Chapter Text
January 4th:
I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I kept thinking about Mom.
I started the day by checking on the computers. It appears the guys are still working on them.
I’m sure they’ll be done… any minute now…
I asked the lab for Akechi’s journal back. They were still being weird, but eventually gave in. I think something weird happened with the fingerprints because the tech looked at me weird when I asked about the results.
Is there something going on that I don’t know about?
I had my morning coffee while I looked through the journal. Like I remembered before, the first page was all dates. 10/15. 11/21. Seemingly no pattern to them at all.
12/15.
That was the date Akechi met with Shido.
I frowned and turned the page. What I saw almost made me choke on the coffee.
“I, Goro Akechi, resident in the City of Tokyo in the country of Japan, being of sound mind, not acting under duress or outside influence, and fully understanding the nature and extent of all my property and of this disposition thereof, do hereby make and declare this document to be my Last Will and Testament. I revoke all other wills, of which I have none.
A funeral will not be necessary. If the body needs to be disposed of, I authorize my Personal Representative to settle the matter at her discretion. I further authorize her to pay out of my estate any taxes payable in respect of the items included.
I nominate and appoint Sae Nijima of Tokyo, Japan as the personal representative of my estate.
I trust she will assure my wishes are adhered to.
To Re”
The will ended abruptly there, with a blacked out section. There was no signature on it.
I turned the page.
Empty.
I flipped through the rest of the book.
At its back was another bit of writing, sloppy and scribbled over.
“Mother, I’m sorry.”
I think that’s what it said. It was hard to read through the scribble. How-
Frowning, I went through the book again. There was nothing else.
I put the book on my desk and took a sip of coffee.
This new information… it raised more questions than answers. Although I thought I knew what the dates finally meant, after visiting the National Diet Building.
They were meeting times, probably all with Shido.
The will, though.
Why didn’t he finish writing it?
Why did he write it in the first place? He must have had a reason.
I picked up the book and looked at the will again. The answer had to be here. He wanted to give something to someone, but he decided not to.
This “Re-“ person, and likely Sae Nijima as well. Who was popping up everywhere as of late.
I reread the will again. My brain stuck on the words “a funeral will not be necessary” and “if the body needs to be disposed of.”
“If,” not “when.” Did he expect there to not be a body?
With this document, I had pretty good grounds for a suicide argument. Not only had Akechi prepared for his death by writing a will, he had outright said there might not be a body in the first place, which is exactly what had happened.
And there were other details that supported it, too. Like the fact Akechi had no friends in school, no one who knew him, except for a coworker. The fact he seemed to live a minimalist life, as if he had no reason to keep living besides his work. He was probably an orphan, and if that alone wasn’t grounds for suicide, the likely sexual abuse was.
But, despite everything, it didn’t ring true to me. I know, I said at the beginning of this report I thought Akechi was dead, and I still do think he is.
But… suicide? And at the height of his popularity? Unless he had a nervous breakdown, it didn’t make sense. And what’s more…
I couldn’t ignore the fact that Akechi seemed involved with some very dangerous and powerful people. People who likely wanted to hurt him, for whatever reason.
Now, I know, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Oh, Gombei, you’ve read too much detective fiction. Not everything is a sensational murder case!’
But… I just think something smells here. Something that is my responsibility to investigate.
The note at the back... it addressed his mother. But if Akechi was an orphan…
Ah. More evidence for the suicide argument, then.
I flipped through the book again, just to be sure. I always investigate things thoroughly. I noticed something weird about some of the pages, though- it looked like some of the pages had been torn out.
I thought back to how the lab people acted when they handed me the journal… did they - ?
Well, it was probably nothing.
After locking up the book again, I tried to get the department to let me see Shido, or at least some of the evidence they collected for his case.
No dice. That new director in charge of the SIU just smiled at me and said lots of words that ultimately meant nothing.
So I decided to investigate the Jazz Jin today. It’s somewhere that Sae Nijima wrote down for me AND somewhere that was mentioned in Akechi’s receipts.
When I got to Kichijoji, I found out that the Jazz Jin actually doesn’t open until evening. That was… kind of my fault for not checking beforehand.
I headed out for the TV station, hoping I could catch Shinichi Yoshizawa in between sets. To be honest, I was surprised he was never interviewed after the initial response to the report. He was, after all, seemingly the only one who cared enough about Akechi to file a missing persons report.
I told the receptionist I needed to see Yoshizawa about some important business. He asked if I had made an appointment. I said yes. He then asked for my name. I proceeded to run for the elevator.
Luckily, there was a legend in the elevator that told me where the offices were. Once I reached the right floor, I wandered around a bit until I found the door to Yoshizawa’s office. Then I knocked.
I waited for a few minutes. I didn’t want to be rude. After looking around, I grabbed the doorknob-
“Can I help you?”
