９．M
Ｂは資料から目を離さない。
紙の端をそろえ、淡々と確かめる。
「不祥事後は、弓場が責任を取って辞任――次の代表者には、水口ですか」
「期間は半年。応急処置だな」
Ａは指先で行をなぞり、そこで止めた。
「その間にタカハシが拾ってきたのが、こいつだ」
弓場と水口の下へ、新しい写真が重なる。
駅前の選挙ポスターにありそうな顔写真だったが、一票を託したいと思わせる決め手に欠ける。
<<畑 茂則 元政治家>>
議員、ラジオ、IT。
肩書きだけが散らばっている。医療の匂いは薄い。
「こいつ、何がしたいの？」
「その後、役員の顔ぶれは落ち着かない。二〇一八年に綾瀬、その翌年に及川が加わったのが、現在だ」
畑の左右に写真が貼られる。
白衣の高齢男性と、若々しい表情の男。
<<綾瀬 大二郎 医者>>
青山医科大学の感染症医師。
リラの最年長。かつて大学で教鞭を執り、業界では名が通っている。
<<及川 蒼 弁護士>>
専門は企業M&A。就任の理由は、実力より“縁”だ。及川の事務所はタカハシに借りがあり、返済の一環として役員にねじ込まれた。利子が、役員席の形をして返ってきたわけだ。
※
Birch never looked up from the packet.
He squared the edges of the pages and verified each line with methodical calm.
“After the scandal, Yuba took responsibility and resigned—then the next representative was Mizuguchi?”
“Six months,” Alder said. “A stopgap.”
Alder traced a line with his fingertip and stopped.
“And during that window, Takahashi went out and hauled this one back.”
A new photograph was laid over the ones of Yuba and Mizuguchi.
It had the feel of a campaign poster you’d see outside a station—presentable, practiced. But it lacked the one decisive thing that made you want to entrust it with your vote.
<<SHIGENORI HATA — Former Politician>>
Diet member. Radio. IT.
Titles scattered like loose change. Hardly a trace of medicine on him.
“What does this guy even want?”
“After that, the board never really settled,” Alder replied. “In 2018, Ayase joined. The year after that, Oikawa. That’s the lineup we have now.”
Two more photos were placed to either side of Hata’s.
An elderly man in a white coat—and a younger man with an unforced, confident expression.
<<DAIJIRO AYASE — Physician>>
An infectious-disease doctor at Aoyama Medical University.
Lila’s oldest director. He used to teach at the university, and his name carries weight in the field.
<<AO OIKAWA — Attorney>>
Specialty: corporate M&A.
The reason for his appointment wasn’t competence so much as connections. Oikawa’s firm owed Takahashi a favor, and this seat on the board was part of the repayment—interest returned, taking the shape of a director’s chair.
