Chapter 111: Murder, Impersonation, and the Wrath of Shin Kurozawa (Requesting Monthly Votes!)

At 7:00 PM, the sky had not yet fully darkened, but the streetlights were already glowing, and the streets of Tokyo were bustling with noise.

In Minami-Azabu 3-chome, Minato Ward, a detached house was surrounded by police cars and yellow caution tape. Outside the perimeter, a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered.

"Beep—beep beep—" Aoyama Hidenobu honked his horn from inside his car, finally managing to pull into the driveway after a long wait. Even driving a Mercedes didn't spare one from traffic.

After stepping out, he retrieved his work badge, hung it around his neck to show the perimeter officers, then took a pair of shoe covers and gloves from a colleague and walked inside.

Once through the door, apart from the room full of police officers, the most striking sight was the female corpse lying on the living room floor. She looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five, with a slender figure and attractive features. She was still dressed in professional business attire, suggesting she had been murdered just after returning home from work. The wound was on her neck.

Nakamura Shinichi, who had arrived at the scene first, hurried over to report: "The victim is Ayase Michi, 24, a regular employee in the Human Resources department of Agriculture and Forestry Facilities Co., Ltd. Time of death is less than three hours ago. Cause of death was throat-slitting resulting in asphyxiation and excessive blood loss. There are no signs of a struggle, which suggests the crime was carried out smoothly."

"We found two different types of footprints, leading us to believe there were two perpetrators. No fingerprints were left behind; they likely wore gloves. Given that they wore gloves but failed to use shoe covers, they aren't exactly professionals, so they probably left plenty of other traces. I've already sent someone to collect surveillance footage from the surrounding area."

"The house has been ransacked, and jewelry and other valuables are missing, which suggests the motive was likely robbery," Nakamura added.

"I see," Aoyama Hidenobu replied. He began to search the scene himself. In the victim's bedroom, he discovered many designer clothes and luxury items—a lifestyle clearly beyond the means of an ordinary company employee.

If Ayase Michi wasn't a wealthy heiress, then her income source was questionable, and that was likely why she lost her life. Aoyama ordered, "Investigate her personal relationships as soon as possible. Also, arrange for someone to go to the telecommunications company and pull her call records."

"Yes, sir!" Nakamura Shinichi bowed and replied.

After taking a look around and finding no further immediate clues, Aoyama Hidenobu left. It was just an ordinary murder case; his presence at the scene was enough to satisfy his duty, and he could leave the rest to Nakamura.

At the same time, in a private room at an izakaya:

Noda and Kobayashi, two roommates, met again.

"Noda-kun, excellent work. Here is your payment." Kobayashi pushed a suitcase across the table.

Noda’s expression was slightly unnatural. He hesitated for a moment before taking the suitcase. When he opened it to see the box full of cash, his breath hitched. The lingering hesitation vanished instantly.

He closed the case, raised his glass, downed the drink in one gulp, and wiped his mouth. "If there’s another job like this, be sure to call me, Kobayashi-kun."

"Noda-kun, this was just a one-time thing; there won't be more work after this," Kobayashi said, shaking his head. He suggested, "If you really want to get into this line of work, you need to find a professional agent. Otherwise, on your own, you wouldn't even know where to find the jobs."

"I thought you were the talent agent for hitmen now, Kobayashi-kun," Noda replied with a start.

Kobayashi gave an ambiguous answer: "I just work for the boss. By the way, are you sure you did it cleanly? No traces left at the scene?"

"Absolutely clean!" Noda answered decisively. Since he hadn't actually done the killing, how could there be any traces? When he and his sidekick, "Yellow-Hair," climbed through the window, they found the target had already been murdered. After calling and fishing for information, he realized Kobayashi hadn't hired anyone else, so he and his sidekick decided to report that they had done it.

No work, and a pile of easy money. This was his lucky break.

Kobayashi trusted his roommate from the lower bunk, mostly because he couldn't find any other reliable "tools." He said, "Good enough."

"I won't keep you any longer," Noda said, picking up the cash box. He was in a hurry to split the money with his boys. The truth was, he felt a bit guilty about lying to Kobayashi and didn't want to face him any longer.

Kobayashi stood up to see him off. "Take care, Noda-kun."

After watching Noda leave, Kobayashi closed the door, picked up his mobile phone, and dialed a number. Bowing and scraping, he said, "Everything is taken care of. Yes! Yes!"

***

After leaving the crime scene, Aoyama Hidenobu did not return to Mrs. Nohara’s place but went home instead.

To his surprise, it was Uchida Yuki who opened the door. She was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and jeans, with white socks on her feet. Her short hair made her look bright and innocent.

"Yuki?" Aoyama was slightly surprised. Thinking of what happened on the train, his expression turned strange.

"Hidenobu-nii," Uchida Yuki acted as if nothing had happened. She bowed and stepped aside to let him in.

Aoyama Haruko walked over and asked, "Didn't you say you'd be back late?"

