Red Chrysanthemum by Laura Joh Rowland Page B

on around him. Lord Matsudaira didn’t want him to know because he still had enough power to put Lord Matsudaira to death for treason. But no one dared disobey Lord Matsudaira’s orders against enlightening the shogun. A conspiracy of silence pervaded Edo Castle.
    “Lord Mori was suspected of treason?” The shogun gaped. “Well, ahh, that changes the picture, does it not? If he was a traitor, then, ahh, whoever killed him did us a favor.”
    “If
he was,” Lord Matsudaira said. “Did your investigation turn up anything against him, Hirata-san?”
    Hirata described the shipment of weapons. The shogun nodded. Lord Matsudaira kept his expression neutral, but Sano could feel him weighing the evidence, his regard for Lord Mori sinking, and his fear that if Lord Mori had turned on him, then so might his other allies.
    But the police commissioner jeered at Hirata: “You
thought
you saw weapons delivered to Lord Mori’s estate.” He spread his hands. “Where are they?”
    When Hirata hesitated, Captain Torai said scornfully, “It’s obvious mat Chamberlain Sano and
Sosakan
Hirata have fabricated lies to ruin Lord Mori’s reputation, the better to make his murder seem unimportant and excuse Lady Reiko.”
    Both the shogun and Lord Matsudaira nodded. Growing more anxious as he lost ground to his enemies, Sano said, “Believe them at your own risk, Honorable Lord Matsudaira. In the interest of security, you should wait until the murder has been fully investigated before you decide my wife is guilty and there’s no threat to the regime.”
    “The murder has been investigated fully enough,” Hoshina said. “In fact, Chamberlain Sano has found a witness who completely discredited Lady Reiko’s statement.” He shot Sano a victorious glance. “It’s Lord Mori’s wife.”
    Sano tried to conceal his dismay that Hoshina had found out about Lady Mori and her damning story. “Lady Mori is a suspect herself.”
    “What did she say?” Lord Matsudaira said.
    “She lied,” Hirata said.
    Lord Matsudaira gritted his teeth with impatience. “I asked you what Lady Mori said. Answer me.”
    “She said that my wife was involved with Lord Mori and killed him during a quarrel,” Sano said reluctantly.
    “That does it.” Lord Matsudaira smacked his hands down on the floor. The shogun started. “Police Commissioner Hoshina, you may arrest Lady Reiko. Skip the trial. Send her straight to the execution ground.”
    “It’s my pleasure to serve you, Honorable Lord Matsudaira,” Hoshina said. He and Captain Torai rose; they grinned at Sano.
    “Wait,” Sano said, desperate. “If you execute my wife, you’ll be putting an innocent woman to death and letting Lord Mori’s killer go free!” Horror flooded him because he felt Reiko slipping away from him as if she were drowning in the sea and he were losing his grasp on her hand.
    “Better just admit you’ve lost,” Hoshina said.
    “We’ll let you say good-bye to Lady Reiko before she’s dead,” Torai said.
    “Be thankful that I haven’t chosen to punish you for your wife’s crime,” Lord Matsudaira threatened Sano.
    The shogun cleared his throat loudly. Everyone looked at him. “Aren’t you all, ahh, forgetting something?” He glowered at their puzzled faces. “I am in charge.” Frightened as well as elated by his own boldness, he thumped his fist against his thin, concave chest, then addressed Lord Matsudaira: “
I
decide what happens, not y
ou.”
    “Of course, Honorable Cousin.” Lord Matsudaira feigned meekness, but his eyes glinted with ire because the shogun had pulled rank on him. “What do you wish to be done?”
    The shogun raised his finger, and inspiration lit his face. Sano exchanged glances with Hirata as his hopes rode on the shogun’s whim. “We should consult the witness who was present during the murder.”
    Sano saw his bewilderment reflected on the other men’s faces. Hoshina said, “What witness?”
    Their lord regarded them as if he