２．Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ Ｍａｒｃｈ １６， ２０１９
文字数 4,701文字
Maruta drove the car further as he said. It gave the impression of being somewhat more open there than in the vicinity of the earlier crime scene. Looking out the window, Kira, in the passenger seat, says carefreely, "The night sky must be beautiful around here."
After circling the neighborhood, Maruta decided to leave his car in a handy vacant lot he found. In the meantime, he checked to see if the old man who had come to spread his anger was still hanging around there. However, not a single walker was to be seen in the entire area.
Kira followed behind Maruta as the two walked through the houses.
"This house may be appropriate for us."
"What is appropriate about?"
"Somehow I think there is someone inside." Maruta's reply was not an answer, but Kira did not ask any more questions.
Maruta discreetly knocked a couple of times on the sliding glass door. Then, while waiting for a response, he turned his head and observed the entrance area. The flower pots, brooms, and cardboard boxes lying around haphazardly are reduced to about a thousandth of their original value by the dirt and dust. However, only the light car parked by the side of the house retains its luster, a sign that it has been well cared for. After a minute's wait, a figure appeared behind the glass and opened the door, making the rail creak.
An old woman appeared wearing beige stretch pants and a gray sweater with a padded dressing gown over it. She cast a suspicious glance at the two standing in the doorway.
"Please forgive our sudden visit." Maruta faced his opponent with the greatest reverence he could demonstrate. "I believe a man named Takeo Oku lived in the house down the street. Do you know him?"
"Huh, Mr.Oku," The old woman said in a rough but core voice. "I know, but where are you people from?"
Maruta showed an image of 〈Silva〉 on the smartphone he had taken out. He then explained that 〈Silva〉 had been killed in the house that was supposed to belong to Oku. He also disclosed in detail that they were friends of 〈Silva〉. Then the old woman, although she did not change her apprehensive attitude, began to talk about the incident little by little, perhaps inspired by the movement of Maruta's mouth.
"I hate to see such a disturbing incident happen so close by."
"I am sorry to hear that. I apologize for the sudden intrusion," answerd Maruta.
"Mr. Oku is an eccentric person. I haven't talked to him for more than ten years."
"Do you know where Mr. Oku was when the incident occurred?"
"I don't know. Because I haven't interacted with that person. He's like a recluse who never says hello back. Even when I deliver vegetables, he acts like he don't know anything about them."
Hearing the word 'vegetables', Kira behind Maruta let out a silly guffaw, but Maruta did not hesitate to continue asking.
"Have you ever seen Mr.Oku in contact with the person, Gin Nakata, I just showed you?"
"I've never seen him talking to someone that young. He seems to have been living alone in that house ever since he became single."
"Mr.Oku has lived in that house for quite some time."
"Yeah. It must be about fifty years since he lived there. His wife died of illness when he was over 40 years old. Then he started to get old at once and quit the lumber business he had been running. After that, it looks like he lived on his savings. He was fine before that. I'd say hello to him and he'd return the greeting."
"By the way, how old is he now?"
"I think he's over eighty now."
"Okay. Thank you very much, madam, for sharing your very informative talk with us."
After leaving, Maruta mainly gave his impressions as he walked away.
"I knew it was obvious, but the possibility that Silva-san and the landlord of that house had a friendship is almost nil. Tokyo Spread said something to the effect that 'Silva-san got that house from an acquaintance', but I am sure that is also a lie."
"Indeed, no matter how extensive his friendships are, it's hard to imagine that Silva had an eighty-year-old acquaintance who lived deep in the mountains."
Kira asked after they returned to the car.
"How did Silva and they get that house?"
"Well, we don't know yet."
"Are there any similar houses in the vicinity?"
"I thought about that too, but nothing like that. I looked all around the perimeter of the aerial photo I showed you earlier. At least there is not a single other similar house in the pass here."
After circling the neighborhood, Maruta decided to leave his car in a handy vacant lot he found. In the meantime, he checked to see if the old man who had come to spread his anger was still hanging around there. However, not a single walker was to be seen in the entire area.
Kira followed behind Maruta as the two walked through the houses.
"This house may be appropriate for us."
"What is appropriate about?"
"Somehow I think there is someone inside." Maruta's reply was not an answer, but Kira did not ask any more questions.
Maruta discreetly knocked a couple of times on the sliding glass door. Then, while waiting for a response, he turned his head and observed the entrance area. The flower pots, brooms, and cardboard boxes lying around haphazardly are reduced to about a thousandth of their original value by the dirt and dust. However, only the light car parked by the side of the house retains its luster, a sign that it has been well cared for. After a minute's wait, a figure appeared behind the glass and opened the door, making the rail creak.
An old woman appeared wearing beige stretch pants and a gray sweater with a padded dressing gown over it. She cast a suspicious glance at the two standing in the doorway.
"Please forgive our sudden visit." Maruta faced his opponent with the greatest reverence he could demonstrate. "I believe a man named Takeo Oku lived in the house down the street. Do you know him?"
"Huh, Mr.Oku," The old woman said in a rough but core voice. "I know, but where are you people from?"
Maruta showed an image of 〈Silva〉 on the smartphone he had taken out. He then explained that 〈Silva〉 had been killed in the house that was supposed to belong to Oku. He also disclosed in detail that they were friends of 〈Silva〉. Then the old woman, although she did not change her apprehensive attitude, began to talk about the incident little by little, perhaps inspired by the movement of Maruta's mouth.
"I hate to see such a disturbing incident happen so close by."
"I am sorry to hear that. I apologize for the sudden intrusion," answerd Maruta.
"Mr. Oku is an eccentric person. I haven't talked to him for more than ten years."
"Do you know where Mr. Oku was when the incident occurred?"
"I don't know. Because I haven't interacted with that person. He's like a recluse who never says hello back. Even when I deliver vegetables, he acts like he don't know anything about them."
Hearing the word 'vegetables', Kira behind Maruta let out a silly guffaw, but Maruta did not hesitate to continue asking.
"Have you ever seen Mr.Oku in contact with the person, Gin Nakata, I just showed you?"
"I've never seen him talking to someone that young. He seems to have been living alone in that house ever since he became single."
"Mr.Oku has lived in that house for quite some time."
"Yeah. It must be about fifty years since he lived there. His wife died of illness when he was over 40 years old. Then he started to get old at once and quit the lumber business he had been running. After that, it looks like he lived on his savings. He was fine before that. I'd say hello to him and he'd return the greeting."
"By the way, how old is he now?"
"I think he's over eighty now."
"Okay. Thank you very much, madam, for sharing your very informative talk with us."
After leaving, Maruta mainly gave his impressions as he walked away.
"I knew it was obvious, but the possibility that Silva-san and the landlord of that house had a friendship is almost nil. Tokyo Spread said something to the effect that 'Silva-san got that house from an acquaintance', but I am sure that is also a lie."
"Indeed, no matter how extensive his friendships are, it's hard to imagine that Silva had an eighty-year-old acquaintance who lived deep in the mountains."
Kira asked after they returned to the car.
"How did Silva and they get that house?"
"Well, we don't know yet."
"Are there any similar houses in the vicinity?"
"I thought about that too, but nothing like that. I looked all around the perimeter of the aerial photo I showed you earlier. At least there is not a single other similar house in the pass here."
