Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Vol. 131, No. 5. Whole No. 801, May 2008
- Автор: Блок Лоуренс, Пикард Нэнси
- Год: 2008
- Язык: английский
- Год: Dell Magazines
- ISBN: 0013-6328
- Жанр: Другие детективы
Электронная книга - «Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Vol. 131, No. 5. Whole No. 801, May 2008». Краткое содержание книги:
“Yes, what is it?”
“How about building a house soon?”
In general, transfers meant the entire family moved. But if one had a house, one’s superiors gave tacit approval for a posting unaccompanied by family. Aiko looked intently at Kaise.
“A house...? But you’re not expecting to be transferred for a while. So it doesn’t make sense to build now.”
“But I may be, in the spring.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. So let’s at least be prepared.”
He stood up and went to the toilet as if to escape.
The time limit is near.
A sense of resigning himself to the inevitable spread over him. Two days was just too short a time. Tonight, after Aiko went to bed, he had to write up what would be quoted in the newspapers and on television. With this he would be ousted from his position in his section.
Is this also one of my punishments?
— Owada’s face kept flitting across his mind. He might be the culprit. Even so, there was nothing Kaise could do now. He had no proof. He couldn’t figure out a motive. Kaise didn’t have a strong enough sense of intuition to insist that he was the perpetrator.
It’s over. It’s all...
When he left the washroom, he heard a dry cough. It was worse than the night before.
Kaoichi’s really caught a cold now.
He went into the children’s room and placed the covers over them. Noiselessly he turned his body around. It was then.
Ah.
Kaise stood stock-still.
It came.
The sensation he’d had. Again.
It was last night. Yes, he had heard it last night. He had definitely heard something. Something important...
Kaise rushed back to the living room.
“Aiko, what was it?”
“What?”
“You were saying something yesterday...”
“Well, Mr. Fuwatari sent some apples...”
“No. That’s not it.”
“Oh, about Kao-chan’s class? There was a kid who spilled some paint...”
That was it.
In order to cover up the fact that he had spilled paint, he had doused it with a bucket of water.
That was the setup.
In order to hide the fact that one ID had disappeared, twenty-nine others were stolen.
Say — Owada lost his ID. Though it was not obvious from his outward appearance, there was some disturbance in — Owada’s mind as he faced imminent retirement. He was absent-minded. He was careless. He lost his ID, the very soul of a police officer. Take that as an assumption.
He couldn’t report that he had lost his ID. Even if his lips were pried open, — Owada couldn’t admit this. This man who had lived strictly according to rules and regulations would be fully disgraced. His forty years of life as a police officer would burst like a bubble. That was his motive. That was the sole thing that could be the motive that pushed — Owada to commit this crime. His retirement date was soon. — Owada valued his “Army Sergeant” moniker. Wasn’t that what was at the root of this incident?
Kaise looked at the clock. Ten-fifteen.
He saw the motive. But he had no proof.
What should I do?
If — Owada was the culprit, the IDs were no doubt safe. Kaise couldn’t fathom him throwing them away. He would return them after he retired. He must be thinking along those lines.
They were hidden somewhere. His house. His garden. A park. A coin locker...
Should Kaise contact Internal Investigations? Or should he collaborate with the Criminal Investigation Department to deal with this?
That would be useless. His idea would be laughed off. Even if the higher-ups moved on this, what if the culprit wasn’t — Owada? It would be accusing a police officer who had lived strictly by the book of being a burglar. Kaise’s word would smear mud on the last moment of — Owada’s life as a police officer.
I’ll have to make him admit it myself. Kaise made up his mind.
But his opponent was “Army Sergeant.” If he approached him directly, he would probably be rebuffed. If — Owada was guilty, he must have committed the crime under duress. He would hardly admit at this point that he was the one.
No...
It wasn’t necessary to make him admit it. What was at stake was the IDs. It was all right as long as twenty-nine IDs were returned. Then, what could be done...
Kaise fell into deep thought. He didn’t hear Aiko speaking.
Eleven o’clock. Kaise stood up. “I’m going out for a bit.”
10
The two-story house was small for a single-family dwelling.
With no hesitation he rang the doorbell. Three times... four times... five times...
“Who’s there at this hour?”
He heard the voice first as — Owada burst out the door.
“Superintendent?... What is it that you want of me? And at this hour!”
Kaise apologized for his rudeness and said, “I found out who stole the IDs.”
— Owada’s large eyes opened wider. He tried to say something in response, but his lips only trembled a bit and no words came forth.
Kaise’s conviction was confirmed. It is this man after all.
He was led into the living room.
There was a framed photograph of — Owada’s three sons. One worked for an apparel manufacturer. Another was a hair stylist. The third was a video-game software designer. Kaise had heard this from Tomoyo. It appeared that the occupations chosen by the sons were witness to a long history of family discord. A negative role model. No doubt — Owada had been the “Army Sergeant” at home as well.
“Thank you for waiting.” —Owada appeared, neatly dressed. He had regained his composure, but he couldn’t hide his stiff expression.
They sat formally facing each other.
“Inspector, who is the perpetrator?” —Owada started off, in the tense atmosphere.
Kaise spoke slowly, “I don’t have a name.”
“What do you mean? You just said you knew...”
“I had a telephone call from the culprit. Anonymously.”
“Yes?” The muscles of — Owada’s face slackened. “But why did you come here?”
“Because it is related to you.”
“To me?”
“Yes.” As he gauged — Owada’s response, Kaise continued to read the script he had in his mind. “The culprit didn’t give his name. But he did state his motive. He was full of hatred toward you. If he stole the IDs, it would cause hardship for you as the one in charge of the storage. He said that is why he did it.”
— Owada sank into silence. He probed Kaise’s eyes.
Kaise gave force to his words. “But he has become afraid. He wants to return the documents. That is what he said. However...” his voice became even firmer, “he tore up your ID. So he can only return twenty-nine of them.”
“...”
Listen to me carefully, Kaise thought, as he continued in a prayerful way. “I told the culprit to make certain he returns them by noon tomorrow to a place where a police officer can find them.”
— Owada nodded. Or Kaise had this illusion.
“That is all. I ask that you keep this matter a secret. I don’t intend to report this to my superiors.”
“You’re not reporting it?”
“No. If it causes a commotion and the culprit is scared off from returning the IDs, all this will be futile. As long as the IDs are returned, the rest doesn’t matter. That is the way I feel.”
Their gazes locked onto each other.
It’s all set, Kaise thought. He believed it.
As — Owada saw Kaise out, he took a breath and said with deep emotion, “Your father was a fine man, but you’ve become a fine police officer just like him.”
Kaise couldn’t fathom — Owada’s intent.
He looked once more into — Owada’s eyes.