Mrs Yamamura

 Murder Bound, xviii.

Yamamura's wife does come on stage eventually but remains curiously silent and even nameless. Pacing in his garden, awaiting a phone call, Yamamura thinks:

"...can't I even treat my wife like a human being? God knows when I'll get home again." (p. 158)

(Yamamura is a Buddhist but "God" is linguistically embedded.)

"The phone rang as he reentered the kitchen. His wife went to answer, but had not taken three steps when he was there himself. He snatched the instrument off the hook." (ibid.)

During the telephone conversation:

"His wife stole up and laid a hand on his clenched fist." (p. 161)

Afterwards:

"Yamamura sat altogether still. His wife slipped back to her own chair." (p. 162)

Yamamura:

relights his pipe;
thinks;
makes a phone call;
thinks more;
makes a second phone call;
thinks again;
is making a third phone call as the chapter ends...

Our hero's wife has become a stage prop.