CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I didn’t know what else to do but raise my hands. “Eleni, what’s going on?”
She smiled at me. “I must give you credit, Athena. You almost had me figured out. You were so close.”
“Eleni, think about what you’re doing,” Abby said in a calm voice, switching off her flashlight.
Eleni nudged Ben’s leg with her foot, trying to rouse him. When he didn’t move, she said, “Back in the office, girls. Have a seat. And in case you haven’t guessed it, the police aren’t coming.”
My heart began to race. I glanced at Abby, expecting her to be as shaken as I was, but she appeared calm.
“What do you intend to do?” Abby asked as we backed up. “Shoot us? Your fingerprints are all over the office. Don’t you think the police will figure it out?”
“Shut up and go sit down,” Eleni demanded, gesturing toward the desk.
Abby and I sat in the seats facing my desk. I turned to see Eleni standing in the doorway, just enough light coming from the window to make out her silhouette and the revolver still aimed in our direction.
“Eleni,” I said. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Unfortunately, Athena, you’ve given me no choice.”
She held the gun shakily in one hand, the other clutching the purse strap around her shoulder, a tiny crack in Eleni’s brave façade. She kicked Ben’s leg and ordered him to get up, but he didn’t respond.
“Put the gun down and let’s talk,” Abby said slowly.
Eleni leveled the gun at Abby as she moved past us, through the office, taking a seat behind the desk. She set her phone facedown with the flashlight on, giving off just enough light to see. “I’m really, really not in the mood for a chat,” she said sarcastically.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Abby sliding her phone out of her pants pocket. She hit buttons with her thumb, then placed the phone between her legs. “What’s your plan, Eleni? You can’t kill us and drag us out of here yourself. You need Ben, but he’s out cold.”
Eleni glanced nervously at the prone figure just outside the door. “Then we wait until he comes to.”
“How long will that be?” Abby pressed. “What if it’s hours? Do you really think no one will check on us when we don’t show up?”
“Shut up and let me think,” Eleni snapped.
Abby ignored her order. “So, tell us,” she said, “why did you kill Carly?”
Eleni glared at her. “You want a confession?”
“Why not?” Abby replied. “We’ve got nothing better to do.”
“Fine, I’ll tell you.” She rested her arm on the desk, keeping the gun barrel focused on Abby. “You must think I’m a monster. But I’m not.” She shook her head, her pupils dark and large. “I’m a protector,” she continued. “Carly was the monster. I killed her to protect my husband.”
“Protect him from Carly?” Abby asked.
“She could’ve ruined everything we’d worked for.”
“So, all that talk about you leaving him because he had an affair was a lie?” I asked.
“I had to tell you something to get in the door,” she replied. “I know Charles isn’t faithful. But he is ambitious. And so am I. The only difference is that Charles wants money, and I want power.”
“And Carly was a threat to your ambition,” Abby said.
“When Carly came to Charles with the casino proposal, I told him it was a bad idea, but he didn’t listen. Carly promised to make him rich, and that’s all he’s ever cared about. She promised that no one would ever find out about his involvement, but I didn’t believe her. And it turned out I was right.
“I tried to fix things,” Eleni continued. “I sent Charles the anonymous threats—and it almost worked. Charles agreed to pull out of the deal, but that was when Carly put her plan into action. She threatened to expose his interests, to ruin him if he didn’t follow through.”
“So you killed her,” Abby said.
Eleni shrugged. “I had to.”
“Ben worked with you to kill Carly, didn’t he?” I asked.
She laughed. “Oh, heavens no. Ben is just as bad as Carly was, both using blackmail to get what they wanted.”
“Then Ben must’ve caught you poisoning Carly’s water,” Abby said. “He caught you and threatened to go to the police if you didn’t pay.”
“He’s a money-hungry lout. Ben, get up!” Eleni shouted. But he still didn’t move. She rubbed her forehead, as though trying to decide what to do. Finally, she looked up at me and motioned with her gun. “Go ahead, Athena. I can see you have more questions.”
