VOLU 7 – THE LOCATION OF THE SPIRIT file 02: witch ()
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1
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After parking the car, Ishii took deep breaths.
He was near the Tamo River at one corner of the residential street, in front of the .
A flat-roofed three-storey building with white walls – it stood uncannily in the darkness.
The first ti Ishii ca here was about half a year ago, during his first case with Gotou. During that case, the owner of this hospital was arrested, so it was now empty.
All the windows were covered by curtains, and weeds grew at the entrance. The sign with the na of the hospital was written in dirty undistinguishable letters.
It was completely abandoned.
Ishii thought Nanase Miyuki was hiding in this building.
‘Why do you think she’s here?’ asked Miyagawa.
’There are materials she could use here to treat herself without being spotted. Those are the requirents.’
’But there are other abandoned hospitals.’
Just as Miyagawa said, there were other abandoned hospitals too, if those were the only requirents. However, if they beca too old, the materials couldn’t be used for treatnt. Furthermore –
’The man with two red eyes was involved in the case with Doctor Kinoshita. Though she didn’t appear in the foreground, Nanase Miyuki was probably involved as well... so she must know about this place.’
That was why Ishii thought that Nanase Miyuki would use as her hideout.
’Why do you think she’d choose a place she knows?’
’I used geographic profiling.’
’Profiling, eh? How complicated.’
Miyagawa smiled wryly.
’That isn’t the case. Profiling is just thinking from the standpoint of the criminal.’
’Though people look as if they are behaving erratically, they unconsciously limit their actions.’
’Limit?’
Miyagawa cocked his head.
’Yes. Concealnt ans hiding yourself. People unconsciously choose so place they think is safer.’
’So places you don’t know are unsafe.’
’There are exceptions, but this is not an escape but concealnt. Furthermore, she is injured. There is a high risk to hiding in a place you don’t know.’
’Well, instead of thinking about it, we’ll find out if we go in.’
As Miyagawa said that, he got off the car.
Ishii took the torch and got off the car.
– Nanase Miyuki might be here.
Now, fear welled within him and his feet froze. However, he had suggested this himself. He couldn’t run now.
’Let’s go.’
Unlike Ishii, Miyagawa spoke as lightly as if they were heading out for a stroll and walked briskly. Ishii gulped and started walking as well.
They stood in front of the glass entrance.
’All right.’
Then, Miyagawa smashed the glass, put his hand in and unlocked the door.
That was the person who taught Gotou for you. His thods were forceful.
’Don’t dawdle.’
’Y-yes sir.’
Ishii went into the building, hiding behind Miyagawa’s back.
Ishii lit the torch. Though they were small, there was a reception and waiting room and a cavernous corridor beyond them.
– I’m really frightened.
Ishii wanted to cling to sothing, so he stuck to Miyagawa’s back.
’That’s creepy. Back off.’
Miyagawa pushed Ishii away.
’I-I apologise.’
’I’ll look at the examination room. You check the delivery room,’ said Miyagawa, sounding exasperated. Then he opened the door and went into the examination room.
– I’m going alone?
Ishii wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers and gripped the torch tightly. He felt like his heart would leap out of his throat.
The delivery room was at the end of the corridor.
Ishii walked a step at a ti.
’It’s OK. It’s OK.’
Ishii said that to himself as he pushed open the door to the delivery room.
Then, the sll of disinfectant assaulted his nose. Without thinking, he covered his nose and mouth with his hand.
On the dusty tal cart, there were dicine and dical tools, and there was a bed in the middle of the room.
Ishii imdiately noticed sothing was strange.
There were bandages at his feet. He turned the torch towards them and realised they were bloody.
’It’s still fresh...’
When Ishii spoke up, he saw sothing move in the corner of his eye.
’Eh?’
It was too late when he noticed.
Sothing leapt out of the darkness and attacked Ishii.
Ishii couldn’t even scream.
