The Beth Papadakis Thriller Box Set

by Cara Alexander

  If only I'd thought about this a few days ago when I was in Athens, I could've checked it out.

  There’s a ping from the kitchen informing me my pizza’s ready.

  I settle down on the sofa with a large glass of wine and half the pizza, turn on the TV, and as usual it’s nothing but doom and gloom. My head hurts, I’m tired, I finish eating and turn it off, I’ll have a short nap on the sofa, then do some more work.

  The sound of my phone ringing wakes me. It’s Elias, I quickly sit up.

  ‘Beth, I have some news for you,’ he chirps, sounding unusually excited. ‘Dev came to see me, he just left.’ I can hear him shuffling papers, I hold my breath. ‘He’s coming to London tomorrow. He’s arriving in the morning.’

  ‘What!’

  I’m suddenly wide awake. I get off the sofa and start walking around the living room.

  ‘Why is he coming, did he tell you?’

  ‘I'm not sure, but he’s sure to call you.’

  That means he does know but he doesn’t want to tell me.

  ‘Are you still there?’ Elias asks.

  ‘Yes, I'm just amazed he's coming to London. Did you find out anything? Like the name of the man who was killed with James?’

  There’s a pause and I know Elias’s thinking whether to tell me or not. He knows something, I’m sure. Will he tell me?

  ‘You must not tell Dev I told you - okay?’

  I sigh with relief. ‘Yes, of course, Elias, you know I won’t.’

  ‘The name of the man James went to see is Fivos - Fivos Demoulakis. I don't think it can help you much, you have probably never heard of him.’

  ‘No, it doesn't ring a bell, but thanks for telling me. I really appreciate it Elias. Talk to you soon.’

  I sit nursing the phone, thinking, only a few hours ago Dev dropped me off at the airport, now he’s coming here. What happened?

  It’s getting late and I want to get up early tomorrow. I set the alarm on my phone for 8.00 am, then roll into bed, snuggle under the duvet and close my eyes.

  30

  BETH

  Bayswater

  London

  I wake up feeling better than I have in a long time. After showering I make breakfast - toast, marmalade and coffee. I sit deep in thought sipping my coffee. The sound of the letter box makes me jump, it must be the postman.

  A few minutes later I’m flicking through the mail, there’s a letter from the estate agent asking why I haven’t replied to the letter they sent a couple of weeks ago. I completely forgot about it, it was about them upping my rent, but I have a contract, they can’t do this.

  Where’s that damn contract?

  The top drawer of my desk is where I keep this kind of stuff - bills, divorce papers, contracts, letters and things. I start rummaging through it and a pile of letters fall out on the floor. One has a Greek postmark. The address is written in my ex’s handwriting. I sit on the floor going through them, until I find what I’m looking for, I am right, they can’t raise my rent.

  Grabbing my phone, I call the office. The person I need to speak to, isn’t there, so I leave a message for him to call me. Then I phone Jamie.

  ‘Hi Mum, how are you, how was Athens?’

  ‘I’ll tell you about it when I see you,’ I reply. ‘What about you, are you okay?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m okay, Nan’s out shopping, she’ll be back soon, shall I get her to call you?’

  ‘Yes, but first I want to know what you’ve been doing while I’ve been away.’

  It’s just past lunch time when we finish talking. I look at the heap of papers on the floor next to me. Shall I just throw them all in the bin or shred them?

  I start shredding. Two then three at a time, I want it to go faster, maybe I can get more in. I add five, then eight at a time. The bloody thing clogs up and stops. I’m on my knees trying to get them out when a letter on the floor catches my eye, it’s from my ex Alex, I thought I’d binned most of them. Something’s circled in red, I look closer, written on the envelope is the name Fivos Demoulakis.

  Fivos Demoulakis!

  A shiver runs down my spine – Elias said this was the name of the man James went to see the night he…

  Shit! I get up and pour a drink. I stand staring at the envelope, glugging down the wine.

  Then it comes to me, I know who it is. A guy from university was called Fivos Demoulakis, he was a friend of Alex’s. Could it be the same man?

