Petronius looked intrigued. "Paid by?"
"He refuses to say."
"He needs to be watched," said Petro quickly. "Tell Frontinus to keep a visitors list for him."
"Tell him yourself. Come and eat with us. Frontinus and Hilaris know what you're doing in their province. I bet even the gang has noticed your fine presence. You may as well stop skulking in that dirty tunic."
He joined the party, though he refused to change his outfit. It drew immediate comment from my sister, when she saw him come out into the garden alongside me. "That's a disgraceful garment. You look like something the tide washed in."
"I'm clean underneath," Petronius reassured her, taking a sneaky squint at Norbanus, accompanied by a leer to emphasize that he and Maia were old acquaintances. "I've been working at a public baths. Want to check?" he offered her, pretending to pull up his tunic.
"No, I have enough children to inspect at bathtime," Maia retorted. "We haven't met," Norbanus introduced himself. "Lucius Norbanus Murena-I'm in property."
"Lucius Petronius Longus-I'm not." It could be taken as rude, or merely playful. Norbanus chose to smile.
Apparently bored, Petronius wandered off to find himself a plate of food.
The company had thinned out. We were almost down to family, though Norbanus had decided to include himself. Popillius was still here too, talking intently to the governor by the ornamental pool. Maybe I did him wrong earlier. Maybe he had come tonight intending to stick up for his two clients.
I noticed Aelia Camilla looking toward Petro anxiously. She spoke to Gaius in an undertone; he nodded. Petronius was now munching, slightly by himself. Aelia Camilla waited until he had finished, then went and sat by him. Conversation had sunk to a murmur and I managed to overhear. "I am so sorry for your loss. This is perhaps not the time, but I don't know whether you will stay with us tonight… We have tried to find out for you which of your children has survived. I just wanted you to know, my dear. Petronilla is alive and safe."
Petronius said something, very briefly. Aelia Camilla rose quietly and left him. I caught Helena's eye. Tears started and she grabbed my hand. Even Maia seemed alert to the situation, though she was flirting with Norbanus, perhaps to distract him.
Petronius stood up. To go into the house he would have had to pass too close by too many people. He walked away to a bench where he could sit with his back to us. He slumped with his head in his hands. We all knew that he was overcome. I moved, to go to him. Aelia Camilla shook her head, suggesting I give him privacy.
Most of us were silent when Frontinus and Popillius approached, having completed a circuit of the garden. Petronius, who must have recovered a little, had just raised his head and was staring at the pool. Popillius noticed him. "Is that the man who showed me the corpse this afternoon?" the lawyer demanded of me. I was ready to kick his feet from under him if he tried to go near Petronius; that was preferable to Petro himself lashing out.
"Friend of mine. Corpses are his hobby." My tone was brusque.
"I thought he worked on the docks… What's his official role?" This time Popillius addressed the governor.
"Eyewitness," snapped back Frontinus. "He saw the corpse pulled out of the river."
Popillius did not buy it. "Is he working for you, sir?" Frontinus was mild. "He has excellent credentials, but other people own him."
"People in Rome?"
"It is no secret." Either Frontinus had drunk too much tonight, or he was angrier than we realized that an officer had been sent here without due clearance. Before I could stop him he came out with it: "He's a member of the vigiles."
"Then," retorted the lawyer, as if he had scored a brilliant point, "he has no jurisdiction here!"
"That's right," agreed Frontinus, sorting out the best remaining almond cakes on a comport. He was calm, and said almost satirically, "I am outraged to find him working in my province. If he discovers any dirty secrets I shall confiscate the evidence, and if he incriminates anyone, I shall claim all the credit." Chin jutting, he leaned forward from the seat on which he had plumped down. Before he popped an almond cake in his mouth he told Popillius in a much harder tone, "Anyone who enables me to stamp hard on criminal organizers is welcome in Londinium."
Popillius could hardly rebuke Julius Frontinus, legate of Augustus, for wanting to run a clean town. The lawyer thanked Aelia Camilla for his dinner, then went home.
Norbanus had been watching with some amusement. "A jurisdiction problem?" he inquired.
Frontinus felt the need to add to his earlier statement: "I know Petronius Longus. I would bring him in on permanent secondment, but the Prefect of the Urban Cohorts won't release him; he's too good!"
"Oh, so that's what he does," exclaimed Norbanus in a silky tone. I felt uneasy, but he turned back to Maia.
Petronius stood up. He came back toward us, walking straight past Maia without looking at her. Aelia Camilla jumped to her feet, met him, and hugged him briefly. She passed him on to Helena, who was still weeping for him, so she too quickly embraced him and passed him straight to me. His face was drawn, and I could not help but notice that his cheeks were wet. He accepted our sympathy but was somewhere else, lost in suffering; he had different points of reference and different priorities.
He continued toward the house. "Stay with us here, at least for tonight," urged Aelia Camilla, calling out after him. He looked back and nodded once, then went indoors alone.
Norbanus must have watched this short scene with even more curiosity; I heard Maia explaining, "A close friend of the family who has had a bereavement. We are all very fond of him."
"Poor man." We could not expect Norbanus to show real sympathy. For one thing, he must be wondering just how close a friend to Maia this friend she was very fond of might have been. It was clear that a good guest would take his leave at such a sad moment, so this Norbanus did. Maia found the grace to go along and see him out.
As soon as they were beyond earshot, I suggested to Hilaris that we have Norbanus tailed. I still viewed him with suspicion. It was impossible that he would return to his downriver villa after dark; taking a boat would be unsafe. So I wanted to discover where he stayed in town. A discreet observer set off after the Norbanus carrying chair when he called for it; luckily he had dallied at the door for conversation with Maia, so our man was securely in place when Norbanus left the residence.
I went for a late-night drink with Hilaris in his study, while we compared notes and relaxed in private. We had always gotten on well. We talked for much longer than I realized. When I left him to join Helena in our room, all the corridors lay silent, dimly lit by earthenware oil lamps on side tables or spaced at intervals along the floor. The slaves had cleared up long ago.
Wearily I made my way to the suites where houseguests were lodged. To my disgust even at that late hour, I ran into the damned harpist, loitering with his spotty boy. I told them to clear off, making a vow to have Maia return them to Norbanus next day. She could be polite about it, but we were overdue to shed the nosy pair.
I badly wanted to be with Helena, but first I went to check on Petronius. He and I had had fifteen years of seeing each other through troubles; Helena would expect me to offer him solace. That meant if he was drinking, I would either join in or stop him. If he wanted to talk I would listen. Hades, if the poor lad was sleeping, I would even tuck him in.
But another kind of comfort was on offer: I spotted Maia ahead of me. As I approached his door, I saw her knock quickly and go in. To reach my own room, I had to pass outside. Maia, stupidly, had left the door ajar. Maybe she thought she would be thrown out. Anyway, I could not carry on without them seeing me; once again I had been put in a position where I had to overhear my sister like a spy.