” “As I just mentioned, it’s merely that his nerves are slightly agitated, so 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 addressed Hatsue. "You've had stomach trouble and no appetite since yesterday." "That's ideal." "I believe going for a drive today might actually improve your condition." "I'll return home now and bring digestive medicine this afternoon. Until then, try to get some exercise." Since Dr. Kizawa made this recommendation, it was naturally decided they would go on another drive that day. However, Sadako chose to remain at home to keep watch over her father's condition. Dr. Kizawa was first to take his leave from the Aikawa residence.

Once everything was ready, Hayashida, Hiroko, Hatsue, and I got into the car, and Hiroko whispered to me: "You see... Sadako couldn't come out because she's worried - Mr. Date has been summoned by the police again since early this morning."

12

There was no particular destination in mind. Since my only duty was to follow Touda's orders and take the young ladies out, I hadn't been tasked with planning the drive. Though unclear what Hayashida might be thinking, he too appeared to have no definite destination in mind, so it was ultimately settled through the driver's proposal that we casually drive along the Tokaido Road to see where it might lead.

Just like two days prior, we sped along the Keihin Highway and entered Yokohama. It was still a bit early for lunch, but we decided to eat here and entered the New Grand Hotel again; however, Hatsue alone had no appetite at all, taking only a small amount of soup and bread. “Is something the matter? Your stomach seems to be quite upset…”

I grew slightly worried and asked.

“No, it’s not particularly… I don’t wish to partake in 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 pine-lined avenue, and arrived at Hiratsuka. By the time we reached this point, everyone had completely left behind the city’s dust and felt refreshed, but Hatsue’s condition had gradually begun growing strange. She had been pressing a hand to her chest without uttering a word since earlier.

“Hatsue-san, what’s wrong?” “Is your stomach hurting?” “Oh, it’s nothing serious.” “It’s just a little…”

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?” “A little... I think my stomach hurts.” The moment she said this, something like fluid surged up from her stomach, making Hatsue grimace. “Hey, stop! Stop!” Hayashida called to the driver. As the car halted in response, Hatsue spat the saliva she’d been holding in her mouth onto the roadside sand and seemed to relax slightly, though she still stared downward with a pained expression.

“Let’s go back.” “It mustn’t get worse.” “Hey, Kogawa.”

“Yes, I also think it would be better to return.”

Hatsue seemed terribly apologetic that the much-anticipated drive was being cut short because of her, but she still appeared eager to return home as soon as possible.

Since Hiroko naturally had no grounds to object, we turned the car around once more toward Tokyo. Though I couldn't quite grasp Hatsue's condition, recalling how Touda Shintarou was constantly suffering from hyperacidity due to excessive smoking, and since Hatsue's symptoms appeared rather similar, I thought it wouldn't be bad to administer some antacid at this juncture, and secretly told my idea to Hayashida. He agreed that this wouldn't be a bad idea, so we stopped the car briefly in Hodogaya Town, bought some baking soda at a pharmacy, and had Hatsue take it with cold water. She did seem somewhat calmer afterward.

After that, with nothing particularly worth noting, the car arrived at the Aikawa residence in Ushigome in one go that afternoon.

It was just past 4:30 p.m.

Sadako suddenly came out to the entrance. Sasada, who had left that morning, was nowhere to be seen. “We’ve just returned. Has Mr. Sasada gone out somewhere?” asked Hayashida. “Yes, he said there was some urgent matter at his son’s house and asked to take the rest of today and tonight off,” replied Sadako. “Ah, I see. And your father?” “He is still confined to bed. Dr. Kizawa is here again now.” “That’s perfect timing,” said Hayashida. “Since Hatsue-san is feeling unwell, let’s get some medicine right away.”

Bride in the Bathroom

1 When the group was shown to the parlor, Dr. Kizawa soon arrived. They promptly described Hatsue’s condition from her own account. “I see. So she still hasn’t improved much after all?” As he said this, he took out a medicine bag from his pocket. “Here are three packets of powdered medicine… Are you feeling unwell now?” “Ah, I see.” “Then please take one of these thirty minutes before dinner tonight.” “Is dinner at six o’clock?” “Well then, try taking one around five-thirty.”

Then, while he looked toward Hiroko,

“I’ve already informed Ms. Sadako as well, but your father appears much improved and is dozing off, so it would be best to leave him as he is for now.” “Now then,”

Dr. Kizawa took out a gold-cased pocket watch,

“Since I don’t believe your father or Hatsue-san are in grave condition, I’ll take my leave now.” “Oh? Well, I’ve some business to attend to myself.” “Not to worry—I’ll return shortly.” With that declaration, Hayashida exited through the front entrance alongside Dr. Kizawa. Hatsue appeared fully recovered now, showing no inclination to withdraw to her quarters for rest. Hiroko left the parlor to check on her father’s condition. This left Sadako, Hatsue, and myself remaining in the room.

“Has Date-kun still not come today?” “Yes, he has been summoned by the police again since this morning, you see.” “He has not yet been released.” “I’m so worried…”

"I can imagine your concern." Though I had said this, I now found myself somewhat perplexed as to how best to comfort her.

Hatsue also appeared to share the same sentiment and did not speak much.

At that very moment, Hiroko returned.

“Miss Sadako, Mr. Date has arrived. You should go to him right away.” “Oh, really? Thank you.” Sadako calmly rose from her chair but could not entirely conceal her look of joy. When Hiroko entered the room, Sadako left in turn, 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.

“Excuse my absence,” said Hayashida. “I had some minor business to attend to.”

With one more person added, the conversation became lively in various ways, and our moods grew considerably more cheerful.

Suddenly, when I looked at my wristwatch, it was past 5:20. As I was wondering what to do—perhaps I should leave—suddenly the maid Hisaya appeared in the doorway of the room.

“Miss Hatsue, there is a telephone call for you.”

“A call? From where?” “I’m not quite certain, but it was a woman’s voice.” Hatsue wore a momentary look of hesitation before promptly following the maid out. About five minutes later, she reappeared in the room with an air of disquiet.

“What was the call about?”

Hayashida stood up and went over to Hatsue. Hatsue was looking at us while seeming to hesitate about saying something.

Hayashida approached Hatsue and whispered something in a low voice. She, perhaps deeming him trustworthy, appeared to be murmuring about the recent phone call in secret. I deeply regretted not being a detective. Had Touda been present, Hatsue would undoubtedly have disclosed the phone call's secret to him too.

2

When I thought this way, I couldn't help feeling a certain resentment toward Hayashida, who stood here alone exerting influence. Hiroko too seemed ill at ease, and with an air of saying "Who'd want to hear your talk?" she deliberately began conversing with me by introducing new topics.

Hatsue and Hayashida, who had been talking at the doorway, soon seemed to finish their business, reentered the room, and sat down, but somehow, an awkward atmosphere began to drift in.

However, this awkwardness was immediately dispelled by what happened next.

The maid Shimaya came to the doorway and turned toward Hiroko, “The bath is ready.”

“The bath is ready,” said Shimaya. Hiroko glanced briefly in my direction while responding, “Oh, right. Thank you.”

Having said this and turned her gaze back toward Shimaya, Shimaya withdrew without another word. “Big Sister, won’t you take your bath now?” “Yes, thank you.” “But I’m speaking with Mr. Kogawa at the moment.” “Please don’t mind me; you should go ahead.” “I’ll be taking my leave now.” As I said this and began to rise from my seat, Hiroko stopped me at once.

“Oh, it’s still not time for that. Please stay and have dinner. Hatsue, since you don’t mind, please go ahead and take your bath first. Sadako is with Mr. Date now, so Hatsue, why don’t you apologize to Mr. Hayashida and go take your bath?” “Exactly. Since your sister says so, please don’t mind me and go ahead.” Hatsue, having quickly noticed her sister’s displeasure, seemed to have decided it would be best to naturally remove herself from the situation.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave first.” Having said that, she stood up.

“Please go ahead.” Hiroko spoke clearly but kept her face turned toward me.

Hatsue stood up and seemed to want to say something to Hayashida. Hayashida was standing by the doorway saying something.

“There goes Hatsue’s secretiveness again.” Hiroko made an unpleasant face and said to me with a smile. “Is she worried because some strange phone call came in?” “If that’s the case, then she should be able to say it in front of us, shouldn’t she? Hatsue might be suspecting us.” “No way!” I said this, but I was secretly pleased that Hiroko had used the word “we” to refer to herself and me.

“I’ll go ahead then.”

With that, Hatsue promptly disappeared.

Hayashida stood by the window with a cigarette clenched in his mouth, gazing outside while contemplating something.

“It seems something significant has occurred, Mr. Hayashida.” “Right now, we can’t make sense of that phone call that came through to the young lady’s room. First off, we can’t even determine who placed it.” “Even a woman, you know.” “Yes, it’s been confirmed to be a woman’s voice, but...” At that moment, I recalled that eerie woman’s voice I had heard over the phone at Touda’s office on the afternoon of the 17th and couldn’t help but shudder. 3 “Just what was that conversation about?”

Of course, I wanted to ask this. However, even if I were to ask about such things now, Hayashida was unlikely to reveal their contents, so I refrained from posing this question. Both Hiroko and I fell silent. Hayashida, for his part, seemed deeply absorbed in thought as he stood by the window, gazing fixedly at the garden.

It was a strangely quiet twelve or thirteen minutes. During this time, I kept repeating Touda’s warning in my mind. He had said, “Be on guard against all those in the Aikawa residence and all who come there.”

However, when it came to applying this to a practical situation, wasn't it utterly impossible? Right now, the only ones I could keep an eye on were Hayashida and Hiroko. Sadako and Date were engaged, and the two were now in Sadako's room on the second floor. There was no way I could stand eavesdropping at their doorway on the lovers' whispers. The master was said to be dozing in bed thanks to the sedatives—he too was resting on the second floor—but to approach this solitary figure's room, I would first have to consult the doctor.

Hatsue should have been alone, but she was now in the bathroom. The very idea of approaching a young lady in her naked state was beyond consideration. Having reasoned this far, I had no choice but to declare Touda's instructions utterly impossible. As I thus pondered various matters in my mind and ultimately found fault with Touda's demands, Date and Sadako entered. Looking at him, Date appeared considerably worn from the daily interrogations, yet maintained remarkable vitality.

“Have you concluded your business? How was it with the police?” “Yes, thank you for your concern. I was just allowed to come here, but it seems the police still suspect me, which is quite troubling.” “Mr. Hayashida, I heard Mr. Date has come directly from the police. Since he had some business requiring him to return home once but said he’d come back again, I came to give a quick greeting.”

Sadako explained this. "Oh, are you leaving already? Then I'll listen to your account later. Let me escort you out." "No, please don't trouble yourself." "Well, it's no trouble at all."

It seemed Hayashida too had been somewhat discomfited by our silence, for he left with Sadako to escort Date out. As anticipated, Date appeared to have arrived through the back entrance as was his custom, and now came the sound of footsteps retreating not toward the front door but back to that rear passageway.

“Mr. Kogawa, don’t you think the people in this house are divided into two factions?” “What do you mean?” “Sadako and Mr. Date completely trust Mr. Hayashida and do not trust me.” “And I trust Mr. Touda and do not trust Sadako and Mr. Date.” “What about Hatsue?” “Well, I don’t think she’s on either side… But if Mr. Touda were here today, I believe he would have discussed that phone call earlier.”

I entirely agreed as well.

Sadako and Hayashida, who had seen Date out, returned to the parlor once again. "Did you ask Mr. Date in detail about how things went with the police?" said Hayashida. "Hmm." While answering, Sadako glanced briefly in our direction and seemed hesitant to speak. This manner of Sadako's had completely enraged Hiroko.

“Ms. Sadako. Aren’t you going to speak with Mr. Hayashida in your room? I’ll be talking with Mr. Kogawa here.”

4 Hiroko said this bluntly and coldly turned away, but even then, Sadako showed not the slightest surprise. "Then Mr. Hayashida, won't you come to my room? As there are various matters I wish to discuss." The mutual hatred between Hiroko and Sadako had been laid completely bare before Hayashida and me. "I see. Then let's do that. Ms. Hiroko must also have matters to discuss with Mr. Kogawa, I suppose." True to form, Hayashida skillfully rose in a manner that gave both their due.

“Please take your time.” Hiroko glanced at me while addressing Hayashida with chilly words. 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 likely intended to keep Hayashida in her room and fully recount her lover’s interrogation ordeal. For the first time, being alone with Hiroko in the parlor facing each other, I finally felt relieved. On the afternoon of the 17th, I had first met this young lady, and today we could at last speak leisurely, just the two of us. I found myself unable to conceal my inner joy.

The more Sadako trusted Hayashida, the more Hiroko trusted Touda. I was the one who had come in place of Touda. That Hiroko had begun speaking so openly might have actually stemmed from her affection for Touda, but for me, it was by no means unwelcome. Having completely left behind the unpleasant incidents, we began discussing paintings, literature, and music. Touda had muttered to himself while looking at the records on the night of the 20th—"I am grateful for my musical tastes!"—and now I too could not help but recite those words in my heart. Thanks to this shared artistic taste, I was able to talk with Hiroko for about twenty minutes, just the two of us.

“Say, Mr. Kogawa, won’t you come out to the garden? You still haven’t had a proper look at my flowerbed, you know.”

“That sounds agreeable.” “I would indeed like to see it.”

Since Hiroko had offered to guide me, I followed her down into the garden. When Hiroko tried to bring my shoes from the entrance all the way to the glass door next to the piano room, I felt obliged and hurriedly carried them myself. Hiroko slipped into garden clogs at the entrance and stepped out into the garden. Indeed, the flowerbed was as beautiful as one would expect from the young lady who tended it. "Mr. Kogawa, isn't it beautiful? But you know, they say these flowers have poisonous roots. You remember Mr. Touda mentioned that the other day, don't you? They say beautiful women can be terrifying criminals - it's exactly like that, isn't it? Hohohoho."

What on earth was she thinking and what had she come up with?

Next, she began talking eagerly about crimes. For flower-like Hiroko to be telling a crime story before a beautiful flowerbed in the deepening twilight of a spring garden felt utterly incongruous with the scene at that moment. All the more because of that, I could not grasp her state of mind, and all the more because of that, the tale resounded all the more horrifyingly. If she had begun her love story here, I might have stood in this garden oblivious to the passage of time. Though I had kept up my end in our earlier conversation about music, I now found myself feeling ill-equipped to maintain this role when it came to a crime story.

I, trying to change the subject, looked up at Sadako’s room window from below—(her living room being on the opposite side from Hiroko’s, that is, on the south side facing the garden)—and caught sight of Sadako’s profile, but immediately noticed Date Masao’s head beside her.

5 “Ms. Hiroko, Mr. Date has come back again.”

“Oh my, it’s true, isn’t it?”

Having been alerted by me, Hiroko looked up at the second-floor window and said this, but then suddenly turned her gaze to her wristwatch. "It’s already 6:40 PM, isn’t it? It’s already time for dinner to be ready, but what could have happened?" "No, I must take my leave." "Oh, please don’t say such a thing. Dinner should already be prepared… And besides, I believe Hatsue has already come out of the bath by now. I’ll just go check quickly."

She nodded to me and entered the house through the glass door entrance.

“Mr. Hayashida, won’t you come out to see the garden? It’s quite beautiful.”

Once left alone, the calculating me promptly called out toward the second-floor window. Even though I couldn’t see Hayashida, I assumed he was still upstairs. Sure enough, in response to my call, Hayashida appeared at the window. He then stuck his face out and scanned the surroundings. “Indeed, this is a fine view,” he said, then abruptly added as if struck by a thought, “And Hiroko-san?”

“She has gone into the house on some business.”

When I answered, Sadako and Date appeared at the window alongside Hayashida. “Mr. Kogawa, are you looking at my sister’s flowers? The one next to it is my flowerbed, you know.” “I see. This is also beautiful, isn’t it?” “I think I’ll take a look as well.”

Hayashida said. “Please come. The view is truly splendid.” Hayashida seemed to be thinking for a moment, but after saying something to Sadako, “Well then, I’ll come down too.”

he called out to me. "Oh, come down immediately. “I’ll be waiting.”

In response to my words, the three faces vanished from the window. It was precisely at that split second.

Suddenly, from inside the house came a woman’s scream like tearing silk. I would likely never forget the terror of that moment until I entered the grave. Truly, what they mean by a scream that rends silk must be what I heard at that moment - for in that instant, I felt as though my entire body had frozen solid. “Someone come! “Someone!” “Detective!” “Mr. Kogawa!”

That was unmistakably 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 dove through the glass-paned entrance into the house. In my frenzy, I rushed in still wearing my shoes and charged straight ahead—only to nearly collide with Hiroko, who stood deathly pale and collapsing. "Hiroko-san! What's wrong? What's wrong?"

As if to support her, I placed my hand on her shoulder and shouted. “Hatsue…!” “Hatsue…!” Even the resilient Hiroko, having apparently seen something truly terrifying, could no longer speak and merely extended her right hand, pointing toward the bathroom.

At that moment, Hayashida, Sadako, and Date rushed over in surprise.

“What’s wrong? Hiroko-san?”

“Hatsue… there…” Hiroko said this and slumped limply against me. Sadako and Date hurriedly caught her, but I did not miss the words Hiroko murmured at that time. “The bride in the bathroom!” “Horrible!” “The Bride in the Bathroom!”

6

There, before I unfolded the terrible tragedy of the bathroom, I wished to clearly convey to readers its precise location. Upon passing through the entrance vestibule, the left-hand side was Steward Sasada’s quarters, while directly opposite on the right stood the reception room as previously mentioned. Beyond the reception room lay the piano chamber, and further ahead could be found the glass-paneled entryway. From the entrance stretched a straight corridor that curved slightly rightward—its terminus being the staircase ascending to the second floor. Along this passage on the left side adjacent to Steward Sasada’s room lay another chamber followed by a narrow storage closet (housing brooms and other corridor-cleaning implements), then a water closet. Beyond this waited a dressing area adjoining the bathing facility itself.

To reach the bathroom, one had to open the door to the dressing chamber first and pass through it into an adjoining vestibule before proceeding onward to enter.

As I have often mentioned, I am not skilled at drawing diagrams, but when I attempt a rough sketch despite its inaccuracies, it ends up looking exactly like this. The spot where I collided with Hiroko, who was collapsing, was marked with a ● (black dot) at the base of the staircase in front of the toilet.

When I heard Hiroko's words, it happened with such suddenness that I couldn't quite grasp what terrifying meaning "Bride in the Bathroom" conveyed.

Hayashida seemed to have immediately grasped its meaning and suddenly leapt through the dressing room door into the interior. The door was half-open. I entrusted Hiroko to Sadako and Date, then promptly followed Hayashida and plunged in after him.

As I entered the dressing room, the first thing that caught my eye was a magnificent full-length mirror embedded in the back wall. There were various other toiletries placed there as well, but such things were not what concerned me at present. The only thing worth noting was the kimono Hatsue had been wearing until moments earlier hanging on the wall; its owner must surely be in the bathroom now. Hayashida too seemed to have immediately noticed the kimono; he hesitated for a moment and glanced back at me.

Whatever state Hatsue might be in within the bathroom, she was undoubtedly naked—under any circumstances should men be permitted to barge into a place where a young lady lies completely exposed? However, Hiroko’s scream did not allow us even a moment’s hesitation. Hayashida also seemed to share my thought and, from outside the glass door on the right, “Hatsue-san. Hatsue-san.” After calling out two or three times and knocking on the glass door, upon confirming there was no response from inside,

“Hey, let’s open it.” he said to me, but his voice carried an unnatural tension. I naturally agreed. The moment we slid the door open and peered inside, Hayashida and I looked at each other and involuntarily cried out, “Ah!”

Inside was a beautiful, spacious tiled bathroom. In the back stood an imposing Western-style bathtub. Where was Hatsue? She was indeed inside that bathtub! She had submerged her head in water filled eight-tenths to the brim and stretched both legs upward! Lying on her back, submerged. At this moment, I heard Hayashida mutter under his breath, “Joseph Smith!” “The Bride in the Bathroom!” I heard him exclaim.

The moment I beheld this horrific sight was when I too clearly recalled these words for the first time. The two immediately rushed into the bathroom. As previously described, the water was about eight-tenths full in the bathtub.

With the wider part of the bathtub as her head，Hatsue was lying on her back completely naked. The body was almost entirely submerged in the water；the head，eyes，nose，ears—in short，the entire face—lay about two or three inches below the water’s surface. The hands were stretched out，one on the chest and the other to the side，and both legs were thrust stiffly against the edge of the narrow bathtub. 7

I intended to once again draw a diagram, albeit clumsily, to clarify this terrifying yet mysterious form of Hatsue. By doing so, I believed this bizarre incident would become even clearer to the readers. Additionally, recording the findings revealed during the post-inspection verification: The bathtub's length AB measured exactly five shaku five sun along its inner surface (though this referred to the widest part at the top), while the bottom section CD measured three shaku eight sun in length. The width EF (i.e., at its broadest point) was two shaku, GH at the base one shaku six sun, IJ at the upper end near the feet one shaku seven sun, and KL at the lower base one shaku one sun five bu.

The height of MN was one shaku four sun, and OP was one shaku four sun two bu. It had become clearly established that Hatsue's stature measured five shaku one sun. A beautiful young lady lay submerged in this posture within the bathtub, the surroundings utterly silent save for the occasional plip-plop of water leaking from the drain. I couldn't endure this uncanny, eerie stillness.

Unable to bear looking directly, I hurriedly tried to lift Hatsue's body from the water, but Hayashida—who until then had kept his composure while staring intently at her submerged face—quickly interjected. "She's likely beyond help, but regardless of what the law dictates, we can't abandon this corpse here." "Call Dr. Kizawa immediately and have him administer treatment as quickly as possible." "But you must commit every detail of this scene to memory clearly."

Having been told this, I thoroughly committed this state to memory, but before I knew it, Hayashida seemed to have left the bathroom and gone toward the telephone, as a frantic voice could be heard. Soon he returned again. “I’ve just called Dr. Kizawa and the police.” “Won’t you hurry and call Touda?” “If it’s just a minor illness, he’ll rush over.” I was told this and, swapping places with Hayashida, dashed out into the hallway to urgently summon Touda.

He should still have been bedridden, but this was no time to dwell on that. I forced him to answer the phone. Then I tersely recounted what I had just witnessed. Touda’s agitated voice crackled through the receiver.

“What? Joseph Smith! Alright, I’ll be right there. But until then, you must inspect the bathroom thoroughly once more. And if you find even the slightest thing unusual, commit it firmly to memory.” Touda was finally coming. With this reassurance, I returned to the bathroom. Responding to the urgency, Date and Sadako now entered as well. Hiroko appeared to have recovered somewhat; though still pale-faced, she too came 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 drain water repeatedly, but even through my untrained eyes, Hatsue's condition appeared utterly hopeless. I don't clearly remember the exact time, but Hatsue's body was discovered shortly after Hiroko had said— "It's already 6:40 PM, isn't it?"

Since this occurred three or four minutes after she left the garden, I think it was probably between 6:40 and 6:50. About fifteen minutes later, Dr. Kizawa hurriedly appeared and seemed to devote all his efforts to emergency treatment, but his endeavors were entirely unrewarded.

“It’s a case of drowning.” “She was drowned in the bathtub.” “It’s a strange phenomenon.” “This is my first time encountering such a situation.” 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 state might occur.” “However, I have been treating this young lady for quite some time, but she has never had any seizures before.”

8

Already more than once, and involving more than one person, “Joseph Smith. Bride in the Bathroom” Given that these words had been mentioned—“Joseph Smith: Bride in the Bathroom”—readers with an interest in detective novels and true crime stories would likely have recalled, “Ah, that one!” and remembered that famous case. However, for those who knew nothing of the Joseph Smith case, I decided to briefly touch upon this incident. Joseph Smith was a notorious British serial killer. Within a short span of time, he married three women in succession, took out life insurance policies on them, had them prepare wills, and then mercilessly drowned all three in bathtubs.

On May 23, 1915, Smith was brought to trial as a murder defendant. It was the charge that he had killed his first wife, Elizabeth Annie Constance Mundy, in the bathtub. The Counsel for the Crown who brought the prosecution against him was Mr. Bodkin, and the renowned Sir Edward Marshall Hall (then Mr.) conducted the defense for Smith, with Mr. Scrutton serving as the presiding judge.

The defendant consistently denied the murder throughout. However, in the end, the jury returned a guilty verdict; he was immediately sentenced to death and vanished like dew from the execution ground on August 13 of that same year. This incident was sensationalized at the time as "The Bride in the Bathroom Incident," creating an extraordinary sensation in war-torn Europe and even being reported two or three times in newspapers of our country then. By what method did he kill his wife?

Since the defendant had continued to deny the charges until ascending the execution scaffold, the precise details remain unclear; however, I believe we can generally understand them by introducing here an excerpt from the opening speech by the Crown Counsel (equivalent to a public prosecutor in our country) of that time.

"On the 13th of the same month, French (the defendant's family physician) received a note from the defendant." "'Please come quickly.' "'My wife has died,' it said." "French rushed to his residence and found Mundy already dead in the bathtub." "She lay on her back with nearly her entire body submerged." "Her mouth and face were underwater; her shins forced her buttocks to jut upward, leaving only her toes protruding over the bathtub's edge." "(Omitted section) The victim stood five feet eight inches tall—a well-developed woman." "And yet this robust woman lay completely submerged in the bathtub with legs fully extended." "Herein lies an alarmingly simple murder method." "Through this technique, one could effortlessly drown someone in a bathtub." "When filled with water, a bath naturally deepens as one enters it. Imagine pulling upward on the legs of someone fully immersed." "This action would induce immediate unconsciousness—death would surely follow in moments." "'Furthermore,' it concluded, 'Mrs. Mundy's legs were indeed found propped against one side of the bathtub.' (Remainder omitted)"

And indeed, Aikawa Hatsue's both legs were also discovered propped up against one side of the bathtub.

The first discoverer, Hiroko,

“Bride in the Bathroom” The fact that Hiroko had screamed “Bride in the Bathroom” and temporarily lost consciousness, as well as the second discoverer Hayashida—

“Joseph Smith! Bride in the Bathroom!” The reason Hayashida had shouted was also because Touda, upon hearing my description over the phone, “What? It’s Joseph Smith, isn’t it?” The reason Touda had said this was likely because Hatsue’s posture bore such a striking resemblance to the “Bride in the Bathroom Incident,” making it seem as though it were an exact replica of that case.

9

About ten minutes after Dr. Kizawa’s arrival, Inspector Takahashi appeared with a thoroughly tense expression, accompanied by detectives and police doctor Nohara. Upon hearing my explanation, Inspector Takahashi immediately inspected the bathroom. Since I had already been alerted by Touda over the phone earlier, I myself had thoroughly examined that place, but nothing particularly unusual caught my eye.

Inspector Takahashi seemed somewhat displeased that Hatsue's body was no longer there.

“Because we thought there was still hope, we took her out of the bathroom ourselves. If we had known it was hopeless, we would of course have left her untouched…” “That’s exactly right. It’s exactly as Mr. Kogawa says. I also helped carry her to the other room and immediately performed artificial respiration, but it was no use.” Since Hayashida had thoroughly explained our position, Inspector Takahashi did not voice any further complaints. At that time, because I had felt there was even the slightest chance Hatsue might still be saved, I had moved her out of the bathroom with Hayashida and the others; but upon later reflection, since we had moved an unattended body, it did seem that the investigators had been somewhat taken aback.

At this moment, while being supported by Hiroko, a shocked Shunzo came down from the second floor. He must have been in bed at the time of the incident. Already worn down by a relentless string of misfortunes, he had now literally been struck by this tragic news like a bolt from the blue. He could no longer even muster a sob.

Shunzo, Hiroko, Sadako, Date, and the others all gathered in the downstairs Japanese-style room.

Inspector Takahashi briefly inspected the bathroom and, without wasting a single minute, began meticulously observing Hatsue’s corpse, which had been moved to the Japanese-style room—but he seemed to be urgently pressing Dr. Kizawa and Dr. Nohara with crucial questions. This incident was not necessarily a homicide; as Dr. Kizawa had indeed stated earlier, there was a possibility that during Hatsue’s bath, an epileptic seizure or some similar attack had occurred, causing her to lose consciousness and drown in that state. Therefore, the doctors’ statements and observations had now become extremely critical. The inspector continued talking in hushed tones with the two doctors.

Just then, the long-awaited Touda had arrived, as reported by the maid Kuyu, so I hurried to the entrance to greet him.

“I’m shocked! I heard a bit over the phone, but I’d like to hear the details again…” In the unoccupied reception room, I sat facing Touda and recounted the course of events up to that point in outline. Touda listened in complete silence without missing a word, but when I described the state of the bathroom, his expression changed to one of utter surprise; however, he said nothing.

Just then, Hayashida entered.

“Touda-kun, something terrible has happened while you were ill.” “You still don’t look well, but are you really alright now?” “Yeah, thanks. I’m still not recovered, but it’s turned into something far beyond just an illness.” “Right now, Inspector Takahashi is over there interrogating Hiroko-san.” “I see. Then I’ll have you brief me too.”

We entered the Japanese-style room.

Hiroko was describing to the inspector how she had discovered the body. "I had been talking with Mr. Kogawa for some time, but when it approached 6:40 PM with no word about dinner, I grew concerned and entered the house. Upon going to the kitchen and inquiring with the two maids, they informed me it was already prepared." "Wondering what could have happened to Hatsue, I called out from outside the bathroom on my way back from the kitchen, but received no response." "When the silence persisted too long, I opened the door to look inside and found my sister lying with her legs protruding above the water, her entire body submerged in the bath... her head completely beneath the surface, dead."

10 Then she described how she had screamed and called us, but there was nothing particularly noteworthy about it.

The inspector pressed Hiroko further about the circumstances under which she had discovered Hatsue's body, but her testimony perfectly matched what I had witnessed myself. Both Hayashida and I repeated the same account to the inspector. As previously noted, Inspector Takahashi had seemed quite disappointed that Hatsue's body hadn't remained at the crime scene as found, but on this point, Touda too appeared equally regretful. When the inspector asked whether they'd found anything unusual in the bathroom, Hayashida cut in.

“I didn’t find anything particularly strange, but I did notice evidence that Hatsue had taken powdered medicine she apparently received earlier from Dr. Kizawa while bathing.” “Specifically, wet paraffin paper had been discarded outside the bathtub next to the washing area.” “I had Dr. Kizawa examine that paper earlier, and it indeed appears to be one packet of the stomach medicine he had provided.” “Furthermore, since the remaining powdered medicine was found in her clothing, I had Dr. Kizawa submit all of it—two packets—to Dr. Nohara.”

This was the extent of Hayashida’s testimony. As for this matter of the medicine, it was something I hadn’t clearly known until now.

Inspector Takahashi then proceeded to question Shunzo, Hiroko, Sadako, and Date quite bluntly. He questioned them about their actions at the time of the incident. As the readers already know, Hiroko’s actions had been thoroughly established. Sadako stated that she had been on the second floor the entire time recounting police-related matters to Hayashida. Shunzo stated that he had been feeling unwell that day and, under the effects of a sedative prescribed by Dr. Kizawa in the afternoon, had remained in bed until awakened by Hiroko, knowing nothing until then.

Date stated that he had returned home once to take care of some business—when asked what business, he answered it was to write two or three letters—and then around 6:30 in the evening, he had entered through the back door, gone straight upstairs, and been in Sadako’s room with Hayashida and Sadako. The two maids Shimaya and Kuyu consistently answered that they had been in the kitchen at the time. In such situations, Touda would invariably interject with questions, but today—whether due to illness—he had lost his vigor and remained utterly silent.

Hayashida, too, was currently in a position where he was being questioned by the inspector as a reference witness alongside me, so this also meant he couldn’t say much to the others. Finally, Inspector Takahashi seemed to be consulting with the two doctors again in hushed tones about something, but judging from the detective’s tense demeanor as he went to make a phone call, it appeared the case had finally been reported to the Prosecutor’s Office. Inspector Takahashi, having heard the doctors’ theory in detail, likely concluded that the suspicion of murder was strong.

The fact that the body had not been left at the scene as it was found seemed to have completely soured Inspector Takahashi's mood, and he exchanged few words with either Touda or Hayashida. Neither Touda nor Hayashida had much to say today.

After eight o'clock, Touda beckoned me to his side and made a move to leave. I immediately followed him.

As I was leaving the entrance, I caught a snippet of the conversation between Touda and Inspector Takahashi. The two displeased individuals were exchanging such words.

“Inspector Takahashi, do you still suspect Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi?” “Of course I do. As long as his innocence remains unproven.” “Do you think Hatsue’s death was an accident?” “Mr. Touda, it’s not necessarily so. However, I am of the opinion that we need not necessarily assume that the second incident and this current one were committed by the same person.”

Hiroko's Deduction

1

After leaving the Aikawa residence, getting into the car, and arriving home, Touda did not utter a word. I, worried that his physical condition—which had been gradually improving with great effort—might have deteriorated again due to his sudden resumption of activity, accompanied him all the way to Touda's house.

“I’ve been lying down for a while, so I’m oddly exhausted—it’s quite a bother.” “Yeah—if you get sick, that’ll be serious. Never mind that—just go ahead and get into bed.” “I’ll excuse myself and lie down.” He unceremoniously got into bed but began speaking to me sitting beside him.

“Today’s incident was entirely unexpected. That a tragedy would occur in such a form—I hadn’t anticipated it in the slightest. As I’ve told you repeatedly, I had considered the possibility of a third tragedy occurring in the Aikawa household. But for the victim to be Hatsue, and the murder method to be like that! It was completely unforeseen. Because of this, I may need to fundamentally revise my entire way of thinking.”

