‘Selima.She waswiththese women?’
‘No, but it’s the same gang, the same operation.I’msureof it.’
‘What do you want from me, Helen?’
Charlie’s question was offered wearily, but her words werelaced with quiet fury.So much so that Helen was at a loss as to how to respond, allowing Charlie to press home her attack.
‘You walk out on your team, throw usallunder the bus, yet somehow you think you can still walk in here and call the shots?’
‘Absolutely not,’ Helen insisted.‘I’maskingfor your help.I know I have no right to do so, that I don’t have any sway here—’
‘Are you?Are youreally?Because it seems to me that you feel you can waltz back in here whenever you want.’
Charlie was struggling to contain her emotion now, Helen clocking the tears that pricked her eyes.
‘Well, let me tell you something.You don’t get to decide what happens here anymore.That’smyjob,myresponsibility and, quite frankly, you turning up here is not helping me.’
Helen stared at her old friend, momentarily speechless.Charlie had never been so curt, so aggressive with her before, and it shook her to the core.She was tempted to push back, to remind Charlie of all the services she’d renderedherover the years, but the sight of other officers passing by, clearly intrigued by their discussion, stilled her tongue.
‘So, please, if you have any lingering appreciation of our friendship,’ Charlie continued, her voice shaking with emotion.‘Any semblance of respect for me, any sensitivity for my position, please … just leave me alone, OK?’
And with that, she was gone, hurrying away from her old sparring partner and buzzing herself through the staff door, leaving Helen stunned.She could barely believe what she’d just witnessed, Charlie’s fervent emotion and outright hostility shocking her to the core.Was Charlie really calling time on their longstanding friendship?Was this the end of the line?
Hurrying away, she ignored the smirking PC Drayton, as furious with him as she was with herself.Following her desperate pursuit this morning, she had come here with high hopes, butwas leaving empty-handed.Staring down at the accusing piece of paper in her hand, Helen suddenly felt utterly at a loss.She had sacrificed a friendship, achieving absolutely nothing in the process.What was her next move?How on earth could she find the missing woman now?
And what would be her fate if she couldn’t?
Chapter 37
She stood stock-still, barely daring to breathe.
Despite her pleading, Viyan had been dragged into the farmhouse, before being dumped unceremoniously in front of her lead captor.To her surprise, Leyla seemed almost amused by the situation.Viyan had expected her to rant and rave, to snarl and curse, to rain blows down on her, punishing her for rank insubordination.But instead her inquisitor sat casually on the sofa, eyeing her carefully, as she nibbled a sausage roll.
‘Forgive me if I don’t offer you anything …’ Leyla eventually said, flicking the pastry from her chin, ‘… but as you can see, there’s not much to go around.’
Despite herself, Viyan cast an eye over the huge quantity of food laid out in front of her.Sandwiches, pastries, crisps, cakes, even a twelve-pack of Krispy Kreme doughnuts graced the table.The sight made Viyan tremble with desire, as her stomach ached with hunger.She had been given nothing but slops to eat since she arrived in this godforsaken country.A feast like this was beyond her wildest dreams and the emaciated worker longed to fall upon it, eating until she made herself sick.
Leaning forward, Leyla perused the tray of doughnuts, before selecting one.Rising to her feet, she took one ostentatious bite of it, then threw the rest in the bin, taunting her prisoner.
‘Now if you tell me what happened today,’ she said, advancing on Viyan, ‘I might let you try some.As long as you promise not to tell the others …’
Once more, Viyan’s glance strayed to the delights on the table, but she knew this was a trick.She must say nothing, deny everything.Playing dumb was the only way to save her life.So instead, she shrugged, adding a half smile, as if she wanted to understand, but couldn’t.
‘Come on, Viyan,’ her interrogator continued.‘You’re not usually this bashful.What have you got to say for yourself?’
Her interrogator continued to smile, but there was a wicked glint in her eye, a sense of simmering anger.When Viyan had first arrived here, when she’d set eyes on this powerful, impressive woman, she’d hoped for some kinship, some sense of solidarity.How misguided and naive she’d been.Her captor seemed to possess no empathy.For Leyla any sign of vulnerability or weakness merely represented an opportunity to exploit, to persecute, to hurt.Dropping her eyes, Viyan shrugged, trying to look as confused and hapless as possible.
‘No, no, don’t play the ignorant Turk with me.You’ve worked in my house long enough for me to know that you can speak English.You’re not like the rest of those worms …’
She gestured dismissively towards the yard.
‘So, tell me what happened.What did you give to that woman?’
‘Nothing, I give nothing …’ Viyan protested.
‘Bullshit.You deliberately barged into her, you must have slipped her something, said something to her …’
‘No, no.It was an accident.’
