Original subtitles

Where do people go when they die?

I got involved in a case and ended up being shot in the head.

The bullet traveled halfway through my skull

and I miraculously survived with it lodged against my basilar artery.

But...

the operation to extract the bullet would be high risk.

So for now, I'm stuck with this bullet in my head.

As a result...

I...

can talk with dead people.

Maiko?

Are you there?

Are you sleeping?

Hey, Sis?

I'm coming in.

Good evening.

It's a suicide.

No need to bother investigating.

You can go home.

Thanks for the effort.

-Excuse me. -Yes?

Where did she fall from?

From the rooftop.

Good evening. How's it looking?

Got a nice clean set.

So she held the railing like this with both hands

before she went over it?

Yes.

I think it's a clear suicide.

Couldn't a dead body be maneuvered to make the same prints like this?

Yes...

I suppose it could.

With this fence, it would also be possible to lift a body and drop it over the edge.

The body had no shoes on. Were they here?

Yes.

They were here, lined up neatly.

Was this already here?

Well...

the shoes were here

and it was like this.

I moved it because I thought it had just fallen here.

Don't you find it odd that there's a stick,

when there are no trees nearby?

That is true.

Both ends have neat finishes.

It seems to have been shaped by human hands after being taken from the tree.

It certainly does appear that way.

Would that indicate that someone placed it here?

I think it is a possibility.

Isn't it just a dry stick?

Are you saying it's significant?

Collect it just in case.

Will do.

Excuse me.

May I ask you a few questions?

Yes.

May I sit down?

Please go ahead.

I'm very sorry about the loss of your sister.

I'm told she had the tendency to feel depressed. Do you know why?

My little sister started going to university last year.

But, she struggled to fit in.

So, she had trouble with interpersonal relationships?

I don't know the details...

but it seems the problem was more...

that she had a general sense of dread about the future.

Had your sister ever attempted to take her own life before?

I know it's difficult,

but this is very important.

About six months ago...

she drank a lot of cold medicine and alcohol together

and was taken to the hospital.

Our mother back home...

told me to check on her once a week without fail.

So my sister's death...

may be my fault.

May I have a look around the apartment?

Yes.

I have a suggestion.

Will you hear me out?

Morning!

Good morning.

Look at you! Have you been getting enough sleep?

You look terrible.

I finally got some time off,

so I'm planning to catch up on sleep today and tomorrow.

I see.

Is there something?

There is.

I need you to pop over to Dr. Higa's and observe an autopsy.

-Is it a murder? -No, it's not.

It's a young woman's body and the division is calling it a suicide,

but Dr. Higa has some doubts and has organized to do an autopsy.

By "division" do you mean Inspector General Kamogawa?

Yeah.

The fact of the matter is she went against her old boss's opinion.

He's really angry.

That's Dr. Higa for you.

She's fearless, isn't she?

Yeah.

Sometimes I wish I had her guts.

By the way,

how did she get them to authorize an autopsy?

She got the brother to submit a request. He's the one that discovered the body.

Family members can feel guilty for not being able to prevent a suicide.

It's only human to want to believe someone else must have killed them.

Dr. Higa took advantage of that.

Something wrong?

No, it's nothing.

Well, that's the situation.

You know what your job is?

You want me to keep an eye on her?

Sleeping like a baby doesn't suit our line of work.

Back to work. We leave in 10 minutes.

Okay.

-Hello. -Hello.

What about the autopsy?

Didn't anyone contact you?

It was canceled.

You robbed me of my sleep for nothing.

Yes?

How disappointing that you don't get to do your autopsy.

Get off my desk.

Thank you.

Is that from the body you were going to examine?

Yes, X-ray images of Maiko Kubota's head.

The third cervical vertebra's broken.

I'm impressed you noticed that.

Is this the cause of death?

I don't know because I didn't get to do the autopsy.

I can understand the parents' wish not to damage her body any further

so it can't be helped.

What's the suicide motive?

We don't know that it's a suicide.

Okay, but it's a suspected suicide. There must be a reason for that.

There's a history of mental health care and a suicide attempt,

due to a mild breakdown--

Hold on, you're not being objective.

Mildness or severity are not things a stranger can easily determine.

