Mistaken Identity (8 page)

‘Come in!’

Alex was dressed in a dark grey business suit that set off his bronzed skin and raven black hair to perfection. Her insides turned to mush.

‘I have news of your attackers, Susan.’

He’s still calling me Susan.
She gave an inward sigh of relief.

‘The men who tried to capture you were ordered to take you to Sergio Comelli.’

Was she supposed to know who that was? She schooled her features into an impassive mask.

‘You don’t look surprised. You must have known all this time who was after you,’ he accused.

She neither confirmed nor denied his words. How could she?

‘I’ve spoken with Comelli,’ he continued.

‘Friend of yours, is he?’

‘Don’t get cute, Susan. Spiros still hasn’t shown up, and I’m worried about him. Comelli swears he has no business with my brother. His only interest was in recovering the money you owed him.’

‘Money?’
I was attacked over money?

When Alex told her how much Susie owed Comelli, Leah had trouble computing the amount. ‘Did he mention what the money was for?’

‘Oh, come off it. He didn’t have to tell me. I know you’re into drugs, and everyone knows the Comelli family are drug barons.’

Fear twisted her insides tight. Just how dangerous was the Comelli family? It was what she’d suspected, but it still shocked her. Especially the amount of money her twin owed. Susie made an incredible amount of money, but she spent it as fast as it was earned. Did she have the money to pay that kind of debt? ‘What happens now? Have you decided to hand me over to him?’

Alex walked over to the window and stared out. ‘No.’

‘Does Comelli know you’ve got me?’

‘Yes.’

She stood up, impatient for answers. ‘Damn it, Alex! Tell me what’s he planning?’

‘Nothing.’ He turned back to her. ‘I’ve agreed to settle your debt.’

‘What?’

‘I think you heard me.’

‘Yes, but…’ Her hands moved expressively, relaying her confusion. ‘Why would you do that?’

‘Sergio’s agreed to put the word out that no more drugs are to be distributed your way. You’ll repay me the money and agree not to come between Spiros and Elena.’

‘I can’t do that.’

‘You don’t have the money?’

‘Yes. No. Well —’

‘You don’t have to pay me immediately.’

‘It’s not the money, Alex.’ At least, she hoped repaying it wouldn’t be a problem for her sister.

His tone was impatient. ‘What’s the problem?’

She began pacing the floor, then stopped. ‘I can’t agree to stay away from Spiros.’

‘Hell,’ he thundered, ‘don’t continue to pretend you love him.’

She broke eye contact with Alex. How was she going to assure him that Susie would stay away from Spiros? She chewed on her lower lip in agitation. Would one more lie make things any worse?

‘I’m leaving for Athens. You’ll sign a document prepared by my lawyers declaring you’ll stay away from Spiros.’

‘I —’

‘You won’t leave here until you do.’

‘You can’t expect me to stay here indefinitely. I have a life, you know.’

‘You have a life without Spiros, or you don’t get to choose how you live your life.’

‘You’re leaving me here. What am I supposed to do?’

‘Sign the document. Recover from your addiction. Spend some time re-assessing your life.’

‘You may as well throw me in a dungeon!’ she protested.

‘Don’t be such a child. Staying on this island can hardly be compared to being thrown into a dungeon.’

‘I’ve got nothing to do. Nobody to talk to.’ Her fists balled at her sides.

‘You want me to stay.’

‘No, I don’t!’ What she wanted was to punch him. ‘I’ll go nuts if I stay here,’ she said, fighting back the tears. ‘I feel like Medusa. I don’t know what you’ve told your staff, but Soula hardly made eye contact with me this morning when she brought me my breakfast. I think she’s afraid she’ll turn to stone if she looks at me.’

His lips twitched in amusement, but then he grew serious. ‘She’s worried about what you’re doing to Spiros.’

‘You told me you were capable of compassion. Please let me go,’ she pleaded.

‘Stop feeling sorry for yourself. I’ll organise a drug counsellor for you.’

‘I don’t need a counsellor.’ Tears of frustration spilled out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. ‘Oh, just get out!’

‘Sort yourself out, Susan.’

When she pulled herself together and looked up, he was gone. She’d never felt lonelier, or more confused. He’d paid her sister’s debt, ending whatever danger Susie faced from the drug baron and making it harder for her to access her drugs. He was giving her every opportunity to sort her life out. Why? Was it just to get her to stay away from Spiros, or was there a more personal reason? His own attraction to Susie?

