Taduno's Song Read Online Free Page B

forgotten.’ Aroli was beginning to sound desperate.
    Taduno sighed, touched by Aroli’s candour. ‘At first the life I lived was simple. But then things changed and it became complex.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s not something I can talk about now.’
    Aroli nodded his understanding. He rose to leave. The look of confusion on his face deepened; a look that wanted answers to so many questions. In a quiet voice he said, ‘I’m prepared to help you find Lela, if you need my help.’
    Taduno reasoned that it would do him no harm to take Aroli into his confidence. ‘I intend to go to the police station again tomorrow,’ he said. ‘You can come with me if you are not busy.’
    Aroli agreed to go with him.

FOUR
    The following morning they took a yellow taxi to the police station. The taxi had been recently repainted, and it wasn’t until they got into the back seat that they realised that the taxi was repainted to attract passengers. It looked very clean on the outside, but on the inside it was battered and smelled of damp.
    It was too late for them to climb out by the time they discovered the ruse, so they made themselves as comfortable as possible on the torn leather seat which Taduno suspected was lice-infested. And as the taxi drove them to the police station, he filled Aroli in about his encounter the previous day with Sergeant Bello.
    â€˜He could be the key to finding Lela,’ he concluded. ‘He knows something, but I doubt if he would want to share what he knows with us at the police station. He was not comfortable talking to me yesterday.’
    â€˜What do you suggest?’
    â€˜I suggest we meet him on neutral ground.’
    â€˜Makes sense to me,’ Aroli agreed.
    â€˜But we must be careful the way we approach him. Policemen can be very difficult people.’
    â€˜I get you.’
    They made the rest of the journey in silence.
    Luck was on their side. They found Sergeant Bello alone in the office, dozing; a man with nothing meaningful to do, with no time for anything meaningful. The sound of approaching footsteps woke him out of his reverie, and he put on a smile and his worn beret, which he hurriedly picked up from his battered desk.
    â€˜Good afternoon, Sarge,’ Taduno greeted. ‘Remember me?’
    â€˜Ah, good afternoon! Of course, I remember you! How can I forget my friend?’ The Sergeant smiled expansively.
    Taduno smiled back. ‘Friends are meant to remember friends, not forget them. I’m glad you remember me!’
    For a moment the Sergeant’s face hardened. ‘Who’s this?’ he asked, pointing at Aroli.
    â€˜Oh, this is my very good friend, Aroli. Together we want to help you to help us. You know it’s better for two to help one than for one to help one.’ Taduno laughed merrily to dispel the Sergeant’s fear.
    â€˜I see what you mean!’ The Sergeant laughed too.
    Aroli joined in the laughter. And together they all laughed merrily, like three idiots.
    â€˜So?’ Sergeant Bello asked, when their laughter had died down.
    â€˜Yeah, we’re thinking . . . we’re thinking you should have dinner with us tonight somewhere nice.’
    â€˜Oh no, no, no!’ Sergeant Bello shook his head. ‘Dinner sounds okay to me, but not anywhere nice. I’m not used to nice. Nice is a mere waste of money.’
    â€˜In that case we could go somewhere not so nice and not so bad.’ Taduno demonstrated with his hands, that smile of an idiot still on his face. ‘How about that?’
    Sergeant Bello nodded with satisfaction. ‘That sounds better. I’ll be off duty by six. Just remember, nowhere nice. I don’t like nice. I don’t like nice at all!’
    The three of them laughed loudly. And as Taduno and Aroli made to leave, Sergeant Bello stretched out his hand. ‘You are forgetting something,’ he said, in a frosty voice.
    Taduno