The Custody Sergeant booked in Saddiqe. She considered him a gross cocky infidel. She emptied her pockets removed her watch, a present from her parents: another life never to be regained. All her possessions were put into a sealed plastic bag that she signed. A policewoman frisked her to make sure that she had no sharp objects, drugs or similar on her person. They made her take her shoes off and searched them to ensure they contained no sharp objects or drugs. The policewoman accompanied by a policeman then marched her to another room where they took her fingerprints, her photograph and her DNA.
A walk then ensued through a succession of heavy metal doors. They came to a longish room with a narrow corridor flanked on each side by cells. Each had a solid grey door with a viewing hatch at head height and a waist high serving hatch. They stopped outside one with the door ajar.
'Shoes off!' ordered the policewoman
'What?' asked a shocked Saddiqe
'Shoes off now. Otherwise we'll take them off. If you resist we will restrain you and you can sit cuffed in this cell. It'll be fun watching you on the CCTV trying to shit with cuffs on. The choice is yours.'
'Does Chief Inspector Blunt know how you're treating me' the girl spat out
'We couldn't give a damn whether he knows or not. We're in charge here not Chief Inspector Blunt' came the immediate and aggressive response. 'So, shoes off!!'
The girl took off her shoes reluctantly and placed them in a cupboard by the cell.
The cell was 12ft by six foot and 11 feet high. One small window 8ft up was situated opposite the solid door. A toilet pan with no seat stood in the right hand corner. No paper. The parting shot of the policewoman informed her that the loo only flushed once per half hour.
She'd be damned if she would let them see any weakness. She sat up on the plastic mattress covering the bunk. She folded her arms and meditated, only moving to stretch her legs or refold her arms.
Every so often the duty sergeant looked in on her on the CCTV. Finally, after four hours, as she would later discover, she was taken to an interview room.
Blunt took Leibnitz with him. He felt that it would be too provocative probably to use Saeed in the interview. And anyway he had too much on with the results of the Darcy & Darcy raid.
He switched on the tape and advised her that she was helping the police with their enquiries into the death of Gruberowa, The Patels and Sheikh.
She said that she wanted to do a deal. Blunt advised her that deals were not on the agenda. However, if she cooperated he would see what he could do. Unfortunately he could not make any promises. She said that she wanted a lawyer. Blunt advised her that would come later. First of all he needed answers to questions.
'What made you and the Patels let us know that Gruberowa worked out of a Russian Brothel'
'We had seen your broadcast and all the stuff in the media asking if anyone had seen her. As good citizens we wanted to help?
'Come on' a cynical Blunt said 'what do you take us for?'
'That is the truth'
'Who is the we?'
She clammed up.
'Ok, what were you doing at the Patel's?' Blunt changed tack
'We'd been asked to go there by the Patels' the unconvincing response
'We do not seem to be getting anywhere Miss Saddiqe. Now we can play this game ad infinitum or what if I release you and announce to the media that we will be releasing you from here at a particular time'
Her face blanched and she bit her lip until she drew blood.
'You fucking bastard'
'I thought so. Whoever, killed Sheikh wants you dead as well. The point is why?' Blunt calmly countered before continuing, 'So let us start again. Why were you at the Patels?
'Our job was to make sure that you found out about the Russians'
'Who told you go to the Patels and how did they find out about the Russians?'
'We were ordered by our cell leader?'
'Do you know Rafique Khan?'
'I have heard of him. I do not know him personally'
'Did you see him in Afghanistan or Pakistan with a gentleman called Osama Bin Laden?
Her eyes opened wide with shock
'How do you know?'
'Just answer the question.'
'Yes, I have seen him there'
'Who is your cell leader?'
She gave the name of one of the extremist Imams in the Finsbury Park mosque. She laughingly advised them that he had already left the country
'How did you get to find out about the Russians?'
