Pathway to Japanese Literature

Part One

I

Ladies and gentlemen, the detective story I am about to relate concerns a murder case so complicated that Tsubohara Shunkun, the teenage scientific detective himself declared it one of the most taxing investigations he ever undertook. Fundamentally in criminal investigations, the most difficult circumstance arises when a murder victim's identity remains unknown. Even when confronting a corpse clearly killed by another's hand, if we cannot determine who lies before us, there exists no starting point for hunting the perpetrator. Therefore history abounds with unsolved cases where victims' identities were never established.

If we cannot identify someone, we cannot know what kind of life they led or who they associated with. Even if authorities apprehend a prime suspect, it remains difficult to punish someone for killing an unidentified person unless the suspect themselves confess.

Therefore, when handling a murder victim, a detective must first and foremost determine who that person is. Once that was established, they would begin narrowing down suspects, yet there were times when the perpetrator’s identity proved difficult to ascertain. In such circumstances, detectives had to endure extraordinary hardships.

In the case we are about to relate too, because the victim's identity proved difficult to ascertain, Shunkun endured extraordinary hardships. As you all know, Shunkun often solves cases in his laboratory, but to determine a corpse's identity, he must sometimes go out to various places and question numerous people. This case too took a considerable physical toll on Shunkun, which is precisely why whenever the subject of this incident comes up, he cannot help but sigh and say, "It was exhausting."

II

Ladies and gentlemen, you have probably looked out over the entire Asakusa district from Ueno Park's elevated grounds. From Kannon Hall - that is to say Kinryūzan Sensōji Temple - if you gradually shift your gaze leftward, three modest-sized temples stand aligned at your vision's farthest reach. These temples boast historic prestige, having been constructed at the Shogun's command during the Edo period. Yet since entering the Meiji era, their congregations' fortunes have waned considerably, leaving them in marked disrepair. Though belonging to the Jōdo Sect, all three temples undergo frequent changes in head priests. Through their custodianship of parishioners' gravesites alone do they manage to endure.

During the Great Kanto Earthquake, these three temples alone miraculously escaped burning and became shelters for nearby disaster victims. Afterwards, reconstruction in this area progressed at a snail's pace, and the temples only continued to deteriorate further. However, all three temples now have proper head priests and temple workers residing there, maintaining good standing among parishioners. All three temples face a street called S, arranged from right to left as Hōkōji, Tōsenji, and Fukunenji when viewed from the front. Each has a main gate facing the thoroughfare, while behind their main halls lie extensive cemeteries that border a narrow lane called M. This rear access lacks proper gates, being demarcated only by sparsely planted Japanese black pine trees that permit unrestricted entry. Consequently, some visitors choose to approach the graves through this back entrance rather than using the formal temple gates.

To clarify, these three temples were completely identical in both the shape of their main halls and the condition of their cemeteries, yet their head priests and temple workers did not maintain particularly close relations. To mention belatedly, modest earthen walls had been constructed along the mutual boundaries between the three temples. However, those earthen walls had crumbled in places.

Ah, before I knew it, my explanation about the three temples had grown quite lengthy. However, unless you clearly understand the state of these three temples, it will be difficult to follow the whole story of the case I am about to relate. Indeed, it would be fair to say that Shunkun found the clue that led to solving this case by noticing the similarities between these three temples.

III

It was a perfectly clear morning in mid-May. Tatsubei Jii-san, a sixtyish temple worker at Tōsenji—the central temple among the three—was sweeping up fallen crimson azalea blossoms in the rear garden while gradually moving toward the cemetery with his broom when he suddenly let out a soft cry of surprise and froze in place. For there lay a man face down on the ground before one of the stone monuments.

At first, the old man thought the man might be sleeping. This was because homeless vagrants without lodging would often spend nights in this cemetery during summer. However, the moment he approached, the old man’s assumption proved terribly mistaken. To put it cruelly, the back of the man's head had been split open like a pomegranate.

The old man abruptly discarded his broom, stumbled into a run, and went to inform the head priest. The head priest—a freshly shaven man around fifty—changed color and broke into a run. Then the old man reported it to the local police box, and from there it was relayed to Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters. Since it had become Detective Oda’s case—as you all know—Detective Oda immediately came to consult Shunkun. Recently, Detective Oda had come to have all cases under his charge entrusted to Shunkun. This was because it proved more convenient for Detective Oda.

We rushed to the scene without delay. The corpse had been left undisturbed, so Shunkun-kun began his investigation with great enthusiasm. In most previous cases, by the time Shunkun-kun arrived at crime scenes, they had already been trampled over, rendering any potential clues useless. But in this instance, he was presented with a completely pristine scene, leaving him unable to voice his usual complaints.

Instead of being able to voice complaints, Shunkun-kun reportedly thought upon first glance, "I’ve stumbled upon a difficult case." Of course, this was something Shunkun-kun later explained, but the reason was this: the man who had met such a gruesome death wore nothing but a knit shirt and underpants—no hat, no geta sandals, not even tabi socks on his feet. At first glance, it seemed as though only the corpse had been transported from another location, but given how blood had flowed from the wound on the back of the head and seeped into the ground—with no other blood spatter present—one could only conclude that the perpetrator had killed the man on the spot before removing his clothes, geta sandals, and hat.

Why would the perpetrator do such a thing? One might initially suspect this to be the work of a robber, but a robber would have no reason to take items like hats and geta sandals. Ultimately, this must have been done by the perpetrator to prevent the corpse's identity from being discovered—this was the hypothesis Shunkun-kun formed the moment he saw it. “Uncle P.”

With this, Shunkun said to Detective Oda while continuing to look down at the corpse.

"This case is going to be extremely troublesome." "How can you tell?" Detective Oda asked in surprise.

“The criminal stripped the corpse essentially naked in order to conceal its identity. Even if trying to conceal its identity—since a Tokyo resident’s would soon be discovered anyway—the criminal had no reason to take such risks by stripping it bare. By leaving it like this—essentially naked—he must have believed there was no way the identity could ever be discovered.”

As he spoke, Shunkun re-examined the wound on the back of the head and looked around the area. "The attack was likely delivered with a club or thick tree branch in a single strike, but the criminal took that murder weapon away with them." Then he turned to me, "Brother, lend me a hand here. I want to turn the corpse over." It was truly a thankless task, but I helped turn the corpse face-up. The face was smeared with mud, but he appeared to be around fifty years old with a sallow complexion, closely cropped hair, and a rather well-built frame.

