A very dangerous man, this killer.
In front of the tribunal he found an unruly crowd. The big gates were closed and guarded by a contingent of armed soldiers. Akitada made his way through, hearing to his dismay shouts of “There goes another one,” “Got the killer yet?” and “Lazy officials!”
Fear will make people believe all sorts of tales. No wonder, Kosehira had sounded concerned in his letter.
Admitted to the tribunal, Akitada turned his tired horse over to a groom and walked up to the main hall. Kosehira was in his office, dictating to a clerk. Other clerks were wielding their brushes, making copies.
“Akitada!” cried the governor, jumping to his feet. “You made very good time. Thank you for coming. You saw the state of affairs?”
“Yes. It seems rather sudden. Could the rumors have been started by someone in order to make trouble?”
Kosehira looked astonished. “But who would do this?” He paused. “You don’t mean that this is Enryaku-ji’s revenge?”
“Perhaps not. That would have been directed against me. It just seems strange that the rumors spread so fast. Unless you have other plans, I think I’ll go talk to Takechi and have a look at the body.”
“Yes, that might be useful. Not much doubt who did it, is there?”
“No. Though I don’t understand why. But clearly we must find him fast.”
“Yes. The festival is in two days. Any disturbance then would bring the entire court down on me.”
Akitada nodded.
“You will stay tonight?”
“If it becomes necessary. Thank you, Kosehira.”
∞
Takechi received him with similar relief. Akitada wished people did not place so much confidence in him. Disappointment was sure to follow.
Takechi outlined what he had learned. Fumi Tokiari had been alone in the house, his family and the servants all having gone to a neighborhood shrine at the end of the street. The merchant had stayed behind to work on his books, but had promised to join them later. When he did not show up after quite a while, his son sent a servant who found his master dead in his office.
“With a Jizo,” Takechi added dryly.
“Yes. And I take it there was another shrine fair.”
Takechi nodded. “Just a very small one, but it was their family shrine.”
Let’s have a look at the body.”
Fumi Tokiari had been brought to police headquarters for the coroner to have a look at it. They found Doctor Kimura washing his hands after his examination.
“Same as the others,” he said when he saw them. “Knocked unconscious, fairly violently, and strangled. He managed to break the neck this time. I’d say the attacks are becoming more severe.”
Akitada nodded. Another hint that the killings were no longer just personal and that the killer was changing. The crowds outside the tribunal and Takechi’s office were not far wrong in their fear.
They left police headquarters—to more jeering shouts—and walked to the merchant’s house. On the way, they passed the small shrine at the corner where remnants of the fair still littered the street. Torn paper flags, bits of rice straw, discarded fans, and a few paper umbrellas, broken and left behind, gave a colorful impression of the activities that had distracted everyone’s attention from an old man being murdered a few houses up the street.
Takechi confirmed this. His constables had interviewed all the neighbors and servants and none had seen or heard anything.
They were admitted to the merchant’s house by a servant in the hemp clothing of a family in mourning. The shop part of the building was shuttered. Inside it was dim and silent, but when they had followed the servant to the back of the house, they could hear children’s voices.
The Fumi family were all together in the large room. A middle-aged man Akitada did not know rose to bow them to pillows that a woman placed for them. Takechi introduced him as Fumi Tabito, the son of Fumi Tokiari. The woman was his wife. There was also another, younger, woman with two small children. These were the daughter and grandchildren of the couple and had come to support the family.
Akitada expressed his condolences. They received his words with polite bows. The daughter hurried to bring wine and refreshments, while her mother gathered the two little ones to her. It was a typical, peaceful family of industrious and well-to-do people, and Akitada regretted their loss again.
The son talked about his father’s murder, wiping tears from his eyes. “I blame myself. We should have stayed with him. Or at least left a servant behind. But who would have thought that such a thing could happen on our quiet street? In the harbor now, that’s another matter.”
“I did not have the pleasure of meeting you when I called on your father recently,” Akitada said.
“I run the shipping side of the business. Usually I’m in my office near the harbor.”
Akitada commented on the good health of his grandchildren.
His wife bowed her thanks and said, “It was for the sake of the little ones that we went to the fair. My daughter had come for a visit. She lives with her husband in the capital.”
At this point, feeling all eyes on himself, the little boy, who was perhaps five, said, “I saw the dolly man.”
His grandmother hushed him, but he was persistent. “I wanted that dolly. I wanted the monkey dolly.”
His mother said, “He means the puppet man. From the fair.”
Akitada thought of all the fairs and of his own children, disappointed once again. He asked the merchant, “Did your father have other children?”
“No, sir. And we have only a daughter, but now there are grandchildren, and it may be that one of them will run the business some day. Who did this, sir? My father was old, but he was very healthy. First my uncle and now my father! Who hated him so much?”
Takechi cleared his throat. “Have you received any threats? Say from people who borrowed money from you or your father?”
The merchant bristled. “No. We are fair, and we don’t lend money to untrustworthy people. My Uncle did more lending than we do now. My father rarely advanced funds. He hated that business. He said it brought my uncle death. Does this have anything to do with my uncle?”
Akitada and Takechi exchanged a glance. Akitada said, “Perhaps, but we cannot be certain. Did your father ever mention anyone watching the house?” He looked around the room, but they all shook their heads.
“You think someone was watching us?” asked his wife. “Are we in danger?”
“Probably not,” said Akitada. “But I think you should keep your eyes open for a while and not go anywhere alone.”
“Amida!” cried the merchant. “They are right. A maniac is loose in Otsu and he’s after my family.” The women cried out in dismay, his wife pulling the children closer to her.
“Please calm down,” said Akitada. “There is probably no reason to be afraid, but it couldn’t hurt to be careful for a few days. We are close to getting the man responsible for these deaths.” It was a hopeful lie, because he hated having put them into a panic.
They left after this, and Akitada returned to the tribunal to report to Kosehira.
Kosehira was dismissing a citizen’s delegation with some reassuring words and a smile. As soon as the door closed behind them, he waved Akitada to a cushion and asked, “Well? Anything?”
“I’m not sure,” said Akitada. “This business made me realize that there have been fairs in all the other cases.”
“Oh, Akitada, it’s the time of year. It’s spring, rice planting season. All the shrines put on fairs to bring people in to pray to the kami for a good harvest and to collect donations. The temples are also behind it. Enryaku-ji sponsors many shrine fairs as well as the big one coming up that you won’t bring your children to see.”
Kosehira’s reproachful face made Akitada smile. “I told them we might come up just for the day of the procession.”