‘Are you Farah Fareedi?’ Jane asked.

The woman continued to read every line of the search warrant. She then turned to the woman behind her and spoke in a foreign language, calling the woman Aiyla. She tapped the search warrant then passed it back to Jane.

‘Is your husband Ameer Fareedi here?’ Jane asked.

‘No, my husband is at work.’

‘We will need you both to sit with this officer while we search the flat. Anything we deem as evidence we will ask your permission to remove.’

Mrs. Fareedi repeated what Jane had just said to the woman they now realized was Aiyla Farook, their suspect’s wife.

The two women went into the small but immaculate kitchen and sat on wooden stools as Jane and one of the officers began to look around the flat, while the other stood guard by the door. It was exceptionally clean, with only the bare necessities and very little in the way of furnishings. The floors had been painted white and only two rooms were carpeted. The first room they checked was a bedroom with two small single beds with iron bed frames, which looked as if they had possibly come from a hospital. Both had white linen, with the beds made up in army fashion. There was a small chest of drawers and a fitted wardrobe full of black gowns, suits and men’s white shirts. The polished shoes were lined up beneath the garments. The contents of the drawers were equally neatly lined up with underwear, socks and white cotton night dresses. One drawer also contained men’s silk pajamas.

A bookcase displayed numerous books of prayers and beads, with two silver-framed photographs of Farah and Ameer Fareedi. Neither of them were smiling; instead, both had a rather haunting blank expression. The black and white photographs looked old. A second bookcase contained a variety of university-level English, maths and history books bound in plastic to protect their spines and covers. Jane opened one of the books, and on the front page was the name Farah Fareedi in neat handwriting. Jane presumed she was home-educating herself.

They found nothing suspicious so went into the second bedroom. As Jane and the officer passed into the hallway, the dark eyes of the women stared out at them from the kitchen. This bedroom was larger, with a double bed, but with the same precise tight white sheets tucked under the mattress. Laid across it was a beautiful red embroidered rug and another similar-colored one was on the floor. This room had a larger dressing table with a mirror, and in a glass bowl were a few items of jewelry, beads and earrings. Inside each drawer were immaculately folded underwear, night shirts and extra bed linen.