The cat now hissed, circling Spyros’s dog, who growled in return, making a show of pulling at his lead. The dog bared its tiny teeth and the cat hissed again. It was an amusing stand-off, and if I hadn’t been so upset, I would have laughed.
‘Sit, Agamemnon!’ Spyros said. The dog obeyed – sort of – continuing to growl from deep in its chest.
‘What are you doing here, mate?’ he asked, looking down at me.
‘Thinking.’
‘On the ground? In the middle of the street?’
‘Yes.’
He sat down beside me. ‘Something’s wrong.’
‘Nisha is missing. I don’t know where she’s gone.’
‘How long?’
‘Nearly a week now. Last Sunday night or Monday morning.’
Spyros furrowed his brow, seemed caught up in thought. ‘I saw her on Sunday,’ he said, ‘around ten thirty in the evening. I took Agamemnon out later than usual because my mum had come to visit. I took my usual route, I was heading down this street and she walked past me pretty fast. She was in a rush. I asked her where she was off to and she said she was going down the road to Maria’s bar to meet Seraphim.’
‘Seraphim?’ A jolt like a rush of ice went down my spine. ‘Why?’
‘I have no idea,’ he said. ‘That’s all I know. But I saw her and I’m certain it was Sunday night.’
*
The cat followed me home like a tiny shadow, then disappeared into the darkness of the back garden. I was surprised to find the little bird sitting on the rug in the hallway near the door when I arrived. It was hopping about now. I put out some fresh water and bread and went out to sit on the balcony. I opened a cold beer and drank it quickly. Why was Nisha meeting Seraphim? And why had he not told me he had seen her? And what in God’s name would she be doing in a place like that? I knew the bar. It was the place I had met Seraphim back when he first recruited me.
I couldn’t sleep for thinking about it all, and was awake when, once again, at 5 a.m., my iPad started to ring. I got up and saw Kumari’s name flashing on the screen. It stopped and started again. Once again I could do nothing: I was frozen to the spot. But the name begged me to answer, it pounded at the darkness with desperation.
I answered.
Kumari blinked at me, shocked to see my face. ‘Where is Amma?’ she said in English, stretching her neck in an attempt to see behind me. The girl was wearing her school uniform and had a rucksack with purple straps on her shoulders.
‘I’m Yiannis,’ I said. ‘Do you remember me?’
She nodded. ‘Of course I remember you, Mr Yiannis. We have spoken so many times! You are Amma’s friend.’
‘That’s right. Is your grandmother there? Can I speak to her?’
‘She just go to shop.’
‘Your mum is at work. She left the tablet here with me. She told me to tell you that she loves you, to be good at school and that she’ll speak to you very soon.’
Kumari nodded. ‘Okay, Mr Yiannis,’ she said. ‘Thank you. You be good at work too.’ Then she smiled. There was a cheekiness to her, like her mother. It made my heart ache.
Then she was gone, and the screen was blank once more.
13
Petra
O
N SATURDAY MORNING, I DECIDED to visit the gated mansion at the end of the street. I told Aliki that Mrs Hadjikyriacou would be keeping an eye on her, but she was free to play in the garden. She nodded, without seeming too bothered, picking up a favourite book and heading out the door to the boat. She got in and started reading. I brought her out a plate of orange slices and kissed her head, then thanked Mrs Hadjikyriacou and told her I wouldn’t be gone long. She knew my errand and was happy to help.
My first stop was Yiakoumi’s shop. I had brought Nisha’s journal with me and now clutched it to my chest as I stepped into the shop. There were no customers yet this early on a Saturday, but, as I had expected, Nilmini was there cleaning, bending over wiping dust from the glass cases under the counter. Yiakoumi was nowhere to be seen.
‘Good morning,’ I said.
‘Good morning, madam,’ she said. She paused in her dusting, standing up and eyeing the journal in my hands.
‘Nilmini, will you do me a favour? Or, in fact, a favour for Nisha?’
‘Of course, madam,’ she said.
‘This is a journal that Nisha kept,’ I said, placing it on the counter. ‘Would you be able to read it and tell me if there is anything in it that might help me to find her?’