Sitting alone at the table, Eiki sees the reflection of Shogo & Toko sitting at the bar. Shogo asks Toko "Who's he?" Toko replies "Insurance company...a colleague at school died in an accident, investigating about that..." Shogo looks over his shoulder at Eiki. Toko asks "& you're here...for work?" Shogo replies "Yes, I heard from Hisamatsu about this place, wondered if you'd be here or not so came by to look..." Toko says half to herself "Drink every night..." Shogo asks "Everything's calmed down?" Toko nods. Shogo continues "At the funeral, didn't say too much..." Toko tells him "Thanks for helping me..." "To Hisamatsu, when you accepted his proposal, that was his happiest moment..."

Toko has a flashback to when Hisamatsu's boat being brought into the mirror & the policeman saying "Because he was entangled in the propeller, the injuries were really serious...so..." Toko replies "It's alright, let me see..." The policeman says "Alright..." & Shogo, standing behind her looks at Toko. Toko walks forward next to a bloodied sheet on the ground. As the sheet flies up, Shono, standing off to the side behind her, grimaces & looks away at the sight. Toko continues staring without looking away & says "There's no mistake..."

Back in the present Shogo says "It was the time when you wore the engagement ring...Hisamatsu & I had a drink together..." Toko says "Things about me during college days, gossiping & drinking at the same right..." Shogo smiles "Although you always needed company, you were a really overbearing...just playing around with us..." Toko doesn't reply, just a hint of a smile on her face. Shogo continues "Hisamatsu wholeheartedly said..."

Shogo has a flashback to the Hisamatsu's restaurant, the both of them talking. Hisamatsu with a glass of wine in his hand says "I think it's fate...5 years ago after we parted, suddenly bumped into her in Tokyo...she was really tired...these 5 years since then, whether love or work, a lot of things have happened..." Looking to Shogo sitting at a table, Hisamatsu says "Hey, you also know it well, Toko during college days...she hated it when guys would say she was their woman..." Shogo thinks & then nods with a laugh. Hisamatsu goes "Right? That characteristic of hers, after 5 years hasn't changed one bit...if you don't want to become my 'thing' (something that belongs to me), then I will be come yours...I embarrassingly said that..." Hisamatsu laughs. He continues "I've given Toko everything..." Shogo repeats in surprise "Everything?" Hisamatsu sits down across the table from Shogo & points to his heart "Here..." Shogo looks at him, not quite comprehending. Hisamatsu says with a sigh of resignation "My life...life......I got an insurance policy with Toko as the beneficiary...I haven't told her yet but...having done that sort of thing, you think she'd be happy? She'll probably get angry..." Hisamatsu laughs & drinks his wine......

Back in the present, Shogo says to Toko "Afterwards he must have told you, that he got the insurance..." Toko tells him "Whether I was really his fiancee, he got the insurance for me, photographs of the engagement ring, the wedding invitations, showed me everything, like he wanted me to be at ease..." Shogo asks "Have you got the insurance money already?" Toko coolly replies "I got him to cancel it..." Shogo looks at her surprised "Cancelled?" Ide Satomi casts a glance at the both of them. Toko replies "If he didn't cancel this kind of insurance policy, I told him that the wedding was off..." Eiki at the table, listening at the table, shock on his face. Shogo asks "Then even after Hisamatsu died..." Toko answers, taking a sip of her drink "I didn't get a single yen..." Shogo nods, Toko remains unruffled, Eiki struggles to digest this new information...

Back at the office, Eiki reports to his boss Hirase. Hirase asks "Is it completed?" Eiki replies "If there was more time, could do a further investigation but..." Hirase looks thru the photographs that Eiki has taken "After the rain, road late at night, braked but slipped & fell...like that isn't it...gokurosama...go work on the next case..." Eiki returns to his desk & sitting down, ponders over Egi Toko. From the numerous photographs of Toko on his desk, he takes one & holds it up. Staring at it, he flashbacks to when he took those photographs of her, seeing her turning back & smiling...

