An Aegean Prophecy - Jeffrey Siger [22]
Tassos grinned. ‘Have you picked out a name for the baby yet?’
Andreas smiled. ‘If a boy, after my father. If a girl, Lila’s mother.’
Tassos nodded. ‘Damn well better. Your dad was the best cop I ever knew.’ Tassos stood up and patted Andreas on the back. ‘Come on, I’ll give you a ride back.’
Andreas stood. ‘Are you sure you want to be seen with us?’
Tassos put his arm around Andreas’ waist and steered him toward the car. ‘My friend, if the Russians are behind this operation they’ve been watching us by satellite all morning, and if it’s somebody else …’ he shook his free hand in the air. ‘Let’s let them know that now they’ve got three of us to deal with.’
Andreas smiled. ‘I feel so much safer now.’
Tassos took his arm from around Andreas’ waist and smacked him on the back of the head.
On the drive back, Andreas called the abbot to set up interviews with the monks they’d missed the day before.
The abbot was apologetic. ‘I’m sorry Chief Kaldis, but I never had the chance to tell them you wanted to speak with them. I only learned this morning that they’d taken a late boat Sunday night in order to be back in their monasteries in time for Easter observances.’
Andreas let out a deep breath.
‘I’ll e-mail you their names and how to get in touch with them as soon I get that information. I’ll also send you copies of whatever computer backup we find for Vassilis’ work, but so far our network administrator has found nothing for him newer than two months ago. Sorry.’
‘Thanks, just get everything to me right away. Okay?’
‘Certainly. Goodbye.’
Andreas looked at the bright side: there was nothing left for him to do on Patmos, at least for the moment. He turned to Yianni in the back seat. ‘Looks like we get to go home.’ Then he looked over at Tassos. ‘Would you like us to give you a lift to Syros? The extra weight is no problem for the helicopter, it’s a big one.’ He smiled.
Tassos gave him the middle finger gesture. ‘Thanks but no thanks. I’ll drop you at the heliport. It wouldn’t be fair to my friend who sailed though the night to get me here by dawn if I left him to make the four-hour return trip home alone.’
For most men, twenty minutes or so in the air versus four-plus hours on a choppy sea back to the island capital of the Cyclades was a no-brainer choice. That, Andreas thought, was another reason Tassos had so many well-connected friends willing to do so much for him: he never took them for granted. Andreas hoped somewhere out there one of those friends had an answer. Any answer.
Tassos dropped them off at the heliport and drove down toward the harbor. He knew this wasn’t a simple murder and that Andreas knew it, too. There was something almost spooky about this one. And a lot of toes to step on: Greek, Russian, and God knows what else. He didn’t mind that so much; he just wished there were a head he could bust or an arm he could twist to get a lead, some place to start. He let out a breath. It would come to him, it always did. God willing.
‘Surprise, I’m back. See, I kept my promise.’
Lila chuckled into the phone. ‘I know. Tassos called. He said he’d made sure to ship you home.’
‘He’s such a bastard.’ Andreas laughed.
‘So, when do I get to see you?’
Andreas looked at his watch. ‘We’re on the way to the office—’
‘So, sometime before midnight?’
‘No, honest, I should be home this afternoon.’ He looked at his watch. It wasn’t even noon.
Lila laughed. ‘Yes, I’m sure. Don’t worry, do what you have to do. Just knowing you’re nearby is all the comfort I need. Kisses.’
Andreas hung up and stared out the window, wondering what he’d done to deserve her. And how much longer could she stand a life with him. He didn’t want to think about that.
Fifteen minutes later he was back at GADA. Athens was a place more than five million called home, and where few ever seemed to be asleep at the same time. Some never seemed to sleep at all. GADA was in the heart of the action, across the street from the stadium of one of Greece’s two most popular soccer teams, down the block from Greece