(T/N: incomplete translation. But since I’m gonna take a long time to complete this…might as well post what I can. Not Beta read. There might be typos)
(T/N:This case takes place between Turnabout Sisters and Turnabout Samurai)
3 October 2016 10:05 AM
Naruhodou and Co. Law Offices
Is there going to be any work today….
This was another day where Naruhodou Ryuuichi is staring at his phone that did not ring.
This was only the first year Naruhodou had been an attorney and the number of trials he had under his belt could be counted on one hand. Why would someone like him have his own office….well, there were various complexities behind his situation.
A young lady walked over.
“Good morning, Naruhodou-kun.”
The lady was Ayasato Mayoi. She was the younger sister of Naruhodou’s benefactor, Ayasato Chihiro and today, she showed up at the office.”
“Good morning, Mayoi-chan.”
“Naruhodou-kun, do you have any dried sardines? I just passed by this super cute cat just right outside.”
“Hmm, I don’t have any at all. Is this enough?”
After searching through his pockets, Naruhodou somehow dug out some change and passed them over to Mayoi.
“Thank you. Then I’m going out for a while.”
Mayoi ran out of the office, full of energy. Work aside, her presence does brighten up the place. That itself was also a respectable talent.
Haa, if only there was a request.
In order to deal with the rapidly increasing crime rate, this country adopted a system of tribunals that was established several years ago. In short, it was a system where the time taken between arrest and going on trial to declaring the verdict takes only a few days, something that those with the common sense of old would not have considered but thanks to this system, society just managed to keep its order. As the number of trials increased, it also became a necessity that to increase the number of defense attornies but for some reason, the Naruhodou Law offices still had not received a call for a request.
Should we put an advertisement at the station. But how much would that cost….
Just as Naruhodou was feeling vexed over this, Mayoi, who should have been outside, stood in front of him.
“Hm? Did you forget something?”
“Did I forget something or did I pick something up….”
Mayoi looked over at Naruhodou’s face with an expression as though she had picked up a stray cat and he internally clutched his head.
Naruhodou had just started up this office so he was still feeling uneasy about the entire situation he was in…at the very least, he would have wanted something that was parakeet sized.
“What’s up?”
“Um, well….”
As Naruhodou listened to her, Mayoi looked up and down between the floor and ceiling, seemingly trying to find the appropriate words.
“Naruhodou-kun, your job is to help people who are stuck in a bind right?”
“Yeah. Exactly. I’m a defense attorney so isn’t that a given?”
Naruhodou became a defense attorney precisely for the sake of helping troubled people out.
“Then, it’s alright!”
Mayoi then spun on her heel energetically, opened the door to the office and spoke to someone outside with a “It’s alright, please come in”. And once she did so, a young woman who gave off a slightly boorish air and with a troubled expression all over her face entered the office.
Once he saw that, for a moment, Naruhodou looked up to the skies.
Hah….she really picked up a person.
A few minutes later, Naruhodou guided the lady towards the seats for guests.
According to Mayoi, the woman was standing motionlessly in front of a nearby vending machine with a thousand yen bill in her hand. Thinking that the woman was having trouble with buying items, Mayoi called out to her and wanted to help her with her purchase…
“It was an old banknote that I have not seen before. She couldn’t use it.”
When Naruhodou heard those words, he tilted his head. The older notes were replaced with newer notes more than ten years ago. The old notes were no longer in print and there were hardly any more machines that deal with them. However given this woman’s agem she should know this already….
The woman was staring at the hot tea that Moyoi poured for her. As though her heart was in a different place, she does not even look at Naruhodou.
Seems like she was carrying some complicated burden.
Narahodou spoke to her with a casual tone.
“…Have you calmed down?”
And once he did so, the woman jolted up straight like she received an electrical shock and hung her head.
“I’m really sorry.”
It might be rude for Naruhodou to say this but rather than calling the woman boorish, she had a somewhat air of misfortune around her. She was wearing a grayish uniform that did not fit her well which gave her an even more uncouth look.
She does not give off the impression that she had reached thirty yet, perhaps she was not that much older than Naruhodou himself.
“Ah, pardon me for not introducing myself sooner. I’m Naruhodou Ryuuichi from Naruhodou and Co. Law offices. Nice to meet you.”
Naruhodou said those words as he held out his business card. The woman stared intently at the business card for a while and then cowered right after that.
“My a, my apologies! I didn’t bring my business card…”
“No, it’s alright.”
It happens often. There’s plenty of people who don’t carry business cards on them.
“I’m called Onebou Yuuko. I am an assistant at Lab Kitamita…I mean I was one.”
Naruhodou desperately ran those words through his head over and over but the phrase Lab Kitamita did not strike him as familiar. Perhaps it was a famous name in its industry but unfortunately he was ignorant about this sort of thing. Well, he would be troubled if she asked him if he knew the details.
Unable to find a good way to start the conversation, Naruhodo had no choice but to cut straight to the core of the matter.
“Could it be that…you are in some kind of trouble?”
In a split second, Yuuko had a flustered expression but that told Naruhodou plenty. It told him that she was in trouble.
“Pardon me for asking, I’m bothered by the fact you used the term “I was one”. Does this mean that something happened last time?”
Gently probing the client to get them to speak about their inner turmoil…this was a technique that Moyoi’s older sister who was also Naruhodou’s senior, Chihiro was good at. And because it was something she could do, she was able to be an independent lawyer at a young age. And there was no reason why the current Naruhodou was not capable of the same skill.
“…Yes, yes that’s it. That’s it.”
Yuuko hesistated for a good minute because she said the following.
“I’m not sure if I can explain it properly…but please lend me your ears…”
Naruhodou nodded, urging Yuuko to continue.
It seems like the she got caught up in a murder case on the first of October and subsequently got arrested. The person who was killed was Yuuko’s employer and she was discovered in a locked room together with the body of her employer. Details aside, if the situation was as described then it could be said that it was a difficult task to clear her of suspicion.
While Naruhodou thought about how he could defend her, Yuuko said something unexpected.
“So I got arrested…And put on trial.”
Naruhodou was thinking what kind of fate must have brought them together, It was also not his style to only take on cases where he was 100% sure that he would win.
“If so, then let me help you. I mean, if you are alright with it.”
Upon offering his services forcefully, Naruhodou immediately felt something was off.
If what Yuuko had said was true, the defendant who was being persecuted was able to go around freely before the trial. Perhaps she had escaped from the detention centre? Just as he was doubting his guesses, if that were the case, it did make sense that she was wearing a uniform that did not fit her.
Naruhodou thought about the situation and reflected. He would be disqualified as a lawyer if he imposed judgement based on preconceived notions and prejudice.
“Thank you very much. But, it’s alright. A kind lawyer picked up on my case and the trial started….Yet, I chose to escape in the midst of it….Eh, why am I in such a state?”
Large drops of tears streamed down from Yuuko’s eyes. Somehow, it seems like she was rather disoriented. Above all, what she was saying was incoherent.
Naruhodou held out his handkerchief.
“It’s okay.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
As Naruhodou peered at Yuuko who was wiping her tears away, he started to think of a way to return her mood back to normal.
Are there really no contradictions….to what she has said so far? If she realizes that she has been saying some unusual things so far, she might be able to regain her senses.
Naruhodou stood up from his seat and suddenly looked around the office. Then he discovered a suitable piece of material.
Hahh, it’s great that I didn’t take the newspaper out for recycling.
“Please relax. What you were worried about will not happen at this point of time.”
With that said, Naruhodou took today’s newspaper as well as the newspaper from a few days prior and laid them out on the table. Then he showed Yuuko three articles one after another.
“Please take a look. Here, here and here…the murder case at Lab Kitamita has not been documented at all. Of course, news of your escape as well, Onebou-san.”
With the introduction of tribunals, the trial should have ended a few days after her arrest. Therefore if the news of her arrest has not been published in the papers, then Yuuko must have made a mistake in something she said. Now, with this kind contradiction pointed out, she should have calmed down, right?
Naruhodou looked at her expression and the woman’s eyes were wide open and she stiffened up.
“Um, what’s wrong?”
“….Are you pulling a prank on me?”
When Naruhodou got asked that question, without thinking, he reflected on the interactions he had with her so far. However, he should not have done anything that could be considered a prank.
“I apologise if my words offended you…”
“Sorry. You’re right.”
The second time the words of apology came out again might mean that apologizing was a habit of hers.
What kind of life has she lived so far?
“Um, um, um….could today be year 2016?”
“Yeah, it is indeed.”
When Naruhodou replied as such, Yuuko’s eyes widened in shock. Even Naruhodou would not have been that surprised if he encountered a ghost.
“I experienced all kinds of complicated things in life so I’m used to all kinds of strange stories. But compared to the complexities of the law, stories that happen in reality tend to be simple and straightforward. Please, go ahead and tell me what happened.”
Naruhodou urged Yuuko and with a determined expression, she abruptly spoke up.
“….Somehow, I succeeded in Time Travel.”
—No way, I completely do not understand.
However, without letting it show what his thoughts were, Naruhodou continued to press her for answers.
“Let’s see, firstly, what do you mean by Time Travel?”
“I came from year 2001. I think…it must have been about an hour since I arrived in this timeline. When I woke up, I was in this dimly lit place, something like a warehouse. And I was already wearing these clothes at that point of time. It’s just that it doesn’t fit me and in the first place, it isn’t even mine.”
“Did someone put it on you?”
“I don’t know.Now that I think about it, I did smell something bad. Then when I looked around, I found my wallet and mobile phone and those were the only things I brought with me. Luckily the place was not looked up and there wasn’t anyone around guarding the place so I got out without a hitch.”
Meaning, that it was a bit mistaken to think that she had been locked up.
“However, after walking outside, I felt sick. Now that I think about it, fifteen years had passed so many things have changed so I must have been dizzy by the feeling that something was amiss. Then I went to the vending machine to get some water but I didn’t have change in my wallet….And for some reason, my note kept getting returned no matter how many times I tried. I’m completely helpless.”
If Yuuko was not being dumb then it would mean she was not aware that the notes have been changed. It was premature to conclude that that was the basis to prove that the woman time travelled but Mayoi calling Yuuko out was merely a coincidence. So she was probably not doing this to pull a prank on Naruhodou.
“By the way, what do you plan to do after this then?”
