Free The Salaryman's Wife by Sujata Massey Page A

my eyes. I didn’t trust him one hundred percent, but I didn’t want to go back to my room. Like him or not, he was the closest thing I had to an ally.
    “Do you mind if I stay on the computer a while longer? I have some work…”
    I was relieved he would remain awake, but I couldn’t muster the energy to say it. Instead, I sighed, pulled the blanket over my head, and drifted into a thick, restless sleep.
    When I awoke, I felt unusually warm. Hugh sat cross-legged before the small tea table, still tapping at his computer. The shji screen was pulled away from the window to reveal the sun dappling snowy mountains. It was a perfect morning.
    “Didn’t you sleep?” I squinted at him, a vision in a fresh white shirt and charcoal trousers.
    “I slept from two to seven. And don’t worry, the heater wasn’t on all night. Just since I’ve been awake.”
    I sat up, hugging the quilt to me. “Would you bring me a yukata? ”
    “There’s an extra in the closet.” Hugh didn’t seem willing to get it, so I slunk out of bed and got it.
    “That’s what American girls wear to bed? Hardly feminine, but on you it’s okay.”
    “This is Japanese thermal underwear, and it’s perfectly normal and practical in this weather. Why are you so dressed up?” I challenged.
    “Strategy meeting at the Alpenhof. Yamamoto booked a conference room so we can troubleshoot with the guys who came up from Sendai.”
    “If you’ve got so much work, you should just go back to Tokyo. What are you doing?” When I knelt behind him, he instantly switched screens to a boring menu, which made me wonder what he wanted to hide.
    “Nice, hmm? One of Sendai’s products in development.”
    “It looks about the same as the Toshiba I have at work.”
    “There’s something quite visibly different about it, though. Can you tell?”
    I looked over the computer and shrugged.
    “It’s not plugged in,” Hugh said triumphantly. “That’s how I kept working last night when the power was gone.”
    “Well, they all can run on batteries, right?”
    “Not for more than a few hours. You can safelywork on this for up to sixty hours, and the battery holds a charge for two years.”
    “Wow!” I wouldn’t mind something like that for myself.
    “It’s an advanced lithium ion battery called the Eterna, and it is still in development.” He stopped, then laughed. “Look how I’m opening up, sharing trade secrets even. And you say I’m not frank with you!”
    “Who designed it?”
    “A brilliant young engineer from Bombay. He was glad for the cash, and now we’ve got exclusive rights. None of the market leaders can touch it.”
    “That’s too bad,” I mused. “Your engineer would have done better if he were able to sell it to more companies. And in turn, society would have benefited. Everyone could share the technology.”
    “What are you, a Communist? Come on, a fair price is one that makes both parties happy.” Hugh turned off the computer and snapped it closed. “I’m off.”
    “I’m going back. I’m sure my room is well-aired by now.” I shifted from foot to foot, knowing I owed him something. “Thank you for taking me in last night.”
    “I do have a minute to get your thoughts on what might have happened.” He paused, the joviality gone. “Last night, you were speaking hysterically of someone rigging the gas.”
    “It really happened. Whoever did it jammed the door so I couldn’t get out.” I spoke in what I hoped was a reasonable manner, adding, “The whole episode makes me curious whether Mr. Nakamura really left town yesterday evening.”
    “Of course he did. Yamamoto and I saw him off.” Hugh dug through his suitcase for a tie.
    “He could have traveled to the next station and returned to set the gas. Or had somebody else do it,” I suggested, watching him loop the tie and straighten it.
    “What’s the motivation for Nakamura to gas you?” Hugh looped and straightened his tie without so much as a glance in a