They had no know way of knowing how truthful Tanaka’s testimony was. The consensus was that he was probably telling them something that was at least close to the truth. The likelihood of him being involved in the crime in any way, shape, or form was exceedingly low.
Another DNA test was then conducted and a second, even more thorough search of the Kosuge apartment. They were hoping to find something from which they could extract the DNA of Mutsuo Koshikawa, the occupant. Hair or a bloodstain would be best; failing that, a blanket which had absorbed saliva, sweat, or some other bodily fluids; otherwise, a nail cutting, dandruff, or skin tissue. Someone on the team told Matsumiya that the apartment had been subjected to a thorough cleaning and that they had not managed to find any individual items from which they could be completely sure of extracting Koshikawa’s DNA material. The perpetrator was clearly a very cool and calculating character. Ultimately, they sent the futon and the pillow to the lab.
The official results of the second round of DNA tests came back two days later. The DNA from the futon and the pillow was the same as the burnt corpse at the river side in Shinkoiwa.
This was how a link was established between the two crimes.
“I owe you, Kyo. Thanks to you, we’ve had a breakthrough in the investigation. When I first suggested that the items we used for the DNA test might have been switched, all I got was dirty looks. Everyone accused me of overthinking things. Now, all of a sudden, I’m the flavor of the month.”
“Don’t tell me that you mentioned anything about the idea originating with a detective from the Nihonbashi Police?” Kaga asked, bringing his coffee cup to his lips.
“I wanted to but I kept quiet. Probably better that way.”
“Absolutely it is. Nobody likes it when a detective from another jurisdiction sticks his oar in.”
“I still feel like I’m stealing the credit that’s rightly yours. It’s not such a comfortable feeling.”
“You can handle it. You’re a big boy now.”
“Sure I am. Like I said, I’ve kept my mouth shut.” Matsumiya poured a dash of milk into his coffee and stirred it in with a spoon.
He and Kaga were in a coffee shop they had frequented back when they were working the same case a few years ago. It was a classic place dating back to 1919. The chairs, with their red leather upholstery, only reinforced the pleasant old-fashioned atmosphere.
“Did you drag me out here just to thank me? If so, then you’re wasting time, yours and mine both. I may not be much to look at, but I’ve got things to be getting on with.”
“You’re busy?”
“Busy enough. Someone nicked the takings from the till at a bean-jam pancake store. A gang of drunken customers at a chicken-skewer place got into a fight and smashed the restaurant’s rotating sign. Yeah, I have plenty to do. Not really got the time for a leisurely midday coffee with my cousin.”
As Kaga reeled off this list, Matsumiya stared at him open-mouthed.
“Something wrong?” Kaga asked.
“I was just wondering, do you really have to deal with such trivial incidents?”
“Yes, I really do. I’m not making it up.”
“You’ve changed since you got posted to Nihonbashi, Kyo. You’re really trying to blend in, to become part of the district. You know the place and the people who live here like the back of your hand.”
“The question is more how well you know me. I haven’t changed. You know what they say: ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Applies to detectives too. You’ve got to adapt your style of working depending on where you’re posted.”
“I get that, Kyo, but you’re taking it to the next level.”
Kaga put his coffee cup down on the table and made a curt, dismissive gesture.
“Enough with the small talk. Is there something you want to talk to me about — yes or no?”
Matsumiya resettled himself in his chair.
“Okay, let’s get down to business then. Yes, I do have a question for Inspector Kaga of the Nihonbashi Police.”
Kaga braced himself. “What is it?”
“A couple of days ago, you went to the Meijiza Theater, didn’t you? To see the play there.”
Kaga looked discombobulated. The question must have caught him by surprise. A second later, he began nodding his head.
“Oh, I get it now. The detective who’s surveilling her spotted me.”
“There’s a team of investigators working in shifts to keep an eye on Ms. Asai’s movements. Anything she does that’s outside her normal routine, it gets reported to the incident room ASAP.”
“Meaning that my meeting with her was reported.”
“The investigator on duty at the time assumed you were a friend of hers. He took your photo. Most of the guys in our unit know your face, Kyo. Chief Ishigaki got quite a surprise when he saw the picture, I hear. He asked me if I knew what your connection to Hiromi Asai was. I didn’t see any point in hiding anything. I told him the whole story.”
Kaga nodded. “That’s fine. No problem at all.”
“The higher-ups were fine with it. They laughed when they heard about the kendo camp. ‘Poor old Kaga, what a hard life!’”
“Happy to hear I helped brighten the mood in the workplace.”
“For me, though, that’s not good enough. And I’ll tell you why: because you know all about the Kosuge case.” Matsumiya lowered his voice, then went on. “What did you talk about with Hiromi Asai?”
Kaga fixed him with a sharp look. “She’s not an official suspect. You’ve no business disrespecting her.”
Matsumiya ran his tongue over his lips. “What did you talk about with Ms. Asai then?”
Kaga swallowed a mouthful of coffee and sighed heavily.
“Nothing serious. We were just catching up, really.”
“Really?”
“Why should I lie to you? She was very excited about getting to put on a show at the Meijiza. It’s something she’s dreamed of doing for years.”
“Dreamed of doing... Right.”
“After that—” Kaga reached for his glass and took a gulp of water. “We discussed the case a little. She was the one who brought it up, in fact.”
Matsumiya placed one of his hands flat on the table and leaned forward slightly. “And then what?”
“She was hoping to get some information from me about the progress of the investigation, I think. Naturally, I didn’t mention that I knew you, or that I knew anything at all about the investigation. I just kind of put the offer out there: ‘If there’s anything you want to know, I’m happy to look into it for you.’”
Matsumiya saw what Kaga had been trying to do. If Hiromi Asai did have any involvement in the crime, then she would definitely be keen to know how much the investigation team knew.
“How did she respond to that?”
“She had a think for a minute, then said, no, it was fine and she didn’t need my help. Even apologized for having proposed something so outlandish.”
“And then?”
“Then nothing. She said she hoped I’d enjoy the play and went off and paid for my coffee.”
“That’s it...?”
Matsumiya slumped back into his chair. His disappointment was palpable.
“Sorry you got your hopes up for nothing. That’s the whole story. Nothing to see here.”
“Okay. Well, how did she seem to you? It’s quite a while since you last saw her. Meeting her face-to-face like that, you must have picked up on something?”
Kaga frowned.
“Oh please, not that again. Honestly, who cares what I ‘picked up on’? Okay, anyway, let me have a think. I’d say she seemed more relaxed than five years ago. A bit more philosophical about life, perhaps.”
“Any sense she was concealing a crime?”