〃He is；〃 Senator Rowe said； nodding。 〃Jerry。 Drive the car。〃
I said to the aide； 〃All right。 I want you to take a breatholyzer… 〃
〃Sure； yes… 〃
〃And I want to see your driver's license。〃
〃Of course。〃
The aide blew into the breatholyzer and handed me his driver's license。 It was a Texas license。 Gerrold D。 Hardin； thirty…four years old。 Address in Austin； Texas。 I wrote down the details； and gave it back。
〃All right； Mr。 Hardin。 I'm going to release the senator into your custody tonight。〃
〃Thank you； Lieutenant。 I appreciate it。〃
The man in the bathrobe said； 〃You're going to let him go？〃
〃Just a minute； sir。〃 I said to Hardin； 〃I want you to give this man your business card； and stay in contact with him。 I expect the damage to his yard to be resolved to his satisfaction。〃
〃Absolutely。 Of course。 Yes。〃 Hardin reached into his pocket for a card。 He brought out something white in his hand； like a handkerchief。 He stuffed it hastily back in his pocket； and then walked over to give his card to the man in the bathrobe。
〃You're going to have to replace all her begonias。〃
〃Fine； sir；〃 Hardin said。
〃All of 'em。〃
〃Yes。 That's fine； sir。〃
Senator Rowe pushed off the front fender； standing unsteadily in the night。 〃Fucking begonias；〃 he said。 〃Christ； what a fucking night this is。 You got a wife？〃
〃No；〃 I said。
〃I do；〃 Rowe said。 〃Fucking begonias。 Fuck。〃
〃This way； Senator；〃 Hardin said。 He helped Rowe into the passenger seat。 The girls climbed into the back seat； on either side of the handsome Wall Street guy。 Hardin got behind the wheel and asked Rowe for the keys。 I looked away to watch the black and whites as they pulled away from the curb。 When I turned back； Hardin rolled down the window and looked at me。 〃Thank you for this。〃
〃Drive safely； Mr。 Hardin；〃 I said。
He backed the car off the lawn； driving over a flower bed。
〃And the irises；〃 the man in the bathrobe shouted； as the car pulled away down the road。 He looked at me。 〃I'm telling you； the other man was driving； and he was drunk。〃
I said； 〃Here's my card。 If things don't turn out right； call me。〃
He looked at the card； shaking his head； and went back into his house。 Connor and I got back into the car。 We drove down the hill。
Connor said； 〃You got information on the aide？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。
〃What was in his pocket？〃
〃I'd say it was a pair of women's panties。〃
〃So would I；〃 Connor said。
Of course there was nothing we could do。 Personally； I would have liked to spin the smug bastard around； push him up against the car and search him； right there。 But we both knew our hands were tied： we had no probable cause to search Hardin； or to arrest him。 He was a young man driving with two young women in the back seat； either of whom might be without her panties； and a drunken United States senator in the front seat。 The only sensible thing to do was to let them all go。
But it seemed like an evening of letting people go。
The phone rang。 I pushed the speaker button。 〃Lieutenant Smith。〃
〃Hey； buddy。〃 It was Graham。 〃I'm over here at the morgue； and guess what？ I have some Japanese bugging me to attend the autopsy。 Wants to sit in and observe； if you can believe that shit。 He's all bent out of shape because we started the autopsy without him。 But the lab work is starting to e back。 It is not looking good for Nippon Central。 I'd say we have a Japanese perp。 So： you ing here or what？〃
I looked at Connor。 He nodded。
〃We're heading there now；〃 I said。
The fastest way to the morgue was through the emergency room at County General Hospital。 As we went through； a black man covered in blood was sitting up on his gurney； screaming 〃Kill the pope！ Kill the pope！ Fuck him！〃 in a drug…crazed frenzy。 A half…dozen attendants were trying to push him down。 He had gunshot wounds in his shoulder and hand。 The floors and walls of the emergency room were spattered with blood。 An orderly went down the hall； cleaning it up with a mop。 The hallways were lined with black and Hispanic people。 Some of them held children in their laps。 Everyone looked away from the bloody mop。 From somewhere down the corridor； we heard more screams。
