“Who knows? Anything is possible if they feel threatened by you.”
Andreas walked to the edge of the cliff. “If that’s what Shepherd has in mind there could be rocket propelled grenades dropping into the middle of the party. Or during the ceremony for that matter.”
Andreas was looking in the direction of the sea but his mind was nowhere near it.
“My instinctive answer is, ‘There’s no way I’ll let scum control my private life.’ But my more considered thought is, ‘This isn’t just about me, Lila should have a say in the decision.’”
Andreas turned to look for her. She was sitting on the wall talking on her phone.
“But I’m not going to ask her. This is not the first, nor will it be the last time my life is threatened. We both know that sooner or later the press will find out that the church ceremony was cancelled because of ‘terrorist threats.’ Our wedding will be the headline story in every tabloid wanting to scream ‘no one is safe from terrorists.’
“We’ve all heard the stories about cops’ wives being approached in supermarkets and told that if their husbands testified against captured terrorists their children would be killed or maimed. How can we expect those cops to stand up to that sort of threat if I cancel the church ceremony and prove to all of Greece that even I, GADA’s Chief of Special Crimes, fear that this sort of scum can reach out and harm my family? That I’m afraid I can’t even protect my own wedding.
“But forget about the message that sends to our countrymen. It will plant a seed of fear in Lila that I cannot bring myself to do. Besides, I know Lila will say I should do whatever I think best. And going forward with the ceremony as planned is what I think is best. Telling her any of what we’re worried about would only frighten her, not change things.”
“Great speech,” said Tassos. “But your canary in the mine just died. We’re now at a whole new level of urgent activity. They’ve practically told you, ‘you’re next.’”
“You’re not making this any easier,” said Andreas.
“I’m not trying to, asshole.”
Andreas paused. “Okay, I agree we can’t ignore the threat. I know it’s real. I’ll call Spiros and suggest that with all the government ministers attending the wedding we treat the ceremony as a potential terrorist target. He’ll love showing his fellow ministers how he’s pulling out all the stops to protect their safety.”
“Not to mention his own,” said Tassos.
“As opposed to some insignificant cop’s sorry little ass.”
“Great,” said Tassos. “But if you don’t mind I’d like to have some of my cops from Syros hang around the wedding.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Andreas could hear Tassos fluttering his lips. “What is it?”
“I sure as hell hope you’re right about going ahead with the ceremony at the monastery.”
Andreas saw Lila walking toward him. “Got to run. I’ll call you from Lila’s house. And just to be safe, don’t hope, let’s pray that I’m right.”
Chapter Thirteen
About a week before the August 15th festivities begin on Tinos, thousands of tsigani start arriving. Whether or not there were enough hotels to accept all of them was never the point, for tsigani preferred to live in tent camps. And the hotels liked it that way. The town was surrounded by tsigani camps, each vying to be as close to the Megalochari as possible for tsigani revered the Virgin Mary as their mother, and did so with a passion transcending all else, including traditional tsigani ways. The word most often used by Tinians in describing tsigani behavior during that period was “respectful.”
That was not the word one would expect a certain swarthy, broad-shouldered tsigani clan leader to use in describing detective Yianni Kouros. Kouros was standing with the leader and two other tsigani at the edge of a highway bordering a tent camp set up on an abandoned building lot above the port town.
“What part of what I just asked you don’t you understand?” said Kouros.
“We don’t have papers for every child in the camp,” said the leader.
“Then how do I know you’re not kidnappers?” said Kouros.
“We’re rom. We don’t have papers for all of our children. You know that.”
“Like I said, ‘Then how do I know you’re not kidnappers?’ This is serious. If I don’t have papers on every minor in this camp in my hands in fifteen minutes, I’m arresting all of you.”
The shorter of the two other tsigani laughed. “Yeah, sure you are. So what is it you want? A little spending money, a taste, a special favor perhaps?” He nodded toward a girl leaning against the redbrick skeleton of the abandoned building.
“No, asshole, I want you leaning over a barrel in Kordydallos pulling the train for your cell block.”
The man stepped toward Kouros.
“Another step and your journey to butt-hole heaven will start with my foot up your ass.”
“You talk big,” said the other man. He was a head taller than Kouros.
“Come to think of it,” said Kouros to the tall man, “he’s probably more used to having you up his ass. Or is it the other way around?”
The tall man lunged at Kouros, but lost his balance when Kouros stepped to the side and delivered a sweeping kick to the back of his knee.
“Try that again asshole and you’ll be walking with a stick for years.”
The short guy reached behind his back.
Kouros smiled at him. “For your sake I hope that whatever you come up with in that hand, little man, is tasty. Because you’re going to end up eating it.”
The leader said something in a language Kouros did not understand. The two others shouted at him in the same language. He shouted louder. The short guy brought an empty hand around from his back, and tall guy limped over next to him.
The leader said. “What is all this about?”
Kouros nodded toward tall guy. “About a year for him for assaulting a police officer.” He pointed at short guy. “And about six months in a beauty parlor for that one. As a public service. He’s one ugly motherfucker.”
“ Stop! ” said the leader. “I don’t know why you’re trying to start something with us. We are peaceful. We have come here to honor our Blessed Virgin.” He and the other two crossed themselves.
Kouros shook his head. “Not this year, pilgrims. You’re off the island on the next boat to Athens. All except for tall guy here. He’s got a court appointment.”
“Why?”
“You don’t take very good care of your children.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Carausii brothers.”
“They weren’t children.”
“See, that’s just the kind of attitude I’m talking about. They were God’s children, even if none of you gave a damn about them.”
The leader said nothing.
“Like I said, you have no respect for children. So, get your people packed up. The boat leaves in two hours.”
“What if we refuse to go,” said the leader.
Kouros smiled. “Trust me on this, you won’t want to do that.”
The leader said something to the two others. They argued for a few seconds, but they left, leaving the leader alone with Kouros.
“I heard that police from Athens were on the island asking about the two brothers.”
“Did you now? And from whom did you hear that?”
“A lot of people. Your Athens cop friends didn’t make a secret of what they were looking for. No more than you did asking questions this morning. Word gets around fast.”
