She had a specific purpose and so did he.
***
Later that evening, he went back to his hotel room after escorting Jackie to hers. He had left word at the reception desk to notify him immediately if she tried to leave the hotel.
He sat down at the small desk by the window and called his partner.
“So, did you find anything?” Michael asked his partner impatiently. He took notes of everything his partner told him on the phone.
A few minutes later, he laid his cell phone on the desk and sat there looking at his notebook thoughtfully. Most of the stuff he already knew. But there were some very interesting new complications. He looked at the names written down and frowned, Constantinos Demiris, Alexandra Demiris, Maria Demiris. After a moment’s hesitation, he added the name of Andreas Demiris on the list.
When some years back, Andreas Demiris fell off the cliff on his property on the Greek island of Corfu—the same cliff that Jackie’s car had run off—nobody gave it a second thought. Andreas was an old man and couldn’t see very well. And after all, accidents do happen. But now, Michael wasn’t so sure anymore that his death had been an accident after all. He needed to look into it.
And what about Jackie? Where does she fit into all these? His partner had told him she is an investigative reporter who came from Atlanta two days ago and spent one day in Athens, visiting the office of a local newspaper. Maria Demiris was from Atlanta also, he noted. His partner was going to contact the Atlanta Police Headquarters and request some background information on Jackie and Maria as well.
***
Jackie stood underneath the hot water in the shower. She let it hit her body hard making sure that she didn’t get the bandages on her head wet. She needed to relax her tense muscles and clear her head. With eyes closed, she could still see Michael’s blue eyes staring into hers and felt her pulse accelerating.
He’s an unexpected complication, but I’m a professional and I know exactly how to handle him...who am I trying to fool? I have no idea how to handle him. She’d never met anyone like him before. He was smart, strong, and fearless, while at the same time thoughtful and kind—not to mention the fact that he was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life. He seemed almost perfect and if she wanted to be honest—which she didn’t—she would have to admit that every time he was around, she would lose her mind and forget all about her assignment.
Her assignment…. She suddenly felt guilty. She turned off the water, grabbed a towel and rushed to the bedroom to grab her cell phone. Her sudden moves made her ache all over, but she wouldn’t allow the pain to stop her.
She was so grateful she hadn’t carried her big purse with her last night, but a small one that hung from her belt. Fortunately, her passport and cell phone survived last night’s ordeal.
The face of little, innocent Aphrodite came to her mind and Jackie let out a deep breath. I have to do this, she told herself firmly. She anxiously picked up the cell phone and pressed the speed dial.
A few minutes later, she placed the cell phone down on the dresser in her bedroom and smiled, thinking of Michael’s surprise when he would wake up tomorrow morning.
Chapter Four
The noise grew louder and louder. Michael desperately reached for his father, trying to grab his hand, but the wind blew wildly and the broken sail banged hard against the steering wheel, sending the sailboat towards the rocks.
“Mr. Apostolou!”
He suddenly heard the man’s voice loud and clear and the knocking became even louder. Still a little disoriented, Michael jumped out of bed. He shook his head to clear his mind from the awful nightmare that had been haunting him night after night, ever since his father’s death.
“Who is it?” he asked abruptly, unlocking the door.
“She’s gone sir,” the man replied, looking timid.
“What do you mean, she’s gone?” Michael burst out, giving the man a murderous look.
“Miss Alexander is gone,” the man repeated and looked at the detective guiltily. “I left my position for only a few minutes, and the girl that relieved me wasn’t aware of your instructions.”
Michael wasn’t listening anymore. “Call the police department and the Coast Guard,” he yelled over his shoulder while grabbing his clothes. “Don’t let her leave the island!”
***
Leaving the attorney’s office which was located in a beautifully restored Venetian architecture building on the waterfront, Jackie smiled utterly satisfied. She stepped out onto the pavement and took a deep breath, inwardly thanking Stephanos for coming through once again. She knew without his interference it would have been impossible to rent another car, since the one she rented a couple of days ago was now sitting at the bottom of the sea.
She stopped for a moment and took a quick look around, to make sure no one was watching her. Even though there were a lot of people going by, nobody seemed particularly interested in her.
Feeling a little less edgy, Jackie let her eyes wander along the beach boulevard with the beautifully maintained buildings on one side and the magnificent body of crystal blue waters of the Ionian Sea on the other. The impressive old Venetian fortress could be seen further down on a rocky peninsula that jutted into the sea. Jackie was mesmerized by the beauty of this place and wished she had come here under different circumstances. This beautiful and elegant town of Corfu, where centuries of Greek tradition coexisted harmoniously with European influences, took her breath away with its impeccable beauty.
Suddenly, she realized two men standing on the other side of the boulevard were staring at her. Alarmed, she turned and walked hastily to her newly-rented car, squeezing the keys in her hand.
Getting inside, she locked the door, even though it was in the middle of the day and there were a lot of people around. She was aware that whoever those men where, they wouldn’t be able to try something right then and there.
