Part 15: 23rd October 1929 - 10:00.

Matsunosuke

For some reason, Mr. Yoshinodou was kind enough to let that man work at this mansion for a long time...But he's stubborn and very difficult to deal with...

Matsunosuke...didn't say...anything strange to you, did he...?



Matsunosuke

I hear Mr. Yoshinodou hired him just because the two of them are from the same village.

Anything strange

Anything strange...?

Please pay no attention to anything that man says!



Please don't pay any attention.



Kanae

About Kanae...?




No, never mind. If he didn't say anything about Kanae, then that‘s all right.

By the way, Kazuya...Why did you go down into the basement last night? Hachiya told me you went to the basement at Madam Yoshinodou's request...



Hachiya

Since Mr. Yoshinodou died, Hachiya seems to think he runs the entire household. It's just not right...

Basement

Choosing wine from the wine cellar is Madam Yoshinodou's responsibility, so I hardly ever go down into the basement, myself.

Madam Yoshinodou

Madam Yoshinodou is...Just remember what I told you.




Now if you'll excuse me. Please don't forget that Kiyohiko is waiting for you.

Kikuyo leaves.





This is the Rear Vestibule; the door behind Takashi leads to the north garden.





The door ahead leads to a Storage Room. Round the corner from the Storage Room is the Servants Lavatory. The door opposite leads to the Small Dining Room.

Denemon's Notes for chapter two can be found in the Hydrangea Room at this point.






Anyone want to take a guess at the solution?

Outside the Orchid Room.





But Hideo said he would do it!

The answer isn't going to change. The production of “Dolls” is off!

I don't understand you, Kiyohiko. You've finally become a real director. There's no need to give that up just because Takako is dead.

I don't care...anymore.

That doesn't sound like you.



Enough already! Just leave me alone.

Tsuyako leaves the Orchid Room.



Did you sleep well last night?







You didn't kill Takako, did you?



Takako

Me? Kill Takako?!

Don't worry. I'm just kidding. I don't really think you did it. Like I said last night, Takako committed suicide.




Last night

Last night, I simply said what everybody else wanted to say, but couldn't.

Suicide

Both the chairman and Takako committed suicide...It would be best for this family if they really were suicides, and not...

What she did

What she did...?

Takako was a very frightening person. Want me to tell you a little secret about Takako that nobody knows?



Frightening person

Seemingly refined ladies like Takako can do the scariest things without even giving it a second thought!

Nobody

I don't think anybody else in this mansion knows...But I saw it with my own eyes.

Secret

A secret about Takako?

Yes. I feel like I can tell you about it...Yes, the secret of what Takako did to get the leading role in “Dolls”...



Takako

I wonder why Takako wanted “Dolls” to be remade so badly?

”Dolls”

I heard the chairman was really against remaking “Dolls.”

What Takako did

What Takako did...?

There was one more person besides Takako vying for the leading role in “Dolls.” That actress already had experience in talking films, and she was fierce competition for Takako...




And I saw her! I saw Takako put something in that girl's glass!



That girl's glass

Yes, in the drink the girl had in the dressing room.

Something

Something in her glass?



Silver nitrate...?

It makes you lose your voice.





Tsuyako leaves.






What am I gonna do now...? Oh, Takako...







Kazuya, how can you be so calm? You‘re the one that found Takako's body, right?

Takako is... dead...There's no way Takako would've committed suicide...



Suicide

We were going to shoot a film together! Why would Takako kill herself?

Takako

So you don't think Takako had any reason to commit suicide, right?

That's right. Takako never would've done that. Except...

Except what...?

Ever since we arrived at this mansion...Ever since Takako came back to the mansion, she's been acting strange...Yes... ever since she saw those red flowers in the garden...



Acting strange

She'd suddenly get depressed, and seem to be thinking about something.

Red flowers

Ever since she saw those red flowers?

Yes... Takako saw some red amaryllises in the garden...And then...Takako looked at the amaryllises and said...”I think I remember... what happened that time...”



Amaryllises

They say Takako’s mother loved those flowers.

What happened

What happened that time...?

I don't know. But Takako said...”I've remembered something about Mother...something terrible...”



Something terrible

Something terrible...?

Yes. Takako told me...”Mother didn't die in any sudden accident."

What did she mean?

Takako said, ”When it happened, somebody was standing near her...”

”Somebody was standing near Mother, holding a knife...“



A knife

A knife...



Takako said... ”There was a knife sticking out of Mother’s chest...”

Somebody

Somebody...?



Takako remembered...When the chairman died and she came back to this mansion, her suppressed memories came back, too.



Memories

Her suppressed memories...?

Takako had partially lost her memory from the shock of seeing her mother die.

So Takako witnessed the very moment of Hisako‘s death...?

Yes, I believe so...And I think it all came back to her when she returned to the mansion.

(I wonder what exactly Takako remembered...?)

Yes... Takako remembered...When she came back to this mansion......I think everything came rushing back to her...



Everything

Mr. Yoshikawa, what do you think that ‘everything' was?

I don't know. I just don't know...But now that Takako's gone...I don't even care what it was anymore...

(What was this 'everything" that came rushing back to Takako...? What does Mr. Yoshikawa think Takako remembered?)




I think Takako came back here, saw the flowers in the garden, and then...saw all the things in the mansion that brought back memories of Hisako...and remembered everything...

And that’s why she left that compact--that compact that was always so important to her--on the dressing table, and wouldn‘t touch it again. I bet Takako saw Hisako...

No! I don't want to know any of it...Now that Takako's gone...I don't want to know, no matter what happened...




Takako was just a means to my success, but now that she's gone, I understand. It was just a cold calculation at first, but somewhere along the way I



I couldn't possibly film “Dolls” with any other actress except Takako...I'd better go tell Tsuyako.

Kiyohiko leaves, leaving Takashi free to check the compact.





(How did Takako feel when she looked at this...?)






Was Hisako murdered...? Or could Hisako's murderer be...? Maybe Takako was killed because she remembered who...?