If he completely believed what the woman had explained, it seemed like the murder case in question happened on the first of October 2001 but the statute of limitations would have passed so Naruhodou’s defense was not necessary.
It was a pity but this was not a job opportunity. Or rather, what should he do next.
Naruhodou, who was frustrated by the situation was pulled back to reality by the sound of a message being received. Without thinking, he pulled out his own mobile phone to check but it seemed like he was mistaken.
“This sound, is it from yours, Onebou-san?”
“Ah, you’re right.”
Yuuko frantically took out her mobile phone from her pocket and pressed the key to receive the call from an unknown caller.
“Hello?”
She took the call while looking confused but gradually it transformed into one of a bright smile from disbelief and she exclaimed.
“Professor? You’re still alive!”
3 October 2016 10:48 AM
Naruhodou and Co. Law Offices
“…..I see. It’s natural that the professor who went back to year 2001 would still be alive in this era. Yes, I’ll head over immediately.”
Once the call ended, Yuuko stood up with a good amount of force. It was clear that she was going to head out in this state.
Naruhodou frantically held her back.
“Wai, wait a minute!”
“Thank you very much. I’m alright now.”
It was hard to completely believe the words of someone who said they were alright now when they were less than alright just earlier.
“I get that you got a call with some good news just now but at the very least, explain to me what’s going on or I won’t be able to see you off without worry.”
“It does seem pretty disrespectful of me to just leave when you put it that way….I understand.”
Yuuko sat back down. She seemed to willing to explain the circumstances slowly.
“Actually Professor Kitamita’s wife died four years ago from today. However her death was not due to an accident but the schemes of some person. Also, that person plans to extend their monstrous claws towards the Professor himself tonight. I’m sure the Professor will lose his life if he continues to watch on while twiddling his thumbs.”
Yuuko’s face looks flushed and her glasses were slightly clouded over. It was hard to think that this was the agitated face of a seemingly adult woman.
“To be told a story like that…”
“The professor who barely escaped with his life fifteen years ago told me!”
When he was told forcefully as such, Naruhodou was unable to find words to retort.Therefore, he just waited for her to continue her explanation.
“According to the Professor’s call, it seems like me being in this timeline was a mistake that should not have happened.”
Well, now that she mentioned it, Yuuko’s demeanor did seem more like that of a Time Drifter rather than a Time Traveller.
If she really did travel through time, then there was no doubting that she was an irregular factor.
“But, what does any of this have to do with you rushing out now?”
“Like I said, I have to stop the tragedy that’s going to happen tonight. If I want to do that, I have to rush over to where the Professor is now and then I should be able to return to my original correct timeline.”
Some was weird. No in the first place, just the fact on whether there was a time machine was weird but Naruhodou felt that there was an important contradiction somewhere.
“Isn’t that strange? If you manage to prevent the tragedy that’s supposed to happen tonight, then you will not be able to meet the Professor in 2001. I don’t really understand but isn’t the Professor your benefactor? Are you sure that’s alright?”
“But if the Professor who went to 2001 is going to be killed then I rather all that never happened! Please do not stop me!”
With that yell, Yuuko flew out from the office. Putting down the arm that was raised when he wanted to shout out and stop the woman, Naruhodou let out a sigh.
“Uu, I think I hurt her feelings somehow…”
The problem was that he did not even know what he had done wrong before his potential client fled. Perhaps he should have said at an early stage “I believe it” when it came to timr travel…
“Hey, Naruhodou-kun, where did you put the snacks*?”
(T/N: Mayoi says Chagashi which refers to snacks, usually sweet ones, that go well with tea)
Mayoi had returned from the kitchenette. Besides, it was not as though the snacks were hidden somewhere, it was all eaten by Mayoi yesterday.
“Eh? Where did that person go?”
Naruhodou explain the situation to the girl who was looking around the room and said that. Mayoi took a sip of tea that Yuuko had left untouched and just like Naruhodou, she let out a sigh.
“….In other words, it’s because of you that she left, Naruhodou-kun? That’s no good!”
“But she suddenly started talking about Time Machines, wouldn’t there be some resistance from me?”
“Even though it seems interesting?”
“No, I find it half interesting and the other half unbelievable…”
Suddenly, Naruhodou realised something and reached out for the phone book.
If what Yuuko said was true then tonight, this so-called Professor Kitamita was going to be attacked. Without having much expectations, Naruhodou flipped through the pages until he found the line of text that read as “Kitamita Research Centre”.
Lab was short for laboratory…And in fifteen years, it should be sufficient time for a mere laboratory to develop into a research facility.
“What are you doing, Naruhodou-kun?”
“Nothing much, just wanted to check something….”
It takes courage to only see what was right. Naruhodou was unable to overlook a client who was in trouble and that incident after all.
Naruhodou opened the page where Kitamita Research Centre was written and picked up the phone receiver but he just barely stopped himself.
If a lawyer with no association or connection with them suddenly made a call and said “Tonight, your director is going to be attacked”, his words would probably not be trusted. On the contrary, he was more likely to be reported.
In the first place, if the person whom Yuuko was speaking to was Kitamita himself then no matter what Naruhodou said, it would not result in anything.
Returning the receiver back to its place, Naruhodou closed his eyes to erase his thoughts of his runaway client.
4 October 2016 11:20 AM
Naruhodou and Co. Law Offices
U-ghhh, I give up.
Today, Naruhodou was just single mindedly staring at the phone that did not ring.
Making a brilliant comeback in a certain was the reason why he was able to become independent so he became full of confidence after that. He had expected that he would immediately end up with plenty of clients but life was not always a bed of roses.
If people thought I was a lawyer who only won by a stroke of luck…that would hurt. No, he would not deny that he was lucky.
Just when he was having those thoughts, he caught sight of Mayoi’s face in his field of vision.
“Naruhodou-kun, there’s a crease between your brows.”
“Eh, is that so?”
Naruhodou used his finger to massage the middle of his brow to relax the crease.
It was too early for Naruhodou to put up such a face as though no clients would approach him.
“By the way, I’m hungry.”
“Are you? Did you skip breakfast, Mayoi-chan?”
“Nuh-uh. I’m having all my meals perfectly but since I’m still growing, it’s alright even if we get delivery.”
What was alright exactly?
Nevermind. I buy food for Mayoi-chan to make up for the time she helps out in the office but it was not worth anything if no work comes in. Speaking of which, it would be bad if money continues to be shaved down even when there is no work. If this goes on, I might not even be able to afford rent….
However, Mayoi was already reaching her hand out for the phone receiver.
“Naruhodou-kun, you shouldn’t hold back if you’re hungry.”
“No, that was not what I was thinking about….”
In the next instant, the phone started to ring. Naruhodou immediately requested for Mayoi to take the call.
“Mayoi-chan, pick up the phone! It might be a client.”
“Ah, okay….hi, this is the Wright and Co. Law Offices!”
Mayoi perfectly….rather, energetically answered the phone.”
“Yes….yes….that’s correct but….”
However, her response seems to be getting less and less cheerful. Somehow, it seemed like she was having trouble.
“What’s wrong?”
When Naruhodou asked, Mayoi put the call on hold and left the receiver on her shoulder.
“It’s from the detention centre…it seems to be one of the staff there.”
It was a phone call from someone who had been arrested by the police and was requesting for a lawyer….It was not uncommon for the potential client to make the call themselves. However, there should be some complicated circumstances if the call had to go through one of the staff members.
“That’s unusual…could it be that the person can’t talk?”
“That’s not it…they do not know the origins of the person who got arrested.”
I wonder if the person got caught in the act which was why they could get arrested despite being unidentified. It would be quite some trouble to take on the case for such a person.
“But why would they call our agency?”
“It seems like the person was holding onto your business card, Naruhodou-kun.”
“That’s weird.”
It has not even been a month since Naruhodou opened the Naruhodou and Co. Law Offices. During that time, the number of name cards he had given out was only a few…
“Don’t tell me it’s Onebou-san?”
It seemed like Naruhodou had no choice but to go check it out for himself.
4 October 2016 Sometime
Detention Centre
In order to meet this mysterious client, Naruhodou and Mayoi headed for the detention centre without even eating lunch.
“Uwah….So this is what it’s like when you come in from outside.”
During the time when Naruhodou was filling up the administrative paperwork, Mayoi was restlessly observing her surroundings. Well, even though the suspicion around Mayoi was eventually cleared, just a short while ago, she was in the position of being locked up in a cage so it was no wonder she was acting like that.
According to the brief statement from the staff member, they had called the Naruhodou and Co. Law Offices in an attempted to establish the identify of this person before asking if he could take up her case. It was a bothersome situation, but given that it was such an irregular set of circumstances, they were probably confused.
“Alright, let’s go, Mayoi-chan.”
Once they entered the meeting room, waiting for them behind the glass was indeed Yuuko.
“Wa, wa, are you alright?”
Yuuko responded to Mayoi calling out to her with a vague nod. When Yuuko left their office, she seemed so excited but now she was completely depressed. On top of that, there was a small crack at the edge of her glasses making her unlucky appearance look even more unlucky by two or three fold.
Although she was waiting for them, she did not seem to be in the mood to say anything.
“….Onebou-san, what happened?”
It could not be helped, he had to speak first.
“I helped the Professor. But…”
Right now, it seemed like that voice had vanished.
“Do not worry. If it’s alright with you, I can defend you.”
“Thank you very much. I’m glad to hear that but…”
Naruhodou was disappointed. Could this be leading up to a rejection….
“Um, have you already found another defense attorney?”
“No…I do not plan to have an attorney for tomorrow’s trial.”
It was too reckless to go on trial without an attorney. Indeed, it was legally acknowledged that someone could defend themselves. However Yuuko was a layperson when it comes to the law. If she spouts something as absurd as a Time Machine, the presiding judge’s impression of her would worsen at one go. That was the only thing he had to prevent.
“Um, Onebou-san, I still think….”
“….It’s all the same anyway. No matter which lawyer it is.”
Naruhodou wanted to try persuading her but when he was met with such chilling words, he fell silent.
“My friends and my relatives were just pretending to believe me when I spoke to them about a Time Machine. But even I have the awareness that I’m just saying something strange to them! The only one who believes me is the Professor… Who else do you think can believe me from the bottom of their heart now?!”
Naruhodou was a little affected by Yuuko’s lonliness. The person whom the lady called Professor—Kitamita Kouta was probably the only person she met who understood her.
