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Everything appeared strange and different。 Distant； as well； as if she were a new arrival from another planet。 She took the mirror that had been placed in her hand by one of the nurses and shone it on herself。
What she saw there was no face in the rain but the first true blossom of her vengeance。
She saw Yukio staring back at her； blinking furiously in the first light of a new day。
BOOK
FIVE
THE MIKO
＇1。 A sorceress 2。 A maiden in the service of a shrine＇
NEW YORK CITY/HONG KONG/HOKKAIDO/ MAUI/WASHINGTON/TOKYO
SPRING； PRESENT
〃Hello； Matty？〃
〃Who wants to know？〃
〃Croaker； Detective Lieutenant； NYPD。〃
〃Nah。 He's deader than a doornail。〃
〃Then you're speaking to the grave。 This is your lucky day； Matty。〃
〃Who the hell is this； anyway？〃
〃Matty； I got the dame we spoke about last year。 Remember the conversation？ Alix Logan。 Key West。〃
〃I don't…〃
〃You said the situation'd gotten hotter than Lucifer's hind tit。〃
There was a sharp inhalation。 〃Christ on a crutch； it is you； Lieutenant！ You ain't dead。 I went to Saint Luke's to light a candle。〃
〃I appreciate that； Matty。 Really I do。〃
〃Where the hell are you； Lieutenant？〃
〃Information； Matty；〃 Croaker said into the phone。 〃I need information like a junkie needs his fix。 I'm pulling in my markers…all of them。 After this we start clean。〃
Matty the Mouth； Croaker's main snitch； thought about this for a minimum amount of time。 〃It could get me killed。〃
〃It almost did me； Ace。 You'll be protected。 I'll make sure Tomkin's people won't get near you。〃
〃It ain't Tomkin I'm worried about； Lieutenant。 That bastard deep…sixed almost a week ago。〃
〃What？〃
〃Whassamatter； don't you read the papes or nuthin'？〃
〃I've been avoiding them like the plague。 I even told Alix the radio in the car was busted。 We got into a mess in North Carolina。 I didn't want her to know how bad it was。〃
〃Ain't heard nuthin' about nuthin' in N。C。〃
〃In Raleigh。〃
〃Nada； Lieutenant。 And I'd know。〃
Croaker turned his head； watched Alix in the car by the side of the highway。 They were very near the Lincoln Tunnel； almost back in New York。 〃What happened with Tomkin？〃
〃Croaked from some mysterious disease。 Taka…something。 Japanese sounding。〃
〃That's very funny。〃
〃It is？ I don't get it。〃
〃Never mind。 Private joke。〃 The recorded message cut in and Croaker fed the box with some more change。 〃About the Raleigh incident。〃
〃Total blackout。〃
〃Yah。〃
〃I ain't surprised； Lieutenant。 Tomkin was just the tip of the shit pile in this one。〃 Noise came through the line。 〃Hold on a minute； will you？〃 Muffled； Croaker could hear him say to someone else in the room； 〃Do like I tell you； for Chrissakes； and go to a fuckin' movie or somethin'。〃
In a moment he was back on the line。 〃Sorry。 Wanted to clear the room。 This's risky enough as it is。〃 He coughed。 〃Told you I'd do some more nosing around； and I did。 What I found I didn't like。 In fact； I was sorry as hell I'd given you the Key West info。 When the papes reported you'd bought it； I thought sure as hell it was my fault so I went straight to Saint Luke's。〃
〃And all that time I thought it was friendship； pure and simple； Matty。〃
〃Life ain't that way； Lieutenant。 You know that's well as me。〃
Croaker could not help thinking of Nicholas Linnear and the friendship he had with the man。 Were there any of the usual strings attached to the relationship？ He was sure there were not。 That was part of what made their friendship so special； so binding。
Fleetingly； he wondered where Nicholas was now and what he was doing。 The last he'd heard of him he was back in West Bay Bridge。 Probably off on his honeymoon now； he thought。 Croaker knew that he would have tracked his friend down long ago were it not for the fact that he wanted this danger kept away from Nicholas…at least until he could define it。
He refocused his attention。 〃You'd better give me all of it； Matty。〃
〃What I got ain't good。 The government's involved。〃
For a moment Croaker thought someone had lobbed a grenade in his direction。 Stupidly； in shock； he said； 〃Which government？〃
〃Ours。 Jesus； who else's？〃
〃I don't get it。〃
〃You think I do？ All I know is that this's gone way beyond you or me。〃
Croaker's mind was spinning furiously。 〃Now I see why you weren't surprised about the blackout in Raleigh。 Only the gov…ernment'd have that kind of clout。 D'you know who in the government？〃
〃Know a character； Minck by name？〃
〃Never heard of him。〃
〃Neither had I until I did some heavyweight snooping。 He runs what's called a 'closed shop' in the trade。〃
〃And what trade might that be？〃
〃Why； spying； of course； Lieutenant。〃
〃What the hell's this got to do with Tomkin and Angela Di…dion's murder？〃
〃You said you'd got the dame with you。 Ask her。 She was a witness。 The only one。〃
〃Yeah？ Then why's she still walking around； safe and sound？〃
〃She alone in Key West？〃 Matty asked shrewdly。
〃No。 They had a bracket on her。 But it was to keep her safe。〃
〃You know that for a fact？〃
〃As a matter of fact； I do；〃 Croaker said。 〃She tried to off herself one afternoon。 One of 'em stopped her。 I saw the whole thing。〃
〃Something doesn't make sense；〃 Matty conceded。 〃But I'lk be damned if I know what it is。〃
〃You give me all of it？〃 Croaker asked； feeding his last quarter into the slot。
〃One other thing。 It's not the same topic； but since you been on the moon for a while I thought I'd pass it on。 Your buddy Linnear's been named head of Tomkin Industries。〃
〃You're kidding。〃
〃Why would I do that？ He's in Tokyo now…you know； Japan…finishing off some big business Tomkin had going with a pany called Sato Petrochemicals。〃
Jesus； Croaker thought。 What's happening here？ The whole world's turning upside down。
He cleared his mind； fast。 〃Do me one more favor； will you？〃
〃Now it'll cost you； Lieutenant。 We're all square； like you said。 What's the deal？〃
〃I need a place for me and girl to flop。 Your place。〃
〃Thousand a week or any fraction thereof。〃
〃You're getting to be a wise guy； Matty。 This's an emergency。〃
〃I kinda understand that； Lieutenant； but you gotta see things from my point of view； too。 Times're tight。 I gotta live just like anybody else。〃
〃You forget I'm not on the payroll right now。〃
〃I'll take your marker。〃
〃You sonuvabitch。〃
Croaker could feel his smile through the phone。 〃Yeah；〃 Matty the Mouth said。 〃I know。〃
At precisely six P。M。 Hong Kong time； Tanzan Nangi； sitting high up in the offices of the All…Asia Bank； picked up the telephone and dialed the number Liu had given him at the end of their first meeting。
All afternoon he had glumly watched the ants far below queuing up before the entrance to the All…Asia's Central District branch in order to withdraw their life's savings。 Suddenly the All…Asia was poison； it would swallow their money whole。 The Chinese were pulling out。
The mechanism by which such enormous masses of people were so instantly galvanized was a mystery to Nangi； but he had no doubt as to who was behind the run。 The munists were turning the screws。
〃How long can we expect to hold out？〃 Nangi had asked Allan S