In his apartment on a whiteboard, Eiki has written information his has obtained about Toko on it. Pointing to a picture of Ikenaga Sonoe stuck on the board, he says to Shono "Ikenaga Sonoe as a teacher was a cheerful & enthusiastic type, volunteer to be teacher in charge, getting involved among the students...exactly like a female version of Kinpachi Sensei..." Eiki walks out to the veranda with Shono following "If there are students who didn't like her...on the way home at night...had an argument & then without thinking..." Shono pushes her hands out as if pushing someone "paa!!...like that?" Eiki, sitting at the table, tilts his head & then says "The Egi Toko that neither flatters students nor colleagues, a teacher that's always cool & doing things as she pleases...yet among the students is equally popular as Ikenaga Sonoe was..." "What's Egi Toko's alibi?" "She was attending her fiance's funeral in Kanazawa...the Hisamatsu Koichi who died in a sea accident, 3 days before his death, cancelled a 10 million dollar life insurance policy..." Taking up a salt shaker Eiki says "Ikenaga Sonoe..." & half laughing, picks up a other bottle of spice "& Hisamatsu Koichi..." Picking up another bottle (looks like Togarashi) Eiki puts it between the other 2 bottles "& what's connecting the 2 accidental deaths is Egi Toko...the plan with Hisamatsu failed, so made it looked exactly like an accident, in hopes of becoming the beneficiary perhaps..." Shono laughs "That sort of suspicion, isn't it a bit much?" Eiki replies "I sense something with that woman..." Shono asks "Sense?" "Being with her, I get the chills...shudder, makes the air around her turn cold..." Shono looks at him, unsure of how to feel when she realizes Eiki knows Toko well enough to that extent. Eiki not noticing says "That woman, there's something for sure..." looking at his empty glass. He then notices Shono staring at him & going inside to get another drink asks "oh yeah, what happened to the career minded kachou?" Shono answers "Recently haven't seen much of him...probably investigating by himself, also on this case..."

At the Eiwa girls school, Ujou says to the lady at the office "Turn right at the end?" "Yes..." "Thank you very much..." "Gokurousama desu..." Ujou walks down the corridor & turns right...in the Earth Science room, Eigi Toko is pounding away at a piece of rock with a hammer. Ujou knocks on the door & Egi answers "Come in..." Ujou enters to see Toko hunched over her work at a table by the window. He says "You're Egi sensei, aren't you..." Toko straightens, & then turns around to see Ujou entering & closing the door behind him. Ujou walks up to her, taking out his card "I'm Ujou from the Machida South Police..." putting the card on the table. Toko asks "What is this about?" Not answering her question, Ujou looks around "Brings back memories...minerals partially destroyed by fire turned into activated carbon..." Turning back to look at her he says "I still remember...at the common first-stage science course, I chose Earth Sciences...you too?" Toko stares at him in silence, then replies "I have a class to take, excuse me..." Ujou walks up to her "Studies about the planet...how attracted to it are you?" Toko doesn't reply, merely stares at Ujou who takes his card from the table, folds one of the corner edges & puts it back down. He says "This is about the death of Ikenaga Sonoe & the suspicions of an insider within the school..." Toko asks "This is 2 person investigation?" Ujou nods "Yes, of course..." "In that case I refuse..." Ujou stares at her & then without a word, walks out, leaving Toko looking at his card on the table......

As Toko sits out in the school courtyard having a break, Ujou walks up to her "When Ikenaga died, it appears that you were in Kanazawa weren't you..." Toko replies "I went back to my hometown..." "Took more than a week off..." "A close friend passed away...there was a funeral..." "So...must have been really intimate friend, going there for more than a week..." Ujou stares at Toko with intensity who coolly stares back. Toko finally turns away & says "Ikenaga being killed by someone within the school...appears to have some secret information of that sort..." Ujou grimaces muttering "What is that police chief doing..." Sitting down he says to Toko "It's as you say...was typed out on a word processor, there were no prints on the envelope either..." Toko says "You're saying that the insider in not a student, but a teachers aren't you...on an inaccessible remote piece of land, spending one's life knocking on rocks, an unsociable lady teacher...you heard about this..." Ujou says "If that's about you yourself...then if someone who bares a grudge against you informed the police anonymously...you'd be worried to, wouldn't you..." Toko answers "If that person is really out to get me, wouldn't have been so vague about the insiders......why wasn't my name mentioned?" Ujou reluctantly agrees "That's true..." Toko gets up "I have a class..." & gets up to leave. Ujou says to her as she walks off "Glad I could speak to you..."

In class Toko walks around as a student reads aloud "When magma cools & hardens into rock, it is called Igneous rock. Magma does not erupt, in a place deep underground it slowly cools, completely becoming minerals. After that..." Toko looks outside the window & spots Ujou still hanging around the school premises. She stares intently at him......

