Chapter 34 Chapter Thirty-Four
On the fifth day before the trial, guards opened the door of Constantin Demiris' cell. "Someone came to see you."
Demiris looked up.So far, he has not been allowed to meet with anyone except his lawyer.He tried not to look curious.The bastards treated him like common criminals.But he never showed any emotion, never let them have their way.He followed the guard into a small conference room.
"there."
Demiris walked into the room and stopped.A crippled old man sat in a wheelchair.His hair was full of silver, and his face was red and white, with burn marks, like a terrible collage.His lips curled up stiffly in a terrible grin.It took Demiris a moment to recognize the visitor.His face turned pale. "my God!"
"I am not a ghost," said Napoleon Chotas.His noise was hoarse and harsh. "Come in, Coster."
Demiris said tremblingly, "The fire..."
"I jumped out of the window and broke my back. My housekeeper got me out before the firefighters arrived. I don't want you to know that I'm alive. I'm too tired to be with you anymore Fighting."
"But...they found a body."
"That's my servant."
Demiris slumped in a chair. "I'm... I'm glad you're alive," he said feebly.
"You should be happy. I'm going to save your life."
Demiris eyed him warily. "you?"
"Yes. I intend to defend you."
Demiris laughed loudly, "Really, Leon? Do you take me for a fool after all these years? How do you think I'd put my life in your hands?"
"Because I'm the only one who can save you, Coster."
Demiris stood up. "No, thanks." He walked towards the door.
"I've spoken to Sparrows Lambero. I've convinced him to testify that you were with him when his sister was killed."
Demiris stopped and turned around. "Why would he do that?"
Chotas leaned forward in his wheelchair and said, "Because I've convinced him. It's more fun to take your property than to take your life for revenge."
"I do not understand what you mean."
"I promise Lamboro that if he testifies for you, you will give him all your property, your fleet, your company, everything you own."
"Are you crazy?"
"Really? Think about it, Coster. His testimony could save your life. Is property worth more to you than your life?"
For a long time, neither of them spoke.Demiris sat down again.He eyed Chotas warily. "Lamburo is willing to testify. I was with him when Marina was killed?"
"yes."
"In return, he will..."
"All your property."
Demiris shook his head. "I must keep my..."
"Everything. He's going to strip you off. You know, that's his revenge."
Demiris was a little bewildered. "And what do you get out of it, Leon?"
Chotas's lips formed a grin. "I get all the property."
"I, I don't understand."
"Before you transferred the Greek Trading Company to Lamboro, you transferred all the real estate in the company to a new company, a company that belonged to me."
Demiris stared at him and said, "Then Lamboro gets nothing."
Chotas shrugged. "Where there are winners, there must be losers."
"Wouldn't Lambereau have any doubts?"
"I handled it in a way he didn't expect."
Demiris said, "If you can play Lambero, how can I be sure you won't play me?"
"That's simple, dear Coster. You're guaranteed. We're going to sign an agreement that the new company will be in my name only if you're acquitted. If you're found guilty , I can't get anything."
For the first time Demiris felt interested.He sat there, looking at the crippled lawyer.In order to get revenge on me, will he give up hundreds of millions of dollars and lose this lawsuit on purpose?No, he wouldn't be that stupid. "Okay," Demiris said slowly, "I agree."
Jotaqi said, "Okay, so you can save your life, Coster."
I kept more than that.Demiris thought triumphantly, I have a hundred million dollars stashed elsewhere, and no one will ever find it.
Negotiations between Jotas and Spolos Lambero were of course very tricky.Lamboreau almost threw him out of the office. "You want me to testify and save that devil's life? Get out of here!" "You want revenge, don't you?" Chotas asked. "Yes. And I'm about to get my wish." "Really? You know Coster. Property is worth more than his life to him. If he's executed, it's just a few minutes of pain. But if you bankrupt him, strip him clean." , force him to suffer penniless days, and you punish him much more severely." The lawyer said it all, Demiris was the greediest man he had ever known. "You said he was willing to sign and transfer all his property to me?" "All property. His fleet, business, and every company he owns." This is a huge temptation. "Let me think about it." Lambero watched as the lawyer left the office in a wheelchair.Poor thing, he thought, what is he living for?
In the middle of the night Lambero called Napoleon Chotas. "I've made up my mind. Let it be."
The press was buzzing.Each news is more exciting than the last.Not only is Constantin Demiris going to trial for the murder of his wife, but the famous criminal defense attorney who was thought to have died in the fire has come back from the dead to defend Demiris.
