1 The Assassins' Village (18 page)

‘Neglect! Oh pooh!’

‘Yes neglect,’ Thomas replied angrily giving Sonja a hard stare.

‘The residual money left over from the sale of this house and his stocks and shares will all go to them. It’s what Victoria and I want.’

Sonja’s eyes flashed in rage at his words. ‘And what am I supposed to live on?’

‘I should imagine you’ll have thought of yourself over the years and made your own proviso upon his death.’

As Sonja shot him a look of pure venom, suddenly Thomas didn’t care. He’d struck home with this hard, cruel woman.

Feeling a load float off his mind, Thomas carefully reversed his car out of the parking space to begin the journey away from the village. He knew Sonja would blame him and Victoria for the turnaround of things. But, that was her problem, not theirs.

Switching his thoughts to his mother, Thomas tried to imagine what she’d say when he told her. He knew she’d be sad and upset over Leslie’s murder, but on the plus side, the cause of her heartaches and depression was no longer going to haunt her. And despite what Sonja had said, the pension from Leslie’s estate would continue. At least they could all be grateful for no other disruption in his mother’s life.

Thomas pulled the hire car over into a convenient lay-by. Now was as good a time as any to telephone his wife and sister. He knew they’d be shocked; but nothing as shocked as he’d been an hour ago. Suppressing a sigh, Thomas felt enormity of it all hit him. It wasn’t over yet. He still had to visit the police and find out the full facts. Feeling depressed, tired and sick, Thomas asked himself one question. What were the police going to tell him?

Chapter 24. Tuesday

Nought’s had, all’s spent, where our desire is got without content.

Macbeth. Act 3 Scene 2

The police made a positive move, and finished interviewing the villagers. The interviews seemed to go on and on; everyone in the village loving to talk about their own theories. The police painstakingly sifted through the lot; false trails, idle speculation and amateur sleuthing.  One person at last admitted seeing something pertaining to the crime on that dreadful afternoon.

Tony finally realised it was in his own interests to come clean and declare what he had witnessed that fateful Sunday. At first, he worried that he might be implicated in some way. He wasn’t entirely stupid. He might have got away with ignoring Leslie’s plight if he had just been injured, but as he was dead, then Tony was a key witness.

After a restless, sweaty night he worked it out in his mind. He replayed back to himself just what he intended to say. He had left the lovers’ scene and gone straight away to the taverna. He arrived hot, dusty and breathless. Within seconds, he drank a whole litre bottle of water. His thirst slaked, he then, without saying a word to the others about what he’d seen or where he’d been, began to tuck into the lunch laid out before him.

When the police tackled him later, he couldn’t give them a good reason why he failed to mention any of this to his friends during lunch. He
had
kept turning it around in his mind as he waded like a glutton through the many courses. Not until the police really pressed him did he
remember
Alicia and Leslie fighting at all. He said nothing about originally planning to use the information for his own purpose and advantage. No mention of blackmailing Leslie for having sex with Alicia. He knew Leslie wouldn’t have wanted that to get around and back to Sonja. It would have been the ideal way to stop Leslie’s own blackmailing and smearing Tony’s name in his little black book of memoirs. But now Leslie was dead, Tony could relax, couldn’t he?

The police were furious with Tony after discovering he’d wasted valuable police time. ‘If only you’d disclosed this row between Leslie and Alicia sooner.’ They’d stormed at him.

Once admitting that it looked like Alicia had pushed Leslie on purpose, it became obvious to Tony that the excited police believed they had found their culprit.

‘I was confused, that’s why I took so long coming forward,’ he whined. ‘I wasn’t entirely sure at first that she meant to push him over, but thinking about it, it was a big argument and she was very cross. Furious even. In fact, I would say she looked murderous.’ He blustered to the police inspector. ‘Could a fall like that have killed him?
’
He put his sweaty hands together, to stop them shaking with nerves. He knew how to make it sound good; to firmly place all blame on Alicia.

The policemen ignored Tony’s question, simply followed their own agenda with excited questions

My God, he thought as he fought to stop his hands trembling. Forget about Leslie’s black book and blackmail. When Alicia pushed Leslie, she meant to. She wanted him dead. And that meant that she had committed murder!
Tony shuddered to himself, remembering Sunday. It dawned on Tony that as he’d seen them that day, who else might have witnessed the whole event? He told the police what he knew, before anyone else did it for him.

