مردی با بارانی خاکستری

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Man in the Grey Raincoat

Kemal was waiting in the car outside the Consulate gates.

‘What did he say?’ Kemal asked, as Tom got in the car.

‘The same as Diinya,’ Tom replied. ‘It was an accident. Angela’s dead. The file is closed.’

Kemal started the car, and drove away from the Consulate.

‘Mr Pennington advised me to go back to London,’ Tom continued. ‘I’m beginning to think he’s right.’

Kemal said nothing.

‘The police think Angela is dead, and the people at the Consulate do too. I’m the only person who doesn’t think she’s dead. So what am I going to do? Stay here in Istanbul? Go home? Really, I just don’t…’

‘Now wait a minute, wait a minute, Tom,’ said Kemal. ‘How long have you been in Istanbul?’

‘Not very long…’

‘You’ve been here less than twenty-four hours. And what has happened to you in this time? You’ve had a terrible shock. You’ve been told that your fiance was killed in an accident a week ago. But you are sure you saw her from the bus last night. So now you are confused and you don’t know what to do. That’s right, isn’t it?’

Tom nodded his head slowly in agreement.

‘Well, I’ll tell you what you’re going to do,’ Kemal went on. ‘You’re going to come with me to the Topkapi Palace. We can walk through the beautiful gardens there and think about everything carefully. Then we can decide what to do next.’

Tom smiled.

‘You’re right, of course. It has been a difficult day.’

‘Exactly,’ said Kemal. ‘Now it’s time to relax a little.’

They were driving down narrow streets, to the Golden Horn.

‘This is the Galata Bridge - it crosses the Golden Horn,’ said Kemal. ‘Look, isn’t it beautiful?’

They drove slowly across the bridge in the bright sunlight.

‘It is beautiful,’ said Tom, looking out across the Bosphorus. ‘Very beautiful.’

They continued across the bridge, turned left, and drove past the Railway Station. A few minutes later they came to Santa Sophia - one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in Istanbul. It was once a church, then a mosque and now it is a museum.

‘We’ll leave the car here,’ said Kemal. ‘First, I’m going to show you the Palace of Topkapi.’

They got out of the car in a large park. They were standing in front of the first gate of the Palace.

‘The Sultans of Turkey used to live in Topkapi Palace,’ Kemal explained.

Kemal and Tom bought an entrance ticket. They walked through the gate into the gardens of the Palace.

‘This is the first courtyard of the Palace,’ went on Kemal. ‘Over there are the royal kitchens. And over there the harem - that’s part of the Palace where the women lived.’

They were walking down a wide path. Kemal looked round and then he took Tom by the arm.

‘Walk a little faster,’ he said quietly.

Tom saw that there was a strange look on Kemal’s face.

‘Is anything wrong?’ he asked.

‘Keep walking,’ said Kemal. ‘And don’t look back.’

They walked across the courtyard towards the second gate of the Palace.

‘Kemal, what’s wrong?’ said Tom quickly.

‘Someone is following us,’ answered Kemal.

Someone following us?’ said Tom. ‘What do you mean?’

There’s a man in a grey raincoat walking behind us. I saw him when we came into the Palace. I wasn’t sure at first, but I’m sure now.’

They walked on and then ran through the second gateway. Kemal looked back. The man was still following them.

‘This way. Quickly.’ Kemal led Tom to the entrance of the Treasury. Inside, it was very crowded and it was also dark after the bright sunshine.

‘We’re going to separate now,’ said Kemal. ‘The man won’t be able to follow both of us. You take a taxi back to your hotel. Have you got some money?’

‘Yes,’ said Tom.

‘Right, I’ll phone you this evening.’

‘What are you going to do?’ asked Tom.

‘I’m going back to my car.’

‘Be careful,’ said Tom.

‘You too,’ said Kemal. ‘See you later.’