按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
did。
But it seemed as if the relationship between Colonel Linnear and Mikio Okami ran deeper than a mere business quid pro quo。 The two； it appeared； had been fast friends。 Beyond this point； Chosa's intelligence was rather sketchy。 Just exactly what the two men were up to was still a mystery。 But at least some inferences could be made。 For instance； Chosa was alone among all the Yakuza oyabun who understood Tomoo Kozo's motivation for trying to kill Nicholas Linnear this past New Year's Day。
It was widely assumed that Kozo； who was then the oyabun of the Yamauchi clan； was terrified that Linnear would find out that it had been Kozo's orders to follow Linnear's wife； and that her fear of being followed had caused the accident in which she and her lover had been killed。 Chosa had lied to Ushiba … Kozo had deliberately gone after Justine Linnear； he wanted her dead； just as he had wanted Nicholas dead。 All because he believed that Colonel Linnear and Mikio Okami had killed his father Katsuodo in 1947 because Katsuodo had been against Okami's policy of appeasement with the Americans。 Katsuodo despised everything Western； he was never able to surmount his humiliation at his country's defeat in the war of the Pacific。 Consequently； he and Okami bad constantly been at odds。
At the time an internal war had seemed inescapable even though all Yakuza oyabun knew this would deeply injure them all。 Two weeks after Katsuodo spoke openly of going to war with Okami； his body was found floating in the Sumida River。 There was not a mark on it； but a closely guarded secret was that the elder Kozo could not swim。 The boy Tomoo Kozo theorized someone somehow learned that secret； and he had made it his life's work to discover the perpetrators of his father's death。 His suspicions led him to concentrate his investigation on Okami and Colonel Linnear； but Chosa had never found out whether Kozo had gathered sufficient evidence … or any at all … on which to base his conclusions。
The girl's muscular control interested Chosa； but of course she was just beginning。 It was her gift。 Not a muscle moved on her body； though her skin was now burnished with a fine layer of perspiration。 A single bead； glittering in the lights like a diamond； clung to one erect nipple。 There was something ineffable about that one bead of moisture； like a tear or a cherry blossom about to fall； that spoke of life transfigured； unaltered either by time or by emotion。
In one important sense； Chosa found himself admiring Nicholas Linnear because he was entrenched in a purely Japanese dilemma； worthy of its most famous heroes。 Nicholas loved his father； but believed that his alliance with the Yakuza … with Mikio Okami in particular … was morally indefensible。 Thus his abiding hatred of the Yakuza。 And yet； to order to honor the memory of his father； he was forced into service to Okami because the Colonel had made him promise to help the old oyabun should he ever need it。 Last year Okami； having gotten word that a contract had been put out on him； had gone to Nicholas。 To Nicholas's credit； he honored his giri to his father； though the cost to him； personally； must have been great。
A slender strand of saliva linked the tip of the girl's tongue to the end of the rubber device as it was withdrawn from her mouth。 She held it up in the air； twirled it； then slid it languorously down between her rising and falling breasts。 She stirred its tip around first one nipple； then the other； until they quite clearly quivered in the spotlights。
Then she dragged the slickened head down over her flat stomach； through her navel； down； down； until it nudged the top of the tight Mylar strip covering her loins。 With a deft twist of her wrist； the head slipped beneath the shiny fabric； lifting it so that the men in the club rose as one off their seats。
In went the rubber device as her mouth opened in what might have been either a silent moan or a scream。 Perhaps it was a bit of both。 In and out went the rubber device； in and out； in rhythm to music that had started up。 But her mouth remained open； scarlet lips stretched taut。
In a moment； there was a soft rustle as a man from the audience staggered forward； ten thousand yen trembling in his outstretched hand。 A figure from the shadows by the side of the stage took the notes as the man's trousers puddled at his ankles。 Breathing hard； he climbed upon the stage。 In and out； went the sleek rubber device。 In and out。
The man knelt astride the woman's head； directed himself into her open mouth。 Her lips closed upon tumid flesh and the man's eyes dosed。 Everyone was standing now。 Not a breath could be heard； even when the music ceased to be replaced by the soft grunts of the kneeling man。 The insides of the woman's thighs were humid with sweat； and flushed with blood。 Her knees spread wider as the Mylar strip became more twisted； and now； for the briefest instant； one could see beneath it to。。。
She took her hands away from the implement； raising them to slyly cup her breasts。 And yet astonishingly； the rubber device continued its motion in and out as if it were alive。 The highly developed muscles in the woman's groin rippled and undulated； the cords of the insides of her thighs like steel cables。 Her jaw hinged fully open and she took all of the man into her mouth； holding him there as he began to shake。 With a groan； his hips jerked forward and he almost fell off the stage。 At the same time； the woman's feet pressed hard against the surface of the stage and her own pelvis canted upward uncontrollably as her sex inhaled the rubber implement to its full depth。
There was a low collective groan from the men surrounding her。 The smell of sweat was strong on the air。 The man rose and； staggering drunkenly； lurched off into the audience。
Cigarettes were fired up。 The show was over and the spell had been broken。 Chosa signaled to one of his men to go backstage and wait for the girl while she showered and dressed。 She would； he knew； be waiting for him in his bed when he returned later that night。 But first he had an interview with perhaps the only person besides Mikio Okami who knew all the secrets of occupied Tokyo in the latter half of the 1940s。
Chosa climbed into the back of his armor…plated limousine and spoke softly to his driver。 Beside the beefy man； Chosa's bodyguard sat stoically and so still he might have been asleep。 Nothing could be further from the truth。
Within twenty minutes they were rolling through a worn…out district that paralleled the Sumida River。 Stray dogs skulked on the edges of the headlights； and fires burned in trash cans。 The black fa？ades of the warehouses seemed forbidding in the night。 The limo stopped outside a private residence wedged between two such structures。
It was raining lightly； the drops fizzing against the harsh sodium lights of the street Chosa emerged from the car； pulled the collar of his overcoat up around his cheeks。 After the thick； steamy atmosphere of the club it was good to breathe open air。 He could smell the Sumida； but the effluvia of burning ash collected in the back of his throat； and he hurried up the steep flight of stairs to the front door of the private dwelling。