Saviour of Rome [Gaius Valerius Verrens 7]

by Douglas Jackson

  ‘It would help if I knew who I was talking to.’ Valerius flinched as the gloved fist moved the poker closer, but the man in the chair held up a hand. ‘You will notice that I do not demand to be released or protest that I shouldn’t be here,’ he continued. ‘I am perfectly happy to speak, but surely there is a more civilized way to have our discussion?’

  ‘That is not possible, for the moment. I do not wish to torture you, but I will if I must. Who are you?’

  ‘My name is Gaius Valerius Verrens, but I assume you already know that since I have done nothing to hide the fact. Do I have the pleasure of addressing Cornelius Aurelius Saco?’

  The glowing poker shifted to fill his vision and Valerius jerked his head back. ‘You do not ask. You only answer,’ the torturer snarled. But Valerius had seen a flash of consternation cross the tall man’s features and he knew he was correct. It gave him the confidence to risk everything to retain the initiative.

  ‘You had a slave follow me when I arrived in the city – I make no judgement, I assume you had your reasons – unfortunately he wasn’t cut out for subterfuge and I managed to elude him. Later I witnessed him being … chastised … for his failings and a gentleman in the street identified your secretary.’

  ‘I see …’ Saco said thoughtfully. ‘Yet that changes nothing.’

  ‘Perhaps, but it raises the question why you felt the need to have me followed. Everything I’ve been told since coming to Asturica Augusta points to you being the man I’ve been looking for. Yet if you are I wonder why I’m not already dead?’

  Saco stared at Valerius with a hint of puzzlement in the grey eyes. Clearly the moment of decision had arrived. Valerius held his breath and waited. Either the torture would begin or Saco would decide he’d get more information from Valerius by less painful means. Eventually, Saco waved the poker away. Valerius realized he’d been straining against his bonds and slumped back in the chair. He waited for Saco to cut the ropes, but apparently his captor still hadn’t reached that stage of trust. Instead, he asked: ‘What are these things you have been told?’

  Valerius held his gaze. ‘That you are an important man in Asturica. Rich. You endow buildings and put on regular entertainments. A man of power, unless I miss my guess.’ Saco shook his head, but Valerius continued. ‘It has also been suggested in certain quarters that you are ruthless, avaricious, unscrupulous and not averse to using violence to further your business interests.’

  Saco winced. ‘Some of this may have been true in the past, but whatever I have done I hope that my more recent acts have atoned for any pain I caused.’

  ‘I suppose that would depend on just what you’ve done and how much pain,’ Valerius said. ‘What interests me more is just how you came by the riches that allowed you to endow the city baths and the other buildings that bear the name of Cornelius Aurelius Saco.’

  ‘What are you suggesting?’ Saco bridled.

  ‘That you may be involved in criminal activity which threatens the good government of the Empire.’

  Now Saco was out of his seat and his bulk seemed to fill the room. For a moment Valerius thought he’d provoked him beyond control, but the builder only glared at him. ‘You dare to accuse me of disloyalty to the Empire?’ he hissed.

  ‘You asked me what I had heard. I answered honestly.’

  ‘Then you have been speaking to the wrong people. Yes,’ Saco sighed and sat back in the chair, ‘I was all of those things. But a man can become so rich that the next success has little value to him. He has time to look back on his life and wish that certain things could be undone.’ He leaned forward with his shoulders hunched and the fingers of his hands entwined, a frown creasing the narrow brow. ‘Of course, that is not possible. But when my wife died I decided to make an effort to repay what I had taken. To give back to the community that which I owed. The enemies I made are still enemies. No amount of public goodwill will change that, but the people appreciate what I have done and I am content.’ He picked up the heavy shears and for a moment Valerius had a vision of the point plunging into his body. Instead, Saco stepped behind him and used the twin blades to cut the ropes holding him. ‘Now, the question is, who are you? – Oh, I know your identity and a certain amount about your background – but why are you in Asturica Augusta? A former soldier. A man who is forever seeking information. Who consorts with the worst elements in our society. People who have undoubtedly been pilfering the Empire’s gold …’

  ‘You have proof?’

