The Enigmatic Greek by Catherine George Page A

holiday and catch the first possible flight home.’
    Alex gave her an unsettling smile. ‘But if you do that you’ll go without your reward. My mother told me—in great detail—what you want, and persuaded me to agree. So to achieve your ambition, Eleanor Markham, you must stay on for a while.’
    Her heart leapt. He really meant to give her an interview? She moved back at the sound of people approaching the other apartments. ‘You’d better come in.’
    ‘Thank you.’ Alex stepped inside, an eyebrow raised as she closed the door. ‘Why the change of heart?’
    ‘The possibility of an interview was worth the risk,’ she said bluntly.
    ‘You’re not at risk from me, Eleanor.’
    ‘Good to know.’ She waved him to the couch. ‘Do sit down.’
    ‘No time for that. I want you to come with me right now. I’ll sort Takis out.’
    ‘Certainly not.
If
I decide to come, I’ll do that myself.’ Eleanor gave him an assessing look as she considered the pros and cons of a stay on Kyrkiros. ‘You would really give me an interview?’
    ‘With certain subjects off-limits, yes.’ He smiled cynically. ‘Your editor would be pleased.’
    ‘Ecstatic,’ she agreed, resigned. ‘But I still can’t see why I have to stay on Kyrkiros to do it. Why would anyone bother about me now your mother’s gone home?’
    ‘You were seen on the island, sharing my table in company with her. You are therefore perceived as important to me.’ Alex’s eyes hardened. ‘From a ransom angle the attempt on my mother failed, so you’re the next best thing.’ He thrust a hand through his hair. ‘Besides, I have a gut feeling that you’re in danger. Laugh if you want, but I’ve been subject to feelings like this at times all my life. I’ve learned the hard way not to ignore them.’
    ‘Premonitions, you mean?’
    ‘Not exactly. The nearest explanation I can give is the electricity in the air before a storm breaks. And, though the weather’s set fair, I’m feeling it on the back of my neck right now. So for God’s sake pack your bags and let’s get out of here.’
    The promise of an interview decided Eleanor. She saved her work on the laptop, stuffed her notebook and camera into her tote bag and went up the ladder at top speed to pack the rest of her belongings.
    ‘I must take the key to Takis,’ she told Alex as she handed the bags down to him.
    ‘The ferry to Crete is about to leave. Tell him you’vechanged your mind and you’re catching it. I moored my boat well out of sight of the
taverna
this morning when I brought my mother over, so with luck we can get away unseen.’
    The enormity of what she was doing suddenly struck Eleanor full force. ‘I must be mad! My phone is broken, and I’m taking off with a virtual stranger without telling anyone where I’m going. I could disappear off the face of the earth with no one the wiser.’
    Alex gritted his teeth. ‘I can tell you write for a living! Plan B, then. I’ll get Takis over here so that you can tell him where you’re going and I’ll swear him to silence to keep you safe. I’ll speak slowly so you understand me. Deal?’
    She nodded reluctantly. ‘Deal.’
    ‘Good. Lock the door behind me and stay inside until I come back.’
    Eleanor waited, her belongings at her feet, not sure whether she was setting out on an adventure or making the worst mistake of her life. But it was worth the risk to get the interview. And hopefully Alex would see that she got to Crete to catch her plane home afterwards. Any other journalist would be jumping for joy, and professionally she was. But on a personal level she had serious reservations about spending time with a hostile man who was only suffering her company to ensure her safety—and even then only because his mother had used emotional blackmail to get him to agree.
    Alex returned quickly with Takis and ushered the
taverna
owner into the room. ‘Right then, Eleanor. Muster your best Greek and explain to him