by Linda Regan
‘It is understandable. She’s pregnant.’
‘Did you know?’
‘Yes, she told me.’
‘You didn’t tell me?’
Stephanie shook her head. ‘It wasn’t affecting her work.’
‘It is now.’
‘And now you know.’
‘Guv.’ It was Hank Peacock. He was hurrying from the outside doors down the corridor towards her. ‘The reception area is full of press, what shall I do?’
‘Ignore them,’ Georgia shouted at him, her patience beginning to crack. She turned her back on the young trainee detective, who was blushing like a Belisha beacon because she had shouted at him. She immediately wished she hadn’t.
As Georgia made her way to Interview Room B, Stephanie turned to Hank. ‘It’s getting very tense,’ she said quietly. ‘Don’t take it personally.’
‘I can’t ignore them,’ he said. ‘They’re following me. I just went out for a milkshake, and they followed me, they were all firing questions at me.’
‘You’ll have to get used to that,’ Stephanie said in her motherly tone. ‘Tell them we’ll call a press conference later.’ She turned her back and hurried after Georgia.
Mrs Ghaziani had calmed down. She sat opposite the two detectives, wringing her hands together.
‘I have never been locked up before,’ she said. ‘Is my husband also locked in a cell?’
‘A first for everything,’ Georgia told her. ‘Did you say no to legal representation?’
‘Yes, I have done nothing wrong. It is my right to request my daughter’s body back to bury it. All I have said is that I must bury her, in my religion …’
‘Yes, you said,’ Georgia interrupted. ‘And we explained that it wasn’t possible. This is a murder investigation, and if you don’t want to be charged with disrupting it, then you must allow us to do our job.’
‘When can I –’
‘How long is a piece of string?’
‘Pardon?’
‘Where do you think Wajdi has gone?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘He isn’t answering his phone.’
‘He will have his reasons.’
‘Might avoiding police questioning be one of them?’
‘My son has done nothing wrong.’
‘Then why doesn’t he answer his phone?’
‘I cannot give you an answer to that. How would I know? I am locked up and can do nothing, not even bury my daughter.’
‘Mrs Ghaziani, I have photos of your daughter, from her own computer; pictures of her with bruises and a beaten face. There is one with an iron burn on her shoulder and back.’ She watched Mrs Ghaziani’s forehead furrow as she continued speaking. ‘I also have a statement from someone who claims she was told, by Zana, that you are responsible.’
‘They are lying.’
Georgia stared at her. ‘Or are you?’
‘It is that Turkish girl, isn’t it?
Neither Georgia nor Stephanie answered.
‘Melek is the one should be locked up. My daughter was a good girl. She hung around with that tart, and things happened.’ She leaned forward. The woman’s eyes were the colour of steel. ‘I have lost my daughter and you accuse my son? You are a disgrace.’
‘Did you burn your daughter, Mrs Ghaziani, with an iron, because she was seen out without her hijab?’ Georgia asked holding her eyes.
The woman’s hands flew to her face. ‘No.’ Her eyes looked everywhere but back at Georgia.
‘I have a witness says you did.’
She fixed her steel-grey eyes on Georgia. ‘Why would a mother harm her daughter?’
‘Because she disgraced her family.’
The eyes hardened and she raised her voice and body. ‘How dare you?’
‘Sit down, Mrs Ghaziani,’ Stephanie raised her voice back.
Mrs Ghaziani obeyed.
‘Your daughter was pregnant, did you know that?’ Georgia said to her.
The woman bowed her head, and then shook it, and then mumbled a prayer. After she had finished she looked up. ‘I will say nothing more,’ she said, raising her hands by way of confirmation.
Mr Ghaziani’s interview was nearly identical. He was asked the same questions, and he gave the same answers.
As Georgia and Stephanie walked back down the corridor, Stephanie said, ‘It was as if they had planned their answers in advance.’
‘Keep them both locked up,’ Georgia said. ‘If Wajdi hears his parents are in police cells, he may crawl out of his hole. Meanwhile, try TIU again, see what news they have. Banham will be back any second.’
