１．Ｓｕｎｄａｙ Ｍａｒｃｈ ２４， ２０１９
文字数 10,316文字
N-Dig. Headlines March 24, 2019 9:27 am
'Video Creator Milley's Sister Referred to Prosecutors on Suspicion of Concealing Criminal'
On March 24, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department referred a suspect, Asumi Minagawa, 29, to prosecutors on suspicion of concealing a criminal for concealing the fact that she knew that a video-creator Milley Minagawa, then 22, had been driving drunk and caused property damage about two years ago.
Milley was a famous video-creator with a million subscribers at the time. In May 2017, she left a cryptic video saying she fell down a flight of stairs, and a month later died from an intra-abdominal organ injury. The agency is also planning to investigate in detail the connection between past incidents and alcohol consumption.
The brain of Maruta worked busily from noon on his day off. He read the above news that came in suddenly on the train to Omu station on the Tobu line. Little by little, the case is being cleared up. The core of the case is still in thick ice, but he were able to find some connections to the information he gathered.
As before, Maruta met up with Kira in front of the station. As soon as they met, he asked Kira about the article published this morning. But Kira did not attempt to provide any information broader than it, only saying something like, "I was surprised."
This time, Maruta pressed the intercom at 〈Tokyo Spread〉's room. After the sound was heard, 〈Number 4〉 immediately opened the door. Making eye contact with Maruta, he apologized in a whisper, "I'm sorry."
Maruta's determination was firm. If push came to shove, he would break a window or anything else to jump downstairs. That was the reason he had Kira come with him today. If five men seized him, he would have no chance unless he was an experienced martial arts fighter. But with one more person, the chances of escaping by force are somewhat better.
The five of them were already in the living room. Upon seeing Maruta, 〈Captain〉 said, "Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come."
Surprisingly, there was no bleak atmosphere there; instead, the young men were going about their very normal daily lives.
"It's nice to see you again like this." After Maruta said this, 〈Mont Blanc〉 recommended two chairs. They were the same ones they sat in last time. Thanking him, they sat down on them.
〈Kirvy〉 and 〈Shaggy〉 were eating cup noodles on the sofa with their hair in disarray. With no tension, they raised their eyes to look at Maruta and Kira, but did not greet them.
"Have you seen this?" Maruta showed the members the news he had just seen on his smartphone. He should have explained his meeting with 〈Number 4〉 first. However, the vividness of the news has reversed the order of things in a spectacular way.
"Yes, we have read it." Across the table, 〈Captain〉 settled into his chair as well. 〈Mont Blanc〉 and 〈Number 4〉 sat cross-legged on the floor. When everyone was ready to talk, Maruta told about his two visits to the Minagawa residence.
"Maruta-san," 〈Captain〉 looks at him with round eyes. "You did well to see the contents of that iron prison."
"Miss Minagawa found me, though." Maruta laughed a little to hide his embarrassment.
"You are not a web writer or a weekly journalist, are you?" 〈Captain〉 said the same thing as 〈Number 4〉 did three days ago.
"No, sir. I am simply a company employee. I have nothing to do with journalism."
"This morning's news about Asumi was unexpected," 〈Captain〉 looked around at the other four. "After discussions among the members so far, we have come to the conclusion that it would be better to talk to Mr. Maruta to some extent."
"I appreciate if you do so." Seeing the members not expressing anger on the surface, Maruta also appeared relieved on the same way.
"Have you found out about Milley's case yet?" In response to 〈Captain〉's question, Maruta replied, "I finally figured it out just now."
They weren't likely to say anything about it, so he told them himself.
"Milley-san, in May 2017, she probably drove drunk in her own car and hit a guardrail, a telephone pole, or some other object. And that must have triggered the airbag. Because she was not wearing a seatbelt, the hard blows to her face and abdomen resulted in fatal internal injuries. Is there a difference?"
"That is correct." 〈Captain〉 clapped his hands a couple of times as if to applaud. "The man who even snuck into the Minagawa house knows that much."
Unsure if he was being praised or not, Maruta remained silent. Kira was giving Maruta an admiring glance off to the side.
