Ota had been following Miyuki Walsh all day on simple errands. It was confusing trying to connect the law office in Akasaka with the small lane in Kokubunji, but following anyone through Tokyo when you didn’t know what they were doing was confusing.
Ota was Shibutani’s best private investigator. Shibutani, who had worked with Takamatsu in homicide for years, coordinated from the office while Ota put shoes on the street and eyes on the suspect.
Ota’s deafness occasionally presented a hurdle, but he and Shibutani worked fine with it. A plain leather jacket, which held everything he needed, good walking shoes, and neat but longish hair allowed Ota to blend in anywhere. Being deaf, he saw more and was seen less. For most work, he didn’t need to hear. He needed to watch.
Miyuki walked out of
