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Murder in Family Decumius

Investigation

"How horrible!" exclaimed Senator Gaius Aluminus, "How horrendous!"
"Please Senator, calm down." retorted Felix Dectivius, "We've seen worse."
"He hasn't." mumbled Centurion Lucius Casseus.

Felix shot him a look, but the middle-aged centurion simply went back to studying the scroll which they had found clasped in the hand of Centurion, turned Senator, Celsus Decumius. They were in the rather big entrance hall of the Decumius household, where there were marble statues, rich tapestries, painting, and whatever else a classic rich Roman household would have, and all three men were heading to the dining room.

"Still," continued Senator Gaius, "You don't see a whole family killed in one night."
"It's not the whole family." corrected Felix.
"What?" asked Senator Gaius. "But Celsus didn't mention any other part of his family other than his wife and son. I don't think he had any other family other than those two."

Felix bit back an insult. He turned and looked at Lucius, who had buried his face even more into the scroll. Felix knew that the aged Centurion was trying to hold back his anger and sadness. It was hard.

Felix straightened himself and looked at the Senator, "Cent-.. Senator Celsus Decumius had two children, Senator Gaius Aluminus."
"Oh right." said the Senator. His expression became dreamy, "Senator Celsus had a daughter. Aeliana was it?"

"Aemilia." said Lucius, oh so softly. He was still looking at the blood splattered scroll. "She was 16 years old. Looked like her mother." He said these as if he was in a trance.

"Yes." said Felix. "Aemilia Decumius was the first child of Senator Celsus Decumius from his first wife."
"First wife?" asked the Senator.
"For a man who claims to have known Celsus, you don't seem to know much about his family life." retorted Lucius. He had folded the scroll he had been reading and was walking along side the Senator, his cape waving behind him and he was making sure not to step on the fat Senator's toga.
"Well, let's not forget that before he became a Senator, Celsus Decumius was a centurion. He spent a lot of time in Greece. Besides he wasn't much of a talker."
"Maybe because he didn't like the way you were looking at his daughter." thought Felix.

They reached the entrance of the dining room that was covered by velvet curtains.
Felix turned to the fat senator, “I’m warning you, senator. In there are the corpses of Lady Domitia Decumius, the second wife of Celsus Decumius, and…”

“Ianuarius Decumius…” said Lucius, mournfully.

“... And it’s not a pleasant sight.” finished Felix.
“Oh, please! We’re all men here.” Senator Gaius waved a hand, “Proceed.”

Felix took a deep breath and pulled the curtains and went inside, followed by Lucius and the senator.

The dining room had a high ceiling and had at least three openings into the beautiful courtyard, filled with different trees and flowers but was now all wet and muddy because of the storm last night.

The Senator had been looking enviously at the lascivious dining room, and almost, if it weren’t for Lucius, he would have stepped upon the corpse of Lady Domitia Decumius. Thank the Gods, Lucius stopped him. Unfortunately, seeing the pale dead body of the young woman, whose throat had been cut out, and there was a puddle of blood around, made the senator cry out and fall back on his rump, scrambling away from the corpse.

There were three or four soldiers that were at the edge of the courtyard and had stopped what they were doing to see what was all that noise about. Felix turned to look at them, he smiled reassuringly and raised his hands, “It’s alright. It’s simply the Senator, he got surprised is all.”
Some soldiers nodded and went back to what they were doing. They seemed to be dragging two rather heavy things from within the courtyard’s trees. Felix would check on that later after he dealt with the Senator.
Felix turned back to the Senator, who had pushed himself against one of the columns of the entrance and was looking horrified at the corpse of Lady Domitia. Felix stretched his hand out to help the Senator up, and in a silent voice said, “Senator, I warned you.”

The Senator, realizing how ridiculous he looked, accepted Felix’s hand and pulled himself up (which was a difficult task, mind you). Senator Gaius fixed his robes and straightened his back, which, unfortunately, didn’t make his belly smaller or his grey hair any browner. “I know, Centurion. No need to chastise me!” huffed the Senator, “I didn’t expect that the poor young Lady would be in such a… such a…”
“Well, at least show some respect.” retorted Centurion Lucius, he was angry and stricken with grief. And this potbellied Senator wasn’t really helping the mood. He turned to Felix, “So her throat was sliced… Did the guards find the culprit?”
“No.” answered Felix, he pointed towards the courtyard, “But I have a feeling that they have.”
“Well, then. I better go and see if you’re right. Felix, I will talk with you later.” Lucius, without even a farewell to the Senator, went towards the group of soldiers who were dragging what seemed like a lump of black covers.

