Dark Shadows of the Past

  Christina swallowed hard and tried to recover from the initial shock. She stared at the lady closer and realized that she must be older than she thought at first.

  “You have to excuse me,” Christina whispered. “But you must understand this is quite a shock for me.”

  “I understand. It was quite a shock for me, too, when I found out that my long-lost granddaughter was alive and well, here on the island.”

  ***

  Christina spent the next two hours with her grandmother, listening to her talking about the good old days of the family and her life on the island. They had so much to say that time flew by, and Christina didn’t realize it until the maid came in to tell them that lunch was ready.

  “Oh, my! Dan is probably back at the house. He’ll be worried about me.”

  “Who is Dan?”

  Christina explained to her grandmother that Dan was the detective who saved her life. She carefully avoided going into too many details. She wasn’t sure how much the old lady knew about her sons’ dealings and about the ordeal Christina had been through. Even if she did know, she never said a word, and neither did Christina.

  “I need to make a phone call,” Christina said, since the way she was abducted from her house, she didn’t have her purse and cell phone with her. Thank God, that after all that had happened to her she had memorized Dan’s cell phone number.

  The lady showed her the phone hanging on the kitchen wall.

  Christina called Dan on his cell phone, but she was diverted to the answering service. So she left a message that she was with a friend and was going to meet him later on. It’s better this way, she thought. She could hardly believe it herself, much less tell Dan over the phone, that she was with her grandmother.

  ***

  Dan spent the morning at the police department with Alexis; there was so much that needed to be done. Alexis explained that besides wrapping up the case of Antonio Rosetti, the police had discovered other interesting things about Marcos Deligiannis. When the chief recovered from his heart attack—if he ever did, as according to the doctors his condition was critical—he had a lot of explaining to do about his dealings with local drug lords.

  Christina hadn’t shown up yet, and Dan checked his cell phone for any missed calls. “Shit!” His battery was dead. He plugged it in to charge and called her on her cell. No answer. Then he called his answering service. Hearing Christina’s message, he was partly relieved she was okay and partly upset at the same time. She was with a friend...meaning Johnny. Christina didn’t have any other friends of the island. Come to think of it, she didn’t have any other friends anywhere.

  Around noon, Dan tried Christina’s cell for the hundredth time. Still, no answer. Maybe she forgot to charge it, he thought. But where is she? She should be here by now. She told me she was coming to the police station later.

  The phone number at the mansion was unlisted, and it took Dan a little bit of time and persuading to find the number. He was disappointed and worried to not find Christina there. Neither Kalliopi nor Marianna knew where she was or what time she left.

  As time passed, and she didn’t show up or call back, he became agitated. He decided to go look for her. Besides, being cooped up in the police station for so long, he needed some fresh air.

  Driving by Meyers’s hotel, he was surprised to see him stepping outside—alone. He stopped the car next to the pavement, in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

  “What do you mean what am I doing here?” Meyers asked, surprised.

  “I thought you were with Christina,” Dan said, puzzled.

  “And I thought that you were with Christina,” Meyers retorted.

  “Then where is she?” Dan said as a warning bell went off inside his head.

  “I have no idea,” Meyers admitted, running his fingers through his hair.

  “She left me a message she was with a friend,” Dan explained. “And you’re her only friend here.”

  Meyers drew a deep breath and scanned the surroundings. Without a second thought, he climbed into Dan’s car. “Let’s drive around. She can’t be that far. If she’s with a friend, they’re probably at a restaurant or a cafe at the beachfront.”

  “Yes, but what friend? Christina doesn’t know anyone here.”

  Hours later, they headed back to the mansion. A black limo passed them on the way there, and they were shocked to find it parked outside the mansion when they arrived. Christina stepped out of the car and rushed up the steps and inside.

  Dan and Meyers stared at each other, puzzled. The limo passed by them on the way back, but the tinted windows didn’t allow them to see who was inside.

  They parked and rushed upstairs to the front door.

  ***

  Christina answered the door and was surprised to see them both standing there. “What’s wrong?” she asked, seeing the alarm on their faces.

  “Are you okay?” they asked in unison.

  “Yes!” she replied. “I’m fine. Didn’t you get my message?” she turned to Dan.

  “I did. But I was worried anyway.”

  Christina turned around and walked to the middle of the foyer, leaving the door open for them to come in.

  “I’m thirsty. Would you guys like something to drink?” she asked and marched down a corridor.

  She strode to the kitchen and found Kalliopi preparing dinner. “Your fiancé has been looking for you,” she said.

  “I know. Thanks,” Christina responded, and grabbing three beers from the refrigerator, she walked back to the living room.

  “Well?” she asked, smiling and giving them their beers. “What were you two musketeers up to?”

  “We’ve been looking for you!” Johnny said and looked at Dan, who just nodded, frowning.

  “Are you going to tell us where you were?” Dan asked impatiently.

  “I told you,” Christina replied. “I was with a friend. As a matter of fact, my friend wants to meet you.”

  Dan glanced at Johnny, who put his beer down on the coffee table.

  “I better leave the two of you alone,” Johnny said and walked to the door. “I’m glad you're all right, Christina.”

