"So, ladies - we have here Mr Joseph Bellamy. I have told you everything we know about the case, but of course you will want to ask your own questions. You may do so now." Mr Abbey waved in my direction, and sat down behind his desk. The two ladies looked at me and started to speak.
"Good day, Mr Bellamy - I am Inspector Emilia Rostova.' Said the taller one with long black hair.
"Good day, Madam." I replied.
"Inspector. Can you tell me what you know about the crime?"
"Yes, sorry Inspector. I had seen it in the newspapers over a period of about one month. Six people have been murdered within the city, all of them in different places and in a variety of manners. As far as I knew, there was nothing to connect the murders to each other, let alone to my friend." I said, truthfully.
"And, just to confirm our notes, can you tell us the names of the people who were killed?"
"Yes. I don't remember the exact order, but there was Koko Ericson, who was a college student, Halo Gates, Isaiah Berkley, Rain Lester, the author Felinia Flowger, and then her brother Fobos Flowger."
"We researched these murders, and we just want to check once again that our information is correct. Is that true that Koko Ericson and Halo Gates were shot, Isaiah Berkley drowned in a river, Felinia and Fobos Flowger were stabbed and Rain Lester was found hanged in his home?" Inspector Rostova asked me.
"Yes, that is correct." I said.
"And, just when did suspicion fall upon your friend, Mr Oleg Radev?" This question was more difficult for me to answer.
"Suspicion didn't fall upon him," I replied, "there was no police inquiry, questioning or trial. The police came in the middle of the night and took him away."
Doctor Iskra Pozharskaya was writing everything down in a journal for their own reference.
"That is unfortunate, Mr Bellamy. How long ago did this happen?"
"It was ten days ago."
"And have you seen or spoken to or had any correspondence with Mr Radev since this incident?" She asked me.
"Yesterday. I went to see him at Ten'gorod State Prison. He was in a bad way." Inspector Rostova curled up her nose when I mentioned the place.
"I have been there myself during investigations - it is an awful place."
"What did Mr Radev say to you?" Doctor Pozharskaya, the smaller one with the short black hair, spoke for the first time. I turned round to look at her.
"He just said that he didn't think that there was much hope for him. He was very thin and dirty, and I think he was just glad to see a familiar face. I told him that I was going to prove his innocence, and he seemed to like that thought, however hopeless he felt it might be."
"Well, as long as he knows that there is someone fighting for him. It can be very comforting to know that one has a friend when everything seems dark."
"Do you think that you will be able to get him released?" I asked.
"We can't promise anything," Inspector Rostova asserted, "and I am aware that there is a sense of urgency here."
"I doubt he will get a trial - Elan Vital will just have him killed."
"I can believe that, which is why we will be working as quickly as possible. Our friend Mr di Quattro will be assisting us on this venture. He has experience of the legal system in the region, and he has helped us on investigations in the past. We can trust him, and he has contacts at BTHQ, as do we."
BTHQ was Brillohn Tlanopé Headquarters - the secret offices of all of the most influential people in the region, including Elan Vital. The promise that they knew where this was, and also that they knew people who worked there, was comforting to me, and it made me more optimistic about everything.
"Does that mean that you have met Elan Vital?" I asked, not for the case, but out of sheer curiosity. The two women looked at each other.
"Regretfully, yes. On numerous occasions." I swallowed, slowly.
"What is he like?" I had never seen him in person, only seen his photograph in the newspapers and on the television.
"Irritating."
This wasn't the response I had been expecting, but it still piqued my curiosity. How could someone so feared be described as 'irritating'? I was confused, but confident that they would help me. I knew I had done the right thing by enlisting their services. Mr Abbey and Mr di Quattro had remained silent until now, but here the latter spoke up.
"Emilia," He said, addressing the Inspector, "would you like me to ask around at BTHQ to see what people know about the murders, and Mr Radev's arrest? I never cease to be amazed how much people know in there."
"Certainly, Galileo - that would be most helpful." The Inspector smiled. Her pale face was largely hidden by a black, net fascinator, but she had very large blue eyes.
"I will ask my contacts in the Ten'gorod underground." Mr Abbey said, leaning back in his chair. Our lady companions looked most surprised.
"You have contacts in the underground?" Doctor Pozharskaya asked.
"Yes. And in Blatop-Brillohn. But personally I don't think that this matter should leave the city. I get the feeling that this is centred in Ten'gorod."
"Yes, I think that you are probably right. Apart from the trip to Blatop-Brillohn to go to BTHQ."
"Obviously." There was quiet in the room after this, and then the Inspector decided that this was a good time to end.
"I think we have enough information to go away with for now. We will separate, and follow up these different avenues of investigation. Today, Dr Pozharskaya and I will go with Mr di Quattro to Blatop-Brillohn, and Mr Abbey will talk to his friends in the underground. After we return, Mr Abbey will contact you, Mr Bellamy, and we will regroup here to discuss what we have found out." Inspector Rostova explained. I saw Doctor Pozharskaya putting away her notebook in the corner of my eye.
"That sounds like an agreeable plan, Inspector." I said, "Will I be able to go and see Mr Radev again and tell him what his been done since our last visit?"