“”I had enough. You won’t believe whatever I say anyway…Please go back.”
After they left the meeting room, Naruhodou and Mayoi met each other’s faces.
“Naruhodou-kun, isn’t there anything we can do?”
“Indeed, it’s not that I don’t want to help her but if she won’t let me take on her case, there’s nothing that I as a lawyer can do.”
“But if this goes on, what’s going to happen to Onebou-san?”
“What’s going to happen to her huh….it can’t be helped. Most likely, she’ll be found guilty.”
In the first place, he was unable to get any details about the case. There was hardly any way he could prepare for the trial.
“If so, let’s go do our own investigation.”
“Investigate…and how exactly are we supposed to do that?”
“Let’s go over to that Kitamita Research Centre that you found in the phone book, Naruhodou-kun. I don’t think it has anything to do with Onebou-san but perhaps we might understand something from it. Isn’t it okay to give up only after we’ve done all we can?”
Naruhodou nodded. It was just as Mayoi said. First he had to think about what they could possibly do.
“You’re right. Shall we get going then?”
After informing the detention centre staff member that they’ll come again the next day to speak with Yuuko, the two left the detention centre.
4 October 2016 2:05PM
Kitamita Research Centre
“Wah, it’s so sparkly-“
That thought left Mayoi’s lips once she caught a glimpse of the exterior of the Kitamita Research Centre.
“And the place is huge too.”
The Kitamita Research Centre was a three storey building, about the size of an elementary school campus. If it was that big, then the number of people working within it must be within the thousands, no, there was probably more than a hundred.
“Sure it’s all clean and such, but it’s different from what I had in mind.”
“Is it?”
“See, Time Machine research is a field that would be difficult for the public to understand…I would have thought it would be done more discreetly.”
“This Kitamita-san is probably a pretty amazing person.”
Suddenly when they turned their eyes to the parking lot, they saw a patrol car there. Mayoi was bothered by it and tugged on Naruhodou’s sleeve to draw his attention towards it.
“Naruhodou-kun, someone from the police is here.”
“As expected, something did happen here. Let’s go ask someone from the research centre.”
With that said, Naruhodou started to head towards the entrance and at that instant, a woman’s sharp voice caused Naruhodou’s foot to stop dead in its tracks.
“Don’t enter the place without permission!”
When the two of them looked over, they saw that the window of the patrol car was open and sitting in the driver’s seat was a female detective with an extraordinarily strong aura, glaring at them.
The woman got out of the patrol car and walked towards them rapidly while muttering “no good, no good at all”.
As she had a menacing look that made it seem like she would pull her gun out and shoot them if they disobeyed, Naruhodou raised both hands to show that he had no intention of resisting.
“Uh, I’m a defense attorney. You can call me Naruhodou….”
“Tamedakanna”
“What do you mean….”
“Ah? I said my name is Tameda Kanna.”
“Ahh, I thought you said “No good Kanna” when I replied you….”
With that honest response, Kanna who was supposedly a cop grabbed Naruhodou’s necktie and threatened him.
“Do you want me to send you to jail?! I hate being made fun of of the most!”
Somehow it seems like he had stepped on this person’s personal landmine. Naruhodou frantically apologised.
“Ah no, I apologise for what I said. I’m really sorry.”
“That’s right. Naruhodo-kun isn’t the kind of person to make fun of others!”
Kanna looked between Naruhodou’s and Mayoi’s faces for a while and finally she accepted what was happening and released the necktie.
“Sorry, I grew up in a lower class town so I tend to get into fights quickly.”
“It’s fine, since we reached an understanding….”
While straightening his necktie, Naruhodou briefly introduced himself.
“You said you were a lawyer right? Um, One…what was it you wanted to talk about again, that suspect?”
“You mean Onebou Yuuko-san?”
“Yes, her. Speaking of which, are you that suspect’s attorney?”
“Actually, I have yet…”
“Yes he is!”
Mayoi interrupted Naruhodou’s words, cutting him off. Without thinking, Naruhodou reprimanded Mayoi at a volume that Kannna could not hear.
“…..Mayoi-chan, what are you talking about?”
“Well, we’re going to become Onebou-san’s defense team no matter what so we’re not lying, are we?”
“If we get found out, we’ll be in trouble. Don’t say something so daring….”
But it can’t be helped since she said it already. He just had to press on with the lie.
“What are you two whispering about? I’m not that free. If you have something to ask, just get on with it already.”
“Eh, is it alright?”
Naruhodou asked back on instinct. He had thought that the police force were basically on the prosecution’s side.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m just going along with it because I’m in a good mood. Besides, I don’t really like the prosecutor in charge of the case….”
Detectives and prosecutors work closely with each other to handle cases so it was not desirable for the two to have a strained relationship. Kanna, who was standing before them, did not give off the impression that she was a foul person so perhaps this means that the problem lay with the prosecutor’s attitude.
Well, if they did their job perfectly then I wouldn’t be able to win…
“Then can you tell me about the case? If possible, I would like know everything….”
“Everything?”
Once more, Kanna looked at Naruhodou with a suspicious look.
“Are you really the attorney assigned to this case?”
“No, I mean Onebou-san isn’t saying much…if this goes on, I won’t be able to gather enough information.”
Then Kanna gazed at one corner of the sky started pondering.
“…Well, that suspect didn’t talk much about herself. Well, whatever, follow me.”
Naruhodou frantically tailed after Kanna who quickly headed for the entrance of the research centre.
At the entrance of the research centre was a guardhouse of sorts and when Naruhodou and Mayoi entered, Kanna was there rejecting the guards declining their entry. Because the guard had to deal with something that can be called delicate, they were probably especially sensitive about who goes in and out of the research centre.
“The forensics team has already left but I should be enough when it comes to explaining what happened.”
The three of them walked through a long corridor. Mayoi peered around the inside of the centre with a pair of curious eyes.
“The inside is all sparkly too.”
Mayoi’s muttering caused Kanna to react.
“Well, it seems like they were raking in cash. The director of this place made use of money provided to him to start this research centre more than ten years ago. What started out as a research centre located in a run-down building became something as impressive as this. If he managed to make it this far then at the very least, he isn’t some bogus inventor.”
“By the way, what kind of research is being done here?”
“I’m not too sure about the details but it’s something to do with rejuvenation. It seems like when people have an excess of money, they would want to get their hands on the elixir of youth. Anyway it has nothing to do with commoners like us so it’s not unreasonable for us to not know about what’s going on here.”
Naruhodou felt a bit of unease. Rejuvenation and Time Machines…Both of them have the common point where your life can be restarted. If we take into account what Onebou-san has said, it makes one wonder if a Time Machine is really being developed here.
Finally the three of them reached the end of the corridor.
“Eh, the atmosphere here is different. Is there something interesting….?”
“I said that this place started out in a rundown building right? As the place got built up, it seems like there were some things that could not be moved and this foundation was kept as it was.”
Kanna suddenly stopped in her tracks and knocked on one of the doors of the labs that were lined next to each other.
“So, the scene of the crime is here.”
Kanna pushed open the wooden door that had the plate “Lab No. 1” pasted on it. The double doors opened with little resistance and the three of them entered the research laboratory.
“This morning, around 5am, our precinct received a call from the security guard who was working the night shift and he said “There’s something strange happening inside Lab No. 1”. Then when we rushed over, there was a dead body in here. After that we arrested Onebou Yuuko, who was found collapsed in here, immediately.”
Naruhodou managed to get a gist of what happened in this place but he did not understand the details. Seems like he had to ask about them one by one.
“Was Onebou-san arrested under the suspicion of killing someone?”
“It seems like the victim is someone called Unno Kuroudo. The director of this place said he’s one of the vendors who he personally did business with but the details are still under investigation. It would be great if we can get some information before the trial.”
There was a throbbing pain in Naruhodou’s head. What were the prosecutor’s thinking, bringing to trial about a victim whose identity was not even made clear.
“Excuse me, if that’s the case, won’t you be able to understand what’s happening if you just asked the director?”
“Even if you say that, it can’t be helped. Right now we are unable to contact the director.”
Mayoi’s naïve question was brushed aside by Kanna.
“Then…wouldn’t it be fine to just trace the director’s movements?”
Naruhodou suddenly shot back a reply but Kanna only responded calmly.
“Of course, the police are in the midst of tracking him down. However according to the staff members, the director sometimes goes on short trips whenever he feels like it. I seen his photo and if you told me he was the kind of dandy dude who went surfing, I would believe you.”
Well, it was October now though….Perhaps he has fled to a southern island?
“How about his family members? Perhaps they have information on where he really is?”
They were thoughtful words but Kanna denied it with a serious expression.
“The director does not have any family. Rather, he had a family until three years ago.”
“Did he divorce…or something like that?”
Mayoi carefully asked but Kanna shook her head.
“They died in an accident. The tragedy happened while they were on a cruise and his wife and father passed away. Him and his wife did not have any children so he had been alone since.”
“That’s…quite pitiful.”
Mayoi’s expression clouded over. Perhaps being alone struck a chord in her heart. Speaking of which, Mayoi had never mentioned any family other than Chihiro. Naruhodou took that as a sign that there was something going on in her family but Naruhodou felt it was not something he should pry his nose into.
Suddenly Naruhodou remembered what Yuuko had said. Professor Kitamita’s wife was killed by a certain man’s despicable schemes….It would make sense that the cruise accident was planned.
No, Onebou-san said it happened four years ago. While in this case, he heard the detective say the cruise accident was three years ago. The misalignment made Naruhodou feel terrible…
Well, it’s not as though he can do anything even if he thinks too deeply into it.
“I understand that Kitamita-san has no relative either but this timing? Is it possible that Mr Director covered for Onebou-san by running away?”
“The prosecutor in charge concluded that it was impossible given the circumstances. He also concluded that this case was only between Onebou Yuuko and Unno Kurodou. Since that’s what the great prosecutor said, we can only follow.”
In other, the prosecutor assigned to this case firmly believes that Yuuko could be guilty. If Naruhodou wanted a change of victory, he would need to get the materials that led to this judgement and come up with a decent counterargument.
“What grounds do they have to come to be absurd conclusion?”
“The security officer who made the report said that at the start, this scene of the crime was locked from the inside. It was a locked room.”
“In other words….Yuuko was found with the victim in the locked room and it was just the two of them?”
If that was the case, then it sounds as though the case that Yuuko spoke about fifteen years ago was happening once more.
