Chapter Three - Part Three
“Can you tell us what you were doing from last night until this morning?”
Kamo asked this to all the members of the Ryuuzen clan, who he had gathered in the recreation room.
The members of the Ryuuzen clan answered him with identical faces that said “Not again, we already went over this with Taiga.”
After leaving the Dog Room, Kamo, Genji, Amamiya, and Ayaka, the designated investigators, went around and checked all the windows and the ground around the villa for any abnormalities.
They only had permission to enter the rooms of the three investigators and Tonegawa, so they were able to check the lattices for those four rooms from the inside. However, Taiga hadn't given them permission to inspect the other private rooms, so they had no choice but to check those lattices from the outside of the building. Kamo borrowed a stepladder from the wood chopping shed for the second floor rooms.
As a result, they had managed to confirm that all of the lattices were firmly in place, that none of them bore noticeable scratches, and that there were no blood stains on the ground outside.
That had taken some time, so by the time they had started to dig into everyone's alibis, the clock on the wall read 4:37.
Inside the rec room, there was a sofa, a billiard table, a table with a chessboard, a black telephone, two chairs, and a shelf stocked with liquor bottles. A page-a-day calendar read August 22nd.
But all of them were pushed from the mind by the most eye-catching thing in the room: a large oil paining hanging on the north wall. It was about a square meter in size, and bore the signature of “Yachō”, written with the characters for “Night” and “Bird”, in the bottom right. Kamo had never heard of the artist.
At any rate, it was an unusual painting.
All Kamo could make out was an unusual creature barking. It had a red face with a stubby nose, and its tail ended in a snake with its tongue hanging out. Its body was covered in gray-brown fur, but its limbs were striped yellow and black like a tiger.
While they were asking for everyone to arrive, he'd asked Genji what the painting was called. Apparently, the answer was “Chimera”.
“...Also, if you met with Mr. Kyuichi or Mr. Koki at any time last night, could you please tell us what happened?”
Kamo added that on at the end. He got the feeling he was on the clock, as nobody actually wanted to talk to him. Taiga glared at everyone who remained silent, then spoke himself.
“Shall I answer for you all? Everyone, including Tonegawa, was in the dining room or the kitchen until the end of dinner at 7:00 P.M.”
“Does 'everyone' include Kyuichi and Koki?”
“It does. I'm certain. ...We split up at 7:00 P.M. and I returned to my room. I believe I was the first to leave; everyone else was still in the dining room.”
“Do you usually return to your room at that hour?”
“No, I usually relax in the dining room and return to my room around 8:30. However, that day, I felt a bit heavy. I returned to my room early and fell asleep right away. I didn't see Kyuichi or Koki.”
“I see. Did you hear any unusual noises while you were in your room?”
“I don't recall. All of the rooms are soundproofed, so even if there had been a noise, I easily could have missed it.”
“By the way, which of the rooms is yours, sir?”
“The Dragon Room.”
Kamo stared at the old man's wheelchair, remembering that there was no room by that name on the first floor of the villa.
“I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to ask this... You said earlier that you went to your room on your own, but how did you get to the second floor?”
The old man smiled, revealing his yellow teeth.
“I'm the sort of person who isn't satisfied unless I do everything myself.”
Kamo was a bit surprised. He remembered the rails and the steel plate on the stairs to the basement.
“Was that thing on the stairs...”
“So you noticed? It's my wheelchair lift.”
The old man affectionately stroked the armrest of his wheelchair.
“This wheelchair possesses multiple features for ease of use. It can collapse and expand at the press of a button, and the breaks are highly sensitive to both activate and release. With proper training, I can move anywhere in a building or get in and out of bed by myself.”
“So it's a custom made wheelchair.”
“It would be inefficient if there were only one, so I keep a spare at this villa. There are several more at my home and in the office...” The old man chuckled. “I was surprised, too. There's an eccentric in the company's R&D department who's always coming up with interesting new inventions. This wheelchair and the lift are both his doing.”
Just like Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight, it seemed Taiga didn't design his own gadgets.
