Sano Ichiro 5 The Samurai's Wife (2000)

by Laura Joh Rowland

  Indeed, Sano had spoken his threat merely to frighten Yanagisawa into obedience; he'd had no real intention of killing. But a sudden fury swept over him. That Yanagisawa should insult his professional ability and his honor! For more than two years, Sano had endured the chamberlain's physical and verbal attacks. He'd stifled the urge to retaliate because of his duty to respect the shogun's second-in-command, and because Yanagisawa had the power to destroy his family. Yet now, in the heat of rage that had built to a critical point, he knew he could kill Yanagisawa and not care about the consequences. What he thought about Yanagisawa, but had never spoken before, exploded from him.

  "You call me incompetent?" he shouted. "You, who couldn't find the Lion by yourself, and certainly wouldn't have accomplished anything on this investigation without help from Yoriki Hoshina and me!"

  Yanagisawa gaped in amazement at Sano's outburst. "How dare you speak to me this way?" Anger flushed his pale complexion. "Have you forgotten who I am?"

  "You've forgotten that you're at my mercy," Sano retorted, jabbing his sword fiercely at Yanagisawa, who gasped and scuttled backward, still gripping the dagger. Sano advanced until he had Yanagisawa pinned against the wall. "If you think I'm a coward, there's no bigger coward in the world than you! You send flunkies to assassinate me because you're afraid to do it yourself. You stab your enemies in the back because you haven't the courage to challenge them face to face!"

  "Shut up!" Yanagisawa commanded.

  Sano was shaking with righteous anger, exhilarated by the release of pent-up fury. "Your way is to stab and hide, but I can make sure you won't live to do so ever again. Now drop the dagger, you corrupt, evil, back-stabbing, and cowardly disgrace to Bushido!"

  Bloodlust obliterated prudence. Sano's vision narrowed until all he could see was the hateful face of his enemy. His muscles tensed, ready to drive the sword deep into Yanagisawa's throat. Yanagisawa must have felt the increased pressure on the blade and realized what a state Sano was in, because horror replaced the insolence in his gaze. As they stared at each other, the moment stretched into a deadly space in time where the worst could happen.

  Yanagisawa opened his hand and let the dagger fall.

  The clatter it made hitting the floor was like a chunk of ice dropped into a hot porcelain bowl. The cold impact of reason shattered the murderous rage in Sano. The savage pleasure of holding Yanagisawa's life in his hands vanished. He kicked away the dagger and eased his grip on his sword. What if he had killed the chamberlain?

  Across his mind flashed images of himself standing over the bloody corpse of his enemy; his trial for murder; himself, Reiko, their entire families, and all their close associates marching to the public execution ground to die for his crime of high treason against the Tokugawa regime. Sano was horrified to know himself capable of an insanity where even honor mattered less than satisfying his anger.

  He saw the same knowledge, and new respect, mirrored on Yanagisawa's face. Sano realized that Yanagisawa had never really feared him before, had always relied on the self-discipline that had kept him from striking back. But this incident had destroyed Yanagisawa's belief that he could attack Sano without serious consequences.

  "That's better," Sano said. His voice had returned to its normal calm pitch, but in the wake of his rage, a heady sense of power remained. "Now tell me how you set up my murder."

  Yanagisawa glanced down at the blade that still impinged on his throat. "Would you mind if I sat up first?" His tone had a courteous entreaty with which he'd never before addressed Sano.

  When Sano withdrew the sword just far enough so it was no longer touching him, Yanagisawa expelled a long, tremulous breath and gingerly eased himself upright. Sweat trickled in rivulets down his face. He said, "The night of the shoshidai's banquet, Hoshina told me that Lady Asagao had admitted hating Left Minister Konoe and lied about where she was during his murder. I anticipated that you would search her chambers for evidence, so I had Hoshina get some robes of the type she wears, stain them with horse blood, and plant them there.

