The Way to Dehradun. A detective adventure story. Tatiana Sokoloff

out through a girl she knew at Aeroflot that Roman had checked in and shown up for the flight, which meant that he had flown to India. What happened to him next?

      Yana knew that this case would deal an irreparable blow to the reputation of her company.

      Most importantly, she was worried about this overly intelligent young man who clearly wouldn’t be able to take care of himself.

      The Indian partner was in constant contact with the hotel, but Roman never showed up there.

      Yana knew from Oksana Fyodorovna that Roman was not married and lived with his mother in the center of Moscow on the Arbat street and Roman’s mother was a long-time friend of Oksana Fyodorovna. Roman had stomach problems, and in previously, Yana worked with a star gastroenterologist, which is why they arranged for Roman to visit the clinic where this miracle doctor worked.

      Early in the morning, Yana and Oksana Fyodorovna locked themselves in the director’s office to discuss the situation.

      Oksana Fyodorovna wailed:

      “What am I going to tell Valentina, for God’s sake, what is this?” Where could the boy have gone?”

      Yana sat with her teeth clenched and drew something on a piece of paper.

      “We need to fly to India right away,” Yana said confidently. “I have to dig this case up on the spot. Oksana Fyodorovna, please apply for an e-visa for me and book a ticket for the exact same Aeroflot flight as Roman’s”.

      “Yana dear, I’ll do everything, don’t worry.”

      Yana has already visited India three times at exhibitions on medical tourism. She really liked India, the amazing colors of this country, friendly and a little naive people. On one of these trips, Yana visited Calcutta, she was the only Russian from the entire delegation, so the meeting with the Russian ambassador to India, who came to this event, turned out to be very warm. Calcutta literally captivated Yana, they were even taken to the monastery where Mother Teresa lived and worked. Yana has always admired this amazing woman who devoted herself to serving poor and sick people. The small photo of Mother Teresa that Yana had brought back from Calcutta was always on her desk, and it always seemed to her that it gave off a special light.

      Yana tried to help people with all her heart in her business, and although it was her business, she did not take money for her services from children’s requests, from people with low incomes.

      Yana loved photographing, especially portraits of people. She had a whole collection of photographs of Indian ordinary people on the streets. She did not want to believe or even assume that these people could do any harm to her patient.

      Departure should be early in the morning, the electronic visa was confirmed literally immediately after filling out the application.

      Yana called the Russian Embassy in Delhi and reported the disappearance of a Russian citizen. The Embassy will also use its resources to find Roman Petritsky.

      She packed a small backpack for the trip, putting everything she needed there. “I have to be mobile,” Yana thought. Although she usually took her favorite suitcase on the road, which had already been through fire, water and copper pipes.

      Recently, Yana did not take a laptop with her on business trips, but learned how to work with an iPhone. It was convenient. With her smartphone, she could work from anywhere in the world, sign accounting documents and contracts. Her iPhone became her secretary and assistant in all matters.

      She tried to switch off for at least a couple of hours before leaving for the airport. As always, she sat down on the path before leaving the house, as her mother taught her. Yana wished herself success in this adventurous journey, but the main thing is that she finds Roman alive and unharmed.

      – Have a nice trip, – she said, and went in search of her missing client.

      Chapter Four

      Alex Karte left Dr. Mueller’s office feeling upset. The doctor said that with his diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease, he would be able to survive without a transplant for no more than a month, and Mr. Karte did not have a related donor who would donate his kidney to him. Every time Alex visited the doctor, he hoped for a miracle, but alas, the miracle did not happen. He had long since started exploring the black market for organ sales, but he was afraid to trust anyone. But now it’s time to take a chance – otherwise goodbye, life. And he really wanted to live for at least ten more years, and even for five years.

      Alex Karte was a well-off man, formerly a well-known German lawyer, and now retired. He had a beloved wife, a daughter, a respectable house in Bavaria, and a quiet, measured life. Everything would have been fine if his health hadn’t failed. In recent years, he has been doing nothing but his treatment, but the situation has gradually worsened anyway. And now he was facing a serious decision.

      Arriving home, Alex opened his laptop, found in it the contacts of a Turkish company that guaranteed to find a donor and perform a kidney transplant for 130 thousand dollars, and slowly dialed the number.

      On the other end, he heard a pleasant female voice:

      – Merhaba, this is the office of the Anakhtar company, how can I help you?

      – I urgently need a kidney transplant donor – can you help me with this promptly?

      – We select a donor within three days after the payment is credited to our company’s account. The operation is carried out in Turkey, Dubai or India, at the client’s choice. Send a request and medical statements to our email address, and we will send you an invoice for fifty percent of the full package of services, and you will pay the rest before the operation. Do you still have any questions?

      – How is the operation going? Is a diseased kidney removed with a one-time transplant of a new kidney, or is a healthy kidney simply transplanted without removing the old one?

      – It all depends on each specific patient’s situation, it is decided by the doctor immediately before the operation.

      – Thanks, – Alex said, and hung up.

      After the conversation, he decided to send a request to the email address listed on their website, attached all his latest medical reports and resolutely clicked on sending the letter.

      No one was at home, his wife taught at the university, and his daughter worked as a researcher at the Bavarian National Museum.

      Alex turned on his favorite composer Vivaldi, “The Four Seasons,” and he especially liked “Summer.”

      To the music of Vivaldi, Alex Karte, comfortably stretched out in a rocking chair, fell into a deep senile sleep.

      Chapter Five

      Yana was sitting with headphones on and listening to an audiobook near gate number thirty-one, where the flight was supposed to board. The landing was still not announced, there was already a slight delay. And finally, the light board came on, inviting passengers to fly to Delhi. About fifty people lined up for boarding.

      Yana always took a place near the window, so it was easier for her to retire, no one bothered her to go to the toilet. And now, plopping down in an armchair, she suddenly saw Oksana Fyodorovna, who had appeared from nowhere, sitting next to her.

      – Don’t be surprised, Yana, I couldn’t let you go on this dangerous journey alone. Moreover, Roman is like a son to me, and I am responsible for him to Valentina.

      At first, Yana wanted to scold her faithful assistant, but then, sighing, she said:

      – Well, then, we’ll unravel together, especially since reliable and trusted person is nearby – it’s worth a lot.

      – I’m so glad, that you’re not angry with me.

      – We need to work out a plan of action. I think we should