Hiroshi had gone back and forth from his office to interrogating Tim most of the afternoon. Tim didn’t give up much, but each time, something flaked off, like chipping a block of ice. Takamatsu had given up and went to fill in paperwork.
Ishii called Hiroshi and Takamatsu and told them to wait at the back door of the station. Taiga was out of his coma. Ishii was the only one with energy left, and that was a help in itself. He wondered if interrogating anyone else would help. Tokyo was too big to search for two girls.
Waiting for Ishii to pull the car around, Takamatsu lit a cigarette. “At least we’ve got everyone we need to interview in the same place now—the hospital.”
Traffic was heavy but it wasn’t a long drive. In the car, Takamatsu opened the window and blew his smoke outside. “I don’t buy this parent snatching his kids thing.”
Hiroshi checked his cellphone. “Parents get jealous, angry, vengeful.”
“Over their kids? That’s why I don’t like these marriage cases, especially international ones.”
“You sound like that judge.”
Takamatsu took a drag of his cigarette. “The judge doesn’t like international marriages because it offends his sense of purity. I don’t like them because they’re messy and dangerous. Families are inherently screwed up. Man and wife were not meant to live together peaceably.”
“You’ll win this year’s all-Japan award for marital fidelity.”
Takamatsu smiled. “Some people have affairs to keep their marriage together. Others to wreck it.”
“What’s your wife do while you’re working?” Ishii asked.
Takamatsu laughed. “Lunch, shopping, yoga. Her chatterbox sister moved close to us. They talk half the day.”
“I didn’t know you were so traditional?” Ishii smiled.
“I’m not. It just worked out that way. I’ve been married for forty years. Never a fight.” Takamatsu lapsed back into quietude.
At the Nakano Police Hospital, they parked close and the three of them stopped by reception to get the room number and a map of the hospital. Taiga was put in a new ward none of them had been to before.
“Should we talk to Kyle again? He might have thought of something,” Ishii suggested.
Takamatsu sighed. “Let’s not and say we did. He’s probably too sedated.”
Hiroshi held up the map to see how to navigate to the room. The hallways were confusingly connected. Hiroshi wondered how the different buildings had been joined. None of the corridors seemed to line up. After a wrong turn and a backtrack, they found the right ward.
At the nurses’ station, Ishii showed her badge to the head nurse writing on a chart. Ishii smiled and leaned across the counter. “Did Taiga Smith Sato say anything before he woke up?”
The nurse put down the tablet with the charts. “We kept him sedated, but he was disturbed and restless. When we let him wake up, he said many things that made no sense. That often happens. We got the name of his brother out of him and he’s on his way. He mentioned two girls’ names so many times all the nurses remember them—Jenna and Kiri.”
“Any other visitors?”
“One. A man in a black suit and shiny tie.”
“What did he look like?”
“Tall, thin face, longish hair. He asked if Taiga was awake, but then left. We called security in case he returns.”
“No one else?”
She shook her head, busy filling in blanks on the chart.
“And how is Taiga now?”
She flipped through the tablet computer holding his charts. “Extensive bruising, cracked rib, broken nose. Internal bleeding, but we got that under control.” The nurse closed the chart. “Also, he had signs of anorexia and traces of amphetamines in his system.”
“Those were recent, the amphetamines?”
“It stays in urine for five days or so.” The nurse gave them an “I’m really busy” look.
They let her go and walked to Taiga’s room. The local policeman stationed there overnight bowed to the detectives.
Taiga’s face was covered in bruises, his nose wrapped in a small pyramid of bandages, his body barely visible beneath the sheet.
Taiga’s eyes opened when he heard the detectives. He nodded like he knew what was coming. He propped himself up, shifting the IV drips snaking into his arm.
Hiroshi and Ishii stood close to the bed. Takamatsu stood back and watched.
Hiroshi rolled the drip stand to the side. “I’m Detective Hiroshi Shimizu. We’re investigating what happened to you and to Jenna and Kiri. What do you remember?”
Taiga’s face was too swollen to show any emotion. His eyes dropped deep inside the bruised, puffy flesh. “Jenna and Kiri’s father was in the living room when I came back.” He spoke in a crow-like voice, distant and raspy.
“You’re sure it was the girls’ father?”
“I’d seen him in photos.”
“You’re sure it was him?”
“I only saw him for a minute before he swung a heavy bag.”
“He hit you?”
“I can’t remember exactly.” He closed his eyes and took a huge breath, which made him wince. “Next thing I know, I woke up with someone smashing my face into the tatami.”
“Patrick?”
Taiga frowned and shook his head.
“Could you see him?”
“Them.”
“It wasn’t Patrick?”
“They dressed in black.”
“So, the father had help?” Hiroshi looked at Ishii, who was listening with her arms folded.
“He wasn’t there. He was gone.”
