I Parker - The Masuda Affair

Ohiya assured himself that Hanae had come to no harm, then said, ‘My dear Tora, you look much improved. I quite see now what attracted Hanae to you.’

Tora was pleased by this. He was almost sincere when he said, ‘Only my desperation made me behave as I did, Master Ohiya.’

Ohiya smiled. ‘I understand completely. Your concern does you great credit, as I told Lord Sugawara.’

Tora relaxed a little more and drank some wine. It was excellent, and the boy kept his cup full. ‘There’s another matter, Master Ohiya. My master and I are investigating the disappearance of the courtesan Peony six years ago. Do you remember that?’

Ohiya said, ‘Oh, yes. You assist in the investigation of crimes, do you? How very clever of you!’

Tora let Senju fill his cup again. ‘I give the master a hand,’ he said modestly. ‘Very nice wine. Anyway, this Peony is why I came. My wife insists you know everything worth knowing in the quarter.’

Ohiya smiled back. ‘I do.’

‘I would be very grateful to hear the story.’

‘Would you?’ Ohiya gave him a long look. ‘Well, I must try to do my best then.’ He turned to his servant, ‘Senju, my dear, this will interfere with your shopping. I’m quite safe with Tora, I promise you.’

‘Now?’ exclaimed the boy. ‘Traipse across town looking like this?’ He gestured at his clothes.

‘Of course not, my treasure,’ said Ohiya. ‘Go and change into something very manly and fear-inspiring so you’ll look like Tora here.’

Senju looked at Tora and back at Ohiya. ‘I won’t be gone long,’ he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm, ‘And I hope I’ll find things as I left them.’

Ohiya chuckled as the door closed behind him and said, ‘Senju’s such a show-off, but he’s very entertaining.’

He began Peony’s story with her rapid rise to fame. ‘Nobody had heard of her when she first came, but the girl could read and write and was a lady. One of the top courtesans, Evergreen, took her into her service and trained her. Evergreen brought Peony to me for lessons in singing and dancing. She was a quick learner and eager to make her career.’

‘She was a lady? What was she doing here if she was one of the good people?’

‘Ah,’ said Ohiya, ‘good question. What does a young girl of that class need money for?’ He laughed softly. ‘I never found out, but she soon made very good money. She was a courtesan of the first rank within a year. A remarkable career, but she was a remarkable girl.’

Tora thought about it. ‘What she was like?’ he asked.

‘Delightful, and desirable to many men, but stubborn.’ Ohiya grimaced. ‘Like your wife, she preferred a lusty lover to a career.’ He gave Tora a wink. Tora flushed. ‘Charming,’ murmured Ohiya.

Tora asked, ‘Who was that lover?’

‘I’ve been trying to remember his name,’ said Ohiya. ‘A very handsome young man, but not from here. I imagine she ran away with him.’

‘She disappeared six years ago, right?’

Ohiya nodded.

‘Do you know where she lived, who her clients were, and if any of her family, friends, or former servants still live in the city?’

Ohiya laughed. ‘Not so fast. We have time.’ He refilled their cups. ‘Remember, it was a long time ago, and I never knew Peony well.’

Tora said, ‘Are you sure she could read and write? A woman who worked in the quarter?’

Ohiya winced. ‘Not everyone in the quarter is illiterate. I have quite a good education myself.’

‘But you’re a man,’ Tora said generously.

‘Hanae can read and write. Or didn’t you know?’

Tora flushed. ‘Of course I know. Go on.’ He emptied his cup.

Ohiya smiled and refilled it. ‘Let’s see. She had her own establishment on the Horikawa River, near the Reizei Palace. She rented a small private house with a garden on the river. Very nice. I went there once to give her lessons. By that time, people were saying that she had imperial blood. Nonsense, of course, but she had class. And noble suitors.’

‘When did she move to Matsubara?’

‘Matsubara?’ Ohiya looked shocked. ‘You must have misheard.’

‘Maybe. Who were her suitors?’

‘Oh, she played hard to get.’

‘Sadanori?’

‘Yes, he was enamored of her.’

Tora relaxed. ‘Did she ever complain about him? You know, that he was rough or threatened her?’

Ohiya laughed. He reached over and tapped Tora’s cheek. ‘Silly boy. Of course not. No first-class courtesan ever complains about her clients. She’s not, in any case, ever alone with them unless she chooses to be. She attends parties or gives them. If a top-class courtesan wants to take a lover, she may do so, but most hold out for a permanent arrangement. Quite different from the sort of girls you may have met in your callow youth.’

Stung by this comment, Tora blustered, ‘There’s still only one way of doing it unless she liked an audience.’

Ohiya laughed heartily and patted Tora’s knee. ‘You’re delightful. Actually there are quite a lot of ways – some that may never have occurred to you.’ He moved a little closer.

‘Oh?’ Tora wanted to leave, but the wine had made him warm, and he lacked the energy. Ohiya smiled. Tora shifted in his seat and pretended to glance about the room.

‘My dear boy,’ Ohiya said softly, ‘I do think we got off on the wrong foot. Shall we try again now that we’ve settled our differences?’

Tora was becoming very uncomfortable, but there was the matter of the money owed to Ohiya. ‘About Peony…’ he began when Ohiya’s hand crept up his thigh. Tora shifted it. ‘Er, Peony. She must’ve had a maid… some female who was close to her?’

‘Another cup of wine?’ asked Ohiya and leaned over so he could refill Tora’s cup. His other hand slipped inside Tora’s robe.

Tora gasped. ‘No, thank you,’ he said. ‘I’ve had too much already.’

Ohiya removed his hand and smiled at him. ‘Good. Yes, there was a maid, or maybe a nurse. I’m not sure. She had an odd name.’ As he pondered, he studied Tora’s face. ‘You know, Tora,’ he murmured, ‘you have beautiful teeth and a delightful smile. It’s quite painful to me when you glower. Why are you so angry with me?’

‘I’m not angry.’ Tora gulped and looked around the room for inspiration. ‘And last time, I was worried about Hanae.’

‘Yes.’ Ohiya chuckled softly. ‘You did look like a wild man then. Very fierce. I was quite frightened. But when you had me backed against the wall and were leaning right into my face with your wild eyes and growling voice, like this -’ he demonstrated by bringing his own face close to Tora’s – ‘you took my breath away. Such force, such manliness. My knees turned to water.’

Tora got a noseful of scent and leaned away as far as he could. He was afraid that this perfumed and painted man had designs on him. ‘That maid,’ he asked. ‘Her name? Or where I can find her?’

Ohiya drew back with a sigh. ‘Women, that’s all you’re interested in. Her name was Little Abbess. And I cannot tell you where she is now.’

Tora scrambled to his feet. His face felt as if it were on fire. ‘Well,’ he said hoarsely, ‘I suppose that’s all. Thank you for your help and, er, for not laying charges.’

Ohiya rose with the grace of the trained dancer. ‘But my dear boy,’ he said, ‘I haven’t even begun to tell you all.’

Tora swallowed and croaked, ‘I’ll have to come back another time. No time today,’ and backed towards the door.

Ohiya followed, all gracious host. ‘Please do, dear boy. Please do.’

Back on the street outside Ohiya’s house, Tora leaned against the wall and gulped air. No telling what would have happened if he had stayed a moment longer. Remembering Ohiya’s fixation with his teeth, he shuddered. The things a man had to do to gather information. It struck him that his master and Genba, and even Hanae, would think his troubles hilarious.