Death on an Autumn River

by I. J. Parker

  The news of the drowned girl spread quickly, and a small crowd gathered to peer down at the reed mat covering the body. Most were women, young and older, anxious or merely curious.

  After a short, tense wait, the local warden, a burly man with a paunch and a bristling mustache, pushed his way past them. He lifted the mat, looked, and shook his head. He singled out two middle-aged women and waved them over.“Take a look. Was she working here?” They peered and shook their heads. One said, “That one was a beauty, wasn’t she?” The warden nodded and dropped the mat again. “Not one of ours,” he called out to the onlookers, who dispersed.

  Akitada, followed by Sadenari, approached the man and said, “I was on the boat. The boatmen found her upriver, near that bend.” He pointed. “It seems too far for her to have come from Eguchi. It may not be a simple suicide of another prostitute. Besides, as the woman said, she was remarkably beautiful.”

  The warden eyed him, taking in the silk robe, and became deferential. “Very kind of you to take an interest, sir, but I assure you that our ladies are very superior. Our houses employ only the most talented and beautiful girls. There are many better looking than this one.” He gave the body on the ground a dismissive shove with a booted foot. With a grin at Sadenari, he added, “I’m sure the gentlemen will enjoy checking out the truth of that while they’re here.”

  Akitada was irritated. “Thank you, but we travel on official business. I noticed something tied around the girl’s neck. Perhaps that will help you trace her.” He bent to lift the mat again and pointed to a thin string of white silk braid that hid behind the long wet hair. It looped around the slender neck and disappeared under the folds of the robe.

  The warden grasped it and pulled out a small brocade pouch. “Just an amulet,” he said dismissively. “Most of the girls have them. We’ll send word to Kamusaki and Kaya. She may have jumped into the water from one of the boats. Still, the best thing is to let the monks have her for cremation. She’s been in the water, and those bodies don’t keep long.”

  “That’s all you’re going to do? Aren’t you even going to look at the amulet?” asked Sadenari angrily. “Lord Sugawara and I serve in the Ministry of Justice. It strikes me that you’re very lax in your duties.”

  The warden flushed. He bent again and opened the little pouch, extracting a small gilded coin. “How about that? A piece of silver.” He weighed the metal in his hand.

  “Let me see that,” Akitada demanded in a voice that allowed no argument.

  The warden handed the coin over reluctantly. It was curiously made and appeared to be mostly silver, but with some decorative gold overlay. It had a square hole in the center, just like copper coinage. The holes in coppers were for a string so they could be carried more conveniently. But this was no copper coin. Both silver and gold coins were oblong and had no holes. Besides, this had an intricate design, so finely made that Akitada had to lift it closer to his eyes to make out the tiny Buddha figures and clouds. Most likely, this was meant as an amulet, the hole serving to tie it around the wearer’s neck. Why then had the girl hidden it in a separate pouch?

  “It’s not a coin,” said Akitada. “It’s a Buddhist amulet, but not made in this country, I think. See.” He showed the ornamentation to the warden.

  “Doesn’t matter,” said the man said. “It’s worth something. She got it from a customer, I expect. We get travelers from Korea and China. Even their monks have stopped in Eguchi.” He chortled and gave Akitada a sly look. “You’d be surprised what monks can get up to, sir.”

  Akitada would not, but he tried to look disapproving. “I suppose it will go toward the young woman’s funeral?”

  “Right, sir.” The warden held out his hand.

  Akitada gazed at the medal. “Look here,” he said, “it’s a curious piece. I’ve a friend who would like it. What if I made a suitable donation, enough to cover the young woman’s funeral, in exchange for this.”

  The warden frowned. “I don’t know. It’s evidence. How much did you have in mind, sir?”

  Akitada reached into his sash and brought out a piece of gold. “Gold for silver?” He held both items up before the warden’s greedy eyes. The gold piece was larger and shone in the setting sun. The amulet, its silver darkened by time, looked dull by comparison.