“He wasn’t watching from a distance?”
“I couldn’t see. Two guys held me down and kept hitting me. One gave the orders.”
“In English?”
“Japanese. It was strange-sounding, like from an old movie.” Taiga resettled his bandaged head on the pillow.
“How do you know it wasn’t the girls’ father?”
“The girls told me he only spoke English. These three guys swore fluently in Japanese.”
“And then?”
“And then I blacked out. They kicked me. Many times.” Taiga pulled up the hospital gown to show his blue and purple ribs. He shivered. “The nurses told me to keep breathing deeply, but it hurts too much.”
“And then what?”
“Miyuki came back. I felt her hand and passed out again.”
Hiroshi stepped back from the bed and looked at Ishii. Takamatsu shrugged and walked into the hall.
Hiroshi tried to make sense of Taiga’s story. If there were three people in the apartment after Patrick left, how did they get in? And what did they want?
“Are the girls OK?” Taiga asked.
“We’re trying to find them. Their father took them, it seems.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t those three guys.”
“Did they ask about Kiri and Jenna?”
Taiga nodded. “They shouted ‘Where are the girls?’ I wanted to get up and kill them, but I couldn’t move. They held me down.” Tears poured down both sides of his face. “You’ll find them, won’t you? I’ll watch them better next time.” He started to cry harder. “And their grandmother?”
“She died.”
“I thought so. I heard them attack her too.” Taiga’s face wrinkled up. “Kiri and Jenna’s father hit me. But it wasn’t him who beat me up.”
“Your wallet, keys, and cellphone were missing.”
Taiga shook his head and shrugged. “Are you going to find the girls?”
“How did those guys get into the apartment?”
Taiga wiped the tears, touching his nose, shuddering in pain. Ishii handed him a tissue from the bedside table.
A tall, well-dressed salaryman rushed into the room. Ignoring the detectives, he went straight to Taiga and hugged him. “What happened?” he asked in English.
After they talked for a minute, the salaryman turned to the detectives and bowed. “I’m Leon. Taiga’s brother. I’m sorry for this trouble. I’ve been away on business.”
“I’m Detective Hiroshi and this is Detective Ishii. That’s Detective Takamatsu by the door.”
Leon patted his brother’s shoulder. “Tell them what they need to know. Whatever it is.”
Taiga’s face clouded over. It took him several tries to start explaining. “I thought she changed the locks after she filed for divorce. She gave me a new key. I thought the old one wouldn’t work. I thought it would be OK.”
“You thought what would be OK?” Ishii asked.
“The other hosts at my old club said they helped people get into places to steal a few things. Some of the hosts stole keys, and sold them. I never did that before. I thought I’d trick them and sell them the old one. But she didn’t change the lock. She just made new keys.”
“How much did they pay you?” Hiroshi asked.
Leon tightened his grip on Taiga’s shoulder. “Taiga. Tell them everything.”
“I’m so sorry.” Taiga took his older brother’s hand. “I was doing so well, Leon. I took care of the girls and I was studying. All I did was sell them the key.”
Hiroshi leaned toward Taiga. “Who did you sell the key to exactly?”
“I’m glad it was me they beat up instead of the girls.”
“Who did you sell it to?”
“I handed it to the hosts at the club. They were going to sell it to some guy named Nozaki. The owner of the club knew him. They were just going to take things, and that’s it.”
“That’s what they told you?” Ishii asked.
Taiga nodded. “I was so stupid.”
“You didn’t see who they sold it to? This Nozaki?”
Taiga shook his head.
Leon handed his brother some tissues. “I told you to not borrow any more money from anyone.”
“I didn’t want to bother you again.” Taiga squeezed his brother’s hand. “I was doing so well. I had to have some help to stay awake to study.”
“You took that again?” Leon shook his head. “You know that’s not good for you. That’s what pushed you over the brink before.”
“I just wanted to stay awake.” Taiga turned back to Hiroshi. “I had debts. From the host club.”
Hiroshi looked confused. “They told me you were the most popular host, with champagne calls every night.”
“They charged me for things. A new suit, taxi fare, dinner, whatever. They kept saying the women hadn’t paid for it, so I had to.” Taiga turned to his brother. “They were only going to rip the place off. Nothing more. They promised.”
“Looks like their promises weren’t worth much.” Ishii let go of the bed rail and stepped back, shaking her head.
Taiga started to cry again. “They are so wonderful, Kiri and Jenna. You have to save them. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt the girls. I was taking care of them.” He turned his face to the other side, his body heaving with sobs.
Takamatsu stepped back into the room with his coat on and motioned for them to go.
Hiroshi turned to Leon. “Take care of your brother.”
Leon sighed. “I’ve been trying.”
Takamatsu held his cellphone up and waved for Hiroshi and Ishii to hurry up.