Successio

by Alison Morton

  I tried to ignore the blue-uniformed custodes as we walked through to the cells. They were both wary and polite with us in the PGSF and I knew they’d be watching now. Many of my colleagues sneered at the custodes and used the public’s name for them – scarab, or dung beetle. I’d been a DJ custos once; I kept it formal with them. Well, apart from Lurio.

  Getting one over the PGSF would give them satisfaction. Having the junior heir to the most powerful of the Twelve Families in custody would have been the event of the year. But right now, I was only a mother with a wayward daughter. Through the observation panel of the cell door I saw her hunched over, perched on the edge of the bench, and sobbing. The bitter smell of vomit floated through. My heart ached for her. At Lurio’s nod, the guard opened the door and I went in alone.

  She looked up, eyes red, face streaked with traces of mascara. Any angry words I had for her died in my breath. I held her tight, gently rocking her in my arms on that hard plastic bench until she was all cried out. She glanced up at my face, turned nearly crimson and burrowed her head back between my chest and my arm.

  ‘Hey, it’s okay.’ I stroked her hair, trying to comfort her. I never loved her more than at that moment.

  *

  Lurio countersigned the temporary release, muttering that he’d skin me alive if I failed to produce Allegra in court the next afternoon. I knew he’d been generous; normally they’d have held her overnight in the cells. As we rode home, Allegra didn’t say a word, just gripped my hand with a desperately strong hold. My arm around her waist, I supported her along into her room, peeled off her soiled clothes and bathed her as if she were five years old. I fixed her a warm drink and put her to bed.

  ‘Mama,’ she whispered.

  ‘I know, darling. You rest and we’ll talk in the morning.’

  Tears leaked out of the corners of her shut eyes. I kissed her forehead. She sighed and fell asleep within minutes.

  I found Helena in the nursery dayroom, helping Tonia and Gil with their assignments. I kissed them both, giving Gil an encouraging rub on the back as he frowned over some math problem. Like Allegra, they’d elected to go out to school, rather than be home tutored and were finding it competitive. As they were absorbed, I looked at Helena and nodded for her to follow me into the nursery kitchen. I closed the door and turned to her, trying to keep my cool.

  ‘Okay, Helena, when were you going to tell me?’

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘Oh, come on. Allegra. You know, my daughter. The one you’re supposed to be supervising.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I think you’ll find she’s missing.’

  ‘No, she’s over at Maia’s, Maia Quirinia’s.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Now wait a minute, Carina, what’s going on? Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not one of your suspects.’

  ‘Not formally, no. Not yet.’

  ‘What!’

  ‘Suppose you tell me exactly what happened this morning.’

  ‘Suppose you calm down,’ she retorted.

  I gestured her to sit and looked straight at her, waiting.

  ‘Allegra went to school as usual. Quirinia’s chauffeur collected her first thing. It was their turn to do the run. Maia invited her over afterwards and Allegra’s sleeping over. I’m not expecting her back until tomorrow afternoon.’

  My face must have reflected my anger.

  ‘Whatever’s happened, Carina? Where is she?’

  ‘Safe in her bed, sleeping, thank the gods. As for tomorrow afternoon, she’ll be appearing before the magistrate for public drunkenness, reckless behaviour on the public highway and insulting a law officer.’

  ‘You’re not serious.’

  But I was already calling Domus Quiriniarum.

  *

  ‘Okay, Maia, suppose you tell me what happened after you picked Allegra up this morning?’

  I stood there, in my uniform, side arm on my belt, arms crossed, legs braced, staring down at her. Helena stood a little behind me, to the side and attempted to smile reassuringly at a nervous Octavia Quirinia. I’d pushed through as soon as the steward opened the entrance door and marched straight into Octavia’s dining room. She didn’t get an angry special forces officer or acting head of the most powerful of the Twelve Families but a much more dangerous animal – an irate parent. I gave the impression Allegra was still missing.

  ‘Well?’

  Maia was completely frozen, her hands jammed into her arm pits.

  Helena touched my arm. I turned and she mouthed ‘Let me.’ I shrugged and plunked myself down in an armchair, still wound up, ready to spring again.

