Successio (6 page)

Sergius looked down at the el-pad in his hand as if to find some help there. He looked up at me and said in a totally expressionless voice, ‘The name on the arrest sheet is Mitela, Allegra.’

VI

‘Here, Bruna, drink this.’

A strong, masculine hand bearing a chipped mug came into view, interrupting my study of the skirting in this dismal room. I was crouching over with shame and tension.

Lurio had greeted me at the station house entrance, dragged me into the nearest interview room, thrust me down on a hard plastic chair and told me to stay there. When he came back, I took the mug automatically, sipped and nearly lost my ability to breathe at the fiery spirit he’d poured into the tea.

‘Juno, Lurio, how much have you put in this?’

‘Enough to wake you up out of drama queen mode.’

‘Well, screw you.’

‘Much better,’ he replied and grinned at me. Cornelius Lurio, currently Department of Justice
Custodes
Senior Urban Cohorts Commander, had been my boss on my first ever undercover operation fourteen years ago. I’d been Senior Justiciar Bruna then, with a minus intention of going anywhere near the PGSF. The false name had stuck, although only used now as my nickname. We’d briefly been lovers during that year Conrad and I had parted. Lurio was one of my oldest and most acerbic friends.

‘Look, Bruna, it’s not a big deal. Kids are always doing stupid things. Be grateful it’s nothing worse.’

‘But she’s so young. Allegra’s different, she doesn’t—’

‘Don’t be so bloody naive! Your fluffy little bunny is like anybody else. We’re always scraping them off some pavement somewhere. Especially the gold-plated ones.’

I glared at him. He never failed to throw my family’s wealth in my face.

‘Yes, yes, you can look all Hades at me, but you know I’m right.’

‘Give me the details, please.’

He looked at the arrest sheet. ‘The local squad was called by the bar owner who’d chucked Allegra and an older girl out. The two girls had got rowdy and were starting to annoy the other customers. The two of them started running across the Via Nova playing dodgems with the traffic.’

I swallowed hard to prevent a scream escaping. The Via Nova was not only incredibly busy; it was the site of Conrad’s accident. How in Hades had she got so drunk? That bar owner should be flogged. I would make it my personal mission to have her licence revoked and her business ruined.

‘Go on.’

‘When the patrol got there, they found Allegra slumped by the side of the road, weeping, but truculent. No sign of the older girl. They arrested Allegra, put her in a general holding cell with the town tarts and petty thieves. Apparently, Allegra had used some offensive language when she was arrested. The custody sergeant thought it would teach her a lesson.’ Even Lurio looked grim.

‘Her name?’

‘Don’t go there, Bruna. I can understand why the sergeant did it. The shock often works. But she didn’t realise they were dealing with such a protected little flower.’

I hated him at that moment.

‘She refused to give her name. She didn’t bleat, but as her clothes and accent showed she came from a well-off family, they got permission from the magistrate to scan her.’ He snorted. ‘Imagine the panic that caused when they read her identity on the display! With such a live coal landed in their laps, they called me.’

Screw the
custodes
having a bad day, Allegra would have been frightened beyond reason. Not just the
custodes
, nor the restraints, the arrest vehicle, the humiliation, but the rough element in the holding cell.

‘Thank you for contacting me, Lurio,’ I said stiffly. ‘May I see my daughter now?’

‘Are you sure you’re ready? I won’t have a screaming session or cat-fight in one of my stations.’

Juno, he was all heart. ‘You may be reassured, Senior Commander, that we know how to conduct ourselves, even under trying circumstances.’

‘Trying to put me in my place?’ He smirked.

‘Just get on with it.’

I tried to ignore the blue-uniformed
custodes
as we walked through to the cells. They were both wary and polite with us in the PGSF and I knew they’d be watching now. Many of my colleagues sneered at the
custodes
and used the public’s name for them – scarab, or dung beetle. I’d been a DJ
custos
once; I kept it formal with them. Well, apart from Lurio.

Getting one over the PGSF would give them satisfaction. Having the junior heir to the most powerful of the Twelve Families in custody would have been the event of the year. But right now, I was only a mother with a wayward daughter. Through the observation panel of the cell door I saw her hunched over, perched on the edge of the bench, and sobbing. The bitter smell of vomit floated through. My heart ached for her. At Lurio’s nod, the guard opened the door and I went in alone.

