Free Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino Page A

didn’t look like an act. If it was, she’s a pro.’
    Kusanagi stole a sidelong glance at Utsumi, who clearly was of the opinion that Ayane’s tearful embrace with Hiromi Wakayama had been a performance. She’d said she wanted to ask the chief what he thought, but now the young detective seemed intent only on taking notes.
    ‘Think we should tell Mrs Mashiba her husband was cheating on her?’
    Mamiya immediately shook his head. ‘No need for us to let that particular cat out of the bag. I can’t see how it would help the investigation. I’m guessing you two will be seeing a lot more of her in the coming days, so be careful what you say.’
    ‘So we hide it.’
    ‘No, we just don’t go out of our way to tell her. If she figures something out on her own, well, there’s nothing we can do about that. Assuming she doesn’t know already.’ Mamiya pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and glanced at it. ‘I want you to go to this address.’
    The name Tatsuhiko Ikai was written on the paper, along with a telephone number and an address.
    ‘Ask him how the deceased was doing lately, and about that party on Friday.’
    ‘I hear Mr Ikai’s a busy man trying to keep Mr Mashiba’s business afloat.’
    ‘Then talk to his wife. Call first. Mrs Mashiba says she just had a baby two months ago, so we should go easy on her.’
    Apparently Ayane was told about their intention to question the Ikais. Kusanagi was honestly impressed that she’d had the presence of mind to be concerned about the strain on anyone but herself.
    Utsumi brought the car around and they headed towards the Ikai residence. Kusanagi called while they were on the way. The moment he introduced himself as a policeman,Yukiko Ikai’s voice took on a grave tone. Kusanagi emphasized that all they needed was to ask some simple questions, and she finally relented and invited them over, but asked them to give her an hour. The two detectives spotted a coffee shop where they could wait and went inside.
    ‘What you were talking about earlier – you really think that Mrs Mashiba knows her husband was cheating on her?’ Kusanagi asked, picking up his cup of hot cocoa. He’d reached his limit on coffee for the day when they were talking to Ms Wakayama.
    ‘I just said that’s how it felt.’
    ‘But you do think she knows.’
    Utsumi stared into her cup and didn’t reply.
    ‘If she did know, then why didn’t she confront her husband or Ms Wakayama? She even invited Hiromi to her dinner party. People don’t normally do that, do they?’
    ‘I’m sure your average woman would lose her head the moment she found out.’
    ‘But Mrs Mashiba isn’t your average woman?’
    ‘It’s too early to say, but I have a feeling she’s very smart. Not just that, but she’s patient too.’
    ‘Patient enough to endure a husband’s infidelity?’
    ‘I think she understands that she had nothing to gain by going on the offensive. In fact, she would lose two important things: a stable married life and a talented apprentice.’
    ‘Sure, but she couldn’t just put up with her husband’s lover hanging around forever. You think a marriage of pretences is that valuable?’
    ‘I think everyone’s idea of value is different. There’s no evidence of domestic violence, for one, and things were apparently smooth enough within their marriage – on the surface, at least – for them to host a party. She had no financial worries and she could spend all the time she wanted to on her patchwork – she’s not stupid enough to throw all that away on an impulse. Maybe she thought that, ultimately, it made more sense to wait for the affair between her husband and her student to run its course and end naturally.
    ‘At least – that’s what I imagine, anyway. I could be wrong.’
    Kusanagi took a sip of his hot cocoa and grimaced. It was too sweet. He quickly chased it with a swig of water. ‘She doesn’t look like the calculating type.’
    ‘It’s not a calculation. It’s a