Sons of Sparta: A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery by Jeffrey Siger

across from him. “Hard to imagine how he won’t aspire to greatness with such a glorious view of the Acropolis every time he looks in that direction.”
    “I just hope he doesn’t take it for granted. That’s the downside of all this.” Andreas picked up a wine bottle from a silver ice bucket on the coffee table in front of them and poured some into Tassos’ glass. “Lila would kill me if she saw me doing this instead of asking Marietta to do it for us.”
    “Stop complaining. You’ve got a great family.”
    “I thought you were on my side?” Andreas smiled.
    “I am. That’s why I told you to stay away from Orestes.”
    “And I listened.”
    “Really?”
    “Sort of.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “I followed your suggestion and told the prosecutor to subpoena the companies on his list.”
    “And?”
    Andreas took a sip of wine. “I’m keeping an eye on him.”
    “Why?”
    “Don’t know yet, depends on what he’s up to. I want to know if he has any plans on getting back at me for not playing ball.”
    “And how do you intend on learning what’s in his mind?”
    “I have someone from outside the unit keeping an eye on him.”
    “Why outside the unit? Do you think there’s a leak?”
    Andreas gestured no. “But Spiros is the big boss and if he finds out, God knows what he might say to Orestes to keep on his good side.”
    “Who’d you bring in?”
    “His name is Petro Dangas. He’s a tough kid, who works at GADA but moonlights at a club where Orestes hangs out. I told him to keep track of Orestes’ guests and associates. I want to know who’s getting his special attention.”
    “Can you trust the guy?”
    “My instincts say yes. He’s been on the force less than two years, and six months ago transferred to headquarters’ security from a vice unit in the wild-ass western suburbs.”
    “Why would he leave a wide-open, take-what-you-can money-making assignment like that?” smiled Tassos.
    “I thought the same thing, so I spoke to his former precinct commander.”
    “Surprised he talked to you.”
    “I promised not to bust his balls if he told me the truth. And to ground them up into powder if he didn’t.”
    “You do know how to make friends in the department.”
    Andreas shrugged. “He told me the kid ‘wouldn’t get with the program.’”
    “Sounds like a hell of an endorsement.”
    “I took it the same way. He got the kid transferred to a place where all he’ll ever get to do is tell tourists not to take pictures of the building and look tough for photo ops.”
    “Some career.”
    “Which is why he jumped at the chance to keep an eye on Orestes. He reports only to me.”
    “Why do you have such a hard-on for Orestes?”
    Andreas smiled. “Interesting choice of words. You can’t imagine.”
    Lila and Maggie swept into the room.
    “Your little angel is asleep, Chief.”
    “Thanks to Maggie. He listens to her,” said Lila.
    “We all do,” said Tassos.
    “It’s a fear-driven response,” said Andreas.
    Lila laughed. “On that note, dinner is served.”
    “Oh, great. Time for more little boys and their stories.” Maggie winked at Lila. “At least we begin our fairy tales with ‘Once upon a time.’”
    ***
    Kouros didn’t bother to look at the clock when he woke up. He knew it was morning and that was all he wanted to know. He ran his head under the shower for ten minutes, a real waste of water in parched Mani, and after searching around the bathroom he found some long-expired ibuprofen. He swallowed more than prescribed, stared in the mirror, and made the solemn pledge so many have vowed in similar moments of clarity: “If I survive, never again. I promise.”
    He dressed in jeans and a polo shirt and followed the smell of coffee out into the kitchen. His mother handed him a cup as he walked into the room. He made a point not to look her in the eyes, just gave her a quick peck on both cheeks, said “ Kali mera ,” grabbed two biscuits off the