CHAPTER ONE

Journey to Istanbul
It is early morning on a sunny spring day in April.
Heathrow Airport, London, is usy, as usual. Hundreds o!
people are arri"ing, lea"ing, or waiting !or planes.
In the #eparture Lounge o! Terminal One, a man is
sitting reading a newspaper. He does not li$e airports. There
are too many people, and he is always ner"ous when he
!lies. He loo$s at his wat%h impatiently. Then he hears the
announ%ement o"er the loudspea$ers.
&'ritish Airways announ%e the departure o! (light
'E)*+ !or Istanul. ,ill passengers please pro%eed to -ate
./ !or oarding.&
Tom 0mith pi%$s up his suit%ase and wal$s towards
-ate ./.
Twenty minutes later, the plane is preparing to lea"e. It
mo"es slowly a%ross the airport to runway numer two. Tom
is sitting loo$ing out o! the window.
The plane suddenly mo"es !orward, ra%es down the
runway and rises into the air. Tom loo$s down at the houses
and roads !ar elow, and smiles. London is ehind him. Now
he is on his way to Istanul.
Tom rela1ed and too$ a letter !rom his po%$et.
Resat 'ey Apt ..23, 4amerot 0o$a$, Aya5pasa,
Istanul
My dear Tom,
Thank you for your letter. I am so happy that you can
come and visit me for a holiday. Life here in Istanbul is very
interesting. I am enjoying my work, but I miss you very
much. It will be wonderful to see you again.
I'm sure we will have a very nice holiday. pring is
here, and the weather is beautiful.
I have to work on Monday !"th of #pril $ the day you
arrive. o I can't come to the airport to meet you, but you
can take a ta%i from the #ir Terminal to Taksim &uare.
That's in the centre of the new part of the city. There's a big
hotel called the 'ark (otel near the s&uare. I'll meet you
there at ) o'clock. *e'll meet in the #merican +ar. The view
over the city is beautiful.
I can't wait to see you again, Tom. I have so much to
tell you. o remember, the 'ark (otel, Taksim &uare, )
o'clock.
ee you on the !"th. love,
#ngela.
Tom sat !or a moment, loo$ing at his !ian%ee&s letter.
Then he put it in his po%$et. He loo$ed down at the green
!ields o! (ran%e, as the plane %ontinued its 6ourney a%ross
Europe.
&Ha"e you een to Istanul e!ore7& said a "oi%e. It was
the young man in the ne1t seat.
&No, I ha"en&t,& said Tom. &Ha"e you7&
The man smiled.
&8y home is in Istanul. I&m studying in London at the
moment. I&m going home !or a holiday.&
&Really7& said Tom. &,here are you studying7&
&At London 9ni"ersity.&
The two men sat tal$ing, as the stewardesses egan
ser"ing lun%h. The young man told Tom his name was
4emal. His parents had a shop in Istanul.
&Are you meeting someone in Istanul7& 4emal as$ed.
&8y !ian%ee,& said Tom. &0he&s wor$ing in Istanul.&
&That&s interesting. How long has she een there7&
0he went to Istanul two months ago. 0he wor$s !or a
small %ompany whi%h is starting to e1port to England. 0he&s
ma$ing all the arrangements.&
&E1porting always seems so di!!i%ult,& said 4emal. &It
seems di!!i%ult,& Tom agreed. &'ut that&s Angela&s 6o. 0he&s
an e1pert in importing and e1porting. Her !ather has an
import:e1port agen%y in London and she has wor$ed !or him
!or some years. 0he&s almost %ompleted her wor$ in Istanul
now. The %ompany has already started to send goods to
England. 0he&ll e %oming a%$ to London soon.&
&,hat $ind o! goods do they e1port7& as$ed 4emal. &All
$ind o! things 2 rass ornaments, %o!!ee2pots, trays leather
and ony1 arti%les 2 Angela&s !ather thin$s these goods will
sell "ery well in England.&
&That&s interesting,& said 4emal. &8y parents sell things
li$e that in their shop in Istanul.&
The two men went on tal$ing as the plane !lew o"er
Italy and -ree%e towards Tur$ey. 0oon they were
des%ending to ;esil$oy Airport, Istanul.
,hen the plane stopped, 4emal stood up. &I hope you
en6oy your stay in Istanul,& he said. &Here&s my telephone
numer. I! you need anything, phone me. I li"e in 0isli. It&s
not !ar !rom the %entre o! the %ity.&
&Than$s, 4emal, that&s "ery $ind o! you.&
&Not at all,& replied 4emal. &Ni%e to meet you. And now,
goodye.&
Tom went through Customs and Immigration and
wal$ed towards the airport e1it.
CHAPTER T,O
The American Bar
A us !or the City Air Terminal was waiting outside the
airport. Tom got in and sat down eside the window. Other
passengers got on and the us le!t the airport and dro"e
towards Istanul.
0oon they were dri"ing past the houses and apartment
lo%$s near the %ity. Then they passed the old %ity walls.
Tom !elt e1%ited, and loo$ed at e"erything. He saw eauti!ul
old mos<ues and street mar$ets.
The us was now approa%hing the %entre o! old
Istanul. It stopped at some tra!!i% lights.
A %ar stopped eside the us. The door opened and a
woman got out. Two men were with her. 0uddenly Tom
6umped to his !eet. It was Angela=
&Angela=& Tom shouted. &Angela= Here= It&s me, Tom=&
He $no%$ed on the us window. 0uddenly the tra!!i%
lights %hanged and the us mo"ed !orward. Tom ran to the
a%$ o! the us. Angela and the two men were going into a
uilding.
&Angela=& he shouted. &An...& He stopped. It was too late.
The us was mo"ing <ui%$ly down a wide street. The
passengers were loo$ing at Tom and he suddenly !elt
!oolish. He wal$ed a%$ to his seat and sat down.
,hat a surprise, he thought to himsel!. I must tell her
when I see her this e"ening.
Then the us %rossed Atatur$ 'ridge and Tom loo$ed
at the oats on the -olden Horn. Again he !elt e1%ited.
The us arri"ed at the Air Terminal at a <uarter to !our.
There were some ta1is waiting there. Tom went up to one.
&The Par$ Hotel, Ta$sim 0<uare, please,& he told the
dri"er.
&English7 ;ou %ome with me. I ta$e you <ui%$ly.&
At a <uarter past !our, the ta1i arri"ed in the s<uare.
&Here you are, sir, the Par$ Hotel.&
&Than$ you,& said Tom, and paid the dri"er.
Tom went into the hotel. He !ound the Ameri%an 'ar
and sat down at a tale on the terra%e. A waiter %ame out.
&A eer, please,& said Tom.
He sat in the a!ternoon sunshine, and loo$ed down
o"er the %ity o! Istanul. The "iew was "ery eauti!ul. He
was loo$ing at the sea. The 'osphorus was !ull o! ships.
There were "ery ig ships going to Russia and little sailing
ships. In the distan%e, he %ould see the mos<ues and pala%es
o! old Istanul. How eauti!ul and how e1%iting=
Tom loo$ed at his wat%h. It was nearly !i"e o&%lo%$. He
got up and wal$ed up to the hotel entran%e. There were lots
o! people going in and out o! the hotel. 'ut he did not see
Angela anywhere. He went a%$ to the ar and ordered
another eer.
Come on Angela, Tom said to himsel!. #on&t e late.
>ust inside the Ameri%an 'ar a man in a grey rain%oat
was sitting at a tale. He was drin$ing %o!!ee and smo$ing
%heap %igarettes. A newspaper lay open on the tale in !ront
o! him, and !rom time to time he loo$ed at it. 'ut the man
wasn&t reading the newspaper 2 he was wat%hing Tom.
It was now twenty past !i"e. Tom sat in the e"ening
sunshine. He loo$ed at his wat%h again, and waited. Hal!
past !i"e. ?uarter to si1. It was getting dar$. He loo$ed at
the lights on the 'osphorus. 0trange, thought Tom. Angela
isn&t usually late.
Tom sat at the tale, on the terra%e o! the Ameri%an
'ar, waiting !or his !ian%ee. He waited, and waited, and
noody %ame.
And the man in the grey rain%oat sat patiently inside
the ar, smo$ing, and wat%hing Tom.
&Another eer, sir7& as$ed the waiter.
&No, ring me a la%$ %o!!ee, please. Ha"e you a
telephone7&
&;es, sir, inside.&
Tom went into the hotel. There was a telephone eside
the re%eption. Tom dialled Angela&s numer. The phone rang
and rang, ut noody answered it. He put the phone down
and turned towards the re%eption des$.
