She read the message, bit her lip, and said, “If someone left this overnight, it may not have anything to do with his being late. Most likely it’s just an empty threat.”
Neither believed this.
Tora said, “They may have left it before last night. I wasn’t here yesterday and got home after dark. And it was hidden behind some weeds.”
“I see.” She thought a moment. “I think I must go call on Superintendant Kobe. But you’d better be on your way. And be careful. Do you know where the villa is?”
“I think, so.” Tora bowed and left for the stable at a run.
Tamako returned to her room and dressed swiftly, while Sumiko sent the boy for a palanquin. Taking some money from Akitada’s chest, she got into the palanquin, telling the bearers to take her to police headquarters.
Her arrival there attracted a curious crowd. Highborn ladies were not expected to have business there. She stayed inside the palanquin and sent a message to Kobe.
Kobe emerged moments later, looking shocked. He bent to peer into the palanquin. “Lady Sugawara? I didn’t believe it when they told me. Has something happened?”
“Yes, Superintendant. Forgive this unceremonious visit, but I didn’t know what else to do. Akitada has disappeared, and I’m afraid something may have happened to him. I’ve sent Tora after him and that meant I had to come here myself. We are a household of women and children now.” She added the last rather pointedly.
He was not pleased. “What exactly do you mean, he has disappeared?” he demanded.
His tone shocked her, though she should have expected it. Suddenly she felt both helpless and angry. Tears rose to her eyes and spilled over. She brushed them away and explained. “Akitada left yesterday early in the day to visit the prince’s villa in the mountains. He expected to return the same day. But he hasn’t come home, and Tora found this in our courtyard.” She passed the crumpled note out of the palanquin with trembling fingers.
Kobe, whose face had turned red with embarrassment at her tears, read it. He said, “I see. I’ll send some of my men up there. The old couple may know something. Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing. He may have extended his excursion. Or perhaps his horse has gone lame. It’s a rough track.”
“He would never delay his return without telling me,” she said thickly, wiping more tears away with her hands, and hating the fact she could not control them.
Kobe beckoned over an older policeman. “See to it that Lady Sugawara has an escort home and then station five men at her house for protection.” He turned back to Tamako. “Please calm yourself. I’ll do everything I can to bring your husband back.” He cleared his throat and tried to look stern. “Really, he ought not to put you to such worries. What is he thinking of?”
She managed to say in a firmer voice, “You were his friend once and should know Akitada will always take risks to right an injustice. He told me about this case because he knew it might be politically dangerous. I support him in whatever he decides to do.”
Kobe looked away. “Yes, ahem. Well, you’d better go home now. We’ll see to it.” He gave a signal to her bearers who picked up the palanquin and trotted off.
Tora pushed his poor horse unmercifully. No more leisurely trotting like on the way to Yasaka village. No more pleasurable viewing of the countryside. He had nearly worn out the beast when the road began to climb into the mountain and he had to slow down because of loose rocks on the path. He worried he might have taken a wrong turn. This poor track seemed unlike anything an imperial prince would travel, let alone one of the emperor’s women. Eventually he dismounted and led the horse. He had not seen a soul for miles and should have asked direction from the last peasant he had passed a long time ago.
When he reached a hut where an old man was sunning himself on the front steps, he was relieved. He walked over, calling out, “Greetings, grandfather. Is this the way to Prince Atsuhira’s villa?”
The old man smiled and bowed his head in greeting.
Or maybe he had nodded. One could not be sure. In any case, he was still smiling and blinking against the sun.
“I’m on the right path then?”
No answer.
Tora looked around. Perhaps there was someone else he could talk to. He tied his horse to a post and started around the hut. The old man took his stick, got up, and followed him. He moved slowly, swaying from side to side.
It was terrible getting old. Tora slowed to let him catch up. “Are you alone here, grandfather?” he asked, raising his voice in case the old-timer was deaf.
The old man, still smiling, shook his head. “Nope. Birds,” he croaked. “Deer. Badgers. Foxes.”
“But no people?”
“People?” said the old man dubiously. “A few.”
“What about the prince? Have you met him?”
This time he got what was clearly a nod. After a moment, it was followed by a shake of the head. Tora sighed. It was better to die young than to end up like this, old, weak, and crazy.
Then he heard the woman’s call.
The old man turned and started back. “The wife,” he said.
Thank heaven, thought Tora, unless she proves even more decrepit.
They found her standing beside Tora’s horse. When she saw him, she asked sharply, “Are you looking for someone?”
“As it happens, yes. My master, Lord Sugawara. He came up here yesterday, and hasn’t come home.”
“Amida!” She clutched his arm. “Come. Maybe you can do something. If it isn’t too late.” She pointed to his horse and started up the path, huffing and puffing as she hurried.
Tora, his heart heavy, untied his horse and caught up with her. “Where is he?”
“Fallen over the cliff,” she gasped and kept going.
Tora cursed, got on his horse and drove it uphill.
Those who meddle in the affairs of His Majesty will die.
The first thing he saw when he reached the plateau where the villa stood, was his master’s horse, still tied to its post.
He was consumed by a furious anger at those in power or wrangling to gain power. They thought nothing of getting rid of anyone who stood in their way. He swore he would make unending war on them, if they had harmed his master.
The old woman caught up and disappeared around the corner of the building. Tora left his horse and scrambled after her. Behind the villa, the mountain dropped off into space. Below lay the green and golden plain where many hundreds of roofs and pagodas spread all the way to rivers and the edge of the northern mountain range. He took in none of this. His eyes were on the edge, where the old woman stood looking down into nothingness.
She shouted, “Ho, down there? Can you hear me? Someone’s come for you.”
If matters had not been so desperate, Tora might have laughed that he was being announced like a messenger. As it was, he went and looked down. He saw nothing, just a steep decline of rocks and twisted pines and a few patches of grass.
“How far down is he?” he asked, despair gnawing at his belly.
“Don’t know. He could’ve fallen again during the night.”
Oh, gods!
“How do you know he’s down there?” Tora tested the edge and noticed a freshly broken section.
“I thought he’d left. I heard his horse on the path. Later I went up to see if he’d closed the shutters. He hadn’t. And there was his horse, so he couldn’t have left. I didn’t know what to do. Then I thought I heard someone calling. From just about there.” She pointed toward an outcropping that hid what was below. “I shouted down, but there was no answer. I left after a while. I thought I’d imagined it.”
All night!
He’d fallen and shouted for help and no one had come. And the old woman had done nothing.
Tora felt vomit rising in his throat and swallowed.
“He could’ve fallen again,” she suggested.
Tora wished her to the devil. The damned ghoul had been useless. He gauged the way down to the outcropping and saw some places where he might get enough hand- and foot-hold to climb down a ways. Starting downward gingerly, he let his feet seek for support as his hands grasped at likely shrubs and protruding rocks. It had rained overnight, and the rocks felt greasy with moisture.