mac.thepearlharbormurders-第14部分

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ont　of　him；　like　a　waiter　about　to　show　a　patron　to　a　really　nice　table。　〃I　would　be　most　happy　to　give　you　a　formal　statement；　tomorrow；　at　your　headquarters。〃
　Jardine　said　nothing　for　a　few　seconds；　then　he　sighed；　and　said；　〃Why　don't　you　show　me　the　window　you　saw　all　this　through？〃
　Kuhn　nodded；　curtly。　〃My　pleasure。〃
　Pleasure？　That　seemed　an　odd　thing　to　say。。。。
　Hully　found　this　German's　story　unsettling；　and　unconvincing；　despite　the　way　it　hewed　to　the　particulars　of　Pearl　Harada's　death。
　As　he　acpanied　Kuhn　out；　Jardine　turned　to　O。　B。　and　said；　〃We'll　talk　tomorrow；　Mr。　Burroughs。　Thanks　for　your　help…shouldn't　have　to　bother　you　again；　tonight。〃
　〃Good　night；　John；〃　O。　B。　said；　seeing　them　to　the　door。
　〃Nice　meeting　you；〃　Jardine　said　to　Hully；　and　then　they　were　out　of　the　door。
　A　few　minutes　later；　Hully　was　folding　the　couch　out　into　its　bed；　and　his　father…in　a　fresh　pair　of　pa…jama　bottoms…came　out　from　his　bedroom　and　stood　there；　bare…chested；　with　his　hands　on　hips；　Tarzan…style。
　〃I　thought　that　trombone　player　was　a　killer；〃　O。　B。　said；　〃until　ol'　Otto　started　agreeing　with　me。〃
　Hully；　unbuttoning　his　shirt；　said；　〃Why　did　Kuhn
　wait　so　long　to　e　forward？　Why　didn't　he　e　out　and　help　you　nab　that　guy；　if　he　witnessed　everything？〃
　O。　B。　blew　a　raspberry。　〃That　Kraut　didn't　see　a　damn　thing。〃
　〃Funny。。。　that's　my　instinct；　too。　But　why　would　he　claim　to　have？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　son。。。　I　sure　as　hell　don't　know。〃　He　heaved　a　sigh；　and　hit　the　light　switch。　〃Get　some　sleep；　and　we'll　talk　about　it　in　the　morning。〃
　Hully　lay　on　his　back；　staring　up　into　the　darkness；　the　breeze　blowing　through　the　window；　its　flowery　scent　suddenly　seeming　too　sweet；　sickly　sweet。　He　thought　about　the　musician；　and　how　sincere　the　man　had　seemed；　he　thought　about　Kuhn；　and　how　phony　that　bastard　had　been。
　Then　he　thought　about　Pearl　Harada；　and　thought　about　his　friend　Bill　Fielder；　probably　sleeping　off　a　drunk　somewhere；　blissfully　unaware　of　the　tragedy。
　His　pillow　was　damp；　so　he　turned　it　over　and；　finally；　went　to　sleep…hoping　his　father　wouldn't　awaken　him　with　another　damn　nightmare。
　
　
　TWO：
　December　6；　1941
　
　SIX
　Neighborly　Visits
　
　Strong　morning　trade　winds　blew　across　Oahu；　fronds　of　palms　and　plants　ruffling；　cane　fields　undulating；　surf　swelling；　the　clear　sky　disrupted　only　by　smokelike　puffs　of　clouds　over　the　Koolau　mountain　range。　Between　that　range　at　the　east　and　the　Waianae　range　at　the　west　lay　both　the　capital　city　of　Honolulu　and　the　Naval　base　of　Pearl　Harbor。
　The　base…though　well　located　for　a　strategic　deployment　of　the　United　States　Navy…was　a　logistical　nightmare；　with　the　nearest　resupply　three　thousand　miles　away　on　the　American　West　Coast。　Also；　the　one…channel　entrance　of　the　landlocked　harbor　could　bottle　up　easily　with　the　sinking　of　a　single　ship；　and；　even　under　ideal　circumstances；　getting　the　fleet　out　of　that　channel　and　onto　the　open　sea　required　three　hours。　When　the　fleet　was　in…as　it　was　on　this　first　weekend　of　December…the　port　was　clogged　with　ships；　supply　dumps；　repair　installations　and　highly　flammable　fuel。
　Pearl　Harbor　might　well　have　been　designed　for　air　attack。　But　a　battle　fleet　in　Hawaii　was　deemed　necessary　to　deter　Japan；　and　no　alternative　location　could　be　found　offering　advantages　and　facilities　to　match　Pearl's。　Interceptor　aircraft；　AA　guns　and　radar　equipment　would　simply　have　to　shore　up　the　harbor's　weaknesses。　So　said　Washington　and　its　top　military　minds。
　Of　course；　Honolulu　had　already　been　invaded　by　air…on　the　previous　weekend；　when　a　silver　plane　circled　the　city　before　landing　in　Kapiolani　Park；　where　three　thousand　civilians　watched　and　screamed。。。　in　delight：　Santa　Claus　had　arrived。　Sponsored　by　the　Honolulu　Advertiser；　piloted　by　the　86th　Observation　Squadron；　Saint　Nick's　invasion　was　part　of　an　attempt　by　the　city　fathers　to　provide　a　more　traditional…and　mercial…Christmas　than　the　underwhelming　Yule…tide　season　that　was　the　Hawaiian　norm。