"I think you've already imagined it." 〈Captain〉 began. "Let me explain about that. As you said, in May 2017, Milley-san did not 'fall down the stairs' but was injured in a drunk driving accident. Everything I'm about to tell you is what Silva-san told us."
"Did he keep you quiet?" Maruta said, but 〈Captain〉 stopped him, sticking out one hand and saying, "Well, listen."
"At the time, Silva-san and Milley-san were drinking together in Shinjuku or somewhere. She was very drunk, even though she had come by her car. As she was about to drive, Silva-san tried to stop her."
Maruta listened silently, remembering what Asumi had told him a week earlier. There is no way to confirm now that 〈Silva〉 stopped her, or any other details. He looked at 〈Captain〉's moving mouth, trying to be careful of inconsistencies.
"I don't know if she underestimated the situation, thinking that they were just going north through Tokyo. Milley-san hit a short pole protruding from the sidewalk near her home. 'That's when our mind went blank,' Silva-san said."
"Excuse me," Maruta politely interjected. "When did you hear about this from Silva-san?"
"Well, let me see," 〈Captain〉 looked up. "It is about the summer of 2017, a month or two after Milley-san passed away."
"Okay, keep going."
"So she, in a panic, managed to get the car to the yard of her house. As you probably know, She was a very famous person in the Video Creator's Industry. So it would have been a big deal if the DUI and property damage had been known. And I don't think she was prepared to be honest about the incident. She was young. Fortunately or unfortunately, the accident was not witnessed by anyone. The place where the accident occurred was also a street corner with no surveillance cameras. Seeing Milley-san with a serious facial injury, her sister, Asumi-san, was naturally shocked. From there, the three of them began discussing how to proceed."
The story was consistent. Nodding silently, Maruta urged him to continue.
"So first, Silva-san said casually that he would pretend that he 'hit her'. Milley-san was apparently hesitant about the offer. However, before they could agree, Asumi took them upstairs and forced him to 'pretend to assault' her, which she filmed. Asumi took the video with her own cell phone. She was so careful that she covered the wall with a white sheet to prevent people from knowing where the video was taken."
Maruta looked at the other four. No one was willing to object. Kira is also listening to his talkig. Several questions had already sprouted in Maruta's mind. But he did not see any break in the story, so he decided to let 〈Captain〉 speak as he was.
"Asumi tried to spread the video on a different account than the one she normally used. Then an employee of UMORE discovered it and called Milley's cell phone. The contact came within minutes of the video being uploaded. This must have been a serious matter for Milley's agency. If they saw a video of a representative talent being assaulted, they would have had no choice but to fact-check the person in question. There, Milley-san reported the fact that she had been injured. But she didn't mention the DUI, the property damage, and the 'assault from Silva.' Perhaps she couldn't say. She must have been in a very confused state, mixed with the desire to hide her own negligence and the desire not to incriminate her boyfriend. She then sent only a picture of her injured face and lied as quickly as she could, saying that she had fallen down the stairs. People in the management company did not trust it at first. Because it was strange to upload the video in which she 'pretended to be assaulted' to hide the fact that she 'fell down the stairs', wasn't it? If it were a normal situation, it would be the other way around. When Milley-san was being questioned, Silva-san spoke with the person in UMORE instead. Perhaps out of sheer determination, he told him a made-up story, saying, 'I assaulted her.' In addition, Asumi took over, saying things like, 'Milley was cheating on him.' Asumi also explained that she had 'uploaded the assault video for the purpose of reporting it.' Finally, Milley-san, who had been listening, reluctantly agreed to their talking. The company trusted that conclusion. When you are trying to clarify whether there was a 'falling down the stairs' or an 'assault,' you don't think that there was a drunk driver causing property damage in the background, do you? In the end, the company took the position that 'if the parties have already reached a settlement, there is no need to disclose the case.' They then instructed her to promptly inform her fans that she was 'injured'. It was in this state that the painful video of her was uploaded."
"Asumi-san then immediately deleted the 'assault video', didn't she?" Maruta interjects his words.
"Yes. But it was already too late, and as a result, that video remained on the Internet. Even after Milley's death."
Maruta recalled the incident concerning 〈Milley〉. When he tried to combine the story with the 〈Captain〉's one in his mind, Kira's voice leaked out, as if speaking for him, "So that's how it was."
