Chapter Twenty-Two: Reinvestigation

The Investigation Division of the Beika Precinct is, naturally, the unit responsible for frontline casework. Within the Beika Precinct, there are only a dozen or so investigation units. Aside from the First Unit, which handles administration, the subsequent nine units do not have specialized jurisdictions; they cover all "violent crimes." Beyond these nine units, there are also the "White-Collar Crime Unit" and the "Theft Unit."

Compared to the Metropolitan Police Department, the precinct's violent crime units are few and lack further subdivision. At the Metropolitan Police Department, the First Investigation Division alone has ten units dedicated solely to "homicide," with separate divisions for robbery and arson.

In the precinct, it is customary to refer to these "units" as "teams," as each consists of only four to six officers. They are typically structured as a pairing of veterans and rookies, with fewer personnel allocated than in the Metropolitan Police Department's First Division. Of course, this is just the Beika Precinct—not to mention that smaller stations lack such numbers, but even among major precincts, the ratio of detectives at Beika is quite high.

In times of high volume, each team can handle different cases, and in the event of a major crime, each team can be assigned a specific investigative angle.

After gaining a general understanding of the case, Shiraishi spared Shirai some dignity by seizing the opportunity to lecture all the departments before dismissing them. A lecture was necessary, and he used this chance to raise their "Principles" stat by a point or two. While having excessively high "Principles" can also be problematic, the current issue was that everyone's "Principles" were generally too low.

Shiraishi had summoned the Second, Third, and Fourth Units, as these three typically handle violent crimes. The leader of the Fourth Unit, Haitani, was the primary force who had assisted Shirai in breaking the current case and was the key facilitator during the interrogation stage. The leaders of the Second and Third Units, Aoki and Akasaka—often referred to as the Aoki Team and the Akasaka Team—were also considered elite detective squads within the precinct.

It was clear that Shiraishi was cleaning up the mess Shirai had made. The officers of the Haitani Team were undoubtedly the most nervous at this moment. They had brought along the case files, photographs of various pieces of evidence, and written records of the specific interrogation statements.

In the conference room, as Shiraishi reviewed the documents, he had Team Leader Haitani explain the presentation. Haitani was no longer young, but unlike the typical disheveled detective, he carried himself with a certain slickness. Meanwhile, the officers from the Aoki and Akasaka teams listened intently, knowing they would soon be taking over the case.

Team Leader Akasaka was a middle-aged man with a pompadour. Beyond him and his partner, the equally middle-aged Edasaka, the Akasaka Team included Gen and Yamada. They were the "problem team" hand-picked by the old chief—full of drive, yet rash, and the primary culprits for official vehicle traffic violations. In Shiraishi's view, the entire Akasaka Team had excessively high "Passion" stats.

The other leader, Aoki, had a completely different style. Wearing glasses and with his hair meticulously groomed, he appeared younger and strove to maintain an elite persona, often wearing formal, almost business-like suits. Whenever he and his partner, Matsuki, walked together, they looked like a dignitary and his secretary. The younger officers of the Aoki Team were Makitaka Miwa and Suzuki Atsushi—Makitaka being the only female officer in the Criminal Investigation Division.

In short, the Aoki Team was the "goody-two-shoes" counterpart to the Akasaka Team.

Shiraishi thoroughly examined the detailed account of the investigation and discovered the flaws in the case. Haitani, before finishing, did not forget to summarize the culprit behind their troubles: "Given the current media pressure, we can basically confirm that it’s the work of that detestable lawyer! That guy, Kensuke Komikado, is an expert at using media pressure and external factors to interfere with judicial trials!"

Haitani’s abilities were not poor; overall, he ranked among the top in the Criminal Investigation Division. In terms of temperament, he had more flair than the hot-blooded Akasaka and a bit more of a devious edge compared to the elite-styled Aoki. However, regarding his attempt to downplay the issue...

