“So I hear.”
“Mrs. Hester tells me she has visited you already and our little chat here is just a formality.”
“Yes, sir, she was here a few hours ago.”
“Quite a formidable woman.” Percy chuckled. “As it is of such an important nature, I need to get to know you a little better, both personally and professionally. You and Mrs. Hester need to work as a team, and I don’t like surprises. It would be very embarrassing to find out when I’m in Germany that you were a Nazi or some other silly thing like that. I understand you have been working here for four years?”
Eva nodded.
“You’re not a Nazi, are you?”
“No, sir, I never joined the Nazi party.”
“Oh, that’s good. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you, and I hope by the end of this little chat I will know you a little better. Now.” Percy looked down at the papers in front of him, which Eva assumed was her personnel record. “You are German?”
“Yes, sir, although my father is Greek.”
Percy rechecked the fact sheet in front of him. “You were born in Vienna and raised in Berlin, were you not?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you’re German,” he concluded.
Eva did not feel it was her responsibility to educate the minister on the nuances of being Austrian-born but considered German, so she sat back with a neutral expression on her face.
“So, what were you doing during the war?”
“In was in Paris in 1941 and in 1942 I was in Larissa, in Greece, with my stepfather, Major Hans Muller of the German army,” Eva replied. “Didn’t Mrs. Hester tell you about me?”
“She did, but I need to ask the questions nonetheless. Hmm... Who is your local Member of Parliament, Mrs. Lambros?”
Eva wanted to smile. Zoe had gathered information on all the candidates in the last federal election, and they’d debated the merits and policies until they decided they were going to vote Conservative. Eva never really liked politics until she met Zoe, who took an extraordinary interest in it. Their local member was the man sitting in front of her, and she was sure Percy was aware of where she lived, since it was listed quite prominently in her file.
“You are, sir,” Eva replied.
Percy grinned for the first time since Eva had walked in. “So I am. Fancy that.” He chuckled. “I see you are a stickler for detail.” Then, looking down at Eva’s file, he added, “And you are an honest person. I like that.” He made a show of reading the file in front of him. “I have a report here from the War Crimes Unit investigators that you were involved in Resistance activities during the war...hmm?”
Eva pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure whether she should answer.
“Well? Were you involved in the Resistance?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You were working against the Germans?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hmm.” Percy took off his glasses and twirled them in his hand. “Why?”
“I had my reasons.”
“I see. You didn’t like Hitler’s policies? So if you don’t like the policies of the Australian government, based on your actions during the war, you will also work against the interests of Australia?”
Eva was shocked by the question, but showed no outward sign of her surprise. “I would if the Australian government sanctioned murder,” she replied quietly.
Percy nodded. “Would you have a problem with dealing with the German government? I don’t think Mrs. Hester will be doing that, but in the event she did, would there be a problem?”
“No, sir. They are not Nazis, as far as I know.”
“Yes, that’s quite true,” Percy replied. “My wife tells me you just got married,” he asked, completely changing the direction of the conversation.
“Yes, sir, I got married in Germany to Theodore Lambros.”
“Really?” Percy’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yes, sir,” Eva replied, unconsciously twisting the ring on her finger.
“Theodore Lambros? A Greek?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Who is Zoe Lambros?”
The edges of Eva’s mouth twitched as she decided not to lie to Percy. “Zoe is my longtime companion.”
“Companion?”
“Yes, sir.”
Percy looked over his glasses at Eva. “Your longtime companion? She has the same last name. Does—”
“Zoe is my husband’s sister.”
“I see, so she is your…”
“She’s my companion.”
“I’m sorry I don’t—”
“Zoe is my lover,” Eva stated bluntly surprising herself with her admission to the minister. Eva assumed Jana would have told Percy about her relationship to Zoe. There was no point in hiding the fact since Jana knew already.
“Ah.” Percy nodded and avoided Eva’s gaze. “I see.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Miss Lambros—”
“Mrs. Lambros.”
