as he waited anxiously through another silence.

“The meeting is tonight, you say? At sunset, at the Nijubashi

Bridge?”

“That’s right.”

‘’And you’re quite certain that you have that information that

would implicate your father?“

“I have it right here. It’s yours as soon as the job is done.”

“Meet me one hour after sunset, at the usual place. Be sure to

bring the briefcase.”

There was a click as he hung up.

Shiro leaned back in his chair with relief and exhaled heavily.

Nishikawa had bought the plan! It was all going to come together

after all! By tonight, he would be free at last. Free of his father,

free of the Yakuza, free to go to America and—

There was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?”

“Yuro Taniguchi.”

Taniguchi? What the hell? He’d been one of the men watching

Kanno’s shop. They were all supposed to be dead! A knot formed in

Shiro’s stomach. He remembered that the news media had reported

that there were perhaps three or four bodies found in Kanno’s shop,

it was impossible to tell… Obviously, Taniguchi got away somehow.

And he could reveal that it was Shiro who had given them the

orders to go in and take out Morpheus and Fugisawa and the

others. And if that was revealed now…

“Just a minute!”

He ran to his desk and got his automatic, with the silencer

attached. He tucked it underneath his jacket, into his waistband, at

the small of his back. Then he went to the door and opened it.

“Yuro! I was afraid you were dead! Come in, tell me what

happened!”

Taniguchi had a blank expression on his face. He walked stiffly

about two steps into the room and then collapsed on the floor. Shiro