Deadline in Athens (23 page)

"So not even Petratos is here all the time?"

"Not even him. He leaves around four and comes back between seven and seven-thirty."

"What time did he get back yesterday?" He looked at me inquisitively. "Don't go getting any ideas," I told him. "I'm just trying to form a clear picture."

"I have no idea. But he wasn't back at seven, which is when I left."

I left him to get on with his work in peace. On my way back from Spata, I dropped in at the lab and gave the wire to Dimitris. He took a look at it, and when I saw him shrug his shoulders, my fears were confirmed.

"We can examine it," he said, "but as soon as the prosecutor gets hold of it, he'll chuck it straight out. It's easy for us to prove that he strangled her with a wire like this one, but practically impossible for us to prove that the murder was committed with this one that you found in the garage."

"I know," I replied, disappointed all the same. "But examine it anyway.

A wind had kicked up and the air smelled like an autumn downpour. As I drove back to the office, I reflected that everything pointed to Petratos, but I had no evidence. If it had been anyone else, I would have hauled them down to the station and put the screws on until they confessed. But for Petratos, I needed Ghikas's okay. And I didn't think he'd give it to me.

CHAPTER 23

I hurried to be in time for the nine o'clock news. Kostarakou's murder was sure to be the main story, and I didn't want to miss it. I got my breath back as I walked into the living room.

Adriani was in her usual place, clutching the remote control. I walked in front of her to sit in the other armchair. She pretended not to see me. Her eyes remained fixed on the screen. I shot a quick glance at her and found it all very amusing. I knew how much it rankled her not to be able to hear the news about Kostarakou firsthand and to have to make do with the news on TV like a common mortal. She'd lost her privileged position, but she accepted it with dignity, I had to give her that. She maintained her self-respect and wasn't going to allow her curiosity to get the better of her pride.

Kostarakou's place. The living room where she'd been found murdered. All around were papers on the floor and scattered books, just as we'd found it. Only the body had been taken away. In its place was a chalk outline. The newscaster wore his classic, sorrowful expression, but for the very first time he convinced me that his regret was genuine. The words came slower and fainter out of his mouth. He held his hands out in the usual sign of despair. Even his tailored jacket seemed to be sagging at the shoulders.

"Unfortunately, at this moment in time, we have no further information, ladies and gentlemen," he said. "The police believe the two murders are connected and are continuing their investigations with all possible urgency under the direct supervision of the chief of Athens security, Superintendent Ghikas."

Because I'd come out on top in the matter of Petratos, Ghikas was elbowing me aside, to get back his own. Now he was taking charge, and I would get pushed into the wings. Not that it hurt my pride, it simply bothered me that as of the very next day, I'd have to report to him and get his permission for my every move.

I'd become absorbed in my thoughts and was no longer concentrating on the news. I came around when I suddenly saw Petratos on the screen, beside the newscaster.

"Good evening, Nestor," the newcaster said. "For the second time in just a few days, the Hellas Channel has suffered a shattering blow. First Yanna Karayoryi, and now Martha Kostarakou, too, has come to a sad end at the hands of a ruthless killer who remains at large."

"As you say, Pavlos," Petratos said, "in the space of just a few days, our channel has suffered two devastating losses."

In the past, when two people patted each other's back like that, we called it mutual adulation and asked them what club they belonged to. Now we call it journalism.

"I'd like your assessment of the way the investigation is going, Nestor," the newscaster said. "How soon can we hope for some results? I ask because, as you know, our channel is receiving thousands of telephone calls every day from viewers anxious to find out what's happening, and we owe them an answer."

"I'll tell you what I think, Pavlos." Petratos paused a theatrical moment to show that he was thinking. "There's an upside and a downside. The upside is that the chief of Athens security, Superintendent Ghikas, has decided to take charge of the investigations personally. I regret to have to say that the investigations until now had taken a completely wrong turn and valuable time has been lost. I don't know whether the ministry intends to apportion blame for this negligence, but at least we can now be hopeful that the investigations will at last move in the right direction."

