GUY HOWARD – off

Again, there was no sign of anything being wrong?

MAURA HOWARD

No, not at all. We went to the kitchen to get a Coke, and then I headed out to my room—

GUY HOWARD – off

The one above the old stable block – the one Mum had when she started working for Dad.

MAURA HOWARD

Right.

GUY HOWARD – off

So what happened next?

MAURA HOWARD

(taking a deep breath)

I found him. I mean, I knew something was wrong, as soon as I went outside. I could see – it.

(swallows and looks away)

I knew it was a body. It was raining really hard and it wasn’t easy to see, but I still knew.

GUY HOWARD – off

What did you think had happened?

MAURA HOWARD

I’m not sure I was thinking much, right then.

(shrugs)

I guess if I was thinking anything it was that someone had fallen on the steps. Mum was always going on about how they were dangerous and what with it raining—

GUY HOWARD – off

Did you recognize him? Did you know it was Luke?

MAURA HOWARD

(shaking her head)

No. Not to start with. It just looked like a bloke. A bloke in black. It wasn’t till I got closer that I realized it was him.

GUY HOWARD – off

You could tell, even in the dark and in the state the body was in?

MAURA HOWARD

It wasn’t that—