  ‘Not proof,’ Saco shook his head. ‘I sent word of my suspicions to Tarraco three years ago, but for his own reasons the then governor chose not to, or could not act. He was replaced. Since his successor also did nothing I fear his loyalties had been bought and my report was never passed on.’

  ‘Suspicions?’

  Saco turned to his secretary. ‘Leave us, Claudius.’ When the man was gone he poured water into a cup and handed it to Valerius. ‘In a way your accusation was correct, at least partially. There was a time when I profited more than was right from the mines. I convinced myself it was only business, but of course, it was more than that.’

  ‘Corruption?’

  A nerve twitched in Saco’s cheek at the word, but he nodded. ‘It was part of the system and we treated it like a game, making jokes as we passed over the bribes that would win business, or make twice as much profit as a job was actually worth. Yet the sums involved then were relatively small. Gradually, I realized I was prostituting myself and putting my family at risk. I resolved to get out. To become a simple honest businessman.’ He gave a bitter little laugh as if he didn’t quite believe it himself and Valerius realized that behind the confident exterior Cornelius Saco was a frightened man. ‘I’d only just started the process when, around the start of the civil war, it was suggested to me that I could be part of something that would make me immensely rich. Nothing specific was mentioned, but it was clear to me that whoever was behind it was deadly serious.’

  ‘Who made the offer?’

  ‘A lawyer from Tarraco. He said he was acting as an intermediary for the principal parties.’

  Valerius grunted in frustration. Always another layer of shadow. ‘And what was your answer?’

  ‘I said I wanted nothing to do with it.’ He must have seen the doubt in Valerius’s eyes, because he insisted: ‘You must believe me.’

  ‘Did the lawyer have a name?’

  Saco nodded. ‘I made enquiries. Marcus Tulius Veranius was found drowned in his bath shortly after his visit to me. An accident.’

  Valerius froze. A coincidence? No, there were no coincidences where the Emperor’s gold was concerned. The same men who had tried to kill Pliny had murdered Veranius. ‘Did you include this when you reported your suspicions?’

  ‘Yes,’ Saco said. ‘But as I said, nothing was done.’

  ‘Gaius Plinius Secundus never received your report,’ Valerius said firmly. ‘But even so he needs more than suspicions. I was sent here to investigate the disappearance of a man called Petronius.’

  ‘I knew Petronius,’ Saco said guardedly. ‘I did what I could to help him.’

  ‘My mission is identical to his. Will you help me?’

  Saco hesitated. ‘I have a position to maintain in this city. If there were prosecutions, accusations would be made. That position might be threatened.’ He gave Valerius a shrewd look. ‘Petronius promised me immunity against prosecution for any previous misdemeanours I committed. Can you do the same?’

  The lawyer in Valerius noted the choice of words. He had a feeling Saco wasn’t talking about a few business sweeteners, but what choice did he have? ‘I have the governor’s authority … and the Emperor’s. You will have your immunity.’

  At the mention of the Emperor Saco licked his lips. ‘You can prove this?’

  ‘If I must,’ Valerius assured him. He could produce Vespasian’s warrant if necessary, but first he needed to know just how far he could trust the builder. Thankfully, Saco appeared willing to accept his good fait
h.

  ‘Then I will do what I can.’

  ‘Good. When you say I consort with the worst elements in the city, I take it you mean Severus? It was he who damned you in much the same terms.’

  Saco nodded. ‘Severus, yes, along with Ferox, the praefectus metallorum, Fronton. I am certain of them. I have my suspicions about two of the military men at Legio. Petronius felt that too many gold shipments were being attacked where one or two wagons would go missing, but the escort suffered only a few light casualties and often none at all. He said you should look for patterns.’

  Valerius remembered his interview with Pliny. ‘He told Plinius Secundus he believed he was on the verge of exposing a conspiracy much wider than the mere theft of gold. Do you have any idea how he would have come to that conclusion?’

