tc.thebearandthedragon-第14部分

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e　games　were　played。　The　human　minds　who　mitted　crimes　were　simply　too　random　in　their　operation　for　any　sort　of　prediction。
　And　that　had　been　the　easy　part。　The　pathology　report　on　the　driver　had　essentially　been　useless。　The　only　data　in　it　of　any　use　at　all　had　been　blood　and　tissue　types　（which　could　be　checked　with　his　military…service　records；　if　they　could　be　located）；　since　the　body　had　been　so　thoroughly　shredded　as　to　leave　not　a　single　identifying　mark　or　characteristic；　though；　perversely；　his　identity　papers　had　survived　in　his　wallet；　and　so；　they　probably　knew　who　he　had　been。　The　same　was　true　of　the　woman　in　the　car；　whose　purse　had　survived　virtually　intact　on　the　seat　to　the　right　of　her；　along　with　her　ID　papers。。。　which　was　a　lot　more　than　could　be　said　for　her　face　and　upper　torso。　Reilly　looked　at　the　photos　of　the　other　victims　…　well；　one　presumed　they　matched　up；　he　told　himself。　The　driver　was　grossly　ordinary；　perhaps　a　little　fitter　than　was　the　average　here。　The　woman；　yet　another　of　the　pimp's　highpriced　hookers　with　a　photo　in　her　police　file；　had　been　a　dish；　worthy　of　a　Hollywood　screen　test；　and　certainly　pretty　enough　for　a　Playboy　centerfold。　Well；　no　more。
　〃So；　Mishka；　have　you　handled　enough　of　these　crimes　that　it　no　longer　touches　you？〃　Provalov　asked。
　〃Honest　answer？〃　Reilly　asked；　then　shook　his　head。　〃Not　really。　We　don't　handle　that　many　homicides；　except　the　ones　that　happen　on　Federal　property　…　Indian　reservations　or　military　bases。　I　have　handled　some　kidnappings；　though；　and　those　you　never　get　used　to。〃　Especially；　Reilly　didn't　add；　since　kidnapping　for　money　was　a　dead　crime　in　America。　Now　children　were　kidnapped　for　their　sexual　utility；　and　most　often　killed　in　five　hours；　often　before　the　FBI　could　even　respond　to　the　initial　request　for　assistance　from　the　local　police　department。　Of　all　the　crimes　which　Mike　Reilly　had　worked；　those　were　by　far　the　worst；　the　sort　after　which　you　retired　to　the　local　FBI　bar　…　every　field　division　had　one　…　and　had　a　few　too　many　as　you　sat　quietly　with　equally　morose　and　quiet　colleagues；　with　the　occasional　oaths　that　you　were　going　to　get　this　mutt　no　matter　what　it　took。　And；　mostly；　the　mutts　were　apprehended；　indicted；　and　then　convicted；　and　the　lucky　ones　went　to　death　row。　Those　convicted　in　states　without　a　death　penalty　went　into　the　general　prison　population；　where　they　discovered　what　armed　robbers　thought　of　the　abusers　of　children。　〃But　I　see　what　you　mean；　Oleg　Gregoriyevich。　It's　the　one　thing　you　have　trouble　explaining　to　an　ordinary　citizen。〃　It　was　that　the　worst　thing　about　a　crime　scene　or　autopsy　photo　was　the　sadness　of　it；　how　the　victim　was　stripped　not　merely　of　life；　but　of　all　dignity。　And　these　photos　were　particularly　grisly。　Whatever　beauty　this　Maria　Ivanovna　Sablin　had　once　had　was　only　a　memory　now；　and　then　mainly　memories　held　by　men　who'd　rented　access　to　her　body。　Who　mourned　for　a　dead　whore？　Reilly　asked　himself。　Not　the　johns；　who'd　move　on　to　a　new　one　with　scarcely　a　thought。　Probably　not　even　her　own　colleagues　in　the　trade　of　flesh　and　desire；　and　whatever　family　she'd　left　behind　would　probably　remember　her　not　as　the　child　who'd　grown　up　to　follow　a　bad　path；　but　as　a　lovely　person　who'd　defiled　herself；　pretending　passion；　but　feeling　no　more　than　the　trained　physician　who'd　picked　her　organs　apart　on　the　dented　steel　table　of　the　city　morgue。　Is　that　what　prostitutes　were；　Reilly　wondered；　pathologists　of　sex？　A　victimless　crime；　some　said。　Reilly　wished　that　such　people　could　look　at　these　photos　and　see　just　how　〃victimless〃　it　was　when　women　sold　their　bodies。
