`The Fourth is always overworked.' I was losing this dice-game.
`We really can't cope at present,' Petronius returned placidly.
`Your tribune won't wear it.'
`It's July.
'So?'
`Darling Rubella is on leave.'
`His villa at Neapolis?' I scoffed.
'Positanum.' Petronius beamed. `I'm covering for him. And I say we need to buy in expertise.'
Had Helena not been there, I might have accused him of wanting free time to pursue some new woman. There was little affection between the vigiles and private informers. They saw us as devious political sneaks; we knew they were incompetent thugs. They could put out fires. It was the real reason for their existence. They had only become involved with law and order because vigiles patrols out fire-watching at night had run across so many burglars in the dark streets. We possessed more sophisticated expertise. When civil crimes occurred, victims were advised to come to us, if they wanted their affairs handled with finesse.
`Well, thanks, friend; once I would have been glad of the money,' I admitted. `But to investigate the killing of some millionaire exploitation-magnate sticks in my craw.'
`For one thing,' Helena supported me, `there must be thwarted authors all over the city, any one of whom was bursting to shove the slug down a drain. What happened to him anyway?' she asked, rather late in the day. As a group, we were showing the publisher little sympathy.
`The first draft was rather crude – thrusting a scroll rod up his nose. Then whoever did it developed his theme more prettily.'
'Nice metaphors. You mean he was battered about?' I queried. Petro nodded. 'In various violent ways. Someone was exceedingly angry with this patron of the arts.'
'Don't tell me any more. I will not take an interest. I refuse to involve myself.'
‘Reconsider that, Falco. You would not want me to feel obliged to run your visit to the scriptorium past the loveable Marponius.' 'You would not!'
'Try me,' he leered.
It was blackmail. He knew perfectly well I had not crushed the life from Chrysippus – but he could make the situation difficult. Marponius, the homicide magistrate for this sector, would love a chance to get me. If I refused to assist, they might close the case in a way that was traditional for the vigiles: find a suspect; say he did it; and if he wants to get off, let him prove what really happened. Crude, but extremely efficient if they were keen on good clear-up figures and less keen on knowing who had actually bashed in a victim's brains.
Helena Justina looked at me. I sighed. 'I'm the obvious choice, love. The vigiles know me, and I'm already close to the case. I think,' I was now addressing both of them, 'this requires a drink. We need to talk about it -'
'None of your informing games.' Petronius smirked. 'I want a consultant who will solve this, not some layabout who hopes the Fourth will cover his exorbitant winebar bills.'
'So you do control a budget?'
'That's not your worry.'
'Oh, you don't have a budget. You're raiding the pension fund!' If Petronius was doing that – and I would not put it past him – he was vulnerable and I could apply a squeeze myself 'Lucius, old friend, I shall need a free hand.'
'You'll take my orders.'
'Stuff that. I want my usual fees, plus expenses – plus a confession bonus if I make the killer cough.'
'Well, suit yourself- but keep a low profile.' 'Are you allowing me any back-up?'
'None to give you; that's the whole point, Falco.'
'I can bring my own support – if you can pay for it.'
'I'll pay for you; that's more than enough. I'm sure Fusculus will be happy to give you his usual tactful hints and tips, should I not be available when you require advice.'
'Don't insult my expertise!'
‘Just don't get into any rucks, Falco.'
'Demand a contract,' Helena instructed me, not bothering to say it in an undertone.
X
WORD HAD spread. The crime scene was almost inaccessible behind a large crowd of Aventine dead-enders who had suddenly developed an interest in reading. Their after-lunch entertainment was to present themselves at the scroll-shop like potential customers, browsing the book baskets and keeping their eyes peeled for excitement – preferably in the form of blood.
Considering Petro's claims of undermanning, there was a commendable vigiles presence. The red tunics were here in force, mingling with the ghouls, always nosy about a new kind of location. It would not last. Once the investigation lost its novelty, it would be hard finding one of these lads for anything routine. They were mainly ex- slaves, short but wide or wiry, each handy in a fight and none of them men to cross. Joining the vigiles was a desperate measure. The work was dangerous, the community hostile, and those who escaped being fried in fires were likely to end up having their necks broken by bullyboys on the streets.
I forced a passage through the gawpers outside. Taking more interest in the layout than last time, I noticed that the scroll-shop and a shoemender's next door appeared to form the frontage of the same property. They were part of a row of small, mostly run-down-looking businesses, some no doubt with rooms at the back or on the upper floor where their proprietors lived.
`Falco.' I announced myself to the vigiles loafing in the shop. `Assigned to this case by Petronius Longus. Round up these sightseers. Check out whether anyone saw anything; if so, I'll speak to them. Make the rest clear off.'
I heard muttering, but Petro's name carried weight.
I barged through the press in the shop and into the scriptorium. The workers were standing about looking anxious. Euschemon, the freedman who had propositioned me to sell my work, was leaning his backside against a table. It looked as if he slumped there whilst under interrogation by Fusculus, one of Petro's best men. I knew Fusculus well. Seeing me, he gave a cheery wave, pressed Euschemon in the chest with the flat of his hand to warn him to stay put, and then came across.
`Falco! He nobbled you then?' The bastards must have discussed me earlier.
`I gather Marcus Rubella is sunning himself in Campania, and the rest of you have forgotten how to do any work. That's why you need me?'
`It's July. The Espartos have to douse fewer fires at night, but everyone is feeling hot and stinky and we're inundated with tunic thieves at all the public baths.'
`Well, lost underwear must be your priority! And Rubella would not want you getting bloodstains on your uniforms, while sorting out a slaying. He would hate to approve the dockets requisitioning new togs.'
`Rubella's all right, Falco.'
`Change of heart? Do I gather he's been in post long enough to stop hammering everyone because he's new? Now you all regard him as lover-boy?'
`We regard him as trouble,' Fusculus replied gently.
Tiberius Fusculus, heavy but fit, a cheery soul, was now Petro's second-in-command, having grabbed the position after Petro shunted on Martinus, the previous lazy incumbent. Fusculus was shaping up well, though his preferred element was not major crime but the thousands of elaborate fiddles and dodges that small-time crooks invented. Admiring the madness and light-fingered skill of flyboy purse-shifters and skallydiddlers, he had made an intense study of confidence tricks. Recognising Forum swindles would not help much here. As with all murders, the chances were that some obvious culprit had flared up and swiped a relative or close associate in a sudden fit of pique. Still, Fusculus would, if his services were available to me, search out clues to whoever had lost his or her temper as diligently as I could wish.
