The Wizard’s Curtain
Expecting the unexpected
Ari Asher hurried into Chen’s office and saw that Simo and Chen were both intently watching their computer screens. They turned to Ari.
“Anything?” Ari asked, peering at their computer screens.
Chen shook his head, as did Simo. “How many hours have you two been working at this?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Simo replied, and Chen followed through with, “We are family.”
Ari rubbed his temple and took a moment to reply. “My gratitude goes out to you both. I will need to file a missing person report with the authorities.”
“We will keep scanning the traffic feeds,” Chen added.
“Want me to talk to Joel and Johnny Stone?” Simo offered.
“For now, let’s let the police handle the interviews.
If nothing turns up, we will get involved.
Joel will be leaving for Australia with Johnny Stone soon.
They are preparing to begin production on Halo’s film.
Speaking of Halo… she will be at the Children’s Hospital Charity event in two weeks’ time, as will Christina and I. ”
“Ah, the big charity party. Ari, Theo said he saw you speaking to a man at the airport today. He said Christina seemed to like the man… he looked like a movie star but he didn’t recognize him.”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Xander Kostinos. He assisted…”
“Who?” Simo interrupted.
“Xander Kostinos, why?”
“I know that name…” Simo paused and stared off at the floor for a moment.
“You do? He seems like a good man. He is a small-time actor out of Oregon. He is auditioning for Johnny Stone’s role. He won’t get it, as Joel Miller is in Johnny’s corner. Is there something amiss with this man? Shall I inform Halo?”
Simo’s eyes widened. “Ari… I know who this man’s father was.
He is the man who trained the man who trained me…
his real name is Kominos. A Greek war hero from World War Two.
The story used to be famous in Greece. Colonel Kostas Kominos took the last name Kostinos after he married a British Royal.
She was disowned by her family and they immigrated here… ” Simo paused as he met Ari’s eye.
“A Royal?” Chen interrupted and looked at Ari with a straight face.
“So you know about me as well?” Ari asked Chen.
“Yes, Ari, I do. You are thirty-fifth in succession to the British throne. I did not want to intrude…”
Ari nodded. “Thank you for keeping mum. So, Simo… how do you know so much about this man’s father?”
Simo felt his face flush. “His father… uh, was my hero since I was a kid.” Simo felt his face getting hotter, but he continued.
“He was a soldier who loved his country and… was forced to leave Greece at the height of his career. He was transferred to Britain as a liaison with the SAS. He ended up facing execution by the ‘Coup of Colonels’ and the King in Greece if he returned. This was in the sixties. Kominos was that honorable and popular… and a great threat to their coup.”
Chen interrupted. “Gentlemen. Xander Kostinos lives in West Linn, Oregon. Wife is Evie Kostinos. Daughter, Athena, age 16. Owns and operates a senior care and services company with his wife. His income two years ago was $152,000. He has been in several productions as an actor. Let’s see…
Father, Kostas Kostinos is deceased; his mother, Kate, soon followed. ”
“What I would have given to meet his father…” Simo sighed.
He didn’t know what to make of his hero’s son being an actor…
it didn’t seem right. He had always guessed the Colonel’s son would be military, an officer at least. But an actor?
Maybe the guy took after his mother, Simo thought, disappointed.
“Simo?” Ari called out.
“Sorry. What?”
“I like Xander. He seems… genuine.”
“Oh.”
“I may inquire about auditioning him for a feature film in the works. Perhaps you wish to meet him?”
“Maybe,” Simo replied distantly.
Ari nodded. “Simo, Christina is here for the Charity event. She is asking for you to join us… I misspoke, she informed me to persuade you to join us.”
“Sure,” Simo replied.
“Chen, would you care for a night out?”
“With your leave, Ari, I would rather pass. I have a backlog of accounting reports piling up.”
“Of course, Chen.” Ari turned to Simo, pausing for a moment.
“Yes, Ari?”
“Do you feel Jessie is ready for a full tour of our facilities here at Aurae?”
Simo ran his hand down his black ponytail and exhaled. He turned to Chen and held his hands out.
“I believe she is catching on to operations already,” Chen replied. “I would either explain it or eventually transfer her.” Chen paused and met Simo’s dark eyes. “I trust her implicitly.”
