I Parker - The Fires of the Gods

Akitada sat transfixed. Here, finally, was the truth. He hardly dared breathe. He had suspected something of the sort all along, though not necessarily of this odd and wild creature. And yet, he thought, who more likely? She was a woman of rank, an astonishing and exotic beauty in spite of her eccentric appearance and her tall stature and deep voice – or perhaps because of them.

Lady Kiyowara looked terrified. She pleaded, ‘Oh, Aoi! Don’t.’

Aoi ignored her. Her eyes did not leave Akitada’s. ‘Kiyowara’s sons may be males, but I will not let them take the blame for this,’ she said. ‘You, Lord Sugawara, were wrong from the start. I came to your house and told you so, but you would not listen. That boy and his grandfather are innocent, because I killed Kiyowara.’

There was a pause. Strangely, no one contradicted Lady Aoi. The young lord had turned to watch her, but Lady Kiyowara sat silent, hanging her head.

Lady Aoi went on: ‘I paid my cousin a visit, and on the second night her husband came to my room and defiled me, a shrine virgin. A man would not hesitate to avenge such a dishonor, but I am a woman and he was my cousin’s husband. Still, I went to speak to the monster when I saw the boy leaving his room in a panic. I took up one of the large stones from the garden stream to defend myself and entered Kiyowara’s study. He was getting to his feet, holding his head. When I charged him with the rape, he laughed and taunted me, saying that I had liked it and come for more. That’s when I raised the stone and struck him. The fool did not think a woman would have the courage or the strength to attack him, so he did little to defend himself, and I kept striking to make sure he was dead. So there you have the truth. I am proud that I did what hundreds of women before me should have done to spare others after them.’

Akitada believed her. He said, ‘Lord Kiyowara committed a very serious offense against you and the gods you serve. I admit it did not occur to me that he would rape a woman of your sacred calling under his own roof.’

Lady Kiyowara said bitterly, ‘My husband enjoyed rape. Normal relations were not to his taste. He wanted women who resisted him. I grew afraid of bringing good-looking young women into my service, but I, too, had thought he would respect a shrine virgin.’

Lady Aoi, suddenly quite calm, sat back down. ‘I don’t care what happens to me. It was my karma to kill an evil man.’

‘Nothing will happen to you,’ her cousin cried. ‘The regent won’t permit you to be punished when he hears the story. He will regret having given my husband his wealth and power.’

‘I hope so,’ said Akitada.

If ever a man had needed killing, it was Kiyowara.

From the Kiyowara residence, Akitada walked to police head-quarters, where he hoped he might still find Kobe. There was no particular rush, since with Lady Aoi there was no fear of flight or other aggression, but he wanted to see if he could get Tojiro released.

Kobe was in, eyes bloodshot and puffy and hands shaking with fatigue.

‘You need sleep,’ said Akitada, who wasn’t exactly feeling rested himself.

Kobe ran a hand over his face as if he meant to wipe away the signs of exhaustion. ‘I intend to go home shortly. That is, unless you bring more work.’

Akitada smiled. ‘I hope not. Or rather, it won’t be pressing. I bring you a third confession.’

Kobe threw up his hands. ‘Why is everybody so eager to take credit for Kiyowara’s death?’

‘His conduct made many enemies. If the oppressed are systematically tormented by the strong, they take pride in their revenge.’

Kobe sighed. ‘I was joking. Who is it this time?’

‘Lady Aoi, Lady Kiyowara’s cousin.’

‘The shrine virgin? But why would she make such a claim? Never mind. She’s said to be slightly mad. Surely you did not believe her?’

‘She is far from mad, and I do believe her. Kiyowara raped her the night before she killed him. A woman like Lady Aoi does not allow her honor to be defiled without avenging herself. She spoke up when she heard of Tojiro’s confession. She saw him leaving Kiyowara’s study and found Kiyowara inside, just getting up from where he had fallen. It seems he only cut the back of his head when Tojiro pushed or hit him. She confronted him with the rape, and Kiyowara taunted her. She says she used a stone from the garden to hit him and that she continued to hit him until he was dead. How does that fit with your coroner’s opinion?’

Kobe nodded slowly. ‘It fits. It fits exactly. He had a minor wound to the back of the head, which was little more than a cut. It bled. Then there were larger, rounded wounds to the front: to his forehead, face, and temple. Some of those bled also. The wounds to the front of his head, according to the doctor, killed him.’ He fell into abstracted thought. ‘This is difficult,’ he muttered. ‘We cannot arrest her. As a shrine virgin, she is under the emperor’s authority.’

‘Well, perhaps you could claim that Kiyowara fell and injured himself. That is at least partially true.’

Kobe frowned. ‘I shall have to report the truth and leave the decision up to His Majesty.’

‘Well, then. Can we let Tojiro go?’

Kobe raised his brows. ‘What about the fire setting?’

‘I’ve begun to have some doubts about that also. What does he say?’

‘He confirmed that the boys worked for Watanabe, but that was all.’ Kobe got to his feet with a groan. ‘Come, let’s go see him now.’

Akitada hesitated. ‘It can wait.’

‘I won’t sleep until this whole business is unraveled.’

They walked across to the jail. At the gate, they found Fuhito peering inside as if his gaze could bring forth his grandson. He was leaning against a pillar and looked terrible. His face was tear-streaked.

Akitada stopped. ‘Major-domo? What are you doing here?’

Fuhito started. ‘Oh. It’s you, sir. They’ve arrested Tojiro and won’t let me see him. I told them that it was I who killed Lord Kiyowara. Please, sir, would you see what you can do?’

Kobe said irritably, ‘It would be helpful if both of you stayed with the truth. Your lie won’t help your grandson.’

Fuhito looked at him, taking in the uniform and the rank insignia. He bowed. ‘Begging your pardon, sir, but my grandson is innocent. The fault is mine alone.’

‘Nonsense. Both of you lied to protect the other. Neither you nor your grandson killed Kiyowara.’

Fuhito turned absolutely white. His knees buckled, and he sat down abruptly in the dirt. Akitada bent to help him up and found that the old man trembled violently.

‘Is it true?’ he asked, clutching at Akitada’s hands. ‘It is not a trick?’

‘It’s not a trick.’

Fuhito staggered up. ‘But who? And how?’

Kobe looked at Akitada and shook his head slightly.

Akitada said, ‘When Tojiro struck his father, he fell and hit his head. He was unconscious, and the boy panicked. I think, later, your grandson decided that you must have gone to finish the job. Both of you thought the other was the murderer.’

‘I believed him.’ Fuhito ran a trembling hand over his face, wiping away the tears. ‘And I found the body.’

‘Someone else went in to speak to Lord Kiyowara after Tojiro left.’

Fuhito frowned. ‘But- ‘ He stopped when he saw Kobe’s face.

Akitada said, ‘I think you’d better tell him.’

Kobe glowered at Fuhito. ‘If you tell anyone, I’ll have you and your grandson thrown in jail for lying.’

Fuhito raised both hands. ‘I don’t want to know, sir.’

Akitada said, ‘You will have to know or you’ll think a terrible injustice was done. Lady Aoi confessed to killing Lord Kiyowara because he raped her.’