‘My apologies, Steward.’
‘Not necessary,’ said Cassius. ‘That’s exactly the type of thing I want to hear about. Next.’
A younger man wearing a leather apron over his tunic spoke up.
‘Esdras the shepherd saw a group of men out by the lake last week. Said they looked like thieves.’
Another of the men interjected: ‘Sir, Esdras thinks everyone looks like thieves.’
Cassius considered what Annia had told him about her father’s daily walks. ‘You’re quite right to mention it, but given the circumstances of the murder, it’s probably not relevant.’
He pointed at the third man. ‘You.’
‘Sir, it’s something I saw myself.’
‘Go on.’
‘I took a cart into town yesterday to buy some tiles. Coming round a bend about a half-mile out of the village I nearly ran over this man on foot. He was almost in the middle of the road. I gave him a right mouthful but he didn’t say a word – just kept walking. Had this big sack over his shoulder.’
‘What did you see of him?’ asked Cassius.
‘Not a lot, sir. He was wearing a hooded cloak. There was quite a wind blowing.’
Trogus came close to Cassius and whispered to him: ‘I don’t mean to make up your mind for you, sir, but Cimber there rather likes the sound of his own voice – I knew he would come out with something. The Via Alexandria is the main road to the south of the island, including Lindos. Travellers from the port come through Amyndios almost every day.’
‘One other thing, sir,’ volunteered Cimber, raising a hand. ‘He had on a nice pair of leather boots.’
‘So?’ said Cassius.
‘I noticed because they didn’t seem to go with his cloak – tatty thing. And that old sack too. Nice pair of boots they were. Shiny and new.’
‘All right – who’s next?’
The fourth member of the staff to speak was a lad of about fourteen. ‘Sir, some of the women down at the tannery were talking about a girl who was in the village this week. She came past several times and seemed very interested in the villa. Apparently she was asking about Master Memor – whether he was currently in residence or not.’
‘Description?’ asked Cassius.
‘She was about twenty, sir. Long, curly hair. Very pretty they said.’
‘They didn’t recognise her?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Officer Corbulo,’ said Trogus, ‘could I speak to you for a moment?’
Cassius followed the steward, who didn’t stop until he’d reached the edge of the orchard, well away from both the men and the villa.
‘What is it?’
The steward scratched at his beard with his fingernails. ‘Sir, I must ask that this matter remain between us.’
‘Of course. Hurry up, man.’
‘About three years ago, Master Memor had a brief affair with one of the serving girls: Aelia was her name. Long, curly hair. Very, very pretty. She began to believe the relationship was more than it was. She became rather unstable – threatened to tell Mistress Leonita of my master’s indiscretions. Of course we had to let her go but she didn’t take it well. Eventually Ligur and I had to pack up her things and escort her off the property. We pretended she’d been caught stealing. I gave her some money to disappear. Luckily the ladies of the house knew nothing of the truth.’
‘And what?’ demanded Cassius. ‘You’re not seriously suggesting that this girl returned three years later to wreak her revenge; visited the villa in the depths of the night, slashed the throat of an ex-legionary twice her size, then beheaded Master Memor.’
‘I know it sounds ridiculous, sir, but that’s not all. She left Rhodes shortly after she left here, but I heard a while ago that she’d returned to the island. She could be rather wild – always falling out with the other girls. Terrible temper.’
‘Trogus, it’s simply not possible.’
‘Please, sir, I’ve not finished. I just remembered – how she stuck out when the girls were sat in a row weaving. She was left-handed.’
Cassius,
‘Not necessary,’ said Cassius. ‘That’s exactly the type of thing I want to hear about. Next.’
A younger man wearing a leather apron over his tunic spoke up.
‘Esdras the shepherd saw a group of men out by the lake last week. Said they looked like thieves.’
Another of the men interjected: ‘Sir, Esdras thinks everyone looks like thieves.’
Cassius considered what Annia had told him about her father’s daily walks. ‘You’re quite right to mention it, but given the circumstances of the murder, it’s probably not relevant.’
He pointed at the third man. ‘You.’
‘Sir, it’s something I saw myself.’
‘Go on.’
‘I took a cart into town yesterday to buy some tiles. Coming round a bend about a half-mile out of the village I nearly ran over this man on foot. He was almost in the middle of the road. I gave him a right mouthful but he didn’t say a word – just kept walking. Had this big sack over his shoulder.’
‘What did you see of him?’ asked Cassius.
‘Not a lot, sir. He was wearing a hooded cloak. There was quite a wind blowing.’
Trogus came close to Cassius and whispered to him: ‘I don’t mean to make up your mind for you, sir, but Cimber there rather likes the sound of his own voice – I knew he would come out with something. The Via Alexandria is the main road to the south of the island, including Lindos. Travellers from the port come through Amyndios almost every day.’
‘One other thing, sir,’ volunteered Cimber, raising a hand. ‘He had on a nice pair of leather boots.’
‘So?’ said Cassius.
‘I noticed because they didn’t seem to go with his cloak – tatty thing. And that old sack too. Nice pair of boots they were. Shiny and new.’
‘All right – who’s next?’
The fourth member of the staff to speak was a lad of about fourteen. ‘Sir, some of the women down at the tannery were talking about a girl who was in the village this week. She came past several times and seemed very interested in the villa. Apparently she was asking about Master Memor – whether he was currently in residence or not.’
‘Description?’ asked Cassius.
‘She was about twenty, sir. Long, curly hair. Very pretty they said.’
‘They didn’t recognise her?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Officer Corbulo,’ said Trogus, ‘could I speak to you for a moment?’
Cassius followed the steward, who didn’t stop until he’d reached the edge of the orchard, well away from both the men and the villa.
‘What is it?’
The steward scratched at his beard with his fingernails. ‘Sir, I must ask that this matter remain between us.’
‘Of course. Hurry up, man.’
‘About three years ago, Master Memor had a brief affair with one of the serving girls: Aelia was her name. Long, curly hair. Very, very pretty. She began to believe the relationship was more than it was. She became rather unstable – threatened to tell Mistress Leonita of my master’s indiscretions. Of course we had to let her go but she didn’t take it well. Eventually Ligur and I had to pack up her things and escort her off the property. We pretended she’d been caught stealing. I gave her some money to disappear. Luckily the ladies of the house knew nothing of the truth.’
‘And what?’ demanded Cassius. ‘You’re not seriously suggesting that this girl returned three years later to wreak her revenge; visited the villa in the depths of the night, slashed the throat of an ex-legionary twice her size, then beheaded Master Memor.’
‘I know it sounds ridiculous, sir, but that’s not all. She left Rhodes shortly after she left here, but I heard a while ago that she’d returned to the island. She could be rather wild – always falling out with the other girls. Terrible temper.’
‘Trogus, it’s simply not possible.’
‘Please, sir, I’ve not finished. I just remembered – how she stuck out when the girls were sat in a row weaving. She was left-handed.’
Cassius,
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