mc.risingsun-第70章

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ve。　Trying　to　stay　below　the　windows。
　The　knock　came　again。
　I　said　into　the　phone；　〃You　can　have　the　tape。　But　first　call　off　your　boys。〃
　〃Say　again；　please？〃
　Christ；　a　fucking　language　problem！
　〃Call　your　men　away。　Get　them　out　in　the　street。　I　want　to　see。〃
　〃Lieutenant；　we　must　have　tape！〃
　〃I　know　that；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　give　it　to　you。〃　While　I　talked；　I　kept　my　eyes　on　the　door。　I　saw　the　knob　turning。　Someone　was　trying　to　open　the　front　door。　Slowly；　quietly。　Then　the　knob　was　released。　Something　white　slid　under　the　door。
　A　business　card。
　〃Lieutenant；　please　cooperate。〃
　I　crawled　forward　and　picked　up　the　card。　It　said：　Jonathan　Connor；　Captain；　Los　Angeles　Police　Department。
　Then　I　heard　a　whisper　from　the　other　side。
　〃Kōhai。〃
　I　knew　it　was　a　trick。　Connor　said　he　was　at　the　airport；　so　it　had　to　be　a　trick…　
　〃Perhaps　I　can　be　of　assistance；　kōhai。〃
　Those　were　the　words　he　had　used　before；　at　the　start　of　the　case。　I　was　confused　to　hear　them。
　〃Open　the　fucking　door；　kōhai。〃
　It　was　Connor。　I　reached　up　and　opened　the　door。　He　slipped　into　the　room；　bent　over。　He　was　dragging　something　blue：　a　Kevlar　vest。　I　said；　〃I　thought　you　were…　〃
　He　shook　his　head；　and　whispered；　〃Knew　they　must　be　here。　Had　to　be。　I've　been　waiting　in　the　car　in　the　alley　behind　the　house。　How　many　are　there　in　front？〃
　〃I　think；　five。　Maybe　more。〃
　He　nodded。
　The　accented　voice　on　the　phone　said；　〃Lieutenant？　You　are　there？　Lieutenant？〃
　I　held　the　receiver　away　from　my　ear　so　Connor　could　listen　while　I　talked。　〃I'm　here；〃　I　said。
　On　the　TV；　there　was　a　loud　witch's　cackle。
　〃Lieutenant；　I　hear　something　with　you。〃
　〃It's　just　Sleeping　Beauty；〃　I　said。
　〃What？　Sreeping　Booty？〃　the　voice　said；　puzzled。　〃What　is　this？〃
　〃Television；〃　I　said。　〃It's　the　television。〃
　Now　I　heard　whispers　at　the　other　end　of　the　line。　The　rush　of　a　car　going　by　on　the　street。　It　reminded　me　that　the　men　were　in　an　exposed　position　outside。　Standing　there　on　a　residential　street　lined　with　apartment　buildings　on　both　sides。　Lots　of　windows。　People　that　might　look　out　at　any　time。　Or　people　walking　by。　The　men　would　have　to　move　quickly。
　Perhaps　they　already　were。
　Connor　was　tugging　at　my　jacket。　Signaling　me　to　undress。　I　slid　out　of　my　coat　as　I　spoke　into　the　phone。
　〃All　right；〃　I　said。　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃
　〃You　bring　tape　to　us。〃
　I　looked　at　Connor。　He　nodded。　Yes。
　〃All　right；〃　I　said。　〃But　first　get　your　people　back。〃
　〃I　am　sorry？〃
　Connor　made　a　fist。　His　face　turned　to　a　snarl。　He　wanted　me　to　be　angry。　He　covered　the　phone　and　whispered　in　my　ear。　A　Japanese　phrase。
　〃Pay　attention！〃　I　said。　〃Yoku　kike！〃
　At　the　other　end；　there　was　a　grunt。　Surprise。
　〃Wakatta。　The　men　e　away。　And　now；　you　e；　Lieutenant。〃
　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　〃I'm　ing。〃
　I　hung　up　the　phone。
　
　Connor　whispered；　〃Thirty　seconds；〃　and　disappeared　out　the　front　door。　I　was　still　buttoning　up　my　shirt　around　the　vest。　Kevlar　is　bulky　and　hot。　Immediately　I　started　to　sweat。
　I　waited　thirty　seconds；　staring　at　the　face　of　my　watch。　Watching　the　hand　go　around。　And　then　I　went　outside。
　
　Someone　had　turned　the　lights　out　in　the　hallway。　I　tripped　over　a　body。　I　got　to　my　feet；　and　looked　at　a　slender　Asian　face。　It　was　just　a　kid；　surprisingly　young。　A　teenager。　He　was　unconscious；　breathing　shallowly。
　I　moved　slowly　down　the　stairs。
　There　wasn't　anybody　on　the　second…floor　landing。　I　kept　going　down。　I　heard　canned　laughter　from　a　television；　behind　one　of　the　doors　on　the　second　floor。　A　voice　said；　〃So　tell　us；　where　did　you　go　on　this　first　date？〃
　I　continued　down　to　the　ground　floor。　The　front　door　of　the　apartment　building　was　glass。　I　looked　out　and　saw　only　parked　cars；　and　a　hedge。　A　short　section　of　lawn　in　front　of　the　building。　The　men　and　the　cars　were　somewhere　off　to　the　left。
　I　waited。　I　took　a　breath。　My　heart　was　pounding。　I　didn't　want　to　go　out　there；　but　all　I　could　think　was　to　get　them　away　from　my　daughter。　To　move　the　action　away　from　my…　
　I　stepped　out　into　the　night。
　The　air　was　cold　on　my　sweating　face　and　neck。
　I　took　two　steps　forward。
　Now　I　could　see　the　men。　They　stood　about　ten　meters　away；　beside　their　cars。　I　counted　four　men。　One　of　them　waved　to　me；　beckoning　me　over。　I　hesitated。
　Where　were　the　others？
　I　couldn't　see　anybody　except　the　men　by　the　cars。　They　waved　again；　beckoning　me。　I　started　toward　them　when　suddenly　a　heavy　thumping　blow　from　behind　knocked　me　flat　onto　my　face　on　the　wet　grass。
　It　was　a　moment　before　I　realized　what　had　happened。
　I　had　been　shot　in　the　back。
　And　then　the　gunfire　erupted　all　around　me。　Automatic　weapons。　The　street　was　lit　up　like　lightning　from　the　gunfire。　The　sound　echoed　off　the　apartment　buildings　on　both　sides　of　the　street。　Glass　was　shattering。　I　heard　people　shouting　all　around　me。　More　gunfire。　I　heard　the　sound　of　ignitions；　cars　roaring　down　the　street　past　me。　Almost　immediately　there　was　the　sound　of　police　sirens　and　tires　squealing；　and　the　glare　of　searchlights。　I　stayed　where　I　was；　face　down　on　the　grass。　I　felt　like　I　was　there　for　about　an　hour。　Then　I　realized　that　the　shouts　now　were　all　in　English。
　Finally　someone　came　and　crouched　over　me　and　said；　〃Don't　move；　Lieutenant。　Let　me　look　first。〃　I　recognized　Connor's　voice。　His　hand　touched　my　back；　probing。　Then　he　said；　〃Can　you　turn　over；　Lieutenant？〃
　I　turned　over。
　Standing　in　the　harsh　light　of　the　searchlights；　Connor　looked　down　at　me。　〃They　didn't　penetrate；〃　he　said。　〃But　you're　going　to　have　a　hell　of　a　sore　back　tomorrow。〃
　He　helped　me　to　my　feet。
　I　looked　back　to　see　the　man　who　had　shot　me。　But　there　was　nobody　there：　just　a　few　shell　casings；　glinting　dull　yellow　in　the　green　grass；　by　the　front　door。
　
　

