David Wishart: Last Rites

‘Meaning the last time you managed okay on your own?’

‘I got what I wanted done, sure.’

‘Uh-huh.’ I sucked a tooth. ‘Debt collecting, would that be?’

‘That’s right.’ His eyes held mine. ‘You have a problem with that?’

I shook my head slowly. ‘Not me, pal. I’m all in favour of people paying what they owe.’

Aegle had been looking from one of us to the other. ‘Corvinus?’ she said. ‘Phrixus? What is this?’

‘Just a friendly conversation, lady,’ I said. ‘Shooting the breeze, that’s all.’

‘Yeah, sure, and I’m Cleopatra.’

I grinned and handed her back the plate. ‘Okay, Cleo, why don’t you have one of Harmodia’s mother’s sticky hippos and close your ears for a minute?’ I turned back to Phrixus. ‘Ah… this debt collection, friend. You missed out on the first instalment, right? Why would that be, now?’

He shrugged. ‘I was around. I just didn’t have a chance to collect, that’s all. Too many other creditors muscling in. It was no big deal. So long as the transaction got made it didn’t matter who made it.’

‘And the, uh, debt itself? How did you find out about that?’

‘Aegle here told me.’ Aegle looked up at him and opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. Phrixus ignored her. ‘She gave me your…’ He paused; his lips twitched. ‘She gave me the address of that friend I mentioned.’

‘You mean the purblind, unobservant bastard you followed twice to the Raudusculan without his knowing you were behind him?’ I said.

He grinned. ‘Yeah. That’s the one.’

‘So you just hung around outside his front door from first light on and stuck with him when he came out, right?’

‘Uh-huh. Easy.’ He patted his stomach. ‘Good for the waistline, too. You get flabby working the carts.’

Hell! And I hadn’t had so much as a prickle! I was losing my touch! Still, it’d all turned out for the best, so maybe that was why my sixth sense hadn’t kicked in with the usual warning.

Aegle had put the plate down on the bench beside her. ‘Look, you two,’ she said. ‘Cut it out, okay? You’re talking about Myrrhine’s death, aren’t you?’

I let her have my blankest stare while Phrixus carried on grinning.

‘What gave you that idea?’ I said.

She flushed. ‘I’m not stupid, Corvinus, so don’t patronise me. Are you saying there was someone else involved in the murders besides Myrrhine? And that Phrixus here killed him?’

‘As a matter of fact there was.’ I kept my face straight. ‘Myrrhine was recruited by one of the city judges, a guy called Sextius Nomentanus, and yes, by pure coincidence Nomentanus is dead. About Phrixus killing him I don’t know.’ I glanced at the big guy. ‘That name ring any bells with you, pal?’ I said.

Phrixus shook his head slowly. ‘First time I’ve heard it,’ he said. ‘And I don’t remember killing anyone with purple on his mantle, either. That’s the gods’ own truth.’

I turned back to the girl. ‘There you are. Satisfied?’

‘No.’ She shrugged. ‘Evidently you are, though.’ I didn’t speak. ‘So how did he die?’

‘Who knows? Coincidence, like I said. Or call it divine retribution if you like.’ Being careful not to look at Phrixus, I took one of the sticky animals. It could’ve been a horse, or maybe a goat: Harmodia’s mother was no artist. ‘That’s the way the Watch are viewing it, anyway. As just another Aventine mugging. Case closed.’

Phrixus stood up. ‘We won’t take up any more of your time, Valerius Corvinus,’ he said. ‘It’s been nice meeting you.’

‘Likewise.’ I could still hear the clanking of buckets. ‘A real pleasure. Uh… one last thing, pal.’

‘Yes?’

‘You… uh… take small commissions? Like moving articles of furniture?’

‘Sure.’ He frowned. ‘Such as?’

‘There’s something I want delivered to an acquaintance of mine, name of Furia Gemella. A water clock. One of these big marble bastards. I know it’s the Festival, but…’

‘No problem.’ The frown lifted. ‘I’ll bring the cart round myself. After sunset today do you?’

‘That’d be perfect.’ I held out my hand and we shook again. ‘Nice meeting you, friend. Have a good Festival.’

They left. I grinned and went back inside to pick up Perilla for our jaunt to the Sallust Gardens.

Case closed. Definitely, this time. Yeah, and a lot more satisfyingly than I’d thought it would be, in more ways than one. The clock would go well with Gemella’s set of candelabra. And the lady would just love the cupids.