Ruth Downie - Caveat emptor

“What’s the matter with Tilla?”

“I don’t know. Albanus caused some panic because he came to find her, but she’d already gone off somewhere to meet you.”

“I told her to stay with Serena!”

“Yes, but then you sent a couple of chaps in chain mail to fetch her.”

“No I didn’t.”

“No? And you didn’t send me an urgent letter, either? Well, obviously somebody’s got it all arse about face.” He stopped. “Is there something the matter? Where are you rushing off to?”

Dias wasn’t expecting to be grabbed by the throat. He wasn’t expecting to have his fancy hairstyle slammed back against the wall and Ruso yelling in his face, “Where’s my wife?”

Dias’s spear clattered to the floor. He looked stunned. Ruso heard his own voice echoing around the hall. There were hands grabbing him, hauling him backward. People were clustering around. Dias was stepping away from the wall and rubbing the back of his head.

“Where is she?” Ruso yelled, struggling to free his arms and stay on his feet. “What have you done with my wife?”

Dias looked up. “I don’t know anything about your wife.”

“Yes you do, two of your men took her!”

Valens was there now, approaching with his hands held up in a gesture that was supposed to be calming. “Steady on, now, old chap. There’s no need to go attacking people.”

“He’s taken Tilla,” said Ruso flatly.

“Gentlemen, I’m sure if you let him stand up…”

Dias gave the order. Instantly, they let him drop. Ruso staggered, then regained his balance. Both chief magistrates were hurrying across the hall toward him. He looked at Dias. “Where is she?”

Dias said, “He’s out of his mind. I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

Valens was saying something soothing and trying to steer him back toward the privacy of the office. Ruso shook the hand off his arm. “I’m not one of your bloody patients!”

“Then try and behave like a sane man!” hissed Valens. “What’s the matter with you?”

Ruso reminded himself to breathe. The shaking would stop if only he could breathe properly. “They tried to kill us last night,” he said.

“Oh, come on. I’m sure nobody-”

Ruso spun around and seized his friend by the shoulders. “Make sure Serena’s safe with her cousin,” he said. “Tell her not to leave the mansio. Then get some of your own slaves and find Albanus and Tilla. Try the guard headquarters in the Forum. Try the stables. Try Asper’s house. Try anywhere you can think of. If I don’t meet you at the mansio, take everyone back to Londinium and say…” He paused, realizing he could be overheard. “Just take them home,” he said. “I’ll be along as soon as I can.”

Valens frowned. “Are you quite sure you’re all right on your own?”

Ruso took a deep breath. He wasn’t going to be all right until he found her, but he had to stay in control. It might be the only thing that was keeping her safe.

Ruso stood on the podium. One or two of the councillors crammed onto the benches had taken the time to dress in their togas but most were in their everyday clothes. He looked over their heads to the ordinary men and women crowding all the way to the back of the chamber. He recognized the bronzesmiths who lived next to Camma. Nico’s landlady. The masseur with the mole on his nose. These Britons with their shaggy hair, their bright stripes and checks and their legs encased in workaday trousers, were once more waiting for him to make a speech.

The chief magistrates were watching him from one side, seated in their metal-framed chairs. At the far end of the chamber, Dias was standing in the open doorway, well placed both to hear what was being said and to issue orders to his men outside.

Those were the listeners he could see, but whatever he said here would have wider consequences. Other people had expectations of him. Metellus. Firmus. The procurator. Camma. Tilla.

Ruso cleared his throat and glanced at the magistrates. They knew what he was about to say. They had called him into a side room to discuss it as the chamber was beginning to fill.

Gallonius had been the more apologetic of the two, saying, “We had hoped it would not come to this.”

Caratius had insisted that if he had known what was going on, he would have put a stop to it. But both were agreed that there was only one way forward.

“Nico had threatened suicide before, you know,” explained Gallonius.

“Really?”

“On the day he confessed to me about all the false coins he had slipped into the theater fund to replace the money he took out.”

Ruso stared at him. “You knew?”

“He came and told me all about it after we heard that Asper was dead. Nico was planning to slip the stolen tax money back in to replace the false coins, but when your investigations began, I think he realized there was no way out.”

“I knew none of this when I came to Londinium,” put in Caratius.

Ruso said, “But all the time I was here, you knew-”

“ He knew,” said Caratius, glaring at Gallonius. “I was only told the whole sorry tale this morning. It’s an utter disgrace.”

“And have they told you where my wife is?”

“Your wife is in good hands, Investigator,” Gallonius assured him. “All you have to do is make your final report to the Council as we’ve agreed, explain that the money has been found and the investigation is over, and I’m sure our guards will bring her back safely to you.”

“I’m representing the procurator. I can’t lie.”

Caratius said, “Nobody is asking you to lie.”

Gallonius’s face softened into a smile. “We are simply asking you not to announce wild conclusions that will do nothing but stir up trouble. We asked the procurator for help, we have received it, the money is found, and we are satisfied that the investigation is over.”

Ruso turned to Caratius. “I think Dias and Rogatus murdered Asper and his brother and tried to put the blame on you. I’m sure Dias killed Nico and he nearly killed me. If you don’t get him under control, you could be next. Why the hell are you covering this up?”

Gallonius said, “If I were you, Investigator, I wouldn’t be making wild accusations about our guards while they are looking after your wife.”

Caratius held up a hand to silence him. “Your complaints have been noted,” he said. “And we’re grateful to you for pointing out the problem. But this town paid a very large price for its independence and we don’t intend to lose it by calling in Rome’s help for an internal problem.”

“We don’t want anyone saying we can’t control our own affairs,” said Gallonius.

Caratius said, “We’ll deal with our own people in our own way after you’ve gone. Please make your report and leave.”

“Exactly,” said Gallonius.

Shut away in the side room, listening to the babble of natives gathering outside, Ruso realized he had achieved a small and unwelcome miracle. The quarreling Britons had finally managed to unite in the face of a common enemy.

The hubbub in the Council chamber had fallen silent now. Ruso cleared his throat again and wished there were something in front of him to hold on to. He should have made notes. He should have done many things. Now that it was too late, he was beginning to see what they were.

Someone coughed.

A voice shouted, “Get on with it!”

Ruso glanced across to make sure Satto was still in the side room, where he had been advised to keep out of the way. He took a deep breath and set out across the tightrope. “My name is Gaius Petreius Ruso,” he announced. “I was sent here by the procurator at the request of Chief Magistrate Caratius to help your Council find out what had happened to a missing consignment of tax money. As you know, the money has turned up.”