“There must be some kind of trick in this locked room.”
“Ye, yes you are right. Please allow me to speak to that security guard.”
“Hm? That’s probably impossible. It seems like he has become the witness for the prosecution. If I let you meet him without permission, I’ll get a pay cut. If I get a pay cut….the side dishes for dinner are going to be pitiful.”
Kanna said with a distant look in her eyes. Perhaps she has some kind of trauma with getting a pay cut.
“Well, if you want to talk to the security guard, you can ask him directly in the court.”
The witness might know something that became the basis for asserting that the scene of the crime was a locked room but such a matter cannot be helped. Naruhodou pulled himself together and tried to attack from another angle.
“Excuse me, would it be alright if I took a look at the scene of the crime?”
“That’s fine. Go on in.”
Inside the laboratory that Kanna headed in, there was no equipment in particular that stood out except for a large capsule in the middle of the room and it was completely empty.
“It doesn’t look like a research lab.”
“Rather, it’s more like a storeroom.”
Kanna addressed the doubts of the two.
It’s called a research lab but it serves more of a storage area. Well, I guess the staff here would rather do their experiments in a pretty room. It’s only human nature.”
“But even if it’s a storeroom, there’s hardly anything in here…”
“They won’t put expensive items in a room with a battered wooden door right? It can’t be helped.”
When Kanna said such a statement, Naruhodou took a good look at the door and he noticed that the door had a latch.
“….Even though there is latch here, I don’t see the bolt that is supposed to lock it?”
“We took it away as evidence. Before it got mistaken as trash and discarded.”
Was the bolt really that beat up? This research lab really has poor security….
“Um, Inspector. Can I check something with you for a bit?”
“What do you want to know?”
“What’s this machine for? It’s a pretty high structure.”
Mayoi pointed at the object that looked like a large capsule. It was large enough for even someone like Naruhodou to fit inside with space to spare and one could imagine that it was some sort of device but he did not know what it was for.
Indeed, this was an impressive contradiction. This first lab was neither suitable for research nor was it suitable for the storage of items so wasn’t it strange that there was such an article in this place?
However before Naruhodou could point out such a contradiction, Kanna nonchalantly gave her reply.
“Ah, this? It didn’t originally belong to this research centre. It seems like the victim transported it over just before the case happened. This was a statement from the security guard so there’s no mistake about it. We don’t know the original purpose for this device but it’s like some super cold freezer or something.”
“Something like that…means it has been tried out?”
When Naruhodou asked this, a peculiar expression appeared on Kanna’s face as she replied.
“Whether it has been tried out….the victim, the man known as Unno Kurodou was discover as he was turning into a popsicle in this machine.”
Naruhodou unintentionally met with Mayoi’s face. Just imagining this method of death was stomach churning.
“Anyways, we have yet to confirm the victim’s identity. It would be great if we could at least complete this investigation tomorrow….”
Does that mean that if it was not done well then the information will only be revealed during the trial? Rather, with the techniques they are using, the chance of the prosecution losing might be high….
“Kanna-san, can I ask you something?”
Kanna blinked and peered at Mayoi who had raised her hand.
“What is it, little miss?”
“Is there anything else that has been lost or stolen from somewhere other than this Lab No. 1? It seems like there’s rather important things placed in this research centre.”
“Well, about that….there seems to be something. When we were collecting information, the staff said that some media that came from the DKK went missing. A theft report has not been filed because there was a chance that the missing director might have taken it out.”
“Dee Kay Kay?”
Mayoi tilted her head.
“I don’t know what that stands for but there’s a time machine with that name in the next room. I said there were some things here that could not be moved right? That’s the one. Well, as expected of a room with a door made of the newest technology. Unlike this run down research lab, you can’t go in and out of it freely.”
There was a possibility that the case this time had something to do with the DKK.
“What does this DKK do?”
“I think someone said it was for calculations but this it all new to me so I have no idea. And it seems like that item has quite a high value so the staff members are surprised by it.”
“Ah, I get it. The DKK is surely a huge calculator!”
No, it’s probably not that….
However, a spark of logic flashed through Naruhodou’s mind. If he pulled it off well, he might be able to prove that Yuuko was not guilty.
“Excuse me, Kanna-san. I have a question as well. When Onebou-san was arrested, was there any kind of storage media found on her?”
“No. We were meticulous in our investigation but no such thing turned up.”
“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t we be able to deduce this? The murder case this time was to get one’s hands on such a storage media so if Onebou-san does not possess such an item, she’s innocent, isn’t she?”
Kanna shrugged in response to Naruhodou’s words.
“Such a thing….I said that to our Prosecutor as well. However that damn bastard of a Prosecutor could not consider any other situation aside from Onebou Yuuko being the criminal so the lack of storage media is a trivial issue.”
“It’s not trivial. It’s something of value.”
“Here’s what the prosecutor said. If the Director had the key, he could enter the room that has the DKK. So he secured the storage media himself to prevent it from being stolen and became untrackable.
That made sense….it made sense but failed to explain the important issues.
“Judging from your expression, I get that you have grievances with how we do things. However the fact is that she was found with the body in a locked room. If that point cannot be torn down then there is not much I can do.”
While listening to Kanna’s words, something stirred up within Naruhodou’s heart.
Will I be able to tear down this locked room….
4 October 2016 3:15PM
Someplace
At this point of time, Naruhodou thanked Kanna for allowing to investigate to this point and left the research centre.
“Onebou-san didn’t do it, right?”
“I think so as well. But with the circumstances….”
According to what Kanna has said, Yuuko was found collapsed on the floor a short distance away from the capsule.
“Onebou-san was found with the body in a locked room….It’s necessary to hear what she has to say.”
“But there’s no guarantee that Onebou-san will open up to us.”
“That’s right. We haven’t even stood at the real starting line yet.”
Perhaps Yuuko was over burdened with far too many incidents and fell into a state of distrust. However, Naruhodo could not figure out how to reach out to her when she was in this state.
“Hey, Naruhodou-kun. What should we do to convey our feelings to her? I don’t think she’ll trust us with just lip service….”
“Convey our feelings….Won’t trust us with just lip service….oh right!”
Without thinking, Naruhodou looked at Mayoi’s face.
“Whaatt, Naruhodou-kun. Is there something stuck on my face?”
“There isn’t. But thanks to you, Mayoi-chan, I thought of a good idea. Onebou-san herself does not have a method to prove who she is….Therefore, let’s prove who she is. Alright, let’s go. I should have a contact person with that place.”
“Let’s go….where?”
With energy, Naruhodou told Mayoi, who looked confused, where they were going.
“Yuumei University! It’s my alma mater as well as Onebou-san’s alma mater.”
5 October 2016 9:00AM
Detention Centre
Naruhodou and Mayoi entered the meeting room and Yuuko was there waiting for them with a dark expression.
“Naruhodou-san…what are you doing here so early in the morning?”
The agitation that had peered out of her face yesterday was now nowhere to be seen. It was the face of someone who had completely given up.
“The trial is going to be tomorrow, isn’t it? We don’t have anymore time to waste.”
With those words said, Yuuko realised Naruhodou’s intention for visiting.
“Naruhodou-san, could it be….”
“Could you leave the upcoming trial to me?”
However, Yuuko shook her head.
“Like I said before, I refuse. No matter how you try to defend me, it’s just going to hurt your track record.”
“No, that’s not going to happen.”
“But….A person who doesn’t believe in what I say can’t possibly defend me, right?
“I believe you. That’s why it is possible for me to defend you.”
Yuuko did not even bother to hide her frustration when she heard Naruhodou’s strong words and scratched both her arms.
“You’re just saying it….everyone is like that….”
Naruhodou took something that looked like a folded document out of his suit pocket and stuck it out to her from under the glass.
“This is….“
“Somehow I managed to uncover this.”
This was what was written on the document.
Onebou Yuuko
March 2001 Completed Master’s degree in Engineering in Yuumei University
(No referral given)
“It’s just a coincidence but I also graduated from Yuumei University. I took up liberal arts though.”
However as the protection of personal information was enforced these days, it was back breaking work even for an alumnus like Naruhodou to examine the records of someone who graduated fifteen years ago. Friends who studied in the campus, Seminar lecturers, staff he got along with, seniors of the same department, other seniors…He appealed to different people from the university and somehow he was successful in inquiring about her records.
“….Was it tough?”
“Not really.”
Naruhodou tried to put up a tough front but it was actually difficult. It was not as though the university is full of people who say “Please help to prove the innocence of your graduates”. He started in the evening but by the time he was done, it was late into the night.
“I’m also an alumnus there so I know how strict the contact points can be. If you make the slightest mistake in your application, it will not be accepted.”
“I actually got yelled at.”
When Naruhodou said that, Yuuko smiled. Finally it felt she was opening up and Naruhodou relaxed a bit but that smiling face vanished quickly.
“So you talked to the people who worked in the same lab as me as well as my classmates?”
“Yeah. There were some people who were still enrolled at that time.”
“Anyway, they said I’m some weirdo who only bragged?”
“Yeah, I didn’t dare to argue with them about it.”
As expected, Naruhodou avoided going into detail but Yuuko’s fears were mostly correct.
“If that’s the case….Why in the world do you believe me?!”
“It’s the other way round, Onebou-san.”
Mayoi who kept quiet until now suddenly spoke out. One the other hand, Yuuko was clearly confused.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s true that those people had said mean things about you, Onebou-san.” However….it’s because of that, we understand your feelings. I come from a line of spirit mediums…So I have experienced nasty words from people around me.”
Mayoi was still in training but she was no different from Yuuko, who truly believed in time machines, in the sense she had been exposed to the prejudiced views of the world. She seems like an innocent and naïve girl but she’s been through a lot of hardships.
“I see, you been through a lot too…”
Yuuko was wavering. Just now, that was how she really felt.
“If one used common sense, once won’t easily believe in the Time Machine. But regardless of what you had said, there is no mistake that a person known as Onebou Yuuko existed fifteen years ago. And I determined that there’s very little merit in pretending to be someone who has disappeared fifteen years ago. And more than that, you look almost exactly like you did in this photo. Therefore, taking in all these facts as a whole, I though I should believe you.
“Why are you…doing so much for my sake?”
It felt as though Yuuko’s expression has become more harmonious. Narhuodou decided to imitate Mayoi and speak from his heart.
