“It’s all here in detail in the Contract Guide. The fundamental rule is, if the insured commits suicide within one year of signing the contract, no life insurance can be paid. However, there are cases of payout if the insured was of unsound mind at the time.”
So there he had it. No payout if you kill yourself four days later. Kita looked at Yashiro. There was no point in taking out insurance, if that was the case. Yashiro knew this when he arranged for Kita to sign on for life insurance. He was telling Kita to make it look like an accident.
“So you don’t get anything from it if you kill yourself, Kita. Better give the idea up.” Yashiro stuck out his thumb and sent Kita a warning signal as he spoke. He looked satisfied, however. Kita had just been presented with one good argument for changing his mind about suicide. But Kita was still determined on his plan. He just had to change his tactics a little.
“So what other situations are there where the money doesn’t get paid?” This time, Kita thought he ought to find out all the facts.
“Well, I don’t imagine this would apply to you Mr Kita, but if for instance you were condemned to death by the courts, that’s another example. Or if you died in the course of committing a crime. If, say, you hijacked a plane, or holed up in a bank or hotel with hostages, and got yourself shot in the process. The same applies if you try to kill someone and get killed yourself – the other party’s acting in lawful self-defence, and you were asking for it. Certain conditions also apply if you’re injured in a war or a terrorist attack. I believe we limit payment to situations in which general damage is relatively limited – if the damage is widespread, there can be more claims than the company’s capable of paying, see. If you take out a contract with special conditions attached, I’d also mention that there are conditions related to damage from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunami. By the way, Mr, Kita, do you drink?”
“Yes, a bit.”
“There is no payout if you die in a condition of extreme drunkenness. As in the case of death in a car accident in which you were driving while under the influence or without a licence. Also, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that there’s no payout in a situation in which the recipient of the insurance causes the death of the insured.”
“That’s Kita’s Mum in his case, and it’s her own son who’s the insured, so I don’t think we need to worry there. Now if it was me who was either the insured or the recipient, there might be room for suspicion.” Yashiro was the first to laugh at his own joke again.
Kita signed the necessary parts of the contract, and inserted his mother’s name as recipient. When he’d paid the first instalment with his credit card, Yoshiko urged him to drop in to the medical clinic across the way and get a check-up. For some reason, her brother came along too. “Are you in the insurance business too?” asked Kita.
“Not directly, but she and I do support each other in our work. Mr Yashiro asked me along today, that’s why I’m here. I’ll explain in more detail after your check-up. The truth is, I’m extremely interested in your state of health. It’s kind of my business, you might say.”
It’s none of your business at all, thought Kita, but he said nothing.
The check-up should have been a simple and straightforward matter, but the doctor took pains to listen with his stethoscope, take his pulse, and even take an X-ray, even though the results would take time to process. He also took a blood sample. It really got to Kita that thanks to Yashiro he was in the ironic position of getting a health check-up four days before his death.
Once the doctor had signed the check-up form, the insurance contract was finalized. “The money will be paid out even if you die in an unexpected accident this evening,” Yoshiko told him. Her brother congratulated him on his clean bill of health with innocent delight.
As soon as Kita was back inside the office of Thanatos Movie Productions, Kita inquired about the puzzling line of business of the brother.
“Well, you know about organ transplants, don’t you? The official term is ‘organic transplant.’ We’re in the business of organic transport. Our main job is to coordinate the transplant operation. You’ll be aware that there are a great many patients these days who need organ transplants. Traditional organ banks can’t keep up with demand, so we’re doing our best to help increase the supply of available organs. We use our own independent network to find people willing to donate an eye cornea, say, or bone marrow, or a kidney or liver, and organize the transplant for patients who are members of our club. To date, we’ve been able to coordinate one hundred and twenty-three transplants.”
“You’re telling me I should donate my organs? But if you take my liver out, I’ll die, won’t I? If I donate a cornea I’ll lose the sight of that eye, surely. And the kidney, now—”
“You have two of them,” the brother chipped in with a businesslike smile.
“So has Mr Yashiro here, doesn’t he?”
“Oh, mine are getting pretty tired. Your engine’s in much better condition than mine.”
It really did appear that Yashiro was out to sell Kita’s organs. But he couldn’t go selling things he was still using. The brother went on with his explanation.
“Naturally, the donation itself would take place only after your death, but we need the donation recorded while you’re still alive, you see.”
“Sure, I can see that. You can’t go stealing organs from dead bodies, after all. Even if the guy’s made you a verbal promise, eh?”
“But of course.” The brother spread out a brochure. “Over ninety percent of those requesting organ transplants are Japanese, but the majority of donors come from South-East Asia, China, and India. To tell the truth, we encourage people engaged in dangerous work to donate.”
In other words, the Japanese are buying Third World organs cheap just like they do with timber and oil and seafood, thought Kita.
Yashiro broke in, “His sister hopes her customers will live as long as possible, while he wants them to die as quick as they can. The younger and healthier the organs the better, after all. And Japanese organs are less of a worry, too. You’d pay more for Japanese organs than Chinese or Indian ones, wouldn’t you?”
“All organs donated to us are equally precious.”
The brother and sister exchanged a quick glance and an embarrassed if somewhat eerie smile. It was just as Yashiro had said, the two were in the same game from polar positions. Surely they already knew this. Why on earth were they siblings, when it came down to it?
“I get the feeling I’m the only person who’s not quite getting all this,” Kita remarked, and though it wasn’t particularly funny, he laughed.
Yashiro explained. “If you die, what would be the point of burning your healthy organs, after all?”
“Well no one’s going to want to eat them, are they? I guess if I was in Tibet or somewhere the vultures would, of course.”
“In Japan, there are patients with kidney or liver problems who’ll happily use them for you. They may be second-hand, but these folks will take them over and treat them well. You’re a very lucky man, you know.”
“So you’re telling me to sell ’em, that’s what you’re saying.”
“Not without payment, of course. We wouldn’t have the nerve to do that. There’s nothing that costs you more than something free, as the saying goes. No, the patients want to pay. And you can’t go offering them for a bargain, either, like they were bananas or antiques or something. That’s why I called in Mr Koikawa here.”
Mr Koikawa bowed. “I’m honoured,” he said.
To shut Yashiro up, Kita shot him a question. “You’re after something, aren’t you?”