Rafi looked carefully at the policewoman opposite him. Her wavy hair was tied back severely. It was a warm rusty brown colour. She had pale skin which was covered with splashes of freckles and her eyes were a deep hazel brown.
Kate meanwhile had been trying to size up the dark, grubby-looking man hunched in front of her. His straight black hair was greasy and bedraggled. He looked in a bad shape.
Their thoughts were interrupted by the guard. ‘Someone else ’ere to see you.’
A tall serious man, with strong angular features, walked into the interview room.
‘Mr Khan, I’m Chief Superintendent David Pryke, Detective Inspector Adams’s boss.’
He sat next to DI Adams and nodded for her to start.
‘I’ve looked at the Excel files on the memory stick. The analysis is detailed… And it may lead to a dead end. But it seems to us that the only explanation of why anyone would want you out of the way is if you were on to something,’ observed DI Adams.
CS Pryke, beckoned for one of those watching from behind the one-way glass to join him.
Andy and Mike appeared at the door.
‘I have a message from the commissioner. Could you ring his mobile? Here’s his number,’ said CS Pryke.
Andy took the piece of paper and they left.
CS Pryke said in a quiet voice, ‘We’re moving you to MI5 headquarters, where we will be interviewing you, to see if you really can help us unravel this terrorist plot.’
Rafi could not believe what he’d heard. He suddenly felt light-headed.
Minutes later, Andy and Mike returned; they were unhappy.
‘I have made the call,’ said Andy. ‘And darn it, if I didn’t find myself talking directly to the head of MI5.’
‘Can you repeat what he had to say?’ asked CS Pryke.
‘We are to let you have Mr Khan and are to arrange for a van and a driver to be waiting in the rear car park.’
‘You lucky little sod,’ scowled Mike.
‘Suppose you will want a blanket to cover Mr Khan’s head?’ said Andy as he left the room with Mike.
Moments later, Andy returned with the blanket. Rafi meanwhile had been handcuffed, and with the blanket over his head he was escorted by CS Pryke and Kate to the rear car park.
The chief superintendent turned to Kate. ‘Sorry, I could not talk inside as we were being recorded… Time isn’t on our side. Transporting Mr Khan in a police car or van will attract too much attention. So Mr Khan, you’ll be doing a switch with my driver. He’ll be the one making the journey to MI5 headquarters. And you will be travelling to our police station, handcuffed in the boot of my car. Any complaints?’
Rafi shook his head, by now dumbfounded by the rapid change of events.
The chief superintendent turned to DI Adams. ‘I will leave with lights flashing and sirens blaring, and go to MI5. I’ll stay there for fifteen minutes and then meet you back at Wood Street. A bit of a charade, but we can’t let anyone guess what we’re up to.’
CS Pryke then hesitated but soon continued, ‘Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you part of the deal the commissioner struck with the head of MI5 is that we also get Jeremy Welby, an MI5 operative. He will be responsible for making sure that the interrogations, or perhaps I should say the interviews are done properly. Do not be fooled by his boyish looks. His CV is very impressive. He will no doubt turn up at Wood Street in due course. Remember, we must keep Mr Khan off the radar screens. The fact that he’s not here or at MI5 must remain our secret. Understood?’
‘Yes, sir,’ replied DI Adams.
DI Adams opened the boot of CS Pryke’s unmarked car. ‘Climb in.’
Rafi did as he was told. He hated confined spaces, but this one he welcomed.
Away from prying eyes the blanket was put over CS Pryke’s driver and the switch was made.
Chapter 2
Rafi was glad that he was only 5’ 9”; as it was a tight squeeze. His initial panic of being bundled into the small space had soon disappeared. The claustrophobic boot was definitely better than facing Mike and Andy.
Their arrival at the City of London police headquarters in Wood Street was low-key. Kate parked in the covered rear car park.
Rafi was motionless when she opened the boot. The rocking of the car had lulled him into a deep sleep. He heard a woman’s voice saying, ‘Wake up,’ and felt his body being shaken and prodded.
‘Christ, I thought you were unconscious and for a horrible moment that you’d been asphyxiated. Roll over and let me take your handcuffs off,’ said Kate. ‘And in case you have any ideas, let me point out that this is a secure compound. You are going to cooperate, aren’t you?’
Rafi nodded. ‘Sorry to have scared you,’ he mumbled. ‘I haven’t had any sleep for a couple of days. I could have slept in a dustbin and not given it a second thought.’
With the blanket draped over his head, Kate hurried Rafi though the back door. They made their way up the back stairs to a modestly sized office on the fourth floor.
‘This is where I work. Let me introduce you to Detective Constable Emma Jessop – my ever-helpful sidekick.’
Rafi looked across the room and saw a beautiful woman sitting behind a computer screen. She had a mop of curly fair hair, light brown eyes and a disarming smile.
Kate surveyed Rafi carefully. ‘First we need to get some ground rules sorted out. You are to remain with us until this is all over. You will keep a low profile. As far as everyone else is concerned, you’re being held by MI5. In the meantime Emma and I will try to make your stay here as comfortable as possible.’
‘Thank you,’ Rafi replied.
‘I think we need to get you cleaned up. A shower and a shave wouldn’t go amiss,’ said Kate.
Rafi stroked his left hand over his rough stubble and nodded.
‘Would you like a coffee and something to eat?’ Emma asked.
‘Something long and cold to drink would be nice, please,’ Rafi replied in a hoarse voice.’
Emma smiled, ‘Thirsty, are we?’
Rafi nodded. He was badly dehydrated and hadn’t peed for what seemed like ages.
Emma left the room and returned a couple of minutes later with a bottle of chilled water and a can of cold Coke. ‘I thought that this might keep you going.’
He was going to like working with Emma. ‘What do I call you two?’
The two women looked at each other and smiled.
‘Kate and Emma would be fine, Mr Khan,’ replied Kate.
‘Rafi, please.’
‘Done!’
The phone rang. Kate picked it up and listened intently.
‘That was the commissioner. It seems Special Branch downstairs have found an eyewitness who was standing behind you in the queue at the cashpoint. She has confirmed that you put the cash straight into your wallet. It seems she was amazed to see so much money coming out of the machine and didn’t believe it would fit! Also, she overheard your conversation with the terrorist, and confirms that you simply gave him directions and handed back his A to Z.’
Kate smiled. ‘This substantiates your claim that you were an innocent bystander. The commissioner says that we can treat you as a colleague,’ she paused. ‘Though he thinks it’s best if your presence here remains our secret. Please bear in mind that we lost good friends in the Bishopsgate bombing and our colleagues may not be as welcoming… And I am to ask, if you will cooperate fully with our enquiries?’
Rafi remained silent as he took in the news.
‘Will you help us?’ asked Kate.
‘Yes, I’d be pleased to,’ replied Rafi – overcome by a sense of relief. ‘I am so sorry about your colleagues. Believe me, I want these bastards caught as much as you do.’
‘That’s good… And Mr Kahn – sorry – Rafi,’ said Kate, ‘Just so that there is no misunderstanding – you will use only those parts of the police station we tell you to… Is that agreed?’
Rafi nodded.
‘Excellent, that’s settled then.’ Kate left the room, leaving Rafi to enjoy his drink. He looked around his new surroundings and found them to be typical of an older style office building: plain and functional.