Hidden Moon

3

When I got back to the office, my phone was ringing.

“O here.”

“I’ve been calling all afternoon. Your mobile phone is switched off, and no one knew where you were. Is that how your ministry operates?”

It was Han, and he didn’t sound happy. “This isn’t the complaint line, Han. What do you want?”

“You were talking to a Russian near the train station. I want to know why and, more important, why you didn’t tell me you were going there.”

“I was out for a stroll, that’s all. There are some big gingko trees near the station, have you noticed?”

“You weren’t talking to trees. You were talking to a Russian. He sells stockings. We have our eye on him, and I don’t want you sticking your nose in the middle of it.”

“Eyes, noses, that’s a lot of body parts, Han. Easy to get them confused, if you’re not careful.” So, apparently someone else had seen the fake stamps, too. It could be Yakob wasn’t really from Odessa. “Well, don’t worry, I told him not to leave the country for a few weeks.”

“You what? Hold on.” There was a brief conversation off-line, not very pleasant, from what I could tell. Han’s voice came back on. “Listen carefully, Inspector, I’m not kidding around. You have nothing else to do with that Russian, or any Russian, until I tell you it’s alright. Meantime, you figure out a way to get back to that stocking salesman and let him know that you’ve changed your mind. He can leave.” Again, some shouting from off-line, nothing I could make out. “In fact, tell him it would be better if he left.”

“I don’t suppose you want to tell me what this is about?”

“You don’t want to know, you don’t need to ask.”

“Difficult to stay clear, Han, if I don’t know where my business ends and yours begins.”

“For instance.”

“The Russian. I don’t need details. But he’s part of my investigation. I just can’t give him up on your say-so. Is he your body?” There was silence. “Look, I don’t care if he’s yours or not, but he’s already in my report”-not true-“and if I just cut off contact with him, it will raise questions.” Another silence, then again a conversation in the background. Not a conversation really, more like someone had lost a vital body part, then some very blunt words, though I couldn’t catch everything; Han must have had his hand over the phone. When he came on the line again, it didn’t sound like he was in the mood to chat.

“Inspector, this conversation is over. And keep your mobile phone on all the time. If I call, you’d better answer.”

I put the phone down and looked at my thumbs. They had warning flags all over them.