Hidden Nexus

by Nick Tanner

  ‘So then, Sakamoto – update!’ The Chief Super looked squarely down the table looking at no-one in particular. Inspector Saito had rarely seen his boss appear quite so troubled and speculated that they were all going to be in for a bumpy ride. Despite his leadership position the Chief Super was not a man who handled pressure well and had an unpleasant habit of lashing out at those around him, whether or not this was justified.

  Inspector Sakamoto remained head bowed as if he was carrying out a detailed examination of the table-top.

  ‘Sakamoto?’

  ‘Sorry, sir. Gomenasai.’

  ‘Get a move on. We don’t have all day!’ growled the Chief Super.

  Sakamoto eventually looked up at the others around the table. ‘A body was recovered from a canal in the Sanyoshinko docklands area at just after four thirty this evening,’ he read soullessly from his small black notebook, his eyes looking particularly dead and his voice drawling in the worst kind of monotone. Saito glanced across to Mori and they shared a knowing look. It was never pleasant to be on the wrong end of a very public mistake and although the meeting had been called ostensibly to share fresh information the news of a new body, a new strangled body, had spread like wild-fire through the station. Sakamoto had brutally trodden on too many heads on his way up for a situation such as this not to pass by without note.

  ‘The victim was a young woman in her mid-twenties,’ continued Sakamoto, ‘and had been strangled – similar to the way in which Yamada Eri had also been murdered.’ These last words he muttered at a barely audible level.

  If Inspector Saito ever had occasion to feel smug then that occasion was now, however, smugness was not in his nature and instead he allowed Sakamoto to suffer whatever embarrassment he undoubtedly was without feeling the need to add to it. Sergeant Mori though, couldn’t help experiencing a certain lofty superiority. It was a rare occasion indeed that Sakamoto was as isolated and drifting as he was now but as a consequence he also worryingly believed that in some small way Sakamoto would find it in him to blame some, if not all, of his subordinates for his current, pressurised position. Life could become very uncomfortable indeed in the near future, so he was determined to enjoy the present.

  The Chief Super removed his glasses and not for the first time performed his over-elaborate cleaning routine. He looked up. 'Well thank the gods you got to our man before he could kill any more, eh Sakamoto san?'

  Sakamoto did his best to take the compliment in the manner in which it was being so generously given, happy to rely on the Chief Super's ignorance for the time being. He knew, that all too soon, the dark clouds would cluster around him.

  'What else can you tell us? Do we know the exact time of death?’ The Chief Super squinted in Sakamoto’s direction before returning to look down at his glasses. ‘I take it that it was sometime before the death of Yamada Eri?’

  Inspector Saito smiled to himself. The Chief Super really hadn’t caught the gossip on the grapevine.

  Sakamoto looked appropriately embarrassed. ‘According to Takahashi she died about six days ago and in corroboration a witness we talked to observed the body being dumped around eleven on Thursday night.’

  The Chief Super thought about this new information for a moment or two. The rest of the table patiently observed this cogitation. 'That’s about the same time as the Yamada Eri murder, isn’t it?’ he eventually asked looking quizzically in Sakamoto's direction. The first of a series of pennies had just dropped.

  ‘That’s right,’ mumbled Sakamoto.

  ‘But no doubt murdered sometime earlier then?'

  'Takahashi is yet to confirm the exact time of death. The body has been frozen for the last couple of days which complicates things a little.'

  ‘Just as I thought. And let me say again it’s a good job you got to our man in time. Who knows how many people this Yamada may have gone on to kill?’

  Sakamoto remained silent but couldn’t restrain himself from an imperceptible bow.

  ‘But it does look like our man was very busy last Thursday night!’ interrupted Inspector Saito. ‘Two victims in a single night!’

  ‘Or two victims over a period of a couple of days,’ corrected the Chief Super.

  Saito didn't react adversely to this amendment. Instead he was considering what he himself had just said and for a moment became quite distracted. Mori too, could see that Inspector Saito was thinking hard. It was if a little fire behind his pupils had been ignited. He noticed him gently raise an eyebrow and pull a wry smile as if some important piece of information had clicked into place or at least been stored away safely. Only time would tell when whatever he had thought would come to be revealed.

  ‘And did Takahashi have anything else to report?’ asked the Chief Super addressing Sakamoto again.

  ‘Only the absence of the victim’s underwear. She’ll confirm later if there was any sexual activity.’

  ‘If there was any sexual intercourse that would tally with Yamada Eri,’ chipped in Inspector Saito looking casually at his finger nails.

  ‘Indeed!’ Sakamoto was in no mood to be reminded of the facts surrounding the original case – facts which he had largely chosen to ignore.

  'Any ID? Do we know who she is?'

  'Not yet, sir, and we've also had a quick check through missing persons. No-one's been reported missing who matches our new victim's description.'

  ‘So!’ The Chief Super clapped his hands together forcing everyone to focus back on him. ‘Conclusions?'