Kamo wondered if they were just teasing him because it was their first meeting, so he looked at Ayaka and Genji. Judging from the looks on their faces, and the old man's toned arm muscles, he was probably telling the truth.
Kamo had once seen on TV the world's oldest gymnast, an 89 year old, performing on the parallel bars. Apparently, Taiga was one of those super long lived types.
“...And what did you do this morning?”
Taiga rubbed his legs under the knee rest. Compared to his strongly built upper body, they looked like twigs.
“I believe it was around 7:00 A.M. when I met Tonegawa and Ayaka in the dining room. While we were eating, we received the report that a body had been found. Is that right, Tonegawa?”
Tonegawa, who had been standing unobtrusively next to the billiard table this whole time, obediently answered.
“It is as you say, sir.”
“Then please explain your actions last night, Tonegawa.”
After saying that, Taiga seemed to get thirsty and took a sip of coffee. Tonegawa turned to Kamo and promptly began her explanation.
“Before 8:00 P.M., I had finished dinner and cleaning up, and I returned to my room.”
“And what did you do from then until morning?”
“I felt unusually tired yesterday, so I went straight to bed and woke up at 4:00 A.M., where I went back and forth between the kitchen and the laundry room, preparing breakfast and doing the laundry. Around 5:00 A.M., I went outside to clean the front entrance.”
“Did you hear anything unusual?”
“I'm afraid I don't recall... I was serving the master's meal around 7:20 A.M. when I received the report that a body had been found.”
Tonegawa closed her mouth, her expression not having changed once in her entire report. Kamo blinked several times, feeling overwhelmed.
He had thought it would make him uncomfortable to have an inhuman flesh-robot like that hovering around all day, but seeing her being so dutiful and maintaining her professional demeanor actually made him less nervous. Maybe it was for the better.
Ayaka was next. She was the only one with a cup of cocoa in front of her.
“After dinner, I went back to my room and read a book. But I was so sleepy that day that I fell asleep early. That was why I didn't see Father or Mr. Koki.”
Kamo gave a small nod.
“Then may I ask about this morning?”
“I think I left my room around 6:30. By then, Ms. Tonegawa was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. I left the dining room after finishing my meal.”
Her story was consistent with the contents of her diary.
“Then you went to the recreation room and heard from Tsukihiko that a body had been found.”
“...Yes.”
So far, Taiga, Tonegawa, and Ayaka all had “no alibi”. That was within Kamo's expectation; it was normal to not have an alibi for something that happened in the middle of the night.
Tsukihiko nudged his sister with an elbow and whispered to her.
“It's better if the people with more information go later. Shouldn't you be the next one to speak, then?”
His nudge was so hard that she nearly spilled the coffee she'd been about to drink. Without looking at her brother, she began to speak expressionlessly.
“Shortly after dinner, I went out to the front porch and smoked a few cigarettes, but I was back in my room by 8:00. I fell asleep right away and didn't wake up until my brother came to wake me up at around 6:40. I didn't see anyone or know anything about what had happened. ...I was out walking in the Netherwood with my brother and Amamiya when we found the body.”
Her voice was husky for a woman, possibly because she was a smoker. Her emotionless speech reminded Kamo a bit of Hora, but she didn't have his combination of politeness and rudeness.
Kamo thought for a while, then asked a question.
“If that's true, it means you were asleep for almost 11 hours.”
“That's normal for me, and yesterday I was exceptionally tired.”
Soujirou, who still had his hunting rifle, spoke up.
“Tsukie, you must speak more femininely. Even the good detective is surprised by you.”
Kamo actually thought it was significantly weirder that Soujirou had brought a gun to a family meeting, but the man in question seemed quite serious.
“...I'll be more careful from now on, Father.”
Tsukie's voice had grown even colder. Soujirou, who didn't even notice the change in his own daughter, nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Kamo.
“Now, I'll give you my story.”
“That's fine, but... Just how long are you going to keep holding that gun, Soujirou?”
It was Taiga, who spoke sharply. Soujirou looked confused.
“Eh? There's a murderer present, I have to protect everyone.”
“I know you're a skilled hunter and skilled with a gun. But put yourself in someone else's shoes. Having that thing at your side 24/7 will only make people nervous.”