Simo nodded and turned to Ari. “There you go.”
“Very well. Perhaps a set of fresh eyes may assist you… Good day.” Ari turned on his heel and left Chen’s office and underground operations center.
“Shall I do the honors?”
Simo sighed heavily as he shook his head. “Thanks, I will handle her.”
Simo returned to his screen and began studying the traffic feeds leading toward Joel Miller’s mansion.
That evening Simo was still with Chen in their offices, but he was watching Club Aurae’s camera feeds.
He panned the breakroom camera over to the employees’ table.
Jessie was sitting with her head resting against her hand while she poked the food on her dinner plate with her fork.
Simo zoomed the camera in on her beautiful face.
Her soft red lips were downturned and her green eyes looked lost. Simo swallowed the lump in his throat and zoomed out.
He turned to see Chen watching him. Without uttering a word, Chen returned to his own screen, leaving Simo to his thoughts.
Simo returned to watching Jessie poke her food. Maybe she would be happier someplace else? he thought. Maybe sending her to Miami after her probation was up would help. Simo looked at the time and turned off his monitor. Standing up, he met Chen’s eyes. “I’ll be back.”
Chen nodded and returned to his search.
Simo perfectly timed his little plan.
“OH! Simo!” Jessie exclaimed as Simo suddenly stepped out of the storage room right in front of her.
“Did I scare you?”
“Uh, no… why were you in there? I see you and Chen go in and out of there a lot. You got a card game going on that I can join?” Jessie smiled big.
“Maybe. What do you think I was doing in there?”
“For real?”
“Yes.”
Jessie moved a little closer to Simo and whispered. “You got a secret office entrance in there somewhere, right?”
“Maybe.”
“Come on, Simo. Stop playing with me…”
Simo stared into her green eyes and for a brief moment got lost. He came to and pushed his thoughts away. “First… would you be happier in Miami?”
Jessie cocked her head and stared into Simo’s eyes. She felt hers begin to water and she narrowed her eyes and shot back. “Sick of me already?”
“No… you seem… sad. I mean lately.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” Jessie angrily replied.
“Hey! I’m just trying to…”
“To WHAT? Get rid of me? Fine. FINE. Send me to fucking Miami.” She began to brush past him, but he reached out and gently touched her shoulder. The exquisite feel of his warm hand on her skin stopped her cold. She didn’t turn, but waited for him to speak.
“I did not mean to…”
She couldn’t help herself and spun to see his face so close to her own. She saw his full lips and her own lips ached to feel them on hers… like back in Athens so long ago. Her heart fell a little as he took a small step back. “What?”
“I was trying to give you an option…”
“Why?”
“Jessie…”
“Just forget it, Simo. I—I’m just out of sorts tonight… I guess. I’m sorry I yelled. Did you want to show me something or what?”
Happy that she changed the subject, Simo pushed open the storeroom door and ushered her inside.
Jessie watched the love of her life lock the door behind him.
Her breath caught and she felt herself get warm at the idea of being totally alone with Simo.
She eyed the big bags of flour. Thoughts of her laying on them with Simo kissing her began playing in her mind.
Her thoughts abruptly screeched to a halt as the wall behind Simo slid away, revealing a ramp heading down.
“Did you see the keypad combination?” Simo asked, pointing to a hidden panel that was open, showing a lit keypad.
“I’m sorry, no I didn’t.”
“Watch.” Simo entered the long code. “Got it?”
“Yes, I do. Where…”
“Watch and learn.”
Jessie was awed by the security measures as they finally entered into a small anteroom. “You have to do all those procedures every time you come down here to your office?”
“Yes. Even Ari and Sagar…”
“Sagar? Why would S…” Jessie paused, as Simo opened a door and pointed at the ‘counting room’.
“Oh shit… that safe is huge.” Then she saw the fully stocked weapons rack. “Ah! I see, said the blind man…” Jessie grinned.
Simo shut the door and opened another adjacent door. The lights flickered on, exposing a Plexiglas-enclosed prison cell. It looked like something out of a movie.
“So this will be my home if I ever speak of this?”
Simo slowly shook his head no.
“I’ll never make it that far, I take it.”
“No one on this earth could help you, not even me. Don’t ever speak of what is here. Understand?”
