Rashomon Gate – A Mystery of Ancient Japan

by Ingrid J Parker

  Turning to his colleagues, Akitada asked, "Who found him?"

  Tanabe was very pale and trembled. His lips moved but produced no sound. After a moment, Nishioka said, in an unnaturally subdued tone, "I did. It was a shock. Since there are no classes today, Professor Tanabe and I planned to spend the morning working on a new glossary for the Analects. I passed through the hall twice without noticing anything amiss. Then, the third time- I was returning a document to the library- I saw an odd reflection in a spot of sunlight." He looked at the shadowy dais. "It was midday then and the sun was just right. It came in through the open door. Anyway, something glistened. When I came closer, I noticed the smell, and then I found the blood on the dais. And… and then I looked up to see…" He broke off with a shudder. Tanabe patted Nishioka's hand with his own trembling fingers.

  Akitada moved the body's arms and hands. They felt quite cold, and the stiffness which follows death had passed away already. The blood on the floor had congealed and no longer reflected light, and that on the robe was quite dry. Kobe was right. Oe had died during the night. Akitada turned to the captain. "I don't suppose you have had time to question people," he said briskly. "We must find out who was the last to see Oe alive."

  Kobe, arms folded across his chest, looked grimly amused. "Since I am a mere police officer, I have been waiting for you. No doubt you will tell me how to proceed," he said, "whenever you are quite finished with your own investigation."

  Akitada flushed. "I beg your pardon," he said stiffly. "I realize this is your case, but there are some things…"He stopped. Perhaps it was better not to mention the details of Oe's involvement in the examination fraud or the blackmail letter at this time and in front of witnesses, so he continued, "Well, I have taken an interest in the student Nagai whom you seem to hold responsible for this murder also. Oe attended the poetry contest yesterday and became quite drunk and quarrelsome. He was led away early by his assistant Ono and a graduate student called Ishikawa. My colleague Professor Hirata was with them before they left the pavilion."

  Kobe regarded him fixedly. "Your two colleagues here have already informed me of those facts. As you maintain your conviction that Nagai is innocent, can you provide a motive for the murder of this man?"

  Akitada forced himself to meet Kobe 's hostile eyes calmly. "I cannot suggest anything at this time. But your theory that Nagai has somehow run mad and killed the girl one day and his professor the next does not make sense. For one thing, the young man was quite lucid when I talked to him this morning. For another, the girl was strangled, while Oe's throat was slashed. That suggests two different killers, particularly since a sash was available in this instance also. Look." Akitada pointed to the brocade belt which held the body up. "This sash was used in order to create a macabre and shameful public display. The other sash was removed from the scene, and the girl was hidden in the reeds. Surely that suggests two very different mentalities."

  Kobe was unimpressed. "Not necessarily. The first crime may have made the killer feel so powerful that he decided to show off a little the second time. As to the slashed throat, Oe is much bigger and stronger than the girl. A knife or sword was a safer way of killing him than strangulation."

  Akitada saw the reasonableness of the argument. Pulling his earlobe, he nodded slowly. "I still don't see Nagai acting in this fashion, but I suppose you are right about Oe's size," he said grudgingly. "Even drunk he would not stand still for a strangler. But why would the killer remove the man's trousers and string him up like this?" Akitada wandered to the back of the statue to look at the knot in the sash.

  "Exactly!" Nishioka cried.

  Kobe scowled at him, and Nishioka's mouth snapped shut. Kobe remarked, "A perverted sense of juvenile humor, I would say."

  Tanabe spoke up for the first time. "It is a frightful sacrilege to the temple." His voice quavered. "Who would dare dishonor our patron saint in this fashion? It must have been the act of a madman or a depraved person."

  Akitada nodded. "It is quite extraordinary behavior. I wonder what happened to Oe's trouser skirt… and his loincloth. He was in formal court dress last night." He glanced around the hall, then said to Kobe, "No doubt you will order a search, and you had better speak immediately to Ono and Ishikawa. They were closer to him than any of the rest of us, apart from being the last to see him alive. Incidentally, I have promised Nagai that I will help him, so I expect we will meet in the future."

