How did it end up this way?
How the heck did things end up this way?
Umeki! Call an ambulance!
Right!
Misaki!
You're coming with me to the station, Haruto Narusawa.
Come on.
You two are coming too.
Come with us.
Aya! If the police catch you,
tell the police that I forced you to do it like we promised.
What about you, Itsuki?
I'll escape.
I can't be captured yet.
I really am sorry.
I got you involved in this.
Itsuki...
Open up.
Open up!
Aya Suzuma, your real name is Aya Sumiyoshi, isn't it?
We know you were the bag man for the ransom payments.
Did you do it because Itsuki Todo asked you to?
No.
I did it of my own accord.
Why did you kidnap them?
Because you
blamed my sister for everything and didn't investigate properly!
We're taking you in.
Move.
We can't find Todo inside the building.
Search the area! Don't let him escape!
-Roger. -Yes, sir!
This way.
Haruto, Michiru.
Tell them everything honestly.
Because of your condition, Michiru, we'll talk to you in the meeting room.
Haruto.
Let's go.
Tell me everything that's happened.
We checked the cellphone that you gave us.
Like you stated, we confirmed
that you received messages from the kidnapper via the in-game chat.
And thank you for telling us about the 100 million yen that you were given.
We brought Masafumi with us when we recovered it in your storeroom.
Twenty percent of the take? Talk about easy money.
That's not...
I told you that it was placed there by Todo on orders from the kidnapper.
The court has issued an arrest warrant.
At 5:17 p.m., I'm placing you, Haruto Narusawa,
under arrest for hiding a criminal and aiding in kidnapping for ransom.
Hold on a minute here.
-Officer Umeki. -Yes, sir.
I was forced to do those things.
We'll be the ones to determine that.
Since you might flee or destroy evidence,
you're being placed in the station's holding cell.
How is Misaki?
You're a suspect. We're not telling you a thing!
How is Misaki?
How is she?
She barely survived.
But she's in a coma.
She's still in grave danger.
Please allow me
to apologize for being unable to prevent things from coming to this.
I am terribly sorry.
I was told
to be prepared for her to never again regain consciousness.
What about Todo? Is he still out there?
We're doing everything we can to catch him.
What about Narusawa?
He's in custody. He's being questioned as we prepare to press charges.
We will get to the bottom of this case.
I can't trust the police to do all that's needed.
I will punish him myself!
Thank you.
Are you all right? Would you like to lie down?
I'm fine.
Excuse me.
Come in.
Michiru.
Dad.
Are you okay?
How's Tomoka?
Oh, like you asked, we took her out of the house.
Wow! What a beautiful view.
Is it really true that Mom and Dad are busy working?
Yes. That's what they said.
For some reason, they're not reading my texts at all.
They must be busy.
Say, what should we have for dinner?
Maybe we should order some room service.
Here it is!
Want to try some?
Okay?
Tomoka's fine. Don't you worry.
Okay?
Michiru, you can return home now.
We're giving your cellphone back.
What about my husband?
We've determined that Haruto Narusawa is closely connected with this case,
so he's been arrested.
He'll be in detention for a while.
Haruto...
We're finished. Thank you for your cooperation.
If there's anything else we need to know, we'll contact you.
What about Miwa? What'll happen to Aoi Miwa?
We can't talk about an ongoing investigation.
Wait. Hold on!
All he did was try to save his daughter! He hasn't done anything wrong!
There's no way he'd ever kidnap anyone!
Now, just calm down.
If he's cleared after we look into this, he'll be back with you soon.
Where's Daddy?
Oh, he's fine. Just fine.
Okay? He'll be just fine.
Aya Sumiyoshi has confessed.
She says that she and Todo worked together
to kidnap both Tomoka Narusawa and Yuzuki Miwa.
Their motive was to revive the investigation into the kidnapping
of Koharu Todo five years ago and see how her kidnapper reacted.
What about the kidnapping of Misaki Akutsu?
She says they were used by whoever kidnapped Koharu.
What about the Narusawas and Aoi Miwa?
