Sherlock Holmes In Japan

by Vasudev Murthy

  The emperor addressed Holmes through Otawa-san since his command over the English language was poor.

  ‘I am grateful to you for having taken so much trouble for the sake of Japan over the past three years. I am ready to listen to what you have to say.’

  Holmes nodded.

  ‘Thank you, Your Majesty. I have much to say and I ask for your patience and that of my colleagues here.’

  ‘I arrived in this wonderful country more than two years ago, escorted by your esteemed ambassador to Switzerland Mr Sugiyama, and was briefed on Operation Kobe55 by Mr Oshima. Thereafter, I met all the members of the group, one by one. I regret the recent passing of Mr Nishikawa, Mr Takenaka and Mr Kasama. I believe that they fell in the line of duty, assassinated by forces inimical to Japan, perhaps bent on creating a crisis for the country and lowering its standing in the eyes of the international community. I must compliment the members of this group for having recognized the cancer as it developed and taking a courageous decision to deal with it.

  ‘You may be aware that I spent a few months in Japan in the company of Jiro Hamada, primarily in Tokyo and Osaka, to become acquainted with the many aspects of Japanese culture. He taught me the basics of your fine language, introduced me to the sport of sumo, took me to the kabuki theatre and to music performances. All this was to let me immerse myself in the culture and pick up the nuances of Japanese customs. The other reason was, of course, to learn about the Yakuza from experts in Mr Sasaki’s organization. Why did I do this? Quite simple – I had to prepare for my assignment in Europe and had to plan my course of action. What was the assignment? To independently gauge the extent of the Yakuza’s infiltration into the Japanese Diplomatic Services and understand how the nexus with Professor Moriarty’s organization and the Shanghai Opium Triad was operating. Let me make myself clear once again – that is what I understood the assignment to be. However, I was quite unprepared for what I discovered – but I shall come to that later.

  ‘Working closely with Mr Oshima, Miss Nohara, Mr Otawa, Mr Sasaki, Mr Nishikawa and Mr Yoshida, I first prepared for myself the infrastructure I would need in order to operate undercover in Europe. Since the world at large was convinced that I had been killed at Reichenbach Falls, I needed time to allow the matter to die down and to prepare a separate identity to operate. This I did with the assistance of Mr Yoshida, who created an elaborate set of identities for me, sometimes as an American businessman, other times as an English banker, elsewhere as a Spanish violinist and more. My financial needs were to be taken care of by Mr Nishikawa’s arrangements; I needed clear assurance that I would have access to money when necessary. Mr Sasaki’s undercover network was to help me with weapons and access to police information when needed. Mr Oshima arranged for my activities in Europe to be seen as legitimate – I was set up to import sake from a bona fide manufacturer in Sapporo and other liquors from other countries. All this was very important; we believed that it might take over a year to fully assess the extent of the problem and develop a plan. Mr Takenaka in France and Mr Sugiyama in Switzerland were judged to be best placed to help me with diplomatic couriers when I needed to communicate with Mr Oshima or Miss Nohara or provide me with a safe haven if necessary.

  ‘I visited Shanghai on my way to Europe and met Mr Kasama, your dynamic consul there. I was thoroughly impressed by him. A perceptive and dilligent man, he was very knowledgeable about the activities of the Shanghai Opium Triad; in fact, he had independently developed his own intelligence network and was aware of the expansion plans of the Triad to a far greater extent than anyone else. This was not surprising given his location. He was also a gregarious person, who had developed good relations with members of the Diplomatic Services of other countries who were stationed in China. Indeed, I recall that my first appreciation of the enormity of the problem came from Mr Kasama’s insights.

  ‘I spent two weeks in Shanghai with Mr Kasama. We visited a couple of opium dens together, incognito, since he wanted me to understand first-hand the extent of the opium business and how it affected people. It was there that I noticed a few Europeans walking about – some were customers, while some seemed to be actually involved in running dens. That is when Mr Kasama broke the news to me at a small restaurant.’

  ‘Holmes-san, you will find Europeans of every nationality involved in the opium den business.’

