manynovel Page 7
Page 7
Sato Miwako hesitated, then said earnestly, with a look of exhaustion and deep self-doubt, "You've just arrived at our Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, so you might not be very familiar with this Director Ishida."
"He has an excellent reputation in the orphanage; he has been taking care of those children for over ten years..."
"Reputation and appearances are the most dangerous traps in investigations, Sato."
Yuuki Takada's sharp gaze swept across the fleeting street scene outside the window, his tone remaining calm: "I still believe that the surveillance footage doesn't lie."
"The fact that they were there late at night was itself a huge anomaly."
The "Hope Home" welfare home is located on a relatively quiet street and has a clean and simple exterior.
Dean Ishida had been waiting at the door for a long time.
He wore a faded khaki shirt, his hair was neatly combed, and he wore his usual slightly tired but gentle smile.
“Officer Sato, Inspector Takada, welcome to both of you.” Director Ishida’s voice was still hoarse. He bowed slightly and led them into the orphanage, introducing, “Ahori and Ruby are in the activity room. They… have been a little more stable lately.”
He paused, then added, "Please, both of you, be sure to be gentle; they have endured too much suffering."
“We understand, Director Ishida.” Sato Miwako tried to remain calm and said lightly, “Thank you very much for your cooperation.”
The activity room is bright and cozy, filled with toys and picture books.
Mizuno Aya sat in a chair by the window, head down, her fingers unconsciously picking at the loose threads on her pants.
Ruby Mizuno sat close to him, almost huddling her entire small body behind her brother. Her long hair hung down, covering most of her face, revealing only a bit of her pale, sharp chin.
When the police entered, the two children visibly flinched. Ariya subconsciously straightened her back a little, but her shoulders remained tense.
Ruby shrank even further behind her brother, her little hands gripping the hem of his clothes tightly.
Dean Ishida walked over to them and gently patted Aya Hori's shoulder with his large, weathered hand.
"Ariya, Ruby, these two officers are your mother's friends. They'd like to chat with you and ask a few simple questions, is that alright?"
Dean Ishida deliberately spoke in a very soft voice.
Arori didn't look up, but merely nodded her chin very slightly.
Ruby didn't react at all, as if she had completely shut herself off.
Yuki Takada and Miwako Sato sat down on the low stools opposite them, trying to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by the height difference.
Yuki Takada did not ask a question immediately. His gaze slowly swept over the two children and finally landed on Dean Ishida.
"Dean Ishida, thank you for arranging this meeting."
Yuki Takada appeared slightly serious, his expression revealing little emotion, and said, "Regarding Ms. Ai Mizuno, we still have some details to confirm."
"To allow the children to recall the events more easily, and to ensure the accuracy of the records, could you please rest in the next room for a while? After all, some things need to be kept confidential."
"Of course, if you're worried, we can leave the door open."
This is a reasonable and common request, especially when questioning underage witnesses, as the presence of adults can sometimes create pressure.
Dean Ishida's smile froze for a moment, and a very faint sound seemed to escape from his hoarse throat, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded:
"Of course, of course I can understand."
“I’m right outside the door, kids. Don’t be afraid. Answer the officers’ questions properly.”
Dean Ishida patted Aya's shoulder reassuringly again, then turned around, walked out with steady steps, and gently closed the door behind him.
The door wasn't closed properly, leaving a crack.
Only four people remained in the activity room.
The air seemed to freeze, with only Ruby's faint, suppressed breathing.
Yuki Takada's gaze refocused on Aya Ahori's lowered head.
“Ahori…” Yuuki Takada asked softly.
His words carried a peculiar penetrating power, directly reaching the boy's tense nerves.
“I’m Inspector Takada. Aya Hori, I know you’re upset and scared. That’s normal.” He paused, observing that Aya’s fingertips, which were picking at the thread, seemed to be working harder.
"We reviewed the CCTV footage following the death of the deceased, Ai Mizuno."
Yuuki Takada cut straight to the point, but his tone remained calm as he said:
"On the very night after your mother, Ai Mizuno, died, around 3 a.m., the surveillance cameras captured you, Ruby, and Dean Ishida entering the apartment building where you used to live."
"Ahori, can you tell me what the three of you were doing there so late?"
This statement is like a boulder thrown into stagnant water.
Arori suddenly raised her head, her face instantly draining of color, and her previously empty eyes erupted with immense, almost tangible fear!
He instinctively looked toward the doorway, his lips trembling violently, and he made a hissing sound in his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Ruby, who was beside him, let out a whimper like a small animal, and her whole body trembled violently. She almost hid herself completely in her brother's shadow, and her little hands gripping the hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Ahori?" Sato Miwako looked at the child's terrified expression with heartache and couldn't help but soften her voice, "Don't be afraid, tell your sister what happened? Did someone force you to go?"
"No...no!" Ahoria almost screamed, her voice hoarse and broken, filled with desperate denial.
He shook his head violently, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. "We...we didn't go! You've mistaken us! That wasn't us!"
His denial was so vehement and unusual that it ironically confirmed the authenticity of the surveillance footage.
