by Tony Jenkins
“There will have to be a board meeting to pressure Radics to stop mixing his politics with Hun-Al operations and we should then be able to reach agreement with the Roma. We should not be fighting with the Roma when like us they just want to live their lives in peace. You are needed here to help to settle our security business after the run in with the Russians.”
Jack Randil flew alone to Budapest and was met at the airport by Demeter, who immediately apologised for believing that his home in Dunakeszi was safe for Theresa and risking her life. Jack assured him that he could not have known that Radics had literally destroyed the agreement by arresting Boldo and provoking the Roma people to retaliate. Demeter explained the details as they drove north to the mine offices.
"After the rail track was routed away from the village the people slowly returned and Boldo was once again their leader and living amongst them. Ore production was increasing and with the track almost reaching the mine, the company would soon have been able to move greater quantities of ore to the refining plant at lower cost.
"Commissar Radics in his official capacity claimed that government property had been destroyed and that those responsible were certainly Roma. Since the damage had been done at night by saboteurs, it was not possible to punish individuals, but as the leader, Boldo must be held responsible. Police arrested him and he was locked up in the Dunakeszi police cells.
“The night of his arrest marked the start of a new wave of destruction. Explosions at both the mine and the refinery totally stopped ore production and more than twenty security men were overpowered and tied up as the explosive charges were placed. Radics refused to accept responsibility for the stoppage, or to discuss the release of Boldo. The rail track was not touched, but work to extend it to the mine was stopped on Radics orders.”
Jack listened to the account of the problems and then began to look for gaps and possible moves, which would repair the goodwill of the Roma people.
“So yet again there have been no casualties in spite of the damage and the provocation. Has anyone been inside the jail to speak with Boldo and has a board meeting been called to discuss the crisis?”
“You are right Jack; the Roma obviously want to avoid harming anyone and so far in spite of the explosions there are no casualties. It seems to be a dispute about property and so far, no one has been to speak with Boldo. I have been trying to check the damage since Theresa went back to Manchester and have not had time to speak to Boldo, but there will be a board meeting in two days’ time when all the members reach the mine offices.”
“Good, that gives us time to meet Boldo before the meeting. Since care was taken to avoid casualties, why then did someone try to kill you and nearly hit Theresa. Is there something else going on that we don’t know about? There have been attempts on your life for years, but after Renko was killed we were sure you were safe at last, but perhaps we were wrong.”
“Renko was born to a Roma woman who worked hard to send him to school and as you know, he became the Police Chief here in Dunakeszi. His mother Bella is dead now, but there are still some relatives living in the area in the house which she owned. Bella had a daughter and a son besides Renko, but I have never thought they were a threat to my family. When we speak with Boldo, I will sound him out about any locals who might want to harm me.”
When they reached the Pusztai mansion, Jack met Aranka for the first time and as Demeter took him around the house to show off the renovation work, he also met Janos. Thanks to his limited knowledge of Hungarian, Jack was able to respond when the couple asked how Theresa was after falling from her horse. Demeter had hired them the day Jack left after the last board meeting and Janos was a hard worker who had finished replacing the windows and doors, whilst a contractor had completed repairs on the roof.
Work was proceeding to repair the damage inflicted by the Roma on mine property and they decided to visit Boldo to find a way to end the attacks.
The Police Chief also wanted to see an end to the trouble and when they asked to see Boldo, he had the elderly Roma brought from his cell and allowed them to use his office for the meeting. Coffee was provided and they were sure that the prisoner was being treated very kindly, in spite of Commissar Radic’s instructions. Boldo shook hands with them both and told them he was sure that they had nothing to do with his imprisonment. He knew they would come to see him and he had something for them to use in stopping Radics from ruining the mine and his village. He explained.
"Bella was a beautiful Romanian woman who arrived here already pregnant with Renko and as a Roma, she was made welcome to live amongst us. She was a hard worker and earned enough to send her son to school. You know she worked as a maid for your grandparents and she caused your grandmother’s death by frightening her horse. She tricked your grandfather into marrying her by pretending she was a single young Romanian woman and then invited her Roma sister and her son Renko into the Pusztai house. Your grandfather was furious and threw her out and had the marriage annulled. Bella, Renko and her sister moved back to our village and when he was eighteen Renko began working for the Communists. He was ruthless and brutal and soon earned promotions and a transfer to the secret police.
“Over the years when communism was strong, he forced people to tell him their secrets and become his informers. He became a senior officer, but when communism was swept away, many members of the secret police were killed by people taking revenge. Renko was never punished for his crimes, but instead was appointed as Dunakeszi Police Chief, because he knew the past secrets of those who took over the new government. He was forced out of this position for trying to kill you and your sister by hiring two assassins. He was warned by someone in the government that he was to be arrested. This allowed him to escape and hide many of his files in the family house where Bella’s sister lives.”
Boldo passed Demeter a bulky envelope with the name Radics written on the front and told him to read it and use the information to force the commissar to resign from the mining company. There were quite a few papers inside and Demeter asked if Boldo knew what they showed.
