In other circumstances I would not mention this, but you should know that I have made grants and donations of nearly twenty million dollars in the last three years. This can all be confirmed in New York, by my lawyers, my accountant. Even the charities will tell you.’
‘But you still have a tidy sum in the bank.’
Loz uncrossed his legs and threw his hands out hopelessly. ‘Of course, but the money was gained honourably on the rising market of the late nineties. Would it be any different if I had invested in new technology and sold at the right moment? What’s the problem with real estate?’
‘The difference to us is that you were investing on behalf of a Middle Eastern terrorist organisation. Where the profits from those deals went is certainly interesting, and you will face questions on this when you return to the United States. That is a legitimate concern of the FBI and I will make sure Special Agent Ollins is fully briefed with the information we have. No one can protect you from that. But for the moment I want to know what occurred when you met Khan in London in 1997.’ He raised a hand. ‘Before you answer, be clear that I have the authority to turn you over to Marenglen if I’m not satisfied with what you say.’
He nodded. ‘Look, there isn’t a problem about this. Karim phoned me in New York and said he wanted my advice. He was like that. He relied on me, trusted my judgement.’
‘And you agreed to go to London?’
‘Yes, I flew the next day and we spent a couple of days together, seeing old haunts, talking about Bosnia. Eventually he got round to the subject of Afghanistan. He told me he had decided to join The Poet in Pakistan. As I explained this was our name for a man he had met in Bosnia whose real name we did not know. Anyway, Karim was offered a role in Afghanistan training fighters. That can mean a lot of things. Karim understood it to mean that he would be continuing the war against the oppressors of Islam on Afghanistan’s northern borders, the republics of the former Soviet Union. But he was torn between Western and Muslim values and wanted the moral view of what he was going to do. He felt I would understand because I had suffered the same agonies of guilt in Bosnia. I told him that he should stay in London and return to medicine. But he was caught up with the idea of himself as this great adventurer, even though he knew the horrors of war and had seen the very worst things in Bosnia. We had an argument – a terrible argument – because I could not believe he was going to make this mistake. I was appalled, disappointed. I accused him of being addicted to killing and failing to face his responsibilities as a human being, a doctor and a good Muslim. For his part he said I was a coward and running away from my duties as a Muslim. We made it up the following day, which was when I gave him those postcards and some money.’
‘How many postcards?’
‘Oh, a handful. I can’t remember.’
‘And how much money?’ asked Harland.
‘I don’t recall exactly – fifteen thousand dollars, something like that.’
‘Did you hear from him again, apart from the postcards?’
‘No.’
Herrick looked at Harland then asked, ‘If you haven’t changed your address in the last six or seven years, presumably your phone number hasn’t changed either?’
‘No, it’s the same.’
‘So why didn’t he call you instead of sending these postcards? There was very little guarantee of them getting through to you. Why didn’t he just pick up the phone and ask you to wire him some money?’
‘I have wondered about that,’ said Loz. ‘Maybe he was worried about the calls being monitored.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘But it still doesn’t really make sense, unless of course he had to send those cards because of the coded messages in them.’
Harland stood up and let his right arm slide down his thigh.
‘You shouldn’t do that yet,’ said Loz gently. ‘In a week’s time you can begin the exercises I showed you, but not yet.’
‘Isis makes a good point,’ said Harland, removing his hand and straightening.
‘I agree,’ said Loz, ‘but I can’t answer her question.’
‘You must have some idea of The Poet’s identity,’ she said. ‘There can’t have been many Bosnian commanders that Khan was friendly with.’
‘I believe he was originally a scholar… but I only inferred that from what Khan said.’
‘Where was he from?’ asked Herrick.
‘The East, maybe Pakistan or Iran, but I do not know.’
‘And you think this is the man that Khan can tell us about? What reason do you have for believing he’s still alive?’
‘Because he was very smart. Khan was in awe of him. He said he was the most civilised and dangerous man he had ever met. Those were the words he used – civilised and dangerous. ’
Herrick took out a piece of paper and wrote ‘Phone Dolph’, then on a second line, ‘Beirut’. She had suddenly had an idea.
‘But all this is guesswork,’ said Harland contemptuously. ‘I need a lot more.’
‘We really need to know everything that you know,’ said Isis, leaning forward and looking into Loz’s eyes. ‘Trust us for Christ’s sake. We’ve certainly earned that.’
Loz breathed in deeply, seemingly to savour the air. ‘Eighteen months ago I was phoned by a man in New York. He was a foreigner, but well-spoken and educated. He said something like, “I expect you have heard of me. I am The Poet.” I knew he must have been given my number by Khan, so I listened and he told me straight away that he wanted thirty thousand dollars. He said there was no question of my not giving it to him – he made it sound as if I owed him. In the background of what he was saying there was a threat and I understood that he would harm me if didn’t give him what he wanted. So I got the money together the next day, put it in a bag and began to walk to the agreed meeting place in Union Square. He specified that I should walk, even though it was winter and there was a lot of snow on the ground. On the way, a homeless beggar came up to me asking for money. He wouldn’t leave me alone and followed me down the street, then he grabbed hold of my arm and handed me a card which said, “The Poet thanks you for your donation.” He reached out and took the bag from my hand.’
‘You gave thirty thousand dollars to a New York beggar?’ said Harland incredulously.
‘Yes. When I got back to the building there was the same message on my answerphone. “The Poet thanks you for your donation.” ’
‘You were had,’ said Harland.
‘I don’t think so. Two days later I received an Arabic inscription in a frame. You remarked on it when I was treating you. If you remember, it says, “A man who is noble does not pretend to be noble, any more than a man who is eloquent feigns eloquence. When a man exaggerates his qualities, it is because of something lacking in himself. The bully gives himself airs because he is conscious of his weakness.” Also in the package was this…’ he opened his jacket, then handed Herrick a small black and white photograph wrapped in cellophane. It was of Karim Khan dressed in tribal costume and sporting a boldly patterned turban. ‘This was proof that he was in touch with Khan and had seen him recently. I suppose it was also proof of his own identity.’
‘Why didn’t you show me this before?’
‘Because you’re of a sceptical disposition, Mr Harland. If you don’t mind me saying, you’re too nervous to believe.’
‘I would have believed a bloody picture,’ said Harland, holding it away from him.
‘You need glasses,’ said Loz.
Harland took no notice and put the photograph in his wallet. ‘I’ll keep this for the moment.’
‘What did this man look like? ’ asked Herrick.
‘A homeless person,’ he smiled. ‘I’m being serious. He was covered in coats and wore a long beard. I couldn’t see his face beneath it all and anyway he was a few inches shorter than I am. Maybe only five foot five or six.’
‘So you’re telling us you may have seen The Poet?’
‘I have no doubt about that.’
‘When was this?’
‘The winter of 2000, just after the millennium celebrations. ’
Harland walked to the door and opened it. ‘Right, that will be all for the moment. We will talk later.’
When Loz had left he looked at Herrick and said, ‘Well?’
‘We either believe all of it or none of it. Either way, there’s nothing we can do about Khan.’