　With　the　defense　boom；　the　city　was　swarming　with　homesick　American　boys…defense　workers　as　well　as　servicemen…stuck　in　these　tropical　surroundings；　pining　for　their　favorite　winter　holiday。　Sears　and　Roebuck　responded　by　hanging　brightly　wrapped　presents　from　the　palm　trees　surrounding　their　parking　lot；　and　festive　colored　lights　had　been　strung　across　major　streets；　even　the　street…corner　Santas…most　of　whom　were　Japanese…were　putting　some　extra　swing　into　theft　bell…ringing。
　Still；　it　seemed　rather　halfhearted　to　Edgar　Rice　Burroughs；　who　was　used　to　sunny　Christmases；　having　lived　in　California　for　some　time　now；　though　his　many　years　in　the　Midwest　meant　he　knew　damn　well　what　a　real　white　Christmas　was　all　about。　The　cellophane　window　wreaths　and　tinsel…draped　palms　of　Honolulu　didn't　really　cut　the　mustard。
　After　last　night's　luau；　a　light　breakfast　seemed　called　for；　and　around　nine　a。m。；　Burroughs　and　Hully…in　their　tennis　whites；　rackets　at　hand…sat　on　wicker　chairs　at　a　small　round　wicker　table　on　the　lodge's　back　patio　and　ate　fresh　cut　pineapple　and　buttered　toast；　and　sipped　coffee。
　This　was　an　exceptionally　beautiful　day；　even　for　Hawaii；　Burroughs　noted…clear　sky；　sharp　light；　fresh　air。　Hard　to　believe；　just　hours　before；　a　young　woman　had　been　murdered　in　such　idyllic　surroundings。　The　prospect　of　playing　tennis；　within　a　few　yards　of　where　her　corpse　had　been　flung；　a　blossom　ripped　roughly　from　a　tree；　seemed　somehow　improper。。。　even　sacrilegious。
　〃I　don't　feel　much　like　tennis　this　morning；〃　Hully　said；　returning　his　china　cup　to　its　dish　with　a　slight　clatter。
　〃I　was　just　thinking　the　same　thing。〃
　His　son's　brow　furrowed。　〃Your　friend。。。　Detective　Jardine。。。〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃You　respect　him？　He's　a　good　cop？〃
　Burroughs　sipped　his　coffee；　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃Probably　the　best　investigator　on　this　island…that's　why　I　called　him；　sought　him　out　specifically。。。。That　and　his　honesty。〃
　〃So　。。。　the　case　is　in　good　hands。〃
　Burroughs　said　nothing。
　〃Dad？〃
　A　few　of　the　tables　nearby　were　taken　up　by　other　Niumalu　guests。　From　the　expressions　on　various　faces；　it　was　clear　that　news　of　the　murder　had　gotten　around…and　judging　by　the　occasional　glances　he　and　Hully　were　getting；　their　participation　in　the　discovery　of　the　body　was　mon　knowledge　。。。　or　anyway；　mon　gossip。
　〃Let's　take　a　walk；　Hully…let's　return　to　the　scene　of　the　crime。〃
　Within　a　few　minutes；　after　depositing　their　tennis　rackets　at　their　bungalow；　along　with　their　abandoned　thoughts　of　a　morning　round　or　two；　father　and　son　were　sitting　on　the　sand…the　beach　again　a　beach；　a　crime　scene　no　more；　though　one　ominous　blackened　area；　like　a　scab　on　the　sand；　was　marked　by　the　victim's　dried　blood。　The　steady　rash　of　the　surf；　the　understated　thunder　of　it；　might　have　been　soothing…　under　other　circumstances。
　Hully　sat　like　an　Indian；　while　Burroughs　had　his　bronzed；　muscular　legs　sticking　straight　out；　his　palms　on　the　sand；　bracing　him。
　〃Normally　I　would　be　content　to　leave　this　to　John　Jardine；〃　Burroughs　said；　voice　barely　audible　above　the　surf。　〃But　John's　only　flaw；　if　it　is　one；　has　to　do　with　his　working　out　of　the　prosecutor's　office。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　Burroughs　twitched　a　half　smile。　〃Jardine's　specialty　isn't　so　much　solving　a　crime　as　providing　an　airtight　case　for　his　boss　to　take　into　court。　He'll　dig　in　and　do
　the　legwork；　all　the　tedious　stuff　real　detectives　do。。。　but　he'll　do　it　all　operating　from　the　assumption　that　that　musician　did　the　murder。〃
　Hully　shrugged。　〃It　does　look　open…and…shut。　Ka…mana　had　motive；　opportunity。。。〃
　〃Blood　on　his　hands。〃　Burroughs　tossed　a　pebble　at　the　tide；　raised　a　single　eyebrow。　〃That's　the　problem：　I'm　afraid　Jardine　won't　do　anything　except　dig　into　Harry　Kamana…and　until　or　unless　he　finds　out　that　Kamana　didn't　do　the　murder；　nobody　else　will　get　looked　at　as　a　suspect。〃
　Both　Hully's　eyebrows　had　climbed　his　forehead。　〃Is　that　what　you　think？　That　Kamana　is　innocent？〃
　〃What's　your　opinion？〃
　Hully　sighed；　and　stared　out　at　the　vast　blue　of　the　sky　meeting　the　ocean。　He　was　a　handsome　young　man…Burroughs　could　see　so　much　of　his　own　late　mother　in　t