The Ransom

by Irena Nieslony

  He parked the bike up and decided to walk home. He’d sort the bike out later, but at the moment all he wanted to do was sleep. Damn that infernal leg though. How far was he going to get with a dodgy leg? It was getting more painful by the second?

  Chapter 11

  Eve had decided to go to bed after all and at least try to get some sleep. However, after two hours she was still wide awake. When her phone rang, she was startled and wondered who could be ringing her at such a late hour. Could it be the kidnappers again? They hadn’t changed their minds about giving her extra time to sort out her money, had they?

  However, it wasn’t them, but her friend Annie.

  “Eve, I’m so worried. I’ve been sitting here for hours waiting for Pete, not knowing what to do. He went out for a jog earlier this evening and he hasn’t come back. Do you think the kidnappers have him as well?”

  “Oh,” Eve said, sounding surprised. “I don’t know Annie. Perhaps. However; well I don’t want to be rude, but you haven’t got that much money, have you? What would they expect to gain out of kidnapping him?

  “I don’t know. Perhaps they were misinformed about our finances. Or perhaps he was involved in an accident. What do you think I should do?”

  “Ring the police. Yes, that’s the best thing.”

  “What if they don’t understand me? My Greek’s not very good. And what if they say I’ve got to wait twenty four hours?”

  “You’ll have to insist that they do something. It is the middle of the night after all. He’s hardly going to go somewhere at this time without telling you.”

  “That’s not what the police will think. They’ll probably imagine he’s having an affair. Perhaps I should go to the police station in Vamos. They’ll find it more difficult to get rid of me if I’m there in person rather than if I’m on the phone.”

  “There might not be anyone there at night.”

  “Well, I’ll wait then.”

  “Annie, don’t you know where he goes jogging?”

  “No. he goes all sorts of different places. He only started a few months ago. He said he was unfit and getting fat. He doesn’t much like jogging; that’s why he does different routes. It makes a change for him, you see.”

  “Perhaps you should first go for a drive around the area to see if you can spot him, but you can’t do that on your own. I’ll come with you.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “Don’t be silly, you’re not asking. I’m offering. I can’t sleep at all. I’m just worrying about David, so it’ll pass the time. You’ll have to drive though as I was in The Black Cat this evening and had a few drinks. Give me ten minutes to get ready.”

  Annie put the phone down with a sigh of relief. She felt a little guilty getting Eve out of bed, but she was nervous about driving on her own at such a late hour.

  * * * *

  David didn’t know how long he’d slept, but he felt cold even though it was a warm night. His chest hurt and he still had a little difficulty breathing, but he knew he had to carry on. He had to get to safety before the kidnappers found him.

  David got up, feeling a bit shaky, but he found he could walk. He tried to keep as far away from the road as he could, staying in the olive groves as much as possible. He dove down if ever there were any car lights. When one car stopped and then drove along slowly, he kept down for longer.

  About twenty minutes later, he felt tired again and decided to rest for a few minutes. However, he fell into a deep sleep and it was another two hours before he woke and managed to get up. This time when he started walking, a car illuminated a road sign and he was relieved. At last he would know where he was and how he would be able to get to safety

  * * * *

  Annie drove slowly around all the villages in the area, Eve looking out of the windows. At one point, she thought she saw someone move and they stopped. However, whatever it was disappeared and they had to console themselves that it was probably a badger or beach marten.

  At about three in the morning, they arrived at the police station in Vamos. To their disappointment, the door was locked. Annie burst into tears and Eve put her arms around her trying to console her.

  “There, there, Annie. I’m sure someone will be here in the early hours of the morning. We’ll sit and wait in the car.”

  “I can’t ask you to stay. You have Robert to look after and you’ll get no sleep,” she said, trying to stop sobbing. “Not to mention all the business with David.”

  “If truth be told, Annie, I’m not sleeping well with not knowing what’s happened to David. So don’t worry about me. Let’s go back and sit in the car.”

