Just days ago, George Koutroubis was still holding court at the Six Steps, his impeccably decorated restaurant on Colborne Street. At 36, he seemed to have it all: a string of business interests, an attractive wife, and a brand-new BMW that served as his rolling command centre. His circle of associates was huge, and growing - Mr. Koutroubis's BlackBerry never seemed to stop buzzing, and he called his friends several times a day. But on Tuesday, the calls stopped, and the mystery began.
Until that afternoon, friends got the usual blizzard of e-mails and cellphone calls from Mr. Koutroubis. Some time after 3 p.m., he called someone as he sped east on Highway 401, announcing that he was on his way to a meeting in Whitby. Around 4:45, he made his last call: "I'm sitting here waiting for someone to show up," he told a friend.
And then Mr. Koutroubis went silent, like a pilot who has flown out of radio range. Over the next few hours, a series of alarm bells began to go off. Friends started calling each other, all with the same question: "Have you heard from George?" By 1 a.m., police were at the Six Steps restaurant, filling out a missing-persons report.
The days that have passed have served only to deepen the mystery. "We still don't have any clear indication of what happened here," said Toronto police Detective Barry Radford. "But at this point, we are strongly suspecting foul play."
Mr. Koutroubis's disappearance has turned his beautiful restaurant into a makeshift office. Yesterday, the bar was lined with family and friends who gathered both for comfort and the rapid sharing of information. Among them was his wife, who was supposed to leave with Mr. Koutroubis for their honeymoon today. (They were married on Dec. 27.) Also on hand was Mr. Koutroubis's business partner, Pat Quinn.
"It's a rough day here," Mr. Quinn said. "I really don't know what else to say.
"We're all freaked out," said Mr. Koutroubis's brother, Bill, the general manager of Six Steps. "I want my brother back, but we're getting some bad feelings about this."
Although he has tried to remain positive, Mr. Quinn says there are reasons why a criminal might target Mr. Koutroubis. "A lot of people know him, and he's got money," Mr. Quinn said. "That's the reality."
According to his colleagues, Mr. Koutroubis was well liked, and had a vast set of friends and business associates. He was raised in Toronto, where his father worked as the district manager for Corby Distilleries. After graduating in business from Ryerson, Mr. Koutroubis went to work for Revenue Canada.
Years ago, he began assembling a small business empire, acquiring rental properties in the Waterloo area. He recently bought a UPS Store franchise in Whitby. (So far, police have not determined whether his trip to the area last Tuesday was connected with the business.)
Mr. Koutroubis opened the Six Steps with Mr. Quinn in 2007, and pulled off a bit of a coup by getting the restaurant featured on a TV show that documented commercial makeovers. By the time it was finished, the restaurant was a masterpiece, with marble countertops, hardwood floors and a glass-walled wine cellar.
"He was involved every step of the way," said manager Michelle Tomicic. "He did a great job."
The hunt for Mr. Koutroubis has involved both police and a network of his friends, who have put up missing posters in the Whitby area, and created on-line forums to collect tips. Police have attempted to track the GPS unit in Mr. Koutroubis's BMW, as well as his BlackBerry, both without success.
Det. Radford says Mr. Koutroubis's disappearance has the hallmarks of a criminal case.
"This is a businessman who had regular habits," he said. "He's not the kind of person who just goes AWOL on you."