“My secretary,” Akitada said coldly, “is not the kind of person who listens at doors. I gather from your manner you bring bad news of some sort.”

Kobe stared at him for a moment. “Unpleasant for you, at any rate. I have discovered your little plot. How dare you compromise my investigation by slipping your minions into the prison? You will immediately produce your accomplice. She is under arrest. It is regrettable that I cannot do the same with you because of your position. However, I shall make an official report of the affair and protest in the strongest terms against your abuse of power.” Fists clenched on either knee, he leaned forward and glared at Akitada. “I once thought better of you, by heaven, than that you would resort to sending a woman where you are forbidden to go. This time you have gone too far, Sugawara. This time I shall do my damnedest to put a permanent stop to your meddling.”

Akitada wondered what new trouble was brewing. Kobe appeared furiously angry about some incident at the jail. It was all a mistake, of course, regrettable because he had hoped for a congenial discussion of his discoveries at the temple. Kobe looked angry enough to mean his threats. He said, “I haven’t the faintest idea what you are talking about.”

Kobe’s face darkened and he struck the desk. Boxes, water containers, and ink stones jumped and rattled. “Don’t lie to me!” he shouted. “You know precisely what this is about. Today we followed her, and she walked into this house not an hour ago.”

Yoshiko! The answer came to Akitada unbidden, unwanted, and dreaded. His certainty was linked to a memory of a woman with a basket, familiar to him even at a distance, walking away from the prison where Nagaoka’s brother was being held. What had Yoshiko done?

Kobe snarled, “I see you know what I am talking about. Call her! I want to speak to her. I don’t care who she is to you—your wife, for all I care. After she tells me everything that’s been going on, she will be under arrest.”

Akitada felt himself go cold with fear. He knew very well that Kobe could carry out his threat, and he also knew the man well enough to fear his temper. He must try to find the right approach to defuse the other man’s rage.

“You are mistaken, Superintendent,” he said as haughtily as he could manage. “I am still completely in the dark about what you accuse me of, except that it must have something to do with Nagaoka’s brother. Considering your threats against me and mine, I must remind you that it is customary to make certain of one’s facts before laying accusations against persons of rank. I have only recently returned from—”

Kobe interrupted, “No, my lord, not even your fine record in the north is going to protect you from these charges. Flagrant abuse of power and perversion of the due process of justice will disqualify you from all future administrative positions.”

For all his bluster, Kobe seemed a bit less certain of himself. Akitada considered his position. In spite of a fine record up north, Kobe could make trouble for him here. Akitada still had some enemies at court, and while he had been very successful, he had not always followed the rules. A charge of high-handedness in the capital so soon after his return could be used against him.

But at the moment Akitada was less concerned about his career. He was innocent. No, it was the danger to Yoshiko which worried him. In her present state, she could not handle what Kobe had in mind for her. He tried another tactic.

“I must remind you that my family is mourning the recent death of my mother,” he said, keeping his voice low and firm. “My wife and son only arrived a few days ago, hours before my mother died. The funeral is barely over. The only women in this house besides my wife are my sister and a cook and two maids. I hardly think that any of them is likely to be involved in a murder case.”

Kobe stared at him. It was impossible to guess what was going through his mind. Akitada knew better than to think he would now apologize and depart. What he wished to avoid at all costs was that Yoshiko would be dragged off and subjected to interrogation. Even women were stripped by constables and beaten with bamboo whips if the investigating judge or officer was not satisfied with their account. He must hope that Kobe would hesitate to inflict this indignity On a member of his family.

The superintendent finally relaxed his angry posture. “I forgot,” he said, looking away. “I did hear that Lady Sugawara had died. Your mother, you say?”

Akitada nodded, keeping his face bleak and expressionless.

“Yes. Hmm. Sorry to hear it. Come to think of it, there was a taboo tablet at the gate. Hmm.”

Akitada waited.

Kobe sat undecided for a moment, his hands now relaxed, the fingers drumming on his knees. Then he grumbled, “Er, the situation is awkward, and I regret my poor timing, but you must see that I had to investigate this matter immediately. Repeated visits of an outsider to a prisoner about to come to trial very likely will compromise the case. I must be in a position to give a full explanation to the judge or I, along with the people who were responsible for the prisoner, may be dismissed from office. I won’t allow that to happen just to observe the proprieties.”

Akitada nodded again. “That is understandable. Your mind is on your duties, as mine is on family matters. We must find a compromise. Perhaps you had better tell me what happened and what precisely you suspect us of. How many visits were there?”

Kobe’s high color faded. He answered in a normal tone. “The female has come every single day since the time you and I met outside Nagaoka’s house. Always in the evening.”

Akitada thought back. Had he mentioned the Nagaoka case to Yoshiko? Yes, he recalled sharing some of its frustrations with her over dinner that day. And she had taken the brother’s side. A bit too vehemently, perhaps? Did Yoshiko know the suspect— what was his name?—Kojiro? He asked Kobe, “How did she get in?”

“She claimed to be his wife, bringing him his dinner. It was not until yesterday that I heard of it and told the fool of a guard that Kojiro’s not married. Idiot!” Kobe angrily blew through his nostrils.

That explained the empty basket! No doubt it was exactly what she had done, taken the prisoner food. He was not about to have Kobe probe into this mystery before he himself knew what was going on, and said, “Look, Superintendent, I cannot at the moment explain why this mysterious woman should have come to my house, and I shall certainly try to find out what is going on. But under the present circumstances, I must ask you not to trouble my family. If you agree, I shall come to you as soon as I have information. Tomorrow morning, early. For the present, I can only repeat that I knew nothing of this.”

Kobe frowned and was about to make some comment. Akitada added quickly, “I do, however, have some information I discovered on another visit to the Eastern Mountain Temple. Only my family’s arrival and my mother’s death have intervened.”

Kobe looked interested. “Oh? Well, what is it?”

Akitada outlined his visit to the temple and his conversations with the gatekeeper Eikan and the novice Ancho. He explained the mechanism of the lock and his theory that the murder could have been committed by someone other than the prisoner.

Kobe sat frowning as he digested the information. When Akitada finished, he pointed out that this discovery did not clear Kojiro. Still Akitada’s reasonable and cooperative manner had not only calmed the stormy waters, but given Kobe something to think about. He even looked slightly ashamed of himself when he said, “It is unfortunate that the death of your mother has intervened. I am pressed for time, or I would not insist on your looking into the other matter right away. Shall I expect you tomorrow morning, then, at the hour of the snake? I’ll be at the eastern prison.” Kobe rose.