Felix tugged his beard. “You just said you thought Hippolytus wanted Hypatius to become emperor.” He paused, then his face brightened. “Wait. Now I see. Hippolytus was unhinged. He didn’t know what he was doing. He intended to steal the document to ensure it was given to Hypatius, but in his terrible state he forgot what he was doing and murdered Haik instead. Why else should Haik have been killed? The document was the important thing.”
“But what if Haik had possessed other documents, or was prepared to reveal that something of value had been stolen and demand its return? The murderer waited for the chance, slipped into Haik’s room and stole the document. Why take more risk than necessary? Why not insure Haik couldn’t meddle any further by slipping poison into his wine?”
“So Hippolytus planned the murder.”
John offered Felix a thin smile. “Planned a murder using belladonna? A man who had, by all appearances, strangled another man with his bare hands at Saint Laurentius? And where would Hippolytus obtain such a poison? Was he a friend of Antonina, whose apartments are filled with all sorts of concoctions for magick and aids to beauty, including making eyes more attractive? No, it was Julianna who poisoned Haik to save both her father and her lover. But she saved no one. Not even herself.”
Again in memory John pulled a wisp of green silk over Julianna’s still face.
It was not the last time he would do so.