One night, private detective Masuzawa Banji
rescued a drunken man.
Harada Tamotsu.
Are you aware?! There must be
something wrong with people like you!
I wanted to become someone like you.
I'm Harada Shizuka.
Then, this woman, actress Harada Shizuka,
was murdered by someone.
Her husband Harada Tamotsu was suspected of murder and killed himself.
However, Masuzawa Banji believes in Tamotsu's innocence and has been investigating on his own.
The 361st Independent Border Patrol Unit?
He said Harada Tamotsu served there during the war.
Meanwhile, Banji was asked to do a job.
The client was Kamiido Aiko.
She wanted him to search for her missing husband.
The man is called Kamiido Jouji. He's a popular novelist.
IMMORAL DANCER
BEAUTY AND THE BLACK LIZARD
He's a chronic drinker, so to speak.
Apparently, Kamiido becomes awfully brutal when he's drunk.
A few days ago he ended up pushing her down the stairs.
I will not ask you to help him. I would just like you to bring him back.
Won't you be exposed to danger again, once I bring him back?
I am prepared to take the consequences.
I am sure he is at Doctor Zaizen's.
- Do you know Zaizen? - Huh?
Are you Doctor Zaizen?
I won't examine you, if that's what you want.
As a result of his search, he found the man at the back-alley doctor's.
- Good evening. - What's up?
I've come to pick you up.
He sent him home at once. He accomplished his task.
Well, it looked as if he had accomplished it.
Please wait!
Will you kindly stay here just a little while longer?
No, Gentlemen. There's a reason Banji acted like that.
There is, but I'll leave it out now.
Then, one night, another beauty appeared.
Say, who hurt you so much?
You're giving me a distrustful look.
I'll honestly tell you who I am.
So that you won't have to worry any further.
I'm Takamura Yoshino.
My maiden name was Harada. Harada Yoshino.
My sister, who was an actress, died recently.
Murdered by her own husband.
Is she an enemy? Or an ally?
Let's watch the continuation.
subs: maboroshinohikari@d-addicts
Your drink.
What a nice place. You come here often?
Episode 3: 「Her Younger Sister's Lover」
Aren't you here because you know that I do?
Don't misunderstand me. I mean no harm.
I just got personally interested in you.
When I heard our lawyer's report.
Are you talking about Endou?
- Hello. - Hello.
It was my father who
hired Endou and tried to let you out of prison.
They've instructed me to defend you.
- Who on earth did? - Can't tell you that.
Prolonging the investigation wouldn't have brought my sister back to life, anyway.
He wanted the case to be closed quickly.
He's that kind of man.
Lawyer Endou is here.
Thank you for coming.
- Have a seat. - Thank you.
President Harada had some urgent business to attend to, I'll listen to your report in his stead.
So, how did it go? Your meeting with Masuzawa Banji.
Not well, I'm afraid.
- That's quite a hard nut to crack. - A hard nut to crack?
He persisted in saying that Harada Tamotsu didn't do it.
What the heck?! Does he any evidence?
Well, there's no way he does.
*(Humanity and Justice, two of the five Confucian virtues.)
Still, if I must say, I guess he's the Jingi* type.
Jingi?
He stays loyal to his dead friend.
A samurai in this day and age? Oh jeez～
My father's secretary and the lawyer were at their wit's end.
Uh uh...
But I found it kind of funny.
Although I hadn't laughed for a long time after the incident...
Tell me, why do you believe in Harada Tamotsu's innocence?
Sorry to say this, but I think Harada Tamotsu killed her.
- Why is that? - I shouldn't say this, since I'm her sister,
but Shizuka was such a terrible wife that it was almost inevitable he'd kill her.
The newspapers called him "her doggy", but
I think even a dog would've hated an owner like her.
Harada Tamotsu was certainly better than all the other men my sister had.
He was polite and also had a gentle side.
But that's all he was.
I wonder why you champion him so much.
Well, he was a sincere man.
In this day and age the uncommon one was him, rather than me.
I just can't help being true
to that sort of person. That's all.
