went out – to Jozankei, I think it was.’
Kusanagi nodded, glancing at his notepad. Mamiya had previously got the name of the friend from Ayane: SakikoMotooka. Utsumi was scheduled to pay her a visit on her way back from the springs.
‘You mentioned that this was Ayane’s first trip since her marriage. Did she happen to say anything about Mr Mash -iba while she was here?’
Tokiko cocked her head. ‘Just that he was busy as always with work, but still managed to find time to play golf. That sort of thing.’
‘Nothing about how things were going at home?’
‘Not a word. She was so busy asking us questions I could barely get a word in edgeways. She wanted to know how her father was doing, how her brother was doing – oh, she has one brother, he’s working in the United States.’
‘So, if she had never visited home,’ Kusanagi went on, ‘I guess you didn’t see much of Mr Mashiba?’
‘That’s true. We went to visit him at his home just before the wedding, but that was the last time we talked at any length. He invited us to visit any time, of course, but with Kazuhiro’s health not being so great, we never seemed to get the chance.’
‘I doubt we met him more than four times in all,’ Kazuhiro said, shrugging.
‘It sounds like they made the decision to get married rather quickly?’
‘I should say. Ayane was thirty, and we were just starting to worry whether she would ever find someone, when she gives us a call to say she’s tying the knot.’ Tokiko displayed a mother’s pout.
According to her parents, Ayane had left for Tokyo eight years earlier – and before that she had gone to a junior college for two years, and spent some time as an exchange student in the UK. Her interest in patchwork started during high school; by graduation she had already received some recognition at professional contests. Her popularity soared when, upon her return from England, she had published a book about patchwork quilting that caught on with a core group of enthusiasts.
‘She was so interested in her work, whenever we’d ask her when she was planning on getting married, she’d tell us she didn’t have any time to be someone’s wife,’ Tokiko said. ‘“I’m so busy, I want a wife of my own,” she’d tell us.’
‘Really.’ Kusanagi chuckled, a bit surprised. ‘She seemed quite good at managing the affairs of the house.’
Kazuhiro shook his head. ‘Being good at crafts doesn’t mean you’re good at housework. When she was still living here, I don’t think she did a single thing around the place, did she, Mama? I don’t think she even cooked for herself when she was living in Tokyo. Alone, I mean, before she got married.’
‘You don’t say?’
‘It’s true,’ Tokiko said. ‘We visited her there a few times, and I’ve never seen a stove that clean. I think she ate out or bought boxed lunches at the convenience stores.’
‘But according to their friends, they put on parties quite regularly, with your daughter cooking.’
‘We heard that, too. Ayane told us. I guess she went to acooking school before she got married, and picked up a few tricks. We used to say, “I guess she must have found the right man, for her to pick up a pot and spoon.”’
‘And now he’s gone,’ Kazuhiro said, lowering his gaze.
‘Would it be all right for us to visit her?’ the mother asked. ‘We’d like to help out with the arrangements for the funeral and such.’
‘Of course, that’s no problem at all,’ Kusanagi told them. ‘However, I can’t say at this point when we will be able to release the body.’
‘Oh …’ Tokiko muttered.
‘Give Ayane a call and talk to her about it later on,’ Kazuhiro suggested to his wife.
Kusanagi thanked his hosts and prepared to leave. As he was putting on his shoes, he noticed a patchwork jacket hanging from a coat rack in the entryway. It was very long, long enough to reach the knees of an average adult.
‘She made it for us several years
Kusanagi nodded, glancing at his notepad. Mamiya had previously got the name of the friend from Ayane: SakikoMotooka. Utsumi was scheduled to pay her a visit on her way back from the springs.
‘You mentioned that this was Ayane’s first trip since her marriage. Did she happen to say anything about Mr Mash -iba while she was here?’
Tokiko cocked her head. ‘Just that he was busy as always with work, but still managed to find time to play golf. That sort of thing.’
‘Nothing about how things were going at home?’
‘Not a word. She was so busy asking us questions I could barely get a word in edgeways. She wanted to know how her father was doing, how her brother was doing – oh, she has one brother, he’s working in the United States.’
‘So, if she had never visited home,’ Kusanagi went on, ‘I guess you didn’t see much of Mr Mashiba?’
‘That’s true. We went to visit him at his home just before the wedding, but that was the last time we talked at any length. He invited us to visit any time, of course, but with Kazuhiro’s health not being so great, we never seemed to get the chance.’
‘I doubt we met him more than four times in all,’ Kazuhiro said, shrugging.
‘It sounds like they made the decision to get married rather quickly?’
‘I should say. Ayane was thirty, and we were just starting to worry whether she would ever find someone, when she gives us a call to say she’s tying the knot.’ Tokiko displayed a mother’s pout.
According to her parents, Ayane had left for Tokyo eight years earlier – and before that she had gone to a junior college for two years, and spent some time as an exchange student in the UK. Her interest in patchwork started during high school; by graduation she had already received some recognition at professional contests. Her popularity soared when, upon her return from England, she had published a book about patchwork quilting that caught on with a core group of enthusiasts.
‘She was so interested in her work, whenever we’d ask her when she was planning on getting married, she’d tell us she didn’t have any time to be someone’s wife,’ Tokiko said. ‘“I’m so busy, I want a wife of my own,” she’d tell us.’
‘Really.’ Kusanagi chuckled, a bit surprised. ‘She seemed quite good at managing the affairs of the house.’
Kazuhiro shook his head. ‘Being good at crafts doesn’t mean you’re good at housework. When she was still living here, I don’t think she did a single thing around the place, did she, Mama? I don’t think she even cooked for herself when she was living in Tokyo. Alone, I mean, before she got married.’
‘You don’t say?’
‘It’s true,’ Tokiko said. ‘We visited her there a few times, and I’ve never seen a stove that clean. I think she ate out or bought boxed lunches at the convenience stores.’
‘But according to their friends, they put on parties quite regularly, with your daughter cooking.’
‘We heard that, too. Ayane told us. I guess she went to acooking school before she got married, and picked up a few tricks. We used to say, “I guess she must have found the right man, for her to pick up a pot and spoon.”’
‘And now he’s gone,’ Kazuhiro said, lowering his gaze.
‘Would it be all right for us to visit her?’ the mother asked. ‘We’d like to help out with the arrangements for the funeral and such.’
‘Of course, that’s no problem at all,’ Kusanagi told them. ‘However, I can’t say at this point when we will be able to release the body.’
‘Oh …’ Tokiko muttered.
‘Give Ayane a call and talk to her about it later on,’ Kazuhiro suggested to his wife.
Kusanagi thanked his hosts and prepared to leave. As he was putting on his shoes, he noticed a patchwork jacket hanging from a coat rack in the entryway. It was very long, long enough to reach the knees of an average adult.
‘She made it for us several years
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