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2
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’Hello!’ said Haruka, opening the door to the soba restaurant.
They dropped by after seeing Masato off.
It was thirty minutes by car from Nagano city. It was a soba restaurant for tourists, the middle of five at the bottom of Togakushi mountain.
It had a long history – a wooden shop with a thatch roof. White walls that stood out even from the road. It had a wide parking lot. Besides the table for eight inside the shop, there were two tatami rooms. There was also an inn, though it was simple and at a bit of a distance.
To be frank, it was Haruka’s ho.
’Sorry, we’re already closed...’
Haruka’s mother, Keiko, ca out of the kitchen in an apron.
’I’m back.’
’Oh, it’s you, Haruka,’ replied Keiko, sounding a bit disappointed.
’Couldn’t you be a bit more surprised?’
Haruka pouted, but Keiko didn’t care. She didn’t respond to anything. That was her personality.
’My body wouldn’t be able to bear it if I was surprised by everything you did.’
’It’s not like I do anything that surprising.’
’Really now. Didn’t you co ho crying about how “Yakumo-kun disappeared” the other ti?’
– She couldn’t say anything to that.
’I wasn’t crying.’
’Oh really,’ said Keiko mischievously.
Haruka wanted to retort, but she couldn’t just keep talking like this.
’Hey, friends ca with , but could I ask them in?’
Haruka didn’t wait for Keiko’s answer. She opened the sliding door and showed Yakumo and Gotou in.
’Sorry to bother.’
Gotou passed through the curtain first.
’Oh my, you’re Nao-chan’s...’
Keiko clapped her hands together before Haruka could introduce him.
Haruka had thought they hadn’t t before, but now that she thought about it, they’d t at Isshin’s funeral.
’Oh, is this your ho, Haruka-chan?’ said Gotou, looking at Keiko.
’I didn’t say?’
’Didn’t hear anything about it.’
’If you’re going in, please hurry up. You’re in the way,’ interrupted Yakumo, sounding displeased.
’You’re so fussy,’ complained Gotou, but he stepped inside the shop to let Yakumo in.
’Oh, Yakumo-kun too!’
Though Keiko didn’t have much of a response to her daughter’s return ho, when she saw Yakumo, she was so pleased it looked like she’d leap up.
’Hello.’
Yakumo greeted her with his usual expression.
’What is it? Why are you all here?’
Keiko was as excited as if she had t old friends ago.
’A lot happened.’
’Oh, did you decide when to have your marriage?’
’Whose?’
’What? Don’t play dumb.’
Haruka refused to be dragged along by Keiko’s excitent.
’Anyway, I’m starved.’
Gotou interrupted the parent-child banter.
’We ca all this way because you said you’d let us eat sothing.’
Yakumo made a follow-up comnt.
It seed like neither of them knew the word restraint.
’Sorry. This was so sudden. The part-ti worker’s already gone ho, so it’ll just be whatever we have on hand.’
’I don’t mind.’
’No problem here.’
After Yakumo and Gotou replied, Keiko urged them to sit – ’Would the tatami room be all right?’ – and they went to the tatami room.
The three of them sat at a long table.
Haruka hadn’t thought she’d be here at ho with Yakumo and Gotou. It was strange.
’Anyway, I’ll get a beer,’ said Gotou the mont he sat down, without looking at the nu.
’You can’t drive if you drink, right?’ interrupted Yakumo.
’We can just sleep in the car.’
’I refuse.’
’A sleeping bag and a car seat aren’t that different, right?’
’How about this?’ interrupted Keiko. She had a hand at her waist with a triumphant expression. Haruka had a sowhat bad feelings.
’You can just stay here,’ said Keiko, eyes sparkling.
’Eh?’
Ignoring Haruka’s surprise, Gotou slapped his knee. ’That’d be great.’
’We don’t have many hands since it’s the off season, so we won’t be able to do much for you.’
