“Those stairs, yes,” Manos replied. “And it felt like there were a million.”
Dimitris grinned at Zoe, who was laughing. “There was a hole in the bucket,” he said. “The water lasted us about ten steps before we’d have to go back up, get more, then lug it down to the next level.”
Zoe, wiping tears from her eyes, laughed even more. “I remember him watching you through the window. You realize he gave you that bucket on purpose? He wanted to teach you both a lesson.”
“I knew it,” Dimitris said. “I always told Manos he’d sabotaged us.”
“It worked,” Manos said. “We never threw another egg.”
After a few more tales, Sam and Remi hugged Zoe good night, then started the walk back. When they reached the stone stairs, looking down the several flights to the street below, they both laughed. “I think I would have liked Tassos,” Sam said.
“Me too.”
They stood there a few moments, the water shimmering with the lights reflecting from the port, while above them, stars sparkled in an ink-black sky. Remi sighed. “It really is beautiful here.”
He looked over at her. “Buy you a drink, Remi Longstreet?”
She linked her arm through his. “There’s nothing I’d like better.”
They walked down the stairs, then over to the Café Palace, a bar set on the edge of the waterfront. They took a seat at one of the outside tables. A warm breeze swept in from the bay, rippling the red-checked tablecloths. A waiter took their order, brought their drinks, and the two sat there, enjoying the view, talking about Tassos, Fourni, and the beauty of small-island life. Sam, noticing Remi was truly at ease for the first time since his arrival, was reminded of their time in California, before the kidnapping and Tassos’s murder.
Remi must have sensed his thoughts. She reached out, grasping his hand. “I’ll be glad when this is all over.”
“So will I,” he said.
“Do you think we’ll ever come back here?”
He liked that she was talking about the future. “I hope so.”
She smiled, sipped her drink, then looked out at the water.
Sam had eyes only for her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Sam and Remi awoke the following morning to clear weather and calm seas, a promising start to the day spent diving. After they walked into town and ate a leisurely breakfast of yogurt and island honey, they all set out on the Asteri to explore one of the more shallow wrecks from the Roman period—much closer to the island than the site where Remi and Dimitris had been that fateful afternoon.
Nikos remained aboard the Asteri, as did Zoe and Dimitris, who both insisted that they wanted nothing more than to sit on board and relax.
Sam, knowing Remi was still a novice, stuck close by her as they put on their dive gear and followed Denéa and Manos into the water.
The seafloor was a mix of bare, sandy patches, and areas filled with crustacean-encrusted rocks, all of it teeming with sea plants moving with the current, while tiny striped fish darted about. It was a few moments before Sam realized that what he’d thought were piles of rocks were actually dozens upon dozens of amphorae, some in pieces, some actually whole.
Denéa swam above a stone anchor, then brushed some sediment from a spot nearby, uncovering a small, intact terra-cotta vase about eight inches in diameter. She pointed it out to Remi.
Remi took the piece, turning it about in her gloved hands, her eyes alight as though amazed that she was holding something over two thousand years old. She showed it to Sam, then returned it to Denéa, who carefully replaced the piece where she found it.
Manos pointed along the edge of the amphora pile, where a moray eel was peering out between some of the pottery. As it disappeared, throwing up a cloud of silt, Sam found an empty, white, conical snail shell. He picked it up, then turned, placing the object in Remi’s palm. She put it into her small dive bag.
All too soon, Manos was tapping his dive watch, indicating that it was time to return to the surface. Once on board the Asteri, Remi took out the shell, her breath catching at the iridescent beauty of it in the sunlight. She held it up to the others, smiling. “My first souvenir from my trip to Fourni.”
Zoe raised her brows. “A snail shell? I think you can find a better one.”
“I love it anyway,” she said, then leaned over and kissed Sam.
“If I’d known you were this easy to please, I could have saved all that money buying you expensive dinners.”
Remi laughed. “Seashells fresh from the Aegean always win a girl’s heart.”
Nikos opened a picnic basket and they enjoyed a late lunch in the warmth of the sun with friends.
Arriving back at port, the police chief was waiting for them. He was happy to announce that their initial questioning was complete. Sam and Remi would be able to leave Greece.
Sam opened his email to send an update to Rube, and was surprised to find a day-old message from Blake. “I don’t believe it. Blake managed to reschedule the investor meeting.”
Remi watched him a moment. “Shouldn’t you be happier? That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“The catch is that I have to be home in three days. And we have Tassos’s funeral tomorrow,” he said.
“Aren’t you paying Selma for research? I’d think booking air flight qualifies.”
“You’re absolutely right. Assuming you’re ready to go home.”
“More than ready.”
He emailed Selma, telling her the date of the meeting, asking her to book them on the earliest—and cheapest—flight to Los Angeles that would get him home in time.
Selma called him back less than five minutes later.
“I have two flight possibilities, Mr. Fargo.”
“Call me Sam, please.”
“The first flight gets you in at twelve p.m. The second flight is a thousand dollars more. It does, however, get you into the airport just after ten, which should get you through customs and on the freeway well before commute traffic starts up. You could possibly make it with the first flight, but it might be cutting it close.”
