Page 140 of Murder in the Family

They may have had their reasons. But I guess we’ll never know.

HUGO FRASER

So you think that as at December 1994 our mystery man started a whole new life as ‘Eric Fulton’?

BILL SERAFINI

I don’t think; Iknow. Because within six months of that John Doe’s death, the hitherto gay Eric Fulton began a sexual relationship with a woman.

This woman.

He puts up another picture – it’s a clipping from a glossy magazine. The woman is late middle-aged, in a floor-length gold sequinned gown, smiling and holding a glass of champagne.

BILL SERAFINI

This is Rose Shulman at the Met Gala in May 1994. She was 56 at the time.

And by the time the gala came round again, she had an escort.

He pins up another photo; Shulman again, in another long gown, accompanied this time by a tall and much younger man in evening clothes. He’s turned away from the camera.

LAILA FURNESS

Well, based purely on height and physique that definitely isn’t Eric Fulton of North Birmingham, Alabama.

JJ NORTON

But you can’t really see his face, can you? Is that deliberate, do you think?

BILL SERAFINI

Well observed, JJ. And yes, I think it is. I did a trawl of other images of Rose at around this time and ‘Eric’ is notable by his absence. And when heispictured he’s clearly doing his best not to be in shot.

And as we’ve discussed many times before, there was no social media back then, so if you were careful you had a pretty good chance of keeping your face out of the public eye.

(raises an eyebrow)

Always assuming you had good reason to want to.

ALAN CANNING

I agree he’s about the same height and build as ‘Luke’, but the hair is definitely darker. And shorter.

LAILA FURNESS

But those things are easy to change, aren’t they. Like wearing glasses. Or not.

ALAN CANNING

I suppose so.

HUGO FRASER

So what happened with Rose? I assume something did or you wouldn’t be telling us all this.

BILL SERAFINI

(looks grim)

---