el.angeleyes-第88部分

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　〃You　mean　when　he　supposedly　went　to　Chicago　to　look　up　his　long…lost　dad；　and　Dad　turned　out　to　be　a　sonuvabitch　after　all？〃
　Tori　stared　at　Russell。　〃He　told　you；　too。〃
　Here　we　go；　Russell　thought。　I'm　never　going　to　get　a　better　shot　at　this。　〃Tori；　Bernard　loves　to　tell　that　story；　but　it's　bullshit；　pure　and　simple。　He　tried　it　on　me；　only　I　had　done　my　homework。　I　knew　he　came　from　bluebloods　in　Virginia。　His　father　was　a　wealthy　and　successful　attorney；　founding　a　dynastic　law　office。　Until　his　death　some　years　ago；　he　had　been　happily　married　to　his　wife…Bernard's　mother…for　more　than　fifty　years。〃
　〃But　that　story　。　。　。〃
　He　could　feel　her　drawing　away　from　him；　a　familiar　coldness　ing　into　her；　but　still　he　persisted；　it　was　time　for　her　to　know　the　truth。　〃Bernard　thinks　it　makes　him　seem　more　human。　He　tells　it　to　people　like　you　to　help　bind　them　to　him。''
　〃Oh；　e　on；〃　Tori　said。　〃Bernard's　not　that　cynical。〃
　〃He　doesn't　think　of　himself　that　way；〃　Russell　said。　〃According　to　Bernard；　business　is　conducted　in　any　manner　that　gets　the　job　done。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　you；〃　Tori　said。
　〃Then　you　certainly　won't　believe　that　before　I　left　with　you　on　this　assignment　Bernard　told　me　what　to　do　to　you　if　your　undisciplined　methodology　got　in　the　way。〃　Russell　rose。　〃He　told　me　to　terminate　you。〃
　It　was　dusk　by　the　time　Ton　returned　from　the　Mall　offices　at　the　Sumitomo　Building　in　Shinjuku。　By　that　time　it　had　begun　to　rain；　fine　silver　needles　spraying　the　sidewalks；　streets；　and　car　tops；　smearing　the　city　grit　across　windshields。　Gray　water　dripped　from　building　facades。　The　sidewalks　were　a　sea　of　umbrellas。　Neon　had　taken　over　from　daylight。
　Russell　had　remained　at　the　office　to　transmit　a　progress　report　and　clear　up　the　mountain　of　paperwork　that　accumulated　during　a　transcontinental　trip。
　Tori　was　shaken　by　her　foray　into　the　Mall　Central　puters。　Her　suspicions　had　been　made　all　too　real。　The　travel　information　contained　there　confirmed　everything　that　Koi　had　told　her　about　the　coalition　between　the　industrialist　Kunio　Michita；　Fumida　Ten；　chairman　of　Kaga；　and　Tori's　friend；　Hitasura；　with　Estilo　acting　as　willing　middleman　supplier。
　Koi's　repeated　mention　of　the　mysterious　American　〃who　didn't　have　the　appearance　of　a　businessman〃　had　set　off　warning　bells　in　Tori's　mind。　Now　she　recalled　her　and　Russell's　puzzlement　over　why　Estilo　would　give　them　information　that　seemed　detrimental　to　him。　In　revealing　his　involvement；　he　had　not　only　implicated　himself…thus　risking　a　termination　of　what　must　be　a　lucrative　business　deal　to　supply　the　decidedly　odd　Michita…Ten…Hitasura　coalition　with　illegal　hafnium…but　he　also　had　pointed　them　toward　the　one　person　in　Japan　who　could　help　them　further：　Hitasura。　Why？
　Now　it　seemed　clear：　he　had　been　warning　Tori。　If　Estilo　had　betrayed　their　friendship；　he　had　more　than　made　up　for　it　by　what　he　had　done。　Tori　thought　now　that　she　owed　Estilo　an　enormous　apology。　He　could　have　told　her　outright　what　was　happening；　but　he　knew　that　she　would　not　be　able　to　bring　herself　to　believe　him。　He　knew　that　she　had　to　be　led　step　by　step　toward　the　inevitable　conclusion。
　The　information　in　the　Mall　Central　puter　confirmed　that　on　the　dates　that　the　Kaga…Michita　negotiations　were　mencing；　Bernard　Godwin　had　been　out　of　the　country。　But　there　was　some　other　reason　why　these　dates　seemed　familiar。　Tori　racked　her　brain；　but　could　not　think　of　where　she　had　e　across　them　before。
