Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen
Tony Rezzo just watched her walk out of the bathroom naked and thought, why do Greek women have such big asses?
She got into bed and slept next to him, putting her arms around him and whispering, "I'm so glad you picked me. I fell in love with you from the first moment I saw you."
Tony Rizzoli almost laughed out loud.This bitch must have watched too many nasty movies.
"Of course," he said, "I feel the same way, dear."
He hooked her up at a sleazy nightclub called The New Yorker on Callali Street.She worked as a showgirl in this nightclub, the kind of woman the Greeks pejoratively call a gavyeezee skilo (a barking dog).None of the girls who worked in this nightclub was talented—at least, not at all—singing talent—but they could all be called and taken home for an offer.The woman's name was Helena, and she was quite a charming girl.She has dark eyes, a sensual face and a plump, mature body.She is twenty-four years old.Seems a bit older for Rizzoli's taste.But he didn't know other women in Athens, and he couldn't afford hard-to-please women. "Do you like me?" Helena asked coyly. "Of course, I'm absolutely crazy about you." He started to touch her body and felt her body tremble.He gripped it tightly. "Ouch!" "Move your head bets down, darling." She shook her head, "I won't do it." Rezzoli stared at her, "Really?" Then he grabbed her hair and pulled it hard. Helena screamed. Rezzoli slapped her across the face. "One more cry and I'll break your neck." "Let me go," she whimpered, "you hurt me." Rizzoli gripped her hair tighter. "Hey, you said you were crazy about me, remember?" He lets go of her hair.She looked up at him, eyes full of anger. "You can go to..." His look made her stop and say nothing.There seemed to be something terrifying and evil about this man.Why hadn't she seen this earlier? "There's no reason to fight between us," she said in a conciliatory tone. "you and me……" His fingers dug into her neck. "I didn't pay you to chat." He punched her in the face with his fist. "Shut your mouth and get to work!" "Of course, dear," said Helena, sobbing, "of course."
Rizzoli is insatiable.By the time he was satisfied, Helena was exhausted.She lay beside him until she was sure he was asleep, then slipped out of the bed and got dressed.She was very sad.Rizzoli never paid her.Under normal circumstances, Helena would take some money from his wallet and add a nice tip for herself.But now, her instincts made her determined to leave without taking a penny.
An hour later, Tony Rezzoli was awakened by a knock on the door.He sat up and looked at his watch. It was four o'clock in the morning. He looked around, and the girl had already run away. "Who is it?" he called. "I'm your neighbor." The voice was sullen. "There's a call from you." Rizzoli wiped his forehead with one hand. "I'll be right there." He put on his pajamas and crossed the room to get his trousers that hung over the back of the chair.He checked his wallet and found that there was not a penny missing.Oh, it doesn't look like this bitch is stupid.He pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, went to the door, and opened the door. His neighbor stood in the hallway in pajamas and slippers. "Do you know what time it is?" he said angrily, "You told me..." Rizzoli thrust a hundred-dollar bill into his hand. "I'm very sorry," he said apologetically, "I'll get right to it." The man held back his silence, and all his anger disappeared. "Nothing. There must be something important to call at four o'clock in the morning to wake people up." Rizzoli walked into the room across the hall and picked up the microphone. "Who are you?" "It was Sparrows Lamboro who asked me to call you." "Oh," he suddenly became wary. "What's the trouble?" "It's about Constantin Demiris." "What's the matter with him?" "One of his tankers, the Seri, is now in the port of Marseilles. It is anchored at Parsing de la Grande Joliet." "Is that right?" "We have been informed that Mr. Demiris has ordered the ship to come to Athens. It will enter the docks there on Sunday morning. It will set sail on Sunday evening. Constantine Demiris plans to be on board when it sails. This boat." "What did you say?" "He's running away." "But he and I already have a..." "Mr. Lambero wants me to tell you that Demiris plans to hide in America until he can find a way to get rid of you." The cowardly son of a bitch! "I see. Please thank Mr. Lambero for me, and say how grateful I am to him." "It's something he likes to do." Rizzoli put the microphone down. "Is everything all right, Monsieur Rizzoli?" "What? Yes, yes, all is well." This is indeed the case.
The more Rizzoli thought about the call, the happier he became.He had made Constantine Demiris terrified and wary.This made it easier for him to control this kid.Sunday.He has two days to work out his plans. Rizzoli knew that he had to be very careful.He will be followed wherever he goes.Fucking shitty cops!Rizzoli thought contemptuously.I'll get rid of them then.
Early the next morning, Rizzoli went to the public telephone box on Geforcias Avenue and answered the number for the National Museum of Athens. In the reflection of the glass, he could see a man pretending to be looking at a shop window.Across the street, another man was talking to a little flower girl.Both men were part of the surveillance team tasked with tracking him.Wish you guys good luck.Rizzoli thought. "I'm the administrator's office, what's your business?" "Victor? This is Tony." "Is something wrong?" There was a sudden panic in Kronsis's voice. "It's okay." Rezzoli said reassuringly. "Everything is fine. Victor, do you know that beautiful vase with the red pattern?" "The amphora?" "Yes. I'll get it tonight." A long silence followed. "Tonight? I...I don't know, Tony." Kronsis' voice was trembling, "What if something happens..." "Well, my friend, forget about it. Everything I've ever done was done to help you. Now you just have to tell Charles Parrissy that you don't have any money and he can do whatever he wants. Let's do it." "No, Tony, wait a minute. I...I..." There was another silence on the phone. "Can." "Do you really think it's okay, Victor? Because if you don't want to do it, just tell me and I'll go right back to America. I don't have that kind of trouble there. I don't need All this annoying stuff. You know, I can..." "No, no, I'm very grateful for what you've done for me. Tony, I really do. Make it tonight." "Okay! Then, when the museum closes, all you have to do is replace his real vase with a replica." "The doorman will check all the packages taken out from here." "So what? Are these guards experts in art appreciation?" "No, of course not. But..." "It's all right, Victor. You listen to me, you just have to get a receipt for the copy and stick it over the original in the paper bag. Do you understand?" "Yes, I... I understand. Where shall we meet?" "We don't have to meet. You leave the museum at six o'clock. There's a taxi parked outside. You take your parcel and ask the driver to take you to the Hotel de Brittany, and you tell him to wait for you, and you leave Leave the parcel in the car, go drink in the hotel bar by yourself. When you're done with that, you go home." "But that package..." "Don't worry, it will be taken care of." Victor Colonsis was sweating. "I've never done anything like that before, Tony. I've never stolen, my whole life..." "I understand," Rizzoli reassured. "I've never done it either. Victor, you remember, I'm taking risks when I do these things, and I get nothing out of them." Koronsis was so moved that his voice changed. "You're a good friend, Tony. You're the best friend I've ever had." He twisted his hands hard at each other. "As far as you can tell, when will I get my money?" "We'll have it soon," Rizzoli assured him. "Once we've got this done, you'll have nothing to worry about." And I don't have to worry, Rizzoli thought gleefully, never will.
