mc.risingsun-第33节

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es。　A　petitor　of　Nakamoto。　petition　among　the　Japanese　corporations　is　very　intense。　Very　intense。　Take　my　word　for　it：　my　lab　didn't　do　any　work　on　any　Nakamoto　tapes　last　night。　Such　a　thing　would　never　happen；　under　any　circumstances。　If　my　secretary　said　it　did；　she's　mistaken。　It's　absolutely　out　of　the　realm　of　possibility。　Now；　I　have　to　give　a　speech。　Is　there　anything　else？〃
　〃No；〃　I　said。　〃Thanks。〃
　There　was　scattered　applause　as　the　speaker　on　the　podium　finished。　I　turned　and　left　the　room。
　
　I　was　driving　away　from　the　Bonaventure　when　Connor　called　in　from　the　golf　course。　He　sounded　annoyed。　〃I　got　your　page。　I　had　to　interrupt　my　game。　This　better　be　good。〃
　I　told　him　about　the　one　o'clock　appointment　with　Senator　Morton。
　〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃Pick　me　up　here　at　ten…thirty。　Anything　else？〃
　I　told　him　about　my　trips　to　JPL　and　Hamaguchi；　then　my　conversation　with　Donaldson。
　Connor　sighed。　〃That　was　a　waste　of　time。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Because　Hamaguchi　is　funded　by　Kawakami；　and　they're　in　petition　with　Nakamoto。　There　is　no　way　they　would　do　anything　to　help　Nakamoto。〃
　〃That's　what　Donaldson　told　me；〃　I　said。
　〃Where　are　you　going　now？〃
　〃To　the　U。S。C。　video　labs。　I'm　still　trying　to　get　the　tapes　copied。〃
　Connor　paused。　〃Anything　else　I　should　know？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Fine。　See　you　at　ten…thirty。〃
　〃Why　so　early？〃
　〃Ten…thirty；〃　he　said；　and　hung　up。
　
　*　*　*
　
　As　soon　as　I　hung　up；　the　phone　rang。　〃You　were　supposed　to　call　me。〃　It　was　Ken　Shubik　at　the　Times。　He　sounded　sulky。
　〃Sorry。　I　got　tied　up。　Can　we　talk　now？〃
　〃Sure。〃
　〃You　got　information　for　me？〃
　〃Listen。〃　He　paused。　〃Are　you　anywhere　around　here？〃
　〃About　five　blocks　from　you。〃
　〃Then　e　by　for　a　cup　of　coffee。〃
　〃You　don't　want　to　talk　on　the　phone？〃
　〃Well　。　。　。〃
　〃e　on；　Ken。　You　always　want　to　talk　on　the　phone。〃　Shubik　was　like　all　the　Times　reporters；　he　sat　at　his　desk　in　front　of　his　puter　and　wore　a　headset　and　talked　on　the　phone　all　day　long。　It　was　his　preferred　way　of　doing　things。　He　had　all　his　stuff　in　front　of　him；　he　could　type　his　notes　into　the　puter　as　he　talked。　When　I　was　a　press　officer；　my　office　had　been　at　police　headquarters　in　Parker　Center；　two　blocks　from　the　Times　building。　And　still　a　reporter　like　Ken　would　rather　talk　to　me　on　the　phone　than　see　me　in　person。
　〃e　on　by；　Pete。〃
　That　was　clear　enough。
　Ken　didn't　want　to　talk　on　the　phone。
　〃Okay；　fine；〃　I　said。　〃See　you　in　ten　minutes。〃
　
　？
　The　Los　Angeles　Times　is　the　most　profitable　newspaper　in　America。　The　newsroom　takes　up　one　entire　floor　of　the　Times　building；　and　thus　is　the　area　of　a　city　block。　The　space　has　been　skillfully　subdivided；　so　you　are　never　confronted　by　how　large　it　actually　is；　and　how　many　hundreds　of　people　work　there。　But　still　it　seems　you　walk　for　days　past　reporters　sitting　at　clusters　of　modular　workstations；　with　their　glowing　puter　screens；　their　blinking　telephones；　and　their　tacked…up　pictures　of　the　kids。