I knew she was stalling for time. I gripped the bottom of my seat, wondering how long it’d been since I’d talked to Case. Wondering if he would get here in time. Because as soon as Ben came to, our lives were over.
“Why is Ben helping you now?” Abby asked.
“He wanted his money, so I told him he would get his money as long as he helped me dispose of you two.”
“Then what?” Abby asked. “You think Ben is going to accept the hush money and then leave you alone? What if he demands more to keep quiet?”
Eleni gnawed on her lip. “Ben, get up!”
“I don’t understand something,” I said. “Why did you let us into your husband’s office if you knew Charles was involved with the casino? Why give us more evidence?”
“So I could buy myself more time,” Eleni explained. “You were getting too close. I needed to shift the narrative. Luckily, Lila walked in and gave me the perfect story.”
“Does Charles know what you’ve done?” I asked.
“He doesn’t need to know. As long as he smiles and waves and says his lines and gets himself reelected, that’s all that matters.” She half-rose from her chair. “Ben, wake up!”
As if on cue, Ben groaned. Almost immediately, I heard a loud bang somewhere in the garden center. Eleni rose at once. “What was that?”
I was wondering that myself. “It sounds like a garden tool fell off a rack,” I told her.
Another loud bang startled her out of the chair. She moved around the desk, the pistol still aimed our direction, and stopped at the door. I turned in my chair to watch as she nudged Ben’s leg with her foot. “Ben, for God’s sake, wake up!”
When he didn’t respond, Eleni bent down to shake him. At once Abby sprang from her chair and rushed Eleni. Before she could raise the gun, Abby grabbed her arm and bent it behind her back. Eleni cried out in pain and struggled to pull her arm free, but in one move Abby twisted her wrist backward, causing her to cry out again.
I ran over to help, wrestling the gun out of her grasp as Abby pushed her to her knees. “Get some rope!” she cried.
And suddenly Case appeared in the doorway, wrapping his arms around Eleni to pin both of her arms down. “Are you okay?” he asked us, as Eleni struggled. He pushed her onto her stomach on the floor and knelt over her, holding both arms behind her back.
Abby sagged in relief.
I stared at Eleni lying on her stomach and shook my head in disbelief. “What just happened?”
Abby threw her arms around me and gave me a big hug. “You solved the case.”
I hugged her back. “You need to teach me that move.”
* * *
Minutes later, a whole contingency of police officers arrived, including Bob Maguire. Abby and I gave him a quick rundown of our situation, then an EMT checked out my bruised tailbone and scratched-up wrists while a pair of EMTs loaded up Ben’s limp form and carried him out to a waiting ambulance. Then, as a team of forensics moved in and out of the garden center, Case, Abby, and I went outside to talk.
“How did you find us?” I asked him.
“You didn’t answer your phone,” he explained. “That’s not like you. When I arrived at the garden center, the front door was locked, but I saw both your cars out front. I went around back and found the door busted open. I guessed Ben was behind it. I never thought Eleni would be involved.”
“Athena figured it out,” Abby said, patting my shoulder. “She suspected Eleni right away.”
“And you have Eleni’s entire confession recorded on your phone,” I said. “I saw you slide your phone out of your pocket.”
“Actually, I dialed 911,” Abby explained. “I put the phone on mute so Eleni wouldn’t hear the dispatch operator. I knew the police would listen to the phone call, and I knew our location would be pinged, so I had to get Eleni talking while we waited for the police to arrive.”
Case shook his head with a smile. “You two make quite a team.”
Abby smiled at me. “We do, don’t we?”
A dark sedan squealed to a halt in the street before us, and Detective Walters stepped out of the car. In his scuffed brown shoes and wrinkled button-down, he casually walked over to us. “You ladies all right?” he asked gruffly.
“We’re fine,” I answered.
“We solved the case,” Abby said.
Walters placed his hands on his hips and lifted his belt, his mustache twitching as he said, “I kinda figured you would.”
