by Nick Vellis
“An hour ago, I would have demanded answers but…”
“But now you’ve heard from Deputy Minister Skouris. I’m sorry to have gotten you and your men in the middle of this and without letting you know.” AJ had lots of practice soothing ruffled feathers on government officials.
“I just got off the phone with the Minister. He’ll be here later this morning. I am to offer you every courtesy,” AJ wasn’t sure how sincere the man was, but he was attempting to be helpful.
“Thank you. I think we’re fine for now. Do you have any word on Captain Ganis or his surveillance team, where they’ve been taken or their condition?”
“Captain Ganis was taken to the local hospital. He is doing well. The other police officers were not so lucky. The minister will have more information when he arrives. If that’s all…”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Good news about Captain Ganis though.”
“Yes, it is, if that’s all Mr. …”
“One more thing captain,” AJ said, hoping he wasn’t pushing his luck, “I mentioned to your men last night about looking for a flash drive hidden under the mattress in a room at the Olympia. Do you know if they’ve found it?”
Captain Vlacos’ smile broadened. “I’ll see you get some coffee. You will wait here for Minister Skouris. Excuse me. I have a disaster to clear up.” He gave a curt nod, brushed past AJ and disappeared down the hall.
AJ slumped against the wall as his head went to his chest, his burning eyes closed. At sound of the door opening, he snapped to attention. As he looked toward the sound, a warm smile and dark eyes greeted him.
“What did I miss?” Gia said, her bandaged head poking out of the door.
“Nothing much, I just met our host. He’s none too happy. Tinos is apparently doing OK, and his uncle is on the way here. I’m sorry about…”
“Sorry about what, last night, our time together or the gunfight?” She laughed and her smile got bigger, then she grimaced. “Ouch. It only hurts when I laugh,” she said, putting her hand gingerly to her head. “No need to apologize. You were wonderful, the perfect lover and something of an action hero, too. Very sexy.”
“I don’t know about the action hero part. I didn’t do such a hot job of …”
“No buts about it. Seeing you with that gun in your hand, protecting me, well I couldn’t tell if my heart was pounding from fear or from being turned on.” She laughed again.
“I thought you were protecting me. I’ve never been so…”
“So scared?” Gia interrupted. “Neither have I. We made a pretty good team, though, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, we did and not just with the gun play,” AJ said, relaxing a little.
Gia giggled. “You sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
“Does that mean I have to hold a gun on you to arrange a rematch?” AJ was unsure where this was going.
“Not at all. When this mess is over you can count on my being available. Where it goes from there… who knows what tomorrow will bring?” she said, taking his hand. “I like being with you AJ. I don’t know if I love you, but I like the way you make me feel. Are you going to make me stand at this door all morning? AJ followed her and closed the door behind him as she hugged him.
A sharp rap on the door interrupted their tender moment as Captain Vlacos barged into his own conference room.
“Mr. Pantheras, I’m afraid I have some bad news,” the captain said. Earlier, the man had been taciturn, but now he appeared genuinely distressed.
“What? Has something happened to Tinos?” AJ asked.
“No, Captain Ganis is fine so far as I know. It’s about your friend in Milan, the one in the hospital. There’s no easy way to put this so I’ll just come out with it. He’s missing.”
CHAPTER 33
AJ dropped into his chair, stunned. The girl at his side continued to hold his hand, looked at him then back to the policeman, and said, “Captain, do you know anything else? He’s missing, but did he leave on his own or was he abducted?”
“I’m sorry, but that’s all I know,” the captain cut in. “I had a text from Minister Skouris, who asked me to pass on this information. He also said he would arrive within the hour to meet with you.”
“Do you have a telephone I may use?” Gia used her best firm-but-polite tone. “My uncle is an official with Guardia de Finanza. He may have more information.”
“You can use my office,” the captain replied. “Come with me.”
“AJ, I’ll be right back,” she said, patting his hand as she let go of him.
