After Chief Ripley congratulated Grace on the case, she debriefed her on the next mission: returning to the Acropolis along with Jack and Dupont to focus all The Bureau's efforts on tracking down Klaus and the Promethians. Before that though, she mentioned cryptically to Grace that Elliot wanted to speak with her.

"Good news, guys: you're rich!"

"Really? You clearly haven't seen my bank account, Elliot." Grace joked.

"No, I mean it. Exactly as I predicted, the impact of Costas' sentence helped the Greek stock market recover. You made a nice profit on your e-Euro investment."

"Does that mean we're finally getting paid?" Jack asks cautiously, "after you invested our salaries on the stock market without asking?" Grace nudges him in the arm.

"But...I guess we owe you a thank you, but don't do this again, alright?"

"Whatever!" Elliot dismisses as Grace observes her daughter.

"You don't look too happy, Gretta."

"Oh, I'm fine. Just upset that he was right and gets to rub it in everyone's faces." Gretta replies, briefly glaring at him.

"From my perspective, you seemed happy about it." Elliot replies, voice dripping with condescension.

Gretta just stared at him before rolling her eyes.

"Oh bite me!" She snarls with no real bite.

"Anyway, I've done another amazing thing: I picked up some information on the Dark Web about the Promethians."

"What the heck is the Dark Web? A medieval cult worshipping spiders?"

"It's a piece of the web that is only accessed by special software engines and not accessible through normal search engines--everyone knows that! Honestly, Archer, where have you been for the last twenty years?" Gretta explains with an almost encyclopedic knowledge.

"The fact that you can say that off the top of your head does not disturb me as much as it should." Grace comments.

"What can I say? I have a lot of time on my hands." Gretta defends herself, smiling with a smug expression.

"Can I get back to what I saying?" Elliot asks, clearly annoyed.

"Fine! Go ahead."

"Thank you. Anyway, on the Dark Web, the Promethians communicate. I intercepted some messages mentioning Santorini," Elliot says before hesitating, "Gretta was a big help." It seemed to take a lot for him to say that and he attempts to avoid Gretta's beaming face.

"What did you do to get Elliot to admit that, Gretta?" Grace wonders.

"I'll never tell--you're the detective, mom. I'm sure you can figure it out!"

"I'll hold you to that." Grace promises before she and Jack leave to grab Dupont and return to the Acropolis.

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"So...you still mad at me, Gretta?" Elliot asks casually, sliding over to her and leaning back to see her face.

"...not as mad as I was before. But I still think it was a reckless move." Gretta admits.

"What will it take for you to forgive me?" Elliot asks scooting further into her space so they can see each other face-to-face (or face-to-cheek as the case may be, it was a bit claustrophobic with two of them stuck in the far corner of the desk).

Gretta thought about Elliot's question and then a lightbulb moment occurred.

"You owe me snacks for the next week, that's my criteria for the trauma you inflicted on me."

Elliot looked incredulous by the request, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Finally, he rolled his eyes and conceded.

"Ugh! Fine." Elliot admits defeat.
"Thank you!" Gretta says, smirking smugly, "you can start now since we have nothing else to do: get me some W&Ws please!" She hands him some change and he grumbles a little as he slides back to his space before getting up.

"At least you have taste on your snacks."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so grateful--I have a guilty pleasure for lime sugary fruit lime jellies."

"Ugh, gross!"

"I know! But they're so addicting!"

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Grace, as per usual, took the lead when the group got to the Acropolis and found a tattered map.

"I have a soft spot for tattered maps, Grace, and you've found one! Let's have a look." Dupont mentions as he walks leisurely over to where Grace had set the map on her knees.

"Mon Dieu!" Dupont exclaims, spooking Grace, "it's a map of Europe, littered with Promethian symbols!"

"I hadn't even noticed that--also look, they mark previous locations where the Promethians were involved in the murders!" Grace points out, pointing to London, Paris and Bierburg with her index finger.

"And there are symbols of Greece too...and Rome! Grace, I have a terrible sense of foreboding!" Dupont says, looking shocked and amazed by the new discovery. Grace doesn't see his expression though as she already took the liberty of moving forward and getting out necessary items to analyze the map.

"But I see you already took the dusting kit out. Just don't ruin the beautiful old map!"

"I'll try my best, Dupont."

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"And...there we are!" Grace states proudly, standing up with the map now littered with fingerprints.