“It's not loaded right now.”
“...As soon as we're done here, return that hunting rifle and the bullets to the lockers in the underground warehouse.”
In the face of Taiga's authoritative voice, Soujirou had no choice but to promise he would. Then, as if trying to shake off the awkward atmosphere, he took a sip of tea before beginning to talk in a loud voice.
“So, you were going to ask about my alibi, right? After dinner, Tsukihiko and I moved to the rec room. We had an appointment. We were going to place a bet after dinner.”
Kamo leaned forward, having finally gotten some information that wasn't in Ayaka's diary.
“A bet, you say?”
“Yes. Tsukihiko wanted a villa in Karuizawa. I told him I'll buy him one after he graduates, but he just wouldn't listen.”
Crossing his longs legs as he sat on the sofa, Tsukihiko took a classy sip of his tea and interrupted.
“You can't blame me for wanting it now. It's not like it's a big purchase or anything.”
Listening to the two of them, Kamo began to feel foolish for having worked so hard all his life. With the Ryuuzen family's wealth, even a whole building looked cheap.
Soujirou chided Tsukihiko for his attitude, then continued his story.
“That was why the boy asked me to play chess. He promised that if he lost, he'd give up on the villa, but in exchange, if I lost, he wanted me to buy the villa within a week.”
When he heard that, Tsukihiko stared at the chessboard on the table.
“I said that, but I didn't expect him to take me up on it. Usually when I ask him for things, he just ignores me and that's the end of it.”
Taiga smiled.
“Usually you don't offer him such good terms.”
Seeing that he'd startled Tsukihiko, the old man elaborated with clear amusement.
“You didn't know? Soujirou has been a chess prodigy since he was a child. By the time he was in college, he was good enough that he could have competed with the Japanese champion at the time.”
“That was a long time ago.”
Soujirou seemed annoyed as he ignored the praise. Tsukihiko muttered sarcastically.
“So he only took me up this time because it was a fight he couldn't lose. That's real nice of you, Dad.”
Soujirou ignored him and turned to Kamo with a sly smile.
“I'm ashamed to admit it, but I let this salesman talk me into a bet. That's why I spent all night in this room.”
That was such an important point that Kamo couldn't speak quickly enough.
“To get to the front door, you have to pass through this room. That means... you saw everyone who entered or left through the front door, right?”
“That's correct. From here, it would be quicker if Tsukihiko, Genji, Amamiya and I all explain what we saw last night at once.”
As he said that, he looked at the three people. Tsukihiko spoke first.
“At 7:00, Dad and I went to the rec room and started our chess game. We took plenty of breaks while we played, so I think it took about three hours to get it over with.”
“And? Who won?”
It was an obvious question, and Tsukihiko turned red with anger.
“Not me. But I'm sure people came in and out of the villa while I was in the rec room.”
“One of them was Tsukie, right?”
For some reason, Tsukihiko curled his lips into an amused sneer.
“To be honest, Tsukie left before we entered the rec room. So I didn't see her leave.”
Kamo thought about whether Tsukie could have brought the head and torso outside.
“...It wouldn't be possible. Tsukie couldn't have moved the head or torso.”
When he'd come to his conclusion, Tsukihiko nodded seriously.
“Yeah, Kyuichi and Koki were still alive when dinner ended at 7:00. After that, there was only enough time for us to walk to the rec room. There's no way she could have killed two people, dismembered their bodies, and washed off the blood that quickly.”
“When did Tsukie come back inside?”
“I think it was around 7:40.”
Soujirou nodded in agreement.
“She was only carrying a small handbag containing her smoking paraphernalia, so I assumed she'd just been out for a smoke.”
“I see. Did anyone else go outside...?”
As Kamo asked, Tsukihiko raised a finger and pointed at Genji. Genji had been looking out the window with coffee cup in hand, but he eventually spoke.
“It's true. I went for a walk in the garden.”
“Even if it is summer, it must have been getting dark after 7:00 P.M. What were you doing outside at that hour?”
Genji gave a troubled looking smile.
