Eiki puts the scrunched up insurance application form onto the dashboard of his car "Showing her that & seeing her reaction, I only wanted to make sure..." Shono asks "Egi Toko crying, what's all that about?" Eiki for some reason, seems rather down "She really wanted all the men to cancel the insurance policies..." "For what reason?" Almost talking to himself Eiki says "To get something better than the insurance money..." Shono asks "Something better? No money, no position, losing lovers one after another, living an empty life...what on earth does Egi Toko gain? I'll be frank, you've gotten deeply involved with Egi Toko...sacrificing your own life trying to figure out whether or not she's a murderer...something's wrong..." Looking at Eiki, Shono says "Let me ask you one thing?" Eiki looks at her. She says "If Egi Toko is discovered to be involved in a case insurance money crime & is arrested...as an insurance investigator, you'll be satisfied...won't you..." Eiki doesn't reply. Shono looks away thinking. She turns back to look at Eiki "That's why I..." but suddenly stops. Eiki's not paying any attention to her, just despondently looking up at Egi Toko's window, thinking about her....

Morning arrives & at Ikenaga's apartment, Ujou is woken up by Egi Toko's coughing. Getting up, Ujou looks through the telescope to see Toko by the veranda, putting her hand onto her forehead. Ujou mutters "The influenza this year seems particularly persistent..." As Toko takes out the thermometer from under her shirt, Ujou adds "About 38.3 degrees...wouldn't it be better if you rested?" In her apartment Toko goes back to bed & under the covers...

Ujou enters the police department & Shono, looking through some packages on a desk, picks up & hands it over to Ujou "This is the video tape of the scene at Shibata's suicide has been sent over..." Ujou takes it from her "Prepare 3 monitors & video cassette players in the room next room..." "Alright..." answers Shono as Ujou locks up his desk drawers. As Ujou walks to another cabinet, Kanbara, reading the paper mutters to Yukawa "Just like cops & robbers..." Yukawa gossips back "Recently, there's talk that kacho's movements have been a little strange..." "Talk?" "Calling him at home he's never there..."

In the next room in front of 3 television monitors, Ujou says "This is the tape from Hiyama's friend...this is Shibata's...the one on the right is the tape of the scene of the Hisamatsu case...among these 3 cases there is some connection..." Shono peers attentively at the screens, staring at the Shibata video recording. Ujou continues "3 years ago, psychiatrist Shibata checked into the hotel alone...after that committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills, didn't leave a note...seems that the drugs were taken with the coffee brought in by room service..." Shono pauses the tape "There's an additional cup..." "Appears that Shibata had called for servings for 2...expected a guest so that didn't raise any suspicions...the waiter that delivered the coffee said he didn't notice anyone else in the room..." "The year before this, Shibata & Egi Toko were engaged weren't they..." "But it seems that they weren't making any wedding preparations...talking to his friends at the clinic, seems that Shibata was troubled over work & his love life, suffering from insomnia..." Shono stares at the image of Toko identifying Hisamatsu's body & says "Kacho, I have a favor to ask..." "What?" Shono says seriously "When Egi Toko's being arrested, please let me put the handcuffs on her..." Ujou looks at her "In order to get him back?....Hirokawa's movements, what's he up to?" "He left for Kanazawa this morning...said he wanted to investigate the night of Hisamatsu's death himself..." Ujou ponders over this news...

Toko's doorbell rings & answering the it, she finds Shogo standing outside "What's wrong?" Shogo smiles "I called the school & heard that you've caught a cold so resting at home..." showing her a bag. Toko smiles back...

