Zdravko followed in last to the briefing room which was known as The Theatre. The Theatre was care of the communists. The communists liked to watch their videos big. Once everyone sat down in the movie style chairs, the lights dimmed like magic. The video started with a shot of some Bulgarian folk dancing. Zdravko recognised the song. \u2018Helena Girl.\u2019
\n\u201cHere\u2019s our man clapping. The guy in the middle.\u201d A quartet of men stood clapping to the side of the costumed dancers, who were in a circle.
\n\u201cWhich guy in the middle?\u201d asked Zdravko.
\n\u201cThe left hand one, you idiot.\u201d
\nThey watched some more, Gomenko himself being the other guy in the middle.
\n\u201cDo you know when you know what you want and can\u2019t find it ever?\u201d Gomenko said. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of thing my wife thinks about shoes.\u201d
\nRusim and Zdravko exchanged a glance in the communist dark.
\nThe home-made video went on in the same vein for about three minutes, sometimes including footage of the four clappers, sometimes not. Then it finished.
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d was Rusim\u2019s first question.
\n\u201cYou want baby photographs?\u201d
\n\u201cWhere\u2019s the rest?\u201d
\n\u201cThere isn\u2019t much.\u201d
\nSilence.
\n\u201cWhere is it?\u201d asked Rusim.
\n\u201cProbably with my wife\u2019s shoes,\u201d said Gomenko as if he were somehow pleased.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re telling me the court records, the police shots, identity card, his home holiday snaps are with your wife\u2019s shoes?\u201d
\n\u201cNot exactly. Not everything is missing.\u201d
\n\u201cWhere did this vid come from then?\u201d
\n\u201cFrom the wardrobe. That\u2019s my own video. That\u2019s my nephew dancing two years ago. I had the honour of being introduced to our Mr. Gjoeb. Chunky guy as you can see. Polite. Kind of neutral, but friendly enough. I remember his kind of smile. I remember his name and what he did for a living. I remember the accent, the kind of suit he wore. But of all things, I don\u2019t know why he was there. I assumed his son or daughter was a dancer too but it turns out he hasn\u2019t got any kids.\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe his nephew,\u201d said Zdravko.
\n\u201cMaybe.\u201d
\nRusim let out something halfway between a sigh and a whistle.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s one thing more,\u201d Gomenko went on.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d asked Zdravko.
\n\u201cThis Gjoeb got nicked for stealing a horse.\u201d
\n\u201cShit. Three years is a long time for stealing a horse.\u201d
\n\u201cThe horse was worth two and a half million.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat happened to the horse?\u201d
\n\u201cCurrent thinking is it went to the meat works.\u201d
\nRusim did his whistle-sigh thing again. \u201cSo what is missing apart from one medium security prisoner?\u201d
\n\u201cActually two,\u201d said Gomenko. \u201cWell, not really. The other guy is Petko Antonov, a guard at the prison. Take a look.\u201d Several still shots of both men followed. Then footage of two prison guards exiting what looked to be Pazardjik prison, one emerging ten metres before the other and then turning back, appearing to say something, and then the second following. Grainy close-ups followed. Gjoeb was the straggler. The two men continued walking at normal pace across the compound and out the gate. Then there was a long range shot of a white sedan parked up in some street. Two men approached and got in either side. The car drove off at no great speed.
\n\u201cGetting into that car is our last sighting,\u201d
\nThe Theatre lights dimmed on.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s missing?\u201d repeated Rusim.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s two lines of enquiry here. Your man Gjoeb, and this Petko Antonov. Georgieva and Petrov will be looking into that particular gentleman\u2019s current sleeping arrangements. May even be worth while keeping in touch with those two. What is missing is that this guy Gjoeb\u2019s a nobody. A rich nobody. A recluse. He\u2019s lived in the Sophia district at least for a good part of his time, but it\u2019s sketchy. No police record. No parking ticket. Minimum record of travel. As I say, no wife, no kids. Everything we\u2019ve got is in the file.\u201d
\n\u201cShit,\u201d said Rusim.
\n\u201cKeep me up to date. I need a result here. You got that? I\u2019ll see you same time Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Zdravko followed in last to the briefing room which was known as The Theatre. The Theatre was care of the communists. The communists liked to watch their videos big. Once everyone sat down in the movie style chairs, the lights … Continue reading