[ROUGH ENG TRANS] FUGOU KEIJI NOVEL: THE MILLIONAIRE DETECTIVE’S DECOY (Part 1)
Yay! I did an initial rough translation. I am still learning Japanese so please don’t expect 100% word-by-word perfect translation. This is just based on the level of my understanding of Japanese so please bear with me~ *thanks to my dad’s (credit card) i got a copy*
“Now, gentlemen. There is only 3 months remaining before the 7-year prescription of the 500 million yen robbery case.”
Fukuyama, the stout-looking captain of the special investigation headquarters, looked around at the 20 detectives with an expression that’s similar to Alfred Hitchcock. “A total of 200,000 investigators were put in, 150,000 suspects were questioned, and all prepared investigation materials are in one data room.”
“All of that was not wasted because we were able to narrow down the suspects to four.” Detective Kojima who has been an investigator since the time of the incident, turned his eyes to Fukuyama as if to challenge him, He has just arrived at the station after his previous captain recently retired.
“No, Nothing is wasted.”
Ignoring Fukuyama, Kojima showed his sharp teeth and gazed at everyone. “I found the special paint used which is our strongest clue was sold to only 56 people from a specialty store.
"It’s beige, right?” From the side, Detective Nunobiki who’s missing a front tooth and looks like Alfred E. Newman interrupted. “Of the eighteen people who bought the beige paints, three are women. Then the fifteen people. Out of the fifteen, there are elderly.” Nunobiki said. “Two are more than 60 year old. Then the thirteen. Out of those, three doesn’t drive a motorcycle so down to ten.”
“Wait a minute. Is it really okay to exclude those three from our suspects?” rushly asked by Captain Fukuyama. “Even if you don’t have a motorcycle and have no license, you can practice going somewhere secretly.”
Kojima overtly glared at stared at Fukuyama with a blank expression. “Of course there’s a possibility not to included those three people. Of those three, two are elementary students”. Nunobiki said. “The other one only has one leg.” “I’m a man who can’t ride a motorcycle,” said Kojima. “Then on the ten, three of them have solid proof that they were not in the scene.”
Captain Fukuyama asked shyly this time, “Is there no possibility that the alibi of those three people will collapse?”
“One was in the police station at the time of the incident because he vandalized a wall of a university building about capitalism using the paint he bought, the other one died days before the incident. In other words, he’s in heaven at the day of the incident.” Kojima replies politely with a serious look.
“The last one is attending a meeting at the Prefectural Police Department, which is a chief. He claims that he bought the paint for the rabbit hutch in his garden. Would you like to check on it again?”
Fukuyama coughed, “No need, that would have been true.”
“The seven remains.” exclaimed Kojima.
“It was clear that three of them haven’t got the chance to use the paint they bought. Of course I checked and confirmed it to them. Immediately after buying the paint, one of them fell down at the front of the store, the lid was opened and the paint splashed on the road. There was a lot of fuss but many people in the shopping district confirmed this. The other two left their paint on their garden and storage room.”
“Then the four,” Nunobiki screamed from the side for attention.
“Mother Goose has a song called Ten Little Indians.” Detective Saruwatari whispered to Daisuke, who’s next to the door.
“What’s wrong? Please speak in our language.” after Kojima gazed at Saruwatari, Daisuke held his cigar in his mouth and hung one end of his lips to show his canines. “Kambe, stop smoking in this room.”
“Ah, that was rude,” Daisuke quickly extinguished the fire of his cigar, which was still only one or two centimeters of ash, and while covering it, he politely threw the cigar, which was broken into half on an aluminum ashtray.
“But Kojima-san, were you also smoking?” said Saruwatari with a grin.
“It’s good if it is only a paper roll, but it’s a cigar.” said Kojima. “How can I talk about work when someone’s smoking a 8,500 yen Havana cigar?”
“I think there is discrimination,” Saruwatari defended Daisuke while still smiling. “Because Kambe only smokes cigars”.
Nunobiki is smiling from the side is staring at Saruwatari, “Hey, You’re a detective. Don’t side with the millionaire too much.”
“Haha. You’re right. That’s the son of a rich man, Kambe Kikuemon.” Captain Fukuyama leaned towards Daisuke then rounded his eyes. “I only heard from the chief.”
“Enough talking,” Kojima shouted, “There are four remaining.”
“Four people, four people,” Nunobiki raised his four fingers and nodded to everyone. “All four of them had no alibi on the day of the incident, had a motorcycle, were in their late 20’s, and are in the montage photos, however, I’m still not sure if they have already used the paint. They are now being followed just to make sure and to get information. We haven’t investigated their houses yet.”
“But we only have three months left,” Capt. Fukuyama said to Kojima with a slightly frightened tone. “Isn’t it better to start investigating those four people as witnesses before the prescription period ends then conduct a house investigation?”
“We will.” Kojima said, lowering his voice.
“I’m thinking of the case where the criminal didn’t hid the money in his house. Once they were looked up as witnesses, they would always think that they are being followed.” “I think it’s fine to look into them so that they can be alert.”
“Whether or not the three months time is imminent depends on how you think.” Fukuyama murmured with a stern look, Kojima bowed lightly. “Of course if Captain instructed to call them as witnesses, I wouldn’t push my opinion thoroughly.”
Saruwatari, who was the farthest away from Kojima and Fukuyama, shouted loudly, “If you notice that you are being investigated as a suspect, the criminal may act like he’s digging his own grave, like trying to change the hiding place of the money.”
Kojima bowed his shoulders and turned to Saruwatari, “Yes, there are criminals like that but in this case, do you think a smart guy who thought of this crime would do such a stupid thing?”
“So I wonder if they will continue to follow them until the time limit is almost over,” Fukuyama seemed to be annoyed and started drawing infinity symbols with his finger on the desk. “Isn’t there anything else we can do but just keep tailing on them?”
“Well, it should be done in parallel to tailing them. They should sense that we are actually investigating them.”
“Uhm,” Daisuke raised his hand at the seat closest to the door. “I have a suggestion”.
Fukuyama nodded with a sullen look, “Please tell us.”
“If the criminal will start spending the money, they should know where it is hidden so I think it’s good to let the four of them spend money.”
Fukuyama made his eyes round again. “How?”