With Shogo in the kitchen peeling the skin of an apple, Toko says "I remember..." "Hm?" "This also happened when we were in college..." "2nd year at college, New Year's day...you had a fever of 39 degrees on New Year's Eve...the both of us had porridge & watched Kouhaku...even then altho you were already a woman that was high-handed & liked to do things your own way, but your body was weak..." Seeing a red bottle of wine on the shelf, Shogo takes it "This is a present from Hisamatsu isn't it..." Lying in bed, Toko replies "He said it was from a place called La Mancha...altho I said that I didn't drink red wine, he said to open it when I remember painful memories & forced me to accept it..." "Painful memories..." "My late father used to drink red wine..." Toko remembers her father falling to the floor, a bottle of red wine spilling all over. She adds "Even at the last moment..." Recalling the fire she started, surrounding the bottle of wine & her parents. Toko says "I associate it with the blood of my parents, that's what the doctor said..." She recalls Shibata telling her "If you can get over those memories of your parents, peace will return to your heart...for sure it will..." Shogo stands with the bottle of wine in his hands, looking at Toko... 

At a cafe, Masako sits alone. Nervously she swallows a pill & waits. Turning, she sees Ujou coming up to her. As he takes a seat across her, he says "Being out, is that alright? The surgery's (abortion) done isn't it..." Masako doesn't reply & Ujou asks "What's there to talk about?" Finally Masako speaks "When I went home (parents' home) last night, I heard from my father...that recently you've been acting rather strange investigating the death of that lady teacher..." Ujou laughs cynically "A warning? So I'm also being watched..." "Seems that you don't even go home..." Ujou doesn't reply. Masako adds "You said that you were working on this case for my sake...I don't want you to force yourself like that for me..." "If I don't try, I can't get out of where I am now..." "Even if you remain quiet, you can still get transferred to a high post..." Ujou leans forward "Even you think that way? You want me to stamp the divorce papers quicker..." Masako replies 'The more we talk about this, I know you'll get mad...but it can't be left unsaid..." Ujou slowly extends his hand out & touches Masako's face. Withdrawing it & looking at his hand "It's this cold?...If only I had been warmer..." Masako replies "Somehow everyday...feels like I'm in ice..." tears in her eyes. Ujou looks at her & says with emotion "Thanks to you, the fire's been lit..." getting up & leaving...

In Kanazawa, Eiki walks to the marina thinking about what Shono said to him "You've gotten deeply involved with Egi Toko..." As a cruiser is brought into the marina, he recalls his last meeting with Toko "I'm not crying...desiring men to do that what did you get?...I didn't get anything...What did you get in exchange for the lives of those men?!...If you come any closer!!...If I enter your heart, I'll find it, won't I..."

Talking to a marina staff Eiki asks "Then, Hisamatsu on September 29th about 9pm, suddenly said that he wanted to go out to sea?" "Yes, when he came to the office, he was alone...up to the time he went out to sea, didn't see anyone else..." "Did it appear that someone called him out?" "No, not particularly..." replies the guy, jumping into another boat, helping out loading supplies. As they put in life jackets, something occurs to Eiki & he asks "Excuse me, that night Hisamatsu wore a life jacket didn't he?" The guy thinks but replies "I don't know..."

Eiki goes to the Kanazawa police station "I just want to see the list of things left behind..." "You're an insurance investigator but you're from Tokyo! On top of that Hisamatsu buying a life insurance policy, that's the first I've heard of it..." "The insurance policy was cancelled 3 days before he died..." "If that's the case then there's no reason to investigate..." "I'm asking! Life jacket! When Hisamatsu was found, if he wasn't wearing a life jacket, was the life jacket on the cruiser or not? That's all I want to know!" "Rules are rules! If it's unofficial you can't see it!" Eiki frustrated finally says "I understand...I'll come back..." "No matter how many times you come it's still not allowed!" Eiki replies walking off "I'll come back again..."

At the police station back in Machida, Ujou says on the phone "So you went to Kanazawa again? The list of things left behind on the cruiser?" Eiki replies on his cell phone "Yes...I have no choice but to ask for your help...can you talk to the head over here?" "I was classmates with the Ishikawa police bucho, I'll ask him..." "Please..." "But if you find anything you can't keep it to yourself..." "I know! I'll tell you everything!" Ujou hangs up & Shono asks "What did he say?" Ujou looks at her, not answering. Making a decision, he gets up, takes his coat & leaves...