Shunkun carefully brushed the dirt from the face and addressed the head priest and Tatsubei Jii-san. “Does this face look familiar to you?”

Both of them stared intently, but eventually shook their heads.

"Did you hear any human voices here last night?" Both of them denied it once again.

"Though not entirely clear, judging from the stiffness of the muscles, the murder must have been committed around twelve o'clock last night." To no one in particular, Shunkun-kun said this and began searching through the corpse’s shirt pocket. There was naturally nothing there, but Shunkun-kun’s fingertips caught some debris from inside the pocket. I promptly took out a watch glass from the detective bag and collected the debris onto it.

Then Shunkun took an ear pick and collected the earwax from the corpse’s ear. Next, he carefully collected the dirt under the fingernails and toenails.

The head priest was watching Shunkun-kun’s actions with curious eyes, but “What will you do with the nail dirt and earwax you’ve collected?” he asked. “Nail dirt and earwax can serve as clues to a person’s occupation.” “For example, your nail dirt will surely contain powder from incense sticks or funeral incense.” “Therefore, if we find incense powder in the nail dirt, we can determine that person is a priest.” The head priest made a surprised face and gazed at his fingertips.

Shunkun-kun then carefully examined the ground around the corpse. As there had been no rain for about a week, the ground had become extremely hard, and no traces resembling footprints could be discovered. “Uncle P, I’ve completed the preliminary examination.” “Please have this corpse transported to the Metropolitan Police Department and arrange for facial photographs to be taken immediately.” “Then have them perform an autopsy and thoroughly examine the stomach and intestinal contents.” “At the same time, ensure they conduct a full analysis of digestive progression in those contents.” “I’ll return to the laboratory to examine the debris and earwax.”

Part Two

I Tsubohara Shunkun returned to the laboratory and immediately began microscopic examination of the debris from the corpse's shirt pocket along with its earwax and nail dirt. Fundamentally, this microscopic examination of debris and bodily deposits occupies the most crucial position among recent scientific investigative methods, and in certain cases may serve a more vital role than fingerprints. In this field, Mr. Locard—who currently serves as chief of the Lyon Police Department's forensic division in France—stands as the most renowned authority. Through his efforts, numerous difficult cases had been resolved with remarkable ease. These examples were detailed in his recent publication, which had naturally become one of Shunkun's cherished reference works.

To attempt giving one or two examples now: in a certain forest, a young woman had been strangled to death. Soon after, a young man was arrested as a suspect, but despite various pieces of circumstantial evidence, the youth absolutely would not confess. Therefore, the police requested Mr. Locard's assistance in obtaining direct evidence. Thereupon Mr. Locard first conducted a thorough examination of the woman's corpse, where he found scratch marks from fingernails on her neck—likely made by the perpetrator while strangling her. When they next collected and examined dirt from under the youth’s fingernails, what appeared under the microscope were epithelial layers of human skin and particles of a particular type of face powder.

The face powder differed from ordinary varieties - being a rare type exclusively favored by the murdered woman - making the evidence now conclusive. When confronted with this proof, even that youth could no longer maintain his composure and ultimately confessed. On another occasion, authorities apprehended a counterfeiting ring. Yet they remained unable to identify either the mastermind among them or the location of the counterfeit operation. With none of the suspects confessing and investigators at an impasse, the police sought Mr. Locard's expertise.

Thereupon Mr. Locard collected earwax from the suspects and examined each sample. As a result, he discovered flecks of printing ink in one man’s earwax. That man was an innkeeper, and though the police had never imagined conducting a house search, upon Mr. Locard's discovery they immediately entered and examined the premises, where indeed a printing press was found in the basement.

In this manner, examinations of nail dirt and earwax can sometimes provide conclusive evidence. As previously mentioned, one can also determine a person's occupation from their nail dirt. Moreover, one can even determine where that person has lived. However, in criminal investigations, not every case proceeds as conveniently as these examples. Shunkun-kun set about the microscopic examination with considerable enthusiasm, but when he emerged after about three hours had passed, his face clearly showed disappointment.

“Well? Did you find any significant clues?”

When I asked, “No good, no good. There’s nothing unusual—just a bit of pepper powder clinging to the right thumb.”

“Pepper?” I said, then thought. “There’s no need to overthink it—he probably just ate some Western food.”

Shunkun-kun said nonchalantly. “Was there anything unusual in the earwax?”

“No, there’s nothing—not even anything noteworthy found in the debris from the shirt pocket.” “The moment I saw the corpse in the cemetery, I thought this case would be troublesome—and indeed it proved so.” “At this point, I have no choice but to wait for the autopsy results and hope to gain some clue.”

Just then, the entrance bell rang, so when I went to open it, there stood none other than Detective Oda.

As soon as Detective Oda stepped inside, Shunkun-kun inquired about the autopsy results. “As soon as we had the corpse transported to the Metropolitan Police Department for an autopsy afterward, we discovered that the deceased had eaten Western food about two hours before dying.”

We involuntarily exchanged glances. Detective Oda continued speaking without paying us any heed. "That was determined by the degree to which the beef cutlet had been digested." "If he was killed at twelve last night, then he probably ate the beef cutlet around ten o'clock." “Then did you immediately have them search those nearby Western restaurants?” Detective Oda nodded and, "Ah, I immediately ordered my subordinates to split up with photos of the deceased and have them search not just the Asakusa area but as many Western restaurants as possible." "They’re supposed to phone us immediately upon discovery." “By the way, have you discovered anything unusual?”

"As I was just discussing with Uncle, we've found absolutely no clues. While we did discover pepper powder in the dirt under the right thumb's nail, this merely corroborates the autopsy results you described earlier. In any case, the perpetrator must either be extraordinarily lucky or exceptionally cunning." "However, the fact that the deceased ate Western food becomes an extremely significant clue at this juncture. Where he ate will likely be uncovered soon enough. Once we determine that, we'll identify who accompanied him there and naturally obtain leads about the perpetrator as well."

At this moment, the telephone rang, so when I went to answer it, the caller was a man requesting Detective Oda to come to the phone. Realizing what this must be, I signaled to Detective Oda with my eyes. Soon, he took the receiver and began speaking in an excited tone—but as soon as he hung up,

“Shunkun-kun, I’ve found it! I’ve identified the Western restaurant the deceased visited last night! I’m going there immediately—will you come with me?”

