Free The Shadow Walker by Michael Walters Page A

possible. Although, of course, the identities may be crystal clear to those involved. But, as Nergui rightly pointed out to me last night, this does take us straight back to the question of Ransom’s involvement. From what we know of him, he doesn’t seem the type to get caught up in a Mafia turf war.”
    â€œStranger things have happened, I suppose.”
    â€œOf course. But if we are talking about some kind of local internecine struggle, I can’t imagine that the parties would be keen to draw the attention of the Western media. Why go to all that trouble concealing the earlier victims’ identities, then brutally murder a Westerner in his bed in the best hotel in town?”
    â€œPerhaps that was the unambiguous message you were talking about?”
    For the first time, Drew looked closely at the ambassador. Behind the externally amiable old duffer, there was a very sharpand no doubt highly political brain. Maybe it was the ambassador who knew something about this that he wasn’t sharing. “Why do you say that?”
    The ambassador shrugged. “Just my Foreign Office training, Chief Inspector.” He laughed, though without obvious mirth. “If someone kills one of your citizens, particularly in this kind of brutal way, your first assumption is that they’re trying to tell you something.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œI haven’t a clue in this case. Our relationships with the government are generally good. There’s no great resentment to the presence of Westerners among the general population. On the contrary, they tend to see us as a source of prosperity and stability—better the West than the Russians or Chinese. I’m sure there are those who think differently, but not many. No, ignore me, Chief Inspector, like you I’m just floundering around in the dark trying to find a narrative that fits this dreadful set of incidents. In my role, I naturally gravitate toward a political interpretation first, but I suspect that in this case the truth will turn out to be much more mundane.”
    Drew was left with the sense that he’d just been given some sort of coded message but lacked the insight to decipher it.
    â€œWell, Chief Inspector, I suppose I’ve taken up enough of your time. But I’m sure you’ll agree that we need to keep in contact. Will you join me for dinner later in the week? Nothing fancy, but a change from the hotel. Thursday?”
    â€œYes, of course.” It didn’t sound like the kind of invitation one could easily refuse.
    â€œI’ll get someone to pick you up from the hotel—around seven? You’re off to the police HQ now? Do you need a car?”
    â€œNergui suggested I call and he’d send one of theirs.”
    â€œAh, very good. And do let Nergui know that he will be welcome to join us.” The ambassador rose and led Drew toward the door. “I think it’s very important that we keep all the lines of communication open here, don’t you?”
    Drew nodded, but with a strong sense that most of the current communications were probably going over his head. There were times when he was grateful to be nothing more than a policeman.
    The ambassador stopped in the doorway, his hand on Drew’s arm. He paused for a moment, as though considering the most appropriate form of words, then said: “Stick close to Nergui, won’t you? And watch your own back.”
    Well, Drew thought as he made his way slowly down the embassy stairs, that sounded like another unambiguous message.

CHAPTER 5
    â€œOne of our local heroes,” Nergui said, striding quickly ahead. Drew was finding it hard to keep up with him. Doripalam strolled some way behind them, clearly accustomed to Nergui’s ways and apparently unconcerned by any need to match his pace. “Hero of the revolution.”
    â€œAh. Right.” Drew looked around the expanse of Sukh Bataar Square, dominated by the equestrian