Death in the Aegean (4 page)

If Kevin hadn’t called the police about Lucy, did that mean he’d killed her or was there a perfectly good explanation why he hadn’t. Perhaps he was in England visiting his family on his own. There was no reason why not. Kevin and Lucy’s marriage was pretty much over. Or perhaps they might have argued and he could have stormed off. He had recently confided in David that he’d got in his car and driven away a couple of times after they’d had a row. Both times he’d stayed away overnight.

Why David has become friendly with Kevin, I’ll never know. They have absolutely nothing in common. Anyway, that’s not my prime concern at the moment. I’ve got to work out how to act in front of David.......... I know, Eve suddenly thought, an idea starting to form in that smart brain of hers. I will act upset and shocked after all. I mean, I was very much shaken by finding Lucy’s body, so I won’t be pretending. It was an awful experience. I don’t know why I’m so afraid of being vulnerable in front of David.

Eve took a long swig of her gin and tonic, knowing she had put too much gin in it, but it had been a traumatic morning. She wasn’t quite as tough as she pretended to be and although she wasn’t particularly upset that Lucy was dead, finding her body had upset her more than she cared to admit.

However, Eve was still intending to go through with her plan of secretly searching for Lucy’s killer. She had persuaded herself that by not telling David, she was shielding him from danger. She thought of him as a delicate and sensitive man who needed protection from the hideous and repulsive things in life. In fact, he was nothing of the sort, having saved her from danger more than once. Earlier in the day, she had remembered this, but now she was choosing to forget these instances. Instead, she preferred to think of herself as the heroine in every difficult situation she had ended up in.

I’m protecting him; that’s all, she decided. It’s for his own good. It’s not like I’m being unfaithful or anything like that. I would never betray David, never. 

Eve knew that if Lucy had been murdered, the temptation would be too great and she would have to investigate. It was too exciting an opportunity to let slip by and she still couldn’t understand why all her forays into danger had terrified David. She found living on the edge exhilarating.

However, David wasn’t particularly scared; he wasn’t a complete coward and he could hold his own when things became precarious. He simply didn’t want to lose Eve. She could be reckless and would storm into situations instead of treading lightly, often making enemies where she should be making friends. During the last two investigations, David worried himself sick that Eve would end up dead.

Eve took another sip of her gin and tonic. She was already beginning to feel a little tipsy. It was well into the afternoon and with everything that had happened; she hadn’t had any lunch. She was about to go into the kitchen to get something to eat when she heard the key in the front door. She glanced round quickly and seeing it was David, was relieved. Eve wondered why she was already starting to become edgy. After all, who else would be using a key to get in?

Eve sat down quickly, took a deep breath and steeled herself for her performance. She often felt that with her talent, she should have been an actress rather than an agent.

David was pleased that Eve’s car was back when he returned from his walk. Perhaps they would be able to clear the air and he could get back to work. He still felt out of sorts.

He went into the lounge and looked through the French windows. Seeing Eve with her head in her hands, he frowned. Was she still upset about this morning? He couldn’t imagine that she would be. She got over things like that very quickly, especially as she knew he would forgive her. He couldn’t help it; he loved her too much to let one of her silly tantrums get in the way of their future together.

I thought she’d be feeling more cheerful by now, he thought. I was hoping she’d be in a good mood when Emma arrives tomorrow, but it doesn’t look likely.  

David went out onto the terrace, feeling apprehensive. Eve could be so unpredictable. Sometimes he loved that about her, at other times it exasperated him.

“Eve, darling,” he said gently, hoping to persuade her into a better mood. “Are you alright?”

“Oh David, I’ve had a terrible time,” Eve said mournfully, turning round.

Although she had finally decided to bring Lucy into the conversation gradually, suddenly the whole episode overwhelmed her and she was filled with awful thoughts. What if the killer had been watching her? What if he had attacked her? Of what if he planned to kill her at a later date? And anyway, whichever way she told David, he would probably still think she would want to search for the killer, so did it matter how she told him?

“What’s wrong darling?” David asked. “You look quite pale, despite your tan.”

