Conspiracy (42 page)

* * *

When Harrison came out of the bathroom, his face wet from the cold water he had splashed on it, Taylor was waiting for him. Alone, out of earshot of the others, she grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.

"How could you do it?" she demanded. "Sato I can understand. I don't think he's right, but I can understand his motives. But you? Why did you do all of those horrible things?"

He took a deep breath and stared at her, debating whether to tell her the story he had never told anyone else—about his father and about China.

"You wouldn't understand," he finally said.

His words enraged Taylor. "Ah, c'mon, Philip, two people were killed. Decent human beings. Boyd, an honorable senator who was trying to improve the country. Gladstone, a kindly man with a wife and a sick grandson who was dying." Her voice was cracking with emotion. "How could you have done it?"

It was too much for Harrison. He had to say something. "That was Terasawa on his own. I couldn't control him. I warned Sato he was a loose cannon."

As Taylor thought about what had happened, she became even angrier. "And the trumped-up charge in Mississippi? Don't tell me that was Terasawa. You arranged that."

"Just to get you out of circulation until after the election. No one would have harmed you."

She shot him a look of loathing. "You're disgusting."

"As I said, you would never understand."

"Once you're extradited, you'll be the one spending time in jail. If you're lucky and Cady doesn't charge you with murder one."

He looked at her with contempt. Then he turned and walked away.

She stood alone for several minutes, balanced on the verge of tears and uncontrollable anger. Blurry-eyed, she saw Prime Minister Nakamura approaching her. Speaking in Japanese, he asked if she would walk with him outside.

It was chilly, but she didn't mind the cold. He was walking two steps ahead of her with his hands behind his back, a deeply troubled man. She moved quickly and fell into step with him.

"I want to emphasize," he said grimly in Japanese, "that Yahiro Sato was operating on his own. This was not a project authorized by our government. Do you understand that?"

She had no doubt on that issue. "I do. You were very cooperative. More than that, you saved my life and Cady's yesterday by moving us from that car that exploded. If you honor Cady's extradition request and send Sato and Harrison back to the United States with us, I will emphasize your government's lack of complicity when Cady and I report to the president in Washington."

"And what action do you think the American government will take?"

"My guess is that they will prosecute both men under American criminal law for murder, among other crimes."

"And will there be a public trial?"

"Unless the defendants agree to a plea bargain. Even in that case, the arrangement will be made public."

He was weighing her words carefully. "Sometimes it's better if certain matters are not publicly disclosed."

"Unfortunately I don't think we have a choice in this situation. Public exposure is necessary to ensure that Harrison and Sato are punished for what they have done."

When Nakamura didn't respond, she studied his face carefully. She hadn't convinced him; she realized that.

In a slow, halting voice he said, "I'm afraid if there's a public trial of Sato and Harrison in the United States, these events will be misunderstood. Others in your country don't have your knowledge of Japan. They will view this as something more than the aberrant behavior of a Japanese extremist. They will seek to erode what has been a cooperative relationship between our two great nations for the last fifty years."

"That thought concerns me as well, but I don't see an alternative."

There was a heavy silence as they continued walking. At last Nakamura broke it. "You said a moment ago that I saved your life."

"That's right," she replied warily.

"Then I would like a favor from you in return."

"What's that?"

"Remain here at my country house for twenty-four hours while I ponder my decision on extradition. During this time, don't talk to anyone in the United States by telephone. Don't disclose to anyone else what Harrison and Sato did."

She hesitated.

"I want you to wait only twenty-four hours," he repeated. "Then I will give you my decision." He could see that she was uncomfortable with his request, and he added, "You must appreciate the enormous political implications for me on the issue of Sato's extradition. He is a viable candidate against me for prime minister. I need a little time to weigh this momentous decision."

She thought about his request. Actually, she liked it for her own reasons. If they waited twenty-four hours and then flew home, the American presidential election would be over. That would be better. It would be a disaster if this story broke before then.

"We'll do what you asked," she replied, knowing that Cady would be upset because she hadn't consulted with him. Yet she was the one who understood the sensitivities of the Japanese, so she had to decide. "We will wait the twenty-four hours. You should know, however, that Gerhard Hall, the chief justice of our Supreme Court, has copies of all of the documents. Should anything happen to me and Cady, extradition for prosecution of Harrison and Sato will still occur."

"I rather expected something like that," the prime minister said. "I'm asking everyone else to remain here for this twenty-four-hour period as well."

"Sato and Harrison too?"

He nodded.

Nakamura had taken charge. His words meant virtual house arrest for all of them.

In their walk they had made a wide circle. They were now coming back to the house. "Before we separate," Nakamura said, "I want to say thank-you for what you've done by coming to me privately. I intend to try to find a reasonable solution to this matter."

She bowed politely, then held up, letting him walk into the house first with her two steps behind.

What in the world did he mean by "a reasonable solution"? she wondered.

 

 

 

Chapter 32

 

"We're prisoners." Cady said to Taylor angrily.

"Why do you say that, C.J.? We're just staying for twenty-four hours until Nakamura decides on the extradition petition."

He began pacing the floor of the cottage they had been given for the night. "This afternoon when you were out walking with Nakamura, I wanted to call someone at the American base to get patched through to General Clayton. My cell phone didn't work here so I tried to use one of the house phones. I was told that it's not possible to make calls."

