want to implicate themselves in treason.”
Chin in hand, Sano contemplated the story Hirata had just told. “Could you have been mistaken about what you saw?”
“I suppose so.” Doubt tinged Hirata’s voice. “But I was certain at the time.”
“Your story doesn’t explain why you happened to raid the estate just in time to discover Lord Mori murdered and my wife at the scene.”
“It must be a coincidence.”
“That’s too big a coincidence as far as I’m concerned.” Sano smelled a setup. “Did you try to find out who sent the letter that put you onto Lord Mori?”
“No,” Hirata said, chagrined. “I know I should have. It just seemed more important to find out whether it had any merit. I’m sorry I didn’t do a more thorough investigation.”
Sano was, too. If Hirata had, they might have had information that could help Reiko. And Sano had even more reason to be concerned. A slapdash job was out of character for Hirata. He’d changed in ways that Sano found disturbing, that boded ill for their relationship as well as the murder case.
“I remember Ozuno from that investigation three years ago,” Sano said. “But I had no idea that he’d made you his disciple.”
“It’s supposed to be a secret.” Hirata was obviously upset that he’d revealed it. “I shouldn’t have told even you.”
But Hirata’s first loyalty was to Sano, and not just because Sano was his master. Hirata owed his high rank and all its associated honors to Sano.
“You won’t tell anybody, will you?” Hirata said anxiously.
“Not unless it’s necessary, and right now I don’t see why it would be,” Sano said. Obligation worked both ways with them.
Hirata let out a breath of relief. “Then you don’t object to my training with Ozuno?”
Sano hesitated. Training with a master such as Ozuno was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Furthermore, Sano couldn’t begrudge Hirata the chance to overcome his physical weakness: Hirata had been wounded in the process of saving Sano’s life.
“No. But I must caution you,” Sano said. “It’s not just my approval that you should worry about. Next time you go off to a training session, Lord Matsudaira and the shogun might not forgive you.”
“I know.” Hirata sounded torn between samurai duty and personal desire.
“And it was dangerous to allow your training to interfere with your duty,” Sano went on. “You put yourself under too much pressure to placate Lord Matsudaira, all the while you’re in such a hurry to return to your lessons that you’re skipping important steps.”
“A thousand apologies,” Hirata mumbled, his face full of distress.
“Apologies aren’t what I need,” Sano said. “I need your help solving this case and clearing my wife. I need to know that you’ll give it your full attention and your best effort.”
“I will,” Hirata said with fervor. “I promise.”
Sano only hoped that he could trust Hirata. “Well, we’d better get over to the palace. Lord Matsudaira and the shogun must be wondering what’s taking us so long.”
In the palace audience chamber, the shogun sat on the dais, cowed by fear of Lord Matsudaira, who knelt below him in the place of honor at his right. Lord Matsudaira’s expression was thunderous with rage. The guards stood perfectly still along the walls, as if the slightest movement would bring his wrath down upon them. As Sano and Hirata walked into the room, Lord Matsudaira said, “When were you going to tell me that Lord Mori had been murdered?”
Sano stifled the curse that rose to his lips. Lord Matsudaira must have spies inside the Mori estate, who’d smuggled the news to him. That Sano had delayed reporting the news himself made his situation worse.
“I was planning to tell you after I’d seen what had happened,” Sano improvised as he and Hirata knelt and bowed. “I wanted to bring you a report on the progress of the inquiry into Lord Mori’s death.”
Lord Matsudaira narrowed his eyes, suspicious that Sano had deliberately withheld information and wondering at his intentions. “Well? How did Lord Mori die?”
“He was stabbed and castrated,” Sano said.
The shogun gasped in horror. Distress stirred the guards. Lord Matsudaira frowned as though personally insulted. “Did you find out who killed him?”
“Not yet.” Sano spoke in a firm, authoritative voice, to hide the fact that he was hedging while he thought what to say.
“Are there any suspects?”
“Everyone in the Mori household is a suspect.” But Sano knew he couldn’t keep Reiko’s involvement a secret forever, and better that Lord Matsudaira heard about it from him than anyone else. “There has been an attempt to incriminate my wife.” Lord Matsudaira stared and the shogun gaped. “She-”
“She was found in Lord Mori’s bedchamber, naked and covered in blood, alone with his dead, mutilated body.” Into the room strode Police Commissioner Hoshina, tall and muscular and proud. His handsome face shone with malevolent pleasure. With him was his chief retainer, Captain Torai, a slighter, lesser version of himself. Both grinned at Sano, relishing his misfortune.
Alarm assailed Sano because his enemy had obviously heard the news from his own spies and rushed here to capitalize on it. Sano recalled the meeting with General Isogai and the elders, and their warning about Hoshina’s new campaign to destroy him.
“Is this true?” Lord Matsudaira said, glaring at Sano. “Did your wife kill Lord Mori?”
“It’s true that she was found at the scene of the crime,” Sano said, “but she didn’t do it. I can explain-”
“What’s to explain?” Hoshina said. “Lady Reiko was caught literally red-handed.”
“It’s obvious she’s the murderer,” said Captain Torai.
Furious, Sano turned on them. “I didn’t give you permission to join this meeting. Leave,” he ordered. Things were bad enough for Reiko without their accusations.
But Lord Matsudaira motioned them to stay. They knelt, smirking at Sano. Lord Matsudaira fixed on him a gaze replete with menace. “The evidence against your wife is very incriminating.”
“It doesn’t prove she’s guilty,” Sano objected. “Please hear me out, and you’ll agree that she was framed.”
“ ‘Framed,” “ Hoshina scoffed. ”Is mat what she said? That’s the excuse all criminals offer in their own defense.“ He addressed the shogun: ”With Your Excellency’s permission, I shall arrest Lady Reiko.“
Panic beset Sano. Events were moving too fast in the wrong direction. “I forbid you!”
“He’s trying to protect his wife from the law, at the expense of justice,” Captain Torai told Lord Matsudaira.
“You’re trying to persecute Lady Reiko for your own purposes!” Hirata burst out.
“I haven’t heard one reason why she shouldn’t be convicted of murder this day,” Lord Matsudaira challenged Sano.
Even as Sano opened his mouth to answer, the shogun piped up nervously, “I can’t believe that Lady Reiko, could, ahh, do such a terrible thing. She’s such a nice, pretty young woman.”
He emphasized the word “pretty,” as though Reiko’s looks were a better proof of her innocence than her character was. But Sano welcomed any support during a battle. “Thank you, Your Excellency.” Hoshina scowled. “May I tell my wife’s side of the story?”
“Permission granted,” the shogun said with a daring look at Lord Matsudaira. He sometimes chafed at his cousin’s domination and welcomed opportunities to resist it.
Lord Matsudaira also scowled. “Very well, Chamberlain Sano. I’m listening.”
Sano gave a fast, abridged, but persuasive recital of Reiko’s tale. When he told about the boy Lord Mori had strangled, the shogun exclaimed in horror. Lord Matsudaira shook his head. Even Hoshina and Torai seemed disturbed. But after Sano described how Reiko had fallen unconscious and awakened to find herself beside Lord Mori’s corpse, Hoshina burst out laughing. Torai echoed him.
“That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard!” Hoshina said. “If your wife expected you to believe it, Honorable Chamberlain, she must think you’re an utter fool.”
“I thought the part about spying on Lord Mori was far-fetched.” Torai sneered. “No woman does things like
