way of telling a foolish old man he's not as young as he used to be.' The super laughed as he said this and betrayed signs that he wanted her to ask him how he had sprained his ankle.
However, Yoshimi's interest lay elsewhere. During the day, she had gone to her firm's archives to look through all the newspapers dated between July and October of the year before last. She had not succeeded in finding any article that reported Mitsuko's case. Yoshimi found 'the year before last' not precise enough for her liking. She wanted an exact date.
She didn't really expect the old man to remember, but she tried asking all the same.
'Just a minute/ he replied as he checked inside the counter, bending down awkwardly. He brought out a thick battered notebook and thumped it down on the countertop.
The cover bore the words 'Superintendent's Log' in thick black felt pen. Apparently he was in the habit of recording each day's events in the logbook so he could furnish his employer with some kind of report. The super muttered to himself as he licked his finger and turned the pages.
'Yes, here we are. Look.'
He turned the notebook upside down and slid it across to her. The page was dated March 17th two years ago. It was now September, so, to be precise, they were not talking about something that happened two years ago, but rather, two and a half years ago. Even the time of day was recorded in the notebook. The authorities had concluded that there was no further justification for handling the disappearance of Mitsuko Kawai of apartment 205 as a case of financially motivated abduction and consequently turned the investigation into an open inquiry, at 11.30 p.m. Yoshimi committed the exact date and time to memory. As she was about to return the notebook to the super, an image of that flesh coloured overhead water tank flashed through her mind, though she didn't know why. No doubt the image had come through an association with some word or words. What had set it off were the following words, written higher up under the same date heading of March 17th.
Cleaning operations performed on intake tank and overhead tank. Water inspection conducted.
There it was - the overhead tank.
This was the same overhead tank that floated like a giant coffin in the starry night sky. The cleaning operations in question had been performed on the same day Mitsuko Kawai had gone missing. Two cleaners hired by the building management had come and worked inside the water tank.
Yoshimi let out an inaudible scream.
The water tank…' Yoshimi paused to take a breath. 'Is the lid of the tank usually kept locked?'
The super tilted his head to one side, puzzled as to why Yoshimi had turned the conversation to the water tank. But when he saw the entry in his own log about the cleaning operations, a look of satisfaction registered on his face.
'Ah, this? Yes, under normal circumstances, it's kept carefully locked.'
'When is the tank opened? Only when it's cleaned?'
'Of course, of course.'
Yoshimi put her hands around the cardboard box. 'Has the tank been cleaned since?'
'Ehh, we don't have a maintenance association here, so it's
'Has it been cleaned?' she repeated, unable to bottle her impatience.
'Well, it's about time they got down it again. It's been two years.'
'I see.'
Lifting the box, Yoshimi staggered backwards and reeled out of the office. So unsteady was her gait that it was a wonder she made it back to her apartment without stumbling.
Being careful not to touch the water in the bathtub, she pulled out the plug and watched the water level drop gradually. She no longer felt like taking a bath. Ikuko had plaintively asked again and again why they couldn't take a bath that day. Her persistence had seemed unending; only a minute ago had she finally fallen asleep. To all appearances, the water looked perfectly clean. Yet Yoshimi couldn't but picture the particles floating in it.
She opened the kitchen cupboard, took out the bottle of sake she kept there
However, Yoshimi's interest lay elsewhere. During the day, she had gone to her firm's archives to look through all the newspapers dated between July and October of the year before last. She had not succeeded in finding any article that reported Mitsuko's case. Yoshimi found 'the year before last' not precise enough for her liking. She wanted an exact date.
She didn't really expect the old man to remember, but she tried asking all the same.
'Just a minute/ he replied as he checked inside the counter, bending down awkwardly. He brought out a thick battered notebook and thumped it down on the countertop.
The cover bore the words 'Superintendent's Log' in thick black felt pen. Apparently he was in the habit of recording each day's events in the logbook so he could furnish his employer with some kind of report. The super muttered to himself as he licked his finger and turned the pages.
'Yes, here we are. Look.'
He turned the notebook upside down and slid it across to her. The page was dated March 17th two years ago. It was now September, so, to be precise, they were not talking about something that happened two years ago, but rather, two and a half years ago. Even the time of day was recorded in the notebook. The authorities had concluded that there was no further justification for handling the disappearance of Mitsuko Kawai of apartment 205 as a case of financially motivated abduction and consequently turned the investigation into an open inquiry, at 11.30 p.m. Yoshimi committed the exact date and time to memory. As she was about to return the notebook to the super, an image of that flesh coloured overhead water tank flashed through her mind, though she didn't know why. No doubt the image had come through an association with some word or words. What had set it off were the following words, written higher up under the same date heading of March 17th.
Cleaning operations performed on intake tank and overhead tank. Water inspection conducted.
There it was - the overhead tank.
This was the same overhead tank that floated like a giant coffin in the starry night sky. The cleaning operations in question had been performed on the same day Mitsuko Kawai had gone missing. Two cleaners hired by the building management had come and worked inside the water tank.
Yoshimi let out an inaudible scream.
The water tank…' Yoshimi paused to take a breath. 'Is the lid of the tank usually kept locked?'
The super tilted his head to one side, puzzled as to why Yoshimi had turned the conversation to the water tank. But when he saw the entry in his own log about the cleaning operations, a look of satisfaction registered on his face.
'Ah, this? Yes, under normal circumstances, it's kept carefully locked.'
'When is the tank opened? Only when it's cleaned?'
'Of course, of course.'
Yoshimi put her hands around the cardboard box. 'Has the tank been cleaned since?'
'Ehh, we don't have a maintenance association here, so it's
'Has it been cleaned?' she repeated, unable to bottle her impatience.
'Well, it's about time they got down it again. It's been two years.'
'I see.'
Lifting the box, Yoshimi staggered backwards and reeled out of the office. So unsteady was her gait that it was a wonder she made it back to her apartment without stumbling.
Being careful not to touch the water in the bathtub, she pulled out the plug and watched the water level drop gradually. She no longer felt like taking a bath. Ikuko had plaintively asked again and again why they couldn't take a bath that day. Her persistence had seemed unending; only a minute ago had she finally fallen asleep. To all appearances, the water looked perfectly clean. Yet Yoshimi couldn't but picture the particles floating in it.
She opened the kitchen cupboard, took out the bottle of sake she kept there
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