She looked up, eyes red, face streaked with traces of mascara. Any angry words I had for her died in my breath. I held her tight, gently rocking her in my arms on that hard plastic bench until she was all cried out. She glanced up at my face, turned nearly crimson and burrowed her head back between my chest and my arm.

‘Hey, it’s okay.’ I stroked her hair, trying to comfort her. I never loved her more than at that moment.

*

Lurio countersigned the temporary release, muttering that he’d skin me alive if I failed to produce Allegra in court the next afternoon. I knew he’d been generous; normally they’d have held her overnight in the cells. As we rode home, Allegra didn’t say a word, just gripped my hand with a desperately strong hold. My arm around her waist, I supported her along into her room, peeled off her soiled clothes and bathed her as if she were five years old. I fixed her a warm drink and put her to bed.

‘Mama,’ she whispered.

‘I know, darling. You rest and we’ll talk in the morning.’

Tears leaked out of the corners of her shut eyes. I kissed her forehead. She sighed and fell asleep within minutes.

I found Helena in the nursery dayroom, helping Tonia and Gil with their assignments. I kissed them both, giving Gil an encouraging rub on the back as he frowned over some math problem. Like Allegra, they’d elected to go out to school, rather than be home tutored and were finding it competitive. As they were absorbed, I looked at Helena and nodded for her to follow me into the nursery kitchen. I closed the door and turned to her, trying to keep my cool.

‘Okay, Helena, when were you going to tell me?’

‘Sorry?’

‘Oh, come on. Allegra. You know, my daughter. The one you’re supposed to be supervising.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I think you’ll find she’s missing.’

‘No, she’s over at Maia’s, Maia Quirinia’s.’

‘Really?’

‘Now wait a minute, Carina, what’s going on? Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not one of your suspects.’

‘Not formally, no. Not yet.’

‘What!’

‘Suppose you tell me exactly what happened this morning.’

‘Suppose you calm down,’ she retorted.

I gestured her to sit and looked straight at her, waiting.

‘Allegra went to school as usual. Quirinia’s chauffeur collected her first thing. It was their turn to do the run. Maia invited her over afterwards and Allegra’s sleeping over. I’m not expecting her back until tomorrow afternoon.’

My face must have reflected my anger.

‘Whatever’s happened, Carina? Where is she?’

‘Safe in her bed, sleeping, thank the gods. As for tomorrow afternoon, she’ll be appearing before the magistrate for public drunkenness, reckless behaviour on the public highway and insulting a law officer.’

‘You’re not serious.’

But I was already calling Domus Quiriniarum.

*

‘Okay, Maia, suppose you tell me what happened after you picked Allegra up this morning?’

I stood there, in my uniform, side arm on my belt, arms crossed, legs braced, staring down at her. Helena stood a little behind me, to the side and attempted to smile reassuringly at a nervous Octavia Quirinia. I’d pushed through as soon as the steward opened the entrance door and marched straight into Octavia’s dining room. She didn’t get an angry special forces officer or acting head of the most powerful of the Twelve Families but a much more dangerous animal – an irate parent. I gave the impression Allegra was still missing.

‘Well?’

Maia was completely frozen, her hands jammed into her arm pits.

Helena touched my arm. I turned and she mouthed ‘Let me.’ I shrugged and plunked myself down in an armchair, still wound up, ready to spring again.

‘Maia, look at me,’ Helena started. But the child found it hard to drag her terrified eyes away from me. When she did, she managed a nervous half-smile at Helena who took the girl’s hand in her own and gave it a little shake. ‘Just start from this morning. Describe what you were wearing, what you had in your bag and what you were looking forward to. Try very hard not to hide anything. This is really not the time to keep secrets, even between BFFs. It’s far too serious.’

Maia glanced at me and her mother, then retreated back to Helena.

‘We’d asked to go to school early. I had my new trainers, the ones I’d bought with Allegra at the weekend. I hadn’t worn them yet.’ She dropped her enthusiastic tone and went into pseudo pious mode. ‘We wanted to check our homework and get ready for the day.’

‘Oh, really?’ Helena said, her eyebrows raised.

Maia studied the floor.

‘C’mon, Maia, the truth.’

‘We were meeting Zenia,’ she muttered to the carpet.

‘Uh, huh. And who is Zenia?’

‘She’s our friend,’ Maia said, emphasising the last word. ‘She’s cool and treats us like grown-ups. She wears all the latest stuff and make-up, and tells us little tricks—’ Maia clamped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes bulged.