Last night, the Narusawas and Miwa realized
that Itsuki Todo and Aya Sumiyoshi kidnapped Tomoka and Yuzuki.
However, to ensure that Misaki would be rescued,
they didn't inform the police.
All of their stories line up.
To summarize their statements, of the four kidnappings,
Todo and Sumiyoshi only kidnapped Tomoka Narusawa and Yuzuki Miwa.
But someone else kidnapped Koharu Todo and Misaki Akutsu.
That's if you believe their statements.
They say that the kidnapper told them
to go to where Misaki was being held this morning.
Aoi Miwa has surrendered an audio recording of that conversation.
-Umeki. -Yes, sir.
The police have taken action.
It's just some suspicious police. That's all.
If Mr. Akutsu hasn't called the police, then he's still keeping his promise.
I will determine that.
The deal is off and I will kill Misaki.
Todo and Narusawa brought the money to that abandoned factory
so they could rescue Misaki.
A recording like that can easily be faked.
I really doubt that can be used as evidence.
What about forensics?
There were no fingerprints,
footprints, or items that could be linked to the kidnapper.
There were several signs of a fall in the room where Misaki was held.
There were also fibers from her jacket found on the windowsill and eaves outside.
We think the signs of falls
were from when she slipped and fell when trying to escape.
Judging from the coagulation of her blood,
forensics believe that she was found one or two hours after falling.
Why did she attempt that?
For her mother's sake.
What about you, Mom? Are you okay?
Your heart.
She must have thought her mother wouldn't last much longer.
That's why Misaki desperately tried to end her kidnapping on her own.
What happened to Misaki is very unfortunate.
But it was an accident.
What about the ransom money?
We recovered 1.3 billion yen.
There was 1.2 billion in the mini-wagon and 100 million at the Narusawas'.
There was no financial loss.
Have you looked into Aya Sumiyoshi?
Kanako Tatewaki, Harukana's VP, turned over Sumiyoshi's laptop computers.
Communication from those kidnappings was found in their device history.
However, like they stated,
there is no communication history from the kidnapping of Misaki Akutsu.
Todo and Sumiyoshi definitely kidnapped Tomoka and Yuzuki.
The real issue is whether or not Koharu and Misaki
were kidnapped by someone else.
I believe someone else kidnapped them in exactly the same way.
The two of them were classmates, so there is a connection.
But in the investigation of the kidnapping five years ago,
you didn't find any important connection between them.
I believe there's no connection between Koharu and Misaki's kidnappings.
Then how do you explain these two kidnappings?
This all started with the kidnapping of Koharu Todo five years ago.
Since Itsuki Todo was an officer at the time,
we haven't spoken of this out of respect to him,
but he's a criminal on the run now!
Let's be perfectly clear about it!
That was a faked kidnapping carried out by Todo's wife, Aki Todo!
What happened?
I've read the report from that kidnapping many times.
Koharu was kidnapped around 4 p.m. on April 4, 2018.
Aki Todo's alibi at that time kept changing.
She was clearly hiding something.
We began to believe that she was having an affair
and carried out this fake kidnapping with whoever that was.
But because Mr. Katsuragi trusted his subordinate, he didn't believe it.
The investigation came to a standstill and the case grew cold.
Since he was so busy with work,
the relationship between Itsuki Todo and Aki had grown stale.
Since Mr. Katsuragi worked with him, he already knew this.
And since you looked after your subordinates, Chief Yoshino,
you were worried about the Todos too, right?
Do you admit it?
The person behind Koharu's kidnapping is Aki Todo.
And since Itsuki Todo couldn't accept that,
he's committed more kidnappings.
Then,
what about Misaki Akutsu?
That was done by Todo and Haruto Narusawa.
How is that possible?
What?
When Haruto Narusawa realized the truth about the two kidnappings,
he colluded with Todo to squeeze Akutsu for a billion yen.
But then Misaki attempted to escape.
Her accident was unexpected and their plan fell apart.
That is the truth behind these four kidnappings.
Chief Yoshino.
I want search warrants for Todo's detective agency,
the Narusawas' home, and Harukana's headquarters.
