Time To Depart

LIII

THERE WAS NO chance that Petronius would welcome me with almond cakes if I came with my new information. Hearing that his ploy had been seen through by Nonnius would only make him flare up again. What was the point of harassing him? He knew Balbinus was back; he could work out for himself his own personal danger. All I had learned for certain was some unpleasant background relating to the court case. Lalage had implied she had some mysterious hold over Balbinus, but it could be bluff. If not, it was still too nebulous to be useful.

Nonetheless I felt I had gained a better grip on the situation. The main thing now was to find Balbinus Pius. I decided to risk my neck and tackle Flaccida. Too late: when I reached her house at the other end of the Circus, the vigiles were already there. I must have spent longer in the brothel than I realised. (Not the first man to be in that predicament.) The funeral of Linus was over now. Petronius had obviously come straight from it, with barely time for the ritual purification, in order to lead a search party at the Balbinus house.

Flaccida was standing white-faced and rigid in the street, surrounded by the few slaves she had been left for personal use. No one had been arrested, but members of the foot patrol were strategically placed so that interested passers-by (of whom there were many) were being held back away from her. Despite precautions, Flaccida must have managed to send word to her daughter because while I was there Milvia came scuttling up looking flustered. She was promptly corralled with her mother. Her house would be the next target.

I also reckoned Balbinus would not be found in either mansion. Petronius presumably knew that too, for I could see him leaning casually in a portico with his arms folded. When he looked over and spotted me, I made sure I was sitting against a wall chewing my thumb in a similarly relaxed pose. I heard him give an order to have the street cleared of gawpers, so I left of my own accord.

It would be easy to let this situation deteriorate until it became even more personal. Searching for Balbinus was already feeling like some grim competition between Petro and me. That could be an advantage if it sharpened us up. But it was equally likely to jeopardise our hopes of capturing the criminal.

I went to see Marcus Rubella.

`There's been a development. Petronius has declared me out of bounds at the patrol house, and he refuses to communicate.'

`I was warned that having you two together would mean trouble.' That sounded as if it came from our old centurion, Stollicus.

`That's rubbish!' I retorted irritably.

Rubella was watering his inkwell and scraping the innards with a stick – the usual useless procedure for trying to get a decent mix. He possessed a fancy desk set: silver inkpot, stylus rack, sand tray, nib knife and sealing-wax lamp. It looked like a gift. Maybe somebody was fond of him. It wasn't me.

`Do you want to be taken off the enquiry, Falco?' He knew this had thrown me. `Are you prepared to tell Titus you're ditching it?' This was a vicious man. Sympathetic staff management was not in his armoury.

`I can't afford that. I need his goodwill. I came to see you because I hoped you might be able to mediate.'

Rubella looked at me as though I was a cockroach crawling up his favourite stool. `Mediate?'

`Sorry. Did I slip into a rare Etruscan dialect? Try arbitrate.' `You're asking me to calm Petronius Longus down?' `Subtle.'

`Fly off a crag, Falco.'

`No use?'

`I value life too dearly.'

`You won't try.'

`He's your old tentmate.'

`I don't find him in a nostalgic mood, unfortunately. Well it seems I'll be acting alone.' That was what I had wanted, though not this way. I told Rubella what I had learned from Lalage; he thanked me, in his dry manner, for handing him the task of telling Petro how Nonnius Albius had played with him. `Rubella, since Petronius won't be using my valuable talents, I'm available to take instructions directly from you.'

`I like a man who co-operates. Well now, what nugget can I find for you? Petronius is in charge of finding Balbinus.'

`I can help with that.'

`No. I don't want your paths crossing until your feud is worked out.'

`I'll keep out of his way.'

`Yes.' Rubella gave me his slow, untrustworthy smile. `That's best.' He meant, he was making sure of it. `As I said, Petronius is looking for the escapee. What I'd like you to take on is tracing the goods stolen from the Saepta and the Emporium.' Before I could protest at this menial role, he added smoothly, `Following up the raids may be another way to find a trail to Balbinus. Besides, you have connections in the fine-art world. You seem ideal for this job – much better than anyone on my own staff.'

Always a sucker for personal flattery, I heard myself agree to it. `Do I get men to assist?'

Rubella flattened the stubs of his close haircut with one hand; it must have felt like abrading his palm with pumice stone. `I don't see that you'll need any initially. If you are on to something, come straight to me for backup.'

I had heard that before. I knew I would be searching for the stolen goods on my own. If I found them, I would be a solitary hero timidly approaching whichever giant was hoarding them and asking if he could please hand them over and explain himself… I started planning further visits for exercise at my local gymnasium.

I was ready to leave when the tribune raised his chin more than usual. `Do I take it that you are still pursuing the request to identify corrupt officers?'

`Certainly. I'm looking all the time.'

`That's interesting. You report to me on that, I think.'

`What are you getting at?'

'Linus was an unfortunate loss. I've been at the funeral; I noticed you didn't go to it…' I let that ride. `I've been waiting,' said Rubella, with an insinuating sneer, `for you to tell me that there must be a maggot in the Fourth Cohort's enquiry team.'

my thumb in a similarly relaxed pose. I heard him give an order to have the street cleared of gawpers, so I left of my own accord.

It would be easy to let this situation deteriorate until it became even more personal. Searching for Balbinus was already feeling like some grim competition between Petro and me. That could be an advantage if it sharpened us up. But it was equally likely to jeopardise our hopes of capturing the criminal.

