by David Peace
The woman gave a brief nod, got to her feet, then shuffled out of the room, her eyes to the floor as she passed Harry Sweeney and Susumu Toda.
Gentlemen, please, said Chief Inspector Kanehara, sitting back down. Have a seat.
Harry Sweeney and Susumu Toda both thanked Chief Inspector Kanehara and sat down at the chipped, stained table in the center of this dim and humid room.
Well, I trust Detective Hattori has given you a full briefing on recent developments, Harry, said Chief Inspector Kanehara, glancing up at Hattori.
Broad strokes, Chief, said Hattori, nodding in the doorway. They were keen to speak with you, Chief.
Yes, sir, said Harry Sweeney. We – that is, Public Safety – would be very grateful for the latest information, sir.
Of course, Harry, of course, said Chief Inspector Kanehara. I imagine General Willoughby, even the Supreme Commander himself, is taking an interest in this case?
Yes, sir, said Harry Sweeney, nodding. General Willoughby is particularly interested, sir, yes.
Chief Inspector Kanehara nodded, then sighed and said, Well, Harry, things have been moving rapidly, very rapidly indeed. The lady you just saw, her name is Nagashima, she’s the proprietress of this inn. Late yesterday, she came forward to say that she believes President Shimoyama visited here on the afternoon of the fifth. He appeared very tired and was asking for a room in which to sleep for a short time. Initially, she was reluctant, and so she checked with her husband. But because the man we now believe to have been President Shimoyama had the appearance “of being a gentleman,” in her words, she agreed. She then showed the man up to one of the second-floor rooms, where a maid laid out the bedding and served him tea. The man – the man we now have reason to believe was President Shimoyama – stayed until approximately half past five, when he left, paying two hundred yen for the room, with a hundred-yen tip. Naturally, we have questioned Missus Nagashima, the maid, and also the son of Missus Nagashima – it was her son who initially answered the door. All three have accurately described President Shimoyama and the clothing he was wearing on the afternoon of the fifth, even down to the color of his socks. All three have also correctly identified the President from photographs. Of course, as soon as you and I have finished speaking, Harry, we will be taking all three witnesses back to HQ, where we’ll take formal statements.
But your instinct is that she is telling the truth, sir, asked Harry Sweeney. You believe her, sir?
Chief Inspector Kanehara shrugged, smiled, and said, Put it this way, Harry: at this stage I have no reason to doubt her, can see no reason why she would make such a thing up. Furthermore, she is the wife of a former police officer.
I see, said Harry Sweeney, nodding; nodding, then saying, But – and forgive me if I’m mistaken here, sir – but she first spoke with a reporter, before she contacted the police?
No, you’re not mistaken, Harry. That’s true. You see, ever since the body of the President was found at Ayase, a number of journalists have been staying here. As you can imagine, the inn has been rushed off its feet. So last night, while helping the maids to serve dinner, Missus Nagashima happened to see a photograph of President Shimoyama on the front page of a newspaper one of the journalists was reading. Only then did she realize it was the face of the same man who had stayed here on the afternoon of the fifth.
I see, said Harry Sweeney again, nodding again; nodding again, then saying, And I believe a number of other witnesses have come forward, sir, also claiming to have seen President Shimoyama in the area that evening?
In the dim, humid room, at the chipped, stained table, Chief Inspector Kanehara nodded, smiled again, and asked, So you’ve read the witnesses’ statements then, Harry?
Only in the newspapers, I’m afraid, sir, said Harry Sweeney. Unfortunately.
Chief Inspector Kanehara sighed, shook his head, and said, That is most unfortunate, Harry, yes. And I’m sorry. Very sorry indeed, Harry. But may we speak frankly, Harry?
Of course, sir, said Harry Sweeney. Please –
Chief Inspector Kanehara looked across the chipped, stained table at Harry Sweeney, stared through the dim, humid light at Harry Sweeney, and nodded, sucking in the air through his teeth before saying, This need go no further, Harry, should stay within these walls, between us, Harry, but, er – how can I put this? – the initial stages of this investigation, they have not been handled as well as they might have been.
I would agree, sir.
