Oh yes, we were discussing literature!" Cratidas replied. The pair laughed at some huge private joke. I raised an eyebrow coolly. The other man stood up. He was Eastern-looking, and when he swayed past me, looking sideways with a sneer, I definitely recognised him. I had last seen him riding away from the Damagoras villa at a cracking pace. Now he left us too, once more grinning at Cratidas as he went. I had been standing with my thumbs in my belt, but I now joined Cratidas. Spreading myself, as I took a bench opposite him at the table, I moved one end of it away from the table to make myself more room. I began discussing the disability he had inflicted on Gaius Baebius. I knew it would be a waste of time. Cratidas spat fiercely at the fig tree. After that, he slammed a dagger into the table. The point just missed my hand. I kept my hand motionless, not even flinching at the noise. He could decide for himself whether this was because I was stupid, or so stunned I couldn't move.
That's an old trick." I made it dry and languorous. Did you mean to miss, or are you just incompetent?" Then, under the table, I jerked up one thigh to trap his knees against the boards so he had no leverage; I used my other foot to kick away the bench he was sitting on. He crashed down to the floor; it must have jarred his back. Of course he was up again instantly. I threw myself right over the table and grabbed him by his long hair. [Never have hair long enough to be grabbed by an assailant, as my trainer says. When Cratidas lunged at me, I went with the motion, but swung him around and got him face down on the table with an arm up his back. I was pinning his head down with my body weight. His nose was so bent he must be finding it difficult to breathe.
Now listen!" He seemed helpless, but I was not intending to stay that close in case he wrenched free and took off some part of me. I think that you and your sidekick in the dirty Parthian dressing-gown are part of a racket to kidnap merchants" wives. Probably Damagoras runs the racket. Other people are looking into it, so you can take your chance with them. I want to know, and I want to know now, Cratidas, what happened to the scribe, Diocles?"
I don't know!"
Oh I bet you do! Was he investigating your ransom scam?" He made another negative gurgle. I lifted him up partially and banged his face against the table. As a favour to Gaius Baebius, I bashed him down really hard. If Cratidas was impressed that I could match him in brutality, he didn't show it. Where is he, Cratidas? What have you done with him?" I felt him tense for action. I was vulnerable, lying half on top of him, so I flew off him as he burst free. He spun around, teeth bared. We had fallen apart a couple of yards distant. He saw I had snatched his knife from the table. He was one blade down [though I reckoned he had others, and he had yet to discover what weaponry I carried. He hauled up the bench he had previously fallen off. People were taking notice of us now, though. Cratidas probably wanted to continue his stay here so he needed to calm the situation, or the nice people who were sitting under the pergolas would huffily ask the affable tavern landlord to evict him. He swung the bench around, about the height of my head, but then placed it back down. The fight was apparently over, not that I trusted him.
I don't know," he said, in that coarse voice with the rasping tone, what went on with the scribe. Damagoras toyed with him, but even he lost interest. You can find out where the man went or what he wanted for yourself, Falco!"
I will," I said. And then I'll be back, Cratidas." We omitted goodbyes. As I left the Aquarius I gave the bar-girl a sample of imperial coinage and my best smile. She knew I had not ordered any food or drink. So she accepted the money and returned the smile delightfully – then when I asked if she knew the name of the visitor in the dirty green robe who had come to see Cratidas, she told me. He was called Lygon. I had heard that name before. When I hit the street outside he was long gone, but that did not bother me. There was no need for me to tail him home. I already knew where Lygon lived – or at least, where he had lived until recently.
XXX
When I consulted Petronius, I thought he looked shifty. I had left a message at the station house; he called in at our apartment late that afternoon. I told him how I had identified Lygon, the same Lygon, I was sure, who had been named to us as the boyfriend of Pullia, young Zeno's mother. I had decided the Cilicians had placed her in the gatehouse room where we found her unconscious so that when they took a victim, Pullia could be their jailer until a ransom was paid.
Apparently the women seem confused after their ordeal. Brunnus thinks that while they are being held, they are drugged Remember how the boy said to us, Uncle" Lygon had once told him that if anyone didn't wake up, the vigiles would want to know?"
How do you know what Brunnus thinks?" Petronius demanded. I feigned deafness. Zeno must have misunderstood what Lygon meant. Lygon was talking about the risk of being hunted down for murder, if any victims were accidentally given an overdose. In fact, Pullia may have overdosed herself instead. That time the boy took us to see his mother, she wasn't drunk, as we thought. I bet she got bored and sampled the drugs herself."
So by chance, we stumbled on the racket, way back!" Petronius sucked his teeth in annoyance.
Missing it doesn't matter. Now we can break the ring."
I'd like to hold back on that, Marcus. We need to gather evidence."
When did evidence feature in a vigiles arrest?" I scoffed.
Don't be like that! We need to be certain." Prevarication had never been Petro's style. I guessed his motive, however.
We are waiting until the Fourth Cohort arrives in Ostia?"
End of the week," Petronius said briskly, unaware that Rubella had already told me. I mentioned that Rubella might accompany the detachment. I had to explain why. Petronius Longus told me what he thought of me. His dissertation was not pretty. Eager for action now, we reached an accommodation. I'll get you for this, Falco!"
Fine. In the meantime, old pal, what's our plan?"
We can take turns to watch the old gatehouse. We'll establish whether Lygon and the woman are still living there."
It's just around the corner from where I saw Lygon with Cratidas."
Yes, the gatehouse is ideally positioned." Petro had quickly thought it out. It's near the river, when they snatch victims from Portus. It's also centrally located if they take them in Ostia, and good for returning the women after ransom."
I thought our involvement that time would put them off the place."
Pullia may never have owned up to the others about what happened. Even if she did, once the gang saw we were not suspicious of her, why sacrifice a good location? So we can observe the place until the next time they bring a victim back there. Then it's arrest time." As always when I had made a neat connection, I found myself wanting to test it. Pullia and the boy come from somewhere called Soli. Remember, Maia found that out. Do we know if this Soli is in Cilicia?" Helena Justina was reading, so quietly we had forgotten she was there. Now she looked up from the scroll. Yes," she said, as if she were already part of our conversation. Soli used to be on the Cilician coast."
Used to be?" I was sceptical. What happened? Did the town sprout wings and fly off into the puffy clouds? Sounds like an abstruse metaphor, in an Athenian satire." Petronius was grinning, too much, I thought. I was better acquainted with Helena's research skills. I gave her a look. Her dark eyes betrayed a modest triumph. Roman matrons do not gloat. Particularly over their spouses, of course. I brought a map of the Empire with me, Marcus."
Of course you did," I answered. We want to be equipped, if one of our very advanced children starts asking cute questions about remote provinces."
I expect," Petronius mocked us gravely, Julia Junilla Laeitana can already recite all the rivers in Germania."