Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino Page A

yet,’ Kusanagi said.
    Kazuhiro frowned, the wrinkles running deep on his thin face. ‘That man had his share of enemies. Most capable businessmen do. Still, you’d like to think that people were a little more decent than that …’
    Kazuhiro had been employed at a local credit union until his retirement five years earlier. He’d seen his share of businessmen in his day, and no doubt he knew the type.
    ‘I was wondering,’ Tokiko said, looking up. ‘How is Ayane doing? On the phone she says she’s fine, but then again, I’m sure she doesn’t want to worry us.’
    ‘Surprisingly well, actually. Of course, it was all a great shock,’ Kusanagi explained, ‘but throughout it all she’s been very helpful with our investigation.’
    ‘Well, then, that’s a relief.’ The woman’s worry that lingered in her face belied her words.
    ‘Ayane says she came home on Saturday? She told us that she had concerns about your health.’ Kusanagi fixed his gaze on Kazuhiro. The older man was thin, and a bit pale, but he didn’t seem to be suffering.
    ‘Yeah, my pancreas,’ the older man explained. ‘Got an inflammation about three years ago, and haven’t really felt right since. I get a fever sometimes, and some days mystomach and back hurt so much I can’t move. But I’ve been carrying on. That’s what you do, you know. Carry on.’
    ‘Did you need Ayane’s help for any specific reason this time?’
    ‘No, nothing like that,’ Kazuhiro said with a glance towards his wife.
    Tokiko shook her head. ‘She called us on Friday night. Said she’d be here the next day. She said she was worried about her father and she hadn’t visited us since getting married.’
    ‘Did she have any other reasons for her visit?’
    ‘Not that she told us.’
    ‘How long did she say she was going to stay?’
    ‘Well, she didn’t say anything in particular – when I asked her when she’d be going back to Tokyo, she told me she hadn’t decided yet.’
    Kusanagi made a mental note:
no urgent reason to rush home.
So why had she gone to visit her parents? Nine times out of ten, when a married woman suddenly took a trip back home, it was because of marital troubles.
    ‘Er, Detective?’ Kazuhiro said a bit hesitantly. ‘You seem awfully interested in why Ayane came up to see us. Care to tell us why?’
    Kusanagi smiled.
The old banker’s still sharp.
‘If, in fact, Mr Mashiba’s death
was
a homicide, there’s a chance that the guilty party intentionally picked a time when Ayane wouldn’t be at home to strike.’ The detective spoke slowly and precisely. ‘If that is the case, then we have to ask howthe guilty party knew where Ayane would be. That’s why I’m afraid we have to cover all the bases. Please understand, it’s all part of standard procedure.’
    ‘Is that so,’ Kazuhiro said, nodding. It was unclear whether he bought the detective’s story or not.
    ‘How did she spend her time when she was here?’ Kusanagi asked, looking at both parents.
    ‘She stayed at home the whole day on Saturday. At night, we went out to a local sushi place, just the three of us. One of her favourite places when she was growing up,’ Tokiko told him.
    ‘What’s the name of the restaurant?’
    A suspicious look crossed Tokiko’s face, mirrored in the expression of her husband beside her.
    ‘Sorry.’ Kusanagi smiled again. ‘We don’t know what might become important as the investigation continues, so I need to take down every detail, no matter how trivial. We’d prefer not to have to make the trip up here again, if possible.’
    Tokiko looked unsatisfied, but she still told him the name of the restaurant: ‘Lucky Sushi.’
    ‘And she went with a friend to a hot springs on Sunday?’
    ‘Yes, her friend Saki – they’ve been close since middle school. Her parents live not a five-minute walk away from here. Saki moved down to the south end of town when she got married, but Ayane gave her a call on Saturday night and the two