The Masuda Affair (17 page)

This agreed with the neighbor’s story. Akitada nodded and began to eat. The soup was excellent, but the more he heard about the dancer, the less he liked her. Hanae had found a rich and powerful protector and had better things to do than wait for Tora or dance at a party. She had gone off to give a private performance to her benefactor instead.

In due course, the eel arrived, accompanied by a bowl of fragrant rice and several dishes of tasty condiments. Akitada had just sampled the pickled chestnuts when some sort of disturbance broke out on the street. People were running and shouting, and several red-coated constables trotted past the window. Akitada’s waiter dashed out the door and reappeared an instant later, chattering to two burly constables who pushed him aside to make a cursory check of the guests before disappearing into the kitchen, where loud curses and a clatter of pans greeted their invasion.

The waiter returned to Akitada. ‘I thought that you must be wondering what happened, sir,’ he said, slightly out of breath. ‘I went to find out for you. The constables are looking for a madman. He attacked the owner of the Fragrant Plum Blossom and the dancer Kohata, the same one I mentioned. I’m not sure, but he may have killed them.’ Seeing Akitada’s startled expression, he had second thoughts. ‘Nothing to worry about, sir,’ he reassured the valued guest. ‘The constables will catch him shortly. We don’t allow trouble in the quarter. It’s safer here than anywhere. Is the eel to your liking?’

Akitada ignored this glowing testimonial for the Willow Quarter, popped a last bite of eel into his mouth, and approved of the food.

He paid, leaving the waiter a generous tip – though not as generous as that young man had expected – and walked to the house of the dancing master, a modest building marked with a sign that read: ‘Master of the Dance. Teacher of all forms of court dancing –
bugaku
(both the left and the right),
gosechi, sarugaku,
and
dengaku.
Students accepted only after interviews.’

A couple of passers-by had stopped and were looking at the open door. The sound of excited voices could be heard from inside. Akitada knocked and, when no one came, entered. He followed the voices to a large room.

Several people were in it, all talking at the same time. A thin middle-aged male in a peculiar black silk robe seemed to be having hysterics, while an older woman and four small girls clung to him, adding their anguish to his.

‘What is going on here?’ Akitada demanded.

All six fell silent and turned startled eyes his way. The man disengaged himself from the clinging females. He touched his throat and croaked, ‘I’ve been attacked. I, Ohiya. Attacked in my own house. If the police had not arrived in time … heavens … I cannot think. Look at me. I’m shaking like a leaf He held out limp hands, then put one to his forehead. ‘I feel faint,’ he moaned. ‘Help me, girls. I must sit down.’

The older woman and the four little girls, dressed as
richly as the little girl who had accosted Akitada earlier that morning, rushed to his rescue. They supported the man to his cushion, where he sat, his eyes closed, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

Akitada guessed that this was where the constables had run the madman to ground. The maniac did not seem to have done much damage, however, except to Master Ohiya’s nerves. Akitada waited until the master calmed down. Then he introduced himself and said, ‘I’m told that you are the teacher of the dancer Hanae?’

Ohiya closed his eyes and moaned again.

Akitada cleared his throat. ‘I seem to have arrived inopportunely. If you will oblige me with a little information, I shall be on my way.’

Ohiya cried, ‘I wish I’d never laid eyes on her. She’ll be my death one of these days. Oh, the pain in my chest.’ He gasped and clutched at himself. The older woman rushed forward to dab at his face with a square of soft paper, and the girls wailed again and clung to him. He said irritably, ‘Let go of me. I’m having trouble breathing with all of you crushing me like that.’ They retreated, murmuring apologies.

Akitada decided that there was nothing wrong with the man and snapped, ‘Master Ohiya. I have taken a lot of trouble finding you. May I have your attention for a moment?’

His tone had the desired result. Ohiya sat up and gave him an appraising look. Then he made a slight bow. ‘I do beg your pardon, sir. I was overcome. My constitution is frail, I’m afraid, and the least thing upsets it.’ He paused. ‘Not that this was a small matter. He was murderous.’

‘Pull yourself together, man. You’re alive.’

‘Yes, well.’ Ohiya felt himself all over, then said, ‘If you’re looking for Hanae, I’m afraid I cannot help you. She seems to have disappeared.’ He added more querulously, ‘I cannot imagine why anyone would think I had something to do with it. These women are always getting into trouble.’

