The Ransom

by Irena Nieslony

  With that Annie decided to go to bed. It was getting late and she didn’t want to be around when Pete got back from the shop otherwise she might be tempted to tell him. There was a programme he wanted to watch later on television so she would hopefully be asleep by the time he came up. With any luck, tomorrow she might feel clearer headed.

  * * * *

  Eve didn’t want to go to bed, knowing that she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep. She kept thinking about David, imagining that he was probably tied up somewhere dark and dismal, not knowing what was going to happen to him. She longed for him to be beside her now. They would often curl up on the couch in the evening, his strong, comforting arms around her, making her feel safe and secure. She couldn’t express how much she needed to feel protected now and to have David with her. She could almost smell his wonderful after shave which always lingered even after he had left her. She closed her eyes and could almost see his face. She imagined him running his fingers up and down her back before kissing her neck gently and then....

  “No,” she shouted. “I don’t want to think about David anymore. It hurts too much.”

  As the tears welled up again, Eve jumped up and got another drink. She had to stop thinking of David otherwise she would fall apart. She put on the television and tried to concentrate on what was on, but images of David still kept popping up in her mind.

  Eve finally went to bed at midnight, aware that she probably wasn’t going to get much sleep. However, the mental and physical trials of the day had tired her out so much that she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  Chapter 8

  That same evening was a very quiet one in The Black Cat. In fact, the only customers were Betty and Don Jones who were sitting together at a corner table. They hadn’t said much to each other in the hour they had been there. Don finally spoke.

  “Do you want another drink, Betty?”

  “There’s not much point, is there? You’ve hardly said a word to me this evening; in fact you’ve hardly talked to me in days. Is there someone else?”

  “Oh no, not this again, Betty. Please don’t let us have an argument in public. You were convinced I was having an affair with Lucy Fowler, but I wasn’t. Can’t you accept that we’ve just grown bored with each other?”

  “I haven’t got bored with you. You’re bored with me. And it hardly matters if we have an argument in here. We’re the only customers.”

  “Whatever, Betty. You used to like to have a bit of fun, but all that’s gone. You’re miserable and you seem hell bent on making enemies. I want a divorce.”

  Don couldn’t believe he had finally asked his wife for a divorce, but now he had said the words, he wasn’t going to take them back.

  “What?” Betty exclaimed. “No, I’m not giving you a divorce. You don’t mean it. I know you don’t. We’ve been together for forty-five years. Don’t throw them away for some trollop.”

  “There isn’t anyone else. I just don’t love you anymore, Betty; it’s as simple as that.”

  Betty was relieved now that there was nobody else in the bar. Earlier she had wished that there had been some friend they could have chatted to. She had hoped that Annie Davies might have come in; she was so easy to talk to.

  Now Betty felt close to tears, but it wasn’t because she was going to lose Don. She was more worried about what people might think.

  “We’ll be the laughing stock of the village, Don. People our age getting divorced. What are we going to do about the house? We’ll probably never sell it with all the problems here in Greece.”

  “I’ve thought of that. You can live there. I’ll rent a room somewhere. Rooms are cheap for long term rentals and my needs are modest.”

  My God. He’s thought all this out, hasn’t he? He’s been planning this for some time. I’m sure there’s someone else. He’s lying, I know he is.”

  “I think we should go,” Don continued, seeing Betty starting to cry.

  Betty nodded. She hated making a scene in public, but she hadn’t finished with Don yet.

  * * * *

  “Betty looked as if she were about to explode one minute and then cry the next,” Ken Stewart said to his wife, Jan, as they stood behind the bar.

  “I didn’t notice,” she replied.

  “I wonder what it was all about,” he continued.

  Jan shrugged her shoulders, thinking that they had more serious things to worry about than Betty and Don.

  “What’s up, Jan?”

  “We’ve had yet another quiet night. How are we going to pay all those bills?”

