Golden Chariot

by Chris Karlsen

  “Curious approach on your part,” Atakan said, playing down his irritation, “...for a man who wants my co-operation.”

  “It is what it is,” Nick said. “Look, it’s bad enough Casey...Charlotte,” he clarified, “is worried about the investigation. Between us, I know more than I claimed. I didn’t tell her because I don’t want her frightened too.”

  “Understood. This remains confidential, as long as the agreement is mutual.” Atakan had no intention of revealing much. His demand of reciprocity was a matter of principal.

  “Agreed,” Nick said. “I’m told the authorities believe a known Ukrainian contract killer might be behind the murder.”

  “Your sources appear well informed. My organization would like to know who they are.”

  “If this is a quid pro quo, all I know is the info came from contacts in Interpol.”

  Nick’s knowledge of even that detail was impressive and not in a good way. The existence of a leak was disturbing news. Only a handful of people on each end of the investigation had access to the Tischenko angle...fewer in Interpol.

  “Who told me isn’t important. The bottom line is I don’t want this Ukrainian coming after my sister because he thinks she has damning information.”

  “Why would he think this? Does she?” Atakan wondered what information Nick thought she had.

  “No. How could she? Like all you guys, she’s all about old stuff.”

  “So, there’s no problem. What are you worried about?”

  “I don’t know what your friend was involved in and I don’t want to know. I’m afraid whatever it was that got him killed might spill over. I don’t want Case getting swept up into the situation by mistake.”

  Nick glanced at Jeff, who was listening to their talk, then back to Atakan. “Talk to me. Do you know anything about this alleged killer?”

  Atakan thought for a moment before he answered. Based on what Nick already knew, he divulged only some additional general information. Facts Nick could learn for himself with a little more digging. “There is a man, a former Spetsnaz combat swimmer. Drowning, from what I hear by rumor only, is his method of assassination.”

  “What’s his name?” Nick pressed.

  “I don’t know. I am not privy to detailed intelligence data.”

  “Can you try and find out?”

  “No,” Atakan lied, distrustful of what Nick intended to do with the information. “Even if I could I wouldn’t reveal it.”

  “If my sister’s in jeopardy, I want to know by whom.”

  “So your wealthy stepfather can use his influence to meddle in Turkish affairs? Or so you can interfere in Turkish and Greek investigations?”

  Nick leaned further forward. The space between the two tightened.

  “Forget my stepfather. It’s me you’d deal with. I’m not going to screw up their investigation, but I will protect Casey by all means possible.”

  Tactics. Atakan had used similar ones. He uncrossed his arms and straightened, pulling his legs back so he sat flat-footed. Whatever his purpose, Atakan resented Nick’s presumption and the underlying subtle threat. His arms on his thighs, he leaned forward to mirror Nick’s stance. They were inches apart.

  “We are not a third world country,” he said, pushing back. “We are not a provincial and backward nation unable to protect our citizens or visitors here. Our police are as dedicated and efficient as any in Europe or America.”

  “I didn’t slam your abilities. However, my sister is my priority, not your pride. If a member of your family was in danger, you’d do everything you could to protect them too. These Russians and Ukrainians are merciless.”

  “I understand and sympathize. But, as a science geek, my expertise is in archaeology, not murder for hire killers.”

  “Lousy answer.”

  Atakan shrugged. “It is what it is.”

  “That brings up an interesting point. Who’d hire someone to kill an archaeologist? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Scientists live in the real world. The same motives for murder...rivalry, jealousy, greed, exist for us. Why Ekrem, I can’t say for certain.”

  Atakan intentionally kept his response vague. His unit favored revenge as a motive. Their internal speculations weren’t to be elaborated upon with outsiders.

  “Heads up, Nick,” Jeff said as Ursula and Charlotte’s voices carried into the kitchen. “You got half a minute.”

  Nick quickly asked, “Yes or no, do you think he’d come after Casey?”

  Atakan put nothing past Tischenko, but he didn’t see him coming after Charlotte.

  “I don’t see a reason, unless you know of one you’re not telling me.”