’Anywhere’s fine as long as I can sleep. Yakumo, let’s stay here tonight.’
Gotou hit Yakumo’s shoulder to ask for his agreent.
For just a mont, Haruka’s eyes t Yakumo’s. Even though it wasn’t like they would be sleeping together, Haruka’s face suddenly grew hot and she looked down at the tatami without thinking.
’If it isn’t any trouble,’ said Yakumo, running a hand through his hair.
’OK! It’s decided then.’
After saying that, Keiko took a bottle of beer out of the fridge and placed it on the table along with glasses for all of them.
Gotou opened the bottle imdiately and started pouring beer into each glass.
For so reason, Yakumo was looking at the amber-coloured liquid filling his glass unpleasantly.
Perhaps –
’Yakumo-kun, you can’t drink?’
He glared at her.
With Keiko, Gotou called out and they clinked their glasses for form’s sake.
Yakumo stuck took one sip, like he was lapping it out of the glass, and then he stuck out his tongue again, scowling. It looked like he really couldn’t drink.
– That’s a bit cute.
When Keiko asked for their orders, Gotou just said, ’We’ll leave it to you.’
’Leave it to then,’ said Keiko. She finished drinking her glass of beer and then went into the kitchen.
Haruka couldn’t hear clearly, but there was talking in the kitchen. Keiko was probably talking with Haruka’s father, Kazuhiro.
’This your parents’ shop, Haruka-chan?’ asked Gotou, pouring himself a second glass of beer.
’Yes. Though there are also a number of part-ti workers.’
’Is your dad the cook?’
’My father’s fairly famous. He’s even been in so gourt magazines.’
’Oh? We should greet him. Since we’ll be staying for a night.’
’I’ll introduce you afterwards.’
When Haruka finished speaking, there was a loud cracking sound of sothing breaking in the kitchen.
– What?
Haruka turned around to see Kazuhiro fly out of the kitchen with a red face.
He had a small fra with his hair trimd short, but his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes were low on his face, so he looked a bit unreliable. He was normally gentle – Haruka couldn’t rember him ever being angry.
Now, Kazuhiro’s cheeks were twitching and he was gritting his teeth as he glared.
’D-Dad, I’m ho.’
Haruka called out to him, but Kazuhiro didn’t appear to hear. He alternated his glare between Yakumo and Gotou.
’Which one’s Yakumo?’ asked Kazuhiro in a low voice.
Haruka looked at the kitchen and saw Keiko peering out from inside as she stifled her laughter.
’He’s Yakumo.’
Ignoring Haruka, who was troubled for a response, Yakumo pointed at Gotou with a disinterested expression.
’You?’
’Hah?’
Kazuhiro approached Gotou.
Gotou cocked his head in confusion.
’Sobody like you.’
’Hah?’
’What’s good about this unattractive middle-aged man?’
Kazuhiro looked at Haruka.
There appeared to be a crazy misunderstanding.
’That’s not it. Yakumo’s that one.’
Gotou seed to realise what had happened and pointed at Yakumo.
’What?’
With the speed of a beast hunting prey, Kazuhiro looked to Yakumo, but Yakumo just looked with disinterest at the soba refining process written on the back of the nu.
’He treats Haruka-chan like a slave. If you don’t do sothing soon, it’ll be a problem,’ Gotou continued with a large grin as he fanned the fire.
’A-a slave?’
Kazuhiro’s eyes went so wide they looked like they would fall out.
Kazuhiro was serious, but because of that, he didn’t understand jokes. He believed everything he was told.
’All right, all right. Calm down a bit, dear.’
Keiko, perhaps satisfied by the teasing she’d done, took Kazuhiro’s arm and pulled him back into the kitchen.
– This is the worst.
Haruka lay on the table, exhausted.
’Why is your father picking a fight with ?’ complained Yakumo, his chin in his hands.
’Because you’re toying with his unmarried daughter.’
