On the Fifth Day Read Online Free PDF Page B

only stupidly ineffectual and hard done by. He cursed under his breath and turned back to Jim, who was now perching gingerly on the bed, still cradling his temple. The lawyer had appeared in the doorway.
    "Everything okay?" he said.
    Thomas shot him a baleful look.
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    "Brilliant," said Jim, sardonically upbeat.
    "He was looking for something," said Thomas, sitting be
    side him on the edge of the bed and taking in the carnage that had been visited upon the room: its papers scattered, its books strewn about, the meager remnants of his brother's life hurled around with no remorse or respect . . .
    "He asked me if I was Knight, " he said, thinking it through, trying to remember. "I assumed he meant me, but I think he meant my brother. He said his name was Parks, and I assumed he was the lawyer, but I think . . . I'm not sure. He didn't know Ed personally, but I think he came specifically to see him. I think," he added, troubled by the realization, "that he didn't know my brother was dead."
    Jim frowned.
    "I don't know what to do with that," he said, massaging his head.
    "Neither do I," said Thomas.
    "Is anything missing?" asked Jim, picking up one of the books and considering it.
    "I have no idea," said Thomas. "There wasn't much to steal except for papers, and if some of those are gone, I'd never know."
    He stooped, righted an overturned box, and saw the wed
    ding picture lying there, bent slightly now.
    "Wait," he said. "Something is missing. A little silver fish. You know the one I mean?"
    Jim shook his head.
    "The police are sending someone over," said the lawyer.
    "They said we should touch nothing."
    "He asked me where Ed died," said Thomas, half to him
    self. "I told him I didn't know. I felt bad about it . . . that I didn't know, I mean. I think he really wanted to know. I'm not sure why, but . . ."
    "I don't know where he was," said Jim. "Far East some
    where. He had been in Italy, then went to Japan, but I don't think he died there."
    "Japan?" said Thomas, all the old mixed feelings flooding 27
    O n t h e F i f t h D a y
    back as they did when anyone mentioned Japan. It was a bit like being hit again, though it turned into a cold numbness edged with apprehension. It was like waking up and knowing that something terrible had happened the day before but being un
    able to remember what it was. "What was he doing in Japan?"
    "No idea," said Jim. "We could call the order. The Jesuits, I mean."
    Thomas looked at him, and then nodded, which made his head ring again with pain.
    CHAPTER 5
    "He said his name was Parks," said Thomas, for the second time in as many minutes.
    "And this silver fish thing is all you're sure is missing?"
    The cop who had introduced himself as Officer Campbell looked bored, as if he had been sent on a wild-goose chase. Now that the initial outrage had subsided, Thomas couldn't re
    ally blame him.
    "Yes," he said. "I didn't really get chance to look at the pa
    pers before he arrived . . ."
    "You think it was valuable?"
    "Probably not. I suppose it depends what it was made of. If it was silver it might be worth a couple of hundred bucks."
    "Could you describe the fish, sir?" said the cop, blowing out a sigh and scribbling on a pad with a black pen.
    "Three or four inches long, kind of funny shaped, detailed scales . . . I don't know what else."
    "Funny shaped?" said Campbell.
    "Crudely modeled, I guess. Fat tail. Big, clumsy-looking fins."
    "And it was just a model fish, not, you know, a container or something? Did it open up?"
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    "I don't know."
    "You think it was, like, symbolic or something? You know, him being a priest and all."
    "Symbolic?" said Thomas. "How do you mean?"
    "You know, like those metal fishes folks have on their cars. Jesus fish. "
    The policeman sketched an outline on his pad, a single line looping back on itself to form a leaf-shaped body and open tail. Thomas considered it. It reminded him of a Mobius strip or part of a double helix.
    "I don't know,"