Page 69 of Iblis' Affliction
“Yes.” Talha straightened up. Still looking at Slater, he said, “Keep him heavily sedated, put him in a coma, or tie him down if you can. Once he’s awake, he will cause a lot of trouble. I‘ll leave guards, but nothing can really stop him. Maybe only a bullet in his head. Should I leave you a gun?”
Miraç snorted.
“It’s a hospital, Reis. We don’t harm people here, we cure them. Keep your guards at home.” He smiled; the corners of his eyes cracked with laughter lines as he quoted the Quran. “‘My mercy embraces all things.’EvenIblis. We will be fine; cancel the contract.”
“As you wish…”
“What are you going to do with him?” Miraç’s serious eyes fixed on him.
“Kill him…” Talha gulped down a sudden flood of sour saliva. Losing control over his facial muscles, he winced. “I have to kill him. There is no cure for a mad dog but a bullet.”
Miraç didn’t reply. Talha faced him. The lenses of thin glasses flared with green, reflecting the light. The doctor stepped toward the bed.
“Why don’t you pray tonight? A good prayer will bring peace to your mind.”
A wry smile twisted Talha’s mouth. “No prayer can grant me what I want.”
“‘But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.’”He quoted the Quran again.“Pray tonight, Talha, and don’t worry about him. There is a reason why he was created. You just don’t know it yet.”
“Oh, I know why he was created. To become my downfall.” Talha slapped the doctor’s shoulder, moving to the doors. “I’ll send someone to collect him soon. Don’t let him escape, and don’t disclose his identity to anyone. Also…”
“Reis?”
“Don’t tell anyone about Camilla’s body parts. Keep them secure. I need to think about how to clean this mess.”
“Don’t worry, Reis. Go home, rest well, and don’t forget your medicine.”
THE ROAD TO THE MANSIONstretched time in reality. Sticky and heavy, the silence condensed the atmosphere, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Concentrating on the road, Dinçer kept silent, but Ejder’s palpable anger pressed on Talha’s nerves. He opened the window, letting in street sounds and fresh air. Leaning toward the gushes of air, he closed his eyes.
The mere thought of entering the mansion cramped his stomach, reminding him of the diabolic feast Slater had cooked for him.
So much blood… Was it removed? Could it even be removed?
“What should I expect in the mansion?” he asked, without opening his eyes.
“Lots of people. Some from the Hale family, some ours. Police, too. Those who were worried and those who want to know what happened,” Dinçer replied.
“Haven’t you told them?” Talha cracked one eye open, hoping for a negative answer. If Dinçer had managed to avoid unnecessary information circulation, it would be so much easier for him to clear the mess.
“In general, yes,” Dinçer said, glancing in the rearview mirror from the driver seat. Talha winced. “The maids told us everything.”
“What did they say?”
“As if you don’t know.” Ejder snapped. Spinning in the rear seat, next to him, he faced Talha. “You can always ask your protégé. Unless you want to see the pictures?”
“Ejder…” Talha swallowed his rising anger. “Please, spare me from your sarcasm. I have a headache. Who was the poor bastard that discovered the bodies?”
“That would be me,” Dinçer sighed. “You didn’t answer your phone, and I couldn’t reach anyone in the mansion.”
“What was the procedure? Did you involve the police?”
Dinçer shrugged. “Who do you think I am, a magician? It wasn’t one body you can dump anywhere, it was a fucking massacre. It blew up before we knew it. Everyone knows now.”
Heart sinking, Talha kept asking, “What about the footage from the security cameras?”
“There was nothing. He took everything.”
“Fingerprints?”
