‘I’m running out of time,’ he said, chuckling. ‘Farewell, Mr Arai. I wish you a safe escape from Akakawa.’

The line was abruptly cut.

Shoji dialled the number again, but this time he couldn’t connect. He tried one more time and got the same result. He clutched the phone tighter. His palms were sweaty. What should he do now?

Calm down. First, he had to reassess the situation.

Could he trust this stranger? Of course not, but also, just like the man had said, there was no reason for the company to punish Yoko — she hadn’t done anything wrong. If he went to her now, he might put her in more danger. As it was, she could deny knowing anything, and it would mostly be true. At this moment, the wisest move was probably to avoid drawing attention to himself.

Shoji opened his bag. He didn’t have many belongings with him, and only a little cash. He wouldn’t be able to sustain himself for long. He had to get in touch with Yoko somehow, to make sure she was safe. Once she’d seen their apartment, hopefully she would know that something was wrong and would try to get to safety. But he had no idea where she would go. They didn’t have any friends in Akakawa.

Would she return to Tokyo to wait for him there? Should he go to the train station? No, she would realise that Mr Katou’s people would probably be waiting to ambush them there. If he were her, he would hide somewhere in the town, lie low for a while, but where?

What should he do now? There was nobody he could contact. Unless …

Uncle Hidetoshi. Could he still be working at the same place?

Shoji stared at the emergency contacts listed in the phone booth. Taking a deep breath, he slotted in more coins and punched in some numbers.

‘Good afternoon, Akakawa Police Station,’ said the voice at the other end of the line. ‘How can I assist you?’

Shoji cleared his throat. ‘I’m looking for Hidetoshi Oda.’

‘May I know who is speaking?’

Erm. ‘Jin Fujiwara.’

‘Please wait for a moment, Mr Fujiwara. I’ll transfer your call.’

A string of melody played before someone picked up.

‘Oda here,’ a hoarse voice said.

‘Uncle Hidetoshi, this is Shoji,’ he said. ‘Do you still remember me?’

‘Ah, Shoji. What are you talking about? How could I forget you?’ Uncle Hidetoshi broke into laughter. ‘But why are you calling, and what’s with the fake name?’

‘Do you remember what you told me the last time we met? You said I could find you anytime if —’

‘If you’re in trouble,’ he continued. ‘Yes, I remember. What can I do for you, Shoji?’

‘I need to talk to you in person. By any chance, do you know a safe place to stay in Akakawa?’

‘Aren’t you studying in Tokyo?’

‘No, I’ve graduated, and I’m here now.’ Shoji tried to sound as calm as possible. ‘But something has happened. I need a place to spend the night, but I don’t have much money.’