A look of horror spread across the woman’s face, and Kay couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
Evidently the thought of two plainclothes police detectives sitting in her boss’s plush reception area filled her with dread.
Despite knowing Sharp was bluffing, Kay relished the thought of sitting in Demiri’s office all day so she could find out who his other appointments were with. It would surely make for interesting updates to the HOLMES2 database.
‘Wait here,’ said the receptionist, rising from her chair. ‘I’ll be right back.’
‘Thanks.’
Sharp turned away from the desk and winked at Kay.
‘Don’t look too happy,’ he murmured. ‘There’s a camera up in the corner to your six o’clock position.’
Kay brought her fist to her mouth, and cleared her throat. ‘Seems quite fond of those.’
‘Steady.’
She’d never told anyone about the cameras she’d found hidden in her house a few months ago, no-one except Sharp who, with his ex-military background, had somehow managed to have the devices removed without alerting the perpetrators to the fact they’d been found. The equipment had simply ceased to work one day. Kay suspected Demiri was responsible, but she had no proof and given her workload over the months since, she hadn’t had a chance to investigate further.
Not that she’d tell Sharp if she had.
They both turned at the sound of a door opening to their left, and the receptionist reappeared, closely followed by a man in his late fifties.
Kay took a step back, her heart ratcheting up a notch.
Jozef Demiri exuded evil, as far as she was concerned.
His bulk ensured he dominated the space, his deep brown hooded eyes boring into hers as he strode towards them. Immaculately dressed in a black suit that accentuated his collar-length white hair, he let his tanned skin crease as his brow furrowed.
‘Detective Hunter. I’m surprised to see you here.’
‘Mr Demiri, we have some preliminary questions we’d like to ask you in relation to an ongoing enquiry,’ said Sharp, not bothering with introductions again. ‘Is there somewhere we can talk in private?’
Demiri chuckled, then checked the solid gold watch on his wrist and sighed. ‘All right, Detective Sharp. I’ll play your games. Beatrice – I’ll use the conference room here. Knock on the door five minutes before my next appointment.’
‘Yes, Mr Demiri.’
‘Shall we?’
He crossed the plush carpet to a panelled door, held it open and gestured to Sharp and Kay to enter.
Kay shivered as she squeezed past him, the warmth from his breath tickling her face as she entered the room.
‘I’ve been waiting for you, Kay,’ he murmured.
Chapter Eleven
Kay waited until Demiri moved to the head of the oval conference table, grateful that Sharp took a minute to pull out a chair for her well away from where the Albanian sat.
A mixture of excitement and trepidation swept through her.
Professionally, she wanted justice for everything the man had done to her and others, but his comment as they’d entered the room had unnerved her.
As he moved an upside-down water glass away from his elbow, she wondered what he’d meant by his words.
Was he talking about the car crash and subsequent discovery of the woman’s body, or something else?
Was he simply trying to gain the upper hand on the interview?
‘Mr Demiri, we’ll keep this formal,’ said Sharp.
Demiri nodded, and leaned on the table, his hands loosely clasped together. ‘As you wish.’
His eyes never left Kay’s as Sharp read out the formal caution and then opened a plastic folder he’d brought with him and slid a photograph across the table.
Demiri’s hand slapped it to a standstill, then spun it around. He glanced up at Sharp. ‘Explain.’
‘This vehicle was involved in a motor vehicle accident two nights ago on the M20. Tracing the car’s movements using CCTV, we’ve located the property rented by the driver.’
He pushed a copy of one of the photos discovered at the property across the table.
Demiri’s face remained impassive.
‘Does this person look familiar to you?’
‘No. Should he?’
‘The thing is, this man is a known associate of yours, Mr Demiri,’ said Kay. ‘He drives for you.’
Demiri’s eyes sparkled as he leaned forward, and then he shrugged. ‘No. I do not know him. You must remember, Detective Hunter, I am a busy man. I have many people who may have worked for me at one time or another. I cannot recall all of them.’
‘Mr Demiri, do you recognise the woman in the photograph?’
‘No.’
‘If you could take another look at the photograph, please.’
Demiri sighed, and took the photograph Kay shoved across to him. He glanced at it, then passed it back with the others. ‘I don’t know her. What’s she got to do with him and a car accident?’
‘Her body was found in the boot of the car,’ said Sharp.
‘Maybe it was a domestic argument gone wrong, you think?’
‘It’s one of the avenues of enquiry we’re pursuing, yes.’
Kay slipped the photographs across the desk to Sharp and watched as he extracted a further image from the folder.
‘This is a photograph taken at the scene of the accident,’ said Sharp. ‘Having checked with the licensing authorities, it seems the car belongs to you. If this man was no longer driving for you, can you explain why he was in your car two nights ago?’
‘I’ve no idea, really. Perhaps he was running an errand for one of my members of staff.’
‘Wouldn’t you have told them he no longer worked for you?’
‘It must’ve slipped their minds.’
‘Mr Demiri, where were you two nights ago between eight o’clock and midnight?’
Demiri beamed. ‘I was at the launch of a new business venture of mine; an exclusive club in Romford. Many guests. Many witnesses,’ he added, glaring at the senior detective. He turned his attention to Kay, a smile playing on his lips. ‘Maybe you could join us for the opening night next month, Detective Hunter? It would be a pleasure to see you again.’
Kay lowered her gaze and cursed at the shiver that wracked her shoulders.
He knows, she thought. He knows I found the cameras and microphones.
A low
