The Devotion of Suspect X - Keigo Higashino [40]
“Of course I didn’t. What, you thought I did?”
“Not like that. As soon as I heard the news, I was worried about you. Someone murdered your ex, after all. I don’t know who killed him or for what reason, I was just worried that it might come back around to you somehow.”
“Sayoko said the same. You all worry far too much on my account.”
“Well, seeing how good you look, I’m starting to think that maybe I was worrying about the whole thing a bit too much. You’ve been divorced from him for a few years now, too. Had you seen him recently?”
“Seen him?”
“Yeah, Togashi.”
“Not at all,” she replied, feeling the muscles in her face tighten.
Thankfully, Kudo switched topics and began talking about his life. The economy was in a downturn, but his company had managed to tread water so far. When he talked about his home life, he only mentioned his son. This had always been the case. Yasuko knew nothing about Kudo’s relationship with his wife, though she had always imagined them getting along well. One thing Yasuko had discovered during her time working as a hostess was that men who were good listeners and truly cared about other people’s problems generally came from happy homes.
When they left the coffee shop, it was raining.
“This is my fault,” Kudo apologized to Yasuko. “You could have beat the rain if you’d gone straight home.”
Yasuko shook her head. “Don’t be silly.”
“You live far from here?”
“Only about ten minutes by bicycle.”
“Bicycle? Oh dear.” Kudo bit his lip, looking up at the clouds.
“It’s okay. I have a folding umbrella in my bag, and my bicycle’s at the shop. I’ll walk home and just go in a little early tomorrow.”
“Let me give you a lift.”
“No, it’s all right.”
But Kudo was already stepping out into the street, hailing a cab.
“Let’s have dinner next time,” Kudo said as the taxi pulled out into the street, the two of them in the back. “Your daughter can come along, too, if that works better.”
“You don’t have to worry about her—but what about you?”
“Oh, I’m fine anytime. Not that busy these days.”
“Oh. Right.”
What she had meant was, What about your wife? but she decided not to press the matter. She sensed that he got her drift but was avoiding the topic.
He asked for her cell number, and she gave it to him. She couldn’t think of a good reason not to.
Kudo had the taxi take them right to her apartment. She was sitting on the inside, by the door that didn’t open, so they both had to get out.
“Jump back in or you’ll get wet,” she said, standing out on the sidewalk.
“Right. Till next time.”
Yasuko merely nodded and smiled.
As Kudo got back into the taxi, he glanced past her, his eyes fixing on something. She turned around to see what it was, and discovered a man standing at the bottom of the stairs, umbrella in hand. It was too dark to see his face, but from the shape of his body she realized it was Ishigami.
Ishigami started walking down the street now, moving slowly. From the look on Kudo’s face, Yasuko imagined that Ishigami had been standing there watching the two of them as they got out of the taxi.
“I’ll call,” Kudo said through the window before signaling for the driver to leave.
Yasuko watched the taillights of the cab as it pulled away. Only then did she realize that her heart was fluttering. How many years had it been since she had spent time with a man who actually made her happy?
She watched as the taxi drove past Ishigami on his way down the sidewalk.
When she got back to her apartment, Misato was watching television.
“Anything happen today?” Yasuko asked.
Misato knew perfectly well she wasn’t asking about school.
“Nope. Nothing. Mika didn’t say anything, either. I don’t think the police have talked to her yet.”
“Okay.”
Moments later, Yasuko’s cell phone rang. The display showed that the call was coming from a public phone.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Ishigami here,” came the low, familiar voice. “Anything happen today?”
“Nothing in particular. Nothing with Misato, either.”
“I see. Please, be careful. The police still suspect you. They’ll be doing the groundwork