Page 29 of Murder in the Family

She stops and looks down; she’s visibly distressed and breathing hard, trying to compose herself. After a few moments she starts to speak again, but doesn’t look up.

It was the clothes. I recognized the jacket. The black denim one. It had a silver logo thing on the collar. It was the one Mum bought for him.

GUY HOWARD – off

So what happened next?

MAURA HOWARD

I ran. Or at least I wanted to but my legs were all numb and I kept slipping in the mud. As soon as I got inside I called out for Amelie and told her to check on you. I was worried something might have happened to you as well.

GUY HOWARD – off

And then you called 999?

MAURA HOWARD

(hesitates then nods)

Right. And shut the doors. In case whoever it was had attacked him was still outside.

GUY HOWARD – off

You called Mum as well?

MAURA HOWARD

I rang her mobile but she didn’t pick up. And then the police arrived and everything went to shit.

For, like,forever.

(looks away)

CUT TO: Team.

LAILA FURNESS

Poor kid. She was only 15 at the time. That’s no age to have your life turned upside down.

HUGO FRASER

That mention of Caroline’s mobile started me thinking – I assume Luke must have had one too.Were there any odd calls either to or from either of them that day?

BILL SERAFINI

(shaking his head)

Nothing the police couldn’t account for.

(looks round the room)

So, any other questions at this stage? No? In which case I think it’s over to you, JJ.

CAMERA SWITCHES to JJ who opens his file and starts laying out PHOTOS from the crime scene on the table. Some of the pictures have already been shown: close-ups around the body showing blood spill (the clothes are clearly visible but the facial features have been blurred for camera); new wider-angle views show the body in relation to the house.

JJ NORTON

So as we can see, Ryder was wearing the black denim jacket Maura just referred to. Also jeans, a T-shirt, a pair of black loafers, and a Breitling Avenger watch that Caroline had given him as a wedding present.

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