“Is that the chief?”
“It’s Yukichi Fukuzawa, isn’t it? You’re kidding me, son, aren’t you? Shinobu’s not in danger, is she?”
“She’s sleeping like a baby. Have you rung the police?”
“No. You’re the one who said not to, ain’t you?”
“If your first concern is Shinobu’s safety, you’ll do everything I ask.”
“Put Shinobu on the line. I want to hear her voice.”
“She says she has nothing to say to you.”
“Don’t tell me she’s in on this thing with you.”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Get together thirty million of those Yukichi Fukuzawa faces by tomorrow noon. I’ll telephone later with directions on the hand-over. OK, sleep well.”
Kita noted that he felt great every time he acted the abductor like this. He went back to the empty bathhouse and plunged into the bath. He ducked under the dividing plank in the middle, then amused himself by trying to walk along it. Not long after, Shinobu turned up, having found him missing.
“Bet you thought I’d disappeared.”
Shinobu looked sulky. She jumped into the bathtub, and splashed Kita’s face. Her breasts floated up and down in the water. I’ve abducted these two lovely round boobs too, Kita told himself, as he felt a still greater sense of fulfilment wash over him.
Chapter 6
WEDNESDAY
In the morning, an old woman came in to fold away the bedding. Both Kita and Shinobu were naked. The memory of the embrace that had lasted through till dawn still clung languidly about their bodies. They hastily donned bathrobes, and together set off for the bathhouse again. Kita’s arms, chest and neck gave off the faint lingering scent of Shinobu; the sensation of holding her still registered in the palms of his hands and on his belly. When they had first met at the hotel, she had seemed to him nothing but an intricate, life-sized wax doll, but now he knew the warmth of her flesh and the rhythm of her breath. Suddenly, he was no longer sure whether he was abducting her, or whether he was in love. Perhaps abduction was actually one form of love. After all, you do hear of cases where the kidnapper and his hostage fall for each other. And apparently, a law of nature dictates that the hostage will not condemn her kidnapper. In the beginning, she’ll watch him carefully in order to protect herself, but before long an attraction begins, and both begin to care for each other. Then, when the criminal is arrested, his victim will declare that he behaved in exemplary fashion. She’s the only one who can treat his crime lightly. This is why a kidnapper is wise to anticipate what will happen after he’s arrested, and be as polite and hospitable as possible to his victim.
Needless to say, Kita felt absolutely no animosity towards his own “victim.” He was a very lucky abductor. He had money. And he was pretty well loved by his captive.
There in the bathhouse with the morning sun streaming in, he made a bet with Shinobu on the question of whether those businessmen who sold her off would come up with the ransom money by the allotted time.
Kita put fifty thousand yen on them doing so, and Shinobu bet the same amount that they wouldn’t.
“If they haven’t paid those three thousand Yukichi Fukuzawas by noon, it means you’ll get killed, you know.”
“But I’ll get fifty thousand yen, won’t I? And if they do pay up on time, I may lose fifty thousand but I’ll be thirty million the richer, after all. I don’t stand to lose whichever way the dice rolls.”
“So you plan to pocket your own ransom money, eh?”
“Let’s split it. You’ll be able to live in clover for a while.”
“I’m going to die on Friday, remember.”
“Postpone it a while.”
“No way. Look, let me tell you something, honey. I’m not going to get myself caught by the police. I wouldn’t be able to kill myself on Friday if I did.”
“That’s sly. And I’ve just fallen for you, too.”
“That’s great to hear, but this is something I’ve made up my mind about.”
“I swear you’ll change your mind if you stay with me.”
“Hmm, I wonder.”
“Jesus won’t let you do it.”
“I’m a Buddhist, so I don’t care. I’m not saying I don’t like Jesus, mind.”
Shinobu sighed, and sank into the hot water.
After they’d eaten breakfast back in their room, Kita telephoned the boss again.
“Have you got those Yukichi Fukuzawas together?”
“Not yet. I don’t have a hope of making it by noon. Where are you right now, Fukuzawa?”
“I’m at the Showa Base in the South Pole.”
“Don’t get smart with me. I’m assuming Shinobu’s safe?”
“I’ve popped her in the hot water and she’s boiling nicely.”
“Stop the kidding. Put her on the phone.”
“Sure. And in return, you put on the detective who’s listening in through his headphones there beside you.”
“I haven’t told the cops.”
“Oh yeah? So who’s the guy there in your room frowning and holding his breath, hey? I can see him all the way from the South Pole. Quick, put him on.”
Another man took the receiver, mumbling something. “Is that the police?” asked Kita.
“No,” the other replied in a trembling voice.
“So who are you?”
The other guy seemed in agony. “No one,” he said.
“Well then, go top yourself.”
Kita put down the receiver. Over at the hotel shop, Shinobu was busy buying up fancy horse oil, pickled plums, and sweet rice cakes.
“I didn’t get quite enough sleep,” Kita announced. “Let’s go sleep some more.”
He urged her back to the room with him, where he flung himself down on the matting.
“It’s great weather. Let’s head out for a picnic in a while,” said Shinobu, twining her fingers through his hair. Outside the window, the leaves on the mountainside were playing softly in the sunlight. From where they gazed at the scene, it looked as if a huge green fish was swimming through the air. Through the open window wafted a scent of mineral waters from the hot springs mixed with the aroma of plants, which ruffled the opening of Shinobu’s bathrobe over her breasts, and tickled Kita’s neck.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if the next world was as good as this,” Kita muttered with a yawn.
“All you have to do is stay here like this, you know,” said Shinobu.
“I’d love to. But hey, everyone heaves themselves to their feet when the time comes, you know. Hey ho, they think, back to boring old everyday reality, eh? This is the best experience I’ve ever had, being here like this with you. I really believe that. And that’s because I’ve decided to kill myself on Friday, see. I don’t have to go back to boring old reality. It feels just great.”
“I’m so happy for you,” murmured Shinobu, sitting beside him gazing out at the landscape through half-closed eyes.
“Eh?” said Kita, surprised.
“I really envy you, going to die the day after tomorrow. Aren’t you scared of dying?”
“Nope.”
“Do you feel hopeless?”
“Nope.”
“So why are you going to kill yourself?”
“I’ve come to the end of my life.”
“And who says so?”
“I dunno. God, I guess.”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t. Why did I get the urge to die?”
“I read the Bible to you, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, and thanks to you I’m not scared to die any more.”
“It’s cowardly to kill yourself. You’re running away.”
“You’re right.”
“You make me want to die too, Kita. I’m scared.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of if you die with me.”
“No.” Shinobu spoke firmly, and peered into Kita’s relaxed face, her brow furrowed. Kita smiled benignly at her, with the air of having already severed all ties with this world. She felt she’d seen this expression somewhere before. Yes that was it – it was just like the face of the dead Yutaka Ozaki.