mc.risingsun-第30部分

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　〃Sure；〃　Connor　said。
　〃I　mean；〃　Graham　said；　〃I'd　rather　go　alone。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Connor　said。　〃It's　your　case；　Tom。　Do　whatever　you　think　best。〃
　Connor　wrote　down　Eddie　Sakamura's　address　for　him。
　〃It's　not　that　I　don't　appreciate　your　help；〃　Graham　said。　〃But　I'd　rather　handle　it　myself。　Now；　just　so　I　have　my　facts　straight：　you　guys　talked　to　this　guy　earlier　tonight；　and　you　didn't　bring　him　in？〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　〃Well；　don't　worry　about　it；〃　Graham　said。　〃I'll　bury　that　in　the　report。　It　won't　e　back　to　you；　I　promise　you。〃　Graham　was　in　a　magnanimous　mood；　pleased　at　the　prospect　of　arresting　Sakamura。　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃Fucking　A。　Less　than　six　hours　since　the　original　call；　and　we　already　have　the　murderer。　Not　bad。〃
　〃We　don't　have　the　murderer　quite　yet；〃　Connor　said。　〃I'd　bring　him　in　right　away；　if　I　were　you。〃
　〃I'm　leaving　now；〃　Graham　said。
　〃Oh；　and　Tom；〃　Connor　said；　as　Graham　headed　toward　the　door。　〃Eddie　Sakamura　is　a　strange　guy；　but　he's　not　known　to　be　violent。　I　doubt　very　much　that　he's　armed。　He　probably　doesn't　even　own　a　gun。　He　went　home　from　the　party　with　a　redhead。　He's　probably　in　bed　with　her　now。　I　think　it　would　be　advisable　to　bring　him　in　alive。〃
　〃Hey；〃　Graham　said。　〃What　is　it　with　you　two？〃
　〃Just　a　suggestion；〃　Connor　said。
　〃You　really　think　I'm　going　to　shoot　this　little　shithead？〃
　〃You'll　go　out　there　with　a　couple　of　black　and　whites　for　backup；　won't　you？〃　Connor　said。　〃The　patrolmen　might　be　excitable。　I'm　just　giving　you　the　background。〃
　〃Hey。　Thanks　for　your　fucking　support；〃　Graham　said；　and　he　left。　He　was　so　broad；　he　had　to　turn　slightly　sideways　to　go　through　the　door。
　I　watched　him　go。　〃Why　are　you　letting　him　do　this　alone？〃
　Connor　shrugged。　〃It's　his　case。〃
　〃But　you've　been　aggressive　all　night　in　pursuing　his　case。　Why　stop　now？〃
　Connor　said。　〃Let　Graham　have　the　glory。　After　all；　what　has　it　got　to　do　with　us？　I'm　a　cop　on　extended　leave。　And　you're　just　a　corrupt　liaison　officer。〃　He　pointed　to　the　videotape。　〃You　want　to　run　that　for　me；　before　you　give　me　a　ride　home？〃
　〃Sure。〃　I　rewound　the　tape。
　〃I　was　thinking　we　could　get　a　cup　of　coffee；　too；〃　Connor　said。　〃They　make　a　good　one　in　the　SID　labs。　At　least；　they　used　to。〃
　I　said；　〃You　want　me　to　get　coffee　while　you　look　at　the　tape？〃
　〃That　would　be　nice；　kōhai；〃　Connor　said。
　〃Sure。〃　I　started　the　tape　for　him；　and　turned　to　leave。
　〃Oh；　and　kōhai。　While　you're　down　there；　ask　the　night　duty　officer　what　facilities　the　department　has　for　videotapes。　Because　all　these　need　to　be　duplicated。　And　we　may　need　hard　copies　of　individual　frames。　Especially　if　there's　trouble　about　Sakamura's　arrest　as　Japan…bashing　by　the　department。　We　may　need　to　release　a　picture。　To　defend　ourselves。〃
　It　was　a　good　point。　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　check。〃
　〃And　I　take　mine　black　with　one　sugar。〃　He　turned　to　look　at　the　monitor。
　
　The　scientific　investigation　division；　or　SID；　was　in　the　basement　of　Parker　Center。　It　was　after　two　in　the　morning　when　I　got　there；　and　most　of　the　sections　were　closed　down。　SID　was　pretty　much　a　nine…to…five　operation。　Of　course；　the　teams　worked　at　night　collecting　evidence　from　crime　scenes；　but　the　evidence　was　then　stored　in　lockers；　either　downtown　or　at　one　of　the　divisions；　until　the　next　morning。
　I　went　to　the　coffee　machine；　in　the　little　cafeteria　next　to　Latent　Prints。　All　around　the　room　were　signs　reading　DID　YOU　WASH　YOUR　HANDS？　THIS　MEANS　YOU　and　DON'T　EXPOSE　FELLOW　OFFICERS　TO　RISK。　WASH　YOUR　HANDS。　The　reason　was　that　the　SID　teams　used　poisons；　especially　Criminalistics。　There　was　so　much　mercury；　arsenic；　and　chromium　floating　around　that　in　the　old　days；　officers　had　sometimes　gotten　sick　by　drinking　from　a　Styrofoam　cup　that　another　lab　worker　had　merely　touched。
　But　these　days　people　were　more　careful；　I　got　two　cups　of　coffee　and　went　back　to　the　night…duty　desk。　Jackie　Levine　was　on　duty；　with　her　feet　up　on　the　desk。　She　was　a　heavyset　woman　wearing　toreador　pants　and　an　orange　wig。　Despite　her　bizarre　appearance；　she　was　widely　acknowledged　to　be　the　best　print　lifter　in　the　department。　She　was　reading　Modern　Bride　magazine。　I　said；　〃You　going　to　do　it　again；　Jackie？〃
