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Back Enemies at Home Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. Also by Lindsey Davis
  2. ENEMIES AT HOME
  3. Lindsey Davis
  4. Copyright
  5. Map
  6. THE CAST
  7. ROME, the Esquiline Hill:June AD89
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
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  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59

‘This is the true juice.’ Roscius was determined for us to believe him. Though he prided himself on being hard, remembering the deathbed scene had moved him. ‘I let out some yelp, I can tell you.’

‘All right.’ Faustus knew how to imply he believed the story.

‘Flying phalluses, tribune, your honour, that was terrible. Who did it? I see you looking at me, but me and the boys, we don’t do nothing like that. Why would we? My boys came up and had a gawp as well – they wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t let them have a look to see – then we legged it like runners racing up a stadium. Got out the way we had got in. Went for a bloody big drink, I can tell you.’ He shook his head in disbelief, appalled. ‘The couple must have been going at it and never heard anybody come in the room. What a way to go. The old man had made an effort. He was half off the bed, part way under her. It looked as if she had wanted to save him, threw herself over him, trying to protect him – probably hampered him, getting in his way. She must have been pleading to the one who did it. But they put that bit of rope around her throat and did her too, poor naked cow. Gods in Olympus, it was really terrible.’

36

We were all silent.

When we first arrived here, the helpful curator had folded back the big doors onto the terrace. Now we moved outside slowly, as if needing fresh air in our lungs. The walk across gave us time to adjust to this new story. None of us looked at the view.

Faustus glanced at me, saw I was full of questions, then made a small open-palmed gesture like an orator giving way to a new speaker.

I began tentatively. ‘Roscius, I want to be clear – the way you tell this, it sounds as if you arrived to an apparently empty house. Is that right?’

He nodded. ‘We didn’t see anybody the whole time – except the dead two.’

‘There were supposed to be slaves all over the place, sleeping off drink, or just normally asleep …?’

Roscius shrugged. ‘Can’t help you.’

I pressed him and he told us he and his companions, of whom there had been two, turned left on arrival, went around to the dining rooms.

‘Did you know in advance where to go?’

‘Obviously. I could tell you the layout of most of the big houses – been inside a lot of them.’

I made no comment. ‘So once you realised the silver was not where you had expected?’