Afterwards in the principal's office, Takagi asks Toko "Why the change of heart?" Toko says "Let me do it, the special overtime work..." "For the sake of money? Or taking revenge for Ikenaga?" "Neither...to drive away annoying flies..." Takagi doesn't understand & goes "Flies?" Toko doesn't reply...

Toko pays her respects at Ikenaga Sonoe's home. Sonoe's mother says "Thank you..." Toko says "I too had something unlucky happen so I couldn't attend the funeral, my apologies..." "No, thank you for all your kind assistance...actually, I wanted to ask you something...at school, did Sonoe have any pressing problems? She worked at Eiwa girls school for nearly 3 years...even when she came home occasionally, she never smiled..." Sonoe's mother has a flashback to a time when Sonoe comes home. Tiredly Sonoe says "I'm home..." Her mother greets her "Welcome back...can relax this weekend, dad's also look forward to it..." Sonoe doesn't answer, just despondently walks up the stares ignoring her mother's question "How's school?"

Back in the present Sonoe's mother asks Toko "Sonoe in school, was she always like that too?"Toko reples "No, Ikenaga sensei always had a smile on her face...she was very popular with the students..." "But...the Sonoe that we knew, that's like a totally different person...was Sonoe seeing anyone?" "I don't know..." "More than 3 years ago, she said there was someone that she wanted to introduce to us...it was a surprise to us but after that...even at the funeral, no one like that showed up..." Toko turns & stares at Sonoe's photograph on the altar...

At an amusement center, 3 girls are playing the UFO Catcher, trying to get soft toys "No, it won't work..." They suddenly see Toko's reflection in the glass & turn around muttering "Oh shit..." Toko says "I thought you'd be here..." The girls answer back "Our school even have people watching us around town? What a bother!" Toko says "I need to speak with you..." "We haven't been drinking or smoking..." Toko says "I want to ask about Ikenaga sensei..." "We already went to the funeral, properly burnt incense for her too..." Toko says "Last month, after class Ikenaga sensei detained you, didn't she...spent more than 2 hours in the classroom too...what did you talk with sensei about?" One of the girls answer "You know about that then you should know! The 3 of us are not engaging in enko (enjo kosai - in a sexual relationship with much older men in exchange for money)...someone's out to get us...in the end I was the only one called up by Ikenaga sensei...really angry..." Toko says "A student along the corridor said she saw...sensei was crying..." "I didn't do that..." Toko asks "What did you do to her?" "What's the meaning of that? Ah, you're saying that I was the one that push Ikenaga sensei into the river?" Toko says "Tell me, what happened that day..." "That teacher, halfway thru her lecturing she started crying...rather unstable..."

The girl has a flashback to the day Ikenaga detained her in class. Ikenaga says "Once you discover the warmth of that person's body, when it's time to break up it's really painful...so painful that it's unbearable...but if you're not sure if it's really love, I don't want you to do this for the sake of money..." "That's why I said we're not engaging in enko!" "OK, I understand...this is merely a warning..." "Did you have a painful relationship that didn't work out?" "Yeah well..." "Eh? When?" "About 3 years ago..." "The cause was...he was taken away by another woman or something?" Ikenaga laughs "It's a common enough story..." but it looks like it's a sore spot. The girl says "If that's the case, then take revenge!" In a strange tone, tears in her eyes, Ikenaga says "Even without you saying so I will..." "Eh?" All of a sudden Ikenaga starts crying & the girl is taken aback "Sensei? Wait a minute, what's wrong sensei? Sensei!"

Back in the present, the girl tells Toko "3 years ago, her boyfriend being taken away...looks like she was really hurt..." Toko thinks & says "That woman...revenge..." "That's what she said..."

Eiki comes back into the office & seeing a flashing icon on the monitor, clicks it with the mouse. As the icon flashes "You've got mail", his colleague Anzai comes by with a report "The payment on Ikenaga Sonoe's policy has been made, this is your copy of the confirmation..." When Eiki merely stares at the screen without answering, Anzai asks "What's wrong?" Eiki answers "Connections I guessed were right...the past few years in various insurance contracts, the name of Egi Toko has been recorded...in my ex-company there was 'reaction'...a policy 3 years ago at Kujo Insurance..."