Gotou’s shoulders were shaking in laughter.
’What are you talking about?’
’Don’t act like you don’t understand.’
’I don’t.’
Even Yakumo was angry now.
There was no point continuing this conversation.
’Hey. What are we going to do next?’
Haruka sat up straight and changed the topic.
’Ah, that’s right. Let’s clean this up fast,’ agreed Gotou, placing his glass on the table.
’I’m also curious about where that girl has disappeared to.’
Yakumo had looked tired, but his gaze suddenly beca serious.
’Is that girl OK?’
’Yes, probably.’
Yakumo replied to Gotou’s question.
’How do you know?’
’Earlier, we discussed being spirited away.’
’Yeah.’
’This is my theory, but I think that such incidents are caused by ghosts.’
’What do you an?’
Gotou’s face twisted in confusion.
’Tengu and demons only exist in humans’ imaginations. Things that do not exist cannot make sobody disappear.’
’Right,’ replied Gotou with a belch.
’However, people really do disappear without any notice – in that sense, people are spirited away. Then why do they disappear?’
’They were in so sort of accident.’
Haruka said the first thing that ca to mind. Then, Yakumo glared at her.
’I’m not talking about accidents right now.’
’S-sorry.’
You don’t have to say it that way – Yakumo was unusually displeased, perhaps because of what just happened earlier.
’So why do they disappear?’
Gotou went back on topic.
’Probably...’
As Yakumo said that, Kazuhiro brought bowls for the three of them on a wooden tray.
Kazuhiro wasn’t good with words so he rarely left the kitchen, leaving the custors to Keiko. So what was happening now –
Kazuhiro placed the bowls in front of them silently.
He didn’t forget to glare at Yakumo when he left.
’What’s this?’
Gotou stuck his chopsticks into the bowl.
’You don’t know? It’s sobagaki[1].’
’Sobagaki?’
Gotou cocked his head.
Though it was famous in Nagano as local cuisine, it wasn’t common in Tokyo restaurants – perhaps there were many people he didn’t know about it.
’Buckwheat flour is kneaded into a mochi-like state. It’s delicious.’
Its appearance and colour was similar to a rock, but its fluffy texture and the way the aroma of buckwheat spread through your mouth was amazing.
’Oh! This goes well with the beer.’
As Gotou ate, he expressed his pleasure.
’Right?’
It made Haruka happy to hear her ho cooking praised.
Co to think of it, Haruka hadn’t eaten sobagaki at ho much recently either. After murmuring ’Let’s eat’ in her heart, she picked up her chopsticks. Kazuhiro’s sobagaki was softer than the other stores’. That feeling filled her mouth.
– This taste. It’s Dad’s.
’Is this really sobagaki? It just looks like a rock to ,’ said Yakumo, ruining the atmosphere.
– Honestly. This contrary guy.
’If you’re going to say that, you don’t have to eat.’
’Look.’
Yakumo showed the inside of his bowl.
There was a plop as a rock rolled in his bowl.
Haruka couldn’t believe it. Yakumo’s bowl had a real rock in it.
’Hey! Dad!’
Haruka let out an angry yell.
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3
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’Ack.’
Ishii fell backwards.
The black shadow that ca flying at him was human. The person sat on top of Ishii and swung sothing.
A sharp pain ran through his left shoulder.
’Aah!’
It appeared he had been stabbed by sothing.
He looked to see a surgical scalpel. It had stabbed the top of his shoulder. Blood was coming out, dyeing his shirt.
’Ishii-san, it’s been a while.’
He heard a voice in his ear.
Though it had a bewitching echo to it, there was sothing incredibly dark eddying in it. It was a voice he could never forget.
– Nanase Miyuki.
’You can scream if it hurts.’
Nanase Miyuki brought herself close to Ishii’s face.
The left half of her was covered in burns. There was no trace of her graceful self.
