mc.risingsun-第73章

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　statement　of　assets　and…　〃
　Connor　came　into　the　room　first。　I　was　right　after　him。
　Ishiguro　looked　up；　showing　no　surprise。　〃Good　afternoon；　gentlemen。〃　His　face　was　a　mask。
　Richmond　said　smoothly；　〃Gentlemen；　if　this　can　wait；　we're　in　the　middle　of　something　rather　plicated　here…　〃
　Connor　interrupted　him。　〃Mr。　Ishiguro；　you　are　under　arrest　for　the　murder　of　Cheryl　Lynn　Austin；〃　and　then　he　read　him　his　Miranda　rights；　while　Ishiguro　stared　fixedly　at　him。　The　others　in　the　room　were　entirely　silent。　Nobody　moved　at　the　long　table。　It　was　like　a　still　life。
　Ishiguro　remained　seated。　〃This　is　an　absurdity。〃
　〃Mr。　Ishiguro；〃　Connor　said；　〃would　you　please　stand？〃
　Richmond　said　softly；　〃I　hope　you　guys　know　what　you　are　doing。〃
　Ishiguro　said；　〃I　know　my　rights；　gentlemen。〃
　Connor　said；　〃Mr。　Ishiguro；　would　you　please　stand？〃
　Ishiguro　did　not　move。　The　smoke　from　his　cigarette　curled　up　in　front　of　him。
　There　was　a　long　silence。
　Then　Connor　said　to　me；　〃Show　them　the　tape。〃
　One　wall　of　the　conference　room　consisted　of　video　equipment。　I　found　a　playback　machine　like　the　one　I　had　used；　and　plugged　the　tape　in。　But　no　image　came　up　on　the　big　central　monitor。　I　tried　pushing　various　buttons；　but　couldn't　get　a　picture。
　From　a　rear　corner；　a　Japanese　secretary　who　had　been　taking　notes　hurried　up　to　help　me。　Bowing　apologetically；　she　pushed　the　proper　buttons；　bowed　again；　and　returned　to　her　place。
　〃Thank　you；〃　I　said。
　On　the　screen；　the　image　came　up。　Even　in　the　bright　sunlight；　it　was　clear。　It　was　right　at　the　moment　we　had　seen　in　Theresa's　room。　The　moment　where　Ishiguro　approaches　the　girl　and　holds　the　struggling　body　down。
　Richmond　said；　〃What　is　this？〃
　〃It's　a　fake；〃　Ishiguro　said。　〃It's　a　fraud。〃
　Connor　said；　〃This　is　a　tape　taken　by　Nakamoto　security　cameras　on　the　forty…sixth　floor　Thursday　night。〃
　Ishiguro　said；　〃It's　not　legal。　It's　a　fraud。〃
　But　nobody　was　listening。　Everybody　was　looking　at　the　monitor。　Richmond's　mouth　was　open。　〃Jesus；〃　he　said。
　On　the　tape；　it　seemed　to　take　a　long　time　for　the　girl　to　die。
　Ishiguro　was　glaring　at　Connor。　〃This　is　nothing　but　a　sensational　publicity　stunt；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　a　fabrication。　It　means　nothing。〃
　〃Jesus　Christ；〃　Richmond　said；　staring　at　the　screen。
　Ishiguro　said；　〃It　has　no　legal　basis。　It　is　not　admissible。　It　will　never　stand　up。　This　is　just　a　disruption…　〃
　He　broke　off。　For　the　first　time；　he　had　looked　down　to　the　other　end　of　the　table。　And　he　saw　that　Iwabuchi's　chair　was　empty。
　He　looked　the　other　way。　His　eyes　darted　around　the　room。
　Moriyama's　chair　was　empty。
　Shirai's　chair。
　Yoshida's　chair。
　Ishiguro's　eyes　twitched。　He　looked　at　Connor　in　astonishment。　Then　he　nodded；　gave　a　guttural　grunt；　and　stood。　Everyone　else　was　staring　at　the　screen。
　He　walked　up　to　Connor。　〃I'm　not　going　to　watch　this；　Captain。　When　you　are　through　with　your　charade；　you　will　find　me　outside。〃　He　lit　a　cigarette；　squinting　at　Connor。　〃Then　we　will　talk。　Kicchiirito　na。〃　He　opened　the　door　and　walked　onto　the　terrace。　He　left　the　door　open　behind　him。
　I　started　to　follow　him　out；　but　Connor　caught　my　eye。　He　shook　his　head　fractionally。　I　remained　where　I　was。
　I　could　see　Ishiguro　outside；　standing　at　the　railing。　He　smoked　his　cigarette　and　turned　his　face　to　the　sun。　Then　he　glanced　back　at　us　and　shook　his　head　pityingly。　He　leaned　against　the　railing；　and　put　his　foot　on　it。
　In　the　conference　room；　the　tape　continued。　One　of　the　American　lawyers；　a　woman；　stood　up；　snapped　her　briefcase　shut；　and　walked　out　of　the　room。　Nobody　else　moved。
　And　finally；　the　tape　ended。
　I　popped　it　out　of　the　machine。
　There　was　silence　in　the　room。　A　slight　wind　ruffled　the　papers　of　the　people　at　the　long　table。
　I　looked　out　at　the　terrace。
　It　was　empty。
　By　the　time　we　got　out　to　the　railing；　we　could　hear　the　sirens　faintly；　on　the　street　below。
　