"Tres bien, Grace, you've lifted fingerprints off the Promethian map! Did you know fingerprints were used for identification as early as the 1880s?"

"It sounds vaguely familiar...my mother might have mentioned it to me once."

"Ah, your mother is a historian? Perhaps I knew her."

"Yes. My parents, Calista and Arthur Kemble, work at Grimsborough University. She's a historian and my father's a philophispher."

"Yes...I read a paper of your father's once, I believe. I'm surprised you don't mention your family."

"I'm not uh...on speaking terms with my family anymore, to be honest with you. Let's just say my daughter is the reason and leave it at that."

"Of course...I won't pry into your business."

"Thank you."

"Of course," Dupont begins changing the subject, "I'm well aware the analyze is all done by computers these days...with a teenager in charge of our database." He shakes his head in dismay, "God help the Bureau, Grace! Let's send this sample to Elliot!"

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Dupont went back to the agency while Jack and Grace headed to Santorini on the tip Elliot had given. The torn up pink slip was almost hard to spot, but Grace was known for being almost eerily perceptive at finding items.

"It's a bank note." Grace states flatly, disappointed that they went all the way back here for this.

"Still, it's a 500 euro note! Who would tear money to shreds and throw it away?" Jack points out.

"I'm not sure...but I'm sure the kids can figure it out."

"You're right, Grace: Elliot's just made us rich, if he's such an expert on money, he'll know what's up with this 500 euro note, too!"

"Hey, I never said I was betting for him! There's no doubt in my mind that Gretta would be able to solve this."

"You want to bet on it?" Jack asks with a small grin.

"You can't be serious!" Grace says, incredulous. Jack doesn't budge and Grace scoffs.

"Alright fine--and I can't believe I'm doing this--I will bet 10 coins that Gretta will identify the banknote."

"You got yourself a deal, Miss Kemble." Jack replies, going to shake her hand so they can make it "official".

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In an hour, Jack and Grace could put their bet to the test...sadly, Grace lost.

"Damn it!"

"Uh...you okay, there?" Gretta questions with a raised eyebrow.

"Ugh! I made a stupid bet with Jack that you would analyze the bank note." Grace grumbles, taking out ten coins to give to Jack. Gretta lets out a muffled laugh.

"The confidence is appreciated, mom, but I can barely file taxes!"

"You would learn if you actually listened to what I had to say about it!" Grace argues.

"And learn all that complicated math? No thank you!" There was knock on the door and Dupont entered the tech room.

"Elliot? We're here for the fingerprints Grace collected from the Promethian map we found on the Acropolis."

"Hello, Grandpa Dupont. I would tell you about it, but Gretta did it actually." Dupont looks surprised by that but quickly recovers--they hadn't interacted at all yet so they weren't sure what to make of each other.

"I see...carry on, Miss Kemble."

"The fingerprints belong to Jaqueline Proust. I hear you're uh...fan of hers?" Gretta says as she and Elliot share a look at their own private joke. Apparently Gretta had heard about Dupont's disdain for the historical fiction author. And as expected, he acted accordingly.

"Jacqueline Proust?! The Promethian map is hers? Oh no, Grace, I'm NOT interrogating a woman who misuses the Oxford comma!"

"I don't see what the big deal is, but...whatever." Gretta murmurs.

The door to the tech room swings up and Carmen enters the room.

"Might if I butt in, Grace? I've been wanting to talk to Ms. Proust since the incident in Paris. I'll come with you to question her about this map!"

"Alright, Carmen. First though," Grace turns back to Elliot, "what's with the banknote?"

"The euro note you found on Santorini is fake. I checked the bank note's watermark under ultraviolet light. The paper and print quality are inferior, too."

"Counterfeit euro notes in Greece? Could this be connected to the Promethians?" Jack wonders. "First a murder, now forgery. Grace, each time we get closer to the Promethians, the investigation takes a new turn and they slip through our fingers!"

"I know Jack...but we do know a banker. Maybe we should ask him if the Central Bank is aware of the forgery?"

"You're right, Grace. We should question Sir Gilchrist and find out what he knows."

"Alright...now we have a plan: question Jacqueline Proust and then go to Sir Gilchrist and find out if he knows anything about the forgery. Sound good?" Carmen and Jack both nod.

"Great! Let's go."

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"Ms. Proust, it's the second time you how interest in Promethian documents: first the manuscript auctioned in Paris, now this map...how exactly are you connected to the cult?"

