The Crane Pavilion (12 page)

Saburo flushed. “I didn’t really think he was like the rest.”

“He’s not!”

A brief silence fell. After a while, Tora said more calmly, “Mind you, when I first met him, I made the same mistake. You see, it’s all that book learning that makes him a bit stiff when it comes to rules, and I thought he was cruel and uncaring. As it turned out, he saved my neck when I was about to be taken up for a highwayman, and then he saved Genba and Hachiro from being arrested for murder, when all they’d done was to defend their honor. For that matter, he took you on, too, didn’t he? The way you looked back then, I wouldn’t have given you a chance.”

Saburo hung his head. “You’re right. I’m sorry I said what I did, but I think someone has to help Sachi and the schoolmaster.”

“Tell me about them.”

As they walked, Saburo told the story from the beginning: his meeting with Shokichi and the murder in the bathhouse, his break-up with Shokichi and his decision to solve the murder himself, his visit to Nakamura’s house, and the plight of the schoolmaster. He summed up, “When I saw what that crook had brought this poor family to, I knew there was no point in hunting down all the other borrowers. They’re all going to be the same kind of poor devils. That’s when I went to ask the master’s advice.”

Tora had listened without interrupting. Now he said, “You can’t know that they’re all the same. But I’ll help you as much as I can, and Genba, too. Well, here we are. Let’s talk to Kobe. Maybe we can see this blind girl of yours and find out if she knows anything.”

Kobe was busy and made them wait. They sat outside his office, watching the coming and going of constables and senior police officers.

“So you and Shokichi have broken up?” Tora asked after a while.

Saburo’s irritation with Shokichi’s unreasonable behavior rose again. “She says she’ll have nothing more to do with me. That sounded pretty final to me.” He shook his head. “I’ve never seen her so stubborn. Would you believe she expected me to attack the constables and free Sachi?”

Tora raised his brows. “Doesn’t sound like her. This Sachi, do you at all think she might have done it?”

Saburo looked morose. “Not really. But considering Shokichi’s behavior, it strikes me women lose their minds sometimes. Who’s to say Sachi didn’t cut Nakamura’s throat if he said something she didn’t like? Women!”

Tora laughed. “Let’s assume she didn’t do it. I like the moneylenders much better for it. They have no conscience. You know, we need to go to that bathhouse and start asking questions about the people who were there.”

Saburo slapped his forehead. “Of course. Honestly, the quarrel with Shokichi upset me so I couldn’t think straight.”

At this point, a constable stuck his head out of Kobe’s office and asked them to come in.

Kobe sat behind a desk that was laden with papers as usual. Several clerks worked on more paperwork.

The superintendent smiled. “So, what do you have to tell me? Did he go to check out that suicide?”

Tora grinned back. “Yes, sir. It worked beautifully. He not only looked at the room where the lady hanged herself, but he talked to three of the people living there. A really odd bunch of people, if you ask me. And he came away suspecting Abbot Genshin of having had a hand in it somehow. Apparently the abbot was a holy terror among the ladies in his younger years.”

Kobe laughed. “True, but these days the reverend abbot is in such great favor with the court and Buddhist hierarchy that he can certainly shrug off Lord Sugawara’s suspicions. I wish I’d been there.” He paused. Suddenly looking worried, he asked, “Did he think there was something wrong with that suicide?”

“Not really. He did look through the lady’s things and, as I said, he asked some questions. But he seems to be mostly curious why the lady and the others were living there.”

“Well, let’s hope it means he’ll return to a more normal life now.” Kobe’s eyes went to Saburo. “Glad to see you again, Saburo. Your looks are greatly improved, I notice.”

“Thank you, sir.” Saburo hung his head a moment. “It was Lady Sugawara’s help as much as anything,” he added softly.

“Ah. A great loss, that lady.”

They sat in silence for a moment, then Kobe said, “You went along with your master and Tora?”

“No, sir. I’m here about something else.” Saburo gave an account of the murder in the bathhouse and his conviction that the blind girl had not done the crime. “I’d hoped to get the master’s help, but he’s too busy now, and I don’t know how to proceed, or if I should.”

He had managed to sound dejected, and Kobe smiled. “I see Sugawara’s entire household is trying to do my work for me again. No doubt, Lady Akiko will shortly make her appearance.”

