Successio

by Alison Morton

  Conrad recovered first. Ignoring Philippus, he turned to Flavius. ‘Anything from your side?’

  ‘Sorry, nothing, sir. Now all the trials connected with the case have finished, it’s gone into the cold store for us. According to the joint watch report, the custodes have marked it “on-going”.’

  ‘Very well,’ said Conrad. ‘We have a complete zero between us all. No sign on the public feed, nothing from the custodes. I think Lurio only sent the inspector around yesterday out of courtesy. The attack on Allegra will be filed as one more Floralia incident. Anybody else think this is just too much of a black hole?’

  ‘You are sure of your daughter? Allegra, I mean, not that Nicola.’ Philippus corrected himself hastily after Conrad’s fierce look.

  ‘I thought at first she’d mistaken or muddled the face,’ Conrad answered, ‘but would you forget anything about somebody who’d tried to get you killed? Or beaten you up and abandoned you in a side street?’

  ‘Suppose not.’

  ‘She’s not inclined to be hysterical.’ Conrad said. ‘If anything, she’s a little too thoughtful for a young girl. I’m backing her judgement.’

  ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Anybody got ideas for trying to get out of this hole?’

  ‘The public feed is a priority,’ Conrad said. ‘Somebody must have been tampering with it.’ He shrugged. ‘The CCTV custodes cameras cover the whole city. It’s near impossible not to find anybody on there.’

  ‘Um, problem, Conrad. Neither you nor I can access the public feed system any more. Even Flavius doesn’t have clearance for that kind of search.’

  ‘Can’t you get your pet geek, Fausta, to break into the public feed by some back door?’

  I looked at him, shocked. Philippus bellowed a laugh. Of course, he knew Fausta from when she worked years ago with Apollodorus.

  ‘Are you suggesting she hack into an ultra level national security system?’

  ‘Well, she’s done it for you in the past.’

  *

  ‘And what exactly did you mean by that crack about Fausta?’ I shouted in Conrad’s ear as I clung to his leather-clad back as we tore along the Aquae Caesaris road back to the city.

  He didn’t answer, but I felt rumbling in his back; he must have been laughing.

  We glided to a stop by the tall gates, passed through the security system and coasted into the courtyard where the night team were coming on shift. I swung off the back of the Moto Guzzi and went to talk to the house security chief.

  ‘Paulus, we had a problem overnight. Not here, but I want you to halve the time between patrols and ensure at least one person is watching the screens at all times. Not playing cards or watching the TV.’

  He frowned. ‘Domina, none of my people would do that.’

  His face was neutral, but I saw a flash of anger pass through his eyes.

  ‘I’m not doubting you. But would you personally re-check anybody taken on in the past six months, especially female personnel? If it’s at all possible, you might see if anybody’s acquired a new girlfriend, cousin or even ‘sister’ in the same period.’

  ‘Are we under attack?’

  ‘I hope not, but let’s be extra careful.’

  *

  I met Fausta the next afternoon at my gym. Now Flavius and the others had got me past the basic fitness level, I was taking on the punishing regime of Mossia’s training programme again. I sat at the bar on a stool drinking soda and had a direct sightline to the front lobby. Fausta lolled in, presented her guest voucher and collected the welcome patter and a load of hand-pointing from the receptionist. She passed through the swing door to the women’s changing room. After a few seconds, I abandoned my drink and followed her. I caught up with her in the Japanese massage pool where the noise of the forced jet over-rode anything we might say.

  ‘You want me to what?’ Her eyes almost fell out of her head. She said nothing for a few moments, letting the water pound into her back.

  ‘That’s a ten to fifteen stretch.’ Her face muscles contracted to resemble a cross cat.

  ‘Oh, you think you might get caught? I didn’t know you’d slipped that much.’

  ‘Why do you always do that? You’re such a cheat.’

  ‘Fausta!

  ‘What?’

  ‘Never mind. Will you or won’t you?’

  ‘Of course I will. You knew that.’

  ‘Why did you insist we meet here then?’

  She grinned at me. ‘I’ve never been in here. I wanted to see it for myself.’

