Free Malice by Keigo Higashino

necessary.” He looked down at the table, then finally reached for his cup and took a sip of tea. Then he looked back at me. “But I’d be happy to explain it to you.”
    â€œWell, I’m much obliged. Though I can’t promise I’ll see things the same way you do.”
    Kaga pulled a notebook out of his jacket pocket. “The most important point is the time of death. We understand that Kunihiko Hidaka was killed somewhere between five and seven o’clock, but according to the coroner, it is extremely unlikely he died after six. Estimating the time of death by examining the state of digestion of food is a very reliable method, and in a case like this, it can usually narrow the time of death down to a smaller window of time than two hours. Yet we have a witness who testifies that Hidaka was alive after six o’clock.”
    â€œWell, it’s the truth. What do you want me to say? I realize the possibility is slight, but we’re talking natural processes here. Would it really be that astonishing if the doctor was twenty or thirty minutes off?”
    â€œOf course not, but what concerns us is that the basis of this testimony was a phone call. We can’t be sure that it was really Hidaka on the phone.”
    â€œOh, no, I’m sure it was Hidaka. Without question.”
    â€œYes, but you can’t prove that. No one except you was on that phone call.”
    â€œI guess you’ll just have to take my word for it.”
    â€œI would like to do that—I would; but your word won’t hold up in court.”
    â€œWell … I did answer the phone, yes, but don’t forget there was a person standing right next to me at the time. You talked to Mr. Oshima from Dojisha about this, didn’t you?”
    â€œWe did. He confirmed that you received a call shortly after six.”
    â€œDidn’t he hear us talking?”
    â€œNo, he only heard you. He said it sounded like you made arrangements to meet someone. And that afterward, you told him the person you were talking to was Kunihiko Hidaka.”
    â€œSo how doesn’t that qualify as proof? Is it that you think someone else called me and I just made it sound like it was from Hidaka? Is that what you’re getting at?”
    Kaga frowned and chewed his lower lip for a moment before replying. “The possibility can’t be ruled out entirely.”
    â€œWell, I wish it could, because it doesn’t look like you’re much for taking someone at his word.” I made a show of being offended. “What I don’t get is why you’re so hung up on the time of death. Sure, it might be a little off from what the autopsy says, but not by much. Yet from what you’re saying, it sounds like if it strays a few minutes in the wrong direction, then I’ve just made the whole thing up. I hope you have a better reason for doubting me, because if not, frankly, it’s insulting.”
    Kaga stared me in the eye for a long moment before responding, “I do have a better reason.”
    â€œWell, let’s hear it.”
    â€œThe cigarette.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œYou told me that Mr. Hidaka was a heavy smoker, to the point where it sometimes felt like he was fumigating his office.”
    â€œWhat of it?” I felt an ugly premonition, like black smoke, spreading to fill my chest.
    â€œThere was only one cigarette butt in the ashtray.”
    I gasped despite myself.
    â€œOne cigarette butt, thoroughly mangled. If he’d done any work after Miyako Fujio went home a little after five, there should’ve been others. Furthermore, the one cigarette that was there wasn’t one he smoked while he was working. He smoked it while he was talking to you, Mr. Nonoguchi. You said as much in your account.”
    I dimly recalled Kaga mentioning something about the number of cigarettes Hidaka had smoked. Had he been onto me this whole time?
    â€œIn other words,” he