A long silence ensued. Reiko waited anxiously while her father placed the tips of his fingers together and frowned down at them.

At last Magistrate Ueda conceded, “I suppose I could assign a guard to watch Haru. If she behaves herself, she can stay for a few days.”

Relief and joy flooded Reiko. “Thank you, Father.” She jumped up and hugged him. “You won’t be sorry.”

He nodded, patting her hand.

“I’ll go and get Haru settled in,” Reiko said. “Then I need you to help with my inquiries. Will you, please?”

The magistrate’s smile was rueful. “It seems that I am yours to command.”

Hurrying to the parlor, Reiko found Haru sitting alone in front of a tray containing an empty tea bowl and a plate speckled with cake crumbs. The girl lifted woeful eyes to Reiko. “He doesn’t want me here, does he?”

“He says you can stay.” Watching Haru’s face brighten, Reiko didn’t mention her father’s reluctance. “Come on, I’ll show you where you’ll sleep.”

She led Haru to the mansion’s private quarters and slid open the door of a spacious chamber. “This used to be my room.”

The girl entered haltingly, gazing around at the walls decorated with painted murals of blossoming plum trees, the polished teak cabinets, lacquer tables and chests, and the raised study niche. “It’s beautiful,” she said in a hushed voice. “How can I ever repay your generosity?”

“Just try to recover from your bad experiences,” Reiko said, hoping that these safe, pleasant quarters would help restore Haru’s memory. She opened a cabinet, gazing at shelves that held some old illustrated books; everything else of hers had been discarded or moved to Sano’s estate when she married. “I’m sorry there’s not much here to entertain you,” she said. “I’ll get you some things later.” Reiko saw Haru stifle a yawn and said, “You’re tired. You should rest.”

She ordered a maid to make up a bed. Haru snuggled under the quilts on the futon with a contented sigh, looking sweetly innocent. Reiko felt sympathy toward the girl, but a lingering distrust that she couldn’t ignore. Troubled by her conflicting inclinations, she returned to her father’s office.

Magistrate Ueda looked up from his papers. “What else is it you require from me, Daughter?”

“I need information about several members of the Black Lotus sect,” Reiko said.

“Hmm. “ The magistrate leveled a shrewd gaze at Reiko. “I don’t suppose the sōsakan-sama knows you’re looking into these people?”

“He needs background facts on them for his investigation of the temple,” Reiko said.

Her father’s frown registered displeasure at her evasiveness. Reiko tried to look humble. She waited.

At last he lifted his hands and let them fall in a gesture of resignation. “You wish to know whether the sect members have ever been in trouble?”

“Yes,” Reiko said.

“Who are they?”

“High Priest Anraku, Abbess Junketsu-in, Priest Kumashiro, and Dr. Miwa.”

“Kumashiro.” Disgust permeated the magistrate’s pronunciation of the name. “I am well acquainted with him.”

“Has he broken the law?” Reiko asked, eager for compromising facts about the priest who’d tried to incriminate Haru and extort a confession from her.

“Not exactly,” Magistrate Ueda said. “When he was thirteen, he decapitated a man just so he could test a new sword. Later, as a youth in his twenties, he roamed around town picking fights and killed three more men in as many years.”

“But he was never punished because all his victims were peasants?” Reiko guessed. Tokugawa law permitted samurai to kill peasants on a whim.

Magistrate Ueda nodded in grim disapproval. “After the third fatal brawl, I reprimanded Kumashiro.” This was the usual penalty for samurai whose misdeeds became too numerous for social acceptability. “’Kumashiro promised to control himself, yet his behavior only grew worse. He started attacking prostitutes at illegal brothels. He beat two of them to death and strangled a third.

“By then, I’d decided that Kumashiro had grossly violated honor and was a menace to the public. I imprisoned him and charged him with multiple murder. He would have been put to death, but his clan, who are prominent Tokugawa vassals, negotiated a deal with the shogun. In exchange for paying a large fine, Kumashiro would enter a monastery as the only punishment for the deaths he caused.” He shook his head regretfully. “So he’s joined the Black Lotus sect, hmm?”

“He’s chief security officer and second-in-command to the high priest,” Reiko said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he has continued his old ways,” said the magistrate.

Nor would Reiko, after witnessing his brutality toward Haru. He seemed a much likelier murder suspect than the orphan girl. Surely now Sano would agree that Kumashiro merited investigation.

“What about the others?” Reiko asked.

“The name Miwa strikes my memory. I believe the doctor has appeared in my court.” The magistrate rose, walked to a bookshelf, removed a ledger, and turned pages. “Yes, indeed. Here is the record of his trial, six years ago. Dr. Miwa was arrested for peddling rhinoceros-horn pills that were actually pebbles coated with gray paint and minced cat hair. Ordinarily this sort of fraud calls for death by decapitation, but since no one was hurt and it was Miwa’s first offense, I ordered him to return his customers’ money or spend a month in jail.”

He scanned the record, then said, “That’s interesting: my chief clerk has made a note that Dr. Miwa was destitute and went to jail until a priest named Anraku repaid the customers and freed Miwa.”

So that was how Miwa and Anraku had joined forces, Reiko thought. She interpreted the doctor’s criminal record as evidence of his shady character. He, too, warranted more investigation. “Have you ever met Abbess Junketsu-in?”

“I do not recall that I have.” Magistrate Ueda perused an index of criminals and shook his head. “She does not appear here, at least not under her religious name.” Upon entering a convent, women often took new names that ended with -in. “However, she may have a record under her previous one. What is she like?”

Reiko described Junketsu-in’s inappropriate appearance and manner.

“Perhaps her history lies in trade with men,” said the magistrate. After considerable time spent searching other ledgers for records containing mention of the Black Lotus, he said, “Ah. This is it. Eight years ago, a courtesan named Iris was brought before me. She and another courtesan were rivals for the favor of the same wealthy client. Iris physically attacked the other courtesan. I sentenced Iris to a flogging.

“And my clerk has again made a note on the record. Shortly after Iris returned to the pleasure quarter, a priest named Anraku discharged her debts and bought her freedom.” Women sold into prostitution paid off their purchase price with their earnings, but since they also had to pay for their keep, they seldom gained liberty unless a wealthy patron interceded. “She joined his temple and took the name Junketsu-in.”

“Then all three Black Lotus members have dark pasts,” Reiko said, especially intrigued by the discovery of Junketsu-in’s violence toward a woman. Could the abbess have strangled the female victim? Had she beaten and tried to murder Haru, whom she so obviously disliked?

After turning more pages, Magistrate Ueda said, “There are no records for High Priest Anraku.”

“Such valuable information on three out of four suspects is more than I expected. Thank you for your help, Father.” Reiko hid her disappointment. That Anraku recruited criminals into the Black Lotus spoke ill of his character; that his followers seemed determined to keep her away from him aroused Reiko’s suspicions. Reiko had to learn more about him, but how?

Then inspiration struck. She knew two people who might be able to help. She would visit them today.

“Daughter.” Magistrate Ueda regarded her with somber scrutiny. “I am worried about the use that you intend to make of the information I’ve given you. Religion may have reformed these criminals, but if that’s not the case, then they could be dangerous. Give the information to your husband and let him deal with them.”