It was noisy; there were no carpets or curtains to soak up the noise. Everything echoed off the hard surfaces. The other two were chattering away now in Polish and beyond that Marta could hear other voices, doors banging, bursts of laughter, phones and the whine of a power drill.
The policewoman had gone. She had a nice manner. Not overly officious or trying to bully Marta for answers. She left space instead, tempting you to fill it in. Some of the questions she had asked made Marta think they were close to catching Konrad Sulikov. When the woman talked about giving evidence against him Marta’s insides turned to water. Marta had avoided the detective’s eyes. She couldn’t do that. Not even for Rosa. It would be like putting her head in a noose. Besides, it wouldn’t help Rosa now, would it?
Marta stared at the wall, painted speckled blue and grey, graffiti gouged out of it. Danny 4eva, Stan 03/03/03. Someone had drawn a heart in blood; it looked like blood, reddish-brown and smeary.
*****
Harper was subdued when they resumed the interview. His ashen complexion and continued breathlessness indicated he was still badly shaken. Janine wanted to get as much from him as she could before his solicitor called a halt. ‘How did Konrad Sulikov find out that Rosa was running away?’
Harper shook his head. ‘I don’t know.’
Janine stared at him until he became defensive. ‘I didn’t tell him,’ he protested. She wasn’t sure whether she believed him. ‘Who else then? He must have found out somehow.’
‘I don’t know,’ he insisted.
‘Could it have been Lee Stone?’
‘Possibly,’ he said slowly. He thought for a moment. He appeared confused. He pinched at the bony bridge on his nose, screwed his eyes shut in concentration. ‘When Rosa and I were arguing on Sunday he was waiting to lock up. He might have heard us.’ He didn’t sound very certain.
‘Would he have been able to work out what the argument was about?’
‘Erm, maybe. She was yelling at me, I’m going back, with or without your help, that sort of thing. He could have passed it on.’
‘When did you last see Stone?’
‘Sunday night.’
‘Has he contacted you since?’
‘No.’
‘What is Stone’s relationship to Sulikov?’ Richard asked him.
‘Sulikov was grooming him for the big time.’
‘The big time?’
‘Sulikov started out with a two-up two-down brothel in Leeds. He’s got a bloody empire now: places in Liverpool, Birmingham, London, clubs, escort agencies. He’s bringing in girls every month. Some of them working, some of them paying more so they can disappear. He needs people like Stone.’
