again.
Joanna sat in the restaurant for a long time until she realized she was the only person left in the room and the time had long since past for breakfasts being served. She got up, wondering what she was going to do all day. Usually she had no trouble occupying her time, but today all she could think of was Charles. Perhaps she should go out and find him a gift.
Joanna first went back to her room and lay down for a while, thinking about Charles. Then she tried to read a little, but she couldn’t concentrate. She looked through her guide book to see if there were interesting places to visit in Perth, but then decided she didn’t want to do any of these things without Charles. Eventually, she decided to go and get a drink in the bar before going shopping. By this time it was already almost two o’clock. She couldn’t believe she’d wasted so much of the day dreaming.
As Joanna came out of the lift she started walking towards the bar, but then she stopped suddenly. At the reception desk she noticed two men and was certain she knew them. She thought hard for a moment before it dawned on her.
My God, one of them is Dimitris Kastrinakis. How on earth did he find me here?
Joanna had absolutely no idea what to do. She stood still for a moment, knowing that if either man turned round, she would be in serious trouble. She stepped back a few paces and stood behind a pillar. Peeking round it a moment later, she saw that Dimitris and his companion were still talking to the man at the desk.
Right, it’s now or never.
Joanna turned round and walked very quickly to the hotel’s front door and went straight out. She kept walking until she came to a taxi rank. She got in a cab, but had no idea where to go.
“Can you think of a good hotel I could stay at?” she asked the cab driver. “Not the Hyatt. Been there, done that.”
“The Duxton is a pretty nice hotel,” he replied. “A bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.”
“Great, take me there.”
* * *
Both Detective Chief Inspector Dimitris Kastrinakis and his assistant, Stavros, were tired. They had travelled economy class to Australia without any stop-overs and neither was able to sleep much. Unlike in first class, the seats didn’t fold down to become beds and both of them had trouble getting comfortable.
Once they landed in Perth they went straight to their hotel. Unfortunately, it wasn’t of the same class as the Duxton or the Hyatt Regency, but the Greek police force would only fork out for a budget hotel.
They showered and changed quickly and then decided that sleep would have to wait. There was no time to waste so they went immediately to sign in with the Australian police force. They knew they were coming, but Dimitris thought that they were very unhelpful and slow with the paperwork. He guessed they didn’t like foreigners coming into their territory, but thought he’d probably feel the same if the roles were reversed.
Finally, with all the formalities sorted out, Dimitris and Stavros arrived at the Hyatt Regency hotel. They went to the desk straightaway and asked the clerk if there was a Joanna Neonakis staying at the hotel. The clerk answered in the negative after looking through the register.
“She might have used another name,” Dimitris said, getting out a photo of Joanna.
The clerk studied it carefully.
“Yes, yes I think we do have this woman staying with us. Her hair is a different color, but I’m sure it’s her. She’s very attractive, so I couldn’t help but notice her.”
Dimitris and Stavros looked at each other with relief. Dimitris had hoped that their search would be fruitful after that awful journey. He hated flying at the best of times, but being confined to a plane in such a restricted area for so many hours, had been hell for him.
“One moment and I’ll look up her room number. It shouldn’t be difficult to find as I booked her in myself,” the clerk continued.
“Here we are,” he said a few
Joanna sat in the restaurant for a long time until she realized she was the only person left in the room and the time had long since past for breakfasts being served. She got up, wondering what she was going to do all day. Usually she had no trouble occupying her time, but today all she could think of was Charles. Perhaps she should go out and find him a gift.
Joanna first went back to her room and lay down for a while, thinking about Charles. Then she tried to read a little, but she couldn’t concentrate. She looked through her guide book to see if there were interesting places to visit in Perth, but then decided she didn’t want to do any of these things without Charles. Eventually, she decided to go and get a drink in the bar before going shopping. By this time it was already almost two o’clock. She couldn’t believe she’d wasted so much of the day dreaming.
As Joanna came out of the lift she started walking towards the bar, but then she stopped suddenly. At the reception desk she noticed two men and was certain she knew them. She thought hard for a moment before it dawned on her.
My God, one of them is Dimitris Kastrinakis. How on earth did he find me here?
Joanna had absolutely no idea what to do. She stood still for a moment, knowing that if either man turned round, she would be in serious trouble. She stepped back a few paces and stood behind a pillar. Peeking round it a moment later, she saw that Dimitris and his companion were still talking to the man at the desk.
Right, it’s now or never.
Joanna turned round and walked very quickly to the hotel’s front door and went straight out. She kept walking until she came to a taxi rank. She got in a cab, but had no idea where to go.
“Can you think of a good hotel I could stay at?” she asked the cab driver. “Not the Hyatt. Been there, done that.”
“The Duxton is a pretty nice hotel,” he replied. “A bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.”
“Great, take me there.”
* * *
Both Detective Chief Inspector Dimitris Kastrinakis and his assistant, Stavros, were tired. They had travelled economy class to Australia without any stop-overs and neither was able to sleep much. Unlike in first class, the seats didn’t fold down to become beds and both of them had trouble getting comfortable.
Once they landed in Perth they went straight to their hotel. Unfortunately, it wasn’t of the same class as the Duxton or the Hyatt Regency, but the Greek police force would only fork out for a budget hotel.
They showered and changed quickly and then decided that sleep would have to wait. There was no time to waste so they went immediately to sign in with the Australian police force. They knew they were coming, but Dimitris thought that they were very unhelpful and slow with the paperwork. He guessed they didn’t like foreigners coming into their territory, but thought he’d probably feel the same if the roles were reversed.
Finally, with all the formalities sorted out, Dimitris and Stavros arrived at the Hyatt Regency hotel. They went to the desk straightaway and asked the clerk if there was a Joanna Neonakis staying at the hotel. The clerk answered in the negative after looking through the register.
“She might have used another name,” Dimitris said, getting out a photo of Joanna.
The clerk studied it carefully.
“Yes, yes I think we do have this woman staying with us. Her hair is a different color, but I’m sure it’s her. She’s very attractive, so I couldn’t help but notice her.”
Dimitris and Stavros looked at each other with relief. Dimitris had hoped that their search would be fruitful after that awful journey. He hated flying at the best of times, but being confined to a plane in such a restricted area for so many hours, had been hell for him.
“One moment and I’ll look up her room number. It shouldn’t be difficult to find as I booked her in myself,” the clerk continued.
“Here we are,” he said a few
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