Page 218 of Murder in the Family

I dropped Maura off on the corner of their road at around ten. She was supposed to meet Amelie there at ten fifteen so they could walk home together.

ALAN CANNING

(nodding)

Which accounts for a man answering your description being seen in the street—

MITCHELL CLARKE

Right. Anyway, I stopped for petrol on the way back and I was at the till when I got this weird call from Maura’s mobile. I couldn’t make it out –it took me a few minutes to realize she’d called me by mistake. A butt-dial, basically.

BILL SERAFINI

So what time was that?

MITCHELL CLARKE

I didn’t look at my watch, but I’m guessing about 10.35.

BILL SERAFINI

Could you hear what was going on? Anything she was saying?

MITCHELL CLARKE

(sighing and shaking his head)

Not really, to be honest. It was more like heavy breathing, moaning almost – I tried to talk to her but she obviously couldn’t hear me—

BILL SERAFINI

So you turned round and went back?

MITCHELL CLARKE

Of course I did – wouldn’t you?

BILL SERAFINI

Then what happened?

MITCHELL CLARKE

After that it was pretty much like I told you – by the time I got there the cops had already arrived.

BILL SERAFINI

You followed the police car down the drive and went round to the back of the house?

MITCHELL CLARKE

Right. I was looking for Maura.

ALAN CANNING

But what you found was a corpse.

MITCHELL CLARKE

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