Dishonour

by Helen Black

  Lilly got up. ‘That’s all very convenient but what happens in the meantime? My client’s fifteen and languishing in prison.’

  ‘With all due respect,’ Kerry sighed, ‘the defendant is in a young offenders’ institution, not Alcatraz.’

  ‘However you dress it up, these are not places fit for children,’ snapped Lilly.

  ‘I’m sure the defendant is being well taken care of.’

  Lilly pointed at Raffy in his wheelchair. ‘Does he look well cared for to you?’

  The judge put up his hand. ‘Enough. What we need to ascertain is how long the police investigations will take.’

  ‘I’m guessing around ten years,’ said Lilly.

  ‘Enough,’ the judge barked. ‘Miss Thomson?’

  ‘There has been some difficulty finding Mr Freeman’s whereabouts,’ said Kerry.

  ‘Which is police speak for we have no idea where he is or how long it will take us to find him.’

  The judge stared hard at Lilly and dropped his voice to little above a whisper. ‘Miss Valentine, I cannot allow you to interrupt any further.’

  Lilly shivered. Sam hated it when she used the trick on him and now she knew how it felt. Give her shouting any day.

  ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled.

  ‘Excellent.’ The judge turned back to Kerry. ‘Tell me, if the police investigation were to be prolonged, how would the Prosecution feel about bail for the defendant?’

  Kerry turned to Bell, who nodded.

  Lilly exhaled. At least they were being reasonable about bail.

  ‘We would be absolutely opposed to any application for bail,’ said Kerry.

  Lilly gasped.

  ‘On what basis?’ asked the judge.

  ‘On the basis that there is no reason whatsoever to believe that Raffique Khan did not commit this offence. Speaking with Mr Freeman is a matter of crossing the Is and dotting the Ts.’ Kerry pulled herself up to full height. ‘There is nothing to suggest that Mr Freeman is a suspect.’

  Lilly opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself in time. She bit her lip so hard it hurt.

  After what seemed like hours, the judge turned to her.

  ‘Miss Valentine?’

  ‘Your Honour, this is ridiculous,’ Lilly burst out. ‘Rory Freeman was the victim’s boyfriend. She was having his baby.’

  The judge cocked his head to one side. ‘That doesn’t mean he killed her.’

  ‘But we know he was violent to his ex-wife, when she was pregnant.’

  ‘Indeed, though that doesn’t mean he was violent to Miss Khan, does it?’ he asked.

  ‘Your Honour, he’s the most likely candidate, isn’t he? If it wasn’t for the honour killing angle he’d have been suspect number one and Raffy would be at home doing his homework.’

  The judge paused and closed his eyes. Lilly had a thousand more things to say but she kept quiet.

  ‘If there was any evidence whatsoever that Mr Freeman behaved badly towards Miss Khan I would be minded to grant bail while that were investigated.’

  ‘But there is none, is there?’ asked Kerry.

  Lilly couldn’t hold back a smile.

  ‘Your Honour, I would like to call Saira Khan as a witness. She can tell the Court of her fears about the relationship between Mr Freeman and Yasmeen.’

  ‘Very well, call her in.’

  The usher went into the corridor and called Saira’s name. There was no answer. He called again.

  ‘Without a witness I suggest we adjourn this hearing,’ said Kerry.

  ‘One second, Your Honour,’ said Lilly, and scuttled to the door.

  As she passed the dock, Raffy shook his head.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ she whispered. ‘Leave it to me.’

  She hurried into the corridor. Don’t let me down, Saira. Don’t let Raffy down.

  There was no one there.

  She could hear raised voices at the security gate.

  ‘If you don’t take it off, you ain’t getting in,’ said a security guard.

  Lilly rounded the corner and saw Saira arguing at the X-Ray machine.

  The guard was gesticulating to her coat. He wanted her to put it through but she was resisting.

  ‘Let her in,’ Lilly called.

  ‘No can do,’ said the guard.

  Lilly put her hands on her hips. ‘This young woman is needed by Judge Chance right now.’

  The guard put her hands on her own hips.

  ‘Fine,’ said Lilly. ‘I’ll go up there right now and tell him you won’t let this vital witness into court.’

