ericlustbader.the ninja-第9章

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　That　certainly　did　not　bother　him。　Since　he　was　an　associate　medical　examiner；　it　was　merely　part　of　Vincent's　life。　An　important　part；　he　had　admitted　to　himself　long　ago。　The　morgue；　in　the　building's　basement；　with　its　steel…jacketed　doors　stacked　one　atop　the　other　marked　by　their　neat；　typewritten　cards；　the　scrubbed　grey　tile　floor；　the　great　scales　upon　which　the　corpses　were　weighed；　was　where　he　lived　most　of　his　days。　There　was　nothing　ghoulish　about　it；　passing　the　brown　and　white　bodies　laid　out　on　the　shining　trolleys；　bloodless；　the　great　T…shaped　incisions　across　the　chest　from　shoulder　to　shoulder　and　down　across　the　abdomen；　the　epidermis　thick　like　leather；　the　faces　as　peaceful　as　if　they　slept　the　sleep　of　the　innocent。　It　had　no　effect　on　him。　The　interest　and；　yes；　the　excitement　of　forensic　medicine　was；　for　him；　the　intricate　puzzle　of　death。　Not　so　much　what　it　was　but　rather　what　had　caused　it。　He　was　a　detective　whose　work　among　the　dead　had；　many　times；　aided　the　living。
　Vincent　stared　out　of　the　window　as　he　slowly　sipped　his　tea。　Darkness　still　spread　itself　before　the　ing　dawn：　4：25。　He　was　always　up　this　early。
　He　stared　out　at　the　city；　the　lighted　empty　streets　of　Manhattan。　Far　away　he　heard　the　grinding　of　a　garbage　truck　making　its　latitudinous　way　along　Tenth　Street。　Then　closer　by；　a　police　car　siren　cut　abruptly　in；　shattering　the　quietude。　But　it　too；　after　a　time；　was　gone；　evaporating　into　the　darkness。　Nothing　remained　in　the　night　but　his　thoughts；　twisting　upon　themselves。
　He　felt　trapped。　My　karma　must　have　been　very　bad　in　my　last　life；　he　told　himself。　Japan　seemed　as　inaccessible　as　if　it　were　in　another　time。　It　no　longer　seemed　possible　for　him　ever　to　find　it　again；　at　least　the　Japan　he　had　left　twelve　years　ago。　For　him　'there　was　no　more　Japan；　it　was　but　a　withered　flower　…　calling　him　still　like　a　siren　of　the　sea。
　Nicholas　awoke　just　before　dawn。　For　just　a　moment；　he　was　quite　convinced　that　he　was　in　his　old　house　on　the　outskirts　of　Tokyo；　the　Zen　garden；　the　oblique　shadows　on　the　wall　by　his　head　made　by　the　stand　of　tall　rustling　bamboo。　He　heard　a　cuckoo's　brief　call；　the　rush　of　the　morning's　traffic　into　the　city；　muffled；　funneled　and　yet　magnified　by　the　distance　and　the　peculiar　acoustics　of　the　topography。
　He　turned　his　head；　still　half　asleep；　saw　a　…female　form　asleep　beside　him。　Yukio。　She　had　e　back　after　all；　he　thought。　He　had　known　she　would。　But　now　to　actually　have　her　here　beside　him　…
　He　sat　up　abruptly；　his　heart　racing。　A　runic　chanting；　as　if　from　far　away　across　the　distance　of　a　sea；　abruptly　metamorphosed　into　the　drifting　crash　of　the　surf；　ing　clear　to　him　through　the　open　window；　the　cry　of　the　gulls。　Still　he　knew　the　meaning　of　that　arcane　chanting。。。
　He　took　several　deep　breaths。　Japan　clung　to　him　now　like　a　fine　gauzy　veil；　enmeshing　him。　What　had　recalled　it　to　him　so　intensely？
　He　looked　around；　saw　the　tip　of　Justine's　nose　and　her　soft　sensual　lips；　partly　opened　as　she　breathed；　the　only　parts　of　her　not　covered　by　the　sheet；　blue　and　white　and　grey；　rippling　like　the　sea。　She　slept　deeply　now　within　its　heavy　bosom。
　What　is　it　about　her；　he　wondered；　that　pulls　me　like　a　current？　Oddly；　he　felt　adrift　upon　the　tides。　Watching　her；　the　soft　rise　and　fall　of　her　warm　body；　he　knew　that　he　was　being　drawn　back　to　Japan；　into　the　past　where　he　dared　not　tread。。。
　An　unutterably　delicious　sensation　woke　him。　He　opened　his　eyes　to　find　her　thighs　close　to　his　face。　He　inhaled　her　musk；　realized　her　lips　were　around　him。　Her　tongue　licked　softly；　lasciviously；　and　he　groaned。　He　reached　out　to　touch　her　but　her　thighs　moved　away。　He　watched；　instead；　the　movement　of　her　mound；　tracing　with　his　eyes　the　highly　arched　configuration；　deeply　bisected　at　its　base；　the　soft　curling　hair　glistening　moistly　down　the　centre；　her　flesh　as　tumescent　as　his；　an　arrow　of　delight。
