Richard threw his hands in the air. “I know. I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to offend your procedure here. Just not how I’m used to seeing things done. Kind of surprising, that’s all.”
The station disappeared as the train built up speed.
Fifteen minutes later, Richard stood and stretched. “So, about that drink we were going to get—”
“Let’s go,” Yutaka said as he gestured toward the door.
Richard slid it open and exited first with Yutaka close behind. When they reached the dining car, the two men sauntered up to the bar to order a drink.
“What do you recommend?” Richard asked Yutaka.
“You can’t go wrong with nihonshu,”
“Nihonshu? What is that?”
“Rice wine,” Yutaka said. “I believe you Americans call it sake.”
Richard smiled and slapped the counter. “Well, that’s what I want then.”
When they received their drinks, Richard noticed Hisako standing on the other side of the room. He wanted to speak with her but wasn’t sure how he could casually pass her a note without arousing suspicion from Yutaka.
Richard picked up a pen lying on the bar and began doodling on a napkin. After a few minutes, Yutaka turned his attention elsewhere, clearly bored with Richard’s scrawling. Richard flipped over the napkin and wrote down “22:00” and “Room 17”, his cabin number. He hoped she would figure out what everything meant.
An hour later, Richard and Yutaka were back in the cabin, the former engrossed in a book picked up while on The Ardent, the latter skimming a newspaper.
At two minutes to 10:00 p.m., Richard walked over to the closet. He’d noticed a thin piece of exposed metal earlier on the door. He dragged his finger along the sharp edge, drawing blood.
“Oww,” Richard before he grabbed his finger. “I cut myself.”
Yutaka peered at Richard’s hands. “Let me see.”
Richard revealed the bloody mess. “Can you get me a bandage for this? It really hurts.”
“Don’t go anywhere,” Yutaka said.
“We’re on a moving train. You think I’m going to jump out?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Yutaka grunted before exiting the room.
One minute later, there was a knock on the door. Richard slid it open to find Hisako. He gestured for her to join him inside.
“Quickly,” he said.
“What a surprise,” she said.
Richard narrowed his eyes. “What did you do to me back on the ship?”
She glanced at his hand. “What happened?”
“Never mind that,” he said. “I want to know what you did to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. You gave me that tea and the next thing I know, I wake up and the ship was already in port.”
“You were tired from too much dancing.”
“I wasn’t born that long ago, but it wasn’t yesterday.”
She shrugged. “I put something in your tea.”
Richard glared at her. “And the cipher?”
“The what?”
“Don’t play dumb. You put something in my tea so you could go into my room, didn’t you?”
“That’s what I was assigned to do.”
“So, where is the cipher?”
“I gave it back to the man who told me to steal it from you.”
“And who’s that?”
“A very powerful man, someone you don’t want to tangle with.”
“Look, I don’t have much time,” Richard said. “There’s someone watching me to make sure I deliver this mail to Tokyo. But he thinks I’m here for other reasons.”
“And he’s right, isn’t he?”
Richard shook his head. “You can’t be here when he gets back. So, we need to continue this conversation later.”
“Why should I be worried about him? What’s he going to do to me?”
“I’m already going to be in trouble because of what you stole from me on that ship and—”
Hisako smiled. “Taking something back that belongs to you isn’t stealing.”
“Just go, and we’ll finish this in the dining car.”
As she walked toward the door, Richard heard footsteps just outside.
“That man can't see you in here,” Richard said. “He’ll be more suspicious of me than ever.”
“That’s not my problem.”
“Please, Hisako. Get in the closet.”
She didn’t move as the door slid open.
Chapter 7
RICHARD STEPPED IN front of Hisako as Yutaka slid open the door. He eyed Richard closely, looking him up and down before attempting to see who was behind him.
“I know this looks suspicious,” Richard said, placing his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender, “but I can explain.”
Hisako put her head inside, her dark straight hair hiding her face.
“It looks like you found a friend,” Yutaka said, turning his gaze toward Hisako. “Now, get out.”
Richard shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Look, she knocked on the door and—”
“I don’t care,” Yutaka said, still staring at Hisako. “You need to leave now.”
Hisako slipped past the two men without looking up and then disappeared into the hall.
“What was that all about?” Yutaka asked.
“There was a knock at the door, and I thought it was you,” Richard said. “So, I opened it. And before I could say anything, she pushed her way inside.”
“Be careful who you let inside on this train,” Yutaka said.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I thought you caught the killer.”
“People are never who they seem to be.”
“Does that apply to you too?” Richard asked.
“Just keep the door shut next time. Now let me see your cut.”
Richard held out his hand, which Yutaka promptly bandaged.
“Don’t be so careless next time,” he said.
* * *
THE TRAIN CHUGGED into the Nagoya station for an extended stop. Richard wanted to get out and explore for a few minutes, if anything to chat with some of the people on the platform hawking their wares to a captivated audience of entrapped passengers. He lifted the window and signaled for a boy to come over only to have Yutaka spring up and slam it down.
