by Constantine
She nodded. “He was this guy that kept sending Akane letters. Security had to warn him to stay away and we thought that was the end of that, letters stopped coming. But somehow, he found out where she lived. I dunno how. Anyway, he went there and saw her with Yuki. Took pictures with his phone and sent them to her. Said if she didn’t leave Yuki, he would tell the world that she was a whore.”
“I don’t suppose you know the name of this man?” asked Kyoko.
Ayano bit her lip. “It was…Iso, I think?”
“First name?”
Ayano sighed. “Sorry, I’m not sure.”
Kyoko wrote down the name to follow up on later. “What did Akane do in response?”
“She was devastated. But Mr. Miyashita, he was furious. I never saw him so angry.”
“Did Mr. Miyashita ever get violent? Hurt Akane or anyone else?”
“No, of course not!” Her denial was firm and sharp. “He just has a temper, yells a lot. Real stickler for the rules.”
“So I’ve heard. Iso, he sent these pictures and the letter to Star Rise?”
Ayano nodded and took another sip of her tea. “Mr. Miyashita got so mad. He told Akane that she signed a contract and that if she didn’t break things off with Yuki, she’d be fired.”
“And did she?”
“That’s what she said,” said Ayano. “But then another group of pictures came. Except not in a private letter. This time, they were posted online.”
“I imagine Mr. Miyashita wasn’t very pleased.”
Ayano scoffed. “Yeah, that’s putting it one way. He’d had it with Akane and fired her on the spot. She moved to Shinsekai after that so she could be closer to Yuki.”
“Did you keep in touch with her?”
“I tried, but it was really difficult,” said Ayano. “Y’know, with my schedule being what it was, and Mr. Miyashita didn’t like us associating with her.”
“He ordered you to stay away from Akane?”
Ayano shook her head. “No, not so much ordered. More like…suggested. Told me and the other girls that it would probably damage our image among the fans if we were seen with her.”
“We were able to gain access to Akane’s cell phone, it’s how we got your number. I saw the messages you two had sent back and forth. You still tried to keep in touch with her, didn’t you?”
“Of course. She was my friend.”
“Were you aware of the work she was doing?”
Ayano sighed. She looked away, staring at the window. Kyoko leaned forward over her desk and rested her elbows on the surface. Her face held a look of concern, a look perfected over years of interrogation and questioning.
“Ayano, please. I need to know what you know.”
The girl gave a solemn nod. “Yeah, I knew. About everything. The club. The men. The drugs. All of it.”
Kyoko’s eyebrow rose. This was the first time anyone had mentioned a word about the drugs. She leaned back in the chair. “So Akane was using amphetamines?”
“She hated her life, hated what she was doing. But those drugs, they made it easier for her to cope.”
“When was the last time you spoke to her? In person, I mean?”
Ayano looked up at the ceiling. She was searching her memory for the answer. “It was…oh wow, maybe three months ago? I had a rare day off and we went out for dinner.”
“What did you two talk about?”
“She was talking about Yuki, mostly. Said she was hoping they’d get married soon.”
Kyoko looked up. “Yuki was planning to propose?”
A shrug in response. “I don’t know. She just said that’s what she hoped.”
The detective’s pen scribbled the notes, drawing the kanji characters in quick strokes to jot them down as fast as possible. “Did she mention anything else? Anyone else?”
Ayano hesitated for a moment to think, then answered, “No.”
“Not any of her clients? Like a man named Fukui?”
She shook her head. “Akane never went into specifics about her…her work. She told me what she was doing for money, but nothing more. She never mentioned any names. And I didn’t ask.” Ayano scoffed. “Truth be told, I didn’t want to know. Just wanted to ignore the whole thing, hoping it would go away.”
“What about the night of Akane’s death? Where were you?”
“I was at a voice lesson.”
“Solo lesson? Just you and the teacher?”
“And Terada. He goes with me everywhere.”