Tora chuckled. “She was talking to the master when we left, so I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“May the heavens help me,” said Kobe. “I may have made a bad mistake. As for the blind girl, frankly I had my doubts when I heard about it. The say she’s absolutely adamant that she didn’t do it and was out of the room when it happened. We’ll look into the matter, so there’s no need for you to do anything else.”

Saburo’s heart sank. He had little faith in police investigations. “Could I talk to her, sir?”

Kobe frowned. “Very well, but don’t make her any promises and stay out of it afterward.” He told a young constable to take Tora and Saburo to the jail so they could visit the girl.

Sachi cowered in a corner of the cell on some dirty straw. An evil-smelling bucket was in the opposite corner. She turned a frightened face toward the door as it opened. Saburo was struck again by how pretty she was when you discounted that bluish cast of blindness in her eyes.

Tora also whistled under his breath, and the blind girl shrank against the wall and cried, “Don’t, please!”

Saburo said quickly, “Don’t be afraid, Sachi. I’m Shokichi’s friend. She sent me to help. I brought a friend with me. We don’t mean you any harm.”

She relaxed a little. “Shokichi? She was there when they arrested me.”

“Yes. Me, too. She wanted me to fight the constables. Now she’s angry with me.”

A tiny smile appeared on her face. “You’re Saburo?”

“Yes. And my friend is Tora. Say ‘hello’, Tora.”

Tora obeyed. “Hello, Sachi. I’m sorry I whistled. It was the surprise. I guess you know you’re very pretty.”

She cried, “I wish I wasn’t.”

“Why?” Tora asked, “Did the constables or guards try anything?”

She nodded. “They tried.”

Tora growled. “Wait until the superintendent hears. Who was it, the constables or the jail guards?”

“One of the guards. Maybe two.”

“Right. I’ll put a stop to that. Saburo wants to help, too. Maybe you’d better tell us how all this happened.”

It appeared that Nakamura had requested her services at the Daikoku-yu a few days earlier.

“He was very generous. He paid me extra. It was all right at first, but he started saying things.” She blushed. “I didn’t understand at first, but then he also touched me when he said them, and I understood.” She lowered her head again. I told Jinzaemon I didn’t want to work for Nakamura-san anymore, but …” She made a helpless gesture with her hands. “I owed Jinzaemon some money. He wanted it back and I didn’t have it. He said he would forget the debt if I took care of Nakamura-san.”

“The swine,” muttered Tora.

“Go on,” said Saburo, who wanted to find out what happened on the day of the murder.

“It was difficult,” she said, bowing her head some more. “Nakamura-san insisted on touching me and he wanted me touch him. I said something about getting some special oil and ran out of the room. I went to Jinzaemon and said I couldn’t do what Nakamura-san wanted, but Jinzaemon sent me back in. He said I had to finish the session, and after that I could leave. So I went back into the room. I think I made some excuse. There was no answer, and there was a smell. I reached for the towel on Nakamura-san’s head, but he had fallen forward.” She gulped and stopped.

“Was he dead?”

Sachi nodded. She murmured, “I felt for him. There was blood. I touched it. A lot of blood. I thought maybe he’d had a nosebleed. Sometimes bathers cannot take the heat and their noses start bleeding. I think I asked him if he needed help. He didn’t answer. Then I put my hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t react, and I got scared. I shouted for help and tried to lift him up. I got a lot of blood on me then.” She shuddered.

“You had just finished shaving him?” Tora asked.

“No. I’d only washed his hair.”

Tora exchanged a glance with Saburo and asked, “You mean you left him there with the towel wrapped around his head?”

She nodded.

“Was anyone outside the room when you left? I take it, there are ways to recognize people without being able to see them.”

“Sometimes. I can smell some of them. Others have a certain way of walking and I can tell by their footfall.”

Saburo had been content to leave the questions to Tora as a gesture of gratitude for his help. But he could not restrain himself any longer. “In that case, do you remember anyone near the room when you stepped outside to fetch the oil? Or did you meet someone in the corridor?”

She frowned, trying to remember. “There was someone, maybe more than one. I recall smelling a scent. Jinzaemon was down the corridor and asked me what I was doing. I have a notion that there was some other man there also. Perhaps he was waiting to be my next customer. Do you think the killer was outside the room, waiting for me to leave? But how could he have known I would go to get some oil? I only did this because Nakamura-san’s attentions were becoming obnoxious.”

