All She Was Worth [Paperback ed.] 0395966582, 9780395966587

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NAMED

BEST

NOVEL AND BEST

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commentary/'

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WASHINGTON

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RINER

BOOKS

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"[Ul

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2012

http://archive.org/details/allshewasworthOOmiyu

MX k Jl

Miyuki Miyabe TRANSLATED BY Alfred

Birnbaum

A A Mariner Book HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON

•

NEW YORK

First

Mariner Books edition 1999

Copyright

© 1992 by Miyuki Miyabe © 1996

English translation copyright

by Kodansha International

Ltd.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Originally published by Futabasha, Tokyo, in 1992

under the

title

Kasha.

For information about permission to reproduce selections

from

Houghton

this

book, write to Permissions,

Mifflin

Company,

215

Park Avenue South,

New York, New York 10003. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

isbn 0-395-96658-2

Printed in the United States of America

qum

10

9876543

is

available.

^KX

m rui

n


:r.:e >r.e

she could have found out about the secret bank-

ruptcy. .Ask the right questions

up. So Jur.

I

—

about her debts

talk -

little effort,

Go'.d

enough

er

would Shoko have responded" Mavbe by money from her mother. Or found a "patron™ even then, the fake Shoko would have :r.e:Ked

Clc

True,

:J P tc>" but the

:

whole switch could have gotten

with a

regis-

.

the people

quit the

f:

license,

er's

ter address,

all

woman

Because anv

a real possibilr.

could easily have learned whether Shoko had a passport or

ko to the as

.

never forget a face." Neither, apparently, did the bartender. don't suppose you'd have a photo of Ms. Sekine here,

"I

would

you?"

The Mama-san shrugged. "We

don't have

much

call to take

any

pictures."

"When she was working come

here and her mother died, did

it

seem

to

as a big shock?"

This time the Mama-san sat up straight. "God, that was a horrible story! Falling

down

"Steps where?

I

the steps

drunk

never did get

"A shrine, maybe? Maybe

all

like that."

the details."

in a park?"

"Don't ask me," said Maki, after seeing a customer to the door.

Then, as she set about clearing the glasses away from the

far table,

she

suddenly said loudly, "No, wait!" Her mascara-heavy eyes widened.

"Shoko did mention one No,

Mama didn't.

thing.

Remember, Mama?"

Neither did the bartender.

"What?" asked Honma.

Maki came over and latched onto

"When

ambulance was

the her.

his arm.

Her

nails

were sharp.

who found her and called young woman. Shoko told me she'd spoken to

Shoko's mother died, the person a

To thank her and

all."

"Did she mention a name?"

Maki lowered her head did, but It

I

coquettishly. "She didn't say.

Or maybe she

don't remember."

looked like

it

was time

to give

Utsunomiya a

try.

137

^ 14 ^

The

New Tohoku

nomiya

in

Line bullet train from Tokyo Station gets to Utsu-

—just about the same amount of time

under an hour

lived,

when connections were slowest. It wasn't why more people were moving out to the country

during the off hours

hard to understand

and coming It

was

a

in

by bullet

few minutes

train these days. after

noon.

Honma

found an empty seat in a

non-reserved no-smoking car and put his briefcase

by

his feet. Right

on schedule, he

felt

down on

around Honma's

from the business

A young man

age: the lifeblood of this artery

The

seated diagonally across the aisle

and

he have

to

maybe he was

throw his voice around

was shouting

in a position of

like that?

phone with an

irritated click of the tongue.

Honma thought, wondering if And what about him? How much of

phones were expensive,

man had bought it on

credit.

what he owned had he gotten on "easy terms"? Probably larger furniture

and appliances. Each was contracted

be paid off in a slow

trickle.

was only consulted on the

half the

for separately, to

That had been Chizukos department.

Everything in the house had the colors and features she liked.

Honma

cost.

Most men were probably 138

to

went underground soon after leaving Tokyo Station. The must have been bad, because Junior Executive switched off

Cellular the

management

running

train

reception his

Most

capital of Tokyo.

instructions into a cellular phone. So authority, but did

the floor

the train begin to move.

of the other passengers looked like middle and senior types,

it

Honma

took to get to the center of Tokyo from the suburb where

that way. In fact he'd never

run across

any

man who was picky about

patterns.

furniture or

who had an eye

for carpet

Only the most discriminating types would pay much

tion to interior decoration. But there

was the age

atten-

factor, too. Today's

twenty-year-olds in their studio condos probably spent hours decid-

on the placement of furniture and the selection of knickknacks. But since there was no rookie detective in the Division to ask about ing

these things, he could only speculate.

Judging from the photos in newspaper

and

TV

inserts, mail-order catalogs,

commercials for the big department

stores, there

be no end of nice things on the market these days.

seemed

to

And to look was to

want, preferably right there, on the spot. Producing a card at the cash register

would be an easy habit wouldn't take "one of these and a couple of those"?

and signing the

into.

Who

only

human

little

"Nice, isn't

to fall It

was

nature.

There was nothing to it?

You

like

was easy enough

Desire

receipt

tell it,

a person

when

to

put on the brakes.

don't you? Well, go ahead,

to arouse,

it's

yours!"

but where was the clerk who'd

remind you of the spiraling monthly payments, or who'd say "Better leave

it

at that for today."

From point.

the retailers' point of view, of course,

"Who

has the time?" they'd

look out for customers

The

who

say.

"Who

all

that

was beside

the

could be bothered to

can't control themselves?"

Ueno, was

brief. Soon the train was moving again. They emerged above ground and raced between the buildings. The loudspeaker announced the upcoming stops, adding a reminder about first

stop, at

the dining car.

Outside the window, Tokyo sped past.

Honma recalled the telephone conversation he'd had with that Sawagi woman at the Mizoguchi law office. She mentioned that she'd been working

for

Mizoguchi

for ten years now, right

"consumer finance scare" of the early

through the

eighties.

"That was before the Regulation of Moneylending Business Law,

back when

it

was

a really rough business.

They passed

the law only

because people were demanding that they do something. Mr. Mizoguchi himself would get threatened sometimes by these guys

he asked them

to forgo collecting.

when

The fellow who was Mr. Mizo139

was even shot at with a pistol at the door was only sheer luck he wasn't hurt." Plenty of debtors were roughed up, too. But it was hard for them to go public. guchi's partner at the time to his

own

Most just

house.

It

cried themselves to sleep.

"Say somebody threatens you, you dial 110 for help, right? Well, okay, a policeman

comes around. But

just

mention debts and sud-

denly he doesn't want to know. The gangsters aren't dumb,

They don't do anything

that

can be used as evidence against them.

They're just trying to collect what's

Which

seem.

—or so they make

owed them

leaves the police with nothing

Honma was "

either.

much

it

to do."

very familiar with police reluctance to get involved.

'Non-intervention in private

that the phrase?"

affairs,' isn't

Ms. Sawagi laughed. "Exactly. Though Lord knows, intervention

what some people need.

I remember one person who came in 'How about if I just go ahead and get myself killed, then maybe you'll get them to look into it?' "The only improvement I've noticed is that nowadays the overwhelming majority of people who get into debt and file for personal

is

just

shouting,

bankruptcy are in their teens and twenties. At that age, people can all

over again

if

they have

to.

And

at least their

What you saw during

break up families.

the 'consumer finance scare'

was husbands who would get millions of yen behind, and and kids absorb a

different then?"

She thought

were

it? And why then, Honma asked.

to

for a

at the root of

whether

make

minute, then said:

it;

interest rates

—

that

cities

right? it's

140

We used

"It

were reasonable or

seems

to

me

What

housing loans

own, regardless of

not. People

and pretty soon they'd have

would be unable to

borrow from

whole pattern."

"Which bankrupted "Exactly.

the wife

in the early eighties?

the desire for a house of your

the payments,

the loan sharks

let

of the shock waves."

lot

"But what caused

was

start

insolvency doesn't

entire families."

to see

more cases out

in the

suburbs than in the

themselves. But today the problem's centered on young people,

And all

the cities are feeling

it,

not just Tokyo. This time

the fault of our thro wa way lifestyle.

I'd

say

Our consumerism has run

"

away with their It

And

us.

nobody's being taught any more

how

to

manage

money" was

ruptcies

bank-

ironic to think that the recent decline in housing loan

was

the direct result of skyrocketing land prices.

"Real estate has just gotten so expensive now," she said, "that

matter

how

hard you

just impossible. So

try,

you'll

own your home.

never be able to

no It's

most ordinary would-be homeowners make do

without because they can see that the loans would bury them.

"Nowadays

the

overwhelming majority of bankruptcies involving

lot of money to buy investment properties. They think they're going to turn a profit on a studio condo and they borrow massively to buy it. Only the bottom falls out of the condo market. Sell at that point and you're not even making back what you paid. So it's the less experienced, younger buyers especially. Not teenagers, granted, but people in their twenties and thirties. Then there's also the opposite end of the scale, your pensioners and older people drawing retirement pay. Lots of windfall stock

real estate start

with people borrowing a

market players,

too."

She gave

it

a little

more thought.

"It

seems

to

me

what was

that

behind the panic of the early eighties was the gotta-have syndrome: gotta have a bigger house, gotta have

—

more fancy

have a

things, gotta

was mostly pure greed, but some of

it too was peer up with the Tanakas. That's what kept this incrediconsumer financing going. But today I'd call it some-

better lifestyle

it

pressure, keeping ble

boom

in

more like 'hype bankruptcy' "Hype bankruptcy?" "Uh-huh. 'Here's how you make big money it's stocks'; or 'it's condos'; or 'it's country club membership shares.' With younger people, it's where to live, what part of town's cool to live in, how to set up thing

—

a beautiful apartment. Designer clothes, a sports car

right? Everyone's chasing mirages. Enter

consumer

...

it's

all

financing,

hype,

still

as

loosely regulated as ever, each lender only concerned with the bot-

tom

line

.

.

.

Want

to hear

something

have formed separate companies

really stupid?

to provide

like the loan sharks, right? Well, the thing

Nowadays, banks

unsecured financing, just is,

as long as

it's

a

bank 141

running the business,

its

not considered an infraction of the Regula-

Moneylending Business Law."

tion of

The whole time she was speaking, people talking, phones ringing.

It

the background

move onto

people struggling to shift a lever and

one not headed straight down the side of a "Last time

Emperor

you came

in,

Mr.

cliff.

it

world

literature

Honma

was

how she

could work

one of the longest sagas in

find time to read

still

talked about

immensely," she said, end-

ing the conversation on an upbeat note, though

she did and

of a train full of

the other track, the

me going, so recently I started

rereading The Tale ofGenji. I'm enjoying

like

was buzzing:

Honma, remember, we

consort? Well, that got

Ichijo's

Honma

reminded

a mystery to him.

hadn't been able to get

Shoko out of

mind

his

since the

beginning of that day. At breakfast, he'd had the morning paper open but hadn't actually read a word, just managed to dip a corner of the front page in his coffee cup. his forehead a

Snap out of

it,

he'd told himself, giving

whack.

"Got a headache?" Makoto had asked. He obviously remembered

mother had been prone

that his

Chizuko used

to migraines.

her temples sometimes. There were other things like Chizuko's

little

quirks were

still

that.

to tap

Lots of

Makoto. In extremely cold

alive in

weather, at about this time of year, she'd change into her nightgown

by stripping

off everything,

wear,

one

all

head as But

in

is.

it's

go.

if

layer, a shirt

it

a

try yourself.

It's

Honma

or a T-shirt sleeve,

nice

and warm.

could never get the hang of

would

invariably go wrong.

he did manage to pull everything over his head,

right.

He'd only have

to take

You're just too set in

it all

off

and put

it

The odd thing was, his clothes off for

142

him

on

your ways, was Chizuko's last

autumn

he'd caught

Odd because when his mother was still around, after

to her under-

back over her

with a laugh, not seeing anything wrong with

Try as he might, though,

One

slip the lot

A brilliant, if lazy performance.

cold, she'd say

You should give

it.

from her sweater and blouse

Next morning she'd

carefully, layer

by

her death, he was suddenly doing

feel

again.

verdict.

Makoto doing

it

too.

she had always taken

layer. Yet it

wouldn't

it

it.

Even

now,

all

these years

her way, without ever hav-

When Honma pointed gone wide with surprise. My mother? ing

known about

And

it.

it

out, Makoto's eyes

so the dead leave their traces in the living,

clothes retain someone's

body

much

as

had

shed

heat.

The same was no doubt true of Shoko Sekine, Honma thought he rode along the same New Tohoku Line she'd used, on his way Utsunomiya, just as the

woman who

stole her

name had

—

done.

same reason to find out more about Shoko. A bullet her home ground, moving past the same roads and rooftops. for the

When Shoko's mother fell down those steps, her and called the ambulance was a young Mustn't get ahead of myself,

Honma

wondering: had the fake Shoko taken real one's

the person

as to

And

train to

who found

woman, Maki had said.

thought. But he couldn't help

this

same

train here to kill the

mother?

143

15 ^

Everything was

new in Utsunomiya. Even the train station. Honma wandered back and

There were exits east and west.

forth

along the corridor connecting them, trying to decide which looked

more promising, and side.

He could

colors

and

easily

peering, as he went, into the shops

on

either

have been in Shinjuku or Ginza. The selection,

styles of the clothes

on

the racks seemed, at least to his

untrained eye, as cosmopolitan as any in the major Tokyo depart-

ment

stores.

Utsunomiya had already become

for bullet train

commuters

—one more

a

satellite

bedroom community town drawn into the

greater metropolitan gravitational field.

Ten years ago, when Shoko Sekine was eighteen, none of

would have

existed.

Was

that

why

she'd gone there to go to school, he

company

work

which by Tokyo standards was out

in the sticks.

station

was clean and

lively,

for a

foreigners.

Most

—women,

foreign workers all

the

in

Edogawa,

and busier than he might have

expected. The only difference from Tokyo was that he

or Osaka, or else headed

If

would have understood. But nine

years ago she had simply gone to

The

this

on Tokyo?

she'd set her sights

—stayed

especially

way out

didn't see

to the

in

any

Tokyo

hot springs or the

other resort areas. Utsunomiya was too close and, at the same time, too

far.

Honma

took the larger of the two

exits.

The

first

thing he saw as

he went through the turnstile was a large pedestrian bridge: a solid

passageway built over an open plaza, an architectural feature com-

many stations along the New Tohoku and New Joetsu Lines. He looked down over the concrete handrail at the bus terminal below.

mon 144

to

The destination signs were so confusing he couldn't went to Ichozakacho. He decided to take a taxi.

When Honma gave side.

They turned drove for

five

Weekends, you know how

it is.

street in front of the station

and

there.

races."

right

on the main

minutes, then

left

onto another large

meant they were heading west. Honma glanced

map

he'd picked

up

which bus

the address, the driver cocked his head to one

"Might be a while getting

Slow because of the

tell

at the station kiosk.

miya's central area, the prefectural

at the

which

street,

pocket street

Up ahead should be Utsuno-

government

offices

and police

headquarters.

He

hadn't completely decided against giving the local police a

visit. If

Shoko's mother's death was an accident,

ord. No doubt his Honma had asked

should be on rec-

old friend Funaki would have introduced him,

—

wanted

it

if

—

would have been quicker and easier but he look at things. It had been two years and two

it

to take a fresh

months since Shoko's mother

died.

During that time, no suspicions

had arisen about the circumstances of her death. Her daughter had collected the insurance

What was

money in

full.

police, he'd

said,

was a "It's

police

had closed the

do full

street

A

lamppost

at the entrance to a

had "Ichozakacho 2010" on

2005's at the

end of the

it.

street," said the driver.

matic door pulled slowly shut and the taxi sped totally disoriented.

been struck by

how

From flat

at the heart of the

Tokyo

Bay.

for the

twenty minutes before the driver pulled to a stop and

around here someplace."

"Number

any need

there were

If

that last.

narrow one-way

was

files.

the hurry? He'd check things out for himself, get the story

from people in the neighborhood.

It

The

the

moment

he'd

Utsunomiya was.

left

No

Honma was

the station, he

had

— the

city

big surprise

Kanto plain which spread

— "Gingko Yet the name Ichozaka

off.

The auto-

all

Hill"

way down had led him

the

—

to to

some kind of elevation. Where in this flat town would there be any steps high enough for a person to fall to their death? Ichozakacho was a quiet residential area. In that way it was a lot expect

like his

own

neighborhood. But here there were hardly any apart-

ment complexes. Most houses were

old, sprawling, single-family 145

homes rooted in this soil. A young couple came strolling past, hand in hand. The girl's eyes went to Honma's leg, then looked away. The boy kept up his banter, oblivious. A beauty parlor had a sign hung out reading LOreal Salon. dwellings. Real

Across from

was

it

Next door,

cus.

ground

floor

back one

how

a riot of

make

the metal sliding door at the entrance

hung an

old-

Villa.

2005.

shoved his hands into his coat pockets and got ready

move. Just then the door

a

shop on the

laundry spilling from the windows. Set

fashioned plaque with hand-drawn lettering: Akane

Honma

an aba-

length from the street was a two-story stucco apart-

ment house. Over

Number

to use

a long three-story building with a repair

and

car's

a small school that taught kids

school kids came out.

A girl and

slid

open and

a boy; the girl a

a couple of grade-

few years

had some trouble shutting the door again, although heavy. Perhaps

it

was sticking

in

its

tracks.

to

it

older.

She

didn't look so

When it finally closed she

took the boy by the hand and started leading him along the road.

There was nobody else around. "Hello,"

Honma said.

The children stopped and Honma noticed their matching, cartoonpatterned sneakers. The girl had a large pendant hanging around her neck. She said hello and waited.

Honma bent over, hands on his this

apartment house?" The

girl

knees, and smiled. "You kids from

nodded. The

little

boy just looked up

at his sister questioningly.

know somebody who used to live came all the way from Tokyo to them. Maybe I'd better ask the landlord. Do you know where

"Yeah? Well, you here.

And

look for

know what?

I'm looking for them.

I

I

the landlord is?"

The

girl

was

"Maybe he

decisive. "Don't

lives in the

know."

neighborhood somewhere?"

"Don't know. Never met any landlord."

"Oh

..."

Okay. Just to keep her talking,

the pendant she kept running along "That's nice. 146

What is it?"

its

Honma

asked her about

string with her free hand.

"It's

a rape whistle."

Oh. "Its

dangerous around here," the

this whistle,

Want

really loud. That's

it's

why Mommy bought

it

for

me.

to hear it?"

Not unless he wanted

"No

"But

girl said matter-of-factly.

thanks. But

is

to talk to the police

sooner rather than

later.

your mother home?"

"Nope." She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and her brother followed

little

suit, like a sidecar

"She's right over there."

Honma

The

girl

coupled

to a motorcycle.

pointed behind Honma.

turned quickly, half expecting to see a

woman

glaring at

him. But there was no one, just the LOreal Salon sign.

"Mommy's got her own rape whistle," It

was almost

thirty

the squeaking door

the girl added.

minutes from the time

and rang the

little bell

Honma pushed through

announcing the

arrival of a

hairstylist Kanae Miyata emerged from inside. For somebody in the service sector and a young mother as well, she could have been more attentive.

customer before

Honma to ask

name

got straight to the point: there were a few things he'd like

about Shoko Sekine, his nephew's fiancee.

He

presented his

card.

"If she's

gotten herself in

"No, no,

it's

nothing like

some kind that.

It's

of trouble, count

me out."

just that she disappeared with-

out leaving any word. He only wants to make sure

she's all right."

He

hoped he sounded serious enough. She nodded. "A real shame about how old Mrs. Sekine passed on." It seemed Mrs. Miyata had known "old Mrs. Sekine" better than the daughter, whom she knew only just well enough to offer her condolences to at the funeral.

Mrs. Miyata had no trouble mother's death. Yoshiko Sekine

ing a few miles away, near ing,

with a bank that takes

was

a regular at a bar

filling

fell

him

in

on

the details of the

down the staircase of an old build-

Hachiman Park. "It's a three-story buildup the first and second floors. Mrs. Sekine

on the

third floor called Tagawa. She used to 147

week or so

stop in there once a

for a drink.

emergency

building, see, there's this concrete

those things

—

down from

goes straight little

you know

—

really steep, too.

It's

the

whole three

Broke her neck, they

say.

Everybody knows

but

still it's

even wrote an

The

one

With

a

bottom.

at the

fell

all,

But not one of

floor."

Yoshiko Sekine was found "She probably

the outside of the

that zigzags like a fire escape; this

the third floor.

landing on the second

On

staircase.

floors. Didn't it's

stand a chance.

an old building and

got to be against the Building Code. The newspaper

article

about

—not

it

tiny beauty parlor didn't

a long one, though."

do

was one

a lot of business. There

who was out shopping at the time. woman sitting in a crimson

other beautician, plus the owner,

There was only one customer, an elderly

leatherette chair, dozing off while Mrs. Miyata finished putting curlers in her hair.

Honma moved

to

found the bench he was

sitting

on uncomfortable and

one of the plush recliners that had an attached hair

you could pull down over your head. He

didn't ask

if it

drier

was okay nor

did Mrs. Miyata complain. She seemed tired, probably from having to

cope with her two kids.

must have caused quite "Oh sure. But those stairs "It

a stir."

—

it

isn't like

anybody was

had been saying they're dangerous and just look what happens."

prised. People

time,

"Did the police look into "I all

much

them

for

it

was an

accident, so there wasn't

to do."

Get somebody drunk and unsteady on her

down

Do

the stairs.

it

for the longest

it?"

think so. But they could see

that

actually sur-

right

feet,

then push her

and nobody would have any reason

to

suspect a thing.

"Anybody She

tilted

Honma ily

see

what happened?"

her head quizzically.

"I

wouldn't know."

decided to take a different tack. "Were you and your fam-

close to Mrs. Sekine?"

"Sort of," she said, explaining that she lived with her

and the two kids 148

in

husband

Akane Villa 201, and Mrs. Sekine had been

directly

.

below them,

in 101.

"And she must have been

in there, what, close to

ten years."

"But the rent must have gone up every time she renewed the contract.

Surprising she didn't move."

"Oh,

obvious you're from Tokyo.

it's

what they charge

there.

It's

I

hear

it's

highway robbery,

not like that around here.

If

you're talking

about a big modern high-rise near the station, well, sure, sive.

high,

But something simple I

"Is

that's

expen-

Akane, rents never get up that

like the

assure you." it

common

for people to stay in

enough and you

a place long

one place

for ten years?"

lose all inclination to

Rent

move, presum-

ably

"Moving can be in

our case,

and her

a real pain.

You have

do everything yourself

to

my husband didn't lift a finger."

.

.

Her expression darkened

narrowed. Her fingertips kept up their precise move-

lids

ments, even though she barely glanced at the curlers she was setting.

"And you "Let's see

all .

.

.

moved this is

"Did you get to

to

our

Akane

?"

Sekine right away?"

making some

kids. They're always

sort of racket.

and introduced myself. Figured

off

—

fifth year."

know Mrs.

She nodded. "Because of our off the chairs or

Villa in

that

So

was

I

jumping down

went around

straight

better than waiting for

to come and complain." "And was Shoko still in and out of the house at that time?" "The daughter?... I must have met her twice. I guess she came home for the summer break and for New Year's." Kanae Miyata clicked

them

the last curler in, gave the old ror,

woman

a quick once-over in the mir-

then went to get a dry towel.

"Was she

pretty?"

"Sure, she's a good-looking girl."

Honma

hadn't seen the real Shoko Sekine's face. It was a shot "Though maybe a little flashy? Mrs. Miyata was busy wrapping the customer's head in a towel. Her only response was a slight twitch of one eye. "Seems she was working in a bar," Honma added. The hairdresser secured the towel with a large rubber band. "I still

in the dark.

149

know whether

don't

I

should say

"Yes,

I

this,

but the

was having

girl

all

Or didn't you know?"

kinds of trouble with loan sharks. did."

She looked disappointed. She had obviously been hoping prise him. "It

was just awful the way those bill

to Mrs. Sekine's.

"When was

She even had

collectors

to call the police at

to sur-

came around

one point."

this?"

Mrs. Miyata paused, a bottle of perm-setting lotion in her hand. "Well,

see. It

let's

must have been the

eighties,

anyway."

No question about that. "Incidentally, speaking of debts,

have to pay a cent

if

I

heard that the parents don't

one of their children runs up a

pile of bills."

Her

And vice-versa

too.

eyes were beady.

What was

so strange about that? "That's right.

no joint guarantor. Unless they're debts both parties same goes for husband and wife." say my husband ran up some debts at the races, I wouldn't

So long as

there's

shared, the "So,

have

to

pay?"

"Of course not." She squeezed some lotion on, and the dozing customer's eyes flipped open;

husband's

it

still

must have been

hanging around

Mrs. Miyata laughed. "Says

The customer turned ta.

to

cold. "What's this? Don't tell

me your

at the track?" the old lady snapped. he'll

look

at

build

me a house."

Honma, but addressed Mrs. Miya-

"That him?"

"No, no. He's a "My, my. There nice-looking

Honma slightly

come up from Tokyo."

visitor I

man all

go,

jumping

the

to conclusions.

way here from Tokyo?"

himself. Mrs. Miyata, meanwhile,

So what brings

this

Again, not a word to

had pushed the

woman

forward and was squeezing her head into a rubber cap.

"He says he came

to see

—

me

let

me know if it gets

too hot, okay?"

she warned, lowering the apparatus over the woman's head. She flicked a switch

and the

drier

began

to

rumble and glow

Then, setting a timer on a machine nearby, she came over

Honma was sitting, and sprawled

infrared. to

where

out on the waiting area bench. She

pulled a pack of Caster Mild cigarettes from her apron pocket and 150

lit

— The

up.

long, slow drag said

from work. ter,"

she

what you want

"If

said,

it all

is

—

was the longed-for break

this

a character reference

on the daugh-

lowering her voice, "you'd be better off going to the

school than asking a neighbor like me."

"The school?"

Old Mrs. Sekine used to work in the cafeteria of the elementary school. The same school the daughter used to go to." "Yes.

"Can't say

I

see

much

point tracing her back that

far."

"You never know. Don't you think the old lady might have sounded off to

her co-workers?"

A malicious gleam returned to her eyes. With

making her mother ashamed of her by working in a shady job and getting deep in debt to loan sharks, there must have a girl like that,

been signs of going bad even back in elementary school.

"And one more

thing," she

went

on. "I bet there are

of

still lots

Shoko's classmates from junior high and high school around here.

What about getting in touch with them?" "Would you know of any close friends she had?"

"Hm

..."

Kanae Miyata tipped her head

to

one

side.

"Some of her

when she was little must live right around here. Who knows, maybe they even come in for perms." Then, leaning close in friends from

to the

woman

under the

drier,

she said loudly, "You remember old

who lived right under us?" "The one who fell down the stairs?" the woman shouted back,

Mrs. Sekine

head held in

her

place.

"Yeah, right.

And she had

a daughter. Twenty-five,

maybe twenty-

six?" "She's twenty-eight this year,"

Honma corrected.

Mrs. Miyata was surprised. "No! Already? Twenty-eight, he says.

Know anybody around

that age

who might

have been in her class

at

school?"

The old lady yawned. Her eyes watered. Probably nice and warm under that

thing. This

is

"At the funeral. That

going nowhere,

Honda boy

he came, didn't he?" the customer

Honma

—was

thought.

his first

name Tamotsu?

said.

"Tamotsu?" "Sure.

Remember? You

set his wife's hair for the

ceremony." 151

Mrs. Miyata laughed.

"I

did?"

Tamotsu Honda. Honma took down the name and the address of his family's auto repair shop and got up to leave. "One more thing." "What's that?"

He brought out

the photo of the fake Shoko. "Ever see this

before? Perhaps she

came

in here at

woman

some point with Shoko."

She took the photo, then passed

over to the

it

woman under

the

drier.

"No, don't recognize her," Mrs. Miyata "What's this

girl

"Oh, nothing

said.

woman asked.

got to do with it?" the other

really."

Mrs. Miyata took another look at the photo.

borrow

this for a while,"

few people.

I'll

be sure

she asked.

to return

it.

If

"I'd like to I

"I wonder if I could show it around to a

find out anything,

I'll

give

you

a call."

Good

thing

Honma had had the

"Yes, of course. Please do."

foresight to have extra copies made.

He grabbed his

coat and turned to go.

She stopped him. "So what kind of fellow ne

is

she marrying, this Seki-

girl?"

"My own good-for-nothing nephew." "No,

I

mean, what

sort of

work

is

he in?"

Honma hesitated. "He works in a bank." Kanae Miyata and her customer looked

at

one another

in the mir-

and nodded. Then Mrs. Miyata came out with some unsolicited advice. "I expect it'd be just as well if he called the whole thing off." ror

As the mother of small children and used

the wife of a gambler, she

was

It was only natural that she'd Shoko Sekine someone who had left

to carrying a lot of responsibility.

cast a cold eye

home

on the

for the big

city,

likes of

—

only to slip into the dark underworld of Tokyo's

clubland. "I'll

be sure to

tell

him

to think

it

over," said

Honma. Mrs. Miyata

smiled, satisfied.

This time the door to the LOreal Salon hardly made a sound. Hon-

ma gave a sigh of relief as he emerged. "Tamotsu, you've got a customer!" a middle-aged mechanic in 152

greasy overalls shouted into the garage. in the

A young man

back and came forward. He was short and

thick neck

and strong jaw

that gave

As he got

his hair in a crewcut.

him an

closer,

stood up

way

solidly built, with a

obstinate look.

Honma

He wore

could see he was

sweating at the temples.

A a

ten-minute walk from the LOreal Salon, the repair shop was on

main thoroughfare leading from the

showed about twenty

cars

and

a

station.

A

quick look around

few motorcycles. There was even a

—

small truck parked over to one side. Five mechanics see

—were working here and

that he could

A boy of high school age huddled

there.

Honda Motors

over a 50cc bike. Everybody wore white overalls with

embroidered on the breast pocket.

"Tamotsu Honda,

is it?"

He nodded his head quickly, without looking away. "Sorry for dropping in like

Honma

As

this."

explained the reasons for his

visit,

widened. "Shoko's okay, right? Whereabouts in Tokyo

"You mean "I lost

Tamotsu's eyes is

she?"

...?"

track of her after she

left

that place in

Kawaguchi.

I've

been

worried about her."

"You visited her "Sure,

I

tried.

at the

Kawaguchi apartment?"

But they said she wasn't there any more."

"Did you see the landlady?"

and was she pissed off. Said Shoko had left without a word, same week." "So you must have gone there at the end of March, the year before "Yeah,

that

last, is

that right?"

Tamotsu wiped

his

hands on his overalls and thought. "Yeah,

I

guess."

"Were you and her close?" "Well, sure, but distrust. "Hey,

private

"Listen, first

Tamotsu's eyes narrowed in a look of growing

don't like this.

You want

to

poke around in Shoko's

me for help." He "I don't like gossiping about my friends."

life,

shoulders.

I

..."

go ahead, but don't ask

it's

not like

breakthrough

that.

I

don't

squared his

mean her any harm." This was

the

Honma had had. No way was he going to let Tamo153

.

tsu go.

"Why

time?

could come back

I

and I'm looking

Honma room

let

me

Could you spare me a little you want. Shoko is missing, actually,

explain.

later, if

for her."

spent the next thirty minutes waiting in the reception

there.

A phone

kept answering the their

you

don't

employees

kept ringing and somebody in an unseen office

calls.

Other than

that, all

Tamotsu Honda brought There was more

light here

left

They

quiet.

trained

two paper cups of coffee on

in

than in the garage and

diagonal scar running the length of his jaw. cident? His

was

well.

Honma

a tray.

could see a

Had he been

in

an ac-

eye strayed slightly too. But on the whole, he was a

—handsome, even.

nice-looking guy

As Honma had said, things were complicated. Tamotsu had to stop him and ask questions from time to time. Otherwise, he kept his

comments

to himself

and

Honma

"Right now,"

The next time

listened.

reached over and switched off the

phone

rang, he

show you any proof

that I'm

the

bell.

said, "I can't

with the police. I'm on leave and

I've

turned in

I can only ask you to believe me." Tamotsu looked down at the coffee

my

ID

for the time

being.

after a

moment.

"All

I

have to do

is

table. "That's okay,"

he said

ask Sakai. He'll check for me."

"Sakai?" "He's a detective with the

lady died, he

"Could "I'll

I

was

real helpful

Utsunomiya

and I got

Police.

Shoko's old

to

meet him?"

ask. I'm sure it'd be okay. But

if

things have gone this

shouldn't you be doing a regular investigation?

Shoko and catch

Honma

When

know him."

this

The sooner you

woman who's been passing herself off as her

spread his hands. "Supposing

we

far,

find ..."

searched and found that

both of them were perfectly okay, except they'd made a friendly agree-

ment best

to sell or trade their family registers? That's probably

we can hope

harder to

for,

154

if

about the

it

makes

it

call in the police."

Tamotsu licked what

but

as long as the possibility exists,

his lips.

He

didn't

Shoko's been murdered?

Do

want

to say

they need a

it.

body

"And what to

go on?"

if

.

.

would make it Tamotsu sighed. "It

Honma friend of

"You

looked

Shoko

know

lady died

and

easier, to

at the

build a case."

young man's sweaty forehead. Finally

a real

Sekine's. ...,"

I

Tamotsu said

went

to

sudden rush, "when her old

Kawaguchi and found she'd moved

couldn't help thinking the worst." eyes. "I actually figured

in a

Shoko might have

killed her

This sent the ball flying into another court. "You

you knew she was

out,

I

He looked at Honma with haunted and run

mean

. .

.

off."

because

in trouble with loan sharks?"

He nodded, reluctantly. "Especially after what Ikumi said. That when Shoko's old lady fell down the stairs, there was this strange woman in the crowd who'd come just to watch. Wearing dark glasses so you couldn't see her face. Ikumi thought

it

might have been Shoko

herself."

Honma leaned forward.

"Ikumi?"

"My wife." "Was she a friend of Shoko's as well?" He shook his head. "No. See, Ikumi, she's the one who found Mrs. Sekine and called the ambulance. She just happened to be passing by at the time. She wound up going to the funeral. That was the first time

we

met, at Shoko's mother's funeral."

155

^ 16 ^

Tamotsu couldn't go anywhere

till

he had closed the shop, so

arranged to meet him after nine that night. Tamotsu tle

knew

Honma

a nice

lit-

drinking place near the station, and promised to phone ahead to

reserve a private room. "That'll be warmer," he said.

Honma

At ten past nine

understood what he'd meant.

him. She wore a turtleneck sweater over a

even that didn't hide her

Ta-

a

She must have been

figure.

When

young woman with loose woolen skirt, but

motsu ducked through the entranceway, he had

at least six

months pregnant. "This

is

my

wife, Ikumi." After introducing her,

he

set

out two

thin cushions next to the heater so that she could lean back against

the wall.

"Pleased to meet you," said Ikumi as she slowly lowered herself

down. She seemed cautious, yet "Is this

your

She beamed ond.

first

at

self-assured.

Honma.

child?" asked

him, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

Though you'd never know

it

to

look

at

"It's

the sec-

Tamotsu, the way he

fusses over me."

"Yeah, but Taro

"And how old

came

is

a bit earlier than

we

thought," he countered.

Taro?"

"He's just past his

first

birthday. Things have

been pretty busy

with us."

