“Mura-san, please leave us,” Dr. Ito said. The eta complied, and Dr. Ito stood near Sano. “Can I be of further assistance?” he said gently.

The need to confide overcame Sano’s reserve. “I knew her,” he blurted, then told Dr. Ito his secret. “It’s hard to be objective when the victim could be someone who was once my lover,” he admitted. “But if I go on with this investigation, I’ll have to keep my mind open to the possibility that the dead woman is Lady Wisteria“and that Wisteria was a murderer.”

Dr. Ito nodded in somber understanding. “If the treasury minister was innocent, then Wisteria, Fujio, and Momoko are the only suspects left. Wisteria may have stabbed Lord Mitsuyoshi.”

“In other words, my former lover killed my lord’s heir.”

Sano felt sicker than ever. “There’s another problem. My wife doesn’t know any of this. I never told her about Wisteria and me because I thought it wouldn’t matter. But if Reiko keeps on with her inquiries, she may find out that I freed Wisteria and think I haven’t told her because I have something to hide.”

Fraught with anxiety, Sano clenched his hands around the window bars. Never had he expected his minor omission to grow into a major threat to his already shaky marriage. “I wish I’d told her at the start. What should I do now?”

“A tiny pebble rolling down a mountain can start a landslide,” Dr. Ito reminded him. “I suggest you tell your wife as soon as possible, because the longer you wait, the worse your problems may get.”

The palanquin carried Reiko out the gate of Edo Castle ’s official quarter. Huddled beneath a quilt, she brooded as she rode along the stone-walled passage leading toward the palace.

Sano’s behavior last night disturbed her, as did the fact that he’d left home this morning before she’d awakened. Perhaps this latest murder was too much for him? She feared for his spirit. And at any moment the shogun might condemn him for interfering with Treasury Minister Nitta’s trial and failing to solve the murder case.

Reiko also worried about Midori, who’d come to the house earlier to announce that she’d received a message from Lord Niu, ordering her to come to him. Midori was now headed to Lord Niu’s estate, while Reiko traveled toward the palace women’s quarters, where her cousin Eri was an official. Eri, the center of Edo Castle ’s female gossip network, could perhaps identify the samurai who’d freed Lady Wisteria. Finding him seemed more important to Reiko than ever. If Wisteria was still alive, he might know where she was. If she was the corpse in the summer house, he might have information relevant to her murder.

The thought of Wisteria caused Reiko more worry about Sano. She’d guessed that he didn’t want her investigating the courtesan’s background. Was there something he didn’t want her to discover?

Suddenly Reiko heard hoofbeats and footsteps approaching. Her palanquin rocked to a standstill as her guards, bearers, and maids halted. Reiko put her head out the window to see who was blocking the passage. She saw a procession of troops and attendants facing her, escorting a large black palanquin. Out of its window popped two heads. One belonged to Lady Yanagisawa, the other to her daughter, Kikuko.

The girl smiled and waved. As Reiko waved back and bowed, Lady Yanagisawa murmured something to her escorts. Her guard captain addressed Reiko’s: “The wife of the Honorable Chamberlain wishes to visit the wife of the sōsakan-sama.”

Reiko was surprised that Lady Yanagisawa wanted to see her again so soon. Though reluctant to delay her inquiries, she had no choice except to tell her attendants, “Take me home.”

Inside the reception room of Sano’s estate, Lady Yanagisawa and Kikuko knelt opposite Reiko. Lady Yanagisawa politely declined Reiko’s offer of refreshment.

“We won’t stay long,” she said. Suppressed emotion ruffled her composure, and a blush tinged her flat cheeks. She held in her lap a small bundle wrapped inside a square of dark blue silk printed with white leaves. “I’m sorry to bother you when you were on your way somewhere.”

“Oh, it’s no bother,” Reiko said. “I’m glad to see you again.”

Yet she feared that their acquaintance would become an onus if her new friend wanted more attention than she wanted to give. The peculiar sheen of Lady Yanagisawa’s narrow eyes made Reiko uneasy.

“Please believe that I wouldn’t have interrupted your business except… except for the most urgent reason.” Lady Yanagisawa’s voice dropped; she paused, fingering the tied ends of her bundle. Then she blurted, “Last time we met… I said I would do whatever I could to assist you with your husband’s inquiries. That’s why I’ve come today.”

Kikuko hummed a tuneless song, turning her head from side to side. Reiko regarded Lady Yanagisawa with surprise.

“You’ve found information that will help the murder investigation?” Reiko said. Eyeing the package her guest held, she wavered between skepticism and hope.

A brief frown shadowed Lady Yanagisawa’s aspect. “I wish I could say that my discovery will benefit your husband… but I fear the opposite is true. May I please explain?”

When Reiko nodded, Lady Yanagisawa said, “Yesterday this came for my husband.”

She untied the bundle, revealing a flat, rectangular package wrapped in rough brown paper and bound with coarse string. Reiko saw the words, “For the Honorable Chamberlain Yanagisawa. Personal and Confidential,” written on it in simple black characters.

“My husband wasn’t home,” Lady Yanagisawa said. “I overheard his secretaries saying they didn’t know who sent the package and discussing whether to open it. Finally they decided not to, and left the package on my husband’s desk. My curiosity was aroused. I went into the office, slipped the package into my sleeve, and took it to my room.”

Reiko sat speechless with amazement that anyone would dare steal from the chamberlain.

Lady Yanagisawa sighed. “If my husband finds out what I’ve done, he’ll be very angry with me. But when I looked inside the package… I knew I must risk his displeasure.”

Her intense, yearning gaze flitted over Reiko. “You’ve been so kind to me, and I shall now repay you. This package represents a terrible threat to your husband. I brought it to you so that he will understand the danger… so that he can protect himself, and you.”

“What danger?” Reiko asked in alarmed confusion.

Kikuko emitted a loud keening sound, made faces, and rocked back and forth. Lady Yanagisawa put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, quieting her. “Perhaps it’s better that you see for yourself than that I should tell you. Please accept this with my sincere wishes for your good fortune, and allow me to bid you farewell until we meet again.”

Extending the package on her palms, she bowed to Reiko.

“Many thanks,” Reiko said, accepting the gift.

As soon as her guests had gone, she took the package into her chamber and closed the door. Eager yet fearful, she untied the string and unwrapped the paper. Inside was a book covered in lavender silk, bound by a green ribbon threaded through holes near the spine. A thrill of recognition and disbelief shot through Reiko. She opened the book.

The first of some twenty pages of thin white rice paper bore an inscription: The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria.

The daimyo maintained great fortified estates in the district east and south of Edo Castle. Here the provincial lords resided during the four months they spent in the capital each year. Here Tokugawa law required them to leave their families as hostages when they returned to their provinces, to prevent them from staging a revolt. Here Midori rode in a palanquin down a wide avenue crowded with mounted samurai.