Salvation of a Saint

SIXTEEN

‘Er, hello … we let ourselves in,’ Kusanagi managed after a long pause. He realized it was an idiotic thing to say almost as soon as the words left his mouth. ‘Here to check up on things?’

‘No,’ Ayane replied. ‘Just here for a change of clothes. Might I ask who that is?’

‘Oh, this is Yukawa. He’s a physics professor at Imperial University.’

Yukawa remained silent.

‘A university professor?’ Ayane asked, clearly puzzled.

‘And my friend, actually,’ Kusanagi explained. ‘He often helps our department with, er, scientific investigations … which is why he’s here today.’

‘Oh, I see,’ Ayane replied. Though she was clearly still puzzled, she said no more about him. Instead she asked, ‘Is it all right for me to touch things?’

‘Of course. You’re free to do whatever you like. I’m sorry we’ve taken so long.’

‘No need to apologize.’ Ayane moved towards the hallway. But after two steps she stopped, once again turning to face Kusanagi and the physicist. ‘I’m not sure if I’m allowed to ask, but what are you looking for, exactly?’

‘Oh, right,’ Kusanagi began, wetting his lips. ‘Well, we’re still having trouble determining the route by which the poison got into the coffee, so were doing some follow-up tests. I hope you don’t mind. We’ll be done soon.’

‘No, I don’t mind at all,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t a complaint, just curiosity. Don’t let me interrupt. I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.’

‘Right, thanks.’

Ayane gave Kusanagi a curt bow and turned to leave, but Yukawa spoke suddenly. ‘Might I ask a question?’

The widow stopped again. ‘Yes?’ The expression on her face made it clear that she did not trust this newcomer.

‘There’s a water filtration system on your sink here in the kitchen. I’m assuming you regularly change the filter, but do you remember when you last did that?’

‘Oh, that …’ Ayane came around to peer into the kitchen. She frowned as her eyes fell on the sink. ‘Actually, I don’t think I ever changed it once.’

‘Huh? Not even once?’ the physicist said with evident surprise.

‘I was thinking I should call the company and have them do it one of these days. The filter on there is the one they put in just after we moved in, so it’s about a year old. Which, if I recall what the serviceman told me, is right about when you’re supposed to change it.’

‘So the last time the filter was replaced was a year ago?’

‘Did … I do something wrong?’

‘No, no, of course not,’ Yukawa said. ‘I was just curious. And, you probably should go ahead and get it changed. There are data that show old filters can actually do more harm than good.’

‘Well, I’ll do it right away,’ Ayane said. ‘But I suppose I should clean under the sink first. It’s a mess under there.’

‘That’s the same in every house,’ Yukawa said. ‘You should see the roach nest under the sink in our laboratory – but I shouldn’t be comparing my lab to a proper residence. You know –’ Yukawa glanced at Kusanagi before continuing. ‘If you had the number of the serviceman handy, I bet Kusanagi here could give him a call for you. No time like the present, after all.’

Kusanagi shot a surprised look back at Yukawa, but the physicist ignored him, instead looking back towards Ayane. ‘Sound like a good idea?’

‘You mean right now?’

‘Yes, if it’s all right. To be honest, it might help with the investigation, and the sooner the better.’

‘Well, if that’s the case, I certainly don’t mind.’

Yukawa smiled and turned again to Kusanagi. ‘There you go. You have your orders.’

Kusanagi glared back at the physicist, but he knew his friend well enough by now to know that he wasn’t doing it on a lark. Whatever Detective Galileo was up to, he had a plan. ‘Could you get the number?’ Kusanagi asked Ayane. ‘If you don’t mind …’

‘Sure, just a moment.’

Kusanagi waited for the widow to leave the room before glaring again at Yukawa. ‘You could’ve at least given me a heads up first.’

‘There wasn’t time. And besides, before you start complaining, I think there’s something you need to be doing.’

‘What?’

‘Call Forensics. You don’t want the filtration system serviceman to destroy any evidence, do you? One of your Forensics guys should handle the actual removal of the filter.’

‘You mean you want Forensics to take the old filter back with them?’

‘Yes, and the connection hose,’ Yukawa said in a low voice. In his eye was the cool gleam of a scientist who’s caught sight of his quarry. Kusanagi swallowed as Ayane returned to the living room.

About an hour later, an officer from the Metropolitan Forensics Division had removed the filter and the filtration system hose from the sink under the watchful eyes of Kusanagi and Yukawa. The Forensics officer took great care in placing the two parts inside an acrylic case, making sure not to disturb the considerable amount of sediment that had built up inside them.

‘I’ll get right on these,’ he told the detective as he left.

The man from the filtration system company arrived a short time later, and Kusanagi watched him start replacing the filter and hose before returning to the living room. Ayane was sitting on the sofa, a glum look on her face. Beside her was a bag containing the clothes she had taken from her bedroom.