I understand.
You see, what I actually hate about being with a nasty woman
is that I also turn into a nasty woman.
It's like a mirror.
When you were with Harada Tamotsu
you were able to be the most sincere and nice person, I guess.
One can't help treasuring that kind of companion, indeed.
It's not just me.
I think it was the same for that Masatora.
- Masatora? - The yakuza your father sent to my office.
How much you got paid off?!
How much you got paid off for ratting Tamotsu out to the police?!
Wait, my father would never hire a yakuza.
Listen, Masuzawa-san. He's not as wicked as you think.
But he's not as decent as his daughter believes.
Not afraid to speak your mind, huh?
If I were your father, instead of hushing up the case for the electioneering,
I would've sought the criminal who killed my daughter.
As powerful as he is, he may have found the true culprit.
And perhaps Harada Tamotsu wouldn't have had to die.
Masuzawa-san. Sorry, but it was Harada Tamotsu who killed my sister.
- He did not. - Nonsense!
I mean, he even wrote a confession and killed himself!
But there's a chance your father made him do so.
What could you possibly
know about my father!?
I'm a man who wants to always be honest.
Masuzawa Banji's office had once more returned to its peaceful everyday life.
Yeah, it's her! The woman called Osei.
What a hateful face!
Listen, ma'am. Your husband's not with her now.
Huh?! So he has another woman?
- It seems so. - "It seems so"?!
You... you find the other one too!
Well, this is just a consultation,
but if you want me to investigate any further this money is not enough.
- That again? - Well, it's an important matter.
Investigations need funds, you see.
Excuse me.
Hello? This is Masuzawa Banji's office.
- Hey! Masuzawa Banji-kun? - Yes.
- It's me, Kamiido. - Yes...
Thanks a bunch for that night.
It's all right, I'm sober today.
Not to mention I haven't had a drop of alcohol since then.
My body's as smooth, sparkling and clean as a baby's.
- I can show you. - No, no thanks.
Actually, Masuzawa-kun, I have a favor to ask you.
Could you come here?
- Hello? - Ah, yes, no...
Is there something wrong?
No, no, nothing at all.
Wh-what is the matter?
I just received those by a guest...
- I'll take care of it. - No, I will... - No!
You should not look at them, Madam.
I am sure we will receive plenty of them today...
I am going to burn them all later.
I will answer that!
What do you want?
- Where's Kamiido-san? - As I said, what do you want?
An you are...?
I am the houseboy.
Please take him to his bedroom.
- Yes. - Don't need you, damn!
What's wrong?
Masuzawa-san.
What is the matter?
Ah～ um... your husband asked me to come.
Oh, is that so. Come in.
We are having a party today, I am afraid things are a little hectic.
A party?
My husband won a literary prize, so we are celebrating.
(This residence is called Yodokou Guest House. Set into a hilltop in Ashiya, overlooking the Port of Kobe in western Japan, it was built as the summer villa for the well-to-do brewer of Sakura-Masamune sake, Tazaemon Yamamura, and is the only surviving Frank Lloyd Wright residence in Japan. The guest house was designed in 1918, and construction was completed six years later.)
Go ahead.
Hey, Great Detective! Have a seat.
- Ah, no need, Aiko. I'll do that. - Still...
You must be busy today. Please go downstairs and help Haneoka.
All right.
Then, Masuzawa-san. Please take your time.
Congratulations on the award.
Thank you very much. Please have a good time.
Sensei will come downstairs shortly.
Shousuke-kun, Kimura-sama brought these for Sensei.
Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for coming today...
Abstaining from alcohol makes a big difference, after all. I feel quite healthy.
I started working again somehow, and my good old Haneoka is very pleased.
Thank you.
Where do you live now?
- In my office. - Your office?
Well, I've rented a room in the building of a second-hand car dealer,
- so I lodge there. - How much is the rent? - It's 3,000 yen.
I see.
- Okay! I'll add that to your reward. - Mm?
- Won't you live here for a while? - Huh?
Well, not for a long time. Three months will be enough.