The trial took place in the same courtroom where Noel, Patsy and Larry Douglas were tried.Constantin Demiris sat unassumingly in the dock.Napoleon Chotas sat beside him in the wheelchair.Special prosecutor Thelma brought the prosecution on behalf of the prosecution. Thelma made an impassioned statement to the jury. "Konstantin Demiris was one of the most powerful men in the world. His great wealth granted him many privileges. However, there was one privilege his wealth did not grant, and that was the merciless murder of human life." Power. No one, no one." He turned to look at Demiris. "We will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Demiris committed murder in the brutal murder of his loving wife. After you have heard that testimony, I am sure you will have only one verdict: premeditated murder." He returns to his seat. Chief Justice to Napoleon Chotas, "Is the defendant's lawyer ready to make his case?" "Yes, Your Excellency." Chotas rolled his wheelchair and came to the jury.Jurors tried to avoid looking at his grotesque face and twisted figure.He could see the look of pity on their faces. "Konstantin Demiris was not tried here because he was rich, or powerful. Perhaps, that's why he was drawn into this court. The weak often try to unseat the strong, right Right? Mr. Demiris may be guilty of riches and power, but one thing I want to prove beyond any doubt—he was not guilty of his wife's murder." Thus began the trial.
Prosecutor Thelma questions Officer Sephiroth, who is on the witness stand. "Can you describe what you found when you entered Demiris' beach house, Mr. Inspector?" "Tables and chairs were overturned. Everything was messed up." "It looks like there was a terrible fight?" "Yes, sir. It looks as if the house has been visited by burglars." "You found a bloody knife at the crime scene, didn't you?" "Yes, sir." "Are there fingerprints on the knife?" "yes." "Whose fingerprints?" "It belongs to Constantin Demiris." The jury's eyes swung to Demiris. "What else did you find when you searched the villa?" "In the back of the wardrobe we found a pair of blood-stained swimming trunks with Demiris' initials on them." "Is it possible that swimming trunks have been in the house for a long time?" "Impossible, sir. The swimming trunks have been soaked in sea water and are still wet." "thanks." Then it was Chotas' turn to question the witnesses. "Officer Sephiroth, you had an opportunity to speak to the defendant personally, didn't you?" "Yes, sir." "Physically, how would you describe him?" "Hmm..." The officer looked over to where Demiris was sitting. "I would say, he's a big guy." "Does he look solid? I mean he's physically strong?" "yes." "Therefore, he didn't have to leave the room in disarray in order to kill his wife." Thelma stood up. "I protest." "Allowed. Counsel for the accused shall not induce witnesses." "Excuse me, sir," Chotas said, turning to the officer, "did you consider Mr. Demiris to be a sensible man in his conversation?" "Yes, sir. I don't think you'll be as rich as he is unless you're extraordinarily clever." "Very agree, Mr. Inspector. And this brings us to an interesting question. How could a man like Constantin Demiris be so stupid as to leave a tape at the scene of a crime after a murder?" A knife with his fingerprints on it, a pair of shorts with blood on it... don't you think this is very intelligent?" "Well, in the hustle and bustle of crime, people sometimes do the unexpected." "The police found a gold button and thought it fell off the coat Demiris was wearing, didn't they?" "Yes, sir." "And that's one of the big pieces of evidence against Mr. Demiris. The police theory is that when he tried to kill his wife, she ripped it off in a fight, right?" "correct." "However, our gentleman, who is accustomed to being neatly dressed, had a button ripped from the front of his coat. He did not notice it. He went home with the coat on and still did not notice it. Then he took off the coat, Hanging it in the closet - but he still didn't find it. It just goes to show that the accused is not just stupid but blind."
Mr. Cartereros took the witness stand, and the detective agency owner tried to make it as conspicuous as possible. Thelma asked him: "Are you the owner of a private detective agency?" "Yes, sir." "Mrs. Demiris came to see you a few days before she was killed?" "That's it." "What is she asking for?" "Ask for protection. She says she's going to divorce her husband. And he threatens to kill her." There was a murmur in the spectators. "So Madame Demiris is very disturbed?" "Oh, yes, sir. She must be very disturbed." "She hired your detective agency to protect her from her husband?" "Yes, sir." "Thank you, that's all." Thelma turned to Chotas and said, "You can ask questions now." Chotas rolled his wheelchair to the witness stand. "Mr. Cartereros, how long have you been a detective?" "Nearly 15 years." Chotas made an impressed expression. "Oh, that's been a long time. Then you must be very good at business." "I suppose so," said Cutleiros modestly. "So you've got a lot of experience dealing with people in trouble." "That's why they came to me," said Cutleros triumphantly. "And when Mrs. Demiris came to see you, did she seem a little disturbed, or..." "Oh, no, she's very disturbed. Terrified, you might say." "Understood. Because she was afraid her husband would kill her." "correct." "So, when she left your office, how many people did you send with her? One? Two?" "Well, no. I didn't send anyone with her." Chotas frowned. "I don't understand. Why wasn't it sent?" "Well, she said she wanted us to start working on Monday." Chotas studied him, bewildered. "I'm afraid you've confused me, Mr. Cartereros. The woman who came to your office was terrified that her husband was going to kill her, and since she's gone, she says she doesn't need it until Monday." Any protection?" "Well, yes, that's right." Chotas said almost to himself, "That's puzzling. How much is Mrs. Demiris afraid, is she?"
