‘And during Irene’s suicide?’
‘I was with my brother. I’m sure he told you that.’
‘Was Mega channel showing the game today?’
The lines on her forehead met and pointed down towards her widened eyes. She tilted her head to the left and replied ‘I do not observe sports, Captain.’
‘I see. What did you watch then?’
‘I didn’t…’ she began to say, and then stopped. She studied me for a second. ‘Just had the TV on, for noise. I really only paid attention to the evening news.’
‘Anything interesting in the world?’
‘Depends on what you find to be interesting.’
‘And your brother did not want to watch the game?’
‘I know men can be men, but he just lost his wife after losing his daughter. Sports were the last thing on his mind.’
My fingers intertwined and I leaned forward. ‘And when Cosmas heard the screams of Christina and rushed down to find his drowned wife, where were you?’
‘I had just got up to go find my book. As I said, TV is not really my thing.’
‘And you did not hear the screams?’
She lowered her eyes. ‘Well, I must have been in the ladies room at that moment. My hearing is not very good, I must admit. Then, I picked up my book from my bedside table and walked back to where I’d left my brother. He was not there, so I walked towards the staircase and that is when I saw the people running towards Irene’s room.’
‘What book are you reading?’ I asked, never changing my expression.
‘Just a silly romance novel you would never have heard of.’
‘That’s true. Sci-fi is more my thing.’
‘Sci-fi? Breaking the cliché of detective novels?’
‘I have enough detective stories in real life. I read to escape.’
‘Guess it is the same with me and romance novels. I read about what I don’t have,’ she admitted softly, in a moment of honesty. Then, she blushed and her eyes shot straight to the Persian carpet. ‘Sorry, I…’
‘No need,’ I waved my hand. ‘You never married? If I may take the liberty and ask?’
‘Oh, there was a boy once. A classic tale of finding love and having your young heart so ripped out of your chest that you knew, even then, that you would never truly love again.’
‘As a man who has lost at love and won it back, my only advice is never give up. Love has its way to work things out.’
‘You are sure, you don’t read romance novels?’ she asked with a half-smile and without waiting for a reply, she added ‘I better be going. I believe you’ll have a long night ahead of you.’
I wished her a good night and my eyes followed her out of the room. I was puzzled by Anneta. Her story did not register well in the analytical parts of my brain, though she spoke her words as if utter truth. I span round my office chair towards the window and gazed at the chaos outside. I enjoyed the rain more than your average Joe, but this storm did not give birth to the sense of freedom and nirvana that most rains brought to me. I stood up and rubbed my lower back. I scanned the room 360 degrees; I was alone. I stretched my arms up and tip toed until the pain from my back began to fade. I, then, fixed my boxer shorts. How they manage to always journey up and crawl around my privates will always be an unsolved mystery. I strolled towards the window, wishing I could open it and smell the fresh air.
‘Wanna open the huge window during a storm?’ Ioli asked as she reentered the room.
‘Reading my mind again?’
‘What did the sister have to stay?’ Ioli asked, as she walked to my side.
‘Not much really. Covered for her brother. Backed his story about watching TV together.’
‘Then why did she come down ten minutes after he did?’
‘Bad hearing. Ladies room. Locating a book. I heard it all,’ I said and chuckled with a grin across my tired face. ‘You? What took you so long?’
‘My uncle and aunt were covering for Homer. He asked them to so, so I went and found him.’
‘And?’
‘He said that he felt that something suspicious was up, and was worried because he thought everyone was down in the dining room together. He said that he panicked thinking how it would look. His exact words were ‘bereaved fiancé murders mother-in-law for a vendetta that took his wife-to-be away.’
‘Felt?’
‘I know, right? Bullshit. And Anneta covering her brother and that Katerina always worried about saying the wrong thing? These people know it was not a suicide.’
Just then the lights grew strong and then with a buzz and a crack went dead. The mansion’s power vanished in a second, darkening the house. Pitch black filled the vast rooms and brought panic into people’s hearts.
Voices grew louder, hands searched around for flashlights and candles, while others held up their phones providing light.