Let's dig through everything there and get all the dirt we can!
We should also put out an alert on Itsuki Todo.
Release some case details to the media and make the investigation of Todo public.
It's way too soon to--
Catching Todo and making him talk will solve things!
Isn't that what all the top brass want?
I'll get approval from Chief Shiraki.
Thank you.
It's time to fight back.
For the sake of the kidnapped children,
let's get Todo!
-Yes, sir! -Yes, sir!
Hey! Food served in jail is paid for by taxes, you know.
You should really eat all of it.
Okay.
Miwa.
The national hero's been tossed in jail.
What about you?
They have let me go home, for now.
A suspect and their lawyer have the right to communicate privately.
Surely, you know that.
I'll be waiting outside.
Remember when we played mahjong all night for three days straight in Atsugi?
This feels like that.
Aren't Yuzuki and Satsuki worried about you?
You won't be able to hide this from Tomoka forever either.
How's Michiru?
Due to her condition, she's been allowed to stay at home.
If you cooperate with their investigation, you shouldn't be charged.
But I've been arrested, you know.
The cops despise you.
It's pretty common to get arrested, jailed, and raked over the coals
before the prosecutor decides not to press charges and you're released.
Then,
how long will I be in here?
You can be held for two days, then one more after referral,
and detention can be extended for 20 days,
so probably 23 days total.
Seriously?
The baby will be born before then.
I'll petition the judge to reject the detention request.
You can do that?
First, I'll summarize the particulars of the kidnappings
and explain that you only became the go-between to save the victims' lives.
The fact that you're the president of a listed company
and that Michiru's about to give birth should convince them that you won't flee.
I'll write up a pledge that you will stay at home so you can't destroy evidence
and that your lawyer will monitor all your communications.
I'm sure the police and prosecutor will resist,
but I know more than anyone that you're one of the victims.
It's not often you can defend a client with such confidence.
Can you tell Michiru too and reassure her?
Sure.
I'll charge you a bundle for this too.
Where's Todo?
He's on the run.
I think he was summoned by the kidnapper to where Misaki was confined
in order to frame him.
The kidnapper wants to pin everything on Todo and us,
and is trying to get away scot-free.
I think so too.
Miwa.
Try to get with Todo and tell him--
If we get any more involved with Todo, we'll be in trouble.
It will only hurt our own families.
Give it up.
UNKNOWN CALLER
DO YOU WANT TO RECORD THIS CALL? START RECORDING
Hello?
Mr. Katsuragi, can you talk now?
Is it you, Todo?
Yes, it is.
This is an IP call routed overseas you used for the kidnappings, isn't it?
You know it can't be traced.
So why don't you talk to me yourself?
You'll determine my location by the background noise, won't you?
You know full well that you can't get away.
If I'm caught now, everything will be pinned on me and Haruto.
That's what the kidnapper wants.
When you left Prefectural Police HQ that day,
I made up my mind to get Koharu back.
Todo.
Why did you kidnap Tomoka and Yuzuki?
Was there any point in that?
Mr. Katsuragi, look into her classmates from five years ago.
Figure out the connection between Koharu and Misaki Akutsu.
The kidnapper kidnapped Misaki themselves.
But it would have been safer if they had me do it for them.
There must be a reason why they had to kidnap Misaki themselves.
I don't take orders from criminals.
Mr. Kusakabe, I got a call from Todo.
I heard seabirds in the background. He must be at some port.
He's got past the checkpoints.
Officer Umeki.
Get the audio analyzed.
Yes, sir.
Local command to L1. Highly probable that Todo is at a port.
Requesting urgent search and reinforcements in appropriate areas.
L1, copy that.
Will request assistance from local precincts and other prefectures.
Can you believe a fugitive called an active-duty officer?
Don't tell me you're gonna help him, Mr. Katsuragi.
I am a police officer.
Where are Misaki Akutsu's belongings?
Akira Akutsu handed them over.
Where's her phone?
We know she had it with her when she was kidnapped.
But we can't find it or the house key she also had with her.
Didn't she have another computer or tablet?
