ericlustbader.the ninja-第79章

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　'I'm　trying　to　imagine　something　like　that　happening　to　me。'
　Nicholas　looked　at　him　for　a　moment　in　pleasure。
　As　if　by　mutual　consent；　they　began　to　walk　slowly　down　the　path　towards　Croaker's　waiting　car。　Both　seemed　somehow　reluctant　to　be　on　their　way；　as　if　dreading　the　frenzy　of　the　city。　Just　before　they　reached　the　car；　Croaker　said；　'What's　your
　opinion　of　Justine's　old　man？'
　Nicholas　looked　at　him。　'That's　an　odd　way　to　put　it。'
　Croaker　shrugged。　'A　figure　of　speech。'
　But　Nicholas　suspected　his　friend　of　having　inserted　a　subtle　warning。　'I　started　out　by　hating　his　guts；'　he　said　slowly　as　if　formulating　his　thoughts　as　he　spoke。　'But　dial's　hardly　surprising；　given　Justine's　point　of　view　and　the　way　he　and　I　first　met。　He's　deliberate　and　heavy…handed　and　used　to　getting　everydiing　he　wants。　I　don't　like　any　of　dial。'
　'I　hear　a　〃but〃　hanging　around　there　some　place。'
　Nicholas　stopped　and　faced　Croaker。　'Look；　it　would　be　very　easy　…　and　expedient　for　us　all　…　to　write　him　off　as　a　rich　villain　out　of　some　dime…store　novel　but　it's　not　as　simple　as　all　that。'
　'He's　a　murderer；　Nick。'
　'He's　vulnerable　…'
　'Oh；　Jesus…'
　'He　loves　his　girls；　no　matter　what　they　think　of　him。　He'd　do　anydiing　to　protect　them。　And　he's　not　as　sure　of　himself　as　he　ought　to　be。　There's　something　…'
　'It's　the　grand　act　he's　putting　on　for　you。　He　needs　your　help　and　he　knows　you're　no　dummy。'
　'I　really　think　you're　wrong。　He's　not　as　two…dimensional　as　you　make　him　out　to　be。'
　'All　right。　Your　ninja　goes　out　and　kills　people；'　Croaker　said。　'But　there　must　be　someone　somewhere　who　he　es　home　to　and　loves。　He　is　still　what　he　is。'
　'You're　ignoring　the　plexities　…'
　'He's　a　fucking　shark；　man。　You'd　better　face　up　to　it。'
　'You're　looking　at　it　from　only　one　point　of　view。'
　Croaker　shook　his　head。　'No；　Nick。　I've　just　known　him　longer；　dial's　all。'
　On　the　way　into　the　city；　Croaker　told　Nicholas　all　he　knew　about　the　circumstances　of　Vincent's　death。　It　wasn't　much。
　He　dropped　Nicholas　at　Tomkin's　building　on　Park　and　continued　downtown。　At　the　office　the　M。E。's　report　on　Vincent　was　waiting　for　him。　He　slung　his　sopping　jacket　over　the　back
　of　the　grey　and　dull　green　chair；　took　a　MintyPick　out　of　his　breast　pocket；　flipped　it　into　his　mouth　　and　opened　the　folder。
　What　he　saw　brought　the　sweat　out　on　his　forehead　and　along　the　line　of　his　upper　lip。　He　ran　a　hand　through　　his　thick　hair　and　swore　under　his　breadi。　Then　he　reached　for　the　phone。　There　was　the　minimum　of　delay。
　'Nate？'　he　said　when　he　got　the　M。E。　on　the　line。　'Croaker。　Thanks　for　the　report　on　Vincent　Ito。　Someone　must　have　broken　his　back　to　get　it　here　so　soon。'
　'I　did　it　myself。'　Graumann's　voice　sounded　tired。　'We're　all　still　a　bit　stunned　here　and　…'。
　'Hey；　Nate；　I'm　working　on　it。'
　'What's　up？　And　don't　give　me　any　schmeer？
　'Not　much；'　Croaker　admitted。　'Only　dial　it　seems　related　to　the　deaths　of　Terry　Tanaka　and　Eileen　Okura。　They　were　friends　of　Vincent's。'
　'Yeah；　I　remember　the　files。　Vincent　did　the　autopsies　himself。　But　how？　There's　certainly　no　similarity　in　M。O。'　Croaker　rubbed　at　his　eyes。　'Right　now；　all　I　can　say　is　that　M。O。　doesn't　seem　very　relevant。'
　'I　see。　I　phoned　Doc　Deerfordi　out　on　the　Island。　I　wanted　it　to　e　from　me。'
　'How'd　he　take　it？'
　'Not　well。　Look；　Lew；　we'd　…　I'd　appreciate　anything　you　can　do　…　you　know　。。。'　His　voice　trailed　off。
　'I　know　you　two　were　close。　Believe　me；　the　minute　I　have　something；　I'll　be　in　touch。〃　He　looked　up。　Vegas　was　in　the　open　doorway；　grinning　like　a　Cheshire　cat。　He　put　one　finger　in　the　air；　put　his　hand　over　the　speaker；　said；　'Hold　on；　I'll　be　off　in　a　minute。'
　'。。。　the　funeral　arrangements；'　Graumann　was　saying。
　'Do　that；'　Croaker　said；　'I　want　to　be　there。'　He　looked　down　at　the　report。　'About　this　chemical　substance　you　found　…　are　you　certain　…'
　'Like　I　said；　I　did　the　autopsy　myself。　There's　no　doubt　about　the　finding。'
　'Good。　That　narrows　things　down　considerably。'
　'There's　absolutely　no　way　the　substance　could　have　been