  ‘Not surprising,’ I said. ‘People are driven by the same desires everywhere.’

  ‘But what may be surprising to you is that there are some European diplomats who are involved – not just as consumers of opium but as active business partners.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘That is correct. Certain diplomats are in the employ of the Triad. They have business interests and are often used as couriers – not necessarily of opium, but to guarantee the movement of funds.

  ‘It is possible that it is not just the Japanese Diplomatic Service that has been compromised at many levels – the rot has spread to the other consuls based in Shanghai as well. From there it will move elsewhere.’

  Holmes turned to me. ‘Watson, do you recall the mysterious affair of Miss Bryant, who said she was the tutor to the children of the Japanese consul in Shanghai? That was an obvious lie as I knew Mr Kasama, the consul-general, and he did not have children. She turned out to be an expert in Chinese martial arts in the pay of the Shanghai Triad, assigned to assassinate anyone who took too active an interest in the affairs of the Triad. It was she who slipped a sleeping potion in your tea, entered your cabin via the porthole and killed Mr Hashimoto, your friend. And do you recall hearing some sounds earlier that you were wondering about? That was her practising for the kill. She had the slim build needed to enter the narrow porthole and the high intelligence to stage such a daring murder. I believe she had discovered that Mr Hashimoto was in fact a member of the Japanese Secret Police returning to Japan after a meeting with Scotland Yard.’

  ‘That … that … is astounding, Holmes!’ I stammered, recalling the pleasant lady who had travelled with us. She was actually a cold-blooded trained assassin.

  ‘You would also recall that the ship’s doctor commented that he was puzzled by the nature of the wound. You did not have a specific response at that time, but I noticed that the wound was particularly narrow and deep and that the knife had been plunged in under the ribs at the diaphragm and then up cleanly into the heart; death must have been very quick. I conjecture that Miss Bryant hung down from the side of the bridge, broke open the porthole, quickly entered the cabin and surprised Mr Hashimoto. She struck him under the ribs, the long knife directly hitting his heart, precisely as planned. This was the work of a professional assassin, gifted with ruthlessness, knowledgeable about the human anatomy, using the right instrument and fully aware of the advantage of the element of surprise.’

  I shuddered, thinking of that morning of discovery.

  ‘That should also explain to you too, Watson, why the two Japanese men who boarded at Marseilles were surprised to see Miss Bryant– they knew who she was: an operative of the Triad. They did not expect her on the ship. I would not be surprised if it was Miss Bryant who subsequently killed Mr Kasama in Shanghai. Who could ever imagine a small, slim Englishwoman of uncertain years as a professional assassin? I believe she was Professor Moriarty’s “ambassador”, if you will, to the Triad. Their calculation was perfect. I would suggest, Mr Sasaki, that you ask your Chinese counterpart to detain this lady, who, I think, would not be difficult to trace in Shanghai.

  ‘David Joyce, who I knew personally, was from Scotland Yard and had been deputed by Lestrade to keep an eye on me and Colonel Sebastian Moran, masquerading as Colonel James Burrowe. Joyce joined us at Marseilles to allay any suspicions. I am sure that it was Miss Bryant and the two Japanese who murdered David Joyce under the direction of Colonel Moran, who was equally shrewd and must have guessed who Joyce was and that he was watching him. But the matter was executed with such professional finesse that we shall never have conclusive proof
on the matter. Who induced him to open the cabin door, who killed him, who threw him overboard? The body will never be found and we shall have to declare him “Lost at Sea, Presumed Dead”. Miss Nohara can easily trace these two Japanese and that should not concern us further.

  ‘But to return to my story, sometime after I met Mr Kasama, left for Marseilles and then Paris, taking on the identity of an American businessman, Jim Hodges, supposedly running a business importing wines into the United States. I took up rooms in the Le Marais neighbourhood and changed my appearance, for obvious reasons, and was seen as a stooping, balding middle-aged businessman. Of course, I had connections in the Paris underworld but I avoided using them, as it was risky. I created my own network, using the good offices of Kazuo Takenaka, your ambassador to France.

