water out of the bucket into a real watering can, so I used an awl to punch holes in this soft drink can.’
‘Good idea.’
‘Isn’t it? Of course, he never could understand why I’d even bother having flowers up here in the first place …’ Ayane’s face tensed and she squatted down on the balcony. The water from the little can was drizzling on her slipper.
‘Mrs Mashiba?’ Kusanagi called out.
‘I’m sorry. I … I just can’t believe he’s gone.’
‘No one expects you to.’
‘We were only married a year. One year. I’d just got used to my new life … started to figure out those things couples know. What he likes to eat, what he drinks … We had so many things planned.’
Kusanagi watched her, one hand over her face, her head hanging. He couldn’t think of anything to say. The bright flowers around her suddenly looked garishly out of place.
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled. ‘I know I’m not much help to you like this. I should be … I need to be stronger.’
‘We can come back to ask our questions another day,’ Kusanagi said without thinking. Immediately he saw Mamiya in his mind’s eye, grimacing.
‘No, that’s all right. I need to know what happened myself. I just can’t understand it. Why would he have drunk poison—?’
She was interrupted by the chiming of the doorbell. She stood, startled, and looked over the balcony railing.
‘Hiromi!’ she called out, giving a little wave of her hand.
‘Ms Wakayama’s here?’ Kusanagi asked.
Ayane nodded and moved back inside.
Kusanagi followed her down the stairs. Utsumi was in the hallway, going to answer the door. Kusanagi caught up to her by the entrance and whispered, ‘It’s Hiromi Wakayama.’
Ayane walked past them and opened the door. Hiromi Wakayama was standing outside.
‘Hiromi, come in,’ Ayane said, her voice choking.
‘Are you okay, Mrs Mashiba?’
‘I’m all right. Thanks …’
Ayane stepped out through the door to embrace her visitor. Then she began to cry out loud, sobbing like a child.
FIVE
Ayane stepped away from Hiromi. ‘Sorry,’ she murmured, wiping at her eyes. ‘I thought I could hold it back, but when I saw you … I’m fine now. Sorry.’
Kusanagi felt his stomach knotting as he watched the widow attempt a smile.
She needs to be alone.
‘Is there anything I can do?’ Hiromi asked.
Ayane shook her head. ‘Just being here is enough. And honestly, I’m having trouble thinking of anything at all right now. Please, come in. I’d like to hear about what happened.’
‘Actually, Mrs Mashiba,’ Kusanagi broke in, flustered. ‘We’d also like to speak with Ms Wakayama. Things were a little rushed last night, and there are some gaps that need filling.’
Hiromi looked confused.
‘You’d be welcome to join us,’ Ayane said.
The detective cursed inwardly.
She’s missed the point
entirely.
‘Actually, we’ll need to speak with her first, if you don’t mind.’
Ayane blinked. ‘But I want to hear what happened, too. That’s why I asked her here.’
‘Mrs Mashiba?’ Mamiya joined in. Kusanagi wasn’t sure how long the chief had been standing behind him. ‘I’m sorry, but there are certain police procedures that need to be followed. If you could let Detective Kusanagi speak with her first …? This is really all just about filling in the blanks, taking care of paperwork, but if we don’t do things in the proper manner, we might run into trouble later on.’
Classic passive-aggressive cop
, Kusanagi thought amusedly.
Ayane frowned. ‘All right. So, where should I be?’
‘You can stay here, Mrs Mashiba. We’d also like to speak with you.’ Mamiya turned to Kusanagi and Utsumi. ‘Maybe you can find somewhere quiet to talk with Ms Wakayama?’
‘I’ll get the car.’ Utsumi strode purposefully out of the door.
Twenty minutes later, Kusanagi was sitting beside Utsumi in a quiet corner of a twenty-four-hour restaurant. Across the table from them, Hiromi Wakayama looked
‘Good idea.’
‘Isn’t it? Of course, he never could understand why I’d even bother having flowers up here in the first place …’ Ayane’s face tensed and she squatted down on the balcony. The water from the little can was drizzling on her slipper.
‘Mrs Mashiba?’ Kusanagi called out.
‘I’m sorry. I … I just can’t believe he’s gone.’
‘No one expects you to.’
‘We were only married a year. One year. I’d just got used to my new life … started to figure out those things couples know. What he likes to eat, what he drinks … We had so many things planned.’
Kusanagi watched her, one hand over her face, her head hanging. He couldn’t think of anything to say. The bright flowers around her suddenly looked garishly out of place.
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled. ‘I know I’m not much help to you like this. I should be … I need to be stronger.’
‘We can come back to ask our questions another day,’ Kusanagi said without thinking. Immediately he saw Mamiya in his mind’s eye, grimacing.
‘No, that’s all right. I need to know what happened myself. I just can’t understand it. Why would he have drunk poison—?’
She was interrupted by the chiming of the doorbell. She stood, startled, and looked over the balcony railing.
‘Hiromi!’ she called out, giving a little wave of her hand.
‘Ms Wakayama’s here?’ Kusanagi asked.
Ayane nodded and moved back inside.
Kusanagi followed her down the stairs. Utsumi was in the hallway, going to answer the door. Kusanagi caught up to her by the entrance and whispered, ‘It’s Hiromi Wakayama.’
Ayane walked past them and opened the door. Hiromi Wakayama was standing outside.
‘Hiromi, come in,’ Ayane said, her voice choking.
‘Are you okay, Mrs Mashiba?’
‘I’m all right. Thanks …’
Ayane stepped out through the door to embrace her visitor. Then she began to cry out loud, sobbing like a child.
FIVE
Ayane stepped away from Hiromi. ‘Sorry,’ she murmured, wiping at her eyes. ‘I thought I could hold it back, but when I saw you … I’m fine now. Sorry.’
Kusanagi felt his stomach knotting as he watched the widow attempt a smile.
She needs to be alone.
‘Is there anything I can do?’ Hiromi asked.
Ayane shook her head. ‘Just being here is enough. And honestly, I’m having trouble thinking of anything at all right now. Please, come in. I’d like to hear about what happened.’
‘Actually, Mrs Mashiba,’ Kusanagi broke in, flustered. ‘We’d also like to speak with Ms Wakayama. Things were a little rushed last night, and there are some gaps that need filling.’
Hiromi looked confused.
‘You’d be welcome to join us,’ Ayane said.
The detective cursed inwardly.
She’s missed the point
entirely.
‘Actually, we’ll need to speak with her first, if you don’t mind.’
Ayane blinked. ‘But I want to hear what happened, too. That’s why I asked her here.’
‘Mrs Mashiba?’ Mamiya joined in. Kusanagi wasn’t sure how long the chief had been standing behind him. ‘I’m sorry, but there are certain police procedures that need to be followed. If you could let Detective Kusanagi speak with her first …? This is really all just about filling in the blanks, taking care of paperwork, but if we don’t do things in the proper manner, we might run into trouble later on.’
Classic passive-aggressive cop
, Kusanagi thought amusedly.
Ayane frowned. ‘All right. So, where should I be?’
‘You can stay here, Mrs Mashiba. We’d also like to speak with you.’ Mamiya turned to Kusanagi and Utsumi. ‘Maybe you can find somewhere quiet to talk with Ms Wakayama?’
‘I’ll get the car.’ Utsumi strode purposefully out of the door.
Twenty minutes later, Kusanagi was sitting beside Utsumi in a quiet corner of a twenty-four-hour restaurant. Across the table from them, Hiromi Wakayama looked
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