  The warden reached for the gold. “Done, sir. And the poor girl will thank you from the other world.” He caught Akitada’s watchful eye as he stuffed the gold into his belt. “I’ll see it gets to the monks, sir.”

  Akitada nodded and started for the town. Sadenari hung back, watching the warden and his men taking away the body of the drowned girl. Then he hurried after Akitada. “That was kind, sir,” he said, when he caught up, “but do you trust that warden? He looked like a thief to me.”

  “No doubt he is,” said Akitada dryly. He glanced up and down the street of shops and eating places, all decorated with banners and paper lanterns. “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. How about sampling the local food?”

  *

  They ate in a small place where they were unlikely to be bothered by women soliciting their business. Gauging Akitada’s status nicely, an elderly waiter had bowed them to a recess where a few cushions rested on a raised section. They took off their shoes, sat down, and ordered food and wine.

  The old waiter announced, “We have octopus balls,” awaiting their reaction with a twinkle in his eyes.

  Akitada chuckled dutifully. “By all means, bring us your balls, and whatever else you can recommend.” The waiter wheezed with laughter and hobbled off.

  It had been a juvenile bit of humor, but to Akitada’s surprise, Sadenari had not even cracked a smile. He was subdued and silent. Akitada left him to his thoughts and looked around. Not all the guests were soberly dressed and quiet men, traveling on business and not for pleasure. There were also some of those who had clearly stopped in Eguchi for the courtesans and entertainers.

  The wine arrived and was excellent. The waiter’s hands trembled like Seimei’s as he poured, and Akitada felt a pang of guilt. Seimei had become very frail. Recently, he had expressed a wish to visit his home village and worship at the family shrine. It seemed that his old friend was preparing to join his ancestors. He could not rid himself of uneasiness.

  Sadenari broke into his thoughts. “You could have insisted on an investigation, sir,” he said, looking at him fixedly. It sounded like a reproof.

  “What?”

  “That warden. He’ll keep your gold and get rid of her body.”

  Akitada was irritated. “What is it to you?”

  “I bet she was murdered. It isn’t right. And you with your reputation for looking out for poor people.” Sadenari seemed clearly upset. He gulped his wine – his second or third cup?

  Before Akitada could respond, the waiter arrived with the food. The dishes looked and smelled appetizing. The octopus balls turned out to be fried rice cakes stuffed with octopus meat. Grilled eel and a stew of sea bream and vegetables made up the rest of the meal.

  When they were alone again, Akitada said mildly, “What makes you think she was murdered?”

  “She had a bruise, just here.” Sadenari touched his hand to the left side of his face. “I have good eyes. Someone killed her and then threw her into the water.”

  Akitada sighed. “The bruise, if it was a bruise, was very recent. Most likely it happened after she was in the river.” He sampled one of the octopus balls. “Or,” he said, “it was an accident. She fell overboard and hit her head. But you heard the boat’s master and the warden. The women who work in these river towns often end their miserable lives in the river. Now eat, before the food gets cold.” Akitada served himself some of the sea bream.

  “It may be as you say, but she didn’t look like a prostitute. She looked . . . innocent.”

  Akitada laughed. “Come on, Sadenari, not even you could have fallen in love with a drowned woman you’d never met.”

  The young man jumped up, knocking over his flask o
f wine. “Go ahead and have your little joke, sir. That girl was murdered, and nobody cares.” To Akitada’s embarrassment, the youngster’s voice broke. “I was so proud of serving under you, but you’re just like all the rest. You can’t be bothered with a poor young woman’s death, and you think I’m a fool.”

  It got quiet in the restaurant; eyes turned their way. The old waiter hobbled over with a cloth to mop up the wine.

  “Sit down, Sadenari,” said Akitada through clenched teeth. “You’re making a scene.” Louder, he added, “Come, let’s eat this excellent food and then get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”

  Sadenari looked around, flushed, and sat. The waiter cleaned up the wine and removed the empty flask. The other guests returned to their meals.

