The Greek Tycoon's Achilles Heel

Through his spies he knew that Achilles could only be destroyed through his heel and he haunted the temple, waiting for the wedding. When Achilles appeared Paris shot him in the heel with a poisoned arrow.

In a further twist to the tale, Achilles’ ghost was reputed to have spoken from the grave, demanding that Polyxena be sacrificed and forced to join him in death. Whereupon she was dragged to the altar and slain.

And what happened after that? Petra wondered. Had he met her in a boat on the River Styx, ready to convey her to the underworld? Had she told him that he couldn’t really have loved her or he would have behaved more generously? Or had he accused her of betraying him, giving that as his reason for condemning her to death? One way or another, it had ended badly, as many love affairs did.

Or was the story wrong? Had he not forced her to join him in death, but merely implored her, knowing that she would be glad to join him? When they met at the Styx had he held out his arms to her, and had she run to him?

I’m going crazy, she thought. I’ve got to stop thinking like this.

Stop thinking about him. That was all it would take.

It would never happen unless they could find some point of closure. And she could think of nothing that would provide a definite answer.

Unless…

Slowly she straightened up in her seat, staring into the distance, seeing nothing but the inspiration that had come to her.

That’s what it needs, she thought. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that before?

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE text message was simple and heartfelt.

I need to talk to you. Why have you stopped replying? L

He hesitated before sending it, afflicted by a feeling that the world had turned on its head. He’d received so many texts like this, but never before had he sent one. Would she reply to him as he had so often replied to the others? The thought sent him cold with alarm. But he must do this. He could no longer endure the silence between them. He pressed the button.

Her reply was quick.

I’m sorry. I needed to be alone to think. P

He answered, I thought that, but it’s a mistake. We must do our thinking together. L

She texted back, We only hurt each other.

This time he sent her only one word. Please.

She called back and he heard her voice.

‘Please, Lysandros, it’s better if we don’t talk for a while.’

‘No,’ he said stubbornly. ‘It isn’t. There’s a way out of this-’

‘Not if you don’t believe me. And in your heart you don’t. Goodbye-my dearest.’

As she hung up he passed a hand over his eyes, troubled by something he’d heard in the background, something he couldn’t quite place-something-

He bounded to his feet, swearing. A tannoy announcement. That was what he’d heard. She was at the airport.

Frantically he called back, but she’d switched off. Neither speech nor text could reach her now. She was on her way back to England.

The world was coming down about his ears. Once she was gone he’d lose her for ever; he knew that well. And then everything would end.

He moved like lightning, calling his private pilot. A moment later he was rushing through the grounds to the landing stage where his helicopter waited, and a few minutes after that they were in the air.

While the pilot radioed ahead to the airport, arranging for a landing and a car to meet them, he called Information to check the next flight to England. It would take off in half an hour. He groaned.

The pilot was skilful and made Athens Airport in the fastest possible time. The car was waiting, taking him to the main building. As he stared out of the window he prayed for a delay, something that would give him the chance to get her off the plane. But then he saw it, rising into the sky, higher and higher, taking his life with it.

Even so, he clung to hope until the last minute. Only the word Departed on the board forced him to accept the brutal truth. She had gone. He’d lost her. His life was over. He almost reeled away from the desk, blinded by misery, wanting to howl up to heaven.

He was pulled up short by a collision. Two arms went around him, supporting him as they had so often done before. He tried to pull himself together.

‘I’m sorry, I-Petra!’

She was clinging to him, staring up into his face, hardly able to believe what was happening.

‘What’s the matter?’ she asked quickly. ‘Why are you here?’

‘To stop you leaving. I thought you’d be on that plane for England that just took off. You can’t go like this.’

‘Like this?’ she asked hopefully.

‘Not until we’ve settled things.’

She didn’t know what to make of that. It might almost have been business-speak, but he was trembling in her arms.

‘I’m not going back to England,’ she said. ‘That’s not why I’m here. Please calm down. You worry me.’

He was taking huge gulps of air as relief shuddered through him.

‘Let’s find somewhere to sit,’ she said, ‘and I’ll explain.’

Over a drink she said quietly, ‘I was going to Corfu. I’ve been thinking a lot about how Nikator knew what we said, and it seems to me that he must have known a lot more about Priam House than he’s ever let anyone know; enough to have bugged the place, even long ago. So I was going to see what I could find.’

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘That’s it. We’ll find the answer. But why didn’t you tell me?’

‘I wasn’t sure how you’d-well, anyway, I meant to go alone, but when I got here I realised I should tell you first. Because if I find bugs, I need you to be there, don’t I? Otherwise-’ she gave a wan smile ‘-otherwise, how will you know I didn’t plant them, to clear myself?’

‘Don’t,’ he whispered.

‘Anyway, I was just about to leave the airport. I was going to come to you and tell you what I was thinking, but here you are. What brought you here?’

‘You. I heard an announcement in the background and I thought you were leaving the country. I had to come and stop you. Look, it doesn’t matter about all the other things. I can’t let you go.’

‘Even though you still doubt me?’ she asked wryly. ‘No, never mind. We’ll worry later. We can’t tell how this is going to work out.’

‘My helicopter’s here. It can take us straight on to Corfu, and we’ll find all the answers we need there.’

Petra didn’t reply. She knew that everything was far more complicated than he’d understood. They might find some answers, but not all and there were still obstacles to overcome. But this wasn’t the time to say so.

For the moment she would enjoy the happiness of seeing him again, even though that happiness was tinged with bitterness and the threat of future misery.

An hour later the helicopter set them down on Corfu. As they covered the last few miles she wondered if this was just a forlorn hope and they were chasing it to avoid facing the truth.

‘Does anyone know where Nikator is?’ he asked suddenly. ‘I’ve been looking for him, but he seems to have vanished.’

‘Nobody’s seen him for days.’

‘How wise of him to avoid me. It was always the way when he was in trouble,’ Lysandros said. ‘He never did stick around to face things.’

‘You do know that he did this, don’t you?’