"'Once upon a time, in a forest, lived a man and his beautiful daughter." "'One day a golden carriage drawn by six horses stopped before their house." "'Out of it stepped a king..." "' "Would you give me your daughter to be my wife?"... '...he asked the man." "'Delighted, the man agreed." "'Truth to tell, the king was very handsome;" "'...his only flaw being his beard, which was blue." "'Apart from this, there was no fault to be found with him.'" "Bluebeard" "What is it?" "Nothing." "Enough of the book." "Let's talk about something else." "Yes, please." "Feeling all right?" "Yes." "I know how the story ends." "In the end the daughter kills Bluebeard." "You are...?" "Takabe, from Headquarters." "Thank you for coming." "Mr Takabe!" "Do you want to see the cleaner who found the body?" "No." "A prostitute." "Something like this was bound to happen someday..." "I'm Takabe." "Yasukawa, from the Precinct." "Find anything?" "Yes." "If it was this Kuwano guy, he took off in the raw." "And he left us his ID." "Excuse me..." "She was struck with a blunt object, but she died from loss of blood." "It wouldn't have taken long." "Both carotid arteries have been neatly severed." "Have you ever seen wounds like this before?" "No." "I see." "But the perp is no ordinary character." "You don't have to go this far just to kill someone." "The suspect may have a motorcycle or a bicycle." "Check all the service roads." "I'm on my way." "I'll check out his neighborhood." "Oh, Takabe...here." "Then there was blood everywhere..." "Lots of it." "Sakuma...this came from the Shibaura Precinct." "And then..." "I looked at her face..." "He looks OK to me." "They've requested a psychiatrist..." "What's the point?" "So he's like the rest?" "Yep." "Admits intent, then says afterwards he was stunned." "The devil made them do it, is all I can guess." "Three cases in two months..." "What's going on?" "The media don't know?" "No." "We haven't released any details." "No TV or book plots like this?" "None." "We checked." "There've been no leaks, either." "Unless you've said something in one of your lectures..." "Give me a break!" "The perps aren't connected, and they're all perfectly rational." "So it just happened." "'Just happened'?" "People like to think that a crime has some meaning." "But most of them don't." "So somebody 'just happened' to do this?" "!" "Where is this?" "Shirasato Beach." "Where is it?" "Shirasato Beach." "Where?" "Shirasato, Chiba." "Shirasato?" "Where's that?" "Where are you going?" "Nowhere." "Yes?" "What's the date?" "February 26th." "Oh." "Where is this?" "I just told you!" "When was that?" "Just over there." "Uh, do you know who I am?" "What?" "I don't know who I am." "You what?" "Help me." "Please." "I don't remember anything!" "Could he use a drink?" "No, coffee's fine." "Here..." "What's that sound out there?" "The waves." "It's so quiet..." "'Mamiya' is written here." "Might that be your name?" "I don't know." "You could be 'Mr Mamiya'." "'Mamiya'..." "That's fine." "Mamiya can be my name." "It probably is." "Maybe we should ask the police..." "No." "No police." "Why not?" "Then let's talk some more." "Perhaps your family, your work..." "First tell me about yourself." "Me?" "I teach elementary school, and I'm married." "That's it." "Where's your wife?" "Sleeping upstairs." "Why is she doing that?" "She has a cold." "Who does?" "Mr Mamiya..." "Mr Mamiya..." "Who's that?" "You, Mr Mamiya." "Well, I've told you about me." "Now tell me about you." "About me?" "Anything." "Doesn't the name 'Mamiya' bring back anything?" "No." "Why were you on the beach?" "Where?" "Shirasato Beach." "I don't know what you're talking about!" "OK, something else..." "I want to hear about you." "I've already told you." "Yeah?" "I don't remember..." "I teach school." "There's just me and my wife." "What does your wife do?" "Nothing." "She's a housewife." "Who is?" "My wife." "Oh, the woman in the pink negligée..." "You saw her?" "I don't remember anything." "You do." "Tell me more about your wife." "I'll be right back." "Hello." "Could you give me a minute?" "Bunch of idiots!" "What did I do wrong?" "I do things my way!" "What?" "Go to hell!" "Damn right I'm mad!" "Stop fucking around, you dumb shit!" "Sorry to keep you." "Oh, thanks." "Here we are." "There you