Deadly Election Read Online Free PDF Page B

criticised me. ‘Who is chasing down dangerous animals and rounding up gamblers?’ Faustus compressed his lips, his way to hide a smile if I ever wriggled under his defences. ‘Oh, I get it.’ Light dawned. ‘You want me to dig out sleaze?’
    ‘The Cicero brothers discovered that one of their opponents had murdered someone.’
    ‘Lucky them!’
    ‘I don’t expect to unearth any serious crimes,’ Faustus assured me, ‘but I need you to advise where to look for scandal.’
    Vibius, who was to benefit from this, muttered anxiously, ‘All respect to your clever associate, Tiberius, but could my reputation be damaged if I use an informer?’
    I was used to rudeness. ‘Set your mind at rest, Sextus Vibius. The informers you have heard about are seedy men who collect information to prosecute victims. As a woman, court work is barred to me. I help private clients on personal business; many are women. I am, hopefully, invisible to the rest of the public.’
    Faustus looked embarrassed. ‘Show Flavia Albia more respect, Sextus. Her father is an equestrian. He outranks us – and therefore so does she.’
    I countered that gently: ‘Falco remains a plebeian at heart – and therefore so do I … Your opponents will be checking on you too,’ I pointed out to Vibius, wanting to demonstrate my skills. ‘Try to spot who their informers are. Ask me, in case I know anything against them. Then use my father’s trick – march straight up and greet them by name, cheerily suggesting they question you directly. Since openness is your policy, you will gladly supply the full facts.’
    ‘And shall I?’
    ‘Olympus, of course not! If you are to be a politician, your natural medium is lying. Surely your agent has explained that?’
    Again, Faustus had to control a smile. ‘So, what should we be looking for, Albia? And what will the opposition try to uncover against Sextus?’
    I had plenty of ideas. ‘A good informer will closely shadow a rival candidate, monitoring his life. The informer will be very persistent. Where does this man have lunch – does he go home, or slip down a quiet side-street to a pretty apartment that is occupied by a vivacious young woman, not his wife? When he attends a harp recital, does he take his honoured spouse − or does he spend time in close conversation with the wife of his best friend?’
    Both men nodded gravely. Faustus had not always been pure and I wondered about Vibius. There would be no point in criticising his opponents if they discovered worse things done by him.
    Personally, I would not think Vibius Marinus was worth a rash affair. Still, other women constantly surprise me with their crazy choice of lovers.
    Faustus, on the other hand … But I had tried to get him into bed. No luck.
    ‘For really juicy titbits,’ I went on, ‘winkle out who the candidates bank with. Have a quiet word. Are they in debt?’ More nods. ‘When they parade their so-supportive family in the Forum, who is quietly missing? Have they behaved badly to a sibling, wife or child? Do they have a complicated history of divorce?’ I tried not to look at Faustus, who himself had that. ‘We must cosy up to their slaves and ask how popular they really are. And don’t be fooled by the business associates who are supporting them. Look for associates who have
stopped
doing business with them. Then we’ll find out why.’
    Faustus exclaimed admiringly to Vibius, ‘I told you! Flavia Albia is superb. She has even more gristle than Quintus Cicero. You see why I want her with us.’
    ‘Oh, you just want to supervise my convalescence,’ I murmured.
    He quickly gleamed at me, not denying it. ‘Sextus, listen to her and don’t let me see you slipping down any side-streets for libidinous lunches! You must have an immaculate reputation. Which, of course, you do,’ he assured his friend, sounding as if he fully believed it. A true politician.
    I was privately glad of this chance to work with Faustus. I asked who the