  Once there, they settled down and made sure both their mobile phones were on. Eve wished she’d prepared a flask of coffee.

  The two women sat there in silence for a while and despite saying she wouldn’t sleep much, all of a sudden Eve felt very tired and her eyes started to close. She was sure Annie wouldn’t mind if she just had a little power nap.

  The next thing Eve knew was Annie shaking her.

  “Eve wake up, Detective Chief Inspector Dimitris Kastrinakis is going into the police station.”

  “What?” Eve said sleepily. “So early.”

  “It’s seven o’clock, Eve.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I dropped off.”

  “You probably needed it. Shall we go in?”

  “Yes, of course,” Eve said, but not before she grabbed her make-up bag and made sure she looked presentable. Eve didn’t like going anywhere without perfectly done make-up.

  For once, Annie wasn’t patient with Eve. Her husband could be lying half dead somewhere and Eve was putting on her lipstick.

  “Oh come on Eve, you look respectable enough. Can we just go in?” Annie said impatiently.

  Eve was about to tell her to calm down and wait when she realized how worried Annie must be. Her husband was missing as well as David. They were in the same boat.

  Well, not quite, thought Eve. I doubt very much if Pete has been kidnapped. The kidnappers did their homework when they took David. They knew I was rich. Annie and Pete are doing alright, but they haven’t got much spare cash.

  Eve decided she’d better leave her make-up as it was before Annie exploded. She had put some on before Annie picked her up so she didn’t think she looked too bad.

  They walked towards the police station when Annie suddenly stopped.

  “I’m scared, Eve, what if they’ve found Pete already and there are policemen knocking at my door right now?”

  “Oh come now, Annie, I’m sure that isn’t the case,” Eve said, trying to sound upbeat, but not really believing what she was saying. Anything was possible.

  As they entered the police station, Dimitris Kastrinakis came out of his office to get a coffee. He stopped abruptly when he saw Eve and Annie.

  Oh no, he thought. Not Eve Masters again. What’s brought her here at this time of the morning? She hasn’t been doing anything stupid again trying to find David, has she? That woman needs locking up for the next few days. It’s for her own good.

  Despite planning to be patient with her, Dimitris was finding it hard.

  “Mrs. Davies, Miss Masters, you are here early, what can I do for you,” he said, trying his hardest to be polite.

  “My husband is missing,” Annie sobbed. “He went out for a jog last night and he didn’t come home. We drove around looking for him, but we had no luck.”

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Davies,” the inspector said, thinking instead that the crimes surrounding the English community were getting out of hand.

  “He could have been kidnapped,” Annie wailed. “Or he could have fallen and hurt himself too badly to move, though why he hasn’t phoned is beyond me.”

  “Dimitris was stunned by this turn of events. He didn’t think Annie and Pete had the sort of money Eve had, so why would anyone kidnap him? But of course he could have been killed by some mad drunkard who shouldn’t have been driving. Alternatively he could have simply
fallen over and broken a bone.

  “Did your husband have a mobile phone with him?”

  “Yes, of course. I’ve tried dialing it many times, but there’s been no answer. Oh God, he could be dead for all we know.”

  “Now, now, Mrs. Davies, I know it’s difficult, but try and stay positive. I take it you haven’t telephoned the hospital?”

  “No, my Greek’s not good enough.”

  “If you two go and sit in the hall for a little while, I will do some calling around.”

  Annie and Eve did as they were told, but Annie felt even more despondent than before.

  “He didn’t give out much hope, did he?” Annie said to Eve, wiping away a few tears.

  “What do you mean, Annie? He didn’t say anything in particular. He’s doing what he has to. He’s phoning the hospital to see if Pete has been admitted and then I’m sure they’ll start a search if he isn’t there.... What did you expect them to do?” she asked gently.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Promise me they’ll find him. Reassure me. I don’t know, Eve.”

  All of a sudden, Annie burst into floods of tears. She’d been trying to hold it in, but finally she was unable to anymore. Eve put her arms around her, giving her a big hug.

