Monday, August 16th, afternoon, at the village hall in the small village under the Luoling Ridge.

Listening to Maori's question, Oshima said, "Mr. Shinichi didn't learn from his father how to manipulate the humanoid pure glass, so he couldn't preside over the sacrifice, so after his father's death, the sacrifice gradually stopped. However, Mr. Shinichi learned how to make dolls, and it became very popular abroad, so a few years ago, Mr. Shinichi simply demolished the shrine and turned it into a warehouse. ”

"Huh?" Mori and Yamazaki were surprised.

And then the strange thing happened. "Just three years ago, his daughter, Miss Misa, hanged herself in the room on the second floor of that warehouse, and when she was found, she was covered in a lot of cobwebs. Then there was his wife, who died in the same way, in the same place, and with a lot of cobwebs. ”

"Isn't it?" Maori was startled, "how can this be?"

"Don't be nervous, according to the experts who studied spiders brought in by the police, spider webs are just a normal situation due to environmental problems such as the weather. Oshima laughed.

"I see. Maori breathed a sigh of relief.

"But that's what makes it even more terrifying, why are they in the first place?" Oshima said, "so the villagers think it's a curse on Lord Spider, and Lord Spider is dissatisfied with the severance of the worship, so they retaliate against Mr. Shinichi." ”

"This ......" Maori's sweat fell, and Yamazaki was speechless.

"Ha, just kidding, please don't mind. Oshima smiled and continued, "Mr. Mori, Mr. Shinichi must have asked you to come here for the sake of three days ago. ”

"Is something wrong again?" asked Maori.

"Mr. Shinichi's business partner, Mr. Satoshi Negishi, hanged himself in the room on the second floor of the warehouse, which had been sealed off because of the serial suicide incident three years ago. "But when I found him, he wasn't covered with cobwebs, but a lot of fishing line, so the police said it was a murder in a closed room modeled after a curse." ”

"Murders in a closed room?" asked Maori confirmed.

"Yes, I heard that the door is closed, and the only skylight does not allow adults to enter or leave. "According to the investigation released by the police, according to the marks on the dust in the room, the murderer put a rope on the skylight, and the other end went around the beam under the ceiling and stretched out of the skylight, and placed a fishing line on the beam, and when Mr. Negishi stretched his head out, he pulled the rope and hung Mr. Negishi on the beam, and the fishing line was shaken off and wrapped around Mr. Negishi's body." ”

"Isn't it?" asked Maori, "how can this rope be out of sight and get into it?"

Oshima said, "The police said that Mr. Negishi had taken a lot of anesthetics before he died, so he was delirious at the time. ”

"Anesthetic? That's possible. Maori asked, "Did the murderer be caught? Is it someone from the Takeda family?"

"No, everyone in the Takeda family went to the city at that time, and there was only one Takeda family there. Therefore, the police speculated that it was a foreign criminal, probably because of the relationship between the anesthetic and Mr. Negishi. "But there is still one thing that is not clear, Mr. Negishi weighs more than 200 pounds, there are no footprints on the ground in front of the warehouse outside the skylight, there are no tire prints, and the police have not announced how the murderer hung Mr. Negishi." ”

"I see. Maori laughed, "Looks like that's my job." And then he said, "Thank you for telling me so much. ”

"It's nothing," Oshima laughed, and then said in a slurred voice, "Well, Mr. Mori, I have a brother who is a policeman here, if ......"

"Oh, I see. Maori smiled, "Don't worry, I will definitely inform you of the results." ”

"Thank you so much. Oshima smiled happily and continued, "Please sit down for a while, and I'll call the Takeda family." ”

"Okay, thanks. Maori laughed.

Oshima called, and then relayed to Mori that Takeda's younger brother, Yuzo Takeda, was on his way.

About ten minutes later, Mori and Yamazaki got into Yuzo Takeda's pickup van. ……

On the other side, in the mountains of the Mountains.

Hattori pushes a motorcycle and walks on a highway with Kazuha.

Glancing at the sunset, Kazuha couldn't help but ask, "Hey, Pingji, are we lost, why do I always feel like we're spinning in the same place?"

"Stupid. Hattori shouted, "Who said that the terrain around here was wrapped around me, and then I had to sit on the back seat of the motorcycle." ”

"You're stupid. He Ye shouted, "I came on a motorcycle without even filling up the gas, and I had to take a shortcut to walk through the woods." ”

"Nonsense. "Who knew there wasn't even a gas station here, and it was when we ran out of gas that we took a shortcut, otherwise we wouldn't know where it was." If you want to blame it, it's too remote to be counted on me. ”

"It's true, who would live here. Really, not only are there no pedestrians, but there is no mobile phone signal. He Ye complained, "Sure enough, it's better to take a taxi." ”

Hattori smiled: "I said it earlier, if you are willing to pay the bill, I don't mind taking a rental car here at all." ”

"Don't you think about it. Kazuha said, and then asked, "What should we do now, Heiji, can we go to that Takeda's house before evening?"

