‘That’s hardly important right now,’ Ryo said, pushing past him.
They went into his room and Tomohiko sat at the desk. Ryo sat cross-legged on the floor, right next to a square of blue cloth covering a lump about the size of a small television. This was Tomohiko’s personal computer – his pride and joy and usually the first thing he’d show friends who came to visit.
‘OK, talk,’ Ryo said.
‘I’m not sure where to start.’
‘How about we start with the part where you broke your promise.’
Tomohiko cleared his throat and slowly began to tell the story of what had happened.
Ryo listened without expression, but it was clear that he was angry. When Tomohiko got to the events of that day, his mouth gaped open.
‘Dead? You mean she actually died?’
‘Yeah. I checked her, man, more than once. I’m pretty sure.’
Ryo spat under his breath. ‘That alcoholic bitch.’
‘What?’
‘You heard me. She must’ve got too excited and it got to her heart. That’s what happens when you’re over forty and you drink like you’re in college.’
‘But she was only thirty-two,’ Tomohiko said.
Ryo broke into a grin. ‘Idiot. No, trust me. She was an old lady with a thing for little boys. You’re the sixth I introduced her to, you know.’
‘But I – but she never said —’
‘Oh please, really?’ Ryo said, his look of disappointment turning swiftly into a glare. ‘Where is she now?’
Tomohiko summed up the situation as quickly as he could, adding that he was pretty sure there was no way they’d be able to fool the police on this one.
Ryo groaned. ‘OK, I think I get the picture. If her husband was on to you, you don’t really have many options. Guess you’re going to have to let the police question you,’ he said, and the way he said it made it sound like an order.
‘I know,’ Tomohiko said. ‘But I have to tell the truth. Everything. Even about the apartment.’
Ryo frowned and rubbed his temples. ‘That’s not going to work. That makes things a lot more complicated, understand?’
‘But if I don’t tell them about it, how will I explain how we met?’
‘Easy. Tell them you were hanging out in Shinsaibashi and she picked you up.’
‘I’m not sure I can lie to the police like that. I mean, what if they press me hard and I slip up?’
‘Well, if you do…’ Ryo slapped his hands down on his knees. ‘Then I’m sure the people backing me will have something to say about it.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You think I’m running this operation solo?’
‘Yakuza?’
‘Something like that.’ Ryo stretched his neck to both sides until it made an audible pop. The next instant, he had his hands on Tomohiko’s collar. ‘Listen,’ Ryo snarled. ‘If you know what’s good for you, you won’t say anything more than you have to, or you’re gonna learn there’s people in this world a hell of a lot scarier than the cops.’
Tomohiko swallowed.
Ryo released him and stood, his speech finished.
‘Ryo…’
‘What?’
‘I – never mind.’ Tomohiko’s eyes went down to the floor.
Ryo snorted and turned to leave, knocking the cloth off Tomohiko’s computer.
‘Hey,’ Ryo said, his eyes widening. ‘This yours?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Not a bad rig,’ Ryo said, kneeling down to examine it more closely. ‘You program?’
‘Basic, mostly.’
‘What about assembly language?’
‘A little,’ he said, startled that Ryo knew about computers.
‘You write anything big?’
‘Just a game or two.’
‘Show me.’
‘What? Now?’
‘Just show me,’ Ryo said, grabbing Tomohiko’s collar again, this time with one hand.
Blanching, Tomohiko pulled a folder off of his bookshelf and handed it to Ryo. This was a collection of flow charts and code, describing the programs he’d written in detail.
Ryo pored over it for a few minutes. Then he closed the file and, at the same time, his eyes. He sat without moving for a long moment.
Tomohiko almost asked him if he was OK, when he saw Ryo’s lips move as if he was talking to himself.
‘Tomohiko,’ Ryo said suddenly. ‘I need your help.’
‘What?’
Ryo turned to look him square in the face. ‘You do exactly what I say and I’ll get you out of this. You won’t have to talk to the police. That woman dying and you will have nothing to do with each other.’
‘How?’
‘Can you follow instructions?’
‘Yeah, sure, anything,’ Tomohiko said.
‘What’s your blood type?’
‘What?’
‘Your blood type, are you deaf?’
‘O.’
‘Perfect. You used a glove, right?’
‘A condom? Yeah, of course.’
‘Good,’ Ryo stood back up and extended a hand toward Tomohiko. ‘The key, please.’
It was in the evening two days later when the detectives came. There was one in his forties wearing a white open-necked shirt, and another wearing a light-blue polo shirt.
‘We’d like to have a few words with your son, Tomohiko,’ open-neck asked his mom. He didn’t say what it was about. Tomohiko’s mom was aghast.
They took Tomohiko to a nearby park. The sun had already set but the benches were still warm from the day. Tomohiko sat down next to open-neck. Polo shirt remained standing, facing him.
Tomohiko had tried to avoid saying anything on their way there. He just let himself look as nervous as he really was. ‘It’s suspicious if a high school student acts like it’s no big deal to talk to detectives.’ That had been Ryo’s advice when he briefed him two days before.
Open-neck held up a photograph. ‘You know this woman?’
It was Yuko. It looked like it might have been taken on a vacation somewhere. She was standing with the ocean behind her, smiling at the camera. Her hair was cut a little shorter than he remembered it.
‘That’s Mrs Hanaoka,’ Tomohiko said.
‘But you know her first name too, don’t you?’
‘Yuko, I think.’
‘That’s right. Yuko Hanaoka.’ The detective put the photograph away. ‘How do you know her?’
‘Whatcha mean?’ Tomohiko said, mumbling his words a little. ‘I just know her.’
‘Which is why I’m asking how you know her,’ open-neck said. He spoke softly, but there was a ring of irritation to his voice.
‘My advice,’ polo shirt said, ‘be honest, kid.’ He had a mean smile on his face.
‘I was in Shinsaibashi, ’bout a month ago. She came up and talked to me.’
‘What did she say?’
‘That if I was free, maybe I could get some tea with her.’
The detectives exchanged glances.
‘Did you go?’ open-neck asked.
‘Yeah. She said it was her treat.’
Polo shirt snorted at that.
‘So you had tea, what then?’
‘That’s it. We hung out at a café for a bit, and then I went home.’
‘OK. That wasn’t the only time you met her, though, was it?’
‘No… We met twice after that.’
‘How did that go down?’
‘She called saying she was in Minami and if I had some time, maybe I could come down and we could have tea again. Something like that.’
‘Your mom answer the phone?’
‘No, I did. Both times.’
That answer didn’t seem to please the detective. He stuck out his lower lip and asked, ‘So you went?’
‘Yeah.’
‘What happened then? Don’t tell me you just had tea?’
‘Actually,’ Tomohiko looked up at him, ‘I had iced coffee. And we talked a little. Then I went home.’