Akitada turned away. “Cover yourself.” Her body, with its small breasts and shaved pubic area, looked like that of a child of twelve. The effect, together with her overtly seductive gestures, nauseated him. He wondered what sort of man her paramour was and said sternly, “You bring shame upon yourself and upon the memory of your husband. As for your fear of the murderer, you will know best. Your husband was killed in this room by your lover and in your presence.” As soon as he had spoken, he knew he had made a mistake, but he was determined to see it through.

“You must be mad,” she cried, grasping her gown to cover herself.

Akitada took the porcelain shard from his sash. “This was caught in your husband’s topknot. It matches the green vase over there. Your lover used the other vase to kill Lord Tachibana. It broke and you blamed the breakage later on careless servants. But by that time you and your lover had already removed the body to the studio to make the death look like an accidental fall. His wound could not have happened accidentally. Besides, Lord Tachibana’s clogs were dry and unstained in spite of the recent snow. Yet someone walked to the studio, and that person or his helper swept the path to destroy his tracks.”

“No!” She was sobbing now. “No, it isn’t true. I swear by Amida that I’m innocent. I have been faithful to my husband. Why are you tormenting me?”

Feeling dizzy, Akitada dabbed at the perspiration on his face with a sleeve. He had to frighten her into a confession. “The servants knew about your lovers. They will tell the truth in court. The penalty for adultery and murder of one’s husband is death by flogging. I suggest you tell the truth soon, before the constables strip you naked in the open courtroom and whip you with bamboo canes till you talk.”

He had expected her to scream or faint, but she merely pressed her sleeve to her mouth. Her eyes glittered strangely. Suddenly she prostrated herself before him.

“This unnatural creature confesses,” she said. “I betrayed my husband, but I did not kill him. I know I must pay the price for having been unfaithful, but I am young and did not know what I was doing till it was too late. Oh, please have pity.”

Her hands crept toward Akitada’s feet, but he stepped away. Looking down at her, he commanded, “Tell me what happened.”

In a muffled voice, she sobbed, “I was seduced by loving words. Afterward, when I realized what I had done, I wished to end the affair, but he forced me to lie with him by threatening to tell my husband. Since my husband never came to my rooms after dark, my lover visited whenever he wished. He made me unlock the garden gate for him after everyone was asleep.”

Akitada’s neck and back were soaked with sweat, his under-robe and collar clinging uncomfortably to his skin. “Get to the night of the murder!” he rasped.

“My husband returned late from the governor’s party, and for some reason he came into my room. He found us together and threatened to expose our affair to the world. My lover seized the vase and killed him.” She covered her face. “It was horrible. He made me help him hide the crime.”

“Then you are as guilty as he.”

She wailed, “I am not. I am not. It was he who struck him,” and burst into a torrent of tears, beating the floor with her fists.

“Stop that!” shouted Akitada, and choked on the sharp pain in his throat.

To his surprise, she sat up, retied her sash, and dried her face with her sleeve. “My lord,” she said quietly, “in your wisdom and generosity, you must see that a naive girl from the country would be easy prey for the sweet words of a handsome soldier. My husband encouraged our friendship. It is true I fell in love with a cruel monster, but I did not know then what he was. My lord, you cannot wish a foolish girl to suffer for a murder she did not commit?”

Akitada snapped, “If you are accusing Captain Yukinari, your lies prove you guilty. The captain was out of town during the night of the murder. You are protecting the real killer. Confess. Your lies will do you no good. Your only hope for a merciful judgment is to give evidence against your lover. It is all over.”

Her pretty face contorted with fury. She jumped up and rushed at him, fingernails clawing at his face. He flung her away, then watched in disbelief as she ripped open her clothes again and viciously scratched her own neck and breasts until they bled.

Then she screamed for help.

The door flew open, and the nurse took one look at her mistress and added her own screams. The noise reverberated in Akitada’s painful skull. Helplessly, he sat back down and covered his ears.

The widow stopped screaming long enough to say, “You fool. The house is empty. Quick, run to the prefecture. Get the constables. This man has violated me. Hurry!”

The woman ran, and the room became blissfully quiet. Akitada lowered his hands. It occurred to him that the nurse was probably an accessory. And she was on her way to Ikeda. Too late now to rethink the situation. Events must take their course.

“You will regret this!” the lady hissed. “We’ll see who will be believed now. You’re a stranger here, one of those depraved nobles from the capital we hear so much about, while I am the widow of the former governor. You’ll be sorry you ever meddled with me.”

Akitada cocked an ear toward the gallery outside. After a little while, he heard the expected sound of heavy boots on the wooden boards. Lady Tachibana scurried into a corner and let her clothes fall open to reveal her bleeding breasts. She arranged herself in a pose of abject terror. When the door slid open, she was sobbing pitifully.

Soldiers in the uniform of the governor’s guard pressed into the room and goggled at the half-naked woman.

“Arrest that man,” Lady Tachibana quavered, pointing at Akitada. “He raped me. He came here pretending to offer sympathy and then attacked me viciously when he saw that I had no protection. Oh, thank heaven there is justice for poor widows.”

“Lieutenant Kenko, I believe?” said Akitada, nodding to the officer in charge, who took his eyes off Lady Tachibana’s breasts and snapped to attention. “I see Secretary Akinobu has explained the matter. You have been very prompt. I want Lady Tachibana placed under arrest for the murder of her husband.”

The widow cried, “How so? You have no authority here. And these men are not from the prefecture. No doubt you have bribed them. I refuse to go until the constables arrive.”

The lieutenant cast an uneasy glance at Akitada. Then the door was flung open again, and the nurse ran in, followed by Ikeda and a group of red-coated constables.

“There he is,” the nurse cried, pointing to Akitada.

Ikeda himself! It could not be worse. All Akitada could do now was to play the game carefully and hope his opponent made a wrong move. Easier said than done, when his head was pounding and his strategies seemed to swim about like so many slippery tadpoles.