He looked blankly at me. ‘Why not? We are a respectable family, with interests in several profitable farms. Posideos is my third son, but he will be well provided for.’
I took a sip of wine before I replied. ‘This woman’s guardian, whoever that might be, is a far from reasonable man.’
I hesitated, and that was a mistake. As swiftly as realisation dawned in Kalliphonos’ eyes, anger followed to darken his face.
‘Whoever—? You call my son a seducer? You say that this woman was married?’
‘We don’t know any such thing. We don’t know anything about this woman. Well, almost nothing,’ I amended hastily. ‘We know the man who’s hunting her is an Athenian, and we know he’s a vicious brute. We want to find your son so we can warn him to take care, if the two of them did indeed flee together.’
‘What do you mean?’ Kalliphonos looked at me warily.
‘Have you been into the city for the festival so far, at all? To see something of the Iliad’s performance, perhaps?’
He shook his head, and I saw a different pain in his eyes. ‘No, we have no taste for the epics these days.’
He couldn’t go on, but he didn’t need to. I could see how this story unfolded. As a third son, Posideos had been allowed to indulge his passion for epic poetry. If someone as arrogant and self-absorbed as Soterides said the young man was talented, he must have been very good indeed. His amiable father would have been happy to encourage him, and not just for whatever reflected glory the family could bask in, especially if he won a Great Panathenaiac garland. As prosperous as they clearly were, having a third son earning his own silver rather than spending family money would always be welcome.
That would leave all the more for the eldest son, who would most likely inherit this house along with his grandfather’s name, while the second boy would get his fair share of the family wealth by dividing whatever other properties they owned with Posideos. Meantime, the daughters could be sufficiently well-dowered to make suitable marriages without emptying the family strongbox. If there were daughters.
Then Posideos had disappeared, and the pleasure and pride the family had felt watching him perform up on the Pnyx had vanished as completely as the spring snows on Mount Parnassos.
‘He went into the city to watch the warrior dance contest in the theatre. The day and night passed, and then the next day, and he never came home.’ Kalliphonos looked at me bleakly. ‘We searched the city first. We thought we were looking for his body. When we searched his room for some explanation, we realised he had left here with the gear he used to take with him on the road. After that his brothers went in search of him further afield. They’ve made countless trips to every festival we know he visited. They’ve found no trace of him. After a couple of years had passed, people didn’t even recognise his name. We have no idea where he is. The only hope I can cling to is we haven’t yet found him dead.’
He reached blindly for his wine. I let him drink and blink his tears away behind the cover of his cup before I spoke.
‘It’s very likely he made so sure that no one could find him to be certain you would stay safe. We believe he understood how dangerous this man could be.’ That was scant consolation, but I offered it anyway. ‘If you had been up at the Pnyx these past two days, you might have heard that three men have been murdered.’
I told Kalliphonos their names, and the manner of their deaths, though I spared him the gory details. I didn’t mention Thallos. The poet would be right to blame me, if he found Posideos’ father and brothers on his doorstep demanding answers, and I couldn’t see how that could possibly help. We had far more immediate concerns.
‘We are sure the killer is the man who’s hunting this woman. Whatever her offences against gods and men may be – and as I say, we simply do not know, whatever we may suspect – this man, whoever he is, has done far, far worse. She is surely more to be pitied than condemned?’
Kalliphonos wasn’t interested in a woman he’d never known had existed. ‘And my son? This killer is hunting my son?’
‘We think Posideos is one of the men he suspects, though if he had any proof, he would surely have turned up at your gate long before now. But you would be wise to be on your guard until he’s caught, just in case. You and your family, especially if you go into the city.’
Kalliphonos was looking thoughtful. ‘None of us have any interest in the horse races or chariot competitions tomorrow, but my sons will be in the city for the citizen contests after that, and of course my wife and daughters will take part in the rites to honour blessed Athena.’
So he did have daughters. I tried to hide my satisfaction at learning that.
Kalliphonos was still talking. ‘You can’t imagine this villain will profane these ceremonies?’
‘He would have to be mad to risk Athena’s wrath,’ I agreed. ‘He prefers to strike when his quarry is alone and can be caught unawares, without anyone close by to stand witness. As long as you stay together and in public view, you should be safe.’
‘But unless he is caught, we will never know if he has killed Posideos.’ He looked at me, hollow-eyed.
‘This is why we need to know who this woman is. Once we know that, we will surely establish the killer is one of her family.’ I tried to look sympathetic instead of frustrated. ‘Are you quite certain you can’t recall anything, not even the slightest hint, that might lead us to her?’
‘No.’ Kalliphonos’ devastation was absolute.
‘Might he have