  Akitada said, “I apologize for what I said. It was unkind and uncalled for. I don’t think you a fool. In fact, it was perceptive of you to notice the bruise and to question the warden’s verdict. You may be right, but we can’t do anything about it.”

  Sadenari raised his head. There were tears of shame in his eyes, but his voice was steady again. “I don’t understand.”

  “I suppose I owe you an explanation.” Akitada lowered his voice. “You’ve been told that we’re taking documents from the ministry to the trade office in Naniwa. What you don’t know is that I’m seeking information concerning pirate attacks on private ships traveling between the Dazaifu and the capital. These ships carried priceless treasures in tribute gifts meant for the emperor. It may be that someone either in Naniwa or at the Dazaifu has been working with the pirates. Under the circumstances, we cannot get involved in local problems. It would attract undesirable attention.”

  Sadenari gaped. “You mean an official is involved? But that’s a crime against the emperor.” He brightened. “Oh, but it is exciting, sir! Thank you for bringing me along. I swear I’ll be the soul of discretion. Just call on me for anything. I don’t care how dangerous it is. I’d really like to get my hands on that traitor. And on those pirates, too.” He flexed his hands.

  “Thank you,” Akitada said dryly. “I know I can count on you, but you mustn’t tell anyone.”

  “Of course not. And I can see now our assignment is vastly more important than a case of drowning. I’ll be more circumspect in the future.”

  “Good. Now let’s eat.”

  Sadenari obeyed and Akitada had almost regained his good humor, when Sadenari remarked, “I really think I can be useful, sir. Please allow me to carry out the more dangerous parts of the investigation. I’ve had some training in wrestling and I’m very strong.”

  Akitada nearly choked on his last octopus ball. Clearly Sadenari thought him well past his prime. He swallowed, managed a “Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind,” and was preserved from further humiliations by a squabble breaking out in another part of the room.

  Two middle-aged men in the dark robes and hats of officials were on their feet. Both shouted and one of them, with a spreading stain on the front of his robe, had the old waiter by the throat.

  The owner of the restaurant rushed from the kitchen and tried to calm the officials while delivering kicks at the quailing waiter. Akitada felt sorry for the poor old man and instinctively disliked the officials. But the matter was settled quickly, and the owner bowed the irate guests out. The old waiter limped back to the kitchen, weeping.

  “I wish they hadn’t been so cruel,” said Sadenari, and Akitada forgave him his earlier remark.

  *

  For that night, they stayed in a small monastery on the outskirts of Eguchi, away from the noise and the temptations of its brothels. Akitada fell asleep immediately, dreaming of casting his line into the water from the veranda of his river pavilion and dragging out an enormous fish. The fish changed into the shape of a dead young girl who had the features of his little daughter.

  He came awake in a cold sweat and lay for a while looking up at the rafters. It had only been a nightmare, perhaps because he had been forced to ignore the case of the drowned girl. She had been so young, too young to end her life like that.

  Something else nagged at him: the incident in the restaurant. Something had been wrong. Those officials were not what they seemed to be. Even at that distance, their robes had looked worn and the colored rank ribbons on their hats had been for the third and fourth rank respectively, far too high in the hierarchy for ordinary officials going about their business in a place like Eguchi.

  He sat up and looked over to where Sadenari slept. His bedding seemed strangely flat in the dim moonlight that came through the shutters. Getting up, he went to check and found the quilts empty. Sadenari was gone, and he had taken his clothes, shoes, and money pouch with him.

  Chapter Two

  The Old Couple

  Akitada muttered under his breath as he dressed and gathered his belongings. He was very angry. Sadenari had managed to become a thorn in his side already.

  The trick of arranging his bedding so that it would look occupied was juvenile. Common sense dictated ignoring this ruse and, if he did not make an appearance soon, continuing the journey alone. After all, the youth was nineteen and should know how to take care of himself.

  On the other hand, he felt a responsibility for someone as naïve about the world as Sadenari was, and besides, the young man’s father would hold him responsible if harm came to his child.

