"Other minor problems have caused inconvenience," Makino said. "Many people refuse to believe that a mere concubine was the murderer's only target. No one wants to eat or drink here." He eyed the untouched tea bowls in front of his colleagues. "Servants have abandoned their posts. Officials have fled Edo, ostensibly on business in the provinces." So that was why the palace seemed empty, Sano realized. "At this rate, there will soon be no one left to run the capital. Your Excellency, I recommend strong action to avert disaster."

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, who had been shrinking farther and farther into himself as the senior elder spoke, threw up his hands in despair. "Why, ahh, I hardly know what to do," he said. Looking around for help, he caught sight of Sano. "Ahh!" he exclaimed, beckoning. "Here is the man who can restore matters to normal. Sosakan Sano, please tell us you've identified Lady Harume's killer!"

Accompanied by Hirata, Sano reluctantly approached the dais. They knelt before the upper floor level, bowing to the a.s.sembly. "I regret to say that the murder investigation is not yet complete, Your Excellency, " Sano said. He glanced uncomfortably at Chamberlain Yanagisawa, who would surely seize this opportunity to denigrate him. However, Yanagisawa seemed preoccupied, his dark gaze turned inward. Feeling more confident, Sano began relating the progress of the case.

Senior Elder Makino a.s.sumed Chamberlain Yanagisawa's usual role of detractor. "So you haven't traced the poison yet. Lieutenant Kushida is under arrest for attacking you and trying to steal evidence, but you're not convinced he's the killer. That strikes me as extremely indecisive. What about Lady Ichiteru?"

Hirata cleared his throat and said, "Sumimasen-excuse me. We have no evidence against her."

Sano eyed him with consternation. Hirata never spoke at these meetings unless addressed directly, and as far as Sano knew, there was no evidence proving Lady Ichiteru's innocence, either. He couldn't contradict Hirata in front of the a.s.sembly, but as soon as they were alone, Sano intended to find out exactly what had happened during Hirata's interview with Lady Ichiteru-and what was causing his strange behavior.

"Well, if the killer is neither Lieutenant Kushida nor Lady Ichiteru," Makino said, "then you now have two fewer suspects than you did yesterday." He turned to Chamberlain Yanagisawa. "A step backward, wouldn't you agree?"

Stirred out of his private contemplation, Yanagisawa rebuked Makino: "A difficult case like this requires more than two days to close. What do you expect, miracles? Give the sosakan time, and he'll succeed, as usual."

The senior elder's mouth dropped. Sano stared in amazement. Chamberlain Yanagisawa standing up for him at a council meeting? Sano's suspicion of his enemy increased. Was Yanagisawa encouraging Sano to follow the present course of the investigation because it led away from something he wished to hide? However, none of the findings had implicated Yanagisawa in the murder. None of Sano's informants had reported a new plot against him.

"I've found the source of the ink," Sano said. "Lord Miyagi admits sending it to Harume, along with a letter instructing her to tattoo his name on her body." He described the daimyo's liaison with the concubine, and Lady Miyagi's complicity.

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi sputtered in outrage. "Miyagi violated my concubine, then killed her? Disgraceful! Arrest him at once!"

"There's no proof that he poisoned the ink," Sano said. "It could have been done by someone else, either at the Miyagi estate, here in Edo Castle, or somewhere along the way. For now, Lord and Lady Miyagi remain under scrutiny. And I've started checking into Harume's background, because it's possible that the roots of her murder lie there. I've interviewed her father... and searched her room."

Sano heard Hirata's sharp intake of breath. Lady Keisho-in's letter felt like a metal blade cutting into his flesh. Duty required that Sano report all facts to the shogun, yet he hesitated. A j.a.panese citizen incriminated a member of the Tokugawa clan at his own peril. Any offensive word or action could be perceived as an attack against the shogun himself. Whether or not Lady Keisho-in had killed Harume didn't change this. For accusing the shogun's mother, rightly or wrongly, Sano could be charged with treason, then executed as punishment.

"A brilliant strategy," Chamberlain Yanagisawa said, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "What have you learned?"

Now was the time to present Lady Keisho-in's letter and Jimba's statement. Now was the time for samurai courage. Sano struggled with himself. His spirit quailed; his stomach roiled. "I have a better sense of Lady Harume's character, which will help me understand how she might have provoked murder," he stalled. He didn't mention the hair and fingernails he'd found in Lady Harume's clothing because he didn't know whether they had any bearing on the case. "And I've turned up some new leads to pursue." Deciding to wait until later in the meeting to reveal the letter, Sano cursed himself for a coward.