Sunday
Under my father’s orders, I took the day off. Wanting something to do, I offered to help Mama prepare for the family dinner, but she ordered me to relax on the sofa. I turned the TV to a travel channel and tried to slow my thoughts, but the previous day’s events kept replaying in my mind.
Shortly before the relatives were to arrive, Nicholas came into the living room and sat down beside me, talking excitedly about how Oscar had helped save me.
“Yes, Oscar’s a hero,” I told him, “but you’re my hero, too, Niko. You’re the one who taught Oscar to fetch.” I put my arm around him and hugged him close. “What do you say we turn that old shed into a nice home for our little hero?”
Nicholas looked at me in surprise. “Really?”
“As long as your grandfather gives us the okay,” I said. “And as soon as my tailbone heals.”
Nicholas leapt up from the sofa. “I’ll go get you some ice.”
* * *
Because we were now open at Spencer’s until two on Sundays, our family dinners didn’t start until three o’clock. And right on the dot of three, Uncle Giannis, Aunt Rachel and their sons, Aunt Talia, Uncle Konstantine, Yiayia and Pappoús, along with the six of us, plus Bob Maguire and Case, gathered.
On the patio behind our house, Mama had filled a long table with food and set up enough card tables and chairs for everyone. There was grilled lamb on a spit; pastitsio (Greek lasagna); whole chickens roasted with crispy, lemony potatoes; a cucumber, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and tomato salad; and spanakopita (tiny spinach and feta triangle-shaped pastries).
Case and I were seated at one of the card tables with Delphi and Bob, who were chattering happily to us about their dance lessons. Nicholas sat at the next table with Maia and Selene.
“Kalispera, everyone,” my mother said, standing in front of the food table. “Come up and get your food.”
We all got in line at the big buffet table and took full plates back to our tables, the backyard filled with the sounds of silverware clinking against plates and happy voices. As the meal drew to an end, Delphi rose and tapped her knife against her glass.
“I have an announcement,” she said, glancing around at everyone. “Bobby and I are entered into the County Fair Dance Contest, which is tonight, and you’re all invited.”
That set off a round of happy chatter. “We’ll be there!” Mama cried, which was echoed by everyone else.
“That’s why you were taking dance lessons?” Selene asked.
“We will all be rooting for you tonight, Delphi, my dear.”
“Thank you, Mama,” Delphi said.
“Hello,” I heard someone call. I turned around to see Abby followed by her cousin Jillian walking around the side of the house. “We don’t mean to interrupt.”
“Abby,” I said. “Join us.” I stood and welcomed them onto the porch, facilitating quick introductions around the table. Abby was beaming, but Jillian was the true sight to behold. The color had returned to her lightly freckled cheeks, her long, silky copper-colored hair flowed freely down her shoulders, and there was an obvious sense of relief radiating all around her.
After the introductions were finished, Jillian turned to me and wrapped me in a fierce embrace. We were almost the same height, so she could whisper in my ear easily. “Thank you for saving me.”
I tried to pull away to respond, but she held me harder. “My little Harper thanks you, too.”
When our embrace ended, Abby joined us and said, “It’s all about helping innocent people stand up for themselves, right, Athena?”
I gave her a knowing smile. “It’s what we do.”
“Girls,” my mother said, “sit, eat, there’s plenty to go around.”
“I think Jillian wants to get home to her little girl,” Abby said. “We just stopped by to say thank you.”
“Can you believe it’s Eleni Sloan?” my aunt Rachel asked, which started everyone talking about Eleni.
“Give us an update, Bob,” my dad said. “Real quick while everyone’s here. What’s happening to Eleni now?”
Bob’s ears reddened as he was put on the spot, and everyone turned to listen. He finished his bite, then cleared his throat. “Eleni isn’t admitting to anything,” he told us. “But it doesn’t matter because we have most of her confession recorded through Abby’s 911 call. And the mayor’s security guard, Ben Logan, has told detectives everything. Let’s just say he was very talkative after the DA told him he could be tried as an accessory to murder.”
