A Bombing Enigma Page 4

  “Why did you not find this Imam when the suicide bombing occurred,” Mrs. Stewart asked.

  “We did question the Imams at all the mosques in Yorkshire last year. I remember talking to this same Imam back then as well. However, at the time we had inquired about Jimmy Spencer and not Abaan Khalid Fakhri. Even now the Imam denies knowing Jimmy or ever seeing him at his Mosque,” Mr. Daniels explained. “But he definitely remembers Khalid Fakhri because of his radical outbursts. He was a loud overbearing man with very fundamental views. The Imam felt he was a bad influence on the other men attending the regular prayer meetings. He actually spoke with him once and requested him either to keep his views to himself or to stop coming to the Mosque. Then he vanished about eighteen months or so ago.”

  “You also mentioned he had been apprehended by the police?” Mrs. Stewart asked.

  “Yes, at the time of the riots. He was taken into custody and questioned. However, his involvement in the riots could not be proven and so he was released after a few weeks,” Mr. Daniels replied. “Watson show the photo,” he added.

  Mr. Watson took out a photograph from an envelope and gave it to Mrs. Stewart. “Do you recognize him? Or did you ever see him with Jimmy?”

  Mrs. Stewart scrutinized the photo intently. “No, I have never seen this man before.”

  She handed the photograph to Cynara, a Middle Eastern man in his 30’s with a swarthy complexion and dark piercing eyes. It was a strangely barbaric face. Some might actually find him ruggedly handsome if it was not for the jagged scar just below his left eye, running all along the left cheek. It must have been made by a knife and not stitched properly as the edges were very rough. The scar and the look in his eyes rendered it such cruelty that Cynara’s heart almost skipped a beat nervously. She quickly gave the photo back to Mr. Watson and asked, “Where is Jimmy’s family?”

  “He was an only child and his mother died of cancer when he was about eighteen. After her death, he and his dad moved to Bradford. His dad passed away ten years ago. There seem to be no other relatives,” Mr. Daniels replied.

  “Can we question all your servants and ask them about Abaan’s photo?” Mr. Watson queried. “One of them might have spotted him with Jimmy.”

  “Yes of course. I will call them for you,” replied Mrs. Stewart. She rang the bell by the fireplace. Mr. Drake came into the study and Mrs. Stewart instructed him to call all the servants into the room, including Mr. Keene, the gardener. They all trooped in with worried expressions. Mr. Watson explained that they had new information linking Jimmy to the man in the photograph. Each of them closely examined the photo but none of them recognized it. They had never seen Abaan Khalid before. Mrs. Stewart thanked them and they all returned to their duties.

  After they left the room, Mrs. Stewart asked, “Mr. Daniels, what was the second file on the thumb drive?”

  “It was just some junk software that probably got downloaded when Jimmy copied and pasted that email from the internet,” Mr. Daniels explained.

  “Do you think Abaan Khalid was responsible for Jimmy’s actions?” Mrs. Stewart queried.

  “Well he might be the Muslim friend who had introduced him to Islam. Maybe his influence encouraged Jimmy to convert and become a suicide bomber. We cannot be certain until we have questioned him. But for that we first need to find him,” Mr. Daniels replied. “He no longer lives at the address in his police file. It is an apartment above a butcher shop that he had opened with a distant cousin.”

  “What is his background and where is his family?” Mrs. Stewart asked.

  “He moved to England along with an older sister and her husband at the age of eighteen. Initially, he lived in London with them. He relocated to Bradford about eleven years ago and opened a small butcher shop. He used to rent the apartment just above the shop. His sister continued to live in London. He was not married and seemed to have few friends. When we detained him after the riots, his sister and brother-in-law had visited from London and protested against his arrest. After his release from our custody, he sold his share of the shop to the cousin and then disappeared.”

  “This cousin does not know where he is?” Cynara asked.

  “No, he claims to have lost touch completely with Abaan and his sister and is unaware of their current whereabouts,” Mr. Daniels replied.

