Move on, Mei.
“Really? Anything promising?”
“Several. One with a nice plot of overgrown yard that would make a perfect kitchen garden. Do you think you’ll have time to go see them this week? There’s bad weather coming — lots of rain — and I need your expert opinion on them.”
“I think so.” I sounded hesitant, and all because I was hopeful Mom would turn around and surprise me, want me to take over the farm, not Hirata.
I was living in my daydreams again. Not a good idea.
He sat back down next to me on the bed. “Let’s be the successful black sheep of the town. You know the old ladies at the tea shop don’t care. They spend all day talking about you and wondering when you’ll be back. I found it quite insulting, actually.” He winked and laughed, and I smiled.
“I guess you’re just not as charming as I am.”
“I guess not.” He picked up the red sketchbook. “How’s the story?”
“It’s good, but I’m not getting anywhere with the investigation. I’m going to visit the taiyaki shop tomorrow and do some poking around there. You still fine with the tea shop?”
“Absolutely. You’ve got me through Tuesday.”
“And then Girls’ Night Out tomorrow?” I cringed, worried I was taking too much time for myself. Mom already thought I was selfish. I didn’t want Yasahiro to think that, too.
He angled in and kissed my cheek. “Of course. Though it’ll be a miracle if you can stay awake for it.”
“Very funny.” I smacked him on the arm. He cried out in mock pain, so I pinched him too for good measure.
He laughed as he tugged on my arm. “Come have a bath with me, my wife.”
I flushed, not used to the term “wife.” “Nah, I’m going to go to sleep.”
“Pllleeeeease,” he begged.
I had put a spell on him, and he was mine. I should take advantage of it.
“Okay. But only because you begged.”
I threw my arms around his neck, and he swept me off the bed and into the bathroom, laughing the whole way.
Chapter Sixteen
The air in the taiyaki shop hummed with sugar and laughter. Being in a strip of shops close to the train station, the tiny space held a counter, a glass case, and a spot for the taiyaki grill so people could watch their sweet treats being prepared by a professional. I stood over the grill, watching the young woman my age spoon batter into the fish shapes, let them cook, add the sugary red bean paste and more batter, then close up the griddle for the final baking. Ah, my mouth watered in anticipation.
“It smells delicious,” I said to her, smiling over the glass divider.
“My husband makes the best I’ve ever had,” she replied.
How does one become a taiyaki shop owner, anyway? I always believed this was something inherited from a parent. But then, before I started my own tea shop, I would’ve said the same thing about those.
“I’m sure I’ll enjoy them,” I said, taking the paper bag from her. The opening steamed, and though I knew I’d burn myself on them, I wanted to reach in and stuff one in my face immediately.
But duty called.
I pulled a business card from my bag and presented it to her. “I know it’s a little busy here this morning, but I would love to talk to your husband if he has a free moment.”
She looked at my card and startled in surprise. “My father-in-law was just talking about you yesterday! Give us a moment. I’ll call our assistant out from the back to handle the front register.”
I turned around and assessed the young man at the register. Tall and thin, he was half a meter taller than the little old lady paying for her bag of taiyaki. He sported a sparse goatee, something I didn’t often see, that covered a small mole on his chin. Otherwise, he was a shop owner in loose, indigo-striped jinbei, those plastic clogs everyone seemed to have, and a navy blue handkerchief on his head.
I tipped my head to the side and tried to compare him to the boyfriend Ria drew in her manga, the one Shizuka was cheating on. Was this the man who killed her? Did he go into a jealous rage because she cheated on him with his best friend?
If so, I had a ton more digging to do. I’d have to find his best friend, and their friends, and question everyone. I wasn’t even sure I had the time for that.
His wife whispered in his ear, and he raised his head to find me in the room. I lifted my taiyaki in greeting before taking a decent-sized bite. Mmmm, delicious.
He nodded, cool and collected, perhaps a little annoyed. The store wasn’t too busy, so what was the problem?
Worry coursed through me. I wished Goro had come along like we originally planned, but he had to cover for another officer who was sick with the stomach flu. I needed his guidance right then. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I suddenly didn’t feel welcome here. His wife was sweet enough, but something about Itsuki’s demeanor was cold and off-putting. Was it me? Or was it Ria?
Or I was being paranoid for no good reason. Ever since I became pregnant, I saw shadows where there were none. Or I read situations wrong. Just look at what had happened between Mom and me.
I was about to sneak out of the taiyaki shop when Itsuki left the comfort of his post and crossed the room to me.
“Hello. My wife says you’d like to speak with me,” he said, bowing. I bowed in return, wondering for a moment if I should get out another business card, but he pulled mine out of his pocket.
“Thank you for taking the time to step away. Your shop is quite successful, and I love the taiyaki.” I rubbed my belly to show how pleased I was.
“Thank you,” he replied, glancing around the shop. His silence was awkward, and I wondered if I made the wrong decision coming here. My presence appeared to be unwanted.
But if I was going to help out with this case, I couldn’t be put off by a hesitant witness. Goro would’ve never put up with that. Why should I?
