Chapter 458

With Kashiwagi Misa's reminder, Kashiwagi Jin finally realized the problem.

There's a fourth shoe print at the scene?!

According to the on-site investigation, the fourth shoe print is fresh and left from the other side of the apartment; this person did not exit through the front door, but through the garbage room passage of Okada Apartment, entered from inside, and climbed over the garbage room's wall, then calmly exited via the alley on the other side!

Friends who often go to Japan to commit crimes know that trash cans on Japanese streets are very few, because Japan has adopted an extremely strict garbage classification and cleanup system, and different types of garbage have various disposal times and requirements; some special garbage even needs to be burned by oneself in a designated place, and some particularly large items cannot be directly discarded and require purchasing special large waste disposal stickers before someone will handle them, with prices ranging from 400 to 1000 yen.

1000 yen is not small change for an ordinary Japanese person—it's equivalent to an hour's minimum wage—so many secondhand stores in Japan often display old appliances used for twenty or thirty years or with minor faults, sold for one yen.

This isn't about picking up bargains, but about saving on garbage disposal fees.

The apartment where Okada lives is not a high-end one, unlike Uesugi Muneyuki's tower where all trash is simply thrown out and property management handles sorting; this apartment requires residents to sort and organize their own garbage, place it in the garbage room at different times, and have the community street's garbage truck come to collect it.

And after receiving Kashiwagi Misa's reminder, Kashiwagi Jin reluctantly changed his investigative approach, and indeed made a new discovery!

Forensic pathologist Higashiyama Takeshi of the Forensics Division came over with forensic documents and said: "Inspector Kashiwagi, please look here."

He pointed to several inconspicuous corners near the apartment's genkan close to the back door (connecting to the garbage room direction); forensic personnel used a special light source to illuminate the ground, revealing several clear and very fresh shoe prints.

"This is a shoe print left by large boots; based on size estimation, the internal shoe size is approximately 43 (28.5 cm)." Higashiyama Takeshi said very carefully.

"According to personnel files, Inspector Okada Masayoshi's shoe size is 41 (26.5 cm). The difference is significant."

"More importantly." Higashiyama Takeshi pointed to the edge morphology and force distribution of the shoe print: "This pattern of deep forefoot pressure and slight heel drag indicates a male adult over 185 cm tall, with a large stride and agile movements. This does not match Okada Masayoshi, who is slightly over 175 cm tall and whose movement is restricted due to a severe back injury (no fresh blood spatter from violent movement rupturing wounds was found at the scene)."

"Therefore, our conclusion is that the scene very likely contains an unknown entity over 185 cm tall wearing size 43 boots. Okada Masayoshi does not fit this description."

"Unknown entity?" Kashiwagi Jin gasped cold air, incredulously glancing at his wife.

Misa, when did you become so capable?

As expected of my wife, Kashiwagi Jin!

However, when Kashiwagi Jin looked at his wife with affirming eyes, he saw in Kashiwagi Misa's expression a hint of absurd sympathy and distracted hesitation, which made him feel uneasy; he could only nod firmly, signaling Higashiyama Takeshi to continue.

"Also, regarding the garbage room area, we have made discoveries, Kashiwagi-san, please follow us."

The Forensics Division signaled for Kashiwagi Jin to follow, while Kashiwagi Misa hesitated for a moment, gritted her teeth, and trotted after them in her high heels, her beautiful silk-stocked legs pattering, because she was still wearing her desk-duty police uniform, clearly not an field officer, so appearing at a crime scene was actually quite strange.

But as the former face of the Metropolitan Police Department, a few years ago when Minami had not yet joined the force, the Metropolitan Police Department's promotional videos and various posters featuring large headshots were all shot by Kashiwagi Misa, so everyone knows her, and this case also involves a victim who is a police inspector's wife, so her presence at the scene can be somewhat understood.

Kashiwagi Jin led a group of police toward the apartment's back door, which leads to the garbage processing room and a secluded fire emergency exit.

The secluded emergency exit is Okada Masayoshi's escape route, and here in the garbage processing room, several Forensics Division personnel have already been on standby.

"Kashiwagi-san, look here: the back door lock has extremely subtle, non-violent technical opening traces, indicating someone recently entered the garbage room directly via lock-picking skills, which does not match Okada Masayoshi's behavior as the homeowner normally using a key to open the door."

"Also here, at the narrow air vent where the garbage room connects to the outside alley, the dust on the inner window sill shows clear, fresh traces of stepping and hand support."

Higashiyama Takeshi marveled at Kashiwagi Jin's high intelligence, thinking: truly deserving of being the star inspector of the Metropolitan Police Department!

Are these case-cracking elites of the current Metropolitan Police Department all monsters?

How is it that Chief Detective Uesugi's investigations are like this—always making deductions first, then designating locations to find evidence, with every piece of evidence differing by not a hair, and now even Kashiwagi-san does the same?

If Kashiwagi Jin weren't right here, Higashiyama Takeshi would almost think it was Uesugi Muneyuki leading the case-solving team!

So similar, so similar!

Beautiful, isn't it! (referring to case-solving ability)

This this fiddling! (referring to the technique of finding scene physical evidence)

It's made Higashiyama Takeshi feel a bit stirred toward Kashiwagi Jin, unfortunately Kashiwagi Jin is a Korean-style handsome guy rather than a cute little bear build.

"We measured the trace height." Higashiyama Takeshi pointed to the踏踏 point about 1.2 meters below the window sill: "To reach this height and easily climb over this window, the perpetrator needs to be at least 185 cm tall, with outstanding arm length and core strength. Inspector Okada, at 175 cm tall, with an unhealed back injury, could almost never climb over so cleanly without leaving more struggle or blood traces (the window sill traces are clean, with no blood or large fabric friction marks)."

