Everything was falling into place. Too bad for those cops. They’d had their chance.
***
When not at home or in his office at police headquarters, Tassos always parked his car at Syros’ city hall in spaces reserved for government officials. Suspended or not he wasn’t about to change his routine. Besides, no one would dare stop him and he didn’t give a damn about whatever bullshit the media might say about him, assuming any had the balls to come to Syros and confront him.
It was close to midnight, and Tassos’ plans for coffee only and an early night had turned into ouzo, tsipouro, and whiskey with friends. He generally didn’t drink much, but he was pissed off and Maggie wasn’t around to keep him in line. He’d spoken to his Europol contact who promised to check if they had anything on a “teacher” character and get right back to him. That was hours ago. He’d better press him first thing in the morning.
Syros streets were relatively quiet at night. Not like Mykonos. He’d made his way down the alley from the taverna, and a block or so in the direction of his parked car, when he saw two men forcing a young girl into the doorway of a vacant, old storefront. One man had his hand over the girl’s mouth. She was kicking and shaking her head as if trying to scream, but no sound came out. They disappeared inside the doorway.
Tassos pulled his gun and moved carefully along the front of the building. The windows were covered over in old newspapers. By the time he reached the doorway the attackers and girl were gone.
He tried the door knob. It turned. He pressed his hand against the door. It moved. He pushed harder and listened. He heard what sounded like a scuffle, a slap, and the ripping of clothes.
No time to call for backup. The girl would be raped before they got here.
Tassos crossed himself and stepped inside. There was enough moonlight coming through a doorway on the right side of the rear wall for him to tell he was alone in the front room. He moved slowly toward sounds coming through that same doorway: the grunting of a man and the crying of a girl.
He paused at the doorway. They had to be inside and off to the left. He drew in and let out a deep breath, and swung into the room, gun barrel first. The girl was sitting on a chair smoking a cigarette and making crying sounds. On a chair next to her was a man grunting. There were two other men in the room, each with a shotgun aimed at Tassos’ head.
The four began to laugh. Tassos did not. He dropped his gun.
The girl stood, walked toward him, kicked his gun away, smiled, and ran one finger up his arm and along his back as she walked behind him. Tassos waited for what was coming. Then he felt it. A sharp needle prick in his neck.
Chapter Twenty-two
I wondered how it would end. I knew it would. With all the mistakes I’ve made, my crazy chances, and lousy choices I’m surprised it hasn’t come sooner. Maybe I’ve just been trying to hurry it along? Get out of here and on to the next place. If there is a next place, I want to see my wife, my son. It’s been too long.
Lord, why didn’t you give us even a single day together here on earth?
Tassos’ mind wandered. Lord, is it okay if I have sex with my wife in heaven?
He laughed at the thought. At least he thought he was laughing. But he wasn’t sure if he was awake or dreaming. He heard voices in a language he did not understand.
Perhaps I’m with my son and he’s talking to me? I must learn to understand him. I feel the rocking of the cradle. As if we’re in it together on the day he was born. But he was in heaven on that day and I wasn’t with him. Only his mother was there.
At least he wasn’t alone. Or she.
I feel the rocking, son. I feel the twisting. I hear your voice. I hear the engine. I…
Tassos caught his thought.
We are in a boat moving through rough waters. It is not you in the boat, son. But these people will have me with you soon, my child. I have no doubt about that.
He thought of Maggie. I will miss you, my love.
The rocking stopped.
***
Sunlight was barely above the horizon when the phone rang. Andreas tried ignoring it. Then he heard Kouros’ mobile ringing in the next room. Both ringing at the same time likely meant a conference call, and that meant only one caller.
He reached for the phone and fumbled for the answer button. “Maggie, what’s up?”
“Tassos is missing!”
Andreas sat up on the edge of the bed. He’d never heard panic in Maggie’s voice before. But he recognized the fear from what he’d once felt in his own voice when killers stalked Lila and he could do nothing to protect her.
“How do you know?” said Kouros on his phone.
“He promised he’d call me in Athens as soon as he got home last night from the taverna. He never called.”
Andreas relaxed. “Maybe he just passed out and forgot to call?”
“That’s what I thought, too, and why I didn’t bother to call him last night. But this morning I tried his mobile and his home phone and there was no answer.”
Kouros stuck his head in Andreas’ room, covered his phone with his hand, and whispered, “Maybe he got lucky and didn’t make it home?”
Andreas shrugged and said to Maggie. “I’m sure he’ll turn up.”
“I called Niko, Tassos’ friend who owns the taverna, and he said the last thing Tassos said before he left was ‘I’m heading home to call Maggie.’”
“Still,” said Andreas, “he could have driven home and just forgot to call. Besides, if God forbid, there was an accident I’m sure we’d have heard by now.”
“There was no accident. I called his assistant, Adonis, and he said ‘not to worry’ because Tassos’ car was in the City Hall parking lot all night. One of the patrol guys had joked to him about Tassos tying on such a big one that he probably forgot where he’d parked his car.”
Andreas felt it first in the pit of his stomach.
“What should I do? I’m sure something has happened to him,” said Maggie.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make some calls as soon as we hang up and get back to you. By the way, what’s the telephone number for Tassos’ friend, Niko?”
Maggie told him. “Please, call me as soon as you hear anything.”
“Promise. Bye.”
Andreas looked at Kouros. “That doesn’t sound like Tassos.”
“If he’s off with some woman no one is going to tell Maggie the truth.”
“I know. That’s why I’m calling his friend.”
Andreas dialed the number and waited.
“Hello.”
“Niko?”
“Yes.”
“Hi, this is Andreas Kaldis, Tassos Stamatos’ friend and I-.”
“Have you found him?”
The knot in Andreas’ stomach was now bigger, and tighter. “I was hoping you’d tell me not to worry.”
“He left here a little drunk but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. And I know he wasn’t going anywhere but home.”
“Could he have stayed somewhere else last night? Perhaps with a friend in town?”
“If you mean a woman, he could have but he didn’t. I’m sure of that.”
“Maybe if he was drunk someone gave him a ride home and he’s still sleeping it off?”
“Are you suggesting that Tassos Stamatos would admit to anyone that he was too drunk to drive home? What Greek ever admits to that? Besides, as I said before, he wasn’t that drunk.”
Andreas fluttered his lips. “Okay, thanks. But let me know if you hear anything.”
Andreas hung up.
“If he’s not at home…” Andreas let the thought drift off.
He dialed another number. “Hi, this is Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis. I’m trying to locate Tassos Stamatos and I understand-.”
“Hi, Chief, it’s Adonis, I work with Tassos.”
“Oh, yes, how are you, Adonis?”
“Fine, thanks. I assume you’re calling about his whereabouts?”
“Yes.”
“After Maggie called I asked a buddy to drive by his house and wake him up.”
Andreas let out a breath. “Great! So you found him?”
“Not yet. There was no one home. The neighbors hadn’t seen him either. Maybe he stayed with someone in town?”