Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 455, The Father's Fear!

P.S.: This chapter is 4500 words, which is a way to make up for the regret of not having a second update yesterday. I fell asleep at my desk after finishing the first update, sorry.

Thanks to Meisa Kashiwagi, Muneyuki Uesugi successfully learned about the situation at the scene from Jin Kashiwagi.

In short, the situation on the ground was very unfavorable for Okada Masayoshi:

After confirming with the nightclub owner and questioning several people with connections, it was confirmed that Miki Okada and Ryosuke Koizumi had an improper and illicit relationship for a long time, at least a year, and it is very likely that the two had started their affair two years ago.

It's highly possible that Miki Okada had more than one lover, Ryosuke Koizumi, but so far, there's only concrete evidence of that.

The murder weapon, a fruit knife, only bore the fingerprints of Ryosuke Koizumi and Masayoshi Okada; there was no DNA or fingerprints of any third party.

Miki's fingernails contained only Ryosuke Koizumi's skin flakes and hair; there were no other people's skin flakes or DNA.

No blunt weapon was found at the scene, making it impossible to determine what Okada Masayoshi used to kill his lover from the back of the head.

Bloodstains and hair collected at the scene were found to belong to the two deceased and Masayoshi Okada.

According to Jin Kashiwagi, Masayoshi Okada's "motive for murder" was extremely compelling: damage to his heroic image (his wife's infidelity was exposed), anger at being cuckolded, and collapse under public pressure.

At the same time, his escape was interpreted as the most powerful expression of "confession".

All of this is enough to convict Masayoshi Okada.

“However, there are indeed some questions regarding the timing of the attack,” Kashiwagi said on the phone. “The time frame for the crime was very short.”

"How...how should I put it?" Meisa Kashiwagi asked softly, sounding very nervous.

Kashiwagi Jin briefly addressed the question regarding the timing of Okada's crime.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department's investigation timeline:
At 9:42, Masayoshi Okada got out of a nearby taxi.

At 9:48, the students preparing for the exam upstairs heard sounds of fighting and arguing downstairs and found it annoying.

At 9:50, the student preparing for the exam called the police, and there were police reports in the vicinity.

At 9:55, Masayoshi Okada was spotted at the entrance of the apartment building.

At 10:00, Mrs. Yoneda, who lived next door, noticed that Masayoshi Okada was standing in the hallway with a serious expression.

At 10:05, the police arrived at the apartment building.

At 10:07, Masayoshi Okada fled.

“The time frame for the crime was too short, so I tend to think there are two possibilities. First, after Okada got out of the taxi, he avoided the surveillance cameras by other means, entered the apartment to commit the crime, and then bypassed the surveillance cameras to come out and enter through the front door at 9:55 to create an alibi.”

"Or, it's possible that the previous fight and argument were caused by Okada Miki and Koizumi Ryosuke arguing, or... that they had sex on the spot. Okada entered the house a little late and discovered the situation. In a fit of rage, he killed his wife and lover, but he didn't have time to clean up the scene before he fled."

Mrs. Yoneda couldn't tell whether Okada was going home or going out; she just saw him standing there with a serious expression.

Kashiwagi Jin said with considerable confidence, "Both of these timeframes are relatively consistent. We are currently trying to reproduce this situation with men of similar build and age. A normal man can barely manage to retain three or four minutes of time to commit the crime."

"Three or four minutes is enough for a police officer to complete the entire crime!"

“So, I see… Thank you for your hard work… Jin…” Meisa Kashiwagi’s voice trailed off: “Is… is there anything else?”

"?" Kashiwagi Jin had been talking for a long time, but Kashiwagi Meisa was still panting. He wondered if she was really that busy: "Meisa, are you alright?"

"No, it's nothing, I just twisted my ankle a bit because I was running too fast..." Meisa Kashiwagi said somewhat shyly and humiliatedly, "It's a little embarrassing that someone saw us... Um, oh, oh, by the way, could you send me some photos of the scene?"

"Okay... but does HR really need this much stuff?" Kashiwagi Jin thought to himself that his wife and Miki must have a really close relationship.

"I need...oh oh oh~"

Without thinking too much, Kashiwagi Jin immediately sent the photos of the scene to Kashiwagi Meisa.

Quite some time later, Meisa Kashiwagi sent back a message.

It's a bouquet of flowers!
The flowers that Masayoshi Okada dropped at the door!

When Masayoshi Okada got out of the taxi, he wasn't carrying the bouquet of flowers. However, when he appeared on the surveillance footage, he was carrying the flowers. Therefore, Meisa Kashiwagi believes that Masayoshi Okada must have bought the flowers on the street. She should investigate the nearby flower shops and their surveillance footage!

There may be other time points in the monitoring footage.

"That's right!" Kashiwagi thought to himself, "How come I didn't notice that detail!"
As a traditional police officer, Kashiwagi Jin dislikes watching surveillance footage, but that doesn't mean he thinks surveillance evidence is unreliable; he just habitually finds searching through all the surveillance footage too troublesome.

