按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Chief…〃
〃This is how I see it； Peter。 You got a homicide here； wrap it up and get it over with。 Do it quick and do it neat。 I'm looking to you and you alone。 You hearing me？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃The connection is good？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 I said。
〃Wrap it up； Pete；〃 the chief said。 〃I don't want anybody else calling me on this。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Finish it by tomorrow latest。 That's it。〃 And he hung up。
I put the phone back in the cradle。
〃Yes；〃 Connor said。 〃I'd say pressure is being applied。〃
？
I drove south on the 405 freeway； toward the airport。 It was foggier here。 Connor stared out the window。
〃In a Japanese organization； you'd never get a call like that。 The chief just hung you out to dry。 He takes no responsibility … it's all your problem。 And he's blaming you for things that have nothing to do with you； like Graham； and me。〃 Connor shook his head。 〃The Japanese don't do that。 The Japanese have a saying： fix the problem； not the blame。 In American organizations it's all about who fucked up。 Whose head will roll。 In Japanese organizations it's about what's fucked up； and how to fix it。 Nobody gets blamed。 Their way is better。〃
Connor was silent； staring out the window。 We were driving past Slauson； the Marina freeway a dark curve arcing above us in the fog。
I said； 〃The chief was in the bag； that's all。〃
〃Yes。 And uninformed； as usual。 But even so； it sounds like we'd better have this case solved before he gets out of bed tomorrow。〃
〃Can we do that？〃
〃Yes。 If Ishiguro delivers those tapes。〃
The phone rang again。 I answered it。
It was Ishiguro。
I handed the phone to Connor。
I could hear Ishiguro faintly through the receiver。 He sounded tense； speaking rapidly。 〃A； moshi moshi； Connor…san desuka？ Keibi no heyani denwa shitan desuga ne。 Daremo denain desuyo。〃
Connor cupped his hand over the phone and translated。 〃He called the security guard but no one was there。〃
〃Sorede； chuōkeibishitsu ni renraku shite； hito wo okutte moraimashite； issho ni tēpu o kakunin shite kimashita。〃
〃Then he called the main security office and asked them to e down with him to check the tapes。〃
〃Tēpu wa subete rekōdā no naka ni arimasu。 Nakunattemo torikaeraretemo imasen。 Subete daijōbu desu。〃
〃The tapes are all in the recorders。 No tapes are missing or switched。〃 Connor frowned and replied。 〃Iya； tēpu wa surikaerarete iru hazu nanda。 Tēpu o sagase！〃
〃Dakara； daijōbu nandesu； Connor…san。 Dōshiro to iun desuka？〃
〃He insists everything is in order。〃
Connor said； 〃Tēpu o sagase！〃 To me； he said； 〃I told him I wanted the damn tapes。〃
〃Daijōbuda to itterudeshou。 Dōshite sonnaini tēpu ni kodawarun desuka？〃
〃Ore niwa wakatte irunda。 Tēpu wa nakunatte iru。 I know more than you think； Mr。 Ishiguro。 Mōichido iu； tēpu o sagasunda！〃
Connor banged the phone in the cradle； and sat back； snorting angrily。 〃Bastards。 They're taking the position that there are no missing tapes。〃
〃What does that mean？〃 I said。
〃They've decided to play hardball。〃 Connor stared out the window at the traffic； and tapped his teeth with his finger。 〃They'd never do it unless they felt they had a strong position。 An unassailable position。 Which means 。 。 。〃
Connor drifted off into his private thoughts。 I saw his face intermittently reflected in the glass under passing street lamps。 Finally he said； 〃No； no； no；〃 as if he were talking to someone。
〃No； what？〃
〃It can't be Graham。〃 He shook his head。 〃Graham is too risky … too many ghosts from the past。 And it's not me； either。 I'm old news。 So it must be you； Peter。〃
I said； 〃What are you talking about？〃
〃Something has happened；〃 Connor said； 〃to make Ishiguro think he has leverage。 And I'd guess it's something to do with you。〃
〃Me？〃
〃Yeah。 It's almost certainly something personal。 You have any problems in your past？〃
〃Like what？〃
〃Any priors； arrests； internal affairs investigations； allegations of questionable conduct like drinking or homosexuality or chasing women？ Any drug rehab program； problems with partners； problems with superiors。 Anything personal or professional。 Anything。〃
I shrugged。 〃Jeez； I don't think so。〃
Connor just waited； looking at me。 Finally he said； 〃They think they have something； Peter。〃
〃I'm divorced。 I'm a single parent。 I have a daughter； Michelle。 She's two years old。〃
〃Yes 。 。 。〃
〃I lead a quiet life。 I take care of my kid。 I'm responsible。〃
〃And your wife？〃
〃My ex…wife is a lawyer in the D。A。's office。〃
〃When did you get divorced？〃
〃Two years ago。〃
〃Before the child was born？〃