He unconsciously reached out for the tobacco case beside him but, noticing this, withdrew his hand again. "You mean you have to fundamentally revise your approach?"

“Hey Kogawa, don’t you notice the peculiarity of this latest incident? Exactly like how the second tragedy—that April 20th case—had its own distinctive features, right?” “Hmm, I’m not quite sure.” “If we suppose Shuntaro and Yasuko were killed by the same person—and I believe this assumption holds—then setting aside accomplice relationships, it would be reasonable to conclude that at least the direct perpetrator was a man. You’d agree with that, wouldn’t you?”

"Yeah, that's right." "However, what about today's incident? Doesn't this lead us to the exact opposite conclusion... You still don't seem convinced—aren't you recalling Joseph Smith?" "That's right." "Who exactly was Joseph Smith? Consider his relationship with the victim. He was the victim's husband, you see. Listen. Think carefully about this point. In other words—because Joseph Smith was the victim's husband—he could execute that crime. It follows that no one but a husband could have committed such an act."

“Hmm, I see.” “Let’s examine Hatsue’s case. She had no husband—not even a fiancé. She was an eighteen-year-old young lady from a respectable family. Who could possibly barge into the bathroom while she was bathing completely naked and commit such an act? The criminal first opened the dressing room door, then the glass door to the bath area, passed through the washing space, and approached the tub where Hatsue was soaking. Yet despite carrying out this outrageously violent deed, Hatsue didn’t utter a single cry of surprise or scream during the entire ordeal. No—even if she hadn’t screamed, this crime could never have succeeded had Hatsue shown even the slightest caution while in that tub and braced herself. You see—Hatsue remained completely unsuspecting until the criminal reached the bathtub. So then—who could the culprit possibly be?”

“Well, someone Hatsue knew well—probably a member of the Aikawa family or a servant, I’d say.” “That’s right.” “Exactly as you say—and there’s one more condition besides that.” “In other words, the criminal is a woman.”

“I see.” “If it were someone like Date, Hatsue would never have remained unguarded.”

“Of course.” “Even if Sadako had been bathing, don’t you think it’s hard to imagine her fiancé Date could have calmly walked right up to that bathtub?”

2

At this moment, I began to somewhat understand why Touda had seemed so unusually flustered today.

Wasn't it that he had concluded the criminal in the second incident was a man? Had he not built various deductions upon that idea? Then, in this latest incident, the criminal had unexpectedly come to be inferred as a woman, so even he could not help but be utterly perplexed.

“In other words, it comes down to this. At least in this incident, a woman is directly performing the act. And this woman is someone very close to Hatsue. Therefore, the culprit must be a woman within the Aikawa household. Hey Touda, isn't this rather odd? It doesn't suit the criminal you praised so highly. Even I'm gradually understanding the scope of the criminal's activities.”

“Yeah, that’s it. The criminal I had in mind isn’t foolish enough for that. I’ve hit a real snag here. I’m utterly spent, I tell you.”

Touda, with a truly exhausted look, took a sip of the black tea that had been placed beside him.

“However, Kogawa, there’s one line of reasoning that assumes the criminal wasn’t female.” “Though mind you, even under this theory, it still doesn’t quite harmonize with the second incident.”

“What? Then who’s the culprit?” “That old man.” “Aikawa Shunzo.” “Assuming he’s the culprit, today’s incident can be tentatively explained.” “But you said the old man was supposed to be asleep the whole time.” “Can you yourself prove that?”

Touda said to me solemnly.

“I see.”

"You were merely told he was lying in his bedroom. Who can prove he didn't quietly rise and slip into the bathroom unnoticed? When a daughter bathes, her father enters. By our country's customs, this holds no strangeness whatsoever. Thus everything was settled in an instant." "So you believe him guilty?" "No—this remains but a hypothesis. Merely one provisional explanation for this incident. Still, this 'old man culprit' theory collides first with a rather intractable psychological obstacle."

He finally seemed unable to bear it any longer and put an A-ship between his lips. “Then just who are we supposed to suspect?” “Let’s consider that point, shall we? Your earlier explanation proves how accurately you have remembered the details of the case, and I am deeply grateful for that. Let’s follow that lead and try to track down the issues. Today, in the morning, you went to the Aikawa residence. At that time, the people in that house were the master, Hiroko, Sadako, Hatsue, Steward Sasada, and two maids. Plus, Dr. Kizawa was also there. What Dr. Kizawa told you was that the master had fallen ill again and that Hatsue was having stomach trouble. These two points are quite significant, so keep them firmly in mind.” “Well then, Dr. Kizawa left after saying that. You, Hayashida, Hiroko, and Hatsue went out and should have returned around 4:30 PM. At this time, Steward Sasada had gone out on an errand.” “You, Hayashida, Hiroko, Sadako, and Hatsue were talking in the parlor when Dr. Kizawa, who had been with the master until then, came in and was supposed to have given Hatsue the powdered medicine.” “And he left around 5:30 PM after telling her to take it.” “This fact requires particular attention.” “When Dr. Kizawa left, Hayashida also went out with him.” “In other words, you, Hiroko, Sadako, and Hatsue remained in the parlor, but upon hearing that Date had come, Sadako left.” “Therefore, those remaining would be you, Hiroko, and Hatsue.” “This was around 5:20 PM.”

3 “In other words, while you were all in the parlor, Shunzo remained in his second-floor bedroom, while Date and Sadako stayed in Sadako’s second-floor room.” “Since Hayashida had returned by then, that made four people in the parlor.” “Then came that peculiar phone call.” “A woman’s voice, wasn’t it?” “But regrettably, none except Hayashida could make sense of what was said.” “Though he might’ve already reported it to the inspector today—regardless, we remain in the dark.” “Around half past five, when you four were gathered in one room, the maid came to announce the bath was ready.” “Hiroko first instructed Hatsue to take her bath.” “At that point, Hatsue exchanged some words with Hayashida before leaving the room.” “From precisely that moment—five-thirty onward—no living soul laid eyes on Hatsue again.” “Note well—this five-thirty coincides exactly with the time Dr. Kizawa prescribed for her medication.” “You mustn’t overlook this detail.” “Afterward, you remained in that room with Hiroko and Hayashida.” “Therefore, if Hatsue was murdered immediately upon leaving, none of these three could possibly be the culprit.”

“Hey you! Am I even included among these three suspects?” “That’s right. In a strange case like this, I suspect everyone as a matter of course. I must suspect them. Around six in the evening, Date and Sadako arrived. At this point, it was unclear whether Hatsue was still alive or not. After seeing Date off, Hayashida and Sadako went outside. Since they returned shortly after, that meant the four of you were back in the parlor again. At this time, it remained unclear how Date had left. Next, Hayashida and Sadako went up to the second floor. According to your statement, it seemed rather that Hiroko had driven the two away. Afterward, the two of you sat facing each other discussing music. Since this took about twenty minutes, your pleasant time with Miss Hiroko would have ended around 6:20 PM. Then you went out into the garden together with Hiroko. You two started having a strange conversation and ended up staying there until 6:40 PM. Then, before anyone realized, Date appeared on the second floor. After Hiroko left your side about two or three minutes later, the three people on the second floor tried to come down. It was at that very moment that you heard Hiroko’s scream.”

“Yeah, exactly.” “So Hatsue was killed between just after 5:30 PM and around 6:40 PM—precisely within that one-hour window.” “No question it was murder.” “Given that, who in the house could have had the opportunity?” “First would be the master, as you suggested.” “Correct.” “The primary suspect is the master.” “Next?”

I thought about it for a while, but I couldn’t quite figure it out.

“What about Sadako?” “Kogawa, what do you think?”

“Yeah, Sadako must’ve been in the second-floor room the whole time.” “At first she was with Date, then later with Hayashida.”

“The crucial point lies here. Was Hatsue killed while Sadako was alone with Date, or while she was alone with Hayashida? This single point forms the very core of this case. Now, Sadako claims she remained in the room throughout both situations, and both Date and Hayashida corroborate this. However, among these testimonies, Date’s words hold absolutely no credibility. He’s precisely the one most positioned to collude with Sadako. As for Hayashida—he himself states he spent the whole time listening to Sadako’s account of police business, and since he doesn’t strike me as a man who’d readily compromise with her, we might tentatively trust him.”

He said this, but at that moment, he suddenly tensed up.

“But you—don’t you remember anything strange about Hayashida investigating Sadako?” “Strange?” “Yes, exactly.”

4

I couldn't grasp what Touda meant. He silently observed my bewildered expression for a moment before resuming.

“It seems nothing comes to mind for you.” “No—if you don’t know, then that’s fine.” “So assuming Shunzo, Sadako, and Date’s movements aren’t entirely clear—what about Hiroko?” “Hiroko was with me the whole time.” “After Hatsue left, she was talking with you the whole time.” “Therefore, just as I can’t suspect you, I can’t suspect her either.” “Except for that final crucial point—you know.”

“What do you mean?” “She told you, ‘I’ll go check on dinner preparations,’ and left the garden—and according to what I’ve heard, there should have been at least two or three minutes between that and when you heard her scream.” “She claims she went to the kitchen.” “That’s likely true.” “She then went to the bathroom.” “But how many minutes she spent in the kitchen—no one can verify that.” “At any rate, she certainly would’ve had the opportunity to first appear in the kitchen, immediately head to the bathroom, casually approach her sister who was comfortably soaking in the bath—then pull off a Smith-like act.” “What do you think?”

When he put it that way, Touda’s reasoning wasn’t entirely unreasonable. “Let me reiterate—the fact that Dr. Kizawa told someone to take medicine around five-thirty and Hatsue went to bathe exactly around five-thirty is particularly noteworthy.” He had spoken up to this point before falling silent. As it was already quite late and he appeared more exhausted than usual in his convalescent state, I refrained from pressing him further and returned home for the night.

This was what transpired on April 25th.

On the morning of April 26th, I received a call from Touda. “How are you feeling? It seems you overexerted yourself quite a bit yesterday though.” “Yeah, thanks. I’m feeling much better now. By the way, Hiroko just called and says she suddenly wants to talk to me. So I told her to come to the office anyway—can’t you head over there right away too?”

Of course, I gladly decided to go.

When I looked at the newspaper, the tragedy at the Aikawa residence had finally become a major headline in the society section. Public criticism against the authorities, beginning with the Metropolitan Police Department, had reached an extraordinary level of severity. From some quarters, proposals—seemingly reasonable yet unreasonable—were being fervently put forth: that it would still be preferable to indiscriminately arrest anyone even remotely suspicious rather than risk provoking further tragedies. However, the ones who became the primary targets of criticism were Touda and Hayashida; the more illustrious their past achievements had been, the more conspicuous their current failure appeared.

When I arrived at the office, Touda had already come.

He was considerably more energetic than the day before but still hadn't regained his usual vigor. While they were engaged in conversation, Hiroko appeared. After exchanging customary greetings, she promptly began stating her business. "Mr. Touda, today I sought some legal counsel..." "Well, if there's anything within my understanding..." "First, I wish to inquire—is it indeed true that even when a criminal has committed heinous crimes and will undoubtedly commit equally grave ones in the future, the law remains powerless to act without direct, conclusive evidence?"

In Hiroko’s words, there was an unassailable interrogative tone that could be heard. Even Touda showed a slightly surprised expression.

5

As Touda—perhaps hesitant to assess Hiroko’s feelings—remained silent, Hiroko pressed further with another question. “Regarding false accusation charges… I firmly believe there exists someone here whom I consider undoubtedly guilty of murder.” “If I were to denounce that person and they were later proven innocent, would I then bear responsibility for false accusation?”

“I can’t say that definitively. Unless you intentionally framed that person. And if you have sufficient reason to believe that person is beyond doubt the culprit, then it cannot be considered a false accusation. Even if that person is later found innocent.”

Hiroko remained silent for a while. During this silence, she seemed to have made some considerable resolution. “Mr. Touda, I wish to accuse my younger sister Aikawa Sadako and her fiancé Date Masao as the perpetrators behind the series of murder cases that have occurred in my family.” “Ms. Sadako and Date?”

Touda exclaimed in astonishment. "Yes, and I assert that not only in the past but also in the future, these two are capable of committing murder." “Mr. Touda, my life is also being threatened.”

Until now Hiroko had maintained her composure, but at this moment, true terror flashed across her face for the first time. "Are you referring to Ms. Sadako and Date?"

Touda stared at Hiroko with an intensely tense expression. I held my breath and focused on his face, wondering what he would say next.

“I see. “I do not necessarily intend to discourage your accusation. “However, since you assert this with such conviction, I presume you possess sufficient grounds to judge those two as murderers. “Would you kindly let me hear them?” “I believe I already possess sufficient grounds. “Mr. Touda, I would humbly wish to hear the reasons why those two are not the culprits, if at all.”

Touda clamped an E-A-Ship between his lips and briskly lit it.

“Until the incident on the 17th occurred, threatening letters had been arriving at Father’s place.” “And my sister has stated that one of them also came to Sadako’s place.” “Mr. Touda, isn’t this a bit strange?” “On the afternoon of the 17th, it was indeed Sadako who recommended the medicine to Mother.” “And that night, Sadako and Mr.Date were fiercely arguing with Mother.” “As a result, Mother began to suffer in the middle of the night.” “At this time, Sadako rushed over still wearing her kimono.” “This I clearly remember.” “Why was my sister still in her kimono so late at night?” “When Mother was dying, she said one thing to Sadako.” “As I mentioned previously, by the time Mother realized who her enemy was, it was already too late.” “That day, it was Yasuko who went to Saigō to retrieve the medicine, but after Yasuko returned, Sadako took possession of the medicine, and it remained in Sadako’s room until that night.” “And as I have previously stated, in Sadako’s room were, of course, Sadako herself and Mr.Date.”

Hiroko paused after speaking this far and seemed to observe for a moment what effect her words had on her listener. “Next is the incident on the night of the twentieth．Mr．Touda，I do not know what you think，but I cannot conceive that the culprit of seventeenth’s incident and that of twentieth’s are entirely separate individuals．I resolutely believe they are one and same person．”

6 “Oh ho, and what is the reason for that?” Touda asked in a tone that showed great interest.

“Because Yasuko was killed.” “If Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi killed Yasuko, it would be far too coincidental.” “Wouldn’t eliminating Yasuko have provided a major advantage for the culprit behind the 17th incident?” “Because Yasuko was the one who retrieved the medicine.” “The culprit either bribed Yasuko through some scheme, or she knew their identity but kept silent for some reason.” “However, when you and Mr. Hayashida interrogated her intensely, Yasuko nearly confessed.” “The culprit must have realized this danger.” “Which means they had to be someone inside our house at that time.”

“Exactly. That’s correct.”

Touda muttered in an impressed manner. “In the incident on the 20th, no matter how I consider it, I must conclude that the direct culprit is a man." “Such a violent act could never be committed by a woman.” “Mr. Date first killed Yasuko in the garden.” “I can only think that.”

“Then what about Shuntaro?” “He was indeed lured by Mr. Date. By eliminating Yasuko to prevent exposure of the 17th’s crime, my sister and Mr. Date simultaneously advanced toward their own objective.” “Their own objective?” “Precisely. I believe those two harbor a grand design. I shall elaborate on that subsequently. Now regarding yesterday’s incident—it stands in curious opposition to the 20th’s events, compelling us to conclude the perpetrator must be female. Joseph Smith was a husband. But Hatsue had no husband...”

“Exactly.” “I completely agree with that.”

Touda uttered a sound of genuine admiration. He flicked his half-ashed cigarette into the tray and immediately lit another. He seemed to have developed intense interest in Hiroko’s account, his hands rubbing together incessantly. “The reason I became convinced beyond doubt of Sadako and Mr. Date’s guilt lies precisely in yesterday’s incident.” “While we couldn’t determine the culprit’s gender in the first case, the second incident clearly involved a man’s handiwork.” “Yet in the third case—as I just explained—a woman’s involvement is undeniable.” “If we posit that all three crimes were committed by the same perpetrator, we must accept that this individual acted through both male and female agents.” “Given this conclusion, what alternative remains but to suspect Sadako and Mr. Date?”

“Hiroko, but yesterday Sadako was supposed to be on the second floor the entire time.” “Yes. At first with Mr. Date, and later with Mr. Hayashida.” “The circumstance of her speaking with Mr. Date is considered suspicious, I take it?” “Of course. But, Mr. Touda—haven’t you noticed something strange about Mr. Hayashida and my sister being in conversation together?” I was appalled. Hadn’t Touda said something similar to me just yesterday? I waited, all ears, to hear what he would think.

“Something strange? “Well…”

“It is precisely as follows.” “When the second incident occurred—on that night of the 20th—my sister was once more on the second floor with Mr. Hayashida.” “And yesterday too, those two were again together on the second floor.” “To rephrase—whenever those two are in Sadako’s room, does it not always coincide with a horrible incident occurring?”

7

“Exactly.” “Exactly.” “That’s correct.” Touda suddenly said in a loud voice. “Mr. Touda, how should I make sense of this?” “Hiroko, what do you think?”

Touda asked very intensely. "To put it briefly, could it be that Mr. Hayashida is covering for Sadako for some reason? I believe that for some reason, he may be establishing an alibi for her."

“Is Hayashida protecting Ms. Sadako?” “Impossible.” “Absolutely not!” “No, of course Mr. Hayashida has not noticed Sadako and her accomplices’ crimes.” “It’s not as though he’s covering up their crimes, but…” Hiroko said in a somewhat apologetic tone.

“Now, Hiroko, you’ve noticed an important point… But then what possible reason could Sadako and Date have for starting such a terrible thing?”

"That is precisely it." "Of course, motives for murder are not something that can be easily understood." "But I have this feeling." "The persistent force driving those two is resentment toward the Aikawa family." "And as for the direct motive, I believe it is unquestionably a financial matter." "Resentment? I understand the latter part clearly, but what do you mean by 'resentment'?"

“Mr. Touda, don’t you understand this? What sort of person is Mr. Date? Is he not a complete stranger to our family? The notion of giving one-third of our family’s assets to such a man could only have been proposed by my father if he were out of his mind. Were you to ask him, he would surely claim some shared hometown with Mr. Date’s father or having received his aid—but if that were true, why would he not state it plainly? They are enemies. He is most certainly the enemy. Mr. Date’s father was undoubtedly my father’s sworn enemy—there can be no doubt about it.”

Hiroko declared this statement clearly, but when I heard these words, I did not miss the sight of an A-ship falling from Touda’s right hand onto the floor with a soft thud. He hurriedly picked up his cigarette, but I had never seen him so surprised before. How Hiroko's words had shocked Touda. Why was Touda so shocked?

“He most certainly is the enemy. That man’s father most certainly died while resenting my father. Otherwise, why would my father have continued to live in such terror? Mr. Date had most likely uncovered my father’s past secret and had been sending him threatening letters—there can be no doubt about it. My father has a lifelong enemy.”

“Then—he’s raising the child of his lifelong enemy?”

Touda’s voice was trembling slightly. He appeared to be suppressing some intense agitation. “It is atonement for my father’s sin.” “I do not know my father’s past or Mr. Date’s past.” “It is merely as a woman’s intuition that I think so.” “Father has been atoning for some crime he committed against the Date family in the past.” “I trust my instincts, and at the same time, I believe this fact can logically explain the current situation.” “If that were not the case, then as I have repeatedly stated, why would Father have proposed such an absurd condition for the engagement?”

Touda, with an utterly agitated expression, was just about to involuntarily say something when the cigarette clenched between his lips fell to the floor—but this time, he remained so absorbed in Hiroko's account that he failed to notice it at all. 8

Whether she noticed Touda's state or not, Hiroko continued her story. "Mr. Touda, isn't Mr. Date's partner Sadako? Sadako isn't Mother's real child—just as Mother said the day before she died... Oh, now that I mention it, you did say once that she was indeed Father's child, didn't you?"

“That’s correct. I still believe that. Hiroko, take a good look at her profile. It’s indisputable. Doesn’t she resemble your father remarkably well? No matter how much one tries to conceal it, a true blood relative will always reveal themselves when viewed from the side.” “Is that so… Then we must suspect those two all the more.”

“And what reason would that be?”

Hiroko paused briefly in thought before resuming. "As a daughter, this amounts to criticizing my own father—something profoundly difficult to voice—but given how dire matters have become, given that Father refuses to speak plainly, and given that I've already explicitly named those I believe responsible... I can no longer keep this concealed. If Sadako isn't Mother's child yet remains Father's daughter, then who could her true mother be?" "Of course, I can't claim certainty." "But since I've never heard of Father remarrying, I can only conclude Sadako's mother must have been someone other than my mother—to speak plainly, a secret woman." "Judging by how Mother spoke when she briefly confided in me before dying, I believe this interpretation aligns closest with truth." "Being who she was, even if Mother had discovered Sadako's true parentage, she surely wouldn't have openly quarreled with Father over it." "Though in her heart, she must have suffered terribly." "...In essence, Father raised Sadako—born from another woman—on one hand, while raising Mr. Date as atonement on the other." "And by marrying these two, he undoubtedly sought to expiate his past sins through this arrangement."

“I see…” “However, this was my father’s one and only ideal. A selfish plan he devised alone. In reality, things did not go as planned. My father’s past could not be resolved through such arbitrary methods.”

I felt somewhat surprised that Hiroko had uttered the word “settlement,” which seemed unbefitting of her demeanor. “I see… Then why couldn’t that method achieve full settlement?” “Because Mr. Date learned about his own past.” “He discovered his past secret through some means or opportunity.”

“Miss Hiroko.”

Touda said after a slight pause. "You don't think Mr. Date learned about it through someone, do you?" "Well—"

Hiroko made a troubled face but, "I can’t think of anyone in particular."

Both of them fell silent for a while.

Touda was silently thinking about something as he blew purple smoke from a fresh cigarette toward the ceiling. After a while, he stared intently at Hiroko’s face and spoke.

“Very well. “Proceed with your accusation.” “I will not stop you.” “However, whether I entirely agree with your *Theorie* or not is another matter…”

A resolute expression rose to Hiroko's face. She seemed somewhat dissatisfied that Touda had not presented any proactive theories, but she soon left the office.

The Inspector's Logic

1

“Splendid! Magnificent! What a fearsome intellect!”

When Hiroko's figure vanished from the office, Touda suddenly muttered in a loud voice.

“Kogawa, what deductive prowess! No ordinary person could accomplish such a thing! And for a young lady of mere twenty-one years to harbor such a mind! I’d naturally sensed from the start that miss’s intellect wasn’t commonplace. But to wield logic with such crystalline clarity, such rigorous structure! Astounding. Utterly astounding!”

He spoke to me with wide eyes, as if genuinely astonished.

“Even I，being right there beside her，was utterly astounded by the soundness of her logic.” “Hey，Fujieda，but you didn’t express your own opinion at all，did you?” When I said this，he made a face as if waking from a dream.

“Yeah, exactly. Hey, that grand logic just now—were you impressed?” “Through and through!” “Kogawa, I both admire and respect Hiroko’s extraordinary deductive ability. Furthermore, I have no hesitation in paying infinite respect to that woman’s intuitive power. However, when it comes to whether I wholeheartedly agree with her *Theorie*, some room for consideration arises there.” “Hoh.”

“You may or may not have noticed, but there are two critical flaws in Hiroko’s theory regarding the joint culpability of Date Masao and Aikawa Sadako.” “The first concerns the crime of April 17th.” “It was determined that Tokuko died from ingesting mercuric chloride.” “This raises the question of how they obtained this mercuric chloride.” “As you know, acquiring poisons and potent drugs is particularly difficult in Japan.” “Therefore, in typical poisoning cases, investigators first identify those who could relatively easily procure such substances.” “Physicians, pharmacists, chemists—those in professions related to crime.” “If either Date or Sadako had obtained the mercuric chloride, the police investigation should have uncovered it.” “How does Hiroko explain this?” “Of course, I don’t deny the value of her entire *Theorie* merely because this point remains unexplained.” “Second, regarding why Yasuko Sada was killed—here I completely agree with Hiroko’s theory.” “I can only admire it.” “However, it remains unclear by what means the criminal—that is, Date or Sadako—had kept Yasuko silent until then.”

“They probably bribed her.” “Impossible. You don’t seem to grasp the psychology of a young woman that age. Hiroko may think similarly, but in truth, the criminal likely miscalculated Yasuko’s psyche. At any rate, it wasn’t bribery. This method belongs not to the realm of mere inexplicability—it’s outright impossible.” “Then perhaps Date threatened her into silence?”

“Threat?” “Yes, there’s some validity to your idea.” “But do you truly believe Date wields enough influence to intimidate Yasuko?” Touda filled the room with A-ship cigarette smoke. Come to think of it, he was rather cunning. He’d let me prattle on endlessly without breathing a word about his own theory.

At this moment, something suddenly occurred to me, so I opened my mouth. “Didn’t you say yesterday that you remembered something strange?” “Hiroko also said the same thing earlier, didn’t she?” “What’s the meaning of that?”

He slapped the desk sharply. “Yeah, that young lady is remarkable.” “During both the second and third incidents, Sadako was investigated by Hayashida.” “And she pressed, ‘Don’t you find this odd?’”

2 “That’s right. In other words, Hiroko’s reasoning is that if Sadako might have gone somewhere during that period, Hayashida could be covering for her for some reason.”

“Yeah. The observation is truly excellent. However, I find it difficult to agree with that theory.”

“Why? Though you were the one who insisted it was absolutely impossible for Hayashida to protect Sadako back then, weren’t you?” “I have reasons for thinking that. You realize Hayashida never held any goodwill toward Sadako from the start.” “Yet Sadako trusts Hayashida far more than she does you.”

“That’s precisely where our skill as detectives lies. In truth, Hayashida is no ally of Sadako’s—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 discern Hayashida bears no goodwill toward Sadako? Did he tell you something himself?”

"Why would I let such a thing slip to you, my competitor? I'd do the same." "Hiroko completely trusts me, and Hayashida seems to think so too—but how much I truly... No—this isn't about me. It's about Hayashida." "Shall I present one piece of evidence that he isn't particularly kind to Sadako?"

Touda fell silent there for a moment and looked at me.

“Recall the morning of April 21st—that is, the day after the second tragedy—when we visited the Aikawa residence. After meeting Steward Sasada, we should have met Hiroko immediately. At that moment, she suddenly asked, ‘I heard the criminal was caught last night.’ When I countered, ‘How do you know that?’ she answered, ‘I learned of it earlier when Mr. Hayashida came by.’ You must remember this fact. Then immediately afterward, we met Sadako. I thought Hayashida had naturally told her about Hayakawa, so I said, ‘Actually, I just came from the police station. Since they’ve apparently caught a man who seems to be last night’s culprit… Didn’t you hear about it from Mr. Hayashida?’ Then, to my surprise, Sadako replied, ‘No, I did meet Mr. Hayashida a short while ago, but as for that matter…’ Listen—when Sadako heard Date had been taken by the police back then, she must have been extremely worried. If Hayashida had any goodwill toward her, wouldn’t he have offered reassurance by saying something like, ‘The culprit from last night has been caught, so you can rest easy’? Hayashida told Hiroko. Yet he hasn’t told Sadako—the crucial one—whether intentionally or not. How on earth should we interpret this?”

“I see… So when you look at it that way, could it be Hayashida suspects Sadako…?”

“Even if he does suspect her, you’d think he could have at least mentioned that much. In any case, I don’t believe Hayashida covered for Sadako. ...Ah yes, now that I mention it—when I asked Sadako, who was worried, ‘For instance, has anyone noticed Mr. Date wandering around the mansion grounds since then?’ she replied, ‘N-no, certainly not.’ But didn’t you notice her strange expression at that time? This is the critical point—the significant part.”

He fell silent after saying this.

From then on, he did nothing but puff away on his cigarette, not uttering a single word.

Thinking I should not disturb his meditation again, I strolled out to Ginza, stopped by the office to take care of some pending tasks, and when I returned around 3:30 PM, Touda greeted me with an oddly cheerful smile.

3

“I’ve been quite active during your absence. First, there’s this news. The autopsy of Aikawa Hatsue’s body revealed that a large quantity of the sedative Veronal had been found in her stomach. It was also found in the intestines. The cause of death was asphyxiation—in other words, drowning. What do you think? Isn’t that an extraordinary fact? With this, I’ve felt somewhat relieved.”

I didn’t quite understand what significant meaning the Veronal in her stomach held, so I remained silent and stared blankly. “What’s this—doesn’t this stir any reaction in you at all? The mystery I’ve been agonizing over has been clearly resolved thanks to Veronal, hasn’t it? You’re such a difficult person. You don’t seem to have quite grasped it yet. Second piece of news: This goes without saying, but Hayashida apparently told the prosecutor and inspector about that suspicious phone call after last night’s events. By all accounts, Hatsue was summoned by a woman’s voice—the call was apparently a kind of warning: ‘You must not take Dr. Kizawa’s medicine. Because it’s dangerous. You must never take it.’ That’s what was said.” Hatsue, finding this eerie, secretly informed Hayashida. Hayashida said: “There’s no need for you to fear such a thing. However, if you find it eerie, perhaps it would be better to stop.”

This was an entirely common-sense response; had I been asked the same thing, I likely would have had no choice but to answer similarly. Before entering the bath, Hatsue—appearing still concerned—repeated the same question to Hayashida, who accordingly gave the same answer. “Ah, so that explains why Hayashida—being concerned—first searched for paraffin paper immediately after the incident.” “As a result, despite that eerie warning, it was discovered Hatsue had taken one packet of Dr. Kizawa’s medicine.”

“That’s right.” “Moreover, the examination results confirmed there was absolutely no error in Dr. Kizawa’s medicine.” “It was proven that the remaining two packets contained nothing but harmless digestive medicine.” “Hmm… Then who could have switched it to Veronal?”

“That’s it,” Hayashida continued. “Who hid one packet of Dr. Kizawa’s digestive medicine? The culprit made it look like Hatsue had taken one of his packets. Then...” “But who could the caller have been?” I interjected. “They said it was a woman’s voice, but...” “More importantly,” Hayashida cut in, “how did this caller know Hatsue had Dr. Kizawa prepare the medicine? That’s the crucial point.” The silence stretched between us until I suddenly remembered my earlier conversation with Hiroko.

“Hey, you… I wonder if Hiroko has gone to the police to file a report…” “She probably went.” “And with that brilliant theory of hers, she’s likely leaving Inspector Takahashi utterly bewildered.” “It’ll be quite a spectacle to see what opinion Inspector Takahashi takes regarding Hiroko’s theory.” While they were having this exchange, the telephone bell rang urgently.

When I hurriedly answered, a man’s deep voice spoke. “Hello, is this Mr. Touda Shintarou’s office?” “Is Mr. Touda available?” “This is Ushigome Police Station.”

I was startled and called for Touda. “Ah, Touda here… Inspector Takahashi? …What? It finally happened? …Yes… Doesn’t sit right? “I see… Hmm… Well then… I’ll head over now. Yes, I’ll be right there.” He clacked down the receiver and turned to face me. “Hey, seems Miss Hiroko’s finally filed her complaint. “Heard it was this morning. “So Inspector Takahashi wants me over. “I’m going now. “……Oh, and stay home tonight. “Something’s bound to get interesting before long.”

4

In accordance with Touda’s orders, I returned home immediately that evening and waited for his call. After seven o'clock, sure enough, a call came through from him.

I felt terribly apologetic about the imposition, but he told me to come immediately. When I rushed to his house without even grabbing my things, I was astonished to find him apparently preparing for a trip, busily organizing something near his suitcase.

“Ah, my apologies for summoning you so abruptly. This may seem sudden as a bird startled at one’s feet, but I’ll be taking a two- or three-day trip to Kansai. Departing tonight. But first, let me recount my meeting with Inspector Takahashi. Truth be told, he called earlier—Hiroko’s statements weren’t adding up for him, so he demanded I come at once. I went expecting to find him flustered from her pressing him hard with those usual arguments of hers. But here’s the twist—far from being overwhelmed, he proved himself worthy of his reputation. From Hiroko’s own theory alone, he’d formed a solid conviction. According to him, the culprit isn’t Sadako and Date—it’s Hiroko.”

“What? Hiroko is the culprit?”

I was so startled I nearly leapt to my feet.

“That’s right．According to the inspector’s logic，it must inevitably be that the murderer in this case is none other than Hiroko．Inspector Takahashi apparently had his eye on Hiroko from the very beginning．And upon hearing Hiroko’s theory today，he had finally become convinced—or so he said．He called me in and briefly presented his theory．He spoke in a truly confident tone，and his theory went roughly like this．”

“According to the Inspector’s theory, what provided Hiroko with the primary motive for matricide was the dispute between Sadako, Date, and her mother.” “If anything, the mother should have been Hiroko’s ally, not her enemy.” “It was the father who sided with Sadako and Date.” “Therefore, Hiroko killing her own mother would seem highly improbable.” “But this applies to ordinary criminals—not someone with a brilliant mind like Hiroko.” “Her ultimate goals were to secure the entire inheritance for herself and vent her intense jealousy toward her half-sister Sadako.” “First, she knew Shuntaro’s death would make her an heir.” “By eliminating Sadako and Date, she could both protect her inheritance and purge her accumulated resentment.” “So she bided her time for the right opportunity.” “She sent forged threatening letters to her father and even arranged for some woman to call my office.” “Then her chance finally arrived.” “A fierce argument erupted between her mother, Sadako, and Date over inheritance matters.” “Hiroko didn’t let this opportunity slip.” “She conceived a plan to kill her mother and frame Sadako and Date.” “The result—as you know—was her mother’s agonizing death on the night of the 17th.” “She fabricated that dying declaration about her mother addressing Sadako.” “As I’ve repeatedly stated, no one but Hiroko ever heard those words.” “The Inspector first grew suspicious of Hiroko because of her bizarre statement—that on the very night she visited me in shock (though I’d informed him about her visit), she’d been reading a detective novel.”

