Masquerade and the Nameless Women

by Eiji Mikage

  Koichiro Myoko stepped between the two of them, looking bewildered. “Stop the bickering,” he chided. “You’ve both lost someone important.”

  But Akiyama didn’t flinch. He raised his eyebrows and got angrier. “You know you’re a suspect, too, right? Are you seriously shaking just because the cops called you in? You must have some serious skeletons in your closet.”

  “That’s n-not the case…”

  Akiyama noticed that Koichiro Myoko was at a loss for words, which emboldened him to escalate the conversation. “I mean, you knew Reina loved me, and you still pressed her to marry this guy? You were just putting her out there in a marriage of convenience for your own gain. I’ll never trust anyone who’d use her like that!”

  It was impossible to misinterpret Akiyama’s accusation. His innocent-looking face had turned bright red with anger.

  “Wh-What are you talking about?” Myoko said. “Y-You’re the one who—”

  “Shut up!”

  Unwilling to put up with this ugly shouting match any further, I raised my voice. “Shota, this isn’t the time or place to vent! You don’t care about finding Reina’s killer? We have to combine all of our abilities to find him! Your account is critical!”

  Akiyama finally looked embarrassed and seemed to understand how serious the situation was. The other two also quieted meekly.

  Dr. Higano, perhaps sensing I was a little embarrassed, too, after my shouting, stepped out in front of the three men. “That reminds me,” he asked them, “have you all seen the victim’s body?”

  They all nodded.

  “I realize this is a strange question, but was it definitely Reina’s body?”

  Nakahigashi frowned. “It was…What exactly are you trying to say?”

  Koichiro Myoko nodded, confused. “That’s my daughter. A father would know, even without her face.”

  “Yes, we understand,” Dr. Higano said.

  Right then, Kondo, also with the 1st Investigative Unit, called over to us, “Yamaji, do you have a sec?”

  Kondo had athletic, shortly trimmed hair, a tanned face, and sharp eyes. He was 27, three years older than me, and popular among women officers, perhaps because he was the perfect age. But he wasn’t my type at all.

  “Over here,” he called, leading us out into the empty hallway.

  Dr. Higano came out so naturally, it was as though he was part of the team. I looked at Yamaji to see whether this was appropriate, but he didn’t seem to care.

  Even though we were about to discuss topics that no one outside the unit should’ve had access to, both Yamaji and Kondo included Dr. Higano as though he’d always been there. That’s how much they trusted him.

  Kondo put a hand over his mouth and spoke softly. “I think you can probably disregard this, but we had an eyewitness come forward.”

  “A witness?” Yamaji asked. “Who?”

  “Yeah, about that…” Kondo scratched at his head sheepishly. “The witness said, ‘I saw Reina Myoko today.’”

  Yamaji grimaced after hearing this impossible news. “How did this tip get to us in the first place? We only told the media that there’d been a murder. We’ve kept a lid on everything else.”

  “So, uh, one of Reina’s coworkers provided the tip.”

  “A coworker?”

  “I sent you an email,” Kondo said. “Did you read it yet? Reina Myoko had a position at Melto Crown Entertainment, a Hong Kong-based casino operator. I knew you didn’t have a photo yet, so I asked about it, and the photo that should’ve been attached to her resume was gone, apparently.”

  Again there was no photo. Reina was incredibly thorough about leaving no evidence of what she looked like.

  “Rumors that she’s dead are already spreading around her office,” Kondo continued. “So the witness, a woman she worked with, decided to contact us…apparently.”

  “This coworker must’ve known her pretty damn well. You think she’s somehow mistaken?”

  “Maybe so. On the phone she was so scared it sounded like she’d seen a ghost.”

  Yamaji scratched at his stubble. “Ok, I’ll bite…Where’d she see her?”

  “At the foot of the Sky Tree, around Oshiage. She said she saw her riding in the passenger seat of a red car, a foreign model. She didn’t get the license plate.”

  That was close to Reina’s apartment.

  “You sure she didn’t just see a similar-looking woman in a red foreign car and mistake her for Reina?”

  “No, I thought that as well and brought it up, but the witness didn’t know Reina owned a red BMW. She didn’t even know she owned a foreign car. After following up about the details, it sounds like she definitely saw Reina’s particular BMW.”

  Reina’s BMW was gone from her parking lot and hadn’t been found yet. But today someone who looked like Reina was riding shotgun in the car?

  I wondered whether it really was just a look-a-like.

  “Damn,” Yamaji said. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested, but…It’s gotta be a case of mistaken identity.”

  “Yeah…” Kondo sighed quietly and scratched his head.

  Yamaji’s conclusion was common sense. Kondo seemed to realize this is the conclusion he’d come to.

  But I didn’t agree.

  Dental records had shown that the body was Reina Myoko. Her father, Koichiro, had also said it was definitely his daughter. That I was well aware of.

  Yet I couldn’t help but feel that Reina Myoko was still with us.

  However, there was no way I could actually utter such an insane idea. I tried to stuff this feeling away.

  “Do you mind, Yamaji?” Dr. Higano asked. He had a serious look on his face and was spinning his finger puzzle. “I think this is an important hint that sheds light on the entire case. It may have something to do with Reina’s secret.”

