Kakinuma had just got married around the time of the Six Four kidnapping and had been living in a police dorm in Chuomachi which had family-sized apartments. He’d entered Amamiya’s home as part of the Home Unit and had afterwards remained on the case as a member of the Investigative HQ. He’d been there ever since, so it seemed safe to assume he would still be in the same apartment.
From the outside, the dorm was easily mistaken for a medium-sized municipal apartment building. Generally referred to as the Chuo Standby Hall, the complex consisted of six individual blocks, and Mikami’s memory from the one time he’d visited before told him Kakinuma lived somewhere on the ground floor of the right-hand-side building. Mikami eased on a baseball cap and a pair of glasses before stepping out of his car. The communal letterboxes were gone, no doubt a precaution against the nefarious activities of the various cult religions.
His memory had been shaky at best. After wandering, lost, for a while, Mikami finally found the nameplate with ‘Kakinuma’ on it on the first floor of the building second from the right. It also displayed the name of Kakinuma’s wife, Meiko, together with those of their three children.
Mikami presumed that Urushibara would have called the night before to make sure Kakinuma kept quiet. It was with this in mind that he pushed the buzzer. Almost immediately afterwards, a high-pitched female voice shouted, ‘Coming!’ and the door slipped open on the chain.
‘Yes, how can I help?’
Meiko peered out from inside. Mikami could hardly believe his eyes. She looked as young as the day he’d first met her, all those years ago.
‘My name is Mikami. I was with Special Investigations, back when—’
Meiko piped up before he could finish his sentence. ‘Oh, of course! I remember. You were working with my husband.’
She kicked on a pair of sandals and stepped out.
Something about her reminded him of Mizuki Murakushi. She wasn’t particularly good-looking, but had an easy-going smile that could disarm anyone. Her wedding to Kakinuma had coincided with Mikami’s mother’s passing away, so he’d been unable to attend their reception; because of this, he had only met Meiko twice, the first time at a party First Division threw in Kakinuma’s honour, the second when he visited the married couple’s new home with a few colleagues from work. Almost fifteen years had passed since then. And yet Meiko was so full of energy it was no exaggeration to say she looked like a woman in her twenties; she certainly didn’t look like a mother of three.
‘My husband always talks about you. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found your ears burning every now and then?’
Mikami answered with an awkward smile. The stories were probably of the Beauty and the Beast variety.
‘He says it every time he’s had a couple of drinks. “That Mikami, he’s the real thing. Guy’s a real detective.”’
Mikami tried to dismiss her words as flattery, but Meiko was adamant.
‘No, he really means it. He says you’re the only detective he knows who made a name for himself in both First and Second Division. He sounds really proud when he talks about what you’ve achieved.’
‘He’s exaggerating.’
Conscious of eyes and ears around them, Mikami stepped into the entranceway. He heard the pattering of footsteps and a young girl of early primary-school age appeared with a younger child, possibly already in nursery, whose features made it hard to tell what gender he or she was. Another boy was at the end of the hallway, probably secondary-school age, leaning slightly to one side as he looked on.
‘Is Kakinuma in?’ Mikami asked, already sensing that he wasn’t.
Meiko pursed her lips as she scooped up the youngest of her children. ‘You’ve just missed him. He left about ten minutes ago.’
‘For Central?’
While it had suffered a downgrade in both size and status, the Six Four Investigative HQ was still based in Central Station.
‘I don’t think so. It was definitely work, though.’
‘I hear he gets his weekends off these days?’
‘He does. Although I’m not so sure that’s a good thing. Oh, I really hope the kidnapper’s caught. He did such horrible things to that poor little girl.’
Meiko peered into the face of the kid in her arms. The child shrieked with laughter, finally revealing to Mikami that she was a girl.
‘It’s been non-stop since the marriage. Sometimes I wonder if I actually married the case. I know Kakinuma will suffer if the kidnapper isn’t caught. I doubt he’ll ever get over it, you know, if the statute of limitations kicks in and he’s transferred out.’
Mikami made a deep nod.
‘He says he wishes you were back on the case. That he’s sure you’d be able to crack it.’
Mikami felt a sharpness in his chest. A part of him seemed to be watching the scene from above.
‘Your husband will apprehend the kidnapper, I’m sure of it. Nobody knows the case better.’
‘I do hope you’re right. Then, if he gets three straight promotions, I’ll have nothing else to say on the matter.’
She broke into laughter, giving Mikami an opportunity to move in.
‘Am I right to assume you had a call from Urushibara last night?’
‘Oh! Yes, that’s right. And another, from someone called Futawatari.’
This time Mikami managed to keep his expression from changing. He’d been wondering if Futawatari might ring, too.
‘Was that the first time he’s called?’
‘Oh no, he calls every now and then. Although it’s sometimes Kakinuma who phones him.’
‘Sorry, I meant Futawatari.’
‘Ah. Yes, first time. And it wasn’t just the call; he came over, late last night.’
Mikami couldn’t help but feel impressed by the man’s legwork. Yet again, Futawatari had beaten him to it.
Meiko’s smile clouded a little. ‘All Kakinuma said was that he was someone important from Admin. What’s he like?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I didn’t get to see him. We pretended I was out when he came over.’
‘Ah, right.’
‘Is he Internal Affairs, that kind of thing?’
Mikami smiled instinctively. ‘No, nothing like that. He’s in Personnel, joined the force the same year as me. I’m sure it was something to do with that. Kakinuma hasn’t changed jobs for fourteen years now; it’s possible Futawatari was checking in to see if he wanted to try something else.’
Meiko seemed to accept this. ‘I see. How silly of me, I should have introduced myself.’
‘Is your husband . . . looking to move somewhere else?’
‘Yes, I think so. But whenever he’s had a few drinks he always complains that his hands are tied until the statute kicks in.’
His hands . . . tied. It sounded as though someone was holding him back.
The girl in Meiko’s arms began to tug at her hair. Mikami took advantage of the distraction.
‘Kakinuma has a mobile number?’
‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ She looked up and clasped her hands in apology. ‘I’m under strict orders not to give the number to anyone.’
‘I understand.’
Don’t tell anyone, even if they’re police. It was something all detectives told their families. Mikami resolved to try again later. He was just about to bow and leave when Meiko spoke again.
‘Although, I wonder if he might have gone there?’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘There’s a supermarket, in Matsukawa-machi. Tokumatsu. Do you know it?’