David Wishart - The Lydian Baker

'He informed me personally, yesterday afternoon. We were treating the case as kidnapping.' Callippus hesitated. 'Or perhaps as something worse.'

'Forget it. Melanthus is our villain. He wants the Baker, and he's willing to kill for it. Has killed for it. Now that things are hotting up the bastard's gone to ground.'

'I don't like this.' Callippus was frowning. 'I don't like it one bit. Melanthus of Abdera is a highly respected member of the academic community. A distinguished philosopher and scholar.'

'Sure he is. I never said there was anything wrong with his brain. Not in that sense. But where the Baker's concerned he isn't rational. If you want more proof go over to the Academy and talk to Alciphron the librarian.'

Callippus still didn't look happy, but I could see he was more than half convinced.

'You're sure about this?' he said. 'Absolutely sure?'

'Cast iron, swear on my grandmother's hoary old curls.' I paused. 'Also, for what it's worth, I've an idea where he's hiding.'

'And where is that?'

'The brothel where I was hit. Aphrodite's Scallop.'

Callippus's eyebrows came down. 'Corvinus, as I've already said, Melanthus of Abdera is a respected academic. He would not patronise a brothel. Not even one as exclusive as the Scallop.'

Jupiter! I didn't believe this! Talk about warped values! The guy might be willing to accept that Melanthus was a murderer, but not that he'd set foot inside a cat-house. Well, maybe Athenian Watch officers were less jaundiced and more narrow-minded than the Roman variety; or maybe it was just further proof if I needed it that Greeks just didn't think like us.

'I hate to disillusion you,' I said, 'but the guy's a regular customer. He's been getting his rocks off at the Scallop for years.'

'The truth of that remains to be seen.' The City's Watch Commander was staring down his aristocratic nose at me like an outraged dowager. 'But even if you're right, why should he choose a brothel to hide in?'

I grinned. 'Callippus…'

'Granted, of course, that he had any reason to hide in the first place.'

Hell. We were back to square one. I was losing him, and I didn't want to do that. I should've known that using the jokey, all-lads-together approach was a mistake with someone like Callippus. He was even more married than I was, with three kids and a wife who'd have his guts for sandal-straps if she even suspected him of stepping out of line. More, he liked it that way: Watch Commander or not, Callippus came from a long line of no-nonsense tub-thumping moralists. I moved on to slightly safer ground.

'You know the Scallop?' I said. 'Apart from just the name?'

'Not personally, no.'

Ouch! Maybe I should go away and come back later when the dust had settled. 'Fine, fine. Keep your wig on, pal, I meant professionally.'

'Not professionally either. There is no conceivable reason why I should.'

'Uh-huh.' I tried to keep my voice neutral. 'Who's the owner?'

'A local businessman by the name of Demetriacus. Although he employs someone else to manage the place, as I understand.'

'Yeah. I met her. A lady called Hermippe.'

'Possibly. I really don't know. As I said, to my certain knowledge neither the Scallop nor its management has ever had dealings with the Watch. On any level. A fact which makes your theory even more unlikely.'

Well, that made sense, I supposed: from what I'd seen of it, the place was squeaky-clean, and if Melanthus was typical of the clientele I couldn't see the local Watch officers being called in to break up fights over girls or handling complaints from neighbours disturbed by late-night punters singing dirty songs under their windows.

'You say this Demetriacus is a local businessman?' I said.

'Very much so. One with wide commercial interests, of which the Scallop is only a minor part.'

'Is that so, now?' The back of my neck was prickling. 'Commercial interests, eh? Such as what, for example?'

'The usual range. Shipping. Trading. Property…'

'Black market statues?'

'Corvinus!' That came out with a snap: I'd obviously pushed Callippus one step too far this time. 'That's enough! First you accuse Melanthus of Abdera of murder, now with absolutely no justification whatsoever you cast aspersions on Demetriacus. I told you, as far as the Watch is concerned neither he nor his business interests offer in any way a cause for suspicion. Incomer or not, he's a model of respectability.'

This time I couldn't help grinning: Callippus was an okay guy in many ways, but he came from an old City family, and like in Rome old City families had ingrained prejudices that went back to Deucalion's flood. Some of them raised their ugly heads with monotonous regularity, however fair- minded the scion of a noble race was, or tried to be, and incomers were one of the biggies. Demetriacus's forebears could've come to Athens with Orestes, but as far as the top Five Hundred were concerned he was still a pushy foreigner. Being autochthonous has its drawbacks.

'Uh-huh,' I said. 'That being the case, he wouldn't object if we asked to look the place over, right?'

'What?' Callippus's head came up like I'd just dropped a rotten egg under his nose.

'It's a reasonable question, under the circumstances.'

'Corvinus, I've been very patient with you, but please understand this. I'll help you to the best of my ability in tracking down your assailant, certainly, but I will not harass private citizens simply on your say-so. Apart from the fact that you were attacked outside its doors the Scallop has provided no justification whatsoever for an official search.'

'Even though it was the last place Melanthus was seen?'

'Was it? Are you sure of that?'

I was feeling a little tetchy myself now. 'Sure I'm sure. Like I said, he spent some time with one of the girls.'

'Perhaps. But did he actually disappear while he was on the premises?'

'No, the girl I talked to said he left early, but — '

Callippus interrupted me. 'Let's get this clear, please. First of all, what proof do you actually have that the man in question was Melanthus?'

Bureaucrats! I counted to ten before answering. 'Hermippe admitted as much when I talked to her, pal. And I'd already got a positive identification from another girl.'

'Corvinus. Marcus.' Callippus sighed. 'If you tell me that as a friend then I must believe you; but if you want me to take this up officially then I have to be be sure of my ground. And that means collecting information myself, not at second hand.' Yeah, well, that was fair. 'However, you were told that after he had finished his…business Melanthus left the building to go elsewhere. Correct?'

'Sure, but he could have — '

He held up a hand. 'I'm not interested in speculation. Yes or no?'

'Uh…yeah. Yeah, that's right.'

'Very well. In that case we're certainly justified in interviewing the Scallop's owner, if only to get his permission to question his staff. As far as anything further goes I can and will ask, but I will not insist. And if Demetriacus refuses then that will be the end of it. For the moment, at least. Critias!'

The door opened and the clerk came in. 'Yes, sir.'

Callippus scribbled down a note and handed it to him. 'Have this delivered to Demetriacus son of Demetrius. His house, I think, is near the Diochares Gate, but you can find that out for yourself. And the messenger is to wait for a reply.'

The clerk nodded and left.

Jupiter! I didn't believe my ears! 'You're giving him advance warning that we're coming?'

'Of course.'

'Oh, great! Smart thinking, pal!' I was really angry now. 'Do want to find Melanthus or not? Because if he's at the Scallop he sure as hell won't be after Demetriacus gets that note!'

'Now listen to me, Corvinus.' Callippus put the pen down carefully. 'I'm being very patient with you, but as Commander of the Watch there are certain rules I must follow, and I will not bend them for anyone. Demetriacus is in no way under suspicion. I have only your word for it — backed by no evidence whatsoever — that Melanthus of Abdera is a criminal and that he is concealed in one of Demetriacus's properties. These are very grave charges involving two prominent Athenian citizens. As far as I am concerned, Melanthus is simply missing. I've indulged you to the extent of asking Demetriacus to meet us at the Scallop so that I can talk to his staff in his presence, but that is as far as I will go. Do you understand?'