I looked back at her. “The New York authorities will need all that information as soon as possible.”
The knowledge of an incoming call came into my head. It was Matheson. “Jaggers, old boy! Near a telly?”
I glanced at Walter. He nodded, touched a button on his steering column, and a screen dropped down from the roof. All those in the rear could easily see it, and Shad moved his mech back there for the improved view. By straining, I could see the screen from the side: constabulary police cruisers, light arrays flashing, in front of a small cottage. Matheson began telling me a channel number, but I interrupted and said we already had it and ended the call. The reporter doing the voiceover let us know that she was in Gidleigh, at great personal risk to her own person, as multiple police agencies descended upon the cottage’s occupant suspected of being the Mad Moor Murderer. A disclaimer came up on the screen explaining that the bombing had taken place in northern Dartmoor, the use of the designation ‘Moor’ was for alliterative purposes and in no way referred to Moors, nor anyone of Moorish descent, nor does the term ‘Mad’ refer to mentally impaired, anger-management challenged ... etcetera, etcetera.
“Matheson’s making the bust in front of the TV cameras while we’re out here in the boonies,” said Shad. “By the time Walter’s car is charged and we can make it to Gidleigh, it’ll all be over. Matheson’ll probably get a medal.”
“The Wookie never got a medal,” said Alice Blue from in back.
I turned and looked at her, not certain if she was joking. “That’s true,” I chimed in. “The Wookie did everything Han Solo and Luke Skywalker did. They got medals and the Wookie didn’t.”
“A clear case of human racism,” added Val.
We all looked at Shad.
Shad’s mech was silent for a moment. “Yeah,” he said in good humor. “He did the same except for lines. The Wookie only had that one word to learn for his part.” He then gave the Wookie call.
“That shouldn’t have kept the Wookie from getting a medal,” said Alice with a demure smile. “Patty Duke only said one word in The Miracle Worker and she got an Oscar.”
“What word was that, sergeant?” Walter asked Shad.
“‘Wawa,’“ quoth the micro, granting the point. The motion passed unanimously. Resolved: The Wookie was stiffed, as we would be whenever it came time to pass out public kudos for taking down the Mad Moor Murderer.
After charging Walter’s MG, we took the A 30 back toward Exeter to bring Alice Blue to Heavitree Tower for the first of many interrogations. Eventually the conversation turned to Shad’s new meat suit. He said he was going to arrange with North American Biotronics for a replacement duck, which should be ready in a matter of weeks.
Until then, what? Walter wanted to know.
Shad said he was going to go to Celebrity Look-alikes of Bond Street, London, and pick something inspiring to wear until his new duck arrived.
Everyone else in the car entertained themselves speculating on which celebrity suit Shad would choose. Shad’s big hero from his acting days was Lawrence Olivier, which was Val’s choice. Nadine chose Sylvester the Cat, but I think she was joking. Walter thought actor Stephen Fry would be an excellent choice. Alice Blue, after much encouragement from Val and Nadine, smiled and chose Tick Tock from the Oz stories. All good selections and all quite wrong, I feared.
I had been with Guy Shad long enough to know how his mind worked. I began bracing myself to refuse to react even a little bit when he appeared for duty as Nigel Bruce playing Dr. Watson.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Jaggers and Shad appeared earlier in “The Good Kill,” November 2006.)