In her apartment, Toko takes a map of Machida City & looks at it. Taking a pencil, she circles "Eiwa Jogakkan" & crosses out "the scene of the accident" "From the North exit..." Toko traces the route from the school, across the bridge to the scene of the accident. "Her house is..." Toko takes out a book & goes down the list of teachers & their addresses "Ikenaga Sonoe...Machida City Asahi-dai 2 chome...Green Corp..." As Toko circles the apartment on the map, she notices that across the railway tracks is her apartment. The train rumbles by as Toko goes to her veranda. As the train goes past & finally no longer blocking her view, she looks across to see sunlight reflecting off the window of Ikenaga's apartment...

Outside the police station in Kanazawa, Eiki's on the phone again "Have you managed to contact Ujou? I've been waiting for 3 hours already! I understand, yes...that's fine, thanks..." As Eiki hangs up & takes a bite of a sandwich, a taxi pulls up with Ujou stepping out. Eiki surprised 'What's going on?" "Be grateful, here to help you..." "But I didn't ask you to come here!"

The policeman shows Ujou & Eiki the documents pertaining to Hisamatsu's case "The list of things left behind are in here. We just received a call from the Ishikawa head office, Tachibana bucho" He hands it to another officer "Tabata, please make a copy..." Ujou explains "It's related to a case we're investigating, that's why we asked Tachibana to help..." "So that's it..." Ujou points to Eiki "Him too...he's helping out officially as well..." The policeman laughs "You should've said so from the start!" Eiki gives a forced smile...

At a spot overlooking the sea, Eiki & Ujou go over the documents. Going thru a list "1. Boston bag, 2. Raincoat, 3. Glass ashtray, 4. Books, 5. Towel, 6. Fishing tackle, 7. Icebox." Eiki says to Ujou "It's not here...when the police found the cruiser, the life jacket wasn't among the things collected..." Ujou looking at the list says "Only forgetting a life jacket...what's it got to do with Hisamatsu going out to sea?" "What if that night, the life jacket was properly stowed on board & there was someone else other than Hisamatsu...what do you think?" "In other words, on the night of September 29th, on board the cruiser there was someone else other than Hisamatsu. That person killed Hisamatsu, wore the life jacket & then left the scene of the crime?" "For the sake of making it look like an accident, had to leave the boat as it was, then there was no choice but to swim back to the shore at night..." Ujou thinks out loud "If the murderer had to swim back to the beach..." Eiki looks at him & then realizing the implications, look out onto the beach below them...

Walking among the shop houses along the beach Ujou says to Eiki "I'll go here..." "Alright..." The both of them start checking with the people around the area Ujou's voiceover "The night of September 29th, did you notice any one strange around?" "No..." "Thanks..." Eiki's voiceover "The night of September 29th, did you see anyone swim to the beach?" "No..." "Thank you..." Ujou again "The night of September 29th, did you hear of anyone swimming back to the beach?" "No..." "Oh, thank you..." Eiki "The night of September 29th, did you see anyone swim to the beach?" "No..." Meeting up again, Eiki asks Ujou "How was it?" "Nothing..." Eiki suggests "Let's go ask that fishing & tackle shop up ahead..."

An old lady replies "Ah, speaking about it..." Eiki looks at Ujou & then asks the old lady "The night of September 29th, about 11pm?" "Waking us up in the middle of the night, said that someone had collapsed on the beach & to call an ambulance...but that was a strange thing, when we got to the beach, that person wasn't there..." Eiki asks "Wasn't there?" "That's why we didn't call 119..." Eiki continues "The person who saw the person on the beach & asked for help was?" "Was a woman that I've never seen around here before..." Eiki repeats "A woman?" Ujou pulls out a photo from his pocket & shows it to the lady "That person...was it this woman?" The old lady takes the photo of Ikenaga Sonoe & says "It's this person!" & recalls that night when Ikenaga leading them down to the beach "This way!...Eh? It was over there..." Back in the present Eiki says "Someone had collapsed on the beach, that's what she said?" "Yes..." Eiki looks at Ujou who nods back at him....

