Death in the Aegean (13 page)

Portia looked at her mistress, but just let out a large yawn and went to sleep. Eve took no notice of her disinterest.

I’ll walk to the police station. It’ll take around half an hour and by then I’m sure I’ll have come to a decision.

* * * *

Forty minutes later Eve was standing on the other side of the road to the police station, still undecided. She had paced up and down a few times and had almost crossed the road to go in, but had then changed her mind.

She had forgotten to bring any water with her and by this time she was getting thirsty.

Noticing that there was a small shop a few meters down the road, she walked over to it, hoping that by the time she had come back she would have made her decision.

Unbeknown to her, Dimitris Kastrinakis, whose office overlooked the main road, had seen Eve Masters arrive. His heart sank when he saw her, expecting her to come storming in announcing some calamity or other, but she didn’t. She just stood opposite the police station, occasionally walking up and down. He wondered what was going on.

Oh well, I have more important things to think about than worry about the great private sleuth, Eve Masters. 

However, every minute or two he looked up and stole a glance outside. He was surprised to still see her there. In the end, he couldn’t stand the suspense anymore and he had to go and see what Eve was up to.

 When Dimitris got outside, he looked across the road and Eve was gone. He glanced to the right and then the left, but there was no sign of her at all.

“Damn,” he muttered. “She’s disappeared.”

However, Eve then appeared from the shop carrying a bottle of water and Dimitris dashed across the road. He was determined not to miss her this time.

“Miss Masters,” he shouted. “Can I have a word?”

Eve looked at him.

Oh no, what do I say now?

“
Detective, how nice to see you,” she smiled.

“I saw you from my window,” Dimitris replied. “Did you want to speak to me?”

Eve knew she’d been caught out, but at that moment she decided that she couldn’t tell him about Pete. It was ridiculous. Lucy and Pete had looked like friends meeting, nothing more.

“No, I hadn’t come to see you. I’ve been for a long walk and just stopped to get some water. That’s all. I’m off home now.”

“You English do seem to like walking in the sun, don’t you?”

“Yes, we’re a little crazy,” Eve laughed.

Dimitris had a feeling she was hiding something from him, but he had no idea what.

“Well, you are very different to us Greek people, yes,” Dimitris smiled, making Eve laugh again.

“That’s true. Anyway, I’d better be going. Good morning, officer.”

“Good morning, Miss Masters.”

As Eve walked away, she felt a sense of relief overwhelm her.

I can’t believe I nearly told Dimitris that I suspected Pete Davies of having an affair. He’s a good friend. What was I thinking? Just because he got irritated with me once. He loves Annie as well. Anyone can see that. He would never cheat on her. Annie would never have forgiven me if she found out that I had told the police about her husband and Lucy.

Dimitris watched Eve walk away.

There’s something strange going on there. Either Eve decided that what she was going to tell me wasn’t important or, more likely, she decided to use the information to find the killer herself. I’ve told her not to interfere and as usual, she’s taken no notice. I’ll have to keep an eye on her; otherwise she’s going to get herself killed one of these days.

Kevin, having returned from the police station, was having brunch with Justin and Paul. None of them said much to each other.

“You don’t have to identify Mum,” Kevin finally said to his son, breaking the awkward silence. “I can do it, you know.”

“I need to do it, Dad. It’ll give me closure.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

After another uncomfortable silence, Justin spoke.

“By the way, I heard you last night and I don’t believe you.”

“What did you hear?” Kevin asked nervously.

“I heard you say Mum had an affair, but you’re lying. She would never be unfaithful to you.”

“I’m sorry you had to overhear it like that, but it’s the truth. These things happen in marriages.”

Kevin was trembling. He hadn’t wanted his son to know about the affair and have another bad memory of Lucy.

“Well, if she did, it was your fault,” Justin shouted. “At Easter, she told me about Jennifer Anderson, so she must have been paying you back. That was what happened. She wouldn’t normally be unfaithful to you. She loved you.”

“God, Justin, I’m getting fed up of you standing up for your mother all the time, especially after the way she treated you recently. You keep going on and on about how much you love her, but she’d stopped loving you, son.”

