“But white and black are counted as colors,” I pointed out.
“In theory, I suppose….Menshiki? I don’t think I’ve heard the name. I wouldn’t know anything about anyone living on a mountain across the valley. I mean, I don’t even know the people living on your side of the valley. Is there something going on between the two of you?”
“We sort of connected,” I said. “And I was wondering if you knew anything about him.”
“Did you check online?”
“I did a Google search but struck out.”
“How about Facebook or other social media?”
“I don’t know much about those.”
“While you were asleep with the fish in the Dragon King’s palace, like in the fairy tale, culture has forged on ahead. Not to worry—I’ll check them for you. If I find anything, I’ll give you a call.”
“Thanks.”
Masahiko was suddenly silent. On the other end of the phone it felt like he was contemplating something.
“Hold on a sec. Did you say Menshiki?” Masahiko asked.
“That’s right. Menshiki. The men in menzeiten—‘avoidance’—and the shiki in ‘color’—shikisai.”
“Menshiki… ,” he said. “You know, I do remember now hearing that name before. Maybe I’m just imagining it.”
“It’s such an unusual name I’d think if you heard it once you wouldn’t forget it.”
“Agreed. Which is why maybe it’s stuck in a corner of my mind. But I can’t remember when I heard it, or in what context. It feels like when you have a small fishbone stuck in your throat.”
If you remember, let me know, I said. Will do, Masahiko promised.
* * *
—
I hung up and then had a light meal. While I was eating, a call came in from the married woman I was having an affair with. Do you mind if I come to your place tomorrow afternoon? she asked. No problem, I replied.
“By the way, do you know anything about a person named Menshiki?” I asked. “He lives in the neighborhood.”
“Menshiki?” she repeated. “Is that the last name?”
I explained how it was written.
“I’ve never heard of him,” she said.
“You know that white concrete house across the valley from me? He lives there.”
“I remember that house. The one you see from the terrace that really stands out.”
“That’s his house.”
“Mr. Menshiki lives there?”
“That’s right.”
“So what about him?”
“Nothing, really. I just wanted to know if you knew him or not.”
Her voice grew one tone darker. “Does that have something to do with me?”
“No, nothing to do with you.”
She sighed, as if in relief. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Probably about one thirty.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” I said. I hung up and finished eating.
* * *
—
The call from Masahiko came a little while after that.
“It seems like there are a few people with the name Menshiki in Kagawa Prefecture down in Shikoku,” Masahiko said. “Perhaps this Mr. Menshiki has roots in Kagawa. But I couldn’t find any information anywhere on a Menshiki living now around Odawara. What’s his first name?”
“He didn’t tell me. I don’t know what kind of work he does, either. Something tech related. If his lifestyle is any indication, he must be doing pretty well. That’s all I know. I don’t even know how old he is.”
“I see,” Masahiko said. “In that case, that might be the best you can do. Information is, after all, a product, and if you pay enough you can neatly cover your tracks. Even truer if the person knows a lot about technology.”
“You mean Mr. Menshiki erased his footprints?”
“Could be. I spent a lot of time online, searching through sites, and didn’t get a single hit. It’s such an eye-catching name, yet there’s not a thing online. Which is all pretty strange. I know you’re a little naive when it comes to things like this, but for someone who is fairly active in society to completely block any information about themselves and have nothing at all get out on the web—that’s no mean feat. Even information on you, and on me, is out there and available. There’s information on me I didn’t even know. If that’s true for nobodies like us, you can imagine how much harder it is for some big shot to erase their digital presence. Like it or not, that’s the world we live in. What about you? Have you checked out the information that’s out there on you?”
“No, never.”
“You should keep it that way.”
“That’s the plan,” I told him.
One aspect of my job is gathering all kinds of information. That’s the sort of business I’m in. Those were Menshiki’s own words. If he could get hold of information that easily he could probably erase it as well.
“By the way, Mr. Menshiki said he looked me up on the Internet and saw a few of my portraits there,” I said.
“And?”
“And he asked me to paint his portrait. He said he liked the portraits I’ve done.”
“But you turned him down because you’re no longer in the portrait business. Correct?”
I was silent.
“Are you telling me you didn’t?” he asked.
“Actually, I didn’t turn him down.”
“How come? Weren’t you set on not doing any more?”
“The fee is pretty hefty, that’s why. I thought it might be okay to do one more portrait.”
“For the money?”
“That’s a big reason. I’m making hardly any money anymore, and I have to think about how I’m going to make a living. My expenses right now are minimal, but still, with one thing and another the money keeps flowing out.”
“Huh. So, how much is the fee?”
I named the amount. Masahiko let out a whistle.
“Wow,” he said. “That certainly makes it worth taking on. I bet you were surprised when you heard how much he’d pay?”
“Yeah, of course I was.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but there can’t be any other odd people out there willing to pay that much for one of your paintings.”
“I know.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you’re not a talented artist. You do solid work, and people recognize that. I think you’re about the only one of our classmates from our art school class who’s managed to make a living doing oil paintings. What level of living we’re talking about, I have no idea, but anyway it’s admirable what you’ve accomplished. But honestly? You’re no Rembrandt, or Delacroix. Or even Andy Warhol.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
“If you are, then you understand how exorbitant that fee is he’s offering, right?”
“Of course I do.”
“And just by chance he lives near you.”
“Exactly.”
“?‘By chance’ is putting it mildly.”
I didn’t say anything.
“There might be something else to it. Didn’t that cross your mind?” he asked.
“Sure, I thought about it. But what else there could be, I have no clue.”
“So you accepted the job?”
“I did. I start the day after tomorrow.”
“Because the fee’s so good?”
“The fee’s a big part of it. But that’s not all. There are other reasons,” I said. “Honestly, I want to see how things are going to play out. See with my own eyes why he’s willing to pay so much. And if there’re really other motives at work, I want to find out what they are.”
“I see,” Masahiko said, and paused. “Well, if there are any new developments, let me know. I’m intrigued.”
Just then I recalled the horned owl.
“I forgot to mention it, but there’s a horned owl living in the attic,” I said. “A little gray horned owl that sleeps on a beam during the day. At night it goes out the vent hole and hunts. I don’t know how long it’s been here, but it seems to have roosted.”
“In the attic?”
“I heard a sound from the ceiling, so I climbed up during the day to check on it.”
“Really. I didn’t know you could access the attic.”
“There’s an opening in the closet in the guest bedroom. It’s a tight space, though. Smaller than what you might think of as an attic. But just the right size for an owl to roost in.”
“That’s a good thing, though,” Masahiko said. “With an owl there, no mice or snakes will get in. I’ve heard it’s a lucky omen to have an owl roosting in a house.”