‘Actually, I’ve come to talk about something you know very well,’ Kusanagi said. ‘Maybe it would be better to say something about which only you know.’
Ikai raised an eyebrow. ‘Something only I know about? I wonder what that might be.’
‘I wanted to ask a bit more about Mr and Mrs Mashiba’s meeting. You were there, correct?’
‘That again?’ Ikai gave a disappointed sigh.
‘I was hoping you could describe in detail how the two of them acted around each other at the party. How exactly did they meet each other there?’
Ikai furrowed his brow with suspicion. ‘This has something to do with the case?’
Kusanagi only smiled a thin smile. Ikai sighed again.
‘Another secret, then? Still, we’re talking about something that happened quite a while ago. I can’t see how it could have anything to do with the case.’
‘We’re not sure that it does yet. We’re just trying to get all the details. Leave no stone unturned, as it were.’
‘You don’t seem like the detail type to me but, whatever. What exactly did you want to know?’
‘Well, what you told me before was that the event where they met was essentially a dating party. As I understand it, these parties are intended to bring together men and women who have never met before, and give them an opportunity to talk and get to know each other. Was it that sort of party? Were there some kind of intro -ductions?’
Ikai shook his head. ‘No, nothing like that. Think of it more as a semiformal cocktail party. If it was one of those ridiculous meet-your-future-wife things, I never would’ve gone along with him.’
Kusanagi nodded. ‘Speaking of which, did Ayane come to the party alone?’
‘I’m pretty sure she did. I remember seeing her at the bar, drinking a cocktail. She wasn’t talking to anyone.’
‘Who spoke first?’
‘Mashiba,’ Ikai said quickly.
‘So Mr Mashiba went up to her?’
‘We were having a drink at the bar, too. She was about two seats down. Then, out of the blue, Mashiba commented on her mobile phone case.’
Kusanagi stopped writing in his notepad and looked up. ‘Her mobile phone case?’
‘Yes, she’d put it up on the bar. It was made out of patchwork, with a little window to read the display. He said something like, “That’s pretty,” or, “That’s unusual,” I forget which. But it was definitely Mashiba who spoke first. Then she told him she made it herself, and smiled. That got them started.’
‘So that was how they met?’
‘Yep. Of course, I didn’t imagine at the time that they’d be getting married.’
Kusanagi leaned forward. ‘Was that the only time you’d gone with Mr Mashiba to a party like that?’
‘Once was enough.’
‘Was Mr Mashiba the type, in your opinion, to make comments like that to complete strangers?’
Ikai frowned. ‘That’s hard to say. He wasn’t nervous talking to women he didn’t know, but he wasn’t exactly the type to hit on girls at bars, either. Not even in college. He used to say that content mattered more than looks, and I think he actually meant it.’
‘So would it be safe to say that talking to Ayane at that party was exceptional behaviour for him?’
‘A little, sure. I was surprised, but I chalked it up to being a spur-of-the-moment thing. Maybe she inspired him in some way. And that in turn led to the two of them getting together. That was my interpretation, at any rate.’
‘Did you notice anything unusual about them at that time? Anything at all?’
Ikai thought for a moment, then shook his head again. ‘I don’t remember much. Once they got to talking, I kind of faded into the background. But why would you ask me that, Detective?’
Kusanagi smiled and stuck his notepad into his pocket.
‘Not even a little hint?’ Ikai asked.
‘I’ll be happy to talk to you about it when the time is right. Thanks for seeing me today.’ He stood, but stopped on his way to the door. ‘If you wouldn’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention the details of our conversation to Mrs Mashiba.’
Ikai’s eyes narrowed. ‘So she’s a suspect?’
‘That’s not what I’m saying. Just … it would be helpful if you could keep it secret for now.’ Kusanagi hurried from the room before Ikai could ask him more.
Outside the building, the detective paused on the pavement. He breathed a deep sigh.
If what Ikai had just told him was true, Ayane hadn’t been the one who initiated the encounter with Yoshitaka Mashiba. Their meeting at the party was a coincidence.
Or was it?
When Kusanagi asked Ayane if she knew Junko Tsukui, she had told him she didn’t. That bothered him. She must have known her.
How else could he explain the tapestry on the wall in Junko’s book? It was an Ayane Mita original – Ayane didn’t spend months making copies of other people’s designs. Which meant that Junko Tsukui had seen her work somewhere.
However, as far as Kusanagi was aware, that particular tapestry wasn’t featured in any of Ayane’s published collections. Tsukui had to have seen the piece at a gallery show – and taking photos at such a show was strictly prohibited. Tsukui’s art wasn’t bad, but Kusanagi didn’t peg her for someone with a photographic memory. That would suggest that Ayane had shown the tapestry to Junko personally, which in turn meant the two women knew each other.
So why did Ayane lie? Why did she tell him that she didn’t know Junko Tsukui? Did she just want to hide the fact that her deceased husband was also her friend’s ex?
Kusanagi glanced at his watch. Just past four. I better get going. He was supposed to be at Yukawa’s by four thirty; but something slowed his pace. The truth was that he didn’t want to see his old friend. It was pretty clear that the physicist would be waiting for him with exactly the kind of answers Kusanagi didn’t want to hear. And yet, there was no way he could send someone else to stand in for him. As the detective in charge, it was his responsibility to get all the information he could, like it or not. And increasingly he found himself longing for an end to his own confusion.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Yukawa used a spoon to scoop coffee into the paper filter.
‘I see you’ve got used to your coffeemaker,’ Utsumi commented from behind him.
‘Got used to it, yes – but at the same time I’ve become aware of a shortcoming.’
‘Oh? What’s that?’
‘You have to decide how many cups you want to make up front. Of course, once you realize that two or three won’t be enough, you can always make more. But it’s a pain to go to all that trouble for just one extra cup. Which means I find myself making enough for an extra cup but then I risk making too much. I hate to throw out perfectly good coffee, and if I leave it on the burner too long, the flavour changes. You see?’
‘Well, you won’t have to worry about that today. I’ll drink whatever’s left over.’
‘Oh, we’re fine today. I’ve only made four cups. One for you, one for me, and one for Kusanagi. The final cup I’ll drink at my leisure after you’ve left.’
Clearly, the physicist wasn’t planning on keeping them long. Utsumi had her doubts that things would go so smoothly. Unless Yukawa’s going to stop being coy and solve the puzzle once and for all.
‘You know, the entire department is grateful to you, Professor,’ she said. ‘If you hadn’t insisted on it, we never would have taken the extra step of sending the filtration system on to Spring-8’s lab.’