by Angel Sefer
“What a beautiful house!” she exclaimed.
“Yes, it is,” Sophie admitted, and Helena noticed the lack of enthusiasm in her voice.
She glanced at Dimitris, who remained silent, concentrating on the road. What’s wrong with him? Helena wondered. He seemed too quiet and withdrawn these last few days. This is why she was so surprised he came with them. Besides, for some reason, she had a feeling Dimitris didn’t like her uncle very much.
Dimitris turned into a private driveway and stopped in front of a black iron gate. He pressed the button on the intercom, and immediately, the gate opened to let them through.
“Thomas must be doing really well,” Helena pointed out and looked at Sophie, who made no remark.
Driving along the paved driveway, Helena noticed the manicured gardens and the magnificent kidney shaped pool built right at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the sea.
How could her uncle afford all this? she wondered, remembering what Sophie had told her about the financial situation of her family. Well, maybe he married a rich wife, she thought, admiring the luxurious surroundings.
The driveway circled in front of the house, and Dimitris drove to the side and parked the car in an open parking area.
As they got out of the car, they saw an impeccably dressed, older gentleman coming outside and down the front steps.
Helena drew a deep breath; he reminded her so much of her father.
“Welcome! Welcome!” Thomas cried out, all excited, and squeezed Helena in his arms. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Hello, Uncle Thomas,” Helena replied, a little reserved. “It’s good to see you, too.”
“Hello, Sophie, Dimitris,” Thomas said, and Helena noticed the gloomy expression on her aunt’s face… not to mention Dimitris’ hostile look.
“Hello, Thomas. Welcome back!” Sophie replied and started walking towards the house.
Thomas put an arm around Helena’s shoulders and led her towards the house, while Dimitris was following right behind them. Like a hound dog following its prey, Helena thought and shivered. She had a feeling that this meeting had far more significance than just meeting her uncle.
Walking inside, Helena was even more astonished. This place was magnificent. Extravagant wealth was evidenced everywhere, from the rich oriental carpets to the crystal chandeliers, the gold, crystal and ivory artifacts, and the marble fountain built right in the middle of the foyer. A few steps in the back of the foyer led to a sunken living room with high ceilings emphasized by skylights and tall stained glass windows.
Helena followed Sophie, Dimitris, and her uncle down the steps and sat on a burgundy velvet sofa, admiring the amazingly decorated marble fireplace, dominating the back of the room.
A maid in a starched white uniform appeared out of nowhere to ask them what they would like to drink.
“Some juice for me, please,” Helena said and was surprised to hear her aunt asking for a glass of wine, since it was still early in the day. She probably needs something to help her relax, Helena thought, realizing for one more time that there was tension between Sophie and Thomas. Helena could sense the electricity in the air.
“I’ll have some bourbon,” Dimitris said and walked over to the French doors leading to the veranda in the back of the house.
“I’ll go get Katie,” Thomas said, and left them alone.
Helena looked at Sophie, who was sitting quietly on an armchair by the window. “Are you all right?” Helena asked concerned.
“I’m fine,” Sophie replied, even though she didn’t seem all right at all.
Helena was about to say something when she heard Thomas coming back, followed by a middle-aged blonde woman wearing a long silver dress. A beautiful diamond necklace was sparkling on her chest, and long diamond earrings hung from her ears.
Helena was surprised by the immediate dislike she felt for this woman. She seemed like such a fake, dressed so extravagantly in the middle of the day.
“Helena, I want you to meet my wife, Katie,” Thomas said and stepped aside to let the woman approach Helena.
“It’s very nice meeting you,” Helena said politely and stood up, extending her hand. She felt a shiver as the woman’s cold hand— covered with diamond and ruby rings—grasped hers in a shake, while her eyes were fixed on Helena, examining her closely.
Helena was uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze.
“Well, hello there,” Katie said. “Welcome to Mykonos, Helena. It’s good to finally meet you,” and turning to Dimitris, “What a wonderful surprise! I believe this is the first time you come to our house, Dimitris,” she pointed out.
Dimitris remained silent, and so did Sophie, who didn’t even bother to greet the woman.
This whole situation is very awkward, Helena thought. Obviously, Dimitris and Sophie didn’t like her uncle and especially his wife very much.
Katie seemed to feel the same way about them, while her uncle was trying everything he could do to smooth things out.
Helena almost felt sorry for him. Surprised, she discovered she liked her uncle after all. Maybe it was the fact he reminded her of her father. She wasn’t sure why, but the apprehension she felt before she met him was gone. Now his wife was a different story. Helena didn’t like her at all and couldn’t wait to get out of there.
***
“I had a talk with my mother,” Dimitris said out of the blue, watching Katie’s reaction very closely.
Katie stood up abruptly, and turning her back on them, she walked towards the bar. She poured herself some wine, and by the time she came back, the expression on her face was back to normal. However, Dimitris hadn’t missed the anxiety that had washed over her when he mentioned his mother.
“How is your dear mother?” Katie asked.
“She’s fine,” Dimitris replied. “She can’t wait to see you.”