Ujou speculates what happened that night. On the cruiser, Hisamatsu says "Toko, you try it..." & then turning around sees Toko bringing the hammer down on him. He falls overboard & shouting "Toko!" & screams when Toko starts the cruiser & runs over him. As Ujou & Eiki walk back down to the beach, Ujou says "Ikenaga Sonoe saw Egi Toko leaving with Hisamatsu on the boat & came for a walk along the beach...then by chance..." They imagine Ikenaga Sonoe coming to the beach & spotting someone swimming back to shore with a life jacket on. Hurrying down she says "Are you alright?" Egi Toko turns & asks "What are you doing here?" Ikenaga anxiously asks "What happened?! What happened out on the sea?!" Toko looks at her not reply & Ikenaga continues "I saw you & Hisamatsu leaving on the boat...at the marina earlier..." Toko says "How come you know about Hisamatsu?" Ikenaga replies "In any case, I'm going to get help..." leaving. Toko gets up & goes the other way....

Eiki tells Ujou "Egi Toko has an alibi. When Hisamatsu was missing out at sea, she was in Tokyo...the telephone call was also recorded..." Ujou asks "What if she had an accomplice?" Continuing with his speculation "Sakota Shogo, like Ikenaga Sonoe was following Egi Toko's movements...what if he was also at the scene that night..." Shogo also by the sea, looks down on the beach to see Ikenaga & Egi Toko going in different directions. Ujou says "What if something had happened between Hisamatsu & Egi Toko & he decided to be her alibi..." At her apartment Toko's answering message comes on "This is Egi, I'm not in at the moment so please leave a message..." "Toko, it's me, Shogo. Listen carefully, right now you're in Machida City, not Kanazawa...Hisamatsu being lost at sea, you heard it from me, alright? Leave everything to me, it'll be alright..." Ujou adds "On the other hand, Ikenaga only found out about Hisamatsu's death the next day...certain that it was Egi Toko who killed him...that much Egi Toko knew...that's the reason that Ikenaga Sonoe lost her life..." Ujou imagines Ikenaga cycling back & Toko bringing down her hammer on Ikenaga, tumbling down to the river's edge....

Eiki asks "Then Egi Toko meeting with Ikenaga Sonoe's family, speaking to her colleague that was also from the same university as Ikenaga...what was the reason for all that?" Ujou lights a cigarette, not reply. Eiki adds "If she's the murderer, then the more she investigates the more it will be to her disadvantage..." "That's why...the evidence that she's the murderer, before you & I find out, she'll destroy it all, that's her aim...haven't you thought about that?" Eiki stares at Ujou intently "What's the motive for the crime? Even killing Hisamatsu, she can't even get a single yen..." Ujou replies taking a step away "That's the only thing left from the puzzle...other than money, what else did Egi Toko get?" Eiki doesn't reply. Ujou turns around "Hirokawa...I will put handcuffs on Egi Toko..." Eiki looks back at Ujou, unable to reply...

At the library, Nanami goes through microfilm looking for the article on Hisamatsu's death. Just as she finds it, Toko arrives "Nanami..." Nanami hurriedly changes the microfilm to another article as she stands up. Toko says "Is it convenient?" "What is it?" "I'd like to talk, just the 2 of us..."

