Seeing that no further information could be gleaned from the witnesses, Inspector Samezaki turned his gaze toward Hayashi Shuichi. His eyes held a glimmer of expectation, hoping the young man had discovered something the others had missed.
"Let's wait for the forensics team's detailed report first," Shuichi said after a moment of reflection. "However, I can't shake the feeling that the killer placing the head in the convenience store freezer was a deliberate act. They wanted it to be found."
"Deliberate?" Inspector Megure's expression was one of pure bewilderment. "Shouldn't a killer do everything in their power to hide the evidence of their crime?"
"The head was disfigured, yes, but the wounds were meticulously cleaned," Shuichi analyzed. "If the goal was total destruction of evidence, why go through such trouble? There's no point in cleaning a trophy unless that head served a specific purpose for the killer."
"But what could that purpose be?" Megure scratched his head, frustrated. "It couldn't be a direct provocation to the police, could it?"
"The victim was dismembered and disfigured," Shuichi said, shaking his head. "Either there is a deep-seated hatred between the two parties, or the killer has a secondary objective. Our priority right now is finding the rest of the body."
The words had barely left his lips when Officer Matsumoto burst through the door, breathless. "Inspector! We just received a report—a headless female corpse has been discovered by the riverbank!"
No way.
Shuichi and the two inspectors traded stunned glances. The timing was almost too perfect. They had just discussed searching for the remains, and here they were.
Shuichi had originally intended for Reiko to accompany Eri Kisaki back to the izakaya to rest, but Eri was adamant about coming to the scene.
"I'm going to be a lawyer someday," the girl said, taking a deep breath and trying to keep her voice from trembling. "I'll have to get used to scenes like this sooner or later. I might as well start now."
Shuichi looked at her stubbornly pursed lips. He wanted to tell her she didn't necessarily have to pursue criminal law, but knowing Eri's temperament, he simply nodded in silent agreement.
Seeing this, Reiko naturally refused to be left behind, insisting on staying by her brother's side to take care of him.
It was only then that Inspector Samezaki learned about Shuichi's collapse the previous night.
"Running an izakaya while going to school is too much work," the Inspector reminded him kindly. "Didn't you make a decent amount from that last commission? It should be enough for your university tuition, right? You should consider closing the shop."
He was referring to the investigation into the death of Ito Ichiro, the leader of the Sumiyoshi-kai. Shuichi had earned ten million yen from that single case.
Inspector Megure, who was driving, caught the comment and glanced sharply at the rearview mirror. What kind of commission pays enough for four years of university in one go?
"I'm fine, things have just been a bit hectic lately," Shuichi replied with a shake of his head. "Yukiko should be back this weekend. Things will get easier once she's here."
At the mention of Yukiko's name, a shadow of disappointment flickered in Eri's eyes.
Yukiko can help Shuichi manage the izakaya... while I can't even fry an egg without burning it.
Thinking of this, the young girl unconsciously bit her lower lip.
Suddenly, a warm hand covered the back of hers.
Eri looked up, meeting Shuichi's gentle gaze. "You've helped me a lot, too, Eri. Everyone has their own strengths."
"Shuichi..."
Her heart swelled, her eyes reddening slightly as she leaned her head against her childhood friend's shoulder.
Not to be outdone, Reiko immediately grabbed Shuichi's other arm, clinging tight. The back seat was suddenly a picture of both warmth and absurdity, drawing a faint, amused smile from the two officers in the front.
The police car pulled up to the riverbank. At Shuichi's insistence, Eri stayed outside the yellow tape, catching only distant glimpses of the body rather than approaching.
Shuichi stepped down the slope. The riverside soil was still damp from the recent rains, sinking slightly beneath his feet. The body had been placed on a plastic sheet where the medical examiner was conducting a preliminary examination.
Just like the head found in the convenience store, the neck wound had been carefully cleaned. The cross-section was so neat it looked almost surgical.
An officer handed over a lady's wallet. The ID inside identified the deceased as Mari Ogasawara, an employee at a trading company.
"There are multiple bruises on the body," Inspector Megure noted, crouching down to examine the remains. He quickly pointed out several dark purple marks on the arms and abdomen. "The coloring varies—some are fresh, some are old. It looks like she was subjected to long-term physical abuse before her death."
Inspector Samezaki signaled for Tome from the forensics department to bring over the head they had recovered earlier.
As the acid-disfigured head was carefully positioned near the neck of the torso, the surrounding officers held their breath. The wounds roughly aligned, but Inspector Megure's brow furrowed.
"Something feels off..."
"A section of the neck is missing," Shuichi pointed out.
"Indeed." Samezaki nodded. "The neck is significantly shorter than it should be for a person of her proportions."
"Some people just have short necks," Megure said uncertainly. "Could we be overthinking it?"
"...Let's bring in her relatives and her colleagues first," Samezaki ordered. "We'll know soon enough if she was born with a short neck or if something else is going on."
Using the identification from the wallet, the police quickly contacted the victim's family and coworkers.
The first to arrive was Yuto Ogasawara, Mari's younger brother. He was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a crumpled shirt and jeans, his hair a mess as if he had just rolled out of bed.
The moment he saw the body, his face turned deathly pale. His lips trembled uncontrollably.
"Onee-san..." Yuto choked out a sob. He lunged forward, collapsing over the body in a fit of agonizing tears.
"Mr. Ogasawara..." Inspector Samezaki knelt beside him, speaking softly. "While we found your sister's wallet on this body, the head found at the other location was disfigured. We cannot be 100% certain yet that she is—"
"No, it's her! It's Onee-san!" The young man snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes filled with a mix of grief and rage. He pointed to the corpse's right wrist, his voice hoarse. "On the inside of her wrist... there's a small mole. She's had it since we were kids! I'd know it anywhere!"
Samezaki carefully turned the arm over. Sure enough, on the inside of the right wrist sat a brown mole the size of a mung bean. He nodded to Megure, who recorded the detail.
Just then, a middle-aged man in an expensive, well-tailored suit hurried onto the scene. The moment Yuto saw him, he transformed into a provoked lion. He leaped up and charged.
"You bastard!"
Yuto roared, his fist connecting with President Okawa's face with a dull thud.
"You killed her! I know it was you!"
Yuto's voice was distorted by fury. As he raised his fist to strike again, the nearby officers finally reacted, stepping in to restrain him.
"President Okawa, please... we need you to identify the body," Megure said, leading the shaken man toward the remains.
The President pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow and the blood from his lip. He stole a terrified glance at the acid-scarred face and wrinkled his nose in disgust. However, when his eyes fell upon the wrist and the small mole, his expression soured further.
"It's... it's Ogasawara, no doubt," Okawa's voice shook. "She... she was my secretary."
"Why did Mr. Ogasawara claim you killed his sister?" Inspector Samezaki questioned sternly.
"That..." Okawa swallowed hard, desperate to explain. "Mari and I... we were having an affair. But I didn't kill her! I swear!"
"Liar! You killed her!" Yuto screamed, struggling against the officers holding him. "Ever since she started working for your company, she'd come home late with bruises all over her body! Are you going to tell me you didn't do that to her?"
"You beat her one too many times, didn't you? You went too far and killed her!"
Yuto's accusations immediately brought Shuichi's mind back to the bruises of varying ages on the victim's body. He looked at President Okawa and noticed the man was sweating profusely now, his eyes darting around like a cornered animal.
"President Okawa," Shuichi said, his voice cold and steady. "Is he telling the truth? Did you habitually assault Miss Ogasawara?"
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