“Yes. She was standing next to their bodies.”
“What did she look like?”
“I don’t know. All I could see was her silhouette; the sun was behind her and I couldn’t see her face.”
“What was she doing?”
“Nothing. Just standing there as if she was guarding the bodies. I heard her in my mind again.”
“What did she say?”
“At last you are here,” Eva said.
“What does that mean? Why was it important for you to be in Larissa? Why then? All the times you’ve seen this woman, you have been in some sort of pain, starting in 1938 and then when you arrived in Larissa in 1942.”
“Yes, I thought I had seen her one more time after we arrived.”
“When?”
“The day your mama was killed,” Eva replied softly as she gazed at Zoe. “I thought I saw her in the crowd, but I’m not sure.”
“Did she say anything to you then?”
“No. I never saw her again after that.”
“When you got shot, did you see her then?”
“No.”
“But you saw her now?”
“Yes.”
“Did she say anything?”
Eva’s eyes glistened. “You will find the truth.”
“The truth of what? What does that mean? You heard her?”
“Yes, in my mind. I heard her voice.”
“What did she sound like?”
“I don’t know. My own voice.”
Zoe blinked. “Your own voice?”
“I’m not going mad, Zoe. I know what I saw and heard.”
“I believe you, Evy. I do.” Zoe gazed into Eva’s eyes, and she indeed believed her. “Great, so now our first class cabin is haunted,” she joked, trying to ease the knot in her stomach.
“I don’t know, but something is going to happen on this trip that will tell me about some truth that I should find out.”
“Every time this woman has appeared, something good has happened.” Zoe cupped Eva’s face and smiled. “In Aiden, she helped you. In Larissa she said ‘at last you are here,’ and she sounds to be like a protector. What she was doing out on Maragos Field is uncertain, but it doesn’t sound like the ghost wants to hurt you. Here she said ‘You will find the truth.’ It’s positive, right?”
“Yes.”
“So there is nothing to fear because you saw her, is there?”
“Other than a woman appears in a vision next to my lover? No, there isn’t anything to fear,” Eva replied and swallowed. “I don’t know what this means.”
“Normally I would want to go down to the archdiocese and ask for an exorcism, but I really don’t think it’s the work of the devil.”
“You don’t?”
“No. You’re not going mad either. I think there is a meaning, although I don’t know what, but every time this woman has appeared, it has been a good omen.”
“It wasn’t out on Maragos Field.”
“The woman appeared to you, not me, Evy,” Zoe said. “After my mama died, everything changed. Your life changed, and my life changed.”
“Time for another change?”
“Maybe, but I know one thing for certain.” Zoe smiled. “I’m with you on this journey, so whatever it is, it has to be good, right?”
“I hope so.” Eva kissed Zoe. “I hope so, love.”
“Alright, let’s get up and go to watch us sail out of Sydney Harbour.” Zoe tweaked Eva’s chin and rolled out of the bed. She held out her hand and Eva took it as she got up.
They left the cabin holding hands.
Chapter Nineteen
It seemed all of the ship’s passengers were there to watch as the ship left the dock. Streamers and confetti filled the air as they slowly sailed away. Eva leaned against the railing, watching the sun set over the Harbour Bridge. The sunset left the city in a golden glow. It was a city she came to love and call home, more so because of the woman leaning over the railing beside her.
“Do you remember the evening we sailed into Sydney Harbour?” Eva whispered. “Remember what I said?”
Zoe took a deep breath. “Together we build a new life. We have. We have built a new life.”
“If only our old lives wouldn’t intrude on our new one,” Eva replied as she played with a streamer.
Zoe looked up. “One day.”
Eva felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around. “Yes?”
“Excuse me, are you Miss Eva Haralambos?” A young woman asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“Thank goodness. I thought it would be difficult to find you with all these people here,” the young woman exclaimed. “My name is Alice Fortane. I’m Mrs. Muldoon’s girl Friday.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Eva stuck out her hand.
