“As if you’d ever find them.”
“We found you, didn’t we, asshole?” said Tassos.
Andreas shook his head. “Here’s the deal, Punka. It’s a one time take it or leave it opportunity for you to live longer than a week. Get us the name of whoever ordered the hits and if we find that you’re right you walk. If you don’t come up with a name, you’re the one who goes inside for the murders.”
“And by the way, don’t try to run,” said Tassos. “We’ll find you again and next time…you’ll simply disappear.”
Punka looked at the ground.
“Do you understand?” said Tassos.
“Yes.”
“Good,” said Andreas. “Now, I want you to tell us everything you know about your brothers and Tinos, starting from the beginning. And I mean everything.”
It took an hour, but Punka didn’t tell them anything more than he already had or was in the Tinos police reports. Nor did he tell them anything that conflicted with what they knew. It was just a more embellished telling of the same message: I told my brothers not to cross the Albanians.
When they finished they drove Punka back to the taverna. He didn’t say a word this time. Not even a goodbye when they dropped him off.
***
“I think he’s scared,” said Andreas. They were back on the highway heading toward Athens.
“Yeah, when the Albanians want revenge against one part of a family, they don’t care who else they take out to get it.”
“No, I meant of you,” said Andreas. “You practically scared the hell out of me. That was some chance you took going after him for his brothers’ murders.”
“The worst he could have done was tell me to ‘fuck off.’ But we lucked out. He had a guilty conscience.”
“I call it good police instincts,” said Andreas.
“It comes with thinking like a crook.”
Andreas laughed. “I’ll get Yianni to make sure Punka is covered 24/7 and that we pull all his phone calls and messages.”
“What do you the think the chances are of him coming up with a name?”
“Who knows, but he’s our only lead,” said Andreas.
“Maybe not,” said Tassos. “If somehow Albanians from Menidi are involved in this, I might be able to set something up with them.”
Tassos had been making influential friends since his days as a rookie cop in Greece’s dictatorship years guarding political prisoners at an island prison. Those prisoner friendships were his hedge against the inmates’ return to power and had served him well. If anyone could set up a meeting with the Albanians it was Tassos.
“I’m not exactly thrilled at the thought of sitting down with those guys if they’re behind the murders.”
“Why? The worst thing that could happen is they refuse to meet,” said Tassos.
“No, the worst thing that could happen is they agree to meet and then try to whack the cops who are trying to prove they did it,” said Andreas.
“Stop worrying. Once they know you’re involved they probably won’t agree to meet anyway. You have a reputation as a straight shooter. They don’t trust guys like you.”
“As opposed to…”
“Hey, what can I say? I’m old school.”
Andreas rolled his eyes.
Tassos smiled. “Ingrate.”
Chapter Five
It was nearly midnight, and for most civilized people past their bedtime. But for many Greeks it was just the beginning of their evening. Andreas was lying on top of the bed covers watching the news. Lila sat at her dressing table looking through some sort of chart for the wedding. Andreas couldn’t believe that in four days they’d be married. It was almost Wednesday.
Andreas’ cell phone rang.
“Who would be calling at this hour?” said Lila.
Andreas looked at his phone. “Tassos. Hopefully with good news.” He pressed to answer.
“I told Lila you’d only be calling at this hour with good news. If not, please hang up and call back tomorrow.”
“All I can say is that it’s news. Whether it’s good or bad depends on your view of things,” said Tassos.
“What are you into, Zen or something? Just tell me.”
“I was able to set up a meeting with the Albanians. But they’ll only see us tonight. It’s now or never.”
“You’re kidding.” He instinctively looked at his watch.
And Lila looked at him.
“It looks like our only chance to meet.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll pick you up in front of your building in fifteen minutes. Bye.”
Andreas put down his phone.
“Honey…”
“Try not to stay out too late.”
“I don’t want to go but there’s no choice. It’s very important.”
“I’m sure. Just remember. Sunday.”