I spun around like a top to face the man. Shinichi Yoshizawa, with a winning smile on his face, like he was greeting an old friend. Which wasn’t too far off, because we had in fact seen each other before.
“Good morning, Mr. Yoshizawa! If you remember me, I’m Gombei Nanashi, the detective on the Goro Akechi case.”
“Ah, so that’s why I recognize you!” The man gave a hearty chuckle. “Sorry, I just see so many faces every day it’s hard to keep them straight!”
I laughed along even though I felt that was a bit insulting. “Yes, I had some more follow-up questions about Akechi, if you have the time to talk.”
“You’re in luck, Mr. Nanashi. We’ve just wrapped filming the Good Morning Japan section for tomorrow, so I’ve got time.”
He walked around me a bit awkwardly and opened the door to his office. He definitely saw me try to get in.
Once inside, we sat down opposite each other, like in the interrogation rooms back at the station.
A shiver went down my spine. I cleared my throat.
“Mr. Yoshizawa. I’ve gathered some information about Akechi that I’d like... clarification on.”
“Of course.” Despite his open appearance, Yoshizawa looked kind of tense.
Maybe that Good Morning Japan special didn’t go so well. Or maybe…
“I know you said your daughter knew Akechi. Do you know how the two met?”
“Oh, I think she probably knows the story better than I do,” Yoshizawa deflected. “But, I believe their first official meeting was here, in the TV station. At least, that’s around the time I remember seeing them together.”
I frowned. Maybe it was worth contacting Yoshizawa’s daughter again for more information.
“How long has Akechi worked in entertainment, do you know?”
At this question he sat back in his chair and thought for a moment, pushing up his glasses.
“Akechi… The first time I remember working with him was about a year ago. That was just about the same time as his TV debut- I’m pretty sure he wasn’t a family name until then. But he had been gaining a pretty big following on social media beforehand. That’s part of the reason we actually reached out and contacted him. That and his impressive detective record.”
“Right. The Detective Prince, that was his title?”
“The second coming, actually, but close enough. The first Detective Prince retired a while ago.”
“Who gave him that title?”
Yoshizawa laughed. “Well, I’m not sure, actually. It could have actually been one of our reporters, because I don’t remember it before last year. Are you curious about Akechi’s role as a celebrity?”
I paused as I thought about what I wanted to say. “You know, children in the entertainment industry often get taken advantage of.”
That… was not what I wanted to say.
Suddenly, Yoshizawa looked very serious. “You’re absolutely right. Child exploitation in the entertainment industry is a huge issue, even today. One that the TV station is taking every effort to avoid. Most of our content doesn’t even include children, and when it does, we have extensive protections in place for them, as well as places where their parents can supervise.”
Yoshizawa paused and fidgeted with his glasses.
“If I may ask, how does this relate to Akechi?”
I frowned, confused. I thought it was obvious? “He… he’s 18, correct?”
“Akechi may be 18, but he has shown surprising maturity for his age. He handles everything himself, all the preparations and scheduling, without even requiring an agent. In fact, I’d say he’s more capable than many adults out there.” Yoshizawa gave another smile, but it felt forced.
“Okay, but have you seen any weird behaviors around? Like, creepy-”
“I would fire any offending employee on the spot. Mr. Nanashi, what does this have to do with the Akechi disappearance case?”
I stopped and considered my options. Yoshizawa seemed defensive about this topic, for either understandable or suspicious reasons. If I told him about my suspicions, would he understand and help me? Or would he see me as out to get him?
I bowed my head. “Thank you, Mr. Yoshizawa. You’ve been very helpful.” Not.
He smiled. “It’s always a pleasure to work with those who uphold justice here in Tokyo.”
Well, that was a waste of time More information is always a good thing, even when it feels like time was wasted.
I passed the receptionist as I walked out of the station. He glared at me. (Law against glaring at officers?)
After the TV station visit, I thought again about contacting Yoshizawa’s daughter. Maybe she would be willing to tell me what Yoshizawa wouldn’t.
I sent her a text, asking if she’d be willing to talk at the Jazz Jin tonight. It made me feel kind of weird, texting a child like that, as if we were going out on a date- especially considering the kind of things I wanted to ask her about. But I think I had a pretty good reason to not want to go through her father in order to speak to her.
I expected her to say no instantly. Instead, I got an almost instant affirmative.
Now I had two objectives for the evening: Investigate the Jazz Jin and find out more about Akechi’s possible exploitation. With any luck, it would lead me to the people who he seemed to be in danger from.
Update:
The Jazz Jin club finally opened up around 7 PM. I had to pay an entrance fee.- was Akechi rich or something? Maybe that was another lead, where he was getting his money.
The bouncer was kind of intimidating- I went in and approached the bar, hoping to get some information before Kasumi arrived.
