the farm. In all that dust and heat it was hard to imagine enough rainwater raging through this area in the winter to overflow the reservoir's seventy-five-foot high dam and flood the beach. Then again, what worried farmers here wasn't a lack of water, it was the relentless, drying winds.
Panos' farm used stone walls and close-packed, tall bamboo windbreaks to protect his crops. The thick bamboo plantings ran uninterrupted inside a low wall along the north side of the path, perfect for screening out wind — and the curious. Andreas didn't see a structure until the windbreak ended and the wall turned north. Then he saw two.
He parked by the closer one, next to a rough, unpainted wooden gate at a break in the wall. It was a one- room shed made of the same sort of stone as the wall; both looked centuries old. Equipment was strewn everywhere. Andreas couldn't tell what was being used and what had been left to rot.
He stood by his car for a moment and listened. He heard no human sound but sensed someone was around. A light brown van sat parked about forty yards away, up by the other structure. Whatever it was, it was made of the same sort of stone as everything else on the property and built into the hillside like a mine entrance. Andreas walked to the shed and looked inside. It was a mess: hoes, rakes, shovels, pots, hoses, cement, gasoline, seed, fertilizer, wire, rat poison, rope, twine, batteries. Everything you'd expect to find on a farm — or with our serial killer, Andreas thought. Only thing missing was cough syrup for the crystal meth.
As if on cue, he heard a loud cough followed by a shout. 'Can I help you?' It was Panos. He was standing at the entrance to the other structure holding something in his right hand.
Andreas was not in uniform — he rarely was — and could tell the man didn't recognize him even though they'd met once in his restaurant. Andreas gave a friendly wave and started toward him. 'Hi, Panos, Andreas Kaldis.' Still no sign of recognition. 'Police chief.'
That got an immediate response. Panos gave his biggest restaurateur smile and hurried down to meet him.
'Hello, Chief, nice seeing you again.' It was a water bottle Panos held, and he switched it to his left hand and reached out with his right hand to shake with Andreas. Andreas noticed only a bit of water remained in the bottle. 'How can I help you?' Panos seemed nervous.
'Nice place you have here.' Andreas fanned his head from left to right.
'Thanks. Been in my family for generations.'
'What do you grow?' Andreas wanted to see if Panos would raise the subject of Helen Vandrew. By now, one of his friends must have told him the police knew she'd been in his bar.
'Zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, onions, purslane…' As Panos recited the list his voice became calmer.
'You must have a lot of help,' Andreas said.
'No, just me. I like doing the work myself.' He shifted the bottle back and forth between his hands.
'Then you must spend a lot of time here,' Andreas said matter-of-factly.
Panos seemed unsure how to respond. 'Only what I have to.' He paused. 'That's why the place is such a mess. I spend all my time working my crops and none cleaning up.' He seemed to like his answer.
Andreas switched to a sharp, prosecutorial tone. 'And just what sort of crops do you work in there?' He gestured with his head toward the stone entrance at the hillside.
'Where?' Clearly he was stalling.
Andreas put his right hand on Panos' left shoulder and slowly but firmly spun him toward the hill. With his left hand he pointed. 'There.'
Panos answered nervously, 'Mushrooms. I grow mushrooms there. It's an old mine. Perfect for mushrooms.'
'What's a mine doing over here? I thought they were over there.' Andreas pointed past the mine entrance to the northeast.
Panos waved his arm toward Fokos and back toward Ano Mera. 'This whole area's filled with mines, from the sea just east of Fokos all the way to Ano Mera. Miles and miles of tunnels.'
That surprised Andreas. He dropped his arm from Panos' shoulder. 'But why an entrance here?'
Panos spoke quickly. 'They never mined here. I think it was for emergencies, maybe just ventilation. I don't know. They're all over the hills. Some bigger, some smaller, some just holes in the ground. My grandfather built this.' He pointed at the stone entrance. 'To hide the hole. He didn't like the way it looked.'
Andreas reached back and patted Panos on the shoulder. 'Always wondered what an old mine looked like. Mind if I take a peek inside?' From the way Panos started breathing, Andreas thought he'd die at the question.
'I was just heading back to town, but if you'd like to come out tomorrow, I'd be happy to show you around.'
'Do you mind if I take a look around on my own?' Andreas left no doubt it was not really a question but a command.
'It's really not safe to go in there alone.' Panos' voice was desperate.
Andreas took off his sunglasses and stared at him. 'Don't worry, I can take care of myself.' He started toward the entrance.
Panos touched his arm to stop him. 'So, why did you come out to see me?'
Andreas just smiled and put on his sunglasses.
Panos stared at his feet. 'It's about the girl, isn't it?'
Andreas said nothing, just continued to smile.
'Yes, I knew her. I said I didn't to your man because I didn't want to get involved. You know how it is.' He gave a nervous grin, as if talking to a friend.
Andreas had stopped smiling now and returned a cold stare. 'No, I don't.' He paused for a few seconds before pointing his finger dead center at Panos' chest. 'Now tell me everything you know, everything you think, everything you guess about that woman.'
Panos started to object, but Andreas pressed his finger into the man's chest. 'I don't want your bullshit. Just tell me what I want to know or get a lawyer to get your ass out of jail.'
Panos looked down and glanced toward the mine entrance. He let out a deep breath, lifted his head, and started talking. He told what he swore was everything he could remember about the evening they met and everyone who spoke to her. He swore that was the only time he saw her and that he had no idea what happened to her. He swore to a lot of things but the only thing Andreas hadn't heard before was that she'd spoken to an American artist at the bar. Andreas asked what Panos knew about him.
'Tom's a famous artist. He's in his early sixties and been coming here two, three months every summer since the seventies. Nice guy, but acts like he's everyone's conscience.'
'What's that mean?'
Panos hesitated. 'He doesn't like the way we treat women, says we show them no respect.'
Now, there's an understatement, thought Andreas. 'Anything else?'
'No, but one of his paintings hangs in my bar, if you want to see it. Why don't you come by tonight? We'll have dinner. On me.' Panos was trying to make friends again.
'No, thanks. But why don't you run along. I'll see if there's anything else for us to talk about after I've had a look inside the mine.' The color drained from Panos' face. 'You don't look too good — better take a drink.' He pointed to the bottle in Panos' hand. 'I'm going to get one myself,' he said, and headed back to his car.
When he got there he saw Panos hadn't moved. He looked frozen in place. Andreas was pretty sure he knew why. It all added up. The mine, the almost-empty water bottle meant just one thing to him: inside the mine was a lot more than mushrooms, and whatever was in that bottle wasn't just water. He picked up the phone to call for backup. Andreas wasn't a fool. There was no telling who else might be inside the mine or what Panos might try when faced with heavy prison time for whatever drugs he was cooking up in there.
As soon as Andreas reached the station, he was told Kouros must speak to him immediately. Andreas started to say he had no time, but his call already was on hold. As he waited for Kouros to pick up he watched Panos walk toward the van. He looked like a condemned man.
'Chief, I've been trying to reach you for half an hour.' Kouros sounded anxious.
'I was out of the car. Next time try my cell phone. What's got you so excited?'
'The ministry called, the deputy minister wants you to call him immediately. He said it's of the 'utmost importance.''
Andreas' heart jumped to his throat. 'Which ministry?' He held his breath as if in prayer.