I want you to live here for three months and keep close watch on me.
- Keep close watch? - Yeah.
So that you won't drink alcohol?
- Have you ever read one of my novels? - No.
I see. Not interested in horror fiction?
- No. - Man～ You told me flat out, huh?
Still, you see, this stuff is really popular out there now.
*(A literary and artistic movement originating circa 1930 in Japan. The term itself is a combination of two English words: ero from "erotic", guro from "grotesque".)
It's what they call ero-guro*. That being said,
this genre wasn't originally my forte.
*(An influential Japanese literary coterie, which published the literary magazine Shirakaba, from 1910 to 1923.)
I've always been fond of Romanticism and the Shirakaba-ha*.
Still, now that I'm so old I finally understand.
In order to become popular without writing about naked women, blood and shooting guns,
a novelist needs "that".
"That"... I'm talking about "that".
A thing called "talent".
Unfortunately, I didn't have any.
Still, Masuzawa-kun.
Despite that, my next work's going to be different from the books I wrote so far.
I won't write a horror novel, but an autobiographical story.
I'll model it on myself.
I'll write it in three months at the latest. In two months, if things go smoothly!
Go ahead,
- please write it. - So you're going to keep a watch on me?
- I refuse to. - Why?
- It doesn't suit me. - I think it does! My writer's intuition tells me it does!
You're by nature a man who's really good at looking after someone.
And Harada Tamotsu's matter is evidence of that.
Man, isn't that a pretty moving story!
- If you'll excuse me. - C'mon, don't get mad.
It's about an incident!
I'm going to write about a certain incident.
Writing about that is rather risky for me.
Still, as a writer, I've decided I will!
If I could write that book...
I think I wouldn't mind dying.
- Who's that for? - It's for me.
Didn't you tell me you quit?
Now that I'm looking at your face, I can't help drinking any more.
Dear, it is time...
- Our guests are all here, so... - We'll come down immediately.
Just now… you troubled yourself to hide my drinking from Aiko, huh?
See? Aren't you a kind guy?
Excuse me.
Huh? Could Doctor Takamura be alone?
- I wonder if that rumor is true. - You mean the one about
his wife having an affair with Kamiido? - Right!
Be that as it may, he's rotten but still a novelist.
And Aiko-sama's hard work finally paid off, good for her.
I wonder how much money she amassed this time.
- According to the rumors, it wasn't just money! - Take a look!
That publisher guy is just so obvious!
Please accept these.
Oh! Thank you very much.
Thank you very much. Sensei will come down soon.
Sensei!
Well, well, my friends! How nice of you to come! Ah ah ah...
- Hello. - Masuzawa-san!
Why did you come here?
Well, they called me over.
Since I'm done I'm leaving, though.
- Who called you over? - Huh? The novelist did.
- Just how much do you know? - Know what?
- No, nothing. - No no, what did you mean?
Stop bullshitting me!
- Now, now! Doctor Takamura! - Don't play dumb, you bastard!
There's nothing between your wife and me. Ah ah ah...
AH～!
Doctor Takamura, please...
Sorry. Please go home now.
- What is going on? - That's my husband.
Presumably, he snapped at Kamiido Jouji under the influence of alcohol.
Why would he?
He thinks I'm having an affair with Kamiido.
He's a real nuisance.
You third-rate writer!
Dear, that's enough!
You made a fool out of me!
Please stop!
Someone stop him!
Thank you.
You see, Masuzawa-san...
I'm not the one who had a relationship with Kamiido.
It was my sister.
Shizuka was seeing Kamiido before she died.
That's why I was sure
that you had come here
to fish for something related to the incident.
No, I didn't know about that,
not in the least.
You're surprisingly unobservant, Detective.
Actually, Kamiido wrote a script
for a film starring Shizuka-san, long ago.
I hear you were on familiar terms with Harada Shizuka.
I wasn't! Don't talk nonsense!
Shizuka was seeing Kamiido before she died.
Hey, Great Detective!
Did it go well with my wife?
Don't play dumb, chum!