As Stephanie turned her phone back on to make the call, her answer phone bleeped, alerting her to a waiting message. She checked the message and turned to Georgia. ‘The PCs that were sent to pick up Melek Yismaz in McDonalds said there was no sign of her when they got there. They asked the staff, but no one could recall her clearly.’ She frowned, shook her head and looked at Georgia. ‘I guess loads of people go in and out, so it is possible they wouldn’t notice everyone, if they are busy.’ She shrugged. ‘Lunchtime, yes that makes sense.’
‘Get on to TIU, tell them it’s becoming urgent,’ Georgia said at exactly the same moment as her mobile burst into ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers’.
‘The guv’nor, again,’ she said.
Fourteen
His voice sounded anxious. ‘I’m on my way in. Any news?’
‘Melek Yismaz wasn’t at McDonalds when the patrol car went to pick her up,’ Georgia told him. ‘And we haven’t, as yet, got an official statement to charge Celik. He’s in custody and his clothes are with Forensics.’
‘I’m on my way in.’
‘Oh, well you may want to come in via the back fire escape entrance,’ Georgia suggested. ‘The front of the station is swarming with journalists.’
‘I’m driving into the underground car park now,’ he told her. ‘So, I’ll do that.’
‘The last time anyone spoke to Alison she was in McDonalds with Melek Yismaz? Is that right?’
‘Yes, according to Stephanie, Alison left with the strict instruction that Melek was to wait for a patrol car to take her to the station.’
‘Alison was on her way to the Ghazianis’. And I’ve just come from there. No one remembers seeing Alison either. I’m concerned, very concerned.’
‘I’m waiting on a call from my informant,’ Georgia told him. ‘She is getting Melek’s mobile number for us. TIU will put an immediate trace on it. I mean perhaps she has lost her nerve about charging Celik with rape …’ She stopped in mid conversation, as Stephanie walked up to her, her phone in her hand, and said, ‘TIU say Alison’s phone is switched off.’
Georgia repeated the information to Banham.
The desperate sigh that he let out the other end of the line worried her.
‘She can’t talk wherever she is,’ Georgia assured him. ‘She’s just left the Sapphire rape division before she came back to major incidents. She knows how to handle rape victims.’
‘I told her to keep in touch with me,’ Banham barked.
‘Sir, I’m not getting involved in your personal life, but she is an experienced officer, your beef seems personal, not professional. We need to focus. There are press everywhere around the station …’
‘I can see them,’ he said. ‘I’m walking round the back with my head down.’ She heard the sound of the door peep. ‘I’ve just entered the building. I’ll meet you at the interview suite.’ He clicked off.
Georgia shook her head and let out a heavy sigh.
‘Problem, ma’am? Stephanie asked, raising her eyebrows.
‘Guv’nor seems to have taken his eye off the ball,’ she said quietly. ‘There are four bodies in the mortuary, and a reception full of hungry press all awaiting answers as to why a vulnerable old couple have just been murdered in cold blood on an estate where the police presence was high.’ She shook her head. ‘Alison isn’t answering his calls, so he’s not interested in anything
else.’ She shook her head. ‘She went to the post-mortem when he told her not to, and she probably isn’t ready for the earful he’ll give her. She’s busy and I think he is emotionally suffocating her.’
‘She’s not returned our calls either,’ Stephanie reminded her.
Georgia shrugged ‘I think Melek has got cold feet about bringing an allegation against Celik.’
‘You’re the senior investigating officer around here,’ Stephanie said to her, ‘which means you carry the can.’ Stephanie lowered her voice ‘Alison should keep in touch with us, as well.’
Georgia took that in. ‘What do you think?’
‘I think the DCI is right to be concerned about one of his officers,’ Stephanie told her. ‘I’m a little edgy about Alison myself. I’m surprised she hasn’t phoned you, or even me.’
‘Well, please don’t say that in front of Banham,’ Georgia advised her. ‘I’m on my way to interview Celik with him, without a statement from Melek Yismaz. I only hope she isn’t going to retract her allegation. Let me know if you hear anything. I’ll catch you later.’
As she hurried through main reception on her way to the interviewing suite, she passed Stan Gayle, the front-of-house sergeant. Before he could ask her what to do about the press she waved her hand dismissively.