Chief Inspector Kanehara, still looking at Harry Sweeney, still staring at Harry Sweeney, nodded again and said, Of course, I know you know this, Harry. Being a policeman, a detective yourself. That is why I’m speaking frankly with you now, Harry, even though as a ranking officer in the Japanese police force it is an embarrassing, shameful thing to have to admit. Especially, if I may say, and with respect, to an American detective. But you see, Harry, and not to make excuses, nor to pass the buck, but the management of this investigation has not been in my hands, Harry.
I see, sir, said Harry Sweeney.
Yes, Harry, you see because there are three separate crime scenes to cover – the Shimoyama house, the Mitsukoshi department store, and then the tracks at Ayase – I was forced to divide my division, the First Investigation Division, even using both Rooms One and Two, you understand, Harry, between these three separate scenes. That meant Chief Kita had no choice but to enlist the help of the Second Investigative Division, in order to assist in the canvassing of the area around here, specifically around Ayase and Gotanno.
I see, said Harry Sweeney again.
Now I’m sure our colleagues in the Second Investigative Division have many qualities, but the specific nature of the fieldwork required here – canvassing neighbors and locals, taking down witness statements, and so forth – well, to be candid, Harry, it’s not one of their strengths and has proved to be beyond either their capacity or capability.
So just to be clear, sir, said Harry Sweeney, the Second Investigative Division are responsible for interviewing witnesses then, not your division, sir?
They were, Harry, they were. But given their manifest inability to do what was being asked of them, either accurately or efficiently, I asked for them to be withdrawn, and Chief Kita agreed. Therefore, the First Investigative Division are now in complete control of this case. And so rest assured, Harry, we have immediately begun to right some of the initial wrongs created by the Second Investigative Division. Of course, this entails re-canvassing the entire vicinity, re-interviewing all the locals, but this time accurately documenting, then collating all witness statements and so forth.
That’s very welcome news, sir, said Harry Sweeney. But not to jump the gun here, sir, but may I ask what your initial instincts are, sir? About these witnesses, their statements?
Chief Inspector Kanehara sucked in the air through his teeth again, glanced at the other two senior officers, then leaned forward in his seat and said, As I say, we need to re-interview the witnesses in question, but – between you and me, Harry, detective to detective – they seem pretty solid. Two in particular, both local – a Mister Narushima and a Missus Yamazaki, I think – they both saw a man fitting the description of President Shimoyama in the vicinity of the railroad tracks, both saw him between six and seven on the evening of the fifth, which would seem to fit with what Missus Nagashima says, about the man checking out of here around half past five. I mean, you have to remember, Harry, they’re not used to seeing strangers round here, certainly not dressed the way President Shimoyama was. But we’ll make sure you have copies of all the witness statements, Harry, then you can decide for yourself.
That would be very much appreciated, sir, said Harry Sweeney. Thank you, sir.
Chief Inspector Kanehara nodded, smiled, and said, Thank you, Harry, we appreciate your support. Furthermore, we’ll also endeavor to keep you – and I mean you personally, Harry – up to date with all pertinent information
, as and when we receive and process it. This should mean neither you nor I will be getting our news from the papers, Harry.
That would be very much appreciated, sir, said Harry Sweeney again, placing one hand on the top of each thigh, then leaning forward in a short bow. Thank you, sir.
Chief Inspector Kanehara shook his head, waving his right hand back and forward across his face: Please, Harry, really; you should not be thanking me. It should have been this way from the beginning. But I’ll personally ensure you have copies of all the statements by the end of today.
We look forward to them, sir, said Harry Sweeney.
Chief Inspector Kanehara leaned forward in his seat again, bowed briefly, then said, But now, if you’ll excuse us, Harry, we need to get Missus Nagashima, her son, and the maid down to Headquarters, to get their statements down.
Of course, sir. Thank you for your time, sir, said Harry Sweeney, standing up at the same time as Chief Inspector Kanehara, the two other men, and Susumu Toda.
I’ll see you again soon, I hope, Harry, said Chief Inspector Kanehara, showing Harry Sweeney and Susumu Toda out into the dark, narrow hallway, then gesturing toward Detective Hattori: And, of course, remember Detective Hattori here; he’s always available if I’m not, Harry.
