Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 580 Things change and people change
October passed in the blink of an eye.

Since their wedding, Minamoto no Tamako has never seen Fushimi Shika again.

No phone calls, no text messages, no messages; no return to the mansion, no use of the savings, and even Yingzi is nowhere to be found.

The Hokkaido Provincial Police were also part of the Kujo family's territory. Even though they were unwilling to reopen the case, with the support of Kujo Mutsumi, the Provincial Police officially opened a case and established an investigation division to hunt down Fushimi Shika.

Minamoto Tamako wants to apply for a joint investigation, as she thinks Fushimi Shika might return to Tokyo.

However, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was overwhelmed with its own problems, as everyone was constantly on the move regarding the Cat Island incident. As long as Horie Kei's accomplices were not apprehended, public opinion would continue to escalate.

Three section chiefs have already resigned, and countless press conferences have been held. Even Yui Kujo, as the Superintendent General of Police, had to bow and apologize in front of the camera.

Those who bowed and apologized with her included the Minister of Criminal Justice, the incumbent Prime Minister, and senators... This shows just how bad the public opinion surrounding the tape was.

Left with no other option, Minamoto no Tamako flew back to Tokyo to personally investigate Fushimi Shika's whereabouts.

In Hokkaido, the provincial police issued warrants everywhere and set up checkpoints at various transportation hubs. As long as Fushimi Shika showed up, he would definitely leave a trace.

……

As evening approached, the streetlights came on, and pedestrians hurried along.

Nowadays, ordinary people in Tokyo can no longer afford to take a taxi and have to commute by train every day.

Ayako Yokoi, carrying a paper bag of groceries, walked home. She heard shouts and calls from young university students waving posters and chanting slogans: 'Publish the list!' '40,000 signatures!' 'Severely punish the participants!'...

Ayako Yokoi found the sound jarring. She lowered her head and quickened her pace, but was stopped by a university student.

"Auntie, have you heard of the Cat Island incident? Have you heard of people going missing? For everyone's sake, for the sake of this community, let's petition and protest to the government together..."

"Sorry, sorry, I have something urgent to attend to!" Ayako Yokoi waved her hands repeatedly, not daring to look at the other person's face, and squeezed through the crowd with her head down.

She jogged along, turned the corner, and left the group of college students behind before letting out a long sigh of relief and gradually slowing down.

How could this happen?
Can't those people with power and money just live a good life? Why can't they just live their own lives? Why do they always have to hurt others...?

Ayako Yokoi's innermost thoughts were stirred.

As she passed by the Koban gate in Sugamo, she couldn't help but stop and stare blankly at it.

When the figures of old friends overlapped, Ayako Yokoi's eyes welled up with tears.

Her son used to be a patrolman in this border town.

Ayako Yokoi always passes by this road on her way home from get off work. Sometimes she can see her son standing guard at the door, smiling and waving at her.

Whenever she sees someone, she'll go over and exchange a few pleasantries.

My son would always say in a serious tone, "You can't chat during work hours"; then he'd ask, "Ms. Yokoi, is there anything I can help you with?"

Upon hearing this, Ayako Yokoi would roll her eyes and say irritably, "How dare you talk to your mother like that?", "I made hamburger patties today," and "Remember to bring a bottle of soy sauce home..."

It was a very ordinary and common thing, but at this moment she felt it was extremely precious.

Only a sign remains in front of the Sugamo Koban gate, with a banner that informs Sugamo residents "Please do not spread rumors," "The Metropolitan Police Department is inspecting the site," and "Please voluntarily hand over any illegal videotapes."

Ayako Yokoi sighed deeply and was about to turn and leave when she saw a man standing by the streetlight, also pausing to watch the mating of Sugamo.

'Is he also missing someone?' Yokoi Ayako wondered.

She glanced at the man again, but didn't say anything. She quickly wiped away her tears and continued walking towards home.

As they passed the man, he suddenly asked:

"Um...excuse me, are you Mrs. Abe?"

Ayako Yokoi felt a pang in her heart; since her son's death, no one had called her that anymore.

She looked up at the completely unfamiliar man, trying to figure out his identity. She was afraid of hearing about her son's past from him, yet she also had a vague expectation that he would tell her something about her son—Yoko Ayako had a premonition that the man standing before the gate might be related to her son.

“Yes, you are…?” Ayako Yokoi asked, holding the paper bag.

“I used to be Abu Rokuro’s colleague,” the man paused, took off his hat, revealing an unremarkable face, “My name is Higashiyama Kiyoshi, nice to meet you.”

"Dongshan Qing..."

Ayako Yokoi thought carefully, but had absolutely no recollection of the name.

"I'm sorry I couldn't attend Rokuro's funeral." The man who called himself Higashiyama Kiyoshi pressed his hat to his chest, revealing a mournful expression.