Demiris' maid took the witness stand. "Well, did you actually hear Mrs. Demiris talking to her husband?" "Yes, sir." "Can you tell us what they're talking about?" "Well, Mrs. Demiris told her husband she wanted a divorce; and he said no." Thelma glanced at the jury. "That's right." He turned to the witness and said, "What else do you hear?" "He asked Mrs. Demiris to meet him at the beach house at three o'clock and asked her to go alone." "Did he say he wanted her to go alone?" "Yes, sir. And she said if she didn't come back by six o'clock, I would call the police." You can see the jury's reaction.They all turned away, staring at Demiris. "That's all." Thelma turned to Chotas and said, "You can ask." Chotas rolled his wheelchair to the witness stand. "Your name is Andrea, isn't it?" "Yes, sir." She tried not to look at the bruised and disfigured face. "Andrea, you said you heard Mrs. Demiris tell her husband that she was getting a divorce. You heard Mr. Demiris say no, and told her to go to the beach house alone at three o'clock. That's it. Bar?" "Yes, sir." "You were sworn, Andrea. That's not what you heard at all." "Oh, I heard it, sir." "How many telephones are there in the room where the call is made?" "Well, just one." Jotas rolled the wheelchair closer. "So you're not eavesdropping on the conversation from another telephone?" "No, sir. I never do that." "So you actually only hear what Mrs. Demiris says." "Uh, uh, I think..." "In other words, you didn't hear Mr. Demiris threatening his wife, or asking her to go to the beach house, or anything. That's what you're guessing from what Mrs. Demiris said. .” Andreaji said in a panic, "Well, I guess you could say that too." "That's what I said. Why were you in the room when Mrs. Demiris called?" "She asked me to pour her some tea." "Did you go down?" "Yes, sir." "Have you put the tea on the table?" "Yes, sir." "Then why don't you go away?" "Mrs. Demiris waved me to stay there." "She wants you to hear this conversation, or this so-called conversation, doesn't she?" "I... I think so." His words were like whipping, merciless. "So you don't know if she's on the phone with her husband, or that she might actually be on the phone with someone else." Chotas rolled the wheelchair closer. "Don't you think it's strange that during a private conversation, Mrs. Demiris would ask you to stay there and listen? In my house, if it's a private discussion, I know, we don't have servants around Listen. No, I'm telling you, that phone didn't even exist. Mrs. Demirisor didn't talk to anyone. She was trying to frame her husband. If he did, he'd be tried in court today and die. But Well, Konstantin Demiris did not kill his wife. The evidence against him was completely orchestrated and perfectly calculated. No one in their senses would leave a trail of obvious traces against himself afterwards .Whatever Demiris is, he at least has a head."
