Silent Parade

analysis failed to detect any blood, then the lawyer could argue that
someone else must have dealt the fatal blow.”

“Right, I see…”
Kusanagi consulted his watch. It wasn’t yet midnight. Reaching into his
jacket pocket for his phone, he started to get to his feet. Yukawa grabbed
Kusanagi’s arm to stop him.
“Not at this time of night! Come on, let your people have a decent
night’s sleep. The hair slide isn’t going anywhere. Rumi’s got it safe.”
“I guess you’re right,” conceded Kusanagi, lowering himself back into
his chair. He knocked back what remained of his bourbon and ordered
another from the bartender.
“What you mentioned earlier—the truth that even the Niikuras didn’t
know. Was that it?”
“Yes,” Yukawa said. “Whether or not they come clean about their
actions is their choice to make. But that choice is meaningless unless they
know the real truth. That’s why I went to tell Rumi Niikura.”
“And you guessed that Rumi Niikura would want to talk to her husband
about it. Sure enough, off she goes to see him this morning.…”
“Rumi was conflicted. As things stood, her husband was only going to
be charged with manslaughter. Telling the truth results in that charge being
bumped up to murder and in Rumi being charged, too. But if they both kept
quiet, then no one would ever know what Hasunuma did. My impression is
that they’re actually willing to pay the price for the crimes they’ve
committed. That’s what matters to them right now.”
A fresh glass appeared in front of Kusanagi. He jabbed a finger at the
ice. It made a tinkling sound.

EPILOGUE

50

She hung the noren curtain over the front door and flipped the wooden sign
over from CLOSED to OPEN. Natsumi felt that she had accomplished
something meaningful.

She heard a woman’s voice behind her. “Ah, so you’re reopening,
then?” When she turned around, she saw the woman from the local tofu
shop. She was on the plump side and her dark-purple cardigan was clearly
rather a tight fit.

“We are, yes. I hope you’ll come in for a meal.”
“Best of luck. I’m rooting for you.” The lady smiled warmly. “I’ll drop
in very soon. Promise.”
“Thank you very much. Look forward to seeing you.” Natsumi clasped
her hands at her waist and bobbed her head politely.
“See you later,” the woman said and went on her way. Watching her
waddle off, Natsumi let out sigh of relief.
Namiki-ya had been closed for a long time because of the frequency
with which Yutaro was being summoned to the police station for
questioning. It got to the point that the family started worrying about having
to shut down for good. The restaurant could hardly keep going if the owner
was arrested and sent to jail.
The police were questioning Yutaro in connection with two crimes:
acting as an accomplice and conspiracy to murder. He ended up not being
charged with the former, as he couldn’t be expected to have foreseen what
Niikura ended up doing. That left conspiracy to murder.
The facts were these: Yutaro has asked Tojima to procure and put in
place the liquid nitrogen, which was used in Hasunuma’s murder. His plan

had been to use the liquid nitrogen to frighten Hasunuma. He hadn’t made a
final decision on whether or not to kill him. He intended to make that
decision only after hearing what Hasunuma had to say.

The problem was, would anyone accept such a rationalization? The
police thought that Namiki had made up his mind in advance that
Hasunuma had murdered Saori; he simply wanted to get him to admit his
guilt before he went on to kill him.

When the detective responsible for interviewing him pressed him on this
issue, Yutaro had the following to say.

“I can see why you might see it like that. The truth is, though, that when
I asked Shusaku to get me the liquid nitrogen, I hadn’t yet made up my
mind. I never really felt that I would be capable of committing a dreadful
act like murder.… At the same time, I thought I might suddenly feel the
compulsion to kill him when that monster … that Hasunuma told me how
he killed Saori.”

Whatever anyone else might think about his explanation, Natsumi, at
least, was convinced that her father wasn’t lying. At bottom, he was mild-
mannered, even timid. She knew that he was mortified at his own
spinelessness, when he’d failed to grab a knife and launch himself at his
daughter’s murderer when the man had been right there in front of him.

The detective interviewing Namiki seemed to have formed the same
impression. Ultimately, the police decided not to charge him with
conspiracy to commit murder. And that was how the restaurant was able to
open up again for the first time in a while.

If the rumors were to be believed, Tojima wasn’t going to be charged
with anything serious, either. At the end of the day, he had only tried to help
Yutaro Namiki; he hadn’t procured the liquid nitrogen for Naoki Niikura.
His use of the helium tank to create a false alibi remained problematic.
Since, however, he had done so without knowing what had really happened,
the police expected this issue to settle down with no legal sanctions.