go." "Good." "Thanks." "Thank you very much." "Mr Takabe...one moment." "Hello." "Sorry, did I wake you?" "I'll do that." "No, I will..." "No, I feel good today." "Where's the opener?" "Here." "I poured you some beer." "Thanks." "How's work?" "Busy?" "Yeah." "How about you?" "Me?" "I just did nothing all day long." "Fumie..." "Hm?" "When this case is over, let's take a trip somewhere." "Oh, that's all right..." "No, I'd like to go somewhere." "We're definitely going." "You decide where." "Where?" "I'll leave that up to you." "Okinawa, Hokkaido, anywhere..." "One extreme to the other..." "You decide." "All right." "The victim is Hanaoka Tomoko, 26, the suspect's wife." "Her carotid arteries were cut." "'Suspect teaches elementary school." "Committed to his work, a good teacher.'" "'High-school classmates, married two years." "'Neighbors describe them as a fine couple." "'No debt trouble or anything.'" "The devil made him do it...?" "Mr Hanaoka last night you killed your wife Tomoko." "Is that correct?" "Mr Hanaoka..." "You sliced her open with a knife from her throat to her chest." "Why?" "Why did you kill her like that?" "I don't know." "Why did I do it?" "Did you read some novel, or see a movie like that?" "Did someone talk to you?" "No." "I see." "Did you hate your wife?" "Things weren't going well between you, were they." "No, that's not true." "Then isn't it strange?" "What is it, Mr Hanaoka?" "I remember everything." "I killed Tomoko." "At the time it just seemed the natural thing to do." "Was there a quarrel?" "No." "It's weird." "You murdered your wife for no reason?" "Yes." "There is no reason." "But I killed her!" "I killed Tomoko!" "Mr Hanaoka...crying won't help." "I'm going to keep on asking you until you tell me." "I'm sure this is hard for you..." "That's enough, Takabe." "No." "That's enough." "Take him." "He's not lying." "He remembers everything." "Chances are he's completely sane." "Hey!" "Stop that!" "Will a person cut someone up like that because the devil made them do it?" "What if they all had some similar trauma in their childhoods?" "It lays suppressed for years, then they explode..." "Could that happen?" "Since when did you become a shrink?" "I've been reading up..." "you know, my wife..." "Don't laugh." "Beginners' books." "Don't believe everything you read." "Well, it's in a book..." "No other person can understand what motivates a criminal." "Sometimes not even the criminal can." "No one understands." "You're going in too deep." "No." "All I want is to find words that will explain the crimes." "That's my job." "Yeah, I guess so." "How is your wife, by the way?" "She's going to the hospital you suggested." "She's a lot better." "Yeah?" "At least, it looks that way." "I don't know if she really is." "Thank you very much." "That's all right." "I might have to come again." "You might?" "Could you contact this officer if someone else moves in?" "All right." "Give him your number." "Hey, you!" "What are you doing up there?" "!" "You'll get hurt!" "Come down!" "I'm coming up!" "Damn fool!" "Name, address and particulars unknown." "He appears to be in his late 20s." "Yes, I know that." "All right, thank you." "Well, the station doesn't have anything on you." "Or the computer." "Don't worry." "Tomorrow we'll get you to a hospital." "Have some tea." "Is this your place?" "No, it's a police box." "You're a cop?" "Yes." "Why am I talking to you?" "I want to ask you some questions." "About me?" "Do you remember standing on that roof?" "How about coming to this police box with me?" "Is this a police box?" "Yes." "Who are you?" "Oh, boy!" "OK, enough." "Can I smoke?" "Sure." "You can't smoke here!" "That's OK." "Here." "I'm on duty." "Oh." "Here." "Oh, thanks." "I'll go do my rounds." "It must be hard work." "What?" "Sometimes..." "I'm sleepy." "I'll sleep a bit." "OK." "Mr ..." "Look at this." "You hear me, don't you?" "Yes..." "You know what I'd like?" "I'd like to hear about you." "Huh?" "Tell me." "I think it's the flu." "Does your throat hurt?" "A little." "Lower your trousers and lie down, please." "What?" "Lower your trousers and lie down." "OK." "That's good enough." "Raise your knees a bit." "You're not shy, are you!" "Your lymph glands are a bit swollen." "Fine, thank you." "What do you want at this