Those Who Are Not Protected - Chapter 1: Episode 1.3

Shortly after questioning Teruyama, Mikumo’s wife, Naomi, arrived.

“I—I heard they found my husband. Is it true?”

She had clearly rushed out as soon as she received the report—her face was bare of makeup, and her hair was hastily tied back.

“Ah, Mrs. Mikumo, please try to remain calm.”

Asking a family member to identify a body was one of the most difficult parts of the job. Since he had just assigned Officer Iida to handle Teruyama’s complaints, Tashino had no choice but to take on this task himself. He gave Iida a subtle look, and Iida bowed apologetically.

“He… he disappeared over two weeks ago. I filed a police report and have been waiting for news ever since.”

In other words, Mikumo had gone missing at the beginning of the month. Based on Karasawa’s estimation that he had been dead for two days, it meant Mikumo had slowly starved to death over the course of two weeks.

“Is it really my husband? Could you please confirm that there hasn’t been a mistake?

“That’s why we asked you here—to confirm his identity.”

Naomi looked at the blue plastic sheet as if it were something cursed, and then, as if just realizing something, she suddenly covered her nose and mouth. She must have finally noticed the lingering smell of decay in the air. The combination of the blue tarpaulin and the stench seemed to fill her with an indescribable dread.

“It may be a painful reality for you, Mrs. Mikumo…”

“Please don’t get too upset.” Tashino swallowed the words—such a request would be far too cruel under the circumstances.

He led Naomi into Room 103 and had her stand by the head of the body, which was covered by a white sheet.

“Please confirm whether this individual is your husband.”

Tashino quietly lifted the sheet to reveal just the head of the corpse.

As soon as she saw the face, Naomi’s eyes went wide, and she collapsed on the spot, still holding her hand over her mouth and nose.

“Ma’am?”

“It’s my husband. There’s no mistake—it’s him.”

They couldn’t let her stay near the body after the identification. Although Naomi didn’t want to leave, it was a crime scene, and they had to ask her to wait until the body was transferred to the mortuary after the judicial autopsy.

Tashino had been worried that Naomi would break down sobbing at the sight of her husband’s body, but she merely stood there, dazed and vacant. She didn’t scream or resist. Meanwhile, a crowd of curious onlookers and media reporters had gathered around the “Hinode Apartments” after hearing of the incident. Tashino had Naomi sit in the police car. Their destination was the prefectural police headquarters, which was on the route to the Mikumo family’s residence in Aoba Ward. Interviewing family members in the car rather than the station tended to ease tension.

Tashino handed over the driving to Hasuda and got into the back seat with Naomi.

“I’m sure this has come as a terrible shock… Are you feeling a bit calmer now?”

Naomi nodded, though she still covered her mouth—likely now more to stifle her sobs than to block out the odor.

“Is it okay if we talk?”

Naomi didn’t say a word but nodded again.

“When exactly did your husband lose contact with you?”

“…The evening of October 1st. Normally, no matter how late he got home, he was always back before ten. But that night, he didn’t come home and didn’t call either… I thought maybe he had an impromptu gathering and stayed out, but he didn’t respond to my calls or messages…”

“When did you report him missing?”

“The next day. I thought maybe he went to work, so I called the ward office, but they said he hadn’t shown up.”

“So, you reported him missing on October 2nd and have heard nothing since?”

“I didn’t just file a report—I went to the station every day. I kept telling them that my husband never went for two days without contacting us, so something had to be wrong. But they didn’t take me seriously…”

Tashino was glad Officer Iida wasn’t there to hear this. It wasn’t uncommon for devoted husbands to suddenly disappear without a trace. Especially after the earthquake, cases of people vanishing like spirits—stricken with grief after losing loved ones—had been happening here and there.

Unless there was clear evidence of a crime, the police generally didn’t put much effort into searching for missing persons—an approach that had long drawn criticism. So, when such cases turned into criminal matters, the police were often blamed. But Miyagi Prefecture, like all of northeastern Japan, had unique circumstances due to the earthquake. In truth, it was difficult to track down people who deliberately severed contact out of psychological trauma. And many of the officers in charge of search efforts had lost family in the earthquake themselves, making them sympathetic to the missing and less inclined to push aggressively for searches.

Naomi recited the police’s numerous excuses for not pursuing her husband’s case more seriously, and perhaps unable to hold back any longer, she began to sob. In the confined space of the car, with only Tashino and Hasuda present, she seemed to let her guard down, and her sobs grew louder.

Tashino knew that in this state, any further questions would be useless, so he decided to remain silent and wait for her to regain her composure.

After a while, Naomi seemed to have cried herself out. She bowed and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I lost control… I’m okay now.”

Her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had cried herself dry in just a few minutes.

“Was my husband murdered?”

“We believe there’s a strong possibility he was killed.”

“How did he die?”

“There were no external injuries, and it doesn’t appear to be poisoning. MMost likely, they deprived him of food and water, leaving him there to die.

Upon hearing this, Naomi bowed her head again.

“So cruel… That’s just too cruel. Why did my husband have to die like that?”

“Nothing was taken from his wallet, so robbery seems unlikely.”

“Then… you think he was killed by someone who held a grudge?”

“Do you know of anyone who had that kind of hatred toward Mr. Mikumo?”

“Not at all.”

Naomi responded without hesitation.

“My husband was a truly good person—so good that even I thought he was too nice for his own good. Maybe some people looked down on him for it, but no one ever said anything negative about him. He exhibited kindness to an extreme extent.

Naomi spoke in a rush to defend her husband.

“He was promoted more slowly than others, and it’s really because he was too good to others. Whether it was family or friends, he always put others before himself. How could such a person make enemies? I can’t imagine it at all.”

Tashino thought to himself, this kind of thing happens all the time. No matter how long they’ve been married, a wife only ever sees the side of her husband within the family, the part of him that’s a good husband and father. But a person’s role at work is completely different from that at home. For example, a person who is brutal and violent in their professional life could still be a good husband and father when they get home.

“He’d even lend his umbrella on a rainy day and walk home in the rain himself. That’s just the kind of person he was. Who could hate him enough to want him dead?”

“I imagine he was a good husband at home too, right?”

“Yes. We’ve been married for over twenty years, and he has never put himself first—he always thought of me and the kids first.”

“Did he ever talk to you about working at home? Like if something unhappy happened at work or if a superior was giving him trouble?”

“I’m not interested in what he does for work, so he never really went into detail. Occasionally, he’d bring a subordinate who missed the last train back home, but their relationship was always friendly. I think he was well-liked by his juniors at work too.”

It seemed like she was remembering the past, as Naomi covered her face with her hands and began crying again.

“Then, recently, did Mr. Mikumo show any unusual signs? For example, was he worried about anything or did he seem afraid of something?”

Naomi still kept her head lowered, shaking it slowly with a weak motion. The voice that leaked through her fingers was very hoarse.

“Up until the morning he left for work, he was exactly the same as usual. He ate as usual and said, ‘I’m going to work now’ before leaving the house”.

“Really nothing at all?”

“If there had been any change, I would have noticed it. After all, we’ve been married for over twenty years!”

With the sharpness of this statement, they could tell that Naomi was telling the truth.