Death of a Doll Maker (21 page)

Ignoring the man’s fears, Akitada said, “I’m the governor and have come to speak to your master. He offered to show me some of his treasures.”

The young man blinked. “He’s not here, your Excellency. It’s early. He usually arrives toward evening.” He bowed again.

“Where is he at this hour?”

“A-at home, your Excellency. I think.”

“And where is his home?”

Panic flashed across the pimply face. “I … he may not be there. P-perhaps if you were to return later? Or I could give him a message?”

Tora stepped forward. “Look here, you little weasel,” he snapped, “answer his Excellency’s question and be quick about it.”

The young man stammered some directions, and they left.

Feng’s home was built of plaster in the Chinese style and had a blue-tiled roof. It was a large compound with outbuildings, perhaps stables or more likely warehouses. The man clearly had money and standing in his community.

The gate was heavily carved with Chinese symbols for good luck and Feng’s name. It opened readily enough to their knocking. A servant, wearing Chinese clothes, bowed them in politely. Akitada tried his Chinese, asking if his master were home. The man either did not speak the language or was mute. He shook his head but beckoned them on.

Puzzled, Akitada and Tora followed him toward a two-story house across a neat paved courtyard which was enclosed by one-story buildings on either side, giving the whole complex the look of some huge bird of prey with its wings extended, hovering to embrace and devour them. The black-lacquered double doors in the center of the main house opened like a maw.

The house was not raised above ground, like Japanese houses of the better class. Only a stone step led to the doors. The walls to either side and above had ornately carved grilles over the windows.

Ignoring the feeling of being swallowed alive, Akitada walked through the black doors with Tora at his heels. In the dark interior, corridors branched away, leading to dimly lit spaces trimmed with painted and gilded lacquer carvings. The air was heavy with some alien incense.

When the silent servant stopped and gestured, they entered a mid-sized room with one window set high in the wall. Its carved grille let in very little daylight. Several chairs made from some heavy, dark wood stood about, with small, long-legged lacquer tables next to them.

Akitada shook off his unease and went to sit down in a chair facing the door. Tora came to stand protectively behind him.

“This gives me the shivers, sir,” he muttered. “Who would want to live in a place like a tomb?”

A door opened, and Merchant Feng came in on soft soles. He had a smile on his round, smooth face with its small mustache and chin beard and wore a black silk robe, slit at the sides, with pale green trousers underneath. The robe’s sleeves were narrow and ended at his wrists, revealing fleshy hands and fingers with many rings on them. On his feet he wore embroidered slippers.

Akitada took all this in and raised his eyes to the man’s face again. Feng’s smile was fixed. It was unpleasant, even when accompanied by a most servile bow, and the exclamation, “A signal honor, my Lord! I’m deeply moved by your gracious visit to my undeserving home. Forgive me, if I’m completely overcome. I had hoped to have a suitable entertainment prepared when your lordship deigned to pay me a visit.”

“Not at all, Feng.” Akitada was brusque. “This isn’t a social call. I have some questions to ask you and hope you’ll be able to assist in a matter that’s just come up.”

Feng folded his body into another deep bow. “Certainly, your Excellency. If you are quite comfortable here, perhaps this poor room is as good as any?”

The strong scent of incense was giving Akitada a headache, but he said, “Of course. Sit down.”

Feng bowed again and moved another chair up for Tora.

“I’ll stand,” growled Tora. Akitada knew from his tone that he did not care for Feng any more than he did.

Feng bowed again and sat down himself. “May I call for some refreshments? Wine? Tea? Sweets? Or something savory?”

Akitada waved this aside. “Nothing at all, thank you. It has been brought to our attention that my predecessor, Lord Tachibana, who left Hakata more than a month ago, never reached his home in the capital. Neither did he take ship as planned, it seems. We are forced to assume he is still here. Naturally, this raises concerns both here and with His Majesty’s government in Heian-kyo.”

Feng’s eyes opened wide. “You don’t say. How very troubling! Please continue.”

“I am told you had a longstanding relationship with Lord Tachibana. Is this correct?”

