The Far Shore by Nick Brown Read Free Book Online

one else even knew there’d been a visitor. The sleeping quarters are towards the rear of the house. There is also a bell but that wasn’t rung. Ligur had a chair next to the door. He would have heard any approach.’
    ‘The main gate doesn’t have a lock. Presumably you don’t bother because the walls are so low?’
    ‘That’s right, sir. And the rear of the property backs on to open fields. Only the horse yard is fenced.’
    ‘But the rest of the house?’
    ‘Always secured at night, sir. Seven separate locked doors, including the front. I checked every one myself before retiring.’
    ‘When would that have been?’
    ‘The second hour of night.’
    Cassius glanced at the bloodstained chair. ‘And the maid found him at dawn. So it could have happened at any time in between. Had Memor been involved in any disputes with people on the island? Do you know of anyone with reason to harm him?’
    ‘No. My master had an excellent reputation here. His work kept him very busy but he contributed funds to the village council, the assemblies in Rhodes and Lindos, and to more temples than I can recall.’
    ‘And what of his work?’
    ‘Master Memor generally kept that side of his affairs between himself and his colleagues within the Service, sir.’
    ‘He hadn’t spoken of any specific or current threats to him?’
    ‘No, sir.’
    ‘And his recent behaviour?’
    ‘He had been worried about his wife’s condition but I can think of nothing else.’
    Cassius took a long breath. ‘All right, I think we should see the bodies now. But first you must get together as many of the male staff as you can, then send them out on to the streets of the village. They needn’t mention the murder but they must ask anyone they come across about any sightings of strangers over the last few days – people behaving suspiciously, especially close to the villa or the grounds. They must speak to anyone and everyone: children, slaves, whoever. Tell them to get back here within the hour.’
    ‘At once, sir.’
    Trogus hurried away towards the reception room and was soon shouting orders.
    Two serving girls walked across the courtyard, arms over each other’s shoulders, sobbing into handkerchiefs.
    ‘You’d think it was one of their own family had been killed,’ muttered Indavara.
    ‘Don’t assume their tears are for their master,’ said Cassius. ‘Who knows what the future holds for a household with only a girl left to run things?’
    He looked at the pile of papers on the couch. ‘I wonder if the documents for Abascantius are in there. I shall have to write to him and Chief Pulcher. I hope the weather holds; they must be informed.’
    ‘Might they know something about what happened here?’
    ‘Perhaps. But we wouldn’t receive a reply for at least two weeks, probably a lot longer.’ Cassius shook his head. ‘No, yet again the gods have conspired to ensure I am the one left in the shit.’
    Indavara wandered off to the left side of the room, moving slowly, eyes trained on the ground.
    ‘Yes, I suppose we should have a look round,’ said Cassius, walking over to the couch to examine the papers. There were a lot of letters, some of them clearly encoded. If there was time, he would have to go through it all. Perhaps the whole lot could just be sent to Chief Pulcher. How many issues had Memor been dealing with? Scores by the looks of it. Was one in particular connected to his death?
    Cassius found nothing of interest on the bare tiled floor between the couch and the shelves that lined the right-hand wall. On the shelves themselves there were more objects than books – mainly candles, ornaments and religious icons. The few tomes were standard reference works – mainly geographical and political.
    ‘Nothing over here,’ said Indavara.
    ‘Here neither.’
    ‘What’s that?’
    Indavara pointed at the wall opposite the door, and the only fresco in the room. It looked rather old and had been composed in dark oils. Only when he