In a discussion with his boss Hirase & Anzai, Eiki says "1996 October, a local psychiatrist died of an overdose of medication...although it was classified as suicide, a year after Shibata Yoshinori signed the contract, the beneficiary should have been paid the insurance money...the name of the beneficiary is Egi Toko...since they were engaged at the time, Kujo Insurance approved the policy. But then even when Shibata Yoshinori died, Eigi Toko could not get a single yen...why because a few days before his suicide, he cancelled the contract..." Hirase asks "Wait a minute...you mean the contract was cancelled before he died?" Eiki answers "That's right..." Hirase asks "The beneficiary, she of course also knew about the cancellation?" Eiki answers "She probably knew..." "So it isn't because that he committed suicide but rather that the contract was cancelled, that the insurance money wasn't paid out." Eiki answers "That's correct..." Hirase asks "Then what's the problem?" Eiki stresses "The same thing has just happened recently! Egi Toko's fiance who died in a boating accident Hisamatsu Koichi cancelled his contract 3 days before his death & the insurance money wasn't paid out. Is this merely coincidence?" Anzai gets up to holding Eiki back "Hey, calm down!" pulling Eiki down onto a chair. Eiki goes "What?!" Anzai replies "If 3 years ago Egi Toko got the insurance money & then suspected her of the same thing now, that's understandable but......" Hirase adds "Deaths of 2 fiances, both of them canceling their contracts & unable to get the insurance money, she's just an unfortunate woman..." Eiki getting up says "What sort of woman she is, let me investigate..." Hirase tells him "No way! It's a question of personal rights!" Eiki rather worked up says "The case 3 years ago & Hisamatsu...Eigi Toko's fiances dying" are related, I'm certain of it...could be something about canceling contracts & finding a new way of committing a crime...maybe there's a connection to Ikenaga's case too..." Hirase finally says "Hirokawa, take a break for a while" Anzai adds "That's better too, you've got a lot of vacation don't you..." Hirasae declares "Ikenaga's case is over & the insurance money's been paid...forget everything..." Eiki replies "I understand...I won't ever discuss this again..." & walks out in a huff. Hirase says in exasperation "Hirokawa..."

At the Ice Storm, Toko writes on a note pad "Ikenaga Sonoe......A break up 3 years ago..." To Ide she says "Satomi, you were taught English by Ikenaga sensei weren't you?" Ide answers "Exactly a year ago..." "What sort of teacher was she" "I wasn't one to attend school too much..." As Toko write "Man who left her..." the other bartender greets someone "Welcome" Ide says "Here again..." Toko looks up to see Eiki walking towards her. Staring as he walks towards her, Toko coolly stares back & then turns away, ignoring him. Eiki says to the bartender "Same as usual" Ide mutters "Trying to act cool..." Eiki sits at the bar, looking at Toko writing, the Ide breaking up ice with the ice pick. Toko writes "To the other woman..." Eiki wonders what Toko's writing, Ide breaks up the ice with intensity & Toko writes "Revenge" Suddenly Ide says "Somehow, Ikenaga sensei was like, she was forcing herself..." Toko asks "Forcing herself?" Ide leans over the bar counter & says "Forcing herself to become a teacher that understood students...that's to say she was killing her real self..." Eiki listens in silence, Toko thinks & Ide continues breaking up ice. Toko ends up writing the words "Double personality"

At the Machida Police Station, as Ujou walks into the office, Shono, greets him "Good morning..." but Ujo ignores her going to his desk. Someone says "I'm off" & Shono goes "Uhm..." Just then Detective Kanbara says to Ujou "The chief is looking for you..." Without a word, Ujou strides out. Detective Yukawa says "That Ikenaga case, seems like he's been investigating on his own..." Shono eavesdrop as Kanbara says with disdain "Give him a toy, let him play outside so one can do the housework in peace..." Yukai laughs "That's true..."