Kevin couldn’t believe he was saying these words to his own child, but he couldn’t stop himself. He loved Justin, but Justin had always idolized his mother, even when she couldn’t accept his illness. Now she was dead, but he was still supporting her. Why did he still love that evil woman more than his own father? He had done nothing except give him support.

Lucy wouldn’t accept that he’s bi-polar. She turned her back on him, rejecting him while I was the one who was there for him. She refused to go back to England to see him and I had to fly back to check on him every month. I’m glad that woman is dead. Glad. 

“We were going to make things right on this holiday, Dad, I know we were,” Justin shouted back. “We got on a bit better at Easter, but now she’s gone and for all I know you killed her....... Uncle Paul, please come with me to identify Mum’s body. I’m going to get dressed.”

With that he stormed out of the room, leaving Kevin lost for words. Paul looked at him and thought he saw a tear fall.

“Hey, Kevin, he’ll calm down, probably after he’s seen his Mum and the reality hits him.”

“I doubt it. He hates me. It’s his Mum he wants, not me. Look, will you go with him as he’s asked. It’ll be better.”

“Of course I will. What are you going to do today?”

“I don’t know. Nothing. Wait I suppose. See if the police come up with anything. I just hope they don’t come and arrest me.”

Paul went to give his brother a hug of reassurance. Within fifteen minutes, Dimitris Kastrinakis had picked him and Justin up.

* * * *

Driving to Kevin Fowler’s house with Stavros, Dimitris couldn’t believe how productive his morning had been so far and he had barely left his office.

All these English people have turned up and now I have a list of suspects in the Lucy Fowler murder case. Or do I?

He still found it hard to believe that Lucy had had a lover. She was not an attractive woman which wouldn’t matter if she had an interesting personality, but she didn’t seem to have that either.

Yiannis Neonakis wasn’t fussy about the women he bedded, so it wasn’t completely out of the question that he had slept with her, but Dimitris couldn’t see it having been much more than a one or two night stand. He thought there could be a motive there. Lucy might have been upset when he refused to see her again. She could have pursued him, causing him to kill her in the heat of an argument. After all, Yiannis did have a violent temper and was known for hitting women, even though none of them had reported him to the police.

Don Jones seemed an old fashioned man and he had denied having an affair with Lucy. However, the local gossip was that Betty was becoming more miserable and it wouldn’t be surprising if he had turned to another woman. However, as for murdering Lucy, Dimitris couldn’t see Don going to those lengths for any reason.

Betty Jones was an angry woman and could have murdered Lucy for having an affair with her husband. However, Dimitris still wondered if either she or Don would have had the strength to carry Lucy to the cave.

Of course, Kevin Fowler was still their prime suspect. Kevin and Lucy’s marriage was on the rocks and he could have killed her in the middle of an argument. Of course, it could have been premeditated. Kevin said he was on the way to the airport, but you didn’t need to check in early for an internal flight. Dimitris reckoned he would still have had plenty of time to kill his wife.  

I still wish I knew what Eve had come to the station for. I’m sure she knows something.

Dimitris arrived at Kevin’s house and saw Paul and Justin sitting outside, waiting.

Ah, the son. It will be difficult for him to see his dead mother...... Now, I forgot about Paul. I must ask him where he was at the time of the murder. 

Dimitris got out of the car, ready to take Justin and Paul to the morgue. However, he wished that he just had to deal with Greek people. He understood them so much better.

* * * *

After identifying his mother, Justin wanted to be alone for a few minutes which suited Dimitris very well.  He needed to speak to Paul without Justin around.

“Mr. Fowler, a word please,” he asked immediately.

“Yes?” Paul replied, wondering what this was all about.

Paul hadn’t thought for one moment that he would be a suspect in his sister-in-law’s murder inquiry, but he noticed that Stavros was about to take notes.

“Could I ask where you were between seven and ten p.m. on the night Lucy Fowler was murdered?” Dimitris asked.

“What?” Paul replied. “You don’t honestly think I killed her, do you?”

