They were all good-natured and very curious about Cynara. She had to literally give them a brief history of her life. They were quite surprised to learn she was working for Elizabeth through the summer. The conversation turned to the events of last August, the races and the bomb blast. A cousin of Cheryl’s had been in the box and perished as well. Barry had gone to university with George and had known him well. Ben had actually been present there at the time the bomb exploded and seen the mayhem first hand. He had been too far from the blast to sustain any injuries. What a lucky save!
Cynara was taken aback to realize how many of them had been impacted by the catastrophe, despite the fact that they were a small group. It was eerily uncanny, Jane’s cousin, Cheryl’s cousin, and Ben himself. Probably a lot of people in York had been touched by this mishap. Many must have actually witnessed it first hand, as horseracing was an old Yorkshire tradition. It must have been so challenging for the city to heal. Cynara was glad to see Jane’s friends looking and behaving normally. They had dealt with their grief. She wished Elizabeth would do the same.
Realizing the morbid tone the conversation had taken, they all consciously decided to show Cynara a good time. Subsequently, they proceeded to do just that. Jane and Jade paired up to regale incidents about the school’s principal. They had a knack for dramatized comedy. Their stories were so amusing that soon Cynara was in splits of laughter. They made a handsome couple and Cynara wondered why they were not dating. She decided to quiz Jane about it afterwards. Ben and Sherry behaved more like love struck teenagers rather than a married couple. They were very cute to watch. Barry and Cheryl were also fairly jovial and added to the merriment.
Jane dropped Cynara back as it was late by the time they wrapped up. Cynara had thoroughly enjoyed her evening and looked forward to meeting them all again. She tentatively asked Jane about Jade and whether Jane had ever considered dating him. Jane laughed at her question and replied that it was something she was ragged about a lot. She liked him as a friend and could even consider him as more, if he ever asked. He just needed some prodding and would probably get there soon. Cynara hoped it would work out for them. They seemed so well suited for each other.
Sunday turned out to be an unusually stormy day. Cynara completed her chores around the cottage and stayed indoors enjoying the rain. It made her feel lazy. She did not even change out of her pajamas. Charles had called in the morning and told her his definite travel plans. He was visiting in two weeks and had bought his tickets.
The dull and rainy weather continued through the beginning of the week. The cloud cover finally broke on Wednesday. Mr. Daniels called later that afternoon. Mr. Drake received the call and informed Elizabeth that the agents were coming over. She and Cynara were in the middle of trying to understand some business policies of Mr. Stewart’s. They just managed to complete reviewing the relevant paperwork before the agents arrived.
Without any preamble, Mr. Watson said, “Our agents again questioned all the Imams in Bradford and the other cities in Yorkshire, trying to find the Mosque and the Imam where Jimmy converted to Islam. We had carried out a similar search after the suicide as well. However, we were unsuccessful then and have been unsuccessful now.”
“I see,” Elizabeth said uncertainly, not sure of what they were trying to say.
“Well, we then decided to talk to the shopkeepers of Muslim shops where you can buy religious items or books like the Quran. The letter Ms. Walters found had described a private conversion using a Quran. We finally had some luck at a shop in Leeds, next to an Islamic Center,” Mr. Daniels said.
“The shopkeeper recognized Jimmy’s photograph?” Cynara asked excitedly.
“Yes he did. The shopkeeper, Ahmed Qureshi, initially hesitated and then revealed the whole truth,” Mr. Daniels said.
“He remembered Jimmy coming to his shop accompanied by a tall brunette with broad shoulders. They had asked about converting to Islam and had wanted to know if it could be done outside of a Mosque. Mr. Qureshi referred them to a book that explained the conversion process and how to say the Shahada. That is the declaration a person needs to recite in order to convert. They had bought the book and the Quran,” Mr. Daniels explained.
Cynara felt goosebumps forming on her skin. This actually made it real. “Why didn’t he come forward after the bombing? He must have heard the news and seen Jimmy’s photograph everywhere?”
“Jimmy and the girl had come to his shop about a month before the bombing. Qureshi realized the suicide bomber had been his customer the minute he saw the first news flash after the incident. He was appalled that he had aided a terrorist into converting. After thinking about it, he decided to stay quiet, though he was always fearful of being found out. But it did not happen till today,” Mr. Daniels answered.
“My God!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “What about the girl? Who was she?”
“Qureshi does not know. She was not one of the victims as he saw all their photographs on television,” Mr. Watson said.
“So you think this mystery lady is Jimmy’s girlfriend from the letter?” Cynara asked.
“We cannot say with full certainty but she is a strong candidate. Qureshi found the sale record as he keeps electronic copies. Unfortunately, there was no credit card data. Presumably, they paid cash. In addition, all this occurred about a month before the bombing. The timing fits,” Mr. Daniels said.
“Is there any video footage?” Elizabeth asked.
“No, there is no CCTV system in the store,” Mr. Daniels said.
“Will you use a sketch artist?” Cynara asked.