Day or night, said Detective Hattori, nodding at Harry Sweeney, smiling at Harry Sweeney. Be my guest.
Harry Sweeney stopped, turned in the dark, narrow corridor to look at Detective Hattori, to smile at Detective Hattori and say, That’s very professional of you, detective.
Just doing my job, sir, said Detective Hattori.
Aren’t we all, detective, said Harry Sweeney, then he turned back toward the genkan, stepped into his shoes, and followed Susumu Toda through the tiny garden, under the wooden gate, across the narrow ditch, and out into the street.
What do you think, Harry, asked Susumu Toda, taking out his cigarettes, holding out the pack to Harry Sweeney.
Harry Sweeney shook his head, turning in the street to watch two men getting out of yet another car, the two men taking two suitcases out of the trunk of the car, carrying their suitcases across the narrow ditch, under the wooden gate, disappearing into the shabby, gloomy two-storied inn, that place of shabby, gloomy trysts and assignations –
Harry, asked Susumu Toda again.
Harry Sweeney shook his head again, took out his own cigarettes, and said, I think things just got a whole lot easier for us, Susumu. Or a lot more complicated.
Yeah, but which is it, Harry?
Harry Sweeney lit a cigarette, inhaled, exhaled, then shook his head again, smiled, and said, Dunno, Susumu, dunno. All I do know is we got a long walk back to the car, then a long day ahead of us. Another very long fucking day.
* * *
—
Long day turned to long night, caffeine-stretched under office light. Harry Sweeney requested and got extra bodies from Chief Evans: George, Dan, and Sonoko – two Nisei translators and a local-hire girl who could speak and type English; then Harry Sweeney waited for Bill Betz to come back from Norton Hall, with nothing but promises that intelligence would be shared; waited until Susumu Toda returned from the late-afternoon briefing at MPD HQ, bringing with him copies of all the witness statements to date; waited until the evening editions of the newspapers were in; waited until the rest of Room 432 had left, until the office was empty, until the office was theirs; then Harry Sweeney, Bill Betz, Susumu Toda, and one of the Nisei translators pushed back the desks and the chairs in Room 432 to clear a space; then Harry Sweeney, Bill Betz, Susumu Toda, and one of the Nisei translators went down the corridors of the fourth floor, from room to room, until they had found and brought back three blackboards and a box of chalk to Room 432; then Harry Sweeney, Bill Betz, Susumu Toda, and one of the Nisei translators placed the three blackboards side by side in Room 432; then Harry Sweeney took a piece of chalk from the box and wrote a title in block capitals at the top of each board – THE SHIMOYAMA HOUSE, THE MITSUKOSHI STORE, THE CRIME SCENE; then he drew three vertical lines down the length of each board and one horizontal line across the top of the three vertical lines, creating four columns on each of the boards; then at the top of each column he wrote Date, Time, Name, Location; then Harry Sweeney distributed copies of all the witness statements and newspaper reports to date; he told Susumu Toda to focus on the Shimoyama house and the route to the Mitsukoshi department store; he told Bill Betz and one of the Nisei translators to focus on the Mitsukoshi department store; he and the other Nisei translator would take the lion’s share and focus on the crime scene; he told them to read all of the witness statements and all of the newspaper reports, told them to make lists of dates and times, names, and locations, to list all possible sightings of Sadanori Shimoyama, then to write them in chalk in the columns on the appropriate board; then Harry Sweeney said, Okay. Let’s get to work…
And then they went to work; they worked and they worked, through the evening into the night, reading and translating the statements and the reports, through the night toward the dawn, noting down dates and times, names and locations, listing all possible sightings of Sadanori Shimoyama in chalk in columns on the appropriate board, until the dawn had come and the work was done, in numbers and letters across three boards, white on black, before their eyes –
Red raw and smarting, exhausted, shattered, and dead on their feet, Harry Sweeney, Bill Betz, and Susumu Toda stood before the three boards, the twelve columns, their heads moving back and forth from board to board, their eyes going from left to right, column to column, up and down, then back and forth, over and over, each board, each column –
Maybe it’s because I’m beat, said Bill Betz. But this makes no goddamn sense to me. I mean, we got this guy Ōtsu – he’s the secretary to Eisaku Satō, a member of the Diet, ex-Minister of Transport, friend of Shimoyama; what you’d call a reliable witness – he’s claiming he saw Shimoyama wedged between two men in the back of a car going past the Diet building, heading at speed toward Hirakawa-chō at about eleven o’clock that morning. Meanwhile, around the same time, over at Mitsukoshi, we got shop staff, housewives, and maids all claiming they saw Shimoyama walking round the store, or in the basement, by the entrance, or near the subway, either on his own or talking with three other men. But then, just two hours later, he’s getting off a train at Gotanno, checking into this Suehiro inn and having a nap.