“The truth is, I just wanted an after-dinner cigarette... It's true that it was dark by the time I went outside at 8:00. However, there were flashlights and lanterns in the entrance hall. I borrowed one when I went out.”
“And where specifically did you go?”
“I went to the garden, paid a visit to the shrine, then came back.”
“The shrine, you say?”
Genji looked at Kamo with a quizzical expression.
“We call it Kojin Shrine. Is something the matter?”
As Kamo thought, he was referring to Kojin Shrine. It was the first time anyone had mentioned that the only building to survive the landslide... was in the garden. When Kamo had visited Shino on his research trip, the shrine had already been demolished, so he hadn't been able to see it.
Shaking his head slightly, Kamo got back on topic.
“Nothing... What time did you come back inside?”
“I think it was around 9:00.”
“That means you were in the garden for almost an hour.”
That was definitely suspicious, but it wasn't enough to conclude he was the culprit. Seeing Kamo's reaction, Genji gave a mysterious smile.
“Do you suspect me?”
“That's not it. But you must admit, an hour is a long time just to smoke a cigarette.”
Genji looked sad as he shook his head.
“I'm not a murderer. If you'll let me make an excuse, I was empty handed when I left the villa, and I was still empty handed when I came back in.”
Kamo looked to Soujirou and son for confirmation. They both said they remembered when Genji had passed through the rec room clearly, and he had definitely been empty handed.
“There's no way to carry a head and torso while empty handed,” Genji said provocatively.
Looking at him, Kamo wasn't sure who was supposed to be the detective anymore.
However, he wasn't upset someone had stolen his role. To begin with, the role of “Great Detective” wasn't something he had wanted in the first place, and as long as it prevented the Deadly Tragedy of Shino, he didn't well care who did it.
“...You're right. What happened after you came back inside?”
Hearing Kamo's calm reply, Genji seemed surprised that he hadn't lost his temper. Genji's smiled turned to a tired one as he replied.
“I went straight back to my room. Of course, I didn't see my brother or Koki.”
“I get the impression you didn't go right to sleep. What happened next?”
“I think it would be best to hear Amamiya's story first.”
Amamiya, who was now the center of attention, looked uncomfortable. He placed his coffee on the table before speaking.
“You might have guessed this already, but I also went outside after dinner.”
“Why?”
“I went to the wood chopping shed and chopped wood. Oh, and I was also empty handed when I went out. I think it was around 7:20 when I left. Ms. Tonegawa and I had talked about making an oven-baked pizza within the next few days, so I thought I'd prepare for that.”
“What, you guys even have a pizza oven?”
Kamo was shocked by how decadent the rich truly were. Amamiya, who appeared to be a fellow commoner, gave a small nod of sympathy.
“The Master had it custom made.”
According to his explanation, Taiga had an old Italian friend who had personally taught Tonegawa how to make pizza.
“By the way, when you looked earlier, you couldn't see it because the shed was in the way, right? There's actually a large stone oven behind the shed.”
Even after hearing Amamiya, Kamo still wasn't convinced.
“Why did you decided to chop wood at night?”
“The hut is well-lit with lanterns, so you can work at night without any problems. Well, I had other reasons, too.”
He cracked his knuckles before continuing.
“I've been putting off chopping the wood for a few days now because it's been raining. I also find that chopping wood at night helps to clear my mind and help me get a good night's sleep.”
Kamo looked thoughtfully at the young man, who had answered without hesitation.
It seemed Amamiya was quite adept with the axe and machete. In that sense, it could be said that he was suspicious, though this wasn't conclusive, either.
“In that case, could you tell me more about the axe in the wood chopping shed?”
Amamiya suddenly lowered his head, looking frightened.
“Since I'm in charge of chopping wood, I'm also in charge of the tools. The axe and machete are kept in a locker in the shed, and I keep the key with me. I went to check on them this morning. There was nothing unusual about them.”
He was suddenly cut off by Tonegawa, who sent him a lifeboat.
“I was with him when he confirmed it. The axe and machete were in the locker, and chopped firewood was piled in the shed.”
Amamiya bowed at her in thanks, and the corners of Tonegawa's lips lifted slightly. It wasn't much of a change, but it communicated how fond she was of Amamiya.
