Tower of Sand (砂の塔～知りすぎた隣人)

Sora! She's not here!

The nursery lady took her eyes off her for a moment and she disappeared into the crowd.

Mother, where did you go? What was so urgent?

Someone suspicious? What kind of person? I don't know.

It seems they're wearing a weird mask.

There are hundreds of people like that.

Sora!

5 days to Halloween

We have an update in the Hamelin case.

The three young children thus far...

You made Asou's MD's wife angry?

It's not that I made her angry, it's more of a misunderstanding.

I'm begging you. Sora-chan, eat up.

It's bad I tell you. What?

Has something happened at work?

2,000,000 by the end of the month. A deposit of 100,000 would be fine.

It's just covering it for a short while.

You're not agreeing a contract?! Not until my wife's mood improves.

I've lost the contract.

No, well, stuff's going on... Stuff? What stuff?

Trick or treat?

What's this Sora? Is it Halloween?

There's a fancy dress parade sponsored by the neighbourhood association.

Sora's going to take part along with the other children in the building.

Here you go, eat it your breakfast.

Kazuki will take pictures of me, won't you.

If you're a good girl.

Kazuki, wait a moment. Ah thank you.

Take care. Take care.

After the parade, there's a BBQ, just for the mothers of the Sky Grand Tower.

Ah, why are there so many of these events!

Hey wait. The MD's wife will be taking part too right?

I guess... It's a chance isn't it!

A chance to put her in a better mood.

So this is the man the florist saw.

A man with a mole to side of his eye...

If, for arguments sake, we say he's the culprit. A man getting information through the mother group network,

seems highly unlikely. We should consider that he has a female accomplice.

Aramata. Yes.

Go to the crime scene. There's some new evidence.

What's this...

To the children, Halloween is a really big event.

Once again Rino-san has taken on the important role of coordinator this year.

She knows a lot about the real event in America.

You and your husband are Harvard graduates, aren't you.

Yes, well. Everyone, did you know?

Hiroko-san is being interviewed for a magazine.

No, no, really I wanted to turn it down, but they really wanted me to do it.

I believe they're are coming to cover the Halloween event too.

It'll be a bit of an intrusion, but if you'd all bear with it for me.

How wonderful!

Erm... Hiroko-san?

I'm really sorry about before.

What do you mean? About coach Ubukata.

Keeping quiet that he's an old acquaintance of mine.

Goodness, Aki-san. You were worried about that?

It didn't bother me in the slightest.

Let's continue to get on.

What's going on?!

You'd better be careful.

If she's got her eye you,

neither you, nor your children, will be able to do anything.

Thank you. Don't misunderstand me.

I'm organizing this event, and I don't want there to be any problems.

Erm... You do think she's cross with me after all?

It's absolutely unforgivable.

I want to wrap her up and throw her into Tokyo bay.

If you hate her that much, why don't you just avoid her?

That would be almost like she was bullying me.

I have to consider my position as the leader of this tower apartment.

I'm heading out. Where are you going?

To work.

Suspicious Person Alert.

Suspicious person alert?

It's a group email to all the guardians in the area.

It says that recently there's been several reports of suspicious persons, so to be careful.

Suspicious persons? "Foolish Mothers."

It's the Hamelin case criminal isn't it.

... who knows.

Because of that case, it feels like eyes of society

are focusing harshly on mothers.

Aki-san, are you okay? What?

Are you, for example, having an affair?

No fear of that, I'm devoted to my husband.

But what about other men,

there must be someone, other than your husband, you've thought is nice?

There really isn't. Of course there wouldn't be.

Really? Not even the once?

All together.

Is it a bit difficult? All together.

Right, let's do it one more time.

Someone other than your husband.

There must be someone, you've thought is nice?

Women sometimes lie.

Sometimes a big lie, with evil intent,

or a harmless white lie...

What can I do.

White lies can lead to bigger lies...

