mc.risingsun-第60章

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　Stop。　Zoom　in。　Slide　around　in　the　image；　trying　to　locate　a　section　that　had　enough　detail。　Give　up。　Go　forward　again。　Stop　again。
　Finally；　Theresa　sighed。　〃It's　not　working。　That　glass　is　murder。〃
　〃Then　let's　keep　going。〃
　I　saw　Cheryl　grab　the　door　frame；　trying　to　keep　from　being　pulled　into　the　conference　room。　The　man　finally　pulled　her　free；　she　slid　backward　with　a　look　of　terror　on　her　face；　and　then　she　swung　her　arms　back　to　hit　the　man。　Her　purse　went　flying。　Then　they　were　both　inside　the　room。　Silhouettes　moving　quickly；　turning。
　The　man　shoved　her　back　against　the　table；　and　Cheryl　appeared　in　the　camera　that　aimed　straight　down　on　the　conference　room。　Her　short　blond　hair　contrasted　with　the　dark　wood　of　the　table。　Her　mood　changed　again；　she　stopped　struggling　for　a　minute。　She　had　a　look　of　expectation。　Excitement。　She　licked　her　lips。　Her　eyes　followed　the　man　as　he　leaned　over　her。　He　slid　her　skirt　up　her　hips。
　She　smiled；　pouted；　whispered　in　his　ear。
　He　pulled　her　panties　away；　a　quick　jerk。
　She　smiled　at　him。　It　was　a　tense　smile；　half…aroused；　half…pleading。
　She　was　excited　by　her　own　fear。
　His　hands　caressed　her　throat。
　
　？
　Standing　in　the　darkened　laboratory；　with　the　hiss　of　skaters　on　the　ice　above；　we　watched　the　final　violent　act；　again　and　again。　It　played　on　five　monitors；　different　angles；　as　her　pale　legs　went　up；　onto　his　shoulders；　and　he　crouched　over　her；　hands　fumbling　at　his　trousers。　With　repetition；　I　noticed　small　things　not　seen　before。　The　way　she　slid　down　the　table　to　meet　him；　wiggling　her　hips。　The　way　his　back　arched　at　the　moment　of　penetration。　The　change　in　her　smile；　catlike；　knowing。　Calculating。　How　she　urged　him　on；　saying　something。　Her　hands　around　his　back；　caressing。　The　sudden　change　in　mood；　the　flash　of　anger　in　her　eyes；　the　abrupt　slap。　The　way　she　fought　him；　first　to　arouse　him；　and　then　later；　struggling　in　a　different　way；　because　then　something　was　wrong。　The　way　her　eyes　bulged；　and　she　had　a　look　of　real　desperation。　Her　hands　pushing　his　arms；　shoving　his　coat　sleeves　up；　revealing　the　tiny　metallic　sparkle　of　cuff　links。　The　glint　of　her　watch。　Her　arm　falling　back；　palm　open。　Five　fingers　pale　against　the　black　of　the　table。　Then　a　tremor；　the　fingers　twitching；　and　stillness。
　His　slowness　to　understand　something　was　wrong。　The　way　he　went　rigid　for　a　moment；　then　took　her　head　in　his　hand；　moved　it　back　and　forth；　trying　to　arouse　her；　before　he　finally　pulled　away。　Even　looking　at　his　back；　you　could　almost　feel　his　horror。　He　remained　slow；　as　if　in　a　trance。　Pacing　around　the　room　in　aimless　half　steps；　first　this　way；　then　that。　Trying　to　recover　his　wits；　to　decide　what　to　do。
　Each　time　I　saw　the　sequence　repeated；　I　felt　a　different　way。　The　first　few　times；　there　was　a　tension；　a　voyeuristic　sensation；　itself　almost　sexual。　And　then　later；　I　felt　progressively　more　detached；　more　analytical。　As　if　I　was　drifting　away；　moving　back　from　the　monitor。　And　finally；　the　entire　sequence　seemed　to　break　down　before　my　eyes；　the　bodies　losing　their　human　identities　altogether；　being　abstractions；　elements　of　design；　shifting　and　moving　in　dark　space。
　Theresa　said；　〃This　girl　is　sick。〃
　〃It　looks　that　way。〃
　〃She　is　not　a　victim。　Not　this　one。〃
　〃Maybe　not。〃
　We　watched　it　again。　But　I　no　longer　knew　why　we　were　watching。　Finally　I　said；　〃Let's　go　forward；　Theresa。〃
　
　We　had　been　running　the　sequence　to　a　certain　point　on　the　tape　counter；　and　then　going　back　to　run　again。　So　we　had　seen　a　part　of　the　tape　again　and　again；　but　we　hadn't　gone　farther。　Almost　immediately　as　we　went　forward；　something　remarkable　happened。　The　man　stopped　pacing　and　looked　sharply　off　to　one　side　as　if　he　had　seen　something；　or　heard　something。
　〃The　other　man？〃　I　said。
　〃Perhaps。〃　She　pointed　to　the　monitors。　〃This　is　the　area　in　the　tapes　where　the　shadows　do　not　seem　to　match　up。　Now；　we　know　why。〃
　〃Something　was　erased？〃
　She　ran　the　tape　backward。　On　the　side　monitor　view；　we　could　see　the　man　look　up；　in　the　direction　of　the　exit。　He　gave　every　appearance　that　he　had　seen　someone。　But　he　did　not　appear　frightened　or　guilty。
