Nakamura looked over at Kay, and a smile played across his heavy features. “By the way, the consultant died in a plane crash just last month.”
Kays mouth fell open. “What?”
Nakamura broke into a laugh.“'What' is exactly what Captain Ueda said when he heard about it, but in Japanese, of course. This time there was absolutely no question about it being coincidence. It was a commercial airliner. There were bad flying conditions and an even worse example of pilot error to explain it. Even the yakuza could not make such arrangement. So we just seem to face a series of unfortunate coincidences. The death of Onos daughter was probably the unhappiest one.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I was talking to Junichi Ushiroda, you know, my fellow bodyguard. He was at the airport at the time. He says she had just gotten off a company plane from Hokkaido where her husband was at job site, when the other plane was going to take off. When she heard it was going to Kyoto, she said, „Hold it. I might as well go too. I havent seen Auntie Takako in months, or my cousins either. So, if her plane came in…had come in…one minute later, she would still be alive today.”
Hank strode out of the station, saying,
“Want to come along for a viewing, Kay?”
“No thanks. From the way Corky described the body, even an enthusiast for such things might not want to see it. Besides, Captain Nakamura has given me a lot to think about.”
***
Since the hour had gotten so late, Kay decided to forego the meal she had planned on having in town, instead hurrying home to wait for the expected call from Sid. Jenny was in the fenced-in yard and, as expected, was overjoyed to see her. As Kay went into the house with the dog, she reflected on how different Jenny was from the cats who also welcomed her homecoming.
Theyre interested in food first, she thought, putting a can of cat food under the electric can opener. But Jenny wants me to pat her before I do anything else. Im beginning to think Sid and I should get a dog.
It was while she was raiding the refrigerator, looking for something she could put together for a late supper, when the phone rang.
“Hi, Sweetheart. We made it, finally.”
“I was wondering if you were going to call.”
“I was wondering too. This last day was pretty wild. We finally gave up on the trains and took a bus instead. I couldnt believe how much the buses have changed since I was a kid and used to take one down to the City. Half the passengers were blacks, and the other half were Southeast Asians. Now Moms all excited about trying out some Cambodian dishes.
“And you should have seen the reception we got when we got here. Aunt Lily called up all the relatives from miles around, some Ive never seen before. Maybe you can hear the noise in the background. Its the wildest reunion Ive ever seen.”
“Thats great. It sounds like the best thing that could happen for your mother.”
“I dont know where she gets the energy. Shell probably be up all night talking story, but these late hours are getting to me. Im gonna try to sneak away and get some sleep. Hows everything with you?”
“Fine. The Ono case is settled, and I didnt have a thing to do with solving it.”
“You sound disappointed.”
“I am, sort of. I was off on the wrong track from the word go. I think Onos missing finger was responsible. When I tried to think of some other explanation for his murder, it kept bringing me back to some complicated plot involving the yakuza. Well, I guess they were involved, but not the way I thought. My best theory still came close.”
“Well? Arent you going to tell me who it was? Youre making this sound like a crime novel where everyones left hanging until the end.”
“Its a long story. If you think you can stay awake, Ill fill you in. The phone bills going to be exorbitant.”
“Dont worry about that, were way off of prime time, and Aunt Lily insisted I put it on her bill and to talk as long as possible. She says thats a present to me and my lovely wife.”
“O.K. Here goes.” Kay described the days events in some detail, glossing over the office encounter with the false Noboru Nishimura. She knew Sid would have launched off into a lecture on hearing how she had put herself at risk.
“Wow. Quite a day. What was your theory?”
“When I wasnt suspecting the yakuza, I was thinking my client might have done it.”
“What? After all the talk about how gentle and loving she is, and how Hideko said she couldnt even kill in self defense?”
“Its not quite what Hideko said. She didnt say Sigrid couldnt kill. She just said it wouldnt be in self defense.”
“Well, what would she kill for?”
