'I'll tell you why,' said Hardiman after a moment's pause for thought. 'The girl's worried someone close to her may be involved. And if that's right, if it's someone in her family, Zak wouldn't want that to get public. She's a loyal girl.'
Wasn't so loyal to you, thought Joe.
He said, 'Why should she think someone in her family could be out to harm her? Thought she was the apple of their eye.'
'I take it you haven't met her sister?' said Hardiman. 'Zak might be the apple of her parents' eyes, but she's the pip up sister Mary's nose.'
With a mental sigh, Joe abandoned all shrugs and pretence. This sounded too important to miss.
He said, 'What's the set-up? Young sister having all the talent, getting all the attention?'
'Half right,' said Hardiman. 'But Mary was talented too, very talented. Squash was her game, and she was good. I've known her a long time. She used to work out at the gym where I took my athletes for weight training. From thirteen, fourteen on she had just one idea in her mind. She was going to be the world's Number One Woman, and nothing was going to get in her way. And I think she might have made it too if it hadn't been for the accident.'
'Hey, I think I remember something of that in the Bugle,' said Joe. 'Car smash, wasn't it?'
That's right. She was driving her parents to see Zak run. They were shaken and bruised, nothing more, but Mary got her knee mangled. End of hopes.'
Joe said, 'You tell that story like there's a lot more to it, Jim.'
'Sensitive soul, aren't you?' said Hardiman. 'Listen, I'm into confidentiality too. Was a time when Zak used to tell me everything. There are things I figure you ought to know because of this situation you've got yourself into. But I don't want Zak knowing it comes from me, you understand me, Joe?'
Back to the playground, Hooter's voice soft, but his eyes oh so hard and menacing.
'Just tell me what you want to tell me, Jim,' said Joe mildly.
Hardiman looked like this wasn't the cued response, then said, 'OK. Way I got it from Zak was that in her parents' eyes she was the star who needed cosseting, Mary was the toughie could look after herself. Easy to see why. Mary was completely single minded, didn't care what kind of impression she made. While Zak, well, you've met her. Can't help liking her, can you?'
'No,' agreed Joe. 'So what happened?'
'OK, this night, Mary was late picking up her parents -her dad's car was in dock, which was why she was doing the driving. Reason she was late was she'd been playing in a club competition and the woman she beat was the Great Britain Number 2, and there'd been a journalist there who'd wanted to interview her afterwards. None of her family there though. So she'd got home full of this, only to be yelled at 'cos she was late taking them to see Zak run. Henry, that's her dad, was nagging away at her, can't you go faster, that sort of thing. So she jumped a light. Which was when it happened. And when Zak got to see her in hospital, first thing she said was, now you'll be satisfied, last time I'll have an excuse being late for seeing you run. Laying it all on Zak.'
'How'd Zak take it?'
'Like the trooper she is. When Mary got out of hospital it was Zak kept her up to scratch with her physio. I think Mary would have been happy to walk with a stick the rest of her life so's no one would forget. As it was she seemed set to laze around at home looking miserable till Zak got her a job with her agent.'
That's this guy Endor, isn't it? Read about him too. Local, isn't he?'
'Not really. Flash house out near Biggleswade, but he's a professional Cockney, on the make, on the up,' said Hardi-man without much sign of affection.
Blames him for Zak going to the States and changing trainers? wondered Joe.
'But, to be fair, he seems to be doing OK by the girl,' Hardiman went on, as if realizing he'd let his feelings show. 'He spotted Zak was going to need an agent before she'd got around to thinking of it for herself. But she's no fool. Once she heard his proposal, she sat down and re-evaluated things. I think she signed up on a short-term contract, and part of the deal was that Endor gave Mary a job without it looking like a fix.'
'Must've been pretty obvious,' said Joe. 'And some folk might think it was rubbing Mary's nose in it, putting her where she'd see the figures clicking up every day telling her how well her sister was doing.'
His aim was to provoke and it worked.
'That shows you know dick about Zak,' snarled Hardiman.
'While you know her inside out?'
'I know her better than most. You've got to get close to someone you're training. Sometimes you can get too close.'
'What's that mean?'
'Young kids are vulnerable. They find a friendly ear to pour things into which, a couple of years later as they grow up, they wish maybe they hadn't. So then they look for a reason to split.'
'Thought you and Zak parted by mutual consent 'cos she wanted to go stateside and you wanted to take this job at the Plezz?'
'I was talking in general, Joe, not about me and Zak,' said
Hardiman coldly. 'Listen, Joe, you tread carefully here, right? Last thing I want is some family row blowing up in the Plezz, so save your dramatic revelations till Zak's on her way back to the States.'
'Should've thought the last thing you wanted was Zak coming last,' said Joe.
Hardiman shook his head and sighed deeply.
