Detective Yamamoto and the Beginning Part 2

"This is my apartment, where the crime happened. I've tried not to disturb it as much as possible, but it's been difficult seeing as how I live here." Satoshi said while unlocking the door and swinging it open, giving Yamamoto a full view of the ransacked interior.

"Wow, you live like a slob!" Yamamoto declared. Had Satoshi actually lived like this routinely, she might have had a point. All of his possessions were still mostly strewn on the ground. At the very least, Satoshi had cleaned up any broken glass due to the potential hazard it presented.

"I don't live like this! This is a highly unusual situation!" Satoshi protested. Yamamoto did not acknowledge his reply and instead started to look around.

"Where exactly did the theft occur?" the detective asked. Satoshi was momentarily surprised by the serious tone her voice carried, especially given how it contrasted with her normal way of speaking. Perhaps this was how she earned her reputation.

"It happened in my study, over here." Satoshi indicated towards another door and lead the way to it. As before, none of the papers or books had been moved beyond what was totally unavoidable.

"This is where it happened." said Satoshi gesturing around the room. "My laptop and all my notes were on my desk out in the open."

"What else was stolen in the robbery?" the detective asked. Satoshi thought for a moment. Really, it had only been his computer and notes, but then again, he didn't really own much of anything that had any sort of objective value.

"It was mostly just my computer and notes." Satoshi responded. Yamamoto nodded to herself and put a hand on her chin.

Detective Yamamoto crouched down and began shuffling through the papers. She almost seemed to be sorting or cleaning, as some papers were sifted into one pile and others into another. Satoshi cleared his throat.

"Is there something I can help you look for?" He asked.

"No." responded the detective. She didn't even look up from the papers she was shuffling through as she answered him, as though she were totally focused and honed in on what she was searching for. "But you can explain this, please." Yamamoto had picked up a single, small piece of paper and held it up for Satoshi to take. He took it and examined it, front and back. It looked like a receipt from a pawn shop, and it was one he had never heard of, much less visited in all his life.

"It's a receipt."

"And?" the detective asked playfully. Her facade of seriousness vanished. It seemed as though she thought that this was a big enough discovery to relax slightly.

"And it's not mine. I haven't sold off anything to a pawn shop."

"Exactly! So if it isn't yours, then it must have belonged to the thief." Detective Yamamoto had a look of decisive triumph on her face as she pointed this out. "With this lead, we're one step closer to finding the thief and finding your computer."

As it turned out, the pawn shop the receipt belonged to was not that far away. Furthermore, the receipt was from only six days ago. Detective Yamamoto had assured Satoshi that these were both good things, as the guilty party likely lived nearby, and the trail had not yet gone cold.

When the pair arrived at the pawn shop, Satoshi couldn't help but notice that it resembled Detective Yamamoto's office in terms of its state of repair.

"Man, what a dump!" Yamamoto declared, a little too loudly for comfort. Satoshi noted that the detective seemed to be unaware of the irony of her statement.

"Come on, let's go," said Satoshi, prompting Yamamoto to follow him. A little bell chimed as the door opened and again as it swung shut. A corpulent, bald man standing behind the counter, presumably the owner of the store, looked up, studied the pair for a moment, then went back to reading a newspaper. Yamamoto approached the counter first, followed closely by Satoshi.

"Good morning!" Detective Yamamoto exclaimed while waving at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper did not look up from his newspaper.

"What do you want?" the shopkeeper asked. He had a gruff voice and he was definitely trying to project a persona of someone who shouldn't be messed with.

"Information!" the detective declared while slapping the receipt down on the counter. The shopkeeper eyed the receipt and looked up at the detective, raising an eyebrow. She did not elaborate further and when the silence started to become uncomfortable, Satoshi spoke up.

"Someone robbed my apartment and left this behind. Can you tell me anything about this customer?" The shopkeeper's gaze flicked from Yamamoto to Satoshi.

