Содзи Симада - Murder in the Crooked House

“I’m sorry, I don’t play.”

No one had ever heard Kumi sound like this before. Eiko, however, didn’t seem satisfied yet with her victory. She remained standing in front of Kumi.

“This lass is not the type for all that. Always so busy studying she never had time to learn the piano. Forgive her, Ms Hamamoto.”

At last, Kikuoka had come to Kumi’s rescue. She sat looking at the floor in misery.

“Let’s hear some more of your playing, Ms Hamamoto,” called Kikuoka in his raspy walrus voice, and Michio Kanai quickly saw his opportunity to earn himself a few points.

“Ms Hamamoto, your skill on the piano is superb. I would love to hear some more.”

Eiko eventually relented, and returned to the piano to play another piece. Again, with the exception of Kumi Aikura, the audience’s reaction was ecstatic.

When everyone had drunk their tea, the robust-looking policeman that Inspector Okuma had called from the Wakkanai Police Station turned up at the Ice Floe Mansion, a layer of snow adorning his peaked cap. He was introduced to everyone as Constable Anan.

Eiko suggested that Constable Anan and Inspector Okuma spend the night in Room 12. Togai, the current occupant, looked up in surprise.

“Togai, you can move to Room 8 and share with Yoshihiko,” said Eiko.

Togai and Sasaki both wondered why Eiko didn’t put them together in Room 13, which was larger than Room 8. They each privately decided it was because she knew that they were rivals for her affections, and thought it best to keep them apart. She was always so thoughtful! But if that were the case, then surely she should have moved Sasaki to Room 8? Room 13, where he’d spent the previous night, was so much more spacious than Room 12, and would therefore have been much better suited to lodging the two policemen. It must be because Sasaki’s exams were coming up soon. Letting him keep his own room would give him time to study.

Eiko’s decision was in fact somewhat self-serving. She believed in ensuring her suitors were as successful in their careers as possible. In that way she could have the choice of men who in the future would be a doctor or a lawyer or a Tokyo University professor, or at the very least, some kind of famous person.

“Chief Inspector Ushikoshi, Sergeant Ozaki, the room next to Mr Kikuoka’s in the basement is currently unoccupied. Please take that tonight. I’ll have it prepared for you right away.”

“Much obliged.”

Chief Inspector Ushikoshi expressed thanks on behalf of all four officers.

“I don’t suppose you’ve brought any sleepwear?”

“No, we haven’t. But please don’t go to any trouble.”

“We do have several spare sets of pyjamas, but I don’t think we have enough for all four of you.”

“Oh, please don’t worry about anything like that. Compared to the pancake-thin futons we get at the police station, it’ll be heaven.”

“Anyway, we have toothbrushes for everyone.”

Okuma privately thought that this was about the same as a night in prison. Even criminals got a toothbrush.

“So sorry to trouble you.”

“No, not at all. You are keeping us safe, after all.”

“We’ll do our best.”

As he brought his second cup of black coffee to his lips, Kozaburo Hamamoto struck up conversation with Eikichi Kikuoka. Kikuoka’s personal terror of developing diabetes meant that he also took his coffee black and sugar free.

Kikuoka had been staring out of the window as if dumbfounded. The glass was covered in drops of condensation; beyond it snowflakes were whirling like deadly splinters.

Up here in northern Hokkaido, there was at least one night of extreme weather each winter. It was a blessed relief to be inside with the double windows keeping you warm on such a night as this.

“How do you like our blizzards up here in the north?” asked Kozaburo.

“What?… Oh, it’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this before, such a powerful storm. It feels as if the whole house is shaking.”

“Does it remind you of anything?”

“What do you mean?”

“Never mind. We’re just a single house in the middle of a huge, empty plain. Someone once said that the constructions of man are just molehills to Mother Nature, powerless against her.”

“Very true, very true.”

“Doesn’t it remind you of the war?”

“Where did that come from?”

“Ah, it just brought back some memories for me, that’s all.”

“The war… there are no good memories… But this is the first time we’ve had a night like this while I’ve been visiting. There was nothing like this back in the summer. It’s like a typhoon.”

“Maybe it’s Ueda’s revenge.”

“What the…? Lay off the jokes, please. Tonight’s going to be hard enough to get to sleep as it is. That noise and all that’s happened… I ought to be tired but all this is stopping me from sleeping.”

At this point, Kanai opened his mouth and said something that was sure to get him a pay cut.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Ueda’s ghost turned up by your bedside, saying ‘Sir, should I fetch the car?’”

Kikuoka’s face turned red with rage.

“Don’t… Don’t talk such utter crap! You idiot! What are you thinking?”

“Mr Kikuoka?” interrupted Kozaburo.

“What?”

“I’d just like to ask you, do you still have any of those sleeping pills I gave you?”

“Huh? Yes, I’ve got a couple left.”

“All right, then. That’s fine. You’ll take some tonight, then?”

“Yes, I suppose so. You know, I was just thinking it might be a good idea.”

“Right. I can always go and get some more from Sasaki. And I really think you ought to take two. I don’t think a single pill is going to do it on a night like this.”

“Yes, you’re right. Anyway, I think I’d better get to bed as soon as possible. This storm is getting heavy.”

“I think that’s a good idea. For a couple of old men like us. And I think you ought to be very careful to lock up your room—don’t forget your door. After all, they do say there’s a murderer on the loose in the house.”

“You don’t say!”

Kikuoka laughed heartily as if he found it amusing, but it was clear that he was actually quite nervous.

“Hey, you never know. If I were a bloodthirsty killer, I’d be after you, Mr Kikuoka!”

This time Kikuoka positively roared. He was trying to seem amused, but there was sweat visible on his forehead.

At that moment, Chief Inspector Ushikoshi came over to Kozaburo and asked to speak to him for a moment.

“Yes, of course!” replied Kozaburo, still in high spirits.

He glanced over to see the other three police officers huddled together at a corner of the dining table, discussing something in hushed tones.

Seeing Kozaburo turn away to talk to Ushikoshi, Kikuoka decided to talk to Kumi instead.

“Hey, Kumi, does your bed have an electric blanket?”

But his secretary appeared to be in an unusually foul mood.

“Yes.”

She still had the same wide-eyed expression as always, but tonight her catlike eyes were not turned on her sugar daddy. She was sulking about something.

“Didn’t you find… Well… that it wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be?”

“No,” she said curtly. The implication was, And neither are you.

“You know, it’s the first time in my life I’ve slept under an electric blanket. But it wasn’t quite enough. I can’t criticize the heat it gives off but… Was there a duvet in your room too?”

“Yes.”

“Where? I mean, where did you find it?”

“In the wardrobe.”

“What kind of duvet?”

“A down one.”

“In my room there didn’t seem to be anything like that. Guess it’s because it’s not really supposed to be a bedroom. The bed’s so narrow that if you turn over you end up on the floor. The cushions are nothing to complain about though. Have you seen it? Hey? It’s like this chair but with the sitting part pulled way out like this… Well, it’s a sort of couch, I guess, but there’s like a backrest on the end. Odd sort of a thing, really.”