Two yachts entered the port of Bifoève that afternoon, and then the museum was crowded with tourists.Usually, Victor Koronsis always likes to take this opportunity to study these tourists and try to guess their living conditions.Among the approved people are Americans, British and tourists from more than a dozen countries.Now, Kronsis was too panicked to think about them. He looked into the two windows where reproductions were being sold and saw a crowd of people around them.Two salesmen are busy with various requests from customers. Maybe they're all sold out, Kemsis thought hopefully, and I'd have nothing to do with Razzoli's plan.But he knew that it was unrealistic for him to think so.There are hundreds of replicas of this kind hidden in the basement of the museum. The vase Tony asked him to steal is an important treasure in the museum.It is an amphora from the fifteenth century BC, with mythical figures painted in red on a black texture.Victor Colonsis had only touched it once, fifteen years ago, when he had religiously put it in a box to seal it up forever, and hadn't touched it since.And now I'm going to steal it, thought Koronsis sadly, God have mercy on me.
Kronsis endured the afternoon in a daze, dreading the moment when he would become a thief.He went back to his office, closed the door, and sat at his desk, full of despair.I can't do this, he thought.There must be another way out, but what kind of way out?He still seems to be able to hear Palissy's voice to this day.Give me the money tonight, or I'll feed you to the fish.Do you understand?That guy is a killer.No, he had no choice. A few minutes before six o'clock, Kolonsis came out of his office, and two women who sold replicas were about to start locking the door. "Ladies," Kronsis called. "I have a friend whose birthday is today, and I want to give him something I bought from our museum." He walked to the front of the shelf, pretending to look at the goods carefully.The shelves hold vases, busts, goblets as well as some books and maps.He looked at them as if trying to figure out which one to choose.Finally, pointing to a replica of the red amphora, he said, "I think he might like this one." "I'm sure he'll like it," the woman said.She took it off the shelf and handed it to Kronsis. "Would you please issue me an invoice?" "Of course, Mr. Colonsis. Shall I wrap it in a gift bag for you?" "No need, no need," Koronsis said hastily, "you just have to throw it in the bag." He watched her put the replica into the paper bag and put the receipt inside. "Thank you." "I hope your friends will like it." "He's sure to like it." He picked up the bag and walked back to his office with shaking hands. He locked the door, then took the fake bottle out of the bag and placed it on his desk.Too late, Kronsis thought.I have never committed any crime in the past.He was in a state of indecision, and a train of dreadful thoughts passed through his mind.I can leave my wife and children and flee to another country.Or, I could kill myself.I can also go to the Public Security Bureau and report to the police that I am being threatened.But after the truth was revealed, everything was over for me.No, there is no other way out.If he didn't pay what he owed, he knew Palisi would kill him.Thank God, he thought, for my friend Tony, without whom I would be dead. He looked at his watch.Time is passing.Koronsis shrank back, his legs were weak.He stood there, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.His hands were wet with sweat, which he wiped away with his shirt.Then put the replica back in the paper bag and head for the gate.There was a guard standing guard at the front gate.He left at six o'clock after the museum closed, and another guard was still patrolling everywhere, but he had five or six doors to look after.He should be on the other side of the museum by now. Kronsis came out of his office and bumped into the doorman, and he couldn't help being taken aback because he had a ghost in his heart. "I'm sorry, Mr. Colonsis. I didn't know you were still here." "Hey, I... I'm about to leave." "You know," said the doorman enviously, "I envy you." Had he known my present condition, he would not have said so. "Is that true? Why?" "You know so much about these beautiful things. I'm here on patrol, looking at them, and they're pieces of history, don't you think? I don't know much about them. Maybe one day you'll explain to me Explain, I really..." The bloody fool is still talking. "Okay, of course, there will be such a day. I'd be happy to explain it to you." At the other end of the room, Koronsis could already see the display case in which the precious vase lay.He had to try to shake the guard off. "There seems to be something wrong with the circuit in the basement alarm. You'd better check it, okay?" "Of course. I understand that some of these lines can be traced back to..." "You go check it out now, don't you mind? I won't leave until I know everything is fine." "Of course, Mr. Colonsis. I'll be right back." Victor Koronsis stood there watching the guard walk across the hall and toward the basement.As soon as he was out of view, Kronsis hurried over to the display case where the red amphora was kept.He took out the key and thought, I'm really going to fuck it, I'm stealing it.The key slipped from his fingers and landed on the floor with a thud.Is this a signal?Is it God trying to tell me something?He was dripping with sweat.He stooped, picked up the key, and gazed at the amphora so exquisitely crafted by his ancestors thousands of years ago.The doorman is right, it is a piece of history, a treasure that can never be replaced. Koronsis closed his eyes for a moment, only to feel himself trembling.He looked around, and after making sure that no one saw it, he opened the display case, carefully took it out, then took the replica out of the paper bag, and put it in the display case where the original was stored. Kronsis stood there, studying it for a while.It was a very clever imitation, but to him it was so gaudy and incongruous that it seemed to say, "Fake." It was so obvious.But that's only me who knows it, Koronsis thought, and a few other experts.Other than that, no one can tell the difference between it and the real thing.And no one will take a close look at it without reason.Kronsis closed the display case, locked it, and put the real amphora in the paper bag, along with the receipt. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his face and hands.It's finally done.He looked at his watch—at ten past six, he must hurry, and he hurried to the door.At this moment the doorman was walking towards him. "Mr. Colonsis, there's nothing wrong with the basement alarm system. And..." "That's good," said Colonsis, "we'd better be careful." The doorman smiled and said, "You're right. Are you leaving now?" "Yes, good night." "Good night." The second doorman was at the front door by this time and was about to leave.He looked at the paper bag, grinned and said, "I'm going to check it, it's your rule." "Of course it should be," Kronsis said quickly.He handed the paper bag to the doorman. The doorman looked into the paper bag, took out the amphora, and looked at the receipt. "It was a gift for my friend," explained Kronsis, "he's an engineer." Why should I say that?What is he paying attention to!I should have acted more naturally. "It's beautiful." So the doorman threw the bottle back into the paper bag; Coloncisrow was terrified, thinking it was going to break. Koronsis grabbed the paper bag to his chest and said, "Goodbye." The doorman opened the door for him and said, "Goodbye." Kronsis walked out of the museum, soaked in the cool night air, took a deep breath, and fought back the nausea.He held a treasure worth millions of dollars in his hands, but Coronsis didn't think about it in this way at this time.All he thought was that he was selling out his country, that he was stealing a piece of history from the Greece he loved and selling it to some shameless foreigner. He started to walk down the stairs.As Rizzoli had promised, a taxi had already pulled up in front of the museum.Colonsis walked forward and got in the car. "Grand Hotel Brittany," he said. He slumped in the back seat of the car, exhausted and devastated, as if he had just been through a terrible battle.But did he win or lose? When the taxi pulled him up to the door of the Brittany Hotel, Koronsis said to the driver, "Wait here, please." He cast a last glance at the precious package in the backseat, and got out of the car. , and quickly stepped into the lobby of the hotel.He turned inside the gate and looked out, only to see a man get into the taxi.After a while, the car sped away. Well, it's done.I'll never do something like this again, Kronsis thought.I will never do it in my life, the nightmare is over.