  “I’m sure it’ll be better tomorrow; don’t worry.”

  “How can I not worry, Ken?” Jan suddenly exploded. “This is our bread and butter. We have to do something spectacular to get the money flowing in. You don’t seem that bothered and I don’t know why. Perhaps you want to go back to England, but I don’t.”

  She stormed off into the kitchen while Ken just stood there. Of course he was worried, very worried, but he put on a brave face for Jan’s sake. He hadn’t thought she was aware of how bad their problems were, but he was wrong.

  A moment later the door opened and Wayne Fowler came in.

  “Pint of the usual, mate.”

  “How’s business?” Ken asked.

  “Not bad at all. You?”

  “Quiet as you can see. We've got to do something about it.”

  “What about quiz nights, karaokes, stuff like that.”

  “I was thinking along those lines. People seem to like entertainment they can get involved in.”

  Jan came out looking calmer and greeted Wayne.

  ‘Has my Dad been in tonight,” Wayne asked.

  “Yes, at about six.” Jan replied.

  “I suppose he was with that woman,” Wayne seethed.

  “If you mean Joanna Neonakis,” Jan said. “Yes, he was.”

  “I was hoping she’d never come back, but here she is again and flirting with my Dad all the time. I can’t see what she sees in him. I mean he’s old enough to be her father. She’s after something, mark my words.”

  With that, Wayne went and sat down.

  “He really doesn’t like Joanna does he?” Ken asked Jan, not waiting for an answer. “He obviously thinks she’s too young for his Dad, not to mention that it’s too soon after his Mum died.”

  Ken paused for a moment.

  “Will you be alright, Jan, while I pop to the shop to get some eggs and a few other things for tomorrow morning?”

  “I’ll be fine, Ken. We’re hardly rushed off our feet,” Jan replied miserably. “Just hope we’ll have some customers for breakfast.”

  She sat down to read a magazine having put the dishwasher on already. It didn’t look like they would be open very late that evening.

  * * * *

  Don and Betty drove home in silence, but when they got in, he spoke immediately.

  “I think we should sit down and discuss the situation and where we go from here, Betty.”

  “Well, I don’t want to. You’ve made your position very clear. That’s all I need to know. Go and see a lawyer. I’m tired and I’m going to bed. You can sleep in the spare room.”

  Don watched Betty walk up the stairs. This was too easy. Betty was bound to do something nasty. It was in her nature.

  Does it matter though? It’s worth it as long as I’m rid of her. I never thought I would throw away forty-five years of marriage, but I have and I don’t care. Still, I want a few years of peace to do what I want. There’s no harm in that, is there?

  Chapter 9

  The following day, Eve woke at eight and stretched out. For a moment she couldn’t remember what had happened the previous day and wondered whether or not to go to the beach that morning. Then it hit her. David had been kidnapped and she had to pay a hefty ransom to free him.

  That is if they haven’t killed him already.

  Eve sat up in bed, shaking. Kidnappers were capable of anything.

  No, it’s
stupid thinking like that. They want the money and they’ll only get it if they return him to me alive. However, what if David knows who they are? They can’t just let him go as he’ll tell the police who kidnapped him. I suppose they could have disguised themselves or put on masks so that he can’t identify them, but what if he can still tell who they are? If David’s got any sense he’ll pretend that he doesn’t know them. Or perhaps they intend to hand him over to me, take the money and then shoot him a moment later.

  Eve decided all this thinking was doing her no good so she got up to make herself some coffee. She usually needed at least two cups before she could think straight. She grabbed her mobile and went downstairs. Then she had yet another thought. The kidnappers must be people she knew, otherwise how would they know her mobile number, unless of course they had persuaded David to give it to them.

  I’m really not thinking clearly today, am I? Coffee is definitely needed.

  As soon as Eve had sat down with a steaming mug of black coffee, her mobile rang. When she looked at the caller ID and saw it was Annie, she was relieved.

