Chapter 109- Motives

When Takao Ohga heard what Kyouji Toda said, his eyes widened for a moment.

He felt Toda release the hand that had been gripping his hair and then unfasten the cuffs that had bound his hands to the metal chair.

"According to the case file, your original plan was to lure the artist Akikawa Kyousuke to Mr. Hota's office at 1:00 PM, murder him, and then frame Mr. Hota."

"First question: Why did you choose Akikawa Kyousuke as your target?"

Kyouji Toda sat back down across from Takao Ohga, his tone suddenly much softer.

"Is he also your supplier for morphine?"

"..."

Ohga Takao responded to Toda Kyouji's question with silence.

As Toda watched him, his eyebrows furrowed once again. When Takao noticed this, panic crept into his mind.

Originally, he had believed that the Metropolitan Police Department's detectives were all incompetent, bound strictly by laws and regulations.

As long as you wielded the weapon of "law," the police wouldn't be able to touch you.

But what he hadn't expected was that the detective in front of him was a gangster.

Not only did he disregard the law, but he also made shocking statements like, "You don't think you still have human rights once you commit a crime, do you?"

Ohga Takao realized this wasn't just an act by Kyouji Toda meant to intimidate him.

The detective genuinely didn't see criminals as human beings from the depths of his heart.

Fury boiled within Takao, but he was helpless because he knew that Toda Kyouji was indeed the type of man who would hit him.

'By the way, why did he remove my cuffs?'

'Does he think he can earn my trust by doing this?'

'After what he just did to me?'

Ohga Takao couldn't make sense of Toda Kyouji's thoughts. He finally said:

"I'm curious. Do you trust detectives too much?"

"You believe everything they say. Don't you think they might make mistakes?"

"But based on current data, detectives have a far higher crime-solving rate than the police."

Toda Kyouji replied.

"Look at yourself—a top graduate of the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Medicine—and you still fell into the hands of a detective, didn't you?"

Toda smiled.

"I hold detectives in high regard. They can deduce the entire picture of a case from a single subtle clue—something most police officers can't do."

"Of course, blind trust isn't possible."

"I trust my own eyes and ears more than I trust detectives, which is why I want to hear from you directly before making my judgment."

"Alright, enough talk. Time to answer my questions."

"Confess honestly, and there's a chance for a reduced sentence."

"But if you dare to lie or refuse to cooperate, it will be much worse than just 'admitting guilt with a bad attitude.'"

As Toda spoke, Takao Ohga caught sight of the detective's carefully groomed lips, which curved into a faint smile.

Though it was just a normal smile, it seemed grotesque in Ohga's eyes.

"If you're a smart person, you should know what's best for you now."

"I understand what you're worried about. Since the incident with Akikawa Kyousuke didn't actually happen, you're concerned that confessing will increase your charges."

"But you should've noticed that the camera in the interrogation room isn't on."

"This means that whatever you say now has no legal effect, and I can't use your confession to charge you with additional crimes."

"So feel free to speak openly."

Toda Kyouji leaned back, crossed his arms, and stared at Takao Ohga.

"Then I don't understand. What benefit is there to turning off the camera?"

Ohga was baffled by Toda's behavior.

Since his superior had assigned Toda to interrogate him, why wasn't the camera recording? What was the point of this interrogation?

"There are three reasons."

"First, during interrogations, prisoners inevitably refuse to cooperate."

"At that time, I may have to use some 'small tricks,' and if those are caught on camera, it would give me a headache."

"You... are very blunt."

Ohga stared in disbelief at Toda, who had just confessed this shocking truth with a smile.

Surprisingly, the detective didn't even bother to hide it.

"I have nothing to hide. After all, you've experienced it yourself."

Toda grinned.

"Second, I've dealt with many criminals, and some people will never tell the truth in front of a camera."

"For someone like you, who understands the law, keeping the camera on would mean you'd definitely withhold the truth to avoid increasing your charges."

"Take your plan against Akikawa Kyousuke, for example. Since the incident didn't occur, you could avoid being charged with attempted murder by staying silent."

"So, to get you to talk, the camera has to be off."

"Third, I care more about uncovering the truth of this case than about fulfilling the tasks assigned by the Memu Police Department."

"Your drug trafficking and firearm-related murders are already proven facts. Whether or not I complete the tasks given by Memu won't change your case much."

"But if the truth remains buried and the real criminals continue to roam free because I'm preoccupied with following orders, the loss outweighs the gain."

"My goal is to protect the safety of the Japanese people."

"Nothing else matters as much as that."

Toda's words left Takao Ohga deeply shaken.

Initially, he had thought Toda's second reason would align with the first—that everything was for his hooligan-like activities.

Unexpectedly, he heard such a serious and compelling rationale.

Although Takao was now a criminal, he couldn't help but feel his perception of the scarred-eyed detective shift.

Toda's three reasons were incredibly convincing.

They also made Ohga believe Toda was using his own method to show sincerity.

Over the years, Takao Ohga had interacted with countless people in the entertainment industry and prided himself on his ability to analyze others.

Even though he had clashed with Akikawa Kyousuke before, he was confident that the detective before him didn't harbor the extreme contrasting personas Kyousuke did.

This meant Kyouji Toda might actually be someone he could trust.

(End of Chapter)