cheeks.
“Sumiko, this guest has questions he’d like to ask about a guest you took care of. Tell him all you can remember,” the innkeeper told the maid.
“You’re Sumiko-
“Yes.”
“I wonder if you remember. It says in the guest register that you waited on this guest. Do you remember him?”
Imanishi showed the register to the maid. Sumiko looked at it for a while.
“That was the Bush Clover room,” she said to herself and continued to think. “Oh, I remember. Yes, I’m sure I waited on him,” she said with certainty.
Imanishi asked her to describe his looks and mannerisms. Without a doubt, the maid described Miki Ken’ichi.
“How did he speak?” Imanishi asked.
“Let me think. It was a bit unusual. It sounded like
Imanishi was absolutely sure new. “Was it that hard to understand?”
“Yes. The sounds weren’t clear. In the guest register it said he was from Okayama Prefecture, so I asked him if he was from the northeast. He laughed and said people often made that mistake. He said the people in the village he lived in for a long time also have this accent.”
From the way the maid spoke, it seemed that Miki had been quite friendly to her.
“Was there anything unusual about his behavior when he stayed here?”
“Well, now that you mention it, he came here after he had worshiped at Ise Shrine during the day, and said he was going home the next day. But the next morning he suddenly told me he would be going to Tokyo.”
“Hmm, so it was the next morning that he said he was going to Tokyo?”
This was the crucial part.
“Yes, it was.”
“What time did he arrive at the inn?”
“It was in the evening. I think it was about six o’clock.”
“Once he arrived, did he go out at all?”
“Yes, he did.”
People from all over Japan came to worship at Ise Shrine. Miki might have bumped into someone he knew on this evening excursion. A chance encounter might have been what caused Miki to decide to go to Tokyo.
“Did he go out just for a stroll?”
“No, he said he was going to see a movie.”
“A movie?”
“He said he was bored, and that he wanted to see a movie. He asked me where the movie theater was, so I told him. Look, you can see it from this window. It’s that tall building.”
“What time did he return from the movie theater?” Imanishi asked the maid.
“Let me see. I think it was about nine-thirty. I’m sure it was about that time.”
“You mean right after the movie ended.”
“Yes.”
Imanishi was a bit disappointed. If Miki had met someone on his way to see the movie, the time that he returned to the inn would have been either earlier or later. Imanishi had to conclude that Miki had not met anyone.
“How did he seem when he came back to the room? Since it was so long ago, you may not remember, but please try to recall.”
“Let me think.” The maid glanced at the innkeeper and tilted her head.
“This is important, so think it over carefully, and don’t make any mistakes,” the innkeeper added.
The maid’s expression became tense.
Imanishi felt a bit disconcerted. “Don’t think about it so intently. Just tell me what you remember.”
The maid finally answered, “I didn’t notice anything different about the guest when he returned. He just asked to have his breakfast served later the next morning.”
“You mean the next day, the day he was to depart?”
“Yes. Earlier, he had said that since he was going home on the nine-twenty train he wanted breakfast at about eight o’clock.”
“How did he change that?”
“He said he wanted his breakfast at ten. And that he might stay until the evening.”
“The evening, huh?” Imanishi sat forward. “Did he say why he changed his plans?”
“No, nothing particular. But he did seem to be deep in thought. Since he didn’t say much to me, I just told him good night and left the room right away.”
“I see. And the next morning, was everything on time as he had asked?”
“Yes. I served him his breakfast at ten.”
“So he spent the rest of the day until evening in his room?”
“No, he didn’t. He went out just after noon to the movie theater.”
“To the movie theater?” Imanishi was surprised. “He must have really liked to see movies.”
“But he went to the same theater. I know, since I had an errand in that direction and went part of the way with him.”
“You mean to say he went to see the same movie he had just seen the night before?”
This time it was Imanishi’s turn to think hard. Why would Miki see the same movie twice while he was on a trip -it wasn’t as if he were a child or a teenager. What about the movie had piqued Miki’s curiosity?
“So after Miki came back from seeing the movie, he checked out that evening?” Imanishi asked the maid.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Do you know which train he took?”
“I know,” the innkeeper said. “I looked up the train schedule for him in the office and gave him the departure time. He called the desk from his room, and I told him that the Kintetsu train connects with an express for Tokyo that leaves Nagoya at ten-twenty p.m.”
“What time does that train arrive at Tokyo Station?”
“It arrives in Tokyo the next morning at five. Many of our guests use this train to go to Tokyo, so I have it memorized.”
“Did Miki say anything special or strange when he left the inn?” Imanishi again turned his gaze to the maid.
“No, I didn’t notice anything. I did ask him why he was going to Tokyo when he had said that he would return home to Okayama the night before…”
“Yes, yes. And…?”
“He said he had suddenly decided to go.”
“Suddenly decided to go. Is that all?”
“Yes. He didn’t say anything more.”
“So that was all.” Imanishi thought for a bit, then asked, “What movie was it that the guest went to see?”
“I don’t remember.”
“That’s all right. I can check that out. Thank you so much for taking time when you’re so busy.”
“Will that be all?” the innkeeper asked.
“Yes. You’ve been very helpful. Could you bring me my bill?”
“Are you leaving already?”
“I think I’ll go back to Tokyo on that same train. There should be enough time for me to catch it.”
Imanishi paid his bill and left the inn. But instead of going directly to the station, he went to the movie theater. It was located in the middle of an avenue of shops. Several garishly painted posters were displayed outside advertising the two historical movies that were playing.
After he showed the woman at the box office his card and asked if he could see the manager, he was led inside. At the back of the theater they came to a closed door. When the door was opened Imanishi saw a worker
