Hidden Nexus by Nick Tanner Page B

to be a perfectly normal individual, working for a normal company in a normal role in a normal life.
     
    The pattern was to repeat itself for the other people he'd managed to quickly interview that morning. No-one had a bad word to say about her, or him. No light could be shed on their relationship to suggest that there was anything remotely fractiousabout it. They seemed to be a perfectly happy couple, a bit limited, a bit boring perhaps, but even so, perfectly happy.
     
    Eventually he'd made contact with Deguchi who'd informed him that to date the house-to-house checks for witnesses had turned up nothing what-so-ever and so as a consequence, with no other leads to follow and his head cold dimming any sense of individual drive or motivation, Mori decided to pull in Hideki Yamada as per Sakamoto’s request.
     
    He made his way back to Kamioka on the Keihin Kyuko and re-traced the journey that Yamada would have taken the previous evening. The snow still lay heavy on the streets and on the railway embankments but its crisp, fresh whiteness was gradually being rimmed by a slushy brown hem. He noted the time the train took from central Yokohama to Kamioka and also the walking time up to his house from the station. The walk took in many twists and turns through the narrow residential streets finishing in a steep uphill stretch that flanked the park in which Eri Yamada had been murdered. In all it took about forty minutes – twenty-five walking up from the station, perhaps a little less in more forgiving conditions – his shoes had found it hard to gather purchase on the icy roads.
     
    The brisk walk had warmed him up and he’d broken out in a sweat which together with his cold made him feel dizzy and momentarily weak. He simultaneously gathered his thoughts as well as his energy and approached Yamada’s house. Immediately he was alarmed to notice the absence of the uniformed Junsa who was not standing outside as had been ordered the night before.
     
    ‘Who’s on guard outside Yamada’s house?’ he demanded angrily down his mobile to HQ.
     
    ‘It should be Shimizu. I’ll just check.’ There was a ruffling of paper and then confirmation.
     
    Mori cut the line and ruffled his hair trying to think quickly of what to do. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out how a guard could take it upon himself to wander off without being replaced. He examined the trail of footprints, relieved that the snow in front on Yamada’s house remained virgin white and untouched. Nonetheless his heart was still beating with an injection of concern. He rang the bell to Yamada’s house and the door was slowly opened by a dishevelled and pale-looking Yamada. He was clearly hung-over.
     
    ‘Everything all right, sir?’
     
    ‘Fine – well, no not really! I’ve just lost my wife. What do you think?’ he said irritably.
     
    Mori didn’t really know what to say. He merely replied with a sympathetic look. ‘We kept a man on guard outside last night – just for your own safety.’
     
    Yamada looked surprised and then glanced up and down the street. He raised an eyebrow at a sight of all the snow. He wasn’t all that concerned and showed little emotion either way.
     
    ‘I need to check a few things and then I’ll be back. You’ve had no communication with the guard?’
     
    ‘I didn’t know anyone was there and anyway…’
     
    ‘Yes, well, I’ll be back in a minute.’
     
    Mori was still angry as he stepped away from the closing door and went back into the street. At least on the surface there appeared to be no harm done, nonetheless, it was unforgivable that there had been a breach in security.
     
    A minute later Shimizu turned the corner ambling along without a care in the world, clasping his arms around his body in an attempt to keep warm.
     
    ‘Where have you been?’ spat out Mori.
     
    Shimizu stood to attention seemingly caught off guard by the attitude of the senior man. ‘I’ve just been to the