Kaitō

By Deborah Bainbridge

“Hikari, let’s review your statement.” I flip three pages back in my notebook. There must be no discrepancies in the retelling of my plaintiff’s story. Traveling at 354 kph, I’m aware I have little time to solve this case. The Nozomi Bullet Train takes two hours and fifteen minutes to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, and we arrive in two hours.

The clock is ticking—tick, tick, tick!

“My family is traveling to Kyoto to attend a wedding, Marshal Ahmya,” Hikari recounts. “We boarded the train with the nanny, found our seats, and stored our luggage. I kept the satchel next to me. After the train departed, many people got up to get a sake or explore the train. Then for a brief flash, the train car went pitch black. When the lights turned on, I smelled smoke. That’s when I noticed the satchel was missing.”

“And what was in this satchel?”

“A kimono. It has been handed down to the eldest daughter in my family for over two hundred years. It finally passed to me, and now…” Hikari wrings her hands. “It’s gone.”

“Did you see anyone near you?”

“Just my family and that woman right there.” Hikari points at a tall woman standing at the back of the train car, her long hair pulled neatly into a bun.

“If you had to place a Yen value on your kimono, what would it be worth?”

“The insurance agent valued it at ¥20,000,000; but to my family, it is sacred… priceless.”

My eyes widen. “That’s a hefty price tag! When did you have the kimono appraised?”

“Years ago,” Hikari dismisses. “Please find it, Marshal Ahmya.”

“I’ll do everything I can.”

The family’s accounts of the event match up so I approach the tall woman. “May I ask you a few questions?”

Tatsu, professionally dressed in a black pantsuit, bows in respect. “Of course, Train Marshal… -san”

“What business takes you to Kyoto?”

“I have an interview for a concierge position with the manager at Hotel Mitsui. I work in hospitality.” Tatsu added, “Did you know that Kyoto is considered the kimono capital of Japan?”

“Yes. Actually, it is a kimono that is in question. A satchel was taken during the blackout, and the owner mentioned seeing you nearby.”

“I went to the restroom. When the smoke cleared, I remember seeing a waitress exit the car.”

“Tea service?”

“No. We hadn’t received our tea yet.” She gestures with her hand, a hint of dragon tattoo peeking out of her shirtsleeve.

“Are you acquainted with anyone on this train?”

Tatsu’s eyes dart to the nanny, who quickly looks away. “No.”

Duly noted.

Kayda, the nanny, had also noticed the waitress leaving the train car.

“Could you recognize her?” I ask Kayda.

“I think so. I tend to notice the help.”

After a few phone calls to verify the details of the case, I return to the crowded train car and gather Hikari, Tatsu, and Kayda.

“Tatsu, there is no record of an interview for you at Hotel Mitsui. Also, I noticed a connection between you and Kayda. How do you know her, and why are you really traveling to Kyoto?”

Across the aisle, Kayda subtly shakes her head, her eyes pleading with Tatsu.

Tatsu sighs. “Kayda is a childhood friend. There is a kimono convention in Kyoto this weekend with many reputable buyers and sellers.”

“How could you steal from us, Kayda?” yells Hikari. “After all the years we have cared for you!”

“Cared for me?” Kayda cries. “I am invisible to you! I live in your home, care for your daughter, and you treat me as if I were the dog. You pay me so little for all I do, I wanted retribution. When Tatsu told me of the convention, we began concocting our plan. However, I have never stolen from you. The satchel was already gone so I committed no crime.”

“Arrest them!” shouts Hikari.

“Not so quickly,” I respond. “I have questions for you as well.”

Hikari gasps. “For me?”

“Let’s review the facts. There is no wedding booked at the Ritz-Carlton. The insurance policy was taken out just one week after the kimono convention was announced. I looked into your finances and found that your family is in great debt. You were planning to fake the theft for the insurance money and then sell the kimono at the convention. Sacred, you say? Well, I guess we can put a price on it after all, can’t we? It was a brilliant plan, but the game is over. Now tell me where you hid it!”

“I honestly don’t have it.” Hikari’s body starts to shake. “It was actually stolen.”

“So, none of you have the kimono?” I sigh.

The silence and furtive glances only deepen my suspicions.

“We are about to arrive, and I have not solved the case. Therefore, I am turning it over to the authorities. There will be a thorough search, and everyone will be detained for questioning.”

I remove my gloves and pack my briefcase. I am startled to see Hikari standing in the doorway. Uncontrollably, my left index finger swirls twice then taps three times before pressing the lock on my briefcase. I immediately replace my gloves.

“What was that?” Hikari asks me, recognition brewing in her eyes. “I have only seen a tic like that once in my life.” Hikari collapses into the seat. “In fact…you look familiar. Who are you?”

With a sly smile, I begin. “Let me tell you a story. There once was a girl born in secret. She was raised by her mother, hidden in the shadows. The girl asked about her father, but her mother told her nothing. When she grew up, she longed to find answers. After years of searching, she discovered an inheritance—one she rightfully deserved, one that belonged to her as the eldest daughter.”

Hikari stares at me in disbelief, her gaze slowly directed toward my briefcase… frozen.

I wink and exit the train.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deborah Bainbridge is a Christian, wife, and mother who enjoys fantasy, running, traveling the world, writing, and cookies. Her genres of choice include mystery and speculative fiction. The quote that inspired her to love reading was in the LOTR where Bilbo revealed, “there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” She is thankful to Shawn, Ginny, Linda, Cindy, Kaitlyn, Inspire Christian Writers, and Quills for their encouragement and inspiration.

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