JM nodded, eager to head out.

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 943):

"Right oh then.  Shall we move on?  No time like the present and all that.</blue>"

Molly winked at JM and picked up her hat, which seemed to have fallen off and was ready to proceed.

"Yes, yes let us be away before the sun is to high in the sky." Mr Perkins stood and took a last sip of coffee before checking himself and joining the others to the cars.

-

JM raised his eyebrows at Molly and stepped forward as she retrieved her hat.  He reached up and straightened it.  "Here Miss Fuller, let me help."

The French Consul-General was located in downtown Cairo. Although the streets were immaculate after being cleaned with soap and water(!) every night, at this hour of the morning traffic of vehicles and animals carts. The footsteps of countless Cairenes kicked up the dust brought in off the desert by the hot winds.




Taking Alexander's touring car and his town car, they soon arrived at an old building shaded by palm trees and surrounded by cool grass.

Guards in blue uniforms and desert Kepis guarded the open gate, standing by a guard box painted red-white-and-blue like a giant French flag. They wore pistols in holsters at their waists, leather straps around their shoulders.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:40, Wed 03 June 2015.

Nigel stepped down from the open touring car to the pavement. He carried a small liquor bottle in a velvet bag that he had stopped en route at his office to pick up.

"Mind if I go in by myself? I have a contact I keep well supplied with his favourite cognac! This shouldn't take but a moment."

Molly smiled up at JM.  "Why thank you JM.  I always did suspect you were a ladies man."  She smiled and turned to listen to what Nigel had to say but before she turned JM could see the twinkle in her eye.

JM bowed slightly to Molly. "Always at your service Miss." He helped her into the car and as they drove pointed out some of the landmarks of the city.  When they arrived at the Counsel's he got out and stretched.  "Certainly Nigel, we can wait here."

"Smuggling, are we? I thought that was illegal in a Moslem country," Cynthia chides.

The Count only caught the back end of Nigel as he hurried into the embassy. He walked over to the others, cane in hand. "Lets us hope he can work some magic our luck with officials seems to have run out of late."

He watches the hustle and bustle of the street in front of them still taking in the richness of Cairo. "After all my reading about the place I never really thought I would get here."

George removed his pipe and looked to be ready to light it and then thought otherwise before putting it back away. He found some shade and also took to a little people watching, unable to resist.

Nigel disappeared into the French Embassy for about fifteen minutes, then reappeared.

"We must go to Main Station, a police station in the Old City. For that's where the blighter is hiding."

They were travelling in Alexander's open Bentley touring car and Nigel's own Italian-made Lancia Lambda. (Obviously, being a reporter for an English-language Cairo paper specialising in gossip and social chatter paid far more than anyone suspected!) Salim drove Alexander's car, with JM, Molly, Cynthia, Bathony and Perkins inside, while Nigel drove Bahadir, Rashid and Mah'mud.

"I shall wait outside while you go in to talk to the desk sergeant. I don't like this area, and I don't fancy having my car stolen!"

He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular but the group as a whole, whoever wished to take the lead at any rate.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:19, Sun 07 June 2015.

In reply to Nigel Wassif (msg # 954):

The Count nodded as he looked at the street outside the police station. "Understood Nigel, thank you for your help so far. Well ladies and gentlemen shall we enter ?" The Count holds out a hand for Ms. Holoway and then walks into the station.

He again stops for a second to survey the room before stepping up to the main desk and asking for their quarry.

Cynthia smiles and accepts. "Why thank you, sir."

At the side of her handsome man, she'll walk into the station, although she holds back as the Count begins the search. Police, especially in a Muslim country, rarely taken women as seriously as they should. It's not something she cares to disabuse them of quite yet.

Through the police station's main door was a waiting area with worn wooden benches and dominated by a large dark wood desk, much like the English police stations it was modelled after.

The desk sergeant was dressed in a khaki uniform and red fez and wore a thick black moustache. Like many Cairenes he possessed a degree of English.

"Good afternoon, Madame et Monsieur. How may I help you?"

A servant or worker of some kind sitting near the door pulled on a rope to keep a large fan mounted on the ceiling continually moving. A second officer sat on a bench off to the side smoked a cigarette, also eyeing the couple as they entered.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 957):

The Count removed his hat and replied: "Good day Sir, We wish to see a Mr Warren Basert who we believe is currently in your care."

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 958):

The Sergeant almost looked regretful.

"I am very sorry, sir. I am not familiar with that name. He is a foreigner? Like you?"

It was obvious that Besart was a foreigner and so would be registered with this police station. That the Sergeant didn't even pretend to look at his files suggested mere inquiry was not going to be sufficient!

"Please sir, I hope you would check. He's family, you see. We've heard he's had some trouble, and we've traveled a very long way to help him sort it out. Do you know what's happened? Has there been bail posted? We can cover the cost of bail."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 960):

"Bail? No, he has not been arrested. If he were, the cost would be... one hundred Egyptian Piastres. Payable to me. In cash."

It seemed he was asking for a bribe. 100 Piastres was an Egyptian pound, equivalent to a British pound.

In reply to Sergeant Fahd (msg # 961):

The Count removes his wallet and pays the man; "There you go Sir." The Count detested this sort of thing and could see if it was part of the culture of the place would led it no where in the future.

JM helped Molly out from the car and after a quick look around followed the Count and Cynthia inside.  He caught the end of the conversation and shook his head.  It was typical business, especially for the poorly paid police to shake you down for a bribe where they could, especially a European who they figured had to be rich.  He watched as the Count paid the 'fine' and then scanned the room.

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 962):

Raising an eyebrow, Sergeant Fahd left the money untouched on the desk. After all, if he had no information to sell he didn't relish having to either give it back or deal with upset foreigners! He yelled in Arabic to the other policeman,

"Corporal Anwar! The logbook for foreigners, and make it quick! It's in the lefthand filing cabinet. Top Drawer."

He then turned back and said, with a smile, "one moment, sir." After Corporal Anwar brought out a ledger (surprisingly well-kept and clean) Sergeant Fahd paged through it, looking for Besart's name. Corporal Anwar went over to fix himself some tea.

"Ah, here we are. Monsieur Besart is here in Ezbekia. He address is the red door on the Street of Scorpions, off the Darb al-Ahmar, the Red Ally. Darb al-Ahmar is a bazzar located along the Sharia Muezzeddin Allah here in the Old City."

At that point he took the bills and stuffed them in his khaki shirt pocket. "Is there something else I may be assistance with, good sir?"

Molly waited with Mark as the others conducted their business.  She was more interested in what others were doing while the transactions were being taken care of.  Was there anybody who was paying more attention then the others?  Was there a shifty looking character lurking.  Mungo did a mental face slap at that thought since Mungo always thought there was shifty looking characters lurking.  It was in their job description.

Molly blinked and smiled up at JM and took the opportunity to look behind him for the same type.  She had seen the insides of places like this before and one could sometimes tell which character might be willing to talk more some place else or planning on mugging at the sight of the "fine".

"Thank you for your kind help. But he was arrested, yes? And released? I suppose I don't quite understand why he is in your book, or how you know where he lives now."

The Count let Ms. Holloway continue with her line of inquiry. He understood that foreigners needed to register perhaps it was a requirement for longer term residents as well.