  ‘Maia, look at me,’ Helena started. But the child found it hard to drag her terrified eyes away from me. When she did, she managed a nervous half-smile at Helena who took the girl’s hand in her own and gave it a little shake. ‘Just start from this morning. Describe what you were wearing, what you had in your bag and what you were looking forward to. Try very hard not to hide anything. This is really not the time to keep secrets, even between BFFs. It’s far too serious.’

  Maia glanced at me and her mother, then retreated back to Helena.

  ‘We’d asked to go to school early. I had my new trainers, the ones I’d bought with Allegra at the weekend. I hadn’t worn them yet.’ She dropped her enthusiastic tone and went into pseudo pious mode. ‘We wanted to check our homework and get ready for the day.’

  ‘Oh, really?’ Helena said, her eyebrows raised.

  Maia studied the floor.

  ‘C’mon, Maia, the truth.’

  ‘We were meeting Zenia,’ she muttered to the carpet.

  ‘Uh, huh. And who is Zenia?’

  ‘She’s our friend,’ Maia said, emphasising the last word. ‘She’s cool and treats us like grown-ups. She wears all the latest stuff and make-up, and tells us little tricks—’ Maia clamped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes bulged.

  ‘Tricks?’ Helena gave Maia’s hand a little shake.

  ‘To get stuff.’ Maia glanced over at her mother. ‘She’s always saying no.’ Octavia looked shocked at her daughter’s rudeness. I rolled my eyes; Octavia Quirinia was the most indulgent parent I knew.

  ‘So, Zenia,’ Helen continued, ignoring us. ‘What did she ask you to do?’

  ‘How do you know she did?’

  ‘Well, friends usually do things for each other.’

  Neat, Helena. Gods, she was good.

  ‘Oh,’ said Maia. ‘She only asked for little things, tokens, mini-tribute. She’d given us cigarettes, so we were happy to do something for her.’

  I thought Octavia was going to have cardiac arrest when her precious daughter said ‘cigarettes’. I grabbed Octavia’s hand and shook my head at her to stay silent.

  ‘I pinched some sweets for her. I nearly got caught.’ She gave a little sob. ‘Allegra’s dare was to drink alcohol in public. That was a laugh. The idea of Miss Upright getting pissed.’

  Only the surprisingly strong pressure of Octavia’s hand grasping mine stopped me from leaping up and tearing her child apart. Helena said nothing, just waited. Maia glanced at her mother who gave a sad little shake of her head. When Maia met my eyes, she shrank back in her chair. Her eyes darted around the room like a frightened rabbit searching for sanctuary. She looked at Helena, almost pleading.

  ‘I didn’t meant it, I didn’t mean it like that. It was only a joke,’ she stuttered and burst out crying.

  ‘Okay, Maia,’ Helen spoke at last. ‘You’ve done well telling me all this, but you know you’ve let yourself down badly, don’t you?’ Helena was back in teacher mode. She’d say ‘disappointed’ any moment now. ‘What I want you to do now is to apologise to your mother for your rudeness, then you can go upstairs, wash your face and get on with your homework.’

  Maia sniffed, stood in front of her mother and made her apology. Octavia pulled her daughter down on to the couch, hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. Each to her own. I stood up and approach
ed Maia. Helena gave me a stern look, but I’d prodded my temper back into its cage. I crouched down near where Maia was sitting on the edge of the couch.

  ‘I’m sorry I frightened you, Maia. I’m very anxious about Allegra. Being cross and anxious makes some people want to hit out at everybody else. I guess I’m one of those.’

  I stood and turned to her mother. ‘I apologise for my discourtesy in barging in, Octavia. Please believe it only arises from my anxiety about Allegra.’

  ‘I understand. You’ve certainly opened my eyes.’ She gave her daughter a measured look.

  ‘Oh, one last thing, Maia,’ I said. ‘How do you contact this Zenia?’

  ‘We don’t. She’s just there, waiting for us. Not every day, but usually.’

  *

  I steeled myself and made the most difficult call of the year but Conrad didn’t answer. He’d been away in the north overnight, but he should have been back by now. I was transferred to his exec.

  ‘Where’s the legate, Rusonia?’

  She paused for a second. ‘He’s taking private time. He’ll be back in a couple of hours, ma’am.’

