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Everyone from Tiberius Julianus and his eye cream to Faro the Great.”
    â€œThe one that talks to dead people?”
    Philo nodded.
    â€œAsk him to find out from Bibax who killed him.”
    He laughed and clapped me on the shoulder again. “Arcturus, you’re a hell of a man. I really wished you liked me more.”
    I didn’t know what to say, so I smiled stupidly and walked out. Philo always seemed to get the last word. Damn him.

CHAPTER SIX
    The vultures were still circling when I walked out of Philo’s well-bred, handsome house. I started walking toward the temple, trying not to think about Quilla rubbing Gwyna down with oil. Then I banged into someone.
    â€œWhy don’t you watch where the hell you’re—”
    â€œSorry—”
    It was the young stonecutter. Yellow dust covered his head and plain tunic, making him look like a statue. He glowered at me.
    â€œOh. It’s you.”
    I glowered back.
    â€œI said I was sorry, goddamn it. You should learn some manners.”
    â€œI’m not the one who walked into someone, am I?”
    We both stood there, glaring at one another. It was uncanny the way he reminded me of myself.
    â€œI’m investigating the murder.”
    â€œI hope you’re better at it than walking.” Then he smiled, right before I was about to punch him in the stomach. He held out his hand to grasp my arm. “My name’s Drusius.”
    I grasped his. “Arcturus.”
    We stood looking at each other, a little awkwardly.
    â€œJust install a statue or something?”
    He nodded. “Anybody with money wants to put up a statue or an altar to Sulis or Minerva, or whoever the hell they think she is, and there’s a lot of money floating in the water. At least these days.”
    He coughed and turned to spit out something on the pavement.
    â€œIs that why you were there yesterday?”
    â€œYeah. Laying groundwork. Then somebody shouted, and half the population of the town poured out to take a look.” He shook his head. “Poor bastard.”
    â€œDid you know Bibax at all?”
    â€œOnly to look at. Our shop”—he pointed to the southwest corner of the baths—“is over there, and I used to pass him occasionally. Didn’t have a steady booth, that I could tell. Moved around a bit.”
    â€œWhat kind of man was he?”
    Drusius shrugged. “Same as everybody else. Out for himself.” He eyed me with a little suspicion. “Hear you’re from Londinium? Some kind of doctor?”
    â€œI live in Londinium, and I’m the governor’s doctor. But my mother was British, if that makes you feel any better.”
    He shrugged again. “Don’t make me feel one way or another. Just wanted to know what your business was. I was hopin’ someone would show up.”
    Now I was curious. “Show up for what?”
    He spat in the street again and looked at me steadily. “Did you have a look around? See all the sick people?”
    I nodded, wondering where this was going.
    â€œWell, a lot of them get better. They do. Something in the water, they say, or maybe just havin’ a holiday. You might even say Aquae Sulis is a healthy place—plenty do.”
    â€œAnd?”
    His brows drew together, and he gave me another long look.
    â€œThen maybe, Doctor, you can tell me why so many people die here.”
    He shouldered his tools and walked away before I could ask him anything else.
    *   *   *
    I stood there with a stupid look on my face, staring after Drusius. Goddamn it. He’d made sure to tell me where his shop was. Now I’d have to find it and coax the story out of him. There were a couple of hours left before the baths opened for male business, but let the bastard wait.
    I faced the temple and looked around. At least it was cleaner than the main marketplace. Curse-writers and scribes lined up in neat little rows next to sellers of