'I don't know. We follow orders'
Blunt accepted that she probably didn't know how someone had found out about the Russians. On being asked again who had killed the Patels she again professed innocence. She and Sheikh had been told to get out. Who told them to get out she didn't know. They had received a telephone call and carried out their instructions.
Again Blunt probed as to whether they suspected that something was going to happen to the Patels. He followed up with what was the point of killing the Patels?
Once more she denied any knowledge of anything. All that she knew is that they were told to get out. He enquired as to Sheikh's whereabouts when he and Superintendent Saeed went back round to the Patels'. He had been sent to do something else...she did not know what?
Blunt then moved onto asking her about the cottage.
'What made her kill Sheikh?'
'Don't be stupid. Whoever it was wanted to kill us both. You've already said that. When are we going to a deal?' a defiant answer
Blunt felt frustrated. Saddiqe refused to give straight answers.
'Who were the people that came to the cottage and killed Sheikh?'
'I don't know I ran away'
'What made you run away?'
'I just felt that they were going to kill us'
'How did you get to the cottage?'
'We were on a motorbike'
'Where did you get the motorbike?'
'Someone gave it to us'
Blunt's frustration boiled over. He turned to Leibnitz. 'DC Leibnitz is just leaving the room to get Miss Saddiqe and myself a coffee. The tape is being turned off at....'.
When they were alone he turned to Saddiqe
'Ayesha. At this moment in time we are getting nowhere. You are giving me nothing. If I do not start getting something soon then I will do everything in my power to ensure that your colleagues whoever they are will harm you.' Blunt whispered enunciating every word clearly.
The girl sat silently staring at him. Obviously deliberating as to how much she should cooperate.
'Obviously I will not release you. But I can have you detained in Norwich prison. You will be alongside other Muslims. At the same time I will issue a press release stating that you are providing us with a wealth of information about a whole range of issues'
Once more she blanched.
Blunt turned to Leibnitz as she entered the interview room.
'What a welcome sight Melanie. I am absolutely parched as is Miss Saddiqe.'
The tape was restarted.
'Where did the motorbike come from?'
'It was brought to us by two guys who also told us that we were to stay at the cottage until we were picked up'
'Did you know them?'
'No....but I can give you a description'
'Good we will sort that out later'
Leibnitz passed Blunt a piece of paper he unfolded it, digested its contents and continued.
'We have just heard that the pliers and the knife left on the cottage table are Russian. Furthermore, we are told that the manner of the murder replicates the torture and murder methods used by the Russians in Afghanistan. What have you got to say?'
'I don't know anything about the Russians apart from what I have already told you. I have never been in Afghanistan when the Russian were there!.'
'Miss Saddiqe you know more than you are letting on. It is blaringly obvious to me that your colleagues want you dead one way or another. It does not matter what prison you end up in, and you will end up in prison. You know as well as I do that they will find some way to get at you. If you provide me with something substantial then we will have to do everything in our power to protect you.'
She sat in the chair. Covered her face with the palm of her hand and stared at the wall. The silence began to scream inside Leibnitz's head after about 4 minutes. As she turned to look at Blunt her chair squeaked. He did not move. He just looked straight at Saddiqe.
Finally, after what must have been nearly ten minutes Saddiqe turned to Blunt.
'I have something but it is not about your case directly. I won't tell you everything right now. I want it in writing from someone senior, perhaps the Home Secretary, that I will be protected. Then I will tell you what else I know but I need another coffee'
Once again the recording machine was switched off and Leibnitz went for coffee.
Saddiqe then leant towards Blunt and whispered the briefest of outlines. The magnitude of what she was intimating left him stunned.
He thrust himself out of the chair and dashed from the room. He nearly bumped into Leibnitz in the corridor. He ordered her to wrap up the interview and the to find the others He hurried down the corridor. 'Christ' he thought 'if she is telling the truth the consequences do not bear thinking about.' Leibnitz had never seen him move so quickly and couldn't understand why.