"I didn’t want to cause any trouble for you or Nikolas, I hope you know."
"I know," she sighs, tugging at a strand of her thick hair. "I understand what you were thinking. I won’t deny the thought crossed my mind."
"Everything was cleared up? Dymas, we just saw him, said Nikolas has an alibi."
"Yes, ‘an alibi’. What a strange word? He was at a birth. I know the woman. She had a baby boy."
"I’m so relieved," I give her a cautious smile.
Kaia turns around, noticing us only now.
"I know you," she trundles over to me, her big eyes curious. She pets the fabric of my skirt.
"Why are you so dirty? My mama says I have to take a bath when I get dirty. Also sometimes when I’m not dirty. I like baths, so I don’t mind," she shakes the doll, "she likes baths, too." Ah, that would explain the knotted hair and worn off facial paint.
"Well, I like baths as well. Daniel," I wave at him, "and I, we were helping put out a fire, and we got dirty. We wanted to come visit you and your pretty doll before we take a bath."
"Do you want to hold her?" Kaia asks, now a little shy. I smile and hold out both hands as if receiving an infant.
"Of course, what is her name?"
"Helen, like the most beautiful woman in the world. My mama told me the story. Once there was a woman called Helen, and she was very pretty. She married a man, but then she was put under a spell, so she fell in love with another man, and they lived happily ever after." Kaia bends her head, her face dreamy and glowing.
A little romantic in the making.
Briony, Daniel, and I cast curious glances at Laria, who shrugs. Has she simply told her daughter a harmless version of
The Iliad,
or is she mirrroring her own situation in the tale? The same thoughts are on my companions’ faces, I observe, though none of us dares to ask, especially not in the presence of the child. Whatever Laria has said, I do not believe her relationship with Caspar was a simple one. She is clearly well situated here. She has a nice home, a healthy, happy child, a husband who seems devoted. Why would she endanger all of this security to embark on a meaningless affair? It does not add up. Perhaps Daniel, Jeffrey and even Dymas can be convinced of it, but they do not understand a woman’s mind. I cannot imagine a woman with so much at stake would take such a risk if her heart was not compromised. Briony said she thought Laria loved Caspar, and I am inclined to believe it is the only possible explanation. Does one fall out of love in so short a time? Something must have happened to change Laria’s mind. If only I could be blunt and ask. Carried away with my thoughts, I barely register the conversation around me and find myself startled when Briony is suddely standing beside me, tapping my shoulder.
"Evie?"
"Yes, oh …"
"We had best be going. Kaia looks exhausted and, if you’ll forgive me, so do you Laria. Get some rest now, you’ve had a rough two days."
Nodding, I get to my feet. "Thank you for having us. I was very happy to meet you again." I bend down to pet Kaia’s curly head.
"And Helen." It is a statement. This girl knows her mind. I smile.
"Of course, and Helen."
"Do say hello to your husband and give him our best," Daniel adds as we walk to the door. With her back to me, leading the way, I notice Laria’s spine stiffen slightly at his mention.
"I will. Thank you." At the door, she gives us all a weary smile and clasps her daughter’s hand, holding on for stability.
"Bye then."
"Goodbye!"
We bundle through the door, waving as we go. Kaia makes Helen’s hand wave as well. This visit has done Briony good. There is a bounce in her step, for which I mentally thank Laria’s charming daughter. I only hope it won’t dwindle once we get home.
We climb into the car, and Briony asks what on earth happened to make me relinquish my proud grip on the steering wheel to Daniel.
"It’s a long story. I will say that fire and fire-water were involved, and I no longer felt up to the task."
"You mentioned fire. Oh, Evie, I wasn’t thinking. Are you all right? How awful!" Her face is full of understanding and sympathy. Briony, better than anyone, knows my fears, just as I know hers.
"I’m fine now." I reply, not wanting to go down that dark and uninviting alley again. I glance over at Daniel, who is concentrating very hard on getting us back onto the passably wider main road. Briony takes this as my attempt to silence her, lest she betray me before him.
"Sorry." She pulls a guilty grimace and presses her lips together.
"No, please don’t worry. Daniel knows. It’s no secret. Still, let us speak of something else."
"Right," Briony assents. "Do you have any news?"
"Dymas didn’t have much to say, except that Nikolas has an alibi, which you know." I hesitate, not wanting to go back on my word. "Niobe and Yannick do, too. It has all been confirmed." I don’t know why the two of them would want to keep their liason a secret, but at least with Daniel as a witness, I shouldn’t divulge this to Briony. I am certain she and Jeffrey are very tolerant employers and would be happy for them. They will have their reasons for discretion, perhaps more to do with the problems of a Greek girl marrying a Polish man, than anything else. I do not know how traditional her family is, or what is expected of her.
"I must say, it’s a relief to know our closest friends and staff are not involved. Of course I never thought they were," Briony says.
"Did Laria have anything important to tell?"
"Well," Briony pauses, undoubtedly for effect, and Daniel tenses slightly. "I don’t know how important this is, she did tell me how they met. I could not recall, and you won’t believe where it was?"
"At her daughter’s birthday celebration." Daniel’s voice is flat, and he is trying hard to keep any judgement out of it.
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Briony sounds almost elated at this scandal. "Nothing happened for a while." She glimpses over at Daniel and blushes. "Sorry, Daniel."
"Go on, I can cope. I am more or less an adult."
"Right, apparently they met
coincidentally
a week later at the market. I don’t recall Caspar ever having taken an interest in the market," she shakes her head, and I fear her drifting off in a completely different direction.
"Briony, what else did she mention?"
"Oh, they simply talked a lot, sat down in a café and chatted for hours. She said he understood her, and that they were connected somehow. She couldn’t ignore that."
