Three Hands In The Fountain

`I just don't approve of his methods, his attitude, or the fact that he's, allowed to pollute the earth… The team I'm on -Tactfully, I omitted to specify that I was working with Petronius, whom Rubella himself had suspended from duty. `My team does have a few leads. I'm just off to Tibur with the ex-Consul in charge. Frontinus do you know him?' No; one up to me.’ `Some missing-sections of corpses have apparently turned up. Maybe you can tell me, Rubella – what's the. set-up for law enforcement out there?'

`In Labium?' The tribune spoke of the countryside with a townsman's disgust. He was scathing about its local administration too: `I suppose the better villages may have someone like a duovir who organises a posse if they happen to be beset by particularly virulent chicken-rustlers.'

`In foreign provinces the army does the job.'

'Not in sacred Italy, Falco. We are a nation of free men; can't have soldiers giving orders – people might ignore them, and how would the poor lads feel? There's a cohort of the Urban Guard out at Ostia, but that's an exception because of the port.'

`Protecting the newly arrived corn supply,' I added. `There are Urbans at Puteoli too, for the same reason.'

Rubella looked annoyed at my knowing so much. `You won't find much regular policing anywhere else.'

`It stinks.'

`They claim there's no crime in the country.'

`And all their goats have human heads, and their horses can swim under the sea!'

`The Campagna's wild – and the worst thing about it is the people who live there. That's why you and I inhabit the big city, Falco, where nice friendly fellows in red tunics ensure we can sleep safe at night.'

This was a romantic view of the vigiles and their effectiveness, but he knew that.

I could cope with Latium. Unknown to Rubella I had spent half my childhood there. I knew the right way up to plant garlic. I knew that mushrooms grow nicely in cowpats, but best not to mention it when you serve them. And he was right; I preferred Rome.

I went back to my original enquiry. `I doubt if Flaccida has been abducted by a killer. He would have to be brave – and sharp, too. Petronius Longus would probably say we should suspect Florius of wanting her dead. He has his fingers in the gangs now, so he could try to, organise it. And he has a motive a mile high'. My own cynical theory is that Milvia herself would like to see her nagging parent out of the way -'

`How about Petro?' joked Rubella. `I always thought he was big, and quiet – and deep!'

`He'd like to see the back of the old hag, but he'd rather catch her, out in felony and throw her to a judge. Milvia's story is that she wants Petronius to find out where her darling mother is. If I can tell her the old bitch is safe, it helps keep the young girl away from Petro.'

`Is it true that somebody put him on his back?' Rubella usually knew the score of any draughts game on his patch.

`Florius heard about the affair. Flaccida told him- that's why they had their bust-up. He decided to make his presence felt at last.'

`Rome can do without Florius thinking big.' The thought of Florius flexing; his muscles was sufficient to worry Rubella. `Will it affect, Petro's attitude to the woman?'

We can only hope so'

`You don't sound optimistic.'

I had known Petro a long time. `Well, I do believe he wants his job back.'

`Funny way of showing it. I gave him an ultimatum, which he seems to have ignored.'

`And you know, that,' I pointed out gently, `because Petronius has been seen going to Milvia's house – by your men. Ever since the Balbinus trial you have had a full-time set of peepers following every move made by Flaccida. But then presumably when she flew away, your man tightened his boot-thongs and followed her to her new roost?'

`I've had to call them off,' Rubella complained. `She's too clever to give us any leads. It's too expensive watching her -and without Petronius Longus I'm seriously, short of manpower.'

`So did you call off the surveillance before she did her flit. Or have the Fates finally smiled on me for once?'

He enjoyed keeping me waiting. Then; he grinned. `They pull out at the end of today's shift.'

I lifted my feet from his table, carefully avoiding, his inkpot and sand tray. To add emphasis, I leant forwards and adjusted their positions slightly, aligning them neatly. I don't; know whether the bastard felt any gratitude for my restraint. But he did give me an address for Cornella Flaccida. He had taken herself an, apartment in the Vicus Statae, – below the Esquiline, near the Servian Walls. To reach, it I had to walk down past the apsidal end of the Circus, through places which had featured so strongly in our hunt for the aqueduct killer: past the Temple of the Sun and Moon, through the Street of the Three Altars, around the Temple of the Divine Claudius. I detoured via the Street of Honour and Virtue and called in hoping to see Marina; she was out. Knowing Marina, I was not surprised.