Andreas kissed her on the cheek and left the room to get dressed to meet Tassos. He didn’t want her to see him putting on his ballistic vest.
***
Tassos pulled up alone in front of Andreas’ building in a blue and white police cruiser.
Andreas got in next to him. “We’re taking a marked car to this?”
“The ones we’re meeting know we’re cops. I want to make sure everyone else in the neighborhood knows it, too, and that we’re there on official business.”
Andreas shrugged. “It’s your call, but I wouldn’t think the Albanians would appreciate the idea of other bad guys in their neighborhood knowing they’re entertaining cops. Might start too many rumors.”
“Not a problem tonight. They picked a place in Athens, outside their neighborhood. A club in Gazi. The cruiser will get us a parking space.” Tassos grinned.
“Which place?”
“Dionysios’ Sin. How do they come up with those names?”
“I never knew that place was connected to the mob?” said Andreas.
“It isn’t, that’s why they picked it. And at this hour it’s just getting busy. We’ll be lost in the crowd.”
Andreas stared out the window. Any meeting with that sort was dangerous, but picking a club in the heart of Athens’ busiest nightlife district was about as safe a place as he could have hoped for them to choose. And it was quantum levels safer than a meeting on their home turf in Menidi. Cops rarely went there, and rarer still in a marked car. Andreas let his mind wander to other things, not pouncing on any one thought in particular.
“Here we are,” said Tassos. It was a narrow street jammed with cars parked on both sides. Tassos pulled into a space cleared for the entrance to the club. An attendant held his hand out for the key.
“Get serious,” said Tassos as he locked the doors and pocketed the key.
Andreas scanned the street to see if anyone was watching them. Everyone was. No wonder, with that grand entrance.
“Where are we supposed to meet them?”
Tassos shook his head. “Don’t know. We’re supposed to find some guy named Robert and ask for the ‘White party.’”
The place was mobbed, the music loud, and the décor classic French bordello from that country’s glory days of its greatest decadence. Not bad if you liked that sort of thing. Tassos whispered something in a waiter’s ear. The waiter turned and pointed to a man by the end of the bar studying the room. He had to be at least seven feet tall and as broad as the back of a truck.
“That’s our Robert,” said Tassos.
“Oh boy. They win, I quit,” said Andreas.
“He’s probably quite gentle.”
“Let’s hope we don’t get the chance to hear him say, ‘I’ll be gentle.’”
Tassos laughed.
Andreas patted his crotch. His nine-millimeter was right where it should be. “Okay, let’s go.”
Tassos walked over to the giant and motioned for him to lower his head. Tassos whispered in his ear and Robert’s face lit up in a broad smile. He waved one of his huge hands at Andreas to follow and began moving through the se
a of people. It was like two caïques following the Queen Mary. He led them to a doorway at the rear, opened it, and pointed down the stairs.
“Down there, they’re waiting for you.” He smiled, patted Tassos and Andreas on their backs as they passed, and closed the door behind them.
“Christ, it’s like a tomb in here,” said Andreas. “Can’t hear a thing from outside or downstairs.”
“And vice-versa I’m sure. Probably not even a gun shot,” said Tassos.
“Stop making me feel better.” Andreas touched his holster again. “Just how sure are you of the guy who set up this meeting?”
“He’s a friend of a friend.”
“Great. Like I said, stop making me feel better.”
At the bottom of the stairs stood two bulky guys, obviously Albanian. They didn’t smile, just stared at the new arrivals.
Tassos stared back. “We’re here for the White party.”
The two men pointed to a door at the end of the hall.
As they walked toward the door Tassos whispered, “Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.”
Andreas smiled, but braced for the worst. Just then the door swung open and a tremendous shout came roaring out of the room.
“SURPRISE!”
***
It took about an hour of hugged congratulations, gotchas, backslapping, and svenaki shots of vodka from what seemed every guy he’d ever known before Andreas could corner Tassos. “You son-of-a-bitch, this was supposed to be tomorrow night.”