"I'm only researching them for my next political thriller, Detective Carmen: The Promethian Conspiracy! It's based on true historical events!"

"So...where did you find this map?" Grace asks.

"I found that map in an antique bookshop. I immediately made the connection with the recent murders in London and Paris." Grace lets out a long, drawn out and tired sigh.

"If that's true...why didn't you contact the police?"

"Because no-one believes an eccentric writer about historical conspiracies! That's why I had to investigate alone!" Jacqueline snaps.

"Alright...let's just all calm down. Does the map show where the Promethians will go next?"

"The map shows the Promethians' next move will be in Italy, Detective Grace. If anything happens there in the next few weeks, you'll know I was right! And since I'll be in Spain and nowhere near Italy, you'll also know I'm not involved. Now," she hands Grace a dry cleaning cover with a Grecian costume inside, "take this costume and let me board my plane."

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Sir Gilchrist was found and brought into a Bureau interrogation for Jack and Grace to question him.

"Sir Gilchrist, Detective Grace found a fake euro note on Santorini. Do you happen to kno--?"

"Blimey, Detective Grace...this is embarrassing. But since Metaxas is dead, I might as well tell you the truth."

"Alright..go on." Grace encourages.

"Metaxas was relentlessly nagging the ECB for another bailout. But the ECB had no money left! So I had some fake money printed, as a symbolical gesture, to show Metaxas that it doesn't grow on trees. I brought a suitcase packed with fake notes to our meeting."

"So the counterfeiter was you?" Jack asked, shocked. "The head of the European Central Bank, printing fake money to prank a minister?!"

"Not my finest hour, detectives, I admit. In my defence the money was stolen from me before the meeting, so the prank never happened."

"And where is that money now?"

"I told you, Detective Grace, it was stolen! My secret service lost track of the presumed thieves near a cave."

"I don't even know what to say, Sir Gilchrist. A Central Bank president, forging money AND losing it!"

"Now all hope is lost yet, Jack. We should head back to Oracle's cave first and see if we can find it there." Grace points out.

"Alright, Grace, let's go back to the cave and find the money, and the thieves! We'll pick up some burgers on the way!"

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"Okay, this wasn't a bad idea after all." Grace admits as they eat greasy burgers in one of the Bureau's cars.

"I know right?" They enjoy the silence for a few moments before Jack turns to Grace.

"You think we'll find the money in that cave?"

"I have no doubt."

"You're always sure...it's kind of amazing, honestly!"

"Well, thank you, Jack. I learned a long time ago that you kind of have to be if you're going to get anywhere in this work."

"Did you like living in Pacific Bay?"

"Sometimes, sometimes not. It's an acquired taste, I'd say. But I liked it better than Gretta did--she absolutely hated it."

"How come?"

"Various reasons: moved away from everything and everyone we knew in Grimsborough. We moved just before she was senior in high school--she was so fed up with it that she graduated a month early. She...she just had a tough time. It was rough for her." Grace was answering honestly, but there was also some hesitation in her voice, some crypticness about what she was saying.

"...At any rate," she continued while checking her watch, "we should go to Oracle's Cave and search for that money."

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"Grace, that suitcase is bulging with money! That must be Gilchrist's counterfeit euros!"

"It must be! Let's see what else is inside!" Grace replies, fiddling with the suitcase's lock and popping it open.

"What was under the money in the suitcase?" Grace held up her find, a blue cap.

"A cap that says 'YES'?" Grace nods.

"It's the European Referendums' campaign slogan--there's even the gold stars that are on the pins."

"So...whoever stole the counterfeit money is a YES voter? That doesn't narrow down the list."

Suddenly Grace notices something.

"Look, there's a stain on it!"

"Well, no time to lose, Grace: if you thinking collecting a sample of that stain on the cap will help, get on with it!"

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"You might not like this, Jack...but I believe the stain is saliva."

"You think someone spat on the cap? Eugh, disgusting! I'll let you look at that saliva sample under the microscope!"

"Hmph...fair enough!"

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In the Bureau's lab, Grace identified the sample (with Jack standing far away, near the printer).

"I think I've figured it out." Grace says as Jack picks up the analyse from the printer.

"Nice job, Grace! Looks like we have a hit: the DNA in the salvia matches Penelope the Rebel!"

"Hm...odd. She doesn't strike me as a YES voter."

