I, Claudia (5 page)

Gaius picked up her hand and patted it. ‘Claudia, my sweet, you don’t want to concern yourself with that terrible business.’

‘Rubbish. If there’s a madman on the loose what decent person dares sleep soundly in their bed?’

‘One understands the fellow only picks on men,’ Balbus said. ‘One would assume—’

‘One assumes nothing of the sort,’ she retorted. ‘A madman is a madman. Who knows what’s going on inside his lunatic skull? Until he’s in chains, I for one won’t rest. Has anyone been round asking you questions?’

Balbus blenched. ‘What rumours have you been hearing?’ he asked. ‘One doesn’t like to think one might be a suspect.’

‘Don’t be so silly. I meant do they have any witnesses, things like that. I mean, if it’s so terribly overcrowded, you’d think someone would have had their eyes open, if you’ll pardon the expression.’

‘People keep themselves to themselves in those places,’ Balbus said.

‘I thought that was the very thing they couldn’t do,’ she snapped, ‘packed together like feathers on a duck. Gaius, you really ought to lobby someone—’

She found her arm being slipped through her husband’s and a distinct pressure on her elbow.

‘Claudia, my sweet, we should be getting back to our seats. Let’s meet, Balbus, say, three o’clock at the baths tomorrow?’

‘Excellent. Hope to see you soon, then, Claudia.’

‘Ghastly little man,’ she said to Gaius, knowing Balbus might well be within earshot still. ‘I don’t know why you put up with him.’

‘If I stopped dealing with ghastly little men, my sweet, I’d be out of business by the end of the month. He’s got fingers in all sorts of interesting commercial pies and as I so often tell you, it is frequently the indirect contacts which prove more fruitful than the direct.’

‘Well, I hope you never bring him to the house.’ She tossed the pomegranate over her shoulder. ‘I didn’t like the way he was looking at me.’

‘Every man in Rome looks at you the same way.’ Gaius gave her arm a gentle squeeze. ‘But I’ll probably invite him to the banquet.’

‘What banquet? Gaius, I wish you’d consult me more often.’

‘Claudia,’ he replied patiently, ‘I told you about it weeks ago. The one on the Ides.’ An ominous edge crept into his voice. ‘I hope you’re not telling me you’ve forgotten, because I’ve invited some very important people.’

Damn, damn, damn. It was Melissa’s fault, of course, she should have reminded her!

‘Oh
that
banquet.’ She shrugged indifferently. ‘I thought maybe you’d slipped in another one.’

Nine days. She’d really have to steam to get the bloody thing organized in time! And how was she going to find the time to track down a killer as well?

More cymbals, more animals, more bets, more losses. ‘Our paths cross so rarely these days,’ he remarked eventually.

Often enough for my liking.

‘You always seem to be out, Claudia.’

‘You always seem to be busy, Gaius.’

And not only with work.

‘I don’t bring it home, though.’

‘Even
you
aren’t that insensitive!’

Gaius pursed his lips. ‘Now, why are you so prickly today, my sweet? You usually enjoy the games.’

‘I’m always prickly,’ she said, and Gaius’s heavy body shook with laughter.

‘You’re right there.’ He leaned conspiratorially towards her and lowered his voice. ‘Fancy a small bet? I know it’s illegal but once in a while maybe…?’

Claudia shook her head. ‘Can’t be bothered,’ she said, frantically signalling to Junius to put a whole denarius on the leopard. ‘Maybe when the gladiators come on.’

*

The midday executions had been a bit of a disappointment. Either Rome was getting safer or criminals were getting smarter, but whatever the cause, only five men went down on to the sand and none of them lasted long. Watching the pairs slug it out had been pitiful and the survivor, the snivelling coward, had positively hurled himself at the wretched tiger in the end. What did he think? That because he’d beaten the others he was free to go? Claudia had lost several sesterces on him, because until then he’d proved a tough character and she’d bet double that he’d fight like a man and last a good fifteen minutes. However, she couldn’t complain. Geta, one of Rome’s finest bestiarii, had got himself disembowelled by a rhinoceros before he could fire off a second arrow, and her rash bet on the rhino had left her well ahead of the game.

