Chapter 210: An Unusual Suicide Case

If everyone remembers, this Yamada Aika is the fan of male hosts who, back when Uesugi Muneyuki was just starting out at Otsuka Station, wanted to pay for a champagne tower for a male host and asked Ms. Kurosawa, her aunt, for money; when she was refused, she killed Ms. Kurosawa in a fit of rage during an argument, and then, under the guidance of the male host, confused the forensic pathologist's estimated time of death by adding a large amount of ice to the water.

Later, Uesugi Muneyuki went to ask questions out of curiosity, but because he revealed too much inside information, Ms. Yamada reacted with stress and attacked him with a kitchen knife, nearly causing the unprepared Uesugi Muneyuki to stumble and fall right there.

It was precisely because of this incident that Ms. Takasaka, who had been indulgent of the crime and had even stepped aside, and later failed to keep a close watch, allowing the criminal to escape, was given a major demerit and sent back to administrative work; Eirina came instead.

Afterwards, the evidence of Ms. Yamada's crimes was collected and sent for prosecution; the charges were intentional homicide, obstruction of justice, and assault. With the three crimes punished together, the case was finally heard at the Tokyo District Court this year, and Yamada Aika was sentenced to 23 years in prison. This was already with the support of judicial aid provided by certain feminist public interest organizations; otherwise, it could have been 25-30 years.

If this had happened in the United States, attacking a police officer and causing injury, letting Ms. Yamada walk into court alive would be a disgrace to every American police officer.

Uesugi Muneyuki thought this case was over, so how did it get dug up again?

Ms. Kurosawa had completely dissipated to protect him, and while her dead soul still existed, she expressed the hope that Uesugi Muneyuki would not pursue the matter. Considering this, Uesugi Muneyuki did not kick her while she was down; Ms. Yamada had already been sentenced to 23 years anyway, and it would be many years before she could get out.

However, upon hearing Watanabe Eiji say this, Uesugi Muneyuki frowned instantly; he remembered something.

Saijo Yasue, that annoying, terrifying Cursed Grudge, was also a suicide!

"Is it related to the missing female student case at Tokyo Woman's Christian University?" Uesugi Muneyuki perked up.

Recently, a senior female student at Tokyo Woman's Christian University named Hirasawa Yui went missing inexplicably on her way back to the dormitory after working a part-time job. The police could never find any trace of her. The most bizarre part of this case is that the surveillance on the road captured footage of Hirasawa Yui entering a small alley, and the entire alley is less than two hundred meters long, with surveillance at the exit as well.

Yet Hirasawa Yui just disappeared into the alley; no matter how the police searched, digging three feet into the ground, or even checking all the nearby residents, they could not find any trace of the girl.

This girl's family was quite wealthy; her father served as an executive at a branch of Japan Post Bank. This alarmed the Metropolitan Police Department, but the Metropolitan Police Department could not find any clues either. Even the Special Mission Unit received a request for help, but this case had no corpse, and they didn't even know if the person was dead or alive; Uesugi Muneyuki was also unable to help.

"Yes," Watanabe Eiji nodded: "According to the investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department, although Hirasawa Yui and Yamada Aika were complete strangers, they had one thing in common: they were both fans of male hosts and had both patronized the male host club 'KJDZ' and ordered champagne towers."

"Takigawa Tsubasa?!" Uesugi Muneyuki thought for a long time before remembering the name: "Wait, I remember I asked Otsuka Station to report him to Public Security by real name back then, didn't I?"

"Yes," Watanabe Eiji said calmly with his hands in his pockets: "The Public Security report I received also said they had successfully resolved the issue... until Investigation Division 1 tracked down this clue, and then Public Security was forced to admit they hadn't found Takigawa Tsubasa and let the other party run away. It's just that this matter was too embarrassing, and Public Security also believed he would change his name and not dare to appear again, so they informed their superiors that it had been handled."

"............" Uesugi Muneyuki was so angry he closed his eyes: "So we can neither confirm whether Hirasawa Yui is dead or alive, nor can we confirm whether Takigawa Tsubasa is dead or alive; we can only confirm that Yamada Aika committed suicide."

"Yes, and Yamada Aika's suicide happened exactly after Hirasawa Yui went missing," Watanabe Eiji said: "I think it is necessary to inform you of this news, but... out of protection for the organization, don't spread the word that Public Security didn't find Takigawa Tsubasa."

"Mm, I know. I'll go to the Detention Center now to take a look." Uesugi Muneyuki was truly scared by the last attack from Saijo Yasue, so he decided to go on-site immediately: "The body hasn't been cremated yet, right?"

"No," Watanabe Eiji patted Uesugi Muneyuki on the shoulder: "Go take a look. Although others might not be able to, with your abilities, you might discover something. If it can help with the other case, that would be even better."

After chatting briefly, Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Eiji came out.

As it turned out, they happened to see Ishihara Mikoto and Ikeda Erena confronting each other inside the Special Mission Unit.

Watanabe Eiji greeted everyone in the Special Mission Unit and left, so Uesugi Muneyuki asked: "Are you done with the introductions? Why so long?"

"Uh, yes." Both Ishihara Mikoto and Ikeda Erena were embarrassed.

"Minami, take Ms. Ishihara to get her ID card and meal card, and then give her a key... Sister Mikoto, you are still renting a place, right? Do you want to apply for the Metropolitan Police Department's women's dormitory?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked directly.

"Of course." The Forensic Beauty thought to herself that she had indeed had enough of the attic for the past two years; the policewoman dormitory was over twenty square meters and she wouldn't have to pay rent, so why not apply?

