Rosemary Rowe - A Pattern of Blood

‘Oh, but it could, citizen. Of course I had no thought of it at first. But when Quintus was attacked and stabbed, and I began to tend him for his wounds, he started to talk of rewards. A sizeable sum, he said, and a pension. Of course, I was living in comfort, I could have waited for that. But then that wretched Rollo put it all in jeopardy. He found out about my treatment of Julia, and he could never keep his mouth shut. It was only a matter of time before he told his master, and then I risked losing everything. Quintus would have been horrified that we had deceived him.’

‘But you did not plan to kill Rollo?’

He shook his head. ‘I thought of it at one time, but by then the damage was done. Half the household knew, so if there were enquiries, it was bound to emerge eventually. So when I discovered that Maximilian had arranged that robbery, I saw a different opportunity. I could make it appear that he had murdered his father. I would get my inheritance. I might even have married Julia. I think she would have had me. Money, position and Julia. It was worth gambling for.’

‘How did you discover that Maximilian had arranged the robbery?’

‘Maximilian is a fool. He has not even the wit to hide his foolishness. I heard him haggling with some scoundrel at the gates about the price of silence on “bribing the soothsayer on the night of the robbery”. It did not take me long to work out what that meant.’

‘So you found the soothsayer and silenced her? Brought back Quintus’s purse and left it in Maximilian’s room for me to find?’

He did not bother to deny it. ‘I speeded her end, that was all. She was dying anyway. I may have saved her suffering.’

‘Yes, I noticed that you touched the corpse, although you forbade any of us to do so. I guessed it was not infection that killed her. Poor woman, she was a fortune-teller, but she didn’t foresee that.’

He laughed mirthlessly. ‘Perhaps I should have taken her advice, all the same. Left the decurion’s house and found another woman. That was supposed to be my destiny.’ He looked at me. ‘Perhaps it was, in a strange way. I left the decurion’s house today, and found her. So now it will be execution for me? Tied bleeding to a post in the arena and left to the dogs? Or at best, a lingering death in the galleys or the mines?’

I did not answer. There was nothing I could say. He knew the penalties as well as I did.

‘My foot is swollen, citizen, and it is painful too. I shall pay for what I did, but is it necessary to make me suffer this as well? There is a jar in my room. You will find it on the top shelf behind the table. There is no label. It is a powerful remedy in cases like this. Will you not send it to me?’

I swallowed. I knew what he was asking. For a moment I was tempted. Roman law is savage. I should not see his suffering, but I knew that the image of it would haunt me all my life.

I looked at him. ‘Farewell, medicus. I wish that I could help you as you ask. You were a fine surgeon.’

He turned his face away, and I left him.

That was all. I went downstairs with a heavy heart.

The funeral party was just returning. Marcus was in the atrium, and I caught him before he went into the feast. Before we had the time to exchange a word, Julia saw me with him and came forward, giving me one of her glowing smiles. ‘Libertus, citizen. You must please join us at the feast. And Sollers too — I am surprised he did not come to the funeral, but Marcus says that he has hurt his leg.’ I glanced at Marcus.

My patron nodded.

I took a deep breath. ‘I regret, lady, that I have fearful news. Sollers will not be coming to the feast. We have found your husband’s murderer.’

She gazed at me. ‘You mean. .?’ She was paler than her tunic. ‘And he killed Rollo, too?’

I nodded. Gently, I outlined the whole sorry story.

‘Oh, Great Minerva, this is terrible.’ She sank down on a stool and buried her head in her hands.

‘Not quite so dreadful, lady.’ I tried to console her. ‘Of course you are upset that Sollers betrayed your trust. But he will do it no longer. At least you can sleep peacefully in your bed, knowing that the killer is under lock and key.’

She shook her head. ‘He was good to me. He cured my inflammation, and he kept my secret. He protected me from Flavius, too.’

I looked at her. So beautiful and vulnerable, so hurt and betrayed. Of course, she was vain and flirtatious, and sometimes wilful too — she had deceived both of her husbands. But there was no malice in her. And there was the little question of a dowry, too. She didn’t need a legal sponsor, she needed a husband.

I cleared my throat.

‘Flavius will not molest you,’ Marcus said. ‘I give you my word on that. And I will protect your interests in the court. We do not want a querela brought against the terms of Quintus’s will, just because Sollers cannot inherit. The governor will give me his support in that, especially once I tell him that I have solved this mystery. He was worried about the message on that wax tablet. I shall write him a full explanation when I send Sollers to him with the guards tomorrow.’

About how he had solved the mystery, I thought. Such were the advantages of rank. There were others too.

‘You are most generous, Excellence.’ Julia glowed at him. ‘How can I thank you?’

He smiled. ‘We will find a way.’

I was like Mutuus, I thought. Entertaining thoughts above my station. It was time I stopped dreaming and got back to thinking about Gwellia.

Julia was still gazing at Marcus. ‘We must talk about this later, Excellence. In the meantime, may I see Sollers, one last time? I feel I owe him that.’

‘But he was a murderer,’ Marcus said.

‘He was a great surgeon. Without him, Quintus would have been blind, and I. . well, I would have problems still.’ She lowered her eyelids at him. ‘I shall not be long. In the meantime, there are guests arriving. Would you, dear Marcus, help Maximilian receive them? There will have to be sacrifices too — Sollers would have seen to it for me.’

Marcus looked flattered. ‘I. . of course I will.’

I smiled. The handmaidens were wrong. Julia did organise her household. Very skilfully indeed.

Julia glowed at him. ‘Thank you, dear sponsor. And thank you for finding out the truth. And you too, Libertus. I have not forgotten my promise. I shall commission a pavement from you for the hot room. The design of it, at least. In memory of my husband. Forty denarii, what do you say?’

That was an offer of a real contract, at last. ‘A simple design, lady, as you suggested. With blood red, I think, in the border. But I shall have to ask my patron.’ Though doubtless, I thought, if I did design a pavement, Marcus would find a way of taking the credit for that too.

‘I shall persuade him to spare you.’ She smiled at Marcus warmly. ‘Perhaps he could be persuaded to stay a little, too? I am sure Maximilian would accommodate you both. Now, excuse me, I will go to Sollers.’

Marcus moved into the atrium and went among the guests. It was some moments before I saw him again. ‘Are you joining us, Libertus? We shall be offering the sacrifices shortly. That is, if I can persuade Maximilian to make them. He seems to have become uncommonly intimate with Lupus.’

‘Reconciled with his father,’ I said. ‘Maybe the soothsayer read the auguries correctly after all.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Marcus said, sharply.

‘Maximilian was to be reconciled with his father. I was to get my answers when I saw her again. The prophecies seem to have been more devious than most. And when the two bone pieces were reunited. . If I remember, Excellence, you were holding both the ivory writing tablets when Julia walked in.’