Three Hands In The Fountain

Grimly, I returned to my post at the Temple of Sol and Luna. I felt, shaken. There were enough young people out looking for trouble without ones I knew worrying me.

The next woman I saw being ridiculous was another one I recognised: Pia, the dead Asinia's friend. The hussy in turquoise who had assured Petro and me she would not go anywhere near the Circus again after what had happened to Asinia. It was no surprise that this trembling blossom had emerged from the stadium tonight, having clearly attended the Games just the same as usual. What was more she had a man in tow.

I strode up to her. She was annoyed at seeing me. I was annoyed too, that she had lied to us and that she so blatantly lacked any loyalty to her, murdered friend. But it did give me a faint hope of exposing her lies.

The fellow with sickly taste who was crawling over Pia was a greasy tyke with patches on his clothing and a yellowing black eye. He was playing the part of an old friend,

so maybe Pia herself had whacked him with the shiner. She however, was trying to make out to me that she hardly knew this dreamboat.

I weighed straight in. 'Is this the weasel you were screwing the night you parted from Asinia?'

She wanted to deny it, but he failed to notice she was trying to disown him so he owned up' straight away. Pia had clearly picked him for his intelligence. Don't ask me why he

went for her.

They must already have discussed the night in question.

Clearly he knew all about Asinia's grim fate, and I guessed he knew even more than that.

'What's your name, friend?'

`I'd rather not say.'

`That's all right.' Sometimes it pays to allow them their secrecy. I wanted to know what he had seen, never mind who he was. `Did you hear the bad news about poor Asinia?'

`Terrible!'

`I'd be interested in your side of the story. Pia said you both left her about here – but you saw her again in the Street of the Three Altars?'

`Yes; we must of caught up with her. She didn't see us' `Was she all right at that point?'

He glanced at Pia. `Didn't you tell him about that fellow, then?'

`Oh,' lied Pia, utterly shamelessly. `I think I must have forgot:'

`What fellow was this then?' I wished Petro was here with me. Less scrupulous than I was, he would have dragged her arm up her back in a vigiles’ bodyhold, while encouraging free speech with his spare fist around her throat.

`Oh,’ mouthed Pia, as if it was unimportant and anyway she had only just remembered it. `I think we saw some man talking to Asinia.'

THIRTY EIGHT

I was so furious I could cheerfully have thrown both of them to the public torturer and had them scarified with hooks. I think Pia realised the atmosphere was stickier than she liked. Even now she had no intention of telling me herself, but when her lousy bed companion coughed up freely she scowled and let him speak. Whatever she did to him afterwards would be between the two of them.

`We saw this fellow,' he told me, with a helpful demeanour. I would have admired him more for it if I had not suspected Pia had told him to keep his mouth shut. I was livid. He had held on to this vital information for over a week, even though he knew it could help catch, a pervert and save other women's lives.

'You say you saw this fellow?'

`He was talking to Asinia'

`Harrying her?''

`No, it looked all right. We noticed because Asinia never had anything to do with men. But he seemed cheery enough. We would of gone up to, them otherwise, of course.'

`Of course.' The way he was winding himself around Pia even now suggested this, charmer did not readily abandon a grope. `So what happened?'

`She answered him and he went off.' `Is that it?'

'That's all, legate.'

`You're sure you saw Asinia walk on by herself?' 'Oh yes.'

`What; was the man like?'

`Nothing much. We only saw him from behind.' `Tall?'

`No, short.'

`Build?' `Ordinary.'

`Age?'

'Couldn't say.'

`A youth or older?' `Older. Probably.' `Much older?' `Probably not.'

`Any national characteristics?' `What?' "

`Did he look Roman?' `How do you mean?' `Forget it. Hair?' `Don't know.' `Hat?'

`Don't think so.'

`What was he wearing?' `Tunic and belt.' `What colour tunic?' `Nothing particular.' `White?'

`Could have been.'

`Nothing you noticed?'

`No, legate.'

`Boots or shoes?'

`Couldn't say, legate.'

`Couldn't care less either, eh?'

`We just never noticed him much. He was ordinary.'

`So ordinary he may be a bestial killer. Why did neither of you come forward with this information before?''

`I never thought it was important,' the man assured me earnestly. Pia made no attempt to bluff. I understood her problem; she was frightened that Caius Cicurrus would blame her for letting his wife get into trouble while she herself was preoccupied with bedding this worm.

`Right. I want you to come with me to the Street of the Three Altars and point out exactly where this exchange with Asinia took place.'

`We've got things in mind!' protested the greaseball. Pia, still pretending she hardly knew him, just looked surly.