FIFTY EIGHT

`How long has she been missing?' `Oh, gods! Hours!'

`Hours?,

'Since this evening -'

I gave the dawn sky a meaningful glance. `Last night.'

`You don't have to tell me! This is terrible – and we're expecting her grandparents any day now -'

He pulled himself up, shaking his head at himself for clinging to such trivialities. I had wanted to see Aelianus in misery, but not like this. He was arrogant, crass and snobbish, and had hurt Helena very much by criticising us. Now he stood in the street, a hot, bothered, stocky young figure trying to bluff it out. I knew, and he must appreciate, that he was staring at a tragedy.

`Keep calm.' Relief at having somebody to share his grief nearly made him useless. I gripped his shoulders to stop, him panicking. The smart white cloth of his handsomely napped tunic was soaked with sweat.

`Claudia wanted to go to the Games and I didn't. I dropped her off -'

'By herself? I'm no social prude, but she's a young girl, and a stranger to Rome!'

Justinus used to go with her, but – Justinus had gone abroad. This was not the time to ask his brother why.

`So you left her. Do your parents know that?'

`They know now! When I came to pick her up as we had arranged, Claudia failed to meet me. Then I made a lot of mistakes.'

`Tell me.'

`I looked everywhere. I was annoyed with her at first – I nearly went off in disgust for a drink -' I said nothing. `I assumed she was tired of waiting. Claudia does not have a high opinion of my organising powers.' It sounded as though there might be more to this than a lovers' tiff. `I thought she must have given up on me and walked home.'

I bit back an angry exclamation of alone?

It was not far. Up to the start of the Street of the Three Altars, and turn right down the Via Appia. You could' see the Capena Gate from the first crossroads, behind the Aqua Appia and Aqua Claudia. To reach the Camillus house would take only a few minutes for Aelianus, frantically hurrying, and not much longer even for Claudia. She would know the way. She would feel safe.

`So you rushed back, home?'

`No luck.'

`Did you confess to your father?'

`Another mistake! I was ashamed. I tried to put, things right myself – I quietly grabbed all the slaves I could find and came back to search. It was no good, of course. I went into the Circus but everyone near her seat had left. Of course the aediles in charge just laughed at me. I went home; told Papa; he is informing the vigiles while I keep searching -'

`You're too late.' There was nothing to gain by sparing him the truth. Claudia Rufina was a sensible, thoughtful girl. Far too considerate to be merely playing up. `Aulus ' I rarely called him by his private name. `This is very serious.'

`I understand.' No excuses. No wild self-reproach either, though I could see he blamed himself Well, I knew how that felt. `Will you help me, Falco?'

I shrugged. This was my job. The Camilli were in part my family anyway.

`You don't know the worst.' Aelianus was gritting his teeth to confess. 'Earlier I spoke to an itinerant food-seller. The man said he had seen a girl who matched my description of Claudia waiting alone by the gate. A little while later she was talking to the driver of a vehicle – a cart,' he said, but he was unsure exactly. He thought she got in, when she was

driven off at speed.'

`Which direction?'

He had no idea, of course. Nor had he demanded description of whoever was driving her. And the food seller was long gone.

We sent the slaves home.

I walked Aelianus briskly to the Street of the Three Altars. That was when I found a member of the vigiles on Petro's usual spot, and he told me Petronius had gone off somewhere.

`Where in Hades is he?'

`Following a suspect, sir.'

`What suspect?'

`Ginger, with the bad leg.'

`Here? Damon? He had a vigiles tail on him!' Besides, we had all agreed: Damon was not our suspect.

`Petro went along to share the job. He said things here had gone dead. He was following his nose.'

`When was this?'

`Way back. He ordered me to wait here, but everyone's gone home now. I was just coming to tell you to give up expecting him.'

I swore under my breath. `Was Damon alone?' `Had a woman with him.'

`Smart girl in a white dress, rather big nose?'

`No. Filthy piece in a red skirt, showing her legs.' He could have switched later. Girls who show their legs can often sense trouble. Red skirt might have ditched him. Claudia would have appeared a much easier target – but Damon could still be with the red skirt, while somebody else had Claudia. If so, we had no idea who.

`Find where they got to. Find Petro. Tell him no; first get a message to your commander: a respectable girl has been abducted this evening while we all stood around like bloody wall paintings. Whoever took her has transport. In case he hasn't left the city yet, we need every vehicle that's on the road tonight searched and we need to start now. Concentrate in the eastern districts; he will be heading for Tibur.'

The stand-in watcher looked worried: `There won't be much, moving; most vehicles have been and gone.'

`Oh, I know that!'

I grabbed Aelianus. He was white-faced, his straight hair flopping anyhow, his heart about to burst.

`Aulus, I'll do all I can. If she's still alive, I'll get her back for you. But I can't promise anything, so prepare yourself.'

He took it well. `What shall I do?'

I scrutinised him briefly. He had controlled his panic. He was one of a bright family. I didn't like him, but I could trust his tenacity. `I need an arrest warrant, but we don't yet know a name. Do your best for me. The man who arranged everything is the ex-Consul Frontinus; he knows your father. The magistrate who has to issue the document is called Marponius.' Quickly I gave him addresses for both. 'They don't look like stop-outs, so you ought to be able to find them. Get Marponius to issue the chit for "the abductor of Claudia Rufina". That should be specific enough. Rush it to the Praetorian Camp. The Urban Cohorts can then ride after this villain if he has left Rome.'`

`What: about you, Falco?'

`I'll go straight to the camp now and, try to persuade them to mount up. If I can't shift them without the warrant, I'll go ahead alone.'

`I'll come with you -'

`No! I need you to organise some back-up for me, Aulus!' I could not take him, knowing what I might eventually find. For a lad of twenty-three to lose his future wife like this would be terrible enough. He must be spared seeing what was done to her. `The warrant is vital. Then you can, do something else for me: Helena will be expecting me home. She'll grow frantic if I don't arrive. Please go and tell her what's happening.' Helena would understand that he must not be allowed to follow me.

He was her brother so he could take another message too; `Give her my love – and if you really, want to be a hero, force yourself to kiss my child for me.'

Well, that should keep reluctant young Uncle Aulus occupied.