  “I want your word, Atakan. If there’s a problem, you’ll call me.”

  “You have my word, if there’s a problem, I’ll handle it.”

  Nick didn’t look happy with the answer.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The conversation between the two men stopped when Charlotte and Ursula entered the room.

  Charlotte introduced everyone.

  “Nice to meet you.” Ursula shook hands with Nick.

  Jeff held her extended hand rather than shake. “Say that again. Your accent is intriguing. I love the way those soft lips form that adorable ‘ou’.”

  Charlotte rolled her eyes and whispered to Nick. “Did he just say her accent was intriguing?”

  Nick shot her a crooked grin and nodded.

  “It’s German.” Charlotte didn’t see the attraction.

  “I think you are joking with me,” Ursula said, in a husky tone Charlotte hadn’t heard her use before now.

  Jeff bent in close. “There are many things I’d love to do with you. Joking is way at the bottom.”

  “Nauseating, yet morbidly fascinating,” Charlotte said under her breath. “He’s managed to charm an icy Teuton.”

  Even Atakan looked amused, the hint of a smile on his face.

  “You should see him on his home turf. He sweats the stuff. Not as well as me, of course. I exude charm and sincerity. It’s a gift,” Nick bragged.

  “Insincerity you mean,” Charlotte quipped.

  “Hey, I’m sincere at the moment.”

  Ursula and Jeff exchanged a few more exaggerated compliments before she excused herself and left.

  #

  Charlotte and Atakan squeezed into the backseat of Nick’s rental car. Her knees pressed against the back of the driver’s seat. Atakan sat sideways, one foot on the floorboard under her legs and one on his floorboard as he directed the way.

  The Artemis Hotel was a modest, white stucco seaside hotel. Tall, curved-topped, Moorish style windows trimmed in turquoise paint softened the plain exterior.

  “How pretty,” Charlotte said.

  She stepped out of the vehicle and walked to the edge of the garden that bordered the parking lot. Beyond the flowering vines and olive trees was an unobstructed view of the Aegean. The deep blue surface was banded in orange and gold by the late afternoon sun. Beach chairs and tables lined the pebbled strip along the pier of moored speedboats bearing the hotel’s logo.

  “I will do the talking,” Atakan said as they followed a stone path to the lobby.

  Atakan and the desk clerk spoke in animated conversation, laughing every so often. Charlotte understood some of the exchange which centered on sharp, but funny, digs about the Parliament. They spoke too fast for her to catch all the words.

  Jeff tapped her on the shoulder. “Case, I have a little gift for you.” He wheeled his bag with him and walked several feet away, gesturing for her to follow.

  “I bought these at the duty-free at O’Hare. They’re Belgian. I thought you’d like them.” Jeff dug in a zippered side pocket of his carry-on and removed a box of chocolates. “They’re Belgian,” he repeated, handing the box to Charlotte.

  “How sweet, thank you. I love chocolate candy.” She hugged the box to her chest. “I’ll open them when I’m alone in the dorm, so I don’t have to share. That’s awful of
me, I know.”

  She turned and started to walk away, but Jeff tugged her on the elbow.

  “I wanted to ask you something.”

  Charlotte waited for him to finish. Several seconds passed before she finally said, “What is it?”

  “Between the university and your field work, you’ve spent a lot of time away. Now you’re here. Do you ever think about settling down and staying in Chicago? Maybe get a job with the Field Museum or teaching archaeology or history at one of the colleges?”

  “Not really. Why?”

  “Just curious...I...I...don’t you miss everyone?”

  Charlotte never heard Jeff stammer. “Of course. Did my family tell you to ask that?”

  “No. The question’s all mine.”

  “This is where I want to be. There’s an amazing world under these waters. I couldn’t bear being cooped up in a museum basement, or worse, behind a window on public view while working on artifacts. I’d feel like I was inside a human terrarium. As far as teaching, I’d die inspiring others to go and do what I should be doing myself.”

  “It isn’t just that, Case. I...”