‘Tell them we’ve nothing to say, at the moment.’
‘They need to be told something, ma’am.’
‘Tell them to follow the yellow brick road,’ Georgia said, slamming the door behind her and hurrying down to the interview suite.
Harisha Celik had been stripped of his clothes and was dressed in a white forensic suit with white plastic shoes. He sat, a look of thunder written across his face.
‘I ain’t talking to you without my brief,’ he said. ‘I’ve rung him, and he’s on his way. This is harassment, I ain’t done nothing.’
‘Jolly good,’ Banham told him evenly. ‘Then you’ll be out of here soon.’ He looked down to the recorder, which was switched off, and then back up to Celik. ‘The CD isn’t running, so this is all off the record. I thought you might want to talk about your girlfriend.’
‘Which one?’
‘My, my, you are a one,’ Banham said with a small, forced smile. ‘The gorgeous Melek Yismaz of course, that’s what she’s known as, isn’t she? Gorgeous Melek? I would have thought she’d be enough for you.’
Celik folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. His dark eyes looked bored as they stared back at Banham and then flicked a condescending glance in Georgia’s direction. She felt a strong urge to hit him.
‘So where is Melek now?’ Banham asked him.
‘How the fuck do I know?’ He started walking his fingers on the desk and dropped his gaze to watch, like a bored three-year-old.
Banham glanced at Georgia.
Georgia took the hint and stood up. ‘I’ll check if your brief is around,’ she said quickly leaving the room to give Banham time alone with Celik, and her the chance to take a deep breath. The urge to smack him hard across the head, for what she knew he had done to Melek, was becoming very strong.
Outside a uniformed PC was leaning against the wall. The woman was yawning. Georgia didn’t want her overhearing what went on inside the interview suite, just in case Banham lost his temper. ‘Can you get me Mr Celik’s file?’ Georgia asked her. As the PC made her way back into the reception area, Georgia followed her.
‘I’ll need to tell the press something,’ Sergeant Gayle said to her as soon as she walked through the door.
She took a deep breath in. The day was getting to her. ‘Tell them we’ll call a press conference later,’ she said, then lowering her voice she said, ‘I need Harisha Celik’s personals.’
Sergeant Gayle turned his back, opened a filing cabinet and pulled out a large envelope that was tied and bound with string. It was labelled Harisha Celik, underneath the name was a list of everything that was inside it. He handed the envelope to Georgia. She tipped the contents onto the desk and took the mobile phone, then she put everything back and handed the large brown envelope back. ‘I’m borrowing this,’ she told him keeping her voice low. ‘Off the record.’
He pretended not to hear.
‘Let me know as soon as his brief arrives,’ she added.
She made her way back down the corridor, scrolling the phone’s address book as she walked. As soon as she reached Melek’s name, she pulled her own phone from her pocket and stabbed the numbers in, pressing the call button. The phone went straight to voicemail. She put Celik’s phone back on Gayle’s counter.
‘Think this slipped from the evidence bag, Stan.’
Georgia walked a few steps back down the corridor and phoned Alysha.
Tink was twisting red strands of nylon hair in between Alysha’s plaits as the phone that Georgia had given Alysha started to ring. Alysha glanced down at it, then turned her head as far as she could in Tink’s direction.
‘That’s the fed’s phone. She’ll want a number for Melek,’ she told Tink. ‘Ring Panther from your phone and ask if they’ve dumped Melek’s mobile yet.’
Tink stopped the plaiting, picked up her phone, and pressed a key. She was nodding within seconds. ‘Just done it,’ she told Alysha. ‘The phone is outside Harisha’s gaff, she threw it in his dustbin.’
Alysha rang Georgia straight back but the line was engaged.
Georgia was on the phone to TIU. TIU told her Alison’s phone was still turned off. Georgia gave them the number she had just taken from Celik’s phone for Melek, and told them to put a trace on that, as a matter of urgency. She checked Celik’s address list again. There was no number for Wajdi Ghaziani listed. Wajdi must have a mobile number; Mrs Ghaziani was insistent that she didn’t know it. A clear lie, Georgia thought, what mother doesn’t know her son’s mobile number? Especially a son that works, closely, with his parents in their family business. Even if she didn’t know it off by heart, surely it would be in her phone? Then she realised that Zana would definitely have had it, so she rang TIU back to ask if there was any chance of retrieving it from Zana’s SIM card. They said they would keep trying, and get back to her. She told them she owed them all a large drink, and hung up.