　〃Anything　else；　Oleg？〃　Reilly　asked。
　〃We　continue　to　interview　people　with　knowledge　of　the　deceased。〃　Followed　by　a　shrug。
　
　
　He　offended　the　wrong　people；〃　an　informant　said；　with　a　shrug　of　his　own　that　showed　how　absurdly　obvious　the　answer　to　the　preceding　question　was。　How　else　could　a　person　of　Avseyenko's　stature　turn　up　dead　in　so　spectacular　a　way？
　〃And　what　people　are　they？〃　the　militiaman　asked；　not　expecting　a　meaningful　answer；　but　you　asked　the　question　anyway　because　you　didn't　know　what　the　answer　was　until　you　did。
　〃His　colleagues　from　State　Security；〃　the　informant　suggested。
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Who　else　could　have　killed　him　in　that　way？　One　of　his　girls　would　have　used　a　knife。　A　business　rival　from　the　street　would　have　used　a　pistol　or　a　larger　knife；　but　an　RPG。。。　be　serious；　where　does　one　get　one　of　those？〃
　He　wasn't　the　first　to　voice　that　thought；　of　course；　though　the　local　police　did　have　to　allow　for　the　fact　that　all　manner　of　weapons；　heavy　and　light；　had　escaped　one　way　or　another　from　the　coffers　of　what　had　once　been　called　the　Red　Army　into　the　active　marketplace　of　criminal　weapons。
　〃So；　do　you　have　any　names　for　us？〃　the　militia　sergeant　asked。
　〃Not　a　name；　but　I　know　the　face。　He's　tall　and　powerfully　built；　like　a　soldier；　reddish　hair；　fair　skin；　some　freckles　left　over　from　his　youth；　green　eyes。〃　The　informant　paused。　〃His　friends　call　him　'the　boy；'　because　his　appearance　is　so　youthful。　He　was　State　Security　once；　but　not　a　spy　and　not　a　catcher　of　spies。　He　was　something　else　there；　but　I　am　not　sure　what。〃
　The　militia　sergeant　started　taking　more　precise　notes　at　this　point；　his　pencil　marks　far　more　legible　and　much　darker　on　the　yellow　page。
　〃And　this　man　was　displeased　with　Avseyenko？〃
　〃So　I　have　heard。〃
　〃And　the　reason　for　his　displeasure？〃
　〃That　I　do　not　know；　but　Gregoriy　Filipovich　had　a　way　of　offending　men。　He　was　very　skilled　at　handling　women；　of　course。　For　that　he　had　a　true　gift；　but　the　gift　did　not　translate　into　his　dealings　with　men。　Many　thought　him　a　zhopnik；　but　he　was　not　one　of　those；　of　course。　He　had　a　different　woman　on　his　arm　every　night；　and　none　of　them　were　ugly；　but　for　some　reason　he　didn't　get　along　well　with　men；　even　those　from　State　Security；　where；　he　said；　he　was　once　a　great　national　asset。〃
　〃Is　that　a　fact；〃　the　militia　sergeant　observed；　bored　again。　If　there　was　anything　criminals　liked　to　do；　it　was　boast。　He'd　heard　it　all　a　thousand　times　or　more。
　〃Oh；　yes。　Gregoriy　Filipovich　claims　to　have　supplied　mistresses　for　all　manner　of　foreigners；　including　some　of　ministerial　rank；　and　says　that　they　continue　to　supply　valuable　information　to　Mother　Russia。　I　believe　it；〃　the　informer　added；　editorializing　again。　〃For　a　week　with　one　of　those　angels；　I　would　speak　much。〃
　And　who　wouldn't？　the　militiaman　wondered　with　a　yawn。　〃So；　how　did　Avseyenko　offend　such　powerful　men？〃　the　cop　asked　again。
　〃I　have　told　you　I　do　not　know。　Talk　to　'the　boy；'　perhaps　he　will　know。〃
　〃It　is　said　that　Gregoriy　was　beginning　to　import　drugs；〃　the　cop　said　next；　casting　his　hook　into　a　different　hole；　and　wondering　what　fish　might　lurk　in　the　still　waters。