  That would make it after nine.

  ‘Are you sure? I mean, isn’t he coming straight home after that?

  ‘Not according to his schedule.’

  ‘Okay, Rusonia. Here’s the thing. We have a family emergency on a scale of ten out of ten. I need to speak to him. Is he contactable?’

  Jupiter knew where he was. And Rusonia.

  ‘Let me get back to you, ma’am, if you don’t mind.’

  ‘Sure.’

  *

  I was nursing a glass of Aquae Caesaris red and pretending to look through some mails when Conrad called.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘I’m not discussing it on the phone, but it’s about one of the children.’

  ‘Not hurt?’ He shot back.

  ‘Not in the obvious way, but yes.’

  ‘Jupiter, Carina, what’s happened?

  ‘Just get back here.’

  *

  ‘Who the Hades is this bitch? I’ll break every bone in her body.’ He didn’t pace. He didn’t throw his arms around. He simply stood there humming like an unexploded bomb. He’d looked in on Allegra, but she was lost in deep sleep. He contented himself with a tender kiss on her forehead. He’d squeezed his eyes as he bent over and I’d seen a tear drop on to the sheet. We’d crept out of her room and he covered his face with both hands, leaning against the corridor wall. I’d led him back to our sitting room and given him a generous whisky and gently pushed him down on the couch.

  ‘The public feed is the obvious starting point and I’ll get a watch on the school for a week, if you’re okay with the budget.’

  He snorted. ‘Screw the budget. Call it a training exercise, but do it.’

  We lay together that night quietly, trying to heal each other from the hurt and anger at our daughter’s first brutal encounter with the real world.

  *

  I called on my personal Active Response Team for the surveillance. ARTs were a strange leftover from the ancient days when each officer, mostly centurions, retained their own century whatever their function in the army. These days, it was a group of around six to eight. Mine had trained together, fought together and drunk together for years. I trusted them and relied on them unreservedly. We each knew exactly how the others thought. If the tactical situation went to Hades, and you didn’t have time to think through what to do, the team adapted as if connected by telepathy.

  I called Flavius from my study and told him to get them together for a video meeting in half an hour’s time. I logged off, stood up and pulled the drapes apart. Outside, the city lights were switching off as the sun took over. I glanced at my watch; it was just after six thirty. I’d insisted Conrad went and checked in as normal, but I knew he’d be back shortly after seven so that he didn’t miss Allegra before the lawyer arrived.

  Right on cue, Conrad’s voice came out of my commset.

  ‘I’ve checked the joint watch report. Allegra’s on there, but there’s no sign of this little tart Zenia.’ His voice sounded strained. ‘I couldn’t see anything obvious on the public feed recordings. But your team will be going through them in detail.’

  ‘Come back to the house, Conrad. You can’t do any more.’

  *

  A little before seven, I sat in my study in front of my blank screen staring at it equally blankly. Allegra was still asleep as of five minutes ago. A strange lethargy had occupied me, but leavened with spikes of intense anger. I hadn’t worked through what I was going to do once we’d busted this Zenia; I was concentrating on catching her first. But why did such women want to attract these adolescents? Was it a substitute for their lack of friendships with their natural peers? Simple exploitation? The buzz? The money and gifts?

  We dealt more with conspiracies and ideological attacks in the PGSF, but not exclusively. The grimmer possibilities – prostitution and trafficking – I didn’t want to go near.

  A beep woke me out of my trance and Flavius’s face appeared.

  ‘Bruna.’

  ‘Flav. Everybody there?’

  ‘All present.’ The camera panned to show them in turn: Paula, Treb, Maelia, Nov, Livius and Atria. A sense of reassurance descended on me.

  ‘Okay. First and most urgent, has anybody got a child around twelve to fifteen?’ A question so out of order that it almost took my own breath away. But any embarrassment melted away quickly. Atria and Livius’ kids must have been too young, they’d only been partnered for six years, but Paula raised her hand and looked at me with concern in her brown eyes.

  ‘What is it, Bruna? Why do you need to know?’ Then, quick as ever, she got it. ‘Allegra. Of course, her name was on the joint watch report. What’s happened?’