This place was totally different from Akechi’s apartment, and totally different from any of the other places I’d been investigating. Not cold and empty- warm and vibrant and full of life and comfort. It was like the room wrapped you up in a thick blanket and told you everything was going to be alright.
True to its name, jazz music was already playing on the overhead speakers. I never really listened to jazz before, but I think I might like it.
At the bar was a youngish man wearing a fedora and glasses, despite the fact it was pretty dim already in the club.
“H-“ I began.
“I haven’t seen you around before. You new here?” The man interrupted at the same time, leaning across the counter.
“Um- yes,” I answered, a bit startled. “Yes, I’m new. I was, uh, wondering-”
“Well, welcome in! My name’s Muhen, what can I get you?” The man interrupted again.
“Um-“ I looked at the menu. The cocktails did look pretty good, so I ordered one to placate him.
Muhen got right to work making the cocktail.
“So, Mr. Muhen.”
“Just ‘Muhen’ is fine.”
“Muhen. Right. I’m a detective investigating a case and I was wondering if you knew anyone by the name of Goro Akechi?”
As he poured pineapple juice into a metal container, Muhen raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What kind of case brings you here?”
“Well, Akechi’s… disappeared,” I said, not wanting to reveal too much about the case. Not that I’d learned much.
At that, Muhen hummed. “Disappeared? How could a celebrity disappear?” He poured some soda water into the shaker.
I shook my head. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” It could be suicide, murder, or even just an escape from a past identity- I didn’t say any of that, but I thought it.
“Okay,” Muhen said. He added some syrups and things to the shaker. “Well, Mr. Akechi did come here pretty often. You know, I didn’t recognize him when he first came here, because he looked… well, people look different offstage.”
“How so?” I asked.
“Tired. More… normal. He didn’t have that spark.”
I hummed, not really getting it. “So, when did you last see Akechi?”
“Had to have been… three weeks ago maybe? He always comes to see the live singer.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You have live music here?”
Muhen nodded. “Of course. You should come back when we have a performance; it’s worth it.”
I opened up my journal to take notes. “So Akechi was a fan of jazz music, then?”
“I assume so,” Muhen responded. He shook the cocktail. “He didn’t really talk much. He would just come in and sit at one of those tables, over there. He’d order a drink and watch the performance. Sometimes he’d be writing something, but usually he would watch. A lot more respectful than some of our patrons, I’ll have you know.”
“Alcoholic?”
“The drinks? No, Akechi is underage. They were all mocktails.” Muhen paused for a second as he prepared to pour the mix into a glass. “Actually, it’s funny. One of his favorites was the one you ordered.”
So it was likely the wine was a gift, then. I took the drink.
“And he always came here alone?”
Muhen paused at this. “It’s funny you say that, too. He came alone for most of the year. And I mean religiously, almost every week, sometimes every other day. But during the summer, he started bringing this other kid here. The only other kid I’ve ever seen with him. Probably a close friend or… something like that. I assume he doesn’t have many, what with the job.”
My eyes widened. Another kid. A close friend.
“Did she have red hair?” I asked.
Muhen shook his head. “Nah, it was a guy with dark hair. And that kid actually started coming here a lot recently, with some other people.”
He laughed. “Maybe he’ll come here tonight, and you can ask him your questions instead.”
Another friend.
Akechi had… another friend? How did no one know about this?
I left my tab open and went to a table to sit down.
The drink was… good. Pretty sour, but good.
After a few minutes, Kasumi Yoshizawa walked in. Her ponytail and outfit looked neat and tidy, but her expression seemed… a bit off. That smile I had noticed the first time we met was back.
I waved her over. She spotted me and smiled brightly, then moved to join me.
“Wow, I’ve never been to this place before!” She remarked as she sat down. “This is amazing!”
That… hadn’t been the attitude I was expecting.
“Thanks for coming, Miss Yoshizawa,” I said. “I asked around a bit, and it sounds like Akechi came here alone a lot during the past year, but also started bringing a friend along.”
“Akechi,” Kasumi said, trailing off. Her eyes clouded over. “You wanted to talk about him, right? Um, can I ask why you didn’t just interview me at my house like last time?”
I stirred my drink. “Before we start, do you want me to get you anything?”
“Um, just water is fine,” her expression dropped a little. “How long… How long is this going to take?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t just come to your house, but-" How did I put this? “I talked to your father earlier, and what he said gave me some cause for concern.”
Kasumi frowned. “Concern? About what?”
Here it came. I took a deep breath. “Do you- Are you familiar with- um, sometimes the entertainment industry can be kind of… exploitive, especially for children.”
Her frown deepened. “How does this relate to my father?”
“Well, when I asked him if he had seen anything like that at the TV studio, he shut me down. And I… I do understand why he would be touchy about that. I wasn’t trying to accuse him of anything, I was just asking for the investigation.”