This echoed almost exactly Akitada’s own thoughts, but he was more interested in something else. ‘Who else is looking for her?’

‘Why, that madman. Her husband. How dare he? I told
her from the very start to leave him alone. “You are going to ruin your chances,” I said. “A girl like you can rise to the top of the profession.” But she wouldn’t listen. He turned her head, and she married him, a penniless servant who lives and works elsewhere.’ Ohiya threw up his hands. ‘Because he’s handsome! I ask you. If she must roll about in the bedding with a man, let it at least be a wealthy patron. His little fling pays off handsomely, and they return to work richer and with a reputation that makes them more attractive. But her lout of a husband got her pregnant and now plays the jealous lover. What fools these people are.’

T
hunder was rumbling overhead when Akitada reached the police headquarters. Superintendent Kobe was in his office and greeted Akitada warmly. He knew of Yori’s death, but several months had passed since then, and he expressed surprise and concern at Akitada’s haggard appearance.

Akitada brushed this aside and said, ‘I came because Tora’s in prison again. As far as I can make out, it was just a matter of breaking the peace, but some people may lay charges against him.’

It had only been months since Kobe had helped clear Tora of a murder charge, and he raised his brows. ‘Really? Did the rascal inflict serious wounds?’

‘I don’t believe so. It happened in the Willow Quarter about an hour ago.’

Kobe cast up his eyes. ‘Of course, where else?’

‘I haven’t spoken to Tora in several days, but I think this is more complicated than just rowdiness. Tora seems to have taken up with a dancer called Hanae. The girl may be pregnant with his child. Yesterday she took off with Fujiwara Sadanori.’

‘She must be a beauty then. Yes, I see your problem. The hot-head won’t see reason. If we turn him loose, he’ll confront His Lordship and the charmer.’

‘Precisely.’

They sat, pondering the problem. Outside, thunder growled again, and gusts of wind rattled the shutters. Finally, Kobe said, ‘I assume your interest is less in finding the girl than in stopping Tora from doing something foolish?’

‘Yes, of course. Or rather, it would be, except …’ Akitada paused. How to put his uneasiness into words? ‘Mind you,
everything points to her having left of her own will, but what if she didn’t go freely? There’s something peculiar about all this.’

‘Out with it. It’s not like you to hold back on opinions.’

‘I’m no longer sure of much. There was another disappearance from the quarter about six years ago. A courtesan of the first rank left abruptly and was not heard of again. Sadanori was linked to her also.’

‘Ah, the beautiful Peony. As I said, he’s a well-known connoisseur of female beauty, and his power and wealth make him desirable to such women, even if his personality doesn’t.’

‘I’ve never met the man. Is he involved in anything of a criminal nature?’

‘I wouldn’t go that far.’

‘I only know he holds several high positions in the administration – in spite of poor performance – but this is common enough and throws no light on his private life.’

Kobe sighed. ‘We have nothing very substantial. Two women have complained of mistreatment. Their stories could not be proven, and in one case the victim was not sure herself. The first, a courtesan, claims that he raped her. Since she regularly sells her charms and admits that Sadanori paid her generously, we had a good laugh. The other story is more difficult. It involves a very young girl. She was only thirteen at the time and in training with a registered entertainer. She claims that Sadanori made advances to her, and that she was kidnapped and raped.’

‘Aha!’

‘Not so fast. It is true that she was raped. The prison matron examined her. But the girl was blindfolded at the time. She did not see who raped her.’

‘Did you confront Sadanori?’

‘Of course not. He would have laughed me out of his house and then seen to it that I was replaced by someone more easily bribed in case of future trouble.’

Akitada frowned. ‘But you believed him guilty.’ He raised his voice over another roll of thunder. ‘Apparently, intimidation works as well as bribery to pervert justice.’

Kobe was angry. ‘Be careful what you say.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean that. Things have been more than usually difficult. Tora’s problem is not my only one. I’ve been charged with stealing a child.’

‘What?’

‘A fisherman and his wife from a village near Otsu say I took the boy for improper purposes.’

Kobe’s eyebrows shot up. ‘You mean sex?’

‘Yes.’

