The police officer sniffed loudly. “We are charging you and your girlfriend with drug possession charges. The suspicious substances will be tested tomorrow. It says here that your girlfriend is in charge as a senior contagious diseases investigator,” he raised an eyebrow and eyed me as if I was doing the house-cleaning in the relationship, “and she will be kept in custody until the matter is resolved. You are free to leave.” He paused and shut the folder closed with a slap. “For now.”
I pointed at the general direction of the door and stuttered. “Can I- Can I talk to my supervisor?”
“You may. Ask the night shift officer for an application form.”
I walked two steps, looked around the dead-empty police station. I looked again. Then turned back.
“Where is the night shift officer?”
The police officer smiled crookedly. “I believe he is doing his wife doggy-style at this moment, back in his bed.”
I didn’t reply.
“They are trying to have a baby,” the police officer explained with the tone of casual small-town gossip.
“Good for them,” I said, and stepped outside into the chilly yellow night.
Chapter 19
They didn’t offer me a ride back of course. I didn’t have my jacket, so I went into a slight jog to get myself warm.
Kilkis wasn’t a big town, but it was spread out. I tried to remember where the hotel was, but everything looks different at night. Especially if its illuminated yellow.
I know it sounds weird to make such a fuss about yellow streetlights, but to me it’s as if you walked outside and stepped into a black and white night, like those very old films.
I could hear TV sets blaring some muffled words as I walked by the houses. I didn’t feel in danger, I was certain that if anything happened people would come to help, unlike in the city. A few eyes followed me from half-closed aluminium shutters as I walked down their road.
I thought about Zoe, and instinctively tried to call her. I cancelled the call and told myself I was an idiot. They don’t let you keep your phone in holding.
I thought about before, at the police station. I could have looked around quietly and found Zoe, after the middle-aged police officer let me go. The station was actually small, just a couple of floors. I decided it was for the best that I didn’t push my luck.
It didn’t make any sense. They had come in the middle of the night with drug charges. Zoe had mentioned that Mr. Epiktitos had come up here years ago to inform people, and the police officer I talked with was certainly old enough to remember and pay attention. So the suspicious substances thing was bullshit.
Zoe was certainly looking like a drug addict to them. Her style wouldn’t even make a city person bat an eye, but here, in the countryside, she was demonised. I briefly imagined terrified country mothers shutting their son’s eyes to protect them from the temptation of the flesh.
The cops knew it was bullshit as well, but it would work for the town-folk. She looked like a drug-addict hence, she was one.
Why were they doing that?
I looked around. Yup, I was lost.
I sat down in the middle of the empty road, bathed in faint yellow light.
Chapter 20
So, this is how it feels like getting fired. That was fast.
It was five past eight in the morning. This was as long I could reasonably delay the call. The boss, Mr. Epiktitos would be at his office now. The only course of action I had was to come clean. Waiting would only make things worse.
I gathered up my strength and picked up the hotel room phone. Then, a tang of stinginess hit me and I put the receiver down. Hotels charge a lot for phone calls, and Zoe had forced me into a penny-saving mindset.
Yes, she’d get mad if I spent money on phone-calls for bailing her out. I just knew.
I picked up my cellphone and called the home office. I reviewed my situation mentally and couldn’t help but laugh at myself. No wonder they call us Tramp Division.
Irene picked up. “Hello? This is the Rabies Division, how may I help you?” Her tone was simply cordial.
I shut my eyes and just spat it out. “Irene, listen. This is Polybios. We have a problem, police thought we were carrying drugs and raided us which of course we don’t. Zoe is in holding since last night. I called first thing in the morning, so that our boss can maybe sort it out. Is it bad? I know it’s not even a full week that I’m working there, am I gonna get fired? It’s not Zoe’s fault, these policemen have it out for us, dunno why really. It’s not Zoe’s fault, did I say that? No drugs involved whatsoever. I don’t wanna lose this job, I’m really starting to like it but I’m not sure what to do. Irene? Can you hear me?”
The cordial tone stayed intact. In fact, it was as if she was speaking louder so she could be heard clearly. “Yes Polybios, that’s OK. Let me talk to Mr. Epiktitos and I’ll call you back dear, OK? Bye bye.”
I sat on the bed and awaited punishment.
Chapter 21
I allowed myself another hour or so of sleep at the hotel room. After the arrest and all that wandering around last night, I felt I deserved it.
Our stuff was thrown around the place, the cops had pulled what little we had and managed to littler the whole room. The hard plastic case was confiscated of course. I didn’t even bother, I just picked up a clean shirt from the floor and went down to get a cup of coffee.
I seemed to be the sole visitor to the hotel. The owner, that nice middleaged lady who we met at the reception the day before, was brewing a hot Turkish coffee pot. I normally had cold frappe, but this one smelled splendid.
“Here you go young man,” she said and didn’t even bother to tactfully leave me to my loneliness. “How is that metal lady doin’ huh?”