Chapter Two

A few minutes later, the three of us were riding in a car heading toward our destination. According to Detective Oda’s account, the Western restaurant where the deceased had stopped by last night was located in Y-chō, Asakusa Ward—a street approximately ten chō away from S-chō’s Three Temples where the corpse had been discovered. After about thirty minutes when the car arrived, we found ourselves on a relatively bustling street where H軒—the Western restaurant reportedly visited by the deceased—stood as a two-story white Western-style building with a neatly kept appearance.

We were greeted by detectives and went inside, but fortunately, given the time of day, there were no customers present, so we could converse at our leisure. According to the detective who had come for the search, it had been resolved unexpectedly quickly because the waitress conveniently remembered the dead man’s face. Detective Oda commended the detective for his efforts and asked to have the woman who had served the deceased summoned. Then shortly afterward, a fair-skinned, round-faced girl of seventeen or eighteen timidly emerged from the back and came before everyone.

According to her account, the deceased had entered around nine-thirty last night with another man, ordered beef cutlet and drank sake, and they had been talking intently until approximately eleven-thirty. She didn’t remember the deceased’s clothing well—he had been wearing a serge kimono with a serge haori—but the other man had also been dressed in a serge kimono with a black unlined haori, and both had been wearing gray soft hats.

“What kind of haircut did the man have?” Shunkun-kun asked. "It was a close-cropped haircut." “You remember that man’s face well—in other words, if he were to come here a second time, could you recognize him immediately?” “Yes, I believe I remember that.”

“You all seem quite skilled at guessing people’s occupations at a glance—what did you think that man did for a living?”

“Yes, well… His complexion was fair and his hands were very clean, so at first glance I thought he might be a doctor.” “I see. Did you happen to hear what they were talking about?” “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about that. At that time, the customers were rather crowded, so I couldn’t stay in one place to serve them—and besides, they kept speaking in hushed tones throughout.”

“So which one of them paid the bill?” “I’m afraid I’m not entirely sure—when we left the bill on the table, after some time, there was money placed on the tray. However, after the two gentlemen had left, when cleaning the table, a business card was found. Whether they had left it there deliberately, or it had accidentally fallen from their wallet, or they hadn't noticed it drop because they were looking down—in any case, by the time I noticed it, they had already left, and there was nothing I could do about it.”

Shunkun-kun’s face suddenly lit up, “Do you still have that business card?” “Yes,” said the woman as she went into the back, and before long she returned with the business card. The business card that Shunkun-kun received with trembling hands read: Dentist Omura Teizo Tokyo City, Nihonbashi Ward, Kakiokamachi 3-chome It was as written above. Shunkun-kun stared at it fixedly for some time, then turned to Detective Oda and said, “In any case, shouldn’t we go visit Omura Dental Clinic?”

After that, we left the Western restaurant with the detective who had discovered H軒 and boarded the car.

When we came to Kakiokamachi 3-chome, to our surprise, there was no dentist named Omura. We felt completely fooled as we searched around, but finding a police box between 2-chome and 1-chome, we went there and discovered the officer had fortunately been in charge of that district for the past ten years. When we briefly explained our business, inquired about Omura Dental Clinic, and showed the business card, the police officer was greatly surprised,

“This is strange—Mr. Omura had been burned to death during the earthquake.” he cried out in a trembling voice.

Part Three

Section One

What could it mean that either the murdered man or his dining companion had been carrying a dead man's business card - specifically that of Dr. Omura, who had died during the earthquake over four years prior? From Shunkun-kun to Detective Oda and all accompanying officers, everyone was dumbfounded and could only exchange glances in silence for some time.

“Is it certain that Dr. Omura was burned to death in the Great Kanto Earthquake?”

After some time, Tsubohara Shunkun asked the police officer at the police box. “Well… When you put it that way… I cannot give a definite answer.” “On September 1st of Taishō 12—that dreadful day—Mr. Omura had business elsewhere… But when he never returned home… his family came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came… came…

"In that case, since no corpse was actually discovered—if we consider this doubtfully—Mr. Omura might still be alive." "So are you aware of where their family's hometown is where they currently reside?"

“It’s Nagoya.” “Nagoya?” Shunkun-kun considered, “Do you happen to know which part of Nagoya it is?” “I don’t recall off the top of my head, but if I check, I can find out.”

With these words, the police officer opened his desk drawer and examined its contents, then soon copied something onto a slip of paper and handed it to Shunkun-kun. While putting it into his pocket, Shunkun-kun turned toward Detective Oda and said, “Uncle, at present this business card remains our sole clue. To advance our investigation further, we must absolutely go to Nagoya and question Mr. Omura’s bereaved family about these circumstances. We must recognize that this business card couldn’t have been in the Western restaurant by mere coincidence; therefore, just as the waitress said, we have to consider that it was dropped by either the murdered man or the man who dined with him. As you can see, this business card differs from a newly made one—given how it appears to have been kept in a wallet or similar container for an extended period—I therefore consider it most reasonable to conclude this was a business card created by Mr. Omura himself.”

"Considering this, one of the two men who dined together must have some connection to Mr. Omura. There's a chance Mr. Omura's bereaved family might know one of the two men. Therefore under these circumstances, I believe we must by all means go to Nagoya and meet Mr. Omura's bereaved family. Fortunately we have the address—I'll go to Nagoya now."

“That sounds arduous.” “Then I’ll entrust the Nagoya investigation to you, Shunkun-kun.” “But shouldn’t we pursue some inquiries here while waiting?” “Let me consider.” Tsubohara Shunkun bowed his head in contemplation before speaking again. “Please investigate the backgrounds of Tōsenji Temple’s head priest and caretaker where the corpse was found.” “And as precaution, would you also have someone examine the priests and workers at the two temples adjacent to Tōsenji?”

Thus, we parted from the group and returned to the laboratory to prepare for our journey.

Section Two Due to the train schedule, we boarded the 11 p.m. train departing from Tokyo Station that night. "Nagoya City Higashi Ward Chikusa-cho Takami 3-banchi Omura Shinko"—this was our destination. We arrived at Nagoya Station just before 8 a.m., and the pleasant May sun was blazing down. First, we had breakfast at the Mikado Dining Hall inside the station, then hired an automobile and drove straight east along Hirokoji Avenue. Hirokoji Avenue was Nagoya's most bustling thoroughfare running east-west, lined with grand edifices and towering structures, yet somehow enveloped in an unhurried atmosphere that seemed to symbolize Nagoya itself. Shunkun-kun gazed curiously at both sides while offering various striking critiques, speaking to me all the while.

