The Dead Travel Fast by Nick Brown Page B

Before he could, he was called over to join a group that included Dougie, Toggers and others from the team whose nicknames he couldn’t remember and got stuck in a bantering conversation which revolved around money, cars and golf: none of which Steve either had or could play. Then a gong sounded loudly and he followed them through a gap between two trees into the far garden where a long table, able to seat the sixty-odd of them, was laid.
    Above, on a natural rock projecting out of the mountain, a young woman dressed in an ancient Greek Peplos with an olive circlet holding her hair, played a great harp. This time he was not seated near Vassilis and it occurred to him that this was because Antonis seemed to resent him, so he sat amongst the cricketers eating, drinking and feeling the enjoyable post match lassitude he remembered from his cricketing past. He was not anxious about Alekka. He just knew that at the right time she would come for him; and she did, dancing out of nowhere as fruit and liqueurs were being passed around.
    By this time several of the party had drifted off to wander in the gardens and along the paths above the sea. Alekka looked at him, held out her hand; he got up and took it, and they walked away from the candlelit table into the darkness of the trees and the sound of the harp faded behind them.
    “Come walk with me, Steveymou, and I will show you my favourite place on this island where no one will disturb us. But you must promise not to talk about how well you played that stupid game.”
    Shortly, after the lights faded behind them, they heard a disturbance and the sound of a woman moaning in either pain or pleasure in the grove to their left. Alekka tugged at his hand pulling him towards a path leading in the direction of the sea.
    “That woman, the wife of Dougie, shames him and all you English; if she was one of us things would be done.”
    Steve said nothing as she led him further into the darkness.After a while he realised they’d begun to climb a steep gradient. There was a change in the feel of the air as they walked out from the cover of the trees and the sea lay moonlit hundreds of feet below. They’d emerged into a natural arbour in the cliff; a small gently sloping patch of grass perched high up flanked by sheer slabs of rock.
    “I have loved this place all through time, this place is for me only, yet tonight I share it with you.”
    Under normal circumstances he might have wondered about the phrase ‘all through time’ but tonight he felt that, having been tested on the cricket field, this was his reward. The place was magical, away from the world and for a while they stood together in the perfect stillness looking out across the glimmering Aegean. He could smell her perfume, hear the rustle of the thin material of her dress when she moved, and feel the place where their hips touched and her sweet breath kissed his face.
    He waited for her and after a time that could have been seconds or hours she turned to him, as he had expected, and put her arms round his neck pulling his face towards hers. The kiss, soft at first, then urgent, sucked him in. Her tongue and gently biting teeth teased and excited him and his hand slipped down to her buttocks feeling the firm flesh beneath the thin material. She began to move her hips and press against him and he knew what would follow.
    But it didn’t. Suddenly she stiffened and pulled away.
    “Steve, we must go to my father now, he needs to see you.”
    Strangely, despite his frustration and the lack of logic, he knew she was genuine and as sorry as he was they’d had to stop. She took his hand and they walked back through the woods to the house. Vassilis was in his study sitting within the narrow cone of light from an antique lamp; the rest of the room was shrouded in dark but Steve felt the presence of other people in the room he couldn’t see. Vassilis called him over and gestured for him to sit.
    “I am sorry, Doctor Watkins, but your stay