His voice rose in anger very quickly, which surprised Dimitris.

“Please answer the question, sir”

Paul tried to calm himself down, knowing he wouldn’t be doing himself any favors by losing his temper.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Paul carried on. “Let me think.....At about ten to seven I left a job in Vamos to drive home. I was home alone until about twenty past eight when I walked over to Jane’s house – Jane Phillips that is - and we went out to
Irini’s
taverna to eat. Doris and Andy Gardner were there if you want to confirm that.”

“Thank you, Mr. Fowler. We will. That’ll be all for now. You’d better go and see how the young man is getting on.”

Paul nodded and left. As he started walking, he found he was shaking. He realized that he didn’t have an alibi for an hour and a half, and he knew Dimitris Kastrinakis would think that would have been plenty of time to commit murder.  

“How exciting,” Emma exclaimed as David drove them home from the airport. “I bet Eve will find out who the murderer is long before the police do. I can’t believe I’ve arrived just as someone else has been killed. It’s like being in a one of those T.V. murder mysteries where there’s a private sleuth who the police don’t like, but who turns out to be much smarter than them.”

David sighed; worried that Emma might want to help Eve search for the killer. He tried to keep his mind focused on driving his niece home safely, but it was hard. He had never had children of his own, but when his sister Sheila, Emma’s mother, had divorced when Emma was only three, he had taken on many of the fatherly duties and he still couldn’t resign himself to the fact that she wasn’t a little girl anymore.

When Emma had walked out of baggage reclaim, she had looked so grown up. Emma was tall and slim with long dark hair and pouting lips which were painted a bright red. She was wearing a short skirt and a little T shirt showing off a tanned figure from a week in Tenerife with her girlfriends. David began to worry that he’d have to fend off lots of young boys during the next few weeks.

But they won’t be boys will they? he thought. They’ll be men. She’s twenty-one, not sixteen and she should be able to look after herself, so why do I feel protective towards her? I still think of her as a child, but she’s not and I’m going to have to get used to it. Eve’s been telling me this time and time again.

Emma had met Eve once a few months previously when both she and David had gone back to England for Sheila’s wedding. Finally, after many years on her own, Sheila had found someone to love, much to both David and Emma’s delight.

Emma had taken to Eve immediately, finding her exciting, vivacious and glamorous. However, David was a touch concerned, knowing how easily swayed Emma could be. As much as he loved Eve, he knew she could be an unsettling influence on a young impressionable girl.

“Emma, please,” David spoke. “Eve nearly got herself killed by pursuing both murderers. I’ve told her that it’s best left to the police.”

“Oh, Uncle David, you really can be a wet blanket sometimes. I mean, Eve didn’t get killed and that’s what matters. I bet that’s how she looks at things. Eve isn’t like you. She’d go crazy living a quiet life. She needs that adrenalin pumping through her veins. You wouldn’t be with her if she were dull and boring, would you?”

David just shook his head as he braked to avoid a car which had overtaken at an inappropriate moment. He was pleased that he had been distracted and didn’t have to answer Emma’s question. After all, she was right. David loved Eve’s vivacity and exuberance. In fact, that was one of the reasons why he had fallen in love with her.

Emma glanced at her uncle. Yes, he was exceptionally good looking, but he didn’t have Eve’s fire and energy. She wondered why Eve had been attracted to him. Little did she know that David wasn’t as lackluster as she believed, and he had always been there to save Eve when she had got herself into trouble. Without him there was every chance that Eve could be dead now. However, David wasn’t one to boast and although Eve was always grateful, she played down his part or even omitted it. David cared too much for Eve to correct her, knowing how much it meant to her to be the centre of attention.

David decided to change the subject, not being comfortable talking about the murder.

“So, are you looking forward to starting your new job tomorrow night, Emma?”

“I can’t wait,” Emma exclaimed, forgetting about Eve for the moment, much to David’s relief. “It’ll be so much fun.”

 David wished she were doing something more sensible than working in a bar until the early hours of the morning, but at least she’d be busy and wouldn’t have the opportunity to be dragged away by Eve searching for murderers and risking life and limb.