It was already the tenth day in a row that Ghufran was making the nocturnal pilgrimage of the taverns. He went from one to the other during the night, remaining for about an hour in each and with that taking all the dawn in that hunt that it remained fruitless until that moment.

He was looking for someone with the description of the confessor, and the innkeepers of all the nightclubs were already on their way to inform him that it would not yet be that night that he would find the ones he was looking for. This even worried him, for this would identify him more than he wished, preventing his hunt from taking place, in the shadows, as he wished. He had not thought about this detail when, on the first night of his search, he addressed the innkeepers requesting information about the man with the description he possessed.

It was on the tenth day, in the well-known and hoped tavern of the Fahs Al-Suradiq Esplanade, which came out the first sign that the hunt could come to an end. It was the middle of the night, Ghufran had just arrived, and the innkeeper soon addressed him with a look of satisfaction.

— It seems that after all, your search is over, your man is sitting with someone I've seen alone here several times." I think him and you are looking for the same person and saying this pointed to a table in a discreet position located in the back of the room.

Ghufran was soon careful to ask the tavern keeper to refrain from announcing him or calling attention to him and positioned himself at another table from which he could observe the pair.

He did not know who was sitting in front of his suspect who was surely the one who had been looking for him since the trip to Almodóvar del Río, but the two of them talked and the conversation did not seem friendly. It was evident that there was an argument between them and the possible opponent of Ghufran was quite nervous pointing several times with index finger to his interlocutor, the Confessor. Once again Bahadur had come in advance with his staff. Ghufran, when involved in a mission, turned it into his goal, money was essential, but once in action, the remuneration becomes secondary since he involves himself with body and soul. He had as much aversion to Bahadur as his contractors, Amal and Nasr.

The two men continued to argue and already attracted attention from the other customers. After another half an hour the two seemed to calm down, suggesting that they had struck a deal, for they immediately rose from the table toward the exit.

Ghufran prepared to also leave the place to follow them keeping a safe distance. He was a specialist in that.

They left the tavern and walked northwest and Ghufran after some time began to assume and was soon assured at the end of a walk of about nine miles they were heading for Medina Al-Zahara. They went to the complex in the lower part and, after going through the inner streets, they entered a residence that, as far as Ghufran knew, was middle-level.

Ghufran wielded his accompanying dagger and mounted a guard strategically posting on the porch of a house next to the one they entered that showed signs of being uninhabited, it was in a bad state, its windows were closed and on the balcony floor, there was dust.

The house that they entered could only be of Bahadur, the suspect had been taken by one of his men to his presence. The discussion in the tavern was certainly about this visit. For eventual reward or more likely for threats the confessor had just decided to accompany Bahadur's companion. Would he sign a confession? Was he being tortured? Something was going to happen inside, and it was not good for the mission. He had to act. But at least there would be two inside the house, not counting the suspect. He decided to wait on the lookout.

He did not have a complete vision, but he could see an antechamber and a corridor, which from the angle he was allowed to see half the first door to which it gave access. A well-dressed man who was not his suspect went out and entered the enclosure at least twice. He seemed to give instructions to those in the room and looked nervous or anxious. He continued to watch, and after a few more entrances followed by gesticulations and speeches that could not be heard from that place he calmed down, left the room, leaned the door, and headed down the hall where Ghufran supposed there must be another room.

Ghufran waited for about a few minutes without any changing of the situation and decided that it was time to act. Maybe he would not have another chance if he let this go, even considering the risk involved.

He left the side without making any noise coming to the front door on the porch like the one that started the stash. He had no difficulty getting in, the front door was not even locked. He realized that the room he had seen from the window and thought it was an antechamber was actually a room; for when he entered, he found himself in an antechamber which faced a door which was sure to give access to the inner part of the house which he saw from the window.

He walked without making any noise like a serpent opened the door and saw the first door in the hall and the last one where a lamp also glowed. No one was in sight. He thought quickly, and with two strides he stood before the first door.

With the breath stopped, he made a quick move and opened the door with his dagger in a strike position. He saw the confessor sitting at a small table with paper and feather in his hand. When he saw him, the poor old priest got up scared and it was the last thing he did. Ghufran was already on top of him and with a quick movement cut his throat from side to side. As the blood gushed out, the man fell sideways, knocking over the lamp on the small table. It was the first sound that had been heard ever since Ghufran had entered the house. With a quick movement, Ghufran picked up the paper that was being written by the priest and went to the door to leave.

Upon entering the corridor, Ghufran came face to face with the one he imagined to be Bahadur, halfway down the corridor, toward the door where the Confessor was. He acted swiftly, without hesitation, made a precise thrust, and his dagger penetrated the intruder's chest, dividing his heart.

