These secret agents reported that
powerful influences were at work to bring about the escape of this arch-
criminal. I set reliable men to find out what those influences were. Their
investigations led straight to Marcus Galvius Crispinillus, a life-long
member of the Imperial secret service, universally known as a professional
informer, yet considered second to no man in the secret service as to
usefulness and reliability, the only man among the spies of Commodus who
had been trusted and retained by Pertinax and Julianus, the very man whom
my relations in Rome, who had kept me posted as to conditions here, had
represented as most likely to be dependable and serviceable. I ordered him
apprehended but he and his despicable sister, Galvia Crispinilla, escaped
arrest by taking some of her poison. Their papers were seized, but so huge
was the mass of them and so great their confusion that they could not be
put in order and their secrets utilized at once. So sluggishly did their
unravelling proceed that, although it was manifest at once that the
precious pair had been agents in Rome for the King of the Highwaymen, had
marketed for him his booty, had kept up an almost daily correspondence
with him, had warned him of all facts and rumors likely to affect him, had
maintained a highly organized and cleverly concealed system of secret
agents and road-messengers for his benefit and theirs; yet, until his
voluntary confession, neither I nor anyone else concerned had the
slightest inkling that the King of the Highwaymen was named Caius Galvius
Crispinillus and was a full brother to the procuress and poisoner and the
professional spy, who had committed suicide to escape retribution for
their villainies.
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