Chapter 449

Miki clapped a hand over her mouth just in time to keep the scream from bursting out of her throat. A nightmare! That nightmare she thought she had long shaken off, the one from her sordid past, had actually tracked her down!

The doorbell rang again, not hurried but deliberate, yet carrying an undeniable urging. Right after came two heavy, metallic-sounding knocks—thud, thud—each one striking like a blow against Miki's taut nerves.

Her whole body trembled, her back pressed flat against the icy door, nearly collapsing. She dared not open the door, yet she dared even more not to open it. She knew this person's methods; since he could find this place, he would certainly not leave easily.

This person was her ex-boyfriend!

Since Ikeda Miki and Okada Masayoshi had met, although Okada Masayoshi didn't mind her past, Miki knew some things must never be known by her husband. As a supermarket clerk who had been mixing in society since high school, her social connections were naturally complex.

But she never expected her ex-boyfriend would actually show up at her door!

Why?

Okada Miki understood after a moment's thought!

It was the recent public opinion storm! The recent public opinion storm had exposed her appearance and identity!

Her ex-boyfriend must have seen her situation and recognized her, and because of the reporters' tailing and stakeout, her home's location had also been exposed!

Miki drew a deep breath, summoning all her strength to twist the deadbolt and crack open a narrow gap in the door. A pungent reek of strong tobacco mixed with cheap machine oil immediately surged in.

"Yo, Miki-chan." The man's voice was low and hoarse, deliberately drawn out in an uncomfortable familiarity. He didn't wait for an invitation; his sturdy body shifted slightly, as if pushing open a flimsy broken door, and he easily squeezed inside.

A tall shadow instantly engulfed the cramped genkan space, and also engulfed Miki, dressed in delicate silk pajamas and appearing especially fragile.

Miki staggered back a few steps, her face ashen as paper, her eyes filled with undisguisable terror and disgust: "You… you how did you find this place?! Get out! Get out right now!"

The man seemed not to have heard, instead turning and locking the door with a sharp "click." The sound of the bolt sliding home was clear and piercing. He leisurely removed his hat, revealing a head of coarse, short hair and a pair of eyes as sharp and cold as a vulture's. He unabashedly surveyed the simple yet icy apartment before him, his gaze finally settling on Miki's face—twisted by fear yet still beautiful—and the curve of his lips deepened, bare mockery and a sense of control.

"Tsk tsk tsk," he clicked his tongue, stepping forward. Miki was forced to retreat another step, her spine hitting the cold shoe cabinet—no retreat left. "Look at this place, quite impressive. Okada Inspector's wife… oh no, now you should be called the 'National Hero's cold-blooded trophy wife'?" He deliberately emphasized the media's label for her, each word like a poisoned needle stabbing her most painful nerve.

Miki's breathing grew rapid, her chest heaving violently, overwhelming fear rendering her nearly unable to think, only able to futilely repeat: "Get lost… get lost… or I'll call the police!"

"Call the police?" The man sounded as if he'd heard the funniest joke, letting out a short, sharp, dry laugh from his throat. He suddenly thrust out his hand—not to touch Miki, but with a loud "smack" he slammed it hard against the shoe cabinet beside her head! The tremendous noise made Miki's whole body jerk, her scream caught in her throat.

"Fine, call the police!" The man's voice suddenly turned cold, like an ice pick, the mockery in his eyes vanishing, leaving only naked ferocity: "Let all of Japan's police come see just what 'good deeds' this 'Heroic Superintendent's' wife used to get up to with me, this 'delinquent'? Have you forgotten how much you loved me back then, and how much I loved you?"

He deliberately paused, savoring the instant dilation of Miki's eyes, like plunging into an abyss of despair.

"Think about it, those reporters… how much they'd love these 'exclusive scoops'?" The man's lips curled again into that chilling arc, his voice dropping lower, like a demon's whisper, each word striking Miki's nerves on the verge of breaking. "Miki-chan, you say… can your heroic husband still hold his head up and face the world?"

"What… what do you want?"

"Miki, Miki, I miss you so much. Why did you suddenly disappear back then? I've been thinking about you miserably!"

"Shut up! Between us, it's long over!"

"Ku ku ku, you say it's over? I said it's over?" The man coldly chuckled: "Lady, you don't want your husband to know you once were with us……"

Okada Miki's face turned ashen.

"But this time I didn't come seeking reconciliation, Miki-chan. Lately, I've had some difficulties." The man affected relaxation, speaking low: "I saw the news—you spent a lot of money in Europe, didn't you?"

"So, give me five million—no, six million yen. As long as you give me six million, I'll take the money and leave. How about that?"

Okada Miki gritted her teeth; she knew what her ex-boyfriend wanted. This man was a lost cause—if she didn't pay, he wouldn't hesitate to blow things up, sell the exclusive to the media, and he had nothing he wouldn't do.