  For the next few hours I sit shredding letters but the one from Alex I keep. My phone starts ringing - it’s Dev, it’s 4.20 in the afternoon.

  ‘Hello Beth, I'm in London!’

  Am I supposed to know about this? I forgot to ask Elias. ‘What a surprise, where are you?’

  ‘I'm at the Venus Hotel, in Park Lane. Helen asked David if he could get me a deal at their hotel.’

  ‘That’s nice,’ I reply, wondering why Helen didn’t tell me about this.

  ‘Listen Beth, this is very important, can we meet somewhere? I need to talk to you.’

  What a change from the last time I saw him. He couldn’t wait to get rid of me, now he needs to talk to me. ‘I’m not sure,’ I reply. ‘Can’t it wait until tomorrow?’

  ‘I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t urgent, would I?’ he replies, stiffly. ‘But if you can’t make it...’

  ‘Well if it’s that urgent...’

  ‘Yes, it is,’ he snaps.

  ‘Okay,’ I mumble, already thinking of the quickest way to get there. ‘I can be there in about 30 or 40 minutes, is that okay?’

  ‘Great! I'll be downstairs in the hotel bar.’

  31

  BETH

  Later than afternoon

  When I get to the top of Queensway, I can see a 148 bus, it goes to Park Lane so I run to catch it. As the bus makes its way up the Bayswater Road to Marble Arch I sit staring out of the window at Hyde Park, I’m always amazed how lovely it looks, even in winter.

  Ten minutes later we’re at Marble Arch, the bus turns right into Park Lane, then after a few stops I’m outside the hotel, it only took fifteen minutes, I’m early.

  Dev’s not in the bar so I find a table near the window and start texting him.

  ‘You got here fast,’ Dev says, gently pulling me up by the arm and steering me out into the hotel foyer. ‘Let's get out of here. We can talk in the park.’

  I stop dead in my tracks, what the hell is he doing? ‘Dev, this is London not Athens, it’s freezing out there.’

  ‘Come on, a bit of fresh air will do you good. It’s not that cold and we can talk while we’re walking.’

  The next minute, we’re dodging cars and buses on Park Lane, just to get to the bloody park, I wouldn’t mind but it’s shrouded in darkness.

  Suddenly he stops. ‘You’re right, it's freezing, let's go back to the hotel - we can talk in my room.’

  Rolling my eyes, I push my freezing cold hands deeper into my pockets but say nothing.

  We run across the road to the hotel, take the elevator up to his room, and go inside. It’s large and very modern, there’s a queen size bed, soft coloured drapes and even a small sofa with two comfortable looking chairs.

  He takes off his coat and throws it over a chair. ‘It’s much warmer in here, I’d forgotten how cold London can be.’

  ‘Yes, it’s not like Greece is it.’ I slip off my coat, he takes it from me and lays it on the bed.

  ‘When did you arrive in London, Dev?’

  ‘Early this morning, I didn’t sleep last night.’

  That’s strange, Elias said he was going to see him last night, so why didn’t he grab a few hours before his flight. Then I remember the woman I heard when I called him the other morning.

  ‘Would you like something to drink?’ he asks, walking over to the small mini-bar. ‘There’s a red from Chile, I think you’ll like it - Pinot Noir.’

  I nod, wondering why he’s so nervy, he’s in one of his funny moods, I can see the muscle twitching in his cheek, he seems a bit hyped-
up which is unusual. I watch as he searches for a couple of glasses and pours the wine. The last time I saw him he was in a bad mood and I was pissed off at being sent home. Helen assured me he only did it for my safety, but he knows I can take care of myself. Has he forgotten what happened to Elias? If it wasn’t for me his friend wouldn’t be here. So many terrible things have happened, and I’ve always coped.

  He hands me my glass of wine and gives me another funny look. ‘Is it alright?’

  ‘Perfect,’ I reply, after taking a sip. I find myself somewhere to sit and look at him. ‘Now what did you want to tell me?’

  Pulling up a chair next to me he takes a sip of his drink, whilst watching me over the rim. ‘The things you mentioned to Elias... we checked them out some time ago. I've been waiting for forensics, that's why it’s taken so long. I believe Elias told you about it?’

