He glanced around the room while Stella leaned over to pour the coffee. At least he tried to convince himself he was looking around the room and not struggling to ignore the breasts inches from his face as she filled his cup. “Have you ever thought of staying here?”
“What’s here for me? A horny local guy. Or an even hornier passing tourist? No, I have no future here.”
Kouros wondered if he should tell her the truth. But the truth took away a lot of leverage if he wanted her to talk. “You’re worried about your immigration status, aren’t you?” he asked.
She looked up at him, anger flushing her face. “What are you getting at?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re an Athens cop who shows up out of nowhere at the place where I sleep, you can’t keep your eyes off my tits, and just happen to raise the subject of my immigration status when you already knows it’s illegal. What’s the matter, Detective? Are you the type of predator who prefers your victims to beg you to fuck them so you won’t turn them in? You think that makes you any better than a fuck-me-or-I’ll-beat-you-to-death rapist?” She stood up. “I thought you were different. You want to fuck me? Here, fuck me.” She had already pulled off her t-shirt and was working on her shorts when Kouros grabbed her hands.
“You’ve got it all wrong.”
She twisted away from his hands and turned away from him.
Kouros stayed where he was. “Put on your top and come back here.”
She didn’t move. He could hear her crying.
“Like I said, you have it all wrong.”
A minute passed. She reached down, picked up her t-shirt, put it on, and turned around, eyes red and nose running.
He handed her a napkin.
She took it, blew her nose, and sat down across the table from him. “I’m sorry. It’s just that since Babis’ death practically every man through that front door has tried getting in my pants. I can’t stand it.”
“I can imagine. I’m sorry.”
“I’ve always had guys hitting on me. But it’s sickening to have to face a line of Babis’ supposed friends coming by to see if they can be the first to console me with their dicks.”
“I can’t believe everyone who’s come to see you was like that?”
“No, but enough to make me sick of them all.”
“Who for instance?”
“I don’t want to talk about them.”
Kouros nodded. “Locals?”
“I said I don’t want to talk about them.”
“Anybody I know?”
“You’re not going to stop, are you?”
He smiled. “No. Because I can help you.”
She shut her eyes, drew in and let out a deep breath. “His friends from Pirgos.”
“What friends?’
“Three guys stopped by yesterday. Real nasty bastards. They said they hadn’t seen Babis in a very long time and drove down from Pirgos to pay Babis’ ‘widow’ their respects.”
“They thought you were his wife?”
“They said the words, but I didn’t believe anything they said.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I saw one of them with Babis a little more than a week before your uncle died.”
“Where?”
She pointed at the front door. “He came in after lunch, spoke to Babis at the door, and left. I thought Babis had told him we were closed, and when I said I didn’t mind waiting on the guy he told me, ‘Mind your own fucking business,’ and left. I guess to meet him.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I heard Babis yelling at someone outside. I couldn’t make out what he said, but I could tell he was angry.”
“You’re sure it was one of the same guys who came by to see you yesterday?”
“Positive. He had jet-black hair with a white streak running straight down the middle, front to back. Like a skunk.”
“What did they want?”
“It certainly wasn’t to make me comfortable. One looked and smelled like a bear, another kept licking his lips and staring at my breasts.”
“So we’ve got a skunk, a bear, and a...uh,” Kouros stared at Stella’s breasts.
“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t say it.”
Kouros smiled. “But he needs a name.”
“Fine. Malaka.”
“Too common.”
She shut her eyes. “He had a big mole on the back of his right hand.”
“Terrific. A skunk, a bear, and a mole walk into a taverna.”
“Are you trying to be cute, Detective?” She smiled.
Again Kouros almost blushed. “What did they want from you?”
“From their looks, to the extent it involved me it had nothing to do with my mind. But their questions were all about your family’s reaction to Babis killing your uncle.”
“What sort of questions?”
“The kind designed to learn who, besides Babis, that Mangas and your family might be blaming for the murder. They said they were concerned the family might somehow be blaming me as Babis’ wife, but I knew they didn’t give a damn about how the family felt about me.”
“What did you say?”
“As far as I could tell everything was fine and no one was blaming me for what Babis had done.”
“Did you tell them anything else?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
Her face turned very serious. “That I wasn’t Babis’ wife, but engaged to one of your uncle’s nephews.”
“You what?”
She smiled. “I was alone in here with them. I had to come up with something to make them think twice before trying anything.”
“Smart.”
“Aren’t you going to ask which nephew?” She smiled.
Kouros felt himself flush. He swallowed before speaking. “Did Babis ever mention anything to you about a Ukrainian?”
Stella’s smile vanished. “I don’t believe you asked that question.”
“Why?”
“They asked me the same thing.”
“What did you tell them?”
