Ariadne could not control her laughter. Her usual ephemeral giggle, now a roaring laughter. ‘You can’t be serious?’
‘Oh, I am. It was my dad all along. What made it even more embarrassing, was the next day when we were alone, he asked me how it went and started giving me tips how to change positions often and let the girl take control when she’s on top and… it makes me wonder how it took me so long to end up in therapy!’
‘He sounds like one hell of a guy.’
‘Yeah, he truly was.’
Chapter 32
Ioli pushed open the heavy, wooden church door and leaped into the room with her gun stretched out, searching around. I ran around the church; it was deserted. Just us and the chilling breeze. Inside, Christ’s large icon had been painted with Father Avgoustino’s blood as the attacker had bashed his head against the icon multiple times. The elderly man crawled into the church on all fours, shaking all over, asking the Lord for His protection. Ioli sat down beside him. She calmed him and took a look at his deep scars. Paramedics were shortly by their side. Constable Christina appeared with them, forensic kit in her right hand.
‘Just as you asked, Captain.’
I took samples of the blood, though I knew it was unlikely that the fragile old priest had managed to fight back. I picked and bagged a few hairs too. The church was a public place and no help would be provided from analyzing them, but I had to be thorough.
‘I’m going with the priest,’ Ioli said. ‘I’ll try to get a statement as soon as he is ready.’
‘Want me to go?’
‘No, it’s fine. I’m feeling better today and I need to prove to myself that I am back to being me! Anyway, old guys need their rest. Don’t stay up too late.’ She gave me a nudge on my shoulder and with her Julia Robert’s smile upon her face, she was off.
I handed Christina the evidence and instructed her to send it immediately to the labs. Knees and back aching, I walked towards my car. A beer and a hot shower later, I was lying naked between the hotel’s warm sheets. The TV was playing the usual crap, with re-runs of Turkish and Mexican soap operas dominating the late night scene. I left the less annoying one on.
‘Oh, his eyes. His gorgeous blue eyes,’ poor Juanita daydreamed over Prince Juan. As if the King and Queen would let their son marry a farmer’s daughter.
Stupid show. As if the two brown eyed royals could be the parents of the blue eyed prince.
I sat up. My heart skipped a beat and then began to race.
‘Brown is a dominant color! Well, I’ll be damned!’
I picked up my phone. I called –and woke up-the chief. I needed a warrant and I needed it fast.
‘You have some balls, Costa, but if you think I am waking up a judge at one in the morning, you have another thing coming! There is no fleeing risk. Zero. Nada. Nyet. Go to sleep and by the time you wake, your warrant will be faxed to you.’ That was the chief’s way of letting me know, that a judge would be notified and soon, our suspect would be in jail.
Chapter 33
I had managed to log in a couple of hours of restless sleep. My mind, focused on the game, would not let my body relax. When I finally closed my eyes, my daughter came to my dreamland.
‘Come on daddy, die and come play with me,’ she would giggle while murderers of cases past appeared around me, each killing me in their own gruesome way.
Ariadne is going to love this dream.
I woke up, covered in a cold sweat. I showered slowly, killing time until the Mediterranean sun came out of the ocean and sent its first rays through my open window. I dressed and sped next door to wake up Ioli. She had stayed up late too, working on Father Avgoustino’s testimony. The priest did not get a chance to see his attacker. He recalled being ambushed and grabbed from behind. The attacker hit his head violently on the solid wood icon, blurring his vision and weakening his senses. The old man managed to kick the perpetrator in his privates and fled.
‘Ioli? Get up, now. Quick!’
‘What the… Costa, is that you? What are you, a fucking rooster or what? Jesus…’ she kept on moaning and cursing, but I knew the act. I could hear her moving around, getting dressed.
‘What?’ she finally opened the freshly painted maroon door.
‘The kid’s eyes are turquoise. Both parents have brown eyes.’ I loved that I never had to say more with Ioli. Smartest partner I have ever had.
She took a second and said ‘Brown is a dominating color. If one had brown and the other blue, it would be possible, yet rare. But two brown eyed parents with a blue eyed kid? That’s one in a million. You think he is adopted? How does that connect to the case?’
‘No, he’s not adopted. I woke Christina last night and had her check hospital records. She cursed less than you, by the way. He is his mother’s son alright. But that jaw, that nose, the way his ears point out…’
‘Oh my… The fisherman!’
‘That’s what has been on my mind! Spitting image aren’t they? Got a warrant for the kid. We are bringing him in for questioning.’
‘An unfaithful mother is not a crime.’
‘Something’s fishy about the fisherman. Pitiful excuses were all he had. If he was out to sea, how did he see the attack? And if he was close to shore, why didn’t he come to land at once and report it? Or, at least, shout out to the attackers. He was safe on his boat. He took his time. My money is on him identifying his son and that’s why he took his time. To give the boy time or maybe even warn him to plan an alibi.’
She smiled. A mysterious look graced her face.
‘What?’
‘Nothing. Just proud of you. I’m glad, you’re my partner.’