"Something came up," Aoyama Hidenobu said, changing his shoes and walking into the living room. Seeing food on the table, he added, "Set a place for me; I'm going to wash my hands." He had been running around all day and hadn't had a drop to drink.

"Yes!" Aoyama Haruko headed to the kitchen. Uchida Yuki closed the door.

After washing his hands, Aoyama sat down opposite Uchida Yuki at the dining table. He noticed the girl didn't look the least bit guilty, as if she hadn't been the one pranking him on the train earlier. Her composure was impressive.

Feeling his gaze, Uchida Yuki, who was busy eating, looked up and made a face at him.

"You said you wouldn't be back for dinner, so I asked Yuki to come over and keep me company," Aoyama Haruko said, handing a full bowl of rice to Aoyama.

"My work will only get busier in the future; it's good to have Yuki here with you," Aoyama said as he stood up to take the bowl with both hands. He glanced sideways at the demurely eating Uchida Yuki. "Though, she can be quite mischievous."

"Not at all, Yuki is very well-behaved. She's not only hardworking but also good at cheering people up. Business at the flower shop has been much better lately," Aoyama Haruko said with a smile.

Uchida Yuki kept her head down, a shy smile on her face, and whispered, "It's nothing."

"Yuki is blushing! What a cute girl," Aoyama Haruko beamed.

Aoyama Hidenobu shook his head silently. Suddenly, he felt his leg being touched. Looking down, he saw a small, white-socked foot rubbing against his calf. He looked up at Uchida Yuki across from him.

Uchida Yuki was focused on her food, chatting with Aoyama Haruko as if those weren't her feet at all.

Aoyama Hidenobu moved his leg away calmly.

Uchida Yuki’s lips curled into a slight smile, and she placed both feet onto his lap, clumsily attempting to mimic a move she’d seen in a movie.

"Hiss—" Aoyama Hidenobu gasped.

"Hidenobu, what's wrong?" Aoyama Haruko stopped talking to Yuki and turned to look at him.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Aoyama Hidenobu replied with a smile, glancing at Uchida Yuki again.

Uchida Yuki blinked and gave him a sweet smile. She was a fast learner; her movements became increasingly skillful, and she was clearly enjoying herself.

Half an hour later, her feet were getting tired. She felt confused and lost—didn't the people in the movies finish this much faster? Could it be that her technique wasn't good enough? Seeing that Aoyama Hidenobu remained calm and composed no matter what she did, she felt bored, pouted, and pulled her feet back.

Aoyama Hidenobu felt a strange sense of loss; being teased by a beautiful young girl like that was quite stimulating.

After dinner, Aoyama Haruko went to wash the dishes, and Uchida Yuki offered to help. Aoyama strongly suspected she was avoiding any chance of being left alone with him, knowing he would surely interrogate her.

After the dishes were done, Uchida Yuki grabbed her bag and bowed. "Thank you for the meal, Haruko-san and Hidenobu-nii. I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow." She was the picture of politeness and charm.

"I'll walk you home; it's late, and I'm worried about your safety," Aoyama Hidenobu said with a smile.

"Ah! That's not necessary, I'll take a taxi!" Uchida Yuki looked flustered. She refused hastily and turned to run as if a wolf were chasing her.

But she had to put on her shoes. While she was doing so, Aoyama grabbed her by the collar and said, with a gentle smile, "I said I'd walk you, so I'll walk you. Taking a taxi—what, are you suddenly rich?"

"That's right, Yuki. You should save money where you can. Let Hidenobu take you home," Aoyama Haruko added.

Uchida Yuki wore a smile that looked worse than crying. She nodded miserably, "Yes!"

***

At the same time, at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, Kurozawa Shin was meeting with his lawyer.

"Kurozawa-san, they refuse to accept your offer to resign voluntarily. They insist on prosecuting you according to legal procedure," the lawyer said with a grave expression.

"Heh. I’ve worked myself to the bone for this country for half my life, and now they won't even grant me the dignity of a quiet exit." Kurozawa gave a self-deprecating laugh. A fiery rage flashed in his eyes, and the veins in his clenched fists bulged.

The lawyer quickly changed the subject to distract him. "By the way, Kurozawa-san, we’ve found out about the photos. It was Aoyama Hidenobu, an inspector in the Metropolitan Police Department's Murder Division, who gave them to Hikokawa Noritomo." He was very specific, fearing Kurozawa wouldn't know a small fry like Aoyama.

"Bastard! Aoyama Hidenobu!"

Hearing this, Kurozawa was even more enraged. He never imagined that he had kindly given that ant a chance, only for him to stab him in the back. If it weren't for the incriminating photos, it would have been a simple corruption case, and he would have had a chance to make a comeback. He should have killed that guy when he had the chance.

"Aoyama Hidenobu! That bastard Aoyama Hidenobu!"

Kurozawa’s breathing was rapid, his face twitched, and his entire body trembled with rage.

"Kurozawa-san, calm down, please," the lawyer urged, fearing that Kurozawa’s agitation would trigger his cardiovascular condition.

"Aoyama Hidenobu!" Kurozawa couldn't hear a word the lawyer said, repeating the name over and over again.