  Yamaji took a fresh lollipop and drummed it against his head. “Sorry, Doc. Someone saw someone else who looks like Reina after she died, and there’s nothing we can do about it. We just don’t have an investigator to spare. There’s nothing we can do.”

  “Ah, I see…I guess it can’t be helped. Just, please remember I was very curious about this detail.”

  “Yeah, got it.” Yamaji nodded, ended the conversation, and went back to the three men.

  “Hmm…” Dr. Higano stopped spinning his puzzle and was still furrowing his brow.

  What if Dr. Higano, like me, sensed that she still existed?

  The doctor realized I was looking at him. I smiled in an effort to prevent myself from looking away.

  “Yuri,” he said and suddenly came right up to me. Then, like he was sharing something terrible, some unspeakable secret, he whispered, “Do you think Reina Myoko might have come back to life?”

  7

  Obviously, Dr. Higano didn’t actually believe people could come back to life. He’d said that to show exactly how little he knew about Reina Myoko.

  We took the three men to Interrogation Room Six. Yamaji took into account that it was already well past 8:00 P.M. and set a 30-minute time limit for the questioning. In exchange, we had all three agree to additional questioning for the next day if we determined their testimony wasn’t enough. We’d already made reservations at a business hotel that worked with Tokyo Bay Station. This was also so we wouldn’t lose track of someone if we found them suspicious.

  At any rate, I wanted to run the interrogation as efficiently as possible, because we just didn’t have any time. Even if Masquerade wasn’t involved, we were still looking at a brutal murder, and the National Police Agency would soon be calling for an investigative task force. Yamaji and I had jurisdiction, but if a task force was opened we—and Tokyo Bay Station as a whole—would lose our ability to operate as freely. Having Dr. Higano join us in the interrogation room, for instance, would be totally out of the questio
n.

  In order to expedite the process, we had them write down critical information and decided what we would ask them beforehand.

  We were going to ask about these five topics during that half hour:

  1. Personality profile

  2. Alibi

  3. Relationship with the victim (Reina Myoko)

  4. Their impression of the victim

  5. Whether they had any idea who the killer was

  We used Interrogation Room Six when we wanted to proceed with extreme caution and not put pressure on suspects. It was a room with a large window looking out over the water and the gaudy Odaiba hotels. Inside, house plants were positioned next to the curtains, and there was a white, single-seat sofa with cushions.

  I took a position at the desk near the entrance and listened to the questioning. Yamaji sat directly in front of the witness, and Dr. Higano stood next to him with his arms crossed. At the doctor’s request, we received permission from the three witnesses to record the conversations on video.

  First up was Ken Nakahigashi.

  * * *

  —

  My name is Ken Nakahigashi. I’m 27 years old. I work at a construction company.

  Hmm, my alibi from 7:11 to 7:48 P.M….I heard from another officer that that’s the window when Shota got a call from Reina, went into her apartment, and then called the police. That’s fine and all, but do you really believe everything he said? Oh, I shouldn’t be worrying about that? I guess you’re right.

  I was in my office in Yokohama. Ask the other employees, they’ll back me up.

  What was I doing after eight? You’re Mr. Higano, right? Reina’s foot was in her place at that point, so wasn’t she already dead? Why are you asking what I was doing then? Fine…I was working at the office until 12:30 that night. It should be printed on my time card, but from 10:30 onward I was by myself. I don’t know what we have in the office, but I think I should be on security cameras leaving the office. If not, my alibi from 10:30 on may not be airtight.

  I was Reina’s fiancé. We were planning to get married in August. A marriage of convenience…I guess it’s inevitable someone would say that. After all, my father is her father’s benefactor. Koichiro is a politician, and when he failed at his business, he took out loans. My dad provided financial assistance in the form of large, unsecured loans. He wasn’t stingy with his support when Koichiro was running for Metropolitan Assembly either.

  But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea: Reina wasn’t a hostage or anything. I’m going to be head of my company, and she was looking forward to marrying me. She wanted to be back in a family that was well off, like they’d been before.

  Reina wasn’t some delicate flower who hated marriages of convenience. I never even saw her express any emotions per se. She struck me as someone who lived her life based solely on a set of ethics. I never sensed any compassion from her either. I don’t mean that out of any sense of animosity. I don’t usually like emotional women. I was actually attracted to her logical side, which is one of the reasons I decided to marry her. My ideal marriage was one where we’d enjoy each other’s strengths without interfering with each other.

  Yeah…So it’s a total surprise that she would date someone like Akiyama. He didn’t really have anything going for him. He doesn’t seem to have any money, and he’s only average looking. Ha…Maybe the sex was really good. I’m not joking. Aside from pure physical pleasure, I can’t think of a single reason she was spending time with him.

  How would I describe Reina in a single word? Hmm…When I looked at Reina, I had the impression of a simple, unembellished work of art.

  Yes…Reina was beautiful.

  So maybe I’d say “ice sculpture”? Is that too poetic?