She noticed Alysha’s number on her screen as having tried to ring her. She was about to re-ring Alysha when Sergeant Gayle appeared beside her.
‘Mr Celik’s legal adviser has just arrived.’
‘I’ll be there in two minutes,’ she said, deciding to give Banham more time with Harisha. If Banham had landed Celik one, then Georgia would be delighted. Celik was a rapist, rules and protocol could go to hell.
She walked back through the incident room, stopping by Hank Peacock’s desk. He was still fiddling with Zana’s laptop and downloading pictures. There was the blown-up photo of Zana in Peacock’s in-tray, a clear outline of an iron burn on her back and a face that was swollen, bruised, and bleeding.
‘You’ve been a lot of help, Hank. Would you mind taking that laptop back up to the TIU, ask them to retrieve every email and Facebook message on it, deleted ones, everything.’
Banham had kept his gaze fixed on Celik. ‘Off the record,’ he said to him. ‘I think you know Melek is bringing a charge of rape against you.’
‘I ain’t raped no one, what do I need to rape someone for?’ Harisha raised his voice. ‘I got girls begging for it with me.’
‘Is that right?’
Celik nodded.
‘Then you won’t mind giving me Melek’s mobile phone number, off the record. I can talk to her, tell her it’s a serious offence to lie, blacken a character.’
‘I ain’t raped no one.’
‘No? Give me her phone number and I can speak to her, tell her not to waste police time, as you say she is lying. And, that’s one charge less for your brief to have to argue.’
‘Ain’t no charge for me to argue, cos I ain’t done nothing. You’re the cunt that’s breaking the law. See, you’re talking to me without my brief present, I already said I’d say
nothing without him.’
‘You also said you’ve done nothing wrong.’
‘I ain’t.’
Banham shrugged. ‘I’m trying to make life easier all round, get you out of here, if you’re innocent.’ He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, but he was finding it hard to stay calm. Where the hell could Alison be? It wasn’t like her to be unprofessional, even if he had been overprotective as Georgia Johnson was insinuating. Alison had a duty to keep her senior officer informed of her movements and she hadn’t done that.
‘We’ll wait then,’ he said, keeping as focused as he could. ‘For your brief.’ he paused and added, ‘And for the forensic results on your clothes.’
‘Listen, mate, that won’t tell you nothing, cos even if her DNA is on my gear, that ain’t says nothing, ’cept I fucked her. And why wouldn’t I? I have, many times, but I ain’t, no way, raped her.’
‘So give me her phone number, and I can talk to her and stop wasting all our time.’
Banham noticed Harisha narrow his eyes, then he lifted his forefinger and his thin mouth spread into a small, nasty smile, and then a chuckle. He pointed his finger at Banham as the penny dropped. ‘You don’t know where she is, do you?’
‘Do you?’
His smile widened. ‘She’s done a runner, mate, cos she’s been telling big fucking porkies.’
‘Maybe she’s frightened you’ll do it again.’
‘I ain’t done nothing.’ He crossed his arms.
‘Then give me her phone number.’
‘I ain’t got it.’
‘You don’t expect me to believe that.’
‘She just got a new mobile, and I ain’t got the number.’ Harisha stretched his legs forward and pushed the chair back. He folded his arms. ‘Now, I ain’t saying nothing else without me brief.’
Banham took a deep breath. He wasn’t giving up. He needed to contact Melek, Alison may well be with her. ‘She’s brought a charge against you for rape, and now she’s gone missing,’ he said. ‘So where do you think she’d go?’
‘To the bottom of a river, with a bit of luck.’
As Georgia walked back into the waiting room she immediately recognised Celik’s brief. ‘We meet again,’ she said sarcastically. At the same moment her mobile rang. ‘I’ll get someone to bring you through in just one minute,’ she said turning her back on him, and picking up her call.