Didn't you kiss Aiko the other night?
I know how you feel.
Those eyes, huh? Everybody gets infatuated with those eyes.
Right?
Still, you see, she's empty.
That woman is empty, Banji-kun.
There's nothing there. She's completely emp～ty! Ah ah ah...
What're you up to?
Nothing. I'm just getting rid of the orchids.
- Orchids? - The flowers.
Why only the orchids?
You are injured...
Oh, don't worry about that.
You have been a great help today.
Doctor Takamura is usually an excellent doctor.
I suppose he must have had too many drinks.
It seems to me he had reason to pick a fight with your husband.
Who knows, I have no idea.
May I ask you something?
Why did you marry your husband?
That is an odd question, I must say.
Of course it was because I love him.
- Love him? - Uh...
I wonder why... now that you asked me again
I felt as if I was lying, in spite of myself.
When you feel that way, it usually means you're actually lying.
No. I am not lying.
Not as a young girl loves, perhaps, but I love him.
Because my husband rescued me.
A woman is a young girl and loves a man that way
only once in her lifetime.
The man I loved then is no longer alive.
Excuse me.
I'll take my leave.
*(Momota Mitsuhiro, alias Rikidouzan, was a Korean-Japanese professional wrestler, known as the "Father of Puroresu", and one of the most influential men in wrestling history.)
No～ of course I couldn't see Rikidouzan*!
I mean, the television was about 20 m away from me,
- so I couldn't see that much! - That's no fun, then!
It was actually better that way, though!
If you consider that Rikidouzan was on TV～!
Still, there's no denying that Harada-sensei's amazing!
Yeah! I'll vote for him at the next election, no matter what.
Hey, boy! You pay your respects too!
To Harada Heizou-sensei, who launched the street television.
Thanks a bunch!
- Masuzawa-san! - Oh...
- How's it going? - Sigh～
I've tried to look for the other members
of that 361st Independent Unit, but I'm having a hard time.
To begin with, I got their addresses from the army records.
But only a few of them are still living there.
And when I asked those I found,
as expected, they said they know neither Shirosaki Tamotsu nor Masaoka Toraichi.
AH～!
Tamotsu～!
This is Masuzawa Banji's office.
- Our songstress's not in the backstage. - Again?
Search for her at every likely place.
Understood.
The show will start at 8 pm as always. I'll pay you generously.
But don't be a second late.
Okay.
That was a familiar task for him. Since he was in no hurry,
he took a cigarette, and then...
Masuzawa Banji's office.
Hello?
It's me, Kamiido.
What's the matter?
I got into a real mess...!
Huh?
Come here! Right now!
Okay, I'm going immediately.
But please put your wife on the phone first.
Hello? Hello!
On such occasions, a detective imagines what might be happening, starting from the worst-case scenario.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO 1
Unfortunately, he imagined all kinds of cases.
"That? Or maybe this?"...
WORST-CASE SCENARIO 2
WORST-CASE SCENARIO 3
What are you burning?
Ah… flowers.
Where's your husband?
Who knows...
I no longer underst...
Ma'am! What happened?!
My husband...
Over there...
Excuse me.
Ah! Kamiido-san! Hey!
- Uh... - Ah! Are you okay?!
- Sensei! What happened?! - I don't know!
- Sensei! Sensei! - Hey, don't shake him!
- Sorry. - Sensei.
Okay, open the door.
What's up?
Doctor Takamura! You kindly came!?
What're you talking about? I'm here for his wife!
Well, perfect timing. Please take a look at him first.
- Don't care! - Hold it.
- He injured his head and is bleeding. - Isn't that perfect?
Go and replace his contents and all.
- Hey! -What?
You must examine him, you're a doctor!
It's not a serious wound.
Wipe the blood and apply a plaster.
- Is Takamura a physician? - No.
- A surgeon, then? - No.
- Then what is he? - That is none of your business.
Why can't you just tell me?
He's Madam's attending doctor, hence I cannot answer.
Then call a surgeon at once.
No need to tell me that!
Uh...
