makes it impossible to charge her with the crime.”
Sunada nodded again and asked, “Howdid you find out?”
“Her alibi for the day of the murder was unshakable. It was that which led me to suspect her in the first place. It occurred to me that she must have arranged to have her husband killed while she was safely away visiting her parents. I assume you knew?”
“More than that, Governor.Ofumi was a remarkable woman and perfectly capable of devising the plan on her own, but she lacked the necessary contacts.”
“So you found Koichi for her.”
“That was clever of you. I rather suspected that you did not quite believe my story of self-defense when I killed him in the market the other day.” Sunada grimaced. “It was a public service, though I was protecting myself. Unfortunately assassins are unreliableassociates. When you refused to believe the three travelers guilty and startedlooking for another killer, he demanded money. I could afford to pay, but a manof his background and reputation cannot be trusted. I decided to act while Ihad witnesses. Then one of your men happened along-” Sunada broke off andclenched his fists. “Of course,” he muttered. “The lieutenant who attempted toarrest me-he was the one who seduced her.” He glowered at Akitada. “Wasn’t he?”
Akitada was taken aback. Howcould this matter now? In justice to Hitomaro, he said sharply, “You are quitewrong. She seduced him.”
For a moment their eyes held ina contest of wills, then Sunada lowered his head. “Perhaps she could not helpwhat she was, what she made men do.”
“A woman who plots to have herhusband killed deserves no pity,” snapped Akitada.
“What would you know of a woman’slife?” Sunada asked wearily. “That girl-beautiful beyond belief, full of grace,endowed with talent, clever, lively, and filled with dreams-she was born into apeasant family and sold in marriage to an old man, a desiccated dotard so closeto death that he stank of decomposition! What chance had she by your laws?”
“Not my laws. The laws of thegods. She was not mistreated. By all accounts Sato doted on her.”
Sunada moved impatiently. “Shewas made for better things. He had no right to possess her.”
This was absurd-as any goodConfucian scholar knew. The ancients taught that a woman had no right to choosefor herself. Her duty was first to her parents, then to her husband, and lastto her son. And if she was unfortunate enough to survive her immediate family,another male relative would direct her life.
But there was no point inarguing with this man. Akitada said, “So you ‘contacted,’ as you put it,Koichi, a man with a long record of crimes. In fact, you had him released fromhis latest jail term the day before Sato’s death. Employing the unemployablehad always worked well for you. Such men are grateful. Did Koichi balk at allat murder?”
“He was eager to do it andbragged about it afterwards. I found him repulsive.”
“Ah, so he reported to youafter the murder.” Akitada was pleased. The case would be resolved moresmoothly than he had hoped. “Koichi entered the Golden Carp in midafternoon, ata time when Mrs. Sato would have reached her parents’ village arid been seenthere by as many people as possible. It was a sunny day, and the inn’s hallwaydim. Koichi stumbled over a packsaddle and damaged it. Okano, one of the threetravelers, was taking a bath and heard the clatter but assumed it was made bycustomers who left again when no one greeted them. I do not know whether Koichibrought a weapon, but I think he saw a large knife lying in the kitchen anddecided to use it. After killing the sick old man, Koichi emptied the moneybox, replaced the knife where he had found it, and left again as unobserved ashe had come.”
“I did not know about thepacksaddle, and he certainly did not tell me about the money box,” Sunada said.“Otherwise your deductions are correct.”
“Sato had saved up some gold.His widow testified that there were seven pieces, but she provided thatinformation after the three fugitives had been searched and seven gold pieceswere found in their possession. Still, it is surprising that Koichi blackmailedyou after having helped himself to all of Sato’s savings.”
Sunada laughed mirthlessly. “Come,Governor! Not even you can be that unworldly! Gold begets greed. He was to keepwhat he found as payment. Clearly it was not enough.”
Akitada knew there was a looseend still, but it had nothing to do with Sunada. He asked, “Will you sign astatement and testify in court that Koichi killed Sato on your instructions andat Mrs. Sato’s request?”
“Yes. But there is a condition.”
“No.” Akitada rose abruptly.The disappointment stung, though he should have expected it. “Even if I wishedto grant you leniency, your fate is not in my power. Neither your culpabilityin the Sato case, nor the three murders you committed yourself signify whencompared to a case of insurrection against his august Majesty.”
Sunada smiled a little. “Iknow. My request is not for me.”
Akitada hesitated. “The sameapplies to all your associates and includes your henchman, Boshu, and hisvillainous gang. They have terrorized the local people at your behest. I lookforward to sentencing them to long terms at hard labor. Besides, your peoplehad a hand in placing the mutilated body at the tribunal gate.”
Sunada looked astonished. “Forwhat it is worth, we had nothing to do with that. That was done by that animalChobei, your former sergeant, on instructions from Hisamatsu. No one else couldhave misused a corpse in such a repulsive fashion.”
“The corpse showed evidence ofhaving been stored in a rice warehouse.”
Sunada hunched his shoulders. “Byall means add it to my charges. It does not matter. And do as you wish withBoshu and his men. I’m asking you to spare the two crippled servants you saw inmy house. They are simple fishermen who lost the ability to go to sea. Theyneither read nor write and only took care of my simplest needs in my home. Inever asked more of them.”
Akitada remembered the twocripples. Again Sunada had surprised him, almost shamed him. “They have beenoutside this jail since you were brought here.”
Sunada lowered his head, thenbrushed a hand across his eyes. “I plead with you,” he said brokenly. “Theymust not suffer for their loyalty, for their love …” He choked on the word.
“Very well. If they are asinnocent as you say, they may return to their families.”
“Thank you.” Sunada boweddeeply, his face wet with tears.
Back in the common room, Kaoruand Tora greeted Akitada with broad grins.
“We heard,” cried Tora. “Yousolved the Sato case. It was brilliant. From little things like Umehara’sbackpack and a noise Okano heard, you put the whole thing together.”
“And from Koichi’s jailrecords, when no one knew he had been near the inn,” added Kaoru. “Such wisdomis worthy of the famous judge Ch’eng-Lin.”
Akitada looked at him for amoment, then smiled and shook his head. “I don’t deserve any credit. From thebeginning, Tora was closer to the answer than I was.”
“Me?” Tora gaped.
“Yes. We should have arrestedthe maid. It would have saved trouble and lives. She was an accessory beforeand after the fact and should have been questioned rigorously.”
“Kiyo? Why?”
“The bloody knife. Someone hadto put it in Takagi’s pack. Koichi knew nothing of the three travelers. I thinkwe will find that Kiyo not only knew of the planned murder, but that she andKoichi split Sato’s savings.”
Tora stared at him. “But shehated her mistress.”
“Probably. She also hated oldSato. When she thought you were a stranger passing through, she carelesslyrevealed her motive. It is to your credit that you recognized and reported it.Later she changed her story, but by then she knew that you worked for me, andthat Sunada had killed Koichi. She was afraid.”
“Well,” Tora said with greatsatisfaction, “would you believe it? I have the instinct for it after all.”
Akitada nodded. “Oh, yes. It isyour case now. Go arrest the girl and get her confession. We also need astatement from Sunada.” He paused and gave the sergeant a considering look. “Allthe clerks are busy with Sunada’s papers …”
Kaoru said eagerly, “I canwrite well enough, sir,” and gestured at a sheaf of reports on his desk.
Akitada looked and raised hiseyebrows at the neat script, then smiled. “Very well, Sergeant, go ahead. Butfirst tell your three prisoners that they are free to go. Hamaya will returntheir money and property to them. There should be additional compensation fromSunada’s confiscated estate after both cases are settled.”
¦
