The House in Which Nightmares Dwell 7.5

[touchturnfly]

5

"What are you even saying, Midori-san. Don't go along with these people, saying such strange things."

Midori turned to look at Hirota.

"But, I do remember it for certain. That I had a feeling like that."

Hirota shook his head. He seemed disappointed.

"You were swallowed into this strange atmosphere. -- Or perhaps they heard this from Midori-san talked about it."

"That's not true. I forgot about it until just now. That's why I haven't talked to anyone about this before."

"Then, you swallowed up this atmosphere and just had a feeling like that."

"But," Midori said, but Hirota was already gazing towards the members of Shibuya Psychic Research.

"All of you are overdoing this."

"Wait a minute, Hirota-san!"

Mai raised her voice, but Naru got the better of her.

"What do you mean?"

"You summoned a medium, and you probably wanted to put up some play, but you're overdoing this. You won't deceive me with this stale play."

"But--" Midori said and was looked at by Hirota.

"Midori-san. You couldn't possibly have been thinking that this girl is so amazing, right?"

"I thought so. But --"

"Hear me out. If you think about it, it wouldn't be strange or amazing at all if the girl said these things after she heard it from her colleagues."

"I have not heard anything from them," Masako said, but this was ignored by Hirota.

"If she conspired with her colleagues prior to this, she would have known that aunt said she was being watched by someone and is frightened, that the full-length mirror turned out to be a door and that Midori-san saw a man."

For Midori to be easily swindled like this, she was too nice of a person, Hirota thought.

"It's all understandable to me. This is their modus operandi. From the beginning they brought in exaggerated equipment and said things directly to have the victim trust them. When they are completely trusted, they suddenly bring in some occult performance and deceive people."

Midori looked straight at Hirota.

"I, to tell the truth, did not believe in things like ghosts. -- But, now it's a little different. Just now, I saw a figure that wasn't a real person."

"It was Midori-san's imagination."

"No, I surely saw it."

"Well, then it must have been an actual person."

"That's impossible. Several cameras were set up around the house and observing, right? How could they come in?"

"It was one of these people. How about that?" Hirota said at once, but there was a strange conviction when he spoke. "Indeed. -- These people. They said there were four colleagues. One of them did it."

"If that's true, where did they vanish to? Until Hirota-san rushed over to the washroom's door, I was staying by the door, isn't that right?"

"What about inside the bathroom. The door of the bathroom that should have been open was closed, right?"

"You know that such a thing is impossible, right? Lin-san went to check inside. No one was inside."

"Midori-san, did you see what was inside?"

Midori was taken aback and shut her mouth.

"At that time the breaker fell out and we were completely surrounded by darkness. There was only the light from the flashlights they were carrying. Lin came inside and checked the bathroom. We felt like confirming together what's inside, but he said there was no one there, so we remained firm by the door and didn't take a look at the inside of the bathroom."

"... ... But."

"What if there was a man in the corner of the bathroom? Or in the empty bath tub? What if they arranged it in advance for Lin not to shine light in the place he stood? -- We quickly took Midori-san back to the living room. Aunt and I were worrying about Midori-san. We wouldn't have realized if someone was secretly taken out of the house during that time."

Hirota looked at Naru who was standing calmly in the corridor.

"This is vicious. -- I think this is extremely vicious."

"Isn't this very far-fetched?"

The one who said that was Reiko. When he turned his glance toward her, Reiko showed a worried smile.

"I have not seen any people other than Shibuya-san and the others. Hirota-san, I think you suspect them too much."

Hirota earnestly glanced at Reiko.

"You can't trust these guys. -- That guy's name isn't even Shibuya or something to begin with."

"Eh," Reiko opened her eyes.

"He's called Oliver Davis," Hirota said and turned to look at Naru.

"-- Isn't that right?"

There was no change to be seen in Naru's facial expression.

"-- And? What about it?"

"Why is it necessary to lie about your name?"

Naru merely expressed a sarcastic smile.

"As you can see, I don't look very much like a foreigner. If I give my real name, I will be taken in doubt by others."

"Oh my," Reiko said. "You're right indeed. Shibuya-san's Japanese is very good, right?"

"That's because my real mother is of Japanese descent."

"Oh, I see."

Reiko laughed and Hirota looked.

"See? Don't suspect people from their faces that much."

Hirota frowned. Reiko was this much poisoned by these people, he thought.

-- Swindlers were good at making people trust them, therefore swindlers remain. Surely, it had to be that.

"Aunt, that guy is a murderer."

---

Back to Chapter 7.4 | Forward to Chapter 7.6

Note

A small clarification on Naru's biological mother:

「実母が日系人ですから」
Jitsubo ga nikkeijin desu kara

My translation: "(That's) because my real mother is of Japanese descent."

Actually the meaning of nikkeijin is best explained as "Japanese emigrants and their descendants".