Chapter Twenty
Frankie was sitting in the cosily warm kitchen after dinner with Ali and the cats when her phone pinged. She picked it up. “It’s a text from Nik.” She tapped the screen. “He says the young man in Rome isn’t Marco, and he’s coming home the day after tomorrow.” She frowned and scratched the ginger-and-white head of Persephone, who was sat purring on her lap. The feline extended a paw and flexed her claws with pleasure. “Poor Nik. Another dead end. He’ll be devastated.”
Ali looked up from her tablet. “Poor Nik indeed. And Sergei and Dimitri. How many more wild goose chases must they go on?”
“As many as they’re called to follow, I suppose. They’ve got to check out every lead, just in case.” Frankie tickled Persephone under the chin, causing the animal to happily knead her claws into her knees, making her wince. “Ouch, cat! Nik’s convinced Marco’s out there somewhere.”
“But somewhere could be anywhere.” Ali shook her head. “It’s the proverbial needle in the haystack.” She gave Frankie a penetrating look. “You’ve been very quiet recently. Nik seems like he’s been a little elusive, as well. Is everything all right between you two?”
Frankie avoided Ali’s beady gaze. “I haven’t heard from him much while he’s been in Rome, just a few text messages. But I guess he’s had a lot to do and think about.” She gave a little shrug in an effort to pretend she was okay with it.
“What’s bothering you, hun? You were on top of the world a couple of weeks ago, but then I saw a change in you just before he left. Miss Porcupine is back in situ. What is it?”
Frankie marveled at Alison’s ability to read her, and also the older woman’s persistence in winkling out the truth. It was no good pretending. Actually, she felt like she needed to talk about what was eating at her, get it off her chest. She took in a deep breath. “I dunno. It’s kind of hard to explain. Do you remember seeing a tall, blonde girl at the open day? She was wearing denim shorts—”
“Oh, I remember the shorts. If you can call them that. More like a denim thong. And I seem to also recall a lot of cleavage bursting out of a teeny-tiny cropped vest.”
Frankie grinned. As usual, Ali wasn’t mincing her words. She could always rely on her to cheer things up with her acerbic but hilarious observations. “That’s the one. She’s a Swedish girl called Elsa. She was here earlier on in the summer, when she cast her cap at Nik. In fact, when I first met him, I thought she was one of his holiday romances.”
Ali raised her eyebrows. “And was she?”
“He swears not. Anyway, she disappeared back to Stockholm, but turned up again last month, and Nik… Well, he offered her a job as a waitress in his bar in Trapazakia. And then promoted her to manager.”
“Okay. And the problem is?”
Frankie pulled a face. “I’m sure she’s got the hots for him, Ali.”
“Ah. You think Elsa has come back here to deliberately target him? And she’s already managed to worm her way into his life?”
“Yes, in a nutshell.”
Ali pursed her lips thoughtfully. “She was hanging around him at the open day, now I come to think about it. But, love, from what I can see, he’s only got eyes for you, and I can’t imagine he’d have hired Elsa if he didn’t think she wasn’t up to the job.”
“He did say that he’d had to send Vasillis, the previous manager of the Trapazakia bar, to take over at Iris in Paragolis, and Elsa had filled the gap…”
“But? I can hear a but.”
Frankie waited as Persephone stirred, rose up, and leapt from her lap, relieved she was no longer suffering the treatment of the happy claws. “He didn’t tell me any of this, and I had to find out from Elsa that he was off to Italy. It feels…it feels like I’m suddenly on the outside, and she’s—”
“On the inside,” Ali finished. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you overthinking it? The Andrew-Becky affair definitely dented your confidence, but you mustn’t start imagining that every man you meet, every relationship you have, is going to end up with you being betrayed.”
“Perhaps,” Frankie said dully, Ali’s words resonating and prickling. “But there’s also Nik’s previous reputation. It’s been bothering me again. Do leopards really change their spots?”
“And do porcupines have spikes? My, you’re feeling insecure, aren’t you? What’s brought this on?”
Frankie groaned at Ali’s frank assessment. “You’re right. I am feeling insecure. It’s just that Nik has been withdrawn again lately, and he hasn’t done anything to push Elsa’s attentions away. It’s almost like he hasn’t noticed what she’s up to.”
“So, aren’t those your answers right there? He’s been withdrawn, but we know why—staff turnover issues and then the trip to Rome, both of which are pretty all-consuming. I wouldn’t mind betting that he probably has noticed what Elsa’s up to, and that’s why she’s still around. He’s a shrewd businessman, love, and Elsa with her, ahem, assets, could be a big draw for male customers. That bar in Trapazakia has always been quieter than his other two venues.”
Frankie’s eyes opened wide as relief washed over her. “Oh, Ali, do you really think that’s what’s happening?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Do you know what else I think? You and he need to spend some time together, relax with each other and keep connected. You’ve been busy, too, with the villa.”
Frankie grinned again. “As usual, Kyria Angelis, I think you’re right. I, of all people, should know the signs—it’s what happened with Andrew. We were both too busy for one another, and we drifted apart.”
Ali rose from her seat. Frankie watched as the three cats leapt up too and began milling about, knowing they hoped their mistress’s movement signaled suppertime. Ali came around the table and gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.” She chuckled. “A little bird—well, Sally, actually—told me that Aspasia, Nik’s housekeeper, is away this week in Thessaloniki visiting her brother—”
“I didn’t know that either,” Frankie interrupted, fresh anxiety blossoming.
“Oh, give over! It’s just one more thing that slipped his mind because he was taken up with the Rome investigation. Anyway, as I was saying, Aspasia is away until the beginning of next week. Do you know what time Nik gets in on his return?”
“Um…” Frankie picked up her phone and checked his message. “He’s flying from Rome to Athens, and then Athens to Paragolis, landing early evening.”
“That’s a lot of detail from a man who you think doesn’t care! So, you’ve got no Aspasia, and you will have a hungry, tired man who’s been through an ordeal and traveling most of the day. Any ideas?”
Frankie put her head on one side, her lips curving upwards. “Ooh, I feel a hearty casserole, a nice bottle of wine, and perhaps some candles and flowers might be in order. He’s given me the security code for his house…”