Brodie nodded and shared a look with Taylor. After a moment Brodie took another puff from the hookah and breathed out a long trail of smoke. Then he took out his smartphone, Googled Harry Vance, and pulled up the now ubiquitous military portrait photo. He slid the phone to Faruk. “Look again. Think back to that night. Did you see this man?”
Faruk swallowed hard as he stared at Vance’s picture. Just then one of the old guys in the corner called for him and he shot up from his chair. “I’m sorry. Excuse me.”
He picked up his pot of coals and walked quickly away.
Taylor said, “You’re acting like a cop.”
“I am a cop.”
“So what’s the move?”
Brodie took a drink of his beer and eyed Faruk as the man refreshed the coals on his guests’ hookah, then hurried across the room toward the back door. Brodie said, “Time for a direct approach.”
He got up, headed for the back door, and intercepted Faruk before he was able to reach it.
“Sir, I’m sorry, but I must—”
Brodie grabbed Faruk’s forearm and pulled him into a small vestibule that led to the restrooms. Brodie produced his CID creds and held them up. “I am Scott Brodie of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, investigating the murder of Special Agent Harry Vance. We have strong reason to believe he visited this establishment on the night of his murder. If you or your uncle withheld information from investigators, you could go to prison. Be truthful with me now, and that won’t happen. Do you understand?”
Faruk stared at Brodie’s badge case and nodded slowly.
“Did you see the victim here on Saturday night?”
Faruk nodded again.
“When?”
Faruk thought for a moment. “It was… between two and three, I’m not sure when.”
“Closer to two or closer to three?”
“Closer to three.”
“Was he with anyone?”
Faruk shook his head. “He was alone, only here for maybe ten minutes. Ordered a coffee.”
“How did he seem to you? Nervous? Calm? Tense?”
“I am not sure. I wasn’t paying such close attention.”
“Was he using his phone?”
“Yes.”
“Did he leave in a hurry?”
Faruk thought for a moment. “I guess you could say this. He didn’t ask for a check. Just left cash on the table and walked out.”
Brodie nodded. Was Harry expecting to meet someone here who never showed? Or setting up the meeting on his phone? Or killing time and keeping warm and caffeinated before the meeting in the park? This maybe wasn’t the lead he was hoping for. “Do you have security cameras in here?”
“No, sir.”
“I want you to think carefully, was there anything out of the ordinary here? Did anyone else act strangely, or change their behavior, once he came in?”
Faruk thought about that. “Not really. No, I would say not.”
“And did your uncle tell the police he was working that night, to protect you and spare you a police interview?”