A waiter arrived. The as he

before he

went

"Is this 156

place

was warm enough

dashed about. "Sorry about your

out, sliding the first

all

to

make him sweat

the cigarette smoke," he said

door shut behind him.

time in Utsunomiya, Mr.

Honma?" asked Tamotsu.

"Yup.

With a job and

"And

it's

not so

everything,

far that

I

never had the chance."

make

you'd

a trip of

it.

Not from Tokyo,"

Ikumi suggested. "I

was surprised what

"Thanks

a big city

it is."

to the bullet train."

Tamotsu,

it

turned out, had gone to work for his father straight

He had known Shoko Sekine for years, from kinway through middle school. In high school the class-

out of high school. dergarten

all

mates had they had

the

split up,

still

cram school

with Tamotsu opting for vocational school, but

lived in the

same neighborhood and attended

in the afternoons.

closest friend,"

he

girls,

the

same

she was always

my

in

Utsunomiya

too,

but she and Tamo-

been classmates. She had graduated from a Tokyo junior

and then

college

the

all

said, glancing quickly at his wife.

Ikumi was born and raised tsu hadn't

"Of

stayed, putting in five years as a secretary in the

Marunouchi business her older brother,

district.

who had

Her return

to

Utsunomiya came when

always lived at home, was transferred

elsewhere, leaving their parents alone.

"I

was getting

tired of living

by

myself anyway, and everything in Tokyo was so expensive."

"Not

to

mention

when women

that

married, companies can get pretty hard

hit twenty-five

and

on them," Tamotsu

still

Apparently this was a touchy subject. "You can laugh, but she declared. If

hated

"I

she were

still

aren't

said lightly. it's

true,"

it."

a single

woman working

in Tokyo, she

would

never have spoken so frankly; she'd just have teased Tamotsu right back, or remarked to

look the least

how

"lonely"

it

gets, taking care all the

while not

bit lonely.

"Even though

it

was

in

Marunouchi,

it

wasn't a big

company The

went

salary

and bonuses were only

taxes.

We didn't get any fancy company trips, and you practically had

to

so-so. All the overtime

straight to

to get a raise. It didn't take me why everybody is so keen to make it into the major comAnd then to top it all off, people were just basically unfriendly.

bang your head against the wall

long to see panies. I

didn't like

it

Common

one

bit."

complaints,

said: "Salary aside,

Honma

knew. To show his sympathy, he

the big companies are no better than smaller ones 157

comes to the way they treat women who've been Not unless you're very lucky."

when

being made to

Still,

"Women

was

at twenty-five

cops or teachers or anyone with special

terrible.

skills

and

train-

work, they want people as young as they can get them. Twenty-

office

about the

Even a

you hear on the news

limit. Sure,

women

have changed. Nowadays lie.

redundant

feel

probably a different story," she went on. "But for ordinary

ing, that's

five's

there a few

it

years.

are

young

still

all

the time,

at thirty'

Times

—but

it's

a

of twenty-one, as soon as a junior staffer of twenty

girl

signs on, she feels like she's getting old."

"How about the work itself, was it interesting?" Ikumi thought

When a

I

it

over, sipping at her

think back on

now."

it

husband and a child and

"Want

in

were never very

oolong

tea. "It

okay.

home.

my section

close, she

was

the perspective of someone with

funny story?" she asked. "About

to hear a

who was

a girl

a

From

back in Marunouchi

suddenly

only happened to be there because

calls

I'd

me up.

six

months

ago,

—even though we

At

my folks' place.

I

brought Taro over to spend the

night with his grandparents."

Tamotsu was hanging on every word,

as

if

he hadn't heard any of

this before.

"So as soon as

I

'Oh,

fine.'

on the

get

'How's everything?'

And I'm

line, this

So we catch up on the company gossip since

practically all the talking, actually.

how

this year's

company

she started winding to lately.

super cheerful voice

thinking, 'What's the deal?' But

And

I

was

trip

down and

I

she'd been to

to a hot spring resort.

I

just say,

quit.

She did

Hong Kong, Then

got around to asking what

kid

say, 'Raising a

How

is

about

I'd

been able

all I've

asking,

is

finally

been up to

man-

age.'"

"And?"

Ikumi gave

a

wry

smile. "She

was, 'You got married?'

And

was

speechless. All she could say

said, 'Well, sure.

I

I

didn't

single mother.' Well, she didn't have anything else to

sation just petered out,

A

and

was

want

to be a

The conver-

she hung up."

brief silence settled over the table.

bottle of local sake that 158

finally

say.

Ikumi ran a finger around

sitting beside her. "I guess

a

maybe she

was looking "Worse "Yeah.

I

for

someone worse

off

than her."

off?"

was depressed. Feeling

bet she

of the heap. So she thought

I'd left

left

out and at the bottom

the company, not to get married or

study abroad or anything, but only to go crawling back to the sticks.

had to be more miserable than big

city.

So she

it

At

least

she was

I

living in the

still

called."

Tamotsu looked ure out what

her.

was.

"Of course, you

like he'd bitten into "I

don't get

don't.

something and couldn't

fig-

it."

You wouldn't."

more of a woman thing," Honma said. Ikumi shook her head. "Hm, I wonder. Men, they've got promotion "Maybe

and

it's

and what

not. But Tamotsu here, he doesn't get all that." "What about it?" Ikumi smiled and put a hand affectionately on his arm. "Don't get raises

Tamotsu

glared.

mad. I'm not saying you're stupid or anything." "Like hell you're not!" "I'm not. You've got something that probably a lot of

them

will

never have."

Honma asked her to explain. "I

so

mean,

much

always liked cars, since he was

he's

that

he chose auto repair training

little.

at school.

Liked them

Then

his dad's

got a workshop where he's already proven himself as the top mechanic."

"Wasn't always so good at "That's right.

it,"

Tamotsu

You worked hard

at

it.

said in a

show of modesty.

But working hard to get so

means you've got talent. A deadbeat might like fixing cars, too, but he's still no good. But Tamo's been at it since he was a boy and really learned. Now that's what I call happy." Ikumi wasn't the most eloquent speaker, but there was truth in what she said. "Yeah, but it's not like I was satisfied. I wanted to be a technician good

at

it

at a bigger place."

"Like working for

Mazda and racing at Le Mans?" Ikumi

said with

a smile.

"Damn right. But Dad's workshop was here. So I gave up that idea." Ikumi kept quiet and just smiled. Tamotsu

still

had

his illusions, 159

fundamental ones. But Ikumi was smart enough not them.

Honma

admired her

nothing special to look

at,

for that.

to

poke holes

in

She was thoroughly ordinary,

probably hadn't gotten particularly high

woman. She kept her

grades in school, but she was one smart

eyes

open.

Honma saw

the opportunity,

ko Sekine went

The young

and took

it.

"Why do you

think Sho-

Tokyo?"

to

couple's eyes

met

and picked up her chopsticks, as

Then Ikumi looked down it was Tamotsu's busi-

briefly. if

to say that

ness, not hers. "Let's eat before the

"But

food gets cold," she suggested. "I'm starving."

thought you already had supper."

I

remember? That was

"I'm eating for two,

for the baby,"

she said

demurely.

Honma looked over at Tamotsu. "You wouldn't have any idea what was going on with her around the time she graduated from high school and started looking for a job, would you?" Tamotsu

bit his

lower

lip,

then said gruffly: "What's that got to do

And personal, too." know Shoko as a person, how might give me an angle on what

with anything? That's ancient history. "Well,

I'll I

tell

you.

she decided things.

happened

"And

If

get to

I'd like to

I

know

that,

it

to her later."

that'll

help you find the

woman

who's passing herself off as

her?" Tamotsu gave Ikumi a look out of the corner of his eye.

my wife

everything you told

He reached something ma's

first

for her

my dad

me

told

before. She's a lot smarter than me."

handbag. "Brought

this.

It's

from high school,

Out came a photograph. At long real Shoko Sekine.

took."

glimpse of the

"1

last,

Hon-

Dressed in her sailor-suit schoolgirl uniform, holding a black card-

board tube under one arm, she was looking straight into the camera.

She was the picture of earnest youth. Long, slender eyes, tiny pinch of a nose. Hair hanging jutting out

looks

below a pleated navy

— the kind of

old photo, but

her shoulders, matchstick knees

skirt.

A

slip of a girl

face that cried out for a little

still it

her impostor was. 160

down below

was

with average

makeup.

It

was an

clear she wasn't nearly as good-looking as

saw her two or three times after she left for Tokyo, when she came back to visit. Then there was the funeral. Her hair was about the same length as always, but she'd had it permed and dyed red. Said "I

she hadn't had time to get louder.

It

was like

Honma

said,

the real

"You

it

back

to

normal. She talked louder, looked

Shoko was locked up somewhere

know

that at

inside her."

one point Shoko was in trouble

with loan sharks, right?"

They both nodded. Ikumi and

I

"I

told him: "I heard about

it

after

Tamotsu

started going out."

knew about

it all

dresser as Shoko's

things got so bad her

me

just to call

along.

mom, and

My mom

used to go to the same hair-

she heard the whole story there.

mother even had

So

to call the police.

I

I

guess

told her

next time one of those goons came around."

"You told Mrs. Sekine that?"

knew her real well." "Did Shoko always come home during her summer at New Year's, after she'd gone to work in Tokyo?" "Yeah.

1

Tamotsu paused the rest of the time

to think.

"Hm. Seems

like

vacations and

she didn't one year, but

..."

"Did you ever have a class reunion?"

"Why,

sure.

Our junior high

class did.

But she didn't come."

"No?" "People were talking about her, though. That's

how

I

heard she

was hostessing in Tokyo." Tamotsu wet his lips. "Another guy from our class who was working in Tokyo, he went to some cheap joint in Shibuya and Shoko was there in fishnet stockings." "Shibuya? She never worked in Shibuya." "Where was she working?" "At a place called Gold in Shinjuku and another called Lahaina in

Shimbashi.

bad

place.

I still

And

"Maybe

the

haven't been to

Gold

yet,

but Lahaina wasn't such a

the girls weren't in fishnet stockings."

guy said

it

to get a reaction," said Ikumi.

"Your friends, the people from school, did they

all

know Shoko

was having money problems?" "Sure, they knew. Rumors like that get around." "Then, what about the way she cleared up her debts?" 161

.

Tamotsu shook his head. "No, not the What'd you

call it

real story.

Not about

that

.

.

again?"

"Personal bankruptcy." "That's right. Even I didn't know till you told me. Her old lady said Shoko had gone around borrowing from relatives to get back on her feet. All this

time, that's

Interesting, thought

her mother

how bad

"So around here,

relatives to lend her

I

thought."

Honma.

Apparently, Shoko hadn't even told

things had gotten. that's

Tamotsu nodded.

up

what

what everyone thinks?"

"Yeah. Except that

was odd she had

it

money, because nobody knew them. At

all

these

least

not

here."

"Knowing all that," Honma ventured, "did anybody ever think was anything suspicious about Mrs. Sekine's death? Ever won-

there

der about Shoko?"

Tamotsu looked

straight at Ikumi, as

if

for support. "Yes,

I

did."

"That Shoko might have been tempted by her mother's insurance

money?" Tamotsu nodded again, and Ikumi spoke up. "Yes. After all, word was that it came to around twenty million yen." Honma smiled knowingly. "Well, actually, it was only two million." "Really?" "Right. All she

"How'd

it

had was National Health."

get so

blown out of scale?"

"Rumors."

Ikumi asked Tamotsu, "Where exactly did you hear

it

was twenty

million?"

He hung his

Honma

head.

"I

don't know." There

said, "At the funeral, did

was

a pause.

you ask Shoko

if

she'd got her

debts sorted out?"

"Come "Yeah,

on,

I

I

couldn't ask her that."

guess not."

"In any case,

money was "But

it

Shoko seemed so shocked by what'd happened

the last thing a person

did occur to you?"

He looked ashamed. 162

"Yeah."

..."

that

— —

"Your detective friend

have an

Sakai, wasn't

it?

—did he ask her? Did she

alibi?"

"But there was a

full

investigation

and they

didn't

come up with

anything."

Honma, putting the matter on hold for the time He knew just how "full" police investigations could be. "After funeral, when you went to see her in Kawaguchi, was that be-

Okay, thought being.

the

cause of your suspicions?" "That's right. That's

why I went all

"And when you got

there, she

the

way down

there."

was already missing. So you figured

she'd run away." "Right."

Honma brought out his photo of the Ikumi. "Ever see this woman before?"

fake

Shoko and showed

to

it

Ikumi grabbed the photograph.

"When pened

to

Mrs. Sekine

down

fell

those

stairs,

I

understand you hap-

be going by and called the ambulance.

ple there watching

was

a

woman

And one

of the peo-

you'd never seen before,

who was

wearing sunglasses. Right?"

Ikumi nodded, without taking her eyes "Did she look anything

Ikumi studied

it

like the

at length.

off the picture.

woman in that photo?"

The other two kept

quiet.

Loud

voices

cut through the paper sliding doors, customers shouting out orders.

Ikumi shook her head, though ber.

only saw the "Can't

was still trying to rememwas two years ago, and anyway I

clearly she

"She doesn't look familiar. But

it

woman for a second."

you remember anything about what she looked

like?" Ta-

mo tsu said, leaning forward. "Not

really.

Honma

felt

didn't think

down

Nothing specific."

Ikumi was

the stairs,

easily influenced, anyway.

you remember

Ikumi drew her arms in

was on

it."

He

"The night she

fell

they should back down. "Okay, don't force

that fairly well, don't you?"

tight across

her chest. "Sure,

I

think so.

I

my way home from work. I was working part-time at a coffee

shop in the

station,

and sometimes I got

to take

a piece of cake or something. Well, that night,

home I

the leftovers

was carrying some 163

when

I got home, what with all the commotion, it was all must have swung the bag around when I screamed." "Sorry to make you go over this again, but when she fell, did Mrs.

cake, but

squashed.

I

Sekinecry out?"

Ikumi shook her head. "The policemen asked

body

didn't hear anything. All of a sudden, this

down in

front of

in. "That's

suicide.'

why

Even now

—he went with

mentioned

the police, the

it's

I

There was an elevator,

thing they said

first

a toss-up. Sakai

— the detective you had

suicide. Said that unless

wish, you wouldn't even think about going

"Oh

that too, but

came tumbling

me, out of nowhere."

Tamotsu broke

was 'probable

me

just

down

I

a death

those stairs drunk.

after all."

yes?"

"But according to the folks in that bar of hers, Tagawa, she never liked the elevator. Especially not after drinking. Said sick.

She always took the

it

made her

feel

stairs."

"Uh-huh." "Still,

Sakai thought

it

was

suicide.

He

someone had pushed her, she'd have Not necessarily, thought Honma. Not

said

if it

was an accident or

screamed, for sure." if

she was knocked out cold

"Sometimes, somehow caught unawares barely make a sound. Is it quiet around there?" or

.

.

.

they say a victim will

Tamotsu laughed. "Well, Tagawa has got karaoke, and gone dancing there

next door's got a dance

floor. I've

so loud you can't hear a

word anybody

Ikumi agreed. "Right.

who came running

I

out at

before,

and

it's

says."

mean, when first

the club

I

screamed, the only people

were from the other buildings and

shops around there. Nobody from Tagawa even noticed until there

was

a pretty big crowd."

"And Mrs. Sekine was in Tagawa "Seems she went there a lot."

that night?"

"Regularly?" "I

guess. At least that's

when Shoko was her

still

what Shoko

living at

mom had." "She have any particular day?"

164

told

me. For years, from back

home. She said

that

was the only fun

"Saturday nights. She worked in the school cafeteria, remember.

Sunday she

need

didn't

to get

up

early."

Every Saturday night. The only other thing you would need to

know was where

to wait. All

you had

to

do then was wait

for Mrs.

Sekine to totter out of Tagawa and give her a whack from behind.

sounded simple enough; but

would have had

to

keep tabs on her

There had to be an easier way,

door

It

the person planning to kill her

still,

for quite a while beforehand.

surely.

Maybe

the

woman had gone

posing as a saleslady. Or perhaps she'd been tipped off

to door,

about the Saturday routine and come up to Utsunomiya for that specific thing.

But where would she have gotten information

"Instead of sitting here talking,

maybe we should go

like that?

Tagawa,"

to

said Tamotsu. "I'll

come

too,"

Ikumi

said.

"No, you'll catch cold." "I'll

be

fine.

dressed warmly," she told him, thrusting her chin

I

forward.

Some kind Tamotsu you

to

of hidden message passed between them, prompting

put his glass

down and

Honma,

say: "Mr.

want

I

to help

out."

"Help me?" "Help you find Shoko. I'm offering

Honma

looked

at

to

work

Ikumi. She pressed her

full-time

lips

on

this."

together and gave a

quick, firm nod.

"But what about your job?" "I'll

too."

take time

He spoke

off.

No problem.

So

it's

decided, okay? Ikumi's agreed,

quickly, then sprang to his feet. "Be right back."

His wife patted him on the back of the legs as he

left

the room.

good guy," she said, sitting up and straightening her skirt. "Mm," Honma agreed. "I'm sorry to drag you into this mess."

"He's a

"It's all

right. We'll get

through

it

fine,"

She refolded the handkerchief on her tive

lap.

him

quickly.

me you're

a detec-

she reassured

"He

told

from Tokyo."

"Well, I'm "I

after

on

leave just now."

heard. Tamotsu's pretty organized, actually. This evening, right

you

left

the garage, he rang

up

his friend in the police

and had 165

him check whether

was

there

Shunsuke Honma on the

a

force in

Tokyo."

"Oh?"

"And now he's revved up and raring to go. He's excited about working on a case with a real detective. He really wants to do it." "You're sure you don't mind? He'd have to take time off from work, maybe leave you on your own up here."

him

"Honest. Please take

on."

Honma paused for a couple of breaths. Ikumi looked up abruptly. "Why not?" "Because

can't believe

I

cause problems.

should stay

I'll

you

really

don't think

"I

want

it,

and

I

can."

I

want

don't

keep your husband informed, but

I

to

think he

home."

at

"That won't work.

It'd

be better

if

he gave you a hand."

"You honestly don't mind?"

"Of course

I

ing tense. "But

mind! I'd

I

mind like crazy," she burst out, her face lookmore to have him sitting at home think-

hate even

ing about Shoko."

"Hang on.

I

think you're letting your imagination run away with

you."

"What makes you so "Well, even

if

sure?" she said curtly.

they were childhood sweethearts, you and his family

much more important much I can tell." are

"Yes.

We're important.

the point."

him now than

And he

Her voice grew

you have any "Yes,

to

friends you've

takes

good

Shoko woman. That

care of us. But that's not

thinner, less energetic. "Mr.

known since

Honma, do

childhood?"

but I'm not close to them any more."

"Well, then,

you wouldn't understand."

"Were Tamotsu and Shoko close even "Tamotsu

still

—he loved

after they

there,

I

grew up?"

When

cared about her, anyway.

Tokyo and got into a mess cerned

this

she went off to

could see that he wasn't just con-

her."

"But not the same love he feels for you."

"No, ting so 166

it's

different. That's

worked up about

why it's all right.

her.

But

it's

I

can forgive him for get-

not something

I

want

to let drag

on

forever

and

ever."

Ikumi looked down.

A

single tear slipped onto

the back of her hand.

"You shouldn't get so upset,

not good for the baby."

it's

Honma

smiled and tried to catch her eye.

But Ikumi wasn't smiling. She hunched her shoulders. "He's always loved her and he's always thinking about her. They share memories

from way back when they were with

kids. There's

no way

I

can compete

that."

Honma

thought of his friend Funaki and the heart-to-hearts he

had with Chizuko's framed photo back

at

home.

"If

he loved her that

much, why didn't he marry her?" Ikumi gave just a trace of a smile. "Shoko didn't seem as a serious prospect. They were too close for that."

—

Too close "Besides

had been Funaki's

Ikumi dabbed

at

—by suspecting her of

him

line, too.

her eyes with the back of her index

not trying to hide the tears any more. "He

finger,

down

that

..."

to take

killing her mother.

feels

And

he

let

her

he's felt guilty

ever since."

make up

"So he wants to "That's right.

made up

his

for it?"

Three hours, we argued about

mind

to help you.

So

I

just

hope

this.

Believe me, he's

you'll let

him

get

it

out

of his system." Ikumi wanted none of this business, but wanted even less to

have to compete with a memory.

how determined Tamotsu was, but Honma was struck mainly by her own resolve. He sighed and said, "When all this She kept saying

is

over,

I

hope

you'll

make him buy you something really expensive."

Ikumi smiled. "He's going the land.

I

want

to live in

to build

one of those

us a house. We've already got split-level

homes."

"That's wonderful."

The door slid open and Tamotsu

returned. He'd probably been wait-

ing outside the door. His eyes were downcast. "Shall

we

go?" Ikumi said, starting to get up. Half crouching, she

turned to Honma. "Hey, official

if

Tamotsu makes out okay, could he get an

testimonial or something from the police?"

Tamotsu was embarrassed. "Come on, "What's wrong with asking?

I'd

lay off

it."

love to have a fancy certificate 167

framed on the

wall, wouldn't

you? All we have

dation you got in second-grade gym class." For the first time in a long while, Honma

what

168

I

can do."

now

felt

is

that

commen-

warm inside.

"I'll

see

—

17

They went by

taxi to the foot of the staircase

where Mrs. Sekine had

died.

"With that

leg,

you'd never

make

it

up

there,"

Tamotsu

said, stat-

ing the obvious.

One look said everything. Two long concrete flights of steps came sweeping down like a fairground slide. So steep, so poorly lit that each

stair

was deep

in shadow. There

was

a handrail, but the angle

was so treacherous and every step so shallow

that,

would send you crashing

slightest loss of balance

even sober, the

straight

down

nothing would stop you. "Well,

Ikumi

had

if I

said,

to pick a staircase to use as a

and coughed, huddling down

her coat. "Even before stairs

I

used

to think

it

it

happened, every time

was

like

murder weapon,"

as far as she could inside I

walked past these

something from The Exorcist."

"Exorcist?"

Ikumi looked incredulous. "Don't you go

An

elevator

was tacked onto the

to the

movies?"

side of the building.

It

was

car-

peted in cheap red acrylic, the walls covered with scratches and graffiti.

The thing barely managed

third floor. If

be

my

leg

to creak

and wheeze

were in better shape,

Honma

its

way up

thought,

it

to the

would

faster to walk.

There was just one customer in Tagawa, an older

from the window booth where he was tsu. It

tion.

sitting as

man who

soon as

up he saw Tamogot

turned out to be Sakai, the detective from the local police sta

Again, Tamotsu was one step ahead of Honma.

Honma had met

cops

who

got self-conscious working with some169

— body from the metropolitan police. They'd either grovel or start talking big and dropping names. Fortunately, Sakai did neither. He was at the end of his career "Just another two months to go till retirement" and beyond impressing.

—

—

got the

"I

— the bare bones, anyway—from Honda

lowdown

Seems you got yourself a complicated

There are two kinds of detectives: those

down

circumstances. Sakai was the places.

who

guard in public, and those

their

here.

case."

last sort,

who

absolutely never

let

carefully choose the right

and Tagawa was one of those

A heated carafe of local sake stood before him.

"About Yoshiko Sekine's death, then," he said without any pream"Whether there was anything suspicious that's the first order of

—

ble.

business, "Yes.

I

take it?"

Can you

definitely rule out foul play?"

Sakai gave a calm, reassuring smile.

Honma

imagined

it

must be a

very effective weapon: never give a suspect cause for alarm, soften

him up so

he'd do

what you wanted

could have killed her.

I

guarantee

at the tap of a finger.

"No one

it."

"But..."

Tamotsu edged forward, than once.

Nobody

his voice insistent. "Like

could've pushed her

down

I

told you,

more

the stairs. Its impossi-

ble."

"Impossible?" said

Honma. "Because no one heard

a cry?

Or

is it

something else?"

"What do you say we go out and look around? That'll be faster." Leaving Ikumi inside it was cold out there and "not very safe"

—

the three

men went out onto

the third-floor walkway: a bare concrete

passage no more than a yard wide running along the back of the building, only partly covered

your back your

left.

to

by concrete

Tagawa, the elevator was

Tagawa was the middle of

on

to

eaves. If

your

you stood with

right, the staircase to

three small establishments;

was another

floor that

Tamotsu had mentioned. There was no other door

No storage room, no

bar, and,

toilet,

the

left,

on

the place with the dance

the right

in sight.

nothing.

"Get the picture?" Sakai said confidently as he wandered toward the staircase. 170

"No

place to run

and

hide.

Suppose somebody did do

it.

Afterward, they'd have only two choices. One, go

down

in the eleva-

—whichever—and make

Two, duck into one of the bars

tor.

noth-

like

ing had happened."

and some acting

"Either way, you'd need guts

ability,"

acknowl-

edged Honma, drawing another smile from Sakai.

"More than most people can come up with."

The

three

men

stood at the top of the

ward, Tamotsu in the

stairs,

Sakai furthest for-

rear.

The second-story landing was less than a yard square. It was the only stop. Beyond that, a flurry of small concrete steps slipped straight

down

to the gray

make your head

cement pavement

one

bottom.

It

was enough

fell,

Your wife swears by

absolutely no one else went

that, right,

down

is

one other

to the second-floor landing

locked up after hours, and

is

in, for

anyone other than

a

it

looking back

possibility.

The

per-

and escapes through the

bank. But you'd have to be awfully quick on your place

down these

Tamotsu? And there was no

at the top of the stairs, either," the detective said,

over his shoulder. "Of course, there

son goes

to

reel.

"After Yoshiko Sekine stairs.

at the

would be

feet.

Plus the whole

a heck of a job getting

bank employee."

Tamotsu scratched his neck and said nothing.

"What about

the elevator?"

Honma asked,

trying not to grin.

"That pile of scrap metal?" Sakai was grinning too. straight.

yelling,

Mrs. Sekine goes

list

"Let's get this

the stairs, Ikumi finds her and starts

people come running. Meanwhile, the murderer goes

in the elevator

our

down

and runs

off before

down

anyone notices? Any acrobats on

of suspects? Because we're talking about a matter of seconds.

Other people were around by then." "Well, then,

what about popping

into one of bars

and acting

like a

customer?" Tamotsu asked, keeping the questions going. Sakai shook his head. "Like

tioned the people in

all

I

said before,

"They

all

returned around that time, and that

there's

doesn't work.

We ques-

He rapped on the door of nobody stepped out and no new customers walked in,

the bars that day."

the noisiest establishment.

either.

it

Each place has a toilet and no need to go outside."

said

a telephone

on the premises, so

171

Tamotsu gestured toward the heavy door. "But

in a place this loud,

you think they actually keep tabs on everybody? Don't you think they could have said whatever came to mind?" "Well, sure, maybe," Sakai said, just to

humor him.

"But

let's

say

guy who pushed Mrs. Sekine down the stairs was waiting in one of the bars, how would he keep watch on her and know when she'd the

stepped out of Tagawa? All right, he could hang around outside the

whole time. That'd be a sure

would seem kind of strange If he had done that, somebody would remember. Okay. So put him inside, and he'd never hear to the other

thing, but

it

customers passing through.

Mrs. Sekine leave over

all

Which is

the singing.

Tamotsu was stumped. He suddenly looked hands in his pockets.

"What about "It

ter

the daughter's alibi?" asked

to be?"

it

cold,

mony on

that. It

p.m.

The daugh-

in her bar all evening.

We have her co-workers' testi-

was

The place wasn't

a Saturday night.

Tamotsu was

"Sure. Co-workers."

Honma and

his

Honma.

checks out. The time of death was about 11:00

was working

and jammed

closed."

dismissive.

Sakai exchanged a look. "This

isn't

TV,

you know,"

Sakai said. Detectives actually place ine. If

an

the person from the

more weight on

than people imagto

remove

of suspects and look elsewhere. Amateurs are

list

more stubborn, willing They get stuck on motive and often

Typically,

alibis

an investigator has no choice but

alibi is solid,

to

overlook

can't see

beyond

it,

alike.

it.

Tamotsu, from the minute he got

Shoko might have done

and evidence

alibis

it

into his

head that

couldn't seriously consider anything else.

To him, Shoko's debts carried more weight than any

alibi.

Honma,

however, never even entertained the notion that Shoko might have killed her mother.

At

on

He was looking

Sakai's insistence,

his wife, leaving the

Honma's

for Jun's "Shoko."

Tamotsu went back

inside

Tagawa

to

check

two detectives alone.

ears were getting

numb.

"I

can understand

why you

rule

out murder," he said. "But you've

him. 172

still

got reservations,

I

take

it."

Sakai

saw

right through

"

"Just

my opinion.

I

"

.

could be wrong."

"Fair enough. That's

all

I'm saying too."

"According to young Honda, you consider Mrs. Sekine's death a suicide?"

Sakai pulled

up

his coat collar against the cold

and nodded. His

eyes watered in the sharp wind. "I

assume you checked with the other women

lars at

at

her job and regu-

Tagawa who knew her well."

Sakai stared straight

down

the gray steps. "She took a spill from

mean, right before her death, only a month or

here once before.

I

That time she

backward, four or

fell

"Anybody see "Yes. It

five steps

so.

down."

it?'

seems she managed

to give a yell this time.

Somebody

who'd just gone into Tagawa heard and came running." He gave Hon-

ma

a penetrating look.

her, 'Careful, Yoshiko,

Honma

could

"The person

you want

feel the

who

helped her up says she told

to kill yourself?'

wind chapping his

lips.

"I figure it was worry, about the future. Her daughter gets tangled up in debt, she's nearly thirty and still showing no sign of finding her way in the world. Working in some cheap dive, doing God knows what there. And Yoshiko herself, it wasn't as if she were going to be

around forever

to bail her

daughter out.

One

of the people working at

was telling me, 'Yoshiko used to get so depressed she'd say she wondered if there was any reason to keep going.' "When she died, Mrs. Sekine was ..." the cafeteria

"Fifty-nine.

Not

that old.

But she'd had her share of hard knocks.

can sympathize in that department." Sakai to

massage the small of his back.

No

savings,

That's

take

it

no

what she

"

'What's going to

security for the years faced,

any longer. At

when

and she brooded about least, that's

how I

I

wound one hand around

figure

I

can't

it, till

happen

to

work any

finally

me?.

.

more.'

she couldn't

it."

"But there was no will." Not that that was so

uncommon among

suicides.

Sakai lowered his voice to a whisper. "If you ask me, there's

more

than one kind of suicide. Swallowing bug spray or jumping off a building

is

tall

dramatic, sure, but there's also the let-fate-take-its-course 173

approach." With that, he did an about-face, walking back to the

Honma saw

started to reach for his sleeve, but stopped himself

stairs.

when he

the detective grab the handrail.

Sakai went

down just one

step.

Below him spread the gray pave-

ment. "Every time she came to Tagawa, Mrs. Sekine would get drunk and take the stairs.

Maybe she knew

that sooner or later she'd slip or lose

her balance, and hoped she'd tumble way,

that's

all

the

way

to the

bottom. Any-

my best guess."

"The old lady was that

Honma's mouth was open, but

..."

lump stuck in his throat. "... lonely?" "From what I can gather." Sakai had

his

back

a cold

him, but he

to

now

turned around and climbed back up. "Up until she died, she kept

coming out

week

here,

and the customers

too,

week. Everybody

after

knew

she used these

at

Tagawa, the

staff

even when she

stairs,

was blind drunk. And they warned her, sure, they warned her all right. But none of her drinking buddies ever offered to see her out safely."

eyebrows drooped. His

Sakai's graying

rest of his face wasn't

smiling at

all.

lips

formed a smile, but the

"I'm a fine one to talk. I've sat in

and concerned, when she was there a

that bar myself, acting friendly

couple of times."

They headed back

to rejoin Ikumi.

taken a room in a hotel by the station. When he went up the key at the front desk, they said he had a message. was from Makoto, received at 7:25 p.m. He was planning to

Honma had to pick It

spend the night with the called their place,

Isakas,

much

Makoto answered

to

Honma's

right away.

relief.

"Dad?

I've

When

he

been wait-

ing for you."

What

time was

it,

anyway? The bedside clock read close

night. "Sorry,

I

got back really late

"Well, uh, there

was

a call

"Who?" "You know, Dr. Machiko." 174

.

.

.

What's up?"

from

Dr.

Machiko."

to

mid-

Of course,

the physical therapist from Osaka. Dr.

Machiko

Kita-

mura. She even had Makoto using that Osaka drawl now. Not Doctor but Doctah. "She

because

call

missed

I

my therapy session?"

"Uh-huh."

a

"You stayed up this late to tell me that?" Makoto sounded angry. "Don't yell at me long-distance, okay? waste of money. This is the Isakas' phone, you know!" "Don't you worry about that, silly I did the calling, so I pay."

It's

—

Another voice could be heard in the background, saying, "Here.

me do some ground control."

Let

Hisae came on.

"Hello?"

"Shunsuke? Hey, park

listen.

It's

about that photo with those crazy ball-

lights."

"The ones facing out?" "Right, right. Well,

people about

it

we kept

thinking about

it,

even asked a few

—we figured you wouldn't mind. Anyway

effective, getting

it's

more

information from more people, right?

"And...?" "Let

kept

it

me in

finish, will

mind

too.

you? So anyway, Makoto, being a good boy, he

He even

forgot to

do

his

homework, thinking

about those lights so much." "Don't

him

tell

"We can

"So today, told

Makoto

that,"

his father

thinking about all,

in the

background.

the

within three days the

and

Makoto groaned

homework slide this once. Go on." when the phone call came from Dr. Machiko and she

let

right?

it.

was

a deserter

and

MPs would come

So Makoto asked

that

arrest

her.

A

if

he didn't report back

him, even then he was

doctor for a sports club

Maybe she'd know."

Honma got a better grip on the receiver. "And? Did she?" "Well, she said, 'Why didn't you ask me right away?' I may not have the accent quite right, but ..."

"So she knew?" "Well,

why do

think I'm telling you?" Hisae said, exasperated.

"Ready, Shunsuke? Those crazy lights, they're not crazy at

were looking

at

all.

We

them wrong." 175

"

"Hmm?" "The

same

lights in the photo, they're ordinary

as in

ing the

wrong way In

"But in the photo

Hisae cut him said

it

was

stadium

The

lights.

any ballpark anywhere in the country. They're not point-

a

fact

they don't even turn."

..."

off.

house by

"Like

I

said,

we were

looking at

it

wrong. You

a ballpark, right?"

"Yes."

"Which seemed more than said that since the floodlights

likely.

But

here's the

good

part.

You

were facing the house, they must have

been lighting the area outside the ballpark."

"And?" "That's where you went wrong." Makoto came back on, the excitement in his voice contagious. "Dad, listen. Dr. Machiko told me there's only one place in the whole

country where they got houses built inside a ballpark. Get

The

lights are facing the right

it,

Dad?

way! There's houses inside the

sta-

dium!"

Honma was thrown Machiko knew where "Uh-huh.

it

for a minute.

He managed

"And

to ask,

Dr.

was?"

She's a sports doctor

from Osaka, and a super baseball

fan, too."

"So

in

it's

Osaka?"

"Yup," said Makoto, "Osaka.

town. So

It's

a stadium they never use, see? In

Daei, and moved out of empty now, the Osaka Field. But they didn't tear it down. use it for big events, car shows and stuff. And one time they

Hawks were bought by

1988, the Nankai it's

They just

did this 'Housing Festa.'