  “Annie, I’m glad it’s you. I had a horrible feeling it might be one of the kidnappers again.”

  “No, it’s just me. How are you? I’ve had a terrible night worrying about you.”

  “Don’t be concerned. I’ve promised Dimitris Kastrinakis that I won’t go searching for David anymore.”

  “And do you mean it this time, Eve?”

  “Of course I do. I was very nearly arrested yesterday and how could I have sorted out the money from jail? David could have died because of me.”

  Annie didn’t say anything, but although Eve did sound sincere, she had an awful feeling that she probably wasn’t telling the truth. She couldn’t imagine Eve sitting back and doing nothing while David was locked up somewhere awful.

  “Well, mind you don’t do anything,” Annie said quite severely. “It could all have ended very badly yesterday, Eve. Anyway, are you able to get all the money?”

  “With the extra time the kidnappers have given me, I can get hold of most of it and my friend, Robert, is lending me the rest. You remember him don't you?"

  “Yes, of course. As I recall, he was a very pleasant man.”

  “He is, Annie. Mind you, he did say he was going to try and get a flight over here today to keep an eye on me. I don’t really need it, but it will be nice to have someone in the house to keep my mind off David.”

  “I think it’s a brilliant idea!” Annie exclaimed.

  “Humph!” Eve snorted. “You just think he’s going to keep me in line, don’t you? We’ll see. By the way, Pete doesn’t suspect anything, does he?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I’m certain he’d say something if he did. He would be very cross with me.”

  Eve felt a little guilty for involving Annie. Perhaps she should have got Jane to come with her, but as nice as Jane was, she was also a frightened little mouse.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to do anything again. Hopefully I’ll have Robert to look after me now.”

  More or less as soon as Eve put the phone down, it rang again. Eve, certain it was one of the kidnappers this time, picked it up tentatively. However, once again, it was someone else.

  “Eve, it’s Robert. Good news. I’ve managed to get a seat on a plane today. I’ll be at Chania airport at five this afternoon.”

  “Great,” Eve replied. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Eve was genuinely happy that her friend was coming over. She didn’t want to be alone brooding about David. She knew that if she were on her own, she would think up all sorts of elaborate plans to try and find him and would probably end up in jail. Eve Masters wasn’t a woman who was able to lie back and sit still; she was a woman of action through and through.

  * * * *

  Eve spent the morning going through her finances one more time, making sure that the money would be in place if she had to hand it over to the kidnappers. However, she still refused to give up on the idea of rescuing David without giving up her money. After all, she had worked hard for it.

  But of course I will pay for his release if that’s the only way to get my darling David back.

  When she had finished, she decided to get her fridge and freezer stocked up for her visitor’s arrival. Robert had a healthy appetite and even if they ate out, he’d want snacks at other times.

  By the time she had done her shopping it was a quarter past two and Eve was thankful that she hadn’t had time to think about David too much. She decided to take her dog, Portia, out for a walk before heading for the airport.

  About ten minutes later, Eve saw Jane walking towards her and she slowed down. What was she going to say to her? Had she heard anything about David being kidnapped? Perhaps Kevin or Joanna had spread the news of her breaking into Joanna’s houses? Eve decided to let Jane take the lead in the conversation, just to see if she knew anything at all.

  “Jane, hi, how are you today?” Eve asked.

  “A little stressed, I’m afraid. I’m starting to sort out everything for my move back to England. You wouldn’t believe how much stuff I’ve accumulated since I got here. I only came with one case.”

  “Yes, it is amazing how much you can buy without even thinking,” Eve remarked, pleased that Jane didn’t sound like she knew anything about David’s kidnapping nor what she had been up to the day before.

  “Are you going to The Black Cat tonight, Eve?” Jane asked. “I think I’ll need a drink after all this hard work.”

  “Probably. You remember my friend, Robert?”

  Jane nodded.

  “He’s coming over for a few days. I expect we’ll pop in there tonight. I’ll give you a call and let you know.”

