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the extraordinary fact that, immediately after a second message reached the house, this same Calvinus thought it fit to send a courier to you? If you did not know him, why should he do that? My master and some of his fellow councillors would be interested to know.’
    It had taken me some moments to realize his drift, but all at once I understood what this was leading to. ‘You can’t mean that your master thinks I am involved in this?’ I was too startled even to expostulate. ‘I did not even know the cart was on its way. What’s more, I’ve never met the lictor in my life.’
    ‘Then why were you asking questions of everyone today – including questions about the treasure on the carts?’
    I spread my hands in a gesture of despair. ‘I was attempting to find out what sort of man he was, that’s all.’ I was tempted to tell him the other part of it – that I was only doing it on Marcus’s behalf – but decided that discretion was the wiser choice.
    The servant’s smile was disbelieving and disagreeable. ‘Indeed? And does enquiry about his valuable possessions tell you that? You can’t pretend, for instance, that there is any doubt about whether he could afford your services – not when he has taken an apartment on that scale! Which brings us to another suggestive circumstance. You had not, by your own admission, ever called there before. Yet there you are today – the very day on which the theft occurred.’
    ‘Surely it’s more likely that the cart was set upon last night and not discovered until daylight came?’ I said, then devoutly wished I’d held my tongue. I could imagine how our visitor would construe my foolish words.
    I was right. He raised an eyebrow. ‘You might be a better judge of that than I!’
    ‘That is merely a guess that anyone might make. We know that there are active bandits in those woods. At least I assume it was in that area,’ I burbled, ‘since I understand the cart was coming from the south.’
    ‘Exactly so! And don’t you live in that direction, too?’ He smiled his knowing smile. ‘But then, of course, this was not just a robbery: there are several savage murders to be considered, too – all of them no doubt committed, as you rightly say, under cover of darkness and discovered after dawn. Though very few people ever travel after dusk. Amazing that you seem to know so much about it, citizen.’
    ‘It was merely guesswork . . .’ I was beginning to protest.
    ‘Naturally! But suggestive, don’t you think? Especially in the light of all the other things I’ve pointed out. Of course this may all be mere coincidence but Florens and some of the other councillors would like to talk to you and have you explain it, if you are able to.’
    I glanced at my son and servant who were standing by, as appalled as I was by this development. I murmured, ‘They want to see me now? But I have work to finish here and I am due to report to my patron in just an hour or two . . .’ I trailed off in dismay.
    In my attempts to justify myself I was in danger of implicating Marcus Septimus as well. Indeed, as I realized with a sinking of the heart, this was possibly the purpose of this whole interview. Marcus, like any wealthy magistrate, has powerful enemies who would be delighted to see him humbled and brought before the courts: it had actually happened once before.
    Perhaps I had unwittingly given a new pretext. As it was, I had already admitted that I was carrying a letter from my patron when I called at the flat. That clearly suggested that I was there on his behalf, and it was difficult to see how that could be disproved, because it was the truth. So if I were accused of involvement in the crime, he would seem guilty of complicity at least. I sincerely wished that I hadn’t mentioned him.
    But it was far too late to keep him out of this. The servant smiled. ‘Of course, we know you are the protégé of Marcus Septimus,’ he said. ‘And we are aware that His Excellence is an