"Six million—I don't have that on hand now! I can only give you five million, and I'll have to wait… wait for Masayoshi's bonus to come through… I, I'll have him turn it over…"

"Very well, I'm also a man of my word, you know, Miki-chan. If you go back on your word, I'll give your husband a DVD from the past, so he can listen to our love back then."

"Hahaha, hahahahaha!!!"

"I know where you live, I know where your husband works—you'd better behave, or else…"

Miki bit down hard on her lower lip, tasting blood. She stared at the face before her, like a nightmare, overwhelming fear and despair like icy floodwaters instantly engulfing her—she understood, she was finished. This demon had seized all her leverage, driving her to the cliff's edge.

……………………

At the same time, in Tokyo, Toshima Ward, Ikebukuro area, somewhere.

A large contingent of police had sealed off the scene, yellow tape stretched everywhere, several officers patrolling the perimeter.

Soon, a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Crown arrived at the scene.

The crowd gathered at the scene immediately recognized who they were.

"It's the Special Mission Unit! The Special Mission Unit has arrived!"

"Oh oh oh! Could this not be an accident but a murder case?"

"Another incident? Weren't the Toshima Ward massacre case just a few days ago? Why is Ikebukuro always so bad?"

"It must be all those damn foreigners—too many of them! Ikebukuro is full of foreigners!"

"Drive out the barbarians, restore Yamato!"

Uesugi Muneyuki got out of the car and quickly saw Kai Toru, who had come straight to the scene and was already waiting nearby, frowning: "Why are you late today?"

"Well, I met an old lady who had fallen on the road, so I went to help her." Kai Toru said somewhat embarrassedly: "After helping her, that old lady grabbed me and said……"

"Are you saying she wants you to pay for hitting her?!" Uesugi Muneyuki exclaimed, thinking: You and your dad have such a bad relationship, so you want to help him find a dry mother to disgust her?

"No way, how could that be? Our nation's morality hasn't declined to that point!" Kai Toru was shocked by Uesugi Muneyuki's strange train of thought, thinking how could such an extortion scheme happen: "She said today is her husband's memorial day, her leg hurts a bit, could you take her to the cemetery? It's only 500 meters away, so I gave her a ride."

"Oh oh oh, I see." Uesugi Muneyuki understood, he had almost thought the next thing would be to fast-forward to why you'd help if it wasn't you who hit: "You've worked hard."

"Nothing much, just serving the nation." Kai Toru shrugged, wearing an expression of utter indifference.

"Being cautious has its merits, after all, this is Japan—old people can still be helped."

"Let me brief you on the situation—what exactly happened?" Minami Ojou-sama usually stays in the office and doesn't come to the front lines, but since Okada Masayoshi isn't here, the highest-ranking officer on scene has become Ikeda Erena, so she had to speak up.

Kai Toru began briefing the scene's situation.

The victim, Kitano Kinya, 83 years old, president of Akakasa Takegawa Metal Company, yesterday in the early morning hours while passing through the Ikebukuro area, was sitting on the railing around a certain monument; the railing had a four-meter drop to the ground below, and at the time of the incident, it was the early morning hours with very few pedestrians about.

The old man seemed to have drunk alcohol, fell from the railing onto the sandpit below, was taken to the hospital, and shortly thereafter pronounced dead.

"When the accident first occurred, the old man's head was facing downward toward one side of the wall in a prone position, his head about forty to fifty centimeters from the wall. Although no alcohol test has been conducted yet, one can smell a strong alcohol odor on the old man's body, so it should be an accidental slip and fall death due to intoxication." Kai Toru explained.

"I see, then why would there be a possibility of homicide?" Uesugi Muneyuki nodded, while Shiyuan Mikoto had already gone up to examine.

"Because the victim had a large life insurance policy and is also involved in a substantial inheritance." Kai Toru said: "Moreover, the victim's family believes the victim was always a very cautious person, making an accidental slip unlikely, and murder is highly probable."

"Strange, if the victim had a large life insurance, wouldn't an accidental death naturally qualify for full payout?" Ikeda Erena said, somewhat confused.

"What's there not to understand? Certainly the victim's family relations are complicated—original spouse died and remarried, illegitimate children, maid lovers, that sort of thing." Shiyuan Mikoto said indifferently.

"As expected of Ishihara-san, you got it all right." Kai Xiangren couldn't help but show an expression of praise.

What? The tall beauty's face turned as black as ink.

Hehe~ Ishihara Mikoto winked at Eirina.

But these did not affect Uesugi Muneyuki's on-site investigation; I saw him crouch down and carefully examine the scene, revealing a playful expression.

Although the reason for suspicion was wrong, the conclusion turned out to be correct!

Correct, this is a homicide!

(Chapter End)