Her daughter, Sugita Mai, was sitting in a wheelchair next to the sofa, gently holding one of Sugita Sayoko's hands, silently sharing her grief.
The maid, Asaeda Mitsuko, looked to be in her thirties and was similarly pale-faced, probably not expecting such a tragic incident to occur in her employer's house. She glanced around restlessly, twisting her hands desperately.
She was the first to notice Nanahara Takeshi's arrival, quickly stood up, and reminded, "Madam, Miss Mai, that... Nanahara is coming."
Nanahara Takeshi was now somewhat of a minor celebrity in Hirarano; after all, he spent his spare time co-writing fluff pieces in the newspapers with the unscrupulous journalist Tanakura Sanae, boasting about himself. Recently, he had been even more active, constantly throwing mud at the mysterious person X in the newspapers every few days. Though it hadn't provoked person X into a rage to attack him, his reputation surely had been boosted considerably.