"'Housing

...'?"

"They did

it

of a whole a fake,

176

it's

bunch

of

a model!"

model houses. Get

it?

—

You know The house in the

again, not so long ago, she said.

a

show

picture's

^ 18 ^

New Tokaido bullet train to Osaka. A five-minute walk from New Osaka Station puts you on the Midosuji subway line, which cuts

Take the

straight across the heart of the city, north to south.

you

to

Namba Station.

ping arcade which

is

so big

jostling brings

it

Twenty minutes of

Navigate the underground shop-

would take

a devoted shopper a couple

of days to explore properly, then emerge into a jumble of small-time retailers

and

Wedged

in

rental office buildings

among them is

jammed up one

against the other.

a baseball stadium.

The old Osaka Field. The outside wall is all but obliterated by a random collage of signs and billboards. Hardly your usual home-run hall of fame.

You could be looking broadside

at a derelict

warehouse

somewhere. But as a string of newer team franchises came up with the very latest, fully equipped venues

—

Kobe Green Stadium that just didn't

make

it

there

had

to

—Seibu Stadium, Tokyo Dome,

be teams

like the

The entrance was thoroughly unremarkable:

maximum metal wall.

allowable six feet and, next to

A

Nankai Hawks

and played in run-down ballparks

it,

like these.

a carport built to the

a sliding door set into a

yellow banner tacked over the door read "Osaka Field

—Housing Expo Information." Honma headed

inside.

The

plain white plaster walls of a corridor-

cum-office space bore cheerful color panels showing houses of vari-

ous architectural eyes, side,

styles,

each with a number

at the

bottom. To his

which had grown accustomed to the bright morning light outthe interior looked a bit dim and gloomy. The hallway ended in

another sliding door, which led out onto the

Honma

could see a

fleet

of

field itself.

model homes framed against

Out

there

the tiers of 177

faded red and yellow seats. Just on this side of the door, several long

desks were placed together in an L-shape.

was ensconced there. Sunday afternoons drew big crowds, and

A

prim, thirtyish recep-

tionist

tors

nosing about. Luckily

Honma

there were plenty of visi-

didn't have to beat

anyone

else to

was the lady fazed at all when he pulled out the Polaroid. "I wonder if you could tell me when you might have had this model on display?" the receptionist's desk, nor

"Oh

dear," she exclaimed. "I'm afraid this one's

you looking

for a

as Dr. Machiko's

house

like this?"

—she had

no longer up. Are

Her drawl wasn't

a prettier voice

as

pronounced

—but her intonation

said Osaka. "If you're interested in another Western-style this type,

"No,

still

home

of

we do have a newer model."

sorry, I'm

only interested in this one."

"Oh, too bad," she the long nail of her

said,

little

touching the corner of her mouth with

—the only polished

fingernail

finger

on her

hand.

"How long have you been holding Expos here?" "This one has been on since

"And you've had

the

last

autumn. Since September."

same models up

the

whole time?"

"That's right."

"And this model isn't one of them? You didn't change the models midway through or anything like that?" "No, sir, they're the same ones. Here's a copy of our pamphlet. You can also go out and look around for yourself."

—Housing Expo"

Honma ran his eye over the stack of "Osaka Field pamphlets on the desktop.

"It

would be

you ever hold an event called 'Housing "Yes,

I

a long time ago now, but did

Festa' here?"

believe so."

"When would that have been?" "Well, now ..." She paused and began flipping back through a large desk calendar. Honma laid both hands on the desk and waited. months, July through October, 1987," she said. She looked up from her handwritten notes. "The number of builders taking part was much smaller than in the current Expo,

"Housing Festa ran

maybe not even 178

for four

half."

— "Are

show

the companies from that

all

represented this time

around?" "Yes, but..."

Honma

picked up a pamphlet and spread

mark

"Sorry to bother you, but could you

showing now and were find

my way

around.

I

also in the earlier

assume the reps

open on the desk.

it

the companies that are

show? That would help me

for

each company are inside

the houses?" "Yes, they're all there."

against her records,

Stepping out onto the little

The

receptionist checked the

and promptly ticked

Honma

field,

off a total of five

could hardly believe that this

arena was a regulation-size major-league stadium.

seemed too warm but a mistake.

for last week's

Whole

families

pamphlet

companies.

snowstorm

to

And

the day

have been anything

were out shopping

Young

for houses.

couples with dreams of building someday darted about, calling to

each other and making plans. Then, as illusions, a

if

to

snap them out of their

herd of middle-aged housewives would pass through,

grumbling "This here doesn't work" or "Impossible

to clean."

One

could see them ganging up on some salesman and asking questions,

and hear

his

smooth response:

"In this line,

model with even sharper design have radiant floor heating

also have a deluxe

And of course,

all

the

rooms

..."

Whenever Honma cornered ing,

features.

we

a salesman, though, he started

"Ever see this uniform before?

Or

this girl?"

by say-

Rather than going

was more effective Did he look more like the

into a long explanation about the Polaroid, he simply said he

looking for his runaway daughter, which proved

than he ever hoped. People wanted to help. father of a

grown daughter than of a

far

ten-year-old boy?

But all the answers came back negative. One company, two, three

more convinced he became that pinpointing the house wouldn't help him get any real bearing on his "Shoko." The mystery of the stadium lights had suddenly cleared up and he had hauled himself down to Osaka on the sheer momentum of it, but how could he put so much stock in one blurry little the longer he circled the stadium, the

down the builder, "Shoko" could still who had happened to pass a model home

image? Supposing he did track only have been someone

179

she apparently liked.

It

would be almost impossible

to trace her

through

a snapshot.

The

last of the five

companies, however, took the

bait:

New

City

Housing, whose "Grand Japanesque" boasted an entrance the size of

The saleswoman was small but pretty in her gray skirt-and-vest uniform and a pair of two-inch heels that gave her a stiff, straight back. Her name tag said "Hi! I'm E. Yamaguchi." Honma's

entire kitchen.

"Yes, that's

Housing Festa

one of ours, I'm

Type 2 Chalet 1990 from the

sure.

collection." Textbook-perfect phrasing

and pure Osaka

and it comes with a working fireplace option. Let me go check with our main office whether we still have any brochures available." She had turned toward a room on the right that served as a temporary on-site intonation, a treat for the ears. "Just like a real Swiss chalet,

office,

when Honma stopped her.

"No, actually

that's all right.

I

just

wanted

to

confirm that the house had

been here."

"Pardon?" "Actually, there are a couple

more

things

I'd like to ask, if

wouldn't mind." Moving away from the flow of

window

in the tastefully

usual questions. But she

visitors,

you

over to a

Honma tried his "Shoko." Honma apol-

appointed living room,

knew nothing about when Ms. Yamaguchi asked him

ogized and was about to go

to wait a

second.

"The uniform

in the

photo looks

familiar,

but

I

she said, touching her cheek with one finger as

it,"

can't quite place

she had tooth-

if

ache.

"Are you sure?" "Pretty sure. But there's

someone

during the Housing Festa. Let

row

else

on the

me just run and

staff

who was

here

Could

bor-

get her.

I

the photo?"

"Certainly, here "I'll

you

are."

be right back." While she was in the

office,

people passing

through the living room cast curious looks in Honma's direction.

Was

he a buyer waiting for his contract papers? E.

The 180

Yamaguchi returned with

latter

a taller, slightly older

wore an identical gray uniform and

woman

in tow.

a tag saying, "Hi! I'm

K. Komachi." She gave a

Polaroid "I

was

little

bow

as

soon as she saw Honma. The

in her hands.

believe this

is

a

Mitomo Agency uniform," she

said,

without

waiting for an introduction.

"Agency?"

handed the photo back to Honma. remember from our regular trainee orientations.

"Travel agents." She "I

mistake," Ms. Yamaguchi confirmed. "We're cluded, under the

tomo Agency

is

all,

Mitomo Construction Group

There's

no

New City Housing inumbrella.

And

this

Mi-

another of the subsidiaries."

"So they're a sister company." "That's right.

nies

meet

sions

at the

Once or twice a year employees from all the compaMitomo Group's headquarters to hold training ses-

and exchange know-how."

"The session I attended was for first- and second-year staff," Ms. Komachi added. "There were women there from all the affiliated companies. We all had to practice office etiquette. Oh yes, and we had to compete. For instance, there was a telephone-answering contest. First prize was a big silver cup." They both smiled, then Ms. Yamaguchi said: "The Mitomo Agency woman in the picture waving at the camera? I'd guess that whoever took the picture was probably also an employee, here for the same orientation." "Definitely," her colleague agreed, "Is there

"Not

any way

really,

to

check?

but you could

nodding

enthusiastically.

A list of participants or anything?"

try the

Research Center."

"Where's that?" "It's

near the

Mitomo Group's

headquarters. All the staff records

are kept there. If

you explain what you need, I'm sure

The place

by Umeda

The

is

right

they'll help.

Station."

on the ground floor of the Mitomo Group Research Center wasn't quite as helpful as he had been led to believe. She hadn't even heard him out when she told him abruptly: "We do not give out information about our receptionist behind the counter

seven-story

employees." 181

No

Now

further questions.

Osaka drawl,

had grown accustomed

that he

to the

woman's standard accent sounded flat and peremptory. Admittedly, he had prepared himself for that sort of response. He wasn't on official business, so his hands were tied. No one was this

And it was

obliged to speak to him.

formation about

its

employees

to

company releasing incomers would be guilty

true that a

any and

all

of a serious breach of privacy. "Fine, but

would

I

like to

ask a favor. Could you possibly take a

look at this photo and confirm whether or not

this

woman

might

have come here for orientation between July and October 1989?" "No,

I

am afraid not."

"I'm looking for

someone who's been reported

missing.

I'd really

woman was

in fact at

appreciate your help."

"And what evidence do you have some point employed by us?" "As I was trying to say, this photo and proceeded

The

I

He

pulled the Polaroid out

an otherwise smooth-faced PR

lady,

scowled.

"I

can't help you."

"And you alone have

the authority to decide that?"

do."

"I

"I can't "Sir,

tion.

..."

to explain.

receptionist,

am sorry.

that the

I

get

am

you

to cooperate

You might want

"I see. I

even a

simply not authorized

have

to

to try

put

it

little?"

to

respond to

this

kind of ques-

submitting a proper written request."

in writing,

is

that

it?

Then I can be sure of a

response?"

That

finally

put a dent in her self-confidence. Her gaze

faitered.

"Wait here a minute, please." She came out from behind the counter,

moved

across the lobby,

and disappeared through a door

in the far

wall.

Honma

leaned against the counter and gave a sigh.

he told himself. With a pang of

much

clout that

little

regret,

Good

going,

he reminded himself how

leather case with his ID in

it

used to have.

How

The lobby was completely still and he was alone. His own breathing sounded unnaturally loud. He rested his elbows on the counter to take the load off his leg, knowing powerless he was as a mere

182

civilian!

he'd have to straighten

up

as

soon as the

woman came back.

Just then, he noticed stacks of brochures in different colors and

The largest, thickest one, embossed with the "Moving Ahead with Mitomo," listed all the subsidiaries. Honma

sizes inside the counter. title

what had caught

wasn't sure, for a minute,

his attention; at

first, all

he saw were the lines of characters. Four columns of fine print under

name Mitomo

the

ests.

Construction, a vast and varied portfolio of inter-

Many companies had Mitomo

nothing to do with housing or real estate

Terra Bionics,

Mitomo Trading, Mitomo Sports Center, Mitomo Engineering, Mitomo Systems Center, Minami

Green Garden

—he read

at all.

didn't

come

International,

the long litany of companies twice

What had caught his

together.

eye?

Was

and

there a

still it

name he

knew from somewhere? That's when he saw it. That company. He was leaning halfway over the counter when he heard footsteps. He promptly straightened up as the woman came trotting back, a hostile

look on her

face. "I

quickly. "I'm sorry but, as

I

checked with suspected,

we

my

superiors," she said

can't

comply with your

request."

"No?" "Moreover, the records that the Research Center keeps on participants in our orientation programs do not include photographs. So, in

any

would be no way

case, there

graph from our

to

match an employee with

a photo-

files."

"I see."

"So,

even

if

you were

to inquire in writing,

we

wouldn't be able to

provide an answer."

"Very well," was

all

Honma could say.

"Mm?" "I see.

I'm very sorry to have bothered you."

The woman glared

at

come

as a

at the large brochure. "Just

one

him. His sudden meekness had

surprise.

Honma

reached out and pointed

last request.

and

Could

I

take one of those?"

The woman, her face stiff with hostility, extracted slid it across to him with mechanical precision.

a single

copy

183

"Thanks."

Honma

cover. "Is this firm "Yes,

"So

pointed to one of the companies listed on the

under the Mitomo umbrella, too?"

it is."

its

employees would also come here

for orientation?"

"That's right."

"And this company is also in Osaka?" More suspicious than ever now, the woman opened up the brochure and said, "Yes, it's got an office in the main building of Mitomo Construction."

"Any other branches?" "No,

Only the warehouse and

sir.

in Kobe."

distribution center,

which

are

She showed him the appropriate page in the brochure. "This

should give you

all the details you need." The company's name was written in boldface

page. Underneath, a pink rose-shaped logo

imported intimate wear

at affordable prices."

was

a

It

was

Sekine had patronized. Roseline.

184

Honma

hardly needed

same logo he'd seen on the box that at the Kawaguchi Co-op. box from the mail-order underwear company that Shoko

to read the copy.

the

Nobuko Konno had shown him It

across the top of the

and the catchphrase "Fine

^ 19 ^

Umeda, the heart of the great commercial city of Osaka. The Mitomo Group's headquarters wasn't hard to find. It looked bit run-down compared with the gleaming new Research Center, a though its gray color scheme made it somehow more dignified. The directory showed a Roseline, Inc. on the fourth floor. Minami Green Garden was on the same

among

floor,

suggesting that both were probably

the smaller companies in the

Mitomo empire.

a pale pink uniform, the same on the suite's glass door. The carpeting, deep burgundy which shaded almost to black at a cer-

The Roseline

receptionist

wore

color as the logo emblazoned

though, was a tain angle.

Honma began by asking to see

the personnel director.

"Do you have an appointment?" "No,

sorry.

But

and pulled out whether

this

it's

his

quite urgent."

woman worked

and I'm trying

He put on

his

most serious

photo of "Shoko." "Perhaps you could for

you

at

some

tell

face

me

point. She's missing,

to trace her."

The receptionist studied the photograph. Then, perhaps alarmed by Honma's grim manner she didn't even ask his name she told him to wait. The photo fluttered between her fingertips as she trotted

—

off to a

—

back room.

Honma wandered

over toward the elevator, where he noticed a

display cabinet filled with Roseline catalogs. at the table of contents,

seen anything quite like

"How

to Place

He opened one up, glanced

and flipped through

it

at

random. He'd never

it.

Your Order" was the only section not strewn with 185

photos of lingerie-clad models in various challenging stages of undress. At the bottom of a carefully contractual form

When

was

placing your

order, please be sure to include

first

name, address and workplace.

by phone

—just

worded explanation written

dial

by fax 24 hours

our

We are

toll-free

happy

on

Do you have

to take

your

your order

number. Orders also accepted

Convenient payment by credit card or

a day.

postal transfer. Specified-date delivery vices available

in

a tear-out mail-order postcard.

and

gift

wrapping

ser-

request.

a friend

who might

like to receive

our catalog?

For every new customer you introduce, you receive a Special Friendship Club

5%

discount toward your next purchase, as

well as a chance to receive a

handsome bonus

gift in

our Lucky

Prize Drawing.

Honma was for

interested to see, a few lines further

down, an appeal

consumer feedback. Care to participate in our Customer Survey? Are there any other products that you would like to see Roseline to our

line of fine

carry, in addition

intimate apparel? Help us provide you with

the ultimate in beauty

and gracious

living as

we expand

into a

Creative Lifestyle Company. You can help us anticipate the

needs of the Twenty-First Century

minutes

to

complete

this

Woman

by taking just

simple questionnaire and posting

five it

to

us before the deadline listed below. All respondents will receive a Special Roseline Travel Kit. It

was worth coming just

to get a load of this questionnaire. Let's

see now. First the standard stuff: List family

members

Homeowner or tenant Number of years' continuous employment at present job But then came some more unusual items:

Have you ever changed jobs? 186

If so,

when and how

often?

Special qualifications

—word processing,

driver's license,

abacus

certificate, etc.

Approximate amount of personal savings Types of insurance held,

name

of company/companies

Credit cards held

Then under

the heading "Unmarried Respondents":

Where would you most a

wedding hall,

like to

hold your wedding? At a hotel,

a Buddhist temple, a Shinto shrine, other?

Where would you

like to

go on your honeymoon?

Have you ever traveled abroad?

If so, list

date of

overseas

first

trip

And under "Respondents Living Alone":

Do you

plan to

own a house in

the future?

Honma raised his eyes and stared at the pink wallpaper. Roseline was a mail-order retailer of imported underwear. They offered fancy

goods

at affordable prices.

That was

they did. But

all

if

would have Anyone who worked

they got customers to reply to this questionnaire, they

themselves an instant, rather extensive database. here,

who knew how

access to

all

to

punch

the right keys,

would have immediate

that data.

The receptionist reemerged from come this way," she said, nodding.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

back room.

"If you'd care to

the

woman in her mid-thirties, Honma could open his mouth, Green

Close behind her, however, stood a chic in a pale green suit. Before Suit

was laying down company

policy.

"We

regret to say that

we

can't

you with the inquiry that brings you here." Firm, even a little pompous, she seemed intent on fending him off, no questions asked. assist

Honma made

his tone conciliatory "I'm afraid

myself very well, so tion a

little

But the

it's

irregular. If

I

didn't explain

not surprising that you should find

you give me

five

minutes,

I

my ques-

can sort

it

out."

woman showed no sign of budging. Our regulations company staff from receiving visitors who don't have

"I'm very sorry,

expressly forbid

sir.

That's out of the question.

187

Honma had

an appointment."

on the wrong person. Or Honma was searching say when, behind the two women, a young man

was there something for

something

else

else to

clearly hit

behind her reaction?

Honma had

peered out around a door. Sensing that

moment, he quickly withdrew. "Very well, then. I'll come back another

spotted him,

if

just for a

Green Suit

didn't

even bother

time,"

to smile politely.

Honma

"Could

I

said dryly.

get

my pho-

tograph back, though?"

The woman glared at and then scurried

corridor after her, but there

was now no sign of anyone

The photo was soon returned satisfaction

on Green

him away without was

relieved he

to

who wilted slightly Honma glanced down the

the rose-pink receptionist,

behind the scenes.

off

to

him.

Honma

she showed him the door, sending

Suit's face as

a shred of information. Little did she

know how

be getting out of there.

He headed back

to the elevator

and pushed the down button.

A

On an impulse,

he

red light flashed, showing that one was on

looked around and slipped into a side to the fourth floor,

on or

there.

noticed the look of

opened

its

its

way.

stairwell.

The

elevator

doors, and slid shut again.

came up

No one

got

off.

Maybe

he'd been mistaken, he was thinking

when he heard

...

footsteps approaching.

A young man skimmed

rang for the elevator.

was the same person he'd glimpsed in the rear The man tapped again and again at the call

It

corridor of the office. button.

No

elevator came.

He glanced

at the

across the carpet and

emergency-exit floor

plan posted nearby, gave a sharp click of the tongue, and turned

toward the

stairwell.

Seconds before he collided with him,

Honma

stepped out of the shadows. "Looking for me, by any chance?" Startled, the

Management suit, she's

young man blurted out an

Section, Chief Assistant, Hideki

one of

my

nothing to do with

Honma

bosses. She's in Sales, though,

this.

figured he

I

handle

188

in the

which has got

staff affairs."

was about

side of a playboy in looks, he artificial tan.

introduction: Roseline

Wada. "The lady

thirty-four or thirty-five. Just this

had a perfectly even,

His shirtsleeves gave

him

if fairly

discreet,

a casual look, but his shoes

were no-nonsense business wingtips.

It

was the

first

time

Honma had

heard such a trendy yuppie type speak in an everyday Osaka drawl. didn't go together somehow "How did you know I'd come chasing after you?" he asked as they started down the stairs. "I couldn't be sure," Honma answered with a grin. "You just seemed to know something." Wada stopped on the second-floor landing. The air in the narrow

The two

was

stairwell

still.

Wada, you saw

"Mr. didn't

perfectly

you?"

He took out

Honma

the photo

I

brought

in.

You knew the woman,

asked, standing one step below the

and held

the photo again

Wada reached around and wiped He was still a little jumpy.

it

out. "Take a

a sweaty

young man.

good look."

palm on

the back of his

thigh.

"Yes,"

"Did

he said under his breath.

this

person work for Roseline?"

This time he only nodded. The simplest of gestures. Not quite a

but a

satisfying answer,

"Why is "It's

it

start.

you're asking about her?"

Wada wanted

to

know.

a long story."

"Give

me an idea what it's about."

There was something about the young touched a nerve.

What

if

—an urgency—

man

"Shoko Sekine" had been more than

that

a for-

Honma decided to come right out with the truth, or at least as much of it as he knew. "The fact is, this woman has assumed somebody else's identity. There is a possibility that the other woman was a Roseline customer, mer colleague

someone by

to

the

him?

name

"Shoko Sekine

..."

"There you have

Wada responded ing,

walk

Shoko Sekine."

I've

repeated the

come here

to

name

to himself.

look into those two things."

immediately. "Turn right as you leave the build-

straight for four lights, look diagonally across to the right:

you'll see a coffee

in just a

it.

of

Wada

shop called Kanteki. Wait

for

me

there.

I'll

be over

few minutes."

Honma

did as he was told and found himself waiting for more 189

than an hour.

wouldn't have seemed so long

It

awful cramp in his neck.

He

if

he hadn't had an

as jittery as he did the

felt

time he

first

ever got a suspect to confess.

When Wada cut,

showed up, he was wearing

finally

matching the

shape of the trousers

full

a jacket.

—an expensive

A

nice

suit

by

some designer whose name Honma wouldn't have been able to pronounce. Wada apologized profusely for keeping him waiting and sat down in the chair opposite, then transferred a large company envelope from under his arm to the chair next to him. "1 gave them a good story at the office, so we don't have to worry about time. Now maybe you can tell me the whole story, from the beginning."

Wada

didn't interrupt

even once. Nor did he touch his

When it was over he sighed, looking at the photo of Honma had laid on the table. When Honma stopped,

coffee.

"Shoko" that he asked,

"Is

that it?"

"That's everything,"

"Well, then."

time

if

Honma said with a nod,

Wada

you just look

his throat a

reached for the envelope.

at these."

He

"I

little dry.

expect

save

it'll

pulled out three stapled legal-sized

photocopies and a fan-fold computer printout, which he laid to one side.

"This here

is

a

former employees

file.

We

don't clear out our

employees' resumes or our payroll documentation right away, you understand." believe there's

The

first

He

held them out to

Honma. "Look

sheet

was

a resume.

Machines resume. The

And

May

10, 1966.

on the Imai

was different, but same hand, was the name.

hairstyle

there, in the

"Kyoko Shinjo," Honma read out aloud. Wada nodded. "I remember Ms. Shinjo very her hair permed when she was working for us." Born

I

don't

At the top of the page was the same

face he'd seen for the first time ten days before

doubt.

these over.

any mistake." Office

there could be

well.

no

Only she had

That would make her twenty-six, two years

younger than Shoko Sekine. The place where her family

register

was

kept was given as Fukushima, up in the north.

"We

hired her in April 1988," said Wada. "The second page

from her personnel 190

file,

and

lists

is

her exact dates with the company."

—Terminated

Just as he said, the entry read "Began April 20, 1988

December

31, 1989." This

meant Kyoko Shinjo was twenty-two when

she started work, a good four years after she got out of high school.

There was no mention of any previous employment; the space for that

was blank.

"Would you have any work here?"

what she was doing before coming

idea

Wada scratched under his nose, thinking. "Something the "No nothing's the matter," Honma hedged. .

.

to

matter?"

.

"She said she was married."

"Married "Yeah.

..."

Got married too young and

it

didn't

work

out,

is

what she

said." "It

must have been awfully young."

"She had a few jobs right out of high school, but she didn't bother to write

them down, she

those details

said.

Anyway, we don't care so much about

..."

Honma. But what if the "facts" here were just more fabrications? Under "Awards and Citations" she'd written "None." "Qualifications: Abacus, 2nd Rank." Beneath that, "Driver's Fair enough, thought

License."

Shoko Sekine had had a driver's license too. And driphotos, which meant that Kyoko would never have been able to renew Shoko's. Kyoko must simply have tossed it out and pretended "Shoko Sekine" couldn't drive. But the

real

ver's licenses carried

The entry

for "Family"

was likewise blank.

"Didn't she have any folks?"

"Both her parents died

"Then

I

take

it

"That's right. In a

had

a

early, is

what she

said."

she lived alone."

condo near the center of Senri in Osaka. She

roommate, though. The rent was too high

for

one person, she

said."

A roommate 1 "Would you happen .

"Well, not here

"Any way "I'll

give

it

to

know

the roommate's

name?"

..."

to find out?"

a

try. I

think

I

can probably dig

it

up." 191

Honma nodded and

looked up from the resume. He watched The young man was looking down, eyes fixed on the snapshot on the table. A picture of Kyoko Shinjo as "Shoko" with the

Wada's

face.

Tokyo Disneyland

castle in the

background.

"You knew her pretty well, did you?"

Wada

blinked, as

if

somebody had

Shinjo?" he stuttered. "Why, sure

who

.

.

.

flicked water in his face. "Ms.

she was

my junior. I was the one

interviewed her for the job."

That's not gets this "I

what

I

meant, thought Honma.

concerned about a junior

don't

mean

to

seem

than most.

I

Who

staffer?

how about on a personal level?" work, I guess we were closer lunch together. Yes, and when she said

replied, "At

We sometimes ate

she was quitting

it.

nosy, but

Wada

Forcing a smile,

And you know

remember being

real surprised."

"Did she give any reason?"

Wada shook his

head. "She didn't say."

"And you didn't probe any further?" "What right did I have?" He smiled. A real smile, if a rueful one. "Is that what she said? That you had no right to question her?"

Wada

didn't answer, but there

was no need. His

forlorn look said

it all.

Honma thumbed

through the

rest of the

pages in silence. Kyoko

Shinjo was a real beauty. She must have had scores of after her.

Wada would have been just one

but he was

still

men running

more. His smile had faded,

looking at the photo.

"What was Ms. Shinjo's job description?" Honma asked. It was hardly the most difficult question, but Wada didn't to

it

right away. "Let's see

worked

if

this

here, she got hold of this

fits.

You're thinking that

Shoko

Sekine's

reply

when

data and took

it

she into

her head to impersonate her, right?"

The question caught Honma by surprise. If Wada was this rest would be easy. Honma nodded. "That's

ahead of the game, the

way

it

far

the

looks to me."

Wada, however, was shaking

his head.

"It's

impossible. Couldn't

have happened."

"Why not? The customer data is just sitting there in 192

the computer,

.

few keys and access the

ripe for the picking. It'd be simple to hit a

information."

There was certainly enough there for Kyoko Shinjo to take

over Shoko's

enough

to her to

identity.

How

else, if

know about something

ruptcy, could she have

found out

all

have decided

to

she hadn't been close

as important as her bank-

about her register and family

background?

"What about your customer questionnaire? You've got does include a Actually,

lot of private

information

may have been just

it

to admit,

it

..."

a few key things she

was looking

for. Honma tried to put himself in her position. First, she'd look for a woman about her own age. The woman couldn't have any family, or

live

with anyone

Anything It

else

That was essential

else.

Kyoko would be

might be inconvenient

a driver's license or other

if

the

—her not having any

able to deal with

woman had

when

ties.

the time came.

ever had a passport; ditto

form of photo ID; but those would probably

be details to think about afterward.

A good income and savings would Oh yes,

be nice, but only once the two main requirements were met.

and one

last thing.

The woman would have

to live as far as possible

from where Kyoko was, in Osaka. That would be important, very important.

Shoko Sekine

fit

the bill

"But there'd be no tionnaire, that

there?"

from

Honma

way

on

all

counts

Shoko Sekine had ever said.

.

.

of telling, simply by looking at the quesfiled for

"Ms. Shinjo wouldn't have

bankruptcy, would

known

that,

not just

this."

Wada nodded and side. "Here, take a

picked up the fan-fold paper he'd laid to one

look at

this.

It's

something I just printed out."

The name Shoko Sekine jumped out at Honma from

the top of the

page. So she had been a customer.

Wada

reached over and pointed. "The top page

data. See that '205' at the

code. Gives

you

all

is

basic customer

bottom? That's your basic data reference

the tabulated data

on any one person.

It's

per-

fectly straightforward."

"So it would seem," Honma agreed. Shoko Sekine, distilled down to a data

file,

but

still

there, all right. 193

"

The connection between the two women had been the Mitomo Group mainframe. "The second page

when

dered,

code

is '201.'

is

the order

And

The date means postal

which products Ms. Sekine

received, processed

the last page

after

tus.

a record of

was

is

lying hidden in

or-

and shipped. The

a running account of her billing sta-

each figure shows

when payment was

received.

'P'

transfer."

Honma nodded.

"She couldn't use any credit cards."

"But she did meet

all

her payments. Never once missed a due date.

She never bought that much, but

to us that's a good, faithful cus-

tomer."

The page prickled with small

Wada data,

...

¥10,000

flipped back through the printout. "Looking at the basic

you can see the questionnaire item

'Credit cards held'

'No reply' That alone wouldn't lead anyone rupt.

¥4,800

figures. ¥5,120,

very most.

at the

So as

money "As

far as that goes,

Mr.

to

Honma, your

marked

guess she was bank-

thinking's right

on the

..."

far as that

.?"

goes

.

.

"Don't get the idea that I'm sticking

up

for

Ms. Shinjo," he

turning stubborn. "Our system's foolproof. There's no

said,

way customer

data could ever leak out."

Honma was "If

you want,

about

I'll

to object,

yourself. In the evening

home

but

Wada waved

show you around ...

the office

After 7:00

p.m.,

his

comment

aside.

and you can see

when

all

the

staff's

for

gone

except for the guard on duty, should be okay."

"I'd

appreciate that."

"You'll see,

it's

airtight.

It's

what we

call a 'closed system.'

Doesn't

need to communicate with anywhere except the distribution center

and the warehouse." "But in a mail-order company, there has to be a telephone receptionist

on

at all times."

"Sure, we've got our 'telephone ladies.'

"And You

what's 194

these

'ladies,'

they deal with their share of information, right?

up and they can check on stock by using their computers. So to stop them typing in one of those codes of yours and extract-

call

ing

all

the customer information they like?"

Wada can't

let

him

finish,

but then shook his head, looking adamant.

"It

be done."

"Why not?" on the phones, they did try some

"Well, for one thing, our operators are so busy

they hardly ever get time to catch their breath.

If

commands, they'd get a warning right off the bat. They can't download or print a thing without the proper authorization. All they do is input the orders." He leaned forward. "But you're set on thinking Kyoko Shinjo worked here with the one aim of lookfancy computer

ing for an identity to take over, "Basically,

the start or

but

I

can't tell

that it?"

is

whether that was her purpose right from

whether she only realized

later

how

easy

it

would be

for

her to access information."

know how much work that would actually involve? Assuming she did have her own agenda here, imagine how many files "Yes,

but you

she'd have to go through to single out one person." "I

really

suppose

so."

Honma

felt

a bit deflated.

Could Kyoko Shinjo

Wada

have found her target by the time-consuming process

had described? The reverse was impossible: there was no way she could have targeted her from the outset. process of learning

how

Which meant

to use the computer, call

up

the whole

data,

and

select

an appropriate candidate would have taken incredible patience.

No

telephone receptionist would have that kind of time on the job.

Wada

smiled knowingly.

"It's

just

more than any TL could ever

handle." "I

don't think

you can

rule

it

out completely."

Honma

didn't

want

to give up. "It just

doesn't

work like

that,"

Wada said, shaking his head.

"What makes you so sure?" He pulled out Kyoko Shinjo's personnel

file

one more time. "Take

a look at her job description."

Honma's eyes went straight she wasn't a

to the

words "General

Clerical."

"Then

..."

"A TL? No, she was a regular She was in Accounting, as

I

office

worker. Paperwork mostly.

recall, calculating

paychecks.

Of course, 195

she did use a computer, but the system was completely different from the one used for customer data processing. fact,

you

can't

The codes

are different. In

even access the customer side of things from the

office

workstations."

Wada looked

pleased. But

was he proud of

puter system, or did he have his

own

the company's

com-

reasons for vindicating Kyoko?

Honma couldn't tell. "Okay," he went on,

Ms. Shinjo

knew

"let's

name

the

just say for the sake of

of this

Shoko Sekine. Even

other stuff was beyond her scope. That

They locked shooting to

eyes.

else to

to hit square-on,

reaction

gers.

196

then,

can swear

all

that

to."

Honma

—except twitch — whatever reason—

show her how

said,

of his

for a

for

to access

it

left

eyebrow.

to pull data

for herself?"

He aimed

but was a hair too quick on the draw.

"Absolutely not!"

Kyoko

I

"You sure you didn't help her?"

"You sure she didn't get you

Or

much

that

kill.

Wada showed no for her?

argument

Wada replied.

Shinjo's smile

"I

never did anything of the kind!"

shone out from between

his long, thin fin-

20

"And so what happened? Did you "Sure did,"

He

hadn't gotten back from

had throbbed the whole

Osaka

till

very

late,

and

night. First thing the next day,

his left

knee

he had called

him in. Funaki had dropped everything and come straight arriving early in the afternoon and depositing himself at the cof-

Funaki over,

get a tour of the office?"

Honma replied.

to

fee table,

fill

where he ground out one

cigarette butt after another in a glass

ashtray that Isaka had carefully wiped clean.

"So did their operation look as tight as he would like you to think?"

"Roseline employs thirty-eight of these 'telephone ladies' time. They're there

them

at their

from ten in the morning

phones, lined up

straight out of a

TV "I

all

full-

eight at night. All of

at their little desks."

commercial: a bevy of young

twenties and early thirties,

ing Honma's way.

till

The scene was

women

in their

in uniform, all quite attractive, all fac-

say phones, but actually they were like the old

more compact. Pushbutton, of course, and a headset with a tiny mike sticking out, the kind singers wear so they can play keyboards at the same time. And everyone who places an order switchboards, but

gets their

own customer code

for reference."

"Everything's coded?"

"Yup. Cuts

down on

they introduced

it

response time. Not on New Year's Day, 1988."

a

bad

little

system. Said

"January 1988, huh?" Funaki scratched his thick neck. "And Kyo-

ko Shinjo

started in April that year, wasn't it?"

"That's right. April 20, 1988, their records said.

So before she 197

"

came on the job, the new system would have been up and running." "And Shoko Sekine was registered as a Roseline customer on ?" The hospital receipt he'd found at Nobuko Konno's place, which had had Roseline's toll-free number scribbled on it, was dated July 7,

—

Wada had shown him, it was when Shoko called in and asked them to send her a catalog, and the fifteenth when she returned the questionnaire, placed her 1988. According to the Roseline records

July 10

first

and was assigned a customer code.

order,

"Not

much

lead time,

is it?"

