074 Greek Odyssey (9 page)

While Theo collected cushions from the aft deck, Nancy reached into the cabinet and grabbed the flashlight. Staying low, she moved silently along the deck to the front of the cabin. Then she switched the flashlight on and rolled it along the deck on the left side of the cabin, opposite Mick.

Although she couldn’t see Theo, she heard his whistling stop. Peeking around the cabin, she saw him moving toward the rolling flashlight, which made a clumping noise as the beam of light skittered across the boat.

Her plan had worked!

Quickly Nancy scrambled to the opposite side of the cabin and followed Mick, who was already leaping onto the next boat. They clambered for cover under a tarp and huddled beside Zoe, the three of them breathless as they listened to Theo mutter aloud in confusion.

Zoe covered her mouth to suppress a giggle. “Poor Theo,” she whispered. “He’s wondering if his boat is haunted!”

After Theo went inside his boat’s cabin, Nancy, Mick, and Zoe quickly exited the neighboring boat and headed back toward the disco. As they walked, Mick reported that he had found nothing unusual belowdeck. “There was just fishing gear, a black wet suit, and lots of snorkeling equipment.”

Zoe had mentioned that Theo had never been interested in snorkeling before, Nancy remembered. So why did he suddenly have all this equipment? Seeing the closed, defensive expression on Zoe’s face, however, Nancy decided not to bring that up now.

“Nothing on the boat really explains what Theo is doing on Dragonisi every day,” Mick said.

“I wonder if any of the other fishermen know what he’s been up to?” Nancy said thoughtfully.

Zoe hesitated, as if making a decision. “I can ask them—in a subtle way—tomorrow morning when I go into Chora to buy seafood for the inn,” she volunteered. “I hate to spy on Theo, but if he’s involved with those dangerous people, I want to know about it.”

When they reached the disco, Zoe waved toward the hillside behind the building. Nancy saw the silhouette of a windmill at the top of the incline. “It’s such a beautiful night,” Zoe told Mick and Nancy. “You two should climb Kato Myli Hill and get a closer look at the windmills.”

“I did want to get a chance to see them,” Nancy admitted.

“Then go,” Zoe insisted. “It’s a very romantic walk.” She showed them the lane that led to the short stairway at the base of the hill. “I’ll tell the others. See you back at the hotel,” she said, then pushed past the crowd on the steps of the disco.

Following Zoe’s directions, Nancy and Mick walked past a sprawling white church built in the Cycladic style of the islands. “It looks like a giant cream puff,” Mick observed.

Nancy laughed and looped her arm through his. She always felt so . . . relaxed with Mick. It felt very natural to work out a mystery with him.

A short climb up the stairway brought them to the top of the hill. They paused at the foot of the first white windmill and stared up at the canvas and wood sails, which turned lazily in the breeze.

“Just think,” Nancy said dreamily. “These windmills have greeted thousands of people . . . rock stars, famous actors, ambassadors . . .”

“And top-notch detectives,” Mick added, cradling Nancy’s face with his hands. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, and Nancy felt a tingle pass from head to toe.

“Right now I don’t feel like an ace detective,” she admitted. Sitting on the pedestal of one of the windmills, she added, “We really need a break in this case—like tracking down that couple from the cave. I wonder what they plan to do with those explosives?”

“That detective’s mind is ticking away again,” Mick said, slipping an arm around Nancy’s shoulders. “You’re remarkable, Nancy. I have to admit, I’m falling in love with you.”

His words took her breath away. Searching her heart, Nancy knew that she felt the same way about Mick. But how could they have fallen in love in such a short time? “Oh, Mick, we’ve only known each other for—”

“I know, just two months,” he interrupted. “And I know I’ve been hinting around about a trip to Australia. But the truth is, I’m not talking about a chartered tour. I’d like to take you back to Australia as my bride.”

In that instant Nancy felt the entire world screech to a halt. All she could do was stare at Mick in shock.

“Bride?” she finally managed to say.
Bride
, as in wedding, as in married to Mick forever . . . for better or worse? Nancy’s heart raced with the most magical, terrifying feeling she had ever experienced.

“Don’t look so shocked,” Mick said, running a finger along her chin. “Two people who love each other should be together. Usually it makes them happy,” he teased.