'Video Creator Milley's Sister Referred to Prosecutors on Suspicion of Concealing Criminal'
On March 24, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department referred a suspect, Asumi Minagawa, 29, to prosecutors on suspicion of concealing a criminal for concealing the fact that she knew that a video-creator Milley Minagawa, then 22, had been driving drunk and caused property damage about two years ago.
Milley was a famous video-creator with a million subscribers at the time. In May 2017, she left a cryptic video saying she fell down a flight of stairs, and a month later died from an intra-abdominal organ injury. The agency is also planning to investigate in detail the connection between past incidents and alcohol consumption.
The brain of Maruta worked busily from noon on his day off. He read the above news that came in suddenly on the train to Omu station on the Tobu line. Little by little, the case is being cleared up. The core of the case is still in thick ice, but he were able to find some connections to the information he gathered.
As before, Maruta met up with Kira in front of the station. As soon as they met, he asked Kira about the article published this morning. But Kira did not attempt to provide any information broader than it, only saying something like, "I was surprised."
This time, Maruta pressed the intercom at 〈Tokyo Spread〉's room. After the sound was heard, 〈Number 4〉 immediately opened the door. Making eye contact with Maruta, he apologized in a whisper, "I'm sorry."
Maruta's determination was firm. If push came to shove, he would break a window or anything else to jump downstairs. That was the reason he had Kira come with him today. If five men seized him, he would have no chance unless he was an experienced martial arts fighter. But with one more person, the chances of escaping by force are somewhat better.
The five of them were already in the living room. Upon seeing Maruta, 〈Captain〉 said, "Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come."
Surprisingly, there was no bleak atmosphere there; instead, the young men were going about their very normal daily lives.
"It's nice to see you again like this." After Maruta said this, 〈Mont Blanc〉 recommended two chairs. They were the same ones they sat in last time. Thanking him, they sat down on them.
〈Kirvy〉 and 〈Shaggy〉 were eating cup noodles on the sofa with their hair in disarray. With no tension, they raised their eyes to look at Maruta and Kira, but did not greet them.
"Have you seen this?" Maruta showed the members the news he had just seen on his smartphone. He should have explained his meeting with 〈Number 4〉 first. However, the vividness of the news has reversed the order of things in a spectacular way.
"Yes, we have read it." Across the table, 〈Captain〉 settled into his chair as well. 〈Mont Blanc〉 and 〈Number 4〉 sat cross-legged on the floor. When everyone was ready to talk, Maruta told about his two visits to the Minagawa residence.
"Maruta-san," 〈Captain〉 looks at him with round eyes. "You did well to see the contents of that iron prison."
"Miss Minagawa found me, though." Maruta laughed a little to hide his embarrassment.
"You are not a web writer or a weekly journalist, are you?" 〈Captain〉 said the same thing as 〈Number 4〉 did three days ago.
"No, sir. I am simply a company employee. I have nothing to do with journalism."
"This morning's news about Asumi was unexpected," 〈Captain〉 looked around at the other four. "After discussions among the members so far, we have come to the conclusion that it would be better to talk to Mr. Maruta to some extent."
"I appreciate if you do so." Seeing the members not expressing anger on the surface, Maruta also appeared relieved on the same way.
"Have you found out about Milley's case yet?" In response to 〈Captain〉's question, Maruta replied, "I finally figured it out just now."
They weren't likely to say anything about it, so he told them himself.
"Milley-san, in May 2017, she probably drove drunk in her own car and hit a guardrail, a telephone pole, or some other object. And that must have triggered the airbag. Because she was not wearing a seatbelt, the hard blows to her face and abdomen resulted in fatal internal injuries. Is there a difference?"
"That is correct." 〈Captain〉 clapped his hands a couple of times as if to applaud. "The man who even snuck into the Minagawa house knows that much."
Unsure if he was being praised or not, Maruta remained silent. Kira was giving Maruta an admiring glance off to the side.
"I think you've already imagined it." 〈Captain〉 began. "Let me explain about that. As you said, in May 2017, Milley-san did not 'fall down the stairs' but was injured in a drunk driving accident. Everything I'm about to tell you is what Silva-san told us."