hour?" "!" "Sorry." "This won't take long." "Ten minutes, and that's all!" "Listen...you don't think it might be some kind of hypnosis, do you?" "Huh?" "You know, someone looks at a flashing light then does whatever someone tells them?" "'Hypnotic suggestion'..." "Is it possible?" "What do you think?" "You're the only one I dare ask..." "Well?" "Got some new evidence?" "Just an idea." "Hypnotism itself is a very common technique." "But even if you manage to hypnotize someone you can't change their basic moral sense." "A person who thinks murder is evil won't kill someone through hypnotic suggestion." "Could you induce someone to cut in that 'X' pattern?" "It'd take forever to get that suggestion into place." "Impossible?" "I didn't say that if the hypnotist was a genius." "But why would someone do that?" "I don't know." "A thrill killing?" "Some thrill that'd be!" "You said yourself that no one knows what motivates a criminal." "Mr Oida, do you know where that stuff for the Ward Office is?" "On the right-hand shelf." "Yeah, here it is." "Like I said." "Be right back." "Come in." "Sorry I'm late." "That's all right." "Did something happen?" "I got lost." "Got lost?" "Yes." "Did you come another way?" "I don't know." "Suddenly I just didn't know where I was." "How did you get here, then?" "I don't know." "Suddenly I was in front of the hospital." "Hmm...well, it all worked out for the best." "You got here." "Yes." "That book..." "Hm?" "Bluebeard." "Do you remember it?" "No, I've never seen it before." "There's nothing physically wrong." "Just a sprained ankle." "Nothing to worry about." "So how's your memory?" "Tomorrow we'll move you to a hospital with a proper psychiatric department." "Sure." "How far back do you remember?" "I remember talking to you." "Any worries?" "Worries?" "About what?" "You're quite calm." "You're the one with worries." "Sorry?" "Can I smoke?" "There's no smoking here." "I see." "What do you mean, I have worries?" "Uh, what?" "..." "I forget." "Water..." "Doctor, can I tell you something?" "Certainly." "All the things that used to be inside me, now they're all outside." "So I can see all of the things inside you, Doctor." "But the inside of me...is empty." "Don't look at me." "Now you tell me about you." "About me?" "What about me?" "Why you became a doctor..." "Why?" "You're just a woman." "Why did you become a doctor?" "'Just a woman'?" "That's what people said, isn't it?" "They did, didn't they." "Think back." "Remember exactly how you felt..." "Just a woman..." "Woman is a lower life form than man." "Isn't she." "See?" "Now you remember..." "When you were in medical school you dissected a corpse, didn't you." "The first corpse you'd ever seen." "It was a man, wasn't it." "Think back...you'd never seen a naked man before." "You took your scalpel and cut into him." "It made you feel good, didn't it." "Didn't it?" "Think back..." "You wanted to be a surgeon but you weren't sure you could, and you ended up a GP." "No..." "What you really wanted to do was cut a man open." "You shot him in the head." "Wasn't that enough?" "Is there a reason why you cut into the dead man with a knife?" "Yes...he was someone I didn't like." "Why?" "Many reasons." "It's been three years since he was transferred to our box." "I put up with him all that time." "Finally I couldn't stand it any more." "But to kill him?" "Yes." "Detective, you've never killed anyone, have you." "That's how you get when you hate someone from the bottom of your heart." "So it was an angry impulse?" "No." "I was completely calm." "Isn't that a bit strange?" "Yes, it definitely is strange." "May I?" "I'm Sakuma, a psychiatrist." "Officer Oida, do you remember seeing anything shiny?" "For example something like this?" "Hm?" "...no." "Were you talking to anyone before the crime?" "No." "Is that true?" "Try to remember..." "Do you think you could stop doing that, please?" "Keep going..." "Don't stop!" "You did talk to someone, didn't you." "We know you did." "Look at the light." "No." "No one." "Yes, you did." "Who was it?" "What was his name?" "I didn't!" "Enough!" "Mr Oida..." "You must have seen a light like this." "Was anyone there?" "Someone told you to do this, didn't they." "Who was it?" "There might have been someone there." "Was there?" "I don't