Nonogaki turned a cold smile onto the father. “We actually aren’t here to answer your questions, sir, so if you don’t mind?”
“Right, of course,” Kyohei’s father said, then gave Kyohei a look to see if he was ready. Kyohei nodded and turned back to the detectives. The one named Nonogaki was staring right at him. His face reminded Kyohei of a fox.
“You remember lighting fireworks with your uncle? It was about six days ago,” the detective asked.
“I remember,” Kyohei said.
“Was that your idea, the fireworks?”
“No. I was watching TV in my room, and Uncle Shigehiro called me from downstairs.”
“Around what time was that?”
“Eight o’clock … I think.”
The detective’s questions were all pretty much what he had expected. They didn’t care about him, they wanted to know about Uncle Shigehiro. What time did he go back inside? What time did he come back out to set off more fireworks? How late did they stay out? Kyohei hadn’t been checking his watch that night, of course, so he only had a vague idea. When they asked him if anything unusual had happened, all he could do was shrug and say no, they’d just lit some fireworks. Still, that appeared to satisfy the detectives.
He told the detective that after the fireworks, he’d gone to his aunt and uncle’s apartment, eaten some watermelon, and fallen asleep watching TV. At that point in his story, Nonogaki turned to look at Nishiguchi and nodded.
“Thanks for your time,” Nonogaki said, standing. “If we have some more questions for you later, we’ll get in touch.” He gave a little bow with his head and walked off toward the exit. Nishiguchi hurried after him.
Kyohei’s father gave a little sigh and stood.
“Dad?” Kyohei asked, still in his chair. “It was an accident, right?”
His father got an angry look on his face. “Of course. What else would it be?”
“I … I don’t know, I just, you know. I wondered why they’re so serious.”
“It’s like the detective said. When somebody dies, even if it’s an accident, they have to check every little detail. Don’t worry. Your aunt and uncle did do something bad, and they’ll definitely get punished for it, but it won’t be too harsh.”
Kyohei’s head drooped. His father took it for a nod and walked off with another, “Let’s get going.” Kyohei stood to follow him, but in his head he could still hear Yukawa’s voice echoing.
“This isn’t a good place for you to be. I should think you’d know that better than anyone else.”
FIFTY-TWO
“Good thing the kid could talk. Some kids these days, the things they say, you wonder if they’re even speaking the same language,” Nonogaki said as they left the lounge. “Other than hiding the fact that Sawamura helped them, it sounds like the Kawahatas’ story checks out. That just leaves their guest, Yukawa. Who, it turns out, is at this hotel, too. Too bad his phone’s busted or we’d be done with all this by now.”
“I’ll ask which room he’s in,” Nishiguchi offered.
Nishiguchi headed toward the front desk. Over the last few days, he’d gotten so used to taking orders from the guys in prefectural homicide that it was second nature now.
He found Yukawa’s room number quickly and called from the front desk, but there was no answer. Only after Nishiguchi frowned and put the phone back down did the desk clerk speak up.
“If you’re trying to reach Mr. Yukawa, he asked that any calls for him be directed to the bar on the tenth floor.”
“Oh, thanks,” Nishiguchi said, resisting the urge to add, “You could have told me sooner,” and went back over to Nonogaki.
“This physicist guy is the one here doing research on the undersea development project, right?” Nonogaki laughed. “They haven’t even started mining yet, and he’s already living large in the resort hotel bar?”
Nishiguchi kept his opinion to himself.
There were only a few patrons scattered throughout the large bar. The side facing the sea was all glass, but they could see nothing because the sun had already set and it was pitch black outside. Nishiguchi imagined the bar probably got pretty busy on the nights when they had fireworks shows.
Yukawa was sitting at a table against the window. His glasses were resting on the table in front of him. Next to them was a bottle of red wine and a single wineglass. He was listening to something on a pair of headphones.
Yukawa slowly looked up at the two detectives when they approached. He noticed Nishiguchi and removed the headphones from one of his ears. “Is he a detective too?” he asked, indicating Nonogaki with his eyes.
Nonogaki introduced himself and sat down across the table from Yukawa. “Could we have a moment?”
“What if I said no?”
Nonogaki frowned, and Yukawa’s lips curled upward. “I’m kidding, of course. Are you going to keep standing?” The question was directed at Nishiguchi, who quickly sat.
“You should order something,” Yukawa suggested. “It’s a little odd drinking alone,” Yukawa said to Nonogaki, removing his headphones completely.
“We’re fine. But please, go ahead.”
“Right, well then,” Yukawa said, picking up his wineglass and taking a leisurely sip.
Nonogaki cleared his throat and announced, “We’ve arrested Mr. and Mrs. Kawahata.”
Yukawa set down his glass. “Okay.”
“You’re not surprised?”
“Well, this morning they did tell me they wanted me to move to another hotel, and they didn’t ask me to pay for my stay, which gave me fairly good warning that something was up. Later I heard rumors that a number of police cruisers were spotted up at the inn, so I assumed there’d been an arrest. On what charges were they arrested?”
“Right now, professional negligence resulting in death and the abandonment of a corpse.”
Yukawa picked his glasses up from the table and wiped the lenses with a paper napkin. “Right now? Do you mean to suggest that the charges might change?”
“I can’t say. We’re still in the process of looking into everything—a process that includes talking to you.”
“I see. So, what should I say?” Yukawa asked, putting on his glasses.
“Just the facts as you saw them. I know you’ve given a statement already, and you’re probably tired of repeating it, but I’d like you to begin with your first day at the Green Rock Inn.”
The physicist snorted. “I am sick of it, but here goes,” he said, and began his story, the same one he had been telling from the very beginning. There was nothing in Yukawa’s account that contradicted Sawamura’s confession. Nishiguchi was relieved. If Yukawa was telling the truth, the chance of any blame falling on Narumi was slim.
“How was Sawamura when he came into the bar?” Nonogaki asked.
“How do you mean?”
“Well…” Nonogaki paused. He had probably been hoping for something like “He looked nervous,” but suggesting that would make it a leading question. “Anything is fine. Whatever you sensed at the time.”
Yukawa shrugged. “Then I suppose I should say I sensed nothing. It was my first encounter with the man.”
“So when you went back to the inn, did you notice anything unusual about the Kawahatas’ behavior that night or the following day?”
“Nothing that I noticed,” Yukawa replied simply. “I didn’t speak directly with him that much, however. And most of my meals were served by the daughter, Narumi. She’s not involved with this, is she?”
Nishiguchi resisted the urge to blurt out Of course not.
Nonogaki ignored the question and stood up from the table. “Thank you for your time. We’ll let you get back to your wine.”