“Pardon?”
“Zoe is now married to my cousin, Thomas Lambros,” Eva said, causing Percy to scowl at her. That only made Eva want to laugh. It was a confusing arrangement, but one that Eva found amusing. “My cousin has the same last name as Zoe but they are not related by blood.”
“Oh, like the surname Smith here in Australia.”
“Something like that,” Eva mumbled.
“Zoe is Greek?”
“Yes, sir. Zoe was born in Larissa.”
“Is she as tall as you?”
Eva refrained from telling him that Zoe was taller than him. “No, she’s petite.”
“Hmm... Did she have a problem with you being the stepdaughter of the Nazi commander?”
Eva looked at Percy and angled her head a little to the left, a slight smile playing on her lips. “With all due respect, sir, that’s none of your business.”
“It’s an interesting question, don’t you think?”
“Not really.”
Percy glanced up at her before his eyes fell to the file in front of him. “For security purposes, is Miss Lambros—”
“It’s Mrs. Lambros,” Eva corrected him.
“Is Mrs. Lambros a communist?”
“No, sir. She voted for you as well,” Eva replied. She was going to tell Zoe about this interrogation, just to see her reaction to it.
“I would like to meet this young lady at some point.”
“I’m sure at some point that will happen, sir,” Eva replied and restrained herself from chuckling out loud. Zoe and Percy in the same room: she wanted to see that clash of personalities.
“My sister-in-law tells me you are quite a good photographer.”
“Yes, sir. I enjoy photography, and Mrs. Muldoon gave me the opportunity to dabble in my hobby whilst on my trip to Europe.”
“You’re very good. I’ve seen some of your photographs. Do you paint?”
“Thank you, sir. No, I don’t paint.”
“I see,” Percy replied, and made a show of looking through the file. “I think everything is in order. I do like your honesty, Mrs. Lambros. It’s very...refreshing.” He got up and tugged down his vest. “My wife tells me that I shouldn’t ask too many questions about your private life, but you will have to excuse me—I had to ask.”
“I think it’s important you asked.”
“Hm, my wife thinks you are good enough to fill the role as her assistant. I don’t see anything here that will tell me otherwise. You are Beatriz Muller’s granddaughter. I respected your grandmother a great deal and I was very saddened to hear about her death.”
“Thank you, sir,” Eva replied diplomatically.
“Your grandmother saved my wife from certain death. Mrs. Hester was also close friends with your mother.”
“Yes, sir, they were.”
“I heard a lot of good things about your mother, and as far as I’m concerned, you are the right person for the job. Your prior association with Mrs. Hester and the heroic deeds of your family to sa
ve my wife would negate any questions about your home life if it becomes public.”
“Would it be easier if you told your wife that I wasn’t suitable for the job?”
Percy smiled, took off his glasses, and started to chortle. “How long have you been married, Mrs. Lambros?”
“Six months, sir.”
“You have been with Mrs. Lambros for six months?”
“Five years, sir. I thought you asked me about Theodore.”
“Hm. How often have you told Mrs. Lambros she was wrong?”
Eva looked down at her hands for a moment trying not to laugh. She lost the battle as she let out a quiet chuckle and looked up at Percy. “Not often.”
“Smart woman. I don’t tell my wife she’s wrong because she isn’t, and when she is, I just don’t tell her,” Percy replied with a mischievous grin. “My wife tells me you have someone in mind for the secretary position and that is fine with me. Is there anything you would like to ask me?”
“No sir. As for my secretary, the woman I have in mind is currently the receptionist in the Interpreter Service. Her name is Deborah Harrison.”
“Alright, I don’t think Mr. Farmer will object to that transfer. Mrs. Lambros, when the time comes when you become a contentious issue then I will deal with that. You’re not a Nazi, and you’re not a communist. Are you a member of the Country Party?”
“No, sir. I don’t join political parties.”
