Rising Sun: A Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

original report. I want the name of every person who has been on this floor since the body was discovered. And I want the film from Tanaka’s camera.
Ore wa honkida.
I will arrest you if you obstruct this investigation further.”
    “But I must consult my superiors—”
    “
Namerunayo.
” Connor leaned close. “Don’t fuck with me, Ishiguro-san. Now leave, and let us work.”
    “Of course, Captain,” he said. With a tight, brief bow he left, his face pinched and unhappy.
    Graham chuckled. “You told him off pretty good.”
    Connor spun. “What were you doing, telling him you were going to interrogate everybody at the party?”
    “Aw, shit, I was just winding him up,” Graham said. “There’s no way I’m going to interrogate the mayor. Can I help it if these assholes have no sense of humor?”
    “They have a sense of humor,” Connor said. “And the joke is on you. Because Ishiguro had a problem, and he solved it with your help.”
    “
My
help?” Graham was frowning. “What’re you talking about?”
    “It’s clear the Japanese wanted to delay the investigation,” Connor said. “Your aggressive tactics gave them the perfect excuse—to call for the Special Services liaison.”
    “Oh, come on,” Graham said. “For all they know, the liaison could have been here in five minutes.”
    Connor shook his head. “Don’t kid yourself: they knew exactly who was on call tonight. They knew exactly how far away Smith would be, and exactly how long it would take him to get here. And they managed to delay the investigation an hour and a half. Nice work, detective.”
    Graham stared at Connor for a long moment. Then he turned away. “Fuck,” he said. “That’s a load of bullshit, and you know it. Fellas, I’m going to work. Richie? Mount up. You got thirty seconds to document before my guys come in and step on your tail. Let’s go, everybody. I want to get finished before she starts to smell too bad.”
    And he lumbered off toward the crime scene.
    With their suitcases and evidence carts, the SID team trailed after Graham. Richie Walters led the way, shooting left and right as he worked his way forward into the atrium, then going through the door into the conference room. The walls of the conference room were smoked glass, which dimmed his flash. But I could see him inside, circling the body. He was shooting a lot: he knew this was a big case.
    I stayed behind with Connor. I said, “I thought you told me it was bad form to lose your temper with the Japanese.”
    “It is,” Connor said.
    “Then why did you lose yours?”
    “Unfortunately,” he said, “it was the only way to assist Ishiguro.”
    “To
assist
Ishiguro?”
    “Yes. I did all that for Ishiguro—because he had to save face in front of his boss. Ishiguro wasn’t the most important man in the room. One of the Japanese standing by the elevator was the
jūyaku
, the real boss.”
    “I didn’t notice,” I said.
    “It’s common practice to put a lesser man in front, whilethe boss stays in the background, where he is free to observe progress. Just as I did with you,
kōhai.
”
    “Ishiguro’s boss was watching all the time?”
    “Yes. And Ishiguro clearly had orders not to allow the investigation to begin. I needed to start the investigation. But I had to do it in such a way that he would not look incompetent. So I played the out-of-control
gaijin.
Now he owes me a favor. Which is good, because I may need his help later on.”
    “He owes you a favor?” I said, having trouble with this idea. Connor had just screamed at Ishiguro—thoroughly humiliating him, as far as I was concerned.
    Connor sighed. “Even if you don’t understand what happened, believe me: Ishiguro understands very well. He had a problem, and I helped him.”
    I still didn’t really understand, and I started to say more, but Connor held up his hand. “I think we better take a look at the scene, before Graham and his men screw things up any more than they already