The Church Murders: A stand-alone thriller (Greek Island Mysteries Book 2)

by Luke Christodoulou

  ‘What do you think he has done?’ his father asked, but Ioli paid no attention to him. She tilted her head and tried to make eye contact with the boy.

  ‘Hanging around with friends.’ His voice fought to come out and we strained our ears to hear him better.

  ‘Where?’ I asked, while his father angrily told him to speak up.

  ‘At the park. The one behind the old supermarket...’

  ‘And where else?’

  ‘No where really, miss. Stayed there for hours, we did. Then drove around town. I was home by eleven. My mama saw me come in...’ Maria nodded in agreement and stroked her boy’s back.

  ‘Why are you so anxious, Andrew?’ I asked.

  ‘I don’t know what you want.’

  ‘What do you think this is about?’

  He looked at his father and bowed his head, even lower.

  ‘Weed.’

  ‘What?’ his mother cried out.

  ‘Had some fun at the park, did you Andrew?’

  ‘I... I only smoked a bit. I don’t know who brought it. It was just passed around for fun. We are not dealers or anything.’

  His father looked confused.

  ‘You came to our house about a teenager having a smoke? You aren’t local police. Why are you here? We have rights, you know.’

  ‘I know, sir. I just wanted to give your son a chance to declare his whereabouts. We are investigating a murder case...’

  ‘A murder case!’ Maria Kontou looked stressed out and ready to faint. Her face turned pale white, drained of all color, and her head shook from side to side in denial. ‘No, no. My boy has nothing to do with any murder. He was at the park...’ she mumbled away, not sure how to continue her sentence.

  ‘What murder case?’ his father wanted to know.

  ‘Alexis Callis’.

  ‘The retired art teacher?’ Maria asked.

  ‘That’s the one. He was murdered down by Monolithos beach, in one of the little caves along the beach,’ I said.

  ‘And why do you think my son has anything to do with this?’

  ‘Mr. Kontou, your son’s hairs were found on the body,’ Ioli stated. Maria could not hold back her tears. George stared at his son in disbelief. The youth stood up and raised his voice.

  ‘Now you listen here. I was at the park with my friends. I have nothing to do with this. I did not even know the guy. This is crazy.’

  ‘Sit down, please,’ Ioli said and his parents gently pulled him back to the sofa. ‘No one is making any accusations here. We are investigating evidence. How did your hair end up on the body of Alexis Callis?’

  ‘I don’t know. We hang about in those caves often. Always have. All teenagers go down there, to drink, smoke... be with a girl, you know?’

  As I predicted. The answer we did not want to hear. The evidence was circumstantial at best.

  ‘You can’t blame my boy for this shit, pardon my language. The guy was murdered in a cave where Andrew had sat with his friends. It’s the same as finding a dead guy at my work. I’m sure many of my hairs are on the bank’s floor.’

  ‘As I said, we are only following leads. Thank you for your time,’ I said and got up. Ioli stared at me for a good minute. She stood up beside me and whispered in my ear. ‘That’s it? We are not pushing it more?’

  ‘Let’s talk in the car.’ I turned towards Andrew. ‘Names of friends who can verify you were at the park last night.’

  ‘Erm, who was there? Christo, Annita, Alina, Costa... I think Emily was there for a while, Antony came later and stayed till late... There was a bunch of others too, but these are the ones I was with.’

  ‘Your story better check out or we will be back. Have a nice day.’

  We left behind a distressed family and a grounded-for-a-month Andrew.

  ‘Weed? You stupid boy.’ His mother slapped him across his face. Never mess with an angry Greek mother. Never. Andrew took the walk of shame up to his room. Sexting with Alina would relax his mind. In the meanwhile, Ioli’s mind could not relax.

  We drove off in silence. Minutes later, I turned to Ioli, lost in her thoughts. ‘The evidence isn’t...’

  ‘Enough to stand up in court. I know. That is why I knew we needed a confession. Just disappointed, that’s all. Pay no attention to me, my body and my mind have ganged up against me lately. I’ll be fine.’