  *

  Hallie collected Allegra a week later to take her to stay at the palace for a few days. Allegra was so much better physically, but she’d moped around the house, wanting to be with other people and nervous of her own shadow. Too bad her brave little adventure had ended with a beating.

  ‘Honestly, Hallie,’ I said when I called her, ‘she’ll be so much better with some young company.’

  ‘Brilliant idea, Aunt Carina, it’ll be great to have her. At least you won’t have to worry about security.’

  As she stood in the courtyard ready to get into the black SUV with Hallie and the guard, Allegra clung to me for a few seconds, then drew back and gave me a little smile.

  ‘I have to get over this, Mama. I hate being so pathetic.’

  She turned, smiled at the driver holding the door open, pulled herself up into the back seat. Through the tinted bullet-proof window, her waving hand looked so small.

  *

  ‘I don’t know how some of these people can breathe as well as stand,’ I said, waving my Senate committee folder in the air. ‘Who in Hades elected them? The first rulers had it right – experienced and clever only, and one hundred per cent appointed.’

  ‘That bad?’ Conrad had been waiting for me outside the members’ room. His smile rose at one end of his mouth and he put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a quick sideways hug. He released me and watched the others as they filed out. Some scurried past, pretending not to see him, but one approached us and shook Conrad’s hand.

  ‘How are you, Mitelus?’ she said.

  ‘Volusenia,’ he nodded.

  ‘Glad your trial went well. Just need to get that other thing quashed. Any sign of that girl?’

  ‘Unfortunately not, but the custodes are working on it,’ he replied smoothly.

  ‘Ha! Well, we’ve just locked their budget to last year’s levels, so they’ll no doubt put that forward as an excuse.’ She turned to me. ‘Whatever the others say, I think diverting budget to the addiction programme is entirely justified. We need more education and prevention as well as clinics. It affects us at all levels.’ She glanced at Conrad, then back at me. ’You have my group’s support all the way through.’

  ‘Well,’ Conrad said after the stout figure had hurried off out of earshot, ‘that’s a coup. What on earth did you promise her?’

  ‘Nothing. I was as amazed as you when she stood up to annihilate the opposition. Maybe it’s not entirely unconnected with Stella. I caught a few rumours speculating about her position, now she’s a convicted criminal.’

  XXXIII

  ‘So when Senator Volusenia gave my proposal support in the plenary, it flew through.’

  ‘I’d like to have seen that,’ Silvia said the following day at our weekly consultation. She laid my report on her desk. ‘Volusenia’s pretty formidable, not exactly famous for her work on social issues. So you think this is an expression of worries about the succession?’

  ‘Nobody’s said anything to my face. Yet. But it has to be there.’ I smiled at her. ‘It’s not like Marcia and Maelia Apulia.’ Three hundred years ago, two imperial sisters – the elder a waster, the younger a tireless servant of the state – had slugged it out the traditional way in the arena, swords in hand, in front of the Twelve Families. ‘Hallie loves her sister even though Stella drives her crazy sometimes. Anyhow, you’re not falling over yet.’

  She gave me a sardonic look. ‘Thanks. But it’s something I have to think
about. And soon.’

  We passed on to other stuff for the next hour. I left her working on her reading and went to find Allegra. I heard the loud television in the hallway before I knocked on Hallie’s door. Nobody answered, so I slipped in. She and Allegra were sitting on the couch laughing at some inane teenage film.

  ‘Noooo! You dumbass tart!’ I heard my studious daughter shout at the screen.

  ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake. This is total crap!’ agreed Hallie.

  I coughed loudly and both faces whirled around.

  ‘Nice, girls. Really nice.’

  Both went crimson.

  ‘We didn’t know you were there,’ accused Allegra. Her face was open, eyes sparkling and chin out in defiance. I was thrilled.

  ‘No, well, let’s move on.’ I hugged her to me and put my other arm around Hallie.

  ‘Have you come to fetch me home?’

  ‘Not unless you want me to. I had a meeting with Aunt Silvia.’

  ’We’re going shopping tomorrow.’

  I must have frowned or something.

  Allegra drew back a millimetre. ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got Hallie’s guard.’