  He was stammering again. This wasn’t the straightforward Jeff she knew. What could be so hard to say? “Jeff, what are you really asking me?”

  He touched his palm to her cheek. “I want you to come home.”

  Given a million chances, she’d never have guessed that was what he’d say.

  “We make a good couple,” he said. “We’ve known each other long enough to understand and accept our individual quirks. You’re one of the few women who gets my black humor. There’s trust and respect between us.” He rushed through the list as though he’d practiced it.

  Charlotte tried to tease him away from what she dreaded he’d say next. “You’re flattering me. And to think a half hour ago, you were flirting with Ursula.”

  “A man flirts with some women just because they’re there. Like Ursula. This isn’t bullshit Case. You’re not a passing flirtation. You’re the best woman I know.”

  “Jeff--”

  “I thought, if you came home, well, it doesn’t matter. You aren’t coming home anytime soon.”

  There was resignation in his words. His gaze shifted to a spot over her shoulder.

  Five years earlier, when many of her friends had married or were getting married, she’d proposed to Jeff. It was Nick’s birthday and she got stupid drunk. Alcohol emboldened, she’d stationed herself next to Jeff and suggested if neither eventually married other people, they should marry each other. Jeff agreed. Then, she propositioned him. A heated make out session ensued. What a great kisser. She planned on having sex with him until the room started spinning.

  He drove her home and stayed through the whole awful night. He held her hair back as she threw up everything but her shoes. He helped her undress and put her to bed. A perfect gentleman, he kept the humiliation of her night over the toilet bowl and maudlin proposal a secret between them.

  She loved Jeff, but she wasn’t in love with him. The fact didn’t stop her from consigning him as her backup man, in her mind. If nothing better turned up, she had Jeff. Lying to herself, she’d justified the action. Jeff agreed, so it’s okay. Asking him how he really felt about her was conveniently inconvenient.

  She wanted to crawl into a deep hole. How the hell could she do that to this terrific guy? What a self-centered, demeaning thing to do to anyone, let alone someone you’re supposed to care for.

  She was anything but the best woman he knew. Shamed, she had to tell him the truth. She didn’t love him the way he deserved to be loved.

  “Jeff—-”

  “Don’t.” He put a finger to her lips. “No explanations necessary.”

  “Jeff, you deserve—”

  He tipped his chin toward the desk. “Looks like Atakan’s finishing. Time to go.” With a light hand on the small of her back, he urged her forward.

  The clerk handed Atakan a key and pointed to the far side of the hotel.

  “You only have one key.” Nick looked wary. “This room has twin beds, right?” he asked as Atakan joined them.

  “This is tourist season. They are fully booked with the exception of this last room. It’s a king bed. I’m afraid you’ll have to sleep together.”

  Jeff frowned and stared at the single key like it was a hand grenade. “No, no, no, never gonna happen.”

  “We’ll flip a coin for the bathtub,” Nick told Jeff.

  “Come.” Atakan led the way. He didn’t crack a smile until after he opened the door and stepped aside. Charlotte suspected he was up to something.

  “Twin beds. You knew all along. Very funny, Atakan,” Nick said and tossed his suitcase on the bed closest to the door.

  Jeff set his bag on the other bed and headed for the bathroom. Charlotte was right behind him.

  “Jeff, I--”

  “Case—stop, I’m fine.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I rebound well.” Turning her around by the shoulders, he gave her a pat on the ass and said, “Now, get out of here, while I take a leak.”

  He’d given her permission not to bury herself in guilt. It was so Jeff and one of the reasons she loved him. She returned to the bedroom feeling a little better for Jeff but still disgusted with herself.

  Atakan relaxed in a wrought iron chair by a set of patio doors watching her, an unreadable expression on his face.

  The impact of the last two hours hit her as she came into the room. Petalas thinks she’s a person of interest in a murder. Jeff thinks they should be a couple. Who knows what Atakan thinks?

  Hands down, this was the strangest day of her life.

  A blast of fresh salt air sounded excellent. She crossed the room, opened the French doors, and stepped outside.

  Atakan followed.

