DI Mark Taylor couldn’t wait to get stuck into this interview. There’d been rumours about Tahir Hussain for years, but nothing concrete. Unlike many of his colleagues, he’d been reluctant to pass judgement. Good defence solicitors were easy targets for canteen gossip, but now it seemed obvious to Taylor that Hussain was up to his neck in some kind of criminality, possibly even murder.
After the formalities had been complied with, Taylor got straight to it. ‘Your lawyer–client relationship with Waqar Ahmed is well known. How far back does it go?’
‘No comment.’
Taylor shrugged at DC Waters. Unbelievable. Hussain was going to block the enquiry. Refuse to answer questions. ‘You represented Waqar Ahmed in a recent trial, didn’t you?’
‘No comment.’
‘And he was acquitted?’
‘No comment.’
‘We know that he was legally aided. You are aware that it’s a very serious offence to take money as payment for services from a legally aided client?’
‘No comment.’
‘I’m sure you know it’s called topping up?’
‘No comment.’
‘Similarly, it’s illegal to accept money from a client for winning a criminal case. You know that, don’t you?’
‘No comment.’ It was agony not saying anything, but Hussain had no choice. He could only gamble that they didn’t have enough to charge.
‘We have a notebook here, a ledger, found at the crime scene, in Mr Ahmed’s coat.’
DC Waters passed his boss the exhibit.
‘There’s a list of names here with amounts written next to them.’ Taylor opened it and showed a page to Hussain. ‘It looks to us like a tick list. You know what that is, don’t you?’
‘No comment.’
‘For the benefit of the tape, that’s a list drug dealers use. They have to keep a note of who they’ve supplied with drugs, on tick, and how much they are owed. Why is your name on that list?’
‘No comment.’
Taylor could see Hussain was becoming more agitated. Keeping his mouth shut was really getting to him. ‘Is it to do with drugs?’
‘No comment.’
‘Did you owe him money?’
‘No comment.’
‘Or is it money he owed you for your services?’
‘No comment.’ Was Taylor just fishing? Did he know anything?
‘Did you have something to do with Waqar Ahmed’s murder?’
‘No comment.’
‘Were you trying to wipe out a debt?’
‘No comment.’
‘Or did he have some black on you?’
‘No comment.’
‘As a solicitor I’m sure you know this already, but I have a duty to warn you that a jury may draw an adverse inference from your refusal to give an explanation for why your name appears in that ledger.’
‘No comment.’
‘Don’t worry, Mr Hussain.’ Taylor stared intently at the suspect. ‘We will get to the bottom of it. You mark my words.’
Hussain’s mouth was dry. How was he going to get out of this?