The Salaryman's Wife(106)

“Your wife had passed away,” I murmured, shooting Hugh a reproving glance. “You had enough trouble of your own.”

“That is why I am here tonight.” Mr. Nakamura gave me a get-out-of-here look that probably worked with his office ladies. “I made many prayers to resolve things, but my troubles keep increasing.”

“How’s that?” Hugh’s voice was deceptively casual.

“We started out with a simple suicide verdict. Then this nosey girl became involved, and it turned to murder. Half the people invited to the farewell ceremony did not show up. Mostly the wrong ones came.” He glared at me. “Like you, Shimura-san. Don’t think I didn’t recognize you with those impertinent eyes and that teen-ager’s body.”

“You must have been very angry,” I said, feeling Hugh’s body tense under the blanket. I knew that I had not deceived Mr. Nakamura that night, just as I hadn’t gotten away with the housecleaning.

“Why do you think I made you clean the toilet? I could not cause a scene at my house, but what I wanted to do!”

I began moving uneasily on the edge of the cot.

“And then I saw her again three days ago, hiding in my garden.” He widened his eyes at Hugh in an expression of mock incredulity. “What have I done? Why can’t I get this young woman out of my life?” He looked at me. “What is it? Do you want to become my second wife?”

“I would never be a salaryman’s wife! I have far too much ambition.” I was still thinking about the cheap teddy in his bedroom closet. It was small for Keiko, but I did have evidence he knew her. Now seemed like a good time to bring that up. “You’ve spent time at a place called Club Marimba recently, where Setsuko’s sister works.”

“My wife’s sister is dead.” His delivery was bland.

I shook my head. “Keiko’s alive and well and in bed with the mob. Which means you are, too.”

“What are you, crazy?”

“What’s crazy is the way you thought you could get away with killing her.” I spoke without fear, given the phalanx of nurses and orderlies just outside.

Nakamura gave Hugh a pitiful look. “We are friends! What kinds of things are you telling people?”

“It would have been friendly to let me know what you had planned for the battery.” Hugh pulled a disc randomly from the Paul Smith bag, waving it as if it were the important one. Watch it, I wanted to say. I needed something to give Captain Okuhara.

“It’s quite natural for me to have information about product development—I’m a senior manager, after all.”

“If it’s so natural, why didn’t Mr. Sendai know about it?” Hugh put the disc back into the bag and smiled. “What a tremendous way for me to return to the company, saving the Eterna and exorcising a corrupt executive who would have sold it down the river.”

“Send her out so we can talk.” The salaryman inclined his head in my direction.

“I’m afraid I can’t. Rei’s become something of a partner.” Hugh squeezed my hand.

“If you want to make a deal, it’s between the two of us. Men.”

“Why?” I asked. “You had no trouble dealing with Keiko.”

“You’re a very rude young woman, aren’t you?” Nakamura barked.

“Rei, I’m sorry.” Hugh’s eyes seemed to be trying to telescope all kinds of things to me, but the only one I cared about was that he wanted me gone.

“Okay, I’m going. Good luck to you both in your man’s world.” I spat out the words and pulled my parka off the bed, inadvertenly knocking Mr. Nakamura’s costly peaches to the ground. Four of them rolled under the bed, and the one in my path got a savage, bruising kick as I sped to the door.





30


To my surprise, Richard and Mariko were back together in his room. This meant I slept comfortably and late. It was almost eleven when I ran into the Family Mart to get a rice ball for the road.

“Long time no see, Shimura-san! I thought you had moved away to the beautiful people downtown!” Mr. Waka greeted me with exuberance.

“It has been a long time,” I agreed. “Too long.”

“Look, look!” He held up the brand-new edition of the tabloid Friday, which had a cover photograph of me bowing to the camerawoman outside the hospital. The headline was “Rei no Rei!” or “Rei’s bow,” a pun on a second meaning of my name.

“It’s quite a good article. They interview your students, your friends, your cousin at the hospital all to discuss your true nature—whether you will bow to the needs of justice—which I’m sure you will! It was a very positive story, considering the circumstances.”