She showed them photos of Daisy Rose and both agreed she was just about the prettiest child they had ever seen. Finally she nonchalantly asked about Robbie.
Hannah’s mouth tightened and her eyes became watery. She touched Lily’s hand and looked into her eyes.
“You see, my darlin’, that’s the reason we’re here, to tell you about my boy.” Lily looked from one to another, confused and terrified. Hannah tried to talk, but soon dissolved into distress.
David spoke up. “You knew Robbie was part of MSF, Doctors Without Borders, right? Well he was sent on a mission to Africa. Did you know that?” Lily nodded.
“Actually he was sent to the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, to work at Daynile Hospital. The area is horrendous—filthy, dangerous, and war-torn. It’s a mess, with thousands of people displaced. David swallowed hard and said, “Nine months ago, four doctors were abducted. Three of them were executed at point-blank range, their bodies dumped on the roadside.” David cleared his throat. “Robbie was one of the ones taken.”
The room spun and Lily grabbed the edge of the table. “Oh my God,” she began to cry. People at the neighboring tables fell silent and stared. David stood and comforted his sister.
“He’s missing, Lily. So far they haven’t found his body, so we have to believe he’s still alive.”
Hannah took a piece of paper from her purse and handed it to Lily. Lily took a deep breath and read the press release:
MOGADISHU/ NAIROBI/ BRUSSELS, September 29, 2012 - It is with great sadness that the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirms that three bodies of its four staff members who were abducted last week were discovered this morning on a roadside close to the MSF compound in Mogadishu, Somalia. They are thought to have perished less than one week ago.
Simon Janssens, a 43-year-old surgeon from Belgium, an experienced medical doctor who had been working with MSF since 2000 in many countries, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Somalia, was well known throughout the international medical community as one of the finest in his field.
John Frost, better known as “Frosty,” was a 44-year-old medical doctor who has worked with MSF since 1998 in Ethiopia, Thailand, and Somalia.
Ivan Adem was a 35-year-old medical coordinator from the Czech Republic who began working with MSF only three months ago.
Details of the shootings are not yet clear. MSF’s immediate priority is to take care of those most affected by this tragedy, in particular the families and colleagues of the victims.
The body of the remaining abductee, Robert Rosen, a 32-year-old medical doctor and surgeon from the United States, has not yet been discovered. It is the hope of MSF that he is alive and will return unharmed. At present, he is considered “missing” and not a “casualty.”
MSF will be relocating some staff from Somalia for security reasons but remains committed to continuing its humanitarian work in Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia.
All four men were in Mogadishu working with the MSF teams to provide emergency medical assistance to displaced persons and residents of the city. We are shocked by these tragic events and will greatly miss Ivan, Frosty, and Simon. We continue to pray for the safe return of Robert Rosen. We extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to their families and friends.
Lily stared at Robbie’s smiling photo at the bottom of the press release. “This cannot be happening, David. Please tell me that this is a misunderstanding.”
Lily gasped when David showed her a photo of Robbie on his knees, blindfolded and bloody, his hands in the air and a gun pointed to his head.
“MSF received this proof of life photo soon after Robbie was abducted. Usually there’s contact after the proof is sent, discussing the kidnapper’s demands, but to date we’ve heard nothing from them.”
As Lily collapsed onto the table, sobbing in despair, David quietly put his arm around her in a genuinely loving attempt to console her. She had not felt such sorrow since her mother had passed away—and at that time it was Robbie’s arms that had held her.
Within minutes, camera phones began to flash. The diners at surrounding tables took countless photos that they rushed to upload to their Twitter and Facebook accounts, ghoulishly capturing Lily in one of her most vulnerable, devastating moments.
Chapter 13
Lily stared at Robbie’s photo on the MSF press release before she put it back into her purse. Would those eyes ever gaze into hers again? Her eyelids closed as she silently willed herself to remember the feeling of the weight of his body on top of her, holding her to the man she knew was the great love of her life. What if his body—the body that had given her a lifetime of pleasure in such a short period of time—now lay abandoned on an isolated road somewhere? The horror of this thought threw shivers throughout her body.