  "The next morning, Hoshina held a secret interview with Lady Asagao. He informed her that you would be coming to talk to her, and he conveyed my orders that when you did, she should confess to the murder. He told her the story she should tell, and said she must convince you that she was guilty. She didn't want to do it, but Hoshina gave her my promise that if she cooperated, she would be pardoned later. If not-or if she told anyone what he'd said-she would be executed."

  Now Sano understood why Asagao had behaved so oddly, produced such a logical yet dubious confession, and seemed as terrified as determined to persuade him that she'd killed Konoe. Asagao had lied not to protect Emperor Tomohito and the Imperial Court, but to protect herself from the punishment with which Hoshina had threatened her.

  "You manipulated me into making a false arrest," Sano said with a grudging admiration for Yanagisawa's cleverness. "Hoshina pressured Left Minister Konoe's attendants into confirming the affair and the ladies-in-waiting into retracting Asagao's alibi. You planned to make your official appearance in Miyako after I was dead, take over the investigation, and catch the real killer. You picked Asagao for bait because she's so unlikely a suspect that I would look stupid for arresting her, although the law gave me no choice. You couldn't be satisfied with my death; you wanted to destroy my reputation, too."

  "Yes," the chamberlain conceded reluctantly, "Lady Asagao suited my purpose. But I didn't choose her for herself alone. I had to give the real murderer a reason to kill you."

  The connection between Lady Asagao's arrest and the killer's attack now became apparent to Sano. "Hoshina didn't tell me that Right Minister Ichijo is a suspect because you believe he's the killer and you wanted to keep him to yourself. Lady Asagao is his daughter; her position as the emperor's chief consort gives Ichijo special influence over the Imperial Court, which he would lose if anything happened to her. You thought the arrest would make Ichijo desperate enough to try to save Asagao from execution by killing me, which would spare you the trouble."

  The chamberlain said, "When Hoshina sent you the forged message, he also sent anonymous ones to Right Minister Ichijo, Emperor Tomohito, Lady Jokyoden, and Prince Momozono, telling them you were coming to the palace."

  Of course, the devious Yanagisawa wouldn't stake his success on a gamble that Ichijo was indeed the killer, Sano thought; he'd hedged his bet by alerting the other suspects. Sano could think of reasons some of them might wish to eliminate the man in charge of the murder investigation.

  "Those messages also specified the route that the palace guards would follow while escorting you through the imperial enclosure," Yanagisawa continued. "I went there early with Aisu and my bodyguards to catch Ichijo in the act of murder and arrest him. When we were heading toward the spot where the guards were supposed to abandon you, I felt a strange vibration in the air. We saw an eerie light and heard loud breathing. I felt someone following us, and I was suddenly terrified. So were my men. I ordered everyone to stay together, but my bodyguards ran off. I followed Aisu to the imperial kitchens. And then..."

  The muscles of Yanagisawa's throat contracted; he shuddered. "Merciful gods, that scream. It knocked me flat. I couldn't move, couldn't do anything except lie there howling in pain while the terrible noise went on and on." The chamberlain took a deep breath, then said, "Finally it stopped. My ears were ringing; I was trembling and sore and nauseated. I got up and found Aisu lying nearby. He was dead. Then the vibration started again. It was very faint, coming from between the buildings. The killer was there; I could feel him. He was getting ready to scream again and kill me."

  Sano hadn't felt any vibration after the spirit cry, probably because he'd been too far away. Suddenly Yanagisawa began to laugh. Hysteria tinged his merriment.

  "What's so funny?" Sano said, wondering if the spirit cry had demented Yanagisawa's mind.

  "It's ironic. Do you know what saved me?"

  Mystified, Sano shook his head.

  "You.
" Yanagisawa pointed at Sano. "I heard you and your detectives talking. The vibration suddenly stopped. I saw a movement in the shadows, and I couldn't feel the killer anymore. You scared him away." Now Yanagisawa's humor faded into the glumness of defeat. "You, of all people, saved my life."

  Pity diluted Sano's animosity toward the chamberlain. To be rescued by the foe whose death he'd plotted-what a blow to his pride! "Did you see the killer?"

  "No," Yanagisawa said. All the resistance had left him. He looked pale, sick, and broken. Perhaps he mourned the loss of Aisu. Or was something else bothering him?

