ODE TO A BANKER

`Well, you can't ask Avienus to confess!' As a joke, this crack of Vibia's was not only in bad taste, but rather hysterical. Vibia Merulla seemed nicely overwrought. That was good; I had hardly started yet.

I turned to the row of authors.

`Let's talk about your unhappy colleague. When Chrysippus died, Avienus was the first person to present himself to me for interview. In my experience that can mean various things: he was innocent and wanted to get back to normal life; or he was guilty, and seeking to put up a smokescreen. Maybe he was trying to find out just how much I knew. Equally I am conscious, here in the company of writers, that he could even have wanted to experience a murder enquiry for professional reasons because he saw it as intriguing research.'

Behind me, Fusculus let out a hollow laugh.

`Our first interview was bland,' I continued. `I lost the chance to put further questions to him later.' If Avienus was a murder victim, that lost chance might be significant. Someone had shut him up. `He and I talked mostly about his work. He had a "block", he told me.' I looked straight at Turius, the other fellow who had somehow extended his deadlines. `Avienus had missed his delivery date; do you happen to know how late he was?'

Turius sniffled, unabashed, and shook his head.

I looked along to the playwright Urbanus, who replied briefly, `Years!'

Scrutator joined in more rudely: `Bloody years, yes!'

`I gathered these "blocks" were regular,' I commented. `Chrysippus seems to have been generous about them. Was the same lenience extended to the rest of you, Pacuvius?'

`Never,' scoffed the big, rangy satirist. `He expected us to hand in the goods.'

Most of the group was sitting passive but wary. Only Urbanus seemed relaxed: `Were there some curious features of Avienus' supposed suicide, Falco?'

I glanced at Petronius Longus. `Curious features? Noted!' he replied, as if the suggestion that these curiosities might matter was new to him.

I avoided discussing the manner of the historian's death: `I won't go into details. I don't want to prejudice a future court case,' I said ominously. `But why might Avienus commit suicide? We thought he had money worries. In truth, he had recently paid off his debt. So where did the cash come from? Not payment for finally handing in his manuscript?' I looked at Euschemon, who shook his head.

Petronius stood up and came to the centre of the room with me: `Falco, what was the great work Avienus had been labouring at for so long?'

I pretended to consult my note-tablet. `I quote: "fiduciary transactions since the Augustan period". Sounds rather dry. Avienus admitted his was a small field.'

`Sorry I asked!' Petro's voice rasped, as he made a show of returning to his seat.

`Was Avienus anywhere near finishing?' I asked the authors. `Some of you used to meet him regularly at that popina down the street. Did he ever discuss his progress?'

They looked at each other vaguely, then Scrutator nudged Turius and hinted in a sly tone, `You were his real crony!' Yes, the satirist really did like landing other people in it.

`We talked about his work once,' Turius confirmed, looking annoyed to be singled out. `He was drunk at the time.'

'Were you there as well?' I jokily asked Constrictus – the poet who liked imbibing too much.

The older man shook his head. `I have no recollection of it! Avienus was very secretive about his research. If he had been sober, Turius would never have extracted anything.'

`Some authors hate revealing details of their work until they have finished,' I put to him.

`Yes,' groused Constrictus. `And some work never sees the light of day. I was never convinced Avienus had written anything at all.' Constrictus at least did turn in manuscripts; Passus had found his latest poems marked by Chrysippus, 'Usual fluff. Small edition; reduce payment

I continued grilling Turius. `You and Avienus must have had subject-matter in common. You want to write about the ideal political state, the future. He catalogued the past. Both of you must have ranged across the other's field. Where society might go next and

where it has already been are manifestly linked. So what did Avienus have to say to you?

That put him on the spot. He writhed awkwardly; it did no good to his smart new leather belt, as he tortured it out of shape. `Avienus was interested in economic issues. My approach in my ideal republic is through morality.'

I laughed briefly. `Finance and morality are not so closely linked – wouldn't you agree, Lucrio?'

Lucrio had been off in a dream, while we prodded at intellectual ideas. But he managed to produce a sickly grin. Some professions condemn their office holders to endless nasty jokes so he must have been used to this. I won't suggest the snide jokes about bankers have any truth in them.

Turius thought he had escaped. I whisked back again: `What was Avienus' area of research, Turius? "Fiduciary transactions" – mean anything?'

He shrugged, feigning disinterest.