  “Nice view,” she said, as he stood next to her.

  “All the rooms on this side have private patios that overlook the sea.”

  Off to the right was a single building which replicated the hotel’s architecture. “Is that part of the hotel?”

  “Yes. On the waterside there’s a bar and the restaurant is on the garden side. We’ll go there later, if you wish. The food is good, lots of local fish. I thought you might like to take a short hike in the woods to Selale first.”

  “What is that?” Charlotte asked.

  “It’s a local site with a hillside waterfall that empties into a deep pool with wildflowers all around, very peaceful and pretty. Tourists like it. Afterward we can stroll through the town.”

  Nick and Jeff joined them on the patio.

  “Waterfalls and wildflowers?” Nick smirked. “I admire your ability to tap into your feminine side with such enthusiasm.”

  “’Feminine side?’ No woman lives in me. I was merely thinking your sister might enjoy a bit of nature.” Atakan gave her a crooked smile that was more the grimace of a man stuck in the butt with a knitting needle.

  She hadn’t known Atakan long, but long enough to know he was not a waterfalls and flowers kind of guy. He simply had no idea what to do with them when he rattled off Selale. She also knew the suggestion had nothing to do with her. It had almost a romantic aura. That would be a little too strange, and she’d already reached her quota for strange today.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I’m ready for a drink, not to mention ravenous,” Charlotte said.

  The four weaved their way through the Artemis’s popular restaurant. The loud crowd at the bar sounded like a U.N. watering hole. Charlotte picked up bits and pieces of conversations in French, Italian and German, in addition to Turkish. Ceiling speakers played a cut from the old Madonna album, Ray of Light. One of Charlotte’s favorite songs, Skin, was from that CD.

  “Merhaba,” the bartender called to them over the noise.

  Atakan didn’t hear him and continued toward the less busy rear section of the restaurant.

  Charlotte stopped. “Hello.”

  “Lady, how many are you?”

  She held up fou
r fingers.

  The bartender pointed. “There’s an open table by the door.”

  “Thanks.”

  Charlotte hooked Atakan’s arm and redirected him to the far corner. She sat next to Nick on the waterside. Atakan and Jeff sat opposite, facing the bar. Overhead, oval and pear shaped Ottoman style lamps hung on chains from the ceiling. Their mosaics of colored glass cast the bar’s patrons in yellow and blue and red lights. The red hue of the lamp above Charlotte’s table gave the four of them a first degree sunburn appearance. Pink skin was better than the table of customers next to them who looked jaundiced under the light of a yellow lamp.

  Atakan ordered Efes beers for everyone.

  “No beer for me. I hate beer. You’ve never seen me drink it at camp,” Charlotte said. Not very observant for a scientist, since she was the only team member who didn’t drink it. “Let’s split a bottle of wine.”

  “Share the wine with your brother or Jeff. I’ll have beer.”

  “They don’t drink red wine. Come on, please split the wine with me.”

  Atakan shook his head no, which didn’t faze Charlotte. After much cajoling from her, he canceled his Efes and reluctantly agreed to share a bottle of Kavaklidere wine.

  “Why is drinking wine alone a problem? Why must I drink it too?” Atakan grumbled.

  “Don’t get testy. It isn’t served by the glass. If I order the whole bottle, I’ll look like a boozer,” she explained.

  “Boozer, another strange word. Is it the same as floozy?”

  “No. It’s someone who drinks too much, too often.”

  Atakan cracked a smile, not the usual polite, pleasant kind. This was the slick, lecherous kind.

  “I have met floozies. Quite charming, in their own way,” he said to Jeff. “A boozer-floozy, now this woman I’d be very interested in meeting.” He grinned bigger and told Charlotte, “If you see any in the room, please point them out.”

  “Please find two,” Jeff added.

  Nick joined in. “What am I, invisible? Find three.”

  “I’m not a drunken tramp detector. Find your own,” Charlotte snapped back.

  Atakan wasn’t listening. His focus was fixed on something across the room. “Did you invite Ursula to meet you here?” he asked Jeff.