  And the last question—do I have any idea who the killer is? None. None at all. Do I think it’s Akiyama? I can’t stand people who jump to conclusions. If I arbitrarily decided who the killer was based on just my emotions, I’d drop to his level.

  I can imagine his motive. Reina broke up with him, and he was overcome with passion and killed her. However, although I can imagine that, I don’t think he’d have the courage to do everything else, cutting off her foot and her face. So it’s probably not him.

  Ah, yes. I did see Reina that day…Yes, I told my coworkers that I’d be meeting with her, so you should be able to confirm it pretty easily…No, I wasn’t hiding it. I was just waiting to tell you.

  I met with Reina to talk at a hotel café on Odaiba from 3:00 to 4:00. The name of the café is Sea’s Ale…You think I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want to bring it up? Definitely not. It’s just that we ended up getting into a fight at the café over something trivial. To be honest, I thought you might misinterpret things.

  Marriage is a crossroads, and sometimes people might bump into each other. Don’t you think?

  What was that? Officer, did you say something? Could you repeat that?

  “Did Reina limp or favor one of her legs?”

  Not that I can remember. Why do you ask?

  Hmm. I guess I remember that she had blisters on her heels and the skin would peel off.

  Does that have something to do with her case?

  Maybe or maybe not? No way, that’s got nothing to do with this.

  * * *

  —

  My name is Koichiro Myoko. I’m 57 and serve as a member of the Metropolitan Assembly.

  I’m sorry, could I have some water? I’m parched…Yes, I know I need to relax a little.

  So, my alibi from 7:11 to 7:48 P.M. I was campaigning outside Kokusai-Tenjijō Station from 6:30 to 8:00. Yeah, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election is coming up soon.

  After 8:00? After I finished the campaigning…I went back to my apartment and didn’t go out again. That’s right, I don’t have an alibi for that time.

  [Coughing.] Sorry, [coughing sounds], could I have some water? What? I know I don’t look well. Yeah…I guess I’m still coming to terms with Reina’s death and also feeling pressured by this questioning. I’m a politician. I shouldn’t be getting so flustered. This is really embarrassing…No, I don’t need to take a break. Let’s keep going.

  My connection with Reina is that she was my daughter. Her mother, my wife Yumi, died when Reina was a middle school student.

  Well, I guess that’s around when my life started to go off the rails. My wife’s death was such a shock. I was crushed for a long time. Even now I’m still on meds. I was weak and my company went under, and if it wasn’t for Nakahigashi—ah, I mean, Ken’s father Heiji—if it wasn’t for his support, I don’t know what would have happened. Yes, it was tough. I even thought about killing myself.

  To be honest, ever since my wife died, I’ve just felt like, who cares? My head’s foggy, and I always feel like I’m overlooking important things. I’m sorry to be such a downer, but now…I think it might have been easier if I’d died the same time she did. I was just starting to make the family finances better again, and Reina had just arranged a promising marriage. Right when there was finally some hope for the future, I lose another part of my family…I just can’t do it anymore.

  Or maybe I’m reaping what I sowed? Since the day my wife died, I haven’t been able to deal with life, and maybe it was my weakness that somehow caused Reina’s death?

  You’re right; I’m probably being too hard on myself. I guess I’m just kind of run down. But I don’t need your thoughts and prayers. You should save those for my dead daughter, not me.

  Now that I look back on it, Reina’s life was rocky from start to finish.

  Right after she was born, her biological mother abandoned her. She was one of those babies given up in a “baby hatch.” As a couple, Yumi and I weren’t physically able to have children, so we hoped to adopt. We met Reina when she was one. I immediately fell in love with how sweet she was. We filled out the pape
rwork right away and adopted her as our own.

  They had a different name for Reina at the orphanage. Her parents apparently left a note with her name on it when they abandoned her. But we thought it was sad to give her a name chosen by the people who left her behind, so we named her Reina.

  What was her original name?…I can’t remember anymore. I didn’t really care.

  Back then we were well off and incredibly pleased with Reina, and we were confident we could make her happy.

  But we were getting ahead of ourselves. For some reason, terrible things just kept happening to her.

  Once when she was five, Yumi took her eyes off of Reina for a second, and she disappeared. She was kidnapped for ransom. Fortunately that incident ended quickly without any harm to Reina, but I’m sure she was terrified.

  I realize this now, but I think after that we were a little overprotective because of the kidnapping. We didn’t let her go anywhere other than school and our house, not even to her friends’ houses to play, until she got to middle school. Part of the reason we put her in Junseiwa Academy was that it was residential from junior high onward so someone would always be looking out for her.

  But nowhere is ever safe. The spring of her second year in middle school, Reina’s roommate cut her wrists and committed suicide. Apparently she’d been bullied by an older student. And it was Reina who discovered her body covered in blood…Ah, the teachers all told us there was no evidence Reina was involved in the bullying.

  The summer of her third year in middle school, she saw her mother Yumi fall from a cliff in Portugal and die.

  During her third year in high school, the construction company I was managing went under, and we started having financial trouble. I somehow got her through high school, but I couldn’t afford tuition at Keiryoku University and she ended up having to drop out.

  Pretty sad, don’t you think? It’s almost like she lived her life surrounded by misfortune.