‘You’re seeing her tonight, aren’t you?’ said Clem, who had her back to the arriving guests.
‘Why would you say that?’
‘Because you’ve only just arrived in Kabul and you can’t get rid of me fast enough and it doesn’t take a genius to guess why. And besides,’ she said, turning to look behind her, ‘you’re not quite with me. Ah,’ she said when she saw Sofia, ‘I rest my case. Yes,’ she said, nodding, ‘I can certainly see the attraction.’
They didn’t speak again until Clem’s car arrived. ‘I think she might be good for you,’ she said as he opened the door for her.
Daniel shook his head. ‘All in your imagination. There’s nothing there.’
24
SOFIA HAD BEEN more than happy with her choice of outfit and her long crystal earrings, but as soon as she saw Zahra’s understated elegance she knew it had been a mistake. No one would say Zahra was a classic beauty, but she was striking and always immaculately dressed, carrying off her height and style with aplomb. That evening she was wearing a long black silk dress that trailed along the ground behind her. The only adornments on her body were the crystals embroidered on the hem of the dress and along its sleeves. With a sheer black scarf barely covering her hair, lashings of kohl to darken her eyes and ruby red lips, she was turning heads as soon as she stepped out of the car at the Serena. While Zahra acted as if she was blind to all this attention, Sofia knew she was always acutely aware of the impression she made.
‘I’ve been meaning to ask you what all this new security is about,’ Sofia said to Jabril as he directed her and Zahra through the Serena’s front doors toward the Chaman-e-Serena, the walled garden where the function was being held.
A beautiful formal outdoor space surrounded by a high concrete wall separating it from the dust and the rubble of the city, the Chaman-e-Serena was often used for outdoor dining, but on that evening the tables had been cleared away and replaced by rows of seats facing a newly erected stage. The fundraiser was to be a cocktail party – without the alcohol – and would end with speeches encouraging the wealthy and influential of Kabul to put their hands into their deep pockets for the children in the orphanage.
‘Why is Rashid walking me across the square again?’
‘Oh, that. We’re paying him so I think we should use him, don’t you?’ he said, making light of her concerns.
As they were swallowed up in the crowd waiting outside the doors to the garden, Sofia’s phone pinged with an incoming message. After reading it she leaned in and spoke softly to Jabril. ‘Taban says there’s a possibility there might be more children missing. A few of the older kids said there’s been a strange man hanging around the pump house at the bottom of the hill giving the little kids sweets. What do you think we should do?’
‘We should do nothing, but I’m definitely going to be speaking with Minister Massoud again tonight.’
‘Ha,’ Zahra said in disgust, ‘you think our good warlord turned respectable Minister of Narcotics is going help you find the missing boys? Excuse me if I’m somewhat sceptical. He can’t even help you with your campaign against bacha bazi.’
‘He’s no longer Minister of Counter Narcotics, my dear.’
‘Good, someone realised their error.’
‘Zahra,’ Jabril whispered, ‘please be careful what you say in public.’
She took no notice of him. ‘So what ministry does he control now?’
‘Justice.’
‘Justice. Ha!’ she said, throwing back her head. ‘That’s a laugh. From narcotics to justice. Sounds like they’ve let the fox into the henhouse.’
Jabril leaned in again, ‘Zahra, please keep your voice down.’ As they inched forward toward the security screening and invitation check, Jabril greeted acquaintances in the line before leaning towards Zahra again. ‘Have you ever met him, my dear?’
‘A number of times. His wife’s in my Women’s Initiative Group.’
As Zahra and Jabril discussed Massoud, Sofia strained to see Daniel in the crowd.
‘Well, I think we’re a country that must forgive past mistakes or we would have to make enemies of everyone. If you must know, I’ve already had a number of conversations with Minister Massoud about the missing boys and he’s taken my concerns very seriously. I also think he’s becoming more sympathetic to my plans to raise awareness of bacha bazi and now he’s on the committee for the orphanage with me, I think our chances of having something done are improving. I’m sure he’ll help.’
‘Help?’ Zahra said as they reached the security screening. Opening her handbag for inspection and then having the security wand run over her by a female attendant, they inched forward again. ‘Help himself to what, I’m wondering. You should work out what the warlord thinks he’ll get out of supporting your campaign and being on the committee of an orphanage with vulnerable young children.’ With Jabril showing their invitations and having their names marked off the list, they moved into the gardens.
‘What are you insinuating?’
‘Nothing. I’m insinuating absolutely nothing.’
Massoud was a controversial figure whose appointment to the cabinet some years earlier had been strongly opposed. Like Zahra, Sofia didn’t have a particularly good impression of the man, but unlike Zahra, she’d never met him.
‘I haven’t been able to talk with Chief Wasim yet,’ Jabril said to Sofia.
Sofia, who had been looking for Daniel again, turned back to him. ‘I did actually. He said little boys go missing in Afghanistan all the time and that there wasn’t much chance of finding them, but he’s going to look into it. I’ve got the feeling he’s not much interested.’
‘I think perhaps you should not bother Chief Wasim. Let me talk with
