mac.thepearlharbormurders-第20部分

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lk　of　Japanese　invasion；　Burroughs　could　not　keep　from　wondering　if　the　latter　was　a　portent。
　Also；　the　creator　of　Tarzan　and　John　Carter　of　Mars　could　not　keep　from　noticing　white　clouds　piling　up　in　the　placid　blue　of　the　sky　into　what　seemed　to　him　the　unmistakable　formation　of　a　monster；　whose　long　tongue　lashed　side　to　side。　Another　omen？　At　times　like　these；　Edgar　Rice　Burroughs　could　have　done　without　his　vivid　imagination。
　As　the　second　half　got　under　way；　Burroughs　finally　looked　over　at　his　friend　and　said；　〃I'm　a　little　surprised　you　haven't　said　anything　about　that　girl's　murder。〃
　Fielder　gave　Burroughs　a　quick　sideways　look；　then　said；　as　if　menting　on　the　rising　price　of　wheat；　〃Well；　it's　certainly　a　terrible　thing。〃　　　　'
　〃How's　your　son　taking　it？〃
　Now　some　humanity　came　into　Fielder's　hawkish　face。　〃Very　hard；　I'm　afraid。　I　don't　even　know　where　he　is；　he　rushed　off　after　we　。。。　He　came　looking　for　me。。。。〃
　Burroughs　frowned。　〃Why　would　he　e　looking　for　you？〃
　Fielder　was　lighting　up　a　cigarette。　〃He　just　needed　to　take　it　out　on　someone。。。。'Are　you　satisfied？'。。。。　That　kind　of　thing。　To　be　expected。〃
　〃Hully　was　the　one　who　broke　it　to　him。　Hell　of　a　thing。〃
　With　a　sigh　of　smoke；　Fielder　said；　〃Poor　Hully
　I　hope　he　can　help　Bill。　I'm　afraid　I　won't　be　able　to　break　through　the　resentment　for　some　time。〃
　Bill　and　Wooch　had　a　somewhat　strained　relationship；　anyway…that　the　boy　had　joined　the　Navy；　rather　than　the　Army；　in　an　effort　to　step　out　from　under　his　father's　shadow；　had　been　a　point　of　contention。　On　the　other　hand；　Burroughs　believed　that　Fielder　was　secretly　proud　of　his　son；　for　taking　that　stand。
　〃Did　you　and　Bill　ever　argue　about　the　planned　marriage？〃
　〃Actually；　yes…last　night；　after　the　luau；　he　came　to　see　me　。。。　to　state　his　case。　I'm　afraid　I　was　rather　rough　on　the　boy。　Nothing　I　can　do　about　it　now。〃
　Burroughs　studied　his　friend。　〃Pearl　Harada　came　to　see　me；　not　long　before　she　was　killed…to　ask　if　I'd　arrange　a　meeting　between　the　two　of　you。〃
　Fielder　gave　Burroughs　a　sharp　look。　〃Really？　Whatever　for？〃
　〃Same　thing；　I　suppose…make　a　case　for　the　marriage。　You　didn't　talk　to　her？〃
　〃I　never　met　the　young　woman。　I'm　sorry　she's　dead。〃　The　colonel　shrugged。　〃That's　the　end　of　it。〃
　〃Jesus；　Wooch…that's　a　little　cold；　isn't　it？〃
　He　exhaled　smoke。　〃All　I　care　about　is　the　best　for　my　boy…and　marrying　that　girl　would've　been　a　tragedy。〃
　〃Her　death's　the　tragedy；　Wooch。〃
　Fielder　said　nothing；　he　was　watching　the　game。
　Burroughs　applauded　as　the　Rainbows　made　another　first　down。　〃That　fellow　Morimura；　that　so…called　diplomat；　he　was　seen　bawling　out　the　Harada　girl；　a　few　hours　before　she　was　killed。〃
　Another　sharp；　interested　look。　〃Is　that　right？　I　wonder　。。。〃
　〃What；　Wooch？〃
　〃Well；　possibly　that　little　Jap　was　one　of　her　lovers。　She　was　something　of　a　tart；　I　understood。〃
　Burroughs　blinked。　〃I　wouldn't　refer　to　her　that　way；　to　your　son；　if　I　were　you。〃
　Fielder　turned　toward　the　writer　and　some　of　the　hardness　seemed　to　melt。　〃Ed。。。　I　don't　mean　to　be　a　bastard。　I'm　not　unfeeling。　But　the　very　fact　that　this　girl　attracted　a　murderer。。。　that　some　suitor　of　hers　felt　pelled　to　kill　her；　in　some　crime　of　passion　。。。　that　makes　my　case；　doesn't　it？　That　Bill　is　better　off　without　her。〃
　Suddenly　six…two　Adam　Sterling　was　pushing　in　next　to　Burroughs；　finally　taking　his　seat。　〃Sony　I'm　a　little　late。〃
　〃A　little　late？〃　Burroughs　said。　〃It's　the　third　quarter　and　your　guys　are　behind　fourteen　and　haven't　made　a　dent　on　the　Scoreboard。〃
　Sterling　shrugged。　〃I'm　afraid　it　is　a　lost　cause　for　the　Bearcats。〃
　The　FBI　agent　was　in　a　white　linen　suit　with　a　dark　blue　tie；　he　looked　as　if　he'd　just　e　from　the　office…　which　Burroughs　figured　was　probably　the　case。
　The　score　climbed　to　twenty　to　nothing；　and　Sterling　didn't　even　appear　to　care；　he；　too；　seemed　distracted；　terribly　so。　The　game　he'd　been　looking　forward　to；　so　eagerly；　suddenly　seemed　to　mean　nothing。
　Finally　Sterling　leaned　across　Burroughs　and　whispered　to　Fielder；　〃What　are　your　plans；　after　the　game？〃