“Oh, is that so?” Katie asked, and her hand holding the glass seemed to shake a little bit. “Is she planning on visiting?”
“But of course,” Dimitris replied. “She’s coming for Helena’s party, and she told me she wants to see you in order to catch up.”
“Catch up?” Katie asked, and the surprise was obvious in her voice.
“Yes,” Dimitris went on. “She wants to talk about the good old days.”
Now, the shaking in Katie’s hand was far more apparent.
Am I pushing it too much? Dimitris wondered and gave Helena a worried look. He wanted to convey the message to Katie that he knew. But at the same time, he was worried about her reaction. He only wished Helena wouldn’t get caught in the middle.
“It will be great to see your mother, again,” Thomas cut in, and his voice sounded a little shaky. “When is she coming?”
“Mrs. Nikolaou is due on the island tomorrow,” Sophie cut in.
“I just can’t wait,” Katie said and couldn’t hide the irony in her voice.
Dimitris looked at Sophie, who was staring at him inquiringly, probably wondering what was going on. Then he turned to Helena, who seemed kind of lost.
I’ll protect you, he vowed. I’ll protect you, even if it means I have to come out and confess things about my family I never wanted to admit.
His talk with Asimina had left him speechless, to say the least. He always knew his mother, Maria, was from a poor background, having grown up in a degraded neighborhood of Piraeus. However, he’d never imagined what his mother had to do for a living after losing both of her parents at the very young age of fourteen.
After his talk with Asimina, Dimitris went to Athens and had a long talk with his mother, who explained everything to him with her usual honesty. She described the conditions she was forced to live in, the scary situations she had to face, and the odd jobs she tried to keep until she ended up in a bar on the waterfront. That was where Maria met Katie—another unfortunate teenager, who was forced to work at the same bar, offering more than drinks to its customers.
Five years later, Maria met Stathis Nikolaou. The y
oung captain, who had just taken over his family business, fell in love with beautiful Maria. He ignored her past and married her, taking her away from the misery of her life up to that point.
A few months later, Maria introduced Katie to Thomas Sistakis, and Katie managed to get out of the misery of the bar, as well.
However, as Maria had pointed out to Dimitris, Katie never really overcame the poverty and misfortune of her background. She turned into a bitter woman, who cared about nothing except acquiring more and more money and power. Thomas was a loving husband who tried to provide the best he could for his wife, but Katie was never satisfied. She kept asking for more, getting worse as years went by. And as this wasn’t enough, she was devastated to find out that an abortion she had when she was only sixteen had deprived her of the ability to have children.
Maria believed this was one of the reasons Katie hated Erin— Helena’s mother—so much. Erin seemed to have it all: a great husband who turned out to be a far better businessman than Thomas, and a healthy, beautiful child, Helena. Thomas would always be the “adopted” one, and he would never have full rights to the family’s fortune, not to mention that Thomas had made some poor business decisions and his position at the company was at jeopardy.
Dimitris was brought back from his thoughts, feeling a hand touching his arm, and turned to look at Helena, who was staring at him with eyes wide open.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
“I’m fine,” he replied and glanced at Katie, Thomas, and Sophie, who were talking, standing next to the fountain in the foyer.
“We’re getting ready to leave,” Helena informed him and walked over to the steps, leading up to the foyer.
Dimitris followed her silently. His thoughts had thrown him off balance, and all he wanted right now was to get out of there as soon as possible.
***
When they finally left, Helena felt drained from all her energy and her face muscles aching from trying so hard to keep a smile on her face the whole time.
They drove back home in silence, each one of them lost in their thoughts.
Helena was very upset. She could tell there was a lot more going on than what they were telling her. She could feel it in the air… not to mention the fact that the way things turned out, she’d never had a chance to talk with her uncle in private and find out what he knew about her father’s death.
As soon as they arrived home, Helena was surprised to see Martha running down the steps towards the car.
Dimitris slammed on the breaks and jumped out in a hurry, grabbing Martha—who was ready to collapse—in his arms.
“She’s gone!” Martha exclaimed, out of breath.
“What do you mean? Who is gone?” Dimitris asked worried, as Helena and Sophie—who had climbed out of the car as well—came around, approaching Dimitris and Martha.
“Asimina…” Martha said breathlessly. “Asimina is gone.”
Helena drew a sharp breath, and a scream escaped Sophie’s lips.
“What do you mean gone?” Dimitris insisted, shaking Martha.
“Gone… disappeared!” Martha said. “Just like Captain Angelos…”
Helena felt all blood draining from her face and leaned against the Jeep for support.
Dimitris let go of Martha and was next to her, supporting her with his arms, in a flash.
“What are you saying, Martha?” Sophie asked in a shaky voice.
“She’s gone…” Martha took a deep breath. “She disappeared yesterday afternoon, and no one has seen her since.”
“Yesterday? How come we didn’t hear anything about this earlier?” Dimitris asked.
“Well, it seems her family started searching for her late last night and didn’t inform the police until early this morning.”
“I just can’t believe it,” Sophie said and leaned against the Jeep, as well. “I hope she’s all right.”