“Could you give me the name of your teacher, Ms. Kuroki?”
“Yeah, Mai Hoshide.”
Kyoko looked up. “The Mai Hoshide?”
Ayano pursed her lips and looked at Kyoko with her head cocked slightly. “You know her?”
A smile spread over Kyoko’s face. “When I turned twenty, my dad took me to this jazz bar and she was singing there. Listened to her whenever she’d do a set. She retired about five years after that. Had no idea she was a vocal trainer.”
“If you’d like to question her, I can give you her number. Let her know to expect a call from you.”
“That would be very helpful, thank you.”
“Sure, let me see here…” Ayano took her phone from her purse and looked through her contacts for the number. “Can I have a pen and paper?”
Kyoko provided both. Ayano quickly jotted down the number and wrote Mai’s name on top. She set the paper in front of Kyoko, who stared at the sheet for a few seconds. After shaking off her moment of fangirling, Kyoko refocused her attention on the case.
“Is there anything else you can tell me that might give me some insight into what happened to Akane? Do you know where she got her drugs, for instance?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“Yuki, perhaps?”
“Maybe, but…” Ayano sighed. “I never wanted to know. We got into a fight once. I told her she should stop using them. Even offered to help her pay for rehab. She flew off the handle at me. I was worried that if I let her loose as a friend, then things would only get worse for her. So I kept quiet about it after that.” Her head dropped and Kyoko heard a sniffle. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m an awful person.
The detective picked up a box of tissues from the corner of her desk and held it out. Ayano took one, blew her nose, then dabbed her eyes. When she looked up, some of the mascara around her eyes had smeared.
“You’ve been very helpful, Ms. Kuroki. Thank you for taking the time to come down here today.”
“So that’s it?” asked Ayano.
Kyoko rose from her seat and smiled. “That’s it.”
Ayano stood as well, and gave a deep bow. Kyoko walked her to the door. When she opened it, Kyoko looked out into the office and saw Terada standing in the same spot as before. It was almost like he was a statue. He only moved once Ayano came towards him and then he turned to the door as she did. Like he only switched on when in Ayano’s presence.
Before stepping out the front entrance, Ayano turned and looked back at the detective, having to peek to the side in order for Terada’s tall frame not to block her line of sight. “Ms. Nakamura? One more thing, if it’s okay.”
“Of course,” said Kyoko.
“Please be careful with your investigation. The people who loved Akane…her family, her friends, her fans…they’ve been through so much already. If you speak to any of them, consider their grief as you ask them your questions.”
Kyoko nodded and bowed. “I’ll do that, thank you for the advice.”
Ayano smiled and walked out. Terada followed. Once they heard footsteps receding down the stairwell, Kyoko approached her co-workers. “He say anything?”
“What, the robot? Nope,” said Saori.
“Ayano said Akane had a stalker, that’s how Star Rise found out about Ichikawa,” said Kyoko. “All she had was a last name—Iso.”
“That’s gonna take some work,” said Nobu. “Iso’s not exactly an uncommon last name. Don’t suppose she knew what characters it wa
s written with?”
Kyoko shook her head. “Iso was all she knew. But do what you can.” She went back into her office and emerged a moment later, pulling on her leather jacket.
“Where are you going?” asked Saori.
“I’m going to see if Ichikawa has ever heard of this guy.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Ichikawa wasn’t answering his phone. Which by itself wasn’t surprising. If his story was true about being depressed at his mother’s house for the past month, then he probably hadn’t used the phone at all in that time. But Kyoko needed to get in touch with him, and that meant she had one place to go—back to Minato, and Yuki’s childhood home.
Ayano Kuroki had given them some good information to go on. Yuki denied having any knowledge of the drugs, but who knew how reliable he was. She never got to finish her questioning on that subject and she was determined to get it out of the way now.
She pushed the button for the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened and once more, Kyoko looked into the eyes of Yuki’s mother.
