The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1641 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

“Who is Joyce Watkins?” repeated Trish.

“Never mind, it’s not important–and she’s not here is she?”

“No, Mummy.”

“So if anyone else asks–you have never heard of her and have no idea who or where she is–okay?”

“Yeah, okay, Mummy.” She shrugged and went back to whatever she was doing before she answered the phone.

“Who knows you’re here?”

“You do, Stella, your shrink friend, Dr Smith, the psychologist to came to see me, oh and the police and Home Office.”

“Why do they need to know?”

“I was convicted–I’m only out on licence. They could send me back at the drop of a hat.”

“That’s ridiculous. We need to find something to take it to the Court of Appeal, either evidence they missed or some legal point. Simon was supposed to be seeing someone about looking at the possibilities of that. I wonder if he remembered?”

I went and found him, he had, but so far had had nothing back from them. He didn’t seem to think it was too hopeful even though he trusted my conviction that Jacquie was innocent.

“If she’d smashed up a few bus shelters or burgled someone, she’d be free now.”

“Yeah, well murder is a different category altogether isn’t it?”

“I appreciate that, but the poor kid was only a baby herself at the time.” He sighed, “I’ll give Jason a ring tomorrow.”

“Thanks, darling.” I pecked him on the cheek. “Oh by the way, it seems the press might know who Jacquie is.”

“I thought that was all done in secret?”

“So did I, I know none of us gave her away so I assume it has to be the police or Home Office.”

“Brilliant. I’ll get Jason to put in a complaint–at least then it has to be investigated.”

“Thank you, darling–where would I be without you?”

“Right here rattling round with just Tom and Kiki for company and half way through your PhD.”

“Damn, if I’d known then what I know now...” I turned to leave.

“Yes?”

“What?”

“You said if you’d known then what you know now–you didn’t finish it.”

“Finish what?” He hadn’t twigged it was a wind up.

“Your statement, if you’d known then what you know now.”

“How can you possibly know about the future? Don’t be silly.”

“Me silly? If I am it’s because of living with a maniac like you.”

I cackled and told him I was going off to stir my cauldron at which point he realised he’d been had.

“Bitch,” he called at me as I went down to my study.

“Your turn to put the children to bed,” I called back and left it at that.

Amazingly, he did round the kids up and got them to bed, well the girls at any rate. Danny was watching something on telly, so Simon told him to get to bed when it finished. If I’d told him that, I’d have had to chase him up, because Si told him, he’d do it. I’m only the one who look after them every day...

I was checking emails when the phone rang again. I was tempted to ignore it but out of curiosity I answered it. “Hello?”

“Can I speak to Joyce Watkins?”

“Who’s she when she’s at home?”

“I think you know who she is?”

“So why am I asking you, then?”

“Because you know?”

“Your logic is a poor as your manners, now if you call this number again I shall report you to the police for harassment. There is no one of that name her, nor as far as I know ever has been or likely to be. What d’you want her for anyway?”

“You know why?”

“Do I? I know one thing buster–I’m reporting you to BT and the police, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.” I put the phone down and swore at it.

Stella called by to say goodnight, and I told her about the second call for Joyce Watkins. When I took the girls to school next, she’d best answer the phone rather than Jacquie. She agreed.

On the Saturday, I did a food shop online and had Waitrose bring it to me. It wasn’t the same as doing it myself, but it was pretty good. I also ordered some stuff from Tesco and had them deliver as well. I stayed to support Jacquie while Simon pestered Jason to see what he could do.

Mid afternoon, just as Simon was about to settle down to watch Wales v Italy in the six nations, a large and burly copper with quite a bit of gold braid on his outfit rang the doorbell.

“Lady Cameron?” he asked when I answered it. “May I come in?”

I let him in and shut the door, “You are?”

“Assistant Chief Constable, Reg Burford. Is there somewhere private we can talk?”

“Is there anyone else who should be here?”

“Yes, Miss Morse whom I believe you employ?”

“She’s out with the girls in the garden, they’re checking for frog spawn.”

He looked momentarily alarmed, “Is that wise?”

“Why, frogspawn is harmless enough, I ought to know, I’m a biologist.”

“Are you aware of Miss Morse’s history?”

“Are you permitted to break a confidence like that?”

“You obviously are aware.”

“I’m aware that a court of law convicted a five year old girl of something she didn’t do.”

“She tells a convincing lie.”

“Does she? So do policemen wanting an easy cop. They don’t come easier than five year old girls do they?”

“The case was thoroughly investigated, Lady Cameron. It was well presented and the judgement was fair.”

“We’ll see–I have a barrister looking for mistakes–as soon as he finds one, I’m going to get this conviction quashed and the Home Office sued for a record amount. This girl’s life has been completely messed up–do you know she was raped repeatedly by a priest at the unit, and that they did an abortion which resulted in her womb being torn out? Oh yes, the damages when they are awarded will make your salary look like peanuts.

“You’d better find out who’s responsible for the leak as well, because if we discover it was someone from the police–they’re going to lose their pension as well as doing a jail term.”

“For such a pretty woman you have a very nasty streak don’t you?”

“Those I look after I protect to my utmost. We’re having calls asking to speak to Joyce Watkins. It’s distressing a member of my household. Someone has leaked it, when I find out who–they are going to regret it.”

“Making threats doesn’t become you, Lady Cameron. Having a convicted child killer looking after your children could compromise your adoptions, as a court might not see you as fit to care for them responsibly.”

“I think I got that recorded,” Simon waved his mobile phone about. “Good these, aren’t they. Mr whoever you are under that weight of gold braid and other people’s taxes, unless you want to be on the rota for emptying parking meters, apologise to my wife now.”

“Fuck you,” he said and left.

“Simon, I think you might have upset him more than I did.”

“Good.” He dialled his mobile, “Jason, we’ve been threatened by a senior copper. Yeah got some of it recorded. Okay, will send it on. Bugger.”

“What’s the matter?”I asked him.

“Jason told me Wales have just scored and I missed it.” He went back to the telly and his seat next to Danny and Tom. I went out to see Jacquie with the kids. They were having great fun with buckets and nets.

I went back to my study and called Jim Beck–“Got a job for you.”

“Usual rates?”

“I should get discount for the amount of work I put your way.”

“I have lots of overheads including the hackers I use to open different sources of information.”

“Right, someone has leaked who Jacquie was. I want you to find out who it was, I don’t care if it’s the Home Secretary, I want them clutching their P45 as soon as we have proof.”

“Oh wow, real subversive stuff–love it.”

“Jim, whoever leaked it committed a crime which is more than Jacquie did. Find them and get proof.”

“Gotcha boss.”