When Touda said this, I was reminded once again of that accursed Green Murder Case.

“But even so, Hiroko is definitely innocent in the incident on the night of the 20th.” “However, according to the Inspector’s theory, the culprit of the incident on the 20th is none other than Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi, and that incident is said to have absolutely no connection to those on the 17th and 25th.”

5

“Therefore, even if it’s established that Hiroko has no connection to the incident on the 20th, it’s of no use.”

“Now, just as she had intended, the mother died. Then, coincidentally, Shuntaro was killed by Hayakawa. The individuals entitled to divide the Aikawa family’s property would be Hiroko, Sadako, and Hatsue. Thereupon, Hiroko finally resolved to kill Hatsue. In other words, yesterday, she indeed skillfully seized her chance. Around 6:40 PM, the 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. And there you were standing in the garden. Sasada the steward was out. Inside the house, Hatsue was in the bath, and only two maids were in the kitchen. Moreover, we must not forget the fact that Hatsue had entered the bath earlier after being urged by Hiroko. She first went to where the maids were to confirm whether the two were indeed there. She then stealthily crept into the bathroom.”

“If Hatsue had already gotten out, what would she have done?” “If she’d gotten out, there would’ve been nothing to do, of course. She would’ve had to wait for another chance. But as it happened, she caught Hatsue perfectly while she was still in the bath. All she had to do was casually approach her, watch for an opening, and copy Joseph Smith’s method. But her fatal mistake—according to the Inspector’s theory—was accidentally letting slip that ‘Bride in the Bathroom’ phrase. I suppose she ended up using that expression because she imitated Joseph Smith’s crime too faithfully. It’s not something an ordinary young lady would think to say, you know.”

“However, between the first and third crimes, Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi’s criminal act was unexpectedly inserted.” “Because she had sent threatening letters beforehand, the authorities believe it’s the same perpetrator.” “Consequently, since Hiroko herself had an ironclad alibi for the second incident, matters progressed more securely than she could have possibly imagined.” “Yet simultaneously, she grew restless.” “This meant no definitive suspicion had fallen upon Sadako and Date.” “Even with half her objective accomplished, it meant nothing unless these detested two were apprehended.” “Thus finally driven to desperation, she first came to me today to denounce them both, then appeared at the police station herself to formally accuse Sadako and Date—that’s the gist of it.” The Inspector concluded with these words. “There’s never been a case involving a girl as cunning as Hiroko.” “A truly fearsome genius, wouldn’t you agree?”

When Touda finished speaking, he showed no sign of being emotionally moved and composedly puffed a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling.

“Hmm.”

I had been genuinely impressed by the Inspector's cleverness for a moment, but how could I possibly believe Hiroko was the culprit? "What do you think, Kogawa? The Inspector's reasoning proves quite ingenious—on par with Hiroko's own theories, wouldn't you agree?" "Hmm. Still, certain aspects remain unconvincing."

“Is that so?” “Go on then—let’s hear it.” “First, isn’t the motive for killing Mother rather tenuous?” “Granted, suspecting those two might be reasonable.” “But to murder one’s own mother without any grudge…”

“Well, regarding that point, I did ask the Inspector as a precaution.” “The Inspector’s response was this.” “‘There’s no concrete evidence,’ he said, ‘but perhaps her mother had seen through Hiroko’s true nature or objectives.’” “In other words, for Hiroko, her own mother had actually become the greatest obstacle and nuisance in achieving her goals.” “‘Under those circumstances,’ he concluded, ‘killing her mother would’ve served two purposes at once.’”

“Admittedly, explanations can be twisted any which way… As for those typewritten threatening letters—isn’t it odd to assume Hiroko fabricated them on her own? Moreover, her father’s been terrified of something like that, you know. If you think about it, whoever sent those letters to Shunzo must’ve known his secret—which means Shunzo must’ve had one hell of a secret to begin with, don’t you think?”

6

I became completely absorbed in defending Hiroko. “According to the Inspector’s logic, what Hiroko called intuition earlier was actually Hiroko having uncovered Father’s secret.” “Though I don’t know how she managed it, Hiroko came to know Father’s secret through some method.” “So she went and sent those threatening letters herself in advance, you see.”

“So what does that mean? Did Hiroko want to make people think the culprit was external?” “I suppose that’s what the Inspector believes.” “Then isn’t that a contradiction? According to the Inspector’s logic, Hiroko’s trying to make everyone suspect Sadako and Date, right? Yet you’re saying she used a trick to frame an external culprit?!”

As if I'd captured a demon's head, I latched onto this logic that even I myself found brilliant.

Touda smirked—though what he was thinking—

“According to the Inspector’s theory...” “Hey, are you going along with the Inspector’s theory again? What do you actually think yourself?” “Now, now, don’t get so worked up.” “No—I can’t help it. To suspect Hiroko with such phony logic—”

“Ahahaha! The phony logic was rather inspired, don’t you think? If we follow the Inspector’s reasoning, that’s precisely where Hiroko’s cunning shines through.”

“How so?” “In other words, it’s a scheme to first make it appear as though the culprit is external, so that as the investigation progresses, suspicion naturally falls upon Sadako and Date.” “But that doesn’t make sense!” “By my logic, I actually agree with your reasoning here.” “Even assuming Hiroko were the culprit, we should rightly consider the threatening letters as having come from someone else.” “I distinctly recall telling you on the 18th of this month—” “Threatening letters arrive first, then murders follow.” “In such cases, common sense dictates viewing the letter sender as the murderer.” “Though I can’t say that’s absolutely certain.” “If so, our Miss Hiroko would have cleverly exploited threatening letters from an unknown party.” “Seizing an opportune moment.” “Now Kogawa—you argue as if you’ve caught Satan himself, but even proving Hiroko didn’t send the letters only absolves her of intimidation charges. It’s separate from the murder case.” “No need to get so agitated… Besides, yesterday’s suspicious call proves someone external sent those letters.” “At that critical moment yesterday, Hiroko couldn’t possibly have contacted anyone outside.” “Therefore, there’s no conceivable way she could’ve arranged for an external party to make calls.” “I remain convinced this external culprit is female.” “Given the woman’s voice reported—both the call to my office on the 17th and the afternoon call to Shikishima Garage that day—we should take this interpretation at face value.” “Incidentally—any other objections to the Inspector’s theory?”

“If we’re talking about dissatisfaction, I’m dissatisfied with everything.”

I said disagreeably. “Hey, you—just as there were hard-to-overlook flaws in Hiroko’s logic, don’t you notice there are major flaws in the Inspector’s as well?”

“Huh?”

I looked at Touda as though saved.

“I acknowledge that the Inspector isn’t some run-of-the-mill officer.” “Suspecting Hiroko—that was admirably astute of him.” “However, I harbor substantial reservations about four key aspects.”

7

Touda 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 it views the first and third crimes as entirely separate from the second.” “That the crimes on the 17th and 20th could be considered entirely unrelated and coincidental at this juncture is something I can assert with full confidence.” “The first crime and the second crime differ strikingly in their methods.” “I should have clearly stated this to you before.” “In other words, the individual personalities evident in the crimes differ markedly.” “It can be said that Inspector Takahashi’s wisdom lies in having noticed this point, but although his insight is good, he errs in his deductive method.” “Because the methods of the crimes were too different, he inferred that the perpetrator—in other words, the culprit—was different.” “However, as I also stated then, that is not the case.” “The perpetrator is not different.” “The perpetrator is not different; it merely indicates that the culprit’s psychological state at the time of the crime had changed significantly.” “As I’ve said many times, we have a crucial link between the first and second crimes in Sada Yasuko.” “Given this, who could possibly claim there’s no connection between the two crimes?” “In the first crime, Yasuko—who played a central role—has coincidentally become the victim in the second incident.” “In terms of probability calculations, isn’t this an exceedingly improbable coincidence?”

“However, the Inspector would say: ‘It’s not probable.’ ‘But it’s possible, you know.’” While inwardly pleased with Touda’s theory, I tentatively raised a protest.

“Of course that’s the case. This coincidence is by no means improbable—it isn’t something that occurs frequently. But it remains possible and cannot be dismissed outright. However, Kogawa—even if we grant that such an extraordinary coincidence occurred—what defies all explanation is Shuntaro’s death. Suppose Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi did coincidentally kill Sada Yasuko. How then did he murder Shuntaro? As Hiroko astutely pointed out, Shuntaro wasn’t mute—he wouldn’t have been silently lured out and killed without resistance. He must have been enticed by someone he knew intimately beyond doubt. This constitutes Inspector Takahashi’s primary fallacy in my view. Moreover, Hiroko possesses an impeccable alibi for this second crime. To insist on suspecting her would require positing an accomplice—a notion now rendered untenable. I previously suggested Date might compromise with Hiroko—but subsequent observations conclusively proved this impossible.”

On the morning of the 21st, we visited the Aikawa residence after going to the police. At that time, I asked Hiroko to properly inquire with her father about Date—you must remember that. In truth, I still harbored some doubts then, so while maintaining an air of complete trust in Hiroko, I casually remarked, “Of course I’m investigating Date’s background myself,” while sharply observing her expression. Had she compromised even slightly with Date, she would have betrayed herself through some change in demeanor during such a moment—yet there was no trace of it. Therefore, the notion of her having a male accomplice holds no water. “Moreover, regarding the theory framing Hiroko as the culprit by treating the second incident as entirely separate from the first—on this point alone, I fundamentally cannot concur.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh, and then what’s next?” “The second point—this aligns with what I stated earlier regarding Hiroko’s theory about Sadako and Date being accomplices—is the question of how Hiroko obtained the mercuric chloride that was administered to Tokuko. Indeed, Hiroko is no ordinary young lady. Compared to Sadako and the others, she is far more intelligent—an artist and at the same time a crime researcher. You’re aware that in her study, aside from crime books, there were also many art books, aren’t you?”

8 I recalled Muther’s history of painting and Becker’s biography of Beethoven among others. “This point warrants some attention,” he said. “While she’s a criminologist on one hand, she’s equally an artist. We might conceive of an artist who’s also a master criminal. But here we have another datum—she’s a twenty-one-year-old woman. To summarize her character: though she possesses an exceptionally rational mind, her criminology never transcends armchair theorizing. She’s merely steeped in the romantic fantasies typical of young women. That elaborate theory she agonized over—the Date-Sadako accomplice hypothesis—is precisely this.”

“This has gotten rather convoluted...” “Don’t you see? Essentially, Inspector Takahashi proves unexpectedly romantic himself.” “He overestimates her grossly—a crime as meticulously orchestrated as his theory lies beyond Hiroko’s psychological capacity.” “She’s an idealist, not a practitioner.” “Her criminology—no offense—never transcends Green Murder Case-level conjectures.” “That Hiroko could covertly procure mercuric chloride? Unthinkable for such practical matters.” “Third—the Veronal in yesterday’s incident follows identical logic.” “How would Hiroko have administered Veronal to Hatsue?” “While Veronal might’ve been more accessible than mercuric chloride, we’ve no inkling of her delivery method.” “Lastly—that uncanny phone call to Hatsue.” “Clearly originating externally—but had Hiroko conspired with its source, when could she possibly have coordinated such impeccably timed signaling?” “Until this gaping hole finds explanation, aligning with the Inspector’s theory remains impossible for me.”

Touda flicked away his half-ashed cigarette and picked up the travel guide that had been lying beside him.

“By the way, as I just said, I have to go on a trip right away.” “As usual, I can’t disclose the purpose yet.” “But I’ll definitely be back by the end of the month, so I’m counting on you.”

“Just when I thought you’d finally settled down, you’re off on another trip already?” “Well, that can’t be helped.” “In any case, I’ll take you to Tokyo Station then.”

When I looked at my watch and saw there were only thirty minutes until the departure of his Shimonoseki-bound train, I immediately took a car and rushed to the station with him.

“I say, I’m worried about what might happen while you’re away. Might something else occur?” “Hmm, it’s hard to say. I keenly feel the powerlessness of us legal professionals. In this situation, we know full well something dangerous could materialize in the future—yet there’s no conclusive evidence against the culprit. In such cases, we practitioners of law are only permitted the ‘proper path’ of keeping our hands tied regarding what’s to come.”

As he passed through the ticket gate, he said this with a grim expression.

When he settled into the second-class car, I grew concerned about arrangements during his absence. "By the way, will you resume guardianship of the young lady?" "Yeah, handle it for me." "Though you might not get to meet Hiroko." "What?" "Why?" "As I said earlier, the Inspector suspects her." "They likely won't detain her, but she'll probably be summoned daily for now." "What are you saying?!" "You held such opposing theories yet didn't tell the Inspector?!"

“Of course.” “Not only that—I went so far as to praise the Inspector’s theory and egg him on.”

9

Anyone who has ever been in love with a beautiful woman—no, even if it never reached the depth of love— Even mere affection would suffice—any reader who has had such an experience will surely imagine how indignant I felt upon hearing Touda's words at that moment.

In detective novels, it was customary for famous detectives—be they Sherlock Holmes, Philo Vance, Thorndyke, or Poirot—to occasionally drop suggestive remarks but never reveal their own theories until the final chapter. However, that was merely one method to keep readers engaged until the very end. Now, Touda’s case was different. By his words alone, my beloved—O readers, forgive me for having inadvertently laid bare my heart—might that beautiful Hiroko be spared from the dreadful suspicion of murder. Touda was predicting that the lovely Hiroko would be dragged into the police station tomorrow or the day after to undergo brutal interrogation—or perhaps she might even be detained outright.

To think he clearly knew the police held a wrongful suspicion, yet not only failed to correct them but actively encouraged it!

Indeed, Touda was no lawyer. But he had once served as a prosecutor. Moreover, this was the man who preached about justice until it grated on one's ears in ordinary times. While firmly convinced Hiroko wasn't the culprit - at least, he'd declared as much to me - his refusal to utter a single word in her defense amounted to sheer disgrace. Before me - no, rather than that - he'd pontificated at length about grand theories, but in the end, hadn't the police failed to adopt a single one of them?

Overcome with indignation, I found myself momentarily unable to voice any protest; involuntarily, I reached through the car window from outside and seized his arm. “Hey, Touda?” “What do you mean by egging him on?!” “You! Why won’t you defend her?!”

Unfortunately, just then the departure bell rang, and I was reprimanded by a station employee, forcing me to reluctantly step away from the car.

“Hahaha.” “Now now, don’t get so worked up.” “Here—give it some proper thought.” “Properly!” “Well then, good day.”

After a moment, the train departed leisurely, leaving me in a huff.

As I walked along the platform, I resolved to rush straight to the police station as I was, meet directly with the Inspector, use the same logic Touda had spun to persuade him, and defend Hiroko’s case at all costs—but the moment my foot touched the ground from the station steps, I somehow recalled those words Touda had just uttered. “Give it some proper thought. Properly!”

Hmm, what could that mean?

Looking back—or rather, even without looking back—the astute reader would have surely discerned from the facts I had presented up to that point why Touda did not defend Hiroko; yet foolish as I was, at that time I could not grasp its meaning at all.

However, I exercised tremendous self-restraint in refraining from rushing to the police. Up until now, there had always been some reason behind Touda’s actions. I dare call it self-restraint. Because, just as Touda had predicted, while Hiroko was not detained after all, she had apparently been held until late that same day and then subjected to rigorous questioning for four consecutive days starting the following day, April 27th.

In this lengthy narrative of mine, I wish to be permitted to touch upon my sentimentality in just this single place here.

O readers, to what shall I liken this feeling of mine—silently witnessing the beloved beautiful woman suffer under a false charge?

The Fourth Tragedy

1

Reflecting on it, these four days were likely a time of unbearable suffering for Hiroko, and for me, of course.

However, these four days of suffering were, in retrospect, nothing more than a prelude to the terrible tragedy that was to come.

As per that abhorrent warning, on the evening of May 1st, the fourth tragedy was finally brought to pass at the Aikawa residence.

However, for the sake of order, I would first recount the events following Touda’s departure. But as maintaining a diary-style account—though precise—would likely weary readers, I resolved instead to summarize the key developments in broad strokes.

Just as Touda had predicted, Hiroko had apparently been detained until quite late on the 26th, but from then on found herself subjected to lengthy interrogations starting early each day. Of course, Aikawa Shunzo exerted all his strength to protect his child's honor, but when this prominent family's young lady was repeatedly summoned by police, newspaper reporters could not possibly remain unaware—various papers sensationalized Hiroko's case with photographs.

I could not bear to look at the newspaper every morning. Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi remained in police custody.

Aikawa Shunzo’s health had already been in poor condition at the time of the tragedy on the 25th, but with that incident occurring on top of it, his physical state grew increasingly worse, and he remained bedridden.

The new incident to speak of was Date Masao’s illness. He had been summoned and interrogated relentlessly by the police until the 26th, but once Inspector Takahashi abruptly shifted his focus to Hiroko, he was no longer called in for the time being. Whether due to letting his guard down in relief or simply catching a cold, he took to his bed from the 27th onward. It was on the 27th that I learned of his illness. On this day, when I went alone to the lonely Aikawa residence where Hiroko was absent, I met Dr. Kizawa. I heard about Date from Dr. Kizawa.

Upon hearing Date was ill, Sadako had grown deeply concerned and asked Dr. Kizawa to examine him; he had apparently done so and found that while the condition wasn't serious, Date was running a fever.

I had wanted to see what state Sadako was in while Hiroko was being summoned by the police and thought to meet her, but having learned through daily newspapers and surrounding rumors that the Aikawa family had now become society's central topic of scrutiny, she had grown thoroughly disheartened and was even avoiding visiting Date. Out of consideration for her, I refrained from meeting her and instead immediately went to visit Date. Date was more energetic than I had expected and spoke at length about various matters, but to look at him, he appeared terribly haggard.

I had not spoken properly with him since his police summons began, but seeing him now, he had suddenly grown haggard and looked much older. Though he called it an illness, that once-dashing figure had vanished, leaving him utterly worn down. Being made to witness firsthand the immense mental torment that daily police interrogations inflict on a person—guilty or innocent—I found myself newly overwhelmed by profound sorrow for Hiroko's circumstances.

However, my meeting with Date was by no means pleasant. Of course, for him personally, this was only natural from a human perspective, but having apparently learned from someone that the suspicion had shifted to Hiroko, he looked quite pleased. Whether it was the simple joy of his own suspicions being cleared or delight over Hiroko coming under suspicion—I couldn’t really tell—but in any case, it was by no means a happy thing for me. Therefore, I soon left his place.

2 The newspapers had sensationalized matters as if Hiroko were the true culprit ever since her police interrogations began. This was apparently inferred from judicial officials' attitudes and behavior—though I refuse to believe Inspector Takahashi in his responsible position would have carelessly shared detailed theories with reporters—and an elaborate scenario had been constructed. The papers of the 27th and 28th particularly blazed with speculations from various luminaries.

When cases become mired in dead ends, it's common for criminal investigators, high-ranking judicial officials, forensic scientists, and even detective novelists to have their deductions, fantasies, and speculations eagerly featured in the papers—but I knew of nothing in this world that had stirred up as much sensation as the bizarre and grotesque incidents surrounding the Aikawa family. At the same time, I had never encountered a sensation quite so unpleasant as this one. This was because so many of the theories cast suspicion on Hiroko.

I had memorized every single commentary that showed even the slightest support for her—to this day I retain them all. When theories by an unnamed forensic scientist, an unnamed mystery novelist, and Hayashida Eizo appeared in the papers, I could never convey how profoundly grateful I felt toward these three men in my heart. Though Hayashida himself occupied a position inviting nearly as much censure as Touda's, his theory in the evening edition of the 28th contended that hastily suspecting Hiroko might prove misguided.

The other two were of course not acquainted with each other either, and moreover, judging from their photographs, both had such forbiddingly stern expressions that one would hesitate to approach them rashly, so that very night I immediately made straight for Hayashida's place.

“Mr. Kogawa, I’ve just returned from the Aikawa residence. Today was Hatsue’s burial, you see.” “I see. I should have gone as well.” “Touda doesn’t seem to be here—where did he go?” “Did you know about Touda’s trip?”

“Do you know about Touda’s trip?” “Yesterday, I had some business and called, but was told he wasn’t home, you see.”

“As for where he went—well, he just wandered off in his usual way, but…” I had not been specifically instructed by Touda to keep my actions secret, but I answered this way because I saw no need to elaborate further. “You know, Mr. Hayashida, the reason I came today was actually to thank you.” “What are you referring to?” “It’s about the article that appeared in that evening edition. “You stated that it was premature to conclude Hiroko was the culprit.” “Certainly…”

“Ah, that?”

Hayashida stared at me intently for a while, then, “Well, you see, I was being hounded so relentlessly by reporters that I ended up letting it slip without meaning to.” “I should have run off somewhere like Mr. Touda did.”

“Touda also left on a trip intending to shake off the reporters. He left without even telling me his destination… Oh, Mr. Hayashida, you’re defending Hiroko’s case—that makes me happy.” “So what are you saying? You have feelings for Hiroko, don’t you?”

In my excessive joy, I expressed my gratitude too clearly and blushed despite my age.

“Putting aside whether I care for her or not, I simply can’t bring myself to believe she’s the culprit.” “Yet Touda’s recent conclusions appear to suggest otherwise.” “Mr. Touda?… Then his theory posits Hiroko as suspect…?”

For some reason, Hayashida looked profoundly startled, but abruptly burst into laughter and said, “Mr. Kogawa, you mustn’t tell lies.”

3 “A lie?” “No—absolutely not… Touda said it in all seriousness.”

“Mr. Kogawa, you’re being deceived by Mr. Touda.” Look at that—even Hayashida didn’t believe Touda was serious about suspecting Hiroko. Actually, Touda’s recent words and actions were nonsense. “He’s been telling me Inspector Takahashi’s theory has flaws.” “And yet when pressed, he didn’t refute the inspector himself—in fact he ended up agreeing with him.” I then began tediously criticizing Touda’s attitude.

Hayashida had been listening with a frown and a troubled expression, but after some time had passed, "That’s strange." "But this is Mr. Touda we’re dealing with." "As usual, he must have some deeper scheme... Still, I’m glad I defended Hiroko-san." "Otherwise you’d have resented me terribly, wouldn’t you?"

And with that, he laughed cheerfully.

When I left Hayashida's place and returned home, a telegram from Touda had arrived. The originating office's location remained unclear. HIROKO'S AFFAIRS DO NOT CONCERN YOU LEAVE HER BE KEEP CLOSE WATCH ON DATE'S MOVEMENTS

Leave Hiroko alone! Ah, does he think Hiroko has been detained or something?

It said to keep an eye on Date’s condition, but even the great detective seemed unaware that he was moaning in his sickbed. The 29th passed without incident. Having no desire to visit the Aikawa house without Hiroko, I went to my office to attend to business. However, following Touda’s telegram, I called Dr. Kizawa to inquire about Date’s condition, but it appeared he remained bedridden.

April 30th—this day too ended uneventfully, same as the previous day. Hiroko had been summoned by the police again that day, but as expected, Inspector Takahashi seemed not to have made any progress since the first day.

The various newspapers were sensationalizing her case, but none of them reported anything about her having confessed.

Thus, finally, the fateful day—May 1st—arrived.

When I woke up in the morning, I thought, "Today is May 1st," but in truth, I had completely forgotten about that strange warning.

Just when would Touda return? Since there was no way to know that either, I decided to go to the magazine office as I had the previous day. However, I had certainly not forgotten about Touda’s telegram, so around noon, I called Dr. Kizawa to inquire about Date’s condition, only to learn that he was still unwell. Because it was May Day, parades were marching all over the place. Within the company too, it seemed quite a few people had gone out to watch them.

Around 3:30 PM, Hayashida called. “Mr. Kogawa, since you appeared deeply concerned, I felt obliged to notify you—it seems Hiroko-san’s interrogation has finished today.”

“Huh?”

“Today?” “And the result?” “Of course, it seems she was permitted to return.” “I also went to the police earlier.” “In any case, I will let you know.” “Thank you very much.”

I hung up the phone and immediately rushed out of the office. I should go right away and offer my congratulations. But I had to go home first and change into a kimono or something, I thought, so upon hailing a taxi, I immediately headed back home.

As I was about to step into the entrance, the telephone rang. When I hurriedly went out to check, Touda’s clear voice sounded.

“Kogawa.” “I just got back.” “Come to the office immediately.”

4 I wanted to see Hiroko's face, but he—having just returned from a long journey (Touda hadn't told me his destination, though I assumed it was somewhere far)—was insisting I come immediately, so I couldn't bring myself to refuse coldly. I rushed straight to the office. "Ah, thanks for hurrying over." "I've only just arrived." True enough, he appeared freshly returned—a suitcase sat in the room, and he wore the same lightweight travel clothes, though two or three days without grooming had left him with considerable stubble.

“Where on earth have you been? You could’ve at least sent word—I had no idea where you were!” “Yeah, my bad. So nothing happened while I was away?” “Ah… There haven’t been any major incidents. I left Hiroko alone as per your telegram, but as you’ve probably read in the papers—she was called in every day. It was pitiful.”

“I see. Now, don’t speak so resentfully. So Date’s suspicion has been cleared then.” “Well, that’s right. By the way, he’s sick in bed.” “Huh? Who?” “Date is.” “Since when?”

“Since the day after you left.” “That would be the 27th.” “Hmm… And he’s stayed that way ever since?”

“Yeah, I heard he’s still in bed today as well.”

“I see. This was unexpected.” “However, most other matters unfolded exactly as I’d imagined.”

“But how long do you think Hiroko will be suspected? I heard she’s just been cleared of suspicion and has returned home.”

When he heard my words, Touda's face tensed for some reason.

“How do you know that? Did you go to the Aikawa residence?” “No, that’s not it. Hayashida informed me a bit earlier—he apparently heard it from the police.”

“What’s this? You went and spilled your sentiments to that man, did you?” Having said this, Touda looked at me with a sneering grin. I too found it somewhat amusing that he had used the peculiar term “sentiments” instead of words like “love” or “romance” at that moment, and gave him a wry smile in return.

“It’s already past four o’clock. Alright, I’m going to the Aikawa residence immediately. I must deliver my travel report.” “Shouldn’t we call a car?”

About ten minutes later, the two of us had become passengers in the car.

This day, a light rain had been falling since morning, making it an exceedingly gloomy, dark day.

A rain not heavy enough to disrupt May Day parades had been falling all day, and by around four-thirty, the surroundings had already grown quite dark. The weather on this day was intimately connected to the tragedy that unfolded, so I must ask you, dear readers, to bear this clearly in mind.

We arrived at the Aikawa residence just past four-thirty.

Steward Sasada attended to us, and we were shown to the parlor. Since Dr. Kizawa happened to be present, Touda first requested a meeting with him. “Mr. Touda, I heard from Mr. Kogawa that you were on a trip.” “Oh, I had urgent business to attend to.” “I’ve just returned now, but due to extremely urgent business, I must meet with the master of this house without fail. What do you say?” “Well, the master has been ill for quite some time...”

5 "I've heard that from Kogawa." "But it's not severe enough to be considered a serious illness, is it?" "It's the same nervous excitation as before."

“How about it? Could I meet him?” “That depends on what you wish to discuss. In other words, I must insist you absolutely avoid any topics that might cause nervous excitation on this occasion. As a physician, I must state this clearly.”

His words carried a tone that held the unassailable authority of one who reveres science.

On the other hand, however, Touda’s demeanor was extremely tense. “Dr. Kizawa, I fully understand. However, I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say. I’ve been on an urgent investigative trip regarding pressing matters. And I feel obligated to report these findings to the master of this house as quickly as possible—yes, as quickly as possible. This is what my professional conscience compels me to do—exactly as you’ve stated from your position as a physician.” “Dr. Kizawa, you’re aware of the mysterious incidents in this household. Due to an unknown perpetrator, this family is being made to die one by one. We must exert all our strength to protect the three remaining lives. This is my duty.” “Unfortunately, our efforts have been in vain. The danger grows nearer with each passing moment—I can sense it in this very room’s atmosphere. I believe meeting the master could remove this threat even moments sooner. To put it plainly—if I leave without seeing him today, someone else may be killed before nightfall.” “Dr. Kizawa, I fully respect your position. But the imminent danger is undeniable. Moreover, human life is absolute. If this isn’t a terminal illness—couldn’t you insist on permitting this meeting?”

A look of confusion crossed Dr. Kizawa’s face. “Now, Dr. Kizawa, your reasoning is perfectly sound.” “Were I in your position, I would take identical precautions.” “That’s only natural for a physician.” “But let me reiterate—you’re no stranger to this household.” “True, you serve as their attending physician.” “Yet you know that murder case well enough to recognize my words aren’t baseless.” “As a fellow human being, you must acknowledge the critical need to protect those three surviving lives entrusted to me.”

Dr. Kizawa was clearly in a dilemma. As a physician, he did not want Shunzo to meet anyone now, especially since the topics Touda would likely bring up were certain to agitate him. But even now, as Touda had said, he knew all too well about those horrific tragedies that had occurred one after another.

As far as such murder cases were concerned, there was not a single reason for Dr. Kizawa to disbelieve Touda’s words. But his position as a physician was not easily swayed even in this case.

“Mr. Touda, I wish to confirm clearly—is your demand to meet the master now absolutely non-negotiable?”

“Yes, it’s absolute.” “Is there no possibility of even a moment’s delay?” “There can’t be even a moment’s delay.”

“I see.” Dr. Kizawa looked increasingly troubled. “Let me explain why this is a matter of urgency.” “Today, I intend to tell the master about the facts I’ve investigated, inform him that keeping secrets any longer is foolish, and get him to divulge those secrets.” “This secret itself is what I believe to be the cause of this current string of tragedies.”

6 “The cause of the tragedy?” “That’s correct. It may not necessarily be the sole cause. However, it is at least one important cause. You must be aware of the master’s bizarre silence. That’s it—the mystery we must solve lies precisely in that. I am in the midst of unraveling that mystery. However, the final key is held by the master. I want to use that key to solve the case.”

Touda declared resolutely. As the discussion grew more concrete, Dr. Kizawa could no longer resist being swayed by Touda’s words. “It absolutely must be now, then?”

“That’s correct.” “The sooner we act, the better.” “If we delay even a moment, there’s no telling what may occur.” Dr. Kizawa appeared deep in thought for some time before finally seeming to reach a decision, “Very well—I shall go assess the master’s condition once more.” “Should he express willingness to meet you, a brief conversation may be permissible.” “Though this request is irregular, I must insist you make every effort to avoid agitating him.”

“I’ll take every precaution.” Dr. Kizawa left the reception room but returned after some time. “He said he would meet you.” “Though it’s rather presumptuous of him, he requests your presence in his room…” “If it’s not an inconvenience, I’ll attend at once.”

Dr. Kizawa led the way, and we climbed the stairs.

The right side of the landing was the master’s bedroom. Dr. Kizawa knocked while,

“Mr. Touda has arrived.”

After he said this briefly—from within—

“Please come this way.”

The master’s voice was heard.

The next instant, the door opened, and Touda and I, led by Dr. Kizawa, entered Aikawa Shunzo’s bedroom. “Please—stay as you are—just as you are—please.” Seeing Shunzo trying to sit up, Touda hastily reached out to stop him, but Shunzo had already settled properly on the bed. “This is terribly rude of me here, but Dr. Kizawa says it’s better not to move too much.” “That’s quite all right.” “I am the one who should apologize for making such an unreasonable request.” “By the way—how is my condition?”

“With so many things happening one after another, I can’t remain composed.” “This is apparently the worst part.”

“I can imagine.” “Let me come straight to the point—I understand you wished to discuss something?” “Ah, that matter.” Touda said this and—appearing poised to reveal something grave—fixed his gaze intently on Shunzo’s face.

“I recently took a trip alone.” “And I’ve just returned now.” “The place I went to was the town of Imaizumi in Yamaguchi Prefecture.” “Namely, the place where you lived approximately twenty years ago.”

“The town of Imaizumi in Yamaguchi Prefecture?” Shunzo seemed stunned. As his shock appeared particularly severe, Dr. Kizawa anxiously half-rose from his seat. “That’s correct. That is where you lived twenty years ago – and simultaneously where Date Masao’s parents, Shohei and his wife, resided. Mr. Aikawa, I spent several days there conducting investigations. I thoroughly examined the history between the Date and Aikawa families. Through this research, I discovered that your families stood in a fated relationship.”

7 As Touda spoke up to this point, Aikawa Shunzo, sitting on the bed, waved his hand as though he could bear it no longer, attempting to silence him. To an outside observer, it appeared a truly pitiable state of panic. Dr. Kizawa, finding this turn of events rather disagreeable, was just about to admonish Touda. Quickly perceiving this development, Touda continued speaking in a restraining manner.

“Mr. Aikawa, please rest assured. I will not say anything further. Even after such a tragedy and all those sacrifices, I would never recklessly speak of the secret you still try to protect. Let me state one thing clearly: I, Touda Shintarou, have almost certainly uncovered this secret in its entirety. And if my findings are correct, you must know both who sent those threatening letters and why they were sent to you. That is precisely the matter I wish to discuss. Tell me, Mr. Aikawa—do you truly have no inkling who might have sent those threats?”

