KILLING PLATO (A Jack Shepherd crime thriller) Read Online Free PDF Page B

course, the bad news is it only works if you’re a baboon.”
    Naturally Anita pretended she hadn’t heard me.
    The maid gestured us between two large fig trees that seemed to sprout straight out of the corridor’s marble floor and toward the pool outside in the courtyard. It wasn’t until we had taken half a dozen steps that I realized we weren’t outside at all. There was an unobtrusive glass dome that sealed over the whole courtyard, which was as comprehensively air-conditioned as the rest of the house.
    I nudged Anita, rolling my eyes up at the dome. “I wonder if it’s bulletproof.”
    “Cut it out, Jack,” she hissed.
    Karsarkis was standing near the opposite end of the swimming pool with a distinguished-looking, somewhat elderly man who appeared to be Thai and wore a beautifully cut dark suit. It had to be the only beautifully cut dark suit on the whole island of Phuket where in most circles even the donning of long pants was considered hopelessly pompous. Karsarkis himself was plainly dressed in jeans, loafers without socks, and a long-sleeved white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He seemed to be listening intently to whatever the man in the suit was saying and he nodded slowly as the older man tapped the air withhis fingers.
    I took a deep breath and followed Anita as she walked toward him.

SIX
    WHEN KARSARKIS GLANCED up and saw us, he apparently excused himself from the man with whom he was talking because soon he was giving my hand the kind of vigorous, two-fisted pump that left the impression we were the oldest of friends.
    “So happy you could come, Jack. Or should I call you Professor?”
    “It was nice of you to ask us,” I said, ignoring Karsarkis’ question.
    “Mrs. Shepherd, I’m Plato Karsarkis.”
    “Of course you are.”
    Anita shook Karsarkis’ hand as well, although I noticed that with her he restricted himself to a one-hander.
    Another uniformed maid appeared beside us so silently I wondered if she had grown out of the marble like the two fig trees. She carried a silver tray with a half-dozen champagne flutes and Karsarkis distributed glasses to both of us. Then he took one for himself.
    “This is quite a house,” I said to K Njuswases to barsarkis, mostly just to be saying something.
    Naturally the real question on my mind was how a notorious international fugitive had gone about acquiring such an extravagant house in a world-famous resort like Phuket, and more to the point, how he had done it without anyone apparently noticing. Karsarkis obviously realized what I was thinking because he benevolently offered an explanation without forcing me to make my curiosity explicit.
    “One of our local companies built this place about five years ago. It was supposed to be for entertaining or to loan to clients. I never stayed here myself until now, but…” Karsarkis trailed off with a shrug that looked genuinely rueful. “I’m sure you understand.”
    I smiled tightly without saying anything. I also drank some of the champagne, which I wasn’t surprised to discover was pretty good stuff.
    Karsarkis watched me, his face a mask.
    “Maybe I’m wrong, Jack, but my guess is you’re not too happy to be here tonight. Am I right about that?”
    I responded quickly, too quickly for my better judgment to have any chance to grab my elbow and warn me to keep my big mouth shut.
    “The only reason we’re here tonight is because Anita wanted to come,” I said, “and I didn’t think it was worth arguing about. I don’t know how much of what they say about you is true and how much is made up, but I think enough of it probably
is
true to make me certain I wouldn’t be in your house tonight if Anita hadn’t insisted. I’m sorry if you think I’m rude, but you did ask.”
    Karsarkis lowered his head and something resembling a repentant smile slid over his face.
    “You are married to a very straightforward man, Mrs. Shepherd.”
    “That’s one of the things I’ve heard Jack