Free The Samurai and the Long-Nosed Devils by Lensey Namioka Page B

countrymen.”
    In silence everyone stared at the two sets of prints. Finally Kagemasa turned to the two Fujikawa samurai and said, “I find this man’s argument quite convincing.”
    It was clear that the two samurai had become less certain of Pedro’s guilt. One of them, however, set his jaw stubbornly and glared at Zenta. “All right, I admit that the Portuguese was not the one who did the actual killing, but he might have ordered you to do it. He could have taught you to fire a gun.”
    â€œIf my employer wanted me to murder Lord Fujikawa, he would have ordered me to use a sword,” said Zenta. “The gun would immediately place the suspicion on him.”
    For a moment the two Fujikawa men were silent. Then the more stubborn one said, “Who did kill our master, then? The broken fence and the footprints still show that the murderer came from your side.”
    â€œNot necessarily,” said Zenta. “They merely show that the murderer escaped this way. He could have been someone from your side.”
    â€œWhat!” shouted the samurai. “Are you accusing one of us?”
    â€œThis is a very serious charge,” said Kagemasa. “It seems to me that there is another possibility—that the murderer was someone from the outside.”
    â€œHe was barefoot,” Zenta pointed out. “An outsider would most likely have worn sandals. He certainly wouldn’t have taken the trouble to remove his sandals when he stepped into Lord Fujikawa’s room to commit murder. From the bare feet, it would seem that the murderer had been hiding inside the house, or was some member of the household.”
    After giving the two Fujikawa samurai time to think over the idea, Zenta asked, “Did anyone in your household have reason to hate Lord Fujikawa?”
    When he asked the question, Zenta had, of course, already guessed the answer. The two men raised their heads and looked at each other in dismay. Finally one of them said to the other, “Where is Kotaro? Have you seen him this morning?”
    â€œWho is Kotaro?” demanded Kagemasa. “He is in charge of the samurai in our master’s household,” replied Fujikawa’s men. “I would have expected him to lead this assault on the Portuguese, then,” said Kagemasa. The two Fujikawa samurai looked very uncomfortable. “He didn’t appear when we prepared for the assault, and we had to leave without him,” said one of them.
    â€œPerhaps he didn’t want to be seen in public until his hair . . .” began the other man, and then broke off in some confusion. He stole a look at Zenta.
    â€œHe could have worn a scarf over his head in that case,” said the first man. “Maybe he is at home arranging the protection of the womenfolk. After all, with a murderer loose, they must be terrified.”
    â€œThen we shall go immediately to Lord Fujikawa’s residence,” said Kagemasa. He seemed anxious to get out of the hot sun before it ruined his complexion. “Lady Yuki must be overcome with grief, and it is my duty to offer her my condolences. We can inquire about this Kotaro while we are there.”
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    If Lady Yuki felt any grief for her father, she managed to hide every trace of it. This morning she wore no facial makeup except powder. Her skin had almost the purity of snow, which was the meaning of her name. With perfect composure, she received her visitors and gave orders for refreshments to be brought.
    As Kagemasa delivered an elegantly phrased speech of condolence, Lady Yuki bowed her head and pressed her sleeves briefly over her eyes. Zenta noticed that her eyes were quite dry, and he caught her glance at him as she lowered her sleeve. She was probably wondering why he wasn’t under arrest together with the Portuguese. His inclusion as one of the investigating party must have seemed odd to her.
    The ronin looked around the room and noticed Chiyo among