Cursed Bloodline
The prefectural police at the branch office concluded that Sousuke committed suicide and was about to end the investigation.
The body was taken to the Sengatake Village Clinic, where a judicial autopsy was performed by Reiko, the village doctor.
"This incident in which Sousuke-san hanged himself... The prefectural police who came from outside are planning to dismiss it as nothing serious."
"Reiko-san. When did Sousuke-san die?"
"The estimated time of death is the night of March 3rd. I'm not an expert in the field of forensic medicine, so I can only give you a rough idea. The cause of death was suffocation due to neck compression."
"I don't think the estimated time of death is correct. I met Sousuke-san at Oni Tengu Shrine at 16 o'clock. We talked for about 30 minutes. It takes 40 minutes to get down the mountain. So... I think he had time to get back to the Isaka family.''
"It is said that the last time Sousuke was seen alive was at dinner at the Isaka family. There was a wood ear mushroom that was served at the Isaka family’s dinner in his stomach. It is proof that he's still alive until 20 o'clock."
"After 20 o'clock, Sousuke-san slipped out of the Isaka family and headed to the [detached building] where Mother was, right?"
Yukiko's care is taken care of by the employees at the Sakuradani-kan. It is said that Ran is often on duty as she takes care of all the miscellaneous duties at the inn. However, on March 3rd, Sayuri was in charge.
Ran was so absorbed in entertaining Ayumu until nightfall that she neglected other tasks. She always went to check on Yukiko after dinner, but she didn't have time for that on that day.
(It was 20 o'clock when Sayuri-san locked the door of the [detached building]. After finishing her work at the inn, she worked up a sweat in the women's bath with Ran and the other employees.)
There is no duplicate key for the outside lock. While she was taking a bath, she left the keys in a woven basket in the changing room. Anyone can steal it if they want to. Sayuri said that this was the only time she took her eyes off the key. When she got out of the bath, she found the key in the net basket containing Sayuri's clothes.
(It's strange after all... The police are turning a blind eye to the inconvenient fact. Even if Sousuke-san commits suicide, there is no way to break into the [detached building].)
Sayuri testified that she locked the front door. But she also said she did not check to see if any other entrances, windows, or back doors were locked.
The police created a forced story that said, [There was an open back door or window, and Sousuke snuck in through there, created a locked room, and then committed suicide]. Naturally, Hinami couldn't stomach it.
(It's too convenient. The window and back door just happened to be open...)
The police are trying to rule it out as suicide and denying the possibility of murder.
(Sousuke-san was killed. But how could he be strangled to death in a locked room...? It would be impossible for a woman to do it. Even a man would have to lift Sousuke-san, who weighs 70 kilograms.)
The police interview took place in the hall of Sakuradani-kan. Hinami, who was present, heard the testimony of several people.
She organizes the information and thinks about it.
Assuming Sousuke's death was a homicide, the culprit was someone who was able to break into the [detached building]. She doesn't think that a back door or a window was conveniently open.
(The key to the outside lock can only be stolen from 10 pm to 11 pm, when Sayuri-san was taking a bath. It would be easy to just steal the key. But if you consider the time to put it back, it is difficult to commit the crime. It's not always that Sayuri takes a long bath...)
After completing all the work, the employee put the key in the safe. The time was 23:30. The next time they will use the key will be the next day, March 4th. When Ran was on duty around 7 o'clock, she took the key out of the safe.
(The outside key can be stolen from 23:30 on March 3rd until around 6:00 the next day. The culprit used the key to the outside lock to break into the [detached building], lured Sousuke-san out, and killed him...?)
It is also possible that the culprit killed Sousuke somewhere else and brought Sousuke's corpse to the [detached building]. However, to break in, you absolutely need a key.
(Even if we solve the problem of the outside lock, the mystery remains. How did the culprit create the locked room after killing Sousuke-san...?)
The inner lock of the [detached building] was not the type that you will turn in a keyhole. You have to be inside to lock it. When Sousuke's hanging body was found, the [detached building] was a perfect locked room.
(The gardener said he tried to open the front door with all his might, but he couldn't open it. If the inside lock was locked, it would be impossible to get in and out from the front door...)
