“Nai,” Dimitris said as usual.
Dimitris never seemed to have the time to be polite.
“Officer Kastrinakis, this is David Baker. I’ve remembered who my kidnapper was. It was Wayne, Wayne Fowler.”
* * * *
Dimitris and Stavros took another two officers with them and drove to Wayne Fowler’s house. Dimitris knew exactly where it was as it was Paul Fowler’s home. Wayne was staying there and looking after it for Paul.
Arriving there, Dimitris told two of the officers to go round to the back of the house in case Wayne tried to make a run for it. His car was outside the house so they imagined that Wayne was in.
Dimitris rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. Wayne was, in fact, still in bed. He turned over, hoping that whoever it was would go away. His body was aching from where David had hit him. Dimitris rang the doorbell again and started banging at the door. Reluctantly Wayne got up and looked out of the window.
“Oh my God,” he said to himself. “It’s the coppers. What am I gonna do?”
He hurriedly went and put on a pair of trousers and a T-shirt and quietly went downstairs, planning to escape out the back, but as he opened the door, the officers grabbed him and pushed him back inside. They led him to the front door and one of them opened it. Wayne was confronted by Dimitris and Stavros.
“What’s going on?” he asked, trying to fake innocence.
“There’s no point pretending you have no idea why we’re here, Mr. Fowler. David has identified you as his kidnapper and we have come to arrest you.”
Wayne was silent. He had no idea what to do now. He could deny it, but they wouldn’t believe him. It was all over.
“We would like you to take us to where you kept David.”
“Why?”
“We have reason to believe that Joanna Neonakis has put Eve Masters there,” Dimitris answered.
“Why don’t you ask Joanna?” Wayne continued. He didn’t feel like being helpful. He was going to jail whatever happened.
“Mrs. Neonakis has disappeared. We think she has already left the island, possibly the country.”
Wayne said nothing, but he was fuming inside.
She’s left me to take the blame for everything, the bitch.
“It’ll help you in the long run if you help us now,” Dimitris added.
Wayne didn’t know if that would turn out to be the case, but he didn’t want anybody to die. That wasn’t the plan and if Joanna had locked Eve up in that basement, there was no way of getting out.
“Ok, I’ll take you there,” Wayne finally agreed.
* * * *
Ten minutes later the police and Wayne arrived at an estate of half-finished houses and Wayne directed them to one house in particular.
Entering the house, Wayne took them to the basement door. There was a lock and a large bolt across it. Luckily the key was still in the lock. Dimitris ordered Wayne to open the door and once he had done so, Dimitris called down. He immediately got an answer.
“We’re down here, tied up,” Eve shouted.
Dimitris, Stavros, Wayne and the other two officers trooped downstairs and as soon as Wayne reached the basement floor, he gasped.
“Dad, what are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same question, son,” Kevin asked, sounding bemused.
“Your son, Mr. Fowler, is under arrest,” Dimitris said immediately. “He is one of the kidnappers, the other being Joanna Neonakis, as you no doubt know.”
“Wayne, how could you do such a thing? And with Joanna... Oh my God. Were you two having an affair all the time I was seeing her?”
“Yes, no, well we hadn’t slept together yet. She promised that once we’d got the money, that would change. ”
“But what about your wife and the kids, son?”
“I don’t know, Dad. I was swept away by her. She was so beautiful and exciting.”
“But you knew she was seeing me.”
“She said it was just a cover because I was married and she wanted us to be a secret.”
Kevin shook his head and Eve thought he looked devastated. He really must have been keen on that awful woman. She decided that they needed to change the subject.
“I don’t know about Kevin, but I would appreciate being untied. I’m desperate for the bathroom as well as aching all over.”
“Yes, untie them please,” Dimitris said to his officers.
“Did you manage to catch Joanna?” Eve asked Dimitris as she was being untied.
“I’m afraid not. It’s highly likely that she’s changed identities again.”
“That’s unfortunate, but hopefully she’s gone far away and doesn’t grace Greece with her presence again.”
“But I’ll have to take the punishment for everything now,” Wayne moaned.
“You will only be blamed for your part, Mr. Fowler,” Dimitris said. “However, kidnapping is a major crime and you won’t get off lightly.”
Good, Eve thought. He deserves to go to jail after what he did to my David. It’s a pity they didn’t catch Joanna, but I doubt if we’ll ever see her again, thank goodness.
* * * *
In a first class seat on a plane from Athens to Perth, Australia, a very attractive woman with blonde hair sat drinking champagne. She was leaning back to relax when the flight attendant came over.
“Another glass of champagne?”
“I shouldn’t, but why not. One more won’t hurt. Thank you.”
“And have you decided what you would like for lunch, Mrs. Castle?” the flight attendant then asked.
“Yes, thank you. Scallops, followed by steak, medium rare.”
This is the life. she thought. It’s a pity Wayne bungled the kidnapping. Think of all the money we lost. I hope the toad rots in jail. I think I’ll work solo from now on. Australia here I come.
Chapter 21
All Eve wanted to do was get to the hospital to see David, but the police were asking so many questions. Then she had to get home to have a bath after such an unpleasant night in that dusty basement. Dimitris was worried about her driving to the hospital after having had so little sleep in the past few days, but she said that Robert would probably take her.
It was almost midday when Eve finally arrived at the hospital. Robert and Alison went to see Betty and Pete so that Eve could have a few private moments with David.
Dashing into his ward, she threw her arms around him and kissed him firmly on the lips, not caring if she planted all her lipstick there.
“Wow, that was some greeting,” David said, smiling.
