Page 191 of Murder in the Family

LAILA FURNESS

(intervening)

Hold on a minute, before we all get carried away. Bill, when you and Tarek were poking about in the wilder reaches of the internet did you happen to find a picture of Eileen in the late ’90s? Maybe that would help establish if she’s the woman in the photo with ‘Luke’ in 1998.

BILL SERAFINI

Great minds, Laila. And yes, we did.

The screen changes to a PHOTO. It’s an office environment: desks and computers, people wearing lanyards; several are holding files. There’s a red circle around Eileen Canning. The image is lined up next to the two photos previously shown of Luke and the mystery woman on Assos.

JJ NORTON

Well, the hair is similar, but hundreds of women that age wear their hair like that.

LAILA FURNESS

(frowning)

There’s a degree of resemblance, but that’s as far as I’d be prepared to go.

HUGO FRASER

I agree. You can’t see nearly enough of the Assos woman’s face to make any sort of definitive identification.

MITCHELL CLARKE

But like Laila says, thereisa resemblance. And I can see how the name thing might back that up.

He catches Alan looking daggers at him and holds up his hands.

Hey, man, just saying.

LAILA FURNESS

Is this all you have, Bill? Because I don’t see how you can make a connection back to Alan based solely on this. Is there anything else?

BILL SERAFINI

There sure is. In November 1997, Eileen Canning divorced her husband – the owner of a successful construction company, by the way – and resumedusing her maiden name. Six months later a woman of about the same age was pictured with ‘Luke’ on Assos.

I can’tprovethat was Eileen, or that she ever even vacationed there, but the logic would make sense. She’s just gotten divorced, she’s hit forty – why wouldn’t she want to enjoy her freedom – find a last chance at love?

HUGO FRASER

(dryly)

Based on his previous track record, I doubtlurvewas what ‘Luke’ had in mind.

BILL SERAFINI

(nodding)

Right. And Eileen Canning was declared bankrupt in 1999. She must have gotten a decent settlement from the husband, but she managed to run through the whole lot in two years. That’s some going, under any normal circumstances.

LAILA FURNESS

But on the other hand, if she was being scammed by someone like ‘Luke’—

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