The Hasekura Case, Volume 2

Hasekura Kihei has evaded the Tokyo police with mocking letters and carefully chosen intermediaries. A new rendezvous draws the chase toward its end, but his capture opens a far more difficult contest over what can be proved.

Police questioning exposes an assault, suspicious fires and the disappearance of the young maid Sada. A confession appears to settle the case, until the prisoner retracts it and alleges coercion. The examining judge must sift conflicting accounts of money, clothing, a recovered body and even the date a streetcar line opened.

First published in 1927, Kōga Saburō’s detective narrative follows not only pursuit but also the uncertainties of interrogation and judicial evidence. This second volume carries the story from arrest to the conclusion of the preliminary examination, then turns to the hardships endured by Hasekura’s wife.