Side Forty-Six – Detective Kato Reiji

Side Forty-Six – Detective Kato Reiji

Reiji watched in silence as the man in front of him inspected the slightly decaying human hand. Damn, I wish I had a smoke right about now. This is the part of the job that is absolutely the worst. I hope you are paying attention, Officer Usui. This is what you signed up for. It’s too late to quit now.

“I... I...” the man, who was a face most people would at least recognise, even if they weren’t able to put a name to said face, was struggling for words. He was clearly trying to stay composed, but holding the severed hand of what was likely his dead daughter was too much for him. Hell, it should be too much for anyone.

The silver watch that gleamed around the severed wrist was engraved, a custom piece, and on seeing it, all hope had fled from his face. Poor bastard. First you lose your wife to a tragic accident, and now your daughter killed by a maniac pervert. I guess even power doesn’t protect from misfortune.

“it’s... it’s my daughter.” He finally managed to choke out. “I had this watch made for her twentieth birthday. My... my Haru. She was so happy to receive it.”

Suzuki Akimitsu, the man sitting in front of them, clutched the dead hand to his bosom, as if it was his living daughter. All around his office in the Ministry of Finance, there were pictures, mostly of him with a lively-looking young girl, around the same age as Reiji’s own daughters, or a few years older. Damn, seeing that, it really hits home doesn’t it? It makes me appreciate my own daughters, even if they are constantly nagging me about something or other. Maybe I should bring them home a treat tonight, show them I care.

“I thought that would be the case. You have my deepest condolences.” Reiji bowed deeply, and beside him Officer Usui did the same, for once acting the part of a proper officer. Still, if she wasn’t able to perform now, she wasn’t fit for the job.

“It was after the party that she went missing.” Suzuki-san sighed, getting his voice under a semblance of control. “The party I forced her to go to. I wanted her to go out, meet some old acquaintances. She had been ill. I... I wanted her to feel better, go back to her old self.”

“I see.” Reiji said softly. In times of tragedy like this it was best just to let them speak, to get all the painful emotions out.

“She said she could hear people’s voices, feel their thoughts, ever since a strange dream she had. Honestly, she must have had some sort of psychotic break, probably due to the pressures of trying to make her way into politics. But..” his breath caught in a sob. “... nothing worked. Not counselling, or medication. I know it has only been a bit over a month, and all the doctors and psychiatrists said... it would take time. But she was getting worse, she wouldn’t leave ... leave her room, unless pushed. So I thought... getting out would help her.” He wiped at his running nose and eyes, not even caring about smearing his expensive suit. “I thought she’d committed suicide. It was what I had feared. But... but this... is far worse. Oh my poor baby girl...” the floodgates burst, and the man started to cry, huge gasping sobs that wracked his whole body.

Officer Usui stepped back, looking overwhelmed, but unfortunately this was not Reiji’s first time consoling the relatives of a victim. He produced an almost clean handkerchief and handed it over. Suzuki-san took it and cried himself out. When he was done, he looked a little stronger, though Reiji knew it was just a front.

“So, tell me what happened to my poor girl. I... I need to know.”

“We aren’t supposed to talk about it...” Reiji began, but at the look of protest on officer Usui’s face, he relented, as he was always going to anyway. “... but you have to know when to bend the rules a little.” I’ve lectured her on following the rules often enough, but if she is going to be anything more than a rote officer, just doing her job and achieving nothing, she needs to realise we follow the rules so that we know when and why we need to break them. Otherwise there is just anarchy. “It seems that our perpetrator Kondou Kazuo saw her at this party, and when she left alone he attacked her opportunistically. She was... abused... before her death, according to his confession.”

“But why is there only her... her hand left?” Suzuki-san asked, swallowing painfully, eyes filling with tears once more. “Is it some kind of sick trophy?”

“That’s the real puzzler. Officer Usui, if you would fill him in?”