Before long, the automobile cut through the town and emerged into what appeared to be the outskirts. I had visited Kakōzan Nisshōji Temple via the same road about ten years ago. At that time, both sides of the road had been entirely green rice fields with what looked like farms here and there, but now it had become a splendid urban area with townhouses lining both sides intermittently. The speed of urban development was truly astonishing. I was quietly lost in thought while shifting my gaze to the scenery outside the window when, before long, the automobile arrived at our destination. On a compact single-story house located three blocks north from the main street hung a small nameplate written in feminine script that read "Ōmura Residence."

When we stood before the lattice door, sounds of an organ and a child singing could be heard from within. But as soon as we opened the lattice door, the instrument fell silent, and eventually a tall slender woman of thirty-two or thirty-three slid open the shoji to greet us - we immediately recognized her as the mistress of this house, namely Mrs. Omura. Mrs. Omura looked at our unfamiliar faces with a puzzled expression, but when Shunkun-kun briefly explained our purpose, she said, "Please come this way," and guided us to a back room.

Once the seating was settled, Tsubohara Shunkun immediately moved to the matter at hand. Taking out that business card from his pocket, “Would you happen to recognize this?” As he said this, he stared fixedly at her face.

Section Three Mrs. Omura picked up the business card and examined it, but soon that hand began trembling faintly.

"Oh, how do you come to have this?" "Then there's no mistake this business card belongs to your husband?"

"It is indeed something my husband had made." “By any chance, do you still have other business cards identical to this one?” "Well, I believe there are still one or two left." With these words, Mrs. Omura stood up and withdrew to the next room, then after some time returned holding a business card. When Shunkun-kun compared them, they were exactly the same. “I’ve heard your husband met a tragic end during the earthquake disaster, but were you at home together that day?”

“No.” Mrs. Omura said firmly, then suddenly took on a sorrowful expression, “On that very day, a friend came to visit, and he went out from early morning. Since he never returned after that, we assumed he had perished in the earthquake disaster and returned here. The entire family evacuated safely, so I can’t help but regret that if he had been with us, he would have been safe too.”

As she said this, her voice quivered.

“And what became of this friend who went out with him?” “That person is also missing. However, that gentleman had no family and was unmarried. Though he visited us frequently, since we didn’t properly know where he was born, we had no leads to make inquiries. So even whether he and my husband were together when they encountered disaster that day or had become separated remains unclear.”

“Then may I ask what that person’s name was?” “He was called Inamura Katsuyuki.” “What did he do?” “He was working as a reporter for a magazine called Kabushiki Geppo.”

“Then, on September 1st, for what purpose did your husband and that Mr. Inamura go out?”

“Well, that is something I do not clearly understand.” "My husband rarely spoke to me about his own affairs." "That morning when Mr. Inamura came calling, he left his examination room behind and went out." "Though his main practice wasn't flourishing, I believe it must have been a matter of considerable importance for him to abandon his examinations like that." "In that case, what sort of appearance did this Mr. Inamura have, and approximately how old was he?"

“As for age, he was about the same as my husband—I think he must have been thirty-five or thirty-six at the time. His face was round, and he always kept his head closely cropped, but...”

At this moment, Tsubohara Shunkun seemed to recall something and took out the photograph of the corpse from his pocket. With eyes filled with curiosity, he extended it before Mrs. Omura, “You wouldn’t happen to know this person, would you?” he asked. Mrs. Omura seemed to notice Tsubohara Shunkun's meaningful demeanor and, with the cautious touch of someone handling something dreadful, picked up the photograph to examine it closely—but soon,

She let out a soft “Ah!” and an expression of astonishment rapidly spread across her face. “Do you recognize him?” Tsubohara pressed urgently. Mrs. Omura took a deep breath,

“This is the person.” “This is the Mr. Inamura I just mentioned!!”

Part 4

1 When Mrs. Omura saw the photograph of the corpse and exclaimed that it was her husband's acquaintance Inamura Katsuyuki, Shunkun-kun was so delighted he could have leapt for joy. And with good reason. In criminal investigations, once the identity of the deceased becomes known, it could be said that half the investigative progress had been made. Science can sometimes immediately identify a criminal's identity, but there are not infrequent cases like this one where microscopes and other scientific tools prove utterly useless. At such times, those engaged in detective work have no choice but to put their bodies to work, advancing step by step while moving from clue to clue. In scientific detection, what matters is that this progression be conducted scientifically.

Now that Shunkun-kun had learned the identity of the corpse, what investigative steps did he take next? Upon hearing Mrs. Omura's exclamation, after Shunkun-kun had involuntarily half-risen and remained silent for some time in his excitement, Mrs. Omura—as our readers might imagine—inquired about the circumstances under which the photograph of the deceased Inamura had been taken.

And so, Tsubohara Shunkun briefly recounted how Inamura's corpse had been discovered in Tōsenji Temple's cemetery through investigative work, necessitating their visit to Nagoya.

“If we assume Mr. Inamura had been alive until now in this way, there’s a chance your husband might still be living too.”

As he said this, Shunkun-kun stared intently at Mrs. Omura's face.

“No,” Mrs. Omura denied resolutely on the spot. “If my husband were alive, he would certainly have returned.” “Because he was an extremely devoted father, there’s absolutely no way he would have abandoned his children.” “Moreover, there is not the slightest reason for him to live without regard for his family.”

Shunkun-kun was nodding lightly while thinking, "Might you by any chance have a photograph of your husband?" "My husband wasn't particularly fond of having his photograph taken, so there isn't a single one of him alone, but we do have a family photograph taken just before the earthquake."

Having said this, Mrs. Omura stood up, went into the inner room, and soon returned holding a single photograph. Shunkun-kun received it and stared intently. In the center were her husband and herself, with their two children seated in front of them. Flanking Mr. and Mrs. Omura stood a woman who appeared to be a maid and a man around thirty-five or thirty-six years old with a mustache and long hair. Shunkun-kun pointed at this person and inquired.

"Is this person a relative of yours?" At that instant, an expression tinged with discomfort appeared on Mrs. Omura's face.

“No.” Mrs. Omura answered haltingly. “This person was, so to speak, serving as a substitute dentist and being looked after in our household, but as there had been some inconveniences, we had him leave approximately half a month before the earthquake.”

“What was his name?”

