Salvation of a Saint (Detective Galileo #2)

by Keigo Higashino

getting used to detective work is essentially the same thing as losing your humanity.’

‘If the wife was indeed the murderer, there would be at least three hurdles for her to clear,’ Yukawa said, holding up three fingers. ‘One, no one must notice or have reason to believe that the poison had been placed before it was ingested. Otherwise, there’d be no point in constructing an alibi. Two, she would have to be sure that it was Mr Mashiba who took the poison. She might not mind getting the lover, too, as collateral damage, but she would have to be sure to also get her mark. Third, the whole plan would have to be something easily prepared in a short amount of time. There was a dinner party at their house the night before she left for Hokkaido, correct? If she’d placed the poison before then, there’d be too much danger of someone else taking it. I think she would’ve placed it afterwards.’ He raised his hands. ‘And I can’t think of how anyone would be able to do that. Sorry.’

ok

Mashiba might’ve been a chain-smoker, but he wasn’t the type to smoke two cigarettes at once.’

‘I told you that story to illustrate the inherent danger of preconceptions. Which is why I sent you to that interview without any background information. As a result, you were able to give me extremely objective information.’

For Ayane, marriage meant offering daily salvation to a man standing on the gallows.