"Komikado, is it? I've heard of him. He is indeed a greedy jackal, but... this jackal usually doesn't like taking on criminal cases, especially violent ones. What attracted this jackal this time was precisely these investigation results, which are full of holes and practically reek of rot!" Shiraishi said, slamming the case summary onto the table. Haitani immediately stood at attention and went silent.

When it came down to it, the case was riddled with loopholes. The most powerful evidence was the fingerprints on the kitchen knife. However, it was a knife from the victim's home. The victim often hosted colleagues for hotpot, and it was perfectly normal for Tsubokura, as a junior, to use the knife to help prepare food. This was corroborated by the statements of other colleagues. Yet, while Tsubokura's fingerprints were on the murder weapon, he claimed to have used other knives as well, but those were completely devoid of fingerprints! Coupled with the indirect evidence of a so-called "motive"...

The situation had turned unfavorable once the defendant directly overturned their previous "confession," alleging that it was obtained through duress. Especially now that the opposing lawyer had dug up evidence of Shirai hinting to witnesses, accusing him of ignoring standard evidence and launching a media offensive...

"At the end of the day, you all figured the suspect didn't have any money and would have to rely on a court-appointed lawyer, so you acted sloppily, didn't you?" Shiraishi asked bluntly.

"Chief, we..." Haitani started to explain.

Shirai interjected, "Then what should we do? Just sit by and watch the criminal go free?"

"Take Shirai! I didn't say it clearly earlier out of respect for your seniority! If you had known from the start that the lawyer would be a difficult opponent, would you have submitted this kind of work for prosecution? In your eyes, are there only two options: 'improper investigation' or 'letting the criminal go'? If all you can think about is this binary choice every day, then take off your badge right now!

"And your interrogation... since the surveillance cameras happened to be broken, I won't even ask if the coercion was true. I'll ask you this... is this the interrogation result you are so proud of? Was there any important supplementary detail in the suspect's confession? Did they provide any powerful evidence? Is this what you call competence?"

Shiraishi scolded him directly, and Shirai withered.

Indeed, Shiraishi could understand using certain interrogation methods to get a criminal to confess. Of course, some methods crossed the line and were strictly prohibited, but more importantly... a "confession" in itself is not the goal. Someone simply saying "I did it" is meaningless! If the suspect could be made to confess "important details"—details only the killer would know—and those could be verified, preferably with matching physical evidence, then those could count as significant evidence.

But Shiraishi had looked closely at the statements... there were no such "important details." Instead...

"And what about claiming to be wearing a white shirt during the crime and tripping on the road because of nerves... these details that cannot be corroborated by evidence—how can they be seen as anything other than proof of a 'fabricated testimony'? As a veteran officer, did you not see this?" Shiraishi asked, annoyed.

When people lie, they instinctively fabricate useless details. Shiraishi, who was well-versed in psychology, saw the problem at a glance. He wouldn't bet his life on whether the suspect committed the crime, but he could be certain that when the defendant "confessed," they did not actually intend to admit to the crime. Even without mentioning the procedural violations, this was by no means Shirai's true capability. It was simply that he was under too much pressure, causing him to make one blunder after another.

What made Shiraishi angriest was that the "Principles" of the officers in the Haitani Team were also slipping. If they continued to be led by Shirai, the young officers would be ruined as well.

"The entire Haitani Team is suspended starting today for reflection. You will submit written reviews regarding all improper conduct during the investigation!

"Akasaka, Aoki, you are responsible for restarting the investigation. The Akasaka Team will re-examine the case under the premise that 'Tsubokura is not the true culprit,' and the Aoki Team will supplement the investigation of the criminal evidence under the premise that 'Tsubokura is a cunning and deceptive true culprit.' By 2:00 PM, team leaders are to submit their preliminary investigative strategy to me.

"The case has been sent back for retrial, and the suspect's lawyer is an expert. The situation is extremely unfavorable for us. Please work hard before the trial resumes on Friday."

Shiraishi assigned the tasks and then looked at Shirai one last time, adding, "Also, from today on, all prosecution reports for criminal cases must be signed and approved by me personally. Meeting adjourned!"