“Commissar Radics claims he worked for the West German police force when Hungary was controlled by the Russian communists, but it was the East German police and he was a Stasi officer serving in East Berlin and guilty of many crimes. He could not find these papers when Renko escaped to Romania, but guessed they were hidden somewhere in our village and wanted it destroyed by using the rail track.”
Pointing at Jack he told him that he had forced Radics to move the track around the village to avoid looking as if he wanted the Roma to continue disrupting mining.
“When I returned to the Roma village, he arrested me to break the agreement and provoke my people, but by then I had found Renko’s store of secrets.”
The two men were shocked to hear the truth about Radics, but the man was an important government official and they would have to find a way of removing him, but prevent him learning of their intentions and using his power against them. Jack had an idea, but wanted to work through the papers Boldo had given them before sharing it with Demeter, to avoid raising false hopes. Turning to Boldo, he told him about the shooting of Theresa’s horse and his belief that Demeter had been the actual target. He asked him whether he knew of any Roma who wanted to kill Demeter. Boldo was silent while he thought over the question and then gave them his answer.
“Bella Veres was pregnant when she arrived here from Romania and gave birth to the boy Renko Veres. After being driven out of the big house and divorced, she lived with a local Roma who fathered a son and a daughter from her, but she never married her man. The man Pista lives in the village and has a family, but has never been in any trouble. He does not own a gun and I think he would not know how to use it even if he had one. Renko believed that he was cheated out of inheriting the Pusztai lands by your father Istvan and tried to kill you and your sister so that he would be the only one with a claim. Pista has never said he wanted to claim the land and does not have your blood link Demeter
. Renko had a younger brother, who lived with his father who was a Roma chief in Romania. I don’t think he ever visited Dunakeszi and he does not have a blood claim either. He succeeded Renko’s father as the chief, although Renko was the oldest son. There was bad blood between the two brothers and Renko was killed.”
“What about the silent Romanian who was with you at our last meeting?”
“Gunari is a Roma who wants to help his people to stand up for themselves and stop being treated as second class citizens. He is a highly trained soldier who has seen far less qualified soldiers promoted, but remained a private because he is a Roma. He has learned Hungarian and has spoken with dozens of Roma communities in the area and is accepted by them as a leader. He knows you try to look after us and would have no reason to attack you. He is a fine shot and he would not have missed if he wanted to shoot you. He first came here with a tall man some months ago and then returned to help us when I heard rumours about the rail running through our village. I asked for his help and he came.”
After thanking Boldo for giving them the evidence on Radics and answering their questions, they assured him that they hoped to free him soon and restore the good relations with him and his people. They also thanked the Police Chief for being helpful, but said nothing about the papers given to them by Boldo. When they returned to the mine office, they locked the door and began working through the papers. Renko had been very thorough and there were official documents and witness statements, which fully incriminated Commissar Radics. Jack then outlined his idea for removing Radics.
“Dorika Biro was appointed to the board by the government and she supported us when we were trying to get Radics to reroute the rail line around the Roma village. She is a professional and knows the country needs the foreign exchange from the mine. Can we talk to her before the board meeting and show her the evidence? With her support we can force Radics to resign and get things working again. If the government wants to avoid bad publicity, Radics can claim to be giving up his seat on the board and his position as Police Commissioner due to ill health.”
Demeter telephoned Dorika at her office in Budapest and they arranged to drive to the city and talk with her later in the afternoon.
They had to wait for a meeting to finish before being shown in to her office and she was obviously not happy about seeing them to discuss board matters before the meeting the next day. Demeter showed her the documents, which listed the most serious charges. He then explained how Radics was deliberately inciting the Romas to try to hide the evidence on his past and putting the mine output at risk. Her eyes blazed with anger and she made it clear that she would certainly not allow Radics to quietly retire and instead wanted him to pay for his crimes and go to prison. She thanked them for bringing her the papers and for their real concern over maintaining mine output. She also assured them that Radics would immediately be arrested.
The board meeting was held the following day, but Radics was not present. Dorika proposed a vote of confidence in Demeter for identifying the cause of mine disruptions and providing evidence, which would result in the imprisonment of the culprit. Boldo was released the same day and it was hoped that the mine would be back in full production within two weeks and making full use of the direct rail link between the mine and refinery. Demeter was delighted that his problems were over and he had restored relations with the local Roma. Jack still had concerns.
“The mine should now have no more problems, but you and I need to meet this non speaking Romanian, Gunari and fill in some gaps, unless you want to continue being a target for a hidden rifleman. We have to find out why and who, before we can make you safe and Theresa can live at Dunakeszi.”
They drove to the Roma settlement and the people smiled and waved to them as they walked towards the house where Boldo lived. Obviously, the word had quickly spread about their success in having Radics arrested and saving the village from destruction. Boldo hugged both men and agreed to invite Gunari to come and meet them at his house. The Romanian was away and he did not say where, or what he was doing, but he again reassured Demeter that he was sure that Gunari meant him no harm. He invited them to return the next day at the same time and Gunari should be there to speak with them. They left the village and for the rest of the day they toured the mine, refinery and rail track to check on the progress of the repair work.
