Chapter 3.2

They were entering the calendar month of September but she didn't think that the lingering summer heat was abating in the slightest.

As Ritsuko left the hospital, a heat haze reflected off of the parking lot baking in the midday sun. There may have been some moisture in the air recently; it was sultry as if boiling. 

"Uwa--, it's hot!" Yuuki said, hurrying towards her car, a toy like Forme. The car's window was left open. It wasn't like there was anyone who'd steal a car in Sotoba anyway.

"Ritsuko-san, it's hot, is that all right?"

"It's fine," Ritsuko answhered. When Ritsuko said she was going to go out to the shopping district a bit and would be back, Yuki had said that if that was the case, she'd give her a ride halfway there. The car that had been scorching in the parking lot was probably hotter than the road top but it was far better than walking beneath the scorching hot rays. 

Gratefully getting into the car, she was taken to the edge of the shopping district. First deciding to have lunch, she opened the door to creole.

She took in a relieved breath at the soft sounds of piano and the air conditioned air. From here to the hospital didn't even take ten minutes by car. Due to that, the car's air conditioning didn't have time to start working, and in just that amount of time the back of her blouse was wet.

"Good day."

"Ah, Ricchan." 

Hasegawa, almost as if he had been expecting her, raised his face eagerly. At the counter sat the book store's Tashiro. Haswgawa invited Ritsuko to the seat next to him. 

"You came at a good time. Ricchan, have you heard from the doctor about what happened at Takami-san's place?"

"Takami-san---the resident officer? No."

She heard the story that Takami had died. With that the nurses felt all the more uneasy. But beyond that, she didn't remember hearing what happened to Takami. 

"Really? The Junior Doctor is no the crime prevention committee and all. I thought you might've heard something, but. Coffee?"

"Iced. And a lunch special. ---What happened to Takami-san?"

That's, started Hasegawa exchanging looks with Tashiro. The one to talk was Tashiro.

"They moved, Takami-san."

Ritsuko tilted her head.

"I mean, at Takami-san's place, I haven't caught sight of his wife since then. Takami-san died, she came back from the hospital and said that. Then with that she took the kids somewhere at night and hasn't been back to the house. We were thinking if she needed help with the funeral or something, we'd lend a hand and all, and even if they didn't need help, we should at least light an incense stick for him, I'd thought. But since then we haven't seen her at all."

"My...."

"Then, last night, suddenly there's a light on in the house. ---Well, that's just what I'd heard from the neighbors when I got back to the house, but. Just when I thought they'd finally come back, there's a Takasago pine moving truck in front of the station, no sign of the wife and kids, and a young guy I'd never seen before."

"Were they a moving company? It can't be, they moved? At night?"

"That's right. And at a pretty late hour. It was Mori-san from the pharmacy who saw it, and he said we're talking around twelve o'clock."

"That late at night, was it?"

"Mm. That young guy---he's called Sasaki but anyway it looks like he's the replacement. Takami-san in the end seems to have gone back to his home for the funeral. So, his successor was picked and moved in. It seems like that Sasaki was asked by his wife to take care of the move. Even so, they moved out the clothes and the personal stuff but, like, the furniture was just left where it was. Sasaki-san said it was passed on for him to use, it seems."

"It's all so sudden, isn't it."

"Ain't it? No greetings to anyone around, it was a shock. We were all looked after by Takami-san, we were all waiting for a chance to see him off in a way, like."

And furthermore, said Hasegawa following up on Tashiro. 

"This successor called Sasaki had a weird feeling to him. How to put it---his eyes were fixed, and he didn't have a very good countenance to him, it seems. So, Mori-san, for a moment, thought that talk of being his replacement was made up or something. At any rate, it seems he's single, he said."

Is that so, Ritsuko murmured. "I wonder if a replacement would be decided on this quickly."

While listening to Hasegawa say, that's right, in her mind,

Ritsuko tilted her head.

It wasn't completely random by any means. But still something about it was very queer. A sudden move, and in the dead of night. And Takami's family wasn't there, a stranger was standing in. Leaving the furniture, carrying out the luggage, boarding it on the truck----

Vaguely imagining the state of affairs, RItsuko spoke to herself.

"Takasago pine...."

There was a crest with that Takasago pine on it wasn't there? ---Takasago Movers. She remembered hearing that name.

"Hm?"

Urged by Tashiro, Ritsuko spoke. "Takasago pine, that's Takasago Movers, isn't it?"

"You know them? I guess they're a famous moving company."

"That isn't it.... In our neighborhood recently there was a move. It was in one day, so it was very sudden."

The mother and child Shinoda from Kami-Sotoba had moved. 

"It's a similar story. In the middle of the night, a truck pulled in, and suddenly, they had moved. Without any words of parting to the neighbors. It was so sudden, there were even people wondering if they were running away from something in the middle of the night."

"Heeh. That really is a similar story."

"That was Takasago Moving after all, I was thinking. The name is so auspicious, using it to flee into the night, we had been saying."

"Takasago Moving?"

Yes, Ritsuko nodded.  "It's a strange symbol isn't it, that. Is it possible that they're movers who only work at night, I wonder." Saying that, Ritsuko seemed to laugh at her own words. "....That can't be, there's no such thing."

Hasegawa and Tashiro, even while laughing exchange bewilgered glances. Here you are, said Hasegawa, serving up a salad.

"This place is somewhat strange, this village. Whether it be strange moves or strange outsiders." Saying that, Hasegawa wore a wry smile as if remembering that he himself was an outsider. 

"Come to think of it, Kanemasa moved in in the middle of the night, too. Is it becoming a fad, I wonder?"

"It couldn't be. ...And on top of that, the deaths keep coming. Shimizu-san's place's Megumi-chan and Takami-san, in succession, aren't they? Hirosawa-san was saying that the mourning crew's work kept coming."

Without thinking, Ritsuko found herself staring back at Hasegawa. For a moment, she had thought Hasegawa had said it like it was a joke. But Hasegawa's face that she stared into was quite serious. It really did feel unease. ----But.

As if remembering something in looking at Ritsuko's face, Hasegawa waved his hand.  "Aa, right, right. Yamairi, you know. In Yamairi, the elderly died, didn't they."

Ritsuko swallowed a breath. Those weren't the only ones who died. Hasegawa didn't know. It was understandable, if you didn't know them, you wouldn't receive notice of their death. So not knowing about Gotouda Shuuji or his mother Fuki's death was natural, and not knowing abuot Yasumori Giichi or Yasumori Nao's deaths might have been as much of a given as given could be. It might have been overheard somewhere but it wouldn't stick in one's memory, likely.

(That's not all.)

Without thinking, a taste developed in Ritsuko's mouth. Gotouda Shuuji, Fuki, Yasumori Giichi, Nao, the three in Yamairi and Megumi, plus Takami made for a sum of nine people. That number was abnormal. 

--But, even Ritsuko who thought as much didn't by any means know the true count.