with either the murder mystery evening or Dr Krikor Sarkissian’s drug clinic. In Ersu Bey’s opinion, drug addicts belonged not in hospital but in prison.
‘We’re scheduled to start our performance at ten,’ Alp said.
‘But you and your company will eat with the guests.’
‘Yes. We’ll mingle, in character, then when the meal is over, when the coffee is being served, our performance will begin in earnest.’
Ersu Bey didn’t even pretend to understand what that meant. No performance area had been set up and so he couldn’t really picture what was going to happen. However he smiled and said, ‘Well, sir, I will be working until eleven this evening and so if I can assist you in any way at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.’
‘Thank you. Er, do you know where Dr Sarkissian is?’
‘In the Orient Bar, sir. Would you like me to get him for you?’
‘Well, actually it’s his assistant Burak Bey I really need to speak to,’ Alp said. ‘Mr Burak Fisekçi.’
Ersu Bey smiled. ‘I will have him paged for you, sir.’
‘Thanks.’
When ErsuBey had gone, Alp looked at his colleagues and they all laughed.
‘I thought,’ one of the women said, ‘that men like him were dying out.’
‘Oh, no,’ Alp said. ‘Men like him will always be with us.’
Chapter 4
Ay ş e Farsako ğ lulooked up at the famous hotel façade and squeezed İ zzet Melik’s arm a little harder.
‘I’m sorry, it was just impossible,’ he said. ‘But the Emperor Alexis will be nice too. We have the bridal suite, which overlooks the sea, and Fevzi Bey is providing wonderful food.’
‘And we’ve the klezmer band.’
‘And we have Sefira, the klezmer band! Everyone will eat, drink, dance and we’ll get married and live happily ever after.’ He kissed her. ‘We will, you know.’
‘Yes.’ Ay ş e looked into his eyes and smiled. ‘I love the Emperor Alexis, İ zzet, don’t think that I don’t. It’s just Çetin Bey was so grumpy about coming to the Pera Palas tonight it made me angry.’
‘He’s grumpy because it’s his birthday.’
‘I know, but he was dismissive about this place too,’ she said. ‘Going on and on about how he’d rather be at home and couldn’t wait for it all to be over. Poor Dr Sarkissian!’
‘I thinkthat the doctor and his brother are used to Çetin Bey by now,’ İ zzet said. ‘What worries me is what will happen if Inspector Süleyman doesn’t win this detection contest or whatever it’s called.’
‘Murder mystery evening.’
‘If a crime novelist, a woman, beats him, he’ll be unbearable.’
‘Yes.’ But secretly, Ay ş e hoped he’d win anyway. She smiled and said to İ zzet, ‘I love you.’
‘I should hope so,’ he replied. ‘You’re marrying me.’
They shared a brief hug and then Ay ş e looked at her watch. They were due to meet her brother in nearby Nevizade Alley at sometime between seven thirty and eight. It was nearly seven forty-five now.
‘We’d better go,’ Ay ş e said. ‘Çetin Bey and the others will have just sat down for their five-course meal.’ She looked through the windows in the art nouveau front doors of the Pera Palas at the smartly dressed security personnel and the arch of the metal detector they operated. ‘They’re going to have lobster,’ she said. ‘I like lobster.’
İ zzet laughed. ‘Well, how will stuffed mussels do as a substitute?’ he said. ‘Those I can promise you.’
She paused for just a moment then she kissed his cheek and said, ‘I love stuffed mussels.’
‘Well, that’s settled then.’
They beganto walk away. But then a taxi pulled up right in front of them, forcing them to stop. İ zzet instinctively held Ay ş e close. It was dark and there was no need for the taxi driver to pull up so far on to the pavement. As they passed the car Ay ş e saw a man get out carrying a very large and, by the light of the hotel entrance, what looked like a gold samovar. It was exactly like the one that
‘We’re scheduled to start our performance at ten,’ Alp said.
‘But you and your company will eat with the guests.’
‘Yes. We’ll mingle, in character, then when the meal is over, when the coffee is being served, our performance will begin in earnest.’
Ersu Bey didn’t even pretend to understand what that meant. No performance area had been set up and so he couldn’t really picture what was going to happen. However he smiled and said, ‘Well, sir, I will be working until eleven this evening and so if I can assist you in any way at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.’
‘Thank you. Er, do you know where Dr Sarkissian is?’
‘In the Orient Bar, sir. Would you like me to get him for you?’
‘Well, actually it’s his assistant Burak Bey I really need to speak to,’ Alp said. ‘Mr Burak Fisekçi.’
Ersu Bey smiled. ‘I will have him paged for you, sir.’
‘Thanks.’
When ErsuBey had gone, Alp looked at his colleagues and they all laughed.
‘I thought,’ one of the women said, ‘that men like him were dying out.’
‘Oh, no,’ Alp said. ‘Men like him will always be with us.’
Chapter 4
Ay ş e Farsako ğ lulooked up at the famous hotel façade and squeezed İ zzet Melik’s arm a little harder.
‘I’m sorry, it was just impossible,’ he said. ‘But the Emperor Alexis will be nice too. We have the bridal suite, which overlooks the sea, and Fevzi Bey is providing wonderful food.’
‘And we’ve the klezmer band.’
‘And we have Sefira, the klezmer band! Everyone will eat, drink, dance and we’ll get married and live happily ever after.’ He kissed her. ‘We will, you know.’
‘Yes.’ Ay ş e looked into his eyes and smiled. ‘I love the Emperor Alexis, İ zzet, don’t think that I don’t. It’s just Çetin Bey was so grumpy about coming to the Pera Palas tonight it made me angry.’
‘He’s grumpy because it’s his birthday.’
‘I know, but he was dismissive about this place too,’ she said. ‘Going on and on about how he’d rather be at home and couldn’t wait for it all to be over. Poor Dr Sarkissian!’
‘I thinkthat the doctor and his brother are used to Çetin Bey by now,’ İ zzet said. ‘What worries me is what will happen if Inspector Süleyman doesn’t win this detection contest or whatever it’s called.’
‘Murder mystery evening.’
‘If a crime novelist, a woman, beats him, he’ll be unbearable.’
‘Yes.’ But secretly, Ay ş e hoped he’d win anyway. She smiled and said to İ zzet, ‘I love you.’
‘I should hope so,’ he replied. ‘You’re marrying me.’
They shared a brief hug and then Ay ş e looked at her watch. They were due to meet her brother in nearby Nevizade Alley at sometime between seven thirty and eight. It was nearly seven forty-five now.
‘We’d better go,’ Ay ş e said. ‘Çetin Bey and the others will have just sat down for their five-course meal.’ She looked through the windows in the art nouveau front doors of the Pera Palas at the smartly dressed security personnel and the arch of the metal detector they operated. ‘They’re going to have lobster,’ she said. ‘I like lobster.’
İ zzet laughed. ‘Well, how will stuffed mussels do as a substitute?’ he said. ‘Those I can promise you.’
She paused for just a moment then she kissed his cheek and said, ‘I love stuffed mussels.’
‘Well, that’s settled then.’
They beganto walk away. But then a taxi pulled up right in front of them, forcing them to stop. İ zzet instinctively held Ay ş e close. It was dark and there was no need for the taxi driver to pull up so far on to the pavement. As they passed the car Ay ş e saw a man get out carrying a very large and, by the light of the hotel entrance, what looked like a gold samovar. It was exactly like the one that
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