“Let’s go inside,” Dimitris said and led Helena up the stairs, holding her by the arm.
***
As soon as they went inside, they all walked into the living-room. The women collapsed on the armchairs, while Dimitris went to pour himself a drink.
He just couldn’t believe this was happening. Asimina’s words that she suspected someone had poisoned Eleana kept running through his mind. Eleana tried to expose whoever was after her family, and she ended up dead. Now Asimina tried to expose the same person, and she was missing...
He glanced at Helena, sitting on the armchair by the window. She looked pale and lost in her thoughts. This tragic event had probably brought back memories of her father’s disappearance.
Dimitris was only sixteen back then, but he could vividly remember the agony and worry on the faces of Erin, Sophie, and Helena, the useless efforts of the police to find him… and then the devastation of having to accept the fact that Angelos was never coming back.
***
Helena felt lost. She really couldn’t comprehend what was going on. Not knowing how or why, she was sure that whoever was responsible for her father’s disappearance was responsible for Asimina’s, as well.
Long buried memories came rushing through her mind, and her mood kept on switching from disbelief to agony and anger.
It was obvious that Asimina was right about the woman she was talking about. I only wish she had told me who she was, Helena thought, bitterly.
“Are you okay?” she heard Dimitris’ voice and felt his hand on her shoulder.
She looked up at him.
No, she wasn’t all right, and she wasn’t going to be, until she got to the bottom of all this.
“We’ll find her,” he reassured her, but Helena could hear the doubt in his voice.
Helena glanced at Sophie and Martha, who sat motionless in their chairs, staring out in the open.
“They’ll be fine,” Dimitris whispered in her ear, leaning close to her. “As soon as the initial shock is over, they’ll be fine.”
“I’m not sure…” Helena mumbled to herself. “I’m not sure any of us will be fine until…”
“Until what?” Dimitris asked.
“Never mind,” Helena replied and stood up. “I’m going upstairs to lie down for a while. I’m not feeling very well.”
“Do you want me to bring you anything?” he asked, concerned.
“No, thank you. I just need to be by myself right now,” she said and walked out of the room.
***
Dimitris followed her to the hallway and watched her climb up the steps.
How much does she know? he wondered. Even though, she pretended there was nothing wrong, and the attempts on her life were accidents, Dimitris knew better. He knew Helena wasn’t stupid.
He was there when this guy was watching her at the harbor—the day she arrived on the island—and Sophie had told him about the near miss on the way to the party at the Koukakis’ house. Besides, Asimina’s warnings left no room for doubt. And now, Asimina was missing.
Maybe I should have a talk with Helena, and find out what she knows about the past, he thought. Then again, he knew that sooner or later, details about his mother’s and Katie’s past would come up, and he hated that. He wished he could be more open-minded about it. However, the fact remained he was embarrassed, and was trying to find a way to expose Katie, without bringing his mother into all this mess… because by now, he was almost certain it was Katie who was behind all this.
He had suspected Thomas for years, especially ever since he discovered he had embezzled money from the company. Dimitris was furious and wanted to turn him in; the only thing that kept him from doing so was Sophie and knowing that this would devastate her. After all, he was her brother.
He was also very upset to find out from Michael that Sophie had borrowed money from Christina to give it to Thomas, who had gotten into trouble. This man was bad news… but murderer? Dimitris just couldn’t believe it.
Then again, it was that strange issue with Angelos’ inheritance. He had his company’s attorneys and acc
ountants trying to figure out what happened to that money, and who really made that claim.
Dimitris squeezed his fists, angrily. It was time to put an end to all this. He was going to wait until after the party, and have a talk with Thomas and Katie. By then, he was hoping he might have some answers from his attorneys and accountants.
Either way, he wasn’t going to wait any longer. He could sense a threat hovering over Helena, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize her life.
***
Michael, Yiannis, and Christina came on Friday morning, and they all got settled at the house. Everybody was busy with the preparations, as if the party was going to be in this house.
Helena could feel the electricity in the air, though. After all, as she was surprised to find out, Asimina was Christina and Michael’s aunt.
Helena kept busy as well, trying to keep her mind from wandering into dangerous territories. She wished the party could be put off, but it was too late for that; there were so many people coming, even friends and relatives from Athens. Besides, as Sophie told her, Dimitris had asked the police chief to conduct the investigation for Asimina’s disappearance as discreetly as possible—how on earth he had managed that, Helena had no idea. He must have very powerful and high profile social connections, she thought.
By Friday afternoon, she had enough. Everybody was driving her crazy, except poor Steve, who was drawn into himself. Sophie did everything she could to make him feel part of the family, but that was no use. He seemed to be waiting for all this to be over, so that he could run back to England and lick his wounds.
Helena took a walk on the beach, as she did every time she felt anxious and upset. She wanted to calm down her tangled nerves. She was thinking of the party tomorrow night, and all the people there, and she had this urge to just run away.
When she got back to the house, Sophie and Martha were waiting on her. They asked Helena to go to the study with them. What’s going on now? Helena wondered. She felt they were acting kind of weird. She could tell something was up, but she let them have their way.