“The sheets may have to get cold for now, Abby. Calvin called a few minutes ago with bad news. Kalliste’s been kidnapped.”
The smile faded. “Come in.”
Hawkins stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “Salazar and his men grabbed her outside of her house. They tried for Calvin, but he got away with the translating device and the scroll.”
“Thank God Calvin’s not hurt. I feel awful about Kalliste. I know how much she means to you. I’ll do everything I can to get her back safely. How can I help?”
“I need Calvin back here as soon as possible. I told him I’d send a plane to pick him up. The person who helped him escape from Salazar will be coming in with him.”
“That’s not a problem. Who’s the other passenger?”
“His name is Chad Williams. We met him before when he was calling himself Pouty.”
“The mysterious British tourist we met in Crete?”
“Mr. Pouty gets around. He’s the guy who sank Captain Santiago’s boat and sent Falstaff to the bottom.”
Abby searched his face for any sign that he was joking. Seeing none, she said, “Are you crazy? That man is a killer.”
“I had the same reaction. But he’s got another agenda that evidently involves coming to my rescue. I want to find out what it is. He says he can help us find Kalliste.”
“I can see your reasoning, Matt, but it could be a trick.”
“Yes it could, Ab. But I have to go with what I’ve got.”
“In that case, you should talk to him. I’ll get a plane to Santorini.”
“There’s something else. I’d like to check out the Salazar castle. Which means I’ll need a helicopter.”
Picking up her phone, she made a number of calls. Minutes later she hung up. “I found a company plane in Frankfurt. I’ve talked to the pilot and he’s on his way to the airport. Plane will be gassed up and ready to go pick up Calvin and company in Santorini. We’ll have them back here by morning. My people are still working on the helicopter.”
“Incredible as usual, Abby.”
“I’m not doing all the work. You’ll have to come up with a safe meeting place. Having a chat with the man who tried to kill you doesn’t seem like something you would do at a café over lunch.”
“I was thinking of a more private setting where we’d be in control. The Santa Maria is docked at the harbor and we’re still paying for her lease.”
“Sounds perfect. Do you want me there?”
“Might be simpler if it’s just Calvin and me.”
“Okay. Now tell me why you want to look at the castle.”
“From what we know about the deed Father Francisco translated, the Salazar castle seems to be the key to this mess. I want to see it in the flesh. Just a feeling.”
“I understand. I’ve had a feeling that there might be something we missed when we talked to the captain’s brother. I think I should see him again.”
“Good idea, Abby. Thanks for all you’re doing.”
“No problem. Well, then, I guess we’re done for the night,” Abby said.
There was an awkward moment when no words were spoken. Abby was standing close and he could feel the heat from her body. Hawkins had the mental discipline that was a holdover from his days as a Navy SEAL. But his mind belonged to a healthy male in the presence of a beautiful woman whose nightie failed to hide the curves he knew so well. He glanced over at the bed.
“Maybe not,” Hawkins said. “We’ve got some time before Calvin arrives. I’ve been thinking what a shame it would be to waste those warm sheets.”
Abby raised an eyebrow. “I totally agree.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
The next morning after a breakfast of gluten free raisin bread, Molly got into her leathers and straddled her Harley. Leaving Bend, she followed the road through the forests around Mount Hood. She rolled into Portland late in the morning and pulled up in front of the Dragonfly coffee shop on Thurman Street.
A few blonde wood tables were occupied. A man and woman sat at one to the rear of the shop. When she stepped inside they waved her over. She walked past a man in a Red Sox baseball hat who was bent over his laptop.
“I’m Molly Sutherland,” she said. “I think you’re waiting for me.”
With his long, graying, brown hair tied in a pigtail, and a neatly trimmed beard, the man at the table looked like an aging hippie. He maintained a grim expression on his gaunt face, told her to take a seat and introduced himself as Jared Spaulding. The woman in the business suit identified herself as Attorney Alberta Mullins. Her manner was crisp rather than cold, Molly thought, but her attempt at a warm smile wouldn’t have melted an icicle.
“Thank you for coming all this way, Ms. Sutherland. After your call, I ran your name and telephone number through a private investigator. He said you were retired Army. Is that correct?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s correct.”
“What do you do now?” she said.
“I’m on an Army pension but I work as a bird photographer and trainer at the High Desert Museum in Bend. You can call them if you want.”
“Thanks. I’ll do that.” She jotted down the information in a small notebook. “Would you tell us again why you’re interested in Auroch Industries and Viktor Salazar?”
Molly was ready for the question. “Like I said, my Uncle Gowdy died in a coal mine explosion. While I was working on a family history project, I found out that the mine was owned by Auroch. I started poking around and learned that they were never called into account for safety violations. Mr. Salazar is the boss, so I thought maybe he might do the right thing and apologize, even though it was years ago.”
Spaulding let out a barking laugh. “Good luck with that.”
“I see what you’re saying,” Molly said. “Big company like that wouldn’t pay any attention to me.”
“Uh-uh,” he said. “They would pay a lot of attention, and that’s the problem.”
Molly furrowed her brow. “Not sure I understand.”
Attorney Mullins reached into the briefcase by her side, pulled out a folder and opened it on the table. She extracted half a dozen photographs and spread them out. Taken from different angles, at ground level and from the air, the photos showed a village, or what was left of it. Most of the corrugated metal shacks had disappeared into a sinkhole.
His voice cracking with emotion, Spaulding said, “I’ve got photos of the same scene repeated over and over again in different places. Only the body count varies. In this incident, twenty-three people — men, women and children — died when an Auroch mining operation weakened the ground under their village.”
“Mr. Spaulding was the chairman of an environmental and humanitarian organization when these disasters occurred,” Ms. Mullins chimed in. “After a series of highly-publicized disasters near Auroch mines, Jared pulled together an international consortium to confront the company. He can tell you what happened next.”
“We had lots of momentum,” Spaulding said. “Their public relations department folded under the world-wide criticism. They put me directly in touch with Salazar. To my surprise, he took full responsibility, said he would provide restitution to those impacted, and would be open to suggestions on how Auroch could make amends and prevent further disasters. He said Auroch was heavily involved in alternative energy.”
Molly nodded. “I saw that Auroch belongs to an energy council working on stuff that could put him out of business. Seem funny to you?”
“Yeah. Go figure. Maybe that’s one reason we believed him when he said he’d tend to our demands personally and have his staff carry out his wishes.”