“If this meeting works out, it’ll be worth the cost. Go ahead and book it.”
All seemed well, until they arrived at Nikos’s house that evening. Dimitris was pacing, clearly upset.
“What’s wrong?” Sam asked.
“You’re not going to believe this,” Nikos said. “They sent an officer to the Kyril home to interview him. He told the police that Tassos was supposed to meet them up at the cave, but never showed.”
“When was this meeting supposed to have taken place?” Sam asked.
“The same morning Remi and Dimitris saw them up there.”
Dimitris stopped his pacing. “That’s why we were kidnapped. Adrian thought we’d seen the murder.” He looked over at Remi, his dark eyes narrowed in anger. “They would’ve killed us if we hadn’t gotten away. And they’re blaming everything on pirates. We can’t let them get away with this.”
Remi reached over and grasped Sam’s hand, her expression urging him to say something to comfort the young man. “We have to trust the police,” Sam said. “They’re trained. They know what they’re doing.”
“Do they? There has to be something else we can do.”
“We’ve done about everything we can. There’s Tassos’s funeral in the morning. And we leave a couple of days later.”
His mouth dropped open as he looked from Sam to Remi, then back. “That’s it? You’re just giving up? Going home?”
“Please,” Nikos said, putting his hand on his son’s arm. “We should be grateful for everything Mr. Fargo has done for us. Now we let the police investigate.”
Dimitris pulled away. “It might be enough for you. But it’s not for me.” He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Remi started to follow, but Niko
s stopped her. “Give him time. When he cools off, he’ll know we’re speaking the truth.”
If he cools off, Sam added silently.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The following morning, Sam and Remi walked into town for the funeral, meeting Denéa on the way down the hill. When they arrived at the main street, they saw Nikos, deep in discussion with another man.
“I’ll catch up with you,” Sam said to Remi and Denéa. “I need to speak to Nikos.”
“The mayor,” Denéa whispered to Remi. She and Remi continued to the main square, crowded with those waiting to enter into the whitewashed walls of the church. Once there, Denéa excused herself to meet up with Manos, while Remi waited by the gate for Sam. A white-haired woman wandered up and smiled at Remi. “Did you know Tassos well?” the woman asked.
“Sadly, I never met him. But I know his granddaughter, Zoe.”
“You are American,” she said, switching to English. “Your Greek is very good.”
“And your English is excellent.”
“Thank you.” She smiled and extended her hand. “I’m Helena.”
“Remi.”
The older woman turned her attention to the people gathering at the opened arched doors of the church, then gave a long sigh. “Such a terrible accident. Poor Tassos. Always searching for treasure.”
“That’s what I heard,” Remi said, deciding it best not to mention her involvement, or the true circumstances. “Where do you know him from?”
“We grew up together on Samos. He and my brother were best friends until he fell in love with a girl here on Fourni.” Helena gave a sad smile. “Even so, we kept in touch. I was not surprised when I heard what happened. For as long as I remember, Tassos was searching for the lost gold.” She leaned in close, lowering her voice. “I suppose one could say he died doing what he loved.”
Judging from the conversations Remi had heard the last couple of days, that seemed to be the general consensus. If it gave everyone peace, then she was happy to contribute to the memories. “I’m assuming that’s why he was at the cave when he died, searching for Poseidon’s Trident.”
Helena’s gray brows furrowed. “Very odd that he’d be looking on Fourni.”
“Why?”
“According to my grandmother and the story she used to tell us at bedtime, Poseidon’s Trident is a place, not a treasure. Of course, it broke Tassos’s heart when he’d thought he’d found it, then didn’t. Still—”
Remi looked at her, surprised. “So, you have heard of the treasure?”
She laughed. “I doubt there’s anyone here who hasn’t. Do you see that Roman sarcophagus there?” She pointed across the square, where, behind the gathering mourners, a white marble sarcophagus was displayed beneath a tall plane tree. “A farmer discovered that thing buried on his land, filled with treasure. As you can imagine, the discovery added a renewed interest in the legend of Poseidon’s Trident, the treasure, and the pirates who were part of it.” Her dark eyes sparkled as she again leaned toward Remi, lowering her voice. “It’s a matter of pride for us Samians, many of whom lay claim to their pirate ancestors.”
She stopped when she noticed a middle-aged woman waving at her. “My daughter, informing me that I’m wanted elsewhere.” Helena turned back to Remi, clasping her hand. “A pleasure meeting you. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again. Fourni is not all that large.”
“Unfortunately, I’m flying out in a couple of days.”
“From Samos or Ikaria?”
“Samos.”
“Safe travels, then.” She smiled, and joined her daughter. The two walked through the gate into the churchyard.
A few minutes later, Sam joined Remi, taking her hand in his. While they waited, Remi pointed out the sarcophagus, sharing the story the old woman had told. As the service started, those waiting outside grew silent. There were far too many mourners to fit into the church and its courtyard, but someone had placed a portable speaker outside the wall for the overflow crowd to hear.
