Read The Mark of Halam for Free Online

again.
    Jeff grinned. Not friendly.
    “Maybe we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves. This is all conjecture. It might be I’m wrong and Akbar is just hiding out in New Zealand and the attack on Mary is nothing more than attempted murder.”
    “Maybe,” Cunningham said. “But I’m not convinced.”
    “I’ll let you know when I have the information, Brian.”
    “I’ll be waiting. But I won’t be waiting long.”
    Jeff went through to the crime room and spent the next hour briefing Sergeant Te Kanawa and her team on Zahar Akbar and his older brother Halam and the man they worked for, the Kosovan criminal mastermind, Avni Leka.

    After the meeting at the police station Jeff and Quentin walked back to Quentin’s office.
    “What is it between you and Brian Cunningham?” Quentin asked. “I’m surprised the two of you didn’t come to blows.”
    “We were in Afghanistan together. Things happened. I can’t talk about it.”
    “Things happened. You can’t talk about it. Are you shitting me? I’m your friend, Jeff. We share.”
    “Not this, Quentin.”
    Quentin made to protest. When he saw the set of Jeff’s jaw he thought better of it.
    “Look, Quentin, there is something you need to think about. If Akbar is out to harm anyone close to me he may come after you,” Jeff said.
    “I’m a lawyer, Jeff. Even the bad guys, well especially the bad guys, need representation. Why go after me?”
    Jeff shook his head, mouth open. He closed it before words came out. Getting angry with Quentin would resolve nothing.
    “Why don’t you leave this to the police, Jeff? Cunningham is right. You’re not in the army now. They could provide you with protection.”
    “When it comes to self-preservation I’m much happier looking out for myself. And, if Akbar is going after my friends then I need to stop him.” He put his hand on Quentin’s shoulder. “Listen to me, Quentin. You need to take precautions.”
    “Okay I’ll take it seriously. I’ll call my security firm. I’ll have a 24-hour-watch and double the security on the house and office and my family until this guy is caught.”
    “That’s a good boy,” Jeff said, slapping Quentin on the back. “It’s only money and you’ve got plenty of it.”
    Jeff’s attempt at playful humour belied his true feelings. He could never live with himself if anything happened to Quentin and his family because of his actions. It was bad enough facing the Shala family every time he went to the vineyard after what he had done to their father and husband without Quentin added to the list.
    Firstly, he needed to find out why Zahar Akbar was walking the streets of Auckland and not burning in hell. He knew who had the answer to that question. It was time to make the phone call and find out.

10.
    A rriving home, Jeff dropped his mail on the bench. The dishes he had left in the sink had been washed, and looking through to the sitting room, he saw that magazines had been neatly stacked and clothes tidied off the floor. A note taped to the microwave door reminded him his housekeeper had been, and he hadn’t left her fee. He inserted a cheque for two payments into an envelope and placed the envelope in the arranged place on top of the refrigerator. He debated phoning and apologising, but it wasn’t the first time and if Sarah needed the money urgently she knew how to reach him. He hated that he had forgotten. She kept his house livable.
    He retrieved a can of beer from the chiller and a bag of crisps from the larder and made his way down the hallway to his office. He ripped the crisp bag open and scoffed a handful. A few gulps of beer washed away the saltiness. He pushed the manila folders atop his briefcase onto the floor then searched through the satin pockets of the case until he found the business card.
    Caldwell had said if I ever need him, call.
    “Okay, Caldwell, I need you so I’m calling.”
    He sank into the leather office chair and dialled the number.
    The answering