“Well, since you are putting me on the spot, Inspector, let me see. Firstly, we can guess there is some sort of connection between that guy Oshiro who was pulled for fending off the yakuza. I was paying attention during our questioning of him, and he didn’t actually tell any direct lies it seems. But he definitely hid a lot of stuff from us.” At her hard tone, Reiji chuckled a little.

“He definitely did. He was also very careful about how he said things. There was a definite implication that he was involved with the vigilantism incident, wasn’t there? And while he claimed he wasn’t a yakuza or involved in any criminality, he certainly knew Kondou, and that he was involved in sending the yakuza after him.”

“He also reacted to the picture of Suzuki Haru. Coincidence again. Such a rare creature, right Inspector?”

“Indeed, as rare as a compliment from my daughters.” He chuckled. “I must say, your intuition is starting to develop nicely. We might make a decent officer of you yet.”

“Well, gee, thanks.” Officer Usui groused, but she didn’t look displeased. It seems this puzzling case has finally caught her interest. I knew this was something big the moment I stumbled over it.

“I honestly don’t think he knew all the murder victims, but I get a feeling he has some idea about it. Not sure how that makes sense, but my intuition tells me so. Besides, he recognised Suzuki Haru. It bears saying again. A coincidence too far, right? He just happened to see her on the street, and then she ends up dead, the killer someone he was at serious odds with?”

“Yes, I agree. There’s too many threads connecting everything together. Well, I don’t think it has to do with the money, unlike what the Inspector from Organised Crime thinks. That seems to be clean, a lawyer attached to Midas Gold wouldn’t lie. But... a lawyer from Fujiwara house... he’s surprisingly well-connected, despite his background showing up as nothing special. Damn, I hate those uppity old families. If they get annoyed they pressure the top brass, and before you know it, bam, desk job for years. You want to stay off their radar, Officer Usui. Though you’ve spotted the key point. What are the chances of him just happening to spot a murder victim just before they were murdered by someone who then instigated a yakuza attack on him?”

“Thanks for the advice. So, you must have a plan, right? You aren’t going to let this drop, are you, Inspector? I’ll be honest, I don’t want to either. Seeing Suzuki-san so grief-stricken... it doesn’t sit right with me. There’s more to this than our perp confessing. I know it. Though I hope we can keep better hours. Mornings aren’t good for my complexion...”

“Sorry, but this job isn’t nine to five.” He pulled out another tatty cigarette. “So, there’s one other point that sticks out like a sore thumb that we can’t explain but ties everything together. You touched on it earlier.”

“Yeah, the abnormal behaviour of the perps in both cases. Kondou Kazuo was confessing despite clearly not wanting to, and the other bunch of small-time crooks were doing the same thing, albeit with more conviction. Neither would say why though, or finger our man Oshiro. Oh, and there are the strange injuries too. It could be some sort of odd new type of bladed weapon, but... the lab doesn’t think so.”

Reiji applauded. “Yeah, you got it. Well, we need to go pull some files and do some digging...” There’s something going on here that clearly doesn’t make sense, but I’m a Detective. I believe what I see and experience. And whatever is happening here is clearly possible, even if it defies understanding. On watching Usui’s face fall he smirked. “... don’t look so put out. Most of it I have already, we just need to cross-reference it. And then tomorrow... I think we need to pay Shirohebizumi shrine and our good friend Oshiro Moonstone Akio... hah, what a name, eh... a visit. We certainly have enough cause for a follow-up, we can use Suzuki Haru as the reason...”

“All right. But not too early, okay?” she insisted. “We’ve been working nights recently too, and I’m shattered.”

“Sure, sure.” Reiji agreed. “Just remember to tread carefully. He has powerful lawyers in his corner, so we need to gather information very carefully.”

I will get to the bottom of this. At first it was just curiosity and a hunch, but now... mysterious deaths, strange behaviours, a prolific, unheard-of serial killer... and a grieving father. Suzuki-san’s face came to mind again, anguished and tormented. I joined the Police to see justice done, and to make the streets safe for my family. And now more than ever, I’m convinced I need to do this, if I’m to stay true to what I believe in!