Aegean Intrigue (4 page)

****

Later that night, Alex's phone chirped as he wrote his report. Glancing at the caller ID, he frowned and answered. His employer was nothing if not persistent.

“What have you found?”

“Nothing new. Francie is meticulous at her recordkeeping. I haven't seen any suspicious behavior. It seems she's doing everything she can to make sure nothing is missing.”

“It's a cover. She's guilty.”

“Why are you so convinced of that?”

“She has that innocent face. Nobody can be as innocent as that.”

“So it's just a hunch?”

“Call it what you will. I know it in my heart.”

“What about the professor?”

“He's not cunning enough. He's solidly entrenched in the past. Half the time, he doesn't know where he is, or who he's talking to. There's no way he'd be able to pull it off.”

“Francie is his protégé. She could be doing working for him without knowing it.”

“I don't believe it. She's used to the finer things in life, what with her famous parents. She's probably looking for a way to increase her income while she's studying.”

“But if she made extra money from previous heists, wouldn't she be living in more luxury? Her apartment is in a run-down part of Athens, she dresses simply, and she wears no jewelry. She brought only a small duffle bag with her for the trip. That is not the usual way of a materialistic woman.”

“It's a façade. She's trying to fool you.”

“Why would she need to do that? She doesn't know about the investigation.”

“She's cunning enough to know that people will be watching her even after she's been officially cleared. Keep digging. It's her. Or someone she's feeding information to. She's got to be the link.”

Alex wasn't convinced, but he gave his verbal agreement. Zotis was paying the bills.

 

Francie sat in Professor Theo's office, logging the day's finds in the laptop Alex had supplied for that purpose. It had been a successful day, evident from the pile of data cards ready to be catalogued. She'd instructed the newbies on the importance of accurate information on the special cards. The data on them would help to give a better picture of how and when the items were used.

She picked up a bag containing a piece of pottery. It could have been part of a decorative container, or it might have had a more practical use. Knowing exactly where the item was found in relation to the other artifacts would help determine this. But several line items on the accompanying card were blank. Who was responsible for this incomplete work? She squinted, trying to decipher the handwriting. She knew it wasn't Jane, who wrote in a neat, flowing script. Christina's writing wasn't nearly as stylized, but it was legible. Willem printed his cards in block letters, and Josh wrote in a slanted slashes. Dimitri had been cooking, so he hadn't filled out any of the cards, and Professor Theo had been involved in a lengthy discussion with Alex in their office, so they hadn't been nearby when this piece had been unearthed. That left Yannis.

Sighing, she got up to look for him. As a graduate archaeology student, he should have known better than to leave such crucial information from the records. He was a mystery, a frustrating one.

She didn't have to look far. Yannis and Jane strolled hand in hand on the beach. Francie called out as she hurried to catch up with them.

“Yannis! I need to talk to you.”

The couple stopped and turned. Jane wore a welcoming expression, but Yannis' lips thinned and his eyes narrowed. He apparently didn't appreciate the interruption.

“This won't take long,” Francie assured him. “I need to ask you about this piece you catalogued this afternoon.” She held out the bag. “You didn't fill out the information about the location. Do you remember exactly where you found it?”

Yannis stared and his mouth opened, but nothing came out. Surely he would have remembered finding such a large piece?

Jane answered. “Oh, I know. You found it in the same sector where Willem found his piece. Remember? The pieces looked quite similar, and you took a picture of them before they were taken out of the ground.”

Francie turned to him. “You have a picture? Could I see it? That will help to determine the depth as well as the exact position in the sector. And I can note how it was positioned in relationship to Willem's piece.”

Yannis took out his Blackberry, but Francie noticed he held it close to his face as he searched for the picture. He hadn't seemed so near-sighted before. But she waved away the thought when he held the device out to her.

“Here it is.”

Francie studied the picture and noted the missing information on the card. She smiled up at Yannis.

“Thanks. I'm glad you had this picture of where you found the piece. But remember, our confidentiality statement says you can't share that picture with anyone until the results of the dig are published.”

The young man nodded, and the three parted ways. But Francie couldn't help wondering why Yannis had left the card so incomplete. If he continued to be so careless, he would have difficulty finding work in his field.

****

Alex leaned against a tree near the campsite, observing a lively game of charades. A robust fire crackled in the pit and most of the crew gathered around it. Nearly every evening, they assembled here, enjoying each other's company, or they went into town together. A glance in the other direction had him frowning. A few of them got along too well, it seemed. Yannis and Jane sat together on the beach, their body language telling him they were more than co-workers. What on earth was Yannis doing? He was far too old to be mixed up with a girl barely out of high school.

He turned his attention back to the group around the campfire. A chuckle escaped his lips from the silly antics the young people went through. Some actions were so awful it was a wonder any correct guesses were made at all.

