Risky Business: Shadows of Our Lives, #2

By Ruth Hay

How far will a father go to save his daughter from a disastrous relationship?

Rena's mother's legacy was more than financial, it was a way out. It was a new beginning. This is the second part of that story.

Book Two in a three part series, formerly published in part as Borderlines.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruth Hay
• Release date: Aug 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223454526

Book preview

RISKY BUSINESS

SHADOWS OF OUR LIVES - BOOK TWO

How far will a father go to save his daughter from a disastrous relationship? Rena’s mother’s legacy was more than financial, it was a way out. It was a new beginning. This is the second part of that story.

PART 1

RESET

CHAPTER ONE

APRIL, 2016.

Once the idea of visiting her Uncle Stavros was broached, Rena could not wait. It felt as if she had awakened from a dream and now real life beckoned.

She had the option of time off since she never took holidays as such. She asked Steve if he could arrange some free time from work and when he said he could probably manage an afternoon, she jumped at the chance and they set out on a Wednesday afternoon.

Rena remembered that her uncle and aunt had sold their house in Horam, East Sussex after he retired from teaching, and built a beach house in the Kyriakos’ family’s Greek island of Paros. Her father had mentioned something about her cousins, Sarah and David Fenton, keeping a spare bedroom in their nearby home for Lynn and Stavros when they returned to England to see the family there.

She had no idea of the address for the Fentons but she remembered it was in Uckfield and they had lived there for many years.

A quick look through an online source soon found the address and the GPS gave them the directions.

Don’t get your hopes up, Rena, Steve cautioned. From what you just told me it isn’t likely your uncle or aunt will be at their English family’s home. They could well be in Greece at this time of year.

You’re right. Nothing is usually that simple for me. I’ll try to be more patient.

They approached the house in a well-settled subdivision of attractive homes near the centre of town and saw a car in the short driveway.

Looks like someone’s at home.

Steve stayed in his car while Rena went to the front door and knocked.

Nothing.

She tried again with a louder knock and was about to turn away when the door opened suddenly and a young man carrying a tablet and wearing earphones arrived on the doorstep. When he saw Rena, he unplugged one ear and shouted out, Hello?

Oh, I am looking for Stavros Kyriakos. Is this the right house?

"Well, it’s the Fenton family’s house but you are in luck. Grandpa Stavros is in the lounge right now.

Can I tell him who’s asking for him?"

Please tell him it’s his niece, Rena.

Really? I thought you lived in Canada?

It’s a long story. Could you be Michael Fenton?

Yes. Good to meet you Rena. Come right in. Is that a friend in the car? Does he want to come in too?

Soon all four were in the lounge where Rena saw a tall man with the same long, lanky body as her father, Dimitri. She had not seen her uncle since she was a child but his resemblance to her father gave her courage.

Michael made the introductions and went off to rustle up tea for the visitors.

Stavros did not appear to be surprised at her arrival. He did not ask for an explanation. He simply smiled at her as she confirmed that Steve was someone who she trusted.

I have been waiting for this day for some time now, Stavros began. Please make yourselves comfortable. I’m afraid there are no ladies here at the moment to welcome you, Rena. My wife and our daughter, your cousin Sarah, are vacationing in Greece. Neither of them enjoys our English winters. It’s just we two men rubbing along together here at the moment, but your timing is excellent. I am due to return to Paros in a few days.

Excuse me, Uncle Stavros, but why did you say you’ve been waiting for this day?

A year ago now, my brother Dimitri sent me a package of papers. All of them related to your situation and they were transcripts of official statements given to police and insurance investigators regarding your disappearance. He asked me to read these and to await your arrival.

What? Are you saying there was some kind of official enquiry in Canada?

Absolutely, my dear! When a woman vanishes, leaving all her identification behind and taking none of her personal belongings, it is obligatory to have an enquiry.

So this is why my father insisted on my departure being so secret. What was the result of the enquiry? Clearly, no one tracked me down.

Unsurprisingly, suspicion fell on your former partner, Gregory Verkers. But read these for yourself. I will bring the tea for you and you can read at your leisure. Call me when you are finished reading.

He left the room and Rena turned to Steve in astonishment.

I had no idea.

Don’t you think this was part of your father’s plan? He advised no contact with you for a very good reason. Read these papers and see.

Rena sat down on a small sofa with the package in her hand. She opened it and several different papers spilled out. She was not able to focus until she had sipped a cup of tea, handed to her by Steve. As he got up to return to his car she pleaded with him not to go.