“Oh, David, it was awful. I was sunbathing in the little cove in Kokkino Chorio and after a bit, I decided to go into the sea to cool down. I discovered a cave a little way along the coast and when I went in, I found Lucy Fowler’s body. It was terrible.”

Eve looked as if she was about to cry. Then she got up and flung her arms around David.

“There, there, darling, you’re with me now. It’ll be alright,” he said, pulling her close as he tried to comfort her.

David was shocked. For a start he couldn’t believe that another murder had been committed. And who on earth would want to kill Lucy Fowler? She wasn’t a pleasant woman, but murder was a bit of a drastic step. He was also surprised that Eve seemed genuinely upset. He knew she disliked Lucy, but he reckoned it must be more due to the shock of finding a dead body.

“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked, stroking her head gently.

“I thought it best to ring the police,” Eve said, pulling away slightly. “I still had Dimitris Kastrinakis’s phone number in my call list so I rang him. I thought it easier than ringing the emergency number as my Greek isn’t much good.”

Hearing the police officer’s name, David suddenly had an awful thought.

Oh no, she’s not thinking about solving another case, is she?

However, he dismissed the idea straight away. Eve had promised never to take part in any amateur sleuthing again. At Christmas she had escaped death by poisoning as she had during the summer murders, but during the festivities it happened not once, but twice and she was lucky to be alive. David became even more worried when he remembered how easily she got over all the attempts to kill her. Eve rarely brooded for long over things that happened.

“Was it definitely murder?” David asked tentatively.

He needed to know what he was up against.

“What?” Eve replied, surprised to hear him ask this so bluntly.

Oh dear, he’s already thinking that I’m going to be looking for the killer. I must keep calm.

“Was Lucy killed?” David asked bluntly.

“I don’t know, David,” Eve replied truthfully. “The police have no idea yet. The body will have to be examined first. Oh, darling, you’re not thinking that I want to try and solve the case if it is murder, do you?”

Eve looked suitably upset that he should have thought so badly of her.

“I’m sorry, Eve, I know you promised, but you have been very bored recently.”

“It hasn’t even crossed my mind, David. I’m having trouble getting over seeing the body,” Eve replied, but she felt guilty as she said it.

She wasn’t used to lying to David, but what else could she do?

David also started to feel guilty. Whatever people thought of her, Eve did have a soft side and it must have been a terrible experience finding a dead body.

“I’m sorry, darling.”

Eve felt even more shamefaced hearing David’s apology.

“I know I shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” he continued.

“Anyway,” Eve said, trying to steer the conversation away from her potential involvement in solving Lucy’s murder. “It could have been an accident; although obviously Kevin hasn’t reported it, otherwise I’m sure Dimitris would have said something.”

“I doubt Dimitris would say anything to you, Eve, knowing your reputation.”

Eve frowned, even though she knew David was right.

“Anyway,” David continued.  ‘Kevin flew to Athens last night to meet their youngest son, Justin, who’s been staying there for a few days. They were spending today there and both of them are flying back tonight. So it doesn’t look like he killed his wife.”

“You’re very knowledgeable.”

 Eve was a bit annoyed that David knew more than she did.

“I spoke to Kevin in
The Black Cat
on Saturday when we were both at the bar getting drinks. I think that’s when Betty came over to talk to you...... I forgot to ask what that was about,” David added, changing the subject.

David wasn’t enjoying the conversation. For a start, he hadn’t liked Lucy, not that he wished her any harm, but he didn’t much want to talk about her. Kevin had told him some awful things about his wife and he was certain that if Lucy was murdered, Eve would ask questions. He wanted to keep her mind off Lucy as much as possible, but he guessed it would be impossible. Soon everybody would be talking about her.

“Oh Betty wants to join the drama group,” Eve replied. “God knows why. Presumably she wants to stir things up; I’m sure that’s it. And what she expects her role to be in the group, I don’t know. I’m sure she can’t act. Don looked really miserable as it’s his only escape from her. Why he doesn’t leave her, I don’t know.”

“Perhaps he loves her in his own way........ Or perhaps it’s easier to stay.”

