Кэйго Хигасино - The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping

On the next call Juri would instruct them to move the ransom from the suitcase to the cardboard box. Then, Katsutoshi Katsuragi would transport the cash in his Mercedes. With that, all the troublesome devices would be gone.

When I had told Juri this plan, she had frowned.

“Even if you change the car and driver, it’s over if they just transfer the transmitter or bug.”

I shook my head immediately. “They wouldn’t do that.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“Because they can’t be seen doing it. Your parents aren’t the police. There’s no way they could secretly transfer the equipment without catching anyone’s attention.”

“But we won’t be there.”

“And how would they know that?”

“Oh... right.”

“The culprits might be watching from somewhere — so long as we make them think so, the game continues to our advantage. You could say this is poker.”

As my body swayed in the cab, I prayed for Juri to execute her several procedures successfully. Our opponents believed she was being made to call. That she was acting independently was probably something they wouldn’t even dream of. That alone had the effect of a straight flush.

I got out of the taxi as we approached Komagata bridge. From here I would go on foot. I sorted through the plan in my head as I walked. It’s okay, it’ll go well .

A skyscraper stood facing the expressway. It was the building of a certain beer company. I took the elevator to the top floor. It had an observation deck that doubled as a beer hall. I bought a meal ticket for a draft beer at the entrance.

The place had a U-shaped counter with seats that faced the window. There were several guests. I settled down at the left corner. I took out my binoculars and focused them on the expressway. That wasn’t unusual for the guests here, so no one paid any attention. Or rather, they weren’t looking anywhere except out the window, and the staff could only see the guests’ backs.

If Juri had done her work without a hitch, then Katsutoshi Katsuragi’s Mercedes should already be heading this way. I was a little anxious. I needed Juri to be here soon, or I would be in trouble.

When I tried looking at my wristwatch, someone tapped my shoulder. Juri took a seat to my left. She was wearing an aqua dress.

“Mr. Katsuragi is...?” I asked in a whisper.

“Just now, he got on the expressway,” Juri replied curtly.

I held up the binoculars. Although the lens had pretty high magnification, picking out Katsuragi’s Mercedes from among the traffic was difficult.

“Call him. Confirm his location.”

Juri did as she was told. It seemed the call went through right away.

“Hello, it’s me. Where are you now?” she asked in a low voice. “What? You just got on the Mukojima segment?”

I adjusted the binoculars. With any luck, he’d be arriving from Hakozaki in just a few minutes.

“They’re saying to keep driving... I’m sorry, I don’t know where the destination is, either.”

Juri didn’t hang up. It was a burner, so she didn’t have to, but once this game ended, it needed to be disposed of immediately.

A silver-gray Mercedes entered my visual field. It was driving in the slow lane. I was sure it was the right car. I couldn’t actually see the driver’s face, but my intuition was telling me that it was Katsuragi.

After counting in my head, I opened my mouth. “Tell him to get off at Mukojima after he passes Komagata. You know the rest of the instructions.”

Confirming Juri’s silent nod out of the corners of my eyes, I took out my own phone. I made a call to a number that I’d recorded in the phone’s memory.

“Yes, this is the Nissei Automobile Mukojima store,” a young woman’s voice answered.

“Excuse me, this is Tadokoro of the Nissei Automobile board of directors office. Is the manager present?”

As expected, the words “board of directors office” made her gasp.

“Ah, yes, please wait a moment.”

Next to me, Juri gave her father instructions. “Papa, get off at Mukojima... Anyway, get off.”

From my phone, I got a response: “Hello, this is the shop manager Nakamura.”

“This is Tadokoro from the board of directors office. Excuse me for contacting you out of the blue. Actually, I have an urgent request to make.”

“What would that be?” Nakamura’s voice sounded strained.

“The executive vice president was driving in his own car in that area, but it broke down.”

“The executive vice president’s car...” Nakamura was speechless. It was probably a situation he’d never expected.

“We called the Japan Automobile Federation, so I believe it should be fine, but we have a certain issue.”

“You got off at Mukojima? Then, go south down Bokutei Street... No, south. Double back.”

With a sharp, low voice, Juri issued the instructions. Even as I listened to her, I continued with my own part.

“We would like you to quickly transport the luggage from his car to a certain location. When we checked the map, it seemed that your place was the closest, so we called.”

“That, um, if that is the situation, I think I can do something, but, um, where should I go?”

“I’ll call you later with a detailed address. For now, could you wait at the expressway entrance? For you, the Mukojima Interchange would be close.”

“Yes, it is.”

“All right, I’ll contact you again, but um, who will be going?”

“Ah, I will, personally.”

“In that case, Mr. Nakamura, may I please have your cellphone number?”

After getting his number, I told him mine. Of course, it wasn’t my own number, but the one with the fictitious name Juri was currently using.

I hung up, and drinking beer, I listened to Juri’s conversation.

“Yes, go on the expressway again from the Mukojima Interchange... I don’t know why, either. I’m just saying what I’m being told to say.”

I put the binoculars to my eyes. I couldn’t see the Mercedes yet.

There still had to be a police tail on it. Exiting at Mukojima Interchange, then backtracking to get on the expressway again — if they tailed such an unnatural route, the police presence might be revealed to the culprit, but in a situation where there was no transmitter or bug, all they could do was to keep at it. While they were concerned for the hostage, I judged that the police would have the obstinacy to push forward.

Shaking them off was the final step.

I saw the Mercedes. I put out my hand to Juri. She gave the phone she had to me.

I put it to my ear. I took one deep breath. Then I opened my mouth.

“Hello, Mister Katsuragi,” I said in English.

A male voice all of a sudden, speaking in a different language to boot — there was no response.

I kept speaking. All of it was in English.

“From here on I will speak in English. That should not be a problem, right? If the policemen tapping into this phone are proficient in English, then I’m an unlucky bastard, and I give up. Well, first, stop at the next parking area. It’s the one that’s coming up in three hundred meters. Stop at the very back of the merging lanes. If you understand, say yes.”

“Yes ,” Katsuragi answered using the English word.

“ Excellent .”

With the binoculars, I looked at the Komagata parking area. The Mercedes put on its blinker and went in. However, no car followed after it. There wasn’t even a car that entered prior to the Mercedes. It seemed that the tailing cars couldn’t respond immediately. Just as planned.

“Turn off the engine and leave the car without locking it. There’s a rest stop area, so get in there.”

I heard the sound of a door opening and closing. Then Katsuragi said in Japanese, “There’s no point in any of this. There were never any police with me to begin with.”