Many people have confirmed this. This is consistent with the testimonies of the employees at the inn, the village doctor Reiko, and the gardener. If the [detached building] does not have a secret entrance or exit, there will be no way to escape from the locked room after the crime has been committed. It was truly an impossible crime.
"There was something more I wanted to ask Sousuke-san..."
"Hinami-chan was summoned by Sousuke-san, right? What exactly did he say?"
"I was warned to go back to school in Tokyo."
"How was Sousuke-san at that time?"
"It didn't feel like he was suicidal. It was more like he was trying to confront something. But I also feel like he was hiding something from me..."
Hinami remembered Sousuke's words. Saemon's will is hidden somewhere in Sakuradani-kan. A letter addressed to his daughter, Hinami. What is written there?
"Did you tell the police about that?"
"Yes, I told them everything. However, I didn’t feel like the prefectural police were really listening... They told me to treat it more mildly, considering that it is more of a trespassing charge than that."
"Trespassing..."
"This is about Sousuke-san entering the [detached building] without permission."
"Ah. I see. If you hang yourself in someone else's house, it's certainly trespassing. They're making it into a property damage without permission."
"I think the Isaka family asked me to not file a criminal complaint since Sosuke-san is dead.... They clearly asked me not to do it, because it would only increase the trouble."
"It's more of a hassle than trouble. Even though his son is dead, the village chief, Taisuke-san, is also missing. Now that the village chief has disappeared, Sengatake Village is in a state of chaos."
"What do you think about this situation, Reiko-san? Why are the prefectural police so recalcitrant...? One person died under suspicious circumstances, and one person disappeared. Even though we are in such a situation, they say they will end the investigation tomorrow and go back. Isn’t that strange?”
"The prefectural police don't want anything to do with Sengatake Village. Two years ago, Adashino-san committed suicide with a pistol. It is a scandal that would be published in the national newspapers. A police officer suspected of colluding with the Yakuza... He committed suicide. But the people of the village helped to cover it up."
"Sousuke-san said that Adashino-san was falsely accused.''
"That’s right… I also felt very uncomfortable about that suicide. If Adashino-san were a police officer who was allied with the yakuza, would he commit suicide? That’s why I thought about it. Maybe the people of Senganake Village killed Adashino-san."
"The people of the village to Adashino-san? No way, the whole village...!? Would they go that far? Well, Adashino-san seemed to fit in well for someone who came from a different place."
"Ever since Hinami-chan left the village, Adashino-san has been arguing with the Isaka family. Or more accurately, with the village chief, Taisuke-san. He is correcting the mistakes of Sengatake Village..."
"Now that I think about it, Sousuke-san said something similar. Adashino-san was trying to correct the bad habits of Sengatake Village... Does Reiko-san know about that bad habit?"
"No. I'm not from this village either, so I don't know the details. There are traditional ceremonies... But I was a little surprised. The Sakuradani family is the oldest family in Sengatake Village, right? Even the daughter, Hinami-chan, doesn't know about the customs of the village, right?"
"Yes. I haven't heard anything from my parents."
"...I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but while I was treating the people of Sengatake Village, I realized something. In this case, I investigated Sousuke's body. I'm convinced. It's against the doctor's duty of confidentiality, but... Will Hinami-chan keep it a secret?"
"Yes, of course. What is the fact that Reiko-san noticed?"
"Village chief Taisuke Isaka. He was seriously injured by a lawn mower a year ago. The bleeding was so severe that I considered a blood transfusion. When I checked his blood type, it was type O. However, his son, Sousuke, is blood type B."
"I know that blood type is determined by genetics. But if the mother is type B or AB..."
"Taisuke's wife, who gave birth to Sousuke-san. Akari-san is type O."
Hinami knew. Because Saemon and Yukiko's blood type is also O type. Their daughter, Hinami, is blood type O. This is because couples with blood type O can only produce children with blood type O.
"...! But the laws of genetics...!!"
"Yes. The child of Taisuke-san and Akari-san will be blood type O. In fact, Ayane, who was born as Isaka's youngest daughter, was blood type O, just like her parents. However, Sosuke-san is the only sibling in the Isaka family who, for some reason, was born with type B, which is not genetically possible for the parents he was born with."
"That's... Then, Sousuke-san is...!!"
"He's probably not Taisuke-san's biological child. His mother is supposed to be Akari-san, so his real father must be blood type B or AB."