At the conclusion of the service, Remi and Sam could hear Zoe’s voice, painfully soft and strained as she invited everyone back to her grandfather’s home to share in food and friendship. Dimitris escorted Zoe through the wrought iron gates of the church, and they slowly made their way home.
By the time Sam and Remi reached Zoe’s house, it was already filled with well-wishers. Remi looked around the crowd, thinking that if not for the somber moments of remembrance, funerals were much like weddings, bringing family and friends from faraway places. Neighbors had outdone themselves with tables of food, fruit, and bread, both indoors and outside on the rooftop patio that overlooked the port of Fourni and the island of Thimena just beyond it. Greek wine was plentiful, and as the afternoon wore on, the remembered stories of Tassos in his youth and as a man were shared by all. Tales of his daring exploits, both as a fisherman and as he searched for Poseidon’s Trident and the lost treasure, filled the yard with laughter. Nikos, who was busy pouring wine, raised his glass in another toast. “To Tassos,” he called out, then related yet another story.
Skavos, sitting next to Sam and Remi, gave a tired smile as he watched over the festivities. “Tassos would have had a great time today. I know he is pleased.” Then he stood, lifted his glass, and in a loud voice said, “May his memory and laughter long be with us!”
A voice from the crowd shouted, “And may he find his treasure in heaven.”
“As ftiáxoume tost me ton Táso.” Let’s toast to Tassos. Skavos smiled. “The Pirates of Poseidon. It was a favorite book of all of us, but none more so than Tassos.”
Remi was about to ask him what the book was about when Denéa came up the stairs, shading her eyes against the late-afternoon sun as she searched the patio. She spotted Sam and Remi, then weaved her way through the crowd toward them. “Is something wrong?” Remi asked, noticing her look of concern.
“Dimitris sent me to find you. The police chief just arrived and said one of the investigators from Athens wants him to talk to Zoe.”
“I thought they were done,” Remi said as she and Sam quickly rose and followed her across the rooftop to the stairs.
“So did we, which is why Manos is stalling them. We don’t think she should be dealing with the police today, of all days. Definitely not alone.”
Denéa led them to a small, private patio at the back of the house, where Zoe and Dimitris were waiting, both looking relieved to see them. Denéa left, then returned shortly with the police chief. He nodded at Sam and Remi, then turned his attention to Zoe. “I hate to bother you, today of all days. I won’t take up much of your time. It’s about your grandfather.”
“What is it?”
“A few questions for the investigators, nothing more.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
We found a couple of things in Tassos’s pocket that we hoped you might know about,” the police chief said.
“What things?” Zoe asked.
“There was a book with a note in it.”
“A book?”
“I don’t have it with me at the moment. Right now, the Athens investigators are more interested in the note they found. I have a photocopy, if you could take a look?”
“Of course.”
He opened his notebook, pulling out a slip of paper and handing it to her. “Have you ever seen this before?”
She studied it a moment, then shook her head. “No, but it looks like my grandfather’s writing.”
Dimitris looked over her shoulder, reading the note. “A. Cave. 9 . . . A has to be Adrian.”
“That would be the logical assumption,” the chief said before returning his attention to Zoe. “I don’t suppose you know what the 9 means?”
Zoe gave a slight shrug. “I can only assume the time of day?”
“It must be,” Remi said. “That’s around the same time Dimitris and I saw them
up on the hill.”
“That’s exactly when we were up there.” Dimitris pinned his gaze on the chief. “That proves he killed him.”
“Easy does it,” Sam said to Dimitris, earning an appreciative look from the chief. “They’re not going to be able to make an arrest based on one note found in Tassos’s pocket.”
“Mr. Fargo’s right,” the chief said as Dimitris bristled, his fists tight. “We need more evidence. I’m sure you’ve heard the term before, but the wheels of justice turn slowly.”
Zoe took a ragged breath. “How can it not be enough?”
Remi, seeing her friend close to tears, reached out and clasped her hand. “Maybe we could finish this tomorrow?”
The police chief hesitated, then nodded. “Of course. I apologize for the bad timing, but the investigators from Athens felt this was important.”
Zoe nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“I’ll walk you out,” Sam said to the chief.
Remi hesitated in the doorway after they left, worried more about Dimitris than Zoe. “Are you going to be okay?”
His jaw was clenched as he watched the two men walk off. He gave a sharp nod.
Zoe smiled at her. “We’ll be fine. I just need a few minutes to compose myself before we go out.”
“Let me know if either of you need anything.”
“Thank you. To Sam, too. The both of you have been so much help already.”
It was a short while later, after Dimitris and Zoe returned to the gathering, that Dimitris approached Sam. “I need some advice. I don’t know what to do about Zoe, how to help her.”
Remi smiled at him. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”
“No, it’s fine,” Dimitris said. “It’s just . . . I don’t know what to say to her. I’ve never been in this situation before. If the police aren’t going to make an arrest, what do I tell her? We can’t let Kyril get away with this.”
“He won’t get away with it,” Sam replied. “Police investigations like this take time. What you can do is make sure she’s surrounded by family and friends. Just knowing how many people love her and loved Tassos will help keep her mind off the frustration over how long it’s taking.”
Wrath of Poseidon Page 13