&E1%use me,& he as$ed the re%eptionist, &4amerot 0o$a$
2 do you $now where it is7&
&;es, it&s "ery near. -o out o! the hotel entran%e and
turn right. ,al$ along the street 2 and 4amerot 0o$a$ is
!ourth on the right.&
&Than$ you,& said Tom.
Tom went a%$ to the ar. He dran$ his %o!!ee and paid
!or his drin$s. It was now a!ter eight o&%lo%$. Tom pi%$ed up
his suit%ase and le!t the hotel.
Inside the ar, the man in the grey rain%oat stood up
and pi%$ed up his newspaper. He put some money on the
tale and wal$ed out into the street. He stood on the
pa"ement !or a moment or two, then started wal$ing.
CHAPTER THREE
A Shock
4amerot 0o$a$ was a narrow, <uiet street o! old
apartment uildings. Tom wal$ed along the pa"ement,
loo$ing at the numers on the doors. There was only one
street light and it was di!!i%ult to see. 'ut !inally, he !ound
Angela&s address, numer ...
The uilding had a large glass door. Tom pushed it, ut
it was lo%$ed. There was no ell. He $no%$ed on the door.
Nothing happened. He $no%$ed again, louder this time, and
listened. 0ilen%e.
#amn, he thought. He was impatient now. And
worried.
He stood a%$ in the middle o! the street and loo$ed
up. There were !i"e !loors, and all the windows were la%$.
There was no light anywhere in the uilding.
Angela, he said to himsel!, Angela= ,here are you7
A short distan%e away, the man in the grey rain%oat
stood in a dar$ doorway. He was wat%hing Tom, wat%hing
e"ery mo"e he made...
Tom did not $now what to do. He $no%$ed on%e more
on the glass door 2 again nothing happened. (inally, he
pi%$ed up his suit%ase. ,ith a last loo$ at the uilding, he
turned and started wal$ing a%$ towards Ta$sim 0<uare.
Tom 0mith, he thought to himsel!, as he wal$ed. ;ou
need a hot ath and a good sleep. Then you %an de%ide what
to do.
The Par$ Hotel was e1pensi"e, ut Tom rememered
seeing one or two small hotels near Ta$sim 0<uare. (inally,
he was standing outside the An$ara Hotel. He went in.
&-ood e"ening,& he said to the woman at re%eption. &I&d
li$e a single room, please.&
The woman nodded.
&,e ha"e a ni%e room upstairs. Come, I&ll show you.&
They went upstairs and she opened a door.
&@ery ni%e room,& she said.
It was small, ut it was %lean and it loo$ed
%om!ortale.
&I&ll ta$e it,& he said, and ga"e the woman his passport.
&The athroom is along the %orridor,& she said.
&'rea$!ast is !rom eight to ten o&%lo%$. -oodnight.&
Tom put his %ase down and sat on the ed. He suddenly
!elt "ery tired and unhappy. He was not ha"ing a good
dinner in a ni%e restaurant. He was not sitting with the
woman he lo"ed. He was sitting alone, in a %heap hotel, in a
strange %ity.
(or a long time he sat on the ed thin$ing, 'ut I saw
Angela. I saw her !rom the us=
(inally he stood up.
O4, he thought. Tomorrow morning I&ll go to Angela&s
o!!i%e and !ind out what has happened. There&s a "ery simple
e1planation, I&m sure. I&ll !ind out tomorrow.
He had a hot ath and got into ed. He was "ery tired
a!ter his long 6ourney and soon !ell asleep.
The man in the grey rain%oat wal$ed a%ross Ta$sim
0<uare. There was a telephone $ios$ in the %orner. He
dialled a numer, and waited. Then he spo$e.
&He&s in the An$ara Hotel,& the man said. &He waited at
the Par$ Hotel and then he went to the girl&s !lat. Now he&s in
the An$ara Hotel... ;es, yes o! %ourse I will.&
He put down the phone and le!t the $ios$.
The ne1t morning, Tom !elt mu%h etter. He had
rea$!ast, then too$ a ta1i to the o!!i%e where Angela
wor$ed.
The ta1i dro"e through the usy streets and %rossed the
-alata 'ridge into the old %ity. (inally, it turned into a small
street near the Railway 0tation. It was a narrow street o!
shops, small usinesses and wor$shops. The ta1i stopped in
!ront o! a grey uilding.
A(. 4aramian and Co. E1port:Import Agen%yA, said the
sign ao"e the door. Tom pushed open the door and went in.
A se%retary was typing at the re%eption des$. 0he loo$ed up
as Tom %ame in.
&-ood morning,& she smiled.
&-ood morning,& said Tom. &8y name&s Tom 0mith. I&m
loo$ing !or Angela Thomson 2 she&s my !ian%ee. I arri"ed in
Istanul last night and waited !or her, ut she didn&t...&
The se%retary was staring at him. 0he stood up.
&,ait a moment, please, 8r 0mith.&
0he hurried o"er to a door mar$ed AO!!i%eA, and went
inside. Tom %ould hear her tal$ing to someone.
The door opened and a man %ame out. He loo$ed "ery
serious.
&8r 0mith, my name&s #iinya. Please %ome in.&
Tom went into the o!!i%e.
&Please sit down, 8r 0mith,& said #iinya. &Loo$ 2 er, I
don&t $now how to tell you this, 8r 0mith. I ha"e some "ery
ad news !or you. I&m "ery sorry indeed, ut 8iss Thomson,
your !ian%ee 2 is 2 is dead.&
CHAPTER (O9R
'I Saw Her'
#rin$ this, 8r 0mith,& said 8r #iinya. He handed Tom
a glass o! strong randy. Tom sat, sho%$ed, white2!a%ed,
unale to spea$. He dran$ the randy slowly.
&How 2 how did it happen7& he as$ed.
&A %ar a%%ident. 8iss Thomson was dri"ing along a
dangerous road. No one $nows what happened. Her %ar went
o!! the road and !ell down the hillside.&
&;esterday e"ening7& Tom as$ed.
&I eg your pardon7&
&The a%%ident 2 it happened yesterday e"ening7&
#iinya loo$ed at him.
&8r 0mith, the a%%ident happened a wee$ ago 2 last
0unday to e e1a%t. 0he had een away to 'ursa !or the
wee$end and...&
&'ut that&s impossile=& said Tom. &I saw Angela
yesterday=&
&;esterday7&
&;es. I was on the airport us, %oming into Istanul. I
saw her in the street.&
&I&m terrily sorry, 8r 0mith, ut you&re ma$ing a
mista$e.&
&No, I tell you I saw her. I...&
&8r 0mith,& #iinya said patiently, &Istanul is a ig %ity.
There must e hundreds o! women here who loo$ li$e your
!ian%ee.&
Tom said nothing.
&The 'ritish Consulate were "ery help!ul,& %ontinued
8r #iinya. &They made all the arrangements !or the !uneral.
It was on ,ednesday.&
&Ha"e her parents een told aout this7& Tom as$ed.
&That is a prolem, I&m a!raid. Her parents are on
holiday in (ran%e. The 'ritish and (ren%h poli%e are trying
to %onta%t them.&
&0o they don&t $now yet,& said Tom <uietly.
&No, they don&t, I&m a!raid.&
There was a long silen%e.
&Can I ha"e another randy, please7& as$ed Tom.
&O! %ourse.&
Tom tried hard to thin$ %learly.
&I thought I saw her yesterday,& he said so!tly.
&I understand, 8r 0mith. It&s a great sho%$ 2 a terrile
tragedy !or you 2 !or all o! us.&
A!ter a pause, #iinya as$ed, &,hat will you do now,
8r 0mith7 Is there anything I %an do to help7&
&I&m not sure,& said Tom. &I need some time to thin$. I
don&t $now what to do.&
&#o you $now anyone in Istanul7&
0uddenly Tom rememered 4emal.
&;es, yes, I ha"e !riends, don&t worry. Loo$, 8r #iinya,
I %an&t de%ide anything now. I thin$ I&ll stay in Istanul !or a
day or two. I&d li$e to "isit the Consulate, and maye the
poli%e.&
8r #iinya opened a drawer in his des$ and too$ out a
%ard. He wrote on it and handed the %ard to Tom.
&I&"e written down the telephone numer o! 8r #a"id
Pennington. He&s the man in the Consulate who made the
arrrangements !or the !uneral. The other numer is my o!!i%e
telephone numer. Conta%t me i! you need anything. I&m
here during the day.&
Tom stood up.
&I must go now,& he said. &Than$ you, you&"e een most
$ind.&
8r #iinya wal$ed with him to the door. &,ell, 8r
0mith, on%e again, I&m terrily sorry.&
&;ou $now I was so sure I saw her. 0o sure...& Tom said.
