The Emperor's Woman (Akitada Mysteries)

by I. J. Parker

  “No. Didn’t mention you at all. That’s what’s so crazy.”

  “What’s the message?”

  “Those who wait get what others leave behind.”

  “Is that good or bad? What do you think he meant by it?”

  Tora grinned. “No idea. As I said, he had on women’s clothing. Lost his mind, I’d say. One thing about those beggars, they’ve got all sorts of respect for old people. You should’ve seen how they bowed to the old geezer, bringing him food and drink and asking him how he was feeling.”

  “Yes, there’s good in all people.” Then Akitada thought of the police lashing Genba to get a confession. “Well, most people,” he corrected himself. “So you got nothing?”

  Tora shook his head. “I’ll go back, if you like, but they didn’t want anything to do with me. It was almost like they were protecting Saburo.”

  “Maybe,” said Akitada. “He may be among them, and they think he’s in trouble. Remember, Saburo stole those contracts.”

  “That wasn’t stealing,” Tora said. “He was returning something that belonged to Ohiro and the other women. Tokuzo owed them, what with all the beatings and rapes.”

  “In the eye of the law, it was stealing. For that matter, the killer may have acted for the women also. Does that make the murder acceptable?”

  Tora frowned. “Maybe.”

  “Well, he may cost Genba and Ohiro their lives.”

  Tora nodded glumly. “We’ve got to find him.”

  “If Saburo is right that he is a hired assassin, finding him won’t be easy or safe. I suggest we start at the other end and find out who hired him.” Akitada told Tora about the list of names Tokuzo’s mother had given him, and that was now in Kobe’s hands. “Kobe may or may not investigate those women. I have no reason to think he’ll do anything I ask him to do.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I know he was your friend.”

  “Never mind. I think you’d better go back to the women who worked for Tokuzo. Talk to them. Find out who was mistreated, and if they have male family members or lovers who might have taken revenge.”

  “My sort of work,” Tora said approvingly. “I’m on my way.”

  Akitada sighed.

  Having made a start on Genba’s problem, he returned to his duties at the ministry

  with a lighter conscience. Tora would get the information, and they could interview the women. Even if the “assassin” was not the killer, surely enough information about Tokuzo would emerge to find another suspect. Akitada had no sympathy for the victim or his relatives, but he could not allow Genba to be convicted for something he had not done.

  In Kosehira’s case, getting the assistance of Lady Kishi would set things in motion there. He was convinced that Lady Masako’s death was connected with the events preceding her death.

  By the end of the day, some of his hopes were dashed. A messenger had arrived with a letter. It was from Kosehira, and it was bad news. He had been ordered back to his province. Kosehira said nothing else beyond the usual closure of good wishes for Akitada and his family. It was ominous and suggestive. The fact that he gave no explanations meant he expected his letters to be scrutinized. It was a warning to Akitada that their interest in the prince and Lady Masako had become known in the highest places, and action was being taken to stop them.

  Had Lady Kishi betrayed them?

  The more Akitada thought about this, the less likely it seemed. Her fortune was tied too closely to the prince’s for her to cut those ties and join his enemies. Yes, he had provoked her anger with his many affairs, but Kishi was a practical woman.

  Obviously someone objected to the questions he and Kosehira had been asking, and ordered Kosehira back to his post. Would they approach him next? Very probably. And he did not have Kosehira’s connections and had a reputation for meddling.

  With a sigh, Akitada went to see his wife to inform her of developments.

  Tamako listened calmly. “Well, we knew it might come to this,” she said. “How will you proceed?”

  Akitada’s heart warmed to her. How brave she was! And how lucky he was that she supported him in his decisions.

  “I think I’ll go on without Kosehira,” he said.

  “Yes. But what will you do? Without Kosehira, you may not have access to the people who are involved.”

  “Lady Kishi has promised to help.”

  “Really? That’s good, very good.” Tamako looked thoughtful. “I wonder who knew about the prince’s affair. She evidently did. Was his whole household aware? The other wives?”