  "You referred to the killer as `him,' " Sano continued. "Does that mean you think it was a man?"

  Yanagisawa shook his head. "At the time, I thought of him-or her-as `it.' " He added, "I caught up with my bodyguards outside the palace gate. We rode straight here. I asked them if they'd gotten a look at the killer. They said no.

  "Unfortunately, the only other witness is dead," Sano said. "But it's unlikely that more than one person has the power of kiai, so it was probably the same killer as in Left Minister Konoe's murder. The attack on you has cleared Lady Asagao and narrowed the field to four suspects. I can determine where each of them was last night."

  "How wonderful that my terrible experience was so helpful to your investigation," Yanagisawa said with a touch of his old sarcasm. Then an aggrieved expression came over his features. "Why would the murderer want to kill me?"

  "That's a good question. The answer might provide a clue to the murderer's identity."

  "I suppose you're going to place me under guard in some secret place until your work in Miyako is finished," Yanagisawa said. "Then you'll take me back to Edo and tell the shogun what I've done. His Excellency will be so furious that I deceived him and tried to ruin the investigation he ordered that he'll believe whatever you say about me. No doubt Yoriki Hoshina will be glad to corroborate your story in exchange for a pardon." A grim, desolate note inflected Yanagisawa's voice. "I'll lose my post, and probably my life."

  Sano had come here intending to do exactly as Yanagisawa had described. It was what Yanagisawa deserved, and would rid him of the chamberlain's interference. But a strange, fleeting sensation came over him, like the invisible touch of ancestral spirits returning for Obon. Sano found himself thinking that fate had brought him and Yanagisawa together for some important purpose, that there was a reason for the way things had turned out, and he would regret following his planned course of action. Sano frowned, puzzling over the bizarre omen. Had his own mind been affected by the spirit cry? Yet an instinct stronger than common sense urged him to obey intuition.

  He said to Chamberlain Yanagisawa, "Yes, I could destroy you, but instead, I'm going to offer you a deal."

  Yanagisawa's brows rose in astonishment; then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

  "If you'll agree to a truce between us and help me solve the case," Sano said, "then I won't report your sabotage to the shogun."

  Yanagisawa gave an incredulous laugh. "You're not serious."

  "Indeed I am," Sano said. "I want information you have. You want to be a detective. If we work together, I can fulfill the shogun's orders, and you can share the credit."

  From the opaque look in the chamberlain's eves, Sano knew Yanagisawa was calculating the benefits of the deal, the price of staying out of trouble, and how he could come out ahead.

  "All right. We'll work together. But surely you understand what I can do to you if you allow me my freedom." Yanagisawa regarded Sano with resentment and scorn.

  "And you understand what I'll do to you if you cross me," Sano said. The gaze he fixed upon Yanagisawa reminded the chamberlain how close he'd come to death tonight. It promised that next time Sano wouldn't control his temper. No matter where you hide or how many guards you have, I will get to you, Sano thought, and I will show no mercy.

  Yanagisawa stared, appalled, then nodded in resignation. "Very well, Sosakan Sano. A truce it is."

  17

  Reiko took a bath that rinsed away tears and restored strength; heavy makeup covered her puffy eyelids and mottled complexion. She pinned up her hair, which she would later cut off and put in Sano's coffin as a token of her fidelity, and dressed in a pale gray silk kimono with a pattern of summer grasses because she hadn't had time to buy drab mourning robes. Then she ordered her palanquin bearers to take her to the Imperial Palace.

  Out in the city, however, sorrow nearly defeated Reiko. As she rode through Miyako in her palanquin, the bright sunshine, colorful shops, and busy crowds seemed unreal. It was as if the death of the man she loved had left no mark upon the world. Worse, Reiko couldn't shake the feeling that Sano was still alive. Whenever she spied a samurai of his age and build, her heart leapt. Then, after she saw it wasn't Sano, fresh despair crushed her. Tears stung her eyes; she dabbed them dry to avoid ruining her makeup, and closed the palanquin's windows.

