６．Ｔｈｕｒｓｄａｙ Ｍａｒｃｈ ２１， ２０１９
文字数 6,714文字
When Maruta was about to take out his wallet to pay, 〈Number 4〉 said with a cool face. "I'll pay for everything, so please put your wallet away."
In front of the cash register, the familiar battle between Maruta and 〈Number 4〉 began, both insisting, "I am the one who pays."
Maruta gave up against 〈Number 4〉, who ultimately refused to budge. Kira chuckled a little at the exchange between the two, which was very Japanese in nature.
"I have extra money left over that I don't spend, and I want to spend it all." 〈Number 4〉 put one hand in the bag.
"Is there such a thing as money you won't spend?" Again, Maruta was taken aback to hear him speak as if he were rich.
"If you have that kind of money, give me some." By the time they were ready to leave, Kira had regained some of his vigor.
"I don't want to. Yuya, earn your own money like Silva-san."
〈Number 4〉 used his smartphone to read the screen presented by the pub with a familiar motion. The payment took less than a second.
Maruta and Kira thus walked out without paying a penny. When parting at Ueno Station, Maruta thanked 〈Number 4〉 for everything he had done for them. Smiling, 〈Number 4〉 said, "Let me know if you find the culprit," before walking through the ticket gate. Waving his hand, Maruta thought to himself that the member of 〈Tokyo Spread〉 had not revealed his name again today, as he had expected.
At 9:30 p.m. Maruta returned to his apartment. He wanted to write down the content of the video he was shown on paper before he forgot. However, he still had errands to run, so he called 〈Choice〉's house as soon as he sat down on his bed.
He knew that the business hours of 'Hashii's construction firm' were long past, because he had already checked the Internet. As Maruta heard the ringing, he thought of 〈Choice〉's home, which was integrated with the store. He was about to give up if it switched to voicemail when suddenly he heard the voice of the responder.
"Hello," The owner of the voice did not say afterward, "This is Hashii's construction firm." However, it was obvious that the voice was that of 〈Choice〉's mother, whom he had met last week. The unique and thorny sound was exactly the same as the impression he had at that time.
"Sorry to bother you so late at night." Maruta said, on the other hand, he was fed up and wondered if there was any other greeting than this cliché. It can't be helped before there is no trust. Marta continued to say, fantasizing that if he asked them to remodel his kitchen as a client, they would be a little more verbose.
"My name is Yoshikage Maruta and I recently spoke with you about Mr. Gin Nakata. I am very sorry for visiting you without an appointment at that time."
Contrary to Maruta's expectations, the opponent responded to his words with a low profile. "I'm terribly sorry, too."
Again, Maruta tried to inform her that he was investigating the case privately. But it was easily interrupted, and a rapid-fire stream of stories from the receiver about their domestic life that he had not asked about.
"Our daughter is mentally ill."
"That would be right." These words came out so smoothly that Maruta was surprised at himself.
For the next ten minutes or so, Maruta had to listen to a very one-sided story about how selfish Madoka Hashii was, and how much she had struggled as a mother.
"I am well aware of your difficulties as a mother." This must have been a cliché as well as 'Sorry to bother you so late-'.
"So, you see," Maruta succeeded in changing the subject there. "When we were sorting through Gin Nakata's belongings, we happened to find some of Ms. Hashii's personal items."
"Shall I put Madoka on the phone for you?"
"No, it is fine if you tell her. If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to deliver it to her."
"Well, I will let my daughter know that."
Maruta bowed repeatedly to the air, then hung up. He was reviewing the screen of his smartphone, thinking, 'Now, let's ask Kira out,' when he received a call from an app. He had never seen the account before, but he had a general idea of what to expect. He managed to suppress his trembling mood and pressed the call button with his thumb.
"Hello," A young female voice said. Immediately after this, he thought it would be tactless to ask her what she wanted, so Maruta began to speak.
"Perhaps you are a waitress at 'Casa Canary'?"
"Oh, yes."
As Maruta expected, she was a high school girl employed as a part-time worker at that restaurant in Yamanashi Prefecture. According to her, she made the call that day because she had heard a general story from the female clerk who had received Maruta's business card. The high school student was already aware of the existence of 〈Tokyo Spread〉.
"That was over six months ago." Maruta said fluently. "In August 2018, a not good incident happened deep in the mountains near your restaurant. Did any of Tokyo Spread members visit the restaurant that evening? We have already confirmed that members have purchased many lunch boxes there-"
"Kirvy-san was there." The student could hardly wait for Maruta to finish.
Then, He also asked her how she came to remember. Again, like the convenience store clerk, she stated that a few days after the incident, she directly checked the video footage from the restaurant's cameras in the presence of the police officers.
"Was Kirvy-san the only one? Were there any other members?"
"Kirvy-san was alone." There was no hesitation in the girl's voice, and it also passed well to his ears. "He was wearing a mask, but it was impressive because he was a large man who we don't see around here. I was the cashier at the time, so it was extra, you know, um..,"
"That was also one of the factors that made it more strongly memorable, is that right?"
"Yes, that's what I mean." On the other end of the phone, the student was embarrassed and laughed a little.
"Again, I ask," Maruta put the terminal hard against his ear. "You did not see Captain and Shaggy around?"
"I didn't see them,"
"Okay, thank you very much."
The other party hung up first.