Jackie took a deep breath and tried to calm her accelerated heart rate. Looking in the rearview mirror, she noticed that the two men had turned in the other direction and were lazily walking away.
Reprimanding herself for being so foolish, she started the car engine. She should have known there was probably nothing more to it than two guys looking at a pretty girl.
After all, she was aware of her good looks and how men looked at her every place she went. But under these unusual circumstances, Jackie would pay attention to everything, even things she would normally ignore.
She took a deep breath and stepped on the gas petal. She couldn’t believe that she was going back to the mansion again. But after all, it was the best she could do right now. She needed to examine the documents in the safe.
Having accomplished this first step of her new plan—getting another rented car and the keys to mansion—she decided the next thing she had to do was to get some supplies.
And then, she was off to the mansion….
***
It was already late in the afternoon by the time Jackie left the beach boulevard and turned into the private driveway of the Demiris estate, but there was still enough light to have a better look of the surroundings. The other night it had been pretty dark and she hadn’t seen much.
The paved driveway was well maintained. It was shaded by rows of majestic eucalyptus and cypress trees on both sides. The trees were extremely tall creating a breathtaking canopy over the driveway. Thick foliage and flowering shrubbery in all shades hugged the edges of the property. White, pink and red oleander bushes were scattered between the trees, creating an astonishing picture that looked as if it belonged in a painter’s canvas. Further back, beautiful pine, kumquat and olive trees reached all the way down, to the shimmering turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea.
Jackie was mesmerized by the magnificent view of the amazing Corfiot countryside in all its glory. Driving along, she reached a small creek that ran through the thick woods of the estate. A beautiful wooden bridge was built to unite the two sides, giving the location a myst
erious look.
“What a lovely place!” Jackie exclaimed out loud, wondering whether she had taken a wrong turn somewhere up the road. She couldn’t believe that all this beauty surrounding her was the exact place where she had experienced her dreadful nightmare. The thought of the other night’s events gave Jackie a chill and she uneasily scanned her surroundings.
Crossing over the wooden bridge, she had a feeling of experiencing a leap in time. It was as if she was leaving her past behind and was moving on to a new chapter in her life. What a strange feeling? She shivered and shook her head, trying to break the spell and clear her thoughts.
She followed the winding alley for a little while longer, until the mansion came into clear view.
She stopped the car and let her eyes wander over the breathtaking, two-story colonial mansion, dominating the area and overlooking a small pond in the back. Magnificent white pillars stood in the front as faithful knights, giving the building a striking depiction of a medieval gallantry. Beautiful rose bushes, jasmine, and bougainvillea climbed the walls of the mansion, reaching the window shutters of the second floor. A huge veranda surrounded the ground floor and a smaller one on the second floor overlooked the entrance. It was quite impressive, considering that it weathered the storms of over two centuries.
A little further to her right, she noticed a gazebo smothered in jasmine and red bougainvillea. Rows of carved clay pots filled with gardenias hugged the edges of the small path leading from the mansion to the gazebo.
Jackie opened the car window and drew a deep breath of the summer fresh air, sucking in the seductive aroma of the gardenias mixed with the alluring sea breeze. Impulsively, she leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. This was heaven.
Startled by the fluttering of a bird, she was brought back to reality and decided she should get going. She slowly approached the circular driveway leading up to the front steps of the mansion, driving around an enormous marble fountain with a mermaid resting in the center.
She parked the car near the front entrance, and took a careful look around to make sure she was alone. Someone is taking care of this place. The bushes were trimmed, and the lawn manicured. She looked far into the horizon and drew a deep breath, as her eyes wandered along the magnificent view of the gardens and the woods surrounding the estate.
She was carried away by all this beauty, when she suddenly noticed the heavy clouds that were gathering up in the sky right above the area. A storm was brewing in the distance, making her suddenly feel very uneasy and somewhat threatened.
She realized that it would be dark soon, and she had a lot of things to take care off. She hurried out of the car and climbed the white marble steps to the veranda surrounding the house. She tried the large brass handle of the huge mahogany front door. This time it was locked.
The attorney probably came by and locked it up. She contemplated this thought, as she had no idea whether anybody else had keys to the mansion. Thinking about it now, she realized she should have asked the attorney. It would be better to be prepared, just in case someone else showed up.
She took the keys out of her pocket and unlocked the front door. Walking inside the huge foyer, she couldn’t help but admire the stunning black and white, checkered marble floor and the beautiful marble staircase leading to the second floor. Looking up, she was impressed by the high ceiling with the beautiful trimmings and the huge crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the space. Two huge arches led to other rooms on either side of the foyer and a smaller arch, half-hidden behind the staircase, led to the back of the house.
How come I missed all this the other night?
Suddenly, she felt a shiver racing up her spine, thinking about the other night’s events. She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts and even though there was still plenty of light, she turned the chandelier on. Somehow, it made her feel a little better. Then she rushed back to the car and started hastily carrying her supplies inside.
