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ess of life in Japan； if you are excluded from the group。 But I know it very well。 And I do not mind if the Japanese suffer a little now； from my efforts with my one good hand。〃
She glared at me。 The intensity turned her face to a mask。 〃Does that answer your question； Lieutenant？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。 〃It does。〃
〃When I e to America； I think the Americans are very foolish about the Japanese … but never mind。 Here is the sequence now。 You watch the top two monitors。 I will watch the bottom three。 Look carefully for objects that reflect。 Look closely。 Here it es。〃
？
I watched the monitors in the darkness。
Theresa Asakuma was feeling bitter about the Japanese； but so was I。 The incident with Weasel Wilhelm had made me angry。 Angry the way somebody who's scared can be angry。 One sentence he had said kept ing back to my mind； again and again。
Under the circumstances； don't you think the court made a mistake in granting you custody of your young daughter？
I never wanted custody。 In all the turmoil of the divorce； of Lauren moving out； packing up； this is yours； this is mine … in all that； the last thing I wanted was custody of a seven…month…old baby。 Shelly was just starting to move around the living room； holding onto the furniture。 She would say 〃Mama。〃 Her first word。 But Lauren didn't want the responsibility and kept saying； 〃I can't handle it； Peter。 I just can't handle it。〃 So I took custody。 What else could I do？
But now it was almost two years later。 I had changed my life。 I had changed my job； my schedule。 She was my daughter now。 And the thought of giving her up was like twisting a knife in my stomach。
Under the circumstances； Lieutenant； don't you think 。 。 。
On the monitor； I watched as Cheryl Austin waited in the darkness for the arrival of her lover。 I watched the way she looked around the room。
The court made a mistake 。 。 。
No； I thought； the court didn't make a mistake。 Lauren couldn't handle it； and had never been able to handle it。 Half the time； she skipped on her weekends。 She was too busy to see her own daughter。 Once after a weekend she returned Michelle to me。 Michelle was crying。 Lauren said； 〃I just don't know what to do with her。〃 I checked。 Her diapers were wet and she had a painful rash。 Michelle always gets a rash when her diapers aren't changed promptly。 Lauren hadn't changed her diapers often enough during the weekend。 So I changed her； and there were streaks of shit in Michelle's vagina。 She hadn't cleaned her own daughter properly。
Don't you think the court made a mistake？
No； I didn't。
Under the circumstances； don't you think …
〃Fuck it；〃 I said。
Theresa stabbed a button； stopped the tapes。 The images froze on the monitors all around us。 〃What is it？〃 she said。 〃What did you see？〃
〃Nothing。〃
She looked at me。
〃I'm sorry。 I was thinking of something else。〃
〃Don't。〃
She started the tape again。
On multiple monitors； the man embraced Cheryl Austin。 Images from the different cameras were coordinated in an eerie way。 It was as if we could see all sides of the event… front and back； top and sides。 It was like a moving architectural blueprint。
And it felt creepy； to watch；
My two monitors showed the view from the far end of the room； and from high above； looking straight down。 Cheryl and her lover were small in one monitor； and in the other one； I saw only the tops of their heads。 But I watched。
Standing alongside me； Theresa Asakuma breathed slowly； regularly。 In and out。 I glanced at her。
〃Pay attention。〃
I looked back。
The lovers were in a passionate embrace。 The man pressed Cheryl back against a desk。 In my top view； I could see her face； looking straight up as she lay back。 Beside her； a framed picture on the desk fell over。
〃There；〃 I said。
Theresa stopped the tape。
〃What？〃 she said。
〃There。〃 I pointed to the framed picture。 It lay flat； facing upward。 Reflected in the glass； we could see the outline of the man's head as he bent over Cheryl。 It was very dark。 Just a silhouette。
〃Can you get an image from that？〃 I said。
〃I don't know。 Let's try。〃
Her hand moved swiftly across the controls； touching them briefly。 〃The video image is digital；〃 she said。 〃It's in the puter now。 We'll see what we can do with it。〃 The image began to jump； growing larger in increments as she zoomed in on the picture frame。 The image moved past Cheryl's frozen； grainy face； her head thrown back in an instant of passion。 Moved down from her shoulder； toward the frame。
