It was a friendly warning and I smiled my thanks. ‘Then perhaps you’d better tell my patron everything — including the fact that I’ve mislaid his slave. But make it clear that nothing’s certain yet, and it may be just an accident that I found the corpse at all.’ I outlined my theory of the empty shop, and how the killer simply used it as a place to hide the corpse, meaning to come back later and hide the evidence. ‘I’m pretty sure the murder didn’t take place here at all,’ I finished. ‘Lucius was dragged there after he was killed.’
Virilis looked suitably impressed. ‘What makes you think that?’
‘The dragging of the body left scuff tracks on the floor. And I have a witness to prove it. .’ I tailed off in dismay, remembering that Radixrapum was now lying dead himself. ‘Or I used to have.’
If Virilis had noticed the last remark, he gave no sign of it. Instead, he nodded briskly. ‘Then I’ll tell your patron that. And I’ll give him an account of your grandson’s naming day. I daresay you would like me to convey your thanks for his handsome gift?’
I nodded, embarrassed to have forgotten all about the bell. ‘I would be very grateful. I should have thought of it, but with all that has occurred. .’
He gave me another conspiratorial smile. ‘Of course. You have had a great deal to worry you of late — what with murder and robbery and a missing slave. But never fear, I will express your thanks for you. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be on my way or I shall never reach Corinium before dark, let alone the staging post I’m aiming for tonight.’ He glanced up as he spoke. ‘Besides, it may take a little longer than I’d planned. I see it’s going to rain.’ He gave a little half-ironic bow. ‘Your servant, citizens.’
He turned away, picking his way along the muddy street towards his horse.
I paddled after him. ‘But you’ve forgotten something. You have news for me, I think. Something you said you wanted to impart?’ He turned towards me, frowning, and I pressed the point. ‘Something regarding my patron, I believe.’
The face cleared, but now it was his turn to look a little abashed. ‘Ah, of course! But I fear that matters have overtaken me, and it is no longer of very much account, especially now that the ordo has voted as it did. Besides. .’ He caught my glance and gestured towards Junio with his eyes. It was clear that he would tell me nothing more in front of witnesses. ‘In any case, Marcus will soon be here himself and no doubt he’ll give you his own account of things.’
I was not satisfied with this evasiveness. We had reached the tethered animal by now, and as he reached up to untie the knot which held it to the ring, I insisted in an undertone, ‘This news about my patron, Virilis. Can you not give me some idea of what it was?’ I looked around. ‘Quickly, while we can’t be overheard?’
He laughed a little ruefully and looked up and down the street, but there was nothing of importance that I could see, at least — only the usual customers and tradesmen passing by, and Maximus in the distance hurrying this way, with a small figure tagging at his heels. But Virilis shook his head. ‘In this colonia, citizen, the very stones have ears. We cannot be too careful.’ He grasped the front pommels on the saddle as he spoke and swung himself effortlessly up and into place.
‘You think that there are spies?’ I was genuinely shocked. It was possible, of course. Commodus was famous for his network of paid ears and eyes. If Lucius and the turnip-man had fallen foul of one of these, for some reason that I could not see, this put a completely different complexion on the deaths. ‘But. . here? In this humble area of town?’
He stooped down over his horse’s neck to answer, in an undertone, ‘I am sure of it. Mark what I’m saying, citizen. I speak of what I know. Be careful for yourself. With the present threat from the rebels in the woods, the Emperor has informers everywhere — often the people that you would least expect.’ He gestured with his head towards the workshop door, where Junio was still standing, staring after us.
I shook my head, indignant. ‘I can’t believe my son. .’
He laughed. ‘Of course not, citizen. That was not what I meant. But there are others. .’ He broke off and gestured with the handle of his switch. ‘That odd-looking fellow skulking in the alley there. Who is he, for instance? I’m almost certain he’s been watching us, though every time I look at him he pretends he’s not.’
I followed the direction of the pointing whip and saw ancient Glypto hovering by the pile. I waved at him and he went scuttling off, apparently to put something on the midden-heap, his great boots squelching loudly in the mud.
I grinned. ‘That’s my neighbour’s servant. There’s no harm in him. It’s simply that he wants to speak to me — he thinks he heard something in my workshop overnight.’ I thought about confiding the green man story too, but there was no time for that.
The cursor looked at Glypto with amused contempt. ‘Then you should hear him out, perhaps — I’m leaving anyway.’ He raised his voice ‘Hey, you there!’ But Glypto did not even turn his head, just tipped the contents of his bucket on the pile and scurried back into the tannery, leaving the front gate wide open in his wake.
Virilis turned the horse’s head towards the road and smiled wryly down at me. ‘I wish you good fortune with your witness, citizen — he doesn’t seem anxious to run into you.’
To my surprise, I found myself defending the old slave. ‘His master thinks that he is addled with the fumes, and certainly he only hears a half of what is said, but I doubt he’s as foolish as they all suppose. He might have seen something of what happened yesterday. And I think that he’ll be back. I promised him money if he met me at the pile and could me tell anything which proved to be of use.’
Virilis threw back his handsome head and laughed. ‘Perhaps he’ll buy himself some more conventional attire, instead of that ridiculous loincloth that he wears.’ He appeared to compose himself and said more soberly. ‘I’m sorry, citizen. I hope that you are right, and he comes back again and you learn something that will lead you to your slave.’ He made a little face. ‘Though a reeking midden-pile seems an unlikely choice of meeting place.’
I grinned. ‘I know. But one where it is easy for a slave to come. He is sent out with rubbish a dozen times a day.’
Virilis nodded. ‘I suppose that’s true. But in the meantime, here’s another slave who obviously hopes to have a word with you — bringing a companion with him, by the look of it.’ This time his switch was pointing down the street, where Maximus was hurrying towards me, accompanied by a form I thought I recognized.
‘Oh, great Mercury!’ I muttered. ‘He’s brought the wrong boy, after all. That’s not the messenger that we were looking for! That’s one of the egentes that hangs around the town, and if he went to my roundhouse — which I didn’t think he had — it’s only because I sent him there myself.’
Virilis gave me another conspiratorial smile. ‘It seems that you have further troubles, citizen. And I am a messenger myself, as you are well aware, with many miles to ride. It is time I went.’ He touched his plumed helmet in a gesture of farewell. ‘I’m sorry that I’ve not known you better, citizen. But, like that slave from the tannery, l too shall be back, if only to bring news of Marcus’s reply. I look forward to the next time that we meet.’
And, waving his whip-hand, he trotted gently off, his horse picking its way neatly along the rutted street. The last I saw of him he had turned the corner past the tanner’s shop and had raised his pace, riding out towards the military road that would lead him to Londinium and my patron’s side.
Nineteen
‘Master?’ Maximus was waiting politely at the door — a well-trained slave will never interrupt, unless it is a matter of enormous urgency.
I went across to him. The little slave was grinning with obvious delight. ‘I have brought the messenger that went out to the house.’ He gestured to a child following down the street. ‘We managed to locate him. Did the young master tell you that?’ He broke off. ‘Why what is the matter, master? Is there something wrong?’