5
We returned to Panorama Villa as the sun started to set. It was past six, which was still before the summer sun would disappear completely in the south.
A man and a woman, both under thirty, were seated in the rattan chairs near the window, while Dr. Sonobe was sitting in front of the glass-top table, crouching over the jigsaw puzzle.
‘Maria, welcome back.’
The woman by the window greeted us when she saw us. The man sitting across from her turned to look at us as well.
‘It’s been such a long time, Sumako. Hello, Junji.’
‘Glad you could make it.’
Maria introduced us to her cousin and her husband. Sumako Makihara was eight years older than Maria. Her wavy hair was still wet, as if to prove she’d been swimming until a few moments ago. Her face had well-defined features and the eyeliner and red rouge she had just applied were vivid.
The gaudy, flower-patterned one-piece she was wearing and the cork necklace she had around her neck looked fancy. Her crossed legs were also nice to look at.
Junji Makihara didn’t make as smart an impression as his wife Sumako. Beneath his short, stubby hair was a swarthy face which didn’t look clean because his moustache hadn’t yet grown out fully. Unshaven spots all over his chin also stood out. But I wouldn’t describe his face as primal. He wore a garish yellow Aloha shirt, and a necklace with a coin formed in the shape of a wave was hanging from his thin neck. The legs that stuck out of his white Bermuda shorts looked weak. Hold it. Writing my impressions down like this makes it seem as though I became very biased against him in mere seconds. Even taking into account that people aren’t always dandy-looking when they’re relaxing, there was nevertheless a difference in class compared to his beloved wife.
‘So these are your male friends? One on each side.’
‘They’re my friends-slash-detectives.’
Maria introduced Egami and me to the couple. Sumako laughed heartily when she heard we were detective fiction fans who had come to the island to solve the moai puzzle.
‘Maria, are you still into detective stories? You’ve been reading them since you were a kid. I remember your parents often complained about it. “It’s good she’s reading books now, but I’m not sure about the shelves being filled with bloodthirsty titles with the murder of this or the tragedy of that.”
‘Oh, sorry. I forgot your friends also read them.’
Sumako shrugged unassumingly, put a menthol cigarette in her mouth and lit it.
‘But I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ll manage. If you three put your heads together, you might really solve the mystery. Don’t you agree?’
For some reason, the “you” was referring to me. I decided I’d keep silent if she ever called me “little Alice,” but answered with just a simple ‘Yes.’
‘You can count on us.’ Maria clasped her hands together behind her back and straightened herself. ‘You’re just saying sweet words now, but that’s because you don’t know how sharp our Detective Egami really is. Just a while ago, when I was coughing because of a summer cold, I added one or two coughs at the end on purpose, but he saw through me. “Two of them were fake,” he pointed out. I was so surprised.’
What does that have to do with looking for a treasure? the expression on Sumako’s face said.
‘I’m looking forward to your exploits,’ joined in Junji. ‘I’d do anything to get my hands on the treasure, but I’m really bad at puzzles and difficult things like that, so I’ve given up. If you do find the diamonds, I’ll be content simply to look at them.’
‘We’ll definitely find them. Right, Mr. Egami?’
‘I wouldn’t say definitely.’
Maria looked slightly disappointed by his common sense reply.
‘Oh, today’s going fine!’
A voice yelled out from the other side of the hall. The doctor smiled happily as he entertained himself with the puzzle.
‘Err, this one maybe? Hm? If it’s not this one, then I’ve another one here. A piece with the reflection of the moon in the river.’
Perhaps he was speaking out loud on purpose so we could hear him. As he was digging through the pile of uncompleted puzzle pieces, he mumbled something.
‘Hmm, that doctor sure is having fun,’ said Junji, with a bored expression. ‘I just don’t understand what’s going on in people’s minds when they’re playing with jigsaw puzzles. You have a perfectly fine picture which you cut up in pieces and then you have to work to put it together again. Only someone with too much time on his hands could’ve come up with that. The completed puzzles are hanging in the staircase, but instead of pictures filled with cuts, normal replicas or posters would’ve looked much better.’
