need to know where to look.”
Magda was silent, staring at her half-finished coffee.
“You think she may not have told you the complete truth, don’t you Magda?”
She nodded. When she looked up, her eyes were moist. “She changed. Before, she was always honest.”
“Before what?”
“Szymanski.”
“Her boyfriend?”
“What he want her for?” Magda became agitated. “I no trust him. I see plenty like him back in Tirana. He bully. I try to get Helena away from him. I tell her what he like but she say he loves her.”
“I thought they’d split up.”
“Who say that?
“You don’t think they had?”
“No. I no hear that.”
Ryan looked across at Strong who had been happy to let him lead the conversation.
“Was he ever violent towards her?” Strong asked.
She shrugged.
“Magda,” Ryan followed up, “Did he ever hit Helena?”
“I know what violent means,” she responded indignantly, sitting back in her seat.
“So, did he?”
She took a moment to consider her answer. “She never say. But I think so.”
“Why do you think so? Did she have any bruises?”
She leaned forward again, arms on the table and began to turn the coffee cup around. “Once,” she said quietly. “I see marks here, on her arms, as though someone did this.” She gripped her own upper arms. “But I never ask.”
Ryan opened the file he had brought with him and pulled out a photograph.
“Have you ever seen this man before?”
Magda looked at the picture of Stanislav Mirczack and froze for a split second before turning away. “No,” she said.
Strong leaned forward onto the table. “Magda, at the very least, we need you to be honest with us. If you want us to help you find Helena, you need to tell us everything you know.”
She sat silently, staring down at the cup.
“You recognised that man, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, almost inaudibly.
“Where from?”
“He came once. With Szymanski. He evil, I can tell.”
“And did Helena go off with them?”
“No, he just come to our flat. He was there with Szymanski when I come home. They left within minutes. I think because I arrive. I ask Helena what they want but she say they just called to see her.”
“But you think there was more to it than that?”
“She seem nervous, frightened. Even after they left. But she kept saying there was nothing wrong.”
“And you only saw him the once?”
“Yes.”
“When was that?”
“About three weeks ago.”
“Is there anything else you can tell us about what Helena has been doing in the past few weeks? Any other strange visits or changes in her moods?”
“Only that she has been keeping things from me. I ask but she says there is nothing wrong. Everything fine. But I think she frightened of something.”
“Szymanski and this man?”
Again she shrugged.
“Okay, Magda,” Ryan said, “if you think of anything else, or if you remember any more about where Helena went on Thursday night, get hold of me immediately.” He gave her his card.
Strong waited for Ryan to return from showing Magda out of the station. As they climbed the stairs on their way back to the CID room, Strong asked for Ryan’s reactions to the meeting.
“We got a lot more out of her there. I’m not sure I like this Mirczack connection.”
“Nor me, Jim,” Strong affirmed. “Why don’t you get on to Vice and see what they can tell you about his activities.”
“Was thinking the same myself, guv.”
11
At the hospital, Souter returned to his car, lit a cigarette and listened to the radio on low volume. For what it was worth, he believed that Strong knew nothing of any missing working girls. Chances were, they hadn’t been reported. He pulled his wallet from his trouser pocket and removed the slip of newspaper on which Sammy had written her address and phone number. Since she came to see him yesterday, he’d given a lot of thought to the plight of young girls like her and her friend. Girls who
Magda was silent, staring at her half-finished coffee.
“You think she may not have told you the complete truth, don’t you Magda?”
She nodded. When she looked up, her eyes were moist. “She changed. Before, she was always honest.”
“Before what?”
“Szymanski.”
“Her boyfriend?”
“What he want her for?” Magda became agitated. “I no trust him. I see plenty like him back in Tirana. He bully. I try to get Helena away from him. I tell her what he like but she say he loves her.”
“I thought they’d split up.”
“Who say that?
“You don’t think they had?”
“No. I no hear that.”
Ryan looked across at Strong who had been happy to let him lead the conversation.
“Was he ever violent towards her?” Strong asked.
She shrugged.
“Magda,” Ryan followed up, “Did he ever hit Helena?”
“I know what violent means,” she responded indignantly, sitting back in her seat.
“So, did he?”
She took a moment to consider her answer. “She never say. But I think so.”
“Why do you think so? Did she have any bruises?”
She leaned forward again, arms on the table and began to turn the coffee cup around. “Once,” she said quietly. “I see marks here, on her arms, as though someone did this.” She gripped her own upper arms. “But I never ask.”
Ryan opened the file he had brought with him and pulled out a photograph.
“Have you ever seen this man before?”
Magda looked at the picture of Stanislav Mirczack and froze for a split second before turning away. “No,” she said.
Strong leaned forward onto the table. “Magda, at the very least, we need you to be honest with us. If you want us to help you find Helena, you need to tell us everything you know.”
She sat silently, staring down at the cup.
“You recognised that man, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, almost inaudibly.
“Where from?”
“He came once. With Szymanski. He evil, I can tell.”
“And did Helena go off with them?”
“No, he just come to our flat. He was there with Szymanski when I come home. They left within minutes. I think because I arrive. I ask Helena what they want but she say they just called to see her.”
“But you think there was more to it than that?”
“She seem nervous, frightened. Even after they left. But she kept saying there was nothing wrong.”
“And you only saw him the once?”
“Yes.”
“When was that?”
“About three weeks ago.”
“Is there anything else you can tell us about what Helena has been doing in the past few weeks? Any other strange visits or changes in her moods?”
“Only that she has been keeping things from me. I ask but she says there is nothing wrong. Everything fine. But I think she frightened of something.”
“Szymanski and this man?”
Again she shrugged.
“Okay, Magda,” Ryan said, “if you think of anything else, or if you remember any more about where Helena went on Thursday night, get hold of me immediately.” He gave her his card.
Strong waited for Ryan to return from showing Magda out of the station. As they climbed the stairs on their way back to the CID room, Strong asked for Ryan’s reactions to the meeting.
“We got a lot more out of her there. I’m not sure I like this Mirczack connection.”
“Nor me, Jim,” Strong affirmed. “Why don’t you get on to Vice and see what they can tell you about his activities.”
“Was thinking the same myself, guv.”
11
At the hospital, Souter returned to his car, lit a cigarette and listened to the radio on low volume. For what it was worth, he believed that Strong knew nothing of any missing working girls. Chances were, they hadn’t been reported. He pulled his wallet from his trouser pocket and removed the slip of newspaper on which Sammy had written her address and phone number. Since she came to see him yesterday, he’d given a lot of thought to the plight of young girls like her and her friend. Girls who
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