know!" "Of course you know." "Who was it?" "Tell me his name, please." "His name?" "Yes, his name." "What was his name?" "He...didn't have a name." "He didn't?" "What do you mean?" "Mr Oida, look at the light!" "That's enough!" "Excuse me..." "I'm thirsty." "It ls hypnosis!" "We can't be sure of that." "But that wasn't normal!" "I decide what's normal." "Stop traumatizing people." "Sakuma, we're not counseling this man, we're interrogating him!" "Don't move!" "But..." "Just stay there." "Mr Oida?" "Mr Oida!" "What was that you just did?" "Just now?" "Nothing..." "What's that?" "This?" "I don't know..." "Nothing in particular." "Tell me about what you just did." "I was just thinking of Officer Tamura." "That's all." "Nothing more than that." "How long will this go on!" "OK." "Mr Takabe!" "Another murder." "The toilets in Chuo Park." "Get over there." "There was a report of a suspicious person at Shiomicho Hospital." "Oida took him in there." "Amnesia?" "Apparently." "Where is he?" "He's not in his room." "So where is he?" "They say he hasn't left." "I know you're here." "Step out here, please." "Where?" "Here." "I don't know where 'here' is." "Well then, I'll have to come to you." "Where are you?" "Come out." "Who are you?" "Police." "Who?" "A police officer." "Do you understand my question?" "I've got some questions to ask you." "I want to hear about you." "I ask the questions!" "You answer!" "Who are you?" "Where are you?" "!" "Who are you?" "A detective!" "Stop screwing around!" "Name?" "I forget." "Address?" "Age?" "Don't know." "When were you checked in?" "Where?" "The hospital." "Shiomicho Hospital." "You saw Dr Miyajima." "Where?" "Round in circles!" "Have you ever met any of these people?" "I don't remember." "How about this person?" "I don't know." "This is you." "It looks like me." "So now we're sure of one thing:" "That's you." "All right?" "I don't know him." "So this is me..." "Who are you?" "A detective." "How about these?" "Corpses." "Do you like these?" "No." "If you don't like them, why do you have them?" "It's my job." "Job?" "What's your job?" "Right now, asking you questions." "Why?" "You're an important source of information." "Me?" "Why?" "We found your fingerprints at the Hanaoka house." "Whether you remember or not, you know him." "Oh, is that what you mean?" "You know a lot, Detective." "Not what's inside your head." "My head?" "Here?" "Your attitude is not to your advantage." "Why?" "Right, I want you to try and remember from the beginning." "You admit you were in Shiomicho Hospital?" "What's wrong?" "Why are you raising your voice?" "Because you won't answer." "Why?" "Answer my questions." "Can I smoke?" "No!" "Takabe!" "Detective..." "Yes?" "Tell me more about yourself." "After you talk." "Stop it!" "Leave him alone!" "I need to examine him, but I see clear symptoms of typical psychosis." "Don't get into it with him." "You'll just get angry." "Hey, you all right?" "Yeah." "I'm all right." "I went out to the convenience store, and I got lost." "I see..." "We'll need toothbrushes." "We will, won't we?" "What if we stay at a hotel where they don't give you one?" "I'll do the shopping, OK?" "You're tired." "You don't have to do everything for me." "We don't have to take a trip, either." "We'll take that trip." "Definitely." "My next holiday." "For sure." "Hey..." "Impound all that guy's stuff." "But he's a witness, not a suspect." "I don't care." "The works." "What's that?" "The scar from a burn." "Maybe he touched something metal..." "Something round and hot..." "Round and hot?" "This way." "No one's home." "Do you have the key?" "Yeah." "Is Mr Mamiya in some kind of trouble?" "That's what I'm here to find out." "I see." "Well, it's all yours." "Oh..." "When did you last see Mr Mamiya?" "About six months ago, maybe..." "I don't come out here much." "He paid a year's rent in advance." "I'll be downstairs if you need me." "Mesmer of Paris" "Mesmer" "Anlmal Magnetism and its Psychological Effects" "Mamlya Kunlhiko Musashino Medical Unlverslty" "Mesmerism" "Sakuma?" "I've found out who our man is." "Mamiya Kunihiko." "A psychology student until three years ago." "His professors said he hardly ever showed up for classes." "Yeah, just like you." "Then he was a live-in part-timer at a junkyard in Kawasaki." "That's