Mingsha, you've discovered the blind spot!
As expected of my wife, Kashiwagi Jin, she's just as amazing as me!

........................

Meanwhile, at the Financial Services Agency Director-General's Office.

Okada Masaharu was reviewing an urgent document about bank reform when his secretary rushed in, forgetting to knock, her face filled with unprecedented terror.

"Sir! Something...something terrible has happened! Urgent news from the Metropolitan Police Department! Young Master Jiang Yi...he..."

Okada Masahiro frowned and put down the file with displeasure: "What's the panic! What happened to Masahiro? Has his injury worsened?"

He thought it was news from the hospital. "No...no!" The secretary's voice trembled, almost incoherent. "It's...it's Mrs. Miki...and...and another man...dead in the apartment! Young Master Jiangyi...he...he was covered in blood...and escaped from the scene! The Metropolitan Police Department...the Metropolitan Police Department says he's the prime suspect! They're conducting a city-wide manhunt!"

"what?!"

Okada Masahiro abruptly stood up from his large leather chair, the movement so forceful that it knocked over a purple clay teacup on the table. The scalding tea spilled onto the expensive mahogany table, hissing and crackling like a thunderclap exploding in his mind. His usually impassive, stern face, unwavering even in the face of imminent collapse, showed a violent, almost uncontrollable tremor for the first time! His hawk-like sharp eyes were instantly replaced by immense astonishment, disbelief, and a bottomless panic.

Son…murdered? Killed his wife? And also killed his lover? Fleeing?!
His ruthless methods of meticulously planning a media storm to eliminate his "tainted" daughter-in-law have now turned into the cruelest boomerang, not only truly "eliminating" Miki, but also pushing his only son into an abyss of no return!
"The news... has it been confirmed?" Okada Masaharu's voice was terrifyingly low, with a barely perceptible tremor.

"It's absolutely true! The Metropolitan Police Department headquarters has entered a state of emergency! The arrest warrant... will probably be issued soon!" The secretary was sweating profusely.

Okada Masaharu waved his hand, and the secretary, as if granted a pardon, immediately bowed and withdrew, gently closing the door behind him.

The office was deathly silent, save for Okada Masaaki's heavy breathing and the dripping of tea on the table.

After a few seconds of deathly silence, he whirled around, grabbed the red dedicated phone on the table, and dialed Superintendent General Eiji Watanabe's private number. The call was answered almost immediately.

“Director Watanabe!” Masaaki Okada’s voice returned to its usual cold and hard tone, but if you listened carefully, you could hear a hint of tension that he was forcibly suppressing.

"I just received news! Regarding the tragedy that happened at my son Okada Masayoshi's home! Please tell me, what exactly is going on?! Is he... is he really the murderer?!" The last question carried the pressure of a superior, but could not hide the urgent need for confirmation.

On the other end of the phone, Watanabe Eiji's voice was filled with unprecedented pressure and caution: "Commander Okada... I'm very sorry to bother you at this time. The situation is indeed very serious. In the apartment of your son, Inspector Okada Masayoshi, Mrs. Okada Miki and a male victim were found. Preliminary investigation indicates... Inspector Okada was present at the scene and had a large amount of blood on him. He... he assaulted officers and forcibly fled when the police arrived..."

Eiji Watanabe paused, choosing his words carefully and speaking with extreme restraint: "Based on the preliminary evidence we have at present and his behavior, Inspector Okada... has been listed as a major suspect in this case. The Metropolitan Police Department has activated the highest level of response mechanism to track down his whereabouts and thoroughly investigate this case."

“A prime suspect…” Okada Masaharu repeated the word, his tone icy and chilling. “So, the evidence points to him? He killed someone? His wife? And another… stranger?” Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Sir...at this stage...all the evidence and logical connections strongly point to Inspector Okada. But the investigation is still in its most intense early stages, and we are using all our resources to investigate every detail thoroughly." Watanabe Eiji answered flawlessly, stating the facts while leaving room for maneuver, not daring to offend his powerful father in the slightest: "Please trust that the Metropolitan Police Department will uphold justice and uncover the truth!"

“Upholding the law impartially…” Okada Masaaki snorted coldly, his voice revealing neither anger nor anything else. “Director Watanabe, I’m not calling as a father to plead for leniency or to question your judgment!”

His voice suddenly rose, filled with an undeniable resolve and an almost cold, cutting edge:

“I, Okada Masahiro, am first and foremost the Commissioner of the Financial Services Agency of the nation! Only secondly am I a father! If Okada Masayoshi has truly committed such a heinous and outrageous crime, then he is no longer my son! He is a sinner against the nation! A disgrace to the police force! And a disgrace to the Okada family!”

He took a deep breath, and each word felt like an ice pick striking:
"I hereby formally declare: The Metropolitan Police Department need not consider my identity! Everything shall be handled in accordance with the law and regulations! Issue warrants for those who should be arrested! Arrest those who should be arrested! If necessary, in order to stop him from continuing to endanger society and to uphold the dignity of the law, I authorize you... to use all necessary means, including lethal force, in extreme circumstances! Please make sure to clearly convey this to frontline officers: I, Masahiro Okada, do not have the son of a murderer! Do you understand?!"