Hirata breathed a tentative sigh of relief at the reprieve. Sano thought he saw disappointment on Yanagisawa's face. Senior Elder Makino was eyeing the chamberlain with a puzzled frown, obviously wondering what had become of their pact to discredit Sano. Then he continued, "So what you are telling us, sosakan-sama, is that you have wasted a lot of time on studying Lady Harume, and learned nothing of significance."

For once Sano had a spectacular comeback to Makino's baiting, yet he didn't relish using it. "Nothing could be farther from the truth," he said. "Your Excellency, please prepare yourself for bad news." As an expectant hush fell over the room, Sano braced himself for the reaction. "Lady Harume was with child when she died."

A collective gasp. Then perfect silence. Though the Elders quickly hid their shock, Sano could almost hear the hum of their minds formulating theories, calculating ramifications. Tokugawa Tsunayoshi rose awkwardly, then fell to his knees again.

"My son!" he exclaimed, his eyes sunken with horror. "My long-awaited heir! Murdered in his mother's womb!"

"This is the first I've heard of the pregnancy," Makino said. "Dr. Kitano regularly examines all the concubines, but he didn't discover it." The other elders echoed their senior's skepticism. "How did you come into possession of the knowledge, Sosakan Sano? Why should we believe you?"

Cold sweat ran down Sano's back. After almost two years of concealing the illicit dissections at Edo Morgue, would the secret now come out and condemn him to exile? Nausea rose in his throat as he tried to frame a convincing lie. Beside him, Hirata, who knew of Sano's transgressions, sat with head bowed, waiting for the blow to fall.

Then Chamberlain Yanagisawa said, "The fact of Lady Harume's condition is more important than Sosakan Sano's method of ascertaining it. He wouldn't make a mistake on such a serious matter."

"Yes, Honorable Chamberlain." Sounding increasingly puzzled, Makino conceded defeat.

Saved, by the enemy who had tried time and again to destroy him! For a moment Sano was too grateful to question Yanagisawa's motives. Then he noticed that a peculiar change had come over the chamberlain. Yanagisawa's eyes shone with alertness; he seemed energized by the news of the unborn child's death. Sano understood that Yanagisawa might have wished it for the same reason as Lady Keisho-in. But if he hadn't known about the pregnancy, why would he have murdered Harume?

The shogun raised his fists skyward and keened, "This is an outrage!" His sobs echoed throughout the hall. And Sano had still another unpleasant topic to broach.

Choosing his words carefully, he said, "Your Excellency, there is some... question about the... parentage of Lady Harume's child. After all, she did have... relations with Lord Miyagi, and possibly Lieutenant Kushida. We must consider the possibility that..."

Turning on Sano, the shogun glared through his tears. "Nonsense! Harume was, ahh, devoted to me. She would never have let another man touch her. The child was mine. He would have succeeded me as, ahh, dictator of j.a.pan."

The elders avoided one another's gazes. Yanagisawa remained silent in his air of contained energy. Everyone knew Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's habits, but no one dared question his virility, and the shogun himself would never admit that another man had succeeded where he'd failed.

"The murder of my heir is treason of the most, ahh, heinous kind. I must have revenge!" Scowling, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi drew his sword. For once he seemed a true descendant of the great Ieyasu, who had defeated rival warlords and unified j.a.pan. Then the shogun dropped the sword and wept. "Alas, who would commit such a terrible crime?"

The door banged open. The a.s.sembly turned to see who dared interrupt the special emergency session. In minced Lady Keisho-in.

Aghast, Sano fought the urge to release his tension in wild laughter as he looked around the room. Did anyone else realize that here was an answer to the shogun's question? But, of course, the other men hadn't read her letter.

The elders and Chamberlain Yanagisawa bowed courteously to Lady Keisho-in, recognizing her right to do as she pleased. Simpering like a courtesan in the Yoshiwara spring parades, she bowed back. The shogun greeted his mother with a cry of gladness.

"Honorable Mother! I have just had the most, ahh, terrible shock. Come, I need your counsel!"

Lady Keisho-in crossed the room and settled upon the dais beside her son. She held his hand while he repeated Sano's news. "Tragic!" she exclaimed, pulling a fan out of her sleeve and vigorously fanning her face. "Your chance for a direct heir; mine for a grandson-ruined. Mah, mah!" she wailed. "And I didn't even know Harume was with child."

Was she feigning grief and ignorance? The letter had altered Sano's view of Lady Keisho-in as a simpleminded old woman. And he guessed that the women of the Large Interior knew more about one another than Dr. Kitano did. Keisho-in wasn't as stupid as she seemed. Had she discovered Harume's pregnancy, perceived the threat to herself, and taken action to avert it?

