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After I had the sandwich； I felt a little better。 I got up to finish cleaning up the room。 I picked up the Tinkertoy windmill and started taking it apart； putting the sticks back into the cardboard tube。 Michelle said； 〃No this； no this！〃 in a pained voice。 I thought she didn't want me to take apart the windmill； but that wasn't it at all。 She was cupping her hands over her eyes。 She didn't like to see Maleficent； the bad witch。 I fast…forwarded past the witch； and she relaxed again。
I dismantled the Tinkertoy windmill and put everything back into the tube container。 I put the metal cap on the tube and set it on the lowest shelf of the bookcase。 That was where it always went。 I like to keep the toys low； so Michelle can get to them herself。
The tube fell off the shelf； onto the carpet。 I picked it up again。 There was something on the shelf。 A small gray rectangle。 I knew at once what it was。
It was an eight…millimeter video cassette； with Japanese writing on the label。
？
Elaine said； 〃Lieutenant？ Do you need anything else？〃 She had her coat on； she was ready to go。
〃Hang on a minute；〃 I said。
I went to the phone； and called the switchboard downtown。 I asked them to connect me to Connor in my car。 I waited impatiently。 Elaine looked at me。
〃Just another minute； Elaine；〃 I said。
On the TV； the prince was singing a duet with Sleeping Beauty while birds chirped。 Michelle was sucking her thumb。
The operator said； 〃I'm sorry； there is no answer from the car。〃
〃Okay；〃 I said。 〃Do you have a forwarding number for Captain Connor？〃
A pause。 〃He's not on our active roster。〃
〃I know that。 But did he leave a number？〃
〃I don't have anything； Lieutenant。〃
〃I'm trying to find him。〃
〃Wait a minute。〃 She put me on hold。 I swore。
Elaine stood in the front hallway。 She was waiting to go。
The operator came back on。 〃Lieutenant？ Captain Ellis says that Captain Connor has gone。〃
〃Gone？〃
〃He was here a while ago； but he's gone now。〃
〃You mean he was downtown？〃
〃Yes； but he's gone now。 I don't have a number for him。 I'm sorry。〃
I hung up。 What the hell was Connor doing downtown？
Elaine was still standing in the front hallway。 〃Lieutenant？〃
I said； 〃Just a minute； Elaine。〃
〃Lieutenant； I have a… 〃
〃I said； just a minute。〃
I started pacing。 I didn't know what to do。 I was suddenly overwhelmed with fear。 They had killed Eddie for the tape。 They wouldn't hesitate to kill anybody else。 I looked at my daughter； watching television with her thumb in her mouth。 I said to Elaine； 〃Where's your car？〃
〃In the garage。〃
〃Okay。 Look。 I want you to take Michelle and I want you to go… 〃
The phone rang。 I grabbed it； hoping it was Connor。 〃Hello。〃
〃Moshi moshi。 Connor…san desu ka？〃
〃He's not here；〃 I said。 As soon as the words were out of my mouth； I cursed myself。 But it was too late； the damage was done。
〃Very good； Lieutenant；〃 the voice said； heavily accented。 〃You have what we want； don't you？〃
I said； 〃I don't know what you are talking about。〃
〃I think you do； Lieutenant。〃
I could hear a faint hiss on the line。 The call was ing from a car phone。 They could be anywhere。
They could be right outside。
Damn！
I said； 〃Who is this？〃
But I heard only a dial tone。
Elaine said； 〃What is it； Lieutenant？〃
I was running to the window。 I saw three cars double…parked in the street below。 Five men getting out of them； dark silhouettes in the night。
？
I tried to stay calm。 〃Elaine；〃 I said。 〃I want you to take Michelle； and both of you go into my bedroom。 Get under the bed。 I want you to stay under there and be very quiet； no matter what happens。 Do you understand？〃
〃No； Daddy！〃
〃Do it now； Elaine。〃
〃No； Daddy！ I want to watch Sleeping Beauty。〃
〃You can watch it later。〃 I had taken out my gun and was checking the clip。 Elaine's eyes were wide。
She took Michelle。 〃e on； honey。〃
Michelle squirmed in her arms； protesting。 〃No； Daddy！〃
〃Michelle。〃
She went silent； shocked at my tone。 Elaine carried her into the bedroom。 I loaded another clip； and put it in my jacket pocket。
I turned off the lights in the bedroom； and in Michelle's room。 I looked at her crib； and the covers with little elephants sewn into it。 I turned off the lights in the kitchen。
I went back into the living room。 The TV was still playing。 The wicked witch was instructing her raven to find Sleeping Beauty。 〃You are my last hope； my pet； do not fail me；〃 she said to the bird。 The bird flew away。
I stayed low。 I moved toward the door。 The phone rang again。 I crawled back to answer it。
〃Hello。〃
〃Kōhai。〃 It was Connor's voice。 I heard the static hiss of the car phone。
I said； 〃Where are you？〃
〃You have the tape？〃
〃Yes； I have the tape。 Where are you？〃
〃At the airport。〃
〃Well； get here。 Right away。 And call for backup！ Jesus！〃
I heard a sound on the landing； outside my door。 A soft sound； like footsteps。
I hung up the phone。 I was sweating。
Christ。
If Connor was at the airport； he was twenty minutes away from me。 Maybe more。
Maybe more。
I was going to have to handle this on my own。
I watched the door； listening intently。 But I didn't hear anything else on the landing outside。
From the bedroom； I heard my daughter say； 〃I want Sleeping Beauty。 I want Daddy；〃 I heard Elaine whispering to her。 Michelle whimpered。
Then it was quiet。
The phone rang again。
〃Lieutenant；〃 the heavily accented voice said； 〃there is no need for backups。〃
Christ； they were listening to the car phone。
〃We want no harm； Lieutenant。 We want only one thing。 Will you be so kind； to bring the tape out to us？〃
〃I have the tape；〃 I said。
〃We know。〃
I said； 〃You can have it。〃
〃Good。 It will be better。〃
I knew I was on my own。 I was thinking fast。 My sole idea was： Get them away from here。 Get them away from my daughter。
〃But not here；〃 I said。
There was a knock at the front door。 Quick； insistent rapping。
Damn！
I could feel events closing in around me。 Things were happening too fast。 I was crouched down on the floor； with the phone pulled down from the table above。 Trying to stay below the windows。
The knock came again。
I said into the phone； 〃You can have the tape。 But first call off your boys。〃
〃Say again； please？〃
Christ； a fucking language problem！
〃Call your men away。 Get them out in the street。 I want to see。〃
〃Lieutenant； we must have tape！〃
〃I know that；〃 I said。 〃I'll give it to you。〃 While I talked； I kept my eyes on the door。 I saw the knob turning。 Someone was trying to open the front door。 Slowly； quietly。 Then the knob was released。 Something white slid under the door。
A business card。
〃Lieutenant； please cooperate。〃
I crawled forward and picked up the card。 It said： Jonathan Connor； Captain； Los Angeles Police Department。
Then I heard a whisper from the other side。
〃Kōhai。〃
I knew it was a trick。 Connor said he was at the airport； so it had to be a trick…
〃Perhaps I can be of assistance； kōhai。〃
Those were the words he had used before； at the start of the case。 I was confused to hear them。
〃Open the fucking door； kōhai。〃
It was Con