Not a detective

Page 16

"...I can play a little bass; I learned it in high school. If I can't find a job, I'll have to survive by eating tree leaves."

This is not a lie. Asakawa Riku regretted not learning guitar, otherwise he could have busked and sung on the street.

"Really? I see. That's good, very good!"

The woman suddenly clapped her hands, then turned to look at the blonde girl behind her: "This Xingyu, no matter how I teach her, she just can't play the guitar well. I'm a genius at piano and keyboard, I play incredibly well, but Xingyu just plays terribly, I've had enough of her..."

Xingyu, who was combing her young mistress's hair with a wooden comb, smoothing out the messy strands, could only look helpless upon hearing this.

"My job doesn't include playing guitar... it's just a hobby."

Now Riku Asakawa is starting to feel glad that he didn't learn guitar.

He didn't know why the topic had suddenly shifted to this point; he felt like he had stumbled into some strange territory.

"And this guy didn't even do his job properly, giving me such a boring commission as an infidelity investigation... Okay, I understand."

The woman muttered something, then, as if suddenly struck by a thought, cheerfully said, "Then I'll fire Xingyu and hire you instead!"

"Miss, this is unacceptable!"

Xingyu was startled and didn't even have time to grab the comb. Her defiant expression was evident on her face.

"Why not? Okay, then how about this: a ridiculously boring client will be coming next. You'll just listen to that person say some ridiculously boring things and complete that ridiculously boring cheating investigation task. How about that? If you succeed, you'll be the assistant. Xingyu, you can go now."

“That is to say…” Asakawa Riku raised an eyebrow.

"If you fail, please leave. Xingyu has been given a second chance at life."

　"How could that be... Infidelity investigations are a basic job for modern detectives, like a doctor stitching up a wound, it's something they have to do."

The blonde girl offered a quiet protest.

"I am willing."

Riku Asakawa said.

In the end, we've come full circle back to the "interview" stage.

Compared to getting a job through his father's connections, this kind of challenge seems to satisfy his competitive spirit more.

He sat down in the seat next to him, and Xingyu turned on the office light, brightening the whole environment, while muttering "How can this be?" repeatedly.

The detective, seemingly unconcerned about his disgruntled subordinate, finished his cup of coffee at some point and asked for a second one.

...

After a while, the bell rang with a "clang".

Asakawa Riku turned his head and saw a stylishly dressed middle-aged woman standing upright at the entrance.

She was around forty years old, with barely noticeable wrinkles and gray hair. Perhaps it was due to the use of good cosmetics; her fair complexion and bright red lips concealed the signs of aging.

With striking features and sharp eyes, she must have had many suitors in her youth. Her clothes and handbags were all expensive luxury items, and she wore glittering gold jewelry around her neck.

The word "lady" is most fitting to describe her.

He unknowingly discovered that he had also begun to try to look at people with the eyes of a "detective".

"I'm a little early, is that alright? My surname is Takagi."

"Ah, yes, Ms. Takagi, this is really Ms. Takagi, she's a woman. Uh, sorry, please come in."

Perhaps because of the farce that had just happened, or perhaps because she felt the pressure of competition, Hoshino seemed a little flustered when she was being greeted.

The chairs meant for entertaining guests were already empty, and Asakawa Riku observed the situation like a bystander.

The detective remained unmoved, resting her chin on her clasped hands and gazing at something completely unrelated.

The woman, who identified herself as Takagi, took off her coat with swift and precise movements, folded it neatly in half, gave the detective a slight glare, and then sat down in the reception chair.

"So young..."

It's unclear which person she was referring to, but everyone present probably deserved such praise.

Ms. Takagi frowned: "Which one of you is...the detective...?"

At this point, she stopped speaking and her gaze stopped, apparently because she had noticed the obvious triangular cone on the table.

The words "Detective" were written on it... Asakawa Riku suddenly understood the meaning of the saying, "If a seemingly stupid arrangement exists, then it must have its value."

