The problem was that now it looked as if there might be linkage between Danny Wade and Robbie, the logical next step was to set up a HOLMES2 analysis of the material produced by both inquiries. But if CTC were in there, that avenue would be closed to them. She knew this was the time to protest, but she couldn’t do that without raising something Brandon knew nothing about. And this was not the time to undermine her Chief Constable.
‘And it’ll be nice and handy when we need you to help us out,’ David said cheerily. He pushed his chair back. ‘Right, I think we’re done here for now.’ He stood up.
Carol remained seated. ‘Do we have any numbers yet?’ she asked.
David looked down at the man on his right, the one with the quarter inch of hair. ‘Johnny?’
‘Thirty-five confirmed dead so far. Another ten or so critical in hospital. Somewhere in the order of a hundred and sixty injured, ranging from lost limbs to cuts and bruises.’
Now Carol stood up and took a couple of steps towards the door. ‘Oh, by the way, I probably should have mentioned: I’ve got a couple of officers on their way to Imran Begg’s address. Obviously, I sent them out before I knew you were here. I’ll let you know what they come up with, if you’ll give me a number I can reach you on?’
David’s face betrayed nothing. ‘Thanks for letting me know.’ He took a card from the inside pocket of his leather jacket and crossed the room to give it to her. All it said was DAVID and a mobile number. ‘I look forward to hearing from you, Carol. But it’s time to call off the dogs.’
She walked out with Brandon at her heels. Once they were outside, she rounded on him. ‘Do you seriously expect me to ignore this? Not to investigate the biggest crime ever to take place on my ground?’
Brandon refused to meet her eyes. ‘It’s out of our hands, Carol.
She shook her head. ‘A mad world. What about identifying the dead? Talking to their families?’
‘Uniform will handle that,’ Brandon said. ‘Do what you’re best at, Carol. Go and find Robbie Bishop’s killer. Believe me, you’re better out of this shit.’ He waved his arm to encompass the stadium and the CTC trailer. He shook his head sorrowfully and walked away.
‘We’ll see about that,’ Carol muttered. John Brandon seemed to have forgotten the crucial element of what made her the copper she was. Like Sam Evans, she was a maverick. But what motivated her, what had always motivated her, was not self-interest but a passion for justice. Something David and Johnny still had a lot to learn about. ‘The lesson starts here,’ she muttered.
The architects of the Kenton Mosque had made no attempt to have their building blend in with the surrounding area. A grid of red-brick terraces dating back to the turn of the twentieth century surrounded the off-white walls and gilt-topped minarets. ‘It never ceases to amaze me that they got planning permission for that,’ Kevin said as they drove into Wilberforce Street. ‘How do you think they pulled it off?’
Paula rolled her eyes. ‘How do you think, Kevin? The planning committee know they’d be heading straight for a shitstorm if they said no.’
‘Careful, Paula. You’re sounding a tad racist there,’ Kevin said, teasing her. He’d worked with enough racist cops to recognize one who wasn’t.
‘It’s not race, it’s religion I have a problem with. Doesn’t matter if it’s Ulster Protestants, Liverpool Catholics or Bradfield Muslims. I hate loudmouthed clerics who play the bigot card every time anyone says no to them. They create a climate of censorship and fear and I despise them for it. I tell you, I’ve never been more proud to be gay than when Parliament passed that bill outlawing discrimination on the grounds of sexuality. Who knew there was a single issue that could unite the evangelical Christians, the Catholics, the Muslims and the Jews? My small contribution to ecumenism. There’s a space up ahead on the right,’ she added.
Kevin squeezed into the parking space and they walked back past half a dozen houses, aware that they were an object of curiosity, dislike or anxiety to everyone who clocked them. In this part of Kenton, the part that hadn’t been gentrified by the invading army of hospital workers and students, they were the exotics. They stopped outside number 37, neatly painted, anonymous, net curtains at the windows. The door was opened by a small, slight woman in shalwar kameez, a dupata covering her head. She looked horrified to see them. ‘What is it? Who are you?’ she said before either of them could say a word.
‘I’m Detective Sergeant Matthews and this is Detective Constable McIntyre.’
Her hands flew to her face. ‘I knew it. I knew something bad would happen if he went there, I knew it.’ She moaned and turned away, calling, ‘Parvez, come here at once, it is the police, something has happened to Imran.’
Kevin and Paula exchanged looks. What was going on?
A tall stooped man in traditional dress appeared behind the woman. ‘I am Parvez Khan. Imran is my son. Who are you?’
Kevin explained again who they were. ‘We wanted to talk to Imran Begg,’ he said.
The man frowned and looked down at the woman. ‘You said something has happened to Imran? What has happened?’ He looked at Kevin. ‘What has happened to our son?’
Kevin shook his head. ‘I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We just want to talk to Imran. About his van.’
‘About his van? What is this about his van? He doesn’t have his van with him. You’re not here because he’s had an accident?’ the man asked, obviously perplexed.
Kevin didn’t want to be the one to say ‘bomb’. So he persisted. ‘Where is Imran?’
‘He is in Ibiza,’ the woman said. ‘He is on holiday. It was a gift from his cousin Yousef. Yousef took him to the airport on Thursday morning. He called us when he got there, just to let us know he was safe. He’s not coming back till tomorrow. So if his van has been in an accident, it is not Imran’s fault.’ Her bewilderment was obviously not an act.
‘Who’s got his van?’ Kevin said, trying to cut through the confusion.
‘His cousin Yousef. They went to the airport in Imran’s van,’ the man said. ‘Yousef is supposed to pick him up tomorrow in the van.’
‘And where can we find Yousef?’ Kevin asked.
