Chapter 1
At around midnight on October 1, a man designated as A sits on the bench known locally as “死びとの座” (the Seat of the Dead) in Nakano Central Park, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on the backrest. A second figure, Z, approaches carrying a small handgun. After a brief taunt, Z fires a .22‑calibre pistol; the first shot grazes A’s left flank and strikes the bench back, the second hits A’s left abdomen, causing a serious wound. A collapses, bleeds heavily, attempts to rise, but ultimately falls back onto the bench and dies from blood loss.
Later that morning, Kanda Ryūichi, a pharmaceutical sales supervisor, walks through the park on his way to the airport. He notices a reddish‑black stain on the bench’s backrest, remembers the urban legend of the “Seat of the Dead,” and examines it. He discovers the stain is a bullet hole and follows a trail of blood to a water‑drinking fountain. Beside the fountain on the tiled floor lies a male body in a dark navy blazer, gray trousers, and white patent‑leather shoes. The corpse has a single gunshot wound to the left abdomen; the bullet passed through the bench and lodged in its back. Police arrive within minutes, seal the scene, and begin forensic work.
Forensic analysis confirms two .22‑calibre bullet holes in the bench and retrieves a live round from nearby foliage. The victim’s wallet yields a driver’s licence and ID card bearing the name “Akihabara Kōichi,” also known by the stage name “Mickey Nakano.” He is a 30‑year‑old entertainer living in Meguro, with a style suggesting nightlife or cabaret work.
Detectives (a senior sergeant and a junior officer) secure the area, photograph the scene, and interview nearby witnesses. They learn the bench is near the back gate, illuminated by sodium‑vapor lamps that give a “dead‑like” orange glow at night.
The investigation turns to the victim’s professional connections. Detectives visit the talent agency “Utagai‑Yama” (鶯谷芸能社). The agency president, Komagome Yū, confirms Mickey Nakano was a contracted talent who performed impersonations of famous singer‑actor Jackie Ueno. The agency explains they manage many look‑alike performers and that Mickey’s act was popular because of his uncanny vocal and visual resemblance to Ueno.
A junior agency employee, Sugamo Yoshiharu (巣鴨義明), tells detectives that Mickey had recently returned from a tour of small towns, became disillusioned after realizing he was merely a “dummy” for fans, and had been dating a flight attendant named Otsuka Hiromi. Hiromi, a stewardess for Nitto Airlines, is identified as a person of interest because she was reportedly with Mickey on the night of the murder.
Further leads bring the detectives to the freelance writer “Maba Gōsaku” (馬場吾策). Maba claims he met Mickey three times at the agency’s office, seeking a meeting that was repeatedly denied. He admits anger over Mickey’s alleged seduction of his sister but insists he was elsewhere on the night in question, driving along the Tokyo‑Chiba coast.
Detectives compile timelines: the murder occurred between 23:40 Oct 31 and 01:00 Oct 1; Hiromi’s alibi places her in a hotel in Fukuoka at that time; Maba’s alibi places him far from the park; Kanda’s earlier sighting of the bench’s bloodstain supports the timeline. The chapter ends with detectives preparing to verify Hiromi’s hotel records, to further pursue Maba’s possible involvement, and with the case still unsolved.