“It’s rude to call him over if you don’t intend to buy anything,” he said.
“I just wanted to talk.”
“That’s right—and you’d be stealing his time away from someone who might sincerely want to purchase what he’s selling.”
“What is that he’s chanting anyway? ‘Yaki imo’?”
Yutaka nodded. “It’s a sweet potato, cooked over a wood fire.”
“Well, now I want one. That reminds me of home.”
“You eat sweet potatoes in America?”
“My mother makes the best ones you’ll ever put in your mouth, especially when the butter is just starting to melt.”
The corners of Yutaka’s lips turned slightly upward for the first time since he’d joined Richard. “Then go ahead. Call him over again. I shouldn’t deprive anyone the great Japanese delicatessen of yaki imo.”
Richard lifted the window and whistled at the boy. When he came over, Richard bought a yaki imo from the kid and added a little extra for tip. Seconds later, Richard burned the roof of his mouth on the sweet potato.
“Slow down, my friend,” Yutaka said, breaking into a chuckle. “They’re very hot.”
Richard blew on his food and then watched the steam drift upward. “You need to warn me earlier next time.”
“Perhaps you should simply exercise more patience in your life.”
Richard shook his head. “If I had a nickel for every time someone told me that, I would be riding in first class right now.”
“Maybe you should start listening to them.”
After a half-hour, Richa
rd started to wonder why the train hadn’t moved. He got up and stuck his head outside, looking in both directions.
“How long is this stop supposed to last?” he asked.
Yutaka shrugged. “Normally twenty minutes to a half-hour.”
“We’ve been sitting here longer than that.”
Yutaka wandered over to the window and gestured for the conductor to come closer. The man strode over to meet them. For the next couple minutes, the two men had a conversation in Japanese, leaving Richard with nothing to do but watch them banter back and forth. Finally, the conductor left.
“What is it?” Richard asked.
“Grab your bags,” Yutaka said. “We need to go.”
“Go where? What’s happening?”
“The train has some mechanical issues that need to be fixed elsewhere. They will bring a new train in tomorrow evening, and we can board it then.”
“So, what are we supposed to do between now and then?”
“They’re going to make an announcement that the train company is putting us up for the night in the Izumi Mori hotel.”
“I won’t complain about sleeping on a bed tonight.”
“Who says you’re going to sleep on the bed?” Yutaka said. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. We will share a room together. And you will sleep on the floor.”
Richard sighed. “Just when I was starting to like you, Yutaka.”
What started out as a grunt from Yutaka, turned into a laugh. “You’ll survive.”
Richard snatched up the mail pouches off the floor along with his bag and followed Yutaka to the hotel. As they continued along the street, Richard heard an announcement broadcast by the conductor followed by loud groans.
“Doesn’t sound like they’re happy about the news that we’re staying in Nagoya tonight,” Richard said.
“Are you happy?” Yutaka asked.
“No, but only because I can’t get out and see this incredible country. I feel like a prisoner traveling with you.”
“It’s really that bad?”
“Look, I want to explore Japan. Being cooped up in a car like cattle isn’t how I wanted to see your land.”
Yutaka nodded. “I’ll make a deal with you. You leave your mail with me in the morning, and I’ll let you go.”
“How do I know you won’t read it?”
“You don’t, but there has to be some level of trust on both our parts for this to work. You have to trust I won’t read every letter. And I have to trust that you’ll come back.”
“Sounds fair enough.”
“Good,” Yutaka said. “Leave the mail with me tomorrow, and go enjoy Nagoya.”
Richard smiled at the proposal, but he wasn’t about to leave the mail alone with Yutaka, not even for a minute.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING, Richard awoke, keen on escaping the watchful eye of Yutaka. However, the proposal he made the night before wasn’t enticing. But instead of complaining, Richard gave off the impression that he would entertain Yutaka’s idea.
While Yutaka was in the bathroom, Richard swapped out the mail from the sacks with literature he collected in the lobby the previous evening. He stuffed the mail into a laundry bag and then hustled out of the room.
In the lobby, Richard asked a porter to keep his luggage and laundry sack safe and away from the prying eyes of Yutaka, tipping the man far more than usual. Richard didn’t waste any time before heading to an onsen to soak.
When he arrived at the bathhouse, he got undressed and eased into the warm water. Several men were relaxing against the edge, engaged in conversation. Richard found a spot to himself and reveled in the moment. He needed the break after all the rough travel he'd endured over the past few days. And sleeping on the floor at the foot of Yutaka's bed didn't help matters either.
After a few minutes, one of the men looked at Richard and spoke to him in English.
“What brings you to Nagoya?” the man asked.
Richard glanced around the pool and then pointed at himself. “Are you asking me?”
The man nodded.
“I hadn’t planned on stopping here. And to be honest, I’d never even heard of Nagoya until last night when our train broke down here on the way to Tokyo. But I’m making the most of it.”
The two continued in cordial banter for a few minutes before Richard heard a familiar voice coming from down the hallway.
