“I wondered about that. What does it mean?”
Kaga looked pleased to be asked.
“It’s a phrase from Zen Buddhism. It means, ‘Have a cup of tea.’”
“Really?”
“Originally, though, it had a slightly different nuance. It meant something like, ‘Get a move on and go — drink your tea.’ At some point, though, the meaning got reversed; it went from being a slightly hostile remark to something you said to welcome people and make them feel at home.”
“Wow, you really know this neighborhood inside out.”
Kaga smiled ironically.
“I only just got posted here, so I’m a newcomer. One of the regulars here told me all of this. This area’s fascinating; wander down any random street, and you’re sure to find something curious. Like, it’s funny how the best-known dish at the yakitori grilled chicken restaurants around here is rolled omelet. Your mother used to go to Suitengu Shrine almost every day. I bet she enjoyed the walk.”
Having started off talking about unrelated things, Kaga had nimbly segued to Koki’s mother’s murder, the topic they were there to discuss. Koki was impressed: clearly detectives had their own techniques for steering conversations.
“What is it you wanted to talk to me about?” said Kaga.
Koki swallowed a mouthful of iced coffee, then explained that he was keen to find out what the emails between Mineko and her lawyer were about. He was frank about Shizuko Takamachi having said little to him.
Kaga looked into his cup and listened in silence. When Koki finished, he raised his head and blinked a few times.
“That’s not very flattering. Do I look like someone who’s happy to spill the beans on an ongoing investigation? That wouldn’t make me much of a cop.”
“I didn’t mean that. I’m anxious to find out more about my mother’s recent life, and approaching you was the only way I could think of... We’d already met, so I thought that might count for something... I apologize.” Koki clenched his fists on his thighs. His palms were damp with sweat.
Kaga put his coffee cup down. He was smiling benignly.
“Hey, I was just pulling your leg. No need to get wound up. I won’t shoot my mouth off, but sharing confidential information can sometimes help drive an investigation forward.”
Koki looked at the detective in surprise.
Kaga leaned forward, placing both elbows on the table.
“Before I tell you what you want to know, there’s something I want to ask you. Why do you think your parents got divorced? Go on, speak frankly.”
Koki was slightly taken aback.
“The reason for their divorce? The other detective asked me about that. My guess is that it was incompatibility, if that’s the right word.”
“What’s your personal take? Did you think it was unavoidable?”
“When I got the news, I wasn’t that put out. According to my dad, my mom was being selfish and demanding. On the other hand, my dad never cared much about either of us, so for my mom to fall out of love with him seemed natural.”
“Okay.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
Kaga ignored the question. “Do you know what your mother’s divorce settlement was?” he asked.
Koki leaned back a little in his chair.
“No idea.”
“Oh, really?” Kaga looked thoughtful.
“Could I—?”
“Your mother,” Kaga plowed on, “seems to have decided recently to ask your father for an additional lump sum payment. She’d already gotten the original settlement, but she no longer felt that was good enough, apparently. Two possible reasons occur to me. The first is that she was worrying about the viability of her translation work, because the friend who was intending to send work her way unexpectedly decided to move abroad. The second reason you can probably guess for yourself: Ms. Mitsui believed she was about to have a grandchild. What would be more natural than for her to want to help the young couple?”
A lightbulb seemed to go on in Koki’s brain.
“Oh, I get it. My mom was discussing money matters with her lawyer.”
Kaga reached for his cup.
“That is something I can neither confirm nor deny. Ms. Mitsui apparently wanted to reopen negotiations with the other party, Naohiro Kiyose, on the way the money had been split.”
“That’s pretty irresponsible of her.” Koki scowled. “Even if my dad was in the wrong, she was the one who asked for the divorce, and they’d already reached an agreement—”
“Take it easy,” said Kaga soothingly. “As I told you, there’d been some unexpected developments in Ms. Mitsui’s life. She wasn’t just reopening the negotiations on a whim. She also believed she had plausible grounds for what she was doing.”
“Plausible grounds?”
“She’d uncovered a new reason why she couldn’t have remained married. She believed that if she could pin responsibility on the other party, she could claim compensatory damages.”
The detective’s slightly convoluted statement confused Koki, but after running through it several times in his head, he grasped what Kaga was saying.
“You think my father had a bit on the side?”
Koki had raised his voice, and Kaga darted a nervous glance around the café before returning his gaze to him.
“Your reaction suggests that you didn’t know.”
Koki shook his head.
“How could I? I haven’t seen my father for ages. I’d be the last one to know about something like that.”
“What about before? Did your father always have an eye for the ladies? Did he and your mother ever fight about anything like that?”
“Not so far as I know. Dad neglected us, but that was because he was so focused on his work; he wasn’t out living the playboy lifestyle. Frankly, I can’t imagine him having an affair.”
Kaga nodded, then, slightly hesitantly, pulled a cell phone from his pocket. He pressed a few buttons, then turned it around so Koki could see the screen.
“I’m breaking the rules. Don’t tell anyone I showed you this.”
It was a picture of a young woman in a suit, apparently unaware that she was being photographed.
“You snapped this secretly?” asked Koki.
“I told you it was against the rules, didn’t I?” Kaga grinned. “Ever seen her before?”
“She’s very pretty. I’ve never seen her, no.”
“Look carefully. You’re quite sure you don’t recognize her?”
Koki took another careful look. Maybe Kaga was right. Koki had a vague sense of having seen the woman before, but it felt more like illusion than reality. He explained as much to Kaga.
“Is that right?” Kaga returned the cell phone to his pocket.
Koki decided to try his luck.
“Who is she?” he asked.
Kaga hesitated briefly, then said, “Someone currently in close proximity to Naohiro Kiyose. Don’t go getting the wrong idea, though. We have no confirmation that they are lovers.”
“But that’s what you suspect, Detective Kaga. You think she’s my father’s mistress.”
“Mistress is the wrong word. Mr. Kiyose is single. After the divorce, at least, he’s free to go out with whomever he wants without his ex-wife having the right to claim damages.”
Koki realized what Kaga was hinting at.
“Okay. So if my father had been seeing this woman before the divorce, my mother might have a claim.”
“You’re a sharp lad,” said Kaga, with a smile.
“You wouldn’t be taking photos of this woman unless you thought she had some connection to the murder, would you?” An idea came to Koki. “You think she was my father’s lover prior to the divorce, and that my father killed my mother to stop her finding out? Or something like that?”