Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty-Three
Konstantin Demiris' beach house sits on an acre of land by the sea, three miles north of Piraeus.Demiris gets there at 7 p.m.He stopped the car in the driveway, opened the door, and walked towards the villa.
As he approached the villa, a man he didn't recognize opened the door.
"Good evening, Mr. Demiris."
Inside the house, he found six police officers.
"What's going on here?" Demiris demanded.
"I'm Police Lieutenant Sephiroth, and I..."
Demiris pushed him away and stepped into the living room.The room was in disarray, and it was evident that a violent struggle had taken place.The tables and chairs were turned upside down, and one of Marina's skirts was thrown to the ground, torn to pieces.Demiris picked up the skirt and looked at it carefully.
"Where is my wife? I should see her here."
The police lieutenant said, "She's not here. We've searched the house and all around the beach. Looks like someone broke in and robbed."
"Oh. Where's Marina? Did she call you? Is she here?"
"Yes, sir, we think she is here." He held up a lady's watch, the face of which had been shattered, and the hands stopped at three o'clock. "Is this your wife's watch?"
"It looks like it."
"Then it's hers. It's a birthday present."
"That's blood," Officer Sephiroth said, pointing to some spots on the carpet. He picked up a knife lying on the floor and carefully grasped the handle, which was covered in blood.
"Have you seen this knife before, sir?"
Demiris glanced. "No. You mean she's dead?"
"That's obviously quite possible, sir. We found some drops of blood on the sand leading to the sea."
"My God," Demiris said.
"We feel fortunate that there are still some clear fingerprints on the knife."
Demiris sat down heavily. "Then whoever did it, you can catch him."
"If we have his fingerprints in our files, he can't get away. There are fingerprints all over the house. We have to sort it out. If you don't mind, please give us your fingerprints, Mr. Demiris. That way, We can rule it out immediately."
Demiris hesitated, "Okay, of course."
"That officer over there will take your fingerprints."
Demiris walked up to a uniformed police officer, who was holding a fingerprint box. "You just need to put your finger here, sir." After a while, the fingerprints were taken. "You know, it's just a matter of routine."
Officer Sephiroth handed Milis a small business card. "Mr. Demiris, do you know anything about this?"
Demiris looked at the business card.It read: Cartereros Detective Agency - Private Investigators.He handed back his card. "No. Does it have any significance?"
"I don't know, we are investigating."
"Of course, I want you to do your best to find out who did it. And, if you have any news of my wife, please let me know."
Officer Sephiroth looked at him, nodded and said, "Don't worry, sir, we will."
Marina, the golden girl, is charming, cheerful, and delightful.In the beginning, it was so wonderful.But then, she murdered their son.Because of this, she will never be forgiven... except for her death.
At noon the next day, the call came.Demiris is in a meeting.His secretary relayed to him: "Excuse me, Mr. Demiris..." "I told you, don't bother me." "Yes, sir. But an Inspector General called Levan Ross called. He said it was urgent. You want me to inform him..." "No, I'll pick it up," Demiris told the meeting crowd. "Sorry, gentlemen. Excuse me for a moment." He picked up the receiver. "This is Demiris." A voice said: "I am Levan Rose, Chief Inspector of the General Bureau, Mr. Demiris. We have obtained some information, and I think you will be interested. Is it convenient for you to come to the Police Headquarters?" "Have you heard from my wife?" "If you don't care. I'd rather not talk about it on the phone." Demiris hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm coming." He put down the phone and said to the others, "There's an urgent matter. Why don't you go to the restaurant and discuss my proposal. I'll be back in time to talk to you." You guys had lunch together." Everyone chirped in agreement.Five minutes later, Demiris was on his way to police headquarters.