　Giving　it　up　for　the　moment；　she　returned　to　the　most　immediate　problem：　where　had　Bernard　Godwin　gone？　A　search　through　the　travel　facilities　of　the　Mall　revealed　that　he　had　not　used　the　pany's　services　to　book　his　flights。
　Linking　up　to　the　American　airlines　puters　had　been　more　enlightening。　A　week　before　the　Kaga…Michita　negotiations　had　begun　in　earnest；　Bernard　Godwin　had　bought　a　first…class　ticket　to　San　Francisco。　He　was　there　just　overnight。　The　next　day　he　was　on　a　flight　to　Tokyo。　His　return　to　the　States　was　three　weeks　later。
　Tori　did　not　believe　in　coincidences。　Bernard　Godwin　was　the　American　who　had　instigated　Michita's　inquiry　into　the　new　Kaga　process　that　had　led　to　the　forming　of　the　coalition。
　Bernard　Godwin！
　But　that　was　patently　impossible。　For　one　thing；　Tori　could　not　believe　that　a　man　like　Bernard　would　ever　involve　himself　with　cocaine　trafficking。　For　another；　even　if　the　impossible　had　occurred；　Godwin…along　with　Russell…had　had　a　hand　in　bringing　her　back　in　order　to　track　down　the　source　of　the　lethal　supercocaine。　Recalling　Bernard's　outraged　face　as　Russell　described　the　effects　of　the　new　drug；　Tori　was　more　certain　than　ever　that　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　that　part　of　it。
　And　yet　Hitasura　was　an　integral　part　of　the　coalition　that　Bernard　must　have　put　together　so　that　he　could　supply　these　new　nuclear　weapons…whatever　they　were…to　his　precious　nationalist　movement　in　the　Soviet　Union。　And　Estilo　had　said　that　the　untreated　coke　was　being　bought　by　Hitasura。
　It's　still　not　making　sense。　What　am　I　missing？　Tori　asked　herself。
　There　was　only　one　path　to　take；　and　it　led　right　through　Hitasura。
　Hitasura's　tea…colored　melanin　birthmark；　which　ran　up　the　left　side　of　his　jaw　onto　his　cheek；　seemed　darker　on　this　dark　twilit　day。　The　pachinko　parlor　in　the　Ginza　was　vast；　as　large　as　a　castle。　It　was　one　of　many　owned　by　Hitasura's　Yakuza　family。　The　weekly　amount　of　money　Hitasura　took　in　from　just　these　betting　game　parlors；　Tori　knew；　was　astronomical。
　Lights　flashed　on　the　rows　of　vertical　game　boards　as　steel　balls　whizzed　through　the　maze　of　the　pachinko。　Men　and　women…especially　women…stood　enwrapped；　playing　game　after　game。　The　hardened　veterans　were　sure　to　stake　out　one　of　the　game　machines　that　had　a　tiny　color　TV　screen　set　in　the　middle　of　the　game　field　so　that　they　would　not　miss　their　favorite　soap　operas　while　they　lost　their　money。
　Hitasura　sat　in　a　glassed…in　booth　two　floors　above　the　action。　The　entire　back　wall　of　the　booth　was　a　bank　of　TV　monitors　which　scanned　the　aisles　and　rows　of　players；　making　sure　the　house　odds　were　not　being　tampered　with。
　〃We　got　a　kid　in　here　last　month；〃　Hitasura　said　as　Tori　put　down　her　dripping　umbrella；　came　to　sit　beside　him　on　a　plain　metal　and　green　vinyl　office　chair。　〃You　should　have　seen　him；　the　sonuvabitch　was　some　whiz。　He　had　made　a　tiny　electronic　gadget　that　zapped　the　pachinko　machine's　circuits。　He　won　every　other　time　he　played。　Then　he　got　carried　away　with　himself　and　began　to　win　every　game。　That　was　too　much；　don't　you　think？〃
　Tori　said　nothing。　She　ignored　the　TV　monitors　reproducing　the　frantic　play　going　on　below　her。　She　had　changed　clothes　at　the　Mall　offices　in　Shinjuku。　She　wore　a　pair　of　tapered　chocolate…colored　leather　pants；　a　man…tailored　cream　cotton　blouse　under　a　waist…length　fawn…colored　quilted　rain　jacket。
