Conspiracy (40 page)

Careful to avoid being struck, she leaned in and touched him, waking him up. "Are you okay, C.J.? Are you sick? What's wrong?"

He shot up to a sitting position. "Oh, God, I was dreaming. It was terrible."

"What about?"

"We were in a Japanese POW camp. Fujimura and Sato and some other men were torturing you. I was forced to watch. God, it was so awful. They were—"

She stopped him in midsentence by putting one hand over his mouth. With the other she opened her kimono. She pulled his naked body, damp with perspiration, close to her, burying his head against her breasts. When he was calm she pulled him down with her to the futon, still keeping his head against her.

He soon fell asleep again, but she remained awake long after. She kept returning to the idea that Sato had allies in the military. If tomorrow did not go his way, he would be desperate. Did he already have alternate plans in place?

 

 

 

Chapter 31

 

As the police car pulled away from the
ryokan,
two more police cars joined them, one in back, the other in front.

"Where's this hearing going to take place?" Cady asked Fujimura, who was sitting in the front seat.

"Prime Minister Nakamura's country house in Hakone. Near the base of Mount Fuji. A complex like your Camp David."

"Whose decision was that?" Cady asked suspiciously.

"Prime Minister Nakamura selected the venue."

After that answer they rode in silence. Taylor looked out the window at the breathtaking scenery. The sides of the road were thick with bamboo and evergreens. At regular intervals they had to slow down to cross small wooden bridges that went over fast-moving mountain streams. In the distance she could see snow-covered mountain peaks. Yet even among such beauty Taylor wondered where Terasawa was. Out there, somewhere in that wilderness, plotting his next move.

Taylor tried to imagine what it was like centuries ago during the shogunate, when warring tribes fought never-ending battles. Was that what she and Cady had gotten swept up in now? A modern-day version of one of those battles with Yahiro Sato, samurai, making a military grab to wrest control of the government from Nakamura?

The police car turned into a narrow paved driveway.

"The prime minister's country house," Fujimura announced unemotionally.

As the car passed two large catering trucks and pulled up to the stone gatehouse at the entrance, Taylor looked around. In the center was the main house, a large wooden building. On five sides of the main house, like spokes on a wheel, were a series of cottages that served as guesthouses. The entire complex was surrounded by a thick forest filled with bamboo and tall evergreen trees. A small stream ran along one side of the property.

The main house was surrounded by soldiers, about twenty in all. Taylor saw each armed with a submachine gun. On the roof two sharpshooters were scanning the area.

The sentry in the gatehouse motioned to their driver to turn off the engine. Four soldiers descended on the car, each one opening a door. When they all climbed out, the soldiers frisked them for weapons and checked Taylor's briefcase.

"Why so many soldiers?" Taylor asked Fujimura.

"Those are members of the Japan Self-defense Force. The charges you have brought are serious. Prime Minister Nakamura thought the presence of the soldiers was appropriate."

"But will the troops follow the orders of Nakamura or Sato?" Cady asked.

"All of our troops are loyal to the democratic government of Japan," Fujimura said sharply.

The large main house, like the cottages, was constructed and furnished in Western style because the prime minister frequently entertained Western leaders at this complex. As they walked through the front door, Taylor whispered to C.J., "Cool down. Here we can't use the kind of confrontational approach that we employ at home. They're the judge and jury. If we're going to win, we have to do it their way."

"I'll behave," Cady replied, sounding chagrined. "I promise. You take the lead."

Inside the door stood another half dozen armed soldiers. As Taylor took off her shoes, she heard a rustle of activity. A man whom Taylor recognized from his pictures as Prime Minister Nakamura came forward. Fujimura introduced Taylor and Cady to him in Japanese.

"It's a great honor," Taylor said, bowing graciously. She nodded to Cady, directing him with her eyes. He followed suit.

"My thanks to you," the prime minister said in Japanese, "for making such a long trip to help us."

"We just hope that we can be of assistance," she answered in his language.

Involuntarily he raised his eyebrows, showing how surprised he was by her perfect Japanese pronunciation. "You learned your Japanese well."

She blushed in response to the compliment. "Fujimura-
san
is an excellent teacher," she replied.

At that point Suzuki, the Japanese minster of justice, appeared, dressed in a suit and tie. He looked a lot older than Taylor remembered, but it had been about ten years since she had last seen him. He was in his mid-seventies now, Taylor guessed. Like Fujimura, he wore very thick glasses.

Again, Fujimura introduced Taylor and Cady. More bowing. Then Fujimura and the prime minister left the room.

"Let me tell you a little about our proceedings today," Suzuki said to Taylor and Cady in English. "The honorable prime minister and I want to listen to what you have to say, and also to Sato and Harrison. This isn't a trial. It's more like an informal hearing. Everyone can make any statements they want. There won't be any cross-examination. And no record will be made of this discussion. At the conclusion, the prime minister, after consulting with me and Fujimura-
san,
will make a decision on your extradition requests."

"I assume that the discussion will be in English," Taylor said.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. For Prime Minister Nakamura, it is preferable to use Japanese. Earphones and simultaneous translation will be provided so that Cady and Harrison may understand and speak in English. You have the choice of language."

"I will use Japanese," Taylor replied. "I prefer my own words to those of an interpreter."

He was pleased with her request. "As you wish."

"Where's Philip Harrison?" she asked.

"He's in the large room in back with Yahiro Sato. He asked if you would be willing to speak with him privately before we begin."

Cady caught her eye and vigorously shook his head, but she ignored him. "If it's acceptable to you, Suzuki-.san, I will talk to Harrison."

He nodded. "I see nothing inappropriate in that."

When the justice minister left the room, Cady said to her, "Are you crazy? Harrison's going to try to turn you around. That's why he wants to meet with you."

