Don't forget to read the first part if you haven't!
In the last (or rather, first) part, we are instructed to look into a kidnapping case under another department's jurisdiction, and despite the commanding officer's refusal, we obtain the necessary information to truly begin our investigation. The man who gave it to us may be a little dubious, but without him, we'd have no chance to get our most important opportunity: a meeting with the victim's mother. Now, let's see how this meeting goes, shall we?
Superintendent Innami and most of the people in the Special Crimes Investigative Unit had temporarily moved back to the investigation headquarters set up at the local police station. According to Doumyouji, they were having an investigative meeting.
Only a few investigators and police officers from the local police station remained to operate the telephone call recorder and other equipment.
Since the investigators were on standby in the living room, where the phone was located, we decided to talk in Yuusuke-kun's room on the second floor. [The books in the background are study books, with titles like "Prominent Figures of Japan" and "Natural Sciences"]
The room was so neat and tidy that it was hard to believe it was the room of a second grader. He must have been a well-behaved child. On top of a brand-new study desk, new illustrated encyclopedias were lined up.
No school bag though. However, since he was kidnapped on his way home from school, it must still be with Yuusuke-kun.
Soon after, the mother, Yukari, arrived from the first floor. According to the information Doumyouji had given me beforehand, she was in her mid-thirties. She has a kind face with a hint of melancholy.
I immediately began to interview her. "Excuse me for calling you here. I wanted to ask you a few questions."
Ms. Yukari gave a slight nod.
"Please understand that I may reiterate the questions already asked by the investigators. Firstly... Do you have an idea as to why Yuusuke-kun was abducted?"
It was a formal albeit rude question, but Ms. Yukari did not seem offended as she answered.
"Personally, I don't believe we've incurred anyone's enmity. If I were to imagine why, I'd say their aim was setting a ransom, don't you think so? The {restaurant} I manage is doing reasonably well after all."
She's a shrewd talker. I don't see a mother who had her beloved child snatched away.
"You received only one call from the perpetrator, and there was no ransom demand, correct?"
"Yes, they only said that they had taken my child..."
Right then, Doumyouji cut into our conversation. "Truthfully, we have that conversation with us."
"Really!?" If true, that would be some pretty valuable information.
"This madam's pretty good. She recorded the culprit's call for us. I'll let you hear it later."
"Um...!" Staring in Doumyouji's direction, Ms. Yukari raised her voice.
"Would you kindly stop calling me madam? I'm not married."
"Is that so? I'm being rude, aren't I..."
Doumyouji hurriedly bowed his head. However, his attitude seemed to be making fun of her. He left the room, saying that he would go get the recording tape.
I collected myself and continued my questioning. "Pardon me, but... are you an unmarried mother?"
"No, I'm not. I {divorced} four years ago... no, two years ago to be exact."
"What do you mean by "to be exact"...?"
"It means that our separation began four years ago." Ms. Yukari asserted, a little annoyed.
"Do you know where that man lives now?" Mr. Kogure enquired, perhaps because it caught his eye.
"No, I don't know. Nor do I want to know." Yukari's kind face became strained. She didn't seem to want to remember it very much. Possibly because it wasn't an amicable parting.
"Then, do you have any other family members?" If we're going the grudge route, we need to know about the other family members. I don't like to dwell on this, but it's part of the job.
"It's only Yuusuku and me now. There was a {fire} in my parent's house in Iriya two years ago. That's when I lost them..."
"I didn't know... I'm sorry to have reminded you of something so saddening." I meekly apologized.
Let's change this line of questioning---
>Ask about Ms. Yukari's alibi.
>Ask about Yuusuke-kun.
We don't have much to go off about the victim himself, maybe this could give some good info.
>Ask about Yuusuke-kun.
I decided to ask about the victim.
"What kind of child is Yuusuke-kun?"
"...He's a very good boy. I can't say this enough. He studies well and always listens to what I say..."
"Do you mean that he's your pride?"
After a brief pause, Ms. Yukari answered. "Yes, I do. I'm proud of him."
[Doumyouji suddenly comes back]
"Sir. This is the culprit's phone call. It's ready to be played, do you want to hear it?"
"Yes, please."
Doumyouji began operating the equipment that would play the recorded tape. After a few moments, the sound came on. Mr. Kogure, sitting next to me, swallowed hard enough that even I could hear it.
