“I think, perhaps, you can help us more than you realize,” Hiro said. “May we explain?”
Mina stepped away from the door. “Of course. May I offer you tea or sake?”
“No, thank you.” Hiro followed her inside. “We can’t stay long.”
When they reached the drinking room, Mina made a gesture that invited the men to sit.
“Forgive my directness,” Hiro said, “but we need to leave in time for the brewer’s trial.
“During our previous visit you mentioned a need to atone for your husband’s sins—to ensure the heavenly judges pass his soul to paradise. What, precisely, threatens your husband’s spirit?”
Mina looked at the floor. “Chikao was not a wicked man.”
“We believe that,” Father Mateo said.
“I suppose it cannot hurt to tell you.” Mina looked up. “My husband planned to do an evil thing. The kami required his life in recompense.”
“God did not take Chikao’s life,” Father Mateo said. “A person did.”
Mina shook her head. “It was his karma. Evil plans bring evil consequences.”
The Jesuit opened his mouth to argue, but Hiro cut him off. “Tell us the evil thing your husband planned.”
“Chikao and Ren wanted to buy Ginjiro’s brewery,” Mina said, “but Ginjiro would not sell at any price. They picked Ginjiro’s largely because of Tomiko—Ginjiro’s daughter. A wife who could run a brewery could help my son in ways no partner could.”
“But Ginjiro refused to sell, and refused the marriage,” Hiro said.
Mina nodded. “After they realized that neither money nor words would sway him, my husband and Ren—along with Kaoru—planned to vandalize the brewery and, thereby, force Ginjiro to sell.”
“Vandalize it?” Father Mateo asked. “How would that force a sale?”
Mina’s cheeks flushed red. “They planned to break the brewery doors and urinate into the casks. They thought if they ruined Ginjiro’s stock, he wouldn’t have the money to make repairs and cleanse the brewery—he would have to sell and allow my son to marry his daughter, Tomiko.
“I told them I disapproved of the plan and even threatened to tell Ginjiro. After that, Chikao agreed to abandon the idea. I believed him—he had never lied to me before.
“But then, the evening before Chikao died, I heard him talking with Ren and Kaoru. My husband had changed his mind. They were making final plans to vandalize Ginjiro’s brewery.
“I confronted my husband and told him what I heard. He explained that Kaoru owed more money than we knew—far more than this small brewery could pay. Without a successful place like Ginjiro’s, we would never pay off Kaoru’s debts. And without a wife who could run the business, Kaoru could never succeed once we were gone…” Mina trailed off.
After a brief silence she continued, “That very evening, a debt collector threatened to throw our son in prison unless we paid his debts at once.”
“So you agreed to go along with your husband’s plan,” Father Mateo said.
“I did not.” Mina straightened. “I love my son, but he made his own decisions, and no innocent man should suffer in his place. Unfortunately, Kaoru seemed determined to force his father to turn to vandalism.”
A creak behind them made Hiro shift position to watch the doorway.
Mina continued, “The last time we talked, Chikao promised to stop the plot, but since he died in Ginjiro’s alley, on the very night they planned to vandalize the brewery, I have to believe he did not keep his word.”
“Correct.” Ren appeared in the doorway. “Which is why Ginjiro killed him.”
Ren bowed to Hiro and Father Mateo. “Forgive my interruption.”
“How do you know what happened?” Hiro asked. “Did you go with Chikao that night?”
Ren shook his head. “I already told you, I was home in bed. Chikao tried to persuade me to attempt the vandalism, but I didn’t want to risk Ginjiro’s ruining our chances with the guild. The chance of someone seeing us or connecting us to the acts was far too high. I tried to persuade Chikao of that. Like Mina, I believed that I succeeded.”
“What about Kaoru?” Hiro asked. “Could he have changed his father’s mind?”
“He must have,” Ren said. “I know he tried. Kaoru said he would spend the early part of the evening in Pontocho, so people would see him there, and no one would suspect that he and Chikao committed the crime. He thought the customers here would vouch for his father.”
“So Kaoru planned to meet Chikao at Ginjiro’s that night, after closing?” Hiro asked.
“I didn’t know any of this,” Mina said, “but I don’t believe my husband went to vandalize the brewery. He took the money with him, which he wouldn’t do unless he meant to pay off Kaoru’s debt. At least, I want to believe that was his plan and that he changed his mind about the vandalism before he died.”
Father Mateo glanced at the service counter lined with wooden flasks. “You must have had a successful evening if the profits allowed a payment toward the debt.”
“We didn’t make that much,” Ren said. “Enough to make the initial payment Ginjiro demanded, but nothing more. Even for that, I had to give my half of the evening’s profits too.”
“I thought you disapproved of helping pay off Kaoru’s debts,” the shinobi said.
“I did,” Ren said, “but we couldn’t risk Ginjiro’s giving the brewers’ guild a bad report.”
“Chikao must have given up the plan,” Father Mateo said. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken the money. Maybe a bandit killed him after all.”
“I don’t think so,” Ren replied. “Bandits use swords and daggers, not sake flasks.”
“True,” Hiro said. “But tell me: why didn’t you confess the plan to vandalize Ginjiro’s brewery sooner?”
“Would you have mentioned it in my place?” Ren asked. “To tell the truth, I’m ashamed we even considered it. I’m glad that Mina heard of it and stopped us. I got caught up in wanting something I didn’t have. When she made us stop and think, I realized it wasn’t worth the risk. I thought we could make this brewery work until we joined the guild, and then the guild could help us find a better place to purchase.”
“It didn’t occur to you that Kaoru might not have surrendered the plan?” Hiro asked.
“He said he agreed to abandon it,” Ren said, “and he sounded convincing.”
“We appreciate your honesty,” Hiro said. “We need to go.”
“I will escort the visitors out,” Ren said, turning toward the entry.
Mina bowed and started for the room where her husband’s body lay.
Hiro followed Father Mateo through the passage to the door. After the Jesuit left the building, Hiro turned to Ren. “Do you plan to attend Ginjiro’s trial this afternoon?”
“Someone should,” Ren said. “Kaoru is not reliable, and Mina doesn’t want to—”
“I will be there.” Kaoru stepped into view.
Hiro wondered where Chikao’s son had been during their conversation and how much he had overheard. Based on the angry look on the young man’s face, he had heard it all.
Kaoru scowled at Hiro. “I intend to watch my father’s killer die.”
* * *
Hiro and Father Mateo left the Lucky Monkey and turned north on the road that paralleled Pontocho.
The Jesuit shook his head. “We’re out of time. I really thought we’d find the killer and save Ginjiro.”
“We found the killer,” Hiro said.
Father Mateo stopped in the street. “But how? We don’t know for sure who killed Chikao.”
“I do,” Hiro said, “and now, I think I can prove it.”