  And when Ioli stresses that she will be fine, that signals the end of the conversation. She hated being asked if she was OK. She once told me ‘and what is OK anyway? This is a crazy world we live in. I don’t think we are ever OK. By what criteria are we OK? And what an annoying word! OK... So simple, so shallow...’

  The weather for once decided on being our ally. The downpour, had turned into a mizzle and, by evening, the clouds had vanished from the sky. The winter sun was off early to bed and all the Thira teens came out to play. The park filled up with bike-riding teens, young boys on roller skates trying hard to impress the girls with their moves and groups of five or six gathered around benches, smoking, drinking and laughing.

  It did not take long to find Andrew’s gang. Everyone knows everyone in small towns. First kid we asked, pointed towards where they were sitting. As we approached the group, their vibrant talking diminished into silence. They all turned, curiosity mixed with uncertainty written in their eyes. They did not get to see many strangers during the winter.

  ‘Hey,’ Ioli approached, smiling. ‘Nice wheels.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Antony answered, sitting up straight on his black BMX.

  ‘We were wondering if you could help your friend Andrew out. We are with the police and...’

  With the sound of the word police, they all straightened up and exchange worried looks.

  ‘... we need to note down Andrew’s whereabouts so he isn’t blamed for something he did not do. He was here with you last night, right?’

  Annita spoke first. She spat out her chewing gum and said that Andrew was at the park last night.

  ‘What time did he get here?’ I asked.

  ‘Around six. There was still light,’ Christo said. ‘It was just the three of us in the beginning, but soon we were all here. Is Andrew in trouble, sir?’

  ‘Not if you can verify that he was here with you. And you sat here all night?’

  ‘Well, mostly, yeah.’

  ‘We went to the kiosk at one point.’

  ‘I left early...’

  ‘I left and came back around ten...’

  ‘Did Andrew leave at any point?’ Ioli asked, interrupting the simultaneous answers.

  ‘Erm, I don’t think so,’ an unsure Emily said.

  ‘He was here, when I got back at eleven,’ Costa said.

  His breath smelled of marijuana. A plastic bag with a couple of bottles of alcohol lay by the side of the bench. These teens came here for what they perceived to be a good time and got wasted. Desultory teenagers came and went. Andrew could have left, returned later and still have witnesses verifying he had been there the whole time.

  ‘We have two options,’ Ioli said as we walked back to the car. ‘We either accept, Andrew had nothing to do with the murder and his hairs were already in the cave or we accept that this park is the best alibi ever. Dozens of kids coming and going at all hours, not looking at the clock. He could have left at seven and come back at half eight and still have witnesses.’

  My thoughts exactly.

  I tried hard to keep my thoughts on the case. It was hard not to think of my father being hit by a car and lying in a hospital bed. I texted relatives as often as I could. To get updates on his condition, but mostly to see how my mother was coping. I could not find the courage to talk to her. I know my decision outraged her. I hoped that one day she would understand.

  A dark night surrounded us. No visible moon and the majority of stars had yet to come out to play. We drove down dark streets where the cold wind blew. Everyone, besides the crazy youngsters in the park, locked up warm in their homes.

  ‘Watch out,’ Ioli screamed
and I slammed down on the brakes. A black figure ran out into the street. The tires screeched, leaving behind black snake like lines on the road. We came to a halt; the car’s lights revealing Father Agvoustino as he froze like a cat in the middle of the street. His eyes were wide open, in obvious shock. His black clothes were soaked in blood and drops fell from open wounds on his head. He breathed frantically.

  ‘Help me... Help me,’ he kept repeating, each time the words coming out louder and louder. He gathered his courage as he realized who we were. We stepped out of the car and approached him. He fell to his knees.

  ‘Thank God, it’s you. He is in the church. He tried to kill me.’ He lifted his finger and pointed towards the alleyway that led to the church. ‘Get him,’ he said and collapsed.

  Chapter 31

  Dr. Ariadne Metaxa’s office

  ‘Were you close? Your father and you?’ Ariadne Metaxa asked. She had just placed my herbal tea, next to me, on a wooden, hand carved side table.

