A Cop's Eyes (25 page)

“It's the detective from the case … honey!” she hollered, her face changing color, and the father came out from the back. He had also grayed and wrinkled to an unthinkable extent over the long days and months.

“Actually, we think we may have identified the assailant from the case ten years ago,” Nagamine told them.

The couple looked at each other in surprise.

“What kind of person was it?!” the father demanded, looking ready to pounce on him.

“It was someone living in the neighborhood back then named Toru Ohta. Do you know him?”

It seemed the husband didn't. His wife, however, mumbled the name and eventually looked back at Nagamine.

“Toru Ohta … It can't be … The boy who was in the same middle school as Kyoko?”

“That's right.”

When Nagamine nodded, the mother looked like she might collapse on the spot, all of her strength gone. Her husband quickly caught her.

“Why would he … why would that boy do that?! He was in the same cram school as Kyoko and even came over and played with Yasuko …”

The mother started crying madly.

“Toru Ohta was murdered this Wednesday. We are investigating the case,” Natsume said, stepping forward, as though to take on the most unpleasant part.

“Murdered?” the father asked, his eyes opening wide.

“Yes. I am very sorry, but we would like to know where you were Wednesday, from afternoon to evening.”

“You think we killed him?” There was anger in the father's voice.

“No, that's not it. We just need to check,” Natsume replied, holding fast.

The two reluctantly gave their alibis. The father said he'd been at his workplace in Marunouchi except during lunch break. The mother had apparently been at home the whole time, but around three, a neighbor had come to visit and they'd had tea together for some time, so it was nearly impossible for her to be the culprit.

“Does your daughter live here?”

“Our daughter got married.”

“Could you please tell us where she lives?”

When the mother gave their daughter's address and the husband's name, Natsume's expression changed a shade.

At the sound of the doorbell, Kyoko walked over to the interphone.

As Seiji watched, her expression grew grimmer.

“Who is it?” he asked after she was done talking.

“The police … I wonder why.”

She looked anxious as she headed to the front entrance.

No—could they be coming to arrest him?

Although his body was frozen with terror, he couldn't let Kyoko face them alone. Seiji took a deep breath and headed to the entrance.

Natsume and Nagamine, who'd also come to his bar, stood outside the door. Back then Nagamine had taken the lead, but this time it was Natsume who stood in the front facing Kyoko.

“Sorry for bothering you at a busy time. You may know already, but we're investigating Mr. Ohta's case. We would like to ask you some questions.”

Seeing Natsume's expression, Seiji relaxed a little. They didn't appear to be here to arrest him, at least not right now.

“Yes … Such a thing happening to my former classmate … I'd like to help in any way I can,” Kyoko answered.

Natsume proceeded to ask much the same questions that had been put to Seiji at the bar. When was the last time she'd seen Ohta? Could she think of anyone with a grudge against him?

The last time she'd seen Ohta was at the reunion, she replied, and she didn't know anyone who had a grudge against him, not having known him all that well.

“Well, this is something we ask everyone, but where were you on Wednesday between one o'clock in the afternoon and four o'clock?”

“That day I must have … had my mom look after my daughter, and gone out to do grocery shopping.” Kyoko gave a department store's name, apparently remembering where.

“I see.”

Natsume's expression unexpectedly softened. Wondering why, Seiji turned around to find Nozomi walking towards them.

“Nozomi …” Seiji picked up his daughter.

“So your name is Nozomi. I wonder how old you are?”

“Two.”

Natsume reached out his hand and tenderly caressed Nozomi's head. He seemed to be examining her hair ornament.

“That's a cute hair ornament. Did your mom make it?”

Kyoko answered, “Yes. It's just cheap beads, though.”

“You're quite skilled. I'd love for you to make one for my daughter. Did you also happen to make this one?”

Natsume pulled a hair ornament out of his pocket and handed it to Kyoko.

As she stared at the hair ornament, she seemed to be holding back tears.

“Yes … I made that for Yasuko …” she squeezed out the words, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her tears spilled out.