&I understand,& replied #iinya. &It&s a terrile sho%$.&
The two men shoo$ hands.
&Rememer, %ome here any time i! you need anything,&
said 8r #iinya. &-oodye, now.&
&-oodye,& said Tom, and wal$ed out into the street.
8r #iinya turned and wal$ed a%$ into his o!!i%e. He
%losed the door %are!ully and sat down at his des$. (or a !ew
minutes he sat thin$ing. Then he pi%$ed up the telephone.
Tom wal$ed slowly through the %rowded streets o! old
Istanul. The streets were usy, and !ull o! interesting
people, shops and %a!es. 'ut Tom did not see any o! those
things. He was not interested in Istanul, he was not a tourist
any more. Tom was thin$ing o! Angela. He rememered the
6ourney on the us !rom the airport. He was sure he had seen
Angela. 0he had een there on the pa"ement, getting out o! a
%ar. 'ut #iinya said it was not Angela. Angela was dead. 0he
had died a wee$ ago.
Tom wal$ed through the streets o! the %ity. He wal$ed
through the -rand 'a5aar. He wal$ed on and on through
narrow old streets. He didn&t $now where he was, or what
time it was. He thought aout Angela. He thought again
aout his 6ourney on the us !rom the airport. Again and
again he thought aout it, and again and again he saw his
!ian%ee. Then he stopped wal$ing, and stood !or a moment
on the pa"ement. He was standing on a street eside the sea.
Angela isn&t dead, he thought. I saw her=
He loo$ed in his po%$et and !ound 4emal&s telephone
numer. He wal$ed <ui%$ly a%ross the street to a %a!e. He
went inside to the telephone.
&Hello, 4emal7 Hello, it&s me, Tom. Rememer...7 ;es,
yes, !ine than$s. Listen, rememer you said I %ould phone
you i! I needed anything7 ,ell, something has happened.
Can we meet somewhere7&
CHAPTER (I@E
A Disappointing Day
&0o,& said 4emal, &you really thin$ you saw her, do
you7&
4emal and Tom were sitting in the Ameri%an 'ar at the
Par$ Hotel. Tom thought %are!ully !or a moment e!ore
answering.
&;es,& he said slowly. &;es, I do. ;ou proaly thin$ I
imagined it. I understand that. 'ut I&m %on"in%ed I saw her,
that&s all.&
4emal nodded.
&I %an&t stop thin$ing aout yesterday,& Tom %ontinued.
&I %lose my eyes and I %an see Angela there on the pa"ement.
I %an&t !orget that.&
&Listen, Tom,& said 4emal. &,e only met yesterday ut
already we&re !riends. ;ou&re in my %ountry, you&re my
!riend, and you need help. I! you thin$ you saw Angela,
that&s enough !or me. I elie"e you. Now we ha"e to de%ide
what to do.&
&There are two things I want to do as soon as possile,&
said Tom. &I want to go to the street where I saw Angela.
Then I want to go to the 'ritish Consulate. I ha"e an
appointment !or this a!ternoon.&
&O4,& said 4emal. &The street where you saw Angela.
#o you thin$ you %an rememer where it is7&
&No prolem,& said Tom. &,e %an dri"e along the same
route as the airport us. I&m sure I&ll rememer it.&
&And what do you thin$ you will !ind there7&
&I&m not sure. 'ut she was going into a uilding with
two men. At least we %an !ind the uilding 2 maye that will
tell us something.&
&O4,& said 4emal. &8y %ar&s outside. Let&s go.&
Tom and 4emal were dri"ing through the %ity.
&It was a wide street,& said Tom. &,e %ame to a
roundaout a!ter the tra!!i% lights. ,e turned le!t and then
we passed an old a<uedu%t.&
&A$saray,& said 4emal. &It&s near here.&
4emal dro"e o"er Atatur$ 'ridge. A!ter a !ew minutes,
they saw the old a<uedu%t. Then they %ame to a large
roundaout and turned right.
&This is it,& said Tom. &It&s somewhere near here.&
They were approa%hing some tra!!i% lights. Tom loo$ed
out o! the window at the uildings on the le!t.
&No,& he said. &Not here.&
They dro"e on to the ne1t tra!!i% lights.
&This is it,& said Tom. &This is the pla%e.&
4emal stopped the %ar.
&;ou get out. I&ll !ind a par$ing pla%e.&
Tom got out and loo$ed around him. He was in a wide
street o! shops and o!!i%es. A newspaper $ios$, a tra"el
agen%y 2 he rememered them !rom the day e!ore. He stood
loo$ing at the uildings opposite until 4emal arri"ed.
Tom pointed a%ross the street to the entran%e to an
o!!i%e uilding.
&That&s it, I thin$,& he said.
They %rossed the street and loo$ed at the name plate
eside the entran%e to the o!!i%e lo%$. There were many
names there a lawyer, a dentist, a do%tor, and many other
o!!i%es. Tom stood loo$ing at the names !or a !ew moments.
&,ell,& he said !inally, &I&m sure she went into this
uilding. 'ut whi%h o!!i%e was she going to7 ,as she going
to see a lawyer, or a dentist, or a do%tor7 How do we egin
to !ind out7&
4emal too$ his arm gently, and they wal$ed slowly
a%$ to the %ar.
&Listen, Tom,& he said. &;ou&re going too !ast. ;ou %an&t
e1pe%t to !ind out e"erything immediately. ,ait until you see
the man at the Consulate. A!ter that, we&ll thin$ aout it.
Then we %an de%ide what to do. ,e $now she was going into
that uilding. That&s something, anyway. Now loo$, it&s
lun%h2time. ;ou must e hungry. I $now a good restaurant
near here ...&
&;ou&re right,& said Tom. &,e ha"e to e patient.&
CHAPTER 0IB
Visit to the Consulate
A!ter lun%h, 4emal dro"e Tom to the 'ritish Consulate
in 8esrutiyet 0treet. He stopped the %ar at the gate.
&,ell, good lu%$,& he said. &I&ll wait !or you.&
Tom opened the %ar door.
&It&s "ery good o! you to help me li$e this 4emal.
Than$s "ery mu%h.&
&Not at all,& said 4emal. &0ee you later.&
Tom went through the Consulate gates. The old
Consulate, with eauti!ul gardens round it, loo$ed li$e a
pala%e. Tom pushed the ig door open and went in.
&I&d li$e to see 8r #a"id Pennington, please,& he said at
the re%eption des$. &8y name&s Tom 0mith. I ha"e an
appointment.&
A!ter a !ew minutes, a tall man wearing glasses %ame
to meet him.
&8r 0mith, my name&s Pennington. How do you do7&
said the man, holding out his hand.
Tom shoo$ 8r Pennington&s hand. &How do you do,& he
replied.
&Come into my o!!i%e, please, 8r 0mith. 8r #iinya
told me you were %oming.&
They wal$ed up the eauti!ul stair%ase o! the Consulate
and went into 8r Pennington&s o!!i%e.
&0it down, please,& said Pennington. &8r 0mith, I&m "ery
sorry aout your !ian%ee. It was a great tragedy. Please
a%%ept my %ondolen%es.&
&Than$ you,& said Tom.
8r Pennington too$ two !iles !rom his des$.
&This is our report on the a%%ident,& he said. &And this is
the poli%e report. I %an gi"e you %opies o! these, ut perhaps
you&d li$e to as$ me some <uestions !irst.&
Tom thought !or a moment.
&8r Pennington,& he said, &I thin$ I saw Angela
yesterday.&
Pennington stared at Tom. There was silen%e in the
room. Pennington loo$ed down at his des$, then he loo$ed at
Tom again. Tom was ale to hear the noise o! the tra!!i% in
the street outside the gardens. (or a long time Pennington
said nothing. At last he spo$e.
&8r 0mith,& he said, &I don&t thin$ you !ully understand.
;our !ian%ee...&
&I $now,& Tom interrupted. &Angela was $illed in a road
a%%ident last wee$end. Her !uneral was last ,ednesday. 8r
#iinya told me that this morning. 'ut I&m telling you I saw
her yesterday.&
&8r 0mith, I thin$ you should read these reports
%are!ully e!ore you say anything more.&
He passed the !iles o"er to Tom.
&Can I get you a %up o! tea or something7&
&A %up o! tea would e ni%e. Than$ you.&
Pennington le!t the o!!i%e. He %ame a%$ a !ew minutes
later with some tea. There was silen%e in the room while
Tom read the reports. Presently he loo$ed up.
