Hell's Corner

CHAPTER 23

^“His name is Dr. Fuat Turkekul,” said Adelphia, before Stone could even ask the question.

“A doctor of what?”

“Not medical. He’s a Ph.D. Of both political science and economics. He is a very well-known man in elite academic circles. He is multilingual. He spent years at Cambridge. The London School of Economics. The Sorbonne. Now he’s a visiting scholar at Georgetown.”

“Turkekul? Where is he from originally?”

Adelphia snagged a bit of hair out of her eyes. “Why does it matter?”

“Adelphia, you know what happened here.”

“And Fuat being a foreigner he goes to the top of the suspicion list?”

“Why was he meeting you in the park that night?”

When she didn’t answer he said, “There are many things I never knew about you. Would one of them be the real reason why you were in the park all those years?”

“I knew who you were while I was still at the park,” she said. “What does that tell you?”

“That you were not working with or for the Americans. Otherwise I would have been taken away.”

“My allegiances were to another country. But one that was an ally of America.”

“Which one?”

“Does it matter?”

“Perhaps not to me, but it will to others.”

“Her?” she said, indicating Chapman.

“Not so much, no.”

“Your best ally in the Middle East,” she said finally. “That was my master.”

Stone slowly nodded. “All right, that I can understand. But getting back to Turkekul?”

“He is not simply a scholar. He has other interests. But again, these interests are in line with the Americans’ goals.”

“So you say. But what happened two nights ago doesn’t make me believe that.”

“He had nothing to do with that attack,” she said sternly. “As I told you, he was there to meet me. If he hadn’t left when he did, he would’ve been killed.”

“Yes, his timing was very fortuitous,” said Stone in a skeptical tone.

“I tell you he had nothing to do with it.”

“Why didn’t you meet with him, then? You weren’t there, that I know for sure.”

She appeared nervous. “It is not easy to say why. But I couldn’t. The time for me to come passed and so he left. We adhere to an exacting schedule.”

“You’ve talked to him since then?”

She looked warily at him. “I didn’t say that.”

“Adelphia, I need to speak with him. Now.”

“I’m sure he knows nothing about any of this.”

“If that’s the truth he has nothing to fear.”

“Famous last words coming from you.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“You’ve gone back in, you said so yourself. I may trust you, but not them.” She glanced once more at Chapman as though she represented “them.”

“If Turkekul had no connection to the attack he has nothing to worry about.”

Her look was clearly one of skepticism. “I saw you yesterday with the FBI agent. I will not take them to Fuat. Nothing can make me do that.”

“Your words are not assuring me as to his innocence.”

“There are many agendas out there, Oliver. And most of them have nothing to do with pure guilt or innocence. You know that.”

“All right, then take me, just me.”

She nodded at Chapman. “And what of her?”

“Just me, Adelphia. But I need to speak with him now.”

She drew a long breath. “This is not easy, Oliver.”

“We’ve known each other a long time. You can trust me. Just as I’ve trusted you. And after all, you came to me.”

“Let me make a call,” she finally said with great reluctance.