Chapter 319
Kenji Hagiwara led Shinryu Hachikawa into the building from the underground parking garage, intending to take the elevator up.
"The squad leader is investigating the river where the body was dumped, and then he came over." Kenji Hagiwara was already walking towards the elevator with great familiarity, and he sighed as he explained to Shinryu Kanakawa, "However, the autopsy showed that Tatsuya Morimoto had been dead for some time, so it's estimated that we won't be able to find any eyewitnesses who dumped the body... So if we want to solve the case, we may have to start from here."
Kenji Hagiwara isn't a police officer, so he doesn't know what missions Tatsuya Morimoto has done before, or whether he's offended anyone. Therefore, he can't deduce whether the murderer knew about his police officer status or what his motives were. However, since the murderer chose to send his arm to the company's boss, starting with the boss should be the right approach.
The murderer either has a deep-seated hatred for the boss or wants to use the boss to divert attention. In this case, taking Han Chuan Shenliu to see the boss is a very normal choice.
When they reached the elevator, the company's security guard was also waiting for the elevator. Upon seeing the two of them, he silently walked away, seemingly unwilling to deal with the police.
This situation is quite normal. The people in the company don't know that Morimoto Tatsu is also an undercover police officer. They feel that their colleague was doing a good job and was suddenly killed. Now everyone is in a state of panic. They worry that if they talk to the police for even a few minutes, they will become a suspect.
However, often, even marginalized figures in the company like cleaners and security guards can provide a lot of useful information. So, since he had already run into them, Kenji Hagiwara stopped them and asked them what they knew about Tatsuya Morimoto.
The security guard replied, "I'm not familiar with Mr. Morimoto."
"What about the company's boss?" Han Chuan Shenliu suddenly interjected, his dark red eyes lightly landing on the security guard.
The security guard unconsciously straightened his posture a little and swallowed hard: "...Someone of the boss's status, I can't really have anything to say to him, we just exchange greetings when we meet."
"Hmm." Han Chuan Shenliu shifted his gaze and glanced at the elevator, seemingly checking which floor it was currently on.
The security guard secretly breathed a sigh of relief, intending to pretend he didn't understand the atmosphere and take the "hmm" as the end of the conversation.
He lowered his head, intending to continue leaving the area—he could go upstairs anytime, there was no need to squeeze into the elevator with those two now.
The policeman who came before was one thing, but this guy they brought this time, I don't know where he got him from, had a dangerous aura, and his eyes made me very uncomfortable, as if he could see through everything... I'd better avoid him for now.
The security guard had just turned halfway around when he suddenly heard the cold voice of the young man with deep red hair and eyes ring out again.
Are you a police officer?
security guard:"…………"
Kenji Hagiwara was taken aback for a moment, then turned to ask, "How did you figure that out?"
“His eyes, his emotions, and some speculation.” Han Chuan Shenliu turned his gaze away from the elevator and back to the security guard. “He was sad and sympathetic when he mentioned the deceased, and resentful when he mentioned the boss.”
Hagihara Kenji: "…………"
Am I blind? How come I can't see it?
The security guard was horrified—he was indeed an undercover agent sent by the Public Security Bureau, and he had worked hard to improve his acting skills. It was normal for him to have fooled Kenji Hagiwara; rather, it would have been abnormal for him to have been discovered. He clearly felt that he had been very restrained in every way!
Surely the person on the other end isn't a micro-expression expert, right?!
However, if he admitted it immediately after being tested, he wouldn't have passed the test and been sent out as an undercover police officer. So the security guard calmed himself down, knowing that refuting it at this moment would only increase suspicion. So he quickly found an excuse for himself: "...Sorry, I just don't want to be seen as the murderer. Actually, I have a good relationship with Morimoto. I've heard him complain about the boss, so... But I'm not a police officer. Why would I suddenly think of the police?"
This is also a question for Kenji Hagiwara.
He never doubted Hanchuan Shenliu's judgment, but he was often puzzled as to how Hanchuan Shenliu came to that judgment.
Hanchuan Shenliu explained, "Your posture has changed."
When he was staring at the security guard, who was just standing like an ordinary person, he unconsciously entered a state of readiness, and not the self-taught posture of someone who had never done it before—it was quite obvious to him, who was almost a master of all skills.
Considering the deceased was an undercover police officer, sending the deceased's body parts to the boss is clearly a threatening gesture... Let's adjust our thinking slightly: what if the person who sent the body parts didn't actually resent the deceased, but only resented the boss?
So why was the body burned...?
"Was it suicide?" Han Chuan Shenliu stared at the security guard, then, without waiting for a response, said to himself, "It seems so."
Although there was no evidence whatsoever, and the person involved hadn't even said a few words, Kenji Hagiwara naturally followed this line of thought: "Suicide... was it because his undercover identity was discovered? But if that's the case, it doesn't seem likely, does it?"
"There must be other reasons. Didn't you say before that some colleagues were very concerned about his disappearance?"
"Ah, could it be that he's dating that female colleague? Dating while undercover... it's not good, but it shouldn't be that serious, right?" Kenji Hagiwara's thoughts wandered. "Could it be that he has some kind of leverage over him..."
security guard:"……???"
If he hadn't been certain that his colleagues in the Public Security Bureau wouldn't reveal his identity to outsiders, he would have suspected that these two were pretending to be taking a closed-book exam when it was an open-book exam.