AJ looked up at her, panic in his empty, sorrowful eyes.
“AJ, I said I’ll be right back. I’m going to call Uncle Alessandro. AJ, did you hear me?” she said softly.
AJ nodded, folded his arms on the table, and lowered his forehead to his arms.
Gia squared her shoulders and followed the captain.
Seated behind Captain Vlacos’ desk she dialed and Alessandro answered on the second ring.
“Moretti,” he said in a clipped professional tone.
“Uncle Alessandro, its Gia.”
“Oh, my, Gia, it’s so good to hear your voice. I was told you were wounded.”
“I was, I am, but it’s just a scratch. It looks worse than it actually is. Don’t get hysterical when you see me.”
“It’s that bad-looking, is it? Thanks for the warning. How’s your friend AJ?”
“He’s okay. He saved my life again. We were very lucky,” Gia said, realizing the full impact her statement. “Tinos is in the hospital, but we’re told he will be all right. The police here have just told us that Ceres Savas is missing from the hospital. Do you know anything more?”
“A little. I had a report from my man at police headquarters. Mr. Savas apparently had two visitors last night. When the staff made rounds before midnight, he was gone. There wasn’t any sign of a struggle and his clothes were missing.” Alessandro’s report was cold and professional.
“Is there any security camera footage?”
“The local police are checking that now. You know how slow they a can be. I have to be careful. Remember, their commander is working for our adversary.”
“Our deceased adversary, Gia corrected. “Can’t you check on it personally?”
“I can but I’m airborne headed back to Thessaloniki. I’m nearly there. I knew I should have stayed on to help you,” Alessandro said, his voice heavy with frustration.
“We could have used you,” Gia said, “but I would have worried about you and AJ. When will you get here?”
“Georgios Skouris is meeting me at the airport. We’re taking a helicopter down to Katerini. We should be there in about an hour, he replied.”
“May I let the police commander here know the minister is coming? He’s already put out with us. If the Deputy Minister of Police shows up and…”
“Say no more,” Alessandro broke in. “Please let him know. Georgios is under a lot of pressure resulting from his helping us. Three of his men were killed and another wounded. He has a political and operational mess on his hands.”
“Alessandro, there’s something I should tell you … something Dobos said before he died.” Gia hesitated, but it had to be done.
“Yes?” he responded.
“It’s a connection to a banker in Rome and…”
“And your father… your father interviewed a banker in Rome for me the day before he was killed,” Alessandro finished Gia’s sentence.
“You knew? Why … why haven’t you ever told me?” The tears welling up in her eyes were evident in the change in her voice.
“Your father was taking a court order for bank records in one of his divorce cases to a bank in Rome.”
“Not unusual,” Gia said.
“No, but the account he was investigating was at Banco Media Roma, Solaris’ primary bank, or so we thought. I asked him to make some discrete inquiries about Solaris while he was there. I’ve regretted it ever since.”
“You
knew and never told me?”
“Told you what?” he snapped. “That I asked a friend for some help. It’s the same thing you do with me all the time.” Alessando’s words were quick and clipped, not out of anger, but out of deep regret. “I feared your papa’s murder might be connected to Solaris, but when the local police found the gun and made an arrest, I convinced myself I was looking for a conspiracy in a street crime for no reason.”
“I guess I can see your point.”
“We’ve never had anything pointing to a connection, but it’s always been in the back of my mind. Recent developments have brought it all back.”
“How’s that?” Gia asked.
“The arresting officer on your father’s case was Michael Verde.”
“Madonna!” Gia said slowly. “Uncle Alessandro,” Gia said. Her words slow and measured, “I think we may have something now.”
“The information,” Alessandro broke in, “you helped develop on Commander Verde goes a long way toward proving conspiracy but …”
“Uncle,” Gia interrupted this time, “Dobos said he killed Papa on orders from Solaris. He confessed to killing papa and AJ’s father. It was a dying declaration, and we both witnessed it.”
