The Crane Pavilion (23 page)

Akiko brightened and paraded her finery. “It did turn out well,” she said smugly.

Akitada knew little about courtly color schemes. But he saw she wore traditional fall colors ranging from darkest green to glowing reds. Toshikage was right. The colors suited her much better than the gentler tones Tamako had favored. Akiko was forceful and spirited to a degree that was surely unsuitable in a woman of her rank, but possibly this very flaw made her a favorite among ladies of the highest rank. Akitada got a sudden inkling that women might wish to be more like her. In any case, she was blessed in having found a husband who so doted on her that she could do no wrong in his eyes.

He looked at both with affectionate tolerance. They were his family, he thought, and felt grateful.

Having shown off her costume, Akiko sat down and returned to her other current interest. “So you went to talk to the much-revered abbot, Akitada? And what did he have to say?”

Akitada made a face. “Very little, as it turned out. It wasn’t a pleasant visit. I don’t like the man.”

Akiko frowned. “Honestly, Akitada, I sometimes despair of you. I expect you let him know that.”

“Perhaps.”

“No wonder he would not give you any information. Why should he? And have you forgotten how much influence he has with the emperor and the Fujiwaras? He could have helped you.”

Akitada was disgusted at the thought of being obligated to Genshin for any favors and said so.

Akiko heaved an impatient sigh. “Well, did you find out anything at all, or was it a wasted trip? And possibly a big mistake.”

Akitada snapped, “I will not, at my age, beg for favors from men like him. I ought not to have to beg in any case. It’s undignified.”

To his surprise, Akiko smiled. “Then you should act like it. Demand the recognition you deserve.”

“Yes, brother,” cried Toshikage. “Akiko has it right. Why should you kneel and bow and beg. They owe you. Listen to your sister. She’s brilliant, as always.”

Akiko gave her husband an impatient glance. “Akitada doesn’t listen to my advice. Never mind. Now tell me already what Genshin said.”

“He claims Lady Ogata was stranger to him, that someone told him of her homeless plight—she was living in a shack beside the Kamo River, he says—and that he offered her a home and a small amount of money from the temple.”

Akiko gasped. “She lived in a shack?”

“It may be a lie.”

“Oh, I don’t know. If she’s Masakane’s widow, it’s likely enough. I’m on my way to find out.”

“Wait. Masakane is dead?”

“Yes. They say he died in exile. Apparently it was an accident.”

This could explain why Genshin had believed Lady Ogata’s suicide. Akitada said, “But we cannot be certain it is the same woman, can we?”

Akiko got up as gracefully as she had sat down. “That is precisely why I’m on my way to pay a courtesy visit to Her Majesty.” She gave Akitada a triumphant smile.

“How did you wrangle that?”

Akiko gathered her train and headed for the door. “Oh, I have my ways,” she threw back over her shoulder and left.

Toshikage’s eyes were on the door as it closed behind his wife. “Isn’t she magnificent?” he breathed.

Akitada chuckled, then sobered quickly. Toshikage’s doting on his wife reminded him of his own loss. “Well,” he said. “I’d better be on my way also. I’ll look in on Kobe tomorrow to tell him what we’ve learned so far.”

*

Kobe greeted him eagerly and dismissed his staff. When they were alone, he asked with a searching look, “My dear Akitada, how are you? I’ve been expecting you.”

Akitada seated himself and brushed a hand over his face. “Since you ask, I don’t know how I am. I’ve put grieving aside to take care of urgent business and look some more into the death of Lady Ogata.” He was suddenly struck by something. “You’ve been expecting me? Why?”

Kobe looked uneasy. “I thought you’d come about Saburo.”

“Oh! Have you found him? Tora was out looking for him.”

“We’ve found both of them,” Kobe said heavily. “They are under arrest.”

In Akitada’s family this was not an unusual state of affairs. Both Tora and Saburo, singly or together, got caught from time to time in some questionable activities while they pursued investigations. He said therefore, “What have they done this time?”

“The charge is murder.”

Still not greatly disturbed, Akitada raised his brows. “Whom did they kill?”

“A man called Hankei. Apparently a crooked gambler. Saburo confronted him with using false dice, and the man ran. The next day, the warden sent constables to a house in the quarter where neighbors observed suspicious activities. They found Tora and Saburo trying to get rid of Hankei’s body.”

