The Logmaster - Chapter 19
Yukio Sato (73 years old): Crushed to death in the Sankaku garbage truck incident
Yoshio Kimura (62 years old): Died after falling from a pedestrian bridge
Ryosuke Igarashi (63 years old): Drowned in a river while drunk
Shingo Aizawa (48 years old): Burned to death in a suspicious fire while sleeping in a tent
Kiyoharu Suzuki (61 years old): Drowned in a river while drunk
“So that’s five…”
Misumi Tadashi clicked his tongue in disgust as he toyed with the feel of the lukewarm aluminum of the can of coffee between his fingertips.
The cheap, sugary liquid was too much for his throbbing stomach.
The report I have in front of me is a matter-of-fact, matter-of-fact description of the bodies of homeless people that have been found in recent months, all deaths that initially would have been dismissed as accidents, illness, or common misfortune.
At that moment, the sound of an automatic internal call echoed loudly throughout the dreary, unidentified consultation room, lined with only old iron desks.
Triangle lifts his head.
In the corner of the room, Sumi has a thick newspaper spread out in front of her face, clearly pretending not to hear.
He would always push these kinds of “troublesome matters” onto Mitaka. Mitaka picked up the receiver listlessly. The coldness of the metal felt uncomfortable on his sweaty palms.
“…Yes, this is Sankaku from the Unidentified Persons Consultation Room.”
The person on the other end of the phone was from the criminal investigation division of the local police station. His voice sounded unusually low, and contrary to his usual casual tone, there was a strange tension in his voice.
“Mitsukaku-san…thank you for your hard work. We’re at the riverbank…and another person has appeared.”
“…Again?”
Mikaku let out a short sigh and unconsciously tensed his hand as he held the can of coffee.
“Who is it this time? How old is it? What are its features?”
“His name is Saeki. He was found the other day, very close to where someone named Igarashi died.”
“Saeki…?!”
Sankaku’s hands suddenly stopped.
Was it the old man with the frightened yet somewhat challenging eyes I had met a few days ago when I was making inquiries about Igarashi?
He pretended to know something about Igarashi’s death, but remained tight-lipped. Could it be that he, too, had slipped and fallen into the river, just like Igarashi?
However, the detective’s voice on the phone coldly denied that simple speculation.
“This time it wasn’t an accident. It was a murder, and a pretty dramatic one at that.”
“…What?”
There was a sharp edge to Sankaku’s voice, like a sleeping hound had sniffed out its prey.
“His whole body had been stabbed repeatedly with what appeared to be a survival knife.
His face was completely unrecognizable, and he appeared to have died almost instantly.
The man believed to be the culprit, whose identity is currently being confirmed, appears to have attempted suicide by taking a pesticide (paraquat) on the spot after the crime. He was rushed to the hospital but is currently unconscious and in critical condition. A knife believed to be the murder weapon and what appeared to be a suicide note from the culprit were also left at the scene.
–The detective took a breath and then continued with even more shocking information.
“Furthermore, in the subsequent investigation, it was discovered that the murdered man, Saeki, had a criminal record several decades ago, having served a long prison sentence for assaulting a young couple, assaulting and murdering the woman. Currently, the media has begun reporting that this may be revenge by those related to the murdered couple.”
This is not just a case of a homeless person’s suspicious death.
In Mikata’s mind, it felt as if the scattered pieces of a puzzle were coming together to form an eerie shape.
Something deeper and more complex is brewing in the dark corners of this tent city.
And those suspicions were confirmed by the investigation report a few days later.
It became clear that Saeki had some kind of connection not only with Igarashi but also with two other homeless men who had died under suspicious circumstances earlier, Suzuki and Aizawa.
According to witnesses, Igarashi, Suzuki, and Aizawa often acted together and seemed to have always had something to do with Saeki and viewed him as an enemy.
Of course, it’s not surprising that Saeki hated them.
Given his criminal history, there was always the possibility he would get into some kind of trouble again.
–The situation changed completely.
Cases that had been dismissed as simple accidents or suicides have resurfaced as possible serial murders.
Moreover, the circumstances of the murder of the final victim, Saeki, the attempted suicide of the man believed to be the culprit, and Saeki’s past violent crimes, combined with media coverage, made the case sensational and attracted public attention.
