Chapter 93: , Turning the Impossible into the Possible!

Theater-type crime, a concept proposed by Japanese social critic Akatsuka Yukio, refers to a form of interactive crime structured like a stage play, with society as the stage, the perpetrator as the protagonist, the police as supporting actors, and the news media and public as the audience.

Japan has had many famous unsolved cases, such as the Glico Morinaga Incident and the Three Hundred Million Yen Robbery, which were theater-type crimes; the perpetrators did not actually care much about gaining any practical benefits, but were most concerned with satisfying their inner desires through the act of committing the crime.

Take the Three Hundred Million Yen Robbery for example: the serial numbers of those three hundred million yen in banknotes were actually released by the Japanese police to the entire banking system and all large and medium-sized enterprises in Japan; as long as the perpetrator used this money in a formal establishment, the police would receive a report immediately.

However, not a single note of that three hundred million yen has been spent to this day, which means the perpetrator's motive was not entirely for money, at the very least.

Besides this, theater-type crimes have another characteristic: the perpetrator will conduct multiple rehearsals and site visits before the official crime, and will be unable to resist returning to the scene after the crime to admire their own masterpiece.

In the famous Teigin Incident, the perpetrator rehearsed twice before officially committing the crime at the Imperial Bank.

The first time, the perpetrator successfully deceived the Ebara Branch of the Yasuda Bank by claiming that dysentery had broken out nearby, forging the identity of a disease prevention expert from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which made the bank staff believe them implicitly, and so they all drank the "disinfectant liquid" provided by the perpetrator.

Nothing happened; that is to say, this was the first rehearsal, and there was no poison in the liquid. Although the bank staff were confused later as to why the Metropolitan Police Department and the health and epidemic prevention departments hadn't sent anyone, they didn't take it to heart.

The second time, the perpetrator came to the Nakai Branch of the Mitsubishi Bank and used the same trick, asking the bank staff to drink the "disinfectant liquid," but this time they encountered a more cautious branch manager who repeatedly requested confirmation from superiors and the Ministry of Health and Welfare; seeing that the deception had failed, the perpetrator made up an excuse and left.

This rehearsal failed, and the perpetrator clearly learned enough of a lesson; they refined their script, forged a more convincing identity, collected official news to fabricate reliable information that was nine parts true and one part false, and finally, in the third attempt, successfully poisoned 11 people with cyanide and took seventeen thousand yen and some checks from the scene.

Uesugi Muneyuki used this as an example so that everyone could understand the perpetrator's profile as quickly as possible.

"First, we need to re-examine the surveillance footage, Department Manager Mouri," Uesugi Muneyuki said in a deep voice. "Since it is a theater-type crime, the perpetrator must have rehearsed repeatedly near the crime scene beforehand, and wasn't it mentioned that the killer has a certain level of counter-surveillance ability?"

"If that is the case, then to be familiar with the nearby surveillance cameras, they must have conducted site visits beforehand."

Uesugi Muneyuki spoke eloquently: "Since all three cases were committed by the same person, the surveillance footage will surely record this person repeatedly scouting the area near the crime scene beforehand, and there may even be instances after the fact where she appears to admire her work."

"Hmm..." Criminal Investigation Department Chief Mouri gave a wry smile. "That is the easiest part. Although it has been more than half a month since the first case, we may have to backtrack and watch hundreds of cameras, a month's worth of footage, but it's hard work, and doable."

As mentioned earlier, the Japanese police are best at human-wave tactics; it's nothing more than hard labor. The Three Hundred Million Yen Robbery was investigated for months, so what is watching some surveillance footage? If watching surveillance footage can solve the case, the Metropolitan Police Department could order thousands of police officers to watch it together tomorrow.

This is no problem.

"Second, theater-type crimes have another characteristic, which is that they likely undergo rehearsals before the official crime," Uesugi Muneyuki continued. "Did you notice a detail? The second case happened in a place with few people, and the third case happened in a women's restroom."

"Based on this alone, we cannot be certain that the perpetrator is a female student, Uesugi-kun, this is too contrary to common sense!" Department Manager Mouri was still frowning.

"I'm not saying that." Uesugi Muneyuki interrupted Department Manager Mouri's resistance: "I'm saying we should investigate whether any strange things happened in Chiba Prefecture before the incidents?"

"That might be the killer rehearsing; the Public Security investigations have only been directed toward the direction of Violent Groups and extremist organizations."

"That is possible; I will instruct the Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters to investigate further." Department Manager Mouri finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally, we need to change our investigative approach. The students who passed by after school should no longer be excluded as targets of the investigation. Department Manager Mouri, can we request to enter schools in Chiba Prefecture, especially Chiba City, to assist in the investigation?"

However, upon hearing this request from Uesugi Muneyuki, Department Manager Mouri shook his head: "Uesugi-kun, regardless of whether your deduction has evidence, do you know what kind of uproar it will cause if our Joint Special Investigation Headquarters shifts the search toward schools and suspects a minor of committing the crime?"

"The field of minors has always been one of the biggest legal taboos. Any search operation we conduct on a school will cause panic among all parents. Behind every school is a School Board, and behind the School Board are numerous local political families and corporate organizations."

"Moreover, you say the killer is a female minor student." Department Manager Mouri couldn't help but shake his head vigorously after hearing this: "To say nothing else, an underage female student? Someone with rich experience in killing, disposing of bodies, and counter-surveillance? Uesugi-kun, do you really know what you are saying?"

