‘Cosmus is down in the apartment, with his mother, both of them tormented and hysterical. He rushes into the main bedroom and starts shouting. Your master and mistress wake up, to find him pleading with them not to sell his mother. Perhaps, because he doesn’t have much idea of life, he is even ordering them, not to make her go. I guess at first – because they know Cosmus – they simply try to reason with him. That is why nobody heard them call for help. They never did. They were not expecting what happened next. Cosmus may have already said to Myla he intended to do something drastic if they would not change their minds. Myla is hiding in terror of what he will in fact do, dreading it no doubt, because she needs Aviola alive to protect her interests. Cosmus is overcome by his frustration. In his terrible anger, he strangles your master and mistress … then what, Olympe?’

‘We had heard him shouting, so we went out and saw Cosmus run into the kitchen, crying. Myla was there, sobbing wildly too. They were both in a tremendous state. Amaranta rushed into the bedroom, as soon as she saw the doors open. So she found the bodies.’

Well, it was good to know I had been told one sorry fact correctly.

‘Amaranta finds them. So now Cosmus and Myla are both in the kitchen − weeping and clinging to each other? Or did his mother denounce what he had done?’

‘Weeping and clinging,’ confirmed Olympe, sadly. ‘Myla never told him off; she was the only person who never yelled or beat him … Then they just went very quiet together.’

‘Polycarpus came down from his own house. Why did he? Was it really just a feeling of unease, or had he missed Cosmus at home, so was worried about the troubled boy?’

‘He was worried. Scared what Cosmus meant to do.’

‘So! Polycarpus sees what has happened; he knows it looks bad for the rest of you. He takes charge. He gathers you in the oecus, to decide what can be done … Was that everyone, including Nicostratus?’

‘Yes.’ Olympe had withdrawn into herself now.

‘Myla and Cosmus?’

‘No. Myla had run out of the kitchen and into one of our rooms in the back corridor; she was hiding her head under a pillow. Cosmus was made to stay by himself in the kitchen. Polycarpus locked him in. Polycarpus said it was to keep him out of the way while we decided his future.’

‘When was he let out?’

‘After.’

‘After what?’

‘After we heard the burglars. Daphnus was on guard by the oecus door, in case Cosmus broke out or anything. He saw the burglars, so he hushed us. I was frightened; I thought those men would come in where we were … but they went away. Not long after that, Polycarpus let Cosmus out. When we had a plan.’