‘Arrest every murderer we’ve failed to bring in. String up every corrupt mayor out there. Wipe out organized crime. No one will come looking to take your jobs then.’
‘You’ve let greed get the better of you. Becoming a damned mouthpiece for Tokyo . . .’
‘You’re all deluded. Getting all teary-eyed over a single posting. Are you really willing to abandon the 1,820,000 citizens of Prefecture D just to protect a single, useless job?’
‘What the hell are you talking about? When have we ever given up on the people?’
‘Go back to school, start at square one. If we turn our back on keeping the peace, we might as well be inciting violence. If we do that, as representatives of the state, we’re worse than the gangs you deal with.’
Mikami looked behind him. Suwa had just got back. He was pale. His unnatural gait told Mikami he had the pole hidden behind him.
‘Now!’
Suwa instinctively complied. A moment later, the pole was in Mikami’s hands. It felt too long. But it would do. And Mikami knew he could trust his right hand, having already used it on Ashida’s throat.
‘You shit,’ Ashida growled.
He was already retreating. As a former practitioner of judo, he would know to be afraid of the sword. The same wasn’t true of Crew-cut. He looked completely unperturbed. His riot-squad training had probably kicked in. His shoulders had come up and he looked about to charge. It wouldn’t be a problem to take him down. But could Mikami do it without hurting him?
Mikami faced him, tensing his grip on the pole. In that instant he saw an image of Futawatari. Where was he during all this? Failing to keep Criminal Investigations in check, he’d actually spurred them to rampage. Had he seen no choice but to surrender?
‘Crush the bastard,’ Ashida ordered.
Crew-cut drew back his chin and crossed his arms to shield his face. He was going to throw himself in, let his body do the work; taking a hit or a jab was irrelevant. His eyes were wide and alert. The solid muscles over his shoulders suddenly tensed. Come on then. It happened the moment Mikami sank into deep concentration. A click came from the door behind Crew-cut.
It opened.
The tension took on another form. A man stepped out – Assistant Chief Mikura. An ant’s balls . . . He stood there with authority, not looking that way at all. It didn’t look like he was there to control the noise outside the door. He looked straight past Ashida and Crew-Cut, focusing his gaze on Mikami.
‘We need to talk.’
‘About what?’
The pole was still raised. Mikura stepped forwards but kept himself just out of range.
‘There’s a message from the director.’
‘Don’t make me say it again – about what?’
‘You need to get the press to sign a coverage agreement.’
He couldn’t make sense of the man’s words.
‘What are you talking about?’
‘We’ve had a kidnapping.’
‘A . . . kidnapping?’
‘That’s right. We have a name, Sato. He’s issued a demand for 20 million in cash.’
Mikami’s eyes blinked in disbelief. Sato. 20 million yen. All the colour around him seemed to drain to sepia. In his mind, he saw an image of Shoko Amamiya’s death mask. The spectre of Six Four. He turned to look at Ashida. Crew-cut. Then Mikura. Each of their expressions attested to the truth. It wasn’t a siege. The communications equipment. The maps. The sheer number of investigators present. They were getting everything in place. The assembly hall had been established as the base of operations – the Investigative HQ.
The pole rolled on to the floor with an audible clunk. With the sound, everything Mikami had believed in until that moment began to fall apart.
63
Six Four. They would drag the kidnapper back into the sixty-fourth year of Showa, put him in cuffs. A pledge, unfulfilled even though they were fourteen years into Heisei – now a voice from Showa had emerged to call them back. Sato. 20 million yen. Was it a copycat? Someone out for a kick? Or was it . . .
Mikami pulled Mikura into a small room located to one side of the hall. Suwa was having difficulty unfolding their chairs; his hands were shaking, refusing to obey him.
‘Give me the details,’ Mikami said, taking a seat.
Mikura remained standing, having turned down the offer. ‘The victim is a girl from a high school in Genbu City.’
A girl. High-school student. The resemblance to Six Four began to degrade. The victim wasn’t in primary school – she was someone in high school, Ayumi’s age. Genbu’s population was 140,000. It was located in the middle of the prefecture, fifteen kilometres east of City D. Station G had jurisdiction.
‘Here.’
Mikura held out a couple of sheets from inside his jacket pocket. The standardized header jumped from the page in printed font:
Attn: Press Club, Prefecture D Police Headquarters
Regarding: Proposal for Press Coverage Agreement
11 December, Heisei 14. Criminal Investigations Director, Prefectural Headquarters.
Mikami grabbed the sheets.
As of 11 December, Heisei 14, a kidnapping investigation – detailed below – is being held under the jurisdiction of Station G. It is believed that press coverage may present a danger to the victim’s safety. As such, the following terms are proposed to establish a Press Coverage Agreement to regulate reporting activities. While the agreement remains in effect, Criminal Investigations agrees to convey all details of the progress of the investigation to the press.
Terms:
The press agree to refrain from interviews and all other reporting activities for the duration of the investigation.
Should the victim be discovered or be brought into safe custody, or in the case where it is decided that reporting activities no longer pose a danger to the victim, a representative of the Press Club may enter discussions with the director of Criminal Investigations regarding the termination of the agreement.
Once the details of termination have been agreed upon, the Press Club may decide the date of termination.
In cases where the investigation continues (and the agreement therefore remains in effect) for an extended period of time, a representative of the Press Club is to hold ongoing discussions with Criminal Investigations to discuss possible amendments to the agreement.
Mikami skimmed the page, then turned it over. His interest lay in the details that followed.
Details:
Kidnapping and ransom of a female high-school student, Genbu City.
Here, the contents were recorded in an untidy scrawl.
Victim C (17). Eldest daughter of A (49, self-employed) and B (42, housewife). Second-year student in private high school.
Their identities were being kept anonymous. Mikami felt his cheek twitch.
Kidnapping reported at 11.27, 11 December. Victim’s father, A, called 110 to notify Contact Management in the Prefectural HQ of his daughter’s kidnapping.
Mikami checked his watch. Two thirty-five. Already three hours since the kidnapping was reported. Mikami’s eyes bored into the page as he continued.
Calls from the kidnapper: