The Fire Kimono(51)

“How dare he imply that I’m not fit to advise you?” Lord Matsudaira spoke to the shogun, glared at Sano. “This is a trick, Cousin. He’s insulting your kin to save his own head. Don’t let him manipulate you.”

Suddenly furious, the shogun turned on Lord Matsudaira. “Don’t tell me what to do! I’m getting sick of your interfering. I’m beginning to think that you think I can’t make decisions.” Spittle flew out of his mouth at Lord Matsudaira, who flinched. “Stay out of this. I’ll handle it myself!” He turned to Sano. “What do you suggest?”

Lord Matsudaira sat dumbfounded and crimson with rage. The spectators’ faces were made of stone. Sano said, “Give me another chance to prove that my mother is innocent. Postpone her execution. Let me continue my investigation and find the real killer.”

“Well, ahh, that sounds reasonable,” the shogun said.

Sano spoke quickly, lest the wind stop blowing in his direction. “In the meantime, have my mother taken to my house instead of jail.”

“Oh.” The shogun tapped his finger on his cheek. “But she’s, ahh, already on her way. It would be too much trouble to change my order.” He sounded as if he would have to run after the troops and tell them himself. He probably neither knew nor cared how bad the conditions were in Edo Jail. “I’ll tell you what: I’ll give you three more days to, ahh, exonerate your mother. If you succeed, she won’t have to stay in jail very long, will she?”

He was delighted by his clever compromise. Three days. The words felt like a delayed death sentence to Sano. The time seemed cruelly short, his prospect of solving the forty-three-year-old murder case impossible. But Sano didn’t argue and risk changing the shogun’s mind. Lord Matsudaira’s temper visibly brightened.

“If you don’t succeed, she must die. As for you and your family and your associates …” The shogun creased his brow. The threat of execution, banishment, or being stripped of his rank and samurai status and cast out on the street in disgrace hung in the air over Sano. “I must say I am reluctant to put you to death, because I’ve always been fond of you. You’ve always served me well.” He cast a dubious look at Lord Matsudaira. “I’ll think of something before the time comes.”

Sano met Lord Matsudaira’s gaze. Lord Matsudaira smiled and mouthed words at Sano. Sano read his lips: So will I.


After leaving the palace, Sano returned home with Hirata and Detectives Marume and Fukida. He told his staff not to disturb him for anything less than a second Great Fire. He and his men sat down for an emergency conclave.

“Lord Matsudaira wins this round,” Marume said.

“What’s our next move?” Fukida asked.

Sano was still reeling from the horror of seeing his mother hauled off to jail and his own fate—and that of everyone who mattered to him—dependent on what he accomplished in three days. He drew on samurai discipline to calm his mind and help him think up a strategy.

“We need to undo the damage that Egen did,” he said.

“I say we make him undo it himself,” Marume said. “How about I pay him a visit and convince him to eat his words?”

“Good idea,” Fukida said. “I’ll help you teach him a lesson.”

Hirata said, “I’m all in favor of one bad turn deserving another, but coercing Egen won’t solve the problem.”

“Why not?” Marume said.

“The most that Egen can do for us is admit he lied,” Hirata said. “That won’t prove Sano-san’s mother is innocent.”

“He’s right,” Sano said, and the other men nodded reluctantly. “It also won’t help us identify the real killer. What we need is evidence.”

“What kind of evidence can we hope to find after forty-three years?” Fukida said.

Marume punched Fukida’s arm. “Hey, don’t sound so discouraged.”

Sano hid his own discouragement. He must bolster his men’s morale, keep them and himself moving.

“All right,” Fukida said with forced cheer. “Where do we start looking for witnesses and evidence?”

“How about the soldier that Egen said was your mother’s partner in crime?” Marume suggested to Sano.

“Chances are he’s either dead, lost, or Egen made him up. Let’s not waste our time on him.” Sano thought about his visit to Tadatoshi’s family. “I’d like to talk to Lady Ateki and her daughter again. I’ll ask them to testify on my mother’s behalf. At least they can give her a good character reference. That would help counteract what Egen said. And maybe they can direct us to other witnesses.”