Funaki sounded disappointed.

"No, unfortunately. That's what this

was going on about how

his

Kyoko

Wada

Imagine how many files she'd have

ne's data."

fellow said

couldn't have stolen to

when he

Shoko

Seki-

go through to single out

one person. "In any case, his point was that the system for in-house

—the

accounting, calculating paychecks

—was on

Shinjo did

sort of office

work Kyoko

a completely different loop from the customer

way to browse around from one The only people who can do that, he said, are the guys 'system management class.' processing system. There's no

to the

other.

in the

"Whatever that means," Funaki any

case, people in that class

mation they happen

up those

said,

frowning

"But in

slightly.

can get their hands on whatever infor-

to want, right?

What

if

Kyoko managed

to pick

skills?"

Honma laughed and shook his head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Wada says she was a complete beginner when it came to computers.

She hadn't even played a computer game before."

"You believe that?"

"He had some

amounted "You'll

"So

to

sort of thing going with her.

much, but I'm going

to

look into

He

says

it

never

it."

be talking to him again?"

far,

he seems about

my

best source of information about her.

Places like Roseline see a quick employee turnover. There can't be a

whole her at

lot of all.

"You to

people

trust this

guy?" said Funaki. "He seems awfully cooperative

me. Wonder why."

198

there now who worked with Kyoko and knew Wada ask around."

left

I'm having

Honma

thought for a minute and then

more than been in on

shown me

I

may be he knows

mean,

the

guy had

after

me and

if

with her, would he have come chasing

it

all

said, "It

But what exactly?

he's letting on.

those documents?"

Funaki grunted noncommittally.

"The way

I

see

it,

he and Kyoko Shinjo were

had a hand in seeing that she got that

data.

close.

At the time, he wouldn't

much about what she was planning come back at him and caught him off guard."

have thought it's

"You think so?" Funaki wasn't

Wada

as

an accomplice.

He probably

to

satisfied. "I don't

do with know.

I

it.

Now

like this

say there's a possibility he's in as deep as

I'd

murder."

"Whose? Shoko "Or her old "I

Sekine's?"

lady's."

know about

don't

that

.

.

but he certainly reacted

.

when he saw

Kyoko's photo."

"Never can

tell."

"Okay, okay. But to look at things there, after

all.

One woman

He

fairly.

disappears and

He

is

personnel manager

Think about

can't just let this pass.

—

it

it's

suddenly throws up a secure

office job.

Even a kid could smell

a

And

it

crime there somewhere. Remember, he hired her himself. hasn't

been two, three years since she

Funaki

"Not

to

still

quit."

looked unconvinced.

mention that leaking customer data company.

for a mail-order

tomo Group. Wada had talk floating

scary.

the person who's taken over her identity

It's

is

completely taboo

sure to reflect badly

on the parent Mi-

to help

me out.

around the company

if

he

There'd be let

all

sorts of strange

me go poking around on

my own. "But back to the computers. Suppose one of the TLs sitting at her console wants to

make

off

with a sizable chunk of information with-

out anybody finding out about gles in her

own

it.

She'd need expertise. Say she smug-

floppy disks to download the data. As soon as she

attempts any operation

that's

next to her or behind her

is

not in the manual, the person sitting

going to know." 199

Funaki made

word

processing, and had

wasn't familiar with even the basics of

little

patience with the subject.

wouldn't be any easier for her to try to hack her way into the

"It

right

He

a face.

system

the outside

center

either. That's got to

—back and

— they

numbers.

forth

have their

be

own

enough. You

to get the

can't

an

insider,

links with

it's

the

same

Kyoko Shinjo might

that alone wouldn't be

withdraw money with just

Funaki scowled. "So so.

as

phone numbers,

cash card. According to Wada,

"Seems

The computer

reserved phone lines, with unlisted

Now even assuming that,

have been able

risky.

between the warehouse and distribution

PIN number and no

a

thing."

that deep-sixes this angle for the time being?"

But only the part about Kyoko using the computers

herself to get the data." u

What about her roommate? Did you meet her?"

Honma shook his

head. "She

was on

vacation. Girl

by the name of

Orie Chino, also in General Clerical. She's gone sightseeing in Aus-

two weeks, On a trip she's been planning for a while. I did phone number, though." "Wada gave you all that? How do you know he wasn't just making

tralia for

get a

it

up?" "Because

I

had him get online and

call

up her address and time

sheet, just to be sure."

"They even got everyone's working hours on computer?" Funaki

how about Kyoko Shinjo's ..." "Her alibi?" Honma grinned, then assumed a serious expression. "You mean whether she was on the job November 25, 1989, when

winced. "Then

Shoko

Sekine's

Naturally,

mother died? Sure,

Wada had been

I

checked

that, all right."

suspicious about

why Honma should be

interested in Kyoko's whereabouts that day, but he'd obliged.

Honma,

got a printout," said

sliding the paper

"From November 18 through November off on sick leave." Funaki whistled

Honma went good terms with as well." 200

on.

"I

even

under Funaki's nose.

26, 1989,

Kyoko Shinjo was

quietly. "

her,'

'And seeing as you seem I

told him,

I

had him

call

to

have been on pretty

up

his

own

time sheet

"And?"

"November 25 was

a Saturday, but

he was on the job. At the

office

until 9:00 p.m."

"So that

know, us to

I

lets

him

hook?" Funaki said

off the

skeptically. "I don't

may

think he's got something going on that he

still

not want

know about."

"Well,

let's

on him

just keep an eye

and see

for a while

if

he does

anything interesting."

The

was

tangle

were beginning "After

starting to look like

to loosen, so there

my talk with Wada I took a stroll

"Your leg

right?" asked

all

managed

what? Osaka's

compared

"No

to

to

Tokyo.

city.

bit,"

There's a

a no-frills

It's

Honma

whole

smiled. "You

know

dimension

different

to

it

kind of town."

frills?"

downtown around Nihombashi,

"Yeah. In Tokyo,

ultramodern

offices

and

'intelligent buildings' right

Where

two-story shops. Osaka's got none of that. it's

through Osaka."

in a detective.

hobble around a

a great

knots

rush things.

to

Funaki with undisguised concern, which

seemed somehow out of place "I

now The

something

was no need

one hundred percent shops and nothing

and suddenly you're "Me,

could never

I

Tigers,"

Honma

up

it's

against the old

a trade district,

Cross over one street

in a red-light district, the sort of area

wouldn't be too surprised to see a

Hanshin

else.

you've got these

live in

where you

mob shootout."

Osaka. Can't stomach the food or the

Funaki mumbled.

let it

drop. "Say,

I

was wondering

if I

could ask you

another favor." "Let

me

guess.

A

copy of Kyoko Shinjo's family

register,"

Funaki

said with a smile.

"You got

it."

"Working backward from the address not such a

tall

in her Roseline papers,

it's

order."

"Only..."

"You

still

want me

to

clamped his jaw shut, case. If

we go

official

keep

it

hush-hush, right?

No

for emphasis. "In actual fact,

with

it

at this stage,

problem."

it

is

they might just

He

a difficult

bump

us 201

off

Who

it.

knows, they might not even

treat

it

as a missing persons

case."

Honma beat him to the punch. "Because they've got more pressing case to get on with, huh?" "How'd you guess?" "Which is precisely why I'd like to keep it under wraps a while longer," said Honma, looking down. "I mean, we haven't even got a corpse. They could say we weren't sure that Shoko Sekine was really dead, and that'd be that." This time

another,

"You think she could be alive?" "I'm almost positive she's not." "I'm with

"But

you

there."

how would you

Funaki suddenly for

have disposed of the corpse?"

sat bolt upright. "Right! It'd take a lot of

muscle

one woman. So maybe she did have some friendly help."

Honma nodded

absentmindedly. "Me,

alone from start to finish. just a gut feeling."

The

total lack of

saka's

life,

I've

I

think she was working

got no particular reason for saying that,

The sheer

strength of her will, her deadeye aim.

emotion she showed in dropping out of Jun Kuri-

and probably Wada's before

that.

The way she

just threw

out any excess baggage. Everything about her said "alone." It

was because she was so

tried to

become someone

alone,

Honma

thought, that she had

else. If a close friend

derstand, she wouldn't have done

it;

had been there

she'd have accepted

to

un-

some help

Kyoko Shinjo. A name only exists because another it. If someone had cared for her, she'd never have tossed her name away like an old tire. There's love in a name. "No accomplice? Then that would mean ..." Funaki followed

and skipped out person

calls

Honma's

was

as

you by

eyes.

There in the kitchen, fixed

to a

corner of the counter,

a knife rack. Vegetable, fish, paring knives. Five different blades,

housed neatly

had brought

in a sheath block. Isaka

it

over.

He was

particular about his cooking implements.

Funaki said nothing. "I'll

library,

look into that angle," said Honma. "Check newpapers in the

and have

a

magazine reporter

everything's police work." 202

I

know

get onto

it,

too.

Not

"Easy enough to spot. Makes a big splash," agreed Funaki, rubbing his chin. "Unidentified body parts."

The next afternoon, Tamotsu Honda came by. He was wearing jeans that had been washed over and over again to a warm light-blue shade, and a hand-knit sweater over a white cotton shirt. When he took off his heavy wool jacket and reached up to hang it on one of the hooks just inside the door, Honma noticed that the spare buttons

had been snipped

off the lining.

Ikumi was obvi-

ously a sharp housewife. Chizuko used to do the same.

she bought

away

new

in her

clothes, she'd cut the spare buttons off

Whenever

and put them

sewing basket, saying they would rub and damage the

fabric. All the clothes

Honma had bought since her death still had the Somehow he couldn't bring himself to clip

spare buttons attached.

them

off.

Tamotsu lingered awkwardly urge

him

silence,

repeatedly before he

in the entryway.

would even

sit

Honma needed

down. After

he placed a bag from a well-known bakery on the

to

a brief

table.

"This

um, your son." His wife's idea, no doubt, Honma thought as he thanked him. They were just about to start talking when Isaka showed up after having his lunch at home. "Young Tamotsu here is soon to be a is for,

second-time father,"

Honma said after introducing them.

"Hey, I'm twenty-eight." Isaka smiled in evident pleasure, before saying abruptly: "Shoko

Sekine was twenty-eight, too, wasn't she? Couldn't have been more different,

though, your

lives."

Tamotsu looked shocked

to hear her

when did you arrive "Hm? Oh, yesterday."

Tokyo?"

"So

Before he

left

Utsunomiya,

asked him to collect as Shoko's

life

in

much

tense.

Honma had

taken Tamotsu aside and

information locally as he could about

before her disappearance.

was anybody's guess. "I came up with all

spoken of in the past

Honma said quickly.

Where

sorts of stuff,"

they would go from there

Tamotsu

said, pulling

open

his

knapsack. 203

"

Isaka put on a pot of coffee and drew up a chair. Tamotsu took out a small notebook and placed it open on table. "Ikumi said I should write down everything I found out."

"Mm, good idea." He cleared his throat. "One

girl

from our

the

class in school said she'd

run into Shoko once, two or three years ago. Said she was wearing such a loud getup, she didn't

know what'd come

over her."

"Must have been when she was working at Lahaina." "She couldn't remember the exact date.

Two

or three years ago

was the best she could come up with. She did say Shoko was carrying half a watermelon, so that would make it summer." In Honma's experience, this was about as good as most people's

memory was. "Shoko seemed happy enough, but she was wearing

heavy

real

makeup. This classmate had heard some of the usual rumors, so she just

Tough breaks, huh?' And Shoko had answered,

said,

"About "

ence,

all

she could

'Yup.

Guess so.'

speaking from experi-

say," Isaka said, as if

—meeting up with an old classmate when

you're

down on

your luck."

Tamotsu went on:

"I

figured

my

best chance

would be

to ask

around about what had happened when Shoko's old lady died, so

went and found everybody who'd come

Thought

it

was going

Tamotsu asked

about Shoko, then

Akane

Villa.

place that

first

in

The

it

the photograph. "They

if

wasn't so bad.

any of them had ever

didn't hold the

landlord's wife wouldn't let them.

was about

I

the funeral.

—old women, mostly"

who had anything to say

woman

but

to take a lot of doing,

There were only a few

seen the

wake or

to the

five

minutes away by

car.

wake

They rented

at

a

The neighbors han-

dled a lot of the arrangements for Shoko."

He took a

sip of coffee as

he flipped back through the

earlier

pages

of the notebook.

"Most people just thought the same really hair,

shocked.

how

it

Some

of

204

me. That Shoko looked to

make about her red

wasn't the time or place, stuff like that."

"People are conservative als,"

as

them had comments

offered Isaka.

when

it

comes

to

weddings and funer-

— "That's for sure.

that

if

some young woman they

didn't

Honma nodded.

People

all

all

in

said

to offer

about her."

at funerals are either vultures or

Tamotsu rubbed

..."

Shoko. They

off as

know had shown up

her condolences, they'd have been asking

"But

woman

But anyway, nobody had ever seen the

one who's passing herself

the photo, the

his nose. "There

hawks.

was one person who

recognized her."

Honma and Isaka leaned "And

the funny thing

forward.

he said with a hint of a grin,

is,"

"it

was

my

old lady."

Honma's eyes widened. "Your mother?" "Yeah,

and

I

never even asked.

It

was her who brought

she'd heard at the beauty parlor that

somebody was

it

up. Said

town asking

in

about Shoko."

She must have had her hair done by Kanae Miyata, the beautician

Honma had loaned the picture of Kyoko Shinjo to, back when he'd still known her only as "the fake Shoko." He was glad to see it had been put

to

good

use.

"At the LOreal Salon?"

"Huh? You mean you knew?" Tamotsu was impressed. "Mrs. Miyata, the hairdresser,

showed her

And his mother had

this photo."

recognized the

woman?

"Usually she's got a terrible memory. But the minute she smells

something a

bit fishy,

amazing what she can remember.

it's

grandfather died, the priest apparently. later that

off

"No,

same

priest

you

it

was

a big scandal

—

sorry,

I

don't

know

this."

that's fine.

I

get your point:

it's

like

your mother's memory

a sort of a sixth sense."

Tamotsu bobbed that

When my

last rites couldn't sit still,

embezzled some money from the parish and ran

woman and

telling

comes with

did the

She says she can remember the mole on his neck. Then

with this

why I'm

who

woman one

his

head

in agreement. "Well, she says she

saw

time as she was leaving the beauty parlor."

"When? Or about when?" "Well, she

was

a bit hazy about the date at

she'd been getting ready for the

first,"

memorial service

he

said.

"But

for Mrs. Sekine 205

the forty-ninth day of mourning. So she checked a calendar that

it

was

"Wait, run that by

me again

Shoko

have any

"See,

didn't

the forty-ninth day service.

my old

and saw

a Sunday. January 14, 1990."

I

..."

relatives.

had

So

all

this urgent

the neighbors arranged

job

I

couldn't shake, so

lady went instead. And, well, she had to look presentable, so

she went to have her hair done.

"When

she comes out of the place, she sees this young

standing there across the

street, in front of

Akane

Villa.

She

woman calls

out

Can I help you with something?' But the woman Which off. must have really gotten to my mom, because she takes actually ran after her a little ways, shouting 'Hey, wait you wait a to her, 'Hello there.

— —

minute!' But the

though

woman was

—says she was

Honma

too

fast.

as pretty as a

She

movie

still

remembers her

face,

star."

sketched out a rough timetable in his head. The forty-

ninth day service was held on January 14, 1990. Not exactly forty-

nine days after Mrs. Sekine's death on

probably chose the days

later,

first

Sunday

Shoko Sekine goes

November

after the

New

25, 1989, but they

Year's holidays.

off to see the attorney to

Ten

ask about the

insurance money; the cost of the funeral was probably weighing on

her mind. Kyoko Shinjo quits Roseline on December 31, 1989, and gets

busy preparing

miya once,

to

for the big switch.

Maybe comes up

to

Utsuno-

check things out.

"Where was

the service held?" asked Isaka.

"At the temple where Mrs. Sekine's ashes are being kept for the

time being." Isaka rubbed his eyebrows. "But ally

when

a wife dies, don't they usu-

put her together with the husband, in the same grave?"

"That's right."

After a short pause,

Honma

said:

"You mean her husband didn't

have a grave, either? Couldn't he afford one?"

Tamotsu shook family, so

was

still

"And

his head.

he never had

much

just a baby. Things

"Nope. He was the third son in a large to begin with.

were always

yet," Isaka read his

And he died when Shoko

tight,

and yet

..."

mind, "when Mrs. Sekine went

to her

husband's family to ask them to help her buy a plot for him, they gave 206

One

her the brushoff.

of those old families: everything for the

first

son, nothing for the rest. Is that it?" "Pretty

much.

temple, which

That's

why she had

to leave her

where they've stayed

make

years, she'd

enough

is

all this

husbands ashes

at a

time. Every five or ten

a small offering to the temple, but not nearly

for a plot."

"So Mrs. Sekine's remains finally went there as well." "Right.

It

broke Shoko's heart. She swore that someday she'd see

her folks laid to rest in a proper grave. Even though she herself was

deep in debt

pretty

"And

at the time."

aside from your mother,"

Honma

sation back to the photo, "no one else

Tamotsu shrugged. "Afraid couldn't

said, steering the conver-

saw the woman?"

not. Mrs. Miyata says she's sorry she

do any better."

Nothing

thought Honma. Witnesses to the most

to apologize for,

shocking crimes sometimes only have sketchy memories of them, but here he'd asked about something perfectly normal seen a pretty but otherwise unremarkable young

—had anybody —and the

woman?

LOreal Salon had come through.

Shoko Sekine and Kyoko Shinjo. Two individuals connected only through the Roseline database. Together again in another, completely different place

—

in Shoko's

hometown,

for her mother's

memorial

ser-

vice.

"Actually, we've identified the

woman

we're looking for,"

Honma

said.

Tamotsu seemed denly

real.

to shrink.

What had been only a notion was sudphantom now but flesh and blood.

Shoko's stand-in was no

He'd been afraid of this moment. "So

who

is

she?

How did

she

know Shoko?"

If

she turned out to

be a friend of Shoko's, someone Shoko had trusted, he wasn't sure

what he would "A

total stranger."

Tamotsu his eyes cast

Then

do.

listened intendy.

down.

Isaka got

up

He

bit his lip

When Honma to clear

now and

finished, all three

away the

again,

men

coffee cups, just to

and kept

fell silent.

be doing

something. 207

Tamotsu

After a time,

said,

own

"But Shoko was only minding her

business." "Exactly."

"She wanted something nice, so she bought herself some fancy

underwear. Even

I

can understand

that.

Ikumi hardly ever

gets to

any new clothes, but she says she doesn't mind as long as she

buy feels

pretty underneath."

"Shoko was punctual about her Roseline payments. She paid by postal transfer.

A

They said she was

a

good customer."

good customer. Tamotsu mouthed the words

ing his

fists

under the

Bit late to try

to himself, clench-

table.

and protect her now, thought Honma. But then what

Kyoko Shinjo himself instead of turning the case over? Just force of habit? Morbid curiosity? Whatever the reason, he wanted to meet this Kyoko Shinjo. To hear her voice. To hear what she had to say when he asked, "Why did you do it?"

was he doing looking

for

Honma wouldn't even consider letting Tamotsu insisted

on putting him up, Then,

lect his things.

stay in a hotel; he

starting that night. So they

after taking a short rest,

though his notes, which reminded him

Honma

to give that

went

to col-

began sorting

magazine stringer

who owed him one a call. The reporter was curious and asked all kinds of questions, but to pry anything out of Honma. Nevertheless, he agreed to help. "Whenever I work with you, Honma, 1 usually turn up some-

was unable thing

I

can use. So give

Tokyo-Kanto

me two

or three days,

I'll

see

what

I

can

find.

area, right?"

"Uh-huh," he answered automatically, then corrected himself. "No,

make

that Kofu-Shinetsu, too."

No

particular reason. Just a

hunch

about Kyoko Shinjo: knowing her, she might well head up into the

mountains Next,

to dispose of a body.

Honma went

Sekines death.

—

story

and

tiny

left.

Two

filler

He now

modus operandi 208

to the library to

look for

articles

on Mrs.

of the three major national papers had carried the

pieces, but all the facts felt

there. He made copies work out Kyoko Shinjo's

were

in a position to try to

.

—probably because somebody or other was work Roseline She goes —Kyoko needed new than means end— seemed more

For some reason her

after

a

specifically as a

to

identity.

to that

at

likely

this

imagining that she'd simply stumbled onto the idea once she'd started

how

the job. Just

system

is still

she gets around the checkpoints in the computer

a question mark,

though she probably used Wada in

some way That would explain why he was so nervous. But obtain the data she does, and Shoko Sekine becomes her prime target. For Shoko's family register and residence certificate, all she has to do is go to the Ward Office in Shoko's neighborhood and get them "in person." Her next mother. So

one living

step, then, is to get rid of Shoko's

many

questions remained about

how

relative,

her

she might have

pulled this off that even to Detective Sakai's trained eyes the whole thing had to be an accident or a suicide. But what

What

if

on

if

.

.

—November 25—she manages

to lure Mrs.

that night

Sekine out on some kind of pretext. Say she arranges to meet her somewhere not far from Tagawa. If she sets a time, then naturally she

when Mrs. Sekine should be leaving. How would anyone waiting in that noisy bar know when

has a good idea

stepped out of Tagawa?

As

Make an appointment,

that's

Mrs. Sekine

how.

Kyoko comes up with something minor, nothing big make Mrs. Sekine give up going to Tagawa altogether and

a pretext,

enough stay at

to

home

waiting.

Suppose she says

she's a friend of

Shoko's from

Tokyo, and that Shoko asked her to pass something over. That

be arriving

late at night,

just see her for

maybe

with a friend, and can't stay long

five

she'll

—could she

minutes? That would be enough.

So Kyoko waits in the bar next door. She steps out just in time to catch Mrs. Sekine leaving Tagawa, pushes the old stairs,

then hurries back to her

Nobody Still,

notices one customer

Kyoko would need

more or

to

Sekine's drinking habits, not to

the bar.

None

of that

was

have

woman down floor

is

in

there in the Roseline

—

the

crowded.

less.

known

advance about Mrs.

mention the dangerous

she must have met up with Shoko of that contact

The dance

bar.

that

files.

staircase at

At some

stage,

seemed obvious. Evidence

was the next thing Honma planned

Okay, then, jumping forward in time a

bit:

to find.

Kyoko

kills

Shoko, 209

.

disposes of the body, and assumes her identity. She moves out

Kawaguchi Co-op, takes an unannounced permanent leave from Lahaina, and disappears. Suddenly she's working for Imai Office of

Machines. She's set herself up in the Honancho apartment and

as her

permanent address. She

and on her applications private insurance

own

head of her

tered herself as the

family, listing the

also uses

it

regis-

new apartment

as her current local address

for National Health, National

Pension Fund,

and so on. Public Employment proves

tricky because

she can't get her hands on Shoko's Public Employment card, so she

window and tells them, Its my first real job. Then she gets to know Jun Kurisaka, gets engaged

goes to the

.

.

was another unanswered question. Up until the time Kyoko-as-Shoko started planning for the wedding and Jun put pressure on her to get a card, she had never taken out any plastic.

The

If

credit card, that

she had, she'd have

Did she simply

them on

known

right

away about Shoko's bankruptcy.

dislike credit cards?

Some people

are just against

principle.

Then

there

was the

Polaroid, the only real clue he

Why had it been

had

to

Kyoko's

And why on earth had she held on to it? Was there some special memory attached to it? But why cling to a memory connected with a person she was desperate to disown? It didn't figure. Honma closed his notebook. Soon after four, Makoto came home just long enough to announce identity.

taken?

"made plans" with Kazzy. Isaka was starting to cook dinner, steaming up the kitchen, when in walked Tamotsu, Boston bag in hand. Just then the phone started ringing. "Is that the Honma residence?" It was Imai of Imai Office Machines, calling from the office. He wanted to know if Honma had that he'd

found Miss Sekine "Well, not so

He

yet.

far,"

Honma told him.

sighed. "Mitchie here

is

thing else she's been meaning to "Mr. call the

Honma, remember son of your

worried, too. tell

you. Here,

that question

wife's cousin?"

"Did you find out?" "No, 210

I

didn't."

She sounded apologetic.

Oh let

yes, there's

some-

me put her on."

you asked, about what

to

"Well, this

I

thought

it

might be tough. You haven't been checking

all

time?"

"I'm not too

good

"Nobody's good

at this

at this

kind of thing."

kind of thing."

Mitchie changed her tone of voice. "Ms. Sekine hasn't

shown up

yet?"

"Maybe

hard for her to come back."

it's

must be hard on Mr. Kurisaka, too." "Could be just what he needs, though." "It

"You know,

I

happened

to

remember something. They had

a fight

once, the two of them."

"A

fight?"

"That's right.

Over the engagement

that a person's birthstone

any ring you

liked.

had nothing

ring.

to

Just the sort of pigheaded thing

it

see,

it,

you could buy

had

to

be either your

it

wasn't a real engagement ring."

Jun would

say,

Honma

"Mitchie," he asked, "did Ms. Sekine have a favorite stone?

wasn't her birthstone but that she

"Uh-huh,

that's

what it was

all

wanted him

to

thought.

One

that

buy anyway?"

about."

Covering the mouthpiece with his palm, in the kitchen.

she said

do with

But Mr. Kurisaka said

birthstone or a diamond; otherwise

Ms. Sekine,

Honma gestured to

Isaka

"Know anything about birthstones?" he asked him.

Isaka stood there, blinking, a ladle in his hand.

"Ah

...

no more

than average."

Honma shot him a question. Isaka answered in the same breath. Honma then uncovered the receiver. "Mitchie, Ms. Sekine's birthstone was a sapphire, believe. And that's what they ended up buyI

ing, wasn't it?" "Yes.

The stone

"Now,

—

"Uh

for September."

let

me guess what she wanted Jun

so,

you know?"

"My guess would be an

to buy."

emerald."

Mitchie squealed. "Amazing!

How did you know?"

That Kyoko was a

Honma

stone for May, the

stone

—

a real

sly one,

month

engagement

thought. Emerald was the

of her birth. She'd wanted her

own

birth-

ring. 211

came through

Mitchie's voice

please

tell

her that Mr. Imai and

comes back,

again. "If Ms. Sekine

have been worried about

I

we really want to see her." He would, he promised, and just

her. Tell

her

up

the phone, he almost

felt

a

for

little

one

brief

sympathy

moment,

as he

hung

for their "Shoko," the

one he knew as Kyoko.

We

really

want

to see her.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a commotion hallway as the front door slammed open and shut.

was digging

into the closet, trampling

on

in the

was Makoto. He

It

fallen stacks of

newspapers,

kicking a stray ball out of the way, tugging at a metal softball bat with

both hands.

"Makoto! What's gotten into you?"

Honma

shouted. "Where do

you think you're going with that?" But the kid wasn't face

was

"I'll

His

stop him," Tamotsu said, going over to the boy. "Hey! Don't

go swinging that thing around! Give cried,

listening.

muddy mess.

a tearful,

it

to

me." Makoto kicked and

but Tamotsu wrestled the bat away from him. Makoto sank to

his knees.

"Did you get into a fight?"

Honma

fresh bruise that bat's

not playing

one with

was growing bluer by the minute. "If you did, that You ought to know better! You could hurt some-

fair.

that."

Choking with words in

down beside One shin had a

asked, crouching

him. His knees and elbows were covered in scrapes.

his

tears, panting,

Makoto struggled

to get

out a few

Blockhead own defense. "Block Honma and Isaka both prompted. .

.

..."

.

"Blockhead?"

"Blockhead?" Tamotsu asked. "Dog's name,"

Honma

explained.

"What happened? Did you

find

him?" "He's dead,"

Makoto

said

between clenched

teeth.

"Dead?" "That

bully, Tazaki,

from school. He

killed

head, then threw his body away."

"What?"

Isaka's voice broke.

"Sure, I'm sure. 212

I

just

.

.

.

just

"Are you sure?"

found out."

him—killed

Block-

"And

why you were

that's

"Uh-huh," came

up

fighting?"

from above. They

a different voice

Kazzy standing

to see

scuffed

"

"

"

up than Makoto,

doorway, a pudgy

in the

little

his face also streaked with

all

guy,

looked

no

mud and

less

tears.

There was a gash in his cheek. "Tazaki, that bum, he killed Block-

head and put him in the wouldn't admit

—

We knew

trash.

But then

it.

he did

it,

but

at first

he

of us ganged up, so finally he ad-

all

mitted

"No, told

it

wasn't like that,"

about

"But

it

anyway.

why would

Makoto

wailed. "He'd have

He was bragging about he want

to kill

it

come out and

at school."

Blockhead?" asked Isaka, anger

burning in his cheeks.

"He said you're not supposed project. Said "Still, is

"B-b-but

was okay

it

was

that .

.

to kill

have pets here in the apartment

against the rules."

any reason

," .

to

Makoto

to kill a

said, "it

dog?"

was

against the rules, he said, so

it

him. To teach us a lesson."

"That's horrible," said Tamotsu. "That's

about? Well, next time count

me in,

what you were

fighting

too."

But by then both boys seemed to have cooled to the idea of going another round with Tazaki. Kazzy just muttered, it,'

he says, 'go buy yourself a "

'A real house'

—

"Like his family lives

"Which

is

why

in,

1

" 'If

you

don't like

real house.'

suppose."

he can have a dog. But

let a

poorer family keep a

No

pet, never.

Must be some complex

ma spoken

than both boys burst into tears again.

he's got."

sooner had Hon-

Honma and

Isaka

looked at each other over the heads of the sobbing children.

"What

the heck's going on?"

bat lying at his

Tamotsu

said, glancing at the

metal

feet.

213

21

The next day, Honma found himself face-to-face with the woman Shoko Sekine had begun rooming with when she filed for personal bankruptcy and could no longer pay the rent on the Castle Mansion Kinshicho apartment. Her name was Tomie Miyagi. give the

name and phone number by

Honma had been

the girl in Mizoguchi's office.

Shoko's former co-worker at Gold had the long fingernails, gold-

dusted sandals, frizzy auburn perm and indelible perfume of a bar

maybe

Twenty-five,

girl.

from talking

to

twenty-six, though

and-gravel voice had silted "I can't

Honma would have sworn,

her on the phone, that she was over

up

forty.

Her sand-

heavily for her age.

take bright light, this time of day.

Hope you

don't

mind sit-

ting in the back."

They'd arranged to meet in a coffee shop that had just opened near her condo in Shibuya. Tamotsu had come, too.

It

was well

past

noon, and the place was deserted. "I

But

am

1

I

was worried about Shoko when she cut off all contact like that. told myself, who knows? Maybe Mr. Right's come along. Who to go sticking my nose in?" Tomie puffed on a Seven Stars and

gave a

little

shrug, her shoulders enveloped in a huge, loose sweater.

"So you've got no idea what's happened to her?"

"No, she just disappeared without a

trace.

When was

the last time

you saw her?"

Tomie shook her head.

it

"I've

been trying

—

to

remember, ever since

The year before last around New Year's, I think it was." Honma showed her the photo of Kyoko Shinjo. Tomie examined long enough for her cigarette to burn down in the ashtray. Then

you

214

called.

she said slowly,

"Not even

know her. Never seen her before in my life."

don't

"I

at the club?"

"No, she's a real knockout, so at

I'd

remember

her. There's five girls

Gold. That's kind of a lot for one bar, maybe, but we're only a step

up from those

feelie cabarets."

"How about as a customer?" Tomie lit a new cigarette and let out a smoky puff of a laugh. "No girl would come in by herself. Or in a group, for that matter. It's not that

We don't get write-ups in the women's magazines."

kind of place.

Tamotsu

swiftly looked away.

Tomie was

staring at

him with

great

interest.

"What was Shoko

like at

work?"

She didn't have to think long. "Desperate." "For money?"

"What

else?

Those

bill collectors

were practically beating down

the door of the club. Luckily, they weren't your hard-core yakuza types.

She managed to steer clear of them, which

thankful

for,

I

suppose.

It's

is

something

be

a wonder, though, she didn't get herself

sold into one of those soap-and-sex joints. For a while there, to

to

I

tried

convince her just to drop everything and run."

"Counting both credit card companies and loan-sharking operations, she'd

racked up debts of over ten million yen. Were you aware

of that?"

Tomie shrugged. "Crazy.

Tamotsu looked up to a lot of people,

I

knew

it

was

sharply. "Easy for

a lot."

you

to say 'crazy.'

Happens

though."

"Oh, you must be the old friend from back home," she said with

an acid edge. "So

I

guess you'd know, then, Shoko always used to say

she came to Tokyo only because she couldn't stand

it

out there in the

boondocks any more."

Honma glanced at Tamotsu, who was holding himself very straight, with no expression on his

Tomie looked she said.

It

at

face.

Honma. "Not

a single

seemed like she always wanted

town and lead a

totally different

not so easy. Can't change your

life.

life

good memory,

to get

that's what away from her home-

Guess she found out, though,

it's

just like that." 215

"At least not for the better,"

Honma added.

"Right, not for the better." She smiled knowingly.

Shoko might have had about the went out the window with her

life

"Any dreams

of a glamorous working girl

first office

The

job.

salary

was next

to

nothing and the dorm was a dump." "Kasai Trading," said

A

Honma.

"I

stopped in

this

morning,

actually."

complete waste of time. The personnel manager was remarkably

unfriendly.

He claimed

that staff turnover

be

little

point in checking personnel

to

look

at the

Honma was

— then

"I

was

it

after

Kyoko had picked out Shoko

time after July 1988

checking.

Naturally, he didn't bother

photo of Kyoko Shinjo. Not that

right in thinking that

Roseline that

files.

was so brisk there would

Still, it

mattered much.

in other words,

the visit to Kasai Trading

was never pleasant

didn't catch the

—

it

name

to get that

If

she went to work for

some-

was only double-

kind of reception.

of the company, but

that's

probably

it.

Anyway, the dorm was bad enough, but things got even worse when left there. She really hit bottom then. Not surprising, considering. The rent at Mansion Kinshicho was ridiculous." "Which is probably why she started borrowing." Tomie looked into her pack of cigarettes and counted the number left, then took another out and lit up. "She started living on credit

she

and, next thing she knows, she's in cuckooland."

"Cuckooland?" "I don't know what else to call it," she said, throwing up her hands. "No money, no education. No special skills. Her face is nothing to make a banker go open up the vault. Working for a third-rate company. For her, the good life isn't anything she's going to get by plugging away at it. She wants it, she's just going to have to go after it, some way. Back in the old days, used to be you either worked your

way up

up with what you had. Right?" Tamotsu looked like he had something to say, but Honma nodded

for

or put

her to continue.

"Not any more, though.

Now

nobody wants

dreams. But nobody's willing to give

was money 216

them up,

to

either.

work

at their

For Shoko,

for shopping, courtesy of the credit card companies.

it

No

.

no questions asked. With other people, it's something else. not just women, either, you know. There are so many men knocking themselves out to get into a good school, to land that per-

limits,

"Its

Same

fect job, right?

same kind of

thing,

although that one's

fantasy,

considered respectable."

Honma thought back to what Ms. sumer finance

scare" of the late 1980s.

dream houses, even to

if it

meant putting

would mean

ing a piece of land

"Used

Sawagi had said about the "con-

How people

had to have their

their souls in hock.

