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Authors: David Wishart
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woodland scene with a satyr sitting beneath a tree playing the double-flute while a couple of deer and a set of birds in the lower branches listened.
‘You the owner?’ I said.
‘Nah. Barman and general dogsbody, me.’ He pulled up a stool at one of the tables and indicated another. I sat. ‘Name’s Vulpis.’
The name fitted him, or more likely it was a nickname: he was small, wiry, sharp-featured, red-haired and generously freckled. Definitely fox-like. Probably, like Tarquitia, a north Italian with Gallic blood. They might even be related.
‘Marcus Corvinus,’ I said.
He nodded. We had, at least, contact. ‘Well, then, Marcus Corvinus,’ he said. ‘If you want to talk to the boss, you’ll have to come back when we’re open. He’s generally in just before sunset, but it varies.’
‘No, that’s OK,’ I said. ‘At least I think it is. If you can help me yourself, that’d be great.’
‘I’ll do my best. Tarquitia, you said.’
‘Yeah.’
‘She hasn’t worked here for nigh on a year now. Took up with some old nob she met at a dinner party. At least, he was a guest and she was part of the entertainment.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ I said. ‘His name was Naevius Surdinus. He’s been murdered.’
He stared at me and gave a low whistle. ‘And Tarquitia’s involved?’ he said. ‘Directly, as it were?’
‘Not necessarily. Why would you say that?’
‘No particular reason. But you wouldn’t be round here asking questions about her if she wasn’t, right?’
Fair enough. ‘You knew her well?’
‘Sure. She was on most nights. Not a bad voice, good little dancer, very fair juggler and acrobat. The punters we get in here don’t expect too much, but they recognize talent when they see it. She had it and she was popular. Easily the best of the bunch. The boss was sorry to lose her.’
‘You know anything about her background?’
‘Not a lot. She’s from Padua originally, like me, although that’s just coincidence. Worked there for a year or so before coming to Rome. That’d be four or five years back. She did an audition for the boss and he took her on straight away. That’s about all I know. Anything else, you’d have to ask her husband.’
‘Her
husband
?’
‘Sure. Titus Otillius.’ He frowned. ‘You didn’t know about him?’
Jupiter! ‘No, I didn’t. They been married long?’
‘Two or three years. He works as a porter in the market, and he was one of our regulars. That’s how they met.’
Two or three years. So she’d been well and truly spliced when she took up with Surdinus. Yet another thing that the lady hadn’t told me.
Also very relevant, where the terms of the will were concerned. Interesting …
‘He know about Surdinus?’ I said.
‘Naturally.’
‘And he didn’t mind?’
Vulpis laughed. ‘Yeah, well, that’s something I can’t tell you,’ he said. ‘Me, I’d mind like hell, particularly since Tarquitia wasn’t that sort of girl. A prostitute, I mean. Oh, sure, a lot of the talent we have here go with men for money – most of them, in fact, that’s par for the course in our business, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But Tarquitia didn’t. Oh, she was no blushing virgin, she slept with some of the customers off and on, but only by her choice, and money didn’t always feature. But after she married Otillius, all that stopped. He’d’ve half-killed her if it hadn’t.’
‘But taking up with Surdinus was different?’ I said.
He shrugged. ‘Seemingly. Can’t say for sure, myself.’
‘You know where I can find him? This Otillius?’
‘Oh, yes. Nothing easier. But you don’t want anything to do with Otillius, sir. He’s a total head-banger.’
‘Come again?’
‘Known for it. Why a girl like Tarquitia should take up with someone like that, let alone marry him, I can’t fathom. Still, who knows how women’s minds work, eh? He punched her around now and again, but she seemed happy enough.’
‘They still an
‘You the owner?’ I said.
‘Nah. Barman and general dogsbody, me.’ He pulled up a stool at one of the tables and indicated another. I sat. ‘Name’s Vulpis.’
The name fitted him, or more likely it was a nickname: he was small, wiry, sharp-featured, red-haired and generously freckled. Definitely fox-like. Probably, like Tarquitia, a north Italian with Gallic blood. They might even be related.
‘Marcus Corvinus,’ I said.
He nodded. We had, at least, contact. ‘Well, then, Marcus Corvinus,’ he said. ‘If you want to talk to the boss, you’ll have to come back when we’re open. He’s generally in just before sunset, but it varies.’
‘No, that’s OK,’ I said. ‘At least I think it is. If you can help me yourself, that’d be great.’
‘I’ll do my best. Tarquitia, you said.’
‘Yeah.’
‘She hasn’t worked here for nigh on a year now. Took up with some old nob she met at a dinner party. At least, he was a guest and she was part of the entertainment.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ I said. ‘His name was Naevius Surdinus. He’s been murdered.’
He stared at me and gave a low whistle. ‘And Tarquitia’s involved?’ he said. ‘Directly, as it were?’
‘Not necessarily. Why would you say that?’
‘No particular reason. But you wouldn’t be round here asking questions about her if she wasn’t, right?’
Fair enough. ‘You knew her well?’
‘Sure. She was on most nights. Not a bad voice, good little dancer, very fair juggler and acrobat. The punters we get in here don’t expect too much, but they recognize talent when they see it. She had it and she was popular. Easily the best of the bunch. The boss was sorry to lose her.’
‘You know anything about her background?’
‘Not a lot. She’s from Padua originally, like me, although that’s just coincidence. Worked there for a year or so before coming to Rome. That’d be four or five years back. She did an audition for the boss and he took her on straight away. That’s about all I know. Anything else, you’d have to ask her husband.’
‘Her
husband
?’
‘Sure. Titus Otillius.’ He frowned. ‘You didn’t know about him?’
Jupiter! ‘No, I didn’t. They been married long?’
‘Two or three years. He works as a porter in the market, and he was one of our regulars. That’s how they met.’
Two or three years. So she’d been well and truly spliced when she took up with Surdinus. Yet another thing that the lady hadn’t told me.
Also very relevant, where the terms of the will were concerned. Interesting …
‘He know about Surdinus?’ I said.
‘Naturally.’
‘And he didn’t mind?’
Vulpis laughed. ‘Yeah, well, that’s something I can’t tell you,’ he said. ‘Me, I’d mind like hell, particularly since Tarquitia wasn’t that sort of girl. A prostitute, I mean. Oh, sure, a lot of the talent we have here go with men for money – most of them, in fact, that’s par for the course in our business, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But Tarquitia didn’t. Oh, she was no blushing virgin, she slept with some of the customers off and on, but only by her choice, and money didn’t always feature. But after she married Otillius, all that stopped. He’d’ve half-killed her if it hadn’t.’
‘But taking up with Surdinus was different?’ I said.
He shrugged. ‘Seemingly. Can’t say for sure, myself.’
‘You know where I can find him? This Otillius?’
‘Oh, yes. Nothing easier. But you don’t want anything to do with Otillius, sir. He’s a total head-banger.’
‘Come again?’
‘Known for it. Why a girl like Tarquitia should take up with someone like that, let alone marry him, I can’t fathom. Still, who knows how women’s minds work, eh? He punched her around now and again, but she seemed happy enough.’
‘They still an
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