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Authors: Keigo Higashino
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‘About three months ago.’
‘Thank you.’ Kusanagi looked down, wondering how to broach the topic of how the affair had started. ‘Does anyone else know?’
‘Not that I’m aware of.’
‘But you’d gone out to eat together before? Somebody might’ve seen.’
‘We were very careful. We never ate at the same place together twice. And Yoshitaka often ate with women he’d met through business, or hostesses at bars, so I don’t think anyone would have thought twice, even if they did see us together.’
So Yoshitaka Mashiba had been something of a playboy. Kusanagi considered the possibility that he’d had other lovers in addition to Ms Wakayama. Which, of course, would provide the woman sitting across the table from him with a motive.
Utsumi’s pen stopped on the page and she looked up. ‘Did you ever rendezvous at hotels?’ she asked coolly.Kusanagi gave her a sidelong glance. He’d been meaning to ask the same question, but hadn’t been able to bring himself to be so direct.
Hiromi looked displeased. ‘Is that really necessary for your investigation?’
Utsumi’s expression remained blank. ‘Of course it’s necessary. In order for us to solve this case, we’ll need to know everything about Yoshitaka Mashiba’s daily life. We need to know what he was doing, when, and with whom, in as much detail as possible. If we ask enough people, we may be able to fill most of it in, but there will certainly be blanks remaining. I don’t need to know what you did there, but I do need to know if you went to any hotels.’
Why don’t you go ahead and ask her what they did while you’re at it,
Kusanagi wanted to interject, but restrained himself.
Hiromi’s lips curled downward. ‘Yes. But mostly regular hotels. Not those cheap places people use for …’ Her voice trailed off.
‘Did you always go to the same hotel?’
‘We went to three different places. But you won’t be able to find him on the registers. He always used a false name.’
‘Just in case, could you tell me the names of the hotels?’ Utsumi asked, pen held at the ready.
Her face wilting, Hiromi gave the names of three hotels. They were all first-class places in the city, and large hotels at that. Unless the trysting couple had gone there every day, none of the people on staff were likely to remember their faces.
‘Did you meet on predetermined days?’ Utsumi continued.
‘No – we figured out what would work over e-mail.’
‘How often did you meet?’
Hiromi shrugged. ‘Once a week or thereabouts.’
Utsumi finished writing and gave Kusanagi a quick nod.
‘Well,’ he said, ‘thanks for your time. We don’t have any more questions for you today.’
‘I doubt I have anything else I could tell you even if you did,’ Hiromi said gloomily.
Kusanagi smiled at her and picked up the bill.
The three left the restaurant and were headed towards the car park when Hiromi suddenly stopped.
‘Umm …’
‘Something wrong?’ Kusanagi turned to look at her.
‘Can I go home?’
The detective blinked. ‘Didn’t Mrs Mashiba ask you over?’
‘Yes, but I’m really tired, and honestly, I don’t feel very good. Could you tell her that for me?’
‘Sure. It’s fine by us.’
‘Would you like a lift?’ Utsumi asked.
‘No, thanks. I’ll get a cab.’
Hiromi turned and walked away. A taxi rounded the corner; she hailed it and got inside. Kusanagi stood watching as the car rejoined the flow of traffic.
‘Do you think she thought we were going to tell Mrs Mashiba about their affair?’
‘I can’t say,’ Utsumi replied, ‘but after she told us all that, she probably didn’t want to be seen talking to the wife as if nothing had happened.’
‘Hmm. Good point.’
‘Still, I wonder if she really hasn’t noticed.’
‘If who hasn’t noticed?’
‘Mrs Mashiba. Do you really think she doesn’t know what was going on?’
‘I’m guessing no.’
‘Why do you think
‘About three months ago.’
‘Thank you.’ Kusanagi looked down, wondering how to broach the topic of how the affair had started. ‘Does anyone else know?’
‘Not that I’m aware of.’
‘But you’d gone out to eat together before? Somebody might’ve seen.’
‘We were very careful. We never ate at the same place together twice. And Yoshitaka often ate with women he’d met through business, or hostesses at bars, so I don’t think anyone would have thought twice, even if they did see us together.’
So Yoshitaka Mashiba had been something of a playboy. Kusanagi considered the possibility that he’d had other lovers in addition to Ms Wakayama. Which, of course, would provide the woman sitting across the table from him with a motive.
Utsumi’s pen stopped on the page and she looked up. ‘Did you ever rendezvous at hotels?’ she asked coolly.Kusanagi gave her a sidelong glance. He’d been meaning to ask the same question, but hadn’t been able to bring himself to be so direct.
Hiromi looked displeased. ‘Is that really necessary for your investigation?’
Utsumi’s expression remained blank. ‘Of course it’s necessary. In order for us to solve this case, we’ll need to know everything about Yoshitaka Mashiba’s daily life. We need to know what he was doing, when, and with whom, in as much detail as possible. If we ask enough people, we may be able to fill most of it in, but there will certainly be blanks remaining. I don’t need to know what you did there, but I do need to know if you went to any hotels.’
Why don’t you go ahead and ask her what they did while you’re at it,
Kusanagi wanted to interject, but restrained himself.
Hiromi’s lips curled downward. ‘Yes. But mostly regular hotels. Not those cheap places people use for …’ Her voice trailed off.
‘Did you always go to the same hotel?’
‘We went to three different places. But you won’t be able to find him on the registers. He always used a false name.’
‘Just in case, could you tell me the names of the hotels?’ Utsumi asked, pen held at the ready.
Her face wilting, Hiromi gave the names of three hotels. They were all first-class places in the city, and large hotels at that. Unless the trysting couple had gone there every day, none of the people on staff were likely to remember their faces.
‘Did you meet on predetermined days?’ Utsumi continued.
‘No – we figured out what would work over e-mail.’
‘How often did you meet?’
Hiromi shrugged. ‘Once a week or thereabouts.’
Utsumi finished writing and gave Kusanagi a quick nod.
‘Well,’ he said, ‘thanks for your time. We don’t have any more questions for you today.’
‘I doubt I have anything else I could tell you even if you did,’ Hiromi said gloomily.
Kusanagi smiled at her and picked up the bill.
The three left the restaurant and were headed towards the car park when Hiromi suddenly stopped.
‘Umm …’
‘Something wrong?’ Kusanagi turned to look at her.
‘Can I go home?’
The detective blinked. ‘Didn’t Mrs Mashiba ask you over?’
‘Yes, but I’m really tired, and honestly, I don’t feel very good. Could you tell her that for me?’
‘Sure. It’s fine by us.’
‘Would you like a lift?’ Utsumi asked.
‘No, thanks. I’ll get a cab.’
Hiromi turned and walked away. A taxi rounded the corner; she hailed it and got inside. Kusanagi stood watching as the car rejoined the flow of traffic.
‘Do you think she thought we were going to tell Mrs Mashiba about their affair?’
‘I can’t say,’ Utsumi replied, ‘but after she told us all that, she probably didn’t want to be seen talking to the wife as if nothing had happened.’
‘Hmm. Good point.’
‘Still, I wonder if she really hasn’t noticed.’
‘If who hasn’t noticed?’
‘Mrs Mashiba. Do you really think she doesn’t know what was going on?’
‘I’m guessing no.’
‘Why do you think
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