As

own-

if

instant happiness.

be not every young couple could lay their hands on the

kind of cash to back up their fantasies. Also there weren't so different places to

pour money

into.

No

many

expensive makeovers, no

cosmetic surgery, no fancy prep schools, no glossy magazines showing every product ever made." Tomie light

was so wound up she forgot

her cigarette. "Everything's easy now. All the dreams that

can buy. Those that have, spend

and those

it,

that don't,

to

money

borrow

their

money and wind up like Shoko." "By the way, how long have you been at Gold?"

pocket

"Seven, eight years. Before that

band and

I

owned

together

it

for bankruptcy, though.

file

It

buried one club myself.

I

went bust and he ran

till it

wasn't so hard to settle

my creditors.

talked things over with

Actually, I'm

still

up

My hus-

off.

Didn't

decently.

I

paying off the

debt."

Another puff of smoke curled from her

band said one time? snake shed

its

skin,

I

had

to

admit

it

was

a

lips.

"Something

my hus-

good one. So why does a

he says?"

"A snake?" "Yeah.

It

takes a lot of effort to

Tamotsu jumped

in

do

that.

So

ahead of Honma. "So

Tomie cackled. "Wrong. So

it

can grow

why does it- do it

it?"

can grow another."

legs.

The thing

is,

snakes

get

on okay without

else

has them. So they get the idea they've got to have them too. Score

one

for

my

husband

right into debt for I just

wanted

legs,

The

there.

some

to be

but they look around and see everybody

world's full of snakes who'd slither

legs."

happy

.

.

217

—

"

"Me,

seen

I'd

else to turn,

I

it all

before. So

when Shoko

didn't have

anywhere

her stay with me," said Tomie. "Then she

let

bankruptcy and went

to

work

at

filed for

some new club—

"Lahaina."

Even

after she started there and moved out to Kawaup every once in a while. We'd have lunch. That would have been up through the spring of the year before last, maybe earlier. When her mother died, see, she got really depressed. So I

guess.

"I

guchi, she'd call

said, let's

"And

go stay that

at a

hot spring. Lighten up a bit

was the

last

." .

.

time you heard from her?"

Tomie frowned vacantly. "I'm not one for chasing after someone stops calling me, I usually just let it go. That's

"Right."

people.

If

how things ended with Shoko. "About the time Shoko was

Afraid I'm not

much help."

Kawaguchi

living in

—

say,

around the

—do you remember hearing anything

else in

"What do you mean?" "Some change, something new. Maybe she made some new

friend,

time her mother died particular?"

new beauty parlor,

started going to a

Tomie ran

a

hand through her

hair.

been trying to come up with some interested in. But I

I

"Ever since you called,

details

down." She

sat frowning,

of her nose.

Honma and Tamotsu

call the

minute

looked on in

no good," she sighed. "Trying

to force

it

spooked

...

minute,

now

phone

those

I

put the receiver at the tip

silence.

while there, she was getting dirty phone that's

I

with her hands pressed together

see, for a

but

doesn't help. Lets calls

and

it

had her

not so unusual." Her eyes brightened. "Wait a

remember. She called me,

all

paranoid on account of

and said somebody had been opening her

calls,

I've

about her you might be

keep drawing a blank. Hey, what do you expect?

can hardly remember a phone

"It's

anything."

mail."

"Her mail? At Kawaguchi Co-op?" "I

forget the

name

said the envelopes

much

of

it,

that

it

at the post office.

ance 218

money came

of the apartments, but yeah, in Kawaguchi. She

had been cut open.

was probably just

I

told her she

a prank, or

was making too

maybe some mistake

This was right around the time her mother's insurin,

which was the

first real

money

she'd seen since

she went bankrupt.

buy

to

I

had

because she said she was planning

to laugh

a grave for her mother. That's a

good million or two

right

there."

Honma

just looked at her.

He was

thinking back to the box of

Shoko had left behind, which the landlady had pulled out to show him. One was a brochure from a Green Grove Mortuary, if he remembered right. "Was she seriously thinking of buying a plot?" things

This, too,

provoked a laugh. "Seriously?

I'd

say

it

was

serious.

even went on a guided tour. Took one of their private buses. her

I

She told

was popular with the company, somebody so young

bet she

going to a place like another

I

that.

But

I

remember she

even younger than

girl there,

gotten to talking about

how

strange

her.

it

And

said no, there

the two of

was

them had

was, having to buy graves at

their age ..."

Honma

called Shoko's landlady first to

check on the name of the

phoned Green Grove Mortuary itself. was on the ground floor of a tidy little building in north central Tokyo. The walls were covered with photos of gravesites for sale and of different hills and wooded areas in the cemetery A huge scale model in the lobby showed a second, soon-to-becemetery, then

The head

completed

tsu

office

site nestled in the hills

of outlying

Gumma prefecture.

The middle-aged funeral director who greeted Honma and Tamowas polite and soft-spoken. When Honma asked about Shoko and

the brochure she'd had, the

man said she probably would have toured

the grounds near Imaichi

which they'd been promoting

for

some

time. "She's to

been having some trouble over an inheritance. I just wanted

check whether

He

my niece did in fact come here."

didn't miss a beat.

"Everyone

who

participates in our tours

handsome group photograph as a memento. We also keep copies for our records. Would you care to have a look?" Honma and Tamotsu hung around in the lobby until the man receives a

returned with a large photo album.

He opened it, then Tamotsu and Honma raced through

"This covers the period January to April 1990." left

them

to their

own

devices.

219

— —January 18—January 29—February 4—-February 12

the pages

"Here!" Tamotsu was tapping his finger on one page.

—Tour

Sunday, February 18, 1990. Green Grove Mortuary Visitors

Group

13.

Two employees,

a

man and

woman, crouched on

a

either side,

holding out the ends of an official-looking green banner. The tour

group consisted of no more than eight people. Front and center was

Shoko Sekine. They must have put her

there specially. So young, poor

girl.

With so few people, the group shot was fairly close-up. All the faces were in sharp focus. Shokos was the face he'd seen in Tamotsus high school snapshot, but under a new hairstyle. Long tight curls dyed chestnut brown had started to grow out, showing the dark roots. Dressed in a loose cotton jacket and jeans, she was squinting into the light

cemetery crescent

And teeth,

and looking altogether too casual

tour. Smiling, even.

lips, a

jumble of crooked

a smiling

Kyoko

someone on a Framed by

teeth.

teeth.

there, right alongside her,

was

for

You could see her

Shinjo.

showing a

perfect set of white

Two women,

too

young

to

be

alone in the world or to be out shopping for family plots. They were shoulder-to-shoulder, arm-in-arm.

"Shoko,"

220

murmured Tamotsu.

.

22

An hour and

from Nagoya by Kintetsu Line special express

a half

the quiet provincial city of Ise, site in

tracked

him down via

most sacred

for Ise Shrine, the

was the home of Kyoko

who was now

husband, Yasuji Kurata,

A

famous

the Shinto religion. This

had gotten

Shinjo's ex-

Honma had

thirty years old.

the records Funaki

lies

for him.

cursory look at the Ise phone book in Honma's local library

yielded a surprisingly large Kurata.

Among

the biggest

number

was

name

of companies under the

a real estate agency near the station.

Their quarter-page ad listed the

company

president, Sojiro Kurata,

and, right below him, Yasuji Kurata, as licensed agents.

Divorced from Kyoko over four years

and was

now the

from Tokyo, Kurata's mother answered.

called

name Kyoko

sooner had he mentioned the

conversation died. There was a

let

her hang up,

to ask

finally

"I

want

knew it was an

to ask."

He

but

imposition, and

that's all

back

"What

line:

Kyoko and her new

fiance

to

put

who would know where

she

me is.

tacked on various apologies, saying he

Quite unexpectedly, the old ant,

just call

thought perhaps he might be able

touch with friends of Kyoko's, I

—he'd

rasped through the

the situation between

simply as possible.

That's all

thought

him?"

Honma sketched in

ten seconds of silence, during

Honma

But no, the mother's voice

do you plan as

full

No

Shinjo, however, than the

didn't dare speak.

Okay, so again.

he had married again

father of a two-year-old daughter.

When Honma

which he

earlier,

bound

to

woman

be unpleasant said,

past now." Then, after a

.

.

"Things were unpleas-

moment,

as

if

to herself,

"Poor Kyoko." 221

"Could

possibly speak to him?"

I

Another

silence, followed

about the way

to regret

we

by another

thrust.

"We

all

information about her present situation and I'm afraid

we

don't have any idea

have things

treated Kyoko. But you're looking for

where she

is.

And

that, frankly,

my son would

speaking to

only open up old wounds." This was clearly meant to be the

word on

the subject. Before he

knew

it,

the dial tone

last

was buzzing

in

his ear.

Honma had an easy nut

him more

got

never imagined that the Kurata household would be

to crack,

but being dismissed out-of-hand

fired up.

He

told

Makoto and

this

way only

Isaka that he'd be

away

for a couple of days.

"Call to say you're

As the bullet

still alive,

okay?" was

all

Makoto could

train pulled out of Tokyo Station,

say.

he caught a glimpse

Makoto trudging down the stairs from the platform. Out some shopping; do that was their excuse for coming all the way into town to see him off. By now they looked like father and son, he of Isaka and to

thought.

Honma changed plush

seat,

body parts" him. It was

to a special express at

Nagoya. Settling into the

he started leafing through the material on "unidentified that his

magazine contact had found and downloaded

the off season,

and the

train

was

virtually empty.

took advantage of the extra space to stretch out his

The

journalist

chart: Site, Part(s)

had been

efficient.

He'd even drawn up a detailed

plus a Remarks column for progress reports.

On

"Children's Day," 1990

torso, calves

and

legs.

Found, Approx. Age, Sex, Personal

long to find what he was looking

feet of a

for

Honma

It

Articles

didn't take

Found,

Honma

for.

—May 5—

the remains of the

young female had been found

left

at the

arm,

edge of

a cemetery in Nirazaki, in the mountains of Yamanashi prefecture.

The

flesh

was

in

an advanced stage of decomposition. The bones

were partly exposed, yet the fingers showed traces of red

The only "Personal Article" was an anklet on

nail polish.

the right foot.

That's her, his instincts told him.

The time frame matched. Shoko Sekine had disappeared from Kawaguchi Co-op on March 17, 1990. Assuming that she'd been killed 222

within a week, the body would easily have been in that condition

by May

5.

The various

parts

had been wrapped

in separate plastic sheets

and

buried in a pile of rubbish in one corner of the cemetery. Crows and stray

dogs must have found them

the eye of

The

someone come

plastic sheets

to

first.

A

protruding

arm had caught

spruce up a family grave.

were from a take-out sushi chain franchised

throughout the Tokyo-Kanto region, and used as wrapping paper.

They were so common they were no help the anklet.

at

all.

The same went

for

A cheap gold-plated thing set with rhinestones, worth two

or three thousand yen at most. Hardly worth checking into.

The Yamanashi

police

had launched an intensive search

for the

missing head, right arm and thighs, but found nothing. Testimony collected in the vicinity of the crime failed to point to

characters or mysterious vehicles. Business ness^

—was

as usual.

The graveyard

any suspicious

—regular funeral

in question,

busi-

though small and

inconspicuous, was within walking distance of the Nirazaki Kan-

non, a Buddhist statue of some interest to tourists. The local history

museum was

nearby, too. Visitors

weekends, Nirazaki being not

far

came

into

town on holidays and

from the vineyards of Kofu or the

Sekiwa hot springs. The stray outsider had ceased

to attract

any

at-

tention.

A

cemetery in Nirazaki? Would that have been within Kyoko's

radius of

movement? He'd have

former husband.

to ask her

So what had happened to the rest of the corpse? Particularly the head.

—

The whole purpose of dismemberment excluded was limited to one of two

—

cases of ghoulish behav-

make a victim make a body easier to hide. Often it's women who will cut a body up in order to hide it. Take the case of the dismembered policeman found some years back in a canal on the east ior

things: to

unidentifiable, or to

side of Tokyo: the culprits turned out to be the

her mother. Ordinarily, carving

up

dead man's wife and

a corpse requires

tremendous

strength, but criminals, like people defending themselves against

some physical threat, can sometimes get surges of adrenaline that give them superhuman strength. Or, if a woman set her mind to it, 223

home and go about

she could shut herself up at

own pace

the process at her

in the bath.

So Kyoko cuts up Shoko's corpse, dumps half in Nirazaki Cemetery

and the

Kyoko did

rest

it,

—where? Technically Honma no

but

pull of certainty: her signature It

was

game

like a

the country to

might be too early

He

felt

he

Nagoya now pressed

to say that

felt

the dark

this one.

of connect-the-dots, with

Honma left

was on

in the blanks.

fill

it

longer had any doubts.

And he

him

tearing

all

over

wasn't even on official duty.

day go gray; the clouds that had loomed overhead as

his

the loudspeaker

announced

in

low enough

their

imminent

and

to touch,

arrival in Ise, raindrops

beaded on the window. The gloom matched the depressing short, in retrospect,

Kyoko

just as

facts:

how

Shinjo's days as a housewife in this quiet

town had been, how unhappily they had ended. Passing through the ticket gate he looked up at the sky, straining his eyes against the cold curtains of mist.

Over Kyoko's head,

it

had

always been raining.

Kurata Realty was smaller than he'd expected. four-story, gray-tiled building

ground

floor

office,

and

when

right

yellow squid.

A

office space above.

Honma had

glistened.

It

stood to

one

The

was

tiles

by the automatic door spy discreetly on the

behind him up popped what looked

was

a narrow,

side, to

a schoolkid

like a bright

wearing a long, hooded

pair of oversized rain boots skipped

down hard

It

with a couple of businesses on the

in front of the automatic door.

rainslicker.

and flapped, then stamped

The

glass panel slid open.

"What do you think you're doing, silly!" A mother appeared out nowhere to give the child a slap on the behind, then tugged him sharply by the hand. The boots now gave a stamp of seeming protest of

and the closing door

Honma knew

it

was

revolving

slid

open

again.

couldn't help smiling.

we cut

mother had

Even without seeing the

a boy. Left alone again, the kid

to

keys sign out in front of the shop next door.

go over and grab the back of his

slicker,

away Makoto was never that impossible, though when he'd cut up a bit with Chizuko. 224

face,

was now attacking

he the

The

and drag him

there were times

"

Honma

turned back just as the door was beginning to close. His

young man standing behind the counter in the brightly lit office, about five or six yards away. The automatic door must have caught his attention. The young man seemed to be waiting for Honma to look away first, though doing so meant ignoring the other agents and customers. That had to be Yasuji Kurata. Obviously his mother had already warned him. As Honma took a step forward, a colleague tapped the young man on the shoulder. A telephone call. He took the call, but still seemed met those of

eyes

a

distracted.

Muzak wafted through

the interior. Several customers sat at the

counter, each talking with an agent.

A woman

brochures on a display rack stepped over. "May

He'd come to see Yasuji Kurata, he told

The woman looked

arranging resort I

villa

help you, sir?"

her.

Do you have an

ap-

on the phone, facing

the

surprised. "Mr. Kurata?

pointment?" "Yes,

I

called earlier." Kurata

was

still

other way, but he suddenly looked back, as "It's all

right,

Ms. Kato,

I'll

he'd been listening.

be right with him," he said loudly, one

hand over the mouthpiece. The to

if

woman

turned away and went back

her brochures.

Honma waited for him to hang up, he thought of Kyoko Shinhow familiar she must have been with the place: her father-in-

As jo,

law owned

from time

it,

her husband worked there. She'd probably dropped in

to time, chatted with the

women employees.

Kurata came around the counter and hurried over.

ma's heels take

it

"I

"Let's step out-

he muttered, grabbing an umbrella. He followed close on Hon-

side,"

and steered him

you're the one

figured your

called?"

mother would have

Kurata licked his

had nothing

who

just out of view of the others inside. "I

said something."

lips nervously. "I believe

she also told you

we

to discuss."

you too?" what Kyoko is up to Honma cut him short. "Kyoko might be dead." "Does that go

"Listen, about

for

—

225

"What? Why do you say that?" he asked, a bit shaken. "Any evidence to the contrary?" Get him rattled, then

we'll see,

thought Honma. Kurata's nervous laugh broke

off.

"No

.

.

.

nothing, really"

Standing under the shelter only of a thin umbrella,

Honma

ex-

plained everything again, as he had for Kuratas mother. Kurata hardly

looked

at

him; he seemed to be counting the raindrops dripping from

the taut nylon.

"She doesn't

mean

"Is that right?

a thing to

me now."

Funny, because she means a

Kurata looked up sharply "Because she that

why you're

"Let's just

"Oh, you

lot to

me."

dumped your nephew?

Is

looking for her?"

say I'm concerned." are, are

you?"

"I'm concerned that

Kyoko has run out on my nephew

for

no

rea-

son that anybody can name. I'm worried she might be in some kind of serious trouble that she "Well, she's

isn't

able to handle alone."

no concern of mine any more," he

said, spitting

out

the words.

Honma ously"

sighed and got ready to leave. "That's up to you, obvi-

He looked down and added,

"I'm sorry

I

know Kyoko

didn't

had caused you so much pain." Kurata glanced

at

him. "Have you been to

Ise Shrine?"

he asked

suddenly "No, never."

He was he'd once

wavering. The story had hooked him, though any love

felt for

Kyoko had long

never use that word to describe

since vanished. At least, he

it

now. But clearly the

would

woman

still

aroused some feeling in him.

A rotten business, ple have

worked hard

thought Honma, digging up the memories peoto forget.

But dig he must.

Kurata switched the umbrella to his other hand. "Take a the station

and

tell

the driver to let

Go

Everybody knows

it.

where they sell the

little

"Not that 226

I

you

off at

taxi to

a place called Akafuku.

into the teashop in the back, not the part

sweets. Wait for

mind, but won't there be a

me there." lot of tourists?

You think we

can talk there?" Akafuku was famous for It was

traditional confectionery.

its

in all the guidebooks.

"This

Anyway,

is

the off season.

it'll

be better for

his voice. "If

I

tell

It

won't be so crowded. Plus

me if you act like a

everybody you're a Tokyo acquaintance here on

business and I'm just showing you around talk.

My

to

go

father's pretty well

me

notice

I

really

known around

wanted

to

Ise,

any

there won't be

here and people tend to

meet someone on the

sly, I'd

have

way to Nagoya." if word got around that someone was asking about Kyoko, the

all

"So

too. If

a weekday.

it's

Kurata lowered

tourist."

it

wouldn't look so good?" "I

wouldn't want word to get around."

His divorce four years earlier must have been a scandal. "There's

my wife to consider, too."

Arranging to meet

at four o'clock, they

went

their separate ways.

Honma heard the door slide shut behind him. It

was

made

a set from a made-for-TV samurai drama.

A

country inn

of dark timber with a large, raised seating area, covered with

tatami, at the back.

The shop

at the entrance

was busy, but only a few

—

customers had removed their shoes to step up for tea

group of four middle-aged

away at the

table furthest

women

in

kimono,

in fact, only a

who were

cackling

from Honma's.

Hibachi braziers were set out here and there, their coals giving off a

warm

glow.

Honma had just

taken off his wet coat, laid

it

to

one

and settled back when, right on cue from the samurai drama, a young woman in a farm girl's old-fashioned kimono brought over a side,

teapot

More

and

a plate of bean-cakes.

Honma

wasn't

much

for sweets.

Makoto or Isaka's taste, he thought, as he sipped the peatytasting green tea. Maybe it was the antique atmosphere a big iron kettle suspended from a chain was boiling away over a wood fire at to

—

the entrance

drank to step

at

—but the

tea tasted quite different here

from what he

home. He looked up from his cup and saw Kurata pausing

up

into the tatami-matted area.

Kurata settled in at the table and the waitress hurried over with another tray of tea and cakes, which he accepted with a

weak

smile, 227

He looked

then set aside.

drained. In the short span of time since

they'd met, the knot of his necktie

the coals in the brazier

had

wilted.

He

stared vacantly at

and said nothing. Abruptly he threw out an

awkward "It's famous, this place." Once he got started, though, small talk came easily to him. "Did you notice the number of new wooden buildings around here? We're seeing a lot of local businesses going back to traditional construction instead of concrete.

return to tradition.

It's

It

something of a trend; people seem

makes

to

want

a difference with the tourist trade.

a

Next

year will be the ritual rebuilding of the shrine that they do every

twenty years, so the town will be jammed." Almost in a whisper, he added: is

why

"My I

"I see. "I

but

father's

got a hand in these construction projects.

Well,

I

don't

want

to stir

have to take your word for

if

that backfired

it

If

brave

said,

looking

Honma

and then go printing a

last effort.

sitting here at all

Honma

could just try getting rid of you, in the long run."

in the eye: "I

warn

you're one of those media types aiming to dig around

in our personal affairs

A

up any old grudges."

it. I

would only be more trouble

Reaching for his teacup, he you, though.

sorry."

Which

have to be careful."

And who

string of

could blame him?

lies, you'll

be

He was only

because of some old score between him and Kyoko.

forced a smile and said, "You've got nothing to worry to fill him in on Kyoko's recent Shoko Sekine, the way both of them had

about from me." He then proceeded past, the

way she'd posed

as

—everything

except his suspicions of murder.

disappeared

That

would just have shut him up completely. Kurata showed almost no reaction till Honma mentioned that Kyoko had disappeared when her fiance learned of Shoko's bankruptcy. Half rising

from

his seat,

he

said, "I

never heard anything so

stupid!"

"Stupid?"

"Kyoko would never

try passing herself off as

someone who'd

gone bankrupt." "She didn't

know it had happened."

"You think she assumed someone out something 228

that basic?"

else's identity

without finding

— "That's

how

would seem." Honma put

it

then suddenly asked: "Are you saying

it's

hand

a

to his forehead,

impossible because

had some kind of hangup about credit and loans and

all

Kurata nodded. "She hated the whole thing, detested

Kyoko

that?"

She always

it.

steered clear of it."

Honma

That made sense, fact that

who

there are lots of people

"That

thought.

in with the puzzling

It fitted

Kyoko-as-Shoko hadn't possessed a single credit

card. "Yes,

don't trust plastic."

Kurata said heatedly.

isn't it at all,"

"What, then?" "There's a lot

A

large

apparently

more

to

than that."

it

group of older men— —swarmed onto the

all retired

from the same company,

tatami, taking

the middle-aged

women. They

barking out their orders like schoolboys.

them and looked Kurata

full in

up

several tables near

and

called the waitress over

the face.

Honma

"What

started

turned away from

is it,

then?"

"Kyoko's family broke up, a long time ago, over problems with debts." His voice caught slightly, as

tuning, a scale long disused

payments on

their

house and had

His hand twitched on his ried

me, they took her

her

hometown

ter

—

was

kept.

the subject called for a different

to leave

town

in a hurry.

That was

why Kyoko and 1 got divorced."

also the reason

usual line to

if

and unfamiliar. "They couldn't make the

it,

it's

in

saying

Even

have been involved at

He loosened his

Fukushima

who

after

lap.

off her family register

"When she marin Mureyama

prefecture. But they

added the

she'd married and where

my family regis-

me and

shouldn't really

she was living with

all,

tie.

back

the

bill

collectors

were

still

pestering her.

They'd dug out her address here, and they came pounding on our

—

door. Kyoko's family had done their flit in the spring of 1983 which was four years before we got married. And the creditors kept their meters running the whole time, so by then the interest was astro-

nomical. finally

They used every

we decided

concerned, was

trick in the

book

that the best thing

to get her to

we could

pay up.

Till

do, for everybody

split up."

229

23

Kyoko Shinjo and Shoko Sekine: two of a kind. Shackled to the same chased by the same shadow. "So that's how it was?" Honma murmured. He wiped a hand across his forehead and was surprised to find that it came away damp with sweat. He looked at Kurata and saw a similar surprise in his expast,

pression.

"You didn't know?" "No,

But a

new

this is absolutely the first I've

it

figured.

identity,

one. Kurata

explained

It

heard of it."

why Kyoko

and why she was willing

was

right. If a bill collector

to a person's family register

Shinjo desperately needed

to

go

to

such lengths

were somehow

and residence

certificate

—he could keep

to get

to get access

—both suppos-

them and hunt them down. This was another reason why debtors were always mov-

edly secure and inaccessible

ing from place to place, unable to hold

track of

down a solid job.

That was Kyoko Shinjo's world. She'd been on the run with her parents since still

in

—

"Let's see,

spring of 1983? She'd have been seventeen,

high school."

"Right.

Which

is

why she dropped out. And she'd really wanted to

graduate."

Then four

years

later,

as Kurata

she had stayed out of sight for the bill collectors

Japanese law,

when

230

said, they got married. Since

a couple

is

Kyoko must have thought

left

a paper

married, the bride

father's family register,

to establishment of new

new address.

had

that time,

had given up. But she'd

removed from her ple's

all

trail.

is

For under

automatically

with the line "Deleted due

household" appearing together with the cou-

"It

was

housing loan they were running out on?"

a

Honma asked.

Kurata nodded. "Kyoko's father worked for a small firm in

Mu-

An ordinary mid-level office worker. He couldn't keep up the

reyama.

payments, not on what he was making, but he couldn't shake the idea of owning his

Honma

own home,

had been caught up

when

Then, this

either.

Kyoko

told

could well imagine the vicious

A

in.

small

me all about it." circle the

down payment and

Shinjo family a large loan.

things got tight, a second loan, for a smaller amount,

time from a loan shark. That set the pinball rolling, picking up

speed, then going too fast for "Finally,

came up

they

anybody

to stop.

against one of those operations that charge

—

ten percent interest every ten days, a front for the yakuza

the

all

debts had fallen into their hands, apparently."

The

ball

had

rolled into the worst possible hole.

Game

over.

"Gangsters would bang on the door in the middle of the night, lean

on

their relatives, threaten all hell unless

somebody paid

up. Her

mother had a nervous breakdown. The family was thinking about a suicide pact.

mouth

Kyoko was scared out

in order to save

A

of her wits."

was

a salable commodity.

to force her into the skin trade?"

Kurata ducked the question. "She never told

know her parents were scared enough The Shinjos had gone

knew

his

town was made

Kyoko."

pretty seventeen-year-old schoolgirl

"They were trying

they

The corners of

twitched. "In fact, the family decision to skip

first to

to

me

the details. But

I

drop everything and run."

some cousins

in Tokyo, although

they couldn't stay; even distant relations would eventually

be traced. "That's

when

they decided they had better split up. Kyoko's

father took to the streets. Again, she never said whereabouts, but in

Tokyo

that probably

women headed there, her

for

meant Sanya, where Nagoya and stayed

mother working

in a bar

all

the day laborers

in a cheap

live.

The

rooming house

and Kyoko waitressing part-time."

maybe a year, keeping in touch with her Then her father had a minor traffic accident and Kyoko's mother went to Tokyo to visit. "It had been a whole year without any hassle, so they let down their guard. The father's whiplash wasn't very serious, and they'd managed to scrape They

father

lived like that for

by telephone and

letters.

231

some

together

began making plans

savings, so they

family in Nagoya.

The

was

to reunite the

And

the two of them began visiting those cousins of theirs again. But these harmless visits had repercussions. The mob back in Mureyama had relations in Tokyo too mob relations and, sure enough, somebody had been coast

—

—

One day

keeping an eye on the place.

when

they thought.

clear,

they were leaving the house

they were suddenly grabbed and shoved into the back of a

only got

all this

secondhand from Kyoko, so

I

don't

know

car. I

the details

... Her father was forced to sign a new interest-bearing repayment contract that required him to work under their surveillance.

but

Her mother was sent back

to

year in a 'companion service'

was

virtually a prisoner.

ents to try to find out

Of

Mureyama, where she spent

—more or

the next

less a prostitution ring.

course, they put the screws

She

on both par-

where Kyoko was, but neither of them would

say."

When

show

her mother had failed to

in trouble.

up,

Kyoko knew they were

She immediately quit her part-time job in Nagoya and

something they had always told her

to

be ready to do

at

ran,

any time. She

then kept sending letters general delivery to a certain post office in

Tokyo

—

eventually

till

a year later

—her mother escaped and man-

aged to get in touch. But her mother had changed, Kyoko

said;

she

Not long afterward, she caught flu, which turned into pneumonia, and this killed her. Kyoko would have been twenty-one. "She still had no idea where her father was, though she kept trying to reach him through the same post office. So she was the

was

an empty

like

shell.

only one at her mother's funeral." That's

down

when Kyoko happened

to see a

want-ad placed by an inn

here in Ise that was looking for live-in help. Eventually, not six

months

after she'd

moved

to Ise,

her father phoned. Whether he had

escaped or simply was no use to anyone any more, he was

he was a

broken man. He wheezed and barely managed

questions. "

Kyoko urged him

'I'm finished,'

aren't as

he told

her.

tough as women.

I

'I

to

come

to Ise, but

to

free.

But

answer her

he wouldn't

listen.

haven't got the energy to start over.

Men

should know' Finally he just hung up. He

probably couldn't afford the long-distance charges."

Kurata wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Kyoko never 232

found out where he was." He rummaged around

"Mind

smoke?"

if I

Honma nodded

him

for

hand was shaking as he

knew

"I

the family

go ahead. He noticed that Kurata's

to

raised his lighter.

who owned

the inn where

son was a friend of mine and he introduced

A live-in maid and it

Kyoko worked. The

He said she was good-

us.

And she was."

looking, sharp, a hard worker.

Kurata,

for his cigarettes.

the son of a prominent local businessman. For

was probably just

a lark at

first.

Honma knew he was being

nosy, but he asked anyway.

Kurata smiled nervously. "In the beginning, yes, bit of

over

fun and games. But as things went on,

I

began

all

I

wanted was

to realize

I

was

a

in

my head. was really hooked." I

"Because she was beautiful and intelligent?" "Yes, that,

out there. scribe

It's

it, I

but not only just that,

felt like

that. There's

when

a real

man.

I

depended on me and I was there

Honma was face. It

was almost

the

same

to

When

he

first

...

solid, confident.

words but seeing

story. All the

decisions.

despite his parents' opposition

mined.

I

to protect her. That's all."

listening to Kurata's

was Jun who had made the

ment

was

women how can I deI knew Kyoko

plenty of beautiful

was with Kyoko,

I

his nephew's

time they were together,

it

Going ahead with the engage-

had only made him more deter-

learned of her bankruptcy, he hadn't bothered

inform Kyoko, but instead went, on her behalf, straight

after the

source of this "misinformation."

Kyoko around

Shinjo's delicate but

her,

instincts.

animated looks attracted the

and the hard time she'd had aroused

Her pathos was seductive.

Men

had

to

men

their protective

come

to

her rescue,

to shield this flower in their hands.

Come

it, Jun and this Kurata had a lot in common. good homes, top of their class in school, sons who

to think of

The products

of

did their parents credit. Self-assured, with above-average

somewhere deep

inside, the boy-next-door's

need

ability,

but,

to rebel against his

upbringing. Not by anything so obvious as delinquency or openly taking

on

his parents. After

all,

he could never hope

to better

them.

To him they remained his good, strong, upright parents, the people 233

who had

provided him with a happy childhood, who'd laid

good

rules for a

who'd done nothing

life,

—and a woman

himself

knew

Kyoko allowed him

like

however high they rose

that,

to

do

down

the

be wronged.

own rebellious impulses by becoming a bit

So he curbed his

Kurata

to deserve to

"parental"

this.

Jun and

in the world, they could

never treat their parents as equals. They knew, even as they walked

had marked out

the path their parents

some path

of their

they needed

She was

some

own where

prize to defend.

clever,

for them, that they

Kyoko was made

male psychology when she

let

them come

her defense. As long as

to

command, she could

charging off into battle for her, then shake them

let

them go

down when

they

the spoils.

either Jun or Kurata

Still, if

to order.

though. She must have seen straight through that

she had willing "knights" at her

came back with

needed

they could "test their mettle," just as

had been the

least bit devious,

Kyoko

might have found herself just being kept on as a mistress, whiling

away her youth

shadow of

in the

a real wife.

But both of them had

—both very young, both needing her

turned out to be nice boys the

most honest,

in

traditional way.

Who knows? Maybe that's the way Kyoko wanted things. Although shown greater resourcefulmore pampered Kurata was ever likely to develop.

she was barely twenty at the time, she had ness than the

When

Kurata

ko had been dead

first

talked about introducing her to his folks, Kyo-

flatly against

the idea.

set against her. This she'd

which was why she'd made no choice but

to rally to

a

And

...

and

I

show

want

to

have been practically identical

went on arguing

"My mother opposed bring her around. there'd

can't

been someone

he'd given 234

I

up on

in

her. It

right

it

She has nothing

it all.

won

up

to the

out,

to

father's past, a

a distant

though he and

wedding, in June 1987.

my

to the very end, but

was

everything

her.

be sure, but sometimes

my

me

The words he used must what Jun had said a few years later.

marry

to

were

to anticipate,

of holding back. Kurata then had

Kurata's passionate pleading eventually his parents

their side,

her defense. Kyoko has told

about her family background. We've discussed be ashamed of

on

they,

been smart enough

I'd

Kyoko

memory

father helped

get the feeling

of his own.

Only

that I'd stirred

up

— many words, but

twice

wasn't around he got pretty emotional, saying

how

again.

He never said

one shot regret still

in so

at the real thing,

later."

it

it

and

it was my life, my my guns so as not to

should stick to

I

when my mother

when he married

Kurata was twenty-six

her.

He could

afford to have romantic notions.

"Kyoko

want

didn't

one from her

side.

No

a big ceremony. There

parents,

spent four days in Kyushu across his face

and

no

relatives.

He ran a hand the Ward Office and set

Kurata trailed

..."

"We went

started again.

would have been no

For our honeymoon we

to

off.

—

up a new family register as a couple the little piece of paper that showed she was my lawfully wedded wife. We were so confident, so proud that we were building a new life." one thing I'm

"There's just

still

not clear about,"

Honma

said.

Kurata stubbed out his cigarette and looked up. "Kyoko wasn't in debt herself.

It

father, for the

was her parents who had incurred the debts

most

part, right? So, legally,

no

bill

—her

collector should

have been able to threaten her about repayment. Couldn't you have got an injunction ordering ents

and

children,

on which

them

to stop?"

Under Japanese

husbands and wives share

liability

law, par-

only for debts

their joint signatures appear.

"Sure, that's the law," Kurata said with a smile. "But these guys,

they

know their way around it. They never told Kyoko she was liable;

they just

let

her read between the lines."

money your parents borrowed. You benefited from having it. Now time to pay up. Hey you, you tell this young bride of yours that she's It's

its

got responsibilities.

"They'd hang around saying, 'Your us where to find that the

him when he

does.'

whole thing had nothing

to

father's

bound

We'd say we

do with

us,

to call, just tell

didn't

know and

but they were impos-

They'd turn up

at our clients' offices, going on about them because of the debts young Mrs. Kurata's family had run up. One bank even went so far as to cancel its contracts with us." That alone would be enough to make him touchy

sible to shake.

how tough

things were for

on the subject of his first wife. "What about bankruptcy?" Honma asked. "Not Kyoko, I mean her father. Couldn't she have found him and had him file for personal 235

.

bankruptcy? With four years' interest thrown

man

ordinary working

pay

to

Or even

ever heard one."

off.

earlier.

must have

the debt

in,

run into the tens of millions, which was obviously too

much

for

There's an open-and-shut case

Why hadn't he

filed for

any if I

bankruptcy

back in Mureyama, before the family went into hiding? Had he just not known? Something the attorney, Mizoguchi, said flashed into his mind. Surely

no need

there's

to sacrifice tens

of thousands of people every

year.