Wise words from you for once.

Yeah, yeah.

Anyway, what made you think it wasn't suicide?

One middle finger was stiff, like this.

What do you make of it?

When there is extreme muscle strain or emotional shock just before death,

a rare phenomenon of rigor mortis can occur immediately after death.

Like in the folktale "The Standing Death of Benkei."

Exactly.

So this instant rigor mortis occurred just in the middle finger?

I can't rule it out. That's why I wanted to perform an autopsy.

Here's my hypothesis.

Someone murdered Maiko by breaking her neck.

Maiko's finger displayed rigor mortis due to extreme fear just before her death.

This strikes me as a cry for help from Maiko.

So, Maiko was killed, and then dropped from the rooftop.

It was a murder staged as a suicide.

I get what you're saying, but your case is too weak to follow that hypothesis.

You got any other leads?

Typically, people who commit suicide don't clean their rooms,

but Maiko's was tidy.

But clean freaks still kill themselves, too.

The majority of female suicides are drug overdoses.

Maiko attempted suicide six months ago with drugs.

Why would she jump rather than using the same method?

Perhaps she chose a new method because she failed with drugs last time.

What was that for?

I can't stand argumentative men.

You're one terrifying woman.

Tachibana is right, you know.

Your case is still too weak.

I do have other reasons.

Like what?

There was a dry stick at the scene.

Forget it.

Don't tell me you're sulking now. That's not like you.

Do you know how many suspicious deaths actually get an autopsy?

Just one in ten!

That means

there are many people who have lost their loved ones

and are forced to accept their death without any explanation or closure.

I want to give such people a chance to move on.

That's one of the reasons I became a medical examiner.

So I have no time for sulking!

When there's a suspicious death and my superiors miss it,

I'll dive in without hesitation.

Yes?

Sorry to interrupt.

I brought the pathology results from the autopsy for case 116.

Thanks.

Right, I should get going.

See you later.

What's up? Aren't you leaving?

Next time you feel the urge to dive in,

talk to me about it first.

I can definitely help.

You're pretty confident. Why's that?

I can see things that other people can't see.

So...

whatever the case is, I can get to the truth.

What is it?

I'm counting on you.

Wait a second.

Mika Higa speaking.

Chocolates?

Would a person intending to take their own life order such a thing?

Not only that,

she even specified the delivery date.

Don't you think that's strange?

Those of us who are alive

can never know the last thoughts of those who are dead.

As sad as that is.

There's no letter.

My sister was such a family person.

For her to take her own life without so much as a word to us...

I just cannot believe it.

I guess you know painfully well how he feels.

I do.

I've known for a long time now.

She was a university student. Lived alone.

We found out from the parents that she suffered from depression.

It's a suicide.

No evidence of a struggle.

She threw herself off.

Look at her left wrist.

She probably wanted to make sure she died this time.

She's wearing contact lenses.

What about it?

In most cases where the person wears glasses and chooses to jump,

they remove their glasses, don't they?

They do so because it's scary to see the ground below clearly.

Why didn't she remove her contacts lenses?

You are still lacking experience.

I have seen a suicide case where they had their glasses on.

I guess she was so depressed she lacked the energy to remove her contacts.

If she were that depressed, would she wear her contacts in the first place?

Now you're splitting hairs.

Where did she fall from?

-From the sky, is it? -From the rooftop!

If you find any evidence of a murder, I want to be the first to know.

Don't hold back.

I've got the urge to dive in.

THE DIVINE COMEDY OF DANTE COMPLETE WORK

Is this... what you were going to tell me about the other day?

It is.

It was on the roof of the building that Maiko supposedly jumped off.

That's the one I found on the roof tonight.

What do you think?

It's too similar to be a coincidence.

What else have you got?

In Dante's Divine Comedy, people who commit suicide go to hell

and are turned into dead trees as punishment for damaging their bodies,

and are tortured by the snapping of their branches.

The killer who staged these as suicides may have been influenced by Dante.

It is a possibility, but...

we're talking about punishment for the sin of taking one's own life.

If they were murders staged as suicides, surely they'd be seen as innocent.

The girl who died tonight had previously attempted suicide, just like Maiko.