Walking into the chief's office Ujou says "You called..." & then stops when he sees who's in the room, his father in law & his estranged wife Masako. Ujou says to Masako "What's the meaning of this?" His father in law says "Masako, there's no need to be afraid, take it out..." Masako from an envelope, takes out an application form, putting it on the table...divorce papers. Her father says "The lawyer says you never showed up at the appointed time..." Matsuura says "It's about time you think about your wife's feelings, how about it?" His father in law arrogantly says "The next personnel reshuffle, I'll guarantee you'll get the position you desire..." Ujou takes up the divorce papers "The next post is on the condition that I sign & stamp this, is that it?" "Let Masako have her freedom!" "She's got enough freedom now!" Masako shakes her head, not saying anything. Ujou takes a deep breath & puts the papers back down on the table "I understand what you're saying...I refuse..." walking out. Matsuura says "Ujou!" Ujou stops & turns around saying to his father in law "Even if I don't depend on your power, I'll get to the post I desire my by own strengths..."  "The you right now, what can you do?" Ujou tells him "The case that isn't solved now, I'll investigate on my own. When I solve it that will be 100% by my own ability...a branch chief detective, by himself overturning the Headquarters' judgment (of the case). Whoever hears it will say that the Investigation Department at the Headquarters will need this man Ujou! I'll definitely show this to you!" ""What's wrong with this guy?" Matsuura explains "We received some anonymous information & it's apparently fired him up..." "Upright huh..." His father in law says derisively. Ujou reaches out to take Masako's arm "Masako, let's go outside..." but Masako pulls away & her father grabs Ujou "Don't ever come near my daughter again!" Ujou looks at him & then at Masako "Listen Masako, once this case is solved, I'll come get you..." Ujou turns & walks out, slamming the door behind him, leaving a trembling Masako behind...

Eiki rides his motorbike & stops at a building, looking up at it. It's the hospital where Shibata used to work. Inside, speaking to the director of the hospital, the director says "No matter what investigation it is, this affects Shibata's reputation. However he lived his private life, I will not talk about it..." Eiki undeterred asks instead "Do you know of this woman Egi Toko?" The director replies "Anything with regards to patients are confidential..." Eiki's surprised "Patient? Egi Toko was a patient here?" The director realizes he's let slipped information & tells Eiki "In any case, please leave..." & walks away. A nurse looks at the director & then at Eiki who sees her nametag, Kubo Yukie...

After work as Kubo leaves the hospital, Eiki approaches her "Kubo-san, I won't take much of your time. Whatever you say to, I won't tell anyone. Whatever happened between Egi Toko & Shibata sensei, I'd like you to tell me..." Kubo finally stops walking & smiles "It'll be expensive..." Eiki smiles...

As they walk on, Eiki asks "When did Egi Toko come to this hospital for treatment?" Kubo answers "The year before Shibata's death, I think it was the rainy season..." "That's to say...Egi Toko becoming Shibata's beneficiary for his life insurance would be about 2 months after first meeting..." "Eh? They became close that quickly, I didn't know anything at all..." "Uhm...what illness did she have?" "Severe depression..." "What sort of symptoms?" "Depressed, feeling weak, no interest in doing anything, no interest in living, even dying would be a bother...had those symptoms continuously for 2 weeks..." "What was the cause?" "Everyone's different but in Egi Toko's case, she was in shock from a break up..." Eiki is surprised & finally says "So that's to say, before getting into a serious relationship with Shibata, she was seeing someone else..." "That's obvious, she's such a beauty...the pain of a break up, healed by falling in love with Shibata sensei...maybe it's that..." Kubo walks off & Eiki ponders to himself "Man & a man...before that was also another man..."

Later on in bed with Shono, Eiki says "Have you heard of Positive Metastasis?" "What's that?" "Seems like it's one of the cures of severe depression...letting the patient do what he likes, letting the patient's wishes & fancies a place to take flight...then the patient & doctor will fall in love...when the patient sees that he can stand up on his own again, the doctor has to coldly leave..." Shono asks "Can that be done so easily?" "Because of this a lot of trouble has arisen...to both doctor & patient it's a weapon, one can say it's a form of treatment...between Shibata & Egi Toko could have been this kind of relationship..." "Egi Toko's story again..." "Shibata couldn't stop his relationship with Egi Toko, even became her fiance...& then, his own life..." Shono says "Look over here..." "Hm?" answers Eiki, turning over to look at her. Shono says "Look at me..." Eiki replies "I'm looking..." Shono looks into his eyes "You're not seeing me..." "I am" replies Eiki & they kiss...

