Remember Tokyo

  “That’s Cliff.” He motioned to the ceiling. “I’ll catch up with you later, though.”

  “I want details, Charlie.” Fraser was pointing a severe finger at him. “Details.”

  He laughed and headed off down the hall to the elevator. A few minutes later, he walked through the secure door and saw Redford sitting on the reception couch, fiddling with his phone.

  “Hey, Cliff, what’s up?”

  “Charlie, my man. How are you?”

  “You want to come through?” He gestured to where he had just come from, but Redford waved him off.

  “Naw, let’s not bother with all the security crap,” Redford said as Charlie took a seat next to him. “I was passing through and thought I’d drop in. You talk to Rob lately?” he asked, putting his phone away.

  “I had lunch with him yesterday.”

  “Yeah? How was he?”

  “He seemed fine, I guess.” Charlie wasn’t planning on sharing his unease over the lunch meeting, or what Kobayashi and he had been discussing, if for no other reason than to avoid dragging Redford into something that could end up being unpleasant, or dangerous. He should have known that was easier said than done with Redford, who always seemed to be one step ahead.

  “I talked to him yesterday, too,” he said. “He seemed a little off to me,” Redford added. He seemed to be monitoring Charlie’s reaction for a sign that he was holding out on him.

  “How so?”

  “Nothing I could put my finger on. He just seemed a bit agitated. He was asking about the Seger investigation, for one thing.”

  Charlie frowned. “There isn’t one, officially.”

  “That’s what I told him,” Redford said, pausing before adding: “And unofficially?”

  “Chikako is doing a bit of digging, off the books.”

  “Chikako, is it?” Redford grinned and Charlie immediately regretted the misstep. “Glad to see you’re making inroads there — cross-border co-operation and integration and all that good stuff.”

  Charlie laughed it off, then Redford’s expression became more serious.

  “I’ve been doing a bit of digging of my own, and I found out some interesting stuff about Nippon Kasuga.” Charlie waited for it, ready to put on a surprised expression at the news of something Kobayashi had already told him days ago, and feeling guilty for keeping Redford out of the picture. He hadn’t mentioned that the man they had seen with the Nippon Kasuga executive outside Kimura’s club was a high-ranking member of the Inagawa-kai. “They might be involved in a massive insider trading investigation in Hong Kong,” Redford continued.

  “Hong Kong?”

  Redford waved a hand as if to explain. “One of my client banks has an office there, and they got subpoenaed in connection with this sting.” He waved his hand again. “They had nothing to do with it and we dealt with the subpoena, but in going through the supporting documents, it looks like an affiliate of Nippon Kasuga based in Hong Kong was involved.” Charlie shrugged, unsure of the ramifications of this information. He also wondered if it was the same investigation the RCMP guy, Dixon, had mentioned. “This sting was based in Hong Kong,” Redford continued. “But it was really targeting an international scam, set up by a series of organized crime outfits from Asia, with the possible involvement of the Russian mafia.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.” Charlie recoiled at the mention of the Russian connection, his own interaction with that world in Moscow still fresh enough in his mind to make him distinctly uncomfortable. He considered the news, and Kobayashi’s explanation of the practice of sōkaiya, where the yakuza bought up shares of a company and then started sending their operatives to shareholder meetings to influence corporate decisions. Taken to its ultimate limit, it would mean the corporate target would become a shell or a puppet, with the yakuza pulling the strings.

  “It got me thinking,” Redford pressed on as Charlie’s mind whirred. “Seger spent a lot of time in Hong Kong, didn’t he? What if he was the yakuza’s rep on-site, reporting back to his masters here? Or he could have been working for Nippon Kasuga directly.” He paused and shook his head. “Memory loss or not, it always seemed odd to me that Rob didn’t remember someone who was supposed to have been a childhood friend.”

  Charlie was still processing the information, and trying to fit it with what he already knew. It occurred to him that if the insider trading scam had international connections, Seger might just as easily have been working for a Canadian organized crime outfit — as well as, or instead of, a Hong Kong one. He made a mental note to call Dixon, and find out if he was aware of the Hong Kong sting.

  “You in there, Charlie?”

  He looked at Redford and it occurred to him that he really knew as little about Lepage as Charlie did, but he seemed to have a better handle on Nippon Kasuga.

  “Answer me something, Cliff. Do you think Rob could be involved in something illegal?”

  Redford paused to consider the question. “At first, I would have thought no way, but I’m starting to wonder. And Nippon Kasuga’s starting to look less like the choirboys I thought they were a week ago.” He shook his head. “I really don’t know.”

  Charlie returned to the embassy from a meeting at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs around two in the afternoon and got off the elevator on the third floor. He debated diving straight into the half-dozen matters that he hoped to get done before the end of the day, but opted to fortify himself with a coffee first. He was feeling tired, though he had slept like a baby last night, after returning from the Metro station to see Kobayashi off. He was preoccupied with a search of the bottom of his pockets for some change as he passed Denault’s office and heard his name.

  He looked up to see him at his desk, waving Charlie in.

  “There you are.” Denault stepped around his desk and gestured for him to have a seat, then pulled the door shut behind him.