The killer saw that as a crime equal to suicide and punished them for it.

Why did he have to punish them?

Perhaps due to extreme anti-suicide religious beliefs.

How did he know about their attempts?

He may have known them.

Are the connected in any way?

So far, only the fact that they were university students.

You don't expect our superiors to act with just this?

Her neck was broken the same way.

I'm telling you, this is a serial killer.

There may already be other victims.

In any case, we have to catch him quickly or there will be more victims.

Where is tonight's victim's body?

It's being stored in the morgue.

I've seen enough.

Thank you.

What is going on with you?

If you don't see the body,

it's hard to see the big picture of the case.

I need to use the bathroom. You head back first.

Did you kill yourself?

I didn't kill myself!

Then someone attacked you?

Yes.

I was attacked in the corridor of my apartment building.

All I can remember

is feeling someone's arms wrapping around my neck from behind.

Do you have any idea who it might've been?

No, I don't.

I'm just an ordinary university student.

I haven't done anything to get myself killed.

You've attempted suicide in the past, right?

Did you ever tell anyone about that?

The only people who know about my attempted suicide are...

my parents and my psychiatrist. I don't think there's anyone else.

Which clinic did you go to?

It's in Yoyogi.

The Kawashima Mental Clinic.

But actually...

I stopped going there after a couple of months.

Something happened, didn't it?

Please tell me.

He said to me, "You can talk to me outside of our appointments, too."

He said it so kindly...

He took me out for a few meals

and we became involved.

I wanted a serious relationship, but...

He was just playing around.

It seems he had several similar relationships going on.

Do you know someone called Maiko Kubota?

No, I don't.

All right.

My heart...

was so very weak.

I did think about taking my own life.

But...

when I saw my parents suffering with sadness about me,

I made up my mind to fight on and live my life!

You have to catch the murderer who did this to me.

Please.

I will.

You have my word.

THE DIVINE COMEDY DANTE’S INFERNO

PATIENT DATA: KIYOMI HIRAKAWA, FEMALE, AGE 20

PATIENT DATA: MAIKO KUBOTA, FEMALE, AGE 19

PATIENT DATA: YOSHIKO HAGA, FEMALE, AGE 21

PATIENT DATA: AYAKA OKI, FEMALE, AGE 21

Hello. Do you have an appointment today?

KAWASHIMA MENTAL CLINIC

Was it not a suicide then?

We are not ruling anything out at this stage.

Is the purpose of this interview to gather evidence?

You can assume that is the case.

Then, I cannot say anything further.

I would be in breach of doctor-patient confidentiality.

All right.

By the way,

both of them stopped visiting your clinic after just a couple of months.

Why do you suppose that is?

The explanation is obvious.

They got better...

thanks to my treatment.

THE DIVINE COMEDY OF DANTE COMPLETE VOLUME

I'll be back.

So do you think the pervert doctor did it?

In my mind, I'm close to certain that he's guilty.

He's a doctor, so he would know how to break the neck bone.

But at the same time,

I can't see a motive for him to kill them.

So that's what I want you to find.

To jump straight in, I found this in her browser history.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SUICIDE METHODS: JUMPING TO DEATH

SUICIDE NOTE: EASY WAYS TO DIE

Visits to this type of site began two months ago.

It seems clear that she had thought about suicide.

What about the day she died?

She looked at a travel agent's website.

There!

She booked a trip to Okinawa.

Then it's clear.

She wanted to live.

Someone did this.

Whatever it takes, I'll get him.

You look really tired.

Do you have siblings?

You're looking at two typically selfish, only children.

I had a brother four years older than me.

He was good-looking, smart...

and above all, he was kind.

I couldn't stand my father, and we would fight all the time.

My big brother always stood up for me.

One day, when I was 20 and still a university student,

I got a phone call from my brother.

It was raining gently outside that morning.

My brother said,

"I just wanted to hear your voice all of a sudden."

He talked about how he'd give me rides on his bike when we were kids,

and how we'd watch people play baseball on the grassy field.

I had no idea why he was talking about that all of a sudden

and I didn't want to be late to my lecture

so I said I had to go.

His voice sounded a bit sad as he said to me,

"Work hard at your studies," and we hung up.