Miyuki twisted the scalpel in Ishii’s shoulder, gouging the wound. A pain incomparable to the one earlier ran through his shoulder.
’Ack...’
Ishii bore with the pain.
If I scream now, it’ll be her win – that was how he felt.
’Why not call for help? Chief Miyagawa might co.’
’Eh?’
She knew that Miyagawa was here.
For her to be so composed – a bad feeling spread within Ishii.
’From that world.’
Miyuki’s eyes had a cold light.
’T-that’s...’
Miyagawa was killed – Ishii couldn’t accept what Miyuki said.
’Even though I thought you were just useless, you sniffed this place out. You’re unexpectedly troubleso.’
’I...’
’Would you die already?’
Miyuki smirked.
The terror in Ishii suddenly grew. She wasn’t joking. If she said she would kill him, she really would.
Miyuki pulled the scalpel out of Ishii’s shoulder.
Then, an electrifying pain ran through it, and he twisted his face without thinking.
’Farewell,’ said Miyuki, raising the bloody scalpel.
– No. No. No. I don’t want to die yet!
Within Ishii, stronger than fear, a tenacity for life took root. Compelled by that feeling, Ishii suddenly grabbed Miyuki’s left arm.
’Aah!’
Then, Miyuki scread and let go of Ishii.
Ishii stood up reflexively.
Miyuki held her left arm as she knelt on the floor and glared at Ishii. Then, Ishii rembered what Higashino had said.
She broke her arm in the accident –
Ishii’s action of the mont had luckily hit her weak point. However, though he had saved his life, that was only temporary. He would be killed unless he got out of this situation.
While pressing the injury in his left shoulder, he confronted Miyuki.
– What do I do?
He tried to work his brain, but his fear was getting in the way. A cold sweat ran down his back and his knees were shaking.
While he couldn’t think of anything, Miyuki slowly got up. Her right hand held the scalpel. He would be killedl ike this.
He tried to run, but his legs wouldn’t move.
– Move, move, move.
He hit his knees, but it was no good. Miyuki slowly walked towards him and raised the scalpel.
– It’s too late.
The mont he thought that, the door opened and Miyagawa ran in.
’Ishii!’
’Chief Miyagawa...’
Miyagawa was bleeding from his forehead. Miyuki had probably hit him.
There was the sound of sothing cracking.
Ishii looked to see that Miyuki had broken the glass in the window and was about to climb out.
– I have to follow her.
Ishii thought that for a mont before his knees buckled underneath him. His nervousness had fled him.
’You kept your life then.’
Ishii looked over to see Miyagawa had sat down as well.
It was just as Miyagawa said. It was a good thing she fled –
Ishii heaved a sigh of relief.
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4
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After eating, Gotou went to the separate two-storey building.
He went in through the entrance to see a counter. He got a key there and was taken to the room at the very back of the first floor.
It was a Japanese room of ten tatami in size with a table, fridge and television.
Haruka’s family mainly worked at the soba shop but it had a Japanese inn as well. It seed that there were quite a number of soba shops with inns for tourists in the Togakushi area.
That was why Keiko could easily tell two n who suddenly ca by to stay.
A yukata[2] was prepared for him. Though there was no hot spring, there was a cypress bath, so Gotou subrged himself in it. When he ca back, two futon had been laid out.
– Good preparation.
When Gotou opened the fridge, there was a row of beer cans. This was good preparation too.
With no reservation, Gotou opened a can of bear and took a gulp.
It really was different drinking right out of the bath. The cold beer flowed through his ward body, spreading to every part of him.
After taking a breath, he took out his mobile phone. Ishii had called an incredible number of tis, but it was probably nothing, so he ignored Ishii and called ho.
<Hello.>
Atsuko picked up at the first ring.
’IT’s .’
Atsuko, who didn’t know the situation, sounded relaxed through the phone.
’I don’t think I’ll be back.’
’I’m in Nagano now.’
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