Marcus said placatingly, ‘Yes, I understand it must be distressing. To learn that your wife-’
‘My wife!’ Tommonius exclaimed. ‘That is not important. So, the woman had a lover — she was discreet enough, and it was no great loss. She brought no significant dowry with her when we married — her father’s wealth is all in his home and business — and she had begun to bore me long ago. And I her. But I provided for her, she was decorative and her father’s estate would have come into my hands when he died. It was an arrangement which suited us both.’
I stared at him. This was a peculiarly Roman view of marriage, I thought. But Tommonius had not finished.
‘Now I shall have to divorce her,’ he continued, ‘and have her exiled to some tiresome island. I shall keep the measly marriage portion, of course, since she was caught in flagrante delicto, but thanks to this lawsuit I have lost all hope of the real money. The estate will have gone to that wretched lover’s family as recompense for a trumped-up murder charge — such of it as the old man didn’t manage to smuggle away with him. Thanks to the vagaries of the law.’ He picked up his candle. ‘By the by, I congratulate you on your own marriage, Excellence. May the lady bring you more good fortune than mine did.’
He made as if to leave but Marcus blocked his path. ‘You saw what happened upstairs?’ my patron asked.
‘To Felix?’ Tommonius nodded. ‘Indeed I did. A pity, I had hoped to strike a bargain with him. I hear he was a great importer of goods. But Gaius says it is a judgement of the gods. I trust that is more just than the judgements of men.’ He smiled. ‘Excuse me, Excellence, but I have no great respect for the law — even if you are the one to wield it. Good evening, gentlemen.’
Marcus, who had listened to this in silence, inclined his head and stood back to allow the trader to pass. Tommonius retreated with as much dignity as a man can after he has been surprised in the latrine.
Marcus watched him go. ‘You know who that is, Libertus? The husband of the woman in that murder case this afternoon.’
‘Yes, Excellence,’ I said respectfully. ‘I had rather gathered that.’
‘I heard that he had come to Glevum. I wonder why Felix invited him to the feast?’
I had no real answer to that. ‘For the same reason that he invited Egobarbus, perhaps?’ I suggested. ‘Because he was hoping to strike some bargain with him and wanted to offer him entertainment at no cost to himself?’ From what I had heard of Felix that seemed likely enough.
‘Yes,’ Marcus said. ‘Egobarbus. We are no nearer to finding him.’
‘Nor Zetso either,’ I reminded him. ‘And the man you call Egobarbus is-’
Marcus shook his head impatiently. ‘Terrified out of their wits, most like, the pair of them, after what happened to Felix.’ He motioned for the lamp and began to stride back down the corridor, rather to my relief. I suspect the speed of his step was not unrelated to the overpowering odour of the latrine.
I trotted after him.
Marcus was still talking. ‘Zetso was bodyguard to his master and Egobarbus was the only Celt present. They must both have felt that if any questions were asked, they were likely to fall on them. The public torturers are not always scrupulous in their examination of non-citizens who find themselves under suspicion.’ We were at the top of the staircase by now, and he waved away the lamp-bearer. Most of the other guests had taken advantage of our disappearance and made good their own, and slaves were already moving to clear the tables and sweep the floors with their bunches of broom. Marcus turned to smile at me. ‘Well, it is too late now. I suppose it is unimportant. Fortunately, on this occasion there is nothing to be suspicious about. Felix died in full view of everyone, and there can be no doubt that it was an accident.’
I took a deep breath. ‘With respect, Excellence. .’
‘What is it, Libertus? You find something in what I have said to disagree with?’
There was nothing for it now. I bowed my head. ‘Three things, Excellence. In the first place, there was more than one Celt present. I am a Celt myself, from the same part of the island. That is how I come to know the second thing. That man is not Egobarbus, nor ever was.’ I told him what I knew.
Marcus was dismissive. ‘My dear old friend, it is twenty years since you met the fellow. A man may change a great deal in that time.’
‘Indeed he may, Excellence, but there are some things he cannot alter. The Egobarbus that I knew was a taller man than I am, though I was a grown adult and he was still a boy. This fellow is the same height as me. He cannot have shrunk. And did you see his hands?’
‘There was nothing the matter with his hands.’
‘Exactly. But Egobarbus has a damaged little finger. I know, because I damaged it, with a whip.’
Marcus was staring at me now. ‘Then who. .’
I shook my head. ‘As to that, Excellence, I have no more idea than you have.’
‘Then he must be found. It may have nothing to do with this evening’s accident, but the fellow cannot arrive here impersonating someone else.’
‘Yes, Excellence, he must be found, and with more urgency than you think. I told you there was a third matter. There is also the question of the dog.’
‘Ah, yes, I have been thinking of the dog. Too quiet, even for an old animal half asleep. And why was it in a cupboard?’ He gave me a triumphant smile. ‘I know what you are going to tell me. Gaius was boasting to me of the creature’s tricks. Someone had fed it on ale. The old beast loves it. The drink makes it playful and then puts it into a drunken sleep for hours. Somebody learned of this, and gave the dog ale so that he could make his escape. This Egobarbus, probably. Confess, that was what you were going to tell me.’
I moved closer so that nobody should overhear me. ‘No, Excellence,’ I murmured. ‘Worse than that. I’m very much afraid the dog was dead.’
Marcus looked startled. ‘You think he strangled it with its collar? Or perhaps it was that slave who dragged it away?’
I shook my head. ‘I looked, Excellence. There is no sign of damage to the neck — as there assuredly would be in that case. But there is evidence of vomit and foaming at the mouth. Now, it occurs to me that the animals were lapping up the food under the table. And in that case there has to be a possibility that whatever it was that killed the dog also killed Perennis Felix. Despite appearances, Excellence, I fear we may be looking at a murder.’
Marcus, unquestionably the most powerful man in Glevum, glanced around as guiltily as any schoolboy. ‘I think,’ he said carefully, ‘that this theory of yours may be better kept to ourselves. Even if you are right — and there is no evidence at all that you are — as Tommonius said about his own affairs, what is to be gained by making it public? We shall merely have Commodus baying for blood, and all of us will be under suspicion.’
Himself especially, I thought, since he had been sitting nearest to Felix and had occasion enough to detest and fear the man. And he had brought in the extra wine. But I said nothing beyond, ‘Indeed, Excellence, although it might be wise to prevent the servants eating the remnants from the high table. Another corpse might prove exceedingly embarrassing.’
He thought about that for a moment. ‘That might be difficult. The slaves will expect to be allowed the scraps. Anything else might attract speculation and gossip.’
‘Unless you ordered them to be burnt at the Vestal flame?’
He flushed. ‘Of course. A propitiation to the household gods. I was about to suggest it myself.’
I did not dignify that with a response. I merely said, ‘So Felix will have his public funeral and that will be the end of that?’
‘That is the safest option, do you not think?’
‘I am sure it is.’ I bowed. I wanted to go home. ‘So you will not be requiring my services further? Except in the matter of the commemorative pavement?’