The Logmaster - Chapter 21
Stakeout and questioning of Ayumaru Omiichi continued for several days, but no conclusive results were obtained.
He continues to go about his monotonous daily life and has never been seen to be behaving suspiciously, let alone having any contact with homeless people.
Their daily lives were perfectly “normal,” as if it were the calm before the storm, or as if their true selves were hidden behind a thick mask.
(…This won’t get us anywhere. Is there a way to get Ayumaru out somehow?)
As if to escape the hustle and bustle of the Joint Investigation Headquarters, Mitaka Tadashi returned to his familiar desk in the Unidentified Persons Consultation Room and sat alone, lost in thought.
The investigation headquarters is an uncomfortable place.
The scene is swirling with the sharp gaze of Superintendent Fujita, the nasty attitude of Kuroishi, and above all, the desire for fame among the other detectives who are eager to achieve success.
If I wanted to calmly think things through, this quiet consultation room was the best place.
At present, Ayumaru Omiichi has not emerged as an official suspect in the investigation.
He’s just one of the “peripheral people.”
In order to subject him to questioning, even voluntarily, there would need to be a good reason and permission from higher-ups.
Simply saying that there is a high possibility that he is the “man in a suit” seen in the series of suspicious deaths of homeless people is not going to convince Fujita or Kuroishi.
(But he is involved. His contact with the homeless people, his suspicious behavior at the scene of Sato’s accident… He is hiding something.)
The last time we met by the riverbank, I was still unsure and wasn’t able to pursue the matter any further.
Why did he get involved with a homeless person? Why did he quickly leave the scene of Sato’s accidental death without providing any first aid, even though he was present at the scene? And now I wonder, what on earth was on the screen of his smartphone that he was so abnormally concerned about?
As he thought about it, an idea came to him.
(…That’s right. What about calling him as a witness in the Tomaru Shizuka case?)
A few months ago, a female colleague of Ayumaru committed suicide by jumping off a building.
Interviews within the company revealed testimony that Ayumaru was close to her.
A reinvestigation into the cause of the suicide would be enough of a pretext to summon him.
The fact that they had been making enquiries around the company should also lend credibility to the call.
(But…)
The problem is what happens next.
It would be extremely strange to call him in about Tomaru and then bring up the main subject of the case: the series of suspicious deaths of homeless people.
In particular, Mikata once came into contact with Ayumaru while he was talking to Saeki.
If Ayumaru was the culprit, there would be a high risk that he would realize at that point that he was being suspected and become wary.
(…What should I do…)
As Mikata groaned and crossed his arms, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a glint of expectant gaze.
I suddenly looked to my side and saw Kakuta staring at me with shining puppy dog ​​eyes.
He seemed extremely happy to be joining the Joint Investigation Headquarters, and it was clear to see that he was itching to achieve some accomplishment.
(…Kadota might be able to contact Ayumaru without arousing suspicion…)
It is Kakuta, not Mikata himself, who is the first to make contact.
With his carefree personality, Kakuta may be less likely to make others feel wary of him.
Kakuta visits Ayumaru, wanting to hear more about the Tomaru incident, and gauges his reaction.
(But the problem is still Kuroishi…)
With the investigation into the serial murders of homeless people already in full swing, it is hard to imagine Kuroishi permitting to beginning of work on the unrelated suicide case of an office lady.
There is a high possibility that the application will be rejected for some reason as harassment, or that other obstacles will arise. So, what should you do?
While Mikata was racking his brains, Kakuta, who had been peering at the investigative materials (captured images from the security camera footage at the scene of Sato’s accident), suddenly spoke up.
“Senpai, isn’t this scary? Doesn’t it seem like this Ayumaru guy is remotely controlling Sato-san with his smartphone? Like a radio-controlled car… hehe.”
He makes a scared face and playfully teases me.
Seeing his relaxed attitude, Mikata couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
“Haa… It feels silly to be so serious about my worries when I’m with you.”
Seemingly half-giving up, Sankaku approached Kakuta for advice.
“Kakuta… Can you lend me some wisdom? Is there any way to naturally interrogate that Ayumaru guy, using the Tomaru Shizuka incident as an excuse?”
“Eh? Why not just say, ‘I would like to testify as a witness in the Tomaru case,’ and call him in?”
Kakuta looked puzzled, but answered without any hesitation.
“That’s why…”
Mikaku explained while holding his temples.
“This joint investigation headquarters has just been formed, and it’s such a damn busy time. If the two of us were to go ahead and start investigating something that doesn’t seem to be related to the main story, Inspector Kuroishi wouldn’t keep quiet. We’d end up either being interrupted or crushed.”
“Ah, I see… that old man from Kuroishi… he certainly does seem like the type to nag…”
It seemed as if Kakuta finally understood the situation, as he put his hand to his chin and looked thoughtful.
It was at that moment that Buddha Sumi-san, otherwise known as Kakutani, who had been quietly sipping tea in the corner of the room like an ornament, suddenly looked up. Sankaku and Kakuta’s eyes naturally fell on him.
“Yeah?”
When Kakutani noticed the two of them looking at him as if they wanted to say something, he tilted his head slightly.
Then he picked up the receiver of the internal phone and started making a call somewhere.
“Oh, it’s me, Kakutani. Yeah, yeah, that’s right… Now, we’re a little short on manpower here in the counseling room, so we’ve decided to borrow Mikata and Kakuta from the Joint Investigation HQ for a while. Yeah, that’s what I’ll be counting on… Okay, okay, thank you.”
With that, Kadoya simply hung up the receiver.
Then he gave a thumbs up to Mitaka and Kakuta, who looked at him with astonishment.
Once he had finished, he seemed satisfied as he leaned back in his chair and began to sleep quietly.
“…”
Misumi was at a loss for words. Who on earth had called just now? And was it possible that he had gotten permission from the investigation headquarters with just that brief exchange? Apart from Chief Superintendent Fujita and Inspector Kuroishi?
(This person… Sumi-san… who on earth is he…? Wasn’t he just a dim-witted veteran detective nearing retirement age…?)
He felt like he had caught a glimpse of a side of his boss he had never known before. However, he didn’t have time to think too deeply about it right now. Whatever the reason, now he was able to contact Ayumaru Omiichi openly and without Kuroishi’s interference. He turned to Kakuta, who was standing next to him with his eyes wide open.
“…Okay, Tsunoda. Let’s go. Our target is Ayumaru Omiichi.”
There was a sharp light in his eyes again.