Three Hands In The Fountain

`Your marriage was perfectly happy, and she was a quiet girl?' 'Yes.'

Petronius was treading very carefully. Since we had begun our enquiry with the assumption that the victims were goodtime girls (who could vanish without attracting too much notice), there was always the possibility that Asinia had led a double life, unknown to her anxious mate. But we, knew it was more likely the maniac who carved her up was a stranger; that Asinia had just had the bad luck to put herself where she caught his eye and he was able to abduct her. The mutilations Lollius had described to me pretty well stamped' a seal on it. Men who carve up women in that way have never been emotionally close to them.

Now we were being told that this victim was a respectable girl. Where had she been after she was dropped at her door? What adventure had she set out for? Did even her girlfriend know about it?

Petronius, who had been carrying the ring, now brought it out. He took his time. His movements were slow, his expression grave. Caius was supposed to have started guessing the truth, though I could see no signal that he had let himself be warned, `I'd like you to look at something, Caius. Do you recognise that?'

`Of course! It's Asinia's ring. You've found her, then?' Helpless, we watched as the husband's face lit with delight.

Slowly he realised that the three men sharing his tiny room had remained sombre. Slowly he saw that we were waiting for him to reach the real, tragic conclusion. Slowly he grew pale.

`There is no way I can make this easy for you,' Petronius said, `Caius, Cicurrus, I am afraid we are assuming that your poor wife is dead.' The stricken husband said nothing. `There really can be very little doubt about it.' Petronius was trying, to tell Cicurrus that there was no actual body.

`You have found her?'

`No – and the worst part is that we perhaps never will find her.'

`Then how can you say -'

Petronius sighed. `Have you heard about the dismembered human remains that have been found from time to time in the water supply? Women have been murdered, over a long period, by a killer who cuts up his victims and deposits them in the aqueducts. My colleagues and I are investigating that.'

Cicurrus still refused to understand. `What can this have to do with Asinia?'

`We have to believe that this killer has abducted her. Asinia's ring was found in the terminal reservoir of the Aqua Claudia. I'm sorry to have to tell you, one of her hands was with it.'

`Only her hand? She could still be alive!' The man was desperate. He sprang at any shred of hope.

`You mustn't believe that!' Petro rasped. He was finding this almost unbearable. `Tell yourself she is dead, man. Tell yourself she died quickly, when she was first abducted three days ago. Believe she knew as little as possible. Tell yourself what was done to the corpse afterwards does not matter; because Asinia did not feel it. Then tell us anything you can

that will help us catch the man 'who killed your wife before he robs any other citizens of their womenfolk.'

Caius Cicurrus stared, at him. He could not go so fast. `Asinia is dead?'

`Yes, I'm afraid she must be.'

'But she was beautiful.' He was grappling, with the truth now. His voice rose'. 'Asinia was unlike other women – so sweet-natured, and our domestic life was so affectionate Oh, I cannot believe this. I feel she is going to come home any minute Tears began streaming down his face. He had accepted the truth at last. Now he had to learn to endure it: that might take him for ever. `Only her hand has been found? What will happen to the rest of her? What am I to do? How can I bury her?' He became wilder. `Where is her poor hand now?'

It was Frontinus who said, `Asinia's' hand is being embalmed. It will be returned to you in a locked casket. I beg of you, don't break the lock.'

We were all crushed by the thought that if other remains did appear, we would have to decide whether to return them to this devastated man piecemeal. Was he then to hold funerals for each limb separately, or collect them for one final burial? At what point was he supposed to decide that enough of his darling had been returned to him to justify a ceremony? When we found her torso, with her heart? Or her head What philosopher would tell him where the girl's sweet soul resided? When should his agony end?

There was no doubt his devotion to Asinia was, genuine. The next few weeks were likely to drive him into insanity. Nothing we could do would protect him from brooding over the horror of her last hours. We would say very little to him, but like us he would soon be imagining how the killer probably treated his victims.

Petronius left the room as if he were going to fetch the slave to attend to her master. First I could hear him speaking to her in a low voice. I knew he was discreetly checking the story of Asinia's last known movements, and probably taking the name and address of the female friend with whom she had stayed. He brought the girl in, and we took our leave.