The merchant handed the gold to the scar-faced youth. ‘Here,’ he said, ‘that should take care of the next one. It’s more than you deserve. You’ve been getting careless. Two people dead already. Stay away from mat makers and paper merchants.’
The youth took the gold, but he blustered a little. ‘It wasn’t our fault. We made sure to wake up the guy. Who knew about the old one in the back?’
‘You should’ve known better. And if you’re seen again, you’ll be useless. That’s when you’ll disappear permanently.’
The rat saw the fear in their faces as they slunk off without another word. The merchant followed them out, then closed and barred his back door and returned to his sleeping quarters. The light went out.
Jirokichi stayed in his cramped position for a long time, even after he could hear the merchant snoring again. He thought about what he had heard. The young punks weren’t the only ones who were scared. He eyed the money chest longingly and clutched the key in his sweaty hand. After a while, he started shivering. Not even the immense treasure below could tempt him to steal from this man. If he were caught here tonight, he would be a dead man, and if he were merely suspected of having been here, he would be hunted down. When he finally got up to leave, he still trembled so much that he almost slipped off the beam on his way back to the exit hole.
Outside, on his way down the steep roof, he had to force himself to move carefully, but when he gained solid ground, he sped away as if all the devils of hell were after him.
THE WITCH
The new closeness Akitada had found in Tamako’s arms was both deeply moving and upsetting to him. She was clearly feeling better but, far from being reassured, he now realized how profoundly her loss would affect him. And that thought kept him in an almost continuous panic – a panic that was always worst in the mornings when he left her bed.
The morning after Akitada’s meeting with Abbot Shokan, Akitada was once again pondering the thin line between happiness and despair, when an unsmiling Superintendent Kobe arrived. He was shown into Akitada’s study by Tora, who withdrew again quickly.
In spite of a sinking feeling that he would not like what Kobe had to say, Akitada offered a jovial greeting: ‘Good morning, my friend. You’re out and about early, but it’s always a pleasure to see you.’ When Kobe did not respond to this and continued to glower, he asked, ‘Is something amiss?’
‘You might say so.’ Kobe sat down and glanced around the room, then seemed to remember his manners. ‘I hope all is well with your lady?’
When he had left her, Tamako had been curled up under the quilt and smiling sleepily up at him. Akitada, putting aside his perverse fears, said, ‘Thank you. She is feeling much better.’
‘I’m very glad to hear it,’ Kobe said stiffly and fell silent.
‘Will you take a cup of wine?’
‘No.’
This blunt refusal was an unpleasant surprise. Akitada tried to ignore it. ‘How may I be of assistance, then? Have there been more disturbances in the city?’
‘Another fire night before last, but I expect Tora told you about it. I’m here on the other matter.’
The other matter could only be the Kiyowara case. Hoping to distract Kobe, Akitada said, ‘Tora reported his suspicions of some young hoodlums, but I’m afraid he was too generous in giving me credit. I had nothing to do with it.’
Kobe fidgeted impatiently. ‘It has come to nothing. There’s no proof. The fact that they were near two fires was probably due to curiosity. The young don’t have enough to do and roam the city at night.’
Raising his brows, Akitada said, ‘Tora caught them twice running from a fire. Surely that’s a little too much coincidence, don’t you think?’
Kobe scowled. ‘Don’t waste my time with the fires,’ he snapped. ‘I’m here because you’re in the pay of the Kiyowaras. In spite of my warning! I won’t speak of the effect your involvement in the murder is bound to have on the Bureau of Censors or of the repercussions for your career. If you wish to ruin yourself and your good name, that’s your business. But I will not tolerate your ruining mine.’
Akitada gasped, then sputtered, ‘I’m not in the pay of the Kiyowaras, as you call it. And in what way am I ruining your career?’
Kobe seemed to swell with anger. ‘When you use our relationship to interfere in a murder investigation and to protect the guilty, you call my honesty and my loyalty to my emperor into question. I came to warn you that you may not count on the police to help you, and I have already informed Lady Kiyowara of this. Naturally, she was unhappy that you won’t be able to protect them from us.’
The room had become chill. Akitada felt as if all his blood had drained from his upper body and was forming a painful knot in his belly. Kobe’s figure swam before his eyes. What had he done to deserve this from a man he had counted his friend for years? They had fallen out before, but Kobe had never insulted him like this, not even when Akitada had worked on a memorial to the emperor that criticized the police. He sat frozen, searching for an explanation, and finally hit on his dismissal from the ministry.
‘I see,’ he said bitterly. ‘This is a mere pretext. Now that I have lost my position in the government, you’re using this to cut the bonds of friendship. I had no idea you felt that way.’
Kobe’s face flushed. ‘That’s a damned lie. How dare you accuse me of such cowardly behavior?’
The knot in Akitada’s belly dissolved into red-hot fury. He shot to his feet and shouted, ‘Because it is cowardly. And I shall not stop working for Lady Kiyowara to please you.’
Kobe was on his feet also. He had turned nearly white. ‘Then I must warn you that you’re cutting your own throat and ruining your family. Given your refusal to stay out of this case, I shall have to assure the chancellor that I cannot be responsible for your actions now or in the future.’
Akitada snapped, ‘So you also plan to ruin my chances of getting another appointment. When have you ever been responsible for my actions? Not once. But you liked it very well when you benefited from them because you were inadequate to the job. No, I had it right in the first place: now that my enemies have the upper hand, you consider me a heavy stone that threatens to drag you down. You’re nothing but an opportunist, Kobe.’ Akitada clenched his fists to control the tremor in his voice. ‘The fact that I have to earn a living outside the civil service is lost on someone who is in the pay of corrupt officials. No wonder you think me so dishonest that I would use your name to subvert the truth and protect a murderer.’
They stood glowering at each other for a moment. Suddenly, Akitada felt drained. ‘You’d better leave,’ he said and turned his back on Kobe.
He heard receding steps, and then the door slammed.
The sound echoed in Akitada’s head as he walked unsteadily towards the veranda and looked out at the garden without seeing it.
Eventually, he realized that Seimei and Tora had come into the room. Seimei cleared his throat, but Akitada did not turn until Tora plucked at his sleeve.
‘What was that all about, sir?’
‘Superintendent Kobe has accused me of… dishonorable behavior.’
Tora sucked in a breath, then muttered a curse.
Seimei came up. ‘It is said that we must inquire seven times before we doubt a friend. Surely there was a misunderstanding.’
‘No misunderstanding.’ Akitada turned and looked at them bleakly. ‘Tora, your report has come to nothing. Kobe says the boys were not involved in the fire.’
‘What about the one that stole my gold?’ Tora clenched his fists. ‘Did he think I lied?’
‘Forget it, Tora. Take the horse and ride to the farm to get Genba and the dog. I’ll give you money for old Matsue so he can pay the workers and buy more seed rice.’
Tora and Seimei looked at each other, then Tora left while Seimei remained to help count out coins and enter the new expenses in the account book. Neither Akitada nor Seimei referred to the quarrel again, but Akitada’s hands shook as he handled the silver and gold.