Yokoi Ayako subconsciously regarded Higashiyama Kiyoshi as her son's friend, and she bowed slightly to show her understanding: "I can receive your sentiments on his behalf."

Higashiyama Kiyoshi hesitated, as if he had something to ask.

After waiting for a moment, Yokoi Ayako saw that Higashiyama Kiyoshi didn't seem like a bad person and seemed to have something he was ashamed to say, so she took the initiative to invite him, "Why don't you come to my house to talk? It's not far, just one more town away."

"Won't this cause you any trouble?" Higashiyama Kiyoshi asked politely.

“It’s okay, I’m all alone at home now,” Ayako Yokoi thought it was nice to have someone to talk to, and started rambling as she walked: “My husband passed away from lung disease a few years ago, and recently… Anyway, the house feels quite empty.”

Higashiyama Kiyoshi listened for a while, then followed behind, remaining silent the whole time.

The two crossed the street and walked to the Nishi-Sugamo residential area.

Yokoi Ayako invited him upstairs, and Higashiyama Kiyoshi's gaze fell on the watch; the nameplate of the 'Abe' family had already been taken down.

Upon entering, it was indeed as Ayako Yokoi had described: the apartment was empty and lifeless, the floor was slightly cold, and the air was filled with loneliness.

"Please sit down." Ayako Yokoi pulled over a cushion and poured Kiyoshi Higashiyama a cup of barley tea.

Higashiyama Kiyoshi didn't stand on ceremony, nodded and sat down, and asked the question he hadn't asked before:
"I want to know... how did Rokuro get into this accident?"

Ayako Yokoi looked surprised, and Kiyoshi Higashiyama explained, "I was on a business trip in Hokkaido a while ago. I was very busy with work, and when I came back I found out that Rokuro had an accident... Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself, I am also a detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department."

He took out his police ID from his pocket, held the corner of his name and photo, and waved it in front of Ayako Yokoi.

"So that's how it is," Yokoi Ayako said, suddenly realizing.

"If I'm being presumptuous, you don't have to say anything. I can ask someone else." Higashiyama Kiyoshi was very understanding of her feelings.

Ayako Yokoi didn't want to bring up painful memories, but Kiyoshi Higashiyama's attitude made her feel favorably towards him. This young man had a strange charm that made her want to pour out the pain she had accumulated over this period.

After a slight hesitation, Ayako Yokoi decided to tell the whole story. The matter was actually quite simple: Rokuro Abe was pushed to take the blame not because he had arrested Kei Horie, but because he was investigating the case.

Yes, he was the only detective in the Metropolitan Police Department who insisted on thoroughly investigating the videotape.

According to regulations, Abe Rokuro caught the suspect, and his name appeared in the case report. The cat island videotape was caused by the suspect he caught, so he should be the one to open a case and investigate.
Legally speaking, verifying the contents of the videotape should be the top priority. Only by facing the problem squarely can it be solved; avoiding it only plants time bombs for the legal system.

But that's how the Metropolitan Police Department is; if they can't solve the problem, they'll deal with the person who raised it.

Abe Rokuro was dismissed that same day, and the head of the criminal investigation department ordered an investigation into whether Abe Rokuro had committed any dereliction of duty.

The criminal investigation department started their investigation from when Abe Rokuro was a patrolman. They found that he did not accept bribes, embezzle public funds, occupy police cars, or arrive late or leave early. They investigated and investigated but could not find any evidence. In the end, they could only charge him with "unauthorized arrest of a suspect".

Abe Rokuro refused to plead guilty, insisting that he was officially assigned and that the Special Investigation Division detectives had the right to call upon patrol officers to carry out their duties, as clearly stated in the regulations—if they wanted to convict him, they would need Fushimi Shika's confession.

Ayako Yokoi paused for a moment, holding a cup of barley tea, and said with emotion:
“Detective Fushimi is the man my son admires most; he has always looked up to him as a role model. The second is Mr. Watanabe; he once came to my house to have a drink with Rokuro. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Mr. Watanabe.”

"Rokuro often talks about work-related matters, such as a senior colleague being suddenly fired, or Fushimi-senpai giving him a chance to prove himself. His eyes sparkle when he talks about these things."

Even after he was in detention, he kept saying, "If Fushimi-senpai and Minamoto-senpai were here, they would never have let this happen, they would never have allowed those people to do evil..."

"And then?" Higashiyama Kiyoshi took a sip of barley tea. "Did that Fushimi-senpai accuse him?"

“No, no one accused him, he confessed on his own…” Ayako Yokoi’s voice trembled with tears, which streamed down her face and dripped into her glass: “Why did he confess when he did nothing wrong?”

