Necessary as Blood

sudden worried thought about Charlotte. ‘Tell me the cooker in your flat hasn‘t gone out.‘
    ‘No, just didn‘t want to heat the place up any more. ou know how small the kitchen is, and it was already stifling.‘
    Gemma took in the empty cake pans scattered across the worktop. On the kitchen table, a large plate held a beautiful cake, half-iced.
    ‘And I thought Kit and Toby might like to help with the cake,‘ Wes continued. ‘It be verra good strawberry,‘ he added for emphasis, making Gemma laugh. She‘d learned early on that Wes was a chameleon — he turned the West Indian accent on to suit, and usually as camouflage when he didn‘t feel comfortable with someone. ‘You‘ve missed your calling, Wes. You should be an actor.‘
    ‘I think we‘ll save the stage for Toby.‘ Wes danced a little fencing step, using the spatula as a rapier.
    Gemma raised her hands in mock horror. ‘Oh, no, please don‘t encourage him. He‘s bad enough already.‘ Wesley returned the spatula to the bowl, scooping out more icing and smoothing it carefully onto the top layer of the cake. ‘I‘ll tell him pirates didn‘t have cake. Especially not cake with cream-cheese icing and pureed fresh strawberries in the mixture.‘
    Sid, their black cat, jumped up on the table and eyed the cake, his whiskers quivering. ‘No, you don‘t, you bad cat. You know you‘re not supposed to be on the table,‘ scolded Gemma. She scooped him up gently, however, and set him on the floor, pausing to rub his head. ‘So what‘s this all about?‘ she asked Wes, teasing. ‘Is there a new girlfriend?‘
    ‘You might say that.‘ Wesley dolloped more icing on top of the cake. ‘Her name is Charlotte,‘ he added, grinning. ‘I brought home a slice of Otto‘s best chocolate gateau from the cafe last night, but she wouldn‘t eat it. So I thought I‘d try something different.‘
    ‘Oh, Wes.‘ Gemma sank down in one of the kitchen chairs, feeling a rush of gratitude. ‘I knew you‘d spoil her.‘
    ‘You mean you were hoping I‘d spoil her.‘
    ‘I was counting on it.‘ She smiled. ‘How‘s she doing today? Will she talk to you?‘
    ‘Not much, yet, but I‘ll keep trying. Maybe strawberry cake will do the trick. Mum got out some of the girls‘ old toys this morning, but Charlotte doesn‘t seem much interested in anything but Mum‘s sewing. She‘s a natural for the camera, though — not the least bit self-conscious.‘
    ‘I think her mother took a lot of photographs.‘
    ‘That would explain it, then.‘ Wesley finished smoothing on the last of the icing. Reaching for a bowl of carefully sliced strawberries, he began to make a border round the top of the cake.
    ‘I‘ll check on her,‘ said Gemma. ‘But first I have to go to Battersea to see Hazel.‘
    Wesley gave her a puzzled glance. ‘But isn‘t Hazel coming for tea? I‘ve got out the best teapot and mugs.‘ He gestured towards a tray on the worktop, where he had placed Gemma‘s treasured Clarice Cliff teapot and cups. ‘I thought I‘d have the cake iced by the time she got here. The two of you can have some with the boys, then I can take the rest home for Mum and Charlotte.‘
    Gemma stared at him, equally perplexed. ‘Wes, why would you think Hazel was coming for tea? I‘ve been ringing her for an hour with no answer, and Tim hasn‘t been able to get her for two days. I‘m worried about her.‘
    Frowning, Wesley said, ‘But she was at my mum‘s when I left. I just assumed she was coming here afterwards.‘
    ‘Your mum‘s?‘ Gemma felt even more confused. ‘Why was Hazel at your mum‘s?‘
    Wesley looked at her as if she‘d missed the nose on her face. ‘She came to see Charlotte, of course.‘

    ‘Well, that‘s put the wind up him,‘ Cullen said as Azad‘s gate clicked shut behind them. He cast a disapproving glance at Neal Weller.
    ‘That‘s simply marked your position on the board,‘ Weller shot back. ‘Don‘t think you could have put anything over on Azad. The question is whether he knows more than he‘s told us.‘
    ‘And do you think he does?‘ Kincaid asked as they moved away, heading back towards Commercial Street.
    ‘Azad prefers to be cooperative as long as it doesn‘t interfere with his interests, and he didn‘t get prickly until I mentioned the missing nephew.‘ Weller stopped at the corner. ‘And that surprised me, to tell the truth. I wasn‘t expecting a reaction to the dig — he‘s usually too cool for