Akitada said quickly, “We have information that someone else visited the brothel last night. In fact, Saburo was attacked by this person. I think it must have been the thief.”

“Really?” Kobe looked pained. “Surely you can do better than that. What were you doing there, Saburo?”

“I went to have another look at the place, sir. I thought I might be able to find out what happened.” He paused and gave Kobe one of his horrible grimaces that passed for a smile. “We’re a household of men curious about murders.”

Kobe scowled at him. “Don’t make stupid jokes. Why would you do such a thing in the middle of the night?”

Saburo wiped the smile off his face. “Nighttime is the best time for thinking about a problem, I find. And I think best by looking at a place. At night there are no distractions.” He glanced at Akitada. “Perhaps I should have mentioned something I saw before I was attacked.”

Kobe was clearly getting angry. “What?”

“Two people came out of the brothel. A man and an old woman. They had a key and locked up after themselves.”

“If they had a key, they weren’t thieves.”

“Perhaps or perhaps not. I thought it interesting that the man carried a large bag. It looked heavy and clinked. Sounded like coins to me.”

Kobe looked at him. “It sounds like Tokuzo’s brother and mother,” he said slowly. “Both claim that the thief who stole the contracts also took Tokuzo’s gold.”

Saburo shook his head. “Sadly, people will tell lies. If they say the gold has been stolen, they’ll escape the tax collector.”

Kobe stood up abruptly. “There’s nothing to be gained here,” he growled. “I suggest you leave Genba’s case to the courts. Now you will excuse me. If I stay any longer, I might find myself arresting your entire household.” He turned and made for the door.

Akitada tried to catch up. “Wait, Kobe,” he called out. “There must be something that can be done.”

But Kobe merely grunted and walked faster. Akitada followed him to the veranda where he stopped and looked after the superintendent as he strode toward the gate. His figure was rigid, and his every step looked angry.

Thoroughly shaken by the scene, Akitada returned to his room. Saburo fell to his knees and knocked his head on the floor. “I’m sorry, sir,” he muttered. “Please forgive me. I should’ve told you.”

“Sit up,” snapped Akitada. “Seimei never behaved in that groveling fashion.”

Saburo sat up. He looked ashen but said nothing.

“I take it you stole those contracts?”

Saburo hesitated. “Yes, but I didn’t take the gold. That was taken away by Tokuzo’s brother.”

“It makes no difference. I will not have a common thief in my household.”

Saburo’s face worked horribly. He started knocking his head on the floor again.

Akitada roared, “Stop that. What in all the devils’ names, possessed you to steal those contracts?”

“I tried to help Genba and Ohiro, sir. Genba is a good man. He was kind to me. And those women had a terrible life. That monster raped and beat them.”

Akitada felt reproved for his anger. Saburo, who had found so little kindness in his life, had felt gratitude for Genba’s kindness. Perversely, the notion that he could have been too harsh made him lash out again.

“It’s not a question of motive,” he snapped. “It’s a question of breaking the law. When you serve in the household of someone who represents it, such behavior cannot be tolerated. You heard the superintendent just now. He was my friend and trusted me until this happened. Now he thinks me implicated in your law-breaking.”

Saburo bowed his head. “Yes. I didn’t think of that. I’m truly sorry. I’ll leave if you wish.”

A brief silence fell.

Akitada sighed deeply. “I regret this, Saburo, but it’s clear that your background simply makes you unfit for my service. Your nightly excursions will get you into some other trouble sooner or later. So perhaps it will be best for all of us if you found employment elsewhere.”

Saburo bowed. “Please convey my gratitude to your lady, sir. I shall always remember you and your family for the goodness you have shown me.” He rose and walked out quietly.

Akitada sat still for a long time, feeling nauseated and ashamed of what he had done. There were times when he wished his work did not lay such burdens on him.

It had been doubly hard to dismiss a cripple. Saburo’s disfigurement still caused him inward shudders, and he could never quite relax around the man. What would happen to him now? Perhaps it was his disfigurement that caused Saburo to break the law. He must feel resentment for what people had done to him and for the disgust he saw in their faces and the rejections he received when he asked for work. Akitada had felt it his duty to help this unfortunate man, but though he had tried to, he had not overcome his discomfort in Saburo’s presence. He was ashamed of it, and yet his decision was just. Saburo had admitted to stealing the contracts.

Needing to unburden himself, he went to his wife’s chamber.

Tamako was brushing their daughter’s hair. Instantly his heart warmed to both of the women in his life. Yasuko was in her seventh year and a very pretty, fairylike creature. Her fragility was deceptive. It hid an enormous firmness of purpose that usually got her what she wanted from her doting father. He admitted it freely. Yasuko had ensnared his heart. This reminded him of Lady Masako, the favored daughter of Masaie.

Oh, how variable had been that man’s heart!

He sat down heavily to watch his wife and daughter. His wife’s room pleased him as much as his study did, yet it was very different. Tamako had colorful painted screens, while he had landscape scrolls painted in ink. And here there were pretty feminine boxes and knickknacks. A large silver mirror caught the light as Yasuko shifted it to eye her hair. Was she vain already? He put the thought from his mind as frivolous in view of his interview with Saburo.

Tamako saw his expression and stopped brushing. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Or rather, I’m worried that I may have done a cruel thing.”

Yasuko fixed him with bright, inquisitive eyes. “What did you do, honored father?”

Tamako said quickly, “It may not be any of your business, Yasuko. Run along. I’m done with your hair.”

Yasuko got up, but she was curious and not at all afraid of her father. She said, “I want to know what my honored father did. If he was cruel, then I hope I never do such a thing. But my father would never do a cruel thing, so I don’t understand.” She gave her father a melting smile. “Please allow me to stay and learn.”

Tamako cried, “Yasuko!” She looked shocked, as if her child were some sort of changeling.

Yasuko gnawed her lip, gave her father a teary look, then bowed, and turned to go.

“No, wait,” Akitada said, secretly amused by the act. “You’re quite right, Yasuko, though Master Kung Fu would be shocked at your manner. He did not consider women and children capable of understanding and disapproved of their voicing such opinions.”

Tamako flushed. “The old sages had some very old-fashioned notions about women,” she said tartly.

Akitada suppressed a smile. He had known his comment would break the impasse between Tamako’s disapproval and Yasuko’s curiosity. But he was not at all sure that a seven-year-old would understand his dilemma.

“I’ve had to dismiss Saburo for theft,” he said bluntly and waited for reactions.

Tamako cried, “For theft? Are you sure?”

Yasuko asked, “What did he take?”

Akitada explained. He directed his account to Tamako, but Yasuko listened avidly.

Tamako, dismayed, just shook her head.

Yasuko protested. “He was helping Genba. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Don’t you want us to help others?”

“Yes, but we mustn’t do it by breaking the law.” Akitada knew that would puzzle his daughter. She would think of it as breaking a rule, while the law was a complex and profound concept. To the child, Genba was part of their family. He added lamely, “We mustn’t do so by hurting someone else. And stealing hurts someone else.”