It was done, collateral damage, occupational hazard. Now he could do a more thorough inspection of the place. He found that there was nothing else written by the Confessor or anything that identified him, he found beyond doubt by documents and references in the second room that the other man in the residence was Bahadur, and then he considered it was time to leave.

He left Al-Zahara the same way he entered, taking advantage of distractions from the gatekeepers whose efficiency on the first level of the popular wing was not very rigid. Despite the late hour, almost at sunrise, Ghufran headed for Nasr's residence. The situation had fled the control and he needed to inform him immediately. He could not wait for daybreak when bodies would be found, and much could happen. He knew Nasr would not want to know that Bahadur had been killed. This complicated everything he was aware of but had no choice. He was sure of that.

Nasr received him sleepy and frightened. I knew it was not a courtesy visit. After being privy to the situation and receiving from Ghufran's hands a semblance of confession on a blood-stained paper, Nasr at first could not help but utter a curse word and even uttered imprecations against Ghufran, but soon calmed down and understood the situation. According to the narration he received from his executioner he could not have acted otherwise, but he had doubts about the decision to enter the house knowing that there was more than one person and did not much agree with the argument that it was the only opportunity.

— But Nasr, Ghufran argued, if he completed and signed the confession and Bahadur moved him to a safe place we would never have another chance to get him.

— We do not know for sure Ghufran, with the death of Bahadur, while he is in the middle of an audit at the Library, all suspicions will fall on Amal. I very much doubt that he will go another 24 hours after the discovery of the bodies, without being arrested for questioning. Things will rush in and we may not have time for defensive actions. You're going to have to disappear. Did anyone see you entering Al-Zahara or the tavern?

— To disappear, why? No one saw me in Al-Zahara, but in the taverns, yes, the innkeepers got to know me, they were ten days of searching, no matter how much I tried discretion they will remember me.

— Because of course you will be connected to us. You've been to the Library more than once. He was in Almodóvar del Río. You cannot continue in Cordoba.

— Oops, not that I want it, but running away costs money and the remaining 5 dinars will not pay that cost.

— You know that's no problem. Amal almost does not spend money he keeps a small fortune. I'm going to give in advance another 10 dinars, and you have to flee Cordoba today without telling me where you're going, nor do I want to know. When and if the dust comes down we can contact us again.

So, saying, Nasr went to get the 10 dinars and dispatched Ghufran who promised to fulfill the agreed. Things had taken an unexpected turn, and dawn would bring great uproar.

***

Nasr met Amal, not in his studio because of the audit problem, but in his own room. As usual, he had been the first to arrive, early in the morning. As expected, he did not react well to the news and behind closed doors they argued by keeping a low level of conversation, almost whispering:

— I knew this Ghufran would get us in troubles! Nasr, of course, this is going to resonate right over me. The man was here auditing to prove an accusation he has against me and ends up murdered. Any neophyte investigator would put me as a bigger suspect.

"That's true, but it's not hopeless. There is no evidence against you.

— And when they are necessary, with the desire to keep someone out of the way.

— Calm down Amal. You are not a target of the authorities, could be a target of only Bahadur. Subh would be an important target if some act of betrayal were proved. In fact, this may be your great strategy to get out of this mess. We can continue the thesis that Bahadur wanted his position and invented all these stories.

— I do not know if I understand you between the lines, I think its best that I do not want to understand. But think Nasr: why would Bahadur be murdered? His murder reinforces his accusations against me. What's more, they will find Stephen's body and will eventually identify it, further reinforcing the history of Bahadur. I'm screwed Nasr and now I cannot even count on any help from the Sultana.

— You need to stay calm, you cannot show this desperation in front of the officers who come to talk to you.

You mean, come and arrest me, do not you?

— I mean, I'm sorry, no one's after you. As I said you are not conspiring as Subh, at least not in a way that they could imagine or find out, so it is necessary to be calm and demonstrate complete ignorance about what happened.

— But Nasr, Ghufran had been here, talked with us, I traveled with him and together we questioned a parish priest in Almodóvar del Río. How do we respond to this? I do not know how, you know? You do not want to see the obvious. Please, I'm not blaming you for bringing him in, this does not lead to anything, so you do not have to be just on the defensive, you did not make that stupid thing of killing Bahadur. We better face, as you said, without despair. It's done, we cannot change that. We do not know what happened at that moment and that made him act the way he acted, maybe he had to do what he did once confront, but the question is: why he ventured into a clear risk. He was reckless and committed us. How long do you think the Hajib envoys will knock here at the Library door?

