“Be careful.”
From inside the car, I watched Juri’s back as she carried the heavy-looking paper bag. Fortunately, there were few residences in the area. It was late and it seemed we didn’t have to worry about people seeing us.
I gazed at the condo. I hadn’t asked the room number, so I didn’t know which floor Juri intended to go up to. In a four-story building, there might not be an elevator. Carrying that package up the stairs would probably be hard.
I stayed like that for about five minutes, then thought, That’s weird. There wasn’t a new light turning on in any window. Yuki’s room would probably be dark, so Juri should have turned on the light immediately.
Maybe I just couldn’t see it from this side?
About five more minutes later, Juri came out. She crossed the street at a jog and approached my car.
“Sorry for making you wait,” she apologized, getting into the passenger seat. It seemed she was a little out of breath.
“Did you hide it okay?” I said, starting the car.
“Yeah, perfectly.”
“Wouldn’t Yuki’s parents or someone go in?”
“That’s okay. She said that would never happen. Even if someone did go in, I hid it where they wouldn’t be able to find it easily.”
“Is Yuki’s room that big?”
“It isn’t, but it’s pretty disorganized with furniture everywhere.”
“And the floor plan?”
“Huh?”
“The floor plan of Yuki’s room. Is it a studio?”
“Ah, uhh, it is. What about it?”
“No, I was wondering what kind of rooms young people live in around here.”
If it was a studio, then if the light were turned on, it would be visible from outside, I thought.
After we had driven for a while, Juri said, “Hey, do you want to try going there?”
“There?” I stepped on the brake.
“That place. You remember, right? We went there the last time we came.”
“Ah…” Of course I hadn’t forgotten it or anything. “Why there?”
“Because, tonight is the last night. I have to go home and we won’t meet again.”
I was silent. It was as she said. I was thinking about escorting her somewhere tonight and contacting Katsutoshi Katsuragi. With that the game would be over.
“So, I thought we might go to that place with those memories.” She said it in a somewhat offhand tone. It might have been out of embarrassment.
I took my foot off the brake pedal. Yokosuka was a decoy location for us, so it was better not to hang around for too long. But I thought maybe a short while was okay. Just as she said, this was our last night together.
I stopped the car on the hill at the tip of Miura Peninsula half an hour later. Like that other night, I let down the hood completely and took in the grassy scent. Next to me, Juri was taking a deep breath too.
Unfortunately, it seemed that there were clouds spread across the sky. Tonight we couldn’t see the stars.
“It was a short time, but it was so much fun,” Juri said looking at my face.
“It was a thrilling game.”
“I think every day after tomorrow will feel really boring.”
“It won’t be. I’ll keep saying it, but you still have a job left to do.”
“That’s nothing. Compared to what I’ve been up to.”
“That’s promising.” I laughed.
“Mr. Sakuma.” Her eyes emitted a sincere light. “Thanks for everything.”
“That’s hardly necessary. I got fun out of this, too. It’s been a pleasure playing a do-or-die match for the first time in a while.”
“Plus you won the match?”
“Yeah.”
We faced each other and smiled.
“But really, thank you,” Juri said. “Because of you, I can keep on living.”
“That’s a little extreme.”
“But it’s the truth…I guess I shouldn’t expect you to understand.” She tilted her head.
Our gazes met and, just like that, we kissed. Her lips were soft and slightly moist. I felt myself stiffening, but didn’t think of trying to undress her. It was always important to know when to quit. I had to cut off our relationship here. I shouldn’t be so wistful.
But still, just once more, for the last time, I held Juri’s body tightly. It seemed she’d lost some weight these past few days. “Thank you,” she whispered again as our bodies parted.
—
We got off the Coastal Way at Oiminami and headed to Shinagawa station. But instead of stopping there, I parked when a large hotel came into view on my left.
“Okay, one last review,” I said.
“Again? You’re so damn persistent.” Juri strained a laugh.
“Persistence is our lifeline. Please don’t complain—can we just do this?”
“When I woke up…” Her eyes grew distant. “I was lying inside a car. I think it was probably a Mercedes. My hands and feet weren’t tied up, and no one else was there. So I got out of the car. I was dizzy, but thinking that it was my last chance, I started running for my life. Because of that, I didn’t have the time to read the car’s plate. It seemed like I was in a parking lot. Actually, it was a hotel’s basement parking lot. I used an elevator to go to the lobby, but it was the middle of the night, so no one was there. I left through the front entrance and headed toward the taxi pickup. I didn’t think about whether I had money or not. I thought that as long as I got home, it would be okay.”
She grinned and looked at me. “Was there anything I got wrong?”
“No, that was perfect.” I gave her an okay sign. “You have the letter?”
“Yeah, I’m all set.”
I’d handed her a letter. The text, which I’d composed on my computer, read as follows:
To Mr. Katsutoshi Katsuragi,
We did indeed receive the ransom. As promised, we will return Juri Katsuragi.
The reason we did not act violently toward her will likely be made clear through her own mouth. We acknowledge that this transaction proceeded in a highly businesslike manner.
It was a fun game. We consider it nothing less than complete. After this, there will be no contact from us. We promise never to choose you as a player again.
From,
The Kidnappers
“Then it’s finally time,” I said.
“Yeah. Take care.”
“You too. Good luck.”
We shook hands. Her gaze lingering on our hands, Juri got out of the car. Thank you, goodbye—with those words, she closed the door. I moved the car out.
The city at night spread before me.
Chapter 16
On Saturday I went on a date for the first time in a while. She was a twenty-four-year-old event companion. We feasted on Italian fare and had several cocktails at the hotel bar, but it didn’t develop into us staying over at the hotel. Even if we’d wanted to, there probably wouldn’t have been any open rooms. I’d always put in a reservation when I was confident I’d score, but I hadn’t made those preparations that night. It wasn’t because I wasn’t confident. For some reason it just felt like a pain.
Honestly, it wasn’t that I harbored any special feelings for the woman. Anyone could have been my date.
I was in a mood, so even eating wasn’t much fun, and I couldn’t get excited about talking. She was probably wondering until the end why I’d called her.
I couldn’t get Juri out of my head. What had happened since then? Oddly enough, there hadn’t been any reports at all about the case. By all rights, the press should’ve been having a party. The great Nissei Automobile’s executive vice president’s daughter had been kidnapped, and furthermore, the ransom had been stolen. It was hard to think that there was a gag order. The hostage had returned safe and sound, so the police, themselves, could transition to a public investigation. Shouldn’t they be making active use of the press?