Johnny Swanson - Eleanor Updale [93]
Griffin was silent for a moment and then spoke sternly. ‘You may not be aware, Johnny, that while you’ve been in Wales this force has been dealing with an allegation of fraud in relation to advertisements very like the one you’ve described.’
Johnny had another clong. With a few unguarded words he had landed himself in trouble. He felt sick with shame. He had already faced Hutch’s wrath over his adverts. Now the police knew. He had heard of guilty children being tried in the juvenile courts and sent away to special schools. Would that happen to him, just when his mother was coming home? Had he messed things up yet again? Would Winnie’s freedom be laced with new worry and grief?
The inspector could see that Johnny was panicking. He was stern but understanding. ‘Johnny, I know you’ve been through a lot in the last few weeks. We may be able to resolve the matter of the advertisements if I give you the name and address of the person who has complained, and you send him back his money.’
Johnny sighed with relief. ‘Thank you, sir,’ he said gravely. ‘I promise I’ll do it tomorrow.’
‘In that case,’ said Inspector Griffin, ‘I think it is time you went home.’ He stood up and took a step towards the door. Then he stopped abruptly and turned to Johnny, thinking out loud. ‘So Mrs Langford wanted a disguise …’ he mumbled. ‘She must have been planning to get away – to hide and leave Bennett and Howell to face the music. Perhaps she was even planning to pin Langford’s murder on them.’
‘And?’ said Hutch, not really following the policeman’s train of thought.
‘Well, it just might help me when I’m talking to the others. If I can show that Mrs Langford was preparing to double-cross them even before their plot was discovered, it might break down any last vestige of loyalty between them.’
Johnny interrupted. ‘There wasn’t much sign of loyalty when they were arguing in Wales. If you ask me, it’s more likely that she was going to kill the others so they couldn’t tell on her, and then change her appearance so she would never be found.’
Inspector Griffin nodded. ‘Either way, sending off for that disguise shows how devious she’s been. If she tries to defend herself against the murder charge by saying it was self-defence or a single moment of madness, we’ll be able to demonstrate how she kept on plotting to save herself.’
‘I’d never have thought she could be like that,’ said Johnny.
‘You’d be surprised,’ said Inspector Griffin, ‘how people behave after they’ve killed. I’ve seen quite a few murderers in my time. Many torture themselves with guilt; but some plot a killing in cold blood, and then seem perfectly normal – even congenial – once they’ve got rid of the person they despised. Others, who’ve surprised themselves by killing, entirely lose their grip on what’s right and wrong.’
‘Is that what’s happened to Mrs Langford?’ asked Johnny.
‘I’d say so. She killed a decent, loving man. No one else matches up to her estimation of him, and no crime she might commit in future can seem as bad to her as what she’s already done. So why shouldn’t she kill again? That’s why she thought nothing of threatening you and Howell. She might eventually have moved on to another stage, enjoying killing and taking a pride in avoiding capture. Some killers even manage to convince themselves that they’re not guilty, when all the evidence points the other way.’
‘And some suspects really are innocent, despite appearances,’ said Hutch severely.
Inspector Griffin knew he was thinking of Winnie. He gave an embarrassed cough. It was the nearest he came to an apology. ‘Anyway, Johnny,’ he said, trying to lighten the mood, ‘that advert of yours may have done the trick in solving this crime. I think we’ll be able to turn a blind eye to how it got in the paper – just as long as there are no more.’
‘Oh, I promise,’ said Johnny, meaning it. ‘I’ll never, ever do it again.’
Hutch interrupted. ‘There’s something I would like to ask Johnny, if I may,’ he said to the detective.
‘Go ahead,’ said Inspector Griffin, hoping for another