Assassins of Athens

Andreas was angry. 'And forget about all the other bastards involved?'

Tassos shrugged. 'Whether you cut off the head or sever the spine it's the same result. Hard for one part to regrow the other.'

'What about the ones who killed his boy? What bullshit analogy do you have for letting them go free?'

'Don't worry about those two. Yeah, I know about them. They weren't from Greece. It was supposed to be just another quick in-and-out job for them, just like the other times they were asked to teach a banished family a lesson. Too bad for them they became a nonnegotiable deal point. No names, no deal. Their negotiator blinked, we have the names, and like I said, don't worry about those two.'

Andreas didn't have to ask why. 'But what about the bastard who heads this whole thing? The one who thinks he can decide who has the right to live here and who will die for staying when he says "leave." He's the reason Zanni's son is dead.' Andreas pointed a finger at Tassos. 'You know that as well as I do.'

'Who's talking about letting him get away?'

Andreas smacked his hands together. 'Now I get it. Kostopoulos intends to take care of him in his own way. Screw the police. Who needs them? Just hire your own cops, and justice is whatever you decide. Mind telling me how that makes Kostopoulos any different from he who decided killing the kid would make the world a better place?'

Tassos shrugged again. 'No one is trying to play God. We just have different views. Look, I'm a realist. There's no way we're ever going to get them all, unless they have a membership list, which we damn well know they don't. So, all we can hope to do is find the head. And once we do, I don't care who takes him out, as long as he disappears. That will scatter the rest until some new psycholeader appears. Hopefully, a very long time from now.'

Andreas had heard Tassos' views on that subject before and knew it was a waste of time to argue. 'Any idea who the big man is?'

'None worth sharing. It might confuse your instincts.'

Zanni must be spinning out one new paranoid theory after another — and Tassos had to listen to them all. 'Okay, I'll take your word on that, but I expect you to tell me as soon as you think you have a lead. You're still a cop, and this is a police investigation.' Andreas knew he might as well have said that last line in Chinese for all the effect it was likely to have on Tassos.

'You sound like your dad.'

Andreas took it as a compliment.

'I better head to the gate. I just want you to know we actually are on the same team, no matter how differently we look at the rules.'

'If only life were that easy.'

Tassos smiled and patted Andreas on the shoulder. 'Anything else to tell me?'

'Just be careful. Like I said, these guys are kidnapping pros. The one in the photograph, Efisio, originally came out of the viscous Sardinian crews from the nineties.'

Tassos blanched. 'My god. That's where I'm headed, connecting through Milan to Cagliari in Sardinia. How could they know?'

'Know what?'

'Ginny Kostopoulos and the children are on a boat off Sardinia!' It was early afternoon and still no word on the three hundred thousand. Demon was pissed. He left his apartment for a coffee at Exarchia Square but was in no mood to engage in the mindless political rhetoric that came with it. Not that they didn't have a point; they just couldn't stop making it over and over again. He left and went back to the same apartment. He didn't dare go to another. He sensed he was being watched. None of that mattered. As long as he got the money. Tassos made the plane, but a lot of angry people were on board waiting for him. He'd delayed them a half-hour. That was how long it took to fill in Andreas on the purpose for his trip — to verify that appropriate security was in place for Ginny and the children — and to advise Zanni that events were moving quickly in an unanticipated direction. Tassos pressed Andreas for the name of the link, and Andreas insisted on knowing who headed the conspiracy operation. Andreas said he wouldn't tell, and Tassos swore he didn't know. They parted shaking hands and promising to let the other know 'anything important.' Andreas only hoped it was good news, and soon.

He called Lila from the car, and they spoke for most of the way back to his office. Not about the case or even about each other, just about things. Little things, silly things. He liked the way she made him feel. He hoped he wouldn't blow it.

'Got to go, I'm back at headquarters.'

'Will I see you tonight?'

'I'll try.'

'That's not the answer I wanted to hear.'

He laughed. 'Okay, but I can't promise when.'

'I don't care when. Bye, kisses.'

The smile on his face held up until he saw Kouros sitting on his couch.

'Did you catch up with Tassos?'

Andreas sat behind his desk. 'Yes, he's off to Sardinia to meet Mrs Kostopoulos and her kids on their boat. Can you believe it — Sardinia!'

'You think it's a coincidence?'

'Don't know, but if it isn't, someone has a leak the size of the Korinth Canal. Remember that guy you tailed to the airport? From what Tassos said, he's probably part of an Albanian mob working with locals out of the Angel Club.'

'That fits with what I have so far from the two who followed him when he landed. He headed straight for the Albanian border. They're still with him but don't have much to tell. Strangers there stick out like the Panathinaikos mascot at Olympiakos soccer practice. Can't get too close.'

'Tell them not to take any chances.' He paused. 'I think others will be dealing with that problem.'

'Others?' Kouros nodded with a grin. 'I like that.'

He's sounding more like Tassos every day, thought Andreas. 'So, what's up with Demosthenes?'

'Not sure, our guess is he's waiting for someone to get a message to him, by e-mail.'

'Can we intercept?'

Kouros gestured no. 'Wish we could.'

'Why do you think he's waiting for an e-mail?'

'He hasn't been on the phone as far as we can tell since he returned home last night. Don't know if he's been text messaging on his mobile, but we did pick up typing sounds right after he got in. Later there was a "ping," like the sound you get from your computer when there's a message. Ten seconds later, we heard the only words from him since he got back: "Arrogant bastard."'

'Sounds like he's pretty pissed at somebody.'

'Anxious too. He only went out once, to one of those anarchist coffee shops by the square near his apartment. He didn't stay long. Was back in less than thirty minutes.'

Andreas nodded. 'I think you're right. And my guess is as soon as he gets whatever he's waiting for he's off like a rabbit. I want to be ready for him this time.' He pointed a finger at Kouros. 'No more excuses or stories about disappearing hat tricks.'

Kouros stood up. 'Understood.' He left.

Andreas wanted to go back to thinking about Lila. But that would have to wait. Demon finally got what he wanted. Almost. If you still need a printer, try Kolonaki. Might have availability.

He couldn't believe the Old Man was making him put on a dog and pony show. Maybe the anarchists at the square had a point: 'We all work for "the Man" no matter how independent we think we are.'

Demon walked up the hill to Kolonaki mumbling a lyric from Bob Dylan's Sixties' anthem: 'The times they are a-changin.' He made no effort to conceal where he was headed. As far as he was concerned, anyone following him was welcome to know. His revolutionary and drug-dealing constituents valued Demon's connections with the Athens power elite. If anyone else were interested, good luck at using whatever they thought they found. The rich could take care of themselves. And the Old Man was very, very rich.

On a side street just off Kolonaki Square, Demon paused outside an elegant old mansion that looked to be a museum. It could have been, but wasn't. It was home to the Kolonaki Club, Athens' most exclusive private club. No one but members and their guests were allowed inside. Ever.