“His name was Ishikawa Gorō.” “Where was he from?” “Well, that’s precisely what was peculiar about it. We ended up hiring him through someone’s introduction by chance, but he never clearly stated his birthplace or such matters.” “There was no particular need to press him with questions, and at first we were pleased as he worked faithfully for us. However, his nighttime outings gradually increased until he began making various troublesome remarks to me when my husband was away. This ultimately led us to have him leave our employ.”

However, she had heard through others that he seemed to harbor considerable resentment over that. "That gentleman too was lost in the earthquake." "Thank you very much for everything. "I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience of visiting you so early in the morning. "Since we are searching for the criminal who killed Mr. Inamura, it would be extremely convenient if we could be allowed to borrow this photograph."

"Of course we will handle it with the utmost care and return it immediately after making a copy, so I earnestly request you grant this favor." "That would be perfectly acceptable." Having said this, Mrs. Omura cheerfully consented to Shunkun-kun's proposal.

2

We decided to return to Tokyo on the afternoon express. On the train, Shunkun-kun took out photographs of the corpse and the Omura family photo, studying them intently. Shunkun-kun always closed one eye when examining photographs.

You are probably familiar with what is called a stereoscope. When two photographs taken from slightly different positions are arranged and viewed with both eyes, the depth of objects within the photographs becomes clearly apparent. With just a single photograph, the depth of objects does not become clear. However, when one closes one eye and gazes at a photograph, even a single image appears with clear depth perception, much like through a stereoscope. The height of the nose and the contours of the face become clearly discernible when viewed with one eye closed.

From earlier, Shunkun-kun had been intently examining the Omura family photograph with one eye,

“Brother,” he suddenly called out to me. “Look at this man Ishikawa Gorō’s face.” “In common terms, this is a face you can never afford to let your guard down around.” “In the works of Italy’s famous criminologist Lombroso, there’s a face exactly like this one listed as the stereotypical criminal’s visage.” “The narrow forehead—the exceptionally thick hair and beard—the protruding cheekbones—the large chin—each of these features splendidly qualifies him as a criminal type.”

“Particularly observe the eyes—the French detective Vidocq even claimed one could determine criminality through eyes alone—but these sunken, relatively large eyes with their somehow dulled and clouded gleam belong to the murderer type, and it appears this man too falls within that classification.” “Moreover, his complexion is extremely pale—though colors aren’t well captured in photographs—and his hands appear delicate as a woman’s. These characteristics fully satisfy the qualifications of a criminal type.”

“So you think this man is involved in the current case?” “No, I haven’t formed any conclusions yet. I simply found it unusual that a man with such a stereotypical criminal face happened to be photographed here. However, Brother, to properly investigate this case, I believe we must still examine this man as well.” “Particularly given he was dismissed shortly before the earthquake due to misconduct, remained vague about his birthplace, held a grudge against Dr. Omura after dismissal, and went missing post-earthquake—all these factors make him increasingly worth investigating.”

“Do you think Mr. Omura died in the earthquake, or do you think he’s still alive?” "When I first heard the murdered man was Inamura, it occurred to me that Mr. Omura - who had gone out with Inamura - might still be alive like him, which is why I asked Mrs. Omura to show me Mr. Omura's photograph. But upon examining this photo, I concluded Mr. Omura at least is certainly not alive."

"In contrast to this man Ishikawa Gorō possessing stereotypical criminal features, Mr. Omura has a face that, from a phrenological perspective, can only be considered that of a good person. It must be said that while research on villains' facial features has been conducted with considerable precision up to now, there has not been much active research conducted regarding the facial features of good people. Therefore, when determining whether someone is a good person, we merely do so by assessing whether they are not a bad person."

“In other words, while Mr. Omura’s face merely indicates he isn’t a villain, if he truly was the doting father his wife described, there’s no reason he wouldn’t show himself as long as he remained alive.” “In any case, now that we’ve identified the dead man, we must next find the man who dined with him at H Restaurant.”

3

The moment he returned to the laboratory, Shunkun-kun immediately set about copying the photographs he had borrowed from Mrs. Omura. I returned home past ten o'clock, and as train journeys are quite exhausting, I suggested that he should rest by going to bed immediately that night. However, Shunkun-kun absolutely refused to listen. I believe he worked until nearly three o'clock, but as I had already excused myself earlier, I didn't know what time Shunkun-kun went to bed.

When I awoke the next morning, Shunkun-kun had also just woken up and appeared quite energetic.

“Brother, before you wash your face, let me show you the photos I copied last night.”

Having said this, he urged me into the laboratory and showed six playing card-sized photographs. Three men had been photographed in both frontal and profile views respectively. One was Mr. Omura, another was Mr. Ishikawa, but the identity of the third remained unknown. A man with a shaved head, protruding cheekbones, and no facial hair—an unpleasant-looking individual. “Who is this?”

“Who is this?” I said, pointing at the unknown man.

Shunkun-kun laughed, “Can’t you tell?” “It’s Mr. Ishikawa after all.” “I just removed his beard and shaved his head.”

As always, I was impressed by Shunkun-kun’s skill, but I found it strange how much removing the beard and shaving the head could alter one’s facial features. “Observe.” said Shunkun-kun. “Creating a profile view from a frontal photograph is quite laborious, but with practice, it becomes relatively easy.” “I still do it through monocular observation—though these are brush-drawn, if you photograph them after drawing, you can make them somewhat resemble actual photographs.”

"When it comes to human facial features, they become clearer when viewed from the side rather than the front." "Among parents, children, and siblings, even faces that don't resemble each other when viewed from the front will often share strikingly similar profiles when seen from the side." "In Mr. Ishikawa’s photograph here as well—if you shave the head and remove the beard, the face appears quite different when viewed from the front, but from the side profile, they remain remarkably similar." "Indeed, now that you mention it, that’s exactly right."

“Why did I deliberately create this?” “That’s what we’ll discover when we visit H Restaurant. Now let’s finish eating quickly and ambush the waitress during her nap!”

We soon boarded a car and rushed to H Restaurant. Sure enough, that waitress greeted us while rubbing her eyes. Shunkun-kun called her to a corner and first presented both photographs of Mr. Omura - the profile view and the frontal view.

“Do you recognize this person?” The waitress alternately stared at the two photographs, but quietly shook her head. “I’ve never seen such a person before.” Thereupon Shunkun-kun took out photographs of Mr. Ishikawa with his beard and thrust both the frontal and profile views before the waitress. But she again shook her head quietly. Thereupon Shunkun-kun,

“Then what about this man?”

