mc.risingsun-第67章

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　Ishiguro　turned　to　Connor　and　said；　〃Totemo　taihenna　koto　ni　narimashita　ne。〃
　Connor　said；　〃I　agree。　It　is　difficult。〃
　Ishiguro　hissed　through　his　teeth。　〃Heads　will　roll。〃
　〃Yours　first；〃　Connor　said。　〃Sō　omowa　nakai。〃
　The　senator　was　walking　toward　the　stairway　going　up　to　the　second　floor。　Woodson　came　over　to　him；　leaned　close；　and　whispered　something。　The　senator　threw　his　arm　around　his　shoulder。　They　walked　arm　in　arm　a　moment。　Then　the　senator　went　upstairs。
　Ishiguro　said　bleakly；　〃Konna　hazuja　nakatta　no　ni。〃
　Connor　shrugged。　〃I　am　afraid　I　have　little　sympathy。　You　attempted　to　break　the　laws　of　this　country　and　now　there　is　going　to　be　big　trouble。　Eraikoto　ni　naruyo；　Ishiguro…san。〃
　〃We　will　see；　Captain。〃
　Ishiguro　turned　and　gave　Eddie　a　frosty　look。　Eddie　shrugged　and　said；　〃Hey；　I　got　no　problems！　Know　what　I　mean；　padre？　You　got　all　problems　now。〃　And　he　laughed。
　The　floor　manager；　a　heavyset　guy　wearing　a　headset；　came　over。　〃Is　one　of　you　Lieutenant　Smith？〃
　I　said　I　was。
　〃A　Miss　Asakuma　is　calling　you。　You　can　take　it　over　there。〃　He　pointed　to　a　living…room　set。　Couch　and　easy　chairs；　against　a　morning　city　skyline。　I　saw　a　blinking　telephone　by　one　chair。
　I　walked　over　and　sat　in　the　chair　and　picked　up　the　phone。　〃Lieutenant　Smith。〃
　〃Hi；　it's　Theresa；〃　she　said。　I　liked　the　way　she　used　her　first　name。　〃Listen；　I've　been　looking　at　the　last　part　of　the　tape。　The　very　end。　And　I　think　there　may　be　a　problem。〃
　〃Oh？　What　kind　of　a　problem？〃　I　didn't　tell　her　Morton　had　already　confessed。　I　looked　across　the　stage。　The　senator　had　already　gone　upstairs；　he　was　out　of　sight。　Woodson；　his　aide；　was　pacing　back　and　forth　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　a　pale；　stricken　look　on　his　face。　Nervously；　he　fingered　his　belt；　feeling　it　through　his　suit　coat。
　Then　I　heard　Connor　say；　〃Ah；　shit！〃　and　he　broke　into　a　run；　sprinting　across　the　studio　toward　the　stairs。　I　stood　up；　surprised；　dropped　the　phone；　and　followed　him。　As　Connor　passed　Woodson；　he　said　〃You　son　of　a　bitch；〃　and　then　he　was　taking　the　stairs　two　at　a　time；　racing　upward。　I　was　right　behind　him。　I　heard　Woodson　say　something　like；　〃I　had　to。〃
　When　we　got　to　the　second　floor　hallway　Connor　shouted　〃Senator！〃　That　was　when　we　heard　the　single；　cracking　report。　It　wasn't　loud：　it　sounded　like　a　chair　falling　over。
　But　I　knew　that　it　was　a　gunshot。
　
　