  ‘This too was by no means easy – but by setting up a legitimate business that involved importing beverages from various countries, including sake from Japan, I was able to visit the Japanese Embassy from time to time and meet the ambassador. But we communicated, when necessary, by meeting each other accidentally at the Louvre or the Catacombs.

  ‘You will recall Mr Takenaka, an extremely gifted man with a great facility for languages, history and economics. A man of utmost integrity and circumspection – a credit to your Diplomatic Services, Your Majesty. He will be missed.

  ‘Then began the very difficult process of investigating the matter. I was soon able to befriend the Japanese commercial attaché at Paris, who Mr Takenaka believed was involved in the matter. His intuition was correct, and the attaché, Mr Takada, proved to be my primary source of information for a long time, before he returned to Tokyo earlier this year – you can perhaps have him detained shortly after this meeting.

  ‘I recall meeting him at the Café Le Petit Château d’Eau near the Eiffel Tower once we had become very friendly.’

  ‘“Hodges-san, how your business is doing?” he asked me, over a meal of escargots and veal and some excellent Bourdeux wine.

  ‘“Very well, Takada-san, but I occasionally worry that supply from Hokkaido is not regular and predictable.”

  ‘“Why you import only wine? Why you not try something new, Hodges-san?”

  ‘“Well, you know, I’ve been in the spirits business forever, Takada-san. My father built his whisky business in Kentucky and that’s the only thing I’ve ever done. Would I be able to understand a new business?” I demurred.

  ‘“New things happening in the world today, Hodges-san! Can I give you idea?”

  ‘“Of course!”

  ‘“You good man, Hodges-san. Many business enquiries today about opium importing. People in Japan need reliable agent in Paris to distribute. Very easy business. Much demand. You make the money. You import wine. You import opium.”

  ‘“But isn’t it illegal?”

  ‘“All business have problems, Hodges-san,” he shrugged, rolling his eyes. ‘“What you mean by illegal? Everything legal, everything illegal. You take risk and you make the money. Why you worry? Why you not try? I introduce you to my tomodachi – I mean friends – who distribute opium.”

  ‘“Why not? Let’s play ball!” I said. We proposed a toast to a new business possibility.

  ‘And so I entered the world of opium smuggling. The front was perfect – an American businessman involved in a legitimate wine import and export trade in Paris, secretly acting as a conduit for opium distribution.

  ‘Now I visited the Embassy more frequently. I kept Mr Takenaka informed in our usual way, but the meetings were with Mr Takada. Within days, he introduced me to other Japanese individuals who were clearly not always diplomats; I met Mr Murakami, who Miss Nohara had told me about. There was no doubt about it – this man was from the Yakuza. Junior diplomats were also affiliated.

  ‘Murakami and I became friendly. I behaved as a naïve oafish American, easy to manipulate. Later, I was to learn that he had my references checked in Sapporo, but Mr Oshima had made precise arrangements and they passed. I was completely legitimate.

  ‘Let us understand the matter again. The Japanese Embassy in Paris was used to facilitate commerce by issuing permits and identities to the Yakuza and also by identifying channels (such as my business) for the import of opium in various ways. The Yakuza liaised with Professor Moriarty’s network for two reasons – for the actual distribution of the opium in Europe and to ensure that physical protection was provided against any investigation by the police – the Sûreté in this instance. The Chinese Triad used the channels created to push opium into Europe through the protection of the Yakuza and Professor Moriarty’s network, which was finally involved in creating opium dens and creating and fulfilling the demand. They also knew the right persons in the Customs Department and in the Police. Everywhere, whether in England, France, India, Japan – corruption exists and is endemic. Everyone needed each other. I hope this is clear.’

  We all nodded, leaning forward, fascinated by Sherlock Holmes’s narrative.

  ‘My company now started importing opium – though smuggling might be a better word. Please remember that I was not the only importer. There were quite a few – and I have the list. The imports were in very small quantities. It was decided that the market and system would be tested for a couple of years before a full-scale operation. This kind of layered strategic thinking could only have come from Professor Moriarty himself.

