Tani had been taken in at first by his father’s performance on the previous day. But after a sleepless night during which he’d considered everything that had gone on with his family and everything he’d learned about his parents since the night Abeo had revealed the arrangement he’d made for Tani to marry a girl he didn’t know, he’d had to conclude that Abeo no more wanted to find Simi to keep her from harm than he wanted to renew his marriage vows—whatever they’d been—with Monifa. First and foremost, he wanted Simi made pure and clean and whatever else was required because nothing had changed: he wanted to offer her for a hefty bride price to some bloke with funds in Nigeria. And he wanted that because at the end of the day he wanted what he’d always wanted—once he had whatever else he wanted—which was money and control over every person who touched upon his life.
When Sophie arrived, she joined him and Deborah St. James in the study. She said, “Anything yet?” to both of them. She flopped into one of the two leather chairs.
“We’ve not had a word from anyone,” Deborah told her.
Sophie looked at Tani, and he could tell she was trying to evaluate his state. He wished she wouldn’t, but he didn’t want to try to act as if an unrealistic hope was bolstering him. There’d been enough acting in his family. Having reached a conclusion, Sophie turned back to Deborah and said, “Can’t you ring someone?”
“I could do if that will ease your mind. But—”
“Not my mind. Tani’s.”
“—I would only be able to ring Sergeant Nkata or his superior, and there’s little point to that because they’ll be waiting for word as well.”
“Sergeant Nkata’s not seeing to this on his own?”
“He’s working on a murder case,” Deborah told her. “He won’t have been able to place himself at any of the locations we’re waiting to hear from. But you’re not to worry. He’ll get the word at once if they find her. Or his superior will. One of them will ring if that happens.”
“Could be she’s left already,” Tani noted. “If she went straight to an airport from here?”
“I think we’d have heard by now,” Deborah said. “They would have checked that first and her name would be on a passenger list along with Simi’s.”
“So where is she, then?” he demanded. “Where are they? ’Cause if my dad’s found them . . .”
“Is anyone checking hospitals?” Sophie asked.
“That’s something I can find out.” Deborah had placed her mobile on the table that stood between the leather chairs. She unlocked it and was about to tap in a number when Tani’s mobile rang, and he dug it from his pocket and looked at the screen. There was no identification of the caller, just the number of a landline he didn’t know.
When he answered, a woman’s voice said, “Is that Tani?” and he instantly thought his father had found them and this was a hospital ringing to tell him that his mother had been admitted with broken bones or worse. He steeled himself and said that yes, it was Tani. The woman then said, “I’ve got him,” to someone who was apparently with her. After a moment he heard, “Tani? Are you still with the ginger-haired lady?”
For a moment Tani couldn’t reply. It was his mother’s voice, and when he said nothing, she went on with, “Tani? You are there? You’ve been kept safe?”
He felt dazed. His mother sounded as she always sounded except there was no stress or tension in her voice and he didn’t know what this meant. He managed, “Mum.” Then, “Pa’s been. Only he came with Sergeant Nkata because he hadn’t been let go from the police and you lied to us. Just like Pa. You lied, Mum.”
“Tani, I am sorry that—”
“Where’s Simi? What’ve you done with her? I’m not speakin’ another word to you till you tell me what you’ve done to Simi and where she is and why you lied to me and—” To his complete humiliation, his voice broke. He gave the mobile to Sophie and raised his arm to hide his face.
Sophie quickly put the mobile on speaker. She said, “Mrs. Bankole, is Simi with you?”
Monifa’s voice said, “Where is Tani?”
“He’s just here next to me, but he’s got upset. I’ve put you on speaker. If you can tell us where you are . . . ?”
“This is something I am not allowed to do, Tani,” Monifa said. “I could not tell you yesterday. They phoned me and said they were ready for me but I was not to tell you or anyone.”