Keva embraced the middle-aged woman. Kyrenia’s mother was like her, blond with blue eyes and about the same height, about three inches shorter than Keva. The older woman sobbed, wiping her tears with a hanky.

“I don’t know what to do!” said the widow. “I couldn’t reach her since yesterday, so I had to report her missing early this morning. I didn’t have your number because Kyrenia told me you changed it. Then, I called your mother. I was distressed! I didn’t have someone to talk to. I already called her office, and they said she wasn’t there.”

“She video called me the other night. She was with her colleagues, and she enjoyed it. So… I don’t know. I can’t find any reason why she’d go missing! For sure, her colleagues must know where she is,” Keva stated, as they sat on the long sofa in Mrs. Allisavou’s living room.

She was living alone in a three-room house. It had a small front yard, a flower garden and a backyard with vegetable garden. The premises had no fence, but the bushes and tall roses served as one. They’d been living there ever since Kyrenia was born and her father died in a traffic accident four years ago.

“Have you gone to her apartment? Maybe you can find something?”

“I don’t know where her new apartment is.”

She nodded. “Right. You’ve been living in Limassol, she told me. Did you two fight?”

Keva was confused by the question. “What do you mean, Mrs. Allisavou? We broke up more than half a year ago, didn’t she tell you?”

“Yes, she did. But she kept on saying she’d get you back. She worked hard, became the youngest marketing assistant at QuickJet, got a bigger apartment for the two of you and…” She sighed, shaking her head. “She’s crazy about you, Keva.”

Keva let out a big breath. “I didn’t know what her plans are but she did visit me in Limassol, talking about Nicosia and her new apartment. But I told her that we’re over. Then, she called me the other night. We didn’t really fight. She was drunk. I told her to go home and sleep it off. And… I… I did hang up on her.”

“I see. I went to her apartment yesterday. Nothing was amiss. It was like she didn’t go home. But I asked the apartment building owner to check the cameras. Unfortunately, the cameras weren’t working for a couple of days.”

“What? But that’s kind of suspicious!”

“I know. That’s why I reported this incident to the police. They will investigate the owner of her apartment building, her neighbors there, her friends, her colleagues at work, even her boss… and you.”

Keva shut her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. She let it out slowly and nodded. “I understand. I should be one of the suspects, shouldn’t I? After all, it was perhaps me whom she last had conversation with on the phone.”

Mrs. Allisavou held her hand. “I know that you care for my daughter, Keva. If you are not guilty, you’d let the police question you, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course. I can even go there now and ask what’s happening! They can ask me anything they want, too.” She stood up.

The woman looked at her with misty and worried eyes.

“You have to know that if something happened to Kyrenia, I’m going to find out who it is and make him pay a very high price!”

***

“Two hot women are waiting for you, Winters,” a fellow police investigator from another unit in the Nicosia Central Police Station told him. He was stocky and older than him, with a small scar in his jaw. A memento he got from a brawl some couple years ago.

Bryson raised his eyebrow. “Wow! Did you just say two? This must be my lucky afternoon!” He chuckled.

The other police investigator, Skarparis, clapped his back. “I think the one with shorter hair is hotter. I can imagine myself banging her, and she screams my second name ‘God! God! Oh, God!’” he said while moving his pelvis forward and backward.

The rest of their colleagues snickered at that, so did Bryson.

“You fucker are a retard!”

“Nothing wrong with daydreaming, dude!” The police investigator chortled while walking away.

Bryson just followed him with his eyes, laughing. He went to his small office, opened the door and was greeted by the presence of two hot women—one was with short pixie chestnut hair, with side-swept bangs, and the other was with auburn hair up to her shoulders. Skarparis at least didn’t exaggerate. He did tell the truth that the one with chestnut hair was hotter than the other one. She was his type, in fact.

‘But Kyrenia is surely prettier than her.’

“Yes, ladies. May I help you?”

“I’m Constable Rumeysa Paphitis from Omorfita Police Station. Technically, I’m on vacation but I’m here for my friend to ask about the reported missing person, Miss Kyrenia Allisavou.”

He took her hand that was offered to him and shook it slightly. He noticed her firm grip and smirked, looking at her city shorts and sleeveless top, paired with black-and-white sneakers. The constable was tough even with her sexy build.

“And why would you two want to know about my case?” His light brown eyes swept the two women, back and forth.

“I’m Kyrenia’s best friend. So, I think I have the right to know what is going on,” the pixie-haired woman said.

“And your name is?” he asked quizzically.

“Keva Hordiyenko.”

His eyes almost bulged. But he played it cool. “You don’t happen to own the Cypriot-Ukrainian Element Limited, do you?”

The pixie-haired woman frowned. “What’s that got to do with my concern?” she snapped, giving him a once-over.

‘Hmm… Fiery. I like that, though I like my woman to be submissive. Maybe I should try to make her,’ he thought playfully. His eyes went over her again. She was wearing skinny jeans and cropped top, sporting her small waist, round hips and medium-sized boobs. She had average height but looked even taller with her wedges. She looked absolutely perfect!

He smiled, his most gorgeous smile ever. “Maybe I should ask you where you were when she went missing, Miss Hordiyenko.”

“Do you know exactly when she went missing then?” asked Constable Paphitis.

He stared at her, eyes narrowing. “After she was dropped home by her boss.”

“What?” the pixie-haired exclaimed. Her round eyes were set ablaze.

‘Now, she is getting more and more interesting.’