Page 213 of Murder in the Family

ALAN CANNING

That woman I told you about who owned a red MGB back in 2003? The one I couldn’t persuade to talk to me on camera? Her name’s Serena Hamilton. But back then, before she got married, she was SerenaFraser. Hugo is her brother.

And for the avoidance of doubt, he used to borrow her car. Apparently he did itall the time.

LAILA FURNESS

(staring at Hugo)

My God, it wasyou.You’rethe one she washaving an affair with.

HUGO FRASER

(shaking his head)

It’s not what it looks like.

JJ NORTON

What itlooks likeis that you had a slam-dunk motive to kill Luke Ryder. Caroline wanted to finish it with you and you weren’t taking no for an answer—

HUGO FRASER

That would be laughable if this whole thing wasn’t such a bloody shit-show—

JJ NORTON

You decided to have it out with her – make her change her mind – only when you went over there she was out at that party, and the only person in the house was Luke—

HUGO FRASER

(shaking his head)

No, absolutely not – that didnothappen – and in any case it was just a casual thing – a fling.

MITCHELL CLARKE

As JJ would say, ‘yeah, right’.

HUGO FRASER

(rounding on him)

And what about you? Why don’t you tell us whatyouwere really doing there that night? Because it sure as fuck wasn’t that crap you came out with about ‘hearing a report on the police radio’—

MITCHELL CLARKE

And how the hell would you know?

HUGO FRASER

Because Caroline and I werefriends– because shetalkedto me.

He takes a breath; the others are staring at him, and he holds up his hands.

Look, I couldn’t say anything before because I knew how it would look—

A ripple round the table, someone mutters ‘yeah, right’.

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