Shunzo did not utter a single word. In front of the confident Touda, he appeared to be at a loss as to how to respond. The circumstances were quite different from when Touda had pressed Shunzo on the night of the 20th. Touda had now uncovered the Aikawa family's secret. At the very least, he claimed to have uncovered it. “Mr. Aikawa, please consider the surrounding circumstances carefully.” “The police seem to suspect Miss Hiroko.” “Considering your daughters’ situation, I’m afraid you simply must tell us.”

“Very well.” For the first time, Shunzo said weakly. “However, even I truly don’t know who sent them.” “Then how about this? Let’s consider it this way. From the secret known only to you and me, it follows that those likely to send such threatening letters would be either Date Shohei—that is, Masao’s father’s brothers—or else his wife Kayoko’s siblings.” “…………”

Shunzo remained silent but nodded resignedly. “However, as you know, in Shohei’s case there were virtually no relatives to speak of.” “Given this, we must conclude it relates to the wife’s connections. Now regarding Date Kayoko’s relatives—according to my investigation, there exists a sister whose current whereabouts remain unknown.” “Considering that phone incident and various factors, it appears a woman lurks behind this case. If the sister of Date Shohei’s wife Kayoko knew her sibling’s secret, this woman would naturally become the prime suspect.”

“That’s correct. I cannot deny that possibility either.” Shunzo, seeing that Touda seemed to have truly uncovered his secret—either having concluded that further concealment was futile or now resolved—spoke plainly this time. “You, don’t you know where that woman is?”

However, Shunzo did not even attempt to answer this and suddenly sat up straight.

“Mr. Touda, I’m at your mercy. Since you already know everything, I think continuing to hide it is futile. I will now recount all my past secrets here. Regarding that matter, there is something I must show you, so I will go and fetch it. There are important documents.” “There’s no need for you to trouble yourself by going personally. I can—”

Dr. Kizawa interjected worriedly.

8 “No, it’s stored in a place that only I can find.”

“Mr. Aikawa, did you keep those important documents inside this house?” Touda asked with a look of surprise.

Shunzo put his feet out from the bed and slipped into his slippers, "I did think it would be safer to keep them in a bank's safety deposit box or something, but..." "No—rather than safety or danger, what I find unexpected is that you have kept such documents concerning past secrets until now." Shunzo, staggering, left the astonished Dr. Kizawa and the others behind and made his way to the door. "Why I've kept it until now will become clear with the documents I'm about to present." "Ah, Dr. Kizawa, I appreciate your kindness, but since those documents are stored in a highly secret hiding place, I'll take the liberty of going to retrieve them alone." "Please, everyone, stay here and do not go anywhere for a while."

Shunzo said this and closed the door with a thud before leaving. Though not physically bedridden, Shunzo—who had been lying down continuously until now—suddenly getting up on his own seemed to startle Dr. Kizawa considerably; however, as Shunzo's words carried extreme solemnity and appeared to forbid even a single person from following him, we three remained silent in the room.

It was shortly before 5:00 PM, but as previously noted, this had been such an oppressively gloomy day that the room had already grown dark enough to obscure our faces from one another. “Unexpectedly, we’ve reached our goal. No—it seems we might exceed it entirely.” Touda said this to me while twisting the switch of the nearby desk lamp to illuminate the room. “If matters conclude at that stage, I suppose I can feel moderately reassured.” Dr. Kizawa likewise sighed with relief as he addressed Touda.

“However, keeping documents about past secrets he’s been trying so hard to forget… That’s rather odd.” “Looking at those should resolve everything… but there’s one more thing I want to ask—whether anyone besides him and me knows this secret.” “Of course, aside from the sender of the threatening letters.”

Touda said this, but suddenly looked uneasy and glanced at the two of us. Dr. Kizawa also appeared somewhat restless. To tell the truth, I had been thinking that when Shunzo left this room, he had likely gone to the study across the way (the room where the prosecutor had questioned the family immediately after the first tragedy). He had left as quietly as possible, with furtive footsteps, so it remained unclear exactly where he had gone.

“You, it’s been about five minutes since the master left here, but where on earth has he gone?” Touda glanced at his wristwatch and said to me. “Hmm, it does seem a bit long though.” “Perhaps I should go check.” “But it would be strange for someone to follow after him, and the master didn’t seem to approve of that.” Dr. Kizawa also looked at the two men with an uneasy expression. “Let’s wait three more minutes.” “After all, the master has confined us here.”

Touda said this to the two men, 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 surprised by the sudden question but answered immediately.

“Yes, he’s in bed.”

“Are there any guests here today besides us?” “No, there aren’t any.” “Mr.Hayashida left when I arrived, so we missed each other.” “And now, only family members remain in this house.”

9 “Date is ill; Hayashida has left.” “That leaves only Hiroko-san and Sadako-san, then.” “Hmm…” Touda was deep in thought, repeatedly checking his watch. Finally, I could bear it no longer and spoke. “It’s already been about seven minutes since he left. Isn’t that strange?” “Yeah, something’s definitely wrong.” “Dr. Kizawa, let’s go out.”

Touda was the first to open the door. The three of them stepped out into the hallway all at once. As soon as they emerged, Touda knocked on the study door across the way but received no response. Without hesitation, he grabbed the handle and thrust it open to peer inside, then immediately shut it again upon finding nobody there. “Not here.” Touda looked momentarily perplexed. At that moment, Dr.Kizawa walked down the hallway and knocked on the door to Hiroko’s room on the left side.

“Ms. Hiroko, if I may have a moment of your time.” “Do you know where your father is?” Hiroko appeared from within looking beautiful, but when I saw how distressed and haggard she was, I instinctively rushed toward her. “There are several matters I must discuss with you.” “But what I need to ask now is whether you happened to encounter your father in this hallway.”

Hiroko, having no idea what he meant, appeared utterly shocked— "No, I've been in this room the whole time until Dr. Kizawa came here, so..." Just then, the door to Sadako's room opened and Sadako peered out. She must have been startled by the commotion outside. The two young ladies and we three conversed briefly in the hallway, but none knew anything of Shunzo's whereabouts.

Touda ran down the stairs,

"Mr. Aikawa! Mr. Aikawa!" he was shouting. When we followed him down, Steward Sasada, startled, came rushing out of his room.

“Hasn’t the master come down?” Touda hurriedly asked. “No, I came out just now because Dr. Kizawa was summoning the master.” An indescribably strange expression crossed Touda’s face, but— “Come on, everyone—hurry and search! I’ll check this parlor.”

Touda and I hurriedly opened the door, but there was no one inside. When we had closed the door and stepped back outside, we caught sight of Sadako opening the piano room door—but in the next instant, “Huh?!”

Just as a scream rang out, she collapsed in the doorway.

Dr. Kizawa, who was nearby, rushed over and picked her up. No sooner had we seen this than Touda, like a fleeing hare, pushed Hiroko and me aside and charged into the piano room. Next, I too leapt into the piano room like a falcon, but never before had I encountered a sight as horrifying as the scene that confronted me there. The moment I opened the door, what struck my eyes was Shunzo's body lying supine on the floor. His legs were spread-eagled toward the folding screen beneath the mirrored surface running along the wall by the doorway. Thinking his eyes might have rolled back, I approached, but involuntarily turned my face away.

A terrifying face. A monstrous face. Could there exist another face in all the world as monstrous as Shunzo’s at that moment?

10 Both eyes remained open, the eyeballs appearing to bulge out. The area around the eyebrows and eyes was twisted in a peculiar, contorted manner. If one were to call this a face, it was not a human face. It was a demon's visage. It was a devil's countenance. The instant I saw him, I knew Shunzo was already dead. Yet what left me speechless with terror and shock at that moment was partly due to Touda's excessively agitated demeanor. Not even during the subsequent strange incidents at the Aikawa residence had I ever witnessed him display such a flustered state. No—throughout all the cases we'd been involved in until then, I had never seen him in such panic-stricken disarray.

The moment he and I rushed into the room together— “Ah—this is bad…”

He let out a cry of surprise and rushed toward Shunzo’s corpse. He stared fixedly at that terrifying face, but— “Dr. Kizawa! It’s terrible! It’s terrible!” he shouted, urgently calling for Dr. Kizawa.

Dr. Kizawa, who had apparently been attending to Sadako, came in immediately, but he too 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 terrifying a face Shunzo’s corpse must have borne. True to form, Dr. Kizawa immediately regained his composure and pressed his ear to Shunzo’s exposed chest, but— “It’s no use. The heart has stopped.” Having said this, he looked up at Touda’s face.

Touda turned a slightly pale face toward me and,

“Kogawa, notify Hayashida immediately. Have Hayashida come here at once!”

he shouted. That Touda would seek help from his rival Hayashida in such a case showed how much he had declined—though that would be a realization for later. At the time, my mind was in such complete turmoil that I had no leisure to consider it; I rushed outside in panic, nearly colliding with Hiroko—pale and trembling—and Steward Sasada as I hurried to the telephone room. When I called Hayashida’s residence, he answered the phone immediately.

“Is that you, Mr. Kogawa?” “Mr. Hayashida, it’s terrible! Aikawa Shunzo has been killed.” “What?! Aikawa Shunzo? Is that true? Wh-where was he killed? Who did it?”

For some reason, even this famous detective was panicking terribly—but only in this particular case. The extent of his panic was so evident that it came through clearly even over the phone. “Mr. Kogawa, speak louder!” “Shunzo was killed?” “Who did it?” “Where?” Both Touda and Hayashida—they were really panicking too much today, weren’t they? Touda for his part had suddenly demanded that Hayashida come over, while Hayashida, whom I’d thought would be composed, was asking inane questions like “Who killed him?” Who killed him? If they’d figured that much out, then they should’ve already identified the culprits from before, shouldn’t they? The reason Hiroko was being bullied was because they couldn’t figure that out, wasn’t it?

However, this too was something I had recalled later. "At the Aikawa residence." "Touda and I are both here now." "I see." "I'll be right there."

Hayashida hurriedly hung up the phone. When I hurried back to the piano room,

“What happened? Did you reach Mr. Hayashida?” Touda asked hurriedly. “Yeah, he was there,” I said. “He was there. He said he’d come right away.” “What? He’s coming right away?” What on earth was happening—Touda had truly lost his mind. Even though he himself had asked him to come, he looked completely surprised upon hearing my answer.

11

"In the chapter titled 'The Second Tragedy,' I had already provided readers with a layout of this piano room; however, to refresh our memories, I will state it clearly once again." Upon entering through the door, a fairly large piano stood along the left-hand wall, while Western paintings hung on the right-hand wall. Along the wall by the door appeared a stove that was kept there throughout winter, its recessed area now hidden behind a Western-style screen. Immediately above this, a mirror measuring approximately four feet by three feet was embedded in the wall.

On the opposite side of the door through which we entered were three large windows, beyond which lay the garden. In the corner where the garden-facing window met the right-hand wall adorned with Western paintings at a right angle stood an imposing Victrola. Aikawa Shunzo's corpse lay, as I had mentioned earlier, on its back in a spreadeagled position against the wall along the door—his feet pointing toward the Western-painting screen placed before the stove. His hands were clenched tightly as if in agony, his face grotesquely contorted like a repeatedly redrawn sketch. There was no blood nor any other discharge; not a single visible wound could be detected at first glance.

“Hayashida will be here soon.” When I conveyed this, Touda again showed a surprised expression, but as it soon faded, he seemed to have already regained his vigor and became his usual reliable self. “Dr. Kizawa, please examine the wound without handling the corpse too much.” Dr. Kizawa appeared to have already begun working on that even before Touda instructed him to. “There’s only one injury.” “There’s a rather severe wound on the back of the head.” “There—if you lift the head slightly upward, it becomes immediately apparent.”

As he said this, Dr. Kizawa lifted the corpse’s head slightly upward. "I see. Mr. Shunzo was struck hard from behind while standing... However, there's a chair fallen near his head here." "Or perhaps when he fell backward, he might have struck the back of this chair." "That's correct." "Mr. Touda, I would rather adopt that line of thought." "It may be premature to make such a definitive statement before an autopsy is performed, but I find it somewhat difficult to believe that someone would die this quickly solely due to this injury on the back of the head."

Dr. Kizawa spoke as though he held an inner conviction. Touda crouched down, intently examining Shunzo’s hands, then reached into his pocket. “Hey, Kogawa, Mr. Shunzo was supposed to have come to this room saying he was going to retrieve important documents, right?” That’s Touda for you. It seemed he had already begun considering what I had completely forgotten in my panic.

“That’s right. That’s how it was.” “If Mr. Shunzo wasn’t lying to us—and in this case, it’s unthinkable that he was—then those documents should either have been hidden in this room or still be hidden here.” “Yeah, that’s how it would be.”

“I’ve just examined the corpse, but there’s nothing like that on it.” “If that’s the case, the documents might not have been taken out by Mr. Shunzo yet.” “If they aren’t in this room, they may have already fallen into the culprit’s hands…… Now then, where exactly is this hiding place?”

12 At this moment, Touda appeared to focus all his physical energy into his mind at once. He silently surveyed the room. The most conspicuous object in this room was undoubtedly the grand piano. He stared at the piano for some time before shifting his gaze to peer intently at the embedded mirror. After a while, he stepped between Shunzo’s splayed legs and positioned himself facing the mirror. When Touda straightened up, his head aligned perfectly with the mirror’s upper edge. That he was a rather tall man had been established at this story’s outset. He remained facing the mirror like this for two or three minutes, then began urgently probing both side edges with his fingertips when suddenly—

“Got it! “This is it!” he exclaimed joyfully, like a child who had found a lost toy. When I looked—astonishingly—the right edge of the mirror had opened about an inch through some hidden mechanism, and Touda was now trying to pry it open with his left hand. Dr. Kizawa and I, startled, instinctively rushed over. As Touda’s left hand swept open to the side, the embedded mirror pivoted on its left edge and sprang forward like a box lid.

“Yeah, they’re in there, I bet.” “The documents must be in there!” My shout and “Huh—there’s nothing here.”

and Touda’s shout occurred almost simultaneously. Touda, while peering behind the mirror, inserted his right hand and stirred around, but soon slammed the mirror back into place with a bang. "Hmph, nothing here." "However, it’s certain that something resembling documents had been placed there." "So then…" He did not utter another word and sank into deep thought.

He did not utter another word and sank into deep thought. In the meantime, I carefully examined the floor and such, but there were no particular traces like muddy footprints, nor any signs of a struggle.

Having suddenly noticed something, I went to the window closest to the piano and looked out into the garden. Nothing particularly unusual was visible in the garden either, but when I happened to look directly below the window, I discovered what appeared to be clearly recent shoe prints there. “Hey Touda—over here, over here.” “Look at this window here.”

He hurriedly approached, “Yeah, the culprit definitely came through here. They took off their shoes here, killed Shunzo, then jumped back out the window and fled wearing them. Still, pulling off such a cautious move in the heat of the moment…” I had noted Touda’s uncharacteristically flustered behavior during this case, but even after he calmed down, I realized his demeanor remained utterly changed.

He called me close and said in a low voice.

“Kogawa, we’ve come up against the toughest problem we’ve ever faced,” Touda said. “I can’t make sense of it. I just can’t make sense of it.” “Touda,” Hayashida cut in, “the culprit finally made their move today, didn’t they? Right on schedule.” “What?”

At this moment, he once again displayed an expression of profound shock. "Oh, right—today was May 1st."

“So it’s just as promised, isn’t it? In other words, as you said, the culprit has upheld the gentlemen’s agreement.”

“Yeah.” “That’s exactly why I’ve become even more clueless.” Touda’s words were far more incomprehensible.

At this moment, guided by Steward Sasada, Hayashida came rushing in with flustered haste.

The Shocking Truth

1

“Touda.”

“Hayashida-kun.”

The two men said this much and then fell completely silent for some time.

“Hayashida-kun, something truly unexpected has happened.” “I’m utterly shocked.” “You must have been shocked too.”

“Yeah—it’s completely unexpected.” “The master’s been murdered?!” “I was truly shocked.”

Hayashida’s complexion also bore an unconcealable look of astonishment. “What on earth happened?” In response to Hayashida’s question, Touda recounted the circumstances up to that point without concealing anything. “Hmm, so this all happened within just six or seven minutes after the master left his bed.” “Yeah. And so, the culprit indeed seems to have come from the garden. Look, there are footprints under this window.” “So, does this mean the culprit sneaked in through the window and delivered a blow to the master’s occiput? What do you think, Dr. Kizawa?”

“Indeed. However, without performing an autopsy, we can’t be certain.” “Now, this terror on the face—the corpse’s most striking feature—how should we interpret this, Hayashida-kun?” Hayashida spent some time comparing the position of the corpse with the mirror, but—

“You must have considered this too—Shunzo saw the culprit’s figure in his final moments—or rather, to be more precise, he saw the culprit’s figure reflected in the mirror, don’t you think?”

“That’s right.” “I think exactly the same.” “Even so, Shunzo must have seen an extremely terrifying culprit.” “If we consider this, did he know the face of the person targeting him?” “If we take his words to me just before his death as truth, it would mean he didn’t clearly know that.” “In any case, Shunzo had recognized the culprit’s face.” “This expression isn’t merely that of someone about to be killed. It’s something far more profound.”

“That’s right. For example, a situation where someone you know well in daily life unexpectedly proves to be the culprit.”

Hayashida had been paying attention to the corpse's position for some time when he suddenly said to Touda, "According to what you just said, Shunzo was looking for important documents..." "Yeah, I remembered that immediately and searched, but they're already gone." "What? Gone?" Hayashida, startled, looked back at Touda's face but then,

“So they were behind this mirror after all, huh? Judging from the position of the corpse, Shunzo must have been standing in front of the mirror, but—” Hayashida said. As expected of him, he had surpassed even Touda’s deductions. At that moment, Steward Sasada entered the room again,

“The police officers have arrived.” While saying this, he gave a slight nod to Inspector Takahashi, Dr. Nohara, and others who had followed behind. “We can’t let this go on any longer. We must start detaining everyone one by one—Mr. Touda, Mr. Hayashida—what on earth happened here?”

The inspector was in an extremely foul mood. "Hayashida-kun knows nothing about this—he was at our office at the time." "Dr. Kizawa, Kogawa-kun, and I were present in this house." Touda concisely repeated the sequence of events again, though perhaps finding it tedious, he avoided delving into Shunzo's past secrets and instead explained that Shunzo had remembered some urgent matter requiring document retrieval.

2 On Inspector Takahashi's face as he listened silently to Touda's account, there appeared a solemnity unlike anything we had ever seen before.

“I see. “I understand completely. “However, I must now state this clearly to you both. “Setting aside the first murder case, every subsequent tragedy has unfailingly occurred either when all of us were present or at least when one of us was nearby. “During the second incident, I myself was in this house along with you both. “The third time happened when Mr. Hayashida was present, and this latest occurrence took place with Mr. Touda here. “If this continues, our credibility will be completely shattered. “No—it may already lie in ruins. “Regardless of your circumstances, I personally am resolved to resign if we fail to apprehend the culprit this time. “Until now, I’ve respected your past accomplishments and granted you freedom to act. But henceforth, I shall treat you exactly like ordinary citizens—please understand this clearly. “Consider my refusal to suspect you both as the final courtesy I can extend.”

This final remark was undeniably quite rude. However, coming from an inspector now staking his career on this investigation, it seemed both inevitable and profoundly sorrowful. Though Touda and Hayashida's true thoughts remained hidden, they maintained perfect outward deference. "I require everyone present here today to report to the police station." "With apologies, I must ask Mr. Touda, Mr. Kogawa, and Dr. Kizawa to accompany us." "Mr. Hayashida wasn't in attendance here, but..."

"No—I will of course go as well."

“Very well, I shall accept that request.” “The family members as well, naturally.” “As for the two employed maids, we currently have detectives questioning them, but…”

At that moment, a detective hurriedly entered and whispered something into Inspector Takahashi’s ear. A look of surprise appeared faintly on Inspector Takahashi’s face, but— “Take them straight to headquarters immediately.” Having said that, he sent the detective out of the room again.

In accordance with Inspector Takahashi’s instructions, we were to go to the police station for the time being. Though the inspector had made those remarks, he naturally did not suspect Touda or Hayashida; thus it was decided he would take Hiroko and Sadako back first, while ordering both detectives, Dr. Kizawa, and myself to report afterward.

At the Aikawa residence, Dr. Nohara and other detectives remained to await the arrival of the group of judges and prosecutors.

“He’s absolutely livid—I’m at my wit’s end!”

said Touda.

“Yeah, exactly. Well, I suppose I’ll get to experience being summoned to the police as a reference witness.” Hayashida said with a laugh. “Do you know who they hauled into the police station?”

“Yeah, I heard a snippet earlier.” “It’s Date.” “When the detectives questioned the maid Kuyo, she said a man resembling Date rushed past the kitchen window this evening.” “Seems that man paid a secret visit tonight.”

“What?” “Date?” Touda had involuntarily cried out, but after a while—as if something had occurred to him—

“Yeah, that makes sense,” he said briefly. Date arrived at Ushigome Police Station around seven o’clock. Naturally, as he was a reference witness and despite how the inspector had phrased it, he was treated with considerable formality, differing from how ordinary individuals would be handled. Touda, Dr. Kizawa, and I were questioned together about the circumstances at the time of the incident, but needless to say, there were no contradictions in anyone’s statements.

After a while, Inspector Takahashi appeared in the room in a completely transformed, good mood compared to earlier.

3

“Mr. Touda, Dr. Kizawa—I’ve troubled you both considerably, but today’s culprit has been apprehended.” “What? The culprit was caught?”

Touda asked. “Yes. “The one who intruded into that house today was Date Masao. That man entered through the back gate in the evening, slipped past the kitchen, and went into the garden. Then when he came to the window of that piano room, he found Shunzo with his back turned.” “And then?”

Touda asked.

“As for the subsequent murder, he hasn’t confessed yet, of course. However, he finally admitted to having gone to the Aikawa residence.” “Inspector Takahashi—so you’re convinced Date is the culprit this time?” “Without question.”

“So, for the second incident you’ve pinned Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi as the culprit, for the first and third incidents Hiroko, and now Date—is that how you’re determining it?” “Mr. Touda. Let’s drop the pointless arguments. No matter how much you complicate things, it won’t amount to anything unless we catch the culprit, you know.” To this, even Touda seemed to have no words to say.

“It’s certain that Date went out this evening, isn’t it?” Dr. Kizawa asked hesitantly.

“Ah, you examined Date’s condition this morning as well, I hear.” “Yes, he was in bed.” "But he could have gotten up if he wanted to, couldn’t he?" “That’s correct. If he had wanted to get up, he should have been able to walk.” “The fact that Date went out in the evening was something he himself didn’t readily disclose at first. The old caretaker, apparently silenced by Date, was quite reluctant to talk at first, but we finally managed to get her to spill everything. According to her account, after receiving a visit from Mr. Hayashida in the evening, Date suddenly got out of bed, put on his uniform, told her he’d be out briefly, and left the house. Then, after about twelve or thirteen minutes had passed, he returned pale-faced and suddenly called her over, saying, ‘No matter who comes, you mustn’t say a word.’ Just now, we had Date confront her during interrogation, and he finally admitted to this fact. Moreover, a maid named Hisa employed by the Aikawa household witnessed Date fleeing—there can no longer be any room for doubt.”

“So, if Date denies committing the murder, what reason does he give for going to the Aikawa residence?” “Are you suggesting he went to meet Sadako or something of that sort?” Hayashida, who had been silently listening to the interrogation until now, interjected.

“Yes.” “That’s correct.” “Moreover, it’s strange for a patient to suddenly rush out like that.”

Touda said. “Yes. So I naturally pressed on that point as well.” “According to him, he had been relieved because up until now, it seemed the police had been suspecting Hiroko.” “Then, in the evening when Mr. Hayashida came to visit him, he said he was informed that the police had completely cleared Hiroko’s suspicion.” “Mr. Hayashida, is that true?”

“Well… When I went to check on him, that topic might have come up. You see, Kogawa, after calling you, I went to check on Date.”

“So, fearing suspicion might fall on himself and Sadako again, he forced himself out despite his illness to inform her immediately—that’s his explanation.”

4 “I see, that makes sense.”

Touda muttered. “However, if that were truly his intention, he should have entered through the back gate as usual, gone up via the rear entrance, and proceeded directly to Sadako’s room on the second floor.” “Why would he circle around to the garden instead—and in the rain, no less?” “This struck me as suspicious, so I pressed him on this point immediately.” “According to Date’s explanation, given the circumstances of his visit, he wished to avoid encountering anyone besides Sadako.” “He particularly wanted to steer clear of Hiroko.” “He claims that had he gone upstairs, he would have inevitably crossed paths with Hiroko by chance—hence his decision to try calling out to Sadako’s room from the garden instead.” “Now we arrive at the critical and most intriguing portion.” According to Date’s testimony, he had entered through the back gate and circled around to the garden. “When he reached the spot directly beneath Sadako’s room and looked up, he found—as one might expect—that her window wasn’t visible from directly below.” “He states that he then took seven or eight steps backward.” At that moment, he suddenly noticed a figure in the piano room—perhaps Sadako herself. “Thinking this would prove most convenient if true, he approached the room.” “As the interior was dark, he went to the window on the right side, placed his hands on the frame, and abruptly leaned in to peer through—the instant he did so, he heard a peculiar choked sound from within and saw Shunzo collapse backward.” “He claims he didn’t comprehend what was happening but, startled, fled immediately.”

The inspector continued speaking and puffed out a cloud of Asahi cigarette smoke. I thought Touda or Hayashida would say something, but neither of them uttered a word. “However, this testimony is of course not entirely true.” “Judging from the footprints at that window and considering the victim lacked documents, Date must have entered that room.” “He still refuses to confess this point, but it’s only a matter of time now.” “Moreover, we’ve thoroughly collected fingerprints from the overturned chair’s legs and arms—the fact he entered will become clear.” “With Date’s house under search, we should locate the documents soon.” “You’ve all gone to great trouble.” “You may leave at any time now.” “We’ll question the two young ladies longer before sending them home.” “Though Sadako’s release may be delayed due to her ties with Date.” “We cleared the servants and sent them all home.” “The old steward Sasada should have already left.”

Although permission to leave had been granted, depending on how it was interpreted, it could also be taken as saying, "We have no further use for you, so hurry up and leave without being a hindrance." Touda and Hayashida stood up obediently, though how they had taken this was unclear.

As I left the inspector’s room, I was suddenly surrounded by a large crowd. From an unexpected direction, a flash abruptly went off.

It must be the newspaper people, I thought, but immediately felt reassured, trusting that Touda would skillfully extricate us from this crowd with his usual efficient manner. Indeed, Hayashida skillfully cut through the crowd and briskly made his exit. As I watched to see what Touda would do, he—for some reason—upon seeing the newspaper reporters, hurriedly retreated back into Inspector Takahashi’s office. Huh, what’s going on? I wondered—and then he immediately came back out. To my astonishment, he plunged right into the midst of the reporters, who were so absorbed they were licking their pencils, and began chattering away incessantly.

The fact that he was actively expressing his own thoughts to the newspaper reporters was such an unprecedented event that the reporters zealously transcribed everything as instructed.

5 While disconcerted by Touda's uncharacteristic behavior, I kept silent and observed the scene. Yet he remained utterly unperturbed, and after taking his leave of the reporters, he briskly came to my side.

“What’s the matter? We’ve been completely cornered by the press, haven’t we? And you were blabbing away quite a bit.” “Oh, no need to make such a fuss. Inspector Takahashi might be slightly miffed tomorrow morning—but since we’ve already riled him up, why not let him stew a little more?” “What? You actually spilled everything?” “Well, check tomorrow’s papers… Everything’ll be crystal clear. Anyway, today I got an earful from the inspector and thoroughly humiliated myself—let’s call it quits here.”

When he said this, Touda abruptly flagged down a passing one-yen taxi and hopped in without hesitation— "Well, I'm off."

No sooner had he called out from inside than he vanished into the darkness. Dumbfounded, I had no choice but to return home alone, all the while puzzling over Touda’s strange attitude.

Thus, that accursed May 1st came to an end.

In the early morning of May 2nd, I was reading three or four different newspapers in bed.

It's out, it's out!

Under headlines such as "The Aikawa Family Mystery" and "The Fourth," yesterday’s tragedy was covered extensively, with each article including a section titled "Mr. Touda Shintarou’s Statement." According to these reports, the culprit was Date Masao, who had been immediately apprehended last night and—after undergoing rigorous interrogation—confessed unreservedly to all of yesterday’s murders. Moreover, it was written with plausible detail that the motive for Shunzo’s murder reached back twenty years into the past, originating from an ill-fated entanglement between the Date and Aikawa families.

However, what exactly this ill-fated entanglement entailed was not written in detail, but judging by this, it seemed Touda had rather rashly dared to chatter away to the reporters last night. As already stated, all the articles conclusively reported that Date Masao had confessed. For a while, I lay dumbfounded in bed, smoking a cigarette and staring at the ceiling.

Just then, there came a frantic telephone ring. When I hurried out to check, the strained voice of Inspector Takahashi could be heard.

“Mr. Kogawa?” “Do you know where Mr. Touda is right now?” “No, he’s not here anymore.” “It seems he isn’t at his office either.” “I see.” “If he isn’t at your end… Then there’s nothing more I can do.” “Should he appear here again… Please let me know immediately.”

Inspector Takahashi seemed rather angry at Touda’s unnecessary chatter. He probably intended to meet and somehow reprimand him.

However, about five minutes after Inspector Takahashi’s call ended, this time a call came through from Touda. “Hey, where are you? Just got word from the inspector—he wants us to track you down. He’s absolutely livid, you know.” “Yeah, figured as much. That’s why I made my escape from home early. But I can’t hide forever—plan to drop by the inspector’s around noon. Want you to come along too, so stay put until then.”

He said this and promptly hung up the phone.

6

Just as the noon siren had finished sounding, I received another call from Touda. "I'm going to meet the inspector right now. You go immediately by car to Ushigome Police Station." he said. I immediately did as he said, hailed a car, and hurried to the designated location. When I got out of the car, Touda arrived about two minutes later.

“Let’s go apologize to the inspector—he seems pretty angry.” When the two entered the chief’s office, Inspector Takahashi appeared with an utterly bitter expression, but apparently couldn’t bring himself to immediately berate Touda, instead silently settling into his chair. “I must apologize for last night,” Touda began preemptively. “I imagine you’re furious about today’s newspaper articles—” “When you consulted with me yesterday before leaving,” Touda continued, cutting through the tension, “I only shared what I deemed permissible to disclose.” “Not that I’m accusing you of spilling everything,” he added pointedly, “but certain details couldn’t have leaked from anyone except yourself.”

“Mr. Takahashi. Please wait just one day. No—it doesn’t have to be a full day. In just a few more hours, it’ll become clear why I chattered like that.”

Touda's enigmatic words, however, did not serve to improve Inspector Takahashi's mood. "I don't know what you're talking about."

“No—it will definitely become clear.” “It’s certain.”

However, we did not need to wait even a day—no, not even a few hours. Just as Inspector Takahashi was about to say something in response to Touda’s words, the door opened and a uniformed policeman rushed in frantically. “Inspector, a strange woman has just rushed in.” “She insists on meeting you, Inspector.”

Upon hearing this, Touda abruptly stood up. “The culprit isn’t Date Masao! “She’s going to say that... “And then claim she’s the real criminal!” The policeman stared at Touda in astonishment, “That’s correct. “Exactly as you said.” he replied.

“That’s it. That’s what I’ve been waiting for. Now, Inspector Takahashi, come along immediately. Right away. We need to quickly hear what that woman has to say.” Inspector Takahashi looked slightly taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, but true to his experience, he calmly stood up without panic and silently disappeared beyond the door. “What on earth is going on? Did you anticipate that woman would come here?” “Of course—if my theory isn’t wrong, then unless that woman was dead or ill, she absolutely had to appear here or at the prosecutor’s office. Since you’ve seen today’s newspaper article, you know.”

The moment I tried to continue listening, a commotion broke out in the next room, and Inspector Takahashi's panicked voice reached my ears. He was repeatedly calling for Dr. Nohara.

“Damn it! We can’t let her die now!”

Touda suddenly grabbed my wrist and rushed into the adjacent room without even asking permission. I saw two people in that room. One was Inspector Takahashi, and the other was a woman in her mid-forties. The woman leaned against the Inspector’s arm while writhing her body in apparent agony. Upon seeing the sudden intruders, Inspector Takahashi—contrary to expectations of anger—wore the look of someone relieved. “Touda! We need to get her to the hospital immediately!”

“She took poison, huh. Good.” Touda’s efforts were remarkable. While administering first aid to the woman together with Dr. Nohara, once they had carried her on their shoulders to the car, they dashed into nearby Ashida Hospital with the inspector and others. 7

They made her vomit the poison she had swallowed, administered injections, and performed every possible treatment. The woman was finally settled into bed after being laid down; this was about two hours after we had rushed out from the police station. “How is she? Will she survive?”

the Inspector asked Director Dr. Ashida. “She ingested [poison]. Since treatment was prompt, she might survive, but given that she seems to have ingested a considerable amount, perhaps…”

Having said that, Dr. Ashida paused for a moment before— “If you need to question her, it might be better to act quickly, though she likely won’t be able to give a full account.” Even as he spoke, Dr. Ashida continued directing the nurses and devoting himself to her treatment. “In any case, we’ll wait in another room for a while.”

