Dogra Magra (40/47)

by Hisashi Yumeno

I sat up straight again. It felt as if my own powerlessness was being thrust before my eyes, and my heart involuntarily grew hot.

“Sensei, is it alright? I’ll think about it myself. First, hypothetically, if I am not the culprit, then, as the villagers say, it’s impossible for this picture scroll to have left the statue of Miroku-sama by itself and ended up in Go Ichiro’s hands, isn’t it?”

“...Uhm-hm...”

“Furthermore, my aunt Yashiroko and my mother Chiyoko are women who deeply love Go Ichiro, so it’s inconceivable that they would show Go Ichiro a picture scroll with such a terrifying legend. The old man, Sengoro, who is an employee, wouldn’t do such a thing either. The temple monk is practically serving to pray for the happiness of the Go family, so if he knew there was a scroll, he would probably hide it instead. In that case, there must be a suspect among other unexpected people whom no one has noticed yet.”

“...Uhm-hm. Naturally, that’s how it would be, wouldn’t it?”

Dr. Masaki said that reluctantly, in a strange, sticky tone. Then he opened his eyes slightly and looked at me. The color of his eyes, unrelated to the smile beside his nose, was pale and cruel... or so I thought, before they closed tightly again, just as before.

I felt increasingly impatient.

“In Dr. Wakabayashi’s investigation documents, various leads about such suspects have been investigated, haven’t they?”

“...It seems not.”

“...Eh... Not a single one...?”

“...Uh... huh...”

“...Then... have all the other matters been thoroughly investigated?”

“...Uh... huh...”

“...Why is that...?”

“...Uh... huh...”

Dr. Masaki, still smiling, seemed to be dozing off. As I stared at his face, I was dumbfounded.

“...Isn’t that strange, Sensei...? To neglect the culprit and only focus on other things... It’s like making a Buddha but not putting a soul in it. Isn’t it, Sensei...?”

“...............”

「…Professor… even if it's a prank or whatever it may be, could there be any other crime as cruel and inhumanely cunning as this? …If the person doesn't go insane, it's certainly not a crime, and if they do go insane, everything becomes unknown. And even if they are caught as the culprit, they might be able to deceive not only the law but even moral guilt, so don't you think there's no other prank as malicious and cruel as this, Professor…」

「…Ugh… hmm…」

「Isn't it suspicious, no matter how you look at it, to hand you documents from an investigation that completely avoided this fundamental issue?」

「…Ugh… hmm. …That's strange…」

「…To reveal the true culprit of this incident, is there no other way than to somehow restore Go Ichiro's mind, or mine, and have them point out the culprit? …Even with two great people like you involved…」

「…There isn't…」

Dr. Masaki replied in a tone as if he were dismissively refusing a beggar. He closed his eyes again, looking sleepy… I involuntarily swallowed my saliva.

「…What exactly was the purpose of showing this picture scroll to Go Ichiro?」

「…Ugh… hmm…」

「Was it truly out of genuine kindness… or a prank… a grudge from love… some kind of resentment… or… or…」

I was astonished. My breathing became difficult, and my chest heaved as I stared at Dr. Masaki's face.

The smile beside the doctor's nose suddenly vanished. …At the same time, he opened his eyes wide and looked at me. With a slightly pale face, his dark eyes fixed, he quietly looked back at the room's entrance… but then slowly turned back towards me and straightened his posture in the chair.

His black eyes had lost the sharp light characteristic of a doctor and were imbued with an inexpressibly soft tranquility. The impudent and brazen demeanor he had previously displayed was completely gone. As I watched, he gradually took on a kind of divine dignity, while at the same time showing an inexpressibly lonely and sorrowful feeling around his shoulders. As I observed his demeanor, my breathing gradually quieted. And before I knew it, I lowered my gaze and bowed my head.

“...I am the culprit...”

the doctor said in a voice that sounded like a whisper in a hollow space.

I involuntarily looked up in surprise. I gazed up at the doctor’s face, which wore a faint, melancholic smile, but then quickly lowered my eyes again.

...My vision grew dim and gray. It was as if the pores all over my skin began to close up with a shiver...

I quietly closed my eyes. I pressed trembling fingers to my forehead. My heart was pounding and leaping in the air, yet my forehead was cold and damp. Dr. Masaki’s dejected voice echoed in my ear.

“...If your judgment has recovered to that extent, then I have no choice. I will confess everything.”

“……………”

“What is there to hide? I had already prepared myself. From the beginning, I clearly recognized that the contents of this investigation report pointed to me as the culprit in this case, yet I pretended not to know.”