The trial, which spanned more than ten days, was a weaving of accusations and counter-accusations, as well as technical testimony from police and the coroner.Public opinion tends to suggest that Constantine Demiris may have committed a crime. Chotas didn't use his trump card until the last moment.He asked Sparrows Lambero to come forward as a witness.Before the trial began, Demiris signed a notarized agreement transferring the Hellenic Trading Company and all its real estate to Sparos Lambero.The day before, these properties had been secretly transferred to Napoleon Chotas.But there was a proviso that the transfer would only take effect if Constantin Demiris was acquitted at trial. "Mr. Lambero, you and your brother-in-law Constantine Demiris are tense, is that so?" "Yeah, we didn't get along well." "Actually, it's fair to say that you hate each other, isn't that true?" Lambero glanced at Demiris. "It might be polite to say that." "On the day your sister disappeared, Demiris told the police that he had never been near the beach house. Moreover, he said that in fact, at three o'clock, the hour when your sister was thought to have been killed, he was with you in Akro Collins meeting. When the police questioned you about that meeting, you denied it happened." "Yes, I deny it." "why?" Lambro sat there for a long time trying not to say anything.Filled with anger, he said: "Demiris treated my sister meanly. He abused her often and humiliated her. I want him to be punished. He wants me to provide his alibi and I won't give it to him." .” "And now?" "I can no longer live with lies. I feel I have to tell the truth." "Did you and Constantin Demiris meet at Akro Corinth that afternoon?" "Yes. The fact is that we did meet." There was an uproar in the courtroom. Thelma stood up, her face livid. "Your Excellency, I protest." "Protest is invalid." Thelma slumped down on the seat.Demiris leaned forward, his eyes bright. "Tell us about your meeting. Was that your idea?" "No, it was Marina's idea. She lied to both of us." "I lied to you, what's going on?" "Marina called me and said her husband wanted to meet me at the mountain hut for a business deal. She then booked Demiris and said I asked to meet him there. When we got there , we found that we had nothing to say to each other." "In the afternoon, when Mrs. Demiris was supposed to be killed?" "yes." "It's four hours' drive from Akro Corinth to the beach house. I've already calculated the time," said Napoleon Chotas, looking at the jury. At Akro Collins at one o'clock, and then back to the beach house before seven o'clock." Chotas turned to Sparrows Lambero and said, "You were sworn, Mr. Lambero .Did you just tell the truth to the court?" "Yes. God testify for me." Chotas swung back into his wheelchair and faced the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said hoarsely, "you have only one verdict." The jurors leaned forward, trying to hear him. "Not guilty. If the prosecutor alleges that the defendant hired someone to kill his wife, then perhaps there is a hint of doubt about the defendant. But, on the contrary, the whole case is based on the so-called evidence that the defendant was in that room and that he personally Murdered his wife. The learned gentlemen of the judges will tell you that in this case two essential points must be proved: motive and opportunity." "Not a motive or a chance, but a motive and a chance. Legally, they are like conjoined twins—inseparable. Ladies and gentlemen, the defendant may or may not have a motive. But this witness has no It can be proved beyond reasonable doubt that, at the time of the crime, the defendant was not near the crime scene at all."
Four hours after the jury retired, Demiris watched as they lined up and returned to the courtroom.He looked pale and anxious.Chotas did not look at the jury, but looked at Demiris' face.Demiris's old air of self-assured arrogance was gone.He is a man facing death. "Has the jury reached a verdict?" said the Chief Justice. "Yes, sir," said the foreman of the jury, holding up a piece of paper. "Please bring the verdict with the bailiff." The bailiff went up to the jurors, took the paper, and handed it to the judge.The judge opened the paper and looked it over. "Jury finds defendant not guilty." There was chaos in the courtroom.People stood up, some applauded and cheered, some hissed and scolded.
Demiris had an ecstatic look on his face.He took a deep breath, stood up, and walked over to Chotas. "You made it," he said. "I owe you a lot." Chotas looked him straight in the eyes. "No more. I'm rich and you're poor. Come on, let's celebrate." Demiris pushed Chotas' wheelchair through the crowds, around the reporters, and onto the parking lot. Chotas pointed to a limousine parked by the entrance and said, "My car is over there." Demiris pushed him against the car door. "Don't you have a driver?" "I don't need it. I have this car specially fitted so I can drive it myself. Help me get in." Demiris opened the door and lifted Chotas into the driver's seat.He folded up the wheelchair and put it on the back seat.He sat down beside Chotas. "You're still the greatest lawyer in the world." Demiris smiled. "Yes." Napoleon Chotas started the car and got on the road. "What are you going to do now, Coster?" Demiris said cautiously, "Well. Either way, I'll make do with it." With a hundred million dollars in hand, I could rebuild my kingdom.Demiris giggled, "When Sparrows finds out you've played him, he'll be