قتل در سازمان ملل متحد

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Murder in the U.N.

Marcus Matu went into the men’s restroom and pulled the paper-towel cover from the wall. Pieces of a rifle were hidden behind it. He put them in his bag and left the restroom, then he ran upstairs to the interpreters’ booths.

One of the interpreters was sitting in a booth, testing his microphone. He didn’t hear the door open behind him. Matu hit him on the back of the head, and the man fell to the floor.

Matu opened his bag and took out the pieces of the rifle. He put them together quickly and looked through the window of the booth. President Zuwanie was standing at the front of the hall.

The Secretary-General introduced him and made a short speech of welcome. Then Zuwanie started to speak.

“Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General,” Zuwanie said, “today rebels are attacking my country. They will do anything to hurt me. They even bombed a bus here in New York. How can I protect my country from enemies like this?”

Tobin stood at the back of the room, watching. Lewis called him on his radio.

“We’re at Matu’s address,” Lewis said. “He’s not here. And it’s not an apartment - it’s an AIDS hospital. This guy has nothing to live for.”

Tobin looked again around the hall and saw an empty seat. Nils Lud was missing. He looked up at the interpreters’ booths. There was a small hole in one of the windows.

“Get Zuwanie out of here” he shouted to Dot and Rory. Then he started to run. Upstairs, Matu was on his knees on the floor of the booth. There was a hole in the glass window and he was pointing the rifle at Zuwanie.

The door opened. Matu turned quickly and pulled the rifle back from the window.

Nils Lud was standing behind him. He was wearing cotton gloves and he was holding something in his left hand.

“You did well,” he said. “Your mother and sister will get the check for the money on Monday.” Matu turned back to the window and pointed the rifle at Zuwanie again. Lud put his right hand inside his jacket pocket and took out a small gun. “But I don’t want you to do too well,” he said.

Matu tried to shoot - but nothing happened. There was something wrong with the rifle. He pulled it back from the window and looked at Lud. Lud smiled, then he shot Matu twice through the head. The second shot broke the window of the interpreters’ booth into a million pieces.

Glass fell on to the people in the hall below. Some of them screamed and started to run for the exit doors. Dot and Rory were already pushing Zuwanie out of the hall and into the safe room.

With his gun in his hand, Tobin ran upstairs and into the interpreters’ booth. He saw the male interpreter lying on the floor and the blood on Matu’s face. Then he saw Lud. Lud was holding a small gun in his right hand. Matu’s rifle was on the floor near his left hand.

“I looked up and saw him,” Lud said quickly. “Luckily I was able to stop him. He’s from our office.”

“I know who he is,” Tobin said. “You can put your gun away now.” Lud put his gun into his pocket.

“He almost killed Dr. Zuwanie,” Lud said. “Another two or three seconds - I was almost too late.”

Tobin looked at him and remembered Kuman-Kuman’s words: “Zuwanie wants to stay in Matobo as president. People only have to think that someone is trying to kill him. That’s enough to make him stronger.” Suddenly, he understood. He moved toward the rifle and started to pick it up.

“Don’t touch the rifle” Lud shouted.

“Why” asked Tobin. “Because I’m not wearing gloves? It’s warm today. Why are you wearing gloves?”

“What? I– I–” Lud couldn’t answer.

“When the rifle didn’t work,” Tobin said, “Matu was probably very surprised. Did you have time to put the piece back in?” He pointed the rifle and Lud jumped back. “Yes,” Tobin said. “I guess you did. But you were wearing gloves, so nobody will know. Only Matu’s fingerprints are on that gun.”

The door opened and two U.N security officers came in. Lud reached into his pocket for his gun, but Tobin and the officers were quicker.

Dot ran into the room.

“Nobody is going to shoot Zuwanie,” Tobin told her. “It was a smart plant. People will listen to a man in danger. They’ll understand why he has to kill.” He turned to Lud. “Are you the bad guy, Lud? Or are you working for a bigger bad guy?”

He and Dot left the room. “Are you OK” Dot asked.

“Where’s Zuwanie” Tobin asked. “In the safe room. What happened in there?” Tobin started to answer, but his cell phone rang. It was Mohammad.

“I’ve checked every flight and every hotel in New York. I’ve asked her friends. Nobody knows her very well. They don’t know where she is.”

“I know her,” Tobin said slowly. “She said ‘I’m going home.’”

“Where is home” Dot asked.

“Here,” Tobin said.