Having said this, he showed a photograph where the beard had been removed and the head shaved.

Then a look of tension suddenly appeared on the waitress's face. She picked up the profile photograph and exclaimed triumphantly.

“This is the gentleman. The person who dined with the victim is this person.”

第五回

1. When H Restaurant's waitress revealed that the man who had dined with the victim the previous night was Ishikawa Gorō—an individual of dubious character formerly associated with Omura Dental Clinic—readers may well imagine how Shunkun-kun rejoiced. This elation far surpassed what they had felt upon visiting Dr. Omura's family in Nagoya and learning the murdered man was Inamura Katsuyuki, an acquaintance of Mr. Omura.

And this was only natural—since Ishikawa Gorō had dined with the victim until around 11:30 PM that night, and the violent act was carried out within approximately thirty minutes thereafter, Ishikawa Gorō must be considered the prime suspect in Inamura's murder.

Now all that remained was to confirm Ishikawa Gorō’s whereabouts, and since they had the photographs Shunkun-kun had modified, having copies made and sending detectives scurrying in all directions to search would inevitably yield clues about the criminal one way or another.

The moment we dashed out of H Restaurant, Shunkun-kun practically dragged me along, hailed a vacant taxi that happened to be passing by at that very moment, and had it rush straight toward the Metropolitan Police Department. Unusually restless, Shunkun-kun at first didn’t respond when I spoke to him, but then suddenly—

“Ah, I’ve got it!” he exclaimed. “What? Got what?”

I asked, somewhat taken aback. "What do you mean 'what'? It's the criminal!"

“But hasn’t the criminal already been confirmed as Ishikawa Gorō?” “Ishikawa Gorō doesn’t exist anywhere.”

I said in surprise. “Then the criminal isn’t the man in that photograph?”

"Of course it's the man in the photograph, but he's no longer using the name Ishikawa Gorō. That's why I deduced his current appearance and whereabouts." I couldn't contain the surging curiosity welling up inside me. "Is that true? Where is he? What's he doing now?" "Give it some thought." Shunkun-kun refused to explain immediately, clearly enjoying my bewilderment. Jostled by the taxi's movement, I mentally reviewed every fact we'd uncovered so far, but remained utterly unable to grasp what form the criminal might have taken or where he could be hiding. While sharing identical information and observations with Shunkun-kun, I found myself drowning in confusion as futile as grasping at clouds.

"I can't possibly figure it out myself. Don't keep me in suspense like this—just tell me already!" I conceded defeat with a whimper. Shunkun-kun grinned slyly while,

"I'll tell you, but unfortunately we've already arrived at the Metropolitan Police Department." Having said this, Shunkun-kun opened the door of the taxi that had just come to a stop at that very moment and sprang out like a rubber ball.

2

Detective Oda, as usual, beamed as he welcomed us, and soon the three of us took seats facing each other in the reception room. “How did it go?”

Detective Oda asked as if he couldn't wait.

Then, rather than recounting the progress we had made with our numerous captures thus far, Shunkun-kun instead asked Detective Oda about the results of the background checks on Tōsenji’s head priest and temple worker—the temple where the corpse had been discovered. “We didn’t just investigate Tōsenji—we checked both Hōkōji and Fukunenji flanking it as thoroughly as possible,” Detective Oda began explaining. “Though Fukunenji’s head priest has been bedridden with a fever this past week or so, and their temple worker is a rather absent-minded old man—making it impossible to get coherent answers—we’ve relatively clarified the backgrounds of the head priests and workers at the other two temples.”

All three temples had similar structures, their boundaries consisting merely of crumbling earthen walls, yet curiously enough, the head priests among themselves and the temple workers rarely interacted—merely exchanging occasional fleeting glances—resulting in a situation where no one knew the backgrounds of priests or workers from neighboring temples. However, according to our investigations upon meeting them in person, both Tōsenji’s head priest and Hōkōji’s head priest—as well as their temple workers—all had clear personal histories with no particularly suspicious aspects.

Moreover, while Fukunenji's temple worker was a dim-witted old man, his background alone had been clearly established. All that remained was investigating Fukunenji's head priest's background, but since they said we could meet him once his fever subsided, the detective had simply returned as planned. "There's also a detailed report here—please read this." Having said this, when Detective Oda took out the report from his pocket and presented it, Shunkun-kun read it intently for several minutes. Upon finishing, he fell into deep thought.

“Thank you very much. This has made my deductions even more certain.” “The criminal is now like a cornered rat.” Detective Oda looked at Shunkun-kun’s face in surprise.

“Huh?” “So you’ve identified the victim?” “Not only have we identified the victim, but we’ve also discovered the man who dined with him at H Restaurant on the night of the murder.” “This is the photograph of that man.”

Having said this, Shunkun-kun laid out photographs of Ishikawa Gorō before Detective Oda. At first, Detective Oda wore a look as if he'd been tricked by a fox and stared fixedly at Shunkun-kun for some time, but, "You... Is this true? You've accomplished something truly remarkable. How on earth did you get this photograph?" Thereupon Shunkun-kun systematically explained: how he had met Omura Shinko in Nagoya and learned that the victim Inamura Katsuyuki had been a magazine journalist who frequently associated with Dr. Omura; how both men had gone out together on the day of the earthquake never to return; how the Omura household had dismissed a dental assistant named Ishikawa Gorō shortly before the disaster; how upon being shown Ishikawa's photograph—whose face bore criminal characteristics—he had specially created modified photographs; and how when showing these to the waitress at H Restaurant, they had indeed determined this was the man who dined with the victim.

During this time, Detective Oda listened with an expression of amazement, "So you still think the criminal is this Ishikawa Gorō?" Before Shunkun-kun could reply, I interrupted.

“Not only that, but Shunkun-kun even knows where this man is now. In the car on the way here, I was made to think about it, but I couldn’t come up with anything at all.”

“Hmm.”

Detective Oda also crossed his arms and began to think. “With just the materials you’ve presented so far, I can’t form any judgment at all. Or have you discovered some other evidence, Shunkun-kun?”

“No.”

Shunkun-kun flatly denied. "I deduced it—merely deduced it from the materials we've gathered so far."

“Hmm.” Detective Oda tilted his head. “It’s an even more difficult matter—I simply can’t make any deductions from our current materials.” “By all means—let me hear your reasoning here.” Shunkun-kun seemed to hesitate for a moment,

"Well, but if I were to tell you everything, it would spoil the interest, so I'll just explain the principles of deduction that should be applied to such cases."