  He places his drink on a small table and watches me intently. I’m just about to say he didn’t tell me much, but he carries on talking.

  ‘We now know something about the man who was killed with James.’ He gets up, walks over to the fridge, I say nothing. ‘He attended university in Athens and studied law.’ I watch as he opens two more mini bottles of wine wondering where this is going. ‘He worked for some years in a law firm, then as a teacher.’

  After topping up our drinks he walks over to the window.

  ‘And yes Beth,’ he says, turning and looking at me. ‘The killer’s car was caught on CCTV footage. We've checked it out and the car’s registered to a man in Bulgaria, his name is Stefan Bronowski.’ He pauses and looks at me. ‘Don't get your hopes up, the car was probably stolen. We also know the two are not connected.’

  ‘What, the murder of James and the attempted murder of Helen?’

  He’s watching me intently, then sits down in the chair next to me. He’s wearing a darker coloured suit than usual which makes him look different. His blue shirt matches the colour of his eyes and is open at the neck.

  ‘Two people are in police custody in Athens, Beth. They’ve both been charged with attempted murder.’

  ‘If you have two people in custody in Athens, why are you here?’

  He doesn’t answer, just finishes his wine and walks over to the window again.

  What isn’t he telling me?

  ‘Have you spoken to Helen? Does she know about this?’

  He nods.

  ‘So, who have you arrested? James's wife and the crazy woman from the casino?’

  ‘The woman from the casino is one of them. She’s mentally unstable, with a history of assaulting people.’

  ‘She needs a psychiatrist,’ I mumble, remembering the look on her face when she attacked Helen.

  He grunts in agreement. ‘She thinks Theo loves her, that’s why she hates Helen.’

  ‘But he screws around with so many women!’ With a shudder I remember what happened in his club.

  ‘Yes, but in her mind, she thinks she’s the only one, or so she says. Maybe she’s just blocked it out, maybe she’s in denial.’ He shrugs. ‘Anyway, the full force of her jealousy was directed at Helen because she’s married to Theo. She called Helen to tell her Theo loves her. She admitted this and has no regrets.’

  ‘So, who cut the car brakes of Helen's car?’

  He gets up and starts pacing around the room. ‘A few days ago, you asked me to visit Helen in hospital. You said we should take it in turns, talk to her but I didn’t know what to say. I was looking around for something to read to her and found a newspaper.’

  I nod.

  ‘It was a short article, with a photograph of a young man.’ He pauses for a minute then looks at me. ‘The person standing next to that young man is someone we both know.’

  I quickly put my glass down and look at him. ‘Who is it?’

  ‘Don't be impatient.’ He points to my glass. ‘Look, you've spilt some.’ He quickly drops a paper serviette over it, gives it a rub and chucks it in the bin, then goes to top up my glass.

  ‘No thanks,’ I say, covering my glass with my hand. ‘So, who is the other person in the photo?’

  ‘This is going to surprise you. The man in the photo is out on bail, suspected of drug trafficking.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘The person with him is James's wife.’

  ‘Isabelle! But it’s not long since James was murdered…why was she with this man?’

  He gives a cynical laugh. ‘I have a lawyer friend who knows about the case. This man is well-known by the police. Even worse, James's wife is staying with him in Piraeus. As you know, nobody recognized the person seen next to Helen's car. When we blew up the photo we had no success, but when I saw the photo in the newspaper, I knew I’d seen him somewhere before - same hat, same coat. So I looked at the photo of the man near Helen’s car again - the lower half of his face is showing, then I knew it was him.’

  I feel like going to Piraeus, I want to confront her. ‘Who is this man, her boy-friend?’

  ‘No, he’s her brother. He stayed with James and Isabelle when he first arrived from Columbia and that’s when things started going wrong for James. Isabelle’s brother was bringing people back to the house late at night. They were smoking joints and playing music loud. James asked him to stop, he wouldn’t, so James told him he had to leave. This infuriated Isabelle and she took her brother's side. James didn’t talk about it much, so I had no idea things were so bad.’

  I feel a mixture of sadness and anger for James. ‘Did Helen know about this?’

