Hidden Nexus (42 page)

Wednesday 5
^th
January 7:10pm

The main meeting room at police headquarters was a shabby, run-down affair which did nothing to gladden the hearts of those who were forced to sit within it. Unpleasant curls of wall paper licked the grubby grey ceiling, stained over the years by the swirls of cigarette smoke that had hung so frequently over the table of business, itself in no better condition with its cracked wooden surface and the accompanying chairs, once so lavishly covered in a deep royal red, being now reduced to a fraying, threadbare pink. In addition, the room had a tendency to feel chilly even in the height of summer and in mid-winter, in the middle of a cold snap, it was a place where no-one much really wanted to be. Be that at it may the entire team had been collected together at the behest of the Chief Super who, on hearing that he had an additional body on his hands, three in total, if you included Yamada Eri and Fujiwara was even more fearful for the reputation of the department if they were tardy in their ability to solve this multitude of crimes.

The air wasn’t the only thing that was cool that evening as the detective team gathered around the table. Inspector Sakamoto, sour-faced and tight-lipped sat next to a reticent-looking Deguchi, while Inspector Saito sat opposite, alongside Mori and
Junsa
Saito. The wider team sat in between with the Chief Super sitting at the head. It was clear to see that it wasn’t just the freezing temperature outside that was adding to the frosty atmosphere.

‘So then, Sakamoto – update!’ The Chief Super looked squarely down the table looking at no-one in particular. Inspector Saito had rarely seen his boss appear quite so troubled and speculated that they were all going to be in for a bumpy ride. Despite his leadership position the Chief Super was not a man who handled pressure well and had an unpleasant habit of lashing out at those around him, whether or not this was justified.

Inspector Sakamoto remained head bowed as if he was carrying out a detailed examination of the table-top.

‘Sakamoto?’

‘Sorry, sir.
Gomenasai
.’

‘Get a move on. We don’t have all day!’ growled the Chief Super.

Sakamoto eventually looked up at the others around the table. ‘A body was recovered from a canal in the Sanyoshinko docklands area at just after four
thirty
this evening,’ he read soullessly from his small black notebook, his eyes looking particularly dead and his voice drawling in the worst kind of monotone. Saito glanced across to Mori and they shared a knowing look. It was never pleasant to be on the wrong end of a very public mistake and although the meeting had been called ostensibly to share fresh information the news of a new body, a new strangled body, had spread like wild-fire through the station. Sakamoto had brutally trodden on too many heads on his way up for a situation such as this not to pass by without note.

‘The victim was a young woman in her mid-twenties,’ continued Sakamoto, ‘and had been strangled – similar to the way in which Yamada Eri had also been murdered.’ These last words he muttered at a barely audible level.

If Inspector Saito ever had occasion to feel smug then that occasion was now, however, smugness was not in his nature and instead he allowed Sakamoto to suffer whatever embarrassment he undoubtedly was without feeling the need to add to it. Sergeant Mori though, couldn’t help experiencing a certain lofty superiority. It was a rare occasion indeed that Sakamoto was as isolated and drifting as he was now but as a consequence he also worryingly believed that in some small way Sakamoto would find it in him to blame some, if not all, of his subordinates for his current, pressurised position. Life could become very uncomfortable indeed in the near future, so he was determined to enjoy the present.

The Chief Super removed his glasses and not for the first time performed his over-elaborate cleaning routine. He looked up. 'Well thank the gods you got to our man before he could kill any more, eh Sakamoto san?'

Sakamoto did his best to take the compliment in the manner in which it was being so generously given, happy to rely on the Chief Super's ignorance for the time being. He knew, that all too soon, the dark clouds would cluster around him.

'What else can you tell us? Do we know the exact time of death?’ The Chief Super squinted in Sakamoto’s direction before returning to look down at his glasses. ‘I take it that it was sometime before the death of Yamada Eri?’

Inspector Saito smiled to himself. The Chief Super really hadn’t caught the gossip on the grapevine.

Sakamoto looked appropriately embarrassed. ‘According to Takahashi she died about six days ago and in corroboration a witness we talked to observed the body being dumped around eleven
on Thursday night.’

The Chief Super thought about this new information for a moment or two. The rest of the table patiently observed this cogitation. 'That’s about the same time as the Yamada Eri murder, isn’t it?’ he eventually asked looking quizzically in Sakamoto's direction. The first of a series of pennies had just dropped.

‘That’s right,’ mumbled Sakamoto.

‘But no doubt murdered sometime earlier then?'

'Takahashi is yet to confirm the exact time of death. The body has been frozen for the last couple of days which complicates things a little.'

‘Just as I thought. And let me say again it’s a good job you got to our man in time. Who knows how many people this Yamada may have gone on to kill?’

