Chapter 70: Shunobu Aoyama: Look at you, getting impatient again

Seeing that Aoyama Shunobu was answering his phone, Sakai Ryosai, who had volunteered to accompany him to the scene, took the initiative and walked toward the elevator ahead of him.

"Watanabe, what's happened?" Aoyama Shunobu asked as he walked out, but before the other could answer, he continued, "I have some work to handle here. How about we discuss it in detail when we meet?"

He hadn't expected Watanabe Shuzo would come seeking his help so soon. It seemed that the one hundred million yen in financial bonds he'd just sent out would be coming back even faster. Money truly was meant to circulate.

"Shunobu, can't we meet now?" Watanabe Shuzo sounded urgent, his breathing quick and uneven.

Unhurried, Aoyama replied, "I know you're anxious, Watanabe, but don't be. Give me your address, and I'll come over after I finish at the scene."

He judged that Watanabe was simply in a panic, but the matter couldn't be so urgent as to demand an immediate meeting. If it were, Watanabe would have come to see him directly.

"But Aoyama—"

"See? You're anxious again," Aoyama cut him off, his tone stern. "Watanabe, calm down. Is the matter truly so grave?"

Watanabe fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and, somewhat embarrassed, said, "Sorry, Aoyama. It's my first time dealing with something like this, and I lost my composure. I'll wait for you in my office. Please come as soon as you finish."

"Alright." Aoyama hung up and quickened his pace toward the elevator, where Sakai Ryosai was already holding the door for him.

Aoyama glanced at him before stepping inside. Sakai withdrew his hand and followed suit.

"What is your relationship to the president of Sakai Electronics Co.?" Aoyama asked lightly, sensing a familial resemblance between them.

Sakai Ryosai bowed deeply and replied with utmost respect, "He is my father. Thank you, Inspector, for lending a hand to save my father's lifelong work. From now on, I will follow your lead without question!"

Aoyama suddenly understood why Sakai had seemed closer to him than the other new subordinates in the division. Still, he only nodded and said nothing further.

Sakai had already prepared to answer any questions Aoyama might have about the division, but seeing no further inquiries, he simply kept quiet.

The elevator descended in silence.

With Aoyama's departure, the heavy tension that had hung over the Murder Investigation Division's office finally dissipated, and everyone instinctively breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright, Heiji?" Takizawa Mahira walked over to Kinjo Heiji, her tone filled with concern.

This time, everyone merely looked his way without approaching to offer comfort as they might have before. They had come to realize that Aoyama Shunobu was a domineering and forceful superior, one with no tolerance for dissent. Even if they didn't like him, they couldn't afford to cross him openly.

As a result, they could privately side with Kinjo Heiji and support his challenge to Aoyama's authority, but they would no longer show it in public.

Kinjo Heiji noticed this subtle shift and grew even more frustrated, cursing inwardly at their opportunism.

He was displeased with his old colleagues, just as they secretly resented Aoyama, but none of them could show it; at least, they had to maintain an appearance of understanding.

For he still needed their support.

"Thank you, Mahira, for your concern. I'm not so easily defeated," Kinjo adjusted his mood, managed a smile, and looked around meaningfully. "Inspector Aoyama is certainly forceful. From now on, you all must give your utmost when working under him, or the consequences may not be pleasant."

His current embarrassment was the result of misjudging Aoyama Shunobu based on his age. Lesson learned. Yet it wasn't a total defeat; he was certain the others disliked Aoyama as much as he did.

On his very first day, Aoyama had managed to set himself in opposition to all his colleagues.

With a group of dissatisfied coworkers and the backing of Superintendent Hattori, Kinjo Heiji felt he still had the confidence to continue this contest.

Aoyama cared nothing for the reactions in the office after he left. He and Sakai Ryosai hurried to the scene of the crime.

Outside the apartment building, police cars lined the street, a cordon had been set up, and uniformed officers maintained order.

"Metropolitan Police Department, First Investigative Division."

"First Division," Sakai called, holding his credentials ahead, clearing the way for Aoyama.

There was also a cordon at the door of the crime scene, guarded by two officers.

They saluted, handed Aoyama a pair of shoe covers and gloves, and lifted the tape for him.

After donning the covers and gloves, Aoyama and Sakai ducked under the tape and entered the apartment, where several plainclothes officers from the Mobile Investigation Unit were already conducting their survey.

Aoyama recognized them—they were the 204th squad, whom he'd met during the investigation of the Noguchi Jiro murder case.

"Detective Aoyama, we meet again," greeted Watanabe Tomokazu, captain of the 204th, smiling and saluting when he saw Aoyama.

"A coincidence, Captain Watanabe, that you arrived first again," Aoyama returned the salute, glancing around the scene. "What's the situation?"

