Subtitle: Revenge at 9:30 PM, Tokumeigakari, the Last Case(午後9時30分の復讐 特命係、最後の事件)
This is the last episode of season 1.
Even though the sniper from the previous episode was apprehended, they still haven't discovered the cause behind the suspicious deaths of three of the survivors from the hostage incident 15 years ago. Inspector Ukyō asks Sergeant Kaoru's help to uncover the truths behind these deaths.
In a flashback sequence, we see the sequence of events that started the SAT members' assault on the residence and the ensuing gunfight. Soon afterwards, we see an old man wakes up covered in sweat. It turns out that Haruomi Hōjō(北条 晴臣), an important former diplomat and a survivor from the hostage incident, was having nightmares about that incident. He asks Ranko Kawabata(川端 蘭子), a young woman who is living in his residence. to get him a towel and a new set of pajamas. He pulls out a letter sent by Haruomi Hōjō(北条 晴臣) from a desk drawer and quickly puts it away before Ranko arrives with the towel and the pajamas.
Superintendent Onoda, Inspector Ukyō, and Sergeant Kaoru first go over what's known about the recent deaths. Fifteen years ago, there were six hostages - Haruomi Hōjō(北条 晴臣), Mikio Yanagida(柳田 幹夫), Shinichirō Kimura(木村 紳一郎), Toshihiko Yamamoto(山本 俊彦), Takeshi Taguchi(田口 猛), and Keisuke Suzuhara(鈴原 慶介) - in the Hōjō household when the SAT members started the operation to rescue the hostages. The only fatality among the hostages was Mikio Yanagida(柳田 幹夫), a clerk for the middle east diplomatic station for Japan.
Out of the five surviving hostages, three of them died mysteriously during the past year. Shinichirō Kimura(木村 紳一郎), the treaties bureau convention manager at the time, died after falling from a suspension bridge. Toshihiko Yamamoto(山本 俊彦), secretary for the minister's secretariat, drowned after falling into the water while fishing at night. Takeshi Taguchi(田口 猛), the director of the north American station, died after falling down a set of stairs at a shintō shrine while jogging.
They are worried that the two remaining hostages would be targeted next, and Superintendent Onoda visits Haruomi Hōjō, aka "His Excellency" to warn him that the he might be next. Meanwhile, the Tokumeigakari pair visits Keisuke Suzuhara, his excellency's former chef at Suzuhara's expensive restaurant. Unfortunately, they're too late: Suzuharas mouth was taped shut, his body was tied, and he was stuffed into his refrigerator.
From the scene of the crime, Inspector Ukyō deduces that Suzuhara had a visitor after he closed his restaurant for the night. Suzuhara opened his best and most expensive wine that he shared with that visitor. Asked if he visited Suzuhara the day before, his excellency answers that he hasn't visited the chef's restaurant in half a month. Inspector Ukyō uses a bit of a trickery to determine that mysterious visitor was none other than his excellency.
When questioned again by the Sōichi later on, his excellency admits that he went to Suzuhara's restaurant to warn the chef about the three previous murders. His excellency lied and didn't tell Inspector Ukyō the first time around because his excellency supposedly didn't like the inspector's attitude.
Since Suzuhara didn't have any external wounds and he wasn't drugged, the Sōchi is pretty sure his excellency wouldn't have been able to kill Suzuhara by himself. Sergeant Itami, however, considers the possibility that his excellency and Ranko might have worked together to kill Suzuhara.
The Tokumeigakari pair also has questions for Ranko, and they discuss her and her relations to his highness over tea. She tells the Tokumeigakari pair that his highness received a letter supposedly sent by Mikio Yanagida(柳田 幹夫) around Christmas last year. Since then, his highness has been plagued by nightmares. When asked by Inspector Ukyō about the contents of the letter, Ranko says she doesn't know.
In order to find out what happened during that raid 15 years ago, Inspector Ukyō goes to prison to visit Kogorō Ishimine(石嶺 小五郎) who has been incarcerated since the end of the previous episode. Ishimine tells Inspector Ukyō that he and Hagiwara arrived at the room where the gunfire took place after everything had quieted down. They then heard two shots ring out from upstairs and headed there soon afterwards. There were three bodies on the ground - a suspect, clerk Yanagida, and Kudō(member of the assault team). Ishimine led the surviving hostages downstairs while Hagiwara stayed by Kudō's side in the moments before his death.
On the way back from the visit, the Tokumeigakari pair runs into the other surviving SAT member from 15 years ago, Hagiwara. Inspector Ukyō has questions for him, but he doesn't have time then, so the Tokumeigakari pair visits him later at his workplace, the Fujimi Police Station(富士見署). He confirms the sequence of events Ishimine had recalled. Hagiwara also confesses that he has lung cancer and doesn't have long to live.
His highness starts to put the pressure on the police investigation, and Superintendent Uchimura orders the Sōichi to look for a suspect besides his highness for Suzuhara's murder.
While eating at Hana No Sato, Inspector Ukyō voices concern about Ranko's previous conversation to Sergeant Kaoru. Although Ranko remembered who had sent the letter that started his highness's nightmares (out of many letters his highness receives), she for some reason was not curious enough to read the contents of the letter.
Looking at the investigative reports from 15 years ago, Inspector Ukyō realizes that the positions of the three dead people implied a startling conclusion. Meanwhile, Sergeant Kaoru discovers a surprising fact about Yanagida.
What really happened 15 years ago? Who murdered the four survivors and why?
Other characters appearing/mentioned in the story
Haruomi Hōjō(北条 晴臣) - Former diplomat, director of treaties, permanent secretary(事務次官) and one of the survivors from the hostage incident 15 years ago, won't acknowledge another speaker unless he is called "His Excellency(閣下)."
Ranko Kawabata(川端 蘭子) - She lives with former diplomat Hōjō from the previous summer and currently attends Seiwa Women's University(聖和女子大学). Her father died in an accident when she was small and her mother died due to an illness five years ago. Does she have a secret?
Kogorō Ishimine(石嶺 小五郎) - He makes another appearance even though he was apprehended at the end of the previous episode.
Sōta Hagiwara(萩原 壮太) - Another member of the elite squad who was assembled for the special mission 15 years ago. He has terminal cancer.
Kudō(工藤) - A member of the elite squad who was killed upstairs during the rescue mission.
Mikio Yanagida(柳田 幹夫) - Clerk for the middle east station. He is the only hostage to die during the rescue operation.
Shinichirō Kimura(木村 紳一郎) - Treaties bureau convention manager. He died after falling from a suspension bridge.
Toshihiko Yamamoto(山本 俊彦) - Secretary for the minister's secretariat. He drowned after falling into the water while fishing at night.
Takeshi, Taguchi(田口 猛) - The director of the north American station. He died after falling down a set of stairs at a shintō shrine while jogging.
Keisuke Suzuhara(鈴原 慶介) - Chef for the Hōjō household. He currently owns an expensive restaurant in Daikanyama(代官山). He is killed after he is bound and stuffed inside a refrigerator at his restaurant.