Inspector Takahashi, Touda, and I retreated to the adjacent room. "I must say, that was quite a shock. '...I am the culprit. It's not Date. That child knows nothing!' she screamed while simultaneously beginning to swallow the poison." The inspector seemed utterly taken aback by this unexpected woman’s appearance, but at the same time, he appeared to have completely regained his trust in Touda. "What on earth was her name? She was calling herself something like Chiyoko, wasn’t she?"

Touda asked the Inspector confidently. “Yeah, her name’s Satomura Chiyo.” “Exactly. She is Date Masao’s aunt.” “Huh? You’re quite well-informed.” “That much is clear. However, her whereabouts were unknown. If it were reported in the newspapers that Date Masao was the culprit, she would have no choice but to come forward. She’s the woman who set off this whole tragedy with the Aikawa family, after all…”

Both the inspector and I widened our eyes in astonishment and gazed at Touda’s face. Dr. Ashida appeared in the room at this time. “The patient is suffering in the same condition. However, since she herself is persistently asking to see you all, why don’t you go and hear what she has to say? From my professional standpoint, I would prefer to keep her resting a bit longer, but rushing her in this state would do more harm than good, and besides... she might not make it if we leave her as she is.”

“Then shouldn’t we go hear her out?”

Touda urged the Inspector.

Satomura Chiyo was lying in bed but appeared to be in great distress. She was trying desperately to speak, but her words were too faint to make out clearly.

The Inspector, seeming at a loss, looked toward Touda as if to consult him.

“Then I’ll tell you what you want to say. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say. If anything’s wrong, kindly point it out.”

Touda brought out a chair to Chiyo’s bedside and sat down on it. “Your name is Satomura Chiyoko, right?” The woman nodded emphatically. “Satomura Chiyoko—before your marriage, your name was Murai Chiyoko. Your sister was Murai Kayo, who later became Date Kayoko, that is, the wife of Date Shohei.” “Therefore, you are Date Kayoko’s younger sister and Masao’s aunt, correct?” “You saw today’s newspaper and made two resolutions.” “One was your resolve to save your innocent nephew.” “One was your resolve to state that and commit suicide.” “The latter resolve came because the actions you performed out of excessive hatred produced unexpectedly terrifying results, and you’ve now become terrified of yourself.”

So, was this woman the culprit after all?

8 “You told the Inspector: ‘Date Masao is not the culprit. That child knows nothing at all.’ Very well. This I will unconditionally accept. However, I cannot believe the single statement, ‘I am the culprit.’ Tell me—don’t you yourself not even know about the Aikawa family murders?” Touda stared intently at Chiyo’s face as he said this. Chiyo looked startled, but her expression soon shifted to resignation.

“In your excessive hatred for the Aikawa family, you caused an unimaginable tragedy.” “But you are not the culprit.” “Yes, I can blame you for two things: giving the culprit the motive for that murder, and unwittingly becoming their tool at the height of your hysteria.” “You sent threatening letters to the Aikawa family using a typewriter.” “And then you mailed them.” “You called the office of a man named Touda Shintarou on the seventeenth of last month.” “On the same day, you called an auto repair shop called Shikishima Garage and inquired about Hiroko’s whereabouts.” “However, when the first and second incidents occurred, you felt a sense of gratification yet were startled, and for a time stood by observing the course of events—but then on the afternoon of the 25th, you called the Aikawa household again and summoned the young lady named Hatsue.” “The point on which we can blame you is this.” “As for this matter, you doubtless have nothing to say.” “But I can’t possibly accept such a foolish confession that you’re the culprit.”

“Now, in that case, why did you make those phone calls? I want to clarify this point clearly—in every instance, the calls came from a certain man, didn’t they? And then you obeyed those orders, didn’t you?” Chiyoko nodded again. Though it was unclear what she even perceived Touda to be, she seemed utterly astonished regardless. “Now then, the question remains: why do you curse the Aikawa family so intensely? This matter must be traced back twenty years.”

Touda fell silent there for a moment and seemed to be pondering something. "Twenty years ago, when your sister and her husband—that is, Date Shohei and his wife—and Aikawa Shunzo and his wife were living in a town called Imaizumi in Yamaguchi Prefecture, an accursed relationship formed between the two families." "To state it plainly, Aikawa Shunzo shamelessly stole the wife of Date Shohei, who was both his senior and close friend." "At that time, Shohei—aware of his wife's infidelity—lay gravely ill; forced to watch the adulterers before him yet powerless to punish them, he perished cursing them with his final breath." "What became of the adulteress Kayoko?" "She likely came to understand the horror of her sins after her husband's death." "She soon followed him in death—though this was in truth a suicide." "Kayoko took her own life." At this juncture, she must have genuinely repented her crimes. Simultaneously, she likely left behind some written account of her transgressions. "To whom?" "That is precisely the question." "To whom did she leave it?" "What I've finally come to understand is this—one copy went to you, and the other most likely to your counterpart, Aikawa Shunzo."

“He’s a devil!” “A devil!” “Shunzo is a devil!”

Suddenly, Chiyoko—who had been suffering until now—let out an agonized scream, making everyone startle involuntarily.

“That’s right. Of course with that declaration, Shohei died, and your sister must have perished too. Though truth be told, your sister likely died resenting even herself. There—as atonement for her past sins—she entrusted her own son Masao’s entire life to Aikawa Shunzo’s care. From our current perspective, this proved an exquisitely fitting revenge. At that time, Kayoko was twenty-eight, Masao five years old, and you yourself must still have been a woman of twenty-three.”

9

“Twenty-three is the flower of life. As a woman in your maidenhood, it’s only natural that even while cursing Aikawa Shunzo as a devil, you never resolved to devote your life to opposing him as your mortal enemy. Though cursing him in your heart, you silently watched Aikawa Shunzo raise Date Masao. Then you married a man named Satomura and must have lived happily for two or three years at least. Why do I think so? Because until two or three years ago, Aikawa Shunzo hadn’t received any threatening letters from you. In other words, you must have been satisfied with your own life, having no leisure to wish misfortune upon others. But—and this is purely my conjecture—some misfortune likely befell you two or three years ago. Either your husband died, or he failed and left you struggling terribly to make ends meet. No—it was probably both. After your husband’s death, you’ve faced considerable hardship, haven’t you?”

Even without Touda pointing it out now, it was clear from her appearance that she was by no means living a life of affluence. She silently affirmed. "This may border on conjecture, but given that you used a typewriter for the threatening letters, it seems you either work as a typist yourself or have your daughter working as one." Her look of astonishment revealed that he had struck a nerve.

“Your own fingers are not those of a typist.” “In that case, it would mean your daughter is the one working.” “Suppose that here we have a widow who has lost her husband and has sent her daughter out to work as a typist.” “She is poor.” “The daughter is poor.” “The world is hard to get by in.” “She came to hate all people in the world.”

When things reached this point, this woman began to chew over her deep-seated resentment from the past and started to savor it anew. That devil-like man had, before anyone knew it, become an extremely wealthy person. For this woman who hated all wealthy people, Aikawa Shunzo was even more detestable. If this woman was prone to hysteria to begin with, then sending threatening letters would be nothing out of the ordinary. You thereupon meticulously sent threatening letters via typewriter since last year. “It’s unclear why you typed those,” he continued. “Whether you made your oblivious daughter type them or seized some opportunity to type them yourself remains unknown—but you most likely had your daughter do it.” The daughter obeyed her commands while worrying about her mother’s hysteria. Then, an event you had never anticipated occurred. The threats had, before anyone knew it, become reality. On April 17th, Aikawa Shunzo’s wife first died; then Shuntaro and the maid were killed. “You were utterly astonished but secretly rejoiced in your heart,” Touda pressed. “However, the threatening letters ceased thereafter—which leads me to conclude you’d been making your daughter type them.” “Your daughter—terrified beyond measure when the threats she’d typed under your orders unexpectedly materialized—refused to type another word no matter what you demanded.” “After the first incident, threatening letters continued arriving at the Aikawa residence—but needless to say, those didn’t come from your hand.”

These words seemed to be an explanation meant for me, who was looking puzzled. "However, when yesterday's incident occurred simultaneously with Date Masao being arrested—and what's more, confessing—" "He's your dear nephew." "If they execute him, it would be catastrophic." "You might have welcomed misfortune upon the Aikawa family, but you never imagined Date would fall under suspicion." "In your desperation, you rushed to the police to proclaim his innocence." "On one hand, your vengeful purpose had been achieved—yet looking back now, the sins you'd committed were too dreadful to bear. So you resolved to die." "Well? I believe my account is substantially accurate."

10 Satomura Chiyoko was writhing in agony while Touda spoke, but after cursing Aikawa Shunzo as a devil earlier, she could no longer utter a word, and her condition steadily deteriorated.

Dr. Ashida had been watching with furrowed brows and whispered in a low voice, “Her condition doesn’t look good at all.” “She might not make it.” He had been murmuring this to the inspector when she indeed breathed her last that evening. In her obi was found what appeared to be a suicide note containing exactly the circumstances Touda had described. Newly revealed through this were: her recent employment as a nurse at Imai Hospital—a women’s clinic in Akasaka; that her seventeen-year-old daughter Satoko worked as a typist at an office in Maru Building but had drafted the threatening letters under her mother’s orders without any knowledge of their purpose; that the daughter bore no guilt whatsoever; and that Date Masao had never once met her nor exchanged letters—all of which was documented.

“I see, so she was working as a nurse.” “That explains it.” “Up until now, we hadn’t been able to figure out where the culprit had been contacting Chiyoko by phone.” “Because poor people have no reason to own a telephone.”

Regarding the Aikawa family murders, the suicide note notably provided no clear account. Though she had verbally claimed to be the culprit, it appeared she could not bring herself to write outright falsehoods—the note did not state that she was the perpetrator. It did record that she had occasionally received calls from an unidentified man who also cursed the Aikawa family and had become willing to collaborate with him, though she had never once met this man.

This fact became clear after her death—that is, on the evening of May 2nd—but Inspector Takahashi had not stayed at the hospital continuously until that time. When Touda stated his conviction to Chiyoko and she provisionally acknowledged it, Inspector Takahashi promptly returned to the police station and conducted an interrogation of Date Masao.

The inspector once again told Date Masao about Satomura Chiyoko’s emergence and, in conjunction with this, recounted the facts of Touda’s investigation. “I, too, only learned that for the first time yesterday.” “It’s a horrifying past.” “I never could have imagined that such a horrifying truth lay in my past.” “That kind uncle being such a person… And now Aunt… is she beyond saving?” “I feel like I want to meet her just once…”

Date’s face bore an indescribably complex expression. “I feel like I’ve mostly figured things out now. Hey Date, why don’t you save us the trouble and tell me the truth like a man?”

Touda said in a brisk tone. "Of course now that things have come to this, I'll tell you everything." "That suicide note of your mother's. Where exactly did you hide it? They couldn't find it even with a house search, right?" "That? Oh, I deliberately placed it between the pages of a half-read magazine - right inside a bookstore advertisement." "Ahahaha! That's Edgar Allan Poe's wisdom for you. The Purloined Letter approach. Clever hiding spot indeed. Now then - what exactly did it say?"

“It’s quite old and the writing isn’t very clear, but it bears my mother’s name and is addressed to Uncle Aikawa.” “Before committing suicide, she entrusted her child to you as her lifelong wish.” “She asks that you also raise me into a fine man as atonement for all your sins.” Even Date’s voice carried a grave tone.

“By the way, when you entered that piano room yesterday, was Aikawa Shunzo already dead?” “Or was he still alive?”

The Final Tragedy

1

“I’m afraid I can’t say for certain about that.” Date Masao began to speak with a truly troubled expression. "What I told the Inspector last night is mostly correct." "I only omitted the part about my mother’s suicide note that I just mentioned, but now that things have come to this, I intend to tell everything without holding back." "The reason I went to the Aikawa residence yesterday was exactly as I stated last night—to meet Miss Sadako." "If I had gone up to the second floor via the back stairs as usual, this mistake wouldn’t have happened. But as I mentioned last night, I deliberately went around through the garden because I wanted to avoid encountering Miss Hiroko." “From the garden flowerbed, Miss Sadako’s window was visible, so I decided to call out to her from there.”

“So I went to the flowerbed and looked toward the house, but Miss Sadako’s figure wasn’t visible in the window. When I glanced down at the piano room below, I saw someone’s shadow. Thinking it might be Miss Sadako, I quietly approached the window. I had encountered her in the piano room once before. When I reached the window’s exterior, I couldn’t see inside clearly. You must remember—when I visited yesterday evening, it was already quite dark, with even the garden rather dim. Peering into the room from outside proved difficult. So without hesitation, I went to the window, gripped its ledge with both hands, and hoisted myself up. That is—only my face rose above the window frame as I peered inside. Then—what do you think happened? The instant I did so, the person who’d been standing inside gave a sharp cry and collapsed backward with a heavy thud. It was only then that I realized—this was Uncle Aikawa. Naturally, fleeing wasn’t an option. Believing he’d been taken suddenly ill, I swiftly climbed through the window. My low shoes allowed quick removal. When I rushed to Uncle’s side where he lay supine and leaned over to check his face, shock struck me anew. Never in my life had I seen such a horrifying visage. Though I’d hurried to aid him, terror rooted me to the spot. Yet in that moment, something peculiar caught my attention—the embedded mirror directly before me, where I stood paralyzed, had jutted forward an inch or two like a door half-opened.”

I completely forgot about calling for help and instinctively rushed over, placed my hands on the mirror, and yanked it open—only to find something like a letter inside. Thinking it strange, I looked and saw that on the front of the envelope was written "Mr. Aikawa Shunzo," while on the back was inscribed the name "Date Kayoko." When I saw this name, I started. Wasn't this the name of my beloved mother that Uncle had long told me about? I frantically took out that letter. At the same moment, I realized the peril of my own position. The frequent strange incidents occurring in our household—and me being one of the suspects—the fact that I now stood beside Uncle's body (?) was something I couldn't consider favorable no matter how I reasoned. Once this thought struck me—that I mustn't remain there a moment longer—I tucked the letter into my pocket and fled back at full speed. And I made the servants swear to keep silent. Only after fleeing back did I first read what purported to be my mother's suicide note. "My pitiful mother, in her final moments as death approached, entrusted me to Uncle Aikawa. My poor mother. No matter what sins she may have committed—truly, truly pitiable."

Date, having finished speaking, lowered his eyes.

2

“You took out the letter and immediately returned the mirror to its original state, didn’t you?”

Touda asked.

“Yes. If I hadn’t done that, I thought my intrusion would be discovered immediately.” “Did you truly only find out yesterday that Aikawa Shunzo was a man with such a past?” asked the Inspector. “Of course I did. Until then, I truly hadn’t known anything.” “I see... I suppose so. Certainly...”

The inspector looked toward Touda with a somewhat skeptical expression. “Whether you realize it or not, knowing Shunzo was your father’s sworn enemy won’t do you any favors.” “Why wouldn’t it?” Date asked hurriedly, his manner suggesting genuine incomprehension. “Isn’t it obvious? The Aikawa family is your mortal foe. If members of this enemy household keep getting murdered one after another, who do you suppose becomes the prime suspect? Hmm? And let’s not forget—these incidents never happened while you were in police custody.”

At the inspector’s final words, I recalled what Touda had once told me: "As long as Date is in police custody, no incidents will occur."

“It’s a lie! “It’s a lie.” “I absolutely did no such thing! Why would I have any reason to resent the Aikawa family members?” “Not only does it exist—there’s a monumental one. Aikawa Shunzo is your enemy.” “But that’s a fact I only learned yesterday after Uncle died. Until then, I hadn’t known anything at all.” “In that case, can you provide evidence that you only learned this yesterday?” “My mother’s suicide note. That was certainly in that secret cupboard until yesterday.”

“Don’t joke around. You didn’t need to see your mother’s suicide note—you could’ve heard that story from anyone! Have you never met your aunt Satomura Chiyo?” “Far from having met her—this is the first time I’ve even heard the name.” “I see.”

Inspector Takahashi still didn’t seem at all satisfied, but just at that moment, a detective—

"The Prosecutor has arrived." At this announcement, someone signaled with a meaningful glance, and Date was temporarily returned to the holding cell. At that moment, Prosecutor Okuyama appeared. “Inspector Takahashi, how is Satomura Chiyo doing?” “It seems quite a few new facts have come to light, I hear.”

“Ah, several new facts have emerged. However, all are unfavorable to the suspect. Still, I must admit Mr. Touda’s investigative work was impressive.” “Good work. It seems the Aikawa murder case is finally nearing its climax—I should thank you for your efforts.” “Yes, we’re certainly approaching the endgame. No doubt about that. But whether it’ll reach the satisfying conclusion you envision remains unclear… By the way, Okuyama—did you observe Shunzo’s autopsy today?”

"Yeah, I attended." "The autopsy results determined that the direct cause of his death was heart paralysis." "The trauma to the back of the head wasn't the fatal injury." "I see." For some reason, Touda's expression brightened as he spoke.

“I see. So after all, my theory wasn’t wrong.”

3

Around five in the evening, a report arrived from Ashida Hospital that Chiyo had just passed away. The detective who had been there brought what was called Chiyo's suicide note. What was written in it matched what had already been described.

We left the police station after viewing the suicide note.

“Touda, even though Satomura Chiyo staked her life in contesting it, the inspector still seems to suspect Date, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Because we had no idea when Satomura Chiyo would appear. They had everything prepared so she could emerge at any time.”

“Who?” “The culprit.” I had absolutely no idea what Touda meant. “Well then, let’s part ways here for now. Why don’t you get some dinner somewhere and come to my office around seven-thirty—no, eight o’clock will do. I’ll be waiting then.” “Alright.” “You have business? Then I’ll do that.”

I felt somewhat reluctant, but since Touda had insisted, I had no choice but to part with him and head out to Ginza.

In Ginza, I ate dinner and spent time wandering around. During that time, I thought about the case from every angle. I had mostly figured out the meaning behind Touda's recent sudden trip. Still, I couldn't help but marvel at his skill. But who exactly was he suspecting? Then there was his panicked demeanor yesterday. Or rather, speaking of panic, Hayashida's behavior at that time had been strikingly agitated. When Shunzo died, why had those two been so profoundly shaken?

While I was thinking about these things, the clock struck exactly seven-thirty. I hurried to his office. He had just finished writing something. “Yeah, perfect timing.” “I’ve just finished up my business now.” “Well, the Aikawa family murder case is finally drawing near its end.” “I’ve more or less got a handle on who the culprit is.” “Regarding that matter, there’s someone I must meet now without fail.”

“Who on earth is that?” “My competitor. Hayashida Eizo. The question is how much of the truth that guy has managed to grasp. I intend to go present my theory now. It’s either I win, he wins, we both win, or we both fail.”

“He seemed quite flustered yesterday too.”

“That’s right.” “Yesterday, both he and I were in a real panic.” “I’d really like to know whether that panic was indeed for the same reason.”

We soon became passengers in a car. It appeared that Touda had given prior notice to Hayashida by telephone, and the two were immediately shown into a small, cozy Western-style parlor. “Well, my apologies for yesterday—and now today another outrageous woman has shown up, hasn’t she?” Hayashida said this as soon as he came out. “Yeah, but she went and killed herself.” “So we can’t get the full picture.” “But Hayashida-kun, this time I believe I’ve managed to grasp the truth of that case.” “How about you? Have you managed to get any leads yet?”

“I’ve managed to grasp a few things myself.” “As I told you before, we can either ally ourselves or compete now.” “Either way, I think it’s best to show you the trump cards I hold.” “Now listen carefully.” “I’ve first and foremost clearly grasped the cause of the Aikawa murder case.”

4 “Whatever the murderer’s motive for killing may be, with the facts that have unfolded so far, we should have been able to name the culprit much sooner. The fact that I didn’t notice this was entirely due to my own inadequate abilities, but now I’ve managed to uncover the motive behind that horrific crime.”

Triumphantly, Touda thrust out his chest before his competitor Hayashida Eizo and declared conclusively. “Yeah, likewise. Even I have clearly grasped that motive.” Surprisingly, Hayashida answered without showing any sign of surprise. Touda, somewhat flustered by this reaction, asked: “Then you also know the motive behind that murder?” “Yeah, I only came to know it recently as well... Let me see—right around the time you were off traveling somewhere... That’s when I finally figured it out.”

“Alright then—since I’ll state my piece, you go ahead and say yours.” “The culprit’s curse upon the Aikawa family…” “It’s a fateful curse rooted in a karmic tale from the distant past.” “Its origin was an adultery drama.”

Hayashida stated bluntly and looked at Touda’s face. Touda stared at Hayashida’s face for a while, as if dumbfounded. “I see.” “So you knew as well.” “Exactly—it’s a terrifying curse born from an adultery drama.” “The culprit attempted fierce revenge upon the Aikawa family through that curse.” “Moreover, the culprit had an extremely sharp mind.” “Touda-kun, among all the people we’ve encountered, we’ve never come across a fiend whose deeds are as demonic as this culprit’s.”

“On that point, I wholeheartedly agree.” “Absolutely!” “But here’s the thing.” “Despite being a demonic genius, the culprit has been fundamentally mistaken from the very start.” “Hayashida-kun, have you grasped that crucial detail?” Touda and Hayashida were now engaged in a mental duel to the death.

The two were practically glaring at each other. This time, Hayashida showed a look of astonishment.

Touda pressed on in a tone that seemed to say, "How about it? Have you figured it out?"

“Listen. “As you know, the distant source of this tragedy lies in an abominable adultery drama. There was a family head who became adulterously infatuated with a married woman, and that married woman, in her folly, permitted this tainted affair. The adulterous pair indulged in their illicit pleasures in this manner. However, this affair bore terrible consequences. The husband whose wife had been stolen finally uncovered this relationship. He cursed. He resented. But in the end, he could do nothing. Upon this unfortunate couple, death’s fate soon arrived. At that time, only one infant remained between them. They undoubtedly instilled in this child eternal revenge and a curse.”

“Exactly. Therefore, that child first killed the opponent’s wife, next murdered his son, then slaughtered his daughter, and finally eliminated the target himself—that’s how it unfolded.” “Yeah, that’s all well and good. But just how many people has he truly taken revenge against?” “Needless to say, for his deceased father.”

“Who did he eliminate for his father’s sake?” “Naturally, the vengeance fell upon the Aikawa household.”

“Hayashida-kun, I’m telling you—there’s a terrible error in that point.” “No—there’s a terrifying... No, I assert that there exists an error so dreadful it defies imagination.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Hayashida’s words carried a slight quiver from tension. Touda’s reply held the same tremor. “When a husband whose wife has been taken implants revenge into his own child, what would be the most grave method he should employ?”

5

This question seemed to elude Hayashida somewhat.

“Hayashida-kun—consider this sickly man.” He had to silently endure his wife’s infidelity. He cursed his rival. “After cursing him relentlessly, he devised the ultimate revenge.” “What revenge?” “To turn child against father, sibling against sibling—flesh exacting vengeance upon flesh.” “That infant he cradled as ‘my child,’ whispering vengeance with his dying breath—whose son was it truly?” “None other than his rival’s bastard.” “Not his own blood.” “His wife’s child—but never his.” “The adulterer’s seed.” “He knew this truth.” “Knowing full well, he made the boy believe himself his father’s son—branding another’s name into that innocent mind.” “The child grew—and sought to slaughter those he thought had wronged his ‘father.’” “He meant to avenge a dead man.” “But here lies the horror—” “Those strangers were his true kin.” “His own blood.” “Maddened by bloodlust, he never saw that his ‘father’ was a stranger—” “Murderous fiend!”

“That’s right.” “He is a murderous fiend.” “But this murderous fiend is, pitifully, nothing but a plaything of hell’s curse.” “He, intending to avenge his father, was in fact being used by complete strangers.”

For some reason, Touda desperately narrated this terrifying tale.

Throughout the story, Hayashida had maintained an utterly astonished expression, but after a moment, he suddenly burst into explosive laughter. “Ahahaha! You’re quite the fantasist.” “Where did you conjure up such a delusion?” “It is not a fantasy.” “I went out of my way to travel here just to uncover this fact.” “How could there be such a ridiculous story?” “No—it’s absolutely not a ridiculous story.” “Nonsense.” “It is absolutely not nonsense.”

The two were so heated they were on the verge of grappling. As for me, I couldn't understand at all why they were so fixated on this issue. Their discussion seemed to concern none other than Date Masao. So was he the true culprit after all? Even so, according to Touda's theory, Date's biological father would be Aikawa Shunzo, while following Hayashida's reasoning, it would still be Shohei. Indeed, this related to the darkness surrounding the case, but wasn't it entirely unrelated to the crime itself?

I couldn’t understand at all why two men who were supposed to be great detectives were getting so heated arguing over such a trivial matter.

“You may say that now, but later on, do take a good look and think it over.” “Do think it over carefully by yourself.” “You’ll realize that what I said is correct.” “What nonsense are you spouting? You’re the one who’ll come to realize your mistake!”

The two were still arguing about the same thing.

An awkward silence lingered for a while.

“Then I have nothing more to say to you. Since you refuse to accept my theory no matter what, I’ll take matters into my own hands.” Touda stood up and took out a sealed letter from his pocket. “This contains all the documents that should prove what I’ve said. Please read it carefully. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Hayashida silently accepted it. The two parted ways unpleasantly.

What on earth were they doing, engaging in such unnecessary arguments? When did they intend to catch the real culprit?

We left Hayashida’s house and immediately parted ways.

Thus, the incident of May 2nd came to an end.

6

On the early morning of May 3rd, I was ambushed by Touda. Though I say "ambushed," that morning I had uncharacteristically overslept, and when I awoke, it was seven o'clock.

“We’re going to visit Hayashida again right now.” “You’re coming with me.”

Touda was unusually agitated. "What? Another argument? Is this a continuation of yesterday's argument? Nonsense. No—it's absolutely not nonsense! Are we going over this again?" "Stop talking nonsense and come out here quickly. I've been calling Hayashida's house since earlier—no one's picking up. I thought he might have gone to the Aikawa residence and just called there too, but it seems he isn't there either. Just come with me."

“But he’s not home…”

“I don’t know if he’s out or what—it’s just that no one’s answering the phone.” “Come on, hurry up and let’s go!”

Not understanding what was going on but driven by Touda's relentless urging, I quickly prepared myself, called a taxi, and hurried straight to Hayashida's house. A maid with a strong country accent came out and explained that the master had left a short while ago, that the phone in the study had been left off the hook but the bell hadn't rung at all, and related details.

When Touda heard this, he immediately left Hayashida’s house, hurriedly hailed a passing one-yen taxi, and rushed to the Aikawa residence. “That bastard left the receiver off the hook and took off.” He said just one thing in the car and didn’t say anything else.

When they arrived at the Aikawa residence, Steward Sasada immediately came out. “Has Mr. Hayashida come?” “Yes, he arrived a short while ago.” “Where is he?” “In Miss Sadako’s room on the second floor…” “What? The second floor—Miss Sadako’s room?” Having said this, he leapt inside without even removing the shoes he’d been untying, grabbed my arm, shoved aside a startled Steward Sasada, and charged straight up the stairs.

When they reached Sadako's room, Touda tried to open the door without knocking by grasping the handle, but whether locked or not, it refused to budge. Instantly, anxiety surged across Touda's face. At that precise moment, a scream resembling Sadako's voice erupted from within. "Oh no! Someone—someone come here!"

Next came sounds from inside the room like a struggle had broken out. Touda’s face had turned the color of a corpse. “Kogawa! Kogawa! Smash this door down! This door!” “This door!” As he shouted this, he gathered all his strength and hurled his body against the door. When it came to physical strength—though I say this with humility—I had confidence. My body, tempered through judo and kendo, collided with the door as if roaring, “Let these bones break!”

Hearing the noise, Hiroko rushed out from the room across. Steward Sasada also came up from below right after. Through their desperate struggle, the door began to crack and splinter. Through that gap, Touda peered briefly inside, then suddenly thrust his hand through to undo the door lock. The door swung open, and we tumbled into the room.

In that instant, Hayashida's body—which had been standing by the far window—swayed unsteadily and collapsed to the floor as if crumbling.

Sadako lay half-fallen from the chair by the table, dead.

7

Touda suddenly rushed to Sadako’s side and shouted in a loud voice. “We made it in time. “She’ll be okay. “She’s in shock. “She’s in shock. “She’ll recover fully. “Hurry, get a doctor! A doctor! “And call the police immediately!”

Indeed, in this house where those who fell were usually corpses, I had immediately assumed Sadako was dead too, but she appeared to have merely lost consciousness. "She was strangled here, but she'll pull through." Touda pointed at her throat while cradling Sadako. "What happened to Hayashida?" "Yeah, looks like he took poison. Probably beyond help now." "Don't touch him—just leave him as he is."

Touda, while coldly saying so, was earnestly attending to Sadako. Dr. Kizawa, who had rushed to the scene in response to the emergency, immediately moved Sadako to her bedroom bed and administered first aid. As Touda had predicted, she soon appeared to regain consciousness.

The ones who rushed here were Inspector Takahashi and his party. Inspector Takahashi, driven to blind fury by the relentless string of incidents, entered Sadako’s study while— “Mr. Touda, what’s wrong?” “This time, have Sadako and Mr. Hayashida been attacked?”

“Mr. Takahashi.”

Touda said with a sly grin. “But please rest assured. For this marks the final tragedy to befall the Aikawa household.” “Final?”

“Exactly.” “From now on, such incidents will absolutely not occur.” “Because the criminal has died.” “Mr. Takahashi, it is my great pleasure to once again present to you the deathly visage of Hayashida Eizo—the rare genius criminal who cursed the Aikawa family with murderous intent.” Touda’s voice resounded like magic. The assembled people—beginning with Inspector Takahashi, along with Hiroko, Steward Sasada, and the detectives—remained dumbfounded for a while, unable to utter a single word.

“I have absolutely no idea what this is about.”

Finally, the inspector managed to say something.

“It will all become clear very shortly.” “Ah, Sadako-san must have recovered by now.” “Since Dr. Kizawa should be attending to her, let’s go together and see.” “If we ask Sadako-san directly, we’ll understand today’s events.”

As instructed, the whole group entered Sadako’s bedroom. According to Dr. Kizawa’s assessment too, Sadako had fully recovered and was now able to withstand questioning, so we immediately gathered at her bedside. "It was a close call." "But we made it just in time—how fortunate." "How are you feeling?" "Ah... I’m mostly alright now." "I can imagine your shock." "After all, you never would have imagined Hayashida would suddenly pounce like that."

“Yes, I was truly shocked. So that person was...” “Exactly. “The one who killed your mother, younger brother, and younger sister is that man. “However, your father’s death is an entirely separate matter.” Sadako’s body quivered with terror now, of all times. “In any case, let me hear an account of today’s events.”

For the first time, Inspector Takahashi interjected.

“Yes, just now, Mr. Hayashida came and stated he had something to discuss regarding the police.” “I was concerned about Mr. Date as well, and since I completely trusted that person—Mr. Hayashida (I began to say)—I showed him into my room.”

8 “When I think back now,” she said—no longer addressing him as ‘sensei’—“Mr. Hayashida’s demeanor seemed drastically different from usual.” “We sat facing each other across the table. After the maid brought two cups of tea and left through the door, Mr. Hayashida straightened his posture and said he wished to discuss something highly confidential today.” “Then he suddenly peered at the door and asked me anxiously, ‘Do you think someone’s out there? Could my sister be eavesdropping?’” “‘I wonder if my sister isn’t listening,’ he kept saying worriedly.”

“Was he still seated?” Touda asked.

“Ah, so as a precaution, I stood up and opened the door, but there was no one there at all.” “Ah! Doctor—in that moment he put poison in your teacup.” “Listen, Mr. Takahashi—check that tea over there later.” “I don’t know what exactly, but it must contain strong poison.” “...Sadako-san, you didn’t drink any at all, did you?”

“Yes, as I wasn’t particularly thirsty.” “Didn’t Hayashida suggest it to you?”

Inspector Takahashi asked eagerly.

“Even if that guy was panicking, he wouldn’t make such a blunder.” “Moreover, first of all, he wouldn’t have had time for that.” “That is indeed the case.” “Because things outside became noisy before we had even talked much.” “Even so, I wonder when that guy managed to lock the door.” “Well, that’s precisely it.” “As I was about to speak with Mr. Hayashida—which, looking back now, must have been you gentlemen—at that moment, the sound of someone’s footsteps hurriedly coming up the stairs could be heard.” “When he heard that, Mr. Hayashida’s face suddenly paled; he rushed to the door and locked it from inside.” “The key was always attached to the inside of the door. I never imagined things would turn out like that—I assumed he had done it because there was some extremely important matter to discuss.” He locked the door, and no sooner had he returned than his expression turned terrifying (that horrifying face still flickers before my eyes even now) when he suddenly lunged at me and grabbed my throat with both hands. “I do remember screaming from the sheer terror, but I have absolutely no memory of anything after that.”

Having finished her account, she appeared genuinely terrified. The entire audience of listeners held their bated breath and listened intently in silence.

“I see. That gives me a general idea. In other words, our arrival was fortunately just in time. He heard our footsteps, realized that all was lost, and must have taken the poison he had prepared beforehand. Being strangled was still fortunate. If she had drunk that black tea, she would have been a corpse by now.”

“Well then, I would like to speak with Sadako-san a bit more.” “Dr. Kizawa, I would like you to remain here with us.” “Mr. Takahashi, please do not hesitate—you and your team should take care of Hayashida’s body.” This time, with Touda urgently urging Inspector Takahashi and his team to quickly vacate the room, the inspector complied without resistance and began investigating the scene. Thinking I shouldn’t get in the way, I left Sadako’s room and watched the inspector and his team at work.