Ioli’s phone came equipped with a flashlight and a small circle of light came to life on the wildly patterned Persian carpet. I placed my right hand upon her shoulder and followed her out of the room. Most guests had gathered in the front hall.
‘I thought the island had its own power source now?’ Uncle Thomas said.
Cosmas stood in the midst of them, explaining that it does and that the power cut was most likely due to the raging storm. ‘We have two powerful generators. Nothing to worry about. Katerina is on her way down to turn them on.’
‘Why don’t you have security back-up so the motors come on…’ Jason began his usual complaining; only to be cut off by gasping screams coming from the main stairwell. Flashlights, candles and cell phones pointed towards the direction of the female voice only to reveal a tumbling down the stairs Anneta. Her hands were trying to grab on to the marble railing, but in vain. Apparently, her right high heel had broken off throwing her down the steps, head first to the ground.
‘Oh, God,’ Cosmas yelled, seeing his sister lying on the floor with her eyes closed and blood dripping from her forehead.
‘Anneta! Anneta!’ he yelled, taking her head into his arms.
‘Don’t move her,’ Mark ordered as he came down the stairs, aided by Christina who carried a strong flashlight. The group of four bridesmaids followed behind them.
Cosmas obeyed and gently lowered his sister’s bleeding head back to the ground.
‘This is the house of horrors,’ Georgia whispered to Anna, who held on to her rock, Gianni, with her left hand while crossing herself with her right.
‘May the Lord help us all,’ Anna managed to say.
‘Told you. It’s the bad eye,’ Helena Zampetaki turned and said to me.
Ioli rushed over to Mark, who knelt beside Anneta’s unconscious body.
‘Is she OK?’ she asked as the light came back to life. Sighs of relief spread throughout the room.
Mark smiled towards her while giving orders to Christina to bring essentials from the kitchen and Jason to bring his first aid kit from upstairs.
‘She is going to need stitches,’ he said, facing Ioli with a calm look upon his face. ‘She will be fine,’ he assured Cosma, having checked Anneta’s vital signs.
There are three types of people when it comes to blood and cuts. Most turned away as Mark washed Anneta’s wound with pure alcohol and prepared his needle. Some looked for a split second and then turned away with a shiver. And then, you have those you watch on with a peculiar expression across their face. Normally, these are people who have or feel like they have, seen it all. Ioli and I did not turn away, her father, Gianni, did not, Jason looked on with a proud expression for his friend, the doctor. Helena Zampetaki even came closer to see. The rest had their heads lowered or turned in another direction. That is when I noticed, Alexandra’s eyes steadily fixed on the needle penetrating Anneta’s skin. The tallest of the four bridesmaids she watched on as the other three quivered away from the sight.
Anneta’s eyelids flickered and slowly journeyed upwards to reveal her stunned honey colored eyes. Mark and Ioli helped he
r to sit up and lean back onto the magnolia painted wall. Disoriented and in pain, Anneta asked for some water.
‘Is she okay?’ Cosma’s worried voice repeated behind them.
‘She will be fine,’ Mark replied, raising his voice. ‘Just be quiet and let her relax for a minute.
Katerina came flying into the room, water-filled glass in trembling hand. Ioli assisted Anneta with drinking it and as the distraught woman gulped down the last sip, she opened her eyes wide.
‘You!’ she yelled, staring right at Mark. ‘Was it you?’ she asked and then turned and lifted her head towards Christina. ‘Or you?’
‘Ma’am, please calm down…’ Mark began to say.
‘Don’t you ma’am me. I saw you two talking on the stairwell, I walked straight pass you and then the lights went out and I was pushed!’
‘Pushed?’ Cosmas repeated in shock.
‘No, no. We did not push you,’ Mark said, his eyes travelling from Anneta to Ioli. ‘Why on earth would we push you?’
‘Sir, I swear. I never even went near your sister. The lights went out and I went to fetch the flashlights and…’ Christina produced ten words per second, excusing herself to her employer.
Anna crossed herself again and even uttered an ‘oh, my God. Jesus save us’ as grandma Zampetaki said that someone was trying to kill them all. ‘A demon is among us,’ the old lady continued.