　The　pleasure　ribboned　out　before　him；　a　highway　endlessly　extended。　Each　time　he　was　on　the　verge　of　ing；　she　used　her　hands　on　him；　lifted　her　mouth　away；　encircling　the　base　until　the　anticipatory　spasms　subsided。　Then　she　would　resume　and　the　crescendo　would　begin　again；　over　and　over　until　his　legs　shook　and　his　heart　pounded　and　he　felt　as　if　he　were　burning　with　a　fever；　pleasure　pooling　and　radiating　at　the　same　time；　leaden　with　the　amount　of　it　running　through　his　pelvis　and　genitals。
　He　became　aware　of　her　breasts　swaying　against　his　belly　and　he　reached　down；　cupping　them；　rubbing　the　nipples　until；　involuntarily；　her　thighs　opened；　rushing　towards　him。
　Every　touch　was　now　so　exquisite　that　he　felt　muscles　jumping　all　over　his　body　at　each　contact。　She　did　something　to　the　head　of　his　penis　and　he　cried　out；　moving。　He　clutched　at　her　breasts　and　she　slid　up　so　that　his　shaft　squeezed　between　them。　He　buried　his　face　in　the　crevasse　between　her　thighs；　opening　his　mouth　as　far　as　he　could　as　he　shot　and　shot　and　shot。
　Vincent　Ito　arrived　at　the　Medical　Examiner's　office　on　First　Avenue　at　Thirtieth　Street　at　four　minutes　to　eight　in　the　morning。　As　he　pushed　through　the　plate…glass　door　at　the　top　of　the　short　flight　of　stairs；　he　nodded　to　the　uniformed　cop　on　duty　and　said　hello　to　snowy…haired　Tommy；　Nate　Graumann's　chauffeur。　As　he　entered　Room　134；　he　knew　he　had　just　enough　time　to　grab　a　cup　of　coffee　before　the　morning　meeting　began。
　He　turned　right　through　the　short　hall　and　into　the　Chief　Medical　Examiner's　large；　crowded　office。
　Nate　Graumann；　New　York　City's　Chief　Medical　Examiner；　was　a　mountain　of　a　man。　His　eyes　were　slitted；　black　and　glossy；　half　hidden　within　semicircular　folds　of　loose　skin；　somewhat　paler　than　the　colour　of　that　around　them。　His　broad　nose　had　been　broken　once；　perhaps　in　some　nighttime　street　fight　in　the　South　Bronx；　where　he　had　been　born　and　raised。
　His　hair　was　salt　and　pepper　but　his　moustache　was　jet　black。　He　looked；　in　short；　like　a　most　formidable　opponent　…　which　he　was；　as　the　mayor　and　several　members　of　the　city's　fiscal　control　board　could　easily　attest。
　'Morning；　Vincent；'　he　called。
　'Morning；　Nate。'　He　hurried　across　the　room　to　the　high　metal　dome　of　the　coffee　machine　standing　like　a　doge's　palace　amid　the　clutter。　Hold　the　sugar；　hold　the　half…and…half；　he　thought　gloomily。　I　need　my　caffeine　straight　this　morning。
　'Stay　a　minute；　Vincent；'　Graumann　said；　as　the　assignment　meeting　broke　up。
　Vincent　sat　in　a　green　chair　across　from　the　littered　desk　and　handed　over　the　cases　he　had　picked　out　when　Graumann　asked　to　see　them。
　They　were　friends；　away　from　their　labours　here；　but　those　times　had　seemed　to　shrink　over　the　years。　Graumann　had　been　deputy　M。E。　when　Vincent　had　first　arrived　here　and；　it　seemed；　there　had　been　more　time　then。　Or　perhaps　it　was　just　that　there　had　been　more　money。　Their　workloads　increased　as　the　fiscal　crunch　fell　like　the　side　of　a　mountain　upon　them。　The　city　had　much　larger　problems　than　worrying　about　the　people　who　were　daily　bludgeoned；　knifed；　strangled；　drowned；　asphyxiated；　shot；　mangled　and　blown　apart　on　the　city's　streets　or　in　the　bodies　of　water　throughout　its　environs。　Eighty　thousand　people　die　each　year　in　New　York　City　and　we　get　thirty　thousand　of　them；　he　thought。
　'What　d'you　have　on　at　the　moment？'　Graumann　said。
　'Uhm。　The　Morway　thing；'　Vincent　said；　his　brow　furrowing　in　thought；　'and　the　Holloway　knifing　…　I'm　due　in　court　on　that　any　moment。　The　Principal　case　is　about　closed　…　just　a　few　odds　and　ends　left　to　tie　up　for　the　D。A。　…　the　blood　analysis　should　be　in　this　afternoon。　And　then；　oh　yeah；　Marshall。'
　'What's　that？'
　'Came　in　late　yesterday　afternoon。　McCabe　said　it　couldn't　wait　so　I　began　working　on　it　right　away。　Drowning　in　the　reservoir。　McCabe　thinks　he　might　have　had　his　head　held　under。　They're　holding　someone　on　suspicion；　that's　why　she　needs　the　goods　right　away。〃
　Graumann　nodded。　'Full　load；　huh？'
　'More　than。'
　'I　want　you　to　go　〃out　to　the　Island　for　a　couple　of　days。'
　'What？　In　the　middle　of　all　this？'
　'If　it　weren't　important　I　wouldn't　be　asking；'　he　said　patiently；　'would　I？'
　'But　what　about　…？'
　'I'll　look　after　your　cases　in　progress　person