Stray Dog Page #4

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we still have some rationed beer.

Please.

Impressive.

What? Those are just from

walking the beat every day.

Twenty-five years now

since I took home my first 13.5 yen.

How many shoes did I wear out?

Each citation must have a story.

That's right. In a word,

I've lived through it all.

I invited you on a whim,

so it's slim pickings.

Will squash do?

- Sure.

As you see, my house

is just a glorified shack,

but Yusa's place was pretty awful.

Not fit for human habitation.

Like they say,

"Maggots prefer filth."

They say there's no such thing

as a bad man.

Only bad situations.

Come to think of it,

you have to feel sorry for Yusa.

Oh, no. Thinking like that

won't get you anywhere as a cop.

It's easy to develop delusions,

chasing criminals all day.

We can't forget the many sheep

a Ione wolf leaves wounded.

Half those citations

were capital cases.

There's no help for a cop who doesn't

believe he's protecting the masses.

I say leave psychoanalysis

to the detective novels.

I just hate them, that's all.

The bad guys are bad.

I just can't bring myself

to think that way yet.

All those years in the war,

so many men became beasts

at the slightest provocation,

over and over.

Right. Must be our age difference.

Or maybe it's the times.

What do they call it?

Ap... Aple...

- You mean aprs-guerre?

That's it. You're part of that postwar

generation. Maybe Yusa is, too.

You identify with Yusa too much.

Maybe you're right.

My knapsack was stolen

on my train ride home too.

I see.

I was half out of my mind

with rage.

I could have pulled off

a robbery back then.

But I realized I'd hit

a dangerous crossroads,

deliberately chose another way,

and got myself this job.

Hmm. Right, I see.

It's just, in other words, aa...

Ap, aple...

- Aprs-guerre.

There are two aprs-guerre types:

Like you or like Yusa.

You're the real thing.

Yusa's an ap... ap...

aprs- nothing.

I'm all aprs- ed out.

And tomorrow?

What's the hurry?

I can't help it when I think of Yusa

running through all that cash.

He blew half

upgrading his duds.

It's been over a week now.

That's 6,000 yen a day.

We could live on that for a month.

I'll be going.

You sure?

Tomi.

Our guest's leaving. Hey, Tomi.

They all just fell asleep.

Oh, they fell asleep?

Take a look.

Looks like a pumpkin field.

It was armed robbery?

Yes. The wife was known

as quite a beauty

around the neighborhood.

They were so lovey-dovey

the maids all quit.

The husband was out of town.

Came back this morning to this.

You never know

what life has in store.

See, it's that house

with the crape myrtle bush.

Crape myrtle always brings bad luck.

It's really a problem.

Was it you who moved the body?

I was her doctor and she didn't

even like me to see her naked flesh.

I'm sure she wouldn't have

wanted anyone to see her that way.

I've known her

since she was this high.

Sato-san, do you think

it was my Colt again?

What the hell

does it matter if it was?

What's wrong?

My wife...

planted these tomatoes.

The day I left town,

they were still green.

But now that I'm back,

they've all ripened and turned red,

even though my wife is dead.

What's the point, Officer?

All for a measly 50,000 yen.

How can I even stand

to look at them?

The way I imagine it...

Imagining only complicates

an investigation. Stick to the facts.

Yes, hello? Nakajima here.

Is this Evidence?

Right, thanks.

So it was one of my bullets?

No, it was one of Yusa's.

Let's go.

No time for despair.

The only way to stop this

is to arrest Yusa.

There are five bullets

left in that gun.

- A new lead?

- Where to?

Where to?

Home for beer and a nap.

But you're awful sneaky.

You'd never go home together.

Just let me through.

It's so hot.

- The mark?

- I don't see a mark.

Always joking.

Headed this way, I bet.

- Who's headed this way?

- Who?

I was talking about the rain.

You can't be this tense all the time

if you want to be a cop.

I'm ready to collapse from anxiety.

The way you're talking,

you already have.

This is the make-or-break point.

He's killed someone.

A killer's like a mad dog.

Do you know how a mad dog walks?

There's an old ditty

that's disturbingly close to home.

"A mad dog only sees straight paths."

Yusa only knows straight paths now.

He's in love with Harumi Namiki.

She's the only thing he sees.

I know he'll go to her.

The manager's out.

Can I help you?

We want to see Namiki.

Harumi's out today.

She's a real problem, that one.

One little comment

and she takes the day off.

She's quiet all right,

but the quiet ones are always

the most stubborn.

And she's sick right now.

She's sick?

With her monthlies, you know.

They're always impossible then.

Know her address?

Sure.

I think she lives over in Koenji.

She's a mama's girl.

We want to see your daughter.

- Come in.

- Thank you.

We're fine here.

Harumi.

Please don't trouble yourself.

I'll take a match.

We can definitely expect

a downpour.

Harumi, we'd like

to ask you something.

I don't know a damn thing about Yusa.

I hate cops. They're so pushy.

Don't.

She's impossible.

Can it, Mom.

We don't have to say a thing

if we don't want to.

Even if you're covering up

for an armed-robbery suspect?

I still don't know.

Don't lie.

He was just here.

Yusa left this box of matches?

That's exactly right.

You were just complaining

that he follows you around.

Do you happen to know

where he went?

Tell them.

I'm ordering you, tell them.

Harumi, you must tell them

everything you know.

- I don't know what I don't know.

- You really don't?

- I really don't know.

- You'd better not be lying about this.

Harumi.

Listen, Harumi.

Why won't you tell them?

Tell them. Tell them.

Harumi, listen, Harumi.

We're closing in.

I've had enough of her lip for now.

I'll check the hotel

these matches came from.

And me?

See if you can tough it out

in there.

That mother's born

to prosecute her daughter.

Phone downstairs?

I'll call you.

Say, do you have a gun?

- Yes.

Afraid I left mine at home.

No holster.

Yusa just left. I doubt

he'll turn up here again tonight.

No more questions. Do whatever you want,

if you won't do as Mother says.

It's all my fault.

I spoiled you because

you never knew your father.

Go ahead.

Make a fool out of me.

He's in his late 20s,

wearing a white linen suit.

Got me.

They never register

under their real names.

Haruo Namiki. I get it.

That's him, ma'am.

Oh, that guy.

He spent two nights here,

drunk out of his mind.

No one ever came and met him.

Pretty gloomy, even for a drunk.

It was last night. He suddenly announced

he was going and called a cab.

Know which company?

Peace Taxi,

over by the train tracks.

I think the driver was Matsu-san.

Thanks a lot.

- Who is he anyway?

- A mad dog.

Officer,

how long are you planning

to torment us?

- You're the tormentor.

- No, I'm not.

I don't know what that Yusa did,

but he's never done

anything bad to me.

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