Because it was hard being nosy when all my upbringing told me to keep quiet and not bother anyone.
“I met your father yesterday for the first time. My good friend, Murata-san, wanted to stop by and reminisce with him, so I brought her over since I’ve been working next door for the last week. He mentioned you own this taiyaki shop, and I had to come by and test them out for myself.”
He narrowed his eyes, but I kept my smile in place. “You’re working next door? To my father’s house? I thought you owned the new tea shop, Oshabe-cha.”
“Oh, you know who I am?”
“Of course I do.” And he looked over his shoulder again.
It hit me like being crushed into a train car in rush hour traffic, the slow but inexorable realization that he knew who I was because people had been gossiping about me.
My hearing rang, and I began to sweat. How was I going to reassure him I wasn’t bad for his business? Or maybe I was? My mouth dried up, and I swallowed, wishing I’d bought water to go along with the taiyaki.
“I’ve been helping my friend Akai-san clean out the old Fukuda house. It’s not a permanent job or anything. Just … helping,” I repeated. When I was nervous, I repeated myself.
His eyes widened. “You’re cleaning out Ria-chan’s old house?”
“I am. Your father mentioned that you and Ria-chan dated for a little while.”
Mistake. His face closed up, a light suddenly turned off.
“We did. We dated for about a year. She ran away about six months after we broke up.” He half-turned so he could see his wife who was leaning forward, not hiding her attempt at eavesdropping.
“Are you sure she ran away?” I pressed him. He was on the verge of dismissing me anyway, so I figured I would give it my all.
“No,” he said, perking up. “No. I’m not sure she ran away. Why do you ask?”
I shook my head. “Well, it’s been a mystery in the town forever, as I’m sure you’re well aware of. And since I was asked to help clean out the house, I thought it was a good time to address the rumors about her disappearance. But th
e police never found a body, so I’m not sure if it’s even worth delving into the whole mess.”
I figured honesty would get me farther with Itsuki than any accusations would.
He relaxed, his shoulders dropping. “Is that what this is about?”
“This? Oh, me coming here?”
“Yeah. I spoke to my father last night, and he said you were…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“What?” My face flushed, and I tried to cool it down with the power of my thoughts.
“He said you were jealous of my taiyaki. I thought you were coming to shut me down.” He glared down his nose at me, and I flashed back to the joke I made about being an inept cook at my own expense.
“Me?” I squeaked, and the back of my eyes watered with tears. Not now, Mei! “How could I shut you down?”
He rubbed his hands together, worry replacing his stern expression.
“You have contacts in the police department, and I’d rather stay away from the town gossip.” He said it, but his voice held a disbelieving note.
If the conversation had started off awkward, it was more so now. I took a deep breath and sighed, squaring up my shoulders and lifting my chin.
“I’m not here to shut you down or cast a spell or cause you any trouble.” Unless he killed Ria and then all bets were off. “I came to talk to you about selling your taiyaki in my tea shop. I think my customers would love them, and I’m a poor excuse for a chef, so I have to ask others for help in this department.”
My eyes brimmed with hormone tears as I remembered all the times my mother was so disappointed in me for not liking her cooking and for being afraid of the kitchen. It was no wonder she chose Hirata and Yuna over me. Yuna couldn’t farm, but she could cook.
“And I wanted to know a little more about Ria-san. I remember her from my teen years, and I wanted to do something about her disappearance. Maybe finally bring some clarity to the case. But I understand if you don’t want to have anything to do with me.”
I bowed, turned on my heel, and practically ran from the taiyaki shop, not looking back. I just messed up my first interview with a suspect and probably brought more shame on my family in the process.
I rounded the corner and pressed my back against the wall of the alley I was hiding my tears in. Was I being too sensitive? Was I being a spoiled brat to Mom? Was I doing irreparable damage to my tea shop with all the snooping around? I didn’t even know how to address these rumors that I was a witch. At this point, I’d rather just go with it, wear black all the time, get a black cat, and walk the streets at midnight.
I laughed at myself, pressing the back of my hand to my lips. The walls swirled around me, and I felt lost for the first time in months. I thought my troubles were over when Yasahiro and I married, and we opened Oshabe-cha. But that wasn’t the case at all. My troubles were only beginning.
If I wasn’t going to solve the Ria Fukuda case soon, and Akai didn’t need me at the house, and Yasahiro could hold down the tea shop, I’d have to work on fixing things with Mom.
I pulled my wallet with my bus pass from my bag, dried my eyes, and walked towards the nearest bus stop.
I only got two blocks from the taiyaki shop when I passed a Chikata patrol car and Kohei Watanabe stepped out to the sidewalk right in front of me.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the newly minted Suga-san. We meet again.”
Ugh. I almost turned around and walked in the opposite direction, but my good manners kept me in one spot. I dropped my head for a moment and wiped my eyes. I couldn’t let him see me upset.
“What’s the matter? Was someone mean to you?” His voice dripped with hatred, and I had to question again why he disliked me so much. What had I done to him to make him treat me this way?