“What about the spare axe and machete in the warehouse?”
Amamiya glanced at Tonegawa, then answered.
“They've disappeared. I thought the culprit took them.”
“That seems likely... How were the axe and machete in the warehouse managed?”
“They weren't a secret or anything. I think everyone here knew where they were stored. The basement wasn't locked, so I think anyone could have gotten their hands on them.”
Kamo was a bit disappointed. He was hoping he could narrow down the suspects to those who knew where the weapons were, but it seemed that didn't actually narrow down anything.
He smoothly moved on to the next question.
“You said earlier that you entered and exited through the front door. However, the wood chopping shed is closer to the back door, so I think it would be normal to use the back door when doing work there. Why did you use the front door?”
Amamiya looked a bit embarrassed.
“It's not something I'm proud of, but... the area around the back door was all muddy, right? If I'd gone in and out the back door, I would have gotten mud all over the cobblestones and the hallway and it would have been a real pain to clean up.”
Kamo completely agreed with this explanation. No one wanted to spend the night cleaning carpets and pavement. As he thought that, Amamiya continued.
“Besides, we always set a lock on the back door after dinner.”
“For crime prevention?”
“Yeah. ...But when I go out to work at night, someone always assumes I just forgot to lock the door and locks me outside.”
If it happens every time, isn't it possible you're just being harassed? Kamo thought that, but he didn't say so. Amamiya, who didn't seem to have considered the possibility, laughed.
“That's why I always use the front entrance when I go out at night. That way, I'll be safe as long as I take my key with me.”
“I see. And how many keys to the front door are there?”
“The only ones with their own keys are the Master, Mr. Kyuichi, me, and Ms. Tonegawa. In addition, when we have guests over, we try to keep a key in the rec room. It's in a drawer on that shelf there... I'm sure everyone uses that key when they go out for night walks.”
As he'd been told, Kamo opened the drawer on the shelf with the bottles of alcohol. A key with a wooden netsuke of a house was inside. It was a different type of key from the room keys, much larger.
Putting the key back in the drawer, Kamo resumed asking about alibis.
“Okay, what did you do after that?”
“I got absorbed in chopping wood, and by the time I got back inside, it was almost 8:30. When I got back to the rec room, Mr. Soujirou and Mr. Tsukihiko were playing a game of chess. I also play chess, so I was a bit curious, but I decided to go back to my room.”
“He's right, this guy showed up in the rec room, made a face like he didn't want to go, then disappeared into the hallway.”
It was Tsukihiko who'd interjected. Amamiya responded with a bitter smile.
“I was all sweaty, so I decided to take a shower before bed... Come to think of it, I got a call from Mr. Kyuichi right when I finished my shower.”
“From Kyuichi?”
When Kamo asked the question, he was answered by a firm nod.
“Yes, I think it was around 9:20 I got a call on the extension line. He said he wanted to discuss something with me and asked me to meet with him tomorrow after breakfast.”
“Do you have any idea what Kyuichi wanted to discuss with you?”
Amamiya's brows furrowed in thought.
“I didn't think much of it at the time, but to tell you the truth, I have no idea what he wanted.”
“Is there any possibility that it was someone else calling you and imitating Kyuichi's voice?”
“I don't know. It was a bit far away, but it certainly sounded like Mr. Kyuichi's voice.”
“I see.”
“Then I thought I'd go to sleep, but I couldn't stop thinking about that chess game. So I decided to go back to the rec room.”
“I think it was around 9:30 when he met up with us again. That was less than an hour before Dad and I finished the game.”
That was Tsukihiko again.
“What did you all do after the game?”
As Kamo kept asking questions, Soujirou, who had been wondering when to join the conversation for a while now, finally spoke up.
“He wasn't satisfied with the result, so the boy said he wanted to play billiards. Tsukihiko's good at billiards.”
Tsukihiko didn't seem to like being treated like a child in front of everyone, so he got up off the couch and glared at Soujirou. Standing, he appeared to be taller than his father, about 175 cm. Soujirou, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned and kept speaking.
“I couldn't sleep that night, and the boy was persistent, so I decided to give him another whuppin'.”
