Episode 3: The past
Suzaki, who has been investigating Gyosei University’s Seiso Alpine Club alumni, is stabbed by someone but survives. In a strange turn of events, his attacker – a former Serizawa-kai Fujita-gumi gang member – surrenders to the police after the attack.
Goda is unsettled when informed by Asami that Suzaki had questioned Saeki just before he was stabbed. He also hears rumours about the Special Investigation Department’s secret probe into Saeki Chuo Construction’s alleged illegal political donations.
That night, Goda confronts Kano about the rumoured probe. He intends to ask Saeki to come voluntarily to the police for questioning even though he is gambling on the honour of the police. Saeki is a suspect in the Special Investigation Department’s bribery case and Kano, who wishes to build a case against him, warns Goda to drop the idea. The two men end up getting into a heated disagreement … ….
On the other hand, Sano finds out the identity of the skeleton. It belongs to Nomura Hisashi, a Gyosei University graduate who went missing 20 years ago. However, the investigation soon runs into difficulty because of pressure from the top.
At the main quarters of the investigation task force, the Seventh Section learns from past records found at a mountain hut on Mt Hodaka by Goda’s subordinate, Mori Yoshitaka, that the late Matsui, Rinbara and Saeki had gone mountain climbing frequently. The three men, together with Asano and Kihara Ikuo, the current chairman of Gyosei University, were members of Seiso Alpine Club. They get excited as the connection with 20 years ago gradually becomes clearer.
Goda and Mori make the discovery that Asano committed suicide shortly after the burglary which he had tried to cover up as mistaken identity. An unknown young man with close-cropped hair had been seen talking to Asano on the day of the burglary, and a small wooden box is missing from his study … …
Then, Suzaki tells Goda that he had questioned Saeki about an old magazine article with a photograph of Seiso Alpine Club’s members on a mountain expedition. The members included Saeki, Rinbara, Matsui … and Nomura!
Goda, who had read about the identification of the Yamanashi skeleton in the news, gets in touch with Sano. He learns about an incident which took place 20 years ago near the area where Nomura’s body was found. It was thought to be the forced double suicide of a mother and child. The child was saved but the mother died. However, there was a witness to the incident who claimed the mother had been murdered. That person was Iwata. He was later deemed an unreliable eyewitness and his statement dismissed for lack of credibility. Iwata’s whereabouts are not known since his release from a medical prison some days earlier. Believing that Iwata can shed light on the connection between the two cases, Goda and Sano attempt to locate him.
Meanwhile, Rinbara, who feels frustrated with Mizusawa’s threats, makes a move … …!
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