&A!ter the a%%ident,& Tom as$ed Pennington, &how did
they identi!y the ody7&
&That was di!!i%ult,& said Pennington. &As you $now, the
a%%ident happened on a dangerous road aout C++ $ilometres
!rom here. ;our !ian%ee&s %ar %rashed through a wall y the
side o! the road, and !ell down the hillside. The %ar urst into
!lames and was %ompletely urned out. The 2 the ody was
"ery adly urned, so identi!i%ation was di!!i%ult. 'ut the
poli%e !ound your !ian%ee&s handag lying near the %ar. Her
passport and papers were in the handag. The poli%e !ound
out that the %ar was owned y a %ar hire %ompany. 8iss
Thomson had hired the %ar !or the wee$end.&
&,hat aout Angela&s parents7& Tom as$ed.
&I&m a!raid her parents don&t $now aout the a%%ident
yet. They&re on a %amping holiday in (ran%e 2 the poli%e are
trying to %onta%t them.&
&,hat was she doing on that dangerous road7&
&0he spent the wee$end in 'ursa, sightseeing. It&s a
"ery interesting old town. 0he was on her way a%$ to
Istanul.&
Tom thought !or a moment.
&And are the poli%e <uite satis!ied7& Tom as$ed.
&;es,& said Pennington. &The poli%e are %on"in%ed that it
was an a%%ident. The !ile is %losed.&
&And you people at the Consulate,& said Tom <uietly,
&are you satis!ied7&
(or a moment Pennington said nothing.
&;es, 8r 0mith, we are,& he said. &Our 6o, among other
things, is to loo$ a!ter 'ritish %iti5ens in Tur$ey. ,e ha"e
loo$ed into this matter "ery %are!ully. And we are satis!ied
that it was an a%%ident.&
Tom said nothing.
&I really am "ery sorry,& Pennington went on. &I
understand how you must !eel. ;ou&"e had a terrile sho%$.
8y ad"i%e to you now is to lea"e Istanul. There is nothing
you %an do here.&
&I&m eginning to thin$ you&re right,& said Tom. &Perhaps
I should go home. ;ou $now, I really thought I saw Angela,
ut now...&
&,here are you staying7& as$ed Pennington.
&The An$ara Hotel, near Ta$sim 0<uare.&
&,ill you e all right7 #o you $now anyone here7&
&I&m all right, than$ you. I ha"e a !riend here.&
&,ell 8r 0mith, please thin$ %are!ully aout what I&"e
said. I hope you&ll ta$e my ad"i%e. I! you need anything
e!ore you lea"e, %onta%t me. I&ll e glad to help you.&
&Than$ you,& said Tom, standing up. &Than$ you !or all
you&"e done.&
&Not at all,& said Pennington. &I&m sorry your "isit to
Istanul wasn&t a happier one. Ha"e a good 6ourney home.
-oodye.&
The two men shoo$ hands and Tom le!t the Consulate.
CHAPTER 0E@EN
The an in the !rey "aincoat
4emal was waiting in the %ar outside the Consulate
gates.
&,hat did he say7& 4emal as$ed, as Tom got in the %ar.
&The same as #iinya,& Tom replied. &It was an a%%ident.
Angela&s dead. The !ile is %losed.&
4emal started the %ar, and dro"e away !rom the
Consulate.
&8r Pennington ad"ised me to go a%$ to London,&
Tom %ontinued. &I&m eginning to thin$ he&s right.&
4emal said nothing.
&The poli%e thin$ Angela is dead, and the people at the
Consulate do too. I&m the only person who doesn&t thin$
she&s dead. 0o what am I going to do7 0tay here in Istanul7
-o home7 Really, I 6ust don&t...&
&Now wait a minute, wait a minute, Tom,& said 4emal.
&How long ha"e you een in Istanul7&
&Not "ery long...&
&;ou&"e een here less than twenty2!our hours. And
what has happened to you in this time7 ;ou&"e had a terrile
sho%$. ;ou&"e een told that your !ian%ee was $illed in an
a%%ident a wee$ ago. 'ut you are sure you saw her !rom the
us last night. 0o now you are %on!used and you don&t $now
what to do. That&s right, isn&t it7&
Tom nodded his head slowly in agreement.
&,ell, I&ll tell you what you&re going to do,& 4emal went
on. &;ou&re going to %ome with me to the Top$api Pala%e. ,e
%an wal$ through the eauti!ul gardens there and thin$ aout
e"erything %are!ully. Then we %an de%ide what to do ne1t.&
Tom smiled.
&;ou&re right, o! %ourse. It has een a di!!i%ult day.&
&E1a%tly,& said 4emal. &Now it&s time to rela1 a little.&
They were dri"ing down narrow streets, to the -olden
Horn.
&This is the -alata 'ridge 2 it %rosses the -olden Horn,&
said 4emal. &Loo$, isn&t it eauti!ul7&
They dro"e slowly a%ross the ridge in the right
sunlight.
&It is eauti!ul,& said Tom, loo$ing out a%ross the
'osphorus. &@ery eauti!ul.&
They %ontinued a%ross the ridge, turned le!t, and
dro"e past the Railway 0tation. A !ew minutes later they
%ame to 0anta 0ophia 2 one o! the oldest and most eauti!ul
uildings in Istanul. It was on%e a %hur%h, then a mos<ue
and now it is a museum.
&,e&ll lea"e the %ar here,& said 4emal. &(irst, I&m going
to show you the Pala%e o! Top$api.&
They got out o! the %ar in a large par$. They were
standing in !ront o! the !irst gate o! the Pala%e.
&The 0ultans o! Tur$ey used to li"e in Top$api Pala%e,&
4emal e1plained.
4emal and Tom ought an entran%e ti%$et. They
wal$ed through the gate into the gardens o! the Pala%e.
&This is the !irst %ourtyard o! the Pala%e,& went on
4emal. &O"er there are the royal $it%hens. And o"er there the
harem 2 that&s part o! the Pala%e where the women li"ed.&
They were wal$ing down a wide path. 4emal loo$ed
round and then he too$ Tom y the arm.
&,al$ a little !aster,& he said <uietly.
Tom saw that there was a strange loo$ on 4emal&s !a%e.
&Is anything wrong7& he as$ed.
&4eep wal$ing,& said 4emal. &And don&t loo$ a%$.&
They wal$ed a%ross the %ourtyard towards the se%ond
gate o! the Pala%e.
&4emal, what&s wrong7& said Tom <ui%$ly.
&0omeone is !ollowing us,& answered 4emal.
0omeone !ollowing us7& said Tom. &,hat do you
mean7&
There&s a man in a grey rain%oat wal$ing ehind us. I
saw him when we %ame into the Pala%e. I wasn&t sure at !irst,
ut I&m sure now.&
They wal$ed on and then ran through the se%ond
gateway. 4emal loo$ed a%$. The man was still !ollowing
them.
&This way. ?ui%$ly.& 4emal led Tom to the entran%e o!
the Treasury. Inside, it was "ery %rowded and it was also
dar$ a!ter the right sunshine.
&,e&re going to separate now,& said 4emal. &The man
won&t e ale to !ollow oth o! us. ;ou ta$e a ta1i a%$ to
your hotel. Ha"e you got some money7&
&;es,& said Tom.
&Right, I&ll phone you this e"ening.&
&,hat are you going to do7& as$ed Tom.
&I&m going a%$ to my %ar.&
&'e %are!ul,& said Tom.
&;ou too,& said 4emal. &0ee you later.&
CHAPTER EI-HT
A Surprise #hone Call
It was se"en o&%lo%$ when Tom arri"ed in Ta$sim
0<uare. He got out o! the ta1i and wal$ed towards his hotel.
He !elt ner"ous. ,as someone wat%hing him7 ,as someone
sitting in a %ar wat%hing his hotel7 He hurried inside.
&-ood e"ening,& said the woman at re%eption.
&-ood e"ening,& said Tom.
He too$ his room $ey and went upstairs. He lo%$ed his
door, too$ o!! his shoes and lay down on the ed. He !elt
tired, ut ner"ous and e1%ited at the same time. (or a long
time he lay on the ed, listening to the noises in the street
outside, and thin$ing aout one person 2 Angela.
The phone rang. It rang loudly, and Tom 6umped
ner"ously.
4emal, he thought, and pi%$ed up the re%ei"er.
&;es7&
&This is re%eption, 8r 0mith, I ha"e a %all !or you.&
&Than$ you,& said Tom.
&Hello7 Is that Tom 0mith7& It was a woman&s "oi%e.
&;es. ,ho is that7& Tom as$ed. His heart was eating !ast.
&;ou don&t $now me, 8r 0mith, ut I&m a !riend o! Angela&s.
