“I see. Then I’m glad you escaped. I shall be brief. Would you mind telling me exactly how you traced the most recent tax convoy?”

Yukinari nodded. “The first two raids happened before my time, but I was very careful with my orders for the last convoy. They were to proceed by land, following the coast road until it joins the Great Eastern Road. Instead of using regular bearers and grooms for the pack train, I substituted foot soldiers. In addition, the convoy was preceded by twenty mounted warriors and followed by twenty more. The men were handpicked, superb archers and swordsmen.” He sighed. “Lieutenant Ono was in command, an experienced soldier who had been an aide to my predecessor. He volunteered. A brave man.”

Akitada made note of this “volunteer” but said only, “I don’t doubt it.”

“Two weeks later I sent a scout by boat across the bay. He returned and reported that the convoy did not reach Fujisawa. I immediately set out myself with a small force and followed the route taken by Lieutenant Ono. We lost all trace of them in Shimosa province. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air. One day they were approaching a large village near the border of Musashi province; the next day they were gone. The barrier guards had not seen them.”

“What about the local authorities in Shimosa province?”

“Not cooperative.”

Akitada raised his brows. “Do you suspect them or the barrier guards of abetting robbers?”

“No. We raised the question of highway robbery, and they were offended. To them, we sounded critical of law and order in their province. I have no doubt they reported my insulting manner to the military authorities in the capital.” He grimaced. “Frankly, I look forward to reassignment to the front,” he said.

His tone was fatalistic. Akitada wondered about that. The captain’s pallid face might be due to the accident or it might have other causes. Yukinari looked like a very unhappy man. Akitada cleared his throat apologetically. “There is another, unrelated matter that you may be able to help me with. My servant Tora has a very close friend, a Sergeant Hidesato. They met briefly in this city two nights ago but lost touch again. I thought the sergeant might have reported here to offer his services. I understand he was out of work.”

Yukinari’s eyebrows rose, but he did not express surprise that an imperial inspector should consult him about his servant’s problem. He clapped his hands and, when the lieutenant responded, relayed the question. Nakano saluted and disappeared on his errand.

Akitada wondered how he might next broach the Tachibana case. Yukinari relieved him of the problem.

Fidgeting with his writing utensils and avoiding Akitada’s eyes, he asked, “Is there any more information about Lord Tachibana’s death?”

“No, but I made a visit of condolence and found the widow very distraught. Apparently she has been deserted by everyone.”

Yukinari’s ears turned pink. “It is difficult to know what to do,” he said vaguely.

“I should have thought that your friendship with both would have made it proper and dutiful to offer your services to the young widow.”

Yukinari gave him a desperate look and mopped his brow again. “It...you don’t understand,” he stammered. “She would not expect it.”

“Just what is your connection with Lady Tachibana, Captain?” Akitada asked bluntly.

Yukinari turned crimson. “May I ask why you are interested, sir?”

Yukinari hardly looked like a killer, but love could do strange things to a man. Akitada decided on more shock tactics. “Lord Tachibana was murdered. You were seen in the Tachibana compound the night he died.”

Yukinari dropped his face into his hands and muttered, “Dear heaven.”

Akitada said, “Are you admitting the murder, Captain?”

Yukinari shook his head dazedly. “No, of course not. I respected him like a father.”

“Then what did you mean?”

Yukinari flushed again. “I don’t know. I feel responsible. Perhaps I should have told him.”

“Told him what?”

Yukinari looked distressed. “She is...was not happy. That is why she and I... we became lovers. I was ashamed to tell him. Didn’t want to hurt him ... or her.”

“Your presence in the Tachibana mansion on the night of the murder makes you a suspect, and you have just admitted to a motive.”

Yukinari shook his head and winced, raising his good hand to the bandage. “It wasn’t me. I was out of town that night and didn’t return until after sunrise. That’s when I heard of his accident. Besides, the affair was brief and it ended last summer.” Seeing Akitada’s dubious expression, he added quickly, “Believe me, I have regretted my behavior very deeply. I looked on Lord Tachibana as the father I never knew. He was kind to me.” He sighed. “I cannot expect you to understand, but their marriage was not like other marriages. The age difference made her more like an adopted daughter than a wife. In fact, she was...They didn’t...There were times when I thought he might even approve.”

Akitada drew himself up stiffly. Yukinari’s rationalization was, to his mind, utterly reprehensible. “Did the lady break off the relationship?”

“No, I did. She was angry with me, but I had other reasons by then.”

Akitada thought of that childlike creature and her tears. “I wonder that did not occur to you earlier,” he snapped. “What other reasons?”

“I... There was someone else,” the captain stammered. “It cannot matter now.” He gave a bitter laugh. “The poet Narihira said that love is as short-lived and deceitful as dew. He was right.” He dropped his face into his hands again.

The poetic image of dew reminded Akitada of the beads of moisture on Ayako’s golden skin. He stared at the captain and wondered what to say, when Lieutenant Nakano returned to report that a Sergeant Hidesato had applied for military service the previous week. His application had been approved, but Hidesato was no longer at the address he had given. He had been thrown out for nonpayment of rent, and no one knew where he had gone.

Yukinari nodded. “Thank you, Lieutenant. Now please report to His Excellency about the incident in Hanifu village.”

Nakano snapped to attention and recited, “Two days ago, after sundown, we received word about an ambush of one of our patrols. The captain set out immediately with four cavalrymen. He returned after the morning rice the following day with our men. Four of them had been wounded in a fight with a group of hooded criminals armed with swords and halberds. Their attackers escaped, but one of them was a monk.” Seeing Akitada’s surprise, he added, “He lost his hood.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Akitada turned to Yukinari. “Have you had problems with the monks from the Temple of Fourfold Wisdom?”