“She hasn’t been right for decades. Tried to kill herself twice. Once by hanging and it screwed up her voice when she does talk. She’s supposed to be on medication but doesn’t always take it. Stress does her in. I try to keep her life simple. Why do you think I operate this shit hole? For sure as hell we don’t need the money. It’s to give her something to do that keeps her worry free. You scared her. That’s not good.”
“What did you do with my card?”
“What card?”
“Are we going to go back to kissing the wall again?” said Andreas.
“No, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Last time I was here I gave my card to the two Polish girls. They left it on the table. I want to know what happened to it.”
Petros smirked. “You believed those two hookers when they said they left the card on the table?”
“They didn’t run away when I tried to talk to them. Or attempt to assault a police officer. So, the answer to your question is ‘yes.’ Now what happened to the card?”
“No, idea. Meerna probably threw it away when she cleared the table.”
“Where can I find your brother?” said Andreas.
“He lives with my sister. It makes things easier for everybody that way.”
Andreas stared at Petros. “Don’t try leaving Tinos without my permission. If you do I’ll put you away for assaulting a police officer. And don’t even think of interfering again with my talking with your sister, or your brother, because if you do…” Andreas patted Petros on the cheek. “I don’t really have to tell you, do I?”
Petros gestured no.
“Do I?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Kouros said, “I just want to know how your sister managed to get out the front door and onto her bike so quickly?”
“She’s only slow in her mind. She shuffles along because that’s how she likes to walk, but when she was younger she came close to winning Greece’s national cycling championship. She still has the legs to move her when she wants to.”
“I have only one question,” said Tassos. “Who’s the Shepherd?”
Petros shrugged. “I know a lot of shepherds and if you’re looking for a lamb for August 15th I can give you a couple of good names, but you better hurry before the tsigani make away with all their best ones.”
Andreas rubbed at his forehead. Great, now tell me something I don’t know.
Chapter Twenty-one
The tiny house was about a mile and a half east of the port, across the road from the northeast corner of the Vriokastro prehistoric settlement, and a few hundred yards from the sea. The closest building to the house was a church a hundred yards to the north. It was after three in the morning when a van with its lights out stopped fifty yards up the road from the house.
“Remember, be careful and expect anything,” said Andreas.
The three cops got out of the van, spread out, and carefully made their way up to the house. Kouros went around to the back, Tassos and Andreas waited until he was out of sight before moving up to the front door. One stood on each side of the door, guns drawn.
Andreas nodded and Tassos banged his fist on the door. “ Open up, police. ” Both cops pressed their backs against the wall and waited.
Nothing.
Tassos banged his fist on the door again, and repeated the order.
Still no reply.
Tassos was banging away at the door for a third time when he heard a voice, “Hold your horses,” and the sound of an opening lock.
“It’s Yianni,” said Andreas.
The door opened and Kouros waved them in. “I could see through the side and rear windows that no one was inside, and when I found an open one I thought I’d spare us the trouble of breaking down the door.”
It took less than a minute for them to check out every room. The place was even smaller than it appeared from the outside. Two tiny bedrooms, a bathroom, and one large living room open to the kitchen.
“I thought this family had money,” said Kouros. “It looks like the sort of place rich people give their housekeepers to live in.”
There was a fireplace in one corner and photographs on the mantle above it. Andreas pointed at a photo. “That’s Petros with what looks to be his sister. My guess is the one with them is the other brother.”
“Well, at least we know they live here,” said Tassos.
“If you call this living,” said Kouros.
“I can understand why Trelos spends so much time walking the island if this is what he gets to call home,” said Tassos.
“Any ideas on where they might have gone?” said Andreas.
“Not a clue,” said Kouros.
“My guess is the sister ran to whomever she passes along the information she picks up in the bar,” said Tassos.
“That means if we find her we just might find our shepherd,” said Andreas.
“But where’s the brother who lives with her?” said Kouros.
“Who knows?” said Tassos. “Probably out wandering the island. Neither bed looks slept in. I’ll get the local cops to cover the house and grab him when he comes back,” said Tassos.
“While you’re at it, ask them to keep an eye on Petros. He’s not convinced me he’s clean, just that we don’t have enough yet to hold him. He’ll probably try to connect with his sister. Better have them watch the Polish girls, too, but tell them to make it obvious. Even if they complain it puts a crimp in their business. We want to discourage anyone who might be thinking of getting rid of them.”
Tassos said, “Odysseus is still on that holiday Spiros ordered him to take, and the lieutenant covering for him is a real pencil pusher. I can almost hear him bitching about how our crisis-mandated cutbacks mean we’re asking him to tie up half the Tinos police force on a case he must know the minister wants closed.”
Andreas shrugged. “Once you point out the potential downside implications to his career if the robbery of the century takes place in his backyard, under his nose, on his watch I’m sure he’ll find us the people.”
“You have such a high opinion of our brethren,” said Tassos.
“Only most of them.” Andreas yawned. “Time to get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ve a lot of hunting to do.”
“For what?” said Kouros.
“Answers.”
First thing the next morning Tassos and Andreas stopped by Eleni’s office while Kouros went off to make sure the local police were providing the requested surveillance.
“I certainly hope you’re here with good news, uncle. August 15th is the day after tomorrow and if you still think something might happen to the Megalochari I’m very uncomfortable at keeping that from my boss.”
“Don’t tell him yet. We think we’re on to someone who may have the answers we’re looking for,” said Andreas.
“Who’s that?”
“Meerna, the sister of Petros and Trelos.”
“You must be joking.” Eleni paused. “If you’re not, I think you’re both crazy. I’m not even sure she can talk. I’ve never heard her say a word in all the years I’ve known her.”
“Have you ever tried to speak with her?” said Tassos.
“Yes, many times when I was an administrator at the Foundation’s old age home. She was a volunteer there and whenever I tried she simply shuffled away.”
“What in the world did she do there?”
“Whatever the doctors and staff told her to do. They loved her because she had an uncanny ability to anticipate what needed to be done without being asked.”
“All without her saying a word?” said Andreas.
“That was regarded as a plus. Like I said, she just did as she was told.” Eleni smiled. “A rare quality among Greeks.”
“Does she still volunteer there?”
“Not that I know of.”
“What else do you know about her?”
“Aside from that tragic love affair I mentioned to you once before, I heard she was a terrific athlete in her youth.”
“We heard the same thing. Almost a national cycling champion,” said Tassos.
“She just missed making Greece’s Olympic team,” said Eleni.
“For cycling?” said Andreas.