　〃Hell；　no；〃　she　said。　〃My　daughter。〃
　〃Who's　she　marrying？〃
　〃Let's　talk　about　something　happy；〃　she　said。　〃One　of　those　coffees　for　me？〃
　〃Sorry；〃　I　said。　〃But　I　have　a　question　for　you。　Who　handles　videotape　evidence　here？〃
　〃Videotape　evidence？〃
　〃Like　tape　from　surveillance　cameras。　Who　analyzes　it；　makes　hard　copies；　all　that？〃
　〃Well；　we　don't　get　much　call　for　that；〃　Jackie　said。　〃Electronics　used　to　do　it　here；　but　I　think　they　gave　it　up。　Nowadays；　video　either　goes　to　Valley　or　Medlar　Hall。〃　She　sat　forward；　thumbed　through　a　directory。　〃If　you　want；　you　can　talk　to　Bill　Harrelson　over　at　Medlar。　But　if　it's　anything　special；　I　think　we　farm　it　out　to　JPL　or　the　Advanced　Imaging　Lab　at　U。S。C。　You　want　the　contact　numbers；　or　you　want　to　go　through　Harrelson？〃
　Something　in　her　tone　told　me　what　to　do。　〃Maybe　I'll　take　the　contact　numbers。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　would。〃
　I　wrote　the　numbers　down　and　went　back　up　to　the　division。　Connor　had　finished　the　tape　and　was　running　it　back　and　forth　at　the　point　where　Sakamura's　face　appeared　in　the　mirror。
　〃Well？〃　I　said。
　〃That's　Eddie；　all　right。〃　He　appeared　calm；　almost　indifferent。　He　took　the　coffee　from　me　and　sipped　it。　〃Terrible。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　know。〃
　〃It　used　to　be　better。〃　Connor　set　the　cup　aside；　turned　off　the　video　recorder；　stood；　and　stretched。　〃Well；　I　think　we've　done　a　good　evening's　work。　What　do　you　say　we　get　some　sleep？　I　have　a　big　golf　game　in　the　morning　at　Sunset　Hills。〃
　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　I　packed　the　tapes　back　in　the　cardboard　box；　and　set　the　VCR　carefully　in　the　box；　too。
　Connor　said；　〃What're　you　going　to　do　with　those　tapes？〃
　〃I'll　put　'em　in　the　evidence　locker。〃
　Connor　said；　〃These　are　the　originals。　And　we　don't　have　duplicates。〃
　〃I　know；　but　I　can't　get　dupes　made　until　tomorrow。〃
　〃Exactly　my　point。　Why　don't　you　keep　them　with　you？〃
　〃Take　them　home？〃　There　were　all　sorts　of　departmental　injunctions　about　taking　evidence　home。　It　was　against　the　rules；　to　put　it　mildly。
　He　shrugged。　〃I　wouldn't　leave　this　to　chance。　Take　the　tapes　with　you；　and　then　you　can　arrange　the　duplication　yourself；　tomorrow。〃
　I　stuck　them　under　my　arm。　I　said；　〃You　don't　think　anybody　at　the　department　would…　〃
　〃Of　course　not；〃　Connor　said。　〃But　this　evidence　is　crucial　and　we　wouldn't　want　anybody　to　walk　by　the　evidence　locker　with　a　big　magnet　while　we　were　asleep；　would　we？〃
　So　in　the　end　I　took　the　tapes。　As　we　went　out　the　door；　we　passed　Ishiguro；　still　sitting　there；　contrite。　Connor　said　something　quickly　to　him　in　Japanese。　Ishiguro　jumped　to　his　feet；　bowed　quickly；　and　scurried　out　of　the　office。
　〃Is　he　really　so　scared？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Connor　said。
　Ishiguro　moved　quickly　down　the　hall　ahead　of　us；　head　bent　low。　He　seemed　almost　a　caricature　of　a　mousy；　frightened　man。
　〃Why？〃　I　said。　〃He's　lived　here　long　enough　to　know　that　any　case　we　might　have　against　him　for　withholding　evidence　is　not　strong。　And　we　have　even　less　of　a　case　against　Nakamoto。〃
　〃That's　not　the　point；〃　Connor　said。　〃He's　not　worried　about　legalities。　He's　worried　about　scandal。　Because　that's　what　would　happen　if　we　were　in　Japan。〃
　We　came　around　the　corner。　Ishiguro　was　standing　by　the　banks　of　elevators；　waiting。　We　waited；　too。　There　was　an　awkward　moment。　The　first　elevator　came；　and　Ishiguro　stepped　away　for　us　to　get　on。　The　doors　closed　on　him　bowing　to　us　in　the　lobby。　The　elevator　started　down。
　Connor　said；　〃In　Japan；　he　and　his　pany　could　be　finished　forever。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Because　in　Japan；　scandal　is　the　most　mon　way　of　revising　the　pecking　order。　Of　getting　rid　of　a　powerful　opponent。　It's　a　routine　procedure　over　there。　You　uncover　a　vulnerability；　and　you　leak　it　to　the　press；　or　to　government　investigators。　A　scandal　inevitably　follows；　and　the　person　or　organization　is　ruined。　That's　how　the　Recruit　scandal　brought　down　Takeshita　as　prime　minister。　Or　the　financial　scandals　brought　down　Prime　Minister　Tanaka　in　the