Status Updates From El castillo de arena

‘I don’t know if this is right, but about the name Kameda,’ Imanishi began. ‘Could it be that it isn’t a person’s name but a place name?’

There were thirty-two men named Kameda living in northeastern Japan. All thirty-two Kamedas said that none of their family, relatives, friends, or acquaintances was the victim.

A second bar hostess had also overheard the word ‘Kameda.’ What had been meant by ‘Kameda’?

After statements had been taken the only fact they all had agreed on was that the victim’s accent was of the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan, a dialect with thick zu-zu sounds.

‘Hey, there’s a tuna.’ ‘A dead body?’ the engineer laughed. ‘We haven’t even moved the train yet. How could there be a tuna? Rub your eyes and wake up.’


[tuna is Japanese slang for a dead body on the railroad]