  Everyone around the table looked at each other. Surely the conclusion was obvious. They left it to Inspector Saito to announce what they were all thinking.

  'Unquestionably this rules out Hideki Yamada as our murderer for unless I’m mistaken you were interviewing him at about the same time that this second body was being dumped,' he said in clear definitive tones looking pointedly at Sakamoto.

  There was a murmur of agreement from around the table.

  ‘Not necessarily,’ replied Sakamoto, still determined to save his reputation despite it clinging on desperately by its fingertips.

  Saito raised an eyebrow for a second time. He was interested to see how Sakamoto could engineer himself out of this one.

  ‘He may have been working together with someone else.’

  ‘How so?’ questioned Inspector Saito.

  ‘He murders the women at different times and his accomplice dumps the Sanyoshinko body when he knows Yamada has a secure alibi talking to us. What could be better than Sergeant Mori here as confirmation of an alibi.’

  ‘Oh, come of it,’ exploded Saito staring disbelievingly at his opposite number. ‘You can’t really believe that, can you?’

  ‘I don’t see why not?’

  ‘The frog in the well never knows the great sea,’ Saito mumbled behind his hand to Mori.

  ‘What did you just say?’ glared Sakamoto.

  Saito took his time to respond. He looked around the table, to the Chief Super and finally back to Sakamoto. ‘This is the work of a single man Sakamoto! Don’t you realise how ridiculous you sound? And don't you think Yamada might have mentioned this at some point in his 'confession' - an accomplice and a second body!' He spat out the word ‘confession’ with barely concealed disgust.

  'Not necessarily'

  'I've no idea why you tried to pin this on Yamada in the first place.'

  ‘May I remind you that he had no alibi!’ retorted Sakamoto raising his voice.

  ‘He had no clear motive!’ Saito banged the table.

  ‘He confessed - baka!’

  ‘Only after you had put him up to it! You manufactured witness statements, suggested his wife was having an affair, you kept him under duress, you worked on his confidence to confuse him. It’s no wonder he confessed.’

  The two men glowered at each other across the table forcing the Chief Super to step in, concern now etched into every deep furrow in his forehead. ‘I tend to agree with Inspector Saito,’ he said slowly. ‘This new body puts your original co
nclusions into a very different light. As Inspector Saito says it appears highly unlikely that Yamada was involved with the Sanyoshinko woman, very unlikely indeed!'

  The whole room, with the exception of Sakamoto and Deguchi were waiting with bated breath for what the Chief Super was about to say next. They knew his mind was slowly working through the logic and slowly coming to the conclusion that most had reached some time before.

  The penny finally not only dropped but slotted home neatly!

  'But I was of the understanding that forensics had confirmed everything for us,' the Chief Super eventually said his face gradually reddening into a purple-faced anger. 'What the hell is going on here Sakamoto! Explain yourself!'

  'The evidence has been manufactured - that's what!' interrupted Inspector Saito for a final time. 'According to an updated forensics report that I have here.'

  'Is this true?' The Chief Super jabbed a finger at Sakamoto.

  'Explain yourself Deguchi!' demanded Sakamoto in turn.

  Deguchi remained silent and stunned, unable to comprehend what he had just been accused of.

  'Hand me that report, will you Saito?'

  The collected group waited as the Chief Super took his time digesting the contents of Otsuba's report. 'Why wasn't this brought to my attention earlier?' he demanded.

  'I only got hold of it myself, just moments before we were called to this meeting. I was on my way to see you,' explained Saito.

  'Hmm... well, I think in the circumstances I have no option but to suspend you both.' stated the Chief Super coldly, looking once again at Sakamoto and Deguchi.

  'But-' spluttered Sakamoto. 'It's nothing to do with me. It’s Deguchi!'

  'In which case I'm suspending you for a lack of order and failing to control your staff. There'll be a full investigation into this... this... farce! All conduct and all evidence. Dismissed!'

  A wretched Sakamoto and equally dejected Deguchi got slowly to their feet, collected their papers and walked to the door through a gauntlet of disapproval. Some colleagues remained embarrassed at their dismissal others retained a silent dignity. It was the most shocking set of circumstances they had ever encountered.

  For a number of minutes after their departure the room remained in silence each individual attempting to process through what they had just heard with no one really, not even the Chief Super, being adequately able to come to terms with the recent events.

  'Now then,’ he said eventually in a quiet voice. ‘What were the other lines of enquiry that you'd been following Inspector Saito?’

  Saito slowly looked down to his own notes. He coughed and then looked around the rest of his colleagues. ‘About just now-'

  'Save it for another time Saito.'

  'I-'

  'Saito!'

  'Fine, sir. I'll save it for another time.'

  'Thank you. Now let's progress with what we can, while we can before Tokyo come own here and close us down for good.'

