FILE No.4Unsolved
A mother burst into a detective agency. Her daughter, a university student named Risa, had left a letter on her desk and left home.
The detective, Miyake, said to her, "Let’s take it in order. First, please show me the letter."
The mother handed over a letter that read:
Mom, I’m sorry. The person I was cheering for is the one who races all the way down the mountain road. I once changed buses all the way to the northern mountains just to see him. The day he spoke to me was the happiest day of my life. And yet yesterday I learned that he got married. They say the bride is a famous idol. I read it in an online article. I should be congratulating him, but I can’t stay here anymore. Before I go, I’ll watch my favorite video one more time. “Kota Takamori’s Downhill Ride.” The sound of gravel spraying, the ragged breathing, the pedals turning, the shout of “Here we go” just before a curve. He really is amazing. Goodbye.
The detective checked the video and told the mother, "Kota Takamori is single. There’s been no talk of marriage."
"Then who is this letter about?"
Which is the most accurate statement of the truth the letter points to?
If you get stuck, open the hints one at a time, in order.
If Takamori is single, “that person” in the letter is not Takamori. Then who is it?
Focus on the sounds in the video. At what distance must you record to hear them?
Who can ride the same mountain road at the same speed from that distance?
Which is the most accurate statement of the truth the letter points to?
Choose the answer closest to the truth.
Risa loved the person who filmed the video
The answer is “Risa loved the person who filmed the video.”
The letter says the video clearly carries the breathing, the sound of the pedals and the shout before a curve. You cannot pick up such sounds by filming from a distance or from the air. The cameraperson was riding right beside Takamori at the same speed, which means a rider skilled enough to keep up with him. What Risa loved was not Takamori but the rider who shot the video (“that person” in the letter). That is who got married.
You read the whole letter as feelings for Takamori, so the idea that “that person” is someone else doesn’t come easily. The cameraperson is not on screen, so he or she is easy to forget.
The cases on this site are fictional puzzles created for entertainment. Any resemblance to real people, organizations or events is coincidental.
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