"You really think he has a chance after everything that's happened to me?"

"He has a reputation for being persuasive."

Suddenly she realized that, in his bristling way, Cady was trying to protect her. "He's done a lot for me. I owe him this much."

"Because he tried to have you killed?"

"No, for everything before that."

"Well, at least behave like a good trial lawyer. Talk to him in generalities. Don't lay out our case for him. He doesn't know what papers of his you have. If you tell him, he'll be able to concoct some explanation."

He was being overbearing, and she had to restrain herself. "What could he possibly say?"

"Please, Taylor, this one time, listen to me."

Moments later a soldier led her to a small room that was empty. Patiently she waited for Harrison to appear. When he did, he strode in exuding self-confidence.

"For God's sake, Taylor," he said in a tone of surprise and righteous indignation, "what in the world have you done to me?"

He intends to intimidate me,
Taylor thought.
He thinks he can prevail if he forces us into our normal roles of senior and junior partner.

"Me? What have I done?" she said, tossing it back to him.

He ran his hand through his ruffled hair. "You don't think I was responsible for any of the things that happened to Senator Boyd, do you? Yahiro Sato built a trap for me because I was your friend. You're playing into his hands, forcing me into that trap."

Taylor wanted to scream, but she kept herself under control. "I don't believe I'm hearing this," she said in a firm, calm voice.

"How long have we worked together?" he said. "Do you really think I could do anything like that?"

"It turns out that I didn't know you at all."

Her coldness didn't faze him a bit. "What evidence do you have to back up any of these charges you made against me?"

She thought about Cady's warning. Harrison was on a fishing expedition. "All of the facts establish that you directed this conspiracy with Sato."

"You're dead wrong," he said, sounding annoyed. "Sato's a vicious man and a manipulator. He tried to draw me into his scheme. I was going to be his alibi if anything went wrong. You're playing into his hands."

Taylor laughed. "You'll have to do better than that."

"You don't get it. Do you?"

She couldn't believe he could lie so well to her face. "You can't think I'm stupid enough to believe you—"

He interrupted her. "I guess you don't get it. Sato's devious and smart. He's tricked you. Don't you see that?"

She had an acrid taste in her mouth. The words
You bastard, how could you?
were on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back.

"I was hoping that you'd be honest with me, Philip. I was obviously wrong."

* * *

Terasawa drove the four-wheel-drive vehicle recklessly on the dirt mountain trails, avoiding the paved roads. All of the usual approaches to Hakone were swarming with police and soldiers. He couldn't risk being stopped. He had to assume that they knew he was responsible for the bomb in the black sedan yesterday, that they had his picture.

Thinking about the bomb infuriated him. How had the police found out in time to have Taylor and Cady switch cars? He hadn't told anyone what he was planning. Terasawa concluded that he must have been sloppy in the execution. He was so unstrung by everything that had gone wrong lately, he wasn't careful enough. Seething at the thought, he smashed his hand against the dashboard.

Terasawa increased his speed, then missed the next bend in the road and landed in a ditch. Five minutes later, when he maneuvered his way out, skidding and kicking mud high in the air, he made up his mind to slow down.

Besides, there was no reason to hurry. He knew from Ozawa where Taylor and Cady were. He had the perfect line of communication. Sato kept Ozawa informed of all developments by a state-of-the-art cell phone that worked even in the deepest mountains. And Ozawa, terrified that Terasawa would tell Sato about Glass's murder, passed along Sato's information to him the same way.

Terasawa patted his jacket pocket containing the gun and stiletto. He would find a place to hide in the hills above Nakamura's house. Then he would wait for the right time to make his move.

He would make it up to Sato. With Terasawa's help, Sato would emerge victorious.

* * *

Suzuki had cleared the large formal dining room of its normal furniture to set up a hearing format. There was a small table in front, which he sat behind as a judge. Facing that table and on both sides were longer tables. At one, Sato and Harrison were seated. At the other were Taylor and Cady.

All the way in the back, at the center facing Suzuki, sat the prime minister and Fujimura as an audience or gallery of two. Off in one corner, in a glass-enclosed booth, was the translator, a thin, intense-looking young woman.

As Taylor glanced around the room, she thought about what Cady had said yesterday in the car. A shiver passed through her. Were Sato and Harrison on trial? Or she and Cady? It didn't matter. Taylor couldn't afford to lose. Both of their lives were on the line. If they returned to America without Sato, he would direct Terasawa to follow them.

Suzuki began by introducing Taylor and Cady to Yahiro Sato, who rose and stood to his full height of five-foot-four. He resembled precisely the pictures she had seen with Alex's articles. His hair was still black and thick despite his age. Today he had a bitter scowl on his face.

When they were all seated, Suzuki turned to Taylor and Cady. "You should please begin. You two may divide the presentation in any manner you would like."

Taylor stood up. On the long flight to Tokyo they had decided that she would handle the proceedings. If she missed any facts, he would jump in.

Standing in a position from which she could alternate her gaze between Suzuki and Nakamura, she began talking slowly and precisely, straining to find the right words in Japanese. She described her relationship to Senator Boyd and her role in his campaign. She told them that all of these events began with a meeting that Sato and Harrison had had in Buenos Aires, followed by a mysterious package being dropped on Cady's desk. She talked about the murders of Senator Boyd and Harvey Gladstone. She recounted Alex Glass's letter. She explained how McDermott finally confirmed beyond question Harrison's involvement in this conspiracy. "I reviewed documents in Harrison's office," she said, "that establish the involvement of Yahiro Sato and the objective of this conspiracy, which was to eliminate Senator Boyd from becoming the next American president because he would block Sato's program for the renewed militarization of Japan."