“One night when I was at the Half Moon Pleasure House, she stole my account book. Later she tried to blackmail me. Spaen had told her the book was a record of all the goods smuggled and everyone involved. She knew I dealt in Christian contraband, and when you told her about the crucifix on Spaen’s body, she guessed that I had killed him. The night he disappeared, she saw me come to his room and lead him away. If I didn’t pay, she would send the book to Edo, and I would be executed. She misled you by lying about Urabe being on Deshima because she didn’t want you to find out about me before I paid. But I didn’t have the money. So I killed her. I had no choice.”

A weary desolation saturated Iishino’s voice. He sank to his knees, letting the gun dangle. “I never meant to hurt anyone. Things just … happened.”

“Such as when you burned my house?” Sano said, fitting the last crime into the scheme of events.

Sadly Iishino nodded. “I wanted to make sure you would never expose my crimes to the Edo authorities. I had no choice, no choice.”

Sano took one cautious step forward, then another, until he stood within touching distance of Iishino. He noticed that Hirata and Supreme Judge Takeda had reduced the opposition down to Nirin and one guard. Their swords clashed with increasing ferocity as they circled and darted some twenty paces away. With luck, the battle could end in victory for Sano’s side. One grab, and the gun was his—

“Stop! Don’t go in there!”

The cry from the door shattered Sano’s concentration. Iishino’s head swiveled. They both stared as Chief Ohira walked into the hall. Judges Segawa and Dazai followed, panting and flustered.

“He got away from us,” Segawa whined.

Fearing that Ohira had come to aid the smugglers, Sano was puzzled yet relieved when the chief merely knelt by the door. But the interruption jarred Iishino out of his lethargy. He leapt to his feet and poked the gun at Sano’s face. “Get away!”

Sano sprang backward, heart in his throat. “Iishino,” he began.

Iishino’s eyes shone with renewed defiance. “You think you can trick me. But I’m too smart, too smart. You won’t capture me, because I’m going to kill you!” His shaking finger touched the trigger.

Even as Sano stared at his own death, a terrible premonition wafted over him like a bad odor, taking his attention from Iishino. He looked toward the door and saw Chief Ohira draw his short sword. Judges Segawa and Dazai hovered behind him; the battle raged on.

“Ohira!” Sano shouted. “No!”