Sano was sure of only one thing: Keisho-in's arrival forestalled his mention of the letter. To reveal it before her and the Council of Elders would const.i.tute the official accusation he wasn't ready to make. He needed more evidence against Lady Keisho-in first. Therefore, he must continue to bear the burden of his secret, regardless of his duty to keep Tokugawa Tsunayoshi informed. Hope lightened Sano's guilt. Perhaps further inquiries would lead him away from Lady Keisho-in.

"We were just discussing the, ahh, problems caused by the murder," Tokugawa Tsunayoshi explained to Keisho-in, "and the progress of Sosakan Sano's investigation. Honorable Mother, please give us the benefit of your wisdom."

Keisho-in patted his hand. "That is just what I have come here to do. Son, you must halt the investigation and order Sosakan Sano to remove his detectives from the Large Interior at once!"

Alarmed, Sano said, "But Lady Keisho-in, you yourself granted us permission to interview the residents and staff and search for evidence. And we haven't finished yet."

Among the council, eyebrows lifted; covert glances were exchanged. "With all due respect, Honorable Lady, but the Large Interior is the scene of the crime," Senior Elder Makino said, though obviously reluctant to support Sano.

"And hence, the rightful focus of the investigation," Chamberlain Yanagisawa added. As the elders nodded a.s.sent, he watched Sano and Lady Keisho-in. A strange smile lifted one corner of his mouth.

Even the shogun looked surprised. "Honorable Mother, it is, ahh, imperative that the killer of my heir be caught and punished. How can you deny Sosakan Sano any opportunity to, ahh, fulfill his mission?"

"I want the killer brought to justice as much as anyone else," Keisho-in said, "but not at the expense of peace in the Large Interior. Alas!" She wiped tears on her sleeve; her voice thickened with emotion. "Nothing can bring back the child that died with Harume. We must say good-bye to the past and plan for the future." Smiling tenderly at her son, she said, "For the sake of the succession, you must forget about revenge and concentrate on begetting a new child." She turned to the a.s.sembly. "Now permit an old woman to offer you men some advice."

With the condescending air of a nursemaid instructing a child, Keisho-in addressed j.a.pan's supreme governing council. "The female body is very sensitive to outside influences. The weather, the phases of the moon, a quarrel, disagreeable noises, a bit of bad food-anything can upset a woman's humor. And bad humor can interfere with the flowering of a man's seed inside her womb."

Lady Keisho-in ran her hands down her stout body, then spread them against her abdomen. The elders looked down at the floor, repelled by such frank discussion of delicate matters. Chamberlain Yanagisawa gazed at Keisho-in as if fascinated. The shogun hung on his mother's words.

Hirata cringed with embarra.s.sment, but Sano felt only dread, because he guessed what Lady Keisho-in was doing.

"Conception requires tranquillity," Keisho-in continued. "With detectives trooping in and out of the Large Interior, asking questions and prying everywhere, how do you expect the concubines to get with child? Impossible!"

She rapped Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's hand with her fan. "That is why you must get rid of the detectives." Folding her arms, she gazed around the a.s.sembly, daring anyone to challenge her.

The elders frowned, but said nothing: several predecessors had lost their seats on the council for disagreeing with Lady Keisho-in. While Sano summoned the courage to do what honor and conscience required, Chamberlain Yanagisawa broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Your Excellency, I understand your honorable mother's concerns," he said carefully. Even the shogun's second-in-command must respect Lady Keisho-in. "But we must balance our wish for an heir against the need to uphold the strength of the Tokugawa regime. By letting a traitor get away with murder, we demonstrate weakness, and vulnerability to further attack. Wouldn't you agree, Sosakan Sano?"

"Yes," Sano said unhappily. "The investigation must proceed without restriction." Lady Keisho-in was blocking his access to the Large Interior and its occupants, but surely not for the reason she'd given. She sought to prevent him from discovering anything that would implicate her in the murder. She feared that someone would reveal her affair with Lady Harume, and she wanted to find the letter before he did. Her interference was additional evidence in favor of an open accusation against Lady Keisho-in.

"Don't listen to them," Keisho-in ordered her son. "I have the wisdom of age. My Buddhist faith has given me knowledge of mystical forces of destiny. I know what's best."