Understandably they were incensed; Tony had let nearly three days go by before coming forward with his story. Three days possibly wasted and the trail becoming cold.

Tony was at first his usual cocksure self, until thoroughly chastised by the inspector. He slumped down in his chair, as they made him go over it again and again, bit by bit what he had seen and heard.

‘No, he hadn’t gone down the slope to see for himself how Leslie was. Alicia was dealing with it. Besides, he didn’t think he could have climbed down all that way anyway. No, he only saw Alicia that afternoon down there, no one else, and he didn’t hang around to see just what she was doing once she’d got down to where Leslie lay… It hadn’t been any of his business. She was capable of helping Leslie by herself.’

The two policemen looked at Tony in silence and complete disbelief. Here was a specimen of humanity who thought nothing for his fellow man.

Bringing their paperwork to a close with his signature on his statement, they dismissed Tony from their company with barely-veiled contempt. The man’s total lack of any feelings of remorse or altruism stunned them; made them feel dirty. And these were men who dealt with extremes in their work almost every day.

Feeling sorry and yet relieved, Tony slunk away from the makeshift police office in the council hall towards his own house. Keeping his head down, not wanting to meet anyone, he failed to notice Diana until he was level with her courtyard gates. Holding a heavy-looking watering can to her chest she watched him approach. Tony jumped when she spoke to him.

‘Tony, you look as if you’ve lost a pound and found sixpence. What’s up, apart from what’s happened here recently? Diana lowered the can to the potted plant at her feet and upended it.

Tony watched the water pouring from the spout onto the dry soil. A faint whiff of moistened leaf and dirt came to his nostrils. ‘It was Alicia!’ he burst out in relief.

‘What was? Tony, what are you on about?’ she exclaimed, frowning at him.

‘I mean, that it was Alicia that did it! She’s the one who killed Leslie. I saw them.’

‘You saw them? Whatever do you mean? You
saw
the whole thing?’ she gasped at his words.

‘That day - Sunday. They were um – you know, at it!’

Diana made an exasperated sound, but her eyes were big and round as she urged him, ‘Go on.’

‘Well, after they’d finished their dirty business, they had an almighty row. That’s when Alicia completely lost it. She gave Leslie a huge shove and he fell over the edge of the road down the cliff. She climbed down and I heard her speak to him.’

‘He
was
still alive then?’ Di said slowly, as if measuring each of his words.

‘Yes, but I didn’t stay around for much longer. I didn’t want her to catch me! Not after what she’d just done! Besides, I had to get back for lunch and time was getting on.’

Diana’s lip gave an involuntary curve downwards as she stared at the fat, slobby man standing in front of her.

‘Tony, you really are a revolting little louse sometimes. Not only did you watch them having sex, but apparently you did nothing to either help Alicia or, more importantly go and see if you could help Leslie. You were more interested in your
own skin and in not being seen and then going for lunch. You are a pig! And why were you there in the first place?’

Embarrassed, Tony hesitated before replying. Diana watched the tips of his ears turn pink. Even more pig-like!

‘I was out for a walk.’

Diana raised her eyebrows as if the idea of Tony walking anywhere was highly incredible. Tony almost quailed under her scrutiny.

‘Oh look, what does it matter?’ he paused and glanced around before muttering. ‘If you must know I was curious. I saw them both go off and I wondered if they were planning to meet. I’d seen them from my balcony. I’d got a bit stuck on one scene of the play I’m working on and I was taking a fag break. First Leslie and then Alicia, trotting off down the hill. You know, they’ve been on and off each other for years.’

Despite herself, Diana looked intrigued. ‘Really, I had heard rumours of course, but I didn’t know for sure.’

‘Well you wouldn’t, being a newcomer here. Anyway, she shoved him over and then left him to die. She must have, as she didn’t go to try and rouse any help did she? I suppose leaving an injured elderly man to die must be treated as murder, wouldn’t you say?’

Diana frowned as she digested what he had just said. ‘And where then, does Kristiakis fit in with all this?’ she sounded and looked bewildered.

‘What? Kristiakis? What’s he got to do with Alicia? Now, I don’t understand.’

‘Apparently, Kristiakis was out doing a spot of illegal hunting in the valley below where Leslie was found. He’s
also been questioned. He might be their prime suspect for all we know. But no one knows where he is. He hasn’t been seen since the police spoke to him.’

It was Tony’s turn to look confused.

