‘If that’s what she calls herself. He’s had her salted away there for years.’

‘Ah!’ So Polycarpus had not waited to gain his freedom before he started his own household. ‘He says he just happened to go back that night and then discovered the crime.’

Fauna shrugged. ‘I don’t know. While I was looking, people were still talking, but in very low voices. We went back to bed. We never even realised the vigiles had been until next morning. Some fellow came up to see if we heard anything. He didn’t really want to know, in case it meant he had to do something useful.’

‘Never mind him then, can you describe the disturbance for me?’

‘Yelling to start with. Bumps and shunts later. When it first kicked off someone was really angry.’

‘How many voices?’

‘Well, it must have been several. They say a gang of robbers came—’

‘No, no; don’t tell me what you suppose you heard. I need what you really did hear.’ She looked baffled by my distinction. ‘All right. Let me ask something else, Fauna. This is important. Did you at any time hear Aviola or his wife calling out for help?’

‘Well, someone wanted the world to know he was upset. A man’s voice, bellowing furiously. That was what really worried us first and made Lusius go to look … He’s dog tired in the evening after work; it takes a lot to get him out of bed. The bawler must have been Aviola, mustn’t it?’

‘Could well be …’ Or anyone. ‘You don’t remember hearing a woman?’

‘No.’ This time she was certain. ‘No, I never heard a peep from her. You know, Albia, we couldn’t tell what in Hades was happening; we never thought it was as serious as it turned out. To be honest, there had been such a lot of bother to do with the wedding, Lusius and me just thought it was more of the same. That lot, they had grown to be a menace lately – there was always something going on.’

‘What kind of thing?’

‘People having a go.’

‘At each other?’

‘Right.’ Fauna thought about it. ‘There always seemed to be someone sounding off, and then somebody else telling them to shut it.’

‘Not just the staff clattering and throwing their voices too loudly? Some don’t see the point of going about their work quietly. Houses can be lively places.’

‘Ha! My father was a roofer. Nobody beats roofers and scaffolders for shouting … There was a lot more commotion lately than there used to be. We knew they was all going away for the summer, and we was looking forward to that, I can tell you. Lusius keeps saying he’ll go down and complain, but he’s too bone idle to do it.’

‘Probably not much point now,’ I murmured.