“It was. But, like I said, it was over quickly. She went to the hospital complaining of a backache. Then I got a call from the doctor and she was admitted. She went into surgery. I came in to be with her—one thing after the other, like we were on a conveyor belt. I was hardly aware of the days passing, and then suddenly she was gone. It wasn’t hospital policy to tell patients about their cancer without family consent, so I’m not sure whether she ever knew what she had.” Kudo picked up a glass of water and drank.
“When did you first learn she had it?”
Kudo thought for a moment. “Around the end of the year before last … so, two years ago.”
“I was still at Marian then … you were still coming to the club.”
Kudo laughed quietly, his shoulders shaking. “Pretty insensitive, huh? Here my wife is on the brink of death, and I’m going out drinking.”
Yasuko froze. She didn’t know what to say. All she could remember was Kudo’s smiling face at the club.
“Well, if you want an excuse, let’s just say I was tired. I needed a break, I wanted to see you.” He scratched his head, frowning.
Yasuko thought back to when she had quit the club. On her last day, Kudo had brought her a bouquet.
Work hard and be happy—
What had he meant when he said those words? How had he felt? He must’ve been in far more pain than she, yet he had never let it show. He’d sent her on her way with good wishes and flowers.
“Well, sorry for killing the mood,” Kudo said, pulling out a cigarette. “What I was trying to say is, you needn’t worry about my family.”
“What about your son, then? He’s got exams coming up, doesn’t he?”
“My parents are taking care of him for the time being. They live closer to his high school, and I’m pretty useless around the house. Can’t even make the kid a proper dinner. I think my mother’s happy to have someone to look after.”
“So you’re living alone now?”
“If you call going back to the bedroom after work, falling on my face, and sleeping ‘living,’ then yeah, pretty much.”
“But you didn’t say anything about that the last time we met.”
“Didn’t think there was a need. I came to see you because I was worried about you, after all. But I figured if I asked you to dinner, you would worry about my family—and you certainly have a right to. So, that’s the story and here we are.”
“I had no idea…” Yasuko lowered her eyes.
Kudo’s intentions were clear now. He was letting her know that he wanted to see her more often. He wanted to date, officially this time. And dating with the possibility of a future together. No doubt that was why he wanted to meet Misato, too.
After that they left the restaurant, and Kudo gave her a ride home in a taxi just as he had the other night.
“Thanks for dinner,” Yasuko said before she got out.
“I hope it won’t be the last?”
There was a pause, then Yasuko smiled and said, “Yes.”
“Then, good night. My best to your daughter.”
“Good night,” she replied, but even as she spoke she was thinking about how difficult it would be to talk to Misato about her evening with Kudo. In the message on the answering machine, she had said she was going out to dinner with Sayoko and her husband.
She watched the taxi leave, then walked up the stairs to her apartment. Misato was sitting with her legs tucked under the kotatsu, watching television. An empty pizza box was on the table.
“Welcome back, Mom,” the girl said, looking up.
“Hi, honey. Sorry about tonight.”
Yasuko had trouble meeting her daughter’s eyes. She was afraid her guilt at having gone out to dinner with a man would show on her face.
“You get a call?” Misato asked.
“A call?”
“Yeah, from Mr. Ishigami next door?” Misato added, quietly. She meant the usual evening call.
“No, I had my phone off.”
“Oh,” Misato said glumly.
“Why, did something happen?”
“Nothing, just—” Misato’s eyes glanced toward the clock on the wall. “Ishigami’s been going in and out of his apartment all night. I watched him from the window, and it looked like he was going down to the street. I figured he was going out to call you.”
“Oh…”
He probably had been, Yasuko thought. She had been worried about that very possibility, even while she was eating dinner with Kudo. And she was worried even more about the fact that Ishigami had run into Kudo at Benten-tei. Of course, to Kudo, Ishigami was nothing more than another customer.
She wondered why Ishigami had come to the store at such a time—on this day, of all days. And with his “friend.” He never came with friends, and he never came after lunchtime.
Of course Ishigami would remember Kudo. He probably suspected something when he saw the same man who had dropped Yasuko off in a taxi the other day show up at Benten-tei. None of this made her look forward to Ishigami’s next call.
She was hanging her coat on the hanger when the doorbell rang. Yasuko froze and exchanged glances with Misato. For a moment, she thought it must be Ishigami. But then that didn’t make much sense; he would never risk coming to her apartment.
“Yes?” she called out toward the door.
“Sorry to bother you so late at night, ma’am. I was wondering if I could ask a few questions?” It was a man’s voice, but not one she remembered hearing before. Yasuko opened the door, leaving the chain on. Someone was standing outside the apartment. She recognized him even as he reached into his coat and pulled out a police badge.
“Detective Kishitani, Homicide, ma’am. I came by the other day with Detective Kusanagi?”
“Right, of course,” Yasuko said, remembering. She looked down the hallway but Kusanagi was nowhere in sight.
Yasuko closed the door and gave Misato a look. Misato got out from under the kotatsu and went silently into the back room. As soon as the sliding door was shut behind her, Yasuko undid the chain and opened the front door again. “Can I help you with something?”
Kishitani nodded. “Yes—it’s about that movie you went to see, again…”
Yasuko frowned despite herself. Ishigami had warned her the police would get on her case about the movie theater, and he was turning out to be more right than she had expected.
“What about the movie? I’ve already told you everything I know.”
“Yes, you’ve been very cooperative, ma’am. Thank you. I was just wondering if I could borrow those stubs?”
“Stubs? You mean the ticket stubs?”
“That’s right. I believe Detective Kusanagi asked you to keep them in a safe place the last time we were here?”
“Just a moment.”
Yasuko went to the kitchen cupboard and pulled out the drawer. She took out an envelope and from it removed two ticket stubs. She handed both of them—one for her and one for Misato, over to the detective. He thanked her and took them. She noticed he was wearing white gloves.
“I’m a suspect, aren’t I?” Yasuko asked suddenly.
Kishitani shook his head and waved his hands in front of his face. “Not at all, not at all. In fact, we’re having trouble finding a suspect. That’s why we have to do this: we go around eliminating all the people connected with the victim, even the ones that aren’t very suspicious.”
“How can those stubs help you do that?”
“Well, I can’t really say, but they might be of some use. The best thing would be if we could prove that you did go to the movies on the day you say you did … tell me, you haven’t thought of anything else, have you—anything unusual from that day?”
“No, nothing more than what I’ve already said.”
“Right, thank you,” Kishitani said, his eyes wandering around the room.