A picture of helpless uncertainty, the shogun looked from Keisho-in to Yanagisawa, then to Sano. Sano's ears thrummed with the pounding of his heart. The faces of the a.s.sembly blurred before him. His lips felt cold and numb under the pressure of the words he must speak to save the investigation and focus it on Lady Keisho-in. But the demands of honor and justice fueled his courage. His hand went to his sash, ready to produce the letter. In Bushido, the life of one lone samurai mattered less than the capture of a murderer and traitor.

Then, in a searing blaze of awareness, Sano remembered that he was no longer alone. Should he be condemned to death for treason, then Reiko and Magistrate Ueda would join him at the execution ground. He was willing to sacrifice himself to his principles, but how could he endanger his new family?

A new sense of connection filled Sano's spirit with a sweet, painful warmth. He let his hand drop from his sash. Through years of solitude, how he'd longed for marriage! Then came a surge of resentment. Marriage encouraged cowardice at the expense of honor. Marriage had brought new obligations that conflicted with prior ones. Now Sano understood Reiko's dissatisfaction even better. Both had lost their independence through marriage. Was there a way to make the loss bearable?

Would that they lived to find it!

At last Tokugawa Tsunayoshi spoke. "Sosakan Sano, you shall, ahh, continue the murder investigation. But you and your detectives must stay away from the Large Interior and the women. Use your ingenuity to catch the killer by other means. And when you do, we shall all, ahh, rejoice." Then he fell, weeping, upon his mother's bosom.

Looking straight at Sano, Lady Keisho-in grinned.

24.

Out of the Large Interior filed the nine men Sano had a.s.signed to the investigation there, ejected by the shogun's order. Sano and Hirata, waiting beside the palace door, fell into step with the detective in charge as the group trudged homeward through the night. "Did you find anything?" Sano asked.

Detective Ozawa, a man with flat features and a past career as a metsuke spy, shook his head. "No poison or any other clues anywhere."

Along the castle's walled pa.s.sages, burning torches smoked in the misty air. Owls hooted in the forest preserve; across the city, dogs bayed. Autumn's melancholy charm had always appealed to the poet in Sano, but now its connotations of death worsened his spirits. "What about the interviews?"

"n.o.body knows anything," Ozawa said, "which could mean they're telling the truth, they're afraid to talk, or someone ordered them not to. I'd bet on the last."

"Did you search Lady Keisho-in's chambers?" Sano asked.

Ozawa looked at him in surprise. "No. I didn't know you wanted us to, and we would have needed special permission from her. Why?"

"Never mind," said Sano, "that's all right."

"It's probably just as well that we quit," Ozawa said. "We could have spent the rest of the year in the Large Interior without learning anything."

That was little consolation to Sano, because the shogun's edict had deprived him of access to not only Lady Keisho-in's quarters and five hundred potential witnesses, but also another important suspect: Lady Ichiteru. Now the thought of her reminded Sano of an unpleasant task he must perform tonight.

When they reached Sano's mansion, the detectives headed for the barracks. Sano said to Hirata, "Let's go to my office."

There, warmed by charcoal braziers and cups of hot sake, they knelt facing each other. Hirata looked miserable, his head bowed in antic.i.p.ation of punishment. Sano hardened his heart against pity. He'd let Hirata's dubious behavior slide for too long. Now it had compromised their work, perhaps irretrievably. Sano hated to risk damaging the friendship he valued above any other, but this time he meant to get some answers.

"What happened during your interview with Lady Ichiteru, and why did you let our superiors think we believe she's innocent?" Sano said.

"I'm sorry, sosakan-sama." Hirata's voice quavered. "There's no excuse for what I did. I-Lady Ichiteru-" He gulped, then said, "I couldn't get her to answer my questions, so I don't really know if she killed Lady Harume. She-she got me all mixed up..." His gaze turned luminescent with memory. Then he looked down, as if caught in a shameful act. "I shouldn't have spoken at the meeting. I made a bad mistake. You should dismiss me. I deserve it."

The news shook Sano. Accustomed to relying on his chief retainer, he felt as though an essential support beam had been yanked from the structure of his detective corps. But Sano's anger dissolved at the sight of Hirata's humility.

"After all we've been through together, I won't dismiss you for one mistake," he said. Overcome with relief, Hirata blinked moist eyes. Tactfully Sano busied himself with pouring them each another drink. "Now let's concentrate on the case. We've lost our chance for an official interview with Lady Ichiteru, but there must be other methods of getting information on her."

They drank, then Hirata said hesitantly, "We might still be able to talk to Ichiteru." From under his kimono he removed a letter and handed it over.

As Sano read, excitement eclipsed his depression. "She has information about the murder? Maybe this is the break we need."

"You mean you think I should go?" A wild joy flared in Hirata's eyes before consternation clouded them. "To see Lady Ichiteru, alone, at this place she describes?"