Tojima would probably show up at some point, when word reached him
that Namiki-ya had reopened. He’d probably carry on as if nothing had
happened. Natsumi looked forward to seeing him being his old generous
and openhearted self.

The whole thing had been a dreadful experience.

Following Naoki Niikura’s confession, a series of astonishing
revelations had come to light. Natsumi had no idea what had really
happened and who was or wasn’t telling the truth.

That was when Yutaro finally decided to tell his wife and daughter the
truth. Although her mother seemed to have some knowledge of the plan,
she hadn’t been given the full picture.

Natsumi was astonished at the notion of using liquid nitrogen to terrify
Hasunuma into telling the truth. She was even more astonished when
Yutaro explained all the different tricks that he and his fellow conspirators
had deployed. Wow! All that was going on at the same time as the parade,
she thought.

That wasn’t how things turned out. The case took off in a new and
wholly unexpected direction, which started with the arrest of Rumi Niikura
—a person everybody had assumed had nothing to do with the case. When
the Niikuras’ statements were made public, Natsumi was astonished. Naoki
Niikura confessed to having killed Hasunuma intentionally, motivated by
the blackmailing of his wife.

Natsumi found it hard to believe. Rumi Niikura had always struck her as
a kind and friendly person. Could she really have killed Saori? Of course,
had she not done so, she wouldn’t have been vulnerable to blackmail.

Natsumi was mystified. Like her mother and father, her days were
anxious and her nights sleepless. After a certain amount of time, Chief
Inspector Kusanagi came to visit them.

“My being here today is a breach of the most basic police regulations.
Nonetheless, I felt that forcing you to wait until the trial was over would be
just too cruel.”

Kusanagi stressed that they should not share what he was about to tell
them with anybody else.

Although Kusanagi’s tone was very matter-of-fact, Natsumi found
everything he said astonishing. The fact that Saori intended to abandon her
dream of becoming a professional singer was already a major surprise, but
when she heard why—because Saori was pregnant with Tomoya Takagaki’s
child—Natsumi simply couldn’t believe her ears. Her parents seemed to
feel the same; they just kept repeating, “Is that true? Are you sure that’s
true?”

Kusanagi always gave the same reply. He didn’t believe that Rumi
Niikura was making things up.

Keeping his eyes fixed on his notebook and his voice heavy with
suppressed emotion, he outlined what had happened in the park. When he
got to the point where the enraged Rumi shoved Saori to the ground, he
spoke a little faster as if he wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

After dealing with Hasunuma’s blackmailing of Rumi, Kusanagi then
switched over to Naoki Niikura’s testimony. He read them the part in which
Niikura made up his mind to kill Hasunuma, after Rumi had confessed what
she had done to Saori.

“Everything from that point on, we uncovered in our original
investigation.” Kusanagi closed his notebook. “Do you have any
questions?”

Natsumi couldn’t think of any. She looked at her parents. The sheer
volume of unexpected news seemed to have left them unable to think
straight.

“There is one more thing that I should mention,” Kusanagi went on,
somewhat stiffly. “We got the results from an item of evidence, which we
sent for analysis.”

The item in question was the hair slide. Kusanagi explained what the
implications would be if blood was—or wasn’t—found on it.

“The bottom line is this,” he went on. “There was no blood on the hair
slide. DNA testing of trace amounts of sebaceous matter and skin on the
slide has enabled us to confirm that it is definitely the hair slide that Saori
was wearing.”

“What does that mean? That Saori lost consciousness when she was
pushed to the ground by Rumi Niikura, but that Hasunuma was the one who
actually killed her?” Yutaro asked.

“We can’t definitively reach that conclusion,” Kusanagi said, weighing
every word with care. “Nonetheless, I would certainly expect her lawyers to
present it as a possibility in court.”

Natsumi felt a sense of relief. She had no desire to see Rumi Niikura as
an enemy.

“We’ve got to draw a line under this,” Yutaro announced after Kusanagi
had left. “We can’t go on agonizing about this forever. We’ll end up going
crazy. We should let the police and the prosecutor do their jobs, while we

concentrate on getting the restaurant up and running again. Are you both
okay with that?”

Machiko nodded her head in silent agreement and Natsumi did the
same. Her father was probably right.

I must do my best, she thought, as she remembered that day. She ran her
hand down the freshly laundered noren curtain.

She had opened the door and was about to step back into the restaurant,
when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone walking hurriedly
toward her. She looked up and gave a start.

