Кэйго Хигасино - Newcomer

Mineko Mitsui — victim

Kyoichiro Kaga — detective, Nihonbashi Precinct

OMAKARA, THE RICE CRACKER SHOP

Satoko Kamikawa — grandmother

Naho Kamikawa — granddaughter

Fumitaka Kamikawa — son of Satoko and father of Naho

Shinichi Takura — insurance agent

MATSUYA, A TRADITIONAL JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Yoriko — manager and co-owner

Taiji — co-owner with his wife, Yoriko

Shuhei — apprentice

Katsuya — apprentice

YANAGISAWA’S CHINA SHOP

Naoya Yanagisawa — husband and son

Maki Yanagisawa — wife and daughter-in-law

Suzue Yanagisawa — mother and mother-in-law

TERADA’S CLOCK SHOP

Genichi Terada — owner of the shop

Shimako Terada — wife of Genichi

Kanae Terada — daughter of Genichi and Shimako

Akifumi Yoneoka — apprentice

QUATTRO, A PASTRY SHOP

Miyuki — clerk

Reiko Nakanishi — manager

Kenichi — Miyuki’s partner

HOZUKIYA, A HANDICRAFTS SHOP

Masayo Fujiyama — owner

Misaki Sugawara — part-time worker

Koki Kiyose — son of the victim

Naohiro Kiyose — ex-husband of the victim

Tamiko Yoshioka — translator and friend of the victim

Yuri Miyamoto — new secretary to Naohiro Kiyose

Yosaku Kishida — accountant to Naohiro Kiyose

Hiroshi Uesugi — detective, Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Homicide Division

“Thank goodness it’s finally a bit cooler. It’s only June, for goodness’ sake.”

Emerging from the back of the shop, Satoko began rearranging the packets of rice crackers on the shelves.

“You just got out of the hospital, Grandma. You shouldn’t be running around so much. Dad will give me a hard time if he sees you carrying on like this.” Naho frowned.

“It’s okay, really. I’m better now. That’s why the hospital let me come home. It’s back to business as usual. You know that old saying about how people who don’t work have no right to eat? It won’t be long before you’ll have to stand on your own two feet.”

“Oh God, not that again.” Naho crammed a piece of mayonnaise-flavored rice cracker into her mouth.

Satoko peered into her granddaughter’s face.

“But my, you do love your rice crackers. I know it’s the family business and all that, but you’ve been eating those things since the day you were born. How you don’t get sick of them I’ll never know.”

“This is a new flavor.”

“New or not, a rice cracker’s still just a rice cracker. I can’t bear the things myself. They play havoc with my teeth.”

“Then why did you spend fifty years running a rice cracker store?”

“Like I’ve told you before, Naho, we only started selling rice crackers thirty years ago. We used to sell Japanese sweets until your father decided to switch to rice crackers. Gosh, I still miss those sweet bean jellies.”

“Miss them?” said Naho, pursing her lips. “How? You’re always eating the things.”

Just then, a plump man in a gray suit opened the glass door and entered the store.

“Hello, all,” he sang out cheerfully, giving a little bow.

“Oh, Mr. Takura, thanks for dropping by,” said Satoko. “I feel terrible making you go out of your way in this heat.”

“That’s not a problem. This is my job, after all. Besides, it’s already cooled down a lot this afternoon. At noon, it was unbearable.”

“You must be exhausted. Come in and I’ll fix you a nice cool drink.” Satoko motioned him toward the room behind the store. It was the family living room.

“Thank you, but I’ve just come to pick up that... you know.” Using the tips of two fingers, Takura sketched a square in the air.

“My medical certificate, you mean? No problem. Naho and I went to the hospital today. I told her I’d be fine by myself, but she insisted on coming along.”

Satoko kicked off her sandals.

“It’s all right, Grandma. I’ll get it.” Naho gently edged her grandmother aside and disappeared into the back room.

“You know where it is?” Satoko called out.

“Of course. I’m the one who put it there. You’re the one with no idea where anything is.”

Her grandmother must have made some sort of comment as Naho heard the sound of laughter behind her.

“Don’t forget the tea while you’re at it,” Satoko yelled.

“Yes, I know.”

Naho clucked her tongue. What a nag her grandma was.

She poured out a glass of cold oolong tea, put it on a tray, and went back to the shop. Her grandmother and Mr. Takura were happily chatting away.

“I’m delighted to see you looking so well. When was I last here? Four days ago? You look so much better already.” Takura shook his head in amazement.

“Being back home has helped. I feel much better. I get to be up and doing even though Naho’s always telling me to take it easy. Such a pest.”

“That’s only because she’s worried about you.” Takura reached out and plucked the glass of oolong tea off the tray. “Ah, thank you. It looks delicious.”

“Here you go, Grandma.”

Naho handed an envelope to Satoko.

“Thanks, dear.”

Satoko took a single sheet of paper out of the envelope, glanced over it, and held it out to Takura.

Takura took the document and looked it over.

“Good heavens, you were in the hospital for two whole months? That must have been tough.”

“I wouldn’t have minded if they’d actually taken care of what I was sent in for, but they didn’t do anything about that. Instead, they found out I had something else wrong with me and then spent two whole months treating that. So frustrating.”

“The certificate says you had an infection of the bile duct. Oh, what’s this here? You also had tests for an aneurysm?”

“The aneurysm’s the important thing. I went in to have it operated on, but the operation was postponed.”

“But you will have the operation at some point?”

“Apparently, yes. But it’s probably better for me just to keep going as long as I can. Operations can be risky at my age.”

“I see what you mean. It’s a difficult call to make.” Takura was looking a little uncomfortable.

“Is the certificate in order?” Satoko asked.

“Yes, along with the documents you gave me the other day, I’ve got everything I need. I’ll go back to the office and process it as fast as I can. Your hospitalization claim will be paid by next month at the latest.”

“You’re going to go back to the office now? That’s terrible.”

“Not at all, not at all. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Takura put the certificate into his briefcase and smiled at Naho. “Thank you very much for the tea.”

“No. Thank you,” Naho replied.

Satoko walked Takura to the street and waved to him as he went on his way.

About two hours later, Fumitaka — Satoko’s son and Naho’s father — got back home. There was grime on the collar of his white polo shirt.

“I was at the rice cracker wholesaler,” he said, slipping off his shoes. “On the way back, it looked like something big was going on over at Kodenmacho. There were loads of police cars around. No sign of a car crash or anything like that, though.”

“Something serious?” Naho suggested.

“Why else would the cops be all over the place?”

“This area’s not safe anymore,” declared Satoko, who was in the kitchen tasting the miso soup. “There are just too many newcomers moving into those new apartment complexes.”