Genba made a growling noise in the back of his throat and moved forward, but Hitomaro held him back. “No, brother,” he said in a low voice. “Stay out of this! If I’m not much mistaken, this is no ordinary brawl.”

Hitomaro pushed aside the people in front of him and went to the body. Getting on one knee, he checked the victim. The beggar had been stabbed once in the chest and was quite dead. “What happened here?” he asked, getting to his feet.

The handsome gentleman raised his brows. “Who are you?” He took a paper tissue from his sleeve and wiped his fingers.

“Lieutenant Hitomaro, provincial tribunal. Who are you? And what happened?” Hitomaro gestured to the inert figure on the ground. “Did you kill him?”

“Ah, Lieutenant,” said the elegant stranger. “So many questions. It is difficult to guess your rank without your uniform. Yes, I’m afraid I had to kill the villain. A drunken lout who attacked me. I’m Sunada.”

The name rang a bell, and Hitomaro gave him a sharp glance before bending over the body again. The dead man had the look of a ruffian and had been knifed through the heart. Straightening up, Hitomaro extended his hand. “The weapon?”

Sunada sighed but handed over a dully gleaming blade with a beautifully made silver handle. Hitomaro ran his thumb over the blade. “A dangerous toy,” he commented, tucking the knife into his own sash. “Yours or his?”

Sunada snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous, man! Does he look like someone who can afford a fine blade like that?”

“Then the victim was unarmed?”

“How should I know? And if he was, so what?”

“I’m wondering why you stabbed an unarmed person.”

Sunada rolled his eyes. “Oh, you would try the patience of the Buddha himself! Look here, Lieutenant—if you are a lieutenant—I told you, he attacked me. I simply defended myself. Now get on with your duties. Have someone take the body away and write up your report. I’ll put my seal to it, and be on my way. I am already late for an important meeting. In case it is of interest, the governor has asked for my support with the local business leaders. He will not thank you if you delay me.”

Hitomaro shook his head. “Sorry, sir. There are regulations. It will take more time than that.”

Sunada snapped, “It is urgent. We are trying to find ways to avert open rebellion in this city. Clearly you people at the tribunal are unable to handle anything.”

Hitomaro smiled through gritted teeth. “There are rules to be followed in a case of violent death. And questions to be answered. For example, why and how did this man attack you?”

“Dear heaven, what a thickheaded fellow! I’m a rich man, and Koichi’s poor, as any idiot can see.” Sunada clenched his fists in anger and turned to the crowd. “Tell him,” he cried. “You all saw it, didn’t you?”

The crowd began to inch away. Some people shook their heads.

“You there!” Sunada pointed to a tall laborer. “Come here and tell this officer what happened.”

The laborer shuffled closer, bowing many times to both Sunada and Hitomaro. “It is true what Mr. Sunada says,” he said humbly and attempted to slink back.

“Wait.” Hitomaro stopped him. “What’s your name?”

With an anxious glance at Sunada, the man muttered, “Rikio. A fisherman, sir, from Wild Swan village.”

“All right. What did you see?”

The fisherman pointed at the body. “I saw him. Koichi. He was in front of Mr. Sunada. He looked angry. His hands were waving, and he cursed. Koichi is a very bad person. A jailbird.”

“Did he hit Mr. Sunada? Put his hands around Mr. Sunada’s throat? Throw stones? What did he do? What did he say?”

The fisherman looked at Sunada and twisted his hands together. “He may have been hitting. I couldn’t hear the words.”

At this point, another man in the dark brown ramie robe of a well-to-do merchant pushed through the crowd. After bowing to Sunada, he said to Hitomaro, “I am Tsuchiya, sake wholesaler. I live in the big house over there and saw everything from my upstairs window. Poor Mr. Sunada here was just walking along, when this dirty person stepped in his way. Mr. Sunada was trying to pass, speaking calmly, but the man was shouting and raising his arms. I myself thought he was mad and would kill Mr. Sunada. Thank heavens Mr. Sunada was quick. A great blessing to us all! What a loss Mr. Sunada’s death would have been to this city! I will gladly testify to Mr. Sunada’s total innocence and to his excellent reputation in this province.”

Hitomaro regarded the sake merchant dubiously. Turning back to Sunada, he said, “What is your trade?”

Sunada flushed angrily. “Everybody knows I buy and sell rice and other goods here and in other provinces. My warehouses are in Flying Goose village near the harbor, and I keep a fleet of sailing ships at anchor there. Now are you satisfied that I’m an honest citizen?”

Hitomaro ignored the question. “Did you know the victim?”

“I don’t keep company with criminals.”

“If you have never seen the man before, how did you know his name? Koichi, I believe, you called him?”

“Of course I had seen him and knew he was called Koichi. Everyone in this town knew him as a dangerous criminal.”

“Ah! Have you ever been attacked by him before?”

“No, but as you saw, I always carry a weapon.”

Hitomaro nodded. “Very well. The rest can wait till later. You and your witnesses will follow me to the tribunal.” He looked about, saw two brawny bearers mingling with the crowd and whistled to them. Before he could tell them where to take the body, Sunada seized his arm.

“Are you deaf or stupid? I told you that I don’t have the time,” he snapped. “If I can manage it, I shall stop by the tribunal sometime tomorrow.” Looking over Hitomaro’s shoulder at the sake merchant, he bowed slightly and said, “Good night, Tsuchiya. Give my best to your family.”

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Hitomaro caught Sunada’s elbow just as the man was turning and spun him around roughly. Sunada’s hand went to his empty sash. Hitomaro bared his teeth and said, “Not this time, my friend. So. Resisting an officer of the law and threatening him with bodily harm? I believe I shall put you in jail.”

Sunada stepped back, his face pale with fury. He scanned the crowd, then raised his left hand, making a curious gesture with his thumb and forefinger.

The ones close to them fell silent and moved back. Their places were taken by men in rough working clothes, brawny men with the deep tans of life outdoors, men with bulging shoulders and sinewy arms, men with the stubborn, dangerous faces of hired thugs.