Felix turned towards the Senator, who was looking at the corpse and backing away from it slowly. “Senator, I believe you have enough for your report to the Senate now.”
“Yes, indeed, Centurion… But” Felix didn’t like that, “But, you mentioned that Senator Celsus had a firstborn daughter, Aeliana…”
“Aemilia.”
“Yes, Aemilia… Where is her corpse?”
“We haven’t found her corpse, Senator.”
“Why?”
“Well, we have guards searching the whole house and the courtyard. None of them have reported anything… yet.” As Felix said it, he glanced towards the courtyard at the soldiers who were dragging another thing from behind the tree. Felix wished that Lucius wasn’t standing so close and watching that whole process. He didn’t know how the old centurion would take it if one of the corpses was his best friend’s daughter.

As Felix was going to try and convince the Senator to leave, Lucius turned and beckoned to him.
“Excuse me Senator.” said Felix.
“Yes, Centurion. Go ahead.” said the Senator, making a rather dramatic look.


As Felix headed towards the courtyard, he couldn’t help but admire the whole space.
T here was a huge dining table made of premium marble and four low seats, one of them seemed to be made out of ivory and the cushion velvet. Felix remembered that it was Celsus’s seat. It had a wet stain on it.

The floor was covered by a rich carpet that Felix had only seen a handful of times at the market and which his wife always wanted for their own house. It had muddy footprints leading to Celsus’s chair and they reached the edge of the carpet and onto the marble flooring where they were smudged. As if the person was moving fast at that moment.
Not far away from the footprints, lay the body of the 14 year old, Ianuarius Decumius.

Felix stopped. He didn’t know why. He approached the body slowly and knelt. The boy was taller than an average fourteen year old boy. He had dark hair and brown eyes that looked up at the ceiling with no life, he was also rather muscular and slim. He looked like the son of a legendary hero. His father was a sort of a hero because of his role in the Battle of Corinth where he helped win it.
Dead Ianuarius had two shiny tips of arrows pointing out from his stomach and heart.
“So young.” thought Felix, “So, so young.”
He prayed and closed Ianuarius’s eyes.

“Didn’t know you were religious, Felix.” said Lucius, after the young centurion reached the edge of the courtyard.
“I’m not.” said Felix with a sad look. He watched as the guards laid side by side two corpses of what seemed men. Both Centurions approached.

“The guards told me that there were three culprits, and when they reached the dining room, the criminals decided to make a run for it. Luckily, they shot two of them down.” stated Lucius.
Felix looked at the two corpses. The one on the left was bigger and bulkier with muscles. He was wearing standard Roman armor and soldier’s standard clothing. There was a bloody silver knife strapped and sheathed under his right arm.

“So this is the one who killed Lady Domitia.” said Felix. Lucius simply nodded. “He looks Roman.”
“That’s because he is.” said Lucius, “Livius Exulius. Deserter of the Fifth Legion. He left during the conquest of Greece.”
“How do you know that?” asked Felix with a surprised look.
“I was the one who saw him run out of camp.” He put his hands up, “Thought he was a scout or something doing a secret mission.”

Felix nodded and started observing the other one. The other one compared to his ‘partner’ was older, smaller, and thinner. He was wearing cheap black clothing but his leather, metal-tipped boots were those that any Roman soldier would wear. The bow and arrows were, too, a standard soldier’s weapon. The man had caramel skin, his black, greying hair that spread around his head was braided, and he had thin black paint around his eyes.

“He must be an Egyptian.” said Felix.
“By the paint around his eyes?” asked Lucius.
“His face and hair also.” responded Felix.
Lucius nodded, he looked at the trees, and in a low voice said, “The third one escaped dragging Aemilia with him. The guards claim that he had a dagger against her throat before he started running.”
Felix looked at the middle-aged Centurion whose brown, short hair and beard had started to become grey. He knew what Lucius was thinking, that maybe Aemilia had survived all of this, but Felix wasn’t going to give his partner and friend false hopes.

“Lucius,” he said in a calm voice, “don’t get your hopes up.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not.” argued the centurion, “I’m just thinking…”
“That the girl is alive. But there are still soldiers searching around this forest of a courtyard.”
“What? Celsus loved forests. There is a chance that she escaped her captor and ran and hid.” said Lucius, hopefully. Felix felt bad for dashing the old man’s hopes, but as fellow centurion and friend he had to.
“Yes. But the fact that Senator Celsus grew a forest in his courtyard makes it harder to find Aemilia Decumius’s body. And you and I both know that it’s best that we find young Lady Aemilia dead rather than kidnapped.”
Felix knew that Lucius was trying to hide his anger and sorrow. “I’m sorry, Lucius.”
Lucius put up a hand, “No… You’re right. Back to the main point, these men aren’t thieves. They didn’t have bags and these two didn’t have anything precious in their pockets. And Lady Domitia still had her jewelry on her.”
“So this means they’re hired killers.” stated Felix, glad that Lucius was thinking on point.
“Not just any.” a voice said from behind them. A young man, about 18 or 20 years old walked towards the two centurions. He had very black hair that barely reached his shoulders and mismatched colored eyes. He was wearing a black and blue toga.

