David Wishart: White Murder

‘When you caught him throwing races for Eutacticus you didn’t chop the guy, because – or so you thought – Florus might be upset.’ I waited, but there was no response. ‘Instead you and he came to an arrangement. He’d join the Whites but he’d still be working for you. Especially where nailing their new wonder-horse was concerned.’

I’d been looking at Natalis, but I had half an eye on Cario. Even so, I wasn’t prepared for the reaction. The guy’s nerves must’ve been wound tighter than a catapult winch, because he was out of his seat and two steps from Natalis’s throat before Acceptus could grab him. Me, I didn’t move; let the bastards settle this one between them. Cario didn’t say a word, but as Acceptus forced him down into his chair he was glaring blue murder.

Natalis hadn’t moved either. He was cool, I’d give the bugger that. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘If we’re speaking truths.’ He glanced at Acceptus and Cario. ‘That’s the racing business. You do what you can how you can. Besides, it didn’t come to anything.’

‘Maybe you were just lucky,’ I said.

He turned to me and frowned. ‘Why -?’

There was a knock on the door and Socrates came in with a thin, weedy, buck-toothed guy in a stained tunic. When the gate troll had knuckled his way out again he stood shifting from foot to foot like an apology for existence.

Cario had settled down again, although he was still glaring at Natalis. The little episode seemed to have cheered Acceptus up because he’d sat back in his chair with his arms folded and a smile on his lips like he was watching a comedy.

‘You’re Harmodius?’ I said.

The thin guy nodded. He looked worried, but then I suspected that might just be his natural expression.

‘You want to pull up a stool?’

He dithered. ‘Oh, sit down!’ Natalis snapped.

We waited while he sorted out his own seating arrangements. I had the impression that dealing with the world was not something Harmodius did well. Maybe he was happier with his arm up a horse’s rectum.

Natalis turned to me. ‘Go ahead, Corvinus. But remember what I told you about relevance.’

I ignored him. I might not know the exact details, but I knew the general story. This was just for confirmation, and for Natalis’s sake. When we came to the nub, I’d need all the supporting clout I could get. ‘You were on the Phorcys fourteen months back transporting horses for the faction between Catana and Ostia, right, pal?’ I said.

He cleared his throat. ‘Agrigentum to Ostia, actually. Three from Agrigentum, two from Gela. Five, if I remember correctly, from Syracuse -’

Jupiter, we had a right one here, I could tell that now. I held up my hand and he stopped like his mouth had been stitched. ‘Fine. All I’m interested in is one particular horse, name of Aster, taken on at Catana from the breeder Quintus Florus. You like to tell us about that?’

‘It died.’

I caught a snigger from Acceptus. ‘Just tell the story from the beginning, friend. You took it on at Catana. Who made the delivery?’

‘Florus himself, sir. He always completes the handover personally and insists on a receipt.’ His eyes flicked to Natalis. ‘That’s the standard practice, as I understand.’

‘Yeah, right. You examined the horse before it went on board?’

He drew himself up like I’d stepped on his professional corns. ‘Of course. Standard practice again. The colt was perfectly well.’

‘So why did it die?’

‘You wish the full medical details?’

I shook my head. ‘No, I’m no vet. Just the bottom line.’

‘It fell ill during the night between Tauromenium and Messana. By the time I’d been notified it was dead. I diagnosed a sudden rush of black bile to the brain causing a severe imbalance and consequent haemorrhage blocking the throat and nostrils leading to asphyxiation.’

Well, that was concise enough. ‘There wasn’t any warning?’

‘No, sir. The horses are carefully monitored twenty-four hours a day, naturally, but in this instance there was nothing to be done. Certainly no blame could be attached to the watchman. As to the cause, some authorities hold that there are things called ‘bad seeds’ which may lie dormant for -’

I held up my hand again. ‘That’ll do me. This happened during the night, you say?’

‘Yes, sir. We’d called in at Tauromenium so the colts could be exercised. Standard practice again. Aster fell ill in the small hours of the following night. The man on duty summoned me immediately but as I say the horse was already dead when I arrived.’

I had to go careful here. ‘This was below decks, right?’

‘Of course. The colts are happier in a familiar environment, and the below-decks area is divided into stalls with a ramp leading from the stern.’

‘You want to tell me what happened? Exactly what happened? From when the watchman called you?’

Harmodius closed his eyes. Now we’d got onto professional ground the guy was gaining in confidence. I noticed that Natalis had leaned forwards; maybe he’d seen where this was leading. Cario was still glowering. ‘I went down into the stalls area. The horse was lying on its side, obviously dead, with large amounts of fresh blood soaking the straw around the nose and mouth -’

‘Hang on, pal,’ I said. ‘How could you see this?’

He blinked. ‘The watchman had a lamp, of course.’

‘Just one?’

‘It was all I needed. As I say, the animal was already past help.’

Natalis grunted. Yeah, he’d caught on now, I was sure he had.

‘Fine,’ I said. ‘You happen to notice the head marking at all?’

He looked at me. ‘Pardon?’

‘The white blaze on the forehead.’

‘Yes, of course.’ He paused; a stickler for the truth, Harmodius, for all his faults. ‘At least, so I seem to remember. The light, as you say, was not all that good, and that wasn’t my concern at the time.’

‘Right. Right.’ I glanced round. Acceptus was looking interested too, now, and he’d uncrossed his legs. ‘How about the brand?’

‘There was no reason to examine the horse’s rear quarters, sir. The trauma was confined to the head area.’

‘Fair enough.’ I hesitated. ‘You say the colts were exercised at Tauromenium. Were you around when they came back on board?’

‘No, sir. The captain – Quintus Maximus – took a sudden stomach-ache. I’m no human doctor, naturally, but I do possess considerable medical knowledge. He had asked me for a consultation and I was with him in the deck-house.’

I nodded. ‘Great. Thanks a lot, pal. You’ve been a great help.’

‘I’m delighted to have been of service.’ He looked at Natalis. ‘If you’re quite finished with me, sir, I have a case of colic to attend to.’

Natalis was glaring back like the guy had just pissed in his ear. ‘Go away, Harmodius,’ he said.

Harmodius swallowed, and left. There was a long silence when the door closed. Acceptus was whistling softly through his teeth and examining his fingernails. Cario looked grey as death. Natalis just looked furious.

‘I’ll have that fucking idiot nailed to the poxy gate,’ he growled.

I shrugged. ‘He’s not the smartest intellect in the world, sure. But it wasn’t completely his fault. As scams go it was a beaut: the colts were switched when they were ashore at Tauromenium, Aster was taken away and hidden somewhere for later and what was brought back on board was a doctored ringer supplied by Maximus’s mate’s brother Histrio. Then smother the ringer with a blanket, spill a pint or so of chicken blood around its head and you’re up one pricey racehorse.’

‘Very ingenious,’ Acceptus said. He hadn’t raised his eyes. ‘If that’s what really happened.’