  Kobe 's face was flushed with anger. "Are you finished?" he asked in a tight voice. "Or are there more instructions?" He stepped up closely to Akitada and glared into his face. "You have no authority here, and I will see you when you are needed in the investigation, not otherwise. Is that clear? I don't need your advice, now or in the future, and you are wasting your time on Nagai. I've got him for the murder of the girl, whatever turns up on this case. And if you think he's clear because the beggar Umakai didn't recognize him, don't be too sure. The old man is senile. He probably just dreamed the whole Jizo thing."

  However much he resented the dressing-down, Akitada was most troubled by the news that Umakai was free. "I shall refrain from making any more suggestions," he said stiffly, "but I am concerned about the old man's safety. You yourself pointed out that the killer may find him. Can your men keep an eye on him for a few days more?"

  Kobe threw back his head and laughed aloud- the sound echoed in the silent hall, and Tanabe jumped a little. "You forget. There's no need: we've got the girl's killer in jail. Besides, the police have better things to do than follow every beggar around."

  Akitada was about to respond sharply, when a new voice interrupted.

  "August heaven! What an abomination!" Wrinkle-faced and skeletal, Takahashi inserted himself into the group and stared up at the bloody body suspended from the neck of the sage. "It is absolutely grotesque! But how typical. Even in death Oe had to make a spectacle of himself."

  "Who are you? " growled Kobe, glaring at Takahashi.

  "Oh, I'm Takahashi. Mathematics. I suppose you have taken Fujiwara into custody for the murder?"

  "What?" roared Kobe. "Who the devil is Fujiwara?"

  "Oh, you mean they haven't told you?" Takahashi looked from Nishioka and Tanabe to Akitada, shook his head and tsked. "That was not very forthcoming of you, gentlemen," he said. "After all, in a case of murder one has a duty… however, I digress. Fujiwara is another of our little group of academicians. Professor of history with a flair for poetry, drinking and brawls. The latter hobby is what will interest you, Captain. He and Oe slugged it out last night. Or rather, Oe slugged Fujiwara. In public." Takahashi nodded towards the body. "One assumes Fujiwara settled the score later."

  Kobe looked at Akitada. "Is that true?"

  "There was a minor incident," Akitada said, "but Fujiwara made it quite clear to everyone that he did not consider Oe accountable. Oe was too drunk to know what he was doing. You can ask others." Akitada shot Takahashi a disapproving look, and added firmly, "In my view the incident was too minor to be a motive for murder, and Fujiwara is hardly the type to commit this kind of assault."

  "Is he another one of your protégés? That certainly tells me something. And I don't bother with what 'type' a man is," snapped Kobe. "A simple person like myself is quite satisfied with motive, opportunity and perhaps a few pieces of hard evidence."

  Nishioka bristled. "But you cannot simply ignore-"

  "Hush!" Professor Tanabe squeezed his arm, and then told Kobe politely, "Captain, we have notes to put in order before tomorrow. May we be excused?"

  Kobe hesitated. He looked at all of them suspiciously, then said, "Very well. You can all go for the time being, but no one is to leave the university without my permission. I'll get to the bottom of this in spite of all of your interference."

  Back at the law school, Akitada found Hirata waiting for him. He was pacing back and forth, looking anxious. Akitada suppressed his distaste when he saw the older man's strained face. Hirata asked, "Have you heard the rumor? Oe has been murdered." />
  "It is no rumor. I am just coming from the Temple of Confucius. Someone slashed his throat and tied his body to the statue of Confucius. It must have happened last night, after he left the competition. Captain Kobe is in a filthy mood. I suppose he thinks there is some sort of conspiracy brewing here, and that I am in the middle of it. He did not take kindly to my visit to the jail and I managed to irritate him more."

  "Oh, dear! Tied to the statue of Confucius, you say? It is incredible!" Hirata wrung his hands. "Does he suspect anyone in particular?"

  "Poor Nagai is still his prime suspect- on the theory that both murders must have been committed by the same person. I tried to change his mind, but I am afraid that my attempt merely made him suspicious and added all of us to his list of possible assassins."

