The Accusers

XX

NEGRINUS WAS sitting with his sister in her elegant white saloon. The room was one of understated luxury. The furniture seemed plain, but its fittings were gilt. Gold Doric columns held lamps that burned with the finest oil. A single exquisite half-size Aphrodite adorned a hemispherical niche. The husband, Verginius Laco, must own an enviable portfolio of estates.

Carina looked very much like her sister Juliana. Birdy must take after their father; he was completely different. Unlike Negrinus with his light colouring, sharp-cut nose and diffident, almost studious face, this young woman was dark-haired, wide-cheeked and had a direct stare. Her mother's confidence glared out of her, though I could see why people called her nice to know. She was quiet in manner. Just as fashionable as Juliana, she copied the ladies of the imperial court in dress, hairstyle and jewellery. It was all more expensive than Helena would think necessary for an evening at home.

Helena had not come with me; the children were playing up. I could have used her calming influence.

`This is Honorius,' our client told me proudly. `He wants to plead my case.

I managed not to snort: why in the name of Olympus had Birdy taken on a spy from the viper's nest of his enemies? I caught Rubiria Carina's eye; she gave nothing away. But she was tellingly silent. An intelligent woman. Fond of Birdy, perhaps.

I sat back on the couch where I had been placed to be irritated and insulted. I let Honorius explain himself.

He still looked about eighteen, but told me he was twenty-five. Only child; father deceased; making a career for himself in law. He could use a good bout of army discipline to toughen him up – but a week of the recruits' training regime would send him weeping home to Mother. He did not mention his mother, but I could see her handiwork in his buffed shoes and beautifully braided tunic. I bet her poor old eyes were failing after stitching on those purple bands and neck-rings. I bet that signet ring had belonged to his dead father, and perhaps the old belt too. He must have come in his toga, which now lay folded over a couch back, as though the house slaves had not taken it away because they hoped to be rid of him rapidly. If he had managed to annoy them, he would annoy a court too.

`I have walked out on Silius.'

He was faintly pink. He thought he knew what I was thinking. I continued to watch him in silence, letting him worry.

In fact I was thinking that I could see why Silius Italicus had taken Honorius into partnership. He was good looking. Slightly gaunt, and the thick crinkled hair was too short, but women would go for the decent body and the eyes. He would fill out one day – but he would always be half a foot too short. I reckoned his judgment was suspect too, but most people never see past handsome bones and self-confidence. He would get by, and get by easily. Could he do the work? I withheld judgment.

The purple tunic bands confirmed he was of senatorial rank. Probably the dead father had left the family too poor to enable the son to try for the cursus honorum. For that he would have needed backers too. The official route of quaestor, aedile, praetor and consul might be closed to him, yet he had status and education, and an underlying sureness of purpose. Walking out on Silius must have stiffened him up. Where I had once thought him virginal, I now felt he might keep a mistress somewhere, some petulant, expensive piece whom he visited for vigorous but short-lived sex while the adoring mother believed he had gone to play handball at the gym. Then he would buy the mistress silver bracelets, and the mother flowers.

`Why have you left Silius?' I asked.

`We quarrelled over ethics.'

`After four years in practice with him, isn't that a bit late?'

Honorius learned fast. He copied me and held his peace.

Negrinus burst in, eager to set me straight: `Honorius has watched Silius and Paccius combining against our family – particularly against me. He knows it is an injustice. His conscience is aroused.'

`He knows,' Rubiria Carina told me pointedly, `that my brother will not find anyone else qualified or willing to take on his case.'

`So you will do it?' I smiled at Honorius. `Highly commendable! And you should make quite a name for yourself…' I paused. This young man was after the money, just as we were. He must have been badly disappointed to find Falco and Associates were already handling the case. `Sorry to be blunt, but I wonder if Silius deliberately stirred up your sense of outrage, knowing that in court you would be easy meat?'

Now Honorius went pale. If he had not thought of this himself, he managed to disguise the fact. He made out he was mature enough to know all Silius was capable of. `I shall have to prove him wrong, Falco.'