“Why do you have that?” Seiji asked.

“There's something we need to report to you. We believe we may have identified the culprit who attacked Yasuko. It was Mr. Toru Ohta, who has been murdered.”

At those words, Seiji looked at Natsume in shock. “You're kidding …”

He couldn't think of anything else to say.

“The DNA gathered from the things the culprit left at the crime scene where he attacked Yasuko matched Mr. Ohta's. It seems there's no mistake he was the one who killed Yasuko.”

When Seiji looked over at Kyoko, she was gazing at Natsume with a dumbfounded expression as well.

“As a result, we need to trouble your parents, unfortunately. They might be shocked if we contacted them out of the blue.
Would you be kind enough to give them a heads-up?”

“I understand,” Kyoko nodded.

“With that, excuse us.”

Natsume made a small wave at Nozomi. His eyes looked somewhat lonely, Seiji thought.

The moment the door shut, his anger at Ohta made his body shake. Perhaps sensing his rage, Nozomi, whom he held at his chest, started crying.

“Give her to me.”

Kyoko held Nozomi in his stead.

Why had Ohta copycatted him and attacked Yasuko?

He knew right away. It was revenge against Seiji. Ohta must have attacked the family of the one person Seiji had been close to, just to fan his guilt. So he could never come near Kyoko again. He couldn't think of any other reason.

To think you'd get married to Kyoko, of all people
—

Remembering Ohta's smirk, he felt like the blood in his entire body was freezing over.

It was terrible … Yasuko hadn't been murdered by chance, it was all Seji's fault.

“That detective … I feel like I've seen him somewhere before,” Kyoko muttered.

“He was the father of the first victim.”

Kyoko looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise. “Sei, do you know that man?”

“Yes … he looked after me a bit once upon a time.”

“Looked after … at the police?”

“No, back then, he was my judiciary technical officer at juvie.”

“And his daughter is now …”

“Apparently, she's been in a hospital ever since. She became a vegetable.”

Looking at his daughter as his wife held her, he desperately
held back his brimming tears.

At the sound of the bar door opening, Seiji lifted his face.

Natsume lightly raised his hand and came in. “Good evening. Are you still open?”

“Yes …”

If he could, he didn't want to see Natsume, but he had no reason to turn him down.

Natsume sat in the middle of the empty counter. Trying not to peer too much into the man's eyes, Seiji placed a coaster in front of his guest.

“What would you like?”

“Right … how about a bourbon soda. I can't get too drunk.”

Seiji took a glass from the shelf behind him and filled it with ice. He poured in bourbon and soda, mixed them, and placed it in front of Natsume.

The detective raised the glass and sipped.

Unable to bear the silence, Seiji joked, “If you can loaf around at a place like this, the investigation must be going well.”

“Not so. My workplace is close, so it's just a nightcap.”

Seiji was left with nothing in his hands, so he turned his back to Natsume and started polishing the bottles on the shelf.

“And I also wanted to come here privately once. It's a nice bar.”

“Thank you very much,” Seiji accepted with no intonation.

“You had the strength to pave your future.”

At those words, he couldn't but turn around.

Natsume was gazing at him with a wan smile. The man seemed genuinely glad, and Seiji's chest ached relentlessly.

“Did you become a detective because of what happened to your daughter?”

“Yeah …”

“Then your goal's been fulfilled since you found the culprit
who attacked her. Too bad you couldn't hurt him with your own hands …” Natsume stared at him intently at this. “Wouldn't it be best if you went back to your old job?”

He thought that being a detective didn't suit Natsume. Or rather, he didn't
want
Natsume to be doing this type of work. Digging up people's lies, incurring hatred while pursuing suspects, all that didn't suit him. In the same way Natsume had done for him, he wanted the man to continue to be someone who approached people laid low with despair and pointed out the correct path.

Natsume had been a good juvie officer, the first adult worthy of respect that Seiji had come across. He believed that now, from the bottom of his heart.