"Did he keep you quiet?" Maruta said, but 〈Captain〉 stopped him, sticking out one hand and saying, "Well, listen."
"At the time, Silva-san and Milley-san were drinking together in Shinjuku or somewhere. She was very drunk, even though she had come by her car. As she was about to drive, Silva-san tried to stop her."
Maruta listened silently, remembering what Asumi had told him a week earlier. There is no way to confirm now that 〈Silva〉 stopped her, or any other details. He looked at 〈Captain〉's moving mouth, trying to be careful of inconsistencies.
"I don't know if she underestimated the situation, thinking that they were just going north through Tokyo. Milley-san hit a short pole protruding from the sidewalk near her home. 'That's when our mind went blank,' Silva-san said."
"Excuse me," Maruta politely interjected. "When did you hear about this from Silva-san?"
"Well, let me see," 〈Captain〉 looked up. "It is about the summer of 2017, a month or two after Milley-san passed away."
"Okay, keep going."
"So she, in a panic, managed to get the car to the yard of her house. As you probably know, She was a very famous person in the Video Creator's Industry. So it would have been a big deal if the DUI and property damage had been known. And I don't think she was prepared to be honest about the incident. She was young. Fortunately or unfortunately, the accident was not witnessed by anyone. The place where the accident occurred was also a street corner with no surveillance cameras. Seeing Milley-san with a serious facial injury, her sister, Asumi-san, was naturally shocked. From there, the three of them began discussing how to proceed."
The story was consistent. Nodding silently, Maruta urged him to continue.
"So first, Silva-san said casually that he would pretend that he 'hit her'. Milley-san was apparently hesitant about the offer. However, before they could agree, Asumi took them upstairs and forced him to 'pretend to assault' her, which she filmed. Asumi took the video with her own cell phone. She was so careful that she covered the wall with a white sheet to prevent people from knowing where the video was taken."
Maruta looked at the other four. No one was willing to object. Kira is also listening to his talkig. Several questions had already sprouted in Maruta's mind. But he did not see any break in the story, so he decided to let 〈Captain〉 speak as he was.
"Asumi tried to spread the video on a different account than the one she normally used. Then an employee of UMORE discovered it and called Milley's cell phone. The contact came within minutes of the video being uploaded. This must have been a serious matter for Milley's agency. If they saw a video of a representative talent being assaulted, they would have had no choice but to fact-check the person in question. There, Milley-san reported the fact that she had been injured. But she didn't mention the DUI, the property damage, and the 'assault from Silva.' Perhaps she couldn't say. She must have been in a very confused state, mixed with the desire to hide her own negligence and the desire not to incriminate her boyfriend. She then sent only a picture of her injured face and lied as quickly as she could, saying that she had fallen down the stairs. People in the management company did not trust it at first. Because it was strange to upload the video in which she 'pretended to be assaulted' to hide the fact that she 'fell down the stairs', wasn't it? If it were a normal situation, it would be the other way around. When Milley-san was being questioned, Silva-san spoke with the person in UMORE instead. Perhaps out of sheer determination, he told him a made-up story, saying, 'I assaulted her.' In addition, Asumi took over, saying things like, 'Milley was cheating on him.' Asumi also explained that she had 'uploaded the assault video for the purpose of reporting it.' Finally, Milley-san, who had been listening, reluctantly agreed to their talking. The company trusted that conclusion. When you are trying to clarify whether there was a 'falling down the stairs' or an 'assault,' you don't think that there was a drunk driver causing property damage in the background, do you? In the end, the company took the position that 'if the parties have already reached a settlement, there is no need to disclose the case.' They then instructed her to promptly inform her fans that she was 'injured'. It was in this state that the painful video of her was uploaded."
"Asumi-san then immediately deleted the 'assault video', didn't she?" Maruta interjects his words.
"Yes. But it was already too late, and as a result, that video remained on the Internet. Even after Milley's death."
Maruta recalled the incident concerning 〈Milley〉. When he tried to combine the story with the 〈Captain〉's one in his mind, Kira's voice leaked out, as if speaking for him, "So that's how it was."
