Hello Ester (Evening, Day 4)

It's strange but when I left the hotel this evening to get some dinner, there was nobody watching me. None of the crew assigned to follow me were anywhere to be seen. There were few places for them to hide and with risk of sounding boastful, I would have known were they trying to follow me. So yes, I was sure they had given up following me, probably, I guess, because of Mehmed Esad.

What had he told his superiors? That he would sort it all out and personally hand me, Şehsuvar Sami, over to them? Or did he tell them that there was no reason to suspect me and that I was not a threat to the republic? That they could, in fact, make use of me and hire me to work for them?

Whichever one it was, Reşit's concerns were unfounded. As far as I could tell, it was Cezmi Kenan that suspected Mehmed Esad. He and Reşit must have spoken last night or this morning. But how had Reşit identified and recognised Mehmed Esad? He obviously knew him and had seen him entering or leaving the hotel, and this must have stoked his suspicions. He must have then asked the lads at reception what he had been doing at the hotel, with Ömer reporting back to his boss as per what he had seen. When Reşit found out Mehmed Esad had used a fake name, his suspicions must have been exacerbated even further, making him believe he had a duty to inform me that he was nearby. And what if Reşit is right? What if Mehmed Esad really is a shady character? It is possible, after all. I haven't seen the man for years and now suddenly he turns up out of nowhere, after all this time. Nevertheless, Mehmed Esad's offer is intriguing, and moreover, it is hardly the offer of a traitor. And what about Reşit – how much can he be trusted? He is clearly being influenced by Cezmi Kenan, a man whose honesty cannot be faulted but whose thinking is also linear and predictable. For him, if somebody is not on our side, he is either an enemy or a spy.