Chapter Four, The Case of Numada Summary

On the tourists' airplane to Delhi, Numada, who writes children's stories with animal characters, thinks of buying his wife perfume. He asks Isobe his opinion on perfumes and learns that Isobe's wife is dead. A honeymoon couple named Sanjōs is also on the tour. Numada grew up in Dalian, Manchuria, an area with a Chinese lower class. Numada's mother hired a Chinese boy, Li, as a houseboy. Numada brings home a puppy, but it whines at night. His father says he must get rid of it. Secretly, Li keeps the dog outside and trains it, and once the dog, Blackie, is trained, Numada's parents let him keep it. Blackie becomes a confidant and friend to Numada. After some coal is stolen from the family, Li is forced to leave under suspicion of...