  At last Reiko arrived in the quadrangle of the Palace of the Abdicated Emperor. As she disembarked from her palanquin, Lady Jokyoden came to meet her.

  "Greetings, Lady Sano," Jokyoden said. Her face was impassive, her posture regal. She bowed in a cool, formal manner. "Please accept my sincere condolences on your loss."

  "A thousand thanks." Reiko fought to steady her trembling voice, because a display of emotion would shame her and offend this woman who obviously didn't want her here.

  "I did not expect to see you again," Jokyoden said.

  "You asked me to come," Reiko reminded her.

  Mild surprise lifted Jokyoden's painted brows. "So I did. But that was before yesterday's events proved that you were no friend to me and a danger to the Imperial Court. When we talked before, I guessed that you wanted to help your husband by questioning me about Left Minister Konoe's murder. I was intrigued by you, and decided that it wouldn't hurt to further our acquaintance because you seemed capable of little harm.

  "But you had the gall to search for evidence in private quarters. Your discovery led to the arrest of the emperor's consort by your husband, who chose to make a quick end to his work by persecuting an innocent woman." Jokyoden's tone was hard, unforgiving. "How you can presume to come here now is beyond my comprehension."

  "I want to apologize," Reiko said humbly. "I did take advantage of Lady Asagao's trust. It turned out to be a terrible mistake." Yet Reiko also wanted to counter Jokyoden's criticism. "But a murder investigation often requires devious means to serve justice. My husband arrested Lady Asagao instead of immediately looking elsewhere for the killer because it was his duty to charge her with murder after she confessed." Reiko couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice. "He paid for my mistake and his actions with his life."

  Pity softened Jokyoden's expression, though she remained aloof. "I regret that you've suffered," she said. "However, I presume you have some other purpose for coming here besides discussing past events. What do you want from me?"

  "I want you to help me find out who killed my husband," Reiko said.

  "I see." The noncommittal reply carried a strange inflection, as though Jokyoden had half expected Reiko's request, but couldn't quite believe she'd actually heard it. Then she brought her hands together in front of her, fingertips pointed outward and touching. "Don't you think the bakufu will assign someone to investigate the matter?"

  "Yes. But I want to finish my husband's work and learn the truth about his death." Reiko forbore to mention that she intended to execute Sano's killer with her own hands.

  "While I sympathize with your wishes," Jokyoden said, "investigating crimes is hardly within your purview anymore. Your husband's status gave you freedom and power that you no longer have." She said gently, "May I offer my advice? You are young; time will heal your pain. Your family will eventually arrange another marriage for you; with luck, you'll find love and happiness again. Accept reality, go on with your life, and let the authorities handle official business."

  Wild desperation filled Reiko as she realized Jokyoden wasn't going to help her. The suggest
ion that she would forget Sano and should abandon her quest for justice infuriated her. She retorted, "I doubt that you've ever accepted fate or left any business you care about to others. Shall I do as you say, not as you do?"

  Jokyoden stared, affronted by Reiko's blunt speech. Then she shook her head and smiled in self-mockery. Her rueful gaze conveyed a new respect for Reiko. "I see that hypocrisy cannot persuade you," she said.

  Reiko took this response as a sign that Jokyoden might relent. She pressed on: "I realize I'm powerless without my husband. But you command much authority in the Imperial Court. You can take me where I need to go in the palace. You can introduce me to witnesses and ask them to cooperate with me. You can provide information I need." Belatedly, Reiko feared that she sounded too presumptuous. "If you choose to grant my request," she added.

  Frowning, Jokyoden interlaced her fingers and looked down at them for a moment. "What you do not seem to realize is that my interests run opposite to yours. You are asking me to open the palace to you, for your purpose of incriminating someone here. Since Lady Asagao has been proven innocent, the array of suspects has narrowed to those who were in the palace last night. That includes the emperor. Do you expect me to betray my own son for your sake?" Incredulity edged Jokyoden's calm voice. "And I am still a suspect. Would you expect me to lead you to evidence of my own guilt?"