He was in a coma for six days, and when he awakened, he learned that among his other injuries, the bones of his right hand had been crushed. They had been set and looked normal, but he would never operate again.
It took him almost a year to get over the trauma of having his future destroyed. He was under the care of a psychiatrist, a no-nonsense doctor who said, 'It's about time you stopped feeling sorry for yourself and got on with your life.' 'Doing what?' Alan had asked bitterly 'What you've been doing only in a different way.' 'I don't understand.' 'You're a healer, Alan. You heal people's bodies. Well, you can't do that anymore. But it's just as important to heal people's minds. You'd make a good psychiatrist. You're intelligent and you have compassion. Think about it.' It had turned out to be one of the most rewarding decisions he had ever made. He enjoyed what he was doing tremendously In a sense, he found it even more satisfying to bring patients who were living in despair back to normal, than to minister to their physical welfare. His reputation had grown quickly, and for the past three years, he had been forced to turn new patients away. He had agreed to see Catherine only so that he could recommend another doctor to her. But something about her had touched him. / must help her.
When Catherine returned to her office, after her session with Alan Hamilton, she went in to see Wim 'I saw Dr Hamilton today,' Catherine said 'Yeah? In psychiatric social readjustment, the rating scale for death of a spouse is 100 divorce 73 marital separation from mate 65 detention in jail 63 death of a close family member 63 personal injury or illness 53 marriage 50 being fired at work 47
. .' Catherine stood there listening. What must it be like, she wondered, to think of things only in mathematical terms? Never to know another person as a human being, never to have a real friend. I feel as though I've found a new friend, Catherine thought / wonder how long he's been married. Chapter 20 Athens You tried to destroy me. You failed. I promise you it would have been better for you if you had succeeded. But first I'm going to destroy your sister Constantin Demiris' words were still ringing in Lambrou's ears. He had no doubt that Demiris would try to carry out his threat. What in God's name could have gone wrong with Rizzoli Everything had been so carefully planned. But there was no time to speculate on what had happened. The important thing now was to warn his sister Lambrou's secretary walked into the office. 'Your ten o'clock appointment is waiting. Shall I send . . . ?' 'No. Cancel all my appointments. I won't be back this morning.' He picked up a telephone and five minutes later he was on his way to see Melina.
She was waiting for him in the garden of the villa 'Spyros. You sounded so upset on the phone! What's wrong?' 'We have to talk.' He led her to a bench in a vine-covered gazebo. He sat there looking at her and thought, What a lovely woman she is. She's always brought happiness to everyone her life has touched. She's done nothing to deserve this 'Aren't you going to tell me what's wrong?' Lambrou took a deep breath. 'This is going to be very painful, darling.' 'You're beginning to alarm me.' 'I mean to. Your life is in danger.' 'What? In danger from whom?' He measured his words carefully. 'I think Costa is going to try to kill you.' Melina was staring at him, open-mouthed. 'You're joking.' 'No, I mean it, Melina.' 'Darling, Costa is a lot of things, but he's not a murderer. He couldn't 'You're wrong. He's killed before.' Her face had gone pale. 'What are you saying?' 'Oh, he doesn't do it with his bare hands. He hires people to do it for him, but . . .' 'I don't believe you.' 'Do you remember Catherine Douglas?' 'The woman who was murdered . . .' 'She wasn't murdered. She's alive.' Melina shook her head. 'She she couldn't be. I mean they executed the people who killed her.' Lambrou took his sister's hand in his. 'Melina, Larry Douglas and Noelle Page didn't kill Catherine. All the time the trial was going on, Demiris had her hidden away.' Melina sat there stunned, speechless, remembering the woman she had caught a glimpse of at the house. Who is the woman I saw in the hall She's a friend of a business associate. She's going to work for me in London I caught a glimpse of her. She reminds me of someone. She reminds me of the wife of the pilot who used to work for you. But that's impossible, of course. They murdered her Yes, they murdered her She found her voice. 'I saw her at the house, Spyros. Costa lied to me about her.' 'He's insane. I want you to pack up and get out of this place.' She looked at him and said slowly, 'No, this is my home.' 'Melina, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you.' There was steel in her voice. 'Don't worry. Nothing will happen to me. Costa is no fool. He knows that if he did anything to harm me he would have to pay dearly for it.' 'He's your husband, but you don't know him. I'm afraid for you.' 'I can handle Mm, Spyros.' He looked at her and knew that there was no way he could persuade her to change her mind. 'If you won't leave, do me a favor. Promise you won't be alone with him.' She patted her brother's cheek. 'I promise.' Melina had no intention of keeping that promise.