At three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, Tony Rezzoli came out of the hotel and strolled towards Palatia Omonia.He was wearing a bright red checked jacket, green trousers, and a red beret.Two detectives were following him at this time, and one of them said, "He must have gone to some circus to buy these clothes." On Metax Avenue, Rezzoli hailed a taxi.The detective said into the walkie-talkie, "Target has taken a taxi and is heading west." A voice replied, "We saw him and we're following him. Come back to the hotel." "OK." A gray car without a license plate followed the taxi, keeping a considerable distance from it all the time.The taxi headed south, past Monastiraki.In the gray sedan, the detective sitting next to the driver picked up the walkie-talkie. "Centre, I'm number four, and the target is in a taxi, and it's heading towards Filherinnon Street... wait a minute, they're turning right into Pitt Street. Looks like he might be going in the direction of Plaka. We might lose our target there, can you send a man to follow him on foot?" "Wait a minute, number four." Seconds later, the radio crackled again. "Fourth, we've got someone. If he gets off at Plaka, he'll be under our watch." "Okay. Target is wearing a red checkered jacket, green pants, and a red beret. He's hard to get away with. Wait, the taxi has stopped. He's getting off at Plaka. " "We'll notify our people. He's under our control and none of your business. Over."
In Plaka, two detectives were watching a man as he got out of a taxi. "Where the hell did he buy such a set?" one of the detectives exclaimed in surprise. They followed him closely.Begin to follow him through the overcrowded labyrinths of the oldest quarters of the ancient city.For the next hour, he wandered aimlessly on the street, wandering among small restaurants, bars, shops selling tourist souvenirs and some small galleries.He walked off Anafiotika, then stopped to browse the flea market.The market is filled with all kinds of swords, daggers, masks, cooking pots, candlesticks, oil lamps, and binoculars. "What the hell is he trying to do?" "Looks like he's out for an afternoon walk. Wait a minute, he's gone." They followed him into the Rue des Girondas.He walked over to Sina's restaurant.So two detectives waited not far from the restaurant, watching him order. The two detectives grew impatient. "I hope he gets his act together sooner so we can go home and take a good nap." "Wake up, if you let him go, Nicolina will spank our asses." "How could he slip away? He stood there like a beacon." Another detective was watching him closely. "What? What did you say?" "I mean……" "It's all right." There was a sudden strain in his lively voice. "Have you seen his face?" "No." "Neither have I seen it. Crap! Come on." Two detectives rushed into the dining room and walked over to his table. All they see is a completely unfamiliar face.
Inspector Nicolina was furious. "I once sent three teams to follow Rizzoli. How did you let him go?" "He played a trick on us, Inspector. The first team saw him get in a taxi and..." "And they lost the taxi, didn't they?" "No, sir, we watched him get out of the car. At least we thought it was him who got out. He was dressed in a very strange costume. It turned out that Rizzoli had hidden another man in the taxi first. The two swapped outfits, so we followed the wrong guy." "So, Rizzoli himself ran away in a taxi." "Yes, sir." "Did you take down the license plate number?" "Oh, didn't remember. Sir, it... doesn't seem to be important." "Who is that man you're following?" "He was the footman at the hotel where Rizzoli was staying. Rizzoli told him he was joking with a guy. He gave him a hundred dollars. That's all the bellboy knew." Inspector Nicolina took a deep breath. "Then, I suppose no one knows where Mr. Rizzoli is at the moment?" "Yes, sir. I'm afraid no one knows."
Greece has seven major ports - Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos, Igomenesa, Kavala, Iraklian and Piraeus. Piraeus is located seven kilometers southwest of the center of Athens. It is not only the main port of Greece but also one of the main ports of Europe.The port complex includes four piers, three of which are used for mooring yachts and ocean-going vessels.The fourth pier, Hiracles, is reserved for the use of cargo ships that have hatched against the pier. The Thele, a giant tanker, broke down right at Hiracles.At this time, it lay quietly in the dark harbor, like a giant beast ready to pounce at any time. Tony Rezzoli drove to the pier with his four men.He raised his head, looked at the huge steamer, and thought, Sure enough, it is here, and now let us see if our friend Demiris is on board. He turned to those who had come with him and said, "I want two of you to wait here, and the other two to follow me. Watch and let no one disembark." "Row!" Rizzoli took his two men onto the gangplank and onto the boat.When they reached the top, a deckhand approached them, "What do you want?" "We're here to see Mr. Demiris." "Mr. Demiris is in the owner's cabin. Did he send you here?" The tip on that phone seemed right.Rezzoli said with a smile. "Yes, he's waiting for us. When is this boat going to start?" "At midnight today, please look at me." "thanks." They followed the sailor along the deck to a ladder leading down.The three followed him down the escalator, walked along a narrow aisle, passed a dozen cabins, and walked forward. When they reached the last cabin, the sailor began knocking on the door.Rezzoli pushed him aside: "We will notify ourselves." He pushed open the door and walked in. The cabin was larger than Rizzoli had imagined.It has furniture such as a bed, a couch, a writing desk and two easy chairs.Sit around Constantine Demiris behind the desk. When Demiris looked up and saw Rezzoli, he hurriedly stood up, his face turned pale. "You... what are you doing here?" His voice was very low. "My friend and I decided to come and wish you a safe journey, Coster." "How do you know I...? I mean... I never thought you'd come." "I know of course you don't," Rizzoli said.He turned to the sailor and said, "Thank you, man." The sailor left. Razzo turned to Demiris and said, "Are you going to travel without saying goodbye to your partner?" Demiris said hastily, "No; of course not. I'm just... I'm just here to check things on the boat. The boat is leaving tomorrow morning." His fingers were shaking. Rizzoli moved closer to him.When he spoke, his tone was very soft. "Coster doll, you've made a big mistake. There's no point in trying to run away because you have nowhere to hide. You have a deal with me, remember? Do you know what happens to a debtor in a deal? What's the end? They're going to die horribly--terribly." Demiris swallowed, "I . . . wish to speak to you alone." Rezzoli turned to his accomplice and said, "Wait outside." They settled down, and Rezzoli sat down on the chair, "You have disappointed me, Coster." "I can't do it," Demiris said. "I can give you money—more money than you ever dreamed possible." "In exchange for what?" "The condition is that you leave this ship and leave me alone." There was a desperate tone in Demiris' voice. "You can't do that to me. The government's going to take my whole fleet. I'm done for. Please, I'll give you anything you want." Tony Rezzoli said with a smile: "I have everything I want. How many tankers do you have? Twenty? Thirty? I want to get them all in motion. You don't need to let outsiders know about it. What you have to do , just managed to add an additional port of call or two.” "You...you don't understand at all what you are doing to me." "I think you should have thought of this before plotting this little plot." Rezzoli stood up. "You ought to speak to the captain. Tell him we intend to make a temporary stop off the coast of Florida." Demiris hesitated and said, "Well, when you get back in the morning..." Rizzoli laughed. "I'm not going anywhere else. The game is over, and you were planning to slip away at midnight tonight. Fine. I'm going to run away with you. We've got a load of heroin on board, Coster, for To make the transaction more pleasant, we have brought with us a treasure from the Rijksmuseum, which you must help me smuggle into America. This is what you deserve for trying to betray me." There was a puzzled look in Demiris' eyes. "Is there... is there anything I can do," he pleaded, "Is there anything I need to do?" Rezzoli patted him on the shoulder, "Don't be discouraged, I promise you will like me as a partner." Rizzoli walked to the door.open the door. "Well, let's get that cargo on board!" he said. "Where do you want us to put it?" There are hundreds of good places to hide things on any ship, but I don't think there's any need to think about them.The fleet of Constantin Demiris would not be suspected. "Put it in the potato sack," he said. "Make a mark on the sack and pile it behind the kitchen. That vase can be handed over to Mr. Demiris. He will take care of it himself." Rezzoli turned to Demiris and said with contempt in his eyes look. "Do you have any embarrassing questions about this?" Demiris wanted to say something, but no words came out. "Okay, cashiers," Rizzoli said, "let's do it." Rezzoli lay back on the armchair, "It's a beautiful cabin. I'm going to let you live here, Coster. My people and I can find another place to live." "Thank you," Demiris said bitterly. "Thank you."