　Down　on　ground　level；　the　air　was　dusty　and　we　heard　the　deafening　sound　of　jackhammers。　Nakamoto　was　building　an　annex　next　door；　and　construction　was　in　full　swing。　A　line　of　big　cement　trucks　was　pulled　up　along　the　curb。　I　pushed　my　way　through　the　cluster　of　Japanese　men　in　blue　suits；　and　broke　through　to　look　down　into　the　pit。
　Ishiguro　had　landed　in　a　wet　concrete　pouring。　His　body　lay　sideways；　just　the　head　and　one　arm　sticking　above　the　soft　concrete　surface。　Blood　ran　in　spreading　fingers　across　the　gray　surface。　Workmen　in　blue　hardhats　were　trying　to　fish　him　out；　using　bamboo　poles　and　ropes。　They　weren't　having　much　success。　Finally　a　workman　in　thigh…high　rubber　boots　waded　in　to　pull　the　body　out。　But　it　proved　more　difficult　than　he　expected。　He　had　to　call　for　help。
　Our　people　were　already　there；　Fred　Perry　and　Bob　Wolfe。　Wolfe　saw　me　and　walked　up　the　hill。　He　had　his　notebook　out。　He　shouted　over　the　din　of　the　jackhammers。　〃You　know　anything　about　this；　Pete？〃
　〃Yeah；〃　I　said。
　〃Got　a　name？〃
　〃Masao　Ishiguro。〃
　Wolfe　squinted。　〃Spell　that？〃
　I　started　to　try　to　spell　it；　talking　over　the　sound　of　the　construction。　Finally　I　just　reached　in　my　pocket　and　fished　out　his　card。　I　gave　it　to　Wolfe。
　〃This　is　him？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃Where'd　you　get　it？〃
　〃Long　story；〃　I　said。　〃But　he's　wanted　for　murder。〃
　Wolfe　nodded。　〃Let　me　get　the　body　out　and　we'll　talk。〃
　〃Fine。〃
　Eventually；　they　used　the　construction　crane　to　pull　him　out。　Ishiguro's　body；　sagging　and　heavy　with　concrete；　was　lifted　into　the　air；　and　swung　past　me；　over　my　head。
　Bits　of　cement　dripped　down　on　me；　and　spattered　on　the　sign　at　my　feet。　The　sign　was　for　the　Nakamoto　Construction　pany；　and　it　said　in　bold　letters：　BUILDING　FOR　A　NEW　TOMORROW。　And　underneath；　PLEASE　EXCUSE　THE　INCONVENIENCE。
　
　？
　It　took　another　hour　to　get　everything　settled　at　the　site。　And　the　chief　wanted　our　reports　by　the　end　of　the　day；　so　afterward　we　had　to　go　down　to　Parker　to　do　the　paperwork。
　It　was　four　o'clock　before　we　went　across　the　street　to　the　coffee　shop　next　to　Antonio's　bail　bond　shop。　Just　to　get　away　from　the　office。　I　said；　〃Why　did　Ishiguro　kill　the　girl　in　the　first　place？〃
　Connor　sighed。　〃It's　not　clear。　The　best　I　can　understand　it　is　this。　Eddie　was　working　for　his　father's　kaisha　all　along。　One　of　the　things　he　did　was　supply　girls　for　visiting　dignitaries。　He'd　been　doing　that　for　years。　It　was　easy　…　he　was　a　party　guy；　he　knew　the　girls；　the　congressmen　wanted　to　meet　the　girls；　and　he　got　a　chance　to　make　friends　with　the　congressmen。　But　in　Cheryl　he　had　a　special　opportunity；　because　Senator　Morton；　head　of　the　Finance　mittee；　was　attracted　to　her。　Morton　was　smart　enough　to　break　off　the　affair；　but　Eddie　kept　sending　her　in　private　jets　to　meet　him　unexpectedly；　keeping　the　thing　alive。　Eddie　liked　her；　too：　he　had　sex　with　her　that　afternoon。　And　it　was　Eddie　who　arranged　for　her　to　e　to　the　party　at　Nakamoto；　knowing　that　Morton　would　be　there。　Eddie　was　pushing　Morton　to　block　the　sale；　so　Eddie　was　preoccupied　with　the　Saturday　meeting。　By　the　way；　on　the　news…station　tape　you　thought　he　said　'no　cheapie'　to　Cheryl。　He　was　saying　nichibei。　The　Japanese…American　relationship。
　〃But　I　think　Eddie　just　intended　for　Cheryl　to　meet　Morton。　I　doubt　he　had　any　idea　about　the　forty…sixth　floor。　He　certainly　didn't　expect　her　to　go　up　there　with　Morton。　The　idea　of　going　there　must　have　been　suggested　during　the　party　by　someone　from　Nakamoto。　The　pany　left　the　floor　accessible　for　a　very　simple　reason：　there's　a　bedroom　suite　up　there　that　executives　sometimes　use。　Somewhere　in　the　back。〃
　I　said；　〃How　did　you　know　that？〃
　Connor　smiled。　〃Hanada…san　mentioned　he　had　once　used　it。　Apparently　it's　quite　luxurious。〃
　〃So　you　do　have　contacts。〃
　〃I　have　a　few。　I　imagine　Nakamoto　was　probably　just　being　acmodating；　too。　They　may　have　installed　cameras　up　there　with　the　idea　of　blackmail；　but　I'm　told　there　were　no　cameras　in　the　bedroom　suite。　And　the　fact　that　they　had　a　camera　right　in　the　conference　room　suggests　to　me　that　Phillips　was　right　…　the　cameras　were　placed　to　kaizen　the　office　workers。　Certainly　they　couldn't　have　expected　the　sexual　encounter　to　occur　where　it　did。
　〃Anyway；　when　E