"Now you're making me weep, Falco."

Magnus was once again burrowing among stacks of marble sheets. "The carts come in," he muttered, his roughened hands pulling the heavy slabs forward to inspect them. "We certify the delivery; the carts go out again. Cyprianus has taken to installing a gateman, who inspects every empty one."

"And you have been checking them personally, while they are parked up!"

"You saw me, Falco -and I saw you checking me, for that matter."

"You could have told me what you were doing."

"You could have told me\ I was trying to catch them using the rubbish removal trick- a layer of stolen goods is hidden under rubble. Anyway yesl' He stopped. He had licked his thumb and washed it over a particular marble block. Under the dust showed a small, neatly scratched cross. Magnus let the block rest against its brothers, then stood back, sighing like a sailor.

"You marked a consignment."

"And now I've found it here. Let him talk his way out of that one."

"Slight problem with the interrogation, Magnus! I'm diligent but Marcellinus may not co-operate…"

"Plus he had those pipes- they must be the ones Rectus is bellyaching over."

"Rectus will be pleased."

"He'll be farting delirious!"

"Will you arrange to fetch all this back to the palace?"

Tin staying here to guard it. When you go back, Falco, will you ask Cyprianus to organise transport?" Magnus then gazed at me. "By the way I had back-up, you know. When Gaius couldn't explain his whereabouts yesterday, it's because he was helping me search wagons."

"So you were never at the bath house last night?"

"Actually I was." Magnus looked shamefaced. "I really have to explain this, don't I?"

"It would be wise." I now thought him innocent, but I answered coldly.

"It was like this: I went to the baths, took off my togs and then Gaius

nipped after me to say there was movement by the wagons. I'd already

seen that Pomponius had put his lurid kit in the changing room and I

was not looking forward to leisure time with him. So I dragged on

I boots and a tunic, then left everything else."

"So that's how your satchel was hanging there unsupervised, when the killers borrowed your five-four-three and compasses?"

I "Right. It turned out there really was a cart leaving, but it was just

that appalling statue merchant you brought on site."

I'Sextius is not my protege!" "Anyway, Strephon finally gave him the push. Sextius was skulking off to Novio and taking his junk. Have you seen it, Falco? Useless trash… We searched the cart, then I was so demoralised I really could not face strigil ling down next to Pomponius. I fetched my bag and clean clothes and went back to my quarters. If anyone had meddled with my satchel, I didn't notice."

"Did you see where Gaius went?"

"He didn't come back to the baths with me. He went off to bed. I didn't hang about, and I don't know whether Pomponius was dead at that point or not."

"Why didn't you tell me all this?"

Magnus gave me a sneer. "You're the man from Rome!"

"That doesn't make me the enemy."

"Oh doesn't it!" he scoffed.

I ignored that. "And you think Gains is reliable?1

"He's been an enormous help."

"How did he get involved, Magnus?"

Now it was the surveyor's turn to dodge the question. "Gaius is a good lad." I had thought so myself once.

"So you're a diligent site official, he's an honest clerk? And I thought you two were cuddling in the same bath robe!"

"Oh spare me! You know about Gaius?"

"I know nothing. No one talks to me."

"Ask him," said Magnus.

XLVI

magnus and I continued thoughtfully to gaze at the Marcellinus house.

"Nice billet!" I commented. "From, the superb workmanship, he even used labourers and craftsmen from the palace site. It's a cliche, the architect doing up his own house at the client's expense."

"It still stinks, Falco." Magnus was disgusted. He was a straight dealer who on principle denied himself the perks that Marcellinus had taken so readily. He must have known already what had been going on. That did not make it easier for him to stand here staring at the proof.

"Did Pornponius take liberties too?" I asked.

"No." Magnus calmed down slightly. "One thing you could say for Pornponius, he owned about five properties, but they were all in Italy none placed conveniently near a project. And I never knew him commandeer so much as a wood nail for any of them."

"How do you think Marcellinus got away with it?"

"Probably started small." Magnus forced himself to evaluate the fraud scientifically. "Genuine unwanted stuff. Mismatched colours. Overbought items. "Nobody will miss it; it will only go to waste…" Labourers they were trying to keep busy during quiet periods in the contract would be despatched to help out here. As project manager, Marcellinus could certify anything. If nobody picked up the increasing costs, he was laughing. And nobody did."

"Maybe."

"Don't pretend you knew about it, Falco!"

"No." But seeing what had now happened, I could name a palace bureau that must have Marcellinus on a file. There had to be some reason why Anacrites had sent Perella out here. It was typical that he would be acting on outdated information, when current problems on the new scheme made Marcellinus a mere side issue.

"Eventually, Marcellinus saw his source of supplies as a right?" I deduced. "He saw nothing wrong in it."

"Everyone here thought supplying the architect with goodies was routine/ Magnus confirmed. "My worst problem has been breaking that attitude. I thought the King was in on it still, he's a provincial. Marcellinus had a duty to set him straight."

"I'm sure that, finally, he embarrassed the King."

"Too late," said Magnus. "They had been too close. The King couldn't shake Marcellinus off. That was why Pomponius used to hate letting Verovolcus in on anything."

"The long shadow of Marcellinus thwarted all attempts to keep the new scheme solvent? I've seen for myself," I told him. "Even with me right there on site, Marcellinus was quite openly leaning on people like Milchato to keep his free gifts coming."

"Bloody Milchato takes a cut," the surveyor growled. "I'm damn sure of it."

"We can sort that. He worked here on the previous building. Time he had a career move."

"Oh "for further development of his personal craft skills", you mean?"

"I see, dear Magnus, that you know how it's done!"

"Just move the problem on."

"Move him to work on a military latrine at the bad end of Moesia."

"They don't have marble," Magnus corrected me pedantically.

"Quite."

We reflected on the failings and in the long run, the powers of gigantic bureaucracy. When that became too solemn, I mused ruefully, "It must have seemed so neat at first. Togidubnus has a refit- then so does Marcellinus."

"Then spoilsport Rome sends in a brand new project manager."

"Pomponius makes himself unpopular, so Marcellinus sees his chance to reposition. But the King has adapted to Vespasian's style; he definitely grows unhappy." Despite their famous friendship, I was now sure Togidubnus had sent me to see this villa on purpose. I was to discover the fraud. "Togidubnus wants to see the corruption end."

Magnus stared at me. "Just how badly does he want that, Falco? This murder seems rather too convenient."

I was startled. "You're surely not suggesting he had a hand in it?"

"He made damn sure he had left the scene before it happened."

"I don't fancy explaining back on the Palatine that a favourite of Vespasian's is a murderer!" I groaned. "But did he organise it? I do hope not."

"The Palatine may not be entirely clean, Falco. I bet this starts a whole way further up than Novio." Magnus was sharp. Too sharp for his own good, maybe. He might not have heard of Anacrites or Lacta by name, but he knew what went on.