Chapter 32Yoshifumi Arai, the dead minister’s former secretary, lived a long walk from Denenchofu Station close to the Tama River, longer than Hiroshi expected from the map. Near the station, sidewalks lined the wide, curving roads with old trees planted at regular intervals in front of well-appointed homes two or three stories high.
But as Hiroshi got nearer the river, the streets narrowed, the lots got smaller, the houses closer to the street. Urban planning evaporated into the usual Tokyo muddle of designs, from minimalist Japanese to European chic to industrial concrete. The latter was where the minister’s secretary lived. Hiroshi rang the bell, which gave out a faint clonk from inside.
He walked to the side of the house. On tiptoes, he could just peek over a thick concrete wall. The
