The Collectors Book Two: Full Circle (The Collectors Series 2) (18 page)

“You can be assured,” said the captain, “that we will apprehend these criminals and recover the treasures.”

“I don't know,” said the colonel in a cold voice, “but a fatal accident might befall these intruders. Once eliminated and their corpses disposed of, there’s no proof they were ever here.”

A brief silence followed before the sergeant spoke. “I understand, sir. Arrangements will be made.”

“Captain,” he said abruptly. “You will keep me informed with regard to this little matter.” The colonel turned his back on the two men indicating the meeting had ended.

*  *  *

Detective Inspector
Barris, of the Nicosia Police Force, walked into the interview room. Detective Sergeant Nasso followed with a buff-coloured file under his arm.

They nodded to the policeman standing by the door guarding the suspect.

In the windowless space, the DI and his associate sat and studied an agitated Pavlo; red eyes, a bruised and stubble-covered face implied a lack of sleep.

“What have we got here, Sergeant?”

The sergeant handed him the manila folder.

DI
Barris opened it and stared at the photographs it contained.

Nasso
nodded, raised his hand, and pressed the record button on the tape machine. He kept his voice bored and unfriendly. “It’s for you as well as our records.”

Pavlo
shuddered and tried to swallow, but his mouth remained dry. “I don’t need this. I didn’t kill Nitsa. I want to go home and sleep.”

DI
Barris slouched in his chair and smiled. “You’re obviously eager to be out of here. I’ve read your statement over a few times. There are many irregularities.” He always started with simple questions designed to set up a rapport with the suspect. “Do you tell me how old you are and where you live?”

“
Paphos and my age is on my passport.”

Barris smiled and nodded. “Pavlo, tell me again why you travelled to Northern Cyprus?”

Pavlo
sat unresponsive, his mind elsewhere. He stared at the man’s thin lips and unruly hair. His body ached from the abuse of the last two days. He started to speak, but Nasso interrupted.

“The medical examiner confirms you had anal sex. Your partner used a proprietary muscle relaxant. Was it consensual?”

Pavlo leaned on the table as he struggled to stay awake. These men are morons, he thought. “Why do I have to tell you again? Two Turkish soldiers tied me to an overhead beam and raped me. I’m not gay.”

“I don’t believe you. Are you bisexual?” asked
Nasso.

Pavlo
screamed into his face. “I did not kill Nitsa.”

“You’re a sick bastard,”
Barris said coldly. “You told us, when you left the army camp you didn’t check your boot?”

“Why should I? I wanted to get away from that place. Can’t you understand?”

Nasso interrupted, “You were happy to leave your girlfriend?”

Pavlo
sensed their probing eyes boring into his. “How did I know they were going to kill her?”

“Please, reply to the question,” said
Barris. A hint of delight flashed across the inspector’s face. “We’re not here to answer yours.” With a cough, he cleared his throat. “You or one of your associates murdered your girlfriend, they ran, you panicked and dumped her in the boot.”

Sweat poured from
Pavlo’s skin. “You both fail to understand. I didn’t kill her.”

Barris
’ chair groaned as he leaned back. “I’m not the one who’s made a mistake. Okay, change of topic. The missing icons, did you report this to the police?”

Pavlo
wasn’t prepared for the change of subject. He sat back and remained silent for a few minutes. “Nitsa thought we might make a great deal of money if we informed the Turkish authorities.”

Barris
hid a smile. “So you admit you were out to profit from an illegal regime.”

“Well, yes, I suppose so.”

“The truth at last. You wanted it for yourself and argued. One way or another it got out of hand and you killed her.”

“I’ve told you a dozen times, I didn’t kill her. The Turkish sergeant and his friends raped and beat her.”

“You were there when this happened?” asked Barris.

“No, I listened from my cell.”

A knock on the door caused both police officers to pause the interrogation as a female officer entered. Barris rose in one movement while Nasso struggled to his feet.

“Interview re the death of
Nitsa Charalambous stopped at eleven-thirty,” proclaimed Nasso as he switched off the machine.

They left, leaving the officer with him.

“Might I have a glass of water, please?”

She didn’t move.

Barris and Nasso returned and sat opposite Pavlo.

“Constable,” said
Barris, “go and get three cups of coffee. Take your time.”

Nasso
started the tape. “Interview re the death of Nitsa Charalambus restarted at twelve-thirty.”