pissed." "There's nothing he can do about it," Chotas reassured him. "The deal he signed got him a worthless company." They galloped towards the side of the mountain.Demiris watched as Chotas fiddled with the levers that controlled the gas and brakes. "You've mastered this maneuver." "A man learns what he has to do," said Chotas. The car drove up a narrow uphill path. "Where are we going?" "I have a little house on top of this hill. We'll have a glass of champagne, and I'll have a taxi take you back to town. You know, Coster, I've been thinking about all the things that happened before...Noel and Larry Douglas' death, and poor Stavros. It's not about money at all, is it?" He turned and glanced at Demiris. "It's all about hate and hate, hate and love. You love Pass Noel." "Yes," Demiris said, "I loved Noel." "I loved her too," said Chotas. "You didn't know it then, did you?" Demiris looked at him in surprise. "yes." "And I helped you kill her. I'll never forgive myself for that. Did you forgive yourself, Coster?" "This is what she deserves." "I think in the end we all got what we deserved. There are things I haven't told you, Coster. The fire—I've been in unbearable pain—since the night it started. The doctors want to I recovered, but it wasn't really effective. I twisted too much." He pushed the lever forward, and the car picked up speed and began to zip through one sharp turn after another, climbing more and more up the hill. high.Looking down, you can see the Aegean Sea in the distance. "Actually," Chotas said hoarsely, "I've suffered so much that there's no point in living any longer." He pushed the lever forward again, picking up speed. "Slow down," Demiris said, "you're going to..." "I have lived so long for you. I have already decided that we should die together." Demiris turned around and stared at him blankly, scared out of his wits. "What are you talking about? Slow down, man, you'll kill us both." "Yes," said Chotas.He pushed the lever again, and the car flew forward. "You're crazy!" Demiris said. "You have money and you don't want to die." The smile on Chotas' scarred lips was chilling. "No, I have no money. Do you know anyone who has money? Your friend, Sister Teresa. I gave all your money to the monastery of Ioannina." The car turned a blind corner on the steep mountain road and then sped away. "Stop!" Demiris exclaimed.He tried to wrest the steering wheel from Chotas, but to no avail. "I'll give you what you want!" Demiris yelled, "Stop!" "I've got what I want," Chotas said. Immediately afterwards, they flew over the cliff and fell towards the steep cliff.The car rolled back somersault after somersault, like a grotesque dance of death.In the end, it fell into the sea with a "boom". There was a deafening explosion, followed by eternal silence. (End of the book)
Negotiations between Jotas and Spolos Lambero were of course very tricky.Lamboreau almost threw him out of the office. "You want me to testify and save that devil's life? Get out of here!" "You want revenge, don't you?" Chotas asked. "Yes. And I'm about to get my wish." "Really? You know Coster. Property is worth more than his life to him. If he's executed, it's just a few minutes of pain. But if you bankrupt him, strip him clean." , force him to suffer penniless days, and you punish him much more severely." The lawyer said it all, Demiris was the greediest man he had ever known. "You said he was willing to sign and transfer all his property to me?" "All property. His fleet, business, and every company he owns." This is a huge temptation. "Let me think about it." Lambero watched as the lawyer left the office in a wheelchair.Poor thing, he thought, what is he living for?
In the middle of the night Lambero called Napoleon Chotas. "I've made up my mind. Let it be."
The press was buzzing.Each news is more exciting than the last.Not only is Constantin Demiris going to trial for the murder of his wife, but the famous criminal defense attorney who was thought to have died in the fire has come back from the dead to defend Demiris.
The trial took place in the same courtroom where Noel, Patsy and Larry Douglas were tried.Constantin Demiris sat unassumingly in the dock.Napoleon Chotas sat beside him in the wheelchair.Special prosecutor Thelma brought the prosecution on behalf of the prosecution. Thelma made an impassioned statement to the jury. "Konstantin Demiris was one of the most powerful men in the world. His great wealth granted him many privileges. However, there was one privilege his wealth did not grant, and that was the merciless murder of human life." Power. No one, no one." He turned to look at Demiris. "We will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Demiris committed murder in the brutal murder of his loving wife. After you have heard that testimony, I am sure you will have only one verdict: premeditated murder." He returns to his seat. Chief Justice to Napoleon Chotas, "Is the defendant's lawyer ready to make his case?" "Yes, Your Excellency." Chotas rolled his wheelchair and came to the jury.Jurors tried to avoid looking at his grotesque face and twisted figure.He could see the look of pity on their faces. "Konstantin Demiris was not tried here because he was rich, or powerful. Perhaps, that's why he was drawn into this court. The weak often try to unseat the strong, right Right? Mr. Demiris may be guilty of riches and power, but one thing I want to prove beyond any doubt—he was not guilty of his wife's murder." Thus began the trial.
