Greeds Negative Consequences

Greed’s Negative Consequences

In both “The Long Shot” by Nicholas Blake and “A Very Desirable Residence” by P.D.

James, terrible crimes are committed in the name of greed. In one case there is a murder and the

framing of an innocent man. In the other case there is a set-up where a man is wrongfully

imprisoned and stripped of his freedoms. However, both cases ultimately lead to the demise of

the culprit. This teaches the reader that greed will have its negative consequences.

In “The Long Shot” Hector and Diana kill Gervase for monetary gain. They want to inherit

Gervase’s fortune that would not be given to them even in the event of Gervase’s death. Because

of this, the couple cold- heartedly killed him by poisoning his beverage while at the same time,

pointing the blame at his son. The son who would in fact become rich from his fathers written

will (343).

The married couple was actually looked at as a team by Mr. Strangway even before he knew

that they were co-conspirators in the murder. Blake writes: “They gave one, more than any other

couple I ever met, the impression of being a team, of physical and mental co-ordination” (335).

This alluded to the fact that they were going to work as a team to try and pull off the murder and

frame Henry. Diana had the ambitiousness and Hector had the energy to commit the crime (335).

The plan for the murder was to poison Gervase and make it look like it was done by his son,

Hector. They did this by putting prussic acid in Gervase’s ginger-beer. Diana distracted Henry

while Hector put the poison in Gervase’s drink (339). Henry was thought to be the only person to

have contact with the ginger-beer. By doing this, they hoped that people would assume Henry

committed the murder to receive his inheritance. Also, so that Henry would be put in prison and

not be allowed to accept the inheritance which would allow Hector to become next in line (343). So through the plan they were able to kill Gervase and shortly place the blame on Henry.

However, Mr.Strangeway quickly realizes the couple’s involvement in the murder and their

motive.

Hector and Diana were figured out by Detective Strangeway. He realized that they had killed

Gervase for his money:

“In that case, Nigel, you silly ass. What would be the point of my killing Gervase?” Hector

was blushing, yet triumphant, like a boy making a decisive point in a school debate.

“None. Unless you did it in such a way as to incriminate Henry. He would be hanged for

your crime, and Gervase’s fortune in due course would pass to you. And, I must say, if

Henry didn’t commit the murder, someone took great pains to make it look like he did

(344).

Also, because Henry would get all of his father’s money in case of his death, they tried to frame

him to make it look like he killed his father for his inheritance (343). Its ironic, how they killed

someone in an attempt to get rich but now they will go to prison and have nothing. They will no

longer be able to travel Europe in their Bentley (335). They will also have with them forever, the

guilt of killing Gervase. In “A Very Desirable Residence,” the culprit was not figured out and did

not do prison time. Despite this, he left himself susceptible to the same fate as the man he had

set-up.

In “A Very Desirable Residence” the narrator and Mrs. Vinson think up a plot to set-up Mr.

Vinson.