“And who are you, young man?” asked Felix. His question was answered by a rather surprised Senator Gaius.

“Lord Albus Etluxius.” said Senator Gaius Aluminus, “What a surprise to see you here.”

“Yes, indeed, senator.” answered the young man, “But I came here because of the horrible crime that’s been committed.” He knelt next to the corpse of Ianuarius Decumius. He seemed to be studying the boy’s face.

“So?” said Lucius, angrily, “This doesn’t concern you.” He went towards the man dressed in black, obviously attempting to drag him away from the dead boy.
“Actually it does.” said Albus, flashing a cocky smile as he got up. He took a step toward Lucius. “Ianuarius Decumius used to be my student.”
“In what? Cockery?”
“No, actually. I used to teach him how to fight.”
“Wasn’t he trained by Rufus Setrongus, like all the other boys of his standing?” asked Felix. He put a hand on Lucius’s shoulder to calm him. He also tried not to glance at the body

“Well, not exactly.” answered Albus, “I taught more than just swordplay.”
“Like what?” asked Lucius, not bothering to hide his suspicion.
“Oh, a lot.” The look Albus flashed at Felix made him uneasy, “So much that if I started stating them, the day would turn into night.”

Senator Gaius Aluminus laughed wholeheartedly and slapped Lord Albus on the shoulder, making the pale man flinch. “Ah, dear Albus. A man of many gifts indeed. Hahaha.” He wiped a tear off his eye.

The young man smiled coldly and, in one swift move that no one caught, pushed the Senator’s hand off his shoulder. “Yes, indeed Senator. If you don’t mind, I need to talk to these two men.”

“No, no. Of course not.”
“Privately.” Albus made it sound like a threat.
The smile of the senator wavered a bit, “Uh… of course.” Senator Gaius looked at the two centurions, “Um… I will get going now. I have a lot to do today.”
They bid their farewells and as the senator left, he took care not to approach dead Lady Domitia. After the senator left, Felix could swear the young lord said “Good riddance.”

“So?” asked Lucius, “What is it that you want to say to us?”

The young lord turned and looked at the hard look the 50 year old centurion gave him. Finally, he lifted up his arm, dangling what seemed like a black amulet.
“I found this around on the floor of Senator Celsus Decumius’s study, where his corpse also is.” Albus lowered his head and whispered, “Requiescat in pace.”
Lucius almost spat on his own words out of rage, “What gave you the right of entering a his study? What even gave you the right to enter this house, you fiend?”
“Lucius…” Felix tried to calm his friend but it didn’t work as Lucius became even more agitated. All Lord Albus did was stare at the angry centurion.
“Lord or not, teacher or not, you had absolutely no right to enter a dead man’s study and t-take his things and-”
“Sighao” whispered Albus, and immediately the old centurion became quiet.
Felix was surprised at the sudden change. Lucius never let go of his anger that easily. What happened to him? Felix turned to look at the young, black haired Lord and, suddenly, noticed the man’s mismatched eyes. The one on the left was chestnut brown whereas the one on the right was a forest green, and Felix found it hard to look away from those eyes, but he did.

He straightened himself and looked at the young man. A shiver went down his spine. That usually happened when his instincts told him that danger was nigh. He knew that it came from this ‘lord’ whatever he might be. Felix decided to be careful around this man.
Other than the sounds of birds chirping, trees rustling, and soldiers’ footsteps, no other sound filled the room. Until ‘Lord’ Albus spoke.

“Since you are now listening..” He stepped closer to Felix, who stopped himself from going away from the man, and handed him the black amulet. “ I found it close to the study’s exit. As you can see, the cord is torn by force, meaning…”

“It belonged to one of the killers.” finished Felix. Albus nodded and smiled playfully.
Felix looked at the black amulet. It was as small as his eye and, it seemed, there was something glinting.
“There are small golden letters.” said Felix as he held the amulet close to a source of light for a clearer view.
“Indeed there are.” said Lucius, with surprise.
“What does it say?” asked Lord Albus, as he came next to Felix to see the amulet.

“It says…” Felix widened his eyes, “Oh Gods.” he muttered. He lowered the amulet and looked at the bodies of the young woman and boy.
“What?” asked Lucius. Lord Albus looked towards what Felix was looking at.
“Centurion.” He said finally, “Tell us.” His mismatched eyes hungry.
Nigrum Forum.” both men backed away from surprise.
Lucius put a hand on his temple, “Oh Gods…”
Lord Albus smiled like a child who is given a new toy, his mismatched eyes seemed to glow.

“The Black Market.” he said with guilty amazement.

Notes

Sooo.. what do you think? What do you think the Black Market is that the men acted this way? (Other than a place of illegal trading, there's gotta be more than that.)
What do you think happened to Aemilia? She alive or what?

Find out next on 'Murder in Family Decumius'.

*Sounds like the preview of a sitcom*

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