As they walk past shelves of books, Toko asks "You're studying Meteorology in college?" "I'm interested in natural disasters...being outside & being able to do more with the Yusen work, then atmospheric conditions & movement of the air pressure, I feel like if I study that I'll be able to help. I don't have the talent to be a craftsman, the least I could do it to be able to help out with the weather forecast..." Toko tells her "It's better if you go back to Kanazawa..." "Both you & my brother want me to go back...why?" Toko says 'I...know...about you...." Nanami looks shocked. Toko assures her "I won't tell anyone...might cause Shogo more pain..." Nanami asks "Cause my brother my pain...can you say that? My brother loves you! Because he loves you he's suspicious of you...said that someday he'd propose to you...can you answer that?" Toko quietly replies "I won't love anyone again...not ever..." Nanami stares at her. Toko tells her "You can't stay in this city..."

It's night & Eiki walks towards the Ice Storm. Shono, keeping watch on his movements, sees him entering Ice Storm...

Toko is as usual, sitting at the bar drinking. As Eiki enters, Satomi says "Welcome..." Eiki tells her "The usual..." taking a seat near Toko. After a pause, Eiki says to Toko "Went with that detective to Kanazawa...the night of September 29th, there was someone on board the cruiser with Hisamatsu...that person killed Hisamatsu & swam back to the shore...the murderer that arrived back on the beach was discovered by Ikenaga Sonoe...it's possible that there was no choice but to silence her...the investigation is re-opened...Ujou intends to use your case to climb the career ladder..." Toko, silent all this while finally speaks "I didn't kill Hisamatsu...I only lost him...it's fine if you don't believe me..." Eiki asks "You said that you killed your parents...that was a lie wasn't it..." "That's true..." Toko replies looking at Eiki "Do you want to know the truth?" Eiki stares at her without answering. Toko looks at him & finally turns away "If you want to know that much, I'll tell you..."

Toko recalls as a young girl, moving into Kanazawa "Fleeing from the debt collectors in Niigata we arrived in Kanazawa. But in the end we couldn't escape. Dad secretly bought a life insurance policy without mom or me knowing. Every month gangsters would appear to collect the installments. The beneficiary of the policy was me. When he died & the insurance money collected, that would pay off the debt completely. Dad was made to sign it. Dad exchanged his life for money." Toko remembers her father drinking red wine, having a happy meal together with them. Back in the present Toko continues while Eiki listens "Committing suicide with the year of the insurance policy, the insurance money would not be granted. That's why the debt collectors waited a year. Mom also became rather strange. She pressed my father for an answer." The three them lying in their futons, Toko's mom crying as her Toko's father replies "I will die...for you & Toko..." Toko, lying next to her mother, listens under the covers. Back in the present Toko says "When I thought that Dad would die in half a year, I was terrified. The half year after that was wonderful. Dad stopped gambling & womanizing, the house was filled with laughter..." Toko recalls images of her parents on swings & enjoying themselves. Perhaps it was because we knew that it was going to be destroyed that there was this happiness...the one year after getting the life insurance policy passed, that day finally arrived...all this while not having had any news from the debt collectors, they called...Dad was so afraid that he gulped down his favorite red wine & got drunk. Mom told me to go to the theatre by the train station, put money into my hands...leaving me alone, I knew that Mom & Dad were going to commit shinjuu (double suicide)...this day would come, I'd already imagine many times..." Eiki listens, emotion gripping him. Toko with tears in her eyes says "I wanted to die too...together with my father & mother I wanted to die too...I started crying...but mom pushed me away..." Toko remembers the scene of her parents death. Her mother pouring kerosene all over the house as her father falls to the floor, drunk, spilling the bottle of red wine saying "Setsuko! Light the match!" Her mother pours the kerosene all over herself & reaches for the matches. Toko screams "Stop!" but her mother pushes her away. With shaking hands Toko's mother tries to light the match but can't. Crying she pleads "Toko! Please!" pushing the matches on the table towards Toko. Her mother holds her father & as they hear tires screeching, the debt collectors arriving, her mother screams at Toko "Light the match!" Toko picks up the matches, looking at her mother crying, hugging her father. Striking it, she drops the match onto the floor. The fire spreads with a woosh, rushing towards her parents & her mother screams. Toko tells Eiki "I don't remember what happened after...maybe as passers by said, I stood there watching my parents being burned to death...my father bought a life insurance policy to pay off his debts but that my mother bought a life insurance policy too, I only found out after...that was also left to me...that's why I could go on to college...the fact that I could live until today, is because my parents exchanged their lives for money..." Her hands together "With these hands, I exchanged them for money...the feeling of lighting the match that moment, I still remember well...that moment, why didn't I die with them?...I killed both my parents, it's as I said..."