  Akitada had considered this, but the prince’s lack of cooperation had closed the door to asking questions of his household. And Lady Kishi was not likely to approve of such investigations either. If the guilty party was to be found within the prince’s family, she would suppress the fact at all cost.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “And I have no way of finding out.”

  “Why not ask Akiko? She knows Kishi.”

  “My sister? Dear gods! You can’t be serious.” Akitada was shocked at the idea. He had not spoken to Akiko in several months. Mostly she irritated him. Of his two sisters, Akiko, the older, had inherited her mother’s social-climbing ways. She had spent most of her time promoting her husband Toshikage, a harmless and friendly brother-in-law who was besotted with his wife, in his rise in the government. Toshikage had had several rank promotions and now served in the imperial guards as a captain. There was nothing in the least martial about him, but such positions tended to be purely honorary while carrying very tangible salaries.

  Tamako smiled. “Yes, your sister. She’ll jump at the idea. Akiko is a natural-born snoop. Her curiosity about other people’s activities never sleeps, and the more highly placed the person, the more interested she’ll be.”

  Akitada frowned. “That may be true, but I cannot risk having Akiko meddle in this dangerous affair. Akiko doesn’t have the sense to protect herself or anyone else.”

  “I think you’re wrong.” Tamako reached for her writing box. “I’ll send her a note, asking her to come. It’s time you saw your sister again anyway.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t.”

  “We’ll talk to her together.”

  It was a pity that of Akitada’s two stepsisters it should be Akiko who lived near them. Tamako saw her frequently because their children played together, and because Tamako tolerated Akiko’s temperament a great deal better than Akitada, who bristled every time some remark by Akiko reminded him of his stepmother.

  His other sister, Yoshiko, was married to a commoner. Her husband Kojiro had been a suspect in a murder case, and Yoshiko, a gentle and loving young woman and Akitada’s favorite, had scandalized her brother by carrying on a secret love affair with him. Now they lived in Nagoya in distant Owara province, where Kojiro had become a large landowner and local dignitary, thereby proving that status could be flexible when a man was inspired to prove his worth to the woman he loved.

  But it was Akiko who showed up later that day, having received Tamako’s message. She was accompanied by her maid and her little daughter, looked excited, and breezed by Akitada with a rustle of rich silks, a flash of a smile, and a “Greetings, big brother!” as she headed for Tamako’s quarters.

  Akitada followed more slowly. Unquestionably, Akiko was a handsome woman, though some of that was due to her attire which must cost Toshikage a small fortune. He much preferred Tamako’s unpretentious beauty, or even Yoshiko’s gentle face and small, quick figure.

  A bustle and chatter over the children, Akiko’s clothes, and Tamako’s new screen ensued while Akitada stood by impatiently. Eventually, the children left to play outside, and the adults sat down.

  “So,” said Akiko briskly, “I hear you need my help, Akitada?”

  “Well ….” Akitada shot his wife a look, wondering what she had written in her note. “I wondered if you could ask a few harmless questions. It’s easier for a woman to do this. And the information would be helpful in a case I’m engage
d on.”

  “Dear heavens! My stiff and superior brother asks me to help in one of investigations? How can such a thing be? You’ve never given me credit for my good sense before.”

  Akitada blushed. “Not at all, Akiko. You exaggerate.”

  The two women laughed. Tamako said, “You’ve mentioned knowing Lady Kishi quite well. It occurred to me that you might be able to find out some things from her.”

  Akiko’s brows shot up. “Lady Kishi? Of course. Dear me, Akitada, you are playing with tigers these days. Don’t tell me you’re trying to save Atsuhira again.”

  “Not exactly. Kosehira got himself involved, and they want to drag him down also. The prince is probably innocent, but he won’t lift a finger to save himself. He mourns the death of a lover.”

  Akiko’s eyes shone. “Ah, the emperor’s woman! I never believed that silly tale about her death from some sudden illness while she was visiting her old nurse. It just made people believe she was giving birth and things went badly.”

  Tamako nodded. “I thought the same thing. I wondered if it might have been the emperor’s child.”