At the Ice Storm, someone drinks at the bar as Egi Toko walks in. Ide says "Sensei, there's someone waiting for you..." Shogo turns around "Hi!" Toko smiles & says "You've been here all this while?" Shogo replies "Actually I've come out to Tokyo..." "What about the Yusen work?" "Recharging my batteries for a while...I've rented a cheap apartment nearby...an old high school classmate introduced me to some part time work..." Toko doesn't look pleased at the news & downs her liquor in one gulp. Shogo says "You still hold your liquor as well as before...I was the one that always got drunk first..." Toko finally says "What's your purpose?" Shogo looks at her "Eh?" "Your purpose of coming here...by any chance, you're suspecting me?" Shogo doesn't reply & Toko says "Answer me..." Shogo looks at her "I want to believe you...but right now it's hard to believe...Hisamatsu gave his life up to you giving some unclear reason, made you the beneficiary of this life insurance...tell me, how much did you get after he died?" Toko replies "I said so already...the policy was cancelled..." "Then why 3 days after that he died in such a strange way?" "I want to know too..." "Hisamatsu's body, half mangled like that...you just stared at it..." Shogo has a flashback to when Toko identifies Hisamatsu's body at the pier. Shogo grimaces as he looks away but Toko merely stares without flinching. Shogo says "Thinking about it now, it felt like you were trying to make sure whether it was him or not..." "So what if I was trying to make sure if it was him or not?" "The night he disappeared, I was the one that called you...you rushed back to Kanazawa, & then at dawn saw his body..." "That's because the night he died, I was in Tokyo..." "Even if you don't use your own hands, there are other ways..." "Are you saying that I got someone to kill him?" "I've thought over whatever there is to think about..." Toko looks at him, an expression of hurt on her face "Staring at his body...whether Hisamatsu was really dead or not, to make sure with my own eyes...is that what you want to say?" Shogo answers "I've thought that too....." Toko now upset says "Then what's the motive?! What did I get when he died?! I am empty! I have nothing! Don't have a reason for living!! Only the days of being suspected by everyone!" Ide looks at her. Toko finally says in a calmer tone "Shogo, I have a favor to ask..." "What?" "The next time you come to this place, let me know first...cause I won't come..." replies Toko, getting up & leaving.....

When Shogo arrives back at his apartment, he finds his sister Nanami sitting on the stairs waiting for him "Nanami! What are you doing here?" "I've come here too..." "You..." Shogo is speechless. Later on coming back from the public baths, Shogo asks "What did you tell Dad about coming here?" "To look after you..." "What about university?" Nanami assures her brother "I've been attending all the lectures properly so even if I take some time off it'll be alright..." Shogo whacks her with his towel "Go back tomorrow!" "No! I've already decided to work part time at that convenience store nearby..." Shogo walks on, giving up. Nanami says "Aniki!" "Huh?" Nanami asks "Although you like her, you're suspicious of her...that's it isn't it..." "What are you saying..." "You being suspicious of Toko having something to do with Hisamatsu (his death)...it's cause you love her don't you..." Shogo stops in his tracks & Nanami continues "Why didn't you go after Toko earlier?! It's too late! Too late! If you were together with Toko, Hisamatsu might not have died..." Shogo asks "What's that suppose to mean?" Nanami replies "Nothing..." turning to go back to the apartment, Shogo watching her......

At a café, Eiki meets up with a colleague from his former company. The guy says "Because of you, you've stirred up the investigations in our company...in truth I shouldn't be helping you..." Eiki smiles "My apologies..." "Just kidding...to prevent insurance crimes, we should have more of this sort of relationship..." Eiki asks "So? What information did you find?" "After you requested, I checked up related sources & learnt something, data source is from Shinwa Life..." Eiki asks "Egi Toko's name appeared?" Right then someone arrives "Yo!" "Hi! Sorry to keep you waiting..." & then to Eiki "I think it's better if that person explains..."

The man, Ono, hands Eiki his business card "Actually we can't reveal information to other companies but since the contracts been cancelled, & the person who signed the contract is also dead..." Eiki says "Dead? That person died too after he cancelled the contract?" "Yes, 5 years ago..." answers Ono, bring out some documents. The man was called Hiyama Toyohiko, a photojournalist..." "He died in Northern Ireland, Belfast..." "Yes, in the midst of reporting he was killed by the IRA..." "What was the relationship between Egi Toko & Hiyama?" "I think you know this...other than family members, the third person that can become a beneficiary are those of a de facto relationship or fiance (fiancee)...that's in general...I met Egi Toko in person & verified that she & Hiyama were in fact in a de facto marriage, approved her as a beneficiary..." Eiki mutters to himself "De facto relationship..." "What about Shibata & that Kanazawa young businessman?" Eiki replies "Becoming the beneficiary, only found out after the contract was signed..." "Eh? Really?" "In any case she didn't get a single yen..." "No matter what, what sort of a woman is Egi Toko? All the men after falling in love with her, die for sure...gives me the creeps..." Eiki doesn't reply...

