Page 228 of Murder in the Family

ALAN CANNING

But you didn’t call 999 till 10.47. Why the delay?

MAURA HOWARD

(rolling her eyes)

How many more times? We went to the kitchen to get a Coke and something to eat. There was no sign of Luke—

ALAN CANNING

Don’t you mean Beatriz? Surely you were expecting her to be babysitting, not Luke?

MAURA HOWARD

(flushing slightly)

Of course – what I meant was there was no one around.

ALAN CANNING

Didn’t that worry you? I mean, Beatriz was supposed to be there, wasn’t she? Your mother wouldn’t have left your brother alone.

MAURA HOWARD

(staring at him for the first time)

When Beatriz babysat she usually spent the whole time ironing. I suppose I assumed that’s where she was.

ALAN CANNING

She didn’t iron in the kitchen?

MAURA HOWARD

(sarcastically)

We have alaundry room. The clue’s in the name, genius.

ALAN CANNING

(refusing to be patronized)

OK. So what about the doors to the terrace – were they open or shut?

MAURA HOWARD

Look, you know all this—

ALAN CANNING

(with a dry smile)

Humour me.

MAURA HOWARD

They were closed, OK?

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