  “We are checking immigration records to see if he might have left the country,” Mr. Watson added.

  “Does his cousin remember Jimmy?” Cynara asked.

  “He did not know any of Abaan’s friends. They were not close and barely ever met. Abaan had been in charge of running the shop. He had only been a financial partner. Abaan’s unexpected offer to buy the shop had come as a surprise. It seemed profitable and so he had quickly agreed,” Mr. Watson replied.

  “The Imam will make inquiries about Abaan with others at the mosque,” Mr. Daniels said.

  “So we wait to see what else you find out from the Imam?” Mrs. Stewart asked.

  “Yes. We will also re-question all of Jimmy’s acquaintances both here and in Bradford to see if any of them recognize Abaan. Hopefully, we will get a break soon,” Mr. Daniels said.

  “The other angle we are following up on is to see if Jimmy was accessing the web from a public place with internet connectivity. But it will require some time,” Mr. Watson said.

  “We also want to follow up with Ms. Ruth Stewart about this letter,” Mr. Daniels said.

  “Ruth?” Mrs. Stewart questioned.

  “Yes, she knew Jimmy. He might have told her something about Abaan Khalid,” Mr. Daniels replied.

  “But you already interrogated her at the time. I remember she had been most distressed,” Mrs. Stewart said.

  “Yes, she had been totally appalled by the suicide. She kept denying that Jimmy could have been embroiled in something as macabre as this. It was hard for her to accept the terrible bombing. She insisted that it must have been a conspiracy of some sort and Jimmy was setup,” Mr. Daniels replied. “But now that we have an actual name and a photo, we will just run it by Ms. Ruth again,” he added firmly.

  “You are already aware of how Ruth knew Jimmy. They had gone to the same grade school. He had some family problems, moved to Bradford after his GCSE examination, and then came back to York at the start of winter in 2012. We had advertised for a new chauffeur’s position at the time. Jimmy contacted Ruth to see if she could put in a good word for him. She did, but she had told us truthfully that she did not interact with him for quite a few years. When we interviewed him, he had seemed like a quiet and unassuming type of person. He also had good references from his previous employers in Bradford. We hired him at the beginning of December. How I regret that decision,” Mrs. Stewart said remorsefully.

  Both the agents looked on uncomfortably as Mrs. Stewart’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. She quickly took a tissue from a box on the desk and wiped them away impatiently. Once she regained her composure Mr. Daniels asked, “Have you mentioned this letter to Ms. Ruth?”

  “No. I have only talked about it with my in-laws,” Mrs. Stewart said.

  “That is good. Please do not let her know anything until we have spoken with her,” said Mr. Daniels. “Actually we would like to call her here and show the letter.”

  “Why do you want to do that?” Mrs. Stewart asked.

  “We want to see her reaction,” Mr. Daniels said.

  “Why do you want to see her reaction?” Mrs. Stewart said in puzzlement. “She is not a suspect.”

  “This is a murder investigation ma’am. Everyone is a suspect,” Mr. Watson said staidly.

  Mrs. Stewart looked at the agents in consternation for a few moments. She finally sighed and asked, “When would you like me to schedule the meeting?”

  “The sooner the better. Please set it up and inform us,” Mr. Daniels said.

  “Ruth works full time and might not be available right away. I will talk to her and let you know,” she responded.

  The agents thanked Mrs. Stewart for her co
operation. She walked them out. Mrs. Stewart returned after a few minutes still looking overwrought. “Mr. Watson makes me nervous. I did not like his innuendos about Ruth at all. She is going to be pretty rattled with me for putting her on the spot,” she said.

  “They did not give you a choice,” Cynara said.

  Mrs. Stewart nodded in agreement. “But it is going to upset her. Ruth was always very close to George. His death has grieved her tremendously. It is outrageous to think that she can be mixed up in this heinous business.”

