Captive in Crete: The First Jet Wilson Cozy Mystery (Jet Wilson Cozy Mysteries Book 1) Lyssa Stanson (best interesting books to read TXT) 📖

Grandma and Matt crowded in after him. Grandma crouched in front of me and held my hands tight in hers, looking up at me as if to memorise the sight of me. Matt and Aristede stood side by side and gazed at each other appraisingly.

“And you are?” asked Aristede, one eyebrow raised, his head tilted back so he could look down at Matt.

“I’m a friend of Jet’s,” said Matt, puffing his chest up. It was like watching two rutting stags.

“I don’t understand,” I said, “How are you all here? What’s happening?”

“I was about to ask you that last one,” said Aristede in a gruff voice. He sat down at the table and Matt moved away to stand in a corner of the room.

“But I’m guessing it’s something to do with Adrianna?”

“Yes, Hans killed her. I think it was an accident, he didn’t realise she had an allergy and either she didn’t mention it, or he didn’t hear her.”

“And he decided it would be more fun to kill someone deliberately?”

I blushed. “I set a trap for him. I was only supposed to take his photo, but the flash went off and… well, I guess you saw the next bit.” My eyes met Matt’s. He looked fairly stricken but didn’t say anything. I decided I could wait to find out why he hadn’t shown up earlier. Right now I was in one piece and I had more important things on my mind.

“Grandma where have you been?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Some shepherd’s hut, I think. That’s not important now. We should get a doctor to look at you.”

“Dr Spirodakis is on his way,” said Aristede. “He can look at both of you.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” she said, “Nothing that a hot shower won’t fix.”

“And you were staying in a shepherd’s hut?” he said, “Why, may I ask?”

“Well not intentionally. That’s where he put me.”

“He? Who?” I asked.

“I don’t know. One minute I was admiring my discovery, the next I had a sack over my head and was being dragged off. I ended up in this small shed-like thing.”

“But then what? Did he give you food? Water? Did he hurt you?” I felt frantic, but she was here, in front of me and seemed her usually, hearty self. I tried to relax but I could feel my adrenaline levels rising again.

“Oh yes, I was fed and watered. He made me wear a blindfold but, otherwise, he was extremely kind actually. But I think he was a different one.”

“Different?” Aristede asked, staring intently at Grandma the way he used to stare at me.

“Yes. Cleaner for a start but also taller, stronger.”

“And you could tell this through a blindfold?”

“Of course, I wasn’t born yesterday you know. I had to tie it in place before he would bring the food in. I just tied it rather loosely. That way I could see his legs and… er…”

I was amazed to see her blush. I couldn’t help myself, I laughed. Aristede flashed me a glare and I stopped short.

“Do you know why you were kidnapped?” he asked.

“Not really. I had just found the Cretan Sea Pimpernel. It’s extraordinarily rare but there’s no monetary value in it. It’s not something to kidnap someone for. It did seem to be next to a field, but I’m sure I wasn’t trespassing.”

“A field? Of what?”

“Well, I don’t really know. It looked like it was full of small maple trees except they weren’t trees but shrubs. But the leaves, you know, like the Canadian flag. Though not red, of course, and bigger, I think, the spikes were longer.”

“And can you take us to where you were taken?”

“Yes, I expect so. I had turned off the road above Pompia, down a track to the right.”

“Never mind that,” I said, “How did you get free?” I was feeling excited, it was like listening to a “Boy’s Own” adventure but better because I knew her, and I knew she won through in the end.

“Oh, well… He just let me go, actually.”

“Just like that?”

“More or less. He left as usual and when I took the blindfold off, I realised he’d left the door open. Naturally, I hot-footed it here and it’s a good thing I did.”

“It would have been better if you had stopped for the policemen who spotted you,” said Aristede, sternly. “Then we wouldn’t have had a full-scale car chase across the Messara!”

“Oh, but that was such fun! And I needed to get here for Jet. I knew she was in trouble.”

“How did you know, Grandma?”

“I’m your grandmother, dear. I just knew.”

“Yes, well,” said Aristede, getting to his feet. I have things to do tonight. I will return in the morning.”

“Thank you so much for coming,” said Grandma, as though he was just a regular visitor. She got up and showed him out the door.

I looked across the room at where Matt stood slumped and unhappy looking.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t get here in time, Jet,” he said, “I feel terrible. When I think of what nearly happened…”

He looked terrible too. I even thought I saw a glistening in his eyes.

“It’s ok, Matt. No harm done. I’m safe now.”

“Yes, but—”

“And I thought you were here. I heard a screech owl and thought you were signalling to me. I felt much safer then and I’m sure it made me braver. I even tried to message you back with a cat’s meow.”

“A cat’s meow? In response to a screech owl?”

“More of a yowl, actually. I thought it was quite good. And so did the cat. She came and kept me company.”

He laughed. Well, just a bit. He seemed to stand up slightly straighter too. I pressed my advantage.

“In fact,