“Based on that I’m sure we can get a warrant now.”
“There’s more. Dobos said he had a flash drive that had all the evidence we needed.”
“He wanted to get even with Solaris, I assume?” Alessandro said, trying to hide his excitement. “Have you looked at it yet?”
“No, but I think the Greek police have it.”
“See if you can find out where it is. I’m on the ground waiting for Georgios. We will be there as quickly as possible. See you soon bella. Ciao!”
“Ciao, Alessandro.”
Gia stared into space gathering her thoughts. My father’s murder will finally be solved, she thought. She stood, went to the door, and upon opening it asked the receptionist, “Is Captain Vlacos available?”
“You can’t bring him here!” Solaris was incredulous. Can these idiots do anything right?
“Where do you suggest we take him sir? This was your idea, after all,” Michael Verde’s voice cracked with anger. He’d advised against abducting the old man.
“Does he at least have the notebook?” Solaris said.
“It wasn’t in his room,” Verde responded. “We looked and attempted to persuade him to tell us where it was but…”
“But you were almost caught.” Solaris was beyond disgusted. “When will you arrive?” he said, giving up the illusion he could stay at arm’s length any longer.
“We’ll be at the border by dusk,” Verde said.
“I’ll make arrangements with the Border Police at Rimini. Can you manage to make the crossing without any more embarrassing mistakes?”
“Yes, sir.”
“See he arrives here alive. If he doesn’t, you’ll join him in a shallow grave.” Solaris slammed down the phone.
AJ hunched over the sink as the latest round of dry heaves past. Talk to yourself AJ, self-talk the shrinks called it. He’d read it in the self-help books too. Replace your fear with another thought. I am brave. I can do anything. Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain, Mark Twain had said. What did Mark Twain know about fear?
The more he talked to himself today, the tighter fear’s icy embrace clawed into him. Gia’s presence spurred him to action last night, but now that adrenalin was long past. Belly to brain, he was a twisted mass of writhing worms all intent on driving him mad. His body had already taken too much.
From far off down the hall, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. The doorknob rattled and there was a hard rapping at the door. “AJ, AJ are you in there? Are you all right?” Gia’s voice was filled with concern.
Pull yourself together, AJ.
“Yeah, I’m here. I’ll be out shortly,” he said, knowing his cracking voice had given him away. He tried washing his face again. The warm water felt good until he looked in the mirror.
His pale face melted away into wide, dark circles around his dead eyes. Tiny red petechiae rimmed his cheekbones, silent evidence of the force with which he’d puked, dry heaved and retched. AJ looked like a zombie with measles. He splashed more water on his face and rubbed vigorously. AJ dried himself with a cloth towel in a rotary dispenser on the wall and, putting his shoulders back, marched out of his bathroom refuge.
“Oh AJ, good, you’re here,” Gia said, looking up from her laptop. She couldn’t help but notice AJ’s dreadful appearance as he entered the conference room. “I spoke to Alessandro,” she said slowly as she appraised the pitiful man in front of her. “He’s left Thessaloniki with Minister Skouris. They are coming down by helicopter.”
“What are you working on?” AJ said, hoping the pounding in his chest wasn’t noticeable in his voice.
“Captain Vlacos let me examine the flash drive Dobos left. He hasn’t got an analyst here, and our new best friend Minister Skouris told the good captain to let me take a look.”
AJ walked behind Gia to steal a peak at the computer screen. The soft scent of her hair drifted up, swallowing him whole. He closed his eyes and felt himself rock on his heels. Steady boy, he thought. AJ looked at a complex spreadsheet on the computer screen. “What’s this?” he asked, pointing at the screen.
Without looking up, Gia said, “It’s from Dobos’ flash drive. He had a couple dozen spreadsheets. They document his travels, payments, bank accounts. He also has copies of emails, texts, and online chats. He did a good job documenting his activities. This stuff goes back years. It’s a good insurance policy.”