“Trying to figure that out is what bothered me. At the outset, I got to thinking she might have killed Ono because she thought hed sabotaged her husbands plane because he wanted her for himself.”
Sid exploded. “And killed his only daughter and grandson too!? Oh cmon, Kay.”
“I know. I know. It wasnt until today I found out he couldnt have known his daughter was on the plane. Captain Nakamura says she arrived at the airport on another plane just as the other one was about to leave. She got on it on impulse.”
“O.K., maybe, but you said Nakumara says the plane wasnt sabotaged.”
Kay sighed. “Yes. Theres that. God knows the evidence against Nick is overwhelming. Theres still one thing, though.”
“Whats that?”
“Why the long sleeves?”
“Kay! I really do wonder about you sometimes. What in the world do long sleeves have to do with anything?”
“Well…she says shes taking tetracycline and shes supposed to keep out of the sun.” Kay sounded dubious.
“So whats wrong with that? I took tetracycline once for an ear infection and was getting sunburned from light bulbs.”
A sudden idea flashed across Kays mind. “Do you remember why the doctor prescribed tetracycline?”
“Huh? To get rid of the infection, of course.”
“No, I mean what was causing the infection? Was it a virus or a bacteria?”
“Damned if I can remember what the doc said, except I think antibiotics only work against bacteria. What do antibiotics have to do with anything?”
Kay frowned into the phone. “Im really not sure, but I think youre right about what antibiotics are used against. Im going to have to check it out. Anyway, if she has to keep out of the sun, why does she wear shorts along with her long sleeves? And why wont she play tennis with me even at night?”
“I have the explanation. Shes heard what a killer on the courts you are. No one wants to get beaten so badly.”
“Of course; how come I didnt think of that?” Kay sighed and looked over at the digital clock on the coffee maker. “Do you know weve been talking for almost an hour. Were going to impoverish your Aunt Lily. Besides, I should ring Sigrid. I should have called her sooner, but I didnt want to be on the phone when you called. She may not have heard about Nicks death, let alone the fact he was the killer. When do you think youll be coming home?”
“Ill have to stay a token two days. As soon as the travel agents office is open in the morning Ill book a flight out. I could call an airline now, but Im too sleepy to think straight. Itll sure be nice to be home again.”
“It will sure be nice to have you home. Anything special I can fix for your homecoming meal?”
“Im more concerned about the appetizer, and you dont have to do anything special for that!”
After the call, Kay looked up insect bites in one of their home medical books. Nothing here indicates the use of antibiotics for insect bites, she thought. First thing in the morning Im going to call my doctor and ask her. Next she tried Sigrids suite, only to get the answering machine.
Assuming Sigrid was still at dinner, Kay left a message for her to call and went to the refrigerator to rummage up a meal of her own. She was scraping up the final crumbs of the sandwich she had settled for when Jenny, who had been sitting at her feet under the table,
emitted a long low growl. Moments afterwards there was a soft knock at the front door.
At the sound of the husky rumble, all three cats woke from their post-prandial naps. The two older ones slammed through the cat door together, while Bluebeard jumped onto the arm of the couch and then up on the back. He shifted his gaze from the direction of the disturbing growl to the door, where the knock was repeated.
Night visitors were rare, and Kay was puzzled. Hooking her fingers under Jennys collar, where she could feel the vibrations in the dogs throat, she headed for the door. “Who is it?” she asked, without sliding back the deadbolt.
The answering voice was soft, familiar, and frightened.
“Its me, Kay. Sigrid. I have to see you.”
Kay released Jenny, slid back the bolt and opened the door. Sigrid was clearly distraught. At first shedidnt come in.
“I…called you. Called you several times. Your phone was always busy. Im sorry to barge in this way.”
“No. Please. Thats no problem. I was on the phone to Sid. Come in.” Jenny pushed her way between Kay and the visitor. Sigrids usually smiling face now showed only pain and anxiety. She huddled at one end of the couch and, despite the light sweater she was wearing, seemed to be trying to ward off the non-existent cold.
