The Snow Empress_ A Thriller Part 10

The moment had come for the confrontation that they'd been moving toward all day. As their gazes locked, Sano felt the antagonism between him and Gizaemon turn as sharp as the needle that had st.i.tched his wound.

"You think I did it." Gizaemon's tone made the phrase half question, half statement.

"Evidence against you keeps cropping up," Sano said. "You hate the Ezo; that includes Tekare. You know all about spring-bows and native poisons."

"So do most of the men in Ezogashima. And so what if I hate the barbarians? So do plenty other j.a.panese."

"You're constantly pointing the finger at the Ezo. What better reason than to divert me from you?"

"For your own good!" Gizaemon seemed exasperated by what he considered Sano's foolishness. "And for the sake of my nephew. I in trying to help you solve the crime, so that he'll get well."

After ten years as a detective, Sano knew better than to accept at face value even such a logical explanation from a suspect. "Where were you when I was attacked?"

"Searching for your wife in the servants' quarters. Which are across the castle grounds from where you were."

"Was anyone with you?"

Instead of answering, Gizaemon picked up the knife from a table and examined it. The blade was about as long as his hand, attached to a short, smooth wooden handle. He turned it over, looked for markings, and said, "No identification on this. It's not mine, and you can't prove it is."

"I doubt that you'd have used a weapon marked with your name."

Gizaemon jammed a toothpick into his mouth. "I'm starting to wonder if there really was an attack on you. The troops told me they got there after it happened. We have only your word that it did."

"Then how do you explain this?" Angry at being accused of lying, and at having the interrogation turned on him, Sano pointed to his wound.

"You could have done that to yourself. Wasn't a fatal cut, was it? And you could have found that knife lying around someplace."

"Why would I cut myself?" Sano said, on the defensive and more vexed than ever.

"So you could accuse me of murdering Tekare and make it look like I tried to kill you to keep you from finding out," Gizaemon said. "But I didn't kill Tekare. I didn't attack you. And I don't have to take any more accusations from you." He called to guards outside the room: "Take Chamberlain Sano back to his quarters." Then he bowed, insolently courteous, said "Good night," and walked out the door.

Sano didn't miss the fact that Gizaemon had avoided the last question he'd asked. He'd not named a witness to furnish him an alibi for the attack on Sano.

12.

"What happened to you?" Hirata asked when the guards brought Sano back to the guest quarters.

As Sano explained, they huddled around the charcoal braziers with detectives Marume and f.u.kida and the Rat. The room grew colder with the deepening night; icy drafts puffed the mats that covered the walls. More concerned about Reiko than himself, Sano said, "Is there any news about my wife?"

"I'm sorry to say she's still missing," Hirata said.

A sense of helplessness threatened to drag Sano into a black whirlpool of despair. He hoped that at least the murder investigation had made progress. "Did you question the gold merchant?"

"Yes," Hirata said. "You'll be happy to know that he's quite a good suspect."

"What did you find out from him?"

"For a start, he had plenty of reason to kill Tekare. He admits he was angry at her because she left him for Lord Matsumae. Then his alibi for the night of the murder is weak." Hirata explained: "Even if it's true that he was at home when Tekare died, he could have set up the spring-bow in advance. Besides, he's an odd character with a taste for death." Hirata described the trophies Daigoro had collected. "Maybe Tekare was his latest."

This sounded promising to Sano, but he spotted a problem. "Exactly when did you talk to the gold merchant?"

"A couple of hours ago."

Sano told Hirata and the other men his theory about the attack on him. "If Daigoro was with you then, he couldn't have sneaked into the castle and attacked me."

"Daigoro needn't have thrown the knife himself," Hirata said. "He admits having spies inside the castle. I suspect that some Matsumae retainers owe him money, and they repay him with information. And maybe other services, like getting rid of the man who's investigating a murder that he committed."

"My a.s.sa.s.sination ought to be a big enough service to get any debt excused." Sano saw the arrow of suspicion point away from Lord Matsumae's uncle to his troops, who'd had as good an opportunity to kill him.

"That's not all I learned," Hirata said. "According to the gold merchant, Tekare wasn't exactly the most popular woman around." He described her ambitions, how she'd used and discarded men, created jealousy among both the j.a.panese and the Ezo, and fomented trouble everywhere. "Not that I would believe everything that comes out of Daigoro's mouth, but this could explain why someone wanted Tekare dead."

Sano pondered the new information about the murder victim. "'The Empress of Snow Country." I wonder how she got to be a shamaness. If she really was a universal troublemaker, then she'd have made enemies in the castle."

"Maybe she played the same game with Lord Matsumae's retainers as she did with the miners, fishermen, and traders," f.u.kida said.

"If she did, they wouldn't have needed Daigoro the gold merchant's orders to kill her," Sano said.

"How many Matsumae retainers live in or near f.u.kuyama Castle?" Hirata asked.

"Too many," Sano said as he saw the pool of potential suspects expand.