— Certainly, still today. Work as if everything is quite normal, it's the best thing to do. You do not know what happened and you must be natural in your behavior. Surely, they are still watching us, though I think the death of Bahadur disarms our opposition. And do not forget that no one has seen Ghufran in Bahadur's house or in Al-Zahara, so if it comes to light that you went to Almodóvar del Río with him we will find an answer to offer them, but I do not think they will make that connection. They are not so good investigators so. This group only sees what is in front of their noses. The confessor is dead, at least he will not say anything else and his supposed written confession does not exist, let's wait for the events. You're rushing.

— Indeed, where is this confession, I understand that you have destroyed it. Let's see if I understand: then I did not see anything, I do not know anything, is this kind of defense I must do?

— Yes, for the time being, said Nasr, getting up and making sure to leave his door open, for he never kept it closed without, however, answering the question about the written confession.

***

As agreed with Bahadur, Aziz would return in the middle of the morning to take Stephen to a safe place hoping that he had already completed all his testimony.

He knocked twice without a reply. He was not in the habit of going into Bahadur's house, but the delay in attending was not even more usual when one was expected. Even afraid he decided to come in and call him from the foyer.

It was strange that the door was not closed. She was half-open, which was unusual as well. He pushed open the door and hit the front view in the hallway. There was a fallen bloody body. It was Bahadur and he was dead. By stiffness, cadaver estimated that he was dead for at least six hours. He stumbled into the room at the top of the corridor and came upon another macabre vision. Stephen was lying dead in a pool of blood, judging that death had been at least the same number of hours as the other body. There was no sign of any confession written by Stephen. There was no sign of fighting. The two victims should have been caught unawares. There was nothing he could do. He was terrified and surprised at the picture he had seen. He was that kind of brave guy in a group, but he alone did not deal with danger. Left everything as it was. He left the house and went to the office of Bahadur's friend in the police force, Abbas, who had not been much involved in Bahadur's tasks, but whom he had known during the process.

The distance between Bahadur's house and Abbas's office was not too great and he got there in about 20 minutes. Abbas was busy in a conversation with a superior and he waited until he was finished. I did not want to talk to anyone else. He did not feel good in front of law enforcement officials, he made an exception for Abbas that he had just met and had even had one or two drinks at the beginning of the work.

As soon as Abbas finished his conversation he was informed of Aziz's presence and invited him to enter and sit in a small room. As he sat down at his table and poured two cups of tea offering one to his visitor, he addressed Aziz in an explanatory tone:

— Then I suppose you come and complain that we are not supplying Bahadur with all the resources he asked for. We have a staff problem as always and, after all, that was a pretty crazy story, right?

— So crazy that has already given a motive for two murders, that's what I come here inform to you.

— What, Abbas said, almost pouring tea on the table as he passed it to Aziz.

Aziz then reported in detail, what he had witnessed when he was to pick up a person who was supposed to be waiting for him at Bahadur's house. He began his account from the delivery of Stephen early in the morning to Bahadur, where he would write a statement about the events related to the case that Bahadur was setting against the Chief Librarian and related to the story that Abbas had just classified as crazy. He said he had come back to pick up Stephen and take him somewhere else when he found the scene he described to Abbas, where two people had been brutally murdered in cold blood.

Abbas looked at Aziz with an incredulous look and then said,

— It seems then that the crazy story turned into a double homicide case. Why did not you go straight to the police? You know we're not field officers. We are of the intelligence, more linked to the control of the faith, and these things do not come straight to us.

— I know you, I do not know anybody in the police, and I think your friendship and what you have had of Bahadur's favors suggest that you help me by conducting this investigation as best I can.

— I see you do not want to get involved. You're already involved my dear. It's all right. You can leave it with me. I forward the case and within minutes a team will appear at the address. I want you to stay here. They may need you at the crime's local.

Saying this Abbas left the room for a few moments and Aziz noticed through the half-open door that he was talking to another officer in the hallway. Within minutes he came back and said that everything was in order. A team was already heading for the site and Abbas should be waiting, as it might have to be heard by the investigators who would take care of the case.

— I do not mind waiting here, even if I stay all day. I owe it to Bahadur. Everything indicated at first that the death of Bahadur did not disarticulate his web as Nasr assessed.

The first term I chose to end this paragraph was the crime scene. However, analyzing better it concludes that this term could send the readers to the forensic science that did not exist at the time of the events. It must be remembered that the term forensics comes from Latin and means "before the Forum". Although there are records in the history of forensic science that the Romans used methods of clarifying crimes, forensic science will only appear in the 16th century and begin to pick up momentum in the 18th century. At the time of events, the only instruments of proof were witness Force and normal testimony. The only thing that Aziz could contribute to the "crime scene" would be the clarification of the background of the former priest's arrival at Bahadur's house. As Ghufran was not seen no suspicion could fall on him unless of inferences, but not evidence.