‘Of course you don’t.’ Mr Odagiri flashed him a smile. His teeth were sparkling white and perfectly aligned. ‘It’s just a small gesture of appreciation from me. The ultimate reward is the joy and relief you’ll get, knowing you’ve rescued a lovely lady from her troubled marriage. It’s obvious he has been hurting her. The poor woman …’

Shoji took a deep breath.

‘Ah-ha,’ Mr Odagiri said. ‘Now I’ve got your attention, huh?’

Shoji didn’t respond.

‘Listen,’ Mr Odagiri said sternly. ‘I’ve been tailing Mr Katou’s wife for months. She always has personal guards around her. She doesn’t socialise, and she spends most of her time at their house, except when she’s with you, of course.’

‘I don’t need to hear—’

Mr Odagiri cut Shoji off: ‘You’re her only friend, Mr Arai. Apart from you, she has no one.’

Shoji’s chest felt heavy.

‘I’m sure you can see that their marriage is not normal. There is something odd about them. You know that her husband is extremely controlling. I suspect he is abusing her, but I can’t get close enough to her to obtain solid proof. But you can.’

The convenience store was only a few steps ahead of them. Shoji stopped walking so they could remain in the shadows. As much as he wanted to help Mizuki, it was too big a risk, and he wasn’t convinced it would be that easy. He knew Mr Katou had ties with a criminal organisation. Trying to help might make things even worse for Mizuki. Shoji shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, but this won’t work.’

Mr Odagiri gave him a concerned look. ‘Are you worried about getting into trouble? Rest assured, Mr Arai, I would keep your name out of the story.’

Shoji shrugged. He doubted it would be that simple. ‘I’ve got no idea how I can help you. I know nothing.’

‘You’ll know something,’ Mr Odagiri insisted. ‘Sooner or later.’

‘Even if she told me anything, second-hand testimony is meaningless. What you need is proof.’

‘That’s correct. Which is why I need you to lure her out of that place you’re working at. If I could just have a moment with her—’

Shoji sighed, recalling the black Bentley that chauffeured Mizuki to the tearoom and waited outside. ‘And how am I supposed to do that? You know how closely guarded she is.’

‘That’s something you need to figure out yourself.’ Mr Odagiri smirked. ‘I’ll wait for your call. I have high hopes for you. You look like a nice guy. You won’t be able to help her any other way — her husband has spies in the police. Do the right thing, Mr Arai.’

He bowed and disappeared into the night. Shoji stood in the dark for a long time, thinking, before eventually heading into the convenience store. The shop seemed brighter than he’d remembered. For a moment, he forgot what he had planned to get. He browsed the aisles aimlessly, looking at the colourful displays of snacks.

‘Shoji, what are you doing?’