"By that time, her father was nowhere to be found," Kurata his voice

becoming

"You look

for

a

mumble by

said,

the end of the sentence.

him?"

"Of course we looked, don't worry."

"And Kyoko

couldn't

file

for

bankruptcy on his behalf?"

"If you could pull off a trick like that, no one would ever have any problems. Kyoko suffered precisely because that

Kurata grinned.

isn't

possible.

law in

who

this

We

talked to a lawyer,

country considers debt

enters into

it,

who

told us all about

strictly the

how

and how no member of a family can declare bank-

ruptcy on another's behalf. Of course since Kyoko had no legal bility,

lia-

she shouldn't have been inconvenienced in any way by her

father's debts.

She should never have been threatened by

tors. So, logically

no

the

business of the person

—and

speaking

basis for filing.

Even getting

legally, too, as it

bill collec-

happens

—she had

a court order issued to protect her

wouldn't have done any good, with a business like ours. Customers

walk

in

and out

all

the time,

you couldn't stop them and check

credentials. Since her father's debts

even sue

for

were a simple

tion in private affairs

my

quitting

there's

parents, .

is

one

not

on you

much you

we were

thing. Non-interven-

of their first rules.

they put the squeeze

any marks, so me,

you couldn't

defamation of character." So long as the yakuza refrained

from actual violence, the police couldn't do a

"When

fact,

their

all

they're careful not to leave

can do on that count. Kyoko and

going out of our minds.

We

had

staff

.

"At the time, the lawyer said there was only one course of action

we could 236

take. First of all,

Kyoko should

officially declare

her father

missing dead.

—

had no way of knowing

declare that she

if

he were

alive or

would be struck off the Kyoko could go to Family Court

the court accepted that, her father

If

parents' family register. After that,

and relinquish any claims

to

her father's estate

—

in this case, his neg-

ative estate." The problem was that in order to declare someone missing, seven years had to have passed since the person was last seen or

heard from.

nobody could have held out

"In Kyoko's situation, the lawyer said

we should

had already

ko's father

look into one other

died. He'd

possibility, that

been working as a day

he might just have dropped dead one day in the

knowing.

If

we could prove he was

tance procedures immediately.

them

as a basis for filing

same. So Kyoko and

we

Kyo-

laborer, so

Without our

street.

dead, she could start disinheri-

Or she could

inherit his debts

bankruptcy papers. The

went up

I

distant cousins of hers,

that long. So

result

and use

would be

the

to Tokyo, and after going to see those

hit the libraries."

"To skim through the Gazette?" The City Government Monthly Gazette regularly runs Itinerant"

lists

of unidentified bodies.

column, deliberately named

or "homeless." In his line of work, resorted to the Gazette.

It

was

It

has a "Deceased

to avoid labels like "vagrant"

Honma

a depressing

himself had sometimes

and time-consuming

task,

scanning the endless roster of anonymous people posted by date and place of death: "Male, 5'

4";

name and

address unknown; age 60-65; height

underweight; wearing khaki overalls and workboots." Like prowl-

ing around a graveyard "I'll

never forget

"Kyoko

full

of

unmarked

sitting there at the library table,

looking for any description that might

worse than

that."

many

entries.

else in the

almost

—

poring over those Gazettes, fit

her father

like

.

.

No,

it

was

hours and hours. There were

She must have forgotten about

room because

I

me and

heard her chanting to herself

Dad, please be dead.' Her

'Please be dead,

me to the core That's when I saw what really was. And something burst inside me." shocked

.

His voice was small and strained. "She was flipping

through the pages for what seemed so

stones.

said Kurata, staring outside at the rain.

it,"

.

.

.

everything

—

own

a whisper, father!

It

sort of person she

237

—

"

No

how much he told himself he loved her, it was more man this product of a comfortable and loving home

matter

than this

—

could stomach: the sight of the real Kyoko rooting through the of unidentified dead in search of a likely corpse.

lists

And who could blame

him? At one stroke, she'd wiped out the

Smashed

themselves.

in the mirror,'

"

into

it

they'd tried to claim for

life

little bits. "I

told her,

Kurata said in a shaky voice.

Honma's hunch had been

right.

"

Take

a

good look

'You're evil.'

Kyoko Shinjo was completely on

her own. The ghosts that haunted her eventually drove everyone else

away Kurata's voice

was now barely above

vorce was a couple of weeks

later."

a whisper.

September 1987,

"The formal

after a

di-

mere three

months. This was what she had meant by Got married too young and it

work

didn't

believe she

phrase

out, the

went back

to

Wada had

Nagoya

to

Her records would have moved back, register in later,

used. "After

to get

I

easily

enough.

A

year

which suggested she had

nervous again.

"After that, I've sively.

up,

split

then, to her original family

Mureyama. That could be checked

apparently, she found a job in Osaka,

begun

we

look for work."

no idea what became of her," Kurata

"But you know,

when we were

said dismis-

getting married, there

was

a

remember she sent her a postcard. Some older girl who had helped her out when she was working part-time in Nagoya. I should have the address at home, though she friend she said she just

had

to

tell. I

may have moved." The

soft,

steady rain emptied the streets and gave their taxi a clear

whose grounds could easily have held the entire housHonma lived. The plain cypress fence shone wet the gate looked private and imposing. Up under the gray

ride to a villa

ing complex where

and

clean,

rooftiles

hung

a

hand-drawn plaque: So

Mon

—

the Gate of Smiles.

Also a short length of rope, used as a Shinto blessing. Very impressive.

Honma

thought he should wait outside. After

reemerged, a sheet from a 238

memo

pad

in

five

one hand, a

minutes, Kurata plastic

umbrella

in the other.

As the gate opened and

of a small red tricycle

ing to Kuratas

little

need

you'll

it

caught a glimpse

abandoned on the white pebbled path. Belong-

know

"I didn't

Honma

daughter, presumably.

"Here." Kurata held out

umbrella.

closed,

if

first

in Tokyo, just ditch

Honma thanked

the piece of paper

you had an umbrella. it

If

and then the

you don't think

at the station."

him, then remembered to ask about the piece of

rope.

"Oh,

that.

It's

"Something

custom around here," he

a

to

do with

Ise Shrine,

"That's right," said Kurata. "That

mentioned, too.

A

I

replied.

suppose?"

was about

the

superstitious soul, that one.

If

first

thing

Kyoko

she had to drive a

nail into a wall, she'd say a prayer, just in case she'd

picked an un-

lucky direction." It

was about the

first

thing he'd said with any affection for the

woman who used to be his wife, however briefly. "But prayers didn't keep the ing,

it

bill collectors

seemed, had been able to do

away," he added. Noth-

that.

239

^ 24 ^

Kurata had said the for her

tance

was

in the

was unable

girl's

name was Kaoru Sudo. The

Moriyama

district of

come up with

to

a

neighborhood,

till

—

for

another favor

home The

first

to

thing in the

the better part of the next day poking around the finally a

newspaper boy told him

had moved two years ago. This ing

assis-

phone number, so Honma had

go and look for himself. He got the bullet train

morning and spent

address he had

Nagoya. But directory

that Ms.

Sudo

him no choice but to ask Funaki her new address. He headed back to Tokyo, arrivleft

after midnight.

light

was on

in the kitchen.

unaware of Honma's

return.

Shoko had worked with

at

Tamotsu was

He'd stayed on to

sitting at the table,

talk to the people

Kasai Trading and at the bars Gold and

some asking around too in the neighborhoods of her old apartment buildings, Kawaguchi Co-op and Castle Mansion Lahaina. He'd done

Kinshicho. "I'm back!"

Honma

said loudly.

Tamotsu gave

managed

to

keep a book from sliding

Honma made

it

a habit to call

just

to the floor.

home once

away. This time, Isaka had picked

a start, his knees

He laughed and

jerking up against the underside of the table.

up

the

a

day whenever he was

phone and kept on about

what a good houseguest Tamotsu was. Decent, hard-working. He even washed the dishes. "He's especially good with Makoto. After that thing with Blockhead, the boy was real depressed. But since Tamotsu's

been here,

he's

been a

Honma was happy he hadn't quite 240

to

lot

hear

known how

more it.

lively."

Ever since the Blockhead incident,

to deal

with his son.

All

Honma said now to Tamotsu

was, "You seem pretty engrossed.

What's that you're looking at?"

Tamotsu

"This."

flattened the pages a bit for

"A high school yearbook,

He nodded.

it

looks like,"

"Shoko's and mine.

I've

got

him

to see.

Honma said. all

of them: kindergarten,

elementary school, middle school, high school." Four books of var-

and

sizes,

with the high school one open on top.

"You've had

them

all this

ious colors

time?" Honma's eyes wandered over the

sea of adolescent faces.

"No," Tamotsu replied matter-of-factly. "These are Shoko's."

Honma looked up sharply and met his eyes. "Here on the

last

page, these are

Shoko wrote her name

all

her friends' signatures, and

in the middle." There

was, "Shoko Sekine"

it

surrounded by a wreath of mes-

in an uncertain, slightly feeble hand,

sages and names.

"Where did you

get them?" There

had been no sign of them

at

her

Kawaguchi Co-op apartment. Like the landlady Nobuko Konno had

—with

said

a

knowing

air,

now

that

he thought about

and photos were the kind of thing you'd grab in the middle of the night.

if

—yearbooks

it

you were running

And Kyoko would have known

of leaving something like that lying around. Anyway,

off

the danger

no yearbooks

had turned up when he and Jun searched the Honancho apartment

where she'd lived

as Shoko.

"Actually, they turned

up

in the darnedest place,"

"An old classmate of Shoko's had them. This with, her,

named Yumi.

See,

when

I

girl

that she'd

them over

to

in touch to let

my place, and my mother sent them along here."

that's

to this girl?"

the thing." Tamotsu pulled out a thin envelope. Dusty

from long neglect, the envelope had been snipped open Inside

was

said.

hang out

been keeping Shoko's yearbooks. She brought

"Shoko actually handed them over "No,

to

started asking our old friends about

word must have gotten around because Yumi got

me know

Tamotsu

we used

a note, word-processed

on

at

one end.

a sheet of stationery.

Dear Yumi: Sorry to spring this on you. I'm sure you're surprised to be get241

ting such a big package, but

have a big favor to ask. Would you

I

mind holding onto my yearbooks I

for a while?

guess you've heard that things haven't been going so well for

me here in Tokyo. why I'm unhappy.

Now

that

try to get

books,

I

I've

been so unhappy here,

my mom's gone my life together

remember what

a

I

my own, know

and I'm on

I

a bit.

But every time

mess

I've

made

I

should

I

see these year-

of everything.

have the heart to stash them away in the back of the

Could you hold onto them friend

for

know

don't even

I

don't

closet.

my

me, since you were

best

back then?

Someday when I can look through them and feel good about myself, I'll come get them. But till then, could you hang onto them? Thanks. Best,

Shoko

Honma

read through the note twice, then picked up the high

school yearbook and flipped back to the autograph page. Let's stay best friends forever

and

ever!

—Yumi Nomura

Beneath the cheerfully rounded characters a away: a "It

last tribute to girlish

was Kyoko Shinjo

trail

of teardrops

fell

sentiment.

that sent

them

to

Yumi," Tamotsu said, nar-

rowing his eyes.

How

could he be so sure? The

was "gone," which put

it

after

letter

November

mentioned 1989.

that her

"When

did

mother

Yumi say

that she received this?"

Tamotsu took out the dog-eared notepad he had been

using. "She

threw away the wrapping paper, so she couldn't check the postmark, but she figures

it

was the spring

after Shoko's

mother

died."

The

spring of 1990. Shoko disappeared from the Kawaguchi Co-op

apart-

ment on March

Shoko

242

17. If the

package had been mailed before

that,

had probably done

herself;

it

any

later

meant Kyoko. Hard

"Yumi says she was just taking out her clothes

knows because she had room

mer. She

back of her

the

how

closet. That's

1

for spring

to put the

know

it

to call.

and sum-

yearbooks away in

Shoko who sent

wasn't

them." "But

it's

hard to say just

when

people put their winter clothes

Could have been March, or even

away.

"Utsunomiya

is

April."

Nobody does

colder than Tokyo.

that in March,

I

guarantee you."

Tamotsu spoke be so certain, anything

confidently, but

else,

his notes

could

"Was there would help nail

different habits.

some more.

any ID showing her address, so

how he

didn't see

something she might have said that

down the date for us?" He thumbed through to bring

Honma

when households had such

at first

how

"Like

she forgot

they wouldn't hand

it

over?"

"Wait a minute. You livered

it,

Yumi had

so

Tamotsu fumbled good, did

I?

When

mean nobody was home when

to

go

to the post office to pick

for words. "Yeah,

I

guess.

what

when

to expect.

she opened

it

it

first

de-

up?"

didn't explain

it

so

she got the notice saying that a package from

Shoko Sekine had been brought around, she idea

I

they

So she hurried

down

didn't

have the vaguest

the next morning, but

up and saw the yearbooks, she

said she

felt

a bit

put out." "I

take

"It's

all

it

Yumi's family

isn't

around the house much?"

a shop, so there's always

happened

to

"And why was "Let's see,

somebody

there.

Only

that time, they

be away or something."

did

that?" I

ask?" Tamotsu looked over his notes. After a few

moments, he scratched

his

head and apologized. "Nope.

I

wasn't

thinking."

Honma

thought for a second, then asked, "Mind if I take a look at book you've been carrying around everywhere?" He looked embarrassed. "Yeah, okay. The handwriting's a bit messy

that

little

but..." It

wasn't the most legible handwriting

Honma had

seen.

Tamotsu 243

"

had marked the date "Yumi's

at the top of

each page, along with the heading

Comments." The questions and answers

started off in an

orderly way, but, as the conversation progressed, lines began to

jump

here and there, the writing drifting free of gravity.

was

Still,

it

a

proper record. In one spot was the isolated phrase "Yumi annoyed." Right above that, curiously enough, were the words "sweet hydrangea tea."

"What's this?"

Honma

pointed

at the page.

Tamotsu chuckled. "On the way home from the post office, she saw they were giving out sweet tea at the local temple. Yumi is a bit

—anything sweet, she — today had yesterday

chubby but about

talks

this,

I

"There's a clue right there,"

—

what

that's

this

I

Honma

temple on the way back from the post tea

can't resist

still

had

that.

it.

That's all she

What's so funny?"

grinned. "She stopped at a

office

and had some hydrangea

means?"

"Yeah, so?" "Well, there's only one day each year

— Hana Matsuri,

ples

Tamotsu's jaw

fell

when

they do that at tem-

the Buddha's Birthday. April 8."

open. "That means

—

"The package would have been delivered the day before, April So

it

wasn't

"Hey!"

Shoko who mailed

He

let

out a

little

7.

it."

cheer. "I'm doing all right, huh!"

The index at the back of the yearbook and the class roll both listed Shoko Sekine and Yumi Nomura in the same "Third Year, Group B." That plus the "best friends" message on the autograph page

—wasn't

why Kyoko-as-Shoko had decided to send the books to Yumi? Judging from her note, Kyoko knew that people back in Shoko's hometown had heard about her problems. Perhaps Shoko herself had told Kyoko as much on the cemetery tour. People sometimes feel that

—

comfortable telling a perfect stranger ting

on the next barstool

—things

a taxi driver, or the person

sit-

they would never reveal to an

know you and you don't know me: that's what's nice about it. Especially in a cemetery, what else is there to talk about except the sad turns your life has taken? Kyoko must have been fishing around for just that sort of story, coaxing her to open up. actual friend.

But then, 244

I

don't

why

hadn't the bankruptcy been mentioned?

Was

it

too

soon, or was the topic too serious for light conversation?

was

that

Shoko had talked about

if

it,

she'd probably

The irony

still

be

alive,

Kawaguchi Co-op and working at Lahaina. "When Yumi got these, did she notice the sender's address? Did

living at

you ask?" "I did ask, but she didn't rememSomewhere in Saitama, she said." Then it might have been Kawaguchi Co-op. "Did Yumi say any-

Again Tamotsu shook his head. ber.

thing about feeling

how

she

felt,

suddenly being sent these things? Besides

put out at having to go pick them up?"

was

"Well, she

surprised."

and

stay best friends forever

Tamotsu pointed

at the

message

"Let's

an

ever!" "Actually, this line's a bit of

exaggeration."

"You "It's

mean

they weren't best friends?"

not like they weren't on good terms, but they weren't

close either,"

he said with a shrug. "They just got a

with the excitement of graduation. So anyway,

little

when she

all

carried

that

away

read the

let-

Yumi thought, 'This Sekine girl's got a lot of nerve ...'" He lowered his eyes. "And then when everything got forwarded here, even before I knew anything about the date and all, my first thought was hey, Shoko never sent Yumi this stuff." He spoke quietly, with conviction. "When I read that letter too, I thought, no, Shoko didn't ter,

—

write this."

"Why not?" "Shoko girl to

look

doesn't all

hung up on the past like that. She's not the kind of some old yearbooks and moan about how her life now

isn't

at

measure up. Shoko used

to say there wasn't

anything happy

at

about her schooldays."

That made sense, thought Honma.

A

none-too-happy childhood

would explain why she was so anxious to make something of her life. Unfortunately, she chose the wrong way to go after that dream. Instead of actively

making

that

showed an image of

on a

plastic card.

herself somebody, she just herself as somebody.

this."

bought a mirror

reflective

ID photo

Shoko would never have Tamotsu's tone was heavy, resigned. "The minute I saw

"Shoko's dead, I've finally got to admit

done

A

it.

245

these yearbooks, table

I

knew

it.

and clenched them

but as

if

fists,

He

not so

let his

hands

much

in anger or sorrow,

from the

fall

gripping his memories of her.

Tamotsu then asked

Kyoko

She's gone."

into

Shinjo.

He

last fell silent, all

Honma

to tell

him everything he knew about

When Honma

listened without saying a word.

at

he could say was, "Strange woman."

"Yeah?"

"As

if

everything else she'd done weren't enough, going and send-

ing the yearbooks to an old friend.

out? Just toss them.

Why

Why

didn't she just toss

did she have to pretend to

them

feel

sorry for

in

one swift

Shoko?"

Tamotsu pushed

his chair

back abruptly, stood up

motion, and cut across the living room to the dark veranda.

He

stood

out there leaning against the window, the clothesline strung taut

above him, his white sweater

flat

up

against the glass. His back

turned to Honma, looking too solid to be a ghost, but

still

was

hollow

inside. Lonely.

Shoko's Nagoya friend wasn't easy to track down. Funaki got in

touch with the local Utsunomiya

busy

to help. Actually,

dleman.

Honma knew

force,

but they said they were too

Funaki himself had no time

to

he was racking up one debt

Funaki was good-natured about the whole

be playing mid-

after another,

thing. After

all,

but

Honma

had cracked that armed robbery-murder he'd been working on. The case

had unfolded almost exactly the way Honma had

predicted.

They'd arrested the wife of the murdered businessman and a former

co-worker from her secretarial days. Their motive was simple: they

wanted

his property

and

his business.

"You're a genius," Funaki see his

beaming

face,

"What clinched "Patience.

We

had

told him.

Honma

could practically

even over the phone.

it?"

kept them under constant surveillance.

ously too, so that they'd be sure to notice. In the end,

widow who

cracks.

snapl She starts

warfare stuff 246

is

And

it's

We call her in for questioning and, just like

crying her head

off.

Sometimes

a bitch." After griping about

all

obvi-

the guy's that,

this psychological

the

paperwork they

now had

to do,

he

said:

"But you sure gave

me

a lot to think about,

about the way people's minds work."

"You say that every time." "This time

it's

true.

By the way, take a guess. Where do you think

young wife was when she

the

first

approached her friend about offing

her husband?"

Funaki wouldn't be too happy

if

he got

this

one

Honma

right,

could see, but before he could answer, Funaki was telling him: "A funeral."

"Whose?" "Their former boss's.

Cancer

at thirty-eight.

sutras, the

The department head.

The whole time

two of them were

A woman, no

the priest

sitting there plotting

less.

was chanting

how

to

the

do in her

husband." say

"I'd

that's

taking the Buddhist impermanence thing a

little

too

literally."

Funaki changed the subject. "Hey, so how's

it

going with you?

Any progress?"

Honma this

gave him a quick rundown. Funaki said grimly, "Nailing

Kyoko

Shinjo's the

main

thing, but at

some point you

really

ought to get yourself a corpse, too."

"Hm." "You put in a request with the Yamanashi police for information

on

that

dismembered body?"

"Not

yet.

I'm pretty sure about

operating as a free agent."

it,

but

it's

just a hunch.

He needed some hard evidence

could ask for formal procedures like fingerprinting. has disappeared. her,

but

off to "If

'Listen,

Woman B, who's posing as her, seems

now she's also vanished without a

trace'

to

And

I'm

before he

woman A

have killed

—who's going

to

rush

ask the local force for their cooperation with a story like that?

only you had something to identify her with. You say this

Shoko Sekine had crooked

teeth? That's distinctive."

was thinking. "But we're clutching

The head, he no way to

at straws here. There's

search for that."

"Oh yeah? Actually, you'd be "Why? What have you got?"

surprised what might turn up."

247

Honma

quoted Tamotsu. "Kyoko Shinjo

—what would you

got this

call it?

—moral

is

woman.

a strange

She's

streak? Sentimental side?

Like with those yearbooks, she could have just thrown them away.

But no, she goes to the trouble of sending them to an old classmate.

Not only was it a blown her cover." "...

—

it

could have

Yeah, I'm with you."

"It's

else,

who knows?

lot of extra trouble,

not

logical.

It's

like she's got these principles. In everything

her moves are planned and precise, then

all

of a sudden with the

yearbooks she becomes human. She's not consistent."

ex-husband said about her being a

superstitious soul

mind. "So, just for the sake of argument,

chops up the corpse

to get rid of

it,

but

let's

feels

What

Kyoko's

had stuck

in his

say she goes ahead and

she has to give the head

a decent burial."

of follows."

"It sort

"Mm..."

men were

Both "If

it

was me,

Honma

I'd

silent for a

moment, then Funaki suddenly

said,

check out Shoko's parents' grave."

smirked. "Good idea. Problem

is,

there isn't one."

Her

parents had died destitute, and their remains were in urns in a temple.

"Okay, scratch air."

And with a

that.

slept

He was

on

his

tongue and a sigh, Funaki hung up.

click of his

During the period

ma

keep forgetting that we're searching thin

I

own

able to pay

that Isaka

dubbed

futon for the

more attention

first

to

"the holding pattern,"

time in what

Makoto and

to get his full

of therapy sessions with Dr. Machiko. Meanwhile,

Hon-

felt like ages.

dose

Tamotsu would

head out every morning and return in the evening with the information he'd

dug up

that day.

Not

that he

was finding anything

that

would help pinpoint where Kyoko Shinjo was right then. He concentrated instead on Shoko's life in Tokyo. There were some small details that linked Shoko to Kyoko, although at this stage their usefulness was limited. Tamotsu knew that but insisted on continuing. He was nothing

if

not determined.

"There's just one thing 248

I

want

to ask,"

he said one evening.

"What's that?"

He

scowled. "We're gonna find

Kyoko

Shinjo, right?"

Td like to think so." "I

mean

gonna find

we're

her, right?

We're not turning this over to

the police."

"Not if we can help it." "When we do when we meet her what I want to ask you is, me be the one to talk to her first. I want to hear what she has

—

let

—

to to

say."

On

his third

day back from

Honma

Ise,

got a

call

from Wada, the

young manager at Roseline. He said he'd been talking to the people who had worked with Kyoko and who were still there, but he hadn't

come up with anything worth

Honma know

to let

earnestness

was

reporting.

Still,

he had wanted

he hadn't forgotten his promise. By

starting to

sound

fishy.

to call

now

his

Honma was pretty sure it was

through him that Kyoko had broken into the Roseline data. "Did you talk to her roommate yet? yes,

It

or Canberra,

isn't

"Ah, yes,

her name?

—oh

Orie Chino's return from her overseas trip on

was tomorrow. "Not

his calendar.

What was

Wada asked.

One Honma had marked Chino,"

yet. She's

probably

still

in

Sydney

she?"

that's right,"

almost sounded as

if

he

said,

stumbling a

he didn't really want

bit

Honma

over the words.

It

talking to her. But

he hadn't set up any obvious obstacles, nor did he seem particularly devious. Strange man. "I'll

give her a call tomorrow. Anyway, thanks for checking

may need to get in touch again later, if anything crops up." Wada sounded worried, judging from the timid way he

said

in.

I

okay

and quietly hung up. Thinking he'd better

Wada

On

talk to her as

soon as she came back, before

could get to her, he decided to try

second thoughts, though, he

perhaps more effective figured out roughly

—

to let

when

felt it

first

thing the next morning.

would be more

her have a day to herself

she'd be getting

polite

—and

first.

So he

home from work on

second day back, and dialed her then. The

first

her

time he got her 249

"

woman

answering machine; the second time the

She was guarded

at first,

but relaxed a

little at

herself answered.

the mention of Wada's

name. Before long, she was chattering away. "You know, Mr. can't

seem

to get over

Uh-huh, here

comes. "Oh? So

it

was

it

like that?"

mean, when Kyoko was rooming with me,

"I

many

Wada just

Kyoko," she teased.

I

don't

know how

Kyoko never talked like she was interested in him or anything, but he seemed to have his own ideas." Which would help explain why he was so edgy now. Maybe he was hoping Honma's search would turn up something that would improve times he drove her home.

his chances with her.

"Since

we were

living so close together,

not to step on each other's toes. So

And

about her.

then,

Honma's eyebrows "Yeah.

don't

I

I

rose.

exactly,

that

much

off,

we'd

but they seemed to be pretty

Uh-huh, but the cars were always

"And did she go with somebody?" "Hmm mostly she went alone, I .

all

any time

—

"Driver's license?

.

know

either of us got

were careful

"She went away on her holidays?"

know where

trips."

"Did she have a

It

I

away"

generally go

long

whenever

Kyoko and

really don't

.

rentals."

think."

could have been reconnaissance work, getting ready for the

switch. "So you're with Roseline as well?"

"Yeah, I'm in the computer room.

I

handle company data," she

said.

Honma's surprise must have been the next

clear

from his

moment Orie was saying anxiously,

"Just a second. You're in the

silence,

"Hello? You

still

because there?"

computer room?" But Wada had said lie if a relatively small and

she'd been a clerk. So that had been a

—

harmless one. "That's right.

and

I

a couple of the other companies."

"Where do you 250

process data from Roseline, Minami Green Garden

actually work, then?"

.

"The computer room only got to

in the

is

know Kyoko through

Mitomo Group's

headquarters.

I

the bulletin."

"Bulletin?"

"The roommate-wanted column in the company newsletter. an

ad. Neither of

Shinjo, thought

"My job

is

I

ran

us could afford a condo by ourselves." Enter Kyoko

Honma.

specialized," Orie continued. "So the pay's not too bad.

Whereas she was she could swing

just a trainee, so

it.

I

had

my

doubts about whether

But she seemed serious enough, so

I

said okay."

"Ms. Chino, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask a rather tough question."

"Ask away." "Did Ms. Shinjo ever ask you to steal customer data for her?"

There was a stunned silence, and then she burst out laughing. "No,

why would anybody do something like that?"

"But

if

"Sure

I

someone did

ask, could

could," she said,

out on the

street.

again, either."

still

you do

it?"

laughing. "But

if

word got

out, I'd be

Probably never work on computers in this town

Honma didn't really imagine Kyoko would have

let

the

key element in her plan depend on a roommate she'd only just met. But he had better be sure

.

.

"Okay, what about Mr.

Wada? Do you think

he'd do

it

if

Ms.

Shinjo asked?"

She answered immediately. "That's an easy one.

Definitely." Bingo,

thought Honma.

Then she slipped in a disclaimer. "But it wouldn't happen." "Why not? He knows his way around computers, doesn't he?" Orie laughed. "Oh, he talks big around clients. But actually he hasn't got clearance for the

badge."

It

was obvious

that,

computer room. He doesn't have an ID from her point of view, Wada was just an

amateur. "Sorry to keep harping on

this,

but

how was Ms.

Shinjo with

com-

puters herself? Could she have messed around with the Roseline sys-

tem and extracted customer data on her own?" "Are you saying that

that's

what happened?" 251

"No, I'm just testing a theory. While she was living with you, did

know-how

she have the kind of

something

would need

a person

to pull off

like that?"

Her response was immediate. "Kyoko, she couldn't

tell

a 'mouse'

from a moose." "

A mouse?"

"Oh

Kyoko?

dear," she said. "Listen.

from the computers,

see,

let's

wearing a wedding dress

I'll

when

come

Honma gave a quick laugh. "What was she

like as a

I

as

she

If

knew how

to steal data

get married someday, instead of

Rambo."

how had she pulled Shoko's data?

But

roommate?" he

said, trying a different

tack.

"As a roommate?"

"Was she neat? Messy? She keep Orie's tone brightened.

Plus she

was

careful with

whip up the best

"Oh,

see.

She was great

money and

fried rice just

Honma remembered

I

the place clean?"

a

from the

good cook,

"I

heard about

"Well, of

up

all

it

She could

Honancho aparton the oven fan?"

the shiny fan blades in the

"How did you know that?" who knew her."

from somebody

things

the place. Besides

.

.

.

Use detergent,

of

out on the veranda.

I

Yeah,

it's

that. it

have around.

too.

leftovers in the fridge."

ment. "Did she ever use gasoline to cut the grease Orie was astonished.

to

I

scary,

didn't like

the

having gasoline

told her. But no, she

No

it,

had

real danger,

I

to

way

it

sitting

would

stink

around

keep her

little

like

bottle

suppose, but you never

know, what with the stacks of newpapers out there." This reminded her of something. "Hey,

now

that

I

think of

it,

Kyoko used

to take a

Tokyo paper."

"Which one?" "The Asahi, was

The Yomiuri?" she muttered to herself. "That's right, the Yomiuri. I remember telling her the Osaka Yomiuri was a lot more interesting, hands down. Why would she want the it?...

Tokyo edition?"

"What did she say "Urn It

252

... I

forget.

figured that

to that?"

What did she say?"

Kyoko would need

to

know

all

she could about

Tokyo

if

she was going to be living there as Shoko Sekine.

had an emotional pull on

city

had

way

of telling herself that a

also

new

life

her,

was on

Maybe

the

and the paper was her

its

way So

every evening

she'd scan the events of the day in Tokyo.

"When did she

first start

subcribing to the YomiuriV

Orie had to think about that one. "Pretty soon after she I

guess. She used to clip articles for her scrapbook

This was the cles?

first

he'd heard of a scrapbook.

moved

sometimes

"What

in,

too."

sort of arti-

Do you remember?"

Orie just laughed.

don't know,

"I

maybe

recipes.

I

didn't

pay much

attention." to mind later, he told her, she should call They hung up. So the mystery remained a mystery, even to the roommate who had sat across the table from her at meals for months. Kyoko's image, though, was coming clearer step by step: taking the job at Roseline, finding the condo with Orie from the com-

Well,

him,

if

something came

collect.

puter room, playing the manager

how

her scheme. But

Should he forget about "I

Wada

Wada altogether?

this

give up," he said, without realizing he'd spoken out loud.

"Give up what?" asked Makoto,

behind him, doing an assignment. "Hey, you're in a

to

Honma

hadn't

Aunt Hisae

tears,

who was

"Is this a

sitting at the table right

game?"

good mood." The boy was

had been

since Blockhead

and

along, fitting everything into

did she finally get the information on Shoko?

killed, he'd

known how

done almost nothing but

to help. In the

which

let

can handle

it.

for sympathy,

actually smiling. Ever cry,

end Makoto had gone

Honma off the hook. "No more

then?"

"Only sometimes. cry too

much

I'll

I

Anyway, Auntie Hisae says

if I

get an earache." Trust Hisae to get around the usual

boys-don't-cry formula. "Hey,

you know what?" he went on. "Me and Kazzy were

talking.

We decided to make a grave for Blockhead." Honma was where but his father's

puzzled. Hadn't Isaka said they had looked every-

up

Makoto seemed to sense confusion, because he added, "We're gonna bury his col-

failed to turn

the dog's body?

lar."

253

"His collar?"

"Uh-huh. Blockhead had two wearing

when he

you know. The one he was

collars,

disappeared was just a

flea collar.

The real nice one, with his name on "So where are you going to bury it?"

leather one.

don't

"I

buried taker

it

know yet.

Kazzy's looking for a

secretly out front in

Minamoto

We

good spot Park,

still

got the

it."

now

If

we just

you think the

care-

would be mad?"

"Mm, that may not be such a good idea. It is a grave, after all." He frowned, propping his chin on one hand. "Yeah, we kind of figured that Tamotsu says he'll make us a marker for it." He seemed .

to

.

.

have taken a

real shine to

Tamotsu. "Uncle Tsuneo said from

on Blockhead's gonna help look

after

Mom.

That's

now

gonna be Block-

main job."

head's

Honma just smiled. Good for Isaka. "And

he'll

his mother's

have

lots of

space to run around in." Makoto looked at

photograph on the Buddhist

altar.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"That creep Tazaki, why'd he have to "I

don't know, son.

What do you

kill

Blockhead?"

think? Try to put yourself in his

place."

Makoto swung

his legs

back and forth and gave

it

some thought.

"Maybe he was bored." "Bored?" "Yeah, see, in his house they won't let

him have

a dog."

This was the same boy who'd said that dogs weren't allowed in the

apartment complex, and that his folks to

buy him

if

Makoto

didn't like that

he should get

a real house.

"Everybody was talking about

it

at school.

Uncle Tsuneo, he said

he heard from the neighbors too that the Tazakis had thought about getting a

dog but decided not

trouble getting the

want

a

money

dog messing

it

254

Blockhead?"

His mother said they'd had enough

together to build the house, and she didn't

up."

Honma looked at Makoto. to kill

to.

"So

maybe

this

Tazaki didn't really want

"

"What do you mean?"' "Maybe he would rather have kept him. But his folks wouldn't him. So he didn't want Kazzy to have a dog if he couldn't."

let

"So he killed him?"

"Seems

like

it."

"Why would

he do that? He could have gone over to Kazzy's and

played with Blockhead anytime."

"Maybe he

didn't think of that.

Or maybe he was

too upset about

not getting a dog of his own."

Makoto

twirled his pencil between his fingers. "You

Uncle Tsuneo

know what

said?"

"What?"

The boy frowned with the effort of repeating something that had been hard for him to understand when he'd heard it. "He said there are people in this world who can never be happy with what other people do." "Yes?"

"And when they smash

it.

Then,

see something they don't like, they just go

later,

they

come up with

a reason. So

if

and

Tazaki gives

some excuse about why he killed Blockhead, we don't have to listen. It doesn't matter what he says, only what he did." Hm. It seemed surprisingly cynical, coming from someone as mellow as

Isaka.

Had Honma misread him?

"Uncle Tsuneo's a housekeeper, right?

And him and Aunt

Hisae,

they got enough money, but they don't want to move, he says. Well,

if

people say bad things about them, he doesn't care. Let them say

whatever they want as long as they keep out of his way, he says.

