A Bombing Enigma Read online

  Cynara felt they had been quite forthright and admired their courage. She hoped the journalists would honor the request. If Elizabeth kept a low profile for the next few weeks, the media attention could soon fade away. Her friends and acquaintances just had to show some consideration and solidarity. Things were not as bleak as they had seemed this morning. It was an uplifting thought and cheered her up considerably.

  Cynara brought the food to the table. They talked about Cynara’s teaching assignment at the school. She told Bradley about the other teachers she had met. He knew Ben and Sherry Mason. Bradley and Ben grew up together. He had even attended their wedding. School was about to start in a month’s time. It was already August. Cynara felt so entrenched in the Stewart household that it was hard to remember she had only come to York a couple of months ago. She just wanted the case to be totally solved by the time she began her new job.

  Bradley helped her clean up after they finished eating. He had been a little strained throughout the meal, as if he was brooding about something. Cynara made coffee and they sat down to drink in the living room. She chattered nonsensically for a while trying to draw him out. It was to no avail. She finally gave up and asked him directly as to what was bothering him. He sat quietly for a few seconds gathering his thoughts. Then he finally sighed and said, “There are just too many different angles in this case. And they are not adding up.”

  “What do you mean?” Cynara asked in surprise.

  “The first facet is Jimmy, the Jihadi, and his bond with Abaan, an Arab who was a member of a local Islamic group in Iraq, Muslim Radicals. Next facet is the letter you discovered. There is a mention of a girl but her identity is unknown. So far three women have died, Ruth, Sharon, and Fatima,” Bradley said.

  “Ruth committed suicide,” Cynara interjected.

  “That is correct,” Bradley agreed. “The girl cannot be Ruth or Fatima. Therefore, it has to be Sharon. However, I doubt it as the email addressed to her from Abaan could not possibly have been from Abaan, as he was already dead. I feel she was just an innocent pawn.”

  “Then why did someone kill her?” Cynara again interrupted.

  “Good question. I do not have the answer yet. Nor do I know why Fatima was murdered,” Bradley said. “Continuing with the bewildering events, someone placed a bomb in the manor’s letterbox. And lastly Elizabeth was shot.”

  “Where is all this leading?” Cynara questioned.

  “Precisely my confusion. It is not leading anywhere!” Bradley exclaimed.

  “I do not understand,” Cynara shook her head in puzzlement.

  “The two facets are not adding up. Jimmy’s suicide with the events that have occurred since you found his letter,” Bradley paused. “I think someone has used his suicide to mislead us.”

  “Mislead us?” Cynara asked.

  “Yes. All the deaths, the bomb in the mailbox, and the terrorist angle were staged to delude us,” Bradley said slowly. “I feel the real objective the entire time has been to kill Elizabeth.”

  Cynara drew her breath in sharply, “Kill Elizabeth? Why does someone want her dead?”

  “For the oldest reason in the world,” Bradley said. “Money!”

  Chapter 42

  “Money?” Cynara asked.

  “Yes, money. It is the most common motive for the majority of murders committed in this world,” Bradley stated. “It may be no different in this case as well.”

  “How can you be certain?” Cynara asked.

  “I am not but I feel it in my gut. We have been analyzing and looking for leads for a while now. The police have found nothing concrete. I have also used many of my resources but have come up empty. Additionally, when I had the hacker check out the Fatwa’s website and realized it was a sham, it got me thinking that someone is playing us. This person wants us to think there is a terror plot evolving. Terrorism is the angle we have been forced to consider.”

  “But Abaan was real. Jimmy and Ruth knew him. Fatima was real,” Cynara said. “And Qureshi.”

  “Yes. They were all real and used for a specific purpose, to toy with us,” Bradley said.

  “Who would do that?” Cynara asked.

  “I think the girl from the email is still out there, working with the actual mastermind. They set this stage for us. The real target is Elizabeth,” Bradley said.

  “Okay even if it is true, what is the motive? Elizabeth’s money?” Cynara asked.

  “I discovered something today,” Bradley said. “The Stewarts fortune is divided in a very strange manner. It is all old family money, set up by a trust before the death of Mr. Philip Stewart’s father. When Jane’s mother was married, she was given property and some money. Being the daughter, she only got a small percentage. That is hers to do with as she wishes. The rest was divided between Philip and Michael, the two brothers, and their offspring. Ruth again got a small share, being a girl. George and Ruth’s brother, Kevin, got the bulk of the estate, and the money.”

  “Quite an unfair system for the girls,” Cynara commented.

  “Yes rather. After George’s death, his entire share went to Elizabeth. Now, if she dies, all her money and the property will be put back in the Stewarts trust and Kevin will inherit everything. After Ruth’s death, her share was also given to Kevin. That was a small amount. But this is big money,” Bradley said.

  “How big are we talking?” Cynara asked.

  “About twenty million pounds,” Bradley responded.

  “What?” Cynara gasped incredulously. “That is a lot.”

  “Precisely,” Bradley said.