"...What did you say?" It was Yukari's voice. She must have sensed that this was no ordinary phone call and recorded it from here.
<<Your child... has been taken.>> A deep, serious, muffled female voice reverberates...
"...Who are you?"
<<{Pomegranate seeds}... Come alone.>>
---The call ends here. "This is it in its entirety. Do you want to hear it again?"
Before I could answer, Mr. Kogure waved his hand. "No, no need! That's enough!"
The voice on the phone was so eerie that his fear was understandable.
Yukari must have been quite horrified when she heard this directly over the phone. But, why do this...? I feel a strange sense of unease.
"Is this the entire exchange you had over the phone?"
"That's right. Once I heard her say that she had taken my child, I instantly pressed the recording button. No part of the conversation was missed."
"All things considered, I'm surprised you had the idea to record it." Mr. Kogure sounded impressed. But Ms. Yukari's expression darkened at his words.
"Before, my husband was unfaithful... I recorded his lover's phone calls several times. So..."
"Ah, no, excuse my rudeness!" Mr. Kogure's large body curled up in shame.
"Do you recognize the caller's voice?" I asked just in case.
"By no means... This sickening voice... I've never heard it before."
"In that case, does the term 'pomegranate seeds' mentioned in the call mean anything to you?"
"...I really don't. I'm troubled because... I don't remember being asked to come."
Pomegranate seeds, eh? Since she said <<come>>, it might be a location signifier.
"Is it some kind of {code}?" Mr. Kogure tilts his thick neck to the side in confusion. However, Doumyouji immediately refuted that question.
"I don't see the point of making it a code. Why make it a code when mom here can't understand it?" He definitely has a point.
Could Ms. Yukari be hiding the fact she actually knows what "pomegranate seeds" means? That thought popped up for a second before I denied it. Because that's unnecessary.
The more information we have, the better, if we are to get her child back. I can't think of any reason to keep something hidden under the circumstances.
Pomegranate seeds... What on earth is the meaning behind it?
Doumyouji looked at the clock and shouted loudly. "Not good! Sir! Superintendent Innami and the others will be back soon! Let's continue this talk another time!"
It wouldn't be good to have Superintendent Innami staring at us right now. He's a very territorial person, and the more we compete with him, the more he will overreact. We decided to leave quietly.
"We will get Yuusuke-kun back safe and sound." As I left, I made a promise to Ms. Yukari to reassure her. Of course, that wasn't meant as mere consolation, but my true intentions.
She bowed her head deeply at my words. I had to save Yuusuke-kun no matter what it takes. I felt the flame of purpose burning within me.
We first suspected Yukari Saitou's ex-husband. However, as one would expect, Superintendent Innami had investigated him first, so Doumyouji told us the results.
"Yeah, the husband? Passed away. Guess he paid for his infidelity, huh?"
"They also tentatively looked into his cause of death. Complete death by illness. There are no suspicions of murder. They think he's separate from this incident."
Next, we decided to interview the {neighbors}. Doumyouji told us that the investigators had already questioned them and there shouldn't be a problem in asking them about the case.
The house next door was somewhat smaller than Saitou's house. The nameplate shows only one woman's name, {Satoko Anzai}. She might be living alone.
[Ding dong]
When I pressed the doorbell, a woman's voice answered.
"I'm in the garden, in the backyard! I can't free my hands for now, so go around to the garden!" We walked out through the narrow gap between the house and the fence and into the backyard.
"Oh...!" Mr. Kogure exclaims in admiration as soon as he sees the garden.
A small but well-maintained garden fills the yard. The trees and shrubs were neatly trimmed. A path made of white paving stones cut geometrically through the vivid lawn.
"Who are you guys...?"
A woman of large build holding a spade in her hand asked us as she removed her working gloves stained with dirt.
On her arm, she wears a bright red jeweled bracelet. Her make-up is quite heavy, and her overall appearance gives a gaudy feeling.
She's probably in her late 40's. Her mouth keeps doing a smacking motion, maybe because she's chewing gum, as she looks at us with a suspicious expression on her face.
I took out my police ID and opened it. "Ms. Satoko Anzai... correct? My name is Kazami. I'm with the police. I'd like to ask you a few questions..."