  Saco’s face took on a guarded look. ‘Just before his death Petronius told me he had uncovered a new and potentially decisive source of information. Someone inside the conspiracy, though he would reveal neither the identity or whether it was one of the major figures. The possibilities clearly excited him. If this source fulfilled the potential he hoped for, it is possible he could have achieved a vital breakthrough. Perhaps even laid hands on the direct proof you say the governor needs.’

  Valerius stared into the glowing coals. ‘When your men took me I was on the way to Petronius’s house to search the garden. Severus’s people burned documents there and buried the ashes. I hoped—’

  Saco shook his head gloomily. ‘I too hoped, but I personally checked the burned area and crumbled ashes is all that remains. Not a single charred piece that might provide a clue.’

  ‘Then I don’t see what more we can do. Whatever Petronius knew died with him.’

  ‘There was one other man who helped him,’ Saco said. ‘A most capable character who was Petronius’s eyes and ears on the road.’

  ‘Then we must find him.’

  ‘It is not so simple.’ The builder shook his head. ‘He disappeared at the same time as Petronius. I learned a few weeks later that he had been taken and condemned to work in the mines. He is probably dead by now.’

  ‘Then it is finished.’ Valerius struggled to disguise his despair. ‘Unless we can track down Petronius’s source the conspirators have won. Whoever they are they must have had some contact. Is there any way of building a picture of Petronius’s movements in the days before he disappeared?’

  ‘I can try, but it will be difficult to ask the right questions without the risk of discovery. If they believed we were on the scent of something important they would close every avenue.’ He sent Valerius a glance full of meaning. ‘Permanently.’

  ‘Have they threatened or tried to attack you personally?’

  ‘No, not yet,’ Saco admitted. ‘I don’t believe I have given them reason to fear me. All they’ve done is blacken my name, but I know what they are capable of. That’s why …’ He gestured to the coals and the smith’s tools.

  ‘You are not like them,’ Valerius said. ‘I knew that the instant your man removed the hood and I looked into your face.’

  ‘There is one other thing.’ Saco’s voice mirrored his uncertainty. ‘The men I spoke of must be part of the conspiracy. Each of them is a link in the chain of gold production and supply. Yet I do not believe any one of them has the intellect, the nerve or the ingenuity to achieve what they have done.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I believe there is another, unseen hand guiding them.’

  ‘Do you have any suspicions who it might be?’

  ‘No,’ Saco said regretfully. ‘But I know he is utterly ruthless, wields great influence in Asturica Augusta, yet is able to operate from the shadows. A very dangerous man. It seems to me from what Petronius hinted it is not just the theft of Vespasian’s gold that is at stake here, it is the very future of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis.’

  XXXI

  Valerius said his farewells in the gateway of Saco’s brickworks where he’d been held, reflecting that his departure might have been very different had the ‘interview’ taken a less cordial turn. They arranged to meet again in a week unless either came up with new information of value. Most of Saco’s contacts with Petronius had been through the secretary, Claudius. Saco promised to have Claudius make subtle enquiries to try to discover the engineer’s movements during the final week of his life.

  When Valerius stepped into the open he realized it must be close to mid afternoon, yet he could swear he’d been in the cellar for no more than an hour. A wave of fatigue, more mental than physical, swept over him and his throat felt as dry as the dusty street under his feet. He stepped beneath the awning of a pavement bar to order a cup of wine. He forced himself to concentrate. It had all happened too quickly. The threat of a painful death and relief at his survival had made him stupid. He should have asked a dozen more questions. Probed deeper into Saco’s business relationships with the men who were now his enemies. Discovered more detail about his relationship with Petronius and enquired further about the mysterious helper who’d disappeared soon after the engineer’s death.

  Saco’s sudden change of heart still puzzled him. From potential torturer to prospective ally in less time than it took to down a cup of wine. Yes, Valerius had been able to supply the answers the builder wanted to hear, but there had been an element of desperation in his desire to accept them as truth. To the experienced inquisitor it was clear Saco had all but determined the outcome from the start, and the tools and the brazier were little more than theatre.