'Just

them make trouble for me, they'll wish they hadn't.' Makoto had run all this together in one breath, and paused for a minute. "He says people who do terrible things don't really think let

about what they're doing. Same with Tazaki." "So you shouldn't forgive Tazaki, is that the idea?" Makoto shook his head. "No, wait. He said if Tazaki came and said he's sorry, then

That was a

we should forgive him."

relief.

"Good.

I

think so too." 255

Makoto looked work.

relieved as well,

and turned back

Honma snapped the newspaper open again.

home-

to his

But Makoto hadn't

quite finished.

"Dad?" "Yeah?" Peering over the top of the paper,

Honma saw

that

he

looked worried again.

"The

woman you're looking for, you

"That's right. We're

"Did she

kill

still

haven't found her yet?"

looking."

somebody?"

don't know yet what she did." "When you find her, you gonna take "1

her to the police station?"

"Well, we've got a lot of questions to ask her."

"Why? Is that your job, asking people questions?" Up to now, Makoto had never probed much into what his father did; his dad was just a detective who caught the bad guys, and that was it. He had never pressed him for details. Honma felt like telling him there was a little more to it. He wanted to tell him about how he sympathized with Kyoko Shinjo. How he almost wished he could just let her go. But

all

"This

he said was, "Right,

woman, she had

that's

my job."

reasons. She didn't

Then, as an afterthought:

do

terrible things to other

people just because bad things had happened to her. She wanted to

do the bad

things."

Makoto took now?"

a

moment

to

absorb

that.

"You waiting

for a call

"That's right."

"And when

this call

comes, where you gonna go?"

"Nagoya or Osaka, probably." Just then the his eyes

256

phone

at

Honma's elbow began

and sighed. "Bring me back some

to ring.

Makoto

presents, okay?"

rolled

25 o

"It's

what

been two years since

she's

up

to

I

heard from Kyoko.

I

haven't a clue

nowadays."

Kyoko's friend in Nagoya, Kaoru Sudo, had gotten married and

changed her name just the year before. She was

now

living in the

suburbs of Nagoya with her husband's parents, so meeting her

house wouldn't be a good

outside, she suggested, since she

Honma

asked

if

her

still

went

to

work.

they could meet near where she'd lived back

when she knew Kyoko. This was lunch place near

at

but they could easily talk somewhere

idea;

my

fine

with

her. "There's a nice little

old apartment. Even after

Kyoko moved

to

Osaka, she used to come up and stay overnight, and the next day

we'd have lunch there."

Coty was

where

all

strictly a

neighborhood coffee shop, the kind of place

the customers were regulars

minute Kaoru walked

how she'd been. Kaoru was type.

tall

called

came

—Mr. Funaki, was —

Honma

lived in the area.

and slim with a small

She looked about thirty-two or

settled in at the table, she

who

the proprietor smiled broadly

in,

it?

thirty-three.

to the point.

said

Kyoko was

face

The

and asked

—the model

As soon as they had

"The police

officer

who

missing."

explained the circumstances, keeping back only the part

about suspected murder, as usual. Kaoru took a long sip of coffee.

Her composure was spoiled only by

a slight crease between her pen-

"What can she be doing?" she muttered into her cup. Kaoru had known Kyoko since the girl had fled to Nagoya with her mother at the age of seventeen and started working part-time there. "I know all about the family skipping out on their debts. She ciled eyebrows.

257

"

told

me

everything." For the most part, her information overlapped

with what Kyoko's ex-husband had already

said,

but some

new

facts

did emerge.

and Kurata

"After she

her once." Since they

wasn't surprising. "The

Kaoru cocked her head maybe. That's

ruary,

The divorce was accounted

split

up, the

knew where first

time

it

the couple

saw her

I

one side

to

right,

bill collectors

—

had

after

caught up with

lived in Ise, that

her divorce was

—

"the following year, around Feb-

was snowing."

in September,

which

left

almost six months un-

for.

"Do you remember anything much about Kaoru nodded emphatically.

"I

sure do.

that visit?"

was quite upsetting,

It

actually."

She had shown up in a

had paid the

fare. "All

taxi in the

middle of the night and Kaoru

she had on was a

skin was completely gray, her lips

all

slip

cracked.

under her raincoat. Her I

knew right away what

kind of work they had her doing."

When

Kaoru asked where she'd been, Kyoko

didn't say

much.

"It

wasn't any big place like Tokyo or Osaka, even Nagoya. Probably

more

like

some

resort

town out in the sticks." to work off the debt?"

"They were getting her "No. They'd sold her."

Kyoko stayed with her for about a month. "She asked if I could lend her some money, so I gave her five hundred thousand yen. She was putting me

said she

cause the next time they'd

Osaka

in

danger by sticking around Nagoya, be-

come

for

me

too.

She said she was going

to

to look for work."

Kyoko landed the job with Roseline. she was living in some hole-in-the-wall place, but later heard she settled into a nice condo with someone from the office." "That must have been Ms. Chino." In April

"At

first

"Could be

when I heard either. It

while to

..."

that,

Kaoru rubbed her temple with her I

felt better.

was around then

Her

that

finger. "Well,

salary at Roseline wasn't too bad,

Kyoko

started driving

visit."

"She'd always drive? Never take a train?" 258

I

up once

in a

And not knew who

just

enough. "But driving a

car,

Kaoru nodded. "She said she was scared of

—she

trains

might run even

if

into."

Her meaning was

clear

she

she did suddenly get into some kind of trouble, she could get

Of

away.

trains.

avoided crowds in general. She never

a rental car." Kyoko was obviously The odds of her bumping into a collector in a Osaka or Nagoya were close to zero, but even so she

course,

was always

it

scared out of her wits.

huge

city like

wasn't taking any risks.

"Were they

still

after her then?"

Kaoru shook her head. "Not that

you think

it's

safe

could

I

see.

by now? But she wouldn't

And

listen.

I

told her, don't

She said she was

going to have to keep an eye out for them for the rest of her

Kaoru had

tried to find

life."

out what happened during the six months

when she'd lost contact. Kyoko never really opened up, but it seemed there was one guy in particular one of the mob, a yakuza who fancied her. And he was going to look all over hell for her not just

—

—

"

because of the debts, but for reasons of his own.

was

all

—

'A regular monster'

she would say."

Kaoru's expression was

One

bitter. "I

had a pretty good idea what went

Kyoko suddenly couldn't stand the sight of anything uncooked You know, sashimi or anything raw Said the smell of it made her sick. She was never that way on.

thing

puzzles me, though.

still

.

before."

.

.

Kaoru folded her arms across her

chest.

"Did Kyoko ever talk to you about any concrete plans?"

was thinking of things

like

an ordinary, happy marriage, a

Honma

life

of her

own.

Kaoru shook her head father, a

Wada, ily

again.

No,

it

mother, anything to protect her

whom she'd

wasn't likely

—even

the law.

—

thought she could depend on

had dropped her

like a

hot cinder.

that point on, she couldn't rely

—not without

Men just

let

a

Even her Mr.

his big, rich fam-

you down. From

on anyone. She'd have

to fend for her-

way back up. "Did Kyoko ever show you a photo of a house?" "What house?" "Here." He pulled out the Polaroid of the chocolate-brown model home and slid it across the table.

self,

crawl her

259

"Oh, this..."

"Then you've seen

it

before?"

Kaoru smiled and nodded. "Sure,

it's

from her training session,

right?"

"Oh?" he

said, as

"A friend had

if

he didn't know.

camera and she borrowed

a Polaroid

going around model homes. a

funny habit

to

I

used

to tease

it.

her about

it,

Kyoko liked seemed like

me."

Liked going around model homes. "Even though a housing loan was the cause of

all

her troubles?"

Kaoru put the photo down on the about

like that,

it

I

probably the other

guess

it

way around. She

day she'd have a family and dream, and

all

said,

hung on

for her.

She was pretty determined."

it

'someday when "

think

think

I

it's

—some-

much

That was her

made

And

all

it

that's

the

why

to the picture.

She showed

like this.'

practically said as

live in a place like this.

"She liked this house best of ently.

when you

the things she'd been through only

more important she had

table. "Yes,

does seem odd. But you know,

to I

me when

get

my life

Kaoru was trying

"She didn't say she'd like

all

the ones she'd ever seen, appar-

she

first

came

to visit. 'Kaoru,' she

together, I'm going to

live in a

house

to imitate the cheerful tone she'd used. to

show you

the house, invite

you there

sometime?"

Kaoru drew back didn't."

a bit in surprise.

"Come

to think of

it,

no, she

She couldn't have, he thought, because the home would be-

long to someone with another name. Kyoko's plans were already in place by then.

Honma

looked up from the photo and

from Kyoko

"She's

"You haven't heard

lately?"

Kaoru looked ly.

said,

a

little irritated,

crossing her legs and pouting slight-

been completely out of touch.

"You haven't had any phone

calls

It's

the truth."

where the

caller

hangs up when

you answer?" "No, none that I'm aware

of."

The effort involved in taking over another woman's identity must have 260

left

Kyoko shaken and

insecure, yet she hadn't tried to contact

the one friend she had, the one person she'd shared her

What could that mean? Where was she? "When Kyoko and I knew each other, husband and we'd decided

to get

I

dreams with.

was going out with

my

married in another year or two. So

maybe she thinks I'm well and truly married now and she can't just come visit like she would have in the old days." Then again, Honma thought darkly, maybe she's just decided not to trust Kaoru and to keep running on her own. "Were you living around here at the time?" "Right over there, see?" She pointed out the

window

to the build-

ing diagonally across the street, saying that hers had been the corner

room on the second floor. A row of colorful potted flowers now lined the window and a pair of red socks hung on the clothesline above an air conditioner. Honma could almost see Kyoko helping Kaoru hang out the wash. In

all

—the cheap rooming house with her

the places she'd lived in

mother; the apartment in Nagoya; the inn where she worked in

Ise;

home; that unknown hell when she'd sex; the condo down in Osaka; then that

the sprawling Kurata family

been caught and sold neat

little

fended for

for

Honancho apartment herself: cleaning

ping and the cooking. Her dirt-poor, occasionally

—she was always

even

—wherever

life

had been by turns

fairly

a fugitive.

way

again.

to leave her past

frightening, sad,

happy. But one thing never changed

She had run to get away from the ya-

kuza, and kept on running. Then, a

she lived, Kyoko had

and washing clothes and doing the shop-

behind

when

she thought she'd found

for good, she'd

had

to start

running

Nothing had changed.

Honma wanted call off this chase,

"The

last

Honma

to call out,

"You must be

tired.

I

know I am.

Let's

stop for a minute."

time Kyoko came to see me, she'd just quit Roseline."

took out his notes and nodded. "She

left at

the

end of

December 1989." "That's right. late January.

She came up here just

She took

me out to dinner,

after I

New

Year's

...

or no, in

remember. She'd just gotten

And she was well on her way to becoming Shoko. "She said she'd moved out of the condo she'd been

paid."

living in in 261

Osaka. So

asked

I

where now? And she said she was thinking

her,

about Kobe."

"Oh...?" "But the funny thing was, in the course of the conversation she

mentioned something about the Keihin Tohoku Line. area train; runs

That's a Tokyobetween Yokohama and Tokyo and then north to

Saitama, right?" So naturally Kaoru had asked what

up

"And, boy,

there.

stuff she

places.

had

if

looks could

to take care of in

kill

Saitama

.

.

.

Kyoko was doing

She said there was some

—Kawaguchi,

actually, of all

She was renting a room by the week, but she couldn't give

me

the phone number ..." Shoko was all paranoid, she said somebody had been opening her mail. That was what the older girl at Gold had said. So that would be how Kyoko found out about the cemetery tour. Shoko's schedule at the time had her getting up around noon, working nights, coming

home

in the small hours of the morning. Plenty of opportunity to go

looking through her mailbox.

One and

little

clear.

—and

link

A single

came sharp now joined Shoko Sekine and Kyo-

the fuzzy outline of the image

unbroken

line

No mistake. "One thing," Honma said, shifting in his seat. "When Kyoko came

ko Shinjo.

when

to visit, or

strange, different

she called, was there any time

when

somehow from

Over the

her usual

self?

she seemed last

few

years, say?"

Kaoru gave him a quizzical look. "Strange?" "Yeah. Irritable, nervous, crying for no reason?"

The question was

how Kyoko might have been 1989, when Shoko Sekine's mother

vague, but what he was getting at was

on or around November 25, her death. If Honma's suspicions of murder were correct and Kyoko Shinjo had had a hand in the old woman's fall admittedly hard to prove then the first order of business was to place her in acting fell

to

—

—

Utsunomiya

that day.

The nine-day period before and

afterward, from

the eighteenth through the twenty-sixth, she'd taken off from Roseline.

That

know now likely,

262

much

he'd learned from

Wada. But what he wanted to or, more

was, had Kyoko contacted Kaoru on the day

the night of the twenty-fifth?

Kaoru

propping her chin on a

sat

fist.

thinking, not trying to hide something.

She looked as

More than

been working entirely alone, even then. Certainly the

when she

killed

—

yes, killed

—

the daughter, she

she were

if

Kyoko had following March

likely,

had already

lost

touch

with her old friend.

know about strange, but

don't

"I

end of January,

that last time, the

she seemed different." Kaoru spoke slowly, choosing her words with

"Whenever she

care.

end of a

the

left at

Then, outside the door, she'd wave and

visit, it

was always

say, 'Later.'

'See you!'

But that one time

bowed and said 'Goodbye.' " And it was goodbye: "Kyoko" was finished. Kaoru would never see her again, nor of course would she actually

she ever meet "Shoko Sekine." "Yes

.

.

now

.

that

I

think about

death too," Kaoru went on. "In

She

said, 'Kaoru,

wanted

wouldn't

when you

be buried as

to

when Kaoru asked

if

die,

it,

she talked about her mother's

death was a big topic that evening.

where do you want

in

that's it

—

now."

I

should have made her

Kaoru had talked reminded

But

anything was wrong, Kyoko just laughed. if I

had no idea

she dropped out of sight and no word came,

all this

said, 1

my old hometown if it killed me.' "

could see something was going on, even

When

be buried?' She

to

from Mureyama as possible. She

far

them bury me

let

fact,

tell

me.

A

lot of

I

thought, well,

good

herself straight into a black

it

else?"

Her shoulders drooped.

does to say

mood. Her tone

Honma of how he'd felt when he'd suggested to

Kyoko might be dead. "Was there anything

"I

just what.

Kurata that

Honma asked.

"I can't

think of anything," she said with a

sigh.

"Well, then,

thing

come

to

how about

if I

pick a day?

November

25, 1989.

Any-

mind?"

"Something in particular happen that day?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Honma sheet,

smiled. "No,

Kyoko was

twenty-fifth, visit

it's

just that according to the Roseline time

absent for a total of nine days before

which was

a payday.

and

after the

Did she by any chance come and

you?" 263

.

Kaoru's eyes wandered away. She reached clumsily for her coffee

cup and brought

down and

mouth. She took

to her

it

asked, "While she

was

a sip, then set

Kyoko

at Roseline, did

it

firmly

ever take

any other long leaves?"

Honma

checked his notes. Wada had run

information, so

it

was easy

a search for just that

to tell right away. "No.

She had other

absences as long as three days. But nine days, just the once.

Novem-

ber 18 through 26."

Kaoru looked of holes, but

if

relieved. "In that case,

Kyoko never took

off

I

My memory's full

do know.

any other long

stretches, then

it

has to be then."

Honma edged forward.

"Did she contact you?"

—

"She did. She came up.

It was the second day of her leave that would make it the night of the nineteenth. It was real strange. She had hurt herself." •

"Hurt herself how?" "Burns.

Not too

serious, luckily," said Kaoru. "But she did have to

go into the hospital. She was running a high For a

moment Honma thought

fever."

he'd misheard. "Say that again."

"She was hospitalized. Emergency," she explained, "At City General,

near here. She was admitted and stayed through the morning of

the twenty-sixth, that's

why

Kyoko Shinjo was

in a

mother

fell

down

the stairs

the nine-day leave."

.

Nagoya

hospital

when Shoko

"She ended up with pneumonia," Kaoru told him. teenth, she

went

night, then

on

showed up

at

asked

who

for a drive

the

my

Sekine's

.

with a friend. They stayed

way back they had an place after midnight

"On at

the eigh-

an inn one

why

accident. That's

on the nineteenth.

she'd been with, she wouldn't say.

Clammed

up.

she

When

Her

I

right

arm was covered with burns, not third-degree, but covering most of her arm. Even though it was cold, she was wearing just a blouse and a skirt and a thin raincoat. Said that when they had the accident, the engine caught fire and her sweater got burned. She got on the train and just came up here, without stopping to put on any other clothes. She was shivering, running a 264

fever."

on

The

first

thing Kaoru did was put her to bed, keeping a close eye

her.

"But

it

to the toilet

was more than I could handle. One minute she's going and the next thing she's in the bath, banging her head

against the wall. She

was

I

had

to call

know

if I

was

there

an ambulance. She never did

Roseline the truth. Said she'd caught a bad cold and was resting

tell

up

hyper, like she didn't

all

with her or not. Eventually

at

her aunt's place

—and they never questioned

Anyway, she was in the hospital

when she

got well, she refused to

been quite a date,

is all I

Kaoru wasn't one

to

can

as far as

it,

for seven days altogether. tell

me whose

car

it

but she did keep track of her

diary,

deposit for the hospital room, so tell

you

in

more

Honma

go back over

if I

detail. Shall

"That would be great,"

later,

was. Must have

say."

keep a

accounts, and they were as good a record as any.

probably

know

I

Even

I

check

"I lent

my

her the

books

I

can

it?"

said, jotting

down

his

number

for

her.

He had just there

arrived back at the hotel

was no mistake about

the hospital receipt to his hotel.

surprised at the

room when she

called to say

the dates. She could even fax a copy of

The

way Honma lunged

front desk clerk

at the sheet as

it

seemed

a

little

rolled out of the

machine.

Kobata City General Hospital full for Ms. Kyoko Shinjo, inpatient care and room November 19-26, 1989, inclusive. Six-bed ward. Showed

Received in charges,

National Health card.

Room deposit:

¥70,000.

265

^ 26 ^

"Well,

if

that doesn't beat all,"

slurped at his kombu

Funaki

said.

He grinned and

tea.

Honma had been back

for

two days. They were

sitting at the

kitchen table talking things over. Isaka was half listening as he got

Honma

dinner ready. The unexpected twist had so overwhelmed

that

he had completely forgotten to buy Makoto the promised presents.

"Looks

like there

might have been an accomplice

after all," ven-

tured Isaka. Tonight, at Makoto's request, they were having oden hot-

pot for supper. Isaka was stewing up an extra-large batch so he could take

some home

for himself.

The broth simmered,

filling the

house

with a warm, cozy aroma. "But

why

wouldn't the accomplice have surfaced

till

now?" Hon-

ma said. "What about that Wada character?" Funaki suggested. "He was in Osaka. The night Mrs. Sekine died, he was working the office

till

nine. If the

guy had sprouted wings and flown

maybe he'd be in Utsunomiya by eleven." "An accident, then?" Funaki said, looking unconvinced.

at

there,

"Stranger

things have happened."

Honma

laughed. "Then Shoko Sekine's mother sure chose to have

her accident at a very convenient time for Kyoko Shinjo."

"You

know what

they say about truth being stranger than fiction."

"Her companion, then," Isaka struggled on, her in the car

when

266

—

the person with

she had the accident on the nineteenth. Couldn't

that be the killer?"

This did give

"

Honma pause.

Funaki muttered, "What

if

the

companion had been her

fiance,

Jun Kurisaka?" "Both of you have been reading too many detective novels." "Yeah, well."

"Hey, what's

happened

to

him, anyway?

Isaka said, suddenly concerned. "It this in the first place.

"You'd think a

work

for him,"

He

can't

He

hasn't called once,"

was Jun who dragged you

be that uninterested."

man of his 'caliber' wouldn't need us

Funaki

had flung that money

said.

at

into

to

do

his dirty

Ever since he'd heard about the way Jun

Honma,

he'd had

little

use for the junior

banker.

went over

Isaka the

lid,

to the stove to

check on the oden. As he removed

who'd been

a delicious cloud of steam curled out. Funaki,

slouched over, chin practically resting on the tabletop, perked up

enough

to say, "Sure smells

good!"

"You're staying for supper, aren't you?" if you want sparkling company," he said sourly, and chuckwonder if she's having dinner now too," he added.

"Not led. "I

"Who?" Honma asked. "Kyoko Shinjo."

Honma looked at him. "Yeah, probably." "And why not? She's got to eat and bathe and go make some man's

good

time."

like this,

He gave

and

life

all

dolled

up

to

miserable. She's probably out there having a

gloomy laugh. "Here we

a

get

she's at a Shiseido

are racking our brains

cosmetics counter trying out the

new

spring lipstick colors."

"Where'd you get

all

the detail?"

Holding a pair of cooking chopsticks in one hand, Isaka looked past Funaki to offer

Honma

had himself an arranged meeting with a if

she might have been

—

let's

somebody just prospective bride. I wonder

a bit of insight. "I believe

see

—a Shiseido beautician."

Funaki smiled, despite himself. "Of

all

the slanderous

.

.

Bull's-

.

eye."

But where was Kyoko Shinjo now?

much

Honma

hadn't given

it

that

thought. Did they go back to the starting line, then? Back

before they'd discovered that "Shoko Sekine"

was someone

else? 267

Should they do what the attorney Mizoguchi had recommended and put an ad in the paper? "Kyoko, let's talk it over. Come back, please." But whose name to sign? Jun's?

The most ridiculous respond, family

when

register.

called .

.

was

It

ridiculous.

was thinking

part

by her own name.

Shoko? Oh,

she's

Kyoko might

that

Yes,

working down

in

to her on the phone the other day. Sorry to cause

and marry. I'm hospitalized with an

Come

on, get serious.

her breath. Probably as

ulcer.

Kyoko was out from Tokyo as

far

Kyushu now. Talked concern.

all this

The two of them get back

hears her out with tears in his eyes.

actually

Shoko Sekine sold me her

Jun

together

Make

that a bleeding ulcer.

there

somewhere, holding

possible.

Honma abruptly stood up. "What gives?" Funaki asked, startled. "I was just thinking," Honma said. "What do you suppose Kyoko is

really

doing these days?"

"Crying her eyes out, probably," Funaki

said, grinning.

"Or

else

consulting a Shiseido beautician." "I'd

say she's working," Isaka suggested.

with enough

to get

by on,

"I

doubt she

left

here

alone settle into somewhere nice."

let

"Doesn't seem like she's kept in touch with Kaoru Sudo, either,"

added Funaki.

Honma

let his

mind wander,

she might try the same scam

all

contacted her old friend Kaoru

his eyes half shut. "Don't

over again? is

because

I

you think

bet the reason she hasn't

she's scared to."

"Scared?" Funaki prompted. "Yes.

She dumped Jun when things started

to

come unstuck. Once what would

she was on her own, she must have gotten to thinking

Jun do now? He'd search

found out about the bankruptcy

would have pieced

it all

—

And who knows? Jun enough, maybe by now he

for her, that's what. easily

together, that 'Shoko Sekine'

was

really

Kyoko

Shinjo..."

"Nah. She wouldn't think that

far

ahead."

"She wouldn't have any way to be sure, but

it

must have crossed

her mind. All the more reason not to contact her friend Kaoru. Cut off all ties that

might identify

Kyoko, could she, so she had 268

her.

to find

She couldn't go back

someone

else to be."

to

being

Funaki and Isaka exchanged looks. "She'd need

to get a job at

another mail-order place," said Funaki. "Start all over again

Honma

let

from the beginning," echoed

he'd had, this talk had driven

it

away.

"Uh-oh, got to run," said Isaka, glancing

minutes to

Isaka.

out a deep breath. Whatever glint of insight he thought

three.

Makoto and Kazzy had

at the

kitchen clock. Five

insisted they

head's funeral that day. In the end, the boys

come

to Block-

had asked the Isakas

if

they could use part of their ground-floor garden plot, a patch of earth that technically

belonged to the housing project

—not

that the Isakas

minded. Tamotsu had banged together a cross out of scraps of wood, proving himself both handy and respectful of the dead.

The boys had done their digging with a trowel, and had barely gone deep enough to cover the poor dog's collar. The collar was practically brand-new. Before burying it, Makoto showed everyone the inscription he'd made inside. Tamotsu planted the cross on top of the grave and Hisae covered

it

with a wreath. Each person there

lit

a stick

of incense, then pressed their hands together in prayer.

"Think Blockhead

will like this

ceremony?" Makoto asked.

"I

think

"I

bet he's real pleased to have his

ting

he'll

him on

love

it."

"When summer comes, here and

let

new

collar,"

Funaki

said, pat-

the shoulder.

them grow up

gonna plant morning glories right Makoto said with a smile, pointing at

we're

big,"

the veranda railings. "I

already got the seeds," said Kazzy.

"We can something

plant different flowers in the right seasons, so there'll be

all

year round," Hisae promised. "Anyway,

why

don't

you

put the trowel away and get yourselves washed up. There's cake, anybody's interested."

Honma a

word

the

if

And they all started drifting back inside.

noticed that Tamotsu was acting strange. He'd hardly said

whole

ing to keep his

time. At

own

first

Honma

thought he was simply

sadness to himself. But that wasn't

thing seemed to be bothering

him deep

hunched, and cocked his head

to

inside;

it.

try-

Some-

he kept his shoulders

one side every so

often.

"What's wrong?" 269

"

don't know,

"I

my neck is acting up." He brushed the dirt from his and putting up the cross got me thinking

trousers. "Digging that hole

about something that happened a long time ago."

"You had a pet that died when you were a kid?"

Tamotsu shook hated animals.

"It's

eyes out, but he

something

I

ought

good

"Too good.

never

still

let

ask Ikumi about. She

to

better than anyone, even better than

"She's a

about

my

cry

one," he grumbled.

knows me

my dad me have

his head. "No, nothing like that. Actually,

I'd

I

know myself."

wife."

I

just think about stepping out of line, she

knows

it."

That evening, while called Ikumi.

Honma

Honma was

going over his notes, Tamotsu

encouraged him

Regular as clockwork, almost the

first

to

phone home once

words out of

his

a day.

mouth

were,

"How's Taro? How's the baby?" Today, however, his "Hello,

it's

me" seemed

to

meet with some

words were, "What do you mean, 'Who's

resistance, because his next that?'

Honma tsu to erly

smiled to himself. Pretty soon

head back

wound up

to

or not. Sure,

see that he belonged back

"Don't say

it

would be time

for

Tamo-

...

was Tamotsu's

it

life,

but anyone could

home with her.

like that!"

I'm worried about

it

Utsunomiya, whether the investigation was prop-

Tamotsu

You know

I

"Of course

protested.

—how can you say

I

do. Sure,

that?"

Tamotsu

up from his chair, stumbling a bit. "Don't be an idiot, okay? I don't want to hear it!" he yelled into the phone. "Come on, give me a break. I called you because there was something I wanted to ask. Are you sitting down?" got

Fortunately the conversation to explain the events of the day.

now settled down, "The thing

is, I

as

seem

Tamotsu began to

remember, a

long time ago, digging with a trowel, making some kind of grave for a pet or something. But Dad, you

me have

a pet.

Tamotsu you know grade 270

So what

listened.

all this,

—but

I

is this,

—

is.

He would never

I

told

I

told you? Hey,

you

let

you got any idea?"

"What? Elementary school, huh?

anyway?

suppose

know how he

then

that too."

I

wet

my

How come bed

till

fifth

"

"

Their discussion seemed to be going nowhere in particular.

Honma

had turned away when Tamotsu suddenly pounded the telephone stand with his

fist

and

let

out a whoop. "That's right!

I

remember

now! Shoko was with me!"

Honma looked at him. Tamotsu nodded

energetically. "That's right, that's

what

it

was

..."

Talking to her had jogged his memory. "Ikumi, you're a genius! I'm a

lucky man," he exclaimed.

He hung up and rejoined

the others at the

table.

"Shoko and said, still a bit

did an animal project together, in grade school," he

I

out of breath.

flew into our classroom."

"We had

to take care of a lovebird that

When the bird died,

they buried

it

in a cor-

ner of the schoolyard. "So

that's

what

it

was,"

Honma chuckled.

"But listen," Tamotsu said eagerly, leaning across the table. "There's

something

I

remembered from

talking to Ikumi."

Honma was a bit overwhelmed by all this energy. "What's that?" "Shoko was pretty attached to that bird." No doubt her family's budget had been too it

tight to allow her to

broke her up. She cried her head

day. 'Poor thing, all

on

its

off,

have a

just like

pet.

"So

when it died

Makoto did

the other

own,' she said." There were red spots in

Tamotsu's cheeks.

Honma

stared blankly at him. All at once the young man's meanbecame clear. "You're not saying Tamotsu was shaking his head. "No, it's true. Shoko never forgot Back in grade school, she said to me once, Tamo, if 1 die first, bury

—

ing

it.

me out here with Pippi.' A bird. Buried in a corner of the schoolyard. "You get

it?"

he continued. "Two things Ikumi heard Shoko mut-

tering to herself at her mother's funeral.

being able to afford a regular grave.

How ashamed

she was, not

And how she herself wanted to be

buried with Pippi. Ikumi said she heard her. So somebody else could

have heard her too."

"Slow down," alone doesn't

Honma

said, reining in his

own

thoughts. "That

..."

Tamotsu wasn't listening. "The way I see

it,

Kyoko Shinjo went on 271

—

.

that

cemetery tour to spend some time around Shoko.

after all, a

grave-shopping tour, right? So what

mental and started talking

know

sure as hell have given our school a

visit."

was

It

said.

Kyoko

a long shot.

When

was,

if

that subject, she probably told her all didn't

if

it

Shoko got all sentiabout where she wanted to be buried

someday? Once they got on about Pippi. Even

And

the exact spot, she could

Honma remembered what Funaki had

Still,

people are faced with death

—

its rituals

they confide in people. Like that young wife

and emblems

who murdered her busi-

nessman husband.

Would

the subject have

come up naturally? Or did Kyoko steer Though why would she want to

the conversation in that direction?

do

that?

Of

She didn't need

to

know, unless

course. There was a reason.

.

.

Kyoko

hadn't been able even to

throw away Shoko Sekine's yearbooks, and had gone ble of mailing

how had

them

to her "best friend."

And

a guilty conscience?

if

Wasn't

head

it,

but

Honma was

far just for the

may have had

beginning to think

had other plans

at least, she'd

to all the trou-

because she some-

she went that

yearbooks, then what about the body? She to dispose of

it

to cut

that,

it

up

with the

—which Shoko had inadvertently

given her.

Tamotsu's confidence was contagious. cool down. "Well,

prove

maybe

it

Honma

forced himself to

did happen like that. Thinking

it

doesn't

it."

But Tamotsu was

all fired

up. "That's

why

we've got to dig!

I've

got lots of friends from school back in Utsunomiya. We'll plow up the entire schoolyard

if

we have

to."

Amazingly enough for a Sunday morning, it was the slug-a-bed Makoto who managed to get up in time to give Tamotsu a hero's send-off. Tamotsu was catching an early bullet train back to Utsunomiya. His face was clear and relaxed; he looked like he was ready to set to

work.

Honma, on while sitting

the other hand,

at the

woke

in a mental haze.

had formed just below the surface of 272

The day before,

kitchen table talking with the others, something his consciousness, then evapo-

Now,

rated.

as he lay in

whispered in his

bed

ear, teasing

All right, all right.

Time

still

same something

half asleep, that

him, giving him no

rest.

on with more

to get

practical matters,

Honma said sternly to himself, lumbering out of bed. would go right. He broke a plate clearing up to pay Makoto the household penalty fee.

Nothing, though,

after breakfast

and had

"You seem weird," the boy told him as he helped dry the dishes. "Like you're not really here."

"Mm, maybe

I'm not."

"But your knee's better, right? Are you going back to

He guessed he

work soon?"

should; he couldn't stay on this case forever.

"What's Dr. Machiko going to say?" teased Makoto. "You been

skipping

all

your appointments, so you're heading

for trouble."

"But I'm walking perfectly normally now." "That's

what you

think.

I

think you

still

walk

stiff."

"That so?" said Honma, turning off the faucet.

Makoto went out

to play

and

Honma

returned to reviewing what

he knew about Kyoko Shinjo and Shoko Sekine. Papers covered the

He focused on

table.

managed done

involved. Two:

how Kyoko had killed

—

data,

and whether

if that's

what she'd

—Shoko's mother. Two major snags. He'd been struggling with

them

for

about two weeks, but

He kept imagining Kyoko

ad

what he knew. One: how Kyoko had

hands on the Roseline customer

to get her

Wada was

the gaps in

— "Kyoko,

let's

talk

it

over.

still

had precious

little

to

go on.

catching sight of the short personal

Come

back, please"

—and appearing

out of nowhere, running intojun's open arms. "Beats me," he groaned.

He the

sat

down and

stood up, sat

morning came and went.

It

down and

stood up. Meanwhile,

was one o'clock when Makoto popped

to ask what was for lunch. Usually, on Isaka's day off, Honma would putter around the kitchen, throwing something together, but

back in

he didn't

feel like

it

today.

"How about eating out?" he The two of them

set

said.

He

didn't have to ask twice.

out for a family restaurant near the apartment

complex. Getting out into the open

air felt

good.

Honma

decided he

wouldn't go straight back after lunch. 273

"Got any plans

this

afternoon?" he asked as they were strolling

out of the restaurant. "I

now

gotta be at Kazzy's at three. Right

he's

out buying a

new

computer game." "What's the game this time?"

Honma got lost not far into

Makoto's explanation. The boy started

again at the beginning three times, but never

managed

to reach the

end. Something about bonus points in each player's scorecard.

"It's

really neat."

"Yeah, right."

"Nice day, huh?" Makoto said, lazily stretching out one arm. "Sure

is."

know what?

"Dad, you

"What did

I

tell

You're walking okay."

you?"

"But if you get really better, Dr. Machiko's going to be lonely." They headed for Minamoto Park. The calendar said it was spring,

but the trees in the park didn't

know

it

The rows

yet.

of poplars

pointed their barren branches skyward, stretching their knobby

wind

gers into the cold

like

hands raised

in protest.

of rust-red zelkova trees, birds flew almost low

The had

set

garden was

iris

up

their easels

still

a

mudhole.

and were gazing

A

at a

Through

enough

fin-

a stand

to touch.

group of amateur

artists

patch of narcissus, brush-

ing the wintry scene onto their canvases in paintings that cried out for greener colors.

Honma on

ing

at the

up

thought about Kyoko Shinjo.

Would

she be off on an out-

Or just airing her bed linen and squinting up sun? Tamotsu came to mind as well. Was he planning to turn a

day

like this?

the entire schoolyard?

have tried

to stop

Not

that

it

was

possible.

Honma

should

him.

Maybe it had all been an elaborate mistake. Maybe he should knock down the house of cards he'd been building and get back to work,

real

"Gee,

work.

it's

been a long time since we done

ning ahead a few

steps. "I'm glad

you

this," said

Makoto, run-

feel better."

"You're the best doctor I've got, Makoto."

For a while they watched the people fishing along the moat. Then 274

Makoto sneezed twice, so they started to head back, promising each other they'd do this again soon. The clock by the park gate read a quarter to three.

