apology.
Kilmara stood up. 'What I am about to say is a distillation of five month's work by my unit, with contributions from many different intelligence sources. And I should add that the most beneficial help has come from my friends in Japan. For reasons that will be obvious, this is a particularly sensitive investigation from their point of view. Not just security issues are involved, but also political matters at the highest level. It is therefore vital that confidentiality be maintained.'
Kilmara turned toward Fitzduane.
'You know that the attack on you and Boots was by Yaibo, and that the second attack was also mounted by Yaibo, even though the actual assault team were members of IRAP. We have now ascertained a definite link between the Hangman and Yaibo going back over nearly a decade. In-depth interrogation of Sasada confirmed that your killing was to be a straightforward matter of revenge for the Hangman, and was expected to be achieved without difficulty.
'Sasada,' continued Kilmara, 'was not supposed to be directly involved with the hospital hit, but he exceeded his instructions. He was an overzealous company man. His conscientiousness may have been ill-advised, but it has proved fortunate for us. He has provided the first actual direct link between Yaibo and the Namaka keiretsu. The Namaka organization is headed by two brothers, Kei and Fumio. They have a security chief called Kitano. According to our friend Sasada, Kitano issued the actual order to have you killed, Hugo – but Kitano does nothing without the Namaka brothers' approval.'
The Spider indicated that he wanted to contribute, so Kilmara gestured that he should proceed. The Japanese was fiercely proud, and he knew how difficult it was for them to discuss any of the internal workings of their system. Nevertheless, he could sense a growing climate of mutual trust in the room and he was delighted that the DSG was abandoning his formal posture.
The Spider explained the background of the Namakas and something about the Japanese political system and their influence within it. 'For some time,' he said, 'we have suspected a link between the Namakas and Yaibo based upon an examination of who has benefitted from Yaibo killings. Nonetheless, all Yaibo activities did not directly benefit the Namakas and we never had any hard proof. Further, the Namakas had considerable political influence up to – and including – ministerial level. It was not, and still is not, possible to just pick them up and sweat the truth out of them. Though we have been tempted.'
The DSG made no mention of the manner in which the Rangers' prisoner had been interrogated, which now made him unusable as a witness. He had been extremely angry when he had first heard, but he was a pragmatist. The interrogation had taken place within the context of an extreme situation. Sasada would undoubtedly have kept silent otherwise. As it was, though they had not evidence against the Namakas they could use in court, the Namaka link with Yaibo had moved beyond speculation.
Fitzduane was picking up a nuance. 'The situation with Namaka has changed?' he said.
The DSG nodded. 'Has changed and is changing,' he said with a slight smile. 'Specifically, Hodama, a kuromaku – and for decades the core of their political backing – has been murdered. Secondly, a change in public opinion is beginning. We have a sophisticated economy and we would like a political system to match. More and more ordinary Japanese are getting fed up with money politics and corruption. Groups are organizing and lobbying for change. It is becoming less easy for corrupt politicians and their allies to suppress investigations and operate with impunity.'
'Who killed Hodama?' asked Fitzduane.
The DSG pursed his lips. 'This is a confusing matter,' he said. 'The position of the Namakas has been weakened as a result of his death, but the evidence points to the Namakas themselves as having ordered his death. The theory is that Hodama was going to publicly abandon the Namakas because they may be in financial trouble – and he was killed as the lesser of two evils.'
'You have conclusive evidence against the Namakas?' said Fitzduane.
'Unfortunately, we do not,' said the DSG. 'For some months, the case against them increased steadily, and then the investigation ground to a halt. Everything points toward the Namakas, but we can prove nothing. Our inquiries continue under an excellent man, but for all practical purposes we are…' He searched for the word:
'Stuck,' offered Fitzduane.
'Quite so,' said the DSG.
There was a long silence. Kilmara was tempted to speak, but he wanted to encourage the Japanese to continue if he would. It had been the devil of a job to win him over in the first place. Now he was anxious to get the Spider off the sidelines and operationally involved.
The next action would best be suggested by the Japanese. It must appear to be the Spider's idea. He would be committed to it better if he actually spoke the words. Of course, Fitzduane was going to go to Japan anyway, but politically things would go so much better if it appeared as a Japanese initiative. This was the strategy that Kilmara had sold to Fitzduane, and he and Yoshokawa had been working on from their respective ends for some time while Fitzduane got himself fully fit.
But would the Spider bite? Kilmara thought it likely, given that they had come this far, but there was the matter of human chemistry. If the Spider did not like the look of Fitzduane, all bets were off.
'Fitzduane- san,' said the Spider cautiously, 'when do you think you will be fully fit?'
Fitzduane laughed. 'Pretty soon,' he said. 'I appreciate the concern, but why do you ask?'
The Spider looked at Kilmara and then at Yoshokawa. Kilmara smiled and Yoshokawa nodded.
The Spider drew himself up in his chair. 'Fitzduane- san,' he said, 'we would like you to come to join our investigation in Japan. We would be deeply honored.'
Bull's-eye! thought Kilmara. Then he nearly strangled Fitzduane. There was such a thing as playing too hard to get.
'I am equally honored by you invitation, Deputy Superintendent-General- san,' said Fitzduane, 'but I do not speak your language and I am not a trained investigator. I'm not sure I would be that much use to you.' Internally, he had felt a rush of exhilaration as the Spider had spoken, because at last he would be taking the fight to the enemy, but Yoshokawa had advised that a certain modest reluctance would be in order.
Yoshokawa spoke. 'The Deputy Superintendent-General knows your reputation,' he said. 'He knows what you did in Bern. He is familiar with the story of the Hangman. He knows how you saved the life of my son. He does not make this request lightly.'
'The simple fact is,' said Kilmara, 'that despite all the precautions, we can't keep you safe here indefinitely. That being so, there is a lot to be said for seizing the initiative and taking the fight to the enemy. The DSG thinks your presence in Japan would force them to take some action which could open this whole thing up.'
'Fitzduane- san,' came a voice from the end of the table that had not been heard till now. 'I hesitate to put this directly, but you have a choice. You can either remain a target or act as bait.' Fitzduane looked at the speaker, Chifune Tanabu, with surprise and some amusement.
'Tanabu- san is, perhaps, a little blunt, but in essence she is quite correct,' said the Spider. 'You will be well-guarded, of course, by our best people. However, I should add that it will not be possible for you to carry a firearm. Even in the circumstances, that would be quite impermissible.'
Fitzduane laughed so much, his leg started to hurt. He stood up to exercise and still could not stop laughing. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He had not felt this good in months. The Spider looked uncomfortable at first, but soon everyone was laughing.
When he had calmed down, Fitzduane produced some drinks and the meeting took a break. He thanked God – or whoever ran things – for having a decided sense of humor. It looked like he would be going manhunting with little more for protection than his ability to talk his way out of trouble. And he had the feeling that verbal diplomacy, in this context, was not going to be enough.
Still, he and Kilmara had anticipated this problem.
Fitzduane would not be permitted to carry a gun, but he would to be entirely without weapons.
Paris, France
May 28
Since Yaibo had not been completely successful at eliminating the organ-grinder, Reiko Oshima had decided
