Holmes of Kyoto: Volume 15 (eBook)

Mai Mochizuki (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023
250 Seiten
J-Novel Heart (Verlag)
978-1-7183-7676-2 (ISBN)

Infos

Kiyotaka and Aoi are back from New York and enjoying their return to daily life at Kura. One day, they're visited by Kurisu Aigasa, a mystery author they solved an attempted murder case for in the past. She wants them to read a new novel she's written-with the protagonists modeled after some very familiar faces! Set in Kyoto in the early Showa period, The Tragedy of the Grand Family follows the detective Kiyotaka and his student Akihito as they try to solve the mystery of an extremely wealthy family.

Textauszug

Prologue

Under the guidance of Kiyotaka Yagashira, skilled counterfeiter-turned-painter Ensho (real name Shinya Sugawara) had quickly gained recognition from one of the wealthiest men in the world. Ensho’s brilliance was awe-inspiring, but it went without saying that Kiyotaka was also incredible. Despite calling himself an apprentice, he was an excellent appraiser with an exceptional eye for observation and discernment. His accomplishments were already well-known around the world.

“Ensho and the kiddo really are amazing.” Katsuya Komatsu, head of the Komatsu Detective Agency, chuckled and looked up. He couldn’t believe that such great people had been working at his tiny office, even if it had only been a temporary arrangement.

“Didn’t I tell you not to use my mug?”

“Pfft, it’s just a mug. Who cares? You’re such a stingy guy.”

“Is that really how you should be talking after using someone’s property without permission?”

“Whaddya mean, ‘someone’s property’? There’s no ownership in a shared kitchen.”

“Oh, so that’s how you see it. In that case, let’s say you bought your favorite sweets and put them in the fridge so you could eat them during your break. If I were to eat them without checking with you first, you wouldn’t complain, would you?”

“Nah. I ain’t interested in sweets.”

“What if it was crème caramel?”

Silence.

“No snarky response, I see. I’m sure it’s true that you aren’t interested in sweets in general, but crème caramel is different. Could it be that you have a special attachment to it?”

“Seriously, shut up. Why do I have to put up with this just ’cause I used a damn mug?”

“When I brought it in this morning, I said, ‘This mug is special to me, so please don’t use it.’ If I’m not mistaken, you nodded and said, ‘Yeah, yeah.’”

“I don’t recall that. What’s so good about this ceramic cup, anyway? It looks like an amateur made it. I like this deep indigo color, though. It must’ve been really expensive if you’re using it, eh?”

“Aoi made that mug for me.”

“Oh...so that’s why. All right, my bad. You can have it back right now if you want. I already put my mouth on it, though.”

“Thank you.”

“Wait, you didn’t even hesitate to take it. I said I put my mouth on it.”

“I’ll wash it thoroughly.”

“You’re seriously ridiculous.”

“Say whatever you like.”

“This is stupid.”

It really is stupid. Komatsu grimaced as he listened to the pointless bickering taking place within the walls of his modestly sized office. Then he stood up with a start. “Wait, why are you guys still here?!”

“Why do you ask?” Kiyotaka asked, tilting his head. Ensho silently rested his chin on his hand.

After returning from Shanghai, all of the stress, excitement, and fatigue had caught up to Komatsu at once. He had fallen ill for about two weeks, and today was his first day back at work. He had assumed that Kiyotaka and Ensho hadn’t been coming to the office either, but here they were, chatting away as usual.

Kiyotaka shrugged. “I haven’t finished my training here yet.”

Their time in Shanghai had been so action-packed that Komatsu had felt like a long time had passed. “Oh, I see. You only just started working here, huh?”

“Am I bothering you?”

“No, I’m glad. I was just surprised. I mean, after the party in Shanghai, you went to New York. With all your other work, I figured you wouldn’t be back for about a month. That’s why I...” Komatsu recalled the scene at the Shanghai Tower, when Kiyotaka had declared he was taking the last flight to New York and left the hall.

“Yeah.” Ensho nodded. “Don’t you normally stay abroad for a long time?”

“No, I only went to see Aoi, so I was there for a total of around twenty-four hours,” Kiyotaka said nonchalantly.

“Huh?” Komatsu and Ensho’s eyes widened.

“You came back after just a day?” asked Komatsu.

“Yes,” said Kiyotaka.

“You went to New York and back just for that...” said Komatsu.

“Sheesh, how rich are you? I can’t believe anyone’d do that,” said Ensho.

“Well, it gave me a chance to use up my miles. Most importantly, I had a wonderful time, so I’m truly glad I went,” said Kiyotaka, placing his hand on his chest.

The other two men groaned.

