“And you already knew he was interested in girls, didn’t you?”

“I what?”

“Well, you see, Mr. Caxton, the important thing here is that our complainant remembers Mr. Monaghan as being the other man who raped her in your suite at the Majestic Hotel in Blackpool on the nineteenth of August 1967. She picked his photograph out of the newspaper.”

“How extraordinary.”

“You think so? Why?”

“She certainly has an active imagination, I’ll say that for her, whoever she is. Is one rapist not enough for her that she has to pick another one out of an old newspaper?”

Winsome looked up from her notebook at him, a mixture of puzzlement and disgust on her face. Caxton grinned. “Oh-oh, I can see your sergeant here doesn’t approve of my flippancy.”

“It’s hardly a time to be flippant, sir,” said Winsome.

Caxton leaned forward. Banks tensed, feeling a sense of threat and aggression in the gesture. Caxton’s mouth was twisted almost into a snarl. “Oh, I disagree, young lady. It’s a perfect time to be flippant, when you have such absurd, ludicrous accusations being thrown at you. Have you considered for a moment what your victim here has to gain by telling such outrageous stories about me?”

“She has nothing to gain,” said Banks. “None of them do. Except maybe a bit of peace of mind, a sense of justice.”

“Justice? Well, how public-spirited.”

“And don’t you think it’s odd that she picked Tony Monaghan, of all the people who had their pictures in the paper around that time? And that Monaghan was an employee of yours? Quite a coincidence.”

Caxton shrugged. “That’s all it is. Coincidences happen. I’m sorry Mr. Monaghan was killed, but it was nothing to do with me.”

“Were you and Tony Monaghan on good terms?”

Caxton frowned. “As far as I can recall. As I said, I barely even remember him. It was a long time ago, and we didn’t live in each other’s pockets. After all, he was my employee. I like to think of myself as a generous and amiable employer, but one can’t let the staff get too close and personal, can one.”

“I wouldn’t know,” said Banks. “What was his role?”

“This and that. Everything to do with public relations, media, fans, events and promotion. Charity drives. The lot.”

“Invaluable?”

“Replaceable. Obviously, as I had to replace him.”

“Who with?”

Caxton waved his hand in irritation at the question. “I can’t remember. Chris or Vinny or some such oik.”

“From the same advertising agency?”

“I wouldn’t know. I didn’t handle that side of the business. I was busy enough just keeping people entertained. Making them laugh, smile, cry. You should try it. It’s harder than you think.”