Once the morning had passed, you could hardly read without the aid of a desk light. While this was true for the whole of the Prefectural HQ, the ground and first floors that housed Administrative Affairs were particularly dark. The archives, which had been built just outside the windows, robbed them not only of sunlight but also of any kind of view. They’d been told to put up with it, at least until the new headquarters was ready, but a drop in tax revenues had meant budget cuts and the project itself had been put on hold for close to three years.
Dressed in a suit, his steps tapping a precise rhythm, Masaki Tsuge made his way down the cold underground passage. There were two ways to get to the Prefectural Government from the Prefectural HQ: either cross the bridge over the national highway or head underground. Tsuge preferred the latter. He didn’t necessarily consider it a reflection of the way he worked but he knew he disliked the bridge and the way it left you exposed.
Administrative Affairs. Secretariat. Assistant Chief. Inspector. Thirty-six. In charge of Assembly Relations.
As he reached the top of the stairs, the government building came into view. With the tiles catching the sun, it resembled a vast office. The structure in front of it, an ultra-modern affair that looked like a concert hall, was the prefectural assembly. Both had been thrown up only five years earlier. Standing here served as a stark reminder of how the Prefectural HQ had been left behind.
I’ll get the project moving again.
Tsuge began to walk towards the assembly. Slipping through the revolving doors, he peeked through the door of the office to the right. Civil servants bustled around the usually quiet room, twenty or so hurrying from one desk to the next. They were busy with the preparations for September’s cabinet meeting.
Tsuge called out to a man he recognised. They would all know why he was there, so there was little to explain.
‘Just remember these aren’t final,’ the man cautioned, handing across five stapled-together sheets of recycled paper.
The questions.
Tsuge set himself on a couch in the corner of the room and began to flip through the pages. Written inside were the names of those assembly members who were planning to take part in the question-and-answer session. Next to each was a box where they could indicate the subject matter. That was the reason Tsuge was here. During the meeting, the captain of the Prefectural HQ would stand as a member of the executive, ready to answer any questions about the police. Tsuge needed the information in these sheets so the police could draft his responses in advance.
He traced his finger carefully down the page.
Drugs and Legislation. This was in the box next to Assemblyman Oiso’s name. Tsuge jotted a memo in his notebook. There was a new drug that had recently made the news for being a stimulant and difficult to regulate under current legislation. Tsuge felt his usual admiration for Oiso’s keen eye.
Misaki was next. Police. That was all it said in his box. Usually that meant he intended to ask the police a question but had yet to decide on the content. But this was Misaki, so it was probably worth doing a double check.
Sakuma was the next name to be added to Tsuge’s notebook. The Elderly. His box was clearly marked. Considering his track record, the topic would probably focus on how to help the elderly maintain a sense of purpose in society. Such questions often touched on the issue of suicide, which would require statistics and background analysis. In such cases, the captain of the Prefectural HQ would usually be expected to comment once the director of Welfare had said his piece.
Tsuge took a few final notes, feeling a sense of relief as he flicked the bundle of sheets closed. He hadn’t seen anything that was inflammatory, nothing that attacked the captain. Even the opposition appeared to have forgone their usual jabs. The economy was bottoming out and the resultant growth in issues such as bankruptcy and unemployment had no doubt left them with little time for taking potshots at the force.
I should probably start with old-man Misaki.
Tsuge got to his feet. Stepping out of the room, he padded down thick carpet, aiming for the cavernous room at the far end of the corridor. The New Liberal Democratic Club. Its use was reserved for the members of the largest conservative faction. Misaki did not appear to be present. When Tsuge asked after him, the female attendant told him he was upstairs. Tsuge climbed the stairs to the second floor. Assembly members who had previously occupied the post of chairman or vice-chairman were allocated private rooms known as ‘studies’.
‘Could I bother you for a moment?’
‘Ah, Tsuge. Perfect timing. I was about to call you.’ Misaki’s enormous frame looked as though it was part of the couch. The man had loosened his belt and sat with his zip half down, easing the pressure on the flab around his belly. His log-like legs were thrown over the desk. He was almost seventy but the eyes buried within his oily face contained the sparkle of a younger man’s. ‘You and I, we’re always in sync.’
‘Was it about this?’ Tsuge held up the notebook and the spot where he’d written ‘Police’.
Misaki gave a satisfied nod. ‘What do you think I should ask?’
‘Do you have any preferences?’
‘I’d like something with . . . impact. Something that’ll be a hit with the locals.’
The elections would follow soon after the cabinet meeting. Misaki no doubt wanted something that would help him earn some extra brownie points. Although . . . Tsuge brought to mind Misaki’s unexpected struggle during the elections four years ago, against a newcomer who’d come in with the backing of a local citizens’ group. And here he was, a seasoned politician, going out of his way to take part in the question-and-answer session. Perhaps he sensed danger.
