Page 203 of Murder in the Family

LAILA FURNESS

(intervening)

I said that it was a coincidence—

(rounding on Alan)

And don’t eventhinkabout coming out with your usual mealy-mouthed crap about not believing in coincidences—

ALAN CANNING

(holding up his hands)

Hey, I’m saying nothing.

BILL SERAFINI

To be fair, Nick did just say that some of what they dug up turned out to be just a coincidence. And like you say, it’s a pretty common name—

MITCHELL CLARKE

It’s not just that, Bill. The article I found – it drew on her own experience of losing a close family member. In her case, a brother.

(turning to her)

You talked about him, remember? About how he died when he was only nineteen. And how much harder it was because he was on the other side of the world and you couldn’t be with him—

LAILA FURNESS

(absolutely furious with him)

What onearthgives you the right to poke about in my private life?

BILL SERAFINI

(steadily)

It’s hardly that ‘private’, Laila, not if you wrote about it in a professional journal.

HUGO FRASER

(to Laila)

And if it really is just a coincidence, why don’t you just clear it up for us, here and now?

Silence.

BILL SERAFINI

Laila?

LAILA FURNESS

(icily)

OK.

Fine. If that’s the way you want it.

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