Hoshino added:

"Yes, as you can see, this is our detective, Ms. Shinonome Suetsuki."

Unexpectedly, I suddenly learned the woman's real name at this time.

"And then there's the talentless servant who might be packing his bags and leaving soon; the other is Kawasaki, a former underground boxing fighter and a detective assistant with some talent. He'll be in charge of the questioning, so please tell him the details of the incident," Shinonome Suetsuki said playfully from her chair.

Her posture was no longer as ungraceful as before. Although she was still wearing pajamas and an air conditioning blanket, the pattern of the blanket draped over her shoulders gave her an exotic and beautiful look.

This world is so unfair; good-looking people still look good even when they dress haphazardly.

"I am Takagi, Takagi Chie."

The client gave his name, stood up, and bowed respectfully to Asakawa Riku, seemingly having no doubt about his age or unusual surname.

This must be what they call a social occasion. Although Asakawa Riku felt it was hard to keep up, the detective interview must have already begun.

"Hello, Ms. Takagi."

Therefore, he had to call himself Chuanqian, and thus began his inquiry.

The Spring of the Earth Spider: Chapter Twenty-Eight - Events Unwittingly Connected

"Ichiro Takagi is my husband."

Ms. Takagi began her story.

She was grateful that her husband had chosen a simple name, otherwise Asakawa Riku felt she might forget it at any moment.

"My family was in the textile business before the war. By my father's generation, it had gradually shifted to clothing design. The brand name was—"

She seemed to think this was a necessary premise, but she had never heard of the name Asakawa Riku that she mentioned.

Judging from Xingyu's expression, she seemed to know, so it must be a fairly well-known clothing brand.

"Ichiro was a classmate I met in college. We were both fashion design majors and studied in France. After returning to Japan, we naturally became a couple. His talent was recognized by his father, so he became the son-in-law of the Takagi family. I am an only child, so after my father passed away, he inherited the family business."

"His business acumen and artistic talent are well-suited for this job. After taking charge of the company for a period of time, the performance improved year after year, and everyone said that the Takagi family had a good son-in-law."

Ms. Takagi's recollection pauses noticeably here, as if she is referring to a turning point she would rather not recall:

“Our marriage is also very happy. We have lived like a normal couple for the past twenty years and have two children, a boy and a girl. Our eldest son is now an adult and has gone to study at our alma mater in France. But our second daughter... she just started high school last year and has been missing ever since because of an accident.”

"……etc."

Asakawa Riku had to interrupt her: "You mean, an accident, a disappearance?"

“Yes.” Ms. Takagi looked up, asking in confusion, “Is this related to this matter?”

"Um... I just want to confirm one thing, is the high school she attends—"

Asakawa Riku announced his school.

"This incident caused quite a stir at the time."

Ms. Takagi nodded, her face somber.

Although she was surprised for a moment, she realized that this matter had been reported in the newspapers and that only a year had passed, so it was normal for her to know about it.

—Their daughter was one of the victims of the "murderous love letter incident"!

Asakawa Riku was extremely surprised, but he didn't show it on his face. It seemed as if some thread of fate was pulling him along, and he never expected to be involved here.

"Excuse me for being blunt... but I would like to ask your daughter's name."

“I said, does this have anything to do with the incident? I hired an investigation into my husband’s infidelity, not to find a missing person. I’ve already contacted at least ten detectives for missing persons, and it’s been a year, and it’s been completely useless. Besides, the Metropolitan Police Department is incompetent… even they couldn’t find my daughter, so what’s the point of you asking these questions?”

Ms. Takagi raised her eyebrows in displeasure and retorted rapidly, her previous politeness completely gone.

Asakawa Riku could only say, "I'm sorry, I was also a student at that school before. Please consider this as me showing concern for a junior."

He couldn't possibly reveal his high school student identity at this critical juncture.