Eve shook her head, but felt relieved that they’d steered the conversation away from Lucy Fowler. Eve wasn’t enjoying lying to David.

Is it really worth it? Eve wondered.

“I’m going to get a drink,” David said, interrupting her thoughts. “Do you want another one?”

“I shouldn’t, but I will. Can I have some crisps and nuts as well please? I haven’t had lunch and don’t think I should drink anymore on an empty stomach.”

David nodded. Eve noticed that he looked quite serious and she hoped he hadn’t gone back to thinking about Lucy Fowler. He wouldn’t be upset about Lucy’s death as he too didn’t much like her. In fact, nobody was particularly keen on her; she hadn’t made many friends since she’d moved to Crete. However, Eve couldn’t think of anyone who hated her enough to kill her; that is apart from her husband, Kevin.

* * * *

A few hours later, Eve and David walked into
The Black Cat.
Eve was restless and didn’t feel like cooking that evening, so they decided to get their supper there.

The Black Cat
was an English bar run by Ken and Jan Stewart, a couple in their mid-thirties who had moved to Crete from London five years previously. Ken was short and chubby with blonde spiky hair and Jan was tall and lanky and towered above him. Despite their light hearted banter, they were still very much in love with each other.

As soon as David and Eve entered the bar, her friend, Annie Davies, rushed up to her.

“Oh my goodness, Eve, are you alright? We’ve only just heard what happened today. It must have been terribly frightening for you; finding Lucy Fowler’s body that is.”

“News gets around very quickly,” Eve remarked, genuinely surprised that anyone in the English community had heard about it already.

“Well, we only found out about half an hour ago. Yiannis Neonakis was in here when we came in and when Pete went up to get our drinks, he mentioned it. Apparently, a friend of Yiannis’s is in the police force and was at the scene today. He told Yiannis and Yiannis, I would imagine, has been spreading it around. I mean, he doesn’t know Pete particularly well, so why would he tell him, if not to spread gossip?”

“That sounds just like Yiannis! Trust him to be one of the first to know and then to go around spreading the news. It wouldn’t surprise me if he now goes round telling everybody that I killed Lucy. It would be just like him.”

Eve did not like Yiannis one bit and would have liked nothing more than to see him put away, but he always seemed to escape from his misdemeanors. There were rumors going round that he hit his girlfriends and that he had light fingers, but nobody, including the women he beat up, ever reported him to the police. Eve was relieved that he wasn’t in the bar at the moment and hoped he wouldn’t come in again later.

“Of course he didn’t say you killed Lucy,” Annie laughed.

“Did he say if the police knew if it was murder or not,” Eve asked, trying to keep her voice down so that David, who was at the bar ordering their drinks, wouldn’t hear their conversation.

“No, Yiannis just said her body had been found and a post mortem was being done. Why, do you think she was murdered?”  Annie asked.

Since she had heard the news, she had been wondering the same thing as Eve.

“I have no idea,” Eve replied, going a little red in the face. “I’m surprised Yiannis didn’t say that it could be murder. He’s usually so dramatic........Oh, by the way, please don’t say anything to David about murder. He thinks that if it is, I’ll be straight in there trying to solve the case. At the moment I’m in too much shock to even think about anything like that.”

Eve put on a gloomy face, but Annie wasn’t fooled. She liked Eve, believing that she had brought a bit of life into the village, but Annie knew her too well. Despite Eve’s promises to David, Annie felt that if it was announced that Lucy had been murdered, Eve would be on the hunt for the killer straight away.

“Eve, darling, what do you want to eat?” David interrupted them.

“We’re eating here too,” Annie interjected straight away. “Do you want to join us?”

“Love to,” Eve replied.

Eve was more than happy to spend the evening with Annie and Pete Davies, feeling it would keep David from continually asking her if she was going to look for the murderer, if indeed there was one to look for. 

Pete and Annie Davies were a pleasant couple in their late fifties who had retired early. He had been a police officer and she a school teacher. Annie had been a great support to Eve when she had been poisoned and had helped to look after her, but she, like David, thought Eve was reckless. However, in some ways Annie wished she could be at least a little more like Eve.