Alice ignored her hand and pulled her into a hug.
“Can you come with me? Mrs. Muldoon would like to speak to you.” Alice took Eva’s hand and started to walk off only to be stopped by an unmovable Eva. “You have to come with me.”
“Yes, Eva, you have to go with her.” Zoe snickered. “I’ll see you when you get back.”
Alice took Eva’s hand and led her away through the throng of people and down the corridor.
“You are tall,” Alice said.
“Yes.”
“Does everyone tell you that?”
“Yes.”
“You have a German accent.”
“Yes.”
“But your name is Greek. I found that so interesting.”
“Hmm.”
“Oh, we’re here,” Alice announced, much to Eva’s relief. Alice put the key in the door and entered. “Mrs. Muldoon should be here soon.”
Eva sat on the edge of a seat and waited. The cabin door opened, and Mrs. Della Muldoon entered. Eva had seen her in the newspaper with her husband, who was the owner of Muldoon & Sons, one of the largest iron-ore mining companies in Australia. She carried herself as if she was self-assured and in command.. Della Muldoon was a very impressive woman—not short or tall, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. She carried herself as if she was self-assured and in command.
“Miss Haralambos, so pleased to meet you,” Mrs. Muldoon greeted her in German. “Can I call you Eva?”
Eva stood and shook Mrs. Muldoon’s hand. “Good morning, Mrs. Muldoon. Yes, of course.”
“Sit, sit, we have a great deal to discuss. You can call me Della—I prefer that in private. Would you like some tea?”
“I would, thank you.” Eva smiled and sat down. She folded her hands on her lap and waited.
“So have you settled into your cabin?”
“Yes, it’s very comfortable,” Eva responded as Alice brought them cups of tea. Alice then left the room.
Della sat back and took a sip of her tea. She regarded Eva over the top of her steaming teacup with a smile. “In your application you didn’t mention that you had a previous surname to the question, ‘Is there anything else you need to tell us?’”
“I didn’t think I needed to tell you.”
“You didn’t think that telling me you are the granddaughter of Beatriz Muller of AEMullerStahl was important?”
Eva regarded her teacup for a moment. “No. I see you know who my grandmother is.”
“I met your grandmother before the war. Herbert, my husband, dealt with AEMullerStahl before the war when were at the British Embassy in Germany. We had dinner with Wilbur Muller and your grandmother. A delightful evening.”
“Yes,” Eva responded noncommittally.
“Why did you leave that information out?”
“I haven't had any contact with my family for a decade, so I didn't think it was important.”
“Hmm.” Della nodded as she took a sip of her tea. “Was it because you are a lesbian that there was so little contact?”
“You’re a very direct woman, Della.”
“I believe in being direct and honest. You do not?”
“I value my privacy,” Eva replied.
/>
“While I admire that, I like the people that work for me to be open with me.”
Eva nodded. “I will be honest and open with you when it pertains to my employment.”
Mrs. Muldoon gave her a cold look.
Eva mentally sighed. “I am a lesbian.”
“That took the long way to be revealed. Thank you for being honest even it was after the fact. Tell me about Miss Zoe Lambros. Is she your lover?”
“Zoe is twenty-two years old and she was born in Larissa.”
“That's nice, but is she your lover?”
Eva wanted to tell Mrs. Della Muldoon she didn't want to be a part of her team, but then she thought of Zoe and the first class cabin. Zoe deserved this luxury. Eva reluctantly resigned herself to exposing a part of her life. “Yes, Zoe is my lover.”
“Is she Jewish?”
“No, she’s Greek Orthodox.”
“Is she as tall as you?”
Eva smiled. The notion of a tall Zoe tickled her. “No, she's petite.”
“Hmm...Did she have a problem with you being the daughter of a Nazi commander?”
Eva tilted her head, a slight smile playing on her lips. “With all due respect, ma’am, that's none of your business.”
