what she knew。 Or perhaps she bragged to you that she had told Terry Mizuha what she knew; thinking it would protect her; would keep you from harming her。 Either way; she was too naive; or maybe too nice a kid; to understand that this is war: that one more casualty; more or less; is nothing to a soldier。。。 even if it is his own niece。〃
Harada said nothing; however; a faint sneer could be detected under the trim mustache。
A slight tremor in his voice; Hully said; 〃You made an unscheduled; unexpected delivery of seafood to the Niumalu…the day after your niece was murdered! If you had any human passion or decency; you'd know how suspicious; how wrong that would seem to a normal person。〃
〃You murdered Terry Mizuha at the hotel; probably in his room;〃 Burroughs said; 〃tossed him in your pickup truck; like another swordfish; and hauled him to the beach。〃
Hully added; 〃Though you probably picked up your pal Morimura to help you carry him down that rocky slope to the beach。〃
Harada smiled; just a little; then looked at each man; one at a time; with quiet contempt。 〃You will try to prove this; how?〃
Burroughs shrugged。 〃Like I said; it's not our job to prove it…that's up to the feds; and Detective Jardine。 But they're a little busy this morning 。。。 so I thought I'd help out。〃
Burroughs brought his hand out from around his back and aimed the Lьger at the grocer's chest。
〃What is this?〃 Harada asked; only his eyes betraying any alarm。
〃It's what we Americans call a citizen's arrest。〃
The backroom door flew open and suddenly Morimura was at Burroughs's side; pressing the nose of a 。38 revolver into the writer's neck。
〃This is not judo;〃 Morimura said。 〃This is a gun。〃
The slender; handsome spy wore golf clothes…a checkered sweater vest over a white shirt and knee pants with high checkered socks; well; Kita had said Morimura had a golf date; this morning。
With a sigh; Burroughs set the little Lьger on the counter。 The grocer did not take the weapon; rather he reached under the counter and swung out a sawed…off shotgun。 Hully and his father exchanged glances…this was not going quite as planned。
〃I hope you'll forgive me for eavesdropping;〃 Morimura said; looking a little ridiculous in the golf outfit; though not enough so to take the edge off the weapon he'd stuck in the writer's neck。
'Til let it go this time;〃 Burroughs said; as the cold steel of the spy's gun dimpled his flesh。
Morimura's expression was smug but his eyes had a
wildness; a fear; in them。 〃You should write detective stories; Mr。 Burroughs。 You put the pieces together very well。〃
The writer looked sideways at his captor。 〃What now; Morimura? You don't mind if I don't call you 'Yoshikawa'…I'm used to you the other way。〃
Morimura offered half a smile。 〃The ineffectual; buf…foonish ladies' man; you mean? I must give you credit; Mr。 Burroughs…you never did accept that masquerade。〃
〃By any yardstick; buddy; you're no diplomat。 You'll face the firing squad; as a spy。〃
The half smile dissolved into a full scowl。 〃You're facing a firing squad right now; Mr。 Burroughs…something I have no intention of doing。〃
〃What are you going to do?〃 Burroughs did his best to show no fear; and he wasn't afraid for himself…but his son; at his side; that was something again。 〃You can't just kill us。〃
〃Really?〃 Morimura laughed softly。 〃Do you see anyone around to be a witness? Mr。 Harada and I will be on the tiny island of Niihau; by nightfall; and a few days later; a submarine will take us to 。。。 friendlier waters。〃
Burroughs locked eyes with the spy。 〃Did you know; Morimura? Did you know today was the day?〃
The spy smirked; shaking his head。 〃I suspected… all signs indicated that was the case。。。 but it might have been next week; or the next。 What was the difference; with your military so obsessed with fighting fifth columnists; and ignoring the real threat?〃
Hully was looking at the little grocer; the big hollow eyes of the man's shotgun looking back at him。 〃How could you do it? How could you kill your own niece?〃
Harada's features were impassive; even proud。 〃She was a traitor。〃
