A chance to love again

XVIII

Can

I meet the private investigator that same evening, Mr Özkan is an energetic man with a witty look, he immediately inspires confidence in me, I feel that his intervention could be decisive in resolving the situation.

He asks me to give him all the information I have, a photo of Sanem, her personal details, her mobile phone number. He tells me that if she has her mobile phone with her and turns it on even once a day, we have a good chance of locating her with a good territorial approximation.

He seems optimistic, he will start by looking up her name on bus, train and plane reservation lists while the localisation software waits for her to switch on her phone.

He asks me how far I think she might have gone and, after a moment's thought, I reply that I think she hasn't gone far, so I ask him to check if maybe she hasn't reached her friend Ayhan in Bursa.

We leave with the understanding that we will talk as soon as there is any news, he reassures me that since only one day has passed since her departure there is a good chance of finding some trace of her.

I sincerely hope so, I am definitely worried about Sanem, thinking of her alone somewhere, still not fully recovered from the terrible accident she had a little over a month ago, causes me a certain apprehension, I hope to be able to find out where she is soon and reach her as soon as possible.

Precisely in view of the fact that I plan to be away in the near, I hope very near, future, I must necessarily concentrate as much as possible on preparing the campaign for a famous high fashion clothing company.

This is a very important client for Fikri Harika, I have to make sure that the launch of the new spring line is a great success. We work non-stop for two days with Deren and the whole creative team, practically going home late at night and returning to the agency at the crack of dawn. My only consolation is that this feverish pace keeps me from thinking about the horrible situation I've gotten myself into, and I hope to hear from Mr Özkan soon.

He calls me on the day of the presentation of the new line, the agency is in total frenzy in anticipation of the elegant event planned for that evening in a renowned hotel in the centre of Istanbul.

- Tell me Mr. Özkan, do you have any news for me? -

- Yes, I have good news, as I told you, since we moved practically immediately, it was easy to track  her movements, I'm sorry to disappoint you, you thought he hasn't gone far but I must inform you that I have found a reservation for an international flight at her name -

- A flight? Sanem has never flown before, I can't believe it. Where did she go?

- Well Mr. Can, I read your biography and saw that you studied at the Italian high school in Istanbul, I think this knowledge will be useful to you if you want to reach your Sanem, because I know she left on the 9.35 flight on Thursday morning to Naples -

- Naples? Naples? And what were she doing in Naples? -

- That we'll have to find out, because by the way from Naples she can be moved anywhere, even very far away, we can't know. Now we have to wait in the hope of locating her phone to be able to circumscribe the area where she is at the moment.
I will call you as soon as I have more news, görüşürü Can bay, goodbye.-

I close the call shaking my head, I am incredulous at the idea that the fragile girl, who has never left the reassuring safety of her neighbourhood, has taken a flight for the first time to even go to Italy. I can't get over the fact that she did it, I can't understand why she decided to go so far away and why Naples.

I am forced to abandon my lucubration, since a Deren in the grip of the usual pre-presentation nervous breakdown calls me back in a loud voice to ask me to help her solve the umpteenth last-minute crisis.

The day is one of those hectic and endless ones, I leave the agency to go home and change for the evening presentation of the new campaign.
I arrive at the hotel that is hosting the event well in advance to help the guys to finalize the last details of the presentation, it is a very elegant clothing line and the company is very prestigious, we can not afford mistakes because we will be in the spotlight of the press and television and many potential customers will be present at the event.

Fortunately Deren, being the skilled professional that she is, managed the presentation perfectly and was a huge success with the audience that filled the large event hall. I am really pleased with the work done by the whole team and enormously happy to have completed this job so that I can leave the agency without any problems as soon as I know for sure where to find Sanem.

I am lost in these considerations when I feel someone put a hand on my arm, I turn around smiling, thinking it is someone from the agency, to find a smiling Polen in front of me, as relaxed as if we had left the day before after a pleasant aperitif. I am about to tell her what I think of her at that moment when we are interrupted by the arrival of a third person whom I never expected to see there.

- Merhaba Can -

-Merhaba Osman, what brings you here? - As I'm asking this question I realise that Polen still has one hand resting on my arm and without being too noticeable I take a step away forcing her to remove it.

- I'm one of the company's models, I've posed for the spring collection and I'm about to start shooting for the summer one -

I nod, trying to look interested and calm when the only thing I want to do is to get away as quickly as possible from that woman who has only been a source of problems and anguish for me.

Osman casts a glance from her to me and then takes his leave with a thoughtful look.

I immediately turn to Polen trying to speak as quietly as possible so as not to make a scene, this was neither the time nor the place.

- Polen, I told you that I don't want anything more to do with you.

I don't want to see you anymore, I've told you before and I'll tell you again, stay away from me.

- But Can, let me explain please, I didn't mean to... -

-You wanted, you wanted and as if you wanted. If you knew what you have caused with your machinations, with your continuous interference in my relationship with Sanem. Because of you I lost the only woman I ever loved in my life.

I see her flinch, struck by my words which, I realise, have been quite harsh considering we've been together almost three years, but she deserves nothing more than that.

Maybe she will understand once and for all that there is no hope of me getting back with her.

I turn and walk away without giving her time to add anything else, I have nothing more to say, I've said what I had to