Free Aegean Intrigue by Patricia Kiyono Page A

moment.”
    Alex stilled. His hand gripped Christina's bag tighter. Any moment she was going to realize—
    â€œOh!” Christina jumped up from the bench, but with her arm looped through the handles of her bag and Alex holding it tightly, she couldn't run off. Alex stood and reached out with his other hand and gripped her arm.
    â€œChristina, calm down. We need to walk back to the station so you can answer some questions.”
    The young girl turned a defiant glare at him. “You can't arrest me. You're not a police officer. Uncle Constantine will see that I am treated fairly.”
    â€œUncle Constantine?” Alex's mind whirled. Surely Christina wasn't referring to Zotis.
    â€œHe always keeps his promises,” she continued. Alex noted her eyes had become glazed with the wild look of a child scrambling to extract herself from a bad situation. Maybe he could keep her talking and get more information. He spoke to her gently as he guided her back down the road to the police station.
    â€œWhat kind of things did your uncle promise you?”
    â€œHe promised I would get into the archaeology program at the university, even though my grades weren't the best. And he promised I would be able to join a dig. Twice the committee rejected me in favor of Francie, but Uncle Constantine kept promising me, and he came through. He's a powerful man, and the best godfather a girl could have.”
    Ah, he's Christina's godfather . No wonder there was no record of a family tie between her and Zotis. “So you were angry with Francie because she kept you from joining the digs before. Was your godfather planning to hurt her?”
    â€œI don't know. But he'll make sure she doesn't stop me again.”
    Alex felt sick, knowing the extent of this girls' jealousy. Had her hatred extended to Yannis? “You said you didn't plan to hurt Yannis. Who were you trying to shoot?”
    Christina's dark eyes filled with tears and her face crumbled. “Jane,” she sobbed. “Yannis would have paid more attention to me if it hadn't been for that English girl.”
    ****
    It wasn’t her.
    Alex's heart felt light, despite the serious nature of the report he wrote. He'd known all along she wasn't the thief, but now he had proof. Anxious to find Francie and openly share his feelings for her, he struggled to keep himself on task as he sat in front of his laptop typing his report.
    The crew, what was left of it, had returned to the campsite to wrap things up. Since he wasn't a member of the police force, he wasn't needed at the station once Christina had been taken into custody. After taking her statements, officers went to Zotis's estate to question the tycoon. He now faced a number of charges, including theft of Greek's national treasures and extortion of Professor Theodoris. If Francie wanted to press charges for defamation of character, he would also be charged with that.
    Now, instead of reporting to Zotis, Alex addressed his report to the police, as well as the Greek Minister of Culture. He couldn’t help smiling. The case was solved, and Francie wasn’t guilty. He was free to pursue a real relationship with her. She had taught him to trust again.
    He loved her. The realization amazed him. How long had it been since he'd thought himself capable of that emotion? He’d been attracted to her since the first time he had seen her in Athens, working and studying. His feelings had grown as they spent time together. Now, he could tell her, and hope she shared his love.
    But she hadn't known the real Alex. His elation faded. She knew him only as the Project Director, not as an investigator. Would she forgive him for his deception?
    He finished his report and hit send. Then he sat back and allowed himself to dream. Something he hadn’t done in a long time.
    He’d thought he’d been happy, content to live alone, thinking only of himself and his own needs. Now, he knew better. He needed someone to