In the police chief's office, six people were waiting for him.Demiris recognized the officers he had seen at the beach house. "...This one is Special Prosecutor Thelma." Thelma was short and stout, with thick black eyebrows and a round face.There was a look of cynicism in his eyes. "What happened?" Demiris asked. "Have you heard from my wife?" The Inspector General said, "Very frankly, Mr. Demiris, we've run into some problems and we're confused. Hope you might be able to help us." "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you. It's really shocking..." "You had an appointment with your wife at the beach house yesterday afternoon around 3pm, didn't you?" "What? No. Madame called and asked me to meet her there at seven o'clock." Prosecutor Thelma said tactfully, "Oh, this is one of the things that confuses us. Your maid told us that you called your wife at about two o'clock and asked her to go to the beach house alone and wait. you." Demiris frowned. "She was confused. My wife called me and asked me to meet her there at 7 o'clock last night." "It's this Xiang. So the maid made a mistake." "of course." "Do you know why your wife asked you to go to the beach house?" "I think she was trying to talk me out of divorcing her." "Have you told your wife that you are divorcing her?" "yes." "The maid said she overheard you talking on the phone. At that time, Mrs. Demiris told you that she was going to divorce you." "I don't care what the maid says. You must take my word for it." "Mr. Demiris, do you have swimming trunks in the Beach House?" the Chief Inspector asked. "At the beach house? No. I stopped swimming there years ago. I swim in the pool at my house in the city..." The Chief Inspector opened the desk drawer; he took out a plastic bag containing a pair of swimming trunks.He removed the plastic bag and held up his swimming trunks for Demiris to see. "Mr. Demiris, are these your swimming trunks?" "I think maybe so." "It has letters like your initials on it." "Yes, I think I recognize it. It's my swimming trunks." "We found it at the bottom of the closet at the beach house." "So what? Probably stayed there a long time ago. Why..." "Swimming trunks soaked in sea water and still wet. Analysis proves; this is the same sea water in front of the beach house. Swimming trunks are full of blood." The room became extremely hot. "Then someone else must have worn it," Demiris said firmly. "Why would anyone else do this, Mr. Demiris. That's one of the things that confuses us," the special prosecutor said. The Attorney General opened an envelope which lay on the table, and drew out a gold button. "One of our officers found it under a rug at the beach house. Do you recognize the button?" "No." "It was on one of your coats. We took the liberty of having a police officer come to your house this morning and inspect your closet. One of your coats is missing a button. The fine thread matches exactly; and This top just came in from the laundry just a week ago." "I do not……" "Mr. Demiris, you said you told your wife you were going to get a divorce and she tried to talk you out of it, didn't you?" "correct." The Chief Inspector picked up the business card Demiris had seen yesterday. "Today one of our officers visited the Cartereros Detective Agency." "I told you—I never heard of them." "Your wife hired them to protect her." The news shocked him greatly. "Marina? Why protect her?" "Because of you. According to the boss of the detective agency, your wife threatened to divorce you. And you told her that if she divorced you, you would kill her. The boss asked her why she didn't go to the police station for protection, and she said Wants to deal with it privately. She doesn't want to make a big splash." Demiris stood up. "I don't want to be here listening to these lies. There's no…" The Chief Inspector reaches into a drawer and pulls out the bloodstained knife he found at the beach house. "At the beach house, you told the officer you'd never seen the knife before?" "correct." "On this knife, there are your fingerprints." Demiris stared blankly at the knife. "My—my fingerprints? Got it wrong, it's impossible!" His brain was spinning rapidly.The piece of evidence against him quickly emerged in his mind: the maid said that he called his wife at two o'clock and asked her to go to the beach house alone...his blood-stained swimming trunks... Buttons torn from his clothes like... knives with his fingerprints on them... "Don't you understand? You idiots! It's framed!" he yelled. "Someone took those swimming trunks to the beach house, splashed a little blood on them and a knife, ripped a buttons; and..." The special prosecutor interrupted him, "Mr. Demiris, can you explain how your fingerprints got on the knife?" "I—I don't know... wait, yeah, I remember now. Marina asked me to cut open a package for her, and she must have handed me this knife. That's the one with my fingerprints on it. s reason." "I see. What's in the package?" "I—I don't know." "You don't know what's in the package?" "No idea. I just cut the straps that held the package. She never opened the package." "Can you please explain the blood on the carpet, or the drops on the beach leading to the sea, or..." "It's obvious," Demiris refuted in a row. "Marina just cut herself a small gash and walks towards the sea. Then you will think that I murdered her. She wants revenge on me. Because I Told her I was divorcing her. And now, she's hiding somewhere, gloating. She thinks you're going to get me, and Marina is alive and well, just like us." The Special Prosecutor said heavily, "May that be true, sir. We pulled her body out of the sea this morning. She was stabbed and drowned. Mr. Demiris, I am now charged with murder." You will be arrested on the charge of your wife."
Marina, the golden girl, is charming, cheerful, and delightful.In the beginning, it was so wonderful.But then, she murdered their son.Because of this, she will never be forgiven... except for her death.
At noon the next day, the call came.Demiris is in a meeting.His secretary relayed to him: "Excuse me, Mr. Demiris..." "I told you, don't bother me." "Yes, sir. But an Inspector General called Levan Ross called. He said it was urgent. You want me to inform him..." "No, I'll pick it up," Demiris told the meeting crowd. "Sorry, gentlemen. Excuse me for a moment." He picked up the receiver. "This is Demiris." A voice said: "I am Levan Rose, Chief Inspector of the General Bureau, Mr. Demiris. We have obtained some information, and I think you will be interested. Is it convenient for you to come to the Police Headquarters?" "Have you heard from my wife?" "If you don't care. I'd rather not talk about it on the phone." Demiris hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm coming." He put down the phone and said to the others, "There's an urgent matter. Why don't you go to the restaurant and discuss my proposal. I'll be back in time to talk to you." You guys had lunch together." Everyone chirped in agreement.Five minutes later, Demiris was on his way to police headquarters.