Before long, the prosecutor arrived, had a brief conversation with Touda, and departed. Anticipating Touda's instruction—that everyone should assemble at the police station by six in the evening for his full explanation—I went there at the appointed time.

Touda’s Explanation

1

“It’s all too complex and too grave… I’m at a bit of a loss as to where to begin...”

Just past six in the evening on May 3rd, in a room at Ushigome Police Station, with Prosecutor Okuyama, Inspector Takahashi, Drs. Kizawa and Nohara, and myself before him, Touda Shintarou began speaking while leisurely exhaling smoke from his A-ship cigarette with an air of confidence. "I shall set aside for now all matters concerning the root cause of this incident—why Hayashida Eizo harbored such profound hatred toward the Aikawa family, the psychological states of each family member during these events, and how I myself identified Hayashida as the culprit. First and foremost, I will proceed to outline the exact methods by which Hayashida Eizo executed these horrific crimes."

“The direct cause that compelled him to commit those murders was, needless to say, Satomura Chiyo’s threatening letters addressed to Aikawa Shunzo.” “And the other direct motive for these crimes lies in the Aikawa family’s exceedingly complex and shadowed circumstances.” “According to Hiroko’s testimony, Aikawa Shunzo began receiving anonymous threatening letters in August of last year—or so she claims—but this merely indicates that she discovered them around that time.” “Therefore, I think it’s safe to consider that Chiyo had been sending those threatening letters even earlier than that.” “According to yesterday’s investigation, Chiyo lost her husband the year before last and was plunged into poverty and suffering; since her daughter began working as a typist also in the year before last, we can reasonably assume that those triangular-marked envelopes had already been sent to Shunzo by the beginning of last year at the latest.”

“Shunzo had a past as detailed in Chiyo’s suicide note.” “What did he do upon repeatedly receiving these threatening letters?” He couldn’t bring himself to report it to the police. To do so—even if the statute of limitations had expired—he would have had to confess his shameful past crime: adultery, that most abhorrent of transgressions. “So what did he do?” “At first he may have agonized alone, but finally—driven to desperation—he confided in the one person in all the world.” “I believe he confessed everything to that man.” “And then he sought that man’s assistance.” That one person was none other than Hayashida—the renowned detective. “By my reasoning, all threatening letters had come into Hayashida’s possession.” “Therefore they could never be found among Shunzo’s effects.” (Refer to Hiroko’s second account)

“I believe Shunzo’s awareness of Satomura Chiyo’s existence wasn’t entirely clear. In any case, he must have been convinced it was someone connected to Date Shohei and his wife, living in genuine terror. Yet by cruel irony, the detective Hayashida Eizo—the very man he’d entrusted with everything—harbored a deep grudge against the Aikawa family. I’ll elaborate on this grudge later.” “When Hayashida learned another party cursed the Aikawas, he must have seen his chance. He first devised a plan to manipulate this unknown adversary and immediately launched an investigation to identify them. With his skills, uncovering Satomura Chiyo would have been trivial. After all, he possessed every detail through Shunzo’s confession.”

“By October of last year at the latest, he had made telephone contact with Satomura Chiyo.” “Given how cautious he was,” “he would never have met with her or sent any letters.” “As per Chiyo’s confession, an unidentified man must have given her orders to do this and that.” “Of course he must have said something like, ‘I’m someone who holds a grudge against the Aikawa family as well.’” “In this way, he incited that hysterical woman.”

2 “Wait a moment.” “I see. So Aikawa Shunzo ended up relying on the most dangerous person in the world, of all people.” “Even so, how do you know that Hayashida contacted Satomura Chiyo in October last year?” The prosecutor, who had been listening silently until now, suddenly interjected.

"That would be the infamous threatening letter addressed to Sadako (refer to Hiroko's third account). Rather than coming to Hiroko, the eldest daughter, it arrived in October for Sadako—this Sadako, whom I'll elaborate on later, being likely the child rumored to have been fathered by Shunzo with another woman." "This was by no means coincidental."

“If it had been Satomura Chiyo acting alone, she would never have resorted to such methods.” “Had that woman conceived this plan herself, she would have sent threats to all three daughters simultaneously.” “Why would Satomura Chiyo specifically target the second daughter—the one unrelated to her by blood—with these letters?” “This could only be Hayashida’s design.” “To put it plainly: Hayashida commanded Satomura Chiyo to focus her threats exclusively on the second daughter.” “Here we witness the inaugural note of Hayashida’s Murder Symphony.” “The very specificity of targeting Sadako first planted bizarre suspicions in our minds—did we not teeter on the brink of a deductive abyss?” “Through meticulous planning—as we’ve all witnessed—Hayashida succeeded in casting suspicion upon every member of that accursed household.” “While the Aikawas’ inherent dysfunction provided fertile ground, none could deny it required that man’s diabolical genius to cultivate such ruin.”

“So how exactly did he carry out the first murder?”

Unable to bear waiting any longer to hear Touda’s theory, I inadvertently blurted this out.

“Well then, let’s start by discussing the April 17th incident.” This was how Hayashida had conducted himself that day. That day, Aikawa Tokuko had been resting with a severe headache. Hiroko wrote a letter addressed to me and then, sometime in the afternoon, carried out that car selection method she had described to you, Kogawa, before coming to my office. (Refer to Touda’s fourth observation.) That very afternoon, Aikawa Shunzo had visited Hayashida. This was exactly as I had told you before. What exactly Shunzo recounted there—with both parties now deceased, we have no way of knowing for certain—but he must have spoken about family matters. The only confirmed fact was that Shunzo had reported Tokuko’s suffering from a headache at that time.

“At that point, Hayashida must have thought his chance had come. He would always order Tokuko’s medicine from Saigo Pharmacy. His scheme was to swiftly substitute it with strong poison if an opportunity arose.”

“However, at that time, did Shunzo know that Sadako had recommended Tokuko’s medicine?” “He testified that he was completely unaware, but—”

The prosecutor said. “Hmm, that might be the case.” “But Hayashida must have sensed it might come to this—that someone would need to collect medicine from Saigo Pharmacy.” “Naturally, he wouldn’t have known Sadako recommended it.” “Needless to say, he had no reason to commit murder that particular day.” “He was simply waiting for any opportunity to strike.” “Shunzo’s account must have convinced him the perfect chance was arriving.”

“So when Shunzo returned, he went out immediately, I take it?”

Inspector Takahashi interjected. "No—before going out, he did something noteworthy." "Namely, he intimidated Hiroko." "Where exactly had Hiroko gone? That was what he needed to ascertain."

At this moment, I recalled the threatening letter that had come to Hiroko that day and that phone call.

"So how did he ascertain that Hiroko had come to my office?" Touda said deliberately and flicked the ash from his cigarette.

3

"There are two possible explanations for this. "First scenario: While Hiroko was writing a letter addressed to me in the morning, Sadako came in. "Not wanting Sadako to see it, Hiroko carelessly covered the envelope with blotting paper. "Right, Kogawa? That's how it went." (Refer to Tragedy Part 1, Chapter 4) "Mm-hmm." "This was an astonishing lapse of judgment—utterly unbecoming of Hiroko the aspiring criminologist. "After all, blotting paper can't possibly reveal the addressee's name to others. "Now suppose Sadako and Hiroko were on poor terms, and Sadako wanted to uncover her sister's secret. If Sadako later entered Hiroko's room, saw the blotting paper, reported this to her father, and Shunzo in turn informed Hayashida... "When Hiroko mentioned going out that afternoon—that was Hayashida's doing. Knowing my reputation, he must have deduced she went to seek my assistance."

“He called Izumi Taxi to confirm,” “and simultaneously contacted Satomura Chiyo—whom he’d previously identified—by phone, instructing Shikishima Garage to investigate. Once verifying she’d indeed come near my office, he had Chiyo place that strange call to my location around the time Hiroko arrived.” “Since Satomura Chiyo didn’t know who I was, she mistakenly took Mr. Kogawa here—who’d just stepped out—for me.” “That’s one interpretation.” “The other view assumes Sadako had no involvement—the moment he learned Hiroko went out, he immediately called Izumi Taxi, then directed Shikishima Garage to track her. Upon hearing the car stopped near my office, he instantly recalled me—‘Aha!’—and confirmed Hiroko’s destination.” “Regardless, Sadako sneaking into her sister’s room to peek at blotting paper was rather improper, so we couldn’t confront her earlier. Either way, Hayashida used Satomura Chiyo as intermediary to verify Hiroko’s whereabouts.” “With preparations complete for their outing, he committed one last vile act beforehand.” “That crudely worded threatening letter—‘Kakarutokoroni irubekarazu’ and such.” “He personally typed it on a typewriter and had it delivered from the street to my office.” “The deliberately clumsy phrasing aimed to mimic Satomura Chiyo’s style.”

“Then, wasn’t it Chiyo who wrote those threatening letters after all?” I blurted out. “Of course not.” “That’s not all.” “Every threatening letter we actually saw was sent by Hayashida.” “The ones Chiyo had her daughter type were all from before the 17th—they’d all passed from Shunzo into Hayashida’s hands.”

“And now, we reach the act of switching out the strong poison.” Hayashida himself wrapped mercuric chloride and set out. This poison was undoubtedly something he had obtained himself. “Just as I keep poisons and potent drugs at home—for those in this profession, such items are by no means unusual possessions.” Hayashida took that and strolled off. “Where did he go?” “Needless to say, it was near Saigo Pharmacy.” “He had been thinking that if an opportunity arose, he would find a way to act.” “I’ve said this repeatedly, but this is a crucial point.” “His crimes were by no means limited to that day alone.” “Therein lay his strength.” Having done so, he was likely keeping watch inconspicuously near either the Aikawa residence or the pharmacy.

“Then there occurred something he hadn’t accounted for in his plans.” When the maid entered the pharmacy, he noticed that a suspicious man other than himself was also tailing her. Needless to say, this was the young man named Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi. Tatsuyoshi and the maid—that is, Sada Yasu—went together to a park-like place, whispering to each other, but soon left. He sensed that his opportunity had arrived there. Hayashida immediately intercepted Sada Yasu on the spot.

4 “Now, since these two are now deceased, we can’t know the exact details—but based on subsequent events, it’s correct to deduce their meeting unfolded roughly like this.” “Hayashida must have suddenly confronted Sada Yasu.” “He must have demanded: ‘Who exactly was that man?’” “Now—how did Yasu respond?… Tell me, was Yasu actually in love with Tatsuyoshi, or did she despise him?” “Of course she hated him.” “Isn’t it perfectly obvious?” said Inspector Takahashi.

“No, I don’t necessarily agree.” “If anything, I think she was actually in love with that man.” I interjected. “That’s precisely what makes this fascinating,” Inspector Takahashi countered. “Both of your theories are simultaneously correct and incorrect.” “I once told you, Mr. Kogawa, this aspect holds particular interest.” “Yasu both despised and cherished Tatsuyoshi at once.” “Could such contradictory feelings truly exist?”

The Inspector and I said in unison.

“Exactly. “I don’t know how many couples exist in the world, but go ask all the wives in the world—one-third truly love their husbands, and one-third utterly despise them.” “The remaining one-third both like and dislike them at the same time.” “Or rather, this percentage might be even higher.” “Through our interrogation of Tatsuyoshi’s former mistress Okada Katsu, we should have known Tatsuyoshi was a sexual deviant.” “(See Chapter 10 of The Third Tragedy) Yasu disliked that aspect, but in truth, she was in love with Tatsuyoshi.” “That’s precisely why she lived with him until she couldn’t bear it anymore—but when she ran away, it wasn’t because she’d found another man.” When Hayashida questioned her about this, she must have said something like, ‘He’s my former husband whom I despise—I ran away from him, but now he’s chasing me.’” “Even when completely in love under such circumstances, women find it difficult to admit he’s the man they love.” “Given there was this particularly unpleasant aspect about him, she must have revealed only her negative feelings.” “Of course she never mentioned anything about him being a sexual deviant.”

“Now, regarding Detective Hayashida’s position.” While conversing with Yasu, he sensed the opportune moment had come. “That’s precisely the kind of man he was.” Though Yasu maintained she verbally despised him, he discerned her lingering affection for Tatsuyoshi. “This point is both delicate and crucial—listen carefully—while Yasu claimed to detest him outwardly, she was truly enamored.” “Yet her verbal denunciation wasn’t entirely false either.” Even for someone of Detective Hayashida’s acumen, failing to grasp her true intentions during a brief five-to-ten-minute exchange was understandable. Therein lay his critical error. ‘She mouths such words yet secretly pines for him,’ he concluded. “But in truth, her spoken words held equal validity.” “At that juncture, he must have believed the decisive moment had arrived.”

“Hayashida, upon realizing that Sada Yasu was secretly meeting her lover while avoiding detection and was thoroughly infatuated with him—though his assessment wasn’t entirely accurate, as I just explained—hit upon the idea: ‘Right, I’ll exploit this opportunity.’” “He reflected there on how easily a woman in love could be manipulated.” “He seized the moment and switched Yasu’s medicine with his own.”

“How did he switch it?”

It was the prosecutor who asked.

“The matter was extremely simple—and should have been carried out openly. He probably said something like, ‘The medicine you’re holding there looks suspicious—let me check it,’ took it to inspect the contents, and in that instant swapped it with the strong poison he had on him. Even if he did it right in front of Yasu’s eyes, if he did it skillfully, there’s no way she would’ve noticed. First off, it’s highly doubtful whether Yasu was even watching without taking her eyes off it.” 5 “The reason we must conclude that the medicine had absolutely been switched at this time can be understood from Yasu’s subsequent attitude, but beyond that, there is another reason why it would have been impossible for that medicine to have been switched at any time other than this. That’s because of that perfectly affixed sealing paper. That was perfectly intact, but the contents had been altered. What does this mean? In other words, the sealing paper had been peeled off before the paste had fully dried, then reattached exactly as it was from above. In other words, that was proof that not much time had passed since the proprietor of Saigo Pharmacy had affixed it.”

“But then, Yasu might later tell someone about Hayashida, mightn’t she?” “First of all, who on earth did Yasu think Hayashida was?”

I clearly inquired about the points that struck me as suspicious.

“We don’t know what Yasu thought Hayashida was.” “Of course, since Hayashida hadn’t been to the Aikawa house before then, this must have been his first meeting with Yasu.” “So I think he first properly introduced himself as a detective to intimidate her.” “You know how fake detectives are rampant in society.” “A woman caught in a compromising situation—like Yasu was—will immediately trust anyone claiming to be a detective or investigator under such circumstances.” “Especially since Hayashida wasn’t some fraud but an actual detective—it’s only natural she’d believe him.” “So he abruptly appealed to her emotions.” “Hey, follow this?” “‘This medicine looks suspicious, but I’ll return it to you for now.’” “‘That man—your lover—has long been under suspicion.’” “‘If anything happens, he’ll be the first suspect.’” “‘Which means trouble will inevitably find you too.’” “‘So I’ll keep quiet for your sake—but never breathe a word about meeting me either.’ He thoroughly frightened her.” That night, the master’s wife was murdered. The medicine had turned poisonous. In that case, Yasu would suspect Tatsuyoshi first without ever doubting Hayashida. She began wondering if the medicine in her obi had been switched during her private talk with Tatsuyoshi. “That story about carrying it home in her hand? Complete fabrication.” “Meaning no one could’ve tampered with it.” “Look—didn’t Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi confess to me, ‘I took the medicine from my obi and showed it to you’?”

“(See Suspect Interrogation, Fifth Session.) If a woman believes her lover is the culprit, even in death she will not betray him.” “Hayashida knew this psychology full well.” “In truth, there was no man who grasped women’s psychology as thoroughly as he did.” “There is resentment that grew too intense from grasping it all too thoroughly, though.” “He was precisely the man who fully understood why Lady Macbeth made her husband kill King Duncan.” “As I once told you, Kogawa-kun—refer to the ‘Murder Symphony’ section—a crime always reveals the criminal’s psychology.” “Their individuality emerges.” “In the Aikawa Murder Case, what is hard to overlook is that the theme of exploiting the psychology of young women in love appears in its first movement and immediately continues into the second movement.” “Namely, Sadako…”

“Enough with the logic—just explain Hayashida’s crimes.”

Unable to endure Touda's pedantic chatter, the prosecutor interjected.

“Yeah, that’s right. So on the 17th, Hayashida switched the medicine and left straight away. After that, the incidents at the Aikawa house unfolded exactly as you’re aware. By sheer coincidence, when night came, her mother and Sadako started arguing—things progressed more smoothly than even Hayashida had anticipated. When it comes to that night’s events, I consider Hiroko’s testimony the most trustworthy.”

6

"I'll explain later why she was reading Van Dine so late at night. This may seem strange, but it's nevertheless a fact. Sadako also states the events of when she went to bed that night as truth. The subsequent events unfolded exactly as you know." "On the 18th, Hayashida learned through Steward Sasada's report that the plan had succeeded. He then typed three letters stating 'The Great Tragedy Has Occurred' and similar phrases on a typewriter, brought them with him, while simultaneously mailing me that letter warning 'Beware May 1st,' before rushing to the Aikawa residence. At the gate, he had the steward enter first and threw the threatening letters addressed to himself, me, and Aikawa Shunzo into the mailbox. With this, you should now understand how those threatening letters came to us that day. It's nothing more than child's play."

(See the section on the Aikawa Family Tragedy.) By sheer coincidence, he had used two typewriters that day. “Now why did Hayashida—who rushed over on the 18th—not come to us immediately and instead start investigating the master downstairs?” “This proves an extremely critical point in hindsight.” “(See People Surrounding the Tragedy, Part 16.) In truth, he wanted above all to gauge Yasu’s mental state.” “Meaning he not only assessed the impact of his earlier words but reinforced them.” That day under the guise of interrogating Yasu downstairs, Hayashida had likely intensified his intimidation. Due to his psychological manipulation on the 17th, Yasu had already lied when we abruptly questioned her. To compound this, Hayashida threatened her thoroughly again. “If you slip up about your carelessness, that Hayakawa fellow will be arrested!” “But he likely dangled promises like ‘Keep quiet and I’ll protect you.’” “You’ll recall from Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi’s testimony—when he met Yasu in the Aikawa garden on April 20th—she told him there was one kind person shielding her.” “(See Suspect Interrogation, Eighth Session.) Poor Yasu never realized Hayashida exploited her, clinging instead to his feigned kindness.” “The same logic applies to Sadako... but that comes later.”

“Now, as you all know, Yasu, thoroughly terrified by Hayashida’s machinations, insisted she absolutely hadn’t met anyone.” “Indeed, as Inspector Takahashi and I struggled through.”

“However, the time came when Hayashida’s machinations gradually began to lose their effect.” “He had initially felt reassured having understood women’s psychology.” “Precisely for that reason, he had been determined to commit the second crime on May 1st.” “Yet it was abruptly carried out on the 20th.” *Why?* “Needless to say, circumstances had arisen that could not wait until May 1st.” “In other words, there had been a miscalculation somewhere in his plan.” (See Murder Symphony, Part 7.) That was none other than Yasu’s psychological wavering. “Originally, she was not merely blindly in love with Tatsuyoshi—as I’ve repeatedly stated.” “If she had been absolutely in love with Tatsuyoshi as Hayashida believed, things would have proceeded according to his plan, and the crime would have been postponed until May 1st.” “However, on one hand, she disliked Tatsuyoshi.” “On top of that, she was being harshly questioned by the police and me.” “‘There’s no need at all to suffer so much and make myself a sacrifice.’” “She began to think, ‘Why not just gather my resolve and spill all the facts?’” Hayashida had already perceived this psychological shift. “‘Damn it—this isn’t going as I planned—this won’t do—’ And so he resolved to act. That was precisely the night of April 20th.”

“Now I shall finally begin explaining the second tragedy. You’ve all properly understood everything up to this point? Keep Yasu’s psychological state firmly in mind.” Having said this, Touda took a sip of the tea at his side and once again blew a satisfied plume of cigarette smoke toward the ceiling.

7 “On the night of April 20th, when Kogawa-kun and I visited the Aikawa residence and entered the piano room, Hayashida was there interrogating Yasu. “Or to be more precise, he appeared to be interrogating Yasu. “At that time, I naturally hadn’t yet grasped the full truth, but regardless, I felt that making Yasu confess had become an urgent necessity. “That’s precisely why I panicked upon learning Hayashida had already arrived and was questioning her that day. “I’ll confess—my panic back then stemmed entirely from professional rivalry.” When we entered the room, Yasu wore a tearful expression. Hayashida had put on an angry face while calling her “a truly obstinate woman,” but this was mere momentary deception—under the guise of interrogating Yasu in that room, he must have repeatedly emphasized the warnings from that afternoon of the 17th. He then extracted from her that she was supposed to meet Tatsuyoshi that night using a grass whistle signal. “That’s when he issued this command: “‘When you hear the signal, go unnoticed to the garden corner, throw a paper wad from there, and write that you should wait by the post.’ “Just as this concluded, we happened to burst into that room.”

“Because back then, Hayashida told you, ‘Why don’t you put your skills to full use and investigate her thoroughly? If need be, I’ll bow out.’” “If we’d let him withdraw and you actually made Yasu confess, what do you think would’ve happened?” (See the section on the Second Tragedy.)

Recalling that moment, I asked. "Well, Hayashida had two points of confidence." "The first was his certainty that immediately after he'd thoroughly intimidated her, she wouldn't reveal the truth no matter how much I pressed her." "The second was his conviction that even if he made such an offer, there was no chance I'd actually say, 'Then please step aside.'" "He should have fully understood this from prior examples." "That's all well and good, but what exactly was Hayashida trying to accomplish there?"

This time, the prosecutor interjected.

“That’s right. First, my conclusion was that he intended to get Yasu out into the garden and dispose of her as quickly as possible. Probably, Shuntaro’s murder was merely taking advantage of an accidental opportunity. In other words, when we came out of that room, we suddenly ran into Hiroko and Shuntaro. I took Hiroko to the reception room. Shuntaro was in the piano room playing a record. Sadako was in her room on the second floor. This was all understood. Listen—what comes next is another crucial point! Since Hayashida was listening for the grass whistle—though he pretended not to notice anything, he must have known all along—he immediately realized Yasu had gone into the woods in the garden. He had to dispose of her as quickly as possible; he himself needed to go into the forest afterward. For that, establishing his own alibi had become absolutely necessary. Therefore, he identified a most convenient person to serve as his alibi witness. In this regard, I couldn’t help but admire his ingenuity.”

“You’re undoubtedly referring to Sadako, but by what means did he make her establish an alibi?” The prosecutor pressed further.

“That’s the crux of it. You were listening to my earlier rambling with such a sour face, but it seems even you haven’t grasped it yet. Didn’t I tell you? Just as the theme of exploiting a lovestruck woman’s psychology resonates in the First Movement, the same motif recurs in the Second Movement. In other words, Hayashida’s method here was merely a variation on the theme he used with Yasu. He leveraged Sadako’s infatuation with Date.”

8

“Don’t you understand? Well then, let me first proceed to narrate the progression of facts.” Hayashida must have gone up to the second floor at least once. As he had likely stated himself, he came across Sadako and Date conversing there. Claiming he needed to speak with Sadako, Hayashida told Date to leave immediately and entered the room with her. “Up to this point, it must be exactly as Hayashida described.” “(See the section on the mutilated corpse.) But from there onward, things diverge significantly.” Once inside the room, Hayashida fabricated some pretext to order Sadako to remain there, then swiftly descended without being noticed by anyone. I believe he probably told Sadako he had business with Date. He then exited into the garden through the glass-paneled door still wearing his slippers. The moment he did so, Shuntaro spotted him—though naturally Shuntaro wouldn’t have found Hayashida’s presence suspicious. “But leaving matters as they stood would have meant complete ruin for Hayashida.” “So he called out from beneath the window with something like ‘There’s something interesting here—come see,’ and lured him out.” At that moment, he instructed Shuntaro to leave the record playing and ensure the door was properly closed behind him. Shuntaro faithfully followed these directions. When Shuntaro emerged, Hayashida—knowing Yasu was on the eastern side—led Shuntaro westward instead. “The instant they entered the woods, he snatched up a stone and struck without warning.” Shuntaro collapsed without uttering a sound. Seeing this success, Hayashida raced to Yasu’s location like a lightning bolt. At this juncture, Yasu had just parted from Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi and may well have witnessed Hayashida bringing Shuntaro toward her position.

However, she naturally failed to recognize her own peril. The fact that Shuntaro was killed went unnoticed because it happened in the dark woods. Because Hayashida had come, she felt relieved and suddenly popped her face out, whereupon he abruptly strangled her. Yasu died while struggling. I thought he left the record playing and had the door closed to make it seem as though Shuntaro was still in the room for as long as possible, thereby intending to delay the discovery of the crime. However, the discovery of Shuntaro’s disappearance came surprisingly quickly. After killing Yasuko, he immediately returned to Shuntaro’s location in the woods, and while he was working on the corpse, we began making a commotion inside the house. He had exposed himself to tremendous danger. While we were watching to see which way we would all go, the moment he saw the group head toward the front entrance, he dashed at full speed around to the opposite side—the kitchen—and went up from there. At that moment, he took off his dirt-covered slippers, changed into another pair, and hurried back to Sadako’s room on the second floor. And there, he uttered a crucial line. This was something he had earlier inquired about and confirmed with Sadako. “Just as I had deduced.” “I went down later because I remembered something regarding Date, but couldn’t find him.” “So when I tried to go back inside and looked out at the garden from the house, I saw a suspicious man who looked like Date walking toward the garden.” “I tried to follow him, but it was too dark and I lost track—there’s something suspicious about Date’s behavior.” “However, since I have goodwill toward you all, I’ll keep this a secret for you.” “Please continue pretending you don’t know anything either,” he said such things. At that moment, because I called out from the garden, he stuck his head out from the second floor with an innocent look. And this time, he went straight down and came out into the garden still in his slippers.

Hearing this commotion, Sadako stiffened. _Could it be... Date..._ she suspected. This suspicion had already existed faintly in Sadako’s mind since the first incident. She had concealed Date’s solitary presence in her study on the seventeenth night precisely because traces of this doubt lingered. Now with this second tragedy unfolding before her eyes—no longer mere suspicion—she found herself compelled toward conviction. Here we must briefly depart from chronological order to examine Hayashida’s alibi more thoroughly.

9

“He was sticking his head out from the window of Sadako’s second-floor room the moment I discovered the corpse and shouted from the garden.” With this, he had established a perfect alibi in appearance. In truth, he had once faced a crisis. That was when Kogawa and Hiroko, searching for Shuntaro’s whereabouts, went halfway up the stairs and called his name—(see Chapter 7 of *The Second Tragedy*)—for if they had actually gone up to the second floor and reached Sadako’s room at that time, they would have realized Hayashida wasn’t there. However, the fact that the two did not go up to the second floor on that occasion was an extremely natural occurrence and cannot be considered an oversight. Now, after the tragedy occurred, Hayashida considered how to ensure Sadako’s silence. And he indeed skillfully carried this out. “You remember, don’t you?”

Immediately after the second tragedy, we met with the Aikawa family members gathered in the Japanese-style room. “At that time,” I said, “I inquired about the family members’ actions during that period.” “Miss Sadako,” I asked rather bluntly, “you were definitely in the upstairs room the whole time during this commotion, weren’t you?” Do you remember how at that very moment Sadako blushed and looked down? It was then that Hayashida interjected: “Ah, Sadako-san was talking with me. “I’d been asking her various questions in Sadako-san’s room,” he answered nonchalantly. “(See Chapter 5 of *The Corpse Tragedy*.) This single statement played an extremely crucial role.” With those words, Hayashida had not only proven Sadako’s alibi but simultaneously established his own, implicitly positioning her as his witness. In response to this, it was absolutely impossible for Sadako to say anything like “No.” Sensitive as she was, this single act made her realize—Ah! Hayashida was truly protecting them. If Date were brought up and became suspected, there was no doubt that I would also be suspected. So Hayashida was proving his own alibi. Thinking this way, she had completely fallen into Hayashida’s trap. The effect manifested immediately: she maintained complete silence, far from suspecting Hayashida, instead placing her full trust in him while secretly beginning to doubt Date. When it seemed everyone had begun suspecting Date, she could no longer contain herself: “Do you all suspect Mr. Date?” Moreover, this question wasn’t directed at me standing right beside her, but at Hayashida across the room. (See Touda’s Second Observation.) That degree of trust was truly fearsome. “It almost made one jealous.”

Touda told a little joke and laughed.

“Hmph. With your explanation, I’ve mostly grasped the situation. However, for someone of Hayashida’s caliber, there are significant oversights in what he did. You stated earlier that leaving the record playing was meant to delay the discovery of Shuntaro’s disappearance even slightly, but in fact, contrary to expectations, it produced the opposite result. Such a blunder seems unbefitting even of Hayashida, doesn’t it?”

Inspector Takahashi inquired. “Yes, I’d previously explained the general concept to Kogawa-kun.” “Hayashida executed the first crime flawlessly.” “But while he performed the second crime dramatically, it was executed rather imperfectly.” “No—it’s full of oversights.” “This stems from Hayashida’s psychological issues.” (See the “Murder Symphony” section.) He’d misread Yasuko’s mental state. “Consequently, he was compelled to hastily commit the second murder.” “As an inevitable result, the second murder became careless.” “Needless to say, Hayashida faced an even more outrageous crisis.” “He escaped purely by chance—he’d never imagined Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi would come intruding into the garden.” “By my reasoning, he’d expected Tatsuyoshi to be hiding behind the post per Yasuko’s paper pellet.”

10 “Hayashida’s plan must have been like this." "First, with a grass whistle signal, Yasu would go to a dark spot in the garden." "He would follow and strangle her immediately." "In the meantime, Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi would be waiting behind the post with that vacant look of his." "Once the crime was discovered inside the house, the area would be secured—and Tatsuyoshi would naturally become the prime suspect." “Whether they actually caught him or not didn’t matter. Either way, Hayashida remained safe.” "That was his calculation." "But this plan derailed when Tatsuyoshi breached the estate grounds." "As a result, Hayashida was spotted by Tatsuyoshi while exiting into the garden." "It was only Tatsuyoshi’s panicked state that prevented clear identification—a razor’s edge moment determining Hayashida’s success or downfall." "Yet through sheer ill fortune, he slipped through this peril." "In that instant, danger inverted itself into perfect safety." “Consider this, Inspector Takahashi—you’ve been fixated on Tatsuyoshi as the intruder all along, haven’t you?” "That narrow escape from exposure was less Hayashida’s cunning than his accursed luck at work." "Let me reconstruct Hayashida’s movements precisely." "He was in Sadako’s room when he heard my call, rushed out in feigned alarm, and began examining the bodies." "After you detectives arrived through the glass doors—" "—while your team combed the garden and Kogawa-kun and I circled the rear gate—" "Hayashida slipped unseen into the piano room."

When he entered and looked, fortunately, the blinds on the windows facing the garden were drawn, preventing anyone from seeing inside from outside. This was something Hiroko had done without any particular meaning (See Touda’s Third Observation), but for him, it proved quite significant. There, he took Paderewski’s record and, using a handkerchief or something similar, lightly wiped just the very beginning portion clean to make it look as though the needle hadn’t advanced beyond that point. That’s exactly why both my and Hayashida’s fingerprints should have been found on that record afterward. (See the section on "Murder Symphony") After doing this, he came to the Japanese-style room, proved an alibi for Sadako as previously mentioned to protect himself, then spoke to Hiroko about the soiled slippers (See Touda’s Fourth Observation) and promptly left the Aikawa residence. “How about that?” “With this, I believe I’ve managed to explain the second tragedy, but...”

Touda puffed out a cloud of smoke and looked around the group.

“Yes, I’ve grasped it clearly now.” “Nevertheless, three points remain unresolved.” “First—why did Hayashida tamper with Shuntaro’s corpse in that manner?” “Second—what does the record trick signify?” “Third—why would he deliberately inform Hiroko about the slippers that appear incriminating to himself? These three points remain unclear.”

Prosecutor Okuyama asked.

“I see.” “Your first and second questions both fall under the same theme.” “In other words—Hayashida tried to create a temporal illusion for us. To state it more directly: he aimed to make us conclude that no one inside the house could have committed such a crime within such a brief span.” “He sought to lead us to that conclusion.” “When Kogawa-kun and I rushed into that room, experiments had proven the record had been rotating for at least one minute and twenty seconds since it began.” “Yet according to Hayashida’s trick, it was made to appear as though only twenty-four seconds had elapsed.” “(See ‘Murder Symphony, Eleventh Movement.’) This may sound self-important, but Hayashida must have included this Touda Shintarou among his calculated adversaries.” “And he undoubtedly anticipated that Touda Shintarou would inevitably notice the record and calculate the elapsed time up to that moment.” “Thus, had we succumbed to Hayashida’s trick, we would have miscalculated the timing by at least one full minute.”

