Those Who Are Not Protected - Chapter 1: Episode 1.2

Tashino asked the forensic team to carefully peel the tape off and then remove the clothing from the body. Soon, the belly of the corpse that was already discolored from decomposition was exposed.

Decomposition starts when bacteria inside the body begin breaking down the organs, usually starting in the lower abdomen. The body was turning dark blue and black from the belly to the chest due to decomposition. Even though the man had starved, his stomach was unnaturally swollen due to gas buildup in the intestines.

The face, sunken due to muscle loss, gave the swelling an unusual appearance. The man looked to be about fifty years old, of average height, and male. From the clothes, Tashino guessed he had worked an office job or some kind of sales position—not a physical laborer.

Since he had been tied up, it clearly wasn’t a natural death. Someone had kidnapped him, kept him from escaping, and left him to die without food or water. He had endured prolonged suffering before his death. Tashino thought this was one of the cruelest ways to kill someone.

He immediately suspected a personal grudge. If the dispute was about money, the killer wouldn’t have used such a slow and painful method.

“We found the victim’s ID,” one of the forensic officers called out.

“There are four 10,000-yen bills and eight 1,000-yen bills in his wallet, plus some coins. There’s also his driver’s license and an employee badge.”

We could rule out robbery because nearly 50,000 yen in cash remained untouched.

The documents were quickly sealed in a plastic bag and handed to Tashino.

He compared the ID photo with the body. Although the man looked thinner and more worn out, it was clearly him.

Name: Tadakatsu Mikumo
 Date of Birth: August 6, 1968 (Showa 43)
 Address: Koku Town, Aoba Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture

Then he looked at the employee ID, and Tashino’s eyes locked onto the issuing office.

Sendai City Aoba Ward Welfare and Health Office
 Department Head, Public Assistance Section 1 – Tadakatsu Mikumo

“He’s a department head at the Welfare and Health Office,” Tashino said, surprised.

He had guessed the man worked in an office, but what really shocked him was the man’s position.

Hasuda looked over Tashino’s shoulder and was surprised too.

“A department head at the Welfare Office is a pretty high position, right? He also had quite a bit of cash on him.”

“Carrying about 48,000 yen is normal for someone his age,” he replied.

“Huh? Really?”

“When I was younger, someone told me: carry one 1,000-yen bill for every year of your age. Has anyone ever mentioned that to you?

The moment the words left his mouth, Tashino regretted them. Hasuda looked deeply hurt, but it wasn’t his fault—it was the fault of the predecessors who had failed to guide him properly.

However, something was even more painful than Hasuda’s expression: the regret over the death of Mikumo. The agony of watching oneself weaken with no choice over when to die. With only his movements restricted, Mikumo had plenty of time to think before drawing his final breath. Pain, sorrow, resentment, and regrets and remorse for the loved ones he left behind—

Tashino looked again at the photo on the driver’s license. ID photos are usually expressionless, but even taking that into account, it was the face of a good man.

Mikumo, like Tashino, had been a civil servant, and one working in welfare and public health at that. Mikumo had worked to protect the socially vulnerable, while Tashino fought for justice on behalf of crime victims. They shared a common ground. That was why Tashino felt more sympathy for the deceased than usual—and even more anger toward the perpetrator.

Tashino called over one of the forensics team members.

“Did you find any items that could’ve been left by the culprit?”

But the forensic team looked disappointed. They didn’t find anything. One of the local investigators who had arrived earlier explained why.

“This apartment hasn’t had any tenants for two years, and there’s a thick layer of dust on the floor.”

“Wouldn’t that make it easier to find the victim’s or perpetrator’s footprints and any residues?”

“Well… the perpetrator dragged the victim inside, and when leaving, they followed the same path they came in on. So, there were neither three-dimensional nor flat footprints left behind. Hopefully, we’ll be able to detect some bodily fluids or hairs.”

“In that case, shouldn’t there at least be footprints left on the hardened mud at the entrance?”

“There are signs that the perpetrator deliberately erased them.”

Tashino groaned softly. Such a meticulous person, who knew how to erase their own footprints, was unlikely to leave behind fluids or hairs so easily.