　〃My　wife　and　I　are　going　to　a　party　tonight；　at　Scho…field　Barracks…with　General　Short　and　his　wife。〃
　〃Something's　e　up　I　need　to　fill　you　in　on；　Colonel…really　need　to　see　what　you　make　of　it。〃
　Sterling　clearly　meant　business；　his　handsome；　bronzed　features　fist…tight；　his　voice　knife…edged。　And　Fielder；　after　all；　was　chief　of　Army　intelligence　on　Oahu
　Fielder；　eyes　narrowed；　obviously　reading　this；　said；　〃I　don't　think　your　team's　going　to　e　back…shall　we　go　somewhere　and　talk？〃
　〃You　going　to　leave　me　here？〃　Burroughs　asked。　'To　endure　this　one…sided　contest　alone？〃
　Sterling　looked　at　Burroughs；　then　at　Fielder。　〃I　think　Ed　can　hear　this。〃
　Fielder　shrugged。　〃It's　your　call。〃
　Within　twenty　minutes；　the　trio　was　seated　in　a　thatched…roof　pergola　on　the　stretch　of　beach　that　belonged　to　the　Waikiki　Tavern；　which　despite　its　saloon…style　name　was　perhaps　Honolulu's　most　cosmopolitan　restaurant。　The　beachfront　arbor　was　theirs　alone；　giving　the　three　men　both　privacy　and　a　breathtaking　view　of　Diamond　Head；　that　distinctive　extinct　crater　whose　green　slopes　danced　with　sunlight　and　shadows。
　Fielder　and　Sterling　had　ordered　mm　punches　and　Burroughs　was　drinking　iced　tea。　The　FBI　agent　had　explained　to　Fielder　that　Burroughs　was　doing　a　little　informal　surveillance　work　at　the　Niumalu　and　that　Burroughs　（revealing　a　fact　of　which　the　writer　was　previously　unaware）　had　been　given　a　security　clearance　by　J。　Edgar　Hoover　himself；　for　that　very　purpose。
　Sterling　got　a　notebook　out　of　the　inside　pocket　of　his　white　linen　jacket；　saying；　〃I　went　in　to　the　office　this　morning　because　of　several　disturbing　events。　One　was　the　murder　of　Pearl　Harada。〃
　Fielder　frowned　skeptically。　〃How　would　a　girl　singer's　murder　have　an　impact　on　intelligence？〃
　〃I　can't　imagine；〃　Sterling　admitted。　〃But　the　supposed　eyewitness　to　her　murder；　Otto　Kuhn；　is　believed　to　be　a　'sleeper'　agent　for　Japan。　Kuhn　lives　at　the　Niumalu；　you　know…he's　the　character　Ed　is　helping　keep　an　eye　on。〃
　Fielder　nodded；　lighting　up　a　cigarette。　〃You　said　'several'　disturbing　events…what　else？〃
　The　colonel　did　not　seem　keen　to　discuss　the　Pearl　Harada　killing。
　The　FBI　agent　leaned　forward。　〃We've　learned　that　the　Japanese　Consulate　has　spent　much　of　the　week　disposing　of…burning…its　papers。　Considering　the　present　situation；　that　would　seem　goddamn　significant…a　definite　indication　that　the　end　of　peaceful　relations　between　our　two　nations　is　close　at　hand。〃
　〃Everyone　knows　we're　heading　for　war　with　Japan；〃　Fielder　said；　sighing　smoke；　not　seeming　terribly　impressed。　〃It　doesn't　surprise　me　that　they're　cleaning　house！　What　else？〃
　〃Well；　as　you　know；〃　Steriing　said；　shifting　in　his　wicker　chair；　〃we　record　every　radiophone　call　made　between　here　and　Tokyo。〃
　〃That's　been　a　matter　of　routine　for　months；〃　Fielder　said；　apparently　for　Burroughs's　benefit。
　〃When　I　came　in　to　the　office　this　morning；　with　these　other　matters　on　my　mind；　I　was　presented　with　a　transcript　translation　of　a　radiophone　conversation。　Seems　yesterday　afternoon；　a　reporter　at　a　Tokyo　newspaper　placed　a　call　to　Honolulu。〃　Sterling　referred　to　the　tittle　notebook。　〃His　name　is　Ogawa；　and　his　paper　is　the　Yomiuri　Shinbun。〃　Fielder　sipped　his　rum　punch。　〃The　call　was　to　Mrs。　Ishiko　Mori；〃　Sterling　elaborated；　〃a　Japanese　citizen　living　here；　married　to　a　prominent　nisei　dentist。〃
　〃Why　is　a　Tokyo　paper　interviewing　a　dentist's　wife？〃　Fielder　asked。
　〃Mrs。　Mori　is　a　journalist…a　stringer　for　the　paper。　She'd　been　asked　to　round　up　prominent　members　of　the　Japanese…American　munity　for　interviews…　some　kind　of　feature　on　everyday　life　in　Honolulu。　But　Mrs。　Mori　reported　to　Ogawa　that　no　one　wanted　to　participate；　possibly　with　the　current　state　of　relations　between　Japan　and　America；　the　idea　made　them。。。　nervous。　So　Mrs。　Mori　answered　the　questions　herself。〃
　〃What　sort　of　questions？〃
　〃Whether　airplanes　were　flying　daily；　and　were　they　'big'　planes　。。。　the　latter　could　be　significant；　because　that　would　indicate　long…range　recon　missions。　Most　of　the　questions　Ogawa　asked　had　to　d