A light tap on the door pulled her away from her thoughts.

‘Good morning, Miss Hamlin.’

‘Hello, Anna.’

‘I’ve come to do your observations. Then, if you’re up to it, I’ve been asked to show you around the villa and grounds.’

‘I’d like that,’ she replied. She really would go nuts if she didn’t find some way to occupy her time. It could be ages before Spiros and Susie figured out what had happened to her. Leah was thankful that her captor had thought to ask Anna to do this.

The nurse checked her temperature. ‘How are you?’

‘You’ll find me as fit as a fiddle. These checks are a waste of time.’

‘I’m under instructions.’

She raised her eyes heavenward. ‘Right. He who must be obeyed.’

Anna smiled. ‘He’s a wonderful man. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him as worried as he was when he was waiting for you to regain consciousness.’

‘Not even when his wife was ill?’ The words burst from her lips unchecked.

Anna looked uncomfortable as she wrapped the cuff of the blood pressure device around Leah’s arm. ‘No.’

That surprised Leah. She really wanted to know more about Alex’s relationship with his wife.

‘I haven’t met Christina. Does she live in Athens?’

Anna stopped and looked up. ‘No, Miss Hamlin. She died.’

‘Oh!’ A strange cocktail of emotions fizzed through her. She’d accused Alex of being unfaithful. Why hadn’t he told her that his wife was dead? Had he remarried?

‘How did she die?’

‘I wouldn’t normally talk about my patients, but everyone in Greece knows.’ Anna pumped the cuff full of air and refocused on her task, observing the readings as she let the air out.

I don’t know
, Leah wanted to shout.
Tell me!

‘
Kiria
Kristidis was an alcoholic.’

Leah felt her eyes widen. The beautiful, sophisticated woman she pictured in her imagination was an alcoholic? She couldn’t imagine Alex falling for anyone less than perfect. It must’ve been an arranged marriage.

‘Did Alex know? I mean, of course he knew. I just can’t imagine him being married to an alcoholic.’

‘I think it came as a shock. From what I understand, he tried to help her, but she got really good at hiding it. He removed every bottle of alcohol from the house, so she started drinking vanilla essence.’

‘Vanilla essence?’

‘Mmm,’ she took Leah’s pulse. ‘It has a very high alcohol content but doesn’t leave you smelling of alcohol.’

‘I didn’t know.’

‘Neither did
Kirie
Kristidis. They found out only when it was too late. Eventually, her liver gave out. She drank herself to death.’

‘That’s horrible.’ Leah’s heart went out to Alex. He knew about the lethal effects of substance abuse, so it was no wonder he was going to such lengths to keep Spiros from marrying a drug addict. ‘He must’ve been devastated.’

‘I shouldn’t say for I really don’t know, but it was so hard on him and his wife that I think, in the end, he must have been relieved.’

‘It would’ve been awful for him to watch her deteriorate.’

‘It wasn’t pretty.’

‘So, he really loved her? It wasn’t an arranged marriage?’

Anna packed away her equipment. ‘I’ve heard he loved her so much that he married against his father’s wishes.’

‘Oh!’ It seemed almost like a Greek tragedy. It explained why he wanted to give Susie every opportunity to clean up her act. Maybe in his own mind he needed some form of redemption, a chance to do things right for someone in a similar situation.

Despite Susie’s claims, this wasn’t just about business for Alex. Leah felt intuitively that he was acting out of love for his brother. He wouldn’t want Spiros to suffer the same despair of watching someone he cared for spiral hopelessly into the black hole of their addiction. Although she respected Alex’s concerns, it didn’t justify him kidnapping the woman his brother loved.

‘Has he remarried?’ She asked the question, then held her breath.

‘No.’

Alex was single!
The steady beating of Leah’s heart went haywire. She couldn’t suppress her happiness. Knowing that her joy at the news must be revealed in her expression, she turned away from Anna and said, ‘I’ll grab my shoes, then you can give me a tour.’

Alex’s home was palatial. Leah gasped in delight as Anna showed her around the three main wings that made up the home. Although it was huge and opulent, the richness was understated and the atmosphere was warm. The indoor pool, gymnasium, and extensive library interested her most.

Suddenly, her sentence on the island seemed much more bearable. She was hopeful that Susie was out of danger now Alex had spoken to the Comellis. Susie would find a way to marry Spiros despite her lack of identification. She was world-famous, so there had to be another way of establishing her identity.

