David Wishart - Illegally Dead

‘Hold on, Corvinus.’ Castor was frowning. ‘You’re going to say that this Senecio wanted revenge for his brother’s death, right?’

‘Yeah. Yeah, of course.’

‘But why attack Hostilius? And what about Habra? She knew where Acceius lived, she’d known for twenty years. She’d’ve wanted revenge herself, surely?’

I shrugged. ‘Habra I don’t know about. Not yet. But Senecio thought that both the partners were in on the deal. He wanted both of them dead. If he went for Hostilius first, that was just chance.’

‘You mean Hostilius didn’t know at the time of the trial? About the bribery, at least?’

‘Uh-uh. Not a thing. That’s the whole point. If he had, he’d’ve blown the whistle himself. My guess is that Senecio said something, the day of the attack, just before he put the knife in, that gave the whole game away. Hostilius didn’t say anything at the time — he was a lawyer, after all, he’d watch his mouth until he’d thought it through, especially round other people — but it would’ve registered. And he was an honest man, at root. When Acceius came round the next day he’d’ve worked out how he was going to handle things. Hence the ultimatum. It was beautiful: if Acceius stuck it out, then he’d track down Habra, subpoena Novius, and put together a case that his partner and his wife would find it difficult to answer even after all this time. Even if Acceius did manage to get off somehow a lot of the dirt would’ve stuck, because it was true, and he’d be ruined professionally and socially. On the other hand, if the guy agreed to the divorce and prosecution angle both he and his wife would get the punishment they deserved anyway. Hostilius had them both ways.’

‘So he had to die.’

‘Right.’

He was quiet for a long time. Then he said: ‘What happens now?’

‘With you? Or with Acceius?’

He tried a smile that didn’t work. ‘With me, for a start.’

‘That’s up to Libanius. You’re an accessory after the fact. You and your sister.’

He glanced up sharply. ‘Veturina knew nothing about — !’

‘Sure she did, pal. She had to. Almost from the start.’

‘She thought I was responsible! She still does, even although I swore to her that I wasn’t. She was shielding me, not Acceius.’

‘Yeah. Yeah, I know.’ I sighed; this bit was going to be difficult. The guy had a rotten streak a yard wide, sure, but he wasn’t rotten in that way. ‘Your sister…loves you. And I don’t mean as a brother.’ He looked away. ‘There’s nothing she can do about it, if she’s admitted it to herself then she probably despises herself for it, and I’m not saying that you or she have taken things any further because I’m sure you haven’t and wouldn’t, ever. Still, it’s a fact. I’m right, yes?’

He nodded, then said quietly: ‘Yes. On her side, yes. She always has loved me.’

‘She must’ve suspected that her husband’s death wasn’t natural even when it happened. It was too convenient, and she’s a clever woman. She might even have thought of tasting the contents of the medicine bottle before Hyperion got to it.’ He said nothing. ‘Certainly she’s lied and covered up the truth as far as she could all the way. That business with the two Julian laws. She’s no lawyer, she couldn’t’ve invented the confusion with the one on inheritance tax, and she knew damn well which one her husband was talking about. That had to come from you. And she knew all about Cosmus and how he fitted into your dealings with Novius. She thought — she still thinks — that you used him to poison her husband, to save yourself from disgrace and exile. Yes?’

He nodded again. His head was still turned away. ‘I couldn’t convince her that I hadn’t done it,’ he said. ‘She said it didn’t matter, she didn’t mind, her husband was better off dead for his own sake anyway. What she couldn’t’ve stood was to lose us both.’

‘And maybe she had another reason for not believing you,’ I said quietly. ‘Because she knew just how much you were capable of, if it’d get you something you really wanted.’ His head came round, and over by the wall Stratyllis, who had been sitting unmoving through all this, looked up startled. ‘Fimus’s wife Faenia. You’re having an affair with her, aren’t you? A genuine affair.’

‘Why the hell should I — ?’

‘Come on, pal! It’s not because of her looks, that’s for sure. Three million, isn’t the estate worth, potentially, if it’s kept whole and entire? As it would be if that missing will didn’t turn up. Oh, sure, Fimus’d never sell, but that’d be all to the good, wouldn’t it, because his widow might. If her new husband advised it. Of course, there is the kid, young Aulus, but if you left a decent interval after the accident to Fimus a couple more natural deaths wouldn’t — ’

He was on his feet and going for my throat, but I was ready for that. Castor may’ve been big, but he was no fighter, especially a dirty one. I kneed him in the balls and he collapsed gasping.

Yeah, well, I’d finished anyway. I turned to the wide-eyed Stratyllis.

‘See that he gets that will to Quintus Libanius in Castrimoenium first thing in the morning, sister,’ I said. ‘No hassle, I promise you: I’ll square things before then. And keep him out of trouble in future. Better still, ditch the bastard and find another boyfriend.’

I left. Well, it was nice to prevent a murder or three for a change rather than pick up the pieces afterwards. And you never knew: the shock might’ve done him some good.

Back to Castrimoenium myself, and a last talk with Quintus Acceius.

I went straight over there when I arrived. The slave who opened the door — Carillus, it was, I remembered — looked frightened as hell.

‘Your master in?’ I said.

‘Yes, sir. In the study.’ He swallowed. ‘You’re to go straight through.’

Acceius, when I got there, was sitting on the chair beside the desk dressed in his formal mantle. His face was like a death mask, and on the desk beside him was a basin and a knife.

‘Hallo, Corvinus,’ he said. ‘You got my message at last, then?’

‘No.’ I closed the door behind me. ‘What message?’

He shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter, you’re here now in any case. But I’ve been expecting you since early this morning.’

‘I was in Bovillae.’ I sat down on the couch uninvited. There was something wrong here, very wrong, and the hairs were rising on the back of my neck. ‘You wanted to see me?’

‘Yes. Lucinda’s dead. Upstairs. I smothered her with a pillow last night.’ His voice was perfectly calm. I stared at him. ‘She didn’t suffer: she was drunk, as usual, and I’d crushed three of the sleeping pills Hyperion sent me into her wine. The slaves know, of course, but I told them not to report it until I’m dead myself’ — a twist of the lips — ‘which I will be shortly, now that you’ve arrived. I was only waiting to talk to you, to apologise, possibly to answer any questions you might have, before I slit my wrists and finish things.’

Gods! ‘You, uh, know that I know you killed Hostilius, then,’ I said cautiously.

‘And the others, yes. Or rather no, I didn’t know, not for certain. But you were getting very close, and my sympathies are with you rather than with me.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Corvinus, I’m not a natural killer, and yet I’ve killed four people. Five, counting Tascia.’ He glanced at the marble bust. ‘Do you realise how…sick that makes me of myself?’ I said nothing. ‘So I’ll be very, very glad, when your visit is over, to make what little reparation I can. If you’re good enough to grant me that licence.’

This was turning out all wrong. ‘You admit that you and Seia Lucinda poisoned your first wife, then?’ I said. ‘Using a poison you got from Brabbia Habra?’