“Well, I asked her what she meant about Bibax. What he could have ‘fixed’ for Secunda. She gave me this look, and a wink, and said to ask Sulpicia.”
“Sulpicia again?”
“Yes, Sulpicia. Then she said-well, she said some things about you.”
“Me? What could she say about me?”
Gwyna blushed a becoming shade of pink. “Nothing that you need to know. She seems to be under the impression-how, I don’t know-that you’re, well-that I’d never need to-shall we say-resort to anyone-or anything-else. Unlike Sulpicia, who did-and does.”
I grinned. I’d remember Prunella, and be extra nice to her next time we went to dinner. Gwyna was watching me, her lips pursed.
“She was drunk, Arcturus.”
I cleared my throat. “So what’s this about Sulpicia?”
“That’s what I wanted to know. So when Flavia came back I asked her how long Sulpicia has been with Vitellius.”
“Vitellius likes boys.”
“I know. Everyone knows. That’s why she roams around like a cat. She’ll stick her tail in the air for any good-looking man who gives her a sniff.”
“Maybe she’s lonely.” I withered under my wife’s look.
“Sulpicia?! Ha! Flavia said the old slut’s rich, ancient-as-the-hills husband fell down and died just a year and a half ago. He was about thirty-five years older than she is, which made him roughly the age of Homer. And he was the severe type, against all so-called luxuries like clothes and jewelry, and of course couldn’t give her what she wanted-and wants all the time. She’s about as lonely as Messalina. Don’t you dare feel sorry for her.”
“You think-”
“I think she hired Bibax to conveniently remove an unwanted husband who stood in the way of some fun. Though why she chose Vitellius as a lover is beyond me. Maybe he’s bigger and better than he looks, if she can ever get him off a boy’s back end. Oh, don’t look so shocked, Arcturus. Women talk about all kinds of things-just like men.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but … anything else?”
She leaned forward. “There’s more about Sulpicia. I watched her after what Flavia told me. She didn’t bring a slave with her, which was odd. I thought perhaps she had to sell them or something, but she was wearing a beautiful necklace-gold and amethyst, absolutely stunning-so that didn’t make sense. Well, when we were dressing in the apodyterium, Sulpicia left for a few minutes, heading back to the frigidarium. I thought it might be because she saw someone she knew, but it wasn’t.”
Gwyna squeezed my knee. “She threw it in.”
“Threw what in? Where?”
“Ardur, aren’t you paying attention? The necklace. She walked to the frigidarium, to where those three big windows overlooking the spring are, and she threw it in.”
“She threw the necklace into the Sacred Spring?”
Gwyna nodded triumphantly. “Yes. Don’t you see?”
I scratched my ear. “I’m afraid I don’t. Lots of people throw all kinds of things in there.”
“But she didn’t want to. I could see it in her face. What’s more, she just dropped it, so it landed on the side of the reservoir, and not in the water.”
“So you think-”
“I think Sulpicia is being blackmailed, and someone at the temple is involved.” She leaned back and smiled at me as if I’d thought of it.
“If she’s being blackmailed-”
“Other people are, too. Even though Bibax is dead-”
“He had a partner. Or partners. Maybe that’s where Ultor comes in. Disgruntled associate not scoring enough of the take. Or maybe someone discovered the goddess’s magic was just a curse-writer with a lucrative side business.”
I looked at her. “Gwyna-I thought I saw you throw something in the spring.”
She reddened. “I’m not being blackmailed, if that’s what you’re worried about. When I saw what Sulpicia was doing, I-I went to join her.”
“What did you throw?”
She avoided my eyes. “It’s not important.”
I let it get away. “Was there anything else? This information-your ideas. They’re invaluable.”
Her face flushed, and she leaned forward and squeezed my knee again. “I’m glad. I want to be useful to you. Be part of what you do.”
I met her eyes. She reddened, looked away.
“There was something else. What was it? Oh, yes-the mine-the haunted mine.”
“You talked about it?”
“Vibia likes ghost stories, and Aquae Sulis is full of them. Someone mentioned that the baths are haunted, too.”
“By whom?”
“A boy-he died about three years ago. He’s supposed to haunt one of the baths on the eastern end. Flavia told the story and pointed out the boy’s grandmother. Old woman, no money. Still comes every day. Her grandson was accused of stealing some bathing clothes. He was the town simpleton, I guess, and couldn’t defend himself. She still swears he’s innocent.” Gwyna shivered. “It’s a sad story-and frightening, somehow.”
“Was he cursed by Bibax?”
“I was listening to Vibia talk about the mine. You think-”
“I think you need to speak to the grandmother.”
She rubbed her hand thoughtfully. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“And the mine?”
“The mine. The story is that a man died in a cave-in.”
“Slaves die in mines all the time without ghosts shutting them down.”
“This wasn’t a slave. A Roman-maybe an official, I don’t know. Vibia was very vague, and Flavia was uncomfortable with the conversation.”
“When did he die?”
“About two, two and a half years ago. A lot of people swear the mine is genuinely haunted-that’s why it’s still closed. Even an investor was scared off. He came up from Durnovaria, I think it was, and wanted to reopen it but was frightened away by the ghost.”
She shivered again. “I didn’t like hearing about it. There’s something-wrong-about Aquae Sulis, Arcturus.”
I grunted. “Curses. Ghosts. Murder … though murder’s nothing new in this town, not if we’re right about Bibax. Two years, three-who knows how long he could have been playing Sulis.”
“What would you like me to do?”
I took her hand in mine. “I want you to be careful. Killings and blackmail and whatever the hell else are rotting this town from the inside out. No one knows it, or maybe they just don’t give a good goddamn. It’s going to be dangerous to ask the right questions, and even the wrong ones. I’d like to get the hell out of here, today, tonight. It’s poison. A goddamn city of poison.”
“I can take care of myself, Ardur. I’ve told you that.”
“I know you can, but until Bibax turned up dead, things were running nice and smooth-and they all want to keep it that way. We don’t know what we’re waking up, and no one-not the innocent or the guilty-will like it. I gave my word or I’d move us back to Londinium tonight.”
She nodded. Nothing I said had frightened her.
“All right. What about tomorrow?”
“Do what any well-bred woman would do. Go back to the baths. If you get a chance to talk to that old woman-”
“I will. I’ll find a way, don’t worry. Anything else?”
I gave her what I hoped was my disarming grin. “I don’t have to tell you to keep an eye on Sulpicia.”
She frowned. “Better mine than yours.”
I bit my lip. “But Gwyna-I will have to talk to her tomorrow.”
“What? Why should you have to see that-”
“Because I’ll get better results than you will. I think a direct confrontation about the blackmail will work with her. Even if it doesn’t, it will set things in motion.”
Her lips stretched in a thin line. “As long as certain other things aren’t set in motion.”
I ignored her and poured myself another drink. I was congratulating myself on how well I’d handled it when a light flamed in Gwyna’s eyes that made me suspicious.
“Maybe I should talk to Philo.”
I nearly spat the wine across the room. “Philo? Why the hell should you see Philo?”
“For the same reasons you’re seeing Sulpicia. The weak spot, Arcturus. He’ll be less guarded, and as the leading doctor in Aquae Sulis he’ll probably know about these deaths. I can at least bring up Rusonia and Sulpicia’s dead husband, and find out the details.”