Question: The last note, the folded one, that Chieko gives the detective to read later appears to be a lengthy one; is there any indication of its contents?
Answer: It's a suicide note.
What is the basis of that conclusion?
Answer: Perhaps this is the clue we need. When reporting her mother's death in this way, she's actually reflecting her own plan. But wait do we know for a certainty that her deafness and muteness are congenital...or were they caused by the loss of her mother? Alternately, this condition might, essentially metaphorically, represent her great lack of contact with her father and others.
Question: Why did the Japanese girl lie about her mother jumping off the balcony? She'd probably have gained the same amount of sympathy from the officer if she had told him about finding her mother after she had shot herself. And why doesn't the father look more surprised that she's naked? He just blinks and hugs her?
Answer: Chieko was traumatized by her mother's death (and feels a great need for physical contact and affection) (though she (mistakenly) manifests this in a sexual way...not too unusual in young disabled people). Her father seems to suffer from this same horrific loss, which means that they're both stuck in a kind of "loss-limbo" (unable to satisfy either's needs). On the balcony, the two holding hands suggests the beginning of the "breaking of the ice" between them. BTW, her nudity-in that scene-has no significance. This is just a father and his child. I wish the movie-makers had given us a clue about that damned note. Though the secrecy of it does kind've suggest that it reflects her intent to end her life...even as her mother did. Her appearance in the nude to the cop (which, on the face of it, seems very erotic) challenges us to remember that people exist on "different levels" or expressions (or "ego-states"). The main thing is that she's calling out for affection and being comforted.
Answer: It's obvious that this girl has quite serious psychological problems. Thus her erratic behavior, of which her father must also have some experience already.
Answer: Wikipedia has this: (n.b., "(EDGE)" indicates the end of that particular line on the notebook page): . . . I wanted (EDGE) . . . myself (EDGE) . . . that's why (EDGE) . . . connected (EDGE) . . . that is (EDGE) . . . although I cannot (EDGE) . . . I have to find out (EDGE) . . . message from my mother (EDGE) . . . I was not sure if I was loved by my mother (EDGE) . . . but that's not the case . . . (EDGE) thank you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babel_(film).