by Constantine
“Welcome to Star Rise Entertainment, how can I help you?”
Saori produced a business card with Nakamura Detective Agency printed in Japanese kanji across the top, her name right underneath with the title of ASSOCIATE in a smaller font beneath her name. She passed it to the receptionist.
“My name is Ikeda, I work with the Nakamura Detective Agency. Our clients are the parents of Akane Suzuki.”
“Akane Suzuki?” repeated the receptionist. The other two girls turned their heads, now paying attention to the scene.
“Yes. Her parents just want some kind of closure after her suicide. Want to know more about her life since she started working as an idol. So we’re going around, asking the people who were close to her some questions.”
“I see…” said the receptionist. “I don’t know how I can help you.”
“I was hoping to speak to her former bandmates. I understand her and…” Saori took a palm-sized notebook out of her purse and pretended to read from it. “Ayano Kuroki were close.”
“I’m afraid I cannot help you,” said the receptionist. “All interview requests for speaking with our clients must go through the respective agent.”
“But this isn’t for a magazine interview or anything like that.”
“Yes, I understand. But that is our company’s policy.”
Saori sighed. She figured it wouldn’t be that easy, but she had hope. “Okay, who is the agent?”
“That would be Mr. Miyashita.”
“Is Mr. Miyashita in right now?”
“He is, but I believe he is in a meeting at the moment.”
“That’s okay, I’ll wait.”
“I don’t think…” The receptionist paused. “It could be awhile, Ms. Ikeda.”
Saori looked at the clock on her phone. Nine in the morning. “That’s okay, I’ve got a new game on my phone.”
The receptionist gave a hesitant nod of understanding. “Very well. I will call his assistant and let him know you are waiting.”
Saori flashed a smile and walked over to a seating area. She plopped down in one of the chairs and crossed her legs. She took out her phone and opened the Facebook app. Before, there were too many Yuki Ichikawas to choose from. But now, thanks to Kyoko, Saori knew what he looked like. If she could find his profile, then that might make things a little easier on her.
A Line notification appeared on her screen. Saying she had a new message from Teppei. Saori sighed and clicked the button to view the message.
“Hi.” Followed by a smiling cat emoji.
Saori quickly typed a message out. “Hi. Sorry, I’m at work right now. I’ll talk to you later.” She included an emoji of a waving hand and hit send, then switched back to Facebook. There wasn’t even time to search through a few results before another message notification appeared.
“Sorry.” Accompanied by a sad, teary-eyed emoji.
Part of her felt bad. Maybe Nobu was right, maybe she had been a little too cavalier in the way she treated Teppei in order to get information on Yuki. But she couldn’t really worry about that right now. There was a case to focus on.
Saori found a Yuki Ichikawa in her search who looked like he could have been the same guy from the picture Kyoko showed her. She clicked on the profile, but there wasn’t much there. Only a few of the photos were set to public. If she was going to see more, she’d have to be friends with him.
Her thumb hovered over the ‘Send Friend Request’ button. But before she could hit anything, she heard her name being called. Saori looked up and saw the receptionist looking at her. Practically springing from the seat, Saori collected her purse and pulled the strap over her shoulder, walking up to the desk.
The receptionist rose from her seat. “Mr. Miyashita said he has a few moments to speak to you. Could you follow me?” She gestured to a pair of elevators down the hall. The elevator doors opened and both the receptionist and Saori entered. A well-manicured finger pushed the button for the thirtieth floor.
“Top floor,” said Saori. “Big deal, huh?”
The receptionist just smiled and clasped her hands in front of her black business skirt. Saori tapped her foot impatiently against the floor. She felt the vibration of her phone again from inside her bag. The sound even caused the receptionist to look at her. Saori just smiled at her.
The elevator came to a stop and the receptionist led her down a corridor. An office sat at the end of the hall and she knocked once on the door. A young man opened it and the receptionist motioned to Saori. “This is Saori Ikeda.”
