detectivephiliac:

*Kirigiri steps into the room with a glance at the other detective, and sits down in one of the chairs – a different spot than last time so she could look around from a different angle. She stares straight ahead silently, waiting.*

Securing the room simply meant that Hakuba would lock the door. Not that they would be interrupted, but the detective wanted to be sure. He did as such, then moved over to the filing cabinet, removing the two file folders from on top before approaching the other detective.

“Here you are, Kirigiri-san. Please read through the report and let me know when you are finished. I should have liked to write something with more detail, but I do believe that time is a considerable factor.”

He set the folder before her, then took a seat of his own with an additional copy to re-read.

The file, printed on crisp sheets of white paper, read as follows:

Objective: To obtain and compare records from both the hospital and the associated police station to check for any inconsistencies regarding current case file 106033 (aka TAOC). Working with detective Kyouko Kirigiri, who first contacted me via cellphone (obtained through recommendation from detective Hattori Heiji). Initial meeting at my estate to go over the case and collect my testimony regarding the last two (technically three) interactions between Hattori Heiji and myself (Hakuba Saguru).

Summary (in brief): While investigating another case (file 106024), I crossed paths with detective Hattori Heiji (1) in a condemned café to get out of the weather at approximately 19:20:00. As is characteristic of both myself and Hattori, an argument broke out and resulted in provoked physical assault. I left at 19:41:22, but returned to retrieve missed belongings at 19:57:10.  Although the café appeared to be empty, Hattori emerged (2) and produced one of my missing effects, and I, once a few words were exchanged, left at 20:14:01.

Immediately after, I turned in my notes for file 106024 and left for the United Kingdom on unrelated business. Upon returning, I was contacted by a mutual associate and asked to check on Hattori (3).  Status checked, words exchanged. Hattori appeared to have suffered various injuries and selective amnesia. In an attempt to jog his memory, I produced the item that he had previously taken (a silver lighter), and it seemed to have some effect, but Hattori would not elaborate. I was then dismissed.

Detective Kirigiri and I met, as mentioned previously. Once my statement was given, she elaborated on her investigation with Hattori (cross-check notes in her files for more in-depth details). It appears that their primary goal was to return to the scene and investigate to find details that would help uncover the circumstances surrounding Hattori’s condition.  As has been described to me (and later verified in person), the café was burned to the ground and the only remaining object was Hattori’s cell phone (currently in Detective Kirigiri’s possession – confirmed). No further evidence was found in that particular location, though a decaying body was discovered in a dumpster not far from the scene.

Thesis:  Detective Kirigiri’s concerns and mine are directly regarding Hattori Heiji’s safety and sanity. In both investigative testimonies, concern was raised regarding a potential “shift” in Hattori’s personality. Our efforts are to determine whether this “shift” is legitimate and, if so, what the circumstances are that surround it and further implications that may be forthcoming.

In short, is Hattori Heiji the culprit (arson, homicide); is he aware of such fact; has he been set up to take the fall? If so, who is responsible?

Investigational Report:  In order to cross-check evidence to rule out inconsistencies in record keeping, thus hopefully uncovering clues and evidence, I verified three different base sources.

1. The hospital. I gained access to and made copies of admittance records, staff and administration time logs, doctor notes (initial condition, proposed treatment, treatments carried out, drug administration), visitor sign ins (unreliable at best, but checked anyway), future treatment plans, and psychiatrist (Sakuma Kurobito – see footnote 1) records.
2. The local district (Tokyo Metropolitan) police station. Again, copies made of staff attendance time logs, officers on duty, their routes, the name/file of the officer who reportedly found Hattori and picked him up, reports filed regarding Hattori, and the ones recorded (separately) for the case of arson at the café.
3. The site itself. Photos (attached) of the building’s remains as well as the surrounding area and dumpsters.

Findings:

1. Hopsital: All records spotless and accurate in accordance to administrative and government process and procedure. All nurses signed off on their check ins, all vital statistics agree and coincide with doctor’s notes and assessments.
2. Police: Again, all records spotless and accurate in accordance to administrative and government process and procedure. Every last detail coincides with that of the hospital’s records. Further, reports of the dead body were submitted on time, correctly, and filed with no conclusive statement. Victim was confirmed via dental records and use of criminal databases to be a convict with several counts of homicide (see footnote 2).
3. Site: Inconclusive. Although photographic evidence was obtained that matched the description previously given by Detective Kirigiri, no new information could be obtained. Clean-up crews had also already been through the area to remove all remains of the corpse. 

Conclusion:  Although no concrete conclusion can be drawn from this investigation, the evidence suggests that there is at least one or more additional persons involved apart from Hattori Heiji. Regarding record-keeping, it is in best practice to provide the most accurate information as neatly and orderly as possible. However, human as we all are, errors are inevitable. The acceptable margin for human error falls between 3-10%, depending on the importance of the record in question. Throughout all records, the margin was, astoundingly, very nearly 0%.  

While bureaucratic paper-pushers may find themselves quite pleased with this, I am of the opinion that the evidence mentioned above very strongly suggests that the records have been, in fact, scrubbed clean and falsified. No back records exist to cross-check and compare, but then, why would they? If such existed, it would be clear that the information had been tampered with.

Footnotes:

1. Sakuma Kurobito, psychiatrist, has been seeing Hattori for quite some time for regular sessions (normally two per month).  Medication has been prescribed to help alleviate periodic blackouts.
2. The corpse was identified as a foreign man in his 30s (occupation: butcher), using dental records and known/available criminal databases. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that he is, in fact, the culprit in several recorded cases of homicide, in which he would murder his victims and store their bodies in the very same meat locker as his commercial stock (see case file 106004 for further details).
3. As a final note, the sketch of a flower  – Solomon’s Seal – was present in Hattori Heiji’s casebook, as noted by Detective Kirigiri. Upon our last discussion, she asked for my input and while I had a general knowledge of the flower’s meaning (according to the generally accepted flower language guide), I asked for more time to research. The two most notable meanings found, aside from the more general “healing” definition, are 1) the ring possessed by Solomon said to grant control of demons; and, 2) Secret; discretion. As the latter definition relates specifically to the flora in question, and Hattori is known to have a distaste for things of a biblical nature, it seems most relevant. What it refers to, however, I can only guess.