Nagaoka

**Nagaoka** (長岡, *Nagaoka*) is a surgeon at the Tokyo Seaside Medical University. He was assigned to perform the autopsies in the Coin and Carving Murders Case.

## Biography

### History

Nagaoka used to travel a lot around the world with his wife.

Twenty years ago, Nagaoka's wife died. He had her ashes be turned into a diamond which was stolen not long afterward.

### Coin and Carving Murders Case

At the Tokyo Seaside Medical University, Nagaoka conducts the autopsy of the third victim in the recent Coin and Carving Murders Case; with him is the case's leading detective Totomaru Isshiki. Nagaoka extracts a pound sterling from the victim's abdomen.

Not long afterward, two more victims are discovered. Due to the amount of victims, Hirsch uses his detective license to be able to help with the upcoming autopsies. The next day, Nagaoka meets him, Toto, and Ron Kamonohashi at the Seaside University. Nagaoka suggests taking turns examining the bodies, but Hirsch is vehemently against it as he despises waste; he wants the autopsies to happen concurrently. He also wants to omit the CT scan which usually precedes an autopsy in Japan. Toto permits Hirsch's suggestions and insists that he and Ron will observe the autopsies.

While Nagaoka examines the fifth victim under Ron's observation, Hirsch conducts the fourth victim's, Ryu Yanobe's, autopsy with Toto as his observant. Nagaoka finds no external injuries on the fifth body, and Hirsch determines that Yanobe died immediately after suffering one blow to the head. He also notes that the number on the fourth victim's body is tilted whereas the numbers on the first three victims were not; Nagaoka adds that the number on the fifth victim is tilted as well. Hirsch also points out that all victims are over 30 years old, and says there must have been a connected brutal unsolved case that occurred right before the first victim in the Coin and Carving Murders was found. Toto informs him that a Tokyo doctor was stabbed multiple times during that period.

Nagaoka and Hirsch then proceed to examine the victim's abdomens. Hirsch finds a Korean 500 won coin inside Yanobe whereas Nagaoka does not find anything in the fifth victim's stomach. Hirsch then calls out in surprise which catches the attention of Nagaoka, Ron, and Toto, though Hirsch quickly adds that he was mistaken. He puts something in his pocket before he leaves the autopsy room.

Later that day, Nagaoka enters the morgue where he finds Totomaru, Ron, and Hirsch conversing. He wants to leave, but Ron invites him to stay as Hirsch allegedly wants to show him what he discovered during the autopsy. Hirsch says that he found "something strange" inside Yanobe. Nagaoka wants to see the object immediately; however, Hirsch wants to lay out his deductions first: The victims had several commonalities—the carved number, the international coin, having been found in Tokyo. Hirsch asks why the murderer did those things, and Ron answers: The culprit wanted to connect the victims and then make sure a forensic scientist from Tokyo would be assigned to the case as the culprit wanted to retrieve the corpses. The serial killer is, thus, Nagaoka.

Nagaoka denies the allegations, but Hirsch simply continues: Nagaoka pretended not to notice that the numbers were tilted because he wanted to cover up that the numbers were used to hide appendicitis surgery scars. Ron adds that the victims were all over 30 years old because, nowadays, appendicitis is treated with endoscopic surgery which does not leave any scars; the victims, therefore, all had surgery for appendicitis about twenty years ago. The killer targeted people of a certain generation.

Hirsch continues that the stabbing of the doctor provides the reason why the killer went after people who had an appendicitis surgery. The doctor was a gastrointestinal surgeon who performed the surgeries of all victims—he was also an university classmate of Nagaoka. Ron says that Nagaoka used the autopsies to search for something inside the victims' bodies. Hirsch then holds up a small pouch with the item in question; he tells Nagaoka he will only give him the item if he turns himself in. Subsequently, Nagaoka breaks down and confesses.

After his wife died, her ashes were turned into a diamond, but the diamond was stolen. A few days ago, Nagaoka met up with the gastrointestinal surgeon to drink; he admitted that he stole the diamond because he was in love with Nagaoka's wife and hated Nagaoka for marrying her. He then hid the diamond inside one of his appendicitis patients to ensure Nagaoka would not have his wife forever. Nagaoka killed the surgeon and stole his patient data for his plan to retrieve the diamond. He hid the coins inside the bodies because he wanted to make sure that the bodies would be autopsied; the coins were remnants of overseas trips with his wife.

Then, Hirsch reveals that the pouch was a feint; the diamond was not inside Yanobe. Nagaoka charges at him for tricking him but Hirsch stops him by pointing a scalpel at him. He calls Nagaoka disgrace to all forensic scientists and tells him to never call himself one again. Defeated, Nagaoka sinks to the ground.

## Etymology

* The surname "Nagaoka" means "long, chief, boss" (長, *naga*) and "ridge, hill" (岡, *oka*).

## References

1. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 66, page 16
2. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 66, page 15
3. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 63, pages 2-3
4. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 64, pages 14-15
5. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 65, pages 4-16
6. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 66, pages 5-20