  He shakes his head. ‘I don’t think so. He never said much to me and I can’t see him telling Helen, she has enough problems of her own. The funny thing is Isabelle thought she’d inherit the lot when James died. Nice house in Faliron, the delicatessen, his share of Helen’s business.’

  ‘What a horrible woman!’ I exclaim, ‘How awful for James.’

  ‘Yes, but James must have had his suspicions, he wasn’t stupid, far from it.’ He takes another sip of wine then in a confidential tone adds. ‘He recently changed his will, all she gets now is the house.’

  ‘Who gets the rest?’ I have an idea but say nothing.

  ‘I’m coming to that. The delicatessen goes to his sister and his share in Helen's travel business, plus any money from it, stays in Helen’s business. Only if Helen dies and Isabelle doesn’t remarry does it pass to her.’

  ‘What if she re-marries?’

  ‘It all goes to his sister.’

  Now we’re getting somewhere. ‘Did she know about the change in his will?’

  He shrugs. ‘Who knows?’

  ‘Maybe she found out and told her brother. Otherwise why would her brother cut Helen’s brakes?’

  ‘Isabelle swears she knew nothing about James changing his will, but we have our doubts.’

  ‘What does her brother say?’

  ‘His lawyer has instructed him to say nothing.’

  There’s a knock at the door, Dev stops and goes to open it.

  In comes Helen followed by David.

  As soon as she spots me she runs over. We sit chatting about Dev’s news, then Helen asks us to come and see where they’re staying in the hotel.

  I can tell Dev doesn’t really want to go, but what can we say, it’s down to David that Dev’s staying at the hotel. Of course it’s stunning. From the balcony the view of Hyde Park during the day must be amazing. ‘I wonder how much they charge for this,’ I mumble to myself, ‘it must be two grand a night, at least.’

  David comes over and grins. ‘Much more than I could ever afford, that’s why it’s good to have friends in the business. We’re having dinner with some Spanish friends of mine tonight, would you both like to join us?’

  ‘Can we do it another night?’ asks Dev, ‘I really need to talk to Beth, it’s quite urgent.’

  ‘Of course, but it’ll have to be soon, I’m going back to Spain in a few days.’

  ‘Come on David, time to go,’ Helen says, giving me a knowing smile. ‘We don’t want to keep your friends
waiting.’ We say our goodbyes and they leave.

  I’m waiting for Dev to finish what he was saying before Helen and David arrived, but he doesn’t, what he does say surprises me.

  ‘Shall we get something to eat?’ he asks, picking up my coat from the bed. He holds it open for me and smiles. ‘You must be hungry, I know I am.’

  We jump in a taxi and drive to one of his favourite Italian restaurants in Charlotte Street.

  It’s not too busy when we arrive. Bottles of Chianti and paintings of Italy adorn the walls in the traditional Italian style. A waiter leads us to an alcove where there’s a small round table with small table-lights that give it a feeling of romance which lightens our mood. I order mushroom risotto; Dev steak and sauté potatoes, we share a salad and a bottle of Chianti. For dessert I have a berry compote, Dev Italian ice-cream.

  ‘Shall we go back to my hotel for coffee?’ Dev asks, when we finish eating.

  Of course, I say yes, I want him to finish what he was telling me earlier.

  During dinner we just talked about things not related to the case and kept the atmosphere light.

  Back at his hotel we’re just about to order coffee in the bar when Dev’s phone rings, it’s Elias. By the look on his face I can tell something’s wrong.

  He frowns. ‘Sorry, but I have to go.’

  ‘Where, what’s happened?’

  ‘You know I can't tell you, I’ll get a taxi and drop you off at home.’

  We’re soon speeding along Park Lane towards my apartment in a black London taxi. Dev waits till I’m safely inside, then the taxi drives off.

  I slump down on the sofa, what the hell was Dev going to tell me. I sit thinking of what he said, then decide to call Elias. It’s five to ten in London so nearly midnight in Athens. My call goes to voicemail, so I leave a message.

  A few minutes later my phone rings, it’s Elias.

  ‘Beth, I got your message, is everything okay?’