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〃I've been here all day；〃 Eddie said。 He sounded put out。 〃You guys。 Never e here。 I wait and wait。 Have a peanut butter jelly sandwich with Shelly。 You have nice girl； Lieutenant。 Cute girl。〃
〃Eddie is funny；〃 my daughter said。 〃He smokes； Daddy。〃
〃I see that；〃 I said。 I felt slow and stupid。 I was still trying to understand。
My daughter came over and held her arms up。 〃Pick me up； Daddy。〃 I picked her up。
〃Very nice girl；〃 Eddie said。 〃We made a windmill。 See？〃 He spun the spokes of the Tinkertoy。 〃Works。〃
I said； 〃I thought you were dead。〃
〃Me？〃 He laughed。 〃No。 Never dead。 Tanaka dead。 Mess hell out of my car； too。〃 He shrugged。 〃I have bad luck with Ferraris。〃
〃So does Tanaka；〃 Connor said。
I said； 〃Tanaka？〃
Michelle said； 〃Daddy； can I watch Cinderella？〃
〃Not right now；〃 I said。 〃Why was Tanaka in the car？〃
〃Panicky guy；〃 Eddie said。 〃Very nervous guy。 Maybe guilty； too。 Must have got scared； I don't know for sure。〃
Connor said； 〃You and Tanaka took the tapes。〃
〃Yes。 Sure。 Right after。 Ishiguro says to Tanaka： Get the tapes。 So Tanaka gets them。 Sure。 But I know Tanaka； so I go along。 Tanaka takes them to some lab。〃
Connor nodded。 〃And who went to the Imperial Arms？〃
〃I know Ishiguro sends some men； to clean up。 I don't know who。〃
〃And you went to the restaurant。〃
〃Sure； yes。 Then I went to the party。 Rod's party。 No problem。〃
〃And what about the tapes； Eddie？〃
〃I told you。 Tanaka takes them。 I don't know where。 He's gone。 He works for Ishiguro。 For Nakamoto。〃
〃I understand；〃 Connor said。 〃But he didn't take all the tapes； did he。〃
Eddie gave a crooked grin。 〃Hey。〃
〃You kept some？〃
〃No。 Just one。 Just a mistake； you know。 In my pocket。〃 He smiled。
Michelle said； 〃Daddy； can I watch Disney channel？〃
〃Sure；〃 I said。 I put her down。 〃Elaine will help you。〃
My daughter went away。 Connor kept talking to Eddie。 Slowly the sequence of events came out。 Tanaka had gone off with the tapes； and at some point in the evening； apparently realized that one was missing。 He figured it out； Eddie said； and he came back to Eddie's house to collect the missing tape。 He had interrupted Eddie with the girls。 He had demanded the tape。
〃I don't know for sure； but after I talk to you； I figure they set me up。 We have a big argument。〃
〃And then the police came。 Graham came。〃
Eddie nodded slowly。 〃Tanaka…san shit a brick。 Hey！ He's unhappy Japanese man。〃
〃So you made him tell you everything 。 。 。〃
〃Oh yeah； Captain。 He tells me very fast… 〃
〃And in return you told him where the missing tape was。〃
〃Sure。 In my car。 I give him the keys。 So he can unlock it。 He has the keys。〃
Tanaka had gone into the garage to get the tape。 The patrolmen downstairs ordered him to halt。 He started the car and drove off。
〃I watch him go； John。 Drives like shit。〃
So it had been Tanaka who was driving the car when it hit the embankment。 It was Tanaka who had burned to death。 Eddie explained that he hid in the shrubbery behind the swimming pool and waited until everybody left。
〃Cold as shit out there；〃 he said。
I said to Connor； 〃You knew all this？〃
〃I suspected。 The reports of the crash said that the body was badly burned； and that even the glasses had melted。〃
Eddie said； 〃Hey； I don't wear glasses。〃
〃Exactly；〃 Connor said。 〃Even so； I asked Graham to check； the next day。 He never found any glasses in Eddie's house。 So it couldn't have been Eddie in the car。 The next day； when we went to Eddie's house； I had the patrolmen check the license plates on all the cars parked on the street。 Sure enough： there was a yellow Toyota sedan； a short distance up the road； registered to Akira Tanaka。〃