The giant tanker was towed by two tugboats in the middle of the night and sailed out to sea from the pier.The heroin had been concealed on board, and the amphora had been given to Constantin Demiris in his stateroom. Tony Rizzoli took one of his accomplices aside and said, "I want you to go to the radio room and rip out all the wires so that no messages can be sent from Demiris." "Okay, Tony." Although Constantine Demiris had a broken spine, Tony couldn't take him lightly.
Before the tanker set sail, Rizzoli was still worried about whether something might go wrong, because what happened in front of him was so wonderful that he had never dreamed of it.Constantin Demiris, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, turned out to be his partner.To hell, partner.Rizzoli thought to himself.I'm the bastard's master, and his whole damn fleet is mine.I can ship as much as those guys send.While the rest of my colleagues are racking their brains to figure out how to smuggle drugs into the United States; I've got it figured out.And all the treasures from the museum.That's a real goldmine.I just want these to be mine.As long as they don't let the family know, they won't be unhappy. Tony Rizzoli fell asleep and dreamed of a fleet of golden ships, palaces, and maids of cardamom age.
After Rizzoli woke up in the morning, he and several of his accomplices went to the dining room to have breakfast. There were already five or six crew members in the dining room.A waiter came to the table and said, "Good morning." "Where is Mr. Demiris?" Rizzoli asked. "Is he having breakfast?" "He's in his cabin, Monsieur Rizzoli. He instructed us to give you and your friends whatever you want." "He's so nice." Rezzoli smiled. "I want some orange juice and ham and eggs. What do you want, boys?" "What you want sounds good!" When they had all ordered their breakfast, Rizzoli said, "Calm down guys. Keep your guns hidden and out of the way. Be respectful and polite. Just remember, we're Demi Mr Reese's guest."
At lunch that day, Demiris didn't show up.When dinner time came, he didn't show up either. Rezzoli went to his cabin to talk to him. Demiris was in his cabin, staring out the window, pale and contorted. Rizzoli said: "You should eat something and try to maintain your strength, partner! I don't want you to be sick, we have a lot of work to do. I'll ask the waiter to bring the food here." Demiris took a deep breath and said, "I can't eat—well, please get out." Rizzoli grinned and cried. "Of course. After eating, take a good sleep, your complexion is very bad."
In the morning, Rezzoli went to see the captain. "I'm Tony Rizzoli," he said. "I am Mr. Demiris' guest." "Oh! Yes, Mr. Demiris told me that you would come to see me. He said that there might be some changes in the route, didn't he?" "Yes. I'll let you know. When can we reach the Florida coast?" "In about three weeks, Monsieur Rizzoli." Rizzoli left the captain's cabin and wandered around the ship—this was his ship, the whole damn fleet was his.世界属于他了，雷佐里心中充满了他从来没有感受到过的喜悦。
航程一路风平浪静。雷佐里不时地到康斯坦丁·德米盟斯的舱房里去看看。 “你应该在船上带几个女人。”雷佐里说，“不过我想你们希腊人并不需要女人，是吗？” 德米里斯对他的诱惑置之不理。
日子过得非常慢，但是每一个小时的过去都使雷佐里更加挨近他的梦想，他感到有点焦虑不安。一个星期过去之后，又是一个星期，他们正在逐步向北美大陆靠近。 星期六晚上，当雷佐里正站在船舷栏杆旁眺望着海洋时，忽然有一道闪电闪过。 大副向他走道来说，“我们可能免不了要碰上坏天气，雷佐里先生，我希望你是个不会晕船的人。” 雷佐里耸耸肩说，“我不在乎。” 大海开始出现滚波浪涛。这条船一会儿下沉到浪底，一会儿又猛地从浪尖上拱了出来，宛如穿过波浪在耕耘一般。 雷佐里开始感到晕眩了。看来我不是一个不会晕船的人，他想。不过这又有什么两样呢？他拥有一切。于是他早早地回到自己的舱房里，上床睡觉。 他又开始做梦。这次梦里可没有金色的船队和一丝不挂的女郎，而是一个可怕的梦。梦里在打一场战争，他听到了加农炮的炮声。一声爆炸将他惊醒。 雷佐里在床上坐了起来，完全清醒了。他只觉得船舱在摇晃。舶正陷入该死的暴风雨中心。他听得见在走廊上奔走的脚步声。究竟发生了什么事啦？ 托尼·雷佐里赶紧跳下床来，走到走廊里。甲板突然向一边倾斜，使他差一点失去平衡。 “究竟发生了什么事？”他向一个从他身边奔跑过去的人高声问道。 “爆炸啦！船已着火。我们正在往下沉，你最好还是到上面甲板上去。” “下沉……？”雷佐里简直难以相信。事情一开始不是进行得很顾利的吗？不过没有关系。he thought.我付得起这批货的损失。将来会有更多的收入的。我必须救出德米里斯。他是一切的关键。我们可以发出求援呼叫。这时他才想起他已下令把无线电设备都破坏掉了。 托尼·雷佐里踉踉跄跄地勉强保持平衡，走到升降口，爬到了甲板上面。使他大吃一惊的是，风暴早已过去，海面上风平很静。一轮满月已经高悬天空。他听见一声爆炸声，接着又传来一阵爆炸声，船体开始倾斜得更厉害了。船尾已浸入水里，迅速地往下沉。水手们企图放下救生艇，但是已经太迟了。在船的四周到处燃烧着石油。康斯坦丁·德米里斯在哪里呢？ 这时雷佐里听见，就在那雷鸣般的爆炸声之外突然传来一阵嘎嘎声。他抬头一看，只见一架直升飞机高悬在轮船上方约十英尺的上空。 我们有救了，雷佐里喜出望外地想，他发疯似地向直升飞机挥手。 在直升飞机的窗口里露出一张脸孔。雷佐里花了好些时间才辨认出，原来他是康斯坦丁·德米里斯。他在微笑，在他举起的一只手里正握着那只价值连城的古希腊双耳酒瓶。 雷佐里目不转睛地看着，他的脑子里力图整理出一条思路，弄清楚这究竟是怎么一回事？康斯坦丁·德米里斯又是怎样在这夜半时分找到一架直升飞机的？ 雷佐里终于明白了。康斯坦丁·德米里斯根本就没有过与他做合伙生意的打算。这狗娘养的从一开始就已策划了整个阴谋。那个通知他说德米里斯正在逃跑的电话根本就不是斯帕洛斯·兰伯罗打的。它是德米里斯打的。他设下一个陷阱把雷佐里哄上船，而雷佐里正好跳进这个陷阱。想到这里，雷佐里已经害怕得屁滚尿流。 油轮正以越来越快的速度往下沉。雷佐里已感到冰冷的海水在拍打他的双脚，然后拍打他的双膝，那混蛋正是打算让他们全都死在这里，死在这无人知道的地方。这里不会留下任何痕迹说明曾经发生过什么。 雷佐里仰面看着直升飞机狂叫，“回来！我把什么都给你！”海风把他的话音刮走了。 在这条油轮完全倾覆与那令人发痛的咸海水灌满了雷佐里的双眼之前，他所能看到的最后一样东西只有那嗡嗡作响、直向月亮飞去的直升飞机。
Notes:
He hooked her up at a sleazy nightclub called The New Yorker on Callali Street.She worked as a showgirl in this nightclub, the kind of woman the Greeks pejoratively call a gavyeezee skilo (a barking dog).None of the girls who worked in this nightclub was talented—at least, not at all—singing talent—but they could all be called and taken home for an offer.The woman's name was Helena, and she was quite a charming girl.She has dark eyes, a sensual face and a plump, mature body.She is twenty-four years old.Seems a bit older for Rizzoli's taste.But he didn't know other women in Athens, and he couldn't afford hard-to-please women. "Do you like me?" Helena asked coyly. "Of course, I'm absolutely crazy about you." He started to touch her body and felt her body tremble.He gripped it tightly. "Ouch!" "Move your head bets down, darling." She shook her head, "I won't do it." Rezzoli stared at her, "Really?" Then he grabbed her hair and pulled it hard. Helena screamed. Rezzoli slapped her across the face. "One more cry and I'll break your neck." "Let me go," she whimpered, "you hurt me." Rizzoli gripped her hair tighter. "Hey, you said you were crazy about me, remember?" He lets go of her hair.She looked up at him, eyes full of anger. "You can go to..." His look made her stop and say nothing.There seemed to be something terrifying and evil about this man.Why hadn't she seen this earlier? "There's no reason to fight between us," she said in a conciliatory tone. "you and me……" His fingers dug into her neck. "I didn't pay you to chat." He punched her in the face with his fist. "Shut your mouth and get to work!" "Of course, dear," said Helena, sobbing, "of course."