“Just like how criminals now often wear gloves since fingerprints became common knowledge. Same idea. These days, detective dramas emphasize scientific methods, leading to an increased awareness of investigative procedures among perpetrators. It’s a real headache for those of us doing the actual work.”

Tashino could only agree. Recently, authorities found foreign nationals illegally entering the country using replicated fingerprints. He couldn’t help but feel that the constant exchange between criminal techniques and forensic science, although not a new phenomenon, had transformed well-produced mystery dramas into a form of criminal tutorial.

“That being said, the fact that no one’s been in and out for a long time is actually a good thing. There should be very few unidentified fingerprints or third-party residues. That gives us a better chance of finding something from the perpetrator.”

Hanging onto the words of the forensics team member, Tashino and Hasuda left the room. At the entrance to the apartment complex, they ran into Iida from the Sendai Central Precinct, whom they knew from previous joint cases.

“Oh, so the main office sent Tashino-san!”

Iida greeted Tashino with a big smile. Two years younger and easygoing, Iida was one of the few people he could truly talk to within the Major Crimes Division.

“We’re canvassing the area. I’m sure the perpetrator knew this place well.”

Iida sounded quite confident.

“Do you have any evidence of that?”

“Well, just look at it—this place is practically a ruin. No one would imprison a victim somewhere that’s still occupied. The perpetrator had to have known this apartment was vacant.”

So that’s why he thought the perpetrator was familiar with the area?

Indeed, you couldn’t be certain it was unoccupied unless you monitored the place all day to ensure there were no occupants coming and going. The exterior suggested abandonment; misjudging could lead to being seen, and a perpetrator wouldn’t take that risk.

“We haven’t received any eyewitness accounts of someone lurking around during the day.”

“So, your theory is that someone who already knew about this apartment waited until late at night when no one was around to bring the victim in?”

“Exactly. That narrows down the suspects quite a bit.”

“What about the matter of the key?”

“That’s a bit of a problem… But it’s best to ask the landlord directly, since he was the one who discovered the body. This way, please.”

At Iida’s suggestion, Tashino and Hasuda made their way to another area set apart by blue plastic sheeting. There, an elderly man who was around eighty years old was waiting.

“This is Mr. Teruyama Kimomochi, landlord of the Hinode Apartments (Sunrise Manor).”

“I’m Tashino from the Miyagi Prefectural Police’s Investigative Division. Thank you for coming so early to help us.”

Teruyama muttered a greeting and bowed slightly, though he seemed distracted.

“Mr. Teruyama, I heard you found the body after a neighbour alerted you?”

“Yes. An old lady who passes by on her walks complained about a foul smell coming from the apartment. When I entered unit #103, where the smell was strongest, I found the body and called the police.”

“You realized it was a corpse right away? Did you check for a heartbeat or anything like that?”

“You can tell a corpse just by looking at it.”

“Oh? But the body didn’t have any visible injuries.”

“I lived through the air raids on Sendai as a child. I’ve seen people die from explosions, fires, and even starvation. So, I could tell right away—it was starvation.”

“Were the doors and windows of the apartment locked?”

“Of course not.”

“Huh?”

“Look, it costs more to tear this place down than I pay in property taxes. I’m just waiting for it to fall apart on its own. There’s nothing worth stealing here—even the front door isn’t locked, let alone the windows.”

Iida’s face turned grim.

“From a crime prevention standpoint, that’s really irresponsible. What if it became a squat for vagrants?”

“Are you saying you’ll arrest me for that?”

Teruyama turned sharply on Iida.

“You cops are the worst. Always dragging your feet on complicated cases, only chasing the easy ones that’ll make you look good. Taxes go to whoever is easiest to squeeze, but pensions go to the people who are hardest to deal with, and now you’re saying you’ll arrest me before you even catch the real criminal? Ridiculous!”

Tashino did his best to calm Teruyama and ensure they had asked everything they could at the scene. While they still had to wait for results from the autopsy, forensic analysis, and investigation, Tashino and the others remained at the scene because they had been informed that the deceased’s family would be arriving soon.