  “I’m sure they will find Pete, Annie. Hold on for a little longer.”

  Annie got out a hanky and wiped away her tears, even though they were still flowing.

  “Oh, Eve, I’m so selfish. You’ve been very kind, but you must be worried sick about David.”

  “At least I know what I have to do to get him back. It’s the uncertainty that’s worse.”

  Dimitris came out of his office and cleared his throat to get their attention. He could see that Annie was very upset and he wanted to tread carefully.

  Annie and Eve looked at Dimitris in anticipation.

  “Your husband hasn’t been admitted to the hospital in Chania I’m afraid. We’ll have to organize a search. Do you know where he goes jogging?”

  “No, he goes different....”

  Annie was disturbed by a commotion at the front door of the police station. All of a sudden, Stavros came in with David hanging on to him.

  Eve turned and couldn’t believe her eyes. It was David, but what on earth had happened to him? He looked terrible, but at least he was free. However, Stavros was having difficulty holding him up and David suddenly fell and hit his head on the concrete floor.

  “David, darling,” she said rushing to him. “Are you alright?”

  Dimitris and the other officer lifted David, who seemed to be out cold, and took him to a bench and laid him down. Much to Eve’s relief, David’s eyes started to flicker.

  “What’s happened? Have you escaped from the kidnappers or perhaps they’ve let you go? You look so ill. What’s wrong with you? Please, speak to me if you can.”

  Dimitris sighed. So many questions, yet Eve could see that David was really ill.

  Still, she must be happy to see him again.

  David coughed and although he was short of breath, he managed to say a few words.

  “Eve, I ....”

  David seemed to drift off again, but Eve started to shake him.

  “David, David, wake up, oh please wake up; don’t die on me, please.”

  “Calm down, Miss Masters,” Dimitris said coming over to them.

  He looked at David and felt his pulse while Eve sat on the floor next to the bench sobbing.

  “He’s alive, Miss Masters, but he is ill. My guess is that he has pneumonia. Stavros,” he asked the other officer. “Call for an ambulance.”

  “Oh my God,” Eve sobbed. “My David could die.”

  “Now, keep calm,” Dimitris said. “He’ll be in hospital soon and they can look after him there.”

  Eve nodded as Stavros went to get a blanket. While he was gone, Dimitris tried to get David as comfortable as he could. However, as he moved him, the gun fell out of David’s pocket.

  “A gun,” Eve shrieked. “It’s not his, I swear. David doesn’t own a gun...”

  “Keep calm, Miss Masters,” Dimitris snapped at her.

  He was getting a little fed up with Eve, feeling she was acting quite irrationally. She was certainly expecting the worst.

  “If David escaped,” Dimitris said. “It could be possible that he disarmed his kidnapper. Stavros,” he asked, as the junior officer came in with a blanket. “Dust the gun for fingerprints.”

  Eve went and sat near David, thinking it might be better if she were quiet. She knew she was getting worked-up, but she wanted to know everything straight away, in her normal impatient way.

  I really should calm down. Why on earth would the police think David would have a gun? He was the one who had been kidnapped after all.

  Eve got up and sat on the bench next to David. She took his hand and his eyes flickered open. She thought she could see the glimmer of a smile.

  Please let him recover, please, Eve prayed, resolving to go to church more often if David got better. She was a Catholic, but only went to church now and again, her excuse being that the nearest Roman Catholic Church was in Chania and a little far to go on a Sunday morning. However, the distance didn’t stop her going into Chania for dinner or to shop whenever she felt like it.

  Annie hovered, not knowing what to do. Yes, she was worried about David, but the police officers seemed to have forgotten about Pete. They were more intent on waiting for the ambulance.

  “Chief Inspector,” she finally said. “What about my husband?”

  “Ah yes, your husband. Yes, we must arrange the search as soon as possible. However, Mr. Baker’s escape puts a different light on his disappearance.”

  “What do you mean?” Annie asked, suddenly feeling scared.

