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43

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He walked back along the corridor. The secretary, who had been peeling an orange, unsuccessfully hid it below desk level and gave him a curt nod as he passed and emerged from the building. As he did so he caught sight of a peculiar person leaning against a lamp pole across the street.

The person caught sight of Mort as well and straightened up. Mort, with his eye on him, began walking. The person began walking as well, keeping level with him on the other side of the street.

Mort came to a place called 'Magasin Bowie'. Wasn't this the place that he was supposed to meet Balkan at?

He quickly tried to open the door, but it would not budge. Mort turned around and saw the figure staring at him from across the street. He became nervous. He tried the other door and it opened. Turned out Mort was just an idiot.

He quickly disappeared into the entrance of 'Magasin Bowie', the door slamming behind him as he entered. Everyone in the store looked at him.

"Sorry.." He apologized and walked to the store's aisles. "Balkan?" He called.

He walked to a different aisle. "Boris?" But no one appeared. He went up to the counter, sat at a stool, and threw his book bag on the counter.

The man sitting to his side gave him a dirty look and Mort got the message. He moved his bag down to the stool next to him.

He pushed up his sleeve and looked at his watch. It was ten o'clock. Mort sighed. He looked around the store and noticed the busboy opening a box of Pall Mall's.

The boy saw Mort staring. "Voulez-vous un paquet?", the boy asked, his mouth full of food as he spoke.

Mort was caught offguard. He looked at the boy. "Je ne fume pas."

A lady came with a pot of coffee and poured it into a cup that she put down in front of Mort. Mort watched her as she did so. Then spoke, "Did a guy come in here looking for me around 9 o'clock?"

The lady looked up at him. He read her name tag. Her name was Greta.

"Non," she said, shaking her head.

Thanks a lot, Greta. Mort thought.

"Big guy.. kind of a book nerd type?" Mort persisted.

Greta looked back up. "Non.. non. That doesn't ring un bell," She said with her French accent.

"I lost track of time," Mort added.

"Well, maybe he did too. 'Cause he wasn't here," She explained.

Mort nodded slowly, taking in what she had just told him. "Yeah.."