  “I am confident the agents will also conclude that after talking to her. They probably have to delve into all aspects,” Cynara said.

  Mrs. Stewart went upstairs to her room leaving Cynara to continue her work. In a way, the letter was a great find. It could lead to an explanation behind the suicide or could uncover a greater plot with more people involved. Cynara sincerely hoped that those people were not anyone known to Mrs. Stewart, like Ruth. That would be very painful for the family. Another possibility was that the letter led to nothing. That would also be quite disastrous for Mrs. Stewart and her in-laws. They were now aware of this new evidence and it seemed to have raised their hopes of getting real justice.

  Cynara knew how it felt to lose loved ones and especially loved ones before their time. She still missed her parents terribly and questioned God as to why. What did she ever do to deserve this loss? Charles had always put up a brave front for her sake. However, inside he had been equally shattered by their premature deaths. Cynara still poignantly yearned for those good old days when all four of them had been together. It had taken her a few years to be able to remember them without bursting into tears. Life was so lonely sometimes. Cynara shook off her pensive musings determinedly. Life was not that bad after all. She still had Charles.

  The morning flew by. Lunch was an animated affair. Mrs. Stewart had provided all the details about the letter to Mrs. Simpson. Mrs. Simpson briefed the rest on the events of the last two days. Mr. Drake had guessed something momentous had occurred when he had opened the door to the two CPS officers. He had desisted from asking Mrs. Stewart directly as he did not want to upset her. All of them felt anxious about the effects of the letter on the family.

  Cynara realized how good an employer Mrs. Stewart must be. The staff seemed genuinely fond of her and discussed the unhappy circumstances without any malice or spite. They expressed deep concern over Mrs. Stewart having completely withdrawn herself from society, all her friends, and old acquaintances. She hardly went out or entertained any visitors. The only people she ever visited were her in-laws. Cynara hoped that it was not guilt at still being alive that was preventing Mrs. Stewart from resuming regular life.

  Cynara woke up the next morning feeling a bit unsettled. She had not slept well and had a slight headache. She decided to make herself a strong cup of tea with sugar. Charles called while she was drinking it. She gave him an update of the current situation. Charles was quite surprised to learn how quickly the CPS officers had found Abaan Khalid. Of course, it is easier if the person had already been apprehended in the past. Charles realized the state of Cynara’s stress.

  “Calm down Cynara. It will all be okay. Sorry you are in the middle of this conspiracy,” he said softly.

  “So you think it’s a conspiracy? Jimmy was setup?” Cynara asked.

  “I have no idea. A man on his own coverts to Islam and then blows himself up without any definitive reasons was hard to digest. Now a man with a Muslim friend who is a fundamentalist is definitely easier to comprehend. This certainly leads to other possibilities and makes it more plausible,” Charles replied. “Having a name and a picture to search with should expedite things.”

  Cynara prayed his words would come true. “I hope so for Mrs. Stewart’s sake. She is so fragile right now and has already gone through a lot. I like her and hopefully you will too when you meet her,” she added. They talked for a few more minutes before disconnecting the call.

  The day passed slowly with Mrs. Stewart intermittently working with Cynara. Mrs. Stewart had spoken with Ruth and she was coming over the next afternoon. Cynara learnt details about all the members in the Stewart family during lunch from Mr. Drake. George’s father, Mr. Philip Stewart, had a younger brother, Michael, and a younger sister, Sophia. He was the patriarch of the family. George had been an only child. Jane and her brother, David, were the sister’s children. Ruth and her younger brother, Kevin, were the brother’s children. They all lived in York, except for Jane’s brother. Mr. Michael Stewart and his son, Kevin, were now managing the family business. Mr. Philip Stewart only helped in an advisory role as his health was poor.