That was the last time...

that I ever heard his voice.

That night,

my brother took his own life.

He hanged himself.

He left no letter.

And I couldn't find a reason why he wanted to die.

I feel as if...

somewhere on my brother's body

there was a big gaping hole...

but none of the people around him could see it.

I just wish that I...

could've found that hole...

and filled it in for him.

Even now, I can't forget that morning.

I missed a crucial message in his phone call.

I blame myself.

These really cheer you up.

It's strange...

I've never talked to anyone about this before.

Thanks for listening.

Did I make it awkward?

Among her deleted emails,

I've found some from the pervert doctor.

"You can tell me what's on your mind over dinner."

"I'm the only one who can understand what you're going through."

"Why don't you answer me?"

This doctor is absolute scum!

Maybe they threatened to expose him for seducing them,

so he killed them.

Seducing patients is an issue ethically,

but it's not illegal.

He would have a lot to lose if his reputation were damaged.

Maybe that's what got to him.

Or perhaps he couldn't stand being rejected by his patients.

He thought his patients were his own harem or something.

I want to check his alibi.

Can you hack into his mobile phone and get his schedule?

I've sent a virus to his phone.

I've sent one to the mailing address on the clinic's homepage.

This should do the trick!

How did it go?

It was no good.

I got backdoor data access,

but nothing to jeopardize his alibi for the murders.

It's not the doctor.

I see.

Only a few people knew about the girls' suicide attempts.

If we follow that trail, it has to lead us to the perpetrator.

What is it?

Maybe what connects the girls is not the clinic, but something further back!

It could be the hospital they were taken to when they attempted suicide.

Right. That would add up.

Divine Comedy says those who exert physical violence upon themselves

will be punished, but makes no reference to emotion.

The killer must have come into contact with their injured bodies.

The girls' apartments were...

here...

and here.

Different wards, but less than five kilometers apart.

If only we'd realized this earlier.

They must have been taken to a hospital...

somewhere inside this circle.

Can you ask the families about the hospital?

Leave it to me.

How can I help you?

I'd like your cooperation with a murder investigation. Is that all right?

Yes...

I need to know which doctors were in the emergency room for the night shift

on the 3rd and 20th of last December.

NIGHT SHIFT

DECEMBER 3RD TOSHIO TSUGAWA

DECEMBER 20TH TOSHIO TSUGAWA

The same doctor was in charge both days.

May I have the name?

It's Dr. Toshio Tsugawa.

Is he here today?

He quit two months ago.

What's up?

I need your help with something.

I heard you were up to something.

Turns out you need me after all?

Yeah... you guessed it.

At least you're honest.

What do you need me to do?

We'll explain later.

Go into your apartment, lock the door, and wait.

Okay!

Get inside!

Don't do it!

I'll go and check on the girl.

Why did you kill them?

Forty percent of those who attempt suicide and fail

end up killing themselves in the end.

What's wrong with helping people who want to kill themselves?

Maybe they would have been in the remaining 60%.

How am I supposed to tell the difference?

Why do you hate suicide so much?

Because it makes me suffer.

Do you know how it feels when...

a loved one takes their own life right in front of you?

I do.

When I was in middle school,

I had just arrived home from school...

when my sister fell in front of me.

She'd thrown herself off the roof of our building.

My sister's blood

splashed onto my face.

I was too terrified to move.

I just stood by my sister

until the life disappeared from her eyes.

Didn't you become a doctor...

because you wanted to save lives?

Do you know how it feels when patients you've saved...

come back, having inflicted violence upon themselves again?

You know what I realized?

That there's no point treating them.

They will just keep coming back

again and again, to torment me.

Is that why you decided to punish them?

I wanted to be freed

from this suffering.

Good work.

He's been acting all weird again.

After all I went through, putting myself on the line to solve the case with him!

Come out.

Tell me why you died.

ISHIKAWA FAMILY GRAVE

What a useless ability this is.

Subtitle translation by Anna Berry Fukuda

I have no doubt it was a hit-and-run.

I saw his face. His father's a famous politician.

My car was stolen three days ago.

You're the first person to drag me out from behind the scenes.

Don't compare me with the likes of you!