  ‘I know, darling. And I’m not going to say anything lame like “be careful”. Okay?’

  She docked her chin into the normal position and grinned.

  *

  After agreeing dates with Junia for our summer holiday at the farm at Castra Lucilla, which would include the inevitable estate meetings, I was trying to get my head around the allocations in the state budget. Problem was that I found it difficult to challenge the minister on funding requests for the security services. I had asked the senate president to reassign me, but she just smiled and said I was perfectly fitted for the job, so I would stay in the post until another more suitable opening occurred. Like never. I sighed and attacked the keyboard, drafting a few ideas for the hearing. Conrad and I were going out to our favourite restaurant, the Onyx, tonight so I gave myself an hour to write something half-reasonable.

  I felt rather than saw somebody intrude on my concentration. Allegra stood there looking at me almost like a stranger. Her fine hair hung straight, framing an oval face dominated by eyes abnormally wide and round, shining like moss green agates. But her hands were trembling.

  ‘Whatever is it, darling?’ I got to my feet carefully, so I didn’t startle her and took her hands.

  I drew her down to the leather couch and waited.

  ‘We went to see Stella this afternoon.’ She turned her face away. ‘Those poor, struggling people. She’s so good with them. Some she coaxes, some she jokes with, others she pushes hard, but she knows exactly how to talk to each one to make them feel they’re valued. One girl, about my age, was sobbing, sitting in the corner of the room, her face to the wall. Stella went and sat with her, hugged her and rocked her in her arms. She was still there when we left. She just turned, gave us a vague smile then went back to comforting the girl.’

  ‘I’m glad you went to see her. She must have enjoyed having her sisters visit with her.’

  ‘But that’s it. We were just visitors. The centre is her home, her life.’

  ‘Why does that worry you so much?’

  ‘She can’t do that all her life – she’s the heir! But she’ll be so upset when she has to leave.’

  ‘Aunt Silvia knows, but for the moment, Stella has something purposeful to do and is obviously finding it fulfilling. She’s settled there for two years. Working with people who’ve had few or no life-chances or who’ve become lost will make her a better ruler when her time comes.’

  Allegra said nothing, but she rubbed the seat leather with the fingertips of her splayed hand.

  ‘Is there something else?’

  ‘One of the boys I talked to there, he was around eighteen, told me he’d only been injecting for five months. He couldn’t believe what he’d done to himself. It was so sad. He’d been struck off the apprentice list and lost all hope of getting back on it. I asked him about his family and they sounded so normal, not a broken home or anything. He’d started when one of his friend’s girlfriends gave them some stuff and needles. He said he must have been a bit drunk at the time.’

  I laid my hand on her forearm. ‘It’s devastating, I know, darling, I saw so much of it in America when I lived in New York.’

  ‘No, but listen, Mama. This girlfriend, he said, had eyes just like mine and blond hair and a foreign accent.’ Her eyes fixed on me.

  When I didn’t say anything, she touched my hand.

  ‘You know what I’m saying, don’t you?’

  ‘Unfortunately, yes. Well, I’m not surprised. I don’t suppose he gave you her address and phone number?’ I heard the bitter tone in my own voice. Fat chance.

  ‘No, but he’s only been at the centre for three weeks. He’s in the detox stage. He heard she was squatting up near the old castle, in the caves.’

  *

  Conrad and I left the Onyx around ten, our voices a little overheated, and caught a taxi to the railroad station. Once on the train to Aquae Caesaris, we took turns in the restroom, changing into pants and sweats Conrad had brought in his casual bag. I’d cleared my face of make-up and stuffed the diamond earrings into my safety pocket. We walked through to the front of the train and sat in second class.

  We jumped off as soon as the train drew in and at the ticket office, dialled in the code to release the keys for the rental vehicle I’d reserved that afternoon. Maybe it was a little risky RV-ing at the same old inn, but I’d never seen the same barkeep twice, nor the same customers. This time, Philippus was waiting for us. And there were two male customers in a corner who glanced across at us a little longer than was necessary. I smiled to myself.

  ‘Friends of yours, Phil?’

