I nodded at Mikos’s gate. ‘It’s our neighbour.’
Iktinos half turned to take a look.
‘Our neighbour’s wife,’ I said quickly. ‘You won’t get anywhere near her.’
‘A wife?’ That got me Iktinos’s full attention. He stared at me, incredulous. ‘She can’t be a witness in court.’
‘Her husband can,’ I insisted. ‘On her behalf.’
His smile grew even more predatory. ‘We’ll see about that.’
‘Master?’
Iktinos and Nikandros spun around, both startled to find Kadous behind them. That meant neither of them saw my relief. I’d been waiting to see the Phrygian slip silently through Mikos’s gate, with Alke swiftly bolting it behind him. As soon as he appeared, he’d raised a single finger. Good. Now I had the answer to a crucial question.
‘Where the fuck did you come from?’ Iktinos scowled at Kadous.
The Phrygian pushed our gate closed and stood there, barring their way out.
‘Who is this?’ Nikandros demanded. ‘What’s going on?’
Iktinos sneered at Kadous. ‘You think I couldn’t take you with one hand?’
‘You’re welcome to try.’ The Phrygian flexed his arms to show off his muscles.
‘Nikandros.’ I cleared my throat. ‘Let’s discuss the matter of additional compensation for the man you killed. The Carian whose body you left at my gate.’
That’s what Kadous’s signal meant. Now that Onesime had seen the so-called wrestler in the flesh, she had identified Iktinos as the leader of the men who’d dumped Xandyberis’s corpse.
‘So who gets to pay up?’ I looked from the boy to the brute. ‘Who struck the fatal blow?’
‘That wasn’t my doing!’ bleated Nikandros. ‘We didn’t know he hadn’t managed to speak to you. We were only supposed to beat him senseless, to warn you both off.’
‘Same as the other night?’ I challenged. ‘When you dragged Hipparchos into your treason?’ I jerked my head at Iktinos. ‘You didn’t imagine he’d use a knife then, same as he’d done before?’
‘Prove it.’ The wrestler grinned at me, convinced he was the victor yet again.
‘You don’t deny it?’
‘Why should I?’ He shrugged. ‘Your witness won’t ever make it to court and no one will believe your slave’s testimony against an honest citizen called Kerykes. Not even after he’s had his fingers crushed to make sure that he’s telling the truth. So you can shove your claims for compensation right up your slack, dribbling arse.’
A slow smile spread across Nikandros’s face. ‘That’s right. Shove it up your arse.’
‘You can’t even think up your own insults. How sad. Never mind.’ I raised my hands in surrender as the boy took an angry step towards me. ‘You may as well play his echo while you can. You’re tied together for life, or at least until he decides that it’s safest to eliminate any witnesses to his murders. Tell me, have you seen all the others who were with you that night? Are you sure some aren’t already lying dead in some ditch?’
‘They’re fine,’ Nikandros retorted.
‘Really? Tell me their names,’ I invited. ‘Let me see that for myself.’
‘Shut your mouth.’ Iktinos glared at me. ‘We’re leaving and your slave had better not try to stop us.’
‘Let them go,’ I told Kadous.
If he’d only opened the gate a little faster, that might have been an end to it all. But the Phrygian took a moment to glower at the smirking pair before turning to raise the latch.
Tur erupted from the storeroom. ‘Why did you kill him?’ he raged.
Iktinos spun around, ready to fight, broken arm or not. ‘Who the fuck are you?’
Sarkuk hurried out to back up his son. ‘Friends of the man you murdered.’ He was as furious as Tur, though less foolhardy. ‘We are respected allies of Athens who can call you before the courts! You will answer with your life now that we’ve heard you admit your crime!’
For the first time, Nikandros looked scared. ‘I admit nothing!’
‘They’re foreigners,’ Iktinos said rapidly. ‘They’re no ones from nowhere and no jury will condemn us just to satisfy them. You’re an Athenian citizen.’ He took a menacing step towards the Carians. ‘Fuck off back to your mountainside and screw your scabby goats!’
Kadous looked at me, wanting to know what to do. If I could have reached Tur, I would have slapped him. Beyond that, I was at a loss.
The plan had been for the Pargasarenes to stay out of sight in the storeroom so they’d hear whatever confession I could trick out of Iktinos and Nikandros. Then they could go to the Polemarch to lay a formal accusation. I’d never intended for them to challenge this murderous pair face to face. At least Azamis showed more sense that his son and his grandson. He was still hanging back in the doorway.
‘I’m sure we can come to some accommodation.’ Nikandros looked at me, as sickly pale as a man who’s been stabbed. ‘I can pay compensation. You asked for one mina?’
‘Fuck off,’ I snarled, ‘and take him with you!’
If I could scare the boy off, I could only hope that Iktinos would follow. Though there was the very real danger that the wrestler would snap Nikandros’s neck before they reached the Hermes pillar on the corner. He must know the boy would turn against him now he faced the prospect of going to court.
‘I don’t think so.’ Iktinos drew out a knife that he’d carried concealed in the bandages wrapping his arm. A blade long enough to pierce a man’s liver or slash an artery in his neck or leg. A killer’s weapon.
I moved, more careful than ever. ‘You think you can kill every one of us?’
‘I can try.’ Iktinos’s confidence meant he liked his chances. I didn’t blame him. None of us had a knife.
Sarkuk began circling the wrestler, moving in the opposite direction to me. ‘You do realise he’ll kill you as well?’ he said to Nikandros without ever taking his eyes off lktinos.
‘Don’t be so foolish.’ The boy pressed himself against the wall. It wasn’t clear who he was talking to. It didn’t