It was Tomoya Takagaki. How long was it since they had last met?
“Reopening on schedule, I’m glad to see,” Tomoya said, his eye on the
noren curtain.
Natsumi had sent him a text the day before to let him know that they
were planning to open today. He had texted her back right away. I’m
pleased to hear it. Wishing you the best of luck. Natsumi had detected a hint
of something standoffish in his language.
“Tomoya … I thought we wouldn’t be seeing you here again.”
Tomoya’s gaze shifted from the noren to Natsumi. “Why?”
“Coming here must awaken so many painful memories.…”
Tomoya gave a curt nod and his face darkened.
“You’re right. It will take me years to forget. I’ll always be mulling
things over, you know: ‘What if Saori were still alive today?’ ‘What would
our baby be like?’”
Shocked, Natsumi looked up at him. “Who told you?”
“The police called me in the other day. They asked me if I knew Saori
was pregnant. I was stunned. I had absolutely no idea.”
“And how she died—did they tell you that?”
“The broad strokes.” Tomoya looked at the ground. “It’s all so
staggering. Incredible, really.”
“Yes … I know what you mean.”
“They told you, too?”
“Yes, the head of the investigative team came here and talked us through
everything.”
“If I’m honest with you, Natsumi, I was of two minds about coming
here today. But I had the feeling that if I didn’t come today, tomorrow
would only be that much harder. When I walk from my house to the station,

my route always takes me past Namiki-ya. The idea of trying to live my life
while deliberately avoiding this place is a recipe for heartache. I realized
that the best thing for me to do is to keep coming here and to build myself a
stock of nice, new memories.”

Tomoya was clear-eyed and articulate. Natsumi could see why her sister
had been attracted to him. Saori must have felt that life with him would be a
positive and enjoyable experience, if not a glamorous one. She must have
been thrilled when she found out that she was pregnant. It was the sheer joy
of that moment that had exploded her dreams of becoming a singer.

Natsumi said nothing.
“Is something wrong?” Tomoya asked timidly.
She shook her head. “No,” she replied. “It’s good to see you. In you go.”
She escorted Tomoya to a table. “We have our first customer,” she called
in the direction of the kitchen.
Yutaro’s face popped up behind the counter. Catching sight of Tomoya,
he flinched almost imperceptibly, then came out into the restaurant.
“It’s been a long time,” Tomoya said.
Yutaro removed his half apron. “We caused you a lot of trouble.”
“No, I mean, trouble. That’s hardly…” Tomoya waved his hand
deprecatingly.
“No need to be coy. The police must have called you in quite a few
times?”
“Um … well … yes, they did. Not that many times, really … I told them
about transporting the liquid nitrogen.”
Yutaro clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “Yes, I heard that silly bugger
Shusaku got you to do that. Personally, I never wanted to involve you.”
“Mr. Tojima was just thinking about how we all felt; how we all wanted
revenge. I’d have been more upset if he hadn’t approached me.”
“The police told Tomoya everything,” Natsumi chimed in, “including
the fact that Saori was pregnant.”
“Oh, really,” Yutaro replied. His voice was low.
“Mr. Namiki, I owe you an apology,” Tomoya said, rising to his feet and
bowing deeply. “I was the one who suggested getting married to Saori. I
was completely sincere, but what I said had a terrible impact on her life. I
should have been more careful; she was at a crucial stage in her life.”
He seemed to be apologizing for having got Saori pregnant.

“Look at me, Tomoya,” Yutaro said gently. “We’re grateful for you. It’s
true that had Saori not been pregnant, she probably wouldn’t have chosen to
abandon her singing career—and perhaps she would still be alive today. But
that doesn’t take into account her own feelings. She was thrilled to be
pregnant with your child. She was thrilled at the prospect of becoming a
mother. As a parent, the thought that she was able to enjoy feelings like
that, even if it was only for a short time, is a comfort to me. Am I right?”
Yutaro looked to Machiko for her support.

The rims of her eyes were red. She nodded emphatically.
“We bear you no ill will, Tomoya. None. If anything, it’s ourselves we
should be ashamed of. When Saori found out she was pregnant, she must
have been happy and anxious in equal measure. But she never came to talk
to me, or her mother. She probably didn’t want to worry me. It breaks my
heart; as a parent, I wasn’t there for her.”
Unsure how to respond, Tomoya just stood there in silence.
At that moment, there was a clattering sound as somebody pushed open
the front door. Glancing at the entrance, Natsumi saw Yukawa poised on the
threshold.
The professor was somewhat put-out when he found himself being
stared at by the whole group. He caught Natsumi’s eye. “It looks like you’re
busy.”
“No, no.” Natsumi waved her hand. “Come on in. Sit wherever you
like.”
“I’m not here for dinner today.” Yukawa turned and faced Yutaro. “I’ve
completed my work at the research center here, so I won’t be able to come
to Namiki-ya for a while. I’m here to say goodbye, for the time being at
least.”
“Really?” Natsumi exclaimed.
“I’m very sorry to hear that,” Yutaro said wistfully. “I was hoping for a
good, long chat with you. I have so many questions.”
“You do? Well, let’s do that when we get the chance.”
Bobbing his head to them all, Yukawa left the restaurant.
“What a character!” Tomoya sat back down.
“You’re telling me. And I never managed to figure out what his
relationship with the police was,” said Yutaro, before returning to the
kitchen with Machiko.

