Akitada took up his bowl and ate a bite. "Please continue your analysis of the murder," he said curtly, after he had swallowed some very dry rice.
His host, disconcerted by Akitada's tone, stammered, "Oh. Yes. Motives. Well, er, as far as your friend Hirata is concerned, he seems to get along with everybody. I could not discover a motive. Master Tanabe also was always very patient with the man. I think we can eliminate both of them. Fujiwara, on the other hand, is more complicated. He's another easygoing fellow, but Oe hated him and never missed an opportunity to malign Fujiwara publicly or privately. The incident at the poetry contest may have been the last straw for Fujiwara. A definite motive of revenge, I would say."
Akitada ran a finger between his stiff collar and his neck. Perspiration made the silk cling to his hot skin. "You are guessing," he said. "Hirata, or I for that matter, may have had a motive you know nothing of, and Fujiwara may be so easygoing that nothing will ever push him to violence."
Nishioka looked offended. He snapped, "You must remember that I know my colleagues a great deal better than you do." Gobbling a few bites of his vegetables, he muttered, "I suppose you will next defend Takahashi. That man hates everybody and does his best to make them suffer! Even you must remember that he was practically incoherent with fury after what Oe did to his precious memorial. I would call that a strong motive of revenge."
"I think," said Akitada, "that one should guard especially carefully against pinning a crime on a man one dislikes."
Nishioka put down his rice bowl with a distinct rattle. "Perhaps," he said, controlling his voice carefully, "you would honor me with your views on the others?"
Well, thought Akitada, it serves me right. Why can't I keep my temper under control and my mouth shut? There was nothing he could do, except comply and hope that Nishioka would gradually calm down. "I found Sato quite interesting," he said calmly, pretending nothing had happened. "He is outwardly quiet but has things to hide. The private lessons are against university rules, and there is gossip about scandalous affairs with women in his university quarters. I am sure that you know more about this than I."
Nishioka hesitated, but the temptation was too great. "Quite right," he said. "And he could not afford to lose his position, for he is poor and has a sizable family. Oe was about to pounce on him."
"Ah, self-preservation," Akitada said with a nod.
"Exactly! But don't forget Ono. As Oe's assistant, Ono has always hoped to succeed as head of Chinese studies some day. For that he put up with years of abuse and overwork."
"Yes, that gives him two reasons to murder: revenge and self-interest," said Akitada.
Mollified, Nishioka jumped up to fetch some wine. He filled their cups. Akitada drank thirstily with hardly a thought to this afternoon's classes. "Good," he said. "Is this the promised treat?"
Nishioka laughed. "No. Be patient! Well, what do you think of my reasoning so far?"
"It covers the faculty," said Akitada, letting Nishioka refill his cup. "But in fact, it could have been anyone else. Students, staff, visitors, friends, family."
Nishioka waved a dismissive hand. "Oe had no friends, and no close family to speak of. As for staff, they never had any particularly strong feelings about Oe, and Oe rarely ever bothered himself with them. The same is true of the students- with one notable exception: Ishikawa. Ishikawa is as poor as he is clever, and this spring he and Oe suddenly became uncharacteristically close. Ishikawa began grading papers for Oe. Very curious, that."
"Yes," said Akitada. "Particularly in view of the fact that Ishikawa had won your bets. Surely he did not need the money Oe paid him."
Nishioka dropped a piece of radish he had been raising to his mouth and flushed with irritation. "They were not my bets," he cried. "I wish you would not dwell on the matter."
"Sorry," murmured Akitada. "I think you suspect that Oe rigged the examination with the knowledge of Ishikawa."
"Of course he did. It was a clever scheme with no one the wiser about Oe's involvement. Ishikawa won the bet. But I think he turned over most of the winnings to Oe. Everybody noticed the change in Ishikawa after the examination. He became disrespectful to Oe, and Oe put up with it. There is even a rumor that Ishikawa attacked Oe. To me it smells exactly like a falling-out of conspirators." Nishioka's long nose twitched as if the bad smell had suddenly risen from his vegetables.
"Do you have any proof for that?"
"What proof? All you have to do is watch people's actions. I think Ishikawa blackmailed Oe. What do you think of that?"
Akitada had arrived at the same conviction quite a while ago. Unfortunately it did not seem to explain the murder. He said, "It was Oe who was killed, not Ishikawa. Why would Ishikawa kill the source of his income?"
"What if Oe got tired of Ishikawa's demands and was threatening him with expulsion?"
"Would he not have worried about Ishikawa revealing the whole scheme? That would have ended his university career."
"Oe had nothing to lose. He had already decided to retire."
"How do you know that?" Akitada asked, surprised.
"From what he said and how he said it. Remember, I keep my eyes and ears open all the time. Oe had the money from the bets and he detested his teaching duties. I expect he was getting ready to sell his position to the highest bidder." He paused and chuckled suddenly. "I wonder if Ono knew that. He is poor and that would certainly have given him another motive to kill Oe."
Akitada remarked, "Well, there seem to be enough choices, but hardly any facts to support your suspicions."
Nishioka nodded. "Fujiwara, Takahashi, Ono, Sato and Ishikawa. And facts are immaterial, provided you can eliminate all but one."
Akitada sighed. The vegetables had been very salty, and he drank deeply from Nishioka's wine.
Nishioka seemed inured to the food and heat. "As far as opportunity is concerned, Fujiwara certainly could have gone to the temple after the competition, and he is strong enough to lift the body, but he would have had to make an appointment with Oe beforehand. Takahashi is in the same position, and so is Sato."
"All of them could have run into Oe by accident and decided to act then," Akitada pointed out. "The university gate was neither locked nor guarded because of the holiday."
"I had thought of that, but it is not as likely. And I do not like coincidence. Ishikawa and Ono left with Oe and did not return to the contest. We have only their word that they separated at the gate. These two are the most likely for opportunity, either separately or together."
"Ono claims he returned, but go on." Akitada pushed his food away. He wished he could leave.
Nishioka rubbed his hands. "That brings me finally to our murderer's personality. Taking the less likely suspects first, Fujiwara is a talented but unconventional character. He cares nothing for appearances or personal fame and would therefore not be troubled by perceived insults. In that sense he is the exact opposite of Takahashi. Takahashi's motive becomes much stronger when you consider his vanity; however, he has an exaggerated sense of propriety which would counteract his desire for revenge. Sato, I confess, puzzles me. At times, I suspect, he has strong emotions, but at others he seems as uncaring as Fujiwara. Those two drink together quite a bit in the local wine shops, did you know?"
"The fact that a man enjoys the night life does not necessarily imply that he has no strong values." Akitada said sharply, increasingly irritated with the chatty, opinionated Nishioka and no longer intrigued by the promise of a mysterious treat.
"Very true. In any case, even given their different temperaments, none of the three has entirely satisfactory traits. Now let us move on to our prime suspects, Ono and Ishikawa. Ono is a repressed fellow who is capable of immense patience. But such men may explode when they see all their suffering wasted. Ishikawa on the other hand has a much stronger mind. He would plan, but without sacrificing face or safety. Instead of exploding, he would avert disaster by taking timely action. Either way, both Ono and Ishikawa would kill Oe. There, that ends my analysis of the case." Nishioka folded his arms with a triumphant smile.