“Yesterday Tora returned home alone after their night of gambling—which they engaged in as part of an investigation into the murder of a moneylender. He told me they got separated. When Saburo didn’t return, I sent Tora to look for him. Neither would kill a smalltime gambler over a crooked game.”

Kobe nodded. “Probably not, but it looks bad for them.”

Akitada shook his head in disbelief. “Oh, come! What do they say?”

“That they found him already dead.”

“That’s it then. You’d better let them go.”

“I can’t.” Kobe shuffled about among the papers on his desk and handed Akitada a letter. It bore the seal of the Ministry of Justice and was signed by Senior Secretary Sakanoue. The text was short and to the point: “You are hereby advised that Sugawara Akitada is under investigation for various infractions and that any collaboration between the imperial police and Sugawara will force the government to institute a separate investigation of your office for improprieties in procedure.”

Akitada swallowed. He was deeply shocked by this news. It meant that Kobe was suspected of having perverted justice as a favor to him. For an awful moment, he wondered if Kobe’s political problems stemmed from this. Then he realized that the letter had not been signed by the minister, Fujiwara Kaneie. It must all be Sakanoue’s doing. The man feared for his job and wanted to make as much trouble as possible for him. But there might still be someone else behind this.

He returned the letter. “Kaneie didn’t sign,” he said.

Kobe nodded. “Who is this Sakanoue? He has your old position, doesn’t he?”

“Yes. I only met him briefly and didn’t like him, and not just because I have been supplanted by him. I take it this isn’t about Tora and Saburo?”

Kobe sighed. “I don’t know. If it is, I have spies about me. But it doesn’t really matter. You can see I cannot let them go.”

“Yes. We must endeavor to clear them before you release them.” He wanted to add that Tora had spent the night in question at home, but he did not know when the man had died, and Tora and Saburo had both gambled with him and had probably been seen running after him.

Kobe looked miserable. “I’m sorry, Akitada. There is another complication. They were involved in a murder case that is about to go to trial. I think someone is making very sure they don’t interfere again.”

Akitada sat up, suddenly alert. Could Genshin have taken this step to foil him and protect himself? “Which case?”

“A blind woman allegedly killed a man because he made sexual advances to her. Saburo has been looking into this, and Tora joined him. That’s why they were gambling. They suspected a man called Kanemoto of having had a hand in the murder. Kanemoto is a gangster chief. And Saburo claims Kanemoto killed the gambler.”

Akitada tried to take all this in. “Yes,” he said, “I knew something about it. I’d told Saburo to leave the matter alone. But it troubled him enough to disobey me. Tora offered his help. It makes me think the blind woman is indeed innocent.”

Kobe was grave. “Perhaps so, but the trial is tomorrow, and she’ll be found guilty. There’s nothing I can do about it. Later, when talk has died down, it may be possible to clear Tora and Saburo. It’s all happening at a very bad time. You should not become involved while you are under investigation. And I …” He let his voice trail off.

Akitada’s spirits sank. Kobe was right. He, too, was in trouble. Somehow his unauthorized return from Kyushu had affected all of them in this impossible situation. And the blind girl would die for it, because those who could help her were in no condition to do so.

He said quietly, “Yes, I understand. I’m very sorry that I should have made things worse for you. Don’t become involved any further. Tora and Saburo are my responsibility. If you think it won’t cause more trouble, I’d like to see them.”

“Of course.” Kobe gave him a searching look. “You’ll leave it alone, won’t you? Until some time has passed?”

Akitada smiled at him. “Don’t worry,” he said.

But he would not leave it alone. A man’s good name is forever, and honor demands that he protect his people and clear his reputation.

*

The conversation with Kobe set Akitada on a different path. The fact that his life had changed from bad to worse and now affected his people, his friends, and total strangers angered him so deeply that he decided to do everything in his power to clear the blind woman and then to find the killer of Lady Ogata.

The urgency of the blind woman’s situation made her case his priority.

Kobe did not accompany him to the jail. Instead, he sent a young police recruit with him. They would from now on keep a distance from each other.

Tora and Saburo were in separate cells, a fact that made speaking to them awkward. Akitada asked to see Saburo first.