‘You’re looking pleased with yourself.’

Startled out of her reverie, Claudia spun round to gaze into the bearded face of a tavern-keeper she hadn’t seen for over five years.

‘Ligarius!’

Quickly composing her features, she signalled Junius to keep an eye out for her husband’s return.

‘They said you’d done well for yourself.’

‘I thought you were in Genoa.’

He shrugged. ‘Not since last November. You’re looking lovelier than ever Claudie.’

‘What do you want?’

‘Nothing.’ He folded his arms across his broad chest. ‘Just came over for a chat, that’s all. I thought it might be nice to talk about the old days.’

‘I disagree.’

‘Oh, come on, Claudie. You can spare an old mate ten minutes, can’t you?’

‘Go away.’

‘I only want to talk.’

‘Ah!’ She was beginning to understand. ‘How much?’

‘Pardon?’

‘Is this man bothering you, Claudia?’

Julia’s husband, a man with the face both the colour and texture of an underripe mulberry, slipped his arm around her shoulder. She could feel a damp patch forming, but resisted the urge to flick his hand away.

‘Marcellus, kindly convince this fellow I’m not the bookbinder’s wife. He won’t take no for an answer.’

Her brother-in-law ostentatiously adjusted his toga. ‘This,’ he said pompously, ‘is the wife of Gaius Seferius, the wine merchant. His sister is my wife. Now clear off and pester someone else.’

Ligarius opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind. ‘Sorry,’ he mumbled to Claudia, backing into the crowd.

‘You can remove your sticky hand now, Marcellus.’ He ran his palm lingeringly over her shoulderblades and down her backbone.

‘
Now
,
you bastard, or I’ll slap your face in full view of everybody!’

‘All right, all right.’

When he smiled, she could see the gap in his teeth. Thank Hymen Gaius had a full set! Even if they weren’t that good.

‘Keep your hair on, Claudia.’

‘I do,’ she snapped. ‘It’s your wife who runs up the wigmaker’s bills.’

‘She needs the adornments,’ Marcellus replied, running the back of his hand down her cheek. ‘You don’t.’

‘Oh look, there’s Gaius.’

‘No, it’s not. Stop teasing.’ He inched closer. ‘I’m serious. You don’t need cosmetic aid, not even round those lovely big eyes of—Ouch!’

Claudia was grinding her heel on his little toe. ‘Remus, I love a woman of spirit. Suppose we make sweet music together?’

That he’d been drinking heavily was in little doubt, yet Claudia had the impression he was making genuine overtones.

‘Frankly, Marcellus, I’d rather throw myself to the lions.’

Yes, the killer must be a punter, because someone’s tongue was definitely loose. No matter, when she found him, she’d loosen it for good!

‘Second thoughts, I’d prefer to throw you to the lions.’

There were limits, after all, on what a girl would do, even for money. Small wonder Julia was frigid.

Having despatched the reptile that passed for her brother-in-law, Claudia was laying into Junius for allowing Marcellus to get within ten paces when Flamininus the censor sidled up.

‘Tomorrow morning?’ he whispered, pretending to look the other way.

‘No.’ She’d have to give up working for a while. It was the only way to stop the bloodshed.

‘But you promised!’

Or was it? The killer might be working through a list. Great heavens, Flamininus himself might be responsible. She decided to meet him as planned and question him. Maybe she wouldn’t have to go on to that smelly tenement afterwards.

His voice took on a wheedling tone. ‘Please, Claudia. I’ll make it worth your while.’

You bet your sweet life you will. ‘No.’

Urgency crept in. ‘Claudia, you must. I’ll double the price.’

‘Treble it.’ If she was to clamp his testicles and lead him around by a halter while he called her filthy names, the least he could do was pay for the privilege.

‘Very well. Treble it is. Goodbye, Claudia.’

