David Peace - Tokyo Year Zero

‘We reckon he knows where Fujita is,’ agrees Sanada –

‘And knows why Fujita has gone,’ hisses Hattori –

‘But he won’t tell us anything,’ says Shimoda –

‘So I say we should turn him over to Chief Inspector Adachi,’ says Hattori now. ‘He’d soon make him talk…’

‘Why turn him over to Chief Inspector Adachi?’ I ask him. ‘What would Chief Inspector Adachi want with Ishida?’

‘The Chief Inspector was here looking for him,’ says Hattori. ‘Looking for Ishida, asking about Detective Fujita —’

I curse him and I curse him and I curse him …

‘When was Chief Inspector Adachi here?’

‘Yesterday evening,’ says Hattori. ‘When you weren’t.’

I curse him and I curse myself …

They are mumbling now. They are muttering now –

I am the head of the room! I am the boss …

‘Enough!’ I shout. ‘I want your reports now!’

They stop mumbling. They stop muttering –

Eyes full of dissent and eyes full of hate …

And they make their reports about Tominaga Noriko’s landlady. And they make their reports about Masaoka Hisae –

‘But there was one other thing,’ says Detective Sanada. ‘Masaoka told us that Kodaira Yoshio always had gifts on him…’

‘You mean like food,’ I ask him. ‘Like kaidashi?’

‘As well as food,’ says Detective Sanada. ‘Proper gifts for ladies like jewellery, watches, umbrellas, you know…?’

‘Thank you, detective,’ I say. ‘Now I want you all back out on the streets today, back round Shiba and back round the park, back with the descriptions of Tominaga Noriko and Kodaira Yoshio…’

Investigation is footwork. Investigation is footwork …

‘What about Ishida here?’ asks Detective Hattori.

‘Leave him to me,’ I say. ‘You just get to work.’

But Hattori doesn’t move. ‘What about Fujita?’

‘Get to work, detective!’ I shout –

But, for just one moment, Hattori still doesn’t move. None of them move; Hattori, Takeda, Sanada, Shimoda, Nishi or Kimura; their eyes full of questions and doubts, full of dissent and hate –

Lead your men! Lead your men! Lead your men!

Now Hattori moves and then they all move –

I am the boss! I am the boss! I am the boss!

‘Detective Nishi, you wait here,’ I say –

Detective Nishi nods. Nishi waits –

‘Detective Takeda! Detective Kimura!’ I shout after them. ‘What time will Tominaga’s landlady be at Keiō Hospital?’

‘I said I’d take her,’ says Takeda. ‘An hour ago.’

I am the boss! I am the boss! I am the boss!

‘What are you standing around here for then?’ I shout at him. ‘You two go and pick her up and meet me up at Keiō with her…’

They are mumbling as they leave, muttering again.

Lead your men! Lead your men! Lead your men!

I turn to Detective Nishi. I take Detective Nishi off to one side. I ask him, ‘Did you hear back from the Kanuma police?’

Detective Nishi nods. Detective Nishi takes a piece of paper from his jacket. Detective Nishi hands it to me –

‘Good work, detective,’ I tell him.

Nishi bows. Nishi thanks me –

I am the boss! I am the boss!

Nishi says it was nothing –

I am the boss! The boss!

I shake my head and I thank him. Now I write down a name on a piece of paper for him and tell him, ‘Get me an address for this man and then meet me at Keiō with it as soon as you can…’

Nishi nods again. Nishi bows. Now Nishi leaves –

He leaves me alone with Detective Ishida.

*

My skin is red. Ishida on his knees . My skin is raw. Where is the file? My hand aches. What file? My body sweats. The Miyazaki Mitsuko file . The city stinks of shit. I don’t know what you’re talking about . Of shit and dirt and dust. The Miyazaki Mitsuko file . The dirt and the dust that coats my clothes and coats my skin. I’ve never heard of it . That scars my nostrils and burns my throat. Liar! Liar! Liar! With every passing jeep and with every passing truck. No, no, no . I take out my handkerchief. The file Fujita asked you to sign out . I take off my hat. No, no, no . I wipe my face. The file you signed out under Nishi’s name . I wipe my neck. I didn’t . I stare up at the bleached-white sky. The file you were to give to Fujita . The clouds of typhus. No, no, no . The clouds of dust. The Miyazaki Mitsuko file . The clouds of dirt. I don’t know what file you mean . The clouds of shit. The Miyazaki Mitsuko file! My skin is red. I don’t know what you’re talking about . My skin is raw. Tell me where it is! My hand aches. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know . My body sweats. I’m sorry, then . The city stinks of shit. But I really don’t know . The city stinks of defeat. Because you’re on your own now . This city on its knees –

And I curse him. I curse Fujita. I curse Adachi. I curse Hattori. I curse Takeda. I curse Sanada. I curse Shimoda. I curse Nishi. I curse Kimura. I curse Kai. I curse Kanehara. I curse Kita. I curse them all but most of all, I curse myself, I curse myself, I curse myself –

‘Get off your knees!’ I shout. ‘Get off your knees!’

*

The air is still thick with screams and sobs. I hate hospitals . I try not to breathe in. I don’t want to remember . The gurneys still lined up against the walls. I hate hospitals . I try not to stare. I don’t want to remember . Through the waiting rooms, down the long corridors to the service elevator. I hate hospitals . I watch the elevator doors close. I don’t want to remember . I ride the dark elevator down. I hate hospitals . I watch the elevator doors open. I don’t want to remember . I watch them open again onto the light. In the half-light . I watch them open onto Dr. Nakadate; blood on his gown, blood on his mask and blood on his gloves. I can’t forget . Nakadate waiting for me. ‘You’ve not spoken to Chief Kita, have you? About Miyazaki Mitsuko?’

‘I’m sorry,’ I tell him. ‘But the file is missing…’

‘So what? You could still go to Chief Kita.’

‘Please give me a few more days…’

‘A few more days? Why?’

Just a few more days …

‘Please doctor, I need to find the file. I need to read it…’

‘Why?’ asks Nakadate. ‘We all know what it must say.’

‘But I wasn’t even the senior officer,’ I say. ‘I need to find the file. I need to read it. And I need to speak to him…’

‘And you think he’d do the same for you?’

‘I really don’t know any more.’

‘A few more days,’ says Nakadate now. ‘But then I’ll go to Chief Kita myself, inspector…’

‘Thank you.’

‘And you really need to get that hand dressed too…’

‘Thank you,’ I say again. ‘I know I do.’

‘Then what are you waiting for?’

Not you. Not you. Not you …

I bow to the doctor. I thank the doctor. I turn and I walk away. Down the basement corridor. Past the walls of sinks and drains. Past the warnings and the signs. Past Detective Takeda and Detective Kimura now sat waiting in the corridor with Tominaga Noriko’s landlady. Down to the glass doors. Into the autopsy room –

The clothing has already been laid out on one of the autopsy tables, the two white canvas shoes with their red rubber soles placed at its foot, and the ladies’ undergarments found near the scene placed again on one of the smaller separate dissecting tables –