  “Thanks. You know I don’t like going places like that on my own.”

  Eve smiled. It never bothered her going anywhere by herself.

  As Eve said goodbye to Jane, she started to wonder what she would say about David that evening if they did go to The Black Cat. Perhaps they shouldn’t go after all, but then it could be interesting. Perhaps the kidnappers might be there and they could give something away. No, she had to go. She’d say David was busy working on his book.

  Or perhaps not. I’m always saying that, especially when we’ve had a fight. I’ll say he’s ill. Yes, that’s a good one. David can be sick today.

  * * * *

  Unfortunately, Eve had got the state of David’s health chillingly right. David wasn’t well at all. That morning when he had woken up, his chest hurt and he had trouble breathing.

  How could I have caught a cold or whatever this is in one day? he asked himself.

  He desperately needed a drink of water, but his kidnapper was late again. He tried to sit up, but he felt too weak.

  At last he heard a key in the door upstairs and his kidnapper came down. He was still wearing that infernal mask. David wondered if he should tell him that he knew who he was so it was pointless wearing the mask, but decided against it. It could give the kidnapper a reason to kill him.

  Looking at David, the kidnapper spoke.

  “What’s wrong with you?” he asked after removing David’s gag.

  He tried to remain harsh and aloof, but he just missed the mark. Kidnapping someone you knew wasn’t that easy.

  “I’m getting a cold, that’s all.”

  “Well, don’t die. Eve won’t pay for a corpse.”

  He tried to keep it light hearted, but David didn’t smile. Eve must be worried sick and that was no reason for laughter.

  The kidnapper untied David and let him go to the bathroom, after which he was given some food and water. David felt a little better after having a drink.

  “Do you need any medicine?”

  “No,” David replied. “As I said, it’s just a cold.”

  The kidnapper nodded and after tying him up again, left without saying anything else. David didn’t want to talk either. What was there to say? He had been betrayed by a friend and he had nothing to say to h
im now or ever again. David curled up in a ball and went back to sleep.

  * * * *

  At five o’clock, Eve stood at Chania airport waiting for Robert. She had looked at the arrivals board and the plane was due in on time. She suddenly remembered standing there just after Christmas the previous year waiting for Robert and his girlfriend, Alison, Betty’s niece, to arrive for a holiday. However, David was with her at that time. A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks and she brushed them away quickly.

  Robert saw Eve before she saw him. She looked as stunning as ever. Eve had on a tight fitting peach colored sundress which showed off her perfect figure. Her shoulder length blonde hair shone beautifully and her perfectly applied make-up accentuated her features. However, he noticed a deep sadness in those emerald green eyes of hers and he knew he would have to be very gentle with Eve during this visit.

  “Eve, darling, how wonderful to see you,” Robert exclaimed, throwing his arms around her.

  Eve reciprocated, very happy to have her old friend with her for support.

  “Oh I am pleased to see you, Robert. There’s nothing like your best friend when you’re in trouble.”

  “Come on, Eve, let’s get back to your house and you can tell me everything.”

  “Well, one thing I can tell you is that I’ve been a good girl today and haven’t searched for David...not yet anyway.”

  Robert shook his head. Eve hadn’t changed one bit.

  * * * *

  That evening, Eve and Robert decided that they would go to The Black Cat. Robert was relieved that so far, Eve hadn’t suggested that they went searching for David.

  They decided to walk so that they could both have a drink and they collected Jane on the way. Jane didn’t bat an eyelid when Eve said David was ill. Eve gave strict instructions to Robert not to tell Jane about David’s true predicament; in fact she told him not to mention David at all to anyone. Robert had a tendency to let things slip if he wasn’t careful.

  Entering the bar, Eve saw Don sitting alone. There was only one drink in front of him so she imagined that Betty wasn’t there. She told the others to get the drinks in while she went to have a quick word with Don.