“Principles?” “The law of probability.” Detective Oda and I both struggled for some time to grasp the meaning of his utterly unexpected words. Noticing this, Shunkun-kun spoke as follows.

Three: "The law of probability—to give an example—is like supposing there are several people here. When we calculate the heights of these people, those possessing average height are the most numerous, and those who are extremely tall or extremely short are the fewest in number." "Furthermore, if one were to throw several seashells, instances where they all land face-up or all face-down would be the fewest, while cases where approximately half land face-up and half face-down—or proportions close to that—would be the most numerous."

"Therefore, when evaluating biological problems and similar matters, conducting research with this law in mind proves remarkably useful." "Criminal cases too obey this law of probability." "Criminals in society generally employ similar methods." "In other words, the most commonplace crimes occur with greatest frequency." "The ingenuity of criminals typically follows established patterns." "Truly exceptional criminals are exceedingly rare." "Therefore, in criminal investigations, one should follow the law of probability by considering what ordinary criminals would likely devise, then advance the investigation while cross-referencing it with the evidence."

I myself usually pray to encounter as bizarre cases as possible, but what are called difficult cases are merely those where evidence isn't obtained in proper order, and because of that, even hard-won evidence ends up serving only as material for mistaken deductions. "Once solved, it proves to be nothing more than an utterly ordinary crime."

“On the contrary, cases that appear ordinary at first glance have proven to be extremely difficult according to past examples.” “Now, this current case.” “From the moment I first saw the corpse, I thought this would be an exceptionally difficult case.” “And from the ingenuity of stealing the corpse’s clothes to prevent identification, I thought it must be the work of a rather clever individual.” “And knowing that the man who dined with the victim had a face bearing criminal characteristics, I thought it reasonable to consider this man as the culprit.”

"Thus I concluded that to solve this case, we needed only to consider what ingenuity this man would likely employ and resolve it accordingly. This is precisely how we apply the law of probability. Now then—what would this man have considered during the killing? The murder motive likely centers around Mr. Omura; I believe Inamura attempted to blackmail Ishikawa." "Having resolved to kill Inamura, Ishikawa would have found it too risky to make his victim proceed toward a deserted area around midnight—that would have aroused suspicion. Therefore, if we accept that the murder occurred in the cemetery, we must conclude Inamura walked there entirely of his own accord."

"Moreover, if we suppose he was killed within the brief window between 11:30 and midnight, we cannot entertain the notion that the corpse was transported from elsewhere—therefore, the murder must have been perpetrated in that very cemetery." "Which would mean even entering that desolate cemetery must have been accomplished by the victim entirely without suspicion." "Then what does that signify?" "In other words, either Inamura himself must have been living there, or Ishikawa Gorō must have been residing there." "Yet at Tōsenji Temple where the crime occurred, apart from the head priest and temple worker, no one else dwells."

That was when I thought through it. As I continued considering this line of reasoning, I recalled for the first time the moment I had inspected the corpse at the scene. I realized all three temples shared identical structures—similar grounds and similarly arranged cemeteries. There I perceived how the criminal's ingenuity had been applied. "And then in the car," I continued, "I shouted to Brother that I'd figured out the culprit's identity. Now having borrowed and read this report from Uncle P, I've finally confirmed my deduction."

Having spoken up to this point, Shunkun-kun let out a relieved breath.

“Ah! So that’s how it is—I can’t dawdle!”

Having said this, Detective Oda stood up.

Ladies and gentlemen, who could the culprit be?

Part Six

One: Upon hearing Tsubohara-kun’s reasoning about the criminal’s path, even Detective Oda seemed to have grasped it, “There's no time to waste!”

Having said this, he stood up, but I hadn't the faintest clue what was happening. While I'd somehow managed to comprehend the significance of this "law of probability" Shunkun-kun had explained—and could even agree with applying it to interpret the current case—I remained utterly unable to discern where the culprit might be hiding. According to Shunkun-kun's reasoning, while the culprit was indeed Ishikawa Gorō (who no longer went by that name), and while the murder occurring in a temple cemetery meant Ishikawa couldn't have forcibly taken Inamura there without arousing suspicion—therefore necessitating their natural entry into Tōsenji's grounds—this logic demanded that either Ishikawa or Inamura must have resided at Tōsenji itself.

However, since Tōsenji only had a head priest and a temple worker, and it was unthinkable that culprit Ishikawa could have disguised himself as either, I found myself completely at a loss in my judgment.

If only I had been granted sufficient time to consider matters thoroughly, even I would undoubtedly have reached a sound judgment. Now that the case has been resolved, it seems almost mystifying how simple it was that I couldn't determine it at the time.

However, just as you are all familiar with “Columbus’s egg,” even what seems exceedingly simple when considered after being solved proves no easy matter to think through beforehand. Most readers have likely already deduced the culprit upon hearing Shunkun-kun’s explanation, but I imagine some among you remain as uncertain in your judgment as I was. To those still unable to reach a conclusion, I ask that you wait a little longer. I must now take up my pen and recount what transpired after Detective Oda rose to his feet.

Detective Oda stood up, pushed open the door, and hurried out, but returned again after about five minutes had passed.

“I’ve decided to take four skilled officers with us. Come on, let’s go together.”

Having said this, Detective Oda urged us onward. I didn't know where we were going, but since Tsubohara-kun had naturally anticipated this development, he followed Detective Oda with eager determination. I thought about asking Shunkun-kun where we were going, but

“You still haven’t figured it out?” Since it would have been regrettable to be told that, I put on an air of understanding and went along.

Two cars had been prepared outside. When Shunkun-kun whispered something to Detective Oda, he nodded, had the officers board the lead car, and issued instructions. Then the vehicle carrying the officers immediately began moving.

Then we three—Detective Oda, Shunkun-kun, and I—boarded the following car. By that time, the front car had already turned into the side street. I waited with curious anticipation about where we might be headed, but our destination proved to be Tōsenji Cemetery. This made me think, "Could the culprit actually be at Tōsenji after all?" When we entered the cemetery grounds, Tatsubei Jii-san the temple worker noticed us and came over. Next came the head priest running out. I alternated my gaze between both men's faces, searching for any resemblance to Ishikawa Gorō's photograph, but found not the slightest similarity.

The head priest asked Detective Oda with a smile.

“How is it proceeding? Have you identified the culprit?”

