I shook my head. ‘Not a stranger, I am sure of that. It is clear that the killer was admitted freely to the house. There is no sign of a struggle, or forced entry anywhere. Antoninus was sitting calmly at his desk. Besides, would any thief leave precious objects like that water clock? And why burn documents if you’re a passer-by? So either a client, or someone with a key. I presume Antoninus had some family? And I think you mentioned slaves — someone will have to question them as well.’
He nodded. ‘No family that I know of, but he did have slaves. There are two of them: a pretty little chap that Antoninus uses as a personal attendant and a pet, and a burly fellow whom he keeps in case of trouble, I suspect. But, as I told you earlier, he sends them both away if he’s doing business of the kind we spoke about. They will not come back till dusk, I expect.’
‘And who would know that?’
‘Any of his clients.’ Redux refused to look me in the eyes.
‘So when you come to see him, who comes to let you in? He doesn’t leave the door ajar in this way normally?’
He shrugged. ‘Of course not. You have to knock and wait. He’d let you in himself. I think he would peer through the key-space to make sure it was you. And he always insisted that you sent your slaves away. He said it was essential for proper secrecy. But it’s very unsettling when you’re used to having them — it makes you feel exposed and unprotected. Which is exactly why he did it, I expect.’
‘So anybody could have come this afternoon, and expected to find him unaccompanied?’
‘Any of his clients, that is, who knew that he had a private appointment at this time.’ He patted the collected bark fragments into a single roll and tied them with a ribbon lying on the desk. ‘Which is odd, when you think about it, wouldn’t you agree? Because you tell me that you had no arrangement till you got that note, and that was after the wedding was postponed. But he would have expected to be at the feast all day, and he would have made no other appointments for this afternoon. So who might have known that you were coming here and that Antoninus would therefore be conveniently alone?’
‘Just what I was about to ask, myself.’ The voice was unexpected, and I whirled around to see a Roman soldier standing at the door. A legionary tribune by the look of it, a youth in decorative armour, fancy cloak-clasps and expensive boots and a look of self-importance on his handsome face. He was standing in a swaggering attitude now, one hand on his baton and the other on his sword, looking down his long and narrow nose at us, while Minimus cowered behind him and glanced nervously at me.
‘I found this soldier in the wine shop, master, as you said. .’ he began, but was silenced by a heavy cuff around the ear.
‘I was talking to these citizens,’ the tribune snapped, in Latin that was absurdly cultured and refined.
I gave an inward groan. When I had sent Minimus out to fetch the guard I had not envisaged this. I’d expected some humble auxiliary from the Rhineland, perhaps, anxious to earn an honest copper coin or two by taking charge, not an arrogant young aristocrat sent out from Rome for the customary short spell in the army before a senatorial seat — an imitation officer with a career to make. Such youths may never see a battle in their lives and generally had scant respect for lowlier citizens — especially not for ancient Celts like me.
He proved my fears by marching to the desk and lifting Antoninus’s head as I had done, beneath the chin but with his baton rather than his hand. He let it fall again with an unpleasant thump, and then he turned to me. ‘You, in the scruffy toga, you heard what I said. From what I overheard you were expected here and the household slaves have all been sent away. What was your business with this citizen?’
‘I’m not completely sure.’ Even as I spoke, I knew it sounded lame. ‘I simply got a message asking me to come. Here — ’ I fished into my tunic — ‘read it for yourself. .’ I was about to hand the tablet to him before I remembered I had scratched out the message and written over it, and now I had no proof that I’d been summoned here.
I explained this to the tribune, but he looked unimpressed. ‘I believe you, citizen, of course,’ he said, with just the degree of courteous mockery that told me he did nothing of the kind. ‘I just hope that my superiors will do the same. I will have to ask you to accompany me, of course.’
I blanched. ‘But it’s the truth,’ I stammered. ‘I’m sure this citizen will vouch for me. .’ I turned to Redux.
But he refused to look me in the eye. It was clear that I was going to get no help from him. He shook his head. ‘I never saw the note. Libertus simply told me he was coming here, and I accompanied him because I knew the way. I’d had dealings with Antoninus in the way of trade — I’d even spoken to him at a wedding, earlier today. In fact, this pavement-maker was a guest as well, but the feast was cancelled because the father was found dead.’
The tribune looked scathingly at me. I was not surprised. If Redux had intended to cast doubt on me, he could hardly have chosen his words with greater skill. ‘I see. And you are a friend of this so-called pavement-maker, I presume? Though you seem unlikely acquaintances, from your form of dress.’ He looked at my companion’s fancy tunic with disdain.
Redux fussed daintily with his embroidered cuffs. ‘I had never seen him till the wedding feast. Though he was conspicuous there. He took charge after the host was dead. Then later he called on me at my warehouse at the docks. I was not expecting him.’
‘And you? Where did you go when you left the feast?’
‘Directly back to work. I’m sure the overseer at the dock would vouch for that. He hires my slaves when I’m not using them, and he was surprised to see me back so soon. The pavement-maker did not come for quite a little while.’
‘So, there would have been time to have called here on the way.’ The tribune turned back to me again, less supercilious and more threatening now. ‘I’m afraid, citizen, that you’ll need better witnesses than that — unless you are proposing to rely upon your slave? I’ll take him away and have him questioned if you like.’
Minimus looked stricken and I shook my head. Of course, the boy would vouch for me, if I was called to court, but a servant’s unsupported testimony is of no account. It is assumed that he will dutifully support his master’s report of everything — indeed he would be likely to be punished otherwise — so such slaves are generally handed over to the men with whips and brands to ensure that the truth is tortured out of them. I prayed for Minimus’s sake it would not come to that.
It may have been the gods that gave me an idea. ‘Helena Domna!’ I said suddenly. ‘She knew that a message came for me at the house, and she knew what it said. She insisted on looking at the note.’
‘Helena Domna? The mother of Councillor Honorius?’ Even the tribune was visibly impressed. ‘I have heard tales of him.’
‘Ex-councillor Honorius, now,’ Redux put in at once. ‘He was the one who was found dead today. It is generally supposed that there was poison in his wine.’
The officer made a thoughtful pouting movement with his lips. ‘And this citizen just happened to be there?’ He turned to me. ‘Let’s have a look at you.’ He took his dagger out and held it casually in the region of my heart while with his other hand he moved my cloak aside and ran his fingers round my toga belt. I knew, in a sinking moment, what he was about to find. I was here, not only without proof that I had been asked to come, but with an empty poison phial hidden in my clothes. If I were investigating Antoninus’s death, I thought, I should be very interested in me.
‘Aha!’ The tribune produced the little bottle with a smirk. ‘And what might you have been carrying in this?’
I explained how I had come by it. It was embarrassing, since Redux had not known that I had taken it. Besides, it was clear that the soldier did not believe a word.