I had the feeling he was on drugs. He was too manic. I got a good look at the scar on his left hand. It was purple-red, roughly four centimeters by three. It appeared to be an old burn.

Connor lowered his voice and said, “Actually, Eddie, we’re here about the yakkaigoto at Nakamoto tonight.”

“Ah, yes,” Eddie said, lowering his voice, too. “No surprise she came to a bad end. That’s one henntai.”

“She was perverted? Why do you say that?”

Eddie said, “Want to step outside? Like to smoke cigarette and Rod doesn’t allow smoking in the house.”

“Okay, Eddie.”

We went outside and stood by the edge of the cactus garden. Eddie lit a Mild Seven Menthol. “Hey, Captain, I don’t know what you heard already so far. But that girl. She fucked some of the people in there. She fucked Rod. Some of the other people. So. We can talk easier out here, okay with you?”

“Sure.”

“I know that girl real well. Real well. You know I’m hipparidako, hey? I can’t help it. Popular guy! She’s all over me. All the time.”

“I know that, Eddie. But you say she had problems?”

“Big problems, amigo. Grande problemos. I tell you. She was a sick girl, this girl. She got off on pain.”

“World’s full of ‘em, Eddie.”

He sucked on his cigarette. “Hey, no,” he said. “I’m talking something else. I’m talking, how she gets off. When you hurt her real bad she comes. She’s always asking, more, more. Do it more. Squeeze harder.”

Connor said, “Her neck?”

“Yeah. Her neck. Right. Squeeze her neck. Yeah. You heard? And sometimes a plastic bag. You know, dry-cleaning bag? Put it over her head and clamp it, hold it around her neck while you fuck her and she sucks the plastic against her mouth and turns blue in the face. Claws at your back. Gasp and wheeze. Christ Almighty. Don’t care for that, myself. But I’m telling you, this girl has a pussy. I mean she gets off, it’s wild ride. You remember afterwards. I’m telling you. But for me, too much. Always on the edge, you know? Always a risk. Always pushing the edge. Maybe this time. Maybe this is the last time. You know what I’m saying?” He flicked his cigarette away. It sputtered among the cactus thorns. “Sometimes it’s exciting. Like Russian roulette. Then I couldn’t take it, Captain. Seriously. I couldn’t. And you know me, I like a wild time.”

I decided that Eddie Sakamura gave me the creeps. I tried to make notes while he talked, but his words were tumbling out, and I couldn’t keep up. He lit another cigarette, his hands shaking. He kept talking fast, swinging the glowing tip in the air for emphasis.

“And I mean, this girl, it’s a problem,” Eddie said. “Okay, pretty girl. She’s pretty. But sometimes she can’t go out, looks too bad. Sometimes, she needs lot of makeup, because neck is sensitive skin, man. And hers is bruised. Ring around the collar. Bad. You saw that, maybe. You see her dead, Captain?”

“Yeah, I saw her.”

“So then…” he hesitated. He seemed to step back, reconsider something. He flicked ash from the cigarette. “So. Was she strangled, or what?”

“Yes, Eddie. She was strangled.”

He inhaled. “Yeah. Figures.”

“Did you see her, Eddie?”

“Me? No. What are you talking about? How could I see her, Captain?” He exhaled, blowing smoke into the night.

“Eddie. Look at me.”

Eddie turned toward Connor.

“Look in my eyes. Now tell me. Did you see the body?”

“No. Captain, come on.” Eddie gave a nervous little laugh, and looked away. He flicked the cigarette so it tumbled in the air, dripping sparks. “What is this? Third degree? No. I didn’t see the body.”

“Eddie.”

“I swear to you, Captain.”

“Eddie. How are you involved in this?”

“Me? Shit. Not me, Captain. I know the girl, sure. I see her sometimes. I fuck her, sure. What the hell. She’s little weird, but she’s fun. A fun girl. Great pussy. That’s it, man. That’s all of it.” He looked around, lit another cigarette, “This’s a nice cactus garden, huh? Xeriscape, they call it. It’s the latest thing. Los Angeles goes back to desert life. It’s hayatterunosa: very fashionable.”

“Eddie.”

“Come on, Captain. Give me break here. We know each other long time.”

“Sure, Eddie. But I have some problems. What about the security tapes?”

Eddie looked blank, innocent. “Security tapes?”

“A man with a scar on his hand and a tie with triangles on it came into the Nakamoto security office and took the security videotapes.”

“Fuck. What security office? What’re you doing, Captain?”

“Eddie.”

“Who said that to you? That’s not true, man. Take the security tapes? I never did thing like that. What’re you, crazy?” He twisted his tie, looked at the label. “This is Polo tie, Captain. Ralph Lauren. Polo. Lot of these ties, bet you.”

“Eddie. What about the Imperial Arms?”

“What about it?”

“You go there tonight?”

“No.”

“You clean up Cheryl’s room?”

“What?” Eddie appeared shocked. “What? No. Clean up her room? Where you getting all this shit, Captain?”

“The girl across the hall… Julia Young,” Connor said. “She told us she saw you tonight, with another man. In Cheryl’s room at the Imperial Arms.”

Eddie threw his arms in the air. “Jesus. Captain. You listen. That girl wouldn’t know, she saw me last night or last month, man. That girl is a fucking hophead. You look between her toes you find the marks. You look under her tongue. Look on her pussylips. You find ‘em. That’s a dream girl, man. She doesn’t know when things happen. Man. You come here, give me this. I don’t like this.” Eddie tossed his cigarette away, and immediately lit another. “I don’t like this one bit. You don’t see what’s going on?”

“No,” Connor said. “Tell me, Eddie. What’s going on?”

“This shit’s not true, man. None of this true.” He puffed rapidly. “You know what this is about? It’s not about some fucking girl, man. It’s about Saturday meetings. The Doyou kai, Connor-san. The secret meetings. That’s what it’s about.”

Connor snapped, “Sonna bakana.”

“No bakana, Connor-san. Not bullshit.”

“What does a girl from Texas know about Doyou kai?”

“She knows something. Hontō nanda. And she likes to cause trouble, this girl. She likes to make turmoil.”

“Eddie, I think maybe you better come in with us.”

“Fine. Perfect. You do their job for them. For the kuromaku.” He spun to Connor. “Shit, Captain. Come on. You know how it works. This girl killed at Nakamoto. You know my family, my father, is Daimatsu. Now in Osaka they will read that a girl is killed at Nakamoto and I am arrested in connection. His son.”

“Detained.”

“Detained. Whatever. You know what that will mean. Taihennakoto ni naru zo. My father resign, his company must make apologies to Nakamoto. Perhaps reparations. Give some advantage in business. It is powerful ōsawagi ni naruzo. You will do this, if you take me into your custody.” He flicked his cigarette away. “Hey. You think I did this murder, you arrest me. Fine. But you are just covering your ass, you maybe do a lot of damage to me. Captain: you know this.”

Connor said nothing for a long time. There was a long silence. They walked around the garden, in circles.

Finally, Eddie said, “Na,Connor-san. Tanomuyo…” His voice sounded pleading. It seemed like he was asking for a break.

Connor sighed. “You got your passport, Eddie?”

“Yeah, sure. Always.”

“Let’s have it.”

“Yeah, sure. Okay, Captain. Here goes.”

Connor glanced at it, handed it to me. I slipped it in my pocket.

“Okay, Eddie. But this better not be murina koto. Or you’ll be declared persona non grata, Eddie. And I will personally put you on the next plane for Osaka. Wakattaka?”

“Captain, you protect the honor of my family. On ni kiru yo.” And he bowed formally, both hands at his sides.