Keigo Higashino: Salvation of a Saint

‘Your cooking is always just exquisite, Ayane,’ Yukiko Ikai exclaimed between mouthfuls of whitefish. ‘You don’t often see a marinade getting the attention it deserves.’ It was typically Yukiko’s role to praise each dish during dinner.

‘Of course you’re impressed!’ her husband Tatsuhiko said from the seat beside her. ‘You always just get those mailorder instant sauce packets.’

‘I make it myself sometimes.’

‘Aojiso sauce, maybe. That minty stuff.’

‘So? It’s good!’

‘I rather like aojiso myself,’ Ayane put in.

‘See? And it’s good for you, too.’ Yukiko smiled.

‘Please, don’t encourage her, Ayane,’ Tatsuhiko grumbled. ‘You’ll have her smearing that sauce on my steak next.’

‘Why, that sounds delicious!’ Yukiko said. ‘I’ll have to try it next time.’

Everyone laughed except for Tatsuhiko.

Tatsuhiko Ikai was a lawyer. He was the legal advisor for several companies, including Yoshitaka Mashiba’s. He was also significantly involved in the management of it. The two men had been friends since college.

Tatsuhiko retrieved a bottle from the wine refrigerator and offered to pour Hiromi a glass.

‘Oh, I’m fine, thanks,’ she said, placing her hand over the rim.

‘You sure? I thought you liked white, Hiromi.’

‘Oh, I do, but I’ve had enough. Thanks.’

Tatsuhiko shrugged and poured some for Yoshitaka instead.

‘Are you not feeling well?’ Ayane asked.

‘No, I’m fine, really. I’ve just been out drinking a lot lately and I don’t want to overdo it.’

‘Ah, to be young and going out to parties all the time!’

Tatsuhiko filled Ayane’s glass before glancing at his wife and bringing the bottle to his own glass. ‘Yukiko’s off alcohol for a while, so I’m usually drinking alone.’

‘Right, right, of course,’ Yoshitaka said, his fork stopping in midair. ‘I suppose you have to abstain, don’t you?’

‘Unless she wants to drink for two!’ Tatsuhiko said, sloshing his wine a little. ‘Whatever she eats shows up in the milk, after all.’

‘How long before you can drink again?’ Yoshitaka asked her.

‘About a year, the doctor says.’

‘A year and a half, I’d say,’ her husband said. ‘Two years wouldn’t hurt. And if you’re going to go that far, you might as well quit altogether.’

‘So I get to take care of the baby and not have a sip for years? Not going to happen. Unless you’re planning on taking care of our little prince? Then I might reconsider.’

‘Fine, fine,’ her husband said. ‘But wait a year, at least. And then take it easy, hmm?’

Yukiko glared at him but her smile quickly returned. She gave the impression that this sort of marital exchange was a pleasant little ceremony that she actually enjoyed.

Yukiko Ikai had given birth two months ago. It was their first child, and one for which they had waited a very long time. Tatsuhiko was already forty-two, and Yukiko was thirty-five. They fondly described their pregnancy as sliding into home base at the end of the ninth inning.

The gathering tonight was something of an after-the-fact baby shower. It had been Yoshitaka’s idea, and Ayane had made all the arrangements.

‘So the kid’s with your parents tonight?’ Yoshitaka asked.

Tatsuhiko nodded. ‘Yep. They told us we could stay out as late as we wanted. Said they were actually looking forward to taking care of a baby again. Sometimes it’s convenient to have your parents living nearby.’

‘Though, to be honest, I’m a little worried,’ Yukiko admitted. ‘Your mother takes a little too much care of him sometimes, if you know what I mean. My friend says you should let them cry a little bit before you go to pick them up.’

Hiromi stood up from her seat, noticing that Yukiko’s glass was empty. ‘I’ll go and get you some water.’

‘There’s a bottle of mineral water in the fridge, just bring the whole thing,’ Ayane told her.

Hiromi went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. The fridge was enormous, with double doors that opened in the middle. The inside of one door was lined with bottles of mineral water. Hiromi plucked one out and returned to the table. As her eyes met Ayane’s, Ayane’s lips moved, forming the words ‘Thank you’.

‘It must really change your life, having a child,’ Yoshitaka was saying.

‘Certainly your home life revolves around the kid,’ Tatsuhiko replied.

‘I should imagine. But doesn’t it affect your work, too? They say having children increases your sense of responsibility. So, how about it? Do you find yourself going that extra mile now that you’re a daddy?’

‘As a matter of fact I do.’

Ayane took the bottle of water from Hiromi and poured a glass for everyone, a smile on her lips.

‘Speaking of which, isn’t it your turn next?’ Tatsuhiko said, his glance shifting between Yoshitaka and Ayane. ‘You’ve been married for how long, a whole year now? Aren’t you tired of the newlywed couple thing yet?’

‘Honey!’ Yukiko swatted her husband’s arm. ‘That’s none of our business.’

‘Fine, fine,’ Tatsuhiko said with a forced chuckle. ‘Each to their own, I suppose.’ He downed the rest of his wine, his eyes turning to Hiromi. ‘What about you, Hiromi? Don’t worry,’ he held up a hand, ‘I’m not going to ask a single woman anything improper. I was just wondering how things are at the school. Everything going well?’

‘So far so good. There’s still lots to learn, though.’

‘Well, you have the best teacher,’ Yukiko said. She turned to Ayane. ‘So are you just leaving everything to Hiromi these days?’

Ayane nodded. ‘I’m afraid I’ve already taught her everything I know.’

‘Well, that’s impressive,’ Yukiko said, smiling at Hiromi.

Hiromi’s expression warmed and she cast her eyes downward. She was sure that neither of the Ikais cared much about what she did. They were just trying to find some way to include her, the younger fifth wheel at a table with two couples, in the conversation.

‘Which reminds me,’ Ayane said, standing, ‘I have a present for you two.’ She fetched a large paper bag from behind the sofa and brought it back to the table. When she revealed its contents, Yukiko gave an exaggerated yelp of surprise, covering her mouth with her hands. It was an elaborate patchwork bedcover, intricately quilted. It was much smaller than the usual size.

‘I thought you could use it for the baby’s bed,’ Ayane said. ‘And when he gets too big for it, you can hang it on the wall as a tapestry.’

‘Oh, it’s marvellous!’ Yukiko said, an ecstatic smile on her face. ‘Thank you so much, Ayane.’ She clutched the edge of the quilt in one hand, feeling the fabric. ‘I’m sure he’ll love it. Thank you!’

‘That’s quite the gift. Don’t those take a long time to make?’ Tatsuhiko asked, turning his eyes towards Hiromi for confirmation.

‘How long did that one take, half a year, maybe?’ Hiromi asked Ayane. She was only vaguely familiar with the process for making this particular style of quilt.

Ayane furrowed her brows. ‘I don’t exactly remember —’ she said, then turned her attention to Yukiko ‘— but I’m glad you like it!’

‘Oh, I love it!’ Yukiko said. ‘But I don’t know if I should accept it. Honey, do you know how expensive these are? A genuine Ayane Mita bedcover goes for a million yen at the gallery in Ginza.’

‘Whoa,’ Tatsuhiko exclaimed, his eyes going a little wide with genuine surprise that something made out of little bits of cloth sewn together could cost so much.

‘Frankly, I’d never seen her invest so much passion into one of her quilts before,’ Yoshitaka told them. ‘Even on my days off she’d be sitting there on that sofa, working her needles. All day long, sometimes. It was an impressive display of dedication.’