“Even if Lady Asagao is mentally incapable of mastering the force of kiai and Prince Momozono is physically incapable,” Reiko said, “the emperor is still a possibility, and so is Lady Jokyōden. Besides, we can’t eliminate all the suspects on the basis of a hunch.”
“Yes, you’re right…” Sano sat and pulled white cotton socks onto his feet. “Still, there’s more to my concern than the fact that I’m not satisfied with the suspects. The whole case feels wrong.”
“Wrong, how?” Reiko said, her expression puzzled.
Sano stood. “I keep thinking I’m missing something.”
“But why? What could it be?”
“I wish I knew.” Sano’s feeling was like an itch whose location shifted when he tried to scratch it.
Reiko’s face reflected his worry. “What shall we do?”
“I still have the letters I found in Left Minister Konoe’s house,” Sano said. "Maybe his former wife, Kozeri, is the missing element. I’ll visit her tomorrow. Then there are the fern-leaf coins. Marume and Fukida canvassed the city today with no luck, but they’ll keep trying. Yoriki Hoshina was also supposed to investigate the coins, and I asked him to question the metsuke palace spies and gather information on the suspects, so maybe when I see him at the banquet, he’ll have something to report.”
Now Sano realized that Hoshina was a factor in his misgivings about the case. He said, “I wonder if the results of Hoshina’s preliminary investigation are accurate.”
“You think he might be less competent or honest than he seemed at first?” Reiko said.
“Not necessarily. Maybe people lied to him about where they were during the murder, or what they know.” Fastening his swords at his waist, Sano shook his head in distress. “I may have to restart the investigation from the beginning. Left Minister Konoe may have enemies who’ve managed to conceal their involvement in his death. One of them could be the killer.”
A flash of inspiration came to Sano. “Maybe the killer removed incriminating evidence from Konoe’s room before I searched it, and that’s why I found so few clues.”
Rising, Reiko smoothed Sano’s robes and said, “I can try to find out who other suspects might be when I go back to the palace.”
“But you’ve already spoken with the emperor’s mother and chief consort,” said Sano. He’d been reluctant to risk Reiko’s safety even when he’d thought he’d known who all the suspects were; now, with the possibility of many unknown potential killers at the palace, he really didn’t want Reiko there.
“Both Lady Jokyōden and Lady Asagao have invited me to visit again,” Reiko said. The determination in her voice told Sano how much she wanted to remain a part of the investigation. “Lady Jokyōden mentioned that the left minister had enemies among the other nobles. I could find out who they are.”
“She also knows you’re my spy,” Sano said. “It’s improbable that she’ll reveal any compromising facts about members of the court, and likely that she might try to mislead you. Besides, Jokyōden seems the best out of the four suspects we have. If she’s the killer, it’s too dangerous for you to associate with her.” Placing his hands on Reiko’s shoulders, Sano said, “Promise me you’ll stay away from Lady Jokyōden.”
Reiko nodded reluctantly. “If that’s what you really want.” Then she said, “Lady Asagao has no idea why I called on her. Neither of us thinks she’s the murderer, but we can’t drop her from the list of suspects until we know where she was at the time of the murder. Besides, she’s close to Emperor Tomohito, Lady Jokyōden, and probably other high-ranking palace residents. She wants me to act in her play, and that’s a perfect opportunity to learn what she knows about the court.”
Sano couldn’t disagree; nor could he resist the entreaty in Reiko’s voice. “All right,” he said. “Visit Lady Asagao tomorrow, while I interview Lady Kozeri at Kodai Temple.”
Her smile brimming with gladness and affection, Reiko said, “Don’t worry about me, or the case. Everything will be fine.”
They embraced, and desire kindled between them. Finally Sano said, “Well, I’d better go, or I’ll be late for the shoshidai’s banquet. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
In Pontochō, an entertainment quarter on the west bank of the Kamo River, star-shaped lanterns adorned the caves of teahouses and restaurants full of noisy revelers. Music drifted from windows; crowds filled the streets. On this second night of Obon, temple gongs rang continuously.
People lowered pine boughs down wells so the spirits could climb up from the netherworld.
Sano and Detectives Marume and Fukida arrived at a large teahouse guarded by Tokugawa troops. Attendants ushered Sano and his men to an outdoor platform built above the river. Lanterns hung on stands, their colored streamers rustling in the cool breeze. The black water shimmered with reflections of the fading sunset, lights at other teahouses along the embankment, and bonfires lit on the shore to guide the spirits. Laughter rose from the river’s wide stone flanks, where pedestrians strolled. Moving lights traced the arch of the Sanjo Bridge as citizens headed to the hillside cemeteries. The night was redolent with the odors of fish, cooking, and the citrus oil burned to repel mosquitoes.
A few guests had already assembled for the banquet. When Yoriki Hoshina came over to greet Sano’s party, Sano drew him aside for a quick consultation and asked, “What did you discover this afternoon?”
“I talked to all the palace spies. No one seems to have paid any attention to Prince Momozono, but Emperor Tomohito’s relationship with Left Minister Konoe was a stormy one,” Hoshina said. “Konoe dominated the emperor with a firm hand. Sometimes the emperor would get furious and throw tantrums; other times, he was docile and virtually worshipped Konoe. As for Lady Jokyōden, she and Konoe had an ongoing feud about how to manage the court, and over control of her son. And Konoe made an enemy of Lady Asagao.”
“That corroborates what I suspected about the emperor, and other evidence besides.” Sano related what Reiko had learned from Asagao and Jokyōden. Still, Hoshina’s information offered no new leads. “What about the fern-leaf coin?”
Hoshina shook his head. “I showed it around the police department, but no one there has ever seen a coin like that before. I’ll start making inquiries in the city tomorrow.”
“Fine.” Sano tried to sound positive, but disappointment added to the weight of his troubles.
“May I ask what your plans are for tomorrow?” Hoshina said.
“I’m going to see Kozeri, while my wife visits Lady Asagao again.”
Nearby, servants arranged meal trays and cushions on the floor while musicians began playing a cheerful tune on samisen, drum, and flute. On the riverbank below, a bonfire crackled brightly. More guests arrived, and Shoshidai Matsudaira came up to Sano.
“Ah, sōsakan-sama. Welcome!” Smiling, he introduced Sano’s party to various local officials, then said, “Come, the banquet is due to begin.”
The thirty samurai at the shoshidai’s banquet consumed grilled quail garnished with feathers, sliced lily root, turtle soup, sashimi, broiled sea bream, rice, and sweet pickled melon. Afterward, the men performed the ritual of pouring sake for their companions and accepting drinks in return. Toward midnight, when the local officials were very drunk and regaling Sano with hilarious stories, Yoriki Hoshina slipped away and descended a flight of stairs leading to the river. The crowds had vanished. Hoshina hurried along the stone path beside the water, past bonfires that had burned down to ash, glowing embers, and thin smoke, leaving the entertainment quarter.
Standing with two bodyguards on the balcony of a villa on the river, Chamberlain Yanagisawa saw Hoshina emerge from the darkness and move toward him. His pulse raced with anticipation; the desire he’d suppressed last night stirred anew.