Jeffrey Siger_Andreas Kaldis 02 by Assassins of Athens

we’ve got a great left-wing, or is it right-wing, conspiracy going on out there. Carrying out clandestine acts on behalf of unnamed powers. Assuming there’s any truth to all this, what does it have to do with the Kostopoulos kid ending up in a dumpster?” He probably could have been more diplomatic.
    “I don’t know.”
    Is this guy jerking my chain?
    Marios continued. “Over the past several years quite a few foreign-born but Greek families who achieved great wealth in Greece suddenly moved away, selling everything.”
    Andreas’ patience was nearly at its end. “So?”
    “And none would ever say why they left so suddenly.”
    Andreas drummed his fingers on the seat between them.
    “But there was a pattern to three of those families, one I admit I never saw until the Kostopoulos boy’s death.”
    Finally, something relevant. Please.
    “In each case a family member died unexpectedly.”
    This time Andreas gestured, so?
    “And within a day after each death, the rest of the family left Greece. Never to return.”
    The thought sat in the air, as if no one dared go after it.
    The first thing Andreas could think of to say was, “Why did you decide to tell me this?”
    “I was told to. But I only agreed after I was convinced you’re a man to be trusted. And the one man in Greece possibly dumb enough to risk doing something about it.”
    He wasn’t sure if that was meant as a threat or a compliment. “Who told you that?”
    “A friend.”
    “Yours or mine?”
    “Does it matter?”
    Andreas couldn’t imagine what sort of friend would drop him into the middle of such a goddamned mess. Then again, he’d already waded in on his own; so possibly it was a warning to watch where he stepped. Or to back off. Either way, he was better off knowing.
    “Any suggestions on where to go from here?”
    Marios handed him an envelope that was sitting on the seat next to him. “Inside is all the information I have on the other three families. I also included the name and phone number of a friend who’s tied into Athens society. I think she might be able to help you.”
    “Does she know about this?”
    Marios gestured no. “But she’s smart, so be careful what you say if you don’t want her to figure it out.”
    They shook hands, exchanged perfunctory smiles, and said goodbye in the theater. Marios didn’t walk them out, probably to avoid being seen with Andreas any more than he already had been. Andreas couldn’t blame him. He wouldn’t want to be seen with himself, knowing what he knew now.

Chapter 8
    “Ever see any of those old-time American Laurel and Hardy movies?”
    “You mean the ones with the tall, skinny guy and the short, fat one?”
    Andreas nodded yes. They were standing outside Tholos next to their car, engaged in the ubiquitous self-destructive Greek ritual of cigarette smoking. Andreas knew it was bad for him, but he only smoked when stressed. Or so he told himself. “One always was complaining about the messes the other kept getting them into.”
    Kouros smiled and nodded.
    Andreas stretched and yawned. “Marios really was unhappy about talking to us.”
    “What do you think it was that had the all-powerful Marios doing something he didn’t want to do?”
    Andreas shrugged. “I’m more interested in who got him to do it.” He stared at the ground and thought, beware of Greeks bearing gifts . “How much of what he said do you think is true?”
    “No, idea. But I’ll start checking out those three families as soon as I get back to the office.”
    “Have Maggie help you. If anyone knows the gossip or where to find it, she does.” Andreas drew in on his cigarette and exhaled. “I wonder how long Marios has known what he told us and what his reasons were for not doing something about it sooner?”
    “Maybe somebody just told him, someone with enough influence to keep him from breaking the story on TV?”
    “More likely someone who pointed out that running it meant his probable immediate and