　The　informant　nodded。　〃That　is　true。　It　was　said。　But　I　never　saw　any　evidence　of　it。〃
　〃Who　would　have　seen　evidence　of　it？〃
　Another　shrug。　〃This　I　do　not　know。　One　of　his　girls；　perhaps。　I　never　understood　how　he　planned　to　distribute　what　he　thought　about　importing。　To　use　the　girls　was　logical；　of　course；　but　dangerous　for　them　…　and　for　him；　because　his　whores　would　not　have　been　loyal　to　him　in　the　face　of　a　trip　to　the　camps。　So；　then；　what　does　that　leave？〃　the　informant　asked　rhetorically。　〃He　would　have　to　set　up　an　entirely　new　organization；　and　there　were　also　dangers　in　doing　that；　were　there　not？　So；　yes；　I　believe　he　was　thinking　about　importing　drugs　for　sale；　and　making　vast　sums　of　money　from　it；　but　Gregoriy　was　not　a　man　who　wished　to　go　to　a　prison；　and　I　think　he　was　merely　thinking　about　it；　perhaps　talking　a　little；　but　not　much。　I　do　not　think　he　had　made　his　final　decision。　I　do　not　think　he　actually　imported　anything　before　he　met　his　end。〃
　〃Rivals　with　the　same　ideas？〃　the　cop　asked　next。
　〃There　are　people　who　can　find　cocaine　and　other　drugs　for　you；　as　you　well　know。〃
　The　cop　looked　up。　In　fact；　the　militia　sergeant　didn't　know　that　for　certain。　He'd　heard　rumbles　and　rumors；　but　not　statements　of　fact　from　informants　he　trusted　（insofar　as　any　cop　in　any　city　truly　trusted　any　informant）。　As　with　many　things；　there　was　a　buzz　on　the　streets　of　Moscow；　but　like　most　Moscow　cops　he　expected　it　to　show　up　first　in　the　Black　Sea　port　of　Odessa；　a　city　whose　criminal　activity　went　back　to　the　czars　and　which　today；　with　the　restoration　of　free　trade　with　the　rest　of　the　world；　tended　to　lead　Russia　in　…　well；　led　Russia　to　all　forms　of　illicit　activity。　If　there　was　an　active　drug　trade　in　Moscow；　it　was　so　new　and　so　small　that　he　hadn't　stumbled　across　it　yet。　He　made　a　mental　note　to　check　with　Odessa；　to　see　what　if　anything　was　happening　down　there　along　those　lines。
　〃And　what　people　might　they　be？〃　the　sergeant　asked。　If　there　was　a　growing　distribution　network　in　Moscow；　he　might　as　well　learn　about　it。
　
　
　Nomuri's　job　for　Nippon　Electric　pany　involved　selling　high…end　desktop　puters　and　peripherals。　For　him　that　meant　the　PRC　government；　whose　senior　bureaucrats　had　to　have　the　newest　and　best　of　everything；　from　cars　to　mistresses；　paid　for　in　all　cases　by　the　government；　which　in　turn　took　its　money　from　the　people；　whom　the　bureaucrats　represented　and　protected　to　the　best　of　their　abilities。　As　in　many　things；　the　PRC　could　have　bought　American　brands；　but　in　this　case　it　chose　to　purchase　the　slightly　less　expensive　（and　less　capable）　puters　from　Japan；　in　the　same　way　that　it　preferred　to　buy　Airbus　airlines　from　the　European　maker　rather　than　Boeings　from　America　…　that　had　been　a　card　played　a　few　years　before　to　teach　the　Americans　a　lesson。　America　had　briefly　resented　it；　then　had　quickly　forgotten　about　it；　in　the　way　America　seemed　to　handle　all　such　slights；　which　was　quite　a　contrast　to　the　Chinese；　who　never　forgot　anything。
　When　President　Ryan　had　announced　the　reestablishment　of　their　official　recognition　of　the　Republic　of　China　government　on　Taiwan；　the　repercussions　had　thundered　through　the　corridors　of　power　in　Beijing　like　the　main　shocks　of　a　major　earthquake。　Nomuri　hadn't　been　here；　long　enough　yet　to　see　the　cold　fury　the　move　had　generated；　but　the　aftershocks　were　signif