Three Hands in The Fountain

LIV

There were two Roman festivals named for Augustus. Eight days before October had been his birthday, on which formal Games were celebrated in the Circus; we had managed to miss that during our jaunt to Tibur. Now the main ten-day series was inaugurated, working up to splendid shows for the anniversary of the old Emperor's return from abroad after pacifying the foreign provinces. Still regularly bankrupting towns throughout the Empire, this was the kind of junket I tried to avoid. I didn't flatter Emperors when they were alive, so I certainly wanted no part in their deification once Rome was rid of them.

On the day of the opening ceremony, Petro and I were as keyed up as Brutus and Cassius having bad dreams the night before the Battle of Philippi. If he stayed true to form, come the evening our killer would be out looking for his next victim. Julius Frontinus had held long consultations with the tribunes of the Fifth and Sixth Cohorts of vigiles, who patrolled the Circus area; they were to have men out in force, with particular orders to protect the safety of unaccompanied women. Every time I thought about the amount of ground to be covered and the number of people who would be flocking to and fro, I went cold. It was an enormous task.

We had toyed with the idea of putting up notices warning people to beware. Frontinus forbade it. It cost us all some heart-searching but he took the final responsibility. We had to be hard. Everything had to appear normal. We wanted the killer to strike – though to strike when we were watching and could intervene.

My sister Maia came round that first afternoon. She was a bright, curly-haired spirit, smartly turned out, ready for anything, and quite uncontrollable. 'We should go, Helena!' she cried. 'You and I are the sort who can keep our eyes open; I bet if he's there we could spot him.'

'Please don't go anywhere near the Circus.' I was terrified. I was Maia's older brother and Helena's chosen partner. According to the ancient laws of Rome, my word should be law: fat chance. These were women of character, and I was just the poor duffer who tried to do his best for them. I had no jurisdiction over either.

They were close friends, and both argumentative. 'Maia's right.' Helena knew how wound up I was, but was turning against me over this. 'Maia and I could walk about near the Circus acting as decoys.'

'Dear gods!'

'We'd be brilliant. You've got to try something,' cajoled Maia. From what she knew about the investigation, I could tell they had already been conspiring while I was out. 'You missed him at the Ludi Romani, and you're going to miss him again.'

'Oh, don't be so encouraging. You might build up my confidence.'

'You don't even really know how this piece of scum operates.'

True. We had no evidence, apart from one sighting by Pia and her ghastly boyfriend Mundus, of Asinia being spoken to by someone on foot. The man they saw might be totally unconnected with the murders. Asinia could have been picked up later, by a cart, chariot, carriage, a man with a donkey – or for all I knew Perseus swooping down on his winged horse. 'The nearest we have to a suspect is a driver.'

Maia tossed her head. 'Some hunch you and Lucius Petronius dreamed up!'

'Trust us.'

'Pardon me, Marcus. How can I do that? I know you and Petro!'

'Then you know we have had our successes.' I was trying to keep my temper. Faced with girls with wild theories, always appear open to suggestion.

'What I know is you're a pair of loons.'

I appealed to Helena Justina. She had been listening with the downcast air of a woman who knows it will be her task to be sensible, whatever her heart says. 'Ours is a good idea, Marcus, but I can see why you're nervous -'

It's far too dangerous.'

'You would be there to protect us.'

'I appreciate the offer. You both mean too much to me, and I don't want you to do it. I can't lock you in -'

'You'd better not try!' interrupted Maia.

All I could do was to ask them to assure me they would listen to my warning and not try anything stupid after I was gone. They heard me with pitying expressions, then gave promises of good behaviour so solemnly that it was obvious they would do whatever they liked.

It was time to sharpen my knife and attune my mind to danger. I had no time to deal with these two when they were trying to annoy me.

There are men who would let the women they love take a risk in a desperate cause. Helena and Maia were courageous and clever; if we ever did use decoys they would be an excellent choice. But using decoys was far too dangerous. Something unexpected was bound to happen. A mistake or a trick would leave them exposed. It takes only a second for a man to grab a girl, then cut her throat and silence her for ever.

'Stay at home, please,' I begged them as I went off on my watch that night. Maybe they had been holding further discussions while I was preparing myself for action, because they both kissed me quietly, like well-behaved sweethearts. My heart sank.

They seemed far too amenable. Were they planning to try out their crazy scheme without telling me? Dear gods, I was in enough trouble.