  "Well, it certainly cannot be Hiroshi. Oe never paid the least attention to the poor fellow. He thought him too ugly and ill-born to be of any consequence or promise. And what motive could Hiroshi possibly have? There are other people who had much better cause to kill Oe."

  "Precisely. And it won't take Kobe long to work that out. Do you have some wine or tea? I am parched."

  Hirata led the way to his office. It was one of the small rooms under the sloping eaves, between the classroom and the veranda overlooking the gravelled courtyard. Here Hirata had gathered all his teaching tools: law books, rolled up maps and diagrams, the Chinese classics, the Analects, Prince Shotoku's legal reforms and innumerable stacks of student essays. These were labelled by year, and Akitada could only guess at the devotion of a man who preserved the efforts of generations of students.

  Hirata pointed to the cushion lying near his low desk, and brought a small pitcher of wine and two cups. On the desk stood a pale porcelain vase with a single pink peony blossom. Its scent filled the small room.

  Akitada held his cup, staring at the flower, its ruffled petals perfectly shaped, its color deepening to rose near the center. Tamako must have selected and cut this flower for her father only this very morning. A lump formed in his throat. Resentful that everything seemed to conspire to remind him of her, he drank deeply and then said, "In any case, the student could not have killed Oe. He is not strong enough."

  Hirata looked surprised. "Not strong enough to slash a man's throat? I grant you he is thin, but young and sinewy."

  Akitada shook his head. "The killer tied the body to the statue, and Oe was not only tall; he was a big man. As a dead weight he would have been too heavy for Nagai."

  Hirata looked shocked. "What an extraordinary thing to do! It is like an insult to the whole university! A student once tied a hat on the sage for a prank; he was dismissed instantly. Who would think of such a thing? And why? It seems inconceivable."

  "I know, but it may help us find the killer. Certainly a number of people were openly hostile to Oe, and some of them may have had strong enough reasons for murder, but not all of them could have killed Oe. Takahashi certainly hated Oe and is unpleasant enough to be capable of anything. However, he is past middle-age and lacks the muscle to lift Oe. Ono, on the other hand, is still young and, as Oe's assistant, has suffered continuous abuse from his superior. He seems meek, but sometimes grudges fester until only violence can even the score. But here again, he is too short, unused to exercise, and thus clearly not up to it physically." Akitada sipped more wine and continued. "Now Sato, Fujiwara and Ishikawa are all strong enough and all have reasons to hate Oe. Sato, however, does not have a very strong motive to kill Oe, who merely disapproved publicly of him. And that leaves Ishikawa and Fujiwara, both of whom had a violent physical altercation with Oe shortly before the murder. It won't be long before Kobe arrives at the same conclusion. Takahashi has already accused Fujiwara."

  "Oh!" cried Hirata in a frustrated tone. "I almost wish it were Takahashi. He is the unkindest man I know. And Fujiwara is one of the best. Heaven forbid that Kobe should make such a mistake! We must hope that the murder was committed by an outsider."

  Akitada raised his brows in disbelief. "It is difficult to see how an outsider would have known where to find Oe on that particular night, or why he would choose to display the corpse in this particular fashion."

  "But Kobe could have a point about this murder being connected with the girl's death," Hirata said stubbornly. "And the girl was from the city, from the common people."

  Akitada sighed. Hirata was not without the snobbery of his class. Under normal circumstances a kind and gentle man, he nevertheless held on to the belief that the "good people" were incapable of committing a crime, while, regrettably and understandably, the poor citizens often got involved in violence. Akitada said, "I do not know what to think at this point, but you will have to tell Kobe about the blackmail note. In a case of murder you cannot hope to cover up an incident which may point to a motive. No doubt Kobe will appear shortly to ask his questions. Be prepared."

  Hirata stared at him. His breathing became agitated. "Oh, good heaven! I had not thought of that." He held his head, moaning softly, "What a misfortune."

  The door opened a crack and Nishioka stuck his head in. He looked better, having regained color and some of his normal spirits. "May I come in?" he asked. They nodded, and Nishioka entered, seated himself, and accepted a cup of wine. "Thank you. I'm afraid I have had a terrible shock, Doctor Hirata. I suppose you have heard that I was the one who discovered the unfortunate victim."

