The Green Lady (16 page)

‘And their families. You'll have seen the red tinge in the water too. The company claims that the residues it discharges into the bay are non-toxic.'

‘And, of course,' Lykos said, ‘it has the chemists to prove it, as well as the clout in Brussels to satisfy EU inspectors. But the whole story has never been allowed to get out. That's what we're going to broadcast to the world.'

Mavros admired the activists and was sorry for the local man who had lost his wife, but he didn't give much for their chances against a human bulldozer like Paschos Poulos. And he still had to find the missing Lia.

‘Do you think the girl Rovertos Bekakos abused would talk to me?'

Angeliki looked at him gravely. ‘I don't know. Wouldn't your time be better spent gathering material about the bastard's involvement in covering up the polluting of Viotia?'

Mavros saw he had to be careful. ‘I'll take anything I can get on that count too, don't worry.'

Lykos drew his partner aside and they spoke in low voices.

‘All right,' Angeliki said. ‘I'll take you to see her this evening. But you must promise to be sensitive.'

Mavros nodded distractedly. He'd just noticed what looked like an ancient statue of a solemn woman or goddess in a niche at the rear of the room. Tendrils from a plant in a pot had wound themselves around her robed lower body and there were bowls of dried seeds and fresh fruit next to her.

The Fat Man, forced to sit with the Peugeot's engine turned off as he watched the Bekakos house, kept falling in and out of a sweat-drenched sleep. Although the wide street was lined by eucalyptus trees, they didn't give him enough cover. He considered calling Alex and telling him he was going home, but he was unwilling to do that. He was on the job and he had to be prepared for all it threw at him. That included thirst – he'd emptied the two large bottles of water he'd brought; the need to urinate – he'd refilled one of the bottles; and, inevitably, hunger. His stomach was rumbling like a landslide. And then, when the sun had at last gone behind the tallest of the trees, the gate opened and Maria Bekakou's silver Mercedes nosed out. Yiorgos started his engine and turned the air conditioning up to full. There was no discernible difference until they were well down Kifissias Avenue, on the way to the city centre.

The likelihood was that the target was going to her shop in Kolonaki. The Fat Man began to worry about where he would park in the narrow streets of the rich people's quarter, but then the Merc took a left without indicating and he just managed to follow before the traffic lights changed. They were in a residential area around a couple of hospitals, which would make parking even more difficult. Two cars ahead of him, the Mercedes suddenly braked. Its hazard warning lights started flashing and then the white reversing light came on as Mrs Bekakou skilfully manoeuvred into a space.

‘Typical luck of the thieving class,' Yiorgos roared, slamming a hand on the steering wheel. He tried to drive past slowly to see where she would go, but a fool in a 4x4 blew his horn repeatedly and he had to go to the end of the street. It took him ten minutes to find a space and he had to walk as fast as he could for nearly ten more before he was back at the Mercedes coupé. Fortunately, it was still there. Unfortunately, he had no clue where the driver was.

The Fat Man hung around in a doorway opposite, drawing looks from two old ladies that suggested they thought he was a rogue elephant. As the light began to fail, the sounds from his stomach were almost as loud as the traffic from the nearby avenue. He considered dashing to find a shop, but was glad he hadn't as the door to a block of flats across the street opened and then closed. Maria Bekakou walked the few metres to her car, got in and drove away. Yiorgos was powerless to follow, but realised there was still something he could do. He crossed the road and went to the door to examine the names by the bell buttons. None of them meant anything to him. He took out the notebook and pencil he had provided himself with, then wrote down the address and all the names. There was a selection of common ones including a Papadhopoulos, a Savalas and an Athanasiadhou.

Then he saw one that made him stifle a laugh because of the juxtaposition of a lengthy first name with ancient heritage and a brief, unusual surname. Epameinondhas Phis. He wouldn't forget that in a hurry.

M
avros was sitting in a rickety chair at a desk in the Ecologists for a Better Viotia office reading the group's pamphlets, when a car he immediately recognised drew up outside. It was Rovertos Bekakos's dark blue Porsche. He got out from the driver's side with a briefcase, while a man mountain with short dark hair struggled to extricate himself from the passenger seat. The lawyer waited impatiently, then led his companion in.

