Even I managed a smile as Helena turned to show me the beautiful jug. 'You're very generous. This is a fine piece. Did you buy it in Rome?'
'A family friend gave it to my husband.'
'Somebody with excellent taste. Who was that?' I kept my voice light as I took the article from Helena.
'Oh just a well-wisher. I don't know his name.'
'Won't your husband mind you giving it away?'
'He didn't seem to like it much. We haven't had it long,' replied Milvia.
About two days, I reckoned. I decided not to press the point until I had consulted Petronius, but sooner or later guileless little Milvia would have to supply the well-wisher's name. When Petro saw what she had handed over so gaily, he would probably want to search her house for more – and it would not be because he admired her choice of wineware.
What I was carefully holding was a delicate glass water jug in a translucent white, around which trailed fine spirals of dark blue; it had a twisted, twin-thread applied handle and a neat, pinched spout.
`Very fine,' Helena repeated. 'I should say that it was Syrian, wouldn't you, Marcus Didius?'
`Undoubtedly.' I could say more. Unless it was a double, this was one of the pieces Helena had bought at Tyre for my father; one taken in the Emporium raid.
I would not normally have permitted a stranger to make a present to Helena Justina. On this occasion there was no argument. We took the jug away with us.
XXXV
WELL, THAT'S HOW to do it,' Helena preened herself, as we walked back over the Aventine towards Fountain Court.
`I'm deeply impressed! If I had only approached the mother with your conciliatory line, who knows what luxuries we might have acquired for the home!' I made the idea of a present from Flaccida sound disgusting.
Helena ducked under a row of buckets hanging in a shop portico. `I admit our discovery was an accident. I'm not unreasonable.'
`You're a gem.'
`Well I prised out more information than you did.'
`You got no information, Helena! The mother refused to help us; the daughter batted her fine lashes, promised to give us anything we asked for, but then denied any knowledge to give. Different tactic; same useless results.'
`She seems genuine, Marcus. She cannot have known the water jug was stolen.'
`She cannot have known it was stolen from us!' I corrected. I sounded like some old pedantic Roman paterfamilias. Helena skipped down a kerbstone and laughed at me.
I couldn't skip. I was carrying the stolen jug.
While Helena repaired to Maia's to collect our abandoned baby and, check whether Tertulla had turned up again, I took the glassware to the station house and exhibited the gorgeous thing. Petro weighed it in his great paw while I sweated pints in case he dropped it. `What's this?' `
`A present from Milvia. Last time I saw this, it belonged to Pa.' `You've questioned Milvia? That's quick. I only just sent Porcius over to your house.'
`I work fast,' I said smoothly, not telling him I took my own witness. `The girl claims she and Florius had it as a 'gift from a well-wisher'.'
`Believe her?'
`I stopped believing girls when I was about fourteen.'
My old friend was not a man who rushed in without preparation. He thought this through carefully. `The glass jug was one Geminus had stolen. Now it's been found with Milvia and Florius, but we don't know how it came there -'
`It's always possible sweet little Milvia acquired it legitimately,' I pointed out. `An innocent purchase, or genuine gift.'
`Don't annoy me, Falco! But it might be all she has.'
`I hope not. There was a matching beaker set,' I remembered bitterly.
Petro carried on doggedly, now instructing his men: `I don't want to force the issue and bungle it, but I do want to see what else they've got. What we'll do is conduct house searches of all the major criminals, then we'll add in Flaccida and Milvia. We'll go in as if it was a routine result of the Emporium raid. We'll probably net a few interesting trophies anyway, so it won't be wasted. Falco won't be there. We won't mention Milvia's water jug at this stage.'
`That sounds sensible. There's been time for the raiders to share out the loot, but I'd assumed most of it would go for sale.'
'Falco's right,' Petro conceded. `We'll raid a few hot-property shops at the same time.' Turning to Martinus he added, `Try to find out what new receivers have opened up recently, so we don't miss any.'
`Keep your eyes peeled for one item that is not on your theft list,' I said gloomily. `It's gold, and it cost a fortune, believe me!' I described Helena's birthday present carefully while they all listened with expressions of rapt attention – all of them mocking my extravagance. `It was among Pa's load of glass, but he won't have mentioned it to Martinus because he didn't know I had hidden it.'
`Bribe for a mistress?' enquired Fusculus, looking innocent.
`Birthday gift for Helena. I've got a day to find it – or pay up twice.'
`Why not explain to Helena and hope to find the original soon?' Petro suggested. `That girl is strangely understanding where you're concerned.'
`Helena is not the problem. I have to come up with something, and it has to be spectacular so her damned family don't sneer. Her mother for one will be expecting me to let Helena down.'
`Oh it's the mother he's trying to impress!' Petro murmured wickedly to Fusculus.
Fusculus sagged his jaw into a sorrowful grimace. `Explain to the man, chief – the mother never comes around!'
Since I was not needed for the searches I left Petro and Fusculus shaking their heads over my predicament while I set off on errands of my own. The jug stayed at the station house, which was just as well or it might have ended up in pieces before the day ended.
I called at my father's house, knowing he would be at the Saepta, Julia. That suited me. I left messages with his domestic staff saying we had recovered one of his Syrian treasures, and explaining about my need for a gift for Helena. Now Pa would know it was her birthday; he would try to inflict himself on us to celebrate, but as we were promised at her parents' house we could escape that. Leaving, I popped in at Mother's. She was out too, but I made sure a nosy neighbour saw me so word would reach Ma. Brilliant. I had made duty calls on both my parents, without the trouble of seeing either.
Back to Fountain Court. L waved at Cassius, noticing that somebody had suddenly taken over the ground-floor shop lease opposite his bakery, the one Helena and I had looked at briefly before we spotted our preferred new abode. Some sort of mixed hardware was now being offered for sale from the lockup, though I didn't take note of what. My own new let, which I ran up to and inspected by daylight, was looking as if we could make something respectable of it. At street level, the skip had lost several items to desperate scavengers, but I had gained little more; I was winning on that. I now felt like a juggler who was keeping the balls in the air. Overconfident, I made the mistake of letting Lenia see me as I crossed to walk upstairs.
`Falco! We need to discuss arrangements!'
`Like, how can you be persuaded to jilt the bridegroom?' `You never give up.'
`I don't want to find myself in two months' time being harassed to suggest grounds for divorce so you can claw your dowry back. Getting evidence on Smaractus will be more sordid than anything I've ever had to do.'
`He's just a colourful character,' Lenia sulked.