Rizzoli is insatiable.By the time he was satisfied, Helena was exhausted.She lay beside him until she was sure he was asleep, then slipped out of the bed and got dressed.She was very sad.Rizzoli never paid her.Under normal circumstances, Helena would take some money from his wallet and add a nice tip for herself.But now, her instincts made her determined to leave without taking a penny.
An hour later, Tony Rezzoli was awakened by a knock on the door.He sat up and looked at his watch. It was four o'clock in the morning. He looked around, and the girl had already run away. "Who is it?" he called. "I'm your neighbor." The voice was sullen. "There's a call from you." Rizzoli wiped his forehead with one hand. "I'll be right there." He put on his pajamas and crossed the room to get his trousers that hung over the back of the chair.He checked his wallet and found that there was not a penny missing.Oh, it doesn't look like this bitch is stupid.He pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, went to the door, and opened the door. His neighbor stood in the hallway in pajamas and slippers. "Do you know what time it is?" he said angrily, "You told me..." Rizzoli thrust a hundred-dollar bill into his hand. "I'm very sorry," he said apologetically, "I'll get right to it." The man held back his silence, and all his anger disappeared. "Nothing. There must be something important to call at four o'clock in the morning to wake people up." Rizzoli walked into the room across the hall and picked up the microphone. "Who are you?" "It was Sparrows Lamboro who asked me to call you." "Oh," he suddenly became wary. "What's the trouble?" "It's about Constantin Demiris." "What's the matter with him?" "One of his tankers, the Seri, is now in the port of Marseilles. It is anchored at Parsing de la Grande Joliet." "Is that right?" "We have been informed that Mr. Demiris has ordered the ship to come to Athens. It will enter the docks there on Sunday morning. It will set sail on Sunday evening. Constantine Demiris plans to be on board when it sails. This boat." "What did you say?" "He's running away." "But he and I already have a..." "Mr. Lambero wants me to tell you that Demiris plans to hide in America until he can find a way to get rid of you." The cowardly son of a bitch! "I see. Please thank Mr. Lambero for me, and say how grateful I am to him." "It's something he likes to do." Rizzoli put the microphone down. "Is everything all right, Monsieur Rizzoli?" "What? Yes, yes, all is well." This is indeed the case.
The more Rizzoli thought about the call, the happier he became.He had made Constantine Demiris terrified and wary.This made it easier for him to control this kid.Sunday.He has two days to work out his plans. Rizzoli knew that he had to be very careful.He will be followed wherever he goes.Fucking shitty cops!Rizzoli thought contemptuously.I'll get rid of them then.
Early the next morning, Rizzoli went to the public telephone box on Geforcias Avenue and answered the number for the National Museum of Athens. In the reflection of the glass, he could see a man pretending to be looking at a shop window.Across the street, another man was talking to a little flower girl.Both men were part of the surveillance team tasked with tracking him.Wish you guys good luck.Rizzoli thought. "I'm the administrator's office, what's your business?" "Victor? This is Tony." "Is something wrong?" There was a sudden panic in Kronsis's voice. "It's okay." Rezzoli said reassuringly. "Everything is fine. Victor, do you know that beautiful vase with the red pattern?" "The amphora?" "Yes. I'll get it tonight." A long silence followed. "Tonight? I...I don't know, Tony." Kronsis' voice was trembling, "What if something happens..." "Well, my friend, forget about it. Everything I've ever done was done to help you. Now you just have to tell Charles Parrissy that you don't have any money and he can do whatever he wants. Let's do it." "No, Tony, wait a minute. I...I..." There was another silence on the phone. "Can." "Do you really think it's okay, Victor? Because if you don't want to do it, just tell me and I'll go right back to America. I don't have that kind of trouble there. I don't need All this annoying stuff. You know, I can..." "No, no, I'm very grateful for what you've done for me. Tony, I really do. Make it tonight." "Okay! Then, when the museum closes, all you have to do is replace his real vase with a replica." "The doorman will check all the packages taken out from here." "So what? Are these guards experts in art appreciation?" "No, of course not. But..." "It's all right, Victor. You listen to me, you just have to get a receipt for the copy and stick it over the original in the paper bag. Do you understand?" "Yes, I... I understand. Where shall we meet?" "We don't have to meet. You leave the museum at six o'clock. There's a taxi parked outside. You take your parcel and ask the driver to take you to the Hotel de Brittany, and you tell him to wait for you, and you leave Leave the parcel in the car, go drink in the hotel bar by yourself. When you're done with that, you go home." "But that package..." "Don't worry, it will be taken care of." Victor Colonsis was sweating. "I've never done anything like that before, Tony. I've never stolen, my whole life..." "I understand," Rizzoli reassured. "I've never done it either. Victor, you remember, I'm taking risks when I do these things, and I get nothing out of them." Koronsis was so moved that his voice changed. "You're a good friend, Tony. You're the best friend I've ever had." He twisted his hands hard at each other. "As far as you can tell, when will I get my money?" "We'll have it soon," Rizzoli assured him. "Once we've got this done, you'll have nothing to worry about." And I don't have to worry, Rizzoli thought gleefully, never will.
Two yachts entered the port of Bifoève that afternoon, and then the museum was crowded with tourists.Usually, Victor Koronsis always likes to take this opportunity to study these tourists and try to guess their living conditions.Among the approved people are Americans, British and tourists from more than a dozen countries.Now, Kronsis was too panicked to think about them. He looked into the two windows where reproductions were being sold and saw a crowd of people around them.Two salesmen are busy with various requests from customers. Maybe they're all sold out, Kemsis thought hopefully, and I'd have nothing to do with Razzoli's plan.But he knew that it was unrealistic for him to think so.There are hundreds of replicas of this kind hidden in the basement of the museum. The vase Tony asked him to steal is an important treasure in the museum.It is an amphora from the fifteenth century BC, with mythical figures painted in red on a black texture.Victor Colonsis had only touched it once, fifteen years ago, when he had religiously put it in a box to seal it up forever, and hadn't touched it since.And now I'm going to steal it, thought Koronsis sadly, God have mercy on me.