Tracy, who so far sat quietly on a chair tucked away next to a Hellenic Apollo statue, stood up and approached me. She hugged me from behind and placed her head upon my back. She needed to feel safe. I turned around and took her into my arms, leaving Ioli to deal with Anneta.
‘Anneta, are you sure someone pushed you?’ You could have tripped. It was dark…’ Ioli calmly spoke to the heavily breathing woman.
‘I… I… don’t know. As I fell, I remember thinking that I was pushed, but to be honest, I do not recall anyone touching me,’ she said and her right hand held her head. She squinted her eyes in obvious pain.
‘You have taken a pretty severe hit. I fear a concussion. You need to lie down and stay there. I will check up on you until the storm passes. You need to get to a hospital,’ Mark said, giving his best shot at a smile.
‘You are so kind, and all I have done is accuse you of throwing me down the stairs…’
‘No worries. Doctor’s orders. Now, let’s get you to bed.’
‘Bet it has been a while since she last heard that from a man,’ Jason joked, whispering into Amanda’s ear. Amanda’s plump cheeks pinked up as she resisted a giggle.
‘Talking about the storm, had anyone had any updates on when the ferries will be up and running again?’ Cleopatra asked.
‘Tomorrow is a definite no,’ Leonidas said, standing hand in hand with Kallisto. ‘I spoke with the ferry company just a few hours ago.’
‘That’s a shame,’ Thomas added. ‘Though on the news it said that after tomorrow the weather should start clearing up.’
‘Let’s pray for that, then,’ Kallisto replied, to receive smiles and nods from the group.
Ioli and Mark had already begun ascending the stairs with frail Anneta hanging between them. Cosmas followed behind, ashen and with worried eyes. He paused and turned towards the crowd, focusing his eyes on me. ‘Maybe we shall call it a night?’
I wanted to reply no, having already questioned most of the house’s occupants, however a look at the tired, distraught, confused faces around me, forced to reply with a simple ‘Yes, sure, no problem. We’ll pick up tomorrow from when we left off.’
Upstairs, in her spacious guest room with the two beds and the separate sitting area, Anneta exhaled deeply as Ioli and Mark helped her into her king-sized bed with the floral covers.
‘Now, get some rest and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call,’ Mark said in his professional tone of voice.
‘Could you be as kind to close the curtains for me?’ Anneta breathlessly asked. ‘I cannot stand looking at this storm any longer,’ she added, her eyes focused on the wet windows. Through the multiple droplets residing on the glass, a grey world unfolded, a world ravished by winds and rain.
‘Of course,’ Ioli said, and closed the heavy drapes. The darkness of the room grew deeper and all light gathered around Anneta’s night light.
‘Again, sorry and thank you,’ Anneta said, her eyes fixed on Mark.
‘No need.’ He waved his hand and with a gentle smile, he turned to leave. Ioli followed him, closing the door behind her. The rattling of the door handle gave the signal for Anneta’s eyelids to descend. Soon, she drifted off to sleep.
‘Another shitty day in paradise,’ Mark said, with an awkward half smile.
‘Pretty much so,’ Ioli responded and turned to come find me.
‘Don’t,’ Mark said and grabbed her hand. He brought it into his and stroked it with his soft fingers.
‘Mark…, I…’
‘Sorry for being so straight forward, but it is killing me inside. I can’t keep my eyes off you and you are always in my sight and people keep dying around us and getting hurt and yes, it’s sad and fucked up and all, but what pissed me off the most is that it is keeping me from talking to you and…’
‘That’s a lot of ands in your sentence. May I lend you a full stop for a minute?’
Mark chuckled. ‘Cliché kind of guy. Strong, silent type and when I decide to finally speak, I sound like a teenage girl talking to her high school crush.’
Ioli pushed back her black hair and slightly licked her upper lip. ‘Mark, this is not the time nor the place…’
‘More clichés,’ he interrupted.
‘Clichés become clichés for a reason. And if all this is not a perfect fit for the wrong time, wrong place cliché, I don’t know what is. Please, don’t get me wrong. Don’t take this as a cold hearted no. See it as a professional rule. Don’t mix business with pleasure. Is that a cliché too?’
