Guilt: A Mystery

They were met by a Ms. Setsuko Nagai. The job title on her card was personal assistant. A bespectacled woman of around forty, she'd worked for Shiraishi for fifteen years.

According to Nagai, Shiraishi dealt mainly with criminal cases, traffic accidents, and juvenile crime. Did he have any clients who held a grudge against him?

"Oh, we see all sorts here," said Nagai. "Some clients say the craziest things. They're busy insisting they've done nothing wrong and are innocent, when Mr. Shiraishi can see they're clearly guilty. Mr. Shiraishi was very patient with clients like that and would take the time to explain the situation. You know, 'At the end of the day, it's always better for you to be up-front and honest with me.' If the client refused to change their story despite his best efforts, that limited Mr. Shiraishi's options for defending them. All he could do was regurgitate the same lying nonsense in the courtroom. You can't expect a light sentence with a baseless defense that generates. Of course not. So yes, we sometimes have clients who blame Mr. Shiraishi even though they're the ones who dug their own graves."

Godai could sympathize. He had arrested his fair share of suspects like that himself.

"Even after sentencing, Mr. Shiraishi always followed up and did his best for his clients. Ultimately, most accepted their situation. Plenty of clients who'd bad-mouthed him after the verdict would then thank him after they'd done their time."

Listening to Setsuko Nagai talk about her boss, Godai found words like warm and empathetic came to mind.

Godai then asked Ms. Nagai the same question he had put to Shiraishi's wife and daughter earlier. What about the victims? Might they be angry with him?

"People often threatened him when he was negotiating out-of-court settlements. Victims are justifiably angry, so what else can you expect? While Shiraishi was doing his best to keep things amicable, they sometimes thought he was trying to pull a fast one."

Even so, Nagai added, she couldn't think of a specific case where the victim loathed him enough to kill him.

"I don't actually know that many lawyers other than Mr. Shiraishi. Personally, I think he was a very moral person. When he pled a case in court, he was just as mindful of the victim as he was of the client he was defending. The idea that a man like that would be murdered because of a grudge or some sort of festering old hatred—it's unthinkable. Though God knows, there's no shortage of crazy people out there, so I suppose I can't rule it out completely."

Did she have any idea of what might have motivated his murder? Godai asked. Nagai groaned.

"Mr. Shiraishi is involved in a few difficult ongoing cases. There's no reason why killing him would be to the other side's advantage, though. Maybe he was murdered because of something in his private life. But as far as I know, Mr. Shiraishi had no money troubles, and I never heard any strange rumors or gossip about him. All I can suggest is that some crazy person killed him with no motive."

At this point, Godai again brought up Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine, the Sumida River Terrace, and Kaigan District of Minato Ward. None of these places meant anything to her.

After securing all the documentation related to Shiraishi's recent cases and a list of recent incoming calls, Godai and Nakamachi left the office.

The two detectives then proceeded to interview several of Shiraishi's recent and former clients. Without exception, they were shocked by his murder. Nearly all of them made the same comment.

"I simply can't believe that anyone would hate Attorney Shiraishi that much."

CHAPTER THREE

THE TWO DETECTIVES decided to grab an early dinner on their way back to the precinct. Nakamachi suggested they stop at the Monzen-Nakacho District.

After changing trains, they arrived at Monzen-Nakacho Station a little after 6:00 pm.

There, they stopped at a robata-yaki barbecue joint, which specialized in steamed rice with clams, a local delicacy. Just the thought of the dish was enough to make Godai's mouth water.

Inside, a man in a white smock was busy grilling vegetables and shellfish. Godai chose a table at the back of the room; a counter was never the best place for a confidential discussion.

Over a couple of beers, edamame, and cubed tofu, Nakamachi sighed as he flipped his little notebook open. "Everyone we interviewed said the exact same thing."

"No one could believe anyone would hate Mr. Shiraishi enough to murder him? For all I know, they're right. He probably did handle every case that came his way with seriousness and sincerity, just as his assistant said. When you're a lawyer, enmity comes with the territory. There are cases that end in murder, but it's rare. No, we're probably better off dismissing the whole deep-seated grudge theory."