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Chapter 117: Black and White Ghost Domain (5)
Chapter 117: Black and White Ghost Domain (5)
Feng Bu Jue said, “You can call me… Mr. F.”
“Damn it…” Orange cursed as he advanced toward Feng Bu Jue. From his expression, he wouldn’t hesitate to pounce and punch the daylights out of him.
Doctor Watanabe raised a hand to block him, then asked Feng Bu Jue, “Mr. F, do you know where Officer Yamada’s body is?”
“I don’t. I don’t even know who Yamada is. But I can make an educated guess about what happened.”
“I see… Then, Mr. F, does Hirata know about your existence?” Watanabe pressed.
“In the past… he probably didn’t know I existed. But now… I’m not sure anymore,” Feng Bu Jue replied. “I only have vague memories of the crimes Hirata committed. There are some questions I need to ask you, Doctor Watanabe.”
Orange shouted from the side, “Doctor! This kid obviously made up a fake name on the spot. Claiming schizophrenia won’t fool anyone!”
“Determining the authenticity of these symptoms falls within my professional expertise, Police Chief,” Watanabe said. “Please trust me to do my job.”
“Tch…” Watanabe stepped out of Feng Bu Jue’s line of sight again, moving to a corner at the back. Soon, the sound of him lighting another cigarette echoed.
Watanabe exhaled slowly and asked, “What do you want to ask?”
“Hmm… Was I watching a video just now?” Feng Bu Jue asked.
“Yes.”
“Why did you show it to me?”
Watanabe locked eyes with Feng Bu Jue, choosing his words carefully before replying, “After Hirata-san was arrested, he exhibited severe delusions. He insisted he hadn’t killed anyone.” He paused. “He told the police he’d only killed a yokai.”
“Are you here to determine whether Hirata was truly mentally ill?” Feng Bu Jue asked.
“Yes.”
“What about the video you showed me earlier?”
“It’s a reconstruction of key scenes, assisted by the police.”
“Did you play it in reverse chronological order?”
Watanabe hesitated. “Yes. It helps more easily trigger…”
Before he could finish, Feng Bu Jue interrupted, “Could you play it again in chronological order?”
Watanabe exchanged glances with Orange. The latter was too angry to speak but gave a slight nod.
Watanabe walked to the table and operated the projector again. The machine whirred to life.
“Doctor, could you remove the tape? Let me blink my eyes,” Feng Bu Jue requested.
“Of course.” Watanabe agreed readily. He’d never advocated for this method, but the previous Hirata Shūichi had screamed in terror and shut his eyes tightly at the sight of the images on the wall. Commander Tachibana had insisted on this precaution.
Feng Bu Jue had already pieced together some clues. Now he needed more evidence to verify his reasoning.
The video began playing. The footage was black and white. The projector had no speaker attached, so aside from the clicking sounds, there was no audio—though none was needed.
The video was simple and short, consisting of reconstructed key scenes to help the delusional Hirata Shūichi recall events. The actors were all police personnel, and the subject was Doctor Watanabe.
The first segment opened in Hirata’s company. The camera lingered on his desk for a moment. Then the next scene shifted to the stairwell, where a man and a woman were hugging and pretending to be intimate. The third scene was in the restroom, where two men were smoking and chatting.
“This segment was reconstructed based on witness statements from two of Hirata’s colleagues,” Watanabe explained beside him. “They said that day, Hirata overheard their conversation in the restroom. That might’ve triggered his motive for murder.”
Feng Bu Jue nodded, watching intently. The second segment began immediately—it was the most critical part.
The camera first showed a wide shot of a western mansion at Rokubanchō 4-5, including the garden in front of the house. The second scene was inside the mansion—the spacious foyer and a staircase leading to the second floor. The third scene took place in the room where Feng Bu Jue had seen the yokai. The footage depicted an officer playing Hirata, holding a fake handgun, walking into the room. A female officer portrayed Haruko, lying on the bed. Another actor played the department head. When he saw the armed intruder, he jumped up from the bed, shouting something while circling the bed to grab the gun. Then the actor playing Hirata pretended to shoot him dead.
“This is the general sequence of events,” Watanabe added, glancing at Feng Bu Jue. “Since there were no witnesses… and Hirata-san’s testimony couldn’t be accepted, we had to reconstruct the scene based on forensic evidence.”
“Just to confirm… the victim’s name was…?” Feng Bu Jue asked.
“Shinichiro Fukui,” Commander Tachibana’s gravelly voice rumbled from behind. “Your direct superior at the company.”
The video transitioned to the third segment. This time, the actor playing Hirata approached a passerby, asking for directions.
“Witnesses said that day, Hirata asked her how to get to Sandingmu,” Watanabe interjected. “He seemed calm at first, but suddenly panicked. I believe his mind was already on the verge of collapse—he’d forgotten his own address and was already experiencing hallucinations.”
The next scene showed the actor entering a nagaya and closing the door. Then a police officer crouched to knock.
“The elderly neighbor heard Hirata shouting at night and went to check,” Watanabe continued. “Hirata claimed he hadn’t been yelling at all.” He paused. “But the old woman saw strange shadows through the crack in the door before calling the police.
“When the officers arrived, they found Haruko’s body hanging from the ceiling beam. Hirata was sitting calmly by the table, drinking tea. Inside the nagaya, they also found Officer Yamada’s missing sidearm.”
The video ended, leaving the room in brief silence.
Finally, Commander Tachibana, still standing at the back, broke the tension. “So, Mr. F, are you satisfied now? Tell us Yamada’s whereabouts and confess,” he snapped impatiently. “Or will you play amnesia again and claim to be some Mr. X or Mr. Y?”
Feng Bu Jue ignored him, lost in thought. Five full minutes passed before he finally asked, “What date is it today?”
(End of Chapter)
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