We got onto the elevator。 It was quiet。
Connor said； 〃A homicide every twenty minutes。 A rape every seven minutes。 A child murdered every four hours。 No other country tolerates these levels of violence。〃
The doors opened。 pared to the emergency room； the basement corridors of the county morgue were positively tranquil。 There was a strong odor of formaldehyde。 We went to the desk； where the thin； angular deaner； Harry Landon； was bent over some papers； eating a ham sandwich。 He didn't look up。 〃Hey； guys。〃
〃Hey； Harry。〃
〃What you here for？ Austin prep？〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃They started about half an hour ago。 Guess there's a big rush on her； huh？〃
〃How's that？〃
〃The chief called Dr。 Tim out of bed and told him to do it pronto。 Pissed him off pretty good。 You know how particular Dr。 Tim is。〃 The deaner smiled。 〃And they called in a lot of lab people； too。 Who ever heard of pushing a full workup in the middle of the night？ I mean； you know what this is going to cost in overtime？〃
I said； 〃And what about Graham？〃
〃He's around here someplace。 He had some Japanese guy chasing after him。 Dogging him like a shadow。 Then every half hour； the Japanese asks me can he use the phone； and he makes a call。 Speaks Japanese a while。 Then he goes back to bothering Graham。 He says he wants to see the autopsy； if you can believe that。 Keeps pushing； pushing。 But anyway； the Japanese makes his last call about ten minutes ago； and suddenly a big change es over him。 I was here at the desk。 I saw it on his face。 He goes mojo mojo like he can't believe his ears。 And then he runs out of here。 I mean it： runs。〃
〃And where's the autopsy？〃
〃Room two。〃
〃Thanks； Harry。〃
〃Close the door。〃
〃Hi； Tim；〃 I said； as we came into the autopsy room。 Tim Yoshimura； known to everyone as Dr。 Tim； was leaning over the stainless…steel table。 Even though it was one…forty in the morning； he was as usual immaculate。 Everything was in place。 His hair was neatly bed。 His tie was perfectly knotted。 The pens were lined up in the pocket of his starched lab coat。
〃Did you hear me？〃
〃I'm closing it； Tim。〃 The door had a pneumatic self…closing mechanism； but apparently that wasn't fast enough for Dr。 Tim。
〃It's only because I don't want that Japanese individual looking in。〃
〃He's gone； Tim。〃
〃Oh； is he？ But he may be back。 He's been unbelievably persistent and irritating。 The Japanese can be a real pain in the ass。〃
I said； 〃Sounds funny ing from you； Tim。〃
〃Oh； I'm not Japanese；〃 he said seriously。 〃I'm Japanese…American； which means in their eyes I'm gaijin。 If I go to Japan； they treat me like any other foreigner。 It doesn't matter how I look； I was born in Torrance … and that's the end of it。〃 He glanced over his shoulder。 〃Who's that with you？ Not John Connor？ Haven't seen you in ages； John。〃
〃Hi； Tim。〃 Connor and I approached the table。 I could see the dissection was already well advanced； that the Y…shaped incision had been made； and the first organs removed and placed neatly on stainless steel trays。
〃Now maybe somebody can tell me； what is the big deal about this case？〃 Tim said。 〃Graham is so pissed off he won't say anything。 He went next door to the lab to see the first of the results。 But I still want to know why I got called out of bed to do this one。 Mark's on duty； but he is apparently not senior enough to do it。 And of course the M。E。 is out of town at a conference in San Francisco。 Now that he has that new girlfriend he is always out of town。 So I get called。 I can't remember the last time I got called out of bed。〃
〃You can't？〃 I said。 Dr。 Tim was precise in all ways； including his memory。
〃The last time was January three years ago。 But that was to cover。 Most of the staff was out with the flu； and the cases were backing up。 Finally one night we ran out of lockers。 They had these bodies lying around on the floor in bags。 Stacked up in piles。 Something had to be done。 The smell was terrible。 But no； I can't remember being called out just because a case was