　〃How　are　you？〃　Hitasura　inquired。　He　was　wearing　an　expensive　but　ill…fitting　sharkskin　suit　that　was　still　rain…stained。　〃When　we　got　to　you　in　the　tunnels　and　Mr。　Slade　told　me　you　had　been　poisoned；　I　moved　heaven　and　earth　to　make　sure　you　wouldn't　die。〃
　〃Deke's　dead；〃　Tori　said。　〃Yen　Yasuwara　is　maimed。〃
　Hitasura　rocked　a　little　in　his　chair；　as　if　he　had　developed　a　Western　manner　of　mourning。　〃I　am　sorry　you　learned　about　Deke's　death　in　this　way；〃　he　said。　〃I　had　wanted　to　be　the　one　who　told　you。〃
　〃Under　the　circumstances；''　Tori　said　carefully；　〃I　agree　that　would　have　been　proper。''　She　noticed　that　he　had　not　acknowledged　in　any　way　her　reference　to　Yen。
　Hitasura　looked　at　her。　〃Perhaps　you　should　speak　to　your　newfound　friend；　the　assassin　who　calls　herself　Koi。　She　killed　Deke。〃
　Tori　said；　〃I　have　talked　to　her。〃
　Hitasura　turned　his　head　away。　His　gaze　was　flicking　from　screen　to　screen　on　the　wall　of　monitors。　Suddenly　Tori　saw　him　start。　〃She's　here；〃　he　said。
　Tori　looked　at　the　screen　that　held　his　attention。　It　showed　Koi　making　her　way　down　one　of　the　aisles　on　the　floor　below。
　〃What　is　she　doing　here？〃
　〃I　asked　her　to　e；〃　Tori　said。
　〃You？〃　Hitasura's　head　swung　around。
　Tori　watched　him。　〃It's　time　to　settle　our　accounts；　to　honor　old　debts。〃
　Hitasura's　face　was　now　devoid　of　all　emotion。　It　was　as　if　his　eyes　had　slid　behind　a　veil。　He　reached　behind　him；　produced　a　pistol　from　a　holster　strapped　to　the　small　of　his　back。　He　balanced　the　pistol　on　his　right　kneecap。
　〃Is　that　necessary？〃
　〃When　old　friends　reveal　themselves　as　enemies；〃　Hitasura　said；　〃all　precautions　must　be　taken。〃
　''What　makes　you　think　I've　bee　your　enemy？''
　Hitasura　gestured　with　his　chin。　〃You　bring　Big　Ezoe's　assassin　here　to　my　ground；　you　have　bee　friends　with　a　monster　who　would　murder　you　where　you　lay　helpless　in　my　bed。　My　bed！　What　else　am　I　to　think？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Tori　said。　〃I'm　not　the　one　whose　conscience　lies　heavy。〃
　Hitasura　made　a　dismissing　sound　between　his　teeth。
　Tori　watched　Koi　as　she　passed　from　monitor　to　monitor；　as　she　moved　toward　the　metal　staircase　to　the　booth。　Tori　said；　〃As　long　as　you　brought　up　the　notion；　tell　me；　what　kind　of　monster　is　it　who　concocts　a　new　kind　of　cocaine　so　powerful　its　effects　destroy　the　human　mind　and　body　in　months？〃
　Hitasura　sat　very　still；　and　with　an　icy　crawling　in　the　pit　of　her　stomach；　Tori　had　her　answer。　Estilo　had　not　lied。　Hitasura　was　the　man。
　Hitasura　said；　''If　she　begins　to　climb　the　stairs　to　this　office；　I'll　order　her　shot；　I　promise　you。''
　〃And　then　you'll　shoot　me；　and　all　your　problems　will　be　solved。〃　Tori　shook　her　head。　〃But；　no。　There's　Russ　to　think　of。　What　will　you　do　about　him；　Hitasura？　Kill　him　as　well？　What　good　will　that　do　you？　There　will　only　be　more　people　from　the　Mall　e　to　avenge　his　death…and　mine。　You　can't　win　this　time。〃
　Hitasura　allowed　himself　a　tiny　smile。　〃Is　that　how　you　see　the　situation？　Well；　good。　Then　I　have　nothing　at　all　to　fear。〃　Now　a　laugh　leaked　out　of　his　mouth；　quickly　stifled；　as　if　it　had　popped　out　unexpectedly。　Hitasura　wiped　the　smirk　from　his　face。　〃Pardon　me　for　laughing　at　you；　but　I　could　not　help　myself。　You　are　so　far　off　the　mark；　you　have　added　a　moment　of　unexpected　amusement　to　an　otherwise　serious　discussion。〃
　〃What's　struck　you　s