"Certainly. It will be good for him to have some hope whilst he is in there."
"Very well," said Mr Abbey, "until next time."
"Good day, Mr Bellamy - I am Inspector Emilia Rostova.' Said the taller one with long black hair.
"Good day, Madam." I replied.
"Inspector. Can you tell me what you know about the crime?"
"Yes, sorry Inspector. I had seen it in the newspapers over a period of about one month. Six people have been murdered within the city, all of them in different places and in a variety of manners. As far as I knew, there was nothing to connect the murders to each other, let alone to my friend." I said, truthfully.
"And, just to confirm our notes, can you tell us the names of the people who were killed?"
"Yes. I don't remember the exact order, but there was Koko Ericson, who was a college student, Halo Gates, Isaiah Berkley, Rain Lester, the author Felinia Flowger, and then her brother Fobos Flowger."
"We researched these murders, and we just want to check once again that our information is correct. Is that true that Koko Ericson and Halo Gates were shot, Isaiah Berkley drowned in a river, Felinia and Fobos Flowger were stabbed and Rain Lester was found hanged in his home?" Inspector Rostova asked me.
"Yes, that is correct." I said.
"And, just when did suspicion fall upon your friend, Mr Oleg Radev?" This question was more difficult for me to answer.
"Suspicion didn't fall upon him," I replied, "there was no police inquiry, questioning or trial. The police came in the middle of the night and took him away."
Doctor Iskra Pozharskaya was writing everything down in a journal for their own reference.
"That is unfortunate, Mr Bellamy. How long ago did this happen?"
"It was ten days ago."
"And have you seen or spoken to or had any correspondence with Mr Radev since this incident?" She asked me.
"Yesterday. I went to see him at Ten'gorod State Prison. He was in a bad way." Inspector Rostova curled up her nose when I mentioned the place.
"I have been there myself during investigations - it is an awful place."
"What did Mr Radev say to you?" Doctor Pozharskaya, the smaller one with the short black hair, spoke for the first time. I turned round to look at her.
"He just said that he didn't think that there was much hope for him. He was very thin and dirty, and I think he was just glad to see a familiar face. I told him that I was going to prove his innocence, and he seemed to like that thought, however hopeless he felt it might be."
"Well, as long as he knows that there is someone fighting for him. It can be very comforting to know that one has a friend when everything seems dark."
"Do you think that you will be able to get him released?" I asked.
"We can't promise anything," Inspector Rostova asserted, "and I am aware that there is a sense of urgency here."
"I doubt he will get a trial - Elan Vital will just have him killed."
"I can believe that, which is why we will be working as quickly as possible. Our friend Mr di Quattro will be assisting us on this venture. He has experience of the legal system in the region, and he has helped us on investigations in the past. We can trust him, and he has contacts at BTHQ, as do we."
BTHQ was Brillohn Tlanopé Headquarters - the secret offices of all of the most influential people in the region, including Elan Vital. The promise that they knew where this was, and also that they knew people who worked there, was comforting to me, and it made me more optimistic about everything.
"Does that mean that you have met Elan Vital?" I asked, not for the case, but out of sheer curiosity. The two women looked at each other.
"Regretfully, yes. On numerous occasions." I swallowed, slowly.
"What is he like?" I had never seen him in person, only seen his photograph in the newspapers and on the television.
"Irritating."
This wasn't the response I had been expecting, but it still piqued my curiosity. How could someone so feared be described as 'irritating'? I was confused, but confident that they would help me. I knew I had done the right thing by enlisting their services. Mr Abbey and Mr di Quattro had remained silent until now, but here the latter spoke up.
"Emilia," He said, addressing the Inspector, "would you like me to ask around at BTHQ to see what people know about the murders, and Mr Radev's arrest? I never cease to be amazed how much people know in there."
"Certainly, Galileo - that would be most helpful." The Inspector smiled. Her pale face was largely hidden by a black, net fascinator, but she had very large blue eyes.
"I will ask my contacts in the Ten'gorod underground." Mr Abbey said, leaning back in his chair. Our lady companions looked most surprised.
"You have contacts in the underground?" Doctor Pozharskaya asked.
"Yes. And in Blatop-Brillohn. But personally I don't think that this matter should leave the city. I get the feeling that this is centred in Ten'gorod."
"Yes, I think that you are probably right. Apart from the trip to Blatop-Brillohn to go to BTHQ."
"Obviously." There was quiet in the room after this, and then the Inspector decided that this was a good time to end.
"I think we have enough information to go away with for now. We will separate, and follow up these different avenues of investigation. Today, Dr Pozharskaya and I will go with Mr di Quattro to Blatop-Brillohn, and Mr Abbey will talk to his friends in the underground. After we return, Mr Abbey will contact you, Mr Bellamy, and we will regroup here to discuss what we have found out." Inspector Rostova explained. I saw Doctor Pozharskaya putting away her notebook in the corner of my eye.
"That sounds like an agreeable plan, Inspector." I said, "Will I be able to go and see Mr Radev again and tell him what his been done since our last visit?"
"Certainly. It will be good for him to have some hope whilst he is in there."
"Very well," said Mr Abbey, "until next time."