Andreas gestured no. “Sorry I didn’t call. I decided it was better to come home and tell you the news in person. I’ve been outthought, outflanked, set up, and, to put it succinctly, royally fucked by that bastard Sergey.”
“Maggie said you’re suspended?”
He nodded yes. “Spiros, jumped to a conclusion that is reasonable but idiotic if he actually trusted me. He’s trying to make a case against Tassos, and now me, of stealing information that could blackmail virtually every powerful person in Greece.”
“Maybe you should use some of it to blackmail him?”
“The thought did pass through my mind, but even if I could, things are too far along for that. I’m just waiting for the story to break in the press. Which reminds me. I need to tell my mother, prepare her for all of this.” He shook his head.
Lila took his arm and led him into the living room. They sat on a couch facing the Acropolis. She put her head against his chest.
“Darling, your mother loves you. She’s very proud of you. Tassaki and I are, too, this will change nothing.”
“Of course it will. I’ll be vilified worse than my father. It will destroy her. It will destroy all of us. I don’t even want to think about what it will do to your reputation.”
“Think about it all you want. I couldn’t care less what those small-minded, jealous bastards think. They live for bad news about other people’s lives. Jealousy is the Greek national curse. None of that matters to me.”
“Yeah, but what if he makes a case and I go to prison?”
“I’ll bake cookies.”
“Cute, but I’m being serious.”
“So am I. If Greece doesn’t want you we’ll go somewhere that does.”
He paused. “There is something else you should know, because my decision affects your life at least as much as it does mine. At one point Spiros offered me a way out, and it’s probably still available.”
“What do you have to do?”
“Turn on Tassos.”
Lila lifted her head off of Andreas’ chest and leaned away from him.
“You’re not thinking of doing that, are you?”
“No, but I wanted you to know that the offer was made.”
“Good, because if you did I could never live with you.”
“That makes both of us who couldn’t live with me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet. First thing is to speak to Tassos and Yianni.”
“What about a lawyer?”
“That, too, I guess. Damnit. I’m not used to playing defense. It makes me feel helpless. I’ve got to come up with a plan before Spiros goes public with this.”
“What about your suspension? It’s bound to get out to the press.”
“Until Spiros has proof to make the charges stick, he’ll be too afraid to say anything that might embarrass him if he ends up with no one to prosecute. All he has now are Tassos’ prints on an empty safe and nothing to corroborate there ever was anything inside.
“What I’m worried about are television crews chasing after me for video. They’ll run the same loop of me over and over on the nightly news while sanctimonious, talking-head anchors demand that the ministry stop ‘covering up a scandal’ involving the head of Special Crimes. That’s the sort of pressure that could get Spiros defensive enough to say something stupid and ignite a media frenzy that would ruin my reputation no matter what comes of any prosecution.”
“Sounds like you should hide out. Some place where you can be alone with your thoughts and come up with a plan. No need to worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
“But if I disappear the media might say I took off because I’m guilty.”
“If the press wants to call you guilty they’ll do it anyway, but at least they won’t be stalking you with cameras. And if Spiros wants to find you, he knows he can reach you through me.”
Andreas nodded, “Aren’t you worried about my being alone? That I might need a suicide watch?”
She gestured no, her face expressionless. “Never even entered my mind. How many times have you told me you’ve been haunted all your life, wondering how different your life might have been if your father had lived, if he’d stood up to the ‘bastard’ who set him up to look corrupt?”
Lila shook her head. “No, the man I married would never subject his son to that same lifetime ordeal.”
Andreas pulled her back against his chest and kissed her forehead. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
Lila stood up and tugged on Andreas’ arm. “Me too. Come. It’s time to wake your son. He misses his daddy.”
***
It was late afternoon when Tassos and Kouros arrived at Andreas’ apartment.
“I was wondering when you’d get here. Couldn’t reach either of you all day.”
“We decided not to call you,” said Tassos. “Our phones might be tapped now that we’ve lost our security clearances with the ministry.”
“You’ve been suspended, too?”
Tassos nodded. “I was summoned back to Athens this morning. Spiros even sent a helicopter for me. It was a really bullshit presentation. He actually expected me to believe that you and Yianni had turned on me.”
“He tried,” said Kouros. “Even promised not to prosecute me for what I did to those three pricks who went after Maggie. I told him, ‘Go right ahead. It should make great press that on the ministry’s orders a little old lady was brutally attacked by three men trying to force their way into her boss’ office and the only person prosecuted was a cop who came to her assistance.’”
“I suggest you leave out the ‘little old lady’ bit if you ever tell that story to Maggie,” said Andreas.
“Why? Maggie’s the one who told me to say it. She’s as angry as a mama bear protecting her cubs. God protect Spiros from her wrath.”
Andreas nodded. “He tried to get me to turn, too.”
“Of course he tried. And, frankly, if either of you think testifying against me might save your careers I want you to do it. You’re both a lot younger than I am and have your families to consider. Besides, with what I have on every judge and prosecutor I’ll never get any jail time. The most I’d lose is my pension, and from the haircuts the government keeps giving them, there’s not much left to lose there.”
Andreas stared at Tassos. “My friend, I know you’re upset that your declining years caused you to leave those prints on the safe, but you’re not going to get off so easy for that screw-up. Yianni and I intend to remind you of it every time you say how dumb some bad guy is.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait to start, old man.” Kouros smiled.
Tassos lowered his eyes and shook his head. “I really did screw up. Sorry.”
“Hell, look at the bright side,” said Andreas. “Now Sergey has us all really angry at him.”
“So what are we going to do about it?” said Kouros.
“Not sure yet, but whatever it is we better act fast. It’s only a matter of time until Spiros gets someone who can testify about what was in that safe,” said Andreas.
“And who would that be?” said Tassos.
“The coroner, the guy you had open the safe, anyone who was there when it was opened. You can’t expect them all to cover for you,” said Andreas.
Tassos smiled, “You’re right, I couldn’t. That’s why there was nobody with me when I opened it. As soon as the safe was unlocked I had everyone leave. I’m the only one who saw the contents.” Tassos smiled. “I’m not that dumb. Just too weak in the knees to get up out of a crouch without hanging onto something.”
“Son of a bitch,” said Kouros.
“I’ve learned over the years that certain aspects of police work require a ‘protect your own ass’ approach.”
“Where’s the stuff now?” said Andreas.
“Where not even my mother could find it,” said Kouros. “And Lord knows I’ve had enough practice hiding things from her. Maggie threw everything into a backpack, gave it to me, and told me get the hell out of the office before Spiros’ reinforcements arrived.”
“The only way I see to get Spiros off our backs is by proving Sergey was behind Christos’ murder,” said Tassos. “And that means finding the two guys who killed him before Sergey does.”