The living room was tidy, but there were bloodstains on the floor, dragged from near the entrance all the way to a bedroom.

"Detective Aoyama, please come with me." Watanabe Tomokazu led him into the bedroom, where a woman's corpse lay on the floor in a nightdress, her neck hacked so badly that it was nearly severed. Her lips were pale and parted, her eyes wide open, and a large pool of blood had spread around her, filling the air with a metallic stench.

Even Aoyama frowned at the gruesome sight. The attacker had nearly decapitated her—what kind of hatred drove such violence?

Suddenly, his expression changed. Wasn't this the woman who had spent the night with Watanabe Shuzo just two days before?

He couldn't recall her face, but he remembered her chest.

Back in the private room, Watanabe had stripped her dress off, and Aoyama had noticed a prominent mole there. This corpse bore the same mark.

Damn, could Watanabe's urgent call for help be related to this case?

Aoyama's expression grew grave.

Watanabe Tomokazu hadn't noticed his change in demeanor. He began reporting their findings. "Based on the insurance card found in the room, the victim's name is Masako Mikami, age 20, from Yamanashi Prefecture. She has multiple wounds, the fatal one to her neck. Time of death is over 24 hours ago. The kitchen knife is missing—most likely the murder weapon, which the killer took away."

Japan doesn't have national ID cards; identity is usually confirmed through a health insurance card or driver's license.

"The victim's neck was almost entirely hacked through, and the wound is jagged, so we believe the killer was inexperienced. The use of a kitchen knife suggests it was a crime of impulse. Bloodstains indicate the victim tried to escape but was dragged into the bedroom, perhaps for better soundproofing.

"The cupboards were rummaged through, and the victim's wallet is empty, so the motive may have been robbery. The absence of struggle in the living room or at the entrance suggests the killer knew the victim.

"There are traces of blood and skin under the victim's nails, likely from the killer. Forensics should collect samples and send them to the Scientific Crime Lab for analysis."

The Scientific Crime Lab, under the Metropolitan Police, encompasses forensics and chemistry departments. DNA technology was already in use, though far less advanced than decades later. Moreover, there was no universal DNA registration, so results could not be directly matched to a database; suspects would still have to be brought in for testing, much like in the Hwaseong serial murders in South Korea, where DNA samples from hundreds of thousands were compared but missed the killer, who was already in prison.

Watanabe Tomokazu continued, "The apartment residents are all office workers. Since the murder occurred during working hours, the neighbors were out. The victim's colleague reported it—she came to check after losing contact for a day, smelled blood inside, and called the police. She fainted upon seeing the body and has been taken to hospital. The building's surveillance footage hasn't been checked yet; you can retrieve it yourselves."

"Thank you for your hard work. We'll take over from here," Aoyama said, removing his gloves and extending his hand.

Watanabe also removed his gloves and shook Aoyama's hand. "This is our job, after all."

The 204th squad left to continue their patrol.

The Mobile Investigation Unit is usually the first to arrive at a scene and the first to depart—leaving quietly, their achievements unheralded.

"Sakai, I'll leave this to you. If you can't handle it, call for backup. I need to step out," Aoyama said; he was eager to meet Watanabe Shuzo.

"Yes, sir!" Sakai replied promptly.

Aoyama left the crime scene, discarded his gloves and shoe covers, and took a taxi straight to the Akasaka Police Station.

He entered Watanabe's office.

"Aoyama, you're here so soon?" Watanabe Shuzo looked up in surprise at the sound of the door.

Aoyama closed the door, studied him, and replied calmly, "You sounded so urgent on the phone. How could I not hurry? Now, tell me—what's happened?"

Watanabe sighed, looking somewhat embarrassed. He took several photographs from his desk drawer, brought them to Aoyama, and said, "Please, take a look."

Aoyama glanced at them: explicit photos of Watanabe and a woman.

"Watanabe, looks can be deceiving. I never took you for a man of such, ah, appetites," Aoyama teased, glancing up at him.

"Idiot! That's not the point!" Watanabe squirmed awkwardly, avoiding Aoyama's gaze, then sat down beside him, rubbing his face and gritting his teeth. "That big-breasted whore from the other night stole these while I was asleep and is now blackmailing me. If I don't pay, she'll send the photos to my family, to the newspapers—"

Aoyama's face changed. Looking again at the photos, he recognized the woman's chest from the body at the crime scene.

"As I thought, you find this troublesome as well," Watanabe sighed, noticing Aoyama's reaction. "Paying her isn't the problem; I'm just afraid her demands will keep growing if I give in—"

"When did you receive these photos?" Aoyama interrupted, his expression grave.