Nancy struggled to put her feelings into words. “It isn’t that,” she said. “I love being with you, Mick. It’s just that I wasn’t thinking about getting married.” Suddenly an image shot into her head. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine leaving her hometown . . . saying goodbye to her dad and to Hannah Gruen, their housekeeper, who had helped take care of her when she was growing up.

“Well, will you think about it?” he asked.

“Of course,” Nancy promised. Framed by moonlight, Mick’s face looked so handsome. Leaning toward her, he covered her mouth in a kiss that Nancy was sure would melt her heart forever.

“Married!” Bess shrieked when Nancy returned to the room and filled her friends in on Mick’s proposal.

“What did you say?” George asked.

Nancy sank down onto her bed. “I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so I told him I’d think about it,” she said. “I have to admit, I’m crazy about the guy, but—”

“You’re thinking about Ned, right?” asked Bess.

“Yes,” Nancy admitted. “There’s also River Heights, my detective work, Dad—and you guys. How can I leave all that behind?”

Bess went over to Nancy’s bed and gave her a hug. “If you decide to marry Mick and go to live in Australia, we’ll come visit you, that’s all. Nothing should come between two people who are in love!”

“The wise one has spoken,” George said. Giving Nancy a sympathetic smile, she said, “It’s a question that only you can answer. I mean, I really care about Kevin, but I’m not sure that I’d be crazy about the idea of following him around the world.” She shrugged. “It’s a tough call.”

That was for sure, Nancy thought. She resolved not to make any decision right away. But that night Nancy fell asleep dreaming of the rambling sheep ranches and vast beaches of Australia.

“I looked for Theo this morning, at the harbor,” Zoe told Nancy the next morning as they took a hydrofoil to Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades islands. They had been late boarding the craft, so Mick, Bess, and George had found scattered seats among the other thirty or so passengers.

Nancy pulled her orange hat lower on her head to ward off the sun. It was just before ten, but even in her shorts and tank top, she could feel the heat. “Any luck?” she asked Zoe.

“The
Sea Star
was already gone. Some of the fishermen say they’ve seen Theo anchored near Dragonisi. They thought he was fishing, but he’s been coming in without a catch for the past week.”

What does he do on Dragonisi if he’s not fishing? Nancy wondered. She didn’t have time to pursue the subject. Just then the engines slowed, and the hydrofoil docked in the bustling capital of Naxos.

From the terminal, the island looked like a mixture of whitewashed villages and lush green valleys. As soon as they were on land, Zoe suggested mopeds to make it easier to get around.

“Definitely,” said Bess. “We rented them when we were in Rome, and they were great.”

Ten minutes later they had rented three large mopeds from a shop across from the ferry terminal. Zoe and Bess teamed up on one bike, Nancy and Mick shared another, and Kevin and George took the third.

Clustered together outside the moped shop, studying a map of the island, the group decided to make the Temple of Apollo their first stop.

Zoe and Bess led the way to the north side of the port, turning left from the ferry terminal. In single file the mopeds buzzed along a causeway that connected the main island to a tiny islet. As they rounded a curve, a gigantic stone post-and-lintel came into view.

“That must be the temple,” Nancy said. A moment later Mick pulled into a parking lot teeming with vendors and tourists.

“This is the Temple of Apollo,” Zoe said as they all clambered off the bikes. “That doorway is called the
Portora
, which means ‘Great Door.’ ”

Staring up at the huge marble monument, Bess said, “That makes sense.”

Even the swarm of tourists couldn’t diminish the enormous power of the ancient structure. As the group strolled around, Nancy saw a familiar-looking man cross the marble floor of the temple.

“I can’t believe it,” she told Mick in an undertone. “Dimitri is here.”

Mick followed her gaze to the photographer, who had stopped to take a candid shot of a tiny girl.

“I wonder what he’s doing here?” Nancy asked thoughtfully. After the previous day’s discoveries, she had begun to think of Dimitri as the forger and Theo as the messenger. Could Dimitri’s presence here have anything to do with the passports? “Let’s split up, so we’re less conspicuous,” she suggested to the others.

“Good idea,” George said. She pointed to a vendor’s cart near the temple steps. “We’ll meet you back at that ice cream stand in an hour.”

Nancy was so busy watching Dimitri that she barely looked at the tan-colored marble ruins. He worked his charms on tourist after tourist, but she didn’t see any kind of exchange or unusual encounter.