“When I was in elementary school, I had to undergo a class trial regarding “Lunch Money being Stolen”. Of course, I didn’t steal anything but no matter how much I told the truth, no one believed me. It was really a tough time for me….So I became a lawyer in order to help people who are going through the same thing. Therefore, please let me represent you as your defense attorney!”
Naruhodou bowed his head forcefully.
–I’m a different person from Onebou-san. In the first place, we are completely different in terms of biological sex, birth circumstances and age. But even so, we share the common point in having a tough time in getting others to believe us…That’s what I think.
Raising his head, Naruhodou saw that Yuuko was crying.
“Sorry, did I say something that made you cry? Eh no, I get that I did say some pretty strange things…”
“No, I’m happy. Happy about your willingness to believe me.”
Yuuko removed her glasses and wiped her tears. The once more, she declared the following to Naruhodou.
“I…I believe in the you who believes in me. Therefore, please defend me in court.”
Mayoi, who was next to Naruhodou, leapt up.
“Great, Naruhodou-kun!”
Upon getting an official request, Naruhodou quickly questioned Yuuko to clear up some doubts.
“Can you tell me in detail about what happened after you dashed out of my office? You thought that the person on the other side of the phone was this Kitamita-san, correct?”
“Yes, it was from the professor. He knows about me making a Time machine and was worried about where I was so he called. So I met him at the warehouse where I first woken up.”
“Then was the person who came over really the Professor himself?”
Despite what Yuuko had told him, Naruhodou could not believe easily that Kitamita disappeared conveniently using a Time Machine.
“Actually I confirmed it with my own eyes and there was no doubt that it was the actual person. Well, I did notice he was a bit younger than the professor I knew though.”
If Yuuko’s words were to be believed then this Kouta would have aged a bit after the half year period in 2001 so perhaps it is consistent?
“Then why were you at Lab Number 1 of the research centre?”
“Yes. The Professor requested that I sneak in using a large capsule that was inside the warehouse. Once it was night, someone would move the item to Lab Number 1 of the research centre so he wished me luck till the process was done.”
Meaning that capsule was found in this warehouse at first. However some other person moved the capsule as well as Yuuko herself to the research centre so there must be some other accomplice.
“Excuse me, it was just something I noticed but when you hid yourself in the capsule, was it cold?”
Yuuko replied Mayoi’s naïve question.
“No, not especially…It was not powered.”
Well, if the capsule was able to freeze Kurodou’s corpse then Yuuko would have probably froze to death if there was power.
“But why did the Professor request for you to do such a thing?”
“He was probably going to be attacked by the person he planned to meet that night so as insurance, he wanted me to sneak in.”
It was a strange request. It was as though the only reason was to fit Yuuko into the plans.
“Don’t you find it unusual?”
“But the current Professor still got attacked right? Well, I lost consciousness when I tried to help though. Is there something wrong?”
As expected, Yuuko trusted Kouta blindly way too much. So she swallowed up all of what Kouta said and naively listened to his orders. However even if Naruhodou criticised her actions emotionally, Yuuko was just going to stubbornly stand her ground.
“Meaning that you did not kill Unno Kurodou-shi?”
“Of course. When I woke up, Unno-san was already frozen inside the capsule. Also, in the first place, the inside of the capsule was completely white too so it wasn’t possible to confirm what was inside….”
“So, the two of you got into a brawl and when you opened your eyes, you were in a locked room with Unno-san’s body?”
“Yes….?”
Suddenly, Yuuko knitted her face. Perhaps she was injured somewhere?
“What’s wrong?”
“Um, I got a freeze injury on my right foot. I received medical treatment for it so I think it’ll be healed in a short while. It wasn’t there before I lost consciousness so it’s quite strange.”
When Naruhodou first met her at the law office two days back, she did not look to be having pain in her right foot. However, given that it’s the start of October, it seemed highly improbable to have a frost injury just from staying a night in the park….
Speaking of which, doesn’t this entire story have something to do with a frozen corpse in the capsule? Perhaps there is some kind of connection.
“Could that frost injury have something to do with the capsule’s cold air?”
“How would it…I don’t remember too well either. But if I touched it directly, I think I’ll be finished.”
It was indeed a capsule that produced air cold enough to freeze a corpse. If it did cause a frost injury then the injury should be more severe.
“By the way, the most important point is that Director Kitamita seems to have gone missing and no one is able to track him down but do you have any idea?”
Suddenly Yuuko started to laugh in a funny manner.
“That’s right. Because right now, the Professor should have Time Travelled to year 2001. He was attacked and barely escaped with his life…Would that change?”
Uh huh, here we go….
“No, it wouldn’t change. It’s just that with my level of understanding, I could not completely catch up to what’s happening.”
Naruhodou vaguely dodged the topic to prevent himself from showing a confused face.
However it was not enough to be careful. Even if Yuuko was not lying on purpose, if she continued speaking as such, he will certainly lose in the trial as her defense. In other words, he needed to come up with a reasonable explanation.
Just when he was thinking such thoughts, Mayoi jabbed him in the side.
“…Leave this to me, Naruhodou-kun.”
Just this one thing, he will leave to Mayoi.
Naruhodou meekly gave up his seat in the meeting room.
“Excuse me, is it alright if I ask something as well?”
“What is it?”
“Onebou-san, you time travelled as well, right? What does it feel like to time travel? It can’t possibly be painful, can it?”
Upon hearing such words which were just full of curiousity, Yuuko shook her head slightly.
“Actually… I can’t remember. Perhaps something happened but the memory of the journey is just missing out of the blue. We succeeded in this dream like goal like time travel but it doesn’t feel real at all….”
Yuuko seemed so sad. It did not look like an act.
“Then…the one who called you was the professor before he got attacked and time travelled, right? Or was it after?”
What in the world was Mayoi saying?
“As I said over the phone, of course, he was the Professor before he time travelled.”
Naruhodou could not tell what Mayoi was intending to do.
“Then isn’t that strange? He has not met you yet, Onebou-san so why would Professor Kitamita know about you?”
Yuuko could not answer Mayoi’s question immediately.
I see, what Mayoi-chan did was correct. In order to breakdown Onebou-san’s story, the first thing to do was to find contradictions in the premise of time travel.
However, Yuuko pulled herself together.
“About that…it seems like he received a message from the me in 2001.”
It sounded as though she just remembered such a fact or it was just added on as an afterthought.
“Eh, speaking of which, Onebou-san, you said that you put on trial as the suspect for the murder of the Professor in 2001. What was the verdict?”
Once that question was asked, Yuuko suddenly pressed against her head, looking to be in pain.
“Are you alright?”
“I get a headache when I try to recall what happened in the case. Even if I don’t get a headache, it’s all a fog…it’s just that…”
“Just that?”
“Speaking of which, I feel like I recall being helped by a kind lawyer. However I can’t remember their name…how heartless of me.”
Naruhodou gets that he still does not understand the things that are important but strangely enough, it does not feel that Yuuko was lying to cover up the matters that were inconvenient to her.
He had heard that when a person encounters difficult incidents, their mind might alter their memories in order to protect their heart. Given that Yuuko has vague memories, he should consider that there was a possibility that that case caused her some trauma.
If that was the case then the situation had turned quite troublesome. Even if Yuuko did not feel that she was lying, that did not mean that her words were true. If he relied on foggy memories, he will certainly lose the lawsuit.
“Please take a rest first. Afterwards, we will investigate further.”
It was tough for Naruhodou to get those words out to Yuuko
“What are we going to do next, Naruhodou-kun?”
On the way back from the detention centre, Mayoi asked that question.
“We don’t have a lot of time so we are going to go after Kitamita-san who had deceived Onebou-san. I don’t think it’s wrong to assume that Kitamita-san had tricked her about the entire situation.”
“How do you plan to track him down? If he can really time travel, then we won’t be able to track him down.”
Naruhodou was unable to tell if she was joking or if she was serious about what she said. However, if the man really left this era via time travel, there was nothing they could do about it.
“Why did Professor Kitamita invite a suspicious person to his own research centre if he knew that was a possibility that he was going to get killed?”
“Yeah…It’s impossible to welcome a complete stranger in. He most likely had connections with the victim, Unno-shi. If we could find what that connection is, I think we would have a fighting chance in court.”
However, it was easier said than done. He had no guarantee he could find this connection by tomorrow.
“Mayoi-chan, do you think Time Machines exist?”
“I think it would be great if it does but Naruhodou-kun, you don’t believe they exist, do you?”
“I believe in what Onebou-san has said. But that does not equal to the existence of time machine. I suspect that the real culprit fed Onebou-san lies about Time Machines.
Perhaps Yuuko was wrapped into the case in the culprits search for a pawn that could be freely manipulated.
“However, the crux of the matter is that we do not know if Onebou-san’s words are true…No matter how much we think about it, we can’t understand it at all. And the trial is tomorrow.”
Mayoi stomped her feet in frustration. It felt like Naruhodou’s brain’s processing power had not caught up. He felt as though smoke was coming out of his head.
“It will be great if there was at least records from that time left behind…”
Mayoi said that with no intention but her words sent a flash of inspiration through Naruhodou.
“Mayoi-chan, that’s it!”
“Eh, what is?”
“Onebou-san mentioned that she was on trial in 2001, didn’t she? Then the records from then might be at the courthouse.”
The two of them then rushed towards the District court.
5 October 2016 9:00AM
District Court Reference Room
It was immediately clear to the two of them as they stood in the reference room. The power of the attorney’s badge was great after all.
“Alright, let’s split up and search!”
“Yup. We will definitely help Onebou-san out!”
Naruhodou and Mayoi started searching for the relevant information. A huge amount of files were lined up in the reference room and it seemed like it will be a back breaking task to find what they want.
We’re exhausted from investigating about Onebou-san at the university yesterday but we’re doing the same exhausting thing again today….
No no, a rookie lawyer should spare no effort in doing this. I’ll get through it with motivation and youth.
“Well, we have the saving grace of knowing the exact date when the case occurred…Then, Mayoi-chan, I’ll leave that side to you.”
“Got it!”
Naruhodou had heard that it took a while between the arrest and trial in the past compared to now. For now, it should be a good idea to start searching from the October files.
Please let us find it.
After thirty minutes of searching, Mayoi suddenly called out to Naruhodou while holding a file.
“Narhodou-kun, look at this!”
“Did you find it?”
