Black Lotus (14 page)

"If she did, she must have met him after she ran away, because I've never heard of him before."

"Have you any idea who the dead child was? You said that you and your wife have sons… ?"

"Chie left both our sons behind. So the dead child isn't ours. I don't know who it is." The carpenter bowed his head over his empty tea bowl. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

"You've been a tremendous help," Hirata said. The carpenter had put a name to the mystery woman, and he'd also identified her as a Black Lotus member, known to the priests and nuns who'd denied knowing her and claimed that no one was missing from the temple. Surely their lies and their dark reputation implicated them in the murders.

Hirata wrote down the carpenter's name and the location of his home. "I'll do my best to deliver your wife's killer to justice," he promised, then escorted the man out through the reception room.

The crowd hadn't diminished at all. Ascending the platform, Hirata braced himself for more tales of woe. He had an uneasy feeling that the fire and murders represented a tiny part of a larger evil. Almost certainly, the case involved much more than a troublesome orphan girl.

12

The Law of the Black Lotus Is of a single flavor.

All beings, regardless of origin or nature, Can gain the fruits of its truth.

——FROM THE BLACK LOTUS SUTRA

In the Hibiya administrative district, located south of Edo Castle, Reiko and Haru disembarked from the palanquin into thin, cold rain. An attendant held an umbrella over them while they hurried to the roofed gate of one of the walled estates that lined the street. Reiko exchanged friendly greetings with the sentries, but Haru eyed them fearfully and hung back.

"Don't be afraid." Reiko put a reassuring arm around the girl. "You're among friends here."

Accompanied by the attendant with the umbrella, she propelled Haru through the wet courtyard. There a crowd of police and shackled prisoners huddled under the eaves of the guardhouse. Haru shrank against Reiko. They entered the low, half-timbered mansion. A maid greeted them in the entryway and helped them remove their cloaks and shoes.

"Where is my father?" Reiko asked the maid.

"In his private office, Honorable Lady."

Reiko led Haru down the angled corridor, past chambers where clerks worked at writing desks. She knocked on a door.

A deep, masculine voice called, "Enter!"

Sliding open the door, Reiko stepped inside a chamber lined with shelves and cabinets full of books, ledgers, and scrolls, pulling Hanu after her. They knelt and bowed to the man seated behind a desk on a low platform.

"Good afternoon, Honorable Father," Reiko said. "Please excuse me for interrupting your work, but I've brought you a visitor. We have urgent business to discuss with you."

Magistrate Ueda, one of two officials responsible for settling disputes among citizens, conducting trials of criminals, overseeing the police force, and maintaining order in Edo, laid down his writing brush. He was a stout, middle-aged samurai with heavy-lidded eyes and a ruddy complexion, dressed in formal black silk kimono.

"What a pleasant surprise to see you, Daughter," he said, regarding Reiko with affection. "I'm eager to make your friend's acquaintance."

Reiko introduced Haru. The girl kept her head bowed and her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She whispered, "It's a privilege to meet you, Honorable Magistrate."

When Reiko explained who Haru was, a slight frown marred Magistrate Ueda's genial expression. Undaunted, Reiko said, "Haru needs a safe place to stay, so I brought her here. I hope you'll agree to take her in."

For a moment Magistrate Ueda contemplated Reiko in thoughtful silence. Then he turned to Haru. "Certainly you must accept my hospitality while you rest after your journey." His voice, while gentle, lacked warmth. "May I offer you refreshment?"

"Thank you, Honorable Magistrate, but I've already eaten." Haru mumbled the polite, conventional reply.

"But I insist." The magistrate summoned a maid, to whom he said, "Take my guest into the parlor and serve her some tea."

Haru shot a terrified glance at Reiko.

"Go on," Reiko said with an encouraging smile.

â– '< After Haru and the maid had left, Magistrate Ueda folded his hands atop a stack of papers on his desk. His grave expression heralded a scolding, and Reiko felt a stab of anxiety. He said, "Why did you bring Haru here?"

"She can't stay at Zōjō Temple any longer," Reiko said, describing Kumashiro's attack on Haru. "She's alone in the world, with nowhere to go and no friends except me. And I can't bring a guest into Edo

Castle without official permission, which would take forever to get. This is the only place I could put her."

"You should have at least consulted me in advance instead of putting me on the spot," said the magistrate.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Reiko said contritely, "but there wasn't time."

"So you want me to take into my house the prime suspect in a case of arson and triple murder, hmm?" Ueda said. When Reiko nodded, disapproval drew his thick eyebrows together. "How can you ask such an outrageous favor? What can you be thinking, Daughter?"

"Haru hasn't been proven guilty and may very well be innocent," Reiko said, disconcerted by her father's reaction. Although she hadn't expected him to rejoice at the prospect of sheltering Haru, she hadn't foreseen opposition because he rarely refused her anything. "And I know she's in danger."

Magistrate Ueda shook his head. "If she did commit those crimes, then she's a danger to other people. I can't risk the safety of my household by bringing her under my roof. And what makes you think she's innocent?"

Reiko described her theory that Haru had been an intended victim of the fire and was now being framed as a scapegoat. She related her suspicions about the Black Lotus sect's practices. "I believe that the sect may be behind the murders and arson." Reiko added, "Does Haru look capable of smashing a man's head and strangling a woman and child?"

