I. Parker: Death on an Autumn River

Akitada raised his voice a little. “You’re wasting my time, woman. She will answer questions, not entertain. If you don’t bring her, my attendants will do so.”

A servant slipped in and whispered something in her mistress’ ear. The owner of the Hananoya looked less assured. “My maid says there are soldiers outside. What is this about, my Lord?”

“The girl Akogi. Go get the choja.”

Perhaps there was fear in her eyes, but she hid it well. “A moment,” she murmured and left with the servant.

“That one’s a killer if ever I saw one,” muttered Tora. “I bet she beats the girls and cheats them out of their money.”

Tora had considerable experience with brothels and their inhabitants, much to Akitada’s irritation over the years. Now Akitada wished he had been more understanding. He had a great deal to be ashamed of and would have done much to avoid the coming encounter.

The owner returned presently, followed by the young woman who had come so painfully close to seducing Akitada during the party. Nakagimi wore only her thin silk undergown and a loose embroidered robe over it. Perhaps she had been roused from a sound sleep. He was almost afraid to look at her and hoped that in the light of day he would find her vulgar and tawdry. Instead, she looked enchantingly flushed and confused.

She recognized him, flushed a little more deeply, and knelt. “Lord Sugawara,” she murmured, “you honor me. I thought you had forgotten our time together. Please forgive my appearance.”

Aware of Tora’s eyes boring into his back, Akitada said stiffly, “I have come because you may have information about the death of the shinju Akogi. I was told that she attended you when you were introduced to the governor’s son.”

“That is so, my Lord.”

Akitada caught a glimpse of trembling lips and steeled his heart. “It must have been irritating for you that a mere child captured the young man’s heart.”

That made her angry. She bit her lips. “Not at all,” she said coldly. Then she caught herself, lowered her lashes, and added more softly, “I prefer older men. Men of your own age, I mean, my Lord.”

Akitada cursed the woman inwardly. “I understand the governor found out about the relationship between Akogi and his son and came here to put a stop to it.”

She looked at the owner of the Hananoya. “You would have to ask Mrs. Wada.”

“Well, Mrs. Wada? What did Lord Oga say to you?”

The mistress of the Hananoya answered calmly enough. “His Excellency asked me to stop future meetings. I agreed and informed Akogi. The foolish girl was very upset. That very night she drowned herself. I blame myself. I should have realized how strong her emotions were.”

A brief silence followed, then Nakagimi said flatly, “Akogi did not drown herself.”

Her mistress snapped, “You know nothing about it!”

The younger woman flushed with anger. “I know what I know,” she said darkly.

Akitada would have followed up on that, but he decided to let it go for the moment. “I understand you are related to the local warden, Mrs. Wada. What is that relationship precisely?”

“He’s my husband.”

“No doubt that is helpful in your business?”

“The business is mine, my Lord.”

“Indeed. But I expect you called on his assistance when the governor turned his anger on you.”

“Oh.” The choja sucked in her breath. She was staring at Mrs. Wada, clearly shocked by a thought that had occurred to her.

“You must tell what you know, Nakagimi,” Akitada said. “Akogi was murdered, and we believe the Wadas are implicated.”

“Murdered?” She glanced at him and back at the older woman. “I will not stay here any longer. This scandal will ruin my future.”

Her reaction was utterly self-serving, and she lost all of her attractiveness for Akitada at that moment. He hated that he had once again been proved correct in his disdain for courtesans and women of the street and rose in disgust.

Mrs. Wada glared at the choja. “It’s all nonsense. And you cannot leave. We have a contract.”

Nakagimi raised her chin. “I’m buying myself out.”

Instantly, the women fell into a heated argument over moneys and rules. Akitada broke in sharply, “Enough! You’re both under arrest until the matter is cleared up.”

They protested. The choja cried, “No. I’ll tell you what happened. I heard it all. I didn’t know what they were up to, but I know she gave Akogi to her husband, and that was the last that anyone has seen of her.”

Mrs. Wada screamed abuse and hurled herself at the choja , and the choja fought back by biting and scratching. Akitada jumped aside in alarm, while Tora strode into the middle of the fracas, seized the women by their flailing arms and pulled them apart.

“Thank you,” said Akitada with a sigh of relief. “Saburo, call the soldiers. They can take the women and the warden to the prefectural jail for interrogation.”

Their departure became noisy and ugly, but Akitada was adamant. He was fed up with them. Let the authorities handle the matter.

The warden arrived just as the women were dragged outside with their hands tied behind their backs. He goggled and demanded, “What’s all this? What are you doing in my ward? Let my wife and the choja go this minute.”

The guard officer grinned down from his horse. “Sorry, Wada. We were just going to inform you in person, but you’ve saved us the trouble. You’re all under arrest.”

*

Content in the knowledge that the Wadas had confessed and were safely jailed and awaiting trial, Akitada paid a final visit to Professor Otomo. The house was silent and no one answered his call. The silence seemed ominous and made him nervous.

He found the old couple, seated side by side in the main room of the house, small, shrunken figures in the stiff hemp gowns of deep mourning. The professor’s wife was weeping silently, her face wet with tears. She clutched her husband’s hand. The professor looked pale but calm. He met Akitada’s eyes with resignation.

“Am I under arrest?” he asked.

“Are you guilty of a crime?”

“Perhaps. I don’t care, but my wife is innocent. It would trouble me to leave her.”

His wife squeezed his hand and smiled tremulously through her tears.

Akitada sighed and seated himself. “What are you doing? Why the mourning? Surely that isn’t customary for a former pupil.”

The old people looked at each other. Then the professor said, “Yoshiyo was our grandson. We loved him more than our lives.”

Akitada gaped at them. “Your grandson?”

“Yes. Our daughter died when he was small. She was the governor’s concubine. That was my fault. I should not have permitted it.”

His wife said, “Nonsense, my dear. She loved him. And you would not have had Yoshiyo.”

Her husband bowed his head.

This came as a surprise, but one that might explain much. “Is that why you lied to me about the Korean girls?”

The old man nodded. “Yes, to my shame. The amulet was my daughter’s, and she had passed to Yoshiyo. I knew he had given it to Akogi. When you mentioned the drowned girl and showed me the amulet, I was desperate to keep him from finding out.”

“And so you tried to convince me that the girl we found committed suicide because she had been abducted from Korea?”

The professor nodded. “Yes, I had to make up a story to account for the amulet. A man’s love for his children and grandchildren, it seems, is stronger than his regard for his honor. Please forgive me.”

They sat in silence. Akitada pondered his own past and thought of Seimei. Seimei, Tora, and Tamako had helped him shed the black despair that had nearly turned to self-destruction. He felt great pity for the two old people.