His way of speaking was certainly crude. Even so, he’d lowered his voice so the doctor wouldn’t hear him.
To me, it sounded as if Junji had also been criticising detective fiction. Mystery writers rack their brains to come up with some never-before-seen trick or strange case, and then they break it up in pieces and then pretentiously build it up again step by step. And readers enjoy witnessing this meaningless process. Junji would have wondered what kind of person had come up with that, too.
‘You’re having a fine streak, doctor.’ Maria ignored Junji and called out cheerfully to Sonobe.
‘Yes, I’m on a roll. Arima’s reading a book in his room. Have you greeted him already?’
‘I’ll go and see him now. I’ll be right back.’
Maria left us and went into the hallway. She herself was probably under the impression she was walking normally, but she never walked in a straight line. I stared at her receding figure as she waggled her hips.
‘Have a seat over here. You two fellows shouldn’t keep standing up all the time.’
Following Sonobe’s offer, we sat down on the seats opposite him. He was apparently on a good streak. I picked up a piece that looked like part of the night sky, but I couldn’t find where it fit.
‘I think this is the head of the snake.’ Egami moved one piece in front of him. ‘Doctor, I’ll leave that spot with the water to you. I’ll do the snake.’ The doctor nodded in silence.
Egami dexterously gathered a number of pieces in front of him which looked like parts of the dark figure of a snake. He didn’t try to put them together, but only kept on gathering similar pieces.
‘Hmm, I see you know the basics of puzzle solving,’ said the doctor after he’d taken a peak at Egami’s work.
I shot a glance at the Makiharas. The husband had a wry grin on his face; the wife was blowing peppermint-flavoured smoke towards the open window.
6
Sonobe, Egami and I stayed in the hall, busy with the jigsaw puzzle, until the seven o’clock dinner. After greeting her uncle, Maria had returned and gone to the kitchen to help Reiko, after which a tired-looking Sumako also stood up and followed Maria. Junji sat near the window for a while, but then, obviously bored, he stepped outside.
Just before seven, I heard the sound of bicycles stopping in front of the house. It was probably the three who’d returned from their visit to the artist Hirakawa’s Happy Fish Villa.
The door opened to the accompaniment of a man’s voice.
‘Maria was supposed to bring two of her friends, I believe? And Doctor Sonobe should be here too. It’s been a while since I last saw him. Ah, here they are. Welcome, Doctor.’
The man who came in greeted the doctor in a hoarse voice. He looked over sixty and, unusually for that age, was nearly six feet tall. His hair had turned almost completely grey and many wrinkles were chiselled into his face, but he had a healthy complexion. As he walked slowly towards us, I noticed his long and dignified stride.
‘You look good, Kango. You always stay so young, while I am only turning older and older.’
‘Nonsense. I’ve heard all the stories about the energetic doctor who’s still busy swimming in the sea of neon lights in Yokohama’s Isezakichō district.’
‘Ha, that’s a good on
e. I stopped doing that a long time ago. I’m just an old geezer who doesn’t even know what he’s living for.’
Having said that, Sonobe introduced Egami and me to the man.
‘Pleased to meet you. My name is Kango Makihara. I’m Ryūichi Arima’s brother-in-law, and also Maria’s uncle. I hope you enjoy your stay here.’
He held out a large-boned hand which both Egami and I shook as we greeted him in return.
The other two were a couple. They were in their mid-thirties and both small in stature. They introduced themselves politely. Toshiyuki Inukai had a childish face, save for his thick black eyebrows and was wearing a plain white T-shirt. He was only thirty-six, yet was apparently already a restaurant owner with nine chain outlets in the Fukuoka and Saga prefectures. I was surprised to learn he was the younger brother of the sixty-two year old Ryūichi Arima.
‘Naturally, we don’t share both parents. I’m his half-brother.’ He started to answer the question that had popped into our minds. ‘We have different mothers. I’m the son of my father’s mistress when he was already in his fifties. But my father and the Arima family have always treated us well. After my mother’s death, I got a great deal of financial support from the Arimas too and opened a restaurant in her home town. This is our second visit here on the island and it’s really a fantastic place to be.’
