Chapter 14Hiroshi and Sakaguchi sat quietly in the taxi on the way to meet Takamatsu. They found him waiting at the yattai street cart parked at the end of a bridge that angled along a row of bushes and leafless trees, right where he said it would be.
When Hiroshi and Sakaguchi pushed inside, the master said, “Irrashaimase! Welcome!” and bowed his scarf-wrapped head for a moment before turning back to a rubbery octopus with a long, thin takobiki knife.
Hiroshi plopped down at the end of the short wooden counter and Takamatsu scooted over as Sakaguchi settled onto a stool between them. A small kerosene heater and gently smoking griddle warmed the interior. A thick curtain of plastic hung from the roof down to the pavement to keep out the winter night.
The master handed them steaming hot