Eiki in a book store, flips thru a book of Hiyama's photos. They are all pictures of the conflict in Northern Ireland...guns, soldiers, the dead. On one page it says "The last picure - Northern Ireland, Belfast, Withdrawal of injured troops...after this Hiyama was shot down by a stray bullet by the IRA..." Eiki closes the book & ponders, a frown on his face...

At the principal's office, Takagi says "Then, three years ago the man Ikenaga broke up with is?" Toko answers "No one knows..." "Does that person she broke up with have anything to do with this case?" "Let's stop here...how about it?" "If it's someone outside the school, we can breathe easy...since then the police hasn't come investigating...the murderer being someone within the school, that anonymous letter...that must have simply have been a prank...thanks for your help, forget about this case already..." Egi Toko doesn't reply, the expression on her face coldly unreadable...

Back in her geology lab, Toko sits at the table by the window, looking down at a notepad on the desk. The rays of the setting sun streams thru the windows, giving the room an orange tinge. There's a knock on the door & she answers "Yes..." Turning around she looks towards the door "Who?" When there's no reply she asks again "Who is it?" The door opens & Eiki enters. Looking at Toko, Eiki squints, the light from the window behind Toko turning her into a dark silhouette from where he stands. Toko asks "Did you get permission from the office?" "No, I came here directly..." "You're trespassing...this is a girls school...other than male teachers, all other men are prohibited..." "I'll be quick..." "The Ikenaga investigation is over isn't it..." "Yes, uneventfully..." "If it's regarding my fiance, I won't become your object of investigation..." "That's obvious..." "Then what else is there?" "What about a story of a certain woman?" Toko doesn't answer & Eiki continues "5 years ago, that woman graduated from university & became a young teacher...she had a lover...he was a photographer who went to battlefields...how she met the photographer, I don't know...in any case, the both of them fell in love...the photographer signed a life insurance contract for her sake. Made a payment of 5million yen on signing the contract, upon his death she could get 80 million yen. But even the fact that he died on the battlefield, that woman couldn't get the insurance money...why?...cause before he left for the battlefield, he cancelled the insurance contract..." Toko is silent all this while, unfazed. Eiki continues "She was not only emotionally disturbed losing her love but suffered depression from losing that person...the person that healed this woman's heart was a psychiatrist. Using a treatment called Positive Metastasis he developed relationship between them...that psychiatrist also bought a life insurance policy & made her the beneficiary. A few days before committing suicide, the contract was cancelled."

Toko sits without saying a word, barely any reaction from her. Eiki continues without a pause "The death of a young businessman on the Sea of Japan also likewise, 3 days before his death cancelled the contract...everytime it appears that she keeps on losing something, appears that she doesn't gain a single thing...that sort of a woman, it's generally said like this...a woman who can't keep men (have relationships that last), a woman that is unlucky when it comes to men...an unlucky woman that causes her lovers to die one after another..." Toko doesn't appear the least affected by anything Eiki's said so far. Eiki finally says "Men all want to save this woman's pain with their own hands, that's why they give up everything...they also gave up their lives in exchange for money...from the looks of it, she's a pitiful woman that desires man to come save her..."

Eiki stares at the Toko's silhoutte as she finally says in a quiet tone "It it's that woman I know her very well..." "You probably do..." replies Eiki. Toko asks "Now, you see for yourself...that woman what can you see?" With the light shining brightly behind her, all Eiki can see is her silhouette, her face in darkness. Eiki replies with a smile "I'm sorry, I can't see too clearly...what kind of face I wonder..." Toko gets up, shuts the blinds & turns on the lamp on the desk. Toko looks at Eiki "If it's like this, you can see clearly can't you..." Eiki stares at her without replying. With strength Toko says "This is as you say...the pitiful woman...if you can see the pain in her heart, if you can see a woman that desires men to save her..." Eiki stares at her, as if unable to say anything. Toko continues "Tell me...who's next?" Eiki finally says "Next?" Toko says with a hint of a cold smile on her face "...who will fall in love with me...the next man..." Eiki can only stare, unable to answer, looking at Toko.....a smile on her face.....

　

江木塔子： 廣川英器： 江木塔子：

これなら、よく見えるでしょう．．． これがあなたの言う可哀そうな女．．． 心の傷ついた男に救いを求める女に 見えるんだとしたら．．．教えて．．． 次は誰？ 次．．． 私を愛してしまう．．． 次の男．．．