to her feet. Before she could speak he hit her again on the other side of her face, the blow harder. She now had two red weals. She leapt up again, came for him with clawed hands. She had become a raging wildcat. He grasped both wrists before the fingers tore his face, forced them downwards. She aimed a knee at his groin. He turned sideways, took the thrust on his thigh, dropped both hands suddenly, then hit her with real force. She sagged on to the bed, glaring up at him.
'What is your relationship with Petros Gavalas? You're going to answer before you leave. I didn't invite you here…'
'Why don't you go and… yourself?'
She no longer spoke her perfect English. She had lapsed into Greek and he realized she was watching him closely. One tough cookie, this girl. She had taken quite a beating but still she was probing.
'I beg your pardon?'
'Nothing,' she replied in English.
She started to get up and he used one hand to push her down on the bed again, digging his fingers into her shoulder. Both their bodies were gleaming with sweat from what they had done together, from the later struggle. The heat was building up in the room and Marler felt parched.
'Can I have a drink?' she asked.
'No. What is your relationship with Petros Gavalas?' he said again.
'I am his granddaughter…'
'I know that. It isn't what I meant. 'And you know that. Did he send you here to extract information from me – by using any method?'
'He wouldn't do that! No Greek would do that to his own kith and kin…'
'So you came yourself? Why? Because you love Englishmen? I recall you said that.'
'I hate Englishmen,' she hissed, pulling her hair back from her face. 'I want to get dressed…'
'You couldn't wait to get your clothes off when you arrived. If you hate Englishmen why did you take up with Harry Masterson when he arrived?'
'Who?' She drew back as Marler broke loose. Grabbing her by her long hair, he twisted it, pulling her down on the bed as he sat on her stomach, his mouth tight, pinning her down. He jerked her hair and she opened her mouth to scream. His hand clamped flat over her lips, exerting so much pressure she couldn't use her teeth to bite him. Her dark eyes were full of hate.
'Harry Masterson,' he repeated. 'Stop lying. You were seen with him at the Hilton. Other places, too. Now, I'm going to remove my hand. Yell – try to – and I'll knock you out.'
He jumped up suddenly, walked to his jacket, took a cigarette from his pack and lit it. The unexpected change of tactics threw her off balance. She stood up warily, slowly reached for her denims, slid inside them, wriggled herself into them, watching him. Straightening up, she adjusted the slacks, still naked above the waist. She spoke quietly as she made the threat.
'I'm going to accuse you of rape. The Greek police don't like foreign men who rape Greek girls.'
'There's the phone. Call Chief Inspector Sarris. I'm sure he'd enjoy a session with us. That he'll be interested to hear how you gave the signal for a marksman down at Zea to try and kill me. The bullet missed me by inches.'
'What are you talking about? There was no shot. I would have heard it…'
Marler was certain that for the first time she was telling the truth. He kept the surprise out of his expression. She reached for her blouse and held it dangling from one hand.
'You might just have managed it,' Marler speculated.
'Managed what?'
'Driven Harry Masterson so crazy over you that he fell for it. When you lured him down to Cape Sounion so he could be killed.'
'No! No! That was something I didn't do. What do you think I am?'
That's easy to answer.' He pulled his wallet from his jacket. Taking out a sheaf of five-hundred-drachma notes, he looked at her. 'How much? What's your fee? For…' He gestured to the bed.
' You swine! You lousy bastard! '
'And I have diplomas to prove you're right,' Marler assured her.
She crammed her feet into her shoes, slipped on her blouse, hastily adjusted it. She glanced in the mirror. Her hair was a wild tangle. Marler handed her the brush he had picked up before opening the door earlier. As she used it, brushing her mane vigorously, she again stared at him in the mirror as he donned his bathrobe. This time she had a puzzled expression. His deliberate changes of mood were confusing her. He disappeared into the bathroom, returned holding a glass of water.
'You said you were thirsty. Next time I ask questions please give me answers, then we'll get on fine together.'
She drank the water in two long gulps, handed him the glass. 'I've never met a man like you before. Harry wasn't…' She stopped speaking.
'Harry wasn't like you',' Marler completed for her. 'Tell me – before you go – why did you take up with him?
She was asking dangerous questions. 'Such as?'
'About the Greek Key.' 'What's that?'
'Just pray to God you never find out. See you around, Marler.'
'It sounds as though you gave her a rough time. Just like you're giving me one,' Newman grumbled. 'I was fast asleep when you hammered on my door.'
Thought you'd want to know the latest developments,' Marler replied, unrepentant. 'That you'd rely on your assistant to keep you informed.'
Heavy-eyed, his hair tousled, Newman tied the cord of his dressing gown more tightly, drank some of the coffee Marler had ordered from room service. He pursed his lips as he replayed in his mind Marler's account of his adventure with Christina.
'You have been enjoying yourself,' he said eventually.
'All in the line of duty…'
'Don't say that to Tweed. Significant that remark she let slip – 'if I am going to be cross-questioned I can get that at police headquarters like you…' Like you. She knew we had been taken there by Sarris. No motorcyclist with an orange crash helmet followed us that I saw.'
'I thought I caught sight of that black Mercedes when I was taken in the police car,' Marler remarked.
'Did you now?' Newman drank more coffee. Then that would prove she is working under Petros' orders, that he told her about our visit. Which means she was lying – about acting under Petros' instructions.'
'Oh, she's a lovely little liar. Makes it a way of life.'
'Except on two points, you said. She didn't hear a rifle shot at Zea – which is possible with those ships' sirens blaring. And she wasn't the one who led Masterson down to Cape Sounion. This business is full of twists. And what the blazes is the Greek Key?'
'Maybe it turns the lock to the whole mystery.'
'If we could ever find that key. I'm going back to bed.'
'And our next move is?'
'Keep Nick and his helpers looking for where Masterson stayed. We might start making enquiries about the Greek Key. Someone must know what it is. In short, keep stirring the pot until something rises to the surface. And maybe take a look at Cape Sounion. While we're there we could try to locate old Petros' headquarters in the mountains.'
Think I've already stirred one pot. It's called Christina Gavalas. I left her not liking us a lot. Which was the object of the exercise.'
'Exercise is the word for what you did.'
'Did you tell Newman everything about Giorgos, Chief?' asked his assistant, Kalos.
'What do you mean, everything?' Sarris demanded.
He stifled a yawn as he gazed down at the traffic jamming up Alexandras. Nine in the morning. It would get worse. He flexed aching hands. He wasn't up to these all-night sessions.
'The knife rammed into his back under the shoulder blade.'
