The Devotion of Suspect X - Keigo Higashino [36]
They left the apartment at seven thirty. Yukawa decided not to head for the nearest station, instead saying he’d walk with Ishigami to his school and take the train from there, a route that would save him from having to make a transfer.
Yukawa didn’t speak of the case or Yasuko Hanaoka again. At first Ishigami had wondered if Kusanagi had sent him to get information, but now he decided he’d probably been overthinking the situation. Kusanagi would have no reason to go to such lengths to get information from him anyway.
“Interesting commute you have here,” Yukawa commented. They crossed under the Shin-Ohashi Bridge and began to walk along the slow-flowing Sumida River, past the ramshackle village set up by the homeless.
The gray-haired man with the ponytail was hanging up his laundry. Beyond him, the Can Man was well into his daily routine.
“It’s the same thing every day,” Ishigami said. “This entire past month, nothing’s changed a bit. You could set your watch by these people.”
“That’s what happens when you free people from the restraints of time. They make their own rigid schedule.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
They went up the stairs just before Kiyosu Bridge, in the shadow of a nearby office building. Seeing their reflection in a glass door on the first floor, Ishigami shook his head. “How have you managed to stay so young, Yukawa? You still have a full head of hair. How different we two are!”
“Not as full as it used to be. And what’s underneath it is slowing down, too.”
“Good thing it was going too fast to begin with.”
While they chatted, Ishigami felt himself growing tense. If they kept on like this, Yukawa would come with him all the way to Benten-tei. He started to worry that this genius observer of the natural world might notice something between him and Yasuko Hanaoka if he happened to see the two of them together. And he didn’t want to fluster Yasuko by suddenly arriving with a stranger.
When he saw the sign he pointed it out. “There is the lunch box place I was telling you about.”
“Benten-tei, huh? Interesting name. The owners must have hoped that Benten, the goddess of wealth, would smile down on them.”
“Well, they have my business. I’ll be buying one there again today.”
“Right. Well, I suppose I’d best be off, then.” Yukawa stopped.
This was unexpected—and welcome, Ishigami thought. “I’m sorry I wasn’t the best host.”
“Not at all. You sell yourself short.” Yukawa narrowed his eyes. “You ever think about going back to the university to continue your research?”
Ishigami shook his head. “Anything I can do at a university I can do on my own. And I doubt any place would be willing to take me at my age.”
“You might be surprised, but I won’t twist your arm. Good luck, Ishigami.”
“You, too, Yukawa.”
“It was good seeing you again.”
The two shook hands, and Ishigami stood on the sidewalk to see his friend off. He wasn’t being sentimental. He just didn’t want Yukawa to see him go into Benten-tei.
When Yukawa had disappeared into the distance, Ishigami turned and walked swiftly toward the shop.
SEVEN
Yasuko breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ishigami’s face. He looked calm, and that made her calm somehow. She had noticed that he had a visitor the night before and that the lights in his apartment were on late into the night. She was afraid that the detective had come back to question him again.
“I’ll take the special.” He placed the order in his usual monotone. As always, he did not so much as glance up at Yasuko.
“One special, coming up. Thank you,” she said. Then she added in a low voice, “You had a visitor yesterday?”
Ishigami stammered, then glanced up at her, blinking. He looked around the room quickly. “We shouldn’t speak like this,” he whispered. “They might be watching.”
“I’m sorry,” Yasuko said, withdrawing behind the counter.
The two said nothing while they waited for the lunch to be ready. They didn’t even exchange glances.
Yasuko glanced out at the street but couldn’t see anyone watching. Of course, if the police really were out there, they wouldn’t be so obvious about it.