mc.risingsun-第6章

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　〃Sure；　Captain；〃　Richie　said。　He　raised　his　camera　and　began　moving　down　the　line　of　men；　firing　his　strobe　in　quick　succession。
　Ishiguro　suddenly　got　excited；　stepping　in　front　of　the　camera；　holding　up　his　hands。　〃Wait　a　minute；　wait　a　minute；　what　is　this？〃
　But　the　Japanese　men　were　already　leaving；　wheeling　away　like　a　school　of　fish　from　the　strobe　flash。　In　a　few　seconds　they　were　gone。　We　had　the　floor　to　ourselves。　Alone；　Ishiguro　looked　unfortable。
　He　said　something　in　Japanese。　Apparently　it　was　the　wrong　thing。
　〃Oh？〃　Connor　said。　〃You　are　to　blame　here；〃　he　said　to　Ishiguro。　〃You　are　the　cause　of　all　these　troubles。　And　you　will　see　that　my　detectives　get　any　assistance　they　need。　I　want　to　speak　to　the　person　who　discovered　the　body；　and　the　person　who　called　in　the　original　report。　I　want　the　name　of　every　person　who　has　been　on　this　floor　since　the　body　was　discovered。　And　I　want　the　film　from　Tanaka's　camera。　Ore　wa　honkida。　I　will　arrest　you　if　you　obstruct　this　investigation　further。〃
　〃But　I　must　consult　my　superiors…　〃
　〃Namerunayo。〃　Connor　leaned　close。　〃Don't　fuck　with　me；　Ishiguro…san。　Now　leave；　and　let　us　work。〃
　〃Of　course；　Captain；〃　he　said。　With　a　tight；　brief　bow　he　left；　his　face　pinched　and　unhappy。
　Graham　chuckled。　〃You　told　him　off　pretty　good。〃
　Connor　spun。　〃What　were　you　doing；　telling　him　you　were　going　to　interrogate　everybody　at　the　party？〃
　〃Aw；　shit；　I　was　just　winding　him　up；〃　Graham　said。　〃There's　no　way　I'm　going　to　interrogate　the　mayor。　Can　I　help　it　if　these　assholes　have　no　sense　of　humor？〃
　〃They　have　a　sense　of　humor；〃　Connor　said。　〃And　the　joke　is　on　you。　Because　Ishiguro　had　a　problem；　and　he　solved　it　with　your　help。〃
　〃My　help？〃　Graham　was　frowning。　〃What're　you　talking　about？〃
　〃It's　clear　the　Japanese　wanted　to　delay　the　investigation；〃　Connor　said。　〃Your　aggressive　tactics　gave　them　the　perfect　excuse　…　to　call　for　the　Special　Services　liaison。〃
　〃Oh；　e　on；〃　Graham　said。　〃For　all　they　know；　the　liaison　could　have　been　here　in　five　minutes。〃
　Connor　shook　his　head。　〃Don't　kid　yourself：　they　knew　exactly　who　was　on　call　tonight。　They　knew　exactly　how　far　away　Smith　would　be；　and　exactly　how　long　it　would　take　him　to　get　here。　And　they　managed　to　delay　the　investigation　an　hour　and　a　half。　Nice　work；　detective。〃
　Graham　stared　at　Connor　for　a　long　moment。　Then　he　turned　away。　〃Fuck；〃　he　said。　〃That's　a　load　of　bullshit；　and　you　know　it。　Fellas；　I'm　going　to　work。　Richie？　Mount　up。　You　got　thirty　seconds　to　document　before　my　guys　e　in　and　step　on　your　tail。　Let's　go；　everybody。　I　want　to　get　finished　before　she　starts　to　smell　too　bad。〃
　And　he　lumbered　off　toward　the　crime　scene。
　
　With　their　suitcases　and　evidence　carts；　the　SID　team　trailed　after　Graham。　Richie　Walters　led　the　way；　shooting　left　and　right　as　he　worked　his　way　forward　into　the　atrium；　then　going　through　the　door　into　the　conference　room。　The　walls　of　the　conference　room　were　smoked　glass；　which　dimmed　his　flash。　But　I　could　see　him　inside；　circling　the　body。　He　was　shooting　a　lot：　he　knew　this　was　a　big　case。
　I　stayed　behind　with　Connor。　I　said；　〃I　thought　you　told　me　it　was　bad　form　to　lose　your　temper　with　the　Japanese。〃
　〃It　is；〃　Connor　said。
　〃Then　why　did　you　lose　yours？〃
　〃Unfortunately；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　the　only　way　to　assist　Ishiguro。〃
　〃To　assist　Ishiguro？〃
　〃Yes。　I　did　all　that　for　Ishiguro　…　because　he　had　to　save　face　in　front　of　his　boss。　Ishiguro　wasn't　the　most　important　man　in　the　room。　One　of　the　Japanese　standing　by　the　elevator　was　the　jūyaku；　the　real　boss。〃
　〃I　didn't　notice；〃　I　said。
　〃It's　mon　practice　to　put　a　lesser　man　in　front；　while　the　boss　stays　in　the　background；　where　he　is　free　to　observe　progress。　Just　as　I　did　with　you；　kōhai。〃
　〃Ishiguro's　boss　was　watching　all　the　time？〃
　〃Yes。　And　Ishiguro　clearly　had　orders　not　to　allow　the　investigation　to　begin。　I　needed　to　start　the　investigation。　But　I　had　to　do　it　in　such　a　way　that　he　would　not　look　inpetent。　So　I　played　the　out…of…control　gaijin。　Now　he　owes　me　a　favor。　Which　is　good；　because　I　may　need　his　help　later　on。〃
