حیله هوشمندانه

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A Clever Trick

Ibrahim Diinya was alone in his private office. He was working at his desk, finishing some paperwork. He always did his paperwork alone before going home.

He looked at his watch. Another ten minutes, then he would be finished.

There was a knock at the door.

Diinya looked up from his papers. He didn’t move. There was another knock, louder this time.

He put the papers in his desk and locked it. Then he got up and went out into the office. He could see a man outside, standing in the doorway.

‘We’re closed,’ he said through the glass door. ‘Come back tomorrow.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said the man. ‘It’s urgent, please.’

Diinya was annoyed. He unlocked the door and opened it.

‘We’re closed. Can’t you see?’

‘I’m very sorry to bother you,’ said Kemal. ‘But I was hoping to find someone here. I have a problem. You see, I need some money quickly.

I must have it tomorrow morning, early. It’s for well, it doesn’t matter why I need the money. That’s my problem. But I have some onyx ornaments to sell and I heard you would be interested.’

He held out a beautiful onyx ashtray.

‘Would you be interested in buying fifty of these?’

Diinya took the ashtray and looked at it carefully. Kemal could see he was interested.

‘Very good quality,’ said Kemal.

‘Fifty, did you say?’

‘That’s right. They’re in the car outside.’

‘How much do you want?’ Diinya asked. ‘15,000 lira for fifty,’ said Kemal.

‘That’s too much,’ said Diinya. ‘I’ll give you 5000.’

‘Please - I need the money urgently,’ said Kemal.

‘Then you will accept 5000,’ said Diinya.

Kemal looked disappointed.

‘All right.’ he said. ‘You can have them for 6000 lira. They’re in a big box in the car. Could you help me carry them? They’re very heavy.’

Diinya went with him to the car. Together they carried the box into the office.

‘This is really very kind of you,’ said Kemal. ‘They are heavy.’

They carried the box to the back of the office. Kemal looked quickly at the door.

‘Have you got a store somewhere?’ he asked. ‘I’m sure you don’t want the box in your office.’

Diinya thought for a moment. He looked at the large box in his small office and said, ‘One moment.’

He took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. They picked up the box and carried it through into the workshop. It was a long, wide room, with windows on one side.

There were a lot of articles in the room - onyx tables, lamps, ornaments, brass and leather articles. On a workbench, there were rows of tools and cutting equipment.

‘This is fine,’ said Diinya. ‘Put it down here.’

They put down the box.

Diinya took out his wallet. ‘6000 lira,’ he said.

At that moment the telephone in his office rang. Diinya looked annoyed.

‘Excuse me one moment,’ he said to Kemal.

He went back to his private office.

Kemal looked at his watch and smiled as Diinya disappeared through the door. Quickly he looked round the workshop. There was a door at the other end. He looked out of the windows.

Outside there was a small courtyard, and at one end of the courtyard, a wall, two metres high.

On the workbench at the end of the workshop, there were several onyx table lamps. Kemal looked quickly at them.

They had been cut in half with a cutting instrument. The inside had been removed. Kemal looked closely.

Suddenly Kemal heard Diinya say goodbye. He turned quickly away from the workbench.

‘Sorry to keep you waiting,’ Diinya said as he came back in.

‘Not at all,’ said Kemal. ‘I can see you’re a very busy man.’

Diinya counted out 6000 lira.

‘Thank you,’ said Kemal. ‘I really need this money. Well, I won’t take any more of your time.’

Diinya walked with him to the door into the street.

‘Thanks again,’ said Kemal. ‘Goodnight.’

‘Goodnight,’ said Diinya, and closed the door.

Kemal went back to his car and drove home. Tom was waiting for him.

‘Did it work?’ he asked, as Kemal came into the apartment.

‘Perfectly,’ smiled Kemal. ‘My brother phoned just at the right moment, when we were in the workshop. Diinya believed my story, too. And he gave me a very low price for the onyx.’

‘What did you see in the workshop?’

Kemal looked serious.

‘Well, not very much, I’m afraid. It’s just a workshop, or a store.

There were lots of onyx and leather articles, brass and tools. And there were some onyx lamps being repaired, I think. But there’s a courtyard outside, and another building opposite.

I’m sure that it belongs to Diinya. And more important - there’s a wall at one end of the courtyard, which isn’t too high ‘Meaning?’

‘Meaning that it wouldn’t be too difficult to climb over it.’