"Then if you need anything, just tell Section Chief Watanabe. I have something to do and need to go out," Uesugi Muneyuki signaled directly: "Master Eirina, let's go."

"Okay~" Eirina stood up immediately, obediently took the car keys, and trotted after Uesugi Muneyuki, even giving Ishihara Mikoto a provocative look.

These two have definitely done it! Ishihara Mikoto found it amusing, thinking to herself that she was over thirty, married, and divorced; she didn't intend to compete with her, so what was she getting so excited about?

Wait!

The Forensic Beauty suddenly discovered a blind spot.

Shouldn't Uesugi Muneyuki's fiancée be Watanabe Minami, the Face of the Metropolitan Police Department and daughter of the Superintendent General, who was sitting in the section chief's seat?

What on earth is going on here?

……………………

Tokyo in August was still hot enough. On the way to the Detention Center with Ikeda Erena, Eirina's hesitant look made Uesugi Muneyuki feel amused: "If you want to ask something, just ask."

"That... who is Ms. Ishihara to you?" Eirina had the look of a curious baby.

"Sister Mikoto is my guide in forensic medicine. We met at Gunma Prefecture Tokiwa Middle School; she was the school doctor at the time." Uesugi Muneyuki briefly mentioned how he met Sister Mikoto, then said half-jokingly: "I didn't expect to be able to reunite. Don't worry, Master Eirina, Sister Mikoto's forensic skills are absolutely top-notch!"

"If only that were true." Eirina pouted, thinking to herself, am I asking about her forensic skills? I want to ask if you had already done it with her back in high school?

Things like high school beauty school doctors and students... aren't those common tropes in some stories?

However, the silly, tall beauty couldn't find an opportunity to bring it up. As for interrogating him, that option no longer existed for Ikeda Erena, whose apartment had already been custom-designed by Uesugi Muneyuki and whose brain had been completely filled by the man; she just wanted to spend her life like this with Uesugi Muneyuki.

The two soon arrived at the Detention Center.

In Japan, the detention center is called a "Detention Center" and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. The facilities here are relatively standardized, with single cells or multi-person rooms equipped with basic furniture (beds, tables and chairs, bathrooms). Before being indicted but not yet formally tried, prisoners are held here.

Ms. Yamada had already been sentenced and was to be transferred to prison in a few days, but she committed suicide at this time.

Everything reminded Uesugi Muneyuki of Saijo Yasue.

The guards at the Detention Center naturally recognized Uesugi Muneyuki. After hearing his purpose, they let him through quickly. The warden received him personally and found him the guard in charge of Yamada Aika.

"Did Yamada Aika have any abnormal behavior before committing suicide?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked.

"Actually, Ms. Yamada's mood had been relatively stable since she entered the facility, and she didn't have any strange behavior. However... come to think of it, it is true; Ms. Yamada was indeed a bit abnormal the day before she committed suicide. Forensic Examiner Uesugi, please come with me."

The guard took Uesugi Muneyuki to the surveillance room and pulled up the surveillance footage for Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena.

The Detention Center generally provides single-room treatment for female criminals, with an area of about 7-8 square meters. A steel bed, a folding table, a non-partitioned stainless steel toilet, and a small sink make up the entire single-room structure. The room is illuminated 24 hours a day, and even when sleeping at night, the brightness is only dimmed, not turned off. There is also 24-hour surveillance.

Yamada Aika seemed a bit strange on the night before she committed suicide. She seemed to be saying something toward the small folding table in the corner of the room, acting neurotic. This behavior lasted for more than an hour, and then she suddenly became agitated, saying her life was over, and then cried and said sorry, sorry, which attracted the guard's attention.

After being comforted by the guard and a psychologist, Yamada Aika seemed to be in a better state, but as night fell, she suddenly tore a towel into several strips and used the steel bed and the bars on the window to form a rope to commit suicide.

"This matter is really not our responsibility, Forensic Examiner Uesugi. Providing hot water and towels to detainees is the prison's duty. No one could have imagined that an adult woman would have the strength to tear a towel apart. By the time we discovered it, it was already too late," the guard said with regret.

Uesugi Muneyuki did not say much about this issue. He first asked, "Can you let me see the body?"

Seeing Yamada Aika's body, Uesugi Muneyuki examined it and found that it was indeed suicide, with no suspicious points.

Afterwards, he began to try to trigger the Death Soul Contract.

However, Yamada Aika's dead soul had no grievances and no intention of proving her innocence; it was also possible that she was unwilling to be triggered by him, so there was no reaction at all. In other words, she committed suicide voluntarily, and she was willing to commit suicide, and she had nothing to say.

This was strange.

Could it really just be a normal suicide?

But what was that strange situation? She was originally stable, why did she become agitated and then commit suicide?

"Can you take me to the scene to take a look?" Uesugi Muneyuki said to the guard.

"Of course."

The guard brought Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena to the solitary cell where Yamada Aika had lived before her death; Uesugi Muneyuki signaled for Erena to step aside for a moment, as he needed to conduct a thorough inspection.

Once everyone had retreated, he began to summon his Cursed Grudge—the former Fuji TV anchor, Hironaka Mariko.

Hironaka Mariko responded to his call and appeared on the scene shortly after, extending half of her body out from the wall: "Uesugi? Do you have business with me?"

"Hironaka, sense this: is there any trace of Saijo Yasue's Cursed Grudge in this room?"

"Let me see..."

(End of this chapter)