  A familiar figure appeared at the end of the street. Valerius watched Saco’s aide, Claudius, march down the cobbled thoroughfare with the purposeful air and intense focus of a man late for an important meeting. On the face of it a lowly secretary, yet, in the glow of the coals, Valerius had seen something more visceral. Something more familiar in a soldier than a man who wielded a stylus. Claudius had wanted to see blood spill and smell the stink of burning flesh. If Saco had decided to inflict pain he couldn’t have found a better instrument. And what did that information add to the portrait of his new ally forming in Valerius’s mind?

  It was clear he could disregard what Severus had said about Saco. If the man was a known threat to the conspiracy it was in the duovir’s interest to tarnish the name of his enemy. So, Saco the benefactor. Saco, the successful businessman. Yet Saco claimed the sums involved in his bribery were relatively small, which, if true, gave at least a hint that the scale of the contracts he was bidding for were of similar nature. So where did the vast sums come from that had funded the baths and the city library? The obvious answer was that Saco had been lying. Rather than being peripheral to Asturica’s corruption he was up to his neck in it, right up till the point when he’d felt the noose begin to tighten. That would explain why he was so ready to accept Valerius as Petronius’s replacement. If – when – the conspiracy was finally uncovered, Severus, Fronton and the rest would implicate him in what had gone before. Without the Emperor’s protection Saco would face the same bloody retribution. Saco needed Valerius, just as much – perhaps more – than Valerius needed him.

  Yet an ally driven by self-interest was just as valuable as one driven by principle.

  Valerius paid for his wine and continued back to his lodgings. His route took him past the Severus villa. By chance his arrival coincided with the duovir’s exit at the heart of a swarm of clients on the way to preside over some tribunal or case. On impulse Valerius slowed and changed direction. By the time Severus and his entourage moved out of sight the one-handed Roman was approaching the villa entrance.

  He knocked on the great wooden door and waited, uncertain of his reception, or even why he was taking this chance. All he knew was that he couldn’t wait a week for Saco or Melanius to make progress. His lawyer’s training counselled patience, but sometimes a case needed a touch of the whip. Sometimes you just had to shake the bushes and see what came out.

  Zeno, Severus’s atriensis, answered the knock and greeted Valerius with a
look that was far from welcoming.

  ‘My master is out.’ He made to close the door, but Valerius put his left hand to it.

  ‘I am here to see the lady Calpurnia.’

  He saw a flare of consternation in the other man’s eyes that confirmed his mistress was at home.

  ‘What is your business with her?’

  ‘No business of a servant with ideas above his station.’ Zeno flinched as if he’d been slapped. ‘All you have to do is announce me.’ Valerius pushed harder and stepped inside.

  Zeno gave him a look of hatred, but led the way through to the room with the bear mosaic. Valerius waited while the servant went to fetch his mistress. His absence was followed a few moments later by the sound of raised voices from the interior of the house before Calpurnia appeared, eyes glittering dangerously and with a look on her face Valerius hadn’t seen before.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded without preamble.

  Valerius smiled. Even in a simple white stola Calpurnia Severa was striking, and the pink flush of anger in her cheeks made her more so. ‘I confess you gave the impression I had a standing invitation to visit you.’

  ‘Do not patronize me, Gaius Valerius Verrens,’ she snapped. ‘That would be a great mistake. If you wish to speak to my husband he is not here.’

  ‘No,’ Valerius assured her. ‘It is you I came to see, and not just for the obvious pleasure of your company. When we last met you asked certain questions and made certain observations. Since then I’ve had time to consider their implications and I wonder if you are truly aware of the situation in which you find yourself …’

  ‘I should have Zeno throw you out on the street.’

  ‘You could have him try,’ Valerius agreed.

  ‘Yes,’ a wry smile flickered momentarily across her lips. ‘But we have more than one servant.’

  Valerius allowed his voice to harden a little. ‘I came here because I decided I could be of some service to you after all. It’s possible I may be able to save you much pain. Possibly even save your life.’