When Constantin Demiris arrived home that evening, Melina was waiting for him. He nodded to her and walked past her into his bedroom. Melina followed him 'I think it's time we had a talk,' Melina said Demiris looked at his watch. 'I only have a few minutes. I have an engagement.' 'Have you? Are you planning to murder someone else tonight?' He turned to her. 'What are you raving about?' 'Spyros came by to see me this morning.' 'I'm going to have to warn your brother to stay away from my house.' 'It's my house, too,' Melina said defiantly. 'We had a very interesting chat.' 'Really? About what?' 'About you and Catherine Douglas and Noelle Page.' She had his full attention now. 'That's ancient history.' 'Is it? Spyros says you sent two innocent people to their deaths, Costa.' 'Spyros is a fool.' 'I saw the girl here, in this house.' 'No one will believe you. You won't see her again. I've sent someone to get rid of her.' And Melina suddenly remembered the three men who had come to dinner. You'll be flying to London early in the morning I'm sure you'll take care of everything that needs to be done He moved closer to Melina and said softly, 'You know, I'm really getting quite fed up with you and your brother.' He took her arm and squeezed it hard. 'Spyros tried to ruin me. He should have killed me instead.' He squeezed harder. 'Both of you are going to wish he had.' 'Stop it, you're hurting me.' 'My dear wife, you don't know what pain is yet. But you will.' He let go of her arm. 'I'm getting a divorce. I want a real woman But I won't be out of your life. Oh, no. I have some wonderful plans for you and your dear brother. Well, we've had our little talk. If you'll excuse me, I'll go in and change. It's not polite to keep a lady waiting.' He turned and walked into his dressing room. Melina stood there, her heart pounding. Spyros was right. He's a madman She felt completely helpless but she wasn't afraid for her own life. What do I have to live for? Melina thought bitterly. Her husband had stripped her of all dignity and brought her down to his level. She thought of all the times he had humiliated her, abused her in public. She knew that she was an object of pity among her friends. No, she was no longer concerned about herself. I'm ready to die, she thought, but I can't let him harm Spyros. And yet what could she do to stop him? Spyros was powerful, but her husband was more powerful. Melina knew with a terrible certainty that if she let him, her husband would carry out his threat. / must stop him somehow. But how? How. . . ?
Chapter
21
The delegation of executives from Athens was keeping Catherine busy. She set up meetings for them with other company executives and took them through the London operation. They marvelled at her efficiency. She was knowledgeable about every phase of the business, and they were impressed Catherine's days were full, and the distractions kept her mind off her own problems. She got to know each of the men a little better.
Jerry Haley was the black sheep of his family. His father had been a wealthy oil man, and his grandfather a respected judge By the time Jerry Haley was twenty-one, he had served three years in juvenile detention centers for auto theft, breaking and entering, and rape. His family had finally sent him to Europe to get rid of him. 'But I straightened myself out,' Haley told Catherine proudly. 'Turned over a whole new leaf.'
Yves Renard was a bitter man. Catherine learned that his parents had given him up and he had been brought up by distant relatives who abused him. 'They had a farm near Vichy, and they worked me like a dog from sun-up to sunset. I escaped from there when I was fifteen and went to work in Paris.'
The cheerful Italian, Dino Mattusi, was born in Sicily, to middle-class parents. 'When I was sixteen, I caused a big scandal by running away with a married woman ten years older than me. Ah, she was bellissimaS 'What happened?' Catherine asked He sighed. "They brought me home and then sent me to Rome to escape the wrath of the woman's husband.' Catherine smiled. 'I see. When did you go to work for Mr Demiris' company?' He said evasively, 'Later. I did many things first. You know odd jobs. Anything to make a living.' 'And then you met your wife?' He looked into Catherine's eyes and said, 'My wife is not here.'
He watched her, talked to her, listened to the sound of her voice, smelled her perfume. He wanted to know everything about her He liked the way she moved and he wondered what her body was like under her dress. He would know soon. Very soon. He could hardly wait.
