Death of an Innocent by Sally Spencer Page B

up like some of the buggers in plain clothes she has to serve.’
    Woodend grinned, then grew serious again and said, ‘So if you knew I wasn’t who I said I was, why didn’t you tell your husband right away?’
    The old woman smiled. ‘Partly because of what my niece said about you, and partly because I was curious. You may not believe this, but we don’t get many bobbies pretendin’ to be reporters round these parts. Do you want to tell me what it’s all about?’
    â€˜I can’t investigate the murder in the way I normally would because I’ve been suspended from duty,’ Woodend confessed.
    â€˜Suspended from duty,’ the old woman repeated. ‘Did you do somethin’ wrong?’
    Woodend shook his head. ‘I don’t think so.’
    â€˜So if it’s really nothin’ to do with you any more, why are you still workin’ the case?’
    â€˜Because I think that I have a better chance of solvin’ it than anybody else does,’ Woodend said. ‘An’ because I don’t think it’s right that a kid should be robbed of her life before she’s had the chance to even start livin’ it fully.’
    The old woman nodded slowly, as if she were prepared to take his explanation at face value. ‘Have you got any children of your own, Mr Woodend?’
    â€˜One. A girl. She’s trainin’ to be a nurse in Manchester.’
    â€˜I’ve had six. Of course, they’re all grown up now, an’ have their own families.’ The old woman paused. ‘My youngest granddaughter’s about the same age as the poor kiddie who was killed up at Dugdale’s Farm. Do you think it was Wilf Dugdale that killed her?’
    â€˜Do you?’
    â€˜Not a chance. Wilf has been a bit of a bugger in his time – my Jed’s quite right about that – but he’s no murderer.’
    â€˜You’ve got somethin’ you want to tell me, haven’t you, Mrs Turner?’ Woodend guessed.
    The old woman looked down at her lap. ‘Maybe,’ she said hesitantly. ‘I’m not sure.’
    â€˜Whatever you have to say won’t go beyond these four walls,’ Woodend coaxed. ‘If Mr Dugdale’s innocent, then what you tell me won’t hurt him. An’ if he’s guilty, don’t you want to see him behind bars?’
    â€˜When Wilf had that big row with his dad an’ moved away, he went to Rochdale,’ Mrs Turner said quickly, as if she wanted to get the words out before she changed her mind. ‘The first street he lived in was called Derby Avenue. He lodged at Number Forty-six. I don’t know how long he stayed there, or where he went after that.’
    â€˜How do you know all about this, when your husband doesn’t?’
    Mrs Turner gave him a sad smile. ‘You’ve already guessed that, haven’t you, lad?’
    â€˜Perhaps I have,’ Woodend agreed.
    â€˜Wilf Dugdale was a good lookin’, well-set-up, young feller forty-odd years ago,’ Mrs Turner said. ‘An’ I was no drudge myself.’
    â€˜I’m sure you weren’t,’ Woodend agreed.
    â€˜The difference between us – an’ it was a big difference in them days – was that I was married – an’ he wasn’t.’
    â€˜Is that what he had the blazin’ row with his father about, just before he left home?’
    â€˜Old Clem Dugdale had very strict morals. He wasn’t goin’ to harbour a sinner under
his
roof.’ There was a hint of a smile on the old woman’s face again. ‘Especially a sinner who wasn’t a very good farmer.’
    â€˜Did your husband ever find out what had been goin’ on?’
    â€˜Let’s just say that he had his suspicions.’
    â€˜When Wilf Dugdale moved down to Rochdale, you went to visit him, didn’t you?’
    â€˜A few times.’
    â€˜What made you stop