‘What is it?’
Mikami was instantly suspicious, but that wasn’t all. A blast of animosity had forced his voice into a whisper. He was the man who had buried a call from the Six Four kidnapper to cover up a recording error. The man who had broken Hiyoshi by blaming him for Shoko’s death. The man who had been promoted to captain, and remained unscathed even after he’d committed Koda and Kakinuma to a cycle of surveillance that had lasted fourteen years.
‘What’s the matter? Did I catch you at a bad time?’
‘Just tell me what you want. I don’t have the luxury of free time a captain has.’
‘Let me guess, Minako turned you down last night?’
That was as far as he got with his usual remarks. Mikami had been about to hang up when the man’s voice registered in his eardrum, suddenly tense.
‘What did you do to Koda?’
Mikami froze. ‘Koda . . . Koda as in Koda memo?’
He was stalling for time, but Urushibara kept coming.
‘I know you met him.’
Mikami was at a loss as to how to reply. He struggled to understand what was happening. Impossible. Could Kakinuma have reported in to his boss?
‘There’s no point denying it, Mikami. Answer me.’
Mikami knew he had to be careful; he didn’t want his reply to backfire. He saw in his mind an image of Kakinuma, of the man’s wife, the face of their young child in her arms.
‘You bastard . . . you’re not planning to play dumb, I hope?’
Mikami didn’t know what to say.
‘Talk! Tell me what you did to Koda.’
Just stay calm.
Urushibara’s the one who’s worked up. Not me.
‘I didn’t do anything.’
‘Quit the lies. Kakinuma told me he saw you.’
The picture was coming into focus. Kakinuma had seen him. That was the only thing he’d said to Urushibara.
‘Seen me? Where?’
‘Anywhere, wherever. Just admit to it. You went to see him – you went to see Koda.’
‘And what if I had?’ Mikami asked, leaving only the suggestion. He had regained his composure.
‘What did you go to talk to him about?’
‘Nothing I’d need to tell you.’
‘Why, you—’
Urushibara broke off, his breathing heavy in Mikami’s ear. When he spoke again it was as a detective.
‘You sent him into hiding. Right?’
Mikami blinked slowly.
As I’d suspected. He’d lost Koda. Just days before the commissioner’s scheduled visit, Koda – the man who knew everything about the cover-up – had dropped out of sight. Mikami thought of the situation this would have put Kakinuma in. He’d lost Koda, the target of his watch; fretted over how to report it in – finally, he’d decided to give Mikami’s name. He’d told Urushibara that he’d seen Mikami approach Koda outside the supermarket, at the car park.
‘I didn’t send him anywhere, and no, I’m not sheltering him either.’
‘But you know where he is.’
‘No.’
‘Tell me what you said to him.’
‘I just bumped into him, outside a supermarket car park. I asked him how he was doing, but he looked busy, so I didn’t say anything else.’
‘It won’t help you to lie, Mikami. I know you said something. Why else would he have bolted?’
‘You say he’s gone, but are you sure? He’s got a wife, a family.’
‘I’m asking the questions.’
‘I don’t understand this at all. What on earth could I say that would give him cause to run away?’
‘That’s, well, that’s . . .’ Urushibara faltered. ‘Whatever it was you were asking about on the phone. That nonsense about – what? – the Koda memo?’
‘If it was nonsense, why would Koda jump ship?’
‘You bastard . . .’
Mikami felt sure it was Futawatari’s handiwork. He’d finally tracked Koda down, then pressured him for the truth behind the memo. But was that enough? Koda could have just pretended not to know. What would cause him to disappear in such a hurry? He’d suffered for so many years – was it just fear taking over? He’d hoped to protect the normal life he’d finally managed to obtain. He’d become terrified of Futawatari as the latter pried into his past, sought a temporary hiding place. It was certainly possible, but for him this kind of self-defence actually served to protect Criminal Investigations – Mikami couldn’t see how he could have disappeared in a way that threatened Urushibara or Kakinuma.
‘Go and see the director.’
‘Hmm?’
The door opened as he was replying; Kuramae came into the room. His stiff expression made it clear there had been some kind of unexpected development. Mikami held up a hand to catch his attention, then wrapped it around the mouthpiece.
He spoke under his breath.
‘I don’t think I heard you properly.’
‘I told you to report to the director.’
He had heard correctly: Arakida intended to continue Urushibara’s interrogation.
‘Hey, Mikami, are you listening to me?’
‘Which director?’
Mikami wanted to test the response. When Urushibara answered it was in an unnaturally quiet voice.
‘I don’t think that’s even a question, for people like you and me. Am I wrong?’
‘What am I reporting in for?’
‘You’ll find out when you get there. Just get yourself up to the fourth floor, right now.’
‘It’s unfortunate, but the directors are all engaged in a meeting with the press.’
Urushibara slammed down the phone. Mikami put his down, feeling as if he were sealing off a demon. He glanced up to the clock before turning to face Kuramae. It was five to three.
‘What happened?’
‘Yes . . .’ Kuramae frowned, apparently in some difficulty. ‘The press are demanding we hold a press conference, in light of the morning’s news, and that Akama issues an official apology.’
What?
‘Who was first to say it?’
‘Nonomura. The head of the Toyo’s local branch.’
Toshikazu Nonomura. High-handed, he liked to think of himself as a star among the major players.
‘What was the reaction?’
‘They went along with it . . . but only I think because they lacked any good reason to block it. They want you to attend an emergency meeting in Akama’s office to get the preparations started.’
Mikami caught his breath. It was like watching rocks emerge from a receding tide.
Akikawa’s words.
I’m going to attend the one here, in the headquarters.
45
Mikami was late to the meeting.
Suwa got back just as he was leaving the office; they’d stood at the door and brought each other up to speed. The reporters had started to file in, back from Station F. Mikami had only spared them a glance as he’d hurried up the stairs, but by the time he reached Akama’s office the couches were already lined with frowning faces. Akama. Shirota. Ishii. And Division Chief Ikoma, from Internal Affairs. Mikami had half expected Futawatari to be there, too, but he was nowhere to be seen. That decided it. He was acting on Captain Tsujiuchi’s direct orders.
Akama’s eyes were like arrows, targeted on Shirota.