  'Yes, sir.' Saito looked at Mori and then at Junsa Saito. 'We’ve followed up on all the obvious leads – namely Ozawa Kenji, the boss of Niigata Kyubin who we know was with Yamada Eri at a meeting in Tokyo between six-thirty and seven-thirty on the night she was killed. This meeting took place with Watanabe Hiro faction leader within the LDP. We suspect that either one or the other raped her. They had the means and the motive to kill her, particularly Watanabe, but presently they also have alibis for the key time in question which-’

  ‘-which?’

  ‘Which leaves us looking at Fujiwara Kenta as the one remaining suspect.’

  'Fujiwara? Who's he and how does he fit into all is?' replied the Chief Super feeling not for the first time that evening a little out of his depth.

  'He's a Yoshihara henchman and who coincidentally was also found dead this morning - the suicide, remember!'

  'Go on.'

  'We know that Eri Yamada met up with Fujiwara on the 15th and suspect that what lies behind her murder is Yakuza involvement in some pretty ruthless and underhand business dealings. At this moment we are only guessing but we believe that at the behest of her boss Yamada Eri met up with Fujiwara probably to arrange the sokaiya activity that I witnessed first-hand and much to my own personal pain, and also perhaps to set in motion the attack on Yokohama Black Panther. This last statement is unproven but initial findings by the JHSE suggest that there may be suspicious circumstances surrounding the explosion bearing the hallmarks of Yoshihara practice. In addition Yamada Eri’s fingerprints were found all over the room in which Fujiwara was found dead, circumstantial I know, but evidence all the same - and too much of a coincidence to ignore. We do know that they definitely did meet according to a diary entry indicating that meetings, or more accurately at least one meeting took place between the two, as I said on the 15th December. Now, it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that after all this work was completed that the leading parties wanted to cover their tracks. There’s plenty of motive there. All we need to do is to continue our investigations to see if Fujiwara had the opportunity to carry out the crimes at the times stated. Of course it's complicated that Fujiwara is now dead. Junsa Saito, here,’ he continued, again looking at all around the table, ‘has carried out some preliminary enquiries into Fujiwara's background and business but as to his actual movements this week we’ve not had time to delve into them yet, suffice to say that presently he has no apparent alibi for Thursday night.’

  ‘And what possible motive might the Yoshihara have to take out these two women?’ interrupted a frowning Chief Super.

  ‘You know as well as I do that the Yakuza need no motive – not in the conventional sense, anyway, but if they are tied in with Niigata Kyubin what they gain is a front company to hide their profits or to secure legitimate loans. The advantages to them are numerous and if this means taking a few people out then so be it. We all know how the Yakuza work but I'm not sure why I'm having to explain this to you. Surely you are all too aware of Yakuza modus operandi!'

  'And you suspect Fujiwara as the trigger? And this is based on the fact that he met up with Yamada Eri?'

  'Yes!'

  'Okay, I can just about go along with your Yakuza theory as regards Yamada Eri, but how does the Sanyoshinko woman fit in?'

  'Presently I don't know that, sir. Not at least until she can be identified.'

  'Okay, and just so I've got this clear if Fujiwara is the trigger then you are saying that Ozawa is the finger. Is that right?'

  'That's how I see it, sir.'

  'So your accusations against Watanabe were not only totally unjustified but totally unnecessary!'

  For the first time that evening Inspector Saito squirmed in his seat. 'It seems, perhaps so - although in my defence there were some pretty underhand things happening in his building - appointment diaries and surveillance tapes being tampered with and so on.'

  'Hmm... Possibly just a politician trying to distance himself from any implication in a murder.'

  'But you can see why it arises suspicion.'

  'Well... Maybe. But you were foolish to go in so heavy handed. Be that as it may, thank you Inspector Saito. I’m pleased that at least some of the team have acted with propriety and diligence.’

  Saito was as equally stunned to hear this contrition as he was at Sakamoto’s suspension and basked in a pleasing glow of satisfaction. ‘As ever it was… is a team effort, sir. Sergeant Mori and Junsa Saito have been instrumental in shaping our thinking. I have them to thank. He bowed to his colleagues who bowed back.

  ‘Now, there is still a lot of work to do,' said the Chief Super with an air of finality. 'The first thing I want you to do is to get down to pathology and see what else Takahashi has got for us and then we’ll start fresh in the morning. There is little time to waste.’

  The other heads around the table bowed respectfully and then filed out of the room.

  59 - In which Sakamoto is forced to act

  Wednesday 5th January 8:10pm

  Five minutes later Inspector and Jun
sa Saito made their way across the basement car park towards an empty patrol car. They were both deep in thought although neither, as it happened, were thinking particularly about the case. Junsa Saito for a strange reason was thinking about her underwear, or more precisely the need to wash it. Not that she was particularly soiled more that she was just running out of fresh. She hadn't noted a washing machine within the Inspector's apartment although was sure there must be one, but whatever the situation, she was determined to get some washing done that evening - hand-washing or otherwise. She didn't know it but she was doomed not to complete this self-appointed task. Inspector Saito was thinking of matters far from the mundane and was mulling over a classic probability conundrum for no other reason than the case reminded him of it.