Johnny Swanson by Eleanor Updale

Author:Eleanor Updale
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780375896880
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2011-03-08T10:00:00+00:00

Hutch got to the court as early as he could, determined to find a seat in the public gallery. There was quite a crowd. With all the shops closed, lots of other people were free too, and everyone wanted to hear why the police were so sure that Winnie had killed Dr Langford. If they had gone to see a monster, they were disappointed. Winnie looked tiny, standing alone in the shabby shift dress she’d had on when she was arrested. She stayed still, with her head down and her hands clasped in front of her, throughout the proceedings. Her mousy hair flopped forward, hiding her face. Hutch had hoped to catch her eye – to give her a reassuring nod, at least – but she didn’t look at the public gallery once. Her voice was so weak when she confirmed her name that the magistrate had to ask her to speak up.

The policeman who had discovered the body described the scene. Then a doctor testified that the victim had definitely not died of natural causes, but from a blow that had opened a blood vessel in his head. It was possible that he had been punched, and had fallen against the mantelpiece. In his opinion, the state of the corpse suggested that the murder was committed some time between five and eight o’clock on the night of Tuesday 10th December.

Then Miss Dangerfield was called to the stand. There was a titter as she confirmed her full name: Letitia Euphemia Gladys Dangerfield. Dressed in black, as ever, she looked stern and trustworthy as she swore to tell the truth. The prosecuting lawyer asked her why she had called the police on 11th December.

‘Because I had noticed a broken window at the Langfords’ house.’

‘And at what time did you notice it?’

‘At about ten in the morning. I called the police immediately, but it took them rather a long time to come.’

‘That’s as may be, Miss Dangerfield. One can perhaps forgive the police for not expecting a broken window to be important.’

‘But I told them I thought there might have been a burglary.’

‘And what made you think that?’

‘Because the night before I had seen someone behaving strangely in the garden.’

‘And do you see that person here today, Miss Dangerfield?’

‘I do, sir.’

‘Would you be so good as to point them out to us?’

Winnie, pale and weak, flinched as Miss Dangerfield lifted her walking stick and waved it at the dock. ‘That’s her,’ she bellowed. ‘Mrs Winifred Swanson.’

‘Thank you, Miss Dangerfield. Now tell us, at what time did you see her?’

‘It must have been between seven o’clock and seven twenty. I had finished my supper, and I had not yet turned on my radio-gramophone.’ She said the word ‘radio-gramophone’ with great relish, glad to boast to the court that she owned one. ‘I can be sure of the time. That night I listened in to a talk by Professor W. W. Watts on “The Origins of Life”. I have consulted the Radio Times. It began at seven twenty-five.

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