Natsumi slid open the front door and went outside. She spotted Yukawa
walking off down the street and launched herself after him. “Professor!” she
yelled.

Yukawa stopped and turned around. He looked rather puzzled.
“Tell me,” Natsumi said. “Who are you, really?”
“Who am I?” Yukawa knitted his brows. “I’m just a regular physicist.”
“That’s not true. You’re a detective.”
Yukawa recoiled. “What are you talking about?”
“You first came to our restaurant just after Hasunuma had been released.
Now the case has been solved, you’re leaving. It’s a bit too much of a
coincidence. We talked about you. We were saying that you must have
helped the police solve this case. That you’re a modern-day Hercule
Poirot.”
“Flattering, but you give me too much credit.”
“Really?”
“The fact that I’ve completed my research and can leave Kikuno at this
particular moment is purely a coincidence. That’s not true for my reasons
for coming to your restaurant in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m the same as Mr. Tojima.”
“The same as Tojima? How?”
“I wanted to help a close friend of mine who’d had a difficult
experience. I thought that I might get a hint or two by coming to Namiki-ya
and getting to know the locals.”
“This friend of yours … is he by any chance a policeman?”
Yukawa said nothing; he gave her a knowing smile and made as if to
walk on.
“I’m sure you’ll be back, Professor.”
Yukawa looked thoughtful.
“When I do, make sure that your fabulous takiawase’s on the menu,” he
said.
Natsumi nodded vigorously. “That’s a promise.”
The physicist grinned at her, adjusted his spectacles with the tip of his
index finger, then turned on his heel and strode off with a spring in his step.

BY KEIGO HIGASHINO

THE DETECTIVE GALILEO MYSTERIES

The Devotion of Suspect X
Salvation of a Saint

A Midsummer’s Equation
Silent Parade

THE KYOICHIRO KAGA MYSTERIES

Malice
Newcomer

Under the Midnight Sun

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KEIGO HIGASHINO is the single bestselling, best-known novelist in
Japan and around Asia, with more than fifty television and film adaptations
of his work appearing in several languages. He’s the author of The Devotion
of Suspect X, which was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel;
Newcomer, which was a finalist for the CWA Dagger; and Malice, along
with many other awards. He lives in Tokyo, Japan. You can sign up for
email updates here.

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For email updates on the author, click here.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are
either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

First published in the United States by Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group

SILENT PARADE. Copyright © 2018 by Keigo Higashino. Translation copyright © 2021 by Giles
Murray. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway,

New York, NY 10271.

www.minotaurbooks.com

Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein

Cover art: man in fog © Lee Avison/Arcangel; buildings © jordi clave garsot/Alamy; cobblestone
and street scene © TommL/Getty Images

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Names: Higashino, Keigo, 1958– author. | Murray, Giles, translator.
Title: Silent parade / Keigo Higashino; [translated by Giles Murray].
Other titles: Chinmoku no parēdo. English
Description: First U.S. edition. | New York: Minotaur Books, 2021. | Series: Detective Galileo series;

4 | “Originally published in Japanese under the title Chinmoku no parēdo by Bungeishunju”
Identifiers: LCCN 2021021940 | ISBN 9781250624819 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250624826 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Mystery fiction. | LCGFT: Detective and mystery fiction. | Novels.
Classification: LCC PL852.I3625 C4813 2021 | DDC 823/.087208—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021021940

eISBN 9781250624826

Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact
the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by

email at [email protected].

Originally published in Japanese under the title Chinmoku no parēdo by Bungeishunju Ltd.; English
translation rights arranged with Bungeishunju Ltd. through Japan Uni, Inc.

First U.S. Edition: 2021

CONTENTS

Title Page
Copyright Notice

Note

Part One

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13

Part Two

Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17

Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34

Part Three

Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49

Epilogue

Chapter 50

By Keigo Higashino
About the Author
Copyright