Q. Citizen is such an old goat, he won't talk unless it's to a pretty girl."
The student absorbed this absurd explanation with great seriousness. Takizawa, checking the gold watch on his thick, hairy arm, added, "The police department has to offer good customer service."
"That makes sense," the student said.
"Even if she is just an ornament, it's better having her around than not, am I right?"
As they left the hospital, Takizawa again took off at top speed. Takako thought she heard him mutter something under his breath about a "smartass kid," but she didn't ask him to repeat it. He kept up such a fast pace, it was as if he wanted to wear her out.
Ignoring me wasn't enough, now he has to harass me? I know, as far as he's concerned, I'm not even a shadow. I'm an ornament.
Takako was determined to keep pace with Takizawa. Along the cold back streets, the only sound was the echo of their quickened footsteps. This was his turf, he knew all the shortcuts. Of course, he didn't bother to tell her whether they were turning right or left. This stubborn cop would just as soon lose her along the way.
There were still remnants of New Year's in the stores and in front of the prefab apartment buildings. As Takako noticed their shadows on the walls, for some reason her family came suddenly to mind. After her marriage, her parents and younger sisters moved from the overcrowded, older area of Tokyo where they used to live to a new housing development in Saitama Prefecture, where lately Takako had made herself a stranger. That town, that neighborhood, would never feel like home to her.
She and Takizawa went down several alleys and across a trunk road to the second hospital, where among the remaining casualties from the fire, four were being treated for serious injuries. Among them was the part-time waitress who'd taken the victim to his seat. She might well be his last human contact before he died. So it was especially important to see her today. And the other three, too, because they might have been close to the action.
Before knocking on any doors, Takizawa again sought out the attending physician, but the reception they were accorded was much less cordial here than at the previous hospital.
"I cannot have this," said the doctor testily, showing signs of strain. "It was bad enough yesterday with you people demanding answers from casualties who were still in shock."
"Come on, Doc, don't be mad, okay? This is hard on us, too. Please. Let's work together, all right?"
With an ingratiating smile, the likes of which he had never favored Takako with, Takizawa attempted to clap the slender physician—a good four inches taller than him—on the shoulder. But the white-coated physician, who looked to be under thirty, dodged his hand as if it were filthy.
"You people want the answers you want, but our job here is to look after the patients. Now, listen. Of the four patients from the fire in this wing, two are severely burned. If we're not careful, they could go into secondary shock any time."
"Yes, sir, I understand. Secondary shock"
"It could easily be fatal. And Masayo Kizaki, in particular, is suffering great emotional shock."
"I understand. You mean that on top of her emotional shock, she could now go into secondary shock."
"Of course, we'll do everything in our power to keep that from happening. Which is exactly why I cannot have you prowling around at a time like this."
"Absolutely. Of course not. All I need is ten minutes—five—with each person. It'd be really helpful if I could see Kizaki. Please, Doc. She is conscious, isn't she?"
"I'm saying, wait—until—her—condition—stabilizes." The young physician punched his words out.
Takizawa, although he kept his eyes down respectfully and repeated, "I understand," was not about to admit defeat. "Nobody wants to see her go into shock, that'd be terrible," he said. "By all means, Doc, take good care of her. But you gotta understand—we have a job to do, too. We gotta get
The student absorbed this absurd explanation with great seriousness. Takizawa, checking the gold watch on his thick, hairy arm, added, "The police department has to offer good customer service."
"That makes sense," the student said.
"Even if she is just an ornament, it's better having her around than not, am I right?"
As they left the hospital, Takizawa again took off at top speed. Takako thought she heard him mutter something under his breath about a "smartass kid," but she didn't ask him to repeat it. He kept up such a fast pace, it was as if he wanted to wear her out.
Ignoring me wasn't enough, now he has to harass me? I know, as far as he's concerned, I'm not even a shadow. I'm an ornament.
Takako was determined to keep pace with Takizawa. Along the cold back streets, the only sound was the echo of their quickened footsteps. This was his turf, he knew all the shortcuts. Of course, he didn't bother to tell her whether they were turning right or left. This stubborn cop would just as soon lose her along the way.
There were still remnants of New Year's in the stores and in front of the prefab apartment buildings. As Takako noticed their shadows on the walls, for some reason her family came suddenly to mind. After her marriage, her parents and younger sisters moved from the overcrowded, older area of Tokyo where they used to live to a new housing development in Saitama Prefecture, where lately Takako had made herself a stranger. That town, that neighborhood, would never feel like home to her.
She and Takizawa went down several alleys and across a trunk road to the second hospital, where among the remaining casualties from the fire, four were being treated for serious injuries. Among them was the part-time waitress who'd taken the victim to his seat. She might well be his last human contact before he died. So it was especially important to see her today. And the other three, too, because they might have been close to the action.
Before knocking on any doors, Takizawa again sought out the attending physician, but the reception they were accorded was much less cordial here than at the previous hospital.
"I cannot have this," said the doctor testily, showing signs of strain. "It was bad enough yesterday with you people demanding answers from casualties who were still in shock."
"Come on, Doc, don't be mad, okay? This is hard on us, too. Please. Let's work together, all right?"
With an ingratiating smile, the likes of which he had never favored Takako with, Takizawa attempted to clap the slender physician—a good four inches taller than him—on the shoulder. But the white-coated physician, who looked to be under thirty, dodged his hand as if it were filthy.
"You people want the answers you want, but our job here is to look after the patients. Now, listen. Of the four patients from the fire in this wing, two are severely burned. If we're not careful, they could go into secondary shock any time."
"Yes, sir, I understand. Secondary shock"
"It could easily be fatal. And Masayo Kizaki, in particular, is suffering great emotional shock."
"I understand. You mean that on top of her emotional shock, she could now go into secondary shock."
"Of course, we'll do everything in our power to keep that from happening. Which is exactly why I cannot have you prowling around at a time like this."
"Absolutely. Of course not. All I need is ten minutes—five—with each person. It'd be really helpful if I could see Kizaki. Please, Doc. She is conscious, isn't she?"
"I'm saying, wait—until—her—condition—stabilizes." The young physician punched his words out.
Takizawa, although he kept his eyes down respectfully and repeated, "I understand," was not about to admit defeat. "Nobody wants to see her go into shock, that'd be terrible," he said. "By all means, Doc, take good care of her. But you gotta understand—we have a job to do, too. We gotta get
Similar Books
