Read Aegean Intrigue for Free Online Page A

Glancing at the caller ID, he frowned and answered. His employer was nothing if not persistent.
    â€œWhat have you found?”
    â€œNothing new. Francie is meticulous at her recordkeeping. I haven't seen any suspicious behavior. It seems she's doing everything she can to make sure nothing is missing.”
    â€œIt's a cover. She's guilty.”
    â€œWhy are you so convinced of that?”
    â€œShe has that innocent face. Nobody can be as innocent as that.”
    â€œSo it's just a hunch?”
    â€œCall it what you will. I know it in my heart.”
    â€œWhat about the professor?”
    â€œHe's not cunning enough. He's solidly entrenched in the past. Half the time, he doesn't know where he is, or who he's talking to. There's no way he'd be able to pull it off.”
    â€œFrancie is his protégé. She could be doing working for him without knowing it.”
    â€œI don't believe it. She's used to the finer things in life, what with her famous parents. She's probably looking for a way to increase her income while she's studying.”
    â€œBut if she made extra money from previous heists, wouldn't she be living in more luxury? Her apartment is in a run-down part of Athens, she dresses simply, and she wears no jewelry. She brought only a small duffle bag with her for the trip. That is not the usual way of a materialistic woman.”
    â€œIt's a façade. She's trying to fool you.”
    â€œWhy would she need to do that? She doesn't know about the investigation.”
    â€œShe's cunning enough to know that people will be watching her even after she's been officially cleared. Keep digging. It's her. Or someone she's feeding information to. She's got to be the link.”
    Alex wasn't convinced, but he gave his verbal agreement. Zotis was paying the bills.

Chapter Six
    Â 
    Francie sat in Professor Theo's office, logging the day's finds in the laptop Alex had supplied for that purpose. It had been a successful day, evident from the pile of data cards ready to be catalogued. She'd instructed the newbies on the importance of accurate information on the special cards. The data on them would help to give a better picture of how and when the items were used.
    She picked up a bag containing a piece of pottery. It could have been part of a decorative container, or it might have had a more practical use. Knowing exactly where the item was found in relation to the other artifacts would help determine this. But several line items on the accompanying card were blank. Who was responsible for this incomplete work? She squinted, trying to decipher the handwriting. She knew it wasn't Jane, who wrote in a neat, flowing script. Christina's writing wasn't nearly as stylized, but it was legible. Willem printed his cards in block letters, and Josh wrote in a slanted slashes. Dimitri had been cooking, so he hadn't filled out any of the cards, and Professor Theo had been involved in a lengthy discussion with Alex in their office, so they hadn't been nearby when this piece had been unearthed. That left Yannis.
    Sighing, she got up to look for him. As a graduate archaeology student, he should have known better than to leave such crucial information from the records. He was a mystery, a frustrating one.
    She didn't have to look far. Yannis and Jane strolled hand in hand on the beach. Francie called out as she hurried to catch up with them.
    â€œYannis! I need to talk to you.”
    The couple stopped and turned. Jane wore a welcoming expression, but Yannis' lips thinned and his eyes narrowed. He apparently didn’t appreciate the interruption.
    â€œThis won't take long,” Francie assured him. “I need to ask you about this piece you catalogued this afternoon.” She held out the bag. “You didn't fill out the information about the location. Do you remember exactly where you found it?”
    Yannis stared and his mouth opened, but nothing came out. Surely he would have remembered finding such a