Criminal investigators have always been at odds with the public security system. As long as they don't seek help from the public security authorities to verify his identity, he can deny it.
The security guard then said expressionlessly, "I'm sorry, I don't know what misunderstanding I've caused you. I hope you won't let this affect your investigation. The elevator is here, please."
But the two of them no longer intended to take the elevator.
Kenji Hagiwara asked, "Why did you treat Morimoto's body that way?"
"I've already said, I don't understand what misunderstanding you've had. Although I have a good relationship with Morimoto, but..."
Han Chuan Shenliu turned his head and asked, "Do you know any other police officers? How about we have someone come and identify them?"
Kenji Hagiwara gave a wry smile: "I really don't know him. I only found out he was a member of the Public Security Bureau because of a case we had before, and he left the case as a member of the Public Security Bureau..."
"Has the police not sent anyone to take over yet?"
"...Once the body was found, the police should have known by now, and theoretically they should have sent people over around that time..."
"Hmm..." Han Chuan Shenliu pondered, "Speaking of which, don't you think that car following us is a bit strange?"
They parked their cars right after each other, but no one has gotten out yet.
They might be waiting for someone, chatting in the car, or even being too intimidated by his "aura of shady dealings" to get out of the car.
But with one-way window film, all you can see from the outside is black, then the car model, when it arrived...
Kenji Hagiwara knew what Shinryu Kagawa suspected. He paused for a moment, then said uncertainly, "It can't be that much of a coincidence, can it? And if it really were the Public Security Bureau, wouldn't they be here to stop our investigation?"
Just then, Kenji Hagiwara's phone rang.
He took it out and saw it was a call from Ida Kou. He quickly answered the phone: "Squad leader?"
"Hagiwara, where are you?" Date Wataru asked in a heavy voice. "Go back to the Metropolitan Police Department. I just received news that the Public Security Bureau has taken over this case."
"...When did this happen?"
Ida Wataru mistakenly thought that Hagiwara Kenji wanted to seize the last moments before the police arrived and continue the investigation, so he could only helplessly explain: "I received the news a little late, and they should all be at that company by now."
Hagihara Kenji: "…………"
After exchanging a few perfunctory words with Date Wataru, Hagiwara Kenji looked thoughtfully toward the parking lot: "...Or perhaps I should go ask them if they need any help?"
If someone doesn't get out of the car for half a day, they might be in trouble. As a policeman, he had no choice but to ask; it wouldn't kill him.
He suspected that if it really was the police, the reason they weren't stopping him from solving the case now might be because they had some misunderstanding about Han Chuan Shenliu and were planning to let go of the "small case" and set up a "big case".
...After all, such misunderstandings have happened before.
So Kenji Hagiwara asked Shinryu Kazukawa and the security guard to wait there for a moment while he went to see who was in the car that had parked around the same time as him.
Kuroda Hyōe and the two police officers who were there to be investigated were in a car parked very close to the entrance to the building from the underground parking garage. They could see directly into the corridor and the people standing in the corridor waiting for the elevator.
They watched through the one-way window from inside the car as the two men started chatting with the security guard. Then, when the elevator arrived, they didn't leave, took a phone call, and actually turned back.
One of the police officers immediately realized: "His partner must have received a message and ordered him to stop the search."
Another police officer, who had been feeling restless in the car due to the poor air circulation, immediately asked, "Can we get out now?"
Kuroda Hyōe was a little disappointed that he didn't get to witness Samikawa Shinryū's detective skills.
However, it was also because he hadn't considered things properly. Who would have thought that he would receive the call at this exact moment, of all times, to stop...
Well, it's a police case after all. It's fine to let things take their course and see what Han Chuan Shenliu, who's been praised to the skies, is capable of. But since he's already been notified, it's not good to let the Metropolitan Police Department know that he's planning to make an exception.
"Go."
After giving the instructions, Kuroda Hyōe also got out of the car.
He wasn't in charge of the case; he just had his subordinate give him a ride since it was on his way.
There was no parking available on the roadside earlier, and he didn't want to make things difficult for his subordinates to find a parking spot for him, so he followed them to the parking lot. Now he plans to go out and walk to his destination.
Two subordinates got out of the car before him, one of them even holding the door open for Kuroda Hyōe to come out before closing it.
When Kuroda looked up, he saw that Hagiwara Kenji wasn't heading towards his car, but instead coming towards them.
"Excuse me, may I interrupt?" Kenji Hagiwara's gaze, subtly scrutinizing them, swept over them. "Are you from the Public Security Bureau?"
Since they were already planning to take over the case from Ken Hagiwara, the police saw no need to hide anything: "Yes, you..."
Before they could even say "You can go," they saw Kenji Hagiwara breathe a sigh of relief.
"That's great. Here's the thing, my colleague discovered someone who seems to be an undercover police officer. This case might have been orchestrated by this undercover officer to avenge the victim's suicide... Could you go and identify him?"
public security:"……?"
Kuroda Hyōe: "...???"
Wait a minute!? You two really only chatted for a bit while waiting for the elevator, right?! Isn't this moving a little too fast?!
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I feel like the accounts will be cleared up much faster, I'm so happy!
.
Hagiwara truly trusted Kanekawa, even though he always omitted a lot of things.
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