CHAPTER FOUR
CONTAMINATION
Hiroki sat down abruptly. “Murdered?” The base of his spine hurt and he shifted, trying to ease this new pain. “When?”
“That is not known for certain,” Lord Naitō said. “The body was discovered nearly two hours ago, during the greater hour of the monkey.”
“It is most disturbing,” Lord Matsukata said.
“But how?” Hiroki asked. “How could an enemy get into this mansion? Through all the guards we’ve seen?”
“Lord Miyoshi has accused his secretary of the crime,” Lord Naitō said. “Kanegawa is under guard in a storage building.”
Hiroki opened his mouth to speak, but closed it almost immediately. Think, he told himself. Don’t just react. He settled his face into the sort of mask he’d seen on the arms master’s vassals and suppressed the urge to ask what under heaven could have persuaded the lord to accuse his secretary. After a moment he said, “This comes as a great surprise to me. From what little I have seen of them, I had thought that the Lady Tomiko and Kanegawa Akihiro got along well, if they were not actually friends.”
“It was a surprise to us, too,” Lord Matsukata said. His face was flushed, his eyes wide and he gave every appearance of a man who had not yet understood what he had been told. When he picked up his teacup, it was with a shaking hand.
“Your words give me some hope,” Lord Naitō said. Lord Naitō seemed to be much more in control of his emotions, and he watched Hiroki carefully. Seeing Hiroki’s expression he smiled and gestured with open arms, palms facing up. “This is precisely the sort of observation we require of you.”
“I’m afraid I still don’t understand,” Hiroki said. I’m even more afraid that I do.
“During our audience with the arms master this morning,” Lord Matsukata said, “we were discussing the attack on us. This was, obviously, before we got word of the — of the incident. I told the lord that you were investigating the attack, and when he asked me to explain our confidence in you I told him how talented you were at discovering information of use to our Lord Tanuma.”
“In short, your espionage work,” Lord Naitō said, with a sour look at Lord Matsukata. “Spying and assassination and so forth.”
Hiroki kept his face blank. “I do as I am asked.” And I’m about to be asked again, I suspect.
“Clearly our words had an impact on him,” Lord Naitō said. “Because after we were given word that our next audience with the lord would not happen, and why, we were prevented from leaving by word that the arms master wished to speak with us despite his shock and grief.
“And what he told us was that he wants you, Tetsuo and Shiro to learn the truth about Lady Tomiko’s death.”
“Then he is not convinced his secretary is the killer?” Hiroki found himself relieved at this. He thought he rather liked the secretary. “If so, why is Kanegawa under guard?”
“The lord is upset,” Lord Naitō said, “and so can be forgiven for being confused. I confess I do not understand the reason for Kanegawa being held, so I cannot enlighten you. But it seems to me that the fact of the arms master’s asking us to loan your services to him means that he is not confident in his own understanding of the crime.”
“I am not worthy of such a charge, my lords.” Hiroki got to his knees and bowed. “I investigate our lord’s enemies with a view to frustrating their efforts, yes. But that is not at all the same as looking to identify a killer.”
“Your modesty is a credit to your character,” Lord Naitō said. “But it should end here and now. The arms master is confident in your abilities. We are confident in your abilities.”
“And we also know how grateful the arms master will be,” Lord Matsukata said, “when you have helped ease his sorrow and pain by unearthing the truth.”
“That is more bluntly put than I would have said it,” Lord Naitō said, with another look at Lord Matsukata. “But it is true for all that. Having a senior member of the Miyoshi clan beholden to us will serve our lord greatly.”
Lord Naitō got to his feet and gestured for Hiroki to rise as well. “However unfortunate this event is, we cannot deny that it presents us with a fine opportunity to aid our lord. So I am formally charging you, Yoshino-sama, and Tetsuo and Shiro as well, with the task of assisting Lord Miyoshi in the investigation of his sister’s murder.”
Hiroki bowed his acknowledgment. “As you will, lord.”
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