  I sunk back into the soft armchair. I forced a smile. ‘Just because I did not drop everything and rush off to New York, doesn’t mean we weren’t close or I didn’t care.’

  She did not reply until she had poured her share of the pungent tea and sat down slowly in the armchair opposite me. ‘Did I imply such a thing? Have I ever judged you, Costa?’ She brought the steamy, porcelain tea cup to her full lips. The moment she took her first sip, was probably one of the few moments her eyes were not focused on me.

  ‘Mmm... I love a warm cup during these cold evenings...’ Another passionate sip. ‘Maybe a story, to complete the setting. I am sure, you have a good father and son tale to share.’

  ‘We were as close as men were back then. He did not say I love you and we rarely hugged, but the love was there. I was his only son. You know, Greek parents back then had a saying. I have one child and two daughters.’ She gave off her characteristic giggle.

  ‘People with just daughters had no children then.’

  ‘Something like that. He worked his ass off for his family. Mama too. Immigrants in a foreign land with a heavy accent and little knowledge of the language. He came back from the factory broken and went back every morning with a smile. We never felt poor. We never felt children of a lesser God. Father always provided. I am so proud of him. Always have been. He wasn’t always there for me, but when I really needed him, I knew I could count on him. He taught me to ride a bike, to shave, to drive...’

  A tear fought to form in the corner of my eye. Call me old fashioned, but men of my time, do not cry in front of pretty ladies. During Ariadne’s next sip, the tears were quickly wiped away.

  ‘As for your story... I must have been sixteen at the time, approaching seventeen. I started dating this Mexican girl from my biology class. She was drop dead gorgeous, smart, funny, but my mother would not approve. All us Greek kids had to find a decent Greek girl to date.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘Anyway, I did not say a word about Lucia at home. One Saturday evening, I find on my bed a ten dollar note and a piece of paper that said take that girl somewhere nice. The following week, more money and another note buy her something romantic like flowers or chocolates, this time. Cliche, I know. This went on for like a month or so. I believed mama thought I was dating a Greek girl or that she was cooler than I had her out to be. So, one day, I came out the shower and on my bed was a box of condoms. The note read: Costumes for your gentleman. Be respectful to the girl and don’t worry too much. Big size dicks run in the family. She will be pleased!’

  Ariadne could not control her laughter. Her usual ephemeral giggle, now a roaring laughter. ‘You can’t be serious?’

  ‘Oh, I am. It was my dad all along. What made it even more embarrassing, was the next day when we were alone, he asked me how it went and started giving me tips how to change positions often and let the girl take control when she’s on top and... it makes me wonder how it took me so long to end up in therapy!’

  ‘He sounds like one hell of a guy.’

  ‘Yeah, he truly was.’

  Chapter 32

  Ioli pushed open the heavy, wooden church door and leaped into the room with her gun stretched out, searching around. I ran around the church; it was deserted. Just us and the chilling breeze. Inside, Christ’s large icon had been painted with Father Avgoustino’s blood as the attacker had bashed his head against the icon multiple times. The elderly man crawled into the church on all fours, shaking all over, asking the Lord for His protection. Ioli sat down beside him. She calmed him and took a look at his deep scars. Paramedics were shortly by their side. Constable Christina appeared with them, forensic kit in her right hand.

  ‘Just as you asked, Captain.’

  I took samples of the blood, though I knew it was unlikely that the fragile old priest had managed to fight back. I picked and bagged a few hairs too. The church was a public place and no help would be provided from analyzing them, but I had to be thorough.

  ‘I’m going with the priest,’ Ioli said. ‘I’ll try to get a statement as soon as he is ready.’

  ‘Want me to go?’

  ‘No, it’s fine. I’m feeling better today and I need to prove to myself that I am back to being me! Anyway, old guys need their rest. Don’t stay up too late.’ She gave me a nudge on my shoulder and with her Julia Robert’s smile upon her face, she was off.

