(11) Crucia

"The moment I first looked into your eyes," said Ambrosia, "I knew you were the man I needed."

Sanguineus put a shoe on the remains of his Sultan and crushed it out. "How do you mean that?" he asked.

"I think I know who poisoned my horse, or who arranged to have it done. I need--"

"Do you agree with the girl, then? Fabienne Chora? She mentioned a 'bad man' and his wife. And you reminded her that the wife is her mother. She protested. She insisted that someone named 'Crucia' is her mother. Now, this is none of my business. But I've grown fond of Pegasus. A remarkable horse. If he was poisoned, I'm as interested as you to find out who the guilty party might be. Who is this bad man? Who is Crucia? And what is it you need from me? I procure grape supplies for a conglomerate of wineries. What is it you think I can do for you?"

"First of all, Crucia is Fabienne's imaginary goddess, whom she loves to see as her mother. Poor thing," Ambrosia glanced back at the girl, "she has such trouble breathing. It would be cruel to scold her for her vainglorious daydream."

"Agreed. And the 'bad man' and his wife?"

Ambrosia sucked in her cheeks, scowling, and said, "They are Fabienne's step-father and mother. How well I empathize with her! The man, Vaslo, is her mother Berenice's former brother in law. He's a notorious drunk, a braggart and a brawler. Berenice plays at being a witch. She certainly looks the part!"

Sanguineus smiled grimly. "You need me to teach Vaslo Chora some manners, I take it. Has he threatened you? Why such bad blood between you two?"

"I want to adopt Fabienne," she said matter of factly. "I have accused Vaslo of abusive acts against her. Berenice is a recluse. She was missing for years. I very seldom see her. The devil knows where she spends her time. Ha, the devil, and she a witch." 

Ambrosia looked toward the cypresses. "The vet is coming. With your girlfriend." She gave Sanguineus a knowing smile. "Do you realize that Miss Bern works for a vigilante organization? She may be a veterinary intern, but that's not her main occupation, Ricklen. She didn't come here to oggle at my horses. I don't know what she's told you about her reasons for accompanying you, but she and an executioner, or whatever they are called, are here to kill a woman who Miss Bern says murdered my mother's step-sister, Pella Markos."

Sanguineus pretended to process this speech through a haze of confusion. "Where in hell did you get the idea that Sally Anne... It's preposterous. A vigilante? An executioner? You have a strange sense of humor."

Ambrosia leaned against him. "We'll not argue about it. Stay with me until this mystery has been solved. You can spare a few days, can you not? You are more than welcome to stay here at the villa. Grigoris is leaving tomorrow. You can have his room."

He stroked her back. "And my girlfriend? How welcome is she?"

"Any friend if yours is a friend of mine," Ambrosia said placidly. "If she wants to stay at the villa, she is welcome. We'll discuss these things later."

She pressed her open mouth to his parted lips, her hand rubbing his crotch. "In bed, if you like," she said into his responding mouth. "After all, you aren't married to her."

She gave him a quick parting kiss and turned to speak to Fabienne.

"Vriskomai edo mazi mou," ('Stand here with me'), "o giatros echai ftasei," ('the doctor has arrived').

Two hours later Sanguineus and Sally Anne Bern were climbing the stairs to the villa's guest rooms.

Below them on the ground floor the veterinarian was still discussing the plight of Pegasus with Ambrosia. Tragos was in the library, listening from just inside the doorway. The diagnosis was rat poison-- strycnine-- and the prognosis was poor. The horse had been conveyed to its stall via a sling and fork lift, watched over by the trainer and his helpers.

Sanguineus had given the hermit of Patmos a questioning look, but the old man made a discreet gesture that said 'Not now.'

So Sanguineus informed Ambrosia that he was off to the upstairs study to send a pic of the business contract to his home office. He must call his supervisor on the subject of the grape sample.

Rolgo looked up from the square table in a corner of the bedroom when Sanguineus and Sally Anne came in.

On the table, in a pool of lamplight, the Nordic cell phone was playing the recording of the late and unlamented thug's account of Christofer Agape's affair with Crucia. This was Rolgo's third review of it. He paused it and leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses and massaging his temples.

"How goes it with the horse?" he asked her.

Sally Anne deferred to Sanguineus.

"Dr Wingate is not optimistic," he said.

"Wingate?" Rolgo sat up. "What's his first name?"

"I have no idea," Sanguineus replied, pouring himself a Sherry, and one for Sally Anne. They sat side by side across from Rolgo.

Sanguineus tapped the pause icon. "I have an uneasy feeling that Tragos--" The voice of Darren Smirnis took over.