"I don't work for free. If you want information, you'll have to pay for it." Satoshi started to reach for his wallet, before Yamamoto stayed his hand.

"I know what this guy wants." Yamamoto said while giving Satoshi a knowing look. With no preamble, she undid the top button on her shirt. Satoshi thought for a moment that this indicated some degree of cunning. Detective Yamamoto intended to titillate the shopkeeper into given up the information they sought. Then she undid a second button, and then a third. Any pretense in Satoshi's mind that this was a devious ploy had vanished. Finally, now nearly topless with her shirt unbuttoned halfway down, Detective Yamamoto reached into her bra and removed a wad of money before slamming it on the counter triumphantly.

Satoshi looked between Yamamoto and the money. She remained undressed, and the money consisted of a few small bills and a handful of coins. All told, Satoshi imagined that if the shopkeeper were to give them information now, he would have to be doing so out of pity. This amount of money could scarcely buy lunch, much less a bribe.

"Are you serious?" the shopkeeper asked. Satoshi cringed inwardly. It seemed as though this shameless and paltry attempt to bribe the shop owner insulted him more so than the fact that the bribe was so minuscule.

"Yes." said the detective with confidence. "I am willing to part with that much money."

"Well, it's not enough. You'll have to add something to sweeten the deal." Satoshi noticed that the shopkeeper was looking none too subtly at Detective Yamamoto's breasts. He wasn't sure where things were going, but he was sure that he didn't like it.

"Oh, I see what you mean." Yamamoto said. Her expression became lascivious. With slow, deliberate motion, she leaned over the counter, giving the shopkeeper are more complete view.

"Deal." said the shopkeeper with indecent haste. He scooped the money off the counter and moved it behind the register. Detective Yamamoto turned and gave Satoshi a smug look, as though this tense situation had only been navigated thanks to her immense intelligence. Satoshi decided to take the initiative.

"So what can you tell us about the customer who had this receipt?" Satoshi asked.

"I remember the transaction. The guy's a regular customer. Hiroshi Katsuda."

"Where can we find him?" interjected the detective.

"He spends a lot of time around the Wild Badger. It's a local bar. That's probably the best place to look."

"One more question," said Satoshi. "Did he bring you a computer a couple days ago?"

"Nope," the shopkeeper replied. "I would remember something like that and besides, Hiroshi hasn't been in since that receipt." Satoshi was undeniably disappointed, but he was also heartened by the fact that they now had a more concrete lead.

"Thank you for your help," Satoshi said to the shopkeeper before making his way towards the door. Detective Yamamoto followed, and to Satoshi's dismay she had left her shirt unbuttoned. As soon as they were outside the pawn shop and out of earshot of anyone else, Satoshi turned to Yamamoto.

"We need to track down Hiroshi Katsuda. Do you know anything about that bar?"

"Nope!" replied the detective, cheerfully shaking her head. Satoshi noticed that as she shook her head, the rest of her body oscillated gently and he had a good view of it.

"We should go check it out, but first button up your shirt." Yamamoto gave Satoshi a slightly weird look, as though his request was unreasonable, but she buttoned up her shirt regardless.
The Wild Badger was a mere ten minute walk from the pawn shop. Given that this bar acted as the hangout of a thief, and the bar was known to a particularly shady shopkeeper, Satoshi was not surprised to find out that it was a bit of a dive. It was early yet in the day, so Satoshi reckoned any patrons at this time would be the real heavy drinkers. With any luck, Hiroshi Katsuda would be one such patron. As Satoshi examined the exterior of the establishment, he just noticed from his peripheral vision that Detective Yamamoto was entering the bar. He walked swiftly to follow her in.

The interior of the bar matched the shabby exterior. At this time of day, no one sat at the stained, banged-up tables, and only a small handful sat at the bar. Each of the patrons sat, leaning over the bar with their heads down. Satoshi guessed that in order to justify hanging around a bar at this time of day, one must exist in a pretty sorry state.