　Ken's　workstation　was　in　Metro；　on　the　east　side　of　the　building。　I　found　him　standing　by　his　desk；　pacing。　Waiting　for　me。　He　took　me　by　the　elbow。
　〃Coffee；〃　he　said。　〃Let's　get　coffee。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃　I　said。　〃You　don't　want　to　be　seen　with　me？〃
　〃No。　Shit。　I　want　to　avoid　the　Weasel。　He's　down　hustling　that　new　girl　on　Foreign。　She　doesn't　know　any　better　yet。〃　Ken　nodded　toward　the　far　end　of　the　newsroom。　There；　by　the　windows；　I　saw　the　familiar　figure　of　Willy　Wilhelm；　known　to　everyone　as　Weasel　Wilhelm。　Willy's　narrow；　ferretlike　face　was　at　this　moment　posed　into　a　mask　of　smiling　attentiveness　as　he　joked　with　a　blond　girl　sitting　before　a　terminal。
　〃Very　cute。〃
　〃Yeah。　A　little　big　in　the　rear。　She's　Dutch；〃　Ken　said。　〃She's　only　been　here　a　week。　She　hasn't　heard　about　him。〃
　Most　organizations　had　a　person　like　the　Weasel：　somebody　who　is　more　ambitious　than　scrupulous；　somebody　who　finds　a　way　to　make　himself　useful　to　the　powers　that　be；　while　being　roundly　hated　by　everyone　else。　That　was　the　case　with　Weasel　Wilhelm。
　Like　most　dishonest　people；　the　Weasel　believed　the　worst　about　everybody。　He　could　always　be　counted　on　to　portray　events　in　their　most　unflattering　light；　insisting　that　anything　less　was　a　cover…up。　He　had　a　nose　for　human　weakness　and　a　taste　for　melodrama。　He　cared　nothing　for　the　truth　of　any　situation；　and　he　considered　a　balanced　appraisal　weak。　As　far　as　the　Weasel　was　concerned；　the　underlying　truth　was　always　strong　stuff。　And　that　was　what　he　dealt　in。
　The　other　reporters　at　the　Times　despised　him。
　Ken　and　I　went　into　the　central　hallway。　I　followed　him　toward　the　coffee　machines；　but　he　led　me　into　the　library。　In　the　middle　of　the　floor；　the　Times　had　a　library　that　was　larger　and　better　equipped　than　many　college　facilities。
　〃So；　what　is　it　about　Wilhelm？〃　I　said。
　〃He　was　in　here　last　night；〃　Ken　said。　〃I　came　by　after　the　theater　to　pick　up　some　notes　I　needed　for　a　morning　interview　I　was　doing　from　home。　And　I　saw　the　Weasel　in　the　library。　Maybe　eleven　o'clock　at　night。　You　know　how　ambitious　the　little　turd　is。　I　could　see　it　in　his　face。　He　had　the　scent　of　blood。　So　naturally；　you　want　to　know　about　what。〃
　〃Naturally；〃　I　said。　The　Weasel　was　an　acplished　backstabber。　A　year　earlier；　he　had　managed　to　get　the　editor　of　the　Sunday　Calendar　fired。　Only　at　the　last　minute　did　he　fail　to　land　the　job　himself。
　Ken　said；　〃So　I　whisper　to　Lilly；　the　night　librarian。　'What　is　it？　What's　the　Weasel　up　to？'　She　says；　'He's　checking　police　reports　on　some　cop。'　So　that's　a　relief；　I　think。　But　then　I　begin　to　wonder。　I　mean；　I'm　still　the　senior　Metro　reporter。　I　still　do　a　story　out　of　Parker　Center　a　couple　of　times　a　month。　What　does　he　know　that　I　don't？　For　all　I　know；　this　should　be　my　story。　So　I　say　to　Lilly；　what's　the　name　of　this　cop？〃
　〃Let　me　guess；〃　I　said。
　〃That's　right；〃　Ken　said。　〃Peter　J。　Smith。〃
　〃What　time　was　this？〃
　〃About　eleven。〃
　〃Great；〃　I　said。
　〃I　thought　you'd　want　to　know；〃　Ken　said。
　〃I　do。〃
