David Wishart - White Murder

‘Right. Right.’ I downed a gulp of wine. ‘Now about draughts -’

‘In fact, there have been occasions when I have myself thought that two specimens were completely identical, only to find on much closer inspection that they differed in one tiny particular. The respective lengths of the thorax and prothorax, perhaps, or the shape of the head.’

‘Bathyllus -’

‘The gem of my collection is an extremely large scarab beetle which was passed on to me by a friend who came across it on one of the Egyptian grain barges. The elytra and pronotum have a beautiful and very unusual golden sheen, while the mandibles are slightly less developed than one might expect on a scarab -’

‘Bathyllus!’

‘- although I haven’t really had much opportunity to compare many examples. Yes, sir?’

‘Uh…I think maybe that’s enough polishing for the present, sunshine. Hecale’s looking a lot brighter.’

‘Marcus!’

That was Perilla. I ignored her: head-of-household duty was one thing, but if the lady thought I was going to sit through an hour-long lecture on bugs she was whistling through her ear.

‘Ah. Yes.’ Bathyllus looked down at the cloth in his hand as if it had magically appeared. ‘Certainly, sir. I’ll…go and check on the progress of dinner.’

‘You do that, pal,’ I said.

He wandered out. There was a frigid silence. Finally, Perilla said: ‘Marcus Valerius Corvinus -!’

‘Yeah, yeah, I know.’ I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. ‘But if I’d let him rabbit on a minute longer my head would’ve dropped off. And given the slightest encouragement he’d’ve brought out all eighty-six of the fucking things and given us their life histories.’

‘Eighty-three. And don’t swear.’

‘Whatever.’

‘He was talking and you stopped him. Now that wasn’t very clever, was it?’

I took a defensive swig of wine. ‘Great. So we fix up a meeting with this Tyndaris and lover-boy out there whispers sweet nothings about beetles in her ear.’

‘I found what he was saying very interesting.’

‘Yeah, no doubt. But I’ll bet this Tyndaris doesn’t sleep with a copy of Aristotle’s Natural History under her pillow.’

‘That isn’t the point. Bathyllus has to be weaned into conversing, and getting him to talk about his interests is the first step. Marcus, we discussed this!’

‘Maybe so, but at the time I didn’t know the guy was a crypto bugs nut. Where beetles are concerned you’re on your own, lady. I’ll do my best in other ways.’

Perilla sighed. ‘All right, dear. Perhaps under the circumstances you should leave Bathyllus’s interests to me. But you will be careful with him? More careful than you usually are, anyway?’

‘Sure. No problem.’

‘Fine. I suppose that’s as much as we can reasonably expect.’ I had my mouth open to protest, but she went on: ‘So what happened this morning? Did you talk to the Greens faction master?’

I told her about the interview with Natalis and the follow-on with Felicula. ‘The Reds’ driver Laomedon is looking a prime suspect. Certainly he’s got the strongest motive, and characterwise he fits like a glove.’

‘You haven’t seen him yet, have you?’

‘No. I thought maybe I’d call round at the Reds’ stables tomorrow, talk to him and the faction boss Pudens. Also I’d like a word with the Whites’ second, Uranius. He’s an outside bet, sure, but I can’t afford to write anyone off this early.’

‘You think Pegasus was involved in something underhand?’

I freshened up my wine cup. ‘I’d give you good odds. When he was with the Greens, certainly, despite what Natalis said, maybe later, too, at least in embryo. If I can find this guy Sopilys we might be a bit further forward as to the what. It’s too late today, but I’ll send one of the lads out to Ostia first thing tomorrow morning, see if Agron can help.’

‘You don’t think perhaps Sopilys could be the killer himself?’

Yeah; I’d mulled that one over a couple of times. ‘He had a grudge, sure. But he’d already punched the guy’s lights out, so I’d guess he regarded the account as settled. Besides, Ostia’s a fair way off. He’d’ve had to come special.’

‘It depends on the strength of the grudge, surely. On what it involved.’

I nodded. ‘True. Like I say, I’m not ruling anyone out. We’re not at that stage yet.’

Bathyllus softshoed back in. I half expected the little guy to be carrying his bug collection, but he wasn’t. I breathed again.

‘A message from Meton, sir,’ he said. ‘He can advance dinner to ten minutes’ time, if that would suit you.’

Well, at least he was sounding on top of things now. That little baring of the soul seemed to have done some good, anyway. Maybe Perilla was right. I stood up. ‘Sure. We’ll come straight through.’

‘Very well, sir.’ He hesitated. ‘That scarab -’

But he wasn’t getting a second chance. No way. I was already past him and heading for the dining-room. Bodice-rippers are one thing, but entomology before dinner is the complete pits.

Next morning after breakfast I gave Alexis instructions on how to find Agron and what I needed from him and sent him off to Ostia: Alexis, because as well as being smart, which Lysias isn’t, the kid can sit a horse without falling off, and that’s more than most of my lot can. I’d’ve preferred to send one of the littermen – these lardballs can always do with the exercise but a thirty-mile round trip on foot would’ve been pushing things and I wanted the message to arrive before next Winter Festival.

Meanwhile I set out myself for Mars Field and the stables; the Whites first, because they were nearest. I was lucky. Cement-Features was on the gate, and he recognised me. Not that that helped too much where the treatment was concerned; it just meant the suspicious look was more personal.

‘The boss is down at the racetrack,’ he said.

‘No problem, pal.’ I put on my best smile. ‘I was looking for Uranius. He around?’

‘Maybe.’

Jupiter! This coy secrecy could get on your nerves really quickly! ‘You care to come down on one side of the issue or the other, friend?’ I said. ‘Or should I just pant with the uncertainty of not knowing?’

That got me a long, measuring stare while Cement-Features chewed his lip. ‘You want to talk with Uranius, then I got to clear it with Hesper,’ he said at last.

‘Fine with me, sunshine. I’ll wait here, shall I?’

But I was talking to a closed and bolted gate. I kicked my heels for a good five minutes before it opened again and Hesper himself came out. He stood back to let me through.

‘How’s it going, Corvinus?’

‘Not bad.’

‘You talk to Sopilys yet?’

‘Uh-uh. Still trying to trace him. I found the Black Cat, though. Thanks for the lead.’

He grunted. ‘Sisyphus says you want to talk to Uranius.’

‘Who the hell’s Sisyphus?’

‘That’s me.’ Cement-Features was glowering away in the background. ‘You want to make something of it?’

‘Uh…no. Not at all. Good name, good name.’ I turned back to Hesper. ‘No big deal. It’s just for the sake of completeness. Is he around?’

‘Yeah. But he’s with the horses. I’m too busy just now to nursemaid you like the boss said but I’ll take you to the common-room and send him over, okay?’

‘Fair enough.’ Gods alive! You’d think I was just itching for a chance to poison the brutes’ feed. Or maybe Hesper thought I could put a hex on them just by being in the same stall.

‘Follow me, then.’

We went the same way as before, only this time not so far. He took me up the steps of one of the barrack blocks, opened a door and showed me in.