“Where,” I asked politely, “is themoney that you stole from Gaius Pullus?”
“What mon…?”
My hand moved immediately, except this time,he tried to bite me, but I had anticipated that and exerted evenmore power to keep his jaws clenched together. I sensed more thansaw that the others had joined Marcellus, but I ignored them,watching Aviola’s face as it once again darkened. Because we hadsecured his legs by binding each ankle to the chair leg, Aviola wasessentially powerless to resist, although his torso bucked andheaved violently. This time, I waited until his eyes rolled back inhis head before I released my grip. And, for a couple ofheartbeats, I was afraid that I had gone too far, as initially, hedid not respond, his mouth hanging slackly in a manner I have seenoften on the battlefield. Fortunately, just as I was about toattempt to revive him, his lungs resumed working. This time, I lethim have a few breaths before I said anything.
“Now do you really want to go throughthat again?” I asked him, still using the same conversational tone,and Aviola shook his head wildly. “Good. So,” I repeated, “where isthe money that you stole from Gaius Pullus?”
“I don’t…” He must have seen myexpression alter, because he changed to, “It’s…gone.” When I didnot immediately respond, he continued, “It’s been spentalready.”
“You spent almost ahalf-million sesterces inless than three years?” I shook my head, and replied flatly,“You’re lying.”
I was moving my hand as I said this, and nowhe practically screeched, “No! Don’t! Please don’t!” I let my handhover right next to his mouth. “I misspoke,” he continued. “Ishouldn’t have said it’s all gone. But I have spent a great deal ofit, I swear…”
“I know,” I cut him off, “on Jupiter’sStone.” For perhaps a half-dozen heartbeats, I said nothing as Istared down at him, while his eyes seemed incapable of stayingfixed on me, darting about as if he hoped some numen would materialize from the walls. Iclamped down again as I said, “And I still don’t believeyou.”
“Gnaeus?”
I did not want to divert my attentionbecause I sensed that Aviola was not going to last as long thistime, but neither did I want to release him as he thrasheduselessly about, trying to break my grip by wildly shaking hishead.
“What is it?” I snapped, not taking myeyes off him.
“I think I know where it is,” Gaiussaid calmly. “I mean,” he corrected, “where the moneyis.”
Chapter Twelve
“Something about that room botheredme,” Gaius explained once I released my grip on Aviola and left theroom. Before he said anything, he had walked to the front door,where he opened it a crack to survey the street before opening itand beckoning to me. Now we were standing just outside the door,which was making me nervous, but I was listening attentively as heexplained, “It just didn’t seem to be the right size. So I came outhere and paced off the distance to the edge of the building.”Before I could reply, he turned and pushed past me back into thehouse. “Then I counted the paces from this wall that makes thissecond room. And,” he said simply, “the numbers don’t add up. Thatroom,” he pointed at the doorway, “is much smaller than it should be.”
I was already moving back into the room, myheart beating with the excitement and anticipation that my youngcousin was correct.
“Put his chair back up,” I orderedMarcellus. “I want him to see this.”
I waited only long enough for Aviola to beset upright, and I also had Marcellus turn him about so that he wasfacing the wall opposite from the doorway. Using my foot, I kickedthe wall, and whereas a bit earlier when I had collided with theopposite wall in the main room, I had felt it give way a bit, thistime, my foot went immediately through the thin layer of plaster.In fact, my foot went through so easily that I lost my balance,falling forward hard enough that I reflexively put my hands out tostop from colliding through the wall, instantly creating two moreholes.
“Come help me,” I called over myshoulder, and I was instantly joined by the others as wealternately punched holes then pulled the pieces of the false wallout of the way.
I first spotted the dull gleam of the ironbands that reinforce the kind of chest we use to transport heavyitems in, like money. Within a hundred heartbeats, the remnants ofthe false wall were in a pile behind us, and sitting on the floorin the space created by it were six chests, all the same size. Thiswas certainly good news, but while I was happy, I also understoodwhat it meant, because they were significantly smaller than thechests that had transported my ransom.
“That’s not four hundredthousand sesterces’ worth,”Alex spoke quietly, but once more, it was the youngest member ofthe party who reminded us, “That’s just that wall.” Gaius pointedto the wall to the left of the doorway, reminding us, “Remember, Ipaced off in that direction as well.”
Another few moments of frenzied activity,and there before us were eight more chests.
Alex observed hoarsely, “That’smore than four hundredthousand sesterces.”
“It’s six hundred thousand,” Aviolasaid dully, his head hanging, and it was easy to hear the defeat inhis voice.
Frankly, I had forgotten he was there, and Iwalked to stand in front of him.
“Is this all of it? Or do you havemore hidden away?” I demanded coldly.
“What does it matter?” he repliedindifferently, but I also noticed that he would not meet my gaze.“There’s more than enough here for you to replace what I took fromyour brother.”
“First, he’s not my brother; he’s myuncle. I’m his Legionary brother’s son.” I mimicked the manner inwhich he had said it. And, if I had to do it all over again, Iwould have not added, “And Gaius Pullus is dead because of what youdid. He,” I pointed to Septimus, “was also Gaius’ brother, and he’sthe one who killed him because of Gaius’ foolishness in trustingyou.”
Even as the words were leaving my lips, Iknew this was not only gratuitous, it was cruel, not to Aviola, butto Septimus, who I
