The City and the City

Borlú is escorted past border security into the city of Ul Qoma, where he meets his counterpart, Senior Detective Qussim Dhatt. Dhatt drives through the city, showing him the sights, sights that Borlú has spent his whole life unseeing, but that are now sprawled out before him. They discuss the case and clarify their roles (Borlú is strictly a consultant). As they arrive at the hotel, Dhatt informs him of a potential “complication.” Geary’s closest friend, Yolanda Rodriguez, is missing. 

Borlú’s search of Geary’s dorm room yields nothing. That night, Borlú makes arrangements with Dhatt to visit Bol Ye’an the next day. Eager to continue the investigation, he walks to the excavation site alone that night. He is stopped by police, but he shows his papers and mentions Dhatt’s name, after which they escort him back to his hotel. The next morning, Dhatt is upset that Borlú has overstepped his bounds as a consultant. He may not conduct any independent investigation.

At the dig site, they interview Professor Rochambeaux, the head of the project, who doesn’t know anything about Geary or Rodriguez. As they explore the site, they encounter David Bowden, whose graduate student advisee, it turns out, is