ericlustbader.the ninja-第58部分

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　Slipping　on　his　surgeon's　gloves；　he　crossed　to　the　closet；　opposite　the　enormous　bed。　The　bedroom　was　all　done　in　midnight　blue；　from　the　silk　walls　to　the　satin　lampshades。　There　was　only　one　lamp　on　when　he　came　in；　next　to　the　bed。　He　left　the　room　that　way。
　Carefully　he　opened　up　the　sliding　door。　Inside　he　found　silk　dresses；　six　fur　coats；　ranging　from　。a　full…length　dyed　Russian　sable　to　a　spectacular　three…quarter　silver　lynx。　Below；　shoes　from　Botticelli　and　Charles　Jourdan。
　On　the　deep…pile　rug　between　the　bed　and　the　closet　was　a　black　silk　negligee。　He　skirted　that　on　the　way　to　the　bed。　It　was　a　custom…made　affair；　moon…shaped。　The　sheets　were　midnight…blue　percale　but　the　rumpled　quilt　was　covered　in　silk。　It　lay　around　Angela　Didion's　ankles　like　dark　surf；　ready　to　claim　her。
　She　lay　half　on　the　bed；　half　off。　Her　head　hung　over　the　edge；　the　long　honey…blonde　hair　falling　on　to　the　floor。　She　was　made　up。　Her　eyes　were　mascaraed；　her　cheeks　blushed；　her　lips　painted。　She　was　naked　save　for　a　thin　gold　chain；　which　she　wore　around　her　waist。　There　was　no　other　jewellery。　She　lay　on　the　left　side　of　the　bed。　The　right　side　was　empty　but　the　pillow　on　that　side　was　indented　as　if　someone　had　lain　there。　There　were　stains　on　the　sheets；　still　damp。　There　was　no　blood。　A　pillow　was　wedged　beneath　the　small　of　Angela　Didion's　back。
　Someone　had　done　quite　a　job　on　her。　Bruises；　just　beginning　to　darken；　lay　like　boils　along　the　sides　of　her　neck；　her　chest　and　rib　cage；　her　stomach。　Her　back　was　arched　as　if　in　ecstasy。　There　was　no　expression　on　her　face　whatsoever。　No　sign　of　pain　or　fear　…　or　of　passion。
　It　should　have　been　grotesque；　would　have　been　with　any　other　victim　…　Croaker　had　seen　too　many　like　it。　But　this　wasn't　anyone；　it　was　Angela　Didion。　She　must　have　been　an　extraordinary　woman；　Croaker　thought　as　he　stood　staring　down　at　the　corpse；　because　her　beauty　transcended　even　this　degradation；　even　death。　Croaker　knew　dial　he　was　looking　at　a　magnificent　piece　of　humanity　and　it　saddened　him　that　it　should　have　been　destroyed　so　recklessly。　He　felt　that　about　most　of　the　bodies　he　found；　if　they　weren't　the　punks　who　got　blown　away　by　their　own　cupidity；　the　city　breathed　easier　without　them。
　He　tore　his　gaze　away　from　the　bed　and；　going　around　it；　knelt　beside　the　black　silk　garment　on　the　carpet。　In　this　twilight　of　the　room；　it　was　almost　invisible：　black　against　the　deep　blue　that　was　almost　black　itself。
　Dipping　one　forefinger　down；　he　lifted　it　up　slightly。　Bending；　he　touched　his　nose　to　it；　breathed　in；　caught　the　faint　whiff　of　a　perfume。　He　got　up；　crossed　to　Angela　Didion's　dressing　table。　He　passed　over　the　ivory　brush　and　b　set；　the　oval　tortoise…shell　hand　mirror；　the　odds　and　ends　of　mascara；　eyeliner；　blush；　powder；　creams；　taking　them　all　in　as　he　did　so。　There　were　two　perfume　bottles　on　a　silver　tray　against　the　wall。　Joy　and　Bal　a　Versailles。　He　sniffed　at　both　of　them；　one　at　a　time；　slowly。　Then；　to　make　certain；　he　returned　to　the　silk　negligee；　confirming　for　himself　that　it　exuded　another　perfume；　that　it　bore　the　imprint　of　another　woman。
　It　had　taken　time　and　a　lot　of　hard　work　but；　in　the　end；　Matty　the　Mouth　had　e　through。　Now　it　was　this　woman's　name　and　address　Croaker　was　anxiously　waiting　for。　Angela　Didion's　lover。　Or；　more　accurately；　one　of　them。　She　could　not；　of　course；　have　been　the　murderer。　Judging　from　the　size　of　the　negligee；　she　was　far　too　small　to　have　inflicted　such　terrible　wounds　on　another　human　adult。　There　were　no　instruments　used；　the　M。E。　had　said；　other　than　the　fists。　That　meant　someone　strong　and　with　a　massive　build：　some　of　the　bruises　were　quite　large。
　No；　this　woman　was　no　murderer　but；　Croaker　was　convinced；　she　had　been　a　witness　to　the　murder。　She　knows；　he　thought　now。　She　knows。　And　she's　scared　shitless　of　what　she's　seen。　No　one　had　got　to　her。　No　one　would　but　Croaker。　He　must　see　to　that。