His wife’s name was Satomi. She was wearing a sleeveless, whitish summer sweater and a knit skirt. She had a very Japanese face, long with round cheeks. Her hair had a hint of chestnut brown, but unlike Maria, she probably dyed hers. Still standing, Toshiyuki told the story of how they met, while Satomi listened as she unconsciously played with the ring which fit loosely around her ring finger.
So, how many people had we been introduced to at this stage? Reiko Arima, Junji Makihara, Sumako Makihara, Kango Makihara, Toshiyuki Inukai and Satomi Inukai. Six, not counting the two we had yet to meet in this house: the owner, Ryūichi Arima and his son, Kazuto. We would probably meet them at dinner.
Reiko appeared out of the kitchen, wearing an apron.
‘Welcome back. Dinner’s almost ready, so please wait just a little longer. Meanwhile, I’ll bring you some iced tea.’
‘I’ll pour,’ said Satomi, shaking her wet hair. ‘I’m sorry, Reiko, for staying away all the time. I’ll wash up today.’
‘No, you just behave like a real guest. But I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.’
The two women kept thanking each other as they disappeared into the kitchen.
‘I feel bad for the women, but we useless men will just have to sit here and wait,’ said Kango as he went over to the window and let his large body slide into a rattan chair. Toshiyuki Inukai sat down opposite him. Satomi brought out some tea for all of us.
‘Now might be the time we rely on the ladies, but it might become the time for the men to work soon,’ said Sonobe as he started on the puzzle again. ‘Maybe we should have these two young men help as well.’
‘With what?’
‘A typhoon. The news this morning said that Typhoon No. 12 was to the south of Ishigaki Island. It was moving at high speed towards the north-east, so it might arrive here sometime tomorrow night.’
Now that he mentioned it, I’d heard the typhoon alert as well. But it wasn’t as if we were staying in tents, so I thought it’d be kind of fun to experience a real-life typhoon on a remote island in the south sea.
But now, slightly worried, I asked the doctor: ‘Have you ever experienced a typhoon here on the island?’
‘We were hit really hard by one over ten years ago, but that’s all.’
‘What happened?’
‘Well, there was a lot of rain of course, but it was especially the wind that was incredibly violent. We lost almost all the phoenix palms planted in the back of the house. The antenna of the wireless transceiver was also hit and, even after the typhoon had left, the sea remained so rough with high waves that the rescue boat was delayed for two days before it managed to reach us.’
‘That was a really heavy one.’ Kango’s hoarse voice came from across the hall. ‘And it came in the middle of the night as well. We have a generator here, so we had no fear of a power failure, but the whole house creaked and we were quite anxious.’
‘The house is in an exposed position on the edge of the island and on a hill as well, so it’s a sitting duck for the wind. I was already busy working out in my head what to grab hold of if the house started falling apart.’
‘It was then that my father-in-law….’
Sonobe and Kango were holding an excited conversation across the hall about the event ten years earlier. I added the occasional ‘Wow’ and ‘Oh,’ while Egami concentrated on sorting out the jigsaw puzzle pieces he needed. He wasn’t particularly interested in jigsaw puzzles, but once he started something, he couldn’t help but do his best, which was one of the reasons I respected him so much.
‘Sorry to have kept you waiting, everyone. Dinner’s now ready. Come into the dining room,’ said Reiko as she appeared in the hall. Maria came out as well, also wearing an apron, saying ‘I’m going to call uncle.’ She waved to us and walked quickly away.
‘I went all the way to High Tide Cape by bicycle today with the Inukais, so I’m starving.’ So saying, Kango led the men into the dining room.
7
Twelve faces gathered around the large dining table which appeared to have been made from oak. It was our first time here and we’d only just arrived, so we were led to the seats for the guests of honour. I was the youngest of all those present and also of a lower standing, so it made me uncomfortable. But the menu was a delight.
