Sons of Sparta: A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery Read Free

son. I guess I’m not the only one wondering .
    “I’ve decided to accept a proposal for our property.”
    “ What ?” said Uncle’s youngest son, Giorgos. “You can’t. You just said you’d never sell.”
    “Giorgos is right,” said his brother, Theo. “This is our home. We can’t leave it except through death.”
    Uncle raised his hands to calm his sons. “Spoken as true sons of Mani, for which I’m proud. But hear me out.”
    Giorgos’ face was blood red, but he said not a word. In the Mani you dared not disrespect your elders.
    “I’ve not sold the property. I’ve agreed to lease all of our land on the plateau for ninety-nine years except for this house, the tower, and the surrounding ten acres, which will remain ours. The rest will return to our family in your children’s children’s lifetimes.”
    Giorgos exploded. “What are you talking about? This is our land. No one else can ever live on it.”
    “What’s the rent?” asked Theo.
    Uncle smiled. “A sensible question. One I would expect from my son the accountant.” He paused. “Until the property is developed, the rent will be equal to twice what we could earn if used as farm land. Once it’s developed, we’ll receive a net rent equal to three percent of the project’s gross annual proceeds.”
    “But who would make such a deal?” said Theo.
    “One desperate for the land who realized that was the only deal I would make.”
    Giorgos still fumed, but less so. “Who are you leasing it to?”
    “Someone who wants to build a luxury resort hotel, complete with a golf course.”
    “They must be crazy,” said Giorgos. “A golf course here? In this waterless oven?”
    “And an airstrip.” Uncle shrugged. “I don’t know about such things. I just know the terms will bring us far more money than we could ever hope to see from the land, and the land will still be ours.”
    Kouros cleared his throat. “May I speak, Uncle?”
    “Of course.”
    “I’m very happy for you and hope it’s as good a deal for you and your family as you say, but I don’t think you asked me or Yianni—” he pointed at his slain uncle’s son—“here for our advice. You and our aunt inherited the property from Grandfather when he died. It is yours for the two of you to do with as you wish.”
    Uncle waved his finger. “You’re wrong. It is not just a good deal for me and my sister and our children. It’s a good deal for all of our family.”
    Now puzzled looks came from all around the table.
    “When I die, Calliope will continue to live in this house. But all of the cousins, including your sisters, will share equally in the rents. I do not need the money, and I will take care of my sister. She has agreed. And when you pass on, your children will inherit your shares.”
    “I don’t understand,” said the surviving aunt’s son, Pericles. “Why are you doing this?”
    “Because your mother and I think it’s fair. Two of our brothers and a sister died on this land defending our honor, and if my mother had not forced my sister and Athens Yianni’s father to flee, they too, would likely have died here. We all suffered, we all endured. We shall now all share in the family’s good fortune.”
    Uncle looked at each face sitting around the table and fixed his eyes on Kouros.
    “I don’t know what to say, Uncle,” said Kouros. “Thank you.”
    “Yes, thank you,” said the slain brother’s son.
    Uncle nodded. “You’re welcome.”
    Kouros glanced around the table for any sign of disappointment on the faces of those who now shared their inheritance, but they’d all had time to regain whatever composure they might have lost.
    “I think this calls for some serious drinking,” said Pericles.
    “Yes,” said Uncle. “Calliope, bring in the whiskey. Please.”
    Kouros had come prepared for a clash with his family over what he feared would be an effort to compromise his position as a cop, not to learn that he’d now have an income for life. How