“It is my business, Eva. I’m taking a group of Jewish refugees back to Greece and to Germany, and having the daughter of a Nazi on board is my business.”
“If you knew who I was, why did you agree to my employment?”
“It was because of who you are,” Mrs. Muldoon replied with a smile. “I find you absolutely fascinating. You are the granddaughter of Beatriz Muller, you are sent into a warzone, you collaborate with the Resistance, and you end up in Australia with a Greek woman.”
Eva shrugged. “Yes, that does sound interesting.”
“You said you live with Miss Lambros?”
“Yes. We came out on the same ship and we share a house.”
“When I had some background checks on you, I came across this interesting photo.” Mrs. Muldoon took a photo out of some papers. She handed it to Eva.
“Yes, it’s an interesting photo.” Eva hoped her face wouldn’t turn any more redder than she knew it was at that moment. The photo was taken from the War Crimes folder, and it was of her and Zoe in Sydney, kissing on the grass. Eva knew who had taken that photo and when it had been taken. She wanted to kill David Harrison, her friend and a war crimes investigator, for forgetting to remove the picture from the file.
“Actually that’s how Greek women show affection,” Eva deadpanned.
Mrs. Muldoon gave her an incredulous look before she fell back on her chair and laughed. “But you’re German.”
“Yes, but I was trying to fit in.” Eva shrugged.
“You have a funny sense of humor. While I had your records checked, I found that you were responsible for the War Crimes investigation office apprehending your father, who was wanted for war crimes a few years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Let me guess, none of my business?”
“That question wasn’t on the application.”
“You are right, but my curiosity was piqued. Tell me more about Zoe.”
“She’s an artist, very gifted, and she was in the Resistance.” Eva smiled. “But you already knew that.”
“Yes, I did. I would like to meet her. Your language skills are very impressive, but you are also a photographer?”
“I am an amateur photographer.”
“You may have solved one of my most pressing problems. The photographer I hired had to pull out of this trip, so can you step in?”
“I can do that but what about my—”
“I would prefer it if you stepped into the role of photographer. We have several interpreters but we don’t have a photographer. One can’t document a journey without photographs. Is that alright with you?”
“Yes, of course, but my final journey is Larissa rather than Thessalonica.”
“Marvelous. I’m sure we will find a photographer in Thessalonica, but until then you are now the official photographer. That’s one less thing I have to worry about on this trip. I’m not sure if you brought your camera along so I will get Alice to give you the camera we have. So tell me. Why did you work with the Resistance? You are a Muller and the last person I would expect to do that.”
“Not all of us were Nazis,” Eva replied defensively.
“Didn’t say you were. You were involved in the Resistance in Larissa?”
“No. I didn’t have a lot to do with the Resistance. I was helping the village priest with forged papers to allow the Jews to escape.”
“But you weren’t working with them?”
“No.”
“But you were working against the Germans?”
“I was working against the Nazis rather than Germany. I would never betray the Fatherland.”
“Isn’t that hair splitting?” Della reasoned. “Germany was ruled by the Nazis, so that would mean if you worked against the Nazis, you were working against Germany.”
Eva stared at her now cold tea for a moment. “I was working against the notion that my life is worth more because I’m a Catholic and their lives were worth less because they were Jewish.”
“I’ve never heard it expressed that way before. So you love your birthplace.”
“I was born in Vienna, Austria, but I grew up in Germany. I love my country even the Nazis committed heinous crimes. It is not the country but the men at the head.”
“Fascinating. Did you know that Larissa had the highest concentration of Jews in Greece before the war?”
“Yes, my father told me.”
“Major Muller told you?”
Eva mentally rolled her eyes. “No, the village priest told me.”
Mrs. Muldoon cryptically smiled. “I was wondering how you were going to explain that.”
Eva sighed. “I don’t need to explain who my parents are. If you know the answers to the questions, why are we playing this game?”
“I’ve been curious to see how you would answer.”