When she turned round, he’d melted into the crush. Now, perhaps, she might be able to enjoy a peaceful moment to herself.

‘There you are, my sweet. Look who I’ve found.’ Gaius was standing beside her with a huge grin pasted across his face.

‘A long-lost cousin from the north. You might not remember him, of course, you were very young at the time, but he assures me he remembers you very well.’ There was no one from the north who could remember her, that was the point. She had chosen her new identity with extreme care. The other Claudia had no family, her relations by marriage were killed by the plague. Every last one of them.

‘Hello, Claudia.’

Her face set like marble, Claudia slowly turned round. ‘Remember him now, my sweet? Marcus Cornelius Orbilio?’

VI

‘Little Markie! My word, how you’ve grown!’

The sarcasm flew right over Gaius’s head, as of course she knew it would.

‘You recognize him, then? Splendid, splendid!’

‘I’d know him anywhere,’ Claudia replied sweetly, watching Orbilio squirm. ‘And to think I believed myself without a relative in the whole wide world.’

Whatever reaction the miserable worm had been expecting, it wasn’t being welcomed with open arms. She smiled. And whatever devious game he was playing, she could match it in spades.

‘Oh, well—it’s a very distant connection…’

‘Yes, indeed. Remind me again, Markie, my poor mind’s gone completely blank.’

‘Ah, well… Your mother was my mother’s, er second cousin. Yes, that was it. Of course,’ he said apologetically to Gaius, ‘Claudia and I rarely saw one another.’

‘Nonsense, you used to visit an awful lot, Markie, don’t you remember? Your mother couldn’t wait to get shot of you.’ She tilted her head to one side. ‘You might not believe it, Gaius, but Marcus here was a perfectly horrible child. Always following me about, forever poking his nose into matters that didn’t concern him and asking the most preposterous questions.’

Orbilio gave a brittle smile.

‘Not much family resemblance,’ Gaius said, cheerfully peering from face to face, ‘although you’re both fine-looking specimens. Must have been a damned handsome family on your mother’s side, what?’

‘Absolute stunners, the lot of them,’ Claudia chipped in before Orbilio opened his mouth. ‘Although underneath Marcus’s mother was a frightful old boiler. Gave him a terrible childhood.’

She stood on tiptoe and whispered loudly in Gaius’s ear.

‘No one can say for certain exactly who Markie’s real father is.’

It was clear Gaius attributed Orbilio’s colour and discomfort to the airing of his family background. Claudia linked her arm firmly through Orbilio’s and drew him away.

‘So how is the old bat these days?’

‘My mother? She’s dead.’

‘Fancy.’ Claudia placed the flat of her hands against his chest and pushed gently until he was sitting on the stone seat. ‘Then I’d really appreciate it,’ she said quietly, ‘if you’d be kind enough to go and join her just as quickly as you can.’

She patted his mop of curly hair and returned to her husband.

‘Loathsome fellow,’ she said. ‘Never want to see him again.’

‘I think you’re being unfair my sweet. He’s your only living relation and I’m sure he’ll have mellowed over the years.’

Claudia followed his glance to where Orbilio was sitting, frantically combing his hair with his fingers.

‘Doubt it. See? Still sulking like he used to. Oooh, look, there’s Octavia. I’ll catch up with you later, Gaius.’

Elbowing her way towards a make-believe friend across the other side of the amphitheatre, Claudia wondered whether she’d been a trifle hasty in disposing of Orbilio so quickly. Maybe she could have wheedled some information out of him? No matter. He was up to something, and in her experience a pre-emptive strike always proved the most effective form of attack. She was still congratulating herself as she summoned the rugged young Gaul.

‘Junius, I want you to run an errand for me. You know Gratidius, the mercer? Good. Well, I want you to find his
assistant…’

The slave listened attentively, repeating Claudia’s instructions back to her practically verbatim.

‘Oh, and Junius.’ She was feeling quite sublime about the way she was handling this dodgy business. ‘Drop my winnings off at Lucan’s counting tables on the way.’