The only thing I could come up with was that I solved mysteries he either wanted to solve himself or never wanted to be solved in the first place. He was related to Tama’s old fiancée, Haruka, but even then, it wasn’t my fault Tama tried to burn me alive in the barn.
I lifted my chin and rolled my eyes at him. “Hormones. I am pregnant, you know?”
“I thought you had just gained weight.”
How could anyone be this big of a bully and keep a straight face? Something told me he was not right in the head.
“Well, I’m married to the best chef in town.” I cleared my throat and grasped the strap of my shoulder bag. “What do you want? I’m a little busy, and I’m going to miss the bus if you don’t come out with it.”
He pulled out his notebook, the same kind Goro kept for writing details of a crime he was investigating. I tapped my foot, trying to exaggerate my need for him to make it quick.
“There’ve been some complaints around town of items gone missing. Several people seem to think they saw you in the locations where those items were before they disappeared.”
What was this?
“I’d like to get a statement from you about your whereabouts the last few days.”
“This is ridiculous. Why would I steal stuff from other people?”
He plastered a serious expression on his face. “Yes, why would you steal things from other people? That is a very good question. Would you care to explain yourself?”
My thoughts bounced around, trying to make sense of this situation. First, I found out from my mom that I’m a witch. Now, I was some kind of kleptomaniac? What was next?
“There’s nothing to explain. I haven’t stolen anything. What are these things I have supposedly stolen?”
Kohei licked his thumb and flipped back in his notebook as people passed us on the sidewalk and glanced our way. I tried not to make eye contact with anyone.
“One person says several of his potted herbs from his back garden went missing. Another says her house was robbed of two heavy iron pots yesterday.”
Irritation increased under my skin, heating me from my core outward.
“And how does this relate to me?”
“Both said they ran into you in the past week and then saw you in the neighborhood on the same day. Their statements had nothing in common except for you.”
I clenched my jaw and waited for the punch line.
His lips curled into an evil smile. “Since it’s well-known around town that you’re involved in some kind of dark arts, maybe that you keep demons and yōkai in your house, they both suggested you might be a likely suspect.”
And there it was. Finally, to my face, Kohei brought it back to the rumors about me. And who knows how long people had been thinking I’m some witchy freak or talking about me behind my back.
I took one solid step toward him, and he stood his ground.
“If I have any yōkai at home, I’m going to send them after you, if you’re not careful,” I whispered, looking him straight in the eyes. “These claims against me are all lies, and until you have actual evidence of me stealing stuff from other people, you had better step off.”
He took one step closer. I tried not to flinch. “Two can play at the game of threats, Mei-san. If I ever see you in Kato-san’s taiyaki shop again, I will completely ruin you. Do you understand?”
My heart pumped blood swiftly through my body. “I’ll go wherever I want to, and you can’t stop me.”
One more centimeter and we would’ve been nose to nose. It was closer than I ever wanted to be to him.
He shrugged his shoulders and stepped back. “It seems to me you should be more careful. Your mother needs permits to sell at the farmers’ market this fall. You also need permits to do any renovations at her house. And I know health inspectors too who would be happy to make surprise visits to your little tea shop.” He tucked away his notebook and returned to his vehicle.
“Don’t screw with me or I’ll make your life a living hell,” he called over his shoulder as he slid into his car.
He left me slack-jawed as he peeled away from the curb.
I pressed my lips together and looked back in the direction of the taiyaki shop. Seemed to me, not only wa
s I being watched, but there were people in town who had it in for me.
But what could I do about it? Nothing just yet, but I would come up with something. Oh yes, I would.
I took a deep breath and decided to head home and get the car instead of taking the bus. Kohei had wasted too much of my time, and I just wanted to be cool again. Cool and alone.
Chapter Seventeen
The farmhouse was absolute chaos when I arrived. My two nephews, taking advantage of the slightly cooler weather, played with water guns outside while a giant moving van sat open in the driveway.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and pressed my forehead to the steering wheel. I was still shaky from my run-in with Kohei, the big move was already happening, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I watched movers in white gloves carry bedroom furniture down a ramp and up into the house as my chest constricted and my gut bubbled with jealousy. Mom stood in the doorway, supervising the movers as they maneuvered through the front door and into the living area. Hirata’s car was in the driveway, so he was probably here too.
Great.
Mom spotted me in the car and waved, a genuine smile on her face, and I had to remind myself that I’d been doing my best to hide how upset I was. Mom had no clue I was broken up inside over this betrayal.
And it was a betrayal. I would feel that way until the day I died.
I waved back, grabbed my bag, and met her on the front porch.
“Looking kind of busy here today,” I said, trying to keep things light and easy.
“Not too busy to not get work done. Minato-san is in the barn showing Yuna-ko what to do with the tractor. I figured if she can’t pick vegetables, she can drive.” Mom nodded and directed a mover towards the door. “Hirata-chan is inside handling the movers.” She shielded her eyes and squinted at me. “Are you always going to show up this late in the morning?”
“No. I’m sorry. I should have texted you. I had errands to run.” I kept it as vague as possible since I didn’t want her to know about my failed meeting with Itsuki Kato.
The Daydreamer Detective Returns a Favor Page 10