"We'll have to interrogate them all," Hirata said.

"Which won't be easy while they're our jailers." Sano wondered how long the investigation would last. Would he solve the crime before Lord Matsumae's patience gave way to his madness?

Servants brought dinner, and his men dug in with hearty appet.i.tes. "This isn't bad," Marume said. "What is it?"

"Lily root dumplings," the Rat said as he gobbled his meal. "Salmon stew made with ferns, garlic, and b.u.t.terbur. Wine brewed from millet. Traditional Ezo food. Even the highest-ranking j.a.panese here have to eat it at least some of the time, or starve. There's not enough j.a.panese food."

Sano ate to keep up his strength, but he wasn't hungry. Another day was ending, and he had yet to find his son. Another night stretched before him, long and cold. And where was Reiko?

He heard the exterior door open down the pa.s.sage, the guards' voices, and a scuffle along the corridor. Okimoto marched Reiko into the room. Relief gladdened Sano, but her appearance shocked him. She wore a fur-lined deerskin coat, mittens, and boots that were too big for her. She was streaked with black grime, her hair disheveled, her eyes wild.

"We found her hiding in the coal shed," Okimoto said. "Keep her in here from now on, I'm warning you."

He shoved Reiko at Sano, then left. Sano gathered Reiko into his arms. She was shuddering with cold and fright. He seated her by a brazier, put a bowl of hot wine in her hands. They trembled so much that he had to help her drink. He wiped her soot-stained cheeks with a napkin. Gradually the wine warmed the color back into them.

"Where have you been?" Detective Marume asked.

"We were so worried about you," f.u.kida said.

"I went looking for Masahiro," she said, her teeth chattering.

That didn't surprise Sano; but just the same, he was upset. "You shouldn't have gone. Lord Matsumae threatened to blind his men if they didn't capture you. They were so afraid of him that they went berserk. They might have killed you by accident."

Reiko spoke over his words, which she seemed not to hear. I found out what happened to Masahiro." She poured out a disjointed tale of how their son had arrived in f.u.kuyama City and Lord Matsumae's troops had put his escorts to death. "The maid saw. But the Ezo concubine says he's alive, in the keep."

Sano was amazed that Reiko had apparently managed to locate their son. Even after nine years of marriage, her daring, her abilities, and her luck never failed to surprise Sano. And praise the G.o.ds, Masahiro was alive!

"But I couldn't get to him," Reiko said, her voice breaking. "There are guards at the keep. And then they started chasing me." Eyes fever-bright, she tugged at Sano. "We have to go to Masahiro. Can't you get us out of here?"

Sano himself was frantic to rescue their son now that he knew, at long last, where and how close Masahiro was. He wanted to fight his way to the keep with his bare hands. Instead he told Reiko how little freedom he had and explained the situation with Lord Matsumae. "One step out of line could push him over the edge. He could kill us all. And Masahiro would be an orphan alone in this h.e.l.l."

Reiko nodded unhappily; she knew he spoke the truth.

"The best thing to do is solve the crime," Sano said. "Maybe then Lord Matsumae will come to his senses-or the spirit of Tekare will leave him, whatever the case may be-and he'll set us all free, including Masahiro. Then we can all go home."

Reiko didn't ask when that might be; nor did she protest. She sat perfectly still, her knuckles pressed against her mouth, her eyes unfocused. Sano could feel her desperation and her struggle to contain it so that it wouldn't burden him. Embarra.s.sed in the presence of her grief, the other men slipped out of the room, leaving Sano and Reiko alone. He could see how close she was to breaking. He had to give her some hope, and something else to concentrate on besides the thought their son a prisoner, unreachable, and in who knew what condition. "Reiko-san, listen," he said.

Dropping her hands, she turned on him a gaze so brimful of pain that he could barely stand to meet it.

"The faster I solve the crime, the sooner everything will be all right," Sano said. "I need your help."

"Help?" Reiko's one word conveyed that she had none to give, and bewilderment that Sano should expect her to care about the investigation at a time like this.

"Yes," Sano said. "You've always helped me with investigations. Do you remember when we were first married? And our wedding was disrupted by the murder of the shogun's favorite concubine?"

Reiko stared as if she'd forgotten because her present-day woes had blotted out happy memories from the past.

"You wanted to help me find out who the killer was. I said no, because I didn't think it was a woman's place to investigate murders and you wouldn't be any use." Sano smiled, his heart warmed by the thought of a younger, willful, pa.s.sionate Reiko. "Well, little did I know. You proved I was wrong."

Did a ghost of a smile alter Reiko's tragic expression? Encouraged by this real or imagined sign that he was reaching her, he said, "Without you, I wouldn't have solved that case, or the others that followed. No matter the trouble or the danger, you were always brave, always ready to go anywhere and do anything. I could always count on you."

Sano took her hands in his. They were clenched into fists, all hard, cold bone. "Can I count on you now?"