  ‘Well, you never know.’

  ‘Chicken.’

  He frowned for a few seconds, then laughed. ‘One day you’ll twist my tail once too often. You may regret it.’

  Conrad went very still.

  ‘I’ll be ready when that day comes,’ I replied in a quiet voice. ‘Remember that.’

  He grunted. He waved and one of his toughs went to the bar and fetched some beers over to us and withdrew to their corner.

  Flavius arrived a few minutes later, swept his gaze around the bar area, taking in the toughs. He sat down and rolled his eyes at Phil.

  ‘Even numbers,’ Phil replied.

  ‘Okay, enough of the playground,’ I said. ‘Where are we now?’

  ‘Fausta gave me this for you,’ said Flavius and handed over an envelope with a coded tab. ‘Did you tell her we were meeting?’

  ‘No, but she’s not stupid.’

  I entered the code we’d agreed on and read the contents. From the corner of my eye, I saw all three men pretending not to look, but I felt the pressure.

  ‘She detected a tamper signature from a hacker, but more importantly she’s found Nicola. She’s given me a list of sightings and some screenshots.’ I leafed through the photos. ‘Oh, she’s added a much earlier one. Well, damn.’

  ‘What?’ Conrad said.

  ‘Remember those two tourists in the palace, one slinked off while the other, the journo, was locked up and Favonius Cotta called you in?’

  ‘Well?’

  ‘The one that snuck off, leaving the journo to shout blue murder, was Nicola. Presumably stirring things up.’

  Conrad stayed silent, just looked down and made patterns on the table with a drop of spilled beer.

  ‘Anyway, Fausta’s had the hacker detained in private solitary, pending my instructions.’

  ‘Jupiter, if the legate catches her on a non-sanctioned op, she’ll be in the shit,’ said Flavius.

  ‘Not at all, Flavius,’ Conrad said. ‘She’s ID’d somebody attacking an ultra level government network. Knowing her, she’ll probably get a commendation.’ He smiled at me. ‘Reminds me of another insubordinate captain who pulled similar tricks.’

  Philippus sat looking into his beer saying nothing. His brow
s were drawn together and lines at the side of his nose were pronounced.

  ‘Did you sort out your leaks, Phil?’ I asked.

  ‘Nearly. One of them pulled a knife on me and damned near stuck it through my throat, hence those two.’ He waved towards the two in the corner. ‘A crack head who won’t be needing his fix any longer. Another loser will be seeking alternative employment when she comes out of hospital. There’s one I haven’t caught yet. But I will.’

  I coughed. ‘Moving on. We’ve heard a rumour that Nicola’s been squatting up by the old castle in the caves.’

  ‘That’s where the crack head lived.’

  ‘Okay. I don’t want the scarabs tramping all over it, so we’ll keep it low-key. Flav, do you think any of the others would be willing to help?

  ‘I know Livius would, and Paula. Not so sure of Atria. Nov’s abroad in a legation somewhere and Treb’s on maternity.’

  ‘OK, set them up. We’ll go for a little walk around the old castle and see what we can find. RV at 21.00 tomorrow in the turnout before the road splits off to the ruins.’

  XXXIV

  Calling it a turnout wasn’t really accurate; further in from a large car lot was a grass area with picnic tables, overlooking the city. The view was open, but to each side, woods were threatening to reclaim the cleared area. But cars could park in between the trees at the edges; a perfect place for a romantic rendezvous. But nobody was here this evening except one small hatchback at the far left edge. Maybe it was too early for teenagers making out.

  We parked the bike near a table and sat arms around each other, staring down at the city, enjoying the warm May evening. Immediately below us, soft floodlighting played on the Golden Palace, perched halfway up the castle hill. It had been built in the 1700s when the Apulians felt safe enough to abandon the medieval stronghold whose ruins were a short distance from us up the road.

  Down in the valley, the square of the forum was more harshly lit, the Senate and temples stark in the contrast with the almost moonless night. The grid layout of the city fascinated me, like a Sudoku blank, but based on four instead of three. Lights blazing out from shop windows and restaurants added colour to the squares at the centre.