And then it was Francie's turn. With her long hair tied back in a ponytail, she looked like a teenager. He stood riveted in his spot as she plucked a piece of paper from the bucket, studied it, and began her clues. Her movements were quick and efficient, yet graceful. The others faded away as she gestured and posed. There was only her, illuminated by the firelight, her hair framing her delicate face, her slender body moving back and forth. All too soon, she was finished. One of her teammates guessed the title of the movie, one he'd never seen.

“You're a great actress, Francie,” Josh called out.

“Just like her mother,” added a voice next to his elbow.

Alex turned to the professor, who had come up on his side. “Did you know her mother well?” he asked.

“I had the pleasure of meeting her several times. Stunning woman. Great actress, too. Georges was so proud of her. But her life was in Los Angeles, so…” He spread out his hands and shrugged, as if there was nothing else he could say.

“I take it Dr. Vasileiou did not want his wife to keep her career.”

“I don't think Georges minded her career. But he wasn't always available to accompany his wife to her various publicity appearances. And she didn't enjoy the primitive conditions we often encounter on digs. They had different goals for their daughter, too. Genevieve wanted to raise Francie in Hollywood, dress her in the latest fashions, and have her meet the right people. She even got Francie a few bit parts on television shows and movies.”

“Yes, I've seen them.”

“Of course, Georges liked having Francie around on his digs. She's always had a knack for it and never minded getting dirty. I think Genevieve took it as an affront when Francie decided to pursue Georges' field rather than follow in her footsteps.”

“So I take it Francie is closer to her father than her mother?”

“They were close, until Genevieve told him—well, until that blasted blood test.”

“Oh?”
Blood test?
Why hadn't he heard about this? Alex struggled to maintain an air of indifference. If he didn't react with shock, maybe the professor would keep talking.

“I probably shouldn't talk about it. But it upset Georges so. He had always thought of Francie as his daughter. I told him perhaps there had been a mistake at the lab, but he wouldn't listen.”

Alex's head spun. Georges was not Francie's father? Was that why he had broken ties with her?

“I'm sure Francie was upset at the news as well,” he guessed.

“Perhaps. She's quite stoic, our Francie. Genevieve had wanted them to do a movie together, acting the parts of mother and daughter, but Francie refused. She had plans to go on a dig with Georges. They had a heated argument, and Francie told her she would much rather get dirty on a dig than dress up in front of a camera. That's when Genevieve dropped the bombshell. She said Francie had been the result of an affair with a co-star while Georges was away on a dig. Francie went to her father, hoping for some reassurance, but Georges insisted on the blood test to verify. And poor Francie ended up losing both parents in the process.”

Alex's heart ached for the young girl. To have been deceived by Leandros and then abandoned by her parents—no wonder she lost herself in her studies.

“But if Georges had raised Francie as his own, why would he take it out on her?”

“I don't think he meant to. He left the university and easily found a position in the private sector. It probably didn't occur to him he was abandoning her. And she didn't complain. He was wrapped up in his own emotions.”

Just like his own father, Alex thought. Nikolaos Leonides hadn't been one to consider other people's feelings or needs. He did and said what he pleased. Alex had learned through a cousin that his father no longer owned the restaurant and lived a hermit-like existence on the edge of town.

He walked to his tent, disgusted with the human race. Halfway back to his tent, he stopped in his tracks. Francie was an actress, like her mother. Could Zotis be correct in asserting the fresh-faced girl persona was just an act? The thought made his stomach churn.

Please, don't let it be so.

****

Francie watched Alex stalk away from the campfire area. What had upset him? Only a moment ago, he had been standing at the outer edge of the clearing, talking with the professor.

The man was an enigma. He was Greek, but he spoke excellent English and seemed to embrace American ideas about women. He was a Project Director, a man who dealt in numbers, names, and logistics, but he had a human side to him. He was an interesting mix. A very attractive mix. Good grief, could she be falling for him?
Please don't let it be so.

“Francie, are you feeling all right?”

Francie forced a smile and turned to Willem, who was seated next to her. The gentle young man wore an expression of concern.

“I'm fine. I just remembered some details I forgot to take care of in Athens. It's fine—next time I'm in town, I'll get online and take care of it.”

Willem's features relaxed, and they both turned their gazes back to the game. But a part of Francie's mind stayed on the dark man who had left the bonfire area. She hadn't been lying to Willem. She had left something in Athens—her sanity.

 

Alex toweled himself off, his afternoon swim making barely a dent in his libido. Cold showers were a luxury in a country plagued by water shortages, but he'd hoped a half hour in the bright Aegean Sea would make him presentable for dinner. Dimitri was still not well enough to cook, so he and Francie would have to handle kitchen duty again. It was bad enough to watch her out in the field crouched in those shorts, her long tanned legs providing him with visions that haunted his dreams. But working together in the tiny kitchen was sheer torture. Without much room, their bodies constantly touched, brushing against each other. Food and utensils needed to be passed, and fingers inevitably made contact.

He would have to be careful and guard his feelings for her. She is still a suspect, he reminded himself. But a part of him knew it was too late. She was already entrenched in his heart. His body stirred again, and he turned his eye back to the water. No time for another dip. He'd have to control his wayward thoughts and get to work.

