Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Eyewitnesses in Hokkaido

one At dusk the next day, Mihara took the Towada Express from Ueno Station to Hokkaido. This is the train Yasuda was on.On the one hand, this train is the most convenient to go to Hokkaido, on the other hand, it is to check Yasuda's confession on the spot. Mihara didn't go to sleep until after the train passed through Belai.There were two people sitting across from each other, speaking with a Northeast accent, chatting all over the world, so noisy that people's nerves could not rest at all.However, toward eleven o'clock, the fatigue of the day finally brought sleepiness. In the next morning, the dawn was hazy, and the sea was covered in a milky white sky, which felt very fresh.Preparations for getting off the car have already begun.

The conductor stood at the door, said good morning, and addressed the passengers: The terminus, Aomori, is approaching.You are tired from the long journey.However, those who plan to go to Hakodate by Seikan Ferry, please register on the passenger list.Now, please fill out the registration form first. The conductor handed out the registration form to the passengers who raised their hands.It was the first time in Mihara to go to Hokkaido by boat, so he also asked for a registration form. The passenger bill is just a form. For unknown reasons, the same form must be filled out on both sides of A and B, and handed over at the ticket office.

Arrived at Aomori Station at 9:9.There are still forty minutes until the ferry departs.Before boarding the ship, he had to pass a long platform. Passengers rushed forward in order to get a good seat. Mihara's back was bumped countless times. It was already 2:20 pm when we arrived in Hakodate.Thirty minutes later, the Qiuzao express train departed.The travel time is very closely linked. The train journey lasted five and a half hours. Although it was the first time for Mihara to enjoy the scenery of Hokkaido, he didn't feel bored.When I arrived in Sapporo at night, I was exhausted and my butt hurt.

At the station, Mihara found out about a cheap hotel to stay.Although he clearly knew that if he stayed at the Marumono Hotel, he could kill two birds with one stone in the investigation of Yasuda, but due to the lack of travel expenses, he had to be patient. It rained that night.Listening to the sound of rain, Mihara fell asleep in no time due to exhaustion. In the morning, I got up in a hurry after ten o'clock.It rained last night, and the bedding was damp and cold.The weather in Hokkaido really lives up to its reputation. After eating, Mihara went to the Sapporo Central Police Station first.This is polite, first of all thank you for your assistance in the investigation.

Was it a poor investigation?The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department actually sent someone to the scene, so it's no wonder that the Sapporo inspector was uneasy.Mihara quickly explained that this was not the case, and that he came to conduct individual investigations. Hearing that he wanted to go to the Marumono Hotel, the inspector sent an agent to show him the way.Since he could have this convenience, he did not refuse. The hotel has already been investigated, so the answer is simple and clear. The female accountant immediately took out the passenger list and pointed to Yasuda Tatsuro's name.

He came at nine o'clock in the evening on January 21st.I lived here on the 22nd and 23rd, went out on business during the day, and returned before dark.There is no special situation, the attitude is very calm, What the female accountant said fit Yasuda's characteristics very well.Mihara took over the passenger list with Yasuda Tatsuro on it.After leaving the hotel, I sent the agent back first. The following actions seemed to be more convenient for one person. Futaba Trading Company is on the bustling street, selling machinery and equipment, it is a large-scale shop.The items displayed in the window even have motors.

Hexi is a bald man just over fifty years old, who claims to be the sales director.Seeing Mihara's business card, he opened his eyes wide. A few days ago, the Sapporo Police Station also sent agents to inquire about my arrival at the station to meet Mr. Yasuda. Do you have any doubts about Mr. Yasuda? He Xi had a completely surprised expression on his face. No, there is no doubt about it.But there are some other things that need to be investigated, as a reference, please don't worry.You and Yasuda-san have been in business for a long time.Mihara said calmly. For five or six years, he was a very honest person in terms of credit.Hexi made a guarantee.

In order to reassure the other party, Mihara kept nodding deeply.So, when Mr. Yasuda came to Sapporo on January 21st, were you the one who picked him up at the station?Mihara came all the way here just to raise this question that touches the core. two Yes.I received a telegram from him, saying that he was going to Sapporo by train No. 21, please meet in the waiting room of the station, so I went. Unfortunately, the telegram had been torn up and discarded.Hexi replied. Do you greet me every time you come?Mihara asked. No, I don’t pick up every time I come.This time it was said that it was because it was too late, the store was closed, and there were important things to discuss.