She looked up at Higashiyama Kiyoshi: "I heard... I heard that detectives sometimes resort to vigilante justice... Has Rokuro encountered something like that too?"

Dongshan Qing swallowed the tea, but did not put down the teacup for a long time: "It's not that serious, please don't worry."

"Really? How could Rokuro have died? The police said he committed suicide out of fear of punishment... How can I believe that?" Ayako Yokoi's body trembled.

"Has a forensic autopsy been performed?" Higashiyama Kiyoshi asked.

“Where can I find a forensic doctor? Even if I ask the police for help, no matter what I ask, it will be suicide… I contacted the hospital, but the hospital does not have an autopsy department… The police morgue told me that they were full and that I should take Liulang away… Where can I put Liulang?”

These words had been weighing on Ayako Yokoi's mind for a long time. She had never told anyone, and no one was willing to listen to her. She could only bear it all alone.

"Then... what about that Watanabe-senpai?" Higashiyama Kiyoshi asked. "Didn't he get involved in this matter?"

“He was arrested too,” Ayako Yokoi said. “It seems to be for assaulting a police officer.”

Higashiyama Kiyoshi gave a meaningful look. He put down his cup, stood up, and said, "Mrs. Abe, please rest assured, I will investigate this matter thoroughly."

"Eh?"

Ayako Yokoi looked up; her eyes were already blurry, and she couldn't see very far. Her hair was also white. She couldn't wait much longer: "Really?"

"Really," Higashiyama Kiyoshi said firmly, "No matter what, I will clear Rokuro's name."

Ayako Yokoi choked up and said, "Then, please, I really don't know how to thank you..."

"No need, Liu Lang is my good friend."

Higashiyama nodded, took his leave, and left. Yokoi Ayako saw him off downstairs, watching his figure disappear around the street corner.

……

Fushimi Shika, hands in his pockets, hurried past the street corner.

Before his makeup smudged, he took a taxi to the police chief's private residence.

To avoid implicating others, Fushimi Shika has not seen anyone since returning to Tokyo, nor does he intend to see any acquaintances.

He's a wanted criminal now, and meeting anyone means putting them in a difficult position—except for Gen Satake, but he doesn't want to join the Inagawa-kai yet.

The chief of the Sugamo Police Station is named Masaya Taniguchi. He owns property in Higashi Sugamo, a single-story apartment in a rather nice location.

Fushimi Shika arrived at the door, rang the doorbell, and, posing as "Special Detective Higashiyama Kiyoshi of the Metropolitan Police Department," tricked Chief Taniguchi Masaya into opening the door.

"Why can't we talk on the phone..."

Masaya Taniguchi, dressed in pajamas, was holding a violin and looked somewhat impatient.

Fushimi Shika grabbed his hair and kicked him hard in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel on the ground.

Before Masaya Taniguchi could even shout, a folding knife was already at his neck.

"How did Abe Rokuro die?" Fushimi Shika asked bluntly.

He's been in a really bad mood lately, down to the extreme, and needs an outlet. He originally wanted to visit friends in Sugamo, but all he could think about were all sorts of unpleasant things.

Moriki Masahiro was dismissed, Watanabe Shun was given a suspended sentence, Abe Rokuro died unexpectedly... The once small brothel has completely changed.

Masaya Taniguchi wanted to try and buy some time by saying a few words. But Shika Fushimi had no patience for him and with a flick of his folding knife, his ear fell off.

Masaya Taniguchi let out a sob, but before he could scream, Shika Fushimi grabbed his chin, forcing him to only utter muffled pleas for mercy.

"I don't want to repeat myself a third time. How did Abe Rokuro die?" Fushimi Shika looked down and released his grip.

Masaya Taniguchi gasped for breath for a long time, his eyes revealing fear.

He confessed that the Minister of Criminal Investigation personally used waterboarding, but Abe Rokuro refused to plead guilty.

Finally, when all else failed, Representative Fujiwara went to help, using past favors to persuade Abe Rokuro to accept reality, and only then did the latter confess.

"Past kindness? What kindness?" Fushimi Shika didn't understand.

Masaya Taniguchi said, "Didn't Representative Fujiwara promote him to become a detective? Without Representative Fujiwara, he probably would have been a patrolman for life, and none of this would have happened..."

This was so absurd that Fushimi Shika wanted to laugh but couldn't.

He didn't know whether to laugh at Abe Rokuro for being foolish, or at Representative Fujiwara for taking such a life-saving favor so lightly.

But Fushimi Shika happens to like such fools, and always retains a last bit of goodwill towards those who are honest.

"last question."

Fushimi Shika wiped the blood from the folding knife off Taniguchi Masaya's shoulder, polishing both sides until they gleamed.
"What's the name of the Minister of Criminal Investigation?"

(End of this chapter)