Clues to the cocoon covering the case remain elusive. But that cocoon, which was hard, seems to be slowly unraveling. With the new information in the back of his mind, Maruta tried to recreate the images he had just seen in his brain.
In front of the cash register, the familiar battle between Maruta and 〈Number 4〉 began, both insisting, "I am the one who pays."
Maruta gave up against 〈Number 4〉, who ultimately refused to budge. Kira chuckled a little at the exchange between the two, which was very Japanese in nature.
"I have extra money left over that I don't spend, and I want to spend it all." 〈Number 4〉 put one hand in the bag.
"Is there such a thing as money you won't spend?" Again, Maruta was taken aback to hear him speak as if he were rich.
"If you have that kind of money, give me some." By the time they were ready to leave, Kira had regained some of his vigor.
"I don't want to. Yuya, earn your own money like Silva-san."
〈Number 4〉 used his smartphone to read the screen presented by the pub with a familiar motion. The payment took less than a second.
Maruta and Kira thus walked out without paying a penny. When parting at Ueno Station, Maruta thanked 〈Number 4〉 for everything he had done for them. Smiling, 〈Number 4〉 said, "Let me know if you find the culprit," before walking through the ticket gate. Waving his hand, Maruta thought to himself that the member of 〈Tokyo Spread〉 had not revealed his name again today, as he had expected.
At 9:30 p.m. Maruta returned to his apartment. He wanted to write down the content of the video he was shown on paper before he forgot. However, he still had errands to run, so he called 〈Choice〉's house as soon as he sat down on his bed.
He knew that the business hours of 'Hashii's construction firm' were long past, because he had already checked the Internet. As Maruta heard the ringing, he thought of 〈Choice〉's home, which was integrated with the store. He was about to give up if it switched to voicemail when suddenly he heard the voice of the responder.
"Hello," The owner of the voice did not say afterward, "This is Hashii's construction firm." However, it was obvious that the voice was that of 〈Choice〉's mother, whom he had met last week. The unique and thorny sound was exactly the same as the impression he had at that time.
"Sorry to bother you so late at night." Maruta said, on the other hand, he was fed up and wondered if there was any other greeting than this cliché. It can't be helped before there is no trust. Marta continued to say, fantasizing that if he asked them to remodel his kitchen as a client, they would be a little more verbose.
"My name is Yoshikage Maruta and I recently spoke with you about Mr. Gin Nakata. I am very sorry for visiting you without an appointment at that time."
Contrary to Maruta's expectations, the opponent responded to his words with a low profile. "I'm terribly sorry, too."
Again, Maruta tried to inform her that he was investigating the case privately. But it was easily interrupted, and a rapid-fire stream of stories from the receiver about their domestic life that he had not asked about.
"Our daughter is mentally ill."
"That would be right." These words came out so smoothly that Maruta was surprised at himself.
For the next ten minutes or so, Maruta had to listen to a very one-sided story about how selfish Madoka Hashii was, and how much she had struggled as a mother.
"I am well aware of your difficulties as a mother." This must have been a cliché as well as 'Sorry to bother you so late-'.
"So, you see," Maruta succeeded in changing the subject there. "When we were sorting through Gin Nakata's belongings, we happened to find some of Ms. Hashii's personal items."
"Shall I put Madoka on the phone for you?"
"No, it is fine if you tell her. If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to deliver it to her."
"Well, I will let my daughter know that."
Maruta bowed repeatedly to the air, then hung up. He was reviewing the screen of his smartphone, thinking, 'Now, let's ask Kira out,' when he received a call from an app. He had never seen the account before, but he had a general idea of what to expect. He managed to suppress his trembling mood and pressed the call button with his thumb.
"Hello," A young female voice said. Immediately after this, he thought it would be tactless to ask her what she wanted, so Maruta began to speak.
"Perhaps you are a waitress at 'Casa Canary'?"
"Oh, yes."
As Maruta expected, she was a high school girl employed as a part-time worker at that restaurant in Yamanashi Prefecture. According to her, she made the call that day because she had heard a general story from the female clerk who had received Maruta's business card. The high school student was already aware of the existence of 〈Tokyo Spread〉.
"That was over six months ago." Maruta said fluently. "In August 2018, a not good incident happened deep in the mountains near your restaurant. Did any of Tokyo Spread members visit the restaurant that evening? We have already confirmed that members have purchased many lunch boxes there-"
"Kirvy-san was there." The student could hardly wait for Maruta to finish.
Then, He also asked her how she came to remember. Again, like the convenience store clerk, she stated that a few days after the incident, she directly checked the video footage from the restaurant's cameras in the presence of the police officers.
"Was Kirvy-san the only one? Were there any other members?"
"Kirvy-san was alone." There was no hesitation in the girl's voice, and it also passed well to his ears. "He was wearing a mask, but it was impressive because he was a large man who we don't see around here. I was the cashier at the time, so it was extra, you know, um..,"
"That was also one of the factors that made it more strongly memorable, is that right?"
"Yes, that's what I mean." On the other end of the phone, the student was embarrassed and laughed a little.
"Again, I ask," Maruta put the terminal hard against his ear. "You did not see Captain and Shaggy around?"
"I didn't see them,"
"Okay, thank you very much."
The other party hung up first.
Clues to the cocoon covering the case remain elusive. But that cocoon, which was hard, seems to be slowly unraveling. With the new information in the back of his mind, Maruta tried to recreate the images he had just seen in his brain.