“……………”

“Every single word of this investigation report points to me, asserting, ‘It’s you, it’s you. There is no other culprit but you.’ ...That is to say... the tragedy that occurred in Nogata the first time was a crime committed by a thoughtful person with advanced common sense, who meticulously erased all traces of the crime, deliberately choosing the time when Go Ichiro returned home to make the case a labyrinth, and skillfully used an anesthetic. It was absolutely not Go Ichiro’s somnambulism... so...”

Dr. Masaki cleared his throat quietly here. I was surprised once again, but still couldn't bring myself to look up. I felt crushed by the gravity of every word Dr. Masaki uttered...

“...The motive for the crime is clear. The aunt brought Wu Ichiro to Nezu-no-hama to separate him from his mother, Chiyoko, and bring him closer to Moyoko. Moyoko is such a beauty that she is called the Komachi of Nezu-no-hama, so there must be many people around who are attracted to her. And the residents of this area, the original location of the picture scroll, know at least something about its legend. On the other hand, the marriage arrangement between Wu Ichiro and Moyoko is almost certainly not going to fall through. Therefore, there is no place more suitable than Nezu-no-hama to attempt this experiment and to conceal its traces.”

“……………”

“...Therefore, the second Nezu-no-hama incident was by no means a mystical event. As planned since the Nogata incident, a certain person must have ambushed Wu Ichiro near the quarry, waiting for his return, and handed him the picture scroll. In other words, these two incidents, Nogata and Nezu-no-hama, were planned by the same person's mind for the same purpose. That person had a very high understanding and interest in the legend of this picture scroll, and aimed for the optimal time to actually test it—that is, the peak moment when the victim, Wu Ichiro, was filled with great expectations for happiness—and, anticipating his complete madness, conducted this ancient academic experiment... If I were to say that, who else could it be besides me...?”

“There is!”

I suddenly kicked my chair and stood up. My face was red as fire, and I felt as if all the bones and muscles in my body were filled with power and ready to fight. I glared at Dr. Masaki's pince-nez, who was dumbfounded.

“...Wa...Wa...Wakabayashi...”

“Idiot!”

That great roar echoed from Dr. Masaki's mouth. At the same time, he stared at me with his dark, sunken eyes. The intensity of the light in those pitch-black eyes held a solemnity, like a god looking down on a sinner. It was the power of a furious beast. Overwhelmed by its force, I instantly trembled. I stumbled backward, almost falling, and plopped down onto the chair. My eyes remained drawn to his terrifying gaze...

“...You fool...”

My earlobes on both sides felt as hot as if they were on fire, and I hung my head dejectedly.

“...There's a limit to thoughtlessness...”

His voice pressed down on my head like a massive rock. In stark contrast to his previous unreliable and lonely demeanor, a paternal dignity and compassion were embedded deep within it.

Again, for some reason, my chest began to swell. I watched Dr. Masaki's sinewy fingers press against the edge of the desk, putting force into every single word.

“...Anyone could realize that there is only one other person besides me who could carry out such a terrifying experiment to this extent. If you understood that, you would immediately realize that the name of that person should not carelessly leave your lips... What carelessness.”

“……………”

“Moreover, the person himself has already... confessed everything.”

“...Eh... Eh...”

I raised my face in astonishment.

Then, Dr. Masaki bit his lip coldly, firmly holding the investigation documents wrapped in a blue merinos cloth with his right hand. I didn't understand its meaning; it seemed like a prerequisite for uttering some sacred words. Struck by his tense demeanor, I lowered my head again.

“The record of that confession is these investigation documents. This is what the person himself investigated and reported to me regarding the traces of the crime he committed.”

...A cold streak ran down my back.

"...You probably don't know much about the psychology of concealing crimes or the psychology of confession yet... but listen carefully. As human wisdom advances and social structures become more complex, such terrifying criminal psychology is bound to become common... Do you understand...?"

"..............."

"...I will now explain why this investigation report is so terrifying... and how profoundly serious and mesmerizingly magical the two psychologies contained within this investigation document—the psychology of crime concealment and the psychology of confession—pressed me to take on this crime..."

I felt all the muscles in my body rapidly growing cold and stiff. My gaze was once again drawn to the green felt lying before me, and I could not move it.

At that moment, Dr. Masaki cleared his throat lightly.

"...If a person commits a crime, even if that crime is completely hidden from the eyes of others, it remains in their own 'mirror of memory.' The despicable image of oneself as a criminal can never be erased. This is unavoidable as long as humans have memory, and it is a well-known fact that everyone despises... but when viewed in actual examples, it's not so easy to despise. This image of one's crime reflected in the mirror of memory constantly displays both the intimidating power of a flawless detective and the inescapable coercive power of an accomplice, simultaneously, becoming the one absolute weakness common to all crimes, secretly haunting the perpetrator until their last breath... Moreover, the horror is so thorough that there are only two ways to escape the pursuit of this detective and accomplice: 'suicide' and 'insanity.' What is commonly called 'the pangs of conscience' is, in the end, nothing more than the obsessive fear received from one's own memory, so to be saved from this obsessive fear, there is no other way than to kill one's own memory..."