‘What in heaven’s name have you been up to?’

Akitada said wearily, ‘It’s a long story. I found a ragged, starving child and took pity on him. The alleged parents have abused him and now see a chance to get quite a lot of money from me. Sadanori’s activities with courtesans may tie in with the boy somehow.’

‘Forgive me, but you always manage to become involved in impossible situations. If you say that those peculiar events of the dancer and the boy are somehow connected, I’ll take your word for it, but frankly …’ He shook his head.

‘I don’t feel happy about it. The boy is only about five, and he is mute.’

Kobe’s eyes narrowed speculatively. ‘Your son was that age, wasn’t he?’

‘That has nothing to do with it,’ Akitada snapped. ‘This child was lost. In the rain at nightfall. Anyone would have stopped for him.’

Kobe shook his head. ‘Well, let’s go talk to Tora. Perhaps something will come to us when we hear what he has to say.’

The first heavy drops of the storm struck them as they crossed the courtyard to the jail. There, Kobe read the charges and shook his head again.

They found Tora manacled and chained to a heavy column and clinging to it like a shipwrecked man to flotsam. Two guards stood over him with whips. His blue gown had been pulled down for the flogging, and angry red stripes marked his bare back. His head was pressed against the column.

‘Stop that,’ Kobe snapped.

The guards saluted, but Tora did not bother to open his
eyes. Akitada was suddenly afraid. This was not Tora’s first arrest or whipping, but in the past he had always borne the experience defiantly. He went to him. Up close, Tora was filthy and stank.

‘Tora?’ Akitada’s voice was unsteady, so he tried again. ‘Tora, are you all right?’

There was a slight tensing of the shoulders, but no other sign that the chained man had heard.

Akitada turned to the nearest guard. ‘Untie him.’ The guard looked at Kobe, who nodded.

When his arms were released, Tora slumped and sat, his head bowed between his knees.

Akitada knelt beside him and put his hand on his arm. ‘Tora, look at me. I’ve searched for you all day.’

Tora muttered, ‘Go away, sir. I’m no good to you anymore.’

‘Nonsense. I need you, and you need me. What about Hanae?’

Tora’s head finally came up. He looked at Akitada from bloodshot eyes and said, through a split lip, ‘You know about Hanae?’

‘I? know she may be in some sort of trouble,’ Akitada said cautiously. ‘What happened?’

‘Some rich bastard’s got her. I was trying to find her, but the scum in the quarter all cover up for the cursed nobles. I got a bit impatient. When that she-man Ohiya refused to help me, I knew he was in on it, too. I was going to squeeze the truth out of that perfumed piece of dung when the constables jumped me.’

Kobe interrupted with: ‘We’d better discuss the rest in my office.’

Tora staggered to his feet with Akitada’s help and limped on one bare foot. Akitada asked, ‘What happened to your clothes, and your other boot, and … ?’ He ran out of words to express his shock.

‘I walked to Uji and back. Never mind. Did you mean it? About helping me find Hanae?’ When Akitada nodded, Tora’s hand shot out and grasped Akitada’s fiercely. ‘Even after I left you in Otsu?’

Akitada nodded again. ‘I meant it,’ he said and felt some of the tightness in his chest giving way. He put his hand on Tora’s shoulder.

‘I’m not too proud to beg, sir,’ Tora said. ‘I left you because I was afraid for Hanae. You’d do the same for your lady, I think.’

The comparison made Akitada uncomfortable. Tora’s assumption that he, too, would set aside every other consideration, even the most sacred obligations, to protect Tamako troubled him. It had been a long time since he had felt this strongly about his wife.

As they crossed the courtyard, Tora said, ‘Hanae’s my wife, and she’s going to have my child, sir. Can you make the superintendent turn me loose so I can find her?’

‘Your wife?’ Akitada still did not want to believe this. A woman from the Willow Quarter? Tora had never needed to marry his women, or to pay for prostitutes. He almost said so, but Tora’s face stopped him. He said instead, ‘Why didn’t you tell me? How long has this been going on?’

‘We met after Yori died. I didn’t want to bother you and your lady with my concerns so I kept waiting for a chance, but it never came.’

Akitada opened his mouth and closed it again. He should have looked after his family better. There was more to be mended than the roof of his house.