  Hirata, still looking quite ill, made a sympathetic comment.

  "Thank you. I will get over it, no doubt. I came along to warn you both about that police captain. The man is clearly lacking in the most basic understanding of human behavior. In fact, he even brags about it. Since he was quite rude to me, I have decided not to share my ideas with him. Apparently, and quite perversely, he has already made up his mind that it must have been poor Rabbit."

  Akitada nodded. "I am afraid Kobe 's attitude is not exactly promising at the moment."

  Nishioka brightened. "I see you have formed the same impression. Let's put our heads together and find the killer ourselves! Don't you feel that there was something very nasty about the way the murderer tied Oe up on that statue of our honorable Master Confucius?"

  Akitada and Hirata both nodded, and Nishioka continued eagerly, "That is exactly the sort of thing the captain is too dull to notice. Now I, for one, wonder what went through the killer's mind to cause him to do such a thing. Clearly he must be a man without respect for the scholarly tradition the great sage represents. On the other hand, he does appreciate symbolic gestures. Do you agree?"

  Again Akitada nodded. Nishioka smiled. "There! I can think of only two people who have the right mentality. And perhaps a third, though I don't know him well enough to be certain." He paused, looking at his companions expectantly.

  Hirata cried, "Who are they?"

  Nishioka shook his head. "It would be premature to make accusations, Doctor Hirata. At this point, one waits and watches." He looked at Akitada. "I wonder. Are we thinking along the same lines?"

  Akitada said, "I have not formed an opinion yet. If you have strong suspicions, you had better mention them to Kobe. As long as the killer is free, he is a dangerous man."

  "I refuse to speak to that man. He is rude and ignorant. And I assure you that I am a very careful person. I merely observe quietly, perhaps ask some harmless questions. Believe me, I am so subtle that the object of my interest is never aware of my motives." Nishioka smiled, nodded once or twice, and went on, "Take for instance the evening of the contest. Why, I could have predicted Oe's murder. The evidence was all there for anyone to see- and hear." He asked Akitada, "You noticed, didn't you?"

  "If you refer to the incident with Fujiwara," said Akitada, "you have heard me say that I don't think the man capable of this murder."

  Nishioka's eyes sparkled. He said, "Fujiwara? Ah, perhaps not. Though you never know with phlegmatic characters like him, or even volatile ones like Sato. But then, any man is capable of murder if provoked sufficiently. All men have at least one sensitive area in
their lives which they will not allow to be tampered with."

  Akitada regarded Nishioka suspiciously. "What about Sato?" he asked, before Nishioka could go off on another tangent again.

  There was something slightly superior about Nishioka's smile. "So you missed that one too, eh? Oe's been talking about petitioning the president of the university for Sato's dismissal. I overheard him telling Ono that he finally had proof of Sato's depravity and planned to write to Sesshin. I expect he found out that Sato has been entertaining prostitutes in his room here."

  "Who is Sesshin?" Akitada asked.

  Nishioka's eyes widened. "He is the president of the university. I thought you knew."

  Hirata interrupted, "I am sure that charge is malicious slander! I am surprised at you, Nishioka, for passing such rumors about. Poor Sato is guilty of no more than giving a few private lessons to earn some additional income." His face had an unhealthy flush, and he gasped a little after speaking.

  "Oh, no, Doctor Hirata. It must be more than that, for Oe has known about the 'lessons' for quite a long time." Nishioka emptied his cup and got up. "But I must run along. I want to catch Fujiwara before Kobe gets to him. Thank you for the wine."

  When Nishioka was gone, Hirata said irritably, "How can he talk that way about Sato? He is getting almost as bad as Takahashi."

  Akitada looked at the door through which Nishioka had left and frowned. "I confess he makes me very nervous. If he really noticed something that points to the murderer, he is being very foolish. But about Sato he may well be right. I have found the man with two women. The first was the murdered girl. The other one was a very handsome woman his own age. To be sure, both women were playing the lute at the time, but clearly they also were on very familiar terms with him."

  "I cannot believe it of him. He is a married man with children."

  Akitada gave the older man a pitying look and watched him redden. He said, "Remember that Sato is quite strong, especially his hands."