Today's Reading

CHAPTER ONE

AUTUMN 2017

OUTSIDE THE WINDOW, the lower half of the sky was red and the upper half was gray. Dense clouds were beginning to blanket the sunset. There had been no rain forecast when he checked the weather earlier.

"Got an umbrella, Nakamachi?" Tsutomu Godai asked the young detective beside him.

"No. Do you think it's going to rain?"

"It's not looking good."

"Did we pass a convenience store? If it starts raining, I'll just go buy one."

"No need for that."

Godai looked at his watch. It was almost 5:00 pm. Since the start of November, there had been endless chilly weather. Please don't rain, he thought. The last thing he wanted was to use the detective from the local precinct as his errand boy.

The two of them were in the office area of a backstreet workshop in Tokyo's Adachi Ward. It wasn't a proper meeting room, just a small space for receiving visitors. Product samples were arranged on shelves against one wall: pipes, valves, joints, and the like. The firm obviously dealt in plumbing supplies.

Godai heard something and turned around. A young man came in and bowed politely.

"I'm Yuta Yamada," the young man said.

Godai rose to his feet. He held out his Tokyo Metropolitan Police badge, explained that he was a Homicide Bureau investigator, then introduced Nakamachi.

The two detectives sat down across the table from Yamada.

"Shall we get straight to it? We'd like to ask you a few questions about Mr. Kensuke Shiraishi. I believe you know him?" Godai asked.

"Yes," said Yamada. He was a thin fellow with a pointed chin. But why was he reluctant to make eye contact? Did he have something to hide?

"What's the nature of your relationship?"

"My relationship?"

"Your relationship with Mr. Shiraishi. Can you tell us?"

After a moment or two, Yamada lifted his head and looked at Godai, puzzled. "What's the point? You already know the answer. That's the reason you're here."

Godai smiled. "Yes, but we want to hear it from you. Please, indulge us."

An expression that was equal parts annoyance, anxiety, and confusion flashed across Yamada's face. He lowered his eyes again and spoke.

"He was my lawyer when I was in trouble."

"For what offense? And when?"

A wrinkle appeared between Yamada's eyebrows. He was getting angry. Why were they asking him these questions when they already knew the answers?

Always get people to tell you their story in their own words. That's an ironclad rule of investigation. But Godai had another reason. It was always easier to get people to show their true colors if you got under their skin. Angry people generally make bad liars.

"It was an assault. Happened about a year ago. I was working at this karaoke joint. I beat up my boss. At the same time, someone ran off with the proceeds from the till, and I got prosecuted for theft as well as assault. I told the police it wasn't me, that I hadn't taken the money, but they wouldn't listen to a word I said.... Anyway, Mr. Shiraishi was my lawyer."

"Prior to the trial, had you ever met Mr. Shiraishi?"

Yamada shook his head. "No."

Godai nodded. Kensuke Shiraishi had been Yamada's court-appointed lawyer. He had already confirmed that.

"How did the trial go?"

"I got a three-year suspended sentence. All thanks to Mr. Shiraishi. He showed them that the boss was lying when he accused me of stealing the money. On top of that, Mr. Shiraishi proved that my boss was harassing me daily. Without Mr. Shiraishi, I'd have ended up in jail."

Everything Yamada said tallied with the two detectives' research.

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