Saturnalia

LIII

We spent a good evening with Maia and Petronius. This was mainly achieved by Maia pretending it had nothing to do with Saturnalia but was a simple family meal. My daughters were well behaved, as often happened in the presence of much older children; in the company were Maia's four, plus Petro's daughter and Albia, who all got on together.

I would normally have avoided breaking off in the middle of an investigation merely to socialise, but at that point I was stuck, waiting on other people. I managed to relax. Well, Lucius Petronius always had a good wine to hand, and was liberal with it. Maia could cook too.

My mother had been invited, which at least kept her out of the clutches of Anacrites. Apparently he was paying her a lot of attention, grilling her about my activities. She claimed she always told him I was a good family man, devoting myself to giving my children a wonderful festival. 'And what have you bought for Helena as a present, Marcus? Oh don't tell me; you're just like your father. I don't suppose you've given it a thought.'

I claimed it was a secret. Maia muttered that that was always a good way to buy time. Helena said she would be happy with a surprise, so we all roared the traditional reply that her surprise would come when she received nothing. Some younger children who had never heard this one before collapsed in hysterical laughter.

Helena had never been demanding in that way. Her soft brown eyes were telling me she would not mind – while I felt my heart lurch guiltily because I had still not arranged anything. Ear-rings. Pa had mentioned unsold ear-rings… 'What have you got for Maia?' I muttered to Petronius. 'A neck chain.'

Why did I ask? He had always bought neck chains, whatever woman – or women – he was buttering up. That way, the philandering rascal never got caught out in conversations afterwards. Although they were not invited, we were joined just after dinner by my other sister Junia and dreary Gaius Baebius. They always knew when someone else was entertaining. To demonstrate that Junia's slipup with vinum primitivum was all forgotten and they were once again the devoted couple, they made a big fuss of jointly issuing invitations to their house the next day. Abruptly, Petronius stood up and left, saying that he had to be on duty. This left Maia with the task of refusing the invitation for them (Petro loathed Junia and Gaius Baebius). Maia, who was always blunt, just said, 'No thank you, Junia.' 'Oh I suppose you busy people must have other plans!' Maia bared her neat little teeth in what could be either smile or snarl.

I tried to bluff by saying we had a house full of soldiers, so Junia countered quickly that we would be glad to get away from them – as we had obviously done today. I then assumed it was Helena's turn to cover for us, but she had gone into some dream of her own, so we ended up with no escape.

'We are having ghost stories. I shall be giving you a perfect night!' Junia oozed, with the self-satisfaction we all hated.

Junia and Gaius clung on like rock anemones. They were still there swiping the leftover food from Maia's serving dishes when a message came for me from Petronius, so I was able to abandon the party and go over to the patrol house. I assumed the call was merely a courtesy on his part, but it turned out to be genuine: another body of a vagrant had been found. The dead man was laid out in a cell, since Lentullus was still occupying the doctor's treatment room. I found Petronius and Scythax bending over the corpse, a weightless, grey-faced vagrant who could be anywhere between forty years and sixty. If I had seen him walking around, I would have kept my distance in case he harboured an infectious lung disease. Petro said he had instructed his men to give all rough-sleepers a kick to ensure they were alive. After zero response to their greeting, a vigiles patrol had brought this one in, just after twilight. 'Not dumped for Scythax then?' I gave Scythax a forbidding glance. He refused to look shifty. Petronius said, 'I sent to the temple to have Zosime questioned, but I gather she is still at your house, Falco?' 'Right. Helena wants her for something… Time of death, Scythax?' Only a couple of hours earlier, he said; the body still had traces of warmth. It was a mild night for December, and the vagrant had wrapped himself in many dirty layers. We joked gently that the dirt alone would have kept him warm. 1 frowned. 'We know for sure this one wasn't done in by Zosime. I've got ten daft but honest legionaries and a centurion's servant who can all give her an alibi tonight. '

'Could be a damn copycat killing.' After dear Junia's invasion of his home, Petronius was in a dour mood.

'Think so? So far, the authorities haven't commented,' 1 put to him. 'You normally have a problem advertised and a loud public outcry, before the crazy emulators start. I'd say there is an original serial killer prowling out there – hitherto unnoticed.' Reluctantly, Petro nodded. 'We have absolutely nothing on him.' 1 turned to the doctor. 'Scythax, come clean about the corpses that are dumped for you. This one was left on the streets. So what do you know about your little presents – and do you suspect Zosime from the Temple of Жsculapius is connected with them?'

For a moment Scythax looked unhelpful. Chin up, Petronius stared at him, though my pal said nothing. 'The ones we find at the patrol house,' Scythax finally admitted, 'are brought here by the woman.' He seemed to cringe, knowing that Petro would be annoyed. 'By Zosime?' 1 said quickly. 'I assume you can explain that?' Scythax let himself be drawn out by me, where he was obviously wary of Petro. For one thing, 1 did not have the power to set Sergius on him. Sergius was the muscle-man who beat criminals into confessions. Well, sometimes they were criminals, sometimes they had just been arrested by mistake – but they all confessed. The vigiles were one happy family; if anyone upset Petro, he believed in traditional paternal chastisement. When he was feeling particularly conservative, he would rave that it had been a bad day when fathers of families lost the power of life and death. 'Zosime was the first to suspect something,' Scythax admitted nervously. 'She came and discussed it with me. Her temple won't take any action, so she has to rely on the vigiles. ' 'Why not mention this to me?' snarled Petro. 'Nothing definite to go on. Zosime brings me the corpses, when she finds them, so that 1 can say whether they are natural or unnatural deaths. ' 'Unnatural, 1 take it?' 1 asked. 'I am starting to think so. Sometimes we get one who has genuinely died of malnutrition or disease. But most display the classic sign of manual strangulation – a small bone in their throats is broken.' It seemed best not to ask how a doctor would discover that. Presumably not by pressing down a tongue and ordering the corpse to say ah. 'It is as if,' said Scythax, with dry distaste, 'they are birds who have had their necks casually wrung.'

'Anything else we should know?' demanded Petronius, becoming more intrigued.

'Anything sexual?' Scythax knew the vigiles' preoccupations in murder. 'Nothing that seems connected. Many vagrants have been abused at some time prior to death, it goes without saying. In those who are clearly runaway slaves, indications of long-term brutalisation are practically generic.' 'Are the corpses all men?' I asked. 'Occasional women. And, sadly, a few children.' I looked at Petro. 'Isn't this wide spread of victims unusual from repeat killers?' He nodded. 'Yes, mostly they go for one consistent type – male or female, adults or children.'

Scythax volunteered, 'I believe the common factor is that the victims live on the streets. They seem to be chosen for punishment because of their indigent lifestyle. Someone finds them sleeping under arches or in doorways, and ends their existence. He – or she – may justify murder as a kindness to end their misery.' 'Putting them down like worn-out horses?' Petronius was shocked and angry.

'Unless,' said Scythax, with his odd dispassionate attitude, 'this killer hates them – sees them as a kind of human vermin. Eradicates them for the greater good.'

'Even more delightful. How will I find this self-appointed Fury?'

'Look for someone who is convinced cleaning up the streets is a decent motive. Of course,' said the doctor diffidently, 'you need to know where to start looking.'

'Io,' replied Petronius glumly. 'Happy Saturnalia!'