Her words came unexpected and touching. I did not want to get emotional, so as always, I resulted to humor. ‘Aw, I knew you were capable of being nice. Come here, give us a hug.’
‘And the moment is gone. Fuck off. It’s too early for hugs. Let’s go get that kid.’
Outside the Kontou home, the whole family rushed around on their way out. The kids packed and ready for school, mother ready to drop them off, father ready for another 9 to 5 day. Smiles all around. Until they saw us, that is.
The father approached us, anger flashing in his eyes.
‘Now, look here. Andrew is on his way to school. You have upset him enough with your accusations…’
‘Step aside, sir,’ Ioli said firmly and walked towards the tall, young man who look ridiculous hiding behind his petite mother.
‘We have a warrant for your son’s arrest,’ I shocked the father.
‘Andrew Kontou, you are requested to follow us to the station with a guardian, for further questioning. Refusal will lead to your arrest. Please, follow me to the patrol car.’
His mother started crying, shaking her head from side to side. ‘Stop them,’ she cried out to her husband.
‘Call your mother, to come get the kids now. We are following them to the station. Control yourself for the children’s sake.’
Ioli opened the back door and helped Andrew in. The boy was shaking all over. Sweat formed all over his forehead. By the time, we reached the station, his blue T-shirt had stuck to his back and two pools of bodily fluids had taken shape under his armpits.
We escorted him to questioning room A. Weird name for a questioning room as the building had no other questioning rooms. I brought in more chairs in anticipation of his parents.
‘Do you want anything to drink, Andrew?’ Ioli asked. He shook his head, keeping his eyes glued to the white tile floor. ‘Try to relax,’ she said, forcing a smile.
Constable Christina opened the door and in flew his mother, ready for her fifties-style, Greek movie scene.
‘My boy, my sweet boy, you OK?’ She hugged and kissed him on both cheeks.
‘Mum, cut it out.’ He turned a light shade of red. His father touched his son gently on the shoulder and sat down beside him. His mother took a second to stare around the room, before sitting down.
‘Andrew we checked out your
alibi…’ I began to say.
‘I was at the park! Didn’t my friends tell you that?’
‘Boy, let the man speak,’ his father ordered him, anxious to hear what I was going to say.
‘Yes, you were at the park. But witnesses have all of your gang leaving at various times and no one could confirm that you were there from beginning to end.’ His fingers came together and turned into fists. His breathing got louder.
‘I was there.’ He emphasized every word of his short statement.
‘Were you married when Andrew was born?’ Ioli asked, catching his parents off guard.
‘Excuse me?’ George Kontou asked.
‘What kind of question is that?’ Maria Kontou managed to ask. She was as pale as the white walls.
‘The kind of question that requires an answer.’
‘Yes, we were.’
‘In what year of your marriage was Andrew born?’ Ioli continued.
‘Erm… What has any of this…’
‘Can you answer the question, sir?’
‘Six months after our wedding. Maria was three months pregnant on our wedding day.’
‘Do any of you, know Christo Riga?’
Andrew’s breathing got louder, his face acquired the coloring of a juicy, freshly cut tomato and his mother looked ready to pass out. Her eyes opened wide and her stare went from us to her husband like she was watching a ping-pong match.
‘Who? The fisherman? I see him a couple of times at the coffee shop. What has he got to do with any of this?’ the clueless man answered.
‘Do you know him, Mrs. Kontou?’ Ioli threw the question at the distraught woman.
Maria Kontou sat there, staring right at Ioli, lost for words.
‘Mrs. Kontou?’
‘I… I know him by name. We are a small island. Not like Athens here. We know each other…’ she started mumbling away.
‘So you have never met before?’
‘No.’
‘Mrs. Kontou. Christo Riga is an eye witness in a murder case. If we have reason to believe he gave false testimony, then we are obliged to check out the reasons why. We could even order a DNA test, if we have too,’ Ioli said, lying through her teeth. Such a thing would be extremely difficult, but Ioli knew this was how we would get results.
‘A DNA test?’ George asked.
‘This is outrageous! You cannot do such a thing, you have no right, I will never allow it!’ Maria shouted, standing up. Ioli sat back in her chair. She had accomplished her mission.
George stared at his wife. ‘Maria?’ His voice was shaking. Andrew started to cry.
‘Maria? What are you hiding?’ He stood up and faced his wife. ‘Speak to me!’
She had frozen. She could not utter a single word.
‘Dad, please…’
‘Don’t you please me, boy. Maria, you better start talking or I swear to God, I will strangle you right here, in the police station.’
‘Mama, don’t…’
‘George, I love you, You are my all. I can’t stand this dirty secret any longer. My father arranged our marriage. Christo was my lover at the time. When I found out that I was pregnant, I swear I believed the baby was yours. But, look at him…’ She did not manage to say anything else. She watched as all love vanished from her husband’s eyes. A cold, distant look painted his face.
‘You disgust me. Are any of the children mine?’
‘George! I have never been unfaithful to you! I conceived Andrew before us. You think it was easy for me to forget, from one day to the next, my boyfriend at the time and start dating a new man, picked by my father?’
