"Tuk-tuk."

“……”

"Tuk-tuk."

“……”

"Anyone? It's me, Katsumi Uehara! ”

In front of an ordinary building with a courtyard in front of an ordinary building with a garden, the man who has pressed the doorbell many times in succession is holding a gift, frowning slightly, and while he starts knocking on the door continuously, his right hand holding the gift box can't help but tighten the rope.

"Young man, don't disturb the people in the morning, this family hasn't been back for almost three months, and no one will answer you even if you knock on the door."

Suddenly, the eldest sister in the next building impatiently pushed open the window, poked her head out of the window, and looked down from the second floor, staring at the young man who disturbed his dreams with unkind eyes.

“…… I'm sorry sister, I haven't been in touch with them for a long time, so I'm bothering you. Katsumi Uehara turned his head, his face showed a touch of apology at the right time, and he said with a hint of hope in his heart: "Have they moved?" ”

may have been upset by this "sister", and the eldest sister shaking the paper fan suddenly became a lot kinder: "Then I don't know, I haven't seen any moving cars coming." Child, are you here to find your relatives? ”

"No, I'm just helping someone deliver something, I'm sorry to disturb your sister." The smile at the corner of his mouth was obviously stagnant, and Katsumi Uehara's right fist clenched tighter and tighter-

Bang!

Under the woman's frightened gaze, Katsumi Uehara casually threw the gift box on the ground, looked at the surrounding walls and iron gates, and flipped into it three times and five by two, and the skill of his movements made it difficult not to suspect that he was a repeat offender.

After landing on the ground, Katsumi Uehara, who walked through the courtyard and found a key in the dark compartment under the flower bed, paced to the brown-red gate, and pushed the door open without the slightest hesitation-

"Squeak~"

The sound of the wooden door turning in the man's ears was particularly harsh, and the entrance and living room without any signs of messiness gradually came into view as he entered, and there was dust visible to the naked eye everywhere.

Katsumi Uehara casually touched the cabinet, and his fingers were suddenly stained with thick dirt.

Obviously, this house has not been inhabited for a long time, but he did not find a demand for utility bills in the mailbox at the door, that is-

Katsumi Uehara walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door, where there were still a few plates of fish and pork that had clearly stinked in the machine.

The smell of nausea and nausea continued to flow into Katsumi Uehara's nasal cavity along the trajectory of the refrigerator door, and the latter raised his left hand to cover his nose with the back of his hand, and his right hand carefully looked through the contents and found nothing.

Living room, bedroom.

Katsumi Uehara, whose face was expressionless, kept speeding up, but he was never able to find an answer that could convince him, and the family's clothes hanging on the balcony completely shattered the last vestiges of fantasy in his heart.

“……”

Sitting on the dusty couch, Katsumi Uehara's godless eyes stared at the family photo on the edge of the TV stand, and he was speechless for a long time.

"Ringing ringing!"

Suddenly, a rapid phone rang from the corner of the living room, and Katsumi Uehara, who was awakened, suddenly lit up his eyes, and hurriedly got up and picked up the microphone of the landline: "This is Kazukawa-"

"Uehara Police Department."

On the other end of the phone, a slightly hoarse voice shattered his joy: "I'm Jichuan's boss. ”

“……”

"It's a pity that before we received the news from Jichuan and realized that something was wrong, all his family members were killed."

"You know who I am, and you're watching here?"

"Uehara Police Department, I'...... I'm so sorry. ”

"His choice to play for you is the second wrong decision he has made in my life."

“…… I can provide the address if you need it. ”

"Say."

Metropolitan Police Department, Office of the Minister of Crime.

Kuroda Guard, who put down his phone, had a rare hint of melancholy on his face, and shook his head silently.

"He knows?"

On the side, Toshiro Odakiri, who was still sorting out the information of the first interrogation transcript after staying up all night, glanced at him, and his serious face was a little tired.

"Hmm."

