A Deadly Twist by Jeffrey Siger (free novel reading sites .txt) 📕

the umbrella into the side of the man’s right knee, sending him crumpling to the sand. The man clutched his leg and howled, just as Andreas delivered another pointed shot to the man’s left shin, followed by a haymaker from the umbrella’s blunt end to the man’s jaw.

Andreas stepped back. “Are we done yet?”

The man growled and lurched along the sand toward Andreas.

“Not yet, huh? Well, have it your way.” Andreas stepped back as the man tried to get up. Andreas stepped forward with his left foot, as he brought his right foot forward and up in a fierce pendulum shot of a kick to the man’s balls.

As the man lay writhing on the ground, Andreas turned to his mates. “Here in Greece we prefer football, though you might call it soccer. Now, would you two mind removing your buddy from our area of the beach?” The two men looked at each other and charged at Andreas. He stepped back and braced for their attack.

CRACK!

The sound echoed across the beach, stopping the two men in their tracks.

“Okay, assholes, I’ve had all that I can take from your loud-ass music and bullshit machismo.” Tassos stood with his gun aimed at the chest of the bigger of the two men. “If you aren’t off this beach with your hurt buddy in two minutes, I’m going to start taking target practice at your kneecaps.”

The men stood frozen in place.

“I said move.” Tassos fired another round at their feet.

One tossed everything of theirs into a blanket and ran with it Santa Claus-style toward the parking area while the other helped their staggering leader struggle along after.

Andreas watched to make sure they’d left before turning to Tassos.

“That was a highly inappropriate use of a firearm.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

Maggie said, “I wondered why you seemed so calm when they threatened you for asking them to turn down their music. For a moment, I thought you’d forgotten your English.”

“Yeah, I should have shot their music box instead. That would have ended the confrontation right there.”

“I remember the days when you wouldn’t have needed the gun to take care of those three,” said Andreas.

“So do I, but times change.”

Andreas nodded. “They sure do. And by the way, why didn’t you pull your pistol and put an end to it all before I had to fight the guy?”

“I figured he needed his ass kicked and you needed some practice.”

Andreas shook his head. “Those three weren’t the only assholes on this beach today.”

“Yeah, it was their bad luck we all happened to end up in the same place on the same day.”

Same place, same day. Andreas froze. “That can’t be.”

“What can’t be?” said Tassos.

“That dead Greek-American, Zagori. He couldn’t have been in the bar the night Nikoletta met the hacker. He wasn’t even in Greece until days later!”

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence the two men resembled each other?” said Maggie.

“We hate coincidences,” said Andreas.

“But this time, maybe it is?” said Tassos.

“Meaning that lead’s a dead end. Damn it.”

“Is everything all right?” shouted Lila running toward them. “I heard shots and saw three men hurrying off like fleeing thieves.”

“It was just another drunken tourist episode,” said Tassos.

“Yep,” said Andreas. “The kind that comes to our country on holiday thinking they can do anything they want, and too many of us let them do just that.” He nodded toward Tassos. “Unluckily for those three, Tassos isn’t one of them.”

“All this excitement has me hungry,” said Maggie. “What do you say we get something to eat?”

“Good idea,” said Lila.

“Just one question,” said Maggie, looking at Andreas. “What was that bit about old men and women?”

He smiled. “I just used that for dramatic effect.”

“I would certainly hope, because I was a pretty good footballer myself.”

“That’s good to know. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Tassos nodded. “I also learned something today,”

“What’s that?”

“Always bring an umbrella to the beach.”

Chapter Twelve

After leaving the beach, they followed the highway north toward Chora. A few minutes later they entered the area of Kastraki, passing between fields of hay, olives, and pasture, all bordered in the distance by clusters of modern white villas. Beyond a row of beach pines, Andreas turned right into a dusty parking lot and stopped beside a pale ochre roadhouse cloistered by olive, fig, apricot, and pomegranate, well-tended gardens, and a veranda draped in bougainvillea, hibiscus, and grape.

“What’s this place?” asked Lila.

“Tassos’s friend said it might be the best taverna in the Cyclades.”

“It’s where our meeting is set for tomorrow,” said Tassos. “I figured since we’re in the area, why not take a peek at it?”

“As long as the food is good, I don’t care about your ulterior motives,” said Lila, opening her rear door and sliding out.

“Ditto on that,” said Maggie, getting out the other side.

Andreas looked at Tassos. “Hardly a serious wisecrack from the crew in the back. I guess they really are hungry.”

“They’re not alone in that. And that’s not a coincidence; it’s a fact.”

Andreas shook his head. “I still can’t believe a Zagori look-alike was in that bar nights before the real Zagori arrived on Naxos.”

“I admit it’s freaky. But what other explanation is there other than coincidence?”

“That’s what I’m asking you.”

“Perhaps lunch will inspire me.”

They caught up with Lila and Maggie waiting just inside the entrance to a large empty room next to an open kitchen. A bearded young man said hello and led them out onto an even larger L-shaped veranda where diners happily chatted away at traditional taverna chairs and tables painted terracotta and olive.

“I think I’m going to like this place.” Lila pointed to a small ceramic tile depicting a fish and olives mounted onto a concrete pillar supporting the veranda’s beam and double-slatted roof. “I love the little touches.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing,” said Tassos.

Maggie poked him. “Nobody likes a smart-ass.”

“That’s okay,” said Lila. “We know he’s only trying to hide his sensitive side.”

The young man showed them to a corner table on the side of the veranda farthest from the road.

“I suspect that