‘Right. But they still must have suspected a connection between Loz and the assassination of Norquist.’
‘And Khan?’ he said.
‘Khan? No, I don’t think so.’
‘You’re very certain of that.’
‘Yes, Khan is an innocent, in as much as any fighter with his kind of record can be innocent. The point of Karim Khan is that Sammi Loz loves him. You’ve seen the way he looks at Khan in there. Actually I find it quite moving to think he would cast everything to the wind because of this man. But that’s the point, that’s why we’re here. It’s Sammi Loz they’re interested in.’
Harland’s eyes had come to rest on a beetle doggedly making its way across the path. ‘I see,’ he said eventually. ‘You think the Chief has put both of them on ice here, taken Sammi Loz out of circulation?’
She nodded impatiently. ‘Sorry, have I been going a bit fast for you?’
He didn’t smile.
‘Tell me about Loz’s life in New York,’ she said. ‘What kind of man are we dealing with here? I need to know more.’
‘He’s well-connected. He has beautiful consulting rooms in the Empire State building. He dines at the best places. Knows the best-looking women. A perfect life for a certain type of bachelor.’
‘Any permanent girlfriend?’
‘I would guess not. Why?’
‘I’m wondering if that’s his weakness. We know he’s prepared to risk everything for Khan, so clearly he is a man who follows his emotions. To that extent, he’s impulsive.’
‘The one woman I saw him with in a restaurant was dismissed from his presence without much ceremony.’ He stopped. ‘You’re not thinking you…’
‘Jesus, no. He’s attractive. Anyone can see that. But I’m hardly his type. Besides, I’ve always thought that seduction was overrated as an interrogation technique.’
Harland started to say something but decided against it.
‘What?’
‘Nothing… Look, I want you to be careful over the next few days.’ He took her arm to move away from the buildings. The sun was plunging towards the mountains leaving the landscape bathed in a creamy apricot light. Through a gap in the trees she saw a pair of purple-green herons stalking the waters below. Beyond them a kingfisher hovered.
‘Foyzi was right,’ she said. ‘It’s extraordinary here. Almost too much to take in.’
‘I mean it, Isis,’ said Harland severely, pulling her round to face him. ‘If for one moment Loz realises you’re stalking him through your questioning of Khan, you’ll be in trouble.’
‘Foyzi’s here,’ she said. ‘His men are all over the island, though one never sees them. And I’ve got one thing going for me: the fact that we went to so much trouble to spring Khan. No one could doubt the value we place on him, not when nearly a dozen people flew from Britain to free him. Not even Loz. That was brilliant of Teckman. I just wish he had told us, that’s all.’
They walked back to the villa where Foyzi told them that the truck was already waiting on the east bank. Harland picked up his stuff and they walked down to the river’s edge where he gave her an awkward kiss that missed her cheek and landed on the fabric of her hood. ‘Foyzi, you look after her,’ he called up the bank.
‘What were you going to say back there?’ she asked.
‘That Teckman has left you on this island without the standard backup of a lot of puffing, red-faced SIS officers, for a reason.’
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I’d got there.’
He produced a Walther P38 from his jellaba, together with half a dozen clips of ammunition, and offered them to her.
‘I hardly know how to fire one of those things,’ she said.
‘You might as well take it. I’ll have to dump it or give it away before I leave the country.’
‘Right.’ She took it and let it drop into the pocket of her robe.
‘You’ve got my mobile number – it’s good for anywhere. Call me.’
‘What, for dinner?’ she said sourly.
He shook his head with mild exasperation, wedged his bag in the bow of the little wooden skiff and clambered in, knocking his shin against the rowlock and swearing. Herrick smiled and began to climb the bank. She did not give the boat a second glance as it slipped downstream into the dusk.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
She slept deeply that night and woke at six the next morning. After bread and coffee she went to Khan’s room, taking her recorder and the notepad on which she had ordered a series of questions. Khan was propped up, smiling tentatively, as if a dream was about to come to an end. Beside him Loz worked in the morning light at a cane table, setting out the medicine and throwing solicitous glances in his friend’s direction. Foyzi stood by the door and nodded to her as she came in.
‘I must congratulate you on these supplies,’ said Loz. ‘I haven’t wanted for anything yet, though we may need a little more of one or two drugs and I’m running low on the ointment. Any chance of a fresh delivery?’
‘Maybe we can get something from Luxor,’ she said pleasantly, sitting down on the opposite side of the bed from Loz. ‘You’re looking a lot better, Karim. You seem to have put on a little weight.’
‘I hope so,’ he said.
‘We were just reminiscing about our life in London,’ said Loz. ‘We were trying to think of a restaurant we used to go to where there was a very pretty waitress that Karim took a fancy to. She was Polish. The food and service were atrocious but Karim insisted we had to eat there because of her. What was her name?’
Khan shook his head, unable to help.
‘Katya!’ said Loz triumphantly. ‘That was it. She was a real beauty. She’s probably two hundred pounds today, five children and a vodka habit.’ He paused. ‘The restaurant was in Camden High Street. We played snooker nearby, then went round to order just before the kitchen closed. You see, Karim wanted to walk her home at the end of the evening but after spending all that money we discovered she was having an affair with the owner.’
Karim was smiling, borne along with Loz’s enthusiasm.
‘Actually, I also wanted to talk about the past,’ Isis said.
‘If Karim feels strong enough,’ said Loz.
‘I’m sure the rest last night will have done him good. When you were on your way to Bosnia you travelled together, is that right? In a lorry?’
They both nodded.
‘What date was this?’
‘February 1993, I think,’ said Loz.
‘And you were prevented from going all the way to Sarajevo by Serb troops?’
‘Actually the Croats,’ said Loz.
‘I’d prefer it if Khan answers,’ she said, switching the recorder on and resting it against the chair leg.
‘Yes, the Croats,’ said Khan.
‘So you made your way with UN vehicles into Sarajevo. What was the point of that?’ She glanced at the recorder to check its light was pulsing in time with her speech.
‘No, we got a lift in a plane. We took all the medicine we could carry.’
‘Did you travel with any fellow medical students?’
‘No.’
‘So this expedition was your own idea?’
‘Yes, we felt for our fellow Muslims. It was something we thought of together. I raised the money and we took two other people, one of whom could speak the language. But they both turned back with the truck.’
‘So you got to Sarajevo and delivered your supplies. Then what?’
‘We both worked in the hospitals. A lot of people were being injured by the snipers and in the daily