She could not allow herself to enter that dark place again and thus looked around the cabin and saw that Maniadakis was the only other passenger still awake. The overhead light illuminated his profile as he scribbled furiously on a legal pad—his fleshy jowls bouncing to the rhythm of his pen. She had vested all her faith and a great sum of money in this man’s ability to help her find Robbie, even though a mere two weeks earlier she’d never heard of Maniadakis. A man whom Aunt Donna had not seen in more than fifteen years had recommended Maniadakis to her and in a moment of stark lucidity, Lily wondered if she had lost her mind embarking on such a precarious adventure.
After Hannah and David had revealed the distressing details about Robbie’s abduction and the deaths of his co-workers, Lily promised to do everything in her power to support their efforts to find him.
After she said goodbye to the Rosens, she headed to Paola’s Restaurant on E 92nd Street and Madison Avenue, one of Manhattan’s most beloved and respected uptown eateries. Her friends and fellow castmates had gathered there to celebrate the successful run and closing of A Small Life. She was more than an hour late and did not feel like talking to anyone, much less joining the festivities that she was certain would, by then, be in full swing.
She walked into the restaurant, its tables always set with crisp white linen, sparkling silver, and fresh flowers in crystal vases. Each time she had visited the restaurant, she found her senses teased by its tantalizing aromas of authentic Italian cuisine. Tonight, in her agitated and distracted state of mind, she experienced none of this. She hurried past the hostess and over to a bank of tables that had been pushed together to accommodate the large party.
“I’m sorry for being so late.” She feigned a smile and slid into the empty chair at the head of the table. Jamie was on one side and Donna on the other. She gave Jamie a peck on the cheek and looked at her dearest friends: Tommy, Fernando, Jodee, Jessica, Kristin, Paul, Theresa, and her fellow castmates and members of the stage crew and wardrobe department. She smiled and felt a rush of comfort. Seated next to Donna was an attractive man whom Lily vaguely remembered as Auntie D.’s old flame, Ken. His tweed beret, jauntily perched atop his shoulder-length, salt-and-pepper hair, along with his trimmed goatee, gave him downtown artisan flair. He smiled warmly at Lily, who extended her hand in greeting.
“One thing you learned from Daisy is how to make a grand entrance!” Theresa laughed.
“I know and I’m sorry everyone. Something came up that I had to take care of.” Jamie poured her a glass of champagne, which she then raised and said, “Thanks for coming tonight.”
Jodee stood up. “Quiet, please. I’d like to make a toast. Getting to work with you, Lily, has been a dream come true. And even though I was not nominated for a Tony Award like some people we know…..” she pointed her champagne glass in Lily’s direction and everyone laughed, “the experience was one I will always remember. I love you, girl.” She blew Lily a kiss across the table and sat down. Everyone began to talk at once.
Lily felt as if she were in a dream. She didn’t tell anyone where she had been or w
hat David had told her. Sadly, there would be plenty of time for that tomorrow.
Jamie had ordered her Paola’s specialty dish— Pappardelle with marinara. Lily had no appetite and pushed the food around her plate, hoping no one would notice. Her thoughts returned endlessly to the conversation she’d had earlier in the evening with Hannah and David.
Donna leaned close to Lily and whispered. “Pali, are you okay? You seem distracted.” Before Lily could reply, Jamie stood up.
“If you don’t mind, now I’d like to make a toast.” He lifted his glass of champagne, as did everyone else. “ Um, I know that, in recent months—okay, years—I may not have been your favorite person in the world. I certainly understand why.” He looked at Lily and continued. “But I want to say, in front of all the people you love most in the world, Lily, how very proud I am of you and how much I love you.” Lily looked around the table and smiled nervously.
Jamie moved his chair back to give himself room, then took Lily’s hand and kissed it. Still holding her hand, he went down on one knee.
“Babe, I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you and taking care of you and our daughter. If you’ll have me, I would be honored if you would be my wife.”
