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〃I do。〃
〃So I said to Lilly … this is last night … I said； 'Lilly； what kind of stuff is he pulling？' And he's pulling everything； all the old clips from the morgue； and apparently he's got a source inside Parker who's going to leak him internal affairs records。 Some kind of a hearing about child molestation。 Charge brought a couple of years ago。〃
〃Ah； shit；〃 I said。
〃That true？〃 Ken said。
〃There was a hearing；〃 I said。 〃But it was bullshit。〃
Ken looked at me。 〃Fill me in。〃
〃It was three years back；〃 I said。 〃I was still working detective。 My partner and I answered a domestic violence call in Ladera Heights。 Hispanic couple； fighting。 Both very drunk。 Woman wants me to arrest her husband； and when I refuse to； says he's sexually abusing her baby。 I go look at the baby。 The baby looks okay。 I still refuse to arrest the husband。 The woman is pissed。 The next day she es in and accuses me of sexual molestation。 There's a preliminary hearing。 Charges dismissed as without merit。〃
〃Okay；〃 Ken said。 〃Now； you got any travel that's questionable？〃
I frowned。 〃Travel？〃
〃The Weasel was trying to locate travel records last night。 Airplane trips； junkets； padded expenses 。 。 。〃
I shook my head。 〃It doesn't ring a bell。〃
〃Yeah； I figured he must be wrong about that one。 You're a single parent； you're not going on any junkets。〃
〃No way。〃
〃Good。〃
We were walking deeper into the library。 We came to a corner where we could see out to the Metro section of the newsroom through glass walls。 I saw the Weasel still talking to the girl； chatting her up。 I said； 〃What I don't understand； Ken； is why me？ I mean； I got no heat on me at all。 No controversy。 I haven't been a working detective for three years。 I'm not even a press officer any more。 I'm liaison。 I mean； what I do is political。 So why is a Times reporter gunning for me？〃
〃At eleven o'clock on a Thursday night； you mean？〃 Ken said。 He was staring at me like I was an idiot。 Like there was drool ing down my chin。
I said； 〃You think the Japanese are doing this？〃
〃I think the Weasel does jobs for people。 He is a scumbag for hire。 He does jobs for the studios； record panies； brokerage houses； even the realtors。 He's a consultant。 The Weasel now drives a Mercedes 500SL； you know。〃
〃Oh； yeah？〃
〃Pretty good on a reporter's salary； wouldn't you say？〃
〃Yeah； I would。〃
〃So。 You got on the wrong side of somebody？ You do that last night？〃
〃Maybe。〃
〃Because somebody called the Weasel to track you down。〃
I said； 〃I can't believe this。〃
〃Believe it；〃 Ken said。 〃The only thing that worries me is the Weasel's source inside Parker Center。 Somebody in the department's leaking him internal affairs stuff。 You okay inside your own department？〃
〃As far as I know。〃
〃Good。 Because the Weasel is up to his usual tricks。 This morning I talked to Roger Basb； our in…house counsel。〃
〃And？〃
〃Guess who called him all hot and bothered with a question last night？ The Weasel。 And you want to guess what the question was？〃
I said nothing。
〃The question was； does serving as a police press…officer make an individual a public personality？ As in； a public personality who can't sue for libel？〃
I said； 〃Jesus。〃
〃Right。〃
〃And the answer？〃
〃Who cares about the answer？ You know how this works。 All the Weasel has to do is call a few people and say； 'Hi； this is Bill Wilhelm over here at the L。A。 Times。 We're going with a story tomorrow that says Lieutenant Peter Smith is a child molester； do you have any ment on that？' A few well…placed calls； and the story doesn't even have to run。 The editors can kill it but the damage is already done。〃
I said nothing。 I knew what Ken was telling me was true。 I had seen it happen more than once。
I said； 〃What can I do？〃
Ken laughed。 〃You could arrange one of your famous incidents of L。A。 police brutality。〃
〃That's not funny。〃
〃Nobody at this paper would cover it； I can promise you that。 You could fucking kill him。 And if somebody made a home video？ Hey； people here would pay to see it on video。〃
〃Ken。〃
Ken sighed。 〃I can dream。 Okay。 There's one thing。 Last year； after Wilhelm was involved in the； ah； change of management over in Calendar； I got an anonymous package in the mail。 So did a few other people。 Nobody did anything about it at the time。 It's pretty dirty pool。 You interested？〃
〃Yeah。〃
Ken took a small manila envelope from the inside pocket of his sport coat。 It had one of those strings that you wrap back and forth to close it。 Inside was a series of photos； printed in a strip。 It showed Willy Wilhelm engaged in an intimate act with a dark…haired man。 His head buried in his lap。
〃You can't see the Weasel's face too well in all the angles；〃 Ken said。 〃But it's him； all right。 Action snap of the reporter entertaining his source。 Having a drink with him； so to speak。〃
〃Who is the guy？〃
〃It took us a while。 His name is Barry Borman。 He's the regional head of sales for Kaisei Electronics in southern California。〃
〃What can I do with this？〃
〃Give me your card；〃 Ken said。 〃I'll clip it to the envelope； and have it delivered to the Weasel。〃
I shook my head。 〃I don't think so。〃
〃It'd sure make him think twice。〃
〃No；〃 I said。 〃It's not for me。〃
Ken shrugged。 〃Yeah。 It might not work； anyway。 Even if we squeeze the Weasel's nuts； the Japanese probably have other ways。 I still haven't been able to find out how that story ran last night。 All I hear is； 'Orders from the top； orders from the top。' Whatever that means。 It could mean anything。〃
〃Somebody must have written it。〃
〃I tell you； I can't find out。 But you know； the Japanese have a powerful influence at the paper。 It's more than just the ads they take。 It's more than their relentless PR machine drumming out of Washington； or the local lobbying and the campaign contributions to political figures and organizations。 It's the sum of all those things and more。 And it's starting to be insidious。 I mean； you can be sitting around in a staff meeting discussing some article that we might run； and you suddenly realize； nobody wants to offend them。 It isn't a question of whether a story is right or wrong； news or not news。 And it isn't a one…to…one equation； like 'We can't say that or they'll pull their ads。' It's more subtle than that。 Sometimes I look at my editors； and I can tell they won't go with certain stories because they are afraid。 They don't even know what they are afraid of。 They're just afraid。〃
〃So much for a free press。〃
〃Hey；〃 Ken said。 〃This is not the time for sophomore bullshit。 You know how it works。 The American press reports the prevailing opinion。 The prevailing opinion is the opinion of the group in power。 The Japanese are now in power。 The press reports the prevailing opinion as usual。 No surprises。 Just take care。〃
〃I will。〃
〃And don't hesitate to call； if you decide you want to arrange mail service。〃
* * *
I wanted to talk to Connor。 I was beginning to understand why Connor had been worried； and why he had wanted to conclude the investigation quickly。 Because a well…mounted campaign of innuendo is a fearsome thing。 A skillful practitioner … and the Weasel