‘I think it falls more into the lines of a saying.’
‘Weird things are going on and until things are resolved, I am definitely not getting close to anyone. After the ferry arrives in Paleochora and this story is solved and in the past, then ask me out for a coffee, okay?’
His eyes opened and he swallowed hard. ‘Guess it is better than a no. Though, I had to say something. I hate being safe and quiet little Mark. You’re incredible and you deserve to know that.’
Ioli smiled and raised her right hand to careless his unshaven cheek. ‘You’re a sweet guy. You sure you want to get mixed up with me? I am not the young girl you once knew.’
‘All the better. I can’t wait to meet the new you.’
Ioli withdrew her hand and without another word, she turned and walked off. ‘That’s it?’ Mark called out.
‘Yep. For now, smooth talker,’ she replied, turning round her head and flashing him a full toothed smile.
Mark stood motionless, his heart beat racing faster than a Ferrari on a closed circuit, watching her vanish into the darkness of the hall. He heard her light steps as she went down the steps and he exhaled deeply. ‘Well played, little Mark. Well played,’ he quietly pep-talked to his inner, insecure self while wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
Chapter 12
My right foot sank into the mud, squelching as it went down. The wintry landscape of Gavdos unfolded before my sore eyes. A few dying bushes around me shook in the strong wind. Ahead of me, a naked, twisted tree at the end of the cliff; a little, black figure of a person sitting under it. Behind it, the dark Libyan sea ran and met the grey sky.
‘We’re going on a bear hunt, we’re gonna catch a big one,’ a girl’s voice sung.
I’d recognized that voice anywhere.
‘Gaby?’ I shouted out.
‘Come on, dad. Let’s play,’ she called back and went back to singing.
I quickened my pace and struggled through the mud to reach her. Out of breath, barefoot as I was, I ran to her. Her long, curly hair fell in front, covering her face. She wore her pi
nk Snoopy pyjamas and her favorite matching slippers. Her hands were combing her doll. Blood dripped from her hands; the doll wore a wedding dress drenched in blood. My eyes focused on the cut open throat of the doll. Just then, the doll’s eyes snapped opened. It was Cassandra.
‘I died and you just talk and talk and taaaalk…’ she screamed. I stepped back and fell into the mud, awakening safe and sound, back in bed. I sat up, exhaled deeply and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.
I turned to my right to check if I had woken up Tracy only to notice the bed empty on her side.
‘Tracy?’ I called out in the direction of the bathroom door, though not expecting an answer as there was no light underlining the wooden door.
Could she be down at breakfast?
Outside, the black from the crying clouds sky made it hard to see what time of day it was. I clumsily searched for my cell phone amongst all the junk I had thrown on my bedside table. It lay surrounded by my wallet, my watch, my book, my belt and a bunch of paper notes from yesterday’s interviews. Six o’clock sharp, it read. Too early for breakfast.
I jumped out of bed naked, having kicked off heavy sheets and a heavier quilt. Winter or summer, I always slept as my mama brought me into the world. Men’s Health magazine was to blame. Ever since a twenty-two year old Costa read about how sleeping naked benefited your testicles and your health in general, I was sold on the idea of sleeping naked.
My black boxers climbed up my legs and I rushed to the wardrobe to get dressed. Buttoning up my white shirt, I exited the room into the dark hallway. No lights had been turned on. Darkness roamed the house; everyone was still asleep.
Tracy, where the hell are you?
The line between maintaining your cool and panicking is a blurry one. My heartbeat accelerated like a Bugatti, my forehead produced sweat faster than the clouds produced rain outside, yet my mind kept on repeating how silly I was to worry and that Tracy probably just could not sleep and was enjoying a nice, hot tea in the kitchen below. Psychologists call these thoughts defense mechanisms of the mind. My last wall of defense fell as I reached the dark and empty kitchen. In a house where one dead body followed another, my wife was missing.
Greek Island Mysteries Boxed Set (Books 1-2-3): Gripping, psychological mystery/thrillers destined to shock you! Page 53