And judging from the look Mrs. Ichikawa wore on her face, she hadn’t forgotten Kyoko.
“What do you want?” she bellowed.
“I just want to talk to your son.”
“Too bad! Last time you ‘talked’ to him, you chased him all over the neighborhood, got him caught by security!” Mrs. Ichikawa’s nostrils flared as she spoke in Japanese with a heavy Kansai accent. “He had to be ‘escorted’ here by them, as if he’s some kinda criminal!”
“That wasn’t my intention. All I wanted to do from the start was talk to him. And that’s all I want to do now.”
Mrs. Ichikawa folded her arms over her chest. “You get the hell outta here or I’m callin’ the cops, okay?”
“If that’s what you feel is best, then you can call the police,” said Kyoko. “But that means they’re going to ask me why I came here today, and I’ll have to give them an answer.”
“You mean tell them you’re harassing my son?”
“No, I mean tell them about how your son was just implicated in drugs.”
Mrs. Ichikawa’s lips curled into a snarl. “My Yuki would never—”
“A drug dealer was spotted breaking into your son’s apartment. An acquaintance of Akane Suzuki just informed me that Yuki supplied her with amphetamines.”
Kyoko maintained a stern expression on her face. Those were stretching the truth just a bit—she didn’t have any proof that the man she saw at Yuki’s place was after drugs, and Ayano only admitted it was possible that Akane got her drugs from him.
But Mrs. Ichikawa didn’t need to know any of that.
“This is only circumstantial evidence at the moment, ma’am. But it would be enough for the police to hold your son for questioning. And the police are very concerned with drug-related crimes.” Kyoko took a step forward, now mere inches away from Mrs. Ichikawa. “Do you know what interrogation is like?”
The older woman’s face softened a bit, but she wouldn’t back down. Tough broad, Kyoko had to give her that. Under different circumstances, she might even admire Mrs. Ichikawa. But at the moment, she was just standing in the way.
“The police are legally allowed to detain and question you for forty-eight hours. That’s before you’re allowed to speak to a lawyer. Many people break during this questioning. False confessions have even been elicited. In fact, human rights organizations have condemned the harsh conditions of police interrogations here.” Kyoko stared hard into the woman’s eyes. “Do you really want to subject your son to all that? Or would you rather I take a few minutes and have a friendly chat with him right here and now?”
Mrs. Ichikawa was clearly struggling with the decision. It was obvious she didn’t trust Kyoko at all. But what Kyoko told her about the police’s questioning procedure looked like it had shaken her. After another moment, she stepped aside and called for Yuki.
“Thank you.” Kyoko entered the genkan and removed her shoes. She stepped up onto the main floor of the kitchen. Through the sliding shoji doors across from the front entrance, Yuki emerged. He stopped once he laid eyes on Kyoko and started to back away.
“Don’t run from me again, kid,” said Kyoko. “I’m not in the mood to chase you down.”
“Please, just talk to her so this can all be over and we can put all this behind us.”
Yuki stared at his mother, as if hoping she would give him some way to escape this. Kyoko stepped into his line of sight, blocking his mother from view. “Yuki, please. Just five minutes.”
He grunted and went to the table in the center of the dining area. Pulling out a chair, Yuki plopped down into it. Kyoko sat across from him and looked up at the mother.
“Mrs. Ichikawa, if you don’t mind I’d like to speak to Yuki alone.”
She looked to her son and he gave a nod. “I’ve got some laundry to take in anyway.” The mother excused herself, walking past the table and into the room Yuki emerged from earlier, shutting the doors behind her.
“Do you know a man named Iso?” she asked.
He arched a brow, staring at her like she was insane. “Who?”
“Akane had a stalker. Named Iso.”
“What?”
“He’s the one who informed Star Rise about your relationship. Got her fired.”
Yuki’s mouth hung open. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Akane never told you about him?”
“Akane didn’t have a stalker,” said Yuki.
“I’ve heard different.”