Still committed to not living here for a while, Kusanagi noted.

‘Sorry about all the fuss,’ the detective apologized.

‘No, it’s fine,’ she said. ‘I’m happy that at least the filter got changed.’

‘I’ll talk to the chief about getting that paid for.’

‘Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who’s going to be using it, after all.’ Ayane smiled briefly before her expression turned serious again. ‘Was there something wrong with the filter? Was that where the poison was?’

‘We’re not sure. We’re just looking into every possibility right now.’

‘Well, if it was the filter, how would someone have put poison in there?’

‘Er, good question …’ Kusanagi said, looking towards Yukawa, who was standing in the entrance to the kitchen, watching the serviceman work. ‘Hey, Yukawa,’ he called out.

Yukawa turned around, but to Ayane, not the detective. ‘Is it true that your husband only drank bottled water?’ he asked.

Kusanagi blinked, and watched to see Ayane’s reaction.

She nodded. ‘Yes. That’s why we always have a supply in the fridge.’

‘I’ve heard he asked you to use bottled water when you made coffee, too?’

‘He did.’

‘But ultimately, you didn’t always use the bottled water. Is that correct?’

Kusanagi’s eyes opened wider. He hadn’t told Yukawa any of these details, which meant that Utsumi was feeding him privileged information. Kusanagi pictured her smiling face, and he scowled.

‘Well, no. It’s not very cost-effective,’ Ayane replied, her expression softening. ‘And honestly, I never thought tap water was as bad for you as he claimed. Besides, hot water boils faster. I doubt he ever noticed.’

‘I’d have to agree,’ the physicist said. ‘I don’t think the choice of tap water versus mineral water would have much of an effect on the taste of the coffee at all.’

Sage wisdom from a guy who used to drink only instant coffee.

Kusanagi shot his friend a mocking look.

Yukawa either failed to notice or chose to pay the detective no mind. ‘The woman who made coffee on Sunday,’ he said. ‘What was her name again? Your assistant …’

‘Hiromi Wakayama,’ Kusanagi reminded him.

‘That’s right, Ms Wakayama. So … she also used tap water at your direction? And nothing happened when she did. Which leads one to think that the poison was probably in the bottled water. But there is another kind of water available here, filtered water, from the filtration system set up next to the regular tap. It’s possible that for some reason, perhaps to avoid wasting the bottled water in the fridge, your husband used water from that, which would lead me to suspect the water filter.’

‘Well, that’s true … but is it even possible to poison a filtration system? I mean, wouldn’t it filter the poison out?’

‘Not necessarily. Either way, I’m sure we’ll hear from Forensics soon.’

‘Well, if the poison was in the filtration system, then when was it put there?’ Ayane asked, focusing on Kusanagi. ‘I know I’ve already told you this a hundred times, but we had that party here on Friday night, and the water filter was fine then.’

‘So it would seem,’ Yukawa said. ‘Which would mean that if it was poisoned, it happened afterwards. And, if we assume the killer only wanted to poison your husband, then they would have set their sights on a time when he would be alone.’

‘Meaning after I left the house – assuming I’m not the killer, of course.’

‘Exactly,’ Yukawa said.

‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,’ Kusanagi cautioned. ‘We don’t know whether or not the filtration system was poisoned yet.’ He excused himself and left the living room with a meaningful glance at Yukawa.

Kusanagi stood in the entrance hall until Yukawa joined him. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked his friend, his voice low, but sharp.

‘What do you mean, “what am I doing”?’

‘What do you mean, “what do you mean”? You’re basically telling her she’s the suspect. Don’t go taking Utsumi’s side just because she was the one who asked for your help.’

Yukawa’s forehead crinkled between the eyebrows. He looked surprised. ‘Now, that’s baseless conjecture if I ever heard it. Since when have I taken Utsumi’s side? I’m just working through the facts in a completely rational manner. You might try it yourself. The bereaved widow in there seems to be a lot more collected than you are.’

Kusanagi bit his lip, but just as he was about to respond, he heard a door open. The serviceman was walking towards them from the living room, with Ayane close behind.

‘He’s done replacing the filter,’ she told them.

‘Thanks,’ Kusanagi told the serviceman. ‘About the bill …’

‘I’ve already paid it,’ Ayane said.

‘Oh,’ Kusanagi replied weakly.

Once the man had left, Yukawa began putting on his shoes, looking up at Kusanagi. ‘Well, I should be going,’ he announced. ‘You?’

‘I’ll be here bit longer,’ the detective replied. ‘I have a few more things to check with Mrs Mashiba.’

‘I see. Well, thanks for your time,’ Yukawa said to Ayane, lowering his head.

‘Not at all,’ she said to his back as he left. Kusanagi watched him walk out to the street, then sighed. ‘Sorry about all that. He’s not a bad person, just not very thoughtful. A bit eccentric, you might say.’

