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At the first sign of dawn he had the cousin help him tie Matsue onto his horse. The man showed no interest in their destination and asked no questions. The process of tying Matsue’s wrists and legs was painful to him; Matsue gnashed his teeth, cursed them both, and glowered at Akitada from blood-shot eyes. Akitada, whose belly still ached from Matsue’s kick, ignored him. When he gave the cousin some silver for his trouble, Matsue spat at both of them. Akitada picked up a piece of the rope they had used and lashed Matsue across the face with it. The cousin gri
Mistreating a bound and wounded man was cowardly, but Matsue’s actions, past and present, filled Akitada with such rage that the man was lucky he was still alive. Since Yori’s death, something seemed to have hardened at his core. He had no empathy left. During the journey, he ignored his prisoner’s complaints about a swollen wrist, as well as his curses. They stopped only once to water the horses and to allow Matsue to relieve himself.
At midday they reached the capital. Smoke still hung thickly over Toribeno, but both markets were open, and people had crept from their houses to buy food. There was an air of new hope in the city.
Akitada took Matsue to police headquarters and turned him over to an officer. Then he went to Kobe, who looked drawn and tired but was willing to listen in spite of their recent quarrel. Kobe even offered wine, which Akitada accepted gladly. It had been a long journey, and he had eaten nothing since the previous day.
Kobe watched him and nodded. “Good. You’re starting to get some color back.” He refilled the cup. “What in the name of Amida happened?”
“I brought in the man who killed Tomonari Nobutoshi and his wife. The crime happened five years ago in the Tsuzuki District. Tomonari’s son Haseo was found guilty and exiled to Sadoshima.”
Kobe sat up. His eyes sharpened with interest. “I remember the case. The son was supposed to have slaughtered his aged parents in front of his old nurse. The nurse’s testimony was damning.”
Akitada downed another cup of wine and held it out for a refill. If he kept this up, he might become sufficiently numb to face his wife. “The nurse was the real killer’s mother,” he said. “She blamed the murder on Haseo to save her son. Apparently this Sangoro was Haseo’s half-brother.”
Kobe snorted. “They certainly kept their quarrels in the family. Do I take it that the nurse has confessed now?”
“No, she’s dead. Sangoro has confessed.”
“Ah. But will he repeat his confession in court?”
“Probably. If he does not, Lady Yasugi will testify against him and against her husband.”
Kobe’s eyes widened. “Yasugi is involved?”
“I believe he stirred up the trouble between the father and both sons. He may have suggested the murder to Sangoro, but in any case he took advantage of the situation afterward. Apparently he manipulated witnesses, especially the nurse, to testify against Haseo. Yasugi lusted after Haseo’s wife and the leases on the Tomonari Estate.”
Kobe murmured, “Hmm.” Then he shook his head. “I don’t give you much hope there.” Seeing Akitada’s anger flare up, he said quickly, “Oh, I believe you, but Yasugi is beyond the law in this instance. It will be the word of others against his, and Yasugi will certainly prevail. You can, of course, cause him some unpleasantness, but on the whole I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Akitada said hotly, “Not even if we can prove that he killed one of the Tomonari children? Not even if we link him to Tomoe’s murder?”
Kobe stared. “You can link him to the murder of the blind street singer?”
“Lady Yasugi and Tomoe were both married to Haseo. At the moment Tomoe’s children have disappeared. The boy is the heir.”
Kobe thought about it for a few moments. Then he poured himself and his guest more wine. They drank. “You have proof ?” he finally asked in a weak voice.
“No. I’ve pieced a plot together. I was hoping that you could get Matsue to implicate Yasugi. Matsue has a broken leg. Surely that will help during the interrogation.”
Kobe shook his head in wonder. “Now I know you’ve lost your mind. You want me to torture a confession out of this Matsue and also have him testify against Yasugi?”
“I know they’re both guilty,” Akitada said stubbornly. “As for the torture, they’ve done worse than that to i
Kobe stood also and came around the desk. “Your son died? So that’s what’s wrong.”
Akitada nodded. To his shame, his eyes filled with tears. “S-smallpox,” he muttered and lurched from the room.
He was not sure how he got home. He let his horse find the way. Kobe’s wine had raised a thick haze between himself and his surroundings, but in his heart he was terrified of walking into a house which no longer held his son.
Genba opened the gate and shouted the news across the courtyard. Tora and Seimei came ru
He meant Tamako, but Tora answered, “All are well except Kinjiro.”
He had to think for a moment before he remembered the scrawny boy Tora had brought. “Kinjiro?”
“Smallpox. Just like Yori. He survived, thank the Buddha, but just barely.”
Struck by this news, Akitada looked toward the house. “Tamako’s taking care of him?”
“No,” said Seimei. “The boy left before we knew. Tora searched for him and found him days later in the hospital. He said he didn’t want to cause more trouble.”
Wine was supposed to desensitize a man, but when Akitada thought of the half-starved street urchin dragging his feverish body to a public hospital rather than add to the turmoil in the Sugawara household, he started to weep. His three retainers waited helplessly.
“See that he has what he needs and bring him back as soon as he’s better,” Akitada said thickly. Handing his reins to Genba, he rinsed his hands and face at the well and then went in to greet his wife.
Seimei helped him off with his boots and traveling clothes. Dressed in an old house robe, Akitada went to Tamako’s door and a
They looked at each other. Tamako was pale but composed.
“I’m back,” he said u
She nodded and stepped aside to let him in. “I’m happy to welcome you home, my lord.” She spoke tonelessly, making him a formal bow.
After six years of marriage and the loss of a child, she should have shown some emotion, he thought, but too much had happened between them. Not knowing what words might be appropriate, he finally said, “I went to Tsuzuki . . . to arrest the killer of Haseo’s parents.”
“I see.” She invited him to sit and sat down herself. Her room was in semidarkness, the shutters to the outside closed. “Shall I send for some tea or food?” she asked.
Such propriety. He shook his head. “No. Kobe has filled me with wine. How are you?”
“Well.” She paused. “And you?”
He nodded. “They tell me Kinjiro is in the hospital.”
She made an apologetic gesture. “I didn’t know he was ill until he was gone, but he is better. Not everyone dies, it seems.”
Unspoken, her reproach for Yori’s death rose between them and sent an icy shiver through his body. He shied away from the subject and began an account of his trip. Her eyes went to his face when he spoke of Hiroko, but she did not interrupt. When he was finished, she said only, “How terrible! Poor women. I’m glad you could help Lady Yasugi.”