Sakamoto remained silent but couldn’t restrain himself from an imperceptible bow.

‘But it does look like our man was very busy last Thursday night!’ interrupted Inspector Saito. ‘Two victims in a single night!’

‘Or two victims over a period of a couple of days,’ corrected the Chief Super.

Saito didn't react adversely to this amendment. Instead he was considering what he himself had just said and for a moment became quite distracted. Mori too, could see that Inspector Saito was thinking hard. It was if a little fire behind his pupils had been ignited. He noticed him gently raise an eyebrow and pull a wry smile as if some important piece of information had clicked into place or at least been stored away safely. Only time would tell when whatever he had thought would come to be revealed.

‘And did Takahashi have anything else to report?’ asked the Chief Super addressing Sakamoto again.

‘Only the absence of the victim’s underwear. She’ll confirm later if there was any sexual activity.’

‘If there was any sexual intercourse that would tally with Yamada Eri,’ chipped in Inspector Saito looking casually at his finger nails.

‘Indeed!’ Sakamoto was in no mood to be reminded of the facts surrounding the original case – facts which he had largely chosen to ignore.

'Any ID? Do we know who she is?'

'Not yet, sir, and we've also had a quick check through missing persons. No-one's been reported missing who matches our new victim's description.'

‘So!’ The Chief Super clapped his hands together forcing everyone to focus back on him. ‘Conclusions?'

Everyone around the table looked at each other. Surely the conclusion was obvious. They left it to Inspector Saito to announce what they were all thinking.

'Unquestionably this rules out Hideki Yamada as our murderer for unless I’m mistaken you were interviewing him at about the same time that this second body was being dumped,' he said in clear definitive tones looking pointedly at Sakamoto.

There was a murmur of agreement from around the table.

‘Not necessarily,’ replied Sakamoto, still determined to save his reputation despite it clinging on desperately by its fingertips.

Saito raised an eyebrow for a second
time. He was interested to see how Sakamoto could engineer himself out of this one.

‘He may have been working together with someone else.’

‘How so?’ questioned Inspector Saito.

‘He murders the women at different times and his accomplice dumps the Sanyoshinko body when he knows Yamada has a secure alibi talking to us. What could be better than Sergeant Mori here as confirmation of an alibi.’

‘Oh,
come of it,’ exploded Saito staring disbelievingly at his opposite number. ‘You can’t really believe that, can you?’

‘I don’t see why not?’

‘The frog in the well never knows the great sea,’ Saito mumbled behind his hand to Mori.

‘What did you just say?’ glared Sakamoto.

Saito took his time to respond. He looked around the table, to the Chief Super and finally back to Sakamoto. ‘This is the work of a single man Sakamoto! Don’t you realise how ridiculous you sound? And don't you think Yamada might have mentioned this at some point in his 'confession' - an accomplice and a second body!' He spat out the word ‘confession’ with barely concealed disgust.

'Not necessarily'

'I've no idea why you tried to pin this on Yamada in the first place.'

‘May I remind you that he had no alibi!’ retorted Sakamoto raising his voice.

‘He had no clear motive!’ Saito banged the table.

‘He confessed -
baka!
’

‘Only after you had put him up to it! You manufactured witness statements, suggested his wife was having an affair, you kept him under duress, you worked on his confidence to confuse him. It’s no wonder he confessed.’

The two men glowered at each other across the table forcing the Chief Super to step in, concern now etched into every deep furrow in his forehead. ‘I tend to agree with Inspector Saito,’ he said slowly. ‘This new body puts your original conclusions into a very different light. As Inspector Saito says it appears highly unlikely that Yamada was involved with the Sanyoshinko woman, very unlikely
 
indeed!'

The whole room, with the exception of Sakamoto and Deguchi were waiting with bated breath for what the Chief Super was about to say next. They knew his mind was slowly working through the logic and slowly coming to the conclusion that most had reached some time before.

The penny finally not only dropped but slotted home neatly!

'But I was of the understanding that forensics had confirmed everything for us,' the Chief Super eventually said his face gradually reddening into a purple-faced anger. 'What the hell is going on here Sakamoto! Explain yourself!'

'The evidence has been manufactured - that's what!' interrupted Inspector Saito for a final time. 'According to an updated forensics report that I have here.'

'Is this true?' The Chief Super jabbed a finger at Sakamoto.

'Explain yourself Deguchi!' demanded Sakamoto in turn.

Deguchi remained silent and stunned, unable to comprehend what he had just been accused of.

'Hand me that report, will you Saito?'

The collected group waited as the Chief Super took his time digesting the contents of Otsuba's report. 'Why wasn't this brought to my attention earlier?' he demanded.