  ‘I didn’t say that,’ said the guard.

  It was a fair point, but Lilly was in no mood for fairness.

  ‘I’ll tell everyone that the most high-profile murder case in ten years can’t go ahead because you won’t let this woman in.’

  ‘Oh, for God’s sake,’ the woman threw up her hands, ‘do what you like. I’m just trying to do my job.’

  Lilly motioned to Saira, who hurried after her.

  ‘I’m going to put you straight in the box,’ said Lilly, ‘and you can tell the judge that Yasmeen was scared of Freeman.’

  Saira nodded. Lilly could see the tightness of her mouth and the beads of sweat above her lip.

  ‘Don’t be nervous,’ she smiled, trying to reassure the young woman.

  Lilly led Saira into court and directly to the witness box. Raffy whispered his sister’s name but she didn’t look at him. She looked terrified. Small, despite the thick coat wrapped around her like a protection blanket.

  The usher offered her an array of holy books upon which to swear. She hesitated. Glanced at her brother. Picked up the Koran with a shaking hand.

  ‘I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.’

  The judge spoke gently. ‘Miss Khan, would you like to sit down? Take off your coat, perhaps?’

  Saira gave one shake of the head. ‘No.’

  He raised his eyebrows to Lilly. His look said it all; are you sure about this witness?

  Lilly stuck her chin in the air. What choice did she have?

  ‘Miss Khan, could you tell us about your sister, Yasmeen?’

  Saira swallowed visibly. ‘What would you like to know?’

  ‘Were you close?’ Lilly shrugged.

  ‘We were family.’

  Lilly paused. She knew Saira was reluctant but this was going to be painful.

  ‘Did she talk to you about things?’

  ‘Sometimes.’

  ‘Boys?’

  Saira coughed. ‘Sometimes.’

  ‘And what did she say?’

  Saira shook her head distractedly. ‘That she hoped to marry one day.’

  ‘Did she tell you she was having a relationship with Rory Freeman?’

  Saira flinched. ‘I knew.’

  ‘And what effect did that relationship have on Yasmeen?’ Lilly asked.

  ‘She changed.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Her moods were unpredictable. She argued with everyone.’

  Lilly nodded, as if this was exactly what she wanted, then slipped in the most important question.

  ‘Was she frightened?’

  Saira paused. Lilly could see she was still shaking.

  ‘I think so, yes.’

  Lilly took her seat and let Kerry cross-examine. She prayed she had done enough to secure Raffy’s bail.

  ‘Miss Khan, you say you think your sister was frightened?’

  Saira nodded.

  ‘Did she tell you that?’

  Saira shook her head.

  Kerry smirked. ‘So what exactly did she do to make you think that?’

  ‘She became very secretive,’ said Saira.

  Kerry leaned on the advocates’ table. It groaned under her weight. ‘Couldn’t that be because she knew what she was doing would not have her family’s approval?’

  ‘I suppose so.’

  ‘Because Yasmeen did not have the approval of her family, did she?’

/>   ‘No.’

  ‘Her brothers, for instance, would have been furious, no?’

  Saira’s eyes darted towards Raffy. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Is it possible that it was the fear of discovery, and not Mr Freeman, that she was afraid of?’

  Saira glanced again at Raffy. He had buried his head in his hands. Saira opened her mouth to speak. Her lips trembled.

  Kerry frowned. ‘Is it fair to say that if Yasmeen’s affair and pregnancy with a non-Muslim had been discovered she would have been in very serious trouble?’

  Tears sprang into Saira’s eyes. They sparkled against the black of her irises. ‘She knew she should not have behaved that way,’ she said

  Kerry nodded. ‘And she understood the consequences?’

  The tears ran down Saira’s face. ‘She understood.’

  There was silence in the court.

  Lilly could hear only the blood rushing in her head. She’d called Saira as a witness to help Raffy—but she had not only ensured bail would be denied, but was also confirming that Yasmeen’s death had indeed been an honour killing.

  From the dock, the silence was punctuated by a sob.

  ‘I’m sorry, Raffy,’ Saira whispered. ‘I have to tell the truth. Allah demands it.’

