‘You know the old joke about the most famous whore in Antioch. They asked her whether she knew every man in the city, and she said no, but there was one part of all of them she knew about.’

‘They don’t usually tell it that way.’

‘Just because I grew up in a sewer doesn’t mean I have to live there whether I want to or not. Now, do you want to know what I can tell you or not? No skin off my nose either way, you’re the one who asked. Good, then shut up for a moment and let me speak. The Lady Sulpicia had to marry him. She’s got a brother in exile and a father up to his neck in debt. Cerialis has money, lots of it, although no one is quite sure how he got it. He’s also got the favour of the emperor – the new emperor – so might help with influence, and he’s a kind man even if he’s only marrying her for her name and her ancestry. He’s a fool, if you ask me, and I speak as a professional, because that’s a beautiful woman, so if I were him I wouldn’t be wasting so much time with whores who don’t really give a curse about him.’

‘Brother in exile?’

‘Thought you’d pick on that. Seems it’s the second time. Was a young officer on the fringes when they caught Saturninus. Might even be one of your victims?’ When the Legate Saturninus rebelled against the Emperor Domitian it had not lasted long before his plans fell apart and he was deserted. The investigations ordered by the vengeful ruler had gone on a long time, and Ferox had spent months examining charges. He had done his best to blot out the memories of those dark days, but some of the faces returned in his nightmares.

Ferox shook his head and hoped that he had had nothing to do with her brother. He did not remember anyone called Sulpicius, and most of the men he had been sent to find had ended up dead. He wanted to say that he had only found out the truth, but knew full well that even men he had shown to be innocent were still executed.

‘Well, perhaps, perhaps not. He gets recalled by Nerva and a couple of months later is posted to Syria and gets caught up in a new conspiracy led by the provincial legate. Not the smartest boy, by the sound of it, but then the father doesn’t sound much either. Reckon the lady must take after her mother.’

Ferox stood up and walked over to the little woman, putting a hand affectionately on her shoulder. It was the closest to intimacy they ever got, and a rare privilege, but he felt her shudder. Too many men had touched her too many times.