probably when he got burned." "Vanished six months ago." "No, I don't know what he was doing." "Have you ever heard of 'Mesmer'?" "OK." "Tell me when I get back." "What's wrong?" "What happened?" "Don't scare me like that!" "Are you ill?" "Why are you home now?" "Nothing, I just..." "He's ill." "I've moved him to hospital." "On whose authority?" "Mine." "You're taking him from me?" "Yes." "It's dangerous for you to keep talking to him." "You bastard!" "Hey!" "What about Mesmer?" "I'll ask him!" "No one's supposed to see him." "Open up." "Move." "What's wrong?" "Your hands are shaking." "I found out." "Mamiya Kunihiko...that's your name." "Oh." "Mamiya...who is this man called 'Mesmer'?" "Who?" "'Mesmer'." "At university you studied Mesmer and hypnotic suggestion." "What?" "Whether you remember or not I'm going to have you arraigned on char ges of incitement to murder." "It's over." "You saw your wife dead, didn't you." "Your wife is ill, isn't she." "Is it hard caring for her at home?" "Where did you hear about that?" "The other detective told me." "Does it bother you, talking about your wife?" "Anyway, there'll be lots of time." "There's no way out of here for you." "It's you who wants out." "I know what you did." "Tell me whatever you like." "That's why you came, isn't it?" "You planted a hypnotic suggestion in those people's minds." "It's hard to be a detective with a crazy wife." "Shut up!" "You do it by keeping your work and your home life completely apart." "How did you do it?" "The detective or the husband..." "Which is the real you?" "How did you hypnotize them?" "Neither one is the real you." "There is no real you." "Your wife knows that, too." "How did you hypnotize them?" "Watch." "You're right!" "My wife is a burden." "I know." "You don't have to tell me!" "I'm a detective." "I've been taught never to show emotion, even with my family." "And this is the result!" "I don't understand her." "She doesn't understand what I go through." "I know it's my fault it's that way." "So what?" "What else could you do?" "That's right!" "What other way is there?" "Look you think this is how I wanted to end up?" "We should all relax, enjoy ourselves, lead peaceful lives." "But society isn't like that!" "Oh, so society's to blame..." "It's people like you." "It's guys like you who have my head about to split open!" "Lunatics like you have it easy while citizens like me go through hell!" "I spend my whole life taking care of that wife of mine!" "If it weren't for you things would be fine with my wife and me." "Her I can forgive but you I can't." "You're amazing." "You like that?" "Hearing me talk?" "Yeah." "Good." "Now it's your turn." "I want the whole story." "All of it." "What's wrong?" "Can't talk without your lighter?" "Here." "You're amazing, you are." "That water will make you calm." "It will make you happy, empty..." "You'll be born again, just like me..." "Are you all right?" "Was it you?" "Did you tell him about me?" "Uh, well, you know..." "he keeps asking all these questions..." "Mesmer was an 18th-century Austrian doctor the first man to study hypnosis." "It wasn't recognized then as a medical treatment." "They saw it as fakery, magic or witchcraft." "And?" "There's still a lot we don't know about Mesmer." "Some say he really did study magic, and alchemy." "And Mamiya's doing that?" "Impossible." "If so the diagnosis would be simple." "He'd simply be a megalomaniac." "But that's not it." "He has definitely lost his memory, but otherwise he's not abnormal." "But he's also a man with a very complex personality." "I see..." "OK." "Takabe..." "Don't talk to him." "You don't know what could happen." "Don't get too deep." "I know." "Takabe..." "Mr Mamiya, could you tell us your name, your date of birth anything you remember." "Well?" "Do you remember anything about yourself?" "No..." "Mr Mamiya are you aware of the situation you are in at present?" "I mean the char ges against you." "Who are you?" "Fujiwara, from headquarters." "Well, Mr Mamiya?" "Do you understand why you are here now?" "What?" "Don't ask questions, answer them." "What question?" "Mr Mamiya incitement to murder can bring the death penalty." "Do you understand that?" "Is that your boss?" "Yes." "That must be a drag." "Mr Mamiya, answer my question." "Who