“Yes,” said Saburo. “We know, but this person could have been waiting for you to finish.”

“Oh,” she whispered. “How terrible! And yet I wish he had waited.”

“Never mind!” Tora said cheerfully. “We’ll do our best to find out who really killed Nakamura.

“Thank you,” she said, bowing deeply and wiping away her tears.

13
A Hopeless Case

Akitada was on his way out when Tora and Saburo returned. They met in the courtyard. Akitada, still chafing from the many ways he had been manipulated by his people, his friends, and his own sister, glowered at them.

Saburo shrank back, but Tora, not easily discouraged by his master’s moods, grinned, flashing his fine teeth. “A chilly day, sir. Winter may be early this year. We’re just back from speaking to the superintendent. Seems Saburo here is on the trail of a vicious killer.”

Akitada shot Saburo another resentful look. “I told him to leave it to the police,” he snapped.

Tora chuckled. “I can’t believe my ears, sir. That’s not been our custom in the past. You’ve caught many a killer the police would’ve let get away. We talked to Sachi—with the superintendent’s permission—and it looks like someone pinned the murder on the blind girl, sir. She’s frightened and lost.”

Akitada glanced at the gray sky. He hoped it would not rain again. He was in his best court robe and hat. “I’m on my way to the ministry,” he said. And on more unpalatable visits to regain my income, he thought. “I cannot be bothered with this. Since you’ve talked to Kobe, it seems to me you can now leave it to him. And I’ll remind you not to make remarks about the incompetence of the imperial police. It isn’t true and will lose us Kobe’s friendship.”

With this he brushed by Tora and walked out through the gate.

The halls and streets of the Daidairi greeted him like a soldier returning from frontier service. It felt at once familiar and strange. He saw no familiar faces, and people passed without a greeting. He felt awkward and embarrassed when he walked into the ministry. A young servant was sweeping the corridor and did not recognize him. Akitada had already become a stranger.

To his credit, the youngster leaned the broom against the wall and came to greet Akitada with a bow. “May I announce you, sir?” he asked in a voice that had not quite broken yet.

“I’m Sugawara Akitada. Would you let the minister know that I’m here to see him?”

The youngster shook his head. “I’m sorry, sir. His Excellency is not available. May I take you to someone else?”

The boy had memorized his little speech well, but Kaneie’s method of keeping interruptions to a minimum was causing a problem. Akitada knew the minister was in. If he had not been, the boy would have said so.

“Please just tell him I’m here,” he told the youngster.

“I shall announce you to Senior Secretary Sakanoue. Just a moment.”

He scampered off before Akitada could stop him. Senior Secretary Sakanoue? They had replaced him already. He searched his mind for Sakanoue and failed to remember him. Perhaps he was a provincial official who had been given Akitada’s position.

He decided not to stand about to be further embarrassed and walked quickly toward Kaneie’s office. As he passed the archives someone inside noticed him. He heard him call out but did not stop. Excited chatter followed him to Kaneie’s door, where a senior servant stood guard. This man recognized Akitada.

Before he could speak to the man, someone hurried up behind him.

“A moment, sir,” said a clipped voice.

Akitada turned to see a pale, tall man in elegant silk robes. He was younger than Akitada and had a hard glint in his eyes. “You are Sugawara?” he demanded.

Akitada nodded.

“I did not give it credence. That boy is an idiot. You should not have come here.”

“I beg your pardon,” Akitada said. “Do I know you?”

“Sakanoue. Senior Secretary. Perhaps you’d better come to my office.”

“Why? I came to see the minister.”

“Impossible. He will not see you.”

Akitada stared at the man for a moment, then turned to the servant at the door. “Please announce me, Kunyoshi.

The servant smiled broadly. “Welcome back, sir,” he said, forgetting to bow in his excitement. “We’ve missed you, sir. It hasn’t been the same.” He shot a glance toward Sakanoue. “Oh, this is a very lucky day!”

Sakanoue snapped, “You forget yourself, Kunyoshi!”

The servant’s simple joy moved Akitada greatly after his humbling reception. “It’s very good to see you also, Kunyoshi,” he said. “Do you suppose the minister will see me?”