Kasumi’s face didn’t change. Then, she closed her eyes and sighed.
“I know, it’s a heavy topic. But… that’s part of why I didn’t feel comfortable going though your father for this.”
“I understand,” she said. “But… does this mean you think Akechi was being…”
I pursed my lips for a second. “I found some evidence in his apartment. I think he might have been having… inappropriate relationships with powerful older people.” Should I name names?
“So… you think he was groomed?” Kasumi asked. I blanched.
“Uh, well…. I didn’t say that, exactly…”
“It’s what you were getting at, right?” She responded. “A powerful older person… whatever the relationship entails, sexual or no, he would have been groomed for some purpose. There’s no other reason to form the relationship at all.”
Her deduction surprised me. “Uh.. yes, you’re right. You’re absolutely right.” I wrote down her observation. She could make a good detective one day.
Kasumi paused, as if weighing what to day. “I… I thought my father…. Well, I’m sorry he wasn’t
exactly forthcoming with anything. He… he’s been under a lot of stress, lately…”
She trailed off, eyes glazing over, and I could tell I was losing her.
“Miss Yoshizawa, can you tell me about how you and Akechi met?” I asked in a hurry.
Her eyes widened. That appeared to snap her out of it.
“Um, yes! We.. We met at the TV station. It was about a year ago…” She shook her head. “A year ago. I was there, with…” She took a deep breath. “My younger sister. Sumire.”
“Ah,” I breathed.
She took a moment before beginning again.
“We were there to promote a gymnastics exhibition later on in the year. We weren’t anything like Akechi, of course, but in that community, we were… moderately well-known. And, of course, when your dad runs a TV station,” She trailed off into laughter, then frowned. “We were always together, always doing the same things.”
“And I feel like Sumire hated me, because I was a better gymnast than her.”
The words hung in the air. The music played on.
“Sorry, I got off topic there, haha,” Kasumi laughed. “Anyways, Akechi was doing one of his first interviews for Good Morning, Japan, on that same day. So… we just bumped into him backstage. He seemed… a bit nervous, but when he saw us, it was like a switch flipped. His face turned into… a happy mask, almost.”
“A happy mask?”
“Yes, like the one he wears on TV,” Kasumi nodded.
I frowned. “What kind of things did you talk about?”
Kasumi looked down at her hands, her posture faltering. “Um.. well, I don’t remember much about that. I think he asked us how we were, you know, that kind of thing. We told him not to stress too much, talked a little about school. “
I noted the important parts. “So, you didn’t see any signs of abuse going on or… anything?”
She shook her head. “No, although it was kind of weird to see someone our own age at the station. I pretty much told you all of this already, huh?” She forced a laugh, not big enough to span the awkwardness.
It looked like this train of thought was going nowhere. I considered some of my other theories.
“Did Akechi ever talk about being in danger?”
Her head snapped up. “Danger?”
“Yes, like, of physical violence, or something like that?”
She looked down, thinking again. “Not really. But… what with his government job… and what with the mask he kept up… He did seem to be in the middle of something very serious. It would make sense if it was dangerous as well.”
She sat still for a moment. “Do you- do you think he’s alive? Akechi, I mean?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. But she shook her head and answered herself.
“I.. I think he is. He’s more than capable. He’s strong, and really smart. There’s no way…”
There’s no way he’s really gone.”
I cleared my throat. “Miss Yoshizawa, please think hard. Can you tell me anything else about Akechi that might help me find out where he is?”
She looked up. “I’ve told you pretty much everything I can remember… and my memory has gotten pretty hazy lately. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. You should ask R-”
Her mouth snapped shut. She looked to the side, trying to hide the fear on her face. “Um, nothing. That was…. I was thinking of something else.”
I wanted to believe Kasumi.
But what if this R- was the same as the Re- in Akechi’s will?
I looked down. “You know, I’m trying to do everything for Akechi’s case. If we don’t have all the information, we may never be able to locate him. So if you know anything, anything at all…”
She stayed quiet for a moment, a war in her eyes.
Then she spoke.
“Akechi… I really want him to be safe. I really want him to still be here.”
She sighed a long, deep sigh.
“I… can’t tell you this. It would be a betrayal, so I can’t tell you who it is. But Akechi had… another good friend. He might have been the only one who really knew him. “
This confused me. “Why would it be a betrayal to tell me Akechi’s friend’s name?”
She looked me in the eye, and I could see her hesitance, and her determination. “He’s already in danger, too.”
She had to get home pretty soon after that, and I couldn’t think of a way to convince her to tell me his name.
I ordered another drink.
And then another. What was the point, anyways
?
Current Leads:
SIU, Jiyu High School, Kasumi Yoshizawa, National Diet Building, Leblanc Cafe, Jazz Jin, Apartment License Plate, Masayoshi Shido, Yoshizawa, “Re”, Sae Nijima