A Bombing Enigma Page 5

  “Syria?” Mrs. Stewart asked.

  “Yes, we obtained his exit entry indicating Syria. We believe he is still there. He is probably linked to a Muslim fundamental group. Syria seems to be a hotbed for them nowadays. We are assuming that he somehow swayed Jimmy to convert to Islam,” Mr. Daniels replied.

  “Did Jimmy ever mention anyone by that name to you?” Mr. Watson asked.

  “No,” Ruth said stiffly.

  Mr. Watson took out Abaan Khalid’s photograph from his coat pocket, showed it to Ruth, and asked, “Do you recognize the face?”

  Ruth gazed at the picture unflinchingly and shook her head emphatically. “I have already stated Jimmy and I hardly had any contact while he lived in Bradford. He called me after relocating back to York and told me he was looking for work. I knew he had been a chauffeur for many years and recommended him to George, for old times’ sake. He used to be a good friend of mine in school. Even after he was employed, we rarely met. He certainly did not share any confidences with me about Muslim terrorist friends or converting to Islam or any girls.” She stood up indignantly looking very irate.

  “Yes this was your statement previously as well. However, in the light of new information, we are questioning everyone again. Someone just might recognize this photograph or the name,” Mr. Daniels said.

  “By that I presume you will also be questioning our other school friends?” Ruth asked bitingly. “I was not the only one Jimmy stayed in touch with.”

  “I repeat. We are questioning everyone,” Mr. Daniels said patiently.

  Ruth was not willing to be pacified. She was quite outraged. “Let me just add for the record that I had nothing to do with Jimmy’s actions. I will be very happy if you uncover a plot and catch the real culprits. Jimmy was a gentle soul. I cannot imagine him scheming and executing this kind of a bombing of his own accord. He must have been brainwashed. That was my testimony earlier as well.” She paused and looked at all of them adamantly. “Well if you have satisfied your suspicions about my role then I shall take your leave.” Barely looking at Mrs. Stewart, she fairly stomped out of the room.

  The two detectives looked at each other expressionlessly. “I am sorry for Ruth’s reaction,” Mrs. Stewart said. “But you made her feel like a suspect.”

  “We certainly had no intentions of riling her up to this extent. I apologize for involving you,” Mr. Daniels said.

  “I hope you can cross Ruth off your list of suspects now,” Mrs. Stewart said. “I am positive that she had no inkling of any sort about Jimmy’s intentions or his Muslim connections.”

  Both the men shrugged in a noncommittal manner. “I hope her annoyance with you is short-lived,” Mr. Daniels said.

  “She will calm down in a few days,” Mrs. Stewart replied.

  The agents left after agreeing to update them of any further progress in the case. Mrs. Stewart sank down onto the sofa in relief. The stress on her face eased partially. “That was not pleasant at all. Ruth is not going to forgive me easily. She and I have never been close even though I have been a part of the family for ten years,” she sighed uneasily.

  “Why is that?” Cynara quizzed before realizing she was asking a personal question of her employer.

  “It is no secret that Ruth and I never hit it off. She is the only family member who still disapproves of my marriage with George. My middle class background might be the cause. George always excused her behavior by saying that she is just possessive about him,” Mrs. Stewart explained.

  Cynara could not imagine Ruth as a snob, but then looks are quite deceptive. She only met her for a few minutes. You can never gauge someone’s personality in such a short time span. Shaking off her thoughts Cynara asked Mrs. Stewart if she wanted to continue looking at the financial statements. This change of topic was definitely safer as Mrs. Stewart seemed highly affected by the circumstances. They worked quietly for the rest of the afternoon. Cynara was glad it was a Friday. She was looking forward to just relaxing over the weekend. It had been a crazy week.

  After a long jog in her customary park, Cynara took a leisurely bath. She lazily walked into the kitchen wondering what to eat. There was nothing appealing in the refrigerator. As she stood looking at all the unappetizing contents, her cell phone rang. It was probably not Charles as it was already the middle of the night in Perth. She picked up the phone and saw it was Jane. “Hi Jane, lovely to hear from you.”

  “Have you had dinner?” Jane asked.

  Surprised by the sudden question, Cynara replied, “No, not yet.”

  “Ok great. We are going out for dinner. I will come and pick you up in twenty minutes. Be ready,” Jane said and disconnected the call.

  Cynara was taken aback by the abrupt demand. It was quite curious. Maybe Jane had heard about Jimmy’s letter and wanted to talk about it. Well she would find out soon enough. Cynara quickly walked into her bedroom and changed into a simple blue summer dress. She picked up a matching light cardigan, in case the evening cooled down.

  Jane arrived in exactly twenty minutes. Cynara opened the door and Jane immediately said, “I am parked in the driveway.”

  They hurried to the car and drove out. Jane seemed to be in a great haste to get away from the manor house. Maybe she did not want Mrs. Stewart to see her there. “I am sorry for rushing you like this. But I really did not want to bump into Elizabeth,” she confessed.

  “Don’t apologize,” Cynara replied.