  I handed Christina the evidence and instructed her to send it immediately to the labs. Knees and back aching, I walked towards my car. A beer and a hot shower later, I was lying naked between the hotel’s warm sheets. The TV was playing the usual crap, with re-runs of Turkish and Mexican soap operas dominating the late night scene. I left the less annoying one on.

  ‘Oh, his eyes. His gorgeous blue eyes,’ poor Juanita daydreamed over Prince Juan. As if the King and Queen would let their son marry a farmer’s daughter.

  Stupid show. As if the two brown eyed royals could be the parents of the blue eyed prince.

  I sat up. My heart skipped a beat and then began to race.

  ‘Brown is a dominant color! Well, I’ll be damned!’

  I picked up my phone. I called –and woke up- the chief. I needed a warrant and I needed it fast.

  ‘You have some balls, Costa, but if you think I am waking up a judge at one in the morning, you have another thing coming! There is no fleeing risk. Zero. Nada. Nyet. Go to sleep and by the time you wake, your warrant will be faxed to you.’ That was the chief’s way of letting me know, that a judge would be notified and soon, our suspect would be in jail.

  Chapter 33

  I had managed to log in a couple of hours of restless sleep. My mind, focused on the game, would not let my body relax. When I finally closed my eyes, my daughter came to my dreamland.

  ‘Come on daddy, die and come play with me,’ she would giggle while murderers of cases past appeared around me, each killing me in their own gruesome way.

  Ariadne is going to love this dream.

  I woke up, covered in a cold sweat. I showered slowly, killing time until the Mediterranean sun came out of the ocean and sent its first rays through my open window. I dressed and sped next door to wake up Ioli. She had stayed up late too, working on Father Avgoustino’s testimony. The priest did not get a chance to see his attacker. He recalled being ambushed and grabbed from behind. The attacker hit his head violently on the solid wood icon, blurring his vision and weakening his senses. The old man managed to kick the perpetrator in his privates and fled.

  ‘Ioli? Get up, now. Quick!’

  ‘What the... Costa, is that you? What are you, a fucking rooster or what? Jesus...’ she kept on moaning and cursing, but I knew the act. I could hear her moving around, getting dressed.

  ‘What?’ she finally opened the freshly painted maroon door.

  ‘The kid’s eyes are turquoise. Both parents have brown eyes.’ I loved that I never had to say more with Ioli. Smartest partner I have ever had.

  She took a second and said ‘Brown is a dominating color. If one had brown and the other blue
, it would be possible, yet rare. But two brown eyed parents with a blue eyed kid? That’s one in a million. You think he is adopted? How does that connect to the case?’

  ‘No, he's not adopted. I woke Christina last night and had her check hospital records. She cursed less than you, by the way. He is his mother’s son alright. But that jaw, that nose, the way his ears point out...’

  ‘Oh my... The fisherman!’

  ‘That’s what has been on my mind! Spitting image aren’t they? Got a warrant for the kid. We are bringing him in for questioning.’

  ‘An unfaithful mother is not a crime.’

  ‘Something’s fishy about the fisherman. Pitiful excuses were all he had. If he was out to sea, how did he see the attack? And if he was close to shore, why didn’t he come to land at once and report it? Or, at least, shout out to the attackers. He was safe on his boat. He took his time. My money is on him identifying his son and that’s why he took his time. To give the boy time or maybe even warn him to plan an alibi.’

  She smiled. A mysterious look graced her face.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing. Just proud of you. I’m glad, you’re my partner.’

  Her words came unexpected and touching. I did not want to get emotional, so as always, I resulted to humor. ‘Aw, I knew you were capable of being nice. Come here, give us a hug.’

  ‘And the moment is gone. Fuck off. It’s too early for hugs. Let’s go get that kid.’

  Outside the Kontou home, the whole family rushed around on their way out. The kids packed and ready for school, mother ready to drop them off, father ready for another 9 to 5 day. Smiles all around. Until they saw us, that is.

  The father approached us, anger flashing in his eyes.

  ‘Now, look here. Andrew is on his way to school. You have upset him enough with your accusations...’

  ‘Step aside, sir,’ Ioli said firmly and walked towards the tall, young man who look ridiculous hiding behind his petite mother.