They were on their way back to New Scotland Yard, having made the arrangements to remand Dr. Weatherall into custody at Bronzeville Prison pending her first appearance at a hearing. This would take place once the CPS decided upon the various charges the surgeon would face: those that were related to the clinic in Kingsland High Street and those that were related to her attack upon Teo Bontempi.
Lynley understood the sentiment Havers was expressing. He felt it as well and he considered unsettled the best term to use to describe it. He said, “It’s easier, isn’t it, to see things as Teo Bontempi did: in black and white. If there’s no grey area to think about, a decision appears simple.”
“Except seeing the situation as a black-and-white issue got her killed, didn’t it.”
“And yet, what was she to do once she understood what was happening in the Kingsland clinic?”
Havers squirmed in her seat. He could sense her looking at him and he glanced in her direction. “Seems to me that where it all went to hell was when Philippa Weatherall tried to talk Teo out of having her arrested. After all, Teo thought Mercy was the cutter. She brought the coppers in because of that, not because of Dr. Weatherall. She didn’t even know about her. So if she had just kept up with her story about volunteering, how was Teo ever going to prove that she was anything more?”
“Could be that Dr. Weatherall reckoned at some point Mercy would crack once she was arrested. No matter how much she believes in the work, I can’t think Mercy would have wanted to go on trial in the real culprit’s place. FGM, assault, murder? I expect at some point Mercy was—and still is—going to make a deal with the CPS. Her testimony in exchange for a lighter sentence, a suspended sentence, or no sentence at all. Dr. Weatherall has to know that. Mercy has three children, after all.”
Havers was quiet for a moment. Finally, she said, “C’n I say she meant well?”
“Dr. Weatherall? Christ, that’s difficult, isn’t it. Perhaps she started out meaning well, but she took a wrong turn more than once. And that was badly done. A jury may see it otherwise, of course. I have to say that I hope you don’t.”
They were quiet. They were heading into the end of the day, and with every tenth of a mile the traffic increased. They were approaching Tower Hill station when Lynley’s mobile rang. He fished for it in his jacket and handed it over to Havers. She glanced, said, “It’s Winston,” and answered with, “We’re on our way back. Dr. Weatherall’s admitted it. But, Winnie, there’s—”
He evidently interrupted her because she began to listen intently. She said, with a glance out of the window, “We’re just at the Tower. Where are you? . . . How the hell did that happen, Win? . . . So what are they saying? What are they telling you? Anything? . . . Okay. I’ll let the guv know . . . Hey . . . Winston . . . Winston, hang on. We’ll sort it.” She listened for a bit more and then said, “We’ll see you back there, then.”
Lynley looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
“Win’s lost the Bankole woman,” she said.
“Lost . . . ?”
“She’s done a runner.”
Lynley cursed under his breath. They needed her. They had her statement, true. But ultimately they needed her to fill in the gaps by telling her story to the CPS and then to a jury.
Havers continued with, “It gets a bit worse, sir. She’s got the passports with her. She’s also got Simisola, the little girl.”
“What in God’s name . . . ?”
“Her husband thinks the family in Nigeria got tickets for her, to take Simisola to them.”
“The husband?”
“I don’t know, sir. Could be he’s come over from the dark side. Could be he’s telling porkies as fast ’s he can ’n order to get his maulers on the girl. Either way, Winston’s put the word out. He’s got everyone possible on the alert. If she does try to leave the country, she’ll be stopped. He hopes.”
“Why ‘hopes’？”
“She had a few hours’ head start.”
“Did he say how she managed to get the passports?”
Havers didn’t reply at once. Lynley glanced at her and said her name. She replied with, “He hadn’t secured them, guv.”
“Winston hadn’t secured the passports?” Lynley had heard her clearly, but he simply did not want to believe what she’d said.
“Yeah. That’s the case, according to Win. She took them from his jacket.”