He went into his pocket and pulled out a Tiffany box and opened it. Everyone at their table as well as at the surrounding tables stopped talking and watched. Inside the peacock-blue box was the most perfect 5-karat, emerald-cut, yellow diamond ring with a double row of white round diamonds in a platinum and 18-karat gold setting.
Everyone at the table began to clap and talk. Then the diners at the other tables joined in. Many took out their smart phones and snapped photos. Lily was dumbstruck. Seeing Jamie on his knee brought back the recent memory of the proof of life photo of Robbie on his knees, that David had shown her just a few hours earlier.
Lily was shocked. She covered her mouth with her hand, began to cry, and ran to the Ladies Room.
At 1:00 a.m. Lily, seated in her living room, surrounded by her dear friends and a brooding Jamie, repeated the story that David had told her hours before. No one spoke a word until she finished talking. After telling them the entire story and showing the MSF press release, she was emotionally drained.
They began to talk at once, each one bombarding her with questions— questions that Lily had no idea how to answer. Why had he been abducted? Were they looking for a ransom? Are you sure he’s still alive?
All of a sudden Ken, who barely spoke a word the entire evening, said, “I know someone who may be able to shine some light on the situation.” He had their attention. “I have a home in Mykonos where I go to paint a few times a year. I also have regular gigs in many of the clubs, where I sing and play guitar.
“He has a wonderful voice.” Donna added.
“Thanks, honey” He smiled at the group. “Anyway, a few years ago, I was playing one of my regular gigs in a club called Notorious.” He looked from Fernando to Lily. “It wasn’t open yet when you were there shooting your movie. I don’t know if you remember the area. It’s one street back from the limani—the waterfront, located off an alley, that can’t be, I don’t know, more than 12 feet wide. Anyway, there are about seven or eight tables out front. Customers gather there nightly—some at the tables, others sit on the stone steps in front. They hang out and shoot the shit. Last year, I noticed this one guy, a funny-looking dude, who would sit each night at the same table outside. No one ever sat with him and no one ever spoke to him. But you could set your clock by him. Every night 9:00 p.m. he would sit there and would smoke a Montecristo, eat a little, drink a lot, and listen to the music from inside the bar. At 1:00 a.m. he’d get up and leave until the next evening.
I asked the owners, Susan and Andreas, who the guy was. Andreas told me his name was Nikos Maniadakis—an American expatriate, from Texas, whose grandparents were from Athens. When he retired, he moved to Mykonos. Andreas said the guy was quiet at first, a bit of an “aw shucks” cowboy type, but that if you gave him one too many Retsinas, he’d tell some amazing stories.
I was intrigued, so between sets I went over and talked to him. It became a nightly thing. It seems that the guy had been some sort of Government Special Op—C.I.A.—who had spent a lot of time in Somalia. From what I hear, he understands the ins and outs of the place and supposedly knows everyone there. Maybe he can be of some help to you in finding out about your friend.”
“Oh my God, that would be great. Can you reach out to him for me?” For the first time that evening Lily felt a tiny spark of optimism. Ken checked his watch.
“It’s around 9:00 a.m. in Greece, so I guess I could call him. Give me a second and I’ll try.”
Ken walked out of the room.
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this, Lily. Why are you getting so involved?” Jamie stood up and walked over to Lily who was seated on the couch. “Babe, he’s got family, let them figure this out.”
“Let’s see what this guy Nikos has to say. If he can help, I’ll put him and David together.”
That seemed to settle Jamie down for a few minutes. When he left the room to get more refreshments for everyone, Donna gave Theresa a look and nodded her head toward Lily. They stood in unison and sat down on either side of her.
“How are you doing, honey?” Donna took her hand.
“Not good, Auntie D. When I heard about Robbie—well you could just imagine. And then Jamie’s proposal on top of it. Holy crap, who saw that coming?”
