Time To Depart

XXXIX

THE BROTHERS-IN-LAW took their time. They had probably all met around the corner and gone into a wine shop to relax.

It gave me an opportunity to walk over to the new apartment and carry on with its clearance. My sore arm made work difficult but Helena had come to help. Even with a couple of guards loitering on the stairs, there was no way I intended leaving her alone. Not now the vicious Balbinus mob knew where we were.

Nux trotted happily after us. I shut her out, but we could hear her lying right outside the door, snuffling under it as she waited for me to re-emerge.

`She adores you!' Helena laughed.

`It won't do her any good.'

`The hardhearted hero! Still,' Helena was smiling, `you once took that defensive attitude with me.'

`Nonsense. I was the one slavering outside doors, begging you to let me in.'

`I was frightened of what might happen if I did.'

`So was I, lady!'

I was grinning at her. I had never quite lost that quick thump of the heart whenever I thought where our relationship might be taking us.

We had to open the door to carry out the last of the rubbish, so then the dog got in. I was forced to whistle her after me, rather than leave an untried animal alone with the skip babe. Between the two of them they had me in knots.

As we worked I discussed with Helena my theory about Nonnius being set up by Petronius.

`Was that illegal, Marcus?'

`Doubt it.'

`Entrapment?'

`Nonnius was the fool to believe his physician, that's all.'

`What if he had found out? Presumably when he failed to die of his "fatal" disease, he would eventually have realised the diagnosis was at fault.'

`He couldn't complain. Had he lived, he would have been enjoying his share of the Balbinus estate as a direct result.' `He's a clever man, your friend Petronius.' `The quiet ones are the worst,' I said.

While we were still in our new lodging Petro himself turned up to inspect how much damage the Miller and Icarus had wreaked on me. He started out anxious, but once he had looked me over his broad face became happier. `So you're off our necks for a while, Falco? How will long will the convalescence be?'

`Forget it! Here, lug down this bale to the skip for me.' He complied obligingly while I enjoyed myself playing the man in charge. `What your investigation needs is brainwork; there's nothing wrong with my head.'

Trotting down to the skip he pulled a face as if he was questioning that, so when he passed me I thumped him with my good arm to prove I could still be active; then I laid into him with jibes about how he had put one over on Nonnius. He merely smiled in his annoying way.

`Has Silvia come home again yet?' Helena called down after us. `Oh yes.'

He seemed surprised she asked. I could imagine how he had talked himself out of trouble and won Silvia round. Petronius had had years of practice in softening up his angry wife.

Returning upstairs for more rubbish, Petro changed the subject. `Was Porcius any use in the scrap?'

`Perfectly adequate. A sound one, I'd say.'

`Bit raw.' Petro rarely complimented his men until he had thoroughly tested them. Though he wanted to hear good news about the lad, his voice carried a doubtful tone.

`He seems impressed by his senior officer's deviousness!'

Once again Petronius carried on as if he had no idea what I meant. He glanced around the apartment, which was now almost clear. `This place is better than your usual standard but it's filthy, Falco. Helena can't live here.'

`All it needs is a good scrub,' Helena demurred loyally.

I dug Petro in the ribs. `As a friend, you might offer the foot patrols to help bring the water up.'

Petro barked with scornful laughter. `If you want a favour from the bloody fire-fighters, you'll have to ask them yourself!'

He had found the stuff that I had salvaged from Smaractus' workmen, and dived in with a whoop. Immediately he started sorting out wood nails and pieces of good timber. When it came to carpentry, he was a worse scavenger than I was.

`Just take anything you want!' I snorted, grabbing back a pair of metal pincers.

`Thanks, Falco!'

`Petro, did Porcius tell you about Marcus' missing niece?' Helena broke in as we rummaged on the floor. `We are having to think she may have been abducted. Is it true this has happened other times?'

`We've had a spate. I thought there was something in it because they were all from wealthy families.' Petro grinned. `With due respect to the Didius clan, this must be unconnected!'

`Pa has cash,' I pointed out tersely.

