‘Come here, please, I want you to meet a very good friend of mine.’ She’d switched to English and was nodding toward a man on her right.
Andreas smiled. The man was about Andreas’ age, looked fit, with sandy hair, brown eyes, and a ‘why are you bothering me’ look. Andreas stepped up to the table, extended his hand, smiled, and said in English, ‘Hi, Andreas Kaldis.’
The man did not stand, just reached up, gave a perfunctory handshake, and said in clearly Russian accented English, ‘Nice to meet you, Vladimir Brusko.’
Andreas nodded, then leaned down to Katerina, kissed her on both cheeks, and said in English, ‘Katerina, my love, you look as fantastic as ever,’ making sure to sneak an obvious peek at her breasts.
‘I’ve missed you, there is so much to catch up on.’ She slid along the cushion on the wall to make room for Andreas to sit between her and the Russian.
‘Thank you. I’d love to, but I’m meeting someone and can’t stay. Maybe we’ll bump into each other later. Kisses.’ He patted Vladimir on the shoulder. ‘Nice meeting you, bye.’ And off he went, quickly lost in the Vengera crowds.
Andreas’ phone rang almost immediately.
‘What the hell was that?’ It was Tassos.
‘I had no choice, no bait to fish with. Until I hear from Barbara it’s a waste of time. That guy’s about as interested in talking to me as you are in going on a diet.’
‘Kiss my ass. When do you think you’ll hear from her?’
‘Wish I knew. Just have one of your boys keep a loose eye on him so we know where they are when she calls. I’m sure she will, just not sure when her spaceship will land on this planet. But tell them to be careful, he probably has bodyguards under-cover keeping an eye out for anyone watching him. Guys with camo-cops usually do.’
‘I cannot tell you how pissed Katerina must be at this moment,’ said Tassos.
‘Serves her right. Only reason for her being pissed is if she told him all sorts of things she shouldn’t have.’
‘Yeah, makes sense, but I’ll let you explain that to her.’
‘Got to go, must find Barbara.’ Andreas hung up and dialed Lila.
She answered on the first ring. ‘Hello, daddy-to-be. Miss me, or are you just calling to verify your instructions?’
‘Why aren’t you sleeping?’
‘Hard to sleep, what with my imagination running wild at what might be going on. Besides, you knew I’d be awake. That’s why you called.’
Andreas wasn’t in the mood for banter. ‘Yes, I miss you, but it looks like you have nothing to worry about. Barbara is a no-show.’
‘You’re kidding me.’ Her tone was serious.
‘Wish I were. She was out when I got to her house a little past midnight. She left a note that she’d be out to dinner, her phone would be off, and she would call me later. It’s now way past later and the whole plan is about to crash.’
There was a long silence before Lila spoke. ‘At times she’s a real airhead, with the attention span of a gnat. Let me try to find her.’ Her voice now was angry. ‘I’ll get her to call you, or let you know if I can’t find her. But I will. Love you.’ She hung up.
Andreas was standing between two churches, really three, just beyond the Nautical Museum. Time to say a prayer and light a candle. Make that three candles.
‘Your friend seemed really excited at meeting me.’ The sarcasm was clear.
Katerina’s nervousness was obvious. ‘Vladimir, I don’t understand. He said it was important. Honest.’ That bastard Tassos, wait until I get my hands on him.
‘Don’t worry about it.’ He patted her bare knee. ‘He’s just a poseur and not a very good one at that. “I’m meeting someone and can’t stay.” I just bet he is, some fuck-me-for-a-drink mindless little tourist slut. Now he’s just one less nobody looking to waste my time.’
Vladimir gestured for a bodyguard to pour them more champagne, then raised his glass and stared into Katerina’s eyes.
Her face lit up in a smile.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, ‘To no more urgent meetings. Ever.’
Katerina’s smile vanished.
Lila called a dozen people before she found one who knew where to find Barbara: she was sitting across from him, naked in a hot tub. Lila thought, thank God he’s gay, because no straight man in that position would ever have answered the phone. Staring at arguably the world’s most perfect set of tits would be far too much of a distraction.