Prosecutor Thelma questions Officer Sephiroth, who is on the witness stand. "Can you describe what you found when you entered Demiris' beach house, Mr. Inspector?" "Tables and chairs were overturned. Everything was messed up." "It looks like there was a terrible fight?" "Yes, sir. It looks as if the house has been visited by burglars." "You found a bloody knife at the crime scene, didn't you?" "Yes, sir." "Are there fingerprints on the knife?" "yes." "Whose fingerprints?" "It belongs to Constantin Demiris." The jury's eyes swung to Demiris. "What else did you find when you searched the villa?" "In the back of the wardrobe we found a pair of blood-stained swimming trunks with Demiris' initials on them." "Is it possible that swimming trunks have been in the house for a long time?" "Impossible, sir. The swimming trunks have been soaked in sea water and are still wet." "thanks." Then it was Chotas' turn to question the witnesses. "Officer Sephiroth, you had an opportunity to speak to the defendant personally, didn't you?" "Yes, sir." "Physically, how would you describe him?" "Hmm..." The officer looked over to where Demiris was sitting. "I would say, he's a big guy." "Does he look solid? I mean he's physically strong?" "yes." "Therefore, he didn't have to leave the room in disarray in order to kill his wife." Thelma stood up. "I protest." "Allowed. Counsel for the accused shall not induce witnesses." "Excuse me, sir," Chotas said, turning to the officer, "did you consider Mr. Demiris to be a sensible man in his conversation?" "Yes, sir. I don't think you'll be as rich as he is unless you're extraordinarily clever." "Very agree, Mr. Inspector. And this brings us to an interesting question. How could a man like Constantin Demiris be so stupid as to leave a tape at the scene of a crime after a murder?" A knife with his fingerprints on it, a pair of shorts with blood on it... don't you think this is very intelligent?" "Well, in the hustle and bustle of crime, people sometimes do the unexpected." "The police found a gold button and thought it fell off the coat Demiris was wearing, didn't they?" "Yes, sir." "And that's one of the big pieces of evidence against Mr. Demiris. The police theory is that when he tried to kill his wife, she ripped it off in a fight, right?" "correct." "However, our gentleman, who is accustomed to being neatly dressed, had a button ripped from the front of his coat. He did not notice it. He went home with the coat on and still did not notice it. Then he took off the coat, Hanging it in the closet - but he still didn't find it. It just goes to show that the accused is not just stupid but blind."
Mr. Cartereros took the witness stand, and the detective agency owner tried to make it as conspicuous as possible. Thelma asked him: "Are you the owner of a private detective agency?" "Yes, sir." "Mrs. Demiris came to see you a few days before she was killed?" "That's it." "What is she asking for?" "Ask for protection. She says she's going to divorce her husband. And he threatens to kill her." There was a murmur in the spectators. "So Madame Demiris is very disturbed?" "Oh, yes, sir. She must be very disturbed." "She hired your detective agency to protect her from her husband?" "Yes, sir." "Thank you, that's all." Thelma turned to Chotas and said, "You can ask questions now." Chotas rolled his wheelchair to the witness stand. "Mr. Cartereros, how long have you been a detective?" "Nearly 15 years." Chotas made an impressed expression. "Oh, that's been a long time. Then you must be very good at business." "I suppose so," said Cutleiros modestly. "So you've got a lot of experience dealing with people in trouble." "That's why they came to me," said Cutleros triumphantly. "And when Mrs. Demiris came to see you, did she seem a little disturbed, or..." "Oh, no, she's very disturbed. Terrified, you might say." "Understood. Because she was afraid her husband would kill her." "correct." "So, when she left your office, how many people did you send with her? One? Two?" "Well, no. I didn't send anyone with her." Chotas frowned. "I don't understand. Why wasn't it sent?" "Well, she said she wanted us to start working on Monday." Chotas studied him, bewildered. "I'm afraid you've confused me, Mr. Cartereros. The woman who came to your office was terrified that her husband was going to kill her, and since she's gone, she says she doesn't need it until Monday." Any protection?" "Well, yes, that's right." Chotas said almost to himself, "That's puzzling. How much is Mrs. Demiris afraid, is she?"
