'That's right. Woman who worked in the same place as me who I sometimes saw at demos took me along. It was all right as long as she was there, then she left. Husband got a job down south. After that it wasn't so good.'
'How?'
'Well, the others, I don't know, treated me like I was still a kid. They all think the sun shines out of Cap's bum…'
'And you don't?'
'Oh, she's fine. It wasn't her. I mean, it was in a way 'cos she's so single-minded and I could tell she got exasperated a couple of times when I did something clumsy. I don't mean to, but they make me a bit nervous. Anyway I didn't mind Cap, she's the leader, but I couldn't see how this gave any of the others the right to patronize me.'
'And that made you want to leave?'
'Partly, but what really pissed me off was when I found I was being left out of things. Someone said something, and I realized they were talking about an op. I hadn't been on. I asked Cap and she said vaguely that she'd tried to contact me but I hadn't been available which was crap. And I thought if it's happened once, how many more times?'
'When was this?' asked Wield.
'Oh earlier in the year. So I was ready to tell them all to stuff it when Wendy joined. At first I thought, what the hell's this? I mean, first time you meet her, she comes over a bit weird. But once I got talking, we really hit it off.'
'Had a lot in common, did you?' asked Wield.
'Not much,' admitted Jacksie. 'But she was outside the inner circle too and that made a real difference. She said some really saucy things to some of the others, and behind their backs… well, I couldn't tell you what she said, not to a man.'
She smiled and waited to be pressed. Wield said, 'So what else did you talk about when you weren't slagging off the others?'
She looked ready to bridle, then perhaps recollected what had brought him looking for her.
'Oh she went on a bit about miners and women's rights and things,' she said with the light dismissiveness of one whose world-view was experientially myopic. 'And she told me about getting wed when she was seventeen and what a prick he turned out to be.'
'Did she mention any other men, you know, boyfriends?'
'No one special. She told me a few stories about fellows, you know, funny stories, the stupid way they go on when they're doing it. Sometimes, though, I thought she might be a bit sort of both ways, if you follow me, and that was why she liked me.'
'Did she try anything?' said Wield with what he hoped was heterosexual sternness.
'Oh no. You don't have to look hard to see I'm not that way inclined,' said Jacksie with the naive and cruel certainty that anyone as attractive as herself must be straight. 'Not that it bothered that Donna from making a pass once – you should have seen the looks Meg gave me! – so mebbe I'm wrong about Wendy. Anyway, it never came up. Girls, I mean. Just men.'
'So what else did you talk about?'
'The group, mainly. I told her about being pissed off and she said they did seem as go-ahead as the activities committee of the WI and weren't there other groups with a bit more go that we could join?'
'And are there?'
'Oh yes, a few. You get to hear things at big demos, recognize faces.'
'Did you make any contacts then?'
Suddenly she was looking at him with eyes whose blue had more of storm trooper than baby doll in them, and her body language had changed from fancy-a-slice-of-this? to where-the-hell-are-you-coming-from?
'What's all this got to do with Wendy being knocked down?' she asked coldly.
'Just trying to put together a picture,' said Wield.
'Is that right? You mean, seeing as you were here and this stupid cow's all shook up because her friend's in hospital, you might as well see if you can get her to incriminate anybody while she's not looking.'
It wasn't altogether true but true enough to mean the interview had just about run its course.
'Sorry,' said Wield. 'And I'm really sorry about Wendy. We'll do our best to get the bastard. I'm off to see Ms Marvell now. I gather she's really cut up about what's happened.'
If he'd asked another direct question he suspected he'd have been told to get stuffed, but the obliquity got him his answer.
'Don't see why she should be, they were always at each other's throats. Wendy's fault as much as Cap's.'
'Because she thought you should be a more hard-nosed group?'
'Yes, generally. Though it's funny, that last row they had, the night we found the bones…'
'Yes?'
Jacksie checked what she was going to say to make sure it didn't contain anything that could be used in evidence against anybody, then went on, 'It were the other way round. They were the last to be brought into that room where they locked us up till you lot arrived. When they came in they were going at it hammer and tongs. Wendy said, 'What the hell were you going to do, Cap? Take his head off?' And Cap said, 'Why not? They've been hired to protect those bastards cutting up the animals, so that makes them the enemy too.' Funny that. And now, if you don't mind, I've wasted enough time yacking to you. I'm going to the hospital to see how Wendy is for myself.'
Which brought him finally and he had to admit reluctantly to Cap Marvell's door. It was one thing to mock the Fat Man's fancy behind his back, another to be Put in a situation where there was no avoiding close contemplation of its implications. In most things Dalziel was a law unto himself, but that only worked so long as he was, without fear or favour, the Law unto others. For a cop to screw someone likely to be called as a witness in a case he was working on was foolhardy. For a cop to screw anyone likely to end up in the dock was folly. OK, so Cap Marvell looked unlikely to be prosecuted by ALBA in connection with the raid on Wanwood, but sooner or later she was going to be prosecuted for something! Dalziel had obviously judged this a risk worth taking, assuming of course that judgment figured at all in matters sexual. But even he must have been taken aback by the speed with which it had proved necessary for Cap to be interviewed again in connection with a criminal matter. Not that it seemed probable she would have anything to contribute to the Walker inquiry other than the necessary comments of a known associate. Perhaps it would turn out to be a fortuitous early warning, making Dalziel step back before he got in too deep.
Shit, thought Wield with sudden self-disgust. How mealy-minded could you get! A few months of what felt like a stable partnership had turned him into Mrs Grundy! If randy Andy thought he'd found true love, then the old sod 'ud be mad not to grab it with both hands while it was before him.
The door opened and he found himself looking at what, if salacious speculation were correct, the old sod had probably grabbed at with both hands already.
'Sergeant Wield, I presume. You'd better come in.'
This was the only hint that she had been forewarned of his visit, but it was enough. If Dalziel were stepping back, it was the merest shuffle rather than a bloody great step.
She listened to his preamble with courteous patience then said, 'I assume this means that you feel there is a chance that whoever knocked Wendy down may have been known to her, perhaps even had a motive for wishing her harm, and you are therefore collating information on her habits, background, and associates?'
Sharp lady. Or mebbe she'd had this spelt out to her already and was just wanting to get it on the official record to avoid a slip-up which might embarrass her great protector.
'That's it, spot on,' said Wield. 'So owt you can tell us…'
He got the story much as before, though angled slightly differently. Walker had joined the group about two months earlier. She had proved an active and energetic colleague, but hadn't seemed interested in forging links outside the group's main activities… 'Regarding which, as you will understand, I am not about to give you any details, sergeant,' she concluded.
'I got the impression she and Miss Jacklin were pretty friendly,' said Wield.
