The European Enigma (LSD, #9)

19. The Hungarian Hold-Up

The Hungarian Hold-Up

Police Captain Henry Csere lifted his right eyebrow and looked at the American on the other side of his desk: "I've heard some strange stories, Mister, but your story beats them all. It doesn't make sense."

The American lifted his hands and looked up like he expected help from the clinical neon light in the police station: "If you don't believe me... come with me and I'll show you."

Henry looked at his watch. It was almost lunchtime. He was hungry: "How long is this going to take? I have important things to do."

The American became more desperate every second: "More important than a tourist being robbed of 100.000 euros? You must be kidding. If we go by car, it's fifteen minutes from here. We can take a taxi, but... I can't pay for it; they robbed me, you know..."

Captain Henry took a deep breath: "Okay. We can take my car. But if I'm not back here in half an hour, you'll regret it."

Fourteen minutes later, the black sedan stopped at József Mindszenty Street, near the entrance of a bedraggled alley. Henry looked sadly at the masonry of the abandoned warehouses, the broken windows, the rusty fences around deserted factories, the puddles and the mud. He stepped out of the car and asked the American: "And what exactly were you doing here at 3:00 AM last night?"

The American entered the alley, gesturing for Henry to follow him: "I walked home after a night of entertainment."

"With 100.000 euros in your pocket?"

"I had been lucky."

Henry was surprised: "You had been gambling?"

The American reacted like Henry had been calling him names: "Gambling has been legal in Hungary since 1991. I've done nothing wrong. You should investigate the robbers, not me."

Henry pointed to the end of the alley: "And the first robber stood there?"

The American confirmed with a nod: "She looked innocent, vulnerable, just an old lady who sat there on her walking frame, taking a rest while taking a walk."

Henry didn't agree: "Taking a walk at 3:00 AM in this neighbourhood? What kind of people do that? Even now, at midday, there's nobody here taking a walk, walking his dog, jogging, or whatever."

"Well, I never gave it a second thought last night. I was... happy."

"You mean: drunk."

"Well, after winning that money, I sort of celebrated, and it was a waste to throw away half a bottle of champagne, so I finished it before I went home. But that's not the point. It's not illegal to be a little tipsy, as long as you don't drive a vehicle. The point is, when I came closer, the old lady took a handgun out of her purse, a Beretta Nano, and she pointed it at me. The old tart even smiled when she said: «Your money or your life.» Can you believe that?"

Henry thought it was a likeable gesture: "She could have shot you in the eye and taken the money. At least she gave you a choice."

The American had a different opinion: "Yeah, nice choice. It's like having the choice between electing a Democrat who promises to raise the taxes, and electing a Republican who promises to raise the taxes. The choice I had was to run or to fight. My only weapon was a pocket knife, useless in a gunfight, but the old lady's hand was trembling and she wore sunglasses, so I figured running away would give me a fair chance. She could easily miss me. So I looked around. And what did I see? Another old lady had cut off my escape route. She looked exactly like the woman with the Beretta, but instead of a walking frame, she was riding one of those electric scooters, and in her hand, she had an AK-47, loaded, with the security off."