Demiris' maid took the witness stand. "Well, did you actually hear Mrs. Demiris talking to her husband?" "Yes, sir." "Can you tell us what they're talking about?" "Well, Mrs. Demiris told her husband she wanted a divorce; and he said no." Thelma glanced at the jury. "That's right." He turned to the witness and said, "What else do you hear?" "He asked Mrs. Demiris to meet him at the beach house at three o'clock and asked her to go alone." "Did he say he wanted her to go alone?" "Yes, sir. And she said if she didn't come back by six o'clock, I would call the police." You can see the jury's reaction.They all turned away, staring at Demiris. "That's all." Thelma turned to Chotas and said, "You can ask." Chotas rolled his wheelchair to the witness stand. "Your name is Andrea, isn't it?" "Yes, sir." She tried not to look at the bruised and disfigured face. "Andrea, you said you heard Mrs. Demiris tell her husband that she was getting a divorce. You heard Mr. Demiris say no, and told her to go to the beach house alone at three o'clock. That's it. Bar?" "Yes, sir." "You were sworn, Andrea. That's not what you heard at all." "Oh, I heard it, sir." "How many telephones are there in the room where the call is made?" "Well, just one." Jotas rolled the wheelchair closer. "So you're not eavesdropping on the conversation from another telephone?" "No, sir. I never do that." "So you actually only hear what Mrs. Demiris says." "Uh, uh, I think..." "In other words, you didn't hear Mr. Demiris threatening his wife, or asking her to go to the beach house, or anything. That's what you're guessing from what Mrs. Demiris said. .” Andreaji said in a panic, "Well, I guess you could say that too." "That's what I said. Why were you in the room when Mrs. Demiris called?" "She asked me to pour her some tea." "Did you go down?" "Yes, sir." "Have you put the tea on the table?" "Yes, sir." "Then why don't you go away?" "Mrs. Demiris waved me to stay there." "She wants you to hear this conversation, or this so-called conversation, doesn't she?" "I... I think so." His words were like whipping, merciless. "So you don't know if she's on the phone with her husband, or that she might actually be on the phone with someone else." Chotas rolled the wheelchair closer. "Don't you think it's strange that during a private conversation, Mrs. Demiris would ask you to stay there and listen? In my house, if it's a private discussion, I know, we don't have servants around Listen. No, I'm telling you, that phone didn't even exist. Mrs. Demirisor didn't talk to anyone. She was trying to frame her husband. If he did, he'd be tried in court today and die. But Well, Konstantin Demiris did not kill his wife. The evidence against him was completely orchestrated and perfectly calculated. No one in their senses would leave a trail of obvious traces against himself afterwards .Whatever Demiris is, he at least has a head."
The trial, which spanned more than ten days, was a weaving of accusations and counter-accusations, as well as technical testimony from police and the coroner.Public opinion tends to suggest that Constantine Demiris may have committed a crime. Chotas didn't use his trump card until the last moment.He asked Sparrows Lambero to come forward as a witness.Before the trial began, Demiris signed a notarized agreement transferring the Hellenic Trading Company and all its real estate to Sparos Lambero.The day before, these properties had been secretly transferred to Napoleon Chotas.But there was a proviso that the transfer would only take effect if Constantin Demiris was acquitted at trial. "Mr. Lambero, you and your brother-in-law Constantine Demiris are tense, is that so?" "Yeah, we didn't get along well." "Actually, it's fair to say that you hate each other, isn't that true?" Lambero glanced at Demiris. "It might be polite to say that." "On the day your sister disappeared, Demiris told the police that he had never been near the beach house. Moreover, he said that in fact, at three o'clock, the hour when your sister was thought to have been killed, he was with you in Akro Collins meeting. When the police questioned you about that meeting, you denied it happened." "Yes, I deny it." "why?" Lambro sat there for a long time trying not to say anything.Filled with anger, he said: "Demiris treated my sister meanly. He abused her often and humiliated her. I want him to be punished. He wants me to provide his alibi and I won't give it to him." .” "And now?" "I can no longer live with lies. I feel I have to tell the truth." "Did you and Constantin Demiris meet at Akro Corinth that afternoon?" "Yes. The fact is that we did meet." There was an uproar in the courtroom. Thelma stood up, her face livid. "Your Excellency, I protest." "Protest is invalid." Thelma slumped down on the seat.Demiris leaned forward, his eyes bright. "Tell us about your meeting. Was that your idea?" "No, it was Marina's idea. She lied to both of us." "I lied to you, what's going on?" "Marina called me and said her husband wanted to meet me at the mountain hut for a business deal. She then booked Demiris and said I asked to meet him there. When we got there , we found that we had nothing to say to each other." "In the afternoon, when Mrs. Demiris was supposed to be killed?" "yes." "It's four hours' drive from Akro Corinth to the beach house. I've already calculated the time," said Napoleon Chotas, looking at the jury. At Akro Collins at one o'clock, and then back to the beach house before seven o'clock." Chotas turned to Sparrows Lambero and said, "You were sworn, Mr. Lambero .Did you just tell the truth to the court?" "Yes. God testify for me." Chotas swung back into his wheelchair and faced the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said hoarsely, "you have only one verdict." The jurors leaned forward, trying to hear him. "Not guilty. If the prosecutor alleges that the defendant hired someone to kill his wife, then perhaps there is a hint of doubt about the defendant. But, on the contrary, the whole case is based on the so-called evidence that the defendant was in that room and that he personally Murdered his wife. The learned gentlemen of the judges will tell you that in this case two essential points must be proved: motive and opportunity." "Not a motive or a chance, but a motive and a chance. Legally, they are like conjoined twins—inseparable. Ladies and gentlemen, the defendant may or may not have a motive. But this witness has no It can be proved beyond reasonable doubt that, at the time of the crime, the defendant was not near the crime scene at all."