　THIRD　DAY
　
　

　？
　The　headline　read　VIETNAMESE　GANG　VIOLENCE　ERUPTS　ON　WESTSIDE。　The　story　reported　that　Peter　Smith；　an　L。A。P。D。　Special　Services　officer；　was　the　target　of　a　vicious　grudge　attack　by　an　Orange　County　gang　known　as　the　Bitch　Killers。　Lieutenant　Smith　had　been　shot　twice　before　backup　police　units　arrived　on　the　scene　to　disperse　the　attacking　youths。　None　of　the　suspects　had　been　apprehended　alive。　But　two　had　been　killed　in　the　shooting。
　I　read　the　papers　in　the　bathtub；　soaking　my　aching　back。　I　had　two　large；　ugly　bruises　on　either　side　of　my　spine。　It　hurt　to　breathe。
　I　had　sent　Michelle　to　stay　with　my　mother　in　San　Diego　for　the　weekend；　until　things　were　sorted　out。　Elaine　had　driven　her　down；　late　last　night。
　I　continued　reading。
　According　to　the　story；　the　Bitch　Killers　was　thought　to　be　the　same　gang　that　had　walked　up　to　a　black　two…year…old　boy；　Rodney　Howard；　and　shot　the　child　in　the　head　while　he　was　playing　on　his　tricycle　in　the　front　yard　of　his　Inglewood　home　a　week　earlier。　That　incident　was　rumored　to　be　an　initiation　into　the　gang；　and　the　viciousness　of　it　had　touched　off　a　furor　about　whether　the　L。A。P。D。　was　able　to　handle　gang　violence　in　southern　California。
　There　were　a　lot　of　reporters　outside　my　door　again；　but　I　wasn't　talking　to　any　of　them。　The　phone　rang　constantly；　but　I　let　the　answering　machine　take　it。　I　just　sat　in　the　tub；　and　tried　to　decide　what　to　do。
　In　the　middle　of　the　morning　I　called　Ken　Shubik　at　the　Times。
　〃I　wondered　when　you'd　check　in；〃　he　said。　〃You　must　be　pleased。〃
　〃About　what？〃
　〃About　being　alive；〃　Ken　said。　〃These　kids　are　murder。〃
　〃You　mean　the　Vietnamese　kids　last　night？〃　I　said。　〃They　spoke　Japanese。〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Yes；　Ken。〃
　〃We　didn't　get　that　story　right？〃
　〃Not　really。〃
　〃That　explains　it；〃　he　said。
　〃Explains　what？〃
　〃That　was　the　Weasel's　story。　And　the　Weasel　is　in　bad　odor　today。　There's　even　talk　of　firing　him。　Nobody　can　figure　it　out；　but　something's　happening　around　here；〃　he　said。　〃Somebody　high　in　editorial　all　of　a　sudden　has　a　bug　up　his　ass　about　Japan。　Anyway；　we're　starting　a　series　investigating　Japanese　corporations　in　America。〃
　〃Oh；　yeah？〃
　〃Of　course　you'd　never　know　it　from　today's　paper。　You　see　the　business　section？〃
　〃No；　why？〃
　〃Darley…Higgins　announced　the　sale　of　MicroCon　to　Akai。　It's　on　page　fo