I. Parker: Death of a Doll Maker

Akitada thought of Tora. Feng’s threat, though probably well-founded, meant nothing to him. “There’s no more to be said,” he snapped and called for a constable.

When the man appeared, Akitada ordered Feng bound and taken to jail.

On the way out, Feng cried, “Wait. I may have information about your Lieutenant Sashima.”

“Speak then, and make it quick.”

“I heard the former police chief, Captain Okata, held a grudge against the lieutenant.”

Akitada stared at Feng. Could Okata have been behind Tora’s disappearance all along?

Feng pleaded, “I can help you find your lieutenant, but I must be free to do so.”

“No. Take him away, Constable.”

Feng departed, muttering.

Saburo and Akitada looked at each other. “Captain Okata?” Saburo asked. “Do you think it could be the answer?”

“It’s as likely as anything. Let’s go get him.”

Akitada went in search of Maeda. He found him in the courtyard, giving instructions to a group of constables about removing the strongboxes from the ship and placing a guard on it to make sure it did not depart for its homeland.

“Do you know where Okata is?” Akitada asked.

“Okata? Not really. His family owns land near the korokan . Why?”

“Feng says Okata is behind Tora’s disappearance. I think I’ll take Saburo and some soldiers from the tribunal and arrest Okata.” Akitada was both angry and miserable. Maeda and the assistant governor general had warned him that Okata might take revenge. He had brushed their warnings off.

Leaving Saburo behind, he gathered his soldiers and, still wet and chilled from the ride to Hakozaki, climbed back on his horse.

They had not yet left Hakata on their journey west when a constable on a lathered horse caught up with them, shouting and waving his arm. They stopped.

“He’s back,” shouted the man. “He’s safe. Lieutenant Maeda says to tell you Lieutenant Tora just got back.”

They crowded around him. “What happened?” Akitada asked, scarcely believing the good news.

“Lieutenant Tora says Captain Okata and his men caught him and sent him to Tsushima on the convict ship. Not sure about the rest, Excellency, but the lieutenant thought you might want to come back.”

Of course, he was going back. The gods had been kind once again. Tora was alive-and apparently well. Akitada was too overcome to speak.

Tora looked wet, filthy, and battered, his face bruised and covered with stubble, his ragged clothes torn, and his legs and feet bare. Beside him was another man, a big, shaggy-haired and shaggy-bearded fellow. Saburo hovered by their side.

When Tora saw Akitada, he gave a happy shout and they embraced.

“I’ve never been so glad to see anyone,” Akitada said, holding him. Tora used only his right arm to return the hug. “What’s the matter? Are you hurt?’

Tora still had his irresistible grin. “Just a little. We’ve been to war, both of us.” He turned. “This is Shigeno. Show ‘em your chest, Shigeno.”

The big man lifted a ragged and blood-stained shirt. The crowd gasped at the many stab wounds and slashes. Shigeno sat down quickly.

“We’ve sent for a doctor,” Saburo supplied.

“Coming!” cried a voice from the door. “Let me through.” A very short monk appeared with his medicine case. He nodded to Maeda and looked the two patients over before crouching beside the big man and taking his shirt off. Shaking his head, he said, “Amida! I need to sew you up,” and produced a long, dark needle and some silk from his case.

Shigeno grew a shade paler.

Akitada asked Tora, “How badly hurt are you?”

Tora grinned. “Only one small cut that’s stopped bleeding. I want to get that bastard Okata. He’s the one set his thugs on me and bundled me off on a convict ship. Him and Hiroshi.” Tora put a hand on Shigeno’s shoulder. “But we showed them, didn’t we, brother?”

The big man nodded.

“Hiroshi?” Akitada asked.

“Oh, yes. And he killed both his stepmother and Yoko. Seems Yoko confronted him with being at the Mitsui place the night she was stabbed. Hiroshi hated her and thought she’d stolen gold from his father.”

“It explains a lot, sir,” Maeda said.

“I told you, Maeda. You should’ve listened.” Tora returned to his story. “Anyway, I woke up in the hold, but Shigeno and I and two convicts, we got out and we fought them all, guards and sailors both. They got distracted and wrecked their ship on Ikishima. We escaped, all but one of us, found a fisherman and hired him to bring us back. I owe him fifty pieces of silver, sir.” Tora paused to give Akitada an apologetic grin.

“I can hardly believe it,” remarked Akitada, shaking his head. “You fought them? Why didn’t you identify yourself to the person in charge of the transport?”

“I tried to, but they just laughed. I have a notion the policeman and the guards work for Okata.”

“Ah.” Akitada glanced at Maeda. “You’d better look into this.”

Maeda nodded. He looked stunned.

Akitada spoke to the fisherman and his wife and paid them the promised sum. The couple seemed to regard their visit as a great adventure and the astonishing reward as a miraculous event. They kept bowing and muttering thanks.

When Tora and Shigeno were able to answer more questions, Maeda, ever the policeman, started with, “You told us three convicts escaped. What happened to the other two?”

“One died, I think,” said Tora. “The other didn’t trust the authorities and took off.”

Maeda glowered. “No surprise.”

Shigeno began to look very uneasy, and Akitada asked him, “But you decided to put your faith in us? Or did Tora make more promises?”

The big convict flushed. “It’s true that Tora said you’d fix things but, frankly, I didn’t believe he could do anything for me. I decided to take the risk of making my case to you.”

Akitada raised his brows. The man was educated, not your run-of-mill convict. “What were you sentenced for?”

“Murder. Of a prefect, I was told,” Maeda snapped.

Saburo gasped. “You killed a prefect? That’s hardly an insignificant crime.”

Tora frowned at him. “Just wait till you hear his story. The prefect was a crook who had Shigeno’s father killed so he could steal their gold mine.”

“Gold mine?” Akitada stared at Shigeno.

“Well, someone found either gold or silver on our mountain,” explained Shigeno. “Not sure if there’s a lot of it. We never had a chance to look.”

“But you killed a prefect?” Akitada shook his head. “There are better methods of settling land disputes.”

Tora pointed out, “If Okata can be a crooked police chief, then Shigeno’s prefect can be a murderer or worse.”

It was true; not all officials were honest. And this was Kyushu. Akitada said, “You’re right. Very well, we’ll look into it. Meanwhile Shigeno will be my guest at the tribunal. I want his word he won’t run.”

Shigeno smiled. “You have it, your Excellency. And thank you.”

“Has Maeda told you, Tora? A lot has happened since you disappeared.”

Tora nodded. “They found my clothes in the abandoned well where Yoko’s body had been. That bastard Hiroshi! He was there, working me over. And Okata was, too. I recognized his voice. He’s the one set it up for getting dismissed. I expect Hiroshi took me to the ship on his cart. He had to get rid of my clothes. Much too official-looking on a convict. Too bad he’s dead. I was looking forward to meeting him again.”

Maeda asked, “Are you sure he admitted killing both of them?”

“Yes. He was pretty cool about it, too. Killed his father’s wife for stealing from his father. My guess is he found the gold coins, and she refused to give them to him. Hiroshi had gambling debts that went away after her death. As for Yoko, she apparently saw him at the house the night of the murder and asked him about it.”