“You really don’t see me?” the man asked again. “Fine!” he snapped, when Shinji offered no answer or any eye contact.
The ghost drifted right through Shinji and flew away. He hated when ghosts did that. Their immaterial bodies were damn cold. It was one thing to get used to the ghostly mist, but a whole other thing to bear with their icy energy when they passed through him. He made a mental note to send a message to the Onmyoryo about these ghosts.
Teruo pushed the intercom button for their contact’s apartment and a woman answered, letting them inside the block. They took the elevator to the third floor and Teruo knocked on the door. A woman in her late twenties opened it and they presented their badges.
“We’re here on the behalf of TMPD,” Teruo said.
“Yes, I’m Asami,” she said, inviting them inside. She was in gray sweatpants and an orange T-shirt, her waist-length hair flowing down her back.
“Thank you for seeing us,” Teruo said.
Asami gestured for them to sit on the sofa and offered two cups of steaming green tea. Shinji took a sip, his gaze trailing around the small apartment. A bookcase covered the opposite wall, full to the brim of manga. Beside it were two small desks, pushed together. The left one was covered with drawings and some art supplies. The right one had a laptop and a pair of large headphones.
Asami briefly left them and returned with another woman who looked the same age. She introduced herself as Erika, another friend of Ozawa’s, and she sat on a floor cushion while tying her red-dyed hair in a ponytail.
After settling on the armchair by Erika’s side, Asami turned to Shinji and Teruo, her face looking pale. “Has something bad happened to Fumiko?”
Teruo placed his elbows on his knees. “I’m afraid Ozawa Fumiko was discovered dead on Tuesday.”
Erika, who was still fumbling with her hair, stopped mid-motion, her eyes widening. Asami gripped the armrests, her nails sinking into the material.
“Dead?” Asami repeated, her voice breaking. “What do you mean dead?”
“Miss Ozawa was murdered,” Teruo said. “We’re searching for the one responsible, but we can’t offer more details at this moment.”
Asami gasped, her hand landing on her chest as her breath came out ragged. Tears trailed down her cheeks and she leaned back in the armchair, her shoulders shaking with her quiet cry.
Erika stared at Shinji and Teruo, then turned to her friend and placed a palm on Asami’s hand, squeezing lightly.
“It’s not some joke, is it?” Erika asked, looking like she wasn’t sure of her own question, but probably not ready to believe her friend was the victim of a murder.
“No, ma’am,” Shinji said. “It’s not.”
Erika nodded, continuing to sooth Asami, but not taking her eyes off Shinji. “Are we suspects?”
“We’re currently just gathering facts,” Teruo offered. Everyone close to Ozawa was a suspect until they could check their alibi, but there was no point in alarming them. “We’re here to find out more about her. We’ve spoken with her parents, but she didn’t share much about her social life or her intimate relationships with them.”
Erika shrugged. “Yeah, she wouldn’t.”
“Could you tell us more?” Shinji probed.
“Sometimes they pestered her to get married,” Asami said. She grabbed a tissue from a box atop an end table and wiped her eyes. “So she never introduced her boyfriends to them.”
“I see,” Teruo said. “But her parents knew of her latest breakup. What can you tell us about the ex-boyfriend?”
“He’s not a bad guy,” Erika said, “I don’t think,” she added as an afterthought. “Perhaps arrogant at times. They didn’t click well and had an amicable break up. Nothing dramatic. And I’ve heard he’s already moved on. It’s been a few months since they split.”
“Do you happen to have his contact info?” Shinji asked.
“No, we’re not friends with him, but he’s on social media.” Erika pulled her phone and tapped for a few seconds before showing Shinji a picture of a man, his arm around a woman, both smiling. It seemed they took the selfie at an inn as they both wore kimonos and there was a hot spring beyond two sliding doors in the background.
“That’s the ex?” Teruo asked.
“Yeah,” Erika confirmed.
“Did she have an affair during their relationship? Or didhecheat on her?”
Asami shook her head. “Fumiko wouldn’t do that. We’ve known her for years, she’s not that kind of person. Can’t really vouch for her ex, though…” she trailed off.