Are we missing something?" Maia hated to be left out. She sounded tetchy. Nothing new in that.

Falco, you rat. Are you down here on one of your crackpot investigations?" demanded Petronius, also catching on.

Lucius, my dearest and oldest friend, when I am commissioned for work, crazy or sane, I shall report it to you immediately."

You are on a job!"

I just denied it, Petro." Petro turned to Maia. Your tight-lipped bastard brother is hiding a commission in his hairy armpit." He scowled at me, then gave his attention to capturing a tureen of gingered shellfish the children had been scooping up like ravenous gulls. He had to deal with the squeals as they watched him emptying all the good bits into his own foodbowl.

What job?" Maia quizzed me rudely.

Secret. Clause in my contract says, Don't tell your nosy sister or that interfering boyfriend of hers." I relieved Petro of his trophy and served Helena and myself to the last prawns. Maia snatched one from my bowl. Grow up, Marcus!" Ah, family life. I wondered if the man I had come to look for had any close relations. When you are looking for motives, never neglect the simple one.

IV

Helena and I had one evening to ourselves. We made the most of it. Tomorrow we would be joined by Albia, a young girl from Britain who took care of our children while we tried to take care of her. Albia had had a poor start in life; running around after Julia and Favonia took her mind off it, in theory. She had experience of family travel from when we brought her to Italy from Londinium, but controlling a toddler and a growing infant on a two-hour jaunt in a cart would be a challenge.