Praise for The Devotion of Suspect X
‘The plot is taut and intriguing … this psychological
driver sets it apart from more run-of-the-mill crime
thrillers … Agatha Christie would be mightily impressed’
Financial Times
‘A very clever novel that explores the consequences of a
murder from the perspectives of the murderer, the police
investigators, and the man who engages in a battle of wits
with the police … a page-turning thriller’ Irish Times
‘The ending is a killer twist’ Metro
Also by Keigo Higashino
The Devotion of Suspect X
Copyright
Published by Hachette Digital
ISBN: 978 1 4055 1852 9
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2008 by Keigo Higashino
Translation copyright © 2012 by Alexander O. Smith
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
Hachette Digital
Little, Brown Book Group
100 Victoria Embankment
London, EC4Y 0DY
www.hachette.co.uk
Contents
Copyright
Also by Keigo Higashino
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
ONE
The pansies in the planter had flowered – a few small, bright blooms. The dry soil didn’t seem to have dimmed the colour of the petals. Not particularly showy flowers, but they’re tough, Ayane thought, gazing out onto the veranda through the sliding glass door. I’ll have to water them when I get a chance.
‘Have you heard a single word I’ve said?’ Yoshitaka asked.
She turned around and smiled faintly. ‘Yes, everything. How could I not?’
‘You might try answering more quickly, then.’ Yoshitaka, lounging on the sofa, uncrossed and recrossed his long legs. In his frequent workouts, he took pains not to put on too much lower-body muscle – nothing that would prevent him from wearing the slim-cut trousers he preferred.
‘I suppose my mind must’ve wandered.’
‘Oh? That’s not like you.’ Her husband raised a single sculpted eyebrow.
‘What you said was surprising, you know.’
‘I find that hard to believe. You should be familiar with my life plan by now.’
‘Familiar … Maybe so.’
‘What are you trying to say?’ Yoshitaka leaned back and stretched his arms out along the sofa top, ostentatious in his lack of concern. Ayane wondered if he was acting or if he truly was that nonchalant.
She took a breath and stared at his handsome features.
‘Is it such a big deal to you?’ she asked.
‘Is what a big deal?’
‘Having children.’
Yoshitaka gave a derisive, wry little smile; he glanced away, then looked back at her. ‘You haven’t been listening to me at all, have you?’
‘I have been listening,’ she said with a glare she hoped he’d notice. ‘That’s why I’m asking.’
The smile faded from his lips. He nodded slowly. ‘It is a big deal. A very big deal. Essential, even. If we can’t have children, there’s no point to us being married. Romantic love between a man and a woman always fades with time. People live together in order to build a family. A man and woman get married and become husband and wife. Then they have children and become father and mother. Only then do they become life partners in the true sense of the word. You don’t agree?’
‘I just don’t think that’s all marriage is.’
Yoshitaka shook his head. ‘I do. I believe it quite strongly and have no intention of changing my mind. Which is to say, I’ve no intention of continuing on like this if we can’t have children.’
Ayane pressed her fingers to her temples. She had a headache. She hadn’t seen this one coming. ‘Let me get this straight,’ she said. ‘You don’t need a woman who can’t bear your children. So you’ll throw me out and switch to someone who can? That’s what you’re telling me?’
‘No need to put it so harshly.’
‘But that’s what you’re saying!’
Yoshitaka straightened. He hesitated, frowning slightly, before nodding again. ‘I suppose that from your perspective it would look that way, yes. You have to understand, I take my life plan very seriously. More seriously than anything else.’
Ayane’s lips curled upward, though smiling was the furthest thing from her mind. ‘You like telling people that, don’t you? How you take your life plan so seriously. It was one of the first things you said when we met.’
‘What are you so upset about, Ayane? You have everything you ever wanted. If there’s something I’ve forgotten, just ask. I intend to do everything I can for you. So let’s just stop all this fussing, and start thinking about the future. Unless you see some other way forward?’
Ayane turned to face the wall. Her eyes fell on a metre-wide tapestry hanging there. It had taken her three months to make it; she remembered the material, specially ordered direct from a manufacturer in England.
She didn’t need Yoshitaka to tell her how important children were. She had wanted them herself, desperately. How many times had she dreamed of sitting in a rocking chair, stitching a patchwork quilt, watching her belly grow larger with each passing day? But God, in his mischief, had made that impossible. So she had given up – it wasn’t like she’d had a choice – and resigned herself to living without. She had thought her husband would be okay with that.
‘I know it might seem silly to you, but can I ask one question?’
‘Yes?’
Ayane faced him again, taking a deep breath. ‘What about your love for me? Whatever happened to that?’
Yoshitaka flinched, then gradually his smile returned. ‘My love for you hasn’t changed a bit,’ he said. ‘I can assure you of that. I do still love you.’
That was a complete lie, as far as Ayane was concerned. But she smiled and said that was good. She wasn’t sure how else to respond.
‘Let’s go.’ Yoshitaka stood and headed for the door.
Ayane glanced at her dresser, thinking about the white powder hidden in a sealed plastic bag in the bottommost drawer on the right.
Guess I’ll be using that soon, she thought, the last glimmer of hope fading beneath the shadow inside her.
As she followed him out of the door, she stared at Yoshitaka’s back, thinking, I love you more than anything else in this world. That’s why your words were like a knife stabbing me in the heart. That’s why you have to die, too.
TWO
Hiromi Wakayama began to suspect something when she saw the Mashibas coming down the stairs. Their sm
iles were clearly forced – Ayane’s in particular.
Sorry to keep you waiting,’ Yoshitaka said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. A touch too curtly, he asked her if she’d heard anything from the Ikais.
‘Yukiko left a message just now saying they’d be here in about five minutes,’ Hiromi told him.
‘Guess I’ll get the champagne ready, then.’
‘No, let me,’ Ayane said hurriedly. ‘Hiromi, would you mind getting the glasses?’
‘Not at all.’
‘I’ll set the table, then,’ Yoshitaka said.
Hiromi watched Ayane disappear into the kitchen before she walked over to the tall cupboard against the dining room wall. The cupboard was an antique that had cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of three million yen, or so she had heard. The glasses inside were all suitably expensive.
Carefully, she took out five champagne flutes: two Baccarat and three Venetian-style. It was customary in the Mashiba household to offer the guests Venetian-style glasses.
Yoshitaka was busily setting out placemats for five at the eight-person dining table. He was an old hand at dinner parties, and Hiromi had gradually picked up the routine.
She arranged the champagne flutes at each place. She heard the sound of running water from the kitchen. She stepped closer to Yoshitaka.
‘Did you say something to her?’ Hiromi whispered.
‘Nothing in particular,’ he answered without looking up.
‘You did talk, though?’
He glanced in her direction for the first time. ‘About what?’
‘About what?!’ she was going to say when the doorbell chimed.
‘They’re here,’ Yoshitaka called into the kitchen.
‘Sorry, I’ve got my hands full. Can you get it?’ came Ayane’s reply.
‘Absolutely,’ Yoshitaka said, walking over to the intercom on the wall.
Ten minutes later the hosts and their guests were sitting at the dining room table. Everyone was smiling, though to Hiromi it looked forced – as if they were all taking great pains not to disturb the casual mood. She wondered how people learned this kind of artifice. Surely the skill wasn’t inborn; Hiromi knew it had taken Ayane at least a year to blend into this particular scene.
‘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 refrig -erator. 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 d
ays?’
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.’