This afternoon the crew had made several small finds, insignificant to him, but enough to make Professor Theo and Francie dance with excitement. Her enthusiasm was so infectious he'd joined in the celebration. Her pure delight made him doubt her guilt no matter what Zotis claimed. If she were inclined to steal things, why would she go to so much trouble to make certain each piece was properly documented? Wouldn't she quietly “take care of things” herself and tuck the items away, conveniently “forgetting” to catalogue them? Perhaps she was waiting for a larger, more profitable item.

But something in him protested the thought. Francie couldn't possibly be capable of such deceit. She was too open, too…

“Alex?”

Wrapping his towel around his lower half, he turned toward her voice. “Good afternoon, Francie. Surely it's not time to begin preparing the meal?”

“No, it's still early. I needed to talk to you about…something else.”

Her eyes cut away from him, and she began pacing, her hands fluttering as she spoke. He stepped toward her, wanting to hold her, to ease her consternation. Instead, he forced himself to listen to what she was saying.

“—and I know I counted all the pieces carefully before putting them in the boxes. I gave each piece a number, and the last number I entered was forty-three.” She turned a wry glance at him before explaining, “I remember the number because it's my birthday – April third.” The pacing resumed as she continued. “We took the pieces and the catalogue cards to Professor Theo's office at lunchtime, as we always do. This afternoon, I went back to the office to set out the pieces to be washed, and there were only forty-one pieces. And the catalogue cards are missing.”

Alex's eyes narrowed. “Are you saying that someone took some of the pieces and doctored the catalogue?”

She hesitated. “I don't want to say that—I don't want to think of anyone here as a thief. But apparently someone has not put the pieces and cards where they belong.”

Either she's very diplomatic, or she's building an excuse in case the pieces are found and someone points a finger at her, he thought. “Do you have any ideas about where these items might have been…misplaced?”

She shook her head. “I can't think of anything. As I recall, the last two pieces were small, so they could be hiding anywhere. One was a necklace, and the other was a coin. I remember because Josh was teasing Jane about using the coin to pay for the necklace.”

“And those are the two items missing? It seems odd someone would be so bold as to take the last two items, especially if an event like that would make them memorable.”

“That's why I'm so hesitant to believe they were stolen. I'd like to believe someone was just looking at them and forgot to put them back. But that doesn't explain why the cards are missing.”

“Let's take a look. Does Professor Theo know about this?”

“Not yet. I was on my way to talk to him when I saw you.”

In the office, they found the professor, his journal open but his mind elsewhere. A sack containing the morning's finds lay on top of the journal, its dusty contents coloring the pages. He blinked several times at their entrance, bringing himself back to the present. Alex had seen the same look on Francie's face sometimes when he tried to strike up a conversation with her. She would hold an item from the distant past, and her eyes would glaze over as her mind took her back to the time when the item was in use. He had learned to speak to her gently, gradually returning her to the present.

The professor greeted them heartily and gestured for them to take a seat.

“This has been such a wonderful day! I'm so pleased with the finds—you and the team are doing such an excellent job,” he gushed. “And, Francie, you're a godsend with the paperwork. You know I'm not so fond of that part of the job.”

Alex jumped at the opening. “Actually, that's why we're here, Professor. Francie's careful bookkeeping shows that a few pieces are missing.”

“Missing?” Professor Theo paled, and he sat back as if he had been physically struck. His normally fluttering hands stilled. “What do you mean? How can this be?”

Francie explained to him what she had told Alex, about the way she remembered the last entry number and the last two items.

“A necklace and a coin, eh? I wonder—oh, of course!” He laughed awkwardly as he reached into the bottom drawer of his desk “Here they are.” He cast a sheepish grin as he set the missing pieces on top of the open journal.

Alex couldn't help noticing Francie's elation at finding the items. She was either honest or a very good actress.

“Professor, why were they in your desk?” she asked.

“Eh? I was looking at them and when the call for lunch came, I put them in the drawer instead of back in the bag.”

“I see. But what happened to the catalogue cards for those two items?”

“Catalogue cards?” Again the professor froze. His bushy brows met as he frowned. “Maybe—” He pulled other drawers open, seemingly at random. A glance in the desk drawers told Alex the man's belongings were as jumbled as his thoughts. Finally, the professor sat up, two mangled file cards gripped in his hand. “Here we are!”

Francie stared in dismay at the crumpled cards. “Professor, why—”

Again, the professor looked abashed. “I'm so sorry. I was reading them and had some questions for you. I put them in the drawer so that I could ask you about them later, and—and I forgot they were there.”

A rather tidy explanation, Alex thought, although not quite believable. But it seemed to satisfy Francie. Were they both acting for his benefit?

Francie gently touched her mentor's shoulder. “Professor, if you have a question or concern with my recording, why don't you just put a sticky note on the card, but keep it with the item? That way the card won't be lost, and we'll both remember to discuss it.”

Alex left them as they huddled over the new finds. He was going to have to be extra alert with these two.