Detective Oda had been looking around the area since earlier and seemed restless. Whether he was waiting for the police vehicles that had departed before us or not, even when questioned by the head priest, "No... not yet," he replied distractedly and said nothing more.

At this moment, Tsubohara Shunkun addressed the head priest.

“While these three temples are completely identical in structure, I hear their head priests don’t interact much.”

Then, the head priest’s face reddened slightly as he spoke. "As those who serve Buddha, we would wish to interact cordially with one another. However, for some reason the other party disapproves of socializing, so we thought it improper to forcibly seek interaction and have been refraining from doing so." "Then do you have any association with the head priest of neighboring Fukunenji Temple?" “Far from socializing, I haven’t even properly seen his face.” “Mr. Tatsubei, do you know what the head priest of Fukunenji Temple looks like?”

Tsubohara Shunkun asked the temple worker. "I've seen him a few times."

At that very moment, an old man who appeared to be a temple worker from neighboring Fukunenji passed through the cemetery and walked toward town. Tsubohara Shunkun turned to Tatsubei Jii-san and asked in a low voice: “Is that Fukunenji’s temple worker?” “That’s right,” Tatsubei Jii-san answered decisively. Tsubohara Shunkun took out a photograph of Ishikawa Gorō from his pocket and presented it before Tatsubei Jii-san.

“Do you recognize the face in this photograph?” Tatsubei Jii-san stared intently at the profile photograph for some time—but just as one thought he might suddenly smile— “This is him! The head priest of neighboring Fukunenji Temple—” he shouted.

II

In that instant, I comprehended all the mysteries at once.

And just then, Clattering footsteps echoed through Fukunenji Temple's cemetery as the four officers who should have arrived in the advance car, breathing heavily, vaulted over the boundary earthen wall and came running up to Detective Oda. Detective Oda asked.

“What happened? Did you catch him?” “Unfortunately,” replied one of the police officers. “We left our car some distance away in town to avoid being detected, secretly entered Fukunenji’s grounds through the main gate, and approached the bedroom—only to find not the head priest in bed, but an elderly man who appeared to be a temple worker lying there strangled with a hand towel wrapped around his neck.”

“What? Strangled?” “Strangled?” “Then we searched every room in the priest’s quarters and main hall, but everywhere was deathly quiet—not a single mouse remained.” “It appears the culprit strangled the temple worker and fled.”

At this moment，Shunkun shouted． “Then that temple worker who just left is the culprit we're after—he hasn't gone far yet．Let’s hurry and get in the car to chase him！”

With Shunkun at the lead, we seven packed ourselves into the automobile like sardines and gave chase after the temple worker. The temple worker was walking straight ahead in the distance but suddenly glanced back, seemed to notice us, and abruptly turned into a side alley. The automobile sped at full throttle to the corner of that side alley, but it was a narrow path only about four feet wide—far too small for a car to pass through. Reluctantly, the entire group jumped out and gave chase after the temple worker, but they had absolutely no idea where he had gone.

On both sides stood several houses with shrubbery, and if he had taken refuge in any of these houses, the search would become exceedingly troublesome. Detective Oda began fretting anxiously.

When we arrived at the crossroads, a gentleman wearing gold-rimmed tinted glasses and Western clothes came walking quietly from the right. Detective Oda reached for his hat, "Might I ask if you happened to meet an elderly man around here just now?" he asked courteously.

“I did meet him.” The gentleman answered with perfect composure. “If you mean that elderly man, he went into the second house over there.” “There he is!” As everyone moved to rush out, Tsubohara Shunkun restrained them with an upheld hand and addressed the gentleman: “Mr. Ishikawa Gorō! Your luck has run out now.” The gentleman twisted aside and broke into a sprint. A fierce pursuit and struggle followed. Within minutes, the gentleman—now handcuffed and meekly compliant—was hauled into the automobile by Detective Oda and taken to Metropolitan Police Headquarters.

III

Ladies and gentlemen!

Thus was this troublesome case resolved.

According to the confession of Ishikawa Gorō—that is, the head priest of Fukunenji Temple—he had been residing at Dr. Omura's dental clinic household but was expelled from the Omura residence after attempting improper conduct, which he deeply resented. Ishikawa had been acquainted with Inamura Katsuyuki since their time at Dr. Omura's household, but upon recognizing Inamura as a man of wicked character, the two conspired to swindle a large sum of money from Dr. Omura. Thereupon, Inamura Katsuyuki arranged to broker a piece of land for Dr. Omura, and on the morning of September 1, 1923, under the pretext of completing the registration process, lured Dr. Omura out.

Of course, that was a complete fabrication, and the true purpose was to steal the large sum of money Dr. Omura had brought with him. Thus, Inamura entered a house with Dr. Omura under the pretense of visiting a friend's residence, but there Ishikawa had been lying in wait. The two promptly collaborated to murder Dr. Omura, concealed the corpse within the house, divided the money, and then Ishikawa and Inamura parted ways. However, whether fortunately or unfortunately, that great earthquake and fire occurred, Dr. Omura's corpse was burned up, and all traces of their crime vanished.

Ishikawa then wandered from place to place, but as ill-gotten gains never prosper, he soon found himself living in destitution until by some fortune he came to lodge with the head priest of Fukunenji Temple. If he had continued living quietly like that, it would have been fine, but heaven does not long permit the existence of evildoers.

The other day, Inamura Katsuyuki suddenly came to visit the temple. Inamura had also been wandering from place to place and had become extremely poor, but somehow tracked down Ishikawa's whereabouts and immediately demanded a loan upon meeting him. Since he naturally lacked sufficient funds to lend others, when he tried to politely refuse, Inamura began extorting him using the murder of Dr. Omura as leverage. At that moment, Ishikawa resolved to kill Inamura. The two dined together at Western Restaurant H, then under pretext of the cemeteries' similar layouts, he lured him into Tōsenji Temple's adjacent graveyard where he bludgeoned him to death. After stripping off Inamura's clothing and geta sandals, Ishikawa returned with an innocent expression.

However, when the temple worker he had considered dim-witted noticed this, he adopted a "in for a penny, in for a pound" mentality and proceeded to strangle him too. Disguising himself as the temple worker, he made a narrow escape—only to ultimately be apprehended through Shunkun-kun's efforts. Since he had already been wearing Western clothes underneath when leaving the temple, he had been able to disguise himself as a gentleman in such a short time. In any case, this case was the most troublesome among those Shunkun had handled so far.