  ‘Soon I spoke to Mr Takada, expressing happiness that the new business was showing signs of promise. He was pleased and asked me to meet his other friends if I wanted to expand my business in Europe. I readily agreed and we travelled together to Madrid, Lisbon, Zurich, Rome, Warsaw, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Moscow and London – yes, Watson, I visited London at least five times during the period you thought I was dead! I assiduously built my image of a corpulent, malleable American businessman for whom only profits were important and the law existed to be ignored or used to his advantage.

  ‘The sophistication of their planning was truly remarkable, Your Majesty. At each Embassy, I met diplomats who would otherwise have passed for upstanding representatives of the Japanese Diplomatic Services, but who were completely in the pay of the Yakuza. They identified importers and cleared the way. The Yakuza took over and liaised with Professor Moriarty’s men and kept accounts of the transactions. I thus slowly but surely created a directory of all members of the Diplomatic Services who were – are – involved. This took me almost two years. Remember, I had to develop relationships one at a time and gain the trust of everyone. In return for sake and whisky, the diplomats would slowly yield and take me into confidence.

  ‘I actually met Professor Moriarty himself in Paris. It so happened that Mr Takada, getting bolder and bolder with every success and transaction, told me about his connections with the underworld. We were at the same Paris café, meeting for an early Sunday lunch.’

  ‘“Thank you, Takada-san, this business is very interesting and not so difficult. My Sapporo source receives his shipments of opium from Shanghai – he does not know what it contains, but is kind enough to add the package to the exports he sends to me. No problem at Customs.”

  ‘“You are very reliable man, Hodges-san, we are happy, very happy! We soon expand the business many times and you and I become very rich.”

  ‘“Your network is very strong. I admire you,’ said I, raising my wine glass in his direction.”

  ‘“You want to meet the man who does the distribution? He is great man, Professor Moriarty – very smart, very smart. Not so easy to meet him but we can try.”

  ‘“Certainly! It would be an honour. If it weren’t for him, I can’t imagine how this would have worked right under everyone’s nose!”

  ‘And so, two weeks after that meeting, Mr Takada and I, accompanied by Mr Murakami, set out to meet Professor Moriarty. Our coach went to various places and finally reached – the Louvre!’

  ‘I could not imagine Professor Moriarty being willing to meet anyone in public. The most shadowy figure in Europe, the greatest cr
iminal mind I had ever encountered – why would he seek sunshine? Then again, I could see why that locale was perfect – who could imagine that the most feared and dangerous man in Europe would meet people in one of the world’s greatest museums; remember, there was not a single case ever registered against him anywhere in the world. Suspicion, merely suspicion, yes – but never anything definitive.

  ‘We purchased tickets and wandered about the magnificent museum. The delicacy of Japan, the treasures of China, the wonders of India, vignettes of Assyria, the mystique of Arabia, the treasures of Rome, Etruscan vases, the paintings of Leonardo – the distilled beauty of the world’s culture were all present at the Louvre and I could have wandered about for days. But today, my mission was different.

  ‘“How will we find him?” I asked Mr Takada.

  ‘“He will find us,” he responded, with a knowing nod.

  ‘And sure enough, as we turned into the deserted Egyptian section and looked with some awe at the sarcophagi and other fascinating examples of the art of that culture, a voice spoke brusquely behind us.

  ‘“You are late!”

  ‘We turned around. Professor Moriarty was standing at the opposite wall, his back turned towards us, his hands clasped behind his back. I would have recognized him anywhere, so many months after our last encounter at Reichanbach Falls. He wore a long overcoat and had a walking stick. As he turned, I saw that he had changed little; the same glowering deep-set eyes, the huge frontal lobe of his cranium suggesting extreme intelligence, thin set lips, a pale face, a balding head with hair straggling behind and to the side, the slight stoop in his posture.

  ‘He glanced at us – I was pleased that my disguise had been effective enough.

  ‘He did not offer his hand to shake.

  ‘Mr Takada and Mr Murakami bowed to him, while I doffed my hat. He did not respond.