Yuuki Takada kept his eyes fixed on the other person. He was not disrupted by the intense reaction. Instead, he leaned forward a little and locked his gaze on Aya Horia's eyes, which were filled with fear.
"Ahori, are you sure I saw it wrong?"
Chapter 10 Account
"Ahori, are you sure I saw it wrong?"
Yuuki Takada stared intently at the little boy in front of him, his gaze resolute, and asked, "Ahori, are you looking at me?"
"Tell the police officer some things. Don't you want to find out the truth and give your deceased mother some closure?"
"I...I..." Mizuno Aya lowered her head, unsure of what to say, still somewhat hesitant.
Yuuki Takada patted his shoulder gently and said softly, "Don't worry, Uncle only asked you a few questions. Just answer them truthfully."
“That night, the surveillance footage was very clear. You, your sister Ruby Mizuno, and Dean Ishida went back to your home in B-Komachi together.”
"You went in and didn't come out for a long time. Tell me, what did you do in there?"
"And why did you leave the orphanage when you were living there so well? What are you afraid of? Is someone threatening you not to tell?"
Yuuki Takada gradually guided the child in front of him to reveal the truth of the incident.
Mizuno Aya slowly raised her head, looked at Takada Yuuki in front of her, and asked earnestly, "Officer, if I tell you everything, will it really solve the problem?"
“Of course.” Yuuki Takada nodded and assured the little boy in front of him, “So, Aya Hori, come on, tell me why you went home that day?”
"Actually, the reason we went home was because my sister Ruby had a nightmare that night, crying and making a fuss in the orphanage. Director Ishida and I were really at our wits' end with Ruby, so we decided to go home."
As Mizuno Ahori spoke, she turned around and glanced at Ruby behind her.
"...I was rushed to the orphanage by this kind policewoman, and I forgot to take some things with me, so I discussed with Director Ishida that we go home together to get them."
Upon hearing Mizuno Aya's voice, which carried a childlike innocence, she unconsciously suppressed a heavy fear.
"Dreaming?" Yuki Takada keenly caught the seemingly ordinary word.
With a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through the boy's lowered eyelids, Takada Yuuki turned to look at the little girl behind Ahori: "Ruby, what dream did you have? Can you tell Uncle?"
Ariya's shoulders trembled slightly as he quickly glanced at his sister Ruby, who was clutching his clothes tightly behind him.
Ruby froze, her big eyes filled with tears, her little mouth pursed tightly, like a frightened fawn, clinging tightly to her brother Ahoriya, only half of her pale face showing.
“Uncle… I think we should just forget about it,” Ariya said softly. He glanced at his younger sister behind him and said, “Ruby, she’s not feeling well right now. Can we not ask her about these things? Or you can ask me all your questions.”
Yuki Takada's heart sank.
Since their two children were still at the crime scene, Mizuno Ruby most likely witnessed Mizuno Ai's murder, which forced her into her current situation.
I had hoped to get some useful information from Mizuno Ruby, but it seems her condition is quite serious.
Basically, we can't get any important clues out of them.
Yuuki Takada kept his gaze on Aya Mizuno and asked, "Didn't you not answer all the questions I asked you earlier?"
Mizuno Aya took a deep breath, as if to muster all her courage.
He stopped looking at his sister and turned his gaze to Takada Yuuki. His voice, though soft, was much clearer:
“Ruby cried the whole day, she was so scared. She said she dreamed about her mother, and that her mother was calling her from a very dark place, but her mother’s voice sounded very strange, very… painful.”
Ariya's lips trembled slightly as she said, "She also said... that Mom's eyes... are watching us, right here in the room we usually live in."
Yuki Takada's heart clenched.
This child's nightmares are often a projection of their subconscious, especially for children who have experienced significant trauma.
"So, you went back because you wanted to...find something that would put Ruby at ease?"
“Hmm.” Ariya nodded vigorously and said, “Ruby said that her mother’s favorite star blanket is missing, and she can’t go to sleep without hugging that blanket.”
"I was in such a rush to get to the orphanage that day, I really forgot to bring it. And..."
He paused, then lowered his voice slightly, and said:
"Ruby said that in her dream, her mother kept pointing to her white dresser. We...we also want to go back and see if Mom left something for us. But...Ruby misses her mother so much."
"Dean Ishida agreed to take you back?" Yuuki Takada continued to press, his tone carrying a subtle hint of scrutiny.
The director of an orphanage returned to the crime scene late at night with two children, simply because of a nightmare and a blanket?
This doesn't make sense.
"The dean disagreed at first."
Ariya seemed to recall the scene, her brows furrowing as she said, "He said it was the crime scene, the police said we weren't allowed in, and it was too late. But Ruby was crying so hard, we couldn't soothe her, and her voice was almost hoarse from crying."
"Later...then the dean received a phone call. After saying a few words, he suddenly said, 'Okay, let's go and come back quickly, grab the things and leave. We absolutely can't stay any longer.'"
"A phone call?" Yuuki Takada keenly caught this piece of information.
Who called?
What did you say to make Director Ishida change his mind?