She had a laptop and tablet, but they weren't in Misaki's room.
I was going to speak with Eri, her mother,
but she's been hospitalized because her heart condition has worsened.
Akira Akutsu just contacted Prefectural HQ.
NEX is going to hold a press conference on their internet news program.
-Put it up. -Yes, sir.
We will now have an announcement
from Akira Akutsu, the CEO of NEX Holdings.
I am Akira Akutsu, CEO of NEX Holdings.
As of this moment, our company
has decided to dissolve our business partnership
with Harukana Online Games.
We're doing this
because it has become clear that there has been a huge corporate compliance issue.
Harukana Online Games
has assisted organized crime and associated criminal activities,
which is prohibited in our partnership agreement.
The criminal activity was
kidnapping.
Arrest warrants have already been issued for one of Harukana's female employees
as well as Haruto Narusawa.
We can only assume that they were involved in kidnapping for ransom
with organized criminals.
Therefore, our company has dissolved our partnership with Harukana
and will withdraw all our funding.
I resign from my position as an outside director for Harukana,
but I deeply understand my responsibility as well.
To all our users, our business partners
and our stakeholders, I sincerely apologize for this trouble.
This video has been posted to NEX Holdings' video website...
He got the jump on the police before we could announce our findings.
Akira Akutsu isn't just defending his company,
he also intends to utterly destroy Haruto Narusawa in society's eyes.
Chief Yoshino, the court has issued search warrants!
All squads, get computers, tablets, communication equipment, bank books,
ledgers, address books, notebooks, documents, files, cameras, photo albums,
and absolutely anything that could be used.
Search every last crevice!
-Yes, sir! -Yes, sir!
RETURN MY MONEY!!!!! WHAT A CRAP GAME!!!
IT'S PRETTY SCARY TO THINK THAT THIS PRESS CONFERENCE WAS A HUGE LIE.
Shouldn't we hold an emergency directors' meeting
and vote on dismissing President Narusawa immediately?
That's the only way
to protect Harukana.
To prevent trouble for everyone,
tell all the employees to stay at home and work remotely for today.
Ms. Tatewaki...
I will explain to our business partners. Can you speak to the bank?
All right.
We've heard that Haruto Narusawa
was involved in the kidnappings.
Does that mean he kidnapped his own daughter?
Haruto Narusawa has been arrested and is in detention.
He is currently undergoing questioning.
Aside from arresting Haruto Narusawa and a female employee,
the police have raided Harukana Online Games.
The police have raided the home of Haruto Narusawa.
Investigators are currently taking multiple pieces of evidence from the home.
He suddenly became a national hero.
But if that it was all an act, their daughter... Tomoka, was it?
I mean, her parents used her. She must feel miserable.
It makes me so angry.
I've made sure that the police won't mention Yuzu's name. Don't worry.
I'll be going.
Don't overdo it.
What's this? You're worried about me?
Don't do anything that would make Yuzuki worry.
I'm only defending my client as his lawyer.
Michiru, why don't you go to the hotel too? Okay?
I'm not going.
But just look at this place.
This is our home.
I'll wait here for Haruto to come back.
All right. I'll do the cleaning. You relax.
Your unborn baby is most important right now.
Tomoka.
She saw about it on the internet. I couldn't hide it anymore.
Tomoka, you shouldn't be here. Come with me and your grandma to...
Where's Dad?
I'll be fine.
Tell me exactly what's happened.
I'm sorry for not telling you.
Until President Narusawa is cleared of suspicion,
our company can no longer do business with yours.
I'm sorry, but it was unavoidable.
I am also very sorry to have caused you so much trouble.
Goodbye.
HARUKANA
I was able to stop trading of our stock before it hit the limit down.
What about the bank?
Unless we adopt countermeasures, they'll withdraw their funding.
They've advised us to immediately dismiss President Narusawa
and announce that the company wasn't involved with the kidnappings.
You're the only one
who can protect the company now.
Set up a press conference.
President Narusawa will be dismissed
at tomorrow's emergency directors' meeting and it will be announced immediately.
Okay.
HARUKANA
I'm sorry, Haruto.