“I can't, really … I'm also paving a new path. Struggling all the while,” Natsume said. Then he fell silent, as though engrossed deep in thought.

During the long silence, Seiji remembered the favor Kyoko had asked of him. He pulled a small paper bag from the shelf drawer and put it in front of Natsume.

“Kyoko said to … give this to you if I saw you.”

Natsume opened the paper bag and pulled out the hair ornament inside. He gazed at the accessory Kyoko had made.

He had to be thinking about his daughter—

Natsume looked over at Seiji.

“Lastly … the same bourbon, but straight.”

His laugh was forlorn.

They were heading to the Tsukamotos' condo, with Natsume driving.

Nagamine glanced over at his partner, but Natsume's eyes were fixed forward and his lips were pursed. The man had been silent since the morning investigation meeting had ended.

“Are you sure about this?” Nagamine asked.

Natsume responded with a barely perceptible nod but didn't speak.

“We don't have to be the ones. There are plenty of other investigators. At least you—”

“I'm fine.”

Saying just that, Natsume maintained his silence for the rest of the way.

When they got out of the car, they waited for the men in the second vehicle to come out before stepping into the building. The investigators, four including himself, headed to the third floor, where the Tsukamotos lived. When they arrived at the door, Natsume immediately reached his hand out to the doorbell.

They heard the voice of the wife and mother, Kyoko: “Coming!”

“This is the police. May we enter?” Natsume announced.

After some time, the door opened, and Kyoko poked her head out. Soon, Tsukamoto, who was holding Nozomi, also emerged from the back.

There were four investigators at their door; the couple clearly seemed to sense that this wasn't normal.

“Is there … something you need?” Tsukamoto asked with a stiff expression.

“Mrs. Kyoko Tsukamoto … we would like you to accompany us to the police station for questioning,” Natsume stated.

The couple looked at each other.

“Hey, what is this about? Why does Kyoko have to go to the police?!” ranted Tsukamoto, beside himself. Nozomi, whom he was holding to his chest, started crying furiously.

“Sei, calm down,” Kyoko soothed her husband's nerves. “Detective, may I just get a coat?”

“Yes,” Natsume replied with a nod.

Tsukamoto, dumbfounded, watched his wife's back as she disappeared into a room inside. She immediately came back
wearing her jacket. Before putting on her shoes, she gently caressed Nozomi's head. The girl hadn't stopped crying.

“Sei, take care of Nozomi,” Kyoko told her husband, her eyes showing resolve, and stepped out of their home. Flanked by two investigators, she headed to the elevator.

“Well, then …” Even Natsume seemed to have no words beyond that.

When his partner made to close the door, Tsukamoto rushed toward him and held his sleeve.

“Wait a second! Why does Kyoko have to be taken by the police? If she's going, I'm going too!”

“You need to be with Nozomi, don't you?” Natsume reminded him.

“Do you even have a warrant? Why do you need Kyoko …” Tsukamoto pleaded, close to tears.

“No arrest warrant has been issued yet. She's just a person of interest at this moment. On the day of the incident, she visited Toru Ohta's house and had a physical relationship with him.”

When Natsume said this, Tsukamoto's expression seemed to turn to stone. “What … the hell are you talking about … Why would Kyoko … get into a relationship with that guy …”

“The bodily fluids on Ohta's genitalia matched her DNA. We used a strand of hair from the ornament she gave me. It must have gotten there when she put it on her head to see how it looked.”

Tsukamoto's eyes widened in disbelief. “You … used the gift you got from Kyoko …”

“That's right,” Natsume answered, brushing off Tsukamoto's hand and heading to the elevator.

Seeing Yabusawa enter the assembly hall, Nagamine stood up from his seat and hurried over.

“How was it?”

The subsection chief shook his head with a sour look. “She's decided to remain silent, no matter what we ask. She says she'd talk to Natsume.”

Taking in Yabusawa's annoyed response, Nagamine turned around. Natsume sat at a desk, his head propped up with both hands, as though he were pondering something.