Pushing the glasses on the bridge of his nose, Kuroda closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then instantly put aside the negative emotions in his mind and turned back into a cold policeman: "Is there anything else to do when you call me over, Oda Kiri." ”

"Wada is dead, and I plan to support Matsumoto Kiyocho in his position as section chief, have you ever thought about returning to your post to help me?"

Putting down the ballpoint pen in his hand, Toshiro Oda Kiri, who turned the chair, looked at his old friend and said, "It's just right, you also need an identity to walk on the surface." ”

"Who do you want to look up?"

"Ducha, I'm going to arrest all the people on the channel of Uno Tadashi. After all, you have been in a coma for so long, although there are people in the public security who support you, but you can't sit in the position of Uno Tadashi.

"The first lesson is different, after Matsumoto Kiyocho took over as the section chief, the position of the management officer of the first lesson became vacant."

"I'm parachuting into the position of a management officer? Aren't you afraid that others will say that you eat alone? Kuroda was visibly surprised.

In this regard, Oda Kiritoshiro's tone was very indifferent: "When have I ever been afraid of this." ”

……………………………………………………

Cemetery.

Guided by the staff, Katsumi Uehara came to the six tombstones and politely thanked him.

"You're welcome, Mr. Uehara, if you want to sweep the grave, please pay attention to the precautions I said earlier."

"yes, I understand."

After the staff left, Katsumi Uehara set his eyes on the six tombstones in front of him, and exhaled deeply between his teeth.

One by one, familiar names appeared in front of his eyes with his voice and smile before his death, from adults to children.

Until, the last tombstone.

"You killed your sister's family."

Staring at this tombstone for a long time, he rubbed his slightly sour eyes, and placed the flowers in front of the tomb Katsumi Uehara said softly.

Silent leaves drifted quietly to his feet in the wind, and Uehara fell into a deathly silence after saying this.

Perhaps because he was tired from standing, Katsumi Uehara stomped his feet, then sat on his knees on the ground, unscrewed the lid of the mineral water bottle, and took a sip with his head up.

"Of course, according to your logic, I should have a share."

The tip of his tongue brushed his moist lips, and after a while, Katsumi Uehara, who had tightened the lid, said again, and at the same time, he glanced down at the water bottle in his hand: "Damn, I bought another bottle of fake wine, grass." ”

"If you want to drink real wine, I've got it here, but I don't know if you'll drink it."

“？”

Katsumi Uehara, who heard the voice, was obviously not the slightest surprised, and he didn't even bother to turn his head: "Did you already know about this, Sato?" ”

"I gave you the phone, you name it."

Miwako Sato, who was carrying a plastic bag, did not wear a professional suit today, but a simple white shirt and denim, with a pair of small white shoes under her feet: "Didn't you guess this result a long time ago, but I didn't want to face it all the time, so I didn't even have the courage to contact and confirm." ”

Facing the woman who was also sitting on her knees in front of her, Katsumi Uehara smiled self-deprecatingly: "Yes, I'm sorry to disappoint you." ”

"You know, I've been to a lot of funerals for individuals, and they're people who have had a big impact on me growing up." Miwako Sato, who placed two bottles of wine on the ground, didn't pay attention to his low mood: "Of course, you are also almost. ”

"Do you drink?" Katsumi Uehara's gaze fell on the bottle in front of him, and he unceremoniously got his hands on it.

"No, it won't."

Miwako Sato lifted the lid, smiled and raised her hand to collect the hair that was scattered in front of her forehead: "So when I asked you for leave, I also asked for a leave for myself." ”

"Idiot."

Katsumi Uehara closed his eyes, raised his head and blew directly into the bottle-

"Ahem, ahem, ahem, !!"

The sudden pouring undoubtedly caused him to cough violently, and tears flowed from the corners of his eyes: "What kind of wine did you buy, why did it taste so spicy, it was so spicy that my throat was uncomfortable." ”

"Of course you will be uncomfortable if you drink so hard and pour it like this, and you will choke on tears."

Miwako, who took out a pack of tissues from her pocket and handed it to the man, said softly, "If you slow down, it won't be ......"

Put a small bowl~

(End of chapter)