‘Oh?’ Ayane looked surprised. ‘There’s no need for you to apologize. He seemed fine to me.’

‘Well, that’s good.’

‘You said he was a professor at Imperial University? It’s funny. When I think of the professorial type, I always picture someone quiet and reserved. But he wasn’t like that at all, was he?’

‘Even academics come in all types, and that guy in particular’s a special case.’

Ayane smiled. ‘You two seem close.’

‘Oh, well … I forgot to mention we were classmates back in college. Completely different majors, though.’

The two returned to the living room, where Kusanagi told Ayane how he and Yukawa were in the same badminton club, and how the physicist had started helping with investigations during a particularly thorny case.

‘I always think it’s great when people are able to keep in touch with old friends through their work.’

‘Yeah, well, sometimes it can get a little stale.’

‘Oh, I doubt that. I’m envious.’

Kusanagi smiled. ‘At least you have a friend to go to the hot springs with back home.’

Ayane nodded, then her eyes widened as a realization came to her. ‘That’s right, you visited my parents’ home. My mother mentioned it.’

‘Yes, we had to cover the bases, and all that. I’m not sure we accomplished much on that trip, but that’s always the chance you take,’ Kusanagi added hastily.

Ayane smiled at him. ‘Of course. It’s very important to know if I really went home or not. I understand.’

‘I’m glad that you’re so understanding. I wouldn’t want you to feel like we were singling you out.’

‘My mother said you seemed like a very nice detective. So I told her maybe the investigation wouldn’t be so bad after all.’

Kusanagi chuckled and scratched his neck in embarrassment.

‘And you met my friend, Ms Motooka?’ Ayane asked. Sakiko Motooka was the friend who had joined Ayane on her trip to the hot springs.

‘Actually, Utsumi went to speak with her. She told me that Ms Motooka mentioned she’d been worried about you from before the – the unfortunate incident. She said you seemed much more tired than you ever did before you got married.’

A lonely smile came to Ayane’s face, and she breathed a light sigh. ‘She said that, did she? I guess that’s old friends for you. You do your best to hide it, and they see right through you.’

‘But you didn’t talk to her about your husband asking for a divorce?’

She shook her head. ‘It didn’t even occur to me to tell her. I guess I just wanted to forget about the situation for a while … And it’s not really something I felt I needed to talk to anyone about. You know, we made a promise before he got married, that if we couldn’t have a child we’d split up. Of course, I never told my parents.’

‘I heard from Mr Ikai that your husband regarded marriage as a means to having children, and little else. I have to admit, I was surprised to learn that there are men like that.’

‘Oh, I wanted a child, too,’ Ayane explained. ‘I assumed we’d have one right away, so I admit I never thought too deeply about that promise. But after we’d gone a year with nothing … the gods can be cruel sometimes.’ Her eyes dropped to the table for a moment before she looked up again. ‘Do you have any children, Detective Kusanagi?’

Kusanagi smiled thinly and looked back at her. ‘I’m single.’

‘Oh,’ she said, her lips parting. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘No need to be. People tell me to hurry up now and then, but it’s hard when you don’t have somebody … My friend Yukawa’s single, too.’

‘Yes, he struck me as a single man. Doesn’t really give off a domestic vibe, does he?’

‘Well, unlike your late husband, he hates children. Their “lack of the capacity for reason” stresses him out. Can you believe it?’

‘He’s a very interesting individual.’

‘I’ll let him know you said that. Actually, not to change the subject, but I have a question about your husband.’

‘Yes?’

‘Did he happen to have any friends who were painters?’

‘Painters? You mean, like, artists?’

‘Yes. It doesn’t have to be somebody he’d seen recently. Maybe someone he mentioned having known in the past?’

Ayane thought for a bit, then looked at him curiously. ‘Is this person involved with the case?’

‘That I don’t know. I may have mentioned the other day that we’re looking into your husband’s previous relationships. And we found out that he might’ve been dating a painter of some kind.’

‘I see. Well, I’m sorry, but I never heard about any artists. Do you know around when this might have been?’

‘Not exactly, but I’d say roughly two or three years ago.’

‘Sorry,’ Ayane said after a moment’s thought. ‘If there was someone like that, he never told me.’

‘I see, no problem then.’ Kusanagi glanced at his watch and stood up from the sofa. ‘Sorry to take so much of your time. I should be leaving.’

‘I’m heading back to the hotel myself,’ Ayane said, collecting her bag as she stood.

The two left the Mashiba residence together. Ayane locked the door behind them.

‘I can get that bag for you. Let’s walk until we get to a place where we can find a taxi,’ Kusanagi said, extending his hand.

Ayane thanked him and handed him the bag. Then, turning to look back at the house, she said quietly, ‘I wonder if the day will ever come when I move back.’

Unable to think of anything appropriate to say, Kusanagi strolled alongside her in silence.