Toshikage beamed. “Blooming! In view of your trouble, I am almost ashamed to admit that my own home has never been happier. And just think, that little problem of the missing treasures has been straightened out. Stupid of me to trouble you. All the lost items have turned up. It was just a silly mistake. I am so glad that you did not have to become involved.”

So Toshikage’s son had managed to return everything without arousing his father’s suspicion. Akitada feigned ignorance. “Really? Where did you find them?”

“Oh, that careless son of mine forgot that we had sent a large number of things to be cleaned and repacked in new boxes along with other items. Takenori should have checked them off the master list. The fellow who does that sort of thing for us delivered most of the things last month, but he brought these back only yesterday. Everything is there, thank the heavens. Of course, in theory I am responsible for knowing where things are, but Takenori went before the director, threw himself full-length on the floor, and confessed his oversight. The director was very understanding. Silly boy! Of course, he should have been more careful, but I was quite impressed with his behavior. And let’s face it, I have been laying too many of my own duties on his shoulders lately.” Toshikage’s face brightened. “And there is even better news. I have thought of a plan to bring his brother Tadamine home for good. There will be several openings in the Imperial Guard come New Year’s Day. If he wants to play soldier, let him do it here in safety. What do you think of the idea?”

Biting his lip to keep from smiling, Akitada said he thought it the perfect solution. Privately he suspected that young Takenori had considerable hidden talents for a political career. Apparently he had had no trouble convincing Toshikage that the cleaning of the treasures and the reassignment of his brother had been his father’s idea all along.

Toshikage rubbed his hands gleefully. “Yes, isn’t it wonderful? I shall soon have both my boys back with me, and another one on the way.” He positively glowed with happiness.

Suppressing a sigh, Akitada congratulated him on his good fortune and poured more wine to toast the happy news.

Toshikage recalled the reason for his visit. His face fell. “Forgive me, Brother. I should not have forgotten Yoshiko’s problem so quickly. What did Kobe say?”

Akitada grimaced. “He commiserated with me on having a sister who could shame her family to the degree of claiming to be the wife of a peasant jailed for raping and murdering his own sister-in-law.”

Toshikage sucked in his breath. “Surely she did not do that!”

“She did. It was the only way she could gain access to him. They allow wives to bring food to the prisoners.”

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! How angry you must have been! Did you beat her?”

Akitada was taken aback. The thought of striking his sister, or any woman, had never entered his mind and he felt slightly-sick at the notion. “Of course not,” he said. “Besides, she is a grown woman.”

Toshikage shook his head and waved a monitory finger. “All women are children. And the provocation, my dear Akitada. I admire your restraint. I would have beaten my son if he had embarrassed me half as much.”

“But not a daughter or sister.” Or your wife, Akitada hoped, thinking of the troublesome Akiko.

Toshikage, guessing his thoughts, grinned. “Well, perhaps not quite so hard. Women cannot be held to the same standards as men.” He sighed. “It’s a fine mess. What will you do?”

“Of course Yoshiko will not be permitted any further contact with the prisoner. But Kobe has agreed to let me investigate the case with certain conditions. I am to work under his command.”

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” Toshikage muttered again, shaking his head. “With your rank! How very embarrassing for you.”

Akitada felt himself flush. “I had no choice. Kobe and that man have my sister’s reputation in their hands. One word from either of them, and she is ruined. In fact, unless I can clear Kojiro of the murder charge, she may never be able to hold up her head in polite society again.”

“Amida!” said Toshikage, and fell silent, momentarily bereft of words. They sat and considered the situation. Gossip ran like a firestorm among the “good people,” and a scandal involving his wife’s sister would touch Toshikage’s family also. To Akitada’s surprise, Toshikage was not thinking of himself. “Poor girl!” he muttered. “We must do our best to protect her. What sort of man is this Kojiro? Does he strike you as capable of the crime? Is he likely to use Yoshiko to protect himself?”

“I am positive that he is not capable of either.” Toshikage had put his finger on something which had been troubling Akitada ever since his meeting with the prisoner. “I don’t know why I am so certain. The man puzzles me. He appears surprisingly well educated. Quite gentlemanly, as a matter of fact. And he behaved well about Yoshiko. He tried to cover for her. Of course, Kobe did not believe him. In fact, I was very favorably impressed until he thought I had come to help him because Yoshiko asked me to. At that point, I am afraid, I got very angry at his brazen assumption that I might countenance such a relationship. Since Kobe stood there watching to see how I would take it, I disabused them both quickly of such an idea. Kojiro became quite stiff after that.”

“But you will attempt to clear him?”

Akitada nodded. “He denies having had an affair with his sister-in-law, and I believe him. I also think he is sincere about his feelings for Yoshiko. His brother told me that Kojiro started drinking because of an unhappy love affair. I think the occasion was the rejection of his suit for Yoshiko.”

Toshikage’s eyes grew a little misty. “Heavens! Knowing your honorable mother’s firmness of purpose, that must have been painful in the extreme. A truly romantic tale. Too bad you don’t like the fellow.”

Akitada raised his brows. “My dear Toshikage,” he said brusquely, “it has nothing whatsoever to do with my liking or disliking the man. He is a commoner.”

“Ah. Yes. That is very true. I forgot.”

Akitada gave his brother-in-law an irritated look. “To get back to the murder: Kojiro’s story suggests that he may have been drugged. On my visit to the temple, I observed that the young monks bring only water to the guests, but Kojiro says he was given tea. Being thirsty, he drank it and immediately fell asleep. When he was woken by the monks, he was in his sister-in-law’s room. To this day he has no idea how he got there. He says his head felt fuzzy and someone had poured a pitcher of wine over him so that everybody assumed he was drunk. He thought so, too, at first, remembering the blackouts he used to suffer when he was still drinking. Wine affects him worse than most men. But he swears he stopped drinking, and I tend to believe him. Anyway, it explains why he confessed to the crime in the beginning but later changed his mind. I think there was something in the tea. The bitter taste would hide whatever sleeping powder someone gave him.”

“Of course! How clever of you to figure that out.” Toshikage paused. “But wasn’t the door locked from the inside?”

“Slamming those doors will make them lock of their own accord. Guests are asked to leave the doors open when they depart, but the monks have a key in case someone forgets.”

“The monks have a key? But that means one of the monks could be the murderer.”

“Yes.” Akitada was surprised at his brother-in-law’s sharpness. He had not expected it from Toshikage, who had been totally helpless about his own problems. “Quite right. A monk, or someone else who knew where the key was kept. I cannot help thinking that there is more involved here than mere lust. Someone wanted her dead.”

“Her husband?”

“Perhaps.” Akitada decided to share his thoughts more often with his brother-in-law. It was helpful to have someone to listen to and comment on his theories. “Nagaoka was away from home the night of the murder. And Kobe is receptive of the idea.”