"What? Is it about the neighbor again? Someone else came over not too long ago. He asked way too many prying questions! And he tried to smoke in front of me without asking! Does the police not know about non-smokers' rights!?"
Satoko Anzai spits out her frustation. "Sigh... We're very sorry about that."
She pulled a piece of silver paper out of her pocket and spit the chewed gum into it, looking bored.
Then, after putting that same paper back in her pocket, she took out a new piece of gum and tossed it again in her mouth.
"Want one?" Anzai, with a pouty face, offers me a piece of gum. Did I look hungry?
"Gum... Do you like it?"
"Hm? Yeah... I get somewhat lonely these days if I don't move my mouth. It's like I'm kinda addicted."
"By the way, your garden is magnificent. Do you take care of everything?" I guess she didn't feel too bad about being praised for her garden. Anzai smiled a little bit... I think so at least.
"Oh, yeah... Also, it's called an English garden."
"Is that so...? You must have worked hard by yourself."
"I'm in a {gardening club}. There's not much greenery in this city. Despite my appearance, I'm something of a countrywoman."
"Aah..." I didn't know how to reply.
"Detective, are you from the countryside?"
"M-me? I was born and raised in Tokyo."
"S-so was I!" Mr. Kogure also replied after a fashion.
"I see. If that's the case, you probably don't know, eh? I originally was raised deep in the mountains of Kanagawa. That's before I can remember, though."
"...So? What do you want to ask me?" Somehow, she seemed to become interested in talking with me. I went right to the point.
"What kind of household is that of your neighbors, the Saitous? Please tell us as much as you know."
Satoko Anzai paused for a moment before answering. "Oh...? Although it's a single-mother household, the mother's doing pretty well I think. She raised her child all by herself."
"What's their reputation with the other neighbors?"
"Not bad. I haven't heard any bad rumors."
"Regarding her job, do you know what it's like?"
"Well, I heard that she rebuilt the restaurant her husband left behind and it's thriving now. Ms. Yukari told me that her son didn't have to go through any hardships. I'm very envious."
That last comment hides an implicit meaning she herself might not have noticed...
"What do you think about Yuusuke-kun?" Mr. Kogure asks.
"He's a good kid. He seems to get good grades and is very polite. I can't believe he's a second grader, he's so well-behaved. I miss his calls for his "auntie, auntie", you know?"
"I wonder if my son would be like this if he were alive, ah..." Satoko Anzai shut her mouth as she slightly hung her head.
"...Excuse us, but what happened to your child?"
"Died from illness. My husband's dead too, I live all alone. Only {debts} remain. But, well, there's no use grumbling."
"That's why I don't feel like this is someone else's problem. Hurry up and return Yuusuke-kun to his mother."
"Yes, we will do our best." We thanked her and left the Anzai house.
Next, we came to a small park in a residential area to meet the boy who claimed to have seen an oni.
According to Doumyouji, the witness, a boy named Ryou Kobayashi, lived near the park where Yuusuke-kun was last seen. The location was far from Yuusuke-kun's house.
Mr. Kogure restlessly surveys the surroundings. "I think they're canvassing the area... Are there any investigators at the witness's house?"
"There aren't any, right?"
"Why do you say that?" Mr. Kogure asks me with great interest.
"Superintendent Innami dismissed Doumyouji's report about the oni as the ramblings of a child. I don't believe any further investigation would be conducted."
"I see... It seems you're right."
A short time later, we arrived at the house of the witness, a boy named Ryou Kobayashi-kun. After confirming that the nameplate on the gatepost read "Kobayashi", we pressed the doorbell---
[Ding dong]
Ryou Kobayashi-kun was at home. He had been in a state of shock since he saw the oni, and had been absent from school.
Ryou-kun's mother was relieved that we had arrived and took us to see him right away.
She wanted us to find out the truth about the oni as soon as possible so that she could reassure her son that he had been mistaken.
Ryou-kun is a second grader. He looks to be a lively boy. However, he was now severely emaciated and pale-faced.
"Ryou-kun, would you talk to Mr. Detective?" I said in as gentle a tone as possible.
"But, I..."
Ryou-kun looked as if he was about to cry. "So Mr. Detective can catch the scary person. Alright?"
"I... don't remember a lot."
"Well, how about you just tell me what you can remember?"