“Here, the name of the file got blacked out. It seems strange so let’s check it out.”
“You’re right.”
Once Naruhodou confirmed such a fact, he could not help but frown.
What a horrible prank. However the only people who can enter this place are those involved in the legal profession…it was a pity but there are some people in the legal world who have no awareness of the law.
“… For now, let’s check this out.”
Naruhodou opened the file and it was clear the prank extended to the contents. All the nouns were scratched out with ink and it was impossible to make the words out. It was not possible to find the people involved and listen to what they had to say.
“Could it be that the attorney or prosecutor involved got irritated by their loss and did such a prank?”
“If that’s the case then the prankster must be a sore loser…”
Even if one did that, it was not going to erase the fact that one lost though.
“But it’s easier to read than expected. Well, it seems to just a thank you note for not abandoning the case.”
It was as though this was a glimmer of hope.
After two hours, Naruhodou managed to finish reading the material.
Reading through the material that have been damaged by worms was quite nerve wrecking but despite not having a clue of what happened, he felt like he was able to get a gist of the case.
In short, a killing occurred over the results of two researchers who were researching about the Time Machine…or at least that was the story one was made to believe. Then it seemed like the defendant who was prosecuted was the assistant of the murdered researcher. The name of the defendant was not known but Naruhodou could just figure out that it was a woman as the pronoun “she” was being used.
A Time Machine, a female defendant and it occurred fifteen years ago…it somewhat matches Onebou-san’s story.
“Naruhodou-kun, you read really fast-“
Mayoi, who had not finished reading, said loudly.
“Is that so? Right, I was reading it in detail though.”
While waiting for Mayoi to be done reading, Naruhodou straightened out the details of the case in his head.
However, as he read the material further, there were a few points that could not be explained.
Firstly, the trial had no verdict. Then on a certain day, the defendant disappeared from the detention centre and the trial was frozen indefinitely. However it was not easy to leave the detention centre on your own violation.
Could it be that she disappeared from the detention centre via time travel?
“Eh, Naruhodou-kun, where is the next page?”
Mayoi’s voice pulled him back from his absurd imagination.
“Just now the Attorney-san took a gamble on his last chance.”
“Ah, that part was the only one that wasn’t present in the first place.”
The page that was supposed to describe how the attorney made a turnabout got taken away completely. Was it too troublesome to mark out the entire page or was the existence of the page not allowed…Most likely , the person who made a mess of the materials was the prosecution in charge of the case. It must have been such humiliation for the perpetrator.
For an instant, Naruhodou thought about interrogating the culprit to fill in the gaps about the document but he dismissed the idea immediately. There was no guarantee that he will find the culprit form fifteen years ago by the next day and even if he did, that culprit may not easily admit to the accusations. He will not make it in time for tomorrow’s trial.
In the first place, the court system was overwhelmingly disadvantageous to the defense. Although it was introduced under the guise of efficiently and speedily dealing with rapidly increasing crime, there were people who pointed out that this had made it a hotbed of false accusations. However, complaining about such a system was not going to stop tomorrow’s trial.
It could not be helped. He should think about arranging what he knew and think about how he could make use of the knowledge for tomorrow’s trial.
Fifteen years ago, a woman who was the suspect of a certain locked room murder disappeared while awaiting her verdict. And in this present day, Onebou Yuuko who could be no one but this suspect herself appeared before Naruhodou and once more, got wrapped into a locked room murder…
Thinking with common sense would tell you that these two cases could not be connected but if one did not think that way, certain things could not be explained.
Why did she disappear fifteen years ago…and why dud she appear again today…How was it done? Also, why was there hardly any difference to her appearance.
“It’s impossible, I can’t make sense of it.”
“Ngh, Naruhodou-kun, be quiet, I’m at a good part.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Naruhodou quietly waited and soon Mayoi was done reading everything.
“How was it?”
“Hmm, it took some effort to figure out who was talking to who but I know that this Prosecutor-san is a bad person.”
“Mayoi-chan, there is a phrase in this world known as presumed innocence…”
“No, this person is definitely a bad person! I think it’s the prosecutor-san who did such a prank.”
“I agree with you…did you learn anything else?”
With that said, Naruhodou thought that this investigation was a waste of valuable time before the trial. There were too many places that were blacked out so there was nothing to follow up on.
“It won’t work if you submitted this document and said “The defendant Time Travelled so please be lenient with her”…”
It was vexing that the investigation did not proceed as planned. Then again, it would be strange if he said that he was fully prepared for the trials he faced so far.
“You know, Naruhodou-kun. I was thinking if we could restore the blocked out words back.”
That was definitely the number one shortcut to the truth. However, Naruhodou had the same idea as well.
“I also had the thought of restoring it? But I think it would be impossible since so much effort had been put into ruining the document.”
When Naruhodou said that, Mayoi had a somewhat triumphant smile.
“I saw this on TV before but even though something looks black to the human eye, it still has a wide range of brightness. That’s why if you hold up the blacked out letters to fluorescent light, you may or may not be able to see the words depending on the brighteness of the black.”
“Let’s see…”
They held up one page of the material to the ceiling’s fluorescent light and let the light through but unfortunately the blacked out parts could not be read.
“As expected, it’s no good, Mayoi-chan.”
“It seems like there’s a limit to the human eye. We have to use a special machine.”
“A special machine… that sounds expensive.”
Although it was necessary to reveal the truth, it was difficult for someone who was worn out by the weight of their monthly rental.
“Naruhodou-kun, the company that was mentioned the other time…what was it again?”
“That time….Do you mean KonaCulture?”
The company that deals with information, KonaCulture. It was a corporation that was involved in the murder case of Naruhodou’s mentor, Ayasato Chihiro. Just mentioning the name KonaCulture brought up painful memories of losing her sister for Mayoi but she was still able to talk about it fairly often.
“Right. Doesn’t it feel like they could have such a device there?”
Naruhodou does not have a complete grasp about the kind of business that KonaCulture runs but there was no doubt he was better at obtaining information than some unskilled detective agency. If KonaCulture was still open at this time, it would be the best course of action make an investigation request.
“But is it alright for you?”
“Not really.”
“If so…”
Mayoi then shook her head strongly.
“But right now I can’t forgive the culprit who painted this all over. Alright, Naruhodo-kun. Let’s strike while the iron is hot!”
With a cheerful voice motivating him, Naruhodou quickly made arragements.
6 October 2016 11:00AM
District Court
The next morning, Naruhodou stood in the courtroom.
“Naruhodou-kun, your face looks terrible. You didn’t sleep well?”
Mayoi, who was standing next to him, asked in a worried manner.
“If anything, I feel like I’m completely lacking in information.”
“Ehh!!”
Mayoi’s loud voice rang out through the courtroom and everyone looked at their direction. Aside from the presiding judge, everyone was present.
“Isn’t everyone looking at us… It’s not exactly that, I’ve been busy but I haven’t been able to come up with a good hypothesis to explain everything that happened to Onebou-san.”
“But what about KonaCulture?”
“I got a call this morning and they said they weren’t done with the investigations yet.”
Even though it was better for the detective agency to handle the request, as expected, it was impossible be done so soon.
“Eh, they’re useless!”
“It can’t be helped. The documents were painted over so carefully so it’ll take some time. Even at the earliest, it’ll be this evening or maybe after tomorrow…first, we have to pull through this trial or it’ll be meaningless.
“So you’re just winging this?”
“Even so, it’s better than my debut trial…”
As Naruhodou replied as such, the presiding judge entered the courtroom. The time to fool around was reaching its end.
The judge looks like your typical old man with his bald head and long white beard. He looks quite old but there had been rumours that he looked like this since ten years ago. But if one thought about it logically, he would probably look the same ten years from now.
The judge finally took his seat and solemnly made a declaration.
“Court is now in session for the trial of Onebou Yuuko.”
“The prosecution is ready.”
At the prosecution stand was a dull looking man with glasses who was smiling fearlessly.
His name was Auchi Takefumi, the prosecutor whom Naruhodou went up against in his first trial. The man was an opponent who Naruhodou had won against once so it was not necessary to feel nervous however it was hard to be optimistic when he considered the direction the tirla was going to take.
At one point of time, this man was famously nicknamed the “rookie killer” so he might still be using this sort of attitude towards Naruhodou, who was still considered a newbie.
“Kukuku, I lost by coincidence that time but this time, it won’t happen.”
“Coincidence…”
Naruhodou was stunned. Even though Auchi lost to a rookie because he prosecuted the case while overlooking an important matter, why was he so confident. Perhaps a veteran prosecutor just had a different kind of mental strength.
However, there was no doubt that Auchi was not an opponent to be taken lightly and more importantly, the support he had this time was not Chihiro, who was there during his debut battle.
“Your face is stiff, Naruhodou-kun.”
Mayoi, who was next to him, said in a slightly teasing tone.
“Is it?”
“Don’t worry, I’m here with you. If you run into trouble, Naruhodou-kun, I’ll send out a mud boat. Relax.”
“A mud boat will be troublesome, ha ha…”
(T/N: Mayoi was making a joke to calm Naruhodou down…Sending out a boat is pretty much the same as saying “I’ll assist” but a mudboat will crumble easily.)
Naruhodou smiled wryly and he felt a bit more settled.
In court, the person who feels the most at unease was the defendant so the attorney must not cower. That was why having Mayoi next to him who believes in Yuuko just like he does was reassuring. Her dependability was not inferior to Chihiro who was a skilled attorney and used to be by his side.
“….Are you almost ready?”
“The defense is ready.”
Naruhodou said and the judge declared in a quiet tone.
“Prosecutor Auchi, your opening statement please.”
Auchi nodded and started his opening statement.
“The defendant, who calls herself Onebou Yuuko, was taken into custody on the fourth of October, when she was found unconscious at Lab No. 1 of Kitamita Research Centre which is the scene of the murder of Unno Kurodou. The prosecution has evidence and witness to prove the criminal acts of the defendant. It’s unfortunate but the defendant is definitively guilty.”
It was just as Kanna had said. It was really great that Naruhodou had listened to her earlier.
“I see…But what do you mean by “calls herself”?”
The judge had asked the right question.
“That was the name she gave us when she was taken into custody but there was nothing on her that could prove that. So we investigated her origins based on the name Onebou Yuuko…For the time being, it’s the same name as a missing person but it was so long ago so the ages don’t match up so we know that she’s lying.”