Mavros took the opportunity to examine the alleged paedophile at close range. Bekakos looked cool and composed in his light business suit, his features more relaxed than they had been at the blockade, but there was tension about him, as if springs were about to erupt from his flesh. He ran his eyes round the room, taking in Lykos, Angeliki and Akis, then he glanced at Mavros with barely suppressed amusement.

‘So, you idealistic idiots,' he said, ‘you've hired a whore from Athens.'

Mavros didn't react, his eyes on the heavy behind his master, bulky arms folded.

‘You think we have the funds to pay people, Bekako?' Angeliki said, her eyes wide.

Lykos touched the back of her hand briefly. ‘Is there something we can do for you?'

‘I think so.' The lawyer opened his case and took out a sheaf of papers. ‘This is for you. A court order, duly signed and stamped, requiring you and your organisation' – he spoke the word with heavy irony – ‘to desist immediately from any activity that impedes work at the HMC plant. That specifically refers to blocking the road – I do hope you enjoyed your little stunt earlier today because it'll be the last one – as well as to harassing HMC workers in any way.' He narrowed his eyes. ‘Such harassment includes importuning personnel and talking to them or their family members.'

‘What?' Angeliki shouted. ‘You can't do that!'

Bekakos turned pages and pointed to a paragraph. ‘You'll see that the judge specifically stipulates those activities. You will also desist from holding meetings – what I believe you misleadingly refer to as workshops – in Paradheisos which, as you well know, is HMC property. You will immediately stop erecting signs, hoardings, banners or any other sort of propaganda in the town.' He turned to the last pages of the document. ‘The penalties for disregarding the order are laid out here, here and here. Heavy fines and imprisonment.' He handed it to Lykos. ‘You are now officially in receipt of the order, as my colleague Mr Kloutsis has witnessed.'

Mavros looked at the gorilla, who had taken several photos with a mobile phone. ‘You moved quickly,' he observed to the lawyer.

‘Never unprepared – that's my motto, Mr Mavro.' Bekakos peered at him as if he were a rare zoological specimen. ‘What brings you to these parts?'

‘What do you think?'

The lawyer gave him the eye for a few more seconds, then turned to the door. ‘I have more important things to direct my mind towards,' he said, nodding at the big man.

‘You won't get away with this!' Angeliki yelled after him.

Rovertos Bekakos stopped and looked over his shoulder. ‘I already have, young woman.' He gave a dry laugh and left.

Lykos took Angeliki in his arms and comforted her as she started to sob. Akis Exarchos went up and patted them both on their shoulders.

‘You can fight it,' Mavros said.

‘Of course we
could
,' Lykos said. ‘But we don't have the deep pockets of Poulos A.E. I'll talk to my aunt and see if she can raise it in Parliament, but big business and its stooges in government don't pay attention to the Communists much these days.'

‘It's a success,' Akis said, smiling grimly. ‘I mean, we finally got them to declare war. What was it Alexander the Great said? “There's nothing impossible to those who would try”? I learned that at primary school.'

Angeliki wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand. ‘Bravo, Aki. If they want to fight dirty, we'll do the same.'

Lykos shook his head. ‘It's essential we don't break the law. Our legitimacy – and that of the whole ecological movement – is founded on the observation of existing legal codes.'

‘Then you will be beaten,' Akis said, clenching his fists. ‘I'll do anything to make them pay for Yiorgia's death.' He gave the activists a baleful look as he walked to the door.

Mavros sat down and thought about how to proceed. Having heard about the alleged child abuse and seen Rovertos Bekakos close up again, he felt sure that Paschos Poulos's lawyer was the key to finding the missing daughter. It was unclear whether Poulos was being deceived by Bekakos and his wife, or whether he too was in some way involved in Lia's disappearance. For the time being, that was immaterial. What he had to do was probe Bekakos's weak point. At least the court order didn't stop him going to Paradheisos.

‘You'll have to call the girl and talk her into seeing me on my own,' he said to Angeliki.

She looked at her watch. ‘In an hour. It's still siesta time.'

‘OK. In the meantime, can I see your website? I'm guessing you have a forum for debate.'