“His Excellency honored my store with his business during the time he was here. It was, of course, a business relationship. I’m merely a humble shopkeeper.”

“He was a good customer?”

“Yes. Lord Tachibana had a great admiration for the arts of my homeland. Let us say, our dealings were mutually rewarding.”

“About how much gold did he spend on art while he was here?”

The directness of the question gave Feng pause. He had been very much in control of himself so far. Now he hesitated. “I would have to consult my accounts. Alas, I do not keep them here.”

“Come, Feng, you must have a rough notion.”

Feng spread his beringed fingers. “Forgive me, but your questioning suggests an investigation. Since you tell me Lord Tachibana has disappeared and therefore cannot speak for himself, I would like to be precise. I can consult my accounts and transmit my answer to your Excellency in writing.”

The tone of the conversation had changed subtly. It was not unlike a first meeting between two armed warriors trying to gauge each other’s weaknesses. Behind him, Tora shifted. Perhaps he, too, recognized the tension in the room.

Abruptly, Akitada rose. “It is regrettable that I cannot get the support of the local people,” he said coldly, “but my duty is clear. I take it you have no information about Lord Tachibana’s whereabouts?”

Feng was also up, bowing deeply. “None at all, Excellency. If his Excellency took a small detour to some pleasant island, I trust he turns up soon. His unaccountable disappearance throws suspicion on many.”

Akitada stared at him. The man was very clever. “Send me a list of Lord Tachibana’s purchases from you or through you, dated and with the descriptions of the items and the payments.” He turned and walked out, followed by Tora.

As they crossed the forecourt to the gate, Tora muttered, “We’re being watched. I can feel it.”

“Of course, we’re being watched,” Akitada said irritably. “Word has spread the governor has called on their master.”

“And without an escort. You really shouldn’t take such chances, sir. Especially when the last governor has disappeared.

Akitada did not comment. Tora was right, and he had a family to consider. But he detested traveling with pomp and circumstance, having his every move observed and being stared at by crowds of people.

“And that reminds me,” Tora said. “Mrs. Kimura saw just such a man as Feng with Governor Tachibana. It may have been the day he disappeared.”

“How sure is she?”

“Well, it was getting dark.”

Akitada humphed. He had little faith in the memory of old ladies.

“What next?” Tora asked as soon as they were on the city street again.

“The harbor office. I want to see their records.”

Their arrival and demands caused consternation among the clerks and scribes busy among their ledgers and documents. Their supervisor, an official appointed by Lord Tachibana, turned out to be stubborn. He had never laid eyes on Akitada, doubted his assertion he was the rightful governor of Chikuzen, ignored Tora’s angry threats, and withdrew to his office, leaving them standing among the rest of the staff and assorted merchants and ship owners or their representatives.

Tora was for calling Maeda and his constables, but Akitada shook his head. “Time enough for other methods later. It may make the supervisor more cooperative if he fears repercussions.”

He turned to one of the clerks and asked, “Would you be willing to explain the workings of this office to me? I’ve seen the reports sent to the provincial tribunal as well as those in Dazaifu, but I’m wondering if you keep track of arrivals and departures for any of the boats traveling the Inland Sea.”

The clerk cast several glances over his shoulder toward the back, perhaps hoping his superior might reappear and relieve him of making a decision. Akitada’s mention of having seen harbor office reports made him uneasy. In the end, the possibility that this stranger with his glowering attendant might indeed be the new governor won out.

“Yes, sir, er, your Honor. We do keep track of who comes and goes by listing the owners or captains of the boats and their home port.”

Akitada gave him an encouraging nod. “Excellent! Could you check to see what ships departed the same day as the former governor’s ship. It would have been the middle of the second month.”

After a slight hesitation, the clerk left. Akitada turned to study the people and their dealings with various clerks and scribes. They had lost interest in him. Evidently whatever business had brought them here was foremost in their minds.

One man was the exception. He had apparently come in after them and now lounged against the wall next to the door. Akitada had the impression he had been watching them and turned his head away only a moment before Akitada looked at him. Turning back, Akitada said to Tora, “The man by the door. See where he goes when he leaves.”