`How?'

`Without being immodest -'

`Be truthful.'

`I am a decent advocate.' Somehow he made himself sound very modest.

`Are you? Oh face facts, man! You have attended your principal at some high-profile, highly political pleadings. You have spoken for him sometimes; I saw you in the Metellus corruption case.' Honorius had been handling minor evidence; he was competent, but the stuff was routine. `I also know this: you are slapdash back in the office, you look to me as if you want to be a playboy, and the worst thing is – if you really came here out of idealism, that is not what we need. Your motive is naive. You're dangerous. We don't want a luminous conscience; we need someone to kick balls!'

`Now look, Falco -'

`No. You listen. You propose taking on some wary old wolves – these are devious, manipulating chancers. You are too inexperienced and you are too straight!'

`There has to be a place for believers in justice,' Negrinus pleaded with me, as if he had overheard Aulus and Quintus last night.

`Too right! I believe in it myself. That's why, if you are innocent, I don't want to see you destroyed by an inadequate defence.'

`That's insulting,' Honorius said tightly.

`Well, you insulted me. Falco and Associates have taken on this man. We at least are an established team. You were an apprentice. You sweep in like some high-priced god, offering Negrinus redemption after no research into the evidence -'

`There is no evidence,' Honorius retorted, more warmly. `That is precisely what disgusts me. I heard Silius and Paccius both admit they cannot prove that Metellus Negrinus directly took any action against his father. They say he administered hemlock, but they don't know how or when. They intend to win not with proofs but with arguments.'

I was not surprised. `That's obvious. Blacken his character, make leering suggestions, and rely on the fact that if he is innocent, he won't have any idea what really happened – so he can't fight back. We can all imagine their arguments.' I took a big breath. `So you defend in the case. You will have to produce better ones.'

`Not me,' said Honorius. `Us.'

`No.'

`Yes, Falco. I need you. I need you to find out what we can produce in rebuttal. Silius has people working on it constantly. I don't have his network. I admit it frankly -'

`And how will you pay me?'

He looked shy. `When we win.'

`If!’ Both Honorius and Negrinus were waiting for my reaction. `I can't answer you. I shall have to consult my associates.'

`There is no time, Falco.'

`All right.' I could take decisions. `But we will not work for you.' Honorius ran a hand through that short hair in exasperation. I cut him off. `Equal status. We'll work with you. That's the deal. No fees, but fair shares if we win.' Before he could argue I went straight into my plan. `Tomorrow you and I will attend the pre-trial. The praetor will set the trial date, allowing time for enquiries. This is the tactic: we let the other side ask for the longest investigation delay they want. We shall not dispute it.'

Honorius leapt up. 'Falco, it's customary to -'

`To cut it short, to hamper the prosecution. Well we need investigation time ourselves. Now when they all think that's sorted, we'll throw in a surprise: we shall ask for the case to be heard not in the Senate – to which Negrinus is entitled – but in the murders court.'

Honorius was bright. I was probably right that he was useless, but he could take a point fast. `You mean the full Senate will view me as a jumped-up boy, backed by a low-grade team, people they all despise. But in the special murders court, the judge will be keen to enjoy himself- and Silius and Paccius won't have trained him to their ways.'

I said nothing for a moment. `Something like that.'

I watched Honorius evaluate my comments. He had stood for too long in the shadow of Silius Italicus and was fretting for more independence. He clearly enjoyed planning and making decisions. That was fine – if his decisions were the right ones. `If Negrinus didn't kill his father, someone else did – and you intend us to discover who.' Light dawned. `And in the delay before Birdy comes to trial – we shall go in and prosecute the real killer!'

Rubiria Carina leaned forwards attentively. `But who is it?'

I gazed at her for a moment then stated the obvious: `Well, your sister has been tried for it and acquitted, your brother is to be tried shortly but we say he's innocent – face it, lady: that only leaves you!'