"So, Akari-san gave birth to a child out of marriage..."
They knew each other. The Sakuradani family was opposed to the Isaka family, but they were both influential people in Sengatake Village. They would meet whether they liked it or not.
Akari is an old woman and has a haggard atmosphere. Hinami got the impression that she was always exhausted. However, her features were well-defined, and one would think that she was a beautiful woman when she was younger.
"It's rare, but it's also a common story. Especially when you're a doctor, you often hear about people giving birth to illegitimate children. But in Sengatake Village, it's a little too common."
"Too common? What do you mean?"
"It's not just the Isaka family. There are parents and children who are suspiciously related by blood that I treated. No matter how you look at it, it's strange. It might have something to do with the bad habits of Sengatake Village."
"...Like having a child outside of a married couple... that's the bad habit...?"
"It's very likely. The Isaka family is the head of the household. Akari-san is a woman who can't hold a candle to her husband, Taisuke-san. I can understand the relationship between them just by looking at her. Would a woman like that give birth to the eldest son of the Isaka family through cheating or infidelity?"
"I can't believe it...! Are you saying that Taisuke-san consented to it... giving birth to someone else's child?"
"Sengatake Village is a small village. It's a closed environment, so if you hide it from outsiders, you won't be criticized by the public. But if you compare it to modern ethics, it's abnormal.''
The prefectural police may be vaguely aware of the abnormality in Sengatake Village. That's why even when a strange incident occurs, they don't get too deep into it and try to wrap things up quickly.
"And one more thing. There's something I need to say about Yukiko-san."
"Is Mother in bad condition?"
"No. Her condition is stable, but we still don't know when she will wake up. However, Ran-chan noticed this while wiping Yukiko-san's body after the incident. Semen was leaking into her v*gina. There were signs that she was raped."
"Semen...!"
"It looks like she was s*xually assaulted while she was sleeping. Should we tell the police? Judging from last night's situation, Sousuke-san was the one who assaulted Yukiko-san..."
"...!! Reiko-san, could you please keep this matter a secret? It's not like I'm concerned about Mother's appearance, but... I can't believe that Sousuke-san raped Mother while she was sleeping... but if we told the police that...''
Dead people can't explain themselves. The police will conclude that Sousuke raped Yukiko.
"Does Hinami-chan believe in the will that Saemon-san wrote? That's why you're trying to protect Sousuke-san."
"Yes... I don't know what's going on right now. But I believe in that letter. There is no doubt that it was written in Father's hand. If Father believes in Sousuke-san, then......!"
Hinami remembered what Sousuke was about to say. [Yukiko has another unwanted pregnancy...].
And how Saemon and Sousuke, who were best friends, had a falling out. The reason why Yukiko, who was a kind-hearted woman, strongly rejects Sousuke. In Sengatake Village, there are parents and children who are not related by blood.
(Maybe that's what it means? That's why Sousuke-san was trying to help me...?)
Although the situation was grim, on the verge of death, Saemon, who was in a predicament, asked Sousuke for help, who went outside.
"Reiko-san. Sousuke-san is blood type B, right?"
Hinami comes to think of a certain possibility.
"Yeah. The test results were from a clinic's test kit, so the accuracy isn't all that great. Sousuke-san was blood type B."
"Do you still have a test kit for that blood type?"
"I'm sorry. I used up the last one. But why all of a sudden?"
"I think I'm type O because Father and Mother are type O. But maybe... Is there a way to find out my blood type right away?"
"Hinami-chan gave birth at a clinic in Sengatake Village, right? If only the doctor in charge at the time had left a medical record… Ah! Maybe a birth certificate would be better than that! Or maybe a maternal and child record book! I’m sure. It should have your blood type written down."
"I'll look for it. It might be in Mother's room. Um... Reiko-san... If the father is blood type B and the mother is blood type O, the child that would be born would be..."
"The child is type O or type B. However, based on the Japanese genotype ratio, there is a slightly higher chance of being type B. That's right. If Hinami-chan wants to investigate, I will fully cooperate with you. I'll order a blood type test kit."
The prefectural police investigation ended on March 7th.
Sousuke's death was suicide. Because the crime scene was a completely locked room, it was determined that there was no possibility of a murder.