……Therefore, the smarter a criminal is, the more desperately they try to hide this weakness. However, even if their methods of concealment vary from person to person, they ultimately arrive at the same approach. That is, they create a secret room deep within their heart, and in that darkness, they seal away their "guilty self" along with a "mirror of memory," attempting to make it invisible even to themselves. Unfortunately, this "mirror of memory" shines more vividly the darker its surroundings become. It possesses a strange, rebellious effect—the more one tries to see it, the more irresistibly one wants to—and an accompanying profound allure.

The more one becomes aware of that allure, the more unbearable it becomes, until one finally turns back to that mirror of memory. Then, the image of one's guilty self reflected in that mirror also turns to look back. The gazes of both inevitably meet, and one involuntarily shudders and bows one's head before the image of one's guilt... As this repeats countless times, one eventually can no longer bear it and breaks open this secret room, exposing it to others. One points to the image of one's guilty self in the mirror of memory for the public to see, confessing openly, "I am the culprit. Look at this guilty figure." When this happens, that image of one's guilty self, due to the mirror's rebellious effect, vanishes instantly, and for the first time, one feels a sense of relief in solitude.

Another way to escape this suffering is to leave a record of one's crime and arrange for it to be published after one's death. When one then looks back at the mirror of memory, the "image of one's guilty self" in the mirror also looks back, holding down that record. Therefore, when one smiles a little reassuringly and sadly, the "image of one's guilty self" also looks at oneself, smiling faintly with pity. Seeing that, one feels a little calmer... This is what I call the psychology of confession... Do you understand...?

Furthermore, imagine an extremely intelligent person, someone with status and credibility, who wishes to place their crime in an absolutely secure, secret zone. One of the most ideal methods among them is the application of the confession psychology I just mentioned. That is, they meticulously investigate all traces and evidence of their own crime with their own hands, making it implicitly clear that they are indeed the culprit. Then, they present the results of that investigation to the person they fear most, that is, the person most likely to quickly discern their guilt. When this happens, a subtle, indeed, a dazzling illusion with a difference as vast as "infinity" and "zero," arises in the other person's mind, stemming from the natural human sentiment and a loss of logical focus. They simply cannot believe that the person before them is the criminal. At that moment, the criminal can completely reverse their previous dangerous position and stand in an almost absolute safe zone. Once that happens, it's as good as done. Once this illusion takes hold, it cannot be easily undone. The more facts are revealed, the deeper the other person's illusion becomes, and the more the criminal insists on being the culprit, the greater the absolute value of the safe zone in which they stand. And the degree to which one falls for this illusion is deeper, the more brilliant the other person's mind is... understand...?

This investigative document is where the most profound aspect of "criminal confession psychology" and the most sophisticated aspect of "criminal concealment psychology" appear together. Indeed, I believe this is an unprecedented criminal psychology research document, even more so than my will... understand... and furthermore..."

Having spoken this far, Dr. Masaki suddenly, as if with newfound freedom, leaped lightly from his swivel chair. Clasping his hands behind his back as if to solidify his thoughts, he began to pace back and forth with deliberate steps on the narrow linoleum between the large table and the large fireplace.

As usual, I was huddled in the swivel chair, staring intently at the green baize surface before me. In that dazzling green, a small, black burn mark, no bigger than a pinhead, which I had just discovered, gradually began to resemble the face of a small black child... as if it were opening its mouth wide and laughing uproariously... I stared at it with all my might.

"And what's even more terrifying is that the confession and the means of concealing the crime revealed in this document hold me firmly, without the slightest gap. ...In other words, if this document were to be made public or fall into the hands of the judiciary, even the most mediocre judicial officer would immediately be forced to name me as a suspect. ...Furthermore... should I ever stand in court, even if I possessed the wisdom of Manjushri and the eloquence of Purna, this investigative report is designed so that I would be unable to utter a single word in my defense. I will now explain the terrifying contents of this intricate mechanism... Listen carefully... I will explain why I was forced to come forward as the mastermind behind this horrifying academic experiment."

As he spoke, Dr. Masaki stopped abruptly at the north end of the large table. With his arms clasped firmly behind his back, as if bound, he turned to me and sneered. At that moment, the two lenses of his pince-nez caught the full force of the blue sky light streaming in from the south window, gleaming eerily along with his stark white exposed dentures. Seeing this, I involuntarily averted my gaze and looked at the small burn mark in front of me, but the black face that had been peeking out from within it was now completely gone... and simultaneously, I felt a shiver run down my cheeks, neck, and sides.