“But you support the Country Party?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Good. I can’t have a Labor Party sympathizer working with my wife,” Percy said as he opened the door to the office. “I look forward to hearing from my wife about your progress,” he said as he shook Eva’s hand and saw her out.
Eva thanked the secretary as she passed and left the executive office somewhat puzzled. That wasn’t an interview and it wasn’t an interrogation either. It wasn’t anything she had encountered before. She wasn’t sure what it was. She took the elevator back down to the Interpreter Service and pushed open the door to find an expectant Debbie waiting at the reception desk.
Eva let out a frustrated sigh and sat on the edge of Debbie’s desk when the door closed.
“So, how did it go with the mouth-from-the-south?”
“Does ‘getting hit by a semi-trailer and living’ mean anything?” Eva replied with a grin.
Debbie grinned in return. “Want a cup of tea to aid your recovery?”
“That would be nice, thank you.” Eva muttered. “I’m going to guess that the news has hit the grapevine?”
“Yes.”
“You might want to make yourself a cup of tea.”
“Why?”
“You’re going to be my new secretary,” Eva replied with a smile at the shocked expression on Debbie’s face. “They asked, so I said I wanted you and they agreed.”
“You’re pulling my leg.”
“I’m not.” Eva shook her head. “I want you to come with me.”
“Oh, goodness.” Debbie fanned herself with her hand and giggled. “Thank you!” she exclaimed engulfing Eva in a hug. Eva was a little surprised at the affectionate way Debbie had hugged her.
Debbie gave her a bemused look. “Hey, why does Zoe giggle every time I mention the minister?”
Eva grinned. “Hester in Greek has a very different meaning.”
“Really? What does it mean?”
Eva looked up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to suppress a giggle. “Well, if I tell you, you won’t be able to speak to him with a straight face.”
“Oh, go on!” Debbie urged.
“It means to poop,” Eva replied. She went back into her office, accompanied by the shrieks of laughter coming from her soon to be secretary.
CHAPTER 5
Eva got out of the taxi feeling nauseous and the endless chatter of her taxi driver had given her a headache. She has been feeling exhausted for days and the lack of sleep was taking its toll. Eva sighed on seeing her dark blue sedan that was sitting in the driveway of her home. She had a brief chat to her friend Earl about fixing Aresti, her beloved car, because she didn’t want to catch another taxi. Not that she hated taxis, they were far better than buses or the tram but Aresti was her beloved car. It was the first car Eva had owned and she felt quite sentimental about it. The problem was that Aresti was getting old and she may have to replace it with something that actually ran and didn’t break down every few months. They had scrimped and saved for nearly a year to buy the car and Eva just didn’t want to part with it. Zoe found it extremely funny that Eva was so attached to the car and didn’t want to buy a new one now that they could afford it.
Eva sighed and looked around the cul-de-sac as she checked her mailbox for any mail. She stopped to gaze at the seven houses that made up the alcove. Her home was situated in the middle. The houses on either side of her home were occupied by her husband, Theo, and by her cousin, Tommy, respectively. It was all a complicated ruse to hide Eva and Zoe’s true living arrangement. Eva was sure their living arrangements had been concocted when everyone was drunk, because to her it seemed too convoluted.
All three houses had an adjoining door, hidden from street view, to allow easy access without the need to go out of one house to enter the other.
To the casual observer, it seemed that Eva was living with her husband Theodore, and Zoe was living with her husband, Tommy, while in fact Eva and Zoe were sharing the middle house.
She wondered if anyone cared, because she had little interest in what her former neighbors were up to. Henry occupied the house next to Theo’s, and opposite her home was Tessa and Stella’s house. At the corner was Stella’s medical practice, and just around the corner from the cul-de-sac was Elena and Friedrich’s home. With her sizable inheritance, Eva found it pertinent to purchase the seven houses. She had gone a little overboard in trying to attain some privacy but she reasoned it was a wise investment. Her grandfather had instilled in her that property was always a wise investment and that’s what she did.
