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！
13
London/Tokyo/Yoshino
The sleet had stopped； and silvery light from a full moon sliding through the last of a low…riding cloud bank spilled through the bathroom； illuminating Celeste's face。 Her hair slid across her cheek as she bent； upending the trash can into the toilet and flushing away the burned contents。
Croaker； standing breathless behind the shower curtain； found the tub porcelain cold。 He had seen Celeste's shadow moving on the wall； enlarging dramatically as she began to head his way。 That was when he had left the door； racing across the tiles to the tub。 Celeste hadn't bothered to turn on the lights and so hadn't noticed the small spots of water that had fallen from his wet shoes。
Now； as he crept back to the door； he absorbed them with the soles of his socks。 That had been too close； and his heart was thudding heavily in his chest。 Celeste had been near enough for him to smell her perfume。 He could have reached out and touched her。 And if she had bothered to look down at the wet tiles。。。
Croaker had met Celeste late last year in Tokyo when they were pursuing Do Duc； the Vietnamese who had murdered her brother； Dominic Goldoni。 That Celeste was part of the Nishiki network did not surprise him because Nicholas had first met her in Venice where she worked for Mikio Okami； but that Vesper was deeper and deeper inside it terrified him。 It was beginning to look as if； like all the most successful moles； she was privy to the highest levels of Okami's clandestine network。
〃For the first time since we began； I am starting to have doubts；〃 Celeste said。 〃The forces arrayed against Okami are so vast； so well entrenched。〃 She shook her head。 〃You saw what happened after Leonforte was unmasked and killed … Dedalus took over and now it's as if nothing has changed。 The Godaishu is like the Hydra … a monster with so many heads； lopping off one or two had no effect。〃
〃That was part of Okami's plan when he built up the Godaishu。 Now that he's fighting it； it's like battling your own mirror image。〃
Celeste looked up at Vesper。 〃I'm terrified they will penetrate his defenses and kill him。 If he doesn't get help soon …〃
〃I think you have to have faith in Okami；〃 Vesper said softly。
〃But I haven't seen him in so long。 And I feel as if the Godaishu's power is growing every day。〃
Vesper said nothing； but her look of concern startled Croaker。 Again he was witnessing the expert psychologist at work。 Was it an act； or genuine； as it appeared？ Could she care for these people … Celeste； Margarite； and Okami … while in the act of betraying them？ The more he saw of this woman the less he knew her。 She was a unique creature； of that much he was certain。
Celeste shook her head； worrying her lower lip。 〃We have another crisis。 Serman hasn't delivered his last update on Torch。 Without him we're dead in the water and the entire penetration is at a risk level we can't tolerate。〃
Penetration of what？ Croaker strained to hear every word。
Vesper nodded。 〃Yes； there's got to be a problem at DARPA。 I don't know what's in Serman's mind。〃
Celeste looked worried。 〃Do you think he's hit a wall？ What if he can't deliver the element 114m analysis in time？ Floating City will have its weapon； and once Floating City puts it on the market on the fifteenth； we will be helpless to stop its dissemination。〃
〃Either way； we're in trouble。 We're running out of time。 I'll go see turn myself right away。 I can make a morning flight。〃
〃You'll have to take the evening plane。 I've had a message。 It came in an hour before you arrived。 You're to be at the 315 rendezvous point at noon tomorrow。〃
〃That's beside the Bird Lawn at Holland Park。〃 Vesper leaned forward； looking concerned。 〃Three fifteen。 You know the code as well as I do。 He's going to want the Update on Serman； and I'm not going to be able to give it to him。〃
〃He won't take kindly to bad news。〃
''Not at this late date。 He's never lost in his life。〃
〃But we've lost now；〃 Celeste said； 〃haven't we？〃
Ushiba met Tanaka Gin in the underground food courts at the Ginza branch of Mitsukoshi； Japan's most famous department store。 Mitsukoshi's food courts were legendary； stretching in any direction for as far as the eye could see； or so it seemed。 If it was edible； it could probably be found here。 Everything was on display； from fresh…cut bamboo； vegetables； herbs； breads of all descriptions and varieties； to prepared foods in astonishing abundance。
Tanaka Gin liked to spend odd hours cruising the prepared…food stalls； gobbling down samples white his mind worked on a problem his chaotic office made it impossible to solve。
Ushiba had never seen Tanaka GUI sit down and have a proper meal。 One could assume that at some point during the day or night he must do that； but that was a dangerous assumption to make about the Tokyo prosecutor。 He was like a shark； always on the move； not so much restive as reluctant to allow inertia to catch up with him。 Bodies at rest； Ushiba had often heard him say； were difficult to get into motion。 He might have been speaking somewhat metaphorically about the bureaucratic red tape he daily battled against； but Ushiba did not think that was the sum of it。 Upon contemplation； it seemed to Ushiba that Tanaka Gin had a horror of the world spinning on without him。 Like a
child who fights sleep while his parents' party is in progress； Ushiba suspected the prosecutor had an instinct that connected rest with death：
〃How is your case against Yoshinori progressing？〃 Ushiba asked when he caught up with Tanaka Gin at a stall selling Thai spring rolls。
〃Adequately。〃 Tanaka Gin took a spring roll； dipped it into a sticky orange sauce； and devoured it in two bites。 〃I think my biggest problem will be in keeping him alive until the trial。〃
〃Yoshinori wants to die？〃
〃His life is over。〃 Tanaka Gin took another spring roll as he headed to the next stall。 The smell of frying peanut oil was as luscious as the sumptuous sweep of a woman's naked thigh。 〃He knows it and we know he knows it。 The matter has now passed beyond him to others。 He is aware of this as well。 It does not sit well with him that the life he has lived for so long now finds him all but superfluous。〃
〃I can only imagine the departmental questions if he dies prematurely；〃 Ushiba said in a neutral tone of voice。 〃Would you like me to talk with him？〃
Tanaka Gin paused with a sliver of grilled fish fin halfway to his mouth。 He glanced at what he was about to eat； popped it in his mouth； wiped his fingers on a tiny square of waxed paper given to him by the woman who was offering the samples。
〃You have thought this matter over pletely。〃 Tanaka Gin's dark eyes lingered on Ushiba's beautiful face for some time。 〃This is not a decision to be entered into lightly。〃
〃I do not want to end up as Yoshinori has； feeling superfluous。〃
〃I seriously doubt that was ever a possibility for you； Daijin。〃
It wasn't often that Tanaka Gin called him by his title。 That； along with the switch in tenses； told Ushiba that things had changed between them。 He was on Tanaka Gin's team now； like it or not。 He would have to play by the prosecutor's rules or suffer the im