`Your father's not exactly known for family loyalty. I wouldn't hold out any chances for the kidnapper who tried squeezing Geminus. Be fair. Can you see him coughing up a ransom for one of your sisters' horrors?'

`Maybe.' Or maybe not.

`Most of the other lost sprats were sweet little moppets. Parents would gladly pay to get them back. Plus one baby lifted from a very exalted cradle, finally said to have been merely taken by a

nurse to show to a friend.'

`Believe it?'

`No.'

`Were you allowed to interview the nurse?'

`Of course not. We might have actually learnt something!' `And every single child turned up?' `Apparently.'

`Were there any leads we could follow?'

`Only that the cases were all south of the Circus. I checked, but none of the other cohorts were having the same stuff happening. I tried working out a theory that somebody who normally hangs

around the Aventine and wouldn't be noticed was snatching. The parents refused to co-operate, so I was in the dark and let it slide. I have enough to do.'

Helena murmured thoughtfully, `Would you be prepared to tell me some of the parents' names?'

`You're not intending to see them!' Petro waited for a denial, but received none. `Are you going to allow this, Falco?' His attitude to women was as traditional as mine was relaxed. The odd thing was, his surly paternalism had always done him more good – at least until I met Helena. Petro couldn't compete with that.

I grinned. `I draw the line at her questioning suspects.' This overlooked the fact that I had taken her with me to assist that very afternoon. A dangerous gleam lit Helen's soft eyes. `But there's no harm in her visiting respectable victims.'

`Oh thanks!' muttered Helena. Definitely not a traditionalist.

`It's highly irregular,' complained Petronius.

He was weakening. Helena Justina had one great advantage over us: she could approach snooty families on equal terms; she was probably superior to most of them. We could see how her mind was working, but she politely told us anyway: `I can say I begged their addresses because we are desperate about our own missing child. If they believe I am asking as a private individual, they may just confide more than they were prepared to tell the vigiles.'

Petro abandoned resistance. `Going to play the distraught mother?'

Helena gave him a straight look. `Good practice, Petro. I'll be hysterical for real reasons soon enough.'

He glanced at me. I shrugged. `Yes, it's true. I would have told you.'

`Oh really? What you actually told me was some lie about this not happening!' He made as if to leave in a huff, but at the last moment picked up the skip baby, who had been reclining like a pharaoh on a sack of old rags. Petro, the dedicated father of three, leant against the outside doorframe, showing off his expertise. The babe, tolerant as ever, accepted that big tough men are full of soppy talk. `Hello, cheeky fellow, what are you doing with these two eccentrics?'

I was just explaining that when I wasn't being thumped by desperadoes I was trying to find the babe's guardians for him when

Martinus arrived in Fountain Court. From our first-floor landing we saw him before he spotted us. Initially Petronius ducked back indoors, pretending to hide. Across the lane Martinus started jabbering something to Lenia. Seeing the slowcoach Martinus in a hurry changed Petro's mind.

He went out onto the steps and whistled. Nux barked at him. loudly. Lenia shouted abuse across the street. Heads shot out of windows to gape. Passers-by stopped in their tracks. Casual shoppers listened brazenly. This was the Fourth Cohort at its discreet, efficient best; soon the whole Aventine would know what was up. Any chance of solving the problem by using an element of surprise was lost before we even heard what the problem was.

Martinus turned towards us. Excitedly the deputy shouted his message: there had just been a heavy raid – in broad daylight-by a gang who had ransacked the goldsmiths in the Saepta Julia. The size of the haul, the speed of the attack, and the efficiency of the robbers bore marked similarities to the raid at the Emporium. The Seventh Cohort were in charge, but Petronius was expected to attend.

Petro had run down almost to the street before he cursed and remembered he was still holding the skip baby. He leapt back three steps at a time with his long, spider's legs, shoved the child into my arms, then hared off again. I passed the baby to Helena, instructed Nux to stay and guard them, then set off after Petronius.

I was wearing the wrong boots for hurrying, but I had no intention of missing this.