Chapter 21
Confrontation
Rudi repaired the diesel engine on an old Mercedes army lorry, which must have been abandoned when the Germans retreated from the Russian army, sweeping south from Ukraine. Dirty fuel had totally clogged the system and the engine had to be almost rebuilt. Rudi was pleased with his work and the Tigani owner thought he was a magician to bring the old engine back to life. Pesha walked over when he heard the distinctive noise of the diesel engine coming to life and he smiled in spite of his two black eyes and swollen nose.
“You have special skill in those hands Rudi and thanks to you I am driving in my motor car to the fair at Moinești this morning.”
Rudi wanted to avoid making too much contact with Pesha to save him from further beatings from Tigo, but the small man was obviously proud to own a car and was naturally friendly.
“Do not drive too fast and smash it up after all my hard work and have a good time at the fair.”
Watching Pesha laughing as he walked back to his car and began loading it, Rudi switched off the army lorry engine to make some adjustments and asked the owner what he would be doing at the fair. He was startled to hear that Pesha had been to school and was a clever wood carver who made wooden dolls, which his wife dressed and then they were sold at fairs in the area. They were in demand and the couple made a good living. Rudi immediately saw an opportunity and walked over to Pesha alongside the car.
“Let me make sure that you will be able to reach the fair and get back.”
Working under the bonnet he opened the reward notice so that Pesha, who was standing alongside, was able to read it. Rudi watched as he saw the surprised expression on his face, followed by a gleam in his eyes as he realised that Rudi was giving him the means to take revenge on Tigo. Satisfied that he had set things in motion, he folded the notice and slipped it alongside the battery where it could be retrieved, but not seen. He closed the bonnet.
“This car could take you to Budapest if you knew the way and had enough petrol. I hope you do well in Moinești Pesha.”
The Roma nodded his head to Rudi and then he and his wife climbed into the car and Rudi watched as it drove off and bounced over the rough track taking them away from Pasiti. The noise of the high revving engine must have awakened Tigo, who appeared at his door, shirtless, with tousled hair and bloodshot eyes after a bout of hard drinking the previous night. Looking around the area, he slowly appreciated that Pesha’s car was no longer outside his house and asked where he had gone. When he learned that Pesha had driven to Moinești, Rudi could see the frown appear on Tigo’s face as he worked out possible implications. Seeing Rudi working on the Mercedes lorry he asked if it would now work and the proud owner told him that it had just been running and made a great sound.
Tigo went back into his house and returned a few minutes later fully dressed and holding the hunting rifle across his chest. Waving the gun at the owner, he told him to start the Mercedes and take him to Moinești now. Knowing that it was unwise to argue, the man told Rudi to close the bonnet and he and Tigo sat in the cab and the engine then fired and the lorry moved slowly forward. Rudi had already seen that the tyres were almost flat and should have been pumped up, but had been given no opportunity to warn the lorry owner. He was sure that the lorry would be far slower than the car and could well suffer a flat tyre. He hoped Pesha would go straight to the Moinești police station with the information, which could bring him the large reward. Realising that he had been given the ideal opportunity to leave without risking a confrontation with Tigo, he harnessed his horse, put his tools in the vardo and after waving goodbye to the villagers, he headed down the track.
As he drove along the rutted surface, he kept a close watch in front to be ready if the lorry was stranded. Tigo had taken his gun and Rudi guessed he would use it if he saw Rudi leaving with information about the killing of his brother Renko. Taking the decision to turn south towards the town of Comănești instead of risking a meeting with Tigo on the road north to Moinești, he urged the horse along at its best pace. He did not notice the stationery lorry on the road to Moinești, but Tigo looked up from watching the driver try to repair the flat tyre and saw the distinctive vardo turning onto the road south.
Pesha kept his car running almost flat out to get to Moinești as soon as he could, to pass on information about his hated oppressor. Finally arriving at the town, he stopped only to ask for directions to the police station and then drove up alongside the big building. His wife was suspicious of the police and wanted to stay in the car, but Pesha was worried that Tigo would come after him and if he saw his wife, he would either harm her, or abduct her. The two Romas hurried up the steps and their way was then blocked by a burly policeman, who wanted to know why they were in such a hurry. Tigo produced the Reward Leaflet and told him that he knew where Tigo was, but they would have to hurry if they wanted to catch him. A sergeant heard the conversation and walked over to speak with Pesha.
All police stations in the area had been alerted to the search for the murderer and instructed to telephone Lieutenant Bumbesco immediately if they received information on his whereabouts. The sergeant told Pesha to follow him to the office of his superior, but asked his wife to remain with the constable. After listening to Pesha, the police telephoned Bumbesco who was at the time driving along the country road leading to Moinești. After checking his map, he found that he was only three miles from the turn off to Pasiti and he arranged to meet with three policemen there to drive together to Pasiti. He would have liked to surround the village to prevent Tigo escaping into the forest, but one policeman had to remain in Moinești and the small town had a total force of only six and two were off duty.