It was on Saburo’s tongue to point out that Tora had fixed the leaking roof once again and also patched the outer wall, that he had played with the children, and carried wood for the cook. Instead he detached his arm and said quietly, “You are still the same man. They could not change that.”
Tora shook his head. “How could you go on living after what they did to you? A man cannot live with himself after that. The shame, it’s unbearable.”
“Oh,” said Saburo, keeping his voice matter-of-fact. “They were cruel bastards all right, but I’d been a monk for years. I got used to sex between men in a monastery. It’s nothing.”
Tora thought about this, then said, “It wasn’t that they tried that. It was being helpless. And I’m still helpless. I’ve never wanted to kill anyone as much as I want to kill those bastards. Never! I think sometimes that I’ll go mad if I don’t kill them.”
“I see,” said Saburo heavily. “Yes, I dream of that almost every day and most nights.”
Tora was not listening. “The worst bastard got away. Kojo! I’ll never find him again.”
“Perhaps we will,” Saburo said. “We could try at least.”
Tora looked at him. “Did you say ‘we’?”
Saburo nodded. “Yes. It may be time for both of us to lay the ghosts and kill some devils.”
“He could be anywhere by now.”
“He’s on the mountain.”
“You think he went back? But the monks wouldn’t take him back. They said so.”
Saburo gave Tora a pitying look. “Mount Hiei is large. There are many temples there. Kojo had friends.”
“Would you come with me?”
“Would you disobey the master again?”
Another, longer, silence fell. Then Tora nodded.
Chapter Twenty-Four
More Secrets
The morning after a long and futile day trying to get information from Sukemichi’s servants, the prefect’s constables arrested a vagrant not far from the manor. Before either Akitada or Kosehira could interfere, they had a confession. The man, who was very poor and not in his right mind, admitted readily that he had climbed the wall of the Taira manor and killed its owner.
The prefect was elated to have closed the case so quickly and conveniently. Sukemichi’s widow was pleased and momentarily forgot her grief-stricken demeanor. The young lord shared the general relief.
“I don’t like it,” Akitada told Kosehira as they prepared to return to Otsu.
“Well, he may have done it. He looked strong enough.”
“There is no proof.”
Kosehira finished putting on his boots and said, “There is a confession. A confession outweighs proof.”
“He did not seem a very sensible sort of person to me,” Akitada persisted. “It sounded as though he was actually proud of what he confessed to.”
“Ordinary people can be quite simple, Akitada,” Kosehira pointed out. “Not everyone has studied law at the university and is aware of legal matters. He enjoyed the attention. I expect he’ll change his attitude.”
“Perhaps, but I still don’t like it. And I’m troubled by the Jizo. I don’t think that was a coincidence.”
“Yes, that was a little strange. But you said yourself that Sukemichi wasn’t like the others. He was a ranking nobleman and much younger.”
Akitada nodded unhappily. “It’s none of my business, but you might tell the prefect not to rush the case to trial.”
Kosehira said, “I cannot ask the man to do that. He deals with matters in his district.”
“Yes, only the man they arrested—I didn’t believe him. I think he’s just a foolish creature who will agree to anything you tell him.”
At this point there was an interruption. A servant came to announce that the Okuni headman was outside and wished to speak to Akitada. Hoping against hope for something to support his conviction that all five murders had been committed by the same man and that Sukemichi had not been killed by a demented vagrant, Akitada rushed out into the courtyard.
The sturdy figure of Masaie stood waiting. He was looking about him with a lively interest. When he saw Akitada coming down the steps toward him, a broad smile lit his face.
“A very good morning to you, my lord,” he said with a deep bow. “They tell me you’re leaving us?”
“Yes. The governor and I both have work waiting in Otsu. We’ll leave matters in the prefect’s hands. What brings you?”
“Two things, sir. You’ll be pleased to hear that one of our people went down into the gorge to look for another Jizo. And you were right, sir. It was there all the time.”
“Excellent work, Masaie.” Akitada found a piece of silver in his sash and passed it over. “With my thanks to the brave young man who climbed down.”
The grin was back. “Thank you, sir. He’ll be glad of it. His wife’s expecting.”
“What was the other matter?”
“Well, I’m asking for advice, sir. There’s a young woman who walked into the village yesterday, crying her eyes out. It seems Lord Sukemichi’s first lady had her thrown out. The girl swears she’s done nothing wrong. Sir, she was born in this house and has no family left. A young woman like that isn’t safe on the roads. All sorts of people pass through looking to make money at the fairs. Thieves and highwaymen, most of them.”
So the maid had been dismissed after all. Akitada’s heart hardened toward Sukemichi’s widow. Whatever the relationship between her husband and this maid had been, she owed their servants more consideration, especially when they had grown up in the household. Her action had been unnecessarily cruel. He said regretfully, “Masaie, I cannot help you or her. This is a family matter and none of my business.”
The headman nodded. “I understand, sir.” He bowed and left.
∞
They had nearly reached the highway to Otsu, when Akitada stopped Kosehira.
“Forgive me, brother,” he said. “I want to go back to Okuni. Something bothers me about that dismissed maid. You go ahead. I’ll try to catch up, or else get there a little later.”
Kosehira was disappointed. “I meant to show you the water channels of Azuchi. It’s on our way and quite famous as a hiding place for wanted criminals. Why the interest in the maid anyway? So Sukemichi slept with one of his servants. There’s nothing remarkable about that.”
Akitada agreed it was not remarkable in most noble houses, though neither he nor Kosehira (he hoped) engaged in such behavior. “It’s not that but the fact that she has been dismissed so suddenly. There is a reason, I suspect, and I’d like to know it. The family already has too many secrets for my taste.”
Kosehira looked astonished. “You think the girl murdered him? Or that his lady suspects her?”
“Probably not. Jealousy alone doesn’t quite explain it.”
“Hmm. Well, go back then. Be sure you let me know what you learn.”
∞
Akitada sought out Masaie in Okuni and asked to speak to the dismissed maid.
“She’s staying with a farmer up the road,” he said. “Working for her food and lodging.” He shook his head. “It’s the best we could do. Mostly women like her end up selling themselves to passing travelers. That would be a pity, I think. I hope you can help her, sir.”
Akitada said, “I’m very sorry about what happened to her, but I cannot promise that Lady Taira will allow her to return. I only want to find out what happened in case it has some significance for Lord Taira’s murder.”
Masaie, apparently also intrigued by the mystery of the girl’s dismissal, accompanied Akitada to a small farm in a grove of pines. All around, the fields had been cleared and crisscrossed by small ditches. The ditches carried water to the rice fields, already mostly planted.
They found the farmer gone to mend one of his ditches, but the farmer’s wife, a hard-faced, middle-aged woman, was home. She looked from Masaie to Akitada and knelt, bowing her head.