‘
Kirie
told me to let you know you may use any of the facilities you like, but he asked me to remind you not to go swimming in the ocean at night.’

‘He told me that his mother drowned.’

‘Yes. That’s another Kristidis tragedy.’

‘Is there some curse on the Kristidis brides?’

‘Not that I know of,’ Anna laughed as they walked through the colourful grounds, then a moment or two later, her expression grew serious. ‘His mother drowned in a boating accident.’

‘In these waters?’

‘No.’ They turned and walked back to the house. ‘People say she married Alex’s father for his money and was constantly unfaithful to him. She went to the French Riviera to meet with a rich lover. She and her lover were in a boating accident, suffered from head injuries, and drowned.’

‘How awful,’ Leah said sadly. ‘How long ago was that?’

‘Must be eight years ago now.
Kiria
Kristidis — Christina — was still alive.’

‘How long ago did Christina die?’

‘Just over five years ago.’

‘What about Alex’s father? Is he still alive?’

‘Yes. He was devastated when his wife died. He lost his grip on life for a while, and in the process, lost his shipping company. He lives a fairly quiet life in Athens now, but he comes here to stay sometimes.’

Leah shook her head, feeling a surge of compassion for Alex. How awful for him to cope with his wife’s condition and his mother’s death. She wondered what sort of relationship existed between mother and son.

‘Was Alex close to his mother?’

‘No!’ Anna answered adamantly. ‘She was a cold woman. Heartless. Only Spiros claimed her affection.’

‘Is Alex close to his father?’

‘Very.’

They reached the house.

‘Thank you for showing me around, Anna.’
And for giving me so much insight into Alex’s life.

‘You’re welcome. I’ll see you after lunch.’

As they parted, the housekeeper met them. ‘You have a visitor, Miss Hamlin. She’s waiting in the library.’

Someone to see her? It must have been the drug counsellor Alex had promised to send. Her pulse skipped a beat. Would the counsellor be able to tell she wasn’t a recovering junkie?

The beautiful Greek girl waiting for her seemed way too young to be a drug counsellor.

Soula seemed uncomfortable as she made the introductions. ‘Miss Hamlin, this is Elena Moustakis.’

‘Hello, Susan.’

‘Elena? Not…’ Leah’s voice trailed off.

‘Yes. I’m Spiros’s fiancée.’

Chapter 5

The computer screen of Leah’s mind went blank, then her brain slowly rebooted. A huge cluster of diamonds sparkled on Elena’s ring finger. Leah’s stomach contracted then seemed to plummet toward her feet.

‘Excuse me.’ Soula shifted uneasily, averting her eyes. ‘Please call for me if you need anything.’

Elena nodded.

Leah was tense as the housekeeper left. She studied Elena, feature by feature, and was impressed by her extraordinary beauty. Dark black hair. Liquid brown eyes. A sensational figure.

Leah could see she was nervous about this meeting. The Greek woman had her head held high and kept her back straight, but she was shaking.

‘I get straight to the point,’ Elena’s accented voice quavered. ‘I want to know why you’re here.’

Leah felt awkward. ‘Alex arranged for me to be here.’

‘Where is Spiros?’

‘I honestly don’t know.’

‘But you know about me, yes?’

Leah nodded her head warily.

‘I heard of you too, Susan. I know Spiros’s been seeing you, but that is to end before we marry next month. I —’

‘Next month?’ Leah interrupted, aghast.

‘Yes,’ Elena confirmed. ‘You not know this?’

‘No.’ Her mind was in chaos.

‘The date’s been planned for a year.’

Leah’s mouth fell open. ‘Did you and Spiros set the date for the wedding together?’

‘But of course! I know Spiros all my life. We, how you say?’ She searched for the words. ‘Childhood sweethearts. We always plan to marry.’

Without responding, Leah’s heart constricted. She could see how brave Elena was being, coming to face the person she thought was her rival.

‘I love him with my whole heart.’ Elena’s voice caught on a slight sob, and Leah’s own heart lurched again at the raw pain she could see in the girl’s eyes. Everything in Leah felt empathy for this beautiful, brave Greek girl, but her compassion was tempered by the knowledge that Susie’s happiness was also at stake.

‘I’m sorry.’ The words were inadequate, but what else could she say?