Jerry Haley walked into Catherine's office. 'Do you like the theater, Catherine?' 'Why, yes. I . . .' 'There's a new musical that's opened. Pinion's Rainbow. I'd like to see it tonight.' till be happy to arrange a ticket for you.' 'It wouldn't be much fun going alone, would it? Are you free?' Catherine hesitated. 'Yes.' She found herself staring at his enormous, restless hands 'Great! Pick me up at my hotel at seven o'clock.' It was an order. He turned and walked out of the office It was strange, Catherine thought. He seemed so friendly and open and yet . .
I straightened myself out. She could not get the image of those huge hands out of her mind.
Jerry Haley was waiting in the lobby of the Savoy Hotel for Catherine and they drove to the theater in a company limousine 'London's a great city,' Jerry Haley said. 'I always enjoy coming back to it. Have you been here long?' 'A few months.^1 'You from the States originally?' 'Yes. Chicago.' 'Now there's a great town. I've had some good times there.' Raping women?
They arrived at the theater and joined the crowd. The show was wonderful and the cast excellent, but Catherine was unable to concentrate. Jerry Haley kept drumming his fingers on the side 11 of the chair, on his lap, on his,knees. He was unable to keep his ll huge hands still.
/ \ When the play was over, Haley turned to Catherine and said, (" 'It's such a beautiful night. Why don't we get rid of the car and I go for a walk in Hyde Park?' 'I have to be at the office early in the morning,' Catherine said. 'Perhaps some other time.' Haley studied her, an enigmatic smile on his face. 'Sure,' he him said. 'There's plenty of time.'
Yves Renard was interested in museums. 'Of course,' the Frenchman said to Catherine, 'in Paris we have the greatest museum in the world. Have you been to the Louvre?' 'No,' Catherine said. 'I've never been to Paris.' 'That's a pity. You should go one day.' But, even as he said it, he thought to himself, / know she won't. 'I would like to see the museums in London. Perhaps on Saturday we could visit some of them.' Catherine had planned to catch up on some of her office work on Saturday. But Constantin Demiris had asked her to see that the visitors were taken care of 'All right,' she said. 'Saturday will be fine.' Catherine was not looking forward to spending a day with the Frenchman. He's so bitter. He acts like he's still being abused.
The day started out pleasantly enough. They went first to the British Museum where they wandered through galleries filled with magnificent treasures of the past. They saw a copy of the Magna Carta, a proclamation signed by Elizabeth I, and treaties of battles fought centuries earlier Something about Yves Renard was bothering Catherine, and it was not until they had been at the museum for almost an hour that she realized what it was They were looking at a case containing a document written by Admiral Nelson 'I think this is one of the most interesting exhibits here,'
Catherine said. 'This was written just before Admiral Nelson went into battle. You see, he wasn't sure he had the authority . . .' And she was suddenly conscious of the fact that Yves Renard was not listening. Realization swept over her: he had paid almost no attention to any of the displays in the museum. He was not interested. Then why did he tell me he wanted to see museums? Catherine wondered.
They went to the Victoria & Albert Museum next and the experience was repeated. This time, Catherine was watching him closely. Yves Renard went from room to room paying lip service to what they were seeing, but his mind was obviously somewhere else When they were finished, Catherine asked, 'Would you like to see Westminster Abbey?' Yves Renard nodded. 'Yes, of course.' They walked through the great abbey, stopping to look at the tombstones of the famous men of history who were buried there, poets and statesmen and kings 'Look,' Catherine said, 'this is where Browning is buried.' Renard glanced down. 'Ah, Browning.' And then he moved on. Catherine stood there looking after him. What is he looking for? Why is he wasting this day?
When they were on the way back to the hotel, Yves Renard said, 'Thank you, Miss Alexander. I enjoyed that very much.' He's lying, Catherine thought. But why There's a place that I've heard is very interesting. Stonehenge I believe it's on Salisbury Plain.' 'Yes,' Catherine said 'Why don't we visit it, next Saturday perhaps?' Catherine wondered whether he would find Stonehenge any more interesting than the museums. ? 'That would be fine,' Catherine said p Dino Mattusi was a gourmet. He walked into Catherine's office with a guidebook. 'I have a list of the greatest restaurants in London here. Interested?' 'Well, I . . .' 'Good! Tonight I am taking you to dine at the Connaught.' Catherine said, 'Tonight I have to . . .' 'No excuses. I will pick you up at eight o'clock.' Catherine hesitated 'Very well.' Mattusi beamed. 'BeneF He leaned forward. 'It is no fun doing things alone, is it?' His meaning was unmistakable. But he's so obvious, Catherine thought, that he's really quite harmless.