Koushiro! Part 9
In Gennai's parlor, Gennai was discussing some matters with Miss Monks.
"How dare you handle me in this manner! By whose authority am I brought here against my will like a common prisoner? This is fine treatment from you, my father's oldest friend." Miss Monks said angrily.
"It is because I was your father's oldest friend that I am moved to treat you gently, Emily Izumi. What ever possessed you to call yourself Miss Monks?" Gennai asked.
"I had my reasons. What do you want with me?" Miss Monks, or it seemed Emily Izumi, asked.
"Justice for the child called Koushiro." Gennai said.
"I don't what you're talking about." Emily said.
"I believe you do. You see, I am aware that your father took a second wife after your mother died… a young woman named Elisabeth Tachikawa. Your father came here to see me before he left for America." Gennai explained.
"He came here?' Emily asked, startled.
"Yes. He did. Elisabeth, being with child, could not go to America with him, so he left her in the country he thought he could trust. As he passed through Tokyo, he left with me this portrait of Elisabeth which he painted himself as a wedding present." Gennai said, gesturing to the portrait.
"What of it?" Emily asked as she glanced nervously at the portrait.
"When Koushiro lay here recovering from fever I noticed his strong resemblance to the portrait." Gennai explained.
"But what does all of this have to do with me?" Emily asked.
"When your father died suddenly in America, you acted out of jealousy to prevent your father's testimony from being carried out." Gennai said.
"Did I?" Emily said indignantly and sat down.
"You forced Elisabeth to leave the safety of friends. Without the money she had no choice but that miserable workhouse where she bore her child and died." Gennai said.
"Those are strong words sir." Emily said.
"I have talked to the legal council who handled your father's affairs. I know you took the will from your father's house after his death and left the country for a few years. I'm sure you were afraid that somehow this wonderful child would discover his true identity, so you returned to search for him. When you discovered Koushiro in London, you made your infamous bargain with that foul villain, Taichi." Gennai accused.
"You can't prove anything against me. I defy you to do it." Emily said as she jumped up.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kido have confessed their part in your crime. Do you still defy me?" Gennai asked.
"No… no." Emily said, shrinking into the chair.
"I should think not. You are a disgrace to the memory of your father. You may bring him in now Mrs. Bedwin." Gennai said. Mrs. Bedwin, Mrs. Grimwig, and Koushiro all came into the room. Koushiro stopped at the sight of Emily.
"The lady in black!" Koushiro gasped.
"Don't be alarmed Koushiro. Come, sit beside me. This young woman is Emily Izumi. She is your stepsister." Gennai explained.
"My… my sister sir?" Koushiro asked.
"Yes. You are the son of her father and my dear departed friend, Mr. Benjamin Izumi, by his second wife, Elisabeth Tachikawa, who died when you were born." Gennai explained and picked up a piec of paper from the table.
"I have here a copy of the will of Benjamin Izumi. It provides an annuity to his daughter, Emily, but the bulk of the property will go to Elisabeth and her child. According to the will, if the child is born a girl, she would inherit the money unconditionally. However, if the child is born a boy, he will only inherit the money if he has never committed any public act of cowardice, dishonor, or wrong." Gennai explained.
"Yes! I would have done anything to get the full inheritance. And I would have succeeded if it had not been for the foolish girl who interfered on his behalf." Emily said angrily.
"Let that brave girl's murder rest on your conscience. But there's more to this. The proof of Koushiro's parentage." Gennai said. Mrs. Bedwin got up to let Mr. Kido and Miss Megan in.
"Why, do my eyes decieve me, or is this little Koushiro? if you only knew how much I've been grieving for you, poor boy." Mr. Kido said, pretending to be delighted.
"Hold your tongue you old fool." Miss Megan snapped at Mr. Kido.
"I believe you once had in your possession a certain gold locket which belonged to a young woman who died in childbirth at the workhouse. But you sold the locket to this young woman." Gennai said to Miss Megan.
"Yes, for 350 yen. And she destroyed it." Miss Megan explained.
"And what did the locket have inside it?" Gennai asked.
"Two locks of red hair and a wedding ring with the name Elisabeth Tachikawa Izumi engraved inside." Miss Megan said.
"Yes. Proof of Koushiro's parentage. Now, you two may go, but if conditions do not improve at the workhouse, I will see it shut down and the two of you on the streets. Do I make myself clear?" Gennai said.
"Yes sir. Perfectly clear." Mr. Kido said. He and Miss Megan exited the house and went back towards the workhouse.
"You may leave now, but I warn you… never interfere with me or the boy again." Gennia warned. Emily scowled at Koushiro and left.
"Now Koushiro. I have one more thing to tell you. The lady in the portrait is Elisabeth Tachikawa Izumi." Gennai said.
"My mother!" Koushiro exclaimed.
"Yes. And this young lady sitting here…" Gennai said, gesturing to Mimi.
"Mimi?" Koushiro asked.
"Mimi Tachikawa, your mother's youngest sister, and consequently, your aunt." Gennai said.
"My aunt!" Koushiro said happily.
"We shall never be separated again Koushiro. Gennai is adopting you. We shall all live together. You have a family of your own now Koushiro." Mimi explained and hugged Koushiro.
"And friends who will never doubt you again. Now that everything is settled, can't we all go in to dinner? You have made some of those excellent muffins, haven't you Mrs. Bedwin?" Mrs. Grimwig asked.
"Indeed I have ma'am." Mrs. Bedwin said.
"To dinner! Koushiro, kindly lead the way!" Gennai said. He and all the other occupants of the room went into the dining room for dinner.
As for the other characters, here's what happened to them:
Taichi: Was hung in front of a cheering crowd for his many crimes.
TK: Got a light sentence of only 2 months hard labor and grew up to become a novelist about his many adventures with the thieves.
Kari: Also got a light sentence and eventually married TK.
Mr. Kido: Improved the workhouse immensely and was named Saint Jyou Kido.
Miss Megan: Eventually lightened up on Mr. Kido and became a kind and loving mother to all the orphans in the orphanage.
Mr. Sowerberry: Made the coffins Taichi, Sora, and Yamato were buried in.
Noah Claypole: After Mr. Sowerberry was told of what really happened, was thrown out onto the streets and now resides in Mr. Kido's orphanage.
Charissa: Ran away from the Sowerberry's and got a job with Gennai.
Miss Sellers: Still lived her boring life as a bookstore clerk.
Emily Izumi AKA Miss Monks: Fled to America where she spent her money foolishly and died in poverty.
