Wolf Whistle

‘Size is not important, Marcus. Don’t feel bad about it.’

This time it was the soldier’s turn to choke.

Orbilio had covered his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘Is-’ It took him a good ten seconds to compose himself. ‘Is Jovi still here?’

Claudia’s head was spinning so fast, she thought it was in danger of flying right off. She hadn’t realized for a moment that Leonides had answered.

‘He is indeed, sir.’ Claudia glowered at him to keep his stupid mouth shut, but the signal missed its mark. ‘I’ll take you to him.’

‘Not so fast.’ She held up a restraining hand. ‘What’s so important about the ragamuffin that it brings the Security Police clodhopping round here during breakfast?’

The legionary’s eyes were darting from Orbilio to Claudia and back again, his mouth had all but fallen open.

‘You,’ she barked. ‘Out.’

The soldier glanced at his superior officer, who nodded assent and instructed him to wait outside the door. Claudia thought the feathers in his helmet drooped a little as he left.

‘A woman’s body has been discovered on the Argiletum,’ explained Marcus. ‘I’d like Jovi to take a look and see whether he can identify her.’

‘Orbilio, you insensitive clod, you can’t just show him a corpse and say “tell us, old chap, is that your mummy?”

‘Too subtle, you think?’ Orbilio’s expression grew serious. ‘Claudia, the Market Day Murderer has struck again. I presume you know about the previous two?’

Who didn’t? It was the talk of all Rome. At first, the gruesome find was believed to be a revenge killing, because the girl in question, a slave, had been in with a bad crowd. Mess with gangsters like that, and you’re left as a lesson to others. When, eight days later, another girl was found slashed to pieces, people began to ask: was it the same man, or a copycat killing? Little doubt now. Three successive market days. Three successive victims.

‘As I say, she was found on the Argiletum-and if you recall, Jovi told us he’d seen a woman “sleeping” there yesterday evening.’

And he’d have said if it was his mother.

‘Of course,’ breezed Marcus, slicing off a hunk of cheese, ‘I’ll need you to come along as well, to show me exactly where you found the lad. After all, it’s a long road and this could be coincidence.’

Leonides coughed quietly. ‘The time, madam. The ladies-’

‘Ladies?’ Orbilio spoke through the cheese.

Claudia’s mouth twisted down at the corners. ‘Gaius’ relatives, female branch. Like salmon gathering at the river to spawn, they’re on the move and heading this way.’

‘Very shortly,’ stressed the beanpole.

‘For the Festival of Fortune,’ she explained. ‘Which, as you well know, is tomorrow. So I’ll describe exactly where I found our Jovi, and you can be about your business.’

Two male voices competed for air time.

‘Madam, you don’t understand. Fortune’s tomorrow, but the ladies are due-’

‘For gods’ sake, Claudia, this is murder-’

Claudia scooped up a handful of raisins and popped them in her mouth. ‘Are you still here?’ she asked Marcus, fluttering her eyelashes.

He threw up his hands in despair. ‘Goddammit, woman, this is an official enquiry!’

‘I doubt that,’ she replied, reaching for the shrimps. ‘You’re the Security Police and the Empire is in crisis. Unless someone rich and powerful got topped-which of course she isn’t, or you wouldn’t need young Jovi to identify the victim-this looks like another of those cases you have taken to investigate in your own time. Am I right?’

He shrugged. ‘The law is inadequate, you know that.’

Technically, the death of a slave is the responsibility of their owner. The rules change when there’s a serial killer at work, but even then it comes way behind treason.

‘Please, Claudia. I need all the help I can get.’

Claudia considered the aunts. Then a vision of the murder victim flashed through her mind, the girl’s mutilated corpse lying stiff and unclaimed in some filthy back alley…

‘No.’ I cannot, I dare not, get involved.

The twitching of his cheek was the sole sign of irritation, but Orbilio was by no means defeated. ‘There’s a butcher on the loose-’

‘No.’ Too much is at risk. My house, my security, for gods’ sake, my whole future!

‘He’s killing them slowly, Claudia.’

‘Excuse me, madam.’ Claudia’s big-boned maidservant popped her head round the door. ‘There’s a dozen ladies in the atrium. Should I show them in here?’

The steward’s bony shoulders slumped. ‘That’s what I was trying to tell you,’ he said. ‘They were due here today.’ Claudia heard teeth grinding and had a horrid feeling they were hers. ‘Cypassis, whatever else you do, keep them in the hall. Take their cloaks, wipe their feet, offer them refreshment, just keep fussing till I get there.’