“It’s not metal, it’s…”
“You look like a nice young man, didn’t expect to have the police storming the place for drugs after you…”
“There are no drugs!” I said that a tad too loudly, and then adjusted my voice. “They are medical supplies for rabies treatment. Vaccines.”
“Uh-huh…” She looked me in the eye. Critically. It dawned on me that she was the one who had called the cops on us. Must have went to our room to clean and tidy up.
“Vaccines require needles, madam.” I drank a long sip of the scalding hot coffee. There was a platter of cake, so I picked up the whole thing and began munching.
My arm actually hurt from the vaccine Zoe gave me, the reaction was making the flesh around it warm to the touch. I decided to be strategic. Gossip was gonna be the currency here.
“I tried to speak to my partner last night, but the night shift policeman was nowhere to be found,” I said as if it was casual conversation.
Her attention was tangible. “Oh, really? Well, that young lad Stavros is a fine police officer, I’m sure it must have been something really important for him to be away from post.”
“I heard they are trying hard to get pregnant,” I said and sipped coffee.
Her expression shifted, it was as if she’d mentally moved me to the pile of people she likes. She came near me and sat at the next table. In the emptiness of the dining room it was as if she had sat rubbing elbows. Her coffee cup clinked. “Yes, they’ve been married for over a year now. They say they’ve been to the doctor’s and everything…”
“Well, there are many treatments to try. I’m sure they haven’t gone through them yet.”
“Oh I hope so. Hope so…”
I turned around to face her. “Miss…”
“Soula.”
“Miss Soula, I’m here to find out if there’s a rabies outbreak. I’m not here to stir things up or accuse people about Emma’s case. You have a lovely son, that goes to the same school Emma did. I’ve seen kids here play in the woods. Your son could have been in Emma’s place, he still can be. The danger is real. Don’t you want to protect the kids?”
There was a moment of silence, followed by a long sip.
“You should talk to that y
oung lad Athanasiou, the science teacher. They’ve been best friends with young Lefteris since they were peeing their beds.”
“Thank you Miss Soula,” I said and kissed her on the cheek.
I stormed out the door.
Chapter 22
Police Officer’s Report
Lefteris Oikonomou
That girl. Every night, she lunges at me and I try to do it different, to do it right but something primal in me pulls the gun and points it at her. She hisses at me, blood is dripping down her thin little arms and she tries to bite me, foaming in the mouth. Little square teeth that are not meant for biting, missing teeth that are supposed to be cute but they are not.
I get the call. The radio hisses. The girl hisses. I drive to the military camp. Not the gate, the other way, the side way. The bars are low. The bars are blue. Soldiers go out and make trouble all the time. I don’t even need my gun. They don’t even let them carry ammo anymore.
I pull the car over and leave the police lights on. Everything is crimson-blue, crimson-blue, crimson-blue. Makes it hard to see into the night. I grab my flashlight. Whack it a bit, never works.
Look around, bushes all around. Crimson-blue. Walk around the fence, doors are crimson, bars are blue.
I check the perimeter. Yell to be heard, ears are deaf.
Check the house. Left is wild, right is home.
Hissing. The girl hisses. Her face is crimson-blue, crimson-blue. Blood dripping. Saliva bubbling.
I said I couldn’t tell, but I can tell. It’s a girl. Crimson and blue, but it’s a girl. Not an animal.
I try to do it different this time.
She lunges at me.
I shoot.
Oh God I’m so sorry.
Chapter 23
“This is your fucking fault,” she said and gave me the finger through prison bars.
“How is it my fault?
“We could have stayed home. But no, Mr. Poly wants to be a good man and come all the way to this shitty town to get arrested by shitty cops and sleep in shitty holding cells!”
The shitty cop next to me shifted in his place. I looked at him with an apologetic face.
“You must be tired, here, I brought you fresh clothes.”
I gave her the clothes through the bars and turned my back to her. The police officer looked down and then stepped out the door.
As Zoe was changing, I explained what I had done through the morning.
“Uh huh. Yeah, good job, for a noob. Gawd what I wouldn’t do for a smoke right now.”
“I’ll ask. They are warming up to us after Athanasiou talked to them, but no promises.”
“OK. Hold on to him. It seems he is the only one reasonable enough around here. Ask him to talk to Tina Foinos, maybe he can get through to her. And don’t scratch my car.”
I turned around and looked at her with disbelief. The mental image of the battered old third-hand car came to me clearly.
“More. Don’t scratch it any more. I’ll know. Now go and negotiate the terms of my surrender so I can finally have a smoke.”
They sent me to an office to file a request. A police officer in blue overalls instead of the light blue uniform was sitting on a desk. I approached him and he casually dropped his rifle on the desk. The heavy metal added another dent to the collection on the desk’s surface.
I flinched.
He pulled up a request and asked me, “Name?”
“Surname?”
“Occupation?”
I gave up every bit of personal information that exists and they called the office back in Athens. A few minutes later they were talking to Mr. Epiktitos, who was politely explaining to the officer that we carried a normal CDI kit.
