The Tomb in Turkey

TWENTY-SIX

They didn’t know what to do, but they knew they had to do something. Whatever crimes Barney Willingdon might have committed, he certainly did not deserve to die. And, though Carole’s attitude was not so forgiving, Jude still retained a strong affection for him. Somehow they had to save him from a scuba diving instructor with a gun. Because, although Erkan was currently hors de combat, they both knew that they had not heard the last of him. He still wanted to have his revenge.

The minute they were back in the car, Jude tried ringing Barney on his mobile, but she had exactly the same response as before. Wherever he was, he wasn’t taking calls.

As they turned off the main road up towards Morning Glory, Carole said, ‘I feel so isolated. We have no network here. We don’t know anyone. If we did want to contact the police, I really wouldn’t know how to set about it.’

‘Well, we do have one contact …’

‘Who?’

‘Our friendly – perhaps over-friendly – expatriate neighbour.’

Carole shuddered. ‘Travers Hughes-Swann.’

‘He does speak English. And he seems to know everything that goes on in Kayaköy. It’s worth asking.’

So rather than continuing to Morning Glory, the car turned off towards Brighton House. The main building looked more like a cowshed than ever, and the owner’s stone garden features didn’t look any better than they had on the women’s previous visit.

Travers himself was tending a barbecue which he appeared to have just lit. He’d apparently taken a break in his gardening because there were piles of culled weeds on the footpath. He was wearing his uniform of shorts, socks and sandals, and his head looked more like a pickled walnut than ever.

But he was very pleased at what he saw arriving. ‘Two lovely ladies. To what do I owe my good fortune?’

‘We just wondered if you could help us out?’ said Jude. ‘You know, with your local knowledge?’

‘Always happy to oblige, particularly when the request comes from personages of such pulchritude.’ He indicated the barbecue. ‘Just preparing supper for myself and “Her Indoors”.’

‘Well, if we’re delaying you, please don’t—’

‘No, no. Barbecue takes a while to heat up. I’m in no hurry.’ He gestured to the chairs in his ‘suntrap’ (though at that time of day his travesty of a Lycian tomb was in the shade) and all three of them sat down.

‘Could I offer you a cup of tea or—?’

Remembering the chipped cups of their previous visit, both women politely demurred.

‘So what can I do you for?’ he said with a kind of pub bore’s heartiness.

‘Well, look, it’s all rather complicated,’ Carole began. ‘It’s about Barney.’

‘Surprise, surprise.’

‘Why do you say that?’

Travers shrugged. ‘It’s not like you two have a lot of other contacts out here, is it? And Barney’s a kind of larger-than-life figure who attracts attention wherever he goes.’

‘Yes,’ Jude agreed. ‘Which makes it rather strange that we haven’t been able to contact him for the last couple of days.’

‘He’s got business interests in other parts of Turkey. He may be away from Kayaköy for a few days.’

‘But he isn’t answering his mobile.’

‘Ah. Well, yes, that might be rather out of character. So what do you think might have happened to him?’

Carole and Jude exchanged covert looks, both trying to work out how much they should tell Travers. ‘The fact is, we do know where he’s just been,’ Carole began cautiously.

‘That sounds intriguing.’ He rubbed his leathery hands together. ‘And mysterious.’

‘We went down to Tulip Cottage to see if he was there. We tried the call button on the entryphone,’ she went on, slightly editing the truth, ‘and got no reply, but Barney had told us there was a key.’

‘In the amphora to the right of the gates,’ said Travers, once again proving that there were no secrets in Kayaköy.

‘Yes. So we went in. And we didn’t find Barney there, but we did find Erkan. You know who we mean by—?’

‘Of course. Runs the diving school. Nita’s husband.’

‘Well, he had a gun with him, and he said he was going to kill Barney.’

‘Oh.’ Travers looked more alert as he asked, ‘Did he say why?’

‘He accused Barney of having killed his wife.’

‘Did he? And do you have any idea why Erkan believes that Nita is dead?’

Some instinct for caution stopped Carole from admitting what she had seen in the tomb at Pinara. Instead, she lied, ‘I’ve no idea what made him think that she is.’

‘Hm.’ Travers Hughes-Swann looked thoughtful. ‘And you say you’ve come here to benefit from my local knowledge. What do you actually want me to do?’

‘Find Barney. We thought you might know where he would go if he was on the run from Erkan.’

He patted his chin complacently. ‘I might have some thoughts on that, yes.’

