‘More front than Myers?’
‘Oh yes. And if it’s the house I think it is, it’s a fortress all right. Iron bars, high walls, twin surveillance cameras, probably overlapping fields of fire. There’s an intercom grille set into the brick pillar there, and I suspect entry is by password only. Around the back, however …’
‘You were able to see around the back?’
‘I managed to sneak around and get a decent look. They have a double block, and the trouble with that, of course, is that there’s another street entrance leading to their back door.’
‘Which isn’t so extensively fortified?’
‘Well, no. If there are cameras, I couldn’t see them. There’s a steel door with a combination lock and a three-metre brick wall. We could conceivably climb the wall, but I don’t think we’ll need to do that. I’m not joking, Corinna. The headquarters of most of these crime lords is bristling with security at the front, but that’s mainly for show. So we’re going to lurk in the bushes nearby and wait for someone to come out the back for a smoke or to accept a delivery. And if that doesn’t work, I do have other plans. But first I’m going to double-check with Uncle Solly, who will warn me against doing what I intend to do, but there it is. The one thing we don’t need is mistaken identity.’
‘Because mistaken identity has already killed one girl and crippled another.’
‘Quite. I’ll pick you up at three o’clock this afternoon. Come dressed for sudden flight if necessary.’
‘Are you sure I won’t be in the way?’
‘No, I want you there.’ He leant closer and kissed me again. ‘The problem is that we don’t have any means of knowing what we will find there. What if there’s a woman guarding the dog? In that event, you will have to talk to her. She is likely to be alarmed by a strange man and cry for help, whereas she might be disarmed by another woman.’
I kissed him back, and resumed my seat as he strode purposefully from my apartment. My clock announced that it was just after eleven am. And I resolved, on a whim, to talk to Jon in distant Laos. Since we were definitely dealing with Armenians, Jon might know something. He had had an Armenian boyfriend once, I seemed to recall. Laos was three hours behind Melbourne, so he might be having breakfast still.
I sat down at my computer, stared at the white letter S in a pale blue cloud, and clicked on it. Ah, but what password had I chosen? I tried bakery, insula and corinna, none of which appeared to be satisfactory. Inspiration struck. I typed in BosworthJumbles. Success! Three messages from my parents, none of any consequence. In case there might be persons with cultural sensibilities watching me, I picked up a plain black scarf and tied it around my hair. You never knew. I clicked on Jon’s icon. Nothing happened for a little while, and suddenly there he was. I broadened the screen and he grinned at me.
‘Good morning, Corinna. What a pleasant surprise. I was just finishing breakfast.’
‘Are you free for a little chat? And are you okay? You keep freezing on me.’
He laughed. ‘Unlikely in this weather. Though it’s not really hot yet. And yes, I can spare all the time you need.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘I hope the other guy is more injured than you are? That’s a serious pair of black eyes.’
‘Oh yes. He has been chastised.’
‘Good. Now, when you say freezing, do you mean my image stops and starts?’
‘Yes. It’s a bit disconcerting. Am I doing the same for you?’
‘Nothing to worry about. It’s just your third-world internet. Whereas here in Laos we can get proper first-world speeds.’ We grinned at each other. In his case it was stop-motion. I half expected to see Wallace and Gromit waving from behind him. Don’t start me about our botched National Broadband Network. His white shirt was spotted with perspiration already. His powerful chest and shoulders looked formidable, and his biceps bulged impressively. Yet that wasn’t really what struck you about Jon. It was more the calm self-assurance of a man who knew exactly what he wanted to do, and did it.
‘So what’s been happening in your life, Corinna?’
I told him all. It took some time. Usually he had a superb deadpan, but my story really did make his jaw drop. When I reached the end of my peroration, I watched him thinking hard. Finally, he clasped his hands on the table in front of him.
‘I’m a bit apprehensive about this, Corinna. Yes, I’ve heard of the Petrosians. They have a branch office just down the road from here.’
I gaped. ‘Really? What’s there for them? It isn’t opium country, is it?’
‘There’re a few plantations further up in the hills. But the Petrosians deal more in ice and what they would like their clients to believe is ecstasy but is actually industrial solvents cut with rat poison.’
‘Charming.’
‘Well, yes. They have an established network. And some of their neighbours would like to muscle in on the racket.’
I looked carefully at him. ‘Are these the Azeris?’
His eyes widened. ‘Yes. I’m surprised you know about them. They’re the new kids on the block. And they fight dirty.’
‘Dirtier than rat poison?’
He laughed and shook his head, again in stop-motion. ‘Oh yes. The Armenians are like the Salvation Army compared with the Azeris. But …’ He paused. ‘Corinna, this looks a bit outré, even by the exotic standards of Insula. You said there was a phrase you couldn’t identify? Can you remember what it was? It’s been a long time since I spoke any Armenian, but try me.’
‘Don’t forget I didn’t hear it myself; I’ve only got what Alasdair said. But he said it sounded like vorteh nizaky. Does that mean anything to you?’
‘Could it have been: Vortegh nizaky?’
‘I suppose so. What does that mean?’
‘It means: “Where is the spear?”’
I sat back in my chair. Crestfallen doesn’t even begin to cover it. My crest was so far down it was rolling in the gutter. ‘Jon, that makes no sense.’
He stared at the ceiling for a while. Kepler brought him a cup of something hot, and they had a short conversation. I sat where I was. At this point I was waiting for a miracle. I watched him take a sip of something pale in an earthenware cup, then place the cup carefully on the wooden table. He folded his hands and leant forward. ‘Corinna, when did this fragmentary conversation happen?’
‘When Geordie was being dognapped.’
‘And you’re certain that the dognappers are the same people who’ve been burgling Insula so indefatigably?’
‘As sure as we can be. The burglar was so terrified he soiled my apartment. I think he was telling us the truth.’
‘And it was Dion Monk’s apartment they burgled first?’
‘Yes. But he doesn’t have any spears. Jon, why would they be looking for a spear?’
His lips curved, showing his shiny, regular teeth. ‘What if they thought he had the Lance of Longinus? I think that would be worth looking for.’ Jon began to recite, from memory. His eyes seemed to be looking at vast distances of time. I had no idea he could recite the Bible from memory but then, he’s full of surprises.