A Body In The Bath House

LXXXIV

that was a hiccup that I could have done without. Perella! Dear gods.

Sorting the labour problem would be a time-consuming enterprise, thanks to Pomponius. Luckily we had a short reprieve: Mandumerus must have heard we were on to him. When I made enquiries, I was told the rogue supervisor had left the site.

The other workmen now gathered in groups, muttering. I thought it unlikely they would go for me, at least not openly. When I approached, most pointedly turned their backs. One man with a barrow of spoil came straight at me and tried to push me into a deep trench. Soon afterwards, as I walked under scaffolding against the old house, a sandbag which had been used for weighting a pulley suddenly fell off and crashed right beside me. It missed, or the deadweight could have killed me.

There was nobody in sight above. It could have been an accident.

I might extract information from the one man who seemed to be at odds with Mandumerus -Lupus, the other supervisor. But when I asked after him, he was unavailable. Pomponius had now called a site meeting, with the leaders of all the trades like the gathering from which he had debarred me on the day I arrived. Whether today's was to discuss general progress or to make specific changes following my revelations about the labour scam I did not know. He did not invite me to attend.

I worked in my office with Gaius all afternoon, trying not to feel demoralised.

Just before we packed up, someone threw a large rock through our open window. Gaius and I spent half an hour discussing whether to ignore this vandalism or stress ourselves reacting publicly. We chose to feign indifference.

Regular hard work lost its interest. Instead, Gaius said, "I did look out for Guttus and Cloaca, those pipe-benders you were asking about."

"Drippy and Drainage? Finding Gloccus and Cotta could be too much excitement at present, Gaius."

"Neither is here," he assured me. "I checked all through the lists when I was doing the comparisons and, Falco, they don't feature."

"False names." I grimaced despondently. "Like their fake workmanship."

"Does Lupus know anything about them, Falco?"

"He says no."

"Mind you, Lupus is the worst liar I've come across," Gaius beamed cheerfully.

I groaned. "How unusual!"

"They could be anywhere, you know, Falco. Some of the trades come out here on contracts- but a lot of men just turn up. Chances are they will be taken on if they can show a good pedigree from Italy or anywhere else that sounds civilised. We are making demands that Britons are not used to- unfamiliar materials and sophisticated techniques. A craftsman who says he has handled fine marbles, say, will be at a premium."

"But plenty of cities in Gaul and Germany are being restored or expanded- so there is big competition for craftsmen, Gaius."

"Right. Even in Britain, towns are throwing up temples to the imperial cult, or fancy public baths."

"It's baths that interest me. And my information is that Togidubnus has a private plan to renovate his facilities here."

"He has a firm lined up, I think," Gaius told me. "Some crew that Marcellinus, the old architect, recommended."

"Do you know them?"

"I've been told nothing about it."

"Is Marcellinus involved with the King's bath refurbishment?"

"That creep Marcellinus would like to be involved with everything," Gaius grumbled.

"He's ex. Is he a problem?"

"We can't winkle him out. He's always hanging round the site. He really irritates Pomponius."

"Don't most people?" I laughed.

The afternoon site meeting must have broken up at exactly the time I dropped my pretence of working and emerged. Most people scattered, but I caught up with Blandus, the chief painter. I had wanted to speak to him ever since I saw him being injured in the fight with Philocles. He was walking slowly, perhaps still in discomfort. When the others saw me, they scurried on, heads down; he could not hop away so fast, so was lumbered.

"Glad to see you about again!" He grunted. "I'm Falco. A painter's looking for me. Is it you?" He grunted again, apparently a negative. Conversation was not his strong point. Hard to see how he had such notorious success with women. Maybe he achieved his wicked way using those old Roman standbys: a noble profile and suggestive winks.

His profile was nothing to talk about, in my opinion.

"It must be your assistant, then."

"I know nothing about that," muttered Blandus grumpily. "He does what he likes. I've been laid up."

I gave him a dry look. "Yes, I was there. Tough about Philocles Senior! I hear Junior is cut up over losing his papa."

Blandus, who had caused the trouble by seducing Philocles' wife all those years ago, refused to react. Still, I felt better for pointing out someone other than me had made enemies around here.

Maia was making it plain she supported the men who were throwing rocks at me. So instead of having dinner with my dear ones in our private suite, I took one of my British bodyguards and sloped off on a pony to see Justinus instead. I wanted him to take me to see the famous dancer- but he knew she was not appearing that night.

"Day off, Falco. The owner of the wine bar plays it cleverly. He lets the lads grow keen, then as word spreads, he only offers performances at intervals."

"Saves paying the damn woman every night."

"He's even cleverer. The actual appearances are never publici sed until the last minute."

"So how do you know, Quintus?"

He grinned. "Private source: dear little Virginia."

"What a treasure. So while the curmudgeon who runs the bar is pretending he never knows when his artiste will agree to flirt her stuff, the luscious Virginia sells drinks to the crowds anyway? The keen ones still keep coming?"

"The owner claims that after a break, the dancer is fresh." Justinus grinned. I ignored his leer.