Suddenly, Adriani threw down the remote control and stormed out of the room. She continued to sulk, but this was her way of showing how angry she was at what she'd just heard. I stayed where I was. I reckoned that I would be lucky if I avoided suspension.

"And what is the downside?" the newscaster said.

Petratos sighed, as if the answer he was about to give was tormenting him. "If Kolakoglou is the murderer, and this possibility is seriously being looked into by the police, then we're dealing with a psychopathic killer. It seems he didn't only hate Yanna Karayoryi. He hates all reporters because he believes they wronged him, and he is killing out of revenge. If you look at it like that, it is only natural that he should be striking back first against our channel, because it was our channel that brought him to justice. Don't forget that the resolution of the Kolakoglou case was one of Hellas Channel's outstanding journalistic success stories."

"So what you're saying is that we're all in danger?" He said it as if Kolakoglou were standing behind him, ready to cut his throat.

"That's what I said before that the police lost valuable time. They allowed Kolakoglou to circulate freely even though they knew, from the first time they arrested him, that he was a psychopath. We have to hope that from now on they will be more methodical in their work."

The newscaster thanked him and Petratos departed from the screen. You underestimated him, Sotiropoulos, I thought to myself. Both you and Karayoryi underestimated him. Not only did he not try to justify himself for getting it wrong about Kolakoglou, he even upgraded him, presenting him now as a psychopathic killer. How could you explain to the public that a psychopathic killer always kills in the same way; it's his trademark. He doesn't use first a lamp stand, then a piece of wire, and then a chainsaw. That said, Ghikas was right about one thing. We should have caught Kolakoglou and put him behind bars. We'd have found some peace. Just as I was thinking that the next day Thanassis was going to get a rough time of it, the phone rang.

"Did you hear?" Ghikas didn't even bother saying his name.

"Yes, I heard," I said, sharply.

"In half an hour, I want you in the minister's office and you'll hear the rest," he said, and hung up.

I began to understand that things were more serious than I had imagined. It seemed that, after all, Delopoulos would succeed in getting me dismissed. They'd send me to take charge of some suburban station, investigating claims of theft, dealing with calls reporting dis turbances of the peace, or settling disputes in car crashes. I heard Adriani setting the table in the kitchen, and I was filled with a desire to talk to her, to tell her where I was going and what was awaiting me. But something held me back at the last moment. Perhaps it was my lousy pride. I didn't want her to think I was talking to her out of weakness, just because I was in need of a kind word and a little encouragement. But that's exactly what I wanted. I slammed the door behind me so she'd know that I'd left.

From Hymettou Avenue to Eratosthenous Street, I didn't meet with any traffic, but I got stuck on Vassileos Konstantinou Avenue. Then, on Mesogheion Avenue, the cars were bumper-to-bumper and the drivers blew off steam by making frequent use of their horns. I arrived at the Ministry of Public Order on Katechaki Avenue a quarter of an hour late.

"Inspector Haritos. To see the minister," I told the young guard on duty.

He consulted the list in front of him and with a "Go straight in, Inspector," he let me drive in.

I came out of the elevator and almost ran down the hall, as if one minute's less delay was of any importance. But I was in a hurry to get it over with.

When she heard my name, the secretary said: "Go straight in. They're waiting for you."

Compared to Delopoulos's three-room suite, the minister's office was a closet with a hall. As soon as I entered, I found the Holy Trinity there waiting for me. Minister, Ghikas, Delopoulos-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The minister and Delopoulos were side by side on the sofa, as if to make it clear to me that they were close friends. Ghikas was sitting in the armchair next to the minister, and all three had their eyes fixed on me.

"I'm sorry I'm late, but there was a lot of traffic."

"Sit down, Inspector." The minister pointed to the empty armchair, but his expression told me that he'd have preferred to keep me standing.

The scene spoke for itself. Delopoulos wanted my head on a plate; the minister wanted to humor him in order to keep in with him. As for Ghikas, he had his own ambitions and didn't want to go against them. I didn't know how it would end, but I did know that I wasn't going to get out of there in one piece.

