“I don’t know,” he said. “And I have no way of finding out.”

“Why not ask Akiko? She knows Kishi.”

“My sister? Dear gods! You can’t be serious.” Akitada was shocked at the idea. He had not spoken to Akiko in several months. Mostly she irritated him. Of his two sisters, Akiko, the older, had inherited her mother’s social-climbing ways. She had spent most of her time promoting her husband Toshikage, a harmless and friendly brother-in-law who was besotted with his wife, in his rise in the government. Toshikage had had several rank promotions and now served in the imperial guards as a captain. There was nothing in the least martial about him, but such positions tended to be purely honorary while carrying very tangible salaries.

Tamako smiled. “Yes, your sister. She’ll jump at the idea. Akiko is a natural-born snoop. Her curiosity about other people’s activities never sleeps, and the more highly placed the person, the more interested she’ll be.”

Akitada frowned. “That may be true, but I cannot risk having Akiko meddle in this dangerous affair. Akiko doesn’t have the sense to protect herself or anyone else.”

“I think you’re wrong.” Tamako reached for her writing box. “I’ll send her a note, asking her to come. It’s time you saw your sister again anyway.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

“We’ll talk to her together.”

It was a pity that of Akitada’s two stepsisters it should be Akiko who lived near them. Tamako saw her frequently because their children played together, and because Tamako tolerated Akiko’s temperament a great deal better than Akitada, who bristled every time some remark by Akiko reminded him of his stepmother.

His other sister, Yoshiko, was married to a commoner. Her husband Kojiro had been a suspect in a murder case, and Yoshiko, a gentle and loving young woman and Akitada’s favorite, had scandalized her brother by carrying on a secret love affair with him. Now they lived in Nagoya in distant Owara province, where Kojiro had become a large landowner and local dignitary, thereby proving that status could be flexible when a man was inspired to prove his worth to the woman he loved.

But it was Akiko who showed up later that day, having received Tamako’s message. She was accompanied by her maid and her little daughter, looked excited, and breezed by Akitada with a rustle of rich silks, a flash of a smile, and a “Greetings, big brother!” as she headed for Tamako’s quarters.

Akitada followed more slowly. Unquestionably, Akiko was a handsome woman, though some of that was due to her attire which must cost Toshikage a small fortune. He much preferred Tamako’s unpretentious beauty, or even Yoshiko’s gentle face and small, quick figure.

A bustle and chatter over the children, Akiko’s clothes, and Tamako’s new screen ensued while Akitada stood by impatiently. Eventually, the children left to play outside, and the adults sat down.

“So,” said Akiko briskly, “I hear you need my help, Akitada?”

“Well ….” Akitada shot his wife a look, wondering what she had written in her note. “I wondered if you could ask a few harmless questions. It’s easier for a woman to do this. And the information would be helpful in a case I’m engaged on.”

“Dear heavens! My stiff and superior brother asks me to help in one of investigations? How can such a thing be? You’ve never given me credit for my good sense before.”

Akitada blushed. “Not at all, Akiko. You exaggerate.”

The two women laughed. Tamako said, “You’ve mentioned knowing Lady Kishi quite well. It occurred to me that you might be able to find out some things from her.”

Akiko’s brows shot up. “Lady Kishi? Of course. Dear me, Akitada, you are playing with tigers these days. Don’t tell me you’re trying to save Atsuhira again.”

“Not exactly. Kosehira got himself involved, and they want to drag him down also. The prince is probably innocent, but he won’t lift a finger to save himself. He mourns the death of a lover.”

Akiko’s eyes shone. “Ah, the emperor’s woman! I never believed that silly tale about her death from some sudden illness while she was visiting her old nurse. It just made people believe she was giving birth and things went badly.”

Tamako nodded. “I thought the same thing. I wondered if it might have been the emperor’s child.”

“Never!” Akiko was emphatic. “His Majesty thought her too ugly to have near him. He demanded that she was to be seated in the background on all occasions they attended together.”

“How cruel! Did she know?” Tamako looked shocked.

“How could she not know?”

Akitada had followed this exchange with wrinkled brow. Was nothing secret these days? Apparently the most private palace matters were common gossip among women.

Akiko turned to him. “So, was it murder? Was she given poison?”

He said, “No. She was found at the bottom of a cliff. Please don’t ask for details. At least not yet. What does Lady Kishi have to say about the death?”

His sister pouted.

“Come, Akiko,” her brother pleaded. “All that is required is that you visit Lady Kishi and chat about her recent troubles. When I saw her, the room was full of women and children. They withdrew when we arrived, but no doubt they’ll stay for you. That household knows more than we do. Please try to find out something. Anything.”

“If you’re trying to pin the girl’s murder on Kishi, you can forget it,” she said, chin in the air. “She’s absolutely innocent and my friend. I’ll not help you make her life even more hellish.”

“Hellish? Come, that’s surely an exaggeration.”

“She’s desperately unhappy. Her husband doesn’t care for her, merely doing his duty now and then, and he has stopped that also. Meanwhile, he carries on affairs with totally unsuitable women, and makes no effort to look after the future of his children.”

Akitada was scandalized again by the intimate gossip that seemed to pass between women. He glanced at Tamako, saw her mouth twitch with amusement, and turned back to Akiko. “I thought she was the one who created most of their difficulties. For example, why does she have to keep agitating to make her husband a crown prince when he’s not interested?”

Akiko said, “Because she’s a mother, silly.”

“Nonsense. Her children are guaranteed the highest positions.”

“Not if he divorces her.”

Akitada was dumfounded. “Divorce her? Why would he do a thing like that? She’s the chancellor’s daughter and has given him sons.”

“Don’t ask me why. Who knows why men do stupid things?”

Tamako broke in, “Please don’t quarrel. There’s work to be done.”

They fell silent and looked away from each other. Akitada wondered if Akiko could be right. Would Atsuhira have divorced Kishi to make Lady Masako his senior consort? He had claimed to have loved her passionately, and there would have been a child. Since Atsuhira had no wish to ascend the throne someday, he might well have rid himself of a wife who had made his life difficult with her ambitions.

And that would give Kishi an excellent motive for murder.

Tora Investigates

Never one to hold a grudge for long, Tora walked into town in a very forgiving mood toward his master. He had sent him on an errand of the kind Tora particularly relished and had done so without the usual biting remark about Tora’s past weakness for pretty women. Perhaps he was trying to make amends for having dismissed Saburo and relegated Genba and Ohiro to the ranks of outcasts.

Saburo was still lost, but he was a resourceful character and would manage. Their paths were bound to cross sooner or later. Tora ached to learn some of Saburo’s more dubious skills. His sleuthing and spying talents, in his opinion, were wasted on secretarial duties. Breaking into houses to spy on suspects, on the other hand, was a skill worth cultivating if one was engaged in tracking murderers.