"If I dared to say this at the Joint Special Investigation meeting, the National Police Agency would parachute a high official to replace me tomorrow, and I would be on the front page of the newspapers the day after." Department Manager Mouri shook his head: "On this point, please forgive me for being unable to comply!"

"Tsk!" Uesugi Muneyuki was furious about this, but had nothing to say.

He couldn't be firm this time because he himself was extremely confused by this result.

Let's wait for the bodies from the first and second cases to be delivered first.

"Wait a moment."

A soft voice sounded quietly.

Minami-ojousama, who was beside them, had heard Uesugi Muneyuki's entire argument and judgment. The Face of the Metropolitan Police Department calmed her mood slightly and took a gentle, deep breath.

The tips of her size 33 jade feet, wrapped in 80D winter-thickened black Silk Stockings, twitched unconsciously. Following Uesugi Muneyuki's words, her heels slipped out of her shoes, and the tips of her shoes were hooked by her toes, flicking up and down.

Just as Uesugi Muneyuki finished speaking, Watanabe Minami took the initiative to speak.

As soon as her soft voice appeared, it resonated with Uesugi Muneyuki.

"Um, I don't know much about criminal investigation, but I have an idea..."

Uesugi Muneyuki raised his eyebrows slightly.

He could hear that Minami-ojousama's voice was trembling, and he could see that she was a little nervous.

Having been an ojousama for a long time, having been the daughter of the Superintendent General for a long time, and having been Police Inspector Watanabe of the Personnel Division for a long time, Minami-ojousama was accustomed to giving orders and acting imperiously, habitually treating her father's authority as her own.

Perhaps the words Uesugi Muneyuki said last time had an effect; she wanted to try expressing her own views, she wanted to try to break away from her father's halo.

This was her first time participating in a criminal investigation in a practical sense.

Uesugi Muneyuki gave her an encouraging look, and Minami-ojousama felt it.

Just now, she had been silent the whole time, fully immersed in Uesugi Muneyuki's deduction show, sorting through the entire case word by word along with Uesugi Muneyuki's judgment and reasoning.

Her voice carried a softness, containing a warmth that was inexplicably reassuring; her tone was the exact opposite of Uesugi Muneyuki's low and confused one.

"Just now, Uesugi-kun said that the killer might be a female, an underage female student."

"I know your first reaction is that it's impossible."

"But have you noticed that in the second and third cases, the killer took advantage of people's lack of preparation to launch a sneak attack? Even in the first case, although the victim was a male, there were no signs of any resistance?"

If Uesugi Muneyuki's words tended to be low and serious, carrying an unquestionable flavor in their decisiveness.

Then Minami-ojousama's approach tended toward healing, dissolving sharpness with elegant and quiet phrasing, making it acceptable.

In terms of investigative ability alone, Minami-ojousama could not compare to those frontline Non-Career Track officers and Koban Patrol Officers.

But in terms of familiarity with rules and regulations and the ability to communicate, Minami-ojousama was not the least bit weaker than any bureaucrat or politician.

"You all feel it's impossible for an underage female student to commit the crime, but have you thought about what kind of person could make elementary school students drop their guard to the greatest extent?" Watanabe Minami said softly: "Of course, it's an underage girl wearing a uniform. Females represent lower danger, and the uniform represents that the other party is attending school and is on the right path in life. It would seem strange for a boy to take the initiative to ask an elementary school student, but it is very natural and reasonable for a girl to ask. If she is more polite, children will not be on guard."

"Therefore, Uesugi-kun's view might be relatively extreme, but perhaps it is precisely because of this reason that Public Security and Chiba Prefecture have been unable to find the killer all along."

"I believe Uesugi-kun's judgment should be correct, because after excluding all the wrong answers, the remaining answer, which seems the most impossible, is the truth!"

"Uncle Mouri, Brother Okada, Uesugi has always been a man who turns the impossible into the possible. I have witnessed it with my own eyes. Let's trust him, okay?"

Watanabe Minami's words finally moved Department Manager Mouri and Police Inspector Okada. Although they didn't say anything more, Uesugi Muneyuki could feel that they were no longer so resistant to the idea that the perpetrator was an underage female student.

Watanabe Minami—this woman might be the gift that Fushimi-dono Shinkō Kenshin-kō sent to him.

Uesugi Muneyuki thought to himself.

The support she gave him, every crisp word, was like air, bringing a wonderful feeling to Uesugi Muneyuki.

This feeling is just like having someone always supporting and protecting you from behind; it is truly wonderful!

In the end, Department Manager Mouri reluctantly agreed to Uesugi Muneyuki's request to change the investigation's direction, shifting the focus from "males with a Yakuza background aged 25-40" to "females wearing student uniforms who appear particularly young"; although he did not explicitly say "minors," the implication was already there.

Coming out of the office, the sky outside had already brightened.

"This is as much as I can help you, Uesugi-kun." Miss Minami gave Uesugi Muneyuki a brilliant smile, a little playful and a little smug: "From here on, it's up to you, the man who turns the impossible into the possible! Go and soar on your own battlefield!"

"Hai!" Uesugi Muneyuki looked at Miss Minami's state of uncontrollable fatigue and drowsiness, the corners of his mouth turned up, and he took the initiative to reach out his hand, saying very earnestly: "Just watch my performance from here on out!"

"Mm, I believe in you!"

Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Minami's hands were tightly clasped, and they both felt the strength transmitted from each other.

The strength of a Partner made them fuse into one!

(End of this chapter)