“We will. This was almost a year ago and Qureshi met the woman only for a few minutes. However, he does remember her quite well as they made such unusual customers, two young white people wanting to convert to Islam and inquiring about the process. Typically, a person wishing to convert would just go to a Mosque or talk to an Imam. And then the bombing occurred, so it kept her image alive in his mind,” Mr. Watson said.
“Well I hope the sketch artist helps you succeed in finding her,” Elizabeth said.
“We will try our best. But I need to ask you if you ever noticed a woman fitting that description with Jimmy?” Mr. Daniels asked.
“No I never saw him talking to any woman,” Elizabeth replied.
The agents left shortly after that. “The woman with Jimmy might be the one from the letter. But, it will be difficult to chase her down,” Elizabeth expressed thoughtfully.
“True, it will be a challenge. But sketch artists sometimes work magic and help the police in tracking down the suspects,” Cynara remarked.
“Hope that is certainly the outcome here,” Elizabeth said quietly.
Elizabeth looked quite strained the next morning. Cynara asked if anything was the matter. She said that this latest development in the case was bothering her. How was it possible that Jimmy had such a close friend and none of them had ever seen her? Elizabeth was confident that she had never spotted anyone with him at the manor. These thoughts kept her up more than half the night. Cynara told her to be optimistic and have faith that the police would soon discover the mystery woman.
Jane dropped by later in the afternoon. Cynara was in the study by herself. Elizabeth had retired upstairs. Jane did not want her disturbed and stayed for only a short time. She had met Ruth for lunch and heard an earful. The agents had apparently paid her a visit the previous evening asking if she had ever been to Mr. Qureshi’s shop. Ruth had not taken to their questioning very kindly. She felt that she was being unfairly targeted and was now seriously contemplating getting a lawyer and filing a harassment suit against them.
Cynara was not surprised to hear about Ruth’s reaction. An innocent spectator would definitely feel persecuted. Jane enquired about Elizabeth’s state of mind. Cynara told her that the new developments were taking a toll. They both hoped the police and the agents would soon be able to find the other culprits involved. All the evidence now was categorically indicative that Jimmy had not been alone.
The two agents were seated in the study Friday morning when Cynara came in to work and greeted her courteously. Their sudden visit and grave expressions gave her a sense of foreboding. Mrs. Simpson walked in with a tea tray and informed them that Elizabeth would be down in a few minutes. They all sat quietly while Mrs. Simpson poured them each a cup. Elizabeth walked in just as Mrs. Simpson left the room. “This is a surprise to see you here so early. Something has happened?” she asked in consternation.
“Yes Mrs. Stewart. I hate to tell you that Qureshi was shot and killed outside his shop last night,” Mr. Daniels stated.
Chapter 10
“Shot!” Elizabeth and Cynara both exclaimed simultaneously.
“Yes shot. It was a bullet in the head, execution style. He died on the spot,” Mr. Daniels said.
“I cannot believe it,” Elizabeth said. She seemed to be swaying on her feet, ready to collapse. Cynara immediately took her arm and made her sit down.
“When did this occur?” Cynara asked.
“It must have been around 10 p.m. Qureshi was locking his shop when someone walked up to him and murdered him. A passerby found his body around 10:30, and called it in,” Mr. Daniels said.
“Didn’t anyone hear the shot?” Cynara asked.
“The killer used a silencer. No witnesses have come forward yet,” Mr. Daniels replied.
“We want to find out where everybody was last night. Someone did not like us talking to Qureshi and panicked,” Mr. Watson said solemnly.
“So you are convinced it is linked to Jimmy?” Cynara asked.
“Yes most likely. It could of course be a random shooting, but a bullet to the head is more of a planned murder. However, we are not ruling out any possibilities and checking with Qureshi’s friends and family to see if he had any enemies,” Mr. Daniels responded.
“We need a statement from everyone in this house as to their whereabouts last night,” Mr. Watson said authoritatively.
“You think one of us is involved?” Elizabeth asked falteringly.
“We are just following standard procedure and are going to talk to everyone we have spoken to since the discovery of the letter. This includes the entire family, the staff, Jimmy’s old school mates, friends both here and in Bradford, some of the other victims’ families, and the people we have been questioning from the Mosque,” Mr. Watson replied impassively.
All of them in Elizabeth’s household gave their statements to Mr. Watson individually. Mrs. Keene had returned to her cottage around 6:30 p.m. after leaving a tray of supper for Elizabeth. Mr. Keene had been home and they had an early dinner and stayed home the rest of the evening. Mr. Drake and Mrs. Simpson had retired to their suites around 7 p.m. They had watched a little TV in their respective rooms and slept. Elizabeth had eaten the supper and gone to bed early. Cynara had also been in her cottage the entire evening and fallen asleep by 9:30 p.m.
The death cast a sense of gloom over the house. Everyone felt very perplexed and alarmed. It was difficult to come to terms with. The murder clearly indicated a bigger plot in Jimmy’s suicide. All conclusions were quite terrifying. The first time around there had been twenty-two fatalities, including Jimmy. Now the count was twenty-three. How many more before it stopped?