‘Today we have no less than four guests from afar. I’m happy you came all the way to our little island. I hope you’ll have a relaxing time,’ said Ryūichi Arima in a welcoming manner. The elderly gentleman, with his grey hair combed back, had friendly eyes and a surprising air of modesty.
‘Thank you for always taking care of my niece, and please enjoy your time here.’
As Ryūichi said that, he bowed his head slightly in the direction of Egami and myself. As we would be his dining guests for a week and had no recollection of taking good care of Maria, we returned the gesture with some embarrassment.
‘I was surprised that Maria’s friends turned out to be two men. I’d heard she would be bringing two private detectives to look for the treasure, and seeing how bright these two look, I somehow feel assured.’
It was Kazuto Arima who had grinningly spoken those words, sitting opposite me. He had narrow shoulders and bangs of hair reaching his eyebrows. He was Maria’s cousin, five years her elder, and the younger brother of the deceased Hideto. He spoke in a tenor voice, the tips of his fingers pinched around a cigarette.
‘I’m afraid I let my imagination run riot, and was all excited from this morning on, expecting two spirited female college students to turn up. Nobody had told me Maria’s friends were men, so imagine my surprise when I came down here to the dining room. I actually saw the three of you come back from your walk from a window on the floor above. Just a glimpse of you coming inside. The only thing I saw then was your head, Mr. Egami. I never doubted you were a woman. Just thought that you were a rather tall one. Long hair suits you, but don’t you want to cut it short at least in the summer? The heat would make me go crazy.’
He was a talkative man. I was not very appreciative of people who made comments about other people’s hair. He wasn’t talking about me, but I almost wanted to tell him to lay off with the Mohican cuts and pigtails.
‘I don’t cut my hair at any time of the year. There’s spiritual power residing within each strand of hair, you know,’ replied Egami with a solemn expression.
Kazuto was taken aback for a second by this unexpected answer, and I had to suppress my laughter as the corners of my mouth were twitching. I shot a glance at Maria, whose shoulders were shaking.
‘They often say something like that in the West,’ Sonobe said, with a straight face. ‘The source of
one’s power lies in one’s hair. Do you know the story of Samson and Delilah? I wonder if it’s exclusively a Western tradition?’
With the discussion starting on a topic he didn’t even begin to comprehend, Kazuto kept his mouth shut. He was twenty-four, but still a student. He had failed his entrance examinations twice, had gone abroad for a year on an exchange program, and was now in his third year. But I had no comment about that. Egami, our club president, was twenty-seven and in his fourth year, and I didn’t want to comment about that, either.
‘By the way, Mr. Inukai, I heard you were going to open a restaurant in Kokura this autumn?’ said Sumako. Toshiyuki Inukai stopped the fork he was moving to his mouth in mid-air.
‘Yes. Someone introduced me to a great property and, while it wasn’t easy to acquire, I simply couldn’t let it go. I keep pushing myself on, I suppose it’s just who I am.’
‘But you know what’s exciting?’ Satomi picked up after her husband. ‘When we were visiting Mr. Hirakawa this afternoon and told him about it, he said he would make a painting for us to put up in the new restaurant. “What about a large painting of the shiranui[v] lights of the Ariake Sea?” he asked.’
The couple looked at each other and smiled. Toshiyuki continued his tale, his fork still poised in mid-air.
‘The restaurant is scheduled to open in November, so he couldn’t finish it by then, but I’d never dared to dream he’d offer us a painting.’ Toshiyuki eagerly continued talking about his restaurant, but Sumako had lost interest halfway through and paid no attention to him anymore.
When Junji Makihara wasn’t silently moving the food into his mouth, he was swigging beer like water. His swarthy face had turned red. Kazuto had decided we weren’t much fun to talk to, and had turned away to start a one-sided conversation with Reiko about the films of the summer. Ryūichi initially talked to Maria and us about the life of university students nowadays, but after he’d poured a glass of beer for his old friend Sonobe, the two of them started to have a lively discussion about all that had happened in their lives of late.
The Moai Island Puzzle Page 5