Mom rolls her eyes at Gran’s description. ‘I’m Adeline, Evie’s mom, and this is my Broadway performer daughter Posy.’ She can’t help herself that woman. ‘And we’ve got ourselves a situation here, so if you wouldn’t mind we need some privacy.’
‘They can stay,’ I say. ‘They’re our island family.’
Mom harrumphs but lets it slide. ‘Fine. I’ll repeat myself! Billy is on his wayhere! My PI tracked his flight to Mexico. He had a run-in with Konstantine and now he’s on his way to Santorini! He may be on the island already. How he and Kon are connected remains a mystery but the PI is investigating possible links now.’
Gran and I exchange a glance. She knows full well what links there are. I give her a nod to come clean. It’s only a matter of time before Mom’s PI stumbles on the answers anyway and we may as well put her out of her misery. ‘Yes, darling,’ Gran says. ‘It’s true. Billy is on his way here because he’s returning something of mine.’
Posy’s eyes widen ‘What is he returning? Konstantine’s fingers? Hisheart? After he broke poor Gran’s!’ Talk about dramatic!
‘Wait – youhiredBilly the Knuckle?’ Mom cries out. ‘But you two are sworn enemies! Have you forgotten he wanted to chop off your pinkies and post them to me in the mail?’
Gran rolls her eyes heavenward. ‘Oh you do exaggerate. He’d never have posted them, they x-ray mail these days, darling. A couple of displaced fingers would never have gotten through.’
Mom rubs her temples. ‘The point is not the fingers; the point is thethreat! He’s a dangerous man! A dangerous man who …’ she lowers her voice to a hiss ‘… maims people for kicks.’
‘Does he though? We don’t know that for sure. Besides, it’s business, darling, it’s not personal.’
The gate opens once more, and we turn to find a very ordinary man with a pale complexion wearing beigeeverythingstanding there, surveying our group. When he clocks Gran, his face melts into a smile.
‘Floretta!’ He moves to her and gives her a big hug. ‘You never age.’ He’s familiar but I can’t put my finger on it. Ah. Got it. If Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg had a love child, this guy would be it.
Wait. Thiscan’tbe wise guy Billy the Knuckle, surely? I turn with a question on my lips but am distracted when my gaze slides to Roxy. Her jaw is practically on the ground and I swear I hear her humming the wedding march. Huh? For this guy?
‘Age is a construct. Everyone, this is Billy the Knuckle.’
Thisguy is the out-of-control mafia hood? He just seems so …unthreatening. Like someone who plays video games all day rather than be a thug for La Casa Nostra. It could be a very clever disguise, a way to hide in plain sight. You always have to be one step ahead in this world so I expect the underworld is even more challenging in that respect.
Billy grunts. ‘I’ve got that little … package you requested, Floretta.’ I hold my breath, hoping it’s not a body part. He hands her a surprisingly big duffel bag. Maybe Gran was right and Greek men do have the biggest—
‘My money? You got it all back?’ Money! Of course!
‘With interest. And let’s just say he’ll have a little trouble playing those poker machines in future.’
‘He lost a finger?’
‘It’s my calling card, Floretta. Youknowthat.’ Everyone gasps and hides their own hands.
Ah!That’s why he’s called Billy the Knuckle! He removes their fingers, I presume up to the knuckle … Yikes.
Billy grins. ‘Joking, joking, guys! I’d never do that, well not this time anyway. Floretta is a pacifist and I respect that. Kon and I had a little chat about manners and morals, and then I got his mom on the phone. Greek men are the same as Italian men when it comes to their mothers. Let’s just say he’s more scared of her punishment than any I could dole out.’
Wow, clever.
‘Thanks, Billy.’ Gran grins. ‘I appreciate your restraint.’
Everyone’s too wide-eyed to speak. Roxy’s making love-heart eyes at the mafia hood. She can’t love a guy who chops fingers off for a living for crying out loud! Some women just love a good bad boy – it can’t be helped.
‘Well I have no idea what time it is, but I need a drink,’ Mom says.
‘I concur,’ says Gran.
‘I could drink,’ Posy says.
‘Let me show you Epeolatry,’ I say.
This motley group of people and our motley gang of dogs follow me inside and we spend the afternoon imbibing way too much alcohol, because sometimes, you’ve just got to roll with the punches and it’s been a helluva few days.
Guitar Guy pops his head in brandishing a book. ‘Helena! Helena!’ he cries.