“The truth—no—but the bear kept pressing me on it. Scared me a bit. The skunk had to tell him to cool it. Then they left.”
“That’s it?”
She nodded. “But their visit made up my mind for me. That’s when I called your cousin Mangas and told him I’d be leaving tomorrow.”
“What did he say?”
“‘No hurry, take your time.’”
“I agree with him.”
“Between immigration and those guys from Pirgos, there’s no upside to my staying here.”
“I wouldn’t worry about the boys from Pirgos. As for immigration, well, I think that’s going to work itself out.”
She leaned across the table and stared into Kouros’ eyes. “If telling me that you’ll cure my immigration worries is your revised technique for getting into my pants, I have two words for you.”
“No, you’re wrong again. My uncle made all the arrangements before he died. He wanted to surprise you. You’ll have your ID card any day now.”
She put her finger to Kouros’ lips. “Like I said, I have two words for you.” She paused. “Not necessary.” She leaned farther across the table. “I’ve wanted to make love to you since the moment we met.”
Kouros blinked.
Stella stood up, came around, and took his hand. “Come along with me, Detective Kouros.”
And he did.
***
Brown, chestnut, soft, flowers, light, dark, smooth, touch, taste, hold, press, grasp, turn, bury, release, cling, stroke, kiss. Straddle, lift, fall, reach, touch, squeeze, race, harder, finish. Caress. Sleep. Awake. Watch. Speak.
“I’m glad you came back.”
>
“I’m glad you didn’t leave.”
Stella kissed Kouros on his shoulder.
He lay on his belly, his arm across her chest.
Neither spoke a word.
“Do you know about me and your uncle?”
Kouros opened his eyes and stared at the side of her head. “I don’t even want to think about what possessed you to ask me that question at this moment.”
“But you do know?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Why ‘good’?”
“Because now I have nothing left to hide from you.” She brushed her lips against his shoulder and reached one hand under his body to hold him.
But Kouros’ mind was elsewhere. “Did you hide it from Babis?”
“I didn’t have to. He knew.”
“How did he know?”
She pressed her head back against the pillow and sighed. “Why are you asking that?”
“Because I’m a cop and you started it.”
She pulled her hand away. “Someone gave him a picture of us coming out of a hotel room.”
“Who gave it to him?”
“I don’t know, but it was taken at Panos’ hotel.”
“How do you know about the photo?”
“He showed it to me.”
“When?”
“About a week ago.”
“That would be a couple of days before my uncle died.”
“Yes.”
“Why did he show it to you?”
“He said he wanted me to know that he knew. And that the moment your uncle ‘was out of the picture’ he’d start turning some ‘real money’ by peddling my ass as his whore.” She spit at the words.
“Nice guy.”
“He was angry.” Again she sighed and turned her head away. “But in his own way he loved me.”
Why do the abused always say that? “I’m sure.” Kouros sat up and almost fell onto the floor. He’d forgotten they were on a cot in a storeroom. The smell of onions and disinfectant hit him. He preferred the scent of Stella’s hair, the taste of her body, but this conversation was headed in the wrong direction and he did have a job to do.
“If he loved you why did he kill himself?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he ever threaten to kill himself?”
“Himself, no.” She raised her arms in the air. “Me, yes.” She slammed her arms down onto the cot.
“Anyone else?”
“All the time. It was his way of expressing anger.”
“Did he ever kill anyone?”
“Why don’t you stop with the questions and come back down here next to me?”
Kouros turned and placed his hand on her belly. “I need these answers.”
She shut her eyes and put her hands on top of his hand. “Not while I knew him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he had before. From what he told me he ran with a rough crowd.”
“Like the crew that paid you a visit yesterday?”
She nodded. “Sometimes he’d threaten me with how easy it would be for a body to disappear in the sea. As if he knew how to do it.”
“Such as by tying a rock around your neck?”
“I heard the ancient Greeks used that as a method for committing suicide, but for Babis to do that…” She opened her eyes again. “That’s not how I would have expected him to kill himself. He’d almost drowned as a child and once told me he’d rather shoot himself in the head—several times, if necessary—than drown in the water.”
“So why did he do it that way?”
“No idea. But I guess when you decide to kill yourself, how you do it is the least of your concerns.”
Just the opposite, thought Kouros. If someone starts talking in detail about how he plans on killing himself, that’s when you know it’s serious. Suicides tended to be planned final acts, not done on a whim.
She reached out and touched his side. “So, are you done with the questions?”
He smiled. “For now, yes.”
“Good,” she spread wide her arms. “Come. Make me forget all my other lovers.”
Kouros rolled his eyes. “Sounds like quite a challenge.”
She laughed and grabbed his cock. “I think you’re up to it.”
