Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner-Chapter 822 - 497: Essence Beneath the Surface

As the situation developed to the point where Minamoto Tamako and Watanabe Shun met in the corridor, the mood had already shifted.

Mori Na grew increasingly curious about what would happen next.

Who exactly was the female ghost?

Was Yasukawa Seiji’s talk of Calming Soul genuine or not?

What secret was Nagashima Takeshi hiding?

And why did the residents of Sugamo Apartment sprinkle salt at the entrance?

...

The situation became increasingly convoluted and bizarre, completely different from the first case. It wasn’t a simple murder case but a social detective fiction with elements of suspense.

Mori Na thought ’lonely death’ and ’runaway child’ were excellent entry points. If written well, it might spark social discussion.

The case was relatively simple, lacking complex trajectories, consisting only of coincidences and two tragic lives.

When the Yukimura Aoi videotape played, Mori Na could empathize with their pain; when Nagashima Takeshi provocatively taunted, Mori Na also got angry and swung a punch...

Until the massacre occurred, where eighteen residents suddenly died overnight, all evil and filth were abruptly put to an end by great violence.

Mori Na had a sense that the story ended abruptly. She wanted to know if Yukimura Aoi’s sister was ever found, and she also wanted to know what happened to Taira Sakurako afterward.

As for the deaths of those eighteen residents, Mori Na felt they deserved it.

In the story’s final conclusion, the villains deserved to be punished. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a proper story, just the author’s self-indulgent work meant to disgust readers.

After the performance ended, the staff handed out brochures again, detailing the ins and outs of the Sugamo Apartment massacre.

From the brochure, Mori Na learned that Yasukawa Seiji saved Taira Sakurako, which made her feel relieved.

She quickly flipped to the end of the brochure, exclaiming in surprise, "Does it conclude with a gang feud?"

Kensaka Takataro was still reading: "Nagashima Takeshi was once a member of the Inakawa Association and embezzled tens of millions in drug money. A shootout was normal... eighteen people, all armed, the scene looked like a gang fight."

"So that means it wasn’t done by a single person? Could the true culprit of [Heavenly Punishment] be an organization?" Mori Na speculated.

"Miss Minamoto said that the four cases had the same culprit," Kensaka Takataro reminded.

He didn’t want the difficulty of solving the case to increase; whether it was an imitator or the true culprit of the auditorium shooting case, as long as it could be exchanged for a reward, it was fine.

"Maybe Miss Minamoto judged wrong?" Mori Na crossed her arms: "Besides the [Heavenly Punishment] blood words, there’s no similarity to the previous case!"

"On the surface, it seems so, but the core is very consistent. It’s all about revenge—avenging the victims, leaving the blood words [Heavenly Punishment]." Kensaka Takataro reminded: "You have to see through the surface to understand the essence."

"Oh, that makes sense," Mori Na nodded, then raised another doubt: "But how could one person possibly kill eighteen people? And they’re all young adults, all armed..."

"In ancient times, didn’t sword masters achieve Hundred Killings? Killing eighteen people is just at the level of a small sword master." Kensaka Takataro said.

"Eh..."

Hearing this, Mori Na suddenly found it reasonable.

She realized her thinking was limited; the culprit didn’t have to be a ferocious bandit. A well-crafted villain and storyline complemented each other.

For example, Moriarty, nicknamed the Professor, was Sherlock Holmes’s opponent, making the story much more exciting, wasn’t it?

The same goes for the Heavenly Punishment case, with the Kujo family’s young lady battling Japan’s top sword master. Just their identities are quite a draw!

"So, where should we start our investigation? This is a Tokyo case, so do we have to return to Tokyo?" Mori Na, like Kensaka Takataro, lived in Tokyo.

Only one lived in the Bunkyo District, while the other lived in the Ashibashi District.

"We probably have to make a trip back to Tokyo. If we take the train, one day is enough for a round trip." Kensaka Takataro was very determined.

"Why not take a plane? Isn’t flying faster?" Mori Na asked.

"Not enough money." Kensaka Takataro said truthfully.

"No worries, I’ll pay!" Mori Na patted her chest and said boldly, "I also want to contribute to the investigation!"

Kensaka Takataro didn’t refuse and nodded in agreement.

Since there was a breakthrough in the previous case, this one could be further pursued.

Kensaka Takataro planned to thoroughly investigate Fushimi Roku’s alibi and confront Kazama Tatsuya, who was also involved in the case.