She walked the short distance to the steps and through the open door. The corridor was littered with shredded paper. She put her handbag on the table next to the door and took off her hat and hung it on the coat rack which was near the table.
Eva stopped when their black and white cat, Ourania, flopped on the floor in front of her for a belly scratch. Eva went down on her haunches and scratched the feline. “You don’t need much to make you happy,” she said. She picked up the cat in her arms and gave her a cuddle. “Where’s Mama gone in all this mess?” She looked up when she heard Zoe’s voice coming from the living room. It sounded like Zoe was talking to someone, but Eva knew Zoe was actually talking to the radio. Her favorite serial was on. Eva grinned when Zoe let out a frustrated groan.
Eva kissed Ourania’s head and let her back down. She entered the living room and found it filled with boxes—half-empty boxes and tidy organized stacks. The radio was indeed on and had to stop from laughing on seeing Zoe, glaring at the radio. Eva quietly went up behind Zoe and put her arms around her. Zoe leaned back against Eva. They stayed like that for a few moments, just enjoying holding each other.
“Hello,” Eva leaned down and whispered into Zoe’s ear. “You’re going to make yourself crazy if you keep insisting Rupert follow your advice. He’s not going to do it.” Eva suggested making Zoe laugh. “I love the perfume you’re wearing.”
“You do?” Zoe turned around in Eva’s arms and looked up into her eyes. “I’m not wearing any. I’m a little sweaty.”
“You just smell nice and Loretta is going to marry Egbert despite you yelling at the wireless,” Eva said as she cupped Zoe’s face and kissed her tenderly. “I see you’ve been busy,” she said and sat down on one of the unopened crates. She brought Zoe to sit on her lap.
“The crates came this morning. You have a lot of hats.”
Eva nodded. “I like hats.”
“Hats and gloves. There’s a whole crate of shoes! The only place where I’ve
seen so many shoes was in a shoe store.”
“I love my shoes. Did my jazz records arrive?”
“They did. I stacked them in alphabetical order in the Journey room,” Zoe replied. She frowned a little. “Do you have a headache?”
“Yes. It’s been a long and strange day, love. My stomach has been doing flip-flops and I’m just not feeling well.”
“Have you been feeling nauseous all day? Was that why it was strange?”
“I’ve been feeling nauseous and not myself. That wasn’t the strange part. Maybe it’s something I ate?”
“Why don’t you go and have a nice cool bath and then we can cuddle? You can then tell me about your strange day.” Zoe suggested.
“I think I might,” Eva replied tiredly.
“Do you want something light, maybe some watermelon?”
Eva made a face. “I don’t think I can keep that down.”
“I’m going to get Aunty Stella to come and have a look at you when she gets back,” Zoe said as Eva trudged off towards the bathroom to freshen up before she took her nap.
“It’s just a cold, Zo. Nothing to worry Stella about,” Eva replied and disappeared into the bathroom.
***
The bath did help to relax Eva. The cool water cooled her down and almost put her to sleep in the tub. She forced herself to get out and dried herself off with the dark blue towel that was hanging on the rail. She quietly got dressed in the long tan shorts and light blue shirt Zoe had brought in and left for her. Eva absentmindedly brushed her long dark hair as her mind went back to the events of the day. She left the bathroom and padded to the kitchen. Zoe was outside watering the garden when Eva stepped out and sat down on the sofa.
Eva loved the back yard. It bore the fruits of her labors. It was a beautifully kept garden with three trees on either side. At the back, towards the high fence that separated the house from the cliff face that went down into the sea, there was a tall avocado tree. To the side was a well-tendered vegetable patch with tomatoes, thyme, and basil. What Eva loved most was the deep burgundy bougainvillea that grew around the steps and intertwined with the lattice surrounding the porch. She took out her cigarette case and removed one of the cigarettes and lit it. She took a deep drag and exhaled.
[Intertwined Souls 05.0] No Good Deed Page 5
