Page 14 of Villa of Secrets

Papas Yiannis wagged his silver-topped walking stick. ‘It’s a big story. Be patient. She always wanted to tell you but, well, you’ll understand soon enough.’

‘Will you have a coffee?’ Naomi asked. ‘I’ve some questions if you can spare me a moment.’

‘Coffee, lovely . . . but it’s no good quizzing me. It’s Bubba’s responsibility to enlighten you.’

‘No, it’s not about Bubba.’ She made the coffee as she talked. ‘Do you have any information about a door at the police station? This is probably just gossip, but my friends are asking me questions and I don’t have a clue. I’ve been too busy making my creams, and what with Bubba’s stroke, I seem to have missed the local news.’

Papas Yiannis stared. ‘Naomi, why do you think we’re going through this business with the gun?’

‘Bubba wants to make peace with Rebecca?’

‘Well, yes, there’s that; but the main reason is your family property.’

‘Family property? What family property?’

The priest’s jaw dropped. ‘Are you saying you have no idea?’

‘About what?’

He stared for a couple of beats. ‘Sorry, I didn’t realise.’ He scratched his head. ‘Your great-grandfather had a tailor’s shop in the centre of the town. In fact, he owned the entire block of six premises. You really didn’t know?’

‘Papas, what do you know about your great-grandparents?’ Although the priest’s hair always hung heavy over his eyebrows, she realised he was frowning.

‘Point taken,’ he said after a moment. ‘Even before the war ended in forty-five the people of Rhodes the town council . . . how shall we say . . . absorbed the Jewish property and belongings. Document names were changed when Nazi Germany stated that the Jews weren’t allowed to own businesses. Deeds were retitled and the land registry, rewritten.’

‘You’re not telling me we still own the buildings in the city?’ She placed the small Greek coffee in front of him.

‘Well, morally, yes. Your great-grandfather bought and paid for the building with honest money, and the building was taken from him for no other reason than his religion. Now there’s a chance to claim it back. But, the municipality of the Dodecanese insist that every living beneficiary must attend the court in person to make their case.’

Naomi’s jaw dropped. ‘But it’s a world heritage site!’

‘Indeed, and a very valuable one too. As you know, Bubba has written many letters to Rebecca. She wanted to ask her forgiveness, but Rebecca never answered. Just before her stroke, when Bubba learned of the chance to get her father’s property back, she wrote again to explain, but didn’t received a reply.

‘As you say, your great-grandfather’s building is part of the UNESCO world heritage site. The property must be worth a million.’

Naomi’s eyes widened. ‘A million?’

‘If not more. We’re sure if Rebecca had read the letter, she’d have responded. Now, time’s running out. There are only a couple of months left to stake a claim. Posting the gun’s a desperate effort to make Rebecca sit up and pay attention.’

Naomi felt oddly abandoned. ‘Why didn’t Bubba tell me? Didn’t she believe I had a right to know? Didn’t she realise I’d probably hear it from someone else and feel hurt and ignored?’

Papas Yiannis smiled softly and patted the back of her hand. ‘She wanted to protect you from disappointment. Without Rebecca, you’ve no hope of getting anything.’

‘Much as I hate flying, why don’t I simply go to London and get Rebecca to come home?’

‘We’ve considered that, but peak season prices make it impossible. We checked with the booking office. In July and August, you’re looking at a thousand euros for flights plus everything you’d need for a week in London. The court is scheduled for October. Neither of us has that sort of money. My pension’s meagre and I believe the boys’ university fees and accommodation in Cyprus demolished your savings.’

‘Wow, I didn’t realise things had gone up that much. So, you anticipate that sending Rebecca the pistol will do what?’

‘As she can’t be sure it came from her grandmother, the gun parts are bound to arouse her curiosity, at least that’s what we hope. After the last part, Rebecca will be expecting instructions, but she’ll get Bubba’s diaries from the war.’

‘Diaries?’ Naomi huffed and half grinned. ‘You mean like how to make tasty potato-peeling soup?’

The priest’s expression changed: a flash of bitterness, confusion, and then humility. He placed his big gnarled hand on Naomi’s shoulder and peered into her face while he gathered his thoughts. ‘Naomi, there’s a lot you don’t understand.’

Bewildered by this reaction and the seriousness of his voice, she said, ‘I’m sorry. I can see I’ve offended you.’ She lowered her eyes. ‘To be honest, you’re right. I didn’t know anything about the gun or our property. I know zilch about my grandmother’s past or her war experiences.’

Naomi suspected something had upset Bubba just before the stroke. Why hadn’t she seen this coming? Shamefully, she realised, she had been too busy with her lotions and potions to sit and talk to her grandmother.