This statement of "sacrificing family for the greater good" was chillingly cold and resolute; one could feel its suffocating chill and unwavering determination even through the telephone line.

Watanabe Eiji felt a pang of anxiety on the other end of the phone and quickly replied in a deep voice, "Yes, sir! We fully understand your instructions! The Metropolitan Police Department will do everything in its power!"

“Very good.” Okada Masaaki’s voice returned to its cold, steady tone. “Report any significant progress directly to me.” Without waiting for Watanabe’s response, he clicked the phone off.

The dial tone echoed in the deathly silent office. Okada Masahiro's hand, gripping the receiver, knuckles white from the force, trembled slightly. He held that position for a few seconds, as if all his strength had been drained away.

The next second, he tossed the receiver back onto the landline as if throwing away a hot potato, his movements even carrying a hint of panic. He grabbed another encrypted blue dedicated line phone, his fingers clumsily dialing a rarely used number—the Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Kotaro Higashi.

The call was connected very quickly.

"Chairman Higashi! This is Masahiro Okada!" Masahiro Okada's voice had lost the coldness and hardness he had shown when facing Watanabe, replaced by a barely suppressed anxiety and...pleading tone: "I'm so sorry to bother you with this emergency! But the situation is urgent, it concerns my son, Masayoshi... He's involved in an extremely serious case and has been listed as a prime suspect by the Metropolitan Police Department!"

He quickly recounted the situation, omitting all personal emotions and emphasizing only the seriousness and complexity of the matter: "...The Metropolitan Police Department is under immense pressure, and the initial investigation seems extremely unfavorable to him. But I...I know my son! There are many suspicious points in this matter! I implore you...please intervene at all costs!"
Okada Masayuki's voice was heavier than ever before, with a barely perceptible sob: "I know this is against the rules, but I implore you... please ask Uesugi Muneyuki! Only he! Only if that legendary forensic pathologist from the University of Tokyo, Uesugi Muneyuki, personally examines the scene and tests the body, can we possibly find that clue... that possible truth amidst the fog of mystery!"

"This matter concerns my son's life and death, and even more so... whether the Metropolitan Police Department and even the national judiciary will be swayed by the immense public opinion and potentially make an irreparable misjudgment! Please!"

Kotaro Higashi was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, clearly shocked by this sudden, high-profile case involving the son of a high-ranking official. He replied in a deep voice, "Commander Okada... I understand the situation, but you must know that Okada is the head of the Special Missions Division, and the entire Special Missions Division must recuse themselves in this matter. Fortunately, Uesugi Muneyuki isn't entirely a member of the Metropolitan Police Department and has been promoted to Chief Investigative Physician of the First Investigation Division. I will try my best to coordinate that way, ideally getting Uesugi to take a look, but with other forensic medicine professors signing the papers. Science and the truth will not change because of anyone's identity. Once Uesugi is involved, the matter cannot be changed... So, if it really was your son who did it..."

“I understand! I only want the truth! No matter the outcome!” Okada Masahiro immediately assured him, his voice trembling with urgency: “Before the truth comes out, please don’t harm him. He has given almost everything for this country! His wounds haven’t healed yet!”

"I understand. Your son's heroic act is an honor for all of us citizens. I will order the Metropolitan Police Department and the National Police Agency to absolutely not allow the firing of any shots. As for the rest, wait for my message." Kotaro Higashi ended the call succinctly.

After putting down the blue encrypted phone, Masahiro Okada seemed to have exhausted all his strength. His tall body slumped heavily back into the large leather chair, the expensive leather seat groaning dully.

There was deathly silence in the office.

He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the glaring ceiling light, his eyes vacant, devoid of all sharpness and authority.

That face, which was always as cold and hard as iron, was now covered with immense exhaustion, bewilderment, and a bottomless... regret.

His carefully orchestrated media storm was intended to clear his daughter-in-law of the stain he considered on the family.

He had anticipated the media frenzy, the public's reaction, and even Miki's breakdown... but he hadn't foreseen that this knife, which was supposed to only remove stains, would ultimately turn on his only son in such a tragic way!
He was planning to get rid of his daughter-in-law!
…and it really was "eliminated"!!!

But it happened in the bloodiest and most irreversible way.

And his son… the son on whom he placed his high hopes, the only bloodline of the Okada family even though father and son had turned against each other… was now on the run for his life, burdened with the heinous crime of “murdering his wife and husband,” and might even be ended by the “deadly force” that he had just personally authorized!

“Masayoshi…you…” Okada Masayoshi’s dry lips moved silently, revealing for the first time, in a private space, a father’s most primal fear and doubt:

"...Did you really...kill someone?"

"You weren't like this before!"

"It's all that supermarket cashier's fault! It's all her fault!!!!"

(End of this chapter)