  “Are you trying to say Kevin wants Elizabeth’s money?” Cynara asked. “Why is that? He has his own share.”

  “That is where the motive lies. Kevin apparently used to be quite a playboy, just like George. Except, as far as business was concerned, George had a head on his shoulders. He shrewdly joined the family firm and worked hard. Kevin, on the other hand, refused. He was too busy spending his fortune. The business empire thrived under George’s guidance. He pocketed all the profits,” Bradley said.

  “Kevin is in charge now.” Cynara said.

  “Yes, since George’s death. However, the business is not faring well. And Kevin is under heavy debt,” Bradley said.

  “Debt? They each had a large inheritance,” Cynara said.

  “Yes, it was large. Kevin has expensive tastes and enjoys gambling. He squandered it all away. The money he got after Ruth’s death only paid off the dues partially. A hefty amount is still outstanding,” Bradley explained. “In other words, he will really benefit from Elizabeth dying.”

  “So you believe he shot Elizabeth?” Cynara asked skeptically. “Because he needs her money?”

  “It is a strong possibility,” Bradley responded.

  “His wife, Margaret, comes from money. Why does her family not bail him out?” Cynara asked. “What about his parents? They have money too.”

  “You are correct. His parents and in-laws are very well off. He actually borrowed from both but that too is gone. Wasted everything,” Bradley said.

  “Does the family know?” Cynara asked.

  “I do not think so. They know he had some financial difficulties but they do not realize the extent of it,” Bradley said.

  “How did you unearth these facts?” Cynara asked curiously.

  “His accountant and personal banker are both good friends of mine. His banker also owed me a favor,” Bradley said simply.

  “If you are correct about the motive, what proof do you have?” Cynara asked.

  “None. That is the problem,” Bradley replied.

  “So right now it is all just a theory!” Cynara exclaimed.

  “However, I really feel I am finally on the right path,” Bradley said confidently.

  Cynara sat there thinking of everything that had taken place. Was it all just a smokescreen with the real intention of killing Elizabeth? “It is too confusing. Let us look at it one step at a time, in chronological order.”

&
nbsp; “Okay. That is a good idea,” Bradley readily agreed.

  “First Jimmy, who used to be Abaan’s friend, decided to convert to Islam and blew himself up. Twenty-one other people perished along with him, including George. Then almost a year later, I found an email from Abaan to Jimmy. This email mentioned a girl,” Cynara said.

  “And her true identity still eludes us,” Bradley interrupted.

  “The police discovered Abaan Khalid Fakhri, Fatima, and Qureshi. Qureshi met Jimmy and a girl in his store. Before he could identify the girl, he was killed,” Cynara said.

  “So we can assume the girl did not want to be found,” Bradley inferred.

  “Next, Ruth admitted to her relationship with Abaan and committed suicide. A few days later Sharon was killed,” Cynara said.

  “This is where I believe someone started to hoodwink us,” Bradley said. “That email to Sharon was a fake. Her death was for the sole purpose of making us believe in terrorism. In reality, the terrorism aspect ended with Jimmy. But someone tried to re-create it to fool us.”

  “The agents saw a lot of increased activity originating from the Middle East?” Cynara questioned.

  “That also can be faked,” Bradley said.

  “What about the letterbox bomb?” Cynara asked.

  “Again setup to make us think terrorists were involved.” Bradley said. “Desperate people can go to any lengths.”

  “So the terrorist angle was a total fabrication?” Cynara queried.

  “Yes. Fatima spoke the truth. Her brother had no involvement,” Bradley said.

  “Then why was she killed?” Cynara asked. “To make us think it was terrorism?”

  “Yes, exactly. I actually had started to have doubts about the terrorism aspect. But Fatima’s death cleared them,” Bradley said. “This set the stage for the real crime, Elizabeth’s murder.”

  “And thankfully she survived,” Cynara said. “You really think this is all about Elizabeth and her fortune?”

  “I have given it a lot of thought and am quite convinced. Money is the end game and Kevin is the only beneficiary. It has to be him and his female accomplice. I just need to find solid proof,” Bradley said with confidence.

  “Who is his accomplice? Could it be Margaret, his wife?” Cynara asked.

  “I do not know yet,” Bradley said.

  “Whoever it is, is she the same person mentioned in Jimmy’s email?” Cynara asked.

  “I know it seems preposterous but it has to be. Otherwise what was the object of killing Qureshi?” Bradley said.

  Cynara furrowed her brows in concentration. It just seemed too fantastic. How could a girl who had wanted to convert to Islam along with Jimmy, and who had probably also converted, be Kevin’s abettor in this crime? She did not die with Jimmy. Instead, she became Kevin’s co-conspirator. When did that happen? She was definitely an important link in the case. The culprits had gone to great lengths to hide her identity.

  An idea suddenly took form in Cynara’s mind. She excitedly leaned forward and held Bradley’s arm. “Elizabeth was supposed to have been in the Melrose box when the bomb exploded that day?”

  “Yes. She felt unwell and left just a few minutes before the detonation,” Bradley said.

