Necessary as Blood

on Wednesday last week. Or was it Thursday? Yes, I believe it was Thursday.‘
    ‘All right, Thursday then. Was this at Mr Malik‘s office?‘
    ‘No, no, Nasir came by the restaurant. We spoke in my office there for just a few moments. Not long enough, it seems now,‘ he added, his voice heavy with regret.
    ‘And why did Mr Malik want to see you?‘ Kincaid asked easily, but he saw Louise Phillips tense.
    ‘Mr Azad does not have to—‘
    Azad cut her off with a wave of his hand. ‘There‘s no reason I should not be frank with the Superintendent, Louise. Yes, Nasir and I talked about my nephew, if that is what you are wanting to know. Actually, the young man is my great-nephew, the son of my favourite niece in Sylhet. I told Nasir that I did not know where my nephew had gone. Nor did I believe this nonsense story that Mohammed meant to testify against me. He is a foolish young man, yes, but he is not that foolish. All he would gain by such a thing is deportation, and the bringing of shame on his family.‘ Azad‘s tone implied that the latter was by far the worse consequence.
    ‘But if Naz believed your nephew meant to testify against you, he might have thought you had good reason to — let‘s say, help your nephew disappear.‘
    ‘Nasir would never have suggested such a thing,‘ said Azad, his chin quivering with disapproval. ‘He understood the importance of family. He was merely... concerned for the well-being of my relative.‘
    ‘So you didn‘t argue with Naz about your nephew that day?‘ Kincaid asked.
    ‘No. You can ask my staff, if you feel it necessary.‘
    ‘Did you argue with Naz on the day he disappeared?‘
    Louise Phillips moved abruptly. ‘That‘s enough, Superintendent. I can‘t allow—‘
    ‘I did not see Nasir again,‘ Azad said, interrupting her once more. Kincaid wondered why he had insisted on her accompanying him. ‘Saturday is our busiest day at the restaurant. I was there from before lunch until well after closing on Saturday night. And I had no reason to argue with him. He was my friend as well as my lawyer.‘ Azad‘s round face seemed to sag with melancholy. He finished his coffee, tipping back the small cup to catch the last drop. When he‘d placed the empty cup on the table, he brushed his hands against the knees of his trousers. The ‘game over‘ signal was as clear as a banner. ‘Now, Mr Kincaid, is there anything else?‘

    ‘I think he‘s lying,‘ said Sergeant Singh, when Azad and Louise Phillips had left the room. She‘d followed the conversation carefully, watching alertly even as she took notes.
    ‘Oh, I think our very urbane Mr Azad is certainly lying,‘ Kincaid agreed. ‘But the question is: what is he lying about? Does he know what happened to his nephew? Did Naz accuse him of getting rid of the inconvenient nephew? Did he see Naz again? Or is it something else altogether? And why did he drag Louise Phillips along for that dog-and-pony show — unless it was for her benefit rather than ours?‘ He thought for a moment. ‘See if you can catch Ms Phillips, why don‘t you, Sergeant? I think I‘d like a word with her on her own.‘

    ‘You know I can‘t discuss my client‘s affairs with you,‘ Louise Phillips said when Singh brought her back into the small office. She smelled strongly of smoke, and Kincaid guessed Singh had caught up with her in the street as she‘d stopped to light a cigarette.
    ‘Thank you, Sergeant.‘ Kincaid dismissed Singh with a smile, then turned to Phillips. ‘I realize that. But you can discuss Naz Malik‘s.‘ He motioned her back into the chair she had so recently vacated. ‘Would you like that coffee now? I think the pot is still hot.‘
    She glared at him, but after a moment she sank back into the chair and sighed, as if she were too tired to keep up the bristling posture. ‘Yes, all right,‘ she said, accepting a fresh cup. ‘I‘ve been trying to give it up. My doctor says my blood pressure is sky-high. But with Naz gone, it seems a bit stupid to be worrying about things like caffeine and blood pressure.‘ Shrugging, she added, ‘What difference does it make, if you can walk out of your house and end up dead in a park? Or get blown up on a bus? Or get shot on the Tube?‘ She shook her head, then drank half the cup as if she was fiercely thirsty.
    ‘In that case, why don‘t you tell me whether or not Naz believed Azad did away with his nephew — excuse me, great-nephew. That would explain