The DI gave a crisp nod. “All right,
Pavlo, let me tell you the facts so far. The body of Nitsa Charalambous is in the morgue and the pathologist tells me she’s been brutally violated. From DNA analysis, the deceased woman had intercourse and anal sex with three persons but you were not one of them. I find it strange you didn’t. I believe you had a different agenda. During this bestiality, one of you strangled her. You and your clique played a sick game and it went wrong. You’re going to tell me the answer, Pavlo.”

The DI paused. “For your information, the bishop arrived first thing this morning and has confirmed the identity of the body as
Nitsa Charalambous. He informed us she was a simple village girl who worked faithfully for him for many years to support her ailing parents. He said that you visited his home to repair various items. He cannot tell us what they were as he leaves the management of such matters to his housekeeper. Is that correct?”

Pavlo
thumped the table and stood. “I did not kill her.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

Pavlo gave a vague nod. “What you say is true. Did the bishop tell you the story of the hidden icons?”

Without hesitating, the DI replied. “No, he didn’t.”

Pavlo blinked in astonishment and forced himself to concentrate. “He’s lying. Nitsa overheard him talking to a Cypriot and his partner from London and one thing led to another. They were going to collect them from Varosha.”

“So you personally never heard this conversation?”

“No, but I believed Nitsa.” He sobbed. “We loved each other and were going to get married.”

The DI shook his head. “
Pavlo, I’m trying to help you? These lies will make it worse. Tell me about your group’s people trafficking operation. Why did they beat her? It’s time you told the truth. Tell me what happened again and remember,” he pointed to the machine, “we have it all taped.”

“What’s the point, you’re not listening.”

The DI leaned on the table, his hot breath hitting Pavlo’s face. “We’ll go over this ten, a hundred, and if need be, a thousand times. Tell me what you did to Nitsa Charalambous and why?”

“For God’s sake I’ve told you. Leave me alone. I did not touch
Nitsa. What do  you mean by trafficking? Why won’t you believe me?”

“
Pavlo, I believe you persuaded Nitsa, this simple girl, to go with you to the north. Your contacts eager to sample the goods took it in turns to abuse her. Unfortunately, it got out of hand and she died. There are no icons and never were. Why you didn’t dump her in a ditch we’ll never know or did you fancy humping a dead one? You psychopaths are a strange bunch.”

Nasso
turned off the tape as the interview room door opened and the constable returned with three coffees.

“Drink your coffee,
Pavlo.”

Their drinks finished,
Nasso restarted the tape.

“Why did you kill her?” asked the DI again.

“I keep telling you, I did not touch Nitsa. The Turkish soldiers raped and murdered her.”

“
Pavlo, it’s a pack of lies. You’re aware I can’t go on with this enquiry in the north. Do you believe the camp commandant allows his men to rape women on his base? No he wouldn’t, you know this and have made up the entire story. Admit you and your friends raped and killed Nitsa. Believe me when I say, I’m prepared to get answers, today, tomorrow, doesn’t matter to me. You can’t win. I’m an expert at getting the truth out of murderers.”

Pavlo
wiped his forehead and perspiration dripped off his hand. “Can’t you understand? I loved her.”

A question came from
Nasso. “What did you experience when you found out your friends had killed your girlfriend?”

Pavlo’s
mind raced. He sipped the cold coffee and wondered why they kept asking him these silly questions.

“I asked you a question,” said
Nasso, his voice hardened.

“I wasn’t listening. Please repeat the question?”

The DI held his breath, controlling his urge to grab Pavlo and beat a confession from him. “Are you deaf or think I’m a fool?”

Pavlo’s
face contorted and his eyes stared ahead. Chaos filled his mind. “I can’t go on. I’m exhausted. I must sleep.” He slumped onto the table. Someone called his name from far away. He opened his eyes and thought the figure looming over him was Nitsa.

“Have I got to get up? It’s time; I’ve got to go.” Shock slammed the doors of his mind shut, but the images of the dank cell and soldiers laughing as they abused him, remained.
The pain unbearable. “Stop, please stop. I don’t like it here. You can’t do that, it hurts. Must go. I’m going. How do I get out? You can’t keep me here. ”

The DI snapped his fingers in front of
Pavlo’s eyes. “Shit, he’s in another world. His mind’s gone.”

Pavlo’s
lips moved as if he were speaking but there was no sound.

“You mean he’s loco?” said
Nasso.