"That's probably why she spat on the cap. But how is she connected to the money and the Promethians?"

"Guess we'll have to find her and figure that out."

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"Penelope, Detective Grace found your saliva on this YES campaign cap...under a stash of counterfeit money. Care to explain?"

"I stole the money from that greedy English banker! I'm not ashamed of it: stealing from bankers is not a crime! It's redistribution of wealth! I ran away with the suitcase and hid it in the cave. But there was already someone there: a creepy guy wearing a monk's robe. I thought he was a squatter, like me. But the monk turned out to be a YES campaigner! He wanted the money to bribe people to vote YES in the referendum!"

"Did you speak with him?" Grace asks.

"I told him I didn't steal the money from a banker to help fund the YES campaign and I spat on the cap he gave me!"

"Penelope, tell us about this creepy monk! If you help the Bureau with this, we might not denounce you for theft."

"He called himself Brother Klaus and talked a lot of nonsense about some cult...the Promethians. Klaus said the Promethians wanted everyone in Europe to vote YES. That's why he needed the money. But he disappeared the next day. Good riddance!"

"Did you hear that, Grace? Klaus was definitely here in Greece! But he slipped through our fingers!"

"Yeah, I heard...chief isn't going to be happy about this." Grace murmurs before turning to Penelope, "take care of yourself, Penelope."

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"Grace, what did you find out about Klaus Weissmann and the Promethians?"

"Well, he was here as a witness confirmed. But he's escaped again."

"We know why he was in Greece in the first place." Jack adds, "taking advantage of the economic crisis, Klaus was trying to bribe people to vote YES in the European referendum!"

"So that's the Promethian agenda? Swing the referendum vote for a unified Europe?"

"Well, here's what we know: the Promethians have been involved in several high-profile murders that are sending Europe into turmoil and now we've discovered that the Promethians want people to vote for a unified Europe!"

"So...could it be that the Promethians' intention is to destabilize societies? Until people are willing to give up their freedom and seek stability in a unified Europe?"

"There's one more thing Chief: I found a map earlier with Dupont at the Acropolis. And it suggests their next move will be in Rome." Grace explains.

"Rome? It's worse than I feared then, Grace. The Pope is gravely ill...the Promethians won't miss an opportunity to use to their advantage! Grace, pack your bags! You're flying to Rome!"

Author's Notes

I didn't mean to publish this so quickly, but I was sat in my bed last night and was like: 'you know what? I want to update Error again!' and here we are (had to stop in the middle of it because sadly my computer needed to be charged and I, has a human being, needed sleep).

Could I have cut out Jacqueline's line about the costume? Oh absolutely! But I like to pretend that being given items from potential suspects is just the norm for Grace lol

@MysticalCatlord pointed out how last chapter how everyone's relationships between each other were highlighted and I decided to continue that trend here (because I'm a sucker for fluff/snarky characters and that's that lol)

Originally Gretta said Elliot owed her dinner but I thought that was too formal and way too fast, they aren't at that stage yet XD

(And I mean, regardless if you're friends are not, I'd find it weird that buying someone dinner is the request this early into a friendship)

No lie, I did actually have to search up a definition of the Dark Web because I feel like it's one of those things that you know of, but don't know how to describe, you know? At least it is for me. Anyway...fingers crossed I don't end up on an FBI watch list or something!

The phrase "bite me" has existed for quite a while (specifically in America). I found a forum post on it and it's quite interesting: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/27753/meaning-and-usage-of-bite-me

I'm promise I'm not trying to slander fruit jellies--I don't even though if there is a lime flavor but it's 10pm, creativity isn't the best right now (for those who don't know what those are, they are flavored jelly candies coated with sugar on top and are shaped like a sliced fruit).

Dupont reminds me of my dad...just a *tiny* bit.

Also...MORE GRACE BACKSTORY, YAY :D I couldn't help myself, I gotta keep you all in suspense! To be fair, her past is pretty cryptic to me too so I'm learning it at about the same pace as all of you :)

Not much else to say, but of course my favorite moments was Gretta and Elliot's banter: I have said it before and I will say it again and until the end of this book but still, any interaction between these two snarky individuals is gold! And yes, that may be a bit conceited since I'm writing it but I stand by it LOL

We'll be moving onto Italy which is very exciting for me as I just went on a vacation there a month ago with my family so the timing is perfect <33

BatgirlGeek❤️