Komatsu turned to Ensho and said, “Okay, but what about you? I definitely didn’t expect you to show up here anymore.”

In Shanghai, Ensho realized it was impossible for him to become an appraiser. He had disappeared for a while, but later, his skill as a painter had been recognized and he had decided to pursue a career in art.

“You aren’t Yanagihara’s apprentice anymore, right?” Komatsu continued. “Which means you don’t have to be stuck to the kiddo.”

“Uh-huh.” Ensho nodded and stood up. His serious eyes made Komatsu flinch. Perhaps he had come to say goodbye. What a conscientious guy. “I’m here ’cause I have a request for you.”

A request? Komatsu blinked at the unexpected word. What could Ensho possibly want to ask him for?

“Like you said, I ain’t Yanagihara’s apprentice no more. I’ve been living at his place, but now I gotta leave. He said I could stay as long as I wanted, but I can’t just do that.”

Ensho had been living at the Yanagihara residence, taking care of his teacher’s daily needs while undergoing his training. It sounded like a good trade, but in reality, he had probably been more of a freeloader.

“Yeah,” said Komatsu. “It’s not right to take advantage of his kindness. So you want me to help you find a place, then?”

“Maybe later on. You don’t use the second floor here much, yeah? Do you mind letting me stay there for now? Doesn’t have to be permanent, and I’ll pay rent.”

“Here?” The detective’s eyes widened.

“That’s a good idea,” Kiyotaka said with a smile. “Believe it or not, Ensho’s a tidy person, so you don’t have to worry about him making a mess. Him living here would also prevent theft. Besides, you always complain about how expensive the rent is here.”

“Yeah, I do,” said Komatsu.

His office was located right in the middle of Gion, south of Kiyamachi-Shijo on a small, quaint path along the Takase River. It was a traditional wooden townhouse that matched the others—mostly restaurants—in its row.

The landlords were an elderly couple that he had solved a case for in the past. With their permission, he had renovated the interior in a Western style. The first floor served as the office and consultation room, with wooden flooring and a black sofa set. The second floor was his research room equipped with the latest in computer technology. However, he rarely used it. Going upstairs was a hassle, so he ended up doing all of his work at his desk on the first floor.

The second floor also had another room that was completely empty. And as it turned out, Komatsu’s current pressing concern was the fact that rent was high due to the location. The Komatsu Detective Agency had been thriving for a while, so he’d thought he’d be able to get by, but as business dwindled, Gion’s high rent had become a serious issue. He was even considering moving the office, but it wasn’t something that could be done quickly. Having Ensho rent a room, even temporarily, could be a dream come true.

“Well, okay, that works for me,” said Komatsu. “But didn’t you get filthy rich by selling that painting?”

In Shanghai, Ensho had painted Yu Garden by Night, and Zhifei Jing—one of the wealthiest men in the world—had offered to buy it, likely for over a hundred million yen. Komatsu was extremely jealous.

“Nah, I didn’t sell it,” said Ensho.

“Whaaa?” The detective’s eyes widened. “Why not?”

The painter looked away and said nothing.

Kiyotaka replied in his stead, “Ensho painted Yu Garden by Night in order to save Aoi, so I think he might want her to have it.”

Indeed, Aoi Mashiro’s life had been in danger because of Shiro Kikukawa, and Kiyotaka had begged Ensho to paint a painting for her sake. Aoi was Kiyotaka’s fiancée, but Ensho was also in love with her. In order to protect her, Ensho had created Yu Garden by Night. It was truly a work he’d put his heart and soul into.

“I understand how you feel, but...” Komatsu didn’t actually understand. If it had been him, he would have sold it without a moment’s hesitation.

“No, that ain’t it!” Ensho snapped.

“Oh, really?” asked Kiyotaka. “I was so sure you’d want to give it to Aoi.”

“Well...I wanna leave it at Kura for now,” Ensho muttered, perhaps embarrassed that his feelings had been revealed. His painting was still on display in the Shanghai hotel. It would probably be shipped back to him after the exhibition.

“All right.” Kiyotaka nodded. “You want Aoi to see it first, right?”

“Will you ever shut up about that? I said that ain’t it. Anyway, I’m gonna go get...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 19.7.2023
• Reihe/Serie: Holmes of Kyoto
• Reihe/Serie: Holmes of Kyoto
• Übersetzer: Minna Lin
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror ► Krimi / Thriller
• Schlagworte: Cozy Mystery • Drama • female protagonist • History • Japan • Light Novel • Slice of Life
• ISBN-10: 1-7183-7676-6 / 1718376766
• ISBN-13: 978-1-7183-7676-2 / 9781718376762