Kronsis endured the afternoon in a daze, dreading the moment when he would become a thief.He went back to his office, closed the door, and sat at his desk, full of despair.I can't do this, he thought.There must be another way out, but what kind of way out?He still seems to be able to hear Palissy's voice to this day.Give me the money tonight, or I'll feed you to the fish.Do you understand?That guy is a killer.No, he had no choice. A few minutes before six o'clock, Kolonsis came out of his office, and two women who sold replicas were about to start locking the door. "Ladies," Kronsis called. "I have a friend whose birthday is today, and I want to give him something I bought from our museum." He walked to the front of the shelf, pretending to look at the goods carefully.The shelves hold vases, busts, goblets as well as some books and maps.He looked at them as if trying to figure out which one to choose.Finally, pointing to a replica of the red amphora, he said, "I think he might like this one." "I'm sure he'll like it," the woman said.She took it off the shelf and handed it to Kronsis. "Would you please issue me an invoice?" "Of course, Mr. Colonsis. Shall I wrap it in a gift bag for you?" "No need, no need," Koronsis said hastily, "you just have to throw it in the bag." He watched her put the replica into the paper bag and put the receipt inside. "Thank you." "I hope your friends will like it." "He's sure to like it." He picked up the bag and walked back to his office with shaking hands. He locked the door, then took the fake bottle out of the bag and placed it on his desk.Too late, Kronsis thought.I have never committed any crime in the past.He was in a state of indecision, and a train of dreadful thoughts passed through his mind.I can leave my wife and children and flee to another country.Or, I could kill myself.I can also go to the Public Security Bureau and report to the police that I am being threatened.But after the truth was revealed, everything was over for me.No, there is no other way out.If he didn't pay what he owed, he knew Palisi would kill him.Thank God, he thought, for my friend Tony, without whom I would be dead. He looked at his watch.Time is passing.Koronsis shrank back, his legs were weak.He stood there, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.His hands were wet with sweat, which he wiped away with his shirt.Then put the replica back in the paper bag and head for the gate.There was a guard standing guard at the front gate.He left at six o'clock after the museum closed, and another guard was still patrolling everywhere, but he had five or six doors to look after.He should be on the other side of the museum by now. Kronsis came out of his office and bumped into the doorman, and he couldn't help being taken aback because he had a ghost in his heart. "I'm sorry, Mr. Colonsis. I didn't know you were still here." "Hey, I... I'm about to leave." "You know," said the doorman enviously, "I envy you." Had he known my present condition, he would not have said so. "Is that true? Why?" "You know so much about these beautiful things. I'm here on patrol, looking at them, and they're pieces of history, don't you think? I don't know much about them. Maybe one day you'll explain to me Explain, I really..." The bloody fool is still talking. "Okay, of course, there will be such a day. I'd be happy to explain it to you." At the other end of the room, Koronsis could already see the display case in which the precious vase lay.He had to try to shake the guard off. "There seems to be something wrong with the circuit in the basement alarm. You'd better check it, okay?" "Of course. I understand that some of these lines can be traced back to..." "You go check it out now, don't you mind? I won't leave until I know everything is fine." "Of course, Mr. Colonsis. I'll be right back." Victor Koronsis stood there watching the guard walk across the hall and toward the basement.As soon as he was out of view, Kronsis hurried over to the display case where the red amphora was kept.He took out the key and thought, I'm really going to fuck it, I'm stealing it.The key slipped from his fingers and landed on the floor with a thud.Is this a signal?Is it God trying to tell me something?He was dripping with sweat.He stooped, picked up the key, and gazed at the amphora so exquisitely crafted by his ancestors thousands of years ago.The doorman is right, it is a piece of history, a treasure that can never be replaced. Koronsis closed his eyes for a moment, only to feel himself trembling.He looked around, and after making sure that no one saw it, he opened the display case, carefully took it out, then took the replica out of the paper bag, and put it in the display case where the original was stored. Kronsis stood there, studying it for a while.It was a very clever imitation, but to him it was so gaudy and incongruous that it seemed to say, "Fake." It was so obvious.But that's only me who knows it, Koronsis thought, and a few other experts.Other than that, no one can tell the difference between it and the real thing.And no one will take a close look at it without reason.Kronsis closed the display case, locked it, and put the real amphora in the paper bag, along with the receipt. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his face and hands.It's finally done.He looked at his watch—at ten past six, he must hurry, and he hurried to the door.At this moment the doorman was walking towards him. "Mr. Colonsis, there's nothing wrong with the basement alarm system. And..." "That's good," said Colonsis, "we'd better be careful." The doorman smiled and said, "You're right. Are you leaving now?" "Yes, good night." "Good night." The second doorman was at the front door by this time and was about to leave.He looked at the paper bag, grinned and said, "I'm going to check it, it's your rule." "Of course it should be," Kronsis said quickly.He handed the paper bag to the doorman. The doorman looked into the paper bag, took out the amphora, and looked at the receipt. "It was a gift for my friend," explained Kronsis, "he's an engineer." Why should I say that?What is he paying attention to!I should have acted more naturally. "It's beautiful." So the doorman threw the bottle back into the paper bag; Coloncisrow was terrified, thinking it was going to break. Koronsis grabbed the paper bag to his chest and said, "Goodbye." The doorman opened the door for him and said, "Goodbye." Kronsis walked out of the museum, soaked in the cool night air, took a deep breath, and fought back the nausea.He held a treasure worth millions of dollars in his hands, but Coronsis didn't think about it in this way at this time.All he thought was that he was selling out his country, that he was stealing a piece of history from the Greece he loved and selling it to some shameless foreigner. He started to walk down the stairs.As Rizzoli had promised, a taxi had already pulled up in front of the museum.Colonsis walked forward and got in the car. "Grand Hotel Brittany," he said. He slumped in the back seat of the car, exhausted and devastated, as if he had just been through a terrible battle.But did he win or lose? When the taxi pulled him up to the door of the Brittany Hotel, Koronsis said to the driver, "Wait here, please." He cast a last glance at the precious package in the backseat, and got out of the car. , and quickly stepped into the lobby of the hotel.He turned inside the gate and looked out, only to see a man get into the taxi.After a while, the car sped away. Well, it's done.I'll never do something like this again, Kronsis thought.I will never do it in my life, the nightmare is over.
At three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, Tony Rezzoli came out of the hotel and strolled towards Palatia Omonia.He was wearing a bright red checked jacket, green trousers, and a red beret.Two detectives were following him at this time, and one of them said, "He must have gone to some circus to buy these clothes." On Metax Avenue, Rezzoli hailed a taxi.The detective said into the walkie-talkie, "Target has taken a taxi and is heading west." A voice replied, "We saw him and we're following him. Come back to the hotel." "OK." A gray car without a license plate followed the taxi, keeping a considerable distance from it all the time.The taxi headed south, past Monastiraki.In the gray sedan, the detective sitting next to the driver picked up the walkie-talkie. "Centre, I'm number four, and the target is in a taxi, and it's heading towards Filherinnon Street... wait a minute, they're turning right into Pitt Street. Looks like he might be going in the direction of Plaka. We might lose our target there, can you send a man to follow him on foot?" "Wait a minute, number four." Seconds later, the radio crackled again. "Fourth, we've got someone. If he gets off at Plaka, he'll be under our watch." "Okay. Target is wearing a red checkered jacket, green pants, and a red beret. He's hard to get away with. Wait, the taxi has stopped. He's getting off at Plaka. " "We'll notify our people. He's under our control and none of your business. Over."
