Necessary as Blood

to the murmur of his voice as he talked to someone on the upstairs search team.
    When he came back, he held a small camera with gloved hands. ‘There was only one photo on the memory card.‘ He held the camera up so that Gemma could see.
    She gazed at the bright square of the view screen. There was an arch of dark brick and, within it, a peeling poster. It was a street artist‘s fading work, so damaged that Gemma couldn‘t be certain whether it was a painting or a photograph.
    It didn‘t matter. The young woman in the picture seemed to gaze back at her, unconcerned by her nakedness, her serene face innocent and as ageless as time itself.

Chapter Thirty-Two

In the old days there were angels who came and took men by the hand and led them away from the city of destruction. We see no white-winged angels now. But yet men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put into theirs, which leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they may look no more backward; and the hand may be a little child‘s.

George Eliot, Silas Marner

    ‘Why don‘t you sit down for a minute,‘ Kincaid had said. ‘It‘s hot, and you look a bit done in.‘ He‘d fetched her a glass of water, then gone back into the garden.
    Gemma had emptied the tumbler into the sink, then scrubbed it with soap and hot water before filling it again. It was stupid, she knew, and she was thirsty, but she didn‘t want to drink from Alexander‘s glass.
    When Kincaid came back, she had rinsed it once more.
    ‘I think I know her name,‘ he said. ‘Cullen did some digging this morning. According to Immigration‘s records, the last girl Alexander brought in from Bangladesh was called Rani. He never divorced her.‘
    ‘What about Lucas Ritchie,‘ asked Gemma. ‘Did he identify any of the men in the photos?‘
    ‘All of them. Cullen will get started on the warrants. Listen.‘ He came over to her and took the glass from her hands, setting it in the sink. ‘There‘s not much else we can do here at the moment. I think, if we left right now, we might get to Chelsea Town Hall before closing.‘
    Gemma looked at him blankly. ‘Chelsea Town Hall?‘
    ‘We have a marriage licence to apply for, in case you‘d forgotten.‘
    ‘Oh, so we do.‘ It seemed a world away from what she had witnessed in the garden — a world she suddenly wanted very much. She turned the ring on her finger. ‘I think that‘s a bloody brilliant idea.‘

    Melody watched them go from the front step. She‘d promised to drive Gemma‘s car back to Notting Hill and had taken the keys.
    Feeling a momentary pang of envy, she wondered when Gemma would see the light about Charlotte. Some people had everything, and were blind. But still, it wasn‘t her place to say — and it wasn‘t like her to be standing round feeling sorry for herself, either.
    The door opened and Doug Cullen came out.
    ‘Oh, it‘s you,‘ she said. ‘I understand you‘ve been vehicularly abandoned. The Super took the pool car. Do you want a lift?‘
    ‘Yeah. In a bit, if you don‘t mind.‘ He stood beside her, gazing up the street, and didn‘t meet her eyes. ‘So is this going to show up in tomorrow‘s Chronicle?‘ he asked.
    Melody looked at him, startled. ‘What?‘
    ‘You heard me. I did some research, you know. After the leak about Ritchie‘s club. It was blindingly obvious, really. It‘s just that no one ever thought to look. It‘s a common enough name,‘ he continued, ‘common enough to pass unnoticed for a while, but how could you have thought that your identity wouldn‘t eventually come out? And to put Gemma at risk . .
    ‘You‘re defending Gemma?‘ Melody‘s anger overcame her shock. ‘That‘s rich, since you‘re the one always trying to sabotage her. Admit it, you‘re jealous, and you have it in for me because I‘m connected with her. So what are you going to do?‘
    Doug looked at her, his expression mulish. Melody glared back at him. Then it came to her that the whole business was really stupid, and that she was tired of it.
    ‘You‘re right,‘ she said, her shoulders slumping. ‘It‘s not fair to Gemma, even though I‘ve told her the truth. I should resign. I love this job, but I don‘t want to go on doing it like this.‘
    ‘I‘m right?‘ Cullen sounded surprised. ‘You‘d really quit? What else would you do?‘
    ‘I don‘t know. I‘m good at finding out things. I suppose I‘d go to work for the paper. It‘s what my