I'm sorry.
Oh, hey...
What's that?
It's video from the security camera at the Akutsus' front door.
The Akutsus'? Why do you have that?
What the kidnapper said bothered me.
According to Haruto Narusawa's statement,
when Misaki was kidnapped,
the kidnapper told him not to let anyone know except for the Akutsus.
They've never said that before.
They just didn't want lots of people to know. That's normal.
The kidnapper made an odd request when demanding the ransom too.
You will pay 100 million a day for ten days.
If they're after money,
it would be better to receive one billion all at once.
Splitting it into 100 million yen a day for ten days
only increases the risk of arrest.
In other words, the kidnapper wasn't after money.
Then what were they after?
We haven't found Misaki's computer or tablet from her room, have we?
Tablet?
Remember what the kidnapper said about telling nobody except the Akutsus?
If only those three knew, then the kidnapper must have thought
that all three of them would leave the house to deliver the money.
You mean that during the first hand-off,
the kidnapper snuck into the house and stole her computer and tablet?
So I checked the video from that time.
Here.
For two minutes, the screen goes black.
When Misaki was kidnapped, she had a house key with her.
By covering the camera for two minutes, they could use the key to get inside,
and should have been able to steal the computer and tablet.
Hold on here.
Are you saying they kidnapped Misaki
just so they could steal some electronic devices?
There could have been important data on them.
What kind of important data would a middle school student have?
Misaki and Koharu were classmates.
I think it might be connected with Koharu's kidnapping.
Why do you insist that the same person kidnapped both of them?
Even if that's so, that's no reason to kidnap her.
It would have been easier to burgle the place or pickpocket the key.
Yes. But if they made it look like a kidnapping,
they could pin the crime on Todo and Narusawa.
Misaki and Koharu were clearly kidnapped by different people.
The one billion yen was split into ten to purposely increase the risk,
while they waited for Todo and them to be arrested.
Mr. Katsuragi, I bet Todo has put you up to this.
Koharu's kidnapping was a fake kidnapping carried out by Todo's wife, Aki Todo.
By now, she's run off with another man
and they're with Koharu enjoying themselves in some other country.
Meanwhile, Todo's become a gullible stalker.
He's committing copycat crimes to try to find the kidnapper.
Todo is a gutless fool
who's acting like he never noticed that his family abandoned him!
Todo isn't like that.
Are you defending a fugitive kidnapper?
Chief Yoshino, remove Mr. Katsuragi from this investigation.
Failing to do so will hurt morale.
Katsuragi, you haven't slept in a while, have you?
Take a break.
Mr. Katsuragi.
What you said was true.
You'll regret this!
Letting the kidnapper get away
is something you will definitely regret.
If I'd caught the kidnapper then...
Yuzuki and Misaki never would have had to go through those awful things.
Thanks to the work of Aoi Miwa, the detention request has been rejected.
You'll be leaving here tomorrow.
Catching Todo is only a matter of time.
Once he's arrested, this investigation is over.
The three kidnappings will be pinned on Todo and Aya Sumiyoshi,
and Koharu Todo's kidnapping will be forgotten forever due to the gag order.
Why are you telling me that?
Five years ago,
it was my fault that Koharu Todo
wasn't saved.
What Todo has done is absolutely despicable,
but I believe that part of the responsibility for that lies with me.
That's exactly why
I need to catch the kidnapper who got away.
By my own hands.
That's a pretty admirable thing to say, but it's just to protect your ego.
My work is my only purpose in life.
I'm just like you were a year ago.
There's something that I want your help with.
In the investigation five years ago,
Misaki Akutsu's name never came up as a friend of Koharu.
But actually, Misaki and Koharu were very close.
Yet for some reason, the police may not have been told this information.
Can you please
ask Tomoka to find out the truth?
If we can know what their relationship was then,
we should be able to see what the kidnapper was after.
We will continue to call you in for questioning.
If you don't come in, you'll be treated as a fugitive.
Here he comes!
Haruto Narusawa has just left the police station!
Haruto Narusawa has been released!
What the heck is this?