‘Tricks?’ Helena gave Maia’s hand a little shake.

‘To get stuff.’ Maia glanced over at her mother. ‘
She’s
always saying no.’ Octavia looked shocked at her daughter’s rudeness. I rolled my eyes; Octavia Quirinia was the most indulgent parent I knew.

‘So, Zenia,’ Helen continued, ignoring us. ‘What did she ask you to do?’

‘How do you know she did?’

‘Well, friends usually do things for each other.’

Neat, Helena. Gods, she was good.

‘Oh,’ said Maia. ‘She only asked for little things, tokens, mini-tribute. She’d given us cigarettes, so we were happy to do something for her.’

I thought Octavia was going to have cardiac arrest when her precious daughter said ‘cigarettes’. I grabbed Octavia’s hand and shook my head at her to stay silent.

‘I pinched some sweets for her. I nearly got caught.’ She gave a little sob. ‘Allegra’s dare was to drink alcohol in public. That was a laugh. The idea of Miss Upright getting pissed.’

Only the surprisingly strong pressure of Octavia’s hand grasping mine stopped me from leaping up and tearing her child apart. Helena said nothing, just waited. Maia glanced at her mother who gave a sad little shake of her head. When Maia met my eyes, she shrank back in her chair. Her eyes darted around the room like a frightened rabbit searching for sanctuary. She looked at Helena, almost pleading.

‘I didn’t meant it, I didn’t mean it like that. It was only a joke,’ she stuttered and burst out crying.

‘Okay, Maia,’ Helen spoke at last. ‘You’ve done well telling me all this, but you know you’ve let yourself down badly, don’t you?’ Helena was back in teacher mode. She’d say ‘disappointed’ any moment now. ‘What I want you to do now is to apologise to your mother for your rudeness, then you can go upstairs, wash your face and get on with your homework.’

Maia sniffed, stood in front of her mother and made her apology. Octavia pulled her daughter down on to the couch, hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. Each to her own. I stood up and approached Maia. Helena gave me a stern look, but I’d prodded my temper back into its cage. I crouched down near where Maia was sitting on the edge of the couch.

‘I’m sorry I frightened you, Maia. I’m very anxious about Allegra. Being cross and anxious makes some people want to hit out at everybody else. I guess I’m one of those.’

I stood and turned to her mother. ‘I apologise for my discourtesy in barging in, Octavia. Please believe it only arises from my anxiety about Allegra.’

‘I understand. You’ve certainly opened my eyes.’ She gave her daughter a measured look.

‘Oh, one last thing, Maia,’ I said. ‘How do you contact this Zenia?’

‘We don’t. She’s just there, waiting for us. Not every day, but usually.’

*

I steeled myself and made the most difficult call of the year but Conrad didn’t answer. He’d been away in the north overnight, but he should have been back by now. I was transferred to his exec.

‘Where’s the legate, Rusonia?’

She paused for a second. ‘He’s taking private time. He’ll be back in a couple of hours, ma’am.’

That would make it after nine.

‘Are you sure? I mean, isn’t he coming straight home after that?

‘Not according to his schedule.’

‘Okay, Rusonia. Here’s the thing. We have a family emergency on a scale of ten out of ten. I need to speak to him. Is he contactable?’

Jupiter knew where he was. And Rusonia.

‘Let me get back to you, ma’am, if you don’t mind.’

‘Sure.’

*

I was nursing a glass of Aquae Caesaris red and pretending to look through some mails when Conrad called.

‘What is it?’

‘I’m not discussing it on the phone, but it’s about one of the children.’

‘Not hurt?’ He shot back.

‘Not in the obvious way, but yes.’

‘Jupiter, Carina, what’s happened?

‘Just get back here.’

*

‘Who the Hades is this bitch? I’ll break every bone in her body.’ He didn’t pace. He didn’t throw his arms around. He simply stood there humming like an unexploded bomb. He’d looked in on Allegra, but she was lost in deep sleep. He contented himself with a tender kiss on her forehead. He’d squeezed his eyes as he bent over and I’d seen a tear drop on to the sheet. We’d crept out of her room and he covered his face with both hands, leaning against the corridor wall. I’d led him back to our sitting room and given him a generous whisky and gently pushed him down on the couch.

‘The public feed is the obvious starting point and I’ll get a watch on the school for a week, if you’re okay with the budget.’