  “Wait!” she yelled at him. “Don’t leave. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you guys. It was just so unexpected.”

  “What was unexpected?” Dan asked, and Christina explained to them about her grandmother and what had happened. They were both left with their mouths hanging open.

  “All these years, I’ve been spying on the Rosettis, I’ve never come across any information on Adriana Rosetti. I’d assumed there were no other living relatives,” Johnny said.

  “Me, too,” Christina replied. “So you can imagine my surprise meeting my grandmother. Can you believe it?”

  Johnny’s cell phone started ringing. He looked at the number and walked outside on the balcony to talk. A minute later, he came back inside. “I have to go,” he said.

  “I’ll drive you back,” Dan offered.

  “No, don’t worry,” Christina said. “I’ll ask Periklis to drive Johnny back.”

  “Who is Periklis?” Dan asked.

  “Periklis is the gardener who also acts as a chauffeur.”

  “You have a chauffeur?” Johnny asked, smiling.

  “Cut it out!” Christina reprimanded him.

  “I’ll talk to you guys later,” Johnny said and walked to the door while Christina ventured to find Periklis.

  ***

  After Johnny had left, Christina entered the living room to find Dan standing by the window.

  “All right, young lady,” he said, and she could tell from the tone of his voice that he was losing his patience. “You better start talking.”

  Christina went to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “My grandmother has invited us to dinner, Friday night.”

  Dan hugged her from the waist and stared straight into the eyes.

  “How do you feel about it?” he asked, concerned.

  “At first,
I was scared to death when those two bulky guys with the heavy Italian accents showed up here,” she admitted. “I thought I was being abducted again. And then I met her, and she is so sweet. She is wearing a locket just like mine,” she added and touched the locket hanging around her neck. “She talked to me about the past and showed me pictures of my mother and me as a baby. She’s a nice old lady. You'll see, you'll like her, too,” she said, her face beaming with excitement.

  ***

  Dan had his reservations about this whole thing but didn’t want to spoil it for her. So he didn’t say a word. He didn’t like the idea of this lady showing up like this out of nowhere. And why now? he wondered. Why has nobody had ever heard of her before? And what does she want from Christina? Was it true that she just wanted her privacy, and that’s why she’d kept out of the picture for so long? Or was it something else? Stop that! he reprimanded himself. Stop being suspicious all the time. But he couldn’t help it. It was his job to be suspicious and search for ulterior motives behind things that appeared simple.

  He realized that Christina was looking at him, and he squeezed her in his arms, forcing a smile on his face. “Then we'll just have to go meet your grandmother,” he said and kissed her on the forehead.

  “I need to go shopping,” Christina said. “I have nothing to wear besides this dress. Marianna told me that Antonio kept clothes around the house for his guests, but I don’t feel comfortable wearing clothes that other people might have worn before.

  “Then we’ll go shopping tomorrow,” he said.

  Christina left to go upstairs for a shower, and Dan took out his cell to call Miles. He had an assignment for him.

  ***

  Later on that same night, they had a candlelight dinner on the balcony. Kalliopi had prepared a mouth-watering Greek pastitsada recipe—rooster slowly braised in a delicious tomato and wine sauce, served with pasta, and topped off with Mizithra grated cheese.

  The meal was delicious, the atmosphere so romantic, and Christina was elated. Being at her mother’s family home with the man of her life and having a candlelight dinner on a balcony with the most amazing view in the world was more that she could wish for.

  Eventually, the conversation came back to her grandmother. “She even agreed to my plans about my inheritance,” Christina said.

  “What inheritance? What plans?" Dan asked surprised. “Are you talking about this house?”

  “No, I’m talking about the rest of my inheritance,” Christina explained. “Besides my grandmother, I’m the only one left of the Rosetti family. So the Rosetti’s fortune comes to me,” Christina said, and Dan stared at her, surprised.

  “I thought the money would be confiscated,” he said carefully.

  “Not Paolo’s money. Even though the FBI is sure that he was involved in the illegal dealings of the family, they haven’t been able to prove it. Antonio’s fortune will be confiscated, but they can’t touch Paolo’s fortune, including this mansion and the property surrounding it. Paolo’s businesses were legitimate, and the money will go to his only heir...me.”

  “I’m sorry,” Dan said, skeptically. “This is such a surprise.”

  “I know,” Christina admitted. “It was a surprise for me, too. But I don’t want that money. It’s blood money! I’ve thought about it and decided to establish a charity foundation in memory of my late mother. I’m only going to keep this mansion and the property that used to belong to my maternal grandparents.”

  Dan looked at her, even more surprised than before. He hadn’t thought about the issue of the inheritance at all.

  “Christina, are you sure?” he asked.

  “Yes!” she said. “I’ve made up my mind. I didn’t want the money in the first place. Besides, this way I have a chance to do something in my mother’s memory.”

  “If that’s what you want, then do it,” he said. “I just think that it might be better not to rush into anything, yet. It’s a lot of money, and I want you to be absolutely sure before you do anything.”

  “I’ve already done it,” Christina said.