Eiki, silent all this while, says "Mercy killing...you made it easy for them...don't blame yourself...I said it before...although living is painful, towards that strength that makes you glitter, living on...I have an interest...I feel like I understand a little...towards the brutality of this world, as a child you've seen too much of...not believing in anyone, not believing in love either...that's why you've lived with a prejudiced view on life...the 3 men, perhaps they wanted to help you a little...but one by one they..." Toko cuts him off 'What do you know?!" They look at each other & Toko takes her things, leaving Ice Storm....

Outside, Toko stops, turning back to look at Ice Storm. As she walks away, Shono, watching outside calls Eiki on her cell phone. "It's me, where are you now?" Eiki, still inside Ice Storm replies "At work..." "How long will you be?" "Sorry, can't meet you today..." "I haven't told you yet, the other day..." "I can't talk now..." "Sorry, disturbing you...I'll call you again..." Eiki hangs up & drops the phone onto the bar counter. Outside, Shono fights back tears & then calls Ujou "Hello, this is Shono...Egi Toko has left the bar, looks like she's going home..." Ujou replies "If Hirokawa Eiki's not going anywhere, then go home..." "Otsukaresama desu..."

At Ikenaga's apartment, Ujou lights a candle. He hears Toko coming home & looks through the telescope "Recovered from your cold already?" Toko takes her jacket off & starts humming a song. Ujou listens & laughs "You like this song don't you..." sitting back & leaning agains the wall. He suddenly hears Toko speaking "Dad used to sing this often...said he remembered it as a child...Ujou-san what about you?" Ujou startles with shock. Looking through the telescope he sees Toko draw open the curtains & coming out onto the veranda. "I saw you entering that apartment..." She puts her hand to her face as if looking thru binoculars "You're looking at me from over there aren't you...just like Ikenaga Sonoe was watching me...I also found the hidden bugs...I'll give you one day tomorrow, get rid of everything...& disappear from over there..." Toko smiles & Ujou says "I've lost..."

At school in her room, as Toko hits a rock, she recalls what Eiki said to her the night before "Mercy killing...you made it easy for them...don't blame yourself..." There's a knock on the door & she answers "Come in..." The guy from the office enters bringing with him a box "There's a small package for you..." Toko takes it "Thank you for bringing it up..." "It's nothing..." he replies & leaves. Toko looks at the box & then opens it to find a cell phone in it. She takes it out, wondering who it's from. It suddenly rings, startling her. Answering it "Hello...hello...who is this?" A digitized voice replies "You killed 3 men..." "Who is this?" "You couldn't get any of the insurance money, what a pity..." Toko hears something & turns around "Where are you now?" She hears voices of some students in the background & looks out the window. Running out of the room, she goes down a flight of stairs to the ground floor & out to the courtyard. "Where are you?" "You don't have to rush, I'm still nearby..." Running into the field & looking around, the voice on the phone says "Who's the next to die? That man?" Toko asks "Who?" "A cursed woman like you, there's a man who wants to get to know you isn't there...you were together last night too..." Toko stunned, says "You're nearby?" The voice laughs. Toko looks frantically around "Where are you?! Where?!! Where?!!..."

Hidden from Toko, beyond the school fence, a white gloved hand holds onto a cell phone....