Don't you think you have a duty to explain yourself
to the people who supported you?
Dad!
I'm sorry I made you worry.
Welcome back.
Tomoka.
I have a favor to ask.
Do you know any of Misaki's friends who are also her classmates?
Yes, I do.
I want you to talk to her classmates from elementary school.
Find out what Misaki and Koharu's relationship was from then.
Koharu?
You mean Todo's daughter?
I know this might bring back bad memories, but I'm sorry, I really need your help.
Haruto.
I'll be fine.
Tomoka.
You don't have to.
I don't mind.
Mom, when I heard from you that it was Todo who kidnapped me,
I was shocked.
But
when I realized that I wouldn't have been killed,
I actually felt a little better.
What's more,
I won't let whoever kidnapped Misaki get away with it.
What are you going to do now?
Remember what I told you?
If you get any closer to him, you'll be in danger too.
Leave the kidnappings behind you.
But...
if I don't do anything, the kidnapper will get away scot-free.
Everything Todo did
will be totally pointless.
That just doesn't
sit right with me.
Aren't Yuzuki and Satsuki waiting for you?
Go back to them.
Miwa.
Thank you so very much.
It looks like the media has gone.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE MEDIA HAS GONE.
Dinner is your favorite, Haruto.
DINNER IS YOUR FAVORITE, HARUTO.
THANK YOU!
Washio here.
I was able to speak with Eri Akutsu.
What about Misaki Akutsu's missing laptop and tablet?
She said her laptop should be in her room.
But if we can't find it,
then it could be true that someone took it like Mr. Katsuragi said.
And the tablet?
As for the tablet,
before she was kidnapped, she lent it to Tomoka.
Tomoka?
Yes.
Right now, Tomoka Narusawa should be in possession of it.
Got it.
I'll pick it up.
They were close friends?
Yes. They said that in elementary school, Misaki and Koharu were best friends.
But that never came up five years ago, right?
Nobody knew about her kidnapping.
It seems they were all told that Koharu suddenly moved away.
Misaki was in such shock because she moved away without telling her,
they all said that Misaki told them that Koharu
was no longer her friend.
And what were they like at that time?
Apparently, Koharu was troubled by something
and had confided with just Misaki about it.
Misaki, don't tell anyone, okay?
Never.
Keep it secret.
Misaki! Koharu!
Let's go home together.
Okay.
They said they saw them texting each other on cellphones,
which were prohibited at school.
Thanks, Tomoka. I appreciate it.
I'll go home with my friends. See you later.
Oh, Tomoka!
Is anyone at school giving you a hard time for what I did?
I can handle it just fine.
Okay, got it. See you. Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
KEISHI KATSURAGI
Mr. Katsuragi, apparently Koharu and Misaki were close friends.
Mr. Narusawa, do you know where Misaki's tablet is?
Tablet?
We found out that Tomoka borrowed it.
The kidnapper may have been after that.
Why the tablet?
It's possible there's something on it that can solve this case.
Hello?
Michiru, do you know about a tablet?
Tablet?
Apparently, Tomoka borrowed one from Misaki. Is it in her room?
Hold on.
I found it.
There's something very important on it.
I'll be right over.
I'll get the password from Tomoka.
TELL ME THE PASSWORD FOR MISAKI'S TABLET.
UNKNOWN CALLER
Hello?
Michiru, it's me.
Todo?
Yes.
Where are you?
Forget about me. Don't give that tablet to anyone.
If anyone comes to get it, they're the kidnapper.
What?
Someone's here.
Use the camera to see who it is.
Yes?
I'm from the Kanagawa Police.
I was told that Misaki Akutsu's tablet is here, so I've come to pick it up.
What are you talking about?
Please let me look around inside.
I just got out of the bath.
Can you wait a minute?
Okay.
Michiru, escape out the back door.
But it was a police detective.
We can't trust the police either.
Any evidence leading to Koharu
could be stolen and buried if we're not careful.
TOMOKA 0825. MISAKI'S BIRTHDAY.
Zero, eight, two, five.
KOHARU ONE ITEM
Translated by Brian Athey