The police officer made sure to triple-check everything and write it all down, in case anyone forgot that a rabies shot that says “rabies shot” on its label is actually a rabies shot.
I heard a heated discussion out the corridor and peeked around the door. The middle-aged police officer who had tried to stick his fingers up my cavities last night was arguing with his fellow officers. They saw me and immediately stopped talking.
I walked up to him.
“I know what happened. I’m not here to condemn your nephew. On the contrary, my investigation entirely helps his case. The rabies infection corroborates everything your nephew said in his report.” I made sure to speak loud enough for everyone to hear. “A positive test exists already. A report from the Rabies Division, the only relevant authority in Greece, only makes his trial easier to get to an accident verdict.”
The man tensed his jaw.
“We’ll release your girlfriend tonight,” he said firmly and turned around to leave the room.
I caught up with him and said,”Um, could you do one more thing?”
“What?”
I made a pained expression. “Let me give her cigarettes. I don’t want to deal with her jonesing like that.”
The officers laughed.
Chapter 24
I offered to pick him up from work, to get a chance to chat on the way.
I parked across the school, being extra careful with all the kids running around. It was like a mini-riot. With lots of potato chips, for some reason.
Athanasiou the science teacher approached me.
“Your car’s a piece of shit.”
“Thank you for the compliment, but it’s not mine. I don’t even have one.”
We got inside and drove towards the mother’s house.
“You are a reasonable man, a scientist. You got me through to your friend, I need you to get me through to Mrs. Foinos,” I said so that I could be sure of his cooperation.
“Lefteris is a wreck you know. I’m not even sure he understands anymore that it wasn’t his fault,” he said looking out the window, waving to a few parents.
His best friend, Lefteris Oikonomou was suspended pending investigation and was awaiting trial. The lab report of a positive rabies infection would severely help his case legally. But psychologically, yes, he was a wreck.
“It’s a long term thing. With good friends and family, he will get through it.”
“I hope so. Nai, I know Tina. Not that well, but we all know everybody around here. Tina and Vangelis, they’re both a bit dumb to be honest, I wonder how Emma got to be so clever.”
I forced a smile.
“Don’t tell anyone I said that. But it’s true.
“Have you spoken to Mrs. Tina lately?”
“No, the Principal carried our condolences for the staff. She was a mess, her brother didn’t want too many people around. You are worried whether she will listen to me.”
“Well, yes. She did slam the door on our face yesterday.”
“She’ll talk to me. I can’t guarantee if she’ll do an interview or whatever it is you want, but I’ll try.”
We pulled up to the house. I waited near the car and let the teacher talk to the mother.
He rang the bell and waited. He was patient.
After a while Mrs. Tina, the girl’s grieving mother opened the door. I couldn’t hear what they were saying. She was bitter, but listening.
He took her hand into his. He seemed to be explaining things for a while, then pointed at me, then talked even quieter.
He seemed to be apologising. Then he was crying.
The mother was on the brink anyway so she cried too.
Chapter 25
Mother’s Report
Tina Foinos
Transcript
TF: [SOBBING]
CDI: We could do this another time madam.
TF: No, let’s get this over with.
CDI: As you wish. Please tell us what happened, in your own words.
TF: Why are you even here? What do you have to do with this?
CDI: We were called automatically madam, the routine blood test of your daughter came up positive for rabies.
TF: Rabies? You mean lyssa?
CDI: Did your daughter come into any contact with wild anim
als?
TF: Not that I know of, but we live in the country. Animals get run over all the time, so yes, they roam around I guess. Everyone has dogs around here.
CDI: I know it’s not what you want to hear at this time, but we need to identify the vector. Other kids might get infected too, I’m sure you understand that.
TF: Nai. Yes I do. Please, ask whatever you need.
CDI: Please try to remember. Were there any animals whatsoever? Cats, even small birds? Any hypersensitive animal behaviours?
TF: [INHALING] - PAUSE - Not lately, no.
CDI: It could have been as far back as six months ago.
TF: PAUSE - No.
CDI: OK. Go on, tell us what happened.
TF: It was months ago. She came home with those books on biology. She didn’t even watch cartoons, only studied those books. I guess they were cartoons too, that’s why they are for children. Anyway, she kept asking questions, about biology. I don’t know nothing about biology. Her dad bought her that microscope.
CDI: Was it a children’s kit? Do you still have it?
TF: No, I threw it away. Yes, it was for kids, but it was very expensive so, I dunno.
CDI: OK. Go on.
TF: She loved that microscope. She kept asking her teachers for things to do with it. We thought she was - PAUSE - become a doctor, you know? It was great. I even fantasised about Dr. Emma and everything… Anyway that’s when she started having cuts all the time. Grabbing thorns one day, scratching her knee the next. I told the teachers but they said she was quiet, they didn’t think she was getting into fights.
Myth Gods Tech - Omnibus Edition: Science Fiction Meets Greek Mythology In The God Complex Universe Page 26