My room...?
Oh, so you came?
What happened?
What happened to me?
You fell at the bottom of the roof stairs, your head was bleeding.
Your houseboy went to call the doctor just now.
And Aiko?
- Where's Aiko?! - It's okay! She's safe and sound.
She's probably resting in her room.
I see...
Masuzawa-kun, do me a favor.
I threw out a miswritten draft in the dustbin of my study.
- Could you bring it to me? - A miswritten draft?
I just wrote some strange stuff. I don't want Aiko to read that.
There was a man who died in my place.
I'm going to write about a certain incident.
Ah～!
You're wrong, Masuzawa-kun.
She...
Aiko tried to kill me...!
Hey, kid. Take her away.
Madam.
- Get up! - Ah～ what're you gonna do?! I'm injured!
Listen to me. Please call a doctor!
You are ill.
I don't have any technical knowledge, but you're certainly ill.
Unless you go to a hospital as soon as possible, and face a treatment in earnest,
no matter how many years go by, your situation won't improve!
Keeping you company while you waste your time like that?
I wouldn't do that for all the gold in the world!
So what if my client is stingy? She's looking for her cheating husband whilst haggling over my fee,
but that's still more constructive! She may find her cheating husband!
But you won't get well. If you leave things as they are, you'll never get well!
So you can talk so much...
I had no idea.
Ah～
By the way, did you find that?
Burn it.
You wrote here
that a man died in your place. Who's that?
Nobody.
It's just a writer's rhetoric.
I hear you had a relationship with the deceased Harada Shizuka.
So that's why?
That's the reason you're here?
What are you saying?
I'm here because you asked me to come.
Enough.
Just let me lie in bed today. I'm begging you.
Hey, kid!
Ma'am.
Are you okay, ma'am?
I was certain...
that you would definitely come back to me.
I don't get it...
What's going on...
Sleep, sleep, sleep soundly. Sleep immediately.
Mewl～!
In the end the songstress went missing.
Since he'd neglected to search for her, causing the stage to be empty,
the night-club sent Masuzawa Banji a claim for damages,
but he temporarily used it as a dish for potatoes.
Beware of villains and their mocking.
There's no law in their underworld.
Silence is sometimes the best answer.
You don't necessarily have to fight against your enemies.
Especially if you don't have a chance of defeating them.
He hasn't stepped foot in Kamiido's mansion since that day.
Now, come to think of it, tonight he's meeting
- Welcome. - Welcome.
a gentle small bird that came to sit on his windowsill.
I'm sorry for asking you to come at such a late hour.
I guess you must be tired.
- I'm used to it. - Really? You always work till late at night?
Late at night, early in the morning. It's that kind of job.
Delicious!
However...
Actually...
The small bird started to sing a disquieting song.
There's someone who's been wanting to meet you.
Can you guess who that is?
Could it possibly be your father?
Do I have any right to refuse?
You do. Just for today, though.
You mean that tomorrow someone else will come for me again?
I think so.
I'm going.
Don't worry.
My father isn't such a terrible man.
Of course I can't say that he's an ordinary father.
Compared with most people, his position is a bit special. And he has power.
And that's why he has problems others ignore, too.
I do understand that.
Still...
It's a fact that he sometimes chooses startling means.
Please don't offend my father.
Masuzawa-sama. Please get off here.
- Me too. - No.
I was told to escort you home, Yoshino-sama.
Wait!
There's no need to worry.
*("Jungle Boogie" by Kasagi Shizuko, a popular Japanese jazz singer and actress. She appeared and performed this song in the 1948 film "Drunken Angel", directed by Kurosawa Akira.)
♬｢I'm a leopardess and I was born｣*
♬｢in a southern land, where volcanoes blow fire.｣
♬｢On a night lit red by the moon in the jungle, in the jungle,｣
♬｢I had a love so wild it made my very bones swoon ｣
♬｢I was so wild with love that｣
♬｢I left my leopard skin in the jungle｣
♬｢on a rubber tree｣
So you're Masuzawa Banji?
Yes.