When Leibnitz arrived Blunt instructed her to get Saddiqe brought up to an Interview Room. He then switched on the tape, said the necessary preliminaries. She declined requesting a solicitor to be present. Therefore, Blunt got straight to the point
'Miss Saddiqe, what was your role in the death of Gruberova?'
She looked shocked at the question 'We're not going to carry on from this morning'
Leibnitz looked taken aback and looked quizzically at Blunt.
'No we are not! We will save that for later. So once more what part did you play in the death of Gruberova?'
No answer
'Miss Saddiqe, Gruberova was taken to a Somali ship by Morski and Pidrik. What would a pair of Russians be doing taking a girl to a Muslim ship whose registration can be traced back to Osama Bin Laden's Al Quaeda group?' Blunt was chancing his arm with this question.
'No answer'
'Miss Saddiqe I do not think that our friends Morski and Pidrik would stick up for you if the tables were turned.'
After a few moments contemplating the situation she told them what she knew about Gruberova, Morski and Pidrik.
They then had her escorted back to her cell. Leibnitz attempted to question Blunt about what Saddiqe had meant about the earlier interview. His baleful look warned her to discontinue her questioning.
Morski was the first to be brought up from the cells. Hewitt the solicitor waited patiently for him. He asked for a few words alone with his client. He used the time to attempt to get Morski to only answer when he gave the go ahead. When he felt sure that the Neanderthal understood he consented for the interview to go ahead.
'Mr Morski, your car has been identified as being on Yarmouth dock at the same time as a Somalian and a Russian vessel. The former vessel then left the port shortly before midnight. We have managed to put it in the vicinity required, at the time required for Miss Gruberova's body to be put into the sea and to end up on Winterton beach on the Sunday morning in question. What have you got to say?'
'No comment' Morski's eyes began to rapidly roam over the room. His right foot started to tap the floor.
Hewitt looked inquiringly at his client. The deepening frown on his face testimony to the fact that the direction of the questioning didn't please him.
'I put it to you that you and Pidrik dosed Miss Gruberova on GHB and took her in the boot of your car to the Somalian ship.'
'No comment' Morski looked anywhere but at his solicitor. A slight sheen of sweat appeared on his brow. His opening pores started to discharge a most unpleasant stench. Leibnitz thought she was going to gag on it. It didn't affect her boss too much as he suffered from sinusitis. An affliction that had an effect on the olfactory sense.
'You wanted to get rid of Gruberova because she knew that you and Pidrik were cheating on your bosses. You had been selling her and some of the other girls on the side and pocketing the money. Is that not correct Mr Morski?'
'No comment' Morski shifted uncomfortably on his seat. He wiped the sweat from his brow. He began to assume a haunted look and his face had drained of colour. The stench intensified.
The solicitor was getting decidedly uncomfortable. He knew where all this would place him vis a vis Morski's boss. He had no allegiance to Morski. None to Pidrik either.
'Mr Morski you and Pidrik did a deal with Sheikh and Saddiqe, again for money that involved the murder of Gruberova. Her being washed up on the beach gave them the perfect opportunity to draw our attention to the brothel. A fact that caused trouble for and potential embarrassment for your paymasters. Is that not so Mr Morski?' Blunt remorselessly questioned the increasingly hapless Russian.
'No comment' whispered this time.
Leibnitz looked at her boss and wondered whether he felt the same as her. Soon the Russian would crack. They were helped by the solicitor who seemed to have no interest in protecting his client. If indeed he were Gribben and Gribben's client any longer.
Blunt made Leibnitz think of a wildlife programme that she had recently seen on TV. There a lion played with its prey. Seemingly taking delight in its frantic and ultimately futile squirming.'
Blunt leaned over the table so that his nose almost touched Morski's 'I believe that you and Pidrik put all your money in two accounts, one with Lloyds and one with NatWest. What have you got to say to that Mr Morski? Or better still how will Mr Bondarevski deal with you when he finds out how you have double crossed him?'
Silence ensued
Finally Morski broke, 'We didn't know that they were going to kill her. The rest was Pidrik's idea' the Russian blurted out.
The confession hung in the air. The silence shattered by the screech of Hewitt's chair being pushed backwards
He had heard enough. Gribben and Gribben could not countenance a conflict of interest between its paymaster and his minions, He pulled himself to his feet and addressed the Russian
'Mr Morski. You had better get yourself another solicitor. I need to ring my office to take instructions' and on that note he walked out of the room.
The Neanderthal collapsed into the chair. He knew what Bondarevski would do. Of course he did. He himself had disposed of and maimed enough people for his old KGB boss.
Blunt nodded to Leibnitz.
'Mr Morski I presume you will want another solicitor?' smirked the policewoman.
Morski was returned to the cells whilst they waited until a duty solicitor became available to offer advice to the Russian Neanderthal. Leibnitz welcomed the break from the interview room and the stench of Morski. She remembered Flint's comment about the same individual and how she had doused herself with cologne. It helped to immunise her from his disgusting odour.
They only had to wait half an hour before Morski spent ten minutes alone with a duty solicitor. They then resumed in the interview room.
There Morski began to spit everything out.
When they had sucked him dry Blunt and Leibnitz then decided to have a go at Pidrik.