I ha"e something to tell you. Can we meet somewhere7&
&,ho are you7&
&8y name&s >ulie. As I said, I&m a !riend o! Angela&s.
Listen, I don&t want to tal$ on the phone. Can we meet
somewhere7&
&;es, yes, sure,& said Tom, thin$ing <ui%$ly. &#o you
$now the Ameri%an 'ar at the Par$ Hotel7&
&I $now it. I&ll e there in twenty minutes.& There was a
%li%$ and then there was silen%e. Tom put the phone down
and 6umped to his !eet. &I must tell 4emal,& he said to
himsel!. He pi%$ed up the phone. &Re%eption7 Can I ha"e
Istanul 3/ DC E)7& Tom waited impatiently.
&0orry, sir, there&s no answer,& said the woman at
re%eption. &O4, I&ll try later.&
Tom put the phone down, and le!t the room.
There were only a !ew people in the Ameri%an 'ar
when Tom went in. He sat down at a tale y a window.
(rom there he %ould see e"eryone who %ame through the
door.
Tom sat drin$ing a eer and wat%hing the door. ,ho
was >ulie7 ,hat did she want7 Tom would soon !ind out.
A girl %ame in a !ew minutes later. 0he had long londe
hair,
and was wearing 6eans. The girl loo$ed round the ar,
then wal$ed o"er to Tom&s tale.
FHi,& she said. &I&m >ulie.& &Hello,& he said. &I&m Tom.
Please sit down.& 0he sat down. The waiter %ame o"er.
&,ould you li$e a drin$7& said Tom. &A %o!!ee, please,& she
said. The waiter nodded and le!t. &0o you&re Tom,& >ulie said.
&;ou loo$ 6ust li$e your photograph. Angela showed me a
pi%ture o! you.&
&'ut how did you !ind me7& Tom as$ed.
&I went to the 'ritish Consulate today,& >ulie e1plained.
&I spo$e to 8r PenningtonG he told me the name o! your
hotel. I $new you were %oming to Istanul and I wanted to
spea$ to you.&
0he loo$ed round ner"ously.
&Listen, Tom,& she went on. &There&s something strange
going on. ,hat do you $now aout Angela&s a%%ident7&
&Only what the Consulate told me today,& said Tom. He
told >ulie aout his %on"ersation with 8r Pennington.
&And are you satis!ied7& she as$ed.
Tom loo$ed at her.
&Tell me what you thin$,& he said slowly.
&All right,& said >ulie. &Let&s start at the eginning.
Angela %ame to Istanul two months ago. I met her at a
party soon a!ter she arri"ed and we e%ame good !riends. At
the eginning, she was happy. 0he en6oyed her 6o, she li$ed
wor$ing !or her oss...&
&#iinya 7&
&That&s right. E"erything was !ine. I saw her <uite
o!ten. ,e used to ha"e lun%h together, and go sightseeing.
And then, two wee$s ago something happened. Angela
seemed worried aout something 2 something to do with her
wor$. I as$ed her what was wrong ut she didn&t want to tal$
aout it. Then one lun%h2time we were together in a
restaurant and suddenly #iinya %ame in. The moment she
saw him, she e%ame ner"ous. I thin$ she was a!raid o! him.&
&-o on,& Tom said.
&,ell, I don&t $now anything else. 0he ne"er told me
what she was worried aout. I saw her a !ew more times, and
then she had the a%%ident.&
0he loo$ed at Tom.
&'ut it is strange, isn&t it7& >ulie went on. &0he was
worried aout something 2 her 6o, or her oss, or
something. 'ut she wouldn&t tal$ aout it. And then she had
an a%%ident.&
0he stopped.
&That&s all,& she said. &That&s what I wanted to tell you.&
Tom leant a%ross the tale.
&0hall I tell you something7& he said <uietly. &;esterday,
on the way into Istanul, I saw her.&
>ulie stared at him.
&,here7& she as$ed.
&I was in the airport us, %oming into the %ity. ,e were
in 8illet 0treet near A$saray. Angela was going into a
uilding with two men.&
&,hat do you mean, going into a uilding7 ,hi%h
uilding7&
&,ell, I don&t $now. There are a lot o! o!!i%es in the
uilding. I went there today. There was a dentist, and a
do%tor...&
&#o%tor,& said >ulie. &That&s interesting.&
&,hat do you mean7&
&Angela had a "irus two wee$s ago 2 a ad atta%$. 0he
was getting pills !rom a do%tor. That e1plains it 2 she needed
more pills, or treatment. 0he was going to a do%tor=&
Tom thought !or a moment.
&0o that&s where she was going,& he said. &To the
do%tor&s. 8aye I %an go and as$ the do%tor a !ew <uestions.&
>ulie loo$ed worried.
&'e %are!ul, Tom,& she said.
&,hat do you mean7&
&>ust e %are!ul,& she repeated. &0omething strange is
happening. It %ould e dangerous !or you i! you as$ too
many <uestions.&
&O4,& said Tom. &'ut I&m sure Angela is in this %ity
somewhere. 0he&s in troule. The poli%e and the Consulate
say she&s dead, so they won&t help. 'ut I thin$ she&s ali"e.
0he&s in Istanul somewhere, and I&m not lea"ing until I !ind
her=&
CHAPTER NINE
'!oo$bye% r Diinya'
Later that e"ening Tom phoned 4emal. He told him
aout his meeting with >ulie. 4emal listened while Tom
e1plained what had happened.
&O4,& he said, when Tom had !inished. &Listen 2 I thin$ I
understand what&s happening. Angela was wor$ing !or
#iinya. Right7&
&;es.&
&And then she was worried aout something 2
something at wor$. Right7&
&;es.&
&O4, and then she had her a%%ident. 'ut it wasn&t an
a%%ident. Tom 2 you $now what I thin$7 I thin$ Angela is
ali"e. 0he&s here somewhere in Istanul. #iinya is holding
her prisoner.&
&,hat7&
&Thin$ aout it, Tom. Angela was worried aout
something at wor$. ,e thin$ it was something to do with
#iinya and his e1port usiness. And now she has
disappeared. 'ut she isn&t dead 2 there was no %ar a%%ident 2
#iinya is holding her prisoner, I&m sure o! it.&
&'ut,& egan Tom. &I don&t...&
&Listen, Tom,& %ontinued 4emal, &what aout the man in
the Top$api Pala%e today 2 the man who !ollowed us7 ;ou
$now what I thin$, Tom7 I thin$ #iinya and his !riends ha"e
een wat%hing you sin%e you arri"ed in Istanul. They $now
where you are staying, they $now you went to the Consulate,
and that&s how they !ollowed us to the Pala%e today. They
$now e"erything aout you, Tom.&
&-od,& said Tom <uietly. &8y -od, 4emal, I thin$
you&re right. ;ou must e right. 'ut what are we going to do
now7&
&I&ll tell you,& said 4emal. &They $now where you are
staying and they $now you&re loo$ing !or Angela. That&s why
they&re wat%hing you. They want to !ind out what you do
ne1t. ,ell, I&ll tell you what you&re going to do ne1t. ;ou&re
going to lea"e Istanul. Now listen...&
Ne1t morning, Tom %he%$ed out o! his hotel.
&Than$ you,& he said to the re%eptionist, &and goodye.&
&Lea"ing Istanul7&
&;es, I&m going home.&
&-oodye, sir. Ha"e a good 6ourney.&
Tom too$ a ta1i to #iinya&s o!!i%e. The dri"er stopped
outside.
&,ait here, please,& said Tom. &I&ll e a%$ in a !ew
minutes.&
He went into the o!!i%e.
&-ood morning,& he said to the se%retary. &Is 8r #iinya
here7 I&"e %ome to say goodye.&
0he went to the o!!i%e. 8r #iinya %ame out.
&Ah, 8r 0mith.&
&-ood morning, 8r #iinya. I&"e %ome to say goodye.&
&Lea"ing so soon7&
&;es. I went to the 'ritish Consulate yesterday and
spo$e to 8r Pennington. It seems there&s nothing I %an do
here. I&m going a%$ to London. Than$ you !or your help.&
&;ou&re wel%ome, 8r 0mith. On%e again, I&m "ery sorry
aout your !ian%ee. I&m sorry your "isit to Istanul wasn&t a
happy one.&
&Than$ you and goodye. 8y plane lea"es at midday.&
&At midday7 I see. -oodye, 8r 0mith. Ha"e a good
6ourney.&
The two men shoo$ hands. Tom turned and le!t the
o!!i%e. His ta1i was waiting.
&The airport, please,& he said as he got in.
The ta1i mo"ed o!!. Another %ar, par$ed twenty metres
away, mo"ed away !rom the pa"ement and started !ollowing.