"I don't know. Hattori said, "If you can't do it, you'll sleep in the open." ”

"Sleeping in the open, don't do it!" He Ye jumped to his feet, "We didn't bring a tent, and this is not for mosquitoes to eat, how can we see people when the time comes." ”

Hattori said, "Put on the clothes we brought and sleep next to each other, and you can get through the night." ”

", sleep together?" and Ye blushed a little.

"What do you think," Hattori said, with triangular eyes puffed up, "I'm talking about back-to-back, who wants to breathe in the exhaust fumes you spit out." And then again, you don't have to do anything strange. ”

"That's all I have to say. He Ye shouted in shame.

At this moment, a man's voice sounded behind them, and the tone sounded strange, "Oops, oops, it's not good for two people to quarrel." ”

Hattori and Kazuha looked behind and saw that it was a foreigner in his twenties, with a camera hanging around his neck, and it seemed to be a tourist.

Hattori and Kazuha glanced at each other, and Hattori said, "Let's go, Kazuha, we shouldn't have seen it." ”

"Okay. He Ye nodded and said.

"Wait, please wait, I'm just kidding. "My name is Robert Tiller, an American, and I'm a photographer who loves Japan's natural landscapes, and I've taken pictures in this nostalgic forest before." ”

"Miss?" Hattori asked, "You've been here?"

"yes," Robert laughed, "thanks to the help of the Takeda family. ”

"Takeda?" and Ye asked in surprise, "Do you know their family?"

Hattori asked, "In that case, could you please lead the way?"

"Well," Robert laughed dryly, "I'm actually too obsessed with the scenery......

"You don't mean to say you're actually lost. Hattori said angrily.

"But didn't I just hear you say that you are going to Mr. Takeda's house too?" Robert asked in surprise, "...... that mean?"

Hattori said to Kazuha, "Okay, it seems that we are going to sleep in the open." ”

"I hate it, don't, don't. "Kazuha jumped to his feet.

"No way, there's not even a person here to ask for directions. Hattori said, and then found a pickup truck parked next to him, and a familiar person, Mori, sat in the passenger seat.

Yamazaki, who was sitting in the back compartment, smiled, "If you ask for directions, 10,000 yen is fine." ”

"Uncle, Yamazaki!" and Ye smiled in surprise, and then found that there were only Maori and Yamazaki, "Why didn't Lan and them come?"

"Nope. Yamazaki smiled, "Let's talk about it." ”

"Why are you here?" asked Hattori.

"That's what I want to ask. Maori said.

Robert looked at the driver and said, "You're Mr. Yuzo, do you remember me?" I'm Robert. ”

"Oh, it's you, we received a letter from you, but we didn't expect to run into it here. Yuzo Takeda smiled, "But you're late this year." ”

"There was some delay on the way. Robert said embarrassedly, "I wanted to walk through the forest to visit, but I can't remember the way." ”

"I see, get in the car. Yuzo Takeda said with a smile.

After that, Hattori lifted the motorcycle onto the compartment, secured the motorcycle with the rope in the compartment with Mori and Yamazaki, and then sat in the compartment with Kazuha, Mori also sat in the compartment, and Robert sat in the passenger seat. ……

On the way to Takeda's house, in the carriage.

Mori asked Hattori, "What are you doing here?"

"Yesterday, I received a letter of entrustment. Hattori took out a letter, "It didn't say anything, it just said that I should come to Takeda's house in the Ridge before sunset and interview me, and there was 100,000 yen in the letter, and I always don't take money, so I'll return the money to that idiot." ”

"Huh, 100,000 yen?" Mori said with a smirk smile, "but I received a deposit of 500,000 yen." ”

"It's not one. Hattori puffed up his triangular eyes.

"There's only one family up there, and that's the Takeda family. Maori laughed.

Then, Yamazaki briefly talked about what he had heard from Oshima.

"I see, a murder in a closed room. Hattori smiled excitedly. ……

In the evening, the Takeda family's mansion, at the door.

Facing the middle-aged man who came out to greet everyone, Yuzo Takeda introduced: "Mr. Mori, this is my eldest brother. Big brother, this is the Maori detective and his assistant Yamazaki. ”

"I'm glad you're here, Mr. Maori. Takeda said with a smile.

"You're welcome. Maori laughed.

Yuzo Takeda said, "These two teenagers were friends with Mr. Mori, and I ran into them on the way. ”

"I'm Heiji Hattori, and I'm here to give this back to you. Hattori handed the letter of entrustment with 100,000 yen in hand to Shinichi Takeda.

"What is this?" Takeda Shin looked at the letter of entrustment and frowned, "I didn't send this letter. ”

"Not you?" Hattori was stunned.

Takeda Shinichi asked, "Hattori Heiji, are you a high school student detective Heiji Hattori in Kansai, right?" and then handed the letter to Takeda Yuzo, "Go and ask your second brother and second sister-in-law to see if they sent it." ”

"I'll go. Yuzo Takeda took the letter of entrustment and left.

"Hello, Mr. Shinichi, we meet again. Robert laughed.

Takeda Shinichi smiled and said, "Hello, Robert, you're late this year." ”

"The trip was delayed. Robert laughed.

"Look at me, and let you stand at the door. Takeda Shinichi smiled and said, "Please come in, Mr. Mori, and all of you." "Speak ahead and lead the way. ……