Dr. Masaki walked silently to the north window. After peering outside for a moment, he quickly returned to the front of the large table, his demeanor much more relaxed than before. He continued speaking in a smooth, youthful voice, as if still making light of this major incident and toying with it.

“...Now, I have a request for you. First, I want you to play the role of judge and preside over this unprecedented criminal case, which applies mental science, with strictness and fairness. I am both the prosecutor and the defendant. In other words, I will be playing two roles. I will reveal and confess all the secrets regarding the actions of 'W' and 'M,' the final suspects in this case, to the best of my knowledge... You, in the end, will be the lawyer for both sides, and simultaneously the judge. And you may also take the position of a famous detective well-versed in the principles of mental science... Do you understand?”

Dr. Masaki, who had been standing right beside me, coughed once as he paced back and forth on the linoleum floor from north to south, his footsteps making a soft tapping sound.

“...First, let's talk about the time when Go Ichiro was shown that picture scroll and suffered a mental breakdown. On April 25th, Taisho 15, the day before Go Ichiro and Moyoko's wedding, both 'W' and 'M' were indeed in Fukuoka City, not far from their niece Hama. ...M had just arrived at Kyushu University and, unable to find lodging, was staying at a inn called Horai-kan in front of Hakata Station, which also served as a train waiting area. This Horai-kan was a fairly large inn with many rooms and a high turnover of guests. Furthermore, as a top-class inn in Hakata, the treatment of guests was rough, so if one paid for their meal and left, it wouldn't be noticed if they were gone for half a day or a night, making it an ideal place for an alibi. ...On the other hand, W was always holed up in the forensic medicine professor's office at Kyushu University's medical school, studying. When busy, he would lock the door from the inside and conduct business by phone. When the keyhole was blocked, it was customary for those associated with the forensic medicine department not to knock from the outside. W's nervousness was so well-known among janitors, friends, and even fellow newspaper reporters that this habit was also very convenient for creating an alibi.

...Well, the date and time of the English speech contest at Fukuoka High School, which Go Ichiro was scheduled to attend the day before the wedding, can be easily found in the newspaper. Go Ichiro's habit of walking home clumsily is also quite noticeable, so if one had investigated beforehand, it would have been quickly discovered... Therefore, the plan would be to feed some difficult-to-detect poison to the family of the quarryman working at the stone quarry, making them rest for several days centered around that day, and then proceed with the work during that time. However, the area called Meinohama is a semi-fishing village that supplies fresh fish to Fukuoka City, and is often recognized as a source of epidemics such as cholera and dysentery. Therefore, using such pathogens would be easy and good, but the problem is that these types of bacteria may not be effective depending on the person's constitution and current health condition. In any case, Kyushu University's forensic medicine department is active in hygiene and bacterial research, which I think would be very convenient for such arrangements. Anyway, the characteristic of this case is to proceed without the slightest error.

...Next, if Go Ichiro were to walk the approximately one ri (about 2.4 miles) from Imagawa Bridge on the outskirts of Fukuoka City to Meinohama on the day of the incident, he would inevitably pass by that quarry and take the national highway sandwiched between the mountains and rice fields. This was mentioned in Tokura Sengoro's story, and it's easy to understand when you see it in person. Although the wheat would have grown quite tall by then, by combining a deep hat, colored glasses, a thin scarf and mask, and a summer cloak, and sitting still among the stones near the road, one could have made their face and build appear quite different. ...Then, they would stop Go Ichiro on his way back and skillfully tempt him. For example, if they were to say, "Actually, I knew your deceased mother, and when you were young, I received a highly confidential request concerning you. I have been waiting here to fulfill that promise," then no matter how shy Go Ichiro might be, he would not be able to resist being drawn in. And while showing off that illustrated scroll, they would say, "This is a treasure of the Go family, and your mother entrusted it to me, saying it would not be good for your education to keep it in the house. I heard that you will become the head of a household starting tomorrow, so I have come to return it. In other words, it is an item you absolutely must see before you marry Moyoko-san, depicting the epitome of loyalty and love shown by a certain couple, your distant ancestors. This treasure is so entwined with various terrifying rumors and legends, but in truth, it is a truly magnificent painting and text. If you think it's a lie, you may look at it here and now. If you don't need it afterward, I can take custody of it again. That highI don't know if he said, "No one will come if we're behind that rock," but if it were me, I'd phrase it that way to pique curiosity. Sure enough, Wu Ichiro fell perfectly into the trap. While he was engrossed in unrolling the picture scroll behind the rock, it was a simple trick to make him disappear without a trace... Do you understand?