‘And, more generally,’ said Jude, ‘tell us what we ought to do. Should we be getting in touch with the police?’

He looked surprised. ‘Why would you want to do that?’

‘Well, if there’s a homicidal Erkan with a gun out to kill Barney, don’t you think the police should be notified to avert a disaster?’

Travers Hughes-Swann shook his head slowly. ‘I wouldn’t necessarily say that that was how things are done out here.’

‘Oh?’ said Carole, once again thinking of Midnight Express, the film she had never seen. Visions of corrupt and brutal policemen filled her mind.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Travers. ‘I’ll make a few phone calls, check things out. I’m sure I can find where Barney is.’

‘Well, I hope you can,’ said Jude. ‘And before Erkan does.’

‘I’ll do my best. Wouldn’t want to let down two ladies as lovely as you are, would I?’

Both Carole and Jude tried to smile, with limited success.

He looked across to the barbecue, from which there was now less smoke as the charcoal burned through. ‘As I said, I was just about to cook something for myself and Phyllis. You’d be most welcome to join me for a light supper if—’

Visions of the chipped cups they had been given on their last visit prompted quick responses from both of them. It was very kind, but they’d had a late lunch.

Travers Hughes-Swann saw them the short distance to their car, again asking, ‘And, apart from what Erkan said, you have no other reason to believe that his wife Nita is dead?’

They denied hotly that they had. But they still thought it was a slightly odd question to ask.

Back at Morning Glory both the women were restless. They had done what they could in their search for Barney, but it didn’t seem to be much. And their distaste for Travers Hughes-Swann made them feel slightly uncomfortable about having involved him in their investigation. They couldn’t be certain about his allegiances. Maybe he might support Erkan against Barney.

They both had a swim to wash off the day’s stickiness. Then, while Carole took a shower, Jude lay in her bikini on a lounger, soaking in the day’s last rays of sun. It was while she was lying there that her mobile rang.

‘Hello?’

‘Jude, it’s me, Barney.’ His voice was a whisper, tight with emotion.

‘God. Where on earth are you?’

‘I’m in a safe place. At least, safe for the moment. But I need you to help me. I’ve had an accident and cut myself. Trouble is, I’m losing a lot of blood.’

‘I know what’s happened to you. It wasn’t an accident. You’ve been shot by Erkan.’

‘How the hell do you know that?’

‘Doesn’t matter. Where are you?’

‘As I say, I’m in a safe place. But I’ll be moving again shortly. Can you bring some bandages or plasters or something, just to stop this bleeding? You’ll find them in the kitchen drawer at Morning Glory – though, of course, I don’t know if you are at Morning Glory.’

‘Yes, I am. And presumably you’re not far away? Since you didn’t have a car with you when you left Tulip Cottage.’

‘How do you know all this about where I’ve been?’

‘We met Erkan.’

‘Oh my God!’ There was naked terror in the voice. ‘He’s not there with you, is he?’

‘No.’

‘That’s a relief.’

‘Perhaps not quite such a great relief. He’ll soon be out there looking for you again.’

‘He won’t find me. Or, at least, he won’t find me when I’ve made my next move.’

‘Look, can’t someone just talk to him? Stop this absurd game of Cops and Robbers?’

‘No. He’s dangerous.’

‘He’s also convinced that you murdered Nita.’

But Barney didn’t have any response to that. He just said, ‘Get here as soon as possible, Jude.’

‘Fine for you to say that, but I don’t know where “here” is, do I?’

‘Get down to the Antik restaurant … You know where I mean?’

‘Yes.’

‘Either you’ll get another call from me, or someone’ll point you in the right direction.’

‘Who?’

‘Most important of all, don’t tell anyone you’ve heard from me. And come on your own.’

‘But I can’t—’

‘I’ve got to go.’ And the line went dead.

Jude sat there for a moment in shock. She tried to call him back, but got no response.

The box of medical equipment was where he’d said it would be. As she went upstairs to change, Jude tried to think of what she could say to Carole. There was no way ‘just nipping out for a walk’ would avoid follow-up questions. She’d have to come up with something better than that.

But when, once dressed, she crossed the landing towards Carole’s room, she saw that the problem had been solved for her. Wrapped only in a bath towel, her friend lay on the bed fast asleep. She must have had her shower and just laid down on the bed for a couple of minutes, and the shocks and stresses of the previous days had caught up with her.

Blessing her good fortune, Jude tiptoed back downstairs and set out in the moonlit evening to walk through Kayaköy.