"Poor Laria."
"She does seem quite stricken. I honestly do not know how she hides it from Nikolas. I think Kaia keeps her busy and reasonably distracted, but she isn’t happy."
"Did she explain why she ended the affair?"
"No, she only vaguely hinted that she felt too guilty about it all and didn’t want to ruin her marriage."
"Sensible enough, I suppose." I comment, not at all satisfied with this answer. "There is something she isn’t telling, don’t you agree?"
"Perhaps she is embarassed. I know I would be," Briony hastily adds, "not that I would ever—"
"Of course not," I reassure her. "Now that you, Daniel, and I know, and there is a murder investigation, she must realize that candor is important. Whatever she is keeping secret may be a vital clue to the murderer’s identity."
"I have told you all she said. Still, I got the strongest impression all was not right between her and Nikolas."
"Did you note her tensing when Daniel mentioned her husband?" "Did she?" Daniel asks, now sliding the car through the town gate. I didn’t even notice passing down the main road. Daniel must be a better driver than I was willing to credit.
"I didn’t pay attention. I was chatting with Kaia. Isn’t she darling?" Briony beams.
"Very. What about the story of Helen? Do you thing Laria was simply shielding her child from the truth of its rather unhappy ending, or was she telling her own tale?" I shake my head, wondering aloud.
"If she was, it’s not very subtle." Daniel doesn’t take his eyes off the narrow, dusty road as he answers.
"No, I don’t suppose it is. Even if she loved Caspar and wanted to run away with him, she broke it off, and her husband has an alibi. I would say that chapter can be closed." Briony leans back in her seat, quite satisfied at having made her point.
"Nikolas and Laria can be ruled out, I think, as can your staff, and the four of us. Who else did Caspar know here? Did he have many acquaintances, or did he perhaps do business with anyone?" I shake my head as one question after another floods into my mind. Daniel sighs. In the distance I already see the gleaming ivory of the villa, a striking contrast to the gray clouds crowding the sky.
"We can’t assume each and every person he had contact with wanted him dead. How can we possibly know where to begin?" He sounds distressed, though there is spirit in his tone. He is sad, upset, grieving, but spirited nonetheless. He is waking up again and hunting for the truth.
"There must be a few people who had arguments with him or some he did not like. Can you think of anyone?"
"No, not really." Daniel slows as he turns into the driveway. The wet gravel has turned a dark gray, mirroring the clouds above, and I hear as much as feel the heavy tires crunching over it.
"Well …" Briony’s voice sounds uncertain. Both Daniel and I turn our heads. Thankfully Daniel has halted the car by now.
"What is it?" I ask.
"I don’t know, perhaps it is nothing. Probably."
"Out with it!" I plead at the edge of my seat.
"Darius had an argument with him a while ago. You remember, Daniel."
"That was weeks ago, surely things had been smoothed over sufficiently by now?"
"What happened?" My eyes dart from Briony to Daniel.
"Caspar and I joined Jeffrey to have a look at the dig a few weeks ago. Darius was there and very proud, too. They had only just discovered a new set of rooms, and everyone was excited. Caspar was a little careless, picking up priceless bits of terra-cotta and Darius got angry. He said, or rather implied, Caspar was incapable of understanding their value, he had no business there, that he was basically an ignorant snob. Well, Caspar thought Darius was arrogant, and he was insulted, so he took a copper vase from the dig home to the villa."
"Was it found out?"
"Of course," Daniel lets his hands fall into his lap in a gesture of resignation. "Darius immediately discovered the object’s absence and deduced it must have been Caspar who took it to spite him."
"Did he return it?"
"Yes, it was a very silly situation. Darius in one corner stamping his foot, and Caspar in another tossing about a priceless antique. In the end, it was resolved once the vase was returned. Darius and Caspar hardly had any contact afterward, for all I know. I kept a close eye on him. I didn’t want him going around offending people. Didn’t want us to be run off the island, or cause Jeffrey or Briony any trouble."
"You’re a good man, Daniel, but we would have been all right." Briony smiles sweetly.
"I don’t think Darius is a likely candidate—"
"No, Evie, leave it to the police, please. Don’t go digging about upsetting yourself or anyone else, and I don’t want you to put yourself in any danger." Briony’s smile from a moment ago has faded, and she is looking at me with a stern, pleading expression.
Oh, all right.
"I will let the police do their job."
She gives me a scrutinizing look, knowing full well what a vague promise I have made, but seems in no mood to argue. "Good. Now, let us get inside, it looks as though we haven’t seen the last of the storm, and you two need a wash and some clean clothes."
We climb out of the car as the first splatters of rain begin drumming against the windshield and run for the house. Once inside, we slip off our sodden shoes and hurry to our rooms to make ourselves a little more presentable again.
"I’ll send Niobe to draw you a bath!" Briony calls up after me. A nice hot soak will be just what I need to cleanse me of the remaining traces of the fire. True to her word, Briony sends up the maid within moments. Niobe, dark circles below her eyes, disappears into the bathroom.
Glancing into the mirror I am not entirely thrilled with what I see. Beyond the dirty, crumpled clothes and dissheveled hair, I look gray. Perhaps it is a nasty trick of the light, filtering through the thick cover of clouds and barely illuminating the inside of the room. I turn away. There are bigger things to worry about. What Dymas told us of the alibis provides only minimal reassurance. Whoever committed this crime had easy access to the grounds and must have been familiar with Caspar and therefore probably with Daniel, Briony, and Jeffrey as well. I contemplate this, tensely feeling the muscles in my forehead pull together.
Whoever it was must have known Caspar was alone, mustn’t he, or for that matter, she
? Yes. This thought rouses me, and I begin pacing about the room. Who could have known he was alone?