Read Online The Wolf and the Lamb by Frederick Ramsay - Free Book Online Page B

means Pilate’s guilt is not clear enough to convict, yes. I am looking for a quick exit from this labyrinth I have been placed in. That sort of verdict would not have repercussions coming back to me, although it would not help much in Pilate’s continuance in his position as Prefect. Is there anything else you can tell me about the wound, aside from the expertise in application?”
    “I knew you would ask and yes, I noticed one oddity. I saw no evidence the man attempted to defend himself.”
    “His killer slips up on him and stabs him in the chest and he does not try to stop him. How does one do that? He must have been very quick, or Aurelius was somehow distracted.”
    “Perhaps, but here is the difficulty. Assume you are Aurelius Decimus and I am your attacker. So, I approach you thus,” Loukas stepped forward and raised his arm as if to stab downward. “How could you not see me and then, what do you do?”
    “I am sure I would at least put up my hands to ward off the blow. I might try to push my attacker away and failing that…I see what you mean. I would duck, twist, fight, do something to avoid being stabbed. There is no evidence he did any of those things?”
    “None. I suppose it could be argued that the killer approached unseen. If some of the torches in the hallway had not been lighted or were extinguished beforehand, but—”
    “It is unlikely he did not see his killer. So, we have another puzzle. Why did an apparently healthy and ambitious man not defend himself from an obvious attempt on his life, a successful one as it turns out? You are not making this any easier for me, Loukas.”
    “It does introduce an element of doubt, though.”
    “A small one, yes, but not enough to exonerate our client. If I read the situation correctly, those visitors to the Fortress seem determined to destroy the Prefect. It will take an argument the size of Noah’s ark to move them from their course.”
    “There were other things that struck me as odd.”
    “Yes?”
    “There were bruises under his jaw.”
    “Bruises. That’s it? Not much to work with there. Might he have been drunk? If he was not in position of his senses, he might not have realized his danger and then was too late when he did.”
    “I could not tell, Rabban. He had been dead too long to test his breath for any odor of wine, and I could find none on his clothing. Then there is the nature of the stabbing.”
    “In what way is that a problem?”
    “Why stab a man that way? If a person approaches another and lifts his hand up with a dagger…well, as we noted, he didn’t try to defend himself, but with the dagger poised thus, unless the Roman stood stock still and allowed himself to be murdered, it makes no sense at all. Even a flinch, a move to the right or left, and the dagger could not have ever achieved such surgical precision.”
    “An extremely important observation. Have you an answer?”
    “I wish.”
    “What have we so far? Aurelius Decimus, for reasons we can only guess at, goes into the underbelly of the Antonia Fortress and a figure looms up brandishing a knife. Before he can react, he is stabbed once in the chest, the killer flees, and Pilate arrives and stumbles over the body. Then, amazingly, Cassia, responding to a different call from a source at which we can only guess, comes on the scene in time to find Pilate with blood on his hands and his personal dagger in the chest of Aurelius. How does that sequence of events strike you, Loukas?”
    “It is as odoriferous as the smoke rising from the altar over there. You think someone planned this whole sorry affair.”
    “I do. Stated thus should create a reasonable amount of doubt in the mind of his accusers. Unfortunately, the plot could well have originated with them, so they will not see it. We must find something else to attack them with.”
    “As you say. So, what do we do now?”
    “Next, we retire to your courtyard or mine, refresh ourselves, and make a list of questions