Jesse James, Zachary Taylor and Yves Montand…Is Ms. Bhutto next?
This online CNN story struck Vincenzo Kolchak as strange and
threw him into a reverie which produced the vignette below the image.
Bhutto exhumation okay, Pakistan official says
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) — The Pakistani government has no problem with officials from Benazir Bhutto’s political party exhuming the slain opposition leader’s body if they see a need to do so, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Saturday.
Supporters of Benazir Bhutto march in a demonstration in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday.
Brig. Javed Iqbal Cheema made the remark when asked about comments from a top Bhutto aide who helped bathe Benazir Bhutto’s body after her death.
Sherry Rehman, Pakistan People’s Party information secretary, said it was clear that the former Pakistani prime minister suffered bullet wounds to her head, contrary to a government report that she died because she hit her head on a sunroof lever.
Cheema noted that if Rehman — as she said — believes she saw bullet wounds that caused Bhutto’s death, “We don’t mind if the People’s Party leadership wants her body to be exhumed and post-mortemed. They are most welcome, but we gave you what the facts are.”
***
***
Holmes was in one of his petulant moods and had just spent an excruciating hour on his violin trying to master Schoenberg themes. It was too wet to escape out of doors, so I said, with some heat, as a way to distract him, Holmes come here to the window, “What do you make of this fellow.”
Holmes scowled but put down his violin and joined me at the window that overlooked Baker Street. I pointed to think, dusky faced man, across the street, looking alternatively at a small piece of paper in his hand and at the flats on our side of the street. He looked perplexed.
“Watson?”
“Uh . . . Yes . . . ?”
“What is so troubling about that man?”
“I don’t know . . . he strikes me as strange, you know, Holmes . . .”
“Nothing strange at all.”
“No?”
“No . . . He is in fact looking for us.”
“Him?”
“Yes, that vole-like man, from the sub-continent, obviously military, doubtless a field grade officer, myopic, vain, and desperate for his survival, but under no immediate threat.’
‘Holmes, how can you say . . . ?”
Holmes raised a hand, “Watson, listen. In spite of the rain, he carries himself erectly, while all others on the street hunch themselves forward to keep dry. He designs offers of help, clearly a man too proud to admit he needs help, hence the field grade officer. That he is myopic should be obvious from his difficulty in reading 221b from across the street and vain because he refuses to wear his glasses in public.”
“Desperate?”
“Watson, the look on his face may look merely perplexed, but for a military officer, it is hiding panic. No immediate threat is shown by the fact that he is alone with neither batman nor guard.”
“But . . . Holmes . . . How do you . . . ?” My remarks were stifled as the man quickly crossed the street and we heard the doorbell ring.”
Within moments, Mrs. Hudson had escorted our visitor to our digs. Holmes opened the door and took the man’s soaked greatcoat and seated him by the fire. “Dry yourself out, General. Given your religious beliefs, I won’t offer you’re a brandy unless, you . . . ?”
The man was shocked. “Mr. Holmes, how . . .?”
“Elementary, my dear General . . . Watson, may I introduce you to General Musharraff of Pakistan.”
I was shocked and took a large draught of my brandy before shaking his hand.
“My associate Dr. Watson spent many years in your part of the world.”
Musharraf looked at me with earnest curiosity, Perhaps we can talk of your experiences after I speak with Mr. Holmes . . . forgive me, but this is a matter requiring utmost secrecy.”
Holmes said, “Please feel free to speak in front of Dr. Watson. . . He is the soul of discretion. And I will value his assistance, I sure”
I was flattered as Musharraf stammered: “Of course . . . and . . .
I. . . I think I’ll have a very small brandy, for the cold.”Holmes gave Musharraf a small dram glass of brandy which he sipped, much as a child will lap at an unpleasant cough syrup.
The General began by putting on a pair of gold, wire-framed spectacles. “Mr. Holmes, you have heard, no doubt of the tragic events that have befallen my country. They are compounded because suspicion for the death of Mllle. Bhutto has fallen on my administration and even upon me. It threatens my rule and the future stability of my nation.”
Inwardly I groaned, “Bloody little wogs — had to have independence, did they? Lot of good it did them. Far better off under the Raj, but for the little shyster Gandhi … Not even a bloody Indian citizen, but a South African! Why didn’t he stay there to free the bloody blacks?” They would have shown him what for!” But I kept my own counsel and listened.
Holmes interjected, “General, you came alone, unguarded?”
“There is no immediate danger — besides, the British tend to think that little brown men all look alike, so traveling incognito was no problem. I flew to Paris and took the Chunnel train. Muslims pass more easily by rail and attract less attention and kept my anonymity in the crowds at the stations. A simple tube ride and no one was the wiser. Except, of course, for you”
“Please proceed General.”
“Mr. Holmes . . . My position is such, not to put too fine a point on it, a delicate one. Even if Mlle. Bhutto had perished on a theme park ride accident at Cedar Point in Ohio, I would still have been suspect. My problem is a very specific one.”
“The precise cause of death?”
“Exactly Mr. Holmes — you are well informed.”
Holmes fixed the General with an inquisitorial eye. “Have you the toxicological results.”
The General, taken aback, was shocked: “Mr. Holmes this is incredible, how could you. . . our first preliminary results show the presence of . . .”
“Of laudanum, General?”
The General taken a back again, said in mock surrender, a resigned smile on his face, “Yes, Mr. Holmes, laudanum.”
And thus began the most curious adventure that I would chronicle as The Case of the Misanthropic Jihadist.
***
*
Images: (Book jacket) Signet via lib.utexas.edu; (poster) via allposters.com; (Musharraf & silhouette) tribuneindia.com; (riot in poster) (courtesy of B.K.Bangash/Associated Press) via thegoodemocrat.wordpress.com;