Page 141 of Murder in the Family

In the space of five months he relieved her of something in the neighbourhood of eight hundredthousand dollars. Along with several pieces of heirloom jewellery she never saw again.

JJ NORTON

(sardonically)

Nice guy.

Do we know how they met? Might give us a clue about how he operated.

BILL SERAFINI

He seems to have weaselled his way into some gallery opening she was at. Told her he was an artist—

MITCHELL CLARKE

Well, that’s actually true – he was a bloodyconartist.

BILL SERAFINI

—and he’d clearly done his research, because the Shulman family are noted patrons of the arts, and support a number of charities benefiting young painters.

HUGO FRASER

You just said ‘she neversawher jewellery again’. Past tense.

BILL SERAFINI

(takes a deep breath)

Rose was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and died nine months later. Her family firmly believe that the stress of losing the money was a major contributing factor. She felt humiliated. Not least because she thought Fulton actually cared about her.

MITCHELL CLARKE

I don’t suppose any of the Shulman family were in London on October third 2003 by any chance?

BILL SERAFINI

(laughs dryly)

No, sadly not. And yes, we have checked.

LAILA FURNESS

(sighs)

Another dead end.

HUGO FRASER

Did your colleague at NYPD have any idea which name our man might have been going under before he became Eric Fulton?

BILL SERAFINI

Afraid not. But safe to say they’re on the case.

Talking of being on the case, did you speak to the Met about getting those hairs tested, Alan?

ALAN CANNING

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