〃Hey； pretty good；〃 Eddie said。 〃Smart。〃
I said； 〃Where were you； all this time？〃
〃At Jasmine's house。 Very nice house。〃
〃Who's Jasmine？〃
〃Redhead number。 Very nice woman。 Got a Jacuzzi； too。〃
〃But why did you e here？〃
Connor said to me； 〃He had to。 You have his passport。〃
〃Right；〃 Eddie said。 〃And me； I have your business card。 You give me。 Home address and phone。 I need my passport； Lieutenant。 I got to go now。 So I e here； and wait。 And holy shit； all the reporters。 Cameras。 Everything。 So I stay low； play with Shelly。〃 He lit a cigarette； turned nervously。 〃So。 What do you say； Lieutenant？ How about you give me my passport？ Netsutuku。 No harm done。 I'm dead anyway。 Okay？〃
〃Not just yet；〃 Connor said。
〃e on； John。〃
〃Eddie； you have to do a little job first。〃
〃Hey。 What job？ I got to go； Captain。〃
〃Just one job； Eddie。〃
Morton took a deep breath； and turned away from the studio window。 I had to admire his self…control。 He seemed pletely calm。 〃It appears；〃 he said； 〃that my options at this moment are somewhat reduced。〃
〃Yes； Senator；〃 Connor said。
He sighed。 〃You know it was an accident。 It really was。〃
Connor nodded sympathetically。
〃I don't know what it was about her；〃 Morton said。 〃She was beautiful； of course； but it wasn't 。 。 。 it wasn't that。 I only met her a short time ago。 Four； five months ago。 I thought she was a nice girl。 Texas girl； sweet。 But it was 。 。 。 one of those things。 It just happened。 She had this way of getting under your skin。 It was crazy。 Unexpected。 I started to think about her all the time。 I couldn't 。 。 。 she would call me； when I was on a trip。 She would find out when I was on a trip； somehow。 And pretty soon； I couldn't tell her to stay away。 I couldn't。 She always seemed to have money； always had a plane ticket。 She was crazy。 Sometimes； she would make me so mad。 It was like my 。 。 。 I don't know。 Demon。 Everything changed when she was around。 Crazy。 I had to stop seeing her。 And eventually I had the feeling she was paid for。 Someone was paying her。 Someone knew all about her。 And me。 So I had to stop it。 Bob told me。 Hell； everybody in the office told me。 I couldn't。 Finally I did。 It was over。 But when I came to that reception； there she was。 Shit。〃 He shook his head。 〃It just happened。 What a mess。〃
The girl stuck her head in the door。 〃Two minutes； Senator。 They're asking for you downstairs if you're ready。〃
Morton said to us； 〃I'd like to do this first。〃
〃Of course；〃 Connor said。
His self…possession was extraordinary。 Senator Morton conducted a televised interview with three reporters for half an hour； without a trace of tension or disfort。 He smiled； cracked jokes； bantered with the reporters。 It was as if he had no problems at all。
At one point he said； 〃Yes； it's true that the British and the Dutch both have larger investments in America than the Japanese。 But we can't ignore the reality of targeted； adversarial trade as practiced by Japan … where business and government make a planned attack on some segment of the American economy。 The British and Dutch don't operate that way。 We haven't lost basic industries to those countries。 But we've lost many to Japan。 That is a real difference … and that's the reason for concern。〃
He added； 〃And； of course； if we want to buy a Dutch or English pany； we can。 But we can't buy a Japanese pany。〃
The interview continued； but nobody asked him about MicroCon。 So he steered it： in reply to a question； he said；