‘Christo, let me speak to her.’ Christo was the most sought-after and prominent hairdresser in Athens.
‘Not sure she’s in any condition to talk, kukla. Thank God I was there to save her.’
‘Christo, let me speak to her.’ It was a non-negotiable tone.
Lila heard a muffled few words followed by ‘Hellllo.’
‘Barbara, what the hell are you doing?’
‘Lila, darling, I’m here with the most gorgeous, blond-haired, blue-eyed, naked man … are you here? I mean I miss you. I—’
‘Barbara, get out of that hot tub, get yourself dressed and get into town. You’re supposed to be meeting Andreas.’
‘But it’s still early.’
‘It’s almost three o’clock in the morning.’
‘Oh. I lost track of time. There were so many people, we were having such fun, Christo said, “why leave,” and you know how convincing he can be, and—’
‘Let me speak to Christo.’
She heard the phone drop.
‘Hi, kukla, thank God she missed the water.’
‘Listen carefully. I want you to get her dressed, made up to look perfect, and into town, now.’
‘But—’
‘No buts! No buts at all. Do you hear me? Barbara was supposed to meet Andreas over an hour ago. I’m hours away from giving birth, and you do not want to imagine how crazy I can be if you don’t do me this simple favor and get her ass in town in the next twenty minutes!’
As independent and important as Christo liked to think he was, they both knew his business depended upon staying in the good graces of powerful Athenian women, and Lila was at the very top of that list. She hoped her tone would sober him up enough to do the same for Barbara.
‘Will do. Sorry. Didn’t know how important this was.’
‘Twenty minutes. Call me when she’s on her way.’
Lila hung up. She kept shaking her head. I can’t believe Barbara did this to me. What can I tell Andreas? I wish I could have a drink. She let out a deep breath. I’ll just tell him she’ll be in town in a half hour and ask where should she meet him. No reason to tell him the rest. It only would upset him. Besides a tipsy beauty might be more appealing to the Russian. Na zdarovye.
Andreas kept looking at his watch. It was nearly four and still no Barbara. Lila said she’d be here by now. What a rat-fuck this was turning out to be. Come Sunday morning, when Zacharias finds out what happened to his three boys, either he vanishes to another part of the planet or presses the right political buttons and shuts us down cold. Either way, he gets away with murder, and all because some airhead doesn’t know how to stop partying long enough to do what she promised. The devil must be laughing.
‘So, what do you think the Chief’s doing?’
Tassos shrugged. ‘Same thing we are, killing time.’
‘At least he doesn’t have to do it in a garbage truck.’
‘You really don’t get it, do you? He isn’t meeting any Russian, we’re not waiting for some hot woman to show up, this all was set up as an opportunity for you to receive life lessons from a master.’
Kouros looked at his watch. ‘I feel more like I’m cooped up in a phone booth with a parrot who can’t keep its beak shut for thirty seconds.’
Tassos shook his head. ‘Gratitude is the rarest gem to find.’
Kouros watched two young girls walk by, stare at the two men squeezed together in the front seat of a garbage truck on a dark Mykonos back street, and giggle. God knows what they must be thinking, he thought.
> ‘What you need to straighten out your life is the right girl,’ said Tassos.
‘Whoa, now you’re cutting in on my mother’s turf. Only she gets to nag me on that subject.’
‘Sorry. I always respect union rules.’
‘And, besides, what’s with you? You hook up with Maggie after a zillion years of bachelorhood and now you want all of us to go down with you? Power to the unattached, let freedom ring.’
‘Bolshevik.’
‘Royalist.’
Tassos stared out the window. ‘If we sit here much longer we’ll be playing rock, paper, scissors.’
Kouros let out a breath. ‘Not much else to do until that lightweight Barbara shows up. Chief’s been holed up in that piano bar in Little Venice for over an hour. If I have to listen in on this earpiece to one more bartender story from the two guys who own that place I’ll scream.’
‘It’s one of the few place he’s not likely to bump into the Russian before we’re ready for him. Guys like that avoid gay crowds, afraid it might cast doubts on their manhood.’
