Rising Sun

“In short, he’s behaving as if he doesn’t really know what to do, as if he doesn’t even know who this girl is—which he certainly does, since he knows everybody invited to that party—and pretending he doesn’t know who killed her. When he almost certainly knows that, too.”

The car bounced in a pothole, and jolted back up. “Wait a minute. Ishiguro knows who killed the girl?”

“I’m sure of it. And he’s not the only one. At least three people must know who killed her, at this point. Didn’t you say you used to be in press relations?”

“Yes. Last year.”

“You keep any contacts in TV news?”

“A few,” I said. “They might be rusty. Why?”

“I want to look at some tape that was shot tonight.”

“Just look? Not subpoena?”

“Right. Just look.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” I said. I was thinking I could call Je

Co

I shrugged. “We were on land lines. The press couldn’t monitor radio transmissions.”

“They were already there,” Co

I said, “Captain, I don’t buy it.”

One of the things I learned as a press officer is that there aren’t any conspiracies. The press is too diverse, and in a sense too disorganized. In fact, on the rare occasions when we needed an embargo—like a kidnapping with ransom negotiations in progress—we had a hell of a time getting cooperation. “The paper closes early. The TV crews have to make the eleven o’clock news. They probably went back to edit their stories.”

“I disagree. I think the Japanese expressed concern about their kigyō image, their company image, and the press cooperated with no coverage. Trust me, kōhai: the pressure is being applied.”

“I can’t believe that.”

“Take my word for it,” Co

Just then, the car phone rang.

“God damn it, Peter,” a familiar rough voice said. “What the fuck’s going on with that homicide investigation?” It was the chief. It sounded like he had been drinking.

“How do you mean, Chief?”

Co

The chief said: “You guys harassing the Japanese? We going to have another set of racial allegations against the department here?”

“No sir,” I said. “Absolutely not. I don’t know what you’ve heard—”

“I heard that dumb fuck Graham was making insults as usual,” the chief said.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say insults, Chief—”

“Look, Peter. Don’t shit me. I already reamed out Fred Hoffma

“Yes, sir.”

“Now about John Co

“Yes, sir.”

“Why did you bring him into this?”

I thought: why did I bring him in? Fred Hoffma

“I’m sorry,” I said. “But I—”

“I understand,” the chief said. “You probably thought you couldn’t handle the case yourself. Wanted some help. But I’m afraid you bought more trouble than help. Because the Japanese don’t like Co

“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 co

“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,” Co

11

I drove south on the 405 freeway, toward the airport. It was foggier here. Co

“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.” Co

Co

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 Co

I could hear Ishiguro faintly through the receiver. He sounded tense, speaking rapidly. “A, moshi moshi, Co

Co

“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 come 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.” Co

“Dakara, daijōbu nandesu, Co

“He insists everything is in order.”

Co

“Daijōbuda to itterudeshou. Dōshite so

“Ore niwa wakatte irunda. Tēpu wa nakunatte iru. I know more than you think, Mr. Ishiguro. Mōichido iu, tēpu o sagasunda!”

Co

“What does that mean?” I said.

“They’ve decided to play hardball.” Co

Co

“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,” Co