  Lilly watched the girl shiver. Despite the heat and the ridiculously thick coat, Saira’s shoulders shuddered.

  Then she turned to Raffy. He was still sobbing, his head bobbing in his hands. Hadn’t he tried to tell her not to put Saira on the stand? Hadn’t he begged? Lilly had ignored him and now the case was on its knees.

  Kerry sat down, satisfaction oozing from every pore.

  Lilly began her redirect without knowing what on earth she could possibly say.

  ‘Miss Khan, you say Yasmeen was frightened of discovery?’

  Saira swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. ‘Yes.’

  ‘What would she anticipate would happen?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Saira stuttered. ‘She would have had to stop seeing that man, for a start.’

  ‘And the baby? What would your brothers have made of that?’

  Saira shook her head as if bewildered. ‘They wouldn’t have believed it of her.’

  Lilly remembered Raffy having just that reaction when he was arrested. He could not believe it of Yasmeen. ‘She’s a good girl,’ he’d said. He’d been shocked. Horrified.

  ‘Raffy didn’t know Yasmeen was pregnant, did he?’ asked Lilly.

  ‘No.’

  ‘He didn’t know about Rory Freeman, did he?’

  ‘No.’

  Lilly nodded. It was as if the clouds were clearing after a tropical storm. Her mind, like the air, sharpened.

  ‘Raffy didn’t kill Yasmeen, did he?’

  Saira bit her lip. Her hand involuntarily reached out to touch the Koran.

  ‘No, he did not.’

  Lilly’s heart beat hard in her chest. There was only one person in the Khan family who had known about Yasmeen and that person was in front of her. A person who couldn’t bear to see her own flesh and blood betray her religion and dishonour everyone around her.

  Hadn’t Raffy been trying to tell her this all along? Hadn’t he said his sisters were the sword of the prophet? Lilly had thought he was talking about Muslim sisters generally, but he had meant something much closer to home.

  She stood as tall as she could and asked the only question left.

  ‘Miss Khan, could you tell us who did kill Yasmeen?’

  Saira held the Koran against her. ‘I did.’

  The court was filled with gasps. Even the judge looked shaken.

  ‘Are you a member of the Purity Task Force?’ Lilly asked.

  Saira snorted. ‘Those meatheads are nothing but a bunch of thugs.’

  ‘So you acted alone?’

  Saira was still clasping the Koran to her chest. ‘Allah is always with me.’

  Lilly nodded. It was over. Saira Khan had killed her sister.

  ‘Miss Khan,’ she said, ‘do you understand what you’re saying?’

  Saira’s face changed instantly. Gone was the fear.

  ‘I understand perfectly.’

  Lilly swallowed hard. ‘Then could you tell the Court what you did.’

  ‘Yasmeen had already told me about Freeman. That she was having an affair with him,’ said Saira. ‘She promised to end it.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘I didn’t believe her. She was still scurrying around like a rat in the shadows, so I challenged her.’ Saira let out a laugh but there was no humour in it. ‘She said that she couldn’t end it, that she was carrying his child.’

  ‘So what did you do?’ asked Lilly.

  ‘I did what Allah intended. I took action.’ She paused as if to ensure she remembered the detail correctly. ‘I ground up the medication and put it in her drink. Then I waited.’

  Lilly was incredulous. ‘You sat and watched your sister die?’

  ‘I sat with her and prayed.’

  Lilly looked at the judge. ‘I think, Your Honour, we all need a moment.’

  The judge nodded and turned to DI Bell.

  ‘Perhaps you would accompany Miss Khan to the cells for further questioning.’

  Bell had lost his composure, eyes wide, mouth gaping. He look winded as he got to his feet.

  Saira gave him a look of pure hatred. ‘Keep your distance.’

  Bell furrowed his brow. Didn’t the girl realise what was going to happen now?

  Saira suddenly seemed stronger. In control. She shrugged off her coat and Bell stopped in his tracks. Kerry screamed.

  Strapped around Saira’s waist was a suicide belt.

  Lilly smelled the sharp tang of urine from someone in the room.

  ‘Everyone, stay back.’ Saira’s voice rang out across the courtroom.

