Adonisius looked wildly at me and, before anyone else could make a move, he had stepped nimbly over ropes and casks and oars until he’d reached the far side of the ship, where it was lying furthest from the shore.
I realized suddenly what he was going to do, and shouted, ‘Stop! I want to see what’s in that sack!’ but it was far too late. He had already hoisted it above his head and dropped it overboard. It sank at once, as though it were weighted down with stones — as I was beginning to believe it was.
Lucius made a despairing gesture with his hands. ‘I’m sorry, citizen. It appears to be too late for you to look at that. But I do not understand. There can be no problem about disposing of that sack — it had begun to stink. I personally told him to get rid of it — I’d actually intended to do so earlier. Alfredus Allius can testify to that.’
Alfred Allius looked from Lucius to me and back again. ‘Of course I can, and gladly. It was only venison. Lucius and I discussed it earlier. It entails a small loss of course, but the contents were no longer useable, even by the pie-makers and hot-soup stalls. He tells me he’d have thrown it in the river days ago, but up to now the water was still frozen by the banks and it could not be taken where it was deep enough.’
‘Then what was the matter with the midden heap?’ I said. ‘Except that dogs might show an inconvenient interest in what the sack contains? Because I think you know as well as I do, Lucius, what we shall find in it.’
Alfredus Allius was looking mystified. ‘Gentlemen, what is all this about? I wish that you would take me into your confidence. If there’s some mystery about what’s being traded here, I should be told of it. I am considering an investment in the business, as you know.’
I nodded gravely. ‘I don’t believe that this concerns the trade in goods, but if I discover otherwise, you’ll be the first to know. In the meantime, I want to interview that slave. Can I leave you to ensure that he is held until I come? I wish to have a talk to Lucius first, and I fear that Adonisius might try to run away. However, I am sure you have enough authority to make sure he’s detained.’
Alfredus beamed. ‘Of course!’ The appeal to his purple stripe had rather flattered him. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ He gave his little undistinguished smile and hurried off towards the captain of the boat.
I turned to Lucius. ‘Do you think that we should have this conversation somewhere else? In the office area of your warehouse, perhaps? I should hate to make a public accusation which I afterwards regret.’
Lucius glared at me. ‘If you insist. You have your patron’s authority for requesting this, I suppose? I may not be a Roman citizen, but I do have certain rights! I’ve no idea what this is all about.’ He led the way, still grumbling, towards his premises.
I paused a moment before I followed him. I could see Alfredus further down the dock, gesturing towards the Syrian slave, who was still aboard the ship staring at the water where the sack had gone. The captain must have given an order which I could not hear, because an instant later Adonisius was seized roughly from the rear. Two burly crew members forced his hands behind his back then dragged him bodily across and lashed him to the mast. I nodded, satisfied. He would be safe until I wanted him.
Then I went into the warehouse where Lucius and his aged steward were awaiting me.
TWENTY-FOUR
Inside it was already dim, of course, despite the candlelight, but the trader signalled to his slave that he should shut the door. He walked along the central aisle, and I thought that he was going to lead me to the house, when suddenly he turned round as if confronting me.
‘Now!’ he said acerbically. ‘I am a busy man.’ He gestured to the empty spaces where the now-loaded cargo had been stored. ‘What is this all about? I thought you came here wanting hyssop, but it seems that I was wrong. First there is an inquisition about who said what and when — though I can’t see that it matters very much. And then this sudden interest in rotting venison. What is the point of that? I could understand if Alfredus had wanted to inspect that sack — he has a possible financial interest in my affairs — but I can’t see what on earth it has to do with you. I can assure you that the contents were quite inedible. Not that I can prove it, either way. It is all at the bottom of the river now.’
I looked him coolly in the eye, trying to sound confident of what I said. ‘I’m sure a grappling hook could be employed to fetch it up again. My patron has enough authority for that. And don’t I remember there were two sacks anyway?’ I gestured to the empty storage place where they had lain. ‘Your steward will have a record of the number, I suppose?’
For the first time Lucius looked a little less than confident, but Vesperion took a chalk slate from a slot beside the wall and made a great business of consulting it. ‘Two sacks of venison, that’s quite right, citizen. The other must have been disposed of earlier today when I was busy somewhere else.’ He rubbed out the item with his sleeve to show that it had gone. ‘But that it is all in order; I know that it was planned. My master’s right — they had begun to smell and were becoming an embarrassment.’
‘I am quite sure they were. But then I don’t believe that it was venison at all.’ I turned back to his master. ‘Perhaps you did learn how to preserve things packed in snow from the northern traders, as you claim, but no one keeps a valuable meat until it rots — especially at a time when food is very scarce and there would be a considerable profit to be made. I don’t know why I didn’t question it before.’
Lucius gave a would-be casual shrug. ‘So what are you insinuating, citizen?’
I was about to answer, but he saw my face and all at once he seemed to change his mind. He motioned to the slave. ‘Vesperion, you should not be listening to this talk. You can go and collect together all the record scrolls — the ones that I was showing to Alfredus Allius. I promised this citizen that he could borrow them. And check if there is any hyssop left in stock.’ Then he added, as the slave looked hesitatingly at the slate, ‘Take that with you — what are you waiting for? Close the folding door behind you and stay there until I call!’
Vesperion sighed and did as he was told.
When he was safely out of earshot Lucius turned to me. His tone was sombre now. ‘Well, citizen, I gather that — for reasons of your own — you’ve come to have suspicions of Adonisius. What, exactly, do you suppose that he has done?’
I shook my head. ‘It isn’t Adonisius I’m suspicious of — it’s you. And don’t dissimulate. I’m serious when I talk of bringing up that sack — and you know as well as I do what we shall find in it. A decomposing body, isn’t that the truth? Or half a body, anyway. The lower half of Genialis, if I am any judge. And by your face, I see that I am right.’
He was about to make some protest but I held up my hand. ‘When we do retrieve it, and I’m proved to be correct, you will do yourself more favours if you’ve confessed the truth. You know what Marcus’s inquisitors can do. So, why not save yourself the torment and just tell me everything? Including how you killed him, as I suppose you did — though I must admit that it surprises me. I had not seen you as a murderer.’
He sat down abruptly on a pile of crates. All his bluff bravado had deserted him. ‘I didn’t murder him — not in the way you understand the word. It would be more accurate to say I made him kill himself.’ He looked up at me with strangely empty eyes. ‘Citizen, I swear he brought it on himself. I was convinced he’d murdered Ulpius, and it’s proved I was correct. If he had been innocent, he would not have died.’
A small piece of mosaic tumbled into place. ‘The wine!’ I said, remembering the events of yesterday. ‘The jug your servant Pistis brought in yesterday. You declared that it was “rubbish” and made him throw it out. But it wasn’t rubbish, was it? It was poisonous — and Genialis had given it to Ulpius, you said. You made him drink from it himself at some stage, I suppose?’