  “Never!” Akiko was emphatic. “His Majesty thought her too ugly to have near him. He demanded that she was to be seated in the background on all occasions they attended together.”

  “How cruel! Did she know?” Tamako looked shocked.

  “How could she not know?”

  Akitada had followed this exchange with wrinkled brow. Was nothing secret these days? Apparently the most private palace matters were common gossip among women.

  Akiko turned to him. “So, was it murder? Was she given poison?”

  He said, “No. She was found at the bottom of a cliff. Please don’t ask for details. At least not yet. What does Lady Kishi have to say about the death?”

  His sister pouted.

  “Come, Akiko,” her brother pleaded. “All that is required is that you visit Lady Kishi and chat about her recent troubles. When I saw her, the room was full of women and children. They withdrew when we arrived, but no doubt they’ll stay for you. That household knows more than we do. Please try to find out something. Anything.”

  “If you’re trying to pin the girl’s murder on Kishi, you can forget it,” she said, chin in the air. “She’s absolutely innocent and my friend. I’ll not help you make her life even more hellish.”

  “Hellish? Come, that’s surely an exaggeration.”

  “She’s desperately unhappy. Her husband doesn’t care for her, merely doing his duty now and then, and he has stopped that also. Meanwhile, he carries on affairs with totally unsuitable women, and makes no effort to look after the future of his children.”

  Akitada was scandalized again by the intimate gossip that seemed to pass between women. He glanced at Tamako, saw her mouth twitch with amusement, and turned back to Akiko. “I thought she was the one who created most of their difficulties. For example, why does she have to keep agitating to make her husband a crown prince when he’s not interested?”

  Akiko said, “Because she’s a mother, silly.”

  “Nonsense. Her children are guaranteed the highest positions.”

  “Not if he divorces her.”

  Akitada was dumfounded. “Divorce her? Why would he do a thing like that? She’s the chancellor’s daughter and has given him sons.”

  “Don’t ask me why. Who knows why men do stupid things?”

  Tamako broke in, “Please don’t quarrel. There’s work to be done.”

  They fell silent and looked away from each other. Akitada wondered if Akiko could be right. Would Atsuhira have divorced Kishi to make Lady Masako his senior consort? He had claimed to have loved her passionately, and there would have been a child. Since Atsuhira had no wish to ascend the throne someday, he might well have rid himself of a wife who had made his life difficult with her ambitions.

  And that would give Kishi an excellent motive for murder.

  Tora Investigates

  Never one to hold a grudge for long, Tora walked into town in a very forgiving mood toward his master. He had sent him on an errand of the kind Tora particularly relished and had done so without the usual biting remark about Tora’s past weakness for pretty women. Perhaps he was trying to make amends for having dismissed Saburo and relegated Genba and Ohiro to the ranks of outcasts.

  Saburo was still lost, but he was a resourceful character and would manage. Their paths were bound to cross sooner or later. Tora ached to learn some of Saburo’s more dubious skills. His sleuthing and spying talents, in his opinion, were wasted on secretarial duties. Breaking into houses to spy on suspects, on the other hand, was a skill worth cultivating if one was engaged in tracking murderers.

  But Genba’s case was worrisome. Tora had no illusions about the miseries of being jailed. It had happened to him. The floggings could get very nasty. And the falling-out between his master and Superintendent Kobe meant that Genba could not expect any protection from that quarter. His master’s anger had been reasonable in that regard.

  He reached the Willow Quarter feeling cheerfully optimistic. Tokuzo’s brothel was already open for business. Tora had decided that it would be a great deal easier to get the list of names replaced by Tokuzo’s mother than to search for the women on his own. Besides, he wanted to find out what she was like..

  Since it was still well before the midday rice, the downstairs room of the Sasaya was nearly empty. A very young and pretty girl came to ask what she could bring him. He eyed her appreciatively and asked, “How old are you, little charmer?”

  She blushed, not a common reaction among the women employed in the quarter. “Thirteen, sir.” She paused, then blushed even more furiously. “I’m not allowed to work yet.”

