you。' His face was red now and the wattles beside his mouth were quivering。 'Believe me； I have thought of getting rid of you so very often； transferring you to some other district。 But you're too valuable to me。 You're good for at least a couple of mayor's citations for me each year。 I don't mind telling you I like that；
it's good for my record。〃 He stood up now； his thick arms straight columns ending in bunched fists pressed so hard against the desktop that they had gone white。 'But I'll be goddamned if I'll ever let you pull a stunt like you did with the Lyman thing。 That was officially chocked and you went after it anyway。 You made me look like a fool to these people here and I'm just lucky that the missioner didn't hear about it。' He lifted a finger as big around as a sausage； shaking it in Croaker's direction。 'You'll take this Tanaka…Okura double murder and I don't want to ever hear that you threw a case back at the precinct boys the way you did last night。' He coughed thickly； wiped at his lips with a grey handkerchief。 'What's the matter？ You got something against slants？ No。 So take it and be happy。 Be happy that you've got a case to run with。'
Croaker turned to leave but； as his fingers grasped the knob； Finnigan said； 'Oh and； Lieutenant； you know how things function around here。 Next time don't make me explain S。O。P。 to you as if you were some rookie just off the streets； okay？'
It was at that point that Croaker had decided to continue with the Didion thing on his own。 Now he knew that he had to do it all on his own。 He could confide in no one at the office and； if he used their resources； which he surely would； he would have to camouflage his intent。 He looked at his watch； then at the dregs of old coffee in the stained plastic cup on his desk。 He was late for the Linnear pick…up but right now he did not much care； his mind was still on the Didion thing。 Finnigan was right in one respect … he had nothing。 But only up to a point。 The girl had friends somewhere； it had just proved to be a bastard unearthing them。 Now he was close to at least one of them。 Matty the Mouth had e up with a lead。 But he needed a name； an address； or it was useless to him。 This was what he was waiting for now； this was why he was so sensitive to being pulled off the case。 It was no good telling Finnigan what he had now； no good at all。 It would be like talking to the wall。 Which was why Croaker always kept his cases to himself； it was part of the reason why he got Finnigan his mayor's citations each year… So it was the one thing Finnigan did not question。 In any case； Finnigan could care less about M。O。； it was results he craved。 Talk about your gluttons； Croaker grunted as he swivelled round in his chair。 Those results gave the whisky a fine race for the captain's undivided attention。
Croaker cursed and got up。 Time to pick up Linnear。
At approximately the same time； Vincent had been at work in the autopsy room。 He had not； of course； been on duty when they had brought Terry's and Eileen's corpses in late last night but he had been called right away … Tallas had thought he should know； she had the soundest judgement of all the associates； he thought。 Consequently he had arrived in time to hear the tail end of the argument between the two precinct patrolmen who had responded to the call； and the detective。 He was a big burly sonofabitch and he was giving them a tongue…lashing。 Vincent had not concerned himself with the noise or the rising tempers。 He had wanted to make certain。 Perhaps it had all been a ghastly mistake … one of the dojo's instructors at Terry's apartment … or 。。。 but it had been Terry and it had been Eileen。 Dead。 It was then dial he had remembered the frozen…line call。 No one there。 Could it have been Terry phoning him？ He turned sadly away。 It did not matter now。
He put them away for the morning； made sure all their clothes and personal effects were properly tagged and bagged for me detectives who would take the case。 Then he had gone home to spend an uneasy night。
It had got to the point where he was content only down in the morgue。 There he could work； logically problem…solving； sleuthing his way through the silent mayhem。 Sometimes it worked and his report led directly to the arrest of the murderer； at other times he was the only one who could be of solace to the families of the dead who rolled past him each day。
They were like massive hieroglyphs； mute monoliths； waiting to have their arcane messages unearthed。 And he the archaeologist of their past。
It was immensely satisfying to him to work here in the dead house； as many physicians called it。 But it was such a misnomer； for here； every day； he and his colleagues were hard at work wresting secrets from death's cold grip。 They hacked at it； bringing it down to size； demystifying it； bit by bit； until much of its horror was dissipated。 What job could claim more importance for the living？
This morning Vincent now stood in the central room； his back to the tiers of stainless…steel doors。 A black man； naked and cool； his head at an angle； lay on a trolley to one side。 He stood staring at the swing 〃doors leading into the autopsy room。 Behind that barrier； he knew； lay his friend； Terry Tanaka； next would be Eileen。 For the first time since ing here； he wondered whether he really wanted to push through those doors。 It seemed； all at once； one death too many and he did not feel the same inside any more。 He knew that he wanted to return to Japan。 But he felt that to be impossible now； as if he had contracted some dread disease in the West； in the city； in New York； and now； transformed inwardly as well as outwardly； he felt as if the culture shock would be the death of him。
Yet； deep inside； he perhaps understood that his only salvation now was to go on。 Death had returned to him as it had as a child； a solid wall too high for him to climb over。 He knew that he must tear that wall down or go mad and his only path lay within the bright； tidy room inside。 There death could be quietly dissected； the wall pulled down one brick at a time until； at last； and he would understand what had done this to his friends。 For； he found； he wanted desperately to know。
Vincent shook himself and； pushing aside the swing doors； went in to work on the body。 Japan； once a dream； had now departed。
The limo pulled out of the traffic flow in the low Fifties； slid quietly to a stop at the kerbside。 Frank got out first and opened the rear door for them。
They were on a block dominated by the steel exoskeleton of a building that seemed perhaps three…quarters plete。 It was set far back from the street and the pavement had been torn up in order to install brick…red tile。 A wooden panion…way had been erected so that pedestrians would not be inconvenienced by the construction。 On the south end of the block an enormous cement mixer was drawn up。 Multicoloured polka dots had been painted on its revolving barrel。 Beside it； an angular crane was in the process of elevating a number of girders。
Part of the building's fashionable black stonework facade was up； chalk marks still criss…crossed some of the blocks； the white and yellow glyphs of the modern world。 Still； fully one side was skeletonized like a transparent cocoon beneath which the chrysalis could be seen forming。
They walked along wooden planks laid out while； in the rubble beneath； men with bulging muscles and oil…streaked faces drilled with jackhammers like sullen dentists。
They came into the shade of the roofed walkway。 The air was filmed with dust which hung chokingly； settling on their hair and their shoulders like dandruff。
A man with a lean dented face approached them。 He wore a bright yellow hard hat。 'Lubin Bros' was stencilled across the front in blue。 He smiled broadly when he recognized Tomkin； extended his hand。 He led them off to the right into a mobile home which served as construction headquarters。 Tomkin introduced him laconically as Abe Russo； the building foreman。 Russo shook Nicholas's hand with a firm cool grip。 He handed out hard hats for all of them and they left。
Frank led them into the innards of the structure； through the enormous atrium lobby； then along a corridor where