After a long period of hesitation, Ryou-kun gave a small nod and began to talk.
"I was in the park near my house... and I saw it. I was looking for my ball... in the bushes."
"Then... I saw a woman take a boy away..."
"Can you tell me more about her? What was she like? Was she tall?"
"I don't remember... I passed out..."
"Did you see the woman's face?"
Ryou-kun nodded silently. "She had really scary eyes... They glowed bright red..."
"Her eyes...?"
"Um-hum... But, I don't remember anything more."
"You're sure that what you saw was an oni, right?" He nodded his head in reply to my question with a meek look on his face. Ryou-kun was clearly trembling. He seemed to be really afraid of onis.
As Doumyouji said, it doesn't sound like he's lying.
"Anything else you can remember? Anything at all?"
When I asked him about it, he shook his head and hid behind his mother, who was watching from a little distance away. This wasn't a fitting behavior for such a lively-looking boy.
This may be as far as we get today. After a little more time, he may be willing to talk further.
We left the Kobayashi house promising Ryou-kun once again that we would "definitely catch the scary person".
"Thoughts, Mr. Kogure?" I asked as we headed for the nearby park, the scene of the testimony.
"It's completely unbelievable. There is no such thing as an... oni!"
The obvious answer came back. Normally, it would be unthinkable. It's more realistic to consider that we misjudged something than to think that onis were real.
However, Ryou-kun mistaking someone for an oni... I don't know about that. I mean, what could he have seen that could be mistaken for an oni...?
We returned to the park where the oni had been witnessed. School must have already ended. There were quite a few children in the park.
They were probably around the upper grades of elementary school I think? A boy with a baseball bat and a group of girls with school bags still on their backs were gathered around a bench, whispering to each other about something.
"Mr. Kogure, maybe we should ask those children if they know something about the oni?"
However, how are we going to do it? With that Juvenile Act, and this matter being what it is, talking with them will be extremely difficult...
Mr. Kogure, however, paid no attention to my hesitation and said, "Yes, sir! Let's get to interviewing them!", then approached the children with great gusto.
"Yo, yo, you guys! Can I have a little word with you!?"
"UWAAAAAAAHHH!!"
"KYAAAAAAHHHH!!"
The children pointed at Mr. Kogure and screamed in unison. Some of them even started crying.
"Uwah! A scary {huge old man}'s here!"
"A huge old man!"
"W-what's with calling me a huge old man! That's rude, you guys! I'm only 27 years old! I'm not an old man!" Mr. Kogure was denying and getting worked up over the children's comments.
"You're lying! There's no way you're that young, we gotta hide! He's a kidnapping pervert!"
"T-that's ridiculous! I'm a police officer!" Mr. Kogure opens his police ID and shows it to the children.
Then, the rowdy children's faces suddenly lit up with curiosity, saying in delight, "Woah! Is that real!?" and "I wanna see!"
At this rate, the commotion would only grow louder. I called out to the children when the time was right.
"Hey, you guys. What's with this huge old man you were talking about? Is there some kind of weirdo out here?" The boy carrying the bat replied cheerfully, "That's wrong!"
"I heard there's been a lot of bad guys kidnapping people lately... All adults are suspicious, you know?"
"Oh, there's a bad guy who kidnaps people here?"
"Oni... You've seen an oni?"
"I-I've seen nothing like that, a friend of a friend told me he saw one though." Things started to not look very good.
"D-don't lie! It's real!" The other kids started talking too.
"It's got shining eyes!"
"It's got teeth like a lion!!"
"It's got crazy long nails!"
"Eh? That's wrong! It's got a big sickle!"
This has gotten out of hand. "Okay, okay, calm down. Has anybody here actually seen this oni?"
The kids suddenly fell silent. Apparently, none of them have actually seen the oni.
I did not try to hide my disappointment, then the boy with the baseball bat opened his mouth with an embarrassed look on his face.
"B-but, I heard a friend of my friend saw it. So, I'm sure it's real."
"You've never met this friend of a friend, haven't you?"
"That's..."
"What's wrong? You haven't met him?"
"......" The boy with the bat, at last, fell silent.
"It's impossible to even try to meet the F.O.A.F." A voice suddenly called out to me from behind. The voice was that of a girl who still sounded a little immature.