I went to see Marcus Rubella.

`There's been a development. Petronius has declared me out of bounds at the patrol house, and he refuses to communicate.'

`I was warned that having you two together would mean trouble.' That sounded as if it came from our old centurion, Stollicus.

`That's rubbish!' I retorted irritably.

Rubella was watering his inkwell and scraping the innards with a stick – the usual useless procedure for trying to get a decent mix. He possessed a fancy desk set: silver inkpot, stylus rack, sand tray, nib knife and sealing-wax lamp. It looked like a gift. Maybe somebody was fond of him. It wasn't me.

`Do you want to be taken off the enquiry, Falco?' He knew this had thrown me. `Are you prepared to tell Titus you're ditching it?' This was a vicious man. Sympathetic staff management was not in his armoury.

`I can't afford that. I need his goodwill. I came to see you because I hoped you might be able to mediate.'

Rubella looked at me as though I was a cockroach crawling up his favourite stool. `Mediate?'

`Sorry. Did I slip into a rare Etruscan dialect? Try arbitrate.' `You're asking me to calm Petronius Longus down?' `Subtle.'

`Fly off a crag, Falco.'

`No use?'

`I value life too dearly.'

`You won't try.'

`He's your old tentmate.' '

`I don't find him in a nostalgic mood, unfortunately. Well it seems I'll be acting alone.' That was what I had wanted, though not this way. I told Rubella what I had learned from Lalage; he

thanked me, in his dry manner, for handing him the task of telling Petro how Nonnius Albius had played with him. `Rubella, since Petronius won't be using my valuable talents, I'm available to take instructions directly from you.'

`I like a man who co-operates. Well now, what nugget can I find for you? Petronius is in charge of finding Balbinus.'

`I can help with that.'

`No. I don't want your paths crossing until your feud is worked out.'

`I'll keep out of his way.'

`Yes.' Rubella gave me his slow, untrustworthy smile. `That's best.' He meant, he was making sure of it. `As I said, Petronius is looking for the escapee. What I'd like you to take on is tracing the goods stolen from the Saepta and the Emporium.' Before I could protest at this menial role, he added smoothly, `Following up the raids may be another way to find a trail to Balbinus. Besides, you have connections in the fine-art world. You seem ideal for this job – much better than anyone on my own staff.'

Always a sucker for personal flattery, I heard myself agree to it. `Do I get men to assist?'

Rubella flattened the stubs of his close haircut with one hand; it must have felt like abrading his palm with pumice stone. `I don't see that you'll need any initially. If you are on to something, come straight to me for backup.'

I had heard that before. I knew I would be searching for the stolen goods on my own. If I found them, I would be a solitary hero timidly approaching whichever giant was hoarding them and asking if he could please hand them over and explain himself… I started planning further visits for exercise at my local gymnasium.

I was ready to leave when the tribune raised his chin more than usual. `Do I take it that you are still pursuing the request to identify corrupt officers?'

`Certainly. I'm looking all the time.'

`That's interesting. You report to me on that, I think.'

`What are you getting at?'

'Linus was an unfortunate loss. I've been at the funeral; I noticed you didn't go to it…' I let that ride. `I've been waiting,' said Rubella, with an insinuating sneer, `for you to tell me that there must be a maggot in the Fourth Cohort's enquiry team.'

I managed to keep my voice quiet, though I may have flushed. `I thought you suspected a maggot all along. I thought that was why Titus brought me in!' We clashed eye to eye. Neither achieved supremacy. The sooner I stopped working with Marcus Rubella, the happier I would be. `Petronius Longus will be reporting on the traitor who betrayed Linus when we have discovered who it is.'

`You told him there was a traitor?'

Not even I as Petro's close friend could pretend that Petro had been aware of it. `It seemed best for me to warn him that he needs to be careful whom he trusts, so I did discuss the subject with him last night before we parted company.'

`I suppose that's why you quarrelled?' The reason was between the two of us. Rubella glared. `He and I have also spoken.' Relief. Petro had faced the issue. Petro had even come clean with his tribune. I wondered whether he had asked for an interview of his own accord, or whether Rubella – who was undeniably sharp in his dour way – had realised there had been an error and had insisted they discuss what had gone wrong. `No thoughts on it?' Rubella tried.

I was not inclined to share them. `I'm standing back. Petronius Longus wants to sort it out internally.' I knew that without having any contact with him.

`I have agreed his approach. He'll review events surrounding the failed attempt to send Balbinus into exile. Then he'll interview the entire team individually.' For a moment I experienced the odd feeling that whatever Petro or I said to Rubella would make its way to the other. It was like conversing through an intermediary to save face. Maybe the damned tribune understood men after all. Maybe he could arbitrate.

`Keep me informed,' he concluded, as if confirming it.

Then the hypocrite wished me luck (hoping I would fall flat on my face of course) and I took myself off to apply my special gifts to the world of stolen luxuries.

Rubella had given me the lists of stolen property. I had a quick glance at the endless details of six-foot-high Etruscan terracotta stands and bowls, ancient Athenian red-figure, gilt and jewellery, porphyry and ivory. Then, to deal with two commissions at once, I started with the piece I knew: Papa's glass jug.

There was one character involved in this saga whom nobody else seemed to be considering. So I pulled my cloak around my shoulders and decided to meet Florius. I had to find him first.