  Bell retraced his steps. Everyone stared at the authoritative look on this young woman’s face and the pouches of explosive attached to a tangle of black wires.

  Slowly, Lilly felt Taslima rise to her feet.

  ‘Assalamu alaikum, sister,’ she said.

  Saira gave small laugh. ‘Don’t try that comrade stuff with me.’

  ‘It’s a sad world when one Muslim can’t greet another,’ said Taslima.

  ‘It’s a sad world where Muslims are butchered in their beds,’ Saira spat. ‘It’s a sad country where decent Muslims dare not practise their religion without being ridiculed or attacked.’

  Taslima nodded. Took a tiny step towards Saira.

  ‘We all share your anger but this is not the way, sister.’

  Saira bared her teeth. ‘So what do you suggest? That we sit back and let the religion we love be disrespected?’

  ‘We try to change things,’ said Taslima. ‘One step at a time.’

  ‘I won’t do it.’ Saira patted her chest with the flat of her hand. ‘I won’t stand by while this legal system supports torture and detention without charge.’

  ‘But there must be other ways than this. Better ways.’

  Saira screwed her eyes tightly shut and shook her head. ‘Wake up, sister. We’ve marched and demonstrated. We’ve sent aid. It’s time for direct action.’

  Raffy was still sobbing in the dock.

  ‘What’s the matter, brother?’ Saira snarled at him. ‘We’ve all heard you spouting the political stuff. Declaring war on the streets of Luton. Well, here I am, a soldier.’

  ‘These people are innocent civilians.’ Taslima spread her arms. ‘They are not a legitimate target.’

  ‘You’re wrong, sister. This courtroom, with its police and judges, is the heart of the state.’

  Taslima pointed to Lilly. ‘But some of us are here to help your brother.’

  ‘Even Valentine is part of the corrupt process. You all are.’

  ‘What about our children?’ Taslima asked. ‘Have you thought about them?’

  ‘Allah will provide for the faithful.’

  ‘And your own family? Do they deserve to die?’

 
‘I will see them again in Paradise,’ said Saira.

  Taslima shook her head. ‘The holy Koran tells us that we may not take another life.’

  Saira’s eyes blazed and she held up the book in front of her like a talisman to ward off evil.

  ‘Fight and slay the pagans wherever you shall find them. Just as the prophet, peace be upon him, did then, so shall we.’ Then Saira closed her eyes and began to pray.

  Taslima flashed Lilly a look. There was nothing more she could do.

  Lilly couldn’t breathe. Her mind whirled. Would she never see Sam again? And what of the unborn child, kicking her now. Would she never get to see his smile?

  Saira’s voice carried around the court, the words in Arabic melodious, beautiful. At odds with the horror of what was about to happen.

  Lilly looked wildly around her. No one dared move. It was as if no one believed Saira would actually do it. But Lilly had watched her throughout the exchange with Taslima and had seen deep into her heart, and there was nothing there. The girl talked of religion and politics but there was nothing but darkness and hatred. Lilly had met murderers before, however they dressed up their reasons, that was all there ever was. She had killed her sister and would kill them all.

  It was up to Lilly.

  The girl’s voice echoed, rising in a crescendo. Lilly knew there were only moments left. She wouldn’t even make it across the courtroom in time.

  She glanced at Jack, sitting rigid next to Bell, in the seat nearest the witness box. She knew he was thinking exactly the same thing. Saira had to be stopped.

  He held up three fingers. One, two, three.

  Lilly grabbed for the jug of water. The glass was heavy and dull in her hand.

  She held it aloft and threw it as hard as she could. It arced through the air, spraying water across the table. Again Kerry screamed. The jug hit Saira square in the face, knocking her backwards. The jug landed with a thump on the carpet.

  Without a second’s hesitation Jack leaped towards her, grabbed the jug and brought it crashing down into Saira’s face. It smashed. There was an explosion of glass and blood.

  The bomb squad swept the court for further devices but Lilly knew they wouldn’t find anything. Saira had turned herself into a weapon. That was all she needed.

  Lilly stood outside in the sunshine, enjoying the breeze on her face, surveying the police scurrying about like ants.

  ‘You were unbelievable,’ she told Taslima.