The Dragon Scroll (31 page)

Hearing a sound from the next room, Akitada managed to reach his cushion and sit down barely in time to watch the widow enter.

Lady Tachibana tripped in. She wore a dark gray silk gown as prescribed for mourning, but over it was a lovely rose-colored Chinese jacket embroidered with butterflies. The pattern reminded him of the first time he had seen her, of his image of a poor butterfly caught in a wintry garden. Against his better judgment, he softened a little toward the small, childlike beauty as she approached with lowered lashes, her beautiful hair trailing behind her. Life with an elderly husband who devoted all his time to his garden and his studies was difficult for a spoiled young girl who had never tasted the pleasures of love.

He bowed.

Much had changed in his own life since he had seen her last. Ayako had taught him that women could be passionate and desire men. Little wonder the poor butterfly had succumbed to temptation. Her beauty was the epitome of a standard that celebrated youth and frailty in women. Many men would be attracted. Yukinari had been, and so had he himself. To his relief, he no longer felt at all tempted by the soft, perfumed creature seating herself behind the screen.

The nurse poured wine for Akitada, then left them alone. Though he knew the wine would make his headache worse, he drank thirstily. His throat hurt, and the wine soothed it a little. He wondered for the first time if he might be getting sick—at the worst possible time.

“I am touched by your kindness,” the soft voice said from behind the screen. “You must forgive my note. It was written at a moment of unspeakable grief and loneliness.”

“Not at all. It was charming. I regret that important matters kept me from fulfilling my promise earlier.”

“My only wish was to withdraw from the world to mourn my husband’s passing, but I find I cannot do so when suspicious people raise questions about the manner of his death.”

Ah. She had picked up some gossip. Probably from the servants. It would explain their sudden dismissal. He hardened against her again. Knowing what he knew now, he ignored the pretense of grief. The room seemed much too hot, causing perspiration to bead up on his face. Wishing he had remembered to carry a paper tissue, he decided that there was no sense in protracting the matter any further.

“Your husband was murdered, madam,” he said brusquely. His voice sounded strangely muffled to his ears and he could feel moisture trickling down his temple.

A wail sounded behind the screen and then another, followed by a gasp. “Oh, I have been afraid of this. And I’m all alone in this evil world.” She suddenly folded aside part of the screen, looked at Akitada from huge, tear-filled eyes, and stretched out her arms beseechingly. “You are my only hope, my lord,” she sobbed. “I’m afraid. I’m left completely without protection. My husband’s servants are gone and no one is left in this house but two weak women. What if the killer returns? Please take me away from here.”

Akitada, irritated by her dramatics, gave her a long stare, watching as her lower lip began to tremble and two small teeth caught it. She reminded him of a mouse. Under normal circumstances, he might have enjoyed playing cat and mouse, but his head was aching abominably now and he wished for another cup of wine. He said, “I might be of more assistance if I knew who it is that you are afraid of.”

“But I told you. The monster who killed my beloved husband,” she wailed. Her small white hand touched his beseechingly. Akitada folded his arms, and she let it fall on his knee instead. “Why are you so...distant? You were kind to me before,” she pleaded. When he said nothing, she said, “This big house is empty. You cannot be very comfortable at the tribunal. If you were to stay with me, I would feel safe.” The hand squeezed his knee gently. “I would serve you with all my heart. From the first moment I saw you, I knew ...”

If he had felt better, he might have laughed, but as it was, Akitada regarded her with rising disgust and moved his knee out of her reach.

She cried, “Why do you dislike me so? I have been told that I am beautiful to look at.” She paused, then said softly, “I know how to please a man. My late lord was not interested in matters of the pillow, but you are young. From the moment I saw you I knew it was my karma to serve you or die.” Crawling to Akitada, she clasped his knees, burying her face in his lap. Her action was so powerfully erotic that Akitada rose abruptly and stepped away from her. She stood up. Her eyes on his, she loosened her sash, letting both gown and Chinese jacket slip off her shoulders to reveal the nakedness beneath. “Do not abandon me, my love,” she whispered.

Akitada turned away. “Cover yourself.” Her body, with its small breasts and shaved pubic area, looked like that of a child of twelve. The effect, together with her overtly seductive gestures, nauseated him. He wondered what sort of man her paramour was and said sternly, “You bring shame upon yourself and upon the memory of your husband. As for your fear of the murderer, you will know best. Your husband was killed in this room by your lover and in your presence.” As soon as he had spoken, he knew he had made a mistake, but he was determined to see it through.

“You must be mad,” she cried, grasping her gown to cover herself.

Akitada took the porcelain shard from his sash. “This was caught in your husband’s topknot. It matches the green vase over there. Your lover used the other vase to kill Lord Tachibana. It broke and you blamed the breakage later on careless servants. But by that time you and your lover had already removed the body to the studio to make the death look like an accidental fall. His wound could not have happened accidentally. Besides, Lord Tachibana’s clogs were dry and unstained in spite of the recent snow. Yet someone walked to the studio, and that person or his helper swept the path to destroy his tracks.”

“No!” She was sobbing now. “No, it isn’t true. I swear by Amida that I’m innocent. I have been faithful to my husband. Why are you tormenting me?”

Feeling dizzy, Akitada dabbed at the perspiration on his face with a sleeve. He had to frighten her into a confession. “The servants knew about your lovers. They will tell the truth in court. The penalty for adultery and murder of one’s husband is death by flogging. I suggest you tell the truth soon, before the constables strip you naked in the open courtroom and whip you with bamboo canes till you talk.”