are you?" "Fujiwara." "Headquarters." "Who?" "Are you being smart?" "!" "Who are you?" "Takabe, what's wrong with this man?" "I'm asking who you are." "Answer my question!" "All right, I'll ask you again, Fujiwara-of-Headquarters..." "Who are you?" "What is it you want to ask me?" "You think about that." "I'm very sorry!" "You must understand, he has amnesia." "What a bunch!" "They don't understand, do they." "About me, or about you..." "Detective...do you hear my voice?" "You do, don't you." "That proves you're a special person." "You knew that from the start." "So did I." "You're different from them." "You're someone who can understand what I'm really saying." "Take him away." "Will Okinawa be warm?" "Let's eat lots of good food." "What do you want to eat?" "Fumie, we're not going to Okinawa." "Yes..." "The sea there must be beautiful..." "Just until my work settles down." "I understand." "I'll take her bag." "Shall we go?" "Thank you, Doctor." "Mr Takabe..." "It's not good to work too hard." "You look sicker than your wife to me." "I'm sorry, I don't have the tag." "I wonder where it went?" "A week ago, wasn't it?" "Yes." "Mr Takabe?" "One moment, please." "I'm sorry, sir, but it's not here." "That can't be..." "Maybe you took it somewhere else..." "No." "Or you gave it to your wife..." "No." "May I take your plate?" "Yes." "Yeah?" "Sakuma?" "What?" "No, I'm not busy." "Now?" "I want to show you something." "What?" "A film on hypnotherapy." "university put it on video." "The oldest material on hypnotism in Japan." "It probably dates from the end of the 19th century." "See on the man's hand?" "You have to look closely...see?" "There." "You see what looks like an X?" "That's it?" "Yeah." "What does it mean?" "Her name was Murakawa Suzu." "She was treated for hysteria." "That's all that's recorded." "Police records say that she was arrested for the murder of her son in 1898." "She seems to have killed him by cutting the shape of a cross into his neck." "That's all we know." "Did Mamiya see this film?" "I don't know..." "There's not much chance even medical students would see it." "But even if he had that still wouldn't explain his actions." "Who's this man in the film?" "Unknown." "We do know, however, why he didn't show his face to the camera." "You know what they called hypnotism in Japan then?" "'Soul-conjuring'." "Like clairvoyance, spiritualism..." "the same sort of thing." "The authorities in any age always suppress occultism and the Meiji government then would have suppressed this technique." "It would only have been performed in secret ceremonies..." "Heresles" "Mesmerian" "Sakuma..." "Sakuma..." "Sakuma..." "Sakuma..." "Huh?" "So what is Mamiya, then?" "What's your guess?" "Tell me." "A missionary." "A missionary?" "Sent to propagate the ceremony." "Sorry, I was just imagining things." "What am I saying?" "Don't take me seriously." "I'm a little tired." "Let's call it a day." "Now I'm getting in too deep!" "Sakuma...what's that?" "Oh, that?" "I just thought it might help me to think." "About what?" "Yeah..." "I don't know." "You met Mamiya..." "No." "Yes, you did." "It's weird..." "I don't remember." "Mamlya Kunihiko's whereabouts unknown." "Earlier reports of him near Kawasaki Station were inaccurate." "In the absence of further information the search area is being widened from Tokyo and Saltama to the entire Kanto Plain." "Hello?" "One moment, please." "Mr Takabe..." "Hello?" "I see..." "We're on our way." "Dr Sakuma's body has been taken to the hospital." "It was probably suicide." "He strangled himself." "He'd cuffed himself to that pipe weird as that sounds." "So you've come, Detective..." "Why did you let me escape?" "You know why?" "By letting me escape, you could learn my true secret." "All by yourself..." "You didn't have to, though." "Anyone who wants to meet his true self is bound to come here." "It's fate." "Remember now?" "Do you remember everything?" "You do?" "This is the end for you, too." "Fearsome...heart of..." "His...healing hand." "...road of healing..." "...not a long..." "Take sword..." "A man...but dew." "Heal, O... water-grass!" "..., O winter falls...snow." "That...heal...snow." "Take...in hand...heal." "Shall I bring your coffee?" "Yes?" "All right." "Bring the car around." "Here you are."