“Thank you, I’ll take it from here.” The young man opened the door wide and the receptionist bowed to both him and Saori before retreating down the hall.
Saori took another business card from the case she kept in her purse. She bowed as she handed it to the man with both hands. “I’m sorry for the interruption, Mr. Miyashita.”
“Oh, I’m just his assistant.”
Saori frowned. “Oh. I’m sorry, I thought—”
“I’ll take you to him.” The assistant led her deeper into the room. There was a small waiting area as well as a desk, which Saori assumed was his. Just past the desk were two large, double doors. The assistant knocked once and a grunt came from the other side.
Once the assistant opened the doors, Saori stepped into the large office first. She looked around at the walls and saw they were lined with awards and photographs of who she assumed was Miyashita with various famous figures in the areas of Japanese music, television, film—even politics.
The man himself stood behind a large desk. He wore a smart, black suit with a red tie and had a slender build. Glasses perched on the edge of his nose and his hair had turned a fine white, with a warm smile on his face. Saori thought he looked more suited to the job of a salaryman than talent agent.
“Good morning, my name is Jo Miyashita.”
She pulled a fresh business card from her holder and walked over to his desk. Just as before, Saori bowed deeply to him, holding out the card with both hands. “I’m sorry to bother you. I’m Saori Ikeda. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.”
Miyashita bowed and accepted it. Then he returned the gesture with his own card. Saori accepted it. Miyashita looked past her to his assistant. “We’re fine now, Anzai.”
“Shitsurei shimasu,” said the assistant, then bowed before leaving and closing the door behind him.
“Please, have a seat.” Miyashita gestured to the two large chairs in front of his desk. He sat down as well, resting in a high-backed, leather chair.
Saori bowed in thank you and sat. She found herself nearly sinking into the chair. It was so large, felt like she was a little kid again. From her purse, she took out her notebook and a pen.
“Nakamura Detective Agency,” said Miyashita, reading her card. “I’ve been told you’re investigating Akane’s suicide?”
“More like her life,” lied Saori. “Her parents want to know what could have led to such a tragedy.”
“Hmm, I see. Well, I’ll tell you what I can…”
“Actually, I was hoping I could speak to Ayano Kuroki.”
Miyashita raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“I understand her and Akane were quite close, so I thought she’d be willing to help us out by answering a few questions.”
“They were friends, true. And I am sure Ms. Kuroki would love to assist you. Unfortunately, Koibito’s schedule is fairly packed at the moment. There are rehearsals, vocal training, costume fitting, recording sessions, and so on. The life of an idol doesn’t give you much free time.”
Saori stopped herself from showing any disappointment. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. But maybe she could get some information from Miyashita.
“That’s unfortunate. But you’d be willing to answer some questions?” she asked.
Miyashita nodded. “Please, by all means.”
Saori readied her pen to start writing. “Akane was fired from Star Rise Entertainment last year, isn’t that true?”
Miyashita
sucked air through his teeth. “I don’t like that word. But yes, we had to let her go due to breach of contract.”
“You mean because she was dating.”
Miyashita paused for a moment and then said, “That’s correct.”
“Do all your contracts ban your clients from having relationships?”
“You must understand something, Ms. Ikeda.” Miyashita leaned back. “We are not simply selling albums or t-shirts or other merchandise here. What we are really selling is a fantasy. These women—”
“Girls,” said Saori.
He continued, ignoring her interruption. “These women have a certain image that appeals to our customers. That they are virtuous, chaste.”
Virgin fetish sounds like a better way to describe it, she thought to herself, but didn’t vocalize that opinion.
“But our contracts are not the topic of discussion here,” said Miyashita. “The courts have already ruled that our practices are legal and even ruled in favor of an agency who sued a client for violating the clause.”
Saori gave a sweet smile which contrasted with her words. “And another judge recently dismissed a similar lawsuit, ruling that these contracts are a violation of Article 13 of the Constitution, guaranteeing the right to pursuit of happiness.”
