A Body In The Bath House

XLVIII

No, we didn't. I caught the lads as they were skipping out the door. With Perella still on the loose, Maia needed guards. "Aelianus and Larius, you are to go back to the palace now. Make sure my sister is all right."

"Maia is perfectly safe-' Aelianus began stroppily. After his sojourn in the woods, he wanted a treat.

He might be right. Perella's sole target might have been Marcellinus. But he could be wrong.

"If anything happens to Maia while you have bunked off partying, I shall kill you, Aulus. That's as in disembowel you with a meat cleaver." He was still looking rebellious so I said curtly, "Marcellinus had his throat slit by that dancer we thought was tailing Maia."

He did reconsider. "And now the woman is on the loose again?"

"Stupenda?" Justinus joined in, with a quick glance at his crony Larius. "She won't have energy for Maia. She will be resting. She has a long night ahead of her tomorrow."

Larius explained: "Tomorrow night is billed as Stupenda's farewell appearance." As I stared at him, he added lamely, "Virginia tipped us off."

Tomorrow was nearly here. "You're done in, Falco," Justinus said quietly. "Aulus and Larius will certainly go back now and guard Maia. I'll try to find out from the management at the bar if they know where the dancer stays. If they don't know, we can all join the audience for her final show."

"What, and arrest her in front of a baying crowd?" I knew nothing works out that easily. But I was so tired I was powerless. "She won't appear."

"She had better,"Justinus replied grimly. "The men are all keyed up for it. If she fails to arrive there will be a riot."

I grinned wanly and said well, none of us would want to miss that.