Jenny had given up her growling but was sitting a few feet in front of the visitor, eyeing her closely. Bluebeard, at the other end of the couch, had folded his front paws under his chest and watched the proceedings with half closed eyes.
“Can I get you some coffee?”
“It would be very nice.” Kay went off to the kitchen, which was within earshot, quickly loaded the automatic coffeemaker and prepared a cup of instant decaf for herself. Sigrids voice followed her into the kitchen. “I guess I should have gone to see Hideko, rather than you, Kay. But I know you so much better.”
When Kay came back into the front room, Sigrid looked up with anguish in her eyes. “So many bodies,” she said, almost in a whisper. “Ive left a trail of blood behind me.”
“What do you mean?” Kay pulled a chair up close to the couch.
“He killed because of me.”
“I dont understand.”
“He told me he was in love with me, and said he wanted to marry me. Thats why he killed him.”
Kay was completely bewildered. The coffee machine belled to her, and she stepped into the kitchen to pour a cup for her guest. Having done so, she returned as quickly as she could, so as not to break Sigrids mood of confidentiality. The two of them sat sipping their hot drinks, and Kay waited for further explanations. After a moment the light began to dawn. “You mean Nick killed Masa Ono because of you?” Sigrids answer turned the dawn into an instant twilight.
“Oh no. Nick didn't kill Masa. I killed Masa.”
Chapter 22
The story came, at first badly organized but, with prompting from Kay, it began to assume coherence and a semblance of shape.
“Everything Ive told you was true,” Sigrid said, “except where it involved Masa. I hated lying to you about that. Ive always hated lies. But, somehow I just kept getting in deeper and deeper. It all began with a letter room service brought up with my hot milk. How I wish Id never opened it!”
“The letter addressed to Masa?”
“How did you know? No, never mind. You seem to know so many things. I guess thats your job. Yes, the letter is what did it. You know, in all the time weve been married, Ive never been tempted to open any of Masas mail, but this time something goaded me into it. It was from Japan. A thick letter. In a womans handwriting.
“I guess jealousy was part of what motivated me to open it up, even though I cant remember ever being jealous about any man. I know I felt silly when I picked it up and started to open it. Then…Have you ever felt that your heart actually stopped for several beats? Its how I felt when I started to read the letter and began to understand what it was saying.
“It was from a Mrs. Yamanaka. She identified herself as the wife of the consultant who was called in to study the failed engine after the crash of the airplane my husband was on. The consultant later appeared in the paper claiming there was a defect in the engine which was the reason for the crash. She said her husband knew the plane had been sabotaged. She also knew Masa had paid him not to show the proof to the authorities. She wanted more money to support herself and her children since her husband was dead.
“She also said she was enclosing a copy of a letter left by her husband in their safety deposit box. The last thing she wrote was how she, too, was placing a copy in the same box and had left the key with her lawyer to be used in case anything happened to her.”
Kay said nothing. The story was now beginning to take shape without any further help from her.
Sigrid took a sip of her coffee, crouched over her knees, then continued.
“The enclosed letter left behind by her husband was all the proof I needed to convince me I was married to a monster. It was addressed to his wife, and was a detailed description of how hed become suspicious. Just by accident he discovered, near the end of the investigation and after hed turned in his report, how the light to the engine had been tampered with.
“By some miracle, it survived the fire following the crash. He said nothing at the time, since in itself it proved nothing. In the months afterwards he did several tests on the fin he suspected was at fault. He finally found there was a way of stressing it so, in an hours flight or so, it would rupture and cause the damage he described.
“Furthermore, the faulty lamp would continue to indicate there was nothing wrong with the engine right up to the moment it flew apart. If it had been functioning, it would have warned the pilot long before vibration had set in, and he could have safely shut it off. It was then the consultant decided to go public. He assumed his saying as much as he did would flush out the person who was behind the crash. It did.
