‘You don’t remember fiddling around behind the scenes, perhaps accidentally stirring up more trouble than was necessary?’
Don’t be an idiot. He came close to saying it. If anyone fitted that accusation, it was Futawatari.
‘I don’t remember doing that, no.’
‘Well then, did you seek to incite them on purpose?’
‘Excuse me?’
‘You seem to have been paying visits to various people in Criminal Investigations. I believe I especially banned you from doing that?’
Mikami gritted his teeth. So that’s how it is. Akama hadn’t given him the reason for the commissioner’s visit, yet he was still ready to suspect betrayal.
‘I have nothing to hide. I’ve been getting the information I need in order to do my job, nothing more.’
‘Yes, well. You need to give this one final push, for your family’s sake, too. I will have Ishii attend the round-table meeting on his own; you can concentrate on finding out how this article came about and deal with the aftermath. Captain Kobogata will need some assistance. I want you to send someone from your team to be at the press conference in Station F. And I want to know how it went – what was asked, what the answers were – as soon as it’s done. I hope that’s understood.’
The call rang off before Mikami had a chance to respond. Mikami put the phone down, careful to be calm as he sensed Minako behind him.
For your family’s sake, too.
Never one to give up an advantage, Akama had tested the slack on Mikami’s reins.
Mikami was still glaring at the phone when it started to ring.
It was Suwa. He sounded out of breath.
‘Sir, have you seen the Toyo this morning?’
‘Yes.’
‘That bastard Akikawa. I knew it.’
‘The guy doesn’t know when to stop.’
‘It’s my fault. I should have had him monitored.’
With the apology, Mikami remembered the call the previous night, when he’d given Suwa a dressing-down about Mikumo; fortunately, the new problem helped mask any awkwardness.
‘The Times called – some of the others, too – they all want to know if the story’s true.’
‘Okay. You can tell them it’s mostly accurate. And that you believe the sergeant is already under emergency arrest.’
‘Really? He’s been arrested already?’
‘Yeah.’
‘So it’s like it said in the article?’
‘It’s probably safe to assume that, yeah.’
Suwa heaved a long sigh. Any officer would share the same sentiment. That feeling of being let down. For God’s sake, just stop dragging our name through the mud.
‘What are they doing now, having missed the scoop?’
‘Some of them have already started calling for a press conference.’
‘There’s one scheduled for 9 a.m. in Station F. Do you think you could go?’
‘Absolutely. I’ll head into the office first, and keep a watch on things for now.’
Sensing he was about to hang up, Mikami held him back.
‘Do you have any idea as to Akikawa’s source?’
Do you think it was Criminal Investigations? The question was implicit in the words. He wondered if Suwa was somehow connected to Akama, and if the connection went both ways. Was he aware of the trouble surrounding the commissioner’s visit?
‘Oh . . .’ Suwa paused before continuing, a little awkwardly. ‘Not really. Not yet, anyway. I’ll try asking around.’
‘That would be great,’ Mikami said, ending the call. He reflected on the cruelty of testing his own staff. Suwa didn’t know about the trouble. Mikami had needed to consider his own relationship with the man before worrying about any possible connections he had with Akama. He hadn’t brought Suwa in on the big picture, the same way Akama hadn’t with him. He hadn’t told Kuramae, or Mikumo.
He was struck by a cold realization.
He’d never intended to forge a real connection, not in Administrative Affairs. He would return to Criminal Investigations within two years. The veiled decision, made eight months earlier, seemed now to have been fatally short-sighted.
42
It was seven thirty when Mikami arrived at the Prefectural HQ.
Suwa was already in the office, apparently having just arrived. Mikumo was also at her desk, talking on the phone. From the side, her face seemed a little puffy. She looked his way. Nodded a greeting. She had on only a smattering of make-up, almost nothing at all; it was, perhaps, a mark of her new resolve.
Suwa stepped in front of him, as though to block Mikami’s line of sight.
‘I sent Kuramae next door to check up on the situation. There may be some way to turn this to our advantage.’
Mikami thought he understood the implication. The Toyo had enjoyed a run of exclusives. And today’s article had detailed a case of gross misconduct – grade-one material. The rest of the papers would be despairing. They had come together to rally against anonymous reporting, yet the Toyo – which had assumed a leading role in pushing the agenda – had emerged the sole victor; the others would see the Toyo as having taken advantage of the chaos and betrayed them; they would feel compelled to reconsider the validity of their united front.
‘Relations must be strained right now. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble bringing the moderates into our camp. If things go well, we might even be able to convince them to abandon their boycott of the commissioner’s interview.’
Mikami gave him a cautious nod.
It was no doubt the case that things had changed in the wake of the Toyo’s unexpected article, but Suwa’s expression didn’t carry the confidence of his words. It was only the previous night that he’d been insisting an apology was the only way to gain ground. Had he lost his nerve overnight? Media Relations acting of its own accord, without Akama’s knowledge: Mikami realized the proposition carried a lot of risk for an assistant inspector like Suwa, one of the department’s rising stars. It was nothing he could blame him for, but Mikami felt disappointed. Suwa still remained a loyal servant to Akama.
‘Good morning, sir.’
Mikumo got to her feet and dipped her head. Mikami had already noticed that she had finished her call. She stood with her chin pulled back, unnaturally formal and stiff. She was going to tell him she was sorry for the way she’d spoken on the phone. But she wasn’t going to apologize for going to Amigos. That was clear from the subtle narrowing of her eyes.
‘I dug a little into the guard.’ Suwa stepped between them for a second time. In his hands were a number of sheets, faxed copies and something that resembled a personnel file. ‘His name is Yoshitake Kuriyama. Fifty years old. Have you heard of him before?’
Mikami told him he hadn’t. There was a slight recognition – they had both been in the force for a long time – but he was sure at least that there was no one of that name in Criminal Investigations.
‘After graduating from college, he spent the majority of his career manning koban and small substations. He was transferred to the detention facilities after complaining to his boss that his back pains were getting worse.’
He wasn’t Administrative Affairs. That was Suwa’s way of stating this fact.