She nodded. “Completely.”
Simo opened the last door and she was pleasantly shocked at the electronics-filled operations room. Simo showed her around, then they were at Chen’s smoked glass office door.
“So this is your real office?”
“No.”
Simo opened the door and ushered her inside.
“Chen?” Jessie said aloud, barely concealing her disappointment at not being alone once more with Simo.
“Good evening, Jessie.” Chen grinned.
“So… the Wizard’s curtain is finally pulled back.”
“Disappointed?”
“No, Chen.” Jessie smiled. “I wouldn’t have guessed Ari Asher ran a ‘Black Bank’. I don’t see Ari being involved with the Russian Mob…”
“Don’t be too sure,” Simo chuckled.
“No… really?” Jessie gasped.
Chen spoke up. “No. We are not a Black Bank. We are a depository for Intelligence agencies. What Simo was referring to was the time he took down the LA Russian mob. Perhaps one day he will elaborate on the story to you.”
Jessie turned to Simo with her eyebrow arched. “Do tell.”
Simo pointed to his computer station. “Need to know only. Sit there.”
With a feigned frown, she did as told and watched Simo turn on his monitor. Jessie saw the breakroom on the screen and knew that Simo had been watching her. Her heart leapt with the realization he did care for her in some way… at least. Simo cleared the screen and called up a traffic feed.
“Ari’s niece, Elara Swan, is missing…”
“What? What happened?”
“We don’t know,” Chen added.
“I guessed that she and Johnny Stone hooked up…”
“What?” Simo barked.
“I figured that was why I haven’t seen them. Oh, and she’s friends with Sabrina, too. The same Sabrina that had a night with Joel where he practically twisted off her nipple. He’s a sadistic prick… “ Jessie added.
“What else?”
“That’s about it. Want me to call Sabrina?”
“Right now, yes!” Simo pointed to his desk phone.
From memory, Jessie dialed up Sabrina and spoke with her briefly. Shaking her head, she hung up. “Sabrina last saw and spoke to Elara the night she disappeared. She said when Elara left, she didn’t say anything about meeting Johnny or Joel. I’m sorry.”
“Fuck,” Simo grumbled.
“Why not talk to Johnny yourself?”
Chen smiled. “Johnny and Simo have a history. Perhaps Simo will tell you ‘that’ story?”
Simo shot Chen a look and only got a bigger grin from Chen.
“So you aren’t going to tell me that one either?”
“Johnny was Halo Raines's first love. He fucked up. So I fucked with him. Do not repeat that. End of story.”
Jessie glanced at Chen. “Well… that is something. Elara’s eyes do look a lot like Halo’s…”
Chen leaned back in his chair. “Yes, yes, they do. Interesting… but Johnny does not fit the profile of a killer.”
“Thoughts on Joel?”
“You asking me?” Simo nodded once at Jessie to continue. “Well… Joel is a little bitch. A sadistic one. I never saw Elara take an interest in Joel. From what little I saw of their interaction, it looked like she loathed the guy. Besides, Johnny is supposed to be Joel’s buddy.”
Chen sighed. “We are missing something here… I need more intel, but my instincts point to Johnny being involved in Elara’s disappearance.”
“I can try and find out…” Jessie added.
Simo shook his head. “No. Not you. Next time they come in, have Becky be their server. She can eavesdrop or… place a listening device. Chen?”
“I agree, but for that we have to get Ari’s permission.” Chen replied with a shrug.
“Get on it. I wish I could speak with Halo…”
Jessie turned quickly to Simo and spoke a bit too loudly. “Why? Uh… I mean, why Halo?”
“Johnny, for one. Joel is her business partner, for second.”
“Oh. Can’t Ari set it up?”
“Best let Ari handle that…” Chen added.
Simo shrugged. “Yeah.” Simo pointed to his monitor. “Jessie, please help Chen look at the traffic feeds. I’ll have you covered up in VIP. I need to think…” Simo turned and left Chen and Jessie to check out the last of the hacked traffic camera feeds.
On the way up to his office, Simo thought about approaching Joel. Ari was right, best to wait. If the little bitch or Johnny Stone were involved with Elara’s disappearance, they may not come back or suddenly end up dead.