‘I don’t know what to believe. Thinking of them as brother and sister is hard enough. But dope-dealers?’
‘Hm.’ Mavros gave her a potted version of what he had learned from Maria’s cousin and from Hildegard Kersten.
‘Hold up,’ the actress said. ‘Where are you going with this? Are you suggesting Maria’s in the drug business as well?’
He shrugged. ‘I’m having trouble understanding why she’s been kidnapped twice. And why she refused to tell anyone — even you — about what happened to her after we got her back from Kornaria.’
‘She had a head injury,’ Cara said, but she wasn’t even convincing herself. ‘Jesus. This is the kind of shit that’ll fuck the movie up big time.’
Mavros wasn’t impressed. ‘Well, fuck Freedom or Deaththen. Do you know what really happened at Makrymari? The woman your character is based on didn’t get away while her fellow villagers bravely took the bullets for her. She was shot down like the rest of them. That’s what happens on this island, in case you haven’t noticed. People live and die violently.’ Suddenly he thought of the black youth Cara had driven into. ‘Like on Mulholland Drive.’
Cara’s head went down. ‘Old Mr Kersten didn’t commit suicide, did he?’ she said, in a small voice.
‘The authorities are saying he did, but I’m certain he was murdered. As well as looking for Maria, I’m trying to find his killer.’
The actress looked up. ‘I’ll help you.’
‘By doing what, exactly? Can you fire a gun?’
‘Rifle, shotgun, pistol and revolver,’ she said, with a smile. ‘My daddy made sure I could handle firearms before I turned sixteen.’
‘Right,’ Mavros said, taken aback. ‘I suppose you can fight as well.’
‘Kick-boxing, judo and karate — state champion at high school.’
He took an involuntary step back. ‘Uh-huh. So, Ms Parks, what do you think you can personally bring to this role?’
She laughed. ‘I might be able to save your ass, Alex — not just in a brawl with those crazy villagers, but with Maria. If she really is her mobster father’s daughter, she might cut up rough — but not with me. She loves me, for Christ’s sake.’
‘What makes you think Maria’s not being held captive up in Kornaria? She’d been mistreated when she came down the hillside the last time.’
Cara thought about that. ‘It’s hard to put my finger on. She was different when she was in the clinic. Sure, she’d been through some shit — like you guys on the road back down — but she didn’t seem particularly affected by it. I’m beginning to think she might be a better actor than me. I mean, you saw her when she said she was coming back to work. She didn’t exactly look traumatized, did she?’
‘No,’ he replied, remembering the Greek-American’s demeanour. ‘More like traumatizing.’
Cara laughed. ‘Give me a moment. I’ve got to change.’
She reappeared in a dark-blue tracksuit that emphasized her curves. Her trainers were pristine but thick-soled, and she’d gathered her hair back.
‘Charlie’s Angel?’ Mavros asked.
‘And Frankenstein’s monster.’ She offered her arm. ‘Let’s knock ’em out, Boris.’
The big man on the door stared at them as they brushed past him. Cara told him not to follow them.
‘Take the stairs,’ Mavros said. ‘I’ll race you.’
Despite the start he’d given himself, she overtook him one flight down and was waiting on the ground floor when he got there, panting. He missed his footing on the bottom step and toppled forward. Cara moved quickly towards him and caught him in surprisingly strong arms.
‘Shit,’ he grunted and they both started to laugh hysterically, holding on to each other like kids who’d taken their first toke.
‘What’s the joke?’ came a voice that silenced Mavros instantly.
He looked over the actress’s shoulder and saw Niki a few metres away, an overnight bag between her bare legs and her face set hard.
‘My woman,’ Mavros whispered to Cara. ‘Cover for me. Please.’
‘Don’t sweat it,’ she returned, taking her arms away and stepping back. ‘My, my, Alex, you need to be more careful. If I hadn’t caught you, you’d have done some serious damage to that magnificent nose.’
‘Thanks for nothing,’ he muttered, going towards the seething Niki. ‘My love,’ he said, in Greek. ‘What are you doing here?’
Niki stared at the bandage on his neck. ‘Let’s stick to English. I’d like your friend to hear.’ She pronounced the ‘f’ word as if it were a curse. ‘And you are?’ she said, moving forward and extending her hand.
‘Cara Parks,’ the actress said, smiling broadly. ‘It’s so nice to meet you. Alex has told me somuch about you.’
Mavros glared at her, aware that he hadn’t mentioned Niki’s existence.
‘I’m Alex’s other, better half,’ Niki said acidly. ‘What was so funny?’
‘Oh, nothing,’ Cara said, waving her hand loosely. ‘We were just horsing around.’
Niki turned her frozen gaze on Mavros and then looked back at the actress.
‘Cara Parks? The star? Oh my God.’ She put her hand out again. ‘It’s a real pleasure to meet you. I love your work.’
Mavros knew he wasn’t off the hook, but Niki’s transformation from ice queen to quivering fan was an eye-opener.
While the women were building bridges, Mavros went over to reception and asked for Renzo Capaldi. The security manager arrived hotfoot.
‘Ah, Mr Mavros. I have been looking for you. How is the throat?’
‘Painful. Why did you want me?’
‘To tell you that I am going to look after Mrs Kersten personally. I will patrol outside her windows all night.’ The Italian raised his massive shoulders. ‘Of course, my staff will be doing their usual rounds, but I will provide extra protection.’
‘That’s very good of you.’
‘It’s nothing. Mr Kersten was a great man and a very kind employer. I. . I would do anything to bring him back.’ Tears appeared in his eyes and he wiped them away with the arm of his suit.
Mavros nodded to him and went over to the women.
Niki’s gaze was slightly less frosty. ‘Cara tells me you’re going out on a job.’
The actress smiled at him, despite the look she got in return.
‘Job?’ he repeated. ‘I’d hardly call it that.’
‘Oh?’ Niki said. ‘And how would you describe going to rescue Cara’s assistant from a village full of criminals?’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m coming too.’
Mavros’s joy was confined.
‘Where are we going?’ Niki asked. She was squeezed between Cara Parks and Mavros in the Jeep, having left her bag at the hotel. He had explained about his neck wound without going into too much detail.
‘Chania,’ he replied.
‘Not the village?’ Niki smiled crookedly. ‘You don’t think we’re up to it, do you?’
‘Three of us taking on a horde of heavily armed Cretan mountain men who have proclaimed a vendetta. .’ He stopped himself too late.
‘A vendetta?’ Niki said. ‘Against who?’
‘Um, me,’ Mavros mumbled. ‘And the guy who was driving this.’ He had no choice but to recount the story, without going into Mikis’s use of the Colt.
‘You threw a rock into the face of an armed man from the most dangerous village in Crete?’ Niki said, her voicing rising to a shriek. ‘Are you completely insane?’
‘He was only knocked out,’ Cara said, trying to calm her. ‘And Alex got my friend Maria back.’
‘Who’s since been kidnapped — again.’ Niki turned and gave her an appraising look. ‘I can see why they call you “Twin Peaks”. Are they real?’
Mavros restrained himself from smashing his head against the steering wheel. ‘For Christ’s sake, Niki, get a grip. Cara isn’t the enemy.’
‘Is that right?’ Niki took a deep breath. ‘OK, I’m sorry, that was rude. I’m. . I’m worried.’ She looked through the windscreen. ‘This island is like a foreign country — one with extremely restless natives.’