Michael Walters - The Shadow Walker

The Minister shrugged. “I don’t know, Nergui. I can’t make sense of it. But you don’t seem to be making a great deal of progress either.”

Nergui nodded. “I can’t deny that,” he said. “I feel as if I’m grasping at shadows here. We have another lead, but I don’t know how it would fit with any of this.” He briefly outlined their visit to the illegal prospectors and their encounter with Cholon. “It may well be another waste of time.”

“You have to take it seriously,” the Minister said. “I’m not sure whether a lone psychopath makes any more sense than what Wilson’s suggesting, but if there’s half a chance it’s true-”

“Then we have to stop him.”

Nergui started to rise, but the Minister gestured him to sit for a moment longer. “But, Nergui, we also have to take notice of what Wilson says. As you say, we don’t know what his agenda might be. We don’t know if he’s telling the whole truth or, indeed, the truth at all. But if there’s any substance in what he’s saying, then one of our major national investment programs might be on the point of turning into a bloodbath.”

“It’s not much of a choice,” Nergui said, rising. “A serial killer or a mafia feud.”

“It may be worse than that,” the Minister said. “It may be both.”

The weather had eased slightly by the time Nergui made his way back over Sukh Bataar Square. Snow was still falling, but less thickly than before and Nergui could now see his way through the haze of streetlighting to the far side of the square. The landscape was heavily covered in snow, buildings and statues rendered shapeless by the drifts. There was no sign of human life across the vast area of the square, though a snowplow was standing, apparently abandoned, in one of the main streets.

Nergui glanced at his watch. Four thirty. Time for the next leg on his goose chase. Nergui realized that he was operating almost entirely on instinct. It was a strange sensation. For all his occasional talk of intuition, Nergui’s normal approach was one of painstaking rigor. He knew from experience that crimes were much more likely to be resolved through a systematic sifting of the evidence than through wild hunches or undisciplined guesswork. But in this case, though enormous efforts had been devoted to working steadily through every piece of evidence, the results had been virtually nonexistent.

Not that this made Nergui’s actions any more sensible or justifiable. He knew that if he had caught a junior officer racing across the country in the way he had been doing, he might well have been taking disciplinary action by now. He smiled, grimly. Everyone knew that the rules did not apply to Nergui, so he was unlikely to be challenged from within the police. But if he did not start to deliver some results soon, his position might indeed become untenable.

He was gratified to see, as he trudged back into the police HQ parking lot, that the four wheel drive vehicle had been prepared for snow travel, with chains and additional spot lamps. As he stepped into the warm building, he saw Doripalam sitting with Cholon in the rest room. He waved, and both men jumped to their feet and came out to meet him.

“Everything’s ready,” Doripalam said. “I got the vehicles prepared. We’re ready to go when you are.”

Nergui nodded. “You have firearms?”

Doripalam glanced at Cholon. “For you and me, yes.”

“That’s fine. I hope that they will not be needed, but we should take no risks.”

“Should we take other backup?”

Nergui shook his head. “It’s your choice but I would prefer not. We may well be wasting our time. I would rather that we did not waste that of too many others. But we should have whatever resource is available standing by.”

“I’ve arranged that.”

Nergui smiled. He was beginning to suspect that Doripalam’s approach to this case was much more rational, more cool-headed than his own. He turned to Cholon. “Are you sure you wish to accompany us? I don’t know what kind of risks might be involved.”

Cholon shrugged. “If this is my brother, then my presence may be helpful.”

This was true enough. Nergui did not know what they were stepping into. But if they did find Badzar, it was conceivable that he would behave more rationally toward Cholon than to others.

“Okay,” Nergui said. “But it’s your decision. And you must do nothing unless we tell you to.”

Cholon nodded, and the three of them trooped back outside to the waiting vehicle. The snow had almost stopped now, and the sky was clearing, with a few stars already visible. The weather would become colder before dawn, Nergui thought, the roads more icy and treacherous.

Doripalam climbed into the driver’s seat. Nergui sat beside him, and Cholon climbed into the back. “Where are we going?” Doripalam asked.

“Back to the place where we found Delgerbayar’s body. The disused factory.”

Doripalam turned to stare at Nergui. “Back there? You really think we’re likely to find something there?”

Nergui shook his head. “I really have no idea,” he said. “I’m flying blind. If it were you behaving like this, I’d have you on a charge by now. But there’s something-I don’t know. It’s close to the apartment where Badzar stayed for those two nights. The timing of that coincided exactly with Delgerbayar’s killing. I have a feeling about it, that’s all it is. But I want to check it out.”

“But the place was thoroughly searched after Delgerbayar’s body was found.”

“I know. But I think he may have been back there.”

“He’d be taking a big risk.”

“Maybe not. It’s no riskier than anywhere else. Maybe less than other places. We assumed that the factory had no particular significance. We searched it thoroughly, then left it. We saw no reason to have it guarded or under surveillance. He might have realized that, once we’d finished our business with Delgerbayar, it was the last place we would return to.”

Doripalam looked far from convinced, but shrugged. “Well, as you say, it’s worth a try.” He turned on the ignition and pulled the vehicle slowly out into the street. Even with the snow chains, driving was precarious and they could feel the heavy vehicle slipping slightly as they turned into the main street. Conditions would become worse as the snow gradually turned to ice under the clear skies.

The factory area was not far, but the journey took them close to thirty minutes as Doripalam fought to maintain control of the vehicle. Finally, they turned into the shadowy concrete yard outside the factory.

The sky had cleared fully now, and there was a nearly full moon shining brilliantly above the horizon. In the pale moon light, the thick silent snow was eerie, deadening the sound of their movements. It lay thick across the yard, and had drifted deeply against the empty factory itself. Nergui jumped down into the snow, feeling it crunch under his feet. Even here, in the lee of the buildings, it was a good six inches deep.

He walked slowly across to the door through which they had gained entry on the previous occasion, Doripalam and Cholon following behind. Other than the sound of their own footsteps in the snow, the silence was absolute. The low moon lengthened the shadows, so that the side of the factory lay in darkness.

The door had been boarded up following their previous entrance. It appeared to be undisturbed but Nergui was aware that there were several other entrances around the building, which might allow access.

He turned toward Doripalam who was carrying the large crowbar they had brought in the rear of the truck. Doripalam was standing waiting, but Cholon had stopped some yards back, caught in the moonlight, staring at the massive building in front of them.