“You mean your ‘surprise’ bachelor party.” Tassos was smiling from ear to ear. “We knew you’d be expecting some sort of party so it was Lila’s idea to misdirect you into thinking it was tomorrow.”
“I guess I should take that as a warning of what life will be like after Sunday.”
“Yeah, someone always caring that you have a good time.”
“If you want me to have a really good time you’ll tell me that your bit about being able to set up a meeting with the Albanians was all part of an elaborate ruse to get me here and that there’s absolutely no truth to it.”
“Sorry, wish I could. But that part’s all real, though it did give me the idea for making sure you’d be surprised when the door opened.”
“Remind me of that tomorrow, when I’m sober. What about the two Albanians at the door? Nice touch.”
“Hey, not all Albanians are bad guys. They’re cops from the western suburbs. It was Yianni’s idea. He thought they would lend authenticity.”
Andreas felt a sharp slap on his back. “Andreas, Andreas.” It was Spiros, the minister of public order.
“Yiasou, Spiros.”
“I am so glad to be here. After all we’ve been through together I feel as if we’re brothers.”
“Thank you, I’ve had similar thoughts at times,” said Andreas thinking of certain well-known biblical siblings.
“I’ve arranged a little surprise to commemorate the end of your bachelorhood. Enjoy.” Spiros winked at Tassos and walked away.
Andreas stared after him. “Why does the thought of a surprise from Spiros not make me happy?”
Tassos waved to Kouros to join them. “Forget about him. At least he didn’t ask you for a report on what’s happening with the Tinos murders.” He put his arm around Kouros. “Yianni, we pulled it off. Congratulations.”
Andreas stared at Kouros. “Bastard.”
“I love you too, Chief.”
Andreas smiled and hugged him.
The food, music, and drink had been running non-stop since they got there, all in a mix of modern and old Greek styles. Now the lights flickered, a disco ball hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room began to turn, and splashes of colored light darted about in pace with the music. Spotlights splashed about the room before abruptly fixing on three figures shrouded in black beneath the disco ball. Every eye was drawn to the objects caught in the lights. At that instant the music gained a sudden intensity and from beneath each cloak a bare white arm shot straight into the air followed a moment later by a second bare arm.
Andreas had a pretty good idea of what was coming and was certain it did not involve any dancers approved by Lila.
First one then another dancer dropped her cloak, followed by her dress and bra, while the deejay did his masterful job of pumping up the music and virtually every man in the room. It wasn’t that hard to do. Tall, blond, blue-eyed, big-busted young women, undoubtedly Eastern bloc, dancing naked down to their g-strings before two hundred drunken men generally did the trick every time.
One woman danced over to Andreas, teasing him to join her in the middle of the floor. He smiled, but refused. She tried pulling him onto the dance floor. He kept smiling, but refused again. His second refusal met with friendly shouts from around the room of “pusti,” and other names questioning his manhood. Andreas laughed and smiled but did not budge. When the practically naked woman again tried pulling him onto the dance floor, Kouros smoothly lifted her off her feet and carried her back to beneath the disco ball, smiling all the time, amid a barrage of men yelling offers to take Andreas’ place. Everyone seemed to be having a terrific time.
Kouros walked back to where Andreas and Tassos were standing.
“Thanks, Yianni,” said Andreas. “I can’t believe this.”
“My guess is that this is our distinguished minister’s surprise,” said Tassos.
“What planet is he on?” said Andreas. “Doesn’t he realize these girls are part of the sex trafficking trade? The man is an idiot.”
“A complete idiot,” said Kouros.
Tassos shook his head. “No, my friends, I’m afraid he’s just a man. Look around you. The place is filled with cops. They know what’s going on. How many do you think even care? They’ll say ‘Hey, it’s not child porn, it’s dancers at a bachelor party. Chill out. What’s the harm?’”