That's how it is, so Mr. Yasuda arrived at the station by the ball train, and immediately went to the waiting room to meet you. After hearing this, Hexi hesitated for a moment before saying: Yes.But not right away.The express train arrived at twenty thirty-four.Passengers who got off the bus walked out of the ticket gate and walked towards the square in front of the station. They could be seen from the glass window of the waiting room. I remember that I waited for a long time, and it took ten minutes to wait for him. After ten minutes, it was no problem.It seems that Yasuda is right, he arrived at the station on the ball train.

Mihara was disappointed.Although such a result was within expectations, he was still reluctant to part with the original judgment.In fact, there is no contradiction between this person's statement and Yasuda Tatsuro's confession: the original judgment seems to be a big problem. Yasuda did arrive in Sapporo by taking the express train that arrived at the station at 20:34 on the 21st.From that night on, he was indeed staying at the Marumono Hotel; there was no flaw at all.Mihara felt that he was standing in front of the stone wall. No matter how hard I try, I still haven't seen any results. In terms of mood, I really feel guilty for Section Chief Kasai who has always supported my work.It is said that the director did not work hard on this case, and only after the section chief spoke on his behalf did he have to continue the investigation. Mihara would not be without a sense of responsibility.

Mihara's complexion was gloomy, and He Xi, who was sitting opposite, looked at it in his heart, and after a while, he hesitated and said in a low voice: There is one more thing to explain to Mr. Mihara.I don't have much contact with Mr. Yasuda. Since you came all the way from Tokyo just for this purpose, I should provide everything I noticed.However, this is just for reference, I don't know if it is of any significance. Got it, what's the matter?Mihara looked at Hexi. Speaking of which, Mr. Yasuda came to me and said that he had important matters to discuss, and the telegram he sent was also worded in this way. However, after we met, he didn't have any important matters to discuss. Oh is it true?Mihara immediately asked back, and there seemed to be a strange sound in his throat. real.Moreover, Yasuda-san came to our company on the third day and talked about unimportant matters.At that time, I felt in my heart that this thing was a bit strange. Mihara suddenly felt that the stone wall in front of him had cracked.Heart pounding.On the surface, he pretended to be nonchalant and questioned Hexi in extremely calm words, and Hexi repeated what he had just said. Yasuda Tatsuro had nothing important to do, why did he ask Kasai to greet him at the station? Yasuda must have wanted a witness to prove that he had arrived in Sapporo on the Komo train on January 21, so Kasai was chosen. It must be so.The reason is nothing more than this.He deliberately placed a four-minute witness at Tokyo Station, and he did the same here.These arrangements are all inherited in one continuous line and echoed back and forth. Then, if it was deliberately arranged, what Yasuda did must be the exact opposite of the fact that he arrived in Sapporo by taking the Koumo train.In other words, did he not take the train? Thinking of this, Mihara consciously discovered the important key, his eyes flashed with brilliance. Mr. Hexi.The place where you met Mr. Yasuda is the waiting room? Yes.Ever since Hexi slipped his tongue, every time he heard a question, he immediately became uneasy. Didn't pick up the bus at the platform? Yes.Because the telegram said to meet in the waiting room, So, Mihara suddenly asked this question, did you not see Mr. Yasuda getting off the train? didn't see it, but However, Yasuda Tatsuro, who came from Tokyo, arrived at the waiting room of the station at that moment and appeared in front of his eyes. Of course, he got off that train. Kasai's expression expressed this opinion. When Mihara left Futaba Trading Company, before leaving, he even forgot how to say goodbye to Hexi.He wandered around the streets of Sapporo, which he had never been before.On the wide streets, birch trees lined up in a straight line, towering into the sky.He didn't seem to see these trees in his eyes, and while thinking hard, he hesitated on the street. Yasuda was lying.He pretended to arrive at the station on the Komo train, and telegraphed Kasai to meet him at the waiting room of Sapporo Station at that very moment.In this way, it becomes a meet and greet at the station.That's what the call back from the Sapporo Police Department was ordered to investigate.A meet and greet at a station is, in anyone's eyes, a welcome for someone who has just stepped off the train.Yasuda took advantage of this illusion. Two waitresses from Koyuki Restaurant were arranged as witnesses at Tokyo Station.The same goes for Kasai in Hokkaido. good.We must uncover Yasuda's painted skin. Mihara took out his notebook and looked it up, Yasuda explained to him as follows: On the 20th, I took the Towada express train and left Ueno Station in Tokyo, and