  “Well, aren’t you a waitress?”

  “Yes, but …” She cast a glance toward the ceiling. “The mistress says I need more training.”

  Tora nodded. “Like going to school, right?”

  She giggled.

  “Well, tell your mistress I’d like to speak to her. It’s about Ohiro.”

  She ran off, light-footed like a child, but already with that seductive little motion of her slender hips. Tora shook his head.

  She reappeared quickly and took him to a backroom where a thin old woman was working over a ledger. Tora looked Tokuzo’s mother over and decided he did not like her. This did not prevent his greeting her with his friendliest smile and most affable manner.

  “Ah. The lady of the house looks as charming as her girls.”

  She eyed him with a frown. “The girl said you’ve come about Ohiro.”

  Tora sat down across from her, giving her the full benefit if his brilliant smile. “I’m Tora, Lord Sugawara’s assistant. He sent me to tell you he’s working out an arrangement.”

  The frown disappeared and she positively beamed. “Fifty pieces of silver, your master said. And cheap at that. Do we still have an agreement?”

  “I expect so.” Tora glanced around the room and at the account books and writing utensils. “I bet you have a lot of trouble running this business. Didn’t Tokuzo have a brother?”

  She sighed. “It’s a lot of work, and I’m an old woman,” she shot him a glance, “no matter what pretty lies you tell me, young Tora.”

  “Never say that! There are men who appreciate a mature female. A good woman is above the price of pearls. But you shouldn’t have to slave away over dusty books and deal with rowdy drunks. I would have expected Tokuzo’s brother to look after the Sasaya. It must be a good business.”

  “My other son is an official. He likes the money well enough, but he doesn’t want to dirty his hands.” She managed to sound both resentful and proud.

  “Then I bet you’re better at the business than he is.”

  She chuckled at that. “Maybe. So what’s on your mind, Tora?”

  This was moving too fast in the wrong direction. Tora said, “Here’s the problem: before we can do the business with Ohiro, we’ll have to get her and Genba out of jail. My master’s
passed the names you gave him to the police, but I thought we might speed up things if I went and asked those girls a few questions myself.”

  She looked a little disappointed but nodded. “Be my guest. I’d like to know who my enemies are. I’ve been thinking, and the most likely are Ona and Hanishi.” Her smile was gone, and she looked almost witchlike. “Ona’s the one Tokuzo caught passing her earnings to a boyfriend. And Hanishi was always causing trouble with the customers. I wouldn’t put it past them to be behind my poor Tokuzo’s death.” She waved a finger at Tora. “Get whoever did it, Tora, and you’ll do a good deed.”

  Having obtained detailed directions to the girls’ lodgings, Tora decided to see Shokichi first. He caught her just as she returned from washing clothes in a nearby canal. She had shared quarters with Ohiro and was her friend, so he expected to get help from her.

  Shokichi was a tall girl and would have been handsome except for her pockmarked face and crooked teeth. Life in the brothel had hardened her, and she eyed Tora with suspicion. His big smile and flirtatious manner got no response. He decided to plunge right into the reason for his visit.

  “You must be Shokichi, Ohiro’s friend,” he said. “And I’m Tora, Genba’s friend. Let’s see if we cannot put our heads together and help them.”

  Shokichi relaxed, invited him into the poor lodging, and poured him some cheap wine. He drank, smacked his lips, and said, “We need to find the guy who did away with that Tokuzo scum. Any ideas?”

  She shook her head. “That bastard. He had more people hating him than there are flies on a dead dog.”

  Tora grinned. “Good. How about his girls?”

  Her face closed. “No. They wouldn’t have dared.”

  “Maybe not, but can you be sure? Did he beat you?”

  “Of course, but I can take it.” She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “The scum didn’t make me cry and plead.”

  “Good for you. But others weren’t that strong. What about Ona and Hanishi, for example?”

  “No. They’re like me. Used to it.” She turned away. “But not all the girls are like that. The animal nearly killed a couple. And one he did kill.”