He looked rattled when informed that his solicitor, or rather his boss's solicitor had refused to represent him. Leibnitz couldn't help but throw in that he had also walked out on Morski. Again they had to wait whilst a duty solicitor could be found.
'Mr Pidrik, Mr Morski states that it was your idea to dispose of Miss Gruberova. What have you got to say to that?'
'No comment'
'Mr Pidrik why did you agree to do a deal with Saddiqe and Sheikh? I reckon it was greed. Can you confirm that?'
'No comment'
'We know all about your bank accounts and your selling heroin and cocaine on the side. '
'No comment'
'Mr Pidrik whilst in East Germany you worked for Cols Potin and Banderovski' the eyes widened, the jaw slackened, 'I am sure you know what happens to people that cross them. What about Anatoly Sherbitski who tried to prove that Potin and Banderovski had embezzled $900 million dollars earlier this year. He died of a mysterious illness, with his internal organs collapsing one by one. His skin went blotchy and he lost all his hair. Mr Pidrik I note that you take a lot of care of your hair. How do you fancy Mr Banderovski planning a nice slow and painful death for you?'.
'I want to do deal?' hissed a fearful Pidrik
'What sort of deal?'
'I will tell you what I know and you set me up with a new identity and money'
Blunt laughed long, loud and incredulously.
'Mr Pidrik you have defrauded your employer, sold cocaine and heroin, indulged in pimping and living off immoral earnings. That of course is to say nothing of being an accessory to the murder of a young woman. You have the cheek to ask to be freed. I think not'
Pidrik's face started to crumple with disappointment and dread. Like Morski he knew what manner of creature his boss was and how he dealt with those who crossed him.
The duty solicitor looked blankly whilst these exchanges were going on. He wondered what he in heaven's name he had stumbled into. His usual fare involved dealing with low level thugs, the odd drug dealer and drunk drivers. He just sat there wide eyed listening to all the talk of hundreds of millions of dollars, KGB colonels, Muslim terrorists and a murdered woman. And he was getting paid for it to boot! Well it would make for a good story at the pub.
'Now Mr Pidrik whose idea was it to dispose of Gruberowa and why?'
'It was Morski. He thought that she would shop us to our bosses so that she could get home. She always bleated about wanting to go home. Morski used to slap her when she got on his nerves too much. Anyway she found out about our little habits. She blackmailed us for money. You'll find that she has a bank account.'
Blunt nodded encouragement to the Russian, he continued
'Then things got worse'
'How so?' Blunt intervened
'The Asians collared us in the newsagent's shop and said that they knew that we were involved with the brothel and selling cocaine and heroin on the side.'
Blunt nodded at Leibnitz
'How did they find that out?' the young policewoman was growing in confidence
'We sold to one of the guys at a taxi office'
'What taxi office?'
'One in Dereham Road'
Leibnitz asked the Russian to describe who they dealt with at the taxi office. She felt a certain satisfaction when the description accorded with that of the wiry rat she had thrown Carly Jones' name at. She must ask Ahmed what the man had said to him.
They told us that they wanted one of our girls and that they would pay for her. If we didn't do what they said then they would make sure our bosses knew what we had been doing. '
'So where did the GHB come in?' Blunt took over the questioning.
'They said that they wanted her drugged and for us to take her to the Somali ship in Yarmouth '
'Didn't you think that the girl may be killed. In fact isn't that what you hoped. Wasn't it the case that Gruberowa dead removed a threat to you'
'No, No. We thought she was being taken for the sailors and hoped that they would take her away'
Blunt let the answer lie, 'Who administered the GHB?
'Morski. He is more experienced than I am.' No hesitation from Pidrik.
Blunt had the measure of the man. He would send his own family to death to save his own skin.
Blunt knew that what the Russian said would be hard to disprove. In court they would not be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they knew she was going to be killed. But he would still charge him for accessory to murder by person or persons unknown as well as all the rest.
'Mr Pidrik do you have any idea who killed the Patels?
The Russian looked confused, 'Who are they?'
'The family that owned the newsagents on Gladstone Street' responded Blunt.
'No. Why should I. It couldn't have been me. You had me locked up. And I didn't know who had told you about the brothel and Gruberova.
The policeman had to acknowledge that the Russian had a point.
Leibnitz tapped him on the arm
'Can I have a word sir?'
They switched off the tape and went out into the corridor.
'Sir what if he is telling the truth?. We didn't tell anyone anything' Leibnitz whispered.
'No, we did not' thought Blunt 'but what if someone else had. What he had heard earlier told him that Bondarevski would have no qualms about killing anyone'
'Why don't we ask him about when Saddiqe and Sheikh collared the two of them in the shop? The policewoman had a glint in her eyes.
'Melanie I will sit and watch' Blunt took satisfaction in her thought processes.
Once the tape recording resumed Leibnitz jumped straight in.
'Mr Pidrik when Saddiqe and Sheikh confronted you in the Patel's shop was anyone else present' she enquired
'I don't think so' he thought for a moment, 'No there were no customers there'
'What about the Patels. Were they there?' the young policewoman persisted
The Russian thought for a moment and then hesitatingly came back, 'I vaguely remember seeing an old lady by the counter from the corner of my eye and..... a young girl'
'Thank you Mr Pidrik that will be all'
They both knew that Pidrik's answer meant that more than one person now had an interest in the death of the Patel family.