Laura Rowland - The Assassin's Touch

Flabbergasted, Nakai didn’t budge. “Is that all?” he demanded of Sano. “You accuse me in front of everybody, you drag my honor through the mud, then I’m sent off as though nothing happened?” His face was red with fury. “How am I supposed to hold up my head in public?”

Sano truly regretted that he’d damaged an innocent man’s reputation. He also had cause to regret that Nakai wasn’t the assassin. “Please accept my apologies. I’ll see that everyone knows your honor is intact and that you’re compensated for any inconvenience you might suffer.”

Nakai fumed, then lashed out at Lord Matsudaira: “After all I’ve done for you, you let me be disgraced when you should reward me?”

“I suggest you obey His Excellency’s order and leave before your mouth gets you in trouble,” Lord Matsudaira said coldly.

The captain rose, huffing with wounded pride. “You’ve never forgotten that I have connections to your enemy’s clan. You’ve always held it against me even though it’s not my fault!” He stomped out of the room. The assembly sat quiet for a moment, waiting for the poisonous atmosphere to clear. But Sano knew that more trouble was yet to come. He sensed dread akin to his own behind the stoic faces around him. Only the oblivious shogun was calm.

“I must say I’m not surprised that Captain Nakai is innocent,” Lord Matsudaira said. He didn’t seem displeased, either. “Nakai has been blessed by good luck. Other men aren’t so fortunate.” His gaze, replete with accusation, impaled the two elders.

Kato and Ihara tried to conceal their dismay that his suspicion was aimed again toward their faction. The shogun nudged Yoritomo, wanting a translation of what had just passed, but Yoritomo’s luminous, frightened eyes watched Sano.

“You have a problem, too, Honorable Chamberlain,” Lord Matsudaira continued in the same menacing manner. “Now that your principal suspect has been exonerated, your investigation is back where it started-with no idea who the assassin is.”

Although distressed by the setback, Sano couldn’t afford to let Lord Matsudaira think the situation was as hopeless as it seemed.

“There are some other leads,” he began.

Lord Matsudaira cut him off with an impatient gesture. “Don’t bother me about them until they prove more worthwhile than what you’ve turned up so far.” His glance flicked to the two elders, then back to Sano, his meaning clear: Any new leads Sano developed had better point to his enemies. “Should the assassin strike again, there will be some changes in the regime’s upper echelon. Don’t you agree that Hachijo Island has room for more than one exiled chamberlain?”

“Yes, my lord.” Sano kept his expression and tone deliberately serene. Although he’d risen so high in the bakufu, nothing had really changed; his rank didn’t exempt him from The Way of the Warrior.

He fought anger because he must still accept abuse, no matter how undeserved.

Cruel amusement glittered in Lord Matsudaira’s eyes as he perceived Sano’s inner struggle. “But don’t be afraid that you’ll find Hachijo Island a lonely place. You’ll have plenty of company.” His gaze pierced Hirata, who gave an involuntary start. “As goes the master, so does his retainer.”

Hirata’s face acquired the look of a deer who sees a hunter pointing an arrow straight at him. Lord Matsudaira turned to the shogun. “I believe we can adjourn this meeting, Honorable Cousin.”

The shogun nodded, too confused to object. As he and his men and the elders bowed and rose, Sano felt doom in the air like a thunderstorm approaching. Lord Matsudaira said, “I trust that tomorrow will be a more satisfactory day.”

Outside the palace, Sano walked with Hirata across the gardens. Sunset painted a sullen crimson edge in the sky above the far western hills; clouds like a wall of smoke obscured moon and stars. Shadows bred and insects shrilled under trees that gathered night in their foliage. Flames burned in stone lanterns; torches carried by patrol guards flared in the darkening landscape.

“I regret that I wasn’t able to identify the assassin,” Hirata said, sounding ready to take the entire blame.

“I regret that I dragged you into this investigation.” If it should cause Hirata more harm than he’d already suffered, Sano would never forgive himself. “But let’s not despair yet. We’re lucky that Lord Matsudaira has given us another chance. Our other leads might direct us to the assassin. And the latest murder could provide new ones.”

“What are your orders for tomorrow?” Hirata said.

Sano wished yet again that he could excuse Hirata from the case. But Hirata’s fate as well as his own depended on its outcome, and Sano couldn’t deny Hirata a chance to save his own position and honor. “Track down the priest who bumped into Chief Ejima and the water-seller who was loitering near Highway Commissioner Sasamura.”

Hirata nodded, stoically accepting the strenuous work of hunting witnesses all over town. “I’ll also find out if anyone saw the killer stalking Colonel Ibe.”

“One incident or another could provide the critical break we need,” Sano said, although with more hope than he felt. He called Detectives Marume and Fukida to join them. “As soon as we get home, organize a hunt for the priest Ozuno. Commandeer troops from the army. I want every temple searched. If you find him, hold him someplace where he can’t get away, and notify me or Hirata-sanimmediately.”

They exited the gate that led from the palace grounds. After Sano and Hirata bid each other goodnight, Hirata walked with Arai and Inoue along the passage toward the administrative quarter. Sano went with Marume and Fukida to his compound. There he must sift through the information on the victims’ contacts, look for new suspects, and hope to learn that they had connections with Lord Matsudaira’s enemies. Fatigue overwhelmed Sano at the thought. He would probably be up all night again.

When Sano arrived at his compound, he found the lane outside deserted except for his guards loitering at the gate. The sight was so remarkable that he, Marume, and Fukida stopped in their tracks. Although Sano had cancelled his appointments, it was still early enough that there should have been officials waiting to snare him if he should appear. Inside the courtyard, his and his men’s footsteps echoed in the eerie silence.

“Where is everybody?” Fukida said.

“That’s a good question.” Sano had an uneasy feeling that something was amiss. They met his aide hovering at the entrance to the mansion, and Sano asked him, “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” Kozawa sounded as baffled as Sano was.

“Has it been like this all day?”

“No, Honorable Chamberlain. Early in the morning, there was the usual crowd. But it tapered off by midday. There have been no visitors since late afternoon-until just now.”

Instinct deepened Sano’s uneasy feeling. “Who is it?”

“Police Commissioner Hoshina. He and two of his commanders are waiting in the anteroom.”

Sano saw a bad day suddenly turn worse.

“Do you want me to throw him out?” Marume offered.

Although tempted, Sano remembered Hirata’s warning about Hoshina. He’d better find out what new scheme Hoshina was plotting against him. “No,” he said, then told Kozawa, “I’ll see the police commissioner in my office.”

His detectives escorted Sano there. He ordered them to go keep an eye on Hoshina’s men, then sat at his desk, breathing deeply and trying to shake off the tension from his meeting with Lord Matsudaira. Soon Kozawa opened the door, and in walked Hoshina.

“Greetings, Honorable Chamberlain,” he said with an insolent grin. He’d removed his swords, according to the rule for visitors, but he swaggered proudly nevertheless.