　She　zoomed　in。　The　man　was　just　a　silhouette。　〃You　can't　see　anything；　can　you？〃
　〃Profile。〃
　〃What　about　it？〃
　〃I　am　looking　at　the　jaw　line。　Yes。　See？　The　jaw　is　moving。　He　is　talking。〃
　〃Talking　to　the　other　man？〃
　〃Or　to　himself。　But　he　is　certainly　looking　off。　And　now　see？　He　has　sudden　new　energy。〃
　The　man　was　moving　around　the　conference　room。　His　behavior　purposeful。　I　remembered　how　confusing　this　part　had　been；　when　I　saw　it　the　night　before　at　the　police　station。　But　with　five　cameras；　it　was　clear。　We　could　see　exactly　what　he　was　doing。　He　picked　up　the　panties　from　the　floor。
　And　then　he　bent　over　the　dead　girl；　and　removed　her　watch。
　〃No　kidding；〃　I　said。　〃He　took　her　watch。〃
　I　could　only　think　of　one　reason　why：　the　watch　must　have　an　inscription。　The　man　put　the　panties　and　the　watch　in　his　pocket；　and　was　turning　to　go；　when　the　image　froze　again。　Theresa　had　stopped　it。
　〃What　is　it？〃　I　said。
　She　pointed　to　one　of　the　five　monitors。　〃There；〃　she　said。
　She　was　looking　at　the　side　view；　from　the　overall　camera。　It　showed　the　conference　room　as　seen　from　the　atrium。　I　saw　the　silhouette　of　the　girl　on　the　table；　and　the　man　inside　the　conference　room。
　〃Yeah？　So？〃
　〃There；〃　she　said；　pointing。　〃They　forgot　to　erase　that　one。〃　In　the　corner　of　the　screen；　I　saw　a　ghostly　form。　The　angle　and　the　lighting　were　just　right　to　enable　us　to　see　him。　It　was　a　man。
　The　third　man。
　He　had　e　forward；　and　now　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　atrium；　looking　toward　the　killer；　inside　the　conference　room。　The　image　of　the　third　man　was　plete；　reflected　in　the　glass。　But　it　was　faint。
　〃Can　you　get　that？　Can　you　make　it　out？〃
　〃I　can　try；〃　she　said。
　The　zooms　began。　She　punched　in；　saw　the　image　depose。　She　sharpened　it；　heightened　contrast。　The　image　streaked；　and　went　dull；　flat。　She　coaxed　it　back；　reconstituted　it。　She　moved　closer；　enlarging　it。　It　was　tantalizing。　We　could　almost　make　an　identification。
　Almost；　but　not　quite。
　〃Frame　advance；〃　she　said。
　Now；　one　by　one；　the　frames　clicked　ahead。　The　image　of　the　man　was　alternately　sharper；　blurred；　sharp。
　And　then　at　last；　we　saw　the　waiting　man　clearly。
　〃No　shit；〃　I　said。
　〃You　know　who　he　is？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃It's　Eddie　Sakamura。〃
　
　？
　After　that；　we　made　swift　progress。　We　knew；　without　a　doubt；　that　the　tapes　had　been　altered　and　the　identity　of　the　killer　had　been　changed。　We　watched　as　the　killer　came　out　of　the　room；　and　moved　toward　the　exit；　with　a　regretful　look　back　at　the　dead　girl。
　I　said；　〃How　could　they　change　the　killer's　face　in　just　a　few　hours？〃
　〃They　have　very　sophisticated　mapping　software；〃　she　said。　〃It's　by　far　the　most　advanced　in　the　world。　The　Japanese　are　being　much　better　in　software。　Soon　they　will　surpass　the　Americans　in　that；　as　they　already　have　in　puters。〃
　〃So　they　did　it　with　better　software？〃
　〃Even　with　the　best　software　it　would　be　daring　to　try　it。　And　the　Japanese　are　not　daring。　So　I　suspect　this　particular　job　was　not　so　hard。　Because　the　killer　spends　most　of　his　time　kissing　the　girl；　or　in　shadow；　so　you　can't　see　his　face。　I　am　guessing　they　had　the　idea　very　late；　as　an　afterthought；　to　make　a　change　of　identity。　Because　they　saw　that　they　only　had　to　change　this　part　ing　up　。　。　。　。　There；　where　he　passes　the　mirror。〃
　In　the　mirror；　I　saw　the　face　of　Eddie　Sakamura；　clearly。　His　hand　brushing　the　wall；　showing　the　scar。
　〃You　see；〃　she　said；　〃if　they　changed　that；　the　rest　of　the　tape　could　pass。　In　all　the　cameras。　It　was　a　golden　opportunity；　and　they　took　it。　That　is　what　I　think。〃
　On　the　monitors；　Eddie　Sakamura　went　past　the　mirror；　into　shadow。　She　ran　it　back。　〃Let's　look。〃
　She　put　up　the　reflection　in　the　mirror；　and　step…zoomed　in　to　the　face　until　it　broke　into　blocks。　〃Ah；〃　she　said。　〃You　see　the　pixels。　You　see　the　regularity。　Someone　has　done　some　retouching　here。　Here；　on　the　cheekbone；　where　there　is　a　shadow　beneath　his　eye。　Normally　you　get　some　irregularity　at　the　edge　b