"What's happening with the investigation into the murders of the two Hellas Channel reporters, Inspector Haritos?" the minister said. "Of late, I've heard nothing but complaints about you."

Ghikas was trying as best he could to avoid my eyes, but because he was facing me, he didn't know where to look. In the end, he directed his gaze above and behind me, to where the wall met the ceiling. He was visibly uncomfortable. On the other hand, Delopoulos had his gaze fixed on me and didn't hide his satisfaction. Perhaps this collective assault was their mistake. Because when things are in the balance, you take things gently, you make tactical withdrawals, even bow and scrape. But when you're up against it with your back to the wall, you jump straight in and throw caution to the wind. I decided to come out with everything and let them suspend me if they wanted. At least I would have the satisfaction of a heroic last stand.

"The investigation is proceeding slowly, as usually happens in such cases, Minister. But at least it's proceeding."

"From what I've heard, it's on the wrong track. Superintendent Ghikas gave you a clear order to arrest Kolakoglou, which you ignored in order to concentrate on other things."

"I didn't ignore it at all. At this very moment, the entire police force is engaged in the search for Kolakoglou. It's not easy to find someone with prison connections who can thereby easily find a place to hide."

"So you allow a psychopathic murderer to run loose and kill at will," Delopoulos quipped ironically. Either he'd seen the news bulletin together with the minister, or he'd agreed with Petratos to turn Kolakoglou into a psychopath, which was more likely.

Delopoulos turned to the minister. "You can pass as many crimefighting laws as you like, but if you don't have competent people in the security force, the laws won't have any effect whatsoever."

"Not many laws are required for fighting crime, Mr. Delopoulos," I said calmly. "One would be enough."

"And what one would that be?" said the minister.

"Young people at the end of their military service should be required to spend six months in a prison for further training. Have you ever seen a soldier who's got his discharge papers wanting to return to the army? Much less would he want to return to a prison."

Ghikas turned around and looked at the conference table, which was against the facing wall. He wanted to laugh, but he restrained himself.

"I didn't ask you here to hear your views on crime," I heard the minister's icy voice say. "I want you to tell me about Kolakoglou."

"I would be astonished if Kolakoglou turned out to be a psychopathic killer, Minister." And I gave him the whole spiel about psychopaths, how they always use the same weapon, how all their killings are identical, and all the rest. "I'm sure Superintendent Ghikas must have told you all this," I added.

Ghikas knew all that, but I was certain he hadn't said anything to them, because it was in his interests to follow their tack. He realized, however, that he couldn't go on keeping to himself. "What Inspector Haritos says is fundamentally true. There are, of course, exceptions," he said, to cover himself. I wanted to tell him that the FBI saw it differently, but I let it go.

Delopoulos saw that he was losing ground and went on the attack. "Do I have your blessing to go public with all this, Minister? I'm curious to know what public opinion will make of all these theories."

It was exactly what I'd been afraid of. He'd stirred up the public against Kolakoglou, turned Kolakoglou into public enemy number one, and if he were to come out now and say that the police ruled out the possibility of his being the murderer, they'd all turn on us. The minister must have thought the same thing, because he more or less implored him: "Let's not be in too much of a hurry, Mr. Delopoulos. Leave it a few days more. I feel confident we'll find Kolakoglou and it will all be cleared up."

"So be it. I respect your wishes," Delopoulos acquiesced. "Besides, I have every confidence in Superintendent Ghikas. And in order to show just how cooperative we are, here you are."

From his pocket he took a folded piece of paper and gave it to the minister, who took it and examined it. "What's this?" he said surprised.

"The sample of Mr. Petratos's handwriting that your subordinate had been seeking. You can compare it with the handwriting on the letters that you found in Karayoryi's house. But on one condition. That you remove your subordinate from the case, or at least stop him from harassing us. He unjustly made accusations against a distinguished newsman simply because the man once had a brief affair with Karayoryi, and he shouldn't be allowed to get away with it."