Three Hands in The Fountain

XXXVII

'Claudia Rufina!' I managed to appear at her side before any of the would-be muggers, rapists, or kidnappers. Various seedy types edged back a bit, though they hustled still within earshot, hoping I myself was a chancer Claudia would reject, leaving the booty for them.

'How nice to see you, Marcus Didius!'

Claudia was docile and well-meaning. I tried to moderate my voice. 'May I ask what are you doing alone in a rough street at this time of night?'

'Oh, I don't mind,' the silly girl assured me sweetly. 'I'm waiting for Aelianus and Justinus to come back with our litter. Their mother insists we have it sent to collect me, but in the crush it's so very hard to find.'

'This is not the place to hang about, lady.'

'No, it's not nice, but this exit is nearest to the Capena Gate. We could walk home from here, but Julia Justa won't hear of it.'

Walking home as a brisk threesome would be a damned sight safer than having the lads bunk off searching for the family chair while Claudia was positioned here like live bait.

Justinus turned up while I was fuming. 'Oh, Claudia, I warned you not to talk to any strange men.'

I lost my temper. 'Don't ever do this again! Don't you realise this is the area where the last known victim of the aqueduct killer disappeared? I am standing here watching for some stupid female to get herself followed by a maniac – and I really would rather it isn't someone I myself introduced to Rome, one who is my future sister-in-law!'

He had not known about the location. But he had a fine sense of danger once the character of the district had been pointed out. 'We've been fools. I apologise.'

'Think nothing of it,' I returned harshly. 'So long as you and your brother are prepared to be the ones who explain your stupidity to Helena! Not to mention your noble mother, your illustrious father, and Claudia's loving grandparents -'

Claudia turned solemn eyes on Justinus. He was one of the few people tall enough to meet her gaze directly despite her habit of leaning back and looking at the world down her large nose. 'Oh, Quintus,' she murmured. 'I do believe Marcus Didius is a little bit cross with you!'

'Oh, goodness! Am I in trouble, Falco?' It was the first time I had seen Claudia teasing anyone. That rascal Quintus seemed suspiciously used to it. 'Don't worry; if anything is said at home, we'll just blame Aelianus!' This seemed to be some old shared joke; amid a clatter of bracelets Claudia hid a smile in her beringed hand.

Aelianus himself arrived just then from a different direction, bringing the litter for his betrothed. As well as the bearers, three lads with staves acted as bodyguard, but they were puny and vague-looking. I instructed the two Camilli to clear off fast. 'Stick together, keep your eyes open, and get yourselves home as quick as possible.'

The Capena Gate was very close or I would have felt obliged to go with them.

Aelianus looked as if he wanted to argue on principle, but his brother had grasped the point. When Claudia tried to soothe me with a goodbye kiss on the cheek, Justinus shooed her into the litter. I noticed he now parked himself at the open half-door, shielding the girl from onlookers and keeping himself between her and trouble. He muttered a few words in an undertone to his brother, who glanced about as if confirming that we were surrounded by misfits. Aelianus then had the grace to close ranks with Justinus, marching close to the chair as it moved off.

Justinus bade me farewell with a crisp military salute; it was a reminder of our time in Germany, and meant to let me know he was now taking care. Aelianus must have been in the army too, though I had no idea which province he had served in. Knowing him, some place where the hunting was good and the locals had forgotten how to revolt. If his younger brother seemed more mature and responsible in a tricky situation, that was because Justinus had been taught how to survive in barbarian territory – and taught by me. I would have passed on techniques for handling women too, but at the time he had not seemed to need it. I was not sure he needed any teaching nowadays.

Grimly I returned to my post at the Temple of Sol and Luna. I felt shaken. There were enough young people out looking for trouble without ones I knew worrying me.

The next woman I saw being ridiculous was another one I recognised: Pia, the dead Asinia's friend. The hussy in turquoise who had assured Petro and me she would not go anywhere near the Circus again after what had happened to Asinia. It was no surprise that this trembling blossom had emerged from the stadium tonight, having clearly attended the Games just the same as usual. What was more she had a man in tow.

I strode up to her. She was annoyed at seeing me. I was annoyed too, that she had lied to us and that she so blatantly lacked any loyalty to her murdered friend. But it did give me a faint hope of exposing her lies.

The fellow with sickly taste who was crawling over Pia was a greasy tyke with patches on his clothing and a yellowing black eye. He was playing the part of an old friend, so maybe Pia herself had whacked him with the shiner. She, however, was trying to make out to me that she hardly knew this dreamboat.

I weighed straight in. 'Is this the weasel you were screwing the night you parted from Asinia?'

She wanted to deny it, but he failed to notice she was trying to disown him so he owned up straight away. Pia had clearly picked him for his intelligence. Don't ask me why he went for her.

They must already have discussed the night in question. Clearly he knew all about Asinia's grim fate, and I guessed he knew even more than that.

'What's your name, friend?'

'I'd rather not say.'

'That's all right.' Sometimes it pays to allow them their secrecy. I wanted to know what he had seen, never mind who he was. Did you hear the bad news about poor Asinia?'

'Terrible!'

'I'd be interested in your side of the story. Pia said you both left her about here – but you saw her again in the Street of the Three Altars?'

'Yes, we must of caught up with her. She didn't see us.' Was she all right at that point?'

He glanced at Pia. 'Didn't you tell him about that fellow, then?'

'Oh,' lied Pia, utterly shamelessly. 'I think I must have forgot.'

'What fellow was this then?' I wished Petro was here with me. Less scrupulous than I was, he would have dragged her arm up her back in a vigiles' bodyhold, while encouraging free speech with his spare fist around her throat.

'Oh,' mouthed Pia, as if it was unimportant and anyway she had only just remembered it. 'I think we saw some man talking to Asinia.'