Reiko averted her gaze. Sano could feel in her exactly what he'd felt when he'd thought Lord Matsumae had killed his son-the temptation to give up, the lack of the strength to cope anymore. But he also felt the stubborn spirit in Reiko that refused to be beaten down. After a long moment pa.s.sed, she said, "What do you want me to do?"

Relief broke through Sano. "Before you came in, Hirata and I were discussing what we've learned about the murder so far." He summarized it for Reiko. "It appears that Tekare had many enemies. Some could be right here inside the castle. And there's a group of possibilities that you should have better luck investigating than I would."

Reiko lifted her eyes to him. He was gratified to see a glimmer of interest in them. "The women?"

"Yes," Sano said. "They would have known Tekare, and they'll probably be more willing to talk to you than to me."

This was Reiko's strength as a detective: the ability to get close to the women a.s.sociated with crimes and elicit the most private facts from them. She said, "I already know that the j.a.panese ladies hate Ezo concubines. And maybe the Ezo concubines didn't get along with one another." Her natural curiosity revived. "If one of those women killed Tekare, I'm going to find out."

"Good," Sano said, knowing what a monumental effort she was making for his sake and their son's.

"But how will I talk to them if I'm locked in here?" That seemed a minor obstacle compared to others they'd already surmounted. Sano said, "I'll find you a way tomorrow."

13.

Morning dawned gray and quiet. The air was warmer, its sharp edge blunted by the clouds ma.s.sed over f.u.kuyama City. As Sano, Hirata, the detectives, and Gizaemon headed across the castle grounds, smoke from the chimneys dissolved into heavens the same color. The muted light rendered trees and buildings in stark monotones. The snow looked dull and soft, without brilliance or shadow. Sano could smell more coming, its scent like dust, ready to chill, oppress, and conceal.

"How's the arm?" Gizaemon asked Sano.

"Better," Sano said, although it ached and the st.i.tches burned. "How is Lord Matsumae?"

"Worse." Gizaemon's rough features were etched with concern. "Bad idea to bother him now. Advise you to wait."

"That's not possible." The investigation must continue. Everything depended on it. Every step of it required approval from Lord Matsumae, and Sano wasn't going to tolerate obstruction from Gizaemon, a suspect.

Gizaemon shrugged. "Your funeral."

Opening a gate, he ushered them into a forest preserve. Through the evergreen foliage and bare branches Sano saw a tall, square, half-timbered building. Piercing shrieks came from it.

"Lord Matsumae is inspecting his hawks. This is where he keeps them," Gizaemon said.

He led Sano and Hirata inside the building. The shrieks blared at Sano. He saw some thirty birds of prey tethered to perches, enormous eagles and smaller hawks and falcons. Some screamed incessantly, their curved beaks opening and closing, their wild eyes glaring. Others wore leather hoods over their heads; they sat still and quiet. Huge wings flapped, stirring air laden with the pungent chicken-coop smell of bird dung and the stench of decayed meat.

Lord Matsumae stood in the center of the room, berating three samurai. "These mews are filthy. You've been neglecting my precious hawks."

The men mumbled apologies. Gizaemon said close to Sano's ear, "The keepers have been busy guarding the ports, as he ordered them to do. This is the first attention he's paid his hawks since that woman was murdered."

"You two clean this place up at once," Lord Matsumae said, pointing at the men. He was as untidy as the mews, his whiskers growing into a straggly beard, his hair long and uncombed; he wore a tattered fur coat and muddy, scuffed leather boots. "And you help me inspect the hawks."

The two samurai began sweeping up dung, feathers, and castings. The other trailed Lord Matsumae, who headed toward Sano. "What do you want?" Lord Matsumae asked.

Sano was disturbed to see two pinpoints of light in each of his eyes, one from his own soul, the other from the spirit that possessed him. "To tell you my plans for today."

"Very well," Lord Matsumae said with an agreeability that Sano didn't trust. "We can talk while I inspect my hawks."

The keeper flung a heavy cloth over a sleek gray falcon and lifted her off her perch. She snapped at Lord Matsumae as he examined her talons, beak, eyes, and plumage.

"Clean these talons," he said. "Fix these broken feathers. She's my gift to the shogun. She has to be perfect."

He seemed to have forgotten that he was in trouble for neglecting to send the shogun any gifts. Sano could feel Tekare's watchful, menacing presence in him. The keeper put the falcon back on her perch. Lord Matsumae tossed the bird a mouse from a bucket full of dead rodents. She gulped it down.

"I'd like Hirata-san to interview the Ezo again," Sano said. "We ask your permission for him to go to their camp this morning."

Gizaemon said, under his breath, "Finally someone's looking for the killer in the right place."

"Permission granted," Lord Matsumae said as he and the keeper grappled with another hawk that struggled under the cloth and screamed. But he immediately spoke again, in Tekare's accented voice, sharp with suspicion: "Why would you let him go after my people?"

He replied in his own voice, "They might have killed you."

"So might your people have. Would you let them get away with my murder?"