"We've both seen many criminals who look as harmless as Haru," Magistrate Ueda said, alluding to the numerous trials he'd conducted while Reiko watched through a screen in a room next to the Court of Justice. "You know better than to judge a person by appearance. And you offer proof of neither your theory about Haru's role in the crimes nor your accusations against the Black Lotus."

"At the moment, the sect seems as likely to be guilty as Haru does, and my intuition tells me I'm right," Reiko said. "I can remember times when it guided you." She'd often told him when defendants were guilty and to push for a confession, and when they were innocent and he should look elsewhere for the culprit. She'd whispered her advice through the screen, and her father had followed it with good results. "Do you doubt me now?"

Magistrate Ueda fixed a stern gaze on Reiko. "Intuition without reason can lead to serious mistakes. I taught you that. Please do not forget that it's dangerous to focus solely on the side of a story that pleases you. I presume there is evidence against Ham, because otherwise, the
sōsakan-sama
would have already exonerated her. Now, let's hear it."

Reluctantly, Reiko disclosed Hani's troubled past, her relationship with Commander Oyama, and the lies Haru had admitted telling.

"That's more than enough reason for me to eject Haru from my house immediately and send her to Edo Jail." Anger kindled in the magistrate's eyes. "Even if you've no concern for the welfare of my household, you should at least respect my position. My authority as magistrate would be much diminished if it became known that I harbored a murder suspect."

Unable to think of a good reply to his legitimate concern, Reiko felt her cause losing ground. Already at odds with Sano, she hated the thought of a rift between herself and the other most important man in her life. Yet Reiko couldn't let him turn Haru out.

"If I were in Haru's position, would you want people to decide I was guilty before the investigation was finished?" Reiko said. "Would you want me sent to jail?"

Magistrate Ueda gave her an affronted look. "That's hardly a plausible scenario, and I recognize your attempt to coax me by playing upon my paternal feelings."

However, Reiko sensed him relenting behind his severe facade. She said, "All I ask is that you treat Haru fairly. You needn't take my word for her innocence. Question her yourself. Get to know her; decide whether you think she's guilty. Please, do it for my sake."

"Does your husband know about your plan to protect Haru?"

"No," Reiko admitted, "but he expects me to help Haru regain her memory, and it'll be easier for me to work with her if she's here, close to Edo Castle. He wouldn't want her to get hurt or killed, because then he might never learn the truth about the crimes. And I don't want the sect to misdirect him. Should he condemn the wrong person, his honor and reputation will suffer."

A long silence ensued. Reiko waited anxiously while her father placed the tips of his fingers together and frowned down at them.

At last Magistrate Ueda conceded, "I suppose I could assign a guard to watch Haru. If she behaves herself, she can stay for a few days."

Relief and joy flooded Reiko. "Thank you, Father." She jumped up and hugged him. "You won't be sorry."

He nodded, patting her hand.

"I'll go and get Haru settled in," Reiko said. "Then I need you to help with my inquiries. Will you, please?" *

The magistrate's smile was rueful. "It seems that I am yours to command."

Hurrying to the parlor, Reiko found Haru sitting alone in front of a tray containing an empty tea bowl and a plate speckled with cake crumbs. The girl lifted woeful eyes to Reiko. "He doesn't want me here, does he?"

"He says you can stay." Watching Hanu's face brighten, Reiko didn't mention her father's reluctance. "Come on, I'll show you where you'll sleep."

She led Haru to the mansion's private quarters and slid open the door of a spacious chamber. "This used to be my room."

The girl entered haltingly, gazing around at the walls decorated with painted murals of blossoming plum trees, the polished teak cabinets, lacquer tables and chests, and the raised study niche. "It's beautiful," she said in a hushed voice. "How can I ever repay your generosity?"

"Just try to recover from your bad experiences," Reiko said, hoping that these safe, pleasant quarters would help restore Haru's memory. She opened a cabinet, gazing at shelves that held some old illustrated books; everything else of hers had been discarded or moved to Sano's estate when she married. "I'm sorry there's not much here to entertain you," she said. "I'll get you some things later." Reiko saw Haru stifle a yawn and said, "You're tired. You should rest."

She ordered a maid to make up a bed. Haru snuggled under the quilts on the futon with a contented sigh, looking sweetly innocent. Reiko felt sympathy toward the girl, but a lingering distrust that she couldn't ignore. Troubled by her conflicting inclinations, she returned to her father's office.

Magistrate Ueda looked up from his papers. "What else is it you require from me, Daughter?"

"I need information about several members of the Black Lotus sect," Reiko said.

"Hmm." The magistrate leveled a shrewd gaze at Reiko. "I don't suppose the
sōsakan-sama
knows you're looking into these people?"

"He needs background facts on them for his investigation of the temple," Reiko said.

Her father's frown registered displeasure at her evasiveness. Reiko tried to look humble. She waited.

At last he lifted his hands and let them fall in a gesture of resignation. "You wish to know whether the sect members have ever been in trouble?"

"Yes," Reiko said.

"Who are they?"

"High Priest Anraku, Abbess Junketsu-in, Priest Kumashiro, and Dr. Miwa."

"Kumashiro." Disgust permeated the magistrate's pronunciation of the name. "I am well acquainted with him."

"Has he broken the law?" Reiko asked, eager for compromising facts about the priest who'd tried to incriminate Haru and extort a confession from her.

"Not exactly," Magistrate Ueda said. "When he was thirteen, he decapitated a man just so he could test a new sword. Later, as a youth in his twenties, he roamed around town picking fights and killed three more men in as many years."