'...I'm cooperating,' it said anxiously. 'All I know is that it was his philosophy about beauty that started it all. Some stuff about a spirit of beauty seeking a body, a-- a host, or something like that, a possession. You know what I mean. For power. For a good use. And Marianne took this philosophy and played with it. She turned it around, every which way but straight. She got Christofer's moll excited about it.' [Sanguineus: You mean Ambrosia Kastri. ] 'Yeah, her. She started calling herself Crucia. Christofer humored her. He thought it was a bunch of shit, but he went along with it. See, Marianne Limani--'[Sanguineus: Who's this Marianne you keep bringing up?] 'She was a student of Grigoris. She would go to see him on Patmos after he started doing the hermit thing. Tragos the goat he calls himself. She's a school teacher, Marianne is. She likes horses. Well, so does Christofer.'

Rolgo tapped pause. "Christofer Agape breeds race horses on a property in Cyprus," he said. "Grigoris let that fall during our talk in the stables. I suppose Pegasus, and Ambrosia's other horses, come from his spread. Make sense? Our investigator in Milan hasn't picked up on that. How could she possibly miss it? I'd guess the property and breeding is under someone else's name, a tax dodge, perhaps. Anyhow, as I remember, Smirnis says this Marianne Limani and Ambrosia related the spirit of beauty with horses. You know how girls like horses. Ambrosia is very keen on Greek mythology, thanks to Grigoris, who has a degree in Comparative Religion and loves all this Olympus nonsense. She grew up hearing all the myths and fables and whatnot. But this part here is frustrating."

He tapped the pause icon and fast forwarded the recording to the last thirty seconds. [Sanguineus: So, this teacher and Ambrosia weave a twisted version of the Tragos philosophy about beauty. Beauty and power, used for a good purpose. They want to possess this spirit. How exactly do they accomplish this possession?] 'All I know is that it's a crucifixion thing. They took turns tying each other to a big wooden cross at night. It's a full moon thing, too. But that was just the symbolic side of it, crucifying themselves with ropes. Christofer says they needed a real death, real blood, you know, a real sacrifice to the spirit of beauty. That's all he's told me about it. I don't know nothing more about it, I swear I don't.' [Sanguineus: What do you know about the victims?] 'I know nothing about-- I swear to God! Don't kill me! For Christ's sake I'm being bare-ass truthful with you!'

Sanguineus tapped pause as a muted discharge was heard. "I just remembered something," he said as Sally Anne stared at him with a wide smile. "When I was watching Fabienne in the pasture, on the hill, Berenice told her that her teacher wanted to see her."

Rolgo put on his glasses and began patting the armrests of his chair. "You think Marianne Limani is the girl's teacher? Grigoris would know. He has given a talk at her school. He is fond of her. She has asthma."

Sanguineus nodded pensively. "The teacher was at the villa, quite likely," he said, "and she may still be here. Here, with the girl's mother, Berenice. I asked Ambrosia about Crucia. I heard her and Fabienne talking about who might be responsible for poisoning the horse. There is a 'bad man' and his wife that both Fabienne and Ambrosia think are the poisoners. They are Fabienne's step-dad and mother, Berenice Chora. Now, the girl made it clear that Crucia is her mother, very emphatically. She has disowned her real mother. Why? Why does she choose Crucia, which is to say Ambrosia, over her mother?"

Rolgo shrugged. "Did Ambrosia admit to being this Crucia bitch?"

"No," Sally Anne said, a hand on Sanguineus' forearm. "Ricklen explained it to me. She claims that Crucia is the girl's imaginary patron goddess. But of course she's lying. Her type are pathological liars. Though it may be that Fabienne thinks of Ambrosia as a goddess come down to earth. She's just a child."

Rolgo put his hands firmly on the armrests. "Rick, we hardly know more than when we started," he said. "Arrange for Ambrosia's death. Let's get it over with, and never mind the mysteries surrounding her. You're being paid to knock her off, not to psychoanalyze her."

Sanguineus needed time to think about this. It was his call, his decision, as to when, and how, the hit was made. Taking out his tobacco pouch and rolling papers, he commenced the procedure with the artful concentration one sees in the Japanese tea ceremony.

A knock on the door. "Hello? Sorry to bother you chaps. May I come in? I'm the veterinarian, Dr Wingate."

Rolgo rose to his feet, hands flat on the table, leaning toward Sanguineus with an encouraging smile. "That British accent. It's Rufus Jay Wingate, a close friend of Bear Claus. He's a biologist." He looked up. "Come in!"

Sanguineus placed the unlit cig in his mouth and stood with a hand reaching for the butt of his Glock at the small of his back. He faced the opening door.

Dr Wingate ushered himself in and quickly closed the door. He was an antsy man of middle age, short and wiry, who did everything as quickly as his skill or decorum permitted.

He came forward brushing his hands over his thinning blondish hair. "Sorry, Mr Cruor, for being so secretive. But when Hermann got the report from the ICS lass in Milan he sent me straightaway to Corinthia. Oh don't worry about Pegasus. I'm the one who drugged the ol' fellow. He'll be groggy for a couple days, but no harm done. I gather that you chaps want an explanation?"