At the airport, Tom wal$ed o"er to the 'ritish Airways
des$. He as$ed aout the !light to London, ut he did not
%he%$ in. Then he ought a newspaper and sat down to wait.
He loo$ed round the usy airport.
0omewhere among all these people, he thought,
someone is wat%hing me.
He opened his newspaper and started reading. Then
there was an announ%ement o"er the loudspea$erH &'ritish
Airways announ%e the departure o! their !light T4I*I !or
London. ,ill Passengers please pro%eed to -ate / !or
oarding.&
Tom pi%$ed up his things and wal$ed towards passport
%ontrol. There were lots o! people at the entran%e to passport
%ontrol. Tom went into the %rowd o! people and mo"ed
towards a large man whose relati"es were saying goodye.
0uddenly he turned and went into the men&s toilet. In the
toilet he too$ o!! his 6a%$et and started to wash his hands and
!a%e. No one !ollowed him into the toilet. Then there was
another announ%ementH 'ritish Airways (light T4I*I !or
London. This is the !inal announ%ement. ,ill passengers
please pro%eed immediately to -ate /. This gate is now
%losing.&
Tom heard the announ%ement ut didn&t mo"e. He
loo$ed at his wat%h, and smiled to himsel!.
The man in the grey rain%oat wal$ed o"er to the
telephone $ios$s and dialled a numer.
&Hello7 I saw him lea"e. ;es 2 he&s on the plane.& The
man put the phone down and wal$ed away towards the e1it.
Hal! an hour later, Tom was in a ta1i on his way to
4emal&s !lat in 0isli.
4emal opened the door.
&Hello, Tom,& he smiled. &E"erything O47&
&No prolem,& smiled Tom. &I went into the %rowd at
passport %ontrol. Then I hid in the toilet at the last minute.&
&,ell done. #iinya and his !riends will thin$ you ha"e
gone a%$ to London. Now you %an stay here in my !lat and
we %an start loo$ing !or Angela.&
&And we $now where to start, don&t we7&
&;es 2 #iinya&s o!!i%e,& replied 4emal.
CHAPTER TEN
An Important Disco&ery
4emal and Tom had something to eat. Then they sat
down and made their plans !or the e"ening.
&,e&ll wat%h #iinya&s o!!i%e this e"ening,& said 4emal.
&,hen he %omes out we&ll !ollow him. Then we&ll !ind out
where he li"es.&
&,on&t that e dangerous !or me7& as$ed Tom. &He
$nows me, rememer. ,hat i! he sees me7&
4emal smiled and stood up.
&I&"e thought aout that. And I&"e got 6ust what you
need. Loo$.&
4emal opened a drawer.
&Put this on,& he said.
&A wig=& said Tom.
&And a !alse mousta%he, too. -o on, try them on.&
Tom put on the wig and mousta%he. He loo$ed in the
mirror.
&No one will re%ognise me now,& he laughed. &Not e"en
my own mother=&
&-ood,& said 4emal. &And i! you also wear dar$ glasses
you will e %ompletely disguised.&
It was se"en o&%lo%$ and the shops and small
usinesses in the <uiet street were %losing.
Tom and 4emal sat in the %ar, waiting patiently. &He&ll
e lea"ing soon,& said Tom.
(urther down the street, they %ould see the entran%e to
#iinya&s o!!i%e. They sat in silen%e, wat%hing. Time passed
slowly. Ten past se"en, <uarter past, then suddenly 2 &There
he is,& whispered Tom. &That&s him.&
#iinya %ame out o! his o!!i%e and lo%$ed the door
%are!ully ehind him. He loo$ed along the street. Then
wal$ed o"er to a grey 8er%edes %ar and got in.
The 8er%edes mo"ed away !rom the pa"ement and
dro"e along the street. It turned right onto the main road.
&Let&s go,& said 4emal and dro"e down the street. They
turned right, !ollowing the 8er%edes. The main road was
usy, and they dro"e along in the tra!!i%.
&There it is,& said 4emal. &Aout !i!ty metres away, in
!ront o! that ta1i.&
&Care!ul,& said Tom. &#on&t dri"e too %lose. 0tay ehind
the ta1i.&
They dro"e along the main road, wat%hing the
8er%edes.
&He&s turning le!t.&
&O4.&
Tom and 4emal !ollowed.
They were now dri"ing along the wide street eside the
sea. (or twenty minutes they dro"e towards the suurs o!
the %ity. Now they were outside the %ity %entre and the tra!!i%
was mo"ing !aster. The 8er%edes turned o!! the main road.
&0low down,& said Tom. &;ou&re too near.&
They slowed down until the 8er%edes had turned the
%orner, then dro"e !aster. ,hen they turned the %orner, the
road was empty.
&#amn,& said 4emal, and dro"e !aster. They %rossed
another side street, and loo$ed <ui%$ly right and le!t.
&Le!t,& said Tom. &There he is=&
They turned and dro"e along a <uiet street o! pri"ate
"illas. This was the most dangerous part e%ause there was
not mu%h tra!!i%. I! #iinya loo$ed round now, he would see
that someone was !ollowing him...
&He&s stopping,& said 4emal, as he saw the 8er%edes&
ra$e lights going on.
4emal dro"e slowly. The 8er%edes was now !i!ty
metres in !ront o! them.
&He&s turning,& said 4emal.
The 8er%edes turned o!! the street and dro"e through
the gates o! a large "illa. The "illa was surrounded y trees
and ushes. Already the gates were %losing ehind it as the
8er%edes dro"e up to the house.
Tom and 4emal dro"e past the %losed gate and
%ontinued along the street.
&,ell,& said Tom. &That&s where #iinya li"es.&
&That&s a start,& said 4emal. &Come on, let&s go home
now.&
'a%$ in 4emal&s !lat, they dis%ussed what they had
seen.
&I thin$ that Angela is in the "illa,& said Tom.
4emal agreed.
&,hat do we do now7& as$ed Tom. &,e %an&t get into
the "illa. There are proaly men guarding it.&
&I agree,& said 4emal. &,e thin$ she&s in the "illa ut we
%an&t get in there.&
&It doesn&t matter. The "illa isn&t important,& said Tom.
&,hat do you mean7&
&Thin$ aout it,& Tom replied. &Rememer what >ulie
said. Angela was worried aout something at wor$. 0he
wor$ed in the o!!i%e, she ne"er went to the "illa. 0o what
we&re loo$ing !or is in the o!!i%e. The "illa isn&t important.&
&;ou&re right,& said 4emal. He stood up and wal$ed
o"er to the window. &Listen, you&"e een inside the o!!i%e,
what&s it li$e7&
&,hen you go in the door,& Tom told him, &there&s the
window, and a small re%eption des$. Then there&s an o!!i%e,
and a door to #iinya&s pri"ate o!!i%e at the a%$.&
&Anything else7&
Tom tried to rememer the inside o! the o!!i%e.
&;es,& he said. &There&s a door, another door, at the
a%$.&
&O4,& said 4emal. &They must ha"e a wor$shop or a
store through that door. That&s where they&ll $eep all the
things they e1port. 0o somehow we ha"e to ha"e a loo$
inside...&
4emal thought !or a moment.
&I&"e got an idea,& he said suddenly. &#iinya e1ports
ony1 ornaments to England. 8y parents sell things li$e that
in their shop. 0o, i! I had a o1 o! ornaments and I wanted to
sell them "ery %heaply, who would uy them !rom me7&
Tom loo$ed at him, then smiled.
&#iinya,& he said.
&E1a%tly,& smiled 4emal. &Now, let&s thin$ %are!ully...&
CHAPTER ELE@EN
A Cle&er Trick
Irahim #iinya was alone in his pri"ate o!!i%e. He was
wor$ing at his des$, !inishing some paperwor$. He always
did his paperwor$ alone e!ore going home.
He loo$ed at his wat%h. Another ten minutes, then he
would e !inished.
There was a $no%$ at the door.
#iinya loo$ed up !rom his papers. He didn&t mo"e.
There was another $no%$, louder this time.
He put the papers in his des$ and lo%$ed it. Then he got
up and went out into the o!!i%e. He %ould see a man outside,
standing in the doorway.
&,e&re %losed,& he said through the glass door. &Come
a%$ tomorrow.&
&I&m sorry,& said the man. &It&s urgent, please.&
#iinya was annoyed. He unlo%$ed the door and opened
it.
&,e&re %losed. Can&t you see7&
&I&m "ery sorry to other you,& said 4emal. &'ut I was
hoping to !ind someone here. I ha"e a prolem. ;ou see, I
need some money <ui%$ly. I must ha"e it tomorrow
morning, early. It&s !or well, it doesn&t matter why I need the
money. That&s my prolem. 'ut I ha"e some ony1 ornaments
to sell and I heard you would e interested.&
He held out a eauti!ul ony1 ashtray.