　SECOND　NIGHT
　
　

　？
　The　sun　was　setting　on　the　sekitei。　The　shadows　of　the　rocks　rippled　over　the　concentric　circles　of　raked　sand。　I　sat　and　stared　at　the　patterns。　Connor　was　somewhere　inside；　still　watching　television。　I　could　faintly　hear　the　newscast。　Of　course；　a　Zen　temple　would　have　a　television　set　on　the　premises。　I　was　starting　to　bee　accustomed　to　these　contradictions。
　But　I　didn't　want　to　watch　TV　any　more。　I　had　seen　enough；　in　the　last　hour；　to　know　how　the　media　was　going　to　play　it。　Senator　Morton　had　been　under　a　great　deal　of　stress　lately。　His　family　life　was　troubled；　his　teenage　son　had　recently　been　arrested　for　drunk　driving；　after　an　accident　in　which　another　teenager　had　been　seriously　injured。　The　senator's　daughter　was　rumored　to　have　had　an　abortion。　Mrs。　Morton　was　not　available　for　ment；　although　reporters　were　standing　outside　the　family　townhouse　in　Arlington。
　The　senator's　staff　all　agreed　that　the　senator　had　been　under　enormous　pressure　lately；　trying　to　balance　family　life　and　his　own　impending　candidacy。　The　senator　had　not　been　himself；　he　had　been　moody　and　withdrawn；　and　in　the　words　of　one　staffer；　〃He　seemed　to　have　been　troubled　by　something　personal。〃
　While　no　one　questioned　the　senator's　judgment；　one　colleague；　Senator　Dowling；　said　that　Morton　had　〃bee　a　bit　of　a　fanatic　about　Japan　lately；　perhaps　an　indication　of　the　strain　he　was　under。　John　didn't　seem　to　think　acmodation　with　Japan　was　possible　anymore；　and　of　course　we　all　know　that　we　have　to　make　an　acmodation。　Our　two　nations　are　now　too　closely　bound　together。　Unfortunately；　none　of　us　could　have　known　the　strain　he　was　really　under。　John　Morton　was　a　private　man。〃
　I　sat　watching　the　rocks　in　the　garden　turn　gold；　then　red。　An　American　Zen　monk　named　Bill　Harris　came　out　and　asked　me　if　I　wanted　tea；　or　perhaps　a　Coke。　I　said　no。　He　went　away。　Looking　back　inside；　I　saw　flickering　blue　light　from　the　tube。　I　couldn't　see　Connor。
　I　looked　back　at　the　rocks　in　the　garden。
　The　first　gunshot　had　not　killed　Senator　Morton。　When　we　kicked　open　the　bathroom　door；　he　was　bleeding　from　the　neck；　staggering　to　his　feet。　Connor　shouted　〃Don't！〃　just　as　Morton　put　the　gun　in　his　mouth　and　fired　again。　The　second　shot　was　fatal。　The　gun　kicked　out　of　his　hands　and　went　spinning　across　the　tile　floor　of　the　bathroom。　It　came　to　rest　near　my　shoes。　There　was　a　lot　of　blood　on　the　walls。
　Then　people　started　screaming。　I　had　turned　back　and　I　saw　the　makeup　girl　in　the　doorway；　holding　her　hands　to　her　face　and　screaming　at　the　top　of　her　lungs。　Eventually；　when　the　paramedics　came；　they　sedated　her。
　Connor　and　I　had　stayed　until　the　division　sent　Bob　Kaplan　and　Tony　Marsh。　They　were　the　detectives　in　charge；　and　we　were　free　to　go。　I　told　Bob　we'd　give　statements　whenever　he　wanted　them；　and　we　left。　I　noticed　that　Ishiguro　had　already　gone。　So　had　Eddie　Sakamura。
　That　had　bothered　Connor。　〃That　damn　Eddie；〃　he　said。　〃Where　is　he？〃
　〃Who　cares？〃　I　said。
　〃There's　a　problem　with　Eddie；〃　Connor　said。
　〃What　problem？〃
　〃Didn't　you　notice　how　he　acted　around　Ishiguro？　He　was　too　confident；〃　Connor　said。　〃Much　too　confident。　He　should　have　been　frightened　and　he　wasn't。〃
　I　shrugged。　〃You　said　it　yourself；　Eddie's　crazy。　Who　knows　why　he　does　what　he　does。〃　I　was　tired　of　the　case；　and　tired　of　Connor's　endless　Japanese　nuances。　I　said　I　thought　Eddie　had　probably　gone　back　to　Japan。　Or　to　Mexico；　where　he　had　said　earlier　that　he　wanted　to　go。
　〃I　hope　you're　right；〃　Connor　said。
　He　led　me　toward　the　rear　entrance　to　the　station。　Connor　said　he　wanted　to　leave　before　the　press　arrived。　We　got　into　our　car　and　left。　He　directed　me　to　the　Zen　center。　We　had　been　there　ever　since。　I　had　called　Lauren　but　she　was　out　of　the　office。　I　called　Theresa　at　the　lab　but　her　line　was　busy。　I　called　home；　and　Elaine　said　that　Michelle　was　fine；　and　the　reporters　had　all　gone。　She　asked　if　I　wanted　her　to　stay　and　give　Michelle　dinner。　I　said　yes；　that　I　might　be　home　late。
　And　then　for　the　next　hour；　I　watched　television。　Until　I　didn't　want　to　watch　any　more。
　
　It　was　almost　dark。　The　sand　was　purple…gray。　My　body　was　stiff　from　sitting；　and　it　was　growing　chilly。　My　beeper　went　off；　I　was　getting　a　call　from　the　division。　Or　perhaps　it　was　Theresa。　I　got　up　and　went　inside。
　On　the　television　set；　Senator　Stephen　Rowe　was　expressing　sympathy　for　the　bereaved　family；　and　talking　about　the　fact　that　Senator　Morton　had　been　overstressed。　Senator　Rowe　pointed　out　that　the　Akai　offer　had　not　been　withdrawn。　The　sale　was；　so　far　as　Rowe　knew；　still　going　through；　and　there　would　not　now　be　any　serious　opposition。
　〃Hmmm；〃　Connor　said。
　〃The　sale　is　back　on？〃　I　said。
　〃It　seems　it　was　never　off。〃　Connor　was　obviously　worried。
　〃You　don't　approve　of　the　sale？〃
　〃I'm　worried　about　Eddie。　He　was　so　cocky。　It's　a　question　of　what　Ishiguro　will　do　now。〃
　〃Who　cares？〃　I　was　tired。　The　girl　was　dead；　Morton　was　dead；　and　the　sale　was　going　forward。
　Connor　shook　his　head。　〃Remember　the　stakes；〃　he　said。　〃The　stakes　are　huge。　Ishiguro　isn't　concerned　about　a　sordid　little　murder；　or　even　the　strategic　purchase　of　some　high…tech　pany。　Ishiguro　is　concerned　about　Nakamoto's　reputation　in　America。　Nakamoto　has　a　large　corporate　presence　in　America；　and　it　wants　it　to　be　larger。　Eddie　can　damage　that　reputation。〃
　〃How？〃
　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　know；　for　sure。〃
　My　beeper　went　off　again。　I　called　in。　It　was　Frank　Ellis；　the　watch　officer　at　division　headquarters　for　the　evening。
　〃Hey；　Pete；〃　he　said。　〃We　got　a　call　for　Special　Services。　Sergeant　Matlovsky；　down　at　vehicle　impound。　He's　asking　for　language　assistance。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃　I　said。
　〃He　says　he's　got　five　Japanese　nationals　down　there；　demanding　to