　e　on；　Matty；　deliver　the　goods。　He　found　his　hand　trembling　against　the　table；　stared　down　at　it　as　if　it　belonged　to　someone　else。　He　knew　he　wanted　this　conviction　badly。　More　than　he　had　wanted　any　other　in　his　career。　And　the　hell　of　it　was；　he　knew　who　had　killed　Angela　Didion。　Knew　it　as　surely　as　he　knew　his　own　name。　But　without　this　witness；　there　was　nothing：　nothing　but　conjecture　and　theory　and　circumstantial　evidence　that　McCabe　wouldn't　even　touch；　let　alone　ask　for　an　arrest　on　it。　Jesus；　he　hated　counting　this　heavily　on　someone　else　but　he　had　spent　seven　years　cultivating　Matty　the　Mouth　and　now　it　looked　as　if　it　would　finally　pay　off。　If　he　came　through。　When　he　es　through；　Croaker　corrected　himself。　Think　positively。
　Which　all　led　him　back　to　this　ninja。　The　case　was　getting　nowhere；　spinning　on　its　own　momentum。　That；　Croaker　knew　from　long；　hard　experience；　was　extremely　dangerous。　〃It　meant　he　had　no　handle　and　that　meant　he　had　no　control。　People　tended　to　get　severely　hurt　when　that　happened。
　And　then　there　was　the　problem　of　Nicholas　Linnear。　Vincent　had　been　right；　he　felt　instinctively。　Linnear　had　been　highly　offended　by　what　he'd　said。　It　had　been　a　stupid　thing　to　say。　He　had　known　it　as　soon　as　he　had　said　it。　Now　he　realized　that　Linnear　might　be　the　key　to　the　case。　He　knows　more　about　the　ninja　than　anyone　in　or　out　of　Japan；　Vincent　had　said　towards　the　end　of　the　evening。　Trust　him。　He　knows　what　he's　talking　about。　Now　he's　working　for　that　bastard　Tomkin；　Croaker　thought。　He　had　a　strong　urge　to　back　off　then；　to　let　events　happen　without　him。　Perhaps　Tomkin　would　fall。　But　that；　he　knew；　he　could　never　do。　It　was　not　the　way　he　wanted　it　to　happen。　And　then　there　was　the　consideration　of　the　four　other　deaths。　If　the　ninja　was　after　Tomkin；　why　had　he　killed　four　people　who　did　not　know　the　man；　let　alone　have　any　kind　of　association　with　him？　No　one　seemed　to　know　the　answer　and　there　was　certainly　no　one　on　the　force　he　could　talk　this　over　with。　It　came　back　to　Linnear　again。　If　anyone　might　have　a　clue；　he　would。
　Croaker　looked　at　his　watch；　thought　about　calling　Linnear；　then　quickly　changed　his　mind。　The　telephone　wasn't　the　right　medium　and；　anyway；　he　was　too　high　to　be　able　to　think　things　out　with　enough　clarity　to　satisfy　himself。　He　sighed；　finished　off　the　bottle　of　sake。　He'd　had　enough。
　Still　he　could　not　face　the　thought　of　going　home。　Yet　he　wanted　a　woman。　Into　his　mind　swam　an　image　and　abruptly　he　was　as　hard　as　a　bar　of　iron。　Her　face　seemed　familiar　but　where　had　he　seen　her　before？　Perhaps　nowhere。　Perhaps　on　some　billboard。　The　image　had　surfaced　from　deep　inside　of　him。　Perhaps　she　was　long　gone。　Or；　again；　had　never　even　existed。
　Vincent　exhaled　in　a　rush；　attempting　to　free　his　lungs　of　the　mist。　It　was　a　useless　gesture；　his　mind　knew；　yet　his　body　would　not　be　denied　its　chance。
　His　eyes　began　to　burn　and　tear。　He　reached　blindly　for　the　door…handle。　The　cab　started　up　as　the　light　changed。　He　leaned　on　the　handle；　got　it　open　on　the　second　try。　The　city　rushed　in　on　him　as　he　half　tumbled　out。　His　foot　caught　for　a　moment　and　then　he　was　free；　rolling　along　the　street　for　a　moment　while　horns　blared。　He　could　hear　the　harsh　squeal　of　brakes　and　muted　shouts。　Then　he　was　up　and　running　clumsily；　slipping　on　dogshit　as　if　it　were　a　banana　peel。　He　balanced　himself　with　his　arms　outspread　and　hit　the　kerb；　sprinted　up　onto　the　sidewalk。
　Behind　him　he　could　feel　the　looming　presence　of　the　Checker　cab　as　the　driver　pulled　hard　over　and　jumped　out。　'Hey　1'　he　called。　'e　back！　I　want　my　fare！'　Vincent　stumbled　along　the　crowded　street；　bumping　into　people。　Black　faces　turned；　wide…eyed；　to　stare。
　He's　a　cool　bastard；　he　thought　as　he　was　spun　around　by　an　enormous　black　man　with　an　open　shirt　and　tight　maroon　pants。　'Hey；　man！　Be　cool。　Watch　yo'self。'
　He　wove　in　and　out　of　the　crowd；　wondering　how　long　he　had。　He　had　no　illusions　about　what　he　had　inhaled。　Even　without　the　characteristic　odour；　he　would　have　known　it　was　a　neural　toxin。
　He　turned　his　head　but　could　not　see　his　pursuer。　He　took　a　chance；　darted　off　the　kerb；　trying　to　hail　a　passing　cab　…　it　was　no　good　expecting　a　cop　to　pop　up　here。　But　immediately　he　saw　the　man　s