"The alley outside the air vent is a surveillance blind spot and connects to a complex old district, so the conclusion is: this fourth person at the scene wearing size 43 shoes carefully chose a route avoiding surveillance, requiring specific physical conditions (height 185 cm+) and professional lock-picking skills to escape. This completely contradicts Inspector Okada Masayoshi's identity, physical condition, and normal commute route."

"Therefore, Inspector Kashiwagi, your judgment is correct: besides Inspector Okada, Koizumi Ryosuke, and Okada Miki, there indeed exists a fourth person at the scene!"

Really?!

Upon hearing Higashiyama Takeshi's explanation, Kashiwagi Jin stood in place, his face shifting from stern to dark blue, then from dark blue to somewhat pale.

Higashiyama Takeshi's clear, logical, evidence-based analysis was like a series of heavy hammers striking his proud "perfect reasoning." Those details he selectively ignored or forcibly explained (time difference, Okada's injury, etc.) were now magnified and solidified by cold scientific evidence.

Kashiwagi Jin struggled to say something, when suddenly a wave of后怕 surged in his heart.

The scheming frog has always been touching your belly—that's what he said!

Absolutely certain, definite, and affirmative that Okada Masayoshi is the culprit—that's what he said!

Clearly feeling that the time difference at the scene has some minor issues, which he forcibly explained and fitted!

He was just about to forcibly report and confirm that Okada is the culprit.

But as an alumnus of Tokyo University, I have seen Okada Masayoshi's work ability, moral standards, and his consistent diligence; if I were to wrongly accuse him, I could not forgive myself!

Misa! You truly are my angel!

But if Okada is not the culprit, then who is the real culprit?

If this real culprit is the fourth person at the scene, but he left no trace of his own except shoe prints and height, then it's impossible to solve the case, even impossible to find a suspect!

However, this case cannot be delayed, as the Special Investigation Headquarters is nearly complete, and Investigation Division 1 and police from various locations are gathering here; if we cannot solve the case quickly……

Kashiwagi Jin only felt overwhelmed by countless threads, unable to find logic for a moment, so he unconsciously looked toward Kashiwagi Misa.

But his wife was nowhere to be seen.

Strange, where did Misa go?

"Eh, yes, yes."

Just as Kashiwagi Jin ordered Higashiyama Takeshi and others to conduct a strict investigation, and personally inspected nearby alleys, questioned passersby, tested shoe prints, and searched for other clues, Kashiwagi Misa had already arrived at a secluded corner nearby, secretly raising her phone.

"Yes, Uesugi, Jin has already discovered it; what should we do next? You……you clearly didn't come to the scene, so how do you know so much? Could it be that you are actually the real culprit?" Kashiwagi Misa said to Uesugi Muneyuki's ghostly calculations, utterly impressed, even somewhat fearful.

Strategizing in the tent, winning victories thousands of miles away.

This is simply Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Liang!

"Hehe, now is not the time to explain this to you; if I haven't guessed wrong, although you gave these hints, leading Kashiwagi's group to conclude Okada is the culprit, the current evidence is still insufficient to prove that so-called fourth person at the scene is the culprit." Uesugi Muneyuki said calmly on the phone: "So, let's shift our direction next."

"Go check the scene evidence; if I haven't guessed wrong, Okada Miki's fingernails should contain, besides Koizumi's skin flakes and hair, extremely minute fiber fragments."

"Have Kashiwagi Jin ask the Forensics Division to request the Forensic Science Laboratory for microscopic and spectral analysis; those fiber fragments should belong to cheap workwear, hooded jackets, or work uniforms, completely inconsistent with the materials (mostly cotton, wool, or synthetic blends of high-end fabric) of what Inspector Okada Masayoshi wore that day (and all clothing in his home)."

"Okada wouldn't wear that kind of clothing, so we can further eliminate his suspicion."

"Then, using fluorescence analysis on the fibers, we determined the color of the clothing, and we came up with an image of the killer: over 185cm tall, strong build, with some anti-investigation capability, wearing a dark blue polyester jacket, and very likely acquainted with Mrs. Miki. Following this direction, investigate! Check interpersonal relationships, check surveillance!"

"Go remind Kashiwagi Jin right now!" Uesugi Muneyuki said, without adding more, and immediately hung up the phone.

Kashiwagi Misa felt a tremor in her heart.

Although it sounds very reasonable, but...... how did Uesugi know?

Could it be that he is truly a divine incarnation?

Exactly, Japan has eight million gods, having a few divine incarnations would also...... be quite reasonable, right!

Thus, just as Kashiwagi Jin was painfully searching for new clues, Kashiwagi Misa suddenly appeared again.

"Misa, where did you go?" Kashiwagi Jin discovered his wife had finally returned.

"Ah, it's fine, I went to check the evidence bag." Kashiwagi Misa said somewhat nervously: "Eh eh~ Jin, look at this!"

She showed her phone to Kashiwagi Jin: "Look, Jin, besides hair and skin flakes, aren't there still some fibers under Mrs. Miki's fingernails? You said...... could it not be the real killer left behind? Stabbing someone to death with a fruit knife in one thrust is impossible, right?"

Kashiwagi Jin's eyes lit up.

Exactly! A fruit knife isn't a katana, even if it pierces the chest in one strike, the victim would definitely struggle and resist.

As long as there is resistance, traces will be left; the fiber fragments under the fingernails are not necessarily from Koizumi's or Okada's clothing, and could also have been left by that fourth person!

Misa! You've found another blind spot!

(Chapter End)