"It's you she's asking for," Sano answered. "She might not be willing to speak to anyone else. And we can't endanger her-or defy the shogun's orders-by meeting in the castle."

"You trust me with such a critical interview? After what I've done?" Hirata sounded incredulous.

"Yes," Sano said, "I do." His purpose for sending Hirata to the rendezvous was twofold: he wanted Lady Ichiteru's information, but he also wanted Hirata to regain his self-confidence.

"Thank you, sosakan-sama. Thank you!" Fervent with grat.i.tude, Hirata bowed. "I promise I won't let you down. We'll solve this case."

After Hirata had gone, Sano went to his desk. Reading reports from his detectives, he wished he could share Hirata's faith. His men had questioned every member of the Miyagi household; no one admitted to tampering with the ink, or seeing anyone do so. They'd traced the bottle's path to Lady Harume. The messenger who had delivered it claimed he'd neither opened the sealed package nor made any stops along the way. Interviews with the castle guard who'd taken in the package, the servant who'd carried it to the Large Interior, and numerous individuals with possible access to the bottle while in transit had proved inconclusive.

Sano rubbed his temples, where a dull headache throbbed-he shouldn't have imbibed liquor on an empty stomach. His journey into Lady Harume's past had made the case more perplexing instead of less; he still believed that the facts of her life related to the murder, but couldn't make the connection. Sano felt drained of energy, in need of solace. Where was the comfort he'd expected to find in marriage?

Then Sano felt Reiko's presence: a mental sensation vaguely akin to the ripple of a distant stream. He realized he'd been feeling it ever since arriving home, like an undercurrent beneath his thoughts. In the s.p.a.ce of a mere three days, he had become attuned to his bride. He would always know when she was near. Marriage had worked this strange magic despite the conflicts that divided them. Did Reiko feel it, too? The thought gave Sano hope for a chance of mutual understanding and harmony. Now, as the sensation grew stronger and he heard the creak of the floorboards under her soft footsteps, he forgot the cares of the day. She was coming to him. His heart pounded; his mouth went dry in antic.i.p.ation.

A knock at the door: three quiet, firm raps. "Come in." Sano's voice hoa.r.s.ened with nervousness, and he had to clear his throat.

The door slid open. Reiko entered the room. She wore a red dressing gown printed with gold medallions, its lush folds emphasizing the delicate yet seductive curves of her figure. Her knee-length hair swathed her like a shimmering black cape. She looked utterly beautiful and unapproachable. In her proud posture, Sano could see generations of samurai ancestors. Reiko's gaze was cool as she knelt a good distance away from Sano and bowed, her voice level when she said, "Good evening, Honorable Husband."

"Good evening," Sano said, chilled by her formality. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yes, thank you."

Where did you go? Sano wanted to ask. What did you do? But those questions would sound like an interrogation, and probably cause another quarrel. Sano controlled his tendency to batter against any obstacle that stood between him and the truth. Marriage was teaching him patience. He felt as though he'd aged years since his wedding, slowly, painfully maturing into the role of husband. Instead he waited for Reiko to speak. Didn't her visit indicate a desire for his company?

"My father paid a call while you were out," Reiko said. "He wishes to see you tomorrow morning at the hour of the dragon, in the Court of Justice."

Realizing that she'd come only to deliver this message, Sano experienced the heavy letdown of disappointment. "Did he say why?"

"Only that there's a trial that he believes will interest you. I asked if it had anything to do with your investigation, but he refused to say." A bitter smile twisted Reiko's mouth. "Like you, he thinks it's none of my business."

With difficulty, Sano resisted the bait. "Thank you for bringing me the message."

How he ached to touch her! He could imagine the silken sheen of her hair on his fingers, the soft pliancy of her body against his. The tantalizing scent of jasmine wafted across the distance between them. Oddly, her strength of will only increased the attraction she held for him. To win the love of this proud wife would be a greater conquest than domination of a weaker woman. The battle would require less brute muscle than intelligent strategy-the skill on which he prided himself in his detective work. His warrior spirit rose to the challenge.

Reiko bowed, signaling her intention to leave. Seeking a way to keep her with him, Sano said the first thing that came into his head. "About last night-I'm sorry if I hurt you when I pushed you out of Lieutenant Kushida's way."

"You didn't hurt me." Reiko's voice remained cool, her expression implacable. "And you needed my help more than I needed your protection. Why don't you just admit it?"

This was getting them nowhere, except further apart. In desperation, Sano blurted, "I admired that stroke you used against Kushida."