Yuki shook his head. “What the hell is going on here, lady? First, you accuse me of killing my girlfriend. Then you say I gave her drugs. Now you’re telling me about some stalker she had? I mean, what the hell’s next? Where are you getting your information?”
“How did Star Rise find out that Akane was breaking her contract in order to see you?”
“I dunno. I asked, but she never told me.”
“Is it possible she didn’t tell you because she didn’t want you to worry about a stalker?”
“No!” Yuki shook his head. “Look, all she said was…she said she wasn’t sure. But she thought it might’ve been someone from the agency who let it slip.”
“And what about the man at your place?”
“I don’t know anything about that,” said Yuki.
“I’ve got some friends on the street, Yuki. Friends who have a good memory for faces. And I’ve showed them your face.” Kyoko narrowed her eyes at him. “If you’re lying to me about this, I’ll know.”
Yuki leaned over the table. “I swear, I have no goddamn idea what you’re talking about!”
Kyoko sat back in the chair and studied him. If he was lying, he was a damn-good actor. But why would a drug dealer have reason to check out Yuki’s apartment? And how did he get in unless he’d been given a key?
“Yuki, your apartment, does anyone else have a key for it?”
“No,” he said. “I mean, not anymore.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I gave Akane the spare.”
Kyoko took a deep breath. When she’d looked around Akane’s room, she never saw any key. If she had, she would’ve been sure to take it and could have avoided picking Yuki’s lock. Which meant she gave the key to someone else…or someone took it.
In a strange way, things were starting to make sense. She hadn’t put together all the pieces yet, but Kyoko knew one thing for certain—Yuki Ichikawa did not kill his girlfriend. But he was being set up to take the fall. Whoever killed Akane wanted to make sure there was a suspect that perfectly fit the bill, just in case the police did pursue a homicide investigation.
“Yuki, this is very important,” said Kyoko. “Who might have reason to hurt Akane?”
“I…I don’t know…” Propping his elbows on the table, Yuki covered his face with his hands. Judging from the bloodshot eyes she noticed when she sat down with him, Kyoko was positive the man hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in…well, proba
bly since this all started.
“Think,” said Kyoko. “Did Akane have any enemies? Anyone who would’ve wanted to see her dead?”
“You know what she did for…for money…” A sniffle came from behind Yuki’s hands. “No telling who she might have pissed off.”
“That’s a possibility, and one I’ll look into,” said Kyoko. “You said Akane suspected that someone at Star Rise leaked your relationship to the media. Did she ever say who?”
“No. I asked, but she said no.”
“How did Akane like working at Star Rise?”
Yuki scoffed and removed his hands from his face. His eyes were even redder than before, if that were possible. “She hated it, of course.”
“Why?”
“Their schedules were insane. And they’d never be told what the schedules were until the last possible moment. Sometimes, they’d only inform them the night before.” Yuki clicked his tongue. “All a way to control them.”
“Makes it harder for them to violate the terms of the contract,” said Kyoko. “Difficult to plan a date with a potential secret boyfriend if you don’t even know what your schedule will be.”
Yuki nodded. “So she started looking around. Had me doing it, too.”
“Looking around for what?”
“Other agencies. Ones that might treat her better,” said Yuki.
Kyoko recalled something the Suzukis told her when they first came to her office, and the card on Akane’s wall. At the time, she disregarded both. But now, it seemed like they might prove extremely relevant. “I was told that in the weeks before her death, Akane was excited about the possibility of starting up her career once again. Something about a solo act.”
Yuki blinked. “I-I mean…she always talked about it. Said she was meeting with some people. But it was kind of an uphill battle.”
“Is it possible she’d managed to find someone willing to represent her?”
He shrugged. “I really don’t know, but I guess it is.”
Kyoko imagined that wouldn’t make Jo Miyashita too happy. And a man with his connections could prove to be very dangerous.
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Yuki sighed and looked towards the room his mother had gone into earlier, then stood. “Just a second.”