As soon as he returned to the office, Danilov was called into Chief Inspector Rock’s office. He didn’t even have time to hang up his coat.
‘He’s not a happy man, Inspector,’ warned Miss Cavendish. ‘But then again, these days he rarely is. Good luck.’
He knocked on the glass and entered. He expected to see the chief inspector on his own, writing at his desk as usual. Instead, he was sitting in a chair facing another man, drinking tea.
‘Of course, you know Inspector Nakamoto, my counterpart in the Japanese section,’ Rock said.
A small man sat in the bentwood chair, his feet barely touching the floor. His body turned towards Danilov and he smiled, revealing a row of gold teeth. On his bald head he wore a flat tweed cap. He looked like one of those men in the American gangster movies that Strachan loved so much.
‘Only by reputation. We’ve never worked together before,’ Danilov finally answered.
‘I heard so much about you.’
‘All good, I hope, Inspector Nakamoto,’ said Rock.
The Japanese man twisted his head to one side and sucked in his breath. ‘All… interesting,’ he said eventually.
Chief Inspector Rock pulled a newspaper from his desk and threw it at Danilov. ‘Nakamoto-san came to show me this. But why my own inspector hadn’t informed me first, I’ll never know.’
Danilov opened the paper. On the front page was a photograph of the boy laid out on the examination table in the morgue. The picture quality was not great, but the mutilations to the face, and the birthmark, could be seen. Beneath the morgue picture was a close-up of the stack of wood where the body was found. There was no blood on the wood, but the symbol could be seen clearly, with the Japanese Club in the background. The headline was worse: CHINESE BOY’S BUTCHERED BODY FOUND IN JAP TOWN.
‘What do you have to say, Inspector?’
‘Not a lot, sir. I revisited the building site where the body was discovered. The reporters were waiting for me. Somebody must have tipped them off.’
‘This is not what we need, Danilov. Given the… ’ Rock scratched his head and looked across at Nakamoto, ‘er… political situation at the moment, it is imperative for the social order of the settlement that this case be concluded speedily. Do you understand me?’
‘Of course, Chief Inspector, as soon as I have—’
‘Do you have anything to add, Nakamoto-san?’ Rock interrupted.
Once again the Japanese man sucked in his breath. ‘The murder took place in Japanese section. My detectives will handle from now on.’
‘I don’t think it did.’
The skin around Nakamoto’s eyes wrinkled. ‘I don’t understand, Inspector. Body found next door to the Japanese Club.’
‘But the murder didn’t take place in that location. There was hardly any blood on the wood stack, despite the cuts on the boy’s face. I think he was killed somewhere else and then dumped on the building site.’
‘Nevertheless, I ask my detectives to investigate. Perhaps they find something you missed.’
Danilov played with the stained silk on the interior of his hat. ‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Inspector Nakamoto. The murder scene has already been destroyed. All evidence has been eradicated.’
‘What?’ Chief Inspector Rock exploded. ‘Who did it, man?’
Danilov shook his head slowly. ‘The building site manager. He wanted to remove the bad joss.’
‘Bad joss! I’ll give him bad joss.’ Chief Inspector Rock pointed his finger directly at Danilov. ‘Arrest him now. It’s an offence to tamper with a crime scene.’
‘I don’t think it would do much good.’
‘Inspector Danilov correct, Rock-san. The reporters would find out and there be even more problem than now. However… ’ there was a long pause before Nakamoto continued, ‘I still like my men to handle case. It be easier for Japanese… ’ another long pause, ‘feelings, I think is word in English.’
‘Sir, there was another kidnapping of a young child this morning. From a school in the settlement, not in the Japanese part of town. I think the two cases are linked.’
Chief Inspector Rock paused to think. ‘If this is a settlement-wide crime, Nakamoto-san, perhaps it would be better if Inspector Danilov continued to handle the case,’ he said tentatively.
Nakamoto stood up. ‘If is your decision, Rock-san, then I sure you understand the… consequences.’
Danilov reached over and took a pen and some paper from the neatly ordered desk. He quickly drew the symbol found near the body of the dead boy. ‘Have you seen anything like this before, Nakamoto-san?’
The Japanese man stared down his nose at the drawing. Then his eyes flicked upwards and a broad smile appeared on his face, revealing a set of pure gold teeth. ‘Never, Inspector. Why you ask?’
‘Something similar was seen close to the body.’
Nakamoto shrugged his shoulders. ‘Sorry, can’t help.’
‘Danilov, make sure you keep Inspector Nakamoto informed of all the developments in the case,’ said the chief inspector.
‘Yes, sir.’
Nakamoto opened the door. ‘I hope you make the right decision, Rock-san. Political situation very tense. Slightest mistake could lead to… ’ again the Japanese inspector seemed to be searching for the correct word, ‘difficulty.’
He touched his knuckles to the peak of his flat cap and smiled once again, revealing the gold teeth, before closing the door.