After the hour had elapsed, Nancy rejoined her friends by the temple steps. Bess and Zoe wanted to move on, but Nancy hesitated.’She didn’t want to leave Dimitri.

“George and I will keep an eye on him,” Kevin volunteered. “You guys go ahead.”

Nancy started to object, but Bess interrupted. “Great! We’ll see you later.” Nancy looked at Bess quizzically but said nothing.

“No problem,” George said.

They arranged to meet for a late lunch in a popular taverna in the village. Then Bess, Zoe, Nancy, and Mick headed back toward their mopeds.

“Didn’t you get it?” Bess said to Nancy. “They want to be alone,” she went on dreamily, “to squeeze every bit of romance out of their last days together.”

Nancy laughed. “I should have guessed you’d pick up on that.”

“Too bad Kevin has to fly off to Madrid on Sunday,” Zoe said.

As Nancy climbed on the moped and wrapped her arms around Mick’s waist, she wondered again what the future held for Mick and her. Did they belong together—forever?

The rest of the morning passed quickly as they rode along the twisting roads of Naxos, passing sparkling white churches and crumbled ruins at every turn. They even saw a goat farmer who was moving his herd, the metallic clang of the goats’ bells filling the air.

Just outside town they pulled off the road at a scenic overlook. Bess and Zoe sat down on a bench as Nancy walked to the edge of the cliff. Pushing back the brim of her orange cap, Nancy took in the view of silvery green olive trees stretching in rows along the hills next to the clustered white buildings of the village.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Mick asked, coming up next to her.

“It really is,” Nancy said, and leaned contentedly against him.

The moment was broken soon after by the buzz of a moped. Turning, Nancy saw a silver moped with two people on it round the curve of the road.

The sun glinted off the chrome of the bike, blinding Nancy for a moment. She blinked, then gasped as she saw the face of the driver. An angry red scar ran from his chin to his ear.

It’s the man from Dragonisi! Nancy thought, recoiling. There was no telling what he would do if he recognized them!

Chapter Eleven

“
I
T’S THEM
!” Nancy exclaimed.

In the next instant she ducked behind the trunk of an olive tree, pulling Mick along with her. She winced as bark scraped against her bare arm, but she had to stay hidden.

“What’s going on?” Mick asked, looking at Nancy as if she had lost her mind.

“The man from the cave is driving that moped,” Nancy said breathlessly. “But I think we ducked out of sight before he saw us.”

Hearing the sound of the motor fade, Nancy dared a look. The moped was just disappearing down the hillside in the direction of town. “I’d love to know where he’s off to in such a hurry,” she said, rubbing the chafed skin on her arm.

“Are you okay?” Bess asked, rushing over with Zoe. “What’s going on?”

Nancy told them about the driver of the silver moped. She felt so helpless. How could she let those guys just ride on by?

“What about the man on the back?” Zoe asked.

“I don’t know who he is,” Nancy said, “but I can’t stand to stay here when they might lead us to some answers. What if they’re on their way to pick up the passports from Dimitri?”

Mick was already striding to their moped. “It’s a long shot,” he said, “but it’s worth checking out.”

“Don’t be crazy!” Zoe protested, grabbing Nancy by the hand. “It’s too dangerous.”

“I don’t think he recognized us,” Nancy said. “But just to be safe, we’d better take off our hats—they’re the same ones we had on at Dragonisi.” She tossed her orange hat to Bess, while Mick gave his to Zoe. Then Nancy hopped onto the moped and slid her arms around Mick’s waist.

“Don’t worry,” Mick said. “We’ll stay out of sight. We’re just going to observe.” Before Zoe and Bess could say another word, he revved the moped’s engine and steered onto the road.

“We’ll meet you at the taverna!” Bess called after them. “And be careful!”

Nancy held on tight as Mick maneuvered the moped around a series of snaking curves. With these treacherous roads, she was afraid that they would never catch up with the two men. Then the moped’s engine whirred as they reached a straight stretch of road, and Mick shifted into high gear.

Nancy’s heart raced as she spotted the silver moped ahead on the road. “There they are!” she shouted.

“Let’s drop back,” Mick said, shifting into low gear to slow their bike.

To Nancy’s relief, the men never glanced back. “I don’t think they’re even aware of us,” she told Mick.