that George Yamamoto's car was gone and in its place sat a huge North American Van Lines truck with a crew of three loading boxes into it as fast as they could. Kimi walked past them with her eyes downcast, not acknowledging their existence.
Wincing at the pain in my fingers, I helped her into the backseat of the Reliant. It might have been more gentlemanly to put her in front, but I needed the extra legroom a whole lot more than she did.
It was silent in the car as we started back toward the freeway. I was hung over and half sick. It felt as though my pores were sweating pure champagne, and I reminded myself never to drink the stuff again.
Trying to take my mind off both my headache and my throbbing fingers, I began a mental review of what we had learned since arriving at Tadeo Kurobashi's office early that morning. Reflexively I reached for my notebook, wanting to consult my notes, but of course I hadn't taken any.
'Let me look at your notebook, Al.
He did, handing it to me carefully enough that it didn't fly out of my hand. Big Al's handwriting, a haphazard combination of printing and cursive, was difficult to make out. Remembering what Kimi had said about relabeling her mother's boxes, I thumbed through the pages until I reached the place where Al had laboriously copied down the Japanese words from the computer screen.
'Can you read Japanese? I asked. When she didn't answer, I turned around and looked at her. Lost in thought, she was staring blankly at the back of Big Al's muscular neck. She jumped when she realized I had spoken to her.
'Excuse me?
'Can you read Japanese? I repeated.
'Yes.
'What about this? I passed her the notebook.
Looking at the words, she held it in front of her for a long moment, long enough that I began to wonder if she had been mistaken and wouldn't be able to translate it after all. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the seat, letting the notebook drop into her lap.
'Well? I asked.
'Yes, she whispered. 'I can read it.
'What does it say?
She recited the verse in a leaden voice without opening her eyes, without once having to glance at the text:
'‘A child is still one more hope
Even in this careworn world.'
'You recognize it then?
'Yes. It's a verse from my father's favorite poem, 'A Child, written by a man named Shuntaro Tanikawa. How do you know about it? Where did you get it?
'It was on his computer screen this morning when they found him. Detective Lindstrom here copied it down. We thought it might be important.
She seemed more visibly shaken by this than by anything else that had happened. 'On his computer screen? He had typed it there?
'Over and over, I replied. 'Why, does it mean something to you?
She still didn't open her eyes. 'I was that child, she answered softly. 'I was supposed to be that child. I heard that poem a million times while I was growing up.
Ten points for George Yamamoto. He had called that shot. Tadeo Kurobashi's message had indeed been meant for his daughter, not for his wife.
'Have you ever heard of the too precious child? Kimi asked finally, her voice heavy, devoid of all animation.
Big Al shook his head. So did I. 'Not that I know of, I said.
'It's the latest psychological buzzword, Kimi said, 'but I think I am one. Or was.
'Too precious? What does that mean? I asked.
The events of the morning and of the last two days had taken their toll. Her voice was barely audible above the road noise of the freeway.
'I was a change-of-life baby, she said. 'My mother was forty-four when I was born, and she had long before given up on the idea of ever having children. When I was born, both she and my father thought it was a miracle. They gave me everything, pampered me, wanted me to be smart, have fun, do it all.
'That sounds like a lot of pressure.
She nodded. 'It was. For everyone. Since my mother didn't drive, my father was the one who had to make arrangements for rides and car pools to get me to music lessons and riding lessons and soccer. He did too much, invested too much.
Kimi fell silent. I wanted to reach around, grab her by the shoulders, and shake her until her teeth rattled. What did she mean, her father did too much! He sounded like a helluva guy to me. Aren't parents ever right? They either do too goddamned much or too goddamned little, but they're never right, at least not as far as their kids are concerned. Count on it.
Not trusting myself to be civil on that particular subject, I took the notebook from her and went back to reviewing it, eventually reaching the part where we had been questioning Machiko outside her daughter's presence.
'Did you know that your father talked to your mother by phone yesterday morning?
Kimiko shook her head.
'It must have been close to the same time he talked to you, I continued. 'He didn't happen to mention to you where he was calling from, did he?
There was no immediate response. I glanced back to see if Kimi was listening and found her frowning in concentration. 'He said something, but I can't recall exactly what. I remember asking him if I could check with the people at work and call him back. He said no, that he was out of his office and wherever he was, he wouldn't be there long. Port something. Port Townsend, maybe. Port Angeles. Something like that.
'And he didn't give you any idea what he was doing there?
'None whatsoever.
We made good time crossing Lake Washington. Big Al wheeled the car into a police vehicle parking place outside the medical examiner's office at the south end of Harborview Hospital. I got out, held the door open for Kimiko, and reached inside to help her out of the car. Once upright, she still clung to my hand. Her whole body was shaking.
'Am I going to have to identify him? she asked, her voice small and tremulous.
'No, I said. 'George Yamamoto already gave us a positive ID. That won't be necessary. All you'll need to do is sign the papers.
She sighed with obvious relief. I thanked George Yamamoto for sparing her that. After nine years of not speaking, it would have been a tough way to see her father again.
Doc Baker's receptionist ushered us straight into the medical examiner's messy private office. His chipped blue vase, half filled with paper clips, sat in the window, but for once he didn't spend the entire interview trying to make baskets. He was solicitous and concerned as he shoved one piece of paper after another across his desk for Kimiko Kurobashi to sign.
'Have you scheduled the autopsy? I asked when she finished.
He nodded, taking the last of the sheaf of papers and straightening the edge by bouncing it sharply several times on the hard surface of the desk. 'This afternoon. Four o'clock.
'You've told George?
'I've left word for him.
'Is an autopsy really necessary? Kimiko asked.
Doc Baker peered at her, dropping his chin so he could see her through the part of his glasses where the bifocals weren't. 'Yes, it's necessary, miss. In cases like this, the law demands it.
She flushed. 'Will we have to pay for it?
'No.
She nodded, relieved again. 'And my mother wanted me to ask you about the sword. What will happen to