The clerk returned with a fat ledger. This he opened and held toward Akitada. “The fourteenth day of the second month, sir. As you can see, there were four ships leaving Hakata harbor. His Excellency’s ship was the Phoenix. Its captain is called Ueda.”

Akitada peered at the ledger and saw one of the ships was indeed the Phoenix. “How do you know this was the ship?” he asked astonished.

“I served His Excellency’s captain myself. I know him. He was very angry when he got the message to go on without his Excellency and came here to ask what he should do.”

“You’re a remarkable man,” Akitada told the clerk with a smile. “By any chance, do you also know who brought him the message?”

“No, sir.” The clerk closed his ledger. “The captain said it was one of the governor’s own men. Still, he thought it strange and waited for his Excellency until the last moment before the tide turned.”

“I see. Thank you. Your memory does you credit.”

Akitada studied the ledger again and asked about other boats Lord Tachibana might have taken passage on. There were only two, and both had since returned and left again. Apparently neither captain had mentioned giving passage to the ex-governor. And that was unlikely.

When Akitada turned to leave the harbor office, he saw Tora was gone. So was the man who had stood beside the door. Outside, it was turning dark. Suddenly a strong feeling of danger seized him. It was not altogether irrational. For all they knew there might be more than just one man watching them. If the last governor had met with a violent end, he could well be next. The faces of his family flashed before his eyes. He had no right to take such risks. He had come to Hakata without armed men, and now he had sent Tora after someone who had probably been watching them. He wished he had at least worn his sword, regardless of propriety.

For a moment, he debated what to do next, then he walked away from the harbor office as quickly as he could without attracting more curiosity. He reached police headquarters safely, though out of breath and ashamed of his panic.

There he left a message for Tora to return to the tribunal, swung himself on his horse, and left Hakata.

20

THE CARTER

W
hen Tora had not returned by nightfall, Akitada was concerned but not overly so. He mentioned the watcher in the harbor office to Saburo, who stopped by before leaving on his own assignment.

Saburo listened and said, “Tora knows how to handle himself. He may have decided to have another look at the willow quarter to ask questions about Fragrant Orchid.” He smirked. “He was really interested in her.”

Given Tora’s past among the flowers of the floating world, it was likely, so Akitada nodded, dismissed Saburo, and went to bed.

This time Saburo had taken pains with his preparations. Not only was his homemade beard in place, but he had opted for his patched and stained black clothes with the clever pouches for assorted weapons and tools. The brown jacket he wore over it to hide its peculiarities was new. He had lost its predecessor in the capital, but a seamstress he knew had constructed a new one to his specifications. It was also brown, since he had a fondness for that color. The previous jacket with its full sleeves and loose fit had to be taken off before making a climb to a roof and into someone’s house. This was how Saburo had lost it.

The new jacket was an invention of his and did not have this disadvantage. It had two sides. The outer brown side was fuller than the inner black one. All he had to do was to turn the jacket inside out, and it became black as the night and fitted snugly enough not to snag on things when climbing.

He looked like a poor working man as he made his way on foot into Hakata. It was a nuisance to have to walk so far before reaching his objective, but like his master and Tora, he needed the exercise to get in shape. Tired and footsore by the time he reached Hakata harbor, he surveyed the craft tied up at the docks. The ship where he had first seen Fingers was gone.

He next turned down the street to the wine shop where Fingers had met with his cohorts before following the children. He hoped it was their regular meeting place. It was unlikely they would recognize him. Bearded men were common here, and last time he had worn his good clothes and a hat. Now he looked like the regular customers.

The Dragon’s Lair was crowded, and the smells of smoke, oil, and sour wine were thicker than last time. Saburo stopped at the door and scanned the room. His quarry was not here, but to his surprise he saw the pimply-faced salesclerk from Feng’s shop. He wore old clothes, and Saburo might not have noticed him if he had not raised his head to look toward the door. He gave no sign of recognition, however, and lowered his head again. He sat alone in a corner near a torch light, reading a book of some sort and sipping from a cup of wine.