If he doesn’t have anything, maybe get him to ask about the delay in the renovation of the headquarters.
That had been Tsuge’s plan, but he should perhaps reconsider. Whatever happened, he would need Misaki’s backing to get the project underway. Tsuge changed tack. The smart move would be to build goodwill, give the man a question that was in line with his own agenda.
‘What about drugs? I haven’t done anything on drugs for a while.’
‘Assemblyman Oiso has something on that. I think he’s planning to bring up the legislation in the context of new drugs that are hard to regulate.’
‘Well, that’s no fun. Do me a favour and think something up, would you? Put that sharp mind of yours to use.’
As far as Tsuge knew, Misaki was the only member of the assembly who was willing to leave the content of his question to someone else. Not that he looked down on the man for it. Born into a poor family, Misaki had barely finished primary school. Despite this, he had managed in the space of a single generation to build himself a successful construction business then leverage his newfound capital to take a key role in the prefectural assembly.
Tsuge found his drive attractive, and he liked to think he saw something of himself in the way this man had lived his life.
What should he ask?
Tsuge considered the options as he made his way back along the underground passage. Misaki would no doubt charter a bus to ensure that the seats in the hall were filled with his supporters. Tsuge needed something to impress them. Leaving the passage, Tsuge recalled a fatal hit-and-run that had taken place in Misaki’s electoral district just two weeks ago. If memory served, they had yet to make an arrest.
That might do it.
He climbed the stairs of the north building. Transport Guidance was located at the end of the corridor on the second floor. Flagging down Assistant Chief Yoshikawa, Tsuge enquired how the investigation was progressing.
‘It’s only a matter of time before we make an arrest. We got the model of the car from a sample of paint. It’s a Bluebird. White. There are a lot of cars matching that description so it’ll take a bit of time, of course. I’d say around a month.’
‘Assemblyman Misaki wants to ask a question about it during the next session. Any problem if the captain tells him we know the car’s a Bluebird?’
‘I’d welcome it. If it gets to the press, whoever it is will realise they’re going to be caught. A lot of people turn themselves in at that point.’
Done.
The decision was made. Misaki would enquire as to the status of the hit-and-run incident. The captain would give a standard response, something about having officers on the case, about being committed to hunting down the culprit, but he would also add the flourish of the car being a Bluebird. For Misaki, that would be a win. The force, too, would have nothing to lose. The comment would pressure the perpetrator to come in, and Tsuge happened to know that the arrest rate for this type of case was close to a hundred per cent. The captain could mention that at the same time and secure some good PR for the force.
Tsuge took some papers from Yoshikawa then made his way back to the Secretariat on the first floor of the main building. Despite the fact that this was his home in the Prefectural HQ, he still felt nervous each time he walked in. The captain’s private office was behind the door at the back. The lamp that indicated whether he was present was off. Even without this, the lack of bustle would have been enough to let him know that the captain was away from his post. He checked with the secretary, Aiko Toda, who told him the captain was out for lunch with the chief and the members of the Public Safety Committee. Looking at his watch, Tsuge saw that it was almost noon.
You can get it done before they get back.
He ordered some udon then sat at his desk and lifted the screen of his word processor. He set about drafting the question for Misaki. The usual format would be to open with some commentary on the state of road safety in general then move on to discuss the hit-and-run case:
An increase in traffic has brought about an equivalent rise in dangerous driving. I do not take any joy in saying this, but I believe there has been a gradual yet consistent decline in the standards we uphold for our . . .
Tsuge made the finishing touches as he ate his lunch. He stamped the document, checked it once more then added phonetics to help with the more difficult characters.
Good.
Tsuge asked Aiko, back from lunch, to make some copies then left the Secretariat once this had been done. He handed the paper to Transport Guidance and Planning and asked them to put together a response for the captain.
Misaki will like this.
Feeling more at ease, Tsuge returned to the office just as a call came in from the assemblyman.
‘Tsuge, how’s it coming along?’
‘I think I’ve found something suitable. I’ll bring you the paper tomorrow.’
‘Fantastic. Much appreciated.’
‘Not at all.’
‘I guess I should repay the favour. Here, let me give you some news.’
‘News?’
‘I take it you know Ukai?’
Assemblyman Ukai. Vice-representative for the New Wave Party, the second-largest conservative faction.
‘The assemblyman?’
‘Yes. So, anyway, I heard he’s sitting on a time bomb.’
‘A bomb?’
‘Indeed. One he plans to set off during the questions. Seems it’s for the police.’
Tsuge felt his hair stand on end.