In Plaka, two detectives were watching a man as he got out of a taxi. "Where the hell did he buy such a set?" one of the detectives exclaimed in surprise. They followed him closely.Begin to follow him through the overcrowded labyrinths of the oldest quarters of the ancient city.For the next hour, he wandered aimlessly on the street, wandering among small restaurants, bars, shops selling tourist souvenirs and some small galleries.He walked off Anafiotika, then stopped to browse the flea market.The market is filled with all kinds of swords, daggers, masks, cooking pots, candlesticks, oil lamps, and binoculars. "What the hell is he trying to do?" "Looks like he's out for an afternoon walk. Wait a minute, he's gone." They followed him into the Rue des Girondas.He walked over to Sina's restaurant.So two detectives waited not far from the restaurant, watching him order. The two detectives grew impatient. "I hope he gets his act together sooner so we can go home and take a good nap." "Wake up, if you let him go, Nicolina will spank our asses." "How could he slip away? He stood there like a beacon." Another detective was watching him closely. "What? What did you say?" "I mean……" "It's all right." There was a sudden strain in his lively voice. "Have you seen his face?" "No." "Neither have I seen it. Crap! Come on." Two detectives rushed into the dining room and walked over to his table. All they see is a completely unfamiliar face.
Inspector Nicolina was furious. "I once sent three teams to follow Rizzoli. How did you let him go?" "He played a trick on us, Inspector. The first team saw him get in a taxi and..." "And they lost the taxi, didn't they?" "No, sir, we watched him get out of the car. At least we thought it was him who got out. He was dressed in a very strange costume. It turned out that Rizzoli had hidden another man in the taxi first. The two swapped outfits, so we followed the wrong guy." "So, Rizzoli himself ran away in a taxi." "Yes, sir." "Did you take down the license plate number?" "Oh, didn't remember. Sir, it... doesn't seem to be important." "Who is that man you're following?" "He was the footman at the hotel where Rizzoli was staying. Rizzoli told him he was joking with a guy. He gave him a hundred dollars. That's all the bellboy knew." Inspector Nicolina took a deep breath. "Then, I suppose no one knows where Mr. Rizzoli is at the moment?" "Yes, sir. I'm afraid no one knows."
Greece has seven major ports - Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos, Igomenesa, Kavala, Iraklian and Piraeus. Piraeus is located seven kilometers southwest of the center of Athens. It is not only the main port of Greece but also one of the main ports of Europe.The port complex includes four piers, three of which are used for mooring yachts and ocean-going vessels.The fourth pier, Hiracles, is reserved for the use of cargo ships that have hatched against the pier. The Thele, a giant tanker, broke down right at Hiracles.At this time, it lay quietly in the dark harbor, like a giant beast ready to pounce at any time. Tony Rezzoli drove to the pier with his four men.He raised his head, looked at the huge steamer, and thought, Sure enough, it is here, and now let us see if our friend Demiris is on board. He turned to those who had come with him and said, "I want two of you to wait here, and the other two to follow me. Watch and let no one disembark." "Row!" Rizzoli took his two men onto the gangplank and onto the boat.When they reached the top, a deckhand approached them, "What do you want?" "We're here to see Mr. Demiris." "Mr. Demiris is in the owner's cabin. Did he send you here?" The tip on that phone seemed right.Rezzoli said with a smile. "Yes, he's waiting for us. When is this boat going to start?" "At midnight today, please look at me." "thanks." They followed the sailor along the deck to a ladder leading down.The three followed him down the escalator, walked along a narrow aisle, passed a dozen cabins, and walked forward. When they reached the last cabin, the sailor began knocking on the door.Rezzoli pushed him aside: "We will notify ourselves." He pushed open the door and walked in. The cabin was larger than Rizzoli had imagined.It has furniture such as a bed, a couch, a writing desk and two easy chairs.Sit around Constantine Demiris behind the desk. When Demiris looked up and saw Rezzoli, he hurriedly stood up, his face turned pale. "You... what are you doing here?" His voice was very low. "My friend and I decided to come and wish you a safe journey, Coster." "How do you know I...? I mean... I never thought you'd come." "I know of course you don't," Rizzoli said.He turned to the sailor and said, "Thank you, man." The sailor left. Razzo turned to Demiris and said, "Are you going to travel without saying goodbye to your partner?" Demiris said hastily, "No; of course not. I'm just... I'm just here to check things on the boat. The boat is leaving tomorrow morning." His fingers were shaking. Rizzoli moved closer to him.When he spoke, his tone was very soft. "Coster doll, you've made a big mistake. There's no point in trying to run away because you have nowhere to hide. You have a deal with me, remember? Do you know what happens to a debtor in a deal? What's the end? They're going to die horribly--terribly." Demiris swallowed, "I . . . wish to speak to you alone." Rezzoli turned to his accomplice and said, "Wait outside." They settled down, and Rezzoli sat down on the chair, "You have disappointed me, Coster." "I can't do it," Demiris said. "I can give you money—more money than you ever dreamed possible." "In exchange for what?" "The condition is that you leave this ship and leave me alone." There was a desperate tone in Demiris' voice. "You can't do that to me. The government's going to take my whole fleet. I'm done for. Please, I'll give you anything you want." Tony Rezzoli said with a smile: "I have everything I want. How many tankers do you have? Twenty? Thirty? I want to get them all in motion. You don't need to let outsiders know about it. What you have to do , just managed to add an additional port of call or two.” "You...you don't understand at all what you are doing to me." "I think you should have thought of this before plotting this little plot." Rezzoli stood up. "You ought to speak to the captain. Tell him we intend to make a temporary stop off the coast of Florida." Demiris hesitated and said, "Well, when you get back in the morning..." Rizzoli laughed. "I'm not going anywhere else. The game is over, and you were planning to slip away at midnight tonight. Fine. I'm going to run away with you. We've got a load of heroin on board, Coster, for To make the transaction more pleasant, we have brought with us a treasure from the Rijksmuseum, which you must help me smuggle into America. This is what you deserve for trying to betray me." There was a puzzled look in Demiris' eyes. "Is there... is there anything I can do," he pleaded, "Is there anything I need to do?" Rezzoli patted him on the shoulder, "Don't be discouraged, I promise you will like me as a partner." Rizzoli walked to the door.open the door. "Well, let's get that cargo on board!" he said. "Where do you want us to put it?" There are hundreds of good places to hide things on any ship, but I don't think there's any need to think about them.The fleet of Constantin Demiris would not be suspected. "Put it in the potato sack," he said. "Make a mark on the sack and pile it behind the kitchen. That vase can be handed over to Mr. Demiris. He will take care of it himself." Rezzoli turned to Demiris and said with contempt in his eyes look. "Do you have any embarrassing questions about this?" Demiris wanted to say something, but no words came out. "Okay, cashiers," Rizzoli said, "let's do it." Rezzoli lay back on the armchair, "It's a beautiful cabin. I'm going to let you live here, Coster. My people and I can find another place to live." "Thank you," Demiris said bitterly. "Thank you."