　〃So　I　said　to　Lilly　…　this　is　last　night　…　I　said；　'Lilly；　what　kind　of　stuff　is　he　pulling？'　And　he's　pulling　everything；　all　the　old　clips　from　the　morgue；　and　apparently　he's　got　a　source　inside　Parker　who's　going　to　leak　him　internal　affairs　records。　Some　kind　of　a　hearing　about　child　molestation。　Charge　brought　a　couple　of　years　ago。〃
　〃Ah；　shit；〃　I　said。
　〃That　true？〃　Ken　said。
　〃There　was　a　hearing；〃　I　said。　〃But　it　was　bullshit。〃
　Ken　looked　at　me。　〃Fill　me　in。〃
　〃It　was　three　years　back；〃　I　said。　〃I　was　still　working　detective。　My　partner　and　I　answered　a　domestic　violence　call　in　Ladera　Heights。　Hispanic　couple；　fighting。　Both　very　drunk。　Woman　wants　me　to　arrest　her　husband；　and　when　I　refuse　to；　says　he's　sexually　abusing　her　baby。　I　go　look　at　the　baby。　The　baby　looks　okay。　I　still　refuse　to　arrest　the　husband。　The　woman　is　pissed。　The　next　day　she　es　in　and　accuses　me　of　sexual　molestation。　There's　a　preliminary　hearing。　Charges　dismissed　as　without　merit。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Ken　said。　〃Now；　you　got　any　travel　that's　questionable？〃
　I　frowned。　〃Travel？〃
　〃The　Weasel　was　trying　to　locate　travel　records　last　night。　Airplane　trips；　junkets；　padded　expenses　。　。　。〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃It　doesn't　ring　a　bell。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　figured　he　must　be　wrong　about　that　one。　You're　a　single　parent；　you're　not　going　on　any　junkets。〃
　〃No　way。〃
　〃Good。〃
　We　were　walking　deeper　into　the　library。　We　came　to　a　corner　where　we　could　see　out　to　the　Metro　section　of　the　newsroom　through　glass　walls。　I　saw　the　Weasel　still　talking　to　the　girl；　chatting　her　up。　I　said；　〃What　I　don't　understand；　Ken；　is　why　me？　I　mean；　I　got　no　heat　on　me　at　all。　No　controversy。　I　haven't　been　a　working　detective　for　three　years。　I'm　not　even　a　press　officer　any　more。　I'm　liaison。　I　mean；　what　I　do　is　political。　So　why　is　a　Times　reporter　gunning　for　me？〃
　〃At　eleven　o'clock　on　a　Thursday　night；　you　mean？〃　Ken　said。　He　was　staring　at　me　like　I　was　an　idiot。　Like　there　was　drool　ing　down　my　chin。
　I　said；　〃You　think　the　Japanese　are　doing　this？〃
　〃I　think　the　Weasel　does　jobs　for　people。　He　is　a　scumbag　for　hire。　He　does　jobs　for　the　studios；　record　panies；　brokerage　houses；　even　the　realtors。　He's　a　consultant。　The　Weasel　now　drives　a　Mercedes　500SL；　you　know。〃
　〃Oh；　yeah？〃
　〃Pretty　good　on　a　reporter's　salary；　wouldn't　you　say？〃
　〃Yeah；　I　would。〃
　〃So。　You　got　on　the　wrong　side　of　somebody？　You　do　that　last　night？〃
　〃Maybe。〃
　〃Because　somebody　called　the　Weasel　to　track　you　down。〃
　I　said；　〃I　can't　believe　this。〃
　〃Believe　it；〃　Ken　said。　〃The　only　thing　that　worries　me　is　the　Weasel's　source　inside　Parker　Center。　Somebody　in　the　department's　leaking　him　internal　affairs　stuff。　You　okay　inside　your　own　department？〃
　〃As　far　as　I　know。〃
　〃Good。　Because　the　Weasel　is　up　to　his　usual　tricks。　This　morning　I　talked　to　Roger　Basb；　our　in…house　counsel。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃Guess　who　called　him　all　hot　and　bothered　with　a　question　last　night？　The　Weasel。　And　you　want　to　guess　what　the　question　was？〃
　I　said　nothing。
　〃The　question　was；　does　serving　as　a　police　press…officer　make　an　individual　a　public　personality？　As　in；　a　public　personality　who　can't　sue　for