“What?” Shock resonated through Sano. Kozeri, in the palace on the night of Konoe’s death? But Kozeri had an alibi-or did she? She hadn’t been at the scene of Aisu’s murder-or had she? Now Sano realized that this was the vital information he’d forgotten to obtain from Kozeri. Had his attraction to her rendered him so negligent? Sano unhappily acknowledged the possibility, but a kernel of doubt formed in his mind. It burgeoned into suspicion, then anger as he realized what Kozeri had done.

Asagao laughed, an ugly chortle. “Kozeri fooled you, didn’t she? Before the left minister died, I overheard him giving orders to his assistants. Ask Kozeri why he wanted the Pond Garden to himself that night. Ask her why she was there.”

Sano grabbed Asagao’s shoulders. “You tell me!” he commanded.

She looked disdainfully up at him. “Ask Kozeri how her first husband died. Ask her if she killed the left minister. Then ask her where she was when that other man died.” As the attendants bore Lady Asagao away, her mocking laughter drifted back to Sano.

30

Sano wanted to rush off and confront Kozeri with Lady Asagao’s allegations, but first he went to the imperial guardhouse to check the records of comings and goings at the palace on the dates of the two murders. Afterward he visited Kozeri’s family, a noble clan who lived in the kuge district of the palace. He learned enough to convince him that he’d made a grave mistake that he must redress after the meeting he and Chamberlain Yanagisawa had scheduled to share the results of their inquiries.

By the time he arrived at Nijō Castle, the sun had turned orange over the western hills; gongs signaled the onset of Obon rites. The smoke from altars diffused the light, so that the air seemed filled with scintillating topaz dust. The gate sentry told Sano, “The honorable chamberlain went out early this morning and hasn’t yet returned.”

Across the street, Sano saw Marume and Fukida loitering outside a teahouse. He’d assigned them and some other men to spy on Yanagisawa. Now he hurried over to the detectives. “Yanagisawa’s gone,” he said.

The pair looked surprised. “We never saw him come out,” Marume said.

Sano and the detectives checked with the men assigned to watch the other gates, but none of them had seen Yanagisawa.

“He slipped right past everyone,” Sano said in dismay.

Yanagisawa’s disappearance was more trouble on top of the problem of Kozeri. Sano didn’t want to believe Kozeri had deceived him, although he knew she had. Nor did he want to think about what might happen when he saw Kozeri again. Would he bring a killer to justice, or make matters worse? What in heaven was Yanagisawa up to now?

In the barracks of Nijō Castle, the guard captain told Sano that the chamberlain had been detained.

“Where?” Sano asked. “By whom?”

The captain looked nervous, as if wondering how much to tell Sano. “Uh, I just received news that the honorable chamberlain is at police headquarters. I sent some men to fetch him. He was arrested.”

Baffled, Sano said, “Why?”

“I don’t know.”

Sano and his detectives rode to police headquarters. Around the main room, Yanagisawa’s troops stood guard. A score of yoriki and doshin lay prostrated, hands extended. Shoshidai Matsudaira knelt before the clerk’s platform, gazing fearfully up at the man standing there. With a shock, Sano recognized Yanagisawa. His clothes were dirty and disheveled. His bruised face wore a fierce scowl.

“This is a gross insult!” he yelled at the shoshidai. “If one of your yoriki hadn’t recognized me, I would be in jail now.” With scathing fury he chastised the assembly for treating him like a criminal.

“A thousand apologies,” the shoshidai whimpered. “Please forgive my staff’s terrible mistake. They will be punished severely. I assure you this will never happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t,” Yanagisawa said, “or you’ll lose your post.” He added, “And you’d better find Yoriki Hoshina by morning. Dismissed!”

The police fled. “He’s in disguise,” Fukida marveled. “That’s how he got past us. Who would have guessed he’d do that?”

Sano approached Yanagisawa and Shoshidai Matsudaira. “Why were you arrested?” he asked the chamberlain.

At the sight of Sano, anger darkened Yanagisawa’s expression; he didn’t answer. The Shoshidai said timidly, “For attempting to rob a bank in the merchant district.”

“I told you, I wasn’t,” Yanagisawa said with icy emphasis. “I was walking along, minding my own business, when three thugs attacked me. The police took the word of the merchant who accused me of trying to steal his filthy money.”

“Yes, of course,” the shoshidai said apologetically.

“What were you doing in that part of town?” Sano said. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“My mishap has nothing to do with the case,” Yanagisawa said. “I owe you no explanations.”

Sano followed Yanagisawa out of the building. “What was that about finding Yoriki Hoshina?”

A sardonic smile came over Yanagisawa’s face as they reached the street and his retainers helped him onto his horse. “Your hostage has escaped.”

More trouble! Sano hid his dismay. With Hoshina gone, he had no way to hold Yanagisawa to their deal. He’d better find the yoriki before Yanagisawa did. He and his men mounted their horses and rode down Oike Avenue alongside Yanagisawa. The sun’s hazy crimson orb floated above hills obscured by smoke and mist. Ruddy light bathed the crowds. The heavy odor of hot grease from kitchens overlaid the suffocating atmosphere.

“Have you found the outlaws and weapons?” Sano asked Yanagisawa.

“Not yet.” Yanagisawa’s voice was tinged with defensive annoyance.

Disappointed at this news, Sano told Yanagisawa that Lady Asagao had retracted her father’s alibi.

“So Right Minister Ichijo is looking to be a likely culprit, then?” An enigmatic smile played over Yanagisawa’s mouth. “Interesting.”

“That doesn’t mean the other suspects are out of the picture,” Sano said. The thought of Kozeri festered in his mind like a wound. “Lady Jokyōden refused to tell me where she was during Aisu’s murder, and we still haven’t connected Ichijo to the conspiracy.”

“Not yet, anyway.” Slapping the reins, Yanagisawa sped ahead of Sano.

“He wasn’t just innocently minding his own business when he got arrested,” Fukida scoffed.

“And he knows something he’s not telling us,” Marume said. Sano nodded in dismal agreement, thinking that he should have put Yanagisawa out of business when he’d had the chance. He gave Marume and Fukida new orders to deal with the problem, and then report back to him as soon as possible.

“Where will you be?” Fukida asked.

Now it was Sano’s turn for evasion, because he hated to lose face by admitting his mistake with Kozeri. “If you need to reach me, leave a message at Nijō Manor,” he said, then rode away.

Sano had intended to head straight to Kodai Temple, but Reiko would be eager for news. He rode to Nijō Manor, where he found Reiko in their room, at the table, nibbling at a dinner of rice balls, grilled fish, and greens, and sipping tea. Sano knelt opposite his wife. Her polite bow reflected the uneasiness that had shadowed their parting that morning. “The outlaws and weapons haven’t been found yet,” Sano said.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Eyes downcast, Reiko gestured toward her meal. “Do you want this? I don’t seem to he very hungry.”

“No thank you; I’m not hungry either.”

Reiko glanced at his swords, which he hadn’t removed as he usually did when he came home. “Are you leaving again soon?”

“Yes,” Sano said. Nervousness accelerated his heartbeat.

“Where are you going?”

“To see Kozeri.” The name tasted like poison.

“Again?” Now Reiko lifted a troubled gaze to his face. “May I ask what for?”