11 “One minute may seem trivial, but that particular minute was of critical importance." “In the end, it would lead to the conviction that it was utterly impossible for someone inside the house to go out into the garden, do such a cruel thing to Shuntaro in that brief span of time, and return inside with an innocent face.” "The reason I didn’t fall for Hayashida’s clever trick was entirely thanks to my interest in Western music." “Until now, I had thought that detectives didn’t particularly need an interest in music, but it seems that’s not the case.” "In the detective novel *The Copra Candlestick*, there was a mention of the Waldstein Sonata. I thought such things were just for novels and dismissed them as nonsense, but that’s absolutely not the case." "As for Shuntaro—though being part of the enemy faction and undoubtedly driven by hatred as well—the primary objective lay in this temporal matter we've discussed." "In other words, he very skillfully and quickly stripped the unconscious Shuntaro naked and bound him." “Such cleverness would be meaningless if not for me,” he must have secretly laughed to himself. "Next, regarding the slippers matter—as you said—it was indeed a failure on his part." “As you said, he should have kept quiet about that.” “But you see, despite being such a genius criminal, Hayashida still went and committed this foolish blunder there—it’s rather amusing.” "He thought that since he himself had come out from inside the house, I would immediately suspect someone inside the house." Therefore, when he examined each slipper one by one, this is what he thought. "He has failed twice in gauging my intellect." "Once he underestimated me too much." "Once he overestimated me too much." "The record trick, huh?" "That was somewhat a ploy that ignored my ear, don’t you think?" “Just because he himself doesn’t understand music, it’s a problem if he thinks even I wouldn’t notice.”

“Even Chopin’s Funeral March—I know that much.” “I didn’t need to check the record—I was listening properly with my own ears.” “However, regarding the slippers, I was somewhat overestimated.” “Indeed, as for me, it might have been wise to investigate the slippers immediately at that time.” “However, unless one is a famous detective from detective novels, one’s mind doesn’t work that quickly.” “As you know, that matter with the slippers was discovered entirely by chance.” “(See ‘The Fifth Gruesome Corpse.’) Mr. Hayashida was unaware of this coincidence.”

“Ah… So now I’ve come to understand this second tragedy.”

When I said this, both the prosecutor and the inspector looked in agreement. “Now then, let’s proceed to the third incident.” The third incident occurred on the evening of April 25th. There were five days from the 20th. The psychological shifts among the Aikawa household members during this period are indeed quite intriguing, but since delving into that would take too long, I will skip it and begin by describing the events of that day. As you are aware, at that time, I was bedridden with a fever and thus did not actually witness the circumstances firsthand. Fortunately, Kogawa-kun had memorized the details of the situation with great precision, which proved immensely helpful.

“On that day, Hayashida, Hiroko, Hatsue, and Kogawa went on a drive.” On this day, Dr. Kizawa had clearly stated in front of Kogawa and Hayashida that Hatsue was having stomach trouble. Hayashida, upon hearing this, secretly thought to himself, “If another chance arises...”

The drive was cut short due to Hatsue's stomachache, and all four returned home at 4:30 in the evening. When Sasada, who normally would have come out to greet them, failed to appear, Hayashida was first to inquire about his whereabouts. (See "The Third Tragedy, Part 12") This stemmed from the necessity of monitoring household movements when committing crimes within the residence. However, it fortunately emerged for Hayashida's purposes that Sasada had been absent since that afternoon. This must have been when he finally solidified his resolve.

12

“Now then, Okuyama may dislike this,” Touda continued, “but let me provide a glimpse into the concrete expression of a criminal’s individuality.” “As I stated earlier, if the first theme of this Murder Symphony is ‘exploiting the psychology of women in love,’ then the second theme would be ‘substitution of potent drugs.’” “In the first murder, this was executed brilliantly, but Hayashida plays another variation on the same theme in the third movement.” “What you must understand beforehand is that a man like Hayashida always carried poison or potent drugs on his person.” “So at what opportunity would he administer this to his victim?” Upon learning of Hatsue’s stomach trouble, Hayashida had fixed on his next target. “Of course, it could have been anyone except Aikawa Shunzo—he wanted to torment Shunzo to the last before killing him—but as for the rest of the family, their order mattered little. However, he needed to keep Hiroko and Sadako in reserve after Shunzo’s death.” “You see—the result matched his calculations perfectly: Hiroko suspected Sadako and Date”—he gestured at the case files—“while our Inspector here suspected Hiroko.” “(Refer to ‘The Inspector’s Logic’ section.) No—it wasn’t just them! Had this been fiction, readers would have inevitably suspected Hiroko and Sadako first through Hayashida’s machinations.” “From this perspective alone, we can understand why Hatsue became the next victim.” “Returning to the sequence of events: The four returned at half past four.” “Dr. Kizawa then arrived,” Touda’s pointer tapped the timeline diagram, “produced powdered medicine from his pocket, and instructed—in Hayashida’s full hearing—‘Take this thirty minutes before dinner.’” “‘Dinner at six?’” “‘Then take it around five-thirty,’ he said.” (See “The Bride in the Bath, Part 1”) Hayashida had indeed noted every word. “He must have burned into his mind that Hatsue would take Dr. Kizawa’s medicine precisely at five-thirty.” “Now”—Touda turned abruptly—“when Dr. Kizawa left the Aikawa residence, Hayashida allegedly excused himself with ‘I have urgent business—I’ll return shortly,’ departing alongside him.” “Dr. Kizawa?” (See “The Bride in the Bath, Part 1”)

Dr. Kizawa, who had been listening silently until now, seemed slightly flustered by this sudden question but appeared to recall the moment immediately and answered clearly. "That’s right. When I left the mansion, Mr. Hayashida also came out with me." "How far did you go together?"

“Oh, we parted ways immediately.” “I strolled leisurely back home, but Mr. Hayashida hailed a passing taxi and went off somewhere.” “There it is.” “Where on earth did Hayashida go?” Touda looked around at the group. “The telephone.” “The place with a telephone.” “A telephone designed to avoid being overheard as much as possible.”

It was the prosecutor who answered.

“That’s right.” “You’re absolutely right.” “Touda! It just came to me after you mentioned it.” “Hayashida called Satomura Chiyo from somewhere and made her say something.” “So you see—that’s why Hatsue received that suspicious phone call.” (See *The Bride in the Bath, Part 1*)

“Exactly. “That’s right.” “Around 5:20 PM, he had Hatsue called out and told her to issue the following warning.” “‘You mustn’t take Dr. Kizawa’s medicine—it’s dangerous.’ ‘You must absolutely not take it.’” This was exactly as Hayashida had later explained to the prosecutor and inspector. (See Inspector’s Logic, Part 3) Up to this point, Hayashida had been telling the truth. “However, the scheme he devised for Chiyo didn’t end there.” “There was still more.” “‘There’s a packet of medicine on Ms. Hiroko’s desk—take that.’ This is merely a hypothesis, but I believe he must have said something along those lines.”

13 “Therefore, I consider that Hayashida had been carrying various types of medicine on his person all along.” “If Hatsue hadn’t coincidentally entered the bath at that time, Hayashida would have used a phone call like we discussed earlier—as in the first incident—to make her drink mercuric chloride or something similar.” “Since Hiroko remained downstairs the whole time, he must have quietly placed the medicine on her desk during that interval.” However, because Hiroko was conversing with Mr. Kogawa and Sadako was meeting Date, Hatsue ended up entering the bath at exactly 5:30 PM—the time she normally took her medicine. At this point, Hayashida devised a method true to his character—he resolved to commit the crime as spectacularly as possible. Now determined to enter the bath, Hatsue grew uneasy and consulted Hayashida once more. At this moment, Hayashida told Hatsue: “You should heed the telephone warning.” “And you ought to take that medicine right away while in the bath,” he added. Hatsue, who trusted Hayashida implicitly, immediately fell for this ruse—whether the Veronal had been placed in Hiroko’s room or elsewhere—and carried it into the bathroom where she swallowed it in the hot water. This occurred at 5:30 PM. “Therefore, I believe the crime was likely committed around six o’clock.” “This is because Veronal takes effect faster than usual when ingested in a bath.” “Still, I doubt one would lose all sense of time and fall asleep unless it took at least fifteen or twenty minutes.” “Thus Hayashida waited for his chance to slip into the bathroom unnoticed after Hatsue had taken the Veronal.” Now, focusing on events around six o’clock, let’s examine everyone’s movements: Date and Sadako arrived in the parlor. After seeing Date off, Sadako and Hayashida stepped outside. They returned together shortly after. The crime was absolutely not committed during this interval.

“The crucial point is right after that.” “When Mr. Kogawa and Hiroko were talking, and Hiroko sent Sadako away—that was precisely the moment Hayashida had been waiting for.” Sadako also tried to go upstairs. Hayashida, of course, skillfully agreed. (See *The Bride in the Bath, Part 4*) “And you all think that the two of them went upstairs.” “I also thought that might be the case at first.” “But that is not the case.” “They did go upstairs—they went up.” However, Hayashida skillfully sent Sadako ahead to the room and delayed himself. Not only did Sadako not suspect Hayashida in the slightest regarding this point, but he also used his usual method to silence her. “When I asked Sadako about that point earlier, she finally spoke up—but again, it’s exploitation of female psychology.” Hayashida had Sadako go up ahead and said, “Oh, it seems Mr. Date has come back.” “I’ll go meet him.” “You go on ahead,” he said. And then, after six or seven minutes, he came up and said, “Date is loitering around the hallway for no reason.” “He spoke in a strange tone,” he reportedly said suspiciously. “Then, after Hatsue died, Hayashida once again made Sadako suspect Date and silenced her.”

“Hey Touda-kun—you keep going on about female psychology and such.” “Date and Sadako meet every single day, y’know.” “If Sadako suspected Date, she wouldn’t just stay quiet—she’d ask him straight out.” “Then Hayashida’s lie would’ve come out right then and there, no question!”

This time, the inspector asked.

“So you still don’t understand the heart of a woman truly in love. Someone in Sadako’s position may love Date, but when pressed by someone like Hayashida, she’ll end up trusting Hayashida and suspecting her lover instead. If Date and Hayashida’s accounts conflict, she’ll grow all the more suspicious of Date—yet despite her suspicions, she remains in love. A woman saying ‘I love you’ is vastly different from her saying ‘I trust you.’ No—it’s precisely because she loves him that a woman’s heart grows all the more suspicious.”

14

“If love and trust were parallel or proportional, the world would know no greater happiness.” “However, love often breeds suspicion.”

“But aren’t there women who absolutely love and trust men?”

“They trust men only within the bounds of love.” “In other words, they only believe that the man does not love other women; they do not believe that he refrains from violating other norms.” “Moreover, aren’t there actually many young men in the world who commit crimes for the sake of a woman they love?” “You know quite a few men who’ve committed theft for the sake of a beloved woman, don’t you?” “So isn’t it only natural that they would suspect men in that regard?”

“I never thought I’d be hearing a lecture on love from you, Touda-kun. Well, assuming we understand those feelings of love, what about Hayashida’s crime?” The prosecutor interjected. “In other words, it was carried out during the five or six minutes when Sadako was alone on the second floor. He quietly entered the bathroom around the time the Veronal took effect. He likely called out from outside first—this was in case the Veronal hadn’t yet taken effect. There was no answer from inside. When he quietly opened the door and looked inside, the Veronal had fully taken effect, and Hatsue was submerged in the bath, sound asleep. It was precisely the opportunity. Of course, whether Hayashida entered or anyone else did, she remained completely unaware. At this point, our Joseph Smith Made in Japan imitated exactly as per Mr. Bodkin’s closing argument in *The Counsel the Crown*. He suddenly grabbed both of Hatsue’s legs with his hands. Everything was decided in an instant. (See *The Bride in the Bath, Part 8*) He then went upstairs with an innocent face and told Sadako what he had just mentioned—that’s how it went. After that, Hiroko discovered Hatsue’s corpse, causing a major commotion. Kogawa-kun and Hayashida went to the bathroom. While Kogawa-kun was making a call to me, Hayashida hid the Veronal’s paraffin paper, disposed of the digestive medicine, reported to the police under the pretext of having found that paraffin paper in the bathroom, and retrieved the remaining digestive medicine from Hatsue’s clothing—this is how it transpired. How about that? With this, I believe we’ve accounted for the third tragedy, but…”

Touda looked over the gathering with a somewhat triumphant expression.

“Hey, you—the other day when I went to your house with you, you said, ‘This might mean I have to fundamentally change my way of thinking up until now.’ What was the reason for that?” (See Hiroko’s First Deduction)

I recalled and tried asking.

“Oh, that.” “That was an idea that only existed in my head for that one day.” “I’ll mention this later, but until that day, I was certain the culprit was a man.” “However, I was certain that crime was absolutely a woman’s doing.” “It’s exactly as I said at that time, you see.” “(As referenced above.) However, when I heard that Veronal had been discovered in Hatsue’s stomach instead of digestive medicine on the following 26th, I returned to my original theory.” “After all, if someone had been made to take something like that, even a man—not just a woman—should have been able to approach Hatsue.” “That’s precisely why I called it an extraordinary fact.” (See *The Inspector’s Logic, Part 3*)

“Even so, it’s strange that Hayashida went out of his way to imitate such a dangerous Smith.” “It would’ve been more certain to just quietly make them drink mercuric chloride like in the first incident, don’t you think?” I asked.

“Don’t you understand the vanity that criminals possess?” “He delighted in keeping us disoriented and groping through the fog.” “He wanted to execute a magnificent murder.”

Triangle of Fate

1

Touda fell silent for a moment, gulped down his tea, but immediately continued speaking. “Now, I should move on to explaining the May 1st incident—the fourth tragedy—but here, as a matter of sequence, I must address why Hayashida committed such crimes.” "In other words, I intend to explain the motive behind this series of murders." “Right, right! That’s it.” “First, I’d very much like to hear that in full detail.” Prosecutor Okuyama said in a vigorous voice, puffing on his Asahi cigarette.

“A terrible trick of fate.” “A triangle of fate.” “A profound destiny decreed since eras past.” “That may sound literary, but scientifically speaking, we’ve come to keenly feel heredity’s power through this tragedy.” “Humans possess no such thing as free will.” “We must unequivocally side with the determinists.” “Shakespeare revealed humanity’s lack of free will through his plays.” “Our great Chikamatsu too…”

“Are you suggesting Hayashida’s father was a criminal?”

Just as Touda was about to go off track again, the prosecutor could no longer contain himself and interjected.

“That’s not it,” Touda corrected. “You misunderstand me completely. This concerns the victim’s perspective—the eternal feud between the Hayashida and Aikawa families. We’ve been obsessing over Aikawa Shunzo’s name while neglecting his bloodline’s significance. The truth will remain buried so long as we frame this as Aikawa versus Hayashida.” He turned authoritatively to the group. “You’re all aware Shunzo was adopted into the Aikawa family. Kogawa—you read the registry documents at my office detailing his original lineage from the Yamada household, did you not?”

When told this, I remembered it for the first time. (See *The Beautiful Client, Part 6*) “Aikawa Shunzo married Tokuko at age twenty-three and simultaneously took the Aikawa surname.” “Before that, he had been called Yamada Shunzo.” (As referenced above.) “This affair began over forty years ago with an ill-fated tale between two families in an impoverished Chugoku region village.” “Ah, you’ve recalled that story about the Date and Aikawa families now.” “Exactly.” “Precisely the same thing occurred forty years ago—twenty years before the Date-Aikawa incident.” “The location was a destitute village in Chugoku where terrible fate intervened between two families: Hayashida Bunji—Eizo’s father—and Yamada Nobunosuke—Shunzo’s father.” “Thus formed the triangle of fate.” “Yamada Nobunosuke—despite having two sons aged eight and five—committed adultery with Hayashida Bunji’s wife Mitsuko.” “Listen.” “Another adultery drama unfolded there.” “Just like Date Shohei twenty years later, Hayashida Bunji lay bedridden from illness—forced to watch his wife’s infidelity while swallowing bitter tears.” “But the outcome differed slightly from Date’s case.” “Mitsuko died first.” “Officially a suicide—though her husband Bunji might have secretly killed her.” “Being over forty years ago, proper investigation proves impossible.” “This aspect proves far trickier than Date Shohei’s situation.” “If suicide, she likely repented her sins like Date Kayoko.”

“So what did Bunji, who was left behind, do?” “He had been sickly since that time, as I just mentioned.” “He lived for seven years after his wife died, but during that time, he continued to curse her and Yamada Nobunosuke.” “When Mitsuko died, there was a one-year-old child between them.” “This is none other than Hayashida Eizo.”

2

“The curse that triggered the murder cases afflicting the Aikawa family is absolutely not Date Shohei’s curse from twenty years ago.”

“His curse took form through Satomura Chiyo as threatening letters.” “But this curse that sacrificed so many lives was truly the one Hayashida Bunji cast upon Yamada Nobunosuke over forty years ago.” “After his wife died—or perhaps after he killed her—he continued cursing Yamada Nobunosuke from when Eizo was one year old until he turned eight.” “In other words, he kept cursing until his own death.” “The young Eizo grew up pitifully, steeped in a demonic curse throughout his childhood.” “Thus, for him, there existed nothing under heaven more hateful than Yamada Nobunosuke.”

Touda glanced briefly in my direction, and at that moment, I recalled yesterday’s conversation between Hayashida and Touda. (See *The Final Tragedy, Part 4*.) “It is regrettably unclear whether Bunji left a will upon his death instructing that Yamada Nobunosuke and his clan be eternally cursed.” “However, leaving such a will is both a possibility and something that seems quite plausible.” “The orphaned Eizo was raised by relatives, while the Yamada family, perhaps feeling uneasy, soon moved to Okayama Prefecture.” Eizo grew up safely, entered school, and eventually graduated. He may have been cursing the Yamada family in his heart all that time, but in any case, he proceeded along his life’s course relatively steadily. “If he had been born in the feudal era, he might have devoted his life to avenging his father’s enemy, but having been born in the Meiji era, he likely harbored no such sentiments.” However, the curse instilled in him during childhood tenaciously took root and grew within his mind.

“However, Yamada Nobunosuke died of illness about eight years after Hayashida Bunji’s death.” At that time, Eizo was sixteen or seventeen—too young to have been involved. “Thus, the grudge shifted to his sons Ken and Shunzo.” “But Ken died at twenty-seven shortly after marrying, leaving behind one son.” “This was unquestionably a natural death.” “Since Ken was three years older than Shunzo, when Ken died Shunzo was twenty-four and Eizo twenty.” “As for Kotaro—the son Ken left behind—he vanished at twelve after saying he’d catch cicadas nearby. His body later surfaced in an old pond, ruled an accidental drowning with no foul play suspected.” “Being an obscure incident in a Chugoku backwater, it drew little attention.” “Yet considering Eizo had just graduated from private university then… perhaps his reach extended there after all.” “But this mystery remains unsolved.” “Thus Eizo’s vengeance finally settled upon Shunzo—now of the Aikawa family—and his kin.”

“Then why didn’t he start his revenge sooner?” “It’s exactly like a detective novel, isn’t it!” “A criminal cursing a family always appears at the worst possible moment in detective stories, doesn’t he?” “It’s all because they began doing this after Sherlock Holmes and Philo Vance made their entrances.” “Even Hayashida Eizo should’ve finished them off before a great detective like you showed up.”

The prosecutor asked a good question.

This was a question I too had harbored in my heart at that moment. “The renowned detective certainly knows his timing,” he said. “In the cases of Sherlock Holmes and Philo Vance, I can’t speak for them, but our Mr. Hayashida Eizo has chosen precisely the right moment to make his appearance. He’s by no means careless in that regard.”

“So, you mean that business with the threatening letters?” “That’s right. To understand this, we must delve into Hayashida Eizo’s psychology. He graduated from school without incident, became a renowned detective, and lived comfortably. There was no need for him to go out of his way to cause such a commotion. So why did he start doing such a thing?”

3

“The direct motive was Satomura Chiyo’s threatening letters, as I mentioned earlier.” “When Shunzo received these, he chose Hayashida as his sole anchor in this world.” “This was undoubtedly because Shunzo knew full well of Hayashida’s accomplishments and renown as a private detective.” Thus, Shunzo confessed every detail of his past misdeeds to Hayashida alone. Upon hearing this confession, Hayashida must have stared in awe at the mirrored shape of their destinies. “Moreover, the one seeking his help was none other than a scion of the Yamada family—those who should have formed one corner of that fateful triangle from forty years past.” One can scarcely imagine how deeply this triangular symmetry must have unsettled him. The curse implanted in his childhood mind began breathing anew within the adult Hayashida’s psyche. What was he? A private detective. Through hunting criminals and dissecting crimes, he’d honed himself into a consummate criminologist. Now another congruent triangle had materialized within the fatal geometry of his own history. Should fresh crimes occur, this new inner triangle would naturally dominate investigations—allowing Hayashida’s forty-year-old triangle to slip deftly into shadow.

“The curse that had lain dormant for years began to stir.” “Moreover, his confidence as a criminologist drove him forward.” “Should anything occur, all suspicion would naturally fall on the sender of those threatening letters.” “And then there was that peculiar atmosphere permeating the Aikawa household.” “Thus he resolved to strike when the moment proved most opportune.”

“Even so, Mr. Touda, it was a complete blunder that he didn’t act before you made your entrance,” said the prosecutor.

“That’s a conclusion drawn from results. If anything, he might’ve only gotten serious after I appeared. Until now, he’s been my worthy rival. One could argue he began wielding his skills more vigorously precisely because I—whom he likely saw as a sufficient opponent—had entered the scene.” “I see. So I wasn’t good enough for him, eh?” The inspector remarked somewhat sarcastically but swiftly shifted topics: “A similar triangle? Right... So that red triangle on the threatening letters was its symbol?”

“That’s right. Of course, Chiyo was merely the one who attached such a mark. But Mr. Hayashida’s triangle can be considered to carry a far more profound meaning. In detective novels, triangular threat symbols often appear, but really, there’s no reason they have to be triangles—squares or pentagons would work just as well. However, in the case of the Aikawa family, the triangle held particular significance. Mr. Hayashida is a genius as a criminal and quite the poet at the same time. He has quite a whimsical side.”

“So, Aikawa Shunzo knew only of your so-called new triangle and was unaware of its forty-year-old counterpart, is that right?” said I. “That’s right. Poor man. Therefore, even if he were killed by Hayashida, he would not have understood why he had to be killed by him.” “Suppose he were killed?” The inspector said in surprise.

“It’s not hypothetical—he was literally murdered!”

This time, I asked.

“Hmm—so you all still think even this fourth incident was Hayashida’s doing?” “If it’s not Hayashida, then who on earth is the culprit? Is it Date?” The prosecutor asked in surprise. “There’s no culprit in that incident. That is not a murder case.”

“Now then, gentlemen, shall we begin explaining the events of May 1st?”

4

“Hey, Kogawa-kun, on that day—May 1st—when we saw Shunzo’s body, I had you call Hayashida’s house right away, didn’t I?” (See The Fourth Tragedy, Part 10)

“Yes, that’s correct.” “Then Hayashida must have answered the phone himself.” “Uh-huh.”

“Now then, the distance between Hayashida’s house and the Aikawa residence would take a considerable amount of time even if you drove a car at high speed. Even if Shunzo had been killed the very moment he entered that room, only five or six minutes would have passed before we arrived there. In that span of time, it would have been absolutely impossible for Hayashida to commit the crime and return home immediately.”

“I see.” “Do you understand why I called Hayashida so abruptly at that time?” All I could recall was the sight of Touda panicking in a flurry unlike any I’d ever seen before.

“At the time of the third incident, I was convinced the culprit was Hayashida. I’ll explain this later, but in any case, I was convinced. But Shunzo was killed. If I have you verify it properly, he’s clearly at home. He couldn’t help but be shocked, don’t you think? So then, thinking my previous conviction must have been wrong, I truly panicked at that time.” “So that’s how it was. But Hayashida was panicking too at that time.”

“That’s right. Through the autopsy results and Hayashida’s panic at the time, I regained my conviction that my deductions were correct. It’s only natural Hayashida was shocked. According to his plan, he had intended to eliminate Shunzo last. Yet during the very time he was at home, Shunzo was killed by someone—and this coincidentally occurred on May 1st, the date he himself had predicted.” (See The Aikawa Family and the Fourth Tragedy) “As Hayashida, he couldn’t help but be shocked—couldn’t help but panic, don’t you agree?” (See The Fourth Tragedy, Part 12; The Unexpected Truth, Part 1) “So who killed Shunzo? The answer is Date Shohei’s ghost. You must clearly understand Shunzo’s psychological state then. As I told you earlier, Aikawa Shunzo only knew of the triangle he himself had created. He believed the Date family would resent him eternally. He wasn’t fully aware of Satomura Chiyo’s existence—Hayashida had identified her but naturally kept silent. So Shunzo kept apologizing while being tormented solely by Date Shohei’s ghost. Moreover, the relentless tragedies since April 17th had left his nerves frayed and heart weakened. Don’t you agree, Dr. Kizawa?”

“That’s exactly right.” “We know he was indeed a timid yet honest man, but what particularly corroborates this is that suicide note inside the mirror. I never imagined he himself would have kept it preserved. (See The Fourth Tragedy, Part 8) He must have saved it intending to show Date, but even so, he should have entrusted it elsewhere.” “He must have always been making excuses to his conscience within his own home.” “He was such an honest man.” And so, in that state of mind, he came down from the second floor and stood before the mirror. “Just as he tried to open it, Date Shohei appeared in the mirror.”

“Huh? Date Shohei?” We all let out a cry of surprise at once. “To put it more accurately, the ghost of Date Shohei appeared in the mirror.” I had no idea what he was talking about. “You all remember the weather that day, don’t you? And you’re aware of Date Masao’s testimony stating that it was extremely dark, aren’t you?” (See The Fourth Tragedy, Parts 3 and 8, and the Final Tragedy)

5

“Yeah, I remember it well.” said the Inspector. “Then, you’ll recall that Date Masao was bedridden around that very day, unshaven and looking terribly aged. Now, try synthesizing these facts.” But I still did not understand.

“In other words, here’s what happened: the moment Shunzo tried to open that door in front of the mirror, Date Masao abruptly thrust his upper body out of the window.” “Just then, it was reflected straight into the mirror before him.” “That day was dark, so things didn’t show up clearly.” “To make matters worse, Date looked far more haggard and aged than usual.” “You see, Date Masao bore a strong resemblance to someone.” “Do you understand now?” So Shunzo had glimpsed Date Masao’s figure reflected in the mirror at that moment and mistaken it for his father Shohei’s face. And then, overwhelmed by terror, he’d suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the spot.

“Such cases certainly exist. That terrifying death mask should now be fully explained by this.”

“I see. So Date Masao was telling the truth after all, wasn’t he?” said the Inspector.

“That’s right. I believe Date Masao’s testimony can be trusted from start to finish. No—it’s not just his. Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi’s testimony is also true. So putting aside other matters for now, I’d like you not to suspect these two of murder. I’ll state this clearly as my formal request. ……Right, I shouldn’t stay here going on and on about my own exploits.”

“Mr. Takahashi, please investigate Date and Hayakawa again immediately. The murder suspicions will be cleared soon. As for the trespassing charges against Hayakawa and the theft of Date’s suicide note, I trust they’ll be handled with appropriate leniency. Well then, Prosecutor Okuyama, Mr. Takahashi, I’ll take my leave. Kogawa, why don’t we head out together? We need only wait for Inspector Takahashi’s wise judgment to have Date and Hayakawa released.”

“Wait, wait! Mr. Touda, wait a moment! As for your full explanation about the Aikawa case, we can hear that later—but what about today’s incident?” “Mr. Touda, wait a moment.” “Your full explanation about the Aikawa case can wait until later—but just what about explaining today’s incident?”

The inspector hurriedly called out to stop Touda.

“As you heard earlier from Sadako.” “That’s exactly right.”

“What I mean is—”

“Ah, right. You haven’t fully grasped it yet, have you? In fact, I visited Hayashida yesterday. And by using a certain method, I made him believe his own strategy was completely mistaken. At the same time, I made it clear I’d already captured him in my mind. So he resolved to commit suicide. He attempted to choose Sadako as his companion in death. Kogawa, shall we take our leave?” After saying this, he gestured to me and briskly left the room. The prosecutor and inspector looked somewhat dumbfounded in our direction, but Touda paid no heed and simply walked out.

When he hailed a taxi, he cheerfully urged it toward Ginza.

Since the incident on April 17th, for the first time, I walked through the early evening streets of Ginza with a clear and refreshed feeling. “Giving that speech at dinner time left me starving. Let’s grab a bite somewhere.” Touda guided me to a certain Western-style restaurant he always frequented. A place staffed solely by waiters with no trace of women, and few customers at that. Touda and I, in a truly relaxed mood, took up our consommé spoons.

Final Act

1 “Hey, Touda.” “The case has finally reached its grand conclusion, but there are still several points I don’t understand.” “First off—you still haven’t explained how you identified Hayashida as the culprit.” “And why did you remain silent even after knowing he was guilty? Why let him be when you knew he’d commit suicide?” “Why not inform the police? These are what I want answered.” “Ha ha ha.” “Quite the list of questions you’ve got there.” “But there are too many to address all at once.” “First—your initial query.” “Regarding how I pinpointed the culprit—though I just explained this to the police—I hadn’t fully grasped it until Hatsue’s murder.” “After the first tragedy, I wandered in complete fog—utterly clueless about who did it.” “Truthfully, I played along with Hayashida’s scheme and suspected someone within the family.” “The sole certainty I held was that the poison had been swapped before reaching the Aikawa household.” “This reasoning stems from what I mentioned earlier—but initially,Sada Yasu seemed suspicious.” “Yet as you know,Yasu stubbornly denied everything.” “I considered whether she’d switched it herself or met someone en route—but couldn’t believe she acted alone.” Meanwhile,the Aikawa family’s behavior struck me as deeply odd. “Sadako supposedly rushed over in her kimono while reading Thomas Hardy,and Hiroko claimed to be engrossed in Van Dine.” “Regardless—amidst these irregularities—there remains the fact that Date and Sadako quarreled with their mother.”

“Moreover, during questioning, Sadako let out hysterical screams (see Episode 8 of *The People Surrounding the Tragedy*), and she lied about Date.” “From these points, I too actually first suspected Sadako and Date, and second Hiroko.” “But there, coincidence played a tremendous role.”

Touda quickly finished the consommé and continued while stuffing his mouth with the spiny lobster that came next.

“Do you remember me saying that two typewriters had been used when comparing the threatening letters?” (Whom to suspect? (See Part 1) At that moment, something occurred to me. It meant there weren’t two typewriters used by one culprit—there must be two people involved. This proved mistaken later—Hayashida alone had coincidentally used two machines—but my error ironically hastened the discovery. “I assumed one set belonged to the original blackmailer and the other to Aikawa Tokuko’s murderer.” “Back then, I knew nothing of Satomura Chiyo’s involvement, so I thought the first office visitor and May 1st letter sender were different people—though it turned out a fortuitous starting point.” “Conan Doyle once argued in his Oscar Slater case analysis that ‘an investigation beginning with false premises has almost no chance of catching the true culprit’—yet this case became one of those vanishingly rare exceptions.”

“But just as we were lost in a labyrinth, the April 20th incident occurred.” “Immediately after that incident, I arrived at the following conviction.”

“1. The culprit is the same as the murderer from April 17th. 2. The culprit is male. 3. The culprit felt that keeping Yasu alive would be dangerous. 4. The culprit is a man who knows Shuntaro’s face well enough to lure him out.”

5. The person possesses circumstances that would prevent others from suspecting them even if discovered immediately after the murder. 6. From considering the record trick and other factors, the culprit possesses an exceptionally sharp mind.

2 "However, why I became certain of these points needs no explanation now—you should understand from my previous statements." "And here lies one crucial unanswered question." "That is—by what means did the culprit force Yasu to maintain her silence until now?" "This was something I simply couldn’t fathom." "But then, quite unexpectedly, Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi emerged." "And we discovered she’d met someone on the seventeenth."

“Right, right—now that you mention it, on the day Tatsuyoshi was arrested, you immediately asked him if he’d met Yasu on the seventeenth, didn’t you? Wasn’t that nonsense?” (See Suspects, Part 4) “Of course it wasn’t nonsense—I was certain Yasu had met someone that day. So while listening to Tatsuyoshi’s testimony, I realized it was him. However, it was clear Tatsuyoshi wasn’t the culprit. If that’s the case, then Sada Yasu must have met someone else besides Tatsuyoshi that day. Who could that be? There, I first considered Date.” “However, I couldn’t fathom what power he had to keep Yasu silent, and ultimately concluded this was impossible. Not only that—could he have conceived the record trick? The only people who could’ve devised that trick at the time were Hiroko, Hayashida, or myself.” “At that point, I briefly considered the Hiroko-Date conspiracy theory, but it later proved unfounded. (See Storm Before the Storm, Part 3 and The Inspector’s Logic, Part 7) When I thought it through this way, ultimately only Hayashida remained.” “Not only did all six conditions apply to him, but I’d recalled one crucial thing—that night of the twentieth, when leaving the Aikawa residence, he too mentioned the slippers. As I said earlier, I’d discovered that slippers business entirely by chance. How did Hayashida know about it?” “It was there I finally realized even genius criminals have blind spots. He’d mistakenly assumed I’d also figured out that point from his own deductions.” “Exactly like detective novel writers—because they know all the facts, they assume readers do too, then blithely skip crucial explanations as they charge ahead.” “Precisely the same thing.”

“Now, if we consider Hayashida as the culprit, you see, doesn’t everything conveniently fall into place? If we suppose that after Yasuko met Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi, Hayashida then met with Yasu, he certainly possesses the means to silence her. That is to say, the first theme I mentioned earlier. Moreover, since he had seen the threatening letters sent to Shunzo up until now, he could imitate them and write them himself. Since Shunzo had gone to his place on the afternoon of the 17th, he also conceived of the second theme—namely, the switching of the medicine. Moreover, he would have been able to perceive how easily the Aikawa family’s situation could be exploited for crime. However, during the second incident, he was supposed to be on the second floor with Sadako…… This was a rather significant question. However, after much thought, I finally solved this—he establishes Sadako’s alibi to actually establish his own. Then how did he silence Sadako? Why does Sadako trust him so completely? As I thought this through, the first theme resonated there once again. In Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi’s testimony, there was a part where Yasu mentioned someone who had been very kind to her; I finally realized it was the same method. You remember that on April 21st, when I asked Sadako at the Aikawa residence: ‘Apart from that, there’s nothing else you’re worried about personally, is there? For example, there hasn’t been anything like Mr. Date being seen wandering around the mansion afterward, has there?’ She hurriedly replied: ‘O-of course not,’ but her expression clearly showed it was a lie. You remember that, don’t you? This only strengthened my conviction.”