I turned around and saw a girl with a short haircut standing there. She didn't have much makeup on, but she was quite pretty. I'd guess she's about the age of a college student.
She's dressed in easy-to-move slacks and holds a microcassette recorder in her hand.
The girl blurted out into the recorder, "I encountered the 'mysterious huge old man'. His true identity is a police officer. Confirming the occurrence of a new urban legend."
"Who are you!?" Mr. Kogure grilled her in a tone meant to frighten her. However, the girl took out a business card and held it out to me without showing any signs of flinching.
"There are only a few business cards left, so I'll give only one for you two, alright?" She somewhat forcefully handed me a business card with the name {Yuuka Mamiya} written on it. Her title is...
"Occult Journalist?" Mr. Kogure alternately throws suspicious glares at the business card and her face.
"Yes. Journalist. I play a part in the media."
She struck her chest with a smack and added in a tiny little voice, "Well... I'm still only an apprentice journalist though."
"Hmph. What does such a shady journalist want with us? You're hindering our investigation. Go home."
Mr. Kogure, with his large body towering over Yuka, drew closer to her.
"Threatening me won't work. I won't give in to such things!"
"...Knh! Listen here, young girl...!"
A near-bursting vein popped up in Mr. Kogure's brow.
"Now, now, Mr. Kogure, please calm down." Mr. Kogure looked as if he was about to turn into a statue of a Deva king, so while I pacified him, I tried inquiring with Ms. Yuuka.
"By the way, you were saying something about F.O.A.F.?"
"F.O.A.F. stands for 'friend of a friend'... Just like how that boy said."
"They always appear when rumors propagate widely---It's like a rumormongering apparatus."
"Rumormongering apparatus?" I was curious and nudged her to explain.
"Yeah. Unrealistic gossip usually begins with the preface, 'I heard this from a friend of a friend...' That is to say, that person does not exist."
"Well, that's not quite right. Let's say, for example, that the boy there saw the "mysterious huge old man", right?"
"I am not an old man!"
"It's just an example. So, let's say I heard that story from the boy. And then I tell the story to... you, um..."
"It's Kazami. Junya Kazami."
"Mr. Kazami, hm? Let's say I were to tell it to Mr. Kazami."
"I would tell him, 'my friend actually saw it'. Then, Mr. Kazami would, uh, what's that huge old man's name?"
"I'm Kogure, and I'm not an old man!" For Mr. Kogure, it seems that this is a non-negotiable point. He's turning red as he corrects her.
"Roger. Mr. Kazami would then propagate it to Mr. Kogure. At that time, Mr. Kazami would likely preface it with, 'A friend of a friend saw it for real'. Because it makes it more believable."
"And here's the thing!" Ms. Yuuka holds up her index finger.
"Next time, when Mr. Kogure tells someone else the rumor, how would he preface it?"
"That's... I heard it from a friend of a friend... of another friend..."
"Yes, that's the correct answer. However, it would be bothersome to say that repeatedly."
"Even more so when the rumor spreads further. Before you know it, it's shortened to 'a friend of a friend'. That's good enough, and it doesn't make much difference in terms of credibility."
"I see... That makes sense." Both Mr. Kogure and I nodded our heads in agreement.
"At this point, a rumor-mongering apparatus, a fictional 'friend of a friend', is created. A mysterious figure created to give credibility to the rumors---That is the friend of a friend, the F.O.A.F."
"So that's why you told me that trying to meet with the F.O.A.F. would be impossible."
"That's right. The boy's not lying. That's just how rumors are."
"Hmm, you really know your stuff, don't you?" I was impressed, and she laughed shyly.
"I guess? ...Well, this is what I got from my teacher."
"By teacher, you mean a college professor?"
"Yes, Sumino University's {Professor Kirisaki}. I'm a student there."
"Mr. Kirisaki!?" Mr. Kogure's eyes suddenly widened. Even Yuuka, who seemed to have a lot of guts, flinched a little at his sheer intensity.
"W-what? Why are you so surprised..."
"Silence! Lady who intrudes here, who do you this man is!?" Mr. Kogure began to act histrionically.
"...Mitsukuni Mito or something?" [The man who compiled one of the first books on Japanese history] Ms. Yuuka replied with a serious face.
"Wrong! He's Mr. Kirisaki's younger brother!"