What’s the harm? Oh yes, the unofficial mantra of Greece for all the corrupt practices that had brought his great country to its knees.
“Yeah, ‘what’s the harm?’”
***
“I guess I don’t have to ask if you had a good time last night.”
Andreas heard the words through the pillow pulled tightly over his head. “I don’t remember,” he mumbled into the pillow.
“You could have slept in our bedroom, or a guest room. You didn’t have to sleep on the sofa in the elevator foyer.”
“It was the only room I could find.”
Lila laughed. “Well, my love, it’s one in the afternoon. When exactly did you get in?”
“It was light out, that’s all I remember. And someone putting me into the elevator.”
“That was Tassos. Maggie called a few hours ago. She said he wasn’t in much better shape but at least he could walk. What I want to know is who drove?”
“A sober Albanian cop. Who now has lifetime job security. As long as he doesn’t talk.”
“About what?”
“I don’t remember. And that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Lila laughed again. “That reminds me, Maggie said for you to call Tassos when you’re up. Something about a meeting with Albanians.”
Andreas pulled the pillow off his face. “Oh no, not that again. I was hoping it would pass, along with the spinning of the room.” He sat up and looked at his feet. “At least I took off my shoes.”
“Nope, Marietta did that. Come, darling, time for the shower.”
He lay back down on the sofa. “Not yet. Please not yet.”
Lila grabbed his hand and tugged. “Sorry, big boy. When you play you pay. Time to get up and get to work. Our country needs you.”
“In other words, you don’t want me hanging around.”
“Good, your mind is functioning again.”
Lila tugged again at his arm. This time Andreas let her pull him up, but swung his other arm around her waist as he stood. “That’s not all that’s functioning again.” Andreas pulled loose of her grip, slid that now free
arm behind her knees and lifted Lila off the floor. “Now, where is that bedroom?”
Lila smiled, put her arms around his neck, and whispered in his ear. “Follow the bed crumbs.”
Andreas laughed all the way home.
***
It was after three when Andreas reached Tassos at Maggie’s.
“Thanks for getting me home. Lila would have been very unhappy had I been misplaced so close to our wedding day.”
“No problem, but there’s still time.”
“Why do I think that means you’ve set up a meeting?”
“I had to call in some serious favors but the one who set it up ‘guaranteed’ our safety.”
“Meaning?”
“It’s a better than fifty-fifty chance no one with a grudge against you or me will take the opportunity to whack us. At least inside the room.”
“And where would that room be located?”
“Menidi.”
“Fantastic, great, couldn’t pick a better place. Greece has the lowest violent crime rate in all of Europe and we get to do the equivalent of running through the streets of wartime Baghdad waving an American flag shouting ‘Bush is great.’” Andreas drew in and let out a breath. “What if we don’t go?”
“To me that’s the smart move. Let it go. These bad guys won’t budge. They’re only comfortable in their own neighborhood. Don’t trust us. Like I said, they know your reputation and worry we might be setting them up for a major bust, what with the new government clamoring for a crackdown on organized crime.”
“They believe all that bullshit?” said Andreas.
“They’re not as cynical as we are on the topic of reform. The exact message was, ‘Menidi or fuck off.’”
“Well, glad to hear that we’re at least getting off on the right foot.”
“So, what do we do?” said Tassos.
Andreas paused. “Wear vests.”
“Thick ones.”
Chapter Six
Of the three cops in the unmarked, beat-up van only Kouros was familiar with Menidi. That’s what made him the designated driver. He had an aunt who lived north of Menidi in Thrakomakedones, a lovely area with large villas winding up Mount Parnitha’s hillsides. It was as different from Menidi as night was to day, but Menidi was where anyone from his aunt’s village with government business had to travel. His aunt, like many of her neighbors, kept a beat-up second hand car and nondescript, well-worn clothing for just that purpose; but not all had a bull of a nephew to accompany them on their adventures.
Target: Tinos Page 5
