“Fifty-five, forty-five, it’s all the same. I wonder how old this child of hers is? Probably a bit younger than our Kanae.”
When he heard the name Kanae, Akifumi began wolfing down his daifuku.
“What’s she got to do with anything?” Sure enough, Genichi sounded even more cantankerous than before.
“Nothing in particular. I was just wondering about the age of this woman’s child.”
“Well, it’s got damn all to do with our own daughter. She ran off. I don’t want you talking about her.”
“I can say her name if I want to.”
“Shut it, woman. I said don’t want to hear it.”
As Akifumi had anticipated, the atmosphere in the room was now heavy and threatening. He hastily crammed the last of the cake into his mouth and gulped down his tea, before he got sucked into the maelstrom.
Kaga paid them a second visit a little after seven in the evening the next day. Genichi had just got back from walking Donkichi, the store was closed, and Akifumi was getting ready to head home.
“You told me that you bumped into Mineko Mitsui in Hamacho Park. Are you quite sure of that?” The detective’s expression was somewhat sterner than on the day before.
“Quite sure,” insisted Genichi.
“I need you to think hard. Memory plays tricks on all of us. Cast your mind back to the last time you saw her: you’re quite sure that it was in Hamacho Park.”
“You’re as bad as my wife, Detective. I know what I know.”
“Indeed?” Kaga looked skeptical.
“I want to know how you know that I ran into Ms. Mitsui on that day. That’s what’s bugging me.”
“Didn’t I tell you? We found a half-written email in the drafts file on her computer. In it she said she’d bumped into the clock shop man from Kobunacho.”
“Email!” Genichi snorted contemptuously.
“Last time we spoke, you said that Ms. Mitsui was alone. Are you quite certain about that? Think very carefully.”
“She was alone. If there was anyone with her, then I didn’t see them.”
“And the place was Hamacho Park?” Kaga directed a piercing look at Genichi.
“Hamacho Park. Correct.” Genichi glared at the detective.
“Around what time did you get back from your walk that day?”
“Seven-ish, probably.”
Kaga thanked him and went on his way.
“That cop’s an odd one,” muttered Genichi under his breath, as he headed into the back of the store.
3
When the glass door opened, Akifumi looked up and was startled. It was Kaga — yet again. That made three days in a row. This time, however, he was dressed smartly in a dark gray jacket.
“You again?”
“I know. I’m sorry. There’s something I just can’t get my head around.”
“If it’s the boss you’re looking for, he’s out and won’t be back until later,” Akifumi said. Genichi had gone to a memorial service for a friend.
“Oh, really? That’s a pity.” The detective didn’t seem particularly disappointed. He looked at Akifumi. “It’s almost five thirty. Doesn’t that mean it’s time for the dog’s walk? Or will Mrs. Terada be walking Donkichi today?”
“Mrs. Terada is doing the shopping, so I’m going.”
“What about the store, then?”
“I’ll shut up shop before I go. We don’t get many customers in the late afternoon. Besides, we usually close around six — the Teradas told me we could close at five thirty today.”
“Interesting. I have a little favor to ask: could I accompany you on your walk?”
“With the dog, you mean? No problem. Though I’m just going to take the same old route we always take.”
“It’s your everyday route that I’m interested in. So, if you don’t mind...”
Kaga politely inclined his head. Akifumi responded with an ambiguous half sigh, half grunt.
At five thirty on the dot, after lowering the rolling security gate, Akifumi left through a side door and walked around to the front where Kaga was waiting. The detective smiled when he saw the dog.
“I didn’t realize your dog was a Shiba Inu. How old is he?”
“Eight, I think.”
Donkichi glanced up at Kaga, then looked off to one side as though he’d lost all interest. Genichi was always bellyaching about the dog’s utter lack of charm, despite doting on him more than anyone else in the family.
Donkichi set off and Akifumi followed, hanging on to the lead. The dog seemed to know which way to go.
“It’s an interesting name for a dog, Donkichi. Did your boss come up with it?” asked Kaga, walking side by side with Akifumi.
“No, it was the Teradas’ daughter. She was the one who insisted on getting a dog in the first place.”
“They’ve got a daughter?”
Me and my big mouth, thought Akifumi. Still, he was dealing with a detective. The man could find out anything he wanted, so trying to conceal things was a waste of time.
“She got married and moved out recently. Lives in Ryogoku now.”
“She did, huh? And she’s the one who named ‘baby’?”
“She actually christened him Donkey, but her mother and father said that an English name wasn’t their family style. The two of them started calling him Donkichi, and that’s the name that stuck. For my part, I think he looks like more of a Donkichi than a Donkey.”
Donkichi himself was straining at the leash and sniffing at all the street smells. His tongue was dangling from his open mouth. He was clearly hot.
They took a left after the elementary school and passed a well-known chicken restaurant. The route would take them over Ningyocho Boulevard and into Amazake Alley, which led right to Hamacho Park.
Donkichi, however, came to an abrupt halt after they crossed Ningyocho Boulevard. Turning his head this way and that, he appeared a little lost.
“What’s got into him today?” Akifumi muttered.
“Maybe we’re going the wrong way?”
“No, this is the right way.”
Akifumi gave the lead a tug and headed down Amazake Alley. Donkichi followed obediently, then raced ahead, just as before.
After a short distance, they reached a narrow patch of greenery that doubled as a traffic median. At the entrance stood a statue of Benkei, the warrior monk from a kabuki play. Donkichi tried to cock his leg on the statue’s base, but Akifumi pulled him away.
“That triangular clock was very interesting,” said Kaga, a propos of nothing in particular. “Especially the way the three dials malfunction together and stop together. You’d expect for each clock face to have its own movement. How come all three move together like that?”
Akifumi laughed. “Isn’t it amazing? When I disassembled it, the thing just blew my mind. The guys in the old days had so much imagination.”
“Any chance of you explaining the mechanism to me?”
“Well...” Akifumi grunted noncommittally.
They could see the theater just up ahead. From there, it wasn’t far to Hamacho Park.
“How long has Terada’s Clock Shop been going?” asked Kaga, changing the subject.
“It was founded by the father of the present boss. The original store was a bit closer to Kayabacho, but they moved to where they are now after the original shop burned down.”
“So it’s a long-established business?”
Akifumi gave a sardonic smile.
“The boss isn’t keen on stressing our heritage. Nihonbashi is awash with specialty stores that have been around for centuries. Unlike them, we’re not famous for making our own products. All we do is sell things we get from various manufacturers. Also, most of the store’s income is actually from repairs.”