3

“For Hayashida, coming to ask me about that record was a major blunder.” “He doesn’t know I used to be a music enthusiast.”

“So that was another blind spot after all.” “Yeah, anyway, it was a blunder.” “Now, working through this reasoning, Hayashida is indeed the culprit.” “Ironically enough, he’s been hunting for the criminal right alongside us.” “The only remaining puzzle is why exactly he bears such hatred toward the Aikawa family.” “As for Date’s background—since we’d laid groundwork beforehand—we’d mostly pieced it together by that stage.” “I’d actually learned more than what Shunzo had told you—given it concerned events from twenty years prior, I could reconstruct the adultery scandal through testimonies from Imai-cho residents. But Hayashida’s origins? Utterly opaque. So during my convalescence, I dug into his past as thoroughly as possible—while his Tokyo years came clear, everything before that stayed stubbornly murky.”

“Oh right, didn’t you present me with three questions when you were sick?” “First, you said that the most dangerous place was inside the Aikawa residence.” “What does that mean?” (See *The Third Tragedy*, Part 4)

“If Hayashida were the culprit, he’d undoubtedly choose the Aikawa residence for his crimes.” “That’s precisely the sort of scheme someone of his stature would devise.” “To heighten the case’s gravity.” “To intensify the mystery.” “In short—his vanity.” “Committing serial murders within the same estate would be extraordinarily challenging.” “But I’ll do it anyway!” “That’s what he resolved.” “Just like some conceited mystery writer who insists on killing characters in identical settings.” “An immensely difficult endeavor—one that readers might criticize as static—yet the author remains determined to execute this most arduous composition.” “Had he staged it elsewhere, both culprit and author would’ve faced no complications whatsoever…” Hayashida truly embodied confidence, vanity, and a streak of childishness. I became convinced he’d deliberately select the more treacherous path. “Moreover, it conveniently shifts suspicion onto the Aikawa household.”

“Then secondly, when you said ‘everyone should be provisionally suspected,’ that means you were also suspecting Hayashida, correct?” (See previous reference)

“That’s right. The fact that no murders will occur as long as Date remains in police custody doesn’t mean Date’s the culprit. Because Hayashida’s the real culprit. Hayashida’s trying to pin all murder suspicions on Date. Therefore, while Date’s detained, Hayashida won’t act. That guy always strikes precisely when Date’s movements appear ambiguous.”

“There’s something I simply can’t understand.” “If you suspected Hayashida to that extent, why didn’t you report him to the police immediately?” “Had you done so, Hatsue might at least have been spared—don’t you think?”

“Ah, your criticism is certainly valid on the surface, but I must defend myself for two reasons.” “The first is that while I can now state this clearly, at the time I didn’t have as much confidence as I now believe I should have.” “Because I couldn’t understand why he would do such a thing—everything rested on a single deduction—and the other critical reason is that I’m a legal professional.” “In other words, it’s because I know all too well how powerless the law is.” “Suppose I had accused him back then.” “But where exactly was there any evidence naming him as the culprit?” “First of all, what evidence could we use to impeach him? True, Sadako might have undermined Hayashida’s alibi.” “However, even if Hayashida’s alibi for the night of the 20th didn’t hold up, being unable to conclusively declare him the murderer would be exactly the same situation as with Date.” (See Before the Storm, Part 1)

4

“It all comes down to evidence—first and foremost, evidence. There isn’t a single piece of direct evidence for Hayashida’s crimes. Hey, do you know how detectives catch pickpockets? Certainly, that guy is suspicious—even if you think, ‘Look, he just did it now,’ that alone isn’t enough to arrest him. Detectives secretly tail pickpockets. And they keep tailing them endlessly until they can secure solid evidence. In other words, they wait until the victim has actually had something stolen. When I was a prosecutor, there were plenty of cases where detectives arrested pickpockets too quickly, making it impossible to gather evidence and proceed with prosecution. Hayashida is undoubtedly the culprit. Moreover, he’ll kill someone again in the future—but with just this evidence, we can’t catch that guy. No—if we were to arrest him around that point, he might have said, ‘I’ve been expecting this.’ ‘Then show me the evidence that I’m the culprit,’ he would retort. ‘Then both the police and the prosecutor would be done for all at once.’ If it were an ordinary criminal, that would be one thing, but someone of Hayashida’s caliber knows how to wriggle out of suspicion. ‘A murder without evidence! There’s nothing as messy as this.’”

“I see—the reason for not pressing charges has become clear.” “Even so, if that’s the case, wouldn’t it have been better to at least inform the inspector about it?” “Otherwise, wouldn’t it have been right to at least warn the three daughters who could become future victims?” “You don’t recall the inspector’s line of thinking back then?” “Not only that, but to make even the inspector certain, solid evidence was still required.” “The inspector is, after all, one of the legal professionals.” “Unless we showed that, what I said would have undoubtedly been considered nothing but ravings.” “Even though it was clear today that Hayashida was the one who strangled Sadako, the inspector still didn’t seem to fully believe it, don’t you think?”

“Then what about warning the daughters?” “Even worse.” “It wasn’t just the daughters—I had to keep it hidden from you too.” “You and the three young ladies are all too forthright.” “If you’d been told Hayashida was the culprit, you’d have betrayed it in your expressions.” “Someone like Sadako, who trusts Hayashida more than I do, might even tell him my suspicions.” “Then matters would grow far more perilous.”

“What do you mean?” “Do you know why Sada Yasuko was killed? If Hayashida had realized he was under suspicion back then, he would have undoubtedly killed Sadako first - the one who provided his alibi that night of the 20th. Sadako would have immediately fallen into danger. That’s why we must never let him realize we suspect Hayashida. It’s the most closely guarded secret of all. Now you understand why I kept my suspicions from everyone.”

“So you just believed he was suspicious but couldn’t do anything about it, waiting for the next victim to appear like a detective tailing a pickpocket?” “This isn’t a joke.” “Human lives aren’t like coin purses.” “By no means was I waiting around for the third murder to happen.” “But under the current legal framework, consider what more could be done against someone as intellectually superior as Hayashida.” “I was simply worried and trying to solve the final mystery.” The final mystery was this: who initially sent the threatening letters, and if they were relatives of the Date couple, where that person might be now. And then there was the question of why Hayashida held such a deep grudge against the Aikawa family. He had thought that clarifying this might yield some solid evidence.

5

“I resolved that I must go to Hayashida’s hometown myself at once.” “But then I came down with that fever and had to take to my bed.” “In the meantime, however, something interesting came to light.” “That’s Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi’s nature.” “The fact is he’s a sexual deviant.” “(See The Third Tragedy, Chapter 10.) That only strengthened my conviction in Hayashida’s guilt.” “That’s right.” “For someone of Hayashida’s caliber, why would he panic so when killing Yasuko?” “There must have been an error somewhere in his calculations.” “Then where was it?” At last, the resolution came. “In short, Hayashida had misread Yasuko’s feelings toward Tatsuyoshi.” “But with no evidence still, I could only warn you.” When the lobster plates were cleared and a large beef steak arrived, we devoted ourselves to eating for a time before Touda resumed his account.

“On April 25th, Hatsue was finally killed.” “When I first heard that news, I was utterly shocked.” “As I’ve often said, that crime appears at first glance to be one only a woman could commit.” “If that’s true, does it mean my reasoning was flawed?” “Yet other facts still point decisively to Hayashida.” “Not only was the crime committed while he was alone with Sadako on the second floor, but he’d also gone out somewhere just before that strange phone call came.” “There I was racking my brain over this when the next day’s autopsy revealed Veronal.” “With that, all my doubts dissolved at last, and I resolved to overcome every obstacle and rush to the Chugoku region immediately.” “That’s precisely when Hiroko came bursting in.” “As you know, Hiroko’s quite sharp.” “She’d noticed that whenever a crime occurred, Sadako was always alone with Hayashida.” “While her observation was astute, having come that far only to suspect Sadako instead of Hayashida was unfortunate.” “(See Hiroko’s Deductions in Parts Six and Seven.) It was natural she saw Hayashida protecting Sadako—she stopped just short of the truth.” “Yet Hayashida had completely succeeded in deceiving her.” “But remember that conversation on the morning of the twenty-first—the one I mentioned when pointing out Hiroko’s shortcomings later? (Refer to Inspector’s Logic Part Two.) That was overelaborate even for Hayashida.” “A critical mistake.” “In his panic to shift suspicion onto Date, he deliberately kept Sadako ignorant about Date and Hayakawa—doesn’t that strike you as profoundly unnatural in that situation?” “That became another reason for my suspicion of Hayashida.” “Still, I must say I was genuinely astonished witnessing what they call women’s intuition firsthand.” “Consider this.”

“Didn’t Hiroko conclude that Date’s parents were her own parents’ enemies without any evidence?” “Moreover, she even touched upon her father’s atonement for his sins.” “I was utterly amazed.” At this moment, I recalled how Touda had been so astonished upon hearing Hiroko’s theory that he dropped his cigarette on the floor twice. (See Hiroko’s Deduction, Part 7)

“Yeah—exactly! You were so astonished you dropped your cigarette twice.” “Especially the second time—you ended up dropping the one you had in your mouth right onto the floor.”

“I was utterly astonished at that time. “I was struck by her ‘Intuition,’ but if I were to make such a spectacle of myself a second time, it wouldn’t be surprising. “That exists solely for ‘Inspiration’s’ sake.” “What.” “‘Inspiration.’” “Exactly! A true revelation from God! “The moment I heard Hiroko’s declaration, I thought of Hayashida. And simultaneously, I wondered—could his parents be the Aikawa family’s sworn enemies? “Thus, the trip became an urgent matter that couldn’t be delayed a moment longer. “What should we do about my absence? “I’m deeply concerned about leaving them unattended.”

6 “However, I wasn’t worried enough to keep me from traveling. Do you follow my reasoning?”

“I don’t understand at all.” “It’s because our opponent is Hayashida.” “I couldn’t very well say this earlier at the police station, but Hayashida doesn’t give a damn about prosecutors or inspectors.” “The only one he considers his worthy opponent is Touda Shintarou.” “He intends to commit murder right before my eyes.” “Therefore, I thought he wouldn’t dare commit murder during my absence—but it turned out exactly as expected.” “Even so, this reassurance wasn’t absolute.” Just as I was wondering what to do, it became clear that the Inspector suspected Hiroko. “With this, I thought Hiroko alone would be safely protected.” “You seem to deeply resent how I egged the Inspector on to embrace his flawed theory, but there was profound reasoning behind that.” “If the Inspector were to detain Hiroko, what then?” “Even Hayashida wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her.”

Ah, now I finally understood Touda’s words from that time. Having been indignant without knowing anything, I might have been somewhat rash.

“As long as the inspector doesn’t detain Hiroko, having her under constant surveillance from dawn till dusk would leave Hayashida very few opportunities to exploit.” “Regardless of his motives, Hayashida despises Shunzo above all others.” “Therefore, Shunzo would logically be the last to be killed.” “Which means the next victims would inevitably be Hiroko or Sadako.” “That’s why I resolved to at least keep Hiroko out of harm’s way.”

He said this, fell silent for a moment, and gazed at me with a strange look. Now, I could not help but regret having resented Touda at that time.

“The trip was an utterly unexpected success. The facts I mentioned earlier have gradually come to light. Of course, the details remain unclear. Given it’s from forty years ago with incomplete family registries and records, I ultimately had to consult village elders—but my initial theories were largely confirmed. Investigating that extensively in such limited time was no simple feat. However, I ascertained precisely why Hayashida bore a grudge against Aikawa Shunzo. Next, I delved deeper into Date’s connections. This revealed that woman’s existence, though her current whereabouts eluded me entirely. Without time for verification, I rushed back. Suspecting Shunzo might know something crucial, I went straight to the Aikawa residence upon returning—only to find matters concluded thus. Shunzo died where Hayashida couldn’t reach him. So while genuinely shocked, I confirmed this wasn’t murder.”

“So, have you obtained evidence proving Hayashida’s guilt?” “Unfortunately, no such evidence exists.” “To compound matters, Shunzo—Hayashida’s ultimate target—has died.” “Now there’s no predicting what he might attempt.” “So what should I do?—First, I must exhaust every means to capture Date Kayo’s sister.” “If we apprehend her, she’d likely recognize Hayashida’s voice even without having met him.” “We’d definitively prove she received orders to send threats or make calls to the Aikawa residence.” “Then it struck me—Date’s involvement had curiously received little newspaper coverage until now.” “Listen—the letter sender was unquestionably Shunzo’s enemy.” “Yet for Masao, she must be an ally.”

7

“In that case,” “If Date were to fall into grave danger over a murder investigation now, she wouldn’t be able to stay silent.” “At minimum, unless she admits to sending the threatening letters herself, Date Masao’s life will become increasingly precarious.” “So I reasoned that unless this woman was dead or critically ill, she’d inevitably come forward on her own.” “That’s why—as you know—I broke with my usual practice and deliberately summoned reporters as a last resort, divulging everything.” “I never outright claimed Date had confessed to murder, but I strongly implied it.” “Journalists are terribly suggestible—mention ‘two’ and they’ll leap to ‘twenty.’” “The result was those inflammatory articles that made the inspector furious enough to want to haul me in for questioning.”

“Hmm.” “I see.” “But you told me yesterday to wait a little longer—did you anticipate that she would come rushing in this afternoon?”

“Of course, I couldn’t possibly know the exact timing.” “However, considering the suspicious calls up until now, we’d determined the woman must be somewhere within Tokyo City or its outskirts.” “Under those circumstances, I believed she’d come rushing out in panic by yesterday afternoon at the latest.” “This expectation proved precisely correct—as you know, Satomura Chiyo appeared.” “However, regrettably, she took her own life before we could confront Hayashida.” “Now we’ve clarified all preceding circumstances—yet the critical evidence against Hayashida has entirely disappeared.” “So what in blazes should we do?”

“This is undoubtedly the most formidable problem we’ve encountered thus far.” “No matter what angle we approach it from, we can’t find a way to corner Hayashida.” “We must stand by with folded arms even as the criminal remains right before our eyes.” “Meanwhile, his dangerousness only grows.” “The last strategy I conceived was to make him destroy himself.” “In the end, we have no recourse but to have him take his own life.” “It’s pitiful, but this marks the absolute limit of legal authority.”

When the waiter cleared away the remnants of the beef steak, Touda did not touch the fruit that came out next and continued while immediately sipping his black tea.

“Even making someone commit suicide—it’s by no means an easy task. Moreover, since I myself am a legal professional, I cannot openly engage in abetting suicide. As a result, the means I used were exactly as you closely witnessed. After parting with you yesterday evening, I used the time to first write down my deductions in full. In other words, I wrote down all of Hayashida Eizo’s crimes, enclosed them, and went with you to his house.”

“So that business about ‘nonsense’ versus ‘not nonsense’—it concerned Hayashida himself after all? I thought it was about Date again.” “That’s impossible. Count the years yourself. Don’t you see how such a thing couldn’t possibly hold? When Masao was born, Shunzo hadn’t even arrived in Yamaguchi Prefecture yet.”

“Hmm, I see.” “So when Hayashida heard your words, did he realize his own mistake for the first time?”

Touda smirked and gazed at my face. “Hey, you—do you actually believe what I said back then was true?” “But didn’t you confront Hayashida with tremendous confidence?”

“However, there’s absolutely no evidence for that.”

I was speechless for a moment.

I finally said. “So, was it all just your fantasy?” “Just as Hayashida said?”

8

“Fantasy?—You could call it a fantasy. But who can definitively assert that fantasy has not hit upon the truth? To me, it seems he might have actually been correct, don’t you think? Evidence is such a trivial thing. It’s what legal professionals need when judging cases—only necessary to force an opponent in debate to submit. Whether that actually applies to the truth is not a matter of evidence. Indeed, there is no evidence for my statement that ‘it is absolutely not nonsense.’ But there should be no evidence for Hayashida’s claim that it’s ‘nonsense’ either. Why do you think that is? There’s no way Hayashida himself could know who his real father was.”

At this moment, Touda continued speaking in a strangely solemn tone. “Father and child—blood relatives! In this world, there is nothing so precious, mysterious, and significant—and yet so utterly unreliable. You know Strindberg’s play *The Father*, I suppose. That father cries out, 'Fathers cannot truly understand their own children; fathers have no children!' However, from the child’s perspective, isn’t it even more pitiable? For children, even their own mothers aren’t truly known, isn’t that right? How much less their fathers! You, me, Hayashida—nay, all people in the world—simply believe that those who proclaim themselves to be our fathers and mothers are indeed our parents. Or are they merely believing what those around them say—‘That is your mother, that is your father’—without question? ‘Every child has a father and mother. Yet they have no means of knowing those parents,’ I want to say. Even if a man named Ten’ichibō had existed in the Tokugawa period, I don’t believe he was such a villain. He is the quintessential unfilial child. He must have believed the shogun was his father. He must have believed it so deeply that he came forward in that manner. To Lord Echizen, whether it was genuine or counterfeit made no difference. It didn’t matter at all……And so we return to Hayashida’s problem. I actually imagined such a fantasy.”

"But at the same time, I began to feel that it wasn’t a fantasy but the truth. As I spoke to Hayashida, what I was saying gradually began to feel like reality—it frightened me, and at the same time, I came to see Hayashida Eizo as a pitiful piece of driftwood being tossed about in fate’s tempestuous waves."

“But don’t you think Hayashida considered your opinion correct and resolved to commit suicide precisely because he realized he had made a terrible mistake?” “Yeah.”

A dark shadow passed over Touda’s face, but it soon brightened again.

“To think that way is both dreadful and satisfying. But while finding such thoughts unpleasant, I can’t help feeling it might be self-conceit.”

“If he didn’t believe that, he wouldn’t have resolved to die. If he didn’t believe it, even if you listed his crimes before the prosecutor, since there’s no evidence—as you say—he could just deny everything and that would be the end of it.”

At this moment, Touda took a satisfying puff of his after-dinner cigarette. “You don’t understand Napoleon’s mindset—that’s the problem.” “Hayashida is the Napoleon of the criminal world!” “The Beethoven of the criminal world!” “At the very least, he believes so himself.” “I am great; the crimes I commit can never be detected by human intellect.” “Indeed—not even to this Touda Shintarou.”

9 “In other words, he had forgotten that even Napoleon had his Waterloo.” “And he had forgotten that this Touda Shintarou was his Wellington and Blücher!”

Touda, who had elevated Hayashida to Napoleon, now abruptly likened himself to the generals of Waterloo. At times like these, I would always observe Touda’s vanity as though it were a child proudly strutting about. “Mr. Hayashida, who harbored such vanity, simply couldn’t endure having his crimes laid bare before me like this.” “You often hear about tycoons who suddenly fall into ruin and end up committing suicide, don’t you?” “But their so-called penniless state is quite different from the proletariat’s literal destitution.” “They still have fifty or a hundred yen.” “No—they might have five hundred or a thousand, maybe even more.” “They’re by no means starving.” “So why do they kill themselves?” “Because they believed themselves to be the wealthiest in the land—they lived by that faith.” “They took pride in that awareness, secretly or openly.” “That sole pride vanished overnight.” “Faith disappeared abruptly.” “They couldn’t bear living even one more day.” “Hayashida’s psychology was exactly the same.” “He believed himself Japan’s greatest—no, the world’s greatest—crime king.” “Then I appeared and shattered that pride and confidence.” “Being who he was, how could he not collapse in despair?” “Pride.” “Confidence.”

“And faith. Since all these were lost at once, he had no choice but to choose death. Legally, of course, he knew he was safe. But in that situation, this couldn’t save him from the abyss of despair.”

Indeed, what Touda said was reasonable on the surface. However, if that were the case, why hadn't he employed that approach sooner?

“Then why didn’t you do it sooner? You had already suspected Hayashida after the second incident. At the very least, after the third incident, you had gained considerable certainty, hadn’t you? If you’d written out your deductions and confronted him back then, Hayashida would’ve killed himself right then and there, wouldn’t he?”

“It’s not that simple—it wouldn’t have been so easy.” “First, at that time, I lacked confidence because the motive was unclear.” “Second—and this is crucial—we must take Hayashida’s psychological state into account.” “His psychological state now is entirely different from back then.” “Back then, Shunzo—his lifelong enemy—was alive and kicking. Though weakened, he was still alive.” “So if I’d exposed his crimes and confronted him then, even stripped of pride, he’d still have had the desperate courage to fight back.” “But now?” “His ultimate target, Shunzo, had already died one step ahead.” “Not only was he thoroughly demoralized—he was even mired in doubt over who’d killed Shunzo.” “That’s precisely when I struck.” “Yet even then, that bastard thrashed like a cornered rat at death’s door.” “Truthfully, I’d believed he’d meet death quietly last night... no—heroically and composed.” “That’s why I sounded him out by phone this morning. But the wretch chose to drag someone down with him.” “He picked Sadako as his unwilling companion in death.” “Moreover, I maintain there were no oversights in my decision to employ this tactic only yesterday.” “After the third incident—once I became convinced of his guilt—I’m certain I reliably protected the Aikawa household.” “This morning’s commotion excepted.”

Indeed, when I considered it that way, the fourth incident wasn't a murder case after all; ultimately, Hatsue had been the last one killed.

10

“I believe I’ve now explained the entire bizarre case of the Aikawa family to you, but is there anything unclear?” Touda grinned at me, letting his cigarette smoke curl up continuously as he held it between his fingers.

“You still seem a bit unclear about things, huh? Ah, right—that must be it. You’re wondering why Hiroko was reading *The Green Murder Case* at such a time, aren’t you?” “Yeah.” “Regarding that, I must first explain the psychological state of the people in that household. I believe I briefly mentioned the horror of heredity at the police station earlier. What is truly fearsome is the bloodline passed down to Aikawa Shunzo. To put it more clearly, it’s the Yamada family’s cursed bloodline. Yamada Nobunosuke brought about tremendous misfortune by forming that fateful triangle. Shunzo was that man’s child. As might be expected of someone who was recognized in his youth and entered the Aikawa family, he became a man of considerable ability. He amassed a vast fortune in his lifetime. Moreover, he had indeed inherited the Yamada family’s cursed bloodline. To put it bluntly—call it lust if you will—he was weak when it came to matters involving the opposite sex, just like his father. As I’ve already mentioned, he came to commit adultery with Date Shohei’s wife. Moreover, before long, he ended up fathering a daughter named Sadako with another woman. When I first saw the faces of the three daughters, I felt that Sadako might not be Tokuko’s daughter. This suspicion became even clearer due to the fact that only Hatsue and Sadako had just one difference between them, but it was later made entirely clear through Hiroko’s account.”

“Hey Touda, who do you think Sadako’s real mother was?” “Who knows?” “She might’ve been a geisha.” “Or an ordinary woman.” “I haven’t the faintest clue.” “But why dig into this now?” “It’s Shunzo’s buried secret.” “He took it to his grave.” “No sense dredging it up without cause.” “So that’s the sort of man Shunzo was.” “Socially accomplished—a model citizen.” “Yet as a family man? A complete failure.”

“Now, it’s clear that a man like Shunzo couldn’t create a cheerful household. When he brought Sadako into his home and began raising Date Masao, there must have been constant trouble with his wife. Of course, when fostering Date Masao, he surely never told Tokuko the truth of the matter—but with Sadako’s case, he likely revealed the facts. This way, while maintaining an impeccable facade, Shunzo’s household had cultivated an internally dark, stifling family environment.”

"However, Shunzo, continually threatened by that secret from his past, had gradually declined." In particular, after receiving the threatening letters, this decline had grown even more severe, until he had even ended up abandoning his position. By the way, it was Hiroko—the most astute and spirited of them all—who had sniffed out the family secret. She had long been interested in criminology and detective novels. After considering her family’s circumstances, she began applying her longstanding interests directly into practice. She began pouring all her accumulated knowledge into trying to uncover the secret of her own home. "The extent to which her mind is practical is something I should have explained to you before I left on my trip." She had admirably conceived a theory— that the threatening letters had been sent to Father by her younger sister Sadako. "Since then, until she came to me, she had been completely suspecting Sadako."

11 “She began conducting various studies about female criminals.” “Though *The Green Murder Case* is a detective novel, its circumstances closely resembled those of her own household.” “That’s why she became engrossed in reading that book and studying the murder methods employed by that seemingly innocent girl.” “When I drew her out and she mentioned Van Dine’s works, Hiroko—clever as she was—turned the conversation about her reading of crime novels into hints that her younger sister was suspicious.” “You recall her bringing up Constance Kent’s case and that phrase about being ‘outwardly like a Bodhisattva yet inwardly a Yasha,’ yes?” “And when she spoke with you by the flowerbed just before the third incident—that wasn’t mere implication but explicit declaration.”

“Just before the first incident—on the night of April 17th—she had been reading Van Dine.” Why would that be? That afternoon, she had been threatened at the office first by the threatening letter, then by that peculiar phone call. You were the one who answered it, but she stood right beside you and must have grown suspicious. There she pondered—how many people knew she had been there that afternoon, and through what means they had discovered it. “In other words, she sought her solution within the Green Murder Case—the story that most closely mirrored her own circumstances.”

“Yeah, now I understand Hiroko’s feelings.” “What about the others?” “Sadako is an extremely shy woman.” “You’ve seen this yourself and know it well enough.” “But though she appears shy, inwardly she’s remarkably stubborn.” “She’s fully aware that her sister suspects her.” “Moreover, she herself had been harboring suspicions about her sister.” “She must have sensed there was some secret regarding her own past.” “However, as I’ve already told you, she frequently suspected her lover Date regarding the murders.” “Well then, shall we be going?”

Touda summoned the waiter, settled the bill, and promptly urged me to go outside.

The weather was fine, so Ginza’s sidewalks were crowded with people out for a stroll. Before we knew it, we had come to the café mentioned at the beginning of this story.

“How about some tea?”

I still had things I wanted to ask, and even though we had just finished drinking plenty of tea, knowing Touda was the sort of man who would invariably accompany me in such situations, I decided to invite him. Sure enough, he promptly agreed to my proposal.

The same booth we had sat in on April 17th was available, so we took our seats facing each other again.

“No—thanks to your explanation, I’ve finally come to understand this case.” “However, there’s still one thing I don’t understand.” “What is it?” “The family’s statements immediately after the first incident.” “About that lock on the couple’s bedroom—is it true that it was locked from the wife’s side?” “Hmm, I don’t know.” “But it might not be wrong to think Tokuko was the one who locked it.” “Shunzo might have thought his own death was unavoidable.” “However, he wanted to protect his family.” “So it’s possible he had cautioned Tokuko to ensure that even if an enemy broke into his room, they couldn’t immediately reach hers.” “Or perhaps that night, after a heated argument, his wife vented her indignation by locking him out.” “She shut out her husband.” “But like the matter of Sadako’s biological mother, the truth about this door remains unclear now.” “And there’s no need to know that either.”

Touda smoked an A-ship while gulping down his tea again.

12

“What about the light in Tokuko’s room?” “Yeah, we should assume both the desk lamp and ceiling light were on. Tokuko first took her medicine in bed. Then she likely tried to calmly turn off the lights. But the medication worked too fast—she didn’t have time to switch off either one.”

“Then I remembered one more thing.” “About Satomura Chiyo…” “The fact that Date’s arrest hadn’t appeared in the papers until now was entirely coincidental, as you yourself stated.” “But if Date’s involvement had been reported sooner, Satomura would inevitably have emerged much earlier too.” “Even so, wouldn’t Hayashida have minded that?”

“Regarding that matter, I believe I’ve already stated it clearly before. Hayashida was prepared for Satomura to come forward at any time. If Satomura were to come forward, it would be disadvantageous for Date, and besides, Satomura Chiyo’s testimony wouldn’t be trusted much by the authorities. The fact that repeated phone instructions were coming from some nameless man would sound like nothing but sheer nonsense. You don’t seem to have raised any doubts about that, but shall I ask? Hey, you. At the time of the third incident, Satomura likely made a suspicious phone call to Hatsue under Hayashida’s instructions. As long as Hatsue is dead, no one besides Hayashida could possibly know the contents of that phone call. Yet right after that incident, Hayashida truthfully disclosed the contents of Chiyo’s phone call. Why do you suppose he did that? He could have spouted any number of other lies instead, couldn’t he?”

“Hmm, I see. Hayashida must have believed that being honest at that time was the most advantageous approach.”

“That’s right.” “That’s the point.” “Hayashida is handling matters by telling as few lies as possible to the authorities.” “This is where his cunning lies.”

After that, we spent about twenty minutes chatting before parting ways in Owaricho to enjoy a leisurely rest after so long. At this time, Touda said: “An unparalleled criminal truly exists in this world.” “I might have to retract that statement I made about villains in detective novels being too clever.”

I answered.

“No, there’s no need for that. After all, it turned out he couldn’t surpass my Touda Shintarou.”

×　　　　　　×　　　　　　×

Well, this long and drawn-out story had to bid farewell to its readers at this point.

However, I would like to briefly note the events following this day before laying down my pen. After Hayashida's death, a lethal poison was indeed discovered in the teacup that had been collected by the police from Sadako's room.

The day after he committed suicide, Touda reappeared at the police station and fully clarified the points he had left unexplained the previous day, resulting in Date Masao and Hayakawa Tatsuyoshi being completely cleared of murder suspicions. Though it appeared both men had committed other chargeable offenses, through Touda's efforts they were both released that very day. With this, all police-related matters were settled. Hayashida's residence was thoroughly searched, but not a single piece of evidence usable in future proceedings was discovered.

In particular, there were no documents left regarding whether Hayashida was truly the biological son of Hayashida Bunji or that of Yamada Nobunosuke. Furthermore, no suicide note or anything resembling one was found that belonged to Hayashida himself. Therefore, whether his motive for suicide stemmed from believing Touda’s theory or from the ultimate disappointment of being seen through by Touda remains entirely unclear. Some believe it was the former, while others assert it was the latter.

It was clear that it had to be one of the two, but determining which one remained impossible.

13

As for this matter and the question of who Sadako’s birth mother was—these remain eternal mysteries. The many threatening letters that should have been sent from Satomura Chiyo to Aikawa Shunzo were not discovered at Hayashida’s residence. Of course, they must have been completely burned and disposed of at some point without anyone noticing. Satomura Chiyo’s daughter was interrogated but released shortly thereafter as nothing significant was found. This was simply because she had been pressured by her hysterical mother into reluctantly operating the typewriter.

The most important thing was Touda’s efforts to brighten the Aikawa household in the aftermath of the incident.

As had been noted repeatedly, only two members remained in the Aikawa family—Hiroko and Sadako—and with these sole sisters glaring at each other like sworn enemies, creating a harmonious atmosphere became an even greater struggle for Touda than apprehending the criminal. He first laid out the entire course of events before the sisters, then clearly pointed out the psychological states of the two during the incident. Then, regarding Hiroko, while he did not forget to fully praise her logical mind and knowledge of criminology, he simultaneously vehemently argued that there was no basis for suspecting Sadako. Next, regarding Sadako, after expressing his wholehearted sympathy for the hardships she had endured in her struggles alongside her lover, he explained how skillfully she had become entangled in Hayashida’s deception.

In this way, he finally managed to resolve the misunderstanding between the two parties. Fortunately, the presence of the gallant Date Masao proved extremely effective for this purpose. He had endured immense suffering under false suspicions, but true to his sportsman nature, he never lost his cheerfulness and brightness. It seemed that whenever he thought about the past he had come to know for the first time, he would temporarily sink into a completely dark mood, but that too appeared to recover before long. From his perspective, being doubted by Sadako, whom he loved, and suspected by her sister Hiroko must have been an irreparable wound. However, once the sisters were fully reconciled, he manfully let bygones be bygones, becoming genuinely cheerful from the heart, and even took it upon himself to strive to further improve the relationship between the sisters.

As a result，on the third day after Hayashida’s death，bright and cheerful laughter came to be heard for the first time in the Aikawa household． Hiroko had，before she knew it，become the owner of a grand mansion and a fortune of eight hundred thousand． However，she announced to us that she would relinquish half of her wealth on the occasion of the imminent marriage between Date Masao and Aikawa Sadako． It was also decided that Date would take full responsibility for Satomura Chiyo’s pitiable daughter．

After the storm had passed and their numbers were reduced, the Aikawa family was by no means unhappier than before.

Now, as for me—though the reader has likely already surmised—I alone cannot help but feel somewhat melancholic. Even Hiroko, the eldest daughter of a prominent family, is someone I cannot quite match. Hasn’t that Hiroko now become the master commanding a vast fortune of hundreds of thousands? The love that had welled up unbidden in the depths of my heart must be crushed without a moment's resistance. I intend to keep her in my mind as a beautiful woman who crossed paths with me at one point in life.

After this incident, Touda would often say to me—who was sometimes lost in thought— “Don’t dwell on it so much.” “What brings happiness and what brings misery—the immediate future is utterly shrouded in darkness.” “Another incident will surely come.” “A beautiful young lady will bring it in, you see.” “And this time, it won’t be such a bourgeois one, you see.”