I’m in shock here. I need you to read these also. Please stay!

If you insist, Rena, but you start, then hand on to me any that you feel I should know about.

She picked the shortest item first. It was a copy of a police interview with Judith Holbrook.

Staff Sergeant: Miss Holbrook, you knew Rena Kyriakos for many years.

J. Holbrook: Yes, we met in university and remained friends throughout our careers.

Staff Sergeant: When did you last see Miss Kyriakos?

J. Holbrook: I used to see her regularly but after she met Gregory Verkers I could hardly get in touch with her at all. The last time was in January. We went for a meal after she finished teaching for the day.

Staff Sergeant: How did she seem to you on that occasion?

J. Holbrook: Well, I was totally shocked. She had lost a lot of weight, her hair was long and dyed a light brown and her clothes were all wrong for her.

Staff Sergeant: Did she explain these changes to you?

J. Holbrook: She tried to say they were just a new style she was trying out, but it was clear to me it was Verkers’ hold on her.

Staff Sergeant: How did you come to that conclusion?

J. Holbrook: She acted like she was guilty because we were out together. She kept looking at her watch and when I asked about Verkers she said he was wonderful and they had a new house and a new life together. Of course I didn’t let that slide. I asked her why she looked so worried, so thin, and why her hands were in such a mess and why the ‘wonderful’ man was keeping her away from her work and her friends.

Staff Sergeant: What was her reaction?

J. Holbrook: She could not answer me. She left shortly after that and I never saw her again.

Staff Sergeant: Did you have any further contact?

J. Holbrook: No. But I did go to see her father and mother and told them about my suspicions. Believe me, Sergeant, they were worried about her too.

Interview concluded at 4:35 pm.

The second item was in a similar format but this time it was notes from an interview held at her parents’ home in Scarborough, Toronto.

I made an appointment to visit the Kyriakos’ home after Mr. Kyriakos contacted the Toronto Police Department’s Missing Persons’ Division to report the disappearance of his daughter Rena Kyriakos.

I spoke mostly to Mr. Kyriakos, a retired systems analyst. His wife was feeling unwell and although she stayed in the room to confirm her husband’s statements she did not participate actively.

Mr. Kyriakos stated their relationship to their daughter changed completely after she met Gregory Verkers. He said this man ‘appeared out of the blue’ and entirely took over her life. She almost never phoned, never visited alone except once. The Christmas visit was the first time the parents had seen Verkers and they were immediately alarmed, both by their daughter’s changed appearance and by the strange manner of Verkers.

They described him as ‘hyped up on something’. He never stopped talking about himself and showed no interest in Rena or her parents. He scarcely ate the Christmas meal and could not wait to leave despite a heavy snowfall.

Mr. Kyriakos asked a friend to arrange a ride home to Etobicoke for his daughter and Verkers, because Verkers’ car was unsuitable for the highway. This friend described the house in which the couple were now living together, as a large detached house with double garage. He also commented that the couple said not one word all the way from Scarborough to Etobicoke and he got the impression that Verkers was extremely angry.

Following this event, Mr. Kyriakos and his wife made repeated attempts to contact their daughter with no success. His wife’s serious health problem prevented him from taking further measures during the worst of the winter but after four attempts to find someone at home at the Etobicoke address he became very concerned and asked for police assistance.

Sergeant Peter Johannes.

See the report of the local police officer.

Rena handed the two reports to Steve and quickly picked up the next page and saw it was an interview with Gregory Verkers at his home.

Constable Kinsella: Mr. Gregory Verkers?

G. Verkers: What do you want?

Constable Kinsella: May I come inside for a minute, sir. There’s a matter of a missing person I need to ask you about.

G. Verkers: What missing person?

Constable Kinsella: A young lady, Miss Rena Kyriakos, who has been living at this residence. Do you know her present whereabouts, sir?

G. Verkers: Rena? That’s who you think is missing? Well she’s not here. I expect her back at any moment. She works you know and she’s likely at her parents’ place across town. She’s a bit scatterbrained, officer. I travel a lot for my work. Sometimes she’s not here when I come back. I don’t worry about it.

Constable Kinsella: Thank you, sir. I’ll check at her place of work then. Where did you say it was?

G. Verkers: Somewhere at York University I believe. Goodbye.

Constable Kinsella’s personal comments follow.

I found the male person to be abrupt and not at all concerned about the young lady. He was not helpful with regard to her specific work department which I obtained through the Registrar at York University. The Dean of