***
Andreas felt the vibration in his pants pocket. He adjusted his position in the chair and reached in without taking his eyes off the television. The riots in Syntagma threatened to turn more violent and tear gas-saturated than usual. Another peaceful demonstration in Parliament Square successfully hijacked by masked anarchists and mobsters. The former sought any excuse to battle police with Molotov cocktails and rocks; the latter were happy to vandalize and rob neighborhood shops under cover of whatever government action triggered the current massing of angry protestors.
He put the phone to his ear. “Yes.”
“It’s Yianni.”
“What’s up?” said Andreas
“You sound busy.”
“Just watching the latest episode of Greek democracy in action.”
“Is it bad?”
“Not yet, but heading there. Not sure how much longer our guys on the front lines are going to take this shit without someone losing it and seriously busting a few heads.”
“Too bad it’s always the wrong heads.”
“On both sides.”
“Isn’t that just the way it is? Big bastards making decisions that have little bastards taking all the risks.”
Andreas shifted his look from the television to his office windows. “Why do I sense there’s something you want to tell me?”
“I spoke to the girl Stella. Yesterday she had a visit from three very nasty characters out of Pirgos.”
“Her late boyfriend’s hometown.”
“Precisely. They were particularly interested in whether my cousins thought anyone other than Babis might have been involved in the murder.”
“How thoughtful of them.”
“And whether Babis ever spoke to her about a Ukrainian.”
Andreas leaned forward in his chair. “Sounds like some folks are nervous.”
“With reason. Stella said one of them paid a visit to Babis about a week before my uncle’s murder, putting him in a bad mood.”
Andreas thought for a moment. “That would have been around the time of your uncle’s first death threat.”
“Orestes might actually have been telling you the truth about Peloponnese gunrunners wanting my uncle dead. And it fits with what the Gytheio harbormaster told me of rumors about ‘people up north’ worried about a ‘war’ breaking out on the Mani over a ‘project’ involving my uncle.”
“Well, if the girl is telling the truth, for sure they had something to do with her boyfriend.”
“And his suicide.”
“They’d need a hell of a lot of leverage to get him to kill himself. Maybe they threatened to kill the girlfriend if he didn’t do himself?”
“I don’t think that would have done it.”
Andreas heard Kouros draw in and let out a breath.
“He’d seen a photograph of my uncle and Stella coming out of a hotel together.”
“How do you know that?”
“Stella told me he’d shown it to her a couple of days before my uncle’s murder, and threatened to pimp her out like a whore once my uncle was out of the picture.”
“He actually said, ‘out of the picture’?”
“According to her.”
“Who took the photograph?”
“No idea. But I guess the Pirgos boys gave it to him.”
“I wonder if Babis planned on killing your uncle when he showed Stella the photo?”
“From my run-in with him, I’d say his temper controlled his to
ngue. And he definitely lacked a sense of humor on the subject of messing with his girlfriend. I’ve no doubt that photo would have fired him up big-time.”
“Fine, but if what drove him was love triangle rage, that’s usually a murder-murder-suicide scenario, not something like this where the angry one kills the third party and himself but lets the girl live.”
“There’s more. She said Babis was afraid of drowning and she couldn’t believe he’d kill himself that way.”
“Sort of makes you wonder.”
“Especially since he still had the vial of poison he’d used to kill my uncle hidden away in the taverna. But what’s really bothering me is, after all those years of my uncle’s protection, what made the Pirgos boys think they could get Babis to turn on my uncle now?”
“From what you’re telling me, the likely answer has to do with your uncle screwing Babis’ girlfriend.”
“But how would the Pirgos guys know about that? Who would have told them?”
“Sounds like you’ve got some more interesting questions to ask.”
“There’s no one in the Mani who’s going to admit to turning on my uncle. It would be suicide.”
“Start with the photograph.”
“Like I said, Chief, who’s going to admit to taking it?”
“If you find who took it, my guess is you’ll get an answer to why Babis killed your uncle.”
“The only ones who knew about my uncle and Stella were his morning coffee buddy Panos and the chief of Gytheio’s port police. And at the moment they’re both dead ends, motive-wise.”
“What about someone at the hotel?”
“Possible. I’ll see what I can find out, but how would a chambermaid or porter know what to do with the photograph unless someone put them up to taking it? My uncle and Stella weren’t exactly a paparazzi quality couple.”
“Since it ended up in Babis’ hands, likely via Pirgos, it had to be someone who knew she was Babis’ girlfriend and of Babis’ past link to the Pirgos mob.”
“How are we ever going to get a lead on that?” said Kouros.
“Start at the end. The three guys from Pirgos would know who gave them the photo.”
“Can’t imagine how we’ll ever get them to talk.”
“Let’s begin with their names and see where that takes us.”
Sons of Sparta: A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery Page 18