She sighed, knowing how unhappy Cady was with her decision. "We're all being treated that way. Harrison's in another guest cottage alone. Sato's in a third one. Nakamura, Suzuki, and Fujimura are staying in the main house tonight while they discuss the issue and try to find a reasonable solution."

Cady picked up on her words. "The reasonable solution is to turn Harrison and Sato over to us for extradition."

She put a hand on his arm. "That's where I think we'll end up. We have to give Nakamura the time to get there by himself."

He was not soothed. "Will they even feed us?"

"Room service."

"You know what I think?"

"I doubt if I'll like it."

"I think that Nakamura will make a deal with Sato. In return for rejecting the extradition request, Sato drops out of the election. Nakamura will look the other way when some of the soldiers kill us, and nobody will ever hear from us again."

Taylor looked outside at carp swimming in a pond encircled by bamboo trees. "There's something wrong with your scenario," she replied.

"Yeah, what?"

"Both General Clayton and Chief Justice Hall know everything that happened. Hall has a set of the documents."

Cady gave a short, nervous laugh. "I guess you're right. I just don't like waiting around while the leader of a possible coup is parked next door to us." Cady made a sour face. "Anyway, there's nothing we can do about it. If we tried to leave, they'd restrain us physically. All we can do is wait and hope that I'm wrong."

His words troubled her. "Maybe you will be wrong about how this is going to play out."

"In the movies," Cady continued, "we would end up together happily ever after, and Sato and Harrison would be destroyed."

"But in real life?"

"Soldiers rush up to us with machine guns firing."

* * *

Nakamura and Sato dined together—just the two of them—in the main house. Kimono-clad women left food and sake, then retreated quickly behind a closed door. Armed soldiers paced in the corridor.

"You have placed me in a difficult situation," Nakamura said. "I want to find a reasonable solution, but so far it eludes me."

Sato gripped a piece of octopus sashimi in his chopsticks. "Surely you can't be considering my extradition to the United States."

Nakamura frowned. "From all of the facts presented, I have no choice."

Sato struggled to control his anger. "You'll be hated throughout the country. People will say that your motive is political. That you realized you would lose the election to me. That was how you stole it."

Nakamura bristled at Sato's harsh words. "I'm aware of that, but we're a democratic government. I have to do what is right."

Sato snarled. "What is right for whom? For you. Surely not for the Japanese people."

"The United States is an ally."

"Allies should treat each other with dignity, as equals. When the Chinese use their military might to erode our economy, this ally of ours will stand by and watch our nation be wrecked."

Nakamura frowned, troubled by Sato's words. "Three people have died."

Sato was ready for that comment. "How many died in the American bombing of our homeland night after night? My mother and sister were two out of hundreds of thousands. Try to imagine your mother burning to death before your own eyes. First her hair. Then her clothes and her flesh. How many died in China? My father survived, but he was destroyed fighting there. And I know that your brother and uncle were two others."

"But that was years ago."

"People haven't changed. People never change."

Nakamura blew out his breath and sipped a tiny bit of sake. Sato was clever, his arguments powerful. "What would you have me do?" he asked.

"Refuse the request to extradite me."

"And Harrison?"

"He should have an unfortunate accident. Dead men can't be extradited."

"Cady and Taylor will pursue you publicly. Through legal channels."

"Without Harrison to testify to my involvement, there is no case against me. You will be able to turn away their request."

"Let me ask you hypothetically—if I agree to do that, will you drop out of the election for prime minister?"

Sato locked eyes with Nakamura. "Never."

After waiting for Nakamura to grasp the firmness of his conviction, Sato rose. "I'm going back to my cottage. You consider your decision carefully tonight. If you decide on my extradition, you will be responsible for the consequences."

Nakamura's face flushed with anger. "Are you threatening me?"

"I am simply pointing out that I have loyal supporters. They may not accept your decision."

Sato had tossed the threat of civil war on the table. The usually stoic Nakamura raised his hand to point a finger at Sato. But before he could do that, Sato turned and marched out of the room.

* * *

Ozawa had called to tell Terasawa that they would be in the compound all night. He had also repeated to him Sato's detailed report of who would be staying in each of the buildings, the strength of the defenses, and their location.

At ten o'clock, with high-powered infrared binoculars, from his position on a wooded hill above the complex Terasawa looked through a window of the main house and watched Nakamura, Suzuki, and Fujimura convening around a table. They must be trying to decide what to do.

* * *

Slowly and stealthily, Terasawa crept down the hill. With the heavy cloud cover it was pitch-black. With his dark leather jacket he melted into the shadows. The night-vision glasses he was wearing showed him there was no fence. No dogs. Just twenty men in place around the main building with significant distance between them. Others were guarding the cottages. Ozawa had told him to go in through a side entrance to the main house, where Kenji, the soldier on duty at that door, would let Terasawa pass.

At the bottom of the hill Terasawa took a narrow path behind a wooden shed, close to the side entrance. Crouching, he watched and waited. So far, so good. No one knew he was here.

After a minute Terasawa picked up some pebbles and tossed them to the left of Kenji, the signal Ozawa had told him to use. As the pebbles hit the ground Kenji turned toward the noise. While he did, Terasawa made his move.

Inside, the house seemed deserted. Terasawa crept surreptiously toward the room in which Nakamura was meeting with Suzuki and Fujimura. Once he heard their voices, he paused in the next room out of their sight and listened. He heard Nakamura say, "I don't like the idea of extraditing Yahiro Sato. Harrison is different. With Sato, people will say my motive was political."