Eva stared at her for a moment. “Have I lived up to your expectations?”
“No,” Mrs. Muldoon replied. “You’ve exceeded them. It would have been wonderful to have some Jews from Larissa on the journey with us, but we don’t. The Greeks on board are going to Thessalonica. I think it would have been interesting for them to meet the woman who helped them escape.”
“I never thought about that before.”
“It would have been a good way for them to meet their savior. I have arranged for a darkroom for the duration of this trip so you can work there.” She gave Eva a key. “Don’t forget to let Miss Lambros know I would like to meet her.”
“I will.”
Mrs. Muldoon rose and stuck out her hand. Eva took it and smiled warmly. “I’m looking forward to working with you, Eva.”
Eva walked quickly out of the cabin, feeling a little unsettled. It was not what she had expected. Something niggled at her but she wasn’t sure what it was. The person she needed to speak to was waiting for her in her cabin. Zoe was going to find the latest developments very interesting. She stopped and looked back at the door before she resumed her journey back to their cabin.
Chapter Twenty
Steam rose from the bathtub as Zoe relaxed into the water. Her head rested on the rim and she had her eyes closed as she hummed. She heard the cabin door open. “I’m in here, Evy.”
“That tub is small even for you,” Eva said as she walked into the bathroom, grabbed the stool nearby, and sat on it. She held a rose in her hand.
“I saw it and I don’t think we can both fit in this.”
“You can’t fit into it. That’s going to make bath time boring.” Eva chuckled. “Look what I found outside our door.”
“Is it from you?”
“Not from me. The rose is yours and you did get a note.” Eva handed the note to Zoe.
“‘Greek roses are quite beautiful,’” Zoe read aloud.
&n
bsp; “Argh,” Eva muttered, and then made a noise halfway between a snort and gagging noise. Zoe wasn’t sure which one.
“How do you know it’s not for you?”
“Which one of us is Greek?”
“Well, I’m fully Greek and you’re partly Greek,” Zoe replied smugly.
Eva sighed. “Which one of us sounds Greek?”
“Me.”
“We can safely assume that it’s for you.”
“Tsk tsk.” Zoe tweaked Eva’s chin. “Do I have to warn my admirer that my wife is going to throw him overboard?”
A smile spread across Eva’s face.
“Eva Theresa Haralambos.” Zoe chuckled. “He is just being nice.”
“I’m being a jealous shrew,” Eva joked.
“No, you’re being human,” Zoe replied. “You’ve got nothing to fear. Now how did the meeting with Mrs. Muldoon go?”
Eva shook her head. “Remember when you said you wanted to throw David out the window for taking that photo of us kissing?”
“I like that photo.” Zoe smiled. “It didn’t belong in a war crimes investigator’s file, but it was a nice photo.”
“David didn’t remove it.”
Zoe stopped smiling. “How do you know?”
“I was given the photograph by my new boss.”
Zoe groaned and slid under the water as her feet stuck out. Eva laughed. Zoe came back up and looked at Eva, who was still chuckling. “So what did Mrs. Muldoon say?”
“Interesting photo,” Eva responded. “I told her that that’s how Greek women show affection.”
Zoe stared at her open mouthed. “You did?” She giggled. “That’s my girl.”
“I’m also not working as an interpreter.”
“Why? Because you’re Greek?”
Eva looked at Zoe for a moment. “That’s funny, Zo.”
“I know.” Zoe giggled.
“Their photographer couldn’t make it, so I’m the photographer. She’s going to give me a new camera.”
“Oh, that’s exciting. When are you getting that?”
“I don’t know. Alice is going to bring it over.”
“And give you a nice hug as well.” Zoe snickered.
“Now who is being jealous?”
“I’m not jealous,” Zoe replied smugly. “She’s not your type. You are being jealous of my not-so-secret admirer.” She pointed to the rose.
Hidden Truths (Intertwined Souls Series Book 3) Page 12