He pointed at the transcript copy in the brochure, saying to Mori Na:

"Look, the statement says Kazama Tatsuya talked with Fushimi Roku at one or two in the morning, the exact time of the incident, so both have alibis."

"Yes, so?" Mori Na scratched her head, not seeing where the issue was.

Kensaka Takataro took out another brochure, opened the first page, pointed at one name, and said, "Look."

"Eh? The police officer investigating the auditorium shooting case is also called Kazama Tatsuya? Is it the same name and surname?" Mori Na squinted, her bean eyebrows expanding: "It’s too much of a coincidence, there must be something fishy here!"

Kensaka Takataro wanted to say, isn’t that obvious, but considering Mori Na paid for the flight ticket, he said nothing.

"So, is our next target this person?" Mori Na asked further.

"Yes, he’s very likely in the know." Kensaka Takataro closed the brochure, ready to go: "I have a hunch this person might unravel the mystery of the fourth fingerprint."

Mori Na was particularly excited, eager to know what happened next.

That very night, they bought flight tickets and took a nap for a few hours at the aviation building and on the plane, replenishing their sleep.

Not everyone had the same determination, perseverance, and financial capacity like them. Many planned to continue the investigation in Hokkaido, analyzing through simulated scenarios in the brochure, trying to deduce the culprit’s identity.

When Mori Na and Kensaka Takataro got off the plane, they met Aoshima Harano at the airport.

He had also come to Tokyo but didn’t bring a partner; instead, he left his partner in Hokkaido to organize the next case’s information.

While waiting for a taxi, the three briefly exchanged words. Aoshima Harano was gracious and didn’t mind sharing information, and Kensaka Takataro, keen on solving the case, reciprocated by sharing information mutually.

This way, it effectively became two teams investigating the case, making their efficiency far superior to the competitors.

"About the fourth fingerprint, I asked the Hokkaido criminal police; they said during Kazama Tatsuya’s case investigation, it was suggested that the fourth fingerprint was sculpted with a needle..."

Aoshima Harano also found a critical clue in the first case.

Kensaka Takataro didn’t hold back either and shared what he knew.

With their accounts reconciled, Fushimi Roku’s suspicion doubled.

"Without crucial evidence, mere suspicion is meaningless." Aoshima Harano focused the Tokyo trip’s target on the survivor Yasukawa Seiji, with an alternative to visit the welfare center to find Taira Sakurako and see if anything could be dug from the autistic child.

Kensaka Takataro nodded, expressing his agreement.

After about ten minutes, a taxi arrived, and they parted ways at the intersection, as usual, with Mori Na covering the fare.

Unlike two years ago, taxi prices had soared, and Kensaka Takataro couldn’t afford them anymore.

They headed to the Nakagawara Police Station, claiming to be old friends of Kazama Tatsuya, coming specially from Hokkaido to visit and give an old friend a surprise.

Mori Na was a popular writer, and there was a detective novel fan at the police station who recognized her, being particularly enthusiastic, not only asking for an autograph but also personally leading them to Kazama Tatsuya’s door.

Kensaka Takataro knocked on the door, and the two stood waiting at the door for a while before it was opened by a middle-aged man with one arm and one eye.

He looked weary, worn out by the winds and frost, with his brows and eyes full of sorrow.

Kensaka Takataro said they had come to visit for Miss Minamoto’s wedding.

Kazama Tatsuya ushered them in, both sitting on the sofa, where he clarified his true intentions and inquired about Kazama Tatsuya’s basis for believing the fingerprint was sculpted.

Kazama Tatsuya didn’t answer directly. The events that had taken place in Tokyo recently had drained him, making him wish for the first time in his life that Fushimi Roku was here.

"What do you plan to do once you know the truth?" He retorted as such.

"Of course, speak the truth and claim the reward." Kensaka Takataro said.

"Even if the truth might break the bride’s heart?" Kazama Tatsuya countered.

Mori Na couldn’t help but ask, "What do you mean by that? Are you implying the groom is the culprit?"

"No, I just wanted to say there are a thousand truths in the eyes of a thousand people." Kazama Tatsuya stood up, no longer intending to say more, gesturing towards the door as if to send them off: "Is the truth you see the one the bride desires?"

"Are you very familiar with the bride and groom?" Kensaka Takataro asked at the door.

"Very familiar." Kazama Tatsuya said: "I hope you’ll think it through carefully before making a decision."