Miyashita looked surprised at Saori’s knowledge. Underestimation was something she often dealt with in her life. Sometimes, she could even use it to her advantage in a case.
“I know what you’re referring to. But please remember, Ms. Ikeda, that was one case and the judge did not specifically find these clauses illegal. You see, the law is quite complex.”
Her fingers tightened around the pen. A fantasy of stabbing it right through Miyashita’s eye briefly flashed in Saori’s mind. The condescending manner he used was infuriating, and she imagined she wasn’t the only woman he spoke to that way.
“Regardless, we simply ended our association with Ms. Suzuki. It was a difficult choice to make—she easily received more fan mail than any other member of Koibito. It started to go to her head, too. In addition to the situation with her love life, she was feuding with her co-stars, and then the rumors of drug use. Although we were well within our rights to bring a lawsuit against her, we did no such thing.” Miyashita gave a smile that sent a chill down Saori’s spine. “You see, here at Star Rise, we care deeply for our clients.”
Saori tried not to laugh at how ludicrous that statement sounded. But it was clear Miyashita wasn’t going to be very forthcoming. Already he was hiding behind the law to justify his company’s actions.
“Is that all?” he asked.
“For now.” Saori stood and though she hated doing so, she bowed to him. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Miyashita. If you could pass on my card to Ms. Kuroki and her bandmates, it would be appreciated. I think they could shed some further light on Akane’s mental state.”
Miyashita stood as well and bowed, too. “I will do what I can. Otsukaresama deshita.”
Something told Saori that Miyashita had no plans to tell the members of Koibito anything about her visit. Which meant she’d have to find another route.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
When Kyoko entered the office, she found Nobu sitting at his desk, leaning back in his chair, chewing on a Big Mac. She walked over to him and took a fry from the red box with the golden arches emblazoned on the front.
“Did I say you could have one?” asked Nobu with his mouth full.
Kyoko bit into the fry while giving him a smug stare. “I’m your boss, that gives me access to any and all fries you might bring into this office.”
Nobu swallowed and picked up his drink, sucking soda up through the straw to wash down his food. “Don’t remember that in the employment contract.”
“Well, check the fine print.”
Kyoko stole another fry, earning an agitated glare from her employee. She smiled and walked over to the couch, sitting down on it as she took her cigarettes from her jacket. After lighting one of them, she looked in his direction.
“Thought you didn’t really like McDonald’s.”
“I don’t, except when I’ve got a hangover,” said Nobu.
“Rough night?”
Nobu groaned between bites of his burger. He swallowed and then explained. “My guy, Jun. He insisted on having a few highballs.”
Kyoko studied his face—the bags under his eyes, the bloodshot sclera, and the way he seemed to struggle to keep his lids from closing. Not to mention the slow manner in which he was eating. Normally, Nobu devoured everything in front of him within minutes.
“What time did you get home?” she asked.
Nobu shrugged. “I missed the last train, know that much. Had to take a taxi. Damn things are expensive.”
“Was the info worth the hangover?”
“Jury’s still out.” Nobu stuffed the last of the burger into his mouth and chewed. He leaned forward and picked up the cup to take another drink. “He never dealt to Suzuki, that much he was sure of.”
“And Ichikawa?”
“Less sure. Said the guy looked familiar, but wasn’t positive. I sent him a copy of the image, cropped so it was just Ichikawa. Jun said he’ll ask around, see if anyone knows where he might be.” Nobu chuckled. “Oh yeah, and get this. Mr. Hardcore Drug Dealer? He’s a Koibito fanboy.”
Kyoko smirked as she blew smoke through her nostrils. After enjoying the joke, she became all business again. “I checked out the address Saori got on Ichikawa. No one was home. But I ran into a neighbor who said he and Ichikawa sometimes drank together. Seems after a few beers, Yuki couldn’t stop complaining about his girlfriend who was apparently, and this is a quote, ‘a little slut giving it away to anyone she wanted.’”