‘But he can’t be a suspect! Alicia had the fight with Leslie. The police are going to talk to her next,’ he argued.

‘Yes, but you don’t know what happened
later
on do you? She might well have left him for dead and then Kristiakis -.’ She stopped. Tony had no idea that she nearly gave herself away. She’d sworn not to mention the knife attack to anyone. Puzzled, Diana thought it couldn’t have been Alicia, as her clothes would have been covered in blood. Wouldn’t someone have spotted her coming back if she had done it?

Diana felt sick with apprehension. ‘God, this is all so ghastly.’

~~~

Steve wandered back into the living room after speaking on the telephone in the hallway. He had dark shadows under his eyes and like everyone else living in the village, he wasn’t sleeping well. They were all feeling the effect.

His gaze fell on his wife sitting with her feet up on the sofa. He gave her a wan smile.

‘That was Bernard. Apparently both Alicia and Kristiakis have been released from custody. The police couldn’t hold them any longer. They haven’t enough evidence, or conflicting evidence or something or other – I don’t know, it’s all getting a bit too much.’ He paused, running a hand through his hair leaving it ruffled and standing on end. ‘They have to stay local for the time being anyway. I don’t know about you but I need another drink before we turn in for the night.’

‘I shouldn’t really, but a G and T would be good. Shall I get them darling?’

‘No you stay where you are, you look a bit peaky. I won’t be a jiffy.’

Di leaned back on the cushions. She was feeling tired and jaded. Perhaps once this was all over they could take a short holiday. Some place where they didn’t know anyone and they could completely relax. She’d enjoy an African Safari or a stay in a tree house in Borneo. Either sounded just perfect as she thought more about it.

Returning with two filled tumblers, Steve handed one over to Di.

‘Thanks, cheers.’

They both took a sip; the coldness of the icy glass against their skin refreshing.

‘I wonder? Which one of them it was? Surely, it has to be one of them doesn’t it?’ Neither could leave the subject alone for too long.

‘Mmm. I think I’d put my money on Kristiakis,’ Steve replied taking a bigger swig of his gin and tonic. The ice cracked and tinkled in the glass.

‘Why?’

Steve considered before he spoke. Di eyed him with a fresh perspective. He possessed more than stubborn strength. There was brilliance behind those blue eyes and a wealth of common sense. As if sensing her scrutiny he glanced at her.

‘Well for one thing we’ve been led to believe by others who’ve lived here a great deal longer than us, that Kristiakis hated Leslie for years. We know it goes back years; we learnt that the other day. He’s a typical proud local. Their bloody grudges linger on, especially in these mountain villages. We’ve said that they’re still living in the nineteen sixties. I actually think we might be nearer to the fifties!’

Diana gave a small smile as she listened. ‘Okay I accept all that, but why now? I mean, if it’s an old grudge, why kill him now?’

‘Dunno. Why does any apparently normal person kill another human being? As for Kristiakis, maybe it was an opportunity that presented itself. An injured man would be an easy target for anyone. Perhaps something finally snapped in Kristiakis. He thought he’d tie him up and gag him to stop him yelling out. That way he could easily perform his grisly deed,’ he shivered. ‘Bernard said Kristiakis could be a nasty fellow.’

‘Well he certainly took a chance – if it was him. Anyone could have come along!’ Di protested.

‘Oh come on! It was a boiling hot day. The locals don’t walk anywhere by choice. It’s only idiots like you and I who go out in it, and that was much later.’

‘Tony and Alicia and now Kristiakis, quite an entourage if you ask me.’

Steve finished his drink. ‘I need another. I know you’re going to wear me down with your arguments. He picked up their empty glasses and Di nodded ‘yes please’ as he indicated he was going for a refill. He was back within a couple of minutes picking up the conversation.

‘Okay. So for once there were a fair few people out in the heat of the day. Well we apparently know why two of them were there; sex and voyeurism!’

Diana repressed a shudder at the thought of sleazy Tony and what he had told her earlier. Diana told Steve about meeting Tony outside their gates. She said that he never mentioned anything about the knife attack on Leslie. They concluded Tony couldn’t have known about this.

‘Some people are very strange. Human nature never ceases to amaze me.’

‘Ha, you’re telling me. Anyway, I wonder what the police will conclude.’ Feeling restless, Steve stood up and walked over to an open window. There was a slight breeze that ruffled his already untidy hair. It felt like standing in front of an oven. He turned around to look at Diana while leaning against the window sill.