The DI waved his hands in the air. “You’d better believe it. I’ve seen this happen. I wish I knew what goes on in a suspect’s head when they suffer a total breakdown. The bastard beats up women but can’t stand the strain. Get the doctor. This one’s destined for a padded cell.” He turned the tape off and removed the two discs. “Constable, shoelaces, belt, everything he could damage himself with, take them all.”

With his head resting on his arms, Pavlo sobbed.

“Do you think he killed her?” said
Nasso.

“I’m not clairvoyant, but if he didn’t, one of his perverted friends did. I’d stake my pension on it. I reckon he’s a procurer of women. Sergeant, get the paperwork completed and leave the folder on my desk. Thank God my shift’s over. I’m going home.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Mr Kyriades,” said the woman at reception.

Petros hurried towards her.

“A bishop telephoned earlier.” She handed him an envelope.

“Thank you.” Does he ever rest, he thought. He strolled to the centre of the lobby and opened the envelope. The receptionist glanced at him before returning to her book. On a slip of paper, he read a two-word message from the bishop.
Telephone me
. He walked out of reception and into the car park.

Concerned, he pressed the memory button on his mobile.

“Good evening, Mr Kyriades.”

“What’s the problem?”

“I’m not sure, but listen. This morning I identified my housekeeper in the Nicosia mortuary. The handyman who visits my house is charged with her murder.”

“Does that affect this collection?”

“The police informed me at least three men raped her. They discovered her in the boot of the handyman’s car at the border crossing. Maybe I’m just putting two and two together and reaching the wrong conclusion but they did ask about missing icons. Naturally I denied any knowledge.”

“I work with risk,” said Petros. “But I prefer to avoid them. Thank you for the information. Sorry regarding the death of your housekeeper.” He ended the call with the bishop’s last words in his mind:
Be prepared
.

Petros checked the time, three minutes had elapsed. He opted to keep this to himself. There was no going back and tonight’s recon would confirm if she had talked.

*  *  *

Petros stood in the hallway examining the fire escape plan while he waited for Maria. He turned as someone approached. “You okay?”

She kissed him on the lips. “Stop worrying. You have enough to consider.”

“It’s my job to worry.” He opened the door and took a step back.
“You first.” Maria pinched his backside, smiled and entered.

On one bed sat Bear,
Kyriacos, Takis and George. Andreas stared out of the window. The dull sunlight cast its shadow onto the meagrely furnished room.

Petros remained standing while Maria perched on the edge of a chair, crossed her long, shapely legs and folded her arms across her breasts. He removed the plan from his pocket. “Tonight we’ll do a final recon. George, Maria, you will park the trucks here.” He pointed to his sketch of
Varosha. “I want you to wait in your vehicles for two hours. Make out you’re resting and listening to the radio. With luck no one will query why you’re parked there. Afterwards, return to the hotel. On the other hand, if someone becomes nosey, move on.”

He attempted to keep his voice light. “
Kyriacos, Takis, Bear and I will enter the town and try to raise the altar. One way or the other we’ll return at the same time.”

“To lift that block of marble, PK, we might need the jacks,” said
Kyriacos. “Wouldn’t it be better if we took them in tonight and hid them somewhere safe until tomorrow? Makes life easier.”

“Good thinking. Thanks,” said Petros, his tone sincere.
“One more thing. I’ve checked the emergency exits from the hotel; no problem. They’re not alarmed. Any questions?”

“Are we eating before our stroll into
Varosha?” said Bear

“Are you suggesting you’re suffering from malnutrition?”

“I’m starving.”

Petros shook his head. “Bear, you don’t know the meaning of the word. Okay, we’ll meet in the reception at six and go for a meal. Can you last till then?”

“I’m going to pop out for a kebab or two to ward off my hunger pains.”

Takis
laughed. “That’s the best idea you’ve had in days. I’ll join you.”

The meeting ended in general chatter.

Back in their room, Maria went to the window and closed the curtains. With an impish gleam in her eyes she put her arms around Petros’s neck. “I have an idea.” She touched his mouth with her fingers. “Be quiet.” In one movement she pushed him onto the bed and lay on top of him. Her breasts pressed against his chest and her legs wrapped around his.

They made love and held each other. Later, Maria fell asleep, her head on his chest. Naked, they lay beneath the crumpled sheets, his arm around her shoulder.

Maria stirred and opened her eyes. She raised herself, kissed Petros and smiled. “We’d better get ready or the boys will talk.”

“And they’re not already?”