"Point taken," Sano said, "but possession by spirits isn't the cause of every illness. It may be rarer than it seems."
"Indeed not. Spirits are all around us, always seeking innocent victims to haunt." Joju opened his arms wide. "We all have the power to communicate with the spirit world, but few of us know how to use it. I am one of the few. I have dedicated my life to freeing humanity from evil spirits and laying them to peaceful rest."
He spoke as if he believed what he said. Perhaps he truly did. "At a handsome profit," Sano commented.
Irritation glinted in the black wells of Joju's eyes. "Not for myself. For my temple. For the benefit of the faithful who come to worship. May I ask why you're here? Perhaps you are in need of my services?"
"As a matter of fact, I am," Sano said.
"Oh?" Joju said, smug because he thought he had the advantage over Sano. "Who is in trouble?"
"My cousin," Sano said. "Her name is Chiyo."
Joju didn't react to the name, but he was clearly a man in control of how he appeared. "What are her symptoms?"
"She has nightmares," Sano said. Reiko had told him that.
"Nightmares are often caused by spirit possession."
"Not in this case," Sano said. "My cousin was recently kidnapped and raped. So was a twelve-year-old girl named Fumiko. I need your help with finding the person who did it."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what use I could be," Joju said. He hadn't reacted to the mention of the crimes, or seemed to recognize Fumiko's name. "I'm not a policeman."
"You can speak to the spirits. Maybe they can give me some information."
"The spirits speak to me about themselves and their wishes. I can't interrogate them about matters that don't concern them." Joju remained courteous, but impatience tinged his voice.
"Never mind the spirits, then," Sano said. "You can help me in another way."
"How is that?"
"You can tell me about your relations with two oxcart drivers named Jinshichi and Gombei."
Joju looked confused, perturbed. Sano thought he'd finally hit his target, but then Joju said, "They transport supplies for the temple. Are they responsible for the crimes you mentioned?"
"They're suspects." Sano wondered whether Joju's business with the drivers was as innocent as the priest claimed. If not, Joju might have denied knowing them. But he also might have realized that people had seen him with them and it was better not to lie. "Can you tell me where they are?"
"I'm afraid not. I haven't seen them in perhaps a month. If they turn up here, I'll be sure to let you know."
He walked toward the door, drawing Sano and the detectives with him, anxious for them to leave. Maybe Sano had hit him close to home after all.
"They're not the only suspects," Sano said. "Your name also came up in the course of my investigation."
"My name?" Joju's expression altered. Sano saw shock, and an emotion harder to interpret. "You can't believe that I kidnapped those two women."
"Three women," Sano said. "There was another-a nun from a convent near this very temple." Was that fear in Joju's eyes? "No, I don't believe you kidnapped them. I believe Jinshichi and Gombei did. They procure women for clients with special tastes. Are you one of those clients?"
"Of course not." Joju's expression shifted into outrage mingled with disdain. "When I became a priest, I vowed never to harm anyone. I also took a vow of celibacy."
"Vows can be broken."
"Not mine." Joju radiated sanctimoniousness. "The work I do requires me to be pure in mind, body, and soul. If I had committed those crimes, the spirits wouldn't speak to me."
Marume laughed. "That was one of the more original proofs of innocence we've ever been offered."
"It's not good enough. Let's see if you can come up with something based in this world." Sano asked the priest where he'd been during the periods when the women were missing.
"I can't recall exactly," Joju said, "but I was probably praying, conducting exorcisms, and fulfilling my other duties at the temple from sunrise to sundown."
"And after sundown?" Sano said.
"I sleep."
"Can anyone vouch for you?"
"The monks, the servants, and the other priests here. The people for whom I conducted exorcisms. I may have called on some government officials."
"I'll need a list of everyone," Sano said.
"I'll gladly provide it. I'll also provide you a list of good character references." Joju said with a sly smile, "The shogun will be at the top of that list. Are you aware that His Excellency is my patron?"
"I am." Sano knew the shogun was enthusiastic about religion in general and mysticism in particular. But now Sano realized that the shogun's patronage of Joju threatened to complicate his investigation.
The shogun was often more loyal to his favorite priests than to his top retainers. In a conflict between Sano and Joju, whose side would he take?
Joju uttered his boisterous laugh. "Then I needn't warn you to think before you persecute me."
32
Sano returned to Edo Castle after dark, when the night watch patrol guards roamed the passages with torches that smoldered and hissed in the moist evening air. Thunder murmured. As Sano and his entourage dismounted at his gate, Hirata rode up. One look at his friend's face warned Sano that things hadn't gone well for Hirata either.
In his office, Sano poured sake for himself and Hirata. "Any news?" Sano asked.
"My men and I spent the day looking for the oxcart drivers, but we haven't found them yet," Hirata said.
That was bad enough, but Sano could tell it wasn't the worst problem Hirata had to report. "What happened with Ogita?"
"He says he's not guilty. He has alibis." Hirata described his interview with the rice broker.
"We expected as much," Sano said. "Did you check those alibis?"
Hirata hesitated, then said, "No."
"Why not?" Sano asked, surprised.
"Ogita has three of your top allies deeply in debt to him. He said he would call in their debts unless I left him alone."