‘Besides, the chief likes the singer.’
‘The sexy broad?’ said Tassos.
‘We don’t call them “broads” these days.’
‘Whatever, she turns me on.’
Kouros grinned.
‘Screw you, I saw what turns you on.’
Kouros smiled. ‘Now, now, you’re getting back into my mother’s bailiwick.’
Tassos sighed. ‘I’m so bored.’
Kouros grabbed his arm. ‘Not for long.’ He pointed out the window. Two men had stopped the girls who’d just passed the garbage truck. Two other men were coming up on the girls from behind. What bothered Kouros was that the men behind the girls were gesturing to the two men in front and pointing to a building. ‘That building is empty, it’s under construction.’
‘Honk the horn, scare them off, they’re drunk,’ said Tassos.
‘But they’ll just go after someone else.’
‘Just deal with the problem at hand.’
The men now surrounded the girls. ‘I’m getting out,’ said Kouros.
‘We’re on a stakeout.’
‘They need help.’
Tassos leaned over and pressed the horn. The men jumped. He hit the horn again and flashed the lights. The men left. ‘Now they don’t.’
Kouros stared at Tassos. ‘A life lesson?’
‘Lesson number one. Beat evil when you must, but only when you must. There’s an inexhaustible supply in this world to keep you busy every second of your life. Put differently, there’s too much crap in this world to shovel it all. If we try, we end up buried in it. Lesson two. Protect and treasure all the good that comes your way, whenever and wherever you’re lucky enough find it.’ He smiled. ‘Especially if it’s the right girl.’
Kouros pressed his hand against his earpiece. ‘Sounds like the chief found his. Hot chick number one is now in town and on the move. It’s a go.’
‘Let the games begin.’
Starz was Vladimir’s hangout on the island. Only two hundred yards down the busy lane leading from Vengera, its open, garden-like front was strategically set off from a continuing parade of the curious by an array of closely-grouped potted greenery. Starz was where everyone wanted to be seen late at night. Inside the music was deafening, outside the chatter nonstop. Everywhere nothing but beautiful people – and those who could afford to pay for them.
Vladimir would sit until dawn at his favorite table next to the front door, a few steps above the masses squeezed into tables in the garden below, and study those lucky enough to pass through the velvet rope guarded by lovely women. From there he’d watch them for hours, indulging in his favorite pastime: fantasizing how much everyone envied his life. It gave him more pleasure than sex, sometimes.
Tonight he felt particularly confident. Perhaps because he’d been to church, something he rarely did anymore. He stared at the tall, white wall enclosing the far side of the courtyard. Above the garden, and slightly in from each end, the wall sloped sharply up to form a triangle jutting into the sky. It reminded him that a kindred spirit shared this space. Few, maybe none, realized the other was here. But all anyone needed do was look up, for at the top of the triangle stood the sign of His presence: a simple, white stone cross atop the church bounding the garden courtyard.
Vladimir stared at the cross the and smiled. ‘Don’t worry, you take care of the hereafter and leave the here and now to me.’ He’d spoken his thoughts aloud.
‘What was that?’ Katerina asked.
He kept staring at the cross. ‘Just a private conversation with God.’
Katerina nodded. It was after four and she’d been sitting next to him the entire night. Vladimir knew she’d love for him to show interest in her, but not a chance – even if she were twenty years younger. Make that thirty. There was just too much available without complications. He’d come to the conclusion that it was best to use hooker types. Not to pay them for sex, but to pay them to leave.
Vladimir looked down from the cross. A fat, sixty-year-old man at a table across from him was groping two twenty-year-olds in strapless cocktail dresses. From the bags at the women’s feet and similarity in their dresses, it was obvious they were wearing the fat man’s purchases. Vladimir watched the man take the hand of one girl and press it to his crotch. She rubbed, as the other kissed him on the lips. Vladimir couldn’t help but laugh. Just who did he think he was impressing?
‘Disgusting, that old man over there with those two young girls.’
Obviously, Katerina had caught the subject of his interest. ‘Jealous are we, my love?’
