Lucan

[after the fatal attack on nanny Sandra Rivett, Aspinall has called together Lord Lucan's friends]

John Aspinall:
Right. You all know why you're here. A friend of ours is in trouble. As far as we can tell, there was some sort of incident last night at 46 Lower Belgrave Street, and Lucky Lucan is wanted for questioning over an attack on his wife and, it seems, the death of his children's nanny. I'll begin by asking if anybody has heard from Lucky in the last twelve hours.

[everyone shakes their heads]

Dominick Elwes:
What about you, Aspers? Has he not rung you?

John Aspinall:
He has not. But let me tell you this. If he did, Lucky Lucan is my friend. If he came to me, covered in blood having done some frightful deed, then the last thing that would occur to me would be to turn him in. That would go against every last instinct of human loyalty.

Dominick Elwes:
It would also go against the law.

John Aspinall:
Oh to hell with the law! To hell with the common norms of civic behaviour - whatever they are. If the law doesn't suit, then change it! If you can't change it, then damn the law! In time such as this, I should like to think that if our friend turned up on any of our doorsteps, we should offer him sanctuary.

DCI David Gerring:
Are you proud to be the friend of a man who tried to bash his wife to death?

John Aspinall:
If she'd been *my* wife, I'd have bashed her to death five years ago - and so would you.