The ecologists looked at each other.

‘What about it?' Lykos asked.

‘I think Bekakos and his sidekicks will have been infiltrating your set-up.'

Angeliki stared at him. ‘We're not complete idiots. You think we haven't considered that? Everyone has to submit their personal details and email address for vetting.'

Mavros hid his interest in the last statement. He had been wondering if Lia Poulou was a ‘secret' ecologist. Maybe she was horrified by what her father's company was doing in Viotia. But Kriaras's officers had her computer. If they'd found she'd had dealings with Ecologists for a Better Viotia, surely they would have been all over the group.

‘Have the police ever shown up in the last three or four months?' he asked Lykos.

‘Until today at the blockade, no. Why?'

Mavros shrugged. ‘It wouldn't be beyond Poulos A.E. to set tame cops on you.'

‘That's why they employ Bekakos,' Angeliki said.

Lykos waved him over to the computer. ‘Here, I've brought up our discussion group membership list.'

‘Thanks.' Mavros ran down it, not sure what he was looking for. If Lia Poulou had got in touch, it could have been from someone else's computer and with a cover name and details. Would he be able to spot those? The alternative would be grinding his way through the debates to see if any text struck him as having been written by her. That wasn't an inviting prospect.

‘Have you actually met any of these people?' he asked Lykos, who was handing round pieces of fruit.

‘I don't know.'

Mavros raised an eyebrow. ‘Don't you have volunteers coming down to help?'

‘At weekends and on holidays, yes. But we don't encourage online supporters to reveal their real identities.' The young man tapped the side of his nose. ‘Basic security.'

‘Really? Surely that makes it easier for your group to be penetrated.'

Angeliki stepped forward. ‘Volunteers in person have to fill in forms when they arrive. We take photos of them as well.'

‘Is that right? Could I see them?'

There was a muttered conference and then Lykos went to the back room, returning with a box file.

Mavros went through the enrollment sheets. Although the people were mainly young, none was anything close to fourteen and none resembled Lia.

‘What age do people have to be to participate?'

‘Eighteen,' Lykos replied. ‘We used to allow kids but, though they're keen, there's too much trouble when the parents kick up shit.'

‘When did you give up on them?'

‘Over a year ago.'

He finished the list and went back to the top. There were more females than males, many of them from the Athens-Piraeus conurbation. He knew that Lia was a good student. Was she also a smartarse? Could she have changed sex online? If so, what masculine name might she have chosen?

At second glance, a user name and email address made him sit up: LaiosGoodNews and [email protected]. The server was one of the transglobal companies that provided addresses to anyone with Internet access. The first half was the interesting bit. Laios – L
a
ïos in Greek – was the mythical King of Thebes, father of Oedipus. To avoid a curse that the child would kill his sire, Oedipus was sent for exposure on Mount Kithairon. Mavros felt a stirring in his gut. That was where the burned body had been found. The boy was rescued and later did indeed kill his father. Mavros's memory for myth was good – he'd been fascinated by the subject as a child. The place where Laios was murdered was at the junction of three roads, one that was still pointed out to tourists. It was about fifteen kilometres from where he now was – the road from Thebes met those that led to Delphi and, via Dhistomo, to Paradheisos and the HMC works. More to the point, the first three letters of Laios were in Lia's name, which was a diminutive of Evangelia, meaning ‘good news'. The missing girl
was
a smartarse.

Mavros looked at the data that had been provided. There was a postal address in Piraeus, which he ran through a search engine and found did not exist. The phone number rang unobtainable when he tried it. She had made things up. He went into the Ecologists for a Better Viotia forum and tried to access LaiosGoodNews. The site showed that the user had logged in several times in February, March and April, but had never made a contribution.

Sitting back, Mavros thought about what he'd discovered. Nothing very useful. Then again, it appeared that the missing girl had been interested enough in the activities of the ecologists in the area where her father controlled a large plant to fake an identity. Maybe she had been a secret ecologist after all. But would that have driven her father or his slimy lawyer to hide her away or worse? It seemed unlikely, especially since they had apparently employed the Son to find her. He had another thought. Could Lykos and Angeliki have worked out who Lia was, as he had done, and contacted her some other way?