mc.risingsun-第20章

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elf　so　she　was　where　she　ought　to　be。　I　wasn't　surprised　she　was　getting　ahead。　Her　values；　like　her　clothes；　were　always　smart　and　up…to…date…
　〃。　。　。　to　you；　Lieutenant；　but　it's　getting　late　。　。　。　Lieutenant？〃
　I　blinked；　and　came　back。　Jenny　was　talking　to　me。　She　pointed　to　the　screen；　where　a　frozen　image　showed　Cheryl　Austin　in　her　black　dress；　standing　with　two　older　men　in　suits。
　I　looked　over　at　Connor；　but　he　had　turned　away；　and　was　talking　on　the　telephone。
　〃Lieutenant？　This　of　interest　to　you？〃
　〃Yes；　sure。　Who　are　they？〃
　Jenny　started　the　tape。　It　ran　at　normal　speed。
　〃Senator　John　Morton　and　Senator　Stephen　Rowe。　They're　both　on　the　Senate　Finance　mittee。　The　one　that's　been　having　hearings　about　this　MicroCon　sale。〃
　On　the　screen；　Cheryl　laughed　and　nodded。　In　motion；　she　was　remarkably　beautiful；　an　interesting　mixture　of　innocence　and　sexuality。　At　moments；　her　face　appeared　knowing　and　almost　hard。　She　appeared　to　know　both　men；　but　not　well。　She　did　not　e　close　to　either　of　them；　or　touch　them　except　to　shake　hands。　For　their　part；　the　senators　seemed　acutely　aware　of　the　camera；　and　maintained　a　friendly；　if　somewhat　formal　demeanor。
　〃Our　country's　going　to　hell；　and　on　a　Thursday　night；　United　States　senators　are　standing　around　chatting　with　models；〃　Jenny　said。　〃No　wonder　we're　in　trouble。　And　these　are　important　guys。　They're　talking　about　Morton　as　a　presidential　candidate　in　the　next　election。〃
　I　said；　〃What　do　you　know　about　them　personally？〃
　〃They're　both　married。　Well。　Rowe's　semi…separated。　His　wife　stays　home　in　Virginia。　He　gets　around。　Tends　to　drink　too　much。〃
　I　looked　at　Rowe　on　the　monitor。　He　was　the　same　man　who　had　gotten　on　the　elevator　with　us　earlier　in　the　evening。　And　he　had　been　drunk　then；　almost　falling　down。　But　he　wasn't　drunk　now。
　〃And　Morton？〃
　〃Supposedly　he's　Mr。　Clean。　Ex…athlete；　fitness　nut。　Eats　health　food。　Family　man。　Morton's　big　area　is　science　and　technology。　The　environment。　American　petitiveness；　American　values。　All　that。　But　he　can't　be　that　clean；　I've　heard　he　has　a　young　girlfriend。〃
　〃Is　that　right？〃
　She　shrugged。　〃The　story　is；　his　staffers　are　trying　to　break　it　off。　But　who　knows　what's　true。〃
　The　tape　ejected　and　Jenny　pushed　in　the　next　one。　〃This　is　the　last；　fellas。〃
　Connor　hung　up　the　phone　and　said；　〃Forget　the　tape。〃　He　stood。　〃We've　got　to　go；　kōhai。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃I've　been　talking　to　the　phone　pany　about　the　calls　made　from　the　pay　phone　in　the　lobby　of　the　Nakamoto　building　between　eight　and　ten。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃No　calls　were　made　during　those　hours。〃
　I　knew　that　Connor　thought　that　someone　had　gone　out　of　the　security　room　and　called　from　the　pay　phone　…　Cole；　or　one　of　the　Japanese。　Now　his　hopes　of　following　a　promising　lead　by　tracing　the　call　were　dashed。　〃That's　too　bad；〃　I　said。
　〃Too　bad？〃　Connor　said；　surprised。　〃It's　extremely　helpful。　It　narrows　things　down　considerably。　Miss　Gonzales；　do　you　have　any　tapes　of　people　leaving　the　party？〃
　〃Leaving？　No。　Once　the　guests　arrived；　all　the　crews　went　upstairs　to　shoot　the　actual　party。　Then　they　brought　the　tape　back　here　to　make　the　deadline；　while　the　party　was　still　going　on。〃
　〃Fine。　Then　I　believe　we're　finished　here。　Thanks　for　your　help。　Your　knowledge　is　remarkable。　Kōhai；　let's　go。〃
　
　？
　Driving　again。　This　time　to　an　address　in　Beverly　Hills。　By　now　it　was　after　one　in　the　morning；　and　I　was　tired。　I　said；　〃Why　does　the　pay　phone　in　the　lobby　matter　so　much？〃
　〃Because；〃　Connor　said；　〃our　whole　conception　of　this　case　revolves　around　whether　someone　made　a　call　from　that　phone；　or　not。　The　real　question　now　is；　which　pany　in　Japan　has　locked　horns　with　Nakamoto？〃
　〃Which　pany　in　Japan？〃　I　said。
　〃Yes。　It　is　clearly　a　corporation　belonging　to　a　different　keiretsu；〃　Connor　said。
　I　said；　〃Keiretsu？〃