Amid the heavy, gloomy atmosphere and under pressure from public opinion and the uniqueness of the case, the Metropolitan Police Department finally took the plunge and decided to set up a joint investigation headquarters at the prefectural police headquarters.
— Superintendent-in-Chief Fujita Nozomu (age 58)
This time, Fujita was in charge of leading the joint investigation headquarters.
He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law and has a so-called seconded career, but contrary to his background, he has almost no experience of working his way up through the workplace.
His concerns were focused not on solving the case itself, but rather on his career path, his reputation within the police organization, and how to smoothly reflect the intentions of central government ministries and agencies.
A typical petty bureaucrat who prioritizes self-preservation and behind-the-scenes maneuvering above all else.
Behind that smile lies a calculating, cold-hearted personality. He holds power within the prefectural police as the “face representing the central government’s intentions,” but in reality he is the type of person who is only good at reading the mood of his superiors, flattering them, and getting things done without causing any trouble.
In the past, Sankaku made an internal whistleblower complaint about some accounting fraud, but Fujita suppressed it, calling it “unreliable information that undermines credibility in the police force as a whole.”
Fujita had an extreme dislike for “pieces that could disrupt the harmony of the organization” like Sankaku, and was currently skillfully manipulating Kuroishi, who was under his control, to increase his influence over local executives.
That afternoon, Mikata was called to his dimly lit office by Inspector Kuroishi, who looked bitter about his situation.
Kuroishi is a former colleague of Mikata and is the one who, at Fujita’s request, relegated Mikata to a boring job at the Unidentified Persons Advice Center.
“Hey, Mikata. It seems that Chief Superintendent Fujita himself has requested your cooperation with this joint investigation headquarters. What is this? Do you have a personal connection with the Chief Superintendent? Or have you been sniffing around and found some extra information?”
Kuroishi’s voice was tinged with dissatisfaction and irritation.
He probably isn’t happy that Sankaku, whom he had taken such great care to crush, is being pulled back into the spotlight once again, especially in such a high-profile case.
His sticky gaze explores Mikata’s entire body, licking it as it goes.
(…Connections? If I had something like that, I wouldn’t have been in this cesspool a long time ago. How much easier would that make the investigation…?)
Mikata was secretly bitter, but didn’t show it on his face.
“The media is reporting this extensively. The reputation of the prefectural police is also at stake. The public is watching, too. This means that you can no longer be allowed to snoop around as you please using your ‘personal discretion’. Follow the instructions from headquarters and only do the work you’re assigned to do. Don’t do anything unnecessary, okay?”
A piercing tone of voice.
Behind these words is a threat: “If you cause even the slightest bit of trouble, this time it will be finished.”
Mikata simply nodded silently.
From experience, he knew all too well that it was useless to argue.
At that moment, there was a timid knock on the door, and a young detective named Kakuta popped his head out.
He was holding a large cardboard box in his hands, likely filled with investigative materials.
“Excuse me! I’m Kakuta, here to support you as of today! I’ll be joining Detective Misumi’s team!”
The voice was so bright and lively that it seemed out of place. Seeing this, Kuroishi’s face contorted even more, as if he had just eaten something disgusting.
“Yes, that’s right. Thanks to the ‘kindness’ of Chief Superintendent Fujita… for the time being, I’ve assigned Kakuta to your team. Use him if you think he can be of use. However, I’ll first have to see if you are of any use.”
When Kuroishi said this, his voice was filled with malice.
“If they’re going to be a burden, I’ll send them all to the counseling room.”
Perhaps sensing the tense atmosphere from Kuroishi, Kakuta’s expression hardened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and straightened his back.
Triangle took a deep breath.
Although I felt a heaviness in my stomach, as if lead was stuffed into it, strangely, I didn’t feel despair.
Right before his eyes is a complex and bizarre series of murders. Behind them lies an ugly power struggle within the police organization and past grudges.
However, there was no sign of resignation in his eyes; rather, there was a quiet, unwavering fighting spirit as he finally grasped a thin but sure clue to the truth.
He will not stop until he brings to light the truth behind this case, no matter how difficult the road.