earth do the police thinkyou’ve done? What reason did they give for taking your passport?”
Mrs. Pollifax sighed—she was beginning to feel very tired. “They seem to feel that I might have come to Istanbul to meet a notorious Communist agent.”
His jaw dropped. “They
what
?
You?
”
“Yes,” she said, and stood up. “Now I really must speak to my friend—speak to her at once—and then I’ll remove her as soon as possible. I don’t want to involve you—”
“Involve me?” he said angrily. “I’m already involved. What I’m trying to discover is what I’m involved
in
. You do know you’re being followed, don’t you?”
“You keep noticing things,” she said with a sigh.
“Of course. I saw that chap walking up and down the alley when you were here this afternoon, but when I left you at the door of your hotel damned if he didn’t follow you directly inside, and for all I know he’s followed you here again, and is outside right now.”
Mrs. Pollifax brightened. “Oh I do hope so,” she said eagerly. “I tried to find him only half an hour ago at the hotel but I couldn’t. That’s Henry.”
Colin looked taken aback. “Henry,” he repeated blankly. “You know him then. Look here, who the devil are you? Or to put it more succinctly,
what
are you?”
She said sympathetically, “I’m Emily Pollifax, truly I am. I live in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and I’m an American citizen and I have two grown children and three grandchildren, and that’s more than the Turkish police believe at this moment but it’s absolutely true.”
He put his hand to his head. “All right. Oddly enough I believe you, although I can’t think of any
logical
reason why I do. But why did you come to Istanbul then?”
“To meet a notorious Communist agent,” she told him cheerfully. “Now do please show me where the jeep is.”
“You insist on being facetious,” he told her bitterly. He removed a key from the shelf over the sink, opened the door for her and closed it behind them both. “This way,” he said, and they walked in silence across the courtyard. A bright moon had turned the whitewashed buildings into ghost-silver and the bougainvillea threw jagged shadows over thecobbles. The sounds of the city were muted in this enclosure. Colin unlocked the door to the office and beckoned her inside. “She’s in here,” he said, and opened still another door and turned on the lights with a flick of his hand.
Mrs. Pollifax entered a double garage, at the moment containing only the jeep, a pile of abandoned tires and an orange crate. A shapeless bundle in the rear of the jeep stirred and lifted a head, shedding a sheepskin rug, and Magda Ferenci-Sabo blinked at the sudden light.
“Good evening,” said Mrs. Pollifax amiably. “It seems that Mr. Ramsey has reunited us!”
Magda’s glance moved from Mrs. Pollifax to Colin. “He is also—?”
Mrs. Pollifax sighed. “No, he is not,” and for a moment both of them looked dubiously at Colin, who gazed stolidly back at them. “Colin,” she said, “I wonder if you would mind—”
“No,” he said crossly.
Mrs. Pollifax regarded him with interest. “You won’t allow us a few minutes—?”
“No.”
“What a difficult young man,” said Magda.
Mrs. Pollifax smiled. “Yes, but he hid you from the police, this is his jeep you’re occupying and this is his uncle’s garage. Now we must think how to get you out of here. You
are
the woman I was sent to meet, aren’t you?”
The woman looked at Colin. “It’s better not to mention names, but there was a cable—”
Mrs. Pollifax nodded. “Yes, it was shown to me. Can you quote it?”
“I think so.” Magda closed her eyes. “It read: Arrived six P . M ., have enjoyed eight hours Oteli Itep, wish—” She opened her eyes. “If you were shown it perhaps you would be so kind as to complete it so that I too can be sure.”
“Of course,” said Mrs. Pollifax. “Wish you could join me why
Mrs. Pollifax sighed—she was beginning to feel very tired. “They seem to feel that I might have come to Istanbul to meet a notorious Communist agent.”
His jaw dropped. “They
what
?
You?
”
“Yes,” she said, and stood up. “Now I really must speak to my friend—speak to her at once—and then I’ll remove her as soon as possible. I don’t want to involve you—”
“Involve me?” he said angrily. “I’m already involved. What I’m trying to discover is what I’m involved
in
. You do know you’re being followed, don’t you?”
“You keep noticing things,” she said with a sigh.
“Of course. I saw that chap walking up and down the alley when you were here this afternoon, but when I left you at the door of your hotel damned if he didn’t follow you directly inside, and for all I know he’s followed you here again, and is outside right now.”
Mrs. Pollifax brightened. “Oh I do hope so,” she said eagerly. “I tried to find him only half an hour ago at the hotel but I couldn’t. That’s Henry.”
Colin looked taken aback. “Henry,” he repeated blankly. “You know him then. Look here, who the devil are you? Or to put it more succinctly,
what
are you?”
She said sympathetically, “I’m Emily Pollifax, truly I am. I live in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and I’m an American citizen and I have two grown children and three grandchildren, and that’s more than the Turkish police believe at this moment but it’s absolutely true.”
He put his hand to his head. “All right. Oddly enough I believe you, although I can’t think of any
logical
reason why I do. But why did you come to Istanbul then?”
“To meet a notorious Communist agent,” she told him cheerfully. “Now do please show me where the jeep is.”
“You insist on being facetious,” he told her bitterly. He removed a key from the shelf over the sink, opened the door for her and closed it behind them both. “This way,” he said, and they walked in silence across the courtyard. A bright moon had turned the whitewashed buildings into ghost-silver and the bougainvillea threw jagged shadows over thecobbles. The sounds of the city were muted in this enclosure. Colin unlocked the door to the office and beckoned her inside. “She’s in here,” he said, and opened still another door and turned on the lights with a flick of his hand.
Mrs. Pollifax entered a double garage, at the moment containing only the jeep, a pile of abandoned tires and an orange crate. A shapeless bundle in the rear of the jeep stirred and lifted a head, shedding a sheepskin rug, and Magda Ferenci-Sabo blinked at the sudden light.
“Good evening,” said Mrs. Pollifax amiably. “It seems that Mr. Ramsey has reunited us!”
Magda’s glance moved from Mrs. Pollifax to Colin. “He is also—?”
Mrs. Pollifax sighed. “No, he is not,” and for a moment both of them looked dubiously at Colin, who gazed stolidly back at them. “Colin,” she said, “I wonder if you would mind—”
“No,” he said crossly.
Mrs. Pollifax regarded him with interest. “You won’t allow us a few minutes—?”
“No.”
“What a difficult young man,” said Magda.
Mrs. Pollifax smiled. “Yes, but he hid you from the police, this is his jeep you’re occupying and this is his uncle’s garage. Now we must think how to get you out of here. You
are
the woman I was sent to meet, aren’t you?”
The woman looked at Colin. “It’s better not to mention names, but there was a cable—”
Mrs. Pollifax nodded. “Yes, it was shown to me. Can you quote it?”
“I think so.” Magda closed her eyes. “It read: Arrived six P . M ., have enjoyed eight hours Oteli Itep, wish—” She opened her eyes. “If you were shown it perhaps you would be so kind as to complete it so that I too can be sure.”
“Of course,” said Mrs. Pollifax. “Wish you could join me why
Similar Books