Sousuke's body, which had been kept at a clinic, was taken over by his family, but the village chief, Taisuke, was still missing. Sousuke's funeral was held only by his close relatives.
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[Introduction of characters]
▼ Yukiko Sakuradani
The young proprietress of Sakuradani-kan, a long-established hot spring inn.
She lost her husband and became a widow. She is raped by someone from Sengatake Village and she becomes pregnant.
Blood type is O.
▼ Saemon Sakuradani (deceased)
Yukiko's late husband. Burn to death in a fire. He has a severed relationship with Sousuke.
Blood type is O.
▼ Hinami Sakuradani
Yukiko and Saemon's only daughter. She left Sengatake Village and entered a girls' school in Tokyo. Until recently, she was studying abroad.
She reunites with her mother for the first time in two years and is told that she is pregnant.
▼ Sousuke Isaka (deceased)
The prodigal son of the Isaka family, who monopolizes the position of village chief in Sengatake Village.
He was an old friend of Yukiko and Saemon, but they had a rift over a certain incident and their relationship became strained.
He takes out [Saemon's will] and claims that he got Yukiko pregnant.
Blood type is B.
▼ Koshiro Himura
A bank employee at Yamatoku Mujin Bank. An obese, ugly middle-aged man.
Although he is the exclusive representative of the Sakuradani family, he was despised by Saemon when he was alive.
He brings out [Yukiko's love letter] and claims that he got her pregnant.
▼ Motonobu Matsudaira
Self-proclaimed novelist. A guest staying at Sakuradani-kan for a long time.
He claims that Yukiko approached him and they had a physical relationship.
▼ Misaki Reiko
A female doctor who works at a clinic in Sengatake Village. She diagnoses that Yukiko is pregnant.
▼ Ran
An apprentice who works at Sakuradani-kan. She is a twelve-year-old girl, but she does not go to school.
▼ Yoshiharu Sakuradani (deceased)
Yukiko's father. He doted on his granddaughter, Hinami. He trusted Koshiro and valued him.
He and the Isaka family are bitter enemies. He opposed the plan of a ski resort.
▼ Taisuke Isaka
The village chief of Sengatake Village. His son is Sousuke.
He has been at odds with the Sakuradani family for several decades over a plan to build a ski resort.
He has a grudge against the Sakuradani family, the large landowners who are hindering the development of the village.
Blood type is O. After Sousuke's death, he went missing.
▼ Akari Isaka
She was Taisuke's wife and Sousuke’s mother. She was old, but she was beautiful when she was young.
▼ Ayane Isaka
She was the youngest daughter of the Isaka family. A beautiful fourteen-year-old girl.
▼ Ayumu Higashiyama
A police officer stationed in Sengatake Village. He is a beautiful young man with fair skin and an androgynous face.
Although he keeps his distance from the people in the village, he is liked by Ran.
▼ Adashino (deceased)
Former police officer. He was familiar with Sengatake Village, but committed suicide with a pistol two years ago.
There is a rumor that he was guiding the Hokuwakai, but the Isaka family is the one spreading the rumors.
Due to the bad habits of Sengatake Village, Adashino, who has a strong sense of justice, was arguing with the Isaka family.
[Records of Sengatake Village]
▽ 1966
Winter: Grandfather Yoshiharu Sakuradani dies of illness
▽ 1974
One day in April: Hinami enters a girls' school in Tokyo and leaves Sengatake Village.
July 7th: Saemon was burned to death in a fire.
July 8th: Adashino's corpse is found at the police post.
August 24th: Saemon's 49th memorial service, rape photo taken of Yukiko
Late August: Yukiko's emotions become disturbed and she begins to kick out the old employees.
▽ 1975
A certain day in July: Sousuke returns to Sengatake Village.
A certain day in September: Yukiko becomes pregnant by the rape demon's seed (♥︎)
September 25th: Yukiko and Koshiro's marriage registration is submitted(?)
▽ 1976
February 24th: Hinami returns home and is told that her mother, Yukiko, is pregnant.
February 25th: Influential people from Sengatake Village gather for discussion.
March 3rd: Handwriting analysis results arrive from Tokyo.
Sousuke calls Hinami to Oni Tengu Shrine.
March 4th: Sousuke hangs himself in a closed building ☠️
The village chief, Taisuke, goes missing.
March 7th: The prefectural police cut off the investigation.
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