　〃He　owes　you　a　favor？〃　I　said；　having　trouble　with　this　idea。　Connor　had　just　screamed　at　Ishiguro　…　thoroughly　humiliating　him；　as　far　as　I　was　concerned。
　Connor　sighed。　〃Even　if　you　don't　understand　what　happened；　believe　me：　Ishiguro　understands　very　well。　He　had　a　problem；　and　I　helped　him。〃
　I　still　didn't　really　understand；　and　I　started　to　say　more；　but　Connor　held　up　his　hand。　〃I　think　we　better　take　a　look　at　the　scene；　before　Graham　and　his　men　screw　things　up　any　more　than　they　already　have。〃
　
　？
　It'd　been　almost　two　years　since　I　worked　the　detective　division；　and　it　felt　good　to　be　around　a　homicide　again。　It　brought　back　memories：　the　nighttime　tension；　the　adrenaline　rush　of　bad　coffee　in　paper　cups；　and　all　the　teams　working　around　you　…　it's　a　kind　of　crazy　energy；　circling　the　center　where　somebody　is　lying；　dead。　Every　homicide　crime　scene　has　that　same　energy；　and　that　finality　at　the　center。　When　you　look　at　the　dead　person；　there　is　a　kind　of　obviousness；　and　at　the　same　time　there　is　an　impossible　mystery。　Even　in　the　simplest　domestic　brawl；　where　the　woman　finally　decided　to　shoot　the　guy；　you'd　look　at　her；　all　covered　in　scars　and　cigarette　burns；　and　you　had　to　ask；　why　tonight？　What　was　it　about　tonight？　It's　always　clear　what　you　are　seeing；　and　there's　always　something　that　doesn't　add　up。　Both　things　at　once。
　And　at　a　homicide　you　have　the　sense　of　being　right　down　to　the　basic　truths　of　existence；　the　smells　and　the　defecation　and　the　bloating。　Usually　somebody's　crying；　so　you're　listening　to　that。　And　the　usual　bullshit　stops；　somebody　died；　and　it's　an　unavoidable　fact；　like　a　rock　in　the　road　that　makes　all　the　traffic　go　around　it。　And　in　that　grim　and　real　setting；　this　camaraderie　springs　up；　because　you're　working　late　with　people　you　know；　and　actually　know　very　well　because　you　see　them　all　the　time。　L。A。　has　four　homicides　a　day；　there's　another　one　every　six　hours。　And　every　detective　at　the　crime　scene　already　has　ten　homicides　dragging　on　his　backlog；　which　makes　this　new　one　an　intolerable　burden；　so　he　and　everybody　else　is　hoping　to　solve　it　on　the　spot；　to　get　it　out　of　the　way。　There　is　that　kind　of　finality　and　tension　and　energy　all　mixed　together。
　And　after　you　do　it　for　a　few　years；　you　get　so　you　like　it。　And　to　my　surprise；　as　I　entered　the　conference　room；　I　realized　that　I　missed　it。
　The　conference　room　was　elegant：　black　table；　black　high…backed　leather　chairs；　the　lights　of　the　nighttime　skyscrapers　beyond　the　glass　walls。　Inside　the　room；　the　technicians　talked　quietly；　as　they　moved　around　the　body　of　the　dead　girl。
　She　had　blond　hair　cut　short。　Blue　eyes；　full　mouth。　She　looked　about　twenty…five。　Tall；　with　a　long…limbed；　athletic　look。　Her　dress　was　black　and　sheer。
　Graham　was　well　into　his　examination；　he　was　down　at　the　end　of　the　table；　squinting　at　the　girl's　black　patent　high　heels；　a　penlight　in　one　hand；　his　notebook　in　another。
　Kelly；　the　coroner's　assistant；　was　taping　the　girl's　hands　in　paper　bags　to　protect　them。　Connor　stopped　him。　〃Just　a　minute。〃　Connor　looked　at　one　hand；　inspecting　the　wrist；　peering　closely　under　the　fingernails。　He　sniffed　under　one　nail。　Then　he　flicked　the　fingers　rapidly；　one　after　another。
　〃Don't　bother；〃　Graham　said　laconically。　〃There's　no　rigor　mortis　yet；　and　no　detritus　under　the　nails；　no　skin　or　cloth　fibers。　In　fact；　I'd　say　there　aren't　many　signs　of　a　struggle　at　all。〃
　Kelly　slipped　the　bag　over　the　hand。　Connor　said　to　him；　〃You　have　a　time　of　death？〃
　〃I'm　working　on　it。〃　Kelly　lifted　the　girl's　buttocks　to　place　the　rectal　probe。　〃The　axillary　thermocouples　are　already　in　place。　We'll　know　in　a　minute。〃
　Connor　touched　the　fabric　of　the　black　dress；　checked　the　label。　Helen；　part　of　the　SID　team；　said；　〃It's　a　Yamamoto。〃
　〃I　see　that；〃　Connor　said。
　〃What's　a　Yamamoto？〃　I　said。
　Helen　said；　〃Very　expensive　Japanese　designer。　This　little　black　nothing　is　at　least　five　thousand　dollars。　That's　assuming　she　bought　it　used。　New；　it's　maybe　fifteen　thousand。〃
　〃Is　it　traceable？〃　Connor