“I’m very pleased to see you, darling. Last night was so awful that I did occasionally doubt if I would ever see you again.”
“Oh Eve, don’t say that. Mind you, I was a bit scared too.”
“She is some crazy woman, that Joanna,” Eve commented.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you until nearly the end, Eve. I don’t know why I didn’t. You’ve been right so many times before.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Eve replied, for once being humble.
“So,” David asked. “There was something going on romantically between Joanna and Wayne?”
“Sort of,” Eve said. “But it was all promises, similar to what she promised Kevin. I do feel sorry for Kevin, even though he was a pain last night. He complained all the time. But not only was he tied up by the woman he loved, but he also had to discover that his son’s a bad lot.”
David took Eve’s hands in his.
“Thank goodness it’s over, darling,” he said, looking into her eyes. “These past few hours have been terrible; thinking I might lose you.”
“It was the same for me when you’d been kidnapped.’
Eve bent down and kissed David gently, her stomach doing somersaults as if it was the first time.
Suddenly they heard a cough behind them and they separated. Eve looked round and saw Annie and Pete.
“Hello, you two,” Eve said. “Glad to see you up an
d about, Pete.”
“Yes, off home now,” he replied. “We feel as if a weight’s been lifted off our shoulders now the real kidnappers have been identified. Hope you’ll be out of here soon as well, David.”
“Me too, I’ve had enough of this hospital to last me a lifetime.”
“I think we all have,” Eve commented, while the others all grinned.
* * * *
A couple of days later, David was also released from hospital. Eve was delighted that he was coming back home.
As soon as they returned from the hospital, the phone rang and while Eve answered it, David went and sat in the lounge. He still didn’t feel as if he had much energy, but he knew it would probably take him time to get back to his former self.
A few moments later, Eve also came into the lounge. She looked very excited.
“What’s up, darling?” David asked. He was intrigued.
“The phone call was from a lawyer in Australia telling me my second cousin, Andrea, has died and left me something in her will. We have to go to Australia to collect it; Perth I believe. Won’t that be amazing?”
“Aren’t you upset that your cousin’s died,” David asked quite harshly.
David didn’t like it when Eve thought only of herself. She wasn’t like this so often now, but occasionally she would slip into her old ways.
“Oh, Andrea and I haven’t seen each other since we were about five. We barely knew each other even then.”
David decided to overlook her lack of sympathy for her cousin as he didn’t want to argue with Eve, not on his first day out of hospital. Anyway, the idea of a trip to Australia sounded like fun, especially after all they’d both been through.
“So, when do we go to Australia?” he asked instead.
“In about a week’s time. So, you’re keen to go?” Eve asked, trying for once to take his opinion into account after her telling off.
“Yes, very much. I think it’ll do us both good to get away from Crete for a while.”
Eve smiled, relieved that everything had gone reasonably smoothly and that David had agreed to come to Perth with her.
* * * *
That evening, David and Eve walked into The Black Cat. David still felt a little tired and weak, but he wanted to go to the bar for Jane’s leaving do. She was going back to England the following day, having changed her flight so that David would be able to attend her party.
Pete and Annie were there, as well as Kevin. Kevin hadn’t wanted to come, but Eve had persuaded him, saying it would do him good and might take his mind off Wayne and Joanna. Robert and Alison were also guests, both going back to England in a couple of days’ time. Betty was still in hospital, while Don, who was still adamant that he wasn’t giving up on their divorce, had also come to wish Jane farewell.
Half way through the evening, Eve decided it was time to make a speech, so she went and ordered everyone drinks on her and then she stood up.
“Well, I’d just like to say a few words. The last week or so has been very difficult; not only for myself and David, but for others in this room, in particular, our good friend, Pete, who the police suspected to be David’s kidnapper. All this has made me realize how many good friends we have here and one of these has been Jane. We’re going to miss you very much and we’re looking forward to seeing you next year for the wedding, if not sooner. The same goes for you, Robert and Alison. Thank you both for coming over – I’m sure Betty would be thanking you, Alison, if she were here. David and I will be going away next week to Australia for a well-earned rest, so you’ll have to do without us for a few weeks. Anyway, that’s all I have to say for the present. Let’s just enjoy the evening and a big thank you to Ken and Jan for the spread.”
Everybody clapped and Eve sat down looking pleased with herself.
“Well done,” David whispered, knowing how much Eve loved to be the centre of attention.
Eve squeezed David’s hand and smiled, visions of herself in her beautiful wedding dress floating through her mind. Oh yes, it was going to be a perfectly wonderful day when the stunning Eve Masters married her soul mate, David Baker the following summer. To hell with murders and kidnappings. She’d had enough to last her a lifetime. All she wanted now was David. She had realized that when she thought she was going to lose him. They were going to have a wonderful time together in Australia where they would be able to grow even closer. Eve pulled David a little nearer to her and put her arm through his before kissing him. When their lips parted, David smiled at Eve and stroked her hand gently.
I think Eve is finally happy with her life here and with me, he thought. I doubt if she’ll need the excitement of murders and suchlike to keep her occupied after what’s just happened. We have a fantastic trip planned which will herald a brand new start. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.
Copyright © 2015 by Irena Nieslony
Originally published by My Weekly at DC Thompson [UK]
Electronically published in 2015 by Belgrave House
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No portion of this book may be reprinted in whole or in part, by printing, faxing, E-mail, copying electronically or by any other means without permission of the publisher. For more information, contact Belgrave House, 190 Belgrave Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94117-4228
http://www.BelgraveHouse.com
Electronic sales: [email protected]
This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.
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