“Of course, Dad's a coward. He forced me to agree to the condition that we'd play with teams of 2-vs-2. He knew he couldn't take me in a fair fight.”
Kamo could already guess that Tsukihiko had lost this game as well. Amamiya sounded amused as he picked up the story.
“So that's why I went to the Ox Room and brought Mr. Genji down with me... as Mr. Soujirou's helper, of course. It must have been about 10:45.”
Kamo finally began to understand the flow of the story.
“So you started a billiard game, Tsukihiko and Amamiya vs. Soujirou and Genji?”
Genji, who had been silent up until then, nodded.
“We went to the billiard table and started at 11:00. I think it was around 2:00 A.M. by the time the game ended.”
Soujirou gave his son a look that mixed pity and scorn.
“As soon as the game ended, the boy ran back to his room like a scalded dog... From there, Genji, Amamiya and I drank and played cards until morning. I wasn't originally planning on doing that, things just kinda worked out.”
In response, Tsukihiko turned away and muttered to himself.
“Because of that, I don't have an alibi for after 2:00 A.M. If I'd known this was going to happen, I never would have left this couch.”
Kamo ignored him and asked another question.
“The three of you who stayed in the rec room were together the whole time, right?”
Soujirou gave a deliberately exaggerated nod.
“Yep. There's a bathroom in this room, so we never had to leave... Ah, I remember Amamiya went to the Ox Room to call Genji around 10:45, but he was back within five minutes.”
“I see. Did anyone pass through the rec room after the billiards game?”
“Tonegawa came through around 5:00 A.M. and came back within 15 minutes. Then, around 6:45, Tsukihiko came from the hallway to invite Amamiya on their walk. Amamiya went back to his room to prepare, and five minutes later, Tsukihiko, Tsukie, and Amamiya went outside.”
“Of the people you just mentioned, were any of them not empty handed?”
“Tsukihiko and co. were all empty handed, of course. Tonegawa had a broom and a dustpan, but nothing she could have kept a head or torso in.”
Kamo hummed as he organized the information in his head.
“So to summarize... Kyuichi called Amamiya on the internal line around 9:20.”
Everyone in the room nodded. Kamo continued, counting on his fingers as he went.
“The person with the strongest alibi is Soujirou. You have a perfect alibi from after dinner until 7:00 A.M. On the other hand, Tsukihiko has an alibi from after dinner until 2:00 A.M. It's been confirmed that you were empty handed when you went outside to discover the body... Tsukie went outside after dinner, but due to time constraints she couldn't have moved the bodies at that time. And just like Tsukihiko, she was empty handed when he found the body, so she couldn't have transported it then either.”
Kamo paused for breath.
“Amamiya appears to have an almost perfect alibi from 9:30 P.M. onward. He was also empty handed from 7:20 to 8:30 P.M. and when he discovered the body... Genji has an alibi from the moment he entered the rec room at 11:00 P.M. He was outside from 8:00 to 9:00 P.M., but like Amamiya, he couldn't have carried the bodies. The same goes for Ms. Tonegawa, who was out for about 15 minutes starting at 5:00 A.M.”
“So what is your conclusion, then?”
Taiga tossed the question out casually. Kamo shook his head and sighed.
“Except for Mr. Soujirou, who has a perfect alibi, any of them 'could' have done it in terms of time... However, as for whether they could have taken the body parts from the villa to the Netherwood, I have to say that it's impossible.”
“Is that a confession that you're incompetent?”
Kamo turned to Tsukihiko, the owner of the voice, more than a little annoyed.
“What was that?”
The young man bowed his head, but it looked mocking. His voice was sharp.
“I'm sorry if I offended you. I just wondered what the point of calling yourself a detective was if you came to the same conclusion as us amateurs.”
“Tsukihiko, don't be rude.”
Even Taiga's sharp scolding couldn't make the young man panic. He merely sank deeper into the sofa.
“I'm only telling the truth.”
The old man stared at his grandson. He bore no expression, but his eyes were the frigid glare of someone who had completely given up on another. It was very different from the way he looked at Ayaka or Genji.
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