　〃The　Japanese　structure　their　businesses　in　large　organizations　they　call　keiretsu。　There　are　six　major　ones　in　Japan；　and　they're　huge。　For　example；　the　Mitsubishi　keiretsu　consists　of　seven　hundred　separate　panies　that　work　together；　or　have　interrelated　financing；　or　interrelated　agreements　of　various　sorts。　Big　structures　like　that　don't　exist　in　America　because　they　violate　our　antitrust　laws。　But　they　are　the　norm　in　Japan。　We　tend　to　think　of　corporations　as　standing　alone。　To　see　it　the　Japanese　way；　you'd　have　to　imagine；　say；　an　association　of　IBM　and　Citibank　and　Ford　and　Exxon；　all　having　secret　agreements　among　themselves　to　cooperate；　and　to　share　financing　or　research。　That　means　a　Japanese　corporation　never　stands　alone　…　it's　always　acting　in　partnership　with　hundreds　of　other　panies。　And　in　petition　with　the　panies　of　other　keiretsu。
　〃So　when　you　think　about　what　Nakamoto　Corporation　is　doing；　you　have　to　ask　what　the　Nakamoto　keiretsu　is　doing；　back　in　Japan。　And　what　panies　in　other　keiretsu　oppose　it。　Because　this　murder　is　embarrassing　to　Nakamoto。　It　could　even　be　seen　as　an　attack　against　Nakamoto。〃
　〃An　attack？〃
　〃Think　about　it。　Nakamoto　plans　a　great；　star…studded　opening　night　for　their　building。　They　want　it　to　go　perfectly。　For　some　reason；　a　guest　at　the　party　gets　strangled。　And　the　question　is　…　who　called　it　in？〃
　〃Who　reported　the　murder？〃
　〃Right。　Because　after　all；　Nakamoto　controls　that　environment　pletely：　it's　their　party；　their　building。　And　it　would　be　a　simple　matter　for　them　to　wait　until　eleven　o'clock；　after　the　party　was　over　and　the　guests　had　left；　to　report　the　murder。　If　I　were　preoccupied　with　appearances；　with　the　nuances　of　public　face；　that's　the　way　I'd　do　it。　Because　anything　else　is　potentially　dangerous　to　the　corporate　image　of　Nakamoto。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃But　the　report　wasn't　delayed；〃　Connor　said。　〃On　the　contrary；　somebody　called　it　in　at　eight　thirty…two；　just　as　the　party　was　getting　under　way。　Thus　putting　the　whole　evening　at　risk。　And　our　question　has　always　been：　who　called　it　in？〃
　I　said；　〃You　told　Ishiguro　to　find　the　person　who　called。　And　he　hasn't　done　it　yet。〃
　〃Correct。　Because　he　can't。〃
　〃He　doesn't　know　who　called　it　in？〃
　〃Correct。〃
　〃You　don't　think　anybody　from　the　Nakamoto　Corporation　made　the　call？〃
　〃Correct。〃
　〃An　enemy　of　Nakamoto　called？〃
　〃Almost　certainly。〃
　I　said；　〃So　how　do　we　find　out　who　called　the　report　in？〃
　Connor　laughed。　〃That's　why　I　checked　the　lobby　phone。　It's　crucial　to　that　question。〃
　〃Why　is　it　crucial？〃
　〃Suppose　you　work　for　a　peting　corporation；　and　you　want　to　know　what's　going　on　inside　Nakamoto。　You　can't　find　out；　because　Japanese　corporations　hire　their　executives　for　life。　The　executives　feel　they　are　part　of　a　family。　And　they'd　never　betray　their　own　family。　So　Nakamoto　Corporation　presents　an　impenetrable　mask　to　the　rest　of　the　world；　which　makes　even　the　smallest　details　meaningful：　which　executives　are　in　town　from　Japan；　who　is　meeting　with　whom；　ings　and　goings；　and　so　on。　And　you　might　be　able　to　learn　those　details；　if　you　strike　up　a　relationship　with　an　American　security　guard　who　sits　in　front　of　monitors　all　day。　Particularly　if　that　guard　has　been　subjected　to　Japanese　prejudice　against　blacks。〃
　〃Go　on；〃　I　said。
　〃The　Japanese　often　try　to　bribe　local　security　officers　from　rival　firms。　The　Japanese　are　honorable　people；　but　their　tradition　allows　such　behavior。　All's　fair　in　love　and　war；　and　the　Japanese　see　business　as　war。　Bribery　is　fine；　if　you　can　manage　it。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃Now；　in　the　first　few　seconds　after　the　murder；　we　can　be　certain　of　only　two　people　who　knew　a　girl　had　been　killed。　One　is　the　killer　himself。　The　other　is　the　security　guard；　Ted　Cole；　who　watched　it　on　the　monitors。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute。　Ted　Cole　watched　it　on　the　monitors？　He　knows　who　the　killer　is？〃
　〃Obviously。〃
　〃He　said　he　left　at　eight…fifteen。〃
　〃He　was　lying。〃
　〃But　if　you　knew　that；　then　why　didn't　we…　〃
　〃He'll　never　tell　us；〃　Connor　said。　〃The　same　way　Phillips　won't　tell　us。　That's　why　I　didn't　arrest　Cole；　bring　him　down　for　questioning。　In　the　end　it　would　be　a　waste　of　time　…　and　time　is　of　the　essence　here。　We　know　he　won't　tell　us。　My　question　is；　did　he　tell　anyone　else？〃
　I　began　to　see　what　he　was　driving　at。　〃You　mean；　did　he　walk　out　o