  “What’s up, Louis?” he said, looking in puzzlement at the closed door.

  “You’ll forgive me for asking, Charlie, but I feel I have no choice. Is there anything you want to tell me?”

  Charlie stared at him for a moment. “About?”

  Denault shrugged and played with a cuff link. “About the Lepage file, perhaps, or your … interaction with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police?” Denault’s tone was innocent but the slight grin teasing the edges of his mouth told Charlie exactly where the conversation was going. He thought back to his earlier conversation with Fraser and though he was sure she wouldn’t have said anything, it was obvious that Denault could just as easily have seen Charlie and Kobayashi either entering or leaving his apartment the night before. Was it possible that Denault had met Kobayashi before and recognized her? He felt his cheeks grow hot with an embarrassment that quickly morphed into anger and indignation, until he realized that he might actually be on dangerous ground here.

  He held his tongue as he realized he might actually be on dangerous ground here. Was it appropriate for him to be on intimate terms with Kobayashi?

  “I just want to be sure we’re on the same page, Charlie,” Denault said, taking a different tack, though Charlie was sure the conciliatory tone misrepresented how Denault would react if he spilled the beans.

  “And what page is that?”

  “There’s no need to get defensive. I did warn you about staying within the parameters of …”

  “Just what are you trying to say?” Charlie interrupted, letting his anger get the better of him. Suddenly something occurred to him, and he decided to play a hunch. “Has someone made a complaint against me?” Denault was shaking his head but it didn’t seem like a genuine denial, so Charlie persisted. “Was it Lepage?”

  Denault’s reaction was one of genuine surprise, accompanied by one of his usual derisive snorts. “Lepage was just here, as a matter of fact, to let me know what a good job you’ve been doing on his file.” There was an awkward pause. “You look surprised.”

  “Lepage was here today?”

  “He even br
ought you a token of his appreciation,” Denault added, with a hint of sarcasm that Charlie ignored.

  “Where is it?”

  “In your office,” Denault said, surprised by the urgency in Charlie’s response, even more so as Charlie swung the door open and headed off down the hall. “Wait a minute,” Denault called out, following him out into the hall and down to his office. Charlie was standing in his doorway, looking at the little box sitting in the middle of his desk blotter.

  “He put this here?”

  “Well, I was standing right here,” Denault said, as though suddenly realizing a weakness in his position, as Charlie hurried into his office and began scanning his desk. He froze, staring at the corner of his desk nearest the window.

  “Was he in here by himself?”

  “Of course not.” Denault gave an exaggerated huff. “I’m quite familiar with the protocol for escorting visitors in the operational zone. I wrote them, after all.”

  “Funny,” Charlie said, looking directly at Denault, whose smug smile was starting to show signs of cracking. “I don’t remember the part about allowing visitors into consular staff offices when they’re not there.”

  “I told you, I was standing right where I am now. You make it sound like your office has been ransacked, or I allowed him to rummage through your files, which is nonsense.”

  “So what exactly did he say — before you let him in here, that is?” Charlie enjoyed putting the screws to Denault, who was starting to fidget.

  “I already told you. He was full of praise.”

  “So what is it you wanted to talk to me about, then?”

  “It’s not important,” Denault huffed, then beat a hasty retreat to the doorway. “Just remember your actions are a reflection on all of us,” he added weakly, before disappearing back into the hall. Charlie watched him go, then gave a disgusted laugh and returned his attention to the corner of his desk.

  “Everything okay?”

  He looked up to see Fraser at the door, a look of concern on her face.

  He shrugged. “Just Louis being Louis,” he muttered, taking a seat behind his desk.

  “If this was about … what we were talking about earlier today, I didn’t breathe a word to …”

  “It’s not about that, and I know you wouldn’t …” He saw her features relax as relief set in. “Did you see Rob Lepage here earlier?”

  She nodded. “I saw Denault standing outside your office talking to someone, and I knew you were across town, so I went to investigate.”

  “And?”

  “Lepage was dropping that off,” she said, pointing to the brightly wrapped parcel still sitting on his desk.

  “And you and Denault were out in the hall. Did Denault talk to you while Lepage was in here?”

  She shrugged. “He reminded me that the amendment to the HR report was overdue.”

  “While Lepage was in here?”

  “Yes, typical Louis. What’s wrong? Is something missing?”

  He shook his head. “No, nothing’s missing,” he lied, staring back at his desk, where he had put the postcard of Mount Fuji this morning, thinking it would be safer in his office than his apartment. Ironic, since it wasn’t there anymore.

  CHAPTER 30

  Charlie sat at his desk, staring at the little box of chocolates on his blotter. Had they really been just a pretext for Lepage to get access to his office? He took the top off and surveyed the dozen assorted chocolates, wondering if they were poisoned or whether the box concealed a microphone or GPS tracker. Maybe inside one of the chocolates …

  You’re being ridiculous …

  He sighed and looked out the window at the darkening sky. On a logical level it made no sense. Lepage couldn’t have known the postcard was in Charlie’s office, and in any event, the damn thing was blank, so he still failed to see its importance. But he couldn’t ignore the fact that its disappearance coincided with Lepage’s presence in his office. He thought about Kobayashi’s warning about desperate people doing unpredictable things and tried to imagine what it was that Lepage was becoming desperate about, and what he might do next.

