"Plenty to choose from," I retorted grimly. "Day like today, the Lightning Bolt would be a good one."
"That's right," joined in Petronius, who took the point; he spoke with menace. "Anything to do with Jupiter is always popular." To me he muttered, "If they've spread this far north in the city, Frontinus has to take account!"
If this really was a new manager installed by the Florius gang, he knew we were on to the takeover, but simply gave us a contemptuous look.
I called to Helena that we should all leave. She was cold and uncomfortable, and suggested we should warm up at the baths next door. If we struggled back to the residence there would be hot water and dry clothing, but we were all too chilled to pass up this opportunity. It was not entirely self-indulgent. Petronius and I could plan what to do next.
We waded through the flooded street; the drains were so full of water they had backed up. Our party was silent. I was already thinking.
Florius would not return to the brothel. Not if he reasoned that Petronius must be watching the place. The governor could safely raid it and haul in the old hag, with any hangers-on. We could then search the river for the Florius boat and discover whatever other haunts he had.
For the time being, Florius would lie low.
Maybe.
When we entered the baths, I winked at the manager, who then found himself haggling. Petronius Longus had taken charge; he wanted a party discount, which was pushing it for a mere four people. Still, the vigiles expect respect for their position, just as gangsters like Pyro and Splice do. All the manager could do was mutter feebly about their high-quality service and how they had plenty of hot water…
"They have a waterwheel!" I exclaimed cheerily. "And a very tired slave who trundles it."
"Myron!" retorted the bathkeeper. "Nothing wrong with Myron's legs! He rattles it along."
That wasn't what I remembered. I tried to ignore it, but the comment niggled. I sighed. "Save a strigil for me-I want to check something…" I did not tell Petro, but I suddenly realized I might have missed Florius by a hair's breadth.
It took no time to hop back to that building where I had looked in at the waterwheel. In fine weather, it seemed pretty close. Outside the shack, I paused. This was stupid. I was chasing someone dangerous; I should have brought Petronius with me. I drew my sword. Very gently I pushed open the door and stepped inside.
I noticed immediately that the waterwheel was chuntering much more robustly than before. The man on the treadmill must have extra energy. The light was dim even now that the storm had abated, but I could make out the works. The raising system was spectacular. It had been installed inside a huge wood-lined well that was so wide two men could have stood in it with their arms outstretched. They might have drowned if they tried it, however; I could not see how deep the shaft went. Remembering past terrors, I felt sick just looking down it. If Verovolcus had been pitched in here, he would have vanished from view and nobody would ever have found him. That would have spared me a lot of grief.
A looped iron chain, operated by a wheel, dropped into the pitch-dark depths below, bringing water up in a long line of rectangular wooden buckets. A human treadmill alongside kept the upper wheel rotating and the buckets churning. I found the treadmill, grabbed a rung, and hung on. The mechanism was about ten feet high, worked by a man inside who kept walking doggedly all day, presumably. Jarred by the pressure as I braked his wheel, he now stopped. He was a stick-insect slave in a headband who looked offended that I had broken in on his solitude.
"You must be Myron. Having a bad day, are you? I'm sorry to intrude again. Tell me, Myron, who made you take a rest from your work, earlier?"
Myron eyed up my sword. Still, he was game. "Are you going to pay me to tell you?"
"No. I'm going to kill you if you don't confess."
"Fair enough!" A pragmatist.
"He's a racketeer," I warned. "You're lucky to be still alive. Shaved head and ridiculous trousers, am I right?"
Myron nodded and sighed. "I didn't even get a rest-he just jumped right in with me. Was it you who opened the door? He was squashed here, with his hand over my mouth."
"Better than up your bum."
"Oh, I get no fun! He kicked me and made me keep on walking so it would sound normal."
"You weren't going at your normal pace."
"He was getting in my bloody way."
"Where did he go afterwards?"
"I don't know and I don't care. He gave me a belting and told me to keep my mouth shut about seeing him. Why should I? You'll just belt me again… If you catch him, do give him a wallop for me. I do a good job, without all this."
"Did you know him? He's called Florius."
"Seen him before. He came around with some other fellow, wanting to invest in the bathhouse. They know there's going to be a fort, I daresay. I'll be flogging along at a fast pace then." This gang's tentacles were extending everywhere-and they were quick to find investment opportunities. Myron added, "They call themselves the Jupiter Company. Nice ring!
"Heavenly! Who was the other man?"
"Don't know. Perfectly decent stiff. He was actually polite to me."
"Don't be fooled, Myron. Either of them would slit your gullet."
"Ah yes," exclaimed Myron, who must be a bit of a character. "But the one who was not Florius would apologize nicely first!"
I returned to the baths and picked up my companions. There was no point depressing them by revealing that Florius had fooled me. I told them it was time to go. I was too upset myself to bathe.
We were all tired out, and on the way home human error brought us away from the direct route and to the area near the forum. Shivering now, we pressed on as the skies cleared more and the rain left only a faint haze.
No sun came out. Instead, a breeze blustered around us. The air, which should have cleared, was heavy with moisture, humidity clogging the atmosphere. It clogged the lungs too. We were all wheezing.
As our road climbed, we soon realized we were at the rear of the civic center.
"That's the lawyer's house," said Helena. I nodded. I could not care less. "You should tackle him," she instructed me. "What, now? What about?"
"His clients. Pyro and Splice. He may not know their fates-or if he does, you could ask him how he found out."
I was tired, cold, wet, and miserable. I would have liked to be the slapdash kind of informer who ignored loose ends. No chance. I had often told Helena that flair and intuition were all I needed, but she forced me to use dogged sleuthing. For her, being wet through and weary was no excuse. She dragged me into the Popillius house. We had to take Albia, and Petro came too out of curiosity.
Popillius looked pleased to have company. Well, lawyers are gregarious.
"I'm Falco, and you know Helena; we have Albia with us. Albia in fact is contemplating a claim for damages against your employers-" Popillius' sandy eyebrows shot up. I bet he was now wondering if Albia would hire him; he would not wonder for long, once he worked out that she had no money. "And this is Petronius Longus, a member of the Roman vigiles."
He had blinked slightly as I reeled off the introductions. Clearly remembering that Frontinus had revealed what Petro did, Popillius looked hard at him. Petro just glared back. The vigiles are used to being despised. They are rude, brutal, and proud of it. "May I offer refreshments?"
"No, don't put yourself out."
"The young girl seems troubled…"
But Helena drew Albia aside and sat with her. Petronius looked On caustically, while I braced up to Popillius.
"Popillius, a question: have you managed to see your two clients yet?"
"I have not. In fact, I may have to get angry with the governor, if this delay continues-"
Petronius barked with laughter. "I wouldn't try it!"
I kinked up an eyebrow at Popillius. "No one has told you?"
The lawyer was on the alert now. He gave me an inquiring look, not speaking.