Satoshi glanced around the bar from the doorway, but none of the patrons immediately struck him as the man they were looking for. In truth any of the three patrons could have been Hiroshi Katsuda. He was just trying to devise a tactful method of figuring out who Hiroshi was when Detective Yamamoto walked up to the bar in her characteristically bubbly manner.

"One round for Hiroshi Katsuda!" she declared. Satoshi wasn't sure of the wisdom of this, as Yamamoto's cheerful demeanor clashed with the mood of the bar. The matronly bartender acknowledged Yamamoto with a nod and produced another pint for the man sitting at the far end of the bar. By now, the man had looked up and was studying the pair in a way that might have been incisive had it not been for the several pints he had already ingested, dulling his senses.

Hiroshi Katsuda was a man that was swiftly approaching middle age, and he was not doing so gracefully. He wore a cheap suit dominated by wrinkles and stains and his hair was disheveled. Despite his obvious inebriation his eyes had a paranoid, watchful quality that spoke of a man who felt he had to constantly look over his shoulder. Incidentally Satoshi recognized him from his job at the convenience store.

"Thank you," Hiroshi slurred. He briefly turned to nod at Yamamoto before returning to his drink. Whether she was oblivious of his desire to be left alone or deliberately ignoring it, Yamamoto flopped down onto the bar stool beside him. Satoshi, following her lead, entered the bar in earnest and stood on the other side of Hiroshi. Despite his intoxication, Hiroshi seemed vaguely aware that he was now surrounded, albeit by some rather unimpressive people if they were here to rough him up. Hiroshi sighed into his beer and turned around away from the bar.

"What do you want?" he asked, directing the question at both Satoshi and Yamamoto. Yamamoto spoke first, seizing the initiative.

"We came from the pawn shop," she said simply. Hiroshi didn't say anything, but his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"You wouldn't happen to have a computer to sell, would you?" Yamamoto continued.

"I don't know what you're talking about." said Hiroshi as he turned back to his drink. Satoshi placed the receipt from his apartment down on the bar in front of him.

"Are you sure?" Satoshi asked. "You left this in my apartment when you took my computer."

Now confronted with evidence, if not proof, Hiroshi stood abruptly, knocking over his bar stool in the process. He didn't say anything, but only because he couldn't find the words. His mouth opened and closed several times like a fish.

"If you just give it back, there won't be any problems." said Yamamoto. Satoshi was surprised to hear a note of menace in her voice. Surely this young women didn't intend to resort to violence, but she seemed to be willing to employ a variety of tactics.

"I-I don't have it!" said Hiroshi finally.

"If you don't have it, then where is it?"

"I was hired to steal it. Some business man paid me. I gave the laptop to him."

Satoshi and Yamamoto looked at each other. This surprised them both. Satoshi certainly thought that this would wrap up the case, but now there was a new twist.

"Who hired you?" Satoshi asked.

"I don't know, he never told me his name and I only saw him a few times, once near the Nakamura Publishing building and once in a convenience store. He usually just sent notes and cash for payment."

"Did you get a good look at him?" Satoshi and the detective asked simultaneously. Hiroshi shook his head.

"Sort of. He was definitely old and he was wearing a suit. A nice suit."

"If he sent notes, why did he meet up with you?" asked the detective. Hiroshi shrugged.

"He said he prefers to do business face to face."

Hiroshi's description paired with the comment about the convenience store sparked something in Satoshi's mind and it showed on his face. After all, hadn’t Genji bumped into this guy right after he talked to Satoshi? Detective Yamamoto quickly picked up on Satoshi’s realization. She prompted him with a questioning look.

"That was something my publishing agent said, and the description sounds like him too. I watched them bump into each other," Satoshi mumbled. Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as she took in this information, then she turned to Hiroshi and smiled.

"Thanks for your help. I think we have all we need." With no other business to conduct in the Wild Badger, Satoshi and Yamamoto departed.

