Ghost of the Bamboo Road by Susan Spann

Author:Susan Spann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ghost of th Bamboo Road
ISBN: 9781633885516
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Published: 2019-10-21T16:00:00+00:00

Pale sunshine streamed over the treetops. Its feeble brilliance sparkled on the thin veneer of snow. Only scattered wisps of cloud streaked through the clear blue sky.

Father Mateo’s breath made clouds in the chilly air. “Where should we start?”

Hiro gestured to Mume’s house. “We need to speak with everyone, to be certain the information reaches both the killer and the thief. We might as well start here.”

The door swung open in response to Hiro’s knock, but instead of the woman they expected, they found themselves facing a man of unusual height, with a heavily muscled frame that looked strong enough to wrestle bears. But for the few faint lines around his eyes, Hiro might have mistaken him for a man in his early twenties.

“Good morning gentlemen.” As he bowed, a swirl of warm air escaped the house, redolent with the musky scents of wood smoke, oxen, and manure. “I am Taso. Mume mentioned your visit, and that you spoke about Ishiko-san.”

The priest returned the bow. “Good morning. I am Father Mateo Ávila de Santos, and this is my scribe, Matsui Hiro.”

Etiquette neither required nor permitted a samurai to bow to a laborer, so Hiro merely nodded.

“Thank you for honoring me with a visit,” Taso replied, “but, regrettably, I doubt I can add anything to what my wife has told you.”

Hiro noted the unusual refinement of the large man’s speech. “You do not speak like a man who carries burdens on the travel road.”

Taso’s cheeks flushed pink as he dipped his head in acknowledgment. “My father works as an artisan woodcrafter in Hakone. As a child, I studied with a tutor there.”

“And yet, you did not continue as an artisan.” Hiro’s observation carried the weight of an inquiry.

“I did not wish to spend my life inhaling lacquer fumes, and these paws”—he raised his enormous hands—“were not built for delicate joinery. I ran away as soon as I was old enough to bear a load.”

“How did you end up here, if you don’t mind me asking?” Father Mateo asked.

“In the village?” Taso looked up the narrow street. “One of the men I worked with on the travel road became like a father to me.” His gaze returned to the Jesuit. “He had no wife, and no children, so I moved into this house with him and cared for him until he died. He left the house to me, and I remained. By then, this was my home.”

Hiro shifted the conversation. “You chose not to work today?”

“My wife was frightened by what happened to Masako-san.” Taso glanced at the teahouse. “She asked me not to leave her alone, in case the ghost returns.”

“I suspect the killer is a living person and a thief, and not a yūrei,” Hiro said. “Although the foreign priest intends to offer prayers tonight in the hope that the spirit will not disturb your village any longer.”

He chose his words carefully, opting for partial truths in place of outright lies.

Taso looked concerned. “Was something stolen from the teahouse?”

“From the ryokan,” Hiro corrected.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.