thefictionvixens Page 579
Page 579
Miwako is still unable to get over her father's death.
"It's okay~"
Miwako paused for a moment, a hint of sorrow appearing on her pretty face, before quickly regaining her composure and smiling faintly as she said:
"It is indeed the anniversary of my father's death in a few days. My father would be very gratified that several of our elders remember it!"
"How could I forget that!"
Inspector Morita sighed, "When I was a rookie, Senior Sato took good care of me. It's a pity he was about to be promoted to superintendent back then—"
"But then that thing happened!"
"Yes!"
Seeing that the topic had been brought up, Inspector Megure couldn't help but chime in, "Unfortunately, we still don't know what 'Sorrowful Man' really means!"
"The murderer who killed Senior Sato is still at large!"
"The statute of limitations has expired!"
"hateful!"
"A lovesick young man?"
Natsume gently stroked Miwako's hair and said softly:
Tell me about it—
14. "What exactly happened back then?"
"Summer Leaves..."
Miwako appeared very frail at this moment.
She had considered asking Xia Ye, but she wasn't sure if he knew the details of her father's story.
Looking back now, I realize I was being too stubborn. This is my man. Even if I don't know the plot, can't I confide in him?
With his abilities, he should be able to solve the case quickly!
"Is such that--"
Miwako recounted the events of that year to Natsume, with Inspector Megure and several senior officers adding details. Then, everyone looked at Natsume expectantly.
Let's not talk about Miwako.
Others now also have a strange trust in Xia Ye.
After all, his record is too dazzling!
"That is to say——"
Xia Ye did not directly name the suspect, but instead pointed out the inconsistencies in their description of the incident:
"Officer Sato Masayoshi was conscious after being hit, but he didn't reveal the killer's name?"
"..."
"Correct!"
Miwako's eyes lit up.
Having recently learned a lot about reasoning, she immediately realized the mystery when Xia Ye gave her a hint!
As an experienced criminal investigator, he never forgot his mission to pursue criminals, even on his deathbed.
Even when he arrived at the scene, his father was still conscious, and he had time to tell him the name of the criminal and even his detailed characteristics!
But he chose not to say it!
Could it be because—
"Furthermore, you said that Inspector Sato Masayoshi identified the culprit very quickly based on only a ten-second video clip!" Xia Ye continued, "This could very well mean that the culprit from back then—"
"It's someone I know!"
Miwako, her beautiful eyes gleaming with excitement, continued Natsume's words:
"It's someone Dad trusts a lot!"
"Perhaps they are old friends!"
"I see--"
"My sorrowful lover, my sorrowful lover! What Dad said back then was 'go turn yourself in'! He was telling his friend who ran away, 'go turn yourself in'!"
"Because it was a friend who committed the crime, Dad easily discovered his identity. And because they were friends, Dad didn't reveal the perpetrator's name after he escaped, because Dad believed he would turn himself in. Unfortunately—"
"It's a pity he failed to live up to your father's good intentions!"
Ignoring the surrounding police officers, Xia Ye took Miwako's hand and comforted her, "It's not too late. Think about whether any of your father's old friends fit the criteria for a criminal. We'll go and arrest them right away!"
"Correct!"
Inspector Megure slammed his hand on the table with a serious expression:
"If we can identify the culprit—"
"Let's go arrest them now!"
“But Inspector Megure, the statute of limitations is only fifteen years—” a young officer hesitated, “wasn’t that something that happened eighteen years ago?”
"Statute of limitations..."
Inspector Megure gritted his teeth and said bitterly:
"Even if the criminal statute of limitations has expired, there is still the civil statute of limitations, which is twenty years. In any case, he must pay the price!"
"Thank you~"
Miwako looked at Natsume with tender, loving eyes.
She didn't know whether Xia Ye had already known the plot or deduced it on the spot, but it didn't matter—
He gave me this hint, letting me reveal the answer, clearly out of consideration for my own feelings.
This man may be a bit slutty at times.
But it's really reliable when it counts!
Miwako suppressed the urge to rush into Natsume's arms, her pretty face gradually becoming serious, and then she organized her thoughts and said:
"Now that we know it was someone Dad knew who committed the crime, all the clues can be connected!"