“Wow.” Nobu picked up the box of fries and ate one at a time. “Don’t hold back, Yuki. Tell us what you really think.”
“And it turns out the last time this guy saw Ichikawa? Around the same time Akane died.”
“That’s not foreboding at all. So we got some suspicions here.”
“More than that.” Kyoko held the cigarette between her lips as she reached into her pocket to pull out a plastic bag. Inside were several pills. She tossed the bag and it landed on Nobu’s desk. “Ask your buddy Jun if he knows anything about those.”
Nobu picked up the bag from the corner, holding it up and staring at the contents. “Where’d you get these?”
“Ichikawa’s.”
Nobu’s eyebrows knit together in thought. “But you said there was no one home? Did the neighbor have a spare key?”
Kyoko took a drag on the cigarette and shook her head.
“So…?”
“I…may have accidentally picked the lock.”
“In the morning? When anyone could’ve walked by? That was pretty reckless, boss.”
“It’s fine, I got in.”
Nobu sighed. “You find anything else?”
“Clothes looked a mess, dishes were stacked up in the sink. Seems he was in a hurry to get out. And there was someone else there. Someone with a key.”
“Who?”
Kyoko shrugged. “I have no idea. I hid on the balcony. He was on the phone with Ichikawa, dropping something off.”
Nobu held up the bag. “These?”
“That’d be my guess. I gave one of the pills to my university contact to run some tests, see what they are, but I’m betting they’re amphetamines.”
“Same stuff found in Akane.” Nobu stood, cleaning up the empty cartons from his meal and stuffing them into the paper bag. He tossed them into the burnable trash bin in the kitchen and leaned against the doorway, looking at his boss.
“So what do we think?”
“Ichikawa’s definitely suspicious. He believed Suzuki was cheating on him. Based on what we know so far, that’s quite possible. It also looks like if she was on drugs, then he was her supplier. But that landlord was pretty shifty, too.”
Kyoko stamped out her cigarette in the ashtray and took a breath. “Ichikawa st
ill looks like the prime suspect. He went missing around the time she disappeared, he seems to be involved with the drugs she had in her system, and her infidelity gives him motive.”
A beeping noise came from Kyoko’s phone. She fished it out of her pocket and saw a voicemail notification on her lock screen.
“What’s that?” asked Nobu.
“My mother called earlier, I ignored it.” She stood from the couch and went inside her office. “Talk to Jun, see if he knows anything about those pills.”
“I’ll send him a picture.”
Kyoko left the door to her office open and set the phone on her desk. She brought up the voicemail and played it on the speakerphone as she shuffled through papers on her desk.
“Kyoko, this is your mother. Listen, Kasumi is coming to dinner tonight. Hiro is visiting his family in Kyushu and he took Nao with him, so she feels like having some company. Your father and I would really appreciate it if you could come as well. I understand how busy you are, but it would mean a lot to us. We plan to sit down around seven o’clock. If you decide to come, please call me soon so I know to prepare enough.”
“Right, sure thing, Mom.” Kyoko picked up the phone and deleted the message. She put it back on the desk and continued looking through the papers.
“Whole family’s getting together?”
Kyoko looked up and saw Nobu standing in the doorway. She shook her head. “Just the usual. My sister’s apparently lonely with her husband and daughter out of town.”
“You gonna go have dinner with them?”
“Too much work to do here.”
“How do you figure? We can’t really do a whole lot at the moment. Gotta wait until something turns up on Ichikawa, or until your contact calls back with information about those condoms or the pill.”
Kyoko sighed. “I should meet with the Suzukis, give them an update on the case. Maybe see if there’s anything they know about Ichikawa.”
“I doubt you’ll be able to meet them before tomorrow.” Nobu folded his arms and leaned against the doorway. “What’s up, boss? Why don’t you wanna visit your folks?”