The giant tanker was towed by two tugboats in the middle of the night and sailed out to sea from the pier.The heroin had been concealed on board, and the amphora had been given to Constantin Demiris in his stateroom. Tony Rizzoli took one of his accomplices aside and said, "I want you to go to the radio room and rip out all the wires so that no messages can be sent from Demiris." "Okay, Tony." Although Constantine Demiris had a broken spine, Tony couldn't take him lightly.
Before the tanker set sail, Rizzoli was still worried about whether something might go wrong, because what happened in front of him was so wonderful that he had never dreamed of it.Constantin Demiris, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, turned out to be his partner.To hell, partner.Rizzoli thought to himself.I'm the bastard's master, and his whole damn fleet is mine.I can ship as much as those guys send.While the rest of my colleagues are racking their brains to figure out how to smuggle drugs into the United States; I've got it figured out.And all the treasures from the museum.That's a real goldmine.I just want these to be mine.As long as they don't let the family know, they won't be unhappy. Tony Rizzoli fell asleep and dreamed of a fleet of golden ships, palaces, and maids of cardamom age.
After Rizzoli woke up in the morning, he and several of his accomplices went to the dining room to have breakfast. There were already five or six crew members in the dining room.A waiter came to the table and said, "Good morning." "Where is Mr. Demiris?" Rizzoli asked. "Is he having breakfast?" "He's in his cabin, Monsieur Rizzoli. He instructed us to give you and your friends whatever you want." "He's so nice." Rezzoli smiled. "I want some orange juice and ham and eggs. What do you want, boys?" "What you want sounds good!" When they had all ordered their breakfast, Rizzoli said, "Calm down guys. Keep your guns hidden and out of the way. Be respectful and polite. Just remember, we're Demi Mr Reese's guest."
At lunch that day, Demiris didn't show up.When dinner time came, he didn't show up either. Rezzoli went to his cabin to talk to him. Demiris was in his cabin, staring out the window, pale and contorted. Rizzoli said: "You should eat something and try to maintain your strength, partner! I don't want you to be sick, we have a lot of work to do. I'll ask the waiter to bring the food here." Demiris took a deep breath and said, "I can't eat—well, please get out." Rizzoli grinned and cried. "Of course. After eating, take a good sleep, your complexion is very bad."
In the morning, Rezzoli went to see the captain. "I'm Tony Rizzoli," he said. "I am Mr. Demiris' guest." "Oh! Yes, Mr. Demiris told me that you would come to see me. He said that there might be some changes in the route, didn't he?" "Yes. I'll let you know. When can we reach the Florida coast?" "In about three weeks, Monsieur Rizzoli." Rizzoli left the captain's cabin and wandered around the ship—this was his ship, the whole damn fleet was his.世界属于他了，雷佐里心中充满了他从来没有感受到过的喜悦。
航程一路风平浪静。雷佐里不时地到康斯坦丁·德米盟斯的舱房里去看看。 “你应该在船上带几个女人。”雷佐里说，“不过我想你们希腊人并不需要女人，是吗？” 德米里斯对他的诱惑置之不理。
日子过得非常慢，但是每一个小时的过去都使雷佐里更加挨近他的梦想，他感到有点焦虑不安。一个星期过去之后，又是一个星期，他们正在逐步向北美大陆靠近。 星期六晚上，当雷佐里正站在船舷栏杆旁眺望着海洋时，忽然有一道闪电闪过。 大副向他走道来说，“我们可能免不了要碰上坏天气，雷佐里先生，我希望你是个不会晕船的人。” 雷佐里耸耸肩说，“我不在乎。” 大海开始出现滚波浪涛。这条船一会儿下沉到浪底，一会儿又猛地从浪尖上拱了出来，宛如穿过波浪在耕耘一般。 雷佐里开始感到晕眩了。看来我不是一个不会晕船的人，他想。不过这又有什么两样呢？他拥有一切。于是他早早地回到自己的舱房里，上床睡觉。 他又开始做梦。这次梦里可没有金色的船队和一丝不挂的女郎，而是一个可怕的梦。梦里在打一场战争，他听到了加农炮的炮声。一声爆炸将他惊醒。 雷佐里在床上坐了起来，完全清醒了。他只觉得船舱在摇晃。舶正陷入该死的暴风雨中心。他听得见在走廊上奔走的脚步声。究竟发生了什么事啦？ 托尼·雷佐里赶紧跳下床来，走到走廊里。甲板突然向一边倾斜，使他差一点失去平衡。 “究竟发生了什么事？”他向一个从他身边奔跑过去的人高声问道。 “爆炸啦！船已着火。我们正在往下沉，你最好还是到上面甲板上去。” “下沉……？”雷佐里简直难以相信。事情一开始不是进行得很顾利的吗？不过没有关系。he thought.我付得起这批货的损失。将来会有更多的收入的。我必须救出德米里斯。他是一切的关键。我们可以发出求援呼叫。这时他才想起他已下令把无线电设备都破坏掉了。 托尼·雷佐里踉踉跄跄地勉强保持平衡，走到升降口，爬到了甲板上面。使他大吃一惊的是，风暴早已过去，海面上风平很静。一轮满月已经高悬天空。他听见一声爆炸声，接着又传来一阵爆炸声，船体开始倾斜得更厉害了。船尾已浸入水里，迅速地往下沉。水手们企图放下救生艇，但是已经太迟了。在船的四周到处燃烧着石油。康斯坦丁·德米里斯在哪里呢？ 这时雷佐里听见，就在那雷鸣般的爆炸声之外突然传来一阵嘎嘎声。他抬头一看，只见一架直升飞机高悬在轮船上方约十英尺的上空。 我们有救了，雷佐里喜出望外地想，他发疯似地向直升飞机挥手。 在直升飞机的窗口里露出一张脸孔。雷佐里花了好些时间才辨认出，原来他是康斯坦丁·德米里斯。他在微笑，在他举起的一只手里正握着那只价值连城的古希腊双耳酒瓶。 雷佐里目不转睛地看着，他的脑子里力图整理出一条思路，弄清楚这究竟是怎么一回事？康斯坦丁·德米里斯又是怎样在这夜半时分找到一架直升飞机的？ 雷佐里终于明白了。康斯坦丁·德米里斯根本就没有过与他做合伙生意的打算。这狗娘养的从一开始就已策划了整个阴谋。那个通知他说德米里斯正在逃跑的电话根本就不是斯帕洛斯·兰伯罗打的。它是德米里斯打的。他设下一个陷阱把雷佐里哄上船，而雷佐里正好跳进这个陷阱。想到这里，雷佐里已经害怕得屁滚尿流。 油轮正以越来越快的速度往下沉。雷佐里已感到冰冷的海水在拍打他的双脚，然后拍打他的双膝，那混蛋正是打算让他们全都死在这里，死在这无人知道的地方。这里不会留下任何痕迹说明曾经发生过什么。 雷佐里仰面看着直升飞机狂叫，“回来！我把什么都给你！”海风把他的话音刮走了。 在这条油轮完全倾覆与那令人发痛的咸海水灌满了雷佐里的双眼之前，他所能看到的最后一样东西只有那嗡嗡作响、直向月亮飞去的直升飞机。
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