"...Eh!? No way! You're lying! Really!?"
Before I could say, "I'm surprised to meet one of my brother's {pupils}", Ms. Yuuka took my hand and shook it wildly. It took me a few moments to realize that it meant to be a handshake.
"Nice to meet you! Mr. Kazami! I wish to cooperate in your investigation!"
Mr. Kogure, shocked by her words, interrupts. "What are you talking about, you? Thinking that ordinary citizens can get involved in police investigations..."
However, Yuka continued, seemingly oblivious to Mr. Kogure's words. "Mr. Kirisaki asked me to assist you! When his brother gets in trouble, he spares no expense to help you out!"
My brother, asking this girl? Sounds quite contrived...
"Do my eyes tell you I'm lying?"
She looked at me with sparkling eyes. It was clearly a glint of curiosity.
"You can't believe this!" Mr. Kogure yelled. But she was not to be outdone.
"I'm telling the truth! Look, I have a power of attorney right here!"
She pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. It read...
"If my brother's ever in trouble, do something about it -Suimei Kirisaki", he even politely signed.
"It certainly looks like my brother's handwriting, but..." The letters were so messy. It was as if he wrote it begrudgingly...
Ms. Yuuka brazenly and triumphantly showed off her power of attorney, as if she left the courthouse with a piece of paper reading "VICTORY!" (Seriously, who is she?).
"...That's why! I'll assist in your investigation!" Ms. Yuuka saluted energetically.
She was about to join the group, but I stopped her in a hurry. "W-wait a minute. Why would my brother give you a power of attorney? Did he tell you about the work we do?"
Needless to say, police officers are obligated to maintain confidentiality. The same is true even for advisors like my brother when they are involved in an investigation. It's unthinkable that he would divulge information about an investigation. That could only mean...
"It's because I'm capable, you see. Professor Kirisaki trusted me enough to confide in me." That's an absolute lie. I'm sure she looked through my brother's files without permission.
However, there is certainly something I would like to ask my brother. If she knows as much as he does, I would certainly like to have her help.
And with a power of attorney in my brother's handwriting, there's no reason to doubt her background.
"Alright. We could use a little help right now, so... would you be willing to help us with our investigation?"
"Sir!? Are you sure you're okay with this little girl!?" Mr. Kogure raises his voice in disapproval.
"Mr. Kogure. This girl might know something about onis. If she really is my brother's student, she should have such knowledge."
Mr. Kogure had no choice but to accept my explanation. "Yes, sir. If that's what you say..."
"By the way! Hey, I heard something just now, could it be that a real oni appeared?" Yuka immediately asked, curious.
"Well, I can't say for sure yet, but... Ms. Yuuka, do you know anything about onis?"
"Onis, hm? Of course I know." Ms. Yuuka answered confidently.
"But can you give me one day? I don't want to give you half-baked information if we're going to do this."
"Eh!? Well, that's certainly..." I said.
"Well, see you tomorrow!"
Ms. Yuuka winked at me and left before I could stop her...
"She's gone..." Mr. Kogure and I stood there for a while, stunned as if we had just encountered a typhoon.
Let's leave it to her to find out about the demons. What else can we do now...
"Sir, how about trying to get more information from Ryou Kobayashi-kun?"
"Eh...?"
"He's the {eyewitness} who saw the oni. If we can get more information out of him, wouldn't that help us in our investigation?"
"That's true, but..."
How in the world do we do that? How could we possibly get any information out of that frightened boy?
I know. Let's talk to Ms. {Hitomi}. Maybe she can tell us how to get information out of him through medicine or psychology or something. At this hour, she should still be at the university hospital.
"Mr. Kogure, let's go to Ms. Hitomi's workplace." I saw that Mr. Kogure hadn't waited for my reply and was hurriedly going to his car. His expression had gotten softer, or was that just my imagination?
"Ms. Hitomi, I hope she's not in the middle of an autopsy..."
Let's end here, we've learned quite a bit about the background of this case, but there's still more to find, however, I'll have to leave that for next time. But before that, I want to say I'm enjoying this episode a lot. Doing some actual police work grounds this story before it goes off the rails later, and the comedy makes it even better. I can't wait to see how the supernatural will subvert this investigation.
Anyway, see you next time!
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