&,ould you e interested in uying !i!ty o! these7&
#iinya too$ the ashtray and loo$ed at it %are!ully.
4emal %ould see he was interested.
&@ery good <uality,& said 4emal.
&(i!ty, did you say7&
&That&s right. They&re in the %ar outside.&
&How mu%h do you want7& #iinya as$ed. &.),+++ lira
!or !i!ty,& said 4emal.
&That&s too mu%h,& said #iinya. &I&ll gi"e you )+++.&
&Please 2 I need the money urgently,& said 4emal.
&Then you will a%%ept )+++,& said #iinya.
4emal loo$ed disappointed.
&All right.& he said. &;ou %an ha"e them !or /+++ lira.
They&re in a ig o1 in the %ar. Could you help me %arry
them7 They&re "ery hea"y.&
#iinya went with him to the %ar. Together they %arried
the o1 into the o!!i%e.
&This is really "ery $ind o! you,& said 4emal. &They are
hea"y.&
They %arried the o1 to the a%$ o! the o!!i%e. 4emal
loo$ed <ui%$ly at the door.
&Ha"e you got a store somewhere7& he as$ed. &I&m sure
you don&t want the o1 in your o!!i%e.&
#iinya thought !or a moment. He loo$ed at the large
o1 in his small o!!i%e and said, &One moment.&
He too$ a $ey !rom his po%$et and unlo%$ed the door.
They pi%$ed up the o1 and %arried it through into the
wor$shop. It was a long, wide room, with windows on one
side. There were a lot o! arti%les in the room 2 ony1 tales,
lamps, ornaments, rass and leather arti%les. On a
wor$en%h, there were rows o! tools and %utting e<uipment.
&This is !ine,& said #iinya. &Put it down here.&
They put down the o1.
#iinya too$ out his wallet. &/+++ lira,& he said.
At that moment the telephone in his o!!i%e rang. #iinya
loo$ed annoyed.
&E1%use me one moment,& he said to 4emal.
He went a%$ to his pri"ate o!!i%e.
4emal loo$ed at his wat%h and smiled as #iinya
disappeared through the door. ?ui%$ly he loo$ed round the
wor$shop. There was a door at the other end. He loo$ed out
o! the windows.
Outside there was a small %ourtyard, and at one end o!
the %ourtyard, a wall, two metres high.
On the wor$en%h at the end o! the wor$shop, there
were se"eral ony1 tale lamps. 4emal loo$ed <ui%$ly at
them. They had een %ut in hal! with a %utting instrument.
The inside had een remo"ed. 4emal loo$ed %losely.
0uddenly 4emal heard #iinya say goodye. He turned
<ui%$ly away !rom the wor$en%h.
&0orry to $eep you waiting,& #iinya said as he %ame
a%$ in.
&Not at all,& said 4emal. &I %an see you&re a "ery usy
man.&
#iinya %ounted out /+++ lira.
&Than$ you,& said 4emal. &I really need this money.
,ell, I won&t ta$e any more o! your time.&
#iinya wal$ed with him to the door into the street.
&Than$s again,& said 4emal. &-oodnight.&
&-oodnight,& said #iinya, and %losed the door.
4emal went a%$ to his %ar and dro"e home. Tom was
waiting !or him.
&#id it wor$7& he as$ed, as 4emal %ame into the
apartment.
&Per!e%tly,& smiled 4emal. &8y rother phoned 6ust at
the right moment, when we were in the wor$shop. #iinya
elie"ed my story, too. And he ga"e me a "ery low pri%e !or
the ony1.&
&,hat did you see in the wor$shop7&
4emal loo$ed serious.
&,ell, not "ery mu%h, I&m a!raid. It&s 6ust a wor$shop,
or a store. There were lots o! ony1 and leather arti%les, rass
and tools. And there were some ony1 lamps eing repaired, I
thin$. 'ut there&s a %ourtyard outside, and another uilding
opposite. I&m sure that it elongs to #iinya. And more
important 2 there&s a wall at one end o! the %ourtyard, whi%h
isn&t too high
&8eaning7&
&8eaning that it wouldn&t e too di!!i%ult to %lim o"er
it.&
CHAPTER T,EL@E
Disaster'
The ne1t morning, a!ter rea$!ast, Tom and 4emal sat
loo$ing at a street map o! Istanul. &Loo$ here,& 4emal said.
He pointed to a small street.
&#iinya&s shop is in this street. Now, loo$ at the street
ehind his shop. ,e&ll ha"e to !ind a way into the %ourtyard
!rom that side.&
&#o you $now that part o! the %ity7& as$ed Tom.
&Not "ery well. As !ar as I rememer, there are only
o!!i%es, warehouses and wor$shops there. At night it will e
<uiet, ut we&ll ha"e to e "ery %are!ul.&
&O4, we&ll do it tonight,& said Tom.
They le!t 4emal&s !lat in 0isli at ten o&%lo%$ and dro"e
a%ross the %ity to #iinya&s shop. They par$ed the %ar two
lo%$s !rom the wor$shop. There were not many street lights
there and it was dar$.
&Come on,& said 4emal. &,e must wal$ !rom here.&
They wal$ed along the dar$ streets. They were oth
wearing dar$ %lothes. They %ame to the street whi%h ran
ehind #iinya&s wor$shop and %ourtyard.
&;ou see7& said 4emal <uietly. &Only o!!i%es,
warehouses and wor$shops 2 noody li"es in this street. The
%ourtyard must e up this alleyway, ehind these uildings.&
They loo$ed up and down the dar$ street. No %ars, no
one in sight.
&Let&s go,& whispered 4emal.
They wal$ed <ui%$ly up the alleyway. Tom&s heart was
eating !ast, his mouth dry with !ear. They stood ehind one
o! the warehouses, eside the %ourtyard wall. 0omewhere in
the distan%e a dog ar$ed.
&Help me up,& whispered 4emal. &?uietly=&
Tom stood with his a%$ against the wall. He held his
hands together. 4emal put his !oot in Tom&s hands and
rea%hed up.
&O4,& 4emal whispered.
4emal loo$ed %are!ully o"er the wall. The %ourtyard
was empty.
4emal pulled himsel! up and sat on top o! the wall.
&-i"e me your hand,& whispered 4emal down to Tom.
&I&ll pull you up.&
Tom rea%hed up. 4emal too$ his hand and pulled. Tom
put his other hand on the top o! the wall and %limed on to
the wall eside 4emal.
4emal dropped silently to the ground in the %ourtyard.
0uddenly there was a noise. It %ame !rom inside the
wor$shop.
4emal pointed to the side. They hurried silently o"er to
the wall, and waited.
Another noise. A door opened and %losed inside the
wor$shop. A light %ame on in the wor$shop and shone out
a%ross the %ourtyard. Tom and 4emal stood !ro5en against
the wall. They e1pe%ted a door to open and men to run out
into the %ourtyard. 'ut nothing happened. They heard people
tal$ing and mo"ing aout inside. 4emal put his mouth %lose
to Tom&s ear.
&This is our only %han%e,& he whispered. &,e ha"e to try
to see what they&re doing in there.&
They mo"ed "ery slowly towards the window. It was
so <uiet that Tom %ould hear his heart eating. At last they
were going to !ind out what was happening.
There were some men in the wor$shop. One o! them
was wor$ing with an ony1 tale lamp. The lamp had een
%ut in hal!. He put a small plasti% ag inside the lamp. Then
he !i1ed the two hal"es o! the lamp together again.
Tom loo$ed at all the ony1 and rass ornaments, the
%utting tools, the pile o! plasti% ags on the tale. 0uddenly
he understood what was happening.
Ornaments !or e1port to England, and inside the
ornaments 2 opium=
&0o that&s it=& he whispered to 4emal. &They&re
smuggling drugs in the ornaments=&
Tom stepped a%$ !rom the window. Perhaps he was
e1%ited y what he had seen. Perhaps he !orgot where he
was. 'ut suddenly, he put his !oot on a stone and slipped.
He put out his hand and $no%$ed against a pie%e o!
wood. The pie%e o! wood !ell to the ground with a loud
%rash.
A light %ame on, a door opened, and men rushed out.
&Run=& shouted 4emal.
&0top=& shouted a man. &Cat%h them=&
0e%onds later, Tom and 4emal were at the wall. They
6umped, ut Tom was too slow. One o! the men %aught his
legs and pulled him to the ground.