Makoto paused at the entrance to the apartment complex, looking way and that. "Might see Kazzy coming," he said. "What if the game's sold out and he comes back empty-handed?"

this

Honma prodded. "Kazzy called ahead

So there!" He stuck out his tongue.

to check.

mapped out, Honma A huge, almost untapped market. He and Makoto kept on

Today's kids have got things pretty well

thought.

till their building came into view. Makoto stopped in his tracks. "Hey, what's going on?" Acrid smoke blew at them suddenly from the side. Honma peered

walking

in the direction of the garbage incinerators.

coming with you." Makoto ran

"I'm

"I'll

after

just go have a look."

him.

A man in overalls was crouched alongside a small incinerator, fanning the smoke away with one hand and holding garbage with the other.

He

head, apparently expecting

The

stuff got a little

blinked up at

him

damp, so

it

down

a pile of

Honma, then bobbed

to complain. "Sorry.

It's

his

just papers.

sends up smoke." Hot clouds spilled

flap. Makoto coughed. "No problem," Honma said. He had started to lead Makoto away by the hand when he happened to look down. At the base of the incinerator were stacks of old ledgers, bound together with black cords. "You burning those?" asked Honma. The maintenance man wiped his forehead with a gloved hand. "Yessir. Guy moved out this past Sunday was an accountant. Had all

out from under the metal furnace

these records going back ten years."

"Lot of work there." "You're telling me. But get rid of

it all.

we can't just leave

museum. Nobody does accounting like all

got

home

them. Somebody's got to

Sure did use a lot of ink, that guy. Ought to give this

it

to a

any more. Nowadays they

computers. Input the stuff once, you don't need any

paper."

Input once,

you

—Honma echoed the man's words

don't need

to

himself. 275

"That's not true,"

Makoto piped

"Oh no?" grinned "That's diaries, teries

my

what

but you

run out

teacher says. She bought one of those electronic

know what?

all

what

it

said that

keep a record of someplace

"That's with the

all like that,

if

the bat-

else, just to

be

cheap machines."

she says. That's

on paper too." "But that means twice the work." "Yeah, but that's what it said." The caretaker opened the lid of

keep

it

said."

The man laughed. "No, they're

In the instructions

of a sudden, everything goes blank, so any impor-

tant stuff, you've got to safe. That's

up.

the maintenance man.

why

you're supposed to

it all

fresh bundle.

Makoto looked up at

the incinerator

his father,

and heaved

in a

who was standing there,

strangely quiet. "What's the matter, Dad?"

Honma placed a hand on the boy's head. "Thank you very much, young man." "Huh? For what?" Honma tousled his hair and smiled. "Except now, you know what? Thanks to you, I've got to go to Osaka tomorrow."

276

27

"Printouts?"

They were standing as

Honma

first

Honma had

room,

Wada

scowling

taken the bullet train

Mitomo Groups headreceptionist showed him

thing in the morning, gone straight to the

quarters, in.

in the Roseline waiting

repeated his request.

and asked

This time

for

"You came

all

the

little

the door behind him.

way down here

"Well, actually, that

and spoke a

Wada. This time the

Wada shut

isn't

more

the only

forcefully.

me that?" thing." Honma

to ask

leaned forward

"Those questionnaires and order

forms. After you input the information into the computer, what hap-

pens to them?

Do you

get rid of

them

right

away?"

"Of course. Otherwise they'd take up too much room.

them

in

We

shred

one-month batches."

"Really?" "That's right.

Every

last scrap."

Wada's voice was confident, almost

overconfident.

"Oh, yes?" said Honma, stretching out each word for emphasis.

"And who, may

I

ask,

is

in charge of these disposal procedures?"

Wada lowered his eyes and glanced this way and that. Honma asked again, "Who does the shredding?" Wada shifted his weight from one leg to the other, brought a hand up

in front of his nose as "It's

not such a

can't tell

if

to hide his face,

and looked down.

difficult question. Is there

some reason why you

me?"

"Administration, the General Affairs Section," the answer finally

came.

He added hurriedly,

"But Ms. Shinjo wasn't in General Affairs." 277

—

"

"So

how do you

deal with the papers that are going to be shred-

ded?"

"Once

a

month, we send them out

to a special data security

com-

pany"

"And

till

then?"

"They're kept in a storeroom in the basement."

"And

this

storeroom

is

unlocked? Anybody can get in?"

This time the pause was even longer. "Mr. Wada." "Yes, sir." It

was the

tone of a student responding to a

lifeless

teacher.

"Anybody can

get in?"

Wada coughed. "Any of the women staffers can, yes." Honma heaved a sigh of relief. Papers. Handwritten forms from customers. Kyoko didn't need to know the first thing about computers to pull "I

it off.

But would there be any evidence

assume you have

left

now?

a confidentiality agreement with this data

security company."

"Of course. Our questionnaires and order forms contain personal information."

"So

when you send a

truckload out, does anybody count the boxes

and keep an eye on what's going where? Who's "Administration,

I

in charge of that?"

think."

—

"Can you check? Go back to oh, when Kyoko Shinjo was here from April 1988 to December 1989. See if there were any irregularities

—box numbers not matching up, papers

Wada looked stunned. "Check all "If you could."

"I'm afraid

I

"Fine, then,

short."

that?"

—

don't have time to I'll

just take the matter a

little

higher up. Could you

me the name of your boss?" Actually, things would get bogged down in all sorts of complications if Wada refused to play along. But give

there

was

was no harm

"My boss?" he "Of course, 278

in seeing

what happened when

a

little

leverage

applied.

I'd

said.

rather not involve anyone else

if it isn't

necessary.

— This

is

rather a sensitive case," said

was convinced: there was no need

Honma

for

Wada. Did Ms. Shinjo ever ask you

cagily.

A second later,

he

show her or

man knew. "Mr. make copies of

He hung

head and con-

checking

to

"

the

customer data?"

Wada suddenly fessed.

wilted completely.

"She asked, okay?

I

showed

her.

I

his

helped her.

I

told her how."

Honma gave another sigh. remember

"I can't

exactly

when it would have been,

though."

"Oh no? No idea?" He shook his head.

Honma continued,

"Never mind," "It's

dead

easy. All

you have

to

do

"just tell is

me what you did."

pinch a few papers from the

outbound boxes. The company only comes

to collect

once a month."

"So what was in the boxes you opened?" "Just

some

questionnaires."

"Your ordinary, standard questionnaires?"

Wada shrugged. still

"First time

I

said,

I

—

don't remember. Honest to

How long was he going to

"Nothing?" eyes were

"Like

keep up

this pretense?

His

roaming around.

was

in May."

The first time? "This happened often, then?"

No wonder he was so uncomfortable. Honma repeated. "May when?"

Another nod. "May,"

to work here." In 1988. "And how many times altogether would you say you walked

"The year she came

off

with this confidential data?"

"Four times."

"Was

Through August?" "That's right, every month." Then he volunteered, quietly, "All from the Tokyo-Kanto-Kofu-Nagano area. Funny taste in reading material that four times running?

Guess that's why I still remember." why she wanted them?" "Well, sort of .," Wada hedged. "She said she was practicing her computer skills, how to run programs and that sort of thing, so she this girl's got,

"Kyoko

I

said to myself.

didn't say .

needed some data

.

to

work with."

"That was the reason she gave?" 279

Wada was silent. "You couldn't have believed

He smirked.

direct-mail company." help,

that."

was selling them to some Whatever Kyoko's reasons, he'd been there to

"Actually,

figured she

I

no questions asked.

"Mr. Wada." "Yes?"

"Do you have any way of knowing whether Shoko been included in those papers?"

Sekine's ques-

tionnaire might have

"Not offhand. But when spoke

faster as

tionnaires

get

I

tagged by date, so

was input over

"Could you print out the I

don't care

Wada

time,

check on

I'll

He

it."

he explained. "The information taken from the ques-

is all

collect data that

April?

some

how

long

it

we can run

a search

program and

a particular period." lot

—

takes.

all

I'll

four months, starting from wait."

He had seen this coming. "Is this really necessary?" "Well, I'd be curious to know whether your boss thinks it is." "Okay, okay." He scratched his head with both hands. "But let's just

keep

sighed.

this to ourselves,

pected, he didn't

Wada

want

it

if

you don't mind." As

sus-

closed the conversation with a vague promise to "see what

can do." Give him two hours, he said.

same

Honma had

getting out of hand.

coffee shop, Kanteki,

Honma was

I

told to wait in that

and could see himself

cup

sitting over

after cup.

Fifteen minutes ahead of time,

Wada showed up

with a computer

printout two inches thick. "One hundred and sixty entries," he an-

nounced, depositing the load on the

Kyoko had been flipping through

it.

"She's in there,"

down

table.

here, too, before him, thought

started

of the

way

the stack. "Back there in the July data."

Shoko was logged

into the Roseline

How

Kyoko

exactly had

when she

sifted

through

all

customer database on July

targeted her?

What were

Age

first.

Women

15.

her priorities

these names, ages, addresses, workplaces

and passport numbers?

280

Honma. He

"And Shoko Sekine?" he asked. answered Wada, pointing two-thirds

too far off the

mark

—

either too old or too

—

wouldn't do. The occupation should be nothing too remarknobody with a "good job." Someone unemployed or freelancing, whose absence wouldn't set up any waves. Somebody with few or no attachments. Women who hadn't made themselves very neces-

young able;

sary to anyone.

May, then June and July, with finally more data for August. Kyoko must have sorted through each batch, picking out possible "sisters,"

coming up with maybe

five

women,

certainly

no more. Once she had

what she needed, she'd put the brakes on. Narrow things down, keep things simple.

"So you've got your Shoko Sekine,"

The work's

off.

piling

up on

Wada said.

my desk and

"No, hold on just a second. Another

up from Shoko's

"Well, I'd better be

..."

five

minutes."

data. Suddenly, he'd seen something.

the energy he'd used

up looking

for her all this time

Honma looked It

had

was

as

if all

ignited, ris-

ing in a thin but steady flame.

"What

is it?"

Shoko Sekine

Honma out.

Wada asked. hadn't been Kyoko's first choice.

could have kicked himself. Shoko was in the July print-

But Kyoko had had

Wada go and

get her the

August data

too.

That would suggest there were other candidates, someone closer to her requirements, maybe.

Suppose Shoko were running a close second, but then Kyoko hap-

pened After

to find out about her mother's death?

all,

By sheer coincidence.

she used to take a Tokyo newspaper. Wasn't

she'd run across a

little filler

it

possible that

piece about "faulty architectural design"

Not murder, but an accident or possibly suicide. Wouldn't the discovery that Shoko was now alone have been enough to make Kyoko shift her attention to her? In his mind's resulting in Mrs. Sekine's death?

eye,

Honma

"I

don't

could see the crosshairs being realigned.

know what

you're thinking, but

how

serious

is this,

any-

way?" Behind his blank expression, Wada was getting scared.

"Could be very "But, look...

"Mr.

Wada,

I

serious."

never

try to

..."

remember. Did Ms. Shinjo ever go up into the

mountains? Yamanashi prefecture?" 281

"Yamanashi?" "That's right. Nirazaki.

It's

near Kofu on the

Chuo

Line. There's a

big statue of the Goddess of Mercy there. She ever mention

Wada's voice was thin and uncertain. "Yeah?

it

to

you?"

believe she did."

"I, I

How exactly do you happen to know about it?" we

"Because

mean

... I

I, I

went there with

her."

"Together?"

"For a drive, yes. Actually, that was our second

swallowed hard. "My I'd

Kyoko

take

to

sister's

meet

her.

married and

trip together."

lives in Kofu.

So

I

He

thought

We went to Nirazaki, for the grapes."

Putting a finger to his forehead,

Honma

repeated, "You two

went

on drives together?" "Yes."

"You were in love with Ms. Shinjo, right?"

No comment. had another man

"If she'd

about

it,

at the time,

you would have known

wouldn't you? There was no sign of anyone else?"

Wada shook his head. "You sure about that?" "I'm sure, okay?

I

mean, we were

..."

"You were lovers."

Wada nodded

miserably.

Kyoko had had this guy eating out of her hand. But who was the man Kaoru Sudo had mentioned? The one in the car with Kyoko when she had her accident. The one whose name she wouldn't reveal.

Her

right

arm was

covered with burns.

She was shivering.

The next thing "I

she's in the bath,

was quite serious about Kyoko,"

"I'm sure she

Honma

knew

said

Wada, out of nowhere.

There couldn't have been anybody

that.

looked him straight in the

face. "All right.

I

else."

believe you."

was why Kyoko never came up with name. There had been no accident on a drive in the country. As Honma glanced over the printouts again, a shiver ran down the

There was nobody a

banging her head against the wall

282

else,

and

that

length of his back.

On the day in question, November 19,

1989,

Kyoko

up in Tokyo or Yokohama or Kawasaki, stalking a woman. The prime target hidden in these pages. Or perhaps someone close a little too close to her. Shinjo had been

particular

—

Not

—

third-degree, but covering

most of her arm.

Her sweater got burned.

The smell

Honancho apartment. That strong

bottle of gasoline in the

when he picked it up. Those gleaming fan blades.

Arson.

Back in Tokyo, the next step was

to talk to all the

might once have approached. Funaki took a day

off

the Isakas joined in as well, searching the printout for

women Kyoko

from work, and

women in their

twenties.

"Say 'police' listed if

if

you have

Funaki instructed. "Ask the

to,"

two years back some close

accident or been badly injured somehow. Get

what

it

women

might have met with an

relation

them

talking,

no matter

takes."

Some had moved. Some had answering machines. Few came

di-

was nerve-racking. When it got dark, Funaki and Honma sent the Isakas home. Their voices were hoarse. rectly to the

It

phone.

was past

It

eleven, time to call

it

a day,

Funaki cupped his hand over the called to his legs.

when they got a break.

receiver. "We're in business!"

he

Honma, who was over by the window tentatively stretching Then, speaking into the phone again, he said, "Hold on, I'll

turn you over to the officer in charge."

Emi Kimura was twenty-four occupation as "freelancer." At like voice.

She interrupted

first

The printout gave her

years old.

she spoke in a sweet, almost child-

Honma

to ask, "Is this for real? This isn't

Candid Camera or something?" "No. Look, I'm sorry to bother you like

be able to help us or not, but

let

some customer data provided by you know the name?"

Honma

me a

this.

explain.

company

I

We

don't

know

traced

if

you'll

you through

called Roseline.

I

believe

paused. "Ms. Kimura, I'm sorry, but

these questions are important for

an investigation we're working on. 283

You don't come from

a large family,

and you

live

by

yourself,

And both your parents have passed on." Emi's voice trembled. "How do you know all that?" So far so good, Honma nodded to Funaki. "My colleague,

is

that

correct?

son you spoke

who might the last

to a

minute ago, asked

if

you had any close

the perrelatives

have had an accident or some kind of personal tragedy

two

years.

You

said

you had. Could you

tell

me more

in

about

that?" It

took a

"Your

moment

for

Emi

to

answer.

"It

was

my sister."

sister."

"Ye-e-es."

Honma

quietly repeated, "Yes?"

Emi was

clearly getting upset. "Listen, I'm going to

mean, how do

know you're

Honma

hesitated.

are

what

this isn't

some kind

hang up.

of crank call?

How

do

I 1

actually detectives?"

Funaki grabbed the phone away from him and

number

rattled off the

Here's

know

I

want you

I

of the direct line to Investigation. "Got that? to do.

Ring up and say our names. Ask

any detectives by those names on the

force. Tell

if

there

whoever answers

that you need to get in touch with Inspector Honma immediately. Ask them to have him call you back as soon as he can. Only give a

made-up name and phone number. Don't give your real ones. The officer will contact us to say you called. Then we'll call you back at your real number and give you the false name and number he tells totally

us. Just to are. Fair

make

sure there's no mistake, that

Emi agreed and hung up. "When you're in a hurry, take and

for a cigarette

story doesn't

pan

are

who we

say

we

to square

lit

a side road,"

up. "Okay, so

his head.

"You know,

one when she had

would have kept

Funaki

said.

what we do next?

He reached

If this

Emi's

out."

Honma shook back

we

enough?"

all

I

wonder.

that data?

Why would she

go

Knowing Kyoko, she

detailed records. Just in case."

Funaki grunted. "Makes sense." "Well, her

most obvious choice

she'd opted for before 284

at this point

would be

the person

and dropped. Her former number one candi-

And when we

date.

on

closing in

The phone had a

It

I

Emi could

rang.

It

was

from an Akiko

call

we should

find

Kyoko

as well. We're

her."

"So you think

Urgent.

find her,

told her

actually lead us to

Kyoko?"

the precinct officer

had

Sato. Said she

you were on

leave,

was ages since he'd heard

on

duty.

to get in

touch with you.

but she insisted."

his Division

something an old married couple would

"Hon? You

nickname

— "Hon." Like

say.

"The phone number?" "That's the

funny thing. 5555-4444,

is

what she

tells

me. Think

it's

a prank?" "It's

okay.

Thanks

for calling."

He

pressed the dial tone button

with his finger and redialed.

Emi picked up on as possible. "Hello? Is

"You've got to

the

first ring.

Honma

kept his voice as neutral

that Akiko Sato? At 5555-4444?"

wonder about

that

girl's

powers of imagination,"

Funaki whispered. But Emi Kimura was in no

mood

for flip remarks.

She burst into

tears.

"Three years ago, so that would have been 1989, sometime in

November. The nineteenth or twentieth

had

... it

was

a Sunday.

late

My sister

a terrible accident."

"Yes?..."

a fire. She was badly burned. She had brain damage from smoke she inhaled. For a long time she was in a coma. Then last summer she finally died." So that had been Kyoko Shinjo's big mistake. Her first choice had been Emi, and the only member of her family she'd needed to eliminate had failed to die. Sure, Kyoko could have gone ahead according "It

all

was

the

to plan

and taken her chances with the

sister later,

but the whole

sit-

What if the sister woke up? And if Kyoko were to would be obvious that it was no accident. So she switched someone else, someone recently orphaned. There were still some points that needed clearing up. "Ms. Kimura,

uation was risky. try again,

to

about

it

this fire,"

Honma prompted. 285

Emi responded on

"We don't know how it got started,

cue.

but the

department and the police both suspected arson. There were

fire

somebody was ternews and, once that happened, the pace picked up. Everybody was getting nervous." Honma closed his eyes. Kyoko's newpaper again, the Tokyo one. Maybe she'd read about the string of fires there and decided to take other

fires in

the area around the

The

rorizing the neighborhood.

same

time. Like

story got into the

advantage of it. "That day

was

I

had dance

late getting

lessons.

home from

class.

I

happened

just

My

sister

was

to

be out because

in

bed already and

I

she couldn't get out in time."

Honma

suspected

it

hadn't actually been like that; he thought the

had achieved precisely

fire

Kimura

He glanced

..."

time of the

fire,

or a

little

its

intended purpose, in due course. "Ms.

Funaki and swallowed hard. "Around the

at

before, did either

you or your

sister

make

any new acquaintances?" "You mean

women friends?" Was there anybody?"

"That's right.

Emi was

period's kind of a

"I'm sure ly?

moment. "1 don't know, blank, it was such a shock."

silent for

it

was,"

Honma

sympathized.

I

forget.

The whole

"How about more

recent-

Have you made any new acquaintances recently?"

"New

acquaintances?"

Someone who was, say, an old friend of your ." someone asking directions who stopped to talk, or

"That's right.

or just

.

"Actually,

I

sister's,

.

did."

"You met someone?" His throat tightened. "Who? Do you know the

name?" "Her name

is

Shinjo.

Kyoko

Shinjo."

"Kyoko Shinjo."

When of his

he heard

hand against

Honma

repeat the name, Funaki slapped the

his forehead, then slowly

waved one

fist

flat

back and

forth overhead in a silent cheer.

How do you know her?" "She's a friend of my sister's. She just got in touch a few days ago." "Who

286

is

she?

His breathing stopped. "How's that again? 'She got in touch a few

days ago'?" "Yahoo!" Funaki was on his feet

now and had

actually let out a

yell.

Honma

lifted his

the room. "Sorry for to

good all

leg

and mimed a

the noise.

My

swift kick at

him

across

colleague's just really pleased

have found you."

Emi sounded a bit surprised, but gave a little "What did this Kyoko Shinjo have to say?"

laugh.

my sister in so long that she my sister had died, she said she was

"She said she hadn't heard from

decided to

call.

really sorry.

When

I

told her

She wanted to pay her respects and asked

to see the grave.

We made

an appointment

to

meet

me

to take her

this

Saturday

afternoon, in Ginza."

287

—

.

28

Honma made the arrangements for Saturday. back

to

On

His next

to

go

Utsunomiya.

the

with the

way up

train.

there, his

thoughts rocked and swayed in motion

There'd been no

word from Tamotsu. When

Tokyo he had seemed so confident, but did he

up every inch of

dig

move was

the old schoolyard?

about putting his earthworks on hold.

If

really think

Honma had

.

left

even thought

they could just nab

Shinjo, the search for the corpse could wait. But there

slim chance

he'd

he could

Kyoko

was always

a

.

Honma had only left a message, but as soon as he stepped through the turnstile he heard tion lobby

someone

Outside, the north wind swept piercing cold,

climb into the

few minutes, "I've

name. There across the

call his

were those familiar square shoulders, that craggy

down

over the Great Kanto Plain

make your sinuses hurt. passenger seat of the Honda Motors

enough

to

Honma had

to

me

start,"

—

"

Honma

the latest developments. Twice,

broke

in.

as

It

a relief to first

Tamotsu had

was

"We're going to meet

Honma to tell

Finally he pulled the van over to the shoulder feeling jittery, he said.

was

Tamotsu began.

Kyoko Shinjo this coming Saturday." Tamotsu blinked back his amazement

was

It

van. For the

rub his knees to get his circulation going.

got a few things to report

"Great. But let

sta-

grin.

told

him

to

him about slow down.

and cut the engine. He

a full ten minutes before he touched

the ignition again. "Saturday, did

along?" 288

you say?

That's the

day

after

tomorrow. Can

I

come

"Of course." "You remember what you said? About "I

me

talking to her

Tamotsu swung the van out across an intersection just turned red. "Before

he

first."

remember."

we head home,

said, staring straight ahead, his

I'd

just like

you

as the light

to see the school,"

hands gripping the wheel.

"It's

over

near Hachiman Yama Park." They sped down streets that Honma remembered from his last visit there and soon came to a rise looking out over green hills in the distance. This was a city with open spaces, a luxury unheard of in Tokyo. The playground at the school Tamotsu and Shoko had gone to wasn't just some stingy little basketball hardtop, but big enough to hold a rugby match and a baseball game at the same time. The fourstory gray concrete building looked far away. Rows of cherry trees reached around either wing of classrooms to circle the entire playground. The place must have looked magnificent in April. "You could never dig up all this dirt." A squadron of kids in maroon-colored tracksuits was out there jumping rope. Twenty or thirty of them, high school students, probably. Their instructor blew sharply on his whistle from time to time. "I asked all my friends and we tried to recontruct how the school and the yard were when we were here," Tamotsu said, grabbing the chain-link fence with both hands.

Honma looked at him. "What d'you mean 'reconstruct'?" "They

rebuilt the

whole place

five years ago."

"Oh." Then anything was possible.

Tamotsu scratched around, so

now

He laughed

out loud.

Honma

I

looked

his head.

can't really tell

at the

"They shifted the school building

where the damn

young man

again.

bird's

grave was."

What was he

so happy

about? "I

was thinking about giving you

came up empty-handed, more things first." I

He went on

to say that

I

a call,"

just thought

two years

Tamotsu I

not like

spring of 1990, — — woman who must have in the

earlier

the peak of the cherry blossom season

said. "It's

should check out a few

at

a

289

been Kyoko Shinjo came

to visit the schoolyard.

"Oh, really?"

Tamotsu leaned

nodding

into the fence,

One when we

slowly. "That's right.

of the older teachers, Mrs. Kina, she was here even back

were. She's over

fifty

now but she's

than any librarian. She's the one

got a card index in her head better

who

told me."

She had positively

remembered because the

ID'd Kyoko's photo, too. "Said she

girl

was

so beautiful."

"Where did

this teacher actually see her?

Did she ask what she

was doing?" "It

was

a Saturday afternoon.

Kyoko came

straight into the school-

yard and walked right over there," Tamotsu said, waving one arm

toward a at the

"She hung around like she was looking

line of cherry trees.

cherry blossoms, which

around here, even some didn't think

much about

isn't

tourists,

But the

it.

so unusual. Lots of folks from

come girl

for that.

At

first

Mrs. Kina

stood out there so long that

she started getting worried and went over. She was wearing a black skirt

and jacket, almost no makeup. Like

When

the teacher approached, the

lost all track of

something that

for a funeral or something."

young woman

told her she'd

time gazing at the cherry blossoms. But there was

didn't

seem

quite right, so Mrs. Kina asked

brought her here. "And you

what had

know what she said? She was making the

trip in place of a friend."

Honma

looked up

at the leafless tops of the

cherry

trees.

A

trip in

place of a friend.

"Then Mrs. Kina asks

young woman nods,

see?

if

this friend is

And

from around here.

—you ready

for this?"

deep breath. "She says that the friend had attended school, and had really loved

it.

The

friend

the

Tamotsu took this exact

a

same

had mentioned something

about burying a pet bird out on the playground. But course, has

And

no idea just where." Kyoko had come,

this

woman,

of

in Shoko's place, to

retrace the past.

"So Mrs. Kina starts to get suspicious and asks a few more questions.

Where

is this

friend,

why

woman didn't answer at first, dead. 290

didn't she

come

The young her friend was

herself?"

but finally admitted that

"

Honma

stood right next to Tamotsu, their shoulders practically

touching. Kids were dashing about, doing

could almost "1

guess

feel the

didn't

I

away from the and the PTA,

do too bad, huh?"

fence. "I

athletic drill.

Honma

said Tamotsu, pushing himself

was thinking about

to get permission to dig

bet this Kyoko woman did come we might just find her."

The ground

some

smell of the earth seep inside him.

at their feet

up

talking to the principal

the yard.

worth a

It's

here to bury Shoko.

If

we

was beaten down, hard and

try. I

searched,

dry.

Honma

mesh with the tips of his finKyoko Shinjo did come here," he said, choosing

leaned into the fence, gripping the steel gers. "All right, so

words

"But

still, I

don't think your

Tamotsu looked him

full in

the face.

his

carefully.

hereabouts.

since

Shoko

anywhere

is

w

you bothered

to

come

"Why

—not? But

way up here What I mean is, maybe

the

all

"She couldn't bury her here.

I

thought,

she intended

—

but there was no way

it would have been too risky. This is a Somebody would have seen something. My guess is she came and looked it over, and saw it wouldn't work."

to,

schoolyard, after

all.

"But hey..."

Honma went

on, keeping his voice quite calm.

"Kyoko Shinjo,

as

must have gotten rid of Shoko's head in the safest location she could find, somewhere else. It just stands to reason. Of

near as

I

can

figure,

course she never expected the Nirazaki remains to

come

to light.

She

probably thought they'd just get hauled off to some garbage dump."

Tamotsu stood stock

still.

scrambled up to a starting

A

whistle sounded and the tracksuits

line.

"She wanted to get rid of the head someplace where discovered.

Once

she'd

memory. She couldn't

done

rest

till

that,

it

wouldn't be

she came here to bury Shoko's

she'd been where

Shoko

as

good

as

asked to be buried." The same way that Makoto and Kazzy had buried Blockhead's memory.

Kyoko had come and stood her way of begging Shoko's for-

Springtime, petals clinging to her hair,

beneath these cherry giveness? ko's

Was

it

trees.

Was

it

so important to see, just once, the bed where Sho-

childhood slept? 291

Her friend was dead. "Okay, then, where

Tamotsu said

Shoko's head buried?

There was only one person

who

The whistle blew

sound

runners set

off,

"Let's get

292

is

Where

did she put it?"

plaintively.

again. Its

could

tell

them

for certain.

froze in the cold, clear air as the

straining slightly against the wind.

back

to

Tokyo,"

Honma said.

"We've got a date

to keep."

29

The

Italian restaurant

where Emi Kimura had agreed

to

meet Kyoko

Shinjo was technically in Ginza, but well away from the heart of the

shopping cious.

district.

Maybe

had a high

It

that

ceiling, a

was why

could afford to be so spa-

and

level,

a

The meeting was

area right in the center of the room. It

it

mezzanine

round sunken

set for 1:00 p.m.

was now 12:45. "You don't have to hang around

told Emi. "We'll

But she wouldn't hear of the one

if

know her when we it.

you think may have

don't

want

to,"

Honma had

see her."

"I'm a killed

you

little

my

scared,

sister,

I

I

admit, but

want

if

she's

to see her for

myself." "Just act normal," table near the

Honma had

coached

middle of the sunken floor

Emi was sitting at a The wait was making

her.

area.

her nervous. She pressed a hand to her chest as

to

keep her heart

She hardly touched her cappuccino.

still.

Honma and Tamotsu had the

if

main

stationed themselves at a side table

on

level right next to the stairs, overlooking the lower area.

They hadn't touched

their coffee either, although

Tamotsu was on

his

second glass of water. "I

get to talk to her, right?"

"Yes," said

Tamotsu

said for the

Honma. "So what are you going

Tamotsu lowered

his eyes.

"I

umpteenth

time.

to say?"

don't know."

on the far side of the main floor, holding up a newspaper spread wide open and wearing a dark suit that stood out in the bright interior. He was on his second cup of coffee. The restaurant had two entrances. Whichever one she used, they'd Funaki was

sitting

293

"

spot her. They'd also be watching to see

if

she tried to bolt back out

of either of those doors.

Honma

hadn't slept

much

He had

the night before.

stayed

up

going over every detail with Funaki. There was no tangible proof yet,

no body, just one woman missing and another posing motives for murder, but method and weapon

as her. Possible

unknown. Circumstantial evidence was all well and good, but speculation had its limits. As Funaki had said, "No judge is going to buy this. Where's our still

case?" "Well,

you never know"

"Without so

much

as a fingerprint?

How

far

can

we

stretch eye-

witness testimony?"

"We could rough up our witnesses a bit. we want to hear, now!'

'Out with

it.

And only the

things

Funaki smirked. to

"It

doesn't

seem

to

bother you. You're just happy

have found her." Sunlight slanted across the parquet

ma had

to

admit Funaki was probably

of his previous cases had he

grim determination. The

would say

if

felt

fact

he were the one

to

Honma

meet her

Never once during any

He

so relaxed.

was,

here now, Hon-

floor. Sitting

right.

felt

wasn't at

first.

no all

bitterness,

no

sure what he

All he could think of

were questions. Are you planning blew

it

to

keep doing

this

o\er and over? Just because you

with Shoko Sekine, are you really going to backtrack to Emi Ki-

mura? What then? A quick

exit from Tokyo,

where

there's

always a chance

you might run intojun?

Or should he ask what she'd done with Shoko Sekine's head? Or she felt when Jun first told her about Shoko's bankruptcy?

how

Mitchie at Imai Office Machines was anxious to see her again, Mr.

Imai was worried too, should he

way

that Jun's teeth

tell

had chattered

her that? Should he mention the

that first night

when he came by

and explained the situation? The only thing

I

know for sure

turning yourself into anyone

way

that

you'll never

else. You're

Kyoko

Shoko Sekine never became anyone

she longed 294

is

to.

have another crack at

Shinjo, period.

else,

The same

no matter how much

This off-white and Naples-yellow place wasn't somewhere people Funaki, Tamotsu and himself belonged

like

young couples seated

by, the

eyes. Will

you think

mind. Will you

set

so, too?

one foot

other tables,

at the

Honma

in the

The

in.

all

waiters passing

said so with their

searched out Kyoko's face in his

door and sense that somethings out of

place? Will you catch on immediately and start running again?

would almost be easier for us

It

sure

it

was

if you

did run.

Then we'd know for

all true.

"There she

is,"

Tamotsu said

quietly.

He

straightened up, his back

tense.

Honma saw Funaki lower his newspaper slightly

Across the room as a sky-blue

was

It

hooded coat swung by him. There could be no mistake.

her.

Her

hairstyle

was

different. Earrings flashed

length waves of hair. She rode forward

tween the play

tables, neither

on long

beneath shoulderlegs,

brushing be-

avoiding the waiters' looks nor trying to

down her own height.

She stopped and looked around. Even from

this distance,

Honma

could appreciate her looks: the delicate nose, the slightly pursed

lips,

on her pale cheeks. Not a trace of suffering, not shadow of loneliness showed in her face. She was beautiful. Her gaze settled on Emi Kimura and she raised a hand in greeting.

the hint of rose blush a

Emi responded, half rising from her seat and waving back. Not a glance at

Honma or Funaki.

Kyoko approached: down the steps, skirting the next table, coat hem swaying. Emi smiled. Kyoko took off her coat and draped it over an empty chair. She put her bag down and took the seat across from Emi. She was wearing a white sweater. in,

making

herself

A brooch

sparkled at her throat. As she settled

more comfortable,

the brooch nestled into the

folds of the sweater.

Kyoko had her back to Honma and Tamotsu. She was wearing on both hands, but there was no sign of Jun's sapphire. The waiter brought menus. She and Emi flipped them open simultaneously and laughed. Emi's smile was a bit forced, perhaps. rings

"You were going

to talk to her, right?"

Honma said. 295

Tamotsu

rose,

keeping his eyes fixed on the young woman's back.

He moved forward automatically, as if drawn by an invisible pulley. He walked stiffly down the stairs. The other customers paused, holding their forks in the

Conversations stopped, glasses of wine

air.

caught the light and grew

seemed

On

to rest

still, and the eyes of everyone on Tamotsus broad shoulders.

the far side of the room, Funaki started

moving slowly toward

Honma

He could only

her as she talked

room

stood up and hovered beside his own Kyoko from the back but stared intently at with Emi. This was her, all right; she was as charm-

the opposite stairs. table.

in the

see

ing as everyone had said.

Tamotsu reached

the

bottom step and

Emi remained remarkably

started toward her table.

poised, never once looking at him. Her

eyes were filled with the stars in Kyoko's earrings, the line of her shoulders.

My

questions don't matter.

never told anyone, the

lives

in hiding, the interest you've

There

1

want

to

hear your

story.

The parts you've

you carry everywhere with you. The months been quietly compounding.

will he plenty of time,

Kyoko.

Starting from now, as Tamotsu's hand comes to rest on your shoulder.

296

CHRISllMIM

ivivjixii

i

wi\

Best Novel and Best Mystery of the Year

Named in,

OV^il^lM^i-

this

in

"deep and moody" (new YORK times

;view)

thriller

takes a journey through the

dark side of Japan's consumer-crazed society. Ordinary people plunge into insurmountable personal debt and

fall

prey to dangerous webs of

underground creditors that murder

A

may

beautiful young

she a victim, a

tracks

women

its

so dangerous,

be the only

woman

tive quickly finds she Is

—

is

killer,

way

in fact,

out.

vanishes, and the detec-

who

not

she claimed to be.

or both? In a country that

citizens at every turn,

how can two

claim the same identity and then disappear

without a trace?

"

Enormously compelling

.

.

.

combining expert

nd psychological nuance to ultimately ,.w'Ct."

-

PUBLISHERS WEI

Miyuki Miyabe has written many novels, ten of

This

is

best-selling

which have been adapted

her first book to appear

in

into films.

English. She

liv

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