Harri prayed and wept through a disorientating fog of grief. She lost track of time and was consumed by flashbacks of the fateful moment. Guilt and remorse overwhelmed her, and she could find no way to escape them. She was surprised when the imam delivered his final words and left the pulpit. The congregation started to disperse, shaking Harri from her waking nightmare.

‘We’re going to his parents’ house to sit in mourning,’ Amina said. ‘Friends and family come to visit and pay their respects. You’ve welcome to join us. He spoke highly of you.’

The words were like needles. Harri didn’t deserve to be held in high regard by the man she’d failed to protect. She deserved hatred. Punishment. Suffering for what she’d done.

‘I can’t,’ Harri replied. ‘I don’t think I’m strong enough. Please know I have you all in my thoughts, but I can’t.’

‘It’s OK,’ Amina said, gently taking Harri’s hands. ‘I understand. He is with God now. He feels nothing but joy. Our sorrow is not for him, but for ourselves. He is beyond pain. He is in paradise, and his every moment is perfect.’

Fresh tears flowed, and Harri hated herself even more. How could this woman be so strong, when she was so weak? She wished she’d never found that book and never pulled on a thread she had no business unravelling. If she’d listened to Sabih, and left those people alone, he’d still be alive. She hated herself, but she hated Benjamin Elmys more. It was his fault they were all here. She wished she’d never met him.

‘Thank you,’ Harri replied, wiping her tears.

She left Amina with her family and joined the other mourners filing out of the mosque. She followed them downstairs, not really listening to their hushed conversations. When she got outside, Powell was standing on the pavement near the gates, looking lost. She took a deep breath to try to compose herself as she approached.

‘Kealty,’ he said when he saw her. ‘That was rough. Are you OK?’

‘Not really,’ she replied, fighting to control the tremor in her voice.

‘Whatever our past differences . . . well . . .’

She wasn’t in the mood to give him absolution. ‘Have you got any leads?’ Harri asked.

Islamic custom dictated burial within twenty-four hours, but Sabih’s interment had been delayed to allow for an autopsy. Benjamin Elmys and Elliot Asha had been missing for five days.

‘Elmys doesn’t have any real friends. His former colleagues have all been warned about harbouring him,’ Powell replied. ‘And we’re watching the ports.’

‘Just find him,’ Harri said. ‘That’s all that matters now. He has to answer for this.’

Transcript of a video recorded by Ben Elmys Eleven Years Later

This video was discovered in Pilgrims Cave, near Lud’s Church in the Peak District.

BEN ELMYS

I was there that night. I watched you and Detective Chief Inspector Powell talk. You couldn’t see me, but I was there outside the mosque, hidden by the crowd of mourners. I shared your anguish. If there was any way to take it back, I would, but some things cannot be undone. We just have to live with them. They are steps on the path we must tread. I watched you from the corner, concealed by his friends and family. It was little comfort to see how much he was loved. Somehow that only made it worse, don’t you think?