“A thousand apologies,” the shoshidai whimpered. “Please forgive my staff’s terrible mistake. They will be punished severely. I assure you this will never happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t,” Yanagisawa said, “or you’ll lose your post.” He added, “And you’d better find Yoriki Hoshina by morning. Dismissed!”
The police fled. “He’s in disguise,” Fukida marveled. “That’s how he got past us. Who would have guessed he’d do that?”
Sano approached Yanagisawa and Shoshidai Matsudaira. “Why were you arrested?” he asked the chamberlain.
At the sight of Sano, anger darkened Yanagisawa’s expression; he didn’t answer. The Shoshidai said timidly, “For attempting to rob a bank in the merchant district.”
“I told you, I wasn’t,” Yanagisawa said with icy emphasis. “I was walking along, minding my own business, when three thugs attacked me. The police took the word of the merchant who accused me of trying to steal his filthy money.”
“Yes, of course,” the shoshidai said apologetically.
“What were you doing in that part of town?” Sano said. “Why are you dressed like that?”
“My mishap has nothing to do with the case,” Yanagisawa said. “I owe you no explanations.”
Sano followed Yanagisawa out of the building. “What was that about finding Yoriki Hoshina?”
A sardonic smile came over Yanagisawa’s face as they reached the street and his retainers helped him onto his horse. “Your hostage has escaped.”
More trouble! Sano hid his dismay. With Hoshina gone, he had no way to hold Yanagisawa to their deal. He’d better find the yoriki before Yanagisawa did. He and his men mounted their horses and rode down Oike Avenue alongside Yanagisawa. The sun’s hazy crimson orb floated above hills obscured by smoke and mist. Ruddy light bathed the crowds. The heavy odor of hot grease from kitchens overlaid the suffocating atmosphere.
“Have you found the outlaws and weapons?” Sano asked Yanagisawa.
“Not yet.” Yanagisawa’s voice was tinged with defensive annoyance.
Disappointed at this news, Sano told Yanagisawa that Lady Asagao had retracted her father’s alibi.
“So Right Minister Ichijo is looking to be a likely culprit, then?” An enigmatic smile played over Yanagisawa’s mouth. “Interesting.”
“That doesn’t mean the other suspects are out of the picture,” Sano said. The thought of Kozeri festered in his mind like a wound. “Lady Jokyōden refused to tell me where she was during Aisu’s murder, and we still haven’t connected Ichijo to the conspiracy.”
“Not yet, anyway.” Slapping the reins, Yanagisawa sped ahead of Sano.
“He wasn’t just innocently minding his own business when he got arrested,” Fukida scoffed.
“And he knows something he’s not telling us,” Marume said. Sano nodded in dismal agreement, thinking that he should have put Yanagisawa out of business when he’d had the chance. He gave Marume and Fukida new orders to deal with the problem, and then report back to him as soon as possible.
“Where will you be?” Fukida asked.
Now it was Sano’s turn for evasion, because he hated to lose face by admitting his mistake with Kozeri. “If you need to reach me, leave a message at Nijō Manor,” he said, then rode away.
Sano had intended to head straight to Kodai Temple, but Reiko would be eager for news. He rode to Nijō Manor, where he found Reiko in their room, at the table, nibbling at a dinner of rice balls, grilled fish, and greens, and sipping tea. Sano knelt opposite his wife. Her polite bow reflected the uneasiness that had shadowed their parting that morning. “The outlaws and weapons haven’t been found yet,” Sano said.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Eyes downcast, Reiko gestured toward her meal. “Do you want this? I don’t seem to he very hungry.”
“No thank you; I’m not hungry either.”
Reiko glanced at his swords, which he hadn’t removed as he usually did when he came home. “Are you leaving again soon?”
“Yes,” Sano said. Nervousness accelerated his heartbeat.
“Where are you going?”
“To see Kozeri.” The name tasted like poison.
“Again?” Now Reiko lifted a troubled gaze to his face. “May I ask what for?”
“Lady Asagao claims that Kozeri was in the palace when Left Minister Konoe died,” Sano said. “The imperial records don’t show that she entered the compound on that date, but they do show that she was there when Aisu was murdered. She’d gone to see her family. According to them, she arrived in the evening, spent the night in their house in the kuge district, and left the next morning. It was her first visit since she entered the convent fifteen years ago.
“Lady Asagao also said to ask Kozeri how her first husband died. Her family told me she’d been married to Left Minister Konoe’s secretary, a young courtier named Ryōzen-the man who was murdered by Konoe.” Too late, Sano had connected Kozeri with the crime that had put Konoe under the bakufu’s power. “In view of these new facts, I need to question her again.”
Reiko’s expression turned quizzical. “I assumed you’d already questioned Kozeri’s family to double-check her story about her marriage to the left minister. But even if not, wasn’t the information on her first husband in the metsuke dossiers that Chamberlain Yanagisawa sent you?”
To his disgrace, Sano had been convinced enough of Kozeri’s innocence that he hadn’t bothered to read her dossier.
“You’ve already interviewed Kozeri twice,” Reiko said, “and you’ve only just found out that she had the opportunity to kill Aisu, and possibly Konoe? Didn’t you ask her where she was when they died?”
“No,” Sano admitted, hot with embarrassment even though he had a good reason for his negligence. “Whenever I was with Kozeri, I got a peculiar, dazed sensation in my mind, and a feeling that there was something important I was forgetting to ask her. Now I know why. The nuns at Kodai Temple practice shugendo. Kozeri focused her mental energy on my mind and prevented me from asking her where she was during the murders.”
To his consternation, Sano saw disbelief on Reiko’s face. She said, “Kozeri used magical powers to manipulate you? Can that be possible?”
“If the power of kiai exists, then why not the power to control the mind?” Sano said.
Reiko regarded him with doubt. “It seems more likely that you didn’t ask her important questions because you decided she’s innocent. How could you favor a suspect and criticize me for trusting Lady Jokyōden?”
This was dangerous territory. Sano had to steer the conversation away from the subject of what else had blinded him to Kozeri’s deception. He said, “Speaking of Lady Jokyōden, she and Left Minister Konoe were once lovers.”
“Oh? That’s interesting.” Caution veiled Reiko’s gaze. “How did you find out?”
“From Lady Jokyōden herself.” Sano described his interview with the emperor’s mother, then bent an accusing look upon Reiko. “She said you knew. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Reiko sat up straight, lifted her chin, and said, “She asked me to keep it a secret. I agreed because I thought that her relationship with Konoe was less important than what she gave me. Without Lady Jokyōden’s help, we would never have discovered the conspiracy. I think my reason for trusting her is more credible than yours for favoring Kozeri.” Suspicion narrowed Reiko’s eyes. “Is Kozeri beautiful?”
The atmosphere in the room stretched tight as sails filled with storm winds. Sano forced a laugh. “Kozeri is a nun. Her head is shaved, and she’s not young.”
“That isn’t what I asked, but never mind-I can see the answer on your face.” Reiko stood, regarding Sano with sickened comprehension. “It was your personal feeling for Kozeri, not magic, that made you forget to ask her for an alibi before you decided she was innocent.” Reiko backed away from him, appalled.