  “I must have sounded so bossy ringing you up out of the blue and literally demanding you to have dinner with me. This is not my normal behavior. I shall explain my overbearing actions once we reach the restaurant,” she said.

  “I am actually glad you called and we are going out to eat. There was nothing tasty in my fridge and I had no inclination to cook,” Cynara said smilingly.

  The rest of the drive was completed in the two of them discussing school. Exams were over and Jane had a lot of marking to do. Grades needed to be tabulated and submitted by early next week. She was also moving into her parents’ home the following morning, for the summer months. Jane pulled up into a parking spot that was across from an Indian eatery, Mumbai Lounge. “Do you like Indian?” she asked.

  “Yes as long as it is not too spicy,” Cynara responded.

  “We will ask them to tone down the spices and make everything mild. I like the food here and you can usually find a table even without reservations,” she said as they walked in.

  Cynara’s senses were assailed with exotic smells as they entered the restaurant. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation. She realized how hungry she was. They got a table by the back wall. Both of them quickly sat down and read the menus. Cynara ordered a chicken biryani with mint yogurt. Jane got a Balti Butter Chicken with Naan. The waiter noted down their choices, filled their glasses with water and left.

  “Now we can talk,” Jane said. “Ruth stopped by the school today and came into my office to see me. She was very agitated and perturbed about some letter to Jimmy from a mysterious Mr. Abaan. I had not heard of this letter at all and was quite mystified. When I asked her to explain, she stalked out without another word. She seemed to be extremely distressed. What has happened to get her in that state?” Jane asked puzzled.

  “The agents called her in for questioning and she felt it was very unfair of them. But then she is the one who knew Jimmy since childhood,” Cynara said.

  “True but they hardly ever met in the intermittent years before Jimmy returned to York. Even after he started working for George, they did not meet socially. The most she saw him was at family parties where he drove George or Elizabeth. Therefore, she was bitterly offended that they interrogated her after the bombing. And now they questioned her again?” Jane quizzed. “You have to give me all the facts. Ruth left in a huff so I am clueless. What is this letter? Where and when did you come across it? And what does it say?”

  As she was a part of the Stewarts’ family, Cynara candidly gave her a detailed summary of everything that had occurred du
ring the week. Jane was dumbfounded at hearing the contents of the letter.

  “Well I had no idea. Elizabeth has not mentioned anything to us,” Jane said.

  “I think she has only told her in-laws. The agents requested her to keep it quiet. Please do not share this with anyone outside the family,” Cynara added.

  “Yes certainly. How has Elizabeth taken this new twist?” Jane asked.

  “I think it has affected her quite a bit. In a way the wound has been reopened,” Cynara replied.

  “Yes it has been terrible for her. It is all very baffling!” Jane exclaimed. “Well I hope it leads to an explanation of why Jimmy did it. I mean the investigators were never able to explain the why. He left a tape saying that he hated this country and hated Christians and had converted to Islam.”

  “I saw that recording,” Cynara said nodding her head.

  “Yes but the police never found any evidence that explained his hatred for England or for Christianity. He did not attend any church regularly. There was no link to a political group. He had not been arrested or harassed by the law. So it never made any sense,” Jane said. “He had no family and they did not find any friends that could have influenced him. He was just a solitary man living his life who suddenly decided to blow himself up one day.”

  “What about the explosives he used. Did they find where he obtained them?” Cynara asked.

  “No. It was a bomb of some sort, but they were not successful in uncovering how it came to be in his possession. It was sophisticated, one that cannot really be assembled at home. He definitely bought it or it was given to him. But, the investigating team was unable to discover who or how,” Jane answered.

  “What a mystery,” Cynara commented.

  “Yes, it has been. So this letter actually makes sense, provides a who and might lead to how and why,” Jane said.

  “Well I do hope so. Maybe then Mrs. Stewart will be able to get on with her life,” Cynara said.

  “Yes it is taking her a long time to let go. She has become a real recluse. You know she used to be such a socialite, throw lavish parties that people could kill to get invited to. She had hordes of friends,” Jane said.

  “Do any of her friends ever visit? I have not seen anyone, but then I have only been here a very short time,” Cynara said.

  “People have tried but Elizabeth does not want to see them. There were two couples that she and George used to meet very frequently. All of them were invited to the races that day. One of them had gone without his wife and one with. They all died in that blast,” Jane said sadly.

  “How dreadful!” Cynara exclaimed. “What about the wife who was not there? Has she reached out to Elizabeth?”

  “I think so but Elizabeth has rebuked everybody,” Jane said.

  “Grief can be so crushing,” Cynara said.

  Jane nodded her head in agreement as their food was delivered to the table. The aroma was heavenly. Both of them started eating immediately. The food was delectable, a real treat to the taste buds. “This is amazing,” Cynara said.

  “Not too spicy for you?” Jane asked.

  “No, just the right amount. I love it,” Cynara said.