All this new information unsettled Satoshi. If Hiroshi Katsuda was to be believed, and in all likelihood he was, then the very publishing agent that had reached out to Satoshi was the ultimate culprit. But why? What would a publisher have to gain from stealing the manuscript of a novel. Was Satoshi's novel so good that Genji felt he had to steal it? Satoshi, in some small, perverse part of his mind, liked that idea, but he couldn't quite deem it plausible.

Since the conversation with Hiroshi at the bar and during the walk back to the agency, Detective Yamamoto had been very quiet. Satoshi would have guessed she was lost in thought, attempting to puzzle out a motive for what had happened and trying to find a solution. Admittedly, Satoshi couldn't really think of a solution either. Could he just accuse his publishing agent of being a thief? What if he was wrong? It wasn't like merely leveling an accusation would get him his computer back either. It seemed as though for all their effort, Satoshi and Detective Yamamoto had reached an impasse. Before Satoshi realized it, the pair had arrived back in front of the detective agency. Yamamoto turned to face Satoshi.

"I think we've done all we can for one day. Meet me back here tomorrow and maybe we can think up something to do." Yamamoto said. Satoshi nodded in agreement.

If the walk from the bar to the detective agency was quiet, Satoshi's walk back to his apartment was downright sullen. Academically, he knew that he and the detective had gotten some real work done. There was a potential path forward, but the uncertainty of it still weighed on Satoshi.

  If that wasn't bad enough, Satoshi had to return to his apartment. It wasn't that he didn't like his home, but having recently been robbed, it didn't feel safe. Worse yet, Satoshi was a writer with very little means, and currently little inclination, of actually doing any writing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Satoshi recognized that all the events of the past week might make for a fun little mystery story, but he couldn't find the strength within himself to pick up the pen.  

TUESDAY

After a substantially sleepless night, Satoshi woke up simultaneously in an absolutely foul mood and somewhat heartened that he could now once again take active steps toward fixing the problem. He made his way to the Yamamoto Detective Agency almost as early as he decently could. He was aware that Detective Yamamoto was not likely to be an early riser, but he was also aware that he was the paying customer. To his surprise, when Satoshi knocked on the door, he was met with a response.

"Good morning," Yamamoto greeted Satoshi cheerfully. She fixed him with a conspiratorial look. "Let's devise a plan."

Satoshi found it unsurprising that Detective Yamamoto was in a similar state of undress as yesterday, with apparently only an over-sized shirt to protect what little remained of her modesty. Yamamoto swept a small carpet of empty cans off her desk, pulled up a second chair to it, and motioned for Satoshi to take a seat. Satoshi sat, but Yamamoto continued to stand and started pacing behind her desk.

"So what do we know?" said the detective. "Hiroshi robbed you, possibly working with your would-be publishing agent, Genji Watanabe. The same publishing agent who met with you to set up a meeting. Why would a criminal go out of his way to interact with a victim?"

Satoshi got the distinct impression that Detective Yamamoto merely thought out loud for her own benefit rather than prompting him for his input. Nevertheless, he set to work thinking, trying to scrape together some answer for the many questions they faced. Detective Yamamoto abruptly stopped pacing and snapped towards Satoshi.

"What else do you know about the publishing agent?" she asked, with a tone that implied a level of focus that contrasted with her usual demeanor. Satoshi thought for a moment.

"I know very little, only a few things that made me recognize him based on Hiroshi's description." Satoshi replied. Yamamoto frowned and crossed her arms.

"There's very little to go on, but the publishing agent sounds old fashioned. We might be able to exploit that.”

For the first time, Satoshi felt a little pinprick of hope. Detective Yamamoto had not steered him wrong so far, and if she had an idea of what to do, it looked like as good a reason as any to hold onto hope.

"I think I've got a plan, but it will rely on a lot of luck." said the detective. It was less than ideal, but better than nothing. Satoshi supposed he should be glad to have a slim chance at all when there was a distinct possibility that the thief could get away with no consequences.

"Alright, I'm listening." said Satoshi with some trepidation.

  "The first step is to..."