Page 143 of Murder in the Family

Wilson smiles indulgently. He’s an older, more florid version of his son; his wife is a much less substantial figure, clutching her handbag and smiling nervously. Ian pulls his hand through his hair again; he’s starting to look rather like Boris Johnson.

JOURNALIST

And I think you have your special new shirt with you too?

Ian grins and holds up a white England shirt with a red rose on the chest. It clearly hasn’t been worn yet.

JOURNALIST

And your first game is later this month I believe?

IAN WILSON

(grinning again)

Yeah, we’re playing Scotland on the twenty-first.

(he leans forward into the camera lens, holds up a fist and roars)

Stuff the Jocks – YEAH!

JOURNALIST

(looking alarmed and turning quickly away to camera)

Well, I’m sure we all wish the team every success. Back to you in the studio.

FREEZE FRAME.

LAILA FURNESS

For such a short clip, that was extraordinarily revealing.

HUGO FRASER

Ian Wilson is a boorish overprivileged little tosser, for a start.

Alan shoots him a quick glance and seems about to say something, but changes his mind.

MITCHELL CLARKE

Oh come on, he was only a kid back then—

HUGO FRASER

He was 16. People don’t change much after that. Aren’t I right, Laila?

LAILA FURNESS

Well, I would agree that you rarely see profound personality shifts after that age – not without some significant triggering event—

HUGO FRASER

There you are then.

JJ NORTON

Either way, based on what we just saw, I reckon the grown-up Ian would’ve been more than capable of doing Luke some serious damage. He was arugby player, for Christ’s sake.