  Their faces reflected the shock I’d felt when Sergius told me. I gave them the details and Maia’s description.

  ‘I can’t order you, Paula, but I would deem it an enormous personal favour if you could loiter outside Allegra’s school gate this morning and see if this Zenia turns up. If your daughter is with you, it’ll look less obvious.’

  ‘Bruna,’ came Treb’s voice. ‘I could pass for a senior, if you want.’ How blessed I was with this group. Treb was small, slim and could talk for Roma Nova. With her brown curls pulled back, no make-up and a change of posture, she’d be perfect.

  ‘Thank you,’ I whispered. ‘Thank you both.’ They’d gone before I could take the next breath.

  ‘Leave it with me, Bruna,’ said Flavius. ‘I’ll organise the shifts. How long?’

  ‘A week, to start with. And we need to pull the public feed apart.’

  ‘Already on the task list.’

  ‘Put it on the training budget, Flavius.’ Conrad’s voice came from behind me. I turned and gave him a quick smile. His hand rested lightly on my shoulder. I placed mine over it and looked up at him. He managed to smile back, but it struggled with everything else on his face.

  ‘Sir.’

  ‘Flav, the custodes will be doing their investigation, but it’ll probably be routine.’ I said. ‘Try to keep under their wire, please.’

  ‘Don’t worry, we won’t upset the scarabs.’

  *

  Back upstairs, Conrad changed into civvies. We ate our breakfast in silence. As I was finishing my second cup of coffee, Helena put her head around the door.

  ‘Allegra’s awake.’

  Unsurprisingly, she looked washed out. Her pale cheeks emphasised the weary, unhappy expression in the eyes that darted everywhere.

  ‘Allegra,’ I said and swallowed. ‘How’s it going?’ I smiled to reassure her.

  She looked everywhere but at our faces, then settled on studying her hands. I sat on the bed and took one of them into mine. Her fingers lay cold and passive. Conrad pulled up one of her apricot velvet chairs on the other side. He stretched his hand out and slid the back of his fingers down her cheek.

  ‘I feel so stupid,’ she
mumbled, ‘really stupid. I thought I was being…you know, grown-up.’ She wiped her eye socket with the palm of her other hand. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered.

  ‘Hey, these things happen.’ I smoothed her fine hair away from her forehead. ‘I’m not going to yell at you. You know what you’ve done and you feel pretty bad about it, don’t you?’

  She nodded. Her chin dropped on to her chest and she gave one heart-rending sob. Conrad leaned over and grabbed her to him. She grasped one of his arms with both hands and settled into him, but she didn’t cry any more.

  After a few minutes she released herself, sat up, blinked hard and shook her head.

  ‘What happens now?’ she asked.

  ‘Okay, now we need to get through this,’ I said. ‘Sertorius is coming to talk to all of us later this morning to set out the legal position. After lunch we go to the juvenile court where the magistrate gives you, and probably us, a hard time.’

  To my delight, she actually giggled. Well, more a gurgle.

  ‘Dad and I will sit just behind you, but you have to stand in front by yourself and take it like a Mitela.’

  ‘Carina—’

  ‘No point wrapping it up. They’ll be watching her like a hawk.’

  ‘I accept that, but she’s not fifteen, a child.’

  ‘Only a few weeks away.’

  At fifteen I’d been learning the hard lesson of surviving, excluded from my foster family’s love and Conrad was struggling with rural poverty and ostracism.

  ‘Dad, I can do this, really. Mama’s right. I have to.’ She laid her hand over her father’s as if to comfort him.

  *

  She listened carefully to everything Sertorius told her both before and in the courthouse ante-room. He was a boring, self-important fool, with a personality by-pass, but sharp as Hades and a fluent orator in court.

  Dressed in a dark navy suit, Allegra approached the bar, listened without fidgeting while the charges were read out, then sat calmly on the defendants’ bench through it all. To my surprise, Lurio presented the police report to the magistrate, adding the DJ would be content with administering a caution, as this was a first offence.

  ‘No doubt, Senior Commander,’ the magistrate replied, ‘but I’m inclined to make an example. The defendant has had every advantage, and should know better. I hope her parents will bear this in mind in their future supervision of her.’