The weekend weather only added to the atmosphere, dull and gray skies with intermittent showers. Qureshi’s death was reported in the local papers and all the news channels but it was declared as a random shooting of a shopkeeper. No motive was given. The counter terrorist unit made no statements linking this murder with Jimmy’s suicide. Cynara felt quite relieved as it saved the Stewarts and maybe even her from being badgered by the press.
Jane picked Cynara up Sunday afternoon and took her to her parents’ house for tea. Her brother, David, was visiting from London. She was keen for Cynara to meet him. David was a good-looking man of thirty with black hair and blue eyes. Tall and broad, he seemed to be an exact younger replica of his father, even including the cleft in his chin. He worked for one of the big consulting firms and seemed very personable.
David had been astounded by Jimmy’s letter and the subsequent murder of Mr. Qureshi. Jane had filled him in briefly over the phone. He requested Cynara to outline everything that had occurred since she found the letter. All of them listened attentively. After Cynara finished, David asked, “How is Elizabeth? It must be so hard for her to have all this business raked up again.”
“She is putting up a brave front,” Cynara replied.
“Mr. Qureshi’s death seems so unbelievable! Why did someone want him dead? Who is the killer?” Mr. Lawrence Clemmons questioned.
“Well the why is easy. The identity of the woman in the shop is being protected,” David said. “A tall brunette. It brings someone to my mind,” he added mockingly.
“Ruth is definitely not involved. You cannot suspect her just because she has brown hair. She barely had any contact with Jimmy,” Jane said feelingly.
“I am just kidding. Don’t get so defensive about her,” David responded smilingly.
“It is not a laughing matter at all. She does not like you doesn’t mean you have to be so beastly about her,” Jane retorted.
David held up his hands and said, “Sorry. It is not that she dislikes me. We just do not see eye to eye. She is quite opinionated.”
Jane made a face at him and retorted, “Sure!”
“Of course it is not Ruth. She just has a sober personality but that does not make her a terrorist!” Mrs. Clemmons exclaimed.
“The question still remains as to who can it possibly be? Whoever she is, she is still out there. She is possibly living close by somewhere,” Mr. Clemmons said.
“Yes that is a logical conclusion. The girl is local to York. What I do not understand is why push Jimmy into this suicide. What was the gain?” Jane asked.
“Terrorism. That is what terrorism is. The aim is to create chaos and kill,” David replied.
“So this Muslim, Abaan Khalid, came up with the plan and Jimmy executed it by becoming his suicide bomber?” Jane asked.
“Most likely. And Jimmy probably thought he will attain heaven for his sacrifice,’ David replied.
“So tragic. What is to prevent another such attack from taking place?” Mrs. Clemmons asked.
“Nothing. Maybe the planning has already commenced. That could have been the driving force behind Mr. Qureshi’s murder,” Mr. Clemmons remarked.
Fear coursed through Cynara’s veins at these sinister words. Mrs. Clemmons realized the impact the conversation was having on Cynara and changed the topic to their tea. She brought out warm scones, a moist sponge cake, cucumber sandwiches, and ginger biscuits. She heaped all their plates and Cynara ate in pure bliss.
The remainder of her sojourn was very enjoyable. They discussed music, movies, York, anything, and everything other than the case. Jane and David seemed close and kept teasing each other. Their bantering lightened the mood and cheered her up. Cynara was quite impressed by David. He was very sharp with a quick wit. David asked Cynara several questions about her past and her family. After Jane ticked him off for being too inquisitive, he ruefully apologized. Cynara was not offended at all. Instead, she enjoyed his attention.
Monday morning brought grim news to the manor. Elizabeth and Cynara were in the study when Elizabeth’s cell phone rang. She connected the call, “Hello Kevin.”
Cynara watched worriedly as Elizabeth gasped in horror and listened aghast. “I will meet you there,” she croaked huskily before hanging up.
Distressed by her stunned manner Cynara could not stop herself from asking, “What has happened?”
Elizabeth stared at her as if in a trance and then murmured, “That was Kevin, Ruth’s brother. The agents have arrested her.”
Chapter 11
Cynara could not believe that she had heard correctly. “They have arrested Ruth?”
“Yes, arrested. They have taken her to the police station,” Elizabeth whispered.
“But why?” Cynara as
ked.
“I do not know,” Elizabeth mumbled. “I have to go there.” She looked confused. “I am not sure if I can drive myself right now. Can you drop me off Cynara? We can use my car.”
“Of course,” Cynara reassured her.
“I will quickly change and then we will go,” Elizabeth said and went upstairs.
Jane called Cynara as she was waiting. Ruth’s father had informed them and now they were all on their way to the police station. None of them knew the reason behind the arrest. Her father had called a lawyer who was going to meet them there. Jane was quite confident of Ruth’s innocence and felt it was all a big mistake. She kept repeating that Ruth had a very noble character and could never be involved in anything criminal. Cynara hoped she was right and that Ruth was exonerated quickly of any guilt.
A Bombing Enigma Page 7
