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We are driving towards the village where my senior disappeared. Yesterday, I received a call from his niece Hana… Diya-san and visited the Sakurazaka household again to see the envelope and hear more details.
Our senior always seems to stick his nose into trouble and complicate matters, but this time we can’t just sit back and relax. He has gone missing and is not responding to any communication. His message was also ambiguous – he mentioned being monitored by the villagers and even being bugged by the innkeepers.”
“I wonder what could be in that village. From what I could gather, it’s a depopulated village with an aging population. The young people have moved to the cities, and only a few people make a living from farming.
I couldn’t find any suspicious points to speak of.
“What the hell did you do this time senior?” I muttered to myself, but my words slipped out aloud.
“It’s worrying, isn’t it?”
A comforting voice came from the passenger seat. It was Jin Sakurazaka, who had offered to accompany me to the village.
“Well, I suppose. But don’t worry, he’s a person with a stronger vitality than a cockroach.”
“Diya said something similar,” he replied.
Jin smiled as he spoke.
Normally, involving others in such dangerous situations was strictly prohibited, but the circumstances this time were different.
I tried to remain calm, but I couldn’t shake off my anxiety. I wouldn’t usually do something like this, such as meeting with a client at night without an appointment, or discussing their case without caution.
If our senior found out, he would surely be angry. But I couldn’t stay calm! If something happened to our senior…I had to do something, anything.
Having a local resident who used to live in the village with us would undoubtedly be helpful in our search. But why did he agree to come with me? I had told him that we were investigating him under our client, Diya-san’s request.
As we were searching for personal information, there was no obligation for Sakurazaka-san to help us.
The only thing that comes to mind is Diya-san’s existence.
She had thrown a tantrum about wanting to come with us, but surprisingly gave in obediently at Sakurazaka-san’s words.
“I’ll go in your place. In exchange, please proceed with the DIY project. Don’t worry, safety is guaranteed until April 1st.”
“What does that mean?”
He confidently asserted it, but there is no evidence to support it.
Despite this, Diya-san, who is strong-willed like our senior, easily acquiesced.
And the woman who was with her――her sister Yae was not enthusiastic about it, but reluctantly acknowledged it after hearing that statement.
The report mentioned that there was a tendency to be overprotective and dependent on her younger brother.
I wonder if there is something trustworthy about him?
From what can be seen on his clothes, he seems to have some muscles throughout his body. Maybe he has learned martial arts and has a considerable strength?
“What’s wrong?”
“Sorry, just thinking.”
I was staring at him and he became suspicious. I need to change the subject.
“But are you sure it’s okay? I don’t know what might happen.”
The information is insufficient, making it difficult to make a judgment, but the senior felt a sense of danger. That’s why he told you to contact me.
He used a fake name instead of his real name and sent the message to the Sakurazaka family instead of our office, most likely as a precaution.
There was a reason for using a written letter. If they had used email or other electronic communication, the data on who sent it would be stored. Even if they deleted the history themselves, there are ways to recover it.
As private detectives, we can easily come up with such means. We have done data recovery several times during infidelity investigations.
If it turns out that it was all groundless, then a simple correction could be made later.
“Yes, I am prepared.”
“Do you really need to be that tense? I think everything will be okay.”
Although I spoke those words, I did not truly believe in them. Something was different this time.
An indescribable sense of unease weighed heavily on me.
I had been dragged into my senior’s troublesome affairs countless times before, but I had never felt like this.
The man sitting next to me was the person we had been investigating for my senior.
Our client was Diya, my senior’s niece.
The situation was already complicated enough, but now senior and Iwaro were missing, making things even more uncertain.
I have confirmed all the details of the request and investigation.
When I asked if there were any mistakes in the description he replied with a simple “no.”
Did he know something about this incident? From his behavior and words, it didn’t seem likely.
There were too many unknowns, too many things I couldn’t understand. Without enough information, I couldn’t even begin to speculate.
While I was lost in thought, I realized that my silence might cause Sakurazaka-san to worry.
“I’m sorry. Isn’t it awkward to go on a drive with someone you just met?”
If I were in his position, I would feel uncomfortable too.
“No, it’s totally fine. You’re someone that my sister trusted,” he replied.
“Trusted?” I asked, although he didn’t look me in the eye.
“My sister has a good eye for people. She has seen many people before,” he said.
I had looked into the past of the Sakurazaka siblings. With the experiences they had gone through during their formative years, it wouldn’t be surprising if they had become wary of others.
“I’m glad if you trusted me,” I replied.
Given my profession, I would normally advise against trusting strangers too easily, but I didn’t want to make him become wary of me unnecessarily.
“By the way, what with that backpack?” I asked, changing the subject.
He was wearing a thick hoodie with a hood, jeans, and sturdy-looking boots. He had a black backpack with him.
“Just in case, I’ve packed some outdoor gear that might come in handy for hiking or something. There are also emergency rations and self-defense weapons inside,” he said.
He showed me a quick glimpse of the contents, revealing a collapsible baton.
“That’s helpful.”
Given the high possibility of getting lost, the emergency food would come in handy in case of an emergency. He seems to be a thoughtful person.
I wanted to comment on the reason for carrying a baton, but living in such an unpopular place might require such precautions. I’ll just conclude that to myself.
I also brought a bag with me containing food and drinks, as well as a complete set of detective tools.
“By the way, can I ask you a question too?” he said.
“Sure, if I can answer it.”
“Why is your car… a Kei (small) truck?”
The car I was driving was a manual transmission Kei truck with a canvas top.
“You see, this is actually a company vehicle. As a private investigation agency, we often conduct surveillance during infidelity investigations, and there are times when a small truck like this is more convenient than a regular car. You wouldn’t expect a detective to be tailing someone in a small truck, right?”
“That’s true.”
“Plus, even if we park on the street, people may assume we’re just making a delivery or something, so it’s a convenient cover.”
“I see, you’ve really thought it through.”
Using a small truck also allows them to blend in and not draw attention, such as when parked or taking a break.
“Of course, it depends on the situation. Compared to a regular car, it stands out more, so it’s a case-by-case basis. This time, because it’s a village that is experiencing depopulation, we thought it would be easier to blend in with this type of vehicle,” I explained.
To camouflage the truck, I had placed a few cardboard boxes in the back. Although some of them were empty, most of them were filled to avoid suspicion.
“Anyway, let’s stop chatting here. We’re getting closer to our destination,” I added, signaling the end of the conversation.