Free Path of Jen: Bloodborne by Sidney Wood Page A

until morning.
    The next day, Fouzia and Najid took a taxi to
the police station. Fouzia wore dark sunglasses and a black hijab.
Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and a lack of sleep. Najid
looked professional, as always, in a gray suit. Together, they rode
in silence; each looking out opposite windows, yet holding hands in
a small gesture of solidarity. Fouzia found herself thinking of the
darkened taxi at the airport. “Was he one of these
kidnappers?” she wondered. “Was he just on a break, or was
he waiting unnoticed in the darkness for a vulnerable target?" She decided to ask the Police Inspector if they had any leads on
the taxi driver Fatima saw.
    When they arrived at the police station,
Najid did all the talking. They had discussed it before leaving the
house that morning. It was decided that the best way to get help
from the police was to follow convention and let the father make
all of the inquiries. “A mother does not really have rights
concerning her children anyway,” thought Fouzia bitterly. “How could that be Allah’s will ?" She held her tongue, but
it was not easy.
    The Inspector assigned to their case was
decidedly plain. He seemed to lack personality, and for a little
while, Fouzia took it for a lack of interest. Over the course of
the day she found that her initial impression was wrong. He was
actually quite intelligent, and seemed acutely interested in
solving the case. He simply had no skill in expressing himself
beyond factual statements and logical inquiries. From time to time,
she would whisper questions or opinions to Najid, and he would
present them to the Inspector as his own thoughts when appropriate.
That is how Fouzia influenced the Inspector to investigate the taxi
driver at the airport, although at first she thought he
wouldn’t.
    The police had already questioned several
suspects and searched their taxis, but none of the leads had panned
out. The Inspector was afraid the trail would soon go cold. When
Najid mentioned the taxi at the airport that Fouzia had quietly
described, the Inspector seemed to dismiss it and quickly moved to
something else. It was already late in the day, and he urged them
to go home and rest. Heartbroken and feeling helpless, Fouzia
followed Najid out of the station and into another taxi.
    The next day, the Inspector called and asked
Mahmoud to bring Fatima to the station. They had a man in custody
they thought might be the driver who took Jena. All four of them
went to the station, and for the first two hours, Fouzia and Fatima
sat in the hall, while Mahmoud and Najid spoke with the inspector.
Finally, the Inspector and Mahmoud came out and Fatima was asked to
follow them down the hall to see a line-up of suspects. Fouzia was
invited to join Najid in the conference room while they waited. It
was another hour before Fatima and Mahmoud returned and joined
them. Fatima was crying and Mahmoud had to share the news.
    “They have the man who kidnapped Jena,” he
said with a shaky voice. He seemed near to tears, but he coughed
and cleared his throat and was able to continue. “Fatima recognized
him immediately. They will interrogate him and try to find out
where she is." He leaned forward and reached across the table
toward Najid and Fouzia with his hands open and palms upturned. He
wore a pained expression as he added, “The Inspector says the man
is probably just the first link in a long chain, and that by now
she may be too far away." He choked and began crying. “Even
now…even after they found the man who took her.”
    “Was it him?” asked Fouzia sharply. “Was it
the taxi from the airport?”
    Mahmoud nodded and looked as if he wished he
could somehow say something or do something more to help.
    “They have to find her!” she shouted. “Beat
him until he tells them who the next link is! Then do the same
until they find the end of the chain and get my daughter back!” she
yelled. Fouzia stood and started toward the door. A police