Based on Naruhodou’s investigation, Yuuko did indeed become missing since the year 2001.
“However the defendant’s silence about her real name will not hinder the progress of the trial. Well, it doesn’t matter what her name is if she is going to prison anyway.”
Naruhodou felt something indescribable when he heard Auchi’s words. One would believe that the prosecutors’ hearts have became numb somewhere as they dealt with the increasing number of crimes.
“Defendant, pardon me but what is your real name?”
The judge asked Yuuko in a gentle manner. However the woman became irate and she answered with her chest puffed out.
“That is my real name! I’m…Onebou Yuuko!”
A small sigh could be heard. Naruhodou wanted to do the same. There was nothing right now that could give the judge an even worse impression.
“I may be mistaken…Defendant, have we met somewhere before?”
“Do you know me?”
“No, I feel like I find you slightly familiar. Well, I am getting on my years so I’ve been forgetting people’s faces so I thought I should make sure.”
“I see…Too bad because I can’t remember well either.”
The judge shook his head slowly.
“My mind has been cloudy as the days go by. Lately, I have forgotten the face of the Chief of the Prosecutor’s office and it had been a rather embarrassing experience.”
That’s no laughing matter, is it?
“It seems like this had become a rather tough trial. Prosecutor Auchi, I’ll leave the next part to you.”
“Then I shall call upon the witness immediately. It’s Yahari Masashi-san.”
Auchi’s words made Naruhodo’s head feel an impact as though it got struck by something.
Immediately, a man who looks easily carried away with a spiky head appeared. It seems like there was no other person with the same name.
“Witness. State your name and occupation.”
“Yahari Masashi. Security guard.”
Yahari was Naruhodou’s classmate from his elementary school days. Maybe they were fated to meet each other even as adults so they still had connections to each other.
Well, I never dreamed that I would defend him on the suspicion of murder though…
“By the way, I’m working part time as a security guard at Kitamita Research Centre the day before yesterday.”
Naruhodou spoke out without thinking to Yahari who spoke smugly while stroking his beard.
“Hey, Yahari. What are you doing?”
“What…I’m a witness, a witness. Can’t you tell by looking?”
“Hmm…ah, you’re right.”
It was hard to say if Yahari Masashi was definitively a good person but at the very least, he was not evil. He was rather nice. As long as trouble did not come calling for …
Naruhodou swallowed those thought and vaguely nodded.
“”What a strange fate for someone who was previously the defendant to be called upon as a witness. Well, there’s a saying that yesterday’s enemy can be today’s friend…ku ku ku.”
“And if you flip that around, then yesterday’s friend could be today’s enemy, isn’t that so, Naruhodou. Sorry to you but I’m gonna testify without holding back.”
If no one was mistaken, the one who prosecuted Yahari was Auchi…No, if Yahari himself had no doubts then Naruhodou should not speak about that.
“Then let’s hear from the witness quickly. The witness worked from the night of the third to the morning of the fourth as security but what kind of job was it, exactly?”
“Generally speaking, there are only two tasks. If a visitor comes by at the entrance where the security office is, then I’ll handle them. The other is to patrol the research institute. While patrolling, the entrance will be locked so no one can enter but in the first place, no one comes by when it’s really late at night.”
“In other words, when the case occurred, you have a grasp of who entered and left the research centre?”
Yahari nodded in response to the Judge’s question.
“That’s right…if I have known there was going to be a murder case, I wouldn’t have worked there. The salary is good for a temp job though…”
“Oh, by temp job…that means you don’t work at Kitamita Research Centre on a regular basis?”
“Yup. The usual dude was down form being sick so I got hired to cover for them immediately…Well, even though it was my first time being a security guard, I somehow made things turn out alright. Then while I was patrolling, I spotted Onebou-san collapsed at the scene.”
The judge cast a gaze of doubt at Yahari who let out a sigh while talking.
“Prosecutor Auchi, is there no other witness?”
“The Kitamita Research Lab has only one security guard on night shift so there is no witness other than him. Furthermore, he was the first person to discover the scene.
“But it was his first day of work isn’t it? Don’t you have any doubts about the credibility of his testimony?”
“The prosecution has a different view about that matter. On the contrary, we believe that his testimony is highly credible.”
Auchi expressed as he pushed his glasses up with his palm.
“Hoh?”
“The witness said the reason for the replacement was because of an acute illness of the original person on the job but to be exact, he had appendicitis. In other words, the security guard bein g replaced was not something within the culprit’s predictions and the witness working in Kitamita Research centre was purely coincidental. On top of that, if it was the original person who worked there, he would not be able to say things he should not say without hesitation.”
Prosecutor Auchi was not someone that should be underestimated after all. At the very least, Naruhodou should not expect a lucky win this time.
“True…as long as Yahari-kun doesn’t commit a sudden crime, I can trust him.”
Yahari knocked his fist on the witness stand in response to the judge’s words.
“Oi oi, who do you think people are. I hate stuff like killing people!”
It was just as Auchi said at first, this time Yahari could be seen as a neutral party which was rather good. Well, even if he was a neutral party, there was no guarantee that he will not say anything strange.
“Then, please revise your testimony.”
“By the time I started my shift at eight in the night, there wasn’t anyone other than Director Kitamita.”
“Hoh, what a kind work environment.”
“The management team are steady so forcing overtime work isn’t their style. It’ll be a huge mess if their research findings got stolen so they had a contract with a security company. Well, thanks to that, I got a job so thanks a bunch.”
Even so, I feel that it’s a mistake to let Yahari handle the security.,,,
“But it feels like it’s tough to handle night security by yourself…anyway, please continue.”
“After that, I was pretty free. Then when it’s past nine, this person called Unno-san came over transporting this huge capsule like machine. I confirmed with the director via an internal line and he said “he has an appointment so let him through” so I let him in. After that, no one entered…Well, it’s an easy job.”
“Wait, if no one entered then when did the defendant enter the research centre?”
“Eh, no, even if you say that…I did do my job properly!”
What the judge pointed out caused Yahari to become irate and he retorted but Auchi immediately followed up.
“The witness is simply tongue tied. I will speak more about that point. Earlier, the witness had said that the victim transported a machine. This is that machine.”
Auchi presented a single photo. It was a photo of the capsule like machine seem in the first laboratory.
“I consulted an expert and they said that it was not being sold or patented at this point of time but it was definitely a device used for freezing. For the time being, we’ll call this the freezer capsule…considering the circumstances, we can assume that the defendant snuck into the freezer capsule and was transported by the victim.”
Naruhodou was slightly impressed. Auchi had arrived at the conclusion that Naruhodou and Mayoi heard from Yuuko through pure deduction.
“Defendant, is that what happened?”
The Judge’s words caused Yuuko to stiffen up.
“Ye, yes…It’s a request from the professor that I had to accomplish no matter what.”
“Why did Kitamita-san make such a request of you?”
“Well, about that, um…Unno-san might attack him later so as backup, he wanted me to sneak in.”
“But, don’t you think it’s strange for such a request to be made to you?”
“It’s not like I didn’t consider that…but I’m indebted to the Professor.”
Yuuko’s words did not answer the judge’s question. However, if he continued to persue this line of questioning, Yuuko’s Time Travel story will come up.
This time, Naruhodou set up a rule to “not mention Time Travel as much as possible”. Even if there was really a time machine, if they spoke of it without any evidence to prove its existence, the impression the judge had on them will plummet and they will definitely lose this trial.
Therefore, Naruhodou hurriedly diverted the topic.
“Judge, the important point is that Onebou-san entered the research centre by hiding in the freezer capsule. The details will likely be revealed as the trial progresses.”
“Fumu…You are right. Defendant, please continue speaking.”
Phew. Somehow, I managed to gloss it over.
Naruhodou listened to Yuuko’s account, praying that no unfavourable topics for the defense will turn up.
“I waited out patiently inside the capsule. The Professor told me “Just in case anything happens. Do not come out until I give the signal” and I heard an argument from outside. I listened while keeping quiet for awhile but the argument was getting more and more intense and I got worried so I went out…The professor and a man I did not know were in a scuffle. I tired to stop them but it seems like I got hit by the both of them and I knocked my head against the wall…by the time I came to, it was already morning when the police woke me up…I remained in the detention centre since.”
Time to organize Yuuko’s account.
First, Director Kitamita forsaw that he was going to be attacked. Then Yuuko hid in the freezing capsule to help him. Director Kitamita’s fears were spot on and he got into a fight with Unno…The problem was afterwards. No matter how you thought about it, it looks like the Director had pushed the crime onto Yuuko. Even if the Director had, in Yuuko’s words, fled into the past.
“By the way, what kind of person is this victim, this Unno-san?”
The judge asked Auchi and Naruhodou focused all his attention on what the prosecution had to say. He wanted to get information on the victim so badly that he wished he could pull it straight out of their throat.
“Let’s see…He’s a vendor who goes in and out of the research centre but from what I heard from several of the staff members, it was unknown why he does that. It seems like there is no transaction history.”
“What do you mean by that? According to witness statements, the victim is acquainted with the director…”
“Perhaps he was called a vendor out of convenience and is merely a personal acquaintance of the director.”
But that part was also a but strange. Although it was the victim who brought in the frozen capsule, the fact that Yuuko was able to hide in it means the director could freely enter the place where the capsule was located. Perhaps the director and the victim have a closer relationship than just being acquaintances
Even so, leaving Yuuko in the hands of someone who could kill him…Did he not think that the victim could have held her hostage? Or did he think that Yuuko’s safety did not matter to him?
Of course Naruhodou trusted what Yuuko had said. However, his impression of the director was that he was not as kind as Yuuko said he was.
“What do you think? It’s confirmed that the defendant snuck into the capsule so there is no need to delay judgeme…”
“Objection!”
Naruhodou shouted before he could think.
“I understand the prosecution’s assertion but it’s forced after all. The reason is that during the night of the crime, putting the witness Yahari aside, the three people in the lab were Onebou-san, Unno-san as well as Director Kitamita. Therefore, there remains a possibility that the director is also a suspect.”
Naruhodou’s defense made Yuuko’s expression cloud over.
The way to promptly prove that the defendant was not guilty was to find the real culprit. Nevertheless, in this case, he had to float the idea that the director was the real culprit to prove that Yuuko was not.
“Come to think of it, the witness’s testimony missed the point about when the director left…when did Director Kitamita leave the research centre?”
