SATURNALIA

I explained to Veleda that one reason I had agreed to Helena's suggestion and let her come to my house was that I hoped to use this period before I handed her over to justice – whoops, took her back to the authorities – in an attempt to discover what had really happened at the Quadrumatus house. If she was i

'You told me that you did not kill Scaeva.' Five years ago Veleda had assured me she did not kill the legate either; she may have been lying. She certainly was responsible for his death, through firing up her followers' bloodlust. She could be lying about Scaeva. 'Do you know who did kill him? Or why?' 'No.' 'Were you there when he died?' 'No.' 'But you saw his severed head lying in the atrium pool?' Perhaps Veleda hesitated. Petronius certainly winced as he imagined it. 'I did not see the head, Falco.' At my irritated growl, Veleda added quickly, 'I never passed through the atrium that day; I left by way of a tradesmen's exit on the side of the house. But I knew that Scaeva's head was there. Ga

This did not fit the facts Ga

'So tell us,' Petronius leaned forward with his 'trust me' look. 'What exactly happened on that afternoon. Let's start with why your – maid, is she? -' 'Acolyte,' I said tersely. 'Oh nice! We'll start with why your acolyte was walking thorough the atrium, shall we?'

Veleda told him without arguing: 'I had some letters that 1 could not read.' That was good. Whatever mad, romantic pleas Justinus had made, Veleda had never been able to read them. Excellent. 'At first 1 did not want to read them -' Even better. This was too important for scoring points, but Petro did enjoy a smirk at me over the way she was confiding in him. 'I became so unhappy 1 changed my mind. The only person we could trust there was the man who had delivered the letters to me: Scaeva. 1 was constantly being watched – that terrible old woman who attended on Drusilla Gratiana -' 'Phryne.' 1 scored no points for sounding knowledgeable. 'Phryne, of course. Phryne had always made it clear she hated me. She knew every move 1 made. So Ga

'So why didn't the young lady go with you?' asked Petro, with what he probably imagined was a wi

1 interrupted quietly to explain that Quadrumatus Labeo had refused to have investigators on the premises until the nine days of formal mourning for Scaeva had finished. 'What's he hiding?' Petronius asked me. 'Did it to "spare the distressed relatives further upset".' 'Beautiful! Didn't these relatives want to know who killed their boy?' 'You said it!' 'Ga

Petronius could see no problem with this. We would go and ask Ga

Just as the priestess reached the door, Petronius stopped her. He always favoured the routine where a witness was allowed to think they had been released, then he flung an extra question at them. As my daughter hid her face in his tunic then peeped at the priestess, Petro called out: 'So, Veleda, when Zosime took you out among the homeless, did you ever suspect she was harming them, not healing?' Veleda looked surprised, then denied it. Helena then shepherded her out.

I asked Petronius if there was a real suspicion that Zosime was behind the deaths of the vagrants. Ever cagey about vigiles business, he merely confirmed that he had the woman on a watch list.

I was glad that Helena was supervising the consultation here. I could not see Zosime as a killer – but if she was, I did not want her working any fatal magic on Veleda. Having Rome's famous prisoner die before the Triumph would be bad enough. Having her die at my house would finish my career.