Hearing this, Ms. Takagi's expression softened somewhat. She stared at Asakawa Riku for a while before reluctantly speaking:

“Ezaki Yumiko… Ezaki is my husband’s old surname. Although he married into the family, my father was very satisfied with him at the time. So before the marriage, he made a promise that if a second child who was not male was born and could not be the heir, the child could take the surname ‘Ezaki’. That’s how Yumiko was born.”

She seemed to find explaining too troublesome, so she cut to the chase and abruptly ended the conversation.

Asakawa Riku finally understood.

No wonder he remembered that none of the victims had the surname "Takagi"; it turns out there was such a hidden story. This "Ezaki Yumiko" was indeed one of the seven missing students.

So when he was running around scouting locations yesterday, he passed by a rather luxurious villa, which must be Ms. Takagi's home.

Everything connected... but the way it connected caught him somewhat off guard.

Are the two things related?

"I understand, please continue."

"Yes, after my second daughter went missing, my husband was greatly affected and became depressed. He almost didn't want to handle the company's business and stayed at home every day smoking and drinking. I understood his grief and didn't blame him. Instead, I allowed him to fall into such a state. The company found a professional manager to temporarily replace him, and I stayed at home to comfort him."

Ms. Takagi sighed: "I even took him to France once to see our son and tell him that there is still a future for the eldest son, so that he shouldn't be too discouraged."

"The results of it?"

Xingyu interjected, and she listened intently, then couldn't help but ask a question.

“It’s no use at all.” Ms. Takagi gritted her teeth: “He doesn’t talk to anyone, ignores me, and ignores our son. After returning to Japan, he hardly eats anything and stays locked in his room all day. No matter what we say to him or what we ask him, he is listless, as if he is possessed and has lost his soul.”

Does he have a mental illness, perhaps depression?

"Have you seen a therapist?"

Asakawa Riku then asked.

"That can't be cured just by seeing a doctor."

Ms. Takagi said firmly.

"Ok?"

"It's just psychological. He got discouraged after the setback and started crying and whining like a grown man. I really misjudged him. He was just being childish and throwing a tantrum, just like a little kid lying on the ground!"

Asakawa Riku sensed something was wrong: "But isn't that a mental illness?"

This statement provoked a strong rebuttal from Ms. Takagi:

"Can medication cure it? If injections or surgery can cure it, I'm willing to pay any price. I know those psychologists just spout nonsense to deceive patients; that's not medicine at all. If persuasion can cure it, then I've already done that. Isn't my persuasion, as a wife, more effective than that of a doctor?"

Asakawa Riku suddenly realized that the real problem of the woman in front of him seemed to be even more serious than that of her husband.

He said, "But Mr. Ichiro hasn't fully recovered, has he?"

To distinguish between the two Takagis, he referred to them as Ichiro.

"Yes, I've already tried so hard. Just thinking about how everything was caused by the death of the second daughter makes me tolerate all his unreasonable behavior. She was, after all, the eldest daughter of the Takagi family when she was young, yet she treated him with such gentleness, like taking care of a child. That's so rare and difficult! But all my encouragement and comfort seemed to sink without a trace to him. He didn't seem to feel my feelings at all... Those six months were like hell..."

As Ms. Takagi spoke, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and cry.

Spring of the Earth Spider: Chapter Twenty-Nine - Another Love Letter?

Hoshino brought over tissues, and after wiping away her tears, Ms. Takagi drank some tea to calm herself down.

After a while, he continued:

"...I kept going because I believed Ichiro would be cured tomorrow, that he would be fully recovered. But what's the point of everything I did if he doesn't want to be cured? I continued like this for half a year. Assistant, can you understand how hard it is for me? Living with someone who's escaping reality is so painful. Even beasts would respond if you treated them well, but Ichiro can clearly hear me, yet he refuses to accept it... I... really..."

Her tears started flowing again.

"But, so what?"

A discordant sound came from the room.

That came from behind the table, from the detective's mouth.

"What do you mean... I..."

Ms. Takagi didn't even have time to wipe away her tears before glaring at him.

"What do you mean 'me'? You're not the one who's sick."