  “You’ve done what?” he asked, surprised.

  “I told you that I talked it over with my grandmother, and she was thinking pretty much the same thing. She advised me to keep a small amount to be able to live comfortably and cover the expenses for this house, and sign everything else over to a trustee to establish the foundation. So I did.”

  Dan looked at her confused. “You signed over?” he asked.

  “Yes, my grandmother is going to handle everything. She’s the type of person who doesn’t like delays. As soon as we discussed it, she called her attorney, Lionel Berkley, who is handling the inheritance. She had him draw up some preliminary paperwork for me to sign so that she can handle all the rest. A million dollars will be deposited into my bank account here on the island, the day after tomorrow.”

  “One million dollars?” Dan uttered and this time he was shocked. “That’s a lot of money. I thought you said a small amount.”

  “It is a small amount if you consider an inheritance of around sixty-five million dollars.”

  Dan was left speechless for a moment. “Sixty-five million dollars? I never realized that we were talking about this kind of money,” he said, as soon as he recuperated from the initial shock.

  “Yes,” Christina said. “From what the attorney said, the actual amount is a lot more, but there are mortgages on some buildings and other bills and loans that need to be paid off first. So it comes down to around that amount.”

  “Christina, I don’t like that at all,” Dan said.

  “You don’t like what?” she asked and glanced at him worried.

  “I just don’t like the sound of all this. I think that you shouldn’t have signed anything so fast. It seems to me that they have pushed you into rush decisions.”

  “No!” she protested. “I told you, I had thought about it myself. I always had in the back of my mind that someday the Rosetti’s money might come to me, and I had decided even then that I didn’t want it. I admit that the idea of donating that money came to me later, and after talking to my grandmother, the charity foundation sounded like the perfect solution.”

  “But still!” Dan insisted. “It’s weird that your grandmother suddenly appears out of nowhere and her attorney draws up paperwork within a few hours. When this much money is involved, things just don’t happen that fast.”

  Christina stared at him. Then, she reached over and caressed his cheek. “Don’t worry, my darling,” she said. “It’s not like I wanted the money, and they took it away from me. I didn’t want it in the first place, and I’m glad that I won’t have to get involved with all the details. Besides, it was my grandmother who insisted on me keeping some money for myself. I would have given it all away,” she added and hugged him.

  Dan remained silent.

  “You'll meet her Friday night,” Christina said. “And you’ll see that everything is all right.”

  “Okay,” he agreed but didn’t feel sure about that, at all.

  ***

  The next morning, Dan and Christina drove to the police station. It was time for her to meet Alexis and give the police her statement.

  She liked Alexis a lot—he was a kind man who made her feel comfortable right away. Talking to him was almost like talking to Dan, and any anxiety she had about describing the last few days faded away.

  Dan was right there with them, and she felt better with him by her side.

  After they were done at the police station, all three of them went out to lunch at a beautiful seaside restaurant. There, they talked a little bit more about the case, unofficially and more relaxed.

  Christina told Alexis about her grandmother and the decision she had made about the inheritance, and he seemed reserved. He’s probably having the same doubts that Dan has, she thought. After all, it’s their job to be careful and suspicious. But everything will clear up Friday, when Dan meets Grandma and sees what a wonderful person she is.

  E
ventually, the conversation came to Perdini, and Christina told Alexis that she wished to visit him at the hospital. Hearing about the way he helped Christina, Alexis had no objections and gave his permission.

  After lunch, they drove back to the police station, where Dan and Christina picked up their car and drove to the hospital.

  Dan talked to the guard outside Perdini’s room, and the policeman called in to verify they had permission to see the prisoner.

  Christina walked to the room and hesitated at the door. Perdini was hooked up to machines and looked very pale. He stared at her for a couple of seconds motionless, and then something like a smile appeared on his face. Christina smiled back at him and walked closer while Dan remained outside.

  “You’re going to be all right,” she reassured him, even though Dan had told her that the doctors weren’t optimistic at all. The bullets had damaged vital organs, and they didn’t expect him to live very long.

  Perdini just blinked his eyes once in response, and Christina saw a tear sliding down the side of his face. She reached over and wiped the tear away. He kept on staring at her, and she was amazed by the tenderness she felt for this man she hardly knew.

  She heard a noise and turned to see the nurse coming into the room. Realizing it was time to leave, she gave Perdini a smile. “I’ll come to see you again,” she promised, before leaving the room.

  Dan was waiting for her outside, talking to the guard. They walked back to his car and kept quiet on the way back to the mansion, lost in their thoughts.

  ***

  The next day went by unbearably slow. Dan was too quiet, and Christina could tell he wasn’t convinced about her grandmother’s good intentions. He suspected foul play, and there was nothing Christina could do or say to change his mind. He’ll change his mind when he meets her tomorrow, she thought and gave up trying to talk to him.

  They drove into town for Christina to buy some clothes and had some lunch at a cozy fish restaurant by the water. However, nothing seemed able to change their gloomy mood.

  ***

  That night, Dan didn’t sleep much and was relieved to see the first rays of sun sneaking into the room. Finally, it was Friday morning.