Despite the old man's friendly demeanor, Shuichi Hayashi wasn't fooled into seeing Ichiro Ito as just another elderly figure. To rise as a yakuza boss, one had to wade through blood and violence.
As for the Nisen-kai Ito mentioned, Shuichi recalled them from the Conan anime. Compared to the ruthless Black Organization, the Nisen-kai were often portrayed as incompetent, frequently bullied or scapegoated, a stark contrast to their shadowy counterparts.
Fans had mocked them: the Black Organization was the main course, the Nisen-kai a measly appetizer; one stirred trouble, the other took the fall; one inspired fear, the other laughter. Even their name, Nisen-kai, had been twisted into "Nima's Truly Pathetic Gang."
But in Shuichi's reincarnated world, the Nisen-kai were no joke. As an upstart syndicate, unlike the established Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyoshi-kai, and Inagawa-kai, which had moved past bloody expansion into stability, the Nisen-kai were aggressively active. Nearly half of recent yakuza-related violent incidents reported in the news involved them.
That's why Ito was convinced the Nisen-kai had framed him to seize Sumiyoshi-kai's turf in Mihama.
"They're using the police to clear us out," Ito said. "Once we're gone, they'll swoop in."
Shuichi ignored him. "Let's see the crime scene."
"Follow me," Officer Matsumoto said, leading the way. Shuichi, Detective Samezaki, and Officer Megure followed.
"This kid's young, but he's got Division One jumping to his tune," Ito muttered, watching them go. "Where have I seen him before?"
…
Exiting the dance hall, they entered a long corridor lined with the nightclub's luxurious private rooms. At the end, a left turn led to the restrooms, a right to the manager's office and staff lounge.
An officer stood guard at the restroom door.
Matsumoto pushed it open, and Shuichi stepped inside.
The moment he entered, Shuichi's eyes fell on the body lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of dark red blood. "The victim was him?"
"You know him, Hayashi?" Matsumoto asked, surprised.
"Yeah, he was at the izakaya on Saturday," Shuichi nodded. "Daiki Takashima, I think. A scout for Kuki Agency."
"Kuki Agency—that's the one specializing in adult…" Megure trailed off, blushing as he realized he'd said too much.
"He was harassing Fujimine at the izakaya," Shuichi said, frowning as he recalled Megure's earlier report. He examined Takashima's coat closely.
Sure enough, a button was missing from the bottom.
"We confirmed the button Ms. Nishikawa was clutching matches the ones on his coat," Matsumoto said firmly. "Even if Takashima didn't kill her, he's definitely connected."
Shuichi borrowed gloves from Megure and crouched to inspect the body.
Takashima had two stab wounds: one on the right side of his neck, severing an artery, and another in his abdomen, damaging internal organs. The entry angles suggested a frontal attack, with both strikes hitting vital points, causing death by blood loss.
After confirming this, Shuichi stood. "Matsumoto's right. This crime scene's off. This isn't the primary scene."
"Why?" Megure asked, confused.
Matsumoto, who'd sensed something wrong but couldn't place it, looked to Shuichi.
"It's the blood," Samezaki said. "With a neck wound hitting an artery, there should be massive spatter. But the blood on the floor just pooled calmly."
"Exactly," Shuichi nodded. "And look at the sole of his right shoe—it's got blood on it."
"But the floor under his feet is spotless, no trace of blood."
"His clothes, too. There's blood in odd places, like under his left armpit, where it shouldn't have flowed, yet it's smeared there."
"You're right," Megure said, amazed. "I didn't even notice."
"Could the armpit blood have rubbed off when the killer moved the body?" Samezaki, a seasoned detective, caught on quickly.
"Exactly," Shuichi confirmed. "The killer likely murdered Takashima elsewhere, then moved him here."
"During the transfer, they curled the body to disguise it, but the wounds kept bleeding, leaving blood in places it shouldn't be."
"Could Ito have smeared it?" Matsumoto asked.
"No way," Shuichi shook his head. "The abnormal bloodstains are all over, head to toe. Unless Ito's a freak who rubbed the body everywhere, it's impossible."
"Megure, take some officers and search the nearby rooms," Samezaki ordered. "Find the primary crime scene."
"Yes, sir!" Megure hurried off.
"Where's the murder weapon?" Shuichi asked.
"With Forensics," Matsumoto said, stepping out to retrieve an evidence bag from Officer Tome. "This fruit knife. Forensics found two fingerprints, both Ito's."
"Ito said he was knocked out," Shuichi said, shaking his head. "The killer probably wiped the handle clean and pressed it into his hand to plant the prints."
The fruit knife was unremarkable. Shuichi inspected it but found nothing unusual.
Megure was still searching the private rooms for the primary scene, a task that wouldn't finish soon.
Shuichi decided to check Ito's head injury. He, Samezaki, and Matsumoto returned to the dance hall, where the yakuza boss was back on stage, belting out another song.
"This guy really loves to sing," Matsumoto grumbled. "He was at it non-stop before you got here."
"Isn't that Momoe Yamaguchi's song?" Samezaki said uncertainly.
"It's the theme from Red Doubt, 'I Sincerely Thank You,'" Shuichi said. "Pretty good tune."
"Detective, Hayashi, is this the time for music talk?" Matsumoto snapped, storming up and snatching the microphone from Ito.
The yakuza below rolled up their sleeves, ready to climb the stage, but Ito waved them off.
"What, Matsumoto, want to sing a tune?" Ito teased.
"Come with us. We need to talk," Matsumoto said, tossing the microphone to a yakuza and leading Ito out of the hall.
"You've figured out the bathroom's not the real crime scene, haven't you? So you know I'm not the killer," Ito said with a grin, his expression suggesting he'd been certain the police would catch on.
"You noticed the flaws in the setup too?" Shuichi asked, curious.
"Hah, I've been in the game thirty years," Ito laughed. "I've seen more bodies than I can count. When I woke up, I was groggy, but after that manager walked in, it clicked."
"Stab someone in the neck, blood's supposed to spray meters. No way a vital hit leaves nothing."
"Back in the day, my boys—er, I mean, when they'd cut someone, blood would splatter everywhere, even the ceiling…"
"Enough!" Matsumoto cut him off, face dark. "If you saw the problem, why not say so?"
"Investigating murders is your job, not mine," Ito sneered. "Watching you cops spin in circles is its own entertainment."
"You bastard!"
Matsumoto's face flushed with anger, and Samezaki's wasn't much better.
"You're not just watching for fun," Shuichi said suddenly. "You're using the police to protect yourself, aren't you?"
"Oh?" Ito's eyes narrowed. "Go on, kid."
"Once you realized you were framed, you had two suspects: the Nisen-kai, out for Mihama's turf, or one of your own, aiming to replace you," Shuichi said evenly. "You couldn't tell who, and leaving the club risked another attack."
"So you kept quiet about the bathroom's flaws, letting the police treat you as a suspect to restrict your movements, while calling your crew to blockade the club."
"With the police here, the plotter can't move against you. With your men at the door, you can stay put, bide your time, and figure out who's behind it."
"Once you identify them, you point out the bathroom's inconsistencies, tip off the press, and clear your name to walk free."
"Well, damn!" Ito clapped, impressed. "Sharp kid. Way better than these cops. How about it? Join the Sumiyoshi-kai. The police are a dead end. Come with us, and I'll—"
(End of Chapter)
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