The Devotion of Suspect X - Keigo Higashino [70]
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Gray smoke was rising from an empty plot next to the university tennis courts. Kusanagi arrived to find Yukawa in a lab coat with the sleeves rolled up, using a long stick to poke at something inside an oil drum. The smoke was coming from the drum.
Yukawa heard his footsteps approaching and looked up. “It seems I have a stalker.”
“Detectives like stalking suspicious people.”
“So I’m suspicious now, am I?” Yukawa asked, a glimmer in his eye. “Do I detect a bold new direction from our stoic hero? It’s just that kind of flexibility you’ll need to rise in this world, you know.”
“Whatever you say, Galileo,” said Kusanagi sarcastically. “Don’t you want to know why I suspect you?”
“I don’t need to ask. People always suspect scientists of being up to no good.” He gave the contents of the oil drum another prod.
“What are you burning there?”
“Nothing much. Some old reports and materials I no longer needed. Can’t really trust a shredder to do the job.” Yukawa picked up a nearby bucket and poured water into the drum. There was a sizzling sound, and the smoke became thicker and turned white.
“I’ve got some questions for you. As a detective, this time.”
“You really are onto something, aren’t you?” Yukawa checked to make sure that the fire was out; then, bucket in one hand, he began to walk away.
Kusanagi followed. “I dropped by Benten-tei after talking to you yesterday. Heard something very interesting there. Don’t you want to know?”
“Not really.”
“I’ll tell you anyway. Seems like your friend Ishigami has a thing for Yasuko Hanaoka.”
Yukawa stopped in the middle of a loping stride. He turned his head and shot a piercing look over his shoulder at the detective. “Someone at the shop tell you that?”
“Something like that. An interesting idea occurred to me while I was talking to you, and I wanted to check at Benten-tei to see if I was right. Theories and logic are all very well, but intuition’s one of the best weapons in a detective’s arsenal.”
“And?” Yukawa turned around to face him. “How does it affect your investigation now that you know he ‘had a thing’ for your prime suspect?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know what it means. I know you’ve been trying to hide the fact that you have suspected Ishigami of being Yasuko’s conspirator for some time now.”
“I don’t recall trying to hide anything.”
“Anyway, I found out why you suspected him without your help. We’re going to keep a close eye on him now. Which is why I’m here. I know we decided to part ways yesterday, but I’d like to offer you a peace treaty. In exchange for information from us, I want you to tell me what you’ve found. Not a bad deal, you have to agree.”
“You overestimate my value. I haven’t found out anything. It’s all conjecture.”
“Then tell me what you’re conjecturing,” Kusanagi said, staring at his friend, holding his gaze.
Yukawa looked away first and then resumed walking. “Back to the lab first.”
Back in Laboratory 13, Kusanagi sat down at a table with some mysterious scorch marks on it. Yukawa placed two mugs on the tabletop. It would have been hard to say which mug was filthier.
The physicist mixed some coffee, then followed it with an immediate question. “If Ishigami was a conspirator, what role do you think he played?”
“What, I have to talk first?”
“You’re the one who offered the peace treaty.” Yukawa sat down in a chair, absentmindedly stirring his drink.
“Fine. I haven’t told my boss about Ishigami at all, so this is just my thinking—but if the murder did take place somewhere other than our crime scene, Ishigami must’ve carried the body.”
“Oh? But I thought you were against the whole body transportation scenario.”
“I said all bets were off if she had an accomplice. I still think it was probably Yasuko Hanaoka that did the deed. She might have had help from Ishigami, but she was definitely there.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself.”
“Well, if Ishigami was the one who killed him and carried the body, he’s no conspirator. That would make him the murderer, probably working alone. No matter how big a crush he had on her,