As the picture enlarged； it became more grainy。 It began to depose into a pattern of dots； like a newspaper photo held too close to your face。 Then the dots themselves enlarged； formed edges； turned into small blocks of gray。 Pretty soon I couldn't tell what we were looking at。
〃Is this going to work？〃
〃I doubt it。 But there's the edge of the frame； and there's the face。〃
I was glad she could see it。 I couldn't。
〃Let's sharpen。〃
She pressed buttons。 puter menus dropped down； flashed back。 The image became crisper。 Grittier。 But I could see the frame。 And the outline of the head。
〃Sharpen again。〃
She did that。
〃All right。 Now we can adjust our grayscale 。 。 。〃
The face in the frame began to emerge from the gloom。
It was chilling。
Enlarged so much； the grain was severe … each pupil of the eyes was a single black spot … and we really couldn't see who it was。 The man's eyes were open； and his mouth was twisted； distorted in passion； or arousal； or hate。 But we couldn't really tell。
Not really。
〃Is that a Japanese face？〃
She shook her head。 〃There's not enough detail in the original。〃
〃You can't bring it out？〃
〃I'll work on it later。 But I think； no。 It won't ever be there。 Let's go on。〃
The images snapped back into full movement。 Cheryl suddenly shoved the man away； pushing his chest with the flat of her hand。 The face disappeared from the picture frame。
We were back to the original five views。
The couple broke and she plained； pushing him repeatedly。 Her face looked angry。 Now that I had seen the man's face reflected in the frame； I wondered if she had bee frightened of what she saw。 But it was impossible to tell。
The lovers stood in the deserted room； discussed where to go。 She was looking around。 He nodded his head。 She pointed toward the conference room。 He seemed to agree or accept。
They kissed； clinched again。 There was a familiarity in the way they joined and parted； joined again。
Theresa saw it； too。 〃She knows him。〃
〃Yes。 I'd say。〃
Still kissing； the couple moved awkwardly toward the conference room。 At this point my monitors were no longer very useful。 The far camera showed the whole room； and the couple moving laterally across it； from right to left。 But the figures were tiny； and difficult to see。 They were moving between the desks； heading toward…
〃Wait；〃 I said。 〃What was that？〃
She went back； frame by frame。
〃There；〃 I said。
I pointed to the image。 〃See that？ What's that？〃
As the couple moved across the room； the camera tracked past a large Japanese calligraphy scroll hanging on the wall near the elevator。 The scroll was encased in glass。 For a brief moment； there was a glint of light in the glass。 That was what had caught my eye。
A glint of light。
Theresa frowned。 〃It's not a reflection from the couple；〃 she said。
〃No。〃
〃Let's look。〃
She began zooming again。 The image jumped toward the hanging scroll； growing grittier with each step。 The glint enlarged； broke in two fragments。 There was a fuzzy spot of light in one corner。 And a vertical slit of light； running almost the length of the picture。
〃Let's rock it；〃 she said。
She began to make the image go forward and back； one frame at a time。 Flipping from one to the other。 In one frame； the vertical slit was missing。 In the next frame； it was there。 The vertical bar lasted for the next ten frames。 Then it was gone； never to reappear。 But the fuzzy spot in the corner was always present。
〃Hmmm。〃
She pushed in on the spot。 Under ever…increasing magnification； it disintegrated until it looked like a cluster of stars from an astronomy picture。 But it seemed to have some kind of internal organization。 I could almost imagine an X shape to it。 I said so。
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃Let's sharpen。〃
She did that。 The puters worked on the data。 The fuzzy cluster resolved itself。 Now it looked like Roman numerals。
I IXΞ
〃What the hell is that？〃 I said。
She kept working。 〃Edge trace；〃 she said。 The outline of the Roman numerals appeared more clearly。
Theresa continued to try and resolve it。 As she worked； in some ways the image seemed to get better； and in some ways； less clear。 But eventually we could recognize it。
TIX？
〃It's the reflection of an exit sign；〃 she said。 〃There's an exit at the far end of the room opposite the elevators； is that right？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。
〃It's being reflected in the glass of the scroll。 That's all it is。〃 She flipped to the next frame。 〃But this vertical bar of light。 That's interesting。 See？ It appears； and is gone。〃 She ran it back and forth several times。
And then I figured it out。
〃There's a fire exit back there；〃 I said。 〃And a staircase goi