  After Elizabeth and George’s wedding, Mr. Philip Stewart and his wife, Michelle, had moved to a smaller establishment on Moor Lane. It was ten minutes away. Mr. Michael Stewart and his wife, Fiona, lived just one lane away in another manor house, not as grand as this one. Ruth and Kevin also lived in the vicinity in their independent homes. Kevin had recently married Margaret, a daughter of another very rich man from Leeds. Ruth lived on her own. Jane’s parents, Sophia and Lawrence, lived in Lawrence’s ancestral property less than ten minutes away. The entire family practically resided within ten to fifteen minutes of each other. They really had all been very blessed, until misfortune befell them with the bombing.

  Chapter 6

  Cynara awoke Friday morning feeling apprehensive about Ruth’s and the agents’ impending visit after lunch. The morning crawled sluggishly as she tried to engross herself in the paperwork. Mrs. Stewart was also quite jittery and kept fidgeting with her wedding ring while staring vacantly out the window. She seemed unable to concentrate and just sat in the study while Cynara worked. It was a relief to break for lunch and go to the kitchen. A tray with food was taken up for Mrs. Stewart but she sent it back untouched. This increased Cynara’s nervousness for the upcoming meeting.

  Ruth arrived a few minutes after lunch and Mr. Drake brought her into the study and introduced her to Cynara. She was a tall woman in her early 30’s with shoulder length hair, not unattractive. Her shoulders were broad, making her appear big. The square jaw also did not allow for any delicacies. Her features had more of a rugged charm. The only similarity with her cousin Jane was that they were both brunettes. Ruth came forward and vigorously shook Cynara’s hand and greeted her in a deep voice.

  Mrs. Stewart entered the study just as Ruth released Cynara’s hand. They met cordially. Mrs. Stewart invited both of them to sit down. “Thank you Ruth for making the time today and coming over. I realize how busy you keep at work,” she said graciously.

  “Yes we are approaching a deadline and it has been quite hectic lately. You needed to discuss something with me?” Ruth questioned.

  “Yes I did. But I am just waiting,” Mrs. Stewart said.

  “Waiting? Waiting for what?” Ruth asked.

  The doorbell rang just then as if on cue. Mrs. Stewart exclaimed in relief and stood up, “We have found something that I wanted to show you. But let us just wait for them to come in.”

  “For who?” Ruth asked.

  There was a knock at the study door and the two agents entered. Ruth was surprised to see them. After the initial greetings, she looked at Mrs. Stewart and asked, “Elizabeth, what are they doing here?”

  “I will explain. You know I hired Cynara to help me with paperwork and sort out all these pen drives that George kept. Well, we found a letter on one of the drives,” Mrs. Stewart said.

  “What letter?” Ruth asked looking puzzled.

  “Cynara will show you,” Mrs. Stewart said.

  Cynara quickly walked to the computer and opened the letter. Mrs. Stewart led Ruth to the desk and requested, “Please read it.”

  Ruth sat down and started to read. Both the agents stood in front of the desk and closely observed her face. She continued to stare at the screen for a few moments before finally glancing up. “I am not sure I understand,” she said warily. “What are you showing me?”

  “It seems to be a
copy of a letter from an Abaan Khalid Fakhri to Jimmy. Do you know him?” Mr. Daniels asked.

  “Know who? Jimmy? Of course I knew him,” Ruth retorted.

  “Ms. Ruth, do not mock us. This is serious business. Let me ask you in simple words. Do you know any Abaan Khalid Fakhri?” Mr. Daniels asked sternly.

  Ruth looked at him mutinously. “No I do not. And I take offense to your questioning. I have already told you everything I know about Jimmy.” Turning towards Elizabeth, she asked angrily, “What is going on?”

  “I will explain,” Mr. Daniels intervened authoritatively. “This letter was discovered on one of the USB sticks. We cannot ascertain when it was sent, as there are no dates. What we do know is that a Muslim by the name of Abaan Khalid Fakhri used to live in Bradford. He dropped out of sight a little less than two years ago. We are quite convinced that he flew to Damascus, Syria around that time and there are no records of him having re-entered England since.”