Hully's eyes were on fire; his nostrils flaring as he said; 〃She was a beautiful; talented girl; and you murdered her; you heartless son of a bitch!〃
Harada shrugged。
Morimura's smile was pursed; like a kiss; and then he said; 〃Who was it said; 'War is hell'? Whoever that wise man was; he was so right; even if he was an American 。。。 now if you will please to step in back; in the storeroom。〃
Burroughs put up his hands and so did Hully; and Morimura reached behind him and pushed the backroom door open with one hand; and with the other he kept the revolver trained on the writer; the grocer keeping a bead on Hully。 Morimura motioned with the gun for them to follow him into the back。
The spy did not see Adam Sterling e into the open doorway behind him; and the grocer didn't see the FBI agent in time to warn Morimura; either。 With a swift; vicious chop to the base of the neck; Sterling sent Morimura sprawling to the floor; the 。38 tumbling from the spy's hands。
Burroughs caught the weapon in midair; and Hully snatched the Lьger from the counter; while Sterling was pointing a 。38 revolver of his own at the grocer behind the counter。
Though he had a shotgun in hand; Harada was facing three guns; all trained on him; from various directions。
〃Drop it;〃 Sterling advised。 〃You can't win this game。〃
Harada thought that over; then he swung the sawed…off shotgun up and around and under his chin and squeezed both triggers; the explosion shaking everything…and everyone…in the small shop。 What had been Harada's head dripped and dribbled and slithered down the weird jars of roots; herbs and skeletons; crawling like strange sea creatures。 Then the mostly headless body slid down to the floor and sat; out of sight。
Hully was covering his mouth; horrified。 Through his fingers; he said the obvious: 〃He 。。。 he took his own life。〃
〃You're going to be seeing a lot of that;〃 Burroughs said; 〃in the ing days。〃
Sterling was hauling Morimura to his feet; the dazed spy; his perfect hair askew; looking fairly idiotic in the golf togs; gave the FBI man a bewildered look。
〃Judo;〃 Sterling explained。
Less than two hours after it had begun; the sneak air attack on Pearl Harbor was over。 The silver planes again receded into specks on the horizon; taking off in varied directions; one more act of deception designed to confuse the enemy as to the attackers' origin point。 The raiders left behind a Pearl Harbor that was a smoldering; twisted landscape of inconceivable devastation。 The two pieces of the Arizona lay on the bottom of the harbor; the West Virginia; too。 The Utah and Oklahoma; capsized; the California sinking; the Cur…tiss; Helena; and Honolulu damaged; the Raleigh barely afloat; the Nevada; the Vestal; beached。 Fires raged on bomb…damaged ships…the Maryland; the Pennsylvania; the Tennessee。
On Ford Island; the husks of dozens of planes lay in charred disarray; while hangars burned around them。 On the oil…pooled surface of the harbor floated debris; much of it human。 And along the Oahu shores; the pummeled air bases continued to ooze smoke。
Corpsman attempted; often vainly; to identify bodies and body parts at the Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital。 At the base of Alewa Heights; just below the Shuncho…ro teahouse…where the Japanese vice consul had wooed geishas and perpetrated espionage…a makeshift morgue was set up。
The triumph of the Japanese; however; was not plete。 Huge fuel tanks; holding millions of barrels of oil; had gone unsullied。 The Navy Yard itself; that sprawl of repair facilities and shops; was secure。 The Naval ammo depot went untouched; as did the submarine pens。 Smaller warships by the score escaped damage; and the raiders had failed to find…much less destroy…the aircraft carriers of the Pacific Fleet。
The greatest miscalculation; of course; was the nature of the attack itself…the sheer villainy of such a peacetime assault To the Japanese military; this was a glorious day of victory; but just one day…a war; after all; was made of many days。
But December 7; 1941; was not just any day。
Americans would remembe