Free Nocturne of Remembrance by Shichiri Nakayama Page B

some staging, couldn’t be expected from someone so mealy-mouthed and shallow.
    Yozo definitely merited an interview. Sticking that requirement into the drawer of his memories, Mikoshiba reached for the third testimony.
    Deposition
    Current residence: Grande Maison #1225, X-X-X, Akatsutsumi, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo
    Occupation: Certified Public Accountant
    Name: Kenichi Yoshiwaki; DOB July 10, 1971 (39 years old)
    At the Setagaya Station on May 22, 2011, the above-listed person freely provided the following testimony.
    1. I have been employed as a CPA at the Midorikawa Accounting Firm since April 2006. I am a colleague of Akiko Tsuda. Today I will explain my relationship with Ms. Tsuda.
    2. Because accounting firms perform accounting and tax-related work, for which they employ CPAs like myself and licensed tax accountants, it’s considered a workplace where highly expert knowledge is needed. Actually, however, there are many routine tasks that do not require such expertise. Our work may involve financial matters, but there aren’t that many specialists in corporate finance, so we end up preparing financial charts and tax forms based on business accounting and sometimes even keep the books for our clients.
Take tax forms: before they can be prepared the receipts must be categorized, but anyone who knows the basics can handle that. Ms. Tsuda joined the firm two years ago as a part-time clerk, and most of the work allotted to her was of that routine variety. She had been at another accounting firm prior to hermarriage, so for that kind of work she only needed some occasional advice.
    3. Including our boss Mr. Midorikawa, there are three CPAs at the Midorikawa Accounting Firm, but preparing tax forms primarily fell on me. There was a lot of routine work involved, so as a matter of course I often teamed up with Ms. Tsuda. During tax-return season, the volume of cases skyrockets and we sometimes work well into the night. Even though she was a part-timer, there were days that Ms. Tsuda’s work extended past 6 p.m., so as a way to thank her for her hard work, I treated her a number of times. However, our relationship was only that of coworkers, and I harbored no special sentiments toward her. To begin with, I cohabit with my girlfriend and plan to make it official in the near future. Given the situation, the idea of cheating on the side with a coworker who meant very little to me is absurd.
    4. Indeed, when I first heard the story from a detective, I was perplexed. Not even once did I send such signals to Ms. Tsuda. Conversely, I don’t recall her ever troubling me with any of her own. To be frank, my impression of her was merely that of “a hard-working mother,” and I simply would not consider her in a romantic way. If by chance Ms. Tsuda did construe my behavior towards her in such a manner, it was a complete misunderstanding on her part.
    5. There is no mistake in the foregoing explanation of my relationship with Ms. Akiko Tsuda. If there is anything else you need from me in the future, I will certainly cooperate.
    (Signature and thumbprint) Kenichi Yoshiwaki
    The above transcript was read aloud to and reviewed by the subject who, finding no errors, affixed a signature and thumbprint.
    Sergeant Morio Kuroda, Judicial Police, Setagaya Police Station (stamp)
    Mikoshiba snorted. This last deposition essentially wasn’t necessary. The prosecution just needed to demonstrate the accused’s motive and method in this case, and the testimony of an unrelated person, Kenichi Yoshiwaki, regarding his impression of the accused had no bearing on the severity of the sentence.
    It did contribute, however, to worsening the court’s impression of Akiko. The jury would learn that on top of the accused’s self-centered reasoning, her motive was part baseless fantasy, and thereby sympathize with the victim.
    The prosecution’s tactics had worked beautifully. Rather than disdain for the victim, censure of the accused took priority.