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map of this region, and see if you can pick up the trail.' Then he frowned at Liz and
added, 'But no deep probing. That's out. I'm talking about their trail, the route they took
out of here, if in fact they've gone. I know you're not locators, but working in tandem, as
it were... let's see what you can do, anyway. And I just want to stress it one more time:
the moment you sense mindsmog you're out of there  back off and leave it at that. Oh,
and there's one other thing: in case Ali Bey Burdur decides to drop in on you, you might
want to make sure you're up to scratch on the local "anti-tikkies," okay?'
He stood up. 'That's all for now, people. Ian and Lardis, if you're ready?'
And they were...
_
_
In the Kino Square the burned-out car had been security-taped off and covered with a
tent-like tarpaulin, beneath and around which the members of a scenes-of-crime team in
masks and white smocks performed their gruesome tasks. Above the Kino's double
doors, the display hoarding had been stripped and two men were busy on fragile-
looking scaffolding where they were pasting up a new poster. It looked like Trask's
theory was proven.
As much as possible, Trask and his two colleagues avoided looking at the tented
enclosure  avoided thinking about Bernie and the method of his disposal  and tried to
make themselves inconspicuous as they mingled with a short queue of Turkish men
waiting in the Kino's foyer at a ticket window. The small crowd was in an ugly mood and
Trask soon found out why: the revue had been cancelled arid last night's show had
been the last of its kind. The girls, who had been booked for another three days, had
apparently quit and moved on, and these men were here to get their money back.
At the window, Trask asked if it was known where the girls had gone? What was
their next venue? The harassed agent in the booth didn't understand him, became
impatient, waved him aside. But a Turk who stood next in line behind the E-Branch
group had heard Trask's inquiry and said, 'They gone. No one knows where. They just
go. Is too bad. Was very good, the show. The sexy English girls. The vampire ladies,
yes?'
'Yes, indeed,' Trask answered the toothy, grinning Turk. 'A great pity we missed
them.'
Outside again, the three could scarcely avoid observing the tented enclosure that
stood directly opposite the Kino. But as they paused at the kerb a police car drew up
and Ali Bey Burdur got out. 'Ah! Finding you,' he said.
And Trask asked him, 'Were you at our hotel?'
'Was going there, but seeing you here.'
Goodly nodded, and said, 'We were paying our last respects. Since we won't be
here for the...' But there he paused.
'The cremation?' said Burdur. 'I understanding. One cremation is enough, yes?'
'And that will be soon, I hope,' said Trask.
Burdur nodded. 'We having the identity. Is Fletcher. And is... something strange.'
He looked at Trask quizzically.
'Oh?' Trask tried not to sound too worried.
'This Fletcher, he have no family?'
'Distant relatives, I believe,' said Trask.
'That explaining things... perhaps,' said the Inspector.
'What things?'
'That they asking we cremate him here... which you knowing about? And that we
do it soon, which is you suggest also.'
And again Trask found himself obliged to think quickly. 'In many lands,' he said,
'people are burning the dead  and doing it with dispatch  because of the bubonic. It's
becoming almost standard practice.'
'Ah! The plague,' said Burdur. 'But surely the poor Bernie Fletcher he had not the
plague?'
'No, of course not,' said Trask. 'But why take a chance? He has no family, he's
dead, it's as well he's cremated here.'
'Hmmm!' said Burdur. 'Same conversation I having with your people in London.'
But Trask wasn't to be caught out so easily. 'My people?'
'Er, I meaning the English authorities.'
'Oh,' said Trask. 'Then I can only assume that the authorities in England will
make good the expenses, too.'
'So I understanding.' Burdur nodded thoughtfully. And then, quickly changing the
subject, 'One other things. Chief of Turkish Security in Ankara  the Big Boss peoples 
is speaking to me this morning. He is saying me to giving all assistance possible to Mr
Trask and his party. You having important friends!'
'Really?' said Trask, without having to act too surprised. And: Thank God for the
Minister Responsible! he thought, for he had certainly outdone himself this time around.
Quite obviously he'd broken new ground and developed some kind of alliance with
Turkish Intelligence, isolated for many years now by reason of Turkey's human-rights
record. And Trask couldn't help but wonder how much information the Minister
Responsible had passed on in order to achieve this level of cooperation.
'Yes, really,' said the Inspector. 'But I asking to myself, security? Big Boss
security? Now what having we here, eh?'
Trask shrugged, then said, 'Oh, I don't think there's any great mystery. It's not
unusual when an Englishman dies abroad that our Foreign Office do their best to assist
in every possible way.'
'Ah, yes,' said Burdur. 'But assisting the dead man's family, usually. Is not so?'
But wanting to have done with this now  and answering the Inspector perhaps a
little too sharply  Trask said, 'The point is, will you help us or not?'
Ali Bey Burdur drew back a pace. 'I having no choice,' he said. 'But was hoping
you could helping me, too.'
'Me help? But how?' [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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