are Chinese. They send money out
of Japan for workers who don't have proper visas, mostly Chinese
and Southeast Asians."
"You said Ukeda Trading is known to wash money. Who
knows?"
"Bankers, Mr. Sanchez. Also, the authorities, I assume. It is
not so unusual. Other companies send money to North Korea from
ethnic Koreans born in Japan. They control a lot of the Pachinko
business. That's an irony, isn't it? Japanese pinball has been a big
source of foreign exchange for North Korea even as it threatens the
country with nuclear missiles."
If it was, it wasn't one I cared about. The only irony I was
interested in was the open-and-shut murder case against my client,
who I was convinced was not guilty.
"Any idea what it means?" I said.
"Not yet. The account was not on the list that Hosoi-san's
brother gave us. It was the same name, Ai Yoshida, but in a different
bank."
"How'd you find it?"
"I know the questions to ask. Information is traded among
banks on individual accounts."
Morimoto was on home turf now and was clearly proud of
what he'd pulled off. Yuri had said he had likely been a bantam
rooster at the bank. I saw what she meant.
"Obviously, I couldn't have the information sent to me. I still
have ties to people in my former bank. There are ways I can help
them. Someone agreed to accept the account data that I asked for,
and then pass it along to me."
"Outstanding. Just curiosity, but how can you help your
former colleagues?"
"Debt collection. We have always used people who could—"
He scratched his head. "—intimidate."
"Like yakuza?"
He nodded.
"Banks hired gangsters?"
He caught my twinge and tried to rationalize the banks'
actions. "It used to be legal. That is, until some years ago when
anti-gang laws were passed.
"We weren't as bad as consumer loan companies. They
would take out life insurance on borrowers and sometimes they
would harass them for payment until they committed suicide. Then
they collected the payout. With new laws, it's more difficult than
ever to collect loans, but also more dangerous to use those people.
I'm a convenient liaison."
I realized my mouth was open. I closed it slowly. There was
more to Morimoto, and to Japanese banking for that matter, than I
had guessed.
I'd learned a lot from an off-hand question. Morimoto didn't
seem to hide anything, but he didn't volunteer much either. The trick
was to ask the right questions. I took a sip of coffee to give myself
time to think. Before I set the cup down, a young man opened the
door, bowed in apology and began talking to Morimoto. I couldn't
follow what he said, but Morimoto's expression indicated bad news.
The man bowed again and left.
"Taen-san has been taken to a hospital."
"Yuri? What happened?"
"She was beaten. When an ambulance got to her, she was
still unconscious on the street."
Chapter 6
The hospital was in a university district in Central Toyo. I
didn't know the area, so Morimoto drove. Yuri's complexion was
pallid, but her eyes looked as sharp as ever.
"What happened," I asked.
"I got clobbered."
"I see that. Who was it?"
"I was hit from behind."
"Where were you?"
"Look, why don't you just let me tell the story before you ask
questions."
I held my hands up.
"I went to a coffee shop near Foxx Starr to check the bug we
planted in Ito's office. There was nothing for several minutes, and
then the phone rang. I couldn't guess who Ito was talking to, but she
made an appointment to meet someone in thirty minutes. I took the
scooter to a spot where I could see the entrance to the Foxx Starr
building. She left with a man who looked like he did a lot of power
lifting."
"Panther," I said.
Yuri scowled. "I followed them. He was driving and made a
quick right turn in front of oncoming traffic. There was no way I
could stay with them, so I went down a block and made a U-turn. By
the time I caught up with them, the driver was helping Ito out of the
car in front of a restaurant. It was a narrow street, so the only thing I
could
of Japan for workers who don't have proper visas, mostly Chinese
and Southeast Asians."
"You said Ukeda Trading is known to wash money. Who
knows?"
"Bankers, Mr. Sanchez. Also, the authorities, I assume. It is
not so unusual. Other companies send money to North Korea from
ethnic Koreans born in Japan. They control a lot of the Pachinko
business. That's an irony, isn't it? Japanese pinball has been a big
source of foreign exchange for North Korea even as it threatens the
country with nuclear missiles."
If it was, it wasn't one I cared about. The only irony I was
interested in was the open-and-shut murder case against my client,
who I was convinced was not guilty.
"Any idea what it means?" I said.
"Not yet. The account was not on the list that Hosoi-san's
brother gave us. It was the same name, Ai Yoshida, but in a different
bank."
"How'd you find it?"
"I know the questions to ask. Information is traded among
banks on individual accounts."
Morimoto was on home turf now and was clearly proud of
what he'd pulled off. Yuri had said he had likely been a bantam
rooster at the bank. I saw what she meant.
"Obviously, I couldn't have the information sent to me. I still
have ties to people in my former bank. There are ways I can help
them. Someone agreed to accept the account data that I asked for,
and then pass it along to me."
"Outstanding. Just curiosity, but how can you help your
former colleagues?"
"Debt collection. We have always used people who could—"
He scratched his head. "—intimidate."
"Like yakuza?"
He nodded.
"Banks hired gangsters?"
He caught my twinge and tried to rationalize the banks'
actions. "It used to be legal. That is, until some years ago when
anti-gang laws were passed.
"We weren't as bad as consumer loan companies. They
would take out life insurance on borrowers and sometimes they
would harass them for payment until they committed suicide. Then
they collected the payout. With new laws, it's more difficult than
ever to collect loans, but also more dangerous to use those people.
I'm a convenient liaison."
I realized my mouth was open. I closed it slowly. There was
more to Morimoto, and to Japanese banking for that matter, than I
had guessed.
I'd learned a lot from an off-hand question. Morimoto didn't
seem to hide anything, but he didn't volunteer much either. The trick
was to ask the right questions. I took a sip of coffee to give myself
time to think. Before I set the cup down, a young man opened the
door, bowed in apology and began talking to Morimoto. I couldn't
follow what he said, but Morimoto's expression indicated bad news.
The man bowed again and left.
"Taen-san has been taken to a hospital."
"Yuri? What happened?"
"She was beaten. When an ambulance got to her, she was
still unconscious on the street."
Chapter 6
The hospital was in a university district in Central Toyo. I
didn't know the area, so Morimoto drove. Yuri's complexion was
pallid, but her eyes looked as sharp as ever.
"What happened," I asked.
"I got clobbered."
"I see that. Who was it?"
"I was hit from behind."
"Where were you?"
"Look, why don't you just let me tell the story before you ask
questions."
I held my hands up.
"I went to a coffee shop near Foxx Starr to check the bug we
planted in Ito's office. There was nothing for several minutes, and
then the phone rang. I couldn't guess who Ito was talking to, but she
made an appointment to meet someone in thirty minutes. I took the
scooter to a spot where I could see the entrance to the Foxx Starr
building. She left with a man who looked like he did a lot of power
lifting."
"Panther," I said.
Yuri scowled. "I followed them. He was driving and made a
quick right turn in front of oncoming traffic. There was no way I
could stay with them, so I went down a block and made a U-turn. By
the time I caught up with them, the driver was helping Ito out of the
car in front of a restaurant. It was a narrow street, so the only thing I
could
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