2024/088: Tokyo Express — Seicho Matsumoto, translated by Jesse Kirkwood

2024/088: Tokyo Express — Seicho Matsumoto, translated by Jesse Kirkwood

People might laugh at the idea that just because a man and woman were found lying almost in each other’s arms they should immediately be assumed to have committed a love suicide. And yet, since time immemorial, thousands upon thousands of couples have been found in just such a state, without anybody suspecting foul play. Once their deaths are deemed a love suicide, the inquest is never as thorough as it would be for a murder. [loc. 2197]

Around 6pm one evening, a man and a woman (Sayama and Toki) are seen leaving Tokyo together on the Asakaze express train: some days later, they are found dead on the beach at Hakata, in what appears to be a lovers' suicide. The case is initially investigated by the local police, including veteran detective Jūtarō Torigai, who feels uneasy about the deaths.( Read more... )