In the police chief's office, six people were waiting for him.Demiris recognized the officers he had seen at the beach house. "...This one is Special Prosecutor Thelma." Thelma was short and stout, with thick black eyebrows and a round face.There was a look of cynicism in his eyes. "What happened?" Demiris asked. "Have you heard from my wife?" The Inspector General said, "Very frankly, Mr. Demiris, we've run into some problems and we're confused. Hope you might be able to help us." "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you. It's really shocking..." "You had an appointment with your wife at the beach house yesterday afternoon around 3pm, didn't you?" "What? No. Madame called and asked me to meet her there at seven o'clock." Prosecutor Thelma said tactfully, "Oh, this is one of the things that confuses us. Your maid told us that you called your wife at about two o'clock and asked her to go to the beach house alone and wait. you." Demiris frowned. "She was confused. My wife called me and asked me to meet her there at 7 o'clock last night." "It's this Xiang. So the maid made a mistake." "of course." "Do you know why your wife asked you to go to the beach house?" "I think she was trying to talk me out of divorcing her." "Have you told your wife that you are divorcing her?" "yes." "The maid said she overheard you talking on the phone. At that time, Mrs. Demiris told you that she was going to divorce you." "I don't care what the maid says. You must take my word for it." "Mr. Demiris, do you have swimming trunks in the Beach House?" the Chief Inspector asked. "At the beach house? No. I stopped swimming there years ago. I swim in the pool at my house in the city..." The Chief Inspector opened the desk drawer; he took out a plastic bag containing a pair of swimming trunks.He removed the plastic bag and held up his swimming trunks for Demiris to see. "Mr. Demiris, are these your swimming trunks?" "I think maybe so." "It has letters like your initials on it." "Yes, I think I recognize it. It's my swimming trunks." "We found it at the bottom of the closet at the beach house." "So what? Probably stayed there a long time ago. Why..." "Swimming trunks soaked in sea water and still wet. Analysis proves; this is the same sea water in front of the beach house. Swimming trunks are full of blood." The room became extremely hot. "Then someone else must have worn it," Demiris said firmly. "Why would anyone else do this, Mr. Demiris. That's one of the things that confuses us," the special prosecutor said. The Attorney General opened an envelope which lay on the table, and drew out a gold button. "One of our officers found it under a rug at the beach house. Do you recognize the button?" "No." "It was on one of your coats. We took the liberty of having a police officer come to your house this morning and inspect your closet. One of your coats is missing a button. The fine thread matches exactly; and This top just came in from the laundry just a week ago." "I do not……" "Mr. Demiris, you said you told your wife you were going to get a divorce and she tried to talk you out of it, didn't you?" "correct." The Chief Inspector picked up the business card Demiris had seen yesterday. "Today one of our officers visited the Cartereros Detective Agency." "I told you—I never heard of them." "Your wife hired them to protect her." The news shocked him greatly. "Marina? Why protect her?" "Because of you. According to the boss of the detective agency, your wife threatened to divorce you. And you told her that if she divorced you, you would kill her. The boss asked her why she didn't go to the police station for protection, and she said Wants to deal with it privately. She doesn't want to make a big splash." Demiris stood up. "I don't want to be here listening to these lies. There's no…" The Chief Inspector reaches into a drawer and pulls out the bloodstained knife he found at the beach house. "At the beach house, you told the officer you'd never seen the knife before?" "correct." "On this knife, there are your fingerprints." Demiris stared blankly at the knife. "My—my fingerprints? Got it wrong, it's impossible!" His brain was spinning rapidly.The piece of evidence against him quickly emerged in his mind: the maid said that he called his wife at two o'clock and asked her to go to the beach house alone...his blood-stained swimming trunks... Buttons torn from his clothes like... knives with his fingerprints on them... "Don't you understand? You idiots! It's framed!" he yelled. "Someone took those swimming trunks to the beach house, splashed a little blood on them and a knife, ripped a buttons; and..." The special prosecutor interrupted him, "Mr. Demiris, can you explain how your fingerprints got on the knife?" "I—I don't know... wait, yeah, I remember now. Marina asked me to cut open a package for her, and she must have handed me this knife. That's the one with my fingerprints on it. s reason." "I see. What's in the package?" "I—I don't know." "You don't know what's in the package?" "No idea. I just cut the straps that held the package. She never opened the package." "Can you please explain the blood on the carpet, or the drops on the beach leading to the sea, or..." "It's obvious," Demiris refuted in a row. "Marina just cut herself a small gash and walks towards the sea. Then you will think that I murdered her. She wants revenge on me. Because I Told her I was divorcing her. And now, she's hiding somewhere, gloating. She thinks you're going to get me, and Marina is alive and well, just like us." The Special Prosecutor said heavily, "May that be true, sir. We pulled her body out of the sea this morning. She was stabbed and drowned. Mr. Demiris, I am now charged with murder." You will be arrested on the charge of your wife."