Yutaka!
Richard climbed out of the water and hustled back to the changing room. He went to grab a towel, but couldn’t find one. His clothes were lying scattered around a bench. As he attempted to put his pants back on, he heard Yutaka’s voice getting nearer.
Without enough time to grab all his clothes, Richard dove into one of the stalls and waited. He peered through a crack in the doors.
Yutaka spoke in Japanese to a bath house employee before scooping up Richard’s clothes. The man said something to Yutaka, and then they both marched out into the hallway.
Richard took a deep breath and exited the stall. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before peering out into the hallway. To the right, Yutaka was engaged in a conversation with the employee. Behind them were a couple of police officers scanning the area. And to the left was the women’s pool.
It’s not like I really have a choice.
Richard darted down the hallway and ducked into the women’s changing room, which happened to be empty. Then he heard Yutaka’s voice echoing off the walls.
Richard gritted his teeth before dashing into the women’s pool. Several of the ladies shrieked and covered themselves with their hands. He put his index finger to his lips and winked at them.
“Richard!” Yutaka shouted as he stormed around the corner and burst into the room.
But Richard was nowhere to be found.
Chapter 8
RICHARD’S LUNGS BURNED as he held his breath. His dive beneath the warm water was made in faith, hoping that his charm would inspire the women to shield him from Yutaka. Through the water, he could hear Yutaka’s deep voice growing louder as he undoubtedly demanded answers from the women. But between their shrieks and the language barrier, Richard had no idea what was happening. After about a minute, he felt a tap on his back.
Richard rose to the surface, gasping for air. The women were all lined against the side of the pool, pointing and smiling at him.
“Is he gone?” Richard asked.
One of the women responded in Japanese, but he didn’t understand anything she said. He covered himself as he climbed out of the water and snatched his towel. Upon re-entering the changing room, Richard found a kimono along with a fur-lined winter coat. He didn’t like stealing someone’s belongings, but since Yutaka had scooped up Richard clothes, he did what he had to do.
Richard kept his feet close together, taking small steps as he shuffled past the onsen employees with his head down. Across the room, Richard saw an animated Yutaka, who was waving his arms as his voice escalated.
Once Richard left the public baths, he maintained his cover, scooting slowly along the edge of the street with the flow of foot traffic. He resisted the urge to buy another yaki imo as he passed several street vendors luring customers with the aroma of cooked sweet potatoes in the stiff evening breeze. While Richard wanted something to eat, he would’ve settled for a hot drink, anything to keep him warm amid the freezing temperatures.
He meandered back toward the hotel, taking a long route just so he could absorb more of the Japanese culture. However, as he turned the corner, he locked eyes with Hisako. Diverting his gaze elsewhere, he darted down a side street. However, when he glanced over his shoulder, Hisako was only a few feet behind him.
“That’s a beautiful kimono,” she said.
“This isn’t how I left my hotel room this morning,” he said.
“What happened?”
“You’re only going to laugh at me. Why should I tell you?”
“Perhaps you’re wrong,” she said. “But you’ll never know
if you don’t tell me.”
“I went to an onsen this morning, and Yutaka tracked me there. I don’t know how, but he managed to follow me to the baths.”
Her eyebrows shot upward. “But you escaped?”
Richard nodded. “I did, wearing these clothes. Otherwise, he would’ve apprehended me.”
“But you don’t want to be caught, do you?”
“Of course not, at least not based on all the things you told me before. I need a new start, one that doesn’t include some Japanese detective peering over my shoulder every second of my time here.”
“So, this is your attempt to ditch him?”
Richard nodded.
“And how’s that working for you so far?” she asked.
“There’s room for improvement.”
Before their conversation went any further, Hisako nudged Richard toward the nearby alley. “We need to get out of sight right now.”
“Why? What’s happening?”
“The police are coming.”
“If I just keep my head down, I should—”
“Nothing is for certain, not today, not tomorrow. It’s going to require more than a kimono to get away from Yutaka.”
“And you’re willing to help me?”
“Maybe,” Hisako said. “For now, just don’t act suspicious. Your opportunity to escape him will arrive soon enough. And when it does, you’ll be ready for it.”
“You sound quite confident,” Richard said.
“That’s the only way to be,” she said.
“Right now I need to be anonymous.”
The voice of men calling drew nearer.
“Is that the police again?” he asked.
Then Hisako kissed Richard, catching him by surprise as she pinned him to the wall. After a few seconds, the footfalls grew fainter and she pulled back.
Richard’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Did you like it?” she asked with a wink.
“You may have saved my life.”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
Richard furrowed his brow. “What is it?”
“The police aren’t after you,” she said. “They’re after me.”
Chapter 9
QUESTIONS FLOODED RICHARD’S MIND with Hisako’s revelation. He wanted to know what she did to become the focus of a manhunt. He wanted to know how she intended to escape. He wanted to know everything. But there was no time.
The Quest for the Fuji Cipher (A Richard Halliburton Adventure Book 4) Page 5