‘Not of them. They’re classless, and,’ she gave what must have been her most coquettish, cleavage-emphasizing smile, ‘I’m sure lousy in bed.’
He smiled, and squeezed her thigh. ‘I’m sure.’
Suddenly, faces began turning and several people headed toward the velvet rope, led by the owner. Paparazzi started flashing away.
Vladimir gestured for the attention of one of his bodyguards. ‘Find out what’s going on.’
Katerina put her hand on Vladimir’s. ‘I like it when you touch me like that.’
He smiled and held her hand.
The bodyguard was back. ‘Nothing to worry about, sir. It’s just a pretty woman everyone seems to know.’
‘Really, I think she should meet me.’
‘I don’t think it will be a problem, sir.’
‘Why’s that?’
He turned and pointed to a couple the owner was leading toward the VIP table across from them, as two members of the club’s staff hurriedly relocated the obnoxious fat guy and his two ladies to a place on the terrace.
Vladimir stared at the woman: ice-blue eyes, long auburn hair, almost as tall as he, and more gorgeous than a dream. He pulled his hand away from Katerina’s, waved to the couple, and said in English. ‘Andreas, my friend, how nice to see you again. Please, come join us.’
He turned to Katerina. ‘Please, move over to make room for your friends.’
Katerina’s anger was obvious. ‘She is not a friend of mine.’
‘Too bad, then perhaps you should leave.’ It was time for him to reassert control over the here and now and all its beings.
The gorgeous woman smiled at him, said in perfect English, ‘Thank you very much, but we’re expecting friends,’ turned away, and sat down in the power seat at the next table. ‘Darling,’ she said, waving to Andreas and still speaking English, ‘come sit here,’ patting the seat next to her. People started flocking to her table.
Andreas shrugged and said to Vladimir and Katerina, ‘What can I do, but please, won’t the two of you join us? I’d love for you to meet Barbara.’
Vladimir paused and drew in a breath. He was the one who gave audiences. He stared at Andreas, then glanced up at the cross, and brought his eyes down so that they lingered on that gorgeous woman. He willed her to catch his eyes, but she never looked his way. Vladimir swallowed and smil
ed. ‘It would be our pleasure.’
19
Big dogs ruled. So when Vladimir moved over to Barbara’s table everyone made room for him to sit beside her, on the other side from Andreas. Katerina pushed herself in next to Vladimir, but she might as well have been in Siberia for all the attention he paid her. He kept trying to start a conversation with Barbara but she treated him as if he were a waiter pressing for her order, and kept leaning forward to speak to her friends around the table in Greek.
Andreas kept a sideways watch on the Russian’s eyes. They hadn’t moved from Barbara since he sat down. Every time she leaned forward he stared at her face, every time she sat back to laugh or sip her wine he closed them as if inhaling the scent of her hair. Rarely did his eyes stray down to her backless, turquoise sundress. A feat Andreas admired, considering his own inability to resist peeking at her virtually exposed breasts far more than he’d like Lila to know.
Barbara had deflected Vladimir’s overtures enough times to make him look frustrated, but hopefully not enough to make him decide to give up and leave. Andreas put his hand on Barbara’s bare back and gently nudged her forward. Then waved to Vladimir to lean in, over her back. His face was there in an instant.
Andreas shrugged and said in English, ‘I’m sorry that everyone is speaking Greek.’
‘Don’t worry, it’s no problem.’
Andreas knew he wasn’t serious. Men like Vladimir never expected to be left out of any conversation. ‘Still, I’m sure you’d be more gracious in your country.’
Vladimir smiled, sat up, and said something in Russian to one of his bodyguards hovering nearby. In seconds three bottles of ice-cold vodka appeared, shots were poured, and lifted in a toast. ‘To Greece,’ Vladimir said.
‘To Russia,’ added Andreas.
The two men smiled at each other, clinked glasses, did the same with Barbara, and downed their shots. That became their ritual over the next hour and a half. Vodka shots separated by animated conversation in English over Barbara’s naked back, with both men gesturing and touching her in the process. She didn’t seem to mind; it was as if she didn’t even notice.
An Aegean Prophecy: A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery: Book 3 Page 19
