A Death in Tokyo--A Mystery by Keigo Higashino

Author:Keigo Higashino
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

18

It was a little after eight p.m. when Matsumiya and Kaga got back to the task force room. This time, however, there was no cluster of investigators standing around Ishigaki. The unit chief was contemplating a number of reports strewn over his desk, with a pensive and unhappy look on his face.

Work had begun to send the case to the public prosecutor as a “suspect deceased” case, since that was what the top brass wanted. Ishigaki, highly experienced chief inspector that he was, was far from satisfied with the case.

Matsumiya reported their latest findings: that Kaori Nakahara hadn’t known about Yashima having an electrician’s knife; and the truth about the final phone call from Yashima.

“‘I’ve done something awful. Something terrible’s happened.’ That’s it? Sounds a reasonable enough thing to say in the circumstances.” The furrow above Ishigaki’s nose stayed firmly in place. “It’s circumstantial evidence, sure, but it’s on the weak side. It’s not like he came straight out and said, ‘I killed the guy.’”

“Well, no…”

“It’s weak,” repeated Ishigaki.

“There is one more thing,” Matsumiya said after turning to glance at Kaga. “In the last text Fuyuki Yashima sent Kaori Nakahara, he said he was going to a job interview. Everyone currently sees that as referring to Yashima asking the victim for his old job back, but I wonder if that’s really the case.”

“Huh? What are you getting at?”

“That rather than meeting the victim, perhaps Yashima went out because he was going to have an interview at a bar or restaurant or some other kind of business.”

Ishigaki looked skeptical.

“Don’t you pay any attention in the darn meetings? We’ve contacted all the nearby establishments that were advertising for staff and didn’t find a single one that Yashima had applied to or visited in person. There aren’t any phone numbers of bars, restaurants, or other businesses in Yashima’s phone. You can’t seriously believe that someone who was going in for an interview wouldn’t have had any advance contact?”

“I’m quite sure he was in touch with them—just without using a phone.”

“How’s he supposed to contact them without using his phone? There’s nothing in his email or texts either.”

Matsumiya shook his head and looked at his boss’s narrow eyes.

“You can do it without calling, emailing, or texting. You just show up in person.”

“Show up in person? Why would he do that?”

“It’s faster than using the phone. Imagine that Yashima saw a help-wanted ad and the place that was hiring was right there in front of his eyes—don’t you think he’d go in and try his luck?”

“In front of his eyes?” The expression on Ishigaki’s face had switched from sullen to comprehending. “You think Yashima came across a help-wanted flyer stuck up on a wall somewhere?”

“Exactly. The kind that businesses post on their own doors. The flyer catches Yashima’s eye, so he goes in and asks about the job. The other party comes back with, ‘Today, no can do, but come back for an interview tomorrow.’ What do you think? In that scenario, there’s nothing strange about the lack of a call record in the log.

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