  “Well, David has escaped from his kidnappers. Perhaps he had to fight with one of them to get away. Your husband is missing, Mrs. Davies. There is a chance that he could be the kidnapper.

  ‘No, he can’t be,” Annie cried out, bursting into tears again.

  Eve was speechless for once. How could Dimitris think that their friend Pete had kidnapped David?

  No, it can’t be true... I refuse to believe it. Pete and David are friends. If he and Annie were desperate for money, they would ask us for a loan; I’m sure of it. And there’s no way Annie has any knowledge of a kidnapping; she’s worried sick about her husband. And Pete wouldn’t do this behind Annie’s back. I can’t see him leaving her taking all the money with him. No, he would never betray Annie... or would he? No. I’m being stupid. They seem so happy together and they’re the kindest people I know. Oh David, you have to wake up soon and tell us who kidnapped you.

  Chapter 12

  Eve sat outside the emergency room at Chania hospital waiting for the doctor to finish examining David. Every couple of minutes she got up and paced along the corridor, occasionally looking inside the E.R. to see if she could go in to be with him. However, the doctor was still checking him over.

  “Miss Masters,” Dimitris finally said, a little weary of her eternal pacing. “Why don’t you sit down and wait for the doctor. I’m sure you’ll be told what’s wrong with him as soon as he knows himself.”

  “I can’t just sit down and wait. David is very sick and I would have thought they’d know what’s wrong with him by now. We’ve been here for ages. How would you feel in my position, Detective Chief Inspector Kastrinakis? I’m sure you wouldn’t be sitting around waiting patiently.”

  Dimitris sighed. The old Eve was emerging, but he did understand how worried she must be. He would be as well if it was his wife. Anyway, he was also keen for the doctor to finish the examination. Dimitris wanted to question David and hopefully apprehend the kidnapper as soon as possible.

  Annie was very quiet. She had wanted to go with the police to search for her husband, but Dimitris wouldn’t let her. He said it was best that she went home and waited for news, but she wasn’t having any of that. If she wasn’t allowed to go on the search, she would accompany Eve to the hospital.
Eve needed a friend with her for starters and hopefully David would wake up soon and Pete would be exonerated.

  There’s absolutely no way Pete is the kidnapper, she thought. How can the police even think that? He’s a good man. We’re not that short of money that he has to resort to kidnapping a friend of ours. I hope that Eve doesn’t believe it. She says she doesn’t, but you never know what people think in such situations.

  “I wish the doctors would tell us something,” Eve said, plonking herself down next to Annie.

  Annie was miles away and barely heard Eve.

  “Annie, are you alright?”

  “Yes, I’m...”

  Annie stopped, feeling tears starting to fall again.

  “Oh Annie, take no notice of what the police have said,” Eve whispered so that Dimitris didn’t hear her. “I haven’t got any doubts that Pete is innocent.”

  Annie forced a smile. However, the alternative was probably not good news either. If Pete wasn’t the kidnapper, he could be lying hurt somewhere. Perhaps somebody attacked him and stole his mobile phone which was why he hadn’t rung her. He could even be dead.

  David’s doctor cane out of the emergency room at last and Eve jumped up, forgetting about her friend.

  “Is there any news, doctor?”

  “Mr. Baker has pneumonia and will have to be admitted.”

  “Oh my God, is he going to be alright?”

  “He seems to be a fit man so I have high hopes that he will recover.”

  “We need to speak to him as soon as possible,” Dimitris said before Eve could say anything else.

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible at the moment.”

  “Why?” Eve butted in. “What’s wrong?”

  “He did wake up, but he’s having trouble staying awake and it’s better he rests. Also, he is finding it very difficult to talk as he’s so short of breath.”

  “This is an important police matter. I only have a couple of questions to ask. I won’t be long,” Dimitris spoke again.

  “Very well, you can go in for a few minutes, but no longer. He will be moved to a ward soon and needs rest and also oxygen at regular intervals.