The Devotion of Suspect X - Keigo Higashino [102]
The physicist was walking slowly downstream along the Sumida River. He didn’t seem to have any particular destination in mind; it appeared that he was just walking. Occasionally, he glanced at the homeless people who had set up camp there, but he never paused for long.
When he did stop, it was well past the last of the homeless camps. He rested his elbows on the fence that ran along the river’s edge. Then he suddenly turned to look in Kusanagi’s direction.
Kusanagi hesitated, but Yukawa didn’t seem particularly surprised. He was even smiling, though thinly.
The detective strode forward. “You saw me?”
“Your car kind of stands out,” Yukawa said simply. “Hardly ever see old Skylines like that on the road these days.”
“And did you get out where you did because you knew you were being followed? Or had you planned to come here from the beginning?”
“Both, and neither. My original destination was ahead of here. When I noticed you were following me, I had the taxi driver let me off a little early, because I wanted to bring you to this place.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Why did you want to take me here?” Kusanagi asked, quickly scanning the area with his eyes.
“This is where I was when I last talked to Ishigami. I told him something then. I told him there was no such thing in this world as a useless cog, and that even a cog may decide how it is to be used.”
“Excuse me? A cog?”
“Yes. After that, I tried asking him several questions I had about the case. He was pretty much ‘No comment’ about the whole thing, except that after we parted, he came up with his own answer. That answer was to turn himself in.”
“So you’re saying that he resigned himself to his fate after hearing what you told him?”
“ ‘Resignation’… I suppose you could call it that. For him, it was more like playing his last trump card. One he had been preparing assiduously for some time.”
“So what was it you told him?”
“Just what I said, that thing about the cog.”
“No, after that. You said you asked him questions. That’s what I wanted to know.”
A quiet smile came to Yukawa’s face and he shook his head slowly. “That’s not the important part.”
“It’s not?”
“The important part is the bit about cogs. That’s when he decided to turn himself in.”
Kusanagi sighed loudly. “You were checking out the newspapers at the university library, right? What were you looking for?”
“Did Tokiwa tell you that? I’m surprised you’ve taken such an interest in my daily goings-on.”
“Hey, it wasn’t by choice. You wouldn’t tell me anything yourself.”
“It’s okay, I don’t mind. It’s your job, after all. Feel free to investigate me all you like.”
Kusanagi stared at Yukawa intently for a moment, then lowered his eyes. “Yukawa, please. Stop talking in riddles. You know something. Tell me what it is. Ishigami didn’t murder that man, did he? If that’s true, then why would he say he did? You don’t want an old friend getting locked up for a murder he didn’t commit, do you?”
“Look up.”
Kusanagi looked back up. He breathed in sharply. The physicist’s face was twisted with grief; he pressed one hand to his forehead and squeezed his eyes closed.
“Of course I don’t want him to be accused of murder. I just don’t see any way out of it. I wish none of this had happened.”
“What’s got you all worked up? Why don’t you just tell me? C’mon, we’re friends.”
Yukawa opened his eyes again, his face still severe. “Yes. You’re my friend, but you’re also a detective.”
Kusanagi didn’t know what to say to that. For the first time in the many years he had known Yukawa, he felt a wall between them. Here his friend was showing him pain he had never shown before, and Kusanagi was entirely unable to ask him why.
“I’m going to Yasuko Hanaoka’s,” Yukawa said. “Want to come with me?”
“Can I?”
“I don’t care. Just, I’d prefer it if you kept quiet.”
“Fine.”
Yukawa spun around and began to walk back toward the bridge. Kusanagi followed after him. Apparently, Yukawa’s initial destination had been the lunch shop, Benten-tei. Once again, Kusanagi found himself burning