The media left after a few days, finding that there was no story at Olivia’s house. They turned their focus to the other woman.
It was the reason Farhan was in communication with Aisha on such a regular basis. She was worried, and there was only one person she could turn to, only one person she trusted. Farhan was not sure what he could do to help; the press was voracious, and if they wanted to find someone, they would.
‘What do we do now?’ Farhan asked Isaac once they were both settled back in the office after a meal at a local Asian restaurant. They had eaten there before on several occasions, and it had been fine, but tonight… Isaac wasn’t so sure; his stomach was feeling queasy.
‘What do you mean?’ Isaac understood his colleague’s concerns. It had been dragging on for too long, and there was no clarity about where they were going with the case. The leads were drying up – had dried up, if they were truthful.
‘What do we have?’ Farhan asked. ‘We’ve two murders, virtually no ideas, and no clear direction as to where this is heading.’
‘You’re right, of course.’
‘We’re no nearer to finding Marjorie Frobisher, and although Wendy’s done a great job, she’s just coming up with blanks.’
‘Wendy still seems to be our best bet.’ Isaac was not too comfortable with Farhan’s comment. He had known her longer than Farhan, and to his recollection, she had never failed to deliver the goods. He remained confident that she would find the woman.
‘Okay, we’ll give her time,’ Farhan said. Isaac could tell the pressure was building up on his colleague. He felt it necessary to comment.
‘You seem to be under too much pressure, becoming emotionally involved.’
‘I suppose I am.’
‘The woman at the hotel with Sutherland?’
‘Yes,’ Farhan replied emphatically.
‘You’re trying to protect her. An admirable sentiment, but you know it’s not going to succeed. The press will find her soon enough.’
‘That’s the problem. It looks as if they have.’
‘We’d better talk this through. You can’t protect her on your own. She’s a material witness, maybe not in the murder, but certainly due to her association with Sutherland. Did you expect to protect her indefinitely?’ Isaac felt that a love-sick colleague was counter-productive, even though he felt empathy with him.
‘I had hoped to protect her. But now it’s complicated.’
‘You’ve slept with her?’ Isaac knew the answer but felt the need to ask again.
‘You know I have.’
‘Since you were given a warning to keep your distance?’
‘Not since then, but it’s been difficult. I’ve wanted to.’
‘You know what she is, has been?’
‘An escort, sure. I’m beyond making a judgement.’ Farhan squirmed in his seat. He was pleased that he and Isaac were having the conversation – embarrassed that they were.
‘Are you emotionally involved?’ Isaac sat upright in his chair and leant across his desk for emphasis.
‘I know it’s illogical. I’ve a wife and children, and there I am falling in love with a woman who has been selling her body for money.’
‘Love is blind, or so the saying goes,’ Isaac said. It seemed a throw-away phrase, clichéd, but it appeared to sum up Farhan’s predicament.
‘As you say, love is blind. What do you reckon I should do?’
‘Protect her.’
‘But how?’
‘What about the other woman?’
‘I know where she is, but unless there’s an official request, I’ll keep it to myself.’ Farhan did indeed know where Olivia had gone, even had a phone number. The woman was grateful and trusted him enough to tell him that the children were in school, that her husband and she were trying to work through it, and unless she received a legal request to return to the United Kingdom, they were staying in South Africa.
‘You’ll still have trouble keeping her out of this. If we ever find a murderer, there will no doubt be a summons issued to all witnesses to come forward, including your girlfriend. You realise that?’
‘I know. What do you advise?’ Farhan sat sheepishly in his chair.
‘She needs to disappear.’
‘But she has a career, a good career.’
‘What will happen to her career when they find out?’
‘It’s a prestigious law firm,’ Farhan said. ‘I imagine that a former prostitute, high-class or otherwise, will not last long there.’
‘You’re right. They’ll have her out of the door within five minutes. She won’t have the benefit of being innocent until proven guilty. The first hint of scandal and she will be condemned.’
‘She knows that. She’s putting on a brave face but she’s worried about the shame it will bring on her family.’
Isaac sympathised, but he could see little hope.
Questions were being asked by the media on the television and in the newspapers about what was going on. Were there going to be other murders and what were the police doing? Not very much seemed to be the consensus view.
‘She can’t be protected, you know that,’ Isaac affirmed. ‘So, what are you going to do? What are we going to do?’
‘It’s not your problem, Isaac. You’ve got your career to think about.’
‘To hell with that. If we don’t solve these murders, neither of us has a career. And besides, I need you with me helping, not moping around, staring at the camera on your laptop.’
‘We have to get her out of the country. Is that what you think?’ Farhan asked, grateful that Isaac was willing to go out on a limb for him.
‘The sooner, the better. You’d better give her the facts straight, face to face.’
‘I will.’
‘And don’t go sleeping with her.’
‘I won’t,’ Farhan replied, although he wasn’t sure that his
