The Devotion of Suspect X - Keigo Higashino [106]
Yasuko glanced fearfully at the man beside her and found, much to her surprise, that he was smiling.
“You think I’ve come to convince you, don’t you?”
“No, why would I—” Yasuko jerked her head in denial. “I don’t see what—what you would be trying to convince me to do…”
“You’re right. I’m sorry, don’t mind me.” He lowered his head. “Still, there was something I wanted you to know. That’s why I’m here.”
“What might that be?”
“Well.” Yukawa paused a moment before speaking again. “I want you to know that you know nothing of the truth.”
Yasuko’s eyes widened with surprise. Yukawa wasn’t smiling anymore.
“Your alibi’s the real deal,” he continued. “You went to that movie theater when you said you did, and your daughter went with you. I can’t imagine a girl in middle school holding up under such persistent questioning from the police otherwise. Neither of you is lying.”
“That’s true. I’m not lying. But why did you have to tell me that?”
“Don’t you find it odd that you haven’t had to lie? That the police have gone so easy on you? See, Ishigami put it together so you would only have to tell the truth. No matter how hard the detectives pushed, nothing would ever lead decisively to your doorstep. I have no doubt that, even now, you’re unaware of most of what he’s done. You might realize he’s pulled off some nifty trick to get you out of trouble, but you’re not entirely sure what that is. Am I wrong?”
“I’m sorry, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” Yasuko tried smiling, but her mouth felt as if it were made of plastic.
“He has made a terrible sacrifice in order to protect you, you know. A sacrifice so great, ordinary people such as you and I couldn’t even imagine doing such a thing. I’m sure that, from the night it all happened, he was prepared to take your place in a jail cell, should the situation call for that. His entire plan was constructed around that commitment. To put it another way, he knew he could do anything, as long as it didn’t interfere with that trump card. Yet what a trump card it is! Who could possibly follow through on such a plan? Ishigami knew it would be near impossible himself. That’s why he cut off his own path of retreat—so he would never be able to turn back once things were put into motion. That’s what most surprises me about all that he’s done.”
Yasuko was confused. At first, she had thought she knew what the professor was driving at, but now she wasn’t so sure. Whatever it was, she had a feeling that something unpleasant was waiting for her in his words.
And yet everything he had said so far was true; he had simply revealed another side of the truth, one she hadn’t considered closely until this moment. Yasuko didn’t know what Ishigami had been up to all this time—not really. And she had indeed found it strange that the detectives had been treating her with kid gloves. Not only that, but on the three occasions they had come to question her they had never even come close to guessing what had actually happened.
And Yukawa knew why—
She saw him check his watch.
“It pains me to have to tell you these things,” he said at length, his face tightening in a grimace. “Because I know that Ishigami wouldn’t want me to. I’m sure he’d rather you didn’t know the truth no matter what happened. Not for his sake, but for yours. Because if you knew, you would have to live bearing even more pain than you already do. Yet I have to tell you. I feel like I would be doing him a disservice as a friend if I didn’t make you aware of how much love he has for you, how he has gambled his very life for you. Even if it’s against his wishes, I can’t bear having you not know.”
Yasuko’s heart was racing. Her breathing had grown shallow; she felt as if