arrived in Aomori on the morning of the 21st.Take the Seikan Ferry at 9:50 and arrive at Hakodate at 14:20.We left Hakodate by the Koumo Express and arrived in Sapporo at 20:34. Mihara looked at the timetable, and suddenly took a long breath. Why can't I always think of this? Doesn't everyone on the Seikan Ferry have to fill out a passenger form?As soon as the watch is checked, Yasuda's statement will collapse. If he takes the ferry, he must leave his name on the passenger form. three Mihara's heart was pounding, and he immediately became uneasy again. A whole month has passed since the 21st of January.Can the ferry passenger list be kept?If it has been abandoned, all clues will be lost. You should go to the station first to inquire.He arrived at Sapporo Station in a blink of an eye. Entering the railway police office, Mihara explained his identity and asked about the retention period of the passenger form. The passenger form of the Seikan Ferry, the middle-aged police officer in the room touched his face and said, the shelf life is six months. six months.That's enough to be sure.A stone fell to Mihara's heart. Do I have to go to Aomori Station to check it? Are you a passenger who takes a boat from Aomori? Yes. Then there is no need to go to Aomori.Hakodate Station also keeps a copy. Mihara was puzzled when he heard this, and the police officer explained: The passenger list of the ferry is divided into two parts, A and B, and the names and addresses of the passengers are written.The watch will be torn apart at the station, and Party A will keep it at the departure station, while Party B will hand it over to the captain and hand it over to the front station.So, Hakodate station also has a copy. Oh yes.Mihara understood.He remembered that he had also filled out both A and B forms. What day do you want to check?the officer asked him. January twenty-first.It is the ferry to Hakodate at 14:20. That was the seventeenth ship.If you go to check, I will call Hakodate first and ask them to prepare the passenger list of that ship. That would be so convenient, please, please. Mihara explained that he would take the night train tonight and arrive at Hakodate Station tomorrow morning, and then left the police office. The night train starts at 22:00, and there are still eight hours left.He wanted wholeheartedly to find the passenger watch immediately, so he had no ill feeling towards the sixteen hours of the eight-hour waiting time and the eight-hour journey. Mihara couldn't handle the eight-hour wait for the bus, so he had to walk around Sapporo.However, I was too nervous to see anything. It was so easy to wait until dusk.Sixteen hours passed with restlessness and sleep, how slowly the time passed! Just after six o'clock, the train came to Hakodate Station.The cold wind blows. There were still two hours before office hours, and Mihara managed to get to the door to open. The clerk was a young man, and upon hearing Mihara's statement of his purpose, he said: Got a call yesterday and it's ready.This is the passenger list of the seventeenth ship on the 21st. First class and second class are separate, which one do you want?the clerk asked him. I think the first class will be checked first, and maybe the second class will also be checked.Mihara replied.There are many second-class passenger lists, and it takes a lot of time to read one by one. There is only so much first class.It seems that there are not even thirty. Sanyuan lifted the corner of the paper and inspected it in detail.While beating drums in my heart, I read like singing, and the name of Yasuda Tatsuro must not appear.That is to say, seeing the twelfth and thirteenth pictures, ah, he found a familiar name. Yoshio Ishida, an official at the age of fifty, Tokyo Ishida Yoshio is the director of the XX Division of the XX Department, and Mihara has long known.Not only know, but know very well.The corruption incident that the second investigation section devoted all its efforts to investigate was carried out around this director. Is Director Ishida also coming to Hokkaido on this ship? A bad omen emerged in my heart. Mihara carefully checked down.Flipping through five more forms, he almost cried out unexpectedly. Have! Tatsuro Yasuda, machine maker, 42 years old, Tokyo His eyes faltered on the form.Can't believe it.This should never be the case.However, this name was actually placed before his eyes. Mihara did not show weakness.He took out the guestbook signed by Yasuda that he received at the Marumono Hotel from his briefcase, and put it beside him.The handwriting of the two documents, as if mocking Mihara, was exactly the same. Yasuda Tatsuro really took this ship! Mihara himself also felt that his complexion turned pale immediately. Now that the fact of taking the ship has been proved, the fact of taking the Kouzao Express has of course also been proved.Yasuda Tatsuro's confession is really not a single lie.The idea that the stone wall in front of him has been cracked seems to be a fantasy.In the face of this reality, Mihara felt that he had failed completely.He let the passenger list spread out there, with his head down, unable to move for a long time.