Saburo prostrated himself and started a long string of abject apologies for having disobeyed. Akitada cut these short.

“Never mind,” he said bluntly. “That can wait until later. Tell me how you came to be arrested.”

Saburo explained and told what he had overheard while under Kanemoto’s house.

“So there is a witness to the gambler’s murder,” said Akitada. “This woman. The man’s lover. Who is she?”

“I don’t know, but it was clear he doted on her. I think she works in the quarter. She asked him for a house of her own, away from the quarter, so they could meet there without interruptions from Kanemoto’s unsavory gang.”

“Good. That helps. We’ll find her. Now what about the blind woman?”

Saburo hung his head. “They’ll try Sachi tomorrow, sir. By then it will be too late. It was all for nothing.”

“It isn’t over yet. Did you find out who killed the moneylender?”

Saburo shook his head miserably. “No.”

“Any suspects?”

“Well, we suspected the moneylenders. Nakamura’s son and his brother Saito. They had the most to gain. But they weren’t at the bathhouse. Then we tried to find out if any of the more desperate debtors might have done it. That’s how I came across the poor schoolmaster.” Saburo gave Akitada a glance and sighed. “I didn’t have much taste for pinning it on any other poor soul after that, but two names cropped up as having been in the bathhouse that morning, two men called Matsuoka and Ozaki.”

Akitada frowned. “You mustn’t let your pity blind you to the fact that people will kill out of desperation.”

“I know, but by then Saito had received the threat from Kanemoto, warning him and his nephew to leave things alone. Nakamura’s son was afraid and didn’t want us to know but his uncle showed us the letter. That’s how we got involved with Kanemoto.”

Akitada had listened with growing astonishment and some respect. “I see,” he said noncommittally. “Well, you have certainly provided some groundwork for me.”

Saburo raised his head. “You mean you’ll look into it yourself, sir?”

“Don’t get up your hopes. I think there is someone at work who wants to make sure the blind woman is found guilty. And that person is also behind your arrests.”

“I thought there was something strange about the way the constables arrived so quickly. But what can you do, sir?”

“I’ll have a closer look at this Kanemoto and his mistress. It will be easier for me. The trouble is we must find the killer without involving Kobe. Otherwise, it would be very simple indeed. Be patient. I’ll go have a word with Tora now.”

Tora was very angry. Akitada found him pacing in his cell, chains rattling with every step and turn. When he saw Akitada, he stopped.

“Sorry, sir,” he said, teeth clenched. “Someone set us up.”

“I know. Unfortunately we cannot do anything about it. Superintendent Kobe must not become involved.”

Tora glowered. “You mean he’s letting this happen? He won’t do anything about it? We’re to rot here in prison? Then he’s not the man I thought he was!” He started pacing again, muttering under his breath.

Akitada sighed. It was his fault, too. “Please stop that. It’s making me dizzy, and there’s not much time,” he said as calmly as he could.

Tora stopped and went to lean against a wall. “Sorry. I wouldn’t have had you troubled if I could’ve helped it.”

“I know. The only way to get you out is to find the killer before the trial tomorrow. I’ve talked to Saburo. He gave me the story and named some suspects.” Akitada told Tora what Saburo had said, then asked, “Do you have anything to add to it?”

Tora shook his head. “It’s always been Saburo’s case. I came into it too late to do much good. I wish they’d at least let
me
go. I could help. All they have on me is that I was helping Saburo from under the house. I don’t know why no one is looking for Kanemoto. Surely they ought to talk to him since the body was found under his house.”

“It seems he has given a statement that he wasn’t home when all this happened and knows nothing about it.”

“That’s a lie.” Tora started pacing again.

Akitada said nothing.

After a moment, Tora stopped, his handsome face worried. “You’ll be careful, sir? He’s a gangster. They’ll will kill you if you get too close.”

“I’m aware of it. Well, if there’s nothing else …” He crossed the space between them and embraced Tora.

Tora flung his arms around him tightly. “Thank you, sir,” he said in a muffled voice.

Akitada left quickly.

24
The Search

Looking grim and feeling tired, Akitada returned home to change out of his good robe and wash his hands and face. After his ablutions, he felt marginally better. Sending for Genba, he told him about Saburo and Tora.