Entering the interrogation room, Yamazaki knew he had made a mistake, so he cooperated with Senichi and Takagi during the questioning.
According to his statement, he had no significant contact with Yukihiro Otsuka. They just happened to bump into each other on the street.
At that time, Yukihiro Otsuka was holding a wallet in front of a restaurant, but after looking at the money inside, he awkwardly left.
Yamazaki had a criminal record and couldn't apply for a second-hand shop business license. He needed someone without a criminal history who was in desperate need of money.
He approached Yukihiro Otsuka and struck up a conversation.
Later on, he learned that Yukihiro Otsuka actually had relevant qualifications in public health. Being someone with such high credibility, he was highly sought after by them.
So, Yamazaki exchanged money and promised to provide board, lodging, and everything in exchange for Yukihiro Otsuka applying for a second-hand shop business license.
At first, Yukihiro Otsuka hesitated, but eventually agreed.
After confirming this information, Senichi immediately found Mitsumatsu and asked him to help investigate what activities Yukihiro Otsuka had done under his name.
After the investigation, they discovered that Yukihiro Otsuka had sold off both "Identity and Credit score."
He had engaged in activities such as fake marriages with foreigners, operating a second-hand shop, acting as a guarantor, and signing contracts for small businesses when applying for financing.
Step by step, he had fallen into the abyss.
When Senichi was investigating the black market sale of "Identity," he knew how much information circulated among this group. If someone sold their own "Identity," there would be a continuous stream of people coming to buy "Identity."
That's why he helped introduce Sakurada Saburou to a job because he knew that once the sale of names started, it would be like a desperate measure.
However, while Yukihiro Otsuka's miserable fate was known, they still had no clue about why he died.
But at that moment, Toshiro-san from the Forensics Division brought over a document.
"Afterwards, I investigated the victim's phone again and found this."
Hearing that there was another lead, Senichi's spirits lifted, and he immediately looked at the printed monthly calendar. Underneath the calendar, different locations were noted for each day.
"These are all restaurants and snack shops."
After reading it, Takagi looked puzzled. "Why did Otsuka-san record so many places to eat..."
But Senichi's gaze froze as he saw it, and then a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Let's go, Takagi-san. Let's investigate these shops."
"Huh?!" Takagi couldn't help but exclaim when he saw the densely packed list of shops. "Are these all of them?"
"Don't worry, if my reasoning is correct, these shops should all be within a certain range that can be reached on foot." Senichi said, a hint of a smile crossing his lips. "The final puzzle piece is within our grasp!"
...
Arriving at a restaurant where Yukihiro Otsuka often went, they quickly recognized him after showing his photo.
According to the staff, they had indeed seen him several times, but it was always in a small booth for tasting nearby.
That place was where they offered samples of new products for tasting. It mostly consisted of packaged bread and similar food items that people could try. If someone liked them, they could buy some to take home, and they were usually long-lasting products.
They also offered some free porridge and other items, and the effect was not bad. It was a way of selling bread and pastries.
Afterward, the two of them went to a nearby supermarket and found a tasting area where they could sample seaweed and flying fish roe for free.
Including the tasting area with pre-cooked small pieces of steak in the supermarket, everyone without exception had an impression of Yukihiro Otsuka.
"If my expectations are correct, these restaurants and supermarkets in the vicinity offer various free food and tasting. This is the common point noted below Yukihiro Otsuka's phone calendar."
After leaving the supermarket, Senichi sighed and said, "It seems our speculation was correct. The closer we get to the present, the worse his days become."
"In that case, it explains why Yukihiro Otsuka didn't have uniformity in the food he consumed," Officer Takagi sighed. "Running around so many places just for meals, I'm afraid he didn't have time to look for a job."
"And in order to go for taste-testing, he also had to ensure cleanliness. Even though internet café showers are cheap, continuous consumption was a drain on him," Senichi said, looking at the memorandum in his hand. It seemed like he could see Yukihiro Otsuka's daily hustle. "Furthermore, he couldn't frequently enjoy these free meals. The more times he visited, the more likely the staff would remember his appearance."
"That's why he had this daily eating itinerary. But as a result, Yukihiro Otsuka had to walk from one place to another just to satisfy his hunger. The energy consumed during this walk made him hungry again, forcing him to go to another shop to eat," Senichi explained.
"It can be said to be a vicious cycle, where he could only live each day to avoid starving to death and had no energy for anything else."
As they conversed while hurrying along, they finally arrived at the shop where they presumed Yukihiro Otsuka had last visited based on the date.
It was a donut shop.
"How about it? Want to try some samples? They're just freshly baked," the girl holding the tasting sign outside the donut shop immediately offered them a donut pierced with a toothpick. "Please give it a taste."
After buying two donuts as a dessert after their meal, the two of them began chatting with the girl.
"Ah, I remember him."
When Officer Takagi showed Yukihiro Otsuka's photo, the girl immediately confirmed it.
"You remember him quite clearly," Senichi smiled at her and asked, "Did something happen?"
"Actually, it's the third time already," the girl looked at them and said. "He had come here for taste-testing before. To be honest, people like him are very rare."
"A grown man specially coming to taste-test desserts but not buying anything afterward, that's uncommon, right?"
Speaking up, the girl from the donut shop became a little annoyed and embarrassed. "Actually, he came here yesterday too, but at that time, I got a little angry and said some unpleasant things."
"If you like it, please consider buying some to support us."
The girl held up a donut and said that to Yukihiro Otsuka at the time.
But even the girl didn't expect that her sarcastic remark would provoke such a strong reaction. He actually snatched all the donuts she had in the display case.
"But even so, he shouldn't have taken all the samples," the girl said with a hint of grievance. "He was only eating without buying, and I just scolded him a little. Snatching things was way too much."
After asking about Yukihiro Otsuka's escape direction, the two of them followed his route and eventually stopped at a certain place.
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