"Did Akagi Hideo usually have any enemies?"
After a pause, Fujino continued questioning Naota Ryoko.
"No, he couldn't possibly have any enemies."
Naota Ryoko rejected Fujino's question. "Hideo is kind to everyone, and everyone around him thinks highly of him. I really can't think of anyone who would rather kidnap his younger brother just to make him lose a match."
"If that's the case, then we can't determine the culprit's identity."
Fujino took a deep breath and pondered for a moment before saying solemnly, "In that case, Miss Naota, please take me to the first crime scene where Akagi Mamoru was abducted. Perhaps we'll find evidence there that can prove the culprit's identity."
Akagi Hideo's home was in a nearby apartment building.
The apartment was large, and it probably cost a fortune.
But considering that Akagi Hideo was now a player in the Giant Bullet Asian Cup, it all seemed much more reasonable.
Of course, like Fujino, he might have inherited it.
Two years ago, Akagi Hideo's parents had died in an accident.
Only he and his younger brother had been left to rely on each other.
They were brothers in circumstances much like Fujino's...
Though at least Hideo still had a younger brother.
The original Fujino, on the other hand, had truly been all alone.
"Was the lock pried open?"
Outside the apartment, Fujino examined the mottled scratches on the lock and asked Naota Ryoko.
"That's right."
Naota Ryoko nodded. "When I came over this morning to make breakfast for Mamoru, I noticed the signs that it had been pried open. After I entered, I discovered that Mamoru had already been kidnapped."
Fujino continued, "When was the last time you saw Mamoru?"
"The last time?"
Naota Ryoko thought for a moment. "The last time I saw Mamoru was