　introduced　accidentally。　It　happened　shortly　before　his　death。'　'So　I　see；〃　Croaker　said；　reading　the　typescript。　'A　modified　nerve　toxin；　slowed　down　his　muscular　responses　enough　so　that…'
　'I'd　say　he　was　pretty　near　helpless　by　the　time　…　by　the　time　it　happened。'
　'It　wasn't　injected。'
　'No。　It　would　have　no　effect　that　way。　This　is　an　organic　pound　we're　talking　about；　npt　a　laboratory　synthetic。　It　must　have　been　sprayed　and　from　close　range。　He　might　have　known　his　murderer。'
　'Or　just　not　suspected。　Anyone　…　even　someone　ing　quickly　out　of　a　crowd　…　could　have　sprayed　him。　Listen；　I'll　get　back　to　you。'
　'Yeah。　I　just　hope　it　won't　be　long。'
　Croaker　cradled　the　receiver　thoughtfully。　Still　no　word　from　his　contact。　What　was　taking　so　fucking　long？　'e　on　in；'　he　said　to　Vegas。　He　shifted　the　MintyPick　from　one　side　of　his　mouth　to　another。　'Where　you　been　all　duded　up？'　Vegas　was　wearing　a　plum…coloured　suit　with　wide　lapels　and　modified　flare　trousers。　Underneath；　he　wore　a　pink　shirt　with　a　high　collar。
　'Been　out　pickin'　up　the　shit；'　Vegas　said；　the　wide　smile　still　stitched　to　his　mouth。　'Yeah；　real　bad　shit　this　time；　my　man。　Took　us　three　months　settin'　it　up。'
　Croaker　grunted。　'Business　as　usual。'　His　mind　was　on　the　M。E。's　report。
　'No　way；　man。　No　way　a…tall。'　Vegas　lounged　his　huge　frame　against　the　open　doorway；　disdaining　the　chair　inside　the　office。　'This　time　I　got　me　a　fox　among　all　this　shit　I　just　hauled　in。'
　Croaker　clucked　his　tongue。　'Don't　tell　me　you're　planning　to　mix　business　with　pleasure。'
　Vegas　shook　his　head　and　his　grin　seemed　to　expand。　'Uh…uh；　not　this　fox。　This　fox　is　special。'
　'Yeah？　They're　all　the　fucking　same；　man；　those　cunts　you　e　across。'
　Vegas　was　waiting　for　this。　He　poked　his　forefinger　towards　Croaker　and　said；　delightedly；　'Not　this　one。　This　one's　your　fox；　man。　I　just　been　her　guardian　angel　till　I　got　her　here。'
　Croaker　looked　up；　puzzled。　'What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？'
　Vegas　laughed　good…naturedly。　'What　I　gots　downstairs　in　the　wagon　is　one　piece　of　high…priced　property；　man。　C'mon；　follow　me。'　Croaker　swung　his　jacket　off　the　chair…back；　followed　Vegas　down　the　hall。
　'This　better　be　worth　it；'　he　said　shortly。　'I　ain't　got　time　for　any　of　your　jive。'
　'Oh；　no　jive；　man。　No　jive。'　Vegas　laughed　again；　stabbed　the　elevator　button。　'What　I　got　on　ice　down　in　the　alley　is　goin'　make　your　day。　Trust　me。'　He　gave　a　hearty　laugh　and　slapped　Croaker　on　the　back　as　the　elevator　doors　opened　and　they　rode　down。　They　shared　the　car　with　a　uniform　bringing　a　scruffy…looking　Puerto　Rican　collar　down　for　prints　and　pics　and　nothing　more　was　said　until　they　went　out　through　the　side　entrance。
　They　came　abreast　of　the　police　van　in　the　cool　dimness　of　the　concrete　alley。　In　this　tightly　enclosed　space；　Vegas's　body…size　was　magnified；　he　was　as　big　as　Paul　Bunyan　amid　the　White　Mountains。
　He　put　an　enormous　hand　on　Croaker's　shoulder　and　Croaker　was　automatically　reminded　of　one　of　the　cases　on　which　they　had　been　teamed。　The　Atherton　thing。　Christ；　he　thought；　but　that　was　a　bitch　！　Thought　sure　we　were　gonna　float　away　on　a　sea　of　blood　and　never　see　this　goddamned　world　again。　Jesus　I　He　could　see　it　as　clearly　as　if　it　had　just　happened：　he　down　with　his　shoulder　shattered　by　a　。45　slug　and　Vegas　rising　from　the　shadows　of　the　burned…out　car　like　an　avenging　angel。　Croaker　had　fired　on　his　assailant；　spinning　him　around；　his　second　and　third　shots　a　useless　reflex　aimed　at　the　stars。　But　there　was　this　mountain　of　a　black　man　with　the　tyre　chain　and　the　snub…nosed　pistol　the　bastard　had　modified　so　that　it　could　blast　a　hole　in　a　brick　wall　at　ten　feet；　and　Vegas　took　him　on　with　just　his　bare　hands　and　I　never　saw　anyone　go　down　so　hard　or　so　fast　〃from　one　blow　as　that　motherfucking　hood。　There　were　three　other　corpses　that　night；　Jesus；　what　fucking　mess！　Croaker　felt　the　pressure　of　the　other's　grip。
　'Don't　you　worry　none；'　the　big　man　said　softly。　'We　look　out　for　each　other；　don't　we？　I　don't　give　a　rat's　ass　for　anyone　around　here；　you　know　that？　They're　all　a　bunch