He felt no better afterwards, so he gathered up the things that he’d found in his parents’ bedroom and he shoved them into one of the enormous metal wheelie bins that served Mayville Estate. He didn’t use the closest, but one some distance away from Bronte House. He opened it, dumped the contents of the bags inside, and let the top fall with a satisfying crash. Then, back at the flat, he stuffed the carrier bags with crumpled newspaper and replaced them in the cupboard.
He was going through the chest of drawers in his parents’ room to see if there was anything else he needed to be aware of when he heard his name called from outside the flat. Sophie!
She was standing in front of the door, looking hesitant. He went out to her, feeling uplifted for the first time that day, and in a moment he had his arms around her and could feel her heart beating against his chest. It was only a moment’s embrace, though, because she pushed him away and said, “I’ve found a place we can take her.”
He said in reply, “Mum’s gone off with her. I don’t know where an’ I don’t know why an’ I don’t know where to look.”
She said, “It’s all right. Like I said, I’ve found a place. I read about it online. It’s anti-FGM and girls go there if they think they’re in danger of being cut. We c’n take Simi there. And, meantime, there’re these things . . .” She fished in her large shoulder bag and brought out a sheaf of papers clipped together. She handed them to him, saying, “It’s a protection order. We need to get this filed.”
He frowned. “But if there’s a place—”
“There is, and we’ll take her there. But also we’ve got to try everything. The place to take her is what we’ll use first while we’re waiting for the protection order to come through.”
“Where is it, this place?”
“Whitechapel.”
“Whitechapel? What th’ hell, Soph . . .”
“It’s the best solution to get Simi away from here quickly. They stow the girls with families. They hide them. It’s the same place hid that girl’s been in the news? You know which one?”
He’d been far too concerned with what was happening in his own life to consider what might be happening in someone else’s, so he shook his head.
Sophie said, “Never mind. She’s someone who got taken there and the lady runs the place says she won’t budge till she’s sure this girl is safe if she goes home.”
“Did you talk to her?”
“Didn’t need to. All we have to do is to take Simi and explain what’s going on. Where is she?”
“Like I said, Soph, I don’t know. Mum’s not letting her out of her sight. And I think she found a place could see to Simi—”
“Oh God. Do you think she’s having it done now?”
“She said there was this clinic, see. She gave them some money, and my dad wanted the money back cos he didn’t know she took it in the first place, my mum. And . . . Sophie, I found all this clobber meant to be used on Simi when the cutter shows her mug here again. It was all the shit from the list she left with him. I binned it all.”
“Okay. Excellent, that. Now we only got to find Simisola.”
THE MOTHERS SQUARE
LOWER CLAPTON
NORTH-EAST LONDON
“May I have a word?” Thomas Lynley enquired politely.
“I’m helping my wife just now,” Mark said. “With our daughter.”
“Waiting isn’t a problem for me,” Lynley told him. “And as this is rather important . . . ?”
“Can we not speak later, when I’m at work?”
“I’m afraid not. May I . . . ?” Lynley gestured in a way that indicated he wished to enter.
“She’s disabled,” Mark said.
Lynley gave him a glance.
“Our daughter’s disabled. Her attendant hasn’t shown up yet so I’m helping my wife. Which is why if this could wait till later . . .”
It was at that extremely inopportune moment that Robertson showed up. Mark saw him rounding the corner from Sladen Place to enter the square on its western side. The bloke shouted, “Hey ho, I’m here!” and gave a jaunty wave, adding, “Blasted public transport, eh. Her nibs up and about?”
“She is. We were dressing.”
“I’ll handle that, shall I?” and he stepped past them, with a nod at Lynley, and went to join Pete.
There was nothing for it but to let Lynley inside. Mark did so, saying, “Why here, then? If you want me alone, it could have been like before, in the Orbit.”