“Well, I’m not surprised,” Theresa said. “He’s wanted to get back in the fold since that whole Natalie debacle.” Theresa’s husband Paul was the director on the movie where Jamie had met and had the affair with Natalie. Unbeknown to Paul, his wife Theresa—who was a good friend of Daisy and who was on the movie set with Jamie—had called and reported back to Lily almost daily.
Theresa continued. “He hasn’t talked much about anything else, right Paul?”
“Right. Except to talk about the movie and ask when the sequel to Standoff in Sante Fe was going into pre-production,” Paul replied.
“I don’t trust him for a minute.” Fernando looked toward the kitchen to make sure Jamie wasn’t walking toward them. “He’s a weasel.”
“I don’t think she needs to hear that now, dear,” Tommy patted his partner’s hand. “She’s got enough on her plate.
Ken walked back into the room, iPhone in hand. I’ve got Nikos on the line. He said he’s going to make some calls in the next few hours. If you want, we can set up a video chat with him around 1:00 p.m. our time.”
“Yes, absolutely. I’ll call David and ask him to join us.” Lily replied.
When Ken walked back out the door, Lily squeezed Donna’s hand. “So glad you got back together with Ken.”
Donna smiled. She had no doubt that God and their guardian angel in heaven, Daisy Lockwood, worked in mysterious ways.
Chapter 14
Fewer than 14 hours later, David and Hannah joined Donna, Jamie, and Ken in Lily’s living room for their video conference with Nikos Maniadakis. Earlier that day, Ken had warned them that there were connection and server problems in Mykonos, but assured them he had heard from Maniadakis and that the conference would happen as scheduled.
Finally they made the connection—a bit pixelated at first—but within a few minutes Maniadakis was on screen. Ken made the introductions and without further pleasantries, Maniadakis started talking. He was a heavy-set man with thinning hair and a pocked complexion. Lily thought he looked as unlike a C.I.A. Operative as one might imagine, based on the ones she’d seen on TV and in the movies.
“Before I begin, I must know who you have spoken to and what you were told.”
“When Robbie first went missing we were contacted by one of the members of the International board of Médecins Sans Frontières,” Hannah looked down at her notes. “His name was Dr. Juan Reseda. He told us that Robbie, along with three other staff members, had been abducted. Armed men came into the compound in the mid
dle of the night and grabbed them out of their beds. A few days later they found the other three men’s bodies about fifteen miles away.”
David added, “That’s right. And two days after my brother was taken, they received a ‘Proof of Life’ photo showing that he was alive. A newspaper indicated the date. I can scan or fax it over to you if you want.”
Maniadakis held up a duplicate of the paper David had shown Lily at the coffee shop. “No need. I received it this morning. Who else you spoken to?”
Hannah said, “Beside the director and representatives of MSF, we’ve been in touch with our Congressman Frank Whitehall and Senator Tom Frankel, who were both very understanding and sympathetic—”
“— and haven’t done jack shit.” David interrupted.
“David!”
“Sorry, Mom. But it’s true, no one has, not our government, not the MSF— no one. Meanwhile my brother may be in grave danger while everyone sits on their asses. Hannah put her hand on her son’s arm. “What David is saying is true. Our next step was to go to CNN and other news channels and papers to get it out to the media. But first we came to New York to talk to Lily. She and my son had a very special relationship and we knew we could count on her— and we were right.” She smiled at Lily.
Jamie shot Lily a questioning look, but Lily ignored it and turned her attention back to the screen.
Maniadakis folded his hands and sighed. “First off, let me tell you about the Baanadir coast. It is worse than any hell you can imagine. There are the different tribes—clans—and sub-clans at war with one another for land, goods, and food. They’re led by tribal warlords who will do anything to get what they need. They treat murder as an everyday activity. When people walk down the street and hear a gun cock, they automatically hit the ground. It’s a reflex and everyone in Somalia has it, especially in Mogadishu. So with no government in place, you got complete anarchy. Murder in the streets, piracy, you name it—if you find it in hell, you’ll find it in Mogadishu. So then, in comes Al Shabaab to make things even more interesting.”
The Silver Cord: The Lily Lockwood Series: Book Two Page 10
