‘ Don’t, sir,’ Tojiro gasped, stepping back. ‘I tried to help.’
Akitada said, ‘With a cudgel in your hand?’
Tojiro looked at his hand and flung the cudgel into the shrubbery. ‘I was afraid the others would try to make trouble.’
‘Trouble?’ It was a ridiculous word to use in view of the murderous attack by Takeo and within sight of the hissing flames that the gang had set. Akitada took a step forward and held out his left hand. ‘Take off your belt.’
Tojiro looked puzzled for a moment, then saw Akitada’s belt-less robe and undid his own, holding it out to Akitada. ‘Please make use of it, sir.’
Akitada took it. ‘Turn around and put your hands behind your back.’
‘Why? What are you going to do? I swear I didn’t mean any harm. I came to help and- Didn’t you get my note?’
Akitada raised the point of his sword towards the youth’s neck. ‘Turn!’
Tojiro obeyed. Akitada passed his sword to Tamako and used the belt to tie Tojiro’s hands. ‘You’ll be handed over to the police,’ he said. ‘I’m thoroughly fed up with your antics.’
When Tojiro turned around, there were tears in his eyes. He said softly, ‘Yes, sir. I expected it. But I didn’t come to set a fire. I came to tell you that it was I who killed my father.’
For a moment Akitada doubted he had heard right. Another confession? And why would this youth confess to murder, but not to setting fires?
There was no time to consider the implications now. He took back his sword from Tamako, then grasped Tojiro’s arm roughly and pulled him along towards the courtyard. He had no idea what he would find there and was prepared to shed more blood if any of their attackers remained.
But peace had returned, even if order was still elusive. Red-coated policemen and neighbors’ servants who had come to help put the fire out milled about. Akitada’s two horses were tied up to the well.
Seimei saw them first and came to meet them. ‘Are you all right, sir? And My Lady and the little one?’ he asked anxiously with a glance at the bound Tojiro. ‘Did he attack you?’
‘We’re unhurt. I caught this one on the way here. The other one is dead. He attacked my wife and child.’
Seimei and Tojiro gasped. Seimei said, ‘It is a miracle everyone escaped. What monsters the young have turned into.’ He glared at Tojiro with such disgust that the young man paled.
Tamako asked, ‘Is everyone else safe? Hanae and Yuki?’
‘Yes. Well, Trouble got singed pretty badly when he bit one of the gang and was beaten back with a burning torch. Hanae is in the main house with Yuki, tending to the dog’s wounds. I’m afraid the stable and Tora’s place are a total loss.’
‘Poor Trouble,’ said Akitada. ‘What a very brave dog he is. Where is Tora?’
‘At his place, looking to see if he can salvage anything.’
Genba joined them, his face a picture in red and black. He was covered with soot and sweat. ‘What happened to you, sir? We were worried. The police finally showed up. After it was all over and we’d driven the bastards away and nearly put out the fire.’
Akitada glanced at the smoking ruins of the stables. ‘Never mind, Genba. We’re alive. Take this fellow to the kitchen, tie him up, and lock him in.’ Turning to Tamako, he said, ‘You and Seimei better stay in the main house.’ He called a couple of the constables and asked them to guard his family.
Then he went to inspect the damage. The stables were gone, along with saddles and feed for the horses. He found Tora on the pile of smoking rubble that had been his quarters. He was kicking charred and smoking timbers aside.
‘I’m very sorry, Tora,’ Akitada called up to him. ‘We will rebuild it. Better than it was. I’m glad you’re safe.’
Tora swung around. He was black with soot. ‘What about My Lady and the little one?’
‘They’re well, the gods be thanked.’ It had been a disastrous night, but at that moment Akitada felt again a relief so great that he seemed to float. ‘Come and leave that for later. We are safe, and that is all that matters. We need a cup of wine and something to eat.’
Tora climbed down reluctantly. ‘I had about ten pieces of gold saved up,’ he said gloomily. ‘First I get robbed, and now this.’
‘Never mind. I caught Tojiro a moment ago. And I had to kill Takeo.’
Tora brightened. ‘Well done! Looks like you got all the excitement. Takeo was a piece of garbage, and Tojiro’s not much better.’
They were crossing the courtyard on their way to the main house when Kobe arrived.
The superintendent paused to shake his head at the devastation, then came quickly to Akitada. ‘I didn’t get your message until a few hours ago,’ he said.
Akitada saw that Kobe looked exhausted and still wore the same clothes. ‘You haven’t been to bed since I saw you last?’
‘No. More unrest in the city, and then an attack on the western jail. Koichi’s friends decided to spring him by setting fire to the jail.’
‘That must be what I smelled earlier, before the fire here. Did anyone get hurt?’
‘Three prisoners died. They were shackled.’ Kobe’s face was bleak. ‘It was terrible, the screaming. I wish I’d retired to my farm last year. What about your family?’
‘We’re safe now, but I had to kill a youth, and another is tied up in my kitchen.’
Kobe’s lips quirked in the briefest of smiles. ‘You’ve been busy yourself. Let’s have a look.’
They stopped first at Tamako’s pavilion. When Kobe saw the dead youth and Akitada showed him the knife he had held to the baby’s neck, Kobe sucked in his breath sharply. Then he examined the body.
‘But he died from a knife thrust into his side,’ he said. ‘Didn’t you have your sword?’
‘I did, but I told him that I would fight him barehanded.’ Akitada realized that this sounded like bragging and flushed. ‘It was the only way he would relinquish my daughter. I was lucky that he was young and naive,’ he added.
Kobe stared at him. ‘It sounds horrible. Let’s see the live one.’
Genba unlocked the door to the small kitchen building. As they walked in, they saw Tojiro trussed up against one of the beams that supported the roof. He looked defeated.
Akitada had promised Fuhito time to arrange his affairs, but Tojiro had changed all that, including the way Akitada felt about his grandfather’s confession. He was convinced now that Fuhito had tried to protect his grandson. Much would depend on Tojiro’s explanations.
Kobe stood over the boy with a frown. ‘You’re the one they call Tojiro?’
Tojiro looked up at him. ‘Yes.’
‘How old are you?’
‘Sixteen.’
Akitada was taken aback. Given the boy’s lifestyle, he had thought the youth to be at least seventeen, if not older. But he was tall and very handsome under all that dirt. No wonder Koichi’s daughter had fallen for him.
Kobe asked, ‘Parents?’
Tojiro hesitated and glanced at Akitada. Then he lifted his chin. ‘My father was Kiyowara Kane. I killed him. My mother is also dead. She was one of his wives.’
Kobe’s jaw sagged. ‘What? Don’t tell outrageous lies. You won’t like the taste of the bamboo whip, my boy.’
Akitada said quickly, ‘He’s telling the truth. He is Kiyowara’s oldest son by a secondary wife.’
Kobe was shocked. ‘You mean the Kiyowara heir is this one’s younger brother? Where did he come from all of a sudden?’
Akitada hedged. ‘I think the story is a little complicated. The point at the moment is that he has just confessed to the murder. I haven’t had time to get details yet, but his grandfather is the Kiyowaras’ major-domo, Fuhito. He also confessed to the crime.’
Kobe gave Akitada a long look, but said nothing. He turned back to Tojiro. ‘Is that true? Did you kill Lord Kiyowara?’
The boy’s chin came up again. ‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘He wouldn’t acknowledge me. He was hateful and said things about my mother. I hit him and he fell. He hit his head on the desk, I think. I saw blood and saw that he was dead and I was glad.’ Tojiro spoke quickly, with a passionate sincerity. His eyes shone with pride.