Necessary as Blood

gave Azad‘s name, the details of the prosecution‘s human-trafficking charges against him and a summary of the various businesses in which he was allegedly involved.
    It then, without actually giving an address, described in fulsome terms the club near historic Artillery Lane in Whitechapel, including the beautiful young hostesses whom it suggested were little better than high-class prostitutes. It ended by insinuating that the club harboured members whose ill-gotten wealth allowed them to scoff at British law and human rights.
    ‘What the...‘ Gemma stared blankly at the page, then looked up at Kincaid. ‘That‘s Ritchie‘s club. They‘re talking about Ritchie‘s club. Where the hell did they get this?‘
    ‘I haven‘t a clue.‘ He sat down on the other side of her desk. ‘But I‘ve already had the Chief Superintendent on the phone, who‘s had the Assistant Commissioner on the phone, who‘s had God-knows-who on the phone, all wanting to know what ongoing police investigation. I‘ve said I merely made some routine enquiries in the course of a homicide investigation, and that there is no direct involvement on the part of the club. The question is, did anyone see you?‘
    ‘No. No, I don‘t think so. I only spoke to Ritchie.‘ Gemma lowered her voice. ‘And my visit had nothing to do with Narcotics.‘
    ‘Neither of us wants to explain that you were there pursuing a personal line of enquiry. Interfering in a murder investigation would not go down well with your boss, or mine. And we‘ll not be getting any further cooperation from Lucas Ritchie, or from Azad, on this case.‘
    With a sinking feeling, Gemma realized it was not likely she would get any help from Lucas Ritchie in Charlotte‘s custody case, either, nor would she be able to talk to him again.
    ‘It‘s not surprising that some of Ritchie‘s club members have friends in high places,‘ Kincaid went on. ‘But as long as you‘re not pulled into it, the funny-handshake brigade can complain all they like.‘
    ‘But the club wasn‘t named,‘ Gemma protested. ‘Didn‘t need to be, for those who move on that level. I don‘t know who‘s going to be the most pissed off: Ritchie and his board of directors, or Azad.‘ He tapped the paper. ‘And the club may be perfectly respectable, but I guarantee there will be members who won‘t want any association with the slightest rumour of high-class prostitution. Not to mention the fact that Azad will be a bit of an embarrassment.‘
    ‘Will he be blackballed, do you think?‘
    ‘I doubt he‘s broadcast his legal troubles, so the charges may come as a shock to the other members, if not to Ritchie. It might make Azad the odd boy out at school for a while. But he‘s a wily sod; I expect he‘ll recover. If he doesn‘t go to prison.‘
    Gemma was studying the paper again. ‘That‘s not looking very likely, is it, with the prosecution‘s star witness still missing?‘ She looked up at him, rubbing her aching head. ‘Bloody hell! I should never have gone to the club. What if Lucas Ritchie mentions me? It‘s all going to come back on you. I—‘
    Kincaid didn‘t give her a chance to finish. ‘I think Ritchie will be keeping his head down. And there‘s no reason why he, or anyone else, should connect your visit with this story. I doubt Ritchie or Azad will complain to the Met, although Azad may raise hell with the newspaper.‘ He studied her more closely, really focusing on her face for the first time. ‘Is that a bruise?‘ His brow creased. ‘What on earth happened to your head?‘
    Now, Gemma wished she had waited up to explain the night before, but she hadn‘t felt well and had had trouble staying awake. ‘I had a little run-in with Kevin and Terry Gilles yesterday,‘ she said reluctantly, then went on to explain what had happened, including Rashid Kaleem‘s part in her rescue.
    Kincaid had come in glowering. Now he looked volcanic. ‘Those bastards!‘ He stood up, pacing her small office. ‘Fucking low-life slime.‘ He didn‘t swear often — not as much, Gemma hated to admit, as she did — and when he did it was usually for effect in interviews. ‘I‘ll have them in, whether Narcotics likes it or not, and I‘ll have their balls in a vice. They‘re not going to get away with making threats, and laying hands on you, for God‘s sake.‘ He clenched his fist. ‘Those little shits—‘
    ‘They didn‘t actually hit me,‘ broke in Gemma, trying to calm him down.