He had expected her to scream or faint, but she merely pressed her sleeve to her mouth. Her eyes glittered strangely. Suddenly she prostrated herself before him.

“This unnatural creature confesses,” she said. “I betrayed my husband, but I did not kill him. I know I must pay the price for having been unfaithful, but I am young and did not know what I was doing till it was too late. Oh, please have pity.”

Her hands crept toward Akitada’s feet, but he stepped away. Looking down at her, he commanded, “Tell me what happened.”

In a muffled voice, she sobbed, “I was seduced by loving words. Afterward, when I realized what I had done, I wished to end the affair, but he forced me to lie with him by threatening to tell my husband. Since my husband never came to my rooms after dark, my lover visited whenever he wished. He made me unlock the garden gate for him after everyone was asleep.”

Akitada’s neck and back were soaked with sweat, his under-robe and collar clinging uncomfortably to his skin. “Get to the night of the murder!” he rasped.

“My husband returned late from the governor’s party, and for some reason he came into my room. He found us together and threatened to expose our affair to the world. My lover seized the vase and killed him.” She covered her face. “It was horrible. He made me help him hide the crime.”

“Then you are as guilty as he.”

She wailed, “I am not. I am not. It was he who struck him,” and burst into a torrent of tears, beating the floor with her fists.

“Stop that!” shouted Akitada, and choked on the sharp pain in his throat.

To his surprise, she sat up, retied her sash, and dried her face with her sleeve. “My lord,” she said quietly, “in your wisdom and generosity, you must see that a naive girl from the country would be easy prey for the sweet words of a handsome soldier. My husband encouraged our friendship. It is true I fell in love with a cruel monster, but I did not know then what he was. My lord, you cannot wish a foolish girl to suffer for a murder she did not commit?”

Akitada snapped, “If you are accusing Captain Yukinari, your lies prove you guilty. The captain was out of town during the night of the murder. You are protecting the real killer. Confess. Your lies will do you no good. Your only hope for a merciful judgment is to give evidence against your lover. It is all over.”

Her pretty face contorted with fury. She jumped up and rushed at him, fingernails clawing at his face. He flung her away, then watched in disbelief as she ripped open her clothes again and viciously scratched her own neck and breasts until they bled.

Then she screamed for help.

The door flew open, and the nurse took one look at her mistress and added her own screams. The noise reverberated in Akitada’s painful skull. Helplessly, he sat back down and covered his ears.

The widow stopped screaming long enough to say, “You fool. The house is empty. Quick, run to the prefecture. Get the constables. This man has violated me. Hurry!”

The woman ran, and the room became blissfully quiet. Akitada lowered his hands. It occurred to him that the nurse was probably an accessory. And she was on her way to Ikeda. Too late now to rethink the situation. Events must take their course.

“You will regret this!” the lady hissed. “We’ll see who will be believed now. You’re a stranger here, one of those depraved nobles from the capital we hear so much about, while I am the widow of the former governor. You’ll be sorry you ever meddled with me.”

Akitada cocked an ear toward the gallery outside. After a little while, he heard the expected sound of heavy boots on the wooden boards. Lady Tachibana scurried into a corner and let her clothes fall open to reveal her bleeding breasts. She arranged herself in a pose of abject terror. When the door slid open, she was sobbing pitifully.

Soldiers in the uniform of the governor’s guard pressed into the room and goggled at the half-naked woman.

“Arrest that man,” Lady Tachibana quavered, pointing at Akitada. “He raped me. He came here pretending to offer sympathy and then attacked me viciously when he saw that I had no protection. Oh, thank heaven there is justice for poor widows.”

“Lieutenant Kenko, I believe?” said Akitada, nodding to the officer in charge, who took his eyes off Lady Tachibana’s breasts and snapped to attention. “I see Secretary Akinobu has explained the matter. You have been very prompt. I want Lady Tachibana placed under arrest for the murder of her husband.”

The widow cried, “How so? You have no authority here. And these men are not from the prefecture. No doubt you have bribed them. I refuse to go until the constables arrive.”

The lieutenant cast an uneasy glance at Akitada. Then the door was flung open again, and the nurse ran in, followed by Ikeda and a group of red-coated constables.

“There he is,” the nurse cried, pointing to Akitada.

Ikeda himself! It could not be worse. All Akitada could do now was to play the game carefully and hope his opponent made a wrong move. Easier said than done, when his head was pounding and his strategies seemed to swim about like so many slippery tadpoles.

Ikeda took in the soldiers and then saw Akitada. “Your Excellency?” he said, feigning confusion. “What happened? I was on my way to investigate a murder in the brothel district when this silly woman came running down the street screaming that her mistress was being violated. I see there must be some mistake.”

“Your arrival is timely, Prefect,” said Akitada, hoping his voice did not give away his nervousness. “Here, too, a crime has been committed. I am charging Lady Tachibana and her nurse with the murder of the late Lord Tachibana.”

“Your Honor!” the nurse called out, trying to push past the soldiers to Ikeda. Two brawny fellows caught her around the middle and lifted her off the ground. Grinning widely, they held her as she kicked and cursed.

Holding her gown together with one hand, Lady Tachibana tripped across the room to slap her nurse soundly. “Be quiet!” she hissed. The woman closed her mouth and became limp. Her voice trembling with fury, the widow turned to the lieutenant and said, “Lord Sugawara told a pack of lies to escape a charge of raping a defenseless widow. My nurse is a witness to his depravity. Release her immediately!”