4emal turned to help Tom. Then it was too late. The
other men 6umped up and pulled him a%$ into the
%ourtyard. A !ew se%onds later it was all o"er. Tom and
4emal were prisoners.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Journey Into Danger
&This way= Hurry up=& said one o! the men, pushing
Tom and 4emal towards the door o! the wor$shop.
&-et inside=& said the man.
Tom and 4emal stepped inside and stopped, sho%$ed.
#iinya was standing in the wor$shop. He had a gun in his
hand. (or a !ew se%onds he stared at them silently.
&,ell, well,& he said slowly, &our !riend, the
Englishman. @ery %le"er. Oh, yes, "ery %le"er. And you=&
His !a%e was red with anger as he loo$ed at 4emal. He
stepped !orward and hit 4emal in the !a%e. Tom mo"ed
!orward.
&#on&t mo"e, or I&ll $ill you now,& said #iinya. The gun
was pointing at Tom. &-et o"er there.&
Tom and 4emal stood eside the wor$en%h. #iinya
loo$ed at them oth !or a long moment.
&0o,& he said !inally. &;ou ha"e seen all this.& He pointed
to the plasti% ags and the ony1 ornaments. &@ery %le"er o!
you. ,e should ha"e $illed the English girl e!ore. Then this
would ne"er ha"e happened.&
&,here is she7& as$ed Tom. &,here is Angela7&
&Oh, don&t worry aout her. 0he&s O4. Let&s say 2 she is
a guest at my "illa. ;ou&ll e ale to spea$ to her "ery soon 2
I&m sure you&ll ha"e a lot to tal$ aout 2 e!ore you all die=&
He laughed 2 a %old, %ruel laugh.
&O4, let&s go, said #iinya to his men. &,e&re ta$ing
these two with us.&
The men pushed Tom and 4emal out o! the wor$shop
and through the shop to the door. The 8er%edes stood in the
street.
&-et inside,& said #iinya.
Tom loo$ed up and down the street. 'ut there was no
one there to help them.
&#on&t try anything !oolish, Englishman. ;ou %an&t
es%ape. -et in.&
Tom and 4emal sat in the a%$ o! the %ar, with a man
on ea%h side o! them. The others got in the !ront. They dro"e
away !rom the shop, turned on to the main road, and dro"e
a%ross the %ity towards the suurs.
&Ta$e a loo$,& said #iinya, smiling. &Istanul y night.
0o many people, so mu%h li!e. Ta$e your last loo$ at it, you
!oolish young men. It&s the last time you&ll see it.&
&,hat,& egan Tom, &has Angela got to do with this7&
&,e needed her at the eginning,& replied #iinya. &0he
was "ery use!ul. 0he helped us to arrange the e1port o! the
things to England. 0he didn&t $now anything aout our 2 our
other usiness. 'ut one day, she le!t something in the o!!i%e,
and %ame a%$ !or it in the e"ening. 8ost un!ortunate !or
her. 0he saw what we were doing. A!ter that, I %ould not let
her go.&
&,here is she7& as$ed Tom urgently.
&Ah 2 I&m not a %ruel man,& replied #iinya. &I did not $ill
her. I ha"e $ept her in my "illa.&
&That&s e%ause you didn&t $now what to do,& said Tom.
&E1a%tly. 'ut we ha"e no %hoi%e now. ;ou $now too
mu%h aout us.&
&,hat aout the drugs when they arri"e in Europe7&
as$ed Tom.
&That&s easy,& replied #iinya. &,e ha"e !riends in
England. The goods are deli"ered to dealers in England and
our !riends uy them. ;our !ian%ee helped us a lot. I shall
soon e ri%h 2 "ery ri%h.&
The 8er%edes turned o!! the main road, and dro"e
along the small street towards #iinya&s "illa. The %ar dro"e
in through the gates o! the "illa, up to the house. It stopped
near the !ront door. It was a ig "illa with three !loors. There
were steps leading up to the !ront door.
&Out,& said #iinya.
They got out o! the %ar. There was one small light
ao"e the !ront door o! the "illa. The rest o! the house was in
%omplete dar$ness. Tom loo$ed around 2 he was loo$ing !or
a way to es%ape. #iinya saw him.
&I! you try to es%ape, I&ll shoot you,& he said. &Now, get
inside.&
They started wal$ing up the steps to the !ront door.
&0TOP=& shouted a "oi%e.
0uddenly a linding light %ame on. The garden o! the
"illa was !ull o! men running towards them. (or a se%ond
#iinya stood !ro5en on the steps, sho%$ed. Then he ran
towards the door. It opened suddenly and two men 6umped
out. They had guns pointing at #iinya.
&0top= This is the poli%e. 0top or we&ll shoot=&
#iinya dropped his gun and slowly put his hands ao"e
his head. His men did the same.
&The poli%e,& 4emal said. &,e&re sa!e.&
At that moment the door o! the "illa opened and a girl
ran out.
&Tom=& she shouted. &Tom=&
Tom turned round <ui%$ly.
&Angela=& (or a long time they stood, unale to spea$,
holding ea%h other.
&Oh, Tom,& said Angela. &;ou&re here at last=&
He loo$ed into her eyes. &Angela, my lo"e,& he
whispered. &Are you all right7&
&Oh, yes, I&m all right. I&m !ine. The poli%e %ame here to
the "illa aout an hour ago. ,e $new you were %oming, the
poli%e were !ollowing you. Oh, Tom, I was so worried that
#iinya would $ill you.&
0he put her arms round him again.
&Oh,& said Tom suddenly. &Angela, my lo"e, I want you
to meet a "ery good !riend o! mine.& He turned and smiled at
4emal.
&Angela, this is 4emal.&
&Hello, 4emal, ni%e to meet you,& said Angela.
&Hello,& he said. &I&"e ne"er met you e!ore, ut I !eel I
$now you "ery well=&
They laughed.
&4emal has een wonder!ul,& said Tom. &,ithout his
help, we wouldn&t e here now.&
&Oh, I only helped you a little,& said 4emal.
&A little=& said Tom.
They wat%hed as #iinya and his men were ta$en to a
poli%e %ar.
&How did the poli%e $now what was happening7& as$ed
Tom.
At that moment a %ar dro"e up to the "illa. A man got
out o! the %ar and wal$ed towards them. He smiled.
&Hello, 8r 0mith,& he said. &,e meet again.&
&8r Pennington=& smiled Tom.
CHAPTER (O9RTEEN
Time (or a Holi$ay
Later that night, Tom, 4emal and Angela were
rela1ing. They were sitting in 8r Pennington&s !lat in the
Consulate uilding. #a"id Pennington was telling them what
had happened.
&>ulie %ame to see me here at the Consulate,& he
e1plained. &0he told me aout her %on"ersation with Tom.
Then I was %on"in%ed that Tom&s story was true. I %onta%ted
the Tur$ish poli%e again. A!ter that I tried to %onta%t you,
Tom, ut you had le!t your hotel. ,e thought you&d gone
a%$ to England.&
&No,& smiled Tom. He loo$ed at Angela. &I had some
urgent usiness here in Istanul.&
They all laughed.
&How did they treat you in the "illa7& as$ed Tom.
&They treated me "ery well,& replied Angela. &,hen my
"irus was "ery ad, they too$ me to the do%tor. 'ut I was
terrily worried on the 8onday you were arri"ing in
Istanul. #iinya $new you were %oming e%ause I had told
him earlier. And I $new he was going to send someone to
!ollow you. I was terrily worried.&
&They made a ig mista$e when they too$ you to the
do%tor,& said Tom. &I! I had not seen you !rom the us...&
&#on&t,& said Angela, &don&t e"en thin$ aout it.&
&,hat aout the %ar a%%ident7& said 4emal. &How did
they arrange that7 I wonder whose ody was in the urnt out
%ar7&
There was silen%e while they thought aout that. &The
poli%e will ha"e to !ind that out,& said Pennington !inally.
&It was a "ery %le"er plan o! #iinya&s,& said Tom. &@ery
%le"er.&
&;es,& agreed Pennington. &And drug2smugglers li$e
#iinya %an ma$e millions o! pounds.&
&,ell 2 it&s o"er now,& said Angela. 0he turned to Tom.
&#o you rememer the letter I wrote to you Tom7 I said that
li!e here in Istanul is "ery interesting. I was right, wasn&t I7&
They all laughed.
&;es,& said Tom, &a little it too interesting !or me= A!ter
all this, do you $now what I want7&
&,hat7&
&I want a really dull, uninteresting holiday in Istanul=&
2 THE EN# 2
Hope you ha"e en6oyed the reading=
Come a%$ to httpH::english2e2oo$s.net: to !ind more
!as%inating and e1%iting stories=