“KA·N·O, these three hiragana characters that Dad wrote in the police handbook—”
Miwako took out an old police handbook she always carried with her and sighed with some regret:
"I've been calling him Uncle Kano for so many years, but I never thought of this!"
"Shuji Kano, Dad's baseball batter back in the day, was left-handed. Dad said his batting style was very unique. Back then, when that criminal killed a bank clerk with the butt of his gun, Dad must have figured out his identity from the batting style in the video!"
"And Dad didn't say his name—"
"This is giving him one last chance!"
"It's a pity he let down Senior Sato!"
Inspector Megure stood up and said in a deep voice, "Prepare for a dispatch. Even if it's a civil prosecution, we can't let him get away with it. Contact the reporters and make sure he's completely disgraced and carries the stigma of a murderer for the rest of his life!"
Inspector Megure has gone all out.
In Japan, there is a tradition of ostracizing criminals, not only criminals but also their families. This ostracism includes harassment, violence, and emotional abuse.
Some self-proclaimed righteous people will gather near the homes of criminals to harass or even physically bully the criminals' families.
The criminal's family members are bullied by neighbors, colleagues, and classmates, and many people even believe that this is a righteous act!
And now, what kind of treatment will a criminal who murdered a righteous police officer, along with his family, receive?
Inspector Megure has seen this before!
But he's still going to do it!
"actually--"
Miwako didn't say anything about Inspector Megure's actions.
Although it is said that the police represent justice, it does not mean that all police officers are perfect and righteous; everyone has a dark side.
Miwako didn't think there was anything wrong with the murderer who killed her father being punished.
and--
“Shuji Kano spent three years in Italy. If a criminal goes abroad, the statute of limitations is calculated from the date of their return to their home country, so—”
"So it's still within the statute of limitations!"
Inspector Megure was overjoyed; this was fantastic news! He waved excitedly and shouted:
"Prepare for dispatch! Bring the criminal back!"
"Yes!"
Even though it was almost midnight, the officers from the Third Division were still full of enthusiasm.
The older officers were there because they could finally give their seniors an explanation, while the younger officers were there partly because of Miwako, and partly because—
Assisting in solving such long-standing major cases can earn you substantial rewards and may even be considered a promotion achievement!
In an instant, the crowd was agitated.
"Let's go~"
Natsume took Miwako's hand and said with a soft laugh:
"Let's go together!"
"Good~"
Even with so many people watching, Miwako didn't try to break free from Natsume's hand. Instead, she took his hand in return and followed him out of the office.
...
Beikacho 4-chome.
The sound of sirens shattered the midnight silence.
In front of a detached house in a residential area.
Several police cars suddenly stopped.
Police officers who got out of their police cars quickly surrounded the building.
Upon arriving at the residence, a young police officer was about to knock when he heard a loud "bang," and the sturdy security door vanished—
"Let's go~"
Xia Ye casually withdrew her foot, pulled Mei Hezi inside, stepped over the dilapidated front door lying in the entryway, and entered the living room.
Then, they happened to run into Shuji Kano, who was coming downstairs in his pajamas.
"Miwako?"
Shuji Kano only went downstairs to check after hearing the commotion, but things took a completely unexpected turn of events!
A group of police officers burst through the door and surrounded the living room with murderous intent. Leading the way was the daughter of the "old friend," Sato Miwako!
A flicker of fear flashed deep in his eyes, but he feigned composure and asked in confusion:
"What are you doing?"
"Uncle Luye—"
Miwako Sato glanced around, her pretty face expressionless, and said:
"I'm sorry we've only just solved the mystery my father left behind, making you wait so long. But it's not too late now; you can finally retire in prison. Congratulations!"
"what do you mean?"
Shuji Kano's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected Miwako to be so certain, without even the slightest hesitation. However—
"Are you saying the statute of limitations has expired?"
Seeing his expression, Miwako gave him a mocking look:
"Uncle Luye, it seems you haven't dared to touch upon this kind of knowledge all these years, which shows that you still feel a little guilty towards my father. I'll give you a lesson now. The three years you spent in Italy are not within the statute of limitations, which means there are still several days left before the statute of limitations expires!"