Four hours after the jury retired, Demiris watched as they lined up and returned to the courtroom.He looked pale and anxious.Chotas did not look at the jury, but looked at Demiris' face.Demiris's old air of self-assured arrogance was gone.He is a man facing death. "Has the jury reached a verdict?" said the Chief Justice. "Yes, sir," said the foreman of the jury, holding up a piece of paper. "Please bring the verdict with the bailiff." The bailiff went up to the jurors, took the paper, and handed it to the judge.The judge opened the paper and looked it over. "Jury finds defendant not guilty." There was chaos in the courtroom.People stood up, some applauded and cheered, some hissed and scolded.
Demiris had an ecstatic look on his face.He took a deep breath, stood up, and walked over to Chotas. "You made it," he said. "I owe you a lot." Chotas looked him straight in the eyes. "No more. I'm rich and you're poor. Come on, let's celebrate." Demiris pushed Chotas' wheelchair through the crowds, around the reporters, and onto the parking lot. Chotas pointed to a limousine parked by the entrance and said, "My car is over there." Demiris pushed him against the car door. "Don't you have a driver?" "I don't need it. I have this car specially fitted so I can drive it myself. Help me get in." Demiris opened the door and lifted Chotas into the driver's seat.He folded up the wheelchair and put it on the back seat.He sat down beside Chotas. "You're still the greatest lawyer in the world." Demiris smiled. "Yes." Napoleon Chotas started the car and got on the road. "What are you going to do now, Coster?" Demiris said cautiously, "Well. Either way, I'll make do with it." With a hundred million dollars in hand, I could rebuild my kingdom.Demiris giggled, "When Sparrows finds out you've played him, he'll be pissed." "There's nothing he can do about it," Chotas reassured him. "The deal he signed got him a worthless company." They galloped towards the side of the mountain.Demiris watched as Chotas fiddled with the levers that controlled the gas and brakes. "You've mastered this maneuver." "A man learns what he has to do," said Chotas. The car drove up a narrow uphill path. "Where are we going?" "I have a little house on top of this hill. We'll have a glass of champagne, and I'll have a taxi take you back to town. You know, Coster, I've been thinking about all the things that happened before...Noel and Larry Douglas' death, and poor Stavros. It's not about money at all, is it?" He turned and glanced at Demiris. "It's all about hate and hate, hate and love. You love Pass Noel." "Yes," Demiris said, "I loved Noel." "I loved her too," said Chotas. "You didn't know it then, did you?" Demiris looked at him in surprise. "yes." "And I helped you kill her. I'll never forgive myself for that. Did you forgive yourself, Coster?" "This is what she deserves." "I think in the end we all got what we deserved. There are things I haven't told you, Coster. The fire—I've been in unbearable pain—since the night it started. The doctors want to I recovered, but it wasn't really effective. I twisted too much." He pushed the lever forward, and the car picked up speed and began to zip through one sharp turn after another, climbing more and more up the hill. high.Looking down, you can see the Aegean Sea in the distance. "Actually," Chotas said hoarsely, "I've suffered so much that there's no point in living any longer." He pushed the lever forward again, picking up speed. "Slow down," Demiris said, "you're going to..." "I have lived so long for you. I have already decided that we should die together." Demiris turned around and stared at him blankly, scared out of his wits. "What are you talking about? Slow down, man, you'll kill us both." "Yes," said Chotas.He pushed the lever again, and the car flew forward. "You're crazy!" Demiris said. "You have money and you don't want to die." The smile on Chotas' scarred lips was chilling. "No, I have no money. Do you know anyone who has money? Your friend, Sister Teresa. I gave all your money to the monastery of Ioannina." The car turned a blind corner on the steep mountain road and then sped away. "Stop!" Demiris exclaimed.He tried to wrest the steering wheel from Chotas, but to no avail. "I'll give you what you want!" Demiris yelled, "Stop!" "I've got what I want," Chotas said. Immediately afterwards, they flew over the cliff and fell towards the steep cliff.The car rolled back somersault after somersault, like a grotesque dance of death.In the end, it fell into the sea with a "boom". There was a deafening explosion, followed by eternal silence. (End of the book)