Harry Sweeney shrugged: People make mistakes, Bill.
Yeah, said Bill Betz, counting down the names on THE CRIME SCENE board. Five, six, seven, eight of them? To date, so far. That’s how many folk are claiming to have seen Shimoyama hanging round the tracks that night. So far.
Harry Sweeney shrugged again: It’s early days, Bill.
Yeah, said Bill Betz again. That’s my point, Harry. This is only going to get more screwed up. The more people come forward, the more newspaper reports, the more witness statements. You know that, Harry. You know how it goes.
Harry Sweeney nodded, looking from board to board, from column to column: Yeah? So what you saying, Bill?
I’m saying we should just let them get on with it, said Bill Betz. Not try and do their jobs for them.
Harry Sweeney turned to Bill Betz, laughed, and said, Yeah? You going to go tell Sir Charles that, are you, Bill?
Bill Betz shook his head, smiled at Harry Sweeney, and said, Look, Harry. I’m not trying to pick no fight here. I’m just saying this already looks screwed up. An’ I reckon it’s only going to get more screwed up. I just don’t see why we should be the ones busting our balls trying to unscrew it.
Harry Sweeney turned back to the boards, back to the columns, nodded, and said, I know, Bill, I know.
But hey, Bill, said Susumu Toda, pointing from THE MITSUKOSHI STORE to THE CRIME SCENE board. Maybe it’s not that screwed up? This car reported stolen from outside Mitsukoshi on the morning of the fifth, it’s the same color and size as the o
ne Satō’s secretary saw and then the one seen around Ayase later that night, right?
You mean they’re all big and black, laughed Bill Betz.
You never know, said Susumu Toda. They find that stolen car, get some prints, case might solve itself?
Come on, laughed Bill Betz again. You’re going to abduct the President of the goddamn railroads in broad daylight, then drive around town with him all day in a stolen car? You think that was their plan, do you, Sherlock? Jesus.
Maybe it was spur of the moment, said Susumu Toda. Maybe it wasn’t that well planned?
Most things aren’t, said Harry Sweeney, his head still moving back and forth from board to board, his eyes still going from left to right, column to column, up and down, then back and forth, over and over, each board and each column.
Sir, said one of the Nisei translators, the one who called himself George, coming back from downstairs, another pile of newspapers in his arms. The morning editions are in, sir.
Harry Sweeney looked down at the big pile of newspapers in the man’s arms, looked up at the black rings round his red eyes, all the black rings round all their red eyes, then Harry Sweeney turned back to the boards and the columns, the three boards and twelve columns, with all of their numbers and all of their letters, in white on black –
Come on, Harry, said Bill Betz. You been up all night. You need a break, Harry, we all do.
Harry Sweeney nodded: I know, Bill, I know we do.
That’s all I wanted to hear, Harry, laughed Bill Betz, grabbing his jacket and hat, heading for the door, an exit. Anyone needs me, I’ll be hitting the canteen, then the hay…
Harry Sweeney called out, Hey, Bill –
Yeah, yeah, said Bill Betz, not stopping, not turning back. I know, and you’re welcome, Harry. Don’t mention it.
Harry Sweeney smiled, turned to Susumu Toda, George, Dan, and Sonoko, and said, Same goes for you guys. You should all take a break, too. And thank you.
What time you want us back here, sir, asked Dan, already putting on his jacket, picking up his hat.