It took her some time to carry everything from the car. Even though she wasn’t planning to stay more than a couple of days, she still wanted to be prepared and have everything she might need, since the mansion was so far from town.
After she had finished, she locked up the car, went inside and locked the front door behind her. She put part of the food supplies in the refrigerator and the rest in the cabinets of the kitchen. Then she decided to take a quick look around and make sure that everything was locked. Walking to the living room, she saw the broken window had been replaced. The attorney had informed her about that, but seeing it with her own eyes made her feel a lot better.
Carefully, she checked every door and window on the first floor. By the time she reached the second floor, it was getting dark. She tried the light switch of the hallway with no luck. Having enough light from the chandelier in the foyer, she moved on and opened the first door to her right. Trying the light switch there with no luck again, she realized there must be something wrong with the lights on the second floor.
Going back downstairs, she took her flashlight from her purse which she had left on the round table in the center of the foyer and went back upstairs to check the rest of the rooms. Everything was locked up there, as well.
Now that everything was secured, she could take the time to have a better look around.
The mansion was quite big with a beautiful, huge living room on one side of the foyer and a just as large dining room on the other side. They both overlooked the front yard through tall windows, and there was access to the veranda through French doors.
A wide corridor started below the massive staircase, leading all the way to the back of the mansion. Halfway down the corridor on the same side as the living room, there was a large bathroom with elaborate wall mirrors and plenty of cabinets. The spacious, well-equipped kitchen was on the other side of the corridor adjacent to the dining room.
At the end of the corridor, there was a big study on the same side as the kitchen and a guest bedroom with French doors leading to the veranda on the opposite side. The bedroom had a marble ensuite bathroom with a round, marble Jacuzzi tub and a corner shower.
Jackie had taken a glimpse of the rooms on the second floor when she was checking the window locks earlier and she knew that they were just as spacious as the ones downstairs. She planned to examine them better in the morning. She had no intention of wandering upstairs with her flashlight tonight.
The mansion was furnished with beautiful, antique pieces of mahogany and cherry wood furniture, as well as art objects, such as marble statues and exquisite paintings which were mostly beautiful nature scenery.
Even though the mansion was well taken care of, the fact that no one lived there anymore made Jackie feel sad. She could imagine it being full of life and laughter with children running all over the place.
Jackie was surprised by how fast the storm hit. She was standing in the foyer when the wind started blowing hard. Rain banged against the wooden shutters, sending an awful noise throughout the old mansion.
Jackie looked around uneasily. The fact that she was out here all alone made her feel very uncomfortable. And now the storm made things even worse. All of a sudden, she had this weird sensation of being watched.
She turned abruptly and looked towards the top of the stairs. There was no one there, as far as the chandelier’s light could reach. However, the rest of the area further back was in absolute darkness, giving her an eerie feeling.
What if someone was up there? What if she didn’t search thoroughly enough earlier and she missed someone hiding in the dark? The thought gave her goose bumps. But Jackie was determined to finish what she had come for and letting her imagination run wild would only make matters worse.
Anxiously, she looked at the phone that was placed on a small mahogany table against the wall next to the stairs. She walked over and picked up the receiver, but there was no dial tone.
Uneasily, she walked over to the round table in the center of the foyer, where she had left her purs
e and took out her cell phone. She gazed at the screen and gasped—No service available. Oh, that’s not good…not good at all. She pressed her lips tightly in sheer anxiety.
All of a sudden, she started having second thoughts. Stephanos was right about this being the last place Michael would look for her. Actually, this was the last place anyone would look for her. What if something happened to her? If she didn’t check in, it might be days before Stephanos got worried.
Well, nothing could change the fact she was here now. And even if she wanted to leave, she couldn’t possibly drive in this awful weather. Her only option was to get to work to keep her mind occupied.
She walked to the kitchen and decided to make herself a sandwich. Somehow it seemed that doing something so normal and ordinary was all she needed to relax and stop the crazy thoughts from whirling around in her mind. Not to mention that it was hours ago, since she last had something to eat.
She took her sandwich and a glass of water and entered the study in the back of the house. She knew exactly what she needed to do.
Walking inside the room, Jackie took a careful look around the beautifully furnished study. The French doors leading to the veranda were locked—she had checked them earlier—and the heavy curtains were drawn shut, giving her privacy from anyone who might be spying on the house. On both sides of the French doors, there were two arch shaped, stained glass windows in a beautiful flower designed pattern.
The study was furnished with a burgundy leather sofa, as well as an oval-shaped cherry wood table in front of it and two cream color armchairs on the other side facing the sofa. An enormous cherry desk was placed next to one of the stained glass windows, with a burgundy leather armchair behind it and two smaller ones in front of it.
The walls were covered with cherry bookcases filled with endless rows of books and beautiful silver, bronze, and porcelain artifacts. Between two of the bookcases, there was a showcase table made of cherry wood and glass, with a miniature of the mansion and the estate surrounding it sitting on the table. A portrait of an elegant old man dressed in a ship captain’s uniform was hanging on the wall behind the table.