Chapter 71
The man at the front desk spoke from behind his newspaper. The accent was distinctly American with a flavouring of Greek.
“I’m Stefanides. You’re English, Mr.....?”
“Ashby – Robert Ashby. I’m a friend of Malory’s.”
Hearing this, Stefanides lowered his newspaper and looked directly at the caller.
Ashby’s contact was wearing a stylish jacket, probably Dior and a striped business shirt and tie, all of which was out of place for that part of town : it was more appropriate to Kolonaki, the fashionable part of Athens. Everywhere else, the men wore open-necked shirts in the summer heat.
The dark brown eyes staring at him were cynical and enquiring. Below them, was a prominent hook nose and a thick black moustache, both of which were framed by straight black hair reaching to a broad set of shoulders. He could have been a Mexican bandido out of a Hollywood western.
Theo Stefanides was as tall as Ashby and middle aged which meant that he’d probably had a wild time during the sixties, possibly in America or perhaps in Greece, despite the military dictatorship of the Colonels.
“Malory sent me – he said you might be able to help me while I’m in Athens,” said Ashby, realising there was no advance notice of his visit.
“Help you ?” said his host because he didn’t know who Ashby was or what he wanted.
“You do know Malory, don’t you ?”
“Who are you Mr Ashby and why have you come to this hotel ? It isn’t a place where tourists wanna stay.”
“Here’s my card,” said Ashby, removing his business card from his wallet which was thick with US dollars. The sight wasn’t lost on Stefanides.
“’Robert Ashby – Managing Director, Plantation Reinsurance, 875 Fenchurch Street, London EC3,’ “ said Stefanides, reading from the card. Then he appeared pensive for a moment. “Top guy...City of London address....Plantation. I think I read about it, somewhere. Reinsurance.....that’s the heavy stuff, ain’t it ? Earthquakes, tidal waves. Hmm. It must be something big for you to come to Athens yourself, Mr Ashby.”
“It is. That’s why I was recommended to see you by Malory in London – do you know him ? He knows you.”
“Tranquilo, Mr Ashby. That’s what my Spanish American friends tell me. Relax. Yeah, I know him – ‘no dramatics’. Hahaha. You see, I also have the English sense of humour.”
“That’s good. Is there somewhere private where we can talk ?”
“Sure,” then Stefanides bellowed out to someone in Greek, the fat woman from the evening before appeared and Ashby was taken to a back office which was completely silent and where there was a desk, sofa and small garden outside. “Now, can I get you something – coffee or something stronger ?”
“Thanks, I’m fine. I don’t have much time, so I’d like to get straight on to what I came here for. What I want to know is, could you help me find someone ?”
“Why don’t you go to the police about it ? Why come to me ?”
“The police aren’t interested because the person I’m looking for is supposed to be dead – except I know that he isn’t. I need an expert to do the job. Malory said you could do it.”
“Maybe. But this doesn’t sound like.....something I.....Anyway, I haven’t heard anything from Malory about you.”
“My father and Malory worked together before the war. He was just doing me a favour, giving me your name. You see, we need the best person to do this job because it’s extremely important to us.”
“Why should that matter to me ?”
“There’s a reward for a successful outcome.”
“How much ?”
“Up to one hundred thousand US dollars.”
Ashby had decided that without the evidence they needed, Plantation wouldn’t survive and had doubled the amount previously offered to Nikos, the barman at the taverna in Piraeus. The reward was coming out of his own money as Plantation’s accounts were still frozen but he knew that this could very well be his last throw of the dice.
When Stefanides heard what was being offered, he tried to conceal his interest in landing such a huge sum. Such an opportunity might not come his way again for a long time. He was torn between agreeing to do the job for the hundred on offer or trying to find out more and increasing the price. While debating this with himself, he got out of his chair and paced once or twice, up and down behind his desk, hesitantly. Then he lit a cigarette while deep in thought.
“You say that finding this guy is very important to you – how difficult is the job ? Is it someone in government or a politician or in the military ?”
“No, no-one like that. It’s a sea captain – he’s supposed to be dead but I think he’s alive. Our problem is we don’t have much time.”
“So you’re looking for a dead man ? How much time is there ?”
“Maybe one week only.”
“And how many people are needed for the job ?”
“That’s up to you – maybe just the both of us, maybe more, depending on what we find out.”
This was the point at which Stefanides had to decide whether to haggle or not but he could see that Ashby was in a hurry and in no mood to play games so he said “What happens if we spend the next week but can’t find the Captain for you ?”
“I’ll cover your expenses and give you a basic fee.”
“How much ?”
“Say, ten thousand.” He could see that ‘the expert’ was thinking of asking for more but said, “If you can’t do the job, don’t worry, I’ll go somewhere else. I’ve already been to Piraeus two weeks ago and found someone who knows all about the person I’m looking for.”
“Ok, ok, this is what I’ll do. Half the basic fee – five thousand, up front and the other half at the end of one week. We agree expenses as we go along. If we find him, then the remainder of the hundred thousand within seven days ?”
“I must have definite proof that it's the man I’m after. A judge in London will see it so I have to have concrete evidence that we’ve positively identified the Captain. It must be absolute definite proof.”
“Ok, I understand. I think we can do business. But when you find him, what happens ?”
“We must hand him over to the Greek police or Interpol. This fellow is a crook so it could be the tricky part, depending on what we discover.”
“If we find him, he might put up a fight. Ok. If we get him to the cops, they have him and they find out it really is the Captain, then full payment in seven days.”
“It has to be either definitive proof or when the judge in London agrees it’s him. And payment would have to be fourteen days after that. I assume you’ll want it transferred to your bank account here ?”
“No. Cash only.”
“Very well. I will issue a credit note for our Greek agents here to pay you in cash. But the main thing I insist on is payment after the lawyers give us the all clear. Do you agree ?”
“Ok, ok, ok I agree. Good, then we are agreed – but wait a minute. How do I know you’ve got the hundred ?”
“I thought someone would ask me this. Here is a letter from my own bank saying that there are funds on deposit to cover that amount.”
“I would also like a letter of credit from you, Mr Ashby, just as you would give an investigator – like a loss adjuster.”
“Fine. After I’ve told you all about the Captain and why we need to find him and if you’re satisfied you can do the job, I’ll write out an agreement, if that is what you want.”
“Yes, that is what I want – and the five thousand. Now, tell me everything about our assignment – do not leave out a single thing. I want as much information as you can give me. And I’ll make some notes.”
Stefanides got up from the desk, walked to the door, yelled for the fat woman to bring two coffees with Metaxa, then took out some paper and a pen from the desk and began to write.
Almost an hour later, Ashby had described everything about Plantation and Stirling’s contract for Hellas
Global and the circumstances in which the Captain Stratos had sunk with the loss of everyone on board and all the cargo. Stefanides asked questions about Christoforou, the owners of the Aegean Star, the second mate, Nikos the barman, Yannis, Kyriacou, Thanakis and Elefthriou. Lastly, Ashby told him what had happened during the court hearing in London.
Stefanides said, “Excuse me, I just havta make a few telephone calls and speak to some people I know. Can you write out the agreement we talked about. Also, I suggest you move to a more comfortable hotel, maybe closer to the centre – I would recommend The Lord Byron – it’s near the US Embassy and the security is tighter which could be important if there’s trouble. Check in there and I’ll meet you in the hotel lobby at thirteen hundred hours – as our friend would say.”
Plantation A Legal Thriller Page 71