‘Oh, fuck off. You’re the victim now? You let me raise him as my own…’
‘He is yours! You were his father, you…’
‘He is no blood of mine. And you are not the woman I married,’ he said and stormed out the room. Maria ran after him. Their fighting continued all down the hall and out of the building.
‘I love you,’ Maria screamed, pulling her husbands T-shirt as he walked off. He turned and slapped her hard across the face, throwing her to the hard ground. Police officers rushed to hold him back and dragged him into a holding room to cool off. Christina helped Maria up and took her inside for a hot cup of tea and to offer a shoulder to cry on.
Meanwhile, inside, Andrew looked at us with blind fury in his eyes.
‘Now, look what you have done! You have ruined my family. You have no shame…’
‘How long have you known?’ I asked.
‘Since I was twelve. Christo approached me one day. Said he wanted to get to know me. I thought he was a pervert and threatened to call the cops. He said he was my biological father.’ He laughed. ‘I ran home crying. Mum was furious with him. She told me not to breathe a word to my father, as he had a weak heart and this would kill him. Stupid bitch. Who says that to a kid? Couldn’t she have lied to me? Anyway, next time he approached me, I wanted to get to know him, you know? He was my father, after all. We would meet when ever we could. He is a great man. Better man than George could ever be. He taught me so much.’
‘Taught you to kill?’ Ioli asked.
‘No, he…’ He paused.
‘You know that we are going to arrest him for giving a false testimony?’
‘You can’t do that…’
‘And charge you with murder. Your alibi is weak and we have your DNA on the body…’
‘You can’t do this. My father is a good man. That priest is to blame. What do you people call it? He was the abettor. He told my dad about that sick fucker. Sex with dead bodies. A satanist that’s what he was. God strikes down sinners and sometimes He needs a little help with His plans.’
‘Your father told you that?’
‘No. Father Agvoustino did. He told me that I was a bastard and God had no place in Heaven for bastards or sinners like my mother and biological father. He said, my father was brave and was going to do God’s work by killing the necrophiliac. And that I should help him. Only then, would my mother and I be able to walk through heaven’s gates.’
And just like that, Andrew’s words worked like glue. All the pieces fell together and formed a clear picture. The mastermind behind all, Father Agvoustino. He listened to everyone’s confessions and found out who the sinners were. Then, he manipulated them, to kill each other by promising them forgiveness and entry to heaven. He advised Kate to kill her husband and he persuaded the carpenter to kill both Kate and Stella. And after each kill, he had the next killer ready to take out the previous one. Alexis was sent to kill the carpenter, while the fisherman and his son would then kill Alexis. Andrew’s confession probably saved his life. The priest would have had someone lined up to continue his evil plan to eradicate all sinners.
The rain came and went in a matter of minutes. Light grey clouds wandered over the blue sky and the mild breeze brought a sense of freshness to the air. Ignoring the low temperatures we drove with the windows down. Nothing like a whiff of the Aegean sea to make you feel alive. Nature gave birth to a rainbow ahead. Its blend of colors traveling from the horizon, up into the sky and vanishing behind a group of clouds. Clouds conspiring to start raining again.
‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’
Ioli had relaxed. A closed case had that effect. I, on the other hand, felt my heart race. I always needed to make the arrest for closure to take place. Ioli needed sense. She needed to know, to solve. Then, she relaxed.
‘It sure is,’ I answered.
‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations. I have set my bow in the clouds; a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’
‘Excuse me?’
She laughed out loud, amused by my puzzled face. It felt good to hear her genuine laughter, once again.
‘It’s from the Bible. Genesis, I think.’
‘And since when have you quoted the good book?’
‘My grandma use to say it at the sight of every rain
bow. I learnt it as a poem, never really understanding its meaning. At least, as a kid.’
‘You think the earth and God are connected?’
‘I think we are all connected. In one weird, messed-up way. I truly want to believe as I believed when I was a kid, but logic always ends up getting in the way.’
‘Connected, huh?’
‘Some people more than others. Take Father Agvoustino. A seemingly kind, old man, loved by his community, into charity and all, and he felt the need to kill. Or have people kill for him. Was he connected to God? No. But he surely felt he was.’
‘I’m not sure I’m getting your point.’
‘God or no God, it does not matter to me. It is all about how you understand your place in the world, how connected you are. Connected enough to do what’s right. Some people become so disconnected, they become dangerous to the rest.’
‘And it’s our job to stop them.’
‘Yeah, two freaking guardian angels, aren’t we?’ she said with laughter.
The newly built, blue and white painted hospital stood out amongst its surrounding two floor buildings. The glass doors came alive as we approached them. We took the elevator up to the fifth floor. The head nurse led us to his room.
‘How is he?’ I asked.
‘His injuries are healing well. None were serious. It is the cancer that is keeping him down.’
Greek Island Mysteries Boxed Set (Books 1-2-3): Gripping, psychological mystery/thrillers destined to shock you! Page 36