was as long as a soccer field, about half as wide, and covered in intricate mosaic geometric shapes and patterns created entirely out of black and white pebbles. A small sign on the wall
separating the terrace from the church inside read simply SAINT PELAGIA SQUARE.
The two cops crossed the plaza and took the steps to the right. A carpet resumed at the top of the steps. This one was crimson and twice as wide as the one running up the hill from the harbor. They followed it across the terrace and up another five steps through an intricately carved marble archway appointed with massive black wooden doors bearing carved golden images of the Virgin Mary and Archangel Gabriel.
A broad, marble staircase started just beyond the doorway and ran up to the first level of the church. Andreas noticed that this staircase had three separate crimson runners and at the top fed into an upper, fully carpeted staircase leading to the Megalochari on the second floor. He wondered whether the sudden switch from one lane to three was in order to accommodate additional worshipers only wishing to crawl the final steps of their pilgrimage.
At the top of the first staircase was the white marble courtyard of Panagia Evangelistria. Another staircase off to the left also led to the second floor. Andreas stared up at the facade. It was three-stories of elegant cream and white arches highlighted by discreet blazes of crimson. Arched porticos filled the first two levels and arched windows the third, all crowned by a tiara of more rolling arches surrounding intricate marble carvings. A simple marble cross was atop it all. To Andreas it looked like a giant wedding cake.
Tassos and Andreas took the staircase to the right up to the second floor, turned left, and stopped just inside the middle of three doors to the right. They were now inside the tripartite, basilica-form Church of Panagia Evangelistria. Brilliantly colored icons and tapestries surrounded by gold and silver adorned every wall, and an elaborately carved, icon-clad marble pulpit seemed to float above the floor, but it was the silver and gold creations hanging everywhere that captured Andreas’ attention. Enormous chandeliers of crystal, silver, and gold hung amid rows of hundreds of similarly appointed icon lamps adorned with hanging gold and silver tama offerings of ships, homes, men, women, children, animals, parts of the body, and whatever else the pious brought into their prayers to the Megalochari.
Off to the left behind a low, thin brass-tube fence flanked by massive, sand-filled brass candle stands stood an altar-like structure of carved white marble. The altar held four, fluted Corinthian columns, one on each corner, which in turn supported an ornately detailed four-sided entablature topped by a dome reminiscent of the one above Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, at the other Vatican.
The holy icon, enclosed within a silver case faced with glass and elaborately trimmed in gold, sat between the columns on a stand surrounded by fresh flowers and offerings of gold and gem encrusted cameos. The case was rectangular on three sides and arched at the top. The Megalochari rested inside the case, its back and sides enclosed within a golden frame, its front covered in relief gold plate encrusted with rings, medallions, brooches, earrings, precious stones, and pearls. The whole case was no more than three feet high, by two feet wide, by one- half foot deep-a simple thing to carry for anyone used to manual labor.
Andreas stepped out onto the black and white checkerboard part of the marble floor and walked over to the icon. Guidebooks described it as portraying the Virgin Mary to the right, kneeling in a room with her head bent in prayer before a small, low stand. A book on the stand was open to the words she pronounced when the Archangel Gabriel announced to her that she would be the mother of Jesus. Facing the Holy Virgin and to the left, stood the illuminated figure of Archangel Gabriel holding the symbolic lily of purity in his left hand as, in the top center of the icon, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove.
At least that’s what you would see if the icon were not almost two thousand years old and covered in gold and precious gems. Andreas could barely make out where the faces of the Holy Virgin and Archangel Gabriel should be. No matter, he knew what was there and that was all that mattered. If he cared to see what it once looked like, a replica hung in the chapel immediately below where he stood, honoring the actual spot at which the holy icon was discovered. Andreas said a prayer, crossed himself, and kissed the glass protecting the Megalochari.
“I’m not going to ask what you prayed for,” said Tassos.
“Good.” Andreas pointed to a nearby tall rectangular shape draped in a crimson velvet cover. It was embroidered at eye level with an image of the Holy Virgin. “Want to bet that’s where they keep the Megalochari at night?”
Andreas walked the few steps to the shape and ran his fingers along the right edge of the velvet. He felt two hinges, slid his hand across its face and felt a handle.
“Very good detective work, Chief Inspector, you found our security system.” It was Eleni coming in through a side door behind him.
“Hi, my love.” Tassos stepped forward and kissed her on both cheeks.
“Thank you for agreeing to see us on such short notice,” said Andreas.
“Well, when uncle calls to say he’s walking up Megalochari Avenue to see me I know that it must be important.”
“Hey, I exercise everyday.”
“Yeah, right,” said Andreas.
“Come, let me take you to my office. We can talk there.”
Eleni’s office was in a separate wing of the complex, across a marble courtyard from the church and even farther away from the wing housing many of the Foundation’s most valuable museum collections.
“Quite an operation you have here,” said Andreas.
“Yes, we’re very proud of what the Foundation has been able to achieve through the Blessed Virgin. Please, sit down.” She pointed to two chairs in front of her desk and waited for Tassos and Andreas to sit. “So, what can I do for you?”
“Do you remember that card Andreas gave you at your father’s restaurant?”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
She laughed and looked at Andreas. “You want it back? Was it something I said or is our government in such deep financial trouble that you’re only allowed to loan them out, short term?”
Andreas smiled. “No, we were just wondering what you might have done with it.”
She shrugged. “What I do with all the business cards I receive. I gave it to my secretary to enter into my computerized address book.”
“What happened to the actual card?”
“I assume she threw it away, the same as she does with all the others.”
“Could you please ask her what she did with mine?”
“What is this all about?” said Eleni.
“Please, just ask,” said Andreas.
She looked at Tassos, “I’ll want an explanation, uncle.” Eleni picked up the phone and asked her secretary to come into the office. The secretary’s answers were simple and direct. She’d typed in the information and tossed Andreas’ card in the wastebasket. They had no paper shredder.
After the secretary left Eleni said, “Okay, you got your answers. Now, please tell me why all the mystery over your business card?”
“One of my cards turned up in a place it shouldn’t have and we wanted to know how it got there,” said Andreas.
“Well, at least it wasn’t the one you gave me.”
“Who picks up your trash?” said Andreas.
“You’re kidding.”
“No, he’s not,” said Tassos.
“We have women who clean up every night. They take out the trash and put it in a dumpster for collection and disposal by the town.”
“Are the women foreign?” said Andreas.
“Yes.”
“Do you know the woman who collects your trash?” said Andreas.
“It could be one of several.”
This was looking more and more to be a waste of time, but Andreas took down the women’s names. He’d get Kouros to speak to them later.