  “I’m out of here.”

  He looked up to see Fraser standing in his doorway.

  “Okay, have a good one.”

  “You heading back or sticking around?”

  “I’ve got a couple of things to finish up here,” he said.

  “You’re not still thinking about Denault, are you? He can be a bit of a douche sometimes, but he’s harmless.”

  He smiled. “Naw, I’m fine.”

  “All right, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He watched her leave, her image lingering in his mind for a moment, reminding him of someone else. He reached for his phone and dialed, getting an answering service. He scrolled though his contacts and found an alternate number — a cell — and tried that. A familiar voice answered on the third ring.

  “Hi, Elizabeth, it’s Charlie Hillier calling.”

  “Oh, hello, Charlie. What can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if you were free for a quick drink. There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

  “This about Rob?”

  “Kind of, yeah.”

  There was a pause before she spoke again, and Charlie had the sense that she was inventing an excuse.

  “I’m still at the office, and I’ve got a function to go to later,” she said, “but I’ve got to stop by my apartment first. If you want to meet me there in half an hour, we could have a quick chat.”

  “That’s perfect. I’ll see you there.”

  “Is everything … okay with Rob?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s just that … never mind. I’ll tell you when you get here.”

  Charlie stared at the phone for a while after the call had ended, wondering what it was Farnsworth was getting at. It occurred to him that she might have accepted the meeting because there was something about Rob that she wanted to discuss with him, as opposed to the other way around. Perhaps he should have asked her to elaborate, but he would find out soon enough. He wrapped up a couple of emails and then left his office, giving himself twenty minutes to get over to Omote-sando Hills. It was almost dark outside — a combination of storm clouds and the ever-shortening fall days — by the time he walked out onto Aoyama-dori and headed west toward the nearest Metro station.

  The man standing at the western end of the park next to the embassy fell into the stream of westbound pedestrians as soon as Charlie passed by. He stayed a good fifty feet behind and gathered his coat around him, his hand feeling instinctively inside the fabric for the gun in the inside pocket.

  He kept his distance as Charlie made his way down to the Metro and stepped onto a westbound train. Boarding at the far end of the same car and concealing himself in the crush of passengers, the other man knew exactly where they were headed as soon as he saw Charlie head toward the subway doors at Omote-sando Station. He moved quickly through to the next car and got to the far end as the doors opened, then rushed out into the crowd headed for the exit, knowing he would reach the escalator up to street level first. He kept walking up the left side of the escalator and broke into a run as soon as he reached the street. When Charlie Hillier eventually reached his destination, he would be ready for him.

  CHAPTER 31

  Charlie arrived at the entrance to the Omote-sando Hills apartment building and rang Elizabeth Farnsworth’s buzzer.

  “It’s me, Charlie.”

  “Come on up,” the tinny voice replied, followed by an electronic buzz that indicated that the front door lock was temporarily disengaged. Charlie swung it open and stepped through into the empty lobby, crossing the tiled floor to the elevators on the far side. He pressed the call button and checked his watch. He was a few minutes late, but it didn’t matter — he knew Farnsworth was there.

  He looked up at the sound of a muted chime and then the doors slid open, revealing an empty car. He stepped inside and hit the button for the sixt
h floor, going over in his head what he was going to ask Farnsworth and how much he was going to reveal about Lepage in the process. He had to strike a balance between enough information to encourage her to understand the seriousness of the situation, but not enough to alarm her to the point that she clammed up. It occurred to him for the first time that she might be involved herself. He thought of Kobayashi and her warning not to go it alone. Too late now, he thought, as the chime sounded again and the doors slid open on the sixth floor.

  He had only taken a couple of steps down the hall, which seemed dimmer than usual, when he felt something cold and hard being pressed against the base of his skull that felt very much like the barrel of a gun.

  “Keep moving,” said a gruff voice from behind him, as a hand grabbed the collar of his coat and propelled him forward.

  “What’s going on?” he heard himself say, out of instinct.

  “Quiet,” the voice behind him hissed as they passed a little alcove to the right, with a utility room at the back, its door ajar. “This way.”

  Charlie felt himself being pushed into the door, which gave way as he entered the darkened room, tripped over something and fell to the floor, his arms protecting his head as he felt the concrete beneath him. He was sitting up again when he heard the sound of the door click shut and then a fluorescent light came on, temporarily blinding him. A dark form in front of the door slowly took shape behind a gun, the perfect circle of the barrel’s end pointed at his chest. The man wielding it took a step forward and threw back the hoodie that had concealed his face.

  “What the hell?” Charlie started to get up. “Rob?”

  “Stay down,” Lepage ordered, kicking him in the shoulder and keeping him on the floor.

  “What the … what are you doing?”

  “I could ask you the same thing, Charlie. Why are you here?”

  “I came to see you,” he said, though not until after a brief hesitation that hadn’t escaped Lepage’s notice.

  “Bullshit.”