  “It is now obvious,” Cynara blurted rising from her seat, unable to sit. “Kevin and his girlfriend set Jimmy up to commit suicide and kill both George and Elizabeth Stewart at the races.”

  Chapter 43

  “What?” Bradley asked.

  “Somehow they must have found out about Jimmy’s aspirations to convert to Islam and his ambition to sacrifice his life for the Muslim brethren. The girl probably pretended to want to convert as well and suggested the suicide mission at the races,” Cynara started to explain.

  “That would kill the Stewarts. Both were supposed to have been there. And with them dead, the money would have all gone to Kevin,” Bradley cut in excitedly.

  “Yes, but unfortunately for them, Elizabeth left at the last minute and survived,” Cynara said slowly. “Why did they wait a year before trying again?”

  “They were biding their time,” Bradley shrugged. “And then their hand got forced when you unearthed Jimmy’s email.”

  “When the agents questioned Ruth, everyone in the family must have found out, including Kevin,” Cynara said.

  “Kevin and his friend then spun a yarn for us, terrorists and terrorism,” Bradley concluded.

  “It all fits together,” Cynara agreed, sitting back down.

  “All we need is evidence,” Bradley grinned. “And we have solved the case.”

  “How do we do that?” Cynara asked. “And our favorite question again, who is the girl?”

  “It is hard to say. I have to dig deeper and thoroughly check out Kevin’s associations from the past,” Bradley answered.

  “I can ask Jane if she knows of anyone Kevin was close to in the past, someone he is still in touch with,” Cynara said.

  “Do it discreetly. I do not want you to discuss our theory with anyone, I repeat anyone. This is for Elizabeth’s safety. I do not want Kevin or his partner panicking and taking any drastic measures. Elizabeth is still in danger, but hopefully they will not make another attempt anytime soon,” Bradley said seriously.

  Cynara nodded her assent. She started feeling anxious after hearing Bradley’s concerns. Bradley saw her expression and quickly came and sat next to her. He put an arm around her shoulders consolingly. Cynara felt a tingling along her spine and held herself erect, not wanting to give her feelings away. Bradley seemed oblivious to the effect he was having on her. He told her not to take on any unnecessary stress and just be cautious. Cynara dipped her head in consent. Bradley rose and thanked her for dinner and for hearing him out. Cynara walked him to the door. He quickly engulfed her in a bear hug, kissed her on the cheek, and left.

  Cynara stood there for a few moments savoring his hug and kiss. She really was attracted to Bradley, a little bit in love with him already. How was that possible in such a short spate of time? They hardly knew each other. It was a complication she could do without. However, how do you subdue those hormones that had suddenly reared their head? It was going to be quite a challenge.

  Cynara changed into her nightclothes and got into bed, pondering over everything she and Bradley had discussed. She tried to recall a fleeting thought she had while Bradley was still here. It had been something critical but Bradley had been talking at the time. Cynara was unable to recall it no matter how hard she tried. It nagged her as she felt it had been important. She replayed their entire conversation in her mind multiple times but it was futile. The thought escaped her. She finally admitted defeat and drifted off to sleep.

  Cynara woke up with a start. It had come to her in her sleep. Bradley had said he had become skeptical that terrorism or terrorists were behind the crimes. Cynara recalled she too had similar misgivings. Bradley and she had briefly discussed it with Charles when Bradley came to inform them about the fake Fatwa. She had then again mentioned it to her brother, who had not shared her sentiments. He and everyone else, including the police and the agents, had been sold on terrorism. Subsequently Fatima was murdered. The thought that had eluded her earlier was that if Fatima was really killed for reinvigorating the terrorism angle, then how had Kevin known about Bradley’s skepticism? Or her skepticism?

  Cynara sat up in bed. She was now wide-awake. Maybe Bradley had discussed his suspicions with someone else as well. If so, then whom? She looked at her bedside clock. It was 2 a.m., too late to call and confirm with him. Cynara slid out of bed and padded barefoot to her brother’s room. She noiselessly opened the door just a crack and could see Charles sleeping soundly. Disappointed, she came back to her room and lay down in the dark. Her mind was too active to sleep. She finally gave up after about 30 minutes.

  Cynara turned on her lamp and pulled out a notebook from the nightstand beside her bed. She started to jot down everything she could recall of her discourse with Bradley. Then she wrote the two
main questions burning in her mind. Was it all Kevin? How did he know to murder Fatima? As Cynara sat there pondering, she suddenly remembered Elizabeth’s photograph found at Fatima’s apartment.

  The photo was another big question mark. It had been taken about fifteen months ago by George. He had it printed and framed for his office. That frame with the photo was still in Elizabeth’s possession, in her attic. According to Elizabeth, George only had one copy printed. Who printed the second copy found at Fatima’s? Charles had suggested Jimmy could have given it to either Fatima or Fatima’s killer. Was that possible? All the Stewarts’ photos were saved on hard drives that were kept in the study. Cynara was cataloging them. Jimmy would have had to scan the drives, find the relevant picture, and then either copy it to another device or email it.