Naruhodou asked this question and Yahari as well as Auchi averted their gazes. He was sure that the two were hiding something based on their reactions.
“Hey, Yahari…what do you have to say about that?”
“Nnn…It seems like the director had keys to the back exit and if he felt like it, couldn’t he leave through the toilet window? Don’t worry about the small stuff.”
He was brimming with confidence earlier but was strangely meek now. There was something suspicious after all.
“Yahari, could you have slept ….”
After Naruhodou voiced his suspicions, Yahari hit the table once again.
“Don’t say such scandalous things. Geez! Okay so maybe I did nod off a bit but overall, I did my job properly so just let it slide.”
Him become that irate is just making things increasingly suspicious….”
“That’s it. The director is the owner so it’s fine for him to not greet the security guards one by one before heading back. That’s how great he is.”
Auchi also admitted that he did not grasp the timing in which when Professor Kitamita left.
“But the defendant testified that the victim and the director got into a spat…”
“Ah, that’s because the defendant’s lying. I’ll go through the details later but the director had nothing to do with the scene. That’s why I didn’t contact him.”
At that point, Naruhodou recalled what Kanna had said.
“Perhaps…the director was never found in the end?”
Even when Naruhodou asked, Auchi remained silent.
“Excuse me, Prosecutor Auchi? What aren’t you answering the question?”
When the judge asked, Auchi mumbled something but finally he seemed to have given up and spoke clearly.
“Allow me to give a disclaimer that this is by no means a mistake. It is true that we are unable to contact Director Kitamita at the present moment but I have determined that there was no issue with the current indictment. According to the testimonies of the staff, the man has the habit of wandering so it’s a normal occurrence for him to be uncontactable….”
Naruhodou decided to deal a harsh blow on Auchi who had become incoherent.
“Could it be that…the prosecution indicted Onebou-san because the director’s whereabouts could not be found?”
“Be quiet!”
Auchi shouted without hesitation.
“Don’t spout slander…as far as the crime scene is concerned, it’s clear that only the defendant could have committed the crime. Therefore, where Director Kitamita is or what he’s doing has nothing to do with the case!”
Auchi spoke confidently. That means there was a valid basis for the arrest after all.
“Is that so?”
“Basically it’s the scene of the crime….witness, please describe what you saw upon discovering the crime scene.”
“Heh heh, as you wish.”
Yahari started his testimony again as though it was troublesome.
“At around five in the morning on the fourth, I went to check up on the First Lab. I thought it was strange that the door to the lab would not open even though it was unlocked. So I had no choice and used my body to force it open then what I found was a capsule emitting strong cold air and a woman’s leg sticking out of a blanket. Then I called the police on my own mobile phone. I kept standing there till the police came. I can assure you that not a single person of mouse came in and out of the scene.”
“By the way, the frozen corpse of the victim was found in the freezer capsule. We determined he was a person by the name of Unno Kurodou based on his belongings.”
Auchi supplemented sternly. However there was a point that Naruhodou did not understand.
“Is that all? In other words, an autopsy has not been performed?”
“The body is in the midst of being thawed but we can’t make it in time for the trial.”
Was it really not done in time?
“But the incident happened the day before yesterday, didn’t it? Isn’t there enough time to defrost the body?”
“The person in charge of the autopsy strongly asserted that if we rapidly defrost it using conventional methods, the cells will get destroyed which would affect the examination so I’ll have to admit that we are slowly defrosting it…so what?”
“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t be better if we held the trial at a later time….”
“Ku ku ku, I have other trials to oversee for a while. Excellent prosecutors are busy.”
I don’t think excellent prosecutors stand in court just because of their schedule…
But putting the issue of the corpse aside, from what Naruhodou heard, Yahari sounds like the ideal first discoverer.
“Are you…really Yahari?”
Those words shot out of Naruhodo’s mouth before he could think.
“Who do you think I am? I can do my job properly occasionally! Hey, Prosecutor Auchi, don’t you agree?”
In response, Auchi straightened his glasses and nodded.
“This is the scenario that the prosecution would like to suggest. First Kitamita-shi requested for the victim to transport the freezer capsule to the First Lab. At that point, the defendant snuck into the capsule…and although the transportation of the freezer capsule was complete, it took time to set it up so Kitamita-shi left first. However, after that, the defendant saw that it was right timing given it was just her and the victim and she assaulted him, killing him. It was probably an act of impulse. The accused got scared and attempted to cover up the crime. To ensure that no one interferes, she locked the room from the inside and then the she placed the victim’s body into the capsule, switched it on and started the freezing process. However, the body did not freeze easily and the room temperature started to drop…unable to endure the cold, the defendant wrapped herself in the blanket and fell asleep at some point of time…and then Yahari-kun found her in that state. What do you think? I do not think there is any need for further deliberation.”
“Guh…”
Auchi’s explanation made sense. I had to break it down somehow.
“Certainly, the prosecutions assertion sounds flawless…but due to procedures, we cannot ignore the opinions of the defense. Naruhodou-kun, please proceed with your questioning.”
When the judge invited him to do so, Naruhodou went quiet for a short while.
If Onebou-san is innocent then there must be something wrong with Yahari’s testimony. I have no choice but to check the statements one by one. Speaking of which, what Yahari said at the start “At around five in the morning on the fourth, I went to check up on the First Lab”…
“Hold it! Why did you go to check up on the First Lab at such a time?”
“I got a phone call from the Director in the security office. “I would like you to check that the machine we transported here was moved here safely””
“The director gave that order himself? At such a time?”
“Yeah. Well, I get the director’s feelings. It would be sad if the machine he took great pains to bring in didn’t work the way it should.”
In any case, it feels unnatural in all sorts of ways for a director to call at that kind of time…With that in mind, should I proceed with the enquiry?
“It seems like the door could not be opened even though it was not locked…How did you determine that the door was actually unlocked?”
“Oh. If you look above the keyhole, you would know whether the door was locked or not. When the door isn’t locked, it’ll be blue, if it’s locked, it’ll be red. It’s the same kind of mechanism as the doors of the station toilets.”
Why would they use such a peculiar mechanism….forget it, it doesn’t matter.
“So, it can’t be opened even though the colour was blue. I got no choice but to bash the door with my body. Fortunately, it was an inward turning door so I got it open with a band.”
“Wait a minute, You could see machines inside the room but you still bashed down the door?”
“Ah, there’s that. I was told over the phone “In the worst case scenario, break down the door and find out what’s going on.” It’s one thing if it’s other people but since it was the director himself who said it, there’s no reason to hesitate, right?”
Something is off. As though the director himself was aware why the door could not be opened..
“I get why you had to break the door down but did you know why the door won’t open?”
“Ah, that’s a very easy matter.”
Auchi came over from the side and help up a photo.
At first glance, it looked like a broken wooden rod…
“That is?”
“It’s a rod used to lock the door, a bolt so-to-speak. This photo was taken right after forensics entered the scene. Apparently, it was split into two the moment the witness tackled the door.”
Naruhodou thought back to the time he entered the First Lab. Kanna had said that she had confiscated the bolt so that it would not be mistaken for trash and discarded. He had never though that this was what she meant. After it broke, it did indeed look like trash…
“In any case, a wooden bolt is pretty old fashioned, isn’t it.”
“The First Lab is old in the first place and it seems like the bolt was being used while it was undergoing renovations. There’s also a thumb turn lock on the inside of the door so it can be locked even without the bolt.”
I see. So it was a typical lock that can be locked upon turning the thumb turn. Just as Yahari said “When the door isn’t locked, it’ll be blue, if it’s locked, it’ll be red.
While listening to the conversation between the Judge and Auchi, Naruhodou decided that he should first and foremost, continue the inquiry.
“Yahari, what happened after you broke down the door?”
“Once the door opened, this horrible cold air just gushed over. I sneezed. When I looked in, no matter how I thought about it, it was certainly bad news so I made a report. I don’t want to end up as the defendant again!”
Yahari glared at the prosecution but Auchi feigned ignorance and looked at Naruhodou.
“Is it true that no one entered or left the scene of the crime?”
“Of course. Oh wait, to be more accurate, I actually thought that Onebou-san who was covered in a blanket was dead. I never expected that there was a corpse inside the freezing capsule…Thank goodness I didn’t touch it by accident.”
Naruhodou thought as he peered at Yahari who spoke so proudly.
Yahari definitely did something unnecessary. After all, this guy was the man who people have said, “Behind every incident, it’s Yahari after all”, that Yahari Masashi. He cannot be believed that easily. Or rather, I can believe that he did something.”
“Did you really not touch anything at all?”
“How insistent, Naruhodou! I’m learning too. The floor of the room was really white and looked as though it would leave prints if I stepped in.”
At that point, Auchi added on.
“By the way, forensics has proven the accuracy of his testimony. Not one hair from his head and not one fingerprint belonging to him was found inside the First Lab.”
“Hehe, that’s right. Aha-, it feels good to not be suspected.”
I can’t find any openings. This is the combination of Yahari who did not do anything unnecessary and Auchi who actually did his job. A more troublesome combination than expected.
“But I’m so surprised that people believed me so easily. Anyway, we have insurance even if I did get suspected so it’s all good. It’s a bit of a waste though!”
A flash went through Naruhodou’s mind. So Yahari did do something unnecessary.
“Yahari, what’s this insurance you were talking about?”
Naruhodou’s question caused Yahari to break into a broad grin.
“Excellent question! It’s this!”
Yahari took out a photo.
“I just happened to have a camera on me so I took photos of the crime scene. Just in case anyone has something to say, this items are evidence that speaks for themselves right? Do you want to have a look too?”
“Yes. Certainly.”
“Wit, witness! Don’t bring in things on your own accord! Hey! Don’t hand them over to the defense team!”
Auchi protested but Naruhodou ignored him and received the photo from Yahari.
“Naruhodou-kun, is there anything of interest in them?”
When the judge asked that, Naruhodou shook his head. A frezzing capsule that was spewing out white cold air, a blanket wrapped around a person who was assumed to be Yuuko with her right foot sticking out, a broken bolt that was white at its broken end… He could not say that there was anything interesting about the photo. Well he did notice that all the photos had a whitish tinge to them.
However, Naruhodou straightened out his thoughts. These were photos that Auchi did not know existed. Perhaps there was something in the photo that would throw the prosecution off their plans.
(To be continued)
Moko-Chan's Translations 