Occupied City Read Free Page A

old winter suit
. All members, all rooms, all cash and all money in this branch, says our killer.
You say he wears a uniform
. Mr Yoshida stares at the name-card again: Yamaguchi Jirō MD; Technical Officer; Ministry of Health & Welfare.
You are sure it was a uniform
. Our killer says that no one will be allowed to leave until his work has been completed.
You say he wears a brown overcoat
. Mr Yoshida glances at his watch.
You say he carries an overcoat
. Lieutenant Parker and his team will arrive soon to check the job has been done properly, says our killer.
You say he wears one coat but carries another
. Mr Yoshida nods.
You say he carries a spring coat
. Our killer now places his small olive-green bag on Mr Yoshida’s desk.
You say he wears brown rubber shoes
. Mr Yoshida watches our killer open the bag.
You say he wears burnt orange rubber boots
. Our killer takes out a small metal box and two different-sized bottles marked in English.
You say there was mud on his shoes
. Mr Yoshida reads the words FIRST DRUG on the smaller 200CC bottle and SECOND DRUG on the 500CC bottle.
You say his boots were clean
. Our killer tells Mr Yoshida that this is an extremely potent oral antidote which the Americans have recently developed through experiments with palm tree oil.
You say he wears a white cloth band on his left arm
. Mr Yoshida nods.
You say it reads in red ‘Leader of Disinfecting Team’
. It is so powerful that you will be completely immunized from dysentery, says our killer.
You say he wears a Tokyo Metropolitan Office armband
. Mr Yoshida nods again.
You say it reads in black ‘Disease Preventative Doctor’
. Our killer warns Mr Yoshida that the administration procedure is complicated and unusual.
You say he wears a Toshima Ward armband
. Again, Mr Yoshida glances at the name-card on his desk: Yamaguchi Jirō MD; Technical Officer; Ministry of Health & Welfare.
You say it reads ‘Epidemic Prevention Team’
. Our killer asks Mr Yoshida to gather his staff.
You say he carries a small olive-
green shoulder bag over his right shoulder
. Even the caretaker, his wife and two children? asks Mr Yoshida.
Or was it his left?
Our killer nods.
You say he carries a doctor’s bag
. Mr Yoshida rises from his desk.
A black doctor’s bag
. Mr Yoshida calls us over.
I am Takeuchi Sutejiro and I am forty-nine years old but here I am no longer Takeuchi Sutejiro and now I am no longer forty-nine years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping
. We rise from our desks.
I am Watanabe Yoshiyasu and I am forty-three years old but here I am no longer Watanabe Yoshiyasu and now I am no longer forty-three years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping
. We shuffle through the bank.
I am Nishimura Hidehiko and I am thirty-eight years old but here I am no longer Nishimura Hidehiko and now I am no longer thirty-eight years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping
. We gather around Mr Yoshida’s desk.
I am Shirai Shoichi and I am twenty-nine years old but here I am no longer Shirai Shoichi and now I am no longer twenty-nine years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping
. We all watch as our killer turns to Miss Akuzawa, as our killer asks her to bring enough teacups for all the members of the branch.
I am Akiyama Miyako and I am twenty-three years old but here I am no longer Akiyama Miyako and now I am no longer twenty-three years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping
. Miss Akuzawa fetches sixteen teacups on a tray.
I am Uchida Hideko and I am twenty-three years old but here I am no longer Uchida Hideko and now I am no longer twenty-three years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping
. Our killer opens the smaller bottle marked FIRST DRUG.
I am Sawada Yoshio and I am twenty-two years old but here I am no longer Sawada Yoshio and now I am no longer twenty-two years old; now I am always struggling, here I am only weeping
. Our killer asks if everybody