"What's her name?"

"Stupenda."

I winced. "Her stage name, presumably! Tell me, please, that she's just a busty teenager."

"Mature,"Justinus disagreed, shaking his head wisely. That was bad news. "Experienced! That's the fascination. You start out thinking "This is a raddled hag" -then you find she has enchanted you…"

"Oh Jupiter."

This was what Perella liked to do: station herself near her quarry, working as a dancer in some sour dive. There she would listen, watch, make herself known in the district until nobody thought twice about her presence. All the time she was planning her move. Eventually she would vanish from the dancing venue. Then she struck. I had seen the results. When Perella found her victims she took them out, fast and silently. A knife across the throat from behind was her favourite method. Without question, she had others.

Next came another disappointment: Justinus was not seeing the young painter that evening. "We felt we could benefit from a night off drinking water. "Justinus had the grace to look sheepish.

I told him how Aelianus, fleeing the dogs, had met his friend the night before.

"So you got my message about the British workmen?" He did not ask about his brother's welfare.

"Yes, thanks. The men are now making their mood all too obvious- I don't know whether to keep looking upwards in case a loose scaffold board falls as I walk underneath, or to keep my eyes pinned to the ground looking for big deep thatch-covered holes they have set up as man traps

"Olympus."

"The Britons' leader is called Mandumerus. He's a thickset, woad tattooed mental defective whom I would not like to meet in a narrow lane. I'm telling you that for a reason. He vanished from site this morning after I exposed the labour fraud so I want you to look out for him in the canabae, please. Send word at once if he turns up."

Justinus nodded. He seemed sober today. He was probably listening, though he looked rather vague.

"Don't approach Mandumerus on your own," I reiterated.

"No, Falco."

He fed me, courtesy of his uncle's placid house slaves. We both drank water with our dinner. Justinus needed to cure his hangover. I wanted a clear head too.

I collected my bodyguard, who had been eating where he could watch the street outside, and we picked our way carefully back to the palace along the mile or so of road. I felt glad that I had taken the precaution of covering up in a mantle and a large hat. Travelling a coastal road at night can be eerie enough. A buoyant wind wafted around us, smelling of seaweed and surf. Expecting any moment to pass groups of hefty, hostile labourers, my ears were alert for the slightest sound behind us or ahead. Even with a bodyguard I felt very exposed. For all I knew, this silent Briton in the red and yellow cloak who rode alongside might be Mandumerus' brother-in-law.

On the other hand, that might ensure his loyalty. Judging by how I felt about my own sisters' husbands, if he loathed Mandumerus he would look after me with due diligence.

We hit the palace again before I was expecting it. I had travelled this way enough times now for the road to shrink. Lights showed. I tensed. It was the same here as in Rome. Never relax when you seem to be in sight of safety. That can be the most dangerous moment.

I was jumpy. As we rode in under the dark scaffold that shrouded the King's quarters, a dangling rope brushed against me; I nearly fell off my mount. Its saddle was Roman, with high front pommels that you gripped with your thighs, and I managed to stay put. The bodyguard grinned. I returned his mirth manfully as we rode around to the courtyard garden. There I was preparing to swing down to ground level when we heard urgent running footsteps. Someone came ha ring around the outside of the building towards us.

If this was an attack, it was damned obvious. But an ill-executed ambush by idiots can be even more dangerous than a skilled operation.

Dim flares lit the courtyard. It was dark, so nobody was sitting out here. I was armed with a sword, which I drew quietly. The bodyguard grasped a long spear; he looked as if he knew what to do with it. Moving to a pool of light, we remained mounted. That gave us the best chance to manoeuvre. I hoped my companion did not realise I was keeping one eye on him in case he was planning a double-cross. With the rest of my attention I was watching to see who arrived.

One man, on foot.

Stark naked! White torso, deep brown arms and legs. Wild eyes. Oblivious to his daft predicament.

I relaxed somewhat, laughing. The bodyguard dismounted with a disbelieving grin. He hitched his horse and my pony to a column, bringing up one of the flares to shed more light. I skewed sideways and jumped down, then faced the ludicrously nude man. He was startled by my drawn sword as he arrived.

It was the clerk of works. Red-faced, he fell against the back of a garden bench, gasping so hard he looked ready to expire. His clothes were in a bundle, which he dropped. The bodyguard was casting a careful eye around the vicinity, so I was able to concentrate on helping Cyprianus calm down. I grabbed at his clothes bundle and pulled out a tunic.

Eventually he managed to stop wheezing. He got himself into the dingy blue tunic I was offering. As his head emerged through the neck hole, for a moment he just gazed at me. Whatever was wrong, it must have some magnitude.

He coughed again, bending low to brush grit off his feet and pull on boots. "You had better come, Falco." His voice rasped with distress.

"What is it? Or do I mean who?1

"Pomponius."

"Hurt?" Unlikely. Cyprianus would have run for help from the medical orderly, not rushed here for me.

"Dead."

"No doubt of that?"

A rueful expression crossed Cyprianus' face. "Afraid not, Falco. Absolutely no doubt."