Aibou TV Season 4 Episode 10 - Live Broadcast Murder(殺人生中継)

Subtitle: Live Broadcast Murder(殺人生中継)

 Keiko Ayase(綾瀬圭子), a popular newscaster is murdered, and her dying screams are broadcast live during the weather segment of the morning news for the Central TV Station. Who murdered Keiko - was it a fan who sneaked into the station while making a restaurant delivery? Perhaps it was the manager of the station's announcers who wasn't happy that Keiko was possibly involved in a romantic relations with her husband. Inspector Ukyō uncovers the surprising suspect and the shocking reason behind Keiko's murder.

Characters appearing/mentioned in the story

Rika Yaginuma(八木沼 リカ) - Rookie newscaster(weather woman) for the Central TV Station. After Rika started working at the station an year ago, Keiko became Rika's mentor, giving advice on many things. For example, Keiko helped Rika correct her use of the honorific(敬語 keigo).

Kame(カメ Kame, the bigger one) and Leon(レオン Reon, the smaller one) - Rika's pet chameleons

Mayumi Nishina(仁科 真由美) - Manager of the announcers at the station. She was an idol announcer during the 80's. Her husband is the station's deputy(編成局次長 hensei-kyoku jichō). He was rumored to be carrying on an affair with Keiko Ayase(綾瀬 圭子) at one time. Because of this, Mrs. Nishina had tried to have Keiko Ayase(綾瀬 圭子) moved to a different division repeatedly but couldn't since Keiko was the top announcer at the station. She claims that she was in the VTR editing room at the time Keiko was murdered, but she was alone and hence has no alibi.

Keiko Ayase(綾瀬 圭子) - Rika's 27 year old sempai and the announcer for News Stallion(ニューススタリオン Nyūsusutarion), She died shortly after being stabbed in the station's nap room.

The people working at the station reveal that someone was stalking Keiko, sending her a letter every day, commenting on every scene she appeared in. The stalker eventually sent a letter stating that if he can't have her, he will kill her. Then these letters suddenly stopped arriving about an year ago, and everyone had assumed that the stalker just decided to stop.

She was stabbed to death with a paring knife(果物ナイフ kudamono naifu), and her dying screams and broadcast live on Rika's morning weather show. Apparently, the killer knew that Keiko was always in that nap room at that time.

Going back to the nap room, Inspector Ukyō reasons as follows:

The nap room locks itself from the inside, so Keiko must have opened the door for the killer. Keiko must have known her attacker, since, even though Keiko was very near-sighted, she left her glasses and didn't wear contacts when she opened the nap room door.

Oddly, she had left the nap room window open even though it was the coldest day of the year, which would risk her valuable announcer's voice. Her fingerprints were not recovered near the nap room window. Hence, the killer must have open the nap room window for some reason after killing Keiko.

Hiroyuki Hotta(堀田 弘之) - Delivery man for Attsu Atsu Bentō(あっつあつ弁当), He dropped by the station to deliver lunch to the Second Production Department(制作二部 Seisaku Nibu). However, Sergeant Kaoru found him hiding near a vending machine. Hiroyuki tried to run away but was caught. He admits that he was sneaking around the station hoping to catch a glimpse of Mikiti(ミキティ).

Kanzaki(神崎) - Director who was with Rika when they heard Keiko's dying screams.

Yokoyama(横山) - Announcer for Sports Eleven(Supōtsuirebun スポーツイレブン), a show at the Central Broadcasting System TV Station.

Letter from the stalker

Kon'nani aishite irunoni(こんなに愛しているのに)
Even though I love you so much

Te ni hairanai nonara,(手に入らないのなら、)
If I can't have you

Isso kono-te de koroshiteyaru.(いっそこの手で殺してやる。)
I'll kill you with my own hands.

Trivia

Sergeant Itami is forced to work this case even though it was his day off.

The TV station has sealed its entrances as soon as the murder was discovered.

Rika Yaginuma(八木沼 リカ)'s extensive video collection includes videos from the shows News Stallion(ニューススタリオン Nyūsusutarion), Morning Channel (モーニングチャンネル Mōninguchan'neru), and Music J (ミュージックJ Myūjikku J). Some of the programs mentioned here aired three to four years ago and had already stopped broadcasting.