“Masa contacted him and paid him handsomely to back down. Then, just by chance, the consultant himself was killed in a crash. When his wife found his letter, she wrote one of her ownthe one I read.”
Kay was transfixed by the look of anguish written across the her guests expressive face.
“There is no possible way you can imagine the rage I was in when Id finished the letter. Even more than his having killed Yoshi, was the thought he could have destroyed his daughter, and grandson, just so he could have me. I barely knew what I was doing, and I didnt care.
“All I wanted to do was to confront him. I ran down to his office, but he wasnt there. Then I thought of the kitchen, since I knew he liked to go down there to sample the food. Thats where I found him, just about to go into the refrigerator. I was so angry, I could hardly speak. He was baffled, because thats just not like me. Im seldom inarticulate. Somehow, I finally managed to tell him what I thought. He answered in a cold voice that he always got what he wanted, no matter how high the price.
“My rage became blinding. I know murderers sometimes claim they didnt know what they were doing. All I can say is I was completely aware of what I was doing, but I had no control over myself. I reached for a butcher knife sitting on a block nearby and lunged at him. Hed had many years of karate training, and he didnt have much trouble deflecting the knife. It went against my own arm instead.”
Sigrid unbuttoned a cuff and rolled up her left sleeve to reveal a long, shallow, halfhealed cut. Through a weak smile, she said,“Now you know why I didnt want to play tennis with you.” Rolling her sleeve back down, she continued, “If he had been younger and stronger, he could easily have defended himself and disarmed me.”
Her story continued. The pain in her voice reflected the horror of her memories. “As it was, the effort to stop me threw him off balance. I struck out at him again, and he couldnt stop me this time. Im sure he died instantly, his blood mixing with mine on his white shirt. It was awful. His death was terrible. My own complete lack of control was even worse. Later, I thought I must have looked like one of my ancestors, some kind of berserker. Do you
know what they were?
“They were Vikings, werent they?”
“Yes. I used to read about them when I was a child and wondered how they could wade into battle in a complete frenzy. They howled, and their faces were so distorted even the men on their own side wereafraid of them. Ill never wonder again because, for a moment, I was one of them.”
Kay could not envision a berserker, but she could picture Jenny in the terrible dream. Sweet, gentle Jenny, now with one eye open and hoping she would be invited over for a pat, had suddenly become in the dream what Sigrid was describing. The change occurred, not in the heat of battle, but simply in a howling rage at what had been done to the person in the dream, someone Jenny had been devoted to.
Sigrid was going on with her story. “The moment Masa fell to the floor, my mind cleared. I was sure no one had seen me looking for him, and I could think of no reason why I should be punished because Id killed a monster. But I knew there are all those tests these days where they can tell whose blood is whose.
“I looked up then and saw the giant dishwasher. It took me only a moment to drag him over to it and up onto the conveyor belt. The knife fell out. I threw it in with him, turned on the machine, and when his body had moved in I shut it off. Then I wrapped a dishtowel around my arm, cleaned up the blood on the floor and went back to my room. I didnt sleep the rest of the night.”
Kay toyed with the idea of telling Sigrid Masa had not known his daughter was going to be on the plane. Would it make it better or worse for her to know that? If she stays convinced he was a complete monster, quite willing to sacrifice his own daughter to accomplish his ends, she may find it easier to handle the horror of having killed him. On the otherhand, Im not too sure her continuing to hate him the way she does is good for her. This sounds like something Hideko is going to have to decide. She made a mental note to call the clinic first thing in the morning.
“The blackmail note was addressed to you?” Kay asked.
“Yes. By the time I got it, I was about ready to confess, at least to you. I received the letter early this morning. I opened it, read it, and really didnt care. In a way I was rather relieved. The question of whether or not I should confess was being taken out of my hands. I had absolutely no intention of paying, so I left the note on my dresser and went down to the pool to think things out. Then matters went from bad to worse.”
The Yoshinobu Mysteries: Volume 2 Page 49