“Good thing it didn’t work for him. We’d never have gotten our hands on it,” AJ said staring but not sure what he was seeing on the screen. “Is there any indication why he was after us or who sent him?”
“There’s more evidence here than we could have hoped for,” Gia replied. “The texts and chats lead right back to Solaris. The payments to Dobos come from numbered accounts, but we should be able to track most of them back…”
“You don’t think Solaris is that stupid do you?” AJ interrupted. “Those chats just go to a screen name.”
“What I was about to say,” Gia said narrowing her eyes as she looked up at AJ, “was we have a solid electronic trail. It’ll take some work, but we should be able to trace at least some of this back to Solaris. Besides, now we know what bank he uses.”
“What?” AJ said.
Gia filled AJ in on the information Alessandro had shared earlier about her father and Solaris’ connection to the Banco Media Roma. Then, pointing at the screen she said, “I know it’s a big company, but look at the payments to Dobos. There are three different accounts, but they’re all at Banco Media Roma.”
“And you say your father spoke to an official at the bank just before he was killed?” AJ asked, the cobwebs slowly clearing from his head. “Is there any way to find out who he spoke to?”
“I’m not sure. Uncle Alessandro may have more information on that.”
“What information do I have, bella?” Alessandro said as he came through the door with Georgios Skouris and Captain Vlacos on his heels.
“Uncle Alessandro!” Gia said as she jumped up to hug the big man.
After a round of introductions, Alessandro asked again, “What information do I have Gia?”
“You have the information about the bank in Rome. Come look at this. It’s Dobos’ flash drive,”
Gia beckoned as she regained her seat in front of the laptop. “He received payments from three different Banco Media Roma accounts. That’s the bank papa went to,” she said.
“It is indeed,” Alessandro replied.
“Do you know who Papa met at the bank?”
“See, Georgios, I told you she’d have it unraveled by time we got here,” Alessandro said to his friend. “Show me what you’ve found.”
“Wait a minute,” AJ said, both hands held up in front of him. “I want to know what’s happe
ned to Ceres.” AJ stepped between Alessandro and Gia.
“Ah, yes, your friend Mr. Savas,” Alessandro said. “I’ve been in touch with the local police. The hospital surveillance video shows two well-dressed men entering the hospital at approximately 8 p.m. The staff says these same two men asked for Mr. Savas’ room. The surveillance video shows three men leaving approximately 9:15. One of them was Mr. Savas, apparently leaving willingly. The hospital called the police when Mr. Savas was discovered missing approximately an hour later. The police officers who responded to the hospital reported the room appeared to have been searched.”
“Is there any indication who those men might be?” AJ asked, fighting to swallow the bile rising in his throat.
“Not yet, but the pictures will be circulated to all the usual agencies. We should have something soon. The video should be available…”
“Something soon? It’s been more than 12 hours already!”
“Yes I know, but Mr. Savas appears to have left voluntarily. There isn’t…”
“Don’t tell me there isn’t anything you can do. An injured man doesn’t walk out of the hospital with two strangers, days after someone tries to kill him. Give me a break! Please tell me you have more than that, dear Uncle Alessandro.” AJ said. His lawyer’s logic would not allow AJ to consider Ceres had left the hospital willingly. “I…”
“Uncle Alessandro, do you know this man?” Gia asked, pointing to several digital pictures on the laptop’s screen. She had continued to search the flash drive during AJ’s rant. She’d opened a folder with dozens of surveillance photos of a well-dressed, fortyish man. He had an unsmiling oval face with close set dark eyes and an aquiline nose. His dark hair was in the latest pompadour style, combed straight back at the front and long at the back, covering his collar. He had a touch of grey at the temples.
Alessandro concentrated on the tiled photos on the laptop’s screen. “I don’t know him. Maybe Dobos was stalking him,”
Alessandro said. “Wait, let me check something. Can I get onto the Internet from here,” he said looking up at Captain Vlacos.