  Sadenari had probably slipped out to sample the harlots, or possibly he had followed up on his obsession with the drowned girl. Either way, there was little to be done about it.

  Akitada stepped outside the monastery gate and looked down the road toward Eguchi. In the east, the darkness was lifting, but the town was still asleep. The lights in the brothels had dimmed, and paper lanterns swayed ghostlike in the breeze from the river. Akitada sniffed. He could smell the open sea. The air was fresher here than in the capital, which was enclosed by mountains and tended to have stagnant summer days.

  With an impatient sigh, he turned back into the monastery compound and sought out the dining hall for his breakfast. The monks had already been up for early morning lessons and now were chatting over their gruel. He ate what they ate, millet gruel with some vegetables added, and drank water. Two young monks sat near him, their shaved heads together, and whispered. He caught the word “drowned.”

  Belatedly, it occurred to Akitada that this must be the monastery in charge of the dead girl’s funeral, and that she must have been brought here already.

  When he asked the two monks, they flushed furiously. They were young and perhaps new to their vows, but it troubled him that, instead of sadness for a life lost so young, this death should cause prurient thoughts. Sadenari had also flushed because the nameless girl had aroused desire in him.

  After his breakfast, he sought out the abbot, introduced himself, and asked if the warden had paid for the funeral.

  “Oh, no,” the elderly abbot said quickly. “We don’t require payment. The poor young girl has no family and no money. But late last night a young woman from the town left some silver to have prayers read. They are very protective of each other.”

  Akitada did not mention the gold piece he had given the warden. Though he could not really afford it, he took out another one, saying, “Allow me to make a small contribution also.” He asked for the name of the other donor — hoping that the girl had had a family after all—but the abbot did not know.

  When he left the monastery, the sun was up, and still there was no sign of Sadenari.

  He walked the entire length of Eguchi, passing several drunks sleeping in doorways, but none was Sadenari. At the wharf, the boats swayed gently in the river current, making soft bumping sounds. Here, too, he saw no one. The deep blue of the sky promised another fine day. Until the body of the girl had been discovered, the river journey had been very pleasant. Akitada decided to continue the short distance to Naniwa by water. He looked at the sun. There was time for a stroll before the first boat would leave.

  Touching the drowned girl
’s amulet in his sash, he felt obscurely guilty for abandoning her to a crooked warden and a quick cremation by the monks. She had been too young to be in this profession, perhaps as young as twelve or thirteen.

  It was a pity what happened to poor children—for the pleasure houses also provided boys to their customers. Their parents frequently were too poor to feed them. What a shocking life the dead girl must have found here. He thought of his little daughter and shuddered.

  He saw the first signs of life in the streets. A woman opened shutters on one of the houses, a drunk staggered homeward holding his head, and the owner of the restaurant where they had eaten the night before was shouting at two maids who swept last night’s dirt out into the street. Akitada remembered the old waiter.

  “Good morning,” he called out to the owner. “My clerk and I happened to eat here last night.” The man hurried over and bowed. “You had an unpleasant incident,” Akitada added.

  “My deepest apologies. I assure you, sir, that the worthless waiter has been dismissed. We take pride in giving only the best service.”

  “I watched the incident. Your waiter was most likely innocent. The two men who complained were not who they pretended to be. I suspect they created the incident to get a free meal.”

  To his surprise, the man nodded. “That is so, sir.”

  “You suspected them?”

  “It’s happened before. In my business you have to keep your eyes and ears open.”

  “But in that case, why blame the waiter?”

  “He was getting too old anyway. I lost the payment for two meals and wine, but my customers think I got rid of a careless waiter.”

  Outraged, Akitada snapped, “What you did was unjust and heartless. You should go and apologize to that old man and ask him to come back.”

  The restaurant owner started a laugh, turned it into a cough, and bowed. “Your pardon, sir, but my business waits.” He disappeared into his establishment.