I told the whole sorry tale as quickly as I could, and without any dramatic descriptions of the dead men. I had no wish to distress her. My mother had known enough grief in her life. As I explained how Zosime and Telesilla had thought the citizen women might be able to help, I saw her face grow thoughtful. Thoughtful, and dubious. I wondered how I was going to explain to Zosime that she’d been wrong, without ending up with us having another row.
Then my mother surprised me. ‘You’ve got a clever girl there. I’m sure we can find out something, though it may well take some time. But I want to know what you will do, before I tell you whatever we might learn.’
‘Excuse me?’
She looked at me, unblinking. ‘Will you send this woman back to whatever misery she has fled? In her husband’s house, or her father’s? What manner of man must he be, to have wedded his child to a brute who’s capable of this?’
‘The law—’ I sipped some watery wine and thought about Onesime, who lived across the lane in Alopeke. Her life with Mikos must be better than any alternative, for her to be so desperate to stay.
Mother bent down to pick up the jug and refilled her cup. ‘The law will condemn this poet as a seducer, but she may see him as her saviour. Who’s to say how the goddesses of justice will judge him.’
‘Then we had better pray to divine Themis and her daughters for guidance,’ I conceded. ‘But the most important thing is to save his life – to save both their lives. We can decide what to do next once the killer is caught.’
Mother nodded as she scratched the sleepy-eyed ferret behind its ears. ‘I will see what we can find out.’
She didn’t need to say she would decide how much to tell me after that. My guess was she’d tell me the woman’s name and family, so we could find the killer but not necessarily where the woman was hiding, at least not until we knew more about the men involved. Well, I trusted my mother’s judgement.
Inside the house, someone was coming downstairs. That was my cue to leave. I stood up, stooped down, and kissed Mother’s cheek.
‘Will we see you both for dinner at the end of the holiday?’ she asked. ‘If Zosime’s father would like to join us, he’ll be very welcome.’
‘I’ll invite him. He may have other plans.’ I wondered who would last longest in a contest between Nymenios talking about leatherwork and Menkaure talking about pots.
‘Of course.’ Mother reached up to cup her hand around the back of my head, and kissed my cheek as I bent down.
Now I heard footsteps coming to the door of the house, so I hurried to the gate. As I drew it closed, I saw Sekis come out into the yard. I went on my way confident he would secure the bolts as he waited up for Chairephanes and Glykera.
I made my way home as fast as I could, but Menkaure and Zosime had still arrived well before me. They had shed their sandals and washed their feet. I did the same, and relished the soothing water between my tired toes. We shared a last cup of much less watered wine and I enjoyed the cool of the evening as my beloved and her father told me about the singing and lyre competitions.
Zosime had barely stopped speaking when Menkaure gave the least convincing yawn I’d ever seen. He might be a talented potter, but he was no actor. ‘I’m for my bed. I’ll see you in the morning.’
I wondered what he and Zosime had talked about on their way home, as he headed towards the storeroom. I hoped Kadous had aired the mattress and found a fresh blanket for the bed.
The Phrygian paused as he tidied away the wine jug and cups. He cleared his throat to get my attention.
I looked up. ‘Yes?’
‘Sosistratos’ man Tyren wants to see the horse racing. He says he’ll watch our gate tomorrow and the day after, if I return the favour after that. Sosistratos is agreeable.’
I nodded. ‘Then go and enjoy the athletics.’
I looked at my slave for a moment. Would he kill for me? He’d certainly fight to defend me, and had done, more than once. He’d proved his loyalty to my family time and again. But if I tried to order him to help me commit cold-blooded murder? Kadous would abscond and not look back, I had no doubt of that. He might even find a way to warn my victim, if he could do that without risk of being caught. I wondered what manner of man this killer could be, to have such a fearsome hold over his household.
Zosime stood up and offered me her hand. I took it and we walked to our bedroom in silence. We didn’t bother taking a lamp. As we stood toe to toe in the darkness, I could hear Kadous out in the courtyard, and Menkaure in the room next door, but all that mattered was the two of us here.
I rested my hands on her hips. ‘I’m sorry.’
She slid her arms around my neck. ‘So am I.’
She kissed me, and I kissed her back, deep and long. But I still had to know, when we broke apart to catch our breath.
‘What changed your mind?’
Zosime rested her hands on my chest, and laid her head on my shoulder. ‘Telesilla and I were talking about what happened in Corinth. How Myrrhine would have suffered if you hadn’t found out how Eumelos had really died. I thought about Xandyberis’ family in Pargasa. They wouldn’t have seen justice done for his murder here without you.’ She sighed. ‘If the Furies see fit to give you these tasks…’
She didn’t sound too thrilled about it though. I didn’t blame her. Nor was I. But I