〃Just after。〃
〃Why did you get divorced？〃
〃Christ。 Why does anybody get divorced。〃
Connor said nothing。
〃We were only married a year。 She was young when we met。 Twenty…four。 She had these fantasies about things。 We met in court。 She thought I was a rough； tough detective facing danger every day。 She liked that I had a gun。 All that。 So we had this affair。 Then when she got pregnant she didn't want to have an abortion。 She wanted to get married instead。 It was some romantic idea she had。 She didn't really think it through。 But the pregnancy was hard； and it was too late to abort； and pretty soon she decided she didn't like living with me because my apartment was small； and I didn't make enough money； and I lived in Culver City instead of Brentwood。 And by the time the baby was finally born； it was like she was pletely disillusioned。 She said she had made a mistake。 She wanted to pursue her career。 She didn't want to be married to a cop。 She didn't want to raise a kid。 She said she was sorry； but it was all a mistake。 And she left。〃
Connor was listening with his eyes closed。 〃Yes 。 。 。〃
〃I don't see why all this matters。 She left two years ago。 And after that； I couldn't … I didn't want to work detective hours any more； because now I had to raise the kid； so I took the tests and transferred to Special Services； and I worked the press office。 No problems there。 Everything went fine。 Then last year this Asian liaison job came up； and it paid better。 Another couple hundred a month。 So I applied for that。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃I mean； I can really use the money。 I have extra expenses now； like Michelle's day care。 You know what day care costs for two…year…olds？ And I have full…time housekeeping； and Lauren doesn't make her child…support payments more than half the time。 She says she can't manage on her salary； but she just bought a new BMW； so I don't know。 I mean； what am I going to do； take her to court？ She works for the fucking D。A。〃
Connor was silent。 Up ahead； I saw the airplanes ing down over the freeway。 We were approaching the airport。
〃Anyway；〃 I said。 〃I was glad when the liaison job came along。 Because it works out better for the hours； and for the money。 And that's how I got to be here。 In this car with you。 That's it。〃
〃Kōhai；〃 he said quietly。 〃We're in this together。 Just tell me。 What is the problem？〃
〃There isn't any problem。〃
〃Kōhai。〃
〃There isn't。〃
〃Kōhai 。 。 。〃
〃Hey； John；〃 I said； 〃let me tell you something。 When you apply for Special Services liaison； five different mittees go over your record。 To get a liaison job； you have to be clean。 The mittees went over my record。 And they found nothing substantial。〃
Connor nodded。 〃But they found something。〃
〃Christ；〃 I said； 〃I was a detective for five years。 You can't work that long without a few plaints。 You know that。〃
〃And what were the plaints against you？〃
I shook my head。 〃Nothing。 Little stuff。 I arrested a guy my first year； he accused me of undue force。 That charge was dropped after inquiry。 I arrested a woman for armed robbery； she claimed I planted a gram on her。 Charge dropped； it was her gram。 Murder suspect claimed I beat and kicked him during questioning。 But other officers were present at all times。 A drunken woman on a domestic violence call later claimed I molested her child。 She dropped the charge。 Teenage gang leader arrested for murder said I made a homosexual pass at him。 Charge withdrawn。 That's it。〃
If you're a cop you know that plaints like these are background noise； like traffic on the street。 There's nothing you can do about them。 You're in an adversarial environment； accusing people of crimes all the time。 They accuse you back。 That's just the way it works。 The department never pays any attention unless there's a pattern or repetition。 If a guy has three or four plaints of undue force over a couple of years； then he gets an inquiry。 Or a string of racial plaints； he gets an inquiry。 But otherwise； as the assistant chief Jim Olson always says； being a cop is a job for the thick…skinned。
Connor didn't say anything for a long time。 He frowned； thinking it over。 Finally he said； 〃What about the divorce？ Problems there？〃
〃Nothing unusual。〃
〃You and your ex are on speaking terms？〃
〃Yes。 We're okay。 Not great。 But okay。〃
He was still frowning。 Still looking for something。 〃And you left the detective division two years ago？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Why？〃
〃I already told you。〃
〃You said that you couldn't work the hours。〃
〃That was most of it； yeah。〃
〃That； and what else？〃
I shrugged。 〃After the divorce； I just didn't want