The Lydian Baker

'Yeah,' I said drily. 'In that case I see your point. Gaius must want the Baker pretty badly.'

'It is a unique piece, Valerius Corvinus. And we had already gone to considerable trouble and expense to acquire it.'

I took another swallow of wine. Well, I wouldn't really have expected anything else from that pair: Gaius was no Priscus, and although I was willing to stretch things I wouldn't put myself on a par with Felix, either. I reached for the wine jug…

The itch at the back of my brain came back in full force. Only this time, suddenly, I knew what I'd been trying to tell myself ever since Felix had mentioned the cave. His best and only option…

'Gods alive,' I murmured. 'It's beautiful.'

'Sir?' Felix gave me a sharp look. I waved him down and sat back as the pieces of the puzzle slipped smoothly into place.

'"His best and only option",' I said. 'Best maybe, but not only.'

'You mean he considered selling the statue to you?'

I shook my head. 'No, not to me. He had his chance to do that when we met, and he still took me to the wrong cave. I was the one prospect who was out of the running, because I'd have scruples. He could afford to drop me without a qualm because he still had two customers left.'

'Two?'

'Yeah.' I felt very tired; and, unaccountably, very sorry for Harpalus: the poor bastard hadn't known what he was in on, and it had killed him. 'You were one, potentially at least.'

'And the other?'

'The other was a guy called Demetriacus.'

32

He'd had to be involved somewhere, sure, but I hadn't worked out where until now. However, with Smaragdus's scam clear in my mind for the first time — or at least reasonably clear in what passed for my mind — this was the only way that made sense.

'Demetriacus?' Felix said.

'You don't know about him?'

'No, sir. A recent discovery of your own, I assume.'

'I thought your guy Memnon was tailing me.'

'Not lately, sir. I'd decided that the time had come for us to meet direct. I instructed Memnon to — shall we say — make himself obvious in the hope that you would find him at second hand, and so me. As indeed you did.'

'This was part of the game, was it?'

'Yes, sir. Of course.'

'You couldn't just have sent the guy round to introduce himself, I suppose?'

'That would not be in accordance with the rules I'd set myself,' Felix said primly. 'I told you about the master's instructions regarding anonymity.'

'Yeah. Okay. Forget I asked.' I'd never understand Felix. The guy's thought processes were so convoluted he was lucky he didn't strangle himself going to the bathroom. 'Demetriacus is a local businessman. Among other pies he has his finger into is a brothel called Aphrodite's Scallop.'

'Ah, yes. That name is certainly familiar from Memnon's reports.'

A thought struck me. 'By the way. The cellar your gorilla pulled me out of. Was that the Scallop or not?'

'No, sir. It belonged to a house not far from here. The owner is abroad and the property is empty at present. That I did discover.'

'Uh-huh.' Well, that made sense, although I'd bet a jar of Falernian to a pickled walnut Demetriacus had charge of the keys. 'You have the address?'

'It's in Collytus, near the temple of Zeus Phratrios. The owner's name is Polyhymnius'

'Thanks.' I made a mental note. Callippus would be able to check it back, and it might give us another strand to the rope he was plaiting to hang the bastard. 'Memnon didn't think to follow Prince Charming when he left me tied up at all? Or did he?'

Felix sighed. 'Memnon may be willing, but he is not unduly burdened with brains. His instructions were to follow you and watch your back. He interpreted them literally.'

'A pity he didn't interpret them literally when the guy slugged me in the first place.'

'That is a sore point, I'm afraid. No pun intended.' I grinned. 'He did, I understand, witness the attack, although he was too late to prevent it. He considered that his priority thereafter was to follow and release you when opportunity offered.'

Yeah. There were holes in that one as well, but I didn't have either the time or the energy to bother with them now. 'Okay. It's done. Leave it. Let's talk about Demetriacus.'

'By all means.' I noted with interest that Felix seemed relieved.

'So.' I topped up my winecup. 'Background. Up to now Smaragdus has managed to keep you and Argaius apart, but just when he's ready to do the trade you hit him with the news that you've found he's got a partner and you want to meet the guy. Smaragdus is caught, and he knows it. He's got two options. One: he forgets the scam, goes to Argaius, tells him he's negotiated a sale, and takes his legitimate cut. The problem with that is that it comes too late. Argaius has set up a deal already, and he's going to be pretty surprised to find out he's suddenly got two customers ready to buy instead of one; also, pretty suspicious that Smaragdus hasn't told him about this second prospect before. And finally he's going to positively hit the roof when the three of you get together and he finds out you'd never heard of him.'

Felix nodded. 'A fair assessment. The second option?'

'Smaragdus solves the problem by murdering Argaius. On the face of it, this is attractive because when the sale goes through he ends up with the whole amount, which was his plan to begin with. The trouble is that option's too risky, because Argaius's death puts the deal into a whole new league, one that needs either total imbecility or total complicity on the part of his customer. Scratch imbecility: no one's that stupid. As for complicity, well, you and I may know Gaius wouldn't care a pickled anchovy about Argaius so long as he got the Baker, but Smaragdus can't be certain. Added to which now murder's involved our pal the Crown Prince would expect him to drop the price in exchange for a bit of imperial strabismus.'

Felix was smiling. 'Oh, Corvinus! You wrong the master, you really do!'

'Is that so, now?' I said drily. Like hell I did: where his own interests were concerned, Gaius was as single-minded as a fox in a chicken- run, and Felix would be on his side all the way. 'On the other hand, if you don't turn out to be an idiot or a crook after all' — Felix's smile widened — 'then the authorities are going to be involved. In which case Smaragdus will be asked questions he'd prefer not to answer.'

'But Argaius needn't actually be found murdered, sir. He could simply disappear. At least until the sale was made.'

'Exactly. That'd be sensible, and it would certainly grease the wheels because it would provide a moral let-out clause for a customer not unduly burdened with scruples.' Another smile. 'The only thing is, it didn't happen. Argaius's body was dumped the night after he went missing, in the most public place in Athens. Common sense says if Smaragdus had killed him or arranged his death he wouldn't have played it that way.'

'Unless he wanted to stage a bluff, perhaps? If Argaius were killed between his house and Mounychia Smaragdus would naturally be a prime suspect. However, if the body were found elsewhere and exhibited signs of torture — as it was and did — the implication would be that others were responsible who knew of the Baker's existence but not its whereabouts. With the man demonstrably dead by hands unknown and the body quickly recovered there might be no obstacle to finalising an unrelated business deal.' Felix smiled brightly. 'I'm speaking theoretically, sir, of course.'

Jupiter with little bells on! The guy had a nastier imagination than I had! 'You think Smaragdus was capable of that degree of sophistication?'

'Perhaps not. But it is a suggestion.'

'Sure. Only it doesn't explain why Smaragdus kept his head down even after he knew Argaius was gone.'

'Very well.' Felix nodded. 'Accepted.'