“So Mayor Sloan wasn’t involved?” Uncle Konstantine asked.
“Not in the murder,” I explained. “But he was involved in a scheme to build a giant casino on the outskirts of town.”
I explained about the mayor’s plan, after which Uncle Giannis said, “It’s a shame the citizens of this town don’t know what a liar their mayor is.”
“To be fair,” Case said, “he was backing out of the deal.”
“But only when it became too risky,” I added. “He didn’t want to do anything to hurt his chances for reelection.”
“It’s a shame,” Mama said. “Charles Sloan has done great things for this town, but he won’t be getting my vote this time.”
Her sentiment was echoed by everyone.
“Tell us how you solved the case, Athena!” Aunt Rachel called.
I gave them a rundown on how the pieces of the puzzle came together, and Abby explained Carly’s plan to blackmail Charles, which had everyone shaking their heads in wonder.
“Abby’s husband, Marco, was a big help,” I replied. “And Case was right there with me, helping me figure things out.”
Case rose to stand beside me. “My only regret is not getting there sooner when Athena and Abby were in danger.” He put his arms around me and looked into my eyes. “I’ll make sure that never happens again. One case at a time, as you said.”
Abby and Jillian were understandably excited to get home, but my mother, of course, insisted they stay.
“We need to be going,” Abby countered politely. Then she spied the table of desserts. “But I will take a piece of baklava to go.”
We said our good-byes and sent Abby and Jillian home with enough desserts for both of their families. The dinner resumed after they’d left, leaving Case and me to resume our conversation.
“One case at a time, huh?” I asked playfully.
He pulled me closer. “You got it, Goddess.”
I leaned toward him to say quietly, “Then I think we should turn to our next case.”
“Which is what?” Case asked.
“The case of the missing love life,” I whispered.
Case took me in his arms and kissed me right there in front of my family. To my surprise, everyone began to clink their knives against their glasses until we kissed again.
Mama stood and lifted her glass. “Everyone, raise your glasses. Once again, I will toast my daughter. Three cheers to the Goddess of—”
My phone rang, making her pause. “Sorry,” I said, pulling my phone from my pocket. I silenced it and gave her an apologetic look.
“Let’s try it again,” she said. “Three cheers to the—”
Case’s phone rang. He muted it and showed me Lila Talbot’s name on the screen.
“One more time,” Mama said. “Three cheers to the Goddess of—Oh, for heaven’s sake!”
Both of our phones had dinged at the same time. We pulled them out to see what was going on and saw a group text from Lila: SOS I NEED YOUR HELP NOW! CALL ME AT ONCE.
“Can I finish my toast now?” my mother cried. And without waiting for my answer, she hoisted her glass once again. “Here’s to the Goddess of Greene Street!”
Everyone joined in her cheer. I thanked them, then Case and I excused ourselves and went inside to call Lila.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, putting her on speakerphone. “Case is here with me.”
“Charles hasn’t shown up to run through his speech, and he’s not answering his phone. I drove to his house, but no one answered the door. His speech is in a few hours. What should I do?”
I explained to her about Eleni and told her the mayor would certainly cancel his appearance because of it. “He’s not going to stand in front of an audience fielding questions about his wife.”
“His supporters don’t know anything about that, Athena. It hasn’t hit the news yet. We’re expecting a packed house tonight, and they will be expecting their hero to show up. If he doesn’t show, I don’t know what to do. I can’t let all those people down.”
“They’re going to find out tomorrow what happened,” I said.
“But what about tonight? What am I going to do tonight? Please, Athena. This isn’t just about Charles. There’s a whole group of people who worked very hard to get to this point. I can’t abandon them now.”
“Then just tell the crowd what happened. You can let them down easily.”
“Will you and Case come to the fair?” she asked. “I need your support.”
I could hear the desperation in her voice. Even though every bone in my body was begging me to decline, I couldn’t. Lila had come through for us on more than one occasion. I wasn’t about to let her down now.
I breathed in deeply and let it out, asking, “What time should we be there?”