I shook my head. ‘He was not robbing his master. Optimus would be the first to miss an as — if anything of value had disappeared he would have had the torturers in and the whole household flogged until the missing items were accounted for.’
‘Exactly, citizen.’ Meritus was looking pale and grim. ‘The steward must have got them from elsewhere. In fact, I was convinced — the auguries convinced me — that he had not just stolen them, but killed the owner too. Though of course I could not go to the authorities with that. I had no proof of it.’
Hirsus let out a despondent wail. ‘Lucianus swears he didn’t, Excellence. I told him to say I’d given him the jewels, but Meritus knew straight away that they were stolen. And when he spoke of murder — I don’t know! I want to believe Lucianus, but — now that he’s been found with blood all over him — perhaps the sevir was right after all.’
‘Oh, I’m sure he is,’ I said. ‘I’m fairly sure the man who brought them here is dead. Remember, we found a body yesterday. The slaves assumed he was a beggar who had crawled in here to die, because they found him hidden in a ditch with no purse or possessions. Suppose he was not a beggar but a thief? Suppose the goods were his? The temple grove would be a splendid place to hide — no dogs or watch to worry you, and close to the wall it is particularly dark and unfrequented, as I suspect that he discovered to his cost! He tried to scale the wall, perhaps, and fell? He was peculiarly unlucky to land down in the ditch, where no one who was not searching would ever look for him. I think, if we examine those bones more carefully, we shall find that he has a broken back or neck. I noticed there was a strange angle to his spine.’
‘So it was an accident?’ the sevir said softly. ‘Then I was wrong. And the bag? Why was it not found beside the corpse?’
‘No doubt he threw it over as he came, well out of the way so that he didn’t land on it. And it was Lucianus’s good — or bad — fortune to discover it, while he was taking a short cut to the shrine.’
Aurelia had been listening to all this with a frown. She shuddered. ‘What a fearful death. Pray Jupiter the end was quick. Imagine, lying helpless in a ditch, dying by inches. .’
‘He would not have fared much better if he had been found.’ Marcus was matter-of-fact. ‘If he was a thief, and on that scale, that would have meant a penalty of death. At least it proves that I was right to send the body to the pit — that is for paupers and for criminals.’ He frowned. ‘I wonder how Lucianus contrived to bring back the corpse? Do you know, Hirsus?’
‘Excellence, on the Emperor’s life, I swear-’
That was a mistake. Marcus was not an admirer of Commodus, but he had a position to maintain. He stepped forward and struck Hirsus with his baton, across the face, savagely enough to leave a red weal on the cheek. I felt Hirsus convulse with silent sobs.
‘I have been thinking about that, Excellence,’ I said quickly, before Marcus had time to strike him again. ‘The bones may not have reached the pit at all. You told me that you’d given orders yesterday, and earlier the sevir said the same. You are people in authority, and you assume that when you give commands, they are as good as carried out. But did anyone actually see the body go? You, patron, you instructed Meritus. .’ my patron confirmed this with a nod, ‘and you, sevir, passed on the command? To whom?’
He frowned. ‘To Hirsus or Scribonius, I suppose. Or possibly directly to the slaves. I don’t recall.’ He shook his head. ‘You mean, perhaps the body never left the premises? It went on lying out there in the ditch? I suppose it would make sense,’ he went on slowly. ‘If someone wanted to put it at the shrine, it would be much simpler to move it in from there. But who would dare. .?’
‘Scribonius!’ Hirsus twisted unexpectedly and wrenched himself free. (My fault, entirely; I had relaxed my grasp.) ‘Scribonius! It must have been Scribonius. It wasn’t me.’ He was standing by the inner door by now, almost shouting at us in his desperation. ‘Ask Lucianus when he comes round. Ask any of the temple slaves. Ask anyone.’
He made as if to flee, but in two paces Meritus was beside him, holding him helpless in one gigantic arm. ‘What shall I do with him, Excellence? Take him to the guard?’
‘One moment! Hirsus has a point,’ I said. ‘Scribonius was an Icenian after all. And he identified the legate’s ring.’
‘The one you discovered in the sanctuary?’ Meritus did not relax his hold, though Hirsus was wriggling like a fish. ‘I thought you had decided that was not a legate’s ring but a messenger’s?’
‘Scribonius had seen it on the former legate’s hand. He told me so. He was quite positive. Something distinctive in the angle of the seal.’
‘The legate who was murdered, years ago?’ Marcus looked horrified. ‘How could Scribonius have noticed that? The legate never got to Glevum then. He was attacked and killed a long way south.’
‘Scribonius served a provisions officer.’ Hirsus clawed at the arm around his neck and freed himself enough to speak. ‘In Aquae Sulis, Excellence, among other towns. That would be directly on the route!’
Meritus nodded. ‘I’ve heard him speak of it. We were discussing Aquae Sulis once.’
Marcus interrupted. ‘Perhaps we should have Scribonius detained as well? What do you think, Libertus?’
‘I think we should have him brought to us,’ I said and then at last the tramp of military feet was heard, and barked orders rang out in the peristyle.
Marcus smiled. ‘Ah! here’s the guard! You’d better give the orders here, Libertus. Remember, I put them under your command.’
Thank all the gods for that, I thought. I did not know how much longer I could have kept it up. Even then there was a moment’s horrible confusion before I could persuade the soldiers to let Hirsus go, and take charge of Meritus instead.
Chapter Twenty-six
It was no easy matter. Once Meritus understood what was afoot, he did everything he could to save himself. He knocked down Hirsus, kicked a guard away, and picked up the pontifex’s chair, laying about him like a club-man in the ring. Perhaps it was just as well he did. I believe Marcus might yet have countermanded me if the sevir had not aimed a blow at him!
It took four soldiers to overpower him, and by the time they had dragged him out into the peristyle to tie him up — they still could not bind a prisoner in the house — one man was lying gasping on the ground and the centurion himself was nursing a black eye, his transverse crest distinctly battered and askew.
When they were gone I glanced around the room. Aurelia was sitting on the bench, both hands pressed in horror to her mouth; Hirsus was still cowering on the floor, but the soldier had clambered to his feet and taken up a post beside the door. He was white-faced and shaken, and there was a darkening bruise beneath his eye, but his presence was reassuring all the same. Marcus gave a deep, heartfelt sight and began dusting down his toga folds.
‘So Meritus was guilty all along?’ He came back, breathing heavily, and sat down on his chair. ‘You might have given us some warning, my old friend.’
I shook my head. ‘How could I, Excellence? I only worked it out tonight myself. Besides, he is a big man. If I had alarmed him — with respect — I don’t think you and Hirsus could have captured him. And he was getting desperate — the murder of Trinunculus shows us that. I frightened him earlier when I let him see that I doubted his account of events, and he discreetly pointed out that he’d declared me cursed, and if I was killed it would be seen as divine vengeance! I had to work hard to make him feel secure again. Our best hope was that, in accusing Hirsus, he would say something to confirm my guess and give himself away. Which, fortunately, I think he did. Enough, at any rate, to teach the interrogators what lines to follow when they question him.’