Chapter 30Hiroshi saw Akiko standing alone at a table at the back of the long, narrow tachinomi standing bar. She looked small beside Sugamo, Ueno, and Osaki. Salarymen and office workers clustered around cuts of plywood plunked on plastic beer crates, hoisting drinks, clacking chopsticks and talking in loud, unrestrained voices. Hiroshi headed to where they were with Takamatsu following and Sakaguchi turning sideways to squeeze through the circles of standing, drinking customers.
“The chief called five times,” Akiko said. “He’s upset.”
Takamatsu took off his jacket, brushed out a few wrinkles and hung it carefully on a hook on the wall. “Getting upset is his job.”
Sakaguchi threw his huge coat over a stack of beer crates, took the steaming hot oshibori towel from the waiter and buried