Sometimes they can, unforeseen, lead to a nightmare.

Punish

Mummy, carry me.

4 days to Halloween

Takano-kun, are you free on Sunday?

What? It's Halloween right?

We're dressing up and going to Shibuya. Why don't you come along?

I promised I'd take pictures of my sister at the Halloween parade.

Pictures of your sister? Pictures of my sister.

Seriously... He's with hanging out with a bad crowd isn't he.

Would you have Aki-san help you out with the Halloween preparations.

Pardon? But I've got the main preparations in hand...

I want you to have her embarrass herself.

so much so that she'd wish a hole would open up

and swallow her up forever.

A real disgrace okay?

The kidnapper was seen at the florist here,

and the wall with the graffiti is in this area.

More graffiti has been found all around the bay area.

The bay huh. That's where my wife's

longing to move to.

There are lots of tidy apartment buildings with their mass produced tidy families.

There must be some thorns right.

So it appears that they're having a large scale Halloween parade there.

Halloween parade? Yes, there will be tons of kids there.

Not only that, they'll all be in fancy dress, with their faces hidden...

If you're going to abduct someone, it's the perfect time.

An accomplice...

Sora-chan, where's your mummy?

Do you want to come to my place to play?

Sora?

What do you want with my sister?

It's Kazuki-kun isn't it?

I'm Sasaki. I live on the floor above you.

I've recently become friends with your mother.

You mustn't leave your sister on her own, you know.

Ah, by the way, Aki-san.

I would like you to be an assistant on the Halloween event.

Pardon? Because the baby shower you did was so wonderful.

That's because you very kindly... Firstly, the shopping.

While you're at it, could I ask you to sort out the drinks?

Also could you do the BGM for the venue?

Hang on a second please. You want me, by myself, to do all that?

Goodness, you don't want to do it?

You don't want to put the effort in for the sakes of the children and the area?

That's not it...

"Baby pink paper cups."

"The same BGM as used on 'Sunny Days'"...

Where is it? This crap, is definitely harassment.

Ah, cups!

This isn't 'baby pink' though...

You're in completely the wrong place. It's this way.

Ah, thank you.

This is in my neighbourhood, so I come here often.

Ah really... It's this way.

Ah, here.

I'm sorry for roping you into this.

No problem. But that was way too much for one person.

So, it's not going well with the other mothers...

Thank you for worrying about me.

But I'm alright.

That kind of thing makes me really angry.

They know nothing about being a mother.

When I see the mothers at the gym class,

I think that, mothers these days, have it tough.

Work and housework, the kid's exams,

when the kids play in the area,

they can't take their eyes off them for a second.

Everyone looks like they're being crushed

by the weight of the responsibility.

When I see that, how can I put it...

I think it would be good if I could do something to help.

Did I just act all cool?!

Yes, just a bit.

How embarrassing!

Here is fine, thank you so much.

Are you off to work from here? Ah, no, I've something I have to do.

Okay. Thanks.

If there's anything else, please just let me know.

He's looking a bit dressed up today.

Of course he'd have a girlfriend.

At first, I had no intention of having an affair.

I gave into temptation. before I knew it, I'd become involved.

This is really hard on me too!

Why is everyone constantly blaming me?!

The affair...

Two days before Halloween

Takano, about Asou Partners. What about the remaining 1,900,000?

When will it be deposited?

We're in the midst of making adjustments. Adjustments...

It's fine. The MD said he was very pleased with us.

Is that right? Well that's good.

It's a growing company isn't it.

If you let this one pass, you'll be in deep trouble.

... yes.

This cup isn't baby pink, it's coral pink.

Good grief, do you not even know the difference between baby and coral?!

I'll go replace them. No, it's fine.

I'm the one at fault for leaving this to someone who didn't know.

Far from being a help, you're a hindrance.

Instead, maybe I can ask you

do to the planning for the BBQ event?