'Who are you talking about?' asked the mayor.
Tassos stared at Andreas. 'They don't know?' he asked, surprise in his voice.
Andreas nodded no. 'He was gone before they got here. They never saw him.'
Tassos laughed out loud. 'I don't believe this. You two really don't know who the killer is.' He laughed again and looked at Andreas. 'I don't think we should tell them. That way, if something nasty happens to us down the line — like my forced retirement or' — he pointed at Andreas — 'bad assignments for you — we have another way to make a living.'
Spiros started shouting. 'Don't you dare threaten me with what I can or cannot do to you. I can do anything I damn well please.'
Tassos winked at Andreas. 'Somehow, I don't think his thank you was sincere.'
Andreas didn't respond. He honestly didn't know what to do, what side to take — if any. What would his father have done? He decided to stay out of it for the time being. He could always do something later, after he'd had time to think. After all, the killer was dead, Annika was safe, and Mykonos was secure again — except from its politicians.
Tassos looked at Spiros. 'I'm glad we had this little chat. In an hour, this place will be filled with Mykonians honoring Saint Kiriake on her name day and tourists visiting from Mykonos — possibly even a few journalists. It will be my great honor to announce to them — and the rest of Mykonos — that after twenty years Mykonos is free of its serial killer.' He turned to Andreas. 'I think that's an appropriate way to resign from the force, don't you?'
Andreas only shrugged.
'And move on to CNN, BBC, and a book and movie deal,' Tassos said, smiling.
Veins were popping on Spiros' forehead. He was cornered.
'You'll destroy our island's reputation!' Now it was the mayor's turn to be hysterical. He looked at Andreas. 'Chief, do something!'
Andreas hated the devious little shit as it was and wasn't about to be drawn into his mess.
'I said do something!' the mayor screamed.
The mayor had succeeded in pissing Andreas off, which is why Andreas said more than he intended. 'Not my problem. As you once reminded me, I'm from Athens and don't belong here.' He smiled and finished with the unstated punctuation: asshole.
Spiros' face lit up. 'Yes, you're absolutely right.' He turned to the mayor. 'I think the chief has earned a promotion back to his old unit — as head of his old unit — in Athens. Don't you agree, mayor?' He made it sound as if the mayor's opinion mattered.
The mayor did not hesitate. 'Absolutely.' He looked at Andreas. 'Do we have a deal?'
Andreas didn't know what to say. This wasn't what he'd meant. Yet he was being offered the very thing he most wanted — for a price he never thought he'd consider… but… the killer was dead, Mykonos and Annika were safe…
'Well, do we have a deal?' Spiros asked.
Andreas drew in a deep breath and shut his eyes. Fucking politicians. 'Yes.' He'd become one of them.
'Good,' said Spiros, and turned to Tassos. 'And you?'
'No retirement,' said Tassos, waving a finger.
'No retirement.' Spiros nodded.
The mayor let out an audible sigh of relief.
'So, who's the killer?' asked Spiros.
Tassos looked at Andreas. 'I don't think we should tell you. Of course, if you really want to know, all you have to do is check up on which of our distinguished suspects never shows up again on Mykonos. But do you really want to know?'
'Why wouldn't we?' Spiros seemed surprised more than angry.
Tassos looked at him. 'Because, if you don't know — as far as you're concerned — none of this ever happened, and isn't that what you want to believe?'
Silence.
Heads began to nod.
'Yes, that's right,' someone said.
More silence.
'None of this ever happened,' said another.
It was dawn. Mortals were back on Delos.
27
A week had passed since Annika's rescue, and Andreas was getting only good news. Not a word had come out about Annika's ordeal other than that her unidentified abductor was dead. The police had no questions for her, and she refused to talk about it with anyone but her doctors. That was fine with her parents. They were just thrilled at how well she'd recovered from the carbon monoxide poisoning. It was a miracle of healing, one doctor said, and Annika apparently agreed. She planned on returning to Delos next year for Saint Kiriake's name day. It was a pilgrimage she vowed to make every year for the rest of her life in thanks for the miracles performed by her healers — and protectors — from the world beyond, Saint Kiriake and the goddess Isis.
If everything's so great, thought Andreas, why am I on a ferry on my way to Syros? Certainly not for pleasure, because on Syros tourism is envied, not cultivated. He stood at the bow. It was one of those beautiful Aegean days when the sea seems painted along the bottom of the sky in parallel bands of blue — from indigo and lapis at the horizon — to aquamarine and opal at your feet, with sapphire, turquoise and so many other shades filling in between. He tried to think of things other than the purpose for his trip — like resuming his hunt for Athenian dope-ring assassins, or finding the right girl and settling down to start a family.
When the ferry docked, Tassos was waiting for him. Andreas had called yesterday to set up the meeting. He hadn't told him the purpose, just that he had to see him.
'I thought it best we have a coffee away from the office,' said Tassos.
Andreas nodded. If his instinct was right, Tassos must have guessed what the meeting was about, so he'd let him pick the venue. It was a cozy little taverna just off the port and set away from a relatively quiet, marble-paved side street by a line of oleander and tamarind. Tassos chose a table away from other customers and told the owner to keep it that way. They chatted about Annika's health until the coffee came.
'So, what's up?' asked Tassos.
Andreas stared at his coffee. 'I think you know.'
Tassos smiled. 'Maybe.'
Andreas looked up. 'Why the fuck didn't you tell me?' His voice was angry but low. 'You risked that woman's life.'
Tassos held up one hand. 'Honest, I never suspected him until we found that bridge in the tunnel, and by then there was nothing left to do but catch the bastard who had her — whoever he was. And I still wasn't sure it was him.' He didn't sound the least bit defensive.
'But why?'
Tassos shrugged. 'It's a long story I don't want to get into.'
Andreas stared at him.
Tassos stared back. 'Hey, what are you so upset about? He's dead, she's safe. No harm, no foul.' Now he actually sounded offended.
'That's not the way I see it,' said Andreas, his voice rising.
'Well, maybe you'll see it differently when you're back in Athens at your new job as chief of your old unit.'
Andreas kept his cool. 'I really missed all the signs, didn't I?'
Tassos looked away.
'It never hit me you might be covering for a suspect.'
Tassos didn't look at him this time, and when he spoke his voice reflected a different sort of anger. 'I never thought he was the killer. I've known him for years, never suspected a thing.'
'Yeah, you seemed to know everything about everybody in the Cyclades except for the one guy who turns out to be our killer. That's what started me thinking. And then I remembered when I told you I'd chased him into that temple you didn't even ask who he was. You already knew.'
Tassos shrugged, his eyes still avoiding Andreas'.
Andreas leaned forward, still staring. 'So, I did a little checking. Interesting what I found out. Did you know he once was under investigation by Interpol?' Andreas' eyes didn't move from him.