  The girls chatted amiably while eating their scrumptious dinner. Cynara liked Jane and enjoyed their conversation. She was so easy to talk with. Cynara felt she could really connect with her. She hoped this was the start of a lasting friendship. It would make her new life at the school so much easier to adjust to. They both polished off everything on their plates and laughed at how hungry they had been. Neither of them wanted any Indian tea or coffee. Cynara just wanted to get back as she suddenly started feeling very tired. Jane also wanted to return to her grading.

  After settling the bill, Jane drove Cynara to the manor and dropped her off in front of the gate. She invited Cynara to her parents’ house for dinner on Sunday. Cynara happily accepted and quickly walked back to the cottage. She changed into her pajamas and got into bed. This past week had been quite taxing and she felt drained. She wondered whether the discovery of the letter had been unfortunate. It had started a chain of events whose outcome could turn out to be unfavorable. Jimmy, his Muslim friend, Mrs. Stewart, Ruth, Jane, everything was now jumbled in her sleepy mind. She finally gave up the struggle to stay awake and drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 7

  Charles called on Saturday morning and reminded Cynara about one of his old school friends, Peter Jennings, who lived in the area. Charles and Peter were still in touch with each other. Charles had given her Peter’s number and was very keen she initiate contact with him. After hanging up, she decided to first call Peter before planning her day.

  Peter had been in the same class as Charles and was now married to a woman called Janine. Luckily, he picked up the phone on the third ring and was quite delighted to hear from her. He had been waiting for the call. Charles had informed him of her move to York, right after she cleared the interview at the school. He invited her over the following afternoon for lunch. Cynara readily accepted the invitation and noted down his address. He gave her directions by bus.

  After her phone call, Cynara walked around the town of York enjoying its sights. York was a good blend of modern and traditional. The more Cynara explored the more she was convinced that she would ultimately love her stay here. All the locals she interacted with were very friendly and welcoming. The only thing that prevented her from feeling truly content was Mrs. Stewart. Cynara felt guilty at having such a delightful time while her employer was still searching for answers regarding her husband’s death.

  Cynara alighted from the bus Sunday afternoon and walked down the lane to Peter’s house. It was in a quiet upscale neighborhood with large homes. Peter answered the door. He was a plump man with an easy smile and warm brown eyes. His wife, Janine, quickly came into the foyer to greet her. She was a beautiful woman with long black hair and large blue eyes framed by exquisitely long dark lashes. Her posture and grace made her look like a ballerina.

  Their home had a warm and tranquil atmosphere that made Cynara feel peaceful. Janine graciously took Cynara into the kitchen where a table was nicely arranged. They sat down to eat a simple but savory lunch. Janine was an excellent cook. Peter was a photographer for a local advertising agency and Janine was a model. They had met during an event a few years earlier. After dating for a year, they finally got married. They seemed to be very much in love.

  The conversation soon turned to Cynara’s job and the Stewarts. They were both quite curious about her employment with Mrs. Stewart. Janine had worked for George Stewart during some ad campaigns in the past. This was before Peter came into her life. During the course of her work, she had been briefly acquainted with Elizabeth as well. They had not met since the completion of the advertisements. The bombing and George’s subsequent death had saddened them both.

  Janine confided that her first cousin had been dating one of George’s close friends. She had gone to the races that fateful day and perished along with her boyfriend, in the same box as George. Janine’s aunt and uncle were still trying to recover from her death. It was hard to accept terrorist acts in this part of Britain, with such an English setting. That just proved terrorism was now prevalent everywhere. There was really no escaping this harsh reality of life in the post 9/11 world.

  “It has been difficult for everyone who lost someone that day to recover from their loss. None of them deserved to die so savagely,” Peter said.

  “Who could ever think that such horrors would occur so close to their own home? After all, this is not a war zone,” Janine added.

  “So true. The bombing must have impacted quite a few families,” Cynara said.

  “Yes, more than a few. There was an article written by a journalist cousin of mine about all those who perished. It contained details about each victim. We knew there had been twenty-one people killed, not including Jimmy, but once we read the article we realized how many different local families were affected. They were mostly from the rich and elite societ
y of York, George’s friends and business affiliates,” Peter said.

  “Luckily for the Stewarts, there were no other family members present. Mrs. Stewart had a very near escape,” Cynara said.

  “Yes she was fortunate in that sense. Unfortunately though, she lost not just her husband but also quite a few very close friends,” Janine said.

  “I would love to read that article,” Cynara commented.

  “I still have a copy somewhere and will find it for you,” Peter said.

  “Let us not think about the depressing events of that unlucky day anymore,” Janine said before